WA

A new $150,000 walking trail has been unveiled in Kununurra's Mirima National Park in the heart of Western Australia's East Kimberley ... This is the fourth trail within the national park and the longest at 3.5 kilometres.

How is Aboriginal cultural heritage defined in the Guidelines? ... Are there any records we can search to identify heritage sites? ... What is an exempt activity? ... If I need a permit or plan what are the timelines? ... Isn’t there a better way?

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, released on 26 April 2023, shows annual top-line Australian food price inflation had slowed to 8.0 per cent in the March 2023 quarter, from 9.2 per cent seen in the previous (December 2022) quarter. Rabobank senior food retail analyst Michael Harvey said while this easing was good news for consumers ... the figure was still well above the long-term (10-year) average of food inflation of 2.2 per cent.

Fleur McDonald is one of Australia's leading rural fiction writers and with 22 novels already to her name, and publishing two books a year, she’s certainly a highly prolific author ... Fleur recently took time out from her busy day to talk to Australian Rural and Regional News contributor, Serena Kirby, about what she writes, about plots and characters, and where she finds her inspiration.

A four-bedroom, two-bathroom house on a one-acre block for $500,000 is but one of the perks of life in Dalby, south-west Queensland, for passionate local government employee Dan Fletcher and his young family. Dan tells his regional-move story in the latest episode of You Moved Where?! podcast, hosted by TV and film producer Bec Bignell (herself a ‘returner’ to regional Western Australian).

Western Australia's resources industry achieved record sales of $246 billion in 2022 and delivered more jobs than ever before, underlining our State's role as the driving force behind the national economy. Resources sales for 2022 were up an impressive $15 billion from 2021 based on the latest annual data released by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).

We’re often reminded to ‘stop and smell the roses’ and it’s something Sheryl Shaylor makes sure she does every single day. Sheryl is undoubtedly a bit of an expert on roses as she’s had more than forty years experience nurturing and admiring Heritage roses.

Ocean Beach offered near-perfect conditions for this year’s Southern Ocean Classic Mile with 125 swimmers taking to the water on Easter Sunday. Line honours went to Perth swimmer Max Coten who completed the course in just over 19 minutes.

The biggest stand of Indigenous water trees, boorna gnamma, in the Southern Hemisphere was discovered recently. The find was a collaboration of scientists, a Merningar and Barduk Elder, and a Denmark resident.

Patricia Gill. Denmark Shire chief executive David Schober will officially end his tenure on July 11 to return to a lifelong passion, coaching basketball. Former professional basketball coach David will take a ‘dream job’ at the Denmark Senior High School vacated by dual Olympian Paul Rogers.

Out now!

There is an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to comment on a proposal for a small bar at the Yanchep Central Shopping Centre. But before the bar proposed for the site previously occupied by the Full Flava café can be approved the City of Wanneroo needs to approve the proposed change of use to unlisted use (small bar) at tenancies 23 and 24, 1 Peony Blvd.

Food and Farm Fest is being held at the Serpentine Horse and Pony Club grounds, 1432 Karnup Road Serpentine.

A striking collaboration between artists of stage and screen honours the trials and triumphs of extraordinary everyman A.B. Facey, whose award-winning Australian classic autobiography, 'A Fortunate Life', has been adapted for theatrical presentation by THEATRE 180 and CinemaStage. ‘A Fortunate Life’ embraces themes that are intrinsic to our history and culture as modern Australians...

A proud grandfather, John Howley called into the [Buloke] “Times” office this week to inform us that Joel Howley has taken out the National Open Men’s Slalom Champion title competing in WA over the Easter period ... John said Joel has taken out the national water skiing title 9 times in the past 10 years.

An innovative solution to waste management that will see household rubbish and biomass turned into useful products instead of ending up in landfill is set to be demonstrated in Western Australia ... The plant, which was built using a patented design and uses technology developed in WA by Renergi, is the first of its kind and positions Collie as a pioneer in the negative-emission bio-based circular economy.

Gavin Butcher. When the WA Premier announced it was changing direction in the management of native forests to one guided by improving forest health and climate resilience he was on a potential winner ... Here was a unique opportunity to end the forest wars and set up a sustainable future for all. Alas the government has fluffed it.

Helping spot fires is the job of dreams for Parks and Wildlife Service Senior Spotter Pilot Bronwen Prinsloo. This Manjimup-based pilot loves taking to the skies to spot and report on fires, monitor prescribed burns and do her bit to help keep our communities safe.

Despite the cheap price of land in the Wheatbelt, and the abundance of jobs, country towns are not being bowled over by first home buyers, so what’s going on? ... We are following the route that the rust belt States across America have experienced for the past 50 years as cities like Detroit has collapsed from 1.7m people in the 1950s to 700,000 today ... for the benefit of the National Party, Liberals and Labor if listening, here is a policy idea which you could run with at the next election.

Gingin trainer Sue Olive says she has asked jockey Joseph Azzopardi to ride Blue Lagoon in the Group 2 Amelia Park-Karrakatta Plate (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday, April 15. Olive is backing up Blue Lagoon after he finished second in the Mrs Mac’s Plate (1000m) on April 8.