Mandurah's festivals and events strategy has won a national award for strategic thinking at the National Economic Development Awards for Excellence. The awards were presented last week in Hobart. Each year, the city's events program generates an estimated $43 million in economic impact and draws more than 2.1 million visitors. Mayor Amber Kearns said the recognition reflects the way the city plans for future events, which create jobs and support local businesses.
Mandurah council has voted to install number plate recognition cameras and extra CCTV, with the plate recognition vote passing 8-3. The council agreed at its September 22 meeting to shift about $100,000 in its budget toward the two projects, each expected to cost about $72,000. A state grant of $40,686 will help fund the plate recognition cameras, which will go on Mandurah Bridge and Mandurah Terrace. Opponents argued that the cameras were a state government responsibility. Supporters said the technology helps respond to antisocial behaviour and break-ins at Lakelands Park.
A Mandurah man has undergone surgery that removed more than 50 per cent of an aggressive brain tumour. Alexander Carr is spending his 21st birthday in hospital, where he is recovering from the fourth neurosurgery of his treatment. His mother Sarah said the operation gave the family fresh hope and a plan. The family has raised more than $110,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to pay for a personalised cancer vaccine from a Canadian company, which is estimated to cost around $450,000. Alex has been approved to enter a neuro rehabilitation unit.
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Footage from a security camera in Mandurah appears to show a suspected pot plant thief letting rip with a loud fart during a night raid. Homeowner Karla said she had lost several plants this year and did not have a camera of her own. Her neighbour Mel had a Ring camera, and the two watched the footage angrily before bursting into laughter at the noise. Karla said the thief may have been embarrassed, joking that they had soiled themselves rather than simply passed wind.
Telethon funding has allowed national charity Eat Up to expand its regional WA lunch program from 66 to 84 schools. So far in 2026, the program has delivered 35,345 sandwiches to 5628 students across seven regions, including Bunbury, Esperance and Geraldton. Teachers say the lunches help children concentrate, attend school and learn. Schools also say the discreet service removes shame for students whose families face cost-of-living pressures.
Mandurah council has voted 7-4 to endorse a new funding agreement with the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, despite concerns that subsidies could limit its potential. The deal replaces a five-year agreement that expired on June 30 and runs to 2036. The city will pay the centre $844,295 a year. The centre will build reserves from surpluses and hire income to reduce reliance on city funds. Councillor Jacob Cumberworth opposed the deal, arguing the subsidies were excessive.
More than 1700 riders will set off from Perth and cycle 100km to Mandurah's western foreshore this weekend. Riders will finish day one of the two-day MACA Cancer 200 Ride at Hall Park on Saturday, October 17, camping overnight in a temporary village before returning to their starting point on Sunday. The event, now in its 15th year, has raised more than $82 million for cancer research at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. Institute chief executive Peter Leedman said the funds support WA scientists developing new treatments.
A disability expo in Mandurah will bring more than 100 organisations together on Friday, October 16, to help people with disability and their families. Held from 10am to 2pm at the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre, the free event covers housing, education, employment, advocacy and community services. The expo aims to help people with disability keep living in the Peel region as its population grows, with about 444,000 people projected to live there by 2050. Organisers say the event has grown from 17 exhibitors in two classrooms in 2016 into one of the region's largest disability information events.
Mandurah Police have seized four illegal e-rideables, including modified e-bikes taken from three teenagers. The teens, aged 14, 15 and 16, were charged with reckless driving and other offences after allegedly riding dangerously on Old Coast Road. They are due to appear in Mandurah Children’s Court on November 9. During a school holiday crackdown, 25 people on e-rideables were stopped for traffic offences. Separately, a group of e-bike and scooter riders caused chaos in Stirling, running red lights and filming while riding. One rider was arrested after being tracked by a police aircraft.
The 18th Castaways Sculpture Awards opened on the Rockingham Foreshore and run until Sunday, 1 November 2026. Artworks made from recycled and repurposed materials are displayed along Mangles Bay. The exhibition includes the main display, a maquette and small sculpture exhibition, and a schools exhibition, all showcasing Western Australian artists. Fremantle Ports supports the event, which has a prize pool of $27,250. The free family event includes Tactile Tours and Artist Talks. The information tent is open from 9am to 5pm daily.
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.
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.
West Australians who have not yet claimed their $100 fuel relief voucher and plan to submit a paper form are unlikely to receive the money before Christmas. Paper forms have been taking about 10 weeks to arrive, and a spokesperson advised applicants to allow nine to 10 weeks, with postage possibly longer in some regional areas. About $110 million has been paid to more than a million of the 2.3 million eligible licence holders since July 1.
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.
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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.
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has criticised the government for failing to support thousands of people who lost savings in the $1.1bn collapse of the Shield Master Fund and First Guardian. Joyce said he gave his ex-wife $400,000 as part of their divorce settlement, and that money is now gone. He urged the government to pay victims their super so they can retire, rather than a partial compensation payment. A Choice podcast investigation says about 11,000 Australians lost retirement savings, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has 14 ongoing court actions against 31 people.
A Loch Ness Monster expert has written a guide on how to spot the creature. Adrian Shine, who founded the Loch Ness Project, says the monster exists and has explained how it can be seen in his new book. He believes Loch Ness lacks enough nutrients to support a large beast. He argues most sightings are wakes from large boats, which he links to the Caledonian Canal, built in the early nineteenth century. Broadcaster Robson Green said the expedition could neither prove nor disprove a creature's existence.
