⏱️ This edition of the West Vic Brolga newsletter is a five-minute read.
👋🏻 Hey hey Brolga readers, Darcie with you today.
This week we’re covering:
🗯 Political forums filled with heckling;
🚔 Ballarat streets full of hoons;
🟠 Food insecurity in the southwest;
Plus the best spots to set up camp around the patch — for free 🌟
On Your Feed 📱
What should communities expect to receive as benefits from a wind farm project like Moreton Hill?
In the Central Highlands ⛰
Every candidate vying for a vote in the marginal seat of Ripon was advertised as speaking at a local candidates forum on Sunday October 4. The state seat is widely tipped as a three-horse race between Labor, One Nation and the Liberals, yet only one of those three, the Liberal candidate, made it to the stage.
The forum was organised by the Kingston and District Power Alliance, which has campaigned since 2020 against the Western Renewables Link (WRL), a planned high-voltage power line to carry electricity from new wind and solar farms in western Victoria to Melbourne.
The case against the WRL dominated the afternoon, and for landholders along the route the stakes are high. Across the wider electorate, though, polling research and focus groups suggests it isn't the issue deciding most votes:
"When you ask voters what actually keeps them awake at night, what is really driving their voting behaviour, it's overwhelmingly other issues," Kos Samaras, Director of Strategy and Analytics at political research and polling firm RedBridge Group told the Brolga.
🏎 Sick of hoons using Ballarat “as their own personal racetrack”, councillors vow to act… in 10 months
In response to receiving up to 2,000 complaints a year about hooning, Ballarat council will develop a plan to target those who Councillor Jay Morrison says treat “public streets as their own personal racetrack”.
What happened? City of Ballarat councillors voted unanimously on September 23 to develop a road safety strategy and action plan.
“Unlike other councils across Victoria, we currently don’t have a standalone policy,” Morrison told the chamber.
Councillor Des Hudson, an ex-police officer, said hooning was a “growing issue” and “more people think they can drive recklessly and get away with it - until the inevitable happens”.
Acting Mayor Ben Taylor said that infrastructure alone won't fix the problem.
“If human behaviour wants to happen, it will happen and it doesn’t matter where it is,” he said.
Blitz: Earlier this month, 28 drivers were arrested by police in a crackdown on “mainies” through Ballarat's central Sturt Street dubbed Operation Talladega.
One of the “alleged speedsters”, aged 19, was caught driving almost double the limit, clocking just under 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. He told police he was simply “keen to get home”. His car was impounded for 30 days.
What next? The council will work to develop a future road safety strategy and action plan, and outlined their commitment to partnerships with Victoria Police and education programs.
Funding will be sourced in the 2027/28 budget.
In the Southwest 🌊
Two incomes are no longer enough for some families in the south west to keep their fridge full, according to Geelong Food Share.
What’s that? Geelong Food Share is a not-for-profit organisation that works to provide healthy food to residents across Geelong and western Victoria who might not otherwise have access to it.
The organisation rescued more than 174,000 kilograms of food in 2025, which made up about 2.9 million meals, feeding 20,000 people every week.
Current landscape: Head of impact Felicia Bell told the Brolga demand for Geelong Food Share’s services has climbed significantly in the Colac Otway, Golden Plains and Warrnambool areas and about 70 percent of people turning to food shares have never had to before.
She said in Colac Otway alone, the organisation’s deliveries rose by about 220 percent since Covid.
“Food insecurity [in Colac Otway] is pretty much double that of the state. Nearly 14.5 percent of people are facing severe food insecurity in the Colac Otway region versus the state average of eight percent,” Bell said.
She cited loss of employment and domestic violence as common drivers for newcomers to food share agencies.
As the days get longer and warmer weather approaches, it’s the perfect time to plan your next getaway under the stars. Here are six places to camp without paying any fees.
Firth Park
Set among Wombat State Forest, Firth Park is a camping spot with walking tracks and plenty of space for tents. There is also a horse yard and access to tracks through the forest, while nearby Daylesford offers a base for supplies and exploring the region.
Location: Firth Park Road, Gisborne
Facilities: Toilets, fire pits, bush camping and picnic tables, sites for tents/swags and small caravans, bring your own water
Booking required: No
Pet friendly: Yes
Annya Campground
The Annya campground is situated near the 3km Annya Loop Walk which winds around Annya Swamp, with a bird hide and opportunities to spot koalas, kangaroos, emus and native waterbirds. Heywood is the closest town.
Location: Annya Road, Hotspur
Facilities: Toilets, fire pits and picnic tables, sites for tents/swags and caravans, bring your own water
Booking required: No
Pet friendly: Yes
Big Bend
Set on the banks of the Wimmera River in Wail State Forest, Big Bend is a riverside camping spot surrounded by river red gums. Visitors can fish, walk along the river or watch local birdlife, with Dimboola and Horsham nearby.
Location: Big Bend, Wail State Forest
Facilities: Picnic tables, suitable for tents/swags, caravans and campervans, no toilets, water or fire pits listed
Booking required: No
Pet friendly: Yes
And that’s all, folks! 🫶
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Cheers,
Darcie