A two-bedroom 1970s apartment in Carlton North sold for $752,000 at auction on Saturday, almost $40,000 above its listed reserve. Three bidders competed for the top-floor home at 15/109 Wilson Street, which the vendors had owned as an investment for more than 35 years. The buyers were a couple with a design background who are first home buyers. Agent Charles Atkins said the new rule requiring vendors to publish reserves at least seven days before auction had brought more transparency.
A Melbourne couple's vegan cafe, And Bodega, was severely damaged in a suspected arson attack that targeted a neighbouring tobacco shop in Fitzroy North. The firebombing occurred amid a wave of similar attacks across the city, with hundreds of tobacconists hit since late 2023. The cafe owners, Ashish Sharma and Manali Purohit, have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for repairs and reopening. Police are investigating the incident, which also resulted in the theft of $5,000 worth of equipment from the cafe.
Musicians John Butler and Nicholas Allbrook are set to join a rally outside Western Australia's Parliament House next Tuesday. Organisers expect about 1000 people to call on the State Government to ban fracking in the Kimberley. Campaigners say the gathering will bring together Traditional Owners, environmental advocates and community members. The rally is part of a campaign opposing plans by Black Mountain Energy to develop gas resources in the region. Fracking remains lawful in parts of the Kimberley, and the proposal awaits a decision from the Environment Minister.
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Rockhampton residents can celebrate the 2026 Caulfield Cup while raising money for Fitzroy Community Hospice. A Caulfield Cup EVEning will be held on Friday, 16 October at Athelstane Bowls Club, with a Super Sweep draw. A Caulfield Cup Luncheon follows at Rocky Sports Club on Saturday, 17 October. Both events are organised by Auxiliary volunteers, who hope the community will attend, dress up and support the local service.
Nerissa and Hiran run Lankan Tucker, a Sri Lankan food business rooted in family recipes. It operates from a hidden spot off Lygon Street in Melbourne's College Square. The business began with workplace deliveries and moved into food festivals and night markets. Collaborations with venues such as Fitzroy Bowls Club and Patient Wolf have brought the food to new audiences. Nerissa says the business keeps its roots while finding new ways to reach people, marking 10 years of trading.
Guest columnist David Topp argues Rockhampton's 2032 Olympic rowing venue faces airport capacity problems, as the terminal there is purely domestic. He says Victoria Park's stadium site has lost its scenic signage status and that road signs should be changed. He also says the New Farm parkrun course is crowded and narrow in places. Topp notes that Brisbane Lions beat Fremantle Dockers in the 2026 AFL Grand Final, their sixth premiership since 1990.
North Melbourne appears close to signing Sydney Swans star Nick Blakey, according to commentary from Jon Ralph. Blakey is reportedly keen to join the club, where his father John once played. Neither Blakey nor the Swans have made an official statement about a trade. Ralph said North would need to offer pick 5, players and a future first-round pick. The deal is not yet done and its final shape is unclear.
Writer Carmel Bird has paid tribute to publisher and editor Hilary McPhee, who co-founded McPhee Gribble in 1975 with Diana Gribble. The small house gained a reputation for publishing women's writing and Australian stories. It published works by Helen Garner and Tim Winton, and in 1984 released An Aboriginal Mother Tells of the Old and the New by Elsie Labumore. McPhee later chaired the Australia Council for the Arts and was awarded an Order of Australia in 2001.
Troye Sivan's fourth album, She's The Best, features collaborations with Nicole Kidman, Sir Ian McKellen, and Lily-Rose Depp, along with a sample from Madonna. The singer, who splits his time between New York and Melbourne, wanted to honour his close friends and supporters. Sivan's connection with McKellen dates back to their work together in Waiting For Godot in 2010, when Sivan was grappling with coming out as gay.
Transport Victoria has confirmed the final design for intersection upgrades along Sunshine Avenue in Taylors Lakes. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. Two roundabouts at Melton Highway and Old Calder Highway will be replaced with signalised intersections, with additional lanes and new signalised pedestrian crossings. New walking and cycling paths and street lighting will also be built. A bus stop on the northern side of Melton Highway will move to the eastern side of Sunshine Avenue.
Victoria will add 11 AI-powered cameras to its bushfire detection network across the state's east and west. The $3.8 million project is jointly funded by the Victorian Government, Hancock Victorian Plantations and the Green Triangle Fire Alliance. The cameras use artificial intelligence to scan for smoke and fire around the clock, and the expanded network is expected to monitor more than 1.4 million hectares. The new cameras are scheduled to be in place by November 2027. Minister for Emergency Services Paul Edbrooke said early information would help emergency services respond more quickly.
Ken Bodinnar, a 73-year-old former State Emergency Service worker from Paynesville, is fighting to have his workers' compensation claim recognised. His doctors believe his small-cell lung cancer resulted from years of service, including the Black Saturday fires. The insurer rejected the claim, and a medical report later found his exposure to firefighting smoke and diesel fumes was a significant contributing factor. The dispute will go to trial in November. Mr Bodinnar is in intensive care in Geelong and hopes the claim will support his family.
A 62-year-old man from Caroline Springs has been charged after an alleged incident in a change room at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre on Sunday 25 October. Police allege he used a recording device to film several people in a change room cubicle around 11.10am. He faces charges of producing child abuse material and producing intimate images. Brimbank council says it has terminated his membership and banned him from all council leisure centres. He is bailed to appear before Sunshine Magistrates' Court on 23 March 2027.
Authorities have shut 100 shops under newly granted powers aimed at stamping out the trade in illegal tobacco. Since those powers took effect on 9 September, the VIPER Taskforce and Tobacco Licensing Victoria officers have confiscated over four million unlawful cigarettes, roughly 70,000 vaping devices, three tonnes of leaf tobacco and close to $1 million in cash. The drive is directed at criminal networks that profit from the illicit product, including groups run from overseas. Retailers across a string of Melbourne suburbs have been inspected, and the operation is still underway.
A Geelong-region state MP has claimed more than $60,000 in taxpayer-funded allowances for a second Melbourne home since early 2024, despite appearing to miss 70 per cent of parliamentary sitting days. South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman was expelled from the Labor Party in April 2024 after allegations of persistent, inappropriate behaviour towards staff, and has sat as an independent since. The allowance helps regional MPs living more than 80 kilometres from Melbourne. Mr Cheeseman declined to respond to questions from the ABC. Victoria has no public record of MP attendance, and the Greens and former premiers support introducing one.
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A medical centre in Melbourne's north-west was extensively damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack early today. Police say offenders smashed a front window of the Shuter Street clinic in Moonee Ponds before using an accelerant and setting it alight just after 2am. About an hour earlier, two cars were set alight outside a Brighton home on Manor Street in what police describe as a suspected targeted attack. Police will investigate whether the two incidents are linked. An arson chemist will attend both scenes today, and anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact CrimeStoppers.
A large former Toyota site at 200-214 Blackshaws Rd, Altona North, has been listed for sale, with a possible $40 million price. The 5.3-hectare property was sold by Toyota in 2020. A Victorian government masterplan has earmarked the site for a future town centre with a supermarket, shops and up to 395 homes. No development plans are yet in place. Expressions of interest close at 3pm on November 11.
Aireys Inlet Primary School will host its annual Aireys Fair on 31 October, running from 9am to 3pm. The fair, which has run for more than a decade, is organised by a committee of parents with help from grandparents, relatives and the wider community. It will be held alongside the Aireys Inlet Market, with rides and activities on the oval overlooking the ocean. A community-run bookstore will also operate, with all profits going back to the school.
A fresh look is planned for the playground at Brookville Gardens in Toorak, with a draft design now open for public comment. The design includes a tunnel slide, a double slide, a rock scaling wall, a tree climber, a spider web climber, netted cube monkey bars and a shop counter for imaginative play. The council also proposes updating the existing play towers, which the community has said it values. Feedback can be shared online until 11.59 pm on Monday 16 November.
The husband of Liberal Party candidate Amanda Dow has allegedly been assaulted during a confrontation over election signs in Mernda. The party said he suffered facial injuries and was taken to hospital, where he was discharged. Police said a 59-year-old Mernda man has been charged with recklessly causing injury, criminal damage and unlawful assault. The accused has been released on bail and is due to appear before Heidelberg Magistrates' Court on February 1. Yan Yean is currently held by Labor with a margin of 4.3 per cent.
Federal Parliament paused on Monday to pay tribute to Indi MP Helen Haines, who is recovering in a Melbourne hospital. Police allege Brendan Nugent, 43, drove a four-wheel-drive into her as she collected items from her car outside her Wangaratta electorate office. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for lower temperatures in political debate, warning of rising rage and aggression. Opposition leader Angus Taylor described the attack as a national tragedy. Politicians across parties spoke about threats against MPs and their staff, and a donation page in her name had raised more than $1.2 million.
Medicinal cannabis approvals for people aged 25 and under have risen sharply in Australia, according to Therapeutic Goods Administration data. More than 50,000 approvals were issued between 2016 and 2024, with most going to people aged 20 to 25. Anxiety and chronic pain were the leading reasons given. University of Melbourne researcher Christine Hallinan warned that THC, the most commonly prescribed compound for these age groups, can affect mental health and motivation. She also raised concerns about online clinics and prescribers linked to suppliers.
Federal parliament suspended normal business on Monday to pay tribute to independent MP Helen Haines after a man allegedly hit her with his car in a targeted attack in Wangaratta. Police say the attack left her with severe injuries, and both of her legs were later amputated. MPs across parties praised her calm, kindness and commitment to civility in politics. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country must find a better way to argue, while others called for a conversation about regional mental health services.
Apartment residents and renters across Victoria will be eligible for rooftop solar rebates under an expanded state government program. Eligible applicants can receive up to $2,800 per apartment, capped at $140,000 per building. The changes raise the maximum building size from 50 to 150 lots and let owners corporations allocate up to 20 per cent of generated solar energy to common property. Applications are open until June 2027. Savings for individual households will depend on installation costs, electricity use and how power is shared among residents.
