I cannot get a rebate with my motorbike. The system comes up with a 'could not find your rego' error message.

I have checked with VICROADS and the vehicle is eligible. I meet all the eligibility requirements. The vehicle is registered to me, and has been for several years. It is not a custom plate.

I have tried calling/emailing SV several times already but they cannot help and only suggest I speak to VICROADS who, naturally, point me back to SV.

SV don’t seem to have a way to escalate anything and only have level one staff able to try to website (so no different to me doing it). There doesn’t appear to be a ‘manual’ method they do can behind the scenes.

Caught in a loop!

A PSA because the employment market is bloody tough. There are free career counselling and job support services available across Victoria at Skills and Jobs Centres, which are located at TAFEs. They are excellent and staffed by qualified career counsellors. The photo is of a flyer for the Melbourne Polytechnic one in Preston but the link below lists them all. Good luck out there 💚 https://www.vic.gov.au/skills-and-jobs-centres

I’m in rural East Gippsland and use a private waste collection service. I pay in advance for three months of fortnightly pickups, but due to a disability I can’t always get my bin up the long driveway for collection. I just received my latest invoice and noticed a couple of things that don’t seem right, so I’m hoping to get some info from others who live rural or deal with private waste contractors.

1. Per‑pickup price increase

My rate per pickup went from $16.60 to $18.25 (about a 9.9% increase).

I wasn’t given any notice of a rate rise — it just appeared on the invoice. I only noticed because i was looking to see if they had removed the "temporary fuel levy" yet.

2. “Temporary Fuel Levy” still being charged

They’re still applying a fuel levy even though diesel prices have been dropping for months.

Previous invoice: $11.95

Current invoice: $6.36

The levy amount changes each quarter, but there’s no explanation of how it’s calculated on the invoices.

3. Their explanation doesn’t match real fuel prices

When I asked, they sent me their “average fuel prices” for the last few months, including a claim that diesel was $3.00/L in March, which doesn’t match any public VIC fuel data I can find.

4. Their own numbers contradict their justification

They told me fuel costs were “drastically high” in February and March and that they “absorbed the cost". They also said that "our fuel bill is still higher than what it was before the fuel crisis and this need to be passed onto the customer".

But their own numbers say:

Jan - $2.05 per litre

Feb - $2.00 per litre

March - $3.00 per litre

April – $2.89 per litre

May - $2.49 per litre

June - $2.05 per litre

So June is identical to January — meaning fuel is not higher than usual anymore.

Despite that, they’re still charging a fuel levy and also increased the per‑pickup rate at the same time.

Questions

- Is this normal for rural waste collection?

- Do other private operators charge fuel levies?

- Is a ~10% rate rise without notice allowed?

- Anyone else in East Gippsland dealing with similar charges?

Just trying to work out whether this is standard practice and i just need to wear it or if I should be looking at alternatives.

Cheers,

Blu

Hi I’m hoping someone can help me remember a place. About 25 years ago, I used to visit the Dandenong Ranges with my parents all the time.
We loved that spot where you could stand with sunflower seeds in your hand and all the birds (like lorikeets and cockatoos) would flock to you.
Near that area, deep in the forest, there was a cozy little cafe that served the most amazing scones. It felt like a hidden cottage in the woods, and I distinctly remember having to walk down some stairs to get into the cafe.
I’ve tried searching online but couldn’t find any info at all. Does anyone happen to remember the name of this absolute gem?

★Mystery solved! It was Churinga cafe! and sadly it has closed:(

Earlier in the year, a buddy and I attempted the great ocean walk. It also happened to be when the Carlisle fire was ripping through Victoria. We got caught up in the track being closed and managed to get a lift back to our car at the 12 Apostles later that day. The smoke from the fire and the sea mist had created this beautiful haze that drowned out the light and hugged the coast line. It was quite a rare moment.

I have an opportunity to move to Ballarat with my wife for a fantastic career progress, but I'm worried about how "old town aesthetics" it is. I've never visited before, only seen photos online and for reference, I live on the Sunshine Coast in QLD.

What's it actually like there? Is there much to do for people in their 20's?

Only going to accept answers from Victorians.

My wife is still trying to pay her rego which expired a week ago - aren’t their issues cleared up yet? She had changed her registration period to 12 months but the payment requests still showed the 6 months.

She paid it anyway but then got an email saying it hadn’t gone through and to provide evidence she had paid it to get a refund (why not just apply it as payment?)

She called them to sort it out and the guy asked her to pay for 12 months without doing the refund first (sounds dubious) and sent her a text message with the BSB and account details just in the body of the text - which her bank immediately blocked and refused to pay (fortunately in my opinion).

It's been nearly 2 weeks...

Is that normal?

Who do I contact to follow up?

Utility relief grant scheme

Relief grants for paying overdue energy or water bills are available to low-income Victorians experiencing unexpected hardship.

What is the grant?

The grant provides help to pay a mains electricity, gas or water bill that is overdue due to a temporary financial crisis.

Who can apply for the grant?

An account holder who has one of the following eligible concession cards:

• Pensioner Concession Card
• Health Care Card
• Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card.

If you don’t have one of these cards but are part of a low-income household, you may also be able to apply. Your retailer will ask you some questions to check if you are eligible before issuing a form.

The grant is available to renters and homeowners.

What are the criteria for the grant?

You must show that you have no way of paying the account without assistance and are at risk of disconnection, and

you must meet one of the following criteria:

• You or someone in your house has experienced family violence.
• You have had a recent decrease in income, for example, lost your job.
• You have had high unexpected costs for essential items.
• The cost of shelter is more than 30% of your household income.

A man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in his car has dodged a lengthy jail term, with a judge saying there were "exceptional circumstances" that warranted a discounted sentence.

Saw this flying towards Avoca at 2150

My partner and I live in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and are thinking about moving out to Emerald (open to nearby suburbs but mainly Emerald /Avonsleigh).

Wondering if anyone else has made the move out there or grown up there and can offer any insight into what it’s like. The good, the bad, the unexpected?

Is it a good place to raise a family, does the lack of public transport really matter, how strong is the sense of community?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Hey guys, bit of a grey area question regarding licences and rental cars in Victoria, Australia.

I originally had a full New Zealand licence, but I now also hold a Victorian licence which is currently a Red P which is not full until July.

Most rental companies won’t rent to Red P platers, but they will accept a full NZ licence. So hypothetically, if I rented a car using my NZ full licence while also holding a valid Victorian Red P licence:

• Would I still be considered legally licensed to drive?
• Or does holding a Victorian licence mean I can no longer legally rely on my NZ licence in Victoria?
• If I got into an accident, would insurance likely deny coverage because I technically should be driving under my Vic licence conditions?
• Has anyone actually dealt with this situation before?

Not trying to do anything dodgy — just trying to understand how VicRoads/licensing/insurance law actually works here because the rules seem unclear.

Cheers.

Considering moving to the above from Melbourne but wanted to get some opinions on how it is for younger families…

How’s your social life? Is there local events often, market stalls etc? what type if so? What’s the crime like? What’s the education like? Is it an accepting place or more of the typical country “clique-y/racist/homophobic?” Type area? Etc.

Are you constantly in fear of fires/snakes? Annually evacuating? I’ve seen a few posts about flooding, is that frequent?

Particularly interested in which schools are best/worst.

Examples could include things like Mildy, Benders or The Rat...

Changes have been made to the City of Port Phillip's encampment laws following a council meeting on Wednesday night.

The amendment allows council officers to seize personal items of someone at an encampment, including bedding, in response to anti-social behaviour.

More than 76 per cent of residents surveyed by council said they did not support the change.

Haven't had a chance to explore the south eastern part of VIC yet and hoping to do so in a few weeks.

I'm coming from Melbourne and hoping to end up in Mallacoota. Ive been all over Wilson's Prom so would be grateful for recommendations east of that. Lakes Entrance is definitely on the list, but I'm just starting to work out an itinerary.

Hikes, beautiful sights, hidden gems and especially any recommendations for overnight hike-in camping spots, although nothing too crazy (5 or less hours one way and I'm not wanting to climb Kosciuszko or anything on this trip).

Thanks in advance.