Judge-only trials will be allowed in Victoria during the coronavirus crisis if the defendant and prosecution agree, under temporary laws to be introduced into State Parliament this week.

Key points: The legislative changes are only temporary and expire after six months

The legislative changes are only temporary and expire after six months They include changes to bail reporting rules and give councils the power to hold meetings online

They include changes to bail reporting rules and give councils the power to hold meetings online Budget and appropriation bills are also on the agenda

Magistrates also will be given the power to impose electronic monitoring conditions on offenders who are on community correction orders.

Currently, that power resides only with higher courts.

These add to other major changes to the justice system due to the pandemic, with bail reporting conditions suspended for all Victorians accused of crimes.

That decision is expected to affect about 3,000 people currently on bail and who, on average, make 10,000 visits to police stations every week.

"Everything has to change," Mr Andrews told the ABC Radio Melbourne on Monday.

"That's just the nature of these things."

Parliament is holding a one-day sitting on Thursday to pass a series of bills that include budget measures as well as the omnibus bill, a document hundreds of pages long that lays out the temporary measures.

Other than changes already flagged to rental tenancy laws agreed by the National Cabinet, the measures in the omnibus bill have a sunset clause and will expire in six months.

Many of the changes affect the justice system, with the Andrews Government giving the courts the power to reduce person-to-person interactions, including allowing for the electronic filing of affidavits.

The Premier said the nature of the crisis was such that everything has to change. ( ABC News )

The laws will allow for judge-only trials in cases where the defendant has agreed and the prosecution has been consulted.

The state has been investigating allowing judge-only trials under normal circumstances.

Some criminal defence lawyers are against the idea, arguing juries rarely get it wrong.

There will also be special quarantine orders for prisons in a bid to manage the risk of the virus to staff and inmates.

"These are temporary changes — but they're necessary changes. This is about responding to the challenges of physical distancing and, ultimately, saving lives,'' said Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said.

Bail shake-up a sign of the times

Premier Andrews has defended the decision to suspend bail reporting to police stations.

In an email directive sent out to all police and protective services officers late last week, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton announced the changes, effective from this Friday.

Police said that by temporarily suspending bail reporting conditions, they will prevent 40,000 non-essential trips to police stations every month.

There will be special management plans for high-risk offenders that could include increased compliance checks.

People on bail are often required to present themselves to a police station several times a week. ( ABC News: Billy Draper )

"This decision has been made to reduce risks to staff and community and has the support of the courts," Deputy Commissioner Patton said.

"Persons reporting on bail will still be required to adhere to all other conditions of their bail."

Mr Andrews stressed the changes would not affect the conditions offenders had to meet in order to get bail in the first place.

"Those very strict requirements remain in place," Mr Andrews said.

"It's just one of many, many ways in which the ordinary functioning of government, ordinary processes have to change."

Deputy Commissioner Patton said the change in bail requirements was not a "free kick".

"The accountability regime they are now going to be adhering to is going to probably be more stringent you could argue," he said.

He said police would be assessing all the bail cases individually and ramping up checks on any that posed a risk.

The Chief Health Officer's restrictions would be added to bail conditions so breaching the directives would become a breach of bail.

If there's extraordinary demand on nurses, Ms Mikakos would be able to renogotiate nurse-to-patient ratios. ( ABC Melbourne: Kristian Silva )

Opposition says bill requires careful scrutiny

The Omnibus Bill is not restricted to the justice system — it includes a range of changes across government.

If hospitals are overwhelmed by coronavirus, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos will also be able to alter nurse-to-patient ratios due to "extraordinary demand" on their services, after consultation with the nurses' union.

Other measures include:

Allowing local councils to hold meetings online.

Allowing local councils to hold meetings online. Providing up to an extra six months of WorkCover payments to some long-term injured workers who are due to move off payments but are unable to, due to COVID-19.

Providing up to an extra six months of WorkCover payments to some long-term injured workers who are due to move off payments but are unable to, due to COVID-19. Planning permits will be displayed electronically.

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The Opposition was only provided with the tome of legislation late on Monday evening, frustrating Coalition Leader Michael O'Brien, who had said he wanted to work constructively with Government.

"Any bill that provides extraordinary power to Government requires careful scrutiny,'' Mr O'Brien said.

"Emergency powers should not be handed out lightly. Victorians deserve a fair opportunity to have their say on this extraordinary legislation but the Andrews Government is pushing ahead regardless."

Modelling released on Monday suggested 36,000 people could have been killed by coronavirus in the state. ( Reuters: Andrew Kelly )

Also on the agenda are appropriation bills — the legislation needed to ensure the state's public service can be paid and keep running.

As part of these bills the Government is also setting up a $24.5 billion emergency fund, through a financial facility, which it can draw down when needed.

This will add to the state's debt.

"There are some expenditures that we can't be certain of, for instance if we got to a situation where we literally had thousands of people in intensive care then there is a very big cost involved in that,'' Mr Andrews said.

While the plan will increase the state's debt, Mr Andrews said the carrying costs of debt "had never been lower."