BAIRNSDALE
NOT PHOTOGRAPHED IN the region since 2022, the Spotted Harrier has recently returned to the area. In 2022 it was thought to be alone until photos of it carrying nesting twigs into nearby trees turned up. This year two Spotted Harriers have been seen flying and hunting together and again one carrying nesting material into nearby trees.
LAST WEEK SAW Paramedic Day tick over for another year, a chance to express gratitude to all the paramedics out there for their hard work and commitment to keeping the community safe.
AFTER YEARS OF wear from clearing old sawdust and soft flooring, the foundation rock floor at the Bairnsdale saleyards had finally reached its limit. Over the past three weeks, the dedicated Livestock Exchange team have completed a full renewal, replacing the entire base with compacted, levelled road base rock to ensure long-term durability and top performance. To top it off, they have added the annual layer of washed sand boosting both presentation and comfort just in time for the spring feature store sales.
THE NEW AIR Ambulance Patient Transfer Facility at the Bairnsdale Airport is now complete and will soon give patients and crews a safer, more comfortable space for transfers between road ambulances and aircraft, meaning no more waiting in the elements. With upgraded access from both the airside and the roadside, lighting, secure fencing, and full utility connections, it’s a great result for the airport, community, and for the people who rely on emergency health care across East Gippsland. This project was identified as a priority in the Bairnsdale Airport Masterplan and delivered by East Gippsland Shire Council and funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources – Regional Airports Program (round three).
SCHOOL IS BACK with Victorian principals welcoming new powers to suspend and expel students for things that happen outside school and on social media. The State Government measures give them power for the first time to punish harmful behaviour outside of school or online.
REGIONAL ANIMAL SHELTERS and pet fostering services are at full capacity with animals in need, with an increase in drop offs and a decrease in rescues. The cost of living crisis means it’s a tough time for pets to find a home.
VLINE COMMUTERS HAVE again been snubbed in the 2026 State Government’s upcoming rollout of “tap and go” payments. The technology will only be available to metro passengers, who will be able to pay for public transport by simply tapping a contactless card or device against a reader, eliminating the need for a physical ticket or myki card.
BOISDALE
MR BOISDALE 2025 returns this Saturday night to Boisdale Recreation Reserve. It’s a great night of laughs, entertainment and a bit of cheek as the Boisdale Briagolong footballers take the stage to battle it out for the crown. Punters are encouraged to come down early and grab dinner from the Rosedale Pad Thai van, serving from 5pm.
BRIAGOLONG
POPULAR LOCAL ARTISTS Lisa Roberts and Crystal Stubbs are showcasing their latest bodies of work in two compelling new exhibitions at the Briagolong Art Gallery. Both exhibitions are running until August 2, with the gallery open Saturdays and Sundays 11am to 3pm.
BRUTHEN
GIPPSLAND RECREATION OUTDOORS is expanding to meet tourism demand in East Gippsland. Receiving a State Government forestry transition fund grant means a new, bigger shed can be built and fitted out for adventure equipment for tourism groups. Whether its rafting, kayaking or camping, we have a beautiful part of the world to explore, and more Victorians should get out and enjoy it.
CABBAGE TREE
CABBAGE TREE CREEK Landcare Group has organised a fun and informative Saturday morning at the Cabbage Tree Creek Hall. Kicking off at 10am this Saturday, there will be plant giveaways, a presentation by Phillip Vaughan (plant expert), and some Firewise site maintenance, followed by a barbecue lunch. Don’t miss this great local event – everyone’s welcome.
DARGO
THE LOCAL BUSH Nursing Centre recently hosted its annual Winter Christmas Lunch at the Dargo Hall. Malcolm Hackett was the guest presenter this year and gave an informative and emotional talk about his personal experience of trauma and loss during the Black Saturday Bushfires in Strathewen. Hackett was instrumental in forming the Strathewen Bushfire Renewal Association which developed a democratic, community-led approach to recovery, one of the first of its kind and something Dargo will need to do, if they ever experiences destruction on that scale.
EAST SALE
A CRASH EXERCISE was held at the RAAF base on Tuesday. The simulated crash exercise on enables the RAAF to test the base’s emergency response to an aviation accident. The simulation involved smoke, dummies/mannequins, multiple aircraft and aircraft debris, and a large number of responding base personnel and state emergency services.
GOLDEN BEACH
POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING a number of burglaries and thefts that occurred in the area between the July 7-8. Police believe a light coloured 4WD may be involved. Police are seeking any CCTV or anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area to contact detective senior constable Matthew Arthur at Sale Police Station or Crime Stoppers.
HEYFIELD
A CHANGING OF the guard at busy local business, the Timberline, with Troy and Allison Akers children Zoe, Quinn and Tahlia deciding that they would like to take on the business among themselves with the valuable team of 22 staff, under the watchful eye of their proud parents. The business in its present form was established in 1989 by their grandfather, Ray Akers.
AFTER MORE THAN 35 years as practice principal at the Heyfield Medical Centre, Dr Peter Stevens officially passed the torch on July 1 to the next generation. Doctors Emma Beaton, Andrew Roberts, Sarah Christian (Steven’s daughter), are the new owners of the business.
THE LIONS CLUB held its 57th changeover recently at the Railway Hotel. Member award presentations took place, as well as the official welcoming of the new committee. Peter Andrews handed over the presidency reins to Damian Coulthard. He will be assisted in the new year by Ray Akers (secretary) and Scott Stevens (treasurer). Richard Fawaz and Ken Noble received the Melvin Jones Award, while Mark Stevens was presented the Maurice Coleman Award, with Bill Lack receiving a well deserved life membership.
THE HEYFIELD FOOTBALL Netball Club is one of nine clubs in the Wellington Shire to receive grants under the Sporting Club Grants Progam. The grants are aimed to provide more opportunity for people to be become involved in community sport, with 827 handouts provided statewide. The program provides funds for equipment and uniforms, taking the financial burden off clubs, providing support for volunteers and officials to learn new skills and deliver new programs helping local clubs to grow. Other recipients were Gippsland Water Dragons, Maffra Football Netball Club, Maffra Gymnastics Club, Sale United Football Club, Yarram Football Netball club, First Yarram Scout Group, Sale Swimming Club and Sale Tennis Club.
KALIMNA
BIG NEWS FROM the local pub, with a brand-new wood heater installed in the main bar. The old one was puffing its last breath, and now they have got a ripper replacement that will keep things toasty all winter long.
LAKES ENTRANCE
KIM’S TAEKWONDO AND Hapkido East Gippsland will celebrate its 30-year reunion at the RSL on August 30 from 11am-2pm.
THE LAKES ENVY Dance Academy will host an evening on Thursday, August 7 from 7pm, for people who have survived a suicide attempt or lives with thoughts of suicide. It will be a quiet, supportive space created just for these kinds of conversations, with no pressure to talk. You are welcome to simply show up, breathe, and be with others who get it. Whether you come to share, to listen, or just to sit in peace, this space is yours.
LOCH SPORT
TELSTRA WILL SHORTLY begin upgrading one of its three mobile base stations which service Loch Sport to bring new 5G coverage to the area. It is envisaged that mobile services in the area will be temporarily affected to some areas of Loch Sport, while the upgrade is completed. The site will need to be switched off on August 4 (intermittent outages), from August 5-12 (site offline), and August 13-15 (intermittent outages). Landline services, NBN internet services, and mobile coverage from other providers will not be impacted. Telstra customers can continue to make calls and send texts during disruption to mobile services by switching on Wi-Fi calling. This is a free setting on most popular mobile phones and allows a mobile to make and receive mobile calls while connected to wi-fi. Business owners are also being encouraged to talk to their bank about connecting their EFTPOS terminals to their NBN or Wi-Fi connection to prevent delays in processing transactions.
MAFFRA
GIPPSLAND VEHICLE COLLECTION run by a dedicated band of volunteers, is in urgent need of a new roof over the complex. Last week, local MP, Tim Bull met with Sue Lawrence who has done a significant amount of fundraising work and it’s clear crunch time is approaching. The committee hasn’t been sitting on its hands waiting, it’s raised just on $400,000, towards the total cost of $1.2 million, an incredible effort. Both the committee and local member have made approaches to Tourism Minister, Steve Dimopoulos seeking the balance of the funding, as this is one of the town’s premier tourist attractions and are awaiting a response. The Wellington Shire Council completed an economic benefit study that showed that visitors come from far and wide to see the displays and it brings in $2.75 million per annum to the region.
MAFFRA SECONDARY COLLEGE year seven students got in the spirit of National Tree Day last week planting a massive section of the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail. Their efforts have made an outstanding contribution to creating more biodiversity, which will have many benefits for years to come.
THE MAFFRA AND District Car Club will host a Trivia Night on August 30 from 6.30pm at the Maffra Memorial Hall.
MCLOUGHLINS BEACH
YARRAM POLICE ARE investigating a theft and criminal damage that occurred between July 8-15, at the jetty. The offender/offenders have stolen a number of bulky items from a barge moored at the jetty, and have caused damage to important components on the boat. Leading senior constable Dan Elliott is appealing for any possible CCTV footage in this area, and whether witnesses observed any suspicious behaviour or people.
MEERLIEU
THE NEXT COMMUNITY Garden, “Gather and Grow” session will be held at the Recreation Reserve on Sunday at 9am.
NOWA NOWA
THE BAIRNSDALE LAPIDARY Club recently conducted a field trip to the region. A small but keen group took advantage of the great weather on the hunt for hematite/jasper. A bit of digging resulted in finding of some very nice pieces, much to their delight.
SALE
A LARGE CROWD recently attended the official launch of construction at Ashleigh House, where eight new independent living units are being built. Legend Homes has been appointed as builder of the new seven-figure construction project on Guthridge Parade. They will be the first new units erected on the site in more than 40 years, purposely built for people over 55. The units will increase housing availability for the elderly by offering secure, comfortable and affordable living options.
LIBRARIES IN THE Wellington Shire will benefit from a state government grant of $200,000 that will install a new system to improve efficiency and customer service. The Living Libraries Infrastructure Program (LLIP) provides financial support for Victorian councils and regional library corporations to provide high-quality library infrastructure to meet their communities’ changing needs. The grant in Wellington will go towards the development of the “Library RFID Implementation Project”. The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) will facilitate improvements to productivity, efficiency, safety and customer service.
LOCAL POLICE ARE investigating the circumstances surrounding a collision in Sale on Sunday, July 20. It is believed, at approximately 10.30am an unidentified vehicle collided with the left side of a local business on York Street in Sale, causing structural damage to the building. Police seek to identify either the vehicle or driver involved in the incident.
A BETTER LIFE For Foster Kids Inc (ABLFFK) will have to throw out toys donated and purchased for Christmas after a store its was leasing was ram-raided in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The items have been rendered useless for fear that glass, from the shattered front window, may have found its way into the toys. Four people have been charged following the ram raid on the ABLFFK, which supports children entering out-of-home care and their carers. The charity provides care kits for children placed into out-of-home care, as well as care support services and housing transition packages, plus funds activities to enrich the lives of children.
LOCAL school crossing supervisor, Joy Peverill recently racked up 35 years of service, helping kids cross safely every school day, rain, hail or shine. Over the years, she’s come to know generations of families and has been the heart behind many annual celebrations for her fellow supervisors. The council marked the milestone with a morning tea in council chambers, where mayor, councillor Scott Rossetti thanked her incredible contribution with a heartfelt speech, certificate and gift card.
THE CHEMIST WAREHOUSE new and improved shop is now operating at 276-278 Raymond Street.
SAD TIMES AT the Genny on Guthridge with Shane and Kim departing after five years at the popular milk bar.
WONNANGATTA
A DATE HAS BEEN set for the next step in the push for High Country killer Greg Lynn to have his murder conviction overturned. A jury last year found Lynn, guilty of Carol Clay’s murder but acquitted him of murdering Russell Hill in March 2020. Last Wednesday, a court heard the date for the former Jetstar pilot’s application for leave to appeal will be October 31. At that hearing it will be decided whether Lynn’s appeal against his conviction can proceed. Lynn was sentenced to 32 years’ jail last year over Ms Clay’s murder, who was shot in a struggle that that also claimed the life of her lover, Mr Hill.
YARRAM
THE GIPPSLAND WRITERS Festival hits town this week from Friday to Sunday. It’s a celebration of stories for all ages. Organisers believe that stories have the power to connect us, challenge perspectives and build a more inclusive and understanding world. Formerly known as StoryFest, the Gippsland Writers Festival continues to bring diverse lineups of storytellers to Yarram. With the support of local, State and Federal governments and arts agencies, the festival is growing every year and now encompasses three amazing days of literary activities, discussion panels and writing workshops. The Gumboot Collective is an arts-based not-for-profit organisation, entirely run by volunteers, which coordinates the Gippsland Writers Festival as well as the annual Chalk Art Festival and other arts events in and around Yarram. This year’s festival is a chance to celebrate the joy of reading and writing, and discover the power of words to transform lives.
MEMBER POLICE MEMBERS FROM the from Wellington Highway Patrol and Yarram Uniform, recently conducted Operation Winter Shield in the Yarram Police service area. The operation targeted unsafe vehicles and drivers, conducting high visible intercepts of vehicles on main arterials in and out of Yarram, with zero tolerance enforcement approach to unsafe and defective vehicles. Police intercepted a total 59 vehicles, unfortunately three were processed for drug driving incurring licence losses and another was processed for refusing to undergo an oral fluid test and will appear on summons to the Magistrates Court. Five vehicles were impounded for licence related offences and two rivers processed for failing to undergo a breath test and will appear on summons to the Magistrates Court
LAST WEEK AUSTRALIAN Search and Rescue K9 (ASAR-K9) will be carried out a training exercise at Yarram Secondary College. ASAR-K9 are a volunteer organisation who train K9 handler teams to locate missing persons in bush and country areas, deployed at the request of Victoria Police. The dogs searched the grounds and buildings for “missing people”, the exercise taking place from 7am-2pm.
