$36 BILLION tourist dollars were spent in Victoria this year, and Penshurst businessowners are hopeful to see their town capture the magic.

THE BIG4 Narrawong Island Holiday Park has been busy over the Christmas and New Year period, welcoming families from near and far.

POWERCOR crews were left working to restore power for 24,000 customers across central and western Victoria on Tuesday afternoon, with parts of Hamilton affected after storms swept across the state.

POLICE are appealing to road users to take extra care after a terrible 12 months on Victoria’s roads in 2023 with 297 lives lost, up from 240 in 2023, that’s an increase of 23.8 per cent, and almost 70 more than the five-year average.

THE Cox Street Redevelopment Project works will continue on January 8, requiring Cox Street to be closed from French Street to Gray Street for eight weeks.

SEVENTEEN-year-old Charley Thorp is just weeks away from leaving for France, her new home until January 2025.

TIMBER Towns Victoria (TTV) on Monday released a statement acknowledging “a deep sadness and regret for the native timber harvesting communities and their families for the loss of regenerative native mixed species forest harvesting from actively managed forests in Victoria”.

THE recent budget update gave Victorians a disturbing insight into how much our finances have deteriorated under Jacinta Allan and Labor.

A RAFT of new taxes, increased fees and charges have come into effect as of January 1, 2024, under the State Government.

WANNON MP and shadow minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Dan Tehan said the Australian Government was destabilising the importance of Australia Day by allowing more than 80 councils across Australia to refuse to conduct citizenship ceremonies on the national day.