Rebuilding Southern Grampians: Coleraine, Konongwootong, Wootong Vale and Wannon
The Communities
Coleraine is located approximately 320 kilometres west of Melbourne and approximately 35kilometres west of Hamilton. Localities include Konongwootong, Wootong Vale and Wannon.
The Coleraine district covers an area of 91,769 hectares, with a population of approximately 1383 and belongs to Southern Grampians Shire Council.
Local attractions include a chocolate factory (Glenelg Fine Confectioner), Australia's official eucalyptus collection (The Peter Francis Points Arboretum) and a collection of restored vintage cars housed at Coleraine Classic Cars.
Farming and agriculture are prominent industries of employment with around 23 per cent of the population employed in sheep, beef cattle and grain farming, and a further 4.3 per cent in agriculture and fishing. Hospitals (9.3 per cent) and supermarket and grocery stores (4.6 per cent) are also common industries of employment in Coleraine.
The area is predominantly rural with the land used mainly for sheep and cattle farming.
The Bushfires
One house was destroyed, approximately 770 hectares of land was burnt and 18 properties were affected. Private and road-side fencing, some sheds, approximately 70 beef cattle, 200 sheep and 858 tonnes of hay and silage were lost. Three hardwood plantations were also destroyed.
The Avenue of Honour, which leads into Coleraine from Casterton, was also greatly affected, with many of the large cypress trees along the avenue destroyed.
The recovery effort for Coleraine was coordinated through Southern Grampians Shire Council and began immediately after the fire was extinguished with one property being cleared in Coleraine.
Recovery Plan
Since the 2009 bushfires Community Recovery Committees and the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (the Authority) have worked in partnership with the community, other government departments and authorities, the philanthropic sector and private donors to deliver outcomes for the vast majority of recovery projects proposed in the 33 Community Recovery Plans across the state. The plans have been pivotal in driving and directing the community rebuilding and recovery effort, through a focus on the needs and priorities of each individual community.
With around 1,100 projects and ideas identified in plans across Victoria, the Authority estimates that around 800 of these have been addressed in varying ways. Hundreds more projects identified outside this process have been delivered across affected communities.
The attachments below include the Community Recovery Plan and the response and funding status for all of the projects originally identified:
| Email the Fire Recovery Unit or call 1800 055 714 |
