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EnglishWhat kinds of local stories does WD News Publications report?
Updated
WD News Publications covers local news for Camperdown, Cobden, Colac, Mortlake, Terang, Timboon and Simpson in Victoria's south-west, organised around four main strands: general news, council, community and sport. Its mastheads include the Camperdown Chronicle, Cobden Timboon Coast Times, Mortlake Dispatch, Terang Express, Warrnambool Weekly and WD Farmer, so a single story can appear under more than one local title depending on where it happened.
Council and planning
Council coverage tracks decisions and advocacy by the local shires. Examples from the site include the Moyne Planning Scheme Review 2026, which Moyne Shire councillors endorsed as the shire's future growth roadmap, and Corangamite Shire Council taking regional issues to Canberra. State politics also appears when it touches the region — for instance, Member for Lowan Emma Kealy questioning the Premier on why the state government had underdelivered for the regions.
If you follow planning permits, shire budgets or ratepayer issues in these towns, this is the section to check.
Community news and events
Community reporting covers local fundraisers, festivals and everyday life. Two examples:
- A relief fundraiser for Nepalese people affected by catastrophic flooding that booked out The Middle.
- The return of the Colour Terang Festival, described as a success after its comeback.
Stories about local people and creative projects also sit here, such as the feature on the next generation behind beloved characters.
Sport
Sport spans local clubs and major fixtures. The site has reported on the Mortlake Cup receiving state government backing ahead of the event, and on Mortlake's old netball goals being sent to a village in Papua New Guinea, restoring competitive sport there for the first time in a decade. Club-level results and recreation reserve developments, like the Cobden Recreation Reserve committee's plans, fall into the same area.
Regional and rural issues
Broader issues affecting the south-west appear under general and local news, including:
| Topic | Example from the site |
|---|---|
| Transport | Six-carriage trains announced to arrive that month |
| Education | South West TAFE claiming a major state award |
| Workforce | Calls to rethink the backpacker workers cap |
| Infrastructure | Improvement works coming for Dunlop Street |
Farming coverage
WD Farmer carries its own farming sections — beef, lamb, cropping and soil, animal health and husbandry, and machinery and infrastructure — aimed at agricultural readers across the same district.
How to judge whether it's worth following
The site is a practical fit if you live in or do business around Camperdown, Cobden, Colac, Mortlake, Terang, Timboon or Simpson and want council decisions, local sport results and community events in one place. It is less suited to national or international news, which it does not appear to cover beyond how state and federal decisions affect the region.
The site lists online editions, daily puzzles and a subscription option, plus a newsletter signup and a contact number, (03) 5593 1888. Access terms for the online editions are not set out in the material available here, so check the subscription page directly before assuming what is free to read.