COLD frothies will attract beer lovers to Ballarat's first beer festival next month.
Ballarat's City Oval will host the Ballarat Beer Festival to showcase Australia's best boutique brews and ales from local brewers on January 21.
Comedians Charlie Pickering and Danny McGinlay will host the event.
Festival director Simon Coghlan, whose great-great-grandfather founded the Ballarat Brewing Company, said he had beer and Ballarat in his veins.
"Australia has great boutique beers that deserve to be celebrated, and Ballarat's brewing history makes it the perfect place for a festival that does that," Mr Coghlan said.
Tickets are available through Ticketek.
Approval for 9000 home development
A NEW residential community at Officer has received the tick of approval from Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy.
The Officer Precinct Structure Plan comprises 645ha of land able to be developed for more than 9000 homes, and will be a major addition to land supply in the area.
"The approval of this structure plan is an important step toward combating housing affordability pressure," Mr Guy said.
"Officer is well serviced by freeway and suburban rail, and will deliver a range of housing densities from terrace and apartment living in the town centre through to large blocks on hills."
New park bowls skaters over
SKATERS have been testing their skills at Cobram's new skate park.
The bowl at Federation Park was completed last week.
Moira Shire councillor Garry Jones said the skate park had been completed after years of hard work by an organising committee.
"The skate park's bowl design is innovative and unique to other skate parks in the area, which is an added bonus for the youth of Cobram," he said.
Council allocated $149,000 and the committee raised $78,000.
"This skate park is an example of what can be achieved when a community pulls together for a common goal," Cr Jones said.
Seal of approval to rare marine life footage
PEOPLE will be able to see a glimpse of the underwater habitat off Warrnambool without getting wet this summer.
Deakin University's Dr Daniel Ierodiaconou said marine life off the southwest Victorian coast was just as spectacular as the Great Barrier Reef .
The footage, some taken from remotely operated videos and baited cameras, will be shown at Flagstaff Hill on January 10 from 7pm.
"Ninety per cent of the marine plant life in southern Australia is found nowhere else in the world," Dr Ierodiaconou said.
"We have been using remotely operated vehicles and animal-borne systems."
Some cameras were attached to seals.
New head of Hastings port redevelopment
YEHUDI Blacher is the inaugural chairman of the Port of Hastings Development Authority.
Ports Minister Denis Napthine said Mr Blacher had a wealth of experience after being a senior public servant for more than 20 years.
Other members of the board include deputy chairman Rodney L. Chadwick, Geoff Craige, Claire Filson and Greg Martin. Dr Napthine said an efficient and competitive freight industry was vital to the state's economy.
"Container movements are estimated to quadruple over the next 30 years.
The Port of Hastings Development Authority's first task will be to begin the key social, economic and environmental studies that will underpin this important project," Mr Napthine said.
The development will include new port facilities and infrastructure to move containers to and from the port.
The authority takes control of the port on January 1.
The port is expected to become an operating container terminal in 10 to 15 years.
