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2 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Stan Shaw |Chela Williams
As part of its short-term accommodation policy the City of Busselton has endorsed a ban on new unhosted holiday homes. The policy outlines certain suburbs within the local government area as non-preferred for unhosted short-term accommodation. The council-endorsed policy will be implemented within a month. Unhosted holiday homes will no longer be permitted in certain parts of a popular tourist destination in the south-west of Western Australia.
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1 month ago | 
abc.net.au | Chela Williams |Jacqueline Lynch |Stan Shaw
The West Australian government is being called upon to increase support for country ambulance centres amid fears volunteers are burnt out after years of fundraising for vehicle and substation upgrades. Volunteers in the South West town of Pemberton are working to raise $300,000 to replace one of their ambulances. Over the years such fundraisers have become commonplace to help buy expensive equipment and for major work at substations.
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1 month ago | 
abc.net.au | Stan Shaw |Andrew Williams |Chela Williams
Elaine Bartles and her husband Doug are marking a year since their home and belongings were destroyed in a "freak" tornado that tore through WA's second-biggest city. Despite the time since the incident, the retired couple remains "basically homeless", living in their caravan and waiting for their home to be rebuilt. The tornado struck Bunbury, 170 kilometres south of Perth, on May 10, damaging 220 homes and destroying another nine in just 10 minutes.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Jacqueline Lynch |Chela Williams
As tourism operators look to market Western Australia's South West as the ultimate "wellness tourism" destination, a developer is eyeing off the icy waters in Pemberton's historic pool for a Nordic-style floating sauna.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Chela Williams |Bridget McArthur
Residents in Western Australia's South West are disappointed to learn their efforts to sort food scraps and garden trimmings from general rubbish are going to waste. Bunbury Harvey Regional Council (BHRC) has been turning food and garden organic (FOGO) waste from homes and businesses into sellable compost and mulch for over a decade. Until recently, it processed FOGO for more than half of the region's 12 local governments.
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Sep 11, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Chela Williams
A petrol station providing Australia Post services in South West Western Australia is set to close and hand in its licence later this year. The post office in Gelorup, 180 kilometres south-west of Perth, is operated through an Ampol service station and services a shire of 18,000 people. Ampol has decided to hand the Australia Post license back and will cease postal services on November 1.
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Sep 6, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Jacqueline Lynch |Chela Williams
After shocking wildlife carers by surviving outside of its only known habitat, a rare western swamp tortoise has returned home to Western Australia's South West. The endangered reptile was found near Northcliffe, 400km south of Perth, last year, an unexpected survivor of a 2018 reallocation program to see if the species could survive in other wetlands. The tortoise has spent months having its shell repaired at Perth Zoo.
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Aug 22, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Jacqueline Lynch |Chela Williams |Stan Shaw
The WA government has admitted it played a role in destroying the ancient 'Bob Brown' peppermint tree in the Ferguson Valley, believed to about 800 years old. A stump of the tree was discovered by local tourism operator, Peter Murphy, who had planned to proudly show the tree to a group of overseas visitors. "I was completely devastated," Mr Murphy said.
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Aug 1, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Nadia Mitsopoulos |Chela Williams
Up to 300 jobs could be lost with news lithium giant Albemarle will halt the construction of a third production train. Albemarle operate a lithium refinery in WA's South West and own 49 per cent of the lithium mine in Greenbushes. The announcement is expected to result in a billion dollar impairment against the value of the refinery. Up to 300 jobs could be cut at Albemarle's Kemerton plant near Bunbury after the company scaled back construction plans amid lower commodity prices.
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Jun 26, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Stan Shaw |Chela Williams |Jemillah Dawson
In short: Families in Augusta have been calling for a childcare centre for five years. Some families have left town as a result of not being able to access early childhood care. What's next? The town has been able to access state and local government funding to repurpose a vacant property.
