Hundreds of homes are still without power after a major power outage in the west on Wednesday afternoon.

A Deer Park man will contest charges of cultivating more than 250 kilograms of cannabis plants at a Sunshine North factory.

The number of work days lost by Brimbank council staff due to workplace injuries has more than tripled in the past seven years.

Officers are being pulled from front-line policing, according to retired homicide squad detective and Sunshine resident Charlie...