Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Archive for January, 2024
Prisoners riot in NT, bed frames, fans used as weapons
Dozens of inmates have rioted in the Alice Springs Correctional Centre, using parts of beds and fans as weapons against guards. January 8, 2024 Inmates have rioted at Alice Springs prison, using bed frames and fans as weapons, after a plan to lure a guard into a cell failed, the union for correctional officers says. […]
Climate change could be impacting babies’ birth weights
An Australian study of 385,000 pregnancies has found a potential link between exposure to extreme weather during pregnancy and babies’ birth weights. January 8, 2024 Climate change could be impacting babies’ birth weight after scientists found a potential link to extreme weather exposure during pregnancy. Researchers at the Curtin School of Population Health say global […]
Alcoa mine clearing to supply scarce WA hardwood timber
Controversial land clearing at Alcoa’s mine sites is likely to feed WA’s ailing hardwood timber industry with logs following a ban on felling native forests. January 7, 2024 The survival of Western Australia’s ailing hardwood timber industry could hinge on an environmental assessment of alumina giant Alcoa and its controversial plan to clear parts of […]
Nursing union accepts pay deal after months of deadlock
WA’s nursing union has accepted a three per cent pay rise but says its 40,000 members remain the lowest paid in the country. January 5, 2024 West Australian nurses and midwives have voted to accept a pay deal following months of “frustrating” negotiations and a stalemate. Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) members voted two to one […]
Loans to help struggling builders complete homes
The WA government will provide loans to help struggling builders complete unfinished homes that have been under construction for more than two years. January 4, 2024 Homebuyers stuck in limbo due to unfinished houses have been thrown a lifeline, with West Australian government loans to help struggling builders complete projects. The $10 million program will […]
Aussie fossils unlock photosynthesis mystery
Scientists have discovered microstructures in 1.75 billion-year-old microfossils from the NT that could unearth the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis. January 4, 2024 The discovery of microfossils in a collection of 1.75 billion-year-old Australian rocks could shed light on the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is how plants and some bacteria convert water and carbon dioxide […]
Prisoners hit the roof as mass jail breakout fails
More than a dozen inmates tore through a ceiling and attempted to escape a prison on Boxing Day before guards foiled their bid for freedom. January 3, 2024 A group of inmates attempted to escape their cell block at Alice Springs prison through a roof. Fifteen prisoners tore through a ceiling and entered a crawl […]
WA top cop backs officer filmed punching NYE reveller
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch has denied an officer filmed punching a man outside a pub during New Year’s Eve celebrations was heavy-handed. January 2, 2024 Western Australia’s top cop has backed a police officer filmed punching a man who was pinned to the ground outside a Perth pub during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Video […]
Unpredictable blaze threatening lives and homes in WA
A bushfire emergency warning has been issued for an unpredictable blaze threatening fishing towns in Western Australia. January 1, 2024 An unpredictable bushfire is threatening lives and homes near fishing towns in Western Australia. An emergency warning has been issued for the southern parts of Leeman and the northern parts of Green Head in the […]
Ages revealed of children in river drowning tragedy
Police have released more details about two young children who died after they were found in a Perth river on New Year’s Eve. January 1, 2024 Two children who died after they were found in the Swan River on New Year’s Eve were a four-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy. The pair, from separate families, […]
State bans commercial logging of native forests
A state’s ban on the commercial logging of native forests could protect two million hectares of trees for future generations. January 1, 2024 The end of unsustainable commercial logging in Western Australia could save almost 20,000 square kilometres of forest, the state government says. Chopping down native karri, jarrah and wandoo hardwood in the state’s […]