Farmers and Greens have lined up against the State Government to fight new rules that will allow free camping on rivers that run through farmland. Greens Deputy Leader Ellen Sandell joined farmers on the steps of Parliament in a recent rally against the changes. Ms Sandell said there were few issues where environmentalist and farmers could agree, “but this was one of them”. “The Government’s decision to open these areas, particularly for camping, is ill-conceived right from t

Islamic fundamentalist cleric Ebrahim Raisi received 17,926,345 of 28,933,004 million votes cast to become the eighth Iranian President on Friday. According to many critics of Iran’s government, the election was engineered, and because of widespread disqualifications by the Guardian Council, which is responsible for monitoring elections in Iran, a range of political organisations and voices were not included. The Ministry of the Interior said it was the lowest turnout in th

“We are a danger to ourselves and the rest of life,” musician Shane Howard told the Inquiry into Ecosystems Decline in Victoria on Thursday. Mr Howard, treasurer for the Belfast Coastal Reserve Action Group and former Goanna band front man, said better legislation, communication, education and funding was needed to stop the destruction of the environment. “We have created a Star Wars civilisation, with Stone Age emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology,” Mr

A Boroondara council program aimed at promoting community growth in the wake of Covid-19, entitled Bare to Beautiful, will see empty storefronts covered with large botanical decals. The decals, designed by local artists, will recreate flowers unique to the region to provide a homegrown touch that creates a consistent botanical theme across various shopfronts in the district. The program launched last week as part of the council’s efforts to revitalise local shopping strips an

Hobson Bay City Council should do more to warn about the dangers dogs face with toxic fish at Altona beach, locals say. Dog owner and local resident Nicolas Downe said he acted immediately after his “playful” labrador Zeus swallowed a pufferfish a few weeks ago at the dog beach, also known as PA Burns Reserve. “I could actually see him chomping on [the fish],” he said. When I got him to spit it out, the fish looked like it had been partially eaten. This is when I knew there w

A Victorian woman has petitioned the Australian Department of Health for better treatment in hospitals for women who have miscarried or lost their baby through stillbirth. Since the beginning of May, the change.org petition has received more than 400 signatures, with many people sharing traumatic hospital experiences and calling for action. Sherrie Fujto said she started the petition after a miscarriage when, while waiting for surgery, she was placed in the same waiting roo

A petition against the closure of the East Ivanhoe Bowling Club was received by Banyule City Council last month, as part of ongoing unrest about the council’s plan for local sporting clubs. Now with more than 600 signatures from local residents, the change.org petition organised by club president Matthew Perkins highlights concern among sections of the community about the Ivanhoe Sports Precinct Plan. The plan aims to fix up ageing local sporting facilities and find homes fo

Thousands of Victorians have signed a petition pleading for the state government to invest more in maternity care. Melbourne Greens MP Ellen Sandell said hundreds of women had reached out to her with stories of poor maternity care. She is now calling for the State Government to invest more into fixing the system. “Women are being failed by an underfunded system at its breaking point,” Ms Sandell said. The hospitals and midwives are doing their absolute best, but there simply

Victorian mental health services could see a substantial change “if we stop funding criminals and start funding health”, experts say. Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) state secretary Paul Healy said decriminalising and taxing cannabis could see the government making billions of dollars for the mental health sector and reduce the number of people tied up in the justice system. “The government would have to grow it, license it and tax it, and that is where the $2 bil

The time has finally come for video game developers and publishers to present their upcoming titles to a sea of dedicated fans. It’s E3 week, and there is no doubt there is about to get some exciting video game news. E3 is a yearly video game industry exhibition, where publishers, studios and gaming hardware manufacturers announce and showcase their upcoming games and gaming accessories. It’s one of the biggest events in the game industry calendar, with many major studios li

Why is reading so hard, and why have I only made it through half a book in two years? These are the questions I ask myself at least once or twice a month. As an avid reader throughout my childhood, I was convinced reading would always be a passion … but now, as a 20-year-old university student, that passion has faded away. I took to the internet to ask, “does anyone still read?” and found a 2017 Macquarie University study that showed just 65.5 per cent of Australians read a

Residents have every right to protest over the council’s plans for a substantial new netball centre, Bayside’s mayor says. Mayor Laurence Evans said the council was listening to objections and trying to resolve residents’ concerns, while also attempting to create a balance in sporting facilities. “The netballers deserve to have an appropriate place to play,” Cr Evans said.   After endless years of gender inequity, it is enlightening to be spending money on female sporting fac