The South West Daily

Here is what is making news for June 2, 2026.===============================Apostle Whey Cheese has taken out the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Victorian Small Business Awards. Founder Julian Benson says the major accolade is a testament to his dedicated staff for helping create a much-loved local product. ==============================================================The Camperdown Fire Brigad...

Here is what is making news for June 1, 2026.===============================An invitation is open for residents across the South West to help shape regional environmental decisions. The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority is expanding its Community Engagement Network and wants to recruit people from diverse backgrounds. ==============================================================27 new Au...

Here is what is making news for May 29, 2026.====================================The Corangamite Shire has taken action to officially move on the decommissioned Camperdown Saleyards site. Corangamite Shire Mayor Kate Makin says council will still advocate for a specialised truck wash to remain in Camperdown.========================================================================Winter tuna fishing...

Here is what is making news for May 28, 2026.==================================Safety upgrades are underway at Loch Ard Gorge as authorities work toward reopening beach access by October this year. The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority is undertaking critical repairs after independent assessments identified a high risk of rock fall and serious structural faults in the existing staircase.&...

Here is what is making news for May 27, 2026.=================================Shock new polling suggests One Nation could become the official federal opposition, but local Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan remains unconvinced they will crack the South West. ==================================================================The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority is inviting the public to a...

Here is what is making news for May 26, 2026.==============================More than $13,000 dollars has been raised following on from the Colac Area Health Foundation's Golf Day at the Colac Golf Course on Friday. Colac Area Health Foundation's Ami Hillage says the total couldn't have been able to raise the funds without the support from Commonwealth Bank as the event sponsor and other food and p...

Here is what is making news for May 25, 2026.===================================The property market surrounding Camperdown and Boorcan is experiencing a significant boom following a flurry of major dairy farm sales. Most notably, a massive six-hundred-and-thirty-seven-hectare aggregation milking eight hundred cows has been snapped up by a neighboring agricultural family. Nearby, a three-hundred-he...

Here is what is making news for May 22, 2026.===================================A former general practitioner from Colac has been slapped with a five-year ban from practicing medicine following a tribunal ruling on professional misconduct. ======================================================================Ambulance response times are improving across the Barwon South West, with paramedics reach...

Here is what is making news for May 21, 2026.==================================Anti-violence advocate and football legend Phil Cleary is headed to Camperdown next month to headline a powerful community presentation. Following the tragic murder of his sister Vicki in the late nineteen-eighties, Cleary has dedicated his life to addressing Australia's domestic violence epidemic.  ==========...

Here is what is making  news for May 20, 2026.===============================Powercor has completed construction on a permanent quick-connection point for generators in Apollo Bay to combat prolonged blackouts. The town is traditionally supplied by two forty-kilometer powerlines running through the dense, steep terrain of the Great Otway National Park, making storm repairs highly difficult. =...

Here is what is making news for May 19, 2026.===================================Frontline volunteer positions are officially opening up in our immediate district, with Ambulance Victoria looking to boost its volunteer response teams in Port Campbell and Simpson. ======================================================================A Cobden woman with a history of traffic offences has faced court a...

Here is what is making news for May 18, 2026.================================A sixty-year-old man has been hospitalized following a serious dog attack in Camperdown. Emergency services were called to Manifold Street following reports of an animal-related incident.  ================================================================A prominent fishing co-operative on the Great Ocean Road has been...

Here is what is making news for May 15, 2026.==============================The 2026 Apollo Bay Ladies Lunch has delivered a major win for local emergency services, with a six-thousand-dollar donation officially handed over to the Apollo Bay C-F-A. The committee says the total was raised through a combination of raffle ticket sales, waivered event fees, and generous community donations.  =====...

Here is what is making news for May 14, 2026.================================A motion was carried 6-to-0 at the Colac Otway Shire Councils Submissions meeting to progress talk on the future of a soccer hub for the Colac Otway Rovers. Colac Otway Shire CEO Andrew Tenni says there is still heaps of work needed, but the topic will be put forward at the next council meeting. ==========================...

Here is what is making news for May 13, 2026.===================================As cost-of-living pressures continue to impact households, Barwon Water is beginning a major consultation process regarding future water prices and service standards. ======================================================================With the fire season now behind us, emergency services are urging Colac Otway...

Here is what is making news for May 12, 2026.=================================A sixty-year-old Camperdown man has been refused bail after allegedly holding a woman captive at gunpoint for several days. The court heard the New South Wales woman managed to escape on May seventh by convincing her captor she needed to take her pet bird to a vet. She was later found in the central business district by...

Here is what is making news for May 11, 2026.=================================Ahead of the federal budget's release tomorrow Member for Wannon Dan Tehan says early forecasts don't look good for those across the South West. Mr Tehan says he will watch eagerly, especially looking towards negative gearing capital gains tax concessions. =================================================================...

Here is what is making news for May 08, 2026.=====================================A truck rollover has delayed operations Geelong bound between Birregurra and Winchelsea on the Princes Highway for more than 15 hours little-to-no alerts or information provided from the Department of Transport. Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan says locals deserve better than having one of the countries largest ar...

Here is what is making news for May 07, 2026.===================================RoadSafe Otway is hosting Safe Plate Day this Mother's Day at Bunnings Colac. RoadSafe Otway's Matt Daniels says locals can get free anti-theft number plate screws fitted from 10 am. ======================================================================Surf Coast residents in Deans Marsh, Winchelsea, and Lorne are bein...

Here is what is making news for May 06, 2026.===================================Following the summer fires across the Otways and Skipton regions, health professionals are reminding emergency service volunteers about the long term mental health impacts being a first responder might cause. Emergency Services Lived Experiences Lead Dr Tara Lal says its becoming increasingly important that smaller rem...

Here is what is making news for May 05, 2026.==================================A three vehicle collision yesterday left parts of the Great Ocean Road between Lavers Hill and Princetown closed in both directions. A blue Hyundai hatch collided head on with the minibus in Gellibrand Lower just before 12pm yesterday. ====================================================================Results are in fr...

May the Fourth be with you.====================================================Colac residents have another chance to turn recycling into serious cash with the Win A Million Cents competition returning tomorrow. Every fifty containers returned earns you an entry to win ten-thousand dollars. With sixteen million containers already recycled in the Colac Otway region, the next big winner could be loc...

Here is what is making news for April 30, 2026.==================================Local fishing clubs are set for a major boost. The Colac Anglers Club and the Otway Regional Sports Fishing Club have both grants in V-F-A funding for equipment and facility upgrades. ====================================================================Corangamite Shire is taking a major step toward future-proofing ear...

Here is what is making news for April 29, 2026.===============================Shadow Minister for Public Transport Matthew Guy was at the Colac Train Station yesterday joined by local Members Richard Riordan and Roma Britnell to speak about the issues the Warrnambool line trains are currently facing. Mr Guy says there are multiple short, mid and long term fixes to combat overcrowding and booking i...

Here is what is making news for April 28, 2026.==================================Heading into the winter months Barwon Water's Geelong levels sit just under where they were this time last year despite local storages in a much better position. This time last year Geelong water levels sat at 39 per cent, with the current levels sitting at under 37 percent. Currently Colac is more than 10 per cent be...