The Wimmera Pulse Field Day will be held on Wednesday, October 28, from 9am to 1pm at Hemphills Road in Minyip. Hosted by Agriculture Victoria and the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the annual event is free to attend. Sessions will cover pulse agronomy, pulse breeding, nutrition management and nitrogen fixation research, with a focus on how the findings can guide on-farm decisions. The morning ends with a barbecue lunch and networking with agronomists, researchers and industry representatives. Registration is required so catering can be arranged.
About 100 people attended a dementia awareness presentation in Preston, hosted by the Hellenic Women’s Federation of Victoria on Friday 23 October. Dementia Australia support specialist Christina Kominakis explained the difference between everyday forgetfulness and memory changes that may need medical assessment. Signs included repeatedly misplacing things and difficulty managing money. The presentation noted that such difficulties do not necessarily mean dementia, but persistent changes should be raised with a doctor. A raffle raised $300 for Dementia Australia.
Researchers in Tasmania have discovered the value of animal scat, or faeces, in conservation efforts. A wildlife team found that studying scat can reveal crucial information about species, including their diet, health, and population size. For instance, scat analysis helped identify a Tasmanian devil's diet, which includes unusual items like shoelaces. Additionally, scat can indicate disease presence and genetic diversity, offering insights without invasive procedures. Despite challenges like DNA degradation, scat remains a vital, non-invasive tool for wildlife conservation.
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Whittlesea's community grants program has allocated more than $1.8 million to 198 applicants across the 2025-26 financial year. The funds support community-led projects, initiatives and events, along with community groups, businesses, sporting groups, individuals and emergency services. A council summary presented at the 20 October meeting showed 27 applicants approved for over $173,000 in the final quarter, including 11 under the Business to Business Grants Program. Mayor Lawrie Cox said the council was proud to support so many groups. Funded events include Northern Diwali in South Morang on 31 October and the Whittlesea Show on 7 and 8 November.
Coburg West Primary School has won first prize in the primary school category at the 14th Greek Student Film Festival. The school's Greek language program entry was also voted Best Film by the audience. Students, working with teacher Betty Koklanis, made the short film The Replacement, which explores artificial intelligence. The pupils used their Greek skills throughout the film. The festival, now in its 14th year, gives young people a platform to show their creativity and growing Greek language ability.
A new $770,000 dog park at VR Michael Reserve in Lalor is now open to residents. The facility has separate active and quiet zones for dogs of different sizes, ages and temperaments. It also includes shelters, seating, drinking fountains, solar lighting and shade trees. The City of Whittlesea contributed $470,000 and the Victorian Government provided $300,000 through its New and Upgraded Dog Parks Program. Mayor Lawrie Cox said the park followed community feedback on the design.
A 26-year-old Bundoora man has lost his license after allegedly speeding past a police station and blowing more than twice the legal alcohol limit in Greensborough. Police said the man was driving a Toyota RAV4 at an alleged speed of 115km/h in a 60km/h zone. He was issued penalty notices for speeding and drink driving, valued at a total of $1935, and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
Residents of Kalkallo, in Melbourne's outer north, are calling for new roads as their population has grown from 105 in 2016 to more than 11,000 in 2026. The only exit from the suburb is onto Donnybrook Road, and residents describe daily traffic jams. The Victorian government says construction of a $153 million interchange on the Hume Freeway will begin by the end of 2026, funded by developer Stockland. The Coalition has promised to duplicate Donnybrook Road. A car bridge is not planned until at least 2037.
A triple-brick home in Northcote, with a separate apartment, passed in at auction on a vendor bid of $1.7 million, below its $1.8 million reserve. The property is now listed for private sale at $1.775 million. Meanwhile, a fully renovated art deco home in Fitzroy sold for $1.531 million, above its $1.35 million reserve, to a first-home buyer. In Essendon, a four-bedroom home sold for $2.285 million, above its $1.95 million reserve, to a young family.
Detectives have arrested four teenage boys after an alleged aggravated burglary at a home in Diamond Creek early on Friday, October 23. It is alleged a Ford Ranger and a Kia Sportage were stolen from a carport about 1.25am while a 50-year-old man, a 41-year-old woman and a child were home. None were injured. Police allege the Kia was abandoned on Foote Street in Templestowe, while the Ford Ranger entered an underground carpark on Blackburn Road, Doncaster East, where the four boys were arrested. All four were charged and were due to appear in children's court on Friday.
A 29-year-old Altona North man has been charged over an alleged attempted carjacking in Campbellfield. Police allege he was armed with an axe and tried to steal a car after a collision involving up to eight vehicles at the intersection of Sydney and Bolinda roads, about 7am on Thursday, October 22. He was struck by a vehicle and then restrained by good Samaritans near Sunshine Street before police arrived. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Typical home prices in 18 Melbourne suburbs have moved above the $950,000 cap for the federal first-home buyer scheme, according to new REA Group figures. The cap was lifted by $150,000 last October, but rising prices have pushed these suburbs beyond it again. Templestowe's median unit price now sits $31,500 above the limit. Industry figures say the scheme makes larger mortgages easier to access but does not necessarily make housing more affordable, while one builder reports packages starting at about $450,000.
Birch, beech and sycamore trees at Wisley garden in Surrey have shed their leaves early after a record hot summer. Horticulturists say drought stress has caused a false autumn, with yellow-leaved trees losing foliage by mid-October. Trees with shallow roots are most affected, as they cannot reach deeper groundwater. Experts expect an earlier, shorter colour display in drought-hit areas. Wisley plans to plant more hardy, deep-rooted trees such as Lebanon cedars and swamp cypresses to adapt to changing conditions.
