BAIRNSDALE
MORE THAN 15,300 traffic offences have been detected during a 15-day road policing operation over the Christmas and New Year period. Operation Roadwise ran from December 18 to January 1, saw police highly visible and enforcing across the state’s roads, in an effort to reduce road trauma over the high-risk period. There was a significant focus on impaired drivers, with 328,164 preliminary breath tests and 9035 roadside drug tests conducted during the operation. Police detected 659 drink drivers and caught 434 drug drivers. The majority of offences detected were for speeding, with 6820 motorists detected over the speed limit. Other significant breaches included disqualified/suspended and unlicensed drivers (1131), mobile phone offences (513), disobey signs/signals (835), and seatbelt offences (221), there were 279 vehicle impoundments and 1422 unregistered vehicles were detected. Sadly there were still seven lives lost on Victorian roads throughout the period of the blitz. The total number of lives lost on Victorian roads in 2025 was 288. This number is provisional only, as it’s subject to review until the end of this month. With many Victorians expected to take extended holidays over the January period, police are warning motorists not to be complacent on the roads throughout the beginning of 2026. Police will continue to have a major presence across Victoria’s road network, with a particular focus on busy holiday hotspots around the coast and throughout regional Victoria. Motorists are being warned to be patient and allow extra travel time, as well as maintaining a safe braking distance and being cautious when overtaking, particularly around vehicles towing caravans and heavy vehicles. Police will also continue to conduct widespread roadside alcohol and drug testing during the summer months, with motorists warned to expect to be tested anywhere, at anytime.
DUE TO EXTREME temperatures this week, Jarrod’s Bakery will be closing their main street shop at 3pm from Wednesday to Friday.
BRIAGOLONG
MAFFRA POLICE WERE patrolling the area after visiting local campgrounds on New Year’s Day. In the distance, police could hear the loud sound of screeching tyres and a revving engine, they headed in the direction of the sound and intercepted a Ford Falcon. Upon inspection, police found burnt out tyres in the boot, rubber on the guards and a strong smell of burnt rubber in the air at the time of intercept just out of Boisdale. Checks revealed that the driver from Mooroolbark had a cancelled licence and the car was unregistered with false plates affixed. The vehicle was impounded for a period of 30 days at a cost of $950. The driver will be summonsed to court at a later date for several traffic offences.
THERE WAS AN incident at the Quarry Reserve last week where a man was bitten by a small red belly black snake while picking up an armful of firewood from a debris pile at the creek. It happened just on dusk and he actually picked the snake up with the wood and it bit him twice. The paramedics attended promptly after onlookers immobilised his arm with restrictive pressure bandage. The gentleman was taken to hospital and thankfully released the next day.
CANN RIVER
THE LOCAL BAKERY has had a busy week with an influx of visitors through the town. There have been numerous good reports in regards to the service and the quality of the pies.
COBBANNAH
MAJOR COLLISION INVESTIGATION Unit detectives have charged a woman following a fatal crash last year. It is understood a 2022 Ford Everest left Bairnsdale-Dargo Road and rolled down an embankment about 10.30pm on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Emergency services arrived and performed CPR on a 35-year-old woman from Sale, who was a passenger in the Ford. Sadly, she died at the scene. The driver, a 26-year-old Maffra woman, was at the time taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives have charged her with culpable driving, dangerous driving causing death and driving under the influence (alcohol). She was bailed to appear before Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on January 6.
DARGO
THE LOCAL HOTEL is again on the market. The famous watering hole is popular with adventurers including 4WD drivers and motorbike touring groups. Publicans Helen and Steven Hall have put the hotel and nearby Motor Inn with a family residence on the market as a package deal after almost 17 years’ ownership. They first purchased the hotel in the 1990s before selling up in 2004 and then reacquiring the venue when their children had grown up more than a decade later. A 2022 deal to sell the hotel fell through at the last minute. The hotel and motel are for sale via expressions of interest, the asking range has not been made public.
GLENMAGGIE
A BOAT WAS destroyed in a fire last Saturday, thankfully know one was injured.
IN A BONANZA for holiday makers and farmers in the Maclaister Irrigation District, Lake Glenmaggie is currently at 95 per cent (171,963 megalitres) capacity.
HEYFIELD
THE LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL did some work a couple of weeks ago to fix the storm water drains. Due to the heavy rain experienced lately, the soil has collapsed around the new pits and drains. The area has been fenced off but it is asked that people stay out of the area. It is still alright to play on the basketball court, but avoid the two fenced areas at all costs.
LAKES ENTRANCE
IF YOU ARE Cooling off by the water this year, remember swim between the red and yellow flags, swim with a friend, always supervise children around water and if you see a child or pet locked inside a car – call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
BIG BEARS DONUTS set a new customer record on New Year’s Eve, serving an incredible 1342 customers.
LOCH SPORT
A POD OF dolphins in the front lake last Saturday morning fascinated and entertained locals and visitors.
MAFFRA
THIS YEAR IS the 30th anniversary of the merger of Gippsland Rural Water Authority and Southern Rural Water Authority, becoming Southern Rural Water (SRW). Over time, they have weathered droughts, delivered major projects and found smarter, more sustainable ways to manage water with customers and communities. The merger coincided with the Millennium Drought in 1996, where Lake Glenmaggie was almost empty, with five per cent storage on May 31 but full again by August. Shortly after strengthening occurred on one of Glenmaggie dam’s 70 steel cables designed to withstand major floods and earthquakes. The early 2000s saw SRW rehabilitate two major control valves on Glenmaggie dam’s southern outlet and original 50-year-old control valves in the dam’s northern outlet. Records were broken in 2007 when a staggering 318 millimetres of rain fell in 34 hours in the Lake Glenmaggie catchment, resulting in 147,000 meg litre per day outflows – the biggest recorded outflow, with major flooding across Gippsland led to $4 million in asset repairs. In 2008, water entitlements were unbundled to become water shares, water allocations, delivery shares and water use licences. The first year saw Macalister customers received 100 percent high reliability water shares and 10 per cent low reliability water shares. In 2009, the first water auction from water saved through channel automation in the Macalister Irrigation District was held, with 750 megalitres of high reliability water shares sold, at an average of $2300 per megalitre and 375 megalitres of low reliability water shares sold for $223 per megalitre. In the 2011/2012 in a big win for the Macalister River, the Minister for Water approved conversion of 14,200 megalitres of water savings into environmental entitlements. The 2012/2013 season, SRW began the region-building water infrastructure modernisation program in the Macalister Irrigation District, Phase 1A of the Macalister modernisation program was completed in 2016/2017 and the next stage: Phase 1B began. The following season saw the sourcing of emergency supply from the Thomson Dam Drought Reserve when Glenmaggie’s volume dropped below 25 percent in March. Times were tough in 2020, as SRW worked through the challenges of a global pandemic, drought and major bushfires. It was a tough year, but they still managed to instal a new off take on the main southern channel, 38 kilometres of new pipeline in the Southern Tinamba supply zone and upgraded 28 kilometres of existing channels at Riverslea as part of our Macalister modernisation program. The next three years saw the strengthening of partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. In 2021, they issued the first licence to Traditional Owners of 2,000 megalitres of cultural water from the Mitchell River to the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation. While 2023 saw the issuing of two licences for cultural water use – one of 200 megalitres of groundwater in Buchan Munji and one of 500 megalitres from the Tambo River – to the Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners. And the SRW online water trading platform was launched – Southern Rural Water Exchange – to make it easier for customers to buy and sell water. The final stage of the multi-million-dollar Macalister modernisation program was completed in 2024 and the Macalister Fresh region-building water strategy to drive future investment in Gippsland commenced. They also made great strides in diversity, with women making up 34 percent of the team, with 48 percent holding people leader positions and 10 percent in field positions. The first independent Aboriginal delegate was welcomed to the board, as they achieved the goal to secure 100 percent of electricity from renewable sources one year ahead of schedule.
QUANTUM CAR WASH was burgled on December 17, with cash stolen. Local police are investigating and are looking for two unknown offenders who they believe will be able to assist with their enquiries.
BERRY DAIRY REPORTED record trade in the period after New Year’s Day. People flocked to see the animals, pick strawberries and enjoy the sensational food options.
THE MAFFRA MARDI Gras has announced its third and final fundraising entrant for 2026, with the Boisdale/Briagolong Football Netball Club represented by Demi Scriven and Josh Neille. The club is fundraising for the upgrade of its netball facilities, including work to be done on their changerooms, umpires rooms, first aid, children’s play area, storage room and new courts. Fundraising for this years event runs from January 30 through to March 14.
THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS display at 356 Three Chain Road had 1642 cars visit in 25 days this year, racing $8905.17 for Beyond Blue, taking the 11-year total to $129,196.17.
PORT ALBERT
A FANTASTIC CROWD gathered for the festival and fireworks, with organisers putting the crowd at between four and five thousand, who were well behaved. There was plenty of traffic congestion when leaving the event, but thankfully all motorists were patient and respectful.
ROSEDALE
THE TOWN’S ITTY Bitty Booksale is back again this summer. If you are looking for your next great read or a way to keep the kids entertained over the holidays, Wellington Libraries are excited to bring you a small but mighty book sale at the Rosedale Library. It’s a chance to give these amazing books a second life while scoring a great bargain. From fiction to non-fiction, kids’ books to hidden gems – you never know what treasures you’ll find. The sale will run on January 16 (10am–12pm and 1pm–5pm) and 17 (10am–12pm). There will be strictly no early entry, BYO bags and trolleys (cardboard boxes available), cash and card accepted, no donations will be accepted at this sale and stocks are limited, so get in early for the best finds.
SALE
THE ANNUAL GIANT Book Sale is on again at St Paul’s Cathedral from January 1-21, open Monday to Saturday (9am-4pm) and Sunday (10.30am-4pm).
If you after a good bargain and a great read, it’s a must attend with thousands of books, CDs and DVDs to browse and buy, the perfect chance to stock up for the year ahead.
GIPPSLAND GRAMMAR STUDENT, Isobel, this week travels to the Australian National University for the Australian Science Summer School for Biology. The 2025 year 11 student was invited to attend the prestigious event after achieving outstanding results in the Senior Science Olympiad last year. She is one of eight from throughout Australia chosen to participate.
STRATFORD
JUST IN TIME for the holiday period, two new speed limits have come into force on roads in the region. A section of the Maffra-Briagolong Road was reduced from 100 kilometres an hour to 80 kilometres on December 19, extending the lower-speed zone about four and half kilometres north of Maffra. In addition, a section of Briagolong Road in Stratford has been reduced to 60 kilometres per hour. An electronic warning sign alerting motorists to the upcoming change was installed in early December, ahead of the permanent signs being uncovered.
TAMBO UPPER
THE LOCAL PRIMARY school are excited to welcome Clayton Smith as the new bus driver for 2026. Smith has completed on the job training and is ready for his new role.
VALENCIA CREEK
A HUGE REDGUM blocked the Boisdale-Valencia Creek Road last week for several hours. The tree fell near the Valencia Creek Channel, blocking both lanes of the road and also clipping a powerline, though it did remain in place. A car narrowly missed being struck, in a stroke of good luck. Local residents were first on the scene and were joined by the Valencia Creek Country Fire Authority to clear the road.
WOODSIDE
THE LOCAL SURF Lifesaving Club Nippers Carnival Kicks Off at Woodside Beach hosted the first event in the tri-series on Sunday. Youngsters from Woodside, Seaspray and Lakes Entrance tackled the surf and sprinted across the sand, all chasing a ribbon for their club, while parents, grandparents and supporters cheered loudly from the beach.
WURRUK
POLICE WERE CONDUCTING speed checks on the Princes Highway on December 30 at approximately 12.45pm, when they observed a grey Toyota Hilux travelling at a fast rate of speed eastbound. The vehicle was detected going 133 kilometres per hour in the 80-kilometre zone. The male driver, a 24-year-old “P” plater from Hampton Park, had his vehicle impounded for 30 days at a cost of $950 and his driver’s licence suspended immediately for 12 months and was issued with a $1018 penalty notice.
YARRAM
Unfortunately, just after midnight, local police intercepted a “P” plate female driver on Nichol Street, who returned a positive test to alcohol. The driver accompanied police to the Yarram Police Station where the breath alcohol content (BAC) reading was over two times the legal limit for a full licence holder – and way over the “P” platers legal BAC limit of 0.00. Police were extremely disappointed, as they spoke to this individual just prior to midnight at a licenced premises in the town. Police reminded the patrons about road safety and warned them against drink driving, and they all ensured police that they were walking. The 20-year-old females’ licence was immediately suspended for a period of 10 months, and she received an infringement notice of $850.
