Rochelle Kirkham

The Victorian Racing Tribunal disqualifies Darren Weir from racing for another two years for using an electronic shock device known as a jigger on three horses.

The historic Regent Cinemas, once the largest "movie palace" in regional Victoria has closed, effective immediately, after almost 100 years of screening films.

Two friends — a clinical psychologist and a school principal — saw an urgent need for embedded mental health support in a western Victorian community after a string of suicides. Now they're running a not-for-profit that places trainee psychologists in rural schools.

The ABC has spoken to 10 people about their experiences with property agent Ballarat Real Estate, alleging unethical and improper conduct, and potential breaches of the law.

The County Court in Warrnambool heard Port Fairy pool operators did not test children's swimming abilities before allowing them to use an inflatable aquatic device and did not have procedures in place for how to manage children on the device. 

It looks like business is booming the beautiful town of Daylesford, but the local council is grappling with a budget hit by inflation and cost-of-living pressures — and it's a situation that's said to be playing out across the state.

To protect our birds and your food, more than half a million chickens need to die. It’s a cold, harsh reality of Australia's tough biosecurity measures facing their latest test from avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.

Maureen Doonan started off by buying soccer equipment for a group of Victorian refugees. Soon that evolved into giving them a place to live, teaching them to drive, and helping them navigate the complexities of life in Australia.

Powercor's failure to clear vegetation under powerlines resulted in a bushfire at Glenmore, north-west of Melbourne, which took two days to contain and burnt 185 hectares of land.

A magistrate has denied bail to Bryce Dridan, who police allege was drug affected when he drove his out-of-control car into a pedestrian area at a burnout event in 2023, killing 18-year-old Trent DeZoete.

Event manager Adam McNicol says the idea to hold it in a regional city was ambitious, but with nearly 5,000 total registrations and overseas interest, it is being heralded as a success.

The champion horse trainer has been cleared of allegations that he used a jigger on racehorses with the intention of corrupting the outcome of the 2018 Melbourne Cup. 

Reid's Guest House in Ballarat has provided crisis accommodation to thousands of people over the past 20 years. Now it is set to close and residents have to get out within months. 

A Ballarat magistrate said it was important the case was held as soon as possible due to the ongoing trauma experienced by the families of the deceased and the high public interest in the case.

A Victorian accounting firm and a related company have been ordered to pay more than $26 million to two former clients after using confidential information to take advantage of a business opportunity.

Community leader Sissy Austin, who publicly shared her own experience of violence in bushland near Ballarat last year, has organised a rally against men's violence for Friday evening.

The alleged murder of Hannah McGuire, whose body was found in a burnt-out car near Ballarat last week, reignites calls to prevent violence against women and create a culture of respect and equality.  

The National Tertiary Education Union says axing 200 jobs will be the death knell of Federation University, which has campuses across regional Victoria and in Brisbane.

A number of regional Victorian councils say they are fed up with waiting for millions of dollars of flood repair money from the Victorian government, nearly 18 months after the disaster devastated much of the state.

Ridsdale has been in prison since 1994 for the abuse of more than 70 children in Victoria. He was sentenced for the eighth time last year and is likely to die behind bars.

Internal emails show an engineer asked the Ballarat Gold Mine management in May last year not to proceed with a handheld drilling trial without "minimum" ground supports "to ensure that we all get home to our families".

The Diocese of Ballarat says it will remove ribbons tied outside St Patrick's Cathedral on Saturday morning, for the ageing wrought-iron fence to be painted. 

The mine returned to service at the first shift of Friday March 15, with its operators saying all employees continue to be paid if they attend work or require additional time to process the tragedy.

Facing a tribunal hearing with his former assistant trainer and stablehand, Darren Weir has admitted to using an electric shock device but denied allegations he intended to corrupt the outcome of races.

Legal representatives for VicForest reveal it will cease to exist beyond June, after multiple court cases and heavy scrutiny of its business practices.