A former police officer critical of the force's response to the Bourke Street rampage is considering selling his home to afford independent legal representation at an inquest into the attack, a court hears.

A judge jails a Melbourne couple for fraud, acknowledging their imprisonment will be difficult for their young daughters and the family members who will need to look after the girls while their parents are in jail.

For Ashleigh Brazill, 2019 is truly the year she realised she can have it all. The Collingwood star made the AFLW All-Australian squad, has returned to the national netball side and is set to become a first-time mum.

Victorian households could be separating rubbish into six or more bins instead of the usual two or three if the state adopts recommendations from Infrastructure Victoria, which has released its ideas for dealing with the recycling crisis.

The current and former Victoria Police commissioners who knew about and authorised the recruitment of Lawyer X could face criminal charges, according to the state's former chief crown prosecutor.

Brisbane woman Layla Chen messaged her WeChat community after she was woken in the night by a loud bang she is one of tens of thousands of Chinese-speaking residents who use social media groups to get help when they fear for their safety.

Victoria's one-stop shop for all things to do with fines has been crippled by serious IT issues. So what's behind the multi-million-dollar problem, and what does it mean for people facing a payment deadline?

Liberal backbencher Dave Sharma and Labor MP Josh Burns join forces with alleged victims to seek Malka Leifer's extradition to Australia to face child sexual abuse charges.

A man accused of threatening his former wife before allegedly shooting her in the head has been granted bail because it took more than a decade to charge him.

Airport authorities are calling for a crackdown on drivers touting their services at the the terminal but one driver says it is the only way he can earn enough money to pay his bills.

Six formerly homeless women bring their stories to the stage in Melbourne in a play they hope will galvanise the community to demand politicians invest more in social housing.

Controversial cartoonist Michael Leunig is accused of unfairly judging mothers in a cartoon that suggests some love their phones and Instagram more than their children.

An outreach worker linked to a medically supervised safe injecting room in Melbourne's inner east is among a group of people now charged with trafficking the drug heroin.

Victoria's new deal with Beijing has angered some in the Morrison Government who worry about Chinese influence in Australia, but Premier Daniel Andrews says it will boost the state's economy and jobs.

The artist sister of cartoonist Michael Leunig says she does not believe her brother understands how hard mothers work and that many are also juggling careers, after his controversial cartoon appeared to critique heavy use of social media by mothers.

The head of a community centre which houses Melbourne's controversial safe injecting centre is stood down after several staff linked to other services at the centre have been charged with trafficking heroin.

Usually by this time of year, there'd be 40,000 mutton birds on south-west Victoria's Griffiths Island. So far, fewer than 100 of the birds have arrived from their 15,000km journey from the northern hemisphere.

The limitations of company annual general meetings were laid bare at Crown's flagship Melbourne casino this week, where questions about company scandals were batted away, but Crown won't escape scrutiny for long, writes Daniel Ziffer.

Andrew Nabbout scores the winner as Robbie Fowler's Lang Park welcome ends in a meek 1-0 defeat for a misfiring Brisbane Roar.

Hundreds of residents from three Victorian towns are told to evacuate from their homes as part of one of the state's biggest-ever fire drills, in preparation for what could be a devastating fire season.

A small portable ultrasound machine connected to a mobile phone is set to make the stethoscope obsolete, according to a professor at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. It's faster, safer and more accurate.

When Lily Yan first walked into an Australian pub, locals stopped and stared. But she hasn't let a few odd looks deter her.

Shooting to kill, commandeering trucks and spike strips are just some powers of intervention police officers have been told they must use if necessary to stop a hostile vehicle attack.

Victorian racing authorities announce a plan for retired racehorses to be euthanased on farms to save them from abattoirs and knackeries, in response to an ABC investigation that exposed cruel treatment of thoroughbreds.

A man responsible for an "atrocious attack" on an off-duty paramedic during a crime spree on the Mornington Peninsula last year is sentenced to five years and nine months in jail.

Much-loved actor Anne Phelan, who featured in Australian TV programs including Bellbird and Prisoner, dies at the age of 71. The acclaimed actor was described as "simply one of the best humans".

One of three peregrine falcon chicks that hatched, in front of thousands of online fans, has died in a nest perched high on a Melbourne skyscraper, marking the third year in a row the nest has suffered such a loss.

St Kilda's former number-one draft pick Paddy McCartin's problems with concussion reach a critical point, with the forward de-listed and sitting out the 2020 season to get his health in order.

After Victorian police were found to have falsified hundreds of thousands of breath tests last year, the state's anti-corruption body warns there's a risk officers could still be conducting fake tests because of "meaningless and unachievable" targets.

The owner of racehorse Thought of That defends himself against claims of sexism after dropping jockey Linda Meech in favour of Mark Zahra for Saturday's Victoria Derby at Flemington.

Senior Victorian police defend their tactics, including the pushing of a journalist and the use of pepper spray, during protests outside a mining conference, saying officers are ready to respond the same way tomorrow.

A police officer suffers a serious injury to his hand after his unmarked vehicle is rammed by a man attempting to avoid arrest on a property at Lara, south-west of Melbourne.

Rather than Michelle Payne's 2015 win being the game-changing moment it seemed, female jockeys still beg for the crumbs from the tables of owners and trainers who remain dubious about their capabilities, writes Richard Hinds.

After suffering a stroke as a baby, Adyan bin Hasan's left hand is weak. And while it doesn't stop the five-year-old playing basketball and cricket, his disability is the reason his family's permanent visa application has been rejected.

Melbourne City beats Western United 2-1 in the season's second Victorian derby, while Perth Glory enjoy a win over Phoenix by the same scoreline in Wellington.

An unbeaten half-century from David Warner sees Australia post a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the MCG to clean sweep their three-match T20 series.

A lewd sticker on a police body camera lands a Victoria Police officer in hot water, with the force launching an investigation into the "extremely disappointing" incident.

A senior police officer tells the royal commission Nicola Gobbo agreed to make a statement against Paul Dale in the murders of Terence and Christine Hodson because she did not want it to look like she was involved in the murder.

For the second time in two days, Victoria Police expresses "extreme disappointment" in one of its officers, this time after alt-right material shared on social media was connected to an officer accused of using a hand gesture associated with white power.

Betting on horse races has taken a dive amid a slew of scandals that hit the industry this year, but racing experts say a combination of factors are coming together at the wrong time for Racing Victoria.

A court hears Harold Mitchell was "pushing" for Tennis Australia to sign a contract for the broadcast rights of the Australian Open with Channel 7 when he was the sports body's director in 2013.

Whips will likely be banned from horseracing in the next 10 to 15 years, the CEO of Racing Victoria says, as rain and animal activists dampen the annual Melbourne Cup parade.

An 11-year-old boy who was missing since Sunday night on a 150-acre farm north-west of Melbourne returns home safe and well. Police say he was checked out by ambulance officers and was given the all clear.

Are you feeling torn about celebrating the Melbourne Cup today? We asked our ABC Messenger audience how they felt about the race that stops the nation and what they loved (and hated) about it.

In the closest of finishes, jockey Craig Williams rides the winner but an upheld protest sees a change to the final placings in the race that stops a nation. Look back on how it unfolded at Flemington Racecourse.