When Energy Australia announced the closure of its ageing Yallourn coal-fired power station five years ago, the company set aside $10 million to prepare the site’s 450 workers for life after coal. 

But with the closure date less than two years away, one employee told the Monitor they haven’t seen a lick of that money.

“It's alright to tell everyone you’ve got this money, but there's really no leadership from the organisation in terms of providing a link with training providers [for workers] to then utilise those funds.”

The employee, who asked to stay anonymous because their job could be made redundant in 2028, said some Yallourn workers had been able to negotiate retraining into their contracts – but many employees were still waiting for paid time off and training courses to prepare for the plant’s imminent closure.

Read the full story here or watch a short video about it below.

For Morwell Taxis owner Godson Poomoottil, vandalism and destruction of his cabs is a regular occurrence.

Two weeks ago, Poomoottil discovered two of his cars with their number plates ripped off. Often, he’ll return to a parked up cab in a public street and find the taxi dome lights have been completely smashed.

“We put all 13 cars on the road and try to do our best, but when these kinds of things happen, it doesn’t only affect myself as an owner, it impacts the whole community,” Poomoottil told the Monitor.

Read the full story here.

🎊 The weather has finally started to heat up in Gippsland and with it comes festivals, fairs and carnivals to celebrate.

To help you plan ahead, the Monitor has compiled a list.

📧 If you have any suggestions you’d like to share please email us at [email protected].

Check out the list here.

Should old school race cars with cigarette advertising on them be banned?

In 1973, the Australian government decided to phase out tobacco advertising and over the next decades it was removed from posters, broadcasts and packaging. But cigarette advertising can still be seen on some old school cars.

My colleague Archie Milligan from the National Account made a video on this loophole, check it out below.