Dead cows a shock in Curdies River

The devastating fish kill in the Curdies River has continued as dead cows have joined hundreds of freshly dead fish in the ailing waterway.

Recreational fisherman Bill Reddick spotted what he estimated were 20 dead cows as he paddled past the point where the Peterborough Coastal Reserve narrows into the Curdies.

"I went down fishing to the area they call 'the Narrows', which is where the river joins the lake and at that point on the northern side there was a number of cattle right on the shore," he said.

"They looked to be young animals, so probably six to 12 months old."

It comes as the various government bodies with authority over the Curdies River all say nothing can be done about the catastrophic conditions in the waterway as the bodies continue to mount.

But the peak body representing Victoria's recreational fishers has lambasted the inaction of authorities responding to the catastrophic and ongoing fish kill in the Curdies River.

VRFish "condemned the lack of a detailed response" from the Victorian government to what it called a "disaster" unfolding in the river.

In exciting news, ambitious discussions are underway to create a Warrnambool-based aerial taxi service which could see residents flying to Melbourne in as little as half an hour and for $85 return.

V-Star Powered Lift Aviation is working with Warrnambool City Council to create a regional taxi service connecting south-west Victoria and Melbourne using hybrid-electric aircraft.

Two new shops opened in Warrnambool this week - Country Road and Platypus Shoes.

The federal election campaign is rolling on - the ballot was drawn and Friday and two new candidates were revealed.

Independent federal election candidate for Wannon Alex Dyson hosted a 'party-free party' on Warrnambool's Civic Green on Saturday with live music by Australian artist Gretta Ray.

And the politicians are all taking to social media to seek your vote - the role of social media in politics has been growing in the last decade. Platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have become increasingly popular.

The city's hospital is looking for ways to expand its undersized emergency department, which has been regularly exceeding capacity, forcing patients to be treated in corridors.

South West Healthcare will get a larger emergency department and new clinical tower as part of a $384 million upgrade. But with the upgrade at least four years away, SWH chief executive Craig Fraser said something had to be done to address the current issues.

An Australian-first drone re-seeding program is helping to restore endangered woodlands near Camperdown four years after the area was devastated by the St Patrick's Day fires.

More than 40,000 hectares of Lake Cobrico were badly damaged in the 2018 fires, sparking fears the lake's ecosystem would never regenerate.

But a pilot program involving drones is aiming to give nature a helping hand.

About 32 kilograms of native seeds were released by drones over 40 hectares of the lake bed.

National Infertility Awareness Week started on Saturday. Three south-west women shared their stories:

NBL star Nathan Sobey says the chance to spend Easter in Warrnambool was a rare gift as he continues to rehab a season-ending knee injury.

And finally, tomorrow is Anzac Day.

It's a day to pause and remember all those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

Here's a list of all the south-west services.

Strong crowds are expected at Dennington's Anzac Day march as commemorations return to near normal.

Dennington Community Association president John Harris said COVID-19 had impacted the past two years and he was enthusiastic about seeing people back again this April 25.

Mr Harris said he expected strong crowds to turn out for the commemorations, particularly after the cancellation of Warrnambool's mid-morning march.

Two years after COVID-19 scuttled live Anzac Day services, former Australian Defence Force officer Catherine McGregor will honour a promise to attend Warrnambool's commemorative service in person.

Take care and stay safe.

Rachael Houlihan,

The Standard deputy editor.