Post Offices - Every village Post Office (PO) is a hub and it’s probably your best single source of local information! Village residents don’t have mail home deliveries – these are limited to rural residents if they have a roadside box, so you’ll get to know your local PO well. Each of our village Post Offices has its own special character, and slightly different services. Take a midweek drive to check them out. The Loch Community Postal Agency is a rare example of a volunteer-run post office. It has mail and parcel deliveries and postage, and stocks basic envelope and materials. Nyora PO is situated inside the Nyora Hub, along with cafe, Pharmacy and Medical Centre. It has a good range of stationery – larger than Loch, but less than Poowong. The Poowong PO is a fully stocked PO with full service, including banking, so it’s your best and closest bet if your local PO doesn’t have what you need. Details on each are in the Loch/Nyora/Poowong sections.

Library services - Myli - My Community Library is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing specialist library services across the South Gippsland Shire Council area and beyond. With a Myli membership, members enjoy free access to an extensive collection of books, e-books, eaudiobooks, digital magazines and newspapers, and a range of online resources and databases. Myli also offers a variety of programs and workshops, including fun school holiday activities for kids. Poowong is home to a small but well-equipped library, which is staffed on Thursday afternoons. This library offers 24/7 access. After completing a brief induction session with a Myli team member, patrons can visit the library at any time to borrow books, browse the shelves, or use the study area. To arrange an induction and purchase an access fob, simply chat with the Myli team. Nyora enjoys a fortnightly visit from the mobile library every alternate Saturday from 10:15 am to 12:45 pm. The new Korumburra Library, just a short 10-minute drive from Loch, is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. For those who travel further, the Leongatha Library offers an excellent range of services and resources. Myli stays connected with the community through an active presence on Facebook and Instagram, as well as regular newsletters. The Myli app makes it easy to search for items, place holds and choose a preferred pick-up library. For more information, visit the Myli website at myli.org.au, where visitors can explore the catalogue, resources blogs and updates. Myli can also be reached at 1800 44 6954 or by dropping by a local library—friendly staff are always ready to assist!

Other Book sources - Opshops in Nyora and Loch often have good or relevant used books. Both the Poowong PO and Loch Motors have small but interesting selections of new and local history books.

Justice of The Peace - In most cases, people in public positions can witness statutory declarations or other documents. Local JPs, if you really need one are by appointment only (remember they are volunteers):

• Loch – Maree Ludinia (reg no. 12031) available business hours, evenings and weekends.

• Nyora – no JP currently.

• Poowong – James Forbes (reg no.10793) available evenings and weekends

Taking care of your motor - All three villages have motor mechanic services, with Loch Motors at Loch the only outlet with fuel (Shell), which is always very competitively priced, so very much worthwhile using it as your local fuelstop! Vehicle repairs and maintenance workshops are:

• Elton Motors, Loch.

• Bowney Automotive, Nyora.

• Lectaire AutoElectrics, Poowong.

Milpara Community House does some amazing work that could and should touch your lives at some stage. Milpara is not actually in one of the triangle villages, but based in the nearby and larger Korumburra, just a few extra minutes drive away. The very modern and new Korumburra Community Hub is at the top of town (15 Little Commercial Street). Drop in, or contact them. on Further information also at www.milparacommunityhouse.org.au. One critical Milpara service is Foodbank, where locals can receive both support and food relief. You could assist by providing some of your time to help, financial support (which will be multiplied many times over), or some home produce from jam to pickles. Centrelink operates from Milpara with limited hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Public transport (V/Line not part of the Myki system) - Why would you ever want to drive to the city, when you can use public transport? To replace the defunct regional rail service, the State Government provides integrated coach and train services (V/Line) in some parts of the State. Both Loch and Nyora are part of the Yarram to Melbourne line, with pickup and drop-off points in each township. Poowong has no public transport. It’s not part of the V/Line, so Poowong residents need to drive to Nyora or Loch to meet the V-Line service. There are eight daily departures starting from Leongatha to Melbourne. First coach departs Loch at 6.06 am, and 6.16am from Nyora. Last coach departs Loch at 7.21pm, and Nyora at 7.31pm. First change is at Kooweerup, with the quicker trip a direct bus to Flinders Street (2 hours total) or a longer 2 ½ hours by bus and train with more stops – good for shopping or commuting – by bus via Cranbourne and Dandenong with train transfer at Dandenong to Melbourne’s Flinders Street. Or you can explore further! Go against the grain! Discover more rural delights and fresh air in the other direction, with five daily services running beyond Leongatha. Stops include Korumburra, Coal Creek, Leongatha, Koowarra, Meeniyan, Buffalo turn-off, Fish Creek, Foster, Toora, Welshpool, Alberton and Yarram. There is also a V/Line service linking Inverloch and Phillip Island with Melbourne, via Koo Wee Rup and Dandenong.
Tickets and schedules at vline.com.au, via the V-Line App or phone 1800 800007 and they’ll send you an email ticket. You can get bus tickets at the Burra Brew and BBQ in Korumburra but, as there no ticket outlets in our three villages, you can pay on the bus (concession should be available). Trip planning is at ptv.vic.gov.au. For travel on the same day, the maximum return fare is just $10.60 (or $5.30 concession). Fares throughout Victoria are capped at $10.60 daily or $5.30 concession (children and pensioners).