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ABC News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Robertson retains status as bellwether seat as Labor claims election victory
The New South Wales Central Coast electorate of Robertson has maintained its status as the nation's longest-surviving bellwether seat. Ever since 1983, Election essentials: By about 9pm on election night, it became obvious that trend, which has now spanned 16 elections in a row, would continue. Labor's sitting member Gordon Reid arrived at Labor's function in Ettalong to raucous applause as the Split Enz song I See Red blared through the speakers. "It is becoming increasingly clear that Robertson will be retained by the Australian Labor Party," he told the crowd. "We go again with the bellwether. The people have spoken tonight and I'm very happy with that result. "What you have achieved has made our region and our country a better place for all." A crowd of ALP supporters celebrates the party's victory in the bellwether seat of Robertson. ( Emma Simkin: ABC Central Coast ) The Liberal Party's Lucy Wicks held the seat from 2013 until 2022, when she lost to Dr Reid. The sitting member entered the election campaign on a margin of 2.2 per cent, but on Saturday night seemed set to increase that buffer on the back of a swing of 3.5 per cent. Dr Reid, a Wiradjuri man, paid tribute to his grandmother, who encouraged him to enter politics prior to the 2022 election. Gordon Reid celebrates with his grandmother Robyn Reid after winning the federal seat of Robertson. ( Emma Simkin: ABC Central Coast ) Aunty Robyn Reid said she could not be prouder of his victory the second time around. "He will be prime minister one day," she said. " I've given him 10 years and I reckon he will make prime minister. " But Dr Reid played down that prediction. "I've got a few more doors to knock on before I got there," he said. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Campaign focus 'on the people' Ms Wicks said it had been a "difficult" campaign. "The focus remained where it mattered most, on the people of Robertson," she said in a statement to the ABC. "To every person who shared their story, opened their door, or offered their support along the way, thank you." Ms Wicks congratulated her opponent and said the people of Robertson would now look to him for strong representation. "I sincerely hope he serves our community with the dedication it deserves," she said. Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
ABC News
28-04-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Scent-detection dogs trained to track elusive Wyong sun orchid
Noses at the ready — Paddy, Sully, and Vera have a critical job. The three dogs have been trained to locate underground tubers of the Wyong sun orchid in a trial that is an Australian first. The plant lies dormant beneath the earth's surface most of the time and is hard to see unless it's flowering. Found on the New South Wales Central Coast, the orchid blooms only on warm, sunny days between September and November, and has dark, bluish-purple flowers. The dark, bluish-purple Wyong sun orchid is critically endangered, primarily due to habitat loss. ( Supplied: Central Coast Council ) Senior regional biodiversity conservation officer Paul Hillier is working on the trial as part of the NSW government's Saving Our Species program, in collaboration with the Central Coast Council. Mr Hillier said if the furry trio had not been introduced, the orchid's future could have been "tragic". "[The dogs'] noses are pretty remarkable, they can pick up a whole other ecosystem beneath our feet," he said. " Without them, our conservation efforts would be limited because they're almost impossible to find with the naked eye. " Mr Hillier said the orchid was critically endangered, primarily due to the loss of its habitat. "Because they're so dormant and hard to find, we never know when we're losing them," he said. "But now we can ensure that things like landscape works or controlled burns can occur without damaging the species." Paul Hillier says the trial could revolutionise how threatened species are monitored and protected. ( ABC Central Coast: Emma Simkin ) Mr Hillier said the trial, which had been underway for more than 12 months, had been very successful. He said it could revolutionise how threatened species were monitored and protected. "There are a lot of species, particularly flowers, that are extremely elusive and don't want to be found the traditional way," he said. " [The dogs] open up a whole new door to conservation. " A ripple effect The Central Coast Council's unit manager of environmental management, Luke Sulkowski, said the trial had been key to providing insights into the local biodiversity. Paddy, Sully and Vera have been trained to find the underground tubers of the Wyong sun orchid. ( ABC Central Coast: Emma Simkin ) "[Council's] landscape is more than 6,000 hectares, and unfortunately, we still lack so much knowledge about it," he said. Mr Sulkowski said conservation efforts, such as this program, also allowed the council to be critical of where future developments would be located. "Australia has one of the worst species extinction rates in the world, and we don't want our region to be part of that," he said. "So when we identify species like this, we really want to do whatever we can to identify them, understand them and do what needs to be done to protect and support them." Mr Hillier says the project will help contribute to the orchid's conservation. ( ABC Central Coast: Emma Simkin ) Mr Hillier said if the Wyong sun orchid disappeared, it would be detrimental to the rest of the habitat. "It's very dangerous when a species leaves the ecosystem; it has a ripple effect down the whole chain," he said. "That plant is a food source for bees and other insects, and then those bugs are food for bigger animals — so it disrupts everything." For the love of sniffing Dog handlers Mel Daly and Philly Carruthers have been working alongside the three pooches the entire time. Philly Carruthers with Vera (left) and Mel Daly with Paddy and Sully. ( Supplied: Central Coast Council ) The trial was made possible by Wyong sun orchid propagation at the Victoria Botanic Gardens, and Ms Daly said the propagated seeds enabled Paddy, Sully, and Vera to be trained. "It's been so rewarding to see them head out so quickly after initial training, and they're doing so well," she said. Ms Daly said the three dogs were selected from a very young age to undergo scent detection. "The cocker spaniel is a really desired breed for this type of work, and they train their entire lives," she said. Photo shows Two green and maroon orchids. With only a few hundred charming spider orchids left in the wild, the species' complex relationships with other organisms are thought to be hindering its survival. "Before orchids, they worked in koala detection, which was very important in helping conserve that species' habitat, so I'm glad they get to be part of something great again." Ms Carruthers said the project had made her feel "like a proud mum". "Sometimes they find it immediately, or it takes a couple of hours, but no matter what, I am so pleased with them," she said. " [They] absolutely love what they do, whether it's pouring rain or a hot day, they love their job. "
ABC News
25-04-2025
- ABC News
Death of man accused of Audrey Griffin's murder a 'double-edged sword', friends say
The death in custody of a man accused of murdering a 19-year-old woman on the New South Wales Central Coast has left friends of the victim grappling with conflicting emotions. Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story contains the name and image of a person who has died. Lana Rathpu, a neighbour and close friend of Audrey Griffin's mother, said the teenager was "like a daughter to her". Ms Rathpu said the death of her alleged murderer, 53-year-old Adrian Torrens, was a "double-edged sword". Lana Rathpu, Ari Paparestis and Simone Shannon say they will continue to campaign to stop violence against women. ( ABC Central Coast: Shauna Foley ) "The family won't have to go through years of the court system reliving it over and over again," she said. "It gives them the opportunity to make a stand for change and focus on healing." Ms Griffin was found in a creek bed in the suburb of Erina in the early hours of Sunday, March 23, following a night out with friends. Police initially believed her death was not suspicious but on Monday they charged Mr Torrens with her murder. He died at Silverwater Correctional Complex on Thursday afternoon. Family friend Ari Paparestis said Mr Torrens's death denied the family closure. "It's going to leave the family with a few questions they haven't had answers to yet," he said. Mourners have been placing tributes near where Audrey Griffin's body was found. ( ABC Central Coast: Shauna Foley ) 'A lot of red flags' The ABC understands Mr Torrens was serving a community corrections order for breaching an AVO at the time of the alleged murder. "There were a lot of red flags that said there was a fair bit of risk with this person," Mr Paparestis said. " Anybody — women, men, they should be able to walk home, they should be able to be free to do what they need to do without fear. " Audrey's memorial site has been adorned with flowers, pictures, ribbons and her favourite snacks. ( ABC Central Coast: Shauna Foley ) Simone Shannon has been supporting Ms Griffin's mother, Kathleen Kirby, who she said was devastated but carrying on. "Broken is probably an understatement," Ms Shannon said. "I can't even imagine what she's going through. "It's been the most horrible experience of my life. "This is going to take an exceptionally long time and [is] something she'll probably never get over." Terrigal Beach was a sea of white as the Central Coast community came together to remember Audrey Griffin. ( ABC Central Coast: Shauna Foley ) Outpouring of support News of Mr Torrens's death emerged hours after Ms Rathpu said the outpouring of community support at the vigil was overwhelming. "It was way beyond what we expected," she said. "The number of people who were there that didn't even know Audrey — it was just extraordinary and we are so grateful to see that the community are really behind making a change." Adrian Torrens died in custody on Thursday. His death is not being treated as suspicious. ( Supplied ) NSW Police said Mr Torrens was found unresponsive in his cell at Silverwater Correctional Complex on Thursday afternoon and could not be revived. His death is not being treated as suspicious, but a Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman told the ABC it would be reported to the coroner and an inquest would be held.
