A dramatic drop in domestic travel to and from Melbourne, partly caused by border closures, has wiped more than $6b from the Australian economy. Now experts say restarting interstate travel before Christmas would be a “social and economic gift to the country”.
The state government has revealed the new cost of its Murray Basin Rail Project, but expects the federal government to foot the new bill.
A barber shop in Melbourne’s southeast has been shut down by police after defying stage four restrictions and reopening. It comes as Victoria recorded just one new case and zero deaths from coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
The current controversial 5km travel limit could be scrapped and replaced with an expanded 20km zone, with authorities revealing they are running “models as we speak”.
Major public transport contracts between V/Line, Metro and suppliers will be publicly examined over allegations of serious misconduct by the state’s corruption watchdog.
Melbourne’s tram network has been slammed for failing to deliver disability access, with the government being warned to take real action to fix the issue or risk being sued.
More details have emerged of the truck driver who unknowingly seeded coronavirus to regional Victoria, with the Melbourne man said to be racked with guilt after infecting his elderly father in Kilmore. Authorities this week revealed that he concealed a visit to Shepparton, where a new outbreak has spread.
A bid to ditch Victoria’s 5km movement limit has failed in parliament, with the Andrews Government’s coronavirus omnibus Bill set to become law after clearing the state’s upper house in a late-night vote.
Hundreds of people have been turned away from a testing site in Shepparton, hours after the town became the site of Victoria’s latest COVID-19 outbreak. In Melbourne, two separate Woolworths stores have been linked to virus cases.
Former Labor Minister Adem Somyurek has issued a warning to the Andrews Government saying he could make a return if he did not believe future government laws would respect civil liberties.
Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/journalists/kieran-rooney/page/114