Sophie Aubrey
City and culture reporter
Sophie Aubrey is city and culture reporter for The Age.
Exclusive
Floods
Hundreds of homes suddenly deemed flood-prone in inner-city estate
Residents want answers after a Melbourne Water update designated about 900 properties near the Maribyrnong River as at risk of flooding.
- by Sophie Aubrey
The two suburbs due to lose 15 MCGs of open space to Victoria’s Big Build
A Melbourne mayor has warned the Victorian government, “you can’t just take, you have to give something back”, as Big Build projects gobble up suburban parklands.
- by Sophie Aubrey
Greenline project’s future in doubt as council funding dries up
The City of Melbourne on Tuesday unveiled its $781 million draft budget, which crept into surplus for the first time in five years.
- by Cara Waters and Sophie Aubrey
Drivers are ‘fighting in the streets’ over a lack of parking spaces
Harriet has to move her car every two hours because her apartment complex doesn’t have enough parking spaces. She’s facing thousands of dollars in fines.
- by Sophie Aubrey
The battle against the apps and algorithms driving suburban rat-runs
Motorists are increasingly clogging up residential streets, directed by GPS apps such as Google Maps – all to save a few minutes.
- by Sophie Aubrey
‘Nobody erred on the side of caution’: Racecourse flood wall mistakes identified
A flood management expert says avoiding flood problems means making the right decision at the start - and now the Maribyrnong River’s issues are almost impossible to fix.
- by Sophie Aubrey
Updated
Victoria floods
Flemington wall worsened Maribyrnong flooding – but it won’t be torn down
The wall raised water levels for at least 240 homes in Maribyrnong during 2022’s downpour, including some homes that likely would have avoided inundation if it had not been built.
- by Sophie Aubrey
In Melbourne’s famous laneways, there is life – and death
In one laneway, people sip wine at a table under a heater. In another, someone is crouched behind a bin on the hard ground ready to inject. Their drug of choice is illegal, and without a safe injecting room, they have nowhere else to go.
- by Sophie Aubrey and Cara Waters
Uber is winning the rideshare war, but our addiction to the app may backfire
Despite years of controversy and frustration, Australians can’t seem to get enough of Uber. Transport industry insiders and competition experts warn consumers will be left paying the price.
- by Sophie Aubrey
‘Very premature’: Plea to block more homes at flooded retiree village
Residents at a retirement village in the centre of a political storm are calling for the government to step in to block the new development plans.
- by Clay Lucas and Sophie Aubrey