COVID uncertainty caused the cancellation of events including Shrek the Musical by Holiday Actors, the Tracks Music Festival in Warrnambool and the Koroit Truck Show.

A resident at aged care facility Mercy Place became the first person in Warrnambool to die with COVID.

A freak storm hit Portland with residents reporting hailstones as big as recorded in living memory.

In Mortlake, strong winds and lightning strikes caused severe damage to the Avenue of Honour Cypress trees.

Former triple j host Alex Dyson announces his candidacy for the seat of Wannon for the federal election.

In Australia Day honours, environmentalist Colleen Hughson was named Warrnambool City Council's Citizen of the Year. Julie Houlihan was awarded this title for the Moyne Shire while Kelvin White was the Corangamite Shire winner.

Pressure was building at the petrol pump with unleaded petrol climbing to 169.9 cents per litre.

Warrnambool City Council announced it would spend a combined $7.5 million on upgrades to Lake Pertobe and replace Edwards Bridge.

Lyndoch resident and Warrnambool community radio personality Mona Swinton celebrated her 100th birthday.

The start of the new school year brought with it many COVID-induced absentees from both teachers and students as cases remained high.

New data on the rental crisis showed dozens of families in Warrnambool were staying in their cars or couch surfing to have some sort of roof over their heads.

The future of the Kepler Street site of the former Criterion Hotel was confirmed with new luxury apartments to be constructed.

Curator and former director Murray Bowes retired after almost four decades at the Warrnambool Art Gallery.

Elective surgery waiting times at South West Healthcare were three times longer than normal due to COVID-induced cancellations.

Warrnambool's Wunta Festival was parked for the second year in a row due to COVID concerns.

Plans revealed the former Callaghans Motors site in Fairy Street was to become a multi-storey apartment block.

Port Fairy's Belfast Aquatics was given a one-month extension from its insurer, allowing it to remain open for that period, as a long-term solution to its public liability insurance was sought.

The Port Fairy Folk Festival returned after missing 2021 due to COVID. The festival attracted thousands of patrons with John Butler leading a strong performer bill.

Expectant mothers in Portland were facing at least an hour's drive to have babies after the town's hospital suspended birthing services.

Kermonds Hamburgers in Warrnambool was awarded the Australian Good Food Guide's People's Choice for best burger.

Warrnambool City mayor Richard Ziegeler resigned from the leadership role after just five months into a planned one-year stint. Cr Ziegeler cited health and family reasons.

Raids by Warrnambool police netted 24 firearms in the biggest operation of its kind the city had seen.

The sudden death of prominent Warrnambool car dealer Clinton Baulch sent shockwaves through the south-west. Mr Baulch was just 48.

Warrnambool City Council released projections for the cost of a new art gallery at Cannon Hill or a revamped one on the Civic Green. Both options came in at more than $40 million.

Cr Vicki Jellie was elected Warrnambool City Council mayor, replacing Cr Zieleger who stood down after five months. It was Cr Jellie's second time in the role.

Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club unveiled draft plans for a $12 million revamp of its clubrooms.

Portland mother Jessa Laws gave birth to her baby daughter Astrid on the side of the road in Port Fairy on her way to Warrnambool. She had to travel due to suspended birthing services in Portland.

A toxic algal bloom in the Curdies River at Peterborough killed thousands of fish. The EPA said the fish kill was a natural occurrence. The death of 25 cows may also have been linked to the algal bloom.

Warrnambool City Council gave the green light for stores on Raglan Parade in the city's east to house JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks.

It was revealed Warrnambool did not directly lobby the state government to host events in the 2026 Commonwealth Games. That sparked a campaign but the bid was later in the year unsuccessful.

With most COVID restrictions now removed, two important annual events were able to return to normal. Big crowds turned out for ANZAC Day services across the south-west and also for the Koroit Irish Festival.

Warrnambool's May Racing Carnival returned with huge crowds gracing the famed three-day meeting. More than 29,000 people attended.

It was a wedding with star power when Bushfield man Oliver Brian married Emma Watkins (the Yellow Wiggle) at an estate in Tyrendarra.

As part of his election campaign, member for Wannon Dan Tehan promised $6 million for the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club revamp should the coalition be voted back in.

Warrnambool City Council was the latest employer to feel the pinch of the battle to get staff, with 40 jobs left vacant.

A $2.9 million social housing development began in West Warrnambool. The project was funded by the state government.

In the federal election, sitting member Dan Tehan retained his seat, but not before a scare from independent Alex Dyson. While Mr Tehan had a win, his Liberal Party lost government to Labor.

Catalina Caravan Park in Port Fairy shut its doors for the last time, citing an unsustainable future following the fallout of the COVID pandemic.

State opposition leader Matthew Guy landed in Warrnambool and was not holding back on election promises, pledging $12 million for the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club revamp and $8 million for the breakwater if he won the state election.

The state government was providing free flu vaccine shots through the month of June, a move praised by local medical practitioners.

A large crowd gathered at Lyndoch living in Warrnambool to voice its dissatisfaction with the way the facility was being run.

Moyne Shire Council voted in favour of paying Belfast Aquatics' insurance bill of $91,000 to ensure the facility continued to run for another year.

Port Fairy Cricket Club stalwart Paul "Wally" Sheehan said the Port Fairy Folk Festival should find another home after he claimed the festival "just walked away" from surface damage it created at Southcombe Park.

The Cobden community was left without a newsagent when the owners closed the doors for the last time, having unsuccessfully exhausted all avenues to sell the business.

Warrnambool brothers Peter and Bob McMillan were awarded Order of Australia Medals as part of the Queen's Birthday honours.

History came tumbling down in Koroit when the town's 67-year-old former hospital and nursing home was demolished, having been deemed unsafe.

WRAD reported vaping was becoming increasingly popular among young people in the south-west with children as young as 11 taking up the habit.

South West Healthcare took a positive step to reduce its environmental footprint with the purchase of 16 zero emissions vehicles.

Warrnambool businesses were left smiling after a successful winter school holidays saw trade and tourism return to pre-COVID levels.

The new Warrnambool Men's Shed officially opened with the facility six times bigger than its previous incarnation.

Popular singer-songwriter Amy Shark played to a sell-out crowd at Warrnambool's Lighthouse Theatre. The concert sold out in just 30 minutes.

Member for Wannon Dan Tehan urged the federal government to close the border with Indonesia if necessary to stop the risk of foot-and-mouth disease reaching Australia. He said the disease would devastate the south-west if it arrived here.

The eyes of the nation were on the south-west for the wrong reasons with the death of three men in Kirkstall. Two were murdered, with the gunman soon after dying by suicide.

Tributes flowed for Killarney singer-songwriter Archie Roach who passed away aged 66.

Brophy Family and Youth Services put out a desperate call for foster carers, describing the shortage in the south-west as "critical".

Police said a Portland man was lucky to be alive after blowing .241, almost five times the legal blood alcohol limit.

The long wait time for ambulances across Victoria hit home in the south-west when a 97-year-old Warrnambool woman had to wait three hours for paramedics after she suffered a broken hip as a result of a fall.

Koroit police were urging caution from motorists around Tower Hill with an increase in the amount of collisions between cars and wandering kangaroos and emus.

Motorists were hit with $300,000 in fines over a 12-month period from speeding and red light infringements recorded at the intersection of Mahoneys Road and Raglan Parade.

Prominent Warrnambool businessman Brain Guyett started a petition calling for the city council to abandon any thoughts of building a new art gallery at Cannon Hill.

A consultant hired by Warrnambool City Council suggested privatisation of the Warrnambool Saleyards as a future option.

Lyndoch Living was issued with notices of improvement from Worksafe Victoria over staffing and workplace problems.

Moyne Shire Council mayor Ian Smith threw his voice into a growing choir asking V/Line to reconsider plans for no buffet service on Warrnambool to Melbourne trains.

The RSL was the latest objector to plans for a new art gallery at Cannon Hill. Warrnambool RSL member John Miles said a gallery at the location would impact negatively on the Vietnam Veterans memorial.

British expats and royal family lovers in the south-west were coming to grips with the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96.

Former Warrnambool pole dancer Kristy Sellars hit it big on the world stage when she was named runner-up on the hit US TV show America's Got Talent.

A new social housing plan was submitted to Warrnambool City Council by the Salvation Army, taking the organisation's commitment to new social housing to $14 million.

Corangamite Shire Council had to scale back roadworks after a $2 million planned spend on the works blew out by $500,000 due to a cost increase in bitumen.

A US-style sportsman's bar was one of the changes the new owners of the Flying Horse Bar and Brewery plan to make at the venue. The team of five new owners bought the venue in a multi-million dollar deal.

On October 1, staff and readers celebrated 150 years since the very first Warrnambool Standard newspaper was printed.

Community events were back in full swing with the Warrnambool Show pulling in a big crowd, despite wet weather. Another success was the Warrnambool Multicultural Festival.

A proposed country club for Warrnambool, estimated at $100 million, was knocked by councillors due to the inclusion of a private golf course.

Ratepayers would foot the bill for a new public toilet on Pertobe Road with the project to cost over $800,000.

A Portland teenager escaped with some minor injuries after being bitten by a shark while surfing.

Warrnambool's new $20.25 million library was opened to the public, with rave reviews.

Heavy rain caused major flooding along Mount Emu Creek with some Panmure residents forced to flee their homes to avoid raising waters.

Cr Debbie Arnott was elected Warrnambool City Council mayor. It is her first time in the top job.

Premier Dan Andrews made a promise that if re-elected he would cap the cost of a train ride from Warrnambool to Melbourne at $9.20.

New data showed wait times at South West Healthcare's emergency department had risen and were among the highest in the state.

Midfield Meat general manager Dean McKenna explained frustration with the stalled planning process in his attempt to create accommodation in Merrivale for 400 workers.

Warrnambool City councillors voted to shut the saleyards, much to the annoyance of a crowd of 150 people in attendance at the council meeting.

Karen Foster was elected Moyne Shire Council mayor for her debut term in the chair while Ruth Gstrein was re-elected as Corangamite mayor.

The ProviCo factory in Dennington has undergone a $20 million expansion with plans for a solar farm at the site.

The Noorat Show beat heavy and constant rain to attract a huge crowd.

Two men were charged with the alleged murder of a Warrnambool man who went missing in 2006.

Liberal candidate Roma Britnell retained her South West Coast seat with a convincing victory in the state election. However, Ms Britnell's Liberal Party was heavily defeated in the overall result.

A Port Fairy house with views of East Beach sold for $6.5 million, a record house sale for the town.

Close to 4000 people turned out on a perfect summer evening for the Warrnambool Rodeo at the town's showgrounds.

Boat users challenged Warrnambool City Council to make changes to the new boat ramp, saying the wave surge was still too dangerous to launch vessels from.

The $1.7 million upgrade of the Lake Pertobe playground was launched, only to be followed by claims that a number of injuries had occurred on the nine-metre slide in its opening days of use.

Former Corangamite CEO Andrew Mason has switched camps, taking on the task as CEO with Warrnambool City Council. He replaced Peter Schneider.

Warrnambool Stock Agents Association announced it would hold its last sale at the Warrnambool Saleyards on December 28. Warrnambool City Council had previously proposed a June 30, 2023, closure.