Dog owners in Perth are being urged to watch for signs of canine parvovirus, a potentially deadly virus detected in Balcatta and surrounding suburbs. Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital warned of the highly contagious virus on Facebook and introduced precautions for animals visiting the clinic. Vets are assessing dogs and testing them outside the hospital while wearing full personal protective equipment. Owners of dogs with lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhoea are asked to call the clinic before arriving. Puppies and unvaccinated dogs are particularly vulnerable to the virus.
The City of Wanneroo's Food Truck Program is back, with food truck events planned at seven locations from Girrawheen in the south to Two Rocks in the north. The family-friendly evenings run from 4.30pm or 5.00pm, depending on the location, and feature a range of cuisines. Events are held fortnightly or monthly, and menus may vary between events. Event details, including dates and coordinators, are listed for each park.
Dozens of West Australians are taking part in 24-hour community challenges for Telethon 2026. Jaymee-Lee Quarmby is running 5km every hour for 24 hours, aiming to cover 120km. Meanwhile, nearly 90 swimmers are participating in a swimathon at Wanneroo Aquamotion. All funds raised will support sick children and families across WA. Telethon will be broadcast live on Seven and 7Plus.
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The car collection of the late WA mining entrepreneur and racing identity Peter Briggs is going to auction, with bidding opened at Perth's Lord Street Garage. All vehicles were previously displayed at the York Motor Museum, which Briggs co-founded in 1979. Among the lots is a circa 1920 Australian Six Tourer, expected to sell for up to $140,000. The auction also includes more than 350 lots from his automotive and naval book library, along with memorabilia and paintings.
The City of Wanneroo is considering leasing sections of four parks in Perth’s northern suburbs to Optus and Telstra for mobile phone towers. The proposed sites are at Halesworth, Heath, Caraway and Ridgewood parks, with some less than 50 metres from nearby homes. The city says the areas have experienced lower coverage and service gaps, and the towers could generate between $80,000 and $120,000 in annual rental income. A final vote on the proposal is expected on October 27.
Residents of the City of Wanneroo are being urged to donate to this year's Council Christmas Appeal, formerly the Mayor's Christmas Appeal. From 26 October to 23 November 2026, gifts can be dropped off at 10 collection points across the city, including schools, community groups, shopping centres and City facilities. Five charities will receive the donations to support families struggling this Christmas. Items sought include non-perishable food, Christmas treats, new toys and gifts for children and teenagers, sporting and craft items, and toiletries. Bin locations will be announced later in October.
Proposals for a new East Wanneroo rail link and an orbital route around Perth have reached an early planning milestone. Infrastructure Australia has completed a Defining Problems and Opportunities evaluation after adding them to its investment priority list. The body said more public transport investment will be needed as Perth's population and rail demand grow. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the State Government had not put the projects forward and that its immediate priority is the high-capacity signalling project. The next step is identifying and analysing options before a business case is prepared.
East Wanneroo residents say their concerns about Western Power's plan to run 171 steel transmission poles through the suburb remain unresolved. The 24km line would run from Neerabup terminal to Wangara substation. Residents and the City of Wanneroo want the route moved east, closer to the future Yanchep-Whiteman highway corridor. Western Power says alternative eastern routes were ruled out over cost and a planned transit corridor, and it has been consulting landowners since July 2025. The City of Wanneroo has formally objected to a proposed clearing permit for 14 hectares of native vegetation.
A shark net is going in at Quinns Beach this week ahead of summer, and local lifesavers say it will reassure parents of children learning to swim. Mike Spiby, a surf and ski coach at Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club, said the barrier would bring confidence to the club's 700 Nippers. He said the community felt deeply affected by a recent fatal shark attack at Sorrento. Residents who watched contractors roll out the net on Tuesday said it made the beach feel safer for families.
Plans have been lodged with the City of Wanneroo for a single-storey medical centre with radiology services and a pharmacy in Landsdale. The 975 square metre site sits just off Gnangara Road, near Priest Road. The centre and pharmacy would operate seven days a week from 8am to 7pm, with radiology available on weekdays. The proposal includes 59 parking bays. Public consultation is open until October 27, and the application will be determined by the council's administration team.
Household rubbish from thousands of properties in Perth's northern and central suburbs will be sent to Kwinana for energy recovery. The City of Stirling was the first of five metropolitan council areas to redirect its waste south. Kwinana Energy Recovery uses thermal treatment to extract energy and recoverable materials from non-recyclable waste. In coming months, rubbish from up to 160,000 homes in four more council areas will follow. The Tamala Park tip will continue to serve Joondalup and Wanneroo until it closes in 2029.
Seven Network is marking its 70th birthday with a special Spotlight program airing on Sunday evening. Presenter Nat Barr, who grew up in Bunbury, says her career began with a job at Channel 7 in Sydney in 1994 and later led to Sunrise. Host Michael Usher, who began his career in Bunbury and Kalgoorlie, is now the network's Chief Network Anchor. The program will revisit memorable live events and shows such as Home and Away and Kath and Kim. Both presenters credit the network with supporting their careers over many years.
Another Perth beach has closed after authorities removed the tail of a whale carcass found off the shore at Sorrento. It is the second whale carcass to wash up on the city's beaches this week and the third in a month. Sorrento Beach has been closed since a fatal shark attack about five weeks ago, when Greg O'Neill was killed while swimming close to shore. On Thursday, a partial whale carcass led to the closure of all beaches at South Cottesloe. The state government is expanding its shark-tagging program and may use AI-powered drones to keep beachgoers safe.
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.
