A 47-year-old woman has been charged with public nuisance after an alleged security scare at Sports Minister Anika Wells's Nundah office in Brisbane. The woman is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on November 26, and the office remains closed while security is upgraded. Wells said staff deserve to feel safe at work. The incident follows the alleged attack on Indi MP Helen Haines, who remains in critical but stable condition after surgeons amputated her legs. Across Australia, politicians are receiving security briefings.
A man accused of threatening staff at Hannah Beazley's Victoria Park electorate office was known to police, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch has said. John Lawrence Smart faced Perth Magistrates Court and has been charged with being armed to cause fear, making a threat and possessing cannabis. A magistrate refused him bail. Blanch urged politicians not to withdraw from their communities and encouraged people to report escalating behaviour. WA Greens MP Sophie McNeill called for an urgent review of electorate office security.
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.
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A man accused of making threats with improvised nunchucks at Hannah Beazley's Victoria Park electorate office has been ordered to remain in custody for medical assessment. John Lawrence Smart faces charges including being armed in a way that may cause fear, making an unlawful threat and possessing cannabis. His lawyer said the 56-year-old may have been holding musical percussion sticks rather than a weapon. Police allege he raised one implement above his head while demanding to see the politician. No one was injured. WA Premier Roger Cook said discussions on upgrading security for parliamentarians are under way.
A man charged over an alleged threatening incident at Labor MP Hannah Beazley's Victoria Park office has told a Perth court the object he was carrying was a musical instrument. Police allege John Lawrence Smart, 56, was holding an improvised martial arts weapon and shouting at staff. Smart says the items were wooden percussion sticks he has played for years. The magistrate refused bail, noting a mental health assessment and a schizophrenia diagnosis. He is due back in court on October 29.
Forced adoption survivors in Western Australia say they are frustrated by slow progress two years after the government responded to a 2023 inquiry. The inquiry made 39 recommendations, but a working group advising the government has operated under confidentiality agreements. Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski says 10 recommendations are now complete and that redress is under further consideration. The minister has also pledged laws for integrated birth certificates listing biological and adoptive parents. Survivors want a set timeline for redress, which they say could help fund counselling.
A 56-year-old man has been charged after allegedly threatening staff at the Victoria Park electoral office of WA Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley while holding nunchucks. Police said nobody was injured, and the man was arrested in Bentley. He has been charged with making unlawful threats, being armed in a way that may cause fear and possessing cannabis. Bail was refused. Premier Roger Cook said he was appalled by the incident and is considering blocking public access to the Parliament House car park as part of new security measures.
Industry Minister Tim Ayres has said no Australian government websites have been breached after a serious security flaw was discovered in a widely used programming language. The live coverage follows the day's developments on the issue.
A man has been arrested after allegedly making verbal threats while carrying nunchucks at the Victoria Park electorate office of state MP Hannah Beazley. Police were called on Wednesday afternoon. Officers later found the 56-year-old man in nearby Bentley, where he is assisting with inquiries. No one was injured. Ms Beazley said her staff were shaken and that her focus was on their welfare. The incident follows an alleged attack days earlier on federal MP Helen Haines outside her Victorian office, which has prompted debate about the safety of public officials.
WA Police have arrested a 56-year-old man after he allegedly entered the electoral office of WA MP Hannah Beazley and threatened staff with nunchucks. Police say the man was causing a disturbance outside the Albany Highway office in Victoria Park on Wednesday, around 1.15pm, and made verbal threats while holding the weapons. He was arrested in Bentley and is assisting police with inquiries. No injuries were reported and no charges have been laid. Ms Beazley, who was not in the office at the time, said her staff were shaken and that her focus is on their welfare.
A Perth mother has become an internet sensation after her half-naked son appeared during Telethon's live car giveaway. Falziah Cooper, a single mother of four, won a Hyundai Kona on Sunday night. Shane Crawford and Katie Brown delivered the car to her Victoria Park home. Cooper said she had been facing a $10,000 bill to repair her broken-down car, and she has donated to Telethon for decades. A second winning family, Trevor and Brenda Crispin of Busselton, also received a Kona.
A towel-clad young man became the highlight of this year's Telethon car giveaway after his mother won a Hyundai Kona. Falziah Cooper, an aviation screening officer at Perth Airport, was surprised by Shane Crawford and Katie Brown at Victoria Park. She screamed and jumped with joy, and her son Amir ran out and later climbed into the car beside her. Earlier, Trevor and Brenda Crispin, who are living in a caravan park, won another Kona from a $10 donation.
Seven Perth councils will roll out 40km/h speed zones on local roads over three years, backed by $2.285 million in funding. The Perth Inner-City Group project will combine speed limit changes with community education and research. The rollout starts in Vincent, which introduced a 40km/h limit across its local roads between 2018 and 2023. Perth Inner-City Group spokesperson David MacLennan said a pedestrian or cyclist has a 60 per cent chance of surviving a crash at 40km/h, compared with 20 per cent at 50km/h. Funding comes from the State Government and the Federal Government.
Strummingbird, a country music festival, drew close to 12,000 people to Victoria Park in Ballarat over the weekend. The one-day event on Saturday 10 October featured international and local acts, line dancing and DJ sets, and welcomed families and all ages. City of Ballarat expects roughly $2 million to flow into the local economy, though the final economic impact is still being assessed. Police reported no poor behaviour from the crowd, which carried on into the night in the CBD.
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.
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Guest columnist David Topp argues Rockhampton's 2032 Olympic rowing venue faces airport capacity problems, as the terminal there is purely domestic. He says Victoria Park's stadium site has lost its scenic signage status and that road signs should be changed. He also says the New Farm parkrun course is crowded and narrow in places. Topp notes that Brisbane Lions beat Fremantle Dockers in the 2026 AFL Grand Final, their sixth premiership since 1990.
The Strummingbird Festival will run from 12pm to 11pm on Saturday, 10 October 2026 in Victoria Park, Ballarat, with amplified noise expected. Internal roads in the park are closed to traffic from 5 to 15 October 2026. The City of Ballarat is considering discontinuing a portion of Schreenans Road, Bonshaw, and written submissions are due by 5pm on 6 November 2026. The council is also seeking an organisational representative for its Heritage Advisory Committee, with applications closing 30 October 2026. A new four-year Library Strategy is open for community feedback until 15 December.
