Police have arrested two people following a series of aggravated burglaries that occurred in Viewbank over the festive season.

It’s alleged two offenders targeted numerous properties and cars in Viewbank, particularly Broadlea Crescent, Donn Close, Grace Court and Myddleton Drive between 3am-5am on Sunday, December 29.

It’s alleged car keys and cash were stolen during the incidents.

Police had so far identified one residence was broken into, five were attempted break ins and five vehicles were broken into or attempted to be broken into.

The two males were located by the Dog Squad, hiding in Broadlea Crescent at around 5am, and all stolen property was located on them.

A 16-year-old Viewbank male has been charged with numerous offences including aggravated burglary, attempted aggravated burglary theft and attempted theft from a motor vehicle.

He has been bailed to appear in a children’s court at a later date.

A 16-year-old Bundoora male has been charged with numerous offences including aggravated burglary, attempted aggravated burglary, theft, attempted theft from a motor vehicle.

He has been bailed to appear in a children’s court at a later date.

Anyone with information was urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or anonymously at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Looking back on 2024, the year that was, The Local had a ball catching up with people doing amazing things, from bold thrill seekers to generous benefactors. Here are a few of them…

Melton Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a suspicious grass fire that broke out in Strathtulloh last week.

Emergency services had responded to the blaze at a nature reserve on Basildon Crescent about 7.30pm on Saturday December 28.

Upon arrival, officers spotted a man on a green bike watching the fire but when they asked for his details, he fled the scene.

The fire threatened nearby properties and burned through a hectare of bushland before it was brought under control.

Detectives have released an image (above) of a man they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries.

Anyone found guilty of recklessly or intentionally causing a bushfire faces a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.

Lighting a fire on a total fire ban day can attract a fine of up to $46,000 or up to two years in jail.

He is perceived as being Caucasian in appearance, with an average build and in his mid to late 20’s.

He was seen wearing tan-coloured pants, a white t-shirt and a black bucket hat, riding a green bicycle with black handlebars.

Anyone who witnesses suspicious or reckless behaviour as it is occurring should call Triple Zero (000) and anyone with other information relating to these incidents should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppers.com.au

This story based on a Victoria Police report

From shearers to custodians of culture and history, the people that The Local met and got to know during 2024 were a diverse lot and all had a story to tell. Here are just a few of them…

Ballarat Divisional Response Unit officers have charged a second man after locating what is alleged to be a traffickable amount of drugs following two separate searches at the Beyond the Valley music festival in Barunah Plains during the week.

Officers had intercepted a 28-year-old South Yarra man at the festival and conducted a search about 1.45pm on Monday December 30.

Police seized what is alleged to be 17 MDMA pills, four grams of cocaine, and seven other pills believed to be drugs of dependence.

He has been charged with traffick cocaine and MDMA, and was bailed to appear before the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on March 12, 2025.

Police also searched a 27-year-old Rippleside man at the festival about 5.25pm on the same day, seizing what is alleged to be 27 grams of cocaine and 15 grams of ketamine.

He has been charged with traffick cocaine and ketamine, and was bailed to appear before the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on March 12, 2025.

Police continued to have a highly visible presence at the Beyond the Valley music festival that was held at Barunah Plains south of Ballarat over December 28-January 1.

Under the new legislation, it is not a criminal offence to possess small amounts of illicit drugs if you are attending a drug-checking place as a client.

As a result, officers were not attending these sites at the festival unless responding to incidents requiring police attendance.

In a report issued during the week, Victoria Police stated that it “has zero tolerance for drug traffickers and officers will have no hesitation arresting and charging someone for this offence, no matter where it occurs”.

This story based on a Victria Police report

Brilliantly coloured images of rock and pop stars fill a book by Yandoit’s Dave Lewis, and led to one of the memorable stories that The Local enjoyed covering in 2024, the year that was.

The images Dave created arose out of extreme trauma.

He says if his wife had not heard a bump as their daughter Kate fell out of bed, she would be dead.

It seemed that Kate, then 16, was having a fit. She was unable to speak.

An ambulance took her to Ballarat, then to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She was there for six months recovering from an aneurysm.

During Kate’s time there Dave lined her white walls with drawings of music legends from Bob Dylan to Patti Smith.

Read the story at www.tlnews.com.au – Edition 307

Trenthamites gathered to raise a glass to a new mural map during 2024, the year that was.

The map is the work of local artist Natalie Davis from Chalkysigns and can now be found at the Vic Market Community Cafe in Trentham.

The map featuresTrentham’s iconic spaces and fauna.

Vic Market is a new space opposite the historic Trentham Railway Station offering locally made consumables and crafted goods.

Ballarat Divisional Response Unit officers have charged a man after locating what is alleged to be a traffickable amount of drugs on him at the Beyond the Valley music festival in Barunah Plains, south of Ballarat, earlier this week.

Officers intercepted the 28-year-old South Yarra man at the festival and conducted a search about 1.45pm on Monday, December 30.

Police seized what is alleged to be 17 MDMA pills, four grams of cocaine, and seven other pills believed to be drugs of dependence.

He has been charged with traffick cocaine and MDMA, and was bailed to appear before the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on March 12, 2025.

Police maintained a highly visible presence at the Beyond the Valley music festival which ran from Saturday December 28 to Wednesday January 1.

This included officers patrolling the festival grounds in an effort to ensure safety and security of festival goers and deter criminal activity or anti-social behaviour.

Victoria Police, in a report issued on Monday, said they were aware a drug-checking place was operating at the festival.

Under the new legislation, it is not a criminal offence to possess small amounts of illicit drugs if you are attending a drug-checking place as a client. As a result, officers were not attending these sites unless responding to incidents requiring police attendance.

However police said they would continue to enforce against drug offences away from the drug-checking place and seize any illicit substances.

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Throughout 2024, The Local got to catch up with many of the talented creatives who people this neck of the woods . Here are just a few of those profiled and who generously shared insights into their creative process…

Looking back on 2024 the year that was, one highlight – particularly for Trentham locals – came on Wednesday, October 16 when The Melbourne Cup international tour paid the town a visit in the lead up to The Race That Stops The Nation.

Looking back at the year that was, here are just a few snapshots from The Local’s continuing Walks of the Central Highlands Series featuring good walks of the region as tackled by journalist Eve Lamb in company with experienced local bushwalker Paddy H… and others.

A man will face court after allegedly driving a ute with four children onboard unrestrained in Pakenham earlier this week.

Vigilant officers from Cardinia Highway Patrol spotted the ute travelling along Henry Street before intercepting the vehicle about 12.25pm on Monday, December 30.

Police were in disbelief to discover the unrestrained children, aged from three to 13 years-of age, in the single-cab ute.

Two children were located in the front passenger seat, one on the centre console and a fourth in the passenger foot-well.

A 38-year-old Pakenham man was expected to be charged with reckless driving, careless driving and two counts of fail to ensure passenger not occupying same seat as another passenger and two counts of fail to ensure passenger occupying a seat with a fitted seatbelt.

He was expected to appear at a magistrates’ court at a later date.

The intercept was part of Operation Roadwise, a statewide all-out road safety effort which began on 13 December and continued until midnight on New Year’s Day.

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Triple ARIA-award winning musician Sarah Blasko is headed to Ballarat in the new year to perform in concert at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday evening, March 22.

Blasko is touring in celebration of her seventh solo album ‘I Just Need To Conquer This Mountain’ which debuted at #6 on the ARIA Australian Album Chart and was crowned Double J Feature Album.

It traces the inevitability of painful goodbyes in all their forms and the final acceptance that follows a period of grief and sees Sarah Blasko firmly in the present as she searches for the light that comes with new beginnings.

She is as expansive as she is prolific, writing songs that strike with rare immediacy, clarity and purpose.

Across six solo albums and two as part of Seeker Lover Keeper, four have reached Platinum Sales Status with six debuts in the ARIA Top 10.  

Sarah Blasko is a three-time ARIA Award winner, 18x ARIA Award nominee, has won the J Award for Australian Album of the Year, and three-times shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize. 

This tour marks the first regional tour Sarah has done since 2017 with the upcoming Ballarat show aimed at over 18s and more details through the venue’s website.

Detectives from Taskforce Lunar earlier this week released CCTV as part of their investigation into the shooting of a man in Jacana last year.

The incident had occurred just after 12pm on 7 May, with police called to reports a man had been shot on the M80 Ring Road.

Responding officers were unable to locate the man and police were subsequently notified that a man had presented to a hospital in Parkville with gunshot wounds.

The 51-year-old Truganina man was treated for life threatening upper body injuries.

Detectives believe the victim had been driving his vehicle from the Wyndham area towards Broadmeadows when he stopped at traffic lights at the intersection of the Western Ring Road and Pascoe Vale Road.

It’s alleged a vehicle pulled alongside him and the victim was shot by the occupants of that vehicle.

The victim was then conveyed to hospital by family members.

CCTV shows a grey Ford Falcon with false registration plates pulling up next to the victim’s dark coloured Mercedes wagon before a shot is fired into the car.

Investigators also believe a white Holden Commodore which does a small burn out then turns left in front of the grey Ford is also linked to the incident.

Police are keen to identify those who were travelling in the vehicles, as well as the current location of the two cars.

Last month, detectives from Taskforce Lunar charged two men in relation to the incident.

A 30-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, both from Truganina, were arrested with the assistance of the Special Operations Group on 19 December.

Both men were interviewed and have each been charged with attempted murder, intentionally cause serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, reckless conduct endangering life, prohibited person possess firearm, prohibited person use a firearm and other associated firearm offences.

Police allege the targeted shooting took place as a result of a dispute over allegiances, linked to two key organised crime syndicates involved in the illicit tobacco trade.

While two people have been charged, police believe a number of other people were involved in the shooting and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Police are keen to identify those people and are appealing for anyone with any knowledge of the shooting and those involved to come forward. Information can be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information was urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Detective Inspector Graham Banks, Taskforce Lunar: “While we have charged two people in relation to this incident, we believe there are others out there who have had some involvement in this shooting. This includes both the execution and planning of the attack.

“This incident occurred in the middle of the day and the consequences of this shooting could have been far more extreme. You can see in the CCTV that this was the middle of the day, with a number of other cars around at the time, and an innocent member of the public could have easily been killed or seriously injured.

“We’re appealing for anyone with information about the shooting and who is involved to come forward and speak to police. We know there are people out there who can assist with this investigation and it’s our priority to ensure everyone who was involved is held to account.”

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Actor Liam Neeson will return to regional Victoria to film his next action-thriller.

Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said cameras would roll on The Mongoose from late this month.

The production is expected to create 453 jobs for Victorian screen workers, inject more than $19 million into the state economy and engage an estimated 150 local businesses, including specialist screen industry businesses to accommodation providers, retailers and hospitality.

The Mongoose stars Neeson as Ryan “Fang” Flanagan, a war hero who, accused of a crime he didn’t commit and with nothing to lose, leads police on an epic televised cross-country car chase. 

Helped by members of his former Special Forces Army battalion he is closely monitored by a fascinated public cheering for his safe getaway. 

The Mongoose will be filmed across Melbourne and regional Victoria and will base production out of the Melbourne Screen Hub in Footscray.

The Mongoose will be the third movie that the Northern Irish-American actor has made in Victoria in four years.