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Charlie Mills
Karratha, WA
Charlie Mills is a journalist with ABC News, based in Karratha and covering the Pilbara region.
Latest by Charlie Mills
Mining equipment company to cover repatriation costs for Canadian FIFO worker who died in WA crash
The multinational Schlam Group employed Ambrose Walton before his death in the Pilbara last week and will pay to send the 33-year-old's body home to his family in Canada.
Efforts underway to repatriate Canadian FIFO worker's body after Pilbara crash death
Ambrose Walton, 33, was planning to return to Canada just weeks after the date he was killed in a crash in remote WA. Now his family is working to bring his body home.
As another school year begins, what does the future hold for the class of 2023?
As another school year begins, the ABC speaks to 10 recent high school graduates from all over country Australia about their hopes, dreams and fears for the future.
Shelves restocked, residents returning to the remote East Kimberley as Great Northern Highway reopens
The vast outback region has been cut off via road in recent days, but this morning floodwaters receded enough for a crucial highway to be reopened.
Land and air search underway for Canadian FIFO worker missing in remote Pilbara
Ambrose Walton, described as having a strong Canadian accent, was last seen near Tom Price on Tuesday and never turned up to meet a friend in Karratha.
Flash flooding, road closures across Pilbara as tropical low brings heavy rain
Heavy rain has flooded parts of WA, leaving remote communities isolated and major roads cut.
Empty shelves and travel delays as flooding leaves East Kimberley communities cut off
Road access to the Kimberley towns of Halls Creek, Kununurra and Wyndham has been cut off by flooding across two major highways, although residents are well stocked and prepared for wet season challenges.
In this dry Pilbara town, 48C heat feels 'absolutely horrible' — but daily life must go on
Paraburdoo residents have battled three days of extreme weather conditions, with the town's temperature maximum being broken twice in two days. In some ways, it is becoming a source of pride.
Parts of WA could hit 50 degrees over the weekend as extreme heatwave looms
Residents in parts of the Pilbara, Midwest and Goldfields have been warned to brace for extreme heatwave conditions from Friday and into the weekend.
Residents count high cost of living as prices for goods and services soar in WA towns
Living in regional Western Australia remains a costly enterprise, with prices consistently higher than Perth for basics including groceries and fuel.
Elders suffering due to youth crime as nurses evacuate after break-in, community leader says
Elderly people in a remote Western Desert community missed out on medication and healthcare because of the actions of a "few kids", community leader Devon Cuimara says.
Australia's 'hottest town' swelters through almost a month of highs above 43 degrees Celsius
In the West Australian town of Marble Bar, Sunday was the first day since December 18 with a temperature high below 43 degrees Celsius.
Pilbara heat like a secret weapon, shaping Josh into an up-and-coming Australian cricketer
From playing games in the scorching summers of WA's Pilbara to representing Australia, Josh Vernon's cricket career is only just beginning.
Pilbara family 'lucky to be alive' after hitting cow, flipping camper trailer
The Stoddart family walked away uninjured after a cattle collision near Newman overturned their camper trailer, in what is the fifth cattle strike in as many weeks around the town.
People driving hundreds of kilometres for dental care as staff shortages lead to waitlist blow-outs
In WA's Gascoyne, waiting lists for dental care have stretched to 10 months, with a near-three-year wait for follow-up appointments, leaving locals with little option but to hit the road in search of other options.
Application 'error' creates potentially lengthy delay to Burrup Peninsula World Heritage listing
An application for the Pilbara's Murujuga National Park, the world's largest collection of rock art, to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site been faced with delays after the United Nations body confirmed the federal government's application was invalid.
Union criticises BHP for poor communication, transparency, over employee compensation
Six months after BHP admitted to underpaying workers and incorrectly deducting leave, the union has called on the mining giant to directly engage with employees and offer a realistic repayment timeline.
Movie-goers still regularly use cash at the Tom Price drive-in.
A thousand kilometres from Perth and situated between red dust and mountain ranges, cash is still king at the Tom Price drive-in theatre.
Duration: 3 minutes
Cash is still king for sporting clubs and volunteer committees. This is what happens when the bank leaves town
With cash and change now a 700-kilometre round trip away, community groups and businesses in Tom Price are donating, bartering and looking for any available solution after the town's bank branch closed.
Outback residents forced to fly to Perth for dental care due to lack of specialists
When one of the few remaining orthodontists in the region left Newman, patients such as Wendy Straker were left with no other choice for regular check-ups.
Traditional owner hits out at Woodside over consultation for new seismic testing bid
Raelene Cooper has again challenged Woodside's consultation with traditional owners as the mining giant launches a fresh application for seismic testing in the Pilbara.
'The uncertainty has been excruciating': Mother of missing Pilbara man desperate for information
One year since Clinton Lockyer disappeared near Roebourne, his mother has released an impassioned plea for information regarding his whereabouts.
Chemical explosion risk, radiant heat stop police accessing scene of fatal WA crash two days on
Major crash investigators are yet to examine the scene of a truck and car collision in the Pilbara they fear killed up to three people and started a fire so fierce emergency crews could not get near it.
'It's in your face': Shocking figures reveal leading cause of death for Indigenous children
Advocates say access to mental health services needs to be urgently improved after an ABS report reveals an increase in tragedy all too common in First Nations communities.
Traditional owners say rock shelter impacted by Rio Tinto blasting as miner finds 'no structural damage'
Traditional owners say an ancient rock shelter in WA's north is in a "fragile state" and was impacted by Rio Tinto's blasting, despite the company concluding it had suffered "no structural damage" as a result of the explosions.