LOCKINGTON is set for a $100,000 makeover to combat the hardship drought has caused in the small rural community.
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The Campaspe locale has been named the Victorian winner of a Rural Aid Town Makeover initiative designed to highlight the hardship dry conditions have caused across country communities.
Lockington Planning Group chair Wendy Sims said it was amazing to get recognition of the hard work from the town's dedicated volunteers.
Read more: Pub saved after community pledges thousands
Rural Aid will invest $100,000 in Lockington over five years, with 10 per cent going to train town leaders and 90 per cent spent on materials for maintenance projects.
As many as 100 Rural Aid volunteers will spend a week in Lockington during the first year of the project.
Ms Sims said a walking rail trail between Lockington and nearby Kotta, a walking loop within the town, funding for the heritage centre and possibly a skate track for the town's youth, were among the plans for the cash.
The pub is the number one priority though, Ms Sims said. It was recently bought by a community cooperative, keen to make sure the vital social space stayed open.
Ms Sims said Lockington had struggled to survive as dairy farms and cropping operations were bought out by bigger businesses.
She said it was amazing for the town to get a boost.
"It'll be just wonderful to have someone outside help to help promote our town. It's just a great thank you to everyone that's been working so hard to keep our town viable," Ms Sims said.
"We've had droughts with the cropping industry. We've had the devastation with the dairy industry. That affects all the small businesses in our town as well, because they rely so heavily on the farming community.
"Any development you do creates a positive influence. Because you're going forward you're actually doing something ... any time you're building something you're giving a positive energy to the place."
Ms Sims said the project's planning group would meet every two months and be open to all organisations, sporting groups and business representatives.
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