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Homeless and emergency housing stretched to double its capacity in freezing Victorian city

Budget cuts, funding freezes, and tight rental markets put pressure on homeless services as more people end up on the street.




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Stuart Usherwood pleads guilty to dangerous driving causing death of former mayor Rod May

A man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of a former regional Victorian mayor near Ballarat in 2017.




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Catholic Church allowed Brother John Laidlaw to keep teaching after abuse, court hears

A teenager molested by Christian Brother John Laidlaw in the 1980s tells a Melbourne court he thought he was being "punished by God" when he was sexually assaulted at his family home, as the former teacher pleads guilty to abusing six boys over two decades.




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uniting homeless

A tight rental market and rising cost of living is stretching homelessness services beyond their budgeted capacity.





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Violence against council workers escalates in Victoria, prompting calls for more protection

A rise in the number of assaults against local government employees prompts Victorian councils to call for a change in sentencing laws to better protect their staff.





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Man takes axe blow to the head in medieval battle re-enactment

A 21-year-old is flown to hospital after an axe hit his helmet while he was taking part in a mock medieval battle at Hawkesbury Showground in New South Wales.





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Dumped geese divide Daylesford, as council considers rehoming them from popular lake

This gaggle of geese is beloved by Instagrammers, but the local council says the abandoned birds are destroying the environment and must be rehomed.





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Farmer spent $40k on mental health treatment, royal commission told in only regional hearing

When farmer Alistair Gabb fell into depression his doctor prescribed him medication and referred him to a psychiatrist for 10 free therapy sessions but it was far from enough.




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Locals devastated after council votes to remove 'iconic' geese from Daylesford

Locals in the Victorian town of Daylesford say they are shocked and devastated by council's decision to remove an "aggressive" gaggle of geese from the area, describing them as "a bit of an icon" in the tourism hotspot.




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Paedophile priest Robert Claffey to spend at least one more year in jail for abusing children

A judge says Victorian paedophile priest Robert Claffey "mocked" his priestly authority to access and abuse children, while sentencing him to more jail time.




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Christian Brother John Laidlaw jailed for sexually abusing six boys over two decades

A Christian Brother who sexually assaulted boys at some of Victoria's most prestigious Catholic schools is sentenced to four and a half years in prison.




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Nightingale Housing's Jennifer Kulas






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Nightingale inner-city development proposed for Ballarat amid fears of urban sprawl 'social disaster'

A prominent urban researcher warns that Ballarat is heading towards a "social disaster" unless it can curb urban sprawl.




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Man disqualified from driving six times jailed over crash that killed former Victorian mayor Rod May

A man disqualified from driving and tested positive to methamphetamines has been jailed for at least two years for dangerous driving causing the death of a former regional Victorian mayor near Ballarat in 2017.




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School principal fleeced of $1,500 in ATO scam, as authorities struggle with dramatic increase in calls

School principal Michelle Wilson spent a stressful two hours on the phone, convinced she owed $8,000 and could soon be arrested if she didn't pay up. Then she realised the whole thing was an elaborate hoax.






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Is Ararat's 509-point loss to Great Western a picture of the troubles facing country football?

A scoreline of 79.41 (515) to 1.0 (6) has reversed a country AFL team's own, regular weekly triple-figure defeats. But is this just another tally of country footy's troubles?




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Chronic pain sufferers left untreated for years as Ballarat specialists cope with high demand

Every night Allanah Morel packs her daughter's school bag ahead of time because she knows that by the next morning she could be in too much pain to get out of bed.







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What to expect as Victoria's mental health royal commission wraps up

Dozens of Victorians shared their painful and powerful stories during the state's royal commission into its broken mental health system. Commissioners now have the difficult task of finding a way forward, write Zalika Rizmal and James Bennett.




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Grim prediction for regional motels as Airbnb, online booking sites add unprecedented pressure

Once the staple of regional travel, motels are facing an increasingly uncertain future as online alternatives bite away at revenue.




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Former Victorian Catholic priest Paul David Ryan jailed for historical child sex offences

A former Catholic priest who showed pornographic images to children and assaulted a teenager while he slept is jailed for two years and two months.




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Murdered Carisbrook police officer honoured 161 years after his death

Senior Constable Edward Barnett was shot and killed attempting to stop an armed robber in 1858. Now he has finally been honoured with one of Victoria Police's most prestigious medals.








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Tours of Aradale Mental Asylum cancelled due to contamination

Tours of the 152-year-old Aradale Mental Asylum have been cancelled due to lead paint contamination. Operators fear this may be the end of the road for the historic site.




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What impact does the brewery boom have on country pubs?

Australians' taste in beer is evolving and craft brands are on the rise, but that also means the nation's country pubs are changing.




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Dark matter, gold and vegetables ignite jobs boom in Stawell but spark housing problem

Research into a mysterious substance that makes up 85 per cent of the universe, along with good old-fashioned gold and a new hydroponic farm, are driving a jobs boom in the small Victorian town of Stawell, but there's a problem.





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George Pell's appeal against his child sex abuse convictions will be decided by a court next week

Cardinal George Pell could be released from custody, ordered to face a new trial or sent back to prison when the Court of Appeal hands down its ruling next Wednesday. We explain the possible outcomes and what will happen next.




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Australian athletes preparing for midnight marathon in Qatari heat

Thermostats and saunas become secret weapons as Australian athletes brace themselves for the unusual conditions of a midnight marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Doha next month.




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Western Highway overhead pic






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George Pell's appeal against his child sex abuse convictions will be decided today

George Pell could walk from court today or be sent back to prison to serve the rest of his six-year term, depending on the outcome of his appeal against his child sex abuse convictions.




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Poo transplants can alter koalas' gut microbiome so they can eat different types of leaves

Some koalas may be pickier eaters than others due to the mix of microbes in their lower gastrointestinal tract, but faecal transplants could help them diversify their diet, a new study suggests.




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George Pell's surviving victim reacts to the cardinal's appeal being dismissed

The former choirboy sexually abused by Cardinal George Pell welcomes the dismissal of Pell's appeal and says he hopes the "stressful" court process has come to an end.




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George Pell likely to be jailed with former friend, notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale

The ABC understands the Victorian Department of Corrections considers the Hopkins Correctional Centre in Ararat, 200 kilometres west of Melbourne, to be the most appropriate place to send the high-profile cleric.




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George Pell loses appeal against child sex abuse convictions, may lose Order of Australia honour

The Prime Minister suggests Cardinal George Pell will be stripped of his Order of Australia honour, as Pell plans to take his rejected appeal against his child sex abuse convictions to the High Court.