Scout Wallen
Scout Wallen is a reporter in the Rockhampton newsroom in central Queensland. She was named Journalism Student of the Year by the Australian Press Council in 2022 and won the Walkley WIN News Scholarship in 2021. Scout has been with the ABC since September 2021 and completed the ABC News cadetship in 2022. She has a keen interest in public interest journalism.
Latest by Scout Wallen
Chefs heading to the mines leave empty plates at regional restaurants
Letisha Frenken has struggled for years to retain chefs in her central Queensland cafe. She says she cannot compete with the higher wages offered in the mines.
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The young Aussies ditching hustle culture for a slower lifestyle amid high rates of burnout
After struggling through her final year at school and hustling in a 9-5 job, Sophia Antoncic packed up and moved to a tropical island. She hasn't looked back.
Nuclear power could put these tiny towns in the national spotlight, but residents' opinions are divided
Nuclear reactors, if they are built, will be in the backyards of farmers such as Darren Jensen. He's thrilled by the prospect, but not everyone in town is.
It's not easy to break into Brazil's dominant beef market, but this Australian cattle breeder has cracked it
One bite was all it took for an Australian cattle breeder to become an industry leader in world beef heavyweight Brazil.
Without realising it, Marc opened 19 super accounts. He says it has halved his retirement savings
It wasn't until Marc Ypinazar fell in love with his now wife Elle Roberts, and the couple began combining their finances, that he realised his super accounts were in disarray and he was losing money. The ATO says there is $16 billion in unclaimed superannuation.
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Gen Zs like Flynn are happy to career hop until they find a job that makes them happy
Gen Z and millennials are job hopping much more frequently than their boomer bosses in the pursuit of happiness — and it's putting pressure on employers.
How much bang for your buck can you get for a rental in Brisbane?
If you're 18 to 24 and earning the median wage for your age bracket, you should be spending $176 a week, according to analysts. Renters say the reality is far different.
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'World-leading' green iron facility to tap into nearby high-grade ore, green hydrogen development
Green iron is made with renewable energy sources that do not release carbon dioxide, instead releasing water, making it as decarbonised as possible. This week, a company announced plans to build a facility in Gladstone and mine ore nearby.
MP closes electoral office due to threats to female staff after alleged drugging and sexual assault
The details of the incident are unknown, but a Queensland Police Service spokesperson says the police are aware of the issue and are making enquiries.
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Miners told to get repeat tests after audit exposes black lung bungle
A company has been suspended by Queensland's mining safety regulator for providing substandard lung tests to more than 130 coal workers.
Rebecca never imagined the impact moving to a regional town would have on her daughter's health
Rural and regional Australians have worse health outcomes than those in urban centres. Doctors and health advocates have some advice for those wanting to make the lifestyle change.
Government puts $500m on the table to combat drought, but farmers say it's a case of give and take
Anthony Albanese has announced that $519.1m in drought-resilience funding will be set aside in the budget, but a grazier says other government-controlled costs, including fuel, are taking a toll on the sector.
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Man dies after falling 20 metres in wind tower collapse north of Mackay
A man dies after falling 20 metres from a wind tower in central Queensland.
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Young people are choosing high-paying mining jobs to set themselves up amid cost of living crisis
Young people are heading to the mines for higher-paid work and a better lifestyle as the cost of living bites and makes saving a distant dream for many.
Wife's devastation laid bare as truck driver jailed for deadly ambulance crash
A nurse whose husband was one of two people killed in central Queensland crash has told a truck driver he took away her family's "extraordinary man" in an instant.
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Australia's first commercial-scale green hydrogen electrolyser facility is open for business
Green hydrogen has been dubbed the energy of the future. Now, Australia's largest hydrogen electrolyser facility will be able to turn water into green energy without using fossil fuels.
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Darrell was a ticking time bomb but climbing the stairs onto this truck saved his life
Getting access to critical health care is difficult for people in rural areas, so medical professionals hit the road and took to the skies to bring the services to them.
Ashleigh is scared she could 'drop dead on the spot' as she waits months to see a cardiologist
Waitlists to see cardiologists are blowing out in regional Queensland, prompting urgent calls from The Heart Foundation for more services across the state.
Cost of living, youth crime lead voters to kick incumbents across regional Queensland
By Tobi Loftus and regional Queensland reporters
A mood for change has swept through regional Queensland, with voters punishing incumbent mayors in several major cities.
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Asbestos-contaminated mulch accidentally given to at least 24 people at Queensland depot
Mulch contaminated by asbestos has been detected outside south-east Queensland for the first time since rigorous testing across the state began last month.
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Gas pipeline fire triggers warning for major industrial companies to stop or limit gas usage
Authorities shut down a major gas pipeline as investigations begin into a "significant" blaze that flared up in central Queensland this morning.
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One man killed, another injured in cattle truck incident at central Queensland property
Workplace Health and Safety is investigating an incident on a cattle truck at a central Queensland property, with one man dead and another seriously injured.
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Coral surveys return grim results for southern end of Great Barrier Reef
Two teams of reef scientists have uncovered extensive and worsening bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef off the central Queensland coast, which they put down to warmer than average sea temperatures.
Truck driver pleads guilty over crash with ambulance that killed nurse and patient
Timothy Lee Wilson caused the deaths of two people in 2021 in Queensland. He was about to be retried on the charges following a mistrial, but pleaded guilty instead.
Beloved chimpanzee and 'surrogate mother' Samantha dies unexpectedly in Qld zoo
Tributes are flowing for Samantha, the chimpanzee that lived through two stillbirths to become a doting surrogate mother.