January
Old school sites given new life
The future of the school sites closed after students moved to Greater Shepparton Secondary College was announced at the start of the year. The former Mooroopna Secondary College site will house Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative; Wanganui campus will become the home of Verney Road School (now renamed Banmira Specialist School); and the McGuire Campus will house the GOTAFE Trade Training Centre.
February
Nine wards named for Greater Shepparton
The official names of the nine wards Greater Shepparton was broken into for the 2026 Local Government Elections were revealed. These are Midland, Pine Lodge, Goulburn River, McEwan, Balaclava, Poplar, Kialla, Lower Goulburn, Goulburn River, and Yanha Gurtji.
March
Youth Girls Team of the Decade announced
THE MBCM Northern Country Women’s League (NCWL) Youth Girls Football Competition celebrated its 10th Anniversary last year at a gala function in March. The final ‘Team of the Decade’ was announced on the night. The League welcomed four new teams from three clubs, marking continued growth in female football participation. As a result, the League was renamed AFL Goulburn Murray Women’s & Girls to better represent the expanded competition.
April
New purple lid bins roll out
The hotly debated purple lid bin for disposing of glass was rolled out in Greater Shepparton. The Separate Glass Collection initiative will become compulsory for all councils by 2030. Anticipating this shift, Greater Shepparton City Council opted to adopt the individual bin option ahead of schedule, aiming to secure additional State Government funding and make the service more accessible to the community.
May
Foodshare secures future with new permanent warehouse
Works got underway to construct Shepparton Foodshare’s new warehouse, providing a permanent site for the organisation to operate its food rescue, warehousing and distribution service. The new warehouse will include loading facilities, meeting rooms, an administrative office, storage space, a community kitchen and amenities, parking and space for volunteers to socialise.
June
Locals receive King’s Birthday honours
Two deserving locals were amongst the 737 Australians to recieve King’s Birthday honours for their service to the community. Lisa McKenzie and Peter Johnson both received Order of Australia Medals in the General Division.
July
Job losses loom as Dhurringile Prison prepares to close
It was announced in July that Dhurringile Prison would be decommissioned in August, impacting the near-200 staff members that worked at the facility until its closure.
August
Shepparton Adviser 40 years
Celebrating publishing history this month, The Adviser reached two significant milestones, printing and distributing more than 55 million copies during its 40-year history, as well as a multi-generational family contribution to country newspapers around Victoria.
It is not unusual for newspaper publishers to be generational. Publisher of The Adviser, Geoff Adams, has four generations of newspaper publishing history on his mother Angela (Higgins’) side and three generations of newspaper publishing history on his father’s side.
GCA Adams (deceased) published newspapers in the Colac district, GJC Adams published newspapers in Casterton, Coleraine, Portland and Benalla and helped found The Adviser before launching a publishing business in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. From the UK, GJC continues to take a close interest in The Adviser.
GCA, was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE), was a Life Member of the Victorian Country Press Association and three generations of Geoffreys have held presidencies at the Victorian Country Press Association.
September
Munarra Centre
The historic grand opening of the Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence took place in August, with The Adviser publishing its commemorative feature about this new educational facility in September. Students at the Academy of Sport Health and Education (ASHE) are now studying at the campus and in 2025 it will be rebranded as the Munarra Academy, marking a transformational shift in educational pathways, particularly for First Nations Australians.
October
Watters Electrical inducted into Hall of Fame
At the 2024 Greater Shepparton SPC Business Excellence Awards, local company Watters Electrical was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame. Whilst Watters is now a large robust electrical contracting business, and as big as the large metro contractors, one of its greatest attributes is that it has remained a locally owned family business now with 67 years of trading history, currently employing 260 FTE staff, including 71 apprentices.
November
Nine new councillors
Greater Shepparton voters elected nine councillors, each representing a different ward in the electorate. Councillor Sam Spinks was re-elected unopposed, and other re-elected councillors are Cr Fern Summer, Mayor Cr Shane Sali and deputy mayor Cr Anthony Brophy. Newly elected representatives are Cr Rod Schubert, elected unopposed, as well as Paul Wickam, Steven Threlfall, Keiron Eddy, and Geoff Akers.
December
Julie Keillor three awards
All-abilities advocate Julie Keillor, a volunteer with the Shepparton Canoe Club for 12 years, has been named Sport Volunteer of the Year at the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs). Julie, a disability support worker, was chosen from approximately 150 nominees. This was the third recent accolade for Julie’s work with the Shepparton Canoe Club. Earlier this year, she was named Paddle Victoria and Paddle Australia’s Volunteer of the Year.
