Catherine James

Sydney

Currently reporting for ABC News from the NSW Western Plains. Producer and writer for *The Watch Or The Time* - a doco about the West in Afghanistan. Link below

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Articles

Floodwater passes historic record levels in western NSW

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Zaarkacha Marlan |Catherine James

Historic flooding has cut off communities in western NSW, with the Paroo River surpassing its 1990 record. The river reached 5.13 metres at Wanaaring at 8am on Tuesday, overtaking the previous record of 4.88 metres. It was predicted to peak at 5.3 metres on Tuesday afternoon. Slow-moving floodwater heading south from Queensland was expected to keep the remote community of Wanaaring isolated for six to 10 weeks.
NSW Police to target youth crime 'ringleaders' with rapid-response strategy

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Bruce MacKenzie |Bruce Mackenzie |Catherine James |Zaarkacha Marlan

Up to 100 young "ringleaders" committing violent crimes in the state's north and west will be the target of a new rapid-response strategy revealed by NSW Police today. Operation Soteria will involve 60 officers and rapid response units targeting offenders aged between 11 and 16 in nine designated areas. The regional trouble spots identified are Moree, Tamworth, Dubbo, Orange, Tweed Heads, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Taree, and Newcastle.
Fears chemical spray drift is affecting trees, but proving it is complicated

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Catherine James

Something strange keeps happening to the huge peppercorn tree on Harry Barclay's farm. For at least a decade, he has seen the evergreen shed most of its leaves around March and April. He believes it is linked to spraying nearby cotton crops with a defoliant for harvest. "As soon as the cotton defoliation goes on, the peppercorn drops most of its leaves a day or two after and then slowly loses the rest over three or four weeks," Mr Barclay says. "It's not a deciduous tree.
The Making of Hershey's

2 months ago | citylifestyle.com | Catherine James

This Valentine's Day, loved ones across the country will receive boxes of smooth, silky confections donning names like Cadbury, Godiva, Ghiradelli, Ferrero, Lindt and the like. But only one can take credit for America's chocolate obsession, paving the way for dozens more to earn their rightful place on grocery store shelves in centuries to come. That name is Hershey. But chocolatier Milton Hershey is responsible for more than the rise of delicious milk chocolate.
Western NSW children join sport waiting lists as Dubbo sport hub plan axed

Dec 19, 2024 | abc.net.au | Catherine James

Minister for Western NSW Tara Moriarty has axed $48.6 million in funding promised under the previous government for an indoor sports hub in Dubbo. Sporting teams and players have criticised the decision as a failure to understand the region. A petition has been launched for the funding to be restored. Cohen Weir fears more of his friends will leave their home town in western New South Wales after a state government decision to axe funding for an indoor sports precinct.
Canadian pilot Rick Roberts flies large air tanker to fight NSW bushfires

Dec 13, 2024 | abc.net.au | Catherine James

Captain Rick Roberts keeps a cool head when he flies to "bomb" a bushfire. The Canadian pilots a large air tanker (LAT) retrofitted with an 11,356-litre tank for fire retardant that hugs the plane like a hotdog bun. While firebombing seems synonymous with danger, Cpt Roberts says it is a high-discipline job rather than a high-risk one. "I wouldn't do it if it was high risk. There's no heroism here," the 69-year-old says.
Council candidate shortage sees 14 NSW local government areas have no vote on September 14

Sep 13, 2024 | abc.net.au | Catherine James

A government where representatives are elected without a vote may not sound like a democracy, but in some regional New South Wales local governments that is what is happening. When NSW council elections are held on Saturday, September 14, a lack of candidates will mean 14 councils out of 128 will appoint nominees unopposed. All but one of the affected councils is in regional NSW. It is a big shift from 25 years ago when only one council went uncontested in the 1999 election.
Opal mining 'ballrooms' carved out beneath Lightning Ridge threaten to collapse roads

May 21, 2024 | abc.net.au | Emily Middleton |Catherine James

In short: Two roads in the opal mining town of Lightning Ridge have been partially closed to traffic after mining cavities beneath the surface began to give way. Unexpected mining cavities have also cropped up in the construction of the multi-million dollar Australian Opal Centre. What's next: Crown Lands and the local council are in negotiations over who will pay for further investigations and potential reinforcement of the roads.
Louise Pleming's tennis program Rally4Ever serves up social connections in western NSW

May 2, 2024 | abc.net.au | Catherine James

Mental health programs don't usually come with a tennis racquet and ball, but Grand Slam commentator Louise Pleming is changing that. The positive impact of a casual hit across the nets with a homeless man in Sydney sparked an idea for Ms Pleming that led to forming the not-for-profit Rally4Ever group, which is now expanding into western NSW.
Outback tennis boosting youth mental health

Apr 30, 2024 | abc.net.au | Catherine James

Sport is often seen as a crucial way of boosting mental health resilience, especially among young people. But in some regional areas, finding a team or a club can be difficult, and often involves extra costs and travelling long distances. For the past few weeks, a squad of tennis coaches has been bringing their love of the game to communities in outback NSW to improve the mental health of local youth. It's called Rally4Ever and reporter Catherine James went along to find out more.