October
October 2022 started off with a bang.
A new West Gippsland Hospital was guaranteed, with both the ALP and the Liberal Party making funding commitments if re-elected. Premier Dan Andrews committed between
$610 and $675 million for a new hospital on October 3, and Matthew Guy pledged $600 million to the project in June.
A new regional saleyards facility was finally given a green light to proceed.
With the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal signing off on a $13 million development by Longwarry Saleyards Pty Ltd.
The Men's Shed at Drouin celebrated the 10th anniversary of when the idea to form the group was kicked off.
The West Gippsland Dance Festival celebrated 30 years with first-time metropolitan dancers had been able to attend since the beginning of the pandemic.
Every senior football club in Gippsland was been accused by AFL Victoria of breaching its player points system. A total 72 clubs in seven leagues - Gippsland, Ellinbank and District, Mid Gippsland, West Gippsland, North Gippsland, Omeo and District and East Gippsland were accused following an audit of points allocated by the clubs the previous season.
The Baw Baw Big Blokes Barbecue held on Friday at Lardner Park raised $190,0000 for men's health and other local initiatives. Almost 700 guests attended the event which has now raised $1.47 million in the nine years it has been held.
Emergency services attended a set of units in King St, Warragul on Thursday morning after receiving reports one of the units was on fire. CFA members arrived shortly after 8.50am and firefighters controlled the blaze in about 30 minutes.
Drouin Fire Brigade celebrated the dedicated service of its members at an annual dinner that bestowed CFA's highest honour on former captain of 38 years John Atkins - the Outstanding Service Award.
Works were set to begin to install a safety barrier on a dangerous section of Walhalla Rd.
The inaugural First Responders Expo was held at the Warragul RSL. Information and resources were available from various services, and both current and former members and their families were welcome.
Seventy-five people celebrated the centenary of Trafalgar's RSL hall on October 8, exactly 100 years since it was opened by Australia's governor-general, Lord Forster in 1922.
West Gippsland Healthcare Group activated an internal code yellow. WGHG chief executive officer Dan Weeks said like many hospitals around the state, the hospital was struggling with workforce shortages as it navigated the ever-changing environment of COVID-19.
Off the Leash Theatre returned to the stage at West Gippsland Arts Centre with a dark, grungy and highly energetic performance of Green Day's American Idiot musical.
The inaugural Gippsland Fine Music Festival was held at the Wesley of Warragul from October 14 to October 16.
The Warragul Arthritis Self Help Group celebrated a milestone achievement and end of an era. The group's 30th anniversary celebration also marked the announcement the group would disband at the end of the year.
November
The Thomson Dam experienced its first overflow in 26 years.
Improved marketing was identified as the key to expanding the use of Warragul's Exhibition Hall according to a report. Baw Baw Shire councillors agreed to increase the utilisation of the Howitt St hall and refer any associated enhancement costs to the budget process.
St Paul's Anglican Grammar School held a special ceremony for the opening of the junior school's new learning and administration building.
Ellinbank local Dr Natalie Thorne was recognised as one of 25 women nationally with a '2022 Brilliant Women in Digital Health' award for her work in genomics.
The new Warragul West Ambulance Station in Burke St was set to begin operation.
The first stages of the indigenous art garden were taking shape in Rotary Park Warragul. The garden brought to life, "Art from the Air," a painting by renowned local indigenous artist Dr Auntie Eileen Harrison.
Warragul's Baxter Park soccer field was granted $1 million to build new changerooms and amenities for female players.
The Sonshine Toy Library in Warragul celebrated 40 years.
Crowds swelled at the Remembrance Day service in Warragul on Friday with up to 750 people gathering to pause and reflect.
A 27-year-old Drouin man was one of four people arrested in connection to an investigation into illegal betting on the Brownlow medal.
The election in Narracan was been abandoned after the sudden death of Nationals candidate Shaun Gilchrist.
An open council vote saw west ward councillor Annemarie McCabe elected mayor of Baw Baw Shire.
Timber workers and their supporters joined forces at Warragul's Civic Park to protest the Labor Government's plans for the industry.
A petition failed to ease parking restrictions for residents of Albert St, Warragul.
Baw Baw Food Relief called for food donations as it prepared to feed thousands of mouths over Christmas.
December
Local Afghanistan veteran Damien Sgarbossa who developed the idea of creating a beer for veterans by veterans toasted the success of his locally-made ale.
The golfing eyes of the nation turned to the Warragul Country Club for the Gippsland Super 6. 
Christmas cheer dominated Drouin’s Civic Park on Saturday night for the town’s Carols by Candlelight event.
The former Warragul saleyards site in Alfred St, zoned for commercial use under Baw Baw Shire’s planning scheme, was sold to a developer and approval for a major commercial development at Queen St east was given the tick by the shire’s planning department.
A proposal was put forward to name the new netball pavilion at Western Park in honour of the late Liza Pharaoh.
Students across Victoria received their long-awaited VCE results. The highest reported ATAR result at a West Gippsland school was 99.5, earned by Xavier Haberl from St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School.
Trafalgar’s mental health drop-in hub was given a lifeline to continue its work in the community.
Warragul Theatre Company and Off the Leash Theatre, both earned accolades for their work on West Gippsland stages. 
New state Opposition leader John Pesutto wasted no time in visiting the Narracan electorate in his bid to secure the one outstanding seat to be decided in Victoria’s parliament.
Neerim South Primary School opened a habitat garden called “Healing, Reflections and Learning Garden. Belonging, Being, Becoming”.
The annual Boxing Day picnic race meeting at Drouin was been abandoned. The wet state of the track that could have compromised horse and rider safety led to the decision.
Crowds were back as Warragul held its traditional Carols by Candlelight program in Civic Park on Christmas Eve.
The Labor Party dropped a bombshell, withdrawing from the January 28 rescheduled election for the Narracan electorate.
More than 240 people re- cently gathered at the Ath- lone Community Hall for cen- tenary celebrations.
The Warragul North Primary School community sought urgent action to safeguard families using an “extremely dangerous” intersection. A petition signed by 107 people was submitted to Baw Baw Shire Council seeking improvements to the Normanby St and O’Dowds Rd intersection.