Rachel Clayton
Rachel Clayton is a reporter for ABC Victoria. She previously spent time in New Zealand where she reported on politics, business, and breaking news including the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake where she won a Canon award for best coverage of a major event. Rachel can be contacted securely via Signal on 0412 7525 64 and at clayton.rachel@protonmail.com
Latest by Rachel Clayton
After smoke choked this Melbourne suburb, residents simmered with anxiety. A new tool is trying to measure it
After a pollution disaster passes, communities are left with mental trauma. Now, Victoria's environmental watchdog is developing a tool to help it measure that impact to offer support and bolster prosecutions.
At the start of this program, some students felt like their lungs were bleeding. They kept coming back
They've faced more challenges in life than most, but conquering the Kokoda Track helped show these students they could do anything.
Why can't you swim in Melbourne's bays after heavy rain?
People are being warned not to swim in bays around Melbourne following recent severe storms. So why does the water quality drop when it rains?
It's a simple shot of rolling waves, but the camera that filmed it is in the centre of a political storm
There are cameras right along Australia's east coast providing a glimpse into the day's surf conditions, but some locals on Victoria's Surf Coast believe a recent addition at a surf break near Bells Beach marks a "violation" of the area's values.
More than a century after they were gifted to a Swiss family, William Barak's artworks have returned
Two works by Aboriginal artist and advocate William Barak will go on display this week after being returned to Victoria 126 years after they were gifted to a Swiss family.
Linda's relationship 'didn't feel bad enough to leave' — but she was experiencing economic abuse
The Australian Bureau of Statistics survey finds around 16 per cent of women have experienced some form of economic abuse. A leading women's advocate says it's a form of abuse that too often is flying under the radar.
Tens of thousands gather across Australia for Israel-Gaza rallies
Separate events calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages have been held across Australia, with tens of thousands taking to city streets.
As the tide ebbs on this Victorian coast, a curious line of domes comes into view
Residents along Victoria's coast are fighting back against coastal erosion with innovative and environmentally friendly solutions.
It's no silver bullet, but scientists have found a novel way to solve one of Australia's biggest waste problems
Scientists at Deakin University discover how to mulch down old clothing into a pigment as part of an going project looking at textile waste solutions.
Issues being 'ironed out' at Melbourne alcohol facility just days before public drunkenness reforms take effect
The opening of a 20-bed sobering up facility designed to complement changes to Victoria's public drunkenness laws is running behind schedule, with just over a week until the reforms come into effect.
Mark knows property managers have to make 'harsh' calls. Now he's on the other side
This homelessness entry point was housing thousands of people last year, but as pandemic funding wanes, staff face an uphill battle to keep roofs over heads, while demand surges.
Dirt bike riders being criticised for illegal tracks in Victoria's Otways region, but they say it's their only safe option
Illegal dirt bike riders are creating an environmental disaster for some of the Victoria's most delicate vegetation, conservation regulator says
'I will shoot it': Greyhound industry in spotlight as report reveals off-track deaths
Figures released by a greyhound welfare organisation reveal dozens of dogs are dying off-track after being injured during their races.
‘It’s so bad’: Commuters in this growing regional city leave home at 5am to beat the rush
Victorians in regional growth areas like Geelong are facing two-hour bus trips and five-hour car commutes because roads and public transport are not keeping up.
'I want to be able to help': With the cost of living rising, more teens are getting jobs
This Year 12 student and eldest of six is among growing numbers of teenagers helping their parents with cost-of-living pressures.
Locked in a building dispute over her new home, Rebecca's backing calls for an overhaul of the mediator
Leaked documents show the Victorian government's expert panel on building reform wants stricter regulations for high-rise developers, and an overhaul of the state's disputes service as wait times blow out to three months.
Suspected unlicensed dams proliferate alongside one of Victoria's most stressed rivers
Advocates say the Moorabool River in Victoria's west is facing a deepening crisis, with a report claiming about 200 new private dams have appeared in the catchment since 2012.
What started as a 'normal massage' left Charlotte traumatised. She wants to protect other women from the same fate
Calls are being made for stricter controls over the massage industry as the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner reveals half of complaints about massage therapists involve sexual misconduct.
Deb struggled to stay warm in winter, until a community organisation offered help
A community project is retrofitting technology in low-income households to protect vulnerable people against extreme heat, cold and rising energy costs.
How a pool of water in the spare room became a 'long and costly fight' for a Melbourne couple
Construction experts warn leaky buildings that have been constructed with improper waterproofing are reaching "pandemic proportions" in what some fear could take a catastrophic building collapse before the government improves building practices.
Geelong development overhaul hopes to inject heartbeat into city that 'barely has a pulse'
Fewer car parks, more bike lanes and uninterrupted views are part of the development overhaul for Victoria's second-largest city, designed to drive population growth and inject colour into Geelong's "languishing" CBD.
'Devastating day' for Geelong as maternity ward closure confirmed
About 100 Epworth Hospital patients due to give birth after March 31 will need to make arrangements at one of Geelong's two other maternity wards
Thousands of solar panels are being thrown away as the clean energy shift accelerates. Recycling them isn't easy
Used solar panels cannot go into landfill, but recycling them is difficult and the profit margins are slim. Now, researchers say they have found an easy way to refine a substance from the panels that is worth more than $60,000 per kilogram.
As Australian drowning deaths increase, one community has an idea to keep people safer
Drowning deaths in Australian waters are at a 10-year high. A small community on Victoria's Surf Coast believes an ocean skills centre to create a generation of qualified lifesavers could be the answer to bringing that figure down.
How Rong and his friends survived a 'miracle' night on paddleboards in Port Phillip Bay
Drifting on paddleboards in the dark of night as chilly winds whipped across Victoria's Port Phillip Bay, Rong Shi and his friends had "no time" to be afraid.