State News

AVIATION Industry Minister Gordon Rich-Phillips has invited applications from airports across regional Victoria to access the $20 million Regional Aviation Fund in Bendigo. Mr Rich-Phillips said the State Government recognised the major economic and social contribution aviation makes to reg..

THE State Government has blamed its federal counterpart for the job losses at Thales’ Bendigo plant. The company has announced 50 jobs will go because of low production. Victorian Manufacturing, Exports and Trade Minister Richard Dalla-Riva said the job losses were a direct result ..

THE State Government has launched the next phase of Tourism Victoria’s Jigsaw campaign Play Melbourne in New Zealand, aimed at attracting even more New Zealand visitors Victoria. Tourism and Major Events Minister Louise Asher said the next important phase of the Victorian Government&rsq..

TWO people died when the Tiger Moth plane they were in crashed at the Maryborough airport today. Emergency services were called to the Maryborough Airport just after 5.10pm. The crash sparked a grass fire at the airport, which has been extinguished by the CFA. The Australian Transport..

HEALTH Minister David Davis has hosted a roundtable of Victorian families at Parliament House to share ideas on healthy eating. Speaking at the Victorian consultation forum of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, Mr Davis said he was de..

PREMIER Ted Baillieu has announced his controversial chief of staff will be moving on. Michael Kapel, who met with Sir Ken Jones at the height of the Simon Overland tensions, will become the government’s Commissioner for the Americas. “Throughout the past five years Mr Kapel, a..

MEMBER for Bendigo East and Shadow Regional and Rural Development Minister Jacinta Allan has urged the State Government to take Heinz products off their menus. More than 140 workers were made jobless when Heinz’s Gigarre factory, which makes tomato sauce, closed down earlier this month..

ENVIRONMENT and Climate Change Minister Ryan Smith has announced a $15.4 million funding package which will help rebuild and repair public infrastructure in flood-affected communities across Victoria. Mr Smith said the funding would be shared by around 28 local communities to re-build shared..

VICTORIANS continue to favour old-fashioned classics for their newborns with Mia and Jack the most popular names for 2011. Acting Attorney-General Andrew McIntosh announced the most populargirls’ names during the past year were Mia, Ruby, Olivia, Chloe and Charlotte. The boys&rsqu..

Victorian hunters can look forward to a bumper season next year after the Victorian Coalition Government today announced a full duck and quail season. Visiting Big Reedy Lagoon State Game Reserve near Yarrawonga today, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh said game bird po..

Victorians will be asked to leave their fast balls on the cricket pitch this summer in a TAC social media campaign launched at the MCG today by Premier Ted Baillieu. The TAC Slow Ball Challenge is fronted by Melbourne’s two Twenty20 Big Bash teams, the Melbourne Stars and Melbour..

Victorians with an interest in shaping their state’s responsible gambling policy have been invited by Gaming Minister Michael O’Brien to apply for a position on the Responsible Gambling Ministerial Advisory Council (RGMAC). RGMAC provides advice to the Minister for Gaming on resp..

DEPUTY Premier and Minister for Bushfire Response Peter Ryan has unveiled a new series of hard-hitting bushfire advertisements funded by the State Government in a bid to save lives this summer. Mr Ryan said less than three years since the tragic 2009 Victorian bushfires which claimed 173 liv..

Taxi passengers outside metropolitan Melbourne will soon be greeted by a photo of their driver when they jump into a cab, with in-cab photo identification set to be rolled out across the state. Announcing the rollout, Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said in-cab photo ID was a ‘b..

THE first intake of Protective Services Officers this week began their training at the Victoria Police Academy as part of the State Government’s plan to reduce crime, violence and anti-social behaviour in and around train stations. The 21-strong team aged between and 19 and 57 are the ..

Victorian Diamond to head expert panel into sports injury prevention Australian Diamonds Commonwealth Games captain and Vixens co-captain, Sharelle McMahon, will chair a new taskforce to investigate the issue of sports injury prevention, the Minister for Sport and Recreation Hugh Delahunt..

Water from the north-south pipeline will only be used to boost Melbourne’s supply during times of critical human need, Water Minister Peter Walsh said today. Mr Walsh said the Victorian Coalition Government would only transfer water down the pipeline if Melbourne’s wate..

Premier Ted Baillieu and Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services Peter Ryan today announced the appointment of Ken Lay as the new Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police. “The Victorian Coalition Government through an independent selection panel conducted a broad sear..

Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell and Minister for Women’s Affairs Mary Wooldridge today called for more women to consider nominating themselves for council elections in 2012. Officially opening the first Think Women for Local Government 2012 forum in Eur..

MEMBER for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan has tackled Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge in parliament over last week’s release of a scathing Ombudsman’s report into the Bendigo DHS office. Acting Ombudsman John Taylor’s report found Bendigo Department of Human Se..