A 23-year-old Tasmanian man is lucky to be alive after diving into the sea to fetch his fishing rod off Mallacoota on Sunday morning. The man had been drift fishing alone on a six metre aluminum half cabin boat, about five to six kilometres offshore from Bastion Point when his fishing rod dropped overboard just after 7am. The man dived into the water to retrieve it and when he surfaced the boat,...

While there are currently no COVID-19 cases detected in the East Gippsland region, positive viral fragments were detected in local wastewater in the Lakes Entrance area.  The positive sample was taken between August 8 and 11. As a result, Gippsland Regional Public Health Unit (GRPHU) on Friday asked the community to be vigilant and get tested if experiencing any symptoms, however minor. The...

Yet another business has reached the end of an era in Lakes Entrance with Loud Music preparing to close its doors.  Proprietor, Andrew (Surf) Stuivenberg, has owned the store for the past twelve years. “I worked for Ken Porter for two years, then he decided to offload it so I bought the business,” Andrew said. Andrew had been a photographer prior and claims technology has now put him out of...

East Gippsland Shire has appointed an erudite consultant to mediate the divide between Marlo residents and the proponent of the stalled 104-allotment subdivision in the coastal township. Tim Biles, of Ratio Consultants, has a plethora of experience in urban design and project facilitation. Mr Biles has been at the forefront of planning innovation for many decades and is considered an ideal...

Nell Tobin celebrated 100 years of life with a small group of family and friends at a Stratford café last Thursday. Mrs Tobin, who was born and bred in Stratford, was looking forward to a large party last Sunday, but COVID restrictions meant it had to be cancelled. Mrs Tobin was the second child for Ernest and Annie Redman, born on August 5, 1921. She was a little sister for first born,...