The Harcourt Progress Group

The Harcourt Progress Group is comprised of dedicated and enthusiastic locals who love living in this wonderful town and want to assist it to continue to go from strength to strength.

Newsletter Title
The Newsletter for The Harcourt Progress Group
April 2013 Issue 2

T h e H a rc o u r t P ro g re s s G ro u p
Its been four months since the first meeting of The Harcourt Community Progress Group was held at the ANA Hall. Our meetings are now held at the Harcourt Valley Primary School. With meeting numbers that vary, this is a comfortable space for us. We are still very much finding our feet and are at the stage of collecting ideas regarding the broader communitys shared vision for the future of Harcourt. The group has begun the process of creating the Community Action Plan which is proving to be a lively way to flush out the needs and wants of the community.

Our Community, Our Group

An open forum for all Issues, solutions, ideas Harcourt moving forward Dynamic, entertaining, family friendly community Forward planning for growth Liaising with council Developing our town Promoting Harcourt Embracing new ideas

Some of the key topics over the past few months has been the introduction of the NBN in Harcourt. Fraught with challenges both technically and visually as well as overall impact on our residents, the community is largely in favour of improved broadband in our region. We have also been forming contacts and connections with relevant council members as we seek to learn more about the avenues of support for our town. There was a funding announcement from council in February. The money will be used to change the flow of traffic through the centre of Harcourt and give it more of a village feel. A zebra crossing will be installed across The Old Calder, linking the General Store with the bus stop. The bus stop itself will be upgraded and some landscaping will be put in place. As The Harcourt Progress Group continues to gain momentum more projects will be identified and completed with the assistance of the council and our own internal fund raising efforts. We would love for you to join us at the next Harcourt Progress Group meeting and be a part of the future of Harcourt. The meetings minutes and upcoming dates can be found at http://theharcourtprogressgroup.blogspot.com.au/

A p p l e f e s t A G re a t S u c c e s s !
What a fantastic Applefest it was this year. Stunning weather, happy crowds, fun activities, plenty of stalls, and of course lots of apples! Highlights included the cooking demonstrations conducted by 2012 Masterchef finalist Beau Cook, as well as the CWA apple based bake off. Then there was the Pet parade, ferret racing and a new event called the duapplethon, which proved a real hit with the local footy teams. There was local produce on sale in stalls, music concerts and several sports on show. Plus of course The Grand Parade! It was an amazing community and family day, well supported by locals and out of towners alike. Dont miss Applefest 2014 and why not stay at The Tav and make a weekend of it!
John Brumby and Beau Cook join the CWA to take their judging seriously.

Stay up to date at http://www.harcourtapplefest.org.au/

The Next HPG meeting

Meetin gs ar e he l d o n the thir d Wed ne s day o f e ac h m onth s ta rti ng at 7. 00pm s harp . T he n e xt m e e ti n g will be on Wed May 15, 2013. T he v e nue w i l l b e at: T he Ha rc o u r t P ri m a ry S c hool, Wi l k i ns o n S t, Ha rc our t All a re we l c o m e and w e look f orw a r d to s e e i ng y ou ther e !

Were on the web!

With extended articles, more stories and full minutes of the meetings http://theharcourtprogressgroup.blogspot.com.au/ You can also find us on facebook where we like to have a bit of fun!
http://www.facebook.com/ theHarcourtProgressGroup

Calendar Of Events
April 21 The Harcourt Market James Park 10.00am to 2.00pm April 21 Harcourt Before Electricity ANA Hall, Main St 1.30pm, bring a plate April 23 Harcourt CWA Event Women Walk The World Newstead Community Centre, 10.00am Each Wed May 22 Harcourt Carpet Bowls Harcourt Leisure Centre, 7.30pm -9.00pm Harcourt Carpet Bowls - come and try free night Harcourt Leisure Centre, 7.30pm

The Harcourt Market Sunday April 21, James Park 10.00am -2.00pm The Harcourt Market is full of locally handmade and grown stalls, produced by the talented folk of Harcourt and Central Victo ria. For more details visit http://harcourtmarket.blogspot.com.au/

The Tavern Re-opens!

In February, much to the delight of the community, The Harcourt Tavern re-opened. Long time residents Jacquie and Craig have taken on the challenge of getting the pub up and firing once more. Whilst they have certainly had their fair share of frustrating red tape, they have really turned the restaurant around and are serving great tasting, hearty meals. It is such a boon to the community to have a family friendly venue to go to, safe in the knowledge that everyone will find something to please them. They even feature gluten free meals. Lunch and dinners are served Wednesday to Sunday. They also offer comfortable and affordable accommodation in their revamped motel units. For more information you can visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harcourt-Tavern/541674232519502

Women Walk The World

The Harcourt CWA is involved in an important global initiative, namely the Women Walk The World program. Women and girls are the water haulers of the world, spending, in Africa alone, an estimated 40 billion hours annually just carrying water. The weight burden for these women and girls is very significant - 20 litres of water weighs 20kg, plus the container. As well the source needs to supply safe water. It is estimated that 88% of disease globally is linked to unsafe water supply and lack of sanitation. Sick people do not have the energy for learning or to work so the poverty cycle continues. Many Aid Agencies promote the concept that access to a safe water supply = a healthy life = a productive community and thus hope arises. The United Nations has declared the period 2005 to 2015 as the Water for Life decade. Millenium Goal 7, (target no 10) aims to reduce by the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation To join The Walk with the CWA and others on April 23 go to http://harcourtcwa.blogspot.com.au/