10 January
Bonnie Doon Recreation Reserve is the latest community site to benefit from the continuing expansion of Goulburn Valley Water’s Be Smart Choose Tap permanent hydration station program.
In the last six months Goulburn Valley Water has partnered with Mitchell, Murrindindi, and Mansfield shires to provide Seymour Lions Park, Leckie Park in Alexandra, and Bonnie Doon Recreation Reserve with permanent hydration stations.
As part of the 2018-23 Price Plan, Goulburn Valley Water made a commitment to provide every one of its towns with a drinking water supply with its own hydration station.
Six years on and there are now 74 hydration stations located in Goulburn Valley Water towns.
Goulburn Valley Water Managing Director Dr Steve Capewell said public parks and recreation reserves were often hubs for physical activity in their communities and the availability of water while exercising or competing for their clubs was a necessary element for residents.
“Ensuring our hydration stations are located in areas where they will be most beneficial is an important part of the partnerships we have with local councils.
“This latest round of installations does just that, with not only football, cricket, tennis, netball, lawn bowls, and other sportspeople beneficiaries, but also people just out for a walk or to exercise their dog.
“It would be great to think that, like the commitment we made several years ago to have hydration stations in every town with a drinking water supply, we could continue to work with shires to have the re-fill sites based at other parks and recreation reserves in the southern region,” Dr Capewell said.
Mansfield Shire Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said council was pleased to work closely with Goulburn Valley Water and assist with installing the new hydration station at Bonnie Doon.
“Easy access to drinking water in recreational spaces is an important part of community health and wellbeing.
Hydration stations don’t just provide free, quality tap water, they are great for the environment because they avoid the need to buy single-use bottles.
“When you choose tap water, you’re reducing waste as well as saving the energy and resources needed to produce and transport those single-use bottles,” Cr Rabie said.
He said council was pleased to support initiatives that improved the user experience at the region’s recreational spaces”.
Bonnie Doon has two senior football teams and five netball teams that compete in the Ovens and King Football Netball League and last year won their first ever A grade netball premiership.
Alongside the permanent hydration station program there are also a number of portable water provision units available under the sponsorship program for outdoor community events.
For more information about the Be Smart Choose Tap sponsorship program and details of where to find existing hydration stations visit Choose Tap | Goulburn Valley Water (www.gvwater.vic.gov.au/community/choose-tap).