Zara’s latest stories 🗞️

💲 Skipton Rec Reserve was vital during recent bushfires, but has been begging for funding since 2017

Skipton’s recreation reserve has missed out on state funding yet again, despite nearly a decade of lobbying for female-friendly change rooms and upgraded community facilities in a town still recovering from January’s bushfires.

The background: A $37 million joint state and federal bushfire recovery package was announced last week, aimed at supporting communities impacted by the January 2026 fires.

• The recovery package includes funding for more than 100 temporary modular homes for uninsured or underinsured residents; 

• Extra legal support for families, businesses and farmers;

• And a boost to rural financial and wellbeing counselling services for fire-affected communities.

Missing the mark: Corangamite Shire Council mayor Kate Makin said on Monday the state cash would not address the clear need for upgrades at a facility used to provide relief and support during extreme weather.

“We welcome any funding from the state government with bushfire recovery,” Makin, who believes significant gaps remain, told the Brolga.

• Corangamite Shire Council says the Skipton Recreation Reserve redevelopment project has been “shovel-ready” for years, but was overlooked in this month’s state budget. It continues a frustrating pattern for the small rural community.

A long journey: Skipton Football Netball Club secretary Simone Smith said in a statement locals had been pushing for the redevelopment since 2017, missing out on two election commitments, three state budget bids and multiple grant applications along the way.

• “We have remained apolitical throughout this process but it seems that both state and federal governments continue to ignore the urgency and necessity to fund this important infrastructure,” Smith said.

What do they need? The proposed $2.5 million upgrade to the Skipton Recreation Reserve would include female-friendly change rooms for footballers, netballers and umpires, accessible public toilets, improved lighting, storage and upgraded social spaces.

Read the full story here

🧸 “Anything is better than nothing”: What will actually fix Skipton’s childcare crisis?

A Skipton mother driving almost an hour round trip to Beaufort for childcare says local parents have reached the point where “anything is better than nothing”, as debate grows over how the town’s early years services should expand.

What’s going on: Corangamite Shire Council voted on April 28 to renovate and expand the existing childcare facility on Montgomery Street. To do so, it applied for funding through Victoria’s state government Education Department to add a modular building on the site to make more room.

Childcare desert: Council documents describe Skipton as a “childcare desert”, with just 0.537 childcare places available per child. It also acknowledges the ongoing challenges the town faces with attracting more childcare staff to work.

Better than nothing: Local parent Laura Liston said while many families would have preferred a larger integrated childcare and community hub, most were now simply desperate to see action after years of searching for a solution.

• “From a parent’s point of view, we just want something, anything for our children,” Liston told the Brolga. “But if it’s not on the cards, we’ll be happy with whatever council can come up with for us.'“

“It’s unfortunate that we actually have to drive to Beaufort, because it’s more like an hour round trip for us to do so, rather than 10 minutes for us to get into Skipton”, she said.“We end up doing our shopping in Beaufort, we go to the doctors in Beaufort, we go to the pharmacy, we get fuel there.

Long wait times: Sydney has been on Skipton’s childcare waiting list since he was only weeks old.

• “It took Hugh 18 months to actually even get a place at Skipton,” she said. “Even if I do get Sydney a place and Hugh ends up going to kinder next year, I won't be able to get them in on the same days.”

Council’s fix: The council’s proposition of an extra modular building would introduce a nine-hour-per-day childcare program operating five days a week for 50 weeks of the year, creating 24 extra childcare sessions weekly and adding 33 licensed childcare places.

• But Skipton Community Collective’s Gordon Fyfe said the town needed to think bigger.

Feasibility study: The Community Collective formed in 2023 after at least 26 families reportedly missed out on childcare placements over two years.

• With $50,000 in funding support from both council and Berrybank Wind Farm, the collective commissioned a feasibility study examining the town’s long-term childcare needs.

• Fyfe said the study found council’s modelling underestimated demand because it only considered families within Corangamite Shire, despite many surrounding farming families from Pyrenees and Golden Plains also relying on Skipton’s services.

Weighing up options: Corangamite Shire mayor Kate Makin said council had considered both the community feasibility study and its own Early Years Plan before deciding to pursue the modular building.

“With the changes of kindergarten, which sees council deliver 30 hours of pre-prep by 2031, it means we just don’t have the room up there,” Makin said. “If we can get the funding to do these buildings, it actually increases the ability to run kindergarten and long-term child care as well.”

Still room to move: Makin said the modular approach would still allow the council to revisit future expansion if needed.

Read the full story here

Darcie’s latest stories 🗞️

💗 Three generations of the same family have been running this Ballarat store since 1976

The Campana family has been operating their shop since 1976. This year, they'll celebrate 50 years of continued business.

Campana’s is a Ballarat institution, and the shelves read as an encyclopedia of local producers, winemakers and breweries. The deli is also the heart of three generations of family memories. 

🖼️ Family portrait: The original supermarket that now operates as Campana’s Cellar & Deli was purchased by Ezio Piero Campana in 1976. Ezio emigrated to Australia from Italy at 18-years-old following World War II.

“He came from a tiny little town of 200 people, about an hour and a half north-west of Venice, called Merlo - like the wine, but with no T”, Serge Campana, Ezio’s grandson, told the Brolga. 

In Australia, Ezio met Silvia, a second-generation Italian immigrant whose family had moved following World War I. 

They purchased the deli, at the time a supermarket with three locations, and went into business with Silvia’s twin sister and her husband Hector. Ezio became known around town as Peter Campana. 

Eventually, Hector left the business for Melbourne. Tony Campana, Ezio’s son, came on board at 19-years-old and went on to run the business with his wife, Leeanne. His children have since stepped into the role - Meg, Serge and Lou. 

📸 Kodak moments: Meg Campana has fond memories of time spent with her grandfather in the store, especially as a child. 

“My favourite childhood memory would be coming here after school. We were kids that got to see our nonno everyday. Walking into the store and seeing him would be my favourite memory,” She told the Brolga. 

Ezio died in 2012, but was still working shifts in the shop at the age of 81.

Serge recalls causing a ruckus often. 

“You don’t know much as a kid, but I remember running up and down the aisles, and hiding under the empty boxes. There used to be cardboard bales, and we would jump off the shelves into the bag.” 

⌛ Through the years: Now a standalone espresso bar, delicatessen and bottle shop, Serge Campana told the Brolga there are relics of the original supermarket around the Ballarat CBD. The transition from supermarket to bottle shop occurred in the 1990s, as popular supermarket chains like Woolworths and Coles increasingly held the monopoly.

“When big chain stores come to town, it can crush little independent businesses.” Meg said.

Survival of the fittest: The shop has gone through several transformations. It’s a sign of the family’s ability to move with the times. 

Meg told the Brolga the deli part of the shop was introduced in 2005.  

• “Mum and Dad were quite innovative, wine and cheese go together and that’s something we enjoy. How can we bring that to the store and keep evolving?”

♥️Local heartbeat: While generations of Campanas have run the shop, generations of Ballarat locals have shopped at the deli, too. 

“Families have grown up and older generations, their grandparents came here, and now their kids come through.” Serge said.

“We are a small family business. Myself and my brothers are third-generation and the second-generation, Dad, is still here all the time,” Meg said. “We’re always up for a chat, we like focusing on small-batch local stuff.” 

The store stocks an astounding selection of West Vic-made wines, beers and cheeses. The coffee used in the espresso bar is even a unique, one-of-a-kind blend made by local roaster Karon Farm Coffee. 

Honouring tradition: The family has worked with local producers to collaborate on beers and even a card range. They also released their own label, Bellevino. 

• “Campana in english means bell, and vino is of course wine, so we developed a brand that’s a tribute to our nonno’s house back in Italy and created a wine label.” 

The shop has been through half a century of change, but the family at the core have shown what can be done with local spirit and a lot of family love. 

“It’s a tough gig working in a family business,” Meg said. “But it’s something that we would never change”. 

Read the full story here

🍷 The best wineries to try in West Vic

West Vic is known for delectable, cool-climate wine. Lower temperatures mean slow-ripening, and a huge burst in flavour. 

No one does winter vino better than these local spots. 

Attwoods Wines 

Attwoods is off the beaten path, but well worth it. Nestled in the forest, this winery feels like a holiday from reality where the only view is kangaroos. Their cellar door is award-winning, and an excellent spot for a luxurious lunch at the restaurant, Le Bouchon at Attwoods. 

Highlight: Pinot Noir 

Where is it: 260 Green Gully Rd, Glenlyon 

Eastern Peake Vineyard 

Eastern Peake produces scrumptious wine that is a popular boutique seller to restaurants around the country. They have been growing their own grapes since 1983, and the winery remains family driven. The next-generation, Owen, also launched LATTA, a negociant wine label. 

Highlight: Grenache 

Where is it: 67 Pickfords Rd, Coghills Creek 

Read the full story here

🦢 From Gold Rush swamp to Olympic venue, Lake Wendouree has anchored Ballarat for 170 years

Lake Wendouree is a cornerstone of life in Ballarat, well-known to all locals, swans, and even kangaroos during a decade-long drought in which the lake became an open field. 

But the history of the lake goes beyond being a natural slice of the landscape. 

With past lives as a swamp, olympic rowing grounds, and a local example of the Millennium Drought in live action, the history of Lake Wendouree is rich.

The name itself: The story of the name follows settler William Cross Yuille.

• “It comes from a swear word, sort of one of the rudest things you could say. A Wathaurong woman was fishing there for eels, and she kept telling him [William Cross Yuille] wendaaree.”

Dr Waldron said wendaaree is a word meaning an iteration of “go away”, or potentially something stronger. The misunderstanding led to the name the waterway remains known for today - and several surrounding suburbs. 

Read the full story here

On Your Feed 📱

⛰️ This week, we deployed some locals-only trivia to see who could guess this beloved West Vic spot.