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  1. CricketSouth West pace ace makes long-awaited Scorchers debut

  2. NANNUP FICTION MYSTERYPremiumPerth author sets new mystery fiction book in Nannup

  3. Surf Life SavingPremiumSmiths Beach lifeguards undergo rescue boat training

  4. Weekends sorted Premium25 things to do in 2025

  5. CricketJunior country week: BMRJCA under-16 B gold side win title

Busselton will host the Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival for the third time next week.

Open WaterPremiumOpen Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival next week

The Busselton foreshore will be bringing a big splash with the Australian Open Water Swimming Championships making its return for it’s third year next week.

Daniel Hocking

The committee for The Festival of Busselton which returns for its 61st year.

Main EventPremiumFestival of Busselton to host main event this weekend

The Festival of Busselton will be bringing its main event to life this weekend, with four hours of entertainment on the foreshore.

Daniel Hocking

Median house prices in the Augusta-Margaret River region continue to climb.

Housing market PremiumSouth West towns suffer rising cost of homeownership

Annual price increases for houses have slowed to their lowest yearly growth since the third quarter of 2022, despite an overall rise in combined capital house and unit prices. 

Sofia Fimognari

A brand new artificial turf will be ready for the 2025 hockey season at the Bunbury Hockey Stadium.

Tornado recoveryPremiumEight months on from the tornado: How Bunbury is recovering

It’s been eight months since the freak tornado on May 10 tore through Bunbury’s southern suburbs of South Bunbury, Withers, Carey Park and College Grove damaging 212 properties.

Ezra Kaye

A special ceremony will celebrate the start of this year’s wine vintage.

WELCOME TO COUNTRYPremiumMargaret River Vintage to welcome cultures

International workers are encouraged to bring a flag or wear traditional clothing from their home country at the Margaret River wine region 2025 vintage celebration.

Melissa Pedelty

DPIRD said mesh bags were useful for abalone fishers.

Abalone fishing PremiumBusselton abalone fishers warned to keep safe

Abalone fishers urged be cautious on the reefs this Saturday.

Sofia Fimognari

Charlotte Cracroft-Wilson from Busselton SLSC won the beach flags, beach sprints and 1km beach run in the under-12 female division.

Surf Lifesaving CarnivalPremiumPremiumBusselton SLSC competed at Country Carnival in Bunbury

Athletes from Busselton Surf Life Saving Club made the trip up to Bunbury for the WA Country Carnival at Back Beach on January 25 and 26

Geographe Bay Road was listed as one of the roads to have it's speed limit reduced in the agenda item.

Slowing downPremiumPremiumSafer speeds agenda item approved with alternate motion

The Busselton City Council has voted unanimously to request the support of RAC and Main Roads WA to progress a trial of speed reductions on 14 high priority roads and areas.

Dunsborough & Districts Progress Association vice-chair Terry Carmichael with St John WA Dunsborough sub-centre volunteers, who were awarded for their work in the community.

AustraliaPremiumPremiumTwo local heroes presented with Naturaliste Gratitude Awards

Two Dunsborough community heroes were presented with Naturaliste Gratitude Awards during the Dunsborough & Districts Progress Association Australia Day Ceremony on Sunday.

Ludlow Tuart Forest Restoration Group member Jules Hogan and president Des Donnelly with WA Liberals leader and Vasse MLA Libby Mettam.

Election promisePremiumWA Liberals makes million dollar election commitment

The WA Liberals have announced a million dollar commitment to help the restoration and protection of the Ludlow Tuart Forest if the party was elected in the upcoming state election.

Daniel Hocking

Busselton Fringe Festival organisers are on the look-out for both returning and new volunteers to help out with this year's festival.

Busselton FringePremiumBusselton Fringe seeks volunteers with festival a month away

Busselton Fringe is calling out for volunteers for this year’s festival, which is set to hit the Old Courtyard Complex and surrounding areas on the first weekend of March.

Daniel Hocking

Subscriber Exclusive

This affluent suburb has a relaxed feel, differing in atmosphere from its busy neighbour Subiaco, giving residents the best of both worlds.

NeighbourhoodsCommentsPremiumThe suburb agents say is in Perth’s ‘most amazing position’

This affluent suburb has a relaxed feel, differing in atmosphere from its busy neighbour Subiaco, giving residents the best of both worlds.

Caitlin Vinci

ATSB officers and WA Police have arrived back on Rottnest Island to investigate the crash of a sea plane on Tuesday. PIctured the sea plane is raised from the ocean and onto a barge

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
AviationPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Bombshell revelations over Rotto seaplane after horror crash

The plane crashed into Thomson Bay, killing pilot James Wong, Danish tourist Torben Poulsen, 60, and Swiss woman Danielle Grundbacher-Mosching, 65.

Caleb Runciman

The new Smart Freeway system on Mitchell Freeway has brought a lot of grief to northern suburbs drivers.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
TrafficCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Is Perth’s shoddy merging to blame for Smart Freeway chaos?

The new smart system on Mitchell Freeway is causing a headache for peak-hour northern suburbs drivers — sparking debate about whether the problem is actually Perth motorists’ lack of nous when merging.

Dylan Caporn

Troy Mercanti with his former son-in-law Lawrence Freauf.

state politicsPremiumCourts warned to ‘back the police up’ on anti-Semitism

Premier Roger Cook has urged magistrates to ‘clamp down’ on anti-Semitism, after a notorious bikie’s former son-in-law avoided jail and instead copped a fine over a nazi slur.

Jessica Page

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In Case You Missed It

Moore River and Guilderton, as seen from the lookout. Andrew Baillie

WA NewsCommentsPopular WA swimming site closed following bacteria discovery

Swimmers have been warned to avoid taking a dip in the well-known river after a spike in reports of illness.

Hannah Cross

Ronnie Michel-Elhaj is set to enjoy more than $2 million profit from the sale of his family home in Applecross.

House That!PremiumNicheliving boss’s $2m profit on home after taxpayer bailout

Months after Nicheliving took the State to the cleaners and as hundreds of his former customers continue to suffer, Ronnie Michel-Elhaj is set to enjoy a tidy profit on his mansion.

Kim Macdonald

Lawyers for the parents have argued their clients’ obsessive compulsive disorder was at the heart of their offending and that the crippling condition reduced their culpability.

updated
updated
Courts & JusticePremium
updated
Premium‘Starving ballerina’ airs her views for the first time

Floreat’s ‘starving ballerina’ has aired her views publicly for the first time, saying she does not view herself as a victim or blame her parents. WARNING: CONFRONTING IMAGES

When Permai Met Burma.

Jumbo meetingVideoCommentsCommentsHeartwarming moment Perth Zoo’s elephant meets new neighbour

Permai has met her first new elephant friend at Monarto Safari Park, with new photos showing her locking trunks with her new neighbour, Burma.

Several banks have already brought forward their expectations of a cut to next month.

Housing MarketCommentsPremiumCommentsPremiumHere’s how much you’ll save if RBA cuts rates next month

It’s been a good while since millions of homeowners could seriously consider the benefits of an interest rate cut on their bruised and battered family budget. That all changed today.

Regional News

Firefighters are battling a raging bushfire in the Goldfields-Esperance region, with residents urged to act now to survive.

Bushfire warningComments‘Act to survive’: Dalyup bushfire threatens homes

An evacuation centre has been opened in Esperance as firefighters battle a raging bushfire in the region amid tough conditions.

Hannah Cross

The renovated wing at the former Batavia Motor Inne which will be transformed into a 21 apartment short-stay accommodation block.

Short-stay boostPremiumRenos to former derelict units close to completion

Welcome to the new-look Batavia Motor Inne, where works to turn the last building standing from a ruinous mess into a complex of 21 neat and tidy apartments are nearing completion.

Jessica Moroney

2025 Champion Bay Australia Day Swim Challenge

SwimmingAustralia Day in Geraldton a splashing success in the water

Australia Day started bright and early for a number of dedicated swimmers who competed in the Champion Bay Australia Day Swim Challenge on Sunday.

Luke Lawson

A 2024 review into Albany Regional Prison has revealed a lack of access to basic needs and medical services.

Albany AdvertiserPremiumPremiumPrison probe reveals concerning lack of basic services

An inspection of the Albany Regional Prison has revealed ‘many issues’ including a lack of access to medical services, clean clothing, family contact, and limited psychological supports. 

Pastoralists and Graziers Association president Tony Seabrook, pictured, said he was determined the organisation would emerge from the other side.

PROBE UNDER WAYPremiumPremiumFinancial scandal rocks PGA as elections loom

The Pastoralists and Graziers Association’s executive is set to meet this week to appoint financial specialists to scour its records after flagging ‘serious’ internal ‘financial misconduct’.

Narembeen in WA’s Wheatbelt has ranked third on the list of Australia’s “centenarian hotspots”.

ELIXIR OF LIFEPremiumPremiumWheatbelt town’s new claim to fame

Residents of a town in WA’s Wheatbelt are the third-most likely in Australia to live to 100, according to new research.

News Flash

More Stories

Elon Musk’s X has struck a dead with Visa to launch a digital wallet for his ‘everything app’.

BusinessMusk makes major money move with X, Visa

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has announced the launch of a digital wallet and peer-to-peer payment services provided by Visa.

Hugh Son, MacKenzie Sigalos

Nvidia shares tumbled as much as 18 per cent on Monday after the emergence of China’s DeepSeek.

BusinessCommentsHow US bid to restrict China from Nvidia’s chips backfired

DeepSeek’s rattling of the AI market has been several years in the making, with analysts viewing the Chinese company’s shocking advance in the field as an unintended consequence of US trade policy.

Jeff Cox

DeepSeek is a new Chinese AI startup that has wiped billions from the US stock market.

CNBC newsCommentsWhat is DeepSeek: The Chinese AI model overtaking ChatGPT

A Chinese artificial intelligence start-up has wiped billions off the US stock market as users flock to the ChatGPT competitor. But now, registrations have been limited. This is what you need to know.

Hayden Field

Jensen Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp.

MarketsCommentsNvidia plummets almost $955b as Chinese AI sparks sell off

Nvidia and other technology shares have plunged, part of a global sell-off as Chinese startup DeepSeek sparked concerns over competitiveness in artificial intelligence and America’s leadership.

Alex Harring

WA News

A motorcyclist has died after he clipped an island on a freeway exit before colliding with a hatchback on Sunday morning. 

Disaster and emergencyPremiumMotorcylist travelling with group dies on freeway exit

A motorcyclist has died after he clipped an island on a freeway exit before colliding with a hatchback on Sunday morning. 

Caleb Runciman

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners WA chair Dr Ramya Raman.

HealthCommentsPremiumGP training surges in WA but workforce still lags behind

Almost 200 future general practitioners will be training in WA in 2025 but the workforce is still lagging behind population growth.

Claire Sadler

From Monday, distillers and brewers will be required to pay $104.31 per litre of alcohol to the taxman, with the Federal Government raking in $8 billion annually in beer and spirit taxes.

BusinessCommentsCommentsAlcohol excise kicking in, making weekend pints pricier

A pint at the pub could get a little pricier from Monday, with an increase to Australia’s alcohol excise kicking in, amid calls to freeze the regular hikes from putting financial strain on venues

The Matildas star’s father Roger Kerr told The West Australian his 90-year-old mother, Coral, suffered a number of broken bones and underwent major surgery after she was hit at a bus stop metres from her Palmyra home on December 27.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
WA NewsCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
CommentsPremiumKerr’s nan faces long recovery after horrific crash injuries

The horrific extent of the injuries suffered by Sam Kerr’s grandmother when she was hit by a car in December have been revealed, with the 90-year-old expected to remain in hospital for up to six months.

Canadian rapper and global superstar Drake has been spotted grabbing a drink with friends at a popular Perth venue.

Soaking up the sunCommentsCommentsCanadian rapper Drake makes shock appearance at Perth venue

Canadian rapper and global superstar Drake has been spotted grabbing a drink with friends at a popular Perth venue.

A section of Great Eastern Highway in Northam has been shut both directions after a truck and car collided

updated
updated
Disaster and EmergencyPremium
updated
Driver dies following car and truck highway collision

A man has died after a truck and car collided in the Wheatbelt on Sunday morning, shutting a major highway. 

Claire Sadler