Dairy leaders say a volatile overseas dairy market is behind tumbling milk prices throughout Australia, including Colac district. Dairy Farmers Milk Co-operative director Michael Roache said low milk price announcements from Victoria’s major dairy companies were a blow to the industry. Embattled dairy company Warrnambool Cheese and Butter revealed it [...]

A Colac Otway Shire councillor’s suggestion has prompted local government representatives to call for a nationwide recycling scheme. Representatives from the Municipal Association of Victoria along with Yarra Shire Council representatives at a national local government conference in Canberra called on Environment Minister Peter Garrett to push for a nationwide container deposit [...]

Police and emergency crews experienced a dramatic 24 hours on the Princes Highway east of Colac. Police diverted traffic on the highway at Warncoort for more than eight hours because of a damaged power pole before responding to a single-car accident at Colac East the next day. Sergeant [...]

The developer of a Colac district broiler farm has agreed to include odour-reducing technology as part of his final plans. Broiler farm developer John Lemic agreed to include the new odour-reducing technology in the sheds of the proposed Beeac broiler farm. Mr Lemic agreed to the new technology in a [...]

Former employees of replaced Colac employment agency Jobfind have all found new jobs. The Federal Government’s new employment network Job Services Australia started on Wednesday, replacing JobNetwork. Colac’s Jobfind Centre, formerly Your Employment Solutions, was part of JobNetwork but failed to receive a new contract in a Federal Government $4-billion [...]

The Prime Minister’s knowledge of Colac and district affairs has surprised a Colac Otway Shire councillor during a conference in Canberra. Cr Lyn Russell met Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during a four-day national general assembly of the Australian Local Government Association. She said Mr Rudd was “very knowledgeable” about [...]

A multi-million-dollar civic centre redevelopment has sparked debate among Corangamite Shire councillors adopting the council’s new budget. The council’s $33.7-million 2009-10 budget included a $2.5-million allowance for a proposed redevelopment of Camperdown’s civic centre. Other budget items included a $14-million capital works program and a $6.7-million allowance for the [...]

Colac has endured its second-driest first half of the year since records began. Colac received 167 millimetres of rain from January to June this year, the second -driest first half of the year since records started in 1883. The first six months of 1967 were the driest on record, with [...]

Colac police have caught a hoon driving at 180 kmh. Police first noticed the driver on the Princes Highway near Pirron Yallock on Saturday evening. Senior Constable Adam Johnston said a man refused to stop in his car when police attempted to pull him over. [...]

Tickets to an award-winning Australian author’s inaugural appearance at Lorne next week have sold out. About 150 people will attend a meet-and-greet session on Tuesday with author Tim Winton. Winton will be at Lorne Beach Books as part of an inaugural regional tour to discuss his novel Breath, which won [...]