Victoria

De verwachte hervormingen van Labor zijn geen wondermiddel, maar ze zouden Australië naar een rechtvaardiger traject kunnen duwen. Ontvang onze breaking news e-mail, gratis app of dagelijkse nieuwspodcast. De regering-Albanese bereidt zich voor op het presenteren van een begroting die wonen opnieuw zal definiëren als beschutting – in plaats van als financieel instrument – in wijzigingen die al hebben geleid tot felle waarschuwingen dat de huren zullen exploderen en het woningaanbod zal worden ingeperkt. Die waarschuwingen kunnen het beste genegeerd worden. Lees verder...

De echtgenote van de premier, die hem begeleidde naar de stembussen, volgt in de voetsporen van een lange reeks vrouwen die de blazer inzetten wanneer de inzet hoog is.

• Extra financiering voor het kostbare openbaar vervoerproject van 90 km, beloofd voorafgaand aan de verkiezingen van de staat in november. • De federale begroting zal nog eens $3,8 miljard bevatten voor de Suburban Rail Loop, het controversiële en kostbare openbaar vervoerproject van 90 km in Melbourne. • Premier Anthony Albanese zal de extra financiering aanstaande vrijdag aankondigen samen met de premier van Victoria, Jacinta Allan, voorafgaand aan de begroting van 12 mei en nu de vroege campagne voor de deelstaatverkiezingen in een stroomversnelling raakt.

Plans to install tougher netting and window grilles set back because walls cannot take extra weight, prison governors sayWeak and crumbling walls in Victorian prisons are hampering attempts to halt drones from delivering drugs and weapons to inmates.Plans to install tougher netting and window grilles to stop drones from entering have been hampered because the walls have been unable to take the extra weight, prison governors said. Continue reading...

Labor’s 2026-27 budget shows state has recorded $700m surplus this financial year, first of its kind since before the Covid-19 pandemicGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria is back in black for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with Tuesday’s state budget to deliver an operating surplus and forecasting another next financial year.The 2026-27 budget, to be handed down on Tuesday afternoon, will show the state recorded a $700m surplus in 2025-26, largely in line with December’s pre-budget update of $710m and an improvement on the $611m forecast last May. Continue reading...

Man, 32, arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning after incident in Rosemeadow. Follow updates liveFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA third victim has died and a man is in police custody following an incident at a home in Sydney’s southwest, AAP reports.NSW police arrived at the house in Rosemeadow on Sunday at 1.30am after reports of a disturbance. Continue reading...

Labor under pressure to scrap group voting tickets as Avi Yemini details plan to funnel votes to conservative parties at state election A rightwing provocateur’s plan to register the “Free Palestine party” and use it to funnel votes to conservative parties in Victoria’s state election has renewed concern over the state’s voting system.Avi Yemini, a former Israeli solider and self-styled investigative journalist who creates content for his YouTube channel Rebel News Australia, on Tuesday announced plans to register the party, which he said would “flow our preferences on to parties that want to free Palestine from Hamas” in the November poll. Continue reading...

Exclusive: State government commits to strengthening laws as Higgins labels Albanese government’s response to women’s safety issues ‘disheartening’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Victorian government will strengthen laws regarding the use of victim-survivors’ confidential communications after a push by advocates including Brittany Higgins, who described her experience of having counselling records subpoenaed as a “violation”.In an interview with Guardian Australia, Higgins was also critical of the federal government’s lack of action following a sweeping review into the justice system’s responses to sexual violence, saying it had “completely fallen off the agenda”.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Tees Transporter Bridge and a former working men’s club in Barrow-in-Furness among sites at risk of decay or neglectTeesside’s Transporter Bridge, a disinfecting station in Hackney and a former working men’s club in Barrow-in-Furness have been included on a list ringing alarm bells for Victorian and Edwardian heritage.The Victorian Society has published its annual top 10 endangered buildings list, intended as a way of drawing national attention to at-risk places in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, has condemned the booing of welcome of country remarks at Anzac Day events on Saturday.Wilson offered some of the strongest criticism of the hecklers to be delivered by a Coalition frontbencher. In a post on X yesterday, he wrote:Thank you to all our veterans who fought for our country. ANZAC Day is a a day to honour all those who fought and died for our country. Booing any Australian who served or their story is unacceptable, disrespectful and unworthy of the ANZAC legacy.The story of this land began thousands of years ago. Project Australia is a continuing story of one land, one people with one destiny. Let us be worthy of our full inheritance, and those that sacrificed for respect based on our common humanity & the equal dignity of all people.It is incredibly disappointing and completely inappropriate to boo at an Anzac Day service. Whatever your views on a welcome to country, ANZAC Day is our most sacred day … If you have strong views about that, there are many other ways in a free country that you have an opportunity to express your views. Continue reading...

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMurder charge laid after woman’s body found at homeA 25-year-old man will face court after a woman’s body was found at a home. Continue reading...

With a reshuffled cabinet, the premier is hoping to quell leadership rumblings as her party seeks an unprecedented fourth termGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, stood alongside the fresh faces in her reshuffled cabinet on Wednesday, she attempted to send her increasingly jaded electorate a blunt message: despite its 12 years in power, her government is – apparently – new.In her opening four-minute preamble to reporters, Allan - whose Labor government will in November seek an unprecedented fourth term - repeated the word 17 times. In one sentence alone, she referred to her “new cabinet”, “new portfolios”, “new solutions” and “new areas that are going to drive this government forward”.Benita Kolovos is Guardian Australia’s Victorian state correspondent Continue reading...

Some petrol stations may see short-term fuel outages as refinery output slows, but national supplies should not be affectedFull report: Geelong oil refinery fireGeelong oil refinery fire: what we know so farFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian motorists are being warned to brace for a spike in petrol prices of up to 20c a litre due to a huge blaze at Viva Energy’s oil refinery in Geelong, but oil and supply chain experts say the effects should be short-lived.Viva’s Corio facility is one of two domestic refineries that reduce Australia’s heavy reliance on direct imports of ready-to-use oil products from Asia. Continue reading...

Section of state’s electoral act that introduced caps on political donations but carved out an exemption for major parties ruled unconstitutional The high court has ruled Victoria’s political donation laws are unconstitutional, in a move that has been described as “enshrining a level playing field”.The unanimous decision, handed down by Australia’s highest court on Wednesday, struck out an entire section of Victoria’s electoral act that introduced caps on political donations but carved out an exemption for major parties. Continue reading...

Luba Grigorovitch, one of four MPs promoted to Jacinta Allan’s cabinet, says she has ‘no regrets’ over friendship with former CFMEU bossLuba Grigorovitch, one of four Victorian Labor MPs promoted to cabinet, says she has “no regrets” about her past friendship with disgraced construction union leader John Setka, despite the opposition labelling her appointment “appalling”.The Victorian Labor caucus met on Tuesday and voted to elevate Grigorovitch, the member for Kororoit, along with Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke, Eureka MP Michaela Settle and Box Hill MP Paul Hamer, to cabinet. Continue reading...

A skull fragment found in a tray of unsorted fossils collected more than a century ago leads to discoveryFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA prehistoric fossil, hiding in plain sight in museum storage for more than a century, has revealed that giant echidnas once roamed Victoria.The Owen’s giant echidna, Megalibgwilia owenii, lived during the Pleistocene, a geological epoch that began 2.5m years ago. It grew to about 1 metre long and weighed up to 15kg – about twice the size of Australia’s modern echidnas. Continue reading...

Reduced public holiday services and school holidays heighten pressure on network, leading to overcrowdingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPassengers have been forced to stand for hours and many were unable to board services over Easter as Victoria’s regional train system strained under the combined weight of a long weekend, school holidays and fare-free services.Reports of overcrowding on V/Line services escalated on Friday and Saturday as public holiday timetables reduced services, amid increased demand after the state government introducing free travel during April. Continue reading...

State upper house MP runs unopposed after initially being dropped during a preselection challenge. Follow today’s news liveGood morning, and happy Monday. Nick Visser here to take you through the day’s news. Let’s dive in. Continue reading...

Man and woman to be interviewed by police after arrests at separate properties in state’s north-east on Saturday morningTwo people have been arrested as part of the investigation into how Porepunkah fugitive Dezi Freeman was able to survive on the run for seven months before he was shot dead last week.A man and a woman were arrested at separate properties in north-east Victoria on Saturday morning around 7am. Continue reading...

Reversal of fortune comes just one week after she was dumped in favour of Dinesh Gourisetty, who then withdrew his nominationGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMoira Deeming will secure a top spot on the Victorian Liberal party’s upper house ticket unopposed – less than a week after members voted to dump her – after the withdrawal of candidates from a re-run ballot.Deeming was on Sunday ousted from the number one spot for the western metropolitan region by Dinesh Gourisetty. Continue reading...

Jess Wilson tried to create a united front – and it worked for a minute. But they just couldn’t help themselvesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFor months, a plan has been under way by moderates within the Victorian Liberal party to dislodge a group of conservative women from their prized, top positions on the upper house ballot ahead of the November state election.While they failed to move Bev McArthur and Renee Heath, and Ann-Marie Hermans held on in the second spot, they did claim one major victory by ousting Moira Deeming – by far the most high-profile of the group. Continue reading...

Request comes at the start of a two-week inquest into the death of Noongar man Jeffrey Winmar in MelbourneGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEleven police officers called to give evidence into the death of an Aboriginal man in custody have sought certificates to protect themselves from self-incrimination.The request from the Victoria police chief commissioner came at the start of a two-week inquest into the death of Noongar man Jeffrey Winmar. Continue reading...

Dinesh Gourisetty has been called a ‘pedophile supporter’ for providing court reference for a friend convicted of sexually assaulting a childFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian Liberal leader, Jess Wilson, says the man who defeated Moria Deeming for the top spot on the party’s upper house ballot is “not welcome” on her team, after it was revealed he wrote a court character reference for a friend convicted of grooming a 15-year-old girl.Dinesh Gourisetty, a prominent figure in Melbourne’s fast-growing Indian community, defeated Deeming on Sunday in a preselection vote for the party’s candidates for the western metropolitan region at the upcoming November election. Continue reading...

Porepunkah fugitive, 56, had been on the run after killing two police officers in Australian alpine region in AugustFull story: Dezi Freeman shot dead by policeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWayne Gatt, secretary of the Police Association Victoria, issued a statement a little earlier confirming the man fatally shot was Dezi Freeman.He said:Our members said they would find him. They did.Closure isn’t the right word. This represents a step forward for our members, for the families of our fallen members and for the community. It doesn’t lessen the trauma, give back the futures that were callously stolen or lessen the collective fear and grief that this tragic event has instilled in police and the wider public.They have worked tirelessly. During the emergency, in the operation that followed and the months thereafter, members across the state have devoted themselves to this singular pursuit. Days like today offer a sobering reminder that policing happens while you sleep, when the media spotlight on an investigation dims and when everything seems lost and forgotten.RIP Vadim and Neal. Today, we remember you. Continue reading...

Party members to determine MP’s political future after Dinesh Gourisetty also nominated for upper house seatGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMoira Deeming’s political future in the Victorian Liberals is about to be decided behind closed doors in the final preselection battle for the party’s upper house seats on Sunday.Liberal members were due to gather at party headquarters for the western metropolitan region convention, where Deeming faces a serious challenge from Dinesh Gourisetty, a prominent figure in Melbourne’s fast-growing Indian community. Continue reading...

Allan government says measure is temporary as energy shock from Middle East conflict sees petrol prices soarGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPublic transport will be free in Victoria for a month, in an effort to encourage people to switch from driving and alleviate the surge in demand for fuel.The Allan government announced on Sunday that it would make all metro and regional V/Line trams, trains and buses free from 31 March until the end of April. Continue reading...

Former Kilmore church being converted into mosque set alight Tuesday amid spate of Islamophobic incidentsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIslamic communities have called out a rise in “anti-Muslim hate” after a church that was being converted into a mosque was allegedly set alight in what Victoria police are treating as a “suspicious” fire.In a statement, Victoria police said the abandoned church in Kilmore, north of Melbourne, was set alight at about 1.50pm on Tuesday, causing “significant damage” to the building. No one was inside at the time and the fire was believed to have been started in the rear of the building. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labor bill recognising all animals as sentient and raising care requirements won’t be introduced before state electionWarning: This article contains graphic contentGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA bulldog trapped on a balcony, forced to live among its own faeces. A corgi kept in similarly squalid conditions, surrendered by its owner after community outrage. A Maltese shih tzu beaten with a metal pole – its attacker spared jail.These are the kinds of animal cruelty cases the Victorian government promised to target with new laws almost a decade ago. But Guardian Australia can reveal those reforms have been shelved indefinitely. Continue reading...