Central Victoria local news briefing: Monday, October 5, 2026 - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Here's what's making news in Central Victoria today.

Renewable energy transmission lines, the emergency services levy and roads proved contentious issues at a candidates forum in the marginal Victorian electorate of Ripon.

Seven candidates faced questions from about 200 community members yesterday, with concerns about the region's renewable projects dominating the discussion.

Sitting Labor member for Ripon Martha Haylett and One Nation candidate Donna Buxton were absent.

The Greens candidate's Acknowledgement of Country was met with audible booing.

It is widely speculated Labor will struggle to hold the rural seat, which has flipped between the major parties for 50 years.

The Environment Effects Statement for VNI West is open for public exhibition from today.

VNI West is a proposed electricity transmission line from Bulgana to near Kerang and then across the border into New South Wales.

VicGrid said it spent the past two years assessing the possible impacts of the transmission line on agriculture, water, bushfire risk, traffic and cultural heritage.

Program director Mick Douge said people could read the statement online or at VicGrid's regional offices, and lodge formal submissions on the Engage Victoria website over the next month.

The death toll of ibises at Bendigo's Lake Weeroona has climbed to 79, according to wildlife rescuers.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action confirmed on Friday that six dead birds had returned negative tests for H5 bird flu, after the mass death was reported by Bendigo Wildlife Rescue.

Wildlife rescuers said a magpie and a silver gull were undergoing testing.

The cause of the deaths is yet to be confirmed.

Three new national parks officially open across central Victoria today, granting stronger environmental protections to almost 75,000 hectares of public land.

The Wombat-Lerderderg National Park is the largest of the new parks, spanning more than 40,000 hectares between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh.

The new Mount Buangor National Park and the Pyrenees National Park also open today.

More than 7,000 hectares of Wellsford State Forest will be added to the existing Bendigo Regional Park.

Bendigo District Environment Council convener Aldo Penbrook said the changes had been a long time coming.