Mikaela Ortolan

The final votes will be cast in the Melbourne seat of Dunkley today in a by-election set to be a test for both the Albanese government and the opposition.

Polling booths have officially closed for the Dunkley by-election and the count has begun.

Labor's Jodie Belyea wins by-election in the federal seat of Dunkley

The Ballarat community has gathered for a vigil to honour Samantha Murphy after a 22-year-old man was charged with her alleged murder.

A wall of waves crashed into Paul Atherley at an unpatrolled beach before he found himself getting sucked out to sea. "It happened so quickly," he says.

According to data, Melbourne is the only Australian capital city that has seen an improvement in affordability metrics over the past five years.

Karen Payne says she'll never forget the sight of her daughter Mackenzie lying unconscious on the netball court. "It was terrifying," she said.

Families with school-aged children are among the biggest winners in this year's budget. But as the government grapples with rising debt, there are some cuts and delays to major projects.

Victorian Liberal Party leader John Pesutto has vowed to introduce a bill to state parliament to reverse changes to the way payroll tax is collected from doctors.

According to some, Australia has some of the most expensive public transport fares in the world.