IT IS a national industry worth an estimated $17.3 billion, annually and in the south-west alone, employs almost one third of the population. In dollar terms, it is worth more to the Australian economy than mining.And not one person gets paid for the hours they put in.It sounds like a yarn worthy of a controversial […]

DIGBY is also the original home turf for another local volunteer, honoured this year by Australia Red Cross. Liela Dohle (pictured above centre) received her 80-year bar from the organisation earlier this month – the first time the award has ever been presented in Victoria.Mrs Dohle first joined Red Cross in 1941, presiding as Unit […]

THEY have seen some of the most horrific disasters in our district’s history, risked their lives on many occasions and between them, given more than 110 years’ service to their community. And they reckon they’ve still got a few years left to give. In the lead up to national volunteer week, the CFA honoured a […]

SOUTHERN Grampians Shire councillors have knocked back a request from the Hamilton Regional Business Association (HRBA) to remove the fee for dropping off recycling at transfer stations, instead committing to investigate other ways to reduce the cost of recycling.

THE Southern Grampians Shire is committed to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill, and it is crucial for residents to dispose of items in the correct kerbside bins.

NURSE immunisers from Western District Health Service (WDHS) travelled to Coleraine this week as part of a program to increase accessibility to the COVID-19 vaccinations.

NEXT week’s state budget will see a $210 million investment to try and clear backlogs in the court system caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHAT do custom timber cuts, a scrap metal facility, learning how to lay bricks, building furniture for pubs and a music studio have in common? Pretty soon, all going to plan, they’ll all be in the former Glenelg Warehouse on the corner of Browning and Learmonth Sts in Portland. Four local men have big plans […]

A TWO week-long aerial shooting campaign has seen more than 1100 feral animals – mainly fallow deer – destroyed. The campaign was completed in the World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, including the Indigenous Protected Areas in Tyrendarra and parts of the Budj Bim National Park. Deer and pigs were targeted from helicopters after they […]

HAMILTON’S University of the Third Age (U3A) members, Chris Simpson and Alex Pederick, were forced to make the change to the new concept of virtual lessons and Zoom meetings during the pandemic.