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Ballarat murder trial aborted, jury dismissed after 'reckless' TV report on Karen Ashcroft case

The trial of a man accused of murdering a Victorian grandmother is aborted after a local TV news bulletin broadcast inaccurate information, and details that had not been heard by the jury.




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Ballarat police officer David Berry acquitted of assault charge, punch to ex-neighbour ruled self defence

A Ballarat magistrate dismisses an assault charge against a police sergeant, agreeing his use of force was "reasonable" during an altercation in which he punched his neighbour in the face.




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Child abuse survivors 'ripped off' by agreements given chance to sue under law change

Hundreds of abuse survivors could benefit from reforms that will allow them to sue their abusers, even if they signed "unfair" agreements not to take legal action.




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uniting ballarat

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




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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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How Wood Splitters art heist from Ballarat helped change regional art galleries forever

In August 1978, someone entered Ballarat's art gallery, grabbed a 92-year-old painting off the wall, and walked out the front door. Now, the once cash-strapped gallery hosts international artists.







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Waste-to-energy project in Ballarat stalled as expert names city 'one of the best' places for it

Once touted as a $300 million solution to regional Victoria's waste woes, plans to build a waste-to-energy facility have stalled, with some in the industry left scratching their heads.




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Documents expose land deal behind Victoria's Western Highway sacred trees dispute

A contentious highway upgrade again comes under scrutiny after revelations a land deal was struck between Victoria's roads department and the former Aboriginal cultural heritage authority which approved the development.





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Treated sewage route to farmland proposed by Colac council in bid to secure water supply and food bowl future

As urban sprawl puts pressure on the food bowl on Melbourne's fringes, and as water becomes increasingly scarce, one council has a bold idea that might just catch on.




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Lawyers say Catholic Church admits liability for claims from sexual abuse survivors

The Catholic Church may have opened itself up to hundreds of potential damages claims from sexual abuse survivors after admitting liability in court documents.






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Ballarat construction worker dies in wall collapse at Mount Pleasant home

WorkSafe and police investigate the death of a construction worker who was demolishing a Ballarat home when he was killed in a wall collapse this morning.




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Ballarat man arrested over 1993 murder of Suzanne Poll in Salisbury

Police arrest a Victorian man over the stabbing murder of Adelaide woman Suzanne Poll at a shop in April in 1993 after a DNA breakthrough.




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Man charged with cold case murder of Adelaide mother Suzanne Poll intends to plead not guilty

A Victorian man accused of murdering Adelaide mother-of-two Suzanne Poll at her workplace in 1993 will plead not guilty to the charge, a court has heard.




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Ride Like a Girl sports a classic underdog tale, but isn't necessarily an instant classic film

Ride Like a Girl's real strength is it never lets anything get in the way of telling the superb true story at its heart.








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Small-scale wool makers launch new trademark to recognise 100 per cent Australian-produced fibre

A group of wool makers launches a new trademark to recognise textile producers whose homegrown fibre is 100 per cent Australian from the farm right through to the finished product.




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Cox Plate: Kings Will Dream returns to Moonee Valley just 12 months after fracturing pelvis

After fracturing his pelvis and nearly bleeding out after last year's Cox Plate, Kings Will Dream is set to write another chapter in an unbelievable comeback story at Moonee Valley, during a fortnight of intense scrutiny over the treatment of horses within the racing industry.







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The Book of Lists: The Original Compendium of Curious Information by David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace.

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader




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The Long Glasgow Kiss by Craig Russell

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader




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Review: 'The Promise of Iceland' by Kari Gislason

Kari Gislason concedes it would have been very easy to write a sad memoir about his relationship with his dad - but he made a concerted effort not to go down that track.



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Kursk: The Greatest Battle by Lloyd Clark

Rob Minshull is an avid reader, and the producer of Weekends with Warren Boland.