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The Denmark council voted in favour of discontinuing face-to-face tourism services at the July 29 meeting, with the visitor centre to be re-purposed to house the town library.

service swapPremiumDenmark visitor centre taken over by upgraded town library

Denmark Visitor Centre will be shut down after the Shire of Denmark council voted on Tuesday to close the facility and re-purpose the building to house the Denmark library, despite booming tourism figures.

Jacki Elezovich

The community showed up in force to support the motion for the Denmark pool to progress through council, wearing blue to show their support.

pool pollPremiumCouncil votes to progress long-standing Denmark pool plans

Shire of Denmark council voted on Tuesday night to hold a special meeting on August 12 to decide the next steps for a town pool, with the community turning out in force to show their support for the motion.

Jacki Elezovich

Acting Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds has put his hand up to run for Lord Mayor of Perth.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
WA NewsCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Deputy Lord Mayor throws hat in the ring for top job

Deputy Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds will nominate for the Perth Lord Mayor position in the October elections, with the bold pitch of making Perth the safest capital city in the country.

Oliver Lane

The Shire of Katanning adopted its 2025-26 budget earlier this month.

BUDGETPremiumKatanning approves “responsible” 4% rate rise in budget

The Shire of Katanning president has assured residents they will see “solid use” of its rate rise, as the shire adopted its 2025-26 budget earlier this month.

Melissa Sheil

Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Matthew Lilly, former member for Albany Rebecca Stephens, City of Albany mayor Greg Stocks and City of Albany economic development and commercial services manager Kristen Pyrz-Brown with the State Government trading hours sign-off.

LOCAL BUSINESSPremiumAlbany economy and Sunday trade thriving: City report

Business is booming in Albany, with a report revealing local spending is 10 per cent higher than this time last year and a surge in Sunday revenue after the 2024 decision to allow seven-day trading.

Melissa Sheil

Denmark Aquatic Centre Committee Inc. secretary Aletia Artemis, president Cyril Edwards and vice-president Chris Timms with daughter Pia Timms are hoping to get a new pool in the town.

POOL PLANSPremiumProposal for indoor aquatic centre in Denmark back on table

A decades-long call for Denmark to have its own aquatic facility is being renewed, with the council to consider conducting a poll to gauge the community’s appetite for a pool at this week’s ordinary meeting.

Melissa Sheil

Shire of Denmark council is proposing a rate rise of 4.8 per cent.

Rate risePremiumShire of Denmark’s budget meeting to propose 4.8% rate rise

Shire of Denmark rates will be decided at a special council meeting on Tuesday where a rise of 4.8 per cent is expected to be approved.

Claire Middleton

The Shire of Murray has adopted its 2025-26 budget.

Local GovernmentCommentsPremiumRatepayers hit with raise as Shire sets out the bottom line

The rate rise will help fund the Shire’s plans to deliver substantial upgrades to local community spaces.

Ava Berryman

Denmark shire will consider closing its visitor centre service and repurposing the building from June 2026.

TOURISM TRADEPremiumDenmark visitor centre faces closure in library swap

Despite booming tourism, Denmark is considering shutting down its visitor centre and turning it into a library, arguing the funds will be better spent “managing the consequences” of extra visitors to the town.

Melissa Sheil

Nic Coveney with wife Taela-Louise welcomed their baby Heath in June.

Councillor resignsCommentsPremiumSouth Perth councillor resigns to enter fatherhood

South Perth Mill Point ward Councillor Nic Coveney has announced his resignation over the weekend via a post on social media.

Sophie Gannon

The new commissioners at City of Nedlands are sworn-in. Pictured L to R are Bianca Sandri, David Caddy and Cath Hart.

WA NewsCommentsPremiumExperience in dysfunctional council to benefit commissioner

The Chief Commissioner tasked with overseeing the City of Nedlands says his experience in a mass resignation of councillors three decades ago will give him better understanding of the task ahead.

Oliver Lane

The tree that appears to have been poisoned.

Local GovernmentCommentsCameras to catch out suspected tree poisoning in South Perth

Cameras have been installed on the foreshore after a young tall tree at Lake Douglas, located just 20m from trees the council has voted to remove, was seemingly poisoned.

Sophie Gannon

Pictured are the new commissioners stepping in at the City of Nedlands l to r Cath Hart, David Caddy and Bianca Sandri.

State PoliticsCommentsPremiumNew Nedlands commissioners appointed with ‘huge task’

The newly appointed chair commissioner of Nedlands has described the job ahead as a ‘huge task’ as they prepare to take control of the troubled council for the next seven months.

Charlton Hart and Harriet Flinn

Hannah Beazley pictured at Dumas House with commissioners David Caddy, Bianca Sandri and Cath Hart.

Local GovernmentCommentsPremiumCommissioners appointed to take control of City of Nedlands

Sacked mayor Fiona Argyle claims she has been ‘rolled by the WA State Government for doing my job’.

Harriet Flinn and Charlton Hart

Albany councillors approved the 2025-26 budget on July 22.

BUDGET 2025-26PremiumAlbany’s $100m capital works budget and rate rise approved

This financial year the City of Albany will deliver its largest-ever capital works program, following the council’s approval of the 2025-2026 budget on Tuesday night.

Melissa Sheil

The trees circled will be removed to preserve views of the Perth CBD.

Local governmentCommentsDecision made on trees blocking expensive South Perth views

The City of South Perth council has ignored a staff recommendation to keep six trees recently planted near Lake Douglas after locals complained they would obstruct expensive views of the Perth CBD.

Sophie Gannon

Shire of Gnowangerup CEO David Nicholson, shire president Kate O’Keeffe with Cr Peter Callaghan and Cr Rebecca O’Meehan at the ALGA meeting in Canberra in June.

High pricePremiumCost of local GP is bitter pill to swallow at $400k a year

The Shire of Gnowangerup is spending $400,000 a year to ensure the town has a local GP, a sum which represents 8 per cent of its rateable income, according to shire president Kate O’Keeffe.

Claire Middleton

Newdegate’s Trey Westlake, 17, and Member for Roe Peter Rundle.

REGIONAL POLITICSYoung Newdegate leader helps get change at Youth Parliament

Travelling from Newdegate, a budding young leader caught the attention of policymakers when his committee’s regional recovery bill passed unanimously at the 2025 Y WA Youth Parliament.

Hannah Whitehead

Albany councillors will discuss the 2025-26 draft budget on July 22.

ALBANY BUDGETPremiumDraft budget boasts $100m capital works, rural rate hike

Road upgrades and flagship recreation projects headline the City of Albany’s draft 2025-26 budget, which includes one of its largest ever capital works programs and forecasts a rate hike for rural landholders.

Melissa Sheil

Albany Boardriders representative Peter Bolt, former surfing champion Jodie Cooper and Albany mayor Greg Stocks.

REEF OPENINGPremiumWaves of emotion at realisation of decades-long reef dream

Emotions ran high at the opening of the Great Southern’s first artificial surf reef on Wednesday as the project’s key movers and shakers reflected on the hard-won fight to establish the reef.

Melissa Sheil

Highway to Hell in 2020 paid tribute to Bon Scott and AC/DC.

MusicCommentsBattle of Perth suburbs to claim AC/DC lead singer as own

A Perth council is setting off down the highway to hell with plans to honour legendary AC/DC lead singer despite many considering Freo to be Bon Scott’s spiritual home.

Michael Palmer

Town of Mosman Park mayor Paul Shaw, left, and Claremont Mayor Jock Barker, right.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Local governmentCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Mayors’ plans to re-run as Nedlands scandal shines spotlight

After a week of council chaos in Nedlands, the race to reclaim the mayoral chains in surrounding western suburbs has quietly kicked off, with sitting mayors beginning to reveal their plans to re-run.

Harriet Flinn

Session Leader Marnie McIlrath at Casa Mia Montessori Playgroup.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Local GovernmentCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
‘Blindsided’ Perth playgroups facing eviction after a decade

A community-run Montessori playgroup in Bayswater says it has been blindsided by the council’s plans to sell the land it has leased for nearly a decade.

Sophie Gannon

Local governmentCommentsPremiumMore controls put on council spending after investigation

Councils whose spending was questioned in a local government audit have defended their spending but agreed to tighten controls.

Michael Palmer