Laura Mayers
Ballarat, VIC
Laura Mayers is a news reporter for ABC Ballarat, covering online, radio, and television stories. Laura previously worked as a reporter for ABC South East SA in 2021 and ABC Capricornia in 2020. She began her journalism career with WIN News in Rockhampton in 2019. Find her on Twitter @Mayers_Laura_.
Latest by Laura Mayers
Horse trainer Darren Weir receives two-year ban for using an electrical device on horses in 2018
The Victorian Racing Tribunal disqualifies Darren Weir from racing for another two years for using an electronic shock device known as a jigger on three horses.
Man hospitalised with suspected gunshot wound as police investigate 'targeted attack'
Victoria Police believe a "targeted attack" was carried out at a Ballarat property early on Monday morning, which led to a man being take to hospital with a suspected gunshot wound.
$20 to take an old mattress to the tip sounds like a steal ... but where is the rubbish ending up?
With Facebook Marketplace and Airtasker offering easy solutions to waste management, authorities are urging due diligence to ensure rubbish is being disposed of the right way.
SES searches forest north of Ballarat for missing man
Matthew, 34, was last seen in Newlyn, north-east of Ballarat, on Friday afternoon. His family is concerned about his welfare due to a medical condition.
Pool operator fined for safety breaches surrounding death of 8yo boy
The County Court in Warrnambool heard Port Fairy pool operators did not test children's swimming abilities before allowing them to use an inflatable aquatic device and did not have procedures in place for how to manage children on the device.
White Night and bin night targeted in Ballarat industrial action escalation
Ballarat council's union members are ramping up the impact of their fight for a bigger pay rise with their sights set on a spectacle that has previously attracted 40,000 visitors to the town.
'Big risk' pays off as inaugural Ballarat Marathon attracts thousands of runners
Event manager Adam McNicol says the idea to hold it in a regional city was ambitious, but with nearly 5,000 total registrations and overseas interest, it is being heralded as a success.
Tributes for beloved mum killed with pilot in glider crash near Falls Creek
A Melbourne mother and a pilot have died after planning to spread the ashes of a relative in Victoria's north-west.
When her NDIS payments stopped for months, Becki turned to her own savings to pay for vital services
NDIS users facing unpaid bills and deteriorating mental health due to months-long funding delays call for more compassion and less complexity in the system.
Hundreds in Ballarat call for an end to violence against women, as shadows of three major tragedies loom
Hundreds attend a rally in Ballarat, pushing to bring an end to gendered violence in Australia after the deaths of Rebecca Young, Samantha Murphy and Hannah McGuire.
Man accused of murdering Hannah McGuire faces court in Ballarat
Lachlan Young, 21, has faced a packed courtroom in Ballarat. He is charged with the murder of 23-year-old Hannah McGuire, whose body was found in a burnt-out car last week.
Native animals that survived 'horrific' Victorian bushfire now facing increased threat from predators
Six weeks on from a bushfire that ripped through 22,000 hectares of land west of Ballarat, wildlife carers say the impact on already stressed wildlife is heartbreaking.
Coastal residents who opposed a new abalone farm ask 'what is the point' of VCAT if decisions are overruled
Despite long-running local opposition, and an initial rejection by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, a major aquaculture farm on a prime patch of Victorian coast is set to proceed to the detailed design phase.
Residents at risk of emotional burnout as 'compounding events' overwhelm Ballarat
The executive director of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, who is also a Ballarat resident, says the people of the city need to continue to keep supporting each other after months of trauma.
Former White Ribbon ambassador jailed for raping wife
A Victorian survivor of abuse and sexual violence has spoken out after her former husband was sentenced over the horror she endured at his hands.
Pool management group pleads guilty over primary school boy's death
The year two student drowned while on an excursion in south-west Victoria in 2021.
No new leads and a tight lid on protracted investigation — what we know about Samantha Murphy's disappearance
A "top priority" investigation, numerous police interviews and a supportive community effort have been features of a search in the month since Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy disappeared.
Samantha Murphy most likely dead, police say, as phone clue leads to new search
Investigators say they believe "more parties" are involved in the Ballarat mother's disappearance and "everyone" in her life is a person of interest as the search focuses on bushland south of Ballarat.
Community mounts 'mega search' for missing Victorian woman Samantha Murphy
Police say they have added highly experienced detectives from multiple policing divisions to the weeks-long search for missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy.
Firefighters battle second tobacco shop blaze to hit Ballarat in a fortnight
A fire in Ballarat comes after another tobacconist in Bakery Hill was destroyed by fire on February 1.
Able to read cursive handwriting? The war memorial wants your help transcribing love letters
Within the documents released are letters sharing "heartening" news and even "mundane gossip" from more than a century ago.
Speculation about Samantha Murphy's disappearance unhelpful as police sift through information, former detective says
A call to "let police do their job" comes following the closure of a Facebook group set up to coordinate search efforts for the missing mum after it became a haven for theories and speculation.
Vigil held for missing woman Samantha Murphy as PM extends sympathies
A vigil has been held for Samantha Murphy in her home town of Ballarat as the investigation into the disappearance of the 51-year-old woman enters its second week.
Concerns grow for Ballarat woman last seen leaving for morning run
Police and SES personnel are searching an area of state forest near the Victorian city in search of the missing 51-year-old.
Delight as necklace lost for two decades found during renovations
Isabel Wait had "all but forgotten" about the locket she was given by her mum and dad when she was seven, before it was found during renovations at her old primary school.