03 Oct 2018 Seymour Telegraph, Seymour VIC (General News) by Alison OConnor Funding will transform underpass eyesore into attraction We have a winner. Seymours ugly railway underpass will soon be no longer, with the concrete eyesore set to get a major makeover after the project Art Attack on Seymours Concrete Canvas was declared a winner in the Victorian Governments Pick My Project competition. Art Attack will see some eyecatching street art and wellplaced lighting adorn the walls of what is currently a dilapidated mess. Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes and Labor candidate for Euroa Fionna DeppelerMorton joined Art Attack organiser Bruce Johnstone to make the surprise $152 840 grant announcement on Monday. The Seymour We Want committee is just rapt and so excited to see this come to life, Mr Johnstone said. Its just incredible, and were not a big town but apparently we were the second most voted project in all of the Goulburn Region which covered five shires, so its just fantastic to see the towns people have rallied around something like this and it shows its something people really want. Mr Johnstone said the contract for the artwork will soon be put out to tender to see which artists are keen to take on the job, but what the artwork depicts is still to be decided. All of the underpass yellow rendered walls will feature the street art. Because the funding was given out democratically and so many people voted for this, it would be nice to have the artwork voted for by the community as well, Mr Johnstone said. Therell also be lighting on both sides of the tunnel, which will be great not only for town pride, but it will also make it safer at night. Pick My Project was a $30 million Victorian Government initiative which gave residents the power to vote for a community project that they wanted to see developed in their towns, with at least $1 million in funding available for the region. This is a sensational result and I want to congratulate the Seymour community for getting behind this wonderful project led by Bruce Johnstone and his team, Ms Symes said. This project will turn a dreary rail underpass into a vibrant attraction for Seymour. We have seen the success of other art installations in country Victoria in attracting tourists to towns and I hope this project is just as successful in attracting new visitors to discover what is spectacular about Seymour. Ms Deppeler Morton worked on the proposal with Mr Johnstone, and said she was ecstatic the project had received wide community support. The Seymour community and local businesses will be the real winners when this project is completed, she said. The project team will be consulting with street art network Juddy Roller, who delivered the now famous silo art trail, as well as involving the community on the design concepts. With such a large canvas space, this project has the potential to make Seymour a street art must-visit town. Avenel Action Groups multiuse activity precinct was also a winner from Pick My Project, with the group set to receive $99 000 to complete their youth activity precinct, which includes additional skating facilities. Another local winner was the Bush Bus mobile nature inspired playgroup, which will receive $200 000 for a mobile outdoor playgroup travelling throughout the Mitchell Shire, allowing children to participate in activities such as nature inspired arts and crafts, water play and educational nature walks and talks to uncover the indigenous flora and fauna of their local area.