An Australian fiddlemaker is helping to spice up the dying craft by creating Hardanger fiddles, a Norwegian instrument that gained international fame in The Lord of the Rings soundtracks.

Despite Labor's belief in a "mood for change" in Victoria, the only seats in the state likely to switch parties are those where boundaries had been redrawn since the last election.

The Central Victorian community of Baringhup finally sees the end to a seven-year battle to stop the development of major chicken farm.

This used to be the quiet time of year on Victoria's famous stretch of coastline, but locals say that's changing.

Prosecutors argue George Pell's victim was a "witness of truth" as they contend the disgraced Cardinal's child sex abuse convictions are "unimpeachable" and should be upheld.

A Ballarat magistrate dismisses an assault charge against a police sergeant, agreeing his use of force was "reasonable" during an altercation in which he punched his neighbour in the face.

Hundreds of abuse survivors could benefit from reforms that will allow them to sue their abusers, even if they signed "unfair" agreements not to take legal action.

A tight rental market and rising cost of living is stretching homelessness services beyond their budgeted capacity.

A tight rental market and rising cost of living is stretching homelessness services beyond their budgeted capacity.

A tight rental market and rising cost of living is stretching homelessness services beyond their budgeted capacity.

A rise in the number of assaults against local government employees prompts Victorian councils to call for a change in sentencing laws to better protect their staff.

This gaggle of geese is beloved by Instagrammers, but the local council says the abandoned birds are destroying the environment and must be rehomed.

Locals in the Victorian town of Daylesford say they are shocked and devastated by council's decision to remove an "aggressive" gaggle of geese from the area, describing them as "a bit of an icon" in the tourism hotspot.

A scoreline of 79.41 (515) to 1.0 (6) has reversed a country AFL team's own, regular weekly triple-figure defeats. But is this just another tally of country footy's troubles?

Every night Allanah Morel packs her daughter's school bag ahead of time because she knows that by the next morning she could be in too much pain to get out of bed.

Once the staple of regional travel, motels are facing an increasingly uncertain future as online alternatives bite away at revenue.

Australians' taste in beer is evolving and craft brands are on the rise, but that also means the nation's country pubs are changing.

Ararat parish priest Father Andrew Hayes says the church should accept a court's decision to dismiss George Pell's appeal against his convictions, but the Melbourne Bishop is standing by the disgraced Cardinal.

The Lions miss out on the AFL minor premiership to the Cats following their loss to the third-placed Tigers, the Bulldogs earn a return to finals action, while the Power defeat the Dockers to end their season on a winning note.

As urban sprawl puts pressure on the food bowl on Melbourne's fringes, and as water becomes increasingly scarce, one council has a bold idea that might just catch on.

WorkSafe and police investigate the death of a construction worker who was demolishing a Ballarat home when he was killed in a wall collapse this morning.

Ride Like a Girl's real strength is it never lets anything get in the way of telling the superb true story at its heart.

Councils across Victoria are left to fight the war on waste from the frontline while the State Government works towards a consistent recycling policy.

A ratepayers advocacy group says a damning report into the risk of corruption within local government in Victoria highlights the need for greater scrutiny of regional councils.

A former private investigator is using her skills to try to crack a cold case murder in her own family.

A group of wool makers launches a new trademark to recognise textile producers whose homegrown fibre is 100 per cent Australian from the farm right through to the finished product.

Backyard beekeeping is abuzz with popularity with long waitlists to own a hive in some parts of Victoria.

Imagine your town is suddenly enclosed in a gigantic snow globe (without the snow) - no warning, no explanation, and no escape.

774 Listener Reviewer Goran Stolevski looks at this year's Palme d'or winner

Ling Wang

Robert Rankin

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader

Running With Scissors is a humourous yet disturbing account of his observations of the unhinged world he now inhabits.

Ruby J Murray

G. Willow Wilson

COUNTRY GIRL A memoirby Edna O'Brien

Paralysed from the neck down after a football tackle 26 years ago, Brett Morris finishes the Gold Coast Marathon Fun Run in a wheelchair in under an hour, and he's "very happy it's done".

Tony Mulvihill has only one secret for training a good working dog, a lesson he learned 30 years ago from an Oregon buckaroo.

Disability advocates renew their push for local councils nationwide to ensure that new housing is universally accessible to address what they describe as a critical shortage of accommodation.

Volunteers for Meals on Wheels say the charity is under threat with branches surviving on bequests as Federal Government funding for the service plateaus.

A joint operation between the Australian Border Force, ACT and NSW police has discovered about 384kg of cocaine inside a second-hand excavator bound for a regional NSW business. (Supplied: Australian Border Force)

Police seize more than $140 million worth of cocaine stashed in the arm of an excavator that was destined for a business in a small NSW town.

MORNING BRIEFING: NSW police hunt for Sunjay Dayal, who escaped while undertaking maintenance work in Mount Kiera, while three cars set alight in a garage triggers the fire alarms inside a Liverpool unit block.

The Panthers thrash the Dragons 40-18 to stretch their winning streak to seven matches, while the Warriors enjoy a 19-18 victory over the Sharks in Wellington as the race for the NRL finals heats up.

The family of a grandmother killed when a minibus clipped a fuel tanker offers generous sympathy to the bus driver at his sentencing in Wollongong District Court today.

Jobs growth versus environmental concerns reignite with a coal company's proposed expansion under Sydney's water supply.