Wellington Shire Council at last Tuesday’s ordinary meeting shared their response to the fire at the old Sale police station...

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The genetically distinct Strzelecki stock make up about 0.3 percent of the species in Victoria and South Australia.

By KATRINA BRANDON   FIRE danger saw the closure of Rawson Primary School earlier this month. Due to hot, dry conditions, the school closed on Wednesday, February 4 as a precaution, and implemented learn-from-home to ensure the safety of students, staff, and families. The school posted on its Facebook the night before to alert parents of the changes. “Due to the elevated Fire Danger Rating, our school will be closed tomorrow to ensure the safety of our students, staff, families and the community,” the post read. “No staff, students, contractors or visitors are permitted on site tomorrow. Students will be learning from home, with learning materials sent home this afternoon. “Families are encouraged to enact their own bushfire plan if needed.” While Rawson Primary School was unable to provide a comment to the Express, the Department of Education stated that schools identified as being in bushfire risk zones must take the safest possible action to protect students. “The safety of students and staff is always our highest priority, particularly on days of elevated fire danger, when the safest action in identified areas of extreme risk is to leave the area and leave early,” a department spokesperson told the Express. “Schools and early childhood services on the department’s bushfire-at-risk register were supported to enact their emergency management plans on Wednesday, which included some temporary relocations with education provided at another school. “We thank school staff and leaders for their work in minimising disruption to learning for students in these areas.” Yinnar South Primary School is also on the register and was advised to relocate for the day. Rawson Primary School later published (on Monday, February 9) the following in its school newsletter: “It has been a wonderful start to the 2026 school year at Rawson Primary School, despite a brief interruption due to an Extreme Fire Danger Day,” it said in the principal’s letter. “Our new junior students have settled in beautifully, quickly adjusting to school life and becoming familiar with new routines and structures. It has been a joy to see their confidence grow already.” In the new school year, Rawson Primary School has welcomed five new preps, which is the largest group since 2022, and now it is the largest per cent of students in the school. All five students are the oldest in their families, bringing in the next generation to Rawson. Principal Tristan Mether told the Express, “We are looking forward to watching them (students) and their learning grow in 2026, and we are excited to be taking them on some excursions later in the year, to the West Gippsland Art Centre to see Where Is The Green Sheep, and Room on the Broom.”

"This is part of the fabric of our community. We’re not just financially invested here in the Bass Coast, we're emotionally invested."

  LOCAL firefighter Gavin Parker was one of five CFA volunteers honoured with an Australian Fire Services Medal this Australia Day. Mr Parker led a crew to fight the Churchill fire, operating under extreme conditions to successfully defend a critical communications tower, during Black Saturday. In the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, he played a key role in managing complex peat fires, applying his deep tactical expertise to coordinate safe and effective multi-agency responses. He began his service with CFA as a volunteer at Neerim South Fire Brigade in 1976. Mr Parker became a career firefighter with CFA in 1995, and following the transition of career firefighters to Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) in 2020, he has continued to serve CFA in Gippsland on secondment from FRV. Over the course of almost five decades, Mr Parker has served in a wide range of frontline and leadership roles across Victoria, particularly in the Latrobe Valley and throughout CFA’s South East Region. He has held positions including senior station officer and currently serves as a commander, leading emergency operations in one of the state’s most complex and high-risk regions. “I’m still a member of Neerim South brigade and proud to be a life member,” Mr Parker said. “I’m still passionate about the brigade and attend as much as I can – though not as much as I’d like to.” Mr Parker joined the brigade at a young age because his father was the captain. “I really enjoy my time with my local brigade,” he added. “CFA is a good family organisation, with generations of families involved. A brigade is a great place for people to come together. “What is especially important about brigades is that they mirror the community they serve, comprising a range of people with different views and experiences.” Mr Parker is a highly experienced and credentialed emergency services professional, holding formal qualifications across a broad spectrum of incident management roles. Primary qualifications include; Operations Officer Level 3, certified as a Rostered Duty Officer, Regional Agency Commander, Planning Officer Levels 2 and 3, Division Commander, Sector Commander, Incident Controller Level 2, Logistics Officer Level 3 and Strike Team Leader. These qualifications reflect his extensive operational expertise and his capacity to lead and support complex emergency incidents across multiple levels of command and coordination. “I’m really grateful to have been given so many opportunities. This is a real strength of CFA. Whether you are operational or in a support role, CFA gives members opportunities to develop,” Mr Parker said. “I’ve embraced those opportunities and taken on some interesting tasks that have pushed me out of my comfort zone. “It’s worth being flexible in CFA, and this has allowed me to take on a range of roles in incident response.” Mr Parker has demonstrated exceptional skill and resilience in numerous emergency incidents. He has even been involved in deployment to fight fires over in California in 2017. Beyond his operational leadership, he will leave a legacy of innovation. Instrumental in introducing thermal imaging cameras (TICs) to CFA, Mr Parker is recognised as the organisation’s subject matter expert. He also developed and delivered structured TIC training drills that significantly enhanced firefighter safety and operational capability. Mr Parker’s training methodology was internationally recognised and published in both Australian and international fire magazines.

By PEACE IJIYERA   RESPECTED educator and librarian, Ruth Ure died last month. Ms Ure was well known around the Latrobe Valley for her dedication to teaching at Albert Street Primary School and Elizabeth Street Primary School Moe, as well as her commitment to the church and community. Ms Ure lived a “happy and full” 93 years of life, and leaves behind four children, 11 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Her funeral was held Tuesday, February 3 at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Moe. Ms Ure was born on February 25, 1932 in Rochester Victoria and grew up on a farm. She loved animals, orchids, swimming, board games, church, musical entertainment and dancing. Her father reading Charles Dickens to her and her siblings, inspired her love of reading. Leaving school in 1948 at age 16, Ms Ure acquired a role as a student teacher. In 1950, she began her studies at Bendigo Teachers College. It was during this time that she met her husband George Ure. In 1951, Ms Ure landed her first teaching position in Nhill before getting a transfer to Corryong, closer to her husband to be. The couple got married on September 5, 1953 and made their first home in Nariel. At this time, Ms Ure’s teaching career was put on hold, due to department regulations regarding married women. Moving to Henty, New South Wales, the couple had their first two children. In 1956, the couple moved to Moe and made it their home for more than 60 years. In 1965, Ms Ure returned to teaching and took a position at Albert St as a teachers librarian in 1968. She held that position until 1983 before transferring to Elizabeth St where she worked as a librarian. In the 70’s, Ms Ure went back to study and obtained a librarianship diploma. Described as a “dedicated teacher” who “loved working in the library”, Ms Ure’s love for education and seeing children thrive at school was highlighted through the tributes left online. Commenters reminisced on their fond memories of Ms Ure, thanking her for her encouragement and support in teaching children how to read and value books. Other comments left read, “When you still fondly remember your library teacher from over 50 years ago, it shows how special they were. Lovely lady.” “Ruth was a happy, dedicated teacher who enjoyed her teaching especially when she worked in the school library”. “Sincere condolences to Ruth’s family on her passing. I have very fond memories of days long ago when we were both at Elizabeth Street Primary School. She was always a positive, kind and caring teacher and friendly, supportive colleague”. As her daughter said, teaching was Ms Ure’s “only professional ambition”. A creative, Ms Ure always looked forward to book week and creating elaborate costumes. In retiring, Ms Ure received recognition from the Education Department for 35 years of dedication to teaching and education. Beyond teaching, libraries and books, Ms Ure enjoyed gardening and travelling. She visited countries including Egypt, Europe, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK, as well as exploring Australia. Camping at Mallacoota was one of her favourite spots and the pyramids of Egypt remained a highlight. Ms Ure was very family-oriented and worked hard to preserve relations between all her extended family. “She was enormously thankful for her life and for the richness that others brought to her,” her daughter said. Touching the lives of children, families and the wider community, Ms Ure is being remembered as a “woman of strength”. A lady that was dedicated to her profession, a lady that loved people, and had the ability to make even strangers feel seen through authentic and valuable connections.

Mental health care in Australia is facing a critical crisis, marked by declining inpatient capacity, escalating demand, and widening gaps in community-based services. The absence of a strong, public-facing voice for psychiatry has contributed to poor community literacy and policy inertia. Mental health care delivery is in a perilous state throughout Australia. The number of …

Institutional child sexual abuse has come to public attention in recent decades due to persistent advocacy by victim/survivors and their supporters. D…

A new study of nearly 40,000 family violence reports shows more than 99% of people with risk factors for killing a family member don’t go on to do so.

Inequality creates insecurity and, as the United States is demonstrating right now, that insecurity can have devasting consequences for democracy. On this episode of Follow the Money, Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz joins Ebony Bennett and Dr Richard Denniss to discuss why Australia should get a better return for its natural resources, the power of corporations to mark up prices and push down wages, and why democracies should collect more corporate tax. This episode was recorded live on Wednesday 11 February 2026. What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty by Kumi Naidoo (https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4)  is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping. You can also subscribe to the Vantage Point series (https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription) to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world. Guest: Joseph E Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate economist and Professor, Columbia University // @josephestiglitz (https://bsky.app/profile/josephestiglitz.bsky.social) Guest: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss (https://bsky.app/profile/richarddenniss.bsky.social) Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett (https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social) Show notes: The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future (https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-price-of-inequality-9780718197384) by Joseph E Stiglitz (June 2013) Australia’s great gas giveaway: how Australia gives gas to multinational corporations for free (https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/australias-great-gas-giveaway/) by Mark Ogge, Rod Campbell and Piers Verstegan, the Australia Institute (May 2024) The capital gains discount and negative gearing benefit the rich and destroy housing affordability (https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-capital-gains-discount-and-negative-gearing-benefit-the-rich-and-destroy-housing-affordability/) by Jack Thrower, the Australia Institute (February 2025) Trump’s Big Bill makes America more dangerous while enriching a few (https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/trumps-big-bill-makes-america-more-dangerous-while-enriching-a-few/) , After America, the Australia Institute (July 2025) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

By KATRINA BRANDON   BIZARRE events are happening at the Moe Memorial Park Cemetery. Vandalism has occurred, but it isn’t your everyday type of damage. On January 24, around 9am, an unknown person entered the cemetery with a chainsaw, causing significant damage to 23 trees. What makes the event so strange is that only a certain type of tree was cut. All the natives were left unattended. The trees run along the 180 metre northern fence alongside the bottom of the cemetery property. Trust committee member of the cemetery, John Worters, notified police once he became aware of the issue. Talking to neighbours along the fence line, he said they thought it was just a volunteer doing some work when they heard the chainsaw in action. Information wanted: Trees alongside the fence line at the Moe Memorial Park Cemetery have been slashed by an unknown person, according to cemetery volunteers. The damaged trees are Pittosporums, which, if cut back, don’t often regrow, so the cemetery volunteers had to prune the damaged branches back to the trunk. Two of the damaged trees will have to be replaced. According to one of the neighbours, some of the vandalism took place on the evening of Friday, January 23 around 8.30pm, and more the following morning. Following the event, the cemetery shed was also allegedly broken into overnight on Monday, February 2. Fuel was taken from the shed. This is the second time the shed has been raided, and the door now needs fixing. In light of the events, Mr Worters urges anyone with further information about the tree vandalism to contact local police.

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By KATRINA BRANDON   DONATIONS have opened up opportunities at Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH) thanks to Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ. Delivering a prostate cancer clinical trial to the region, the charity aims to support new ways of treating prostate cancer that are less invasive, and bring awareness and support for ongoing research in prostate cancer. “We’ve raised in excess of a million dollars over about a decade,” Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ Chair, Ian Nethercote, told the Express. “Over that time, we have contributed to all sorts of things – things like awareness campaigns through advertising on the back of buses, pamphlets, support groups, barbecue groups and more. “We have also been involved in a lot of different research activities, looking at why the incidence of prostate cancer in regional areas, particularly in Latrobe Valley and Gippsland, is higher than anywhere else.” Mr Nethercote said that the charity has funded research investigating blood markers and other factors to identify the cancer type to help determine the best course of treatment. Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ has been working with hospitals such as the Alfred and LRH to get clinical trials in the area. Late general manager of the Latrobe Valley Express, Bruce Ellen, was chair of Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ for many years. More recently, funding from Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ has helped bring novel prostate cancer clinical trials and radiation therapy techniques to the region, giving local men access to cutting-edge treatment closer to home. The community-driven fundraiser is supporting doctors such as Dr Therese Kang, a part-time Radiation Oncologist and a Prostate Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) fellow at LRH and the Alfred Hospital. Through their support, Dr Kang’s clinical research fellowship – supervised by Professor Ong, an internationally recognised Radiation Oncologist in prostate cancer based at the Alfred and LRH – is enabling advanced radiation treatment and prostate cancer research to be delivered locally. “For patients in regional areas, one of the biggest challenges is access to novel clinical trials. Thanks to support from Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ support, we’ve been able to introduce prostate SABR and bring innovative prostate SABR trials to the Gippsland region, so that men with prostate cancer in the region have easier access to novel treatments,” Prof. Ong explained. “Prostate SABR involves the delivery of a highly focused ablative dose of radiation to the prostate, while minimising radiation to surrounding healthy tissues. As part of my fellowship, we have introduced a five-session prostate SABR at LRH as a standard treatment option for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. This significantly reduces the treatment burden compared with traditional radiotherapy, which historically requires daily sessions over four to eight weeks. “For patients and their families, this means fewer trips away from home and less disruption to work and daily life. Importantly, LRH is the first public regional centre in Victoria to offer prostate SABR treatment – a milestone made possible through Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ support. “Additionally, we have recently opened a new clinical trial at LRH, offering prostate SABR to patients who have had previous prostate radiotherapy and now have recurrent cancer confined to the prostate.” In the past, these patients would have been deemed incurable and have limited or no other treatments available to them. This trial is co-led by Dr Kang and Prof Ong. On February 6, Bairnsdale man, Gerrit Van Rijswijk, completed his five-session prostate SABR treatment in the clinical trial. Gerrit is the first patient at LRH enrolled in this clinical trial. Gerrit was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015 through a routine blood test, after which he undertook eight weeks of radiotherapy at LRH. Gerrit’s follow-up blood tests showed the prostate cancer was under control for many years until 2022, when the PSA blood tests suggested it had reoccurred. After further investigations, including scans and biopsy, the cancer recurrence was confirmed to be confined to the prostate. “In Gerrit’s case, the cancer is still localised to the prostate, and prostate SABR allows us to give more concentrated doses of radiotherapy to the prostate, which in the past was not possible,” Prof Ong said. “We will keep following Gerrit’s progress upon completion of treatment with regular blood tests and scans as required.” Given that the trial is now open in Gippsland, Gerrit said he was happy it was so close to home, and felt much more comfortable getting treatment at LRH, instead of having to travel to Melbourne. Latrobe’s Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ holds an annual event and many smaller fundraisers throughout the year to raise awareness of prostate cancer causes and treatment options. While they understand that there isn’t one size fits all for cancers, they hope to advance research to help fight them and catch them early.

There were 7,520 people in Gippsland looking for social or low-income units in 2025.

INCLUDE more. Connect more. Involve more. It’s more than just a motto created by the new leadership team at Sale...