Power plays
Feb 28, 2025 - So you think power lines for offshore wind are ugly? Look around you, suggests Christopher Eastman-Nagle. |
Swimming against the tide
Feb 27, 2025 - There may be lessons for Bass Coast in another small coastal town’s attempts to halt coastal erosion. |
Living lightly
Feb 28, 2025 - From home battery storage to preserving, council workshops aim to help residents live more sustainably. |
No go for sand company
Feb 20, 2025 - Council rejects plans to widen Stanley Road in Grantville for sand trucks to service a new quarry. |
Russ stands his ground
Feb 1, 2025 - You wouldn’t pick Russ Williams for a typical greenie but he’s ready to defend his patch of bush. 
The mangrove challenge continues
Jan 10, 2025 - Neil Daly asks whether it’s time to give up the dream of using mangroves to arrest coastal erosion along the eastern arm of Western Port. 
‘This is an emergency’
Dec 12, 2024 - “LIKE the residents in a valley watching a bushfire approaching …” Cr Tim O’Brien presses for urgent action at Inverloch and Silverleaves beaches. |
This film is dedicated to the hundreds of firefighters who worked so hard over many days to save homes, woodland and wildlife.
Leave our trees alone!
Dec 12, 2024 - A classic David & Goliath story … residents of a quiet bushland enclave versus a multinational giant. By Jan Grimes 
The inspiration of birds
Dec 9, 2024 - “Every fledgling is like gold …” Bass Coast’s chief hoodie Stephen Johnson explains what keeps him going. |
Time for action
Nov 16, 2024 - Finally we have a pathway to address Inverloch beach erosion, writes Ed Thexton. Now it’s time for action – and quickly. 
The koala crew
Nov 15, 2024 - The once common koala appears to be hurtling towards extinction in the wild. Kelly Smith and helpers are working to stop that happening. |
The back tracks
Nov 16, 2024 - Dick Wettenhall’s new guide book takes visitors to the Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve off the beaten track to discover different worlds of nature’s creations. 
Across the waters
Nov 15, 2024 - From both sides of Western Port, they gathered as one community, writes Laura Brearley. |
Breakthrough in woodlands campaign
Oct 15, 2024 - Bass Coast’s woodlands will no longer be considered a priority sand mining area for the state. 
In plain view
Oct 12, 2024 - Our new rural tourism strategy threatens the very landscape that brings tourists to Phillip Island, writes Linda Cuttriss. 
Trees that please
Aug 15, 2024 - What’s your favourite local tree: perhaps the Townsend Bluff eucalypt, climbed and loved by many, or the extraordinary Churchill Island moonahs? 
Planting into Life
In years to come Inverloch students will remember the day they planted trees on the oval. Ed Thexton reports 
Our war on pitto
July 11, 2024 - This enemy overpowers everything in its way, but Jon Temby is equally pitiless. And the tide is turning. 
Enviro fund set to launch
June 15, 2024 - Council goes into the property business – but not to make a profit. 
Developer tries again
June 15, 2024 - $54 million plan for Mahers Landing gets a bad rap. 
Our little battler
June 15, 2024 - The survival of the koala in Gippsland is a modern-day miracle but now, more than ever, they need our help, writes Ed Thexton 
Penguin chicks come through
June 3, 2024 - Phillip Island’s little penguin population has survived a strong El Nino event, with a higher than expected number of fledgling chicks this breeding season. 
What remains
May 16, 2024 - The eroded vegetated dunes of Inverloch hold more than most of us could imagine, writes Ed Thexton 
Cemetery clearing backlash
April 17, 2024 - Local naturalists were concerned when they heard an excavator within the hallowed grounds of the Tarwin Lower Cemetery. 
The laggard
April 17, 2024 - For every farmer working to retain native vegetation, there are neighbours who continue to clear it, because that’s what Dad did. Ed Thexton reports. 
Get used to it
March 22, 2024 - As climate change accelerates, Helen Zervopoulos says it’s time to stop the blame game and get ready. 
Back from the brink
March 22, 2024 - The astounding recovery of Eastern Barred Bandicoots highlights the potential of the former Holden Proving Ground as a predator-proof sanctuary for threatened species. 
Relief for Ruttle Estate residents
March 23, 2024 - Residents chalk up second victory in their battle to preserve the wetland reserve. 
The thin green line
March 22, 2024 - Ed Thexton visits the Corinella Foreshore and finds the locals have achieved something remarkable. 
Flood risk sinks Silverleaves house plan
March 23, 2024 - Should landowners be allowed to build on a site that’s likely to be swamped by rising sea waters? |
Art, the environment and a good glass of wine
Oct 13, 2024 - His name was Warren Thompson and he had big plans. Janice Orchard was part of them. 
Rich pickings in proving ground
Oct 14, 2024 - The largest stand of critically endangered Strzelecki Gums in existence has been found at the former Holden Proving Ground, confirming its status as a biodiversity hotspot. 
Nature notes
Oct 16, 2024 – An encounter with a sick fox raises troubling questions for Catherine Watson. 
A little thing called Tryssglobulus
July 9, 2024 - Only two specimens have ever been collected and one of them was found in the Western Port Woodlands. Ian Pascoe tells the tale of his favourite fungus. 
Why the secrecy?
June 14, 2024 - Sand miners ride roughshod over our community with mining regulator’s acquiescence, writes Neil Rankine 
Our woodlands, frame by frame
June 15, 2024 - Artists respond to exhibition challenge. 
Don’t mess with my miniature creatures
May 10, 2024 - Tiny insects, bacteria and fungi keep our forests functioning, writes Dick Wettenhall in an extract from his guide book to the hidden world of the Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve. 
Parrot puzzle
May 15, 2024 - The discovery of a rarely seen Eastern Ground Parrot in Inverloch has local birdwatchers wondering if there might be others around. Dallas Wyatt reports. 
Silver lining for little old penguin
April 3, 2024 - One of the oldest penguins ever seen at the Phillip Island mega-colony has returned to sea after five weeks of intensive rehab. 
Greg Johnson Q&A
April 18, 2024 - The newly elected president of the Phillip Island Conservation Society learned activism from some of the best. 
Nirvana Park
April 19, 2024 - Ivee Strazzabosco created a magnificent garden, but nature always wins in the end. By Catherine Watson 
Western Port plan in limbo
April 14, 2024 - The grand plan to protect Western Port is drifting with the four bayside councils losing focus, writes Neil Daly. 
Lights out for shearwaters
April 12, 2024 - Phillip Island residents and business are being asked to dim the lights to protect short-tailed shearwater chicks on the first leg of their first migration to the northern hemisphere. 
The power trip continues
March 22, 2024 - The lights stayed on during our recent prolonger power outage, reports Werner Theinert. 
The woman with the x-ray eyes
Feb 23, 2024 - Melissa Lowery sees things that no one else does. And she’s transformed our knowledge of the dinosaurs that once roamed Bass Coast. |
Art of the woodlands
March 23, 2024 - Prize money of $2500 is up for grabs in an art exhibition celebrating the Western Port Woodlands. 
Council turnaround boosts Cape campaign
Feb 21, 2024 - Community cautiously optimistic that with strong council support it will finally win a decade-long battle to stop a massive expansion of the township. 
There goes the neighbourhood
Feb 24, 2024 - It’s only just gone out for public consultation but Bass Coast’s housing strategy is already having an impact. 
Farmer fined for illegal land clearing
Feb 12 2024 - Conservationists slam “paltry fine” for Inverloch man who cleared 31 mature trees from his farm. |
Across the Narrows
Feb 20, 2024 - Time and tide wait for no man and nowhere is the saying more apt than in the narrow channel between San Remo and Phillip Island, writes Linda Cuttriss 
Holden plan wins support
Jan 25, 2024 - Entrepreneur joins forces with conservationists on Holden Proving Ground. 
The views have it
Jan 24, 2024 - Corinella homeowners have won the right to a sea view, with the long awaited landscape plan. Debate remains whether that's a victory for common sense or environmental vandalism. John Lippmann and Jenny Date put the case for and against. |
VCAT to rule on Ruttle wetlands
Jan 22, 2024 - Cait McMahon urges council to hold the line on developers’ open space contributions. 
Shootout at the RK Homestead
Jan 22, 2024 - You might think they’re cute. Ron Kousal begs to differ. |
The great ships of Phillip Island Millowl
Jan 19, 2024 - As the Phillip Island Conservation Society marks its first 55 years, Christine Grayden ponders how members have kept up the good fight for decades without wavering. 
Not a murder, just an unkindness
Jan 25, 2024 - A mass gathering of ravens at The Oaks intrigues Ed Thexton. |
What price clean energy?
Dec 11, 2023 - Western Port is under threat once more, this time from a proposed offshore wind terminal at Hastings. Neil Daly reports. 
When worlds collide
Nov 13, 2023 - For the first time in their existence, the Swamp Skinks of Inverloch are experiencing humans in their habitat. Brendan Casey fears it won’t end well. 
Action stations on climate
Nov 9, 2023 - Councils unite to help communities build resilience and prepare for future impacts. 
The call of nature
Oct 20, 2023 - We call them nature strips but only a few of them deserve that title. Catherine Watson surveys the good, the bad and the ugly. |
Lucky Laribee
Oct 17, 2023 - The story starts in July with a very sick wombat. That’s when a dedicated team stepped in. 
Bird bonanza
Oct 16, 2023 - The shearwaters are home from Alaska and Phillip Island is alive with birds. Lisa Gilbert rounds up all the action. 
Who, me?
Oct 13, 2023 - “Some people call me adorable. Others call me a murderer.” Harry Hyper Highpurr purrs his heart out to Matt Stone 
The mangrove challenge
Sept 21, 2023 - Grand plans for blue carbon sinks in Western Port need to tackle the low success rate of mangrove planting, writes Neil Daly. |
Return of El Niño bodes ill for Inverloch beach
Sept 21, 2023 - It feels like the death of an old friend, writes Philip Heath, as one of the last old banksias at Flat Rocks succumbs to the retreating coastline. 
VCAT rejects Harmers subdivision
Sept 21, 2023 - Fragmentation of the continuous vegetation adjoining next to coastal reserve deemed unacceptable. John Old reports 
RACV $13.6m resort plans approved … with caveat
Aug 17, 2023 - Councillors call for government guidance on how to handle coastal development in an age of climate change. |
Moments of inspiration
Aug 17, 2023 - Holding wonder and grief together is the work of our time, writes Laura Brearley, of a new exhibition featuring works inspired by Bass Coast’s massive eco arts project. 
Mangrove research bolstered
August 11, 2023 - The State Government is investing $1.2 million into improving mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh habitats in Western Port. 
The battle for Western Port
Sept 21, 2023 - Successive threats to Western Port have been stopped only by massive public opposition, writes Neil Daly. 
Back to the future
Aug 17, 2023 - Wonthaggi’s State Coal Mine was once the engine room of Victoria’s economy. Linda Cuttriss envisages a future where history, community, energy and creativity come together. |
Albert Ruttle wetlands safe … for now
Aug 17, 2023 - Residents of the Inverloch estate are waiting for the next move in the long-running battle for their wetlands. 
Thumbs down for ‘eco-retreat’
Aug 17, 2023 - Proposed ‘eco-retreat' Kitty Miller Bay rejected by council. 
Roaming cats not welcome here
Aug 16, 2023 - The juxtaposition of Picasso’s high art and cat crap got Ed Thexton thinking about the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Felis catus. 
Penguin peek for locals
Aug 16, 2023 - Bass Coast residents can watch the Penguin Parade at no charge as part of an open day next month. 
Beyond the VCAT experience
July 21, 2023 - The Summerland Estate buyback was about protecting public interest against private encroachment, writes Ken Blackman, and that's relevant to the Glade. |
Caring for Country, Inverloch style
Aug 15, 2023 - Smoke from Aunty Sonia Weston’s welcome fire swirled around those converging for the Caring for Country celebration, writes Sally McNiece. 
Mangrove research bolstered
August 11, 2023 - The State Government will invest $1.2 million into improving mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh habitats in Western Port. 
The cars that ate Phillip Island
July 21, 2023 - We’re doing it for ourselves with community energy; now let’s turn our attention to community transport. Christine Grayden lays down her blueprint. 
Silverleaves homes at risk
July 18, 2023 - Works will begin to stabilise the beach after winter storm surges eroded dunes and left houses at risk of inundation. |
Paul's patch
May 17, 2023 - “I can’t save the world … but I can make a difference locally,“ Paul Speirs told Gill Heal. 
The power trip continues
May 17, 2023 - The renewable energy revolution is taking place somewhere near you, writes Werner Theinert. 
Mission Crimson Berry
May 17, 2023 - A team of ecological crusaders salvages critically endangered plants from Wilsons Prom to help regenerate the species on Phillip Island. 
Trees versus views
April 22, 2023 - Like all civil wars, the battle over the Corinella foreshore reserve is complicated and goes back several generations. Catherine Watson reports from the frontline. 
Frog find puts woodlands on map
Discovery of endangered southern toadlets at multiple sites reinforces calls for protection of Western Port Woodlands. |
Sustainability central
The sleepy village of Bass will be a hive of activity on Sunday as the crowds descend for this year’s Bass Coast Sustainability Festival. 
One DAL down, one more to go
May 17, 2023 - Bass Coast’s future will be determined by the DAL process, writes Neil Daly. Now it’s time for the other shires around Western Port to get the same treatment. 
The art of uncertainty
May 17, 2023 - This year’s Winter Solstice exhibition at ArtSpace Wonthaggi asks artists to respond to the theme of climate change . 
This one’s for Nature!
May 17, 2023 - Having worked in concrete for most of his career, artist Phil Henshall calls time on sand mining in woodlands. 
Enjoying the ride
April 22, 2023 - Eight months in, EV driver Michael Nugent couldn't be happier, except … 
Nature’s cure
April 13, 2023 - An old Post story on Henry’s Creek Sanctuary inspires Margie Matheson to dream big. |
On a wing and a prayer
April 19, 2023 - After 10 anxious weeks of looking after eggs and chicks, the adult hooded plovers are exhausted, writes David Hartney. And the hoodie volunteers aren’t far behind. 
Rare frog could make a big splash
March 24, 2023 - The rare southern toadlet was recorded near the Holden Proving Grounds in 2005. 
Every seal counts
March 22, 2023 - On International Seal Day, a Phillip Island Nature Parks researcher is appealing to local fishers not to discard fishing line. 
Adventures at VCAT
After a week spent binge-watching a pivotal case, Ed Thexton concludes that between the theatre and the tedium, a clash of world views is reduced to trivialities. 
Let’s get together
Jan 25, 2023 - Given the lack of political will to protect Western Port, Neil Daly proposes a citizens assembly with the results to be presented as a petition to Parliament. 
Operation Fairy Tern
Jan 27, 2023 - Three summers ago, 31 fairy tern pairs fledged 49 chicks on Churchill Island. Since then, not a single chick has survived. 
Away with the birds
Nov 8, 2022 - Microlight aviator Amellia Formby drops in to celebrate Western Port’s migratory shorebirds 
Hands off Western Port!
Oct 17, 2022 - In the past decade, more than 200 million has been spent on failed attempts to industrialise Western Port. A bold new plan aims to stop it happening again. 
What's a forest worth?
Oct 20, 2022 - Tim O’Brien questions the local environmental cost of Melbourne’s Big Build. 
Stark choices on coastal assets
Oct 19, 2022 - From Bass Coast to Bells Beach, coastal councils are struggling to respond to local flood risks and coastal erosion, writes Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan. 
Labor lags on woodland protection
Oct 11, 2022 - Four of the five confirmed parties fielding candidates in the Bass electorate have committed to significant action to protect the Western Port Woodlands 
For Our Future
Oct 19, 2022 - Expect the unexpected when the arts, science and culture come together in a new program celebrating Bass Coast places and people. Laura Brearley explains. 
Shearwaters are back on track
Oct 13, 2022 - Almost 1.5 million short-tailed shearwaters have arrived on Phillip island right on schedule. 
Forrest Caves and the passing of time
Sept 15, 2022 - Not even the rocks are permanent on this mysterious and constantly changing beach, writes Linda Cuttriss. 
The Mighty Ayr
Sept 22, 2022 - “Don’t sweat the small stuff” or “From small things big things grow”? Waist deep in his local creek, Ed Thexton ponders the contradiction as he does battle with a demon weed. 
Island powers on
Sept 14, 2022 - Phillip Island’s vision to become fully renewable by 2030 is a step closer, with plans approved for a big battery and a trial of community energy storage. 
Environmental love-in-action
August 18, 2022 - The Sybil Disobedients cross the bay to stand with the Western Port Woodlands. Laura Brearley reports 
My precious piece of Australia
Aug 17, 2022 - Richard Kemp is privileged to share his patch of paradise with creatures great and small. 
My EV journey continues
July 21, 2022 - Michael Nugent asks four local EV pioneers about their experience of owning – and driving – an electric vehicle. 
A power for good
June 30, 2022 - Wanted: 100 Phillip Island households to share renewable energy. Zoë Geyer explains the watts and volts of Bass Coast’s first neighbourhood battery tariff trial. 
Locked out
June 17, 2022 - It’s meant to be a conduit for the community to raise issues of concern, but a Grantville mining committee operates more like a secret society, writes Neil Rankine. 
Cycle of life
June 18, 2022 - A walk with Terri Allen is an education. The conversation roams from history to botany to bird watching but it might also cover drainage, swamps and local politics. 
Back to nature
June 4, 2022 - In the 1960s and 70s a dodgy developer sold 337 seaside blocks on Phillip Island, many to overseas buyers. The former housing estate is now a conservation success story. 
‘Resolve mining conflict first’
May 20, 2022 -Council challenges Government to fulfil its charter to protect environment and biodiversity. 
Shock on mine expansion
May 7, 2022 - Mayor says serious community and environmental concerns have been ignored. 
Harmers swamp 'under threat'
May 4, 2022 - Attempts to subdivide the swamp have been rebuffed for 70 years. John Old hopes the latest attempt will be treated the same way. 
What we’re learning from the woodlands
May 5, 2022 - The woodlands campaign is a living example of active hope, writes Laura Brearley. 
The ‘climate first’ election
April 21, 2022 -There was an overwhelming message at last weekend’s climate rally, reports Jessica Harrison 
Never mind the devastation; look at the vista
March 9, 2022 - There is nothing in the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes about how to protect our woodlands. There is, however, plenty about how to protect sand mining. Catherine Watson reports 
Back to nature
March 25, 2022 - Residents of our coastal hamlets value their connection to nature, writes Emily Clarke, so don’t try to turn them into suburbia. 
The good life reimagined
March 10, 2022 - In the midst of a climate emergency and housing crisis, Zoe Geyer imagines a sustainable tomorrow for her daughter. 
The next small thing
March 9, 2022 - Ed Thexton reports on the latest in nest box technology, including new methods to deter Indian mynas and other raiders. 
Detours ahead
Feb 23, 2022 - Dave Sutton calls for some fine tuning of the proposed inland pathway route between Inverloch and Wonthaggi to retain mature bushland, while Dave Drummond explains why a coastal route isn’t feasible. 
A recipe for fun
Feb 23, 2022 - Bass Valley Primary School students will be watching with interest to see how “their mangroves” perform over the coming years. Neil Daly was there to watch the muddy adventure. 
Where we belong
Feb 11, 2022 - Walking on the Corinella foreshore, Alison Normanton vows to do her bit to preserve it for future generations. 
It’s time we set the agenda
Jan 28, 2022 - If Western Port is to be saved, ‘the people’ have to set the agenda for the politicians to follow, writes Neil Daly. |
A chance encounter of the seedling kind
April 19, 2023 - Neil Daly discovers scientists – citizen and otherwise – are working towards the same end on the Queensferry foreshore. 
Time for a ceasefire
Feb 17, 2023 - Sally McNiece calls for a ceasefire from the chainsaw brigade while there’s still some remnant vegetation left to save. 
Further, wider, stronger
Feb 17, 2023 -Western Port and the hinterland are inextricably linked, writes Neil Daly 
A feast of good gardening
Jan 25, 2023 - Bass Coast gardeners show and tell all in the second Edible Gardens Weekend. 
Yes please, more trees
Jan 27, 2023 - Cowes and Inverloch are the standout towns for tree cover in Bass Coast and San Remo is the barest. 
Call of the wild
Dec 14, 2022 - Linda Cuttriss visits Scenic Estate Reserve and finds Nature has reclaimed it despite the best efforts of developers, boy racers, vandals and even conservationists. 
The Prom
Nov 28, 2022 - Lucinda Bain's prize winning essay celebrates the beauty of our world and our diminishing hope for the future. It ends on a hopeful, simple, profound fact. 
Man of the trees
Oct 17, 2022 - Sally McNiece goes bush with Ringo Gannon and learns that when it comes to significant trees size isn’t everything. 
Inverloch dune works preferred option
Nov 11, 2022 - Conservation Society supports sand dune renourishment ahead of rock walls, writes Philip Heath. 
On the koala trail
Nov 13, 2022 - Genetic analysis confirm koalas in the Western Port Woodlands are a rare remnant population. 
When knowledge is power
Oct 21, 2022 - Werner is explaining the miracle of heat pumps, striding the room like one of the old Energizer ads. Catherine Watson reports. 
Bandicoots’ wild anniversary
Oct 20, 2022 - Duncan Sutherland still has vivid memories of the night he and a team of rangers released 67 eastern barred bandicoots on Phillip Island. 
Paperbark town
Oct 20, 2022 - When the swamp paperbark is in bloom, the snapper are on the bite, writes Terri Allen. 
Power to the people
Oct 16, 2022 - From the Andes Mountains to the shores of Western Port, communities and the natural environment are under pressure from governments’ focus on the bottom line. Neil Daly reports. 
‘5000 trucks a day’ forecast
Sept 22, 2022 - Bass Coast communities to bear brunt of mining expansion for Melbourne’s Big Build. 
Caring for Western Port Country
Sept 21, 2022 - Governments and developers will have carte blanche on Western Port until we fix our “box mentality”. 
Harmers dustup
August 19, 2022 - Federal Labor MP Ged Kearney was once hailed as “swamp saviour Ged” for buying a swampy bit of land in Harmers Haven to save it from development. 
Tiny glider knocks ‘em for six
Sept 15, 2022 - Finding the world's smallest gliding mammal in The Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve was a dream come true for Dave Newman. 
Close to home
July 21, 2022 - Covid put a stop to Dave and Jackie Newman’s wildlife safaris around Australia and introduced them to the natural riches just down the road. 
In the mood for winter
July 20, 2022 - Winter has a bad reputation but Linda Cuttriss loves its many moods. 
On the koala trail
June 3, 2022 - Once koalas were hunted to the point of extinction. Catherine Watson joined a hunt for their survivors. 
Together we can
June 2, 2022 - When World Environment Day met Reconciliation Week … Laura Brearley celebrates the transformative power of collective action in Bass Coast. 
Leo’s climate action story
May 19, 2022 - Attending his first climate strike on Phillip Island, Leo Wood-Ingram realised he was part of something important. Photos by Laura Brearley and Terry Melvin 
Spotlight on Coronet Bay
May 20, 2022 - Discovery of five swamp antechinus heartens those working to improve biodiversity. 
How to talk to children about climate change
April 21, 2022 - Meg Humphry hopes her new book offers a gentle way into a very tough subject. 
Back to earth
April 22, 2022 - We all have a part to play in regenerating the planet we share, writes Christine Grayden, and Earth Month seems a good time to start. 
Let’s join the dots
April 20, 2022 - Treating Western Port and the region as an entity is the best way to resolve the issues that plague it, writes Neil Daly. 
Blue carbon skies ahead
March 8, 2022 – Restoring mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems in Western Port could play a major part in reducing carbon emissions. 
Crunch time for Inverloch
March 25, 2022 - The mapping is done and now it’s time to make some hard decisions on Inverloch’s eroding coastline. Catherine Watson reports 
Summer of strangeness
March 23, 2022 - Feral tomatoes, transgender nuts and ravenous birds … summer was full of surprises for local gardeners, reports John Coldebella 
Crunch time
March 9, 2022 - The old Mazda has served Michael Nugent well but he’s ready for the EV revolution. He invites us to join him on the journey. 
Sign of the times
March 9, 2022 - Clearing vegetation for the new Inverloch pathway reveals a sign erected by the council warning against the clearing of vegetation. 
Same old story
Feb 11, 2022 - When Frank Coldebella saw the front page headlines about a bike path in the Sentinel Times, he had a sense of deja vu. 
Big cat sighting adds to mystery
Feb 11, 2022 - The Grantville area has long been a hot spot for big cat sightings. Meryl Tobin reports 
A feast of garden ideas
Jan 28, 2022 - Bass Coast gardeners will show and tell all in the inaugural Edible Gardens Open Weekend. |
Jan 12, 2022 - More than 250 people braved strong easterly winds on the Inverloch surf beach on Wednesday to call for urgent action to save the disappearing sand dunes.
‘Time is running out’
Dec 15, 2021 - The next few months are critical in the fight to save the Inverloch surf beach, writes Philip Heath. 
The sea won’t wait
Nov 19, 2021 - There might not be much of Inverloch’s beach left to save by the time a coastal hazard assessment is completed, writes Cr Leticia Laing. 
Swan & Clarke - a visionary team
Dec 3, 2021 - A former cattle grazing property at Rhyll, now a wildlife haven, forever links two great conservationists, writes Neil Daly. 
The wonder of the woodlands
Nov 5, 2021 - Ed Thexton marvels that this remnant of a lost world has survived against the odds. 
Our guide to the future
Oct 22, 2021 - What will a house or farm of the future look like? This year’s Sustainability Festival sets out to answer the question. 
Of magic, mystery and monsters
Oct 7, 2021 - Linda Cuttriss joins a woodlands walk and finds a new kind of magic in the hills above Grantville and The Gurdies. 
Sifting the plans in play
Oct 7, 2021 – It’s time for a new strategic framework for Western Port and its region, writes Neil Daly. 
Have we got a deal for you!
Sept 24, 2021 - Like to buy an electric vehicle but deterred by the cost? Totally Renewable Phillip Island wants to hear from you, writes Zoe Geyer. 
Co-operate or perish!
Sept 24, 2021 - When our politicians fail us, writes David Arnault, it’s time to find our own allies. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak 
Road to the future
Sept 10, 2021 - A group of South Gippsland citizens are seeking a better way to live, for all in their community. David Arnault reports 
Test track back on the market
August 27, 2021 - The proposed resale of the Lang Lang Proving Grounds is a mixed blessing for a group campaigning to protect the region’s last significant forest. 
Caught in the slipstream
August 27, 2021 - The transition to the renewable economy will be as revolutionary as the move from horse and cart to the steam engine, writes Michael Whelan, but Australia is being left behind. 
How we see it
August 18, 2021 - Forty people on a mission to nail a vision of Bass Coast in 2041. Here’s what we came up with, writes Harry Freeman. Now tell us what you think. 
How much is a forest worth?
August 18, 2021 - Local film-makers Terry Melvin and Laura Brearley turn the camera on sand mining in Bass Coast’s last significant forest. 
Sand miners on notice
July 29, 2021 - Expert report raises alarm over toxic pollutants from sand mining in Grantville corridor entering Western Port. 
Will your feet be the end of me?
July 16, 2021 - When it comes to walking tracks, it's not all about us, writes Julie Thomas. 
Parks are for everyone
July 2, 2021 - People need to experience natural beauty before they will grow to love and protect it, writes Leticia Laing. 
The secret life of orchids
July 16, 2021 - Dick Wettenhall delves into the underworld of this miraculous plant (including sexual deception) and reveals the threat posed by sand mining to some of Victoria’s rarest orchid communities. 
Time to draw a line in the sand
June 18, 2021 - New mining projects in Bass Coast are a threat to Western Port’s precious wetlands, warns Professor Dick Wettenhall. 
Living with creeks
July 2, 2021 - Rivers and waterways are serious, writes Ed Thexton, but creeks are a different matter. 
Yes I’m a Nimby!
June 18, 2021 - What's the point of turning a sublime coastal walk into an industry, asks David Arnault. 
Mining opposition gathers force
June 4, 2021 - Hundreds sign petition calling for a moratorium on more sand mines in Bass Coast’s last coastal forest. 
‘Listen to the locals’
June 4, 2021 - Yallock-Bulluk coastal trail plan suffers from lack of local knowledge: Alliance 
Time for action now: students
Local students join national climate protest with a march through Wonthaggi CBD. 
The joy of gardens
May 21, 2021 - For young children, gardens are part adventure playground, part moving feast, writes John Coldebella. 
Try again on trail: planning expert
May 7, 2021 – Leaving Cape-Inverloch off the Yallock-Bulluk trail is a cop-out, writes Nicholas Low 
Songs of praise
May 7, 2021 - In Toe Pecker, Liz Low has found a friend who knows how to greet and farewell. 
Coastal track a planning poser
April 22, 2021 - Creating a walking/cycling trail from San Remo to Inverloch was never going to be easy. 
The scarlet pimpernel of Wonthaggi
April 22, 2021 - An intrepid young fox doesn’t seem to play by the the rules, writes a half-admiring John Coldebella. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak 
Hands off our bay
April 9, 2021 - Once more the community has had to ward off an assault on Western Port by big business, writes Jeff Nottle. 
Some have heard the call
March 23, 2021 - Neil Daly is delighted to report that his plan for Western Port has actually made it inside the Victorian Parliament, courtesy of the Sustainable Australia Party. 
On centre stage
Feb 26, 2021 - Western Port is a World Heritage Site waiting in the wings, writes Neil Daly. 
Tiger, tiger, turning tight
Feb 13, 2021 - A sensor camera in a garden shed catches a tiger snake doing battle with a mouse trap. Video by Gil Smith 
Megabits empower the people
Jan 30, 2021 - Thanks to COVID, the inquiry into the AGL/APA proposal for Crib Point was truly democratic, writes Neil Daly, who watched much of it from the comfort of home. 
‘Councillors must hold their nerve’
February 13, 2021 - Defeatist council report on sand mining expansion ignores council policies and community concerns, writes ex-mayor Neil Rankine. |
Swan & Clarke - a visionary team
Dec 3, 2021 - A former cattle grazing property at Rhyll, now a wildlife haven, forever links two great conservationists, writes Neil Daly. 
Going, going, gone!
Nov 19, 2021 - Works by some of Gippsland’s finest artists will be auctioned in support of the campaign to save the Western Port woodlands. 
Cosy homes made easy
Nov 19, 2021 - Heat pumps, power companies, rebates, insulation, emissions … two locals have done the homework so you don’t have to. Jessica Harrison reports. 
The wonder of the woodlands
Nov 5, 2021 - Ed Thexton marvels that this remnant of a lost world has survived against the odds. 
Woodlands the star of the show
Dec 15, 2021 - The joy of walking in our local woodlands is captured in a new film by Terry Melvin and Laura Brearley 
Season of twists and turns
Dec 15, 2021 - John Coldebella observes a succession of mysterious happenings in the garden this spring. 
Back to the future
Nov 5, 2021 - Neil Daly asks whether the blue carbon method could redress much of the damage to Western Port caused by a century of drainage works and land clearing. 
Words from the Woodlands
Oct 22, 2021 - Many of us have been walking in the woodlands lately. Now Laura Brearley invites us to share the experience through poetry or prose. 
Seven lunches from chaos
Oct 7, 2021 - At last the Murdoch media empire has recognised the seriousness of climate change. Ed Thexton found the evidence at the bottom of Page 25. 
How to stay sane
Sept 24, 2021 - In these tense times, nature is our best friend, writes Terri Allen. 
Island flock prospers
Sept 24, 2021 - While South Australia’s Cape Barren geese are doing it hard, our local geese are looking right at home. 
Crunch time for woodlands
Sept 10, 2021 - Sand mining surge threatens Bass Coast’s rare woodlands and threatened species: Victorian National Parks Association report. 
Question time
Sept 10, 2021 – Why does Spring Street continue to treat Western Port so differently from its neighbour, asks Neil Daly. 
The good life
August 27, 2021 - How our houses can make or break us, the first in a series on housing by Zoe Geyer. 
A watery makeover takes shape
August 27, 2021 - A seagrass research team goes to great depths in their quest to restore more seagrass meadows to Western Port. 
My war on pittosporum
Don’t be fooled by the beautiful foliage and sweetly scented flowers, writes Richard Kemp. This plant is a monster. 
Alternative energies
Long before wind and solar power, there was elbow grease, carbide and kerosene. Mark Robertson admires a new collection in the Wonthaggi Museum. 
Has the longest day begun?
July 29, 2021 - MPs take note, the people are ready to protect Western Port once more, writes Neil Daly. 
Treasure island
July 29, 2021 - In June a team of naturalists headed for French Island in search of some small brown bumps on top of some brown bark. What they found there was beyond their wildest dreams, reports Catherine Watson 
Rail trail picks up steam
July 28, 2021 - $6m extension fills one more link in the regional Great Gippsland Trail cycling and walking track. 
Do you hear the people sing?
July 2, 2021 - Laura Brearley invites us to join a chorus of voices for Bass Coast’s last remnant coastal bushland. 
Winter recess – a time to gather our thoughts
July 2, 2021 - The latest assault on Western Port’s hinterland shows how much we need a complete land and sea management plan, writes Neil Daly. 
Shelf life
June 18, 2021 - When you dip a camera into a rock pool and fire it off, there’s no telling what you’ll get. But every now and then it’s magic, writes Helen Keellings. 
Hail the whales!
June 18, 2021 - Our whales are back, earlier and in greater numbers than usual on their annual migration north to breed. Photo: Lisa Schonberg 
Saving the planet, a paddock at a time
June 4, 2021 - For 20 years Phillip Island carbon farmer Bob Davie has been a voice in the wilderness. Suddenly everyone is listening, writes Catherine Watson. 
Mystery Road
June 4, 2021 - Geoff Ellis and Neil Rankine made good use of their COVID daily exercise time to fill in one of the missing links on the proposed San Remo-Inverloch trail. 
Power deal cuts costs and emissions
May 21, 2021 - Bass Coast Council will be powered by 100 per cent renewable power from July 1 in a landmark deal that also cuts the shire’s energy bill. 
Melbourne’s big build threatens rare coastal forest
May 7, 2021 – Campaigners threaten to take forest battle to Labor’s inner-city electorates 
Time to walk with nature
May 7, 2021 - We have to start undoing the damage we have done to the environment, writes Neil Daly. 
What’s happening to our bush?
May 7, 2021 - Wonthaggi’s intrepid seed collectors brave the elements and a dwindling supply of seed to preserve our bush. Terri Allen reports 
For the next milestone …
April 22, 2021 - The AGL decision is a breakthrough on the journey towards a Western Port Strategic Management Plan, writes Neil Daly. 
Ecological losses “a balancing act”: QC
April 9, 2021 - A Grantville sand mining company does not have to meet the same environmental standards as other land users, the company’s lawyer argues. 
A labour of love
March 23, 2021 - Daryl Hook farewells the farm and wildlife haven he has created over 40 years. Story and photos by Geoff Ellis. 
Here be dragons – and cows
March 23, 2021 - Picasso and Dali decide on a challenge: who can design the most outlandish and bizarre fish. The wondrous result is living in a bay near you, writes Mark Robertson. 
Council pans Dandy Premix plan
Feb 17, 2021 - Dandy Premix’s plan to expand its Grantville sand quarrying operation has been panned by Bass Coast Shire Council. 
The incredible journey
February 13, 2021 - A chance sighting prompted Gil Smith to learn more about the short-finned eel and its epic journey from Deep Creek to the Coral Sea. Now he fears the impact of sand mining on the creatures that call this area home. |