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What's on? Hindmarsh Shire Council Community Grants Hindmarsh Shire Council Community Grants Volunteering Community Tarago Drought Support Community Opportunity Workshops Victorian Business Essentials Community Profile

Hindmarsh Shire is located in central North West Victoria; bounded in the north by the Wyperfeld National Park and in the south by the Little Desert National Park. Together with the Shires of Yarriambiack and West Wimmera, and the Rural City of Horsham it comprises the area generally referred to as the ‘Wimmera’. The northern section of the Shire forms part of the Mallee region. It has a population of 6,093 and covers 7,527 square kilometres.

Business and finance The structure of Hindmarsh Shire’s economy Council and the economy The Shire’s assets Environmental assets Recreation and community Transportation and infrastructure Education in Hindmarsh Environmentally friendly Hindmarsh Shire Business and finance Hindmarsh Shire is placed in a competitive business location. In particular its location on the Western Highway, halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne, its proximity to primary production and the Shire’s potential for further economic development are major reasons generating economic activity. Once purely an agricultural community, Hindmarsh Shire has become a nexus for industry, agricultural production and business. The Shire has developed to the extent that it supplies almost 30% of the Victorian demand for silos and field bins, 80% of the State’s ducks and many grain processing and value adding industries. For a list of businesses within the Shire, please have a look at the Business Directory. Top   The structure of Hindmarsh Shire’s economy Small and medium-sized businesses are the key to the Shire’s economy. 62% of all business enterprises in Hindmarsh are in the agriculture sector. Agricultural land covers a large part of the Shire and is a major source of employment and wealth. The introduction of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline offers huge opportunities for growth, diversification and value adding. The secure, quality water supply is a major boost to business development and an opportunity for diversification to reduce vulnerability to drought. Value adding to agricultural production is a major advantage for Shire businesses with highly successful activities in duck processing and grain milling and cereal processing. The Shire has a strong ‘industry cluster’ in silo and grain handling equipment. Three businesses in the Shire manufacture silos and field bins and have a large share of the South East Australian market. The tourism business sector has been emerging more and more strongly in recent years. Hindmarsh Shire Council in conjunction with Buloke, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack Shire Councils, is in the process of establishing a Regional Tourism Group which will further highlight and capitalise on the Shire’s unique environmental assets and pioneer heritage. Top     Council and the economy Supporting private enterprise and creating an environment conducive to investment and economic expansion are among the Shire’s key tasks. The Hindmarsh Shire is investing great effort in bringing and keeping businesses in the region. The Council Plan 2008/2012 will see the development of an Economic Development Strategy, regular communication sessions with industry, the development of business and industry associations and the facilitation of opportunities and activities arising from the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline. In 2007 the Hindmarsh Shire Council employed a Youth and Business Project Worker, whose key responsibility areas include assisting in the development of businesses groups, networking with stakeholders, training programs and making the link with the business groups and youth within the Shire. Top   The Shire’s assets High-quality health and municipal services provide obvious guarantees for people contemplating a change in lifestyle and a shift to a region alive with agriculture, small and large businesses, light industry, strong social connections and a close link with nature and the land. With all of Australia experiencing a rapidly ageing population, health care is an important issue. Nhill is the headquarters of the West Wimmera Health Service comprising hospitals in Nhill, Jeparit, Rainbow and neighbouring shires. The Dimboola Hospital is operated by the Wimmera Health Care Group. All hospitals have excellent new facilities supported by general practitioners with birthing facilities and specialist surgery by visiting specialists from Adelaide, Melbourne and Hamilton provided at the Nhill Hospital. The Shire’s excellent medical facilities are underpinned by aged care facilities in all the townships. Hindmarsh Shire is very well resourced with aged care places, especially in the low care area, with numbers well exceeding the State averages. All of these factors make aged care a key component of the local economy and a distinctive regional asset. Hindmarsh Shire has: + Four new hospitals built in its towns in the last 15 years. + More aged-care beds available per head of population than any other region in Victoria. + Less waiting time for medical and dental services than many more populated communities. + The biggest performing-arts stage between Ballarat and the South Australian border at Nhill Memorial Community Centre. But the Shire's biggest asset are the people living in it. The Shire has an incredibly strong sense of community, typical country hospitality and is humming with the activity of literally hundreds of community groups. Top   Environmental assets Hindmarsh Shire abounds in things to do for the outdoors person. It has a plethora of natural assets including the Little Desert National Park, Australia’s best-kept wilderness playground, the Wimmera River, Pink Lake and the terminal Lakes Hindmarsh and Albacutya , the majestic and expansive Wyperfeld National Parks and of course the Big Desert wilderness area. Little Desert The Little Desert boasts almost 600 kilometres of tracks crossing three blocks and with its varying terrain and strategic sign-posting is perfect for the four-wheel-drive or dirt-bike enthusiast. But walking on various tracks is the best way to experience the park. There’s also the mighty 84-kilometre Desert Discovery Walk – a challenge for the heartiest of wildlife enthusiasts. In spring the desert provides an astounding display of wildflowers, including a great variety of ground orchids. Campgrounds near Kiata and at Horseshoe and Ackley bends near Dimboola have fireplaces, tables and toilets. Vehicle-based camping is allowed away from camping grounds in the park’s western and central blocks. Wyperfeld Internationally renowned Wyperfeld National Park, covering 356,800 hectares, and relatively close to the township of Rainbow is another must-see for the outdoor enthusiast. The park has an enormous variety of attractions but Eastern Lookout Nature Drive is a good start. The park’s information and camping ground has facilities such as fireplaces, tables and shelters and guided bicycle, walking, bird watching, bus and four-wheel-drive tours are available. Wyperfeld is home to more than 200 species of birds, about 520 species of plants and the unique silky mouse and Mitchell’s hopping mouse. Lake Albacutya Lake Albacutya Park is part of a cyclic lake system with five vegetation communities, courtesy of its unique wetland nature. The park features walking tracks and campsites and Western and Yaapeet beaches have toilet and table facilities. Some tracks are only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Big Desert The Big Desert wilderness area, meanwhile, remains relatively untouched by modern society and offers a true wilderness experience. It’s renowned for its reptiles. Studies have revealed more than 50 species of lizards and snakes. Campsites are at The Springs, Moonlight Tank and Big Billy Bore along Nhill-Murrayville Road. Top     Recreation and community Hindmarsh Shire has an abundance of sporting activities available year round including football, netball, cricket, tennis, bowls, golf, rowing, swimming, athletics and basketball. The Little Desert and Wyperfeld National Parks are a haven for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts, bush walkers and nature lovers. History enthusiasts can discover our Koori culture at Ebenezer Mission or relive the pioneering days at the Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum at Jeparit. The Pioneer Museum has a remarkable collection of farming history with millions of dollars of vintage farming equipment, old jails and turn of the century school houses and shops. Old-time splendour awaits visitors at Rainbow’s Yurunga Homestead and the Historical Museum at Nhill, Old Court House and Dimboola Banner Print Museum at Dimboola are also well worth a visit. The Shire has a great number of public halls which provide the venue for community events, festivals, theatre productions and the like. Of these the Nhill Memorial Community Centre occupies a unique role within the community. The largest community space in the Hindmarsh Shire, the facility is synonymous with community events and activities. The centre has in excess of 10,000 annual visits and is used for public performances, festivals, balls, public meetings, cinema, emergency relief centre, weddings, funerals, theatre, cabaret and sporting club functions. To find a community group or sporting club, please have a look at the Community Directory. Top   Transportation and infrastructure Two towns of the Shire, Dimboola and Nhill, are connected via passenger train and coach several times daily with public transport linking Melbourne and Adelaide. Their location on the Western Highway and train links to the metropolitan centres create a convenient freight axis for local businesses and provide efficient domestic and export transport networks. Top   Education in Hindmarsh Families have access to excellent childcare centres and kindergartens with government and private primary schools and three secondary colleges providing broad curriculum choices. Class sizes are small, creating a fantastic, personal learning environment. A Neighbourhood House in Nhill and Learning Centres in Rainbow and Jeparit offer opportunities for skills development and adult education. In addition a TAFE college and campus of Ballarat University in nearby Horsham offer vocational training. Top     Environmentally friendly Hindmarsh Shire In the Council Plan 2008/2012, Hindmarsh Shire Council expresses its commitment to implement a Hindmarsh Environmental Sustainability Strategy, actively pursue the development of all Hindmarsh towns as environmentally wise towns, encourage and assist programs for environmental responsibility and protect groundwater resources in the Shire. The Hindmarsh Shire has a long history of interest in the environment. Nhill residents were instrumental in the Save the Little Desert Campaign, seen by some as the awakening of Victoria’s environmental consciousness. The Hindmarsh Landcare Network has won several awards for its work and was a finalist in the 2007 Banksia Awards. Project Hindmarsh has recently celebrated its tenth anniversary having planted nearly 2 million trees linking the Big Desert to the Little Desert. Top   Community Opportunity Workshops Community Opportunity Workshops