Arrangements needed for precinct plan By AIDAN KNIGHT   LATROBE City Council has moved a motion to follow up on the South East Traralgon (SET) Precinct Structure Plan. This concerns an area that has been partially zoned as buffer for the Loy Yang mine. Deputy Mayor Dale Harriman (Jeeralang Ward) opened his moving of the motion at last month’s council meeting (held Monday, March 23) by apologising to the land owners in the area, as this has been an ongoing discussion with no visible progress since 2010, when the location was first identified for a residential zoning future. It was partly rezoned in 2012, and draft plans were endorsed by council in 2021, before being sent off for Ministerial approval. In 2024, EPA guidelines expanded the separation distance from brown coal mining to residential zones, from 1km to 2km. “Those land owners have been pushing to have this land rezoned,” Cr Harriman continued, “the holdup has been – we can’t seem to get an answer out of a number of ministers’ offices. The Minister of Planning has been sitting on this.” Council agenda documents however show the Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, provided written advice dated December 15, 2025, in response to a mayoral request sent on September 29 that same year. The correspondence states council should continue working with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), and that the Minister was unable to provide in-principle support for the amendment at that time. It also indicates support would depend on advice from the Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio effectively placing the next stage of consideration with that portfolio. Cr Harriman skirted around this during the meeting, going on to say “we have been waiting for a report to come back for the Minister responsible for the mines for over four years”, because of the geotechnical risk. Cr Harriman also stated that the SET was the most prioritised area for rezoning within council’s crosshairs in 2021, and that council have been waiting for a response ever since. “Five years is just too excessive,” so Cr Harriman was keen to present the following proposed steps: 1. Await response from Minister for Energy and Resources. Council will wait for a formal decision regarding the third-party peer review of geo-technical risk, which is essential for progressing the Planning Scheme Amendment. 2. Consider next steps after ministerial advice. Once the response is received, council will determine the appropriate course of action to move the precinct development forward. 3. Provide a progress report. Council officers will present an update on the precinct’s status and next steps to council by March 31, 2027. “To the land owners involved, I know another 12 months seems excessive,” Cr Harriman said, adding it was council’s best solution while “trying to get a response from the ministers responsible”. “We are crying out for land availability at the moment. We don’t have enough houses for rent, we don’t have enough housing for development, or supporting businesses wanting to come to this region.” Tyers Ward councillor Darren Howe spoke in support, calling the proposal “the best of a bad group of choices”. The vote was unanimously in favour. The matter is now dependent on further input from Minister D’Ambrosio.

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Christmas comes early after huge Morwell Tattslotto win By AIDAN KNIGHT   A MORWELL resident received an early Christmas present, scored $790,000 through a winning TattsLotto ticket. The local woman purchased her ticket at Morwell Newsagency, as one of eight Division 1 winners. Newsagent employee and Latrobe City Councillor, Darren Howe, said the local win was “a great story, she’s a regular customer, and has had the same numbers for about 50 years.” When informed of her win, the woman said she “felt numb”, and that she had no idea how to spend it. “My mind is completely blank, (…) it’s hard to think of what I’ll do. One thing for sure is I’ll have a great Christmas!” She had only stepped out for a quick pharmacy run on the day she learned of her win, and said she would spend the afternoon letting the news sink in. Morwell Newsagency may be the lucky lotto to go to, seeing as the Commercial Road business also had two Division 1 winners within a six-month period back in 2022. The woman’s prize was part of TattsLotto draw 4629, held on Saturday, November 29, which produced eight Division 1 winners across Australia claiming the same cash prize. The winning numbers were 22, 10, 17, 5, 44 and 36, with supplementary numbers 3 and 11. Six of these, including the Morwell win, came from Victorian entries. According to The Lott, the result contributes to 396 Division 1 wins across Australia so far in 2025, with 161 of those claimed by Tatts customers. Last financial year, Australia’s official lotteries contributed more than $1.66 billion via taxes and donations to hospitals, health research, disaster relief and education. The same financial year TattsLotto create 165 millionaires nationwide, with 341 Division 1 entries sharing more than $420 million in prize money. It’s a timely boost of festive cheer for Morwell, and a Christmas the lucky winner, and her favourite newsagency, are likely to remember for years.

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Sign of the times on council By AIDAN KNIGHT   MORWELL River Ward Councillor, Tracie Lund moved a motion proposing a new Signage Strategy be implemented in Latrobe City at the September council meeting. This strategy has been drafted, and sets out to provide clear outlines for local businesses to abide in terms of signage requirements, which comes due to ongoing challenges in the processing of signage permits. Tyers Ward Cr Darren Howe seconded. Affecting businesses, developers and landowners alike, Cr Lund said the rules in place were “unclear, especially when a sign triggers a permit”. Cr Lund also believed that a clear signing strategy would improve the quality of consistency across Latrobe City through an easier permit application process, and “clear practical guidance”. Cr Lund asked that the proposal be put out on exhibition, giving the community an opportunity to provide feedback. “This is about providing clarity, cutting red tape, and improving outcomes for both businesses and the community,” she said. Newborough Ward Cr Sharon Gibson agreed with Cr Lund’s overall approach, but felt that specifics of the plan went too far, citing the “painting or fixed signage on windows” section of the strategy was far too restricting on local businesses. “If I had a business,” Cr Gibson argued to her colleagues, “and I wished to display what I’m actually selling in the shop, well I would want to be able to put on my window what I want.” Cr Gibson saw fit that provided the signage and/or displays avoided anything of an offensive nature, Latrobe City had no right to dictate whether or not it is acceptable on a place of business. “I get the intent, but I feel that we are going too far, when we’re telling businesses that they cannot do certain things on their own premises, we are going too far,” she said. “I understand there are certain quality standards we should accept, but it’s how far we are going that I disagree with.” Cr Gibson said once it’s put out to the community and if businesses agree with it, “that’s fine”, but felt she was speaking for the crowd when she said it is an unnecessary depth to which council are imposing restrictions on local business, who are already doing it tough. Moe Ward Councillor Adele Pugsley spoke up to voice her support of the “basic idea” of the proposal, and that she believed council officers developed it in hopes to simply make it easier and simpler for businesses to know when a permit is triggered. “When you’re trying to set up a business, lets face it, not all of us are great at paperwork, so if you have a guide to tell you the scenarios to ‘go for’ you won’t trigger a permit scenario,” she said. “I imagine when you set up a business it’s very daunting, and there is so much paperwork. I want for red tape to be cut back, I want for it to be easy, and good to do business in Latrobe City, or should I say, the best it can be. The best we can make it. I’m a fan of it”. Cr Pugsley also claimed to hear Cr Gibson’s perspective on the matter, and emphasised her encouragement for experienced businesses to give feedback on the strategy, and give honest opinions if they think the restrictions are too much for council to adopt. “We will take it on board, and that is the best way. It’s collaborative. Anything to make it easier to run a business and thrive in Latrobe City.” The floor then moved to Yallourn Ward Councillor Steph Morgan, also in favour, saying this strategy has been caused by existing issues, and should be heeded as such. “Through this, we are trying to implement a city-wide signage strategy that makers sense for everyone across the board,” she said. Cr Morgan said she supported calls for greater guidance to businesses, and improved efficiency in applications, but also pointed out how it could create a more accessible Latrobe City for shoppers. “You will be able to look into shops and get a better understanding of what is inside, and feel safer through the increased passive surveillance looking in and out of shops under these guidelines,” she said. “To make a better, more amenable CBD across all of Latrobe City, there are a lot of benefits to come out of this, and cutting the red tape is just one of them.” Cr Howe addressed Cr Gibson’s concerns, saying that putting it out to businesses and shoppers helps drive strong engagement. “I know I will be visiting all the businesses I know, and I want to encourage them to put in their submission, because once we adopt whatever our final (draft) looks like, it’s too late for them to change it,” he said. When put to a vote, the motion passed with all but Crs Gibson and Joanne Campbell (Jeeralang Ward) in favour. The strategy will now be put to ministerial approval to go to the community, which takes a period of six to eight weeks, meaning Latrobe City residents will have the opportunity to have their say in mid November.

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