Hospital will aim to provide free medical services but is still in the planning stages.

It wasn't enough to save a disappointing snow season, but Friday's heavy snowfalls sure made for some great photos on Saturday morning.

Around 15 to 20 centimetres of snow fell on Friday in the mountains of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania as a strong cold front on Friday moved through the region, bringing wild winds.

For the resorts that were already closed, it wasn't enough to get them back open, but at Australia's largest ski resort Perisher, conditions on the slopes improved dramatically, even if locals know the fresh snow will soon melt away.

Perisher still has 20 lifts open, while nearby Thredbo has 10 open, with four lifts still running at Charlotte Pass.

In Victoria, Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham are all still open with limited runs due to rain earlier this week and the generally poor season.

But conditions are also greatly improved there on the runs have that managed to stay open thanks to Friday's snowfalls.

READ MORE: Aussie ski areas shut in one of the 'earliest ever closures'

The snow season officially ends on the first weekend in October, however there is still no guarantee that most resorts will make it that far with their limited snow base.

The man who allegedly ran over a group of pedestrians, killing one and injuring five others, was found standing on top of his car "ranting and uttering" before he was arrested, Victoria Police have said.

The 26-year-old driver of a white Toyota sedan turned left onto Bourke Street from Elizabeth Street and veered onto the right-hand side of the road, hitting a group of pedestrians, before accelerating and crashing into a Hyundai and a Mazda.

Investigators are still trying to determine if the incident was deliberate or reckless, Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said.

"He did make some comments which will be important for what that means for the investigation, and whether there was intention or not behind the incident," Patton said.

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Three pedestrians, a 26-year-old man from Yarra South, a 23-year-old woman from China and a 35-year-old woman from Docklands, were struck by the Toyota at a tram stop on Swanston Street.

The 26-year-old man is suffering a suspected broken pelvis and head injuries. The 35-year-old woman has a broken arm and head injuries, while the 23-year-old woman is suffering from a neck fracture, broken pelvis and head injuries.

All three are in a serious but stable condition.

The 76-year-old driver of the Hyundai was killed whilst two people in the Mazda, which is believed to have been an Uber, were taken to hospital.

Two police officers who were nearby arrested the Toyota driver, who was standing on the roof of the car "ranting," Patton said.

He also confirmed that the incident has no terror links.

The driver has been deemed unfit for police interview following a mental health assessment and remains under police guard at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Premier Dan Andrews also offered his condolences and thanked the members of the public who rushed to assist those injured.

"I wanted to send out our deepest sympathies to the family of the 76-year-old man who has died in this incident," Andrews said while addressing the media.

"Can I [also] thank those many many Victorians who were on the scene who offered their hand or love or support." 

Melbourne resident Joey Tam witnessed the collision as she was leaving her workplace on Bourke Street.

"I heard a lot of people screaming, […] I saw a body fly up and hit the ground," she told Weekend Today hosts Jayne Azzopardi and Clint Stanaway.

"I felt really helpless at the time because this has happened again, and you can't stop someone doing something silly on the streets."

"I feel unsafe as someone who works on Boukre Street, I cross that road every day." 

Tam also witnessed the 2017 attack on Bourke Street Mall, which killed six and left 37 others injured when now-convicted murderer James Gargasoulas ran over dozens of pedestrians.

Areas between Bourke Street, Swanston Street and Exhibition Street remain closed.

Earlier, Ambulance Victoria said there had been five people injured; one was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition, two to the Alfred in a stable condition, and one to St Vincent's in a stable condition.

A New South Wales man will face charges in court today over allegedly sexually and physically assaulting several women.

The 34-year-old man was arrested at 6am on Friday in Penrith following reports of sexual violence against three women in Woodstock, Coffs Harbour and Sydney.

Police will allege that the man repeatedly sexually abused all three women while in relationships with them between 2016 and 2022.

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He was taken to Penrith Police Station where he was charged with 26 offences, including attempt to stalk/intimidate, common assault, sexual intercourse without consent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, destroy or damage property and aggravated sexual assault inflicting actual bodily harm.

He was refused bail at Parramatta local court today.

Investigations are still underway. 

When it comes to David and Goliath stories, the tug of war between the tiny micronation of Sealand and Great Britain is tough to beat.

Measuring around the size of two tennis courts, and located in the North Sea about 12km east of Suffolk, the oddity of Sealand claims to be the world's smallest country.

Since 1966, the Principality of Sealand has somehow repelled the clutches of its powerful neighbour, England, whose mighty empire was built on the back of awesome naval power and once covered a quarter of the planet's land mass.

After former British army major Roy Bates planted his flag on an old World War II sea fort nearly six decades ago, which he then established as Sealand, the English never managed to get him off, no matter how hard they tried.

"It was definitely a cock a snook to the British government," Roy's son Michael Bates tells 9news.com.au, tipping his hat to a lesser known name given to the derisive hand gesture where someone holds their thumb to the tip of the nose and waggles their fingers.

"It symbolises freedom, doesn't it?" he says, reflecting on what Sealand, and its colourful history, represents.

Before Michael's now deceased father claimed it as sovereign territory and anointed it Sealand, the hulking two-legged steel platform was simply known as HM Fort Roughs.

Built in 1943 to repel the Germans in World War II, around 150 Royal Navy personnel occupied the fort throughout the war to help defend vital shipping lanes.

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The last navy man left the structure in 1956, and government put the fort on the backburner, leaving it to sit isolated and empty in some of the most unforgiving seas and weather patterns on the planet.

With the fort abandoned in international waters, outside of Britain's then legal reach of three nautical miles, Bates hatched a plan.

He had a bee in his bonnet, because the government had not long before booted him off another war fort in the North Sea, one called Knock John.

From Knock John, the self-styled renegade Bates had been operating a pirate radio station called Radio Essex, taking on the BBC.

Pirate stations were on the rise, and the UK government wasn't happy about it. Tough new legislation was drafted and officials sought to shut down stations like Radio Essex.

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Knock John's Achilles heel, for Bates, had been its location. It was positioned in waters inside British jurisdiction, while Fort Roughs was further out to sea.

The other problem for Bates was a rival pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, was already occupying Fort Roughs.

The details of the night have varied a little over the years, but the way Michael Bates tells it to 9news.com.au from his home in Essex, the action took place on a "freezing cold" Christmas Eve in 1966.

Michael, his father and a couple of radio DJs jumped on a boat and journeyed out to Fort Roughs, pulling up underneath the platform.

"There was a little piece of rope hanging down and one of the DJs could climb really well," Michael Bates recalls.

"He climbed up and put a rope ladder down and we all climbed up.

"There were actually a couple of guys from Radio Caroline, we didn't know they we're going to be there, on the fort at the time. And we just told them, 'We're going to be taking you ashore tomorrow'.

"The world was a bit like that in those days, you know?"

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https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm0Micughsg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp

The fort has been in Bates family hands since. But not without drama.

Over the next decade, Sealand battled to survive and protect its sovereignty in a string of incidents which only added to the intrigue and legend of the manmade island.

When the British navy sent a boat close by, Michael Bates fired a series of warning shots at it. That scrape ended with the long arm of the law hauling Roy and Michael before a court in England.

But a judge threw out the case, ruling Sealand was outside British territorial waters and therefore beyond the jurisdiction of the court.

The Bates' seized on the ruling, insisting it effectively recognised Sealand as its own state. And for the past 60 years, the Bates family has run Sealand as if it were a real country, even though it's never been officially recognised as such.

"My dad was a born adventurer," Michael Bates says. In summing up, Bates claimed the judge had said his father should have been born in the Elizabethan era, "you know, like in the days of Francis Drake".

After the court case, Bates senior went all in.

He created a Sealand flag, a national anthem and a motto – E mare libertas, which translates into: "From The Sea, Freedom".

There are Sealand coins and stamps. The principality has its own constitution, and currency, Sealand dollars, pegged to the US dollar. It even has its own national football team. Arriving at Sealand, your passport must be stamped, and your person may be searched.

The twin supporting towers which hold up the platform, and make Sealand a place to live, are divided into seven floors of bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens, and even a chapel and jail cell.

"When you're inside, it's nice and warm and it's fine," Bates says.

"You can hear the sea gurgling around you. You hear ships go past like those old war submarine films where they're all sitting there, waiting for the depth charges to land, and you hear the propellers of the destroyer going 'ding ding ding ding' as it runs by you.

"You hear all that."

Wild storms are an exhilarating experience, and unnerving for the uninitiated.

"Luckily it's built in a fashion that the seas roll around it," Bates says.

"But you get the odd bastard (wave) now and again that will run up the tower and slap underneath, when there's like a Force 12 storm."

There's been more than just the weather to worry about.

In 1978, an attempted coup by a group of German and Dutch mercenaries drew the attention of the BBC and The New York Times, with The Times calling it "the smallest coup d'etat in history".

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The way Michael Bates tells it, he was the only one on the fort at the time. The would-be invaders flew in by helicopter and dropped down onto the fort, holding him captive for several days. He was marshalled onto a fishing trawler and put ashore in the Netherlands.

"Unfortunately they seem to have not really read their history about my father and my family," Bates says, matter of factly.

"So they didn't quite do the right thing."

After making his way back to the UK, the Bates clan launched their own armed counter offensive, flying back on a helicopter and retaking Sealand.

"We were sliding down ropes out of a helicopter, and we were 100 foot above the North Sea," Bates recalls.

"It was blowing a gale of wind, really rough, and we never even considered wearing large jackets. It's crazy when you look back."

Things are more serene these days.

After the turn of the millennium, Bates briefly flirted with the idea of setting up Sealand as the world's first truly offshore data storage platform, away from regular government and regulations.

But that initiative quickly fizzled out.

Now, the principality's website offers people the chance to purchase Sealandic titles, ranging from Lord or Lady, to a Duke or Duchess.

"They gave it a lifespan of 200 years when they built it," Bates says, when asked what the future holds.

"My sons are running it all now. I've got three grandsons.

"I'm sure we'll just carry on."

Video has emerged of two men kicking, hitting and stomping another person, who appears to be Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic.

It is unclear when the attack happened, but it was outside a tattoo parlour on the Gold Coast, and wasn't reported to police.

Tomic's management has been contacted for comment.

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A Wimbledon quarter finalist at the age of 18, Tomic was once ranked as high as number 17 in the world.

Now aged 30, he has fallen to number 292 in the world as he continues to attempt to revive his tennis career.

Tomic's most recent match was on September 7 in Istanbul, Turkey, on the Challenger Tour – the second tier of men's professional tennis which sits below the ATP Tour.

Tomic lost in three sets to Nick Hardt, a 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic ranked 320 in the world.

Wintery conditions and damaging winds are set to ease across Australia's south-east tonight after a destructive storm hit Sydney and Melbourne overnight.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the culprit for the icy, windy and damaging conditions is a cold front moving across the country's east and now out to sea.

The weather system brought thunder, lightning and powerful wind gusts to Sydney overnight and Melbourne this morning.

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The wind gusts were even strong enough to leave a trail of destruction in Sydney, ripping a metal roof from a Peakhurst fruit and vegetable shop and felling a tree onto a Frenchs Forest home's garage.

Sydney Airport also experienced delays this morning due to the strong winds.

More than 90 calls were made to the NSW State Emergency Service in the last 24 hours, with more than 40 coming in after midnight.

Wind gusts of 142km/h were recorded at Thredbo in New South Wales.

Weatherzone said around 245,000 lightning strikes were recorded in an 800km radius of Bourke in the NSW far west but some also occurred in Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia.

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The thunderstorms are moving north in New South Wales today with the possibility of damaging wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain continuing.

These storms could possibly move into southeast Queensland this afternoon as well.

Port Macquarie up to the Capricornia district in Queensland are at risk of severe thunderstorms.

But it wasn't just Sydney facing the spring storm, Victoria and South Australia also copped severe winds.

Hotham in Victoria recorded wind gusts of 137km/h and Limestone in South Australia posted 111km/h winds.

Victoria received more than 1000 calls for help overnight and more than 60,000 properties were without power in the morning.

Debris and fallen trees littered parts of the state after the strong wind gusts.

In Geelong, shades at a carpark were torn off the roof and solar panels precariously hung while others were smashed on the ground.

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But it is good news for all three states this weekend with storms expected to ease but the cooler conditions to continue.

"New South Wales and northern Victoria are set to have dry, sunny weather over the weekend, with frosty mornings inland," the bureau said.

"In the north, thunderstorms will mostly contract offshore although some may linger through southeast Queensland on Saturday."

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Weather warnings

New South Wales

Severe and damaging winds are forecast for regional parts of New South Wales.

Damaging winds are expected to lash the Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes, Snowy Mountains and Australian Capital Territory Forecast Districts.

Wind speeds are forecast to reach between 50 to 60km/h.

Strong winds are also expected in Braidwood, Goulburn, Bombala, Adaminaby, Nimmitabel, Khancoban and Thredbo Top Station.

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The SES have advised residents to stay vigilant, move their cars away from trees and secure loose items around backyards and homes.

Gale marine wind warnings have been issued to the Coffs Coast, Macquarie Coast and the Hunter Coast.

Strong marine wind warnings have been issued in the Byron Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast.

Strong winds are expected to continue on Saturday for the Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast and Batemans Coast.

Victoria

Damaging wind warnings have been issued for the Central, South West, West and South Gippsland and parts of East Gippsland, North Central, North East and Wimmera Forecast Districts.

Wind speeds will reach between 50km/h to 60km/h, with gusts expected over 100km/h over the eastern ranges, including Gippsland.

Damaging winds of up to 70km/h are expected over the southwest and central coasts, and will reach the west Gippsland coast later in the afternoon.

Winds of up to 60km/h and gusts of up to 100km/h are possible for the greater Melbourne area.

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A severe weather warning for damaging surf is also in place in Warrnambool, Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne, Traralgon and Moe.

The SES has advised residents to avoid driving if possible, and to steer clear of any low-lying areas or damaged trees, as they are more likely to fall over during a storm. 

Victoria has also been issued with marine wind warnings.

Tasmania 

A damaging wind warning is in place over King Island today. 

Winds up to 70km/h with gusts of up to 100km/h are likely to develop early this afternoon and ease this evening.

"Subject to the positioning and development of the low pressure system to the south of Tasmania, continued warnings may be required into Saturday morning for the Western Tiers and southern parts of Tasmania," the bureau said.

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South Australia

The severe weather warnings have been cancelled for South Australia as the low-pressure system moves east.

Queensland

The storm has not hit most of the state yet.

The bureau issued a thunderstorm forecast for south-east Queensland between St Lawrence and Bribie Island for Saturday.

The bureau said it will mostly in the morning but the storms aren't expected to be severe.

A strong wind warning is in place for the South East Gulf of Carpentaria, Peninsula Coast and Cooktown Coast regions.

Authorities have travelled to a remote section of the Norman River near Normanton in Queensland to investigate the deaths of multiple crocodiles.

Four crocodiles were found by locals over the past two weeks, prompting a quick response from wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Science (DES).

Officers examined two large carcasses and scanned them with a metal detector to determine whether the animals had been shot.

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The DES confirmed in a statement the metal detector did not detect any bullets inside the crocodiles.

"Due to the advanced state of decomposition, wildlife officers were unable to determine the causes of death," the statement said.

The investigation remains ongoing however, and anyone with information about the deceased crocodiles is encouraged to call 1300 130 372 or contact the Queensland Police Service via Crime Stoppers.

Estuarine crocodiles in Queensland are a vulnerable species and the maximum penalty for the deliberate harm or killing of crocodiles is $34,830.

The jury heard closing arguments and will return on Monday to deliberate.

Principals, teachers and school staff have gathered on the steps of state parliament in Melbourne to protest a chronic teacher shortage.

The Australian Education Union Branch President Meredith Price said job vacancies were at an all-time high at schools across the state, with as many as 2600 jobs yet to be filled.

"Our kids are being let down," Price said.

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Staff are taking on more responsibilities as class sizes continue to grow, teacher Simon Cole said.

"Teachers that are in schools are shouldering exhausting and unsustainable workloads to try to fill the gap," he said.

The Australian Education Union have penned an open letter to Premier Daniel Andrews, calling for retention payments to keep staff and financial support for those studying teaching.

"The staff in our schools are being let down and we are here to say it's not good enough," Price said.

"We believe we have the solutions, but we need the Andrews government to step up to make the investment."

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The Victorian premier today said he was proud of the progress made in addressing the teacher shortage.

"We have recruited 5000 teachers since 2020 at double the rate of any other state across our nation," Andrews said.

"There's absolutely a challenge and people are free to protest. I don't think protesting is the answer and I think hard work is the answer."

An Australian Education Union survey of 430 Victorian teachers found over a third of schools are being forced to increase class sizes to manage shortages.

Almost 40 per cent said they were using principals and assistant principals to help fill gaps in the classroom.

"Victoria is supposed to be the education state," Price said.

"They are not going to be able to deliver on that if we don't have staff to educate our kids."