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wasp alertPremiumBunbury residents warned to beware of European wasps

Bunbury residents are being warned to look out for an invasive wasp species as the weather warms, after the first nest was detected in the region earlier this year.

Ezra Kaye and Melissa Pedelty

Family entertainmentPremiumTom Curtain returns to WA for the ‘Good Life’ tour

Tom Curtain, two-time Golden Guitar winner and ambassador for Dolly’s Dream, will soon be performing to country audiences in WA as part of his ‘Good Life’ tour.

Olivia Ford

HARVEST 2024-25PremiumSnaps put harvest in the frame

As another harvest draws to a close, the Countryman team is excited to share some of our favourite readers’ photos from this season.

Staff reporters

WA newsOld Courthouse Museum damaged in car crash, two injured

Two elderly people were taken to hospital following a serious crash in Narrogin in which a car smashed through a brick wall.

Eliza Kavanagh

South WestCommentsPremiumNuclear inquiry gets strong reaction from Collie community

Collie community members have expressed their concerns about the town’s future if the Coalition implements its nuclear plan at a parliamentary inquiry in the town on Monday.

Oliver Lane

PropertyCommentsPremiumWA home sells for $2k as Perth buyers struggle in hot market

Perth’s hot property market may be on the verge of overheating but there are still some WA homes available for the less than the price of a clapped-out used car.

Kim Macdonald

Flash floodingCommentsPremiumShire pleads for flood safety after close call

The Shire of Mount Magnet has urged drivers to be safe in flood-affected areas, after a car became stuck in flooded waters on Friday.

Matthew Paddick

MURAL UNVEILINGJerome Davenport unveils Narrogin’s newest mural

A year in the making, Narrogin’s much-anticipated mural has been unveiled, with artist Jerome Davenport’s creation showcasing the community’s camaraderie, values, Indigenous ties and history.

Hannah Whitehead

Regional WAPremiumRoadworks dent seamless South West run on new ring road

Travellers along the new Bunbury Outer Ring Road will have to wait until the multi-lane Bussell Highway redevelopment is completed part way through next year for a seamless trip down south, Rita Saffioti says.

Amber Lilley

Regional WAPremiumCWA cultivates Kings Parks plants in honour of members

The Country Women’s Association has touched the lives of many people, including Transhipment Services Australia director Ian Junk, whose mother was an active member of both the Beacon and Chittering branches. 

Olivia Ford

Social AffairsCommentsPremiumWheatbelt women light a Beacon of rural hope

Right on the north-east fringes of the Wheatbelt, the little farming town of Beacon’s motto is ‘living on the edge’. 

Olivia Ford

Severe WeatherCommentsFloods inundate Australia’s hottest town after thunderstorms

Australia’s ‘hottest town’ is flooding after heavy rainfall inundated parts of the Pilbara region. 

Caitlyn Rintoul and Hannah Cross

Mental healthPremiumBig donation for Lifeline WA in wake of grim report

Arc Infrastructure will donate $150,000 for Lifeline WA to train and recruit an extra 36 volunteer crisis support workers in the wake of alarming new figures on suicide rates in the bush.

Rebecca Turner

FUNDING FLOWSPremiumWheatbelt infrastructure grants to boost water security

Four local governments in WA’s Wheatbelt have been granted nearly $300,000 in State and Federal Government funding for new infrastructure projects to improve water security.

Adam Poulsen

Milestone partnershipPremiumMilestone partnership aims to enhance health outcomes

A milestone partnership between the Royal Flying Doctor Service WA and Regional Health Professionals Network aims to enhance health outcomes in rural and remote communities.

Tegan Guthrie

WeatherCommentsWarning over tropical cyclones ‘headed towards WA’

The Bureau reports an increased risk of heavy rain and cyclonic events.

Jonathon Nolan

Music starsPremiumCarnarvon School of Air music video celebrates station life

Their life and education is defined by isolation but a project a year in the making has united the students of Carnarvon School of the Air like never before

Staff reporter

AFLCommentsPremiumFormer Docker urges AFL to give remote WA teens a chance

The AFL is considering establishing footy hubs in remote WA towns so teenagers can remain at home for longer instead of having to re-locate, and one former Docker who is living in the Pilbara loves the concept.

Craig O'Donoghue

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WATCH AND ACT
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STAY ALERT: Bushfire warning downgraded as blaze contained

A bushfire in Broomehill is contained and under control thanks to the efforts of local fireys but a watch and act alert remains in place for the area.

Georgia Campion

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Disaster & emergencyComments
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Cervantes safe for now as firefighters hold line

Residents in Cervantes are breathing a sigh of relief, with firefighters managing to hold-off an out-of-control bushfire threatening the town overnight — but authorities are bracing for challenging weather.

Jessica Evensen

Disaster and EmergencyCommentsGrim summer bushfire warning for massive swathes of WA

A huge part of WA’s southern coastal region has a dire bushfire risk this summer after a warmer than usual cool season left soil bone-dry, with widespread vegetation die-off creating a tinderbox scenario.

Rebecca Le May

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WA newsVideo
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‘UNDEFENDABLE’: Grim update as bushfire north of Perth rages

Cervantes residents have been warned it is too late to leave as an out-of-control bushfire moves towards the coastal town.

Jessica Evensen and Caleb Runciman

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WA newsComments
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Sigh of relief for Toodyay as bushfire alert downgraded

A bushfire warning for residents in West Toodyay has been downgraded to a watch and act but residents have been warned to stay alert.

Jessica Evensen

Post theft PremiumOngerup Aus Post employee caught embezzling over $450,000

A former Australia Post employee in the small Great Southern town of Ongerup has been jailed after he was caught by auditors stealing nearly half a million dollars to pay his gambling debts. 

Georgia Campion