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Laura Placella is the city reporter for the Herald Sun. She was previously a court reporter for the masthead. She graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts.

@lauraplacella

Laura Placella

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ExclusiveVictoria

Victorian Transport Workers Union are calling on the government to wind back controversial bike lanes in Melbourne's CBD to help delivery drivers and improve the economy. Bike rider using the empty bike lanes in Exhibition street. Picture: David Caird

Reece promises to reinstate lane of traffic along Exhibition St

Lord Mayor Nick Reece has promised to bring back a traffic lane to Exhibition St while also vowing to “maintain investment in bike lanes”, if he is returned to the city’s top job.

Victoria

The Voices for Melbourne ticket are Deputy Lord Mayoral candidate Megan Stevenson and Lord Mayoral candidate Greg Bisinella with councillor candidates Mary Masters and James Robertson ahead of the upcoming local council elections. Picture: Ian Currie

Community candidates shake up votes as ‘people over politics’ movement grows

A lord mayoral candidate for the Melbourne’s community ticket says the city’s future can’t be left in the hands of fly-in fly-out candidates or “cashed-up celebrities” as discontent grows among grassroots voters.

ExclusiveVictoria

Bike lanes along Exhibition st in Melbourne. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Wood’s plan to fix ‘botched’ bike lanes, slash myki fares to 50c

Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood has promised to fix the Exhibition St bike lanes and call on the state government to slash myki fares to 50c on weekdays, if elected to the city’s top job.

Victoria

‘We are one’: Plans for Melbourne multicultural museum unveiled

Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood has revealed his plan for a “world-class” museum to celebrate Melbourne’s multiculturalism, saying the proposal is more timely than ever as people “seek division”.

Victoria

Girl in the city of London using mobile app for taxi calling

Would ‘safety booths’ make you feel better about coming to the city at night?

Manned safety booths, where people can wait for taxis at night, would spring up near Melbourne hotspots under a plan by Lord Mayor hopeful Anthony Koutoufides to make the city safer.

ExclusiveVictoria

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews reacts during a press conference at Parliament House in Melbourne, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. The Andrews Labor Government has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, slated to be held across Victoria. (AAP Image/James Ross) NO ARCHIVING

‘Hopefully pigeons find it’: Dan’s statue plans spark anger

A new statue is in the works to honour Daniel Andrews, but it has sparked anger among critics of the former premier.

Victoria

Melbourne lord mayoral candidates Nick Reece (left) and Arron Wood at an international students forum. Pic: X

‘Petty squabbles’: Lord mayoral candidates call out war of words

Several contenders in the race for the city’s top job have taken a veiled swipe at the two frontrunners — and their teams — after a war of words broke out on Wednesday.

ExclusiveVictoria

Dan’s ‘faceless men’ blamed as mayoral war of words heats up

A fight over preferences in the race to be lord mayor has prompted claims of “grubby” and “unhinged” attacks between rival candidates.

ExclusiveVictoria

Renders of the new green spaces at Banana Alley, Brown Alley Square and Southbank undercroft pledged by Lord Mayor Nick Reece.

Reece commits to Greenline, reveals 10 new proposed parks

Lord Mayor Nick Reece has promised to deliver 10 new parks across the CBD if he is re-elected as he reaffirms his commitment to delivering the controversial Greenline project.

updatedPolice & Courts

Police say man’s arrest over Easey St murders an ‘amazing outcome’

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton has said a suspect in the 47-year-old Easey Street murders has been a person of interest for a “number of years” as the man was arrested in Italy.

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/journalists/laura-placella/page/4