Gus Nossal reflects and launches a new research chair
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News.com.au
9 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Gold Logie winner's next $1 million move
Retiring Home & Away star, and newly-minted Gold Logie winner, Lynne McGranger, pulled her Kensington investment apartment from it's scheduled auction last weekend. The two-bedroom apartment in Kensington in Sydney has now been given a $1.1m asking price which was the price guide that had been given by Taylors Property Management Specialists agent Mark Taylor. It has generated over 1600 page views on since its listing four weeks ago. MORE: Paltry amount Steve Irwin left to his kids Home & Away's Lynne McGranger and her husband Paul McWaters are selling their long-held Sydney investment property at Kensington. Picture: The apartment sits on the fourth floor of the 2006-built Acadamie complex on Anzac Parade. McGranger and her partner Paul McWaters bought into the 2006-built complex a year after its completion, for $472,000. There are eight owners in the block who have owned longer than McGranger and McWaters. The two-level apartment is split into sleeping and entertainment levels. The two bedrooms are upstairs, while the open plan kitchen living and dining is on the entry level which opens to a large balcony with north-facing views of the city skyline. Set between Carlton St and Goodwood St, it has parking for two cars. One of the home's two bedrooms. The kitchen area. The last sale in the block came last year, when another two-bedroom apartment sold for $1.13m. The priciest was $1.16m in 2021. McGranger won the Gold Logie last week for her longtime role on Home & Away, where she has played Irene Roberts, for over 33 years. McGranger, 72, joined Home & Away in 1993, five years after the series began, and is credited as the longest-serving female cast member of a TV soapie in Australia. She took over the role of Irene Roberts from Jacquy Phillips. MORE: Huge promise Hemsworths made about Byron Bay Gold Logie winner Lynee Mcgranger. Picture: Thomas Lisson McGranger will shortly farewell Summer Bay viewers after filming was finished in March. The Logies broadcast revealed her departure plot addresses Alzheimer's. Now pursuing her passion for theatre, Granger and McWaters, who have been together for four decades, have a home in Glenhaven that they bought for $915,000 in 2011. MORE: Wild reason Aussie has 300 homes Originally published as Gold Logie winner's next $1 million move
ABC News
9 minutes ago
- ABC News
Western Australia's 'catastrophic' bleaching event leaves parts of the spectacular Ningaloo Reef white and grey
Even the pristine "hope spot" of Ningaloo could not escape the state's worst ever coral bleaching. The striking red earth meets a sparkling turquoise sea at Ningaloo. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) It's the colours that tell you where you are. A sparkling turquoise sea washes into the red earth. More than 500 species of fish and more than 250 species of coral can be found in Ningaloo's waters. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Bob beneath the surface and you'll find a rainbow palette of life. More than 500 species of fish, and more than 250 species of coral lighting up the seabed. But now, Ningaloo is using its treasured hues to send out an SOS. The reef's distress call is captured in stark images taken by ocean photographer Brooke Pyke earlier this year. "Everything was just completely white," she says. A large formation of coral that has suffered from bleaching. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) The grooves of this brain coral are a stark white after bleaching. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Bleached pillar coral found in Ningaloo. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Ningaloo and other WA reefs escaped major bleaching in previous global marine heating events but not this time. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Brooke has been working in the diving industry for more than a decade. She remembers her first dive at the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef — some 1,200 kilometres north of Perth, off Western Australia's remote north-west coast. "The vibrancy of the colours, the diversity of coral species, the beautiful fish that live amongst all those organisms was just so, so vibrant and so full of life," she says. This is a snapshot of what Ningaloo looked like before the major bleaching event. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Lettuce coral and other coral species pictured in Ningaloo before the major bleaching event. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) "To see it now … it's just skeletons of what it was before. "It's some of the worst coral bleaching I've ever seen." Ocean photographer Brooke Pyke has been capturing the coral bleaching. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Brooke Pyke says the bleaching that's occurred at Ningaloo is some of the worst she's ever seen. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) 2024 was the warmest year on record for global oceans, culminating in the fourth-ever global coral bleaching event, which has circumnavigated oceans in a wave of ongoing coral mortality. It hit Ningaloo late last year. "In around December 2024, we started to notice that water temperatures were abnormally high," says molecular ecologist Dr Kate Quigley. "By the end of February, we were seeing some locations along the Western Australian coastline, including Ningaloo, as high as four degrees warmer than they should be. "For a coral, it is the difference between having a normal temperature versus having a raging fever." 'Unprecedented' damage to previously untouched corals Throughout this year, scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have been surveying the damage to WA's reefs, and a clear picture has now emerged. "There is no doubt the reef has suffered the worst heat stress, and indeed coral bleaching, that we've ever had in Western Australia before," AIMS research scientist James Gilmour says. "It's unprecedented." Dr James Gilmour says the level of bleaching is "unprecedented". ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) Last summer brought the longest, largest and most intense marine heatwave on record for WA. Coral bleaching and mortality is expected when heat stress exceeds eight weeks. During this event, some reefs in WA suffered for 20 to 30 weeks. Until this year, WA's north-west reefs had mostly evaded major bleaching, making them "hope spots" for Dr Gilmour. This time, virtually no WA reefs went unscathed. While the full impact is still being investigated, experts at the AIMS-led WA Coral Bleaching Group have so far reported bleaching and mortality across a 1,500-kilometre area. The Rowley Shoals, a group of three coral atolls off the coast of Broome, had never bleached before. AIMS believes this event killed up to 90 per cent of corals at the Mermaid and Clerke reefs there. Rowley Shoals pictured in 2012. ( Supplied: AIMS/Nick Thake ) Rowley Shoals pictured in April 2025. ( Supplied: AIMS/Anna Cresswell ) Their surveys at Ningaloo in May recorded up to 60 per cent of bleaching and mortality at some sites, with the Tantabiddi and Jurabi areas hit hardest. The scale has eclipsed Ningaloo's other major bleaching event, which occurred after a significant La Nina in 2011. The Tantabiddi reef, pictured in May 2025. ( Supplied: AIMS/Declan Stick ) Coral bleaching in the Tantabiddi reef. ( Supplied: AIMS/Declan Stick ) "It's really a wake-up call to us here," Dr Gilmour says. "Climate change, and global warming, has caught up with Western Australia's coral reefs." This year was the first time two World Heritage reefs on opposite sides of the country were bleaching simultaneously. "There is no doubt that this is the worst that WA has experienced and when you combine it with the Great Barrier Reef, it's the single worst bleaching event in Australia's history," Dr Gilmour says. "The severity, the extent and the duration of this event, is unprecedented." WA's coral reef has historically been more resilient to marine heatwaves. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Corals are animals, and the heat makes them sick. Warm waters make the coral sick and it's on a scale scientists haven't seen before. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) "That warm water causes the animal to start to lose its relationship with its little symbiotic algae inside of it," Dr Quigley explains. "Over time, the animal can starve. And if the warming is too severe or stays too severe for too long, the animal can actually die." That's what is happening now in some of the worst hit areas. The water at Ningaloo is crystal clear. And Dr Quigley, who is a senior research scientist at the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, guides me around a section of the reef. Pointing at the seabed as we glide through the water, Dr Quigley is bobbing up every so often to say things like, "see this bommie — that's probably 500-years-old", or, "that's a good sign" when we see a happy-looking coral. But other times she doesn't need to bob up — I can make out the muffled word through her snorkel under the water. "Dead." These coral aren't a bleached-white colour anymore, but more of a grey, with algae growing all over. "When you get that amount of warming for that long, that's going to translate to a lot of mortality," Dr Quigley says. "We're kind of all waiting with bated breath on those exact [mortality] numbers. "But given what we know about the relationship between coral health and warming, it's unlikely to be good. "This has not just been a bad bleaching event, it has been an absolutely catastrophic bleaching event." Molecular ecologist Kate Quigley has come to Ningaloo to survey the damage. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) Kate Quigley took 7.30 on a tour under the water at Ningaloo. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) Kate Quigley is concerned about what the results of coral testing will show. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) A healthy reef doesn't just make for pretty pictures. It's critically important for both ecological and economic reasons, and vital for industries like fisheries and tourism. Just ask anyone who works in the tourist town of Exmouth, synonymous with snorkelling and swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo. Craig Kitson has lived here for 25 years and runs a glass-bottom boat tourism business. Craig Kitson says the level of coral bleaching has the potential to hurt his business. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) "We're seeing patches where we've lost about 90 per cent of the coral," he says. "Definitely it has the potential to affect our business. I mean, our business is centred around looking at coral and fish." While some operators would prefer not to draw attention to the bleaching, Craig sees it as vital. Bleached coral at Ningaloo as seen from a drone. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) "From my perspective, I think it's more important than ever that people come and connect with this place," he says. "We tell everyone that comes on board that they're now an ambassador for the reef and they need to go forward and tell people, and the way they vote and the way they live their lives is really important and it's crucial for the next generations." Massive and branching coral in Ningaloo before bleaching. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) Massive and branching coral in Ningaloo after bleaching. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) 'How many wake up calls?' Federal Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson and WA Greens MP Sophie McNeill have travelled to Ningaloo for an in-water briefing by AIMS researchers about the bleaching event. "While Ningaloo is hanging on to life and there's still beauty and wonder here, people should come and see it, we know that if we don't act, there is no future for this reef," Whish-Wilson says. "How many wake up calls do we need?" The Greens say this year's coral bleaching event shows the need for stronger environmental protection laws and an ambitious 2035 emissions reduction target. While Australia is not among the world's top CO2 emitters, it is one of the biggest fossil fuel exporters. Up the coast from Ningaloo, in WA's Pilbara, leading LNG exporter Woodside Energy was recently given the green light to continue operating its North West Shelf gas plant until 2070, something Senator Whish-Wilson says "beggars belief" at a time when Australia's reefs are "suffocating". Woodside says research shows its LNG exports help displace coal in Asia, leading to lower global emissions. A different report, released last year, cast doubt over the environmental benefits of gas compared with coal. WA Greens MP Sophie McNeil and Senator Peter Whish-Wilson. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) In a statement, Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt told 7.30 the impact on Ningaloo "underlines the need for Australia and the world to take urgent action, including reaching net zero emissions". "That's what the Albanese Government is doing by setting ambitious 2030 emissions targets and driving up investment in renewables," he said. "Following the consideration of rigorous scientific and other advice, a proposed decision to approve the North West Shelf development has been made, subject to strict conditions, particularly relating to the impact of air emissions levels." Mr Watt said the project is also required to be net zero by 2050. The 2050 target comes from the 2015 Paris Agreement, where world leaders pledged to try to prevent temperatures rising more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The West Australian state government introduced legislation to tackle climate emissions in 2023, but the Climate Change Bill was shelved ahead of the state election. Woodside Energy was given the green light to continue operating its North West Shelf gas plant until 2070. ( ABC News: Charlie Mclean ) In an attempt to revive the debate, the WA Greens have re-introduced Labor's climate Bill to WA parliament's upper house, with amendments including a renewable energy target. "Critically, we've put a 2030 target in it because WA is the only state without one," McNeill says. "It is communities like the ones here in Exmouth that will suffer because of the impact of global warming." WA's Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn was unavailable for an interview, but in a statement to 7.30 said this event "underscores the risks our environment faces from the effects of global climate change". He said the state government was "taking some time to review" its previously proposed climate change legislation, in light of new federal regulations which require big polluters to reduce their emissions over time. "We are focused on ensuring that our approach aligns with the most effective measures available to drive down emissions and support our transition to a decarbonised economy," he said. Coalition members are divided on whether Australia should even be pursuing net zero, with Federal WA Liberal Andrew Hastie calling out what he sees as "moral hypocrisy". He says Australia is exporting coal and gas to some of the world's biggest emitters, like China, India and Japan, at the same time as pursuing a costly decarbonisation journey that risks energy reliability. His stance is at odds with WA state Liberal leader Basil Zempilas, who sees no need to drop the 2050 target. A 'resilient, hope spot' Back in Exmouth, Dr Quigley and her team are selectively breeding corals to enhance their heat tolerance in the face of escalating ocean temperatures. Dr Quigley says that while they have seen encouraging results, there is "no silver bullet". "What we need is climate action now." Kate Quigley is breeding heat-resilient corals to cope with more freqent marine heatwaves. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) Kate Quigley says the best way to protect the reefs is to take action on greenhouse gas emissions. ( ABC News: Mitchell Edgar ) While bleaching does not always mean death for reefs, scientists say they need 10 to 15 years to fully recover, and that rising global temperatures mean the frequency and intensity of these events are likely to increase. Despite the bleaching Dr Gilmour says Ningaloo is still among the healthiest reefs on the planet. Scientists say corals need 10 to 15 years to recover from bleaching fully. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) The intensity and frequency of coral bleaching events are likely to increase. ( Supplied: Brooke Pyke ) "The reef is very resilient, nature is very resilient," he says. "But if you keep hitting it with impacts, then it can't recover." Just off the coast from where we are, we can see humpback whales breaching in the distance and soon after we've finished filming, we spot a manta ray gliding by a group of sea turtles. Ningaloo, Dr Gilmour says, remains his "hope spot". Credits: Reporter: Rhiannon Shine Photos and videos: Mitchell Edgar, Brooke Pyke, Australian Institute of Marine Science (Declan Stick, Anna Cresswell, Nick Thake) Digital production: Jenny Ky Editor: Paul Johnson Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV
News.com.au
9 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Tough six months': Inside Daniel Ricciardo's me-time era
Daniel Ricciardo's Formula 1 exit came without a farewell lap, but the Aussie fan favourite has re-emerged on home soil in one of his first public appearances since his abrupt mid-2024 split from Red Bull. Addressing an audience of 3000 real estate professionals at Ray White's Connect 2025 event on the Gold Coast, the 257-race veteran poked fun at his new unshaven look. 'I had a fallout with my barber and then I lost my razor. It's been a tough six months,' Ricciardo said. 'I actually FaceTimed my mum last night and she said, 'Oh, so you will get a bit of a cut before tomorrow?' I told her no. Look, she loves me unconditionally, but I think she'd prefer I looked a little cleaner. I'm still hygienic — the beard is just my comfort right now.' Since leaving the grid – he was dropped with six races to go after the Singapore Grand Prix – the 36-year-old has taken his foot off the accelerator, spending much of the past year out of the public eye. 'This year has been a little bit of self-exploration,' the Perth-born star said. 'I've lived this crazy, high-speed life for so long and I just sat into a little bit of stillness. I wasn't always surrounded by a tonne of people giving their opinions and thoughts. 'I've just had a lot of me-time…figuring out who I am other than the race car driver that I was for so long'. Interviewed by sports presenter Mel McLaughlin, he touched on themes relevant to his audience of resilience, backing yourself and recovering from setbacks – delivered in his trademark light-hearted style that's fuelled his popularity since Netflix's Drive to Survive. On his reputation as one of the sport's 'ultimate overtakers', Ricciardo said he would 'rather crash but try' than play it safe. It's quite scary because there's a level of unpredictability – you don't know what the car in front is going to do,' he said. 'Most overtaking comes with risk… but it's the most fun. It's racing – and what's the point of doing it otherwise?' Asked how he moved on from disaster, Ricciardo pointed to Monaco 2016, when he missed out on a win due to a botched pit stop. 'I was leading, I came into the pits and the tyres weren't ready. You go from being on top of the world and all of it crumbles,' he said. 'We are the drivers, but we are not the sport. We're not bigger than the team. People hurt, people feel as much as we feel, and it is their livelihood as well.' On the subject of his signature celebratory shoey – drinking champagne from his race boot – Ricciardo didn't miss a beat when asked what it tastes like. 'Success,' he said. 'If it's chilled, it numbs the taste… one mouthful of champagne and I'm buzzing.' Shock price reveal for insane Aussie property Earlier, Ray White managing director Dan White had opened the conference with a call to uphold the group's core values and 'bring the full depth of its team to every client'. 'We have been recently confronted with some challenging issues where the privilege was disrespected and a decision was made to move on from that relationship,' he said. 'The more transparent we are, the better for our customers… we run toward transparency and want to be proud of every transaction.'
