i am in a situation where i am witnessing someone neglect and abuse their cat and dog. it is not safe for me to directly intervene, i am vacating the premises and once i am safe i want to report the abuse. i am under the impression when reporting to the RSPCA they first send a letter to warn the perpetrator, which may give them the opportunity to cover up the abuse? please correct me if i'm wrong. these animals need to be seized from this individual. what organisation would be best to report to? the abuse may not be obvious/could be easily hidden.

Had the strangest encounter today. Can someone please tell me if this is normal?

Man knocks on my door wearing a lanyard, says hi but doesn’t really introduce himself or why he’s knocking. Just asks me if I am 25 or over. I say no and he asks if mum and dad are home and I say no and he leaves.

Then I notice in my Ring Doorbell camera later that he is wearing a PeterMac cancer research shirt.

Have no idea what this has to do with being 25 and encounter was really strange and now feeling a bit unsafe.

Has anyone encountered this recently?

Hii so this might be an odd question, but I live 45mjns from the city, meaning I only see white backed magpies. I’m thinking about planning a day trip to see some black backed magpies, issue is that I have to take public transport, meaning the furthest I can go (to stay for more than an hour and still get home same day) is Seymour.
I’ve read about it being a hybrid spot I’m just worried it won’t be worth the trip, can anyone from Seymour confirm that there are enough black backed magpies there for the trip to be worth it? It’s almost 4hrs on public transport 😅

Hey all,

My wife and I have our 10 year wedding anniversary coming up and I’m planning a weekend away, just the two of us.

We’re in Victoria but happy to travel for the right place.

Where would you recommend? Keen to hear about places, accommodation or experiences you’ve loved.

Cheers!

From VIC - I’m sick of seeing my local roads with median strip weeds taller than my car, patchy potholes on the state roads, rubbish imbedded along freeways. How can a council run at an apparent surplus yet some of the major roads within its boundaries look like this. Thoughts?

I signed up to work at the upcoming state election and have received two job offers. One is from hoban (recruitment company, my understanding is its going to be a labour hire type deal) for Data Entry Operator and the other is directly with the VEC as Quality Assurance Assistant.

I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with other and can give some insight into which role/company may be better?

The VEC has given me pretty good details regarding pay and hours and job responsibilities and Hoban has given me pretty much no information (i'm supposed to go to an in person info session but thats next week and will be after the deadline of accepting the VEC's role) so I'm leaning towards VEC but thought I'd do some research first and see if anyone else has had experiences they want to share or recommendations. I would say just based on role titles the hoban job might be better for getting data entry work in the future but I'm not sure.

Hi everyone. I’m planning a trip to Australia for next year, traveling the Melbourne–Sydney route. My plan was to see the koalas at Kennet River and the Twelve Apostles, and maybe visit the outback a bit further inland. I came across information about "V/Line" and how you pay very little for transport across the entire state. Is this true, and does it apply to tourists as well? How does it work? Can I reach these places that way, or do I need to rent a car? I’d never heard of this before and find it hard to believe, given how expensive Australia is. Please let me know! 😃

I need to sit the STAT test to get into the diploma I need. I only need to sit the multiple choice one but its $240!!!! I am on DSP and unable to work, I barely have enough to survive let alone throw away $240 to MAYBE get into a one year course. You don't get back the fee if you don't pass. There are no concessions

My (hopefully) future university has told me they can't guarantee they'll even reassess my application after I do the test. This feels like a fucking scam. I knew it would cost me but I thought it'd be around $100! it's insane that I need to do this to get into just a diploma of arts because I didn't excel in my last two years of schooling 6 whole years ago :|

I am so distraught and angry. I don't know where to go from here, I simply can't afford that. Just needed to whine about it haha

Hey all,

I've been doing some dark sky location scouting, and this location near Mt. Baw Baw seems to be the absolute ideal (elevation, low light pollution, open skies, near me), but I'm hesitant to make the drive out there a) in my 2WD SUV and b) in case there are weird local closures or rules, and c) late night people being drunk or antisocial... ya never know.

The location is the Thompson Dam itself, which has this roundabout looking thing. Obviously the parkland nearby is no public access, but it seems like there's a toilet and this nice flat area of land on the roundabout, which doesn't seem to be off limits?

If anyone knows if I can get there in a 2WD, and if it's safe to set up there for 2-3 hours with a telescope, please do let me know. Much appreciated! And if not, if anyone has any suggestions for similar spots in the snowy mountains area it'd be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Clock goes forward btw

Hi! A question I wanted to ask is, is there a cheaper option for doctors and therapy to be less expensive with only a Medicare card in VIC?

I talk to a doctor for ten minutes, ask for a referral and a mental healthcare plan. I was told I wasn't eligible to 10 free sessions, I was given a new medication, and I was charged 284 dollars. I could pay half, pay the rest 3 days later and got a rebate of 160 back (which wasn't too bad, but was still expensive for me.) I need to see the doctor every 2 months and I can't afford it so I dont go on and off. I need to speak to someone like a therapist but it costs over 200 dollars for an hour- maybe 45 minutes. I haven't gone.

Long story short, I don't know where I could go to make payments not be quarter of my fortnightly pay, or if its just like that for everyone in Victoria?

https://www.finder.com.au/news/victoria-3-hours-free-electricity-midday-power-saver

The Midday Power Saver program is live now, and I'm wondering how many people are going to take up the offer. The peak-hour electricity rates are wild, up to 49.82c/kWh. But I suppose if you shift the bulk of your use, charge your EV, etc., during the free window and keep peak-hour energy use to a minimum...

It'll be interesting to see how it works during peak summer and winter, when heating and air con are running during those times when everyone's home.

PSA for everyone who uses or may soon use the Western FWY to travel to/ past Ballarat.
The freeway both in and out bound is littered with potholes, many which are unavoidable unless swerved at the last second (which is not condoned, but is an instinct many people have).
Please do not overtake cars in this section- and slow down is someone is trying to overtake you. Both lanes are damaged.
A family member popped a tire on her way to Ballarat this week.The RACV worker told them that phone for damaged tires due to potholes along this region has skyrocketed recently.
I saw 4 cars pulled over along the freeway (3 towards CBD, 1 outbound) between the Miners Rest M8 entrance and Gordon exit this afternoon. I assume some, if not all, were due to the Potholes.

There is serious risk to anyone who is driving along this Freeway.

Contact the Department of Transport if it impacts or concerns you.

Things get done when people start making some noise.

I'm in the CBD area! Would love historical monuments/ruins or places with great nature, but I can also try out new things!

Thanks for your help!!

The lookout isn't that good to film IMO...

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a road trip from Melbourne inner north suburb to Horsham on a weekday morning. While I have my full license, I’ve actually never driven in regional areas before, so I want to make sure I’m well-prepared.

Here is my setup and plan:

• Vehicle: Mazda CX-5 (about 600km range on a full tank).
• Stop 1: Ballarat for breakfast.
• Stop 2: Ararat for a break and some sightseeing.
• Destination: Horsham (staying overnight).

I’ve read a lot of comments here about kangaroos being a major hazard at dawn and dusk. Given I don't have a bull bar and lack regional driving experience, I’m a bit anxious about this.

Aside from avoiding driving at dawn/dusk to miss the roos, is there anything else I should be aware of? Any tips for a regional first-timer would be hugely appreciated!

Also thanks Gemini help me edit this post :)

Update: Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your friendly advice and reassurance! I have read through every comment and taken plenty of notes for the trip. Thanks again for making a first-timer of roadtrip feel a lot more confident. I will get my podcasts and sonic animal repellers ready. Cheers!

I’m working on a dairy farm doing split shifts of like 3-4 hours, twice a day, getting paid the standard casual rate but I’m occasionally only accumulating 35-36 hours per week despite working 5-6 days per week. Considering my situation, would a 35 hour week of 5-6 days be counted as a full 7 days out of the 88 or because I’m sub-38 hours that week does that only count as 6 days for that week?

My partner and I (both early 20's) are considering moving from Tasmania to Wangaratta to do TAFE. What's it like living there? Upsides and downsides? Is there much crime? How progressive is the place?

Thanks in advance :)

Anywhere with a population larger than 15,000, but located outside of Greater Melbourne.

Edit: Victoria only, I should have specified that.

Good afternoon folks. Not sure if this is a god place to post this, but I thought I'd give it a try.

I understand there exists in Victoria a right of access to rivers and river banks, which allows anglers to fish in rivers that pass through private property. But I've also read somewhere that the right exists only for leasehold land and doesn't apply to freehold land.

Can anyone explain the law here - or at least point me in the direction of any resource I can access. Basically, m questions are - does this right of access exist? What legislation provides for it? Does the leasehold/freehold distinction exist?

If anyone can advise where the relevant law can be found I'd be grateful.

Hi, this is the second (and final) reminder I'll make for dual Australian-US citizens and other eligible US voters who want to participate in the 2026 American midterm elections, especially for those living in Victoria. Democrats Abroad is dedicated to mobilizing overseas US voters; if you're over 18 by November 3, here's how you can get involved:

Steps to Request Your Ballot

1. Register or update your registration through Votefromabroad.org. As an alternative, you can also use FVAP.gov.

2. If you're already registered, request a ballot! You need to request a ballot every calendar year that you want to vote.

3. Fill Out and Return Your Ballot: Once you receive your ballot, follow the instructions carefully to complete it and return it by the specified deadline.

Need Assistance?

We're here to help! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at GOTV @ votefromabroad .org (just remove the spaces). Additionally, our FAQ for voting can answer questions on how to make the process go smoothly.

Importantly: Spread the word!

Do you have any friends, contacts or family overseas that you could reach? All eligible US citizens can vote regardless of where they're living. Share the link https://voteabroad.org/RedditVote26: If you have any questions about voting, I'd be happy to answer them here on Reddit. You can also find out what we're doing near you at Democrats Abroad in Victoria. Thanks for reading!