CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU View all partners Undecided seats can be sorted into several categories the Australian Electoral Commission selected the incorrect final two candidates and is slowly redoing this count with the correct two candidates From the small number of votes that have been realigned the ABC has estimates of what the two candidate vote will be when all current votes in that seat are realigned This category applies to Greens leader Adam Bandt’s Melbourne and he’s currently estimated to be trailing Labor’s Sarah Witty by an estimated 2,896 votes The ABC says the sample of votes counted so far may be skewed against Bandt Other seats in this category are Labor-held Fremantle, where a teal is estimated to be ahead by just 196 votes, Labor-held Bendigo (Nationals lead Labor by an estimated 1,285 votes) and Labor-held Bean (an independent leads Labor by an estimated 206 votes) This election was a disaster for the Coalition which Labor won by 61.2–38.8 at the 2022 election Bradfield, Goldstein and Kooyong are teal independent vs Liberal contests The Liberals have surged on postals in all three and Liberal Tim Wilson will regain Goldstein if the remaining postals behave like current postals The teals look better in Bradfield and Kooyong Bullwinkel, Menzies and Longman are standard two-party contests and is more likely than not to win the other two once left-leaning absent votes start being counted Calwell is currently undecided because both major parties’ primary votes slumped It’s possible that an independent could win from third or fourth by getting ahead of the Liberals then using their preferences to beat Labor In Monash and Flinders but a teal independent is close behind Labor and may move ahead of Labor after preferences from the Greens and other minor candidates The Liberals will probably defeat the teal if these are the final two Ryan and Wills are Labor vs Greens contests then beat the Liberal National Party on the other left party’s preferences The Greens are just ahead of Labor in Ryan at the moment Wills is a standard two-candidate contest that Labor is currently winning comfortably Current national primary votes are 34.8% Labor (up 2.2% since 2022) 1.9% Trumpet of Patriots (down 2.3% on United Australia Pary’s 2022 vote) 7.6% independents (up 2.3%) and 5.6% others (up 0.5%) The Coalition does best and the Greens do worst on early postals which have been added since election night Absent votes need to be posted back to their home electorate before they can be counted the Greens do best and the Coalition does the worst As the major parties’ primary votes are low, there are many seats where Labor and Coalition candidates will not be the final two. There are currently 28 “non-classic” seats where one of the major parties did not make the final two The electoral commission’s first priority is to determine which candidate has won every seat they will conduct a second count in all non-classic seats between the Labor and Coalition candidates we will have a final official two-party result but this won’t happen for at least a few weeks The ABC’s current estimate for the two-party vote is a Labor win by 55.0–45.0, while The Poll Bludger estimates a Labor win by 54.1–45.9. The electoral commission’s current figure of 54.7–45.3 to Labor excludes all non-classic seats Melbourne’s housing market is set for a monster comeback with almost two thirds of suburbs now on an upward trajectory and battler ’burbs tipped for “supercharged” price growth A rise in sales activity in Sunbury has the area in Melbourne’s north west ranked as the nation’s top spot for a lift in house values this year Hoppers Crossing and Deer Park have also been tipped for a boost RELATED: Shock move in Melbourne home prices revealed Cost of living: Melbourne families now need $75,000 a year to cover mortgage, bills ‘Choked out’: concerning rise in insurance claims and home sales Respected property pundit and the author of the Price Predictor Index has also earmarked units for “supercharged” gains across suburbs including Docklands the Hotspotting.com.au founder believes a whopping 63 per cent of all Melbourne’s suburbs are now positioned for growth and that the city is now the third best positioned region nationwide to grow in value in the year ahead Only Darwin and regional South Australia are better placed for mass growth across their suburbs and towns is up for sale at $895,000-$980,000 in the suburb ranked most likely to see growth nationwide Werribee also made the “supercharged” list of suburbs with 79 Tindale Blvd listed for $730,000-$790,000 Mr Ryder used a 16.4 per cent rise in sales activity across the city as a metric to track increasing demand that is likely to underpin rising prices in the near future with bigger things expected for areas like Sunbury that have had sales surge from 140 a quarter early in 2023 to 250 in the final three months of 2024 It follows a surge in investor sales over the past few years that had the city’s home values flat or falling from early 2022 until the tail end of last year Hotspotting founder and property analyst Terry Ryder Mr Ryder said Melbourne’s recovery had been “quite a long time coming” after limited growth and even home value losses in various parts of the city at a time when other capitals had been rising “But the sales activity shows that things are improving,” he said “It’s the beginning of a strong upward trend and relative to other cities Melbourne is now very attractively priced we should see Melbourne doing much better than recent years.” Craigieburn has had one of the biggest increases in sales numbers around the country in what is generally considered a pre-cursor to home price growth a three-bedroom house like 15 Birdswood Cres would set you back $570,000-$610,000 A $700,000-$770,000 budget could get you a home at 44 Arroyo Place another suburb that has recorded a significant rise in sales numbers The property pundit added that there were already signs of rising investor activity and alongside population growth increasing homebuyer and renter demand broad growth was looking likely within the next six to nine months Mr Ryder added that with limited new supply being built some of Melbourne’s long-term affordable unit markets were likely to experience growth as a result of buyers who wanted a home they could lock up and leave for convenience — not just something affordable “And now the construction industry doesn’t have the capacity to build the number of apartments that Melbourne and other places need And that puts a floor under the value of existing ones — and therefore prices are rising.” Raine and Horne Sunbury’s Amanda Burt said the suburb’s property market had already “changed significantly” compared to a year ago A budget to cover $640,000-$670,000 would get you a home like 4 Earlsferry Lane where house prices are tipped to soon rise Home prices are also expected to lift in Hoppers Crossing which could be good news for the buyers of 17 Kathleen Cres It is currently listed for sale at $620,000-$640,000 “Buyers are coming from Airport West and Niddrie but they see Sunbury is still 35 minutes from the city,” Ms Burt said The agent said sales had surged again since the interest rate cut and future cuts were expected to drive even more activity those who owned homes were now selling up to buy larger properties in the area or neighbouring suburbs such as Riddells Creek Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Jacob Caine said there was a growing list of data points heralding a home price lift for Melbourne in 2025 you see that Melbourne prices are comparatively affordable but while Melbourne and Brisbane have historically traded places as the second most affordable capital there’s only so long Melbourne ever slips back,” Mr Caine said “The fundamentals of living in Melbourne and Victoria are just so strong.” is listed for sale with a $675,000-$695,000 asking price that gets you a two-bedroom floorplan today A one-bedroom apartment at 403/20 Peel Street will set you back $590,0000-$630,000 today — but later this year it could be worth more Behind rising home sales numbers being observed by Mr Ryder the agent said the city’s blend of lifestyle a strong economy as well as cultural and sporting attractions that consistently made it a draw card for population growth PropTrack senior economist Anne Flaherty added that Melbourne’s comparative affordability to other major capitals would help underpin the city as a leader for migration both internationally and from interstate putting further upward pressure on home values this year with a lot of opportunities for jobs,” Ms Flaherty said “So Melbourne is ticking a lot of boxes for where people might want to live right now.” Two bedrooms and an expansive urban view will set you back $580,000-$590,000 for a home like 1606/100 Lorimer St and it’s been tipped this could lead to price rises Source: Hotspotting.com.au Price Predictor Index Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox MORE: Coburg: Dilapidated house sells for almost $1m after 70+ years in one family Moonee Ponds heritage mansion with bank vault in the garage up for sale Frankston North house price record: Local and interstate bidders battle for home third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Follow our live coverage of election results in Victoria’s key swing seats here Voters at polling stations in inner Melbourne have complained of lengthy waits of up to two hours to cast their ballot prompting the city’s lord mayor to call for a “root and branch” review voters told The Age they had waited between 45 minutes and two hours in queues that snaked through school and church grounds or along residential streets A queue of voters at North Melbourne Primary School just after 10am on Saturday.Credit: Sophie Aubrey The Australian Electoral Commission has denied waits reached as long as two hours, but the issues prompted Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece to lash the commission for “an election day fail we could all see coming” following similar problems during the 2022 federal election and the 2023 Voice referendum While some voters were easygoing about extensive waits others voiced frustrations about poor queue management and a lack of inner-city pre-polling options that could have reduced pressures on Saturday Some voters gave up and turned around when they saw the lines Rachel Kennedy said she found two-hour queues at Christ Church Grammar School and at her local library before she walked to St Martins Hall the wait to vote was between 60 and 90 minutes Voter Rachel Kennedy in South Yarra in the seat of Melbourne Kennedy felt the queues were particularly bad because not enough pre-polling booths were set up nearby but we couldn’t because it was nowhere near where we lived,” she said Jessica Broadbent waited for an hour from 10am to cast her vote at North Melbourne Primary School and was disappointed to see an electoral officer come around only once Simon Heaysman at North Melbourne Primary School.Credit: Sophie Aubrey “We should make it easy for people … to participate in democracy,” she said “Why is there not even one person in a fluoro vest with a loud voice and cheerful smile staying out here doing any kind of queue management?” Simon Heaysman was relishing the election atmosphere given he often has to vote early due to work voters arriving at Docklands’ only polling booth were told they would have to stand in line for at least 90 minutes Older voters and people with access issues were whisked to the front Some voters told The Age they wouldn’t bother lining up at Docklands and would “vote in the suburbs” later in the day those at the front of the queue at Docklands said the wait had eased to just 20 minutes At the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in Southbank the queue to vote was snaking around the block in the early afternoon Voters said they were told it could be up to a two-hour wait A trio close to the front of the line said they had been waiting for about 75 minutes “Some drinks would be nice … or a hat for me to put on,” said one man motioning to his empty drink bottle and bare bald head Fitzroy and Kooyong also shared experiences of waiting close to two hours and minimal resourcing at polling stations Reece said inner-city waiting times were “not good enough” and it wasn’t unreasonable for people to be in and out of a polling booth in 20 minutes “I’m calling for a root and branch review of how this poll has been conducted in Melbourne,” the lord mayor said “In a country where we have compulsory voting there is an obligation on electoral authorities to make voting as easy as possible.” Access to pre-polling in and near the Melbourne CBD was a hot topic in the final days of the election campaign Reece called the lack of pre-polling venues in the city centre baffling and undemocratic The AEC later accused the City of Melbourne of failing to help the commission secure suitable venues Reece said: “I’m not interested in the blame game The City of Melbourne is happy to work with the AEC to ensure this never happens again “They managed to find a pre-polling booth in every CBD in the country The voting infrastructure in inner-city Melbourne is failing the voters and our democracy.” People queue to vote in Docklands.Credit: Jason South AEC spokesman Evan Ekin-Smyth denied waiting times on Saturday had hit two hours and suggested the reported figures from voters were inadvertently inflated He said the lines at each booth were checked regularly and data being fed into the commission’s command centre showed queues were “The absolute vast majority of the 7000 [national] polling places on offer are seeing very reasonable wait times Ekin-Smyth said that when waits reached about 30 minutes officers looked at adding new ballot-issuing points or redeploying staff from other stations He said extra election day venues were added to the CBD following the 2023 Voice referendum “Whenever you have a process that gives 18 million-plus people the choice of when and where to turn up You simply cannot avoid that,” Ekin-Smyth said “There is no election in the world without queues We’re better than most and do everything possible to minimise them.” Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter prompting the city\\u2019s lord mayor to call for a \\u201Croot and branch\\u201D review The Australian Electoral Commission has denied waits reached as long as two hours but the issues prompted Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece to lash the commission for \\u201Can election day fail we could all see coming\\u201D following similar problems during the and the but we couldn\\u2019t because it was nowhere near where we lived,\\u201D she said \\u201CWe should make it easy for people \\u2026 to participate in democracy,\\u201D she said \\u201CWhy is there not even one person in a fluoro vest with a loud voice and cheerful smile staying out here doing any kind of queue management?\\u201D \\u201CI wanted the full election experience voters arriving at Docklands\\u2019 only polling booth Some voters told The Age they wouldn\\u2019t bother lining up at Docklands and would \\u201Cvote in the suburbs\\u201D later in the day \\u201CSome drinks would be nice \\u2026 or a hat for me to put on,\\u201D said one man Reece said inner-city waiting times were \\u201Cnot good enough\\u201D and it wasn\\u2019t unreasonable for people to be in and out of a polling booth in 20 minutes \\u201CI\\u2019m calling for a root and branch review of how this poll has been conducted in Melbourne,\\u201D the lord mayor said \\u201CIn a country where we have compulsory voting there is an obligation on electoral authorities to make voting as easy as possible.\\u201D Access to pre-polling in and near the Melbourne CBD was a in the final days of the election campaign in the city centre baffling and undemocratic Reece said: \\u201CI\\u2019m not interested in the blame game \\u201CThey managed to find a pre-polling booth in every CBD in the country The voting infrastructure in inner-city Melbourne is failing the voters and our democracy.\\u201D He said the lines at each booth were checked regularly and data being fed into the commission\\u2019s command centre showed queues were \\u201CThe absolute vast majority of the 7000 [national] polling places on offer are seeing very reasonable wait times \\u201CWhenever you have a process that gives 18 million-plus people the choice of when and where to turn up You simply cannot avoid that,\\u201D Ekin-Smyth said \\u201CThere is no election in the world without queues We\\u2019re better than most and do everything possible to minimise them.\\u201D Cut through the noise of federal politics with news Victoria is now home to Australia’s first centre dedicated to supporting people with cystic fibrosis – a significant development that demonstrates the states global leadership in life sciences An Epping family home with epic Harley workshop and room for 10 vehicles hits the market An Epping home boasting a $250,000 man cave and workshop of one of the nation’s top Harley Davidson custom builders is revving up for a sale Owner Joe Pegoraro operates his global business “Pega Custom Cycles” from the rear of the 936sq m block crafting rose-gold choppers for clients as far as Dubai The 22 Axebridge Circuit home and garage compound with room for up to 10 vehicles is being marketed with a $900,000-$990,000 price guide RELATED: Melbourne Uni lists $8m+ ‘crown jewel’ mansion Must-see $9m Melb mansion stuns buyers Shock move in Melbourne home prices revealed That sum includes the garage with a fully tiled showroom-style workspace and even a second kitchen and toilet for business use who are downsizing after five years in the home said the workshop was a passion project built to accommodate Joe’s booming business Their grandkids have also loved riding scooters and playing across the property and the park located across the road The unassuming facade at 22 Axebridge Circuit hides a world-class motorcycle workshop out back Stylish stone benchtops and modern appliances feature in this renovated Epping kitchen “It’s been amazing living here,” Mrs Pegoraro said but it’s time for someone else to enjoy it.” Ray White Wollert director Mike Assaad is handling the sale and said “it is a serious space.” “You could run just about any kind of trade or creative operation out of this The agent added that the space was so polished it felt like a showroom This Epping backyard blends family living and business potential with alfresco space and garage access Rose-gold Harley Davidsons built in the backyard workshop have been shipped to clients worldwide “There’s even an ‘OPEN’ sign out front of the garage,” he said “You’re getting a turnkey family home and a full-scale commercial workshop in one.“There’s just nothing else like it in Epping.” the four-bedroom residence has been thoughtfully renovated and expansive open-plan living that flows from a stylish kitchen into multiple dining and relaxation zones relax or host — the backyard at this Epping home has serious flexibility for buyers The home’s rear garage has been transformed into a sleek motorcycle gallery and workshop zone The rare dual kitchen design includes a full secondary set up at the rear perfect for any home business or independent family living scenario A private main suite with double windows and pendant lighting creates a resort-style retreat a string-lit alfresco with a ceiling fan and sandstone entertaining table offers a backdrop for Sunday barbecues and a landscaped front garden with manicured hedging add the real prize will be the backyard workshop The home’s main bathroom includes a spa-style tub neutral finishes and generous natural light MORE: Cafe in Melbourne’s inner north comes with unusual feature Eight bidders push Frankston North house to new record Inside quirky Kinglake house made from 13,569 bottles This is probably not the page you’re looking for with leader Adam Bandt's Melbourne seat also at riskIt was a night of mixed results for the Greens with the party losing two of its Brisbane seats.Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt addresses the crowd at the 2025 federal election reception in Melbourne Labor has won the 2025 federal election and Peter Dutton has lost his seat ShareGet SBS News daily and direct to your InboxSign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.Your email address *Morning (Mon–Fri) Watch 1m 52sThree individuals were seriously injured in a helicopter crash on a beach between Point Lonsdale and Ocean Grove on Friday morning. Greens leader Adam Bandt has clung onto his Melbourne seat as members internally clash on the direction of the party after the loss of Brisbane seats Bandt looks set to maintain his position despite a 5.4 per cent swing to Labor in his seat as the party reckons with the “devastating” losses of firebrand Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather and his Brisbane colleague Stephen Bates Greens leader Adam Bandt will have to define the party’s direction.Credit: Paul Jeffers The Greens still hope to retain the Queensland seat of Ryan who is in a complex three-horse race with the Liberals and Labor Melbourne’s progressive inner-north seat of Wills where former state Greens leader Samantha Ratnam is attempting to unseat Labor’s Peter Khalil disappointing party strategists who hoped an advantageous redistribution would hand them a seat they have been trying to win for over a decade One source told this masthead that the possibility of winning one extra Senate seat was proof the minor party just needs to better define itself and advocate more on the climate “There was inconsistent and confused messaging from within the party and it stemmed from a disagreement between those who wanted a more moderate approach and those who wanted to be bolder,” the source said “We need to be bolder; we need to be seen as an alternative.” you don’t win – you have to help people at the local level You saw it in Brisbane and Griffith in 2022,” they said you have to make sure you are representing it and focusing on grassroots community-based organising rather than culture wars issues The party’s heavy reliance on door-knocking before the campaign began meant it could have missed a shift in attitudes during the campaign “It’s about how to get that short-term immediate campaign data Door-knocking doesn’t provide information on the final couple of weeks of a campaign The party argues that the collapse of the Liberal vote in Queensland meant more people shifted to Labor causing Chandler-Mather and Bates to lose their seats the party was optimistic about its chances as Senator Sarah Hanson-Young remained hopeful it could retain Ryan and win Wills counting those postal votes and the preference flow,” she said But as counting continued at the Australian Electoral Commission’s West Footscray centre in Melbourne Labor volunteers from Khalil’s team who were not authorised to speak publicly said they believed the ALP would hold off Ratnam’s challenge Ratnam said she remained hopeful as scrutineering continued but she acknowledged it would take time before a result was known Khalil was leading Ratnam by 0.68 per cent – or about 1100 votes out of 125,000 eligible voters Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Greens leader Adam Bandt has clung onto his Melbourne seat as members internally clash on the direction of the party after the loss of Brisbane seats. Bandt looks set to maintain his position despite a 5.4 per cent swing to Labor in his seat, as the party reckons with the \\u201Cdevastating\\u201D losses of firebrand Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather and his Brisbane colleague Stephen Bates. The Greens still hope to retain the Queensland seat of Ryan, held by Elizabeth Watson-Brown, who is in a complex three-horse race with the Liberals and Labor. Melbourne\\u2019s progressive inner-north seat of Wills, where former state Greens leader Samantha Ratnam is attempting to unseat Labor\\u2019s Peter Khalil, is still too close to call, disappointing party strategists who hoped an advantageous redistribution would hand them a seat they have been trying to win for over a decade. One source told this masthead that the possibility of winning one extra Senate seat was proof the minor party just needs to better define itself and advocate more on the climate, Israel-Palestine and housing. \\u201CThere was inconsistent and confused messaging from within the party, and it stemmed from a disagreement between those who wanted a more moderate approach and those who wanted to be bolder,\\u201D the source said. \\u201CWe need to be bolder; we need to be seen as an alternative.\\u201D However, another source argued the opposite. \\u201C[We got] sucked into the culture wars, and when you do that, you don\\u2019t win \\u2013 you have to help people at the local level. You saw it in Brisbane and Griffith in 2022,\\u201D they said. \\u201CFor a lower house seat, you have to make sure you are representing it and focusing on grassroots, community-based organising rather than culture wars issues. That\\u2019s where it went wrong in Griffith.\\u201D The party\\u2019s heavy reliance on door-knocking before the campaign began meant it could have missed a shift in attitudes during the campaign, a third member said. \\u201CIt\\u2019s about how to get that short-term immediate campaign data. Door-knocking doesn\\u2019t provide information on the final couple of weeks of a campaign, so we missed that,\\u201D they said. The party argues that the collapse of the Liberal vote in Queensland meant more people shifted to Labor, causing Chandler-Mather and Bates to lose their seats. Publicly, the party was optimistic about its chances, as Senator Sarah Hanson-Young remained hopeful it could retain Ryan and win Wills. \\u201CIt\\u2019s going to come down to days, counting those postal votes and the preference flow,\\u201D she said. But as counting continued at the Australian Electoral Commission\\u2019s West Footscray centre in Melbourne, Labor volunteers from Khalil\\u2019s team who were not authorised to speak publicly said they believed the ALP would hold off Ratnam\\u2019s challenge. Ratnam said she remained hopeful as scrutineering continued but she acknowledged it would take time before a result was known. By Sunday afternoon, with 70 per cent of the vote counted, Khalil was leading Ratnam by 0.68 per cent \\u2013 or about 1100 votes out of 125,000 eligible voters. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. . Link copiedShareShare resultsBy chief election analyst Antony Green posted Fri at 2:00pmFriday 2 May 2025 at 2:00pmFri 2 May 2025 at 2:00pm Updated 12m ago12 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 11:07am updated 38m ago38 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 10:40am | The electorate of Melbourne is Victoria's second smallest at 39 square kilometres. It includes most of the City of Melbourne north of the Yarra, the City of Yarra south of Alexandra Parade, and on its new boundaries it crosses the Yarra to include South Yarra and parts of Prahran from Stonnington Council. The electorate includes the Melbourne CBD, Docklands, North Melbourne, Carlton, Richmond, Collingwood, Abbotsford, Fitzroy, South Yarra and parts of Prahran. (Victories by a party of government are indicated by thick coloured underlining.) The polling places south of the Yarra have been re-calculated to estimate a Labor-Greens finish based on 2022 first preference votes and preference flows.(Click on polling place for results) FUSION | Planet Rescue | Whistleblower Protection | Innovation parents and educators gathered last Friday as the Greek Community of Melbourne hosted acclaimed dance instructor Andreas Papadopoulos for a special traditional dance workshop a leading figure from Athens’ renowned Dora Stratou Theatre led a two-hour masterclass across the campuses of the Greek Community’s schools The first half of the workshop focused on students who embraced the opportunity to deepen their connection with their heritage through music and movement transforming it into a full-scale community celebration of Hellenic identity in Melbourne as a guest of the Kos Club of Melbourne and Victoria commended the high level of participation and energy “I was deeply moved by the students’ spirit and the commitment of their educators,” Papadopoulos said “This is how tradition stays alive—through the passion of those who teach and those willing to learn.” Special mention was made of the long-standing efforts of Greek Community educator Ms whose work in promoting traditional dance among third-generation Greek Australians continues to receive wide recognition MELBOURNE captain Max Gawn expects midfielder Clayton Oliver to return to the club imminently as he dismissed the latest trade speculation around the onballer Oliver missed the Demons' win over West Coast last round due to personal reasons granted temporary leave after what the club described as "a difficult week personally" Gawn expects the 27-year-old to re-join his teammates when Melbourne resumes training on Tuesday in preparation for the clash with Hawthorn at the MCG in round nine "There is going to be stories about him until we're done," Gawn said on Triple M on Monday "He's an elite player who's on a good pay packet and those guys are always going to have stories written about them "He made a very mature decision to spend the week off this week It's been a big first eight weeks (of the season) for him Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd with the latest news and opinions from Round 8 "He came to the club and they organised a good situation He felt like he was getting a bit overwhelmed and just wanted a week off from the club "He'll be in tomorrow and I actually really applaud the mature decision from both the club and Clayton." Oliver had a desire to be traded to Geelong at the end of last year but Melbourne held firm on its contracted four-time best-and-fairest winner A Channel Nine report on Sunday night claimed Oliver will again seek an early release from the multi-million dollar deal Sarah Olle and Kane Cornes unpack the big issues from the round of footy "I am literally week to week with both the footy club and with Clayton so all I care about is him getting up for Hawthorn and him doing it with a smile on his face Gawn said the latest Oliver trade speculation won't be an issue for Melbourne this week as it seeks to extend a three-match winning streak "I've lived with so many of these stories .. "It's all a beat up in May because anything can happen in May "Let's say I have made a decision that I want to go next year and to somewhere else I'm going to pretend it hasn't even been written – nothing to see here – and continue my relationship with Clayton." After last Saturday night's win over West Coast Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said he hopes Oliver will be in the mix to play against Hawthorn But Goodwin stressed Oliver's wellbeing is "the biggest thing for us" and said the club won't put any pressure on him to play Gold Coast Academy’s Usher on her ACL injury rehab battles and best friend Havana Harris incredible misses and more in our look back on the April action of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season Three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse gives host Bharat Sundaresan the rundown on how Australian football began and how it became such a significant part of Australian culture Check out all the action from the state leagues around the country The Match Review findings for Sunday's round eight games are in The AFL and Port Adelaide will take no further action after Willie Rioli contacted a Western Bulldogs player following the Power's loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday Tasmania CEO Brendon Gale has made two key appointments to his football department Footy Feed: Sarah Olle and Riley Beveridge with the latest news Check out the Rising Star for AFL’s Round 8 Will a hard tag from Jack Viney be the reason Harley Reid leaves the Eagles Vote now on your favourite marks from Round 8 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season Port Adelaide is desperate to respond to its mauling from the Western Bulldogs with a win over fierce rivals Adelaide in Showdown 57 In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today QSR Media Australia website works best with Javascript enabled Please enable your javascript and reload the page The chain has also rolled out its new Japanese soft serve station Sushi Jiro has opened its 30th and largest Melbourne restaurant at The Glen Shopping Centre in Melbourne featuring the longest sushi train in the city the chain has added a Japanese soft serve station diners can get unlimited servings of flavours like vanilla and matcha plus a topping bar with 30 different add-ons Popular menu dishes include Soft Shell Crab Noritaco Sushi Jiro The Glen is located on the ground floor dining precinct and is open daily from 11 a.m Police say three passengers have been taken to hospital with serious injuries after crash near Point Lonsdale A helicopter has crashed off the coast of the Bellarine Peninsula Incident advice from Emergency Victoria showed 12 emergency services vehicles in attendance near the town of Ocean Grove Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Ambulance Victoria responded to reports of an aircraft incident in Point Lonsdale about 10.10am “Paramedics are on scene working alongside our emergency services colleagues.” A spokesperson for Victoria Police said the helicopter was reportedly seen crashing into water off Fellows Road just after 10am Footage provided to news channels appears to show the aircraft in water just off the coast “All three people managed to make it to shore and were located by passersby who contacted emergency services,” police said in a statement “A yet to be formally identified male and female have been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries A yet to be formally identified male has been taken by road to hospital with serious injuries.” Emergency services personnel attend to people on the beach after the crash Photograph: NineThe exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined and they would assist the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to investigate By joining, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Cartier invited guests to celebrate the unveiling of its Melbourne boutique Tucked at the Paris-end district at 90 Collins Street the re-opened boutique is 11 months in the making designed to honour the Maison’s heritage while paying homage to the locale “This boutique is a celebration of Cartier’s bond with Melbourne — a city of creativity and dynamic energy,” said Thomas Crye “We are proud to offer an immersive experience that honours both our Maison’s heritage and the beauty of the Australian landscape.” guests were immediately swept up in the warmth of the elegant space most aptly captured through earthy tones of green the boutique is as much a love letter to its most iconic collections as it is a dedication to art A bespoke glass marquetry panel by Myriam Hubert takes pride of place in the first room of the Collins Street store appropriately featuring a panther nestled amongst native flora As guests entered the second room through the marble-lined archways the vast open space of the boutique contracts into a warmer space the second room is dedicated to watchmaking the eye is drawn to the quartz chandelier crafted by Melbourne designer Christopher Boots presides over the room Undoubtedly, the most awe-inspiring change to the boutique is its size, now sprawling across two floors. Ascending the staircase to the first floor delivers you into the heart of the Maison’s high jewellery, fine jewellery and invites you to take the time to immerse yourself in the opulent world of Cartier Champagne and bespoke cocktails will be served in the private hospitality area daily so we suspect you won’t mind settling in The private salon has another obvious nod to the Victorian Botanical Gardens with hand-painted silk and beaded de Gournay wallpaper Following the opening celebration at the boutique guests were ushered to an intimate after party in the dimly lit bar hidden underneath nearby restaurant Maison Bâtard Angus Stone’s Dope Lemon was the perfect primer for a DJ set that had guest dancing long into the night As everyone settled in to the red velvet-lined booths dotted around the underground bar circulating fries and cheeseburgers came as a welcomed treat — as did the flowing Cartier champagne Ange is a journalist and editor with over nine years of digital media experience in both Sydney and London She has written for publications like Refinery29 and has spent most of her career reporting on the latest beauty and lifestyle trends and diving deep into the sweet spot where pop culture meets social commentary Ange is a firm believer in the transformative power of a strong-hold brow gel and she’ll never stop defending the cultural relevance of contemporary romance novels An affordable housing register is being touted as a way to offload thousands of unsold, empty apartments in Melbourne providing homes for key workers and tracking tax incentives for developers is in talks with the federal government to launch a platform designed to attract private investment in affordable housing on a larger scale It says the initiative has been well-received by key Labor ministers from Housing All Australians.Credit: Alex Coppel The register would allow property owners to list available apartments at below-market rates for key workers while also allowing governments to track developers’ commitments made in exchange for incentives It could also help address the surplus of unsold apartments in Melbourne – which experts say is leading to a slowdown in future housing supply – by offering people tax breaks to buy them and ensuring they then comply with obligations to rent them out affordably This masthead revealed that there are 8000 completed apartments in metropolitan Melbourne – or 17 per cent of units completed between 2020 and 2024 – that developers have been unable to sell These unsold apartments include those in suburbs earmarked for greater housing density under the state government’s activity centre proposal raising concerns that the surplus could hinder developers from meeting ambitious housing targets has remained coy about whether it supports the initiative as it continues to face pressure to provide targeted tax relief said anyone who owned housing could be on the register as long as there was a commitment to lease it at below-market rents for a period of time He said it could allow the Victorian government to provide and easily track concessions to developers to move the glut of unsold apartments across Melbourne “It’s about unlocking new forms of investment to allow affordable housing to be driven by the private sector but providing full transparency to all levels of government in terms of the obligations that’s agreed to when the original affordable housing commitment is made by the original developer and government,” he said “If we collaborate with federal and state governments we could use those concessions to unlock private sector investment.” Pradolin said he wanted people to be able to search for properties on the register via real estate listing websites as well He wants the register – which is backed by Property Exchange Australia – to be up and running by next year He said his organisation was in talks with the federal government to roll out the register nationally and that it had been well received by the housing and treasury ministers’ offices “We expect those talks to continue,” Pradolin said Independent property advisory firm Charter Keck Cramer has backed the register which has support from across the property and community housing industry and agreed it could be used in Victoria to help offload a glut of unsold apartments “It will be a central register that will streamline and help this process and [the] government would be silly not to seriously consider it,” executive director Richard Temlett said “It’s a very pragmatic way of actually giving transparency and governance to the mechanism that the government needs to implement.” He said the government could offer stamp duty or other tax exemptions on the condition that the properties were placed on the register and used as affordable housing Economist Saul Eslake said the register would not be a silver bullet to fix the housing crisis He thinks the register could be used effectively to track the commitments developers make to local governments in exchange for the rezoning of land and a subsequent increase in value “If it provides some incentive to invest A) in new housing and B) housing that is more affordable than might otherwise be built Eslake said the idea of offering tax exemptions for people who buy unsold stock and lease it at below-market rates was worth considering he emphasised the need to carefully evaluate the overall cost of such incentives He believes some of the failure to sell thousands of apartments could be due to the commercial difficulty of building apartments suitable for families with young children The Victorian government did not answer questions about its positions on the affordable housing register nor the impact of the glut of unsold apartments on its housing targets It also did not comment on whether it was considering extending tax breaks Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter. An affordable housing register is being touted as a way to offload thousands of unsold, , providing homes for key workers and tracking tax incentives for developers. A Melbourne-based not-for-profit, Housing All Australians, is in talks with the federal government to launch a platform designed to attract private investment in affordable housing on a larger scale. It says the initiative has been well-received by key Labor ministers. The register would allow property owners to list available apartments at below-market rates for key workers, while also allowing governments to track developers\\u2019 commitments made in exchange for incentives. It could also help address \\u2013 which experts say is leading to a slowdown in future housing supply \\u2013 by offering people tax breaks to buy them and ensuring they then comply with obligations to rent them out affordably. This masthead revealed that there are \\u2013 or 17 per cent of units completed between 2020 and 2024 \\u2013 that developers have been unable to sell. These unsold apartments include those in suburbs earmarked for greater housing density under the state government\\u2019s activity centre proposal, raising concerns that the surplus could hinder developers from meeting ambitious housing targets. The Allan government, however, has remained coy about whether it supports the initiative, as it continues to face pressure to provide targeted tax relief. The organisation\\u2019s co-founder, Robert Pradolin, a former property developer, said anyone who owned housing could be on the register as long as there was a commitment to lease it at below-market rents for a period of time. He said it could allow the Victorian government to provide and easily track concessions to developers to move the glut of unsold apartments across Melbourne. \\u201CIt\\u2019s about unlocking new forms of investment to allow affordable housing to be driven by the private sector, but providing full transparency to all levels of government in terms of the obligations that\\u2019s agreed to when the original affordable housing commitment is made by the original developer and government,\\u201D he said. \\u201CIf we collaborate with federal and state governments, we could use those concessions to unlock private sector investment.\\u201D Pradolin said he wanted people to be able to search for properties on the register via real estate listing websites as well. He wants the register \\u2013 which is backed by Property Exchange Australia \\u2013 to be up and running by next year. He said his organisation was in talks with the federal government to roll out the register nationally and that it had been well received by the housing and treasury ministers\\u2019 offices. \\u201CWe expect those talks to continue,\\u201D Pradolin said. Independent property advisory firm Charter Keck Cramer has backed the register, which has support from across the property and community housing industry, and agreed it could be used in Victoria to help offload a glut of unsold apartments. \\u201CIt will be a central register that will streamline and help this process and [the] government would be silly not to seriously consider it,\\u201D executive director Richard Temlett said. \\u201CIt\\u2019s a very pragmatic way of actually giving transparency and governance to the mechanism that the government needs to implement.\\u201D He said the government could offer stamp duty or other tax exemptions on the condition that the properties were placed on the register and used as affordable housing. Economist Saul Eslake said the register would not be a silver bullet to fix the housing crisis, but would be helpful. He thinks the register could be used effectively to track the commitments developers make to local governments in exchange for the rezoning of land and a subsequent increase in value. \\u201CIf it provides some incentive to invest A) in new housing and B) housing that is more affordable than might otherwise be built, then that\\u2019s a good thing,\\u201D he said. Eslake said the idea of offering tax exemptions for people who buy unsold stock and lease it at below-market rates was worth considering. However, he emphasised the need to carefully evaluate the overall cost of such incentives. He believes some of the failure to sell thousands of apartments could be due to the commercial difficulty of building apartments suitable for families with young children, at prices they can afford. The Victorian government did not answer questions about its positions on the affordable housing register nor the impact of the glut of unsold apartments on its housing targets. It also did not comment on whether it was considering extending tax breaks. Get the day\\u2019s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. What’s On | Round 8West Coast Eagles v MelbourneSaturday May 3 | 5.35pm (AWST) | Optus Stadium / WhadjukGates open 4.00pm Join us at Optus Stadium this Saturday night when we take on Melbourne in prime time Be in your seats from 5.15pm to celebrate the milestone of our real-life mascot as she takes her 200th flight at a West Coast Eagles home match This match day, the West Coast Eagles are proudly partnering with Foodbank WA to support families affected by food stress. With your help, we can provide food to West Aussies in need. Donate online, or visit the Fan Zone inside Gate D, and other locations around the stadium to see our Foodbank Volunteers to purchase your Foodbank Hunger Ghrelin and make your donation The McCusker Charitable Foundation is very generously matching donations – for every $1 you donate they will donate $2 to help put food on the tables for those who need it most Don’t miss the new activations coming to the Fan Zone this Saturday Head to the western concourse on Level 1 (inside Gate D) from 4.00pm: 5.15pm | Auzzie’s 200th flight around the stadium Quarter-time | Turn your eyes to the field as we cheer on Super Fruity as he looks to complete Foodbank’s race to a million meals Three-quarter time | Crown 50m Kick to Win competition – be in your seat at half-time for your chance to be selected Post-match | Player giveaways to lucky fans around the boundary Enjoy a huge discount on a classic hot dog for round 8 – only available until bouncedown Gate C will open from 3.30pm for the Town of Victoria Park Walking Footy match Early arrivals for curtain raiser matches will be restricted to a small viewing area until general seating opens at 4.00pm Remember to plan your journey ahead of Saturday with Transperth’s Journey Planner Public Transport is included in the cost of your match day ticket with free travel on Perth’s buses and trains three hours either side of the match please show your ticket to the driver or inspector direct trains from Fremantle to Perth Stadium Station will not be operating before AFL matches Bus route 652 (Mirrabooka Bus Station) and route 653 (Galleria Bus Station) will now arrive and depart from Bus Hub Patrons will no longer need to walk across Matagarup Bridge The Armadale/Thornlie train line is closed until mid-2025. Suburban Event Buses will run to and from Optus Stadium, and trains will continue to operate between Victoria Park and Perth Stations, including Stadium Station. Information on changes to Optus Stadium special event services can be found here Can’t make it to the match? Our Seat Return Program is available now for rounds 8 you’ll receive a credit towards your 2026 membership renewal Credits will not apply if your seat does not sell or if you do not attend and do not return your seat The club’s 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey has been revealed Bo Allan will miss the Eagles’ round nine clash with Richmond West Coast pulled levers to combat Melbourne's star Max Gawn WAFL Eagles coach Kyal Horsley recaps Friday’s round four loss to the Tigers Steve Bandy is joined by AFL.com.au reporter Nathan Schmook to run through our round 8 clash against the Demons here are the Round 8 nominations for goal of the year Head to our Facebook page to vote for the winner Jack Graham joined us after the game tonight after losing to the Demons Melbourne's midfield dominance was too much for West Coast on Saturday night The West Coast Eagles Football Club acknowledges and pays respect to the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation the traditional custodians of land on the swan coastal plain and east beyond the hills We pay respect to Elders both past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations Peoples The West Coast Eagles is committed to reconciliation and empowering First Nations Peoples through the establishment of the Waalitj Foundation in 2005 Multiple months of rising home values are pushing Melbourne’s property market out of the doldrums Melbourne is just behind Adelaide as the nation’s best capital for home price growth as a fourth straight month of rising values pushes its ailing property market into recovery mode PropTrack’s latest Home Price Index shows the city’s $900,000 typical house has risen almost $9000 (1 per cent) so far this year while the $588,000 median priced unit gained almost $12,000 (2.1 per cent) RELATED: Melbourne house values notch biggest growth in Australia Tweak that could unlock homes for 400,000 Aussies ‘Just three properties’: Aus rental crisis hits new breaking point While it is not enough to outweigh losses in the Victorian capital across last year with house values down from $917,000 a year ago and units behind from $594,000 senior economist Anne Flaherty said it was “an extremely strong result for Melbourne” “For a long time we have been trying to figure out when Melbourne will start its comeback and the fact that we have seen home values increase every month this year that’s a really good sign that we are starting to see that recovery,” Mr Flaherty said The growth might also have staved off Perth overtaking the Victorian capital’s median dwelling price with the real estate research group’s data showing the Western Australian city is just $2000 short — but now recording slower growth Canberra and Adelaide are all currently ahead of Melbourne based on median dwelling values making the Victorian capital one of the most affordable cities nationwide though a higher proportion of units than other major cities does skew the figures down Flemington has just hit the market with a $900,000-$990,000 price guide Melbourne's typical house price is now $900k according to the latest PropTrack Home Price Index While the economist said the city should be recording annual growth before the end of the year on current trends a full recovery to when the market last peaked in 2022 is not expected to occur until next year Houses are currently 4.2 per cent short of their peak in Melbourne an improvement from December when they were 5.1 per cent off the pace while units are just 3.6 per cent away from reaching record levels a significant improvement from the 5.6 per cent deficit they recorded at the end of 2024 “Units are definitely seeing the best recovery,” Ms Flaherty said The economist said this was likely due to their relative affordability and with many of those being sold today attracting prices lower than what would be possible with contemporary construction costs it was likely they would continue to gain value Barry Plant head of growth Mark Lynch said his firm — one of the largest real estate agency groups in Victoria — was “certainly seeing signs of a recovery in the market” Mr Lynch said there was particularly high demand for homes under $1m with areas around Noble Park and Keysborough among the most heated in that bracket While there had been a rise in demand from buyer’s advocates purchasing on behalf of Sydney-based investors the agent said the one of the biggest groups driving home sales was first-home buyers Frankston just went under offer for $900,000 — the typical price for a Melbourne house right now “That first-home buyer market is looking very strong at the moment,” Mr Lynch said “They are at the point where they are saying it’s not going down and that now is the time to dig in and have a really good look.” he added that units appeared to be particularly popular as those who have been saving up commit to what they can afford MORE: Surprise number of Aussie families locked out of their own suburb Mortgage over marriage: couples ditching the altar for bricks and mortar Young family’s reno pays off with $1m+ result in Seaford Credit: AAPA man who sexually assaulted more than a dozen women at a Melbourne nightclub has been spared jail time looked forward and nodded as he was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order on Monday Rayan had pleaded guilty to 17 charges of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault over attacks on 18 women at Revolver Upstairs in Prahran in 2023 Get the first look at the digital newspaper curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox Get the NewsletterBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.CCTV footage from the nightclub showed Rayan groping his victims on the buttocks stroking their backs and kissing them on the arms and shoulders “Your offending was deliberate and you knew what you were doing,” he said Judge Rozen found Rayan’s moral culpability was considerable and that he still lacked insight into his offending But the judge accepted that his risk of reoffending was low Rayan must complete 180 hours of unpaid community work as part of his two-year community corrections order National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Latest EditionEdition Edition 5 May 20255 May 2025All-powerful Anthony Albanese says give me some R.E.S.P.E.C.T A tribute to over 100 women lost to violence has been vandalized with “war on men” graffiti prompting emotional responses from victims’ families and a community-led restoration effort A mural dedicated to women who have allegedly died as a result of violence has been defaced in Melbourne’s iconic Hosier Lane which honours over 100 Australian women who are believed to have been murdered or died due to violence was vandalised with the phrase “war on men” spray-painted across it “volunteers are gathering in Hosier Lane to replace the damaged images and apply graffiti protection paint in an attempt to prevent further harm.” Erected on International Women’s Day in 2024 the memorial has been maintained by The Red Hearts Campaign and Australian Femicide Watch founder Sherele Moody who has been regularly repairing and adding new images to the mural shared that she had been working on it “pretty much weekly.” “I know most of the families of the victims featured on that wall and it’s heartbreaking to think someone would consider these women so insignificant that they could deface this tribute,” Moody told the ABC She noted that the mural has suffered frequent defacement with individual images previously needing replacement this recent act of vandalism was the most severe damage the mural has experienced with nearly the entire display needing restoration “The worst part was receiving messages from the families of the women featured devastated that their loved ones were erased once again,” Moody explained “These women have already been forgotten and now someone has gone and erased them again.” a group of volunteers gathered in Hosier Lane to assist Moody with the repairs and Moody is considering hiring a security guard to monitor the mural while the protective layer sets A vigil for the women memorialised in the mural was planned for Mother’s Day the following weekend “This mural has sparked global conversations Footage of it has been seen around the world,” Moody said “I’ve sat there and listened to women share their stories of violence and share the things that helped them escape I want to help fix this.’ It’s so important.” Moody has called on anyone with footage of the perpetrators to come forward While she is uncertain if police can take action she has appealed to the Melbourne City Council to either help protect the mural or assist in relocating it to a safer location where it can be preserved Victoria Police has stated that they are unaware of whether a complaint has been filed regarding the incident A Singapore-based group is again shopping a CBD asset Green Street’s global news publications are not provided as an investment advisor nor in the capacity of a fiduciary  Our global organization maintains information barriers to ensure the independence of and distinction between our non-regulated and regulated businesses is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 482269) and a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales with company number 06471304 The Melbourne Football Club congratulates Todd Patterson on his appointment as the inaugural Head of List Management and Strategy AFL & AFLW of the Tasmania Football Club who has spent over eight years at the Demons has been a key member of the club’s recruitment and list management team working across both its mens and women’s programs.Patterson was a driving force behind the club’s AFLW list build serving as the program’s List Manager since the inception of the AFLW competition He also served as the club’s National Recruiting Officer and Pro Scout his wife Brooke and daughter Harper all the best for this exciting next chapter.”In departing Patterson said he was incredibly grateful for his time in the red and blue “Whilst excited for this opportunity it’s with a heavy heart I depart Melbourne This club has become my home away from home and I’ll always consider myself a Melbourne person,” said Patterson “The opportunities and mentorship I’ve been provided by people like Jason Taylor has led me to this opportunity and I’ll miss this special club and the people within it.” Max Gawn is sitting equal fourth in the race for the AFLCA Award Demons Pro Scout and AFLW List Manager Todd Patterson will join the Tasmania Football Club A Max Gawn masterclass has powered the Demons home in the West Max Gawn produces a colossal performance against the hapless Eagles to collect a career-best 35 disposals Ally Kirkwood spoke to Melbourne Media following Round 3 Check out All the Goals from our clash against the West Coast Eagles thanks to Haymes Paint Watch Melbourne’s press conference after round eight’s match against West Coast Jake Melksham and Daniel Turner will take on the Eagles The Melbourne Football Club acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners of the land in which we are privileged to play our great game of AFL on throughout Australia We recognise the continued connection our custodians have to the land and its waters present and emerging and their contribution to the broader community as we work towards an equitable and reconciled Australia Iconic Star Wars characters are coming to life at Melbourne Museum – in LEGO form Ryan “The Brickman” McNaught has a fantasy career that’s hard to top: judge of TV show LEGO Masters and certified LEGO professional McNaught has channelled all his skill and passion into creating a “galaxy first” LEGO Star Wars exhibition at Melbourne Museum This cinematic-scale exhibition – which took more than 25,000 hours to complete using more than 8 million LEGO bricks – offers visitors the chance to see some iconic Star Wars characters spaceships and landscapes re-created in LEGO as well take part in hands-on LEGO activities such as building LEGO starfighters and custom lightsabers it’s a rare chance to get up close with the galaxy far Visitors will find classic characters created by the LEGO master Anyone who’s ever tried to construct a small-scale LEGO Star Wars set will know what a challenge it can be so it’s easy to imagine the skill needed to build detailed versions of full-sized characters and spacecraft – some of which are as big as four metres high and has plenty of favourites pieces he’s excited to show off “Over the years I’ve always loved a ‘cutaway’ model where you can see the inside of something awesome my favourite [pieces] are the characters,” he says but making a face that looks like someone is hard – so hard that there aren’t many people that can do it at all As well as Star Wars characters in LEGO form with visitors getting the chance to build some LEGO sculptures of their own There will be interactive elements and engaging experiences for fans of all ages “I think [I’m most excited by] the interactive components of the exhibition where our models hopefully inspire people to make their own stuff,” McNaught says then having it scanned and watching it fly around in combat out the window of a Star Destroyer.” The scene inside LEGO Star Wars: The Exhibition resembles a Star Wars film set full-scale lightsabers and realistic starships building the LEGO Star Wars exhibition was a painstaking labour of love collaborative effort to get the exhibition off the ground “It’s far from only me; we have a dedicated team of 38 people who make it happen,” McNaught says engineering and building – there’s so much work that’s gone into it I’ve personally been working on this project pretty much nonstop – apart from filming LEGO Masters – for three years.” Getting this project off the ground was no easy task McNaught and the team needed a lead time of six months just to source the rare and unusual LEGO bricks required for these one-off builds the skill needed was “way over the next level” Ryan McNaught in the Millennium Falcon cockpit “The thing with this exhibition is it is about firsts,” he says “There’s a reason the majority of the models we have made have never been done before and these models are pushing the limits of what LEGO can do imagine making the first ever life-sized Princess Leia and not doing it justice?” Despite the thousands of hours and millions of bricks taken to bring the exhibition to life McNaught feels as if he hasn’t even scratched the surface of the Star Wars universe “The Star Wars galaxy is so content-filled I could make another two of this exhibition with all new things It’s fair to say that “The Brickman” loves his job He get a lot of joy out of all that planning and building with LEGO and is excited by the impact that exhibitions such as this can have on visitors “Hopefully I’m inspiring a Sally or Johnny to take over from me one day.” visitors can continue their adventure by exploring the main Melbourne Museum galleries with general admission included in all tickets Embark on a journey through the galaxy’s first LEGO Star Wars exhibition. THE LEADING SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THE LEISURE INDUSTRY Back to Latest News back Luna Park Melbourne’s 1913 Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel (PTC#30) has secured the esteemed Historical Carousel Award by the National Carousel Association (NCA) of the USA This prestigious recognition celebrates Luna Park Melbourne’s commitment to preserving and ensuring the future of one of the world’s most treasured carousels Luna Park Melbourne Chief Executive Nathan Klassen noted “this award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all those who have contributed to the preservation of our iconic carousel We are honoured to receive this recognition from the National Carousel Association and proud to share this piece of history with our visitors.” The PTC#30 Carousel is a true masterpiece of craftsmanship with a unique history originally commissioned for Sydney’s White City Amusement Park in 1913 before finding its permanent home at Luna Park Melbourne in 1923 it remains a remarkable example of early 20th-century amusement park artistry an artist renowned for her expertise in wooden horse restoration and knowledge of carousel history she oversaw the three-year restoration of the carousel from 1999-2021 researched its history and documented paint findings The heritage objective was to retain and protect the extensive original fabric of the historic carousel All aspects of the carousel were assessed for repair work and restoration – from mechanical problems and safety requirements to damage from pigeon infestation in the roof and sinking foundations The carousel was completely disassembled so that essential work could be carried out by a range of experts Conservators from Conservation Services NSW worked onsite for five months investigating and recording all parts of the large wooden carousel plus rounding boards with 36 plaster cherubs Then began the research and reconstruction of the carousel’s original PTC colour scheme on each of the 68 horses ceiling panels and decorative stencilled areas under guidance from top US carousel restorer Rosa Patton interpretive working coloured drawings for each horse the chariots and rounds boards ensuring all were historically correct The NCA provided PTC black and white studio photos showing 10 of the newly made PTC #30 horses before they left the US for Australia in 1913 The images were invaluable for showing the decorative detail that had largely been lost on those outside row horses with her team of four skilled artisans at Equus Art were responsible for returning the 68 horses to their incredibly elaborate 1913 decorative splendour…a real surprise after decades of all being painted white The limited palette of original colours found were matched while silver and gold leaf gilding were applied to the trappings as they had been originally and extensive lining and scrolling was replicated by expert Philip Berry Natural horse body colours were carefully blended and dappled by Mullins Mullins and Berry continue to maintain the horses today the façade of the Carousel’s rare Limonaire Frères organ was conserved with State Government funding and the original French Paintings were revealed The organ’s timber framework was restored and then the painted and gilded decoration reconstructed All work was carried out by Conservation Services and Equus Art Luna Park Melbourne invites all carousel lovers and history enthusiasts to come and celebrate this incredible achievement Step back in time and experience the charm For more information, visit www.lunapark.com.au and www.carousels.org/psp/Melbourne/  Images. Luna Park Melbourne Carousel. The NCA provided PTC black and white studio photos showing 10 of the newly made PTC #30 horses before they left the US for Australia in 1913. The images were invaluable for showing the decorative detail that had largely been lost on those outside row horses. “NCA photo show”  14th March 2025 - Luna Park Sydney opens restored wild mouse rollercoaster 27th February 2025 - Luna Park Sydney’s new owners raise funds for improvements 2nd December 2024 - Luna Park Sydney acquired by hospitality business Oscars Group 26th April 2024 - Towers at Luna Park Melbourne undergo restoration 23rd December 2023 - Luna Park Sydney launches new immersive experience 14th December 2022 - Luna Park Melbourne celebrates 110 years of history 12th November 2022 - Luna Park Melbourne’s ‘Mr Moon’ entrance gets a facelift 24th November 2020 - Sydney’s Luna Park to undergo $30 million facelift 29th November 2019 - Luna Park Melbourne introduces new rides for summer 10th June 2016 - Restored Big Dipper Tower lights up Luna Park Sydney 19th August 2024 - Historic carousel reopens at Sydney’s Darling Harbour 13th December 2013 - Luna Park Melbourne celebrates 101st birthday and 100th anniversary of its magical carousel we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news Click here to view our subscription options Click here to view our subscription options product and event updates delivered right to your inbox The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services See more see more See the directory see all Get your business noticed in our targeted directory Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week Website by IT SEEMS THE PAGE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HAS GONE ASTRAY GO BACK TO THE HOME PAGE In a city once proud of its Liberal lineage leaving the party without a single metropolitan stronghold — and facing a reckoning deeper than any poll predicted By Chip Le Grand and Stephen Brook Liberal candidate for Macnamara Benson Saulo and Opposition Leader Petter Dutton meet a young boy in a cafe in Elsternwick Labor entered this federal campaign confronting an electoral reckoning in Melbourne it is the Liberal Party facing a historic wipeout in Australia’s second-largest city with no seats gained and its two surviving metropolitan MPs on the brink of losing theirs While Keith Wolahan in Menzies and Michael Sukkar in Deakin have yet to concede their seats they were both called for Labor on Saturday night These likely losses underscore a disastrous campaign for the Liberal Party the once-safe Liberal seat of Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula and the growth-suburb electorate of Casey were also wobbly at the time of writing at the time of Peter Dutton’s concession speech had no chance of wresting any Victorian seats back from Labor a seat listed as nominally Liberal after a redrawing of its boundaries by the Australian Electoral Commission Labor MP Mary Doyle appears to have picked up a sizeable additional chunk of the primary vote Liberal-targeted seats such as Chisholm and Dunkley barely got a mention on election night Michael Sukkar and Peter Dutton during the campaign.Credit: James Brickwood they will leave the entire area within Melbourne’s metropolitan boundaries devoid of any federal Liberal MPs It is a cataclysmic result for a party that at the start of the campaign saw Victoria as its path back to power a state Labor leader whose face was plastered next to Anthony Albanese’s in Liberal campaign ads climbed a makeshift stage outside the Victorian Trades Hall building to acclaim a stunning result “We saw that Australians and Victorians had a choice,” she told a crowd of red T-shirted ALP supporters and union members “These results are not despite what we’ve done here in Victoria they are because we have done all we have.” it is a result beyond imagining five weeks ago when internal party polling conducted in the final days of the campaign predicted a statewide two-party-preferred swing of between 2 and 3 per cent against Labor This had left party hardheads resigned to the loss of some seats but no longer holding fears for an electoral bloodbath Liberal MP Keith Wolahan is in danger of losing Menzies.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Labor figures were astounded at the numbers coming in when ABC analyst Antony Green called the election for Labor the only ALP seat at risk of being lost was Wills where MP Peter Khalil was locked in a close battle against the Greens Labor MP Sam Rae turned the seat of Hawke from marginal back to dead red after rebuilding his primary vote back to 40 per cent an electorate Dutton had driven through on Saturday for his final Labor candidate Alice Jordan-Baird also increased her already safe margin the electorate of McEwen again confounded Liberal strategists Labor MP Rob Mitchell first won the uber-marginal seat in 2010 and on Saturday night appeared to have extended his margin with a 3 per cent swing in his favour after preferences voters made a mockery of Liberal designs on the seat of Bruce and the Liberal Party’s choice of candidate against Labor MP Julian Hill Hill had recorded a 6.6 per cent swing to him on first preferences and a whopping 12.1 per cent swing to Labor on two-party preferred when the party recorded its low watermark primary vote of 32.6 per cent in Victoria The Liberal Party primary vote collapsed to a new low of 30.9 per cent independents and other candidates were taken into account Victorian Labor was the beneficiary of a healthy 3 per cent swing in its favour Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.Credit: Justin McManus This result is a triumph for the formidable Labor campaign machine and lays bare the ineptitude of the Victorian Liberal Party What it means for the beleaguered leadership of Allan is not immediately clear Labor’s most senior Victorian federal parliamentarian noted during the ABC’s election night coverage that voters tended to distinguish between state and federal issues once they walk into a polling place to cast their ballots it is also beyond argument that dissatisfaction with an 11-year-old state Labor government and Allan’s personal unpopularity was a drag on the federal Labor campaign in Victoria This was made explicit in what voters told federal and state MPs campaign workers and Labor strategists throughout the campaign To help understand what this result means for state politics this masthead spoke to Labor powerbrokers across the right-left factional divide One senior ALP figure suggested the looming state budget would be of equal and perhaps greater importance to Allan’s future than this result Another urged against making snap judgments from the federal poll Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter it is the Liberal Party facing a historic wipeout in Australia\\u2019s second-largest city at the time of Peter Dutton\\u2019s concession speech they will leave the entire area within Melbourne\\u2019s metropolitan boundaries devoid of any federal Liberal MPs a state Labor leader whose face was plastered next to Anthony Albanese\\u2019s in Liberal campaign ads \\u201CWe saw that Australians and Victorians had a choice,\\u201D she told a crowd of red T-shirted ALP supporters and union members \\u201CThese results are not despite what we\\u2019ve done here in Victoria they are because we have done all we have.\\u201D voters made a mockery of Liberal designs on the seat of Bruce and the Liberal Party\\u2019s choice of candidate against Labor MP Julian Hill Labor\\u2019s most senior Victorian federal parliamentarian noted during the ABC\\u2019s election night coverage that voters tended to distinguish between state and federal issues once they walk into a polling place to cast their ballots it is also beyond argument that dissatisfaction with an 11-year-old state Labor government and Allan\\u2019s personal unpopularity was a drag on the federal Labor campaign in Victoria would be of equal and perhaps greater importance to Allan\\u2019s future than this result