Sold on Toora

LIVE, work and invest in Toora. That is the recommendation of a glossy new brochure launched last Tuesday at the Toora Village Studio Gallery by Councillor Jeanette Harding, herself a long-time Toora resident, on behalf of South Gippsland Shire Council.

The Toora and District Prospectus spruiks the benefits of living in South Gippsland, specifically in the township of Toora.

The Economic Development and Tourism Unit at South Gippsland Shire Council has produced 2000 copies of the 16-page full-colour brochure with the aim of encouraging people to move to the district and establish businesses here.

Council has already produced similar documents for Leongatha, Korumburra and Mirboo North. A DVD was produced for Foster instead, but the shire’s economic development coordinator, Ken Fraser, said that there are plans to develop a prospectus for Foster, too, in the next 12 months.

“Electronic documents are all very well, but people still enjoy having a brochure they can show to other people,” said Mr Fraser.

The prospectus includes key facts on Toora, covering everything from the main industries and employment opportunities to education, health and emergency services. The information is interspersed with colour photographs of the scenery and people of Toora and district.

On the opening page, Toora Primary School student Elli Clavarino gives an enthusiastic testimonial on her town, beginning “Toora is an amazing place to be. There are lots of fun activities to do. Toora is sharing, welcoming and caring.” She outlines some of the highlights of life in Toora and concludes “you should come and visit”.

The brochure carries information about the origins of Toora and a brief history. The word ‘toora’ is said to be an Aboriginal word translating as ‘woman look after fire’ and the township was originally known as ‘Muddy Creek.’

“South Gippsland’s population is projected to grow to more than 34,000 by 2026. Toora and district is well positioned to take advantage of the region’s anticipated strong local growth,” asserts the prospectus. It lists the benefits of living in Toora as:

Consistently lower housing prices than metropolitan or outer suburban areas;

• Strong sense of community;
• A clean, green and safe environment;
• Family friendly atmosphere;
• Healthy and relaxed lifestyle.
• South Gippsland is presented as:
• Comprising an area of 3,300 square kilometres;
• Attracting approximately 1.1 million visitors annually;
• Having an economy with annual output of nearly $3 billion;
• One of Victoria’s most valuable agricultural regions;
• Country living within easy reach of Melbourne.

“There are lots of positive things happening in Toora now and a lot has happened in recent years,” said Cr Harding as she launched the prospectus. “Toora is a town on the move.” She thanked the Toora community for contributing to the prospectus and the art group for opening the gallery for the launch.

Toora is described as “a historic town located on Corner Inlet, South Gippsland; a wetland of international significance and renowned for the migratory birds which nest in the area.”

There are pages on the local community, arts and culture, sports and recreation, and mention is made of some of the district’s special attractions, such as the Toora Heritage Pear Orchard and the Agnes Falls.

“All this information helps people make their decisions about where they would like to live,” said Mr Fraser.

The first few copies of the newly published prospectus were handed out at the Regional Victoria Living Expo in Melbourne in late April and were well received. Some were also given to the people who attended the recent Open Day in South Gippsland.

Copies of the Toora and District Prospectus will be available at local estate agents, tourism information centres and other key business outlets, as well as online at the shire website.

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