ALL ABOUT MEAT
PAGES 10, 19 & 20
AUTUMN BULL SALES WOMEN IN DAIRY
Bushfires burnedthroughoutthe statelastmonth, with local firefighters putting their hands up to help.
warmer temperatures long after February.
AS February ends the so-called “summer period”, the heat does not end here.
Hotand dryconditionscontinue thr oughout the state, with temperatures remaining persistent in the 20s, 30s, and even 40 degrees Celsius.
Considering records from last year, temperaturesonly started to drop in mid-May, with the hottest day in April at 32.1 degrees and the hottest day in Mayat26.1 degrees, according to the Bureau of Meteorology observations page.
Authorities are warning that, with that in mind, peopleshould con tin ue to mo nit or cond itions in thecomingmonths, as previous years have shown
In August 2025, emergency authorities warned that conditions throughout the season wou ld be ro ugh an du rg ed people to prepare.
From firetoflood to “apocalyptic” winds, people arebeing urged to have MULTIPLE plans in place for natural disasters, set in stone, to ensure absolute safety wherepossible.
As many posts on Facebook claim, “The Australian summer is awarning, not aseason”.
Multiple fires werereported thr oughout the state in January, along with aflash flooding event up along the GreatOcean Road.Between str ong winds, dry lightning
storms, and high temperatures, conditionsbecame abreeding ground for disaster
The firelist continues, with six active fires in and out of Gippsland,affecting astatewide level. Fires such as Dargo, Mallacoota, Tallangattaand Longwood have bur nt up to 413,000 hectares of land.
Fir efi gh te rs f ro mS ou th Gippsland,West Gippsland, Latrobe Valley, Wellington and morehave sentupstrike teams to the fires, whetheritbefighting on the front lines, blacking out firelines, or keeping both the public and firecrews updated on the situation from the State Control Centre(SCC).
Thousands of firefighters from across Australia, New Zealand
and Canada participated in the fight againstthe bushfires in Victoria, according to the SCC.
Alo ng si de fir e-g ro und su ppo rt ,c omm un it ies a re gathering to collect donations for those affected by the bushfires, includingbales of hay for far mers whose livestock survived the horrific events.
Hundreds of hay bales have been dona ted to af fecte d areas by groups like Need for Feed, Lardner Park, South Gippsland ShireCouncil, the StrzeleckiLions Club,the Victorian Farmers Federation, individuals, East Gippsland Water,and more.
Morefirecoverage -Pages 30-31
Katrina BRANDON
Photo: Seb Nieuwestee
