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
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.
Police investigate link to other fires after Ballarat tobacco shop destroyed
Firefighters say the store was well alight when they arrived at the scene.
Koalas found dead near harvested plantation after Conservation Regulator opposed moving them
Wildlife rescuers say the koalas should have been moved to a new area before the trees near Ballarat were harvested, but the regulator is standing by its decision.
Who was The Wizard Jacobs? And what does his 'return' to the Goldfields mean for our nation's past?
The Wizard Jacobs was known for tricks and sleight of hand, including the famous "Chinese ring trick" and an illusion where he produced bowls of water containing goldfish from under a cloak.
First medicinal cannabis-growing course offers sustainable careers in thriving industry
Federation TAFE introduces an accredited training course as modelling estimates that by 2028, nearly 250,000 Victorian patients are expected to demand medicinal cannabis.
'Amazing athlete': Cyclists pay touching tribute to beloved champion Melissa Hoskins
Competitors at the three-day AusCycling Road National Championships in Ballarat have taken a moment of silence in honour of the renowned Olympian, who died on Saturday, December 30.
Today is 'Dating Sunday' so if you're looking for love online, there are ways to protect yourself
Hitting the dating apps today, but hesitating because of a previous negative experience? App companies say don't be deterred, but do stand up for yourself when swiping right.
Search for missing teenager swept into sea in south-west Victoria continues into third day
Emergency service workers and members of the public are still searching for a 14-year-old boy missing in the surf near the blowholes at Cape Bridgewater since Tuesday.
Supreme Court rules against community group challenge over Western Renewables Link
A group of regional Victorians, who took a fight against the fast-tracking of major energy projects to the Supreme Court, have their challenge rejected and are ordered to pay costs to Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio.
Eco-friendly and second-hand gifts increase in popularity this festive season
Victorians take environmentally friendly steps to consider high cost-of-living pressures and poor environmental outcomes for the 2023 silly season.
Searchers hopeful teen boy still alive after being swept from rocks in south-west Victoria
Police say a freak wave washed two boys out to sea from a popular swimming spot on Tuesday. One of them made it back to shore and an extensive search is continuing for the other.
CPR delay and 'inappropriate' police handcuff use criticised by coroner
A Victorian coroner has criticised the use of handcuffs on a mentally ill man who died after a "prolonged struggle" with police.
White supremacist march 'really has no place in Ballarat', mayor says as police probe banned Nazi salute
The "unplanned demonstration" took place as the city was celebrating the 169th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade.
Coroner finds staff failed patient and family by withholding 'potentially lifesaving treatment'
A Victorian coroner has found that Grampians Health breached its own guidelines regarding vital documents for a 59-year-old woman who was not resuscitated after choking in 2021.
Contractor fined over multiple koala deaths 'didn't intend to cause harm', Victorian court hears
Bryant's Forestry and Earthmoving Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to five consolidated charges of animal cruelty after 21 koalas were found dead and about 40 had to be euthanised at a bluegum plantation in Cape Bridgewater.
'Destroyed in an instant': Community in shock after 'beautiful night' ends with five dead
Onlookers and locals describe the horrific scene that unfolded at a pub in Daylesford last night, where five people, including two children, died when a vehicle crashed through the beer garden.
Crew lost in fatal crash near Cloncurry had travelled from a number of eastern states
Specialist police are on their way out to remote Queensland and four aircraft have been grounded after three people died in a plane crash while fighting fires.
Most maps show them as ordinary buildings and streets – but these sites tell the stories of LGBTQIA+ Victorians
The Queer-Ways project is creating an interactive map of lived queer experiences, starting in regional Victoria, to document a history at risk of being lost.
40,000 vapes, 611,833 cigarettes seized, and six arrested in Victorian illicit tobacco shop raids
Accompanied by Australian Border Force officers and tax officials, Taskforce Viper police have raided outlets in Shepparton, Seymour, Yarrawonga, and Ballarat, seizing more than $2 million worth of vapes, cigarettes, loose tobacco, and cash.
Glenelg Shire loses third councillor within months as Mayor concedes there are 'issues'
Mayor Scott Martin denies the council has become "unworkable" after a string of resignations this year.
Competition 'stress' helps mine rescuers prepare for real-life scenarios
The competition in Stawell is one of the few opportunities the first responders have to practice vital skills before a real emergency arises.
VCAT sides with residents to scrap hotel development on Ballarat's farming fringes
Self-represented locals say the farmland flanking the city should not be lost to urban sprawl.
Couple who sold sick kittens from car boot hit with $196k in fines and costs for animal cruelty
A regional Victorian couple has been handed two-year community correction sentences and fined $196,000 after being found guilty of illegally selling cats and failing to provide veterinary care.
As sinkholes appear in Ballarat, experts warn of unmapped gold rush shafts hidden from detection
After prolonged wet weather, sinkholes are appearing in Ballarat. And with no good mining records from the historic 1850s gold rush, there's no way of knowing where the next one will open up.