SOUTH WEST LOCAL NEWS- FRIDAY APRIL 17TH-2026

this morning on south west local news

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regional round table discusson for road advocacy in local shires,  

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Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur backs a petition against restricting gun use

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extra diesel supplys secured for the south west as new shipments arrive

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and in sport 

local export taylor byrne takes part in a dramatic finish to last nights afl game

Transcript

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This morning on Southwest Local News, regional roundtable discussion for road advocacy in local shires. Member for Western Victoria, Bev MacArthur, backs a petition against restricting gun use. Extra diesel supplies secured for the Southwest as new shipments arrive. And in Sport Local Export, Taylor Byrne takes part in a dramatic finish to last night's AFL game.

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Live from Silver Bowl Studios in Warnerville. This is Southwest Local News with Shana Rogers.

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Good morning and welcome to Southwest Local News. A roundtable hosted on the 16th of April gathered perspectives and real-world experiences on Victoria's road conditions with mayors and CEOs from Victoria's largest regional cities. Cities invited on the advocacy list included Ballarat, Miljura, Wadonga, and Horsham, among others, with Warnable Mayor Ben Blaine chairing the major roundtable. Those who attended included mayors, freight operators, farmers, and tourism leaders who called for a$2 billion regional roads package ahead of the 2026 election. Councillor Blaine warned that deteriorating road conditions across Southwest Victoria are putting lives at risk and hitting the region's key economic drivers, freight, agriculture, and tourism hard. Stakeholders, including the neighbouring Mayor of Kurangamite, Kate Macon, committed to sharing available data and case studies to strengthen the case for funding. Member for Western Victoria Bev MacArthur has backed a petition aimed at stopping further firearms, restrictions, and reforms in Victoria.

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I'm not saying firearms laws don't matter. Of course they do. But Victoria already has some of the strictest firearms laws in the country. And the overwhelming majority of licensed shooters comply with them. They comply because they understand the seriousness of firearms ownership and believe in doing the right thing. The petition is about something simpler. It asks, will the government consult honestly with those affected before making changes? Or will it once again arrive at a predetermined conclusion and then dress it up as consultation?

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A boost for Southwest residents driving diesel-reliant vehicles with the federal government announcing it has secured 100 million litres of additional diesel. This will come from two shipments from Brunei and South Korea. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the additional fuel can be directed to where it is needed most, including to farmers and regional communities. He said the agreement strengthens Australia's fuel security by ensuring additional cargoes are delivered to the domestic market when and where they are needed most. A tribute to our servicemen and women will be held in Portland this week. The Brown Slouch Hat, a salute to the Anzacs and Vets production, will be staged at the Portland Art Centre on April the 17th. The show will star acclaimed tenor Roy Best and International Soprano Alison Jones. Compare will be Christopher McKenna. The performance will include versions of songs from acts such as Bob Dylan, Tom Jones, and John Denver. It will be a prelude to Anzac Day remembrances in the city of the following week. This was on show recently at the Lighthouse Theatre in Warnerville, where members of the group heard from a high-profile guest. CEO of the Settlement Council of Australia, Maria Demopoulos, spoke to the gathering. The refinery produces half of Victoria's and 10% of the nation's fuel. The concept for the Blue Light Disco came about to provide a drug and alcohol-free environment fully supervised for young people to go and have a night out. While it started in Melbourne, the concept soon made its way to country areas. In Warnerville, the old palace building was a venue, as was the old youth space in Henna Street. A local fundraiser is bringing the community together this Saturday in support of women's health, fertility, and pregnancy loss. Fitness sessions will be held at 7, 8, and 9am at the Elevate Gym with a suggested cash donation of$20 to take part. All funds raised will go directly to the Wish Collective, an organization supporting local women right here in our community. A coffee and food van will be available on the day. Unfortunately, sailing just left. It was an emotional end in round six for Byrne. For the second season in a row, Naranda and Russell's Creek will meet in a night game blockbuster at the Reed Oval. Last year's clash saw Russell's Creek defeat the eventual Warnable and District premiers in a high-class game. Another exciting clash is expected on Saturday night with Naranda looking to bounce back after a round one loss to Allensford. Creek come into a game on the back of a solid win over the South Rovers. There'll be plenty to play for when Allensford and Dennington meet in round two, Warnerville and District A grade netball. Both teams are coming off disappointing first round losses. The dogs ran into a red-hot old collegiance in round one and suffered a 91 goal loss. The Cats were also unlucky to hit a team in form, losing to Naranda by 28 goals. Both Allensford and Dennington were finalists in 2025 and will be looking to take a small step towards heading in the right direction. Cobden and Port Ferry will be keen to open their 2026 Hampton accounts on Saturday. The Seagulls will host the bombers after both teams suffered first round losses. Port Ferry went down to Portland and Cobden down to South Warnable. Both started underdogs in those games, but will both be expecting to grab a round two victory. In what is shaping as an even season, early wins will be valuable. Taylor Collins, formerly known as Taylor Ralph, hits the track this weekend in the Netherlands for the FIM World's Racing Championship. This is off the back of round one, where Taylor sat ninth on the leaderboard in Portamayo, locking in 14 points in the season opener. Taylor's hit the track today for practice laps and the Super Pole, and tomorrow she'll begin her first race at 8 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. Back across the Southwest, it will be partly cloudy over the Southwest with frosty starts tomorrow and Sunday. Now further into the forecast. Over in Malt Lake, tomorrow topping at 18 degrees with a cloudy day, overnight temperatures will be dropping to as low as two. And on Sunday, only a possible shower with overnight temperatures falling to three. And for Monday, a partly cloudy day, topping at 22, and overnight temperatures dropping to eight. In the Kolak and Camperdown region tomorrow, 18 degrees. 20 on Sunday with a partly cloudy day and a chance of morning fog. For Monday, a sunny day with a top of 22 degrees. In Port Campbell, it's a cloudy day tomorrow with a top of 15 and strong northwesterly winds. Sunday, 18 with a possible shower and morning frost about the ranges. For Monday, showers are shifting with a top of 18 and light winds. Home to Warnerville tomorrow, a top of 17 degrees with light winds. Sunday 21 with light winds from the north. And Monday 20, partly cloudy, as for Tuesday, temperatures should be creeping up to 24 degrees. That's it from your Southwest Local News team this morning, and thank you for tuning in. Remember, you can also watch this bulletin online at southwestlocalnews.com.au. Until Tuesday morning, with peace, have a great weekend.