Victoria
Australia's most compact mainland state, with an unusually well-connected regional rail network that makes Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo genuine commuter cities, not just satellite towns.
Beyond Melbourne, Victoria's main regional cities are Geelong (population 270,000+, the state's second-largest city, on a direct rail line to Melbourne that makes it a genuinely commutable option rather than a separate market) and Ballarat and Bendigo (both 100,000+, each with its own university, major hospital and manufacturing base).
Victoria is the most geographically compact mainland state, and its regional rail network radiates out from Melbourne with direct lines to Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon -- this genuinely changes the "do I need to live in Melbourne itself" calculation compared with most other states, where a regional city is a much bigger commitment to commute from.
Rental bonds are held by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) under Consumer Affairs Victoria. As of 1 December 2025, the RTBA moved all bond transactions onto a new online platform -- worth knowing if you're working from older instructions that describe a different process.
Useful resources
- Victoria State Government -- state services and information
- Consumer Affairs Victoria -- Residential Tenancies Bond Authority -- bond lodgement and refunds
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