Federal MPs paid emotional tributes to independent Helen Haines in the House of Representatives after she was seriously injured in an alleged vehicle attack outside her Wangaratta office. Haines has lost both legs, and her condition is now described as serious. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor both spoke of hoping she will return to parliament. Albanese warned that rising anger and division in public life must not be ignored, while Taylor rejected any link between robust debate and violence.
The Municipal Association of Victoria has recognised long-serving councillors through its 2026 MAV Councillor Service Awards. MAV President Jennifer Anderson said recipients should be proud of their leadership and commitment to residents. She said the role is demanding and often done as a second job or alongside family care. Awards were presented at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30-year service levels, plus a Mayor Emeritus Award. The association said the recipients have left a lasting mark on communities across the state.
Wodonga Urban Landcare Network is inviting farmers and landholders to a practical field day on Thursday, October 29, from 10.30am to 1.30pm. The event will be held at the Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation site at Ryans Lagoon, Bonegilla. Uncle Allan Murray will show how restoration work at the Ryans Lagoon Nature Conservation Reserve supports ongoing cultural practices. Topics include weed control, cultural burning, wetland management, revegetation, cultural heritage and local ecosystems.
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Staff of independent MP Helen Haines say they have been moved by public kindness as they prepare to reopen her electorate offices. Haines remains in critical condition after a car allegedly struck her outside her Wangaratta office on Monday, and both her legs were amputated. Brendan Nugent, 43, is accused of deliberately driving into her. A charity appeal in her honour has raised more than $730,000. Police, federal agencies and state leaders are reviewing security for politicians, and parliamentarians in several states have received briefings.
Spring festivals, town shows, markets and food and wine events fill the Riverina this week. The Victorian State Ballet performs its retelling of Aladdin in Albury on 23 and 24 October. Griffith Spring Fest runs from 23 to 25 October and includes a citrus sculpture garden, while the Junee Show marks 125 years on 24 October. Womn-Kind holds a day of conversation for young women in Wagga Wagga, and the North East Food and Wine Festival runs in Wodonga from 23 to 25 October.
Hundreds of people gathered in Wodonga on Wednesday night to support independent MP Helen Haines after an alleged attack on Monday. Attendees praised her compassion, her support for young people and her ability to bring people together across political divides. Former independent MP Cathy McGowan called for greater safety in politics, particularly for women in rural communities, saying the violence must not be allowed to win.
Australians have donated more than $350,000 in less than 24 hours to Save the Children in honour of independent MP Helen Haines. Her husband Phil asked supporters to give to the charity instead of buying flowers. Dr Haines remains in critical condition after an alleged attack outside her Wangaratta electorate office on Monday. Her husband said surgeons amputated both of her legs, but that she is alive and stable. A man has been charged over the alleged attack and is expected to face a committal hearing on February 4, 2027.
Phil Haines thanked surgeons, nurses and bystanders at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Wednesday. His wife, Helen Haines, lost both legs after an alleged attack on Monday afternoon. Governor-General Sam Mostyn urged Australians to practise decency. Bystander Ricky Jefferies secured the alleged attacker. At a vigil in Wodonga, Cathy McGowan called on the community not to let violence win and said the attack was an attack on democracy.
Staff of independent MP Helen Haines say they are devastated and that being close to the incident has been deeply traumatic for the team. Haines remains in a critical condition at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, and her husband Phil says she is alive and stable. Brendan Nugent has been charged over the incident, which police allege happened outside her electorate office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. Nugent did not apply for bail and remains in custody. His next court appearance is set for 4 February 2027.
Former independent MP Cathy McGowan, who first won the Indi seat in 2013, says she felt enormous relief after learning that her close friend Helen Haines is alive. Haines was struck by a car outside her Wangaratta electorate office in an alleged targeted attack, and her husband Phil has confirmed both her legs were amputated. McGowan said the community must now grapple with shock and a sense of shame, noting that such violence could happen to anyone in rural Australia.
Independent MP Helen Haines was hit by a car on Monday in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as an attack and a deliberate act. Albanese said Haines is someone of integrity who treats everyone with respect. Haines, the member for the north-eastern Victorian electorate of Indi, has long championed integrity and rural health. She was a key figure in establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Politicians across the parliament, including opposition leader Angus Taylor, expressed shock and support for her.
Property firm Hotspotting says working-class areas are set to outperform wealthier suburbs over the next seven to 15 years. Glenorchy in Tasmania and Canterbury-Bankstown in New South Wales are among its top picks. Its founder, Terry Ryder, says a poor reputation does not stop areas from growing in value. Hotspotting also expects smaller unit complexes built around the 1950s and 1960s to perform well. Real Estate Institute of Australia president Jacob Caine says homebuyers are looking at areas they previously overlooked.
Special Olympics table tennis players in Albury have moved their weekly sessions to the larger court space at PCYC Albury. The group outgrew its earlier venue at a Salvation Army hall in Lavington. PCYC Albury manager Tim McLaren said the club wanted to support community sport and offer space where it was needed. Player Erina is set to compete at the Special Olympics National Games in Melbourne, starting on 19 October. Table tennis makes its competitive debut at the Games in 2026.
Shaun Sargeant, formerly a farmhand in the Indigo Valley, has started a new career as a surveyor. After seeking advice from a TAFE NSW careers counsellor, he completed a Certificate III in Surveying and Spatial Information Services through online classes. He now works as a surveyor's assistant at Axis Surveys in Ipswich and is studying for a Certificate IV. Jobs and Skills Australia reports about 9700 surveyors nationally, with a predicted shortfall of 2000 by 2029.
