🗞️ The headlines 🗞️

⛴️ “We’re treading water”: Flagstaff Hill’s million-dollar costs creating concern for Warrnambool council

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village is costing Warrnambool City Council close to $1 million a year to operate. With visitor numbers falling short of expectations, councillors are questioning how long the city can continue carrying the burden without government assistance.

What happened: Last Monday, councillors unanimously adopted the quarterly financial report from January to March. It found the council's short-term financial position was sound, but raised questions over the longevity of the city’s maritime village and museum.

• The concerns were raised during discussion of the report, with councillors pointing to declining patronage and the cost of operating the site.

High maintenance: Councillor Debbie Arnott said Flagstaff Hill was costing the council close to $1 million each year and questioned whether the community was receiving sufficient economic benefit from the attraction.

• “Patronage for the quarter was lower than expected,” she told the meeting. “I do know that it's tired. It needs a complete revamp.”

• Arnott said plans existed to upgrade the facility but urged state and federal governments to contribute funding.

• “As a council, this is a huge drain on our resources,” she said.

The numbers: According to Warrnambool City Council, the site attracts an average of 180,000 visitors annually, including the ticketed museum and village and the free-entry visitor information centre.

• Day passes into the village range between $54 for a family pass, and $9.50 for children over five years old. Night passes, including the sound and light show, are priced between $86 for a family pass and $18.50 for children over five years old.

• The site often hosts free events and workshops, and a local ambassador program allows Warrnambool residents to visit Flagstaff Hill for free.

Long-term decline: A 2024 report found the council-operated attraction was on a downward trend before the pandemic, recording a loss of 30,000 annual visitors between 2009 and 2019. 

Just holding on: Councillor Richard Ziegler told the Brolga that while the council is currently maintaining the museum, it “wasn’t in a position to be able to update things or keep it as fresh as it needs to be for a tourist attraction.” 

• “We're treading water at present, but we're not sure how long that will last,” he said.

A worthwhile investment: Despite his concerns, Ziegler said Flagstaff Hill had “been marvellous for us for years and has been acknowledged as an important maritime museum”.

• “There are amazing artefacts from shipwrecks along the south-west coast that can't be seen anywhere else”, said Ziegler, before adding visitor numbers were no longer supporting the level of investment needed to keep the attraction competitive.

• “It needs to be freshened up and put back on the stage as a viable maritime museum that is up to date, but that takes money,” he said.

• “Museums have a limited appeal to the latest generation. They need stuff that keeps them interested.”

🗞️ The headlines 🗞️

📖 How Dolly Parton became an unlikely literary hero for West Vic

More than 60,000 books have been delivered to the kids of Glenelg Shire, for free, over the last 13 years. And the source of this massive donation might come as a surprise to West Vic residents: American singer/songwriter Dolly Parton. 

What happened: The Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) has been partnering with United Way Glenelg and Alcoa for more than a decade to deliver books to families and kids each month. Globally, DPIL has provided more than 300 million books. In Australia alone, 30,000 are dispersed every month. 

🗣️: “Wherever I go, I get parents and grandparents coming up to me and saying it’s so good to get a book in the mail every month for their child.” United Way Glenelg executive officer Nicole Carr told the Brolga. 

What’s DPIL? Carr said the books are age-specific and predominantly sourced from Australian authors. 

Embracing the DPIL initiative in the west became an obvious decision for Carr when she was trying to think of a way to forge deeper connections with the community and make a difference in the very early days of childhood. 

🗣️: “We looked at school readiness rates, and felt that we could use an early literacy program.” 

✒️ Pen is mightier: Carr told the Brolga the positive impact of reading goes far. 

• “From birth we should be reading and creating,” Carr said. “It’s bonding, as well as the listening skills and concentration skills and oral language. All of those things come from reading.” 

• “With technology, or both parents working, we forget to read. The book in the mail is a really good prompt. The child will often see the book and say read it to me.” 

A study by Macquarie University PhD candidate Claire Galea looked at 343 families receiving books through DPIL in the New South Wales town of Tamworth. The results showed that reading to a child four times a week, for as little as 10 minutes, means they are more likely to show increased literacy skills when they enter school. 

Islands in the Stream: Carr said Parton’s name opens a lot of partnership doors for the initiative. 

🗣️: “Initially, I wasn’t a massive country listener. Obviously Dolly has grown on me significantly and in 2014 I had a chance to meet her and to say thank you on behalf of our community.”

Next chapter: The program remains robust and thriving in West Vic. Carr told the Brolga they recently celebrated their 1000th high school graduate that was part of the program as a child. 

A local mother has been sending photos of her son reading the monthly deliveries since infancy. He’s now three years old with a little sister, who he now reads to as well. 

🏞️ Warrnambool Council adopts 15-year plan to enhance city’s green spaces

With 169 open spaces and parkland “three times the standard,” Warrnambool isn't short on green, but a new plan is hoping to maximise it further with the Open Spaces Strategy 2026-41. 

❓What happened: At the June council meeting, Warrnambool Council unanimously decided to update the region’s open spaces with a focus on walkability, shade and tree canopy. 

Open what now? “Open space” is the council definition of local spots like parks, reserves, playgrounds, sports facilities, walking trails and natural areas. 

Andrew Mason, Warrnambool City Council CEO, opened the topic to the chamber and said open spaces, like parks, sporting facilities and walking trails, are an important factor in the livability of a city. 

👥 What people said: Councillor Debbie Arnott said she was pleased to support the adoption. 

🗣️: “We all recognise the vital role they [open spaces] play in the health and wellbeing and connectedness of a community,” Councillor Arnott said. “They are essential community assets for residents of all ages.” 

Councillor Willy Benter said the per capita and per square meterage of open spaces in Warrnambool is three times the state standard. 

🗣️” We are known for our open spaces. This strategy gives a good roadmap, and highlights areas that need to be better.” 

The councillor also flagged that weather protection is a key component of the strategy. Councillor Matt Walsh acknowledged the rich array of natural assets in the shire. 

🗣️: “We are very lucky - we have parks, gardens, coast. The more we can utilise, the better.” 

Looking back: In the past, the Warrnambool City Council has spent hundreds of thousands on maintenance of parks and recreation spaces. 

• In 2025, the council spent $1.5 million on updating facilities at Walter Oval. 

• In the same financial year, the council spent $600,000 updating footpaths throughout the CBD. 

⌚ What next: Specifics related to the strategy, like funding and locations, are yet to be seen. 

🍷 West Vic’s top wine bars, from rooftops to National Parks

Wine bars are an excellent place to indulge and take a vibrant trip around the globe through vino. We’ve collated the best bars to drop in for a glass of the best local wine – or something more international. 

Did we miss your favourite spot? Shout out at [email protected]

Bar Merenda 

Bar Merenda serves not only a lush array of wine, but also an a la carte menu made up of locally grown produce that rotates weekly. 

The seasonal menu ensures whatever season you’re dining, the vibe will be matched. The wine selection is constantly rotating as well.

Where is it: 117 Vincent Street, Daylesford 

SIP Champagne Bar

As the name suggests, this venue is highly specialised to the finer things in life. 

The food is French, the champagne authentic, and the entertainment options include burlesque shows, champagne towers and live music. 

Where is it: 428A Sturt Street, Ballarat Central 

Grampians Wine Cellar 

Not many wine bars can claim to call a National Park home. Grampians Wine Cellar stocks all of the best wines of the region in one place, with abundant green views surrounding it. 

Where is it: Shop 3/2 Heath Street, Halls Gap 

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I looked into an Infrastructure Victoria report on extreme weather damaging public assets, and did some of the math around how that could look for the ‘Rat 🚘️