Home
Search
thewest.com.au

Countryman

The train line in the Mid West region.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
State PoliticsCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Movement at the station in WA’s bid to buy back railways

The State Government’s mission to buy back WA freight railways from a Canadian investment behemoth has advanced beyond a seemingly frosty start earlier this year.

Simone Grogan

The parents of Christian Jensen, Jess Broad and Hilary Smith at the Yarramony rail crossing where the three were killed by a train. Pictured are their parents Catherine and Laurie Jensen, Merrilea and David Broad and George and Sally Smith. Kelsey Reid

TransportCommentsPremiumShining a light on Australia’s train lighting ‘disgrace’

Twenty five years after Christian Jensen, Hilary Smith and Jess Broad were killed by a poorly-lit grain train in the Wheatbelt, their families are still fighting for changes that could save lives.

Cally Dupe

Dean Barry Edwards was last seen at a Norseman service station on May 16.

WA newsPremiumSearch for Esperance local last seen at Norseman servo

Serious welfare concerns are held for an Esperance man last seen at a Norseman service station seven weeks ago.

Carwyn Monck

Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia president John Snowball and Tom Wilde of Cambray Cheese.

cream of the cropPremiumCambray awarded overall champion at Perth Royal Dairy Awards

A small family operated cheese factory and sheep dairy near Nannup has taken out the top gong at the 2025 Perth Royal Dairy Awards against more than 200 entrants.

Melissa Pedelty

Westcoast Wool & Livestock wool manager Brad Faithfull and wool broker Justin Haydock.

future of non-mulesedNon-mulesed wool premiums thought to be catalyst for uptake

Australian farmers have not been in a rush to transition away from mulesing, especially in WA, but with growing premiums for non-mulesed wool this could be set to change.

Melissa Pedelty

Wool industry figureheads say the 5.7 per cent increase in the Eastern Market Indicator, year-on-year, was good news for the sector but “did not reflect the state of the industry”.

final salePremiumEOFY wool sales finished strong but not with a bang

The Australian wool industry is feeling a weight lifted after wool sales recorded a 5.7 per cent increase in price on last financial year.

Melissa Pedelty

WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis has unveiled the $97.3 million State Biosecurity Response Centre in Canningvale. PIctured is the facility

HALF BAKEDPremiumWA’s $97m biosecurity hub not operating ‘at full capacity’

WA farmers and the opposition have come out swinging at news the State’s $97 million biosecurity hub in Canning Vale is not running at full capacity more than six months after being opened. 

Cally Dupe

Australia's wool selling season is under way. Inset: Endeavour Wools buyer Steve Noa

wool woesPremiumA tale of false starts for Australia’s wool market

Australia’s 2025-26 wool selling season has commenced in the positive, despite it being the smallest opening sale since AWEX records began in 1997.

Melissa Pedelty

DPIRD research scientists Amy Bowden and Brittany Bolt with Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis.

Methane StudyKatanning sheep feed trials delivered at NZ conference

West Australian research on sheep feed efficiency and methane emissions has been delivered at an international livestock genetics conference in New Zealand.

Georgia Campion

Shire of Dalwallinu president Keith Carter.

Wubin Hall for salePremiumShire of Dalwallinu seeks tenders for Wubin Town Hall

Two tiny town halls in a far-flung part of the Wheatbelt are being put up for sale by the local Shire.

Bob Garnant

Sheep yarded at the Katanning Regional Saleyards.

WA lamb values holdPremiumWA lamb values remain firm as supply drops

The WA lamb market has remained firm against a national downward drift in values from recent record highs, with Eastern States saleyards recording softer trends.

Bob Garnant

Meat and Livestock Australia has unveilied its Online Sheep Indicator along with a National Feeder Heifer Indicator to add market transparency.

New livestock indicatorsPremiumMLA launches two new livestock indicators

Meat and Livestock Australia has unveiled two new livestock market indicators aimed at market transparency and decision-making support. 

Bob Garnant

Shaydan Riley was driving home from work when he collided with a truck and a ute in Aldersyde on Tuesday.

WA NewsTributes flow for ‘loving dad’ killed in Wheatbelt crash

The 30-year-old man who died in a horror three-vehicle crash in the Wheatbelt is being remembered as a ‘loving’ father of three with a ‘big personality’.

Caitlin Vinci

Mingenew Midwest Expo

Mingenew Midwest Expo PremiumMingenew Midwest Expo cancelled, new grants program launched

The Mid West’s biggest agricultural field day — the Mingenew Midwest Expo — has been cancelled indefinitely after more than 40 years.

Cally Dupe

Peter Bird, Dr Hammad Khan, Jackie Jarvis MLC, Dr Nic Taylor, Dr Parwinder Kaur, and Richard Dickmann.

Crop ResearchWA joins nation-wide plant phenotyping project

WA crop production and grains research is set to be boosted thanks to a $5 million State Government investment into a nation-wide plant phenotyping project.

Georgia Campion

Pingelly State Emergency Service volunteers Phil Ludbrook, Peter Mann, local manager Bill Mulroney, volunteer Raelene Keeble and Roy Keeble in front of the Pingelly State Emergency Service building where a new mural titled Giants Among Us will be painted in October.

GIANTS AMONG USNew mural will honour Pingelly emergency service vollies

Only one regional emergency service group in WA has received the nationwide Rebuilding Futures grant shared between 14 communities to boost resilience and preparedness in disaster-impacted areas.

Hannah Whitehead

As many as 128 trees had to be cut down at Perth Zoo from the shot hole borer (inset).

state politicsCommentsREVEALED: Grim trail of damage caused by pest at Perth Zoo

A bitter argument has broken out in State Parliament as questions mount over the trail of damage left behind by the shot hole borer and whether it could have been stopped.

Jessica Page

AWN board Brendon Lunney, Rick Maybury, John Collye, and Ben Barlow. AWN chief operating officer Rick Maybury has taken a step up and into the role of the pastoral houses’ managing director and chief executive.

New BoardRick Maybury appointed new AWN chief executive

AWN has unveiled a leadership shuffle to kick off the new financial year, with Rick Maybury stepping up as managing director and chief executive after more than eight years with the business. 

Georgia Campion

Major Crash investigators are appealing for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

Disaster and EmergencyPremiumDriver killed in horror three-vehicle Wheatbelt crash

The 30-year-old sustained serious injuries and died at the scene.

Jessica Evensen

Agora Livestock sheep value updates.

BEYOND THE SALEYARDSPremiumBeyond the Saleyards: WA lamb remains firm

Lamb and mutton markets eased nationally during the last 10 days, with lamb prices falling about 50¢ and mutton down 30–60¢ across most States. 

Dean Hubbard

The CWA conference had 200 members gather from across the State.

Annual conference PremiumCWA State Conference brings together WA’s regional women

The Country Women’s Association of WA State Conference held this year in Albany, brought fond memories of years gone by and a taste of the future for members. 

Jacki Elezovich

Trees infested with polyphagous shot-hole borer are destroyed at Hyde Park in Perth. Inset: WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis.

INVASIVE PESTCommentsPremiumREVEALED: How much Governments spent on shot-hole borer

The State and Federal Governments spent $57 million inspecting 2.9 million trees and trying to eradicate polyphagous shot-hole borer from the Perth metropolitan area.

Cally Dupe & Harriet Flinn

WeedSmart Week will be held in Geraldton this year. Inset: Peter Newman

WEEDSMART WEEKPremiumWeedSmart Week: Geraldton set to host annual soiree

Farmers taking part in the field tours will travel to Yuna to visit Simon Smart’s farm and meet with farm manager Austin Raynor, before travelling next door to meet farmers Erin and Brady Green.

Cally Dupe

The Port of Albany has been allocated $11 million in the State Budget for the design and redevelopment of the ageing Berth 1 and Berth 2. Inset: Southern Ports chief executive Keith Wilks.

Port plansPort of Albany upgrades years away despite Budget funding

Bigger grain ships could one day berth at the Port of Albany, but it will take “several years” and more than $10 million in planning before the project breaks ground.

Georgia Campion