A grassfire approximately 60 hectares in size is out of control, currently creating spot-fires approximately up to 1.5 Kms ahead. Communities affected include: Mount Prospect, Sailors Falls, Eganstown, Sailors Hill, Musk Vale, Blampied.

A fast-moving grass and forest fire that was threatening homes near Daylesford has been brought under control.

The fire has been contained and is no longer threatening homes, a CFA spokesman said.

The blaze burnt through 37 hectares of grassland and blue gum plantations at the edge of the Wombat State Forest, south-west of Daylesford. One shed was destroyed.

Firefighters remain at the scene blacking out the fire.

Residents in Telegraph, Hurns and Sucklings roads in Blampied have been advised that fire and smoke may be visible in the area for some time and to stay off the roads until the fire is extinguished.

A CFA spokesman said 50 fire trucks and four aircraft were involved in fighting the fire that raged out of control for three hours.

It was originally thought to have been 60 hectares in size and was feared to reach homes in six towns surrounding the Wombat State Forest.

Residents were sent emergency text messages and warning signals were broadcast on radio after the blaze began about 1.30pm.

Parts of the Midland Highway were closed but have since been reopened.

Meanwhile, a total fire ban has been declared for tomorrow in three districts - central, including Melbourne and Geelong; South-west; and Wimmera.

Aerial firefighters are on standby in the state’s south-west ahead of this weekend's ncreased fire risk.

The weather bureau has predicted high-than-normal temperatures and northerly winds across the state for tomorrow and Sunday.

CFA state duty officer Craig Brownlie said all Victorians should be ready for above-average temperatures and high winds, especially those in the south of the state.

"The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast temperatures in the mid to high 30s for most of the state which creates a significant risk," he said in a statement. 

"High winds tomorrow morning will also further increase the risk, particularly in the south-west of the state where we have aircraft and resources ready to be deployed."

"There is the possibility of a TFB [total fire ban] being declared for some areas tomorrow and people need to be aware of how this affects them," Mr Brownlie said.

"People travelling around the state, camping and enjoying the summer weather need to take extra care. People need to have a plan about what to do if a fire breaks out and need to be aware of the local conditions," Mr Brownlie said.

A spokesman for the Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures would climb 10 to 12 degrees above the monthly average throughout the state tomorrow, the highest expected in Horsham, where a top of 39 is expected.

He said the north of the state would reach the high 30s today and again on Saturday and Sunday, with southern areas reaching mid 30s.

Fresher northerly winds posed an increased risk of fire for these areas.

"Today winds are fairly light, but over the next two days the northerly will be fresher, which increases fire danger," he said.

The heat spell is expected to end on Monday, with the built-up humidity bringing rain and thunderstorms

VICTORIA is being paralysed by a lack of leadership, and major concerns have been raised by state and federal MPs about the performance by Premier Ted Baillieu

As Victorians feel the brunt of job losses and turn to Spring St and Canberra for answers, state Liberal MPs have voiced their frustration at Mr Baillieu's go-slow approach.

Front and backbench MPs at both levels of government admit Victoria is in the midst of a leadership vacuum.

It has been a poor few weeks for Mr Baillieu, who has flip-flopped on issues as diverse as the future of the Australian Grand Prix and a teacher's appearance in a porn film, as well as weathering criticism for the Liberal Party's decision not to contest the Niddrie by-election.

During a 3AW interview last week, Mr Baillieu was unable to answer a simple question: can you name one person you will visit on your trip to India? Frustrations at his performance are also growing inside his party.

A veteran Liberal MP told the Sunday Herald Sun last week that Mr Baillieu's leadership style was rubbing his allies - including ministers - the wrong way.
"He seems to believe information is power so he's keeping it to himself and a very select few," the source said.

"We're not getting a lot and that's wrong because he's got a good team around him who are not being used to the best of their abilities.

"Up front he says, 'I've got a good team'. Well, for God's sake, use that talent."

Another Liberal MP said Mr Baillieu's leadership style was beginning to grate.

"There could be a plan, but we don't know anything about it," the MP said.

And yet another Liberal MP said there was concern that Mr Baillieu at times looked disinterested in the role, was gaining a reputation for refusing to answer questions and was on the nose with voters.

Under his watch, more than 33,000 full-time jobs have been lost. The Premier has presented no real jobs plan and shows no sign of coming up with one. The state's is now the biggest challenge facing the Baillieu Government.

Not only does he struggle to make a snap decision on almost everything thrown his way at press conferences, Mr Baillieu seems incapable of taking a swift and unswerving stance on things that really matter. Take the drawn-out decision on whether to keep or scrap Myki, the will-they-or-won't they debate over whether to run a candidate in the Niddrie by-election and the plethora of

reviews

, and he has ordered as proof.

Despite knowing most of the state's major projects were drawing to a close when he took over the Premiership, Mr Baillieu not only failed to commit to building anything new of significance, he even failed to ensure his Government submitted an application to Infrastructure Australia for funding in its first year. His wish list has been sent to Canberra now but not before

Victoria missed out on key funding to other states while his Government dragged its feet

. What will be Mr Baillieu's CityLink, AAMI Park or EastLink?

What started as steady as she goes when the Government's first no-frills State Budget was handed down in the black now threatens to descend into turmoil on the back of the jobs crisis and lower than expected revenue from stamp duty and GST payments.

The Baillieu Government is pushing Victoria to a level of state debt not seen since the days of Cain and Kirner

governments as it invests in essential infrastructure. The fight is on to keep

Victoria's much vaunted AAA credit rating

alive fewer than two years into his Premiership.

Apart from a seemingly endless list of studies, including the Avalon and Melbourne airport rail links, nothing has really been done.

With no new trains or stations apart from those commissioned by the Brumby Government

, our roads are still gridlocked and trains packed.

THE Baillieu government has been accused of shrouding its much-vaunted anti-corruption commission in excessive secrecy after suppressing a key expert report advising the Coalition on the body's most controversial aspects.

Last year the government asked a panel of four experts, headed by former Court of Appeal judge Stephen Charles, QC, to consult lawyers, judges, academics, police, the journalists' union and public service representatives about the powers and scope of Victoria's first anti-corruption watchdog.

Setting up the watchdog was one of Premier Ted Baillieu's core election promises.


The government has confirmed to The Age the report will never be made public

Spin City is alive and well with Baillieu Government ministers relying on almost the same number of media advisers as last year's Brumby government.
An updated Ministerial Media Contact List shows the Coalition employs 21 spin doctors, including media unit head Josephine Cafagna, whose name does not appear on the list.

At the peak of its powers before last year's election, the Brumby media unit consisted of 22 advisers -- one more than the Coalition, which has built up its numbers since winning office.

The Government claims the new swag of advisers cannot be compared to the Brumby era, because some policy advisers were now taking on media responsibilities.

"A number of Coalition media contacts are full-time policy advisers who also undertake some media responsibilities, unlike the former government who assigned multiple full-time media advisers to work in a central spin unit," a Government spokesman said.


The spokesman said ministerial staff numbers had been cut by 50 and was “a lean administration in contrast to the bloated ministerial offices that had developed under the former government".

The Coalition, despite promising to be more transparent, has refused Freedom of Information requests to release details about the number of staff employed by the Office of Premier and Cabinet and their salaries.

After dealing with unrelenting attacks on its reliance on media manipulation while in power, Labor scrutiny of government spokesman Martin Pakula said the spinning wheel had come full circle.

"The refusal by the Premier to reveal which political staff are employed in his office and what they are paid shows that his promise to cut ministerial staff numbers was just hollow spin," Mr Pakula said.

"He may be employing just as many and paying them twice as much and there is nothing open or transparent about the Premier using his private staff to knock back legitimate FoI requests."

A Labor FoI request for details about the Coalition's staff was rejected because the Government decided the request did not "relate to the affairs of an agency", raising questions about for whom the staff work.