Latest news with #Kimberley
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
British backpacker is stunned by how much she can earn stacking shelves in an Outback supermarket versus her old 60-hour-week in the UK
A stunned British backpacker has revealed her 'insane' earnings as a casual supermarket worker in Australia compared to her earnings back home. Lauren, 29, from Liverpool, quit her support worker job earlier this year to travel around Australia and began stacking shelves at IGA in Derby, in Western Australia 's Kimberley region, in May. She says she now earns more stacking shelves in the Outback than she ever did working gruelling 60-hour weeks in the UK. 'It's insane,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'I just cannot believe how much money I am going to save.' Posting on TikTok as 'Lauren's Adventures', the Brit broke down her pay packet in a video that quickly went viral. 'For the last three months, I hadn't worked, I'd just been travelling,' she said. 'Then I thought, right, I need to get a job now. I wanted somewhere with no distractions, and live the Outback life for a bit. 'But I just cannot believe the difference in wages. It's just insane.' The video, which has racked up nearly 700,000 views and hundreds of comments, compares her earnings in Australia to those back in the UK. Lauren explained she earned £12.50 an hour as a support worker in England, working 60 hours a week including bank holidays and public holidays, and brought home about £2,500 per month. In Australia, the minimum rate she receives for stacking shelves at IGA is $34 an hour, equivalent to around £16, from Monday to Friday. That was already more than she earned back in Britain, but the rates are even higher on evenings and weekends. 'My wages in Australia compared to my wages at home need to be spoken about,' she said. 'After 6pm, Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays, my rate of pay is $38 an hour, which is the equivalent to about £19. 'On Sundays, my rate of pay is $45 an hour - equivalent to £22.50 an hour. 'And on public holidays, my rate of pay is $64 an hour, which is equivalent to about £30 an hour. Lauren was shocked her weekday rate topped her UK earnings but said evenings and weekends were even higher 'So, I was working back home 60 hours a week for less money than I will be earning in a supermarket doing about 40 hours a week. 'I will be earning more money doing that. My mind is just like, what!' Lauren is aware of the higher cost of living in Australia, but still feels she is better off overall. 'I know accommodation can be expensive here, and that's part of why the pay is higher,' she said. 'But most of the time, if you come to Australia on your own, it's better to live with others and house share. 'You can rent a room for $450 a week, some for $300 — that's about £600 to £800 a month. 'I've decided to experience outback life, so I've come to Derby. My accommodation is $165 a week — around £80.' Lauren's experience struck a chord online, with fellow Brits flooding her comments section to say they'd also earned far more in Australia. 'I earn more here working at David Jones in retail than I did in a health clinic,' one wrote. 'It's crazy - you can earn a decent amount in hospitality and retail, especially on weekends. So good.' 'Put me down for every Sunday and public holiday,' added another. But not everyone agreed with Lauren's take. 'Everything in the UK is cheaper. I lived there for five years,' one person said. 'Food, rent, electricity, cars, fuel are all cheaper.' 'You can live in the UK on less than £2,000 a month easily.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Queer communities in outback WA 'ready for change' with historic roadshow
When Jesse Cussen arrived in the remote West Australian town of Halls Creek more than a decade ago, they remember having to conceal parts of their identity. "I was 20 years old and I very much felt like I had to hide parts of myself and not experience my queerness," they said. This year Jesse, who is now based in Broome, returned to the town as part of the first Kimberley SBLGBTIQA+ Roadshow they co-facilitated with their colleague, Halina Kolatowicz, after they were approached by the state government. The term SBLGBTIQA+ encompasses "brother boys" and "sister girls", which are terms used within some Indigenous communities to describe transgender and gender-diverse people. "To go back there and find such an amazing group of passionate, open people who were really keen to start something special and create social change — I burst into tears," Jesse said. Halina recalled feeling isolated when she first arrived in Broome more than a decade ago. "[I was at] the developmental stages of even finding out my sexuality and my identity as a queer black woman," she said. As part of the roadshow, which was supported by Kimberley Blak Pride and Rainbow Futures WA, the pair travelled throughout the region consulting with more than 100 people, documenting the lived realities and aspirations of queer people across the Kimberley for the first time. "There was lots of isolation. People were [craving] connection," Halina said. "People would face homophobia and violence in rural towns. But there's also been a lot of celebration." With the Kimberley region being approximately twice the size of Victoria, they found every community was unique in its experiences and challenges. Sign up for ABCQueer's monthly newsletter, delivering the ABC's best stories and content for LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies. In some towns the pair heard stories of people being asked to remove pride flags from their workplaces. "Places like Broome and Kununurra have established pride festivals and communities have really been able to flourish and connect," Jesse said. "Other towns like Wyndham, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek particularly, there was really a profound silence when it came to queer issues and identities." The roadshow identified significant gaps in access and safety for queer people navigating the health and education sectors. "There's no support for teachers or practitioners, so that needs to change. We need training and development in policies and queer cultural awareness," Halina said. "One of the recommendations from the report is more support to develop whole-school approaches and provide cultural training for teachers and staff." The roadshow identified ongoing barriers for people accessing culturally safe and inclusive health care, especially for trans and gender-diverse people, with some doctors being uncomfortable prescribing hormone therapy. "We don't have people with expertise in queer health, that is a huge barrier," Halina said. A report will now be presented to the state government as part of the first LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy that was announced last year. While the roadshow highlighted ongoing challenges, the pair found communities were ready for change. "There's still so much violence, homophobia, discrimination and fear — really it stems down to a lot of fear of the unknown," Halina said. Jesse said the Kimberley needed its own "bespoke approach". "One of the things we noticed was the queer community groups that are really eager to collaborate, to work with others and create change together," they said. "We have people who are already working with the rodeos and footy clubs in the East Kimberley and we'd love to do that in the West Kimberley." For Jesse, transitioning in Australia's far north-west has "not been straightforward". "I'm steadily trying to build more space where I can live my truth," Jesse said. "The roadshow was a really important part of that for me."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Girls Aloud's Kimberley Walsh admits 'we're in a different stage' after reunion
EXCLUSIVE: Kimberley Walsh has opened up about her time with Girls Aloud following their sold-out tour last year, honouring their late bandmate, Sarah Harding, and how their kids were blown away on tour Kimberley Walsh admits that she and her Girls Aloud bandmates are now in a "different stage" of their lives. The chart-mauling group, which launched in 2002, reunited last year to celebrate their 20th anniversary and also honour their late bandmate, Sarah Harding. Sarah died aged just 39, on September 5, 2021, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which had metastasised to other parts of her body. Prior to her death, the singer had told her bandmates it was her wish that they carry on and honour her, as well as the legacy of the band. Throughout the tour, Kimberley, Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle kept Sarah's memory alive, with her iconic parts from Something New and The Promise blasting out to audiences night after night, something the girls were keen to keep in the show. "I think people were having a really good time," Kimberley exclusively told the Mirror, adding: "It did feel really special." Speaking about including Sarah, the Bradford-born singer, actress, and presenter said: "That was the biggest challenge and that was the focus for all of us during those creative meetings, 'How do we give Sarah her moment and keep her flowing throughout the show?' "For us, that was so important; we wanted to feel like she was still with us. I do think we achieved that, we tried to bring it back to her whenever possible and give everybody that time to reminisce and celebrate her." During the show, Sarah's lead vocals played during I'll Stand By You, a recording the band discovered when preparing for the tour. Kimberley said: "That was a tough moment every night, but we all needed it too, we all needed to take that minute. As hard as it was, I loved that part of the show." The tour was also very different, with Kimberley, Cheryl and Nadine's children seeing their mum, and Auntie Nicola as popstars for the first time. "I think it was a little bit mind-blowing for them," Kimberley laughed, before explaining her children, Bobby, nine, Cole, seven and two-year-old Nate, know her mainly for her presenting work. "I don't think they really got it until they turned up at the arena for the first show," she explained. But it was the reaction from the sold-out audience which left her children baffled. "They started off finding it weird and ended quite enjoying it," she laughed. The group had their children on the tour buses with them. There's just six months between Nadine's daughter, Anaíya and Kimberley's eldest, Bobby. "There's only a few months between Cole and Bear [Cheryl's son with the late Liam Payne], and everyone just looked after Nate because he was the baby," she said, adding it was fun for the children to enjoy the celebrations together. Kimberley added: "For us as mums, we're in a very different stage of our lives, so we were able to enjoy it for ourselves but also see it through their eyes." Kimberley, however, has put her solo career on hold following the birth of Nate in June 2021. Her debut album, Centre Stage, which charted at Number 18, became a fan favourite. "I've taken a step back from musical theatre over the last few years, with Nate being so young," she said. She explained that she didn't want to miss any vital moments of her children's lives, as she feels as though she'd just had Nate. "It made sense not to be in the theatre over the last few years," she said, while laughing that in a few years, her children may not care if she's home at bedtime every night. "It is a real passion of mine, the album, I love the album, it was a really special time for me," she said. Adding: "I'd just discovered my voice a bit more, realising what I was capable of doing, which was a bit of a revelation for me. It was fun to be able to challenge myself. I'd love to do a Centre Stage part two." Could Kimberley be back on stage any time soon though? She said: "I would love to be back on stage in the theatre, there's something so special about that environment." That is an environment her children haven't been "properly immersed in" yet, due to their young ages. Kimberley isn't the only singer in their household, though, with her husband Justin Scott, previously being a member of the boyband Triple 8, and young Bobby wants to be a "singing builder." Kimberley explained that Bob had been wanting to model for several years. "He's really quite serious about it," she said, before explaining that it was great for his confidence. "We're all learning aren't we, we never really know what the right decision is," she said, but added that she and Bobby have a similar personality. Away from singing and acting, Kimberley keeps herself busy, presenting a various of shows, including Morning Live, in Manchester, which she credits for working around her schedule. She said: "I don't want to be away from the kids too much. And the tour is probably one of the most full-on things I've done over the last few years. But again, they were able to be involved. They were thrilled about that. They were able to come on the bus and be on tour with us, which was a really good experience for them." Most recently, she launched her third paint shade, Blush Rose, with Wickes. "I've always been really into DIY and interiors," she said, adding it's been one of the most exciting projects she's done. "And I've done a lot of fun stuff over the years! But in my life now, I absolutely love my home. I love interiors," Kimberley laughed. Speaking about getting her London home to where she wants it to be, the singer said: "When I started working with Wickes three or four years ago, my house really needed to be redecorated. I'd been in it for over ten years, and it was looking a bit tired. I was so ready to transform it. So now, I feel like it's like we've just moved in! I love walking into each space and seeing the changes I've made - seeing my paint colours in all their glory. They really suit my home. I've got a really traditional home, and a lot of the paints have that vintage feel to them." The majority of the redecorating was done during Nate's nap times. She said: "I've really enjoyed the time I spent decorating and doing DIY in the home. It's a nice way of escaping for a minute. When I get time to just paint all day, I can really get into it—put my music on, get the tea flowing, get the biscuits out, and just forget about everything but be mindful. Because as a mum of three with various jobs, my brain's quite busy! It's actually a positive thing." Away from Morning Live, singing and acting, Kimberley also fancies fronting a new "amazing concept" for a DIY show. "I know there's a lot of them around, but it's tricky to find a different angle sometimes, but they are so addictive," she joked. She continued: "I think it would need to be geared more around giving people the tools to do stuff themselves, because it can be expensive to pay tradesmen, you should only be doing that if it's something you can't do yourself. Just give it a go, but we'll see, we'll work on that!" Speaking about social media and helping people with ideas, Kimberley said: "If money is tight and you're trying to do a transformation, you need to save money where you can. For me, with something like painting, practice makes perfect. Also, there's so many tutorials online. DIY can feel overwhelming, but nothing is impossible!" Matt Emulsion Paint in Blush Rose by Kimberley Walsh,£14, from branches of Wickes and online at
ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
WA hermit crab exporter Merv Cooper rejects exploitation claims
A West Australian who holds one of five licences to collect and sell thousands of hermit crabs as pets has rejected criticism he is exploiting and endangering the crustacean's population. Rockingham-based store owner Merv Cooper is one of five operators with a commercial fishing licence in WA's only hermit crab fishery, which spans more than 1,500 kilometres from Exmouth Gulf in the Pilbara to Kununurra in the Kimberley. For almost 50 years, from an idea that came to him when he was a Broome pearl diver, Mr Cooper has distributed Coenobita variabilis, land crabs in Australia and overseas, with international export numbers on previous permit declarations capped at 20,000 crabs per year. But his international export licence, which expired in December, is up for renewal by the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW). The store owner's proposal was open for public consultation for four weeks and caught the eye of conservation groups and the Animal Justice Party. They say Mr Cooper is exploiting the species and the proposal should be rejected. Mr Cooper said the criticism was unfounded. Mr Cooper said claims he was exceeding crab collection limits were wrong. "It's just the fact we've been operating for so long," he said. "There're three or four people in Perth that want to bring it to light that we've taken too many crabs from the places we go to. "There are millions of crabs. Mr Cooper said during a two-night trip, he could collect about 2,000 crabs in one location and only took crabs a "few times" a year for exporting. Total harvest numbers are not published due to the limited number of operators in the hermit crab fishery. Mr Cooper's proposal stated that if approved, he "could" take an average of 30,000 crabs a year, but would need to access new locations. The low price, about $5 for a small crab, makes them an ideal first pet for children and families. The Animal Justice Party (AJP) and WA's Conservation Council said not enough was being done to monitor crab numbers. AJP MP Amanda Dorn said she was firmly against the proposal, despite past international export approvals. "We think this is ecologically irresponsible and ethically indefensible," she said. "The underrated hermit crab has been largely ignored for many years ... (they are) being used as a 'throw away pet'. Conservation Council WA executive director Matt Roberts said Mr Cooper's proposal should be rejected because it increased the number of crabs he wanted to export. "It is a substantial increase and that would have a material impact on some of those ecosystems," he said. Broome resident Taryn Ryan operates education seminars and walking tours to find and identify shells on Kimberley beaches. She wants fauna studies into the impact on the region. "How are we going to know if the taking of hermit crabs is going to affect the crab population? We don't," she said. "[We could] even use this as an education opportunity. "Maybe we can participate and make sure it's done in the safest way possible." The Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development, which grants the commercial fishing licences, said there were no "identified risks" to the crab population. "There is also a prohibition in place to limit the number of fishers and restrict the method to hand collection only," principal fisheries management officer Graeme Baudains said. Mr Baudains said the department monitored catch numbers and trends. "There is no identified need for a dedicated population survey, given the very low level of take, comparative to the observed population," he said. Mr Cooper's Wildlife Trade Operator proposal is under assessment, with no timeline for a decision.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Big banks warn businesses of Kimberley scam cluster
Scammers are targeting businesses in Western Australia's remote Kimberley, with multiple attempts to steal tens of thousands of dollars prompting a warning from two of Australia's major banks. The East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry said at least four businesses in Kununurra, 3,000 kilometres north of Perth, were targeted by impersonation scams last week, with one falling victim. Chamber chief executive Keda Bond said the organisation had received several calls from concerned family businesses. "It's more than one bank, and it's a cluster at this stage," she said. "It [the scam] was unfortunately successful a couple of times." Ms Bond said one business owner recorded the deceivingly "real" fake call. "That makes it even harder for people, especially when you're a busy business owner." Kununurra business owner Troy Lewis received a scam call from a person claiming to work for Westpac. Mr Lewis said the call sounded so legitimate, he thought it could have been artificial intelligence. "I asked the type of details he [the scammer] would need and he proceeded to do a very good disclaimer saying, 'The bank would never ask for PIN numbers or passwords over the phone,'" he said. "It sounded very official." The trucking company owner said the call only ended when he asked the scammer for a customer reference number. "We've got a policy to always ask for a reference number, and then we'd call the bank back directly," Mr Lewis said. "I felt a little bit silly asking him … because it did sound very legitimate. More than $6.5 million has been lost to telephone scammers in 2025 through hacking, identity theft, phishing and downloading remote access software, according to Scamwatch. Out of the 9,750 reported scams, 898 have occurred in Western Australia. NAB executive Chris Sheehan said while customers had reported a decrease in impersonation scams over recent years, the operations remained a "global epidemic" with "devastating consequences". "This highlights the need for a coordinated, national approach to stop the crime before it happens," he said. Westpac's fraud protection team head Ben Young said while bank scams were not new, the bank was seeing an increase in scammers targeting regional businesses. "Obviously businesses move around large amounts of money, so it's an attractive target for them," he said. "We do see little clusters like this where they're working through some directory that they've found." Mr Young said scammers tweaked their operation when unsuccessful. "They're very thick-skinned, so even though they fail most of the time, either the bank stops them or the customer notices, they have no issue with rejection and just polish their craft," he said. Mr Young said the scammers operated as a "global business", predominantly operating from South-East Asia. "Almost townships have been set up to run very big-scale call centres and they have huge emphasis on good English skills," he said. Both NAB and Westpac reiterated the importance of technology and education in reducing the impact of scams on customers. "These transnational, organised criminals run scams like a business and are the same groups linked to drug, arms and human trafficking," NAB's Mr Sheehan said. Anyone subject to potential banking fraud should contact their bank. Other tips include:
