INSIDE THIS EDITION… GRUBBERS GRAB TOP THREE SPOT, PAGES 26 & 27
21 AUGUST - 3 SEPTEMBER, 2026
BELLARINE’S NUMBER ONE NEWSPAPER
FREE FORTNIGHTLY
Less than two weeks until spring
(Ivan Kemp)
While it may not quite be shorts and T-shirt weather for most of us just yet, it’s getting closer. On Tuesday 18 August, the temperature climbed into the high teens and we received an indication that spring is on its way. While this winter may have been very mild temperature-wise, many will welcome the opportunity to get out and about more when spring finally does return. Pictured enjoying the late winter sunshine are Gemma Cockle with baby Lola and daughter Bonnie at Ocean Grove main beach on Tuesday. The short-term forecast is for a maximum in the mid-teens for Saturday, before returning to 18 degrees for Sunday and Monday with showers increasing. Tuesday will be around 15 degrees with showers to remind us that the cooler weather will hang around for a bit longer. For more Ivan Kemp pictures from the beach on Tuesday, see page 19.
Trees vandalised By Jena Carr Important coastal vegetation that helps stabilise the environment and provides habitat for wildlife has been damaged in Queenscliff. A concerned resident notified the Borough of Queenscliffe of alleged vandalism to the threatened moonah trees along Queenscliff foreshore on The Esplanade. A council spokesperson said there were reports of rough cutting and broken branches where native vegetation appeared to have been deliberately reduced in height. “The foreshore areas are classed as
Coastal Moonah Woodlands and are protected under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988,” they said. “A healthy moonah tree has been cut to reduce its height, and there are no nearby tracks or roads where the tree would pose a risk to community safety, which is the only circumstance in which council would cut a tree.” The affected area contains important coastal vegetation that helps stabilise dunes and provides habitat for birds and other wildlife. The spokesperson also said there had been previous incidents in nearby areas that involved tree deaths that council
suspected were caused by poisoning. “There is evidence of previous felling of trees in the foreshore reserve and other trees where there is suspected poisoning,” they said. “Council’s response is guided by its Vegetation Vandalism Policy and Procedure, which emphasises the value council places on protecting and preserving vegetation on council land within the Borough of Queenscliffe in line with government legislation.” A sign measuring at least 2 metres by 1.5 metres will be installed near the affected area to draw attention to vandalism and encourage anyone with information to
come forward. Notices will also be issued to the surrounding neighbourhood to help protect threatened vegetation across the region. The borough spokesperson said council thanked the community for its cooperation in ensuring that the region’s native vegetation remained protected. The Conservation Regulator, Victoria Police, and Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action were notified of the incident. Anyone with information about current or future vegetation damage is urged to report the incident to council immediately.
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