Health and Wellbeing Team Leader Jacqui Byrnes said the intensive classes and flexible timetable will allow for a half hour workout that can be easily fitted in during a lunch break.

"Whether you're someone who works nine to five, or you do shifts at odd hours of the day, the schedule we've put together will mean you'll have little trouble finding a suitable workout time," Ms Byrnes said.

"The classes provide a great opportunity for employees to leave their desk for an express energy break so that they can return feeling recharged and more productive to take on the rest of the day's tasks."

The Small Group Personal Training offers a choice between a pure Kettlebell or pure Rip 60 workout. There are also options to take on both sessions for even faster results.

"The training is designed to give you maximum results for your investment by offering private attention. Kettlebell training burns calories and is extremely efficient at building lean muscle mass, whilst the Rip 60 training is designed to give you a total-body transformation," Jacqui said.

With classes capped at eight participants, the sessions aim to offer an individualised service in a supportive group environment and qualified Instructors will ensure you get fast results.

The six week program will commence on Monday 20 May 2013. For more information phone Aquamoves Customer Service on 5832 9400 or visit the Aquamoves website www.aquamoves.com.au

- Released 17 May 2013
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"This has been a really important process for the community," said Claire Haberfield, Tallygaroopna resident and member of the Tallygaroopna Community Plan Committee. "It's been wonderful seeing so many people joining in and having their say, and I'd really like to encourage them to continue to do so."

The Priority Actions identified in the draft plan include the need to nominate locals for the annual Volunteer Recognition Awards program in Greater Shepparton, as well as developing a Community Noticeboard, and promotion of events to attract visitors and keep locals informed.

Community Plans are an important part of determining the future direction of Greater Shepparton's smaller towns, said Mayor of Greater Shepparton City Council, Cr Jenny Houlihan.

"In regional municipalities like ours, it's important that the residents of smaller towns have a voice in the wider region," Cr Houlihan said. "Our Community Planning process has so far been an effective way of enabling that voice to be heard. Greater Shepparton City Council has allocated $500,000 this financial year for its Community Plan implementation budget."

People wishing to give feedback to the draft Tallygaroopna Community Plan can do so by downloading it and the feedback form from www.greatershepparton.com.au, or picking up a copy from the Tallygaroopna Post Office. Feedback will be received until 5pm on 4 June.

Feedback will be incorporated before the plan is then presented to Council for endorsement.

- released 16 May 2013

"It's been a real team effort to get a temporary solution set up so quickly," said Mayor of Greater Shepparton City Council, Cr Jenny Houlihan. "The online and phone services were operational again almost immediately but it has taken a little time to locate a suitable place for the VIC staff and volunteers to continue their great work."

Around 50,000 visitors use the VIC each year, where they find information about accommodation, local attractions and activities. The staff can also assist with bookings for accommodation and events.

"Not only do we have a team of highly professional staff, with four full time and ten part time employees," Cr Houlihan said, "The VIC is also attended by around thirty dedicated volunteers who are passionate about promoting their community and ensuring that visitors to Greater Shepparton have the very best possible experience while they are here."

"I am very pleased that our volunteers will be able to continue this important community service. The temporary location will also benefit from the close proximity to one of Greater Shepparton's most popular attractions - the Shepparton Art Museum."

The new location is a short term solution while Council considers the medium and long term future for the VIC.

"We can't make any decisions on location or how we proceed with re-establishing the VIC until we have received a full report on the fire damage," Cr Houlihan said.

- Released 16 May 2013

The session will be coordinated by Council's Investment Attraction Department. Manager Investment Attraction Geraldine Christou said the team has been working with State and Federal Government Agencies, growers' associations and individual growers to determine how best to assist those affected in a positive and proactive way.

Greater Shepparton Mayor Cr Jenny Houlihan said Council recognises the impact that recent announcements have had on individual growers, their families, employees, contractors and the wider community. This forum is an avenue for affected parties to obtain all the information they need to make prudent decisions regarding their future employment.

The Employment Response Session will be held on Monday 20 May from 5.30pm at The Connection, located at KidsTown on the Causeway between Shepparton and Mooroopna.

For further information please contact Rohan Sali on 5832 9847.

- Released 16 May 2013

“Toilets are a vital part of our public infrastructure,” said Steve Bowmaker, Director Infrastructure. “Council has an important role to play in providing clean, safe and accessible public toilets for the whole community.”

“The Public Toilet review will help us to develop a systematic approach to how we operate public toilets in the municipality, and will help us to develop consistent guidelines,” he said.

Mr Bowmaker said that he hoped as many people as possible from right across the community would have their say.

“Public toilets that aren’t available or aren’t up to scratch are simply a nuisance for many of us. However, for people living with a disability or caring for someone with a disability, for parents, and for the elderly or people with some illnesses, not having access to public toilets can be a significant barrier to being able to participate fully in society,” he said.

The issue of public toilets was commonly raised in the recent Council Plan community consultations, Mr Bowmaker said.

The survey includes questions about how frequently people use public toilets in the municipality, how they rate the quality of the facilities, whether people feel they are cleaned and maintained often enough, and whether they felt safe using them.

“The community has high expectations that our public toilets are accessible to everyone, are of a high standard and are suitably located and well maintained,” Mr Bowmaker said. “Participation in this survey will assist us in achieving that aim.”

The survey can be filled in online, downloaded from Council's website, collected from Council’s Welsford Street offices, the Mooroopna Community Hub and the Tatura Newsagency, or can posted out by request (phone 03 5832 9700).

Completed surveys can be returned by posting to Locked Bag 1000, Shepparton, 3632, emailing them to council@shepparton.vic.gov.au, or dropping them in to 90 Welsford Street, Shepparton, by 31 May 2013.

The footpath and kerb on the north side of Fryers Street between Wyndham Street and Welsford Street were upgraded. A$60,000 grant from the Department of Transport - Victorian Taxi Directorate's Taxi Rank Safety Program provided for a new accessible taxi bay and shelter, including solar lighting and a CCTV security camera.

"The street-scaping and the construction of an accessible taxi rank are a valuable addition to our work to improve the experience of our CBD for everyone," Cr Houlihan said. "The look and amenity of this area have been improved for all users, but we are especially happy to have been able work with the Disability Advisory Committee to make it more usable for people with a disability or other challenges to access."

Cr Houlihan also said she is looking forward to observing how the security camera improves the feeling of safety people have in the area, particularly at night, ahead of the rollout of the first stage of the Safer City Camera Network CCTV project due to be completed later this year.

"It's important for people that they have clean, attractive streets like this to walk on, and areas where they can access services, but it is also important that people feel safe to be here, particularly at night."

The street-scaping work was conducted under Council's Street Beautification Footpath Upgrade Program. Council has allocated $280,000 for Upgrade Program for the current financial year.

Photo: Acting Senior Sergeant Darren Wagstaff Victoria Police, Greg Kazuro Victorian Taxi Directorate, Mayor Jenny Houlihan.

- Released 13 May 2013

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Jenny Houlihan congratulated the organisers, praising the community spirit behind the rally. She urged everyone to do what they could to support SPC Ardmona and the local fruit growers.

“We’ve all heard our region described as the food-bowl of Victoria,” Cr Houlihan said.

“Our fruit growers are not just vitally important to our local economy, they are part of our identity.The orchards in the region are part of our landscape, and the people who work them often have long histories in the community.”

Cr Houlihan encouraged local supermarkets to stock local products prominently, and asked shoppers to reward the stores which did so by shopping there.

"The Hume Regional Strategy, developed by the Victorian Government to help the region prosper, recognises the needs of the Goulburn Valley sub-region in strengthening the workforce; adapting and diversifying agriculture; facilitating research and innovation in tourism, manufacturing and industry; and developing ICT and energy infrastructure that builds on existing competitive advantages. This budget does very little to meet them."

Cr Houlihan said that the recent SPC Ardmona announcement of reduced intake from local fruit growers underlined the vulnerability of the local economy if it could not diversify.

"There is nothing in this budget to indicate this is a priority for the State Government, nor is there anything significant for research and development programs to help the agricultural sector grow and adapt to changing environmental and economic conditions," she said.

"We are a fast growing regional area which needs to increase employment. This requires significant investment in modernising and diversifying our local industry," Cr Houlihan said. "We also need funding for adequate services such as public transport and roads to meet the needs of our growing population.

Cr Houlihan said that she was disappointed that there was no improvement to public transport services, which were currently insufficient to meet the needs of the local community to access services, businesses and family in Melbourne, and which constrained the region's attractiveness for people seeking to relocate from the city.

"The Federal Government recognised the potential volume of people travelling to and from Shepparton by including it as a stop in the proposed high speed rail network," Cr Houlihan said. "However, our V-Line rail and bus services to Melbourne remain inadequate, despite demand."

"In the 2012/2013 State budget, Greater Shepparton received $0 in additional capital funding for education, health and transport, lower than any comparable Victorian region. This budget is unfortunately little better," she said.

- Released 9 May 2013

"Riverlinks, Greater Shepparton's major performing arts provider, will present this show at schools, with kindergartens invited to attend, as part of a pilot program, free of charge," said Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Jenny Houlihan. "Incursions provide a valuable way of exposing children to arts and performance experiences."

"It is very exciting to be taking this program out to children who may not often get the opportunity to come into town and watch the high quality entertainment that regularly features at our Riverlinks venues," Cr Houlihan said.

If successful, the pilot will be extended to a more regular season in the smaller towns, with funding models to be explored.

"Council considers its promotion of the arts as an important facet to building community," Cr Houlihan said. "We also know how beneficial it is for children to experience a diverse range of cultural experience. What's more, it's fun!"
Cr Houlihan said that Riverlinks had wonderful venues, but was not simply about providing facilities for events.

"It is about providing experiences for the whole community. From Council's perspective, this is a great way of getting that message out to all of our residents."

A little bit of Blue will be showing at:

• Tatura Primary School 10am 7 May
• Katandra West Primary School 2pm 7 May
• Murchison Community Centre 10am 8 May
• Toolamba Primary School 1.45pm 8 May
• Dookie Primary School 9.30am 9 May
• Tallygaroopna Primary School 2pm 9 May

- Released 7 May 2013

Chef Dave Torrens from Friars Cafe, Lebe Luzuriaga, The Lemon Tree and Russell Hall, The Teller Collective joined in Fryers Street on Saturday for the Mum Knows Best Chefs' Challenge cook off. A panel of local mum judges chose their favourite dish from an outstanding selection, making their decision on presentation, taste, and local ingredients used.

The Chefs' Challenge was just part of a whole morning of activities including "Kids Cupcake Decorating", a "Spice up BBQ Cooking" presentation by Jason Bathman of Barbeques Galore Shepparton and a "How to match Food and Wine" session by Paul Phillips of Phillips Cellars. There were also local shopping voucher give-aways to help those who hadn't quite decided what to get Mum for Mother's Day.

"The impressive aspect of this campaign is that Council, business and the community have all worked together," said Greater Shepparton City Cr Michael Polan, Chair of the Shepparton Show Me committee. "Building our local economy is not the sole responsibility of business or of Council, it is something we all need to work together to achieve, and it is something that has benefits for all of us."

Feedback from attendees was very positive. Among comments received, one said:

"The cooking event is fantastic. It's family focused, [and] the kitchen is the hub of the home. A great idea leading up to Mother's Day."

- Released 7 May 2013