Your local and independent news from the Prom Coast and South Gippsland.
What’s happening on the Prom Coast? Heaps! A hygiene station four years in the making is finally fully funded, bird flu has arrived in Victoria, and Foster's No Promises are sitting at number one on the ARIA country chart for a second week running. Read on for all the stories, or grab the latest digital edition here.
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Quote of the fortnight
“This is actually the best day of my life (other than having the kids of course!). We thought we might just scrape into the top 50 if we were lucky. We could not believe our eyes when we saw that not only had we made the charts, we’d debuted at number one.” — No Promises singer-songwriter Janine Garvey on the band's ascent to the top of the Aria charts with their new album, Sirens.
NEWS
Four years in the making: Foster hygiene station finally fully funded. After four years of planning and consultation, Manna Gum Community House has secured the final funding needed to build a dedicated hygiene station in Foster: providing a hot shower, toilet and laundry for people doing it tough. The project has been funded through contributions from Foster Rotary, Toora Lions and a landmark $144,170 from Community Bank Toora and Foster's Major Project Fund. Read the full story →
Bird flu arrives in Victoria. H5N1 has been confirmed in Victoria, with 53 cases confirmed cases including greater crested terns, a magpie and a silver gull detected along the coast, including at Clyde in south-east Melbourne. Local groups including the South Gippsland Bird Observers Club and Wildlife in Sandy Point are already following reporting protocols. Do not touch any sick or dead bird or marine mammal — call 1800 675 888. Read more →
Community urged to stand up for local post offices. Toora Post Office licensee John Ross is sounding the alarm about proposals that could strip banking and bill payment services from regional post offices. "If they take that away, it's like taking the pub away. It's the centre of the town," he said. A Senate inquiry has received community submissions, though many locals only heard about it with weeks to spare. Read more →
COMMUNITY
No Promises (pictured above) have hit number one on the ARIA country chart for the second week in a row! Meeniyan's Kathy Smith has been named a state finalist for School Crossing Supervisor of the Year after nearly a decade of keeping local kids safe. Jill Plowright, born 7 March 1935 and died 27 July 2026, is remembered as a passionate ornithologist, community stalwart and lover of South Gippsland who came to Foster with her husband Howard in 2008 and made it home. Foster Secondary College students have been crowned Champion School at the Korumburra National Science and Engineering Challenge. The Grassy Spur swimming pool faces permanent closure without new volunteers. The Toora Community Action Team held a successful AGM with plans for a new town plan and youth engagement on the agenda. And the Yanakie Tuesday Golf Allstars raised $6,500 for Prom Country Aged Care through a sold-out Christmas in July fundraiser.
LIFESTYLE
Meeniyan's Tallarah and Nico (pictured above) star in a new BBC Children's documentary, My Life: We Fight Fires, about junior CFA volunteers, available on BBC iPlayer now and screening at the Meeniyan CFA station at 11am on 29 August. The South Gippsland One Act Play Festival returns to the Foster Arts Centre on 29 and 30 August. Also this week, a wonderful profile of Dr Mary Ellis — botanist, medical researcher, herbalist, author and South Gippsland treasure at 84.
SPORT
Tarwin had a big win, putting 109 points on Toora to keep finals hopes alive, with Jordan Bertacco best on ground and Rem Dal Pozzo kicking four. Mirboo North held off a brave Stony Creek in a thriller, with just a point between them at the final break before the Tigers ran out 61-48 winners. MDU accounted for Boolarra 101-49 in a game of two halves, with the Demons running away after the main break. In A Grade netball, Yinnar ran over Hill End 73-34 and Mirboo North accounted for Stony Creek 78-43, while Tarwin edged Toora 40-35 in the tightest contest of the round. Full sport section →
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