WA

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.

At the heart of "Our Dangerous Friend" is author David Jefford Ward’s belief that traditional Noongar knowledge should be a respected source of bushfire philosophy, ecology and management in south west Australia. In fact Ward, who started as a workman in the then Forests Department, places more value on Noongar bushfire knowledge than some refereed scientific papers.

The BSFFD concentrates on the activities of small farms with sections on livestock suitable for small holdings, small scale farm machinery and equipment, horticulture, small farm information, gourmet foods from local products, local crafts and a limited number of market stalls featuring predominantly local produce.

Wilson Inlet could become a thriving commercial fishery for rock oysters and mussels given the correct salinity levels, says aquaculturalist Zak Launay. The sustainable product feeds on phytoplankton and has the capacity to contribute greatly to the local economy, creating jobs and local fresh seafood.

A fire and air forum will be held at the University of WA in Perth on May 5 to explore community concern regarding the impacts of broad-scale prescribed burning in South West forests ... Speakers will include those with expertise in landscape flammability, biodiversity, ecology, air pollution, health impacts and the latest in peer-reviewed research.

Despite evidence to the contrary, the WA Minister for Forests (Jacki Jarvis) continues to argue that the WA timber industry had to close because it has run out of wood as a result of reduced growth rate due to climate change, quoting reports from CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology as evidence. Neither of these organisations has any involvement in the determination of timber yield.

Serena Kirby. Denmark's community windfarm is the first and only community-owned wind farm in WA and it recently celebrated 10 years of operation. Conditions on the day were appropriate for the showcasing of the wind farm as the high winds meant the turbines were working at a 100 per cent output.

Out now!

Crop protection research scientists have issued advice for Western Australian grain growers on key invertebrate pests to monitor as 2023’s winter cropping season takes shape ... Scientists discussed WA’s climate outlook and the pests that growers need to watch out for in the upcoming season, including a dedicated session on snail management for southern WA.

“My whole life journey is in my music and music is my way of letting things out. We cover up too many things and I’m not into sugar coating serious topics. My track ‘Don’t Give Up’ is about depression and like many people I’ve suffered dark times but the best way to deal with it is to talk about it, not bottle it up."

Australia’s largest shared micromobility company Beam will commence shared e-scooter operations across the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, marking the city’s first shared e-scooter trial. 200 of Beam’s leading e-scooters will be introduced to the streets, available for use 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, improving transport options and connections for both leisure and commuting.

Gavin Butcher. Analysis of publicly available data by respected scientist Dr Lachie McCaw has shown that claims by Premier McGowan and his coterie of Forestry Ministers, Jarvis and Kelly, to be without substance. The WA government had stated that one of the reasons the timber industry had been axed was because the trees are no longer growing. Dr McCaw has used published data on the long-term forest monitoring plots called ForestCheck to demonstrate that the harvested forest is growing and the uncut forest is in decline.

The Shire of Gingin says councillors were made aware when the Gingin council dealt with the Guilderton caravan park tender process that chief executive officer Aaron Cook had prior dealings with Belgravia Leisure’s WA state manager when Mr Cook was the Narrogin CEO.

Last month Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development compliance officers conducted a joint operation with Lancelin Police to apprehend people fishing for marron in the Moore River ... The fishers were busted with more than 30 pieces of fishing gear and were fishing out of season, which makes any marron fishing activity illegal.

What is a sacred site? According to the government, sacred sites are places within the landscape that have a special meaning or significance under Aboriginal tradition. Hills rocks, waterholes, trees, plains, lakes, billabongs and other natural features can be sacred sites ... When heritage moves from easily identifiable caves, rock art, convict buildings and federation houses to mythical spaces that are not registered on published maps, widely known and regularly visited, then we face endless abuse of process, as everything everywhere becomes sacred with a price attached to any disturbance.

Serena Kirby. The Denmark Historical Society will celebrate 40 years since it was restarted in 1983 after a long hiatus. History buff and retired teacher Bev McGuinness has been involved with the society for all but 10 of those years.

Ross McGuinness. Only three elements of Denmark’s railway exist today nearly 60 years since the closure of the line. Two are still clearly visible while the third, the historic 1897 turntable, is now mainly covered. The turntable and adjacent engine pit, sometimes referred to as the ash pit, are located on the bridge end of the station site.