Each day 56 Australians have one of the most frightening conversations of their life – they have breast cancer. While more people are being diagnosed with breast cancer, survival rates are higher than ever before. It is the most common cancer amongst women and according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, each year around 20,000 Australians are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 3,300 die will from it. National Breast Cancer Foundation Prevention Chair and Daffodil Centre researcher, Professor Nehmat Houssami said diagnoses are increasing not only due to improved screening but also risk profiles of the…
Author: Ava Ferguson
Pet ownership has spiked despite cost of living pressures, according to the most recent national survey by Animal Medicines Australia. The estimated pet population has reached 31.6 million, with the survey data showing that 7.7 million households owned a pet, equating to 73 per cent of all households and marking a significant increase from previous years. Animal Medicines Australia Chief Executive Officer, Ben Stapley said the increase in pet ownership is due to COVID-19. “We saw something of a pet boom during the COVID-19 pandemic and that was mainly due to changes in people’s working arrangements,” he said. “Workers had…
A new report has revealed the number of families using out of school hours care (OSHC) has increased by 1.3 per cent over the last year, with an additional 5,110 families accessing care. The increased demand is placing pressure on services across Australia, according to the latest Department of Education Child Care Subsidy data report. The previous year’s report found that in December of 2024, 546,790 children attended OSHC. In December of 2025, 552,020 attended OSHC, which the report recognised as representing an upward trend. Gymea Bay Care and Leisure Centre director Corinne Bochkareff said she was overwhelmed by increased…
Local councils across Australia are being left to manage rising homelessness without the funding or resources to properly respond, according to a recent national study by the University of New South Wales. Lead researcher from the UNSW School of Social Sciences Dr Andrew Clarke said that while councils play an important role in supporting their community, they need the state government to step up. “We need higher tiers of government to step up and invest in social housing in particular. We can see councils as being part of the solution but by no means the solution on their own,” Dr…
In the wake of Endometriosis awareness month, the latest data by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has revealed more women are being hospitalised for the condition than ever before. Past reports have shown that between 2021 and 2022, there were 40,500 endometriosis-related hospitalisations, representing 312 hospitalisations per 100,000 females. In contrast, in an upward trend, there were 44,200 endometriosis-related hospitalisations recorded between 2022-2023, representing 335 hospitalisations per 100,000 females. Woman with endometriosis, Charli Evers, said her symptoms have led her to visit the emergency department and numerous medical appointments. “I went to the emergency department one time after not…
An Illawarra motoring and sports journalist says the future of the profession will require the next generation to combat an increasingly noisy industry that is vastly different from the one he entered. Speaking on the University of Wollongong’s Alumni Stories: From Here On, UOW alum Sam Charlwood told hosts Ava Ferguson-Leighton and Max McIver that quality journalism is paramount in the current media landscape. “I think journalism always has a place, and proper journalism is more important now than ever before,” Mr Charlwood said. “At a time where, I think, the culture particularly in Australia … is more sceptical of politics and…
Influenza has surpassed COVID-19 as the leading cause of acute respiratory infection deaths in Australia, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The report was released on March 30 and displays the number of monthly deaths due to COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus from 2024 until February 2026. In 2025, there were 2,172 deaths involving COVID-19, compared to 5,111 in 2024 and 6,194 in 2023. In contrast, influenza deaths have surged with 1,738 deaths involving influenza in 2025, compared to 1,045 in 2024 and 612 in 2023. Overall, in 2025 there were 2,172 deaths involving…
The University of Wollongong’s UniActive has partnered with Flagstaff Group to host an Inclusive Sports Taster Event to unite people of all abilities to celebrate collaboration and inclusivity. Members of the local community and university students will come together on Thursday, March 26, at UniActive’s Sports Hub for recreational sport sessions including wheelchair basketball, soccer, basketball, netball and oztag. Five sporting organisations from across the region will take part in the day – the Wollongong Roller Hawks, Illawarra District Netball Association, Basketball Illawarra, One Agency and Wests Illawarra. Flagstaff Group’s initiative We Belong addresses the social inclusion obstacles for people…
Warmer temperatures have arrived and so have potentially deadly paralysis ticks. Pet owners are urged to stay up to date with tick prevention treatments and to often check their pet’s fur to avoid Vet fees that range from $5,000 to $10,000. Roughly 10,000 dogs are affected by ticks every year and approximately 500 of these dogs will die. Tick season is here: Here's how to protect yourself and your pets https://t.co/5giC5g5uE8 pic.twitter.com/BKRPqdDz8Z— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) April 13, 2024 Dog owner Avah Reus recently lost her dog Marley to a tick earlier this month. “I noticed that she had become quite…
Faster and more efficient travel could be on the horizon as Australian border authorities trial a digital incoming passenger system. Passengers have previously had to fill out a physical incoming passenger card (ICP) when they arrive in Australia in order to identify themselves and provide details regarding baggage, their previous location and more. Now, Qantas travellers between Australia and New Zealand will be able to fill out these details through their mobile phones. Passengers will provide their details in the Qantas app and once completed will receive a digital pass through their nominated email, which will include a QR code…