WA

The Cook Government has set new standards to strengthen the health and welfare of horses in Western Australia. The Standards and Guidelines for the Health and Welfare of Horses details the minimum standards and recommended practices to optimise the health and welfare of horses, backed by scientific evidence and industry knowledge.

Planting is underway across most of Australia’s cotton growing regions with some crops already out of the ground in warmer climates while some growers in southern regions are awaiting warmer weather before starting their 2025/26 season. 

Barrel Farm is one of Albany’s newest food and beverage venues and its creation was just a labour of love and very much a family affair. Owned and operated by the Buxton family, Barrel Farm has been the decades-long dream of parents, Peter and Peg Buxton ... Situated on one of Albany’s old dairy farms, it is a creative blend of old and new.

Toodyay Agricultural Society Experience country life at the historic Toodyay Agricultural Show, an annual event at the picturesque Toodyay Showgrounds. It’s a full day of entertainment...

Deep in the forests of Western Australia, jarrah has left a remarkable legacy. In the late 1800s, this mighty hardwood—then called Swan River mahogany—revolutionised city life. The noise on London's streets changed from the familiar harsh clang of hooves on cobblestones to the softer clippity-clop of horses trotting over wooden blocks. Those blocks were made from jarrah, and soon that timber paved an empire.

...The $30 million Farm Business Transition Program will provide grants of up to $75,000 per applicant to help eligible sheep producers prepare for the phase out, with funding to support new business plans or the adoption of alternative farming practices. The program will be delivered over two rounds, with $20 million available in round one opening next week, and $10 million to be made available in 2026.

David Cliff. Denmark Classic Boat Show on Sunday was a big community success with locals and visitors enjoying the boat displays and the on-water activities despite the showers. Denmark Rowers volunteers pulled off their third biennial Classic Boat Show with a laid-back atmosphere that offered something for boating enthusiasts and the community.

Out now! Available here!

Three people have been remanded in custody and are due to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court ... after police found a missing man’s body in bushland north-east of Wanneroo ... WA Police said homicide squad detectives had charged three people with murder following the discovery of the body of 33-year-old Attadale man Jayden Selfe.

Australia’s sheep industry is at a turning point - and producers are being asked to help write the next chapter. Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) has launched the development of The Future Flock, a national strategy designed to guide the sheepmeat and wool sector through change and set a profitable, resilient direction for decades to come. ARR.News asked some questions of SPA CEO Bonnie Skinner about The Future Flock and national strategy.

A range of preparedness activities are underway as the Bureau of Meteorology releases its Higher Risk Weather Season Outlook ... Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the Albanese Government was working with states and territories to improve disaster management arrangements ...

The Grains Research and Development Corporation thought it could settle the question of whether its budget was “right-sized.” Instead, it has lit a fire under growers. After a run of big harvests and strong prices, levy income has ballooned and reserves now sit at $688.4 million—up more than $100 million in a single year.

Bendigo Bank torches regional development with selective blacklist based on mining. Just like the fictional Tasmanian town of Mystery Bay, a star in its own right in the hit ABC TV series Bay of Fires, Queenstown, where much of the show was filmed, is being held back by mysterious forces. Locals have suspected for some time that the town was a “no-go” area for home lending but like many other disadvantages they face due to remoteness, it was believed geography was the likely cause.

All bee hives connected to South Australia’s first varroa mite detection have been removed from the state to protect SA’s apiary industry.

Rural Aid is proud to announce the winners of its sixth annual Spirit of the Bush Photography Competition, a celebration of the resilience, beauty and community spirit that define rural Australia. This year’s competition saw a record breaking response, with 201 entrants submitting 429 photos...

Out now! Available here!

Spring is here and it’s time to start planting your vegetable garden. It’s also the perfect time to take inspiration from other gardeners who are passionate about what they grow and how they grow it. Many of us can only dream of being self-sufficient in regards to fruit and vegetables but for avid gardener, Artha Holmes, this dream is a daily reality.

Comment is open on the proposed demolition of the former Two Rocks Tavern bottle shop and caretaker’s dwelling at 20 Enterprise Ave. A development application submitted to the City of Wanneroo proposes the demolition of the former bottle shop and caretaker’s dwelling associated with the Two Rocks Tavern (Tavern on the Rocks) site.

The WA Opposition has called for an urgent, nationally coordinated response to the spread of the destructive polyphagous shot-hole borer, following revelations that Western Australia has abandoned efforts to eradicate the pest after more than 5,000 trees were lost in the Perth metropolitan area.

It wouldn’t be a 20 year celebration of the Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival without a stellar line-up of special guests and an exciting programme to match! With this year’s theme “A Celebration of Stories”, special guests include multi-award winning actress, author and former Geraldton local Tasma Walton, novelists Catherine Greer and Stefanie Koens, musician and crime author Dave Warner, and so many more.

Locally produced survival thriller, We Bury the Dead, is set for its Western Australian premiere screening at the CinefestOZ Film Prize Premiere event tonight and Birthright on Friday night. We Bury the Dead and Birthright are two of four finalists in contention for the 2025 Film Prize of $100,000.

Megan Greaves. Denmark Cricket Club will return to the Albany and Districts Cricket Association A grade competition in the 2025-2026 season – the first time since its 2019-2020 season ... With strong leadership from captains Campbell Robertson and Damian Schwarzbach, young players combining with senior players offering a mature approach to the game, the club believes it a good time to re-enter the A grade competition.