Leah MacLennan

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Leah MacLennan |Jessica Haynes |Che Chorley

The farming town of Orroroo, in South Australia's mid north, is a microcosm of the drought plaguing swathes of Australia. What is its future in a changing climate? The auburn dirt of Orroroo is like that found in many towns in regional Australia, rich in colour, but devastating when swept into the air. Last month the town, and many others across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales were blanketed in thick dust as storms swept across the country.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Leah MacLennan

When journalists filter into a budget lock-up, the first thing they do (perhaps apart from making sure they have a caffeinated beverage) is pick up a stack of budget papers. For a rookie reporter it can be an intimidating tower, but this year there was no mistaking the message the South Australian government was trying to send. On the front cover of the pile of paper were the faces of two smiling police officers, leaning on a park bench, talking to a small child.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Daniel Keane |Leah MacLennan

The scale of South Australia's toxic algal bloom has previously been likened to the size of Kangaroo Island. On the island, tourism operators and fishers are among those who fear potentially heavy impacts on their businesses. While some have raised the prospect of financial assistance, the government says it is monitoring the situation. The shallows that follow the shoreline might not seem the likeliest setting for the contemplation of drought.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Jessica Haynes |Leah MacLennan |Che Chorley

A mysterious, brown foam appeared on a beach an hour south of Adelaide. It was just the beginning of a toxic algal bloom that has now grown to thousands of square kilometres in size, killing precious sea life in its wake. Experts say it could be a sign of things to come. The breathtaking coastline of Waitpinga Beach — known as "Waits" to locals — is famed for its strong swells and rugged hills.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Leah MacLennan

On Saturday night at the Robin Hood Hotel in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, Liberal MP James Stevens took to the stage to concede that he had lost the seat of Sturt. He apologised for being the man in the seat when it slipped from his party's hands for the first time in more than five decades. As he descended from the stage, there to comfort the now-former MP were party faithful and elders, chief among them the recently-retired Senator Simon Birmingham.