BAIRNSDALE
DUCK SEASON COMMENCED last week and will run for 12.5 weeks concluding on Sunday, June 9. Police reported an increase in the number of firearm related/shots fired in Lake Wellington, Dowds Morass, The Heart Morass, The Heart Landing, Victoria Lagoon, Blond Bay, Jack Smith’s Lake, Jones’ Bay, Lake Coleman Reserve, McLeod Morass, Lake Wat Wat and Clydebank Morass. Authorised GMA, DEECA and Police officers patrolled wetlands across Victoria, enforcing the nine duck per day limit. There are seven game duck species that are permitted to be hunted during the 2025 season. The species which are permitted are Pacific Black Duck, Mountain Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead and Australian Wood Duck.
POLICE ARE SEEKING information after a break in at the DECCA Lindenow Road depot. The thieves stole a personal vehicle and personal equipment. The vehicle belonged to a firefighter, who was deployed at the time to manage bushfires. In total, five deployed firefighters have had their personal belongings stolen or damaged, from chainsaws to fridges, fishing rods, toolboxes, camping and 4WD equipment. The targeted attack was brazen and calculated, as the offenders first focus was targeting the power supply and security cameras. This incident follows a similar targeted attack on the DEECA Main Street Office in February.
MONDAY IS INTERNATIONAL Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual event dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society. To commemorate teh day Gippsland Lakes Complete Health will be hosting a flag raising at 2pm at 285 Main Street, Bairnsdale. This will be followed by a community gathering at 3pm. Both events are open to LGBTIQA+ of all ages, especially Trans and Gender Diverse folks and their invited guests. This event is a great opportunity to connect with community, learn something new and find out what else is happening in East Gippsland’s vibrant LGBTIQA+ community. The venue for the community gathering will be supplied after you have registered for safety reasons.
VICTORIA’S CRIME RATE rose by more than 13 per cent last year, with the number of criminal incidents reaching record levels. Police say youth crime and thefts from vehicles are driving the increase.
THE NEW FIXED speed cameras in Gippsland between Longwarry and Trafalgar are sure to make travel to Melbourne more costly for many East Gippslanders.
THE PROBUS CLUB of Mitchell River (Bairnsdale) attended the Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House last week for their monthly meeting and enjoyed a delicious roast meal followed by desert.
BRUTHEN
THE TOWN IS SET for a new look with additional stone seating walls, a new water bubblers, fresh turf, mulch and garden beds set to be added in the coming weeks. Bins will be relocated for better accessibility, whilst there will be few minor tweaks to the irrigation system for improved efficiency. Most of the work will take place near existing amenities, so there might be a few minor disruptions. This phase marks the final step in a project shaped with valuable input from the project reference group.
BUCHAN
BUCHAN NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE is gearing up to host a family fun day this Sunday at the Buchan Hall, with the movie, Just a Farmer screening. People are encouraged to attend this free community event, where local wellbeing services will be available to connect residents with resources for physical and mental health. The movie will screen at 2pm, followed by live music from 4pm. There will also be a sausage sizzle at 5.30pm, along with family-friendly entertainment featuring games, arts, and crafts, making it a fun and informative day for all.
THE PRECISION RIFLE Club will hold its annual general meeting on Tuesday, April 15, from 6pm. Topics to be discussed on the night include, new committee, new target set, NRL22/PRS22 matches, next NRL22X match, club rifle and ammunition use and where the club is and what its achieved.
CANN RIVER
THE MONARO CENTRE is the venue for Friday night’s Cann Valley District Representative Group Trivia night, which starts at 6.30pm.
FORGE CREEK
A COMMUNITY INFORMATION session will be held last Thursday night at Bairnsdale Regional Landfill (Johnstons Road) from 6pm. Discussions will centre around a proposed organic composting facility. The facility would divert food scraps and garden waste from landfill, turning it into nutrient-rich compost instead of methane-emitting waste. The session is hosted by Beveridge Williams on behalf of council.
GLENALADALE
ECHO BEND CARAVAN Park will embark on a celestial journey this Friday through to Sunday. The event is being organised by the Astronomical Society of Victoria, Latrobe Valley Astronomical Society and Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society and promises to be an unforgettable annual gathering.
LAKES ENTRANCE
XTRA COVER ARE set to rock the Lakes Entrance Bowls Club this Saturday night from 9pm to late.
HUNDREDS OF MOURNERS packed into St Nicholas Anglican Church this last week to farewell Lakes Entrance identity Deb Gray. The eulogy was read by Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, with Gray remembered as a fearless party girl, with a spirit of adventure who always wanted to help others, despite being born without arms and fully formed legs. With tributes from her beloved daughter Emma and plenty of entertaining stories from extended family and life long friends, a procession of bikers lead the funeral procession through the streets. As a fierce advocate for people living with disabilities who touched the lives of many, Mr Chester has proposed that an accessible beach lookout/platform be constructed in in Deb’s honour.
LOCH SPORT
ITS BEEN A LONG time coming but finally some action has been taken to address the erosion issue on the foreshore. The State Government last week announced a groyne field will be established around the Seagull Drive boat ramp and High Dune Bluff area, with sand renourishment to occur at Seagull Drive using sand sourced from the Loch Sport marina. More groynes will likely be needed but works are scheduled to occur over spring this year.
MEERLIEU
CRICKET CLUB PRESENTATION Night will be held on Friday, April 4 at 5.30pm at the Meerlieu Hall. The night will honour great performances while enjoying good company, and looking back at another fantastic year for the Meerlieu Cricket Club. The club will be supplying the barbecue, while the senior players are asked to bring a dessert and junior players a salad.
MOUNT TAYLOR
THE FIRE BRIGADE is pleased to announce the arrival their newest member of the fleet – a new support vehicle to replace the old one which has served both them and the Lakes Entrance Fire Brigade so well for many years.
NEWLANDS ARM
SOME EXCITING PROJECTS are on the horizon for Newlands Arm, and East Gippsland Shire Council want residents’ ideas to bring them to life. They want thoughts on key themes, including a boat ramp and carpark at Dawsons Cove, upgraded recreational facilities and infrastructure, as well as traffic and safety improvements.
NOWA NOWA
WOODFORDIA, FESTIVAL OF small halls hits town this Sunday. Nowa Nowa Community Development Group will be running a barbecue and there will be a funky little market from 4-6.30pm, with music in the hall from 6.30pm.
ORBOST
NEWMERALLA ARTIST NINA Smith’s exhibition, It’s Reigning Goats – A Whimsical Look at Goats, is creating plenty of interest the Orbost Arts Centre. Smith has always had a passion for goats, in the 1990s, she joined the show circuit, where she collected numerous accolades and is known for making amazing homemade goat cheese and soap. While Smith has previously had a herd of almost 80 goats, she has since downsized, today with a small herd of nine. Smith may have slowed down a little out in the paddock, but she has thrived in her art room with the exhibition showcasing more than 200 pieces of artwork, sharing the story of her love of goats. Most pieces from Nina’s quirky collection, which incorporate mixed media, are available for purchase, the exhibition continuing through to March 28.
PAYNESVILLE
THE LOCAL CFA will be collecting for the Good Friday appeal on the April 18 between the hours of 9am and 1pm in Paynesville, Newlands Arm, Eagle Point and Raymond Island. They will have eftpos machines available and tubs for cash.
LOCAL COAST GUARD craft Spirit of Paynesville II (CG22) was removed from the water last week. She is having new motors fitted and will be back on duty very quickly.
THE OFFICAL REOPENING of the beautiful ceremonial gates recently occured by Community Bank Manager Jack Van Reyk. The Community Bank, Paynesville and District, made a grant of $17,000 for the collaborative project by the Paynesville Lions, the Paynesville Cemetery Trust and the Paynesville Men’s Shed to upgrade the frontage of the Cemetery.
PERRY BRIDGE
WELLINGTON SHIRE COUNCIL has a massive 182 bridges connecting the communities. Bridges and crossings play a vital role in keeping locals connected, whether it’s ensuring they’re strong enough for farm vehicles or safe for pedestrians and cyclists.
ROSEDALE
SPEEDWAY ACTION RETURNS to Rosedale this Saturday night.
SALE
LADIES DAY AT the Sale Turf Club is this Sunday, the chance for an forgettable experience in your finery, while watching the horses run past.
LOCAL POLICE intercepted a red Mitsubishi Triton on York Street on Sunday, March 16 at approximately 1.30am after observing the vehicle driving erratically and the driving lights not switched on. A roadside preliminary breath test was conducted which returned a positive result, the male driver was then transported to the Sale police station for a secondary evidentiary breath test. This test returned a result of more than three times the legal limit. The male driver had his licence suspended for 12 months and the vehicle impounded for a period of 30 days, the driver will be summonsed to court at a later date to front a magistrate.
THE AVERAGE WELLINGTON Shire resident will pay $41 more in the next financial year to fund emergency services. The State Government’s new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF), which will come into effect on July 1 and replace the current Fire Services Property Levy, is designed to support a broader range of emergency services. Every single dollar raised by the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund will support emergency services, helping them to keep communities safe year-round. Victorian councils are required to collect the levy the same way it has been, appearing on rates notices.
STRATFORD
THE TOWN LIBRARY will be temporarily closed for eight weeks from April 1 to May 30 while it undergoes renovations to improve the space for the community. Works will include painting, recarpeting and new furnishings. To ensure library users can continue borrowing books and participating in programs, a click and collect service and regular children’s programming will continue to run at the nearby Stratford Senior Citizens Club (13 Dixon Street). A library staff member will be on hand at the Senior Citizens Club to assist with all library needs.
STRATFORD FOOTBALL NETBALL Club past players and officials will be holding their annual supporter’s day on Saturday, May 31. As part of the day the club will be celebrating the 1965 seconds, 1975 thirds, 1990 seniors, 1995 thirds, 2015 seconds, and 2015 “A” and “B” grade netball premierships.
SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALL ages gig at the Courthouse, Live ‘n’ Local event is set to be blast. The event runs from 4-9pm, and is no booze, drugs or vaping. Featured artists include Ally Row, Olivia Lay, Dane Nicholls, Mae McCubbin and local 16-year-old Emily Nock. She first performed in public at the age of 12 busking at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Since then she has performed at many Open Mic’s and has busked regularly at various locations around Gippsland. She is now playing regular gigs around Gippsland and beyond and has also performed at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the past three years. She recently played at the 2025 Sale Music Festival. Emily’s favourite genre is Country/Folk, but she also plays modern pop, and has a few classics in her set list too.
POLICE WERE CALLED to a business in Tyers Street last Friday evening with reports a male had entered the store and assaulted a staff member. It is alleged the male then assaulted a patron of the business before being restrained until police arrived. The 56-year-old male was subsequently transported by Ambulance Victoria for a medical assessment. Police will be speaking with this male at a later date.
REGIONAL RAILWAY CROSSINGS across Victoria will receive important safety upgrades, thanks to more than $54 million in shared funding from the Albanese Labor Government and the Allan Labor Government. The 32 high-priority railway level crossing improvements across the state’s regional rail network are being funded under round two of the Regional Level Crossing Upgrade Fund (RLCUF) which is jointly funded by both levels of government. Wellington Shire Council will receive $1 million to upgrade the crossing at Farrells Lane, Stratford, with flashing lights, boom barriers and axle counters. The RLCUF aims to improve railway crossing safety in regional areas and reduce serious and fatal accidents that have a devastating impact on communities. The 32 level crossing upgrades across Victoria will include treatments such as installing boom gates, axle counters, flashing lights and signage. The state and federal governments are working together to deliver critical safety upgrades that ensure people living in regional and rural areas can get where they need to go safely and efficiently.
SWIFTS CREEK
HEAD DOWN TO the Junction Hotel Swifts Creek this Friday night and enjoy a comedy evening from 8.45pm. The Swifts Creek Football Netball will be selling raffle tickets for your chance to win five meat trays.
TINAMBA
MAFFRA POLICE on March 20 at 7.30pm intercepted a vehicle on Maffra-Rosedale Road. Checks revealed the driver was currently disqualified and has four previous convictions for drink driving offences in Victoria and one in New South Wales. The vehicle was impounded for a period of 30 days and the driver will be summonsed to court at a later date to front a magistrate on the charges of driving while disqualified, breaching interlock condition and exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol while driving.
