Catherine Hanrahan
Verified
Reporter, ABC digital, one-time immunologist, Inner westie. All tweets my own views.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Catherine Hanrahan
Gabrielle Morrissey accused of misappropriating funds from domestic violence charity she led
The former CEO of a Sydney domestic violence charity has reached a confidential settlement after she agreed to pay back $150,000 in lieu of funds she had been accused of appropriating. Gabrielle Morrissey was CEO of Sydney charity Women and Children First, which supports women experiencing domestic violence, from November 2022 to June 2024.
Sydney team develop AI model to identify thoughts from brainwaves Original
By Catherine Hanrahan and Sharon Gordon, ABC News What if you could operate your phone just by thinking about it? And imagine your phone automatically enhancing your concentration and memory? Or even being used to read someone else's mind? It sounds like science fiction, but this technology, called a brain-computer interface, is being supercharged with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI).
Thousands on NSW elective surgery waitlists longer than recommended, data shows
Elective surgery waitlists in New South Wales have blown out, with a major increase in the number of overdue operations. The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) released its latest quarterly report for January-March 2025 which revealed 8,587 people waited longer for their surgery than clinically recommended. That is a rise of 151.3 per cent, or 5,170 patients, compared with the same period in 2024.
Why a problem on one train sent Sydney's rail network into meltdown
The first sign of trouble came just before 4pm on Tuesday. "Major disruptions to trains between Central and Strathfield due to power supply issues," the alert from the Transport for NSW said. For Sydney commuters, the words "major disruptions" are all too familiar.
The Muslim Vote candidates who scored huge numbers at the polls say they're just getting started
Muslim Vote-endorsed independents in Western Sydney recorded huge swings in the federal election. Labor's frontbenchers saw their usually safe margins chipped away at in Blaxland and Watson. The surge in the polls is normally expected "over four or five election cycles", an expert said. Labor may have retained the Western Sydney seats of Blaxland and Watson with comfortable margins, but a closer look at the results reveals the party has lost some support.
'Alarming' number of people leaving NSW emergency departments before treatment
Analysis shows more people are leaving NSW emergency departments before getting treated compared to pre-pandemic. Australia Medical Association NSW president Kathryn Austin said hospital workers were expected "to do more and more with less and less". Health Minister Ryan Park said emergency departments needed to be kept for the most urgent cases. Tens of thousands more patients are leaving NSW emergency departments before getting treatment compared to before the pandemic, new data shows.
Students celebrate end of HSC as 2024 ATAR results released in NSW
Around 80,000 students have received their Higher School Certificate (HSC) results online today, but the day has less significance than previous years, an expert says, as thousands of students have already got their university offers in hand. Nearly 70,000 were awarded their HSC and another 9,500 completed at least one HSC course. Just over a quarter of the students were distinguished achievers, which meant they achieved 90 to 100 or equivalent, a band six grade, in one or more subjects.
Concerns NSW councils' parking service fees via third-party apps could be in breach of state government rules
An "urgent review" has been launched amid concerns the parking meter systems charging many drivers across NSW could breach state government rules. An increasing number of councils are now using third-party apps to collect parking fees from their meters, which incur service fees for the customer. Motorists use their phone to scan a QR code on a parking meter on the street, which takes them to an app or website of a third-party provider.
A Sydney council building has been cleared as a cancer cluster source. But why does this phenomenon happen?
A Liverpool Council building in south-west Sydney has been ruled out as the site of a cancer cluster after a thorough testing process. The investigation was launched in June over concerns that three current and two former workers who had worked on the fifth or sixth floors of the Liverpool Council building in Moore Street had thyroid cancer.
The winners and losers in the 2024 New South Wales budget
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has vowed not to impose austerity on the state despite the NSW budget remaining in deficit for the next four years. With an $11.9 billion write-down of GST revenue blowing a hole in the budget there are no large-scale cost-of-living sweeteners for households. These are some of the biggest announcements that could affect you. The government is making a $6.6 billion investment in what is being billed as the largest state-based investment in social housing in NSW history.
Six people died in a shocking stabbling attack in Bondi Junction on Saturday. Here's where things stand
In short: NSW Police has launched Strike Force Mcauley, an investigation into the deaths of six people at Westfield Bondi Junction in a stabbing attack on Saturday. Tributes have flowed for the six victims, five women and one man, five of who have now been named. What's next: Police are preparing a brief of evidence for the NSW Coroner. A police investigation into the stabbing deaths of six people at Westfield Bondi Junction could take "weeks and months", according to NSW Police.
Christmas and New Year is a dangerous time in the water but experts say there are precautions you can take to stay safe
The next two weeks may traditionally be a time to eat, drink and be merry — but it's also the most deadly time of year in Australia's waters. Twenty-two people drowned between Christmas Day last year and January 2. That week represented a quarter of the 90 drowning deaths last summer. Already this summer there have been at least two mass rescues of swimmers at NSW beaches late in the evening.
Here's how much the cost of Christmas lunch has gone up in the past few years
Christmas lunch is the latest victim of the cost of living crisis thanks to skyrocketing food prices. Big jumps in the price of everything has pushed the consumer price index (CPI), which measures rises in the costs of goods, to much higher increases than we've been used to. The CPI has mostly stayed at or below the Reserve Bank's target range of 2 to 3 per cent annually for the past 10 years. But after a COVID-induced dip in 2020, it began rising, shooting up sharply throughout last year.
How your suburb will be affected by Sydney's rezoning to address housing crisis
It's the plan that will see residents living near eight Sydney metro and train stations see their suburbs transformed with new housing development. The Minns government this week announced more than 185,000 new homes would be built near metro and suburban rail stations to address NSW's housing crisis. The plan aims to rezone eight areas within 1,200 metres of transport hubs by November next year to build 47,800 homes.
Simon stores all his soft plastics at home, still waiting for a solution 12 months after REDcycle program collapse
Simon Mallender is determined not to let a single piece of recyclable soft plastic he has used make it into landfill. "Because it's something that we should take responsibility for. It's not putting it a big hole in the ground and let our kids deal with it," he said. Mr Mallender, who lives on Sydney's northern beaches, used to put his plastics in the REDcycle bin at his local Coles supermarket.
Lucy is considering if her daughter should 'drop out' from her all-girls Sydney high school before it turns co-ed
Lucy Bloom moved her daughter from a co-ed high school to an all-girls school last year, specifically to get away from boys. "She's an anxious child, and she needed focus in the classroom," Ms Bloom said.
'Moderate to high' COVID-19 spread in NSW amid spike in Australians getting booster vaccinations
The number of COVID-19 cases reported in NSW has jumped over 20 per cent in the past fortnight, with health experts saying a rise in vaccinations may reflect concerns about another "COVID Christmas".
NSW on-the-spot fines for drug use and possession a 'double-edged sword', expert says
New drug laws in New South Wales could keep tens of thousands of people out of court, but may result in an increase in fines, a legal expert says. The NSW government announced this week that police would be given the power to issue up to two on-the-spot $400 fines to adults for personal drug use and possession of a small quantity of illicit drugs. Those issued a fine would be encouraged to complete a drug and alcohol intervention program and would have their fine waived once completed.
What previous referendums (and the same-sex plebiscite) tell us about how NSW could vote on the Voice to Parliament
In 1999, Australians were worried about the potential impending chaos of a global computer meltdown brought on by the Y2K "millennium bug" when clocks ticked over to 2000. It was also the last time they voted in a referendum. The country approved same-sex marriage in 2017, but that was a plebiscite, not a referendum and participation was optional. The only referendum relating to Indigenous Australians was held more than 50 years ago.
Teree was paying $89 for flights before the pandemic. Now they cost at least $200
Experts say capacity on regional and international flights have not returned to pre-pandemic levels and are keeping airfares high. Powered by the Echo RSS Plugin by CodeRevolution.
Airfares will not fall until mid-2024 with low capacity keeping prices high and regional routes worst affected, experts say
Teree Burr used to travel for work every month — but that has stopped because of the soaring cost of flights. Ms Burr runs a tourism and events company in Nundle in the New England region of New South Wales and has had to cut back on business travel because of the high cost of flights from nearby Tamworth airport. "I just simply can't afford the outlay of the travel now, to be in Sydney. I used to be in Sydney or Melbourne at least every four weeks, once a month," she said.
The first step towards electrifying our homes? Or a budget burden? Inside the push to ban gas
There's fresh debate over banning gas after the City of Sydney council this week voted to begin the process of making all new homes and businesses gas free. Similar measures are in place in the Waverley and Parramatta councils, as well as in Victoria and the ACT. Premier Chris Minns has previously ruled out a statewide ban on gas in new homes in New South Wales.
Inside the Surry Hills fire that reduced this building near Sydney's CBD to rubble
Posted Wednesday 12 Jul 2023 at 6:59pm The century-old former hat factory caught fire on a Thursday afternoon. Within seven minutes of the first triple-0 call, the entire building, in the most densely populated part of Sydney, was an inferno. An hour later it had been razed. Here's how it unfolded and why it happened so fast. Mere footsteps from Sydney's busiest transit hub, a 111-year-old building sat abandoned. The building was made up of a basement and six upper floors.
Residents in Western Sydney react after long-awaited flight paths are revealed Original
Blue Mountains residents say the new 24-hour Western Sydney airport flight paths are a "nightmare scenario" and they feel they are being treated unfairly.
The science that unlocked a rare genetic mutation in the Folbiggs — and set Kathleen free
Twenty years after she was convicted of killing her four children, Kathleen Folbigg has walked free. The pardon hinged on key scientific and medical evidence presented at an inquiry that began last year. The most stunning was the finding that a rare genetic condition that only occurs in one in 35 million people could have caused the deaths of Sarah and Laura.
Interest rate rises have plunged 170,000 more people into mortgage stress. Here's how to navigate the financial pinch
Financial counsellors are urging people hit by rising interest rates to seek help, with the latest increase plunging about 171,000 more home owners in Australia into mortgage stress. The RBA raised interest rates for the 11th time in 12 months last week, taking the cash rate to 3.85 per cent. In New South Wales, more than half a million mortgage holders (32 per cent) are now "at risk", according to Roy Morgan data.
Why Sydney property prices could be about to rise again
Sydney property prices are up again after 10 months of falls, and yesterday's interest rate pause could push them higher, economists say.
Why Sydney property prices could be about to rise again
Sydney property prices are up again after 10 months of falls, and yesterday's interest rate pause could push them higher, economists say.
Who are Labor's 'new working class', and how did they help turn the state red?
Labor's "new working class" were critical to the party's New South Wales election victory, a former Labor strategist says.
'Costing them a fortune': The Sydney residents paying the most for driving on city's toll roads
Sydney is Australia's toll road capital, and crunching the latest rebate data has revealed the suburbs with the highest bills for driving on the Harbour City's highways.
NSW election campaigning by Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns puts spotlight on one battleground seat
If attention from Liberal and Labor leaders is anything to go by, Parramatta is the must-win seat of next weekend's NSW election. Key points: Campaigning officially kicked off on March 3 Both parties have been spruiking their policies for longer than that Labor needs to win nine seats to form majority government The ABC has tracked the leaders' movements since campaigning officially kicked off on March 3. So far, Parramatta is ground zero.
'It shouldn't be political': Analysis shows where new schools are being funded in NSW
Marnie Coates has been campaigning for a new high school in her area for years. She lives at Medowie, in NSW's Hunter region, and her daughter Ryah started Year 7 last week. However, the 12-year-old, like hundreds of other local students, must travel by bus 15 kilometres away to Raymond Terrace in order to get an education. It's one of two high schools children in Medowie are zoned for — both are over capacity.
Australians warned of 'another COVID wave' as sub-variants take hold
Australia can expect another wave of COVID-19 infections in coming weeks, experts say, as case numbers rise and new variants circulate. Key points: COVID numbers are rising quickly in NSW and Victoria There were 9,700 cases recorded in NSW last week, and 820 people were in hospital Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has reported a rise in new sub-variants of Omircon In a report released today, NSW Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, warned infections would soon increase.
Helen lives in Sydney’s ‘Bermuda Triangle’ — a nearby development could explain why
There are big plans for this vacant land in the Harbour City's booming south-west. What the future holds depends on who you talk to. It was supposed be Sydney's answer to Silicone Valley. But six years after plans for this $5 billion tech hub were approved, its near 300-hectare site is still a paddock. The blueprint was bold: gleaming laboratories, office towers, a school and 12,000 much-needed jobs in the city's booming south-western suburbs.
Kate only had one option when her rent left her with only $89 a fortnight to live on
Kate Scott had to downsize to two rooms after soaring rents in Western Sydney's private rental market left her with just $89 a fortnight for other essentials. Ms Scott, a disability support pensioner, was paying $450 for a house in Carlingford in north-west Sydney, sucking up 91 per cent of her pension. "I really was dying, like $89 a fortnight. That's not enough to buy food. Not enough to do anything," she said.
There's only been two triple La Niña events since 1900 — we're about to have a third
A rare weather event that has happened only twice since 1900 is almost certain to dump excessive rain on flood-ravaged communities along Australia's east coast this summer, an expert says. The east coast has already endured two seasons of La Niña over the last two years, a weather phenomenon that causes higher than average rainfall. La Niña events typically run during spring and summer. La Nina years, therefore, refer to the second half of a calendar year and the beginning of the following year.
Cost-of-living crunch bites, with electricity, transport and mobile phone bills set to rise
NSW residents are in for more cost-of-living pain, with the price of electricity, public transport, road tolls and mobile phone plans all set to rise.
Charts reveal NSW's accelerating COVID-19 infection rate and how state recorded 1m cases in 75 days
NSW took 731 days to officially reach 1 million COVID-19 cases. To get from there to 2 million, it took just 75. The unofficial number might have reached that milestone even sooner. NSW Health yesterday recorded 15,683 new COVID cases, taking the state's tally toover 2 million since the start of the pandemic. This chart tells the story. It's an official number, but the actual number of cases is probably far higher.
'This is just the latest bill shock': The Sydney residents hit hardest by rising petrol prices
Petrol prices are so high in Sydney, Rebecca Matanale says she might have to leave her car in the car park because it is "too expensive to take anywhere". People in the outer regions of Sydney are feeling the bite of rising petrol prices the most, making them think twice about how they travel — or if a trip is worth the cost at all. The price of petrol in NSW has gone up 52 per cent in the last 12 months, according to Fuel Watch NSW.
Sydney's population is predicted to explode - this is where people will live in 20 years
The pandemic lockdowns brought home to Jimmy Mtashar how deprived of services his neighbourhood in outer Sydney is. "When you realise you couldn't get to a shop within 5 kilometres, or you couldn't get to a recreational park or anything in 5ks, you realise there really is a lack of services in the area," he said. In Mr Mtashar's suburb of Austral, parks are not the only thing missing. He says roads, schools, storm water infrastructure and public transport are all in short supply.
How your phone, and tech giants Google and Facebook, helped shape NSW's pandemic response
Your phone helped plan during the pandemic. Key points: UNSW researchers used movement information based on phones being tracked Google and Facebook information was the most useful despite other sources being available Movement information was critical to controlling the virus And it did it all while in your pocket, or handbag. Wherever it was, tech giants tracked it and the NSW government used the data to inform its COVID-19 predictions.
Experts warn NSW residents it won't be possible to maintain drop COVID case numbers
COVID-positive case numbers have taken a tumble in New South Wales, but experts say maintaining the fall is "not possible". Key points: NSW has seen its lowest daily COVID-19 transmission since August 8 Denmark saw a similar dip after the 70 per cent vaccination target Epidemiologists expect the case rate to grow in the coming fortnight Epidemiologist Catherine Bennett, from Deakin University, said the drop in transmission numbers was a good sign but cases were likely to start rising again soon.
A small number of fully vaccinated people with COVID-19 in NSW have died - here's why
Thirty-five fully vaccinated people have now died in NSW's Delta outbreak, with three fully vaccinated patients among the seven deaths recorded yesterday.
NSW Premier insists hospitals will 'cope' with Delta outbreak, but health union says she's 'talking a big game'
The union representing health workers says the NSW Premier is "talking a big game" if she thinks the state's hospital system can withstand an expected increase in COVID-19 cases over the coming weeks.
COVID-19 positive children 'very frightened' and separated from parents at Sydney's Westmead Hospital
A NSW health care worker says COVID-positive children who are separated from their parents are frightened and overwhelmed as the state records its highest day of hospitalisations in a 24 hour period.
NSW COVID-19 vaccination rates rise 20 per cent as state battles Delta outbreak
Vaccination rates in NSW are soaring as a growing number of regions go into lockdown and the state continues to battle the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant, data analysis shows.
Mobility data from Sydney's COVID-19 hotspots shows movement is lowest in Fairfield, highest in Penrith
Data shows Penrith in Western Sydney has the highest mobility of all hotspots but movement has significantly slowed in Fairfield, which was once considered the epicentre of the outbreak. Greater Sydney has been locked down since June 26, but some local government areas (LGAs) in Western Sydney have been subjected to more stringent restrictions since July 18.
COVID live updates: Queensland authorities to provide update after Brisbane high school shuts for contact tracing
Queensland health authorities are due to hold a press conference after a student at Indooroopilly State High School in Brisbane's west tested positive to COVID-19. Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak Download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting the world Follow all of Friday's COVID-19 updates with our live blog.
Sydney's lockdown could extend past September if social distancing doesn't improve, data shows
Sydneysiders are getting better at social distancing, but vaccination rates aren't high enough to get us out of lockdown until at least mid-September, new modelling shows.
Do sudden, sharp lockdowns help to curb the Delta COVID-19 variant? This epidemiologist thinks so
As Victoria and South Australia emerge from snap lockdowns this morning, the country's lived experience seems to indicate fast, hard lockdowns are the only effective tool to stop the highly-infectious Delta coronavirus variant spreading while we wait for our population to be vaccinated.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Catherine
Contact Catherine, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack