Trigger warning: This article contains discussion of domestic homicide, which some readers may find distressing Fourteen women and three children having been killed this year alone in domestic violence attacks. And one in four Australian women have experienced domestic violence. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, both men and women are more likely to experience violence by a known person than a stranger, and nearly three million Australians have experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15. Intimate partner violence is defined as behaviour within a current or previous intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual or…
Author: Hannah Scopelitis
The natural disasters that have occurred across Australia this year have caused a $2.2 billion loss in economic activity, according to a new Australian Treasury analysis. The recent heavy rainfall over New South Wales and subsequent floods over the northern regions, is one of thirty climate related disasters to have occurred this year, and residents of disaster-prone regions are suffering huge financial loss. Port Macquarie resident David Camilleri said he has witnessed his community battle the floods time and time again. “I think natural disasters have become more frequent, not just in Port Macquarie, but everywhere,” Mr Camilleri said. He…
The re-election of the ALP has secured university students and graduates across the country with a 20 per cent cut to all student debts. The Labor campaign vowed to ease the financial burden incurred by the Higher Education Loan Program by increasing the repayment threshold and committing $16 billion to slash debts before the next indexation on June 1. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the measures will provide cost-of-living relief and increase accessibility to higher education. “I will always fight for every young Australian to have access to a good education,” he said. “My government will make sure our…
Wollongong residents have been struggling to find general practitioners that offer bulk billing to all patients. Data drawn from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have indicated a sharp decline since 2022 in the rate of GP visits that are bulk billed. In January of 2025, Wollongong recorded its lowest percentage in the past decade, with only 83 per cent of visits being covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule, in comparison to the 92 per cent across New South Wales. This decline in coverage means residents in Wollongong who do have valid Medicare cards are faced with the challenge…
During the election campaign Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasised the increase in extreme weather events and the impact it has had on the economy. Mr Albanese said that although every weather event may not be caused by climate change, the science is clearly indicating a future of intensified environmental disasters. “The science told us the events would be more extreme, and they’d be more frequent. That is what we are seeing playing out. Whether it be increased bushfires, flooding, extreme weather events that are having an impact,” Mr Albanese said during an election debate with the then Opposition Leader Peter…
The federal election campaigns are underway, and according to the Australian Electoral Commission, 17,939,818 Australians will be voting on May 3, many of whom have the cost of living high on their political agendas. Reports have indicated that concerns for the cost of living is significantly dominating every other issue this election, with 57 percent of sampled Australians claiming it is one of their top three most important matters. The two major parties have announced their plans to combat the issue of rising costs, where Labor has introduced extra tax cuts and the Coalition plans to halve the fuel excise…
The Wollongong Memorial Gardens hosted its annual working bee today, an event that allows local residents to participate in the general maintenance and upkeep of the important community site. Garden supervisor and horticulturalist Paul Gooda provided rose-pruning demonstrations and shared his vast knowledge on the various techniques to promote plant growth with volunteers. The Wollongong City Council-organised event saw dozens of volunteers tend to over 3,000 roses, an opportunity that was comforting to those with loved ones memorialised at the gardens. Volunteer Christopher Peck was one of the volunteers and assisted with the upkeep of the resting place of his…
A Wollongong woman has utilised social media to establish a safe space for like-minded women who are struggling to build meaningful connections in their lives. Mia Taylor, 22, created her social media page ‘Sober Sally’s’ on Instagram in December of 2024, to organise gatherings such as craft nights and beach walks in an effort to combat the difficulties she had noticed that people were facing in making new friends. Since its commencement, the page has amassed nearly 500 followers, with women of all ages seeking to take part in her social events. Ms Taylor said Sober Sally’s’ is based upon…
An Illawarra gymnastics and acrobatics club has received a standing ovation at the Australia’s Got Talent auditions. The all-girls team ‘Acromazing’, from Oak Flats, will proceed to the next round in the competition after earning glowing praise from all four judges for their routine that left the audience in awe. Acromazing coach and choreographer Shelby Lacey, 31, said that the judge’s unanimous ‘yes’ to the audition was satisfying and she believes that the girls deserve to make it to the finals of the show. “Australia’s Got Talent has just been crazy because we went into it with no expectations and…
A Wollongong brewery has hosted a memorial tribute in honour of one of its most loyal customers Brent Kelly, known as Big Red, on what would have been his birthday. Mr Kelly died three weeks ago at the age of 37. Dozens of people attended Seeker Brewing in Unanderra, which was supposed to be the venue for his birthday party celebrations, instead friends and family gathered to remember his life. Seeker Brewing team member Curtis Argent, 29, said that employees wanted the event to go ahead in remembrance to Big Red, as he had been part of the brewery’s extended…