The new launching pontoon at the Dimboola Rowing Club was officially opened on Wednesday morning, in front of a crowd of both Club members and interested community members.

Hindmarsh Shire Mayor Ron Ismay performed the official opening of the project, which was jointly contributed to by Hindmarsh Shire Council, Wimmera CMA, Dimboola Rowing Club and the State Government.

Cr Ismay’s speech was followed by Luke Austin (pictured above left) from the Wimmera CMA who expressed the CMA’s enthusiasm about the project.

Mick Salter (pictured above), president of the Rowing Club, gave an overview of the project and thanked all those involved.

The new pontoon is the fifth or sixth iteration of a launching structure at the Rowing Club and replaces the old timber structure which served the club for several decades.

Repair works during the Millennium Drought were able to extend the life of the structure, but the time had come for it to be replaced.

Mick spoke about how a Rowing Victoria inspection last year identified safety issues and that there would be “one regatta left” in the old timber structure.

It was thanks to the Wimmera CMA offering funding that the project was really able to get off the ground.

“To say we were blown out of the water [at the offer of funding] is an understatement,” he said.

Following the formalities, a number of members of the Rowing Club took advantage of the nice conditions on the water by going for a row along the river.