🦎 What’s on in Gippsland this month?

Jobs for mates, gigs and Quigs.

Author

Jacob Wallace
December 05, 2025

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

👋 Hello Gippslanders, it’s Jacob here.

In this Friday edition of our newsletter we’re talking about:

  • South Gippsland council’s plan to turn part of Venus Bay back into wetland;

  • The federal government’s coastal protection plan to make Gippsland communities more resilient to increasingly frequent, severe and dangerous weather events;

  • December live music and family-friendly events; and;

  • The National Account’s report into whether the federal government will do anything about its "jobs for mates" problem.

📸 First of all, here’s a snap I took of Quigley staring at a cow or two along the rail trail around Loch. Honestly, Quigley was more concerned about the cows than the cows were about Quigley.

✍️ If you didn’t read my story earlier this week about the difficulties facing Latrobe Valley community outreach programs in the face of rising youth homelessness, I think it’s worth reading for the first hand experience given by Gippsland Youth Spaces co-chair Jewel Burchell-Robbins and local resident Linda Reid.

❝

There’s been a massive spike [in youth homelessness], especially around our region. Young people don’t have safe spaces to go to a lot of the time.

Jewel Burchell-Robbins, Gippsland Youth Spaces co-chair

🎊 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

🧺 FARMERS MARKETS 🥧

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🚀 Alright, let’s jump into the Monitor’s latest yarns, local interviews and silly videos!

🔍 HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🏝️ After 48 years, Venus Bay could be returning to the swamp

A 1977 study said building houses on Venus Bay "never should have occurred" as it was built on salt marsh and was vulnerable to flooding. The study - from the Conservation Council of Victoria - suggested the state government buy back empty blocks and restore the land to salt marsh and mangroves. 

The advice went unheeded and development continued. Now, nearly five decades on, South Gippsland Council has endorsed a plan that might save the town from flooding.

What happened: On November 26, South Gippsland council unanimously voted to undertake a feasibility study that will look into restoring 324 hectares of the Venus Bay peninsula’s farmland to salt marsh and mangroves.

  • The $80,000 feasibility study will be paid for by the state government through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) as part of the Cape to Cape Resilience Project.

Councillor Sarah Gilligan told the Monitor modelling showed restoration of the peninsula’s salt marsh and mangroves could protect the town against flooding during severe weather and extend the lifespan of Venus Bay's sole access road.

The report will also investigate how restoring the salt marsh slowly over the next 30-35 years could:

  • Increase biodiversity in Venus Bay.

  • Act as a carbon sink to absorb pollution from the atmosphere.

🗣️ “Mangroves and salt marsh are a fantastic way of absorbing storm surges. It's a natural way of building a wall,” Gilligan said.

🎸 DECEMBER EVENT GUIDES 🧺

🕺 There’s plenty of live music, dancing and fun to be had in Gippsland this December. Here’s our list of the best local gigs this month.

🙌 If you know of any shows you think we should add, don’t be afraid to email [email protected] with your suggestions.

The yuletide holiday marathon for school-aged children is around the corner, so the Gippsland Monitor has done some investigating and put together a collection of family-friendly Christmas and New Year events across the region.

🙌 The Monitor will be updating this list as the month progresses, so if you have any suggestions for children-friendly events or activities for the whole family then send us an email at [email protected]

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

My colleague Archie Milligan from The National Account put together a video on a new report commissioned by Labor , which found politicians were giving their mates cushy jobs in the public sector when they leave office.

Archie delved into whether the Albanese government is likely to adopt any of the report’s recommendations to combat the practice - surprise, surprise, it’s not looking likely.

Check out the video below.

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🎥 Watch: $18.4 million in coastal protection works 🏝️

I recorded a video explaining the process I went through to try and get details on new coastal protection works in Gippsland announced by the federal government. The projects include a 250-metre-long wall that will be built on the Silverleaves shoreline to prevent against erosion.

Check out the full video explainer below.

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Thanks for catching up with us this week at the Monitor. I hope you enjoyed this Friday issue of our newsletter. I’ll be back in your inbox next week with more local stories, explainer videos and December event lists.

If you have a story that you think is being underreported in the news, a piece of local history or a scenic picture that you’ve taken then feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] and share your stories with us.

👋 Have a great weekend everyone.

Cheers,
Jacob & the Gippsland Monitor team