Kathryn Diss

Kathryn Diss is a general news reporter, specialising in business and resources. She is also a regular contributor to the television current affairs program 730 WA. Kathryn joined the ABC in 2010 after completing a journalism degree at Curtin University in Perth. She spent her first year with the ABC covering Mid West news based out of Geraldton.

• Service shortfall means cancer survivors missing out on essential rehabilitation (photos)

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted February 18, 2017 13:48:04 | Updated February 18, 2017 14:48:26

  There are fears cancer survivors are missing out on much-needed rehabilitation because demand for services is outstripping supply.

  Topics: cancer, rehabilitation, perth-6000

• Rooftop solar growth could send WA power tariffs soaring: study (photos)

  By Kathryn Diss and Tom Wildie

  Posted February 08, 2017 09:04:36

  West Australian consumers could face huge power price hikes in the coming years unless the State Government starts to factor in the exponential growth of renewable energy, a new study finds.

  Topics: solar-energy, electricity-energy-and-utilities, energy, states-and-territories, bunbury-6230, busselton-6280, wa

• West Australians embrace solar panels at record rate (photos)

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted January 31, 2017 18:20:36

  West Australians are installing solar panels at a record rate, with the renewable energy's popularity driven by rising power prices and the falling cost of the technology.

  Topics: solar-energy, alternative-energy, climate-change, environment, perth-6000

• Solar panel owners turn to vanadium 'electrolyte fluid' battery

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted December 08, 2016 18:02:26 | Updated December 08, 2016 18:28:44

  A new use for the metal vanadium is emerging as energy savvy consumers look for a better way of storing solar power than lithium-ion batteries.

  Topics: alternative-energy, solar-energy, busselton-6280, perth-6000

• WA plan for partial sale of Western Power positive: economists

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 30, 2016 21:54:46 | Updated November 30, 2016 22:09:06

  Economists respond positively to the planned partial sale of Western Power, saying the Government has structured the deal in a way which will attract a premium price and avoid any electricity price rises.

  Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, government-and-politics, privatisation-and-deregulation, wa, perth-6000

• New shark mitigation system to be trialled at City Beach WA

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 26, 2016 15:01:02 | Updated November 27, 2016 09:29:06

  The West Australian Government launches a $500,000 trial of sonar detection technology as part of its wider effort to mitigate shark attacks.

  Topics: shark, government-and-politics, perth-6000, city-beach-6015, wa

• Junior miners slam Utah Point sale deal

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 18, 2016 15:51:25 | Updated November 18, 2016 19:06:37

  Junior WA miners fear they will be locked out of their only export facility in the Pilbara after the State Government passed legislation to sell Utah Point, allowing half the port's capacity to be used by mining giants.

  Topics: mining-industry, sea-transport, port-hedland-6721

• Councils step up campaign for Fremantle Port outer harbour

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 16, 2016 20:14:14

  An alliance of six southern councils step up their campaign to build an outer harbour at Fremantle Port, as the March state poll nears closer.

  Topics: local-government, unemployment, community-and-society, fremantle-6160

• What has happened to the price of iron ore?

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 15, 2016 22:10:56

  The price of iron ore notches up a 100 per cent increase since the start of the year, but what is causing the price spike and is it sustainable?

  Topics: business-economics-and-finance, iron-ore, wa

• Green shoots spark hopes for WA mining sector

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 14, 2016 18:40:06 | Updated November 14, 2016 19:13:59

  There are signs of green shoots in WA's economy, with some big recruitment agencies and job seeking websites reporting an uptick in the number of mining jobs on the market.

  Topics: mining-industry, wa

• New roadside assistance app based on Uber model (photos)

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 08, 2016 19:05:22 | Updated November 08, 2016 19:21:06

  A small team of Perth entrepreneurs develops an Uber-style mobile phone app for on-demand roadside assistance, with no up-front costs for customers who pay only when they use it.

  Topics: small-business, wa

• Construction whistleblower had safety fears about fatal fall site

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted November 06, 2016 10:20:55 | Updated November 06, 2016 12:11:08

  A construction industry whistleblower speaks out about safety standards in the sector, saying he thought someone would be "seriously injured or killed" at the Perth building site where a German backpacker fell to her death last month.

  Topics: building-and-construction, workplace, death, community-and-society, perth-6000

• Yarloop residents anxious ahead of coming fire season

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted October 30, 2016 17:13:19

  Almost a year after fire ravaged the small West Australian town of Yarloop, morale remains at rock bottom, with frustration over the rebuilding process and anxiety about the coming fire season growing.

  Topics: fires, home, state-parliament, yarloop-6218

• Solar panels owners caught between a rock and a hard place (photos)

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted October 22, 2016 17:24:26

  Households with solar panels are fast looking to batteries to offset a fall in feed-in tariffs, but installing the batteries could cost them the tariff altogether.

  Topics: solar-energy, electricity-energy-and-utilities, perth-6000, bicton-6157

• Media ordered off Crown premises as shareholder speaks out

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted October 20, 2016 14:43:50 | Updated October 20, 2016 17:51:23

  Crown officials order media off their premises in Perth as they try to interview a shareholder unhappy at what he sees as a lack of transparency over the detention of 18 casino employees in China.

  Topics: gambling, law-crime-and-justice, business-economics-and-finance, perth-6000, china

• Trading solar power: Retirees 'plan for the future'

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted October 08, 2016 09:37:57

  Retirees in the West Australian town of Busselton trial a new system allowing them to sell excess energy they have generated from their solar panels direct to their neighbours.

  Topics: solar-energy, human-interest, mandurah-6210, perth-6000, wa

• Suncorp closing WA branches as internet banking takes over

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted October 05, 2016 14:10:07 | Updated October 05, 2016 21:00:08

  Brisbane-based Suncorp Bank will close all but one of its bank branches in Perth because of slowing foot traffic through their doors.

  Topics: banking, internet-culture, wa

• Unusual frost causing concern for WA farmers

  By Kathryn Diss and Mark Bennett

  Posted September 29, 2016 19:50:25 | Updated September 29, 2016 21:57:25

  Below-freezing temperatures in September affect farmers in the Wheatbelt, South West and Great Southern regions, taking the edge out of what was shaping up as a bumper harvest.

  Topics: agricultural-crops, weather, albany-6330, geraldton-6530, bunbury-6230

• Developers break CBD record to buy Elizabeth Quay land for $85m

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted September 29, 2016 17:16:59

  Developers CA & Associates pay a Perth CBD record fee to buy two lots of land at Elizabeth Quay, as they continue plans to build an entertainment precinct.

  Topics: government-and-politics, urban-development-and-planning, perth-6000

• Severe frosts dash WA farmers' hopes of record harvest

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted September 26, 2016 18:57:42

  Farmers across Western Australia's grain growing regions are dealt a bitter blow, with hopes of record crops dashed by frost just weeks before harvest.

  Topics: agricultural-crops, weather, tammin-6409

• Solar batteries could spark power revolution in bush

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted August 06, 2016 09:57:06 | Updated August 06, 2016 12:35:10

  Farmers trial solar battery and power systems paid for by the West Australian Government, in an area with some of the state's most unreliable electricity supply.

  Topics: solar-energy, alternative-energy, wa

• Super pit stake up for grabs, Barrick Gold confirms

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted July 28, 2016 17:36:36 | Updated July 29, 2016 09:19:54

  Global miner Barrick Gold confirms it will start the process of selling its half of the iconic Super Pit gold mine in Kalgoorlie.

  Topics: gold, industry, business-economics-and-finance, mining-industry, kalgoorlie-6430, wa

• Pyne refuses to 'break down' WA's shipbuilding share

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted July 26, 2016 18:25:50

  New Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne visits WA to promote the state's role in the construction of future defence vessels, but repeatedly refuses to say what percentage of the work it will receive.

  Topics: defence-industry, defence-forces, defence-and-aerospace-industries, states-and-territories, wa, henderson-6166, perth-6000, sa, adelaide-5000

• Community win over mining giant as hundreds of workers moved into town

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted July 22, 2016 14:42:10 | Updated July 22, 2016 18:11:03

  The small mining community of Newman secures a victory against BHP Billiton, with the company revealing it will close down its controversial workers' camp near the town.

  Topics: mining-industry, mining-rural, rural, regional-development, regional, newman-6753, wa

• Solar power industry drives up silver, lithium prices

  By Kathryn Diss

  Posted July 14, 2016 18:21:35

  The rapid uptake of rooftop solar panels and lithium-ion batteries to store electricity creates new uses for metals.

  Topics: mining-industry, silver, solar-energy, perth-6000, kalgoorlie-6430

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