Worker fatally crushed by hay bale

WorkSafe is investigating the death of a 48-year-old truck driver on a farm at Toolleen, near Bendigo, on Thursday morning.

It is understood a tractor was being used to unload hay bales from a trailer when a bale dislodged and fell three metres onto the man around 11:20am.

The death is the 12th confirmed workplace fatality for 2025. There were 19 work-related deaths at the same time last year.