Newsletter: The cheese monster

Plus: Is petrol or electricity cheaper?

Author

Jacob Wallace
June 03, 2026

⏱️ This Wednesday edition of our newsletter is a six-minute read.

👋 Hello Gippslanders, it’s Jacob here.

On Monday, I put together this video I filmed with Scotch Hill Truffle Farm owner Ron Geritz and his dog Boogie aka the “cheese monster”.

Geritz was kind enough to show me around his Neerim South property and give a rundown on how he grows black truffles. He also showed me how he trained Boogie to be able to hone in on the pungent underground fungus nugget.

Take a look at the video below.

👀 Looking ahead. In this week’s newsletter we’re talking about:

  • 💧 Latrobe City Council’s decision to scale back a water playground in Traralgon;

  • 🥧 A Thai chicken pie from Cafe Biscotti in Cowes;

  • 🚗 A Gippsland retiree who hosted an electric vehicle event in Wonthaggi, and;

  • 🏉 Whether we need better concussion rules in Australian sport.

🎊 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

🧺 FARMERS MARKETS 🥧

🚀 Alright, let’s jump into the Monitor’s latest yarns!

🔍 HEARD THIS WEEK👂

As volatile fuel prices are hitting the wallets of car owners around the country, more Gippslanders are considering choosing a fully electric vehicle (EV) as their next car to save on petrol and maintenance costs.

That’s according to South Gippsland resident Sharon Willcox, a retired health policy consultant who has been hosting events to educate locals about the benefits of EVs.

What happened: On Sunday, Willcox assisted South Gippsland Conservation Society in putting together an EV information event at ArtSpace in Wonthaggi.

Willcox told the Monitor she was able to recruit 11 local EV drivers, with 11 different models of EVs, to attend the event and talk to the 70 attendees about the cars and how to charge and maintain them.

The 11 electric vehicles parked in front of ArtSpace in Wonthaggi.

“We had everything from BYD and Tesla, to Fiat and Volvo, to XPeng and Hyundai.”

ArtSpace’s two EV chargers were used to illustrate how to pump up the battery.

Price comparison

In comparing the price between EVs and petrol cars, Willcox said: “You have to consider the whole picture: The upfront, maintenance, fuel and servicing costs.”

A new water playground planned for Victory Park in Traralgon has been scaled back after Latrobe City Mayor, Sharon Gibson, used her casting vote at a meeting last week.

What happened: The council published the Victory Park Master Plan for community consultation late last year. The plan included the development of a new aqua play zone  in the middle of the Traraglon park.

Part of the proposal was to build a water play area where children could use manual pumps, buckets and channels to transport and move water around.

A map of the water park play space in the Victory Park Master Plan.

At a council meeting last Monday, Councillor Adele Pugsley moved an alternative motion to remove the northern part of the play area, which would have sat next to the northernmost picnic pavilion, citing concerns about cost and water usage.

Councillor Dale Harriman also supported the scaling back, pointing to maintenance costs and existing water play facilities at the Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre, about 1km away.

Bring on the water works

Councillor Leanne Potter opposed the change, as did Councillor Joanne Campbell, who said: "I can't see why we're making this water park smaller when we've got a growing population."

The vote

The vote was 4-4, with Gibson using her casting vote to trim the water park.

Have you ever woken late on Sunday morning, dazed and confused on your couch, and made the foolish error of taking a gander at your bank balance on your phone?

🍻 These days, going for a night out with friends or family can have a seriously detrimental impact on your finances, so the Monitor is here to try and mitigate future damage.

📧 If you have any suggestions for happy hours we should include in this list, feel free to send us details at [email protected]. 

Don’t forget to drink responsibly, tip your bartender if they’re helpful and never drink and drive.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

Does Australia need a culture change when it comes to head knocks and concussions in contact sports?

My colleague Archie Milligan from the National Account spoke to a professor in neuroscientist from the University of Queensland about concussions in sports and whether more should be done to prevent lasting damage.

Take a look at Archie’s video on the topic below.

🎥 Watch: Cafe Biscotti Thai chicken pie review 🥧

In my enduring quest to find Gippsland’s most delicious pie, I visited Cafe Biscotti on Phillip Island and taste tested the Thai chicken pie.

Take a look at the video review below.

Thanks for catching up with us at the Monitor. I hope you enjoyed this issue of our newsletter. I’d love to hear from you - let me know what you like, what you don’t, and how we can best serve our communities.

☎️ Call out. I’m interested to speak to a Gippslander who has installed solar panels and a home battery on their property. If that’s you, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

I’ll be back in your inbox on Friday with more videos, local yarns and Gippsland events, so stay tuned.

Cheers,
Jacob & the Gippsland Monitor team

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