Gippsland local news briefing: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Here's what's making news in Gippsland today.

Construction has started on a battery energy storage system near Hazelwood North that will store excess renewable energy and release it to the electricity grid when more power is needed.

Its developer, energy company Flow Power, expects the storage system to start operating in mid-2028.

Flow Power chief operating officer Byron Serjeantson said the battery would help provide a reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses across the region.

He said batteries made the renewable energy transition possible.

A woman remains in a serious condition in hospital after a crash on the South Gippsland Highway in Bena on Sunday afternoon.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the woman, in her 70s, was flown to Melbourne's The Alfred hospital with upper and lower body injuries.

A toddler was taken to Dandenong Hospital with minor upper body injuries, while a man and a woman aged in their 50s and a teenage girl were taken to Frankston Hospital in stable conditions.

About an hour later, emergency services responded to a separate crash in Foster, where a teenage boy was taken to Latrobe Regional Health in a stable condition.

Monash University will provide a Bachelor of Allied Health course at its Wonthaggi, Bairnsdale and Mildura campuses from next year.

The course will allow residents in each region to train from start to finish to become occupational therapists, podiatrists and physiotherapists in their communities.

The head of Monash School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Terry Haines, said each location would have places for 14 students in the three-year course.

He said the aim was for each graduate to work in a regional area for eight to 10 years.

An environmental organisation researcher says the Victorian government must protect Gippsland's Strzelecki koalas by providing them with dedicated habitat.

The call comes days after a report into Victoria's koalas found Strzelecki koalas had higher genetic diversity than others in the state.

Friends of the Earth researcher Anthony Amis said the government should reserve the full Brataualung Forest Park in South Gippsland and connect it with other Gippsland forests.

He said that could add about 8,000 hectares of potential koala habitat.

Last week the government announced $2.6 million for koala management projects.

The Lung Foundation has welcomed the PBS listing of a key medication for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but says more support is needed for regional patients.

The medication lowers white blood cells to reduce severe inflammation in people with the condition.

More than 137,000 Victorians live with the disease, and respiratory conditions are the second leading cause of death among older women, according to national health data.

Lung Foundation Australia general manager of clinical programs, research and innovation Alicia Goodwin said regional communities faced barriers to care.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is advising Sale residents to prepare for increased aircraft noise this morning as three Growler aircraft conduct training out of the East Sale RAAF base.

The aircraft will fly out of the air base at 10am before heading to Tasmania.

The RAAF said the training allowed crews to experience flying outside military training zones.