🍅 Gippsland’s greenhouse future

🔍 HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🍅 Australia’s largest greenhouse tomato farm is turning to solar as gas prices bite

Growing the perfect tomato is a challenge. Farmers have to contend with volatile weather, soil quality and pests while hydrating the plant and hoping the fruit gets just enough sun to ripen.

Greenhouses across Gippsland are giving farmers the ability to control all these variables and produce tomatoes year-round, and industry leaders think advances in technology will make growing glass house crops more affordable.

Big tomato dreams: Chris Millis started growing tomatoes in a greenhouse over 30 years ago. He’s now the Chief Operating Officer of greenhouse company Flavorite, which owns six indoor farms totalling 70 hectares across Victoria.

• Flavorite’s flagship farm is in Warragul and houses Australia's largest greenhouse tomato production and an expansive indoor blueberry farm.

Millis told the Monitor there’s a lot of technological innovation happening in the greenhouse industry but one area he’s particularly keen on is utilising solar power and batteries to heat glass houses.

“The way we heat greenhouses can definitely be improved and made more efficient. We're pretty excited about that,” Millis said.

Read the full story here.

🚸 Mother's 4-year campaign delivers safer pedestrian crossing for Neerim South main road

After four budget submissions in as many years, Neerim South resident Emma Keft has got a guarantee from Baw Baw Shire council to construct a new safety crossing on the town’s main road.

What happened: At a council meeting in late June, Baw Baw Shire accepted a 197-signature petition calling for a safety and accessibility plan for Neerim South. 

The council then voted to allocate $75,000 in the 2026/27 draft budget to fund a raised pedestrian crossings on Neerim East Road and design a masterplan for future pedestrian crossing work in the township.

• Funding will be diverted from the Warragul South Urban Design Framework ($50,000) and a capital works program ($25,000).

Keft said the decision from council was “not only necessary, its long overdue”.

Read the full story here.

👶🏼 Council sells parkland for childcare centre to help ease Churchill waiting lists

Latrobe City councillors have unanimously agreed to sell a parcel of land in Watson Park, Churchill to the Victorian government for a new childcare centre.

What happened: Councillor Leanne Potter told a council meeting last week there were 16 submissions received from residents on the sale of land. The Churchill and District Community Association endorsed the decision despite some locals voicing traffic and parking concerns.

“Churchill is a growing community and with that growth comes a lot of responsibility, and that’s to make sure families have access to services and facilities,” Potter said.

• “At the moment Churchill has waiting lists for childcare - and that’s not just a mild inconvenience for working families, access to childcare is fundamental.”

Getting local: Churchill has a population of nearly 5,000, according to the 2021 census, but only a couple of early learning centres with limited availability.

• Councillor Potter told a council meeting in April that some Churchill residents are having to drive a 40-minute round-trip to Traralgon to drop their children off at childcare.

Read the full story here.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

Community independent MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender have formed a new political party.

My colleagues Huw Bradshaw from the North Shore Lorikeet and Archie Milligan from the National Account spoke this week about a story Huw wrote on the formation of the Community Strong Australia party.

Huw spoke with Steggall about why the party was formed, what the new political donation reforms have to do with it, and why she says the Senate is where they think they can actually make a difference.

Take a look at Archie and Huw’s chat below.