VICTORIA

A corruption inquiry has been told that the CFMEU under former Victorian secretary John Setka was transformed from a militant trade union into what was described as a “crime syndicate”, allowing organised crime figures to exploit the construction industry at a cost…

Victoria has been labelled Australia’s most heavily taxed state when it comes to property, with new figures revealing land and property taxes have become a central pillar of the Allan government’s finances. A report by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) shows Victoria…

Large parts of Melbourne’s inner and middle suburbs are set for a dramatic transformation under new planning maps released by the Allan government, paving the way for significantly taller buildings in areas traditionally dominated by low-rise housing. The draft maps outline new…

Melbourne’s $10.2 billion West Gate Tunnel has recorded more than one million trips since opening to motorists in mid-December, but new figures show traffic volumes are well below early projections. Data reveals the tunnel is currently averaging fewer than 22,000 vehicles per…

Victoria Police have launched a fresh five-day search for cop killer Dezi Freeman in Mount Buffalo National Park, focusing on a gunshot heard minutes after the deadly ambush that left two police officers dead. More than five months after the shootings at…

The Victorian government is facing mounting backlash after Premier Jacinta Allan dismissed concerns from regional residents that the Western Renewables Link transmission line could leave properties vulnerable to catastrophic bushfires. Landowners and CFA volunteers in western Victoria say they were “shocked” and…

Melbourne residents in the City of Stonnington are being forced to pay up to $250 a year to park on the street outside their own homes, following the introduction of a new paid digital parking permit system. Under the changes, which came…

A significant political and energy development is unfolding in Victoria, after the federal government announced expanded support for the creation of Australia’s first offshore wind industry, effectively breathing new life into a project that until recently was considered politically and financially uncertain.…

Victoria is bracing for one of the most extreme heat events in its history, with temperatures forecast to approach 50°C in parts of the state and Melbourne set to endure its hottest day since the Black Saturday disaster of 2009. Northern towns…

A growing pattern of so-called “punishment shootings” linked to organised crime networks is driving a significant increase in non-fatal gunshot injuries across Victoria, with public hospitals now treating firearm assault victims on a near-fortnightly basis. Newly analysed emergency department data shows that…