Emily Smith

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Emily Smith

A community service group in regional Western Australia says it and others are buckling under the weight of the town's mental health needs as government service shortages drive severely unwell residents to its doors. For more than 20 years, Chris Meyer has led Esperance Care Services (ECS), which provides food relief, help and a safe space for those doing it tough in the region, 700 kilometres south-east of Perth. But he has never been so worried.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Emily Smith

All three small Esperance supermarkets are now owned by companies with links to each other, after the sale of the town's Pink Lake IGA. Some residents worry this will make grocery prices increase due to a lack of competition. Experts say the model may help ensure small retailers' survival, given the challenges of operating in regional Australia. The sale of a small supermarket on Western Australia's south coast has residents concerned that grocery prices will rise.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Emily Smith

John Griffiths suspects his mind is starting to fail. It is a horrifying prospect for the father-of-three, former Monash University engineering lecturer and CSIRO research scientist. The Melbourne man spends much of his time with his wife Rachel, who lives in residential aged care, reading her poems and short stories. "I've got nothing but praise for [her] carers. I think they're fantastic, professional and excellent," he said.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Elise Worthington |Emily Smith

Australian medical practitioners are writing scripts for high-strength medicinal cannabis products with alarming speed, raising concerns some are putting "profit over patient safety", according to the regulator. Since medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2016, the industry has exploded, with cannabis telehealth clinics fuelling a rapid increase in prescriptions of products that contain THC, the psychoactive substance that causes a "high".

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Emily Smith

A farming community in Western Australia's remote south-east has questioned plans for a 300-block subdivision near one of the country's most pristine beaches. Perth-based developer John Bestall wants to create a "holiday village-style" precinct on his 607-hectare property, 770 kilometres south-east of Perth and 60km east of Esperance.