Latest headlines in Warrnambool and West Vic 🗞️

🐑 Shrinking sheep, booming market: What’s causing the surge in Australia’s wool prices?

West Vic wool producers are seeing the strongest returns in eight years, with prices hitting $19 a kilogram as historically low sheep numbers and strong international demand drive a welcome turnaround for farmers.

The price jump: Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock president Scott Young told the Brolga while prices had eased slightly after peaking earlier this month: “the general trend has been really positive. Which is fantastic for the industry and fantastic for wool producers”.

• The Australian Wool Exchange's Eastern Market Indicator was sitting at $19.43 a kilogram on June 24 after reaching $19.89 a kilogram a week earlier. At the same time last year, the benchmark price was just $12.07 a kilogram.

A simple equation: Young, a sheep and crop farmer in Ballan, said the rally has been driven by basic supply and demand.

🗣️ “We’ve got a really low sheep flock, which means tighter supply, and we’ve got some good demand out there, which means that the processors are having to pay a bit more for it, which is great for Australian producers”. 

The numbers: According to Meat & Livestock Australia, Australia’s sheep flock is forecast to fall to 67.1 million head this year, continuing a long-term decline driven by “ongoing seasonal pressures”, such as the recent drought. 

• The national flock peaked at about 180 million head in 1970.

Expanding operations: Young said stronger returns for both wool and livestock were encouraging some farmers to expand their flocks after years of growth in the cropping sector.

🗣️ “Farmers are all running businesses, and if they’re not making profit, they’ll look to other enterprises or other commodities,” he said. “If they’ve still got that ability, they’re looking at getting back into sheep or increasing their flock numbers.”

Other side of the fence: As processors purchase wool at higher cost, this could result in more expensive price tags hanging from garments in stores. 

• While some specialty brands may have wool contracts in place, where they arrange to buy a certain amount at a set price ahead of time, about 90 percent of Australia’s wool is auctioned.

Full story below.

🌳 Exploring Warrnambool’s first “pocket forest”

On the weekend, 36 local volunteers pitched in to help plant 500 native trees, plants and shrubs at Warrnambool Community Garden.

The project, known as a “pocket forest”, uses a gardening technique known as the Miyawaki method, where plants are placed close to each other, causing them to compete for light and grow at a faster rate. Watch the video below for the full story.

Latest stories in Ballarat 🗞️

This domestic violence survivor escaped. She had nowhere to go

Mia’s partner beat her for two hours in an attack so vicious she lost some of her vision and sense of taste and smell. She is undergoing further testing to see if the damage is permanent. 

After leaving the relationship, support services were so stretched that she found herself homeless for weeks and without adequate crisis assistance. 

❓What happened: West Vic woman Mia - not her real name - was in a relationship with a man for two years. She told the Brolga she’d never experienced family violence before, that it wasn’t “even part of her world”.

🗣️: “I’m an educated person who has been previously very strong, outgoing, spoke her mind,” Mia told the Brolga. “He broke me down to nothing.” 

After love-bombing and coercive control techniques that forced Mia to cut off her friends and family, she was isolated and vulnerable. 

• “It felt safer to stay, because I thought he would follow me and kill me. All my phone calls, he made me answer on speaker. He made me cut off my parents.” 

Earlier this year, matters escalated to a point Mia feared for her life. 

🗣️: “He punched me so hard I could only crawl,” she said. “I was terrified if I tried to run out the front door, he’d chase me and he’d kill me.” 

The attack began in a rideshare vehicle, before continuing indoors and involving a knife, power cords and a towel rack. The neighbours had heard her screaming and called the police.  

• “I remember being on the floor with a knife to my throat and him saying, ‘I’m going to kill you’ and ‘I know where your ex-husband lives and I’m going to kill him so your kids have no parents’.”

Mia drifted in and out of consciousness in her bedroom, and the last thing she remembered was thinking she had to find whatever pills she could to end her own life. 

She was terrified to go to police and make a statement, for fear of repercussions that could impact her family. 

• “I was petrified of something happening to my kids. I was so overwhelmed and confused.” 

Mia says one of the police officers who interviewed her following the attack broke down in tears at the sight of her injuries. 

Cries unheard: In the aftermath, Mia says she encountered well-meaning police officers and support services, but they simply did not have the funding or staff to adequately protect her. 

Mia was forced to relocate for her safety, and says a promise of funds from a DV support service to help move and pay a bond was not fulfilled. 

She said she was “blessed” to have her family and friends to act as a support network, but was aware many women are not as fortunate. 

• “I have the backing of my family, and I'm older. I have years behind me knowing how I should be treated,” she said. “There are so many young women who don’t know and have no support. They don’t have a floor to stay on for four weeks.” 

A national crisis: Australia-wide, one in four women have experienced partner violence since the age of 15. In 2025, family and domestic violence accounted for two in five homicides in the country. 

In Ballarat, the most populous hub in West Vic, a report from charity and community group the Ballarat Foundation showed family violence in Ballarat had increased by 28.8% in 2025, against a state-wide increase of 8.86%

The aftermath: Following the attack, Mia said she has struggled with substance abuse for the first time in her life to cope with the trauma. 

She’s also undergone various surgeries to fix injuries and infection sustained during the attack. 

After reaching breaking point, she attempted self-harm and was subsequently hospitalised in a psychiatric ward for two weeks. 

Mia said it had taken months for her to get access to a support group for survivors. She said that although there were services helping people leave violent relationships, there were gaps in what was available in the immediate aftermath.

Mia says her ex-partner was charged with offences related to the attack and that the matter is still before the court.

If you are in an unsafe situation and experiencing family violence, help is available through 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). 

In Western Victoria, Meli, Sexual Assault and Family Violence Centre, Emma House, Orange Door and Child and Family Services Ballarat are also available to provide resources and support.

If this story has raised mental health concerns, you can also contact Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) and Lifeline (13 11 14) 

👻 Tracking down West Vic’s most haunted buildings

Did you know that beneath the Ballarat Mechanics Institute (BMI), there are century-old witch marks warding off evil?

Darice took a tour of the BMI basement on the hunt for the most haunted spots in West Vic. Check out the video below for the full story.

On Your Feed 📱

Local contributor Michaela Beggs recently spent an evening at Sovereign Hill’s Winter Wonderlights display. Check out the video below to see what she got up to.