Here’s when I realised that local news matters – and not just to journos

I’ve been a full-time journalist for almost a decade. In that time, the media landscape has changed a lot.

But one thing that never changes is that people really care about what is going on around them.

Now, a little over a year since launching the Eastern Melburnian, I have been amazed at the power local news can have on local communities.

Often, the impact of a story can be small – you get a nice comment or email that makes your day – but sometimes the impact of a story is large.

One recent story I’ve covered which has shown this big impact is the proposed expansion of the Montrose quarry.

Growing up in Mount Evelyn, I was always aware of the quarry as something you would see driving up Canterbury Road.

But thinking about living near it and hearing the regular blasts was something that never entered my mind.

WIth local residents, teachers, and parents banding together to have their voices heard about the proposed expansion of the quarry, and I was grateful and proud to be trusted to tell their story. The whole story, which I will continue covering, has made me think about what I think

is one of the strongest strength of local news: painting such a vivid picture to both tell the under-reported stories in our communities and make those who hadn’t thought about the issue truly care and understand why it matters.

After coming across this proposal to expand the quarry by another 30 acres and another 32 years, I chased down the contact details of some key locals who had opposed previous applications.

One of them was Kim Wormald, a long-time resident who had serious concerns about the impact living closer to the quarry activities as it grew would have, with her house already regularly shaken by blasts.

I received an invite from a group of protestors the day after I had a chat with her and met her daughter Alyssa, who was fearful of how increased dust would exacerbate her son’s lung problems, as he was born prematurely.

Later, I was even able to speak with councillors from the area and Monbulk MP Daniela de Martino who have both recommended to the Planning Minister that a full assessment of the potential environmental impacts be completed.

A lot of the media can be made of grabs from spokespeople or pre-approved media releases 

but there are always real and human stories ready to be told.

You just have to dig a little bit deeper.

I like to think this first year of the Eastern Melburnian has been about doing exactly that.