A Connolly resident has launched a petition asking the City of Joondalup to review traffic calming measures on Fairway Circle. The petition has 159 signatures and will be presented at the next council meeting on Tuesday, October 27. Petition creator Reanna Bennett says speeding has increased with population growth, making pedestrians and cyclists feel unsafe. She is asking for an updated traffic assessment and possible measures such as slow points or pedestrian crossings. The city's chief executive, Craig Lloyd, says the concerns will be reviewed alongside available traffic data.
West Coast Relay for Life 2026 will be held at Arena Joondalup this weekend, with Warwick Senior High School leading the fundraising effort. The school has raised almost $24,000, with Year 10 co-ordinator Anthony Mayo credited for the success. The event, organised by Cancer Council WA, aims to raise funds for cancer research and support services. Warwick SHS associate principal Jason Tomlinson noted the school's consistent strong performance in the event.
A new bike pump track will launch at Ocean Reef Marina's community open day on November 21. The track sits in Marina Cove Park, beside the ocean-themed playground. Specialist designers Convic created it with landscape architects, in consultation with the City of Joondalup. It has connected concrete loops, including a beginner section for younger children and a larger main loop for more confident riders. Shade shelters, seating, trees and garden beds surround the track. Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said it will give local families a free place to ride.
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Luxury furniture and homeware brand James Lane Design opens its first Western Australian store in Osborne Park on Thursday, 22 October. The Sydney-founded brand has expanded to more than two dozen showrooms. Two further WA stores are planned, in Joondalup in November and Midland in the summer. To mark the opening, the brand is offering 30 per cent off storewide and complimentary treats during the opening weekend. The Osborne Park store will open from 9am to 5pm on Thursday.
A 40-year-old cyclist has died in a suspected hit-and-run crash on North Lake Road in Bibra Lake, Western Australia. The man was declared dead at the scene after a collision with an unidentified vehicle about 5.20am on Tuesday. Major crash investigators are searching for the driver and the vehicle, and are asking anyone who saw the crash or the vehicle nearby to come forward. Information can be given to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Elsewhere, crashes on Neerabup Road and Albany Highway have since been cleared.
A 40-year-old cyclist has died in a suspected hit-and-run crash on North Lake Road in Bibra Lake, Western Australia. The man was declared dead at the scene after a collision with an unidentified vehicle about 5.20am on Tuesday. Major crash investigators are searching for the driver and the vehicle, and are asking anyone who saw the crash or the vehicle nearby to come forward. Information can be given to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Elsewhere, crashes on Neerabup Road and Albany Highway have since been cleared.
Bunnings stores across Western Australia held sausage sizzles on Saturday to raise money for Channel 7's 59th Telethon. The Joondalup store was one of 38 taking part, with a petting zoo, face painting, lion dancers and fire trucks drawing families. All proceeds from hot dogs and drinks will fund medical research, equipment and services for children across the state. Last year's barbecue raised $102,000, and organisers hope for a new record when the total is revealed during Sunday's broadcast.
The City of Joondalup wants to abolish its policy committee and major projects and finance committee from January 1, 2027. Their responsibilities would pass to the full council, which the city says would reduce planning delays and save money. Public participation rules at council meetings would also change, with deputation time cut from 15 minutes to five minutes. A final vote is expected at the October 27 meeting.
A Perth music teacher, David Hicks, 34, has been charged with 10 additional offences after police identified two more alleged victims. The charges include indecently dealing with a child over 13 and under 16, producing child exploitation material and using a listening device to record private conversations. Police allege that child exploitation material was found on electronic devices when they raided his home in Perth's north in September. Mr Hicks taught music at private schools across Perth and tutored outside school hours. He is due to appear in the Joondalup Magistrates Court on November 9.
Northern suburbs animal rescue groups say injuries to native wildlife from discarded fishing lines and hooks are increasing. Wildlife Allies recently rescued a Pacific black duck tangled in fishing line at Lake Goollelal in Madeley, which was later released after treatment. A native duck hooked in Butler's Brampton Park did not survive. Wildlife Allies director Maddison Danforth says the rescues strain volunteers. The City of Wanneroo plans to present proposed changes to its local law to council in November, which could restrict fishing in some waterways.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged after allegedly leading police on a 40-minute high-speed pursuit through Perth's northern suburbs early on Saturday. Midland detectives tried to stop a red Holden Commodore on Malaga Drive around 12.30am, but police allege the driver accelerated away. Police allege he drove on the wrong side of the road, ran red lights and sped through roadworks, forcing other motorists to swerve. The driver abandoned the car on McArthur Street, fled on foot and was arrested nearby. He faces three charges and bail was refused.
A popular bowling alley in Perth's north has closed indefinitely after a fire broke out on Monday evening. Rosemount Bowl on Fitzgerald Street in North Perth was evacuated, along with the nearby Pot Black and Bloodlines venues. The business said at about 10pm that everyone had left safely and no one was hurt. The fire is not believed to be suspicious and is being managed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. A witness claims the blaze started in the kitchen, but this has not been officially confirmed.
A Western Australian country town is giving 16 per cent of its annual rates income to keep a local doctor. The Shire of Narembeen pays the local medical practice $370,000 a year and also provides a building, a car and a house. Shire President Holly Cusack says the arrangement is financially unsustainable but that losing the GP would mean a 120-kilometre round trip to the nearest doctor. In Kalbarri, a community group crowdfunded more than $70,000 to set up a not-for-profit, bulk-billing clinic after the town's only GP closed in June.
WA police will use a new drone program to gather real-time intelligence before officers reach emergencies. Drones will launch from docking stations in Kwinana, Rockingham and Baldivis and can operate beyond line of sight. They will be dispatched from a command centre in Perth. Police Minister Reece Whitby says the program is an Australian first. Targeted uses include family and domestic violence matters, missing persons, crimes in progress and stolen vehicles.
Woodside Energy's plan to drill for gas off Western Australia's north-west coast could significantly damage coral reefs and endangered turtles, according to a draft letter from the state's environmental watchdog. The letter, written in 2023 and seen by the Guardian, said the company's protections for turtles and blue whales near Scott Reef would be ineffective. In February 2024, the watchdog told Woodside it planned to reject the project. Woodside has since added shear rams to its drilling plans, a step it says would limit the length of any well blowout.
BYD's premium brand Denza says the Z9 GT electric wagon will not reach Australia until the first half of 2027. A spokesperson said the company is juggling priorities and does not want to launch simply to meet a date. Denza had earlier planned a launch in the third quarter of 2026. The Z9 GT has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 2.7 seconds and a 1036km electric range under the CLTC cycle. Pricing for the Australian market has yet to be announced.
Porsche Cars Australia is recalling 77 of its 911 and 718 sports cars made in 2023 and 2024. A manufacturing defect in the centre-lock wheel nuts may cause a wheel to loosen and detach while driving. The recall covers several 911 and 718 models from the 992 and 982 generations. Porsche will contact owners and ask them to book a free repair at an authorised Porsche Centre. The 911 was previously recalled in March 2025 over a seatbelt issue.
Complaints about the Australian Taxation Office have risen sharply as the agency ramps up debt collection. The Tax Ombudsman received 2376 complaints in the six months to September, up 74 per cent on the same period last year. The office said it received 1358 complaints over that period, because the ombudsman's figures also included matters not involving the tax office. The ombudsman found the tax office acted reasonably in 63 per cent of debt collection complaints it investigated. Outstanding tax debt stood at $54.2 billion in 2024/25, with $35.9 billion owed by small businesses.
Electrical work in Western Australia must be carried out by licensed professionals, and checking a licence takes only a few minutes. Electrical worker and contractor licences can both be verified through the public online search run by Building and Energy, the state regulator. Customers should confirm the licence is current and the name matches. Unlicensed work can raise safety risks and may lead an home insurer to dispute a claim. Licensed contractors must also lodge a notice of completion after most work.
Lotus Australia has issued a nationwide safety recall for 114 Lotus Elise sports cars made between 2014 and 2021. A manufacturing defect may deform the low-pressure fuel pump impeller, causing the fuel pump to fail and the engine to stall. The company warns that a sudden loss of power while driving may increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death. Owners will be contacted by their Lotus dealer to book a free repair appointment. The Elise was last recalled in 2020 over a fuel rail issue.
US stocks closed higher on Monday after two weeks of declines, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq lifted by optimism around AI companies. Anthropic disclosed steep losses and rapid revenue growth in its filing for a US initial public offering. Semiconductor firms helped drive the gains, while Meta plans to raise up to $US95 billion in equity to fund its AI expansion. Investors are watching the Federal Reserve's policy statement on Wednesday and a busy week of earnings reports.
The Israeli military has said its decisions on attacks against Iran are based solely on security considerations, after reports of a feud with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Channel 12 reported the two were at odds, while CNN reported that military chief Eyal Zamir warned that strikes before the election would delay the vote. Analysts say tension between the government and the military has been common. Netanyahu has stressed the Iranian threat in the final days of the election campaign, and polling suggests Gadi Eisenkot's party could challenge his Likud for the most seats.
The cost of abandoning Snowy 2.0, Australia's largest renewable energy project, is still unknown. Snowy Hydro chief executive Dennis Barnes told a Senate estimates committee that the cost of ending the project has not been modelled. The company estimates completion will now cost between $22.2 billion and $25 billion, up from $12 billion in 2023. Barnes said replacing the project with batteries was modelled at $80 billion. Innovation Minister Tim Ayres said abandoning the project would be immensely costly and that the government would see it through.
Outdated technology and weak digital safety skills are the biggest threats to national cybersecurity, according to the latest Cyber Threat Report from the Australian Signals Directorate. The public sector recorded nearly half of the 1500 incidents reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre in the past financial year. Director-general Abigail Bradshaw warned that service outages will likely become normal and urged companies to put security ahead of access. Medium-sized businesses reported a 45 per cent rise in cybercrime losses, with an average cost of $141,300.
