Arkona Silo to be the next addition to the Silo Art Trail
Published on 12 July 2021
Arkona Silo, 10km north of Dimboola will become the second Hindmarsh Shire silo to join the Silo Art Trail. In December 2020 the State Government announced a funding package of $4.9m to implement the first round of priority projects from the Silo art extension project – Priority investments overview report developed for Regional Development Victoria. $120,000 of this package was allocated to Hindmarsh Shire for a new Silo Art Trail project at either Arkona or Dimboola.
Arkona will join the completed Albacutya Silo in developing a touring route linking the northern end of the Silo Art Trail in Yarriambiack through to the West Wimmera Silo Art at Kaniva and Goroke. This tourism link was highlighted in Wimmera Mallee Tourism’s Silo Art Trail Stage 2 strategy developed in cooperation with Yarriambiack Shire Council in 2018 to plan the expansion of the Silo Art Trail across the Wimmera Mallee region. The touring route will leverage the significant visitor attraction of the Silo Art Trail to increase visitation and visitor expenditure to Rainbow, Jeparit, Dimboola and Nhill.
The Silo Art Trail Stage 2 Strategy and Silo art extension project – Priority investments overview originally named Dimboola as the next priority site, having received in principle support for the Dimboola silos from the owners in 2018. Council has since been informed by the owners of the Dimboola silos that they would not grant permission for silo art at Dimboola due to the site currently in the process of being sold. Council had previously engaged in discussions with the owner of Arkona silos, as a potential Silo Art Trail site. As the Dimboola silos are not available, further discussions and agreement for the use of Arkona has been obtained.
The Arkona site offers many positives including:
Strengthening the Silo Art Trail route along the Dimboola Rainbow road with potentially greater attraction to Jeparit than if the Dimboola site was used.
Negates issues of community housing and school impacts that would have arisen in Dimboola due to significantly increased traffic and parking along residential streets.
Will remain an asset attracting people into Dimboola as the closest town, services and amenities to Arkona.This attraction can be strengthened by interpretive tourism signage at the silo site highlighting Dimboola.
Hindmarsh Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ron Ismay said “Council are excited to see the continuation of the Silo Art Trail through our Shire. The Arkona site will solidify the touring link from Rainbow through Jeparit to Dimboola and will bring significant visitation to those towns and through to Nhill”.
Cr Ismay continued “The Silo Art Trail continues to be an iconic attraction to our region and has demonstrated significant economic benefits to regional communities”.
For more information, please contact Jeff Woodward, Tourism and Economic Development Officer, on 03 5391 4444 or email jwoodward@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.
Greg Wood
Chief Executive Officer