Point of view from Bass Coast

At your service

10/9/2025

“I open at 4.30 am and close when I run out of patients …” What drives
Deb Garvey, sole medical practitioner in the Waterline community?

By Catherine Watson

IT WAS Joy Button who told me about Deb Garvey. I knew she was the nurse practitioner for the Waterline community, operating out of the Grantville Transaction Centre. I didn’t know much more.

Joy told me Deb gets to work long before dawn so that truck drivers and others can call in on their way to work. “They’d never get to see a doctor or nurse otherwise.

“She bulk bills, which a lot of young mums appreciate. You can make an appointment or just call in and wait. She’ll always see you. I think she’s the most highly respected person in the whole of the Waterline.”

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August 20th, 2025

20/8/2025

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Paul Cross Q&A

20/8/2025

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Paul Cross is a prolific and outspoken commenter on social media in Bass Coast.
The Post was curious to know what drives this keyboard warrior.

Paul Cross: "You never change people’s minds. There's always
stupid people out there."

Bass Coast Post: Paul, you've agreed to meet the Post. I’d have to say most of the Post readers and writers are not on your side of the political divide. Initially you had some reservations.

Paul Cross: Well, I really didn't know who you were, and then I asked around and people knew you, and I thought, well, I've got nothing to hide. I'm retired. I answer to no one, other than my wife, obviously, and I have strong opinions, probably because I'm an old guy who’s grumpy. Well not that grumpy, really. I love making jokes and the rest of it, being English. But yeah, I thought, why not.

Post: Have you always been grumpy?

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The scroll stops here

19/8/2025

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Will Australia’s social media ban for under-16s create more problems than it solves?

By Anabelle Bremner

AUSTRALIA has grounded its teenagers, digitally at least. No social media for under-16s. For some, it’s the end of the world. For others, it’s sweet relief. But are these new laws really the answer, or are we addressing the wrong cause?

THE GOOD:
It’s clear that social media does plenty of harm. Scrolling addictions, cyberbullying, dangerous rabbit holes – you name it, you’ll find it. That’s why a lot of teens – and parents – see promise in the idea.

Olive, 17, believes that the ban is “a must”. Cutting down on addictive scrolling and access to “revolting” content, she says, is key in preserving teens’ creativity and focus.

Parent Shana calls the ban “an acknowledgement of the fact that social media can be damaging”, admitting that while it won’t fix the problem, “it’s a start”.

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All you need is music?

19/8/2025

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Alison Vincent, second from right: "Music is so easy these days, at least for the fans ..."

By Alison Vincent

THE Davidson Brothers played at the Wonthaggi Acoustic Music Festival in July. In one song was: "All you need is music ... and a little red wine ... to have a good time. Nothing else matters in the long run”.

Great song. If you haven't heard it, look for it on the "socials" or streaming services.

So easy, isn't it, these days? No hours of listening to the radio, hoping your favourite song will be played. No forking out for CDs or tapes or records (depending on your age) and for devices on which to play them. Music, for the listener, has become so easy, so available.

However, spare a thought for the makers of music, the players, venues and retail outlets ... and especially for those getting started on their music careers.

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Hands off our bridge!

16/8/2025

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The Kilcunda trestle bridge might not be grand but it’s our history. From left, Joe Italiano. Lisa Russo, Anthony Russo, with grandchildren, and John and Maxine Wright.

By Maxine Wright

Like many Kilcunda residents, I was shocked and dismayed at the news that Bass Coast Shire councillors had voted to demolish the historic viaduct bridge in Kilcunda.

Once demolished this iconic bridge is gone forever - the memories of the original highway that snaked under the bridge and the route of the original railway line will no longer exist for future generations. The bridge adds character to our little town and complements the trestle bridge at the other end. We really would be devastated - it feels like vandalism. We may not have the wealthy symbols of gold mining areas but that doesn’t mean the structures we do have shouldn’t be preserved.

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And now for some light relief

16/8/2025

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This year marks the centenary of quantum mechanics. The Post asked local
science writer and mathematician Robyn Arianrhod to “please explain”
a field of study that perplexed even Einstein.

Shooting the breeze: Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein had long debates about quantum mechanics. Photo: Paul Ehrenfest, December 11, 1925 Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Post: A very personal question to start: do you actually understand quantum mechanics?
Ha! I’ll let the experts answer this one. Richard Feynman told his students at Caltech that the subatomic quantum realm is so different from the world we see around us that “Even the experts do not understand it the way they would like to.” And just recently, a survey by Nature showed that physicists are still divided on what quantum mechanics really means.

If this is the centenary of quantum mechanics, what happened in 1925?
The first inklings that the subatomic world plays by different rules from the everyday world of ordinary physics came in 1900 and 1905, with the work of Max Planck and Albert Einstein. In our everyday experience, things such as temperature increase continuously, but Planck and Einstein discovered that in certain circumstances, heat and light behave like a series of discrete bundles or “particles” – i.e. quanta – of energy.

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Roadkill Island

16/7/2025

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Conservation Hill, Rhyll. Photo: Julie Paterson

As told to Ron Day

G’DAY there, I’m Wallaby Wal and I live on Phillip Island.

I want to draw your attention to the conflict taking place all over the island between my mob and motor vehicles (HICLES), and particularly a 3.6km section of the Cowes/Rhyll Road. More than 400 of my brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces were killed by HICLES on this 3.6km section of road over a three-year period.

These HICLES are relentless in their efforts to commit genocide and eliminate our mob from the island. We once roamed freely across the island long before the arrival of the HICLES some 100 years ago. Surely it’s our right as original inhabitants to have free and unrestricted movement. After all this was our home long before the invasion of the HICLES.

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My local MP blocked me

8/6/2025

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By Oliver Jobe

LAST week, Bass MP Jordan Crugnale blocked me after I left a series of comments on her social media criticising the ALP and saying that, as a member of the ALP, she represents the Good and the Bad of the party.

The comment that ended up with me being blocked was on her post about ‘Pride’ in which I mentioned the ALP’s inaction on police brutality towards queer protesters at Midsumma in 2023 that resulted in a condemnation and no apparent other actions.

I also mentioned the leader of the ALP and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s apparent inability to say ‘trans’ or ‘transgender’ in interviews during his 2022 campaign.

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Let’s talk some more

8/6/2025

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Editor's note: This article contains some factual inaccuracies which are noted in the sidebar. The Post has decided to publish because some of the ideas are interesting.

Socrates addresses the crowd in Athens. All Athenian men over 20 were obliged to take part in the democratic process, with a random selection of officials. Painting by Louis Joseph Lebrun (1867). Public domain.

By Robert Durkacz

THE election is over. In the Monash electorate a candidate we know nothing about was elected. We don't know which faction of the Liberals she is attached to. She took part in no debates, sat for easy interviews, wrote no opinion pieces. Like all of the other candidates she calculated there was more to lose than gain by exposing herself to decent conversations with the voters.

Reasons a candidate might do that are 1. To avoid debates so as not to give rival candidates an audience. 2. Lack of confidence to answer questions intelligently. 3. Fear of certain questions to which they have no satisfactory answer. Apparently Aldred thinks a dog park in Cowes could be a good idea – that is what we have to thank local reporting for.

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Raise the rates and fix the joint!

15/5/2025

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"Fix the potholes. Fix the footpaths. Fix the funding model."

By Frank Schooneveldt

IN 2016, I wrote to then-councillor Neil Rankine expressing concern that my property rates were too low. He replied that approximately 45% of properties had stagnant property values between January 2014 and January 2016, resulting in only a 1.37% overall valuation increase across the Shire.

Why does this matter? Because rates are calculated based on the Capital Improved Value (CIV) of a property. If the CIV is understated, the rates are too – and this leads to an unfair burden across the community.

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Libs prevail in ‘weird’ election

14/5/2025

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Independent Deb Leonard:
came close to an upset

Independent Russell Broadbent: one too many elections

One Nation's Kuljeet Robinson: outscored the Greens

By Michael Whelan

WELL, the Monash election did not disappoint, being described by one analyst as ‘weird’. The presence of two strong independents complicated the count. The result flatters Liberal Mary Aldred with 54.3% of the two party preferred vote and a positive swing of 1.4%, against the national trend.

Both Labour and Liberal had primary swings against them of over 5%. A shift of just over 500 votes from Labor to the Independent Leonard would have seen the Independent run off against Liberal with the strong chance of an Independent win. Leonard may rue not taking a preference swap with Broadbent when the chance presented.

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Hit them where it hurts!

16/4/2025

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Too young to vote - but Anabelle Bremner is urging climate action at the ballot box.

By Anabelle Bremner

I REMEMBER the Black Summer fires not by the smoke in the air but by the silence in our house. Throughout the desperate scramble to get away from Mallacoota, my dad was heading towards it. Working in emergency management means that when there’s a bushfire, a flood, or a storm, he’s one of those stepping in to help.

During those fires, it was hard to sleep. I could only check the news, refresh the emergency alerts, and hope that nothing had gone wrong. I was 11, terrified, and fully aware that this wasn’t just a disaster — it was a warning.

My fear wasn’t misplaced. Every year, the fires get worse. Floods tear through towns. Heatwaves break records. And still the people in charge act like it’s business as usual. That silence I felt back in 2020 — the waiting game, the uncertainty — it’s not just in my house anymore. It’s in Parliament, in policy, in every half-hearted promise that puts profit before people.

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Bring back the town hall debate!

15/4/2025

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Robert Durkacz laments the lack of serious discussion in the
Monash election.

By Robert Durkacz

AS AN independent candidate for Monash I needed 100 signatures to nominate myself. It didn’t work out that way and I had to give up the idea. By dropping out I saved the $2000 deposit. But my candidature was only a means to an end. I wanted to take part in the election to raise one substantial issue that the other candidates ignore, thinking there is no public interest in it. The issue is the descent of the USA into anarchy, threatening to take the western alliance down with it.

Had the breaking up of the western alliance become a matter of public discussion in the Monash election, I would have thought a consensus might emerge that Australia should take an energetic position. We should be very straightforward and honest with the American people. We should have as little to do with the US administration as possible. We should wear tariffs without complaint – not ask for favours. And we should express solidarity with Ukraine, Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Mexico, etc. We should accept the risk of retaliation that goes with that. My reason for standing as a candidate was to get these issues discussed.

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My MP wishlist

10/4/2025

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The politician's dilemma: Digital image

By Alison Vincent

THANK you to the Post for the questions for candidates and how you reported them. It will be interesting to read how they respond. While I have no intention of diminishing anyone's concerns, there are some basics that might also be attended to when considering candidates.

These thoughts have come about because I am unimpressed with the cut and paste politics that pass for election campaigns. Of course climate and education, health and aged care, transport and infrastructure, environment and trade, finance and wellbeing are important. However, my thoughts are more inclined toward the character and capacity and interests of the people who put themselves forward to govern around these issues.

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Better than cupcakes

28/3/2025

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100 Women, 100 Stories in the Wonthaggi Union Theatre celebrated International Women's Day. Photos: Nicola Glassey

By Leslie Adams

MY MUM was a ‘young’ mum. She loved singing the pop songs of her era, she loved to dance and she loved to do those things with her children. I am the oldest, and I have two sisters and a brother, all of whom have lovely singing voices.

I vividly remember us dancing and singing with our mum on, I think, Sunday afternoons while watching Australian Bandstand. We loved it and we developed a fine repertoire of 60s pop songs, most of which I can still roll out today.

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Who’d be a politician?

27/3/2025

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Pity the would-be politicians who have put their lives on hold to beg for our votes. Digital image

By Belinda Henderson

WHETHER you’re seeking election for your local council, or state or federal government, you need at least three things:

A lot of money, via self funding, friends and family, benefactors and so on.
Much time commitment and a tough skin.
Much heart, both for your constituents and for yourself. You’ll need to give up your own life because you are now responsible for everyone else.

Oops, there’s a 4. It helps if you know someone who is already there.

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Stuff my relatives never told me

26/3/2025

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Peter Brown delves into his family history and discovers stories of mutiny, adultery and murder.

By Peter Brown

MOST of us are aware of the TV series “Who Do You Think You Are”, where Ancestry.com highlights the life and family history of selected celebrities. Since 1996 we’ve had our own not-for-profit family history centre in Wonthaggi Library.

Wonthaggi Genealogy Inc (WGI) is a group of volunteers who help curious people search their own family stories. We have a bank of up-to-date computers and subscribe to several family history research sites. We also have less known local resources, many of which are not available to the commercial groups.

Membership of less than $1 a week opens a veritable Pandora’s Box of discovery. Since I have been connected to WGI, I’ve unearthed much exciting gossip – stuff my relatives didn’t mention.

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No place like home

25/3/2025

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As the end of the lease approaches, local renters like Danielle are filled with anxiety about their future. Digital image.

When the Post asked readers to submit questions for Monash candidates, one heart-felt response stood out: “My question to all candidates - what will you do to help low-income people afford housing?”

The writer added: “With rents skyrocketing many are having to leave the area, leaving family, friends and their life behind. I fear the same as a renter. We cannot get long term leases and my rent rises every 12 months.”

The writer agreed to share her story in the Post. “But please don’t use my name,” she said. “Renters can’t afford to get a reputation as troublemakers.” So we will call her Danielle.

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Every bottle tells a story

28/2/2025

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A hurricane, a fire and a twister couldn’t stop Wendy Heaney
and Bruce Preston. Photo: Camilla Myers

By Camilla Myers

I REALISED last week that I’ve been visiting The Gurdies Winery from my friend Liz’s property opposite for the past 30 years. I was reflecting on its evolution because I was lucky enough to attend the grand opening of the huge, beautiful new wine-making shed last Friday.

What a party! Over 200 people joined the celebration, the music poured forth from the excellent Wing-it Brothers, and of course the wine flowed. There were tables of people in the shed and many more outside enjoying the glorious view over Western Port and French Island.

Presiding over it all were Wendy Heaney and Bruce Preston, looking after everyone with their characteristic grace, generosity and serenity.

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Power plays

28/2/2025

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So you think power lines for offshore wind will industrialise a pristine environment? Look around you. Image: ChatGPT

By Christopher Eastman-Nagle

A COUPLE of days ago, I was watching a YouTube talk by an ex ABC journalist about how skewed and biased its activist-based coverage was when it came to the subject of people who think they can change sex.

Instead of broadly canvassing the issue and noting all points of view with a view to giving the readers a reasonable chance to assess the issue for themselves, they get the equivalent of “the party line”. And while that might elevate and reinforce the views of the party faithful, it is little better than propaganda designed to manipulate rather than inform readerships.

As it so happened, at the same time I was also reading a local news outlet that was running articles on offshore wind farm transmission proposals, which was doing exactly the same thing as the ABC was doing.

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Just the job

27/2/2025

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The Post talks to Kane Bond, founder of Gippslander, a jobs board just for Gippslanders.

Kane Bond: "The big job sites lump us in with Melbourne and fail to showcase the diversity of jobs in our region."

Bass Coast Post: Kane, tell us a bit about your own work history.
Kane Bond: I grew up in Victoria and worked in a radio station in Cooma, then I worked in Canberra on a talk station for about seven years. That's where I met my wife. I did a weekend program and filled in for the breakfast person when they were away. It was good fun, but Canberra's cold so we came back to Melbourne.

Post: What brought you to Inverloch?
Kane: About 10 years ago, we bought a tiny little holiday house in Venus Bay. We used to come down pretty much every weekend. We really loved getting out of Melbourne. Then during COVID, when we all got locked down, I said to my wife, we can work from home, let's move to Venus Bay, just so we can escape any craziness that might happen in Melbourne.
We actually had time to look around, spend time in Inverloch and Wonthaggi, and we really liked it. We thought, well, how do we turn our life around and spend more time here? So we bought a house in Inverloch and moved here in 2020. During COVID we got to know the neighbours and people in the community and it was actually a great experience.

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Endangered Species

26/2/2025

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By Aneta Marovich

ON THE morning they disappeared, the day was born into a thick sea mist. It imparted salty dampness to Irene’s face as she descended the uneven steps to the beach. There the mist kept rolling in thin raggedy clumps floating on just enough air current to scale the steep dunes. All the colours were bleached and the usual sounds of water breaking over the reef and sea gull moans, muffled. Irene looked back at the dune to find it gone and wondered whether she would find her way back easily. A figure emerged close to her.

‘They’re gone’, Nancy said.

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A feast for all the senses

30/1/2025

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Beautiful pairing of flowers and produce at Liz's garden at Smiths Beach.

By Sharon Willcox

SIXTEEN inspiring food gardens across the width and breadth of Bass Coast will open their gates on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 February for the fourth annual Bass Coast Edible Gardens Weekend.

This major fund-raiser for Bass Coast Adult Learning aims to encourage people to grow their own food, with the benefits of low food miles, cheaper and healthier home-grown food, improved physical and mental health, and enhanced community connections.

Diversity in how and where people grow food is what keeps visitors coming back each year.
For 2025 gardens have been grouped under themes to help visitors plan their weekend itinerary, including verge gardens, indigenous edibles, accessible gardens, edible gardens featuring flowers and native plants and gardens with cheerful chickens.

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Another holiday, another trial

29/1/2025

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By a Phillip Islander

WE HAVE another holiday weekend, a cause for celebration amongst city folk no doubt, but a trial for the local community.

And as usual the same problems recur: overcrowding, road & carpark rage, bridge buildups, tired motorists, frustrated children, long delays in Cowes supermarket carparks etc

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