• From October, a pill testing service will be made available at up to 15 music festivals per year in NSW.
• In announcing the permanent service, Health Minister Ryan Park says it is "not a silver bullet" and will not endorse drug use.
• The move was praised by Jennie Ross-King, whose daughter Alex died of an MDMA overdose at a Sydney festival in 2019.

I’m taking a trip to Melbourne for my birthday in October. I’m thinking 4 days. It will be my first time there and maybe as a solo. I’ll be travelling from Brisbane.

What are some good recommendations or an itinerary for things to do in Melbourne? I’m open to almost anything and up to going a little distant out of the city.

I like animals, markets, food, history, music, art, nature.

If anyone had recommendations for an affordable, nice hotel to stay at too, please say also.

Thank you! :)

• Australia Post says it will keep home delivery, ruling out community mailboxes for Australian suburbs and towns.
• Letter deliveries could become less frequent as Australia Post adapts to falling volumes, Graham says.

Hello everyone! I know this is an unusual request but I am trying to find a very rare 60 cm Sonic the hedgehog plush that was only available in Sydney Australia at Sega world in the 90s! I will pay $2500 AUD for one. I’m offering a huge amount as incentive for people helping me look and obtaining my most desired plushie. Hopefully this helps locate one in Australia. Comment any info if you can help!

*This post has been approved by the moderator team*

Hi everyone. I’m a 27-year-old Italian guy, and lately, I’ve been seriously considering moving to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa for about two years. I’m posting here to ask for real information and advice; I want to properly weigh up what this choice would mean for me—keeping my feet firmly on the ground and without any illusions.

From my initial research, it seems that Melbourne might be the right city for me, but naturally, I welcome suggestions and am open to anything.

A bit about me and why I’m asking:
I’m doing this because I refuse to live under constant financial anxiety or watch time slip away without real prospects. I’m not chasing luxury—I’m looking for a solid balance between putting in honest, hard work and having the freedom to live comfortably, connect with people, and explore.

Personality-wise, I’m energetic, easygoing, and get along with pretty much anyone. When I care about a project or job, I commit 100%. My honest weak spot is dealing with rigid bureaucracy, procrastination, and repetitive rules. Leaving family and home behind for the other side of the world is a big step, but I know how deeply these leaps can shape you. I just want to know if Melbourne can realistically offer that lifestyle, or if I’m projecting an idealized version of it.

I’ve done some research over the past few days, and here are some of the conclusions, ideas, and doubts I have:

My profile & expectations:

5 years background in video/film sets in Rome (mainly camera operating and lighting, though I'm an eye/composition person rather than a gear nerd), plus 10 months living in Nepal, for a volunteering project in humanitarian context, (I returned two months ago) so I’m used to roughing it and cultural adaptation.
Coming over with around $11k–$12k AUD in savings.
Plan to start with whatever casual work pays the bills (hospitality, warehouse, event crewing) and eventually transition into creative/cultural spaces or rental houses.
Could we also talk about the "88 days of farm work" requirement? Could that actually be a way to save up some extra money?
I would like to live in a shared house in the Inner North (Brunswick, Coburg, Fitzroy) with a backyard and creative people, budgeting ~$280–$320/wk for a room. Do you think Melbourne might be the best choice for what I’m looking for, or would you consider other options?
English level: Intermediate. I can easily hold everyday conversations, get my point across, and take instructions, but I’m definitely not fluent yet (part of the goal is to immerse myself and get comfortable fast). I’ve read that Australian English is very different and hard to understand at first.

The big questions I need brutal honesty on:

Can you actually save around $1,500 AUD a month on a casual wage (35–38 hrs/wk)? The math on paper says yes ($33+/hr casual rate minus ~$500/wk for rent, groceries, and transport), but does real life eat that away with hidden costs (utilities, rego, cost of going out)? Do you think that, in a worst-case scenario, I could return to Italy after a year with at least the same amount of money I started with?

Is the rental crisis as impossible for sharehouses as people say? Looking at Flatmates/Fairy Floss, there seem to be options, but is getting accepted into a good, social household actually achievable within 2–3 weeks if you do in-person inspections, or is it a bloodbath?
Is it genuinely worth doing this for 2 years? Or will I just find myself working 45 hours a week in a warehouse just to survive and pay rent, with no energy left to enjoy Melbourne's cultural life?
If any of you are familiar with the film and audiovisual industry, do I have a realistic chance of breaking into the scene and gaining work experience in that field—say, after spending a few months settling in and meeting the right people?

What are the major blind spots someone in my position is likely ignoring? Tear my plan apart if needed. Thanks a million, and sorry for the long post. Cheers!

I've started this thread as a general point to discuss the Nepal and Tibet floods, including what Australians can do if they wish to help.

How to help

If you wish to donate funds, I think it's best to follow links from reputable sources and verify the source of any donation links yourself.

• The Office of the Foreign Minister (Senator Penny Wong) has a statement directs people wishing to make donations to emergencyaction.org.au.

• The Guardian also links to that same website (emergencyaction.org.au) for people wanting to donate.

Information

Collapsed glacier likely caused devastating Nepal-Tibet floods, scientists say [BBC]

Initial reports of an earthquake led many to believe that a tremor had caused a landslide, which in turn caused the flood that has killed at least 469 people.

However, the US Geological Survey then clarified that the disaster was caused by a "glacial collapse", which is when a glacier or part of a glacier disintegrates.

‘The house got carried 100 metres away’: some Nepal flood victims had minutes of notice. Others had seconds [The Guardian]

On Sunday the combined toll in Nepal and Tibet climbed to 781 dead and more than 3,000 people missing. Forty-three of them are Australians. The humanitarian crisis on the ground is huge – but aid, a large amount of it from Australia, has started to arrive.

An additional $3m, on top of $5m already announced, was confirmed on Monday morning.

Messages of hope from home: Hundreds attend vigils for Nepal and Tibet [ABC]

Almost 9,500 kilometres away from the ongoing rescue operations in Nepal, crowds gathered at King George Square in Brisbane for a candlelight vigil organised by city's Nepali community. Treasurer Jim Chalmers addressed the hundreds gathered to share a message of support for the Nepali community.

"We appreciate the Nepalese community every day, but on days like today we are there for you," he said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) committed a further 12 response personnel after eight arrived in Kathmandu this morning.

• Hobart City Council's planning committee has approved a plan to restrict the creation of new whole-home short-stay accommodation in the city's residential areas.
• The proposed planning amendment would block about 20,000 homes from being wholly converted into visitor accommodation, though it will not affect existing permits.
• The proposal will be sent to the Tasmanian Planning Commission, which will have the final say on whether it goes ahead.

• Australia's main music charts have announced a ban on AI-generated music to start this week.
• The Australian Recording Industry Association says wholly AI-generated tracks will not be eligible for the ARIA Charts, though recordings using AI in a supporting role will remain eligible.
• It comes after a song produced with AI became the most-played track on Australian radio and reached number four on two ARIA charts in July.

Carroll will say a re-elected Labor government would spend $230m to open 10 public dental clinics across the state, where oral care clinicians would be able to provide free checkups and treatments, including fillings, root canals and extractions.