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.
An Indigenous youth organisation in the remote Western Australian town of Wyndham has stopped its services without warning. The Wyndham Aboriginal Youth Corporation ran a cafe, mechanic workshop, education programs and a safe night space for young people. Former chief executive Neville D'Silva says the National Indigenous Australians Agency did not pay funding due from July, leaving workers unpaid. The agency said it was continuing to engage with the organisation. The Department of Justice said it was exploring options to support continuity of youth services.
The doors of the new Big Brother house have opened for the first time, giving a look inside the Brisbane property where contestants will live in 2026. The house sits within Screen Queensland Studios at Hemmant and replaces the show's previous base at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. Its designer aimed for a more luxurious feel, with pastel tones, bold patterns and a garden health spa that includes a swimming pool and sauna. Contestants will share one large bedroom, and the show's diary room chair returns.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Residents of South Hedland confronted WA Premier Roger Cook during a five-hour visit to the northern town. It was his first trip there since the state government announced a coronial inquest into the deaths of three local children in 2022. Cook said he fully appreciated that people wanted to see things improve. Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski accompanied him, and no child protection policy announcements were made. Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said it was insulting that the premier did not meet affected families.
Housing advocates want annual rent increases capped across Western Australia. The Make Renting Fair Alliance released a report arguing Perth tenants could save almost $33,000 over five years under a 2 per cent cap. A Broome financial counsellor said her rent rose from $480 to $740 a week since 2021, before her lease ended and the only suitable unit was offered at $1,000 a week. The state government has ruled out rent caps, citing concerns they could reduce investment and supply. It plans to introduce further rental reforms to parliament this year.
Western Australia's summer cruise season opened last Sunday when Crown Princess arrived at Fremantle at 6am. The 3000-passenger ship is on a 28-day round Australia trip that also visits Broome and the Kimberley coast. The arrival is the first of 200 scheduled cruise visits to WA ports in the 2026-27 season. Next year, Sapphire Princess will be based in the state. Carnival Cruise Line has also announced it will remove two ships, Carnival Adventure and Carnival Luminosa, by March 2028. That is half its summer fleet in Australia. Carnival cites regulatory uncertainty and local operating conditions.
Aldi has the highest average Google rating among WA's three major supermarket chains, based on customer reviews. Woolworths Perth Airport earned the best individual store rating in the state, at 4.46 stars. Shoppers praised clean stores, helpful staff and easy parking. Common complaints included checkout queues, empty shelves and poor service. Woolworths Cottesloe, Coles Kununurra and Aldi Mirrabooka were the lowest-rated stores in their chains.
Aboriginal communities in Broome, Fitzroy Crossing and across the Kimberley are being encouraged to talk about gambling harm. The We Win When We Yarn campaign was launched today in partnership with local communities and Kimberley health services. It aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma and promote free, confidential support through Gambling Help services. Racing and Gaming Minister Don Punch said many people still feel unable to ask for help. Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna said the campaign was developed by communities for communities.
Two Greenpeace activists have been charged after occupying an offshore gas platform to protest Woodside's planned gas developments. Chris Holden and Scott Mackenzie were charged with interfering with offshore petroleum operations, an offence carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. They were granted bail with conditions, but must remain in custody for one more night due to a surety issue. Woodside said it halted operations at the platform during the protest and has since restarted them. Greenpeace maintains the protest was peaceful, while the WA Premier called it a dangerous act.
Kununurra's only major florist has closed, leaving residents of the remote Western Australian town with few places to buy flowers. Owners Diane and Chris Robinson retired after struggling to find a long-term shop assistant. Bianca Brown has started assembling and supplying bouquets alongside her transport business, and says she may scale up next year. Sophie Cooke also lets people pick flowers from her family farm on Saturday mornings during the dry season. Perth resident Gerald Contreras says he is eager to use Ms Brown's service to send flowers to his partner in the town.
The family of Jeremiah Rivers, a 27-year-old Gija man from Warmun, want someone held accountable for his disappearance. He was last seen in October 2021 while on a trip with six other men. A Queensland coroner later found he was likely killed, but could not identify who was responsible. Coroner Donald MacKenzie said shifting accounts from the group delayed police. Rivers's aunts say the family wants a court hearing, and police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Dingoes in the Great Sandy Desert are hunting feral cats, according to a research project run by Nyangumarta rangers. Scat research over six months shows dingoes now get nearly 30 per cent of their diet from feral cats. Rangers say the cats are killing animals such as the greater bilby and desert mouse. A single feral cat can kill more than 700 small animals a year, according to WA's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. The Wartaji project, begun in 2022 with Central Queensland University, tracks dingo movements using cameras and satellite collars.
The source material provided is almost entirely navigation menus, section headings and site links, with no story body describing Riley Shawcross or the Telethon 2026 appeal. The only substantive information available is the headline itself, which identifies Riley Shawcross as a Western Australian girl described as a one-in-100-million child and frames her story as one of bravery. Beyond that, no details about her condition, treatment, family, fundraising connection or outcomes can be confirmed from the text supplied, so the summary cannot responsibly elaborate on them.
A four-year-old girl, Olive Hay, is living with a rare and debilitating syndrome that leaves her physically exhausted, with her family describing the daily struggle as being like running a marathon. The headline frames her condition as a cruel and relentless battle. The source material provided for this story is largely navigation and section-index content from a news website, with little detail about Olive's diagnosis, treatment or how her family is coping, so the specific clinical circumstances cannot be confirmed from the information available.
The View From The Round House podcast features Martin Drum discussing several political topics. Topics include a proposed merger of UWA, Murdoch and Curtin universities in Western Australia, and a possible fracking ban in the Kimberley. The episode also covers Josh Frydenberg's possible return to politics, challenges facing Jim Chalmers as Treasurer, and Mark Butler's work on private health rebate changes. Editor Michael Barker hosts the discussion.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Five years after Jeremiah 'Jayo' Rivers vanished at Wippo Creek in Queensland, he has still not been found. The State Coroner rejected the first accounts from the six men he was travelling with as lies. He said there was no physical evidence ruling out misadventure or confirming foul play. His family continues to push for a government reward, and no one has been charged over his disappearance or death.
