Follow our live coverage here.
Follow our live coverage here.
A federal decision over an American oil and gas company’s fracking plans for WA’s Kimberley region has dismayed environmental advocates.
Black Mountain Energy, a de-listed company owned by Texan billionaire Rhett Bennett, was the first to submit a proposal after a fracking moratorium was lifted in the state’s north in 2018.
The government today determined the 20-frack well project would be subject to limited assessment under federal environment laws, noting it would impact four matters of national significance including water and threatened species. This is the first time federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has applied the ‘water trigger’ to a fracking project after law changes made at the end of 2023.
However, the company will not be required to submit an Environmental Impact Statement, with the government set to rely instead on “preliminary documentation” supplied by Black Mountain.
Lock the Gate Alliance Western Australia spokesperson Claire McKinnon said the project threatened water and wildlife in this part of the Kimberley.
“It is appalling that the Albanese government has failed to submit this project to the highest possible level of scrutiny,” she said.
“Thousands of West Australians called for this project to be subjected to full federal assessment, yet this plea has been ignored.”
To the state election now, the WA Liberals have just pledged a major revamp of bail and supervision laws as they continue to criticise Labor’s handling of bailed criminals.
Liberal Leader Libby Mettam said if elected on March 8 her government would introduce legislation to enforce stricter parole, bail and post-sentence supervision conditions.
The Liberals also promised mandatory electronic monitoring for serious repeat offenders.
Shadow attorney general Nick Goiran said the proposed laws were aimed at restoring faith in the justice system.
He pointed to the recent case of Mark Anthony Unchango Jnr, who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old and after being released on a post-sentence supervision order is now charged and accused of following a woman from Whitfords Station and violently raping her.
“It is simply appalling that after all this time the premier has not given even a basic statement about what level of supervision was occurring in that case,” he said.
“The inadequate monitoring of such individuals undermines the integrity of our justice system and exposes law-abiding citizens to unnecessary risk.”
As West Aussies prepare for a state and federal election, prospective property buyers might be wondering whether to buy now or wait until the dust settles.
According to local buyers’ agent Peter Gavalas from Resolve Property Solutions the months leading up to an election could be a good time to buy for buyers who are well prepared.
On the sellers’ side, Gavalas says there has historically been a “freeze in their decision-making” in the months leading up to the election.
“Typically, we see the number of listings drop in the months leading up to an election,” he says.
“This is because sellers are waiting to see if a change of government – and the new policies that come with it – will have an effect on the price of housing.”
A look at recent elections reveals this pattern.
In 2019, listings between March and April declined 6.3 per cent nationally, increasing again the following month.
A similar trend occurred in the election years of 2016 and 2013.
Gavalas says fewer listings in an already tight Perth market may increase competition, but also present an opportunity for buyers.
“Sellers who are looking to move before the election may be more motivated to negotiate and close deals quickly, especially if they are uncertain about future market conditions,” he says.
“Also sellers rush to beat the administrative disruption that an election causes. And, because our elections are mostly held in May, this also coincides with vendors trying to sell before the usual winter slowdown.”
Just in, a court has heard this morning that the obstetrician accused of killing a young woman in a drunken, high-speed crash on Saturday night allegedly made “angry rants” about his wife in the weeks before the tragedy, captured by his car dashcam.
Rhys Bellinge, 45, is accused of crashing his Jaguar into an Uber in Dalkeith around 10pm, killing passenger Elizabeth Pearce, 24, and critically injuring her driver, a man in his 20s.
On Tuesday, Perth Magistrate Clare Cullen again delayed a decision on whether to bail the well-known doctor from one of Perth’s richest families, after police prosecutors revealed further review of his car dashcam showed Bellinge driving fast and erratically in that area while talking to himself about his wife, who had left him a month earlier.
“That footage, which goes back to February 6, contains numerous angry rants by him about his wife, even when he’s sober and on his way to and from work,” the police prosecutor said.
“We say it’s relevant on the grounds we are concerned for the welfare of his wife.”
The prosecutor also alleged body-worn camera footage, from the crash site and later in hospital, showed Bellinge trying to shift blame to the Uber driver.
Bellinge allegedly blew an alcohol reading of 0.183 at the scene, nearly four times the legal limit, and was clocked driving at 130 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.
Defence lawyer Tony Hager argued, however, there was no history of family violence, or family court proceedings, against his client and that he had been seeking counselling since the separation.
The crash occurred a day after the couple’s last marriage counselling session.
“There is this period of disintegration in the otherwise pro-social life in my client from [when his wife left] on,” he said.
After reviewing Bellinge’s dashcam footage from the night of the crash, Magistrate Cullen said she was concerned about what was “going on in the background.”
Read the full report from court in the related article.
A man searching through a skip bin in Cannington yesterday has rescued kittens duct-taped inside a box.
Beside it was a second box which appeared to have contained their mother, who likely escaped but was unable to free her kittens.
The man, despite having his own problems with homelessness, rushed them to the nearest vet, just around the corner, ensuring they got the urgent care they needed.
“With temperatures soaring in the afternoon yesterday these kittens would have been dead in a number of hours,” Cat Haven’s marketing manager Amber Ashford says.
“We place no judgement on people surrendering cats or kittens to us and will always take any that are in need. We also have amnesty crates at the front of Cat Haven if you can’t drop them off during open hours or wish to stay anonymous.
“There is never an excuse to dump them in such a cruel manner.”
Cat Haven has written a guide to help people who come across a litter in need – see below.
They also offer free de-sexing for the mother cat when a litter of kittens is surrendered.
“It has been relentless this summer with some days seeing up to 80 cats and kittens coming in,” Ashford says.
Cat Haven takes in every cat coming in, but this equals more than 7500 cats a year. It relies on community donations and volunteer work.
A bushfire emergency has been declared at Windy Harbour in the Shire of Manjimup, with residents told it is too late to leave and they may have to take shelter on the beach.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services told the residents of the South West town that the situation was rapidly changing, the Windy Harbour settlement was under direct threat, that Windy Harbour Road was closed to traffic north and south.
“For your own safety do not attempt to leave. If required take shelter on the beach,” the department warned.
″You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes.
“The fire situation is rapidly changing.
“Identify a room in your home where you can shelter from the approaching fire. It should have running water, such as a kitchen or laundry, and have a clear exit so you can easily escape.
“You must shelter before the fire arrives, as the extreme heat will kill you before the flames reach you.”
Complete instructions on exactly what residents should do are here at Emergency WA.
Bushfire Watch and Act alerts and Advice alerts are also in place for people elsewhere in the Shire of Manjimup.
Multiple roads, hiking trails, beaches and other public sites are closed.
The cause of the incident is lightning.
About 18,000 hectares have already been burnt.
Visit Emergency WA, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Facebook, listen to 6PR, ABC Local Radio or news bulletins for complete and up to date information.
Emergency WA is providing updates hourly.
Climate 200 has poured another $30,000 into the campaign of teal independent candidate for Fremantle Kate Hulett.
The donation, declared today, takes Climate 200’s total donations to Hulett’s campaign to $50,000 as the contest to unseat sitting member and Labor Minister Simone McGurk heats up.
Hulett also took aim at the WA Liberals’ decision to preference McGurk ahead of her on Liberal candidate Serena Kipling’s how-to-vote card, accusing Labor of doing a deal with the Liberals to keep her out of the seat.
“This is really foul stuff from the major parties. Labor are so worried about my people-powered campaign winning Freo that they’ve handed the Liberals multiple seats in exchange for helping them keep us out. They seek power above all else,” she said.
“Labor could’ve listened and improved their policies or worked harder for us over the past eight years, but instead they’re making lazy, shady deals to silence the voices of everyday West Australians. And the Liberal party are using their Freo supporters as pawns, rather than seeking to build a genuine opposition to an inevitable Labor majority government. Under their dodgy deal, we all lose.”
Hulett’s campaign team is better resourced than most independent campaigns.
Her campaigners say the Climate 200 donation has taken their war chest to “more than six figures”.
A WA Liberals spokesman said no deals were made and each how to vote card was decided by the state executive on principle.
Labor was contacted for comment.
For the third time this year, Australia’s biggest shire has been hit by flooding – and it’s only February.
Floodwaters triggered by Zelia’s coastal crossing near Port Hedland on Friday appear to have peaked in the East Pilbara Shire, with roads cut and communities isolated.
But the full extent of the damage caused won’t be known until water levels recede, which could take some time particularly in East Pilbara’s vast surrounds.
Communities like Marble Bar and Nullagine have been told they could be cut off for some time.
Getting supplies to isolated communities is a priority.
East Pilbara Shire president Anthony Middleton told AAP he hopes upgrading the 3000-kilometre dirt road network in his shire – which is larger than Victoria and Tasmania combined – will start taking precedence for the state.
“Just trying to get supplies to communities in our area, that’s the challenge we face every time we have unprecedented rain,” he said.
“Normally in a week to 10 days we sort of know where we are sitting with the water receding, then it’s recovery and making sure our dirt roads are accessible for our communities.”
Freight routes across the remote Pilbara region will be cut for days, sparking panic buying with supermarket shelves stripped bare at Broome.
However, authorities said contingencies were in place to have trucks arrive via South Australia and the Northern Territory.
AAP
Here’s what’s making news beyond WA this morning.
Cloudy today, with a top of 31 degrees.
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