West Gippsland Week

Australia is the world leader in skin cancer, and access to early detection is vital in avoiding the worst outcomes. But rural areas, which have a large proportion of potential victims, often lack people who can diagnose lesions. A project to traing nurses to do the job has shown considerable success.

Parkinson's Disease is at least familiar to some extent, but not all tremor is as a result of Parkinson's. This little understood phenomena is explored with the CEO of a new support group.

Circus has been developing art form in recent decades, as has indigenous dance. An indigenous circus is now touring Australia bringing a new story and new techniques to the storytelling.

What are Battery Energy Storage Systems and why are they being placed in some rural areas? Are there real risks or is there misinformation being circulated raising a NIMBY response? We explore the facts with a retired electrical engineer and a proponent.

Apprenticeship has been an important way for young australians to obtain skills and enter the workforce. This has been expanded from traditional trades to other skills through "traineeships", many of which applied to jobs that are dominated by women. But recent regressive changes have excluded some of those jobs.

Local brass bands have a very long history in Australia following the English tradition. They have provided the chance for people of all ages to participate in music and here we discover the story of three generations of one family that have been involved in this particular band, and the benefits for those involved.

We create an environment which our birds have to adapt to. In this study, the way the birds interact with our rubbish (positive and negative) is discussed.

Several ideas have been proposed to stop our wildlife being slaughtered on our roads, but few have been properly tested. One proper study has tested the effectiveness of "virtual fencing" with negative results. It is explained and some alternatives are discussed.

"Legacy" media is under pressure around the world, and very much so in rural areas where low populations mean that small shifts in audiences can have a major impact.

The Indigenous Business Authority works to encourage and develop indigenous business as an important way to improve the economic position of the community.

Homelessness is a rising problem across our community, often seen as a city issue but increasing seen in rural areas. here a local service discusses the issue in the context of a "sleepout" being organised to highlight the issue.

Many jurisdictions have moved to ban or otherwise reduce the short term holiday rental market in the hope that it will improve the availability of long term housing. The actual evidence does not support the idea.

A regular annoyance for shoppers is the much used option of adding a surcharge at the till when we use a card. The Reserve Bank of Australia has proposed that this practice be banned, but small business fears it will hurt them without putting pressure on the banks.

It is suggested that because illegal tobacco sales have increased resulting in less tax income, we should lower those taxes. The Australian Medical Association argues that we shouldn't give up on one of the most effective means to reduce smoking.

In 2025 an international conference was called to negotiate a treaty to limit plastic pollution, which is growing at a terrible rate around the world, and appearing in the most remote places. It failed. This episode discusses what happens with a participant from the Australian Beverage Council.

the RSPCA has reported an increase in pet cruelty reports and surrenders of animals, increasing their workload in a worrying way.

Some time after the revelations of the Royal Commission into disability, recommendations are still not producing results.

President of the College of Rural and Remote Medicine talks about the work they are doing to involve more indigenous people as doctors.

Outcomes for stroke victims depends on quick identification and treatment. Ambulance victoria has introduced specialist vehicles and treatment options.

This is film that allows survivors of abuse the chance to share the experience and seek our understanding

After some success with the use of calici virus to control rabbits, they are making a comeback. This explores the situation.

We catch up with the latest in State politics. August edition.

Australian Banks charge business that uses electronic payment services and currently thos businesses can pass on that charge direct to customers. The Reserve Bank is considering banning that practice, so what would that mean for us and small businesses?

With the many improvements for women in the workforce generally, there is still only slow improvements in numbers. Here we explore why.

Bees are vital for our environment, and the Latrobe Valley Bee Keepers encourage and support amateur beekeepers.