Karrinjeet Singh-Mahil has milked cows at Crossley for almost three decades. Australia’s new trade deal with Europe, set to be introduced next year, was meant to open a door for farmers like her in Australia, but she says the dairy quotas are “pitiful”.

Still, she doesn’t  want it scrapped: “If you throw that agreement out, you’re throwing out a whole lot of other stuff that is good for Australia.”

North of Mortlake, beef farmer David Allen believes the deal has left beef farmers “shortchanged”. 

What’s going on: Both farmers were responding to comments from Wannon MP and Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan. In a recent interview with Politico, Tehan said the deal’s access for Australian agriculture was “abysmal”. 

Asked to clarify his comments, Tehan said dairy farmers across Wannon have been “appalled that EU dairy farmers have greater preferential access to the Australian market than Australian dairy farmers have to the EU market”.

What is it? The EU free-trade agreement is a trade deal between Australia and the EU’s 27 member countries, finalised in March 2026s. It cuts or removes the tariffs, or import taxes, each side charges the other.

Right now, Australia can send about 4400 tonnes of beef a year to the EU at a lower tax. 

Aussie Dairy has had even less access to the EU market. Until now, only small amounts of cheese got a tax break.

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Zara asked visitors on the coast how much they’d be willing to pay see natural wonder Twelve Apostles, with the completion of the brand new visitor centre and booking system.

Nick and Helen Galik run Hepburn Brewing Springs Co., the only venue of its kind in the shire. The couple have lived in the region for four decades, launching the brewery in the middle of a pandemic. 

The national champion brewers are one of roughly 170 independent breweries in Victoria, and in prime position to utilise a new commitment from the state government promising $3 million to the sector. 

While conditions for independent brewers remain tough, the Hepburn Brewing duo persevere and continue to create as many original beers as they can. 

Pampering to pints: Nick and Helen bought the land Hepburn Brewing Springs stands on 40 years ago, after relocating from Melbourne to raise their family. 

Before it was a brewery, they ran a day spa for eight years in the venue, and then made the decision to pivot to alcohol in 2017. Brewing began as a hobby, before it bloomed into a commercial pursuit.

Nick said he had actually stopped drinking beer until the craft movement happened and the ingenuity behind it pulled him back in. 

Nick said he originally attempted to brew with water from the local mineral springs, as there was a supply on the family property, but it was "disastrous". 

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Ballarat local Julie White is environmentally-wired, and has brought down her household waste to the point her bin only goes out every 6-8 weeks. 

Using the council’s soft plastics collection program, White said her family recycles more than it produces.

The program, launched in 2024, has helped the regional city keep just under 60,000 kilograms out of landfill. 

What happened? The Soft Plastics Collection Program was launched to divert excess waste from household bins.

One solution: The program involved the introduction of tie-up, orange bags that soft plastics can be placed in – before being placed in the yellow-lid recycling bin. 

The bags differentiate the soft plastics from typical recycling, allowing easier separation and processing. 

What once was: Previously, locals were able to pick up the orange bags at only two council buildings - the Phoenix Building in central Ballarat, and the Operations and Environment Depot in Wendouree. From October, collection points for the bags have been increased to also include City of Ballarat libraries. 

What is soft plastic? Grocery brags, bread bags, cling film, pasta bags, rice bags, bubble wrap - these are all examples of soft plastics. It’s typically a lightweight, flexible material - often described as “scrunchable”. 

The recycling process for these materials differs from typical cardboard, and requires a specialised approach to turn the plastics into things like manufacturing materials, shopping bags and buckets. 

The local experience: White has been part of the program since it began. She heard about it through word-of-mouth while running the Ballarat Nature Stewards Program. She said she joined because of her own environmental concerns.

Now, her family only puts their normal household bin out every 6 - 8 weeks, due to the waste redirected to the orange soft plastics bag. 

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Carolyn Coffey and Sean Kelly decided they wanted to open a pub, but didn’t want to do it for fame or the after-work rush of punters at the bar. So, halfway through 2024, the couple bought and renovated the semi-illustrated (and maybe haunted) Railway Hotel in Elaine.

Caroyln told the Brolga the pair expected renovation to take a year, but the level of work required took the timeline closer to 18 months. 

The history: The Elaine Railway Hotel originally opened in 1874 when a railway station, on the old Geelong to Ballarat line, was still open across the road. 

In its early days, it is said the pub even functioned as a brothel. Locals say the town was named for the establishment's madam - Elaine, 

Local chat: Carolyn said many locals have asked her if she’s “seen all the ghosts”. 

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I investigated a flower display on Sturt Street 🌸