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Victoria sees biggest coronavirus tally jump in a fortnight as school closed and abattoir cluster grows

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announces that Epping's Meadowglen Primary School will be closed for three days as the state confirms 13 new coronavirus cases.




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Small town gets major makeover courtesy of renowned street artist

The Gippsland dairy farming town of Yarram has received a colourful makeover with the addition of 10 new public art murals by a celebrated street artist.




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Street mural artist Heesco takes over Yarram

Street mural artist Heesco, project coordinator Wayne Tindall, Yarram resident Eric Greenaway and The Ship Inn motel owner Paul Frost on what the 'Heesco Town' project has meant to Yarram, in South Gippsland.




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Nurse who blew the whistle on his hospital has died. His legacy should be remembered

Tim Griffin, the Austin Hospital nurse who blew the whistle about what he believed was medical negligence, has died.




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'Cataclysmic': This data reveals how we dodged a coronavirus catastrophe

For now, Australia appears to have kept the virus in check and avoided a full-blown coronavirus crisis. This data shows how we did it.




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'You can't change the nappies from 2m away': The reality for those left behind in the working-from-home experiment

Six weeks into the biggest shakeup of the Australian workplace since World War II, one economist is warning the adjusted work arrangements could be widening inequalities among workers.




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'If I can lighten the mood a bit': School captain finds the funny side of delivering messages online

Parents and teachers may be finding isolation tedious, but Kurnai College's school captain finds ways to keep the student body engaged and amused.




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Storm players wait outside HQ as they return to training

Players from NRL club Melbourne Storm wait outside their headquarters as they return to training.



  • NRL
  • Epidemics and Pandemics

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Family of killed Victoria Police constable farewells 'best mate'

The funeral for Josh Prestney today was small but full of grief as family and friends farewelled the young constable who was called a hero.




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Victoria Police suspends officer over 'appalling' breach of privacy

Victoria Police has suspended a senior constable over what Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton calls one of the most appalling breaches of privacy he's ever seen.




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Convicted killer jailed for 23 years over 'ferocious' murder of friend

Trevor Whybrow will spend a minimum of 17 years behind bars for the "extremely violent" assault which resulted in the death of his friend, Barry Moffat, after he "touched him up" in bed.



  • Courts and Trials
  • Murder and Manslaughter
  • Mental Health
  • Prisons and Punishment

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Australia is rushing to introduce more rapid COVID-19 testing. Here's what stands in the way

Australia is significantly expanding testing for COVID-19 across the country in order to stay on top of the virus and provide a path to re-open large portions of public life, but experts believe some tests are not up to scratch.





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Bundjalung and Yorta Yorta elder is laid to rest in a traditional burial

Boxing enthusiasts know John Patten as the Bantamweight Champion of Australia that no-one would challenge, but there was much more to his life.




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Victoria records 17 new cases of coronavirus with 11 linked to a meatworks in Brooklyn.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas says Victoria has recorded 17 new cases of coronavirus overnight with 11 of them linked to meat processing plant Cedar Meats in Broolyn, May 5, 2020.




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How to tackle anxiety in isolation

After enduring isolation for almost five weeks, are cracks appearing in our ability to stay positive and connected? Joining Virginia is Professor Rob Gordon, clinical psychologist and consulting psychologist with the Red Cross, answering this question and providing some much needed advice on staying well mentally in the times of COVID-19.




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Charles Sturt University announces job cuts due to COVID-19

One of Australia's largest regional universities is set to axe jobs as a result of a multi-million-dollar drop in revenue following a decline in international students due to the coronavirus pandemic.




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Victoria has recorded 17 new cases of coronavirus with 11 linked to a meat processing facility.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas also announced additional tax relief for families and businesses impacted by pandemic lockdown measures, May 5, 2020.




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Victorian Deputy Chief Health Officer cleared over Captain Cook tweet

Victoria's health department counsels Annaliese van Diemen over her tweet comparing the impact of COVID-19 with Captain Cook's arrival in Australia, but clears her of breaching the Victorian public sector code of conduct.




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Fred's mum's spending thousands to educate him during COVID-19. But the money will soon run out

With lines between school and home blurred, parents of students with disabilities are struggling with little or no extra support. Some have started dipping into their limited NDIS funds to get help.




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Quarantined WA couple home at last after Antarctic holiday diverted to Uruguay

After six weeks in lockdown and quarantine, a couple who contracted COVID-19 while on an Antarctic expedition have finally made it home.




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Regional airports 'slipping through the cracks' as coronavirus hits industry

The busiest airport in regional Victoria has laid off more than half its workforce and has lost 95 per cent of its revenue — but says it isn't eligible for government programs like the JobKeeper allowance.




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'No reason' churchgoer was shot in the face, police say as they offer reward for information

Police say there is "no reason" a man was shot as he was driving two women home from a church service, and they hope a $250,000 reward will help find answers for him.





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Victorian Government announces support for casual public sector employees amid coronavirus pandemic

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas says casual public sector workers who have lost their jobs due to coronavirus will receive fortnightly payments if $1500, May 6, 2020.




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Critically acclaimed wine turns out to be something else as decades-old mix-up revealed

In 1979, the CSIRO imported a boutique wine grape from France. Since then the drop has been celebrated by growers and experts alike — but it turns out they've been enjoying a different variety all along.




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Shadow Local Government Minister Tim Smith says the State Government should step in to help council staff remain employed

Shadow Local Government Minister Tim Smith and Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston are calling for rates to be frozen and for the State Government to do more to help council staff, May 6, 2020.




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Redacted royal commission findings on George Pell's handling of abuse claims to be published

The findings are expected to reveal what the royal commission made of the evidence put before it about whether Cardinal Pell could or should have done more to prevent children from being abused by priests in the 1970s and 80s.




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'This guy clearly doesn't look Aussie': James Lin was accosted by four men, but here's why he didn't bother complaining

The new coronavirus has brought an increase in racism towards Australia's Asian community, but experts feel the current laws are not strong enough to deter offenders.




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Coronavirus restrictions are still in place so why does it look like life is returning to normal?

If you thought there were a lot more people around lately, you're not wrong. More and more people are out on the streets in Melbourne, anticipating an easing of coronavirus restrictions once the State of Emergency ends on May 11.




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Cardinal Pell says inquiry's conclusions 'not supported by evidence'

Cardinal George Pell accuses the child sexual abuse royal commission of making findings "not supported by evidence" in its unredacted report, which found he was explicitly told in 1982 of the reason paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale was being moved between parishes.




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‘I had to change myself as a boy’: Latrobe Valley abuse survivor gets apology and payout

A Catholic order settles out of court paying $4 million to survivors of historic sex abuse and apologising to them, their families and the Latrobe Valley community.




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Life sentence for man who killed 'dearly loved' Melbourne woman in home invasion while on parole

Scott Alan Murdoch, the man who stabbed Melbourne woman Kylie Blackwood and left her bleeding to death to be found by her 11-year-old twins, will have to serve at least 36 years before he is eligible for parole.



  • Courts and Trials
  • Law
  • Crime and Justice
  • Crime
  • Murder and Manslaughter

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Survey reveals $15m impact of COVID-19 restrictions on Wimmera Southern Mallee tourism

More than $15 million could have been lost from the Wimmera Southern Mallee economy as a result of events being cancelled because of the coronavirus.




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Woman found dead in Melbourne apartment may have been killed days earlier

Police investigating the death of 26-year-old Ellie Price in South Melbourne are calling for help from the public to find Ricardo Barbaro, who they want to speak with about the death.




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Daniel Andrews says 13 of 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19 are linked to outbreak at Cedar Meats abattoir

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state's total has been brought up to 1,454 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 106,000 tests conducted over the past week and a half.



  • Epidemics and Pandemics

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Detective Inspector Tim Day urges Ricardo Barbaro to turn himself in

Police are appealing for public assistance in the search for Ricardo Barbaro, who is wanted over the death of Ellie Price in South Melbourne.




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These pets aren't even real, but they're helping aged care residents in lockdown

An aged care facility says robotic pets are lighting up the lives of its residents and bringing comfort during isolation from the coronavirus pandemic.




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Family fears for missing 'fun-loving giant' as 'highly unusual' phone activity probed

The family of a man who went missing in Victoria's Latrobe Valley last month say they "fear the worst" and are urging anyone who has seen him to contact police.




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'Chewy', 'Spongey' and 'Delicious': The little fruit that could be the next big thing

It has been an exotic jujube harvest boom for a Victorian grower, but COVID-19 restrictions have slowed down sales and squashed market prices.




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Your next health supplement could be the same thing cows feed their newborns

With the COVID-19 pandemic, immunity has never been such a hot topic. It's meant a family-run dairy that produces colostrum is being overrun with enquiries.





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Face and eye tracking tech, the answer to teachers' engagement level concerns?

Australian scientists develop a tool that could help students learn better in the virtual classroom, as remote education during the coronavirus pandemic highlights issues with current methods.




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Airbnb 'superhost' who raped guest jailed for eight years

A man who raped a woman in his Melbourne apartment, which he described as "the perfect location", has been jailed for eight years for the "violent act" he inflicted on his victim.




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Parts of Australia are relaxing coronavirus restrictions. Here's what's changing where you live

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the National Cabinet's plan to reopen Australia, but it will be up to each state and territory to decide how to roll it out. Here's what will change (or not) where you live.




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Two more police suspended over leaked Dean Laidley photos, corruption watchdog to oversee probe

Two more Victorian police officers are suspended over the leak of unauthorised photos of former AFL coach and player Dean Laidley in a police station, as the state's corruption watchdog says it will oversee the investigation into the leak.



  • Police
  • Australian Football League

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Scholarship recipient accused of sexual harassment by at least 30 Indonesian women

A prominent Indonesian university is investigating allegations of sexual harassment involving a former student who is currently studying in Melbourne on a prestigious scholarship.




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Respiratory clinic for COVID-19 testing in Wodonga lands Federal Government funding

A new respiratory clinic is expected to open in Wodonga next week to assess patients with fever and respiratory symptoms who meet the government criteria for COVID-19 testing.




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Forestry academics clash over Victoria’s native forestry ban

Forestry academics have issued a warning over the Victorian Government's decision to scale back the harvesting of native timber forests in the lead-up to a 2030 ban.




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Melbourne emergency department sees increase in family violence injuries as new campaign launched

The Victorian Government launches a new campaign against family violence, as St Vincent's Hospital records a doubling of family violence victims presenting to its emergency department during the coronavirus pandemic.