East Gippslanders are being urged to prepare for a heightened bushfire risk with several bushfires continuing to burn uncontained across the region.There are four active fires in East Gippsland, at W Tree, Bruthen, Ensay and Marthavale-Barmouth Spur.To date, about 38,000 hectares have been burnt and fire authorities have warned local communities they face a long and challenging summer.There was...

It is now very likely that East Gippsland Water customers served by the Mitchell River supply system – and those in Buchan and Swifts Creek – will be on water restrictions from January.The Mitchell River supply system includes Bairnsdale, Walpa, Lindenow South, Lindenow, Eagle Point, Newlands Arm, Paynesville, Raymond Island, Sarsfield, Bruthen, Nicholson, Johnsonville, Swan Reach, Metung,...

Gippsland Primary Health Network (Gippsland PHN) cemented its position as a key player in the primary health sector in the region and celebrated that at its annual general meeting in Sale in November.In her final term as Gippsland PHN chair, Dr Sinead De Gooyer was proud to release the Gippsland PHN annual report that highlighted a significant year of growth as well as announcing the winners of...

A 69-year-old East Gippsland man has died while working on the fires at Gelantipy on Saturday.Police said the man, who was a contractor with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), was killed after the 4WD vehicle he was driving rolled down an embankment at about 5.15pm. Police said the man, a Bairnsdale district local, was working as a bulldozer spotter on private...

A new mobile phone app for Victorian hunters can help them find out where they can legally hunt across the state.The state government’s new electronic hunting maps were launched by Minister for Agriculture, Jaclyn Symes, on the More To Explore phone app, currently used by more than 20,000 people to navigate 3.9 million hectares of public land. The app is Victoria’s first comprehensive electronic...