Category: victoria

Victorian Housing Tower COVID-19 Lockdown Reaches $5 Million Settlement

Thousands of residents forced into a sudden COVID-19 lockdown in public housing towers in Melbourne in 2020 are eligible for $5 million (US3.3 million) in compensation. The Victorian Government settled a class action over measures intended to stop an outbreak of the virus in nine towers at the height of the second wave. The plaintiffs…


Drag Storytime Event Cancelled After Protests

A Melbourne Council has cancelled its controversial “drag storytime” event after protests from local families. Monash City Council CEO Andi Diamond said the decision was made after Victoria Police advised of potential safety risks to staff. “This event has attracted significant attention with hateful and threatening commentary and misinformation spread online, via email and directly…


Detectorist Down Under Finds 10-Pound Gold Nugget Worth $250,000 As Gold Prices Soar in Australia

An amateur gold hunter Down Under hit pay dirt in March when he stumbled on a massive nugget worth a cool quarter million. The finder, who wished to remain anonymous, was scanning Victoria’s “golden triangle” between St Arnaud, Bendigo, and Ballarat when he heard his detector sound. The man brought the gold specimen to gold…


‘Big Shift’ as Australian State Moves to Decriminalise Public Drunkenness

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has defended the state’s new public drunkenness laws arguing that the move to decriminalise public intoxication will not add an extra burden for police officers—despite unions arguing otherwise. “Will it be easy? No. Of course, it’s a big shift,” the premier said on April 13. “This is a reform that is…


Victoria Government Will Not Bail Out Collapsed Builder Porter Davis

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is not bailing out collapsed major builder Porter Davis saying it is the “right call.” Porter Davis went into liquidation on March 31, affecting over 1,500 homes in Victoria and 200 in Queensland. An additional 779 signed contracts were in the pipeline but are yet to commence. “If the bank is…


Dutton Vows Liberals to Rebuild in Wake of Aston By-election

Leader of the opposition Peter Dutton has vowed his party will come together and rebuild after a historic by-election loss in the eastern Melbourne electorate Aston. The Liberals’ candidate for Aston, Roshena Campbell, conceded defeat to Labor’s Mary Doyle on Saturday night, with Labor predicted to take the seat with a swing of more than…


Daniel Andrews Announces Surprise Visit to China

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will be the first state leader to visit China, ahead of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, since the outbreak of COVID-19. Andrews will leave on March 27 and visit Beijing, as well as the provinces of Jiangsu and Sichuan, before returning to Melbourne on April 1. He will meet with Chinese…


The Prize for Supporting Women’s Rights: Expulsion in the Name of ‘Inclusion’

Commentary A political observer might be surprised by the ability of the Liberal Party to condemn itself to a long period in the political wilderness. Although the reasons for this are complex, its inability (or unwillingness) to serve its conservative support base is a contributing factor. This was most visibly demonstrated in the event that…


Victorian Government Orders Transgender Flag Flown in Response to Women’s Rights Protest

A new transgender flag will fly in front of Melbourne’s Treasury Place alongside two LGBT+ pride flags until the end of the month. The Victorian state Labor government made the decision following a rally on women’s rights on the weekend where women discussed transgender people taking part in women’s sports. State Premier Daniel Andrews wrote…


Victoria Adds Just 74 New Public Dwellings Despite Multi-Billion-Dollar Program

The Australian state of Victoria has added a slither of new social housing stock over the past four years, despite introducing a multi-billion-dollar program to boost social housing. The latest annual report by the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing revealed that the state had a total social housing stock of 86,887 dwellings by…