Zara’s latest stories 🗞️

Warrnambool Bowls Club secures Timor Street home in $500,000 deal

A $52-a-year lease will be torn up and replaced with a $500,000 land sale, giving the Warrnambool Bowls Club ownership of its Timor Street home and paving the way for a long-discussed third green and all-weather roof.

What happened: Warrnambool City Councillors unanimously approved the sale of 81-85 Timor Street to the Warrnambool Bowls Club at last Monday’s meeting, ending a lease arrangement that still had 18 years left to run.

• Under the existing deal, the club would have paid council $936 by the time the lease expired in 2043.

The background: A 15-year caveat attached to the sale will restrict the site to community bowling and public recreation uses, preventing housing or commercial redevelopment during that period.

• Community consultation drew strong support, with 52 of 55 submissions backing the sale.

What did councillors say? Councillor Debbie Arnott said the current arrangement delivered little financial return to council.

“It’s a nominal amount, it’s barely $1 a week,” Arnott said. 

• She said the club’s $500,000 offer, to be paid in three instalments, would provide “a significant financial boost” while helping secure long-term community benefits.

• Councillor Billy Edis said the current lease “encumbers any future development by the Warrnambool Bowls Club because they don't own the land.”

Questions raised: Not all councillors were immediately comfortable with the proposal.

• Councillor Richard Ziegler said concerns had been raised about “the probity and the land values around this particular sale”, but after reviewing the independent valuation and legal advice, he supported the motion.

• Councillor Matt Walsh said residents who objected on planning grounds would still have opportunities to raise concerns through any future planning permit process tied to clubhouse redevelopment plans.

Read the full story here

💰️ Warrnambool council has $1.1 billion worth of roads and buildings, but not enough money to maintain them

Warrnambool ratepayers own $1.1 billion worth of roads, bridges, playgrounds and public buildings, and a fresh council report shows the cost of keeping them standing is rising faster than the money available to maintain them.

What happened: Warrnambool City Council received its latest State of the Assets report last Monday, which assesses the condition of council-owned infrastructure. It warned of mounting pressure on renewal budgets over the next decade.

• Council chief executive Andrew Mason said the report highlighted the “continued challenge” of maintaining such a large asset base.

What was found: Councillor Matt Walsh described the findings as “pretty stark”, pointing to a funding shortfall in roads and buildings “well north of $15 million”.

• “We have millions and millions of dollars of assets that if we don't put money into them, they will fail,” he said.

• Walsh said the report should give residents a clearer understanding of the financial balancing act facing council as it weighs up infrastructure renewal against other spending priorities.

The renewal gap: Councillor Billy Edis said Warrnambool’s harsh coastal environment was accelerating the deterioration of roads, buildings and other public infrastructure, deepening what councils refer to as the “renewal gap”.

• “We get to that terrible phrase, where the money that it's going to take to maintain these is going to be far more significant than what we do have to provide the maintenance,” Edis said.

What does it mean? The report is expected to shape the council's long-term financial planning and future decisions about whether to accept or build new community assets.

• Councillor Richard Ziegler said every new playground, building or facility added another long-term maintenance obligation for ratepayers.

• The report flagged growing pressure on renewal budgets as Warrnambool’s infrastructure network ages and expands.

• Several key figures - including the total 10-year funding shortfall across all six asset classes - were not publicly detailed during the meeting.

Who pays for it? Mayor Ben Blain said councils could not keep pace with rising infrastructure costs without greater state and federal government support, particularly as Warrnambool grows towards a population of 50,000.

• “We've got over a billion dollars worth of assets that we're trying to manage, while managing the growth that we're seeing within our city as well,” Blain said. “The only way we're going to get that, though, is with support.”

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🚧 The state government has announced $700 million for roads in regional Victoria - is it enough?

For many years, the roads in West Victoria have been the ire of locals. Floods, heavy rainfall and a lack of action have led to several stretches of regional road becoming treacherous.

🗣️ “Sometimes it feels like a gamble just to head down to the shops," Riley House, a Ballarat local living in Miners Rest, told the Brolga.

Reputational damage: A portion of the Western Highway, between Ballarat and Stawell, has been labelled “the death stretch” with more than 170 crashes between 2015 and 2024. It’s just one of many lengths of road in the region in desperate need of repair.

Now, the Victorian Government has assigned $1.04 billion to fix road infrastructure throughout the state, with 70% of this allocated to regional and rural areas. 

Andrew Robinson, another Ballarat local, said he found the announcement lacklustre.

🗣️: “Basic maintenance that has been postponed is not an election or even budget platform,” he told the Brolga. “If I do not spend $10 on maintenance over four years and after four years I suddenly say ‘look, I’ve got $40!’, it’s nothing special. It’s not additional money.” 

❓What happened: Earlier this week, the Allan Government unveiled their budget plans for 2026 - 2027. Among many promises, a significant amount of funds were designated to the improvement of road infrastructure. 

Minister for Roads Ros Spence declared it a “record investment” that would see approximately 200,000 potholes fixed, as well as updates to bridges, road signs and arterial roads. 

🌏The bigger picture: In the last few years, roads throughout West Vic have taken a beating. 

• Record floods and stormweather during 2022 and 2023 saw more than 150 roads closed, with several remaining saturated for months. 

• This saturation debilitated the road, creating a sizable vulnerability to pothole formation. This has been worsened by heavy truck traffic on regional routes.

🗣️: “Going anywhere at night is pretty much a write-off if you don’t have the roads, like, memorised.” House said. 

⛈️Calm before the storm: The extreme weather conditions driving this damage are expected to increase. 

As the world warms, the atmosphere holds more moisture. In Australia, this has meant rainfall events that are high in intensity as well as increased floods. In January, flash floods along the Great Ocean Road in Wye River, Lorne, Kennett River, and Separation Creek caused hundreds of locals and tourists to be displaced. Several vehicles and caravans were swept away by floodwaters. Damage to some sites totalled in the hundreds of thousands. Roads were closed in both directions for hours, and sustained long-term damage. 

These weather patterns are a trend that is forecast to continue, according to Victoria’s Climate Science Report.

• Specific to West Vic, the report found daily rainfall extremes could increase by 8 percent per degree of global warming. 

• By the end of the century, flood risk is likely to double if emissions continue to rise. 

⌚What next? 

Shadow Roads Minister Danny O’Brien said the announcement was not enough, and against inflation would make little difference. 

“Frankly, it’s not enough because the government has neglected our roads for over a decade.” 

Escape plans: For locals looking for a quick solution to the shoddy road network, there’s only one easy solution: move.

“The best thing about going on holiday outside of Ballarat is being able to drive on something smooth,” House told the Brolga. “It’s truly terrible.”

🥙 Where to get lunch under $20 in Ballarat

In Ballarat, there’s a huge selection of vibrant options that offer both satisfaction and a digestible price point. If you’re passing through on a road trip or you’re a worker looking for a quick bite on your lunch break, nothing hits the spot better than a decent feed from a local business. 

Here are the spots to get your midday meal for under $20 in the ‘Rat. 

Sushi Noodle 

You can’t lose with sushi, or dumplings, or full bowls of delectable meals cooked right in front of you. 

This spot is an institution that won’t break the bank. 

Menu highlight: $5 pork dumplings 

Where is it: 225 Mair St, Ballarat Central VIC 3350 

Brown Hill General Store 

Image: Brown Hill General Store

Brown Hill General Store is on your way into and out of town, with a deliciously greasy array of toasted sandwiches and gourmet pies awaiting your appraisal. 

Menu highlight: Bacon and egg turkish roll, with double bacon, double egg and homemade BBQ sauce for under $15 

Where is it: 407 Humffray St N, Brown Hill VIC 3350 

HM Wrap & Roll

Does it get better than a Bánh mì to revitalise you in the middle of the work day? This is a spot holding up the honour (and reasonable price tag) of the beloved Bánh mì in the heart of Ballarat. 

Menu highlight: Crispy pork belly Bánh mì with a Vietnamese coffee thrown in for a few extra dollars 

Where is it: 1/3 Eastwood St, Ballarat Central VIC 3350 

Tin Roof Ballarat

Tin Roof is a blend of creative cuisine, leafy views and gorgeous Ballarat heritage aesthetic in an old cottage. Cafe owner Yvonne is an ever-constant, warm present and will ensure one of the best meals of your week that doesn’t cost an arm or leg. 

If you want a perfect brekky burger or a spiced wonton bowl, this is the place. 

Menu highlight: Traditional chicken and lambo gyros 

Where is it: 302 Macarthur St, Soldiers Hill VIC 3350 

Racers Cafe

Image: Racers Cafe

Racers is a spot keeping alive the ethos of the old-time diner - a huge menu, open late and bursting with neighbourly cosiness. You can order anything from salad to curry to waffles to souvlaki. 

Menu Highlight: Focaccia that rotates daily, served with chips 

Where is it: 2 Wendouree Parade, Lake Wendouree VIC 3350 

Saigon Allee

Image: Saigon Allee

This spot is so tastefully decorated with vibrant art pieces and mood lighting that you’d expect prices that defy the lunchtime budget. 

It’s a pleasant surprise that a decent chunk of the authentic Vietnamese menu is under $20, and it’s sincerely delicious at all hours of the day. 

Menu highlight: $19 tasting platter 

Where is it: 30 Armstrong St N, Ballarat Central VIC 3350

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