A quick summary of all the Victorian news you need to know on Tuesday 29 March.
Jobseekers offered hospitality training to fill worker shortages
About 500 jobseekers will be trained to work in hospitality as part of a $6.7m initiative funded by the Victorian government.
Employment minister, Jaala Pulford, on Tuesday announced the funding will cover five days of paid training in food handling, responsible service of alcohol and coffee making, as well as uniforms and tools.
The workers will also receive mentoring to ensure they are given the best opportunity to succeed on the job. Small and medium-sized hospitality businesses urgently needing staff will be able to access the pool of workers for roles with at least 20 hours of work a week and for up to 26 weeks.
Recruitment starts this week and runs until September, creating jobs for people whose employment has been hardest hit by the pandemic including women over 45, people from multicultural backgrounds, Aboriginal people, people with disability and young people.
Matthew Guy a Covid close contact
Both leaders of the major parties in Victoria are now in isolation, after the opposition leader, Matthew Guy, became a close contact of a Covid case.
Guy said he will isolate for seven days after one of his sons tested positive for Covid on Tuesday morning.
He and the other members of his family have returned negative test results.
This morning one of my three sons tested positive for Covid. While my wife and I, as well as the other two boys all returned a negative test, it does mean we are isolating for seven days. @SouthwickMP will act as Liberal leader in this time.
— Matthew Guy MP (@MatthewGuyMP) March 28, 2022
This came after the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, tested positive to Covid on Monday.
Coronavirus cases rise back above 10,000
Victoria has recorded five Covid deaths and 10,916 cases on Tuesday.
It is the first time in five days that the number of new infections recorded across the state has exceeded 10,000. On Monday, 8,739 cases were reported.
The number of Covid patients in Victorian hospitals has risen by 32 to 282. Of those, 33 people are in ICU.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) March 28, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/qjgD399gIh
Dustin Martin given indefinite leave from AFL
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers will give a grieving Dustin Martin all the time he needs away from the AFL club.
Martin has been on personal leave from Richmond since last week and sat out the Tigers’ win over GWS on Sunday, and Harwick stressed the importance of allowing the 30-year-old to heal in his own time after his father, Shane, died in December.
He said Martin had also dealt with the difficult process of returning to football from the lacerated kidney that ended his 2021 season.
“Dustin’s taking his time to figure out what he needs to move forward, and as we’ve spoken about, he’s had a really tough six months, none tougher than what he’s had to deal with, first with the injury then with the loss of his father,” Hardwick told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
– Australian Associated Press
Renters take advantage of reforms
Today marks a year since about 130 rental law changes came into effect in Victoria, including minimum standards for heating, bathroom and kitchen utilities, window coverings and ventilation.
Renters have also been able to make minor amendments to their properties without the permission of their landlord – such as repainting walls, hanging picture hooks, securing furniture to walls and installing shelving – and can reclaim their bond money via the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority.
More than 12,000 bond claims have been initiated this way since this new law came in, with more than half paid out directly to the renter.
It’s also been two years since renters have been able to keep pets in their homes without written consent from their landlord. The new pet request form has been downloaded almost 70,000 times from the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.
“Renters deserve to feel like their house is their home – in the past year these important reforms have made that even more possible for the millions of Victorians who are living in a rental property,” consumer affairs minister, Melissa Horne, said.
