Brooke Chandler
Wollongong, NSW
Brooke Chandler is a reporter for ABC Illawarra, based in Wollongong. Born and bred in the Central West hub of Dubbo, Brooke has a tenacious passion for regional communities and their stories. She joined the ABC in 2023 as a recent journalism graduate from Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
Latest by Brooke Chandler
'Another knife in the back': Hundreds of miners face uncertain future as NSW colliery closes
The closure of the Russell Vale mine in Wollongong prompts calls for miners to be given better re-employment options.
Blood clots can be deadly. But this 'simple' 20-minute technique can save lives
Wollongong surgeon Laurencia Villalba's technique uses a catheter to "destroy" and "dissolve" pulmonary embolisms. Here's how it works.
Scientists race against tides to discover why 90,000-year-old footprints were made
Scientists believe footprints that were accidentally found on a Moroccan beach were made by five modern humans 90,000 years ago.
Super telescope images reveal 'mind-blowing' new details of galaxies
One month into the new year and the James Webb Space Telescope is offering scientists fresh insights on star formation, galactic structure and evolution through a series of images.
The ACCC is going to investigate supermarket prices. Here's what the watchdog can and can't do
The ACCC can't change the prices supermarkets charge. But it can take them to court if they're breaking the laws in the Competition and Consumer Act.
Labor is changing the stage 3 tax cuts. Here's what the plan was and what stages 1 and 2 were
The "tax cuts" were part of a plan set in motion by the previous Coalition government, with a key aim of protecting middle-income earners from bracket creep.
Artist spends 36 years building miniature Sydney Harbour Bridge cocktail cabinet
Michael Gill dedicated nearly four decades of his life to building a miniature version of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a cocktail cabinet, but the ongoing threat of bushfires means it needs a safe home where the public can enjoy it.
Beach cabins on NSW south coast under threat despite their rich history
They hark back to a bygone era of surf culture and were once a popular choice for a cheap holiday south of Sydney, but Don Hearn's Cabins could be demolished if the current operator is evicted.
Fake lawyer Alexander Pinnock identified as gunman killed by police at Nowra medical centre
The man shot dead by police on a street in Nowra yesterday has been identified as 34-year-old Alexander Stuart Pinnock, known to authorities after pleading guilty to offences relating to unqualified legal practice last year.
Man shot dead by police in Nowra's main street after confronting police with gun
New South Wales Police say the man was shot and killed in the main street of Nowra after he confronted police with a handgun.
Lunar lander technical issue threatens failure of first mission to put time capsule containing Australian art on the moon
The fate of a time capsule loaded with thousands of artworks, including pieces by Australians, hangs in the balance as attempts are made to get it back on course.
Roofs torn off homes by storm after NSW swelters through early summer heatwave
The State Emergency Service receives more than 50 calls for storm-related help on the Central Coast after temperatures rise above 40C across NSW, with parts of western Sydney recording 44C.
Long COVID research offers 'light at the end of the tunnel', finding symptoms ease over time
Giuliano Gaspari spent eight months in hospital with COVID. He's part of a study of long COVID patients which hasn't found the cause, but did find life can return to normal with time.
Rod's community had been preparing for bushfires before almost 200mm of rain left them flooded
More than 40 properties have been inundated around Lake Conjola and Ulladulla after intense rainfall on Wednesday. Some home owners are blaming regulations around the opening of a local lake.
Record-breaking schoolboy sees 'mainly colours' on the track but aims for gold, gold, gold
While he can only see a couple metres in front of him and needs glasses to mitigate light sensitivity, the 11-year-old won medals in several events at a school track and field championships this week. But his ultimate goal is Brisbane 2032.
'Tubba' no more: Former Flemington jockey, 62, loses 30kg to make race-riding comeback
Tony "Tubba" Williams decided to strap on his jockey hat and boots for the first time in 44 years but, to qualify, he had to lose a third of his body weight. He made his official comeback this week at the iconic Bong Bong Picnic Races in Bowral.
Four Illawarra teen girls charged after 39yo woman stabbed in head and torso
A 39-year-old woman is in a critical condition in hospital after she was stabbed in the head and torso overnight in Warrawong. NSW Police have arrested four teenagers who will front a Campbelltown court today.
Trainee surf life saving teenagers on boogie boards save six people in flash rip on beach
George Griffin, 12, said he and his friends were "pretty scared" at first, but used their surf life saving training to save two teenage girls, and a mother and her three children, from the waves on Saturday — the second rescue by teens at Kiama within days.
School principal says remote learning Mondays will help senior students
Chevalier College's "contemporary learning delivery" allows year 10 to 12 students to study from home one day a week, with a letter to parents saying the Southern Highlands Catholic school engaged solicitors to ensure the effective implementation of the plan.
Young political voices heard as teenage mayors are elected to their local council
In a NSW first, a Young Mayors program saw 1,400 high-schoolers vote in the first-ever underage preferential vote in the state. The result: these youthful visionaries now have the ear of Wollongong City Council.
Australian teen's CPR knowledge saves fellow student's life during US exchange program
An Australian teenager on a scholarship in Winston-Salem keeps a student who collapsed on a basketball court alive, resuscitating him three times in row until medical help arrives.
Music festivals 'too busy' to address sexual violence, says survivor-advocate amid legislative bid
Sarah Williams successfully campaigned to make drink spiking and sexual violence prevention training mandatory for bar and security staff. Now, she is urging changes to the NSW Festivals Act.
Human remains discovered in Wollongong bushland near motorcycle club sent for testing
NSW Police say a search of dense bushland in an area of the Illawarra escarpment has now concluded and the remains are undergoing forensic testing.
Cyclist left with a fractured pelvis says driver showed 'lack of basic humanity'
South Coast cyclist Geoff Besnard says it is difficult to comprehend how the driver of a car that bumped him off his bike could speed off without stopping to check how badly he was hurt.
An offshore wind farm could change this 'pristine' coastline, but some residents say the jobs are worth it
Plans to establish an offshore wind zone along the NSW south coast divide residents, with some claiming it will destroy the outlook while others believe it will create clean jobs for future generations.