You may know the Yarra River for its picturesque portrayal along southbank at night or maybe for its iconic status in the hub of Melbourne. However, there is a side of the Yarra River that is not so obvious to the many who love it so dearly.

The Yarra river is deeply polluted and in need of a good protection plan. I tried to find out what is in store for the beloved yarra in the future.

Yarra River in need of a hand

Sydney has been battling with its 'storm of the century'. The sudden sporadic weather has seen the daily routines of everyday citizens come to a halt as public transport shuts down due to flooding and forceful winds. 

The situation had me wondering, how well would Melbourne and its public transport system cope if we were to be confronted with the same grim weather?

This story was originally broadcasted on SYN media's program Panorama (90.7fm) pn Wednesday 22nd April. 

Unfortunately, I received a response from Yarra Trams after my deadline. I have decided to post it below, for further insight into the story.

** Yarra Trams works closely with Public Transport Victoria (PTV), Victoria Police and emergency services to proactively plan for and manage incidents that have the potential to significantly affect Melbourne’s tram network.

This includes extreme weather events, such as flooding or heatwaves.

Yarra Trams has an Emergency Management Response Team, practiced processes and dedicated response crews that are experienced and equipped to bring the network back to full operation as quickly as possible.

We have an extensive range of communication channels at our disposal, including live announcements onboard and at tram stops, our tramTRACKER smartphone app, website and social media channels.

Through PTV, Yarra Trams works collaboratively with other public transport operators to ensure a coordinated response to any major incident on the network. **

Special thanks to interview guests Professor Allan March and Professor John Stone from The University of Melbourne for adding their insight into this story.

How would Melbourne's public transport cope amidst a freak storm?

A new study out of the UK has found that bilingual speakers tend to have a more open-minded perspective when it comes to other cultures, as well as increased cognitive health.

Double language speakers have also been found to be more employable than individuals who only speak one language. 

To many, these findings come as no surprise, so why are we still seeing such a shortage when it comes to students pursuing a second language in school? 

I took a look further into the story.

** Full statement from The Victorian Department of Education is available at https://chelseaollemedia.wordpress.com/ and http://syn.org.au/content/panorama

New study finds bilingual speakers are better off

A new study from the Australian National University found a staggering 90 percent of Australians are proud to be... Australian.

Australia today continues to grow and become more culturally diverse - yet Australia has a history of harshness towards those who 'don't fit in'.

So what exactly makes someone the Australian they're so proud to be? And where will this pride take us.

Aussies are proud to be Australian... but why?

The 2015 federal budget has finally been released.

After the budget we received last year, many people have had their focus firmly on any important areas that the budget may have missed. 

The mental health sector is one of these areas, and one that did not seem to be largely discussed. 

According to Mental Health Australia, 20% of the Australian population will find themselves experiencing a mental illness during any given year (MHA 2015). 

So that's why it is really important we keep mental health services on the agenda.

We know for now, that mental health services are safe with funding being prolonged for an extra 12 months while the Government reviews mental health service recommendations. 

But uncertainty still looms, as not much is yet known on what the Gov's supposed brand new mental health plan will actually be.
Listen to find out more.

BUDGET: Where do mental health services sit?

Pro-environment group, Australian Solar energy, has proposed that Melbourne's Yarra trams should rely on solar energy rather than brown coal. However, the proposal is waiting on approval from the Victroain government.

Listen for more... 



Should we have solar powered public transport in Melbourne?

Have you ever wondered how safe your city is?

A US study has the answer... but maybe you'd be surprised to know Melbourne isn't the safest.

So why is the world's most liveable city not the safest too?

Listen and find out.


How safe is Melbourne really?

Internet tech giant Google continues to prove it is a top player in the Internet and smart device game, as it makes plans to team up with clothing company Levis.

It's been heard that the two companies are working on the strangely alluring idea of 'smart clothing'.

We could soon be walking around with clothes that can operate like our smart phones.

What do you think about that?

I take a look into these new technologies to find out if they are brilliant - or just strange and too far fetched.

New tech on the rise

Women have been warned by a top fertility specialist in the UK to not wait too long to have children, to avoid disappointment.
 
Should women be prioritising having children earlier?
 
Listen to find out more on this story.

What is the age cap for having a baby?

Uncertainty continues to loom for artists and musicians as society further delves into a digitally consumed world.

Posting artistic material on the world wide web is inevitable for musicians and is often their only point of contact with listeners and consumers.

Undeniably, there are many pros to the vast possibilities of the Internet. 

But are consumer access points like music streaming sites and pirate websites destroying an artist's chance to make money off their work?

I take a further look into this story.

*Originally broadcast on the 24th June 2015 on SYN 90.7 program Panorama.

Chelsea Olle