News of Bass Coast - Bass Coast Post

The old Wonthaggi High School site has been vacant for six years.

By Catherine Watson

SICK of the lack of action on the old Wonthaggi high school site, locals are planning a subversive action: a picnic next door.

On Saturday, a new group called Wonthaggi Old Tech Creative Hub (WOTCH) will host a picnic in Wishart Reserve, adjoining the high school site, to canvass ideas and gauge community support.

“We'd like to see the community getting together,” WOTCH spokesperson Jeni Jobe said. “A picnic is a lovely example, a microcosm of what could happen on the site.”

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Buckingham back for round two

10/11/2025

Labor candidate for Bass Chris Buckingham with current Bass Labor
MP Jordan Crugnale.

By Catherine Watson

LABOR’S Chris Buckingham is the first candidate to be declared for the seat of Bass in next year’s state election.

The 56-year-old former CEO of the Casey Cardinia Library Corporation and the Latrobe Valley Authority is now heading Fair Co, a social procurement advisory firm.

His decision to run comes after two-term Bass MP Jordan Crugnale announced last month that she would not recontest the seat.

“The timing was interesting,” Buckingham says. “But sometimes you've got to walk through that sliding door, and that's what I've chosen to do.”

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Grand pool plan sinks

15/10/2025

Built in 1976, the Wonthaggi swimming pool is set for a major upgrade.

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast Council’s grand plan for two new aquatic centres is gone. Instead we’re going to fix up the old Wonthaggi pool.

The two-pool plan had ballooned out to $180 million-plus.

A 2021 feasibility study estimated the cost of a new Wonthaggi aquatic centre at $35-41 million and a Phillip Island aquatic centre at almost $53 million. However, a recent review found costs had doubled since then.

Bass Coast's two-pool strategy was adopted in 2016 and was followed by feasibility studies, an economic impact study, a funding strategy and a facility asset management plan.

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Chilled, not high

15/10/2025

Cr Tim O'Brien

By Catherine Watson

LIKE a round of Chinese whispers, the rumours grew wilder with every retelling until the village was in uproar.

A drug and alcohol rehab centre was about to open in a quiet Ventnor street. Soon criminals and drug addicts would be wandering the neighbourhood, lurking in the dunes and disrupting the peace.

By the time it reached Bass Coast councillors, 150 people had objected.

Except … it wasn’t true.

The actual proposal? To use a five-bedroom house, previously used as an Airbnb, at 109 Lyall Street for a health and wellness retreat. Think yoga mats, meditation cushions and green smoothies – not clients in withdrawal and mayhem.

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Back to the coalface

13/10/2025

Parks Victoria staff and Friends of the State Coal Mine met to discuss the much-delayed upgrade
of the heritage site. Photos: Dyonn Dimmock

By Catherine Watson

“IT’S complicated! But we’re working through it. I ask you to be patient for a bit longer.”

That was the message from the head of Parks Victoria, Lee Miezis, when he visited Wonthaggi on Friday to meet with the Friends of the State Coal Mine and talk about the much-delayed upgrade of the heritage site.

Some of the Friends had braced for bad news, fearing the long-awaited project was to be abandoned. Instead, Mr Miezis’s reassurance that the upgrade remains a priority for Parks Victoria came as a relief.

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Thumbs down for Lord’s Prayer

10/10/2025

Karen Thorp is disappointed with the councillors' response to the petition.

By Catherine Watson

A MOVE to reinstate the Lord’s Prayer before Bass Coast Shire Council meetings got short shrift from councillors at yesterday’s council meeting.

Petitions to the council usually “lie on the table” for a report to be prepared for a future council meeting but this one was rejected immediately.

Cr Tim O’Brien described the petition as “mischief making” that would only cause division in the community.

Councillors voted to drop the Lord’s Prayer in 2014 and replace it with a Statement of Acknowledgement and a short councillor statement.

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Crugnale to step down

2/10/2025

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By Catherine Watson

THE Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale today announced that she would not be contesting next year’s state election.

A former Bass Coast mayor, Ms Crugnale was elected in 2018 when she wrested the seat of Bass out of Liberal hands for the first time since it was established.

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Ventnor trees get the chop, at a price

18/9/2025

Photo: Google Maps

By Catherine Watson

24 Hastings Street certainly stands out from its Ventnor neighbours. In a heavily wooded residential area, with a Vegetation Protection Overlay, most of this block is bare grass.

Fifteen trees have been removed from the site and at Wednesday’s council meeting the last two trees on the block – a southern blue gum and a Syndey blue gum – were reluctantly authorised for removal.

Council officers recommended a permit be granted on the basis of the declining health of the trees and the risk of failure, according to an arborist’s report.

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Local voices 'ignored' in subdivision vote

17/9/2025

Broome Crescent will be extended to the west to provide access to a nine-lot subdivision.

By Catherine Watson

WONTHAGGI is overlooked when it comes to councillors’ concerns about the environment, according to objectors to a nine-lot subdivision in South Wonthaggi.

They expressed their disappointment after councillors took only a few minutes at Wednesday’s council meeting to approve the application at 158 Reed Crescent.

The 2.2ha property is zoned Low Density Residential and has a Design and Development Overlay requiring residential blocks be at least 2000sqm. Despite the address, access will be via an extension to Broome Crescent on a currently unused section of road reserve.

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Unpopular tourism plan under review

17/9/2025

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Cr Tim O’Brien: “This is what the ill-conceived BURT puts at risk.” Photo: Linda Cuttriss

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast councillors have unanimously supported a full review of the controversial Bass Coast Unlocking Rural Tourism (BURT) strategy after a community backlash.

Moving a notice of motion at today's council meeting, Cr Tim O’Brien declared “The BURT pleases almost no-one”.

Backed by his two Island Ward colleagues, he asked that council determine whether the BURT, adopted in March 2023, undermines the objectives of the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) declaration for Bass Coast, which is intended to preserve rural character and restrict development in sensitive areas.

Cr O’Brien said the declared intent of the BURT was essentially to unlock restrictions within the planning scheme to large-scale development in farm zone areas.

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Rabbits in the spotlight

17/9/2025

Recent weather conditions mean rabbits are in plague proportions across much of south-eastern Australia.

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast councillors are calling for urgent action on feral animals, voting at today’s council meeting for a report on eradication and control options for rabbits, feral cats and deer across the shire.

The motion, put forward by Cr Ronnie Bauer, responds to growing frustration from residents, particularly on Phillip Island, about damage caused by exploding rabbit numbers.

“The rabbit population on the Island is out of control,” Cr Bauer said. “They are burrowing under people’s homes and digging up gardens. The destruction of native flora is horrendous and the holes are also a real safety hazard. A person can easily twist an ankle or break a foot.”

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Full speed ahead

10/9/2025

Archies Creek Road … road recycling reduced costs, emissions and disruption.

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast Shire Council has been recognised on the national stage for sustainable road building, taking out the 2025 AustStab Award for Excellence in Recycling Pavements in Local Government.

The winning project on Berry’s Beach Road, Phillip Island, trialled an innovative “paver laid in-situ recycling” method. Instead of digging up worn-out roads and trucking in tonnes of new materials, the process recycles the road on the spot, reusing 100 per cent of what is already there.

A short time later, the same method was used at Archie’s Creek. The method reduces truck movements, construction time, and environmental impacts while still delivering a durable road surface.

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Bayside Health merger approved

29/8/2025

Extra services will be available at Wonthaggi when five health services merge into Bayside Health.

MORE specialist services ,closer to home … that’s the promise following the voluntary merger of Bass Coast Health into Bayside Health.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas today approved the voluntary merger of five health services – Alfred Health, Bass Coast Health, Gippsland Southern Health Service, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and Peninsula Health – from 1 January 2026.

She said the five health services were able to demonstrate how their voluntary merger into Bayside Health would benefit each local community, delivering increased access to specialist services closer to home and improved patient outcomes.

The health services are already working together to improve patient care and identify areas for service improvement and development.

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Wash this way

26/8/2025

Volunteers, staff and supporters cheer the opening of the laundry pod in Wonthaggi.

BEING homeless is a succession of hardships and indignities. One of them is not being able to wash and dry your clothes.

Wonthaggi now has a free laundry service, courtesy of Orange Sky, the Salvos and a heap of volunteers.

The laundry pod at the Salvo’s Wonthaggi headquarters in McKenzie Street was officially launched on Monday by Bass Coast Mayor Rochelle Halstead.

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Pedestrians first for Cowes

20/8/2025

Cowes streetscape plan: people before cars.

By Catherine Watson

WIDER footpaths, new landscaping and safer streets are on the way as Stage 1 of the Cowes Streetscape Master Plan kicks off next month.

The project aims to “flip the transport hierarchy” by prioritising pedestrians and creating “streets for people,” while also linking the northern and southern ends of town.

On Wednesday Bass Coast Shire Council awarded the $8.26 million contract for the first stage of the long-awaited Cowes Streetscape Master Plan to Fulton Hogan Construction Pty Ltd.

Stage 1 works will focus on reshaping the heart of Cowes, with upgrades to Thompson Avenue North (between Chapel Street and The Esplanade) and The Esplanade (between Warley Avenue and Bass Avenue).

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A treat for council watchers

20/8/2025

COUNCIL aficionados have plenty of good reading ahead of them with eight draft council plans released on Wednesday.

The plans are the result of one of the most extensive community engagement processes the council has ever undertaken, including a 45-member community panel, pop-up events, surveys, focus groups, workshops, and conversations with service providers, community groups and individuals across Bass Coast.

The draft plans provide a roadmap to guide the council’s decision making.

They include the Bass Coast Community Vision 2041, which was created in 2021 with input from a representative community panel of residents.

Bass Coast Mayor Rochelle Halstead said the plans are built firmly on the community’s input.

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Council wishlist on the table

19/8/2025

Bass Coast’s Long Term Financial Plan is out for community consultation until September 9.

BASS Coast Shire Council has unveiled a long-term financial plan (LTFP) that commits to a decade of major infrastructure projects aimed at shaping the region’s future while balancing tight financial constraints.

The 10-year plan, which is out for community consultation until September 9, outlines a suite of capital works projects spanning sport and recreation, community facilities, tourism precincts, and transport connectivity:

redevelopment of the former Wonthaggi Secondary College site
the Phillip Island Sporting Precinct
a new regional Aquatics and Leisure Centre in Wonthaggi
a shire-wide tracks and trails strategy
Stage 1 of the Cowes Streetscape upgrade.

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Shelter opens its doors

19/8/2025

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A guest is warmly welcomed to the winter shelter by volunteers.

By Denise Dillon

IT’S been a rocky road to get there but the Bass Coast Winter Shelter is finally open and offering homeless people a warm place to stay.

An initiative of the Inter Church Council Phillip Island, the winter shelter is run entirely by local volunteers, people from across the community who are ready to offer a listening ear, a warm meal and a welcoming space.

It’s been a gentle start, with just a few bookings and some cancellations, but project co-ordinator Wendy Elson says that’s allowed time to train volunteers, test systems and get things running smoothly.

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Summerland: the next chapter

23/7/2025

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What next for the Summerland Peninsula? Photo: PINP

PHILLIP Island Nature Parks is inviting locals to help shape a bold new vision for the iconic Summerland Peninsula, home to the world’s largest little penguin colony and one of Australia’s most popular eco-tourism destinations.

In 1985 the Victorian Government launched the Summerland Estate buyback program to buy residential properties on the peninsula to protect the little penguin colony. The last houses were demolished or removed in 2010.

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Time's up for Kilcunda bridge

18/7/2025

Council cites safety risks and high costs in recommending removal of historic Kilcunda structure Photos: Bass Coast Shire Council

By Catherine Watson

The Kilcunda Viaduct Bridge will be demolished despite a strong local push to preserve it.

More than 1250 people signed a petition to restore the wooden trestle bridge on the western outskirts of Kilcunda.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to accept the recommendation for demolition, though with a degree of sadness at losing a link to the area’s history.

Constructed in 1910 as part of the old Nyora-Wonthaggi rail line, it has been unused since the line closed in 1978.

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Laundry on wheels

27/6/2025

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A MOBILE laundry is the latest support service aimed at helping homeless people across Bass Coast.

The council joined with Housing Matters Bass Coast and the Rotary Club of Wonthaggi last week to welcome Orange Sky to Wonthaggi.

The national organisation supports homeless people and others doing it tough by providing free laundry facilities and genuine conversation. The mobile service will launch in Bass Coast in August.

A laundry and shower service was a key outcome for a local think tank in which over 20 agencies came together last year to address homelessness in Bass Coast.

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Planning rules trump local voices

22/6/2025

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Councillors say they are powerless to stop infill developments that are out of character with a
low-rise neighbourhood.

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast Shire councillors have approved a controversial three-dwelling development in Cowes following a lengthy debate about neighbourhood character, community values and the limits of council power under state planning laws.

The application, for three double-storey houses and subdivision at 23 Birdwood Avenue, drew 20 objections from local residents, who cited concerns about the development's bulk, scale, overshadowing, and inconsistency with the older-style coastal character of the street.

Council officers recommended approval of the planning permit, as it was consistent with the general residential zone and strategic planning policy.

Cr Ron Bauer moved an alternative motion to reject it, arguing the development would fundamentally change the character of the area.

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Budget adopted – with reservations

20/6/2025

The council has budgeted $3 million for Cowes Streetscape improvements but should the money have been directed to the
Cowes Recreation Reserve?

By Catherine Watson

COUNCILLORS have formally adopted Bass Coast Council’s 2025-26 annual budget, despite several expressing dissatisfaction with spending priorities.

The $123.2 million budget includes a $31.5 million capital works program, a modest $1.5 million operating deficit, and provision for new borrowings to fund critical infrastructure. The council says it remains financially stable and expects to return to surplus in the following year.

Mayor Cr Rochelle Halstead described the budget as a “careful balance” between current needs and future sustainability within the 3% rate cap.

The capital works investment includes major projects such as the Cowes Streetscape, tracks and trails improvements, and sporting pavilion upgrades.

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‘Do your own dirty work!’

19/6/2025