News Ticker
Bushfire warning
An emergency bushfire warning is in place for Mariginiup, north of Perth. Keep up to date with ABC Emergency
Monty Jacka
Wagga Wagga, NSW
Monty Jacka is a journalist in the ABC Riverina newsroom. He might one day tweet from @montyjacka_ (but probably not).
Latest by Monty Jacka
Farmers take water buyback fight to the streets to keep communities alive
Irrigators who have for more than a decade been fighting "death by 1,000 cuts" water buybacks say it won't just be those on farms who are hurt by proposed changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Updated
Shanul used to sing in a heavy metal band. He's now dazzling audiences at the opera
By Monty Jacka and Sally Bryant for Make Me Feel Good
While growing up in India, Shanul Sharma was teased by classmates for his high-pitched voice. After a brief stint in heavy metal, he's now using that voice to star in opera performances across the world.
Could you feed yourself on $9 a day? A pensioner says that's all he can afford due to rising rates
The NSW pricing regulator has released a final report into its rate peg review. It comes as rising rates add to the cost of living crisis.
Updated
'Spate of violence': Prisoners use 'loophole' to search news articles about each others' crimes
By Alexander Lewis and Monty Jacka
Corrective Services NSW has turned off three websites, including two news sites, as prisoners use a function on their tablets to search inmates' crimes and carry out violence.
Updated
How 92yo Bob Holder hangs on to the title of 'world's oldest competitive cowboy'
Bob Holder, also known as "the Cootamundra Cat", won his first event in 1945 when he was 14. Now 92, he rides in an arena that was named in his honour.
Shocked by 'horrendous' war, a farmer has inspired his country town to befriend a Ukrainian city
Deniliquin has become sister cities with a Ukrainian agricultural hub, thanks to a passionate plea from a local who urged his council to support the war-ravaged nation.
Updated
Small southern NSW town loses 56-bed aged care home as staff shortages bite
Southern Cross Care is closing its facility at Moama in the southern Riverina, leaving residents devastated.
Contamination from a RAAF base was supposed to reach this city's water supply in the 2070s. It's already almost there
Chemical run-off from the Forest Hill RAAF base has been found just 650 metres from Wagga Wagga's water supply, despite recent studies by Defence claiming it would take at least 50 years to reach the bores.
Updated
This shy lemur is being urged to overcome his fears and woo his female companion
Two critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemurs named Tsiky and Kintana are paired together at a zoo in southern NSW, in the hopes they will breed and help preserve their "stunning" species.
Is it disrespectful to sell kava in supermarkets?
A critic says the commercialisation of the drug is potentially dangerous and culturally insensitive, but others say the "great alternative to alcohol" has never been hard to source in the west.
This equestrian sport for 'adrenaline junkies' involves balloons, socks and tennis balls
Acrobatic dismounts, dramatic handovers and furious galloping are common in this niche sport, which is being played regional Victoria right now as part of a world championship event.
'Timely and lovely' rain puts smiles on the faces of NSW farmers
Some in the state have endured the driest periods in decades and say the falls will put them in good stead for the summer to come.
Prime minister urges Bega community to dig deep as homes are lost on NSW south coast
By Monty Jacka and James Tugwell
A man has been hospitalised and at least three homes have been lost as New South Wales south coast residents wait to see the damage left by a fire burning since Tuesday.
Updated
Footy gave Leigh his identity, but the head knocks have started to strip away his personality
Leigh McDonald's depression and anxiety have "gone through the roof" over the past five years — a result, he believes, of the large number of concussions he suffered while playing amateur Aussie Rules football.
Updated
Regional bank closures 'ripping the heart out of country towns', inquiry told
A senate inquiry into regional bank closures hears of the dramatic impact on elderly people and those who cannot travel easily.
Analysis
analysis:Will living with varroa mite make Australian honey and food more expensive?
Research into varroa mite is expected to surge after Australia waved the white flag in its fight to eradicate the pest from New South Wales, a decision that is also expected to increase beekeeping costs.
This town's pub has burnt down four times. Each time its 200 residents banded together to rebuild
The village of Rankins Springs was once described as "hanging on to life", but after a century of challenges — including four separate pubs burning down — its future is finally looking bright.
Updated
'Intense' blaze destroys Hume Highway petrol station, police investigating
Fifty firefighters rushed to the scene to try to contain a fire at a petrol station before it reached fuel tanks.
Updated
Small town reeling as man dies in 'truly tragic' truck crash
Crews worked through the night to clear the significant wreckage from the crash and subsequent blaze that claimed a man's life in southern NSW.
Beth's family has holidayed at this corrugated iron shack for generations, but that's about to end
Families are rallying against a Crown Lands plan to demolish holiday shacks that have been passed down through generations.
People visit this town for the fresh mountain air, but it has reeked of rotten eggs for months
Businesses and residents are worried the smell from a nearby landfill could leave tourists with a bad impression of a town on the foothills of the Snowy Mountains.
'Freak accident' prompts greyhound track upgrades
Wagga Wagga's greyhound racing track has been upgraded to improve its safety, but a lead animal rights activist says it isn't enough.
Updated
RSL NSW apologises for 50-year snub of Vietnam War veterans
The President of the NSW RSL is formally apologising to Vietnam War veterans after many were initially "refused entry" due to the belief they didn't fight in "a real war".
Tiny town abuzz as teen athlete shines on world stage
Grace Krause, from Temora in NSW, is inspiring young athletes to train hard and follow their dreams with her performances at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Updated
'Glitzy' photos of bodybuilders on stage made Angela want to join them. She didn't see the health risks
Angela Williams only took part in one bodybuilding competition, but says the experience left her with years of health issues. She is one of several current and ex-competitors concerned about the strict dieting in the industry.
Updated