A community group has questioned the Victorian government’s transparency after the Planning Minister failed to respond to a request for information about changes to a planning permit. Save Our Seat sought details about changes to the Arthurs Seat Eagle’s luge permit conditions, which were reportedly modified before final approval. The group claims the government is withholding information about the process, raising concerns about accountability. The state government declined to comment on the lack of response.
A production insider has denied that building work completed after filming gave any Block contestant an unfair advantage. The denial responds to reports that Nine and Cavalier Productions approved up to $200,000 of post-filming work on Rick and Tayla's Mount Eliza home, a figure not independently verified. The insider said completing unfinished homes before auction is separate from the competition and is established practice. Buyer's advocate Madeleine Roberts said buyers would not spend millions on a home with unfinished work. The properties go to auction on October 31, ahead of the November 1 finale.
A birthkeeper who allegedly groomed pregnant women to fear hospital could be referred to prosecutors over potential criminal charges, a Victorian coroner has heard. Emily Lal was paid $6,000 to support Stacey Warnecke through her pregnancy. Warnecke died in September 2025 at Frankston hospital after a home birth and a postpartum haemorrhage. Counsel assisting the coroner said phone evidence contradicted Lal's earlier testimony, and that it would be open to find she was untruthful, which could lead to a perjury referral. The coroner will deliver her findings at a later date.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
A men's style guide has picked 10 boat shoes for summer, from classic leather designs to chunkier modern styles. Boat shoes were first made for sailors and are now a common summer choice for smart-casual outfits. The list includes options for offices, weekends and different budgets. Suede styles need extra care around water. The picks are based on product research rather than hands-on testing of every pair.
Rock musician Ross Wilson is selling his Port Melbourne home, which he bought in 2018 for $1.681m. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house has been extended and renovated and carries a $2.4m to $2.6m price guide. Agent Justin Holod of Marshal White says buyers have described the home as feeling like a famous person lives there, pointing to an old-school jukebox. The house goes to auction on November 7 at 1.30pm.
Victoria's emergency services minister, Paul Edbrooke, says he believes he is being followed after finding a bullet on his car bonnet following a community event in his Frankston electorate. The bullet was engraved with the word "RAT" and his former firefighter identification number, which he says few people would know. Edbrooke said the discovery was frightening, particularly because his children, who are young adults, also use the vehicle. He said the only people sending him aggressive threats and abuse online were members of the United Firefighters Union, which is in a dispute with Fire Rescue Victoria.
Residents of the Borough of Queenscliffe will soon be able to borrow and return library items at any time, day or night. An 18-locker system is being installed at Queenscliff Library, funded with $28,660 from the Victorian Government. Holders of a free Geelong Regional Libraries membership can reserve items for delivery to a locker. Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant announced the funding at the library, alongside local council and library leaders. Council will share further updates as the project progresses.
It is a company profile of Mornington Peninsula News Group, a locally owned and independent media business established in 2006. According to that text, the group publishes five weekly community newspapers, including the Western Port News, Mornington News and Frankston Times, along with two glossy magazines, Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids. Because the material provides no details about the shopping centre, the fire, its closure or any response by authorities, no summary of those events can be reliably written from it.
Police are investigating after Victorian emergency services minister Paul Edbrooke found a bullet on his car on Saturday. The bullet was inscribed with the word RAT and his old firefighter number. Mr Edbrooke called it a death threat and said he had reported it to police. The United Firefighters Union condemned the threat and asked police to find the person responsible. Union secretary Peter Marshall later questioned whether the bullet had been placed on the car at all. Victoria Police said its Security Investigation Unit is investigating.
An artificial intelligence system fitted to an RACV roadside assistance van has detected more than 300 road defects across 1,000 kilometres of Victorian roads. The system, called RoughSense, was developed by RMIT University and tested with RACV. It identifies cracking, rutting and emerging potholes as the van completes its normal duties. The highest concentration of defects was found along the Frankston-Flinders Road corridor. Researchers are still assessing the system's accuracy, and the trial runs until January 2027.
The Block host Scott Cam says contestants are heading into the finale with old grudges and fresh revelations. Cam, who will host the auction, said the five Mount Eliza homes each carry a $3.45 million reserve. He said the production team apologised on air after wrongly stating that one couple had overspent their budget, but believes the fallout went further than needed. Cam said he has no idea which team will do well on auction day, as past winners have surprised him. The next season will be filmed at a heritage-listed former asylum in Sunbury.
Home building approvals in Geelong have risen 34 per cent over the past year to August, close to levels last seen in the 2022 Covid boom, according to KPMG analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. The pipeline now sits at around 4000 new homes. KPMG urban economist Terry Rawnsley said the rise shows growing confidence in the city's long-term growth, but stressed that approved projects must now move through to construction. Lara has overtaken Armstrong Creek as the region's top approval area, with the activity shifting north.
More than 25 free and low-cost events for children up to 12 will run across Greater Geelong from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. The program spans Ocean Grove, Armstrong Creek, Waurn Ponds, Lara and Norlane. A highlight is a Halloween dance party at Lara Community Centre on Friday 30 October, with music, games, costumes and spooky surprises. The City of Greater Geelong has allocated more than $20,000 through its 2026–27 Children's Week Grants program to help local organisations run activities.
Stage 2a of the $318.18 million Barwon Heads Road upgrade is on track to open mid next year, six months ahead of schedule. The work between Reserve Road in Charlemont and Lake Road in Armstrong Creek adds extra lanes, shared walking and cycling paths, and upgraded intersections. Major work on Stage 2b, from Lake Road to the Lower Duneed Road roundabout in Connewarre, begins in November. Federal and Victorian governments are funding the project. Officials say the upgrades will ease congestion for the 44,000 vehicles expected daily by 2031.
Tensions among The Block contestants are running high ahead of auction day at the Mount Eliza properties. Woman's Day reports that the five teams are divided after months of rivalries, and that end-of-season celebrations have reportedly become chaotic, with separate after-parties being organised. Jolene is reportedly trying to reconnect with Courtney and Sev, while Lisa is said to be less willing. Wyatt and Chantel have reportedly stayed on the Gold Coast, and Rick and Tayla are said to have received encouragement from producers, which some contestants have noticed.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
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.
French Ambassador to Australia David Martinon visited The Briars on Friday, October 23, to explore the Mornington Peninsula's link to Napoleon Bonaparte. He viewed selected items from the internationally significant Napoleonic Collection in private. The collection traces back to the Balcombe family, who befriended Napoleon during his exile on St Helena in 1815. It will form part of a dedicated exhibition when the Homestead reopens later this year following restoration works.
