Matt Neal
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Articles by Matt Neal
Helen Haines attack witnesses describe a bang, a scream and an immediate rush to help
Under sunny skies and armed with a shovel, Helen Haines stood next to a pile of dirt, smiling for the camera. Joined by senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, council representatives, and locals, Ms Haines spent some of Monday afternoon in Mansfield for an "official sod-turning" for the Victorian town's BMX pump track and dog park. "Helen was in high spirits. She was upbeat and positive.
The Beatles, The Beach Boys and how the albums of 1966 changed music
When you think about the biggest albums of 1966, two records stand head and shoulders above the rest. The Beatles' Revolver and The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds have tended to overshadow everything else released that year. But the mythology surrounding the albums has also overshadowed the actual music on the records themselves. So, let's dive into the sounds of 66 to get a better understanding for where music was at 60 years ago.
How Coyote vs. Acme returned from the dead to hit big screens
Films can be left unfinished or unreleased for a variety of reasons, but it's rare for one to come back from the dead. This week, Coyote vs. Acme will conclude its long journey to Aussie cinemas, having previously looked deader than a cartoon coyote trapped under a comically over-sized boulder. So how did this Looney Tunes spin-off finally make it to the big screen, and why is its resurrection such a big deal?
Government has 'blood on its hands' after reported pothole death, friend says
Matt Neal and Laura Mayers A friend of the Ballarat motorcyclist who died in a crash on the Western Highway at the weekend says the Victorian government has "blood on its hands".
Government has 'blood on its hands' after reported pothole death, friend says
A friend of the Ballarat motorcyclist who died in a crash on the Western Highway at the weekend says the Victorian government has "blood on its hands". Police are still investigating the cause of the crash that killed 71-year-old Peter "Tiki" Mason, but said yesterday "emergency services responded to reports a motorcycle had struck a pothole and lost control on the Western Highway, near Trawalla Road". The ABC has chosen not to publish a photo of Mr Mason at this time.
Creswick residents say after-dark crime wave is changing their small town
Eden Hynninen, Elisha Walker and Matt Neal In the space of four nights, The Farmers Arms Hotel in Creswick was broken into twice. Across the road, Shirl's Cafe has also been broken into multiple times in the past year. For publican Christine Molloy, these are the most obvious signs her quiet home town near Ballarat is changing. "There's been excessive amounts of crime that's been going on, and it seems to be getting worse," Ms Molloy said.
Concern for 'vexatious' proceedings allowing residents to shut down Victorian councils
Laura Mayers and Matt Neal A shire council in central Victoria has been shut down by the efforts of just one resident. The bins will still be collected, roadworks will continue, and the libraries will still open. But any big decisions have been suspended because there are only two people left at the council table. Five councillors at Hepburn Shire Council have been forced to stand down after local businessman David Penman launched rare private prosecution proceedings against them.
Hepburn Shire resident shuts down council by laying private charges against councillors
Laura Mayers, Matt Neal and Steve Martin Three more councillors at Hepburn Shire Council have been served with criminal charges by a private citizen, leaving only two councillors in office and effectively shutting down the council. Councillors Shirley Cornish, Lesley Hewitt and Pat Hockey were yesterday served with rarely-used private prosecution charges laid by businessman David Penman.
Proposed amendment to Arapiles Dyurrite plan allows climbing near culturally significant areas
Tamara Clark and Matt Neal The peak body for rock climbing in Victoria has thrown its support behind mooted plans to avoid blanket climbing bans and allow access to routes near culturally significant sites at Mount Arapiles Dyurrite. The Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park, near Horsham, is one of Australia's most famous rock climbing destinations.
Proposed amendment to Arapiles Dyurrite plan to keep climbs open near culturally significant areas
Marriage 15 hours ago Who is Dale Partridge married to?
Hepburn Shire mayor charged in 'private prosecution' by resident
The mayor of Hepburn Shire is the third representative of the Central Victorian council to be served charges by a resident under rarely used laws allowing for a "private prosecution". Cr Tony Clark is the subject of unproven charges laid by Hepburn businessman David Penman. The charges relate to an allegation that Hepburn Shire Council adopted its current annual budget without the inclusion of specific financial documents.
Boy on bail charged over stabbing of homeless man in Bendigo
A 16-year-old boy has been charged after allegedly being involved in the stabbing of a homeless man in Bendigo on Thursday night. The boy was on bail at the time of the incident. Police say the teenager from the Greater Bendigo area was arrested by protective service officers (PSOs) at the Bendigo Railway Station on Saturday night. It is alleged the youth was part of a group of up to six youths that set upon a 41-year-old man in Bath Lane in central Bendigo about 9pm on Thursday.
Do AI-generated images have any place in politics? Original
By Jean Bell and Matt Neal, ABC News It's a picture of a humpback whale leaping out of the water, its three or possibly four fins glistening in the glowing orange sunset. The apparently AI-generated image was posted on the Facebook page of Liberal member for Australia's South West Coast Roma Britnell to mark the arrival of the first southern right whales of whale-watching season in her state electorate.
Do AI-generated images have any place in Australian politics?
It's a picture of a humpback whale, leaping out of the water, its three or possibly four fins glistening in the glowing orange sunset. The apparently AI-generated image was posted on the Facebook page of Liberal member for South West Coast Roma Britnell to mark the arrival of the first southern right whales of whale-watching season in her state electorate.
Do AI-generated images have any place in Australian politics?
Whales 1 hour ago Whale Deaths Are Surging Along the West Coast theinertia.com - Juan Hernandez • 1h A report released by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting endangered species, wildlands, and the … travel news 4 hours ago The new battle for Alaska cruise travelers is happening onboard miamiherald.com - Josh Rivera, USA TODAY • 4h HOONAH, Alaska − There were only two ships at Icy Strait Point, Celebrity Solstice and Holland America Line's MS...
Victorian firefighters consider restarting PFAS case against 3M in wake of federal lawsuit
The head of Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) wants to explore an abandoned class action against PFAS manufacturer 3M. The federal government is suing 3M for $2 billion over PFAS contamination at Australian Defence Force bases. FRV's Mick Tisbury wants to discuss the matter with Victoria's attorney general and emergency services minister.
Fifty years ago, music was on the brink of major change with seismic arrival of punk rock to centre stage Original
The music industry is always in a state of flux, but what was happening in 1976 was akin to the dinosaurs looking up and seeing a meteor on the way. Of course, that's in hindsight. No-one really expected that meteor, aka the advent of punk rock, to be as seismically influential as it was, with its ripples extending out for decades to come. Punk had been bubbling away in seemingly unconnected scenes around the world (New York, England and Australia among them) and in 1976 it began to boil over.
Is Something For Kate frontman Paul Dempsey Australia's best cover artist?
Back in 2018, Double J called Paul Dempsey "arguably Australia's own Patron Saint of Covers". Last year, The Music dubbed him "Australia's King of Covers". They're lofty titles for the unassuming frontman of Melbourne alt-rock band Something For Kate, a trio that boasts five top five albums, 11 ARIA nominations, and 14 entries in triple j's Hottest 100 to their name.
Is Something For Kate frontman Paul Dempsey Australia's best cover artist?
4 hours ago Lorraine Nicholson shared the image on social media, along with a throwback photo of the three-time Oscar winner. Jack Nicholson turned 89 on April 22, and his daughter, Lorraine Nicholson, shared a rare recent photo of the retired actor in honor of the milestone event. On Thursday, Lorraine posted …
Police weigh up whether to charge man over alleged Islamophobic attack
Victoria Police has completed its preliminary investigation into an alleged Islamophobic attack where a man allegedly threatened to kill community members, and is weighing up what charges could be laid. On March 8, an uninvited man entered a community dinner in Ballarat, where he allegedly started punching guests, intimidating children and shouting racial death threats such as "f*** Allah, f*** Islam, death to Allah" and "go back to the s***hole where you come from".
Who can best predict the 2026 Oscar winners — a mathematician or a critic?
It's time for the annual Academy Awards tradition where we ask a film critic and a mathematician to pull out their crystal balls and tea leaves and tell us who they think will take home the big Oscars. While the first showdown was a draw, our resident mathematician took home the chocolates the following year, and then did it again last year by the narrowest of margins.
Glenthompson community keeps town pool despite council's closure vote
Even the locals in Glenthompson acknowledge it's "a town on its knees". But that has not stopped the western Victorian community of about 250 people from battling to save its open-air pool. The town, situated about three hours' drive west of Melbourne, has lost a lot over the years.
Netball teams ousted from league due to lack of footballers sparks equal opportunity complaint
A regional Victorian mother has written to the state's Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission after her daughter's junior netball club was removed from the Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL) due to low footballer numbers. The league's decision has raised questions about why Woady Yaloak Football Netball Club's thriving junior netball teams have to suffer due to a lack of junior footballers.
How a Belgian techno producer with some old synthesisers has reimagined Terminator 2
There are few film scores of the 90s as iconic as Terminator 2: Judgment Day. So it's a bold move to set that score aside, with its signature drums-of-war rhythm (DUN-DUN DUN DUN-DUN!), and screen the film with a whole new musical soundtrack. But that's what Hear My Eyes will do in the coming weeks, and has been doing with cinematic classics for a decade — commissioning new music for old movies, and bringing it all to life right before your eyes (and ears).
Moyne Shire Council never wanted Port Fairy pool, yet it ended up paying $3.4 million for one
For generations, the south-west Victorian community of Port Fairy learned to swim at a safe, sheltered beach known as Pea Soup, before graduating to swim and surf the tourist town's rougher beach breaks. But in brutal winters, icy autumns and chilly springs, those beaches were only for the hardiest of souls. The benefits of an indoor heated pool were plain to see, especially to those tired of the half-hour drive down the highway to the closest pool in Warrnambool.
Former ATSIC head Geoff Clark was jailed but his community says legal issues persist
When former Indigenous leader Geoff Clark was jailed on fraud-related charges in November 2024 some members of his Aboriginal community at Framlingham in south-west Victoria thought a new dawn was ahead. Clark had been the leader of his community on and off for about three decades. A series of County Court trials heard how he used his position on the Framlingham Aboriginal Trust and his involvement with other connected organisations for his own personal gain.
Steven Johnson to stand trial for alleged Victorian cold case murder of Christopher Jarvis
A south-west Victorian man has been ordered to stand trial over the cold case murder of Christopher Jarvis, who disappeared from his home near Warrnambool 20 years ago. Steven Johnson, 73, pleaded not guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Thursday to a single charge of murder. A five-week trial is expected to take place in the Supreme Court later this year. Mr Jarvis went missing on June 13, 2006, from his home in Wangoom, near Warrnambool.
Could Paul Kelly and Hilltop Hoods break records in triple j's Hottest 100 of 2025?
Triple j's Hottest 100 is an institution, a snapshot of ever-evolving musical tastes, and a celebration of new music. It also gives us 32 years of fascinating information to sift through that can tell us some interesting things about what might happen in this weekend's countdown. So here are some things to expect, some trends to observe, and some records that might fall when triple j unveils the hottest songs of 2025 on Saturday.
The trends and records to watch in triple j's 2025 Hottest 100
2 hours ago ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Actor Melissa Gilbert could speak Tuesday at a New Mexico detention hearing for her husband, Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield, who faces child sex abuse charges stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on a TV series set. Busfield, who is …
From Madonna to Metallica, these are the big albums turning 40 this year
In 1986, the world of popular music was in an incredible state of flux. The industry was looking back in a serious way for the first time — in the US, the newly established Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first musicians (all men), recognising the first wave of rock 'n' rollers who changed music in the '50s. Meanwhile MTV was becoming all-powerful, and the era of the video clip had well and truly dawned, sending pop music into the stratosphere.
How history nearly repeated for a Beatle at the hands of a troubled fan
It was a moment of horrible deja vu for music fans around the world — a mentally unwell man had attacked one of the Beatles, leaving him for dead. It's a headline that could have been from December 8, 1980, but it is also sadly true of this day, December 30, 1999, when George Harrison was stabbed in his home.
Today in History, December 10: How Lord of the Rings changed cinema - and New Zealand
There was a time, of course, when Sir Peter Jackson wasn't one of the most famous directors on the planet. That time is some point prior to the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which took place on this day 24 years ago at the Odeon in London's West End. Before this, Jackson was the man behind one art-house gem (Heavenly Creatures), one supernatural flop (The Frighteners), and three cult video nasties (Bad Taste, Meet The Feebles, and Braindead).
Residents in battle with nearby metal recycler business due to zoning issue
Sue and David Start have lived in the same house in the small western Victorian town of Ararat for more than 30 years without incident. That is, until their neighbours moved in four years ago. Now, morning birdsong is broken by the endless clanging of metal on metal, a constant smell of rubber in the air, and blinding floodlights that beam in through their windows. Their neighbours are a company called Manhari, which set up a scrap metal and recycling business 60 metres down the street.
What does the average house price get you in regional Victoria?
In figures recently released by Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV), the median price of a house in regional Victoria climbed to an all-time high of $636,500. So what do you get for $636,500 in regional Victoria? REIV regional director Damian Portaro said that depended on where you were looking to buy.
Pink Floyd's album and ode to Syd Barrett Wish You Were Here turns 50
The problem with creating an incredible work of art is that you're expected to do it again and again. This was issue facing English rock band Pink Floyd in the wake of their massive 1973 album The Dark Side Of The Moon, which had suddenly made them the biggest band in the world.
Victorian Racing Tribunal releases video of trainer Darren Weir using jigger on horse
The Victorian Racing Tribunal has released footage of disgraced Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir using a banned electrical shock device on racehorses. Weir was banned from racing for two years for using the device, known as a jigger, on three horses at his Warrnambool stables a week before the 2018 Melbourne Cup. The released footage, dated October 2018, shows Weir administering electrical shocks to three horses as they gallop on a treadmill.
Paul Kelly's Rita Wrote A Letter the latest in a long line of sequel songs
Aussie icon Paul Kelly served up an early Gravy Day gift this year with Rita Wrote a Letter, the surprise sequel to his beloved classic How to Make Gravy. In doing so, Kelly continued the long tradition of sequel songs: a mainstay of pop, rock, hip hop and metal songwriting for decades. Here are some of the best examples of turning one song into two.
Victorian courts ill-equipped to help people who build houses on wrong blocks
Melanie and David Moor are fighting a legal battle in south-west Victoria to keep their home after they mistakenly built their house on the wrong block. Victorian laws effectively state that the house belongs to the landowner. A Victorian Law Commission review suggested laws be altered in line with other states to create fairer outcomes.
Lachlan Young appears in court after pleading guilty to murder of Hannah McGuire
The man who has pleaded guilty to killing Clunes woman Hannah McGuire will return to a Victorian court in October for a three-day hearing that will help to determine his sentence. Lachlan Young, 23, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his 23-year-old ex-partner, but changed his plea eight days into his Supreme Court trial. Ms McGuire's body was found in a burnt-out car at Scarsdale, near Ballarat, in April last year.
Will it be fifth time lucky for the Fantastic Four?
No movie franchise has repeatedly crashed and burned quite like Marvel's Fantastic Four. Over the past 30 or so years, four movies have been made starring the iconic superhero team, with a fifth dropping on July 24. The first of these five films, depending on who you ask, was so bad it wasn't even released. The rebooted second film was mildly successful, but its follow-up less so, effectively ending the series in a blaze of less-than-satisfactory reviews.
Two Victorians, South Australian killed in Western Highway crash near Ararat
Two Victorians and a South Australian have been identified as the victims of a horrific multi-vehicle crash in western Victoria on Wednesday. Police have revealed a 49-year-old male driver from Lyndhurst, a 24-year-old female passenger from Clyde North and a 65-year-old male driver from SA died in the collision on the Western Highway north of Ararat at about 12:30pm. Five vehicles were involved in the crash, which occurred near the highway's intersection with Thomas Road at Armstrong.
Victoria Police charge Steven Johnson with murder of missing man Christopher Jarvis
A 72-year-old south-west Victorian man is to face court on Monday charged over the 2006 cold case murder of Christopher Jarvis. Police arrested Steven Frederick Johnson, of Wangoom, near Warrnambool, earlier in the day and charged him with murder. This month, 61-year-old Glenn Ernest Fenwick was jailed for a maximum of five and a half years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Jarvis. Mr Jarvis disappeared from his home near Warrnambool on June 13, 2006.
Do offshore wind farms kill whales? The facts, fiction and unknowns of marine renewable energy
A new battleground is emerging in Australia's oceans over renewable energy projects the government says are necessary to dealing with climate change and reducing our country's carbon emissions. Just one spin of an offshore wind turbine can power the average Australian home for 48 hours, according to wind energy companies. The Albanese government has set aside six offshore wind farm zones around Australia — two off Victoria's coast, two off NSW and one each for Tasmania and Western Australia.
2025 Oscar predictions, according to a film critic and a mathematician
It's now a time-honoured tradition on the eve of the Academy Awards that we ask a film critic and mathematician to pull out their crystal balls and tea leaves and tell us who they think will take home the big Oscars. While the first showdown was a draw, last year our resident mathematician took home the chocolates by correctly guessing nine winners out of 10, two better than our critic.
Senior Ballarat Grammar School students accused of striking younger peers
Ballarat Grammar School is investigating allegations of student-on-student physical abuse. The school principal says senior students allegedly hit younger boys as punishment for "perceived boarding house misdemeanours". Boys education expert Bradley Fenner will conduct an independent review. A south-west Victorian independent private school is investigating what it calls "horrendous and confronting" allegations of older boarding students striking younger pupils.
Dual citizenship forces Greens candidate out in hotly contested electorate
The Greens candidate in the hotly contested Victorian electorate of Wannon has had to drop out of the race due to holding dual citizenship. Winchelsea artist Lauren Green announced her candidacy two weeks ago, making her the fourth candidate to put their hand up in Wannon, despite the election yet to be called.
Lost, abandoned and unreleased movies you'll (probably) never see
By Matt Neal for the ABC Warning: This story contains coarse language. Movies are difficult, time-consuming and expensive to make, and throughout this convoluted process, a million things can go wrong. But even when you get to the end of the film-making journey - even after you've written it, planned it, filmed it and edited it - there are still things that can get between you and an audience. As a result, there are some movies that were made, but you will never see, or never see again.
The lost, abandoned and unreleased movies you'll (probably) never see
Movies are difficult, time-consuming and expensive to make, and throughout this convoluted process, a million things can go wrong. Warning: This story contains coarse language. But even when you get to the end of the film-making journey — even after you've written it, planned it, filmed it and edited it — there are still things that can get between you and an audience. As a result, there are some movies that were made, but you will never see, or never see again.
Nostalgia alert: Here are 30 albums turning 30 in 2025
The musical landscape was a weird and wonderful place in 1995. What other year could you find an ARIA album chart top 10 that features mainstream icons such as Pink Floyd, Jimmy Barnes, Celine Dion, and Roachford alongside such disparate alt-rock heroes as Tumbleweed, Primus, The Cranberries, and The Cruel Sea?
Framlingham community hopes for 'new beginning' after jailed leader Geoff Clark ravaged township 'like a bushfire'
The whistleblower who helped uncover the corruption of Indigenous leader Geoff Clark has likened the damage the elder caused to his community in south-west Victoria to a bushfire.
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