Your local and independent news from the Prom Coast and South Gippsland.
After a weekend of record rainfall, the Prom Coast is looking and sounding spectacular. Agnes Falls is thundering, the birds are in full spring voice, and the hills are very much alive. Read on for all the news, or grab the latest digital edition here.
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Quote of the fortnight: "An hour after sunrise: rainbows from the spray being pushed up from the falls, kookaburras, magpies, willy wagtails, wrens, butcherbirds, galahs, cockies, parrots, rosellas, bugs and flowers…." — Corner Inlet Landcare Group celebrate Agnes Falls in all its glory on Sunday.
NEWS
Farewell to the Welshy. After three years of working seven days a week to keep the Welshpool Hotel alive Skye Dubignon's lease on the much-loved Welshy expires on 31 October. The community response to Skye's announcement has been overwhelming, expressing love, support and deep gratitude for what she and her team built. Read more →
Use it or lose it: South Gippsland's pools need you this summer. South Gippsland's six public swimming pools are firmly on the community agenda. The message from pool advocates is simple: if you value your local pool, use it this summer. Buy a season pass. Take the kids after school. Fill in the Council survey. The consultation runs until 6 December at southgippsland.vic.gov.au/aquatics. Read more →
Disaster roaming is coming, but local experts say it falls short. From 1 October, Australia's three major telcos will activate temporary disaster roaming when one network goes down during a severe weather event. A local telecommunications expert is questioning how the system will work in practice on the Prom Coast, and says it still doesn't address the region's fundamental vulnerability. Read more →
COMMUNITY
The Red Pig Historical Bakery in Toora is set to open its doors on 14 October with local boy and internationally experienced chef Allan Allsop at the reins. The Fish Creek Memorial Hall committee has installed a diesel generator (pictured above) and is holding a free community dinner on Thursday 22 October to celebrate the achievement and cover the First 72 Hours emergency preparedness program. The free Staying Behind the Wheel driving workshop for older drivers runs this Friday 9 October from 1pm to 3pm at the Foster War Memorial Arts Centre. Leongatha Rotary is building a fossil display shelter at Koonwarra for Great Southern Rail Trail users.
LIFESTYLE
The coLAB Inclusive Arts Festival is in Fish Creek this Friday and Saturday, tickets at https://events.humanitix.com/colab-inclusive-arts-event. The Tarwin Lower Festival returns for its sixth year on Sunday 1 November with Steph Strings headlining 16 acts, early bird tickets at tarwinfestival.com.au. And a timely piece on urban trees from Senior Research Associate Greg Moore at the University of Melbourne reminds us why South Gippsland Shire Council's free street tree program matters: if your nature strip doesn't have a tree, call Council on 5662 9200 to request one.
SPORT
The opening round of the Prom Coast cricket season was washed out over the weekend, but Foster and MDU both head into 2026/27 in good shape nonetheless, with new captain/coach Ryan Williams leading a revamped Foster side and MDU firmly targeting a finals finish. Round 2 is this Saturday 10 October: Foster take on Nyora at Nyora Rec Reserve, MDU face Koonwarra Leongatha RSL at Leongatha Rec Reserve. The Fish Creek Bowls Club's first Turkey Triples of the season on 24 September was a cracker day, with 144 players on the green and winners Alan Spooner, Phil Stimson and Andy Ploughman taking the top honours (pictured above).
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