THE tourism heavy-hitters in Bass Coast; including Wildlife Coast Cruises, Phillip Island Helicopters, the National Vietnam Veterans Museum, Harman Wines and the Cape Kitchen; they're all there. And there's an impressive line-up of other top local businesses in the running for the 2022 Bass Coast Business Awards and Bass Coast People's Choice awards. 'These awards highlight and acknowledge the achievements of local businesses. It is an opportunity for Bass Coast's business community to come together to network and share their successes,' said the shire when announcing the finalists at the weekend.

https://www.sgst.com.au/news/page/who-wins-bass-coasts-best-and-most-popular-business-awards

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LOCAL basketballer Dallas Loughridge has been selected to represent the Australian Gems under-18 Women's team. Loughridge is set to return to the Gems, following her performance in the 2021 Under-19 World Cup silver medal winning Gems team. Fresh off their Victorian Under-20 Women gold medal winning campaign at the Australian Junior Championships in Mackay, Queensland, the team is now set to star on the world stage. The Victorian representatives which include Nyadiew Puoch, Sophie Burrows and Tess Heal, earned the right to represent the Gems in the FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup held in Bengaluru, India from September 5-11.

https://www.sgst.com.au/sport/page/dallas-to-represent-gems-at-asia-cup

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BEAR Gully campground, located within Cape Liptrap Coastal Park, has been closed following advice that current camping and recreational activities may have impacted an Aboriginal place and artefacts. This comes after Parks Victoria (PV) received advice from First Peoples – State Relations (FP-SR) on the matter. PV has closed the site to ensure that there is no further potential for harm to Aboriginal cultural values at this site. However while a date of May 7 was set for the extent of the closure, it has now become indefinite.

https://www.sgst.com.au/news/bear-gully-campsite-closed

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JAMIE Dellamina could not be prouder of his daughter Lilly and her Victorian taekwondo comrades. Alongside her peers from Heenan Taekwondo, Lilly Dellamina recently attended the 2022 Korean Taekwondo Association of Queensland Interstate Open in Brisbane representing Victoria. Together they returned home with 100 medals across 400 events. Assistant instructor Cassy Heenan (2DAN) secured gold in the Manual Sparring event, whilst Lilly (BLUE 3), and local Bass Coast students, Seamus Donohue (RED 3) and Marisa Rinaldi (YELLOW 2) all secured a silver in manual sparring.

https://www.sgst.com.au/sport/page/success-interstate-for-local-taekwondo-students-1

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BUILDERS are expected to handover the new Wonthaggi Hospital on November 9, with Bass Coast Health (BCH) to then commence extensive testing and fit outs in preparation to officially take over.  As part of planning for the massive task of commissioning the Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion (WHE) and opening the new building, BCH staff, volunteers and community advisory committee members gathered for a full day workshop last week.  They discussed preparations already underway, and actions required to successfully transition into the new building.

https://www.sgst.com.au/news/bass-coast-health-preparing-for-commissioning-of-hospital-expansion

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SEVEN weeks out from a State election, there's a serious difference of opinion between Liberal-National coalition and the State Government about how they're handling the statie's housing crisis. In a statement from the Shadow Minister for Housing, Richard Riordan, labelled 'Empty Regional Housing Promises - Only a roof will do', Mr Riordan says the government should be judged on how many people they've housed rather than how much money they've thrown at it. The Andrews Government's 'regurgitated' commitment of 683 homes in regional Victoria is too little too late, he said in a statement on last week.

https://www.sgst.com.au/news/page/how-many-housed-not-how-much-money-they-say

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THERE aren't enough police, especially in rural and regional areas, and the government isn't doing enough to replace those leaving the force. That's the view of Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, who raised the issue in State Parliament last week, calling on the government 'to reverse the high attrition rate of Victoria Police leaving the force'. Ms Bath said law abiding citizens and victims of crime deserve action given the concerning, ongoing rise in crime in her electorate.

https://www.sgst.com.au/news/melina-bath-mp-worried-by-lack-of-police-are-you

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BASS Coast Shire Council is running a mental health first aid training event for members of the agricultural community as well as people and organisations who have regular contact with farmers. Council is encouraging organisations, businesses and networks that directly service and support or who are in touch with local agricultural communities to participate. These may be businesses such as financial services providers including accountants, banks and insurance agents; vets, stock agents, agriculture supply businesses, health care providers as well as community organisations.

https://www.sgst.com.au/on-the-land/farmers-what-is-your-strategy-when-depression-strikes-heres-help

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As part of the Liberals and Nationals' Local Shopping Strip Recovery Plan, Lang Lang will receive $200,000 to boost local business confidence. According to the Liberals and Nationals, Lang Lang continues to feel the pain that rolling COVID lockdowns and restrictions have had on the community. After discussion with the local Lang Lang Business and Community Group, the funding will be prioritised for the delivery of a grass seating area on an old rail site near the town's main street The commitment is part of the Victorian Liberals and Nationals' $30 million Local Shopping Strip Recovery Plan, which will support local communities across the state to recover and rebuild.

https://www.sgst.com.au/community/page/libs-and-nats-hatch-recovery-plan-for-lang-lang

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PHILLIP Island Nature Parks alongside South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association have rolled out 100 all-weather proof bins on commercial fishing boats, as part of the Bins on Boats Program since the trial in 2018. Created to stop commercial fishing rubbish from going overboard, the bins were happily taken on board by local fishing vessels as a sustainable fishing practice for the future. 'We had 100 specially designed bins on vessels and early signs show it has reduced the trawl net fragments that were entangling seals,' research scientist, Dr Rebecca McIntosh said.

https://www.sgst.com.au/news/page/no-rubbish-overboard-thanks-to-bins-on-boats

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Leongatha Community House is presenting new series of the workshops 'Cooking with Kids' Kids love to make items and come up with new creative ideas. What could be better than turning this into the start of a life skill? Learning to cook and bake is a great way for kids to learn how to think, solve problems, and be creative. It lets children use what they already know and put it to use in a fun way by counting, following an order, and following directions. Cooking also gives children a chance to try new foods they might not have tried otherwise, and it helps them figure out what they like and don't like.

https://www.sgst.com.au/cooking-with-kids-leongatha-community-house

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THE Federal Government's $1 billion commitment to biosecurity measures to protect domestic agricultural production and the environment from the incursion of overseas diseases is the headline number from Tuesday's budget for agriculture. But National Farmers' Federation president Fiona Simson said the announcement was bittersweet for farmers. 'We welcome the government's commitment to cement and increase baseline Commonwealth funding into the budget, including through some increased chargers on importers and travellers.

https://www.sgst.com.au/on-the-land/budget-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-for-farmers

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Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Melina Bath, has congratulated families and disability advocates for forcing the State Government to backflip on its decision to cut 85 Visiting Teacher Service jobs. The Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) supports children with disabilities and serious medical conditions statewide. Last month the government announced it was cutting 117 VTS specialised teaching jobs down to 32 to the dismay of students and families who rely on it. Ms Bath said it was good news for regional students and their families that the government had backed down, however the cuts should never have been considered in the first place.

https://www.sgst.com.au/news/melina-bath-welcomes-government-backdown-on-visiting-teachers

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