Carla Jaeger

The Victorian Greens will pitch a 50¢ flat public transport fare to locals in the inner-city seat of Prahran in a bid to fend off the Liberals.

Travis Auld earned $170,000 more than his predecessor after the Allan government waived the advice of the state’s salary-setting tribunal.

The 49-year-old former police officer, flanked by his new all-male leadership team, has vowed to bring the party together and said he would toughen bail laws and slash taxes.

Heartbroken members of Melbourne’s Adass Israel community have promised to restore the “jewel in the crown” of their community by rebuilding their synagogue.

Tony Lupton’s decision to run as an independent could well spice up a Prahran contest that was assumed to be a battle between the Greens and the Liberals.

Melbourne’s 61st consecutive pro-Palestinian protest has taken place as the state government mulls changes to protest laws.

Despite record attendances at the Australian Grand Prix, the government-controlled body tasked with staging the event is heavily reliant on taxpayer funding.

Spending limits will be slashed and gambling machines will be slowed between spins. But reform advocates have questioned why the laws will take so long to come into effect.

Premier Jacinta Allan has detailed the changes, which include up to five years’ jail for inciting hateful or threatening behaviour.

Earlier this year, technology group Dubber found $26.6 million of its cash reserves was missing. Text messages and a ledger of a gangland lawyer’s trust account allege the money was paid out to an array of colourful characters.