Fire danger: Anger grows as Premier won't commit
Richard Willingham and Benjamin Preiss Pressure is mounting on Premier Daniel Andrews to come clean on what deal has been struck with the firefighters union, amid burning anger from CFA volunteers who fear a union takeover.
Latest Victoria news
Have you seen Percy?
7:17 PM Who steals a cat? That's what Preston police investigating the disappearance of Percy the four-year-old Scottish Fold want to know.
La Trobe University withdraws allegations against Safe Schools co-founder Roz Ward
Henrietta Cook 7:03 PM La Trobe University has withdrawn all allegations of misconduct against controversial academic Roz Ward and reinstated the Safe Schools founder, effective immediately.
Victorian firefighter union pay deal to cost $160 million: Treasury
Richard Willingham and Josh Gordon 6:19 PM A government deal with the militant firefighters union to end a protracted industrial dispute will cost the Victorian budget up to $160 million, according to new analysis.
Cement truck rollover causes traffic headache
Allison Worrall 6:02 PM A cement truck has rolled over on a major road in Preston in Melbourne's north, causing a traffic headache ahead of the afternoon commuter peak.
Emergency housing agreement struck with Airbnb
Allison Worrall 6:01 PM Victorians forced to flee their homes during dangerous bushfires will be able to take refuge in vacant properties and rooms listed on Airbnb after the state government struck a deal with the accommodation website.
Woman allegedly sexually assaulted on St Kilda Road tram
Rania Spooner 5:58 PM Police are hunting a man reported to have sexually assaulted a woman on a St Kilda Road tram and suspected of assaulting another.
Victoria's cosmetic surgery crackdown to take its lead from NSW
Rania Spooner, Anna Patty 5:21 PM Victoria's health department will take into account a cosmetic surgery crackdown in NSW as part of its own review into the billion-dollar industry.
Wet and wild weekend forecast for Melbourne
Marika Dobbin 5:18 PM Victorians should prepare for a wet weekend with the possibility of flooding in some areas, particularly in the far east of the state.
Opposition vows to dump Safe Schools program
Josh Gordon, Henrietta Cook 5:16 PM Victoria's controversial Safe Schools program will be axed if the Coalition wins the 2018 state election, with Opposition Leader Matthew Guy promising to replace it with a "genuine" anti-bullying program.
Murray Goulburn creamed by dairy leaders
Darren Gray 5:07 PM The decision by Murray Goulburn to slash milk payments to farmers has been condemned by dairy industry leaders.
You're going to want to watch this on your TV. A lot
Liam Mannix 5:03 PM The world's latest Olympic sport - 'sports' climbing - isn't dominated solely by muscled male athletes. Tiny young women can be stars too.
Department aims to kill off roos who survived the bushfire it began
Stathi Paxinos 4:42 PM Kangaroos nursed back to health after a planned fire got out of control now face a cull on orders of the same government department that ordered the backburn.
Bus operator faces fines for running late when new timetable starts on Sunday
Adam Carey 4:39 PM Many of Melbourne's busiest bus routes will get a timetable change on Sunday, which will trigger a new performance regime that requires bus operator Transdev to run 85 per cent of its buses on time.
Malka Leifer: Former Australian principal accused of 74 child sex charges walks free in Israel
4:27 PM The former principal of an ultra-Orthodox girls school in Melbourne, who fled the country after allegedly molesting her students, could remain in Israel indefinitely.
Calls to scale back sports betting advertising to protect children
Farrah Tomazin 4:24 PM Children are being bombarded with sports betting ads to such an extent that most of them can now identify gambling brands, renewing calls for advertising to be scaled back during AFL matches and other major events.
The school the kids designed
Henrietta Cook 4:16 PM They had grand visions of water fountains that spluttered cola, slides that carried students from the second floor to the playground and jetpack chairs.
Bikie kingpin seeks bail on on strip club arson charge
4:10 PM Comancheros treasurer accused of starting a fire at a Kittens strip club is also suspected of links to other shootings, a court has heard.
PSO charged over sexual assault of police employee
Tom Cowie 4:03 PM Police have charged a male Protective Services Officer with the sexual assault of a Victoria Police staffer.
Appeal Court says council won't be hit with $100m drain on its resources
Bianca Hall, Legal Affairs reporter 3:50 PM Landmark win means huge cost of repairing Hazelwood Mine infrastructure will have to be met by its French owners.
CBD homeless camp grows at Enterprize Park, despite camping ban
Aisha Dow 3:35 PM A major homeless camp with more than a dozen tents and a growing collection of furniture has been established next to the Yarra River in Melbourne's CBD.
Weekend road closures hit major tunnels, freeway
Allison Worrall 3:25 PM Drivers are being warned to plan their road trips carefully this weekend, with road closures affecting major tunnels and freeways around Melbourne.
School ramps up security after sex attacker spotted again
Tom Cowie 2:35 PM Fear has gripped a Melbourne primary school amid repeated sightings of a sex pest who exposed himself to a nine-year-old girl six weeks ago.
Teen sexually assaulted on evening jog
Allison Worrall 2:28 PM A 15-year-old girl was pushed over and sexually assaulted while out for an evening jog in Victoria's north last month.
Wisps of wind lack the will to clear Melbourne's foggy air
Marissa Calligeros 1:26 PM Airport chaos eases as fog clears, but with some haze hanging around on a windless afternoon, passengers are told to check with their airline before they leave home.
'Damaged' former bikie enforcer will walk free within a year
Bianca Hall 12:24 PM One-time Bandido's hard man Toby Mitchell has been jailed for 20 months for possessing almost half a kilo of methamphetamine and cocaine.
Tram and bus collide at William and La Trobe streets
Craig Butt 11:48 AM One person injured during dramatic collision in the city.
Teenager injured after falling 15 metres in the Grampians
Craig Butt 11:37 AM A teenager had to be winched to safety after falling 15 metres from a walking track in the Grampians.
Former stripper Robyn Lindholm faces court over murder of ex-fiance George Templeton
Adam Cooper 11:24 AM Former stripper Robyn Lindholm has appeared before a magistrate, charged with murdering her former fiancee, standover man George Templeton.
Premier's can-do approach raises uncomfortable questions
Josh Gordon 6:21 AM Andrews has made much of his equality agenda. So what sort of message does it send to apparently ride roughshod over of emergency services minister Jane Garrett and new CFA chief executive Lucinda Nolan?
Melbourne Express: Friday, June 3, 2016
Craig Butt 5:46 AM Kick-start your day with live news, travel updates, weather and more.
Opinion
Andrews' port plan is a fraud on the west
Victoria is facing an infrastructure fiasco rivalling the desalination plant.
Indifference threatens a jewel in Victoria's heritage
In a crook of a hill outside Melbourne, a rare example of Victoria's heritage is crumbling.
A perfect storm led to hospital baby deaths
We must demand transparency and a change in attitude at Bacchus Marsh Hospital.
Hunt’s Melbourne 2200: on a road to nowhere
Environment Minister is still playing Abbott-style politics and his proposals ignore fiscal realities.
The urban myth we just can't shake off
We have the world's most urban culture but we see ourselves as red-dirters, outbackers, bushies.
Hail the fight for workplace safety
The decline in workplace deaths would have been unachievable without the vigilance of unions.
Fighting fire with fire: sometimes it goes wrong
The recent Lancefield bushfires highlight the need to have a plan and then use it.
A premier who keeps his promises? Really?
Premier Daniel Andrews has stuck to his guns, and his commitments.
Flash heatwave forebodes dangerous summer
In less than a week, the bushfire season has descended upon us.
Open letter to Gillon McLachlan
Victim of Brownless' "strippers" comment says the AFL chief should use his power to change the culture of The Footy Show.
Don't be fooled by Andrews' port trickery
Privatising the port to pay for level-crossing removals is a modern version of the pea and thimble trick.
Video
V/Line conductor filmed punching man
Passenger films a V/Line employee as he repeatedly kicks and punches a 46-year-old man at Broadford station.
Andrews wants Melbourne Metro cash from Turnbull
Daniel Andrews wants the allocated $3 billion for East West link to fund the Melbourne Metro.
Inside Australia's goat farming industry
We export the largest quantity of this meat in the world, but most Australians know little about goat farming.
