The proverb - don't look a gift horse in the mouth - sprung to mind when first the state and then the federal governments this week rolled out massive stimulus packages.

The state government on Monday dished out more than $20 million to the south-west from its $2.8 billion package. And the region received more than $17.4 million from Canberra's $1.8 billion package to councils for local road works and projects on Friday.

Restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 have blown a massive hole in the region's economy. With more than 3300 people losing their jobs and with them more than $4.32 million in wages in the first month of the restrictions, we will take all the help we can get.

The state and federal governments have rightly been praised for the packages.

But just like the federal government's sports-rorts scandal earlier this year, which projects receive funding remains a lottery.

Premier Daniel Andrews was clear when he said projects were selected because they could begin soon, meaning "shovels in the ground and boots in the mud within a matter of weeks and months".

So why was $11.3 million allocated to Tower Hill Wildlife Park when a long-running upgrade plan hasn't even been released for public comment yet? We welcome the money for the park, it is long overdue...but what exactly will it be spent on? And when will it be spent?

We can only assume from the premier's reasoning that Warrnambool's long overdue boat ramp upgrade is not shovel-ready. Why not? It has been on and off the city council's drawing board for the past 20 years. Again we miss out on a golden opportunity.

The Princes Highway west of Colac again missed state funding. Canberra pledged $80 million last year for upgrades but it depended on the state matching it. Again, surely the planning has been done? If not, why not? Wannon MP Dan Tehan revealed on Friday he hoped a breakthrough with the state was imminent. We are fortunate both state and federal governments are helping kick-start our economy but if ever there was a chance to address the highway issues, it is now. Timing is everything.

Council stimulus packages made headlines too this week. Corangamite Shire's has been widely lauded as hitting the mark but the city council came in for criticism as to why it couldn't come up with something similar.

This week we launched a campaign to support local businesses as they fight their way back from the COVID-19 restrictions. Some businesses are expanding, others adapting and some are still stranded with no word when they can re-open. The unemployment figures highlighted earlier underline just how much the region has been impacted. The city council's decision to remain steadfast on free parking until June 30 was welcomed this week, especially after some other councils like Melbourne City, re-introduced parking fees just as workers and shoppers started to return.

Volunteers are critical to our community so this week we highlighted a number as part of national volunteers week. Check out these stories, volunteers can be found in a variety of different areas, including emergency services, sport and healthcare.

Here's a selection of other stories that made headlines this week.

Until next week, stay safe.