Wednesday, 30 October 2019

Buninyong electorate community events

Ms SETTLE (Buninyong) (10:01): With winter behind us and the weather warming up it is festival and show season in the Ballarat and Buninyong region. Community events such as festivals and family days exemplify the very best of regional life. They are wonderful ways to bring communities together, and these events are only possible with the dedication of many volunteers. Last weekend there were fabulous festivals in the townships of Buninyong, Linton and Lal Lal, each with its own character but each a highlight of the calendar.

On Sunday I was delighted to be on a stall with federal member Catherine King at the Buninyong Festival. The festival is a celebration of the community’s diversity, and there was something to please everyone. One favourite of many is the Crack the Crater fun run, a 10.6-kilometre race up the mountain. There was lots of art, music and stalls.

In Linton over the weekend the LOLA festival was held for the second time, and again it was a great success. LOLA stands for Linton on Literary Arts and is a weekend focused on arts, local history and a celebration of the township.

One of the smaller towns in the region, Lal Lal, held its annual market day, which I was thrilled to attend. Lal Lal is a small town, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in community spirit. Despite the chill in the air on the day and the late rain, nothing was going to dampen the spirits of those enjoying Lal Lal market. I would like to acknowledge the wonderful input of so many community members in creating these events. We love our towns and we love to show them off.