Latest News
MP urges bureaucrats to find a better venue
MEMBER for Ripon Martha Haylett is urging the Victorian Electoral Commission to find a more suitable venue for pre-poll voting ahead of November’s election. In 2022, the VEC set up
27 June, 2026
General News
Regional recruitment drive attracts aspiring police
POLICE say they are encouraged by the response to a recent recruitment drive which attracted people from across...
26 June, 2026
Hotel development underway
CONSTRUCTION of the region’s first four star hotel in Stawell is...
Pink Push for new scanner
ARARAT RSL and a team of volunteers have set themselves an ambitious...
Housing project on track
CONSTRUCTION of the Beaufort Key Worker Accommodation Project in Burke...
Council & Politics
Funding boost for sport, arts and community groups
FROM a community outdoor gym in Stawell to a winter arts festival in Halls Gap and new hockey goals in St Arnaud,...
23 June, 2026
Another candidate enters the race
A fourth candidate has entered the race for the seat of Ripon. Ararat...
Council records strong community satisfaction results
ARARAT Rural City Council has welcomed the results of the 2026 Local...
CEO resigns
Ararat Rural City Council Chief Executive Officer Dr Tim Harrison has...
Rural & Agriculture
Bioenergy project targets 2028 gas production
MORE than a year after its last major public update, Ararat’s $400 million bioenergy project is still moving forward,...
21 June, 2026
Snake Valley unites against gorse
THE distinctive yellow flowers of gorse are appearing across the region...
Local News
Increased local crushing capacity key to scaling up canola production
EXPANDING domestic crushing capabilities will be key to scaling up...
Ararat News, Avoca News, Beaufort News, Stawell News
Fox bounty extended as $84 million flows to agriculture
LAST week’s state budget will deliver $84 million to support...
Lifestyle & Entertainment
Music and coffee for a good cause
STAWELL residents gathered at the Town Hall Hotel Lounge Bar recently for an afternoon of live music, coffee and...
10 June, 2026
GLOW festival countdown begins
HALLS Gap is preparing to shine again, with GLOW — Bringing Light to...
Beaufort ready for big art weekend
BEAUFORT will become a lively creative destination this King’s Birthday...
Grease tickets now on sale
DON’T be a beauty school dropout, be liked greased lightning and book...
Our People
Top award for Skipton grocers
THE staff at Skipton Country Grocers have been recognised for excellence at a recent awards ceremony. Skipton Country...
18 June, 2026
The long way home: Fifty years of friendship, service and community
FOR most people in Stawell, the Monaghan name probably arrives with...
Celebrating 45 years of dedication to education
AFTER nearly five decades of dedication to education, Beaufort Secondary...
Joyce Dowsett OAM recognised posthumously in King’s Honours
As the sun set on Stawell resident Joyce Dowsett’s life in September,...
Sport
Weir siblings carving their own path in racing industry
Taige and Bonny Weir are steadily forging their own identities in the horse racing industry, building early success...
26 June, 2026
Chris Young remembered for extraordinary legacy
Chris Young will be remembered as one of the region's greatest...
Baggies fall agonisingly short in after-the-siren thriller
An after-the-siren shot at goal proved the difference in a round ten...
Warriors claim biggest scalp of the season
The Stawell Warriors A-Grade netballers have claimed their biggest win...