The Western Australian Local Government Association and ABC WA brought council and media leaders together on 22 October. The stakeholder event covered sector priorities, community initiatives and ways to strengthen engagement. Mayors, presidents and chief executives from several cities, shires and towns attended, along with senior ABC WA staff. WALGA President Mark Irwin said councils deliver positive outcomes that are often overlooked, and encouraged attendees to share those stories. WALGA CEO Nick Sloan said the group represents Western Australia's 139 local governments.
A 42-year-old man has been charged after allegedly ramming four police cars and leading officers on multiple pursuits through Western Australia’s southwest. The incident began when a blue Toyota LandCruiser was allegedly stolen from a house in Vasse. Police allege the accused deliberately drove the vehicle through a fence and into a police car before fleeing. The man was eventually arrested and charged with multiple offences, including burglary and reckless driving. He is due to face Perth Magistrates Court on November 2.
A 42-year-old Carey Park man has been charged after an alleged police chase involving a stolen Toyota LandCruiser in the South West. Police allege the driver rammed three occupied police vehicles during a pursuit on October 16 and damaged two others before the vehicle was stopped in Collie. The man faces charges including three counts of assault with intent to prevent arrest, four counts of criminal damage and two counts of endangering life. He is also charged over alleged burglaries in Davenport, Boyanup, Carey Park and Bunbury. He is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on November 2.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Secondary students in Western Australia's south-west are showing their work at Iluka Visions, a community exhibition running for 35 years at Bunbury Regional Gallery. Artist and arts educator Charlotte White, a judge this year, picked five works to see. They include a two-sided life-sized sculpture by Emmasyn Dillon, which won Best Overall Artwork for Years 11 and 12. Other highlights are Remy Mathieson's doll-sized rat figures, Pia Mangano's interactive piece on AI and creativity, and Beccy Mason's cardboard and tissue paper work. The exhibition runs until November 15.
Ten artists from across Western Australia are in the running for the City of Joondalup's $25,000 Invitation Art Prize. Three of the shortlisted artists are First Nations, and the group includes regional artists from Kununurra to Bunbury. The works will be displayed at the Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery from October 29 to December 12, with the winner announced on October 24. Visitors can also vote for the Popular Choice Award. Mayor Daniel Kingston said the exhibition explores place, memory, identity and the environment. Free public events include artist talks, workshops and Noongar stargazing.
A 21-year-old medical student has pleaded not guilty to charges including reckless driving after police allege he drove a McLaren supercar at speeds above 250 kilometres per hour. Auday Faris Dawood Alaswad appeared in Bunbury Magistrates Court. Police allege the car was clocked at 149 kilometres per hour over the 110 kilometre per hour limit on Forrest Highway near Binningup on August 12. He asked for the matter to be moved to Perth, but the magistrate said the trial would stay in Bunbury. The matter returns to court for trial on February 5.
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.
A Perth pub in Merriwa is set for a $5 million expansion under new owners LocalsCo, with plans for a children's playground, a beer garden and 44 extra parking bays. The redevelopment would extend trading hours and update the venue's interior, which has been operating as The Sixty30. A development application is open for public comment until October 22, before the Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel makes a decision. If approved, construction is expected to take about 12 months.
An AI safety camera trailer was installed on Curtin Avenue in Cottesloe to detect mobile phone use, seatbelt non-compliance and speeding. It operated on southbound traffic between Eric Street and Napier Street from September 30 to October 6. Touching a mobile phone carries a minimum $500 fine and three demerit points, while incorrect seatbelt use starts at $550 and four demerits. The Road Safety Commission says detected seatbelt and mobile phone offences fell by 76 per cent over the 12 months to August 2026. Fines go into the Road Trauma Trust, which funds road safety projects.
Eleven-year-old Oli Roberts has seen snow for the first time, a wish granted by Make-A-Wish Australia and Telethon. Oli was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at two-and-a-half years old and spent three and a half years on chemotherapy. His family travelled from Busselton to Mount Hotham in Victoria, where the children played in the snow and Oli tried snowboarding. Oli reached five years since finishing treatment on June 13 this year and is officially cured, his mother says.
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.
A Western Australian couple have been jailed for torturing a bull terrier puppy to death. Nathan James Dekkers, 26, was sentenced to 11 months in jail and Isabel Maree Busher, also 26, to eight months at the Bunbury Magistrates Court. Both admitted to more than a dozen animal cruelty charges over the puppy, Douglas, in Busselton in late 2024. A neighbour recorded audio of the abuse. The couple are permanently banned from owning animals and will be eligible for parole after serving half their sentences. The RSPCA described the case as one of the worst it has seen.
Australians spend $30 billion annually on gambling, with young men increasingly betting for social reasons rather than to win. The ABC visited a Bunbury pub during the finals series, where most patrons had bets on games regardless of team support. Experts say gambling is now deeply tied to male social identity, with sports betting uniquely integrated into expressions of manhood. The federal government's upcoming gambling reforms include an opt-out service for online betting advertising, but experts push for more targeted measures to address the social drivers of gambling's growth among young men.
