A Melbourne couple is leaving lockdown $60 million richer after winning the Powerball jackpot last night.

The single winning entry in the lottery draw was purchased at an outlet at the South Melbourne Market.

The winning numbers in Powerball draw 1327 last night were 7, 17, 11, 28, 30, 2, 27. The Powerball number was 11.

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The thrilled pair said they planned to retire early and splash the cash on a new house and car, holidays and helping their children.

Speaking to lottery officials from The Lott, the man said they discovered their mind-blowing win shortly after the draw, but needed time to let it sink in.

"It's fantastic news," the winning man said.

"I found out last night while I was watching TV with my wife.

"We knew straight after the draw that we had won. We were screaming and crying.

"It was just disbelief. It was amazing. We've just been trying to calm down ever since."

The man said the pair had endured a "really horrible" year, but the win had made up for it.

"It has been a very tough year for us – really horrible. But this changes everything," he said.

"It's a dream come true. We've been fantasising about this moment and now it's here and we're multi-millionaires.

"We feel very, very grateful. This feels like a dream."

The couple will first pay off their home loan and other debts they have, before searching for a new house, car and booking holidays.

READ MORE: Neighbours in Western Sydney win over $3m together in the lotto

Market Lotto and News Owners Chris and Ana Haritos said they were ecstatic to have sold a division one winning entry.

"This is the first time in my life I've sold an entry like this," Mr Haritos said.

"We'd love to send our congratulations to the couple.

"We wish our winners all the very best and hope they truly enjoy this life-changing prize."

Newly minted deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres has vigorously defended his funding of a Wagga gun club upgrade, under hours of grilling at a corruption inquiry.

ICAC is investigating the allocation of grants to Daryl Maguire's electorate, and whether they were given preferential treatment, because of his secret relationship with former premier Gladys Berejiklian.

It includes $5.5 million in funding handed to the Australian Clay Target Association for a project which Mr Maguire lobbied for.

READ MORE: Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian will front ICAC next week

But Mr Ayres said, as the then-Sports Minister, he also agreed the project should go ahead.

"I thought the project had a lot of merit, they had a world championship event coming up in 2018, they were the national association for clay target shooting," Mr Ayres told the commission.

This week ICAC has heard public servants give evidence that the shooting range grant "didn't stack up", "didn't make sense", and went "against all of the principles of sound economic management".

But Mr Ayres agreed to give the association $40,000 to prepare an initial business case to support its application for funding, and when it came back, he asked his office to prepare an "urgent" submission for the project to be considered by a cabinet sub-committee.

READ MORE: Mike Baird was 'incredulous' at Gladys Berejiklian's secret relationship

It was approved, on the condition of a substantive business case being compiled.

Asked whether he had done a "deal or arrangement" with Ms Berejiklian or Mr Maguire to secure the funding, he replied "no", and called the notion of a possible "sweetheart deal" a "fantasy".

But he "could not recall" if he ever spoke to Ms Berejiklian about the project.

"I never anticipated or thought or considered that Gladys or Daryl were deriving a private benefit from this project," Mr Ayres said.

But when asked if he would have acted differently had he known of the relationship, he said: "I think my most normal course of action would be to say, 'do we need to manage a conflict here?'"

The hearing continues next week, with former Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Mr Maguire and Ms Berejiklian to be in the stand.

Disgraced former Labor minister and convicted criminal Eddie Obeid has been ordered to go to prison to begin his sentence after being jailed over a corrupt mining licence.

Obeid, his former colleague Ian Macdonald and son Moses Obeid were all handed jail sentences yesterday.

But later that afternoon Obeid, 77, was bailed pending an appeal on his conviction, meaning he did not spend last night behind bars.

READ MORE: Eddie and Moses Obeid, Ian Macdonald all jailed over mine conspiracy

Tonight will be his last as a free man after Justice Elizabeth Fullerton ordered him to go directly to jail tomorrow.

He must present himself by 10am.

His legal team had argued because of his age and health he could get very sick or even die from COVID-19 if he caught it in the cells at the Surry Hills Police Centre, where prisoners are processed before being taken to jail.

So Justice Fullerton ruled the 77-year-old could bypass that step and go directly to Silverwater Prison.

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Yesterday he was sentenced to seven years with a non-parole period of three years and ten months.

His son Moses, 51, was jailed for five years with a non-parole period of three years.

Macdonald was handed the longest sentence and was jailed for nine years and six months with a non-parole period of five years and three months.

The conspiracy related to a coal exploration licence for the Obeid family farm, Cherrydale Park, in the Bylong Valley in NSW.

Macdonald was the state resources minister at the time, and a rigged tender saw the Obeid family pocket $30 million.

The state government is now working to get that money back.

"I don't care if the ATO strip him bare. As far as I'm concerned the crime commissioner can take his socks and jocks," NSW Police Minister David Elliott said today.

Obeid has to be at Silverwater Jail by 10am tomorrow.

He will then do two weeks of quarantine, due to the pandemic, before joining the prison population.

A 71-year old man has crashed his sailboat into a Whitsundays island as a result of a medical episode, prompting a dramatic marine rescue this morning.

The man lost consciousness during the episode, causing his vessel to run aground on Hook Island.

The boat was discovered by a passing boat, whose skipper prompted the mayday signal.

READ MORE: Qantas to restart international flights earlier than expected

What followed was a four-hour rescue mission, as local police deployed their rescue vessels to locate the sailboat.

Paramedics were on board to assist the injured man, who was found unconscious and buried beneath furniture as a result of the crash.

Queensland Police representatives confirmed that a CQ Rescue helicopter arrived on the scene to extract the man, due to the difficult terrain and prevailing weather conditions.

READ MORE: $60m Powerball ticket won by mystery Melburnian

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He was flown to Mackay Base Hospital with minor injuries.

Whitsunday Water Police Senior Constable, Brett Norris said the incident was a reminder of the risks of driving marine vessels alone.

"Sometimes unexpected events happen on the water," he said.

"If operating alone, it's even more important to plan for the unexpected and let someone know of your journey.

"In this case, we are pleased the man is expected to make a full recovery."

Air and land searches are continuing for a 27-year-old man who went missing in remote outback Queensland.

Jeremiah Rivers was last seen around 9.30am on October 18 near Wilsons River, 20km south of Noccundra.

The man had been camping and fishing with friends in the remote location when he disappeared.

READ MORE: Investigator reveals why police believe Cleo Smith was abducted

https://twitter.com/QldPolice/status/1451366707956633606

Friends of Mr Rivers told police that he had gone for a walk and failed to return.

Extensive land and air searches by plane and gyrocopter have taken place over the last week, in efforts to locate the man.

"The coordinated extensive search included police, SES personal in vehicles, motorcycles and All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)," a Queensland Police representative confirmed.

Police divers have also been used during the search, without success.

READ MORE: Melbourne CBD erupts with noise at midnight

Mr Rivers is described as Aboriginal, approximately 185cm tall, with a slim build and a tattoo of a cross under his right arm.

He was last seen wearing a red Chicago Bulls singlet, red Adidas sneakers and black jeans.

Anyone who has seen Mr Rivers or knows his location is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A drone being flown near a vegetation fire in the hills above Naenae has forced Fire and Emergency to suspend their aerial firefighting operations.Fire and emergency were called to the fire in Naenae near Wilkie Crescent just after…

Victoria will scrap quarantine for fully vaccinated international travellers from November 1 in a major step to reopening the country.

The change means hotel and home quarantine will only be required for unvaccinated people, those who have had a COVID-19 vaccine that is not approved by the Australian Government, or those whose vaccination status is unknown.

Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement today as Melbourne celebrates "Freedom Day", explaining international arrivals would only need to get tested within 24 hours upon arriving into the state next month.

EXPLAINED: What you can and can't do when Melbourne's lockdown ends

"From November 1, international travellers returning back to Melbourne or coming to Melbourne, coming to Victoria – for the first time – will not have to quarantine," Mr Andrews said.

"They'll be able to go home if they are double-vaxxed, if they have tested negative before the flight and if they get a test within 24 hours of arriving home.

"This means that we will reduce our hotel quarantine program down to just a handful of hotels."

READ MORE: 'A big vibe': Dan Andrews' message on first day out of lockdown

READ MORE: Melbourne CBD erupts with noise at midnight as lockdown lifts

The major relaxation of the state's border for international travellers brings Victoria in line with New South Wales' approach.

The premier said he decided to follow suit with NSW on easing quarantine measures as Victoria will be "as protected as can be" come November.

"This is a freedom of movement we've not been able to enjoy for a long time," he said.

"And that's all because Victorians have got vaccinated in record time and in record numbers."

Qantas this afternoon revealed it would bring forward the resumption of international flights from Melbourne following the Victorian Government's decision to remove quarantine requirements.

Flights from Melbourne to London will take off on November 6, six weeks earlier than planned.

Flights from Melbourne to Singapore will resume on November 22, three weeks ahead of schedule.

"It's great to see Melbourne reopening and the decision by the Victorian Government to remove quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers will make it easier for people to take the trips they've been longing to take," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

"We've immediately brought forward our flights from Melbourne to Singapore and London in response."

https://omny.fm/shows/the-9news-lunch-podcast/oct-22-melbourne-emerges-and-the-search-for-cleo-s/embed?style=cover

A pedestrian has been seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle on SH2 in Central Hawke’s Bay.Emergency services were called to the scene near Otane about 4.25pm. A police spokeswoman said one person had been seriously injured.”The…

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has confirmed a tornado touched down in Queensland after a severe storm warning was issued for Brisbane.

The BoM said the funnel cloud was captured by a webcam at Brisbane Airport as a supercell thunderstorm swept through.

The system also brought 101mm of rain and has been branded a one-in-50 year rain rate for Brisbane Airport.

READ MORE: Qantas to restart international flights earlier than expected

This comes as a severe weather warning for damaging winds has been issued for large parts of the state.

People in the Southeast Coast and parts of Peninsula, North Tropical Coast and Tablelands, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, Herbert and Lower Burdekin, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and Maranoa and Warrego Forecast Districts have been told to brace for intense storms.

"Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding over the next several hours," it said.

Parts of the Gold Coast have been issued a severe weather warning with residents warned to brace for damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rain.

"These thunderstorms are slow moving. They are forecast to affect waters off South Stradbroke Island by 12:40 pm.

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1451370356128686083

Photographer Marty Watson also captured today's tornado as it formed over Lomadra Drive.

He said the weather event was initially calm before violent winds picked up.

"I saw this developing right in our car park," he told 9News.com.au.

https://twitter.com/LukeBradnam/status/1451372689390649351

"I grabbed my video because it's something you don't see everyday. Initially it was calm as it formed. It didn't quite touch down in the car park though as it went over our building.

"The wind became fairly violent within 20 seconds though and the rain and hail was smashing us," he said.

"Luckily there doesn't appear to be any car damage but the building leaked a bit."

READ MORE: Queenslanders warned to prepare homes for 'severe' storm season

The tornado came after the BoM issued a severe thunderstorm warning for people in parts of Brisbane City Council Area this morning, explaining "very dangerous thunderstorms" were detected near Brisbane Airport and Mud Island.

"Intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, damaging winds and large hailstones are likely," it said.

The storm warning was cancelled shortly after midday.

Originally published by Māori Television Te Pāti Māori has laid a formal complaint with Trevor Mallard, Parliament’s speaker, saying he colluded with the Government to attack Māori leaders as the reason Māori…