IT’S been a decade in the making but Wangaratta’s Ovens River precinct is finally complete.
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The final section of the long-awaited project was officially opened yesterday, timed perfectly to coincide with the start of the Wangaratta Jazz Festival — and to make the most of the sunny spring weather.
The $3.3 million pro-ject includes a town square, riverside boardwalk and promenade with state-of-the-art lighting.
Among the locals enjoying the celebrations were Paris Zachariou, his wife Bruna and their three children.
“We absolutely love it,” Mr Zachariou said.
“It’s very rare to have a river so close to a town like this so it’s good to use the space.”
While the family have only traversed the promenande a handful of times so far, it could become a more common pastime.
And as for how long it’s taken to complete, Mr Zachariou is non-plussed.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes, as long as it’s finished in the end,” he said.
It was also a distinct change of scenery for those from out of town returning for the jazz festival — even if out-of-town is just up on the Border.
Albury’s Margaret Paynter thought it was a “beautiful” addition to the area, particularly the modern, sculptural elements.
Friend Margaret Craik, of Wodonga, agreed — and even threw the gauntlet down to the Border’s own councils.
“I think some of the sections of the Murray could well do with something like this,” she said.
“Albury and Wodonga ignore the river too much.”
The promenade was the final piece of the three-stage project, which began in 2004.
About 100 people gathered for the formalities, including former Wangaratta mayor Rozi Parisotto and former chief executive officer Doug Sharp — for whom the project would be “a lasting legacy of his time as CEO,” according to temporary replacement Kevin Spiller.
