🦎 Is the Wonthaggi Monster real?

Plus: Party polls and power prices.

Author

Jacob Wallace
July 29, 2026

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

👋 Hello Gippslanders, it’s Jacob here.

If you’ve been wondering where all the Gippsland Monitor newsletters have been, blame my two-week break in Bali with my partner and some mates. I’d never been to Indonesia before and luckily the weather was ideal. I got plenty of sun and snacked on plenty of nasi goreng.

📸 There’s a lot to catch up on in Gippsland, but before we dive in, here’s a picture I took at Dreamland Beach in Uluwatu.

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

  • 🗳️ Victorian Labor killing off its Premier;

  • 💃 What’s on in Gippsland this August;

  • 🎤 Whether Wonthaggi residents have seen a local monster;

  • 🥧 The pies at a Newhaven bakery, and;

  • ⚡️ Whether big tech and data centres will drive up your power bill.

🎊 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

🧺 FARMERS MARKETS 🥧

⁉️ We’re also introducing a new segment to our newsletters: The Gippsland Monitor Quiz. The answers to the questions will be revealed in our Friday newsletter, so stay tuned and see if you can get five out of five.

✍️ GIPPSLAND QUIZ ✅

  1. Which mountain has the highest peak in Gippsland?

  2. What is the name of Gippsland’s largest inland waterway system?

  3. What is Gippsland’s longest river?

  4. Which explorer gave Gippsland its European name?

  5. What is the name of the bay that the cargo vessel SS Speke crashed on in 1905?

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

🔍 HEARD THIS WEEK👂

Jacinta Allan has stepped down as Victoria’s Premier, with her deputy Ben Carroll winning a caucus vote to become Premier.

The decision created a whirlwind within the Labor caucus, with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny making a bid against Carroll for the leadership.

👋 Bowing out: Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Allan said stepping aside was a “difficult decision”, but forcing a ballot would have wasted time and resources so close to the November 28 election.

  • “I believe I would have won,” she said.

🗯️ The fallout: Labor MPs met shortly afterwards to elect a new Premier, Deputy Premier and party leader.

  • In a surprise move, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny nominated for the leadership. However, mere minutes before MPs had to enter Parliament, they emerged to announce the party had decided to elect Carroll.

  • Oakleigh MP Steve Dimopoulos and Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams contested the deputy leadership, with Williams elected.

🐅 Have you laid eyes on the Wonthaggi Monster?

During an afternoon in Wonthaggi, the Monitor asked locals whether they had ever spotted the infamous beast known as the Wonthaggi Monster? And, if not, did they think it was real or a hoax?

Take a look at what they had to say below.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

Are big tech and data centres about to drive up your power bill?

Anthony Albanese has said that big tech developments like data centres will have to pay for their own power, but what type of power that will be is another question.

My colleague Archie Milligan from the National Account looked into how the growing power demand of data centres in Australia could impact the grid and your energy bill.

Take a look at the video below.

🎥 Watch: Caramelised pork pie from Newhaven review

In my never ending question to locate the most scrumptious Gippsland bakery pastry, I returned to Island Pies in Newhaven to have a bite of their caramelised pork pie.

Take a look at the video review below.

Thanks for catching up with us this week at the Monitor. I hope you enjoyed this issue of our newsletter.

I’ll be back in your inbox on Friday with the answers to the quiz along with more stories, event guides and informative videos, so stay tuned.

If you have any news tips, feel free to send them through.

Cheers,
Jacob & the Gippsland Monitor team

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