News

Editorial coverage from the Mackay Australia Wire newsroom.

• As Australia’s rock ‘n’ roll outlaw, Angry Anderson embodied the appeal and limitations of Oz Rock

  “I’m not a nice boy and I never was,” Angry Anderson sang on Rose Tattoo’s 1978 debut album. It was an effective mission statement for one of Australian rock’s most recognisable vocalists.

  SyndicatedCharlotte Markowitsch, PhD Candidate in Popular Music Studies, RMIT University23 Sept 20264 min read

• What we learnt on the first day of Victoria’s Big Build royal commission

  Victoria’s Royal Commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects met for the first time in public today.

  SyndicatedWilliam Partlett, Associate Professor of Public Law, The University of Melbourne23 Sept 20263 min read

• Trump has banned more media and started his own TV channel. In the process, he risks further eroding American democracy

  Amid the tumult over US President Donald Trump’s latest assault on press freedom, it’s easy to lose sight of what exactly journalism is and why, when done well, it carries real weight.

  SyndicatedMatthew Ricketson, Professor of Communication, Deakin University23 Sept 20265 min read

• Why do politicians often want to change the school curriculum? What happens when you do?

  Both sides of politics are saying the Australian school curriculum needs to change.

  SyndicatedEmily Ross, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, The University of Queensland23 Sept 20264 min read

• Coyote vs. Acme follows a 100-year-old tradition of placing animated characters in our ‘real’ world

  The latest Looney Tunes feature film, Coyote vs. Acme, sees Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme corporation after years of having his various plots and schemes to catch the Road Runner foiled thanks to their defective products.

  SyndicatedRuth Richards, Lecturer (Media), RMIT University23 Sept 20264 min read

• The dingo debate is heating up. How we manage these animals will determine their future

  What should we do about dingoes?

  SyndicatedNiraj Meisuria, PhD Candidate, Disease Ecology Lab and Global Ecology Lab, University of Sydney23 Sept 20263 min read

• Western Australia is experiencing a child safety crisis. Here’s what would help

  One of Australia’s most resource-rich regions, South Hedland in Western Australia, sits alongside a mining industry generating enormous wealth.

  SyndicatedJacynta Krakouer, Aboriginal Enterprise Fellow, Australian Centre for Child Protection, Adelaide University23 Sept 20264 min read

• Worried about your car being hacked? You should be – no matter where it was made

  Earlier this week, the ABC reported a cybersecurity expert hacking a BYD Shark 6 hybrid ute. The expert gained control of the Chinese-made vehicle’s locks, headlights, and audio and video, saying the task “was easier than we were expecting”…

  SyndicatedDennis B. Desmond, Lecturer, Cyberintelligence and Cybercrime Investigations, University of the Sunshine Coast23 Sept 20264 min read

• We asked people with dementia about voluntary assisted dying. Here’s what they said

  What do Australians with dementia think about voluntary assisted dying? Until recently, no researchers had thought to ask.

  SyndicatedDr Adrienne Matthys, Casual Academic (Gerontology and Human Services) and Research Assistant, Charles Sturt University23 Sept 20264 min read

• WA Police’s facial recognition trial delivered strong results. But was it an ethical success?

  The results of Australia’s first live facial recognition trial have been released. Since June 2026, the Western Australian Police Force has been trialling the technology across metropolitan and regional WA.

  SyndicatedAdam Andreotta, Lecturer, School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University23 Sept 20264 min read

• Rape myths shape how we respond to sexual violence. What are they and what impact do they have?

  NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced significant changes to the way sexual assault trials are conducted, including moving to curb “rape myth questions”.

  SyndicatedJane Gilmore, PhD candidate, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Hub, Monash University23 Sept 20264 min read

• In a culture obsessed with staying young, we ignore the many benefits of ageing

  Every morning, millions of people wake up hoping to look, think and feel younger than they did yesterday.

  SyndicatedOlivia Maurice, Cognitive Neuroscientist, Western Sydney University; University of Sydney23 Sept 20264 min read