About the episode
Here is what is making news for February 4, 2026.========================================Beeac Farmers from Mingawalla Ag in the Barclay family have been listed as finalists for The Weekly Times Coles 2025 Farmer of the Year Awards in the Beef Farmer category.Lachie Barclay says it's special to be nominated for the award given the quality of beef producers Australia wide.================================================================================Colac Cemetery is set to become a digital gateway to the past with the upcoming launch of a virtual memorialisation experience.The project uses a mobile app to share more than eighteen hundred life stories and historical images of individuals buried at the site before nineteen hundred. ================================================================================Colac Otway Shire residents are now eligible for a share of one hundred and sixty million dollars in new bushfire recovery funding.This joint state and federal support package includes an expanded clean-up program for uninsured homes and businesses damaged in the January fires. ================================================================================Drivers in the Colac Otway and Corangamite shires are being warned of a dangerous surge in potholes as regional road conditions continue to deteriorate. ================================================================================Residents in Winchelsea and Lorne are being urged to sign up for Clean Up Australia Day as registrations open for the national event on Sunday, March 1st.The Surf Coast Shire Council is encouraging schools, community groups, and local families to register their own clean-up sites at local parks, beaches, and waterways. ================================================================================Large-scale dairy infrastructure located eight kilometres south of Simpson is set to remain in production following the successful sale of the Hilltop Aggregation to several regional operators. ================================================================================Cobden, and Pirron Yallock will see major road upgrades following a thirty-seven million dollar joint government funding announcement yesterday.The Dairy Supply Chain project targets six kilometres of priority freight corridors to improve safety and support the region's massive milk production. ================================================================================AND IN SPORTColac’s Xavier Cooknell and Alby Cheeseman from the South West have been selected in the Under 17 Country Week Team of the Week.Cooknell has been named captain of the squad following his standout performance during the regional representative carnival.Both players will now have the opportunity to represent the Western Waves in the VCCL Under 18 competition later this year. ================================================================================The Melbourne to Warrnambool and Women's Warrnambool Cycling Classic have been rescheduled to late February due to the ongoing impact of the Otway bushfires.Originally set for next week, the iconic races will now take place on February 28th and March 1st to ensure the safety of competitors and the community. ================================================================================See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
