ABC South West

06/12/2025

A language that was lying "dormant" for decades is being revived through a children's book written entirely in Noongar.

The project is part of Birdiya Waangkiny Elders Group (BWEG), in Western Australia's south west, which aims to prevent the language from going extinct.

Once forbidden from speaking their local language, a group of Indigenous elders in WA use it in a children's book, hoping to breathe life into a dying dialect.

06/12/2025

Researchers are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief as a late run of mother and calf blue whales looks set to equal or possibly surpass numbers recorded off Western Australia's south west coast in previous years.

Researchers are relieved as baby blue whale numbers increase after a slow start to the migration season.

05/12/2025

The member of Warren Blackwood, Bevan Eatts, is urging the state government to invest in a domestic violence shelter in his electorate, which encompasses Margaret River and Denmark.

"There is no domestic and family violence refuge anywhere in Warren Blackwood," Mr Eatts told parliament.

The nearest shelters are situated in Bunbury and Busselton, forcing women to drive hours to find safety, according to Mr Eatts.

Mr Eatts said he heard the story of a Manjimup resident who did not have a driver's license but drove herself and her children to Bunbury to access crisis accommodation.

"She told people she felt like a sitting duck, in her own home, lying awake at night," Mr Eatts said.

"Violence doesn't pick postcodes, and neither should safety....how many are back in the homes they fled because they had nowhere else to go."

Earlier in the week, the WA government announced a $109.9 million package to address family and domestic violence (FDV).

The package includes funding to expand refuges across Albany, Broome and Midland.

Bridgetown Hub manager Jenni Oliver said it was disappointing her region wasn't included.

"I was just so sad and disappointed," Ms Oliver said.

The Bridgetown Hub is a community centre offering childcare, classes and information for Bridgetown residents.

It has increasingly been supporting women trying to flee FDV.

"We've become the unofficial point of contact for women and children escaping domestic violence," Ms Oliver said.

"It doesn't fall within our remit. We're not funded to do that.

"We do the best we can, we're not just going to leave these people."

Victims and survivors of domestic violence use the hub as a safe space to attend during opening hours.

Ms Oliver said the organisation own the building, and money from tenants goes towards the hub's unofficial FDV efforts.

Bridgetown General Practitioner Sarah Youngson said the absence of FDV shelter is becoming increasingly obvious.

"They have nowhere to go." Dr Youngson said.

"I've heard of health staff driving some women to Bunbury.

"It's done out of desperation."

05/12/2025

One of the state's biggest disability therapy providers, Therapy Focus, has been thrown a lifeline after receiving an offer to be bought by APM Group.

Administrators recommend accepting the takeover, which would allow Therapy Focus to continue operating, with all services and all staff retained.

Therapy Focus, which has offices in Perth, Bunbury and Margaret, went into voluntary administration in October.

At the time, board chair Fiona Payne said the decision was made because of ‘sustained financial pressure’, exacerbated by recent cuts to the NDIS pricing for therapy services.

A meeting will be held on December 11 to consider the proposal.

05/12/2025

Fishers in Western Australia, facing massive cuts to catches, warn that imported seafood will replace their catch.

New fishing rules come into effect in Western Australia next month, significantly reducing the amount of local fish available in the state.

04/12/2025

Christmas tree critics

Margaret River residents have taken to social media to voice their intense displeasure with the appearance of their town's Christmas tree.

Local Teesha Hindmarsh describes the Christmas display as an "abomination", with lights haphazardly draped over the tree.

"It has gone viral, and we look a bit silly for it now," she says.

"In previous years, they made the top park look beautiful, and they really emphasise on making the tree look beautiful."

Shire of Augusta-Margaret River president Julia Jean-Rice defended the tree as "authentically Margaret River" and unique.

"No, it's not perfect, but of course we're open to hearing feedback," she says.

"Let's embrace the Christmas spirit, and remember the true meaning of Christmas, which is kindness, compassion and connection, not perfection."

Ms Jean-Rice says the shire wasn't considering changing the display in response to the backlash.

"A bit of an explanation ... this was our first year using some new lights because the old ones we had weren't safe anymore, and they were a bit trickier to install than we expected."

"It's unique, and yes, it's not perfect, but there are certainly more important issues in our shire."

"Authentic" or "abomination" - What do you think about Margaret River's Christmas tree effort?

04/12/2025

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has confirmed it's investigating more than two dozen suspicious bushfires in the South West town of Collie.

The agency reports that there have been approximately 25 fires around the Collie townsite over the last few weeks, all of which are being treated as suspicious.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

03/12/2025

Australia's social media ban for children under 16 takes effect officially from next Wednesday, but some platforms have already begun closing accounts.

Meta is racing to remove at least 350,000 users from Instagram and 150,000 from Facebook by the deadline, with more expected to follow.

The legislation places responsibility on tech companies, with penalties up to $49.5 million for non-compliance, whilst parents and children face no penalties.

Bunbury-based e-safety expert Kristi McVee is a former detective senior constable with WA police and worked for 10 years as a specialist child interviewer.

Ms McVee told Stan Shaw on ABC South West Breakfast the transition will be challenging but parents need to keep the lines of conversation open with their kids.

“If parents knew how our kids are being hunted and preyed upon online, the content they are being exposed too and how it actually is seriously damaging their health, maybe they would have those conversations and be a little more aware," says Ms McVee.

“Parents need to take control of these conversations – as parents we need to be as involved in our kids’ online lives as we are in their offline lives.”

Ms McVee concedes there will be some teething issues during the transition, but some young people will find a way around the ban.

“Look at all the other bans that have happened over the years – once upon a time we thought it was normal for 13-year-olds to buy smokes," she says.

“Our kids feel like it’s unfair, they are being targeted but for the next generation, if you delay that social media usage you are actually going to prevent some of the stuff we are seeing now.

"One in three Australian children have been exposed to online explicit content - we’ve got a 1300 per cent increase in sextortion of children in Australia – they are under attack.

“Social media companies haven’t done what they should have done, so the government has stepped in.”

How are you navigating the social media ban? Comment below👇

🎧Listen back to the full interview: https://ab.co/3Xx2UPZ

03/12/2025

Strict bans limiting commercial and recreational fishing in Perth and parts of Western Australia have been announced, in an effort to save some under-threat fish species from the brink of collapse.

Commercial fishers will be permanently banned from catching iconic demersal fish species, including WA dhufish, off a section of the WA coast, with 50 per cent catch reductions to be implemented in most other fisheries.

Strict bans limiting commercial and recreational fishing in Perth and WA are announced in an effort to save some under-threat fish species from the brink of collapse.

03/12/2025

Proposal to 3D print houses in Manjimup

The Shire of Manjimup has endorsed a private company's plans to 3D print key workers' accommodation in the regional town.

Hous3d hopes to develop a 1.29-hectare site with 36 homes.

Manjimup Shire President Donelle Buegge says the use of 3D concrete printing technology would be a first for the region.

"It means that the housing will be produced very quickly as well, which we all know, it's no good waiting five or six years for housing," Ms Buegge says.

Hous3d owner Graeme Paterson told Stan Shaw on ABC South West Breakfast that a typical 4x2 home will take 10-12 weeks to build.

"What's unique about our printer is it can actually print the footings, the slabs, we can do the walls, so we'll actually print the external leaf and the internal leaf, and we can do that up to three storeys," Mr Paterson says.

When it comes to addressing the housing crisis, Mr Paterson says there's room for diversity in the building industry.

"We're not here to compete with anybody; everybody's got their own unique skillsets in what they're doing, and we're just looking at ways to make houses faster and more affordable," he says.

"The current traditional construction model is probably broken and we need to start thinking outside the box."

The company is yet to submit a formal development application for the project.

🎧Listen back to Stan's chat with Graeme: https://ab.co/48N2ifw
🎥Supplied: Graeme Paterson/Hous3d

02/12/2025

Fonty's Pool turns 100

Archimedes Fontanini, an Italian migrant built a swamp to irrigate his vegetable crops in 1909. The swamp turned into a dam where his family regularly swam and his kids often brought friends home to swim.

Mr Fontanini's granddaughter Lee Fontanini spoke with Stan Shaw on ABC South West Breakfast about the pool's famous history.

"At that time there was no irrigation, so water bodies were fairly scarce," says Ms Fontanini.

"From there, people started coming and asked him to turn it into a pool because there was no chance of a swimming pool in Manjimup itself... so from there he dedicated some of his time to slowly turn what was essentially a dam into a swimming pool."

So, in November 1925 Fonty's Pool was officially opened to the public.

To celebrate the milestone a family reunion was held at the famous pool last week with 120 family members attending.

"We hadn't seen some of our cousins for 10 or 20 years so it was [an] absolutely wonderful occasion," says Ms Fontanini.

Ms Fontanini co-wrote a book with her niece Kellie Paterson about the family's history called 'From Forest to Farming and Fonty's Pool' which was launched at the family reunion.

What are your memories of Fonty's Pool? Post them 👇

02/12/2025

A farmer has been killed while fighting a fast-moving bushfire near Ravensthorpe.

The man was killed during a fast moving bushfire which tore through more than 4,000ha near Ravensthorpe