SING A SONG: From left, John Modra, Rod Morgan and John Angel provided entertainment as The Three Kings at South West Do Care’s Christmas luncheon yesterday.

A Colac truck driver said the city would become a “ghost town” if authorities approved a proposal for a heavy vehicle bypass.
Peter Lloyd, who has driven trucks for 18 years, said calls to divert trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles from the city centre were absurd.
“I just think it’s crazy, I don’t think they can do this safely and if they do, they’ll make Colac a ghost town,” he said.
Mr Lloyd said a petition urging authorities to consider building a causeway across Lake Colac would reduce tourism in the city. 
He said Otway Business Inc’s More Than You Imagine Colac marketing slogan would be irrelevant if tourists were discouraged from travelling through the central business district.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

Colac’s Healthwise Pharmacy is offering people a simple solution to managing medication.
Pharmacist Lorraine Nyamhamba said Dose Administration Aids, also known as Webster packs, were suitable for all ages but were particularly beneficial to elderly people.
“It’s free to all veterans because it’s part of us giving back to the community,” Miss Nyamhamba said.
She said Dose Administration Aids reduced the chance of missing doses because days of the week were marked on the pack and aids were easily portable compared with carrying several bottles of medication.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

DOSE: Colac Healthwise Pharmacy’s Lorraine Nyamhamba with the Dose Administration Aids.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

Colac’s Andrew Kelly is one of many investors making the most of a government incentive in a first home buyers boom.
The 25-year-old joins several young people in Colac and district entering the real estate market for the first time.
The increase being a likely result of the Federal Government’s First Home Owners Grant, which increased to $29,000 for a new home and $17,000 for buying an existing home from July last year.
Mr Kelly said he bought his block at Elliminyt three years ago but delays with the contract worked in his favour because he would now receive $29,000.
“The grant was definitely an incentive but when I originally wanted to start building it was only $14,000,” he said.
“Because I had delays I ended up getting the $29,000, which will be a nice bonus.”  
Mr Kelly started building his double-storey home in October and said he would put the grant money towards furniture and landscaping.
He said his home would feature a master bedroom with walk-in robe and bathroom, pool room, study, lap pool, outdoor spa and alfresco area, which looked over Colac.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

NEW HOME OWNER: The Federal Government’s First Home Owners Grant was an incentive for Colac’s Andrew Kelly to build his new double-storey home at Elliminyt.

A Colac woman is rallying for support in a bid to divert trucks from the city centre.
Pat Heffernan has started a petition for a heavy vehicle bypass across Lake Colac.
Mrs Heffernan said she wanted authorities to consider building a causeway across the lake as an alternative route for trucks instead of Murray Street.
“People have been complaining for up to 60 years and they are still complaining,” she said.
“What an ideal time to do it while the lake is empty.”
Mrs Heffernan said trucks endangered pedestrians and other Murray Street road users and were noisy, particularly for shop owners.
“It’s not only the noise, it’s the wearing out of the roads,” she said.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

PETITION: Pat Heffernan is collecting signatures in support of a truck bypass across Lake Colac.

Colac’s Connie Wilson plans to go for gold after winning a top award for Toyota dealerships across the state.
Mrs Wilson received a silver award at the weekend, recognising her as the top business manager for Toyota dealerships across Victoria last year.
She said she would now compete against other silver winners from each state to vie for the national award.
“I’ve won bronze for eight years and I just thought it was time to have a crack at silver
so it has been a year’s effort,” Mrs Wilson said.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

AWARD WINNERS: Colac Toyota’s Connie Wilson, left, John Williams and Bree Woodcock.

Controlled burns of Colac district bushland are underway.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment started its autumn burn program this week with a 36-hectare burn at Lorne.
Otway Fire District DSE Burn Controller Andrew Morrow said he expected crews to complete the fuel reduction burn, spanning Seymour and George street properties at Lorne, late yesterday.
“We are looking to ramp things up and make the most of the opportunity in favourable weather conditions,” Mr Morrow said.
“This is the prime period to achieve fuel reduction in parks and forests,” he said.
Mr Morrow said the DSE were also patrolling a planned burn of about 315 hectares at Gold Hole, near Barongarook.
“We’ve started a larger burn at Barongarook which links in with a previous fuel reduction burn in 2007,” he said.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

BURNS: From left, Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Andrew Morrow, Terry Ouroumis and Alison Bromley help manage fuel reduction burns.

A Colac district business is doing its bit for the environment.
Barongarook’s Greg and Bev Vesey took over Burning Hot Sugar Gum three years ago and encourage people to consider environmentally friendly ways of keeping warm this winter.
The couple supplies sugar gum plantation firewood to Colac and district and Mr Vesey said the trees produced a bio-fuel, which was a better heating alternative. 
“It’s a better fuel. There’s a misconception that wood is more harmful for the environment but it’s not, it’s a brilliant product,” he said.
Mr Vesey said wood fires offered several other benefits compared with electrical or gas heating units.
“People come back because reverse-cycle air conditioners are very expensive to run and they don’t run all night,” he said.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

FIREWOOD SUPPLIERS: Barongarook’s Greg and Bev Vesey are preparing for a busy winter.

A Birregurra artist describes her studio as a “home away from home”.
Teresa Culkin-Lawrence spends hours in her studio, creating illustrations for children’s books, painting and print making.
Mrs Culkin-Lawrence said she waited about 16 years before she had her own studio and could not live without it.
“I’ve sat in corners of houses for such a long time and now I’m here, I don’t know what I did without it. The shed is full,” she said.
Mrs Culkin-Lawrence and her husband Robin moved to Birregurra from Melbourne two years ago and only recently built a shed to use as a studio.
The art studio is decked out with the comforts of a couch, television, stereo and coffee machine.
But when it comes to business, the studio also has a printing press, sketches, paintings, and a soaking bath for paper etchings.
“I approached a shed company and got them to build a shed and I wanted plywood but I discovered I needed a bit of homeliness so I put the couch in here,” Mrs Culkin-Lawrence said.

For the full story, see the current edition of The Colac Herald.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Birregurra’s Teresa Culkin-Lawrence spends 12 hours a day in her art studio working on a children’s book series.