A New Suburb for 36,000 People Has Been Approved in Melbourne's West
The Melton East Precinct Structure Plan clears the way for nearly 12,000 homes, seven schools and 1,600 jobs. Nothing is built yet — the full precinct runs on a 20 to 30 year horizon.
Robert James Runs His Wedding Directory From Sydney, and Victoria Is Now Its Second-Largest State
Ever After Weddings lists 56 Victorian venues across eight regions, plus Melbourne DJs, MCs and planners — putting Victoria second only to NSW in the directory founder Robert James started in 2025.
Hollywood Is Finishing a Brie Larson Film at the Old Neighbours Studio
Skeletons, from producer J.J. Abrams and starring Brie Larson, is in its final stages at the former Neighbours studio in Nunawading. The government puts it at 635 jobs and $21.5 million.
Victoria Is Recruiting 150 Extra PSOs and Changing the Rules on Where They Patrol
The Premier says 150 more Protective Services Officers will be recruited, taking the year's total to 200, with a regulation change letting them patrol local shopping strips.
Victorian Full-Time Earnings Sit $42.60 a Week Below the National Average
New ABS figures put Victorian full-time ordinary earnings at $2,041.10 a week against a national $2,083.70 — and national growth is the slowest since 2022.
Melbourne Venues Can Apply From Today for Up to $11,000 to Put On 20 More Gigs
The 2026 round of the Victorian Gig Fund opens today. Venues can apply for up to $11,000 to stage up to 20 paid gigs between December and June, with applications closing 2 September.
The NFL Arrives at the MCG in a Month, and Almost Half the Crowd Is Coming From Somewhere Else
The Rams play the 49ers at the MCG on Friday 11 September. Fans from more than 35 countries have tickets, CBD hotel occupancy is up 39 per cent for the night, and Netflix takes it to 200 countries.
Census Night Is Tuesday, and the 2026 Form Asks Something It Never Has Before
The Census is taken on Tuesday 11 August. This one carries a single new topic — questions on sexual orientation and gender for people aged 16 and over — plus changes to ancestry, travel to work and more.
Melbourne's New Train Timetable Adds 400 Weekly Services and a First Direct Run From the West to the Bay
From 23 August, more than 400 extra weekly services start across the network — and for the first time trains will run straight from Newport to Sandringham via Flinders Street. The timetable is already online.
Rohit Jhawar Publishes His Price Guide Up Front, and Shoots the Day Like a Documentary
The Melbourne studio lists wedding photography at $2,100 and videography at $3,500, GST and travel included — so you can price it before you send a single email.
Allure Productions Builds Wedding Films Around the Words You Actually Said
The Melbourne studio cuts the vows and speeches from your own day into a four-minute film, runs features to 15 minutes, and shoots everywhere from the Yarra Valley to the snow at Mt Hotham.
Victoria's Busiest Emergency Department Is Being Rebuilt, and Stage One Just Opened
The Northern Hospital at Epping treats more than 110,000 emergency patients a year. A four-storey outpatient centre has just opened as the first stage of an $813 million redevelopment — the new emergency department follows in late 2029.
Jonathan Ong Has Spent More Than 15 Years Behind the Camera at Other People's Weddings
The Melbourne photographer calls himself an observer, works between Melbourne and Singapore, and hands back about 800 images from an average nine-hour wedding.
Victoria Says It Leads the Nation on NAPLAN. Nationally, the 2026 Results Barely Moved.
The Victorian government says students ranked first or second in 16 of 20 NAPLAN measures in 2026. Independent analysis of the national data finds year-to-year differences are negligible, and about 30% of students remain in the bottom two bands.
The 20% Rego Rebate Has Been Extended to 31 August After 3.6 Million Claims
Victoria's 20% vehicle registration rebate was due to close on 31 July. It now runs to 31 August, with more than 3.6 million claims already made — though one government page still says otherwise.
Inside Belle Martin Photography, the Melbourne Documentary Wedding Photographer Who Does Not Pose You
Belle Martin has photographed more than 400 weddings since 2015, working documentary-style across Melbourne, Geelong and the Yarra Valley. Wedding coverage starts at $2,995 and galleries land in about six to eight weeks.
Inside Rhythm and Beats, the Melbourne DJ Service Built Around Reading a Room
A Melbourne wedding, corporate and party DJ run by Kevin — known as DJ Kev — with three wedding packages from $1,750, QR-code song requests, optional MC duties and a 5.0 rating across 46 Easy Weddings reviews.
Victorian Dwelling Approvals Fell 13.9 Per Cent in June Even as the National Figure Rose
Victoria approved 4,172 dwellings in June, down 13.9 per cent for the month, while approvals nationally rose 7.2 per cent. Victorian house approvals actually went up, which means the fall came from elsewhere in the mix.
Four Wednesdays Left of the Winter Night Market at Queen Victoria Market
The Winter Night Market runs Wednesday nights until 26 August — 5pm to 10pm, free entry, with street food, festival bars, open fires and live music. Four nights remain: 5, 12, 19 and 26 August.
MIFF Opens Thursday With 18 Days of Film Across Nine Melbourne Cinemas
The Melbourne International Film Festival runs 6 to 23 August across nine city cinemas, opening with the Australian premiere of Wicker. Regional screenings and a streaming season follow through the month.
Victorian Renters Can Now Take Their Bond With Them Instead of Finding a Second One
Victoria's portable rental bond scheme started on 1 July. Renters moving house can transfer an existing bond to the next property for a $25 fee rather than finding a second one upfront — a saving the government puts at more than $2,500.
Voting Closes Monday on Which Melbourne Parks Get a Share of $30 Million
Pick My Park lets any Victorian resident over 16 choose three local park projects. Voting closes at 4pm on Monday 3 August, and the projects with the most votes in each of Melbourne's five regions get funded.
New Rules From Saturday: Refusing a Passenger Can Count as a Strike Against a Victorian Taxi Driver
From 1 August, unlawfully refusing an unbooked taxi fare becomes an offence under Victoria's two-strikes rule — where two offences in 10 years can cost a driver their accreditation. Assistance animal refusals are already on the list.
Melbourne Has the Lowest Inflation in the Country at 3.2 Per Cent, New ABS Figures Show
Melbourne recorded the lowest annual inflation of any Australian capital in the year to June 2026 — 3.2 per cent, against a national 3.8 per cent, and prices flat month on month. Housing and electricity remain the biggest national drivers.
Victoria Votes on 28 November — and the Electoral Roll Now Closes a Week Earlier Than Last Time
Victoria's state election is Saturday 28 November 2026. The electoral roll closes at 8pm on Tuesday 3 November — a week earlier than at previous elections — so anyone who has moved house or turned 18 has less time than they think.
Thin Cover, Warm Days: Victoria's 2026 Snow Season Has Struggled — but the Snow Is Falling Again This Week
Victoria's 2026 snow season has been one of the weakest starts in years — Mt Buller sat on just 27cm this week, and a Monash climate expert says warmer, drier conditions are to blame. Fresh snow is now falling.
Gladiators, Emperors and Treasures Seen in Australia for the First Time: Inside ROME at Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum's blockbuster ROME: Empire, Power, People brings more than 150 ancient Roman treasures — statues, mosaics, jewellery and a marble Augustus — to Australia for the first time. It runs until 25 October 2026, with adult tickets from $35.
20% Off Your Rego Closes Friday: How Victorian Drivers Can Still Claim Up to $372 Back
Applications for Victoria's 20% vehicle registration rebate close on Friday 31 July 2026. A single car is worth up to $186 back and two up to $372 — here's who's eligible and how to claim it through Service Victoria before the deadline.
From July, Victorian Women Can Get the Pill at the Chemist Without Seeing a Doctor
From July 2026, women over 18 can get the oral contraceptive pill at 850 participating Chemist Care Now pharmacies without a doctor's script. The pharmacist consultation is free — but the medicine is charged at full price at the counter.
July Opens Its Biggest Store in Melbourne — and Says It Is the Last It Will Build in Australia
The Melbourne travel brand has opened a 250-square-metre flagship at QV, its biggest and most elaborate store yet — and its last in Australia, as July turns its focus to expansion overseas.