Andrew Chounding
Andrew Chounding is a journalist based in Albany WA, and the Rural and Resources Reporter for the Great Southern region.
He joined the ABC in 2022 reporting from the Goldfields mining city of Kalgoorlie- Boulder, with a stint in the coastal town of Esperance.
Before joining the ABC, Andrew was a daily newspaper journalist and the state health reporter for The Examiner in Launceston, Tasmania.
Latest by Andrew Chounding
Sheep industry veteran says it's time to move on from live export fight and focus on new markets
Rob Egerton-Warburton, who has farmed for nearly 30 years running 20,000 merino sheep in the industry's WA heartland, says now that the live export ban is legislated the industry should look to fresh opportunities to survive.
In the clouds over regional Australia a different kind of fly-in fly-out workforce is taking to the skies
An airport that once serviced the defunct Ravensthorpe nickel mine in WA has replaced hi-vis-clad workers with medical specialists in blue polo shirts and it's changing the regional healthcare landscape.
Hundred-turbine wind farm to be built 55km from proposed Coalition nuclear power plant site
Developers say the proposed 100 turbine farm to be built near Collie, outside the town of Moodiarrup, will produce enough electricity to power the Perth CBD.
In Australia's smallest footy league, these two teams face off every week
Before bounce-down even begins in the first round of the season, the Ravensthorpe Tigers and Hopetoun Sharks know they'll face each other in the grand final.
Calls for Senate intervention into live export ban after claims government 'stacked' inquiry
A federal inquiry into the government's plan to ban the live export of sheep from Western Australia backs the bill in its initial report handed down on Friday and calls for more funding for the industry.
These jumper-clad rescued lambs highlight a deeper issue facing WA farmers
A statewide feed shortage, off the back of a brutally dry summer, is seeing an increasing number of sheep orphaned across the state's farming regions.
Men's shed cash-a-can program funds medical equipment library in retirement town
Hopetoun locals had to travel up to 100kms to get crutches, wheelchairs and commodes before its Men in Sheds Containers for Change program raised $100,000 for the community.
Yabby exporter fears change to aerial spraying rules may kill her crustaceans
Some farmers and scientists say the removal of a restriction banning aerial crop spraying near farm dams and salt lakes poses a risk to both businesses and the environment.
Sheep farmers 'plan for the worst, hope for the best' when facing hard decisions with likely end to live exports
With the likely end to live sheep exports out of Western Australia, people right along the state's supply chain are contemplating how the future of sheep production will look.
Wine industry uses former prisoners to fill worker gap as employers compete with mining companies
In Western Australia, some businesses are tapping into a supply of highly trained ex-prisoners to fill open positions in vineyards.
Australian scientists have developed a healthier alternative for bubble tea
Farmers hope Australian oats could help provide a low-sugar alternative in bubble tea, the popular Asian desert beverage, which is estimated to be worth more than $4 billion globally.
Ravensthorpe nickel mine to close with loss of more than 300 jobs
Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals says the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine will close this week, with 330 jobs to be made redundant.
Drought relief package welcomed by some WA farmers, but others say it's just a 'bandaid'
Millions of dollars in financial and mental health support will be made available to West Australian farmers next month as drought conditions cause dams to dry up and feedstock to dwindle.
Tiny town's population swells as West Australian farmers hold drought crisis talks
Amid some of the driest conditions in recent memory, hundreds of WA farmers have condemned the state government's response and called for more direct action.
WA government rules out subsidies for farmers facing feed shortage as 'seasons get hotter and drier'
Producers in WA's south are facing a grim outlook as dams dry up and feed supplies run short, with some saying they have never seen such extremes before.
Hometown or tourist town? Holiday hotspot makes its feelings known with blunt message for visitors
A divisive sign, reading "hometown not tourist town", was erected at Easter then pulled down again by those opposing it, but not before it brought national attention to a community debate.
Meet the 'old fellas' travelling hundreds of kilometres for footy where everyone wins
As the sun sets on the country town of Kojonup, old farmers wearing old guernseys clamber out of their old utes to play in the Old Fellas Football League at the local oval.
Hay fire causes major damage at WA mill as farmers struggle with feed shortage
The fire tore through Macco Feeds in Williams, consuming 400 bales of hay and damaging equipment including a front-end loader.
Gigantic 116kg 'poisonous' pumpkin to be used for compost and target practice
While giant pumpkins bring plenty of reward to their competitive growers, disposing of the outsized vegetables can be more problematic.
Shoppers turning to alternative cheeses as supermarket prices soar
Australian consumers are buying more artisanal varieties as the price of a block of grocery store cheese reaches a two-year high.
At just 17, Libby is already one of the youngest wool judges across Australia
Forget chess and debating clubs, in an old shed in Western Australia, these county kids are competing in merino wool judging to prepare them for life on the land.
Goats destined for meat market now supplying Australian mohair to Italian fashion houses
An academic-turned-farmer who stopped a flock of Angora goats from going to the slaughterhouse hopes to use genetic breeding to extend the number of years they can produce high-quality fleece.
Winemakers reeling as WA heatwaves drive worst grape harvest in recent memory
West Australian wine growers from the Swan Valley to Denmark in the Great Southern have recorded one of their most dismal harvests in years following high summer temperatures.
Paddocks and roads flooded as WA town receives more than a third of its annual rainfall in 72 hours
The West Australian town of Hyden's March average rainfall of 23 millimetres has been eclipsed after the Bureau of Meteorology recorded 118 millimetres from Saturday to Monday.
Record fox cull to give scientists fresh insight into the diet of Southern WA feral predators
Scientists from Murdoch University will analyse the stomach contents of feral foxes after West Australian farmers culled hundreds of animals near the Stirling Range.