Porepunkah report

Here’s my occasional “Porepunkah Report” on what’s happening in our village:

The tourists have finally left! They’ve been here in great numbers since mid-December and only tapered off after the recent Autumn Festival finished in Bright. We love them, of course, and there wouldn’t be much here without them … got that Dazz?

It’s extremely dry at the moment. We’ve had little rain since February and the Ovens River is the lowest I’ve seen it in eight years.

The council erects a small weir at the picnic reserve each summer to create a swimming hole. It was only removed this week and the depth has dropped by more than a metre. You could walk across in several places without getting your shins wet.

The sewerage scheme construction continues. They’re probably the only people pleased that it’s not raining. There is regular traffic disruption, noise and mess, which the babies regard as entertainment.

The rail trail from Bright was resealed nearly as far as Wood Street. A council officer told me they would seal up to Restaway Apartments, except for 100 metres where the sewerage scheme workers were digging holes. I hope they haven’t reconsidered that commitment and swapped our portion for an extra stretch in Myrtleford.

The consultants who developed a master plan for Porepunkah have tabled their report and it’s available for public comment until June.

I’m reasonably happy with it, especially the recommendation to build footpaths around and towards the school. I thought they could have gone further on infrastructure, especially the recreation reserve, and I can’t see why they want council to encourage the formation of a residents’ group.

People are already time stressed and we elect councillors to represent us. They should consult more widely, that’s all.