Jesse Thompson

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Jesse Thompson

A concrete seawall built to protect a beachfront home from coastal erosion will be torn down, the home's owner says, following public uproar. Frankston City Council issued a stop-work order to property owner Gene Neill on Monday night. Mr Neill also says he will sell his property and move elsewhere. The owner of a beachfront mansion who oversaw the construction of a concrete seawall without a permit has vowed to tear the structure down and rehabilitate the section of beach it was built on.

Jan 30, 2025 | abc.net.au | Jesse Thompson

Details of an alleged bribery scheme, in which Victorian Building Authority staff were allegedly offered money in exchange for progressing building registration applications, have been detailed in court documents. The scheme was the subject of an anti-corruption investigation that has now seen three VBA employees and dozens of others charged. The matter returns to court in April.

Jan 28, 2025 | abc.net.au | Jesse Thompson

Victoria's building industry watchdog identified dozens of potential problems in a troubled affordable housing block months before the state government settled its $20 million purchase of the building, according to freedom of information documents obtained by the ABC. The documents are heavily redacted and provide an incomplete picture of the types of potential issues identified and which building practitioners or tradespeople may be responsible for them.

Jan 7, 2025 | abc.net.au | Jesse Thompson |Madi Chwasta |Alexander Darling

On Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, there's only one crisis accommodation centre — a disused three-star motel on the brink of being redeveloped. Ben Smith, the head of the Mornington Community Support Centre, admits the 12-room motel is hardly fit-for-purpose for the people who come to stay. But he says the lack of nearby options means there is a long queue to get in regardless. "When people get to this point, they've exhausted all other options," Mr Smith said.

Dec 1, 2024 | abc.net.au | Jesse Thompson

Authorities are investigating the alleged theft of potentially sensitive information related to scores of renters and landlords during a mysterious nighttime robbery at a Melbourne real estate agency. The information stored in five boxes was allegedly stolen during a break-in at Nelson Alexander’s Northcote office about 10:30pm on October 26.