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We’re bringing our live blog to a close for the week, thank you for joining us.
Here’s what made headlines today:
Thank you again for tuning in. We’ll see you back here next week for more news you need to know.
Stay dry!
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning West Australians to bunker down for the weekend as a rain band moves across the south of the state.
Duty forecaster Angus Hines says Perth and the far south-western corner of WA should brace for yet more rain, after copping a drenching last weekend.
He said it was maintaining a trend around the country.
“It’s been like that for the last couple of months – [it’s been] a bit of a frustrating winter where the rain, more often than not, has seemed to arrive during the weekend,” he said.
“We are anticipating a wet and rainy day around Perth, particularly from lunchtime onwards – the afternoon is when that rain is going to set in, and it’s looking highly likely we will see a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall for Perth and other parts of the south cast.”
The rain band is expected to hit Perth, parts of the Great Southern, the South West and even parts of the Wheatbelt during Saturday afternoon and continue through to early Sunday morning.
Hines said the severe weather warning may come as early as this evening as commuters make their way home for the weekend.
North of Geraldton can expect a fine day with some clouds, while the far north will also enjoy sunny and warm weather.
Andrew McQualter has opened the door for Simon Goodwin to join him at West Coast just days after the 2021 premiership coach was sacked by Melbourne.
McQualter was an assistant under Goodwin at the Demons last year before landing the head coach role at West Coast.
The Eagles are already guaranteed this year’s wooden spoon, and unless they can upset either Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs or Sydney over the next three weeks, West Coast will end the season with just one win for the first time in club history.
West Coast announced the impending departure of long-time assistant Luke Webster on Thursday, and more changes could be made to McQualtler’s coaching department in the coming months.
Goodwin was sacked by Melbourne on Monday following a disappointing 18 months, but the 2021 premiership coach still has plenty of currency in the industry.
McQualter is open to luring Goodwin across to West Coast.
“I don’t know if Goody will move over here, but he’s someone that’s had a big influence on my career, so if he’s willing to help, I’d ask the question,” McQualter said.
“I really rate Goody. I spent a year with him last year and he helped me a lot to see the game differently, think about it differently.
“He’s a terrific coach, great person, and I’ve got no doubt he will senior coach a football team again.
“He’s got a bit of cash on the side next year to be able to have a nice holiday, but he’ll be back in the business before we know it.”
McQualter said Goodwin’s ability to forge strong relationships was one of his biggest strengths.
“He’s loved by his players. He cares for people,” McQualter said.
“He’s loyal, a really hard worker, he’s smart. I thought he was a great coach.”
For now, McQualter is squarely focused on Sunday’s clash with ladder-leaders Adelaide (15-5) at Optus Stadium.
West Coast will be without key defender Harry Edwards due to a foot issue, but in a rare dose of good news for the Eagles, Adelaide have decided to rest veteran spearhead Taylor Walker.
Eagles recruit Jack Graham returns after serving his four-match ban for a homophobic slur.
“What Jack did was wrong, but he’s learned that lesson publicly and he’s very ashamed of his actions,” McQualter said.
“Now it’s about growing and what he can do to help going forward. So his job this weekend is to play a really important role for our team.”
Major Crash detectives say they’re investigating after a man died in a car crash north of Perth yesterday afternoon.
Police say a grey Dodge RAM ute was driving on Neaves Road when it left the road and hit a tree.
The 39-year-old man who was driving at the time died from his injuries at the scene.
Detectives have examined the scene and have asked for any witnesses to call Crime Stoppers.
They’ve also appealed for anyone with dash-cam or mobile phone vision to upload it directly to investigators as soon as possible.
To more news from WA police, the state government opened its new 24/7 multi-million dollar police station in Baldivis this morning.
The new station will become the hub for the Baldivis sub-district, which takes in suburbs including Golden Bay, Karnup, Keralup, Secret Harbour and Singleton.
It can house up to 100 full-time officers, and it cost the government just shy of $27 million.
Premier Roger Cook said it aims to address the “rapidly growing” community south of Perth.
The crime rate in Baldivis has slowly climbed as the population has increased over the last 10 years, with family assaults and stealing making up the majority of this year’s recorded cases.
Minister for Police Reece Whitby said the facility could improve police’s capacity to respond to crime.
“I’ve watched the development of this project from start to finish and now it’s complete, the Baldivis community can trust officers are closer to respond than ever before,” he said.
The facility is accessible to the public on Sherry Street and Nairn Drive between 8am and 4pm, and is operational 24/7.
WA police have released their crime statistics for the quarter.
The data is collected on a quarterly basis and published in February, May, August and November.
The latest figures show overall crime is trending downwards across the state, compared to the previous financial year.
However, family violence offences continues to skyrocket.
Family assault and threatening behaviour toward family continue to outstrip other types of offences, and show a steady climb over the last 10 years.
But it’s not all bad news.
At the same time, WA police are arresting more people than ever for violating their violence restraining orders.
It’s the issue that just keeps on going – the City of South Perth says it’s holding a special electors’ meeting over the tiny tree controversy.
You might remember a handful of residents were recently aggrieved by the prospect of future interruptions to views from their multimillion-dollar homes along riverfront Jubilee Street by the planting of six trees on the South Perth foreshore, and successfully lobbied a voting block of four members of the Council to bring and pass a motion to cut down the trees
Acting chief executive officer Matthew Scott let residents know of the meeting late yesterday evening.
Days after the vote Nic Coveney – the councillor who brought the motion – quit, citing the personal reason of the birth of his son.
This masthead recently reported a motion to rescind the decision was in the wings, although its success is far from guaranteed as a unanimous decision would be required.
Deputy Mayor Bronwyn Waugh is defending the vote outcome despite more than 600 locals signing a petition that has resulted in the special electors’ meeting.
The electors meeting will take place one day before the council will meet to vote on the motion to rescind, at 6pm on August 25.
Two main points will be heard at the meeting, including expressing a lack of confidence in the council over the decision and asking them to rescind it.
Some confronting photos have been released by WA emergency services, who say they’ve been called out to nearly 100 lithium-ion battery fires already this year.
It is an average of three a week, and the blazes are typically sparked by electronic like laptops, power banks, e-rideables and even power tools.
Some fires have been sparked by electronics that aren’t even on charge.
Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm says fires are usually caused by products that are poor quality, damaged in some way or have been over-charged.
“Lithium-ion batteries are generally safe if purchased from trusted retailers and handled responsibly but compromised products that enter into thermal runaway can escalate quickly and cause devastating house fires,” he said.
Klemm said firies have also been called to 185 residential fires so far this winter – an average of two a day.
Fremantle defender Brennan Cox says Nat Fyfe’s class while dealing with the fallout from a warm-up injury has been an inspiration for the team.
Fyfe’s durability was put in the spotlight when he injured his calf while warming up as the sub during the half-time break of the club’s round-16 win over St Kilda.
The two-time Brownlow medallist was set to feature in just his fourth AFL match since recovering from a hamstring injury, and the calf setback led some to wonder whether Fyfe, who last played in the finals in 2015, would make it back in time for this year’s premiership push.
The 33-year-old dispelled those fears by producing a stunning 27-disposal display in less than three quarters of WAFL action last week.
The performance was good enough for Fyfe to earn a call up for Saturday night’s clash with Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, most likely as the sub.
“He’s a guy with heaps of wisdom,” Cox said.
“So to have him come into the group, wherever it may be – up forward, midfield, maybe get eased into the sub role like he did last time – is super.”
Fyfe is 244 games into his decorated career, and injuring his calf during a half-time warm-up would have been hard to cop with finals not far away.
But instead of moping about his bad luck, Fyfe worked diligently on his rehab while also supporting his teammates.
It didn’t go unnoticed.
“He’s been nothing but upbeat,” Cox said. “He hasn’t for one second looked sad for himself, or anything like that.
“He’s been super and it makes you look up to him even more, just seeing the way he’s gone about it.”
AAP
Senior state government ministers say they’re disappointed a Children’s Court judge let a teenager walk free after a coward punch attack.
The teen coward-punched a fellow student at an Ellenbrook shopping centre, striking him from behind – the force causing him to hit the floor face first where he remained motionless for 20 seconds.
The victim’s jaw was broken in two places, and he suffered bleeding to the brain and seizures. He is still at risk of being diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.
The victim’s father labelled the sentence as ‘a slap in the face’.
Police Minister Reece Whitby said he had seen the CCTV footage of the incident and said he had been “incredibly distressed and upset” by what he watched.
“I can understand the anguish of the parents,” he said.
“I do think there is an obligation on our judiciary to consider the public concern about these types of crimes.”
Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said the state government was “very, very disappointed with the outcome of that decision”.
But the government was also accused of hypocrisy, promoting the UFC’s return to Perth.
AMA WA president Dr Michael Page said there was a double standard at play.
“School children see people fighting one another on a stage with lights, they will naturally try to mimic what they see,” he said.
Saffioti said she did not think the two were connected.