Bron and Phil Genoni have spent 27 years building a thriving garden at their Banjup property. The shady, mostly tropical space features an estimated 400-year-old paperbark, ponds that host turtles, ducks and frogs, and accessible concrete pathways. The couple run the garden on solar power and use chicken manure to feed the soil. The garden at 23 Muir Place will open on October 31 and November 1, with solar consultations, tea and scones, and a Jaguar Car Club display on the Sunday.
Families flocked to Fremantle Esplanade Park on Saturday for the annual Farmer on Your Plate festival. Children enjoyed pony rides, barrel tossing, cow milking and sheep shearing, while line dancing drew crowds of all ages. Pernille Loughton brought her granddaughters, who live nearby, and said she valued that the event was free. Kale Wells, who came across the festival while out with his three-year-old daughter, Pia, said cow milking was her favourite activity.
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.
Year 11 Homestead Senior Secondary College student Chucky Mercer has qualified to compete in the 200m at the All Schools National Finals in Perth this December. Mercer has an intellectual disability and competes in the T20 para-athletics classification. He has won gold in the 200m and 1500m at the Victorian All Schools Championships and the 3000m at the Western Metropolitan Region Championships. Mercer trains four times a week alongside his studies and family commitments. He hopes to compete at the 2032 Paralympics in Brisbane, his birth city.
Australian shares fell on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX200 index down 0.25 per cent and the All Ordinaries down 0.19 per cent. Investors are cautious ahead of key economic data, interest rate decisions, and US tech earnings. Eight of 11 sectors declined, with financials and consumer staples weighing heavily. Star Entertainment shares surged 20 per cent after a strong earnings update, while SCX.ai joined Elon Musk's SpaceX Super Intelligence Partner Network. The Australian dollar dropped to 70.20 US cents.
Xpeng Motors Australia expects to have 66 retail locations across every state and territory by the end of 2026. The mid-size L03 SUV, priced from $41,900 before on-road costs, is due in showrooms before year's end. The company says it has processed more than 1400 customer enquiries and resolved 250 cases linked to promotional offers from its former distributor, TrueEV. Customers who bought through TrueEV and were promised offers can contact Xpeng ANZ, which says it is backing its vehicles with seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranties.
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.
