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Articles by Laura Mayers
Victorian councillors welcome changes to protect them from untested private prosecutions
Coco Veldkamp, Eden Hynninen and Laura Mayers The Victorian parliament has acted to close a loophole that allowed an untested private prosecution by a private citizen to shut down the Hepburn Shire Council. Earlier this year, Hepburn businessman David Penman levelled charges against five Hepburn Shire councillors and the chief executive officer, in a rare private prosecution.
Victorian councillors welcome changes to protect them from untested private prosecutions
The Victorian parliament has acted to close a loophole that allowed an untested private prosecution by a private citizen to shut down the Hepburn Shire Council. Earlier this year, Hepburn businessman David Penman levelled charges against five Hepburn Shire councillors and the chief executive officer, in a rare private prosecution.
Government has 'blood on its hands' after reported pothole death, friend says
Matt Neal and Laura Mayers A friend of the Ballarat motorcyclist who died in a crash on the Western Highway at the weekend says the Victorian government has "blood on its hands".
Government has 'blood on its hands' after reported pothole death, friend says
A friend of the Ballarat motorcyclist who died in a crash on the Western Highway at the weekend says the Victorian government has "blood on its hands". Police are still investigating the cause of the crash that killed 71-year-old Peter "Tiki" Mason, but said yesterday "emergency services responded to reports a motorcycle had struck a pothole and lost control on the Western Highway, near Trawalla Road". The ABC has chosen not to publish a photo of Mr Mason at this time.
Alleged car chase before fatal hit-and-run, Ballarat court hears
A 38-year-old Ballarat man who handed himself into police has appeared in court charged over an alleged fatal hit-and-run. Luton Murray faces charges including culpable driving, dangerous driving causing death, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop, and failing to render assistance. The charges relate to the death of Shane Avery, 51, who died around midnight on August 17 after allegedly being struck by a car in the Ballarat suburb of Canadian.
Businesses say closure of Ararat asylum 'economic catastrophe'
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Businesses say closure of Ararat asylum an 'economic catastrophe'
Eden Hynninen and Laura Mayers, with Steve Martin Business owners in regional Victoria say the closure of their town's abandoned asylum will be an "economic catastrophe". The Aradale asylum was a psychiatric hospital that operated until 1993 in Ararat, around two and a half hours north-west of Melbourne. The state government owns the popular tourist attraction and leases it to Melbourne Polytechnic, which shut down the site on Friday due to safety concerns.
Victoria set for warmest, driest spring in 25 years sparking bushfire risk
Victorian fire authorities are bracing for one of the worst bushfire seasons in decades, with new predictions of a warm and dry spring. East Gippsland, far south-west Victoria, the Surf Coast, and the area west of Geelong to the southern parts of the Wombat Forest are at an elevated risk of bushfires from September. More than 436,000 hectares of land across Victoria was burnt in bushfires in 2025.
Man fatally hit by car in Ballarat suburb of Canadian
Victorian detectives are investigating a fatal hit-and-run in the Ballarat suburb of Canadian overnight. Police say a green Ford Fiesta struck a man on Butt Street just after midnight. CPR was administered but he died at the scene. The car did not have numberplates and was found on nearby Elsworth Street. Police are appealing for anyone in the area to check their CCTV and dash cam and any witnesses are urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Hepburn Shire councillors to be reinstated after private prosecution charges dropped
Charges laid by a private resident against five central Victorian councillors and a council chief executive have been dropped after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) intervened in court. Last month, Hepburn businessman David Penman levelled charges against five Hepburn Shire councillors in a rare private prosecution.
Police investigate attempted kidnapping of woman by another woman in Warrnambool
Authorities are investigating an attempted kidnapping in the south- west Victorian town of Warrnambool earlier this month. The 33-year-old woman was walking home from work when she was attacked by a woman who tried to force her into a hire car. Police are looking for a woman described as Caucasian, with blonde curly hair and wearing a black hoodie and pink pants.
Concern for 'vexatious' proceedings allowing residents to shut down Victorian councils
Laura Mayers and Matt Neal A shire council in central Victoria has been shut down by the efforts of just one resident. The bins will still be collected, roadworks will continue, and the libraries will still open. But any big decisions have been suspended because there are only two people left at the council table. Five councillors at Hepburn Shire Council have been forced to stand down after local businessman David Penman launched rare private prosecution proceedings against them.
Hepburn Shire resident shuts down council by laying private charges against councillors
Laura Mayers, Matt Neal and Steve Martin Three more councillors at Hepburn Shire Council have been served with criminal charges by a private citizen, leaving only two councillors in office and effectively shutting down the council. Councillors Shirley Cornish, Lesley Hewitt and Pat Hockey were yesterday served with rarely-used private prosecution charges laid by businessman David Penman.
Victim-survivor unsurprised and 'exhausted' by Christian Brothers' restitution shortfall
A Victorian survivor of clergy abuse says he is disappointed but unsurprised by allegations the Christian Brothers appear to be attempting to "squib" on compensation payments. The Congregation of Christian Brothers Oceania Province yesterday revealed it would seek to sell off its remaining assets to pay abuse victims.
Program: Chinese wool co accused of blocking Vic water flow
One of China's biggest wool companies is being accused of illegally blocking the flow of water from a farm it owns in western Victoria. Locals say water is not flowing to neighbouring farms and to a sacred Indigenous site further downstream. They are alleging the company has quietly expanded an existing dam to hoard more than three times the water it was allowed.
Sacred Victorian Indigenous site Lal Lal Falls runs dry as upstream 'greed' blamed
At the Lal Lal Falls Reserve, 20 minutes south-east of Ballarat, the sounds of country are everywhere. The wind whistles through red gums, magpies warble, and frogs sing. To the Wadawurrung people, they are biyal, parrwang, and djirm respectively. But one sound is missing: the sound of the waterfall that makes this site special. Lal Lal means "falling waters", but Indigenous and environment groups say the greed of a property owner upstream has caused the sacred falls to run dry.
Daylesford pub did not hold valid outdoor dining permit at time of deadly crash, court hears
A coronial inquiry into a deadly 2023 crash in the regional Victorian town of Daylesford has heard that the business where the crash occurred did not have a valid outdoor dining licence at the time. Five people died while dining outside The Royal Daylesford Hotel after 69-year-old William Swale had a severe hypoglycaemic episode while driving his car. The inquiry will continue tomorrow.
Weather enthusiasts spot rare cloud feature in regional Victoria
Weather buffs have been left in awe after an unusual cloud feature was spotted near Avoca, in regional Victoria, this week. The funnel cloud, distinctive in its column-like appearance, was spotted yesterday by property owners in the Central Goldfields area. Maryborough man Ian Leech saw it while at Mount Hooghly, 150 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.
Man found dead in fire at block of units in Ballarat's Wendouree
A man has died in a house fire in the Ballarat suburb of Wendouree this morning. Emergency services were called to the fire at a block of units on Marigold Street about 6.30am. Firefighters extinguished the fire and then found a man inside who was unresponsive. He was taken out of the unit and treated, but could not be revived. Police are treating the area as a crime scene while they investigate the cause of the fire.
A silt-stunt for the ages, one man attempts half-marathon world record
A Colombian man has run the Ballarat half-marathon on 90-centimetre stilts in two hours and 34 minutes Santiago Vergara's run in Australia's fourth-largest marathon was a tall-tilt at a new Guinness World Record Mr Vergara says officials at Guinness World Records told him he would have to beat a current record at three hours Santiago Vergara quite literally views the world from on-high. A performer and artist, the Colombian man took to the Ballarat half-marathon today to attempt quite a feat.
CFA firefighter recovering after injury in planned burn in Victoria
A volunteer firefighter has been hospitalised with severe burns after being injured during a planned burn in Victoria's south-west. Country Fire Authority (CFA) acting chief officer Alen Slijepcevic said the member suffered a number of burns yesterday and was flown to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Mr Slijepcevic said the member was in a "serious, but stable condition". He said the CFA was providing support to the member and their family and that Worksafe had been notified.
Doctor expresses concern for memory of driver that crashed into a group of people in Daylesford
A diabetes specialist who treated William Herbert Swale, the man who crashed his car into a group of people in the central Victorian town of Daylesford in 2023, killing five, has told an inquiry Mr Swale likely "needed a meal" to manage a hypoglycaemic episode. Matthew Cohen from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute also told the Coroners Court of Victoria inquiry he was concerned about the 69-year-old driver's "memory loss".
Driver in fatal Daylesford crash questioned over diabetes management
A man who lost control of his vehicle before veering into two families and killing five people has apologised to those impacted by the crash, calling it an "incomprehensible tragedy". William Herbert Swale, 69, who lives with type 1 diabetes, had a severe hypoglycaemic episode in November 2023 and crashed into two families while they dined outside The Royal Daylesford Hotel in the central Victorian town of Daylesford.
Australian government launches wind turbine manufacturing consultation
Could Australia's wind turbine infrastructure be produced domestically? It is a question the federal government wants to answer after it announced it was seeking feedback to understand the "manufacturing opportunities, barriers and outlook for wind transmission towers in Australia". Almost 100 per cent of Australia's wind turbine infrastructure — towers, rotors, nacelles — is imported from overseas.
National bushfire outlook puts NSW, Victoria and southern WA at heightened risk
Summer may be drawing to a close in Australia, but authorities warn the risk of bushfires will remain high in large parts of Victoria, NSW and WA where fuel reduction burning programs could be delayed.
Ballarat Gold Mine operators charged over 2024 rockfall that killed miner Kurt Hourigan
The owner and operator of a Victorian gold mine has been charged following a 20-month investigation into a fatal rockfall. Thirty people were working underground at the Ballarat Gold Mine in Mount Clear when the collapse occurred on March 13, 2024. While 28 workers made it to safety, 37-year-old Bruthen man Kurt Hourigan was killed and 21-year-old Connor Smith was left with life-threatening injuries.
Five dead following four major collisions on South West Victorian roads in 11 days
Five people have died following four major collisions in less than two weeks on roads in Victoria's south west. Road safety advocates say it is another example of the need for a change in public thinking around the road toll. The latest crash involved a man dying after a collision between a ute and a truck near Bacchus Marsh on Friday morning. The two vehicles collided head-on around 6:25am on Ballan Road at Parwan. The driver of the ute died at the scene, while the truck driver was uninjured.
Lachlan Young sentenced to 28 years' jail for murdering former partner Hannah McGuire in Ballarat
Lachlan Young has been sentenced to 28 years' jail for killing his former partner, Hannah McGuire, in April 2024. Young, 23, strangled Ms McGuire in their Sebastopol home, then placed her body in her ute and set it alight in bushland on Ballarat's outskirts. In the Supreme Court of Victoria this morning Young was sentenced to 28 years' jail with a non-parole period of 22 years and four months. He has served 589 days of pre-sentence detention.
Man sentenced over 'disgusting' death threats to Senator Fatima Payman
A Victorian court has heard Australian Senator Fatima Payman was left feeling scared and deeply unsettled after receiving racist death threats via email. Warning: This article includes racist, violent and offensive language. Sean David Sharman, 51, pleaded guilty in June to using a carriage service to make a threat to kill. On Monday, a Ballarat magistrate handed Sharman a criminal conviction and sentenced him to an 18-month community corrections order.
Magistrate sentences driver following 'highest alcohol reading' she's ever seen
A Victorian man has been sentenced after being caught drunk-driving in October 2024. James Selkirk, 55, crashed into a Ballarat home and was taken to hospital, where a blood alcohol test recorded a 0.533 reading. Magistrate Julia Barling cancelled Selkirk's licence for three years and ordered him to complete a three-year community corrections order. A 55-year-old Victorian man has been sentenced after being caught 10 times over the legal drinking limit while behind the wheel.
Magistrate finds Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell not guilty of offensive behaviour over Ballarat rally
A Victorian magistrate has found Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell not guilty of offensive behaviour after the 32-year-old led a white supremacist rally through Ballarat in 2023. Mr Sewell has been fighting a single charge in the Ballarat Magistrate's court during a multi-day hearing. Mr Sewell was charged after a rally in Ballarat on December 3 2023.
Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell claims Ballarat rally was political
Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell has told a Victorian court that his leading a white supremacist march through Ballarat's city streets was political not offensive. Mr Sewell is charged with one count of behaving in an offensive manner after the rally on December 3, 2023. He appeared in-person in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court to fight the charge during a three-day contested hearing.
Victorian volunteer firefighter numbers grow despite levy angst
Victoria's volunteer firefighter numbers have grown despite threats from angry farmers to quit over the contentious Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF). The Victorian government introduced the fund — which replaced the existing fire services levy — amid anger from regional Victorian farmers who said they are disproportionately impacted.
Dan Murphy's receives second knockback over planned Daylesford store
Australia's largest retail drinks network has been knocked back for a second time in its legal bid to open a liquor store in the regional Victorian town of Daylesford. After more than three years of heated contention from a group of residents, it may be the end of the line for the company behind the proposed Dan Murphy's liquor store.
Parents call for football club culture change after death of 21-year-old son
Whether it was a bat, a ball or a racquet, Steven Callanan was handy at just about any sport he had a go at. But it was football that held his heart. "He was fantastic on the field — he brought people around him," Steven's father Paul Callanan said. In March 2023, Steven Callanan had just turned 21. He had a long-term girlfriend, had completed a plumbing apprenticeship and signed on to buy a property.
Seekers come up short in hunt for meteor seen in central Victorian night sky
Researchers are "disappointed" after a meteorite muster returned meagre results, but say they will continue to scour the area for space treasure. A group of five scientists took to paddocks near Dunolly in central Victoria on Tuesday combing the area after the meteor fell to Earth the night of August 10. The spectacular event lit up the night sky across the region and created sonic booms that rattled houses, with reports of the rare sight flooding social media in the aftermath.
Section of Western Highway closed after accident involving two trucks
A section of the Western Highway is closed after an accident involving two B-double trucks north of Horsham. Large plumes of thick, black smoke were visible in western Victoria this morning after the accident. Authorities said they responded to multiple reports of a collision between the vehicles at 7:20am at Dimboola. Both trucks caught fire as a result of the collision, including all four trailers.
Midwives express remorse after home birth and Victorian baby's death
Two midwives have told a coronial inquest about their regrets after a baby died in hospital following a home birth in 2022. The infant, who can only be known as Baby R, died in August 2022 of perinatal hypoxia, six days after an emergency caesarean at Bendigo Health.
Inquest begins into Baby R's death at Bendigo Health after planned home birth
A coroner's court has heard a mother whose baby died after a home birth in central Victoria, did not want to deliver at a local hospital after facing a traumatic first birth in 2019. Baby R, as the infant is being referred to during the coronial inquest, died from perinatal hypoxia in August 2022 after an emergency caesarean at Bendigo Health. The parents of Baby R, who cannot be identified, read statements to the court in Melbourne today on day one of the inquest.
ATSB finds strong wind, low speed but no aircraft fault before fatal Bacchus Marsh crash
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation into a pilot's death has found no "issues" with his Cessna 150 light aircraft that crashed in a paddock in October. Seaford man Jack Miller, 20, died soon after his plane took off from Bacchus Marsh aerodrome, north-west of Melbourne, on October 22.
Bendigo Bank to close 10 branches, leaving some regional towns without financial services
The closure of 10 Bendigo Bank branches across Australia by late October will mean the end of in-person banking for residents in five regional communities. Australia's Finance Sector Union (FSU) says the closures are a "slap in the face" in areas already seeing a decline in services from multiple industries. It comes after the federal government struck a deal with the big four banks to keep their regional branches open until at least mid-2027.
Climatologists warn higher June rainfall not enough to break Victorian drought
After 15 months of below-average rainfall, drought-stricken south-west Victoria has had a wetter-than-usual June. While the rain is welcome, cold weather means fodder is not likely to grow any time soon. Climatologists say the rainfall outlook for the next three months is below average for some parts of south-west Victoria. The skies have opened and filled rain gauges in parts of Victoria, but the drought is far from over.
Ballarat woman to face Supreme Court trial accused of murdering 47yo man
A Ballarat woman has been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court after being charged with murder last year. Cheryl Lucas, 38, appeared via video link in the Ballarat Magistrates Court today from the Dame Phyllis Frost Correctional Centre. Ms Lucas has been in custody since late December. It is alleged Ms Lucas murdered a 47-year-old man just days after Christmas at an address in the Ballarat suburb of Mount Helen.
Winter water restrictions turned on for three Victorian regions
A drought across Victoria is forcing water authorities to take the unusual step of introducing water restrictions in winter. Three regional authorities in some of the wettest parts of Victoria have restricted water usage, as parts of the state enter their second year of drought, and ahead of predictions of a drier-than-usual winter and spring.
Investigation underway into dehydrated greyhounds at Warrnambool track
Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) is investigating after seven greyhounds were removed from races in one day last week due to dehydration. According to steward's reports, 15 dogs were scratched from 13 races at the Warrnambool race track on Monday, June 9. GRV prevented seven of those greyhounds from racing after an on-track vet discovered symptoms of dehydration.
Bronze busts of Rudd and Keating reinstated in Ballarat after brazen theft
New bronze busts of former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating are being installed in the Ballarat Botanic Gardens. The original bronze heads were severed and stolen earlier this year. A police investigation into the theft of two statues and the vandalism of 18 others remains ongoing. The bronze bust of former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd sits on a tray in the back of a ute, along with a gas canister, some tools and a hi-vis vest.
Victoria Police homicide squad investigating after woman's body found in Hamilton home
Homicide squad detectives are investigating after a woman was found dead in a western Victorian home on Thursday night. Police discovered the woman's body during a welfare check at a home on the Henty Highway in Hamilton, 300 kilometres west of Melbourne, around 7:30pm. Upon entering the home, officers located the body of a woman, who is yet to be formally identified. Police searched the surrounding area and arrested a 48-year-old man nearby.
SES members hope bill to establish Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund will pass
Members of Victoria's State Emergency Service (SES) hope a bill to boost their funding will be passed by the state parliament today. The controversial bill to establish the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) is expected to return to parliament after it was delayed on Tuesday. It aims to raise money for fire services, the SES, the state control centre and triple-0. Unit controller Michael Bagnall said the SES had always been known as the "poor cousin" in emergency services.
Thomas Sewell given contested hearing over alleged role in Ballarat white supremacist rally
A Melbourne man who allegedly fronted a white supremacist rally in Ballarat will go to a three-day contested hearing after claiming the act could not be deemed criminal. Thomas Sewell on Tuesday faced Ballarat Magistrates Court in person for the first time, despite it being the third time his matter has been heard in court. The Melbourne man was charged with behaving in an offensive manner in a public area after allegedly leading the rally on December 3, 2023.
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