SOUTH WEST LOCAL NEWS- WEDNESDAY JUNE 24th-2026

This morning on South West Local News.

Police seek information about a fraudulent bank card used at stores in Warrnambool.

The latest report card shows our Ambulance Officers are the most efficient in the state.

Emmanuel College embraces the cold at its Big Freeze MND Fundraiser.

And a special round of local football and netball this weekend, with an important message.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

This morning on Southwest Local News. Police seeking information about a fraudulent bank card used at stores in Warnerball. The latest report cards showing how ambulance officers are the most efficient in the state. Emmanuel College embraces the cold, raising money for the Crystal Lee Foundation. And it's fourth, a special round of local football and netball this weekend with an important message.

SPEAKER_08 0:29

Live from Silverball Studios in Warnaball, this is Southwest Local News with Liam Fitzgerald.

SPEAKER_04 0:36

Good morning and welcome to Southwest Local News. Police are appealing for information regarding fraudulent uses of bank cards on November 30th, last year, at a shop on Mort Lake Road in Warnable. It's believed the males pictured may be able to assist police with their inquiries. If you have any information, please contact Warnable Police Station on 5560133 or reported anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 1-800-333000. Warnable remains one of the most efficient ambulance services in the state in terms of response times. The first quarter of 2026 shows Warner ambulance response to calls within 15 minutes at a rate of 82.4%. That is clearly above the state average of 66.4%, and second only to Horsham on 82.7%. Ambulances in the Glenalgshire area have followed this lead, improving their response time to the start of the year. From January to March, the average Kobon response time of getting to a job in Glenalg within 15 minutes rose from 71% to 73.9%. The average decrease in timeline with this was 38 seconds. Well, the cold water was flowing at Emanuel College yesterday, raising money for the Crystal Lee Foundation. And as Shauna Rogers reports, the water was certainly very icy.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Hundreds of Emmanuel students gather here at the Emanuel stage to get together and raise money for the Crystal Lee Foundation. We're talking students, teachers, and community members getting done for a good course.

SPEAKER_05 2:24

The Crystal Lee Foundation is close to Emmanuel's heart, and yeah, they were really keen to do something quite big for it, which was great. So they were involved in the whole running of the event. So they um come up with the concept, um, they do the promotions, communications, how we're going to fundraise, set all of those sort of things up. So it's a really good thing for the class to get involved in, and it just gives them that opportunity to you know sort of think about how they can do something for others that might be in need. So yeah, they they did a really good job.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

We've invited some of the school captains, teachers, our principal, yeah, and some um yeah, of our class students.

SPEAKER_07 2:58

The Crystal Lee Foundation is the recipient of the fundraising of today's big ice dunking event. I was really pleased I came along and spoke to the kids organizing the event last week. And they were so excited and listened so intently to me talking about the work of the foundation. It was really heartwarming to see that. I think it's a really wonderful way to keep the memory of Crystal alive. Crystal was a student at Emanuel College, although she had left long before any of the students that are here now. And I think it's really wonderful for the students now to see that legacy that Crystal left behind in inspiring the start of a charity.

SPEAKER_04 3:42

Top marks for dedication, Shauna. Well done to everyone involved. Motorists using Reguland Parade in East Central. Warnable this week can expect delays due to road works. Road maintenance crews are carrying out rebuilding work on the section of Ragland Parade between Flaxman Street and Japan Street. The works are expected to continue for the whole week. This section of road has become dangerous with the opening up of large potholes as a result of the latest rain. Commuters on the Melbourne to Warnable train line will notice some extra passengers as police ramp up enforcing antisocial behaviour. Antisocial behaviour on the trains is being targeted through what police have called Operation Pinkerton. This has seen the Warnable Neighbourhood Policing Unit travelling on trains and having a presence on the stations along the line. The operation is seen as a deterrent and as a way of getting feedback on law and order from those using the trains. Women's health and well-being Barwan Southwest CEO Jody Hill says the social stigma attached to the process of performing CPR was the primary reason for the low rate of intervention regarding women. Studies show this stigma can be due to concerns about inappropriate contact, such as hesitation to expose a woman's chest. The women's health group has donated a mobile defibrillator to the Warnable Daybreak Rotary, which will be mounted to the club's event trailer. The Victorian Farmers Federation is confident the first case of H5 bird flu found in Australia will not cause a major spread. The first case of the flu in wild birds in Australia has been confirmed on the southern coast of Western Australia. It is a highly contagious strain that can cause serious disease in birds and other wildlife species, but there are currently no detections in Victoria. Victorians are reminded to stay aware and report any unusual bird deaths. This strain of bird flu is different from the H7 strains that we were detected on Victorian poultry farms back in 2024. The plight of the Darlington CFA has been raised in Victorian State Parliament. Member for Polworth Richard Reardon this week asked the responsible minister when she would act on a request to relocate the CFA shed to a new site. It has been situated on private land for a long time and the owner is now looking to use it. The MP told Parliament the location of the Darlington shed makes the CFA unit a vital cog in the firefighting machine in the Western District.

SPEAKER_09 6:30

And the question I ask is when will she fund and relocate the Darlington CFA shed? For two years now, Minister, the community of Darlington and the local CFA have been requesting the relocation of their shed. The shed has been provided free of charge for the last 50 years by a local landowner who has given plenty of time for this government to fund its relocation from his land to some community land some 100 metres down the road. It's simply not good enough. The goodness and the common-heartedness of the local landowner has been taken advantage of. The community, the Darlington CFA, the landowner and others in the region immediately really, really, really want your answer on when that shed will be moved because without a Darlington CFA, our Western Victorian Plains are at risk, the Darlington Midway Speedway is at risk, and the community itself will be at risk.

SPEAKER_04 7:25

Certainly an important part of the area. The state government has outlined its plans to make amusement rides safer. The new regulations will come into effect on July 29. The new compliance will require amusement rides to adhere to new registration, safety and maintenance standards. Ride owners must always keep operating manuals and maintenance logbooks on site for inspection. Work Safe will also play its part with inspectors able to shut down rides if operators give misleading information or rides become unsafe. It's all part of an occupational health and safety amendment. The Neurat Show may be one of the best in the country, but its committee is not sitting on its hands. The show committee is seeking community feedback on how it can make the iconic event even better. A new strategic plan is being developed by the committee, which will be driven in part by community feedback. This feedback can be given by filling out a survey at the Neurat Show Facebook page. Submissions will be received up to the close of business this Friday. As we turn our attention to some local sports news now, it'll be a very special coming together this weekend for the local football and netball community. The Hamden Football Netball League, the Warner Football Umpires Association, and the Warner and District Football and Netball League will be all part of the Connect Cup. The Connect Cup was founded three years ago by former champion footballer Matthew Jaley in memory of his late brother Paul. All clubs, associations, and leagues involved will raise money and awareness for suicide prevention. Raffles are being held with all proceeds going to fund the accidental counsellor project. Players and umpires will wear yellow armbands on the day. The organization that raises the most money through this raffle will win the Connect Cup, which it will hold for the next 12 months.

SPEAKER_06 9:19

It's unreal. And the umpires has been unreal. So yeah, it's it's grown, which is which is good. Just seeing people come together, you know, it's the Connect Cup, Connect ground, so just seeing people come together and maybe some that haven't been to the footy or go to the footy netball regularly, and they perhaps come along. But um, yeah, just see some conversations happen and some money raised and um yeah, some good footy and netball. So yeah, it should be a good weekend.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Yeah, so we're really excited to be part of this. It's got a pretty meaningful connection with our clubs, and um, as we know, our you know, culture's everything within our clubs, and having that opportunity to to be together on the weekend and during the week and and talk. So it's a fantastic initiative, and we're so excited to be part of it and um essentially just open up that conversation and and remove that stigma around suicide and mental health.

SPEAKER_03 10:08

Yeah, so last year Matt Jaley approached the league to go league-wide um after some success with Carewright and North Warnable in the first two seasons. So um we're really proud to be a part of it. Obviously, um on the back of Matthew Jaley's brother Paul, who had a connection at both Carewright and North Warnerville. So we're more than happy to jump on and again get the message out. And with the connection with Lifeline was really important too. Um, you know, a big thing was with the fundraising that we were able to achieve last year alongside um the organising group, we're able to get, I think it was about 12 to 13 people um trained in that accidentally counsel course from Lifeline, which obviously is a really important thing, and just making sure that you know people can um have got the skills to just check in on those who may be struggling, um which was a really good thing for us.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Uh we're absolutely proud to be able to uh offer our support for the Connect Cup. It's a great initiative. Um obviously prevention of suicide is a great thing to get behind, and um any part that we can play, even being so small as what it is, we're proud to do so. A couple of things we're going to be doing this weekend, we're uh publicising the raffle amongst our members, trying to drum up a bit of financial support for the initiative. Um, and also all umpires this weekend will be wearing uh yellow armbands to acknowledge um suicide prevention and the great work that Lifeline does in that space.

SPEAKER_04 11:32

A fantastic event. And if you are experiencing any difficulty, make sure you contact Lifeline on 131114, beyond Blue, or also Southwest Healthcare. It's always an occasion, but the close town rivalry between Warnable and South Warnable will go to another level on Saturday. The two will clash in the Hamden football match of the day at the Reed Oval. Both have six wins to their names with the Roosters ahead in fifth place on the ladder due to better percentage. Fourth place Portland also has six wins with the Tigers to play to Rangmort Lake this weekend. Eight courts at the Warnerball Lawn Tennis Club have been fitted with new LED lighting following an upgrade backed by more than $90,000 from the Victorian government's local sports infrastructure fund. The LED system meets the club competition standard at 350 lux, and according to the club, will allow it to extend operating hours and provide additional playing developments. And tournament time, replacing the venue's aging metal halida system. The project was delivered by Warnerville City Council, with the tennis club contributing almost $33,000 towards the works. Local firm Alex Pie Electrics provided more than $7,000 in kind labour and donated materials. Finally, the Warner Volleyball Association has recognised its most recent high achievers. SWI defeated DAs to win the Div 1 grand final with Alexei Kodarov, the MVP. Div 1 best and fairest in the men's went to Clinton DeMartin with Ballet Van Vooit winning the women's award. Spike Wazowski defeated Crazy Rhinos in the Div 2 grand final with Axel McKinnon the MVP. Geordie Rowlings won the MVP Best and Fairest Award. Cloudy weather ahead with temperatures rising and clouds clearing as we draw closer to the weekend. Now to the rest of the forecast. In Port Ferry, tomorrow a top of 14. A shower of two on Friday, also expecting 14 with partly cloudy conditions to come in on Saturday. Inland to Mort Lake, 13 and cloudy tomorrow. 14 on Friday with overnight temperatures dropping to four. 14 on Saturday with clouds beginning to clear. Across to the Kolak and Camperdown region, a slight chance of showers tomorrow with a top of 13. Cloudy on Friday with a low chance of rain. And 13 for Saturday with light easterly winds. Down to the coast and the Cape Otway region, 14 with rain on the way for Thursday, clouds with a slight chance of fog in the morning, reaching a top of 14 on Friday, temperatures up to 15 on Saturday with a sunny afternoon and light winds. Back west, home to Warnable 14 with a medium chance of showers for tomorrow, likely in the morning. Friday 14 with sun predicted in the afternoon, and a top of 16 to kick off the weekend with possible afternoon showers and northeasterly winds. That's it from your Southwest Local News team this morning. Thanks for tuning in. Remember, you can also watch this bulletin online at southwestlocalnews.com.au. Until Friday morning, have a great day.