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

👋 Hello Gippslanders, it’s Jacob here.

🎤 On Wednesday, I spent a good chunk of my morning on the streets of Traralgon, asking locals about a range of issues. I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone that stopped and had a chinwag with me.

✍️ Yesterday, I spoke with Gunaikurnai Elder Lena Morris and the CEO of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Nick Ashburner, about they’re discussions with the offshore wind industry.

Ashburner said the partnership between the First Nations group and some of the offshore wind developers is still in the early stages, but future agreements could include job security, community benefits and environmental protection - not just for First Peoples but for the whole of Gippsland.

❝

Gunai/Kurnai people are going to benefit from this, but the conversations we're having are going to benefit the broader community as well, because we're ensuring the targets are local targets.

CEO of Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), Nick Ashburner.

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

  • 🎤 What the biggest problems in Traralgon are;

  • 🔨 How an agreement between a Gippsland First Nations group and offshore wind developers could lead to more local jobs;

  • 🪁 Our ultimate guide to family-friendly events in September, and;

  • 💧 New water usage regulation for Australia’s data centre industry.

🎊 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

🧺 FARMERS MARKETS 🥧

⁉️ Here are the answers to the Gippsland Monitor Quiz questions I sent out on Wednesday.

Feel free to email questions you think may stump our readers to [email protected].

✍️ GIPPSLAND QUIZ QUESTIONS ❓

  1. Who is Phillip Island named after?

    Arthur Phillip.

  2. What is the name of the railway worker buried along the highway 1.5km from Darnum?

    John Mollison.

  3. Which Gippsland town is home to the Holden Museum?

    Trafalgar.

  4. In which Gippsland town is Aygee Portino made?

    Traralgon.

  5. Which Gippsland town gave its name to a dim-sim cut in half and fried on the barbecue?

    Moe (the Moe Oyster).

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

🔍 HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🎤 Potholes, parking or crime: What’s the biggest issue in Traralgon?

The Monitor took to the streets of Traralgon to query residents on what the biggest problems facing Traralgon are. Take a look at what they had to say below.

🔋 Gippsland wind farm agreements promise jobs and revenue for Indigenous community and region

Gunaikurnai Elder Lena Morris remembers a time when First Nations communities were sidelined from developments, but things have changed.

As Gippsland’s offshore wind industry heads towards its expected 2030 construction start date, developers are regularly meeting with Morris and members of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) to discuss how the industry can deliver job security and community benefits – not just to First Peoples but the whole of Gippsland.

Different times: Most of Latrobe Valley’s coal-fired power stations were built between 1920 and 1990. Back then, developers were not legally required to consult with Indigenous groups about the historical significance of the land – or provide any kind of community benefits.

🗣️“We were excluded from any native title rights to the coal mines because of the government,” Morris told the Monitor. “They set the policies, and when they sold [the land] off to private investors, we're still excluded from it.”

That all changed after 1993, when the federal government passed the historic Native Title Act. 

Changes: Now, when big developers want to build on traditional land, they can enter into voluntary partnerships with First Nations corporations. Morris believes these agreements are leading to better outcomes not just for Indigenous communities but everyone in the region.

Read the full story here.

💃 Family-friendly events in Gippsland this September

🎉 The Monitor has compiled a collection of family-friendly events across Gippsland this August.

We will update this list as the month progresses, so if you have any suggestions for child-friendly events or activities for the whole family then send an email to [email protected].

Check out the full list here.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

How much water should data centres be able to help themselves to?

My colleague Archie Milligan from the National Account made a video about proposed new legislation for the data centre industry.

Most of Australia’s state and territory governments are looking at a new set of laws that would limit data centre water usage and force them to install efficient cooling systems.

Take a look at Archie’s explainer video below.

☎️ Call out. Next week, I’m looking to write a story on how housing and rental stress is impacting Gippslanders ability to pay for healthcare. If you’re a local who has forgone a doctors appointment or medicine because your mortgage or rent is too high, I’d like to chat to you about your experiences.

Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].

Thanks for catching up with us this week at the Monitor.

Cheers,
Jacob & the Gippsland Monitor team

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