Andrews denies campaign rort claim
Premier says 'pooling' arrangements have 'existed for decades'.
Latest Victoria news
Artist Piers Bateman one of two sailors found dead on NSW coast
![Artist Piers Bateman.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/w/b/b/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfsd0.png/1441437929445.jpg)
Neelima Choahan and Dan Proudman 5:25 PM The Australian art community is grieving the loss of Melbourne artist Piers Bateman who died in a boating accident on Friday.
Single car crash kills driver in burning car
![](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/j/1/u/i/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfuh7.png/1441432666751.jpg)
Deborah Gough 3:57 PM A car has burst into flames on Victoria's south-west causing the death of driver.
Car bomb scare in Melbourne's west
![Police covert operations in the alpine area have been supported by the State Crime Command.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/e/c/5/u/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfu8r.png/1441428268695.jpg)
Deborah Gough 2:44 PM Police have been called to a car bomb scare in a street in Melbourne's west.
Metro waits for the rail union's next move, finals fear
![The train strike may ruin your day, but it could be a lot worse.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/e/s/3/2/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfqss.png/1441421198757.jpg)
Deborah Gough 12:46 PM Metro Trains boss condemns union suggestion to disrupt football finals week as "an absolute outrage".
Porn images placed in school toilet block
![Man seen loitering near Boroondara Park Primary School, in Balwyn Road, Balwyn North.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/r/a/f/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfr9g.png/1441412798478.jpg)
Deborah Gough 10:26 AM Pornographic images were placed inside a school toilet block in Melbourne's east after a man was seen loitering near a primary school in Melbourne's east.
New CBD rules restrict excessive skyscraper heights
![Skyscraper](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/i/a/w/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjersp.png/1441382575694.jpg)
Clay Lucas 2:02 AM The right of developers to build extremely dense and tall skyscrapers in Melbourne's central city has been dramatically restricted by the Andrews government under new planning rules.
Man who blamed sleeping tablets for causing him to stab his wife 15 times found guilty of murder
![court](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/b/z/i/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf6q5.png/1441367839785.jpg)
Mark Russell 9:56 PM The two daughters of a baker who blamed sleeping tablets for causing him to fatally stab his wife 15 times are standing by him despite a jury finding him guilty of murder.
Man shot at Narre Warren
![Ambulance](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/z/x/x/w/l/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfok7.png/1441364039104.jpg)
Chloe Booker 8:53 PM A man is on the run after shooting another man in the leg in Melbourne's south east.
Former Geelong Grammar teacher believes his son suicided after being abused by paedophile at school
![Former Geelong Grammar teacher Paul Claridge whose son was abused and later committed suicide.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/h/v/n/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfco5.png/1441408687784.jpg)
Bianca Hall 8:48 PM The son of a senior teacher of Geelong Grammar suicided after being abused by the serial paedophile who preyed on dozens of boys at the elite school.
Stamp duty concessions for first buyers facing axe
![Any move to radically overhaul the state-based housing affordability measures will be controversial.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/j/u/z/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfjg7.png/1441367315753.jpg)
Josh Gordon, Benjamin Preiss 8:46 PM Stamp duty discounts for first home buyers worth $170 million a year could be dumped by the Andrews Government amid concern the measure is failing to make homes more affordable.
Why spring is the cruellest season for hay fever sufferers
![Spring is upon us, so hay fever is not far away.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/2/c/r/4/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf46t.png/1419389922714.jpg)
Craig Butt 7:32 PM Now that winter has passed and spring is upon us, you don't have to worry about hay fever right away.
Student expelled for reporting sex abuse, inquiry told
![Catherine Parsons.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/e/r/v/z/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjeffz.png/1441354557699.jpg)
Bianca Hall 6:15 PM A Geelong Grammar School nurse has paid tearful tribute to boys who committed suicide, and died of drug overdoses, after suffering at the hands of a serial molester who abused more than 40 boys at the elite school.
My editor made me go to work on #trainstrike day and it was predictably terrible
![Train strike cancelled.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/1/j/y/c/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjff2c.png/1441353339463.jpg)
Liam Mannix 5:55 PM My boss made me go to work on #trainstrike day and it was predictably terrible.
Union warns Metro Trains and Andrews government it is up for a long fight
![Trains parked at Flinders Street Station on Friday.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/k/i/u/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfi70.png/1441373396420.jpg)
Adam Carey 5:40 PM Public transport workers who shut down the rail system on Friday have been encouraged to use the threat of cancellations during the AFL finals as a trump card in their pay battle with Metro.
Melbourne train strike: Metro staff urged to create mayhem for AFL finals series
![Commuters face a long trip into the city during a train strike this Friday.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/h/g/u/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf5d2.png/1441351726967.jpg)
Adam Carey, Marissa Calligeros, Benjamin Preiss Public transport workers who shut down the rail system on Friday have been encouraged to create mayhem for the AFL during this month's finals series.
Melbourne Metro train strike 2015: live commuter updates
![Express: train](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/l/8/m/b/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjet5z.png/1441351628343.jpg)
Angus Holland, Tom Cowie Live updates as the Melbourne train strike hits the city.
Strike day: The unexpected public holiday
![8.47am Caulfield station before the trains stopped due to a strike. 4th September 2015. Fairfaxmedia The Age news Picture by Joe Armao](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/e/z/g/5/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfbi0.png/1441350542373.jpg)
Marissa Calligeros, Steve Lillebuen Melbourne's train strike seemed to turn Friday into a public holiday that no one was expecting, costing the city's economy up to $10 million.
Claims phantom students sat exams at Melbourne school
![Irregularities in roll-keeping and assessment are alleged to have occured at the now-closed Melbourne Senior Secondary College.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/m/1/t/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf9q2.png/1441401730742.jpg)
Henrietta Cook, Timna Jacks Phantom students sat VCE exams at a recently-closed private school, despite rarely attending class, a former teacher claims.
Stand-off between police and man barricaded inside West Footscray house ends
![Heavily armed police broke down the door of the house.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/b/m/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf93m.png/1441347688576.jpg)
Nino Bucci A stand-off between a man and police in Footscray has en
Train strike: replacement bus services panned
![A replacement bus leaving Caulfield station on Friday.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/e/z/n/9/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfa8t.png/1441346353635.jpg)
Steve Lillebuen and Liam Mannix Bus services in Melbourne during the train strike actually performed pretty well, according to Metro, despite numerous complaints from commuters.
Pervert does naked chin-ups at primary school
![Monkey bars](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/f/d/1/7/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjfaxa.png/1441348705850.jpg)
Timna Jacks Police are hunting for a man who performed naked chin-ups in front of two young girls at a primary school in Kilsyth on Sunday.
Former teacher apologises to Geelong Grammar paedophile victims
![Geelong Grammar
picture by craig sillitoe](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/c/f/l/5/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf7cy.png/1441340579372.jpg)
Bianca Hall A former senior teacher at Geelong Grammar School has broken down as he apologised to dozens of boys abused by a paedophile who worked at the school in the 1980s and 1990s.
Melbourne's dams nearly three-quarters full and rising
![adl051115.002.004 Maroondah dam spillway at Healesville flows after heavy rain overnight. Pic Andrew De La Rue The Age Melbourne](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/3/8/2/n/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf2ru.png/1441349003820.jpg)
Darren Gray 12:15 AM For the fourth year in a row Melbourne's dams finished winter more than 72 per cent full, and will climb further with about another three months of inflows to come.
Car smashes into Toorak home
![Ambulance](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/j/1/u/i/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf765.png/1441338362133.jpg)
An elderly driver has been taken to hospital after crashing a car into a Toorak home.
Ex-Melbourne Demons footballer Liam Jurrah pleads guilty to attacking two women
![Inmates playing a scratch match of football on Thursday at Alice Springs Correctional Centre, where Liam Jurrah is serving a 12-week stint.](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/z/r/t/i/l/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf4bk.png/1441334285201.jpg)
Staff Reporters Former Melbourne Demons footballer Liam Jurrah has pleaded guilty to attacking a former partner and his ex-wife in separate incidents, according to reports from Alice Springs.
How we failed our most vulnerbale
![John Silvester Naked City](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/7/h/b/f/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gje3fq.png/1441333812930.jpg)
John Silvester 12:15 AM "We are seeing stuff that has gone to a whole new level of evil," says Fontana.
Financial controller stole $681,000 from Radisson for sex, lavish lifestyle
![County Court](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/w/m/3/5/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf0e2.png/1441333385732.jpg)
Nino Bucci and Adam Cooper A former manager at one of Melbourne's top hotels will spend at least two and a half years in prison for stealing $681,000 from the hotel to fund a secret life of male escorts, restaurants, and holidays.
Charge dropped against Melbourne solicitor
![Melbourne Magistrates Court](/web/20150905073204im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/h/j/h/i/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gjf17n.png/1441329788312.jpg)
Steve Butcher A charge against a Melbourne lawyer of attempting to pervert the course of justice with an outlaw motorcycle gang member has been dropped.