Exclusive: Many applicants left feeling ‘used, lied to, misled and gaslit’, complaint letter seen by Guardian Australia says

With community concerns about datacentres becoming impossible to ignore, the state Labor government has changed course

Party has unveiled a steady stream of contenders for state election, including a former councillor who lost his licence for drink-driving

Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has condemned Premier Ben Carroll’s tenure as roads minister following the tragic death of 71-year-old Ballarat man Peter ‘Tiki’ Mason.

If elected in November, the Coalition is promising $1.7 billion for 25 new hybrid diesel-electric trains on the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines. The post Liberals promise new hybrid trains for Melbourne’s west first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

Inmates would take over ‘basic’ road maintenance duties, allowing skilled crews to focus on fixing 500,000 potholes

The Victorian Coalition is planning to overhaul the state’s court system in an effort to produce tougher criminal sentences.

The Victorian Coalition has promised to cancel construction of controversial transmission lines across the regions in a major victory for the farming community.

The Vietnamese community has called for justice for a shopkeeper killed in a violent attack, after his alleged killers were granted bail.

The new Victorian premier has been called a centrist, a moderate, even ‘Kmart Keating’. If you ask him, Carroll says he’s responsible, progressive – but ‘evidence-based, not ideological’

Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson says the Ben Carroll government only responded to mounting crime concerns in Melbourne's west after a shopkeeper was killed trying to stop an alleged robbery.

One Nation reveals its upper house candidates for Victoria, with army veteran and party state president Warren Pickering set to lead the party to the upcoming state election.

Ben Carroll’s ascendance marks the first time the conservative faction has led the party since the Bracks – Brumby era

New Premier Ben Carroll has been grilled by the Opposition on his declaration he was "proud" his daughter knew he supported Jacinta Allan during his first Question Time as leader.

The newly minted premier must convince voters that he doesn’t represent more of the same

Ben Carroll's rise came after Jacinta Allan resigned — with a parting warning to her successor.

By KATRINA BRANDON   IF you are from the regional or rural Victoria, you are no stranger to potholes. The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has put a call out to regional and rural drivers to “call in” about hazardous roads. VFF president Ryan Milgate went on 3AW recently, talking about the road blitz. “We have been talking to the government about the state of our roads, and we’ve recently just been told that ‘We’re not getting any reports, your roads must be fine’,” he said. “We’ve taken the challenge on and we’re challenging everyone, not just VFF members, but anyone out there … let’s flood the reporting lines and show the government exactly what our roads are like out here.” The call followed new analysis by the VFF showing a shock 75 per cent drop in Victoria’s road repair target in just five years. Mr Milgate said every report would help demonstrate the scale of Victoria’s regional road crisis. Like playing Mario Kart in real life: Obstacles are plentiful on local roads (Alexanders Road, Morwell pictured). Photographs: Katrina Brandon “Victoria’s country roads are the worst they have ever been, from the Murray River in the north to the coast in the south and west to the SA border. Many are literally falling apart and some are straight-up death traps,” he said. “It’s a sobering fact that when driving on country roads, you’re five times more likely to lose your life than when driving in the city. We have had over a generation of inaction on rural road infrastructure and that needs addressing urgently. “Regional roads stakeholders met with the Roads Minister recently, and received a clear message that local reporting is critical to get repairs prioritised. That’s why we’re calling for this ‘Regional road reporting blitz’. Every report helps demonstrate the shocking condition of our regional roads and sends a clear message that these roads cannot continue to be ignored. “Our aim is to show how bad our roads have become. No longer are dangerous roads an isolated problem, it’s a widespread issue and the more we report it, the louder our calls become to get them fixed.” Not long after the blitz was launched, the Victorian Coalition said it would commit $5b to fix crumbling roads. “Any commitment to increase funding for road maintenance and rebuilding is sorely needed and very welcome. Farmers, transport operators and regional communities rely on safe, reliable roads every single day, and we’ve been calling for governments of all persuasions to reverse a generation of neglect and make fixing our road network a priority,” Mr Milgate said. The VFF also welcomed the Coalition’s commitment to establish Better Roads Victoria, saying a dedicated body focused on road maintenance could help restore confidence in the state’s road network. Finger lickin’ issue: No, that’s not a crater, it’s the state of the road at Morwell KFC. It should be noted that the vast majority of roads funding is actually used to fix roads and not tied up in red-tape and middle management. Victorian Budget figures revealed: Planned road resurfacing and rehabilitation works in regional Victoria have been cut dramatically over the past five years, and; Targets for regional road resurfacing and rehabilitation have fallen from 11,800 thousand square metres in 2021-22 to just 2859 thousand square metres in 2026-27, a reduction of more than 75 per cent. “The government’s own numbers show regional roads are being left behind. A more than 75 per cent reduction in planned resurfacing and rehabilitation works is unacceptable,” Mr Milgate said. “Temporary patches are no substitute for rebuilding roads properly and drivers, farmers and all of our rural communities are paying the price.” Drivers can go to: https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/traffic-and-road-use/report-a-road-issue, call 13 11 70 or upload their shots to Snap, Send, Solve to report hazards including potholes, damaged road surfaces, faded line markings and damaged signs.

Anthony Marsh appears to be in commanding position in significant boost to opposition leader Jess Wilson

Polling shows the Liberals’ gamble on knifing their leader and installing Wilson to take on Allan at next year’s election has paid off.