Abby Richards
Perth, WA
Abby Richards is a reporter in the ABC Perth newsroom. She previously worked for ABC Goldfields-Esperance covering stories across TV, radio and online.
Latest by Abby Richards
'It's not about celebrity': WA premier says he's not nervous about Basil Zempilas's political tilt
By Abby Richards and Rebecca Trigger
Western Australia's Premier Roger Cook dismisses the suggestion he is nervous about high-profile Liberal hopeful Basil Zempilas's plan to run in the 2025 state election.
Updated
Architects of failed housing scheme impacting retirees across the nation face court on criminal charges
By Abby Richards and national consumer affairs reporter Michael Atkin
Three men involved in a failed housing scheme which targeted elderly customers appear in a Perth court for allegedly breaching corporate law.
Updated
Bug spray, weed killer among 240 chemicals found in vapes as peak cancer authority wages war on e-cigarettes
A huge rise in the number of young Australians vaping caught the government by surprise and laws to combat it have been slow, according to the Cancer Council, launching a new social media campaign targeting e-cigarette use.
Scammers 'trapped' Mateo with a fake picture. He's among a soaring number of Australians falling victim to sextortion
Mateo Veneracion never thought he would fall victim to a sextortion scam, but he is among a growing number of young men being targeted on social media.
This neurodiverse nightclub is helping revellers with a disability dance the night away
By disability affairs reporter Nick McAllister and Abby Richards
Nightclubs can cause sensory overload for neurodiverse people, but a community group is staging a low-sensory club night that is supplying the groove and bringing people together.
Updated
Police investigating reports of alleged attempted child abduction in Perth's southern suburbs
Detectives appeal for information after a man allegedly approached a 12-year-old girl in Warnbro on Monday and grabbed her shirt before she managed to escape.
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Huge class action set to be launched against Perth builder that left customers waiting years for new homes
WA home builder BGC is set to be hit with a massive class action as potentially thousands of disgruntled home owners seek compensation after waiting years for their homes to be built.
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Newest section of Perth's Mitchell Freeway set to open to drivers
Motorists will be able to travel on the newest section of Perth's Mitchell Freeway from Monday, after the completion of a 5.6 kilometre extension to the northern suburb of Alkimos.
Freezing conditions deliver Perth its coldest morning since 2016 along with sub-zero temperatures
Perth records coldest morning in seven years at 0.7 Celsius, while even lower temperatures are recorded in other parts of WA, including -2.6C in the Wheatbelt town of Wandering.
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Woman reported missing in freezing temperatures after WA 'bush doof' found safe
By Briana Fiore and Abby Richards
Police say a 22-year-old woman who was reported missing after a party in rural bushland south-east of Perth has been found safe after she "walked out from the bush".
Updated
Examining WA's vote in the Voice referendum, and why it will be different to the rest of the country
By Nicolas Perpitch and Abby Richards
A former state premier says the Voice referendum is a risk "we don't need to take". How will Western Australia's unique landscape and entrenched Indigenous disadvantage affect how it votes?
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Doctor shopping for opioids, stimulants about to get much harder as WA cracks down on drug abuse
By Tabarak Al Jrood and Abby Richards
A new digital monitoring system is being rolled out to doctors and pharmacists across WA to help combat "doctor shopping" for prescription drugs.
Stiffer alcohol laws for another crime-plagued WA town, as banned drinkers register expanded to Carnarvon
By Abby Richards and Rosemary Murphy
The Gascoyne town, 900 kilometres north of Perth, has been dealing with high levels of crime, with the new measures allowing police to put people on a list restricting their access to alcohol.
Updated
Shark enclosure to be installed on Swan River following fatal attack
By Kate Christian and Abby Richards
A shark barrier will be installed at Bicton Baths in Perth's south following a fatal attack last Saturday, and six other councils have also been asked to look at installing enclosures.
Updated
Two pilots escape with minor injuries after 737 large air tanker crashes while fighting bushfires
The pilots managed to free themselves from the wreckage after the plane came down in the Fitzgerald River National Park on WA's south coast yesterday afternoon.
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New aged care hub in Perth takes different approach to reach Indigenous elders
First Nations people in Western Australia have long struggled to access the aged care system, with advocates describing the lack of services tailored to Indigenous elders as appalling. They hope that's about to change.
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Fun fair and fireworks to light up Perth sky on New Year's Eve
Crowd numbers at New Year's Eve celebrations in Perth are expected to bounce back from last year in the absence of COVID restrictions.
Homicide detectives charge man from regional WA over woman's death in Perth's CBD
A 27-year-old Newman man is due to face court after being charged over the death of a 24-year-old woman on Wellington Street in Perth.
WA Police Commissioner alleges Cassius Turvey was an 'innocent victim of a violent attack'
WA's Police Commissioner asks the public to "refrain from unfounded speculation" on the tragic death of Cassius Turvey, who died in hospital 10 days after being the victim of an alleged violent attack.
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'It smacks of the old days': Fears Indigenous people will be targeted under WA entertainment precinct laws
By Abby Richards and James Carmody
As the WA government proposes new laws banning people from entering five designated entertainment precincts, there are fears Aboriginal people will be disproportionately targeted.
Rachel struggled to access information for her son with special needs, so she created a guide to help other families
Struggles accessing support for her own son lead a West Australian researcher to come up with a new document to act as a "one-stop shop" for families of people with special needs.
COVID mask mandates for public and passenger transport in WA set to end
By Nikki Roberts and Abby Richards
Mask mandates on public and passenger transport in Western Australia set to end next week, with visitor limits at aged and disability care facilities also easing.
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'Not suitable in any way': Protesters voice anger over relocation of young offenders to adult prison
By Abby Richards and Tabarak Al Jrood
WA's Commissioner for Children and Young People and protestors voice their opposition to the transfer of 20 boys from Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre to Casuarina Prison.
Updated
From the Pilbara to New York, the rise of Indigenous fashion
Two WA fashion designers are selected to feature at New York Fashion Week, topping off a huge year for the growing First Nations fashion industry.
Yongah Hill detainee dies after overnight fracas at WA detention centre
By Cason Ho, James Carmody, and Abby Richards
Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a man in his 30s who was reportedly stabbed overnight at the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre near Perth, with two other detainees being questioned.
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