ABC South West

14/08/2025

Planning reforms the Cook government says were brought in to combat "nay-sayers" and "NIMBYs" are set to be put under the microscope by an upper house committee.

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Planning reforms the Cook government says were brought in to combat "nay-sayers" and "NIMBYs" are set to be put under the microscope by an upper house committee.

14/08/2025

Bright lights in Busselton ☄

A meteorite was captured on a home security camera in West Busselton.

Curtin University's Desert Fireball Network confirmed the sighting which was also captured on their cameras around 9.30pm on August 6.

Lead scientist Dr Hadrien Devillepoix told ABC South West the meteorite would have appeared as bright as the moon.

"Something that bright coming out of nowhere would have been an amazing sight for people," he says.

"It was definitely much bigger than your typical meteor that you could see almost every night."

Dr Devillepoix said the meteorite was travelling about 34 kilometres per second when it entered the Earth's atmosphere.

"It did not drop meteorites, any meteorites would have dropped in the ocean... it's atmosphere basically got completely destroyed to dust by our atmosphere."

Did you see it?

📷 Jordan Snow

14/08/2025

: A WA doctor who paid tens of thousands of dollars to teenage girls for s*x and photos, and kept a video library of his offending, has been found guilty of multiple offences.

WARNING: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.

When news is breaking, stay in the know. Download the ABC NEWS app: https://ab.co/abcnewsapp

A WA doctor who paid tens of thousands of dollars to teenage girls for s*x and photos, and kept a video library of his offending, is found guilty of multiple offences.

14/08/2025

Frustrated WA gun owners have gathered in droves at Parliament House to support a crossbencher's motion to scrap controversial fi****ms regulations, but opposition from the Greens means it will not pass parliament.

Legalise Cannabis MLC Brian Walker tried to use a disallowance motion to force the government to abandon the new laws, which came into effect in March and have been billed "the strictest in the country".

Personalise your news and stay in the know with the ABC NEWS app: https://ab.co/abcnewsapp

Frustrated WA gun owners have gathered in droves at Parliament House to support a crossbencher's motion to scrap Labor's controversial fi****ms regulations, but opposition from the Greens means it will not succeed.

14/08/2025

The family of missing 26-year-old Tashi Dewa is pleading for any information as to his whereabouts, as more than 100 people from the Bhutanese community congregate in Western Australia's South West region to help search.

Police and State Emergency Service (SES) are at Wellington Dam searching for Mr Dewa, with officers out on foot and using drones to search over the water.

Personalise your news and stay in the know with the ABC NEWS app: https://ab.co/abcnewsapp

More than 100 people from the Bhutanese community across Western Australia have dropped everything to search for missing student Tashi Dewa in the state's South West.

14/08/2025

Jack Robinson wins WSL event in Tahiti, secures final 5 spot 🏝🌊

WA's Jack Robinson is now in contention for a world title after a win at the World Surf League event in Tahiti.

Robinson had to win the event to move into the top 5 on the ratings ladder and qualify for the final 5 showdown in Fiji.

Robinson beat US surfer Griffin Colapinto in the final, beginning with a near perfect 9.5 ride (out of 10).

Earlier, fellow Australian Molly Picklum beat reigning world champion Caity Simmers to win the women's event.

Picklum now goes to the final event ranked number one.

PIC CREDIT: WSL

14/08/2025

How did your place hold up after last night's wild weather? 💨🌳🍃

Dardanup locals Rob Easther and his wife will have to work from home today after access to their house was cut off by a fallen tree.

Mr Easther told Stan Shaw on the ABC South West Breakfast they're stuck behind the tree without power. They're relying on a diesel generator and their son to deliver supplies to the house.

“There’s no choice, there is a whopping great red gum across our road," he says.

“It’s too big to move so we logged it with the council last night.”

Luckily, there is no damage to their house.

“We have a stand of sugar gums next to our house and they saved us, the wind went over the top of us.”

Were you one of the thousands of homes in the South West without power this morning?

🎧Listen back to the show: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/southwestwa-breakfast/breakfast/105635344

13/08/2025

There are calls for a halt to work on a hotel development at the site of an old settler's cottage in WA's South West, as Aboriginal representatives are called in to keep an eye on the project near their cultural "dying place".

Choose your news on the ABC NEWS app and stay in the know: https://ab.co/abcnewsapp

There are calls for a halt to work on a hotel development at the site of an old settler's cottage in WA's South West, as Aboriginal representatives are called in to keep an eye on the project near their cultural "dying place".

13/08/2025

Camping changes at Logue Brook Dam ⛺️

Camping numbers at a popular dam in the Southwest will be limited this summer as rangers work to address issues at the site.

Frequent users of Logue Brook Dam say antisocial behaviour, rubbish and dangerous water activity have been worsening every long weekend.

A 15-year-old girl was killed and five other teens were injured in a car crash near a popular campsite in June.

From December 1, the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation will cap the number of campers at Brockman campground to 200 and 300 at Scarp Road, with bookings to be moved to an online system.

Friends of Logue Brook President Brad Barton is hopeful for change, but says the move has left more questions than answers.

“I hope the intent with this new booking system is basically to get down there and lay down the law,” Mr Barton said.

“This is how it’s going to work from now on, and if you don’t play by the rules, there’s going to be consequences.

“Ultimately, unless this is managed correctly, we don’t currently see this avoiding any future incidents down there.”

13/08/2025

Can you help? 👮 Police have welfare concerns for missing 26-year-old Tashi Dewa from Carey Park.

Mr Dewa was last seen on Tuesday morning when he left his home address on Frankel Street on his grey mountain bike about 7 o'clock.

He has olive skin and is of Asian descent, with a medium build and short dark hair.

He was last seen wearing black sandals with white socks, black shorts and a black long-sleeved jacket. He was carrying a black backpack at the time.

Police are calling for anyone who may have seen Tashi or know where he may be to call police on 131444 and quote Cad task 614741.

13/08/2025

Brace yourselves, strong winds on the way 💨

❗️ A Storm Advice - PREPARE NOW has been issued for the South West including Bunbury, Busselton, Mandurah, Margaret River, Perth, Augusta, Dunsborough, Rottnest Island and Windy Harbour.

👉You need to act now and stay safe with severe weather forecast, including damaging winds expected from this evening.
👉 Pack away, secure or tie down outdoor furniture, trampolines and other loose items around your home that could be picked up and thrown by strong winds.

The Bureau of Meteorology has advised a fast-moving cold front is expected to affect the south west of the state this evening, bringing a short period of gusty showers and moderate rainfall. The front is expected to reach the Southwest Capes around sunset and move quickly along the west coast.

Strong west to northwesterly winds averaging 50 to 60 km/h with damaging wind gusts up to 100 km/h are possible for a brief period around the cold front as it moves along the west coast and adjacent inland areas during the evening.

Winds are likely to ease quickly once the leading edge of the cold front has passed.

For more updates visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au

12/08/2025

Farmers in southern WA say trespassers cutting fences and driving through gates to access private land put the community at risk.

A southern ranger group says livestock straying out of paddocks pose a risk to road users.

A cattle farmer says he's been unable to stock one of his paddocks for three years because hunters keep cutting fences which let his livestock out.