What's happening in Perth

A who’s who of Australian sport and media turned out to farewell Dennis Cometti at a state memorial service for the commentating great at Optus Stadium on Monday.

The Perth Lynx’s hopes of ending their 34-year title drought have taken a massive hit after star guard Ally Wilson informed the WNBL club she won’t be coming back.

The changes are aimed at delivering a fairer system that balances the rights of both landlords and tenants.

Life has never been better for the Dockers under Justin Longmuir, notching their best winning streak since 2015, the same year they won the minor premiership. It’s a different story over at Lathlain.

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The woman was in her second year of teaching when she was accused of putting a child into “choke holds” and fired. She maintained the allegations were untrue, and wants to see changes in how complaints are handled.

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter insists his side’s 11-point loss to injury-hit Richmond isn’t a catastrophe.

An 18-year-old man has died after a major crash which saw the Mitchell Freeway backed up for hours on Sunday morning. 

More than $2 billion is being tipped into housing in Western Australia in a joint state and Commonwealth effort to make it easier for first-home buyers to get into the market.

Mark Mudie died when his front-end loader became engulfed in flames as he tried to set up a firebreak on his farm as a bushfire tore through WA’s south coast last year.

Experts say there are few surprises in the latest report from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, despite “record high” consumption of meth, cocaine and heroin recorded.

Belinda and Emmanuel Lotsu were thrilled with the four new additions to their family on Tuesday.

The Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre will operate as a state-of-the-art facility where world-leading research will underpin the delivery of cutting-edge clinical care in cancer.

Graham Sandy, 51, was angry that Shane Davies had told him to clean up after making noodles when he struck him in the head with a 75 millimetre drill bit in October 2023.

David Moussa was studying to be a doctor when he felt compelled to stab his father, Nadi Moussa, after falsely believing he was abused by him as a child.

Vaccine-derived poliovirus is rare but can occur in parts of the world where the oral polio vaccine is still used. This is the first time this strain has been detected in Australia.

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The findings are based on analysis of publicly available crash data that groups together traffic incidents that occurred within a 100-metre radius of each location.

Dozens of people took to the streets of Alice Springs late Thursday to spread the news of Jefferson Lewis's arrest

Western Australians can get a free flu vaccine from May 1st as part of the Cook Labor Government’s annual immunisation program. The campaign, branded “Be Wise, Immunise”, is launching off the back of one of the worst flu seasons WA has ever recorded, with thousands of people of all ages hospitalised last winter.

Premier Roger Cook said the rollout was about reducing pressure on hospitals before winter takes hold. “Last year, WA recorded one of the worst flu seasons on record — our best defence this winter is for more of us to get vaccinated,” he said. “By working together and rolling up our sleeves, we can reduce pressure on our hospitals and protect our community this winter.”

The 2026 program also brings the rollout of FluMist, the first needle-free flu vaccine available in WA, for children aged two to 11. It’s a nasal spray rather than an injection, and the State Government has put $6.6 million behind getting it into circulation.

A WA-first: vaccination clinics at the footy

In a state-first, St John WA will run pop-up vaccination clinics at three AFL games at Optus Stadium: on May 2nd, 7th, and 17th. Footy fans heading to the ground on those days can get their winter jab between the gates and their seats.

Treasurer Rita Saffioti said, “We’re making it easier for footy fans to get their winter vaccination sorted, with free pop-up clinics available at Optus Stadium across three game days.” 

“Boosting vaccination rates will mean fewer flu cases, less pressure on our health system, and fewer missed games.”

Targets and a public scoreboard

The State Government is also publishing immunisation targets and tracking progress against them weekly. The targets for this winter are 30 per cent of infants and children under 12, 65 per cent of adults aged 65 and over, and 40 per cent of all eligible Western Australians.

Younger children and older adults have been singled out because they’re the two groups most likely to end up in hospital with the flu. In 2025, adults aged 65 and over had the highest rate of flu-related hospitalisations, followed by children aged six months to four years.

Progress against the targets will be published weekly throughout winter.

What’s funded, and what it covers

Alongside the $6.6 million for FluMist, the program includes $8.4 million for the 2026 Free Influenza Vaccine Program, $7.6 million for the 2026 Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infant Immunisation Program, and a $2.5 million expansion of the RSV program to older Western Australians and others most at risk of severe respiratory illness.

While the vaccine itself is free, individual providers, including some GPs and pharmacies, may charge a consultation or service fee.

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