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Baringhup community wins a seven-year battle against controversial broiler farm development

The Central Victorian community of Baringhup finally sees the end to a seven-year battle to stop the development of major chicken farm.





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Great Ocean Road's 'magic' attracts people year-round, and not just daytripping tourists

This used to be the quiet time of year on Victoria's famous stretch of coastline, but locals say that's changing.





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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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George Pell's appeal against child sexual abuse convictions to be heard in Supreme Court today

Jailed Cardinal George Pell will front Victoria's highest court today to appeal against his child sex abuse convictions, arguing proper process wasn't followed at trial and a reasonable jury could not have found him guilty of the crimes.









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Maryborough, the regional Victorian town struggling with self-esteem

Two homicides in two months last year rocked Maryborough in regional Victoria, a town whose residents already felt they'd become too accustomed to putting themselves down over the years.




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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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How train drivers deal with death and how the admin process afterwards does not always help

Around one person dies on Victoria's rail lines every week, with most long-term train drivers experiencing at least one fatality in their career.





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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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Australia's old powerlines are holding back the renewable energy boom

Australian wind and solar farms are putting downward pressure on energy prices, and there are hundreds of new renewable facilities set to come online. But that green energy is stretching the country's outdated network of transmission lines.




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Ian Zandstra appointed dairy advocate for NSW in bid to ease pressure on farmers

Making good on an election promise, the NSW Government has named its first dairy advocate, who is vowing to highlight the pressures faced by farmers at both ends of the supply chain.




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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.