UNFINISHED business, emerging challenges, lingering headaches, ready to seize new opportunities ...
... State and Federal Governments actually delivering on their promises to make life better in Loddon communities, our towns being truly supported to achieve their aspirations, strengthened local business and employment pathways.
The 2025 work list across the Loddon is crammed with projects left hanging over from the last year and even longer.
It’s now five years since Canberra and Spring Street promised to have completed the first section of Calder Highway duplication north of Bendigo. Design delays and funding reviews by the Federal Government have curtailed a start on work for so long that the obligatory promotional signs for the project at Derby have toppled to the ground.
To the east, Serpentine Fire Brigade has been left waiting for delivery of its new station promised with the usual fanfare of a State Budget back in 2021. On the third anniversary of the announcement, the Government said: “The Victorian Government is continuing work to deliver a new and improved Serpentine fire station. Land acquisition was finalised in late 2022, with planning and design activities due to commence shortly.”
At least students at two P12 colleges - Wedderburn and East Loddon - will have new classrooms completed this year under upgrades with a price tag of more than $25 million. Perhaps that’s when the politicians will be ready to face the local media, unlike member for Bendigo East and Premier Jacinta Allan who last month put her visit to East Loddon promoted to the school community off bounds to the local newspaper. The local MP visiting a local school not wanting the local newspaper present ... a rare phenomenon for a pollie.
But expect things will be a bit different this year. Federally, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will call an election any time in the next few months and while Mallee is a safe Nationals’ seat held by Anne Webster, our communities can enter into the spirit of electioneering by pushing what we need and want.
Both Labor and the Coalition are sure to target families with promises of better and more affordable access to child care. Wonderful for suburbanites and inhabitants of regional capitals but what about in the country? Loddon’s first child care centre is another year away and both sides of politics need to come out with a response  to Loddon Shire’s stance that calls for business investment support in rural communities to make child care possible and accessible.
And speaking of accessibility, a buzz word in the State Government’s housing policy that is setting new home targets for rural councils over the next decade or so, the time has come for Spring Street to investigate re-opening the rail line between Inglewood and Bendigo, an idea first floated in these columns four years ago. Imagine what that would do for population growth, building and expanding social and economic capital in our Calder corridor communities. And drive confidence that builds on the Bridgewater Rise estate now taking shape.
With the government of Premier Allen now into the premiership quarter, to use football parlance, of the parliamentary cycle, it’s a sure bet there will be more promises from Spring Street. Expect a funding pledge for Wedderburn’s permanent ambulance station at any time; but still sitting on the unfinished list is better  mobile phone connectivity for all areas of the Loddon Shire where there are still constant dropouts on the Calder Highway and around Newbridge and Laanecoorie, the State Government walking away from its promise of improved service.
Again, expect more visits from pollies to our patch. We may even see freshly-minted Opposition leader Brad Battin or the new Nationals’ leader Danny O’Brien. In the case of Mr Battin’s Liberals, they’ve been non-existent in the flesh on our patch since losing Ripon more than two years ago to Martha Haylett.
Government policies, too, will again have a huge impact on local rural communities. In fact, I will not be surprised if the level of angst heightens as Transmission Company Victoria continues to bulldoze plans for the controversial VNI West renewable energy transmission line through the region, offering platitudes around how its consults, engages and will compensate landowners and communities but still very short on detail.
These same landowners and towns will continue to attract the attention of other renewable energy companies - wind and solar - knocking on the door at the most inconvenient of times in the agricultural production cycle.
Like government promises, the renewable energy sector has left Loddon communities dangling. The Derby Solar Farm was said to be able to produce 95MW of  clean power, enough to power 25,000 households a year - meant to be generating supply by last year but there’s still no action. And a project at Campbells Forest - 200MW for 71,500 homes - has a site still inhabited by rabbits and occasional kangaroos grazing on grass despite claims it would be fully operations this financial year.
Still waiting on the State Government is Catalyst Metals. Almost two years on from lodging an application to construct an exploration tunnel at its Four Eagles gold project at Mitiamo, the talks continue. The Victorian Government’s Critical Minerals Roadmap released last month may help lift investment in the Loddon. Certainly, Falcon Metals wants to further explore mineral sands deposits around Mysia where farmers have been holding out as harvest continued.
And rounding out the unfinished business list is the corella problem on the Loddon River at Bridgewater where State Government departments, the ones with resources and expertise to manage a protected pest, conveniently flicks the ball of responsibilty to Loddon Shire in another example of deflective cost and blame shifting that encumbers local government.
Loddon Shire itself has some difficult conversations to schedule this year - the future of swimming pools and other recreation spaces, whether to resume the push to have Newbridge connected to water and sewerage, convincing State and Federal Governments that the level of road funding and quality of replacement surfaces actually requires more money at a time when cash-strapped governments can find billions for big ticket items in Melbourne and what some may say is diverting millions to non-core business operations at the expense of safety on our roads.
There will also be important discussions in local communities in 2025. Pyramid Hill’s former Catholic primary school now sits empty after the last students were farewelled at the end of the school year. Across the road, the former aged hostel has been vacant for more than five years. Two great facilities that could have many uses in a town where positivity sees residents with the glass still half-full.
In Boort, community chats will be important to again seeing the historic merry-go-round bringing joy to local families and  enhancing the visitor experience to our Northern Oasis. Ownership and insurance issues are the challenges ... good old community co-operation will surely emerge as the key to resolution.
And speaking on community pride, is it time for the clock in the historic Inglewood Town Hall tower to tick again? Pyramid Hill raised the money to get the hands of time moving on the old Pyramid Hill Co-op clock, something that could be emulated in Inglewood.
We could even see council and communities connect to jazz up Christmas in 2025 with new tinsel and trees to adorn streetscapes, reflecting a confidence that embodies the Loddon Shire and its people, sending a positive message of hope to locals and encouraging the thousands of cars travelling the highway to stop and shop. If more did, they would discover not only local history and charm but the quality and well priced range of stock, equal or better to what is charged for similar goods in Bendigo or Melbourne.
There’s a pretty full work list for our part of the world this year - once upon a time they may have been New Year resolutions but with the pace of 21st century life, realising hope has been usurped by the need for committed action to continue the journey of achievement.
The local will is clearly evident. What we need is a matching and more timely contribution from higher levels of government. 
With two elections in the next 21 months, it’s worth pushing hard for the future of rural towns in the Loddon Shire.