Why Google Reviews Are Becoming More Important
A shopper looking for a plumber in Frankston used to skim the top three Google results and pick whichever had the nicest-looking website. Now they're just as likely to ask ChatGPT or Google's AI Overview "who's a reliable plumber near me," and get an answer built partly from what other customers have said about that business. Reviews haven't just stayed important — they've started feeding a second search system most business owners haven't fully clocked yet. From Nice-to-Have to Ranking Factor Google has used reviews as a local ranking signal for years, but the weight they carry has grown alongside [...]
Hidden Gem: Ashwood’s Parkhill Primary Posts Outstanding 2026 NAPLAN Results
While NAPLAN results across the state have raised fresh concerns about students slipping on the basics, one small Ashwood primary school is quietly doing the opposite. Parkhill Primary School has posted 2026 results that sit well above local network and similar-school averages, according to figures published this month. The numbers are hard to argue with. In Year 3, 83% of students landed in the Strong or Exceeding proficiency bands for Reading, 89% for Numeracy, 83% for Writing, 78% for Spelling, and 72% for Grammar and Punctuation. Year 5 results push further again: 100% of students in Strong or Exceeding for [...]
Golden Voice Christian O’Connell Launches New Book
For almost three decades, Christian O'Connell has made a living without a script. No autocue, no safety net, just a microphone and whatever happened to walk through the studio door that morning. Now the voice behind Gold FM's national breakfast show is putting that same instinct into print — and the result is called, fittingly, Unscript. The book launches on 29 July 2026, and it's a departure for a man whose entire career has been built on live, unscripted radio. Writing a book means sitting with a sentence long enough to get it right, rather than riffing past it in [...]
How the Right Support Coordination Can Improve NDIS Outcomes
Navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be overwhelming, especially for participants managing multiple services, providers, and goals. This is where quality support coordination can make a meaningful difference. For individuals with more complex needs, accessing professional assistance through specialist support coordination can help simplify the process and ensure they receive the services that best support their circumstances. Support coordination is designed to help participants understand and implement their NDIS plans. Rather than navigating the system alone, participants can work with experienced professionals who assist with connecting services, coordinating providers, and building the confidence needed to make informed decisions. [...]
Why More Melbourne Locals Are Skipping the CBD for Their Dentist
Parking alone should be enough to put anyone off. A two-hour meter, a $20 Wilson lot, or a brisk 12-minute walk from Flinders Lane to a dental chair is a commitment most people quietly resent — and, apparently, are increasingly opting out of. Something has shifted in how Melbourne residents choose their dentist. For years, proximity to the office drove the decision. Your dentist was wherever you worked, squeezed into a lunch break between a chicken wrap and a 2pm meeting. The CBD was convenient by default. But default has a way of eroding when the alternatives get good enough [...]
AFL Icon Neale Daniher Dies After Long Battle With MND
Australia is mourning the loss of AFL great Neale Daniher, who has passed away following a long and courageous battle with motor neurone disease (MND). Daniher, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2013, became one of the country’s most recognised advocates for MND awareness and research, inspiring millions through his resilience, positivity, and determination. A Respected AFL Career Before becoming a powerful voice in the fight against MND, Daniher built an impressive career in Australian rules football. He played 82 games for Essendon Football Club between 1979 and 1990 and later moved into coaching. Daniher is best known for [...]
Neanderthals Were Drilling Teeth 59,000 Years Ago
A lower second molar pulled from a Siberian cave tells an uncomfortable story. The tooth shows three stages of deliberate drilling — stone tools worked down through enamel, through dentine, all the way to the pulp — on what researchers believe was a deep bacterial cavity. The individual who owned that tooth went on to use it for chewing, probably for years afterward. Which means the procedure, as brutal as it sounds, did something useful. The find, reported by Kseniya Kolobova at the Russian Academy of Sciences, pushes the earliest confirmed evidence of dental intervention back by roughly 45,000 years. [...]
The Kid From Adelaide Who Wasn’t Supposed to Last — Joe Ingles Is Coming Home
He went undrafted. Spent years playing in Spain and Israel while his peers built NBA careers. Finally cracked a roster at 27 — an age when most players are already past their peak — and then stuck around for nine seasons. Joe Ingles is retiring from the NBA and signing with Melbourne United, and the story of how he got here is one Australian sport won't stop telling for a while. Nobody Gave Him a Seat at the Table The 2009 NBA Draft came and went without Ingles' name being called. Not in the first round. Not in the second. [...]
When Business Partnerships Start Breaking Down
Starting a business partnership is often built on shared goals, trust, and long-term plans for growth. However, as businesses evolve, disagreements between owners can sometimes become difficult to manage. When conflicts reach a point where business partners can no longer work together effectively, the situation is often referred to as a business divorce. Business divorces can be emotionally and financially challenging, particularly when multiple owners are involved or significant business assets are at stake. In many situations, speaking with an experienced shareholder dispute lawyer early in the process may help business owners better understand their legal position and reduce the [...]