Margaret Paul
Margaret Paul joined the ABC in 2011, as a cadet journalist. She has worked in radio and television news. Before joining the ABC, Margaret was a reporter at Neos Kosmos, Australia's Greek newspaper. She has also covered sport and arts for the Age newspaper in Melbourne, and covered the 2010 Federal Election for youth media organisation, VibeWire.
Latest by Margaret Paul
Father of 16yo Declan Cutler hugs prosecutors after teens found guilty of murder
A judge has found four teenagers guilty of the stabbing murder of 16-year-old Declan Cutler outside a party in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir in March 2022.
After 1,000 days of swimming in a row, Nicole has seen some 'horrendous stuff'
Nicole Chester has gone for a 1.5km swim in Port Philip Bay in Melbourne’s outer south-east, every morning – and today it’s her 1,000th consecutive swim.
'Like rotting flesh': As housing and industrial areas get closer, residents are concerned about fire risk, health and smell
The EPA launches hundreds of drones across Victorian industrial zones to check for potential fire risks over the summer, but some residents say it's not their only concern.
Wyndham City Council staff allege Jasmine Hill bullied them
Councillor Jasmine Hill has been suspended for alleged misconduct including 'screaming' at staff.
Anita catches three buses over 90 minutes to get to work. She only travels a few suburbs
More than a third of Melburnians have never caught a local bus, according to the state's peak infrastructure body, which has recommended an overhaul of the city's network.
How a roundabout upgrade shaved 30 minutes off the morning commute
The power of community advocacy is being celebrated in Melbourne's booming outer north, where a newly built slip lane is shaving off an average of 30 minutes from the morning drive. The locals who championed the change say there are lessons for other growth areas.
The only GP clinic in a town just outside Melbourne faces closure because it doesn't have enough doctors
The only GP clinic in a town just outside Melbourne is facing possible closure because it does not have enough doctors. Advocates say it's an example of an urgent national crisis.
University clears hundreds of trees to build solar farm
La Trobe University's plan to clear trees for a solar farm in Melbourne's north has raised questions about renewables coming at the cost of native habitat.
New modelling shows Victoria could save billions by swapping the urban sprawl for compact living
Victoria's independent infrastructure adviser says the state will be $43 billion better off if it swaps its urban sprawl for compact city living.
This map reveals the work commute dilemma facing those in Melbourne's outer suburbs
Despite rapid population growth in the city's outer suburbs, a lack of economic opportunities is forcing residents further away from home.
'A disaster waiting to happen': Cars queue for up to 3km to exit this freeway at peak hour
In one of Victoria's fastest-growing communities, there are calls for the speed limit to be dropped on a major freeway until safety upgrades are made to prevent what some residents fear could be a catastrophic collision.
Why these brand new inner Melbourne netball courts are sitting empty
Why this competition-grade netball facility opened a year ago still hasn't hosted a game
Victoria's environment watchdog drops charges against soft plastics recycler
Victoria's environment watchdog has dropped allegations against a soft plastics recycling company, but says more serious charges could be coming.
Thousands of tonnes of plastics could be sent offshore, as supermarkets look to restart local recycling program
The major supermarkets have started sending samples of soft plastics overseas to be recycled, as they deal with the legacy of thousands of tonnes of stockpiled plastics from the collapsed REDcycle scheme.
Mary-Lou says elder abuse by her son left her 'humiliated, horrified and alone'
Mary-Lou says her son used to park his car in the driveway to block her in her home before demanding money. Now the trialled program that helped her escape elder abuse is ending.
On Melbourne's northern fringe, residents say it's the people or the quarry
Residents around Wallan, in Melbourne's north, say a proposed quarry will bring unwanted sound, dust and traffic congestion to the area.
Ben thought his 'forever home' was well insured, but the cost of rebuilding is beyond his family's means
It's been two years after a powerful storm brought down trees across the Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne, many are still struggling to repair and rebuild from that night, and not a single home has been rebuilt.
Workers evacuated after tunnel collapse hundreds of metres underground on major Melbourne project
No workers were injured in a minor underground collapse on the road tunnel project in Melbourne's inner west.
CCTV footage shows Melbourne recycling crushed with rubbish to be dumped in landfill
There are calls for the waste collection industry to be overhauled, after the ABC obtains CCTV footage of a private company collecting recycling and waste from a Melbourne apartment building in the same truck.
Concerns Victoria's new land tax could cause more pain for renters caught in tightening market
There are fears landlords will pass on the cost of a new land tax introduced in the Victorian state budget onto renters, a concern the treasurer has rejected as "specious logic".
Residents bought into this estate on the promise of a bustling town centre. A decade later, it's still empty land
At the Allura estate in Melbourne, like in many new housing developments, residents say they've waited years for infrastructure. The Consumer Action Law Centre is now calling on the state government to toughen laws for developers.
Two years ago, James's life involved drugs and jail. Then a government program changed his life
A vital social support program that helps people get their lives back on track via access to drug and alcohol support, counselling and case management is at risk of being cut by the Victorian government.
Victorian government abandons planned primary school in Australia's fastest-growing region
The Victorian government abandons plans for a school in Australia's fastest-growing area in outer Melbourne as locals call for more schools to be built to match population growth.
'We were being priced out': In Melbourne, middle-income earners are locked out of established suburbs
Victoria's independent infrastructure adviser is calling on the state government to fast-track approvals of good quality townhouses in Melbourne's established suburbs and phase out stamp duty.
As firefighters put out a large factory fire, a massive effort to stop plastic going into waterways began
As fire crews battled a major blaze at a factory in Melbourne's south-east, authorities had to act quickly to prevent resulting plastic contamination from wreaking havoc on the city's waterways.