Kit Mochan
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Articles by Kit Mochan
Fires in France, Spain wear 'the fingerprints of climate crisis'
Stefan Rahmstorf took this photo while on holidays amid the fire emergencies gripping south-west France.() "What climate will this boy grow up in?" It's the question on climate scientist Stefan Rahmstorf's mind as he takes this photo during his July holiday in southern France. Flames have engulfed the region in what's described as the worst wildfires Europe has seen in modern history. But, as Stefan knows, this catastrophe did not come as a surprise. Loading...
The World Cup just had one of its hottest matches, in a challenge for the sport
As football's greatest sporting rivalries are on show at the World Cup, a common enemy is stalking athletes and players of all stripes in equal measure: heat. North America is still in the grips of a record-breaking heatwave. Those tuning into tomorrow morning's World Cup semifinal between Norway and England can expect a rather sweaty affair, with the "feels-like" temperature in Miami expected to hit 43 degrees Celsius.
Behind solar power's meteoric rise is a little-known Australian
Loading... The rise of solar power shows no sign of slowing down, with the International Energy Agency predicting it will overtake coal as the world's biggest source of electricity next year. Behind its success is a little-known Australian inventor. On a crisp, sunny morning overlooking the beachfront at Bronte, in Sydney, a smartly dressed man strolls along the pavement. The glorious winter weather has brought out a crowd as he navigates the bustling footpath.
One of Australia's biggest MLMs is cashing in on the manosphere
Loading... These tattooed tradies travel the world, promoting a luxurious lifestyle they say offers untold freedom. They call themselves "warriors" — members of an international multi-level-marketing scheme selling expensive machines they claim can cure kidney disease.
Secret documents shed light on failed taxpayer efforts to rescue giant coal plant Eraring
Energy giant Origin told the former New South Wales government that keeping the ageing Eraring coal-fired power station partially open would only cost taxpayers about $70 million a year. A bundle of commercially sensitive documents filed with the NSW Parliament show Origin advised the state in July 2021 that keeping two of Eraring's four units operating beyond 2025 would cost between $56 million and $71 million a year.
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Australia emerges victorious in British manuka honey trademark battle with New Zealand
© Provided by ABC Business The UK trademark office has found in favour of Australian honey producers, rejecting New Zealand's claim to the term "manuka honey". (ABC Rural) The Australian Manuka Honey Association has cheered the latest victory for Australian beekeepers in the "farcical" trans-Tasman battle over the term "manuka honey".
WA orca populations could extend beyond deep-sea hotspot, researchers say
Marine scientists have released new findings into why orcas are drawn to deep-sea canyons off West Australia's south coast.
WA tourism businesses fear for future after missing out on COVID-19 grants
At the turn of the millennium, after a trip to a sprawling nature park in South-East Asia, Bill Hurley quit a high-paying finance job in Perth to pursue a childhood passion. Leaving the city for Western Australia's coast to carve out his own version of paradise — a small wildlife park tucked away in southern forests. "It's pretty hard to explain to be honest … I've been an animal lover since I was a young boy, even if I had to close down I would always keep animals around me," he said.
Fears a 'catastrophic incident' may have happened if coronavirus ship sheep were sent to Middle East
An estimated $12 million shipment of sheep originally bound for the Middle East will have to be slaughtered in Australia and could cause a price drop, the West Australian Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) has warned.
Three-quarters of WA businesses 'confident' they will survive pandemic
Amidst widespread shutdowns, surging unemployment and growing talk of a recession — the coronavirus pandemic is understandably weighing on the mind of Australia's business sector.
'Right to repair' taken up by the ACCC in farmers' fight to fix their own tractors
Posted April 19, 2020 12:35:56 The 'right to repair' movement has finally bent the ear of Australia's competition and consumer watchdog, the ACCC, in its pleas to be able to fix their own farm equipment.
Local councils stand down hundreds of employees as they are not eligible for COVID-19 JobKeeper program
By Kit Mochan, Rhiannon Stevens, and Francesca Mann Updated April 07, 2020 09:45:15 Thousands of council employees across Australia could be stood down without pay during the coronavirus pandemic.
WA implements toughest COVID-19 travel restrictions in Australia as police patrol unnecessary travel
Posted April 01, 2020 09:05:57 It is less than two weeks since Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan said he had no plans to close the state's eastern border. Since then he has told out-of-state residents he does not "want [them] here," flagged a hard border closure could be in place by the weekend, and implemented the toughest local travel restrictions in the nation.
City slickers fleeing homes to sit out coronavirus in the country urged to stay away
Posted March 27, 2020 12:10:16 Hidden away on West Australia's south coast, chalets and small cabins dot the tiny riverfront community of Walpole.
Jessica Hayes
A 'double-edged sword' has protected country Western Australia from coronavirus — until now By Claire Moodie, Laura Meachim, Laura Birch, Kit Mochan and Jessica Hayes Posted March 20, 2020 10:16:09 | Updated March 20, 2020 15:27:55 The first case of coronavirus in regional WA is recorded amid warnings from doctors that while the virus may take longer to emerge in country areas, it could "rip through" some communities.
A 'double-edged sword' has protected country Western Australia from coronavirus — until now
By Claire Moodie, Laura Meachim, Laura Birch, Kit Mochan and Jessica Hayes Posted March 20, 2020 10:16:09 From pharmacies running short on vital supplies to air services being cut, regional towns across Western Australia are starting to feel the brunt of the coronavirus fallout.
Coronavirus spreads to Bunbury as doctors warn of COVID-19 'double-edged sword' for regional WA
By Claire Moodie, Laura Meachim, Laura Birch, Kit Mochan and Jessica Hayes Posted March 20, 2020 10:16:09 From pharmacies running short on vital supplies to air services being cut, regional towns across Western Australia are starting to feel the brunt of the coronavirus fallout.
Kit Mochan - ABC News
The first case of coronavirus in regional WA is recorded amid warnings from doctors that while the virus may take longer to emerge in country areas, it could "rip through" some communities.
WA's movie-making boom continues with film adaptation of Tim Winton's Blueback
A film adaption of Tim Winton's award-winning 1998 young adult novel Blueback is the latest in a string of movie productions in Western Australia, with filming slated to begin on the state's south coast by mid year. Australian director Robert Connolly (Balibo, Paper Planes) will shoot the film, which is based on a story about a young boy named Abel and his friendship with a western blue groper.
Volunteer firefighters say mega-blaze in Stirling Range National Park underscores need for more firefighting resources
Posted January 06, 2020 10:34:08 As the east coast of Australia continues to burn, firefighters on the opposite side of the country are taking stock of the disaster that could have been — after a mega-blaze tore through a third of one of West Australia's most popular national parks.
NBN apologises to family after worker 'smashes up' asbestos next to home without proper warning
Posted November 20, 2019 09:22:00 NBN Co has apologised to a West Australian family after asbestos was dug up from a underground telecommunications pit metres from their home and without adequate warning.
Farm trespass laws paused by WA Attorney General after ABC 7.30 expose into horse racing industry
Posted November 12, 2019 11:40:05 Western Australia's Attorney General says he went back to the drawing board on his long-awaited draft farm trespass legislation, following ABC 7.30's investigation into the horse racing industry.
Mass shellfish die-off remains unknown, as millions of mussels wash up on WA's south coast
Posted October 15, 2019 08:05:06 Authorities are still working to find out why piles of dead and dying mussels were found washed ashore at Cheynes Beach, near Albany on Western Australia's south coast, last week.
WA's Water Minister insists water-wise message is cutting through despite a sharp rise in use
Posted October 10, 2019 10:47:38 Western Australia's Water Minister insists households and businesses are still heeding the water-wise message despite a sharp rise in use following Perth's hottest September on record.
Wildlife photographer Matthew Dwyer found dead at base of one of WA's highest cliffs
By Rebecca Trigger and Kit Mochan Posted October 03, 2019 23:09:28 The body of a Perth photographer has been found at the base of one of Western Australia's highest peaks, where he had previously gone to shoot wildlife photography.
'Not great news': Health experts warn of harm over the convenience of alcohol delivery apps
Updated September 19, 2019 12:02:00 You reach for the bottle at your Saturday night get-together only to up-end it in your guests' wine glass —you're out of grog. What do you do when you're too tipsy to drive to the bottle-o or schlep to the store?
Denmark running out of drinking water, $32-million pipeline to be built from neighbouring Albany
Posted September 08, 2019 07:30:00 Denmark, on Western Australia's south coast, is described as "one of the wettest places in WA", but it is running out of water, prompting desperate action to keep the tourist town from running dry. Water Corp — the State Government-owned main supplier of water in WA — will spend up to $32 million building a pipeline stretching more than 60 kilometres between Denmark and its neighbouring regional city, Albany, to shore up supply into the future.
Legislative battle over 'right to repair' unfolds in US
It's a modern dilemma — a customer wants to fix a broken smartphone, tablet or laptop, only to be told by the manufacturer they will have to pay top dollar at an "authorized repair center" or fork out for a replacement. But for farmers like Paul Green, who grows grain in Western Australia's Wheatbelt, the stakes are a lot higher than a broken iPhone. "In my view, if I'm paying $800,000 for a tractor then I own the tractor and I can do what I want with it," Green said.
Queen of Sheba orchids destroyed by mistake at Gull Rock National Park in WA
Posted August 09, 2019 09:01:34 A West Australian Government department says it will work more closely with local conservation groups after admitting staff accidentally destroyed a collection of highly-coveted native orchids in a national park.
Ravensthorpe nickel mine set to re-open a third time amid soaring demand for the metal
Posted July 30, 2019 20:24:14 The owners of the mothballed Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Western Australia's south-east says it will move to re-open the site if surging demand for the metal continues. In its latest quarterly results posted overnight, First Quantum Minerals said it was planning to restart the nickel and cobalt operation by early next year.
How WA is on track to have Australia's most advanced weather forecasting system
Posted May 05, 2019 10:20:48 Australians are famously fond of talking about the weather. The topic serves as both a great unifier and obsession — particularly when a heatwave, cold snap or wild storm strikes.
Rescuer calls for tough penalties after 'prime idiot' filmed hanging from cliff face at 'The Gap'
Posted April 24, 2019 17:47:10 Video: Rescuers infuriated by social media video (ABC News) A volunteer sea rescue group is pleading for penalties for people who endanger their lives after a video of a tourist apparently hanging from notorious West Australian cliff face was posted to social media on Easter Sunday.
Rapidly ageing population shines spotlight on a crisis for people growing old at home
Posted April 14, 2019 12:42:32 With a rapidly ageing population, few Australians will emerge unscathed from navigating the vast and often complicated aged-care system — be it for a parent, partner or themselves.
Why wait for 5G? We're building our own internet, say fed-up WA farmers
There are few things that produce as much angst as slow internet and mobile dropouts. But for the nation's farmers, often living well beyond the range of fibre-optic cables and phone towers, the stakes are a lot higher.
Rural towns get creative as young families chase the great Australian dream
Posted January 06, 2019 09:05:35 Young couples chasing the great Australian dream of a raising a family in their own home still face an uphill battle despite a property market slump. While Australia struggled with record population growth in 2018, driven largely by immigration, the amount of people living in relatively affordable inland country towns continued on a well-trodden path of decline.
Live exporters impose three-month ban on sheep trade to the Middle East during northern summer
Australia will not export live sheep to the Middle East during the northern summer next year.
How the WA town of Kulin reinvented itself and brought the tourists flooding in
As capital cities get bigger and country towns get smaller, the question of how to attract skilled people to regional Australia has never been so pertinent.
Forest holiday homes in WA's Nornalup beautiful, but dangerously vulnerable to bushfire
Tucked away on Western Australia's south coast, wooden chalets and small cabins dot the small riverfront community of Nornalup. A rare unspoilt town, in the heart of karri and tingle forests, it has proven an irresistible lure for holidaymakers and retirees keen to swap the hustle and bustle of capital cities for a life amongst the trees. Now, in a cruel paradox, residents fear they could find themselves trapped by the wooded seclusion that draws so many.
Remembrance Day: Thousands of WA school students celebrate Armistice Day centenary
Marking 100 years since the end of World War I is an important occasion for the citizens of Albany in Western Australia, because the city was the point of departure for the first Anzac fleet in 1914. So rather than sitting cross-legged in a school hall, half paying attention to an ordinary Remembrance Day celebration, students from across the region have taken this year's commemoration into their own hands.
WA truckie's homegrown charity carrying $100,000 of hay across Nullarbor for drought-affected NSW farmers
Truck drivers Glenn Kendall and Peter Wright say a "small army" of volunteers are transporting the feed. When Amanda Kendall's long-haul truck driver husband returned to Western Australia after one of his lengthy commutes home across the Nullarbor, he had formed a plan. "He pulled up and he says, 'I've had an idea … and you can't say no. I've just seen all the hay trucks going to the east and I want to do a convoy and I want to do it in the school holidays'," she said.
CSIRO pours Australia's first eco-friendly gold bar produced without toxic cyanide
Press play then disable your screen reader. Use space bar to pause or play, and up and down arrows to control volume. Use left arrow to rewind and right arrow to fast forward. You might pay more for single origin, ethically-produced coffee beans for your morning brew, but what about environmentally friendly gold in your wedding ring? Highly-toxic cyanide has been used in commercial gold production in Australia since the gold rush.
Live exports: Deputy PM Michael McCormack pledges support to industry
We've got your back. That's the message to the live export industry from Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Just weeks after his predecessor Barnaby Joyce delivered a spirited speech to more than 1,000 local farmers in Western Australian sheep heartlands in defence of the live export industry, Mr McCormack is in the state on a fact finding tour.
Live export debate hangs heavy in WA's sheep saleyards as farmers fear for their livelihoods
Farmers say an air of uncertainty is hanging over Western Australia's sheep industry. Farmers are nervously watching on as politicians trade blows over the controversial multi-million dollar live export industry they say is integral to their livelihoods. In southern Western Australia's sheep heartlands, the small farming town of Katanning is home to the largest undercover sheep-selling complex in the southern hemisphere.
Live ex company's decision to halt northern summer trade descends into political slanging match
The move by one of the largest live export companies in Australia to cease trade has farmers rattled. Farmers are reeling over the decision of one of the country's largest live sheep exporters to halt their northern trade over the summer months. The news comes after it was revealed the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries (DPIRD) had raided the offices of embattled live exporter Emanuel Exports on Tuesday.
One of Australia's largest live export companies voluntarily halts northern summer trade
The move by one of the largest live export companies in Australia to cease trade has farmers rattled. Farmers are reeling over the decision of one of the country's largest live sheep exporters to halt their northern trade over the summer months. The news comes after it was revealed the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries (DPIRD) had raided the offices of embattled live exporter Emanuel Exports on Tuesday.
Grain growers scale back winter crops as driest autumn conditions since 1902 take hold
Farmers right across Australia are concerned about the lack of water stored beneath the soil. Fears drought conditions are taking hold in grain growing regions has prompted farmers to scale back their plantings. It has been so dry that the crops that have been sown have gone into soils parched by the driest autumn since 1902.
Salinity crisis destroying Australia's farmland, but farmers hope to stop it
Australia has a silent crisis on its hands and the threat is looming just beneath the ground of the country's most fertile food bowls. Dryland salinity, which occurs when vast underground salt deposits rise to the surface with groundwater tables, could leave the productive farm lands that inhabit more than half of the country desolate and barren.
Hundreds of sheep killed and farming land destroyed in Stirling Ranges blaze caused by escaped national park burn
Mal Thomson was fighting the South Stirling fire, but lost hundreds of sheep and hectares of farming land. Farmers on Western Australia's south coast are still coming to terms with the extent of losses after devastating bushfires tore through the region last week. An escaped burn in the Stirling Range National Park resulted in 17,200 hectares being burnt, with about one fifth occurring on private property. * This story contains images some readers may find distressing.
Farmers adapt to the dry with rainfall well below normal across the south's grain, sheep and cattle heartlands
For those with even the greenest of thumbs, keeping a backyard garden or front lawn alive when rain doesn't fall is a struggle. So how do Australian farmers plan to keep the country fed? According to the Bureau of Meteorology, it was the eighth-driest April on record with rainfall across grain, sheep and cattle heartlands in southern Australia well below normal. At 63 per cent below average, April rainfall across Western Australia was the lowest since 1994. Rural Newsletter Rural news in your inbox?
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