SOUTH WEST LOCAL NEWS- FRIDAY APRIL 24TH-2026

This morning on south west local news

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a man in portland found unresponsive by the portland foreshore

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brierly looking to light up during the winter months with a new collaboration ahead

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South West pensioners are being warned of a cyberattack targeting their bank accounts

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and in sport

dennington netball a grade forfeits this weekends game after club discussion

Transcript

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Live from Silverball Studios in Warnable. This is Southwest Local News with Shawna Rogers.

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Good morning and welcome to Southwest Local News. Tragedy has struck in Portland this morning with a drowning at the Foreshore Boat Ramp. A man was located unresponsive in the water at the Foreshore Boat Ramp near Lee Breakwater Road about 4.30am. The deceased is a 24-year-old Narawarren man. Police will prepare a report for the coroner. Brawley Reserve will be lit up in the early mornings and evenings to help women and girls feel more comfortable and confident participating in physical activities in the area during colder and darker months.

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The report has more.gov.au and identity theft helpdesk.

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Funding of$365 million for the CFA will be a part of the Victorian government's 2026-2027 budget, but no mention as of yet of funding for Southwest Brigades of equipment or infrastructure. The government has announced the funding will include$26.2 million for new stations, old station upgrades, and land acquisitions. This funding is for areas including Lakes Entrance, Charlton and Kingston. The overall pool of money will include$100 million for new pumpers and tankers. Well-being support, new protective gear and training will be funded to the tune of$22.4 million. A$217 million allocation will go to the forest fire agencies. The budget will be handed down on May the 6th. There will be a strong police presence on Southwest Roads this Anzac Day weekend. While it is not a long weekend, Anzac Day is traditionally associated with travel to attend events, and there is an increased risk of impaired driving on the public holiday. Operation Tribute will see police highly visible and enforcing across the state's roads in an effort to curb road trauma. It comes as 18 lives lost have occurred in 22 days during April on Victorian roads. Of those, eight have occurred on weekends. Motorists are also being warned to expect to be tested anywhere, anytime for alcohol and drugs. Small winds are helping Southwest Healthcare move towards a big prize. The fundraising campaign to purchase a breast tumour locator system continues to gain momentum. The breast tumour locator system will be an invaluable piece of equipment for Southwest Healthcare, allowing the identification of breast lesions that cannot be felt or touched. This potential life-saving piece of equipment comes at a cost of$120,000. This target has been chipped away at in recent times with a number of fundraising activities. This has helped the amount raised climb to$86,079. Upcoming fundraiser events including a screening of the Devil Wears Prada 2 on April the 30th and an event at All Seasons Nursery on May the 9th. Southwest Local News will provide a live broadcast of the Anzac Day Dawn and Mid Morning Services from Warnable. The dawn services commences at 6 a.m. with the mid-morning from 11am. There will also be an Anzac Day service hosted by the Dennington Community Association in Dennington from 8am. Road closures will be in place around these services. More diesel is on its way in Australia, creating some certainty for the agriculture and transport sectors in the Southwest. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an extra 200 million litres of diesel will arrive in Australia in late May. The diesel will arrive in Geelong, Brisbane, Sydney, and in Perth. The fight to stop people smoking has taken a huge step forward as the habit now moves closer to becoming illegal. The United Kingdom Parliament has signed off a bill that means people who do not reach the age of 18 before January 1, 2027, can never legally smoke. The final step, the royal assent from King Charles III, is expected to be given soon, making it law. The current age you can smoke in the UK is 18, but that will raise by a year each time January 1st comes around from now on. There have been no indications Australia will follow suit, with the federal government attacking smoking rates through taxation. The tax on cigarettes in Australia now means a standard pack of cigarettes exceeds$50. The Hamilton Model Aeroplane Club will be holding an aircraft display day this Saturday. Given it will be Anzac Day, the display will centre around warbird flying. This will feature Allied and Axis warbirds taking to the sky. While club members and their planes will be putting on a show, interested members of the public are invited to come along. The club's home is located on Biaduck North. The Dennington Football Netball Club will not field a team in A-grade netball this weekend against Naranda, forfeiting the game. The decision comes after a club meeting on Wednesday night. The club will field teams in the lower senior netball grades and juniors, as well as all football grades. Dennington has had a tough start to the 2026 season on the netball court with their A-grade team losing by 91 goals in round one and then 114 in round two, scoring just one goal. It has also been tough for the senior football, losing to all collegians in round one by 189 points, and to Allensford in round two by 316 points. The club also forfeited its reserves game against Allensford due to a lack of players. The club has stated a preferred longer-term option to the Warnerbull and District Football Netball League executive. Warnerbull District Football Netball League President Larissa Barclay said the league would work with its key stakeholders, Network Victoria and AFL Victoria, to assist Dennington through the process. Star Hampton League Junior Netball Indy O'Connor and Piper Stevens have made a national squad. The pair impress for Victoria at the National Under-17's titles, with their form winning them a place in the Australian squad. Those are two of just six Victorians selected in the squad. O'Connor's home club is Kroyt, with Stevens hailing from Camperdown. In July, the squads will enter national development camps. While Warnable may not have a win to their name, they do look capable of making waves in the 2026 Hampton senior football season. In the opening two rounds, the Blues have lost to reigning premier North Warnable Eagles, and on Saturday went down to crosstown rivals South Warnable. The loss to the Roosters was by 16 points, but the Blues were in the game all day. The Blues led at halftime by 22 points before the Roosters slowly but surely wound them in. The Blues will now travel to Kroyt on Saturday to take on the Saints. The Blues are set to welcome star halfback Talon Wayson back in the next fortnight. Dartmoor export Jeremy Cameron will bring some rare form into Geelong's clash with Port Adelaide on Saturday. Cameron kicked 10 goals last round as the Cats defeated the Western Bulldogs. Cameron missed the first game of the season, which the Cats lost and has made an impact since returning to the Geelong forward line. The versatile forward has kicked 17 goals as the Cats have won four of their last five games. A mostly sunny day over the state tomorrow with strong winds, and for Sunday, a cloudy system will cover parts of the state. Now further into the forecast. In Port Ferry tomorrow, a mostly sunny day with a top of 25 degrees and 40 kilometre winds. As for Sunday, 22 degrees and a partly cloudy day with light winds. 20 on Monday with a chance of morning fog and a sunny afternoon. In Malt Lake, tomorrow a sunny day with a top of 27 degrees and northerly winds. On Sunday, a partly cloudy day with a top of 25 degrees, a chance of morning fog on Monday with a sunny afternoon and light winds. In the Kolak and Camperdown region, temperatures are consistently hitting that mid-20. There'll be 35 kilometre winds tomorrow, and on Sunday a top of 25 degrees with a partly cloudy day, and for Monday, a chance of morning fog and a mostly sunny day. Mostly sunny along the coast with a top of 23 degrees tomorrow. On Sunday, a mostly sunny day with a top of 21. And Monday, a partly cloudy day with a top of 19 with a foggy start and light winds. Bringing it home to Warnable for the weekend, Warnable will be topping at 27 degrees tomorrow with a sunny day, dropping down to 22 on Sunday with still mostly sunny day and northwesterly winds. And for Monday, 20 cloud clearing and a chance of fog in the morning. 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.