Victorians have until 8pm on Tuesday, November 3, to enrol or apply for a postal vote, which is one week earlier than in previous elections. Candidate nominations open on November 4 and close at midday on November 9. Early voting begins on November 18 and ends on November 27, while polling booths close at 6pm on Saturday, November 28. Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian urged voters to check their enrolment details early, saying close seats could decide who forms government.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says a digital detox for schools will be discussed at a meeting with state education ministers, expected early next month. The push follows efforts overseas to cut screen time in classrooms. Sweden has moved strongly away from digital devices since 2023, but its recent PISA results still declined. An OECD report found moderate device use for learning was linked to stronger science performance, while excessive use was linked to weaker outcomes. Experts say China and Estonia, both strong PISA performers, take different approaches to technology in schools.
Forensic psychiatrist Rajan Darjee's data shows 43 of an estimated 126 Victorian homicides in 2024 and 2025 were committed by people with psychosis. That is up from about one in 10 a decade ago. Almost 84 per cent of offenders had previously received treatment from mental health services. Professor Patrick McGorry blamed a policy failure to build a modern care system. Experts called for a review of the royal commission's recommendations and a greater focus on severe mental illness.
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Dr Jane Tiller has been shortlisted for a Human Rights Medal for her work protecting Australians from genetic discrimination and widening equal access to medical care. Based at Monash University, where she serves as Legal and Policy Lead in Public Health Genomics, she has pushed to shield people from disadvantage linked to their genetic information, especially when applying for insurance or treatment. Her efforts helped bring about a nationwide prohibition on using genetic test results in life insurance, which cleared Parliament in April 2026.
Academics Daniel Heller and Farid Zaid, who co-direct the Monash University Brave Conversations Project, say emotion plays a large part in conflict and that people can pause before responding. Governor-General Sam Mostyn, a close friend of Helen Haines, urged Australians to debate with greater civility, saying words matter. Scanlon Foundation Research Institute CEO Anthea Hancocks said many people find disagreeing well hard. The experts recommend asking open questions to understand other views, and say a good disagreement leaves both people feeling taken seriously.
Victoria's victims of crime commissioner, Elizabeth Langdon, has warned that slow processing of financial support is hurting victims' recovery. Some victims report waiting more than a year for help while paying for counselling and medical bills themselves. Under the Financial Assistance Scheme, primary victims can receive up to $63,401 for counselling, lost income, medical and other costs. A legal service says it has stopped taking new clients because of a backlog. The state government says it is looking at ways to improve the scheme, and 77 per cent of applications lodged in 2024-25 were finalised.
A survey of 1,662 Queensland adults found most would not find a mother guilty of assault for physically punishing an 11-year-old. The level of force mattered, with 57 per cent saying a slap across the face should be treated as assault. Overall, about 65 per cent said the mother should be found not guilty across all examples. Attitudes towards smacking have softened, with a 2023 study finding three in four Australians do not believe physical punishment is necessary. Physical punishment remains legal in all states and territories through a defence of reasonable discipline.
Ecologist and writer Greg Taylor has been named winner of the City of Fremantle 35th Hungerford Award. He won for his unpublished manuscript, Wildlife in the Open Eucalyptus Forests. The prize includes $15,000, a publishing contract with Fremantle Press and a Centre for Stories fellowship. The collection of narrative non-fiction essays is written from the viewpoints of 24 species, none of them human. Fremantle Shipping News editor Michael Barker interviewed Taylor in a podcast.
Melbourne's large retail car parks, including Bunnings sites and shopping centre edges, are being examined as possible housing locations. The state wants 60,000 new homes near public transport, jobs and services. Monash University's Liz Taylor says parking spaces directly trade off against housing. Urbis's Hamish McKnight says market conditions, construction costs and borrowing costs are the biggest constraints. Building apartments above operating shopping centres is possible but among the most expensive options.
There is no fixed date for putting up a Christmas tree, according to a lifestyle feature. In Australia, many households choose 1 December, the first Sunday in December or the second Saturday in December. Monash University professor Gary Bouma says most people follow the customs they grew up with, along with when they have time. In a reader poll, 1 December was the most popular single answer, while others put up their trees in November or said the timing depends on how long they want to enjoy it.
Greens leader David Shoebridge has faced a run of challenges in his first weeks in the role. WA Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has taken leave from the party while an inquiry examines allegations about his comments about women. The party has also faced internal disagreement over its policy on military aid to Ukraine, which Shoebridge said it does not support. Political scientist Zareh Ghazarian said the start had been very tough for the new leader. The party faces a significant test at the upcoming Victorian state election in November.
A magnitude 3.0 earthquake aftershock has been recorded in south-eastern Victoria, three weeks after an initial late-night quake woke thousands. Geoscience Australia said it struck at a shallow depth of 5 kilometres just after 2pm, with its epicentre at Kardella South, near Korumburra. More than 200 felt reports were lodged in the hour afterwards. No injuries or damage have been reported. Monash University earthquake geologist Dee Ninis said aftershocks are often felt hours, days or even weeks after a main quake, and the Gippsland Basin has a history of seismic activity.
More than 200 people attended a Greek tavern night at Oakleigh's Apollo Room, marking 20 years of Monash University's Hellenic Students' Society. Organisers had expected 160 to 180 guests. Co-President Andrew Nicolettou called it the society's largest tavern night yet. The evening featured Greek food, music, traditional dancing and a raffle. The society has also introduced subsidised Greek language classes for members. Its annual general meeting in late October will elect a new committee for 2027.
Victoria's Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel says young people are good at judging media and are not the biggest worry over online disinformation ahead of the state election on November 28. He told a Monash University forum that most voters aged 18 to 24 get their news from social media, with about half citing TikTok. About 75,000 people will vote for the first time in an election with 4.7 million registered voters.
An evaluation of Victoria's 2023 decriminalisation of public intoxication has found no related deaths in custody and no people held solely for being drunk in public. The Monash University report, released on Friday, praised police for maintaining a health-led approach. Arrests for secondary offences during intoxication-related events occurred in five per cent of matters, but Aboriginal people remained twice as likely to be arrested as the general population. Report lead author Kyllie Cripps said First Nations people, young people, migrants and people with disabilities have historically been hardest hit by such laws.
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Academic metallurgist Chris Davies has died aged 61 of cancer. His research at Monash University in Melbourne helped explain how metals behave and how to control their properties in manufacturing. His work on light metals and alloys contributed to stronger, more reliable materials for aircraft, vehicles and medical devices. He held several leadership roles at Monash, including president of the Academic Board from 2016 to 2019. In 2025 he was named to the Monash Honour Roll. He is survived by his wife Sam, his son Calum, and his siblings Graham and his sister-in-law's family.
Three Wonthaggi pharmacists have completed a Monash University course that lets them treat a wider range of health conditions. They are waiting for Victorian Government approval before they can offer the full range of services. The course covered 22 medical conditions, and the pharmacists can only begin treating them once the government recognises each one. Louise O’Keeffe said the changes would allow patients to get care sooner, without waiting weeks for a doctor’s appointment. Some services, including antibiotic treatment for children with impetigo, are already available.
A re-elected Victorian Labor government would fully subsidise medicine-induced and surgical abortions, Health Minister Ingrid Stitt and the Premier announced. The government says the move would save people between $700 and $1000. Currently, some costs are covered by Medicare, and about two-thirds of Victorian women pay some out-of-pocket costs. The package also extends the medical abortion window from nine to 10 weeks. The Royal Australian College of GPs and Monash University welcomed the plan but called for national consistency.
Victorian Labor has promised $30m over four years to remove out-of-pocket costs for abortion care if re-elected. Opposition leader Jess Wilson largely matched the pledge within hours. Under the plan, private providers would be paid to deliver abortions up to 16 weeks' gestation, and regional women would be eligible for travel subsidies. Critics have questioned the timing, noting Labor's long period in government and polling that points to a defeat. Health minister Ingrid Stitt said only Labor would protect a woman's right to choose.
Cannabis-related hospital admissions across Victoria rose by 49 per cent between 2013 and 2023, according to new Monash University research. Psychotic disorders were the most common primary diagnosis, accounting for 40 per cent of admissions. Admissions among women and girls of all ages rose 75 per cent over the decade, compared with 35 per cent for men. Lead author Myfanwy Graham said the findings point to a growing strain on the healthcare system. The study analysed almost 40,000 admissions and found admission rates peaked during 2020 and 2021.
