WA news LIVE: Bushfire emergency in Perth’s south-east; Two charged over antisemitic graffiti

We’re ending the blog this evening with the latest on our evolving story on Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas, who has accused the state’s public sector of having leaked a judgment which found he had improperly used his council-linked social media to advertise his bid for higher office.

The Liberal candidate for Churchlands told 6PR Perth Live’s Oliver Peterson he had accepted the Local Government Standards Panel ruling, in which he was ordered to issue a formal apology for blurring the line between his mayoral duties and his candidacy in breach of the Local Government Act.

“No problem: I’ll cop it sweet,” the prominent media personality told 6PR.

But the candidate for Churchlands was less than thrilled about the fact the judgment had landed in the hands of journalists at this masthead before he had an opportunity to assess it, a situation he dubbed “outrageous” and “highly irregular”.

“How could you possibly have any confidence in the Department of Local Government if confidential information like this is being leaked?” Zempilas asked.

“I have phoned the Director General and asked for an explanation and will be contacting the WA Local Government Association to see if they will advocate on my behalf.

“I accept [the findings], and it was a mistake … but for this confidential information, which I should have 28 days to consider before further action, to be given to a media organisation in this environment and at this time is outrageous — I will not stand for that.”

Liberal leader Libby Mettam declined to be drawn on her star candidate’s sanction, saying only that the matter was an issue for Zempilas and that she had every confidence he would “do the right thing”.

But Mettam did take the opportunity to fire a shot at Premier Roger Cook and his deputy Rita Saffioti, who she claimed were “obsessed” with the candidate — pointing to Cook’s concession that WA Labor was behind the protest outside Zempilas’ campaign launch overnight.

In other news, the bushfire emergency warning that had been in place for parts of Langford and Beckenham, with residents in an area bounded by Kenwick Link, Roe Highway, Spencer Road and Nicholson Road has now been downgraded.

Back to the election trail now, where the Liberals have made two major commitments today.

Liberal leader Libby Mettam has matched Labor’s commitment to upgrade Warwick Stadium in the must win seat of Kingsley where candidate Scott Edwardes is trying to unseat Labor rising star Jessica Stojkovski.

Earlier today Mettam also committed $24 million for a chemo at home service.

Mettam said hospital-based chemotherapy costs about $1200 per treatment whereas home-based services can provide the same treatment for about $735, which represents a saving of $500,000 per 1000 treatments.

“This is about providing a more efficient service,” she said.

“This is about cutting administration costs, reducing the risk of revision as well as infection control.

“This program has been incredibly successful in other states, with New South Wales recently investing an additional $31.4 million to treat nearly 9,000 patients a year from the comfort of their home.”

Mettam has been honing her focus on health this week, accusing Labor of leaving the hospital system in a mess with ballooning elective surgery wait times and record high ambulance ramping.

“Today it’s about delivering better healthcare for Western Australians and addressing the mismanagement we’re seeing in our hospital system,” she said.

Missed out on all the election action?

You can check out the four major parties’ largest commitments and what they want to do with your hard-earned taxpayer dollars using our election promise tracker.

To some breaking news now, and Perth lord mayor-turned-Liberal candidate Basil Zempilas has been ordered to issue a public apology after using his council-linked social media profile to campaign for higher office in breach of local government rules.

WAtoday can reveal the order was handed down by the Local Government Standards Panel just hours before Zempilas’ campaign launch in Churchlands on Tuesday and obtained by this masthead – a leak he intends to refer to the state’s Corruption and Crime Commission.

Perth lord mayor-turned-Liberal candidate Basil Zempilas.Credit: Cameron Myles

The panel directed the media personality to make a formal apology at the next City of Perth council meeting after ruling he had committed a minor breach of the Local Government Act by improperly using his “Lord Mayor of Perth” Facebook page to advertise his Liberal candidacy.

The judgment leaked to this masthead made reference to a separate complaint received by the panel concerning the same conduct, which it concluded also warranted an apology.

The local government adjudicator found Zempilas failed to maintain a clear division between his status as lord mayor and as a Liberal candidate and party spokesperson by having both roles listed on his social media profile, which also constituted a breach of the city’s code of conduct.

His profile also featured a link to a website dedicated to his Liberal candidacy, which allowed visitors to register to volunteer and make donations to his political campaign.

Click here to read the full story.

You know we always love a bit of good news here to break up the doom and gloom, and we’re sure readers who were closely following Perth Zoo elephant Permai’s journey east to her new home last week will be thrilled to have another update from the biggest of big moves.

Perth Zoo reports that after a few days adjusting to her new surroundings at the Monarto Safari Park, Permai was captured on CCTV settling down for a good, long rest in her new elephant barn.

Forget a cat-nap, how about an elephant nap? Permai takes a big rest after a long journey.

Say it with us, now: awww.

It’s an important update, because it shows Permai is starting to feel most comfortable in her new environment.

Elephants can sleep standing up (isn’t that a novelty?) and Permai has been doing that over the past few days, but her carers are happy to see her settling down for a good rest.

There is a bushfire emergency warning in place for parts of Langford and Beckenham, with residents in an area bounded by Kenwick Link, Roe Highway, Spencer Road and Nicholson Road urged to flee.

“Homes north of Canning River are under threat by fire now,” a Department of Fire and Emergency Services alert warned.

“This includes Highbury Court, Hersey Place, Packer Street, Tahiti Cove and surrounding roads.”

What to do

• If the way is clear, leave now for a safer place. This may be with family or friends away from the area.

• Leave in a northerly direction if safe to do

• Do not wait and see, leaving at the last minute could put your life in danger.

• Take your emergency kit with you.

• If you become stuck in your car, park away from bushes, cover yourself with a woollen blanket, get onto the floor as the windows may break from the intense heat.

• Close all doors and windows and turn off evaporative air conditioners but keep water running through the system if possible.

• If you cannot leave, you need to get ready to shelter in your home.

• You must shelter before the fire arrives, as the extreme heat will kill you before the flames reach you.

• Go to a room in your home where you can shelter from the approaching fire.

• The room should have running water, such as a kitchen or laundry, and have a clear exit so you can easily escape.

• If you are not at home, it is too dangerous to return.

For the most up-to-date information, visit Emergency WA, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Facebook, listen to ABC Local Radio, 6PR, or news bulletins.

More information is coming out of the trial of WA soccer star Sam Kerr in the UK, with the court hearing the Matildas captain met with police the night after a drunken altercation two years ago to apologise for her behaviour and explain that she had feared for her life during the taxi driver journey which led her there.

The Australian soccer star’s criminal trial at Kingston Crown Court was played a 15-minute interview between Kerr and an officer where she was quizzed why she had allegedly racially abused Constable Stephen Lovell and caused £900 ($1796) damage to a taxi.

Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr arrives at Kingston Crown Court on Monday.Credit: AP

Kerr, 31, pleaded not guilty to a charge of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer on January 30, 2023, accepting she made the comments but denying the comments amounted to the charge.

In the interview the following day, Kerr told the officer in charge that “I shouldn’t have been so front-footed” but “in that moment I was feeling very, very threatened because of one: how I was being treated, and two: for my life in that car”

Listen to four things Sam Kerr told police after her drunken altercation here.

As we mentioned earlier, the writs for the March election are being issued today, which means it’s the official start of the campaign for WA’s parties.

Basil Zempilas, Perth Lord Mayor and Liberal candidate for Churchlands, held his campaign launch last night, where it has been revealed a silent protest outside was a WA Labor operation.

Zempilas lambasted the Labor government for spending “$13 billion on a train line” – a jab over the cost blowouts and expanding scope of the party’s flagship Metronet program.

Basil Zempilas addresses the party faithful at his campaign launch.Credit: 9News Perth

“Western Australia, as Libby [Mettam] says repeatedly, has experienced the biggest boom in our history,” he told the crowd at the Cambridge Bowling Club.

“But the Labor government has squandered it because their priorities are not right.

“Thirteen billion dollars: What could that have done for our hospitals? What could that have done to improve our schools and education [system]? What could that have done for our nurses in the health system and our hospitals themselves?”

Mettam painted the upcoming election as one of contrasts.

“I will put my candidates on the ground up against [Labor’s] failed ministers any day of the week,” she said.

The campaign launch was not without fireworks – albeit silent ones – as noiseless protesters stood outside the venue with placards reading, “Basil Zempilas shut down a women’s shelter”, and, “Who paid for your secret polling, Basil?”.

Protesters outside the venue on Tuesday night.Credit: 9News Perth

The jabs were in reference to Zempilas’ involvement in the closure of a women’s safe night space in his role as Perth lord mayor, and the polling fiasco at the end of last year which spurred a failed leadership coup within the Liberals.

At a press conference on Wednesday morning, WA Premier Roger Cook revealed the protest was a WA Labor operation but that he did not sanction it and was unaware it was going to take place.

However, he said he endorsed it.

“I endorse anyone that’s going to hold Basil Zempilas to account for his past actions,” he said.

“This is an election campaign, there will be a bit of rough and tumble. We’ve already seen Basil Zempilas working tirelessly to attack our candidate in Lansdale [Daniel Pastorelli]. So you know, he can give it, but he can’t take it. The guy’s got a glass jaw.”

Inside Zempilas said Labor has not respected WA, him or the City of Perth.

“They haven’t respected the people of Churchlands but under Libby’s leadership, respect, that fundamental Liberal Party value goes right back to the top conducting ourselves with dignity at every opportunity,” he said.

To breaking crime news now, and police have charged two men over antisemitic graffiti sprayed across Nedlands, Dianella and Dalkeith at the weekend.

A swastika and a series of slurs were spray-painted on homes, bus stops and signs between 6.30pm on Saturday and 7.30am on Sunday.

Antisemitic graffiti in the Perth suburb of Dalkeith is covered up on Sunday.Credit: 9News Perth

WA Police set up a taskforce, led by the State Security Investigation Group, and searched two homes in Dianella and Beechboro, leading to the arrest of two 27-year-old men.

Both men have been charged with criminal damage in circumstances of racial aggravation and are set to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

A WA Police spokeswoman said the force would not allow “vile acts of hatred and racism to go unchecked”, and dedicated patrols had been targeting prominent locations visited by members of Perth’s Jewish community since December.

“This swift outcome should send a clear message to anyone engaging in this kind of behaviour. We will find you, and you will be put before the courts to face the consequences of your actions,” the spokeswoman said.

“We will continue to work with Jewish community leaders to ensure they feel our support.”

Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Premier Roger Cook said the WA government condemned the antisemitic attacks and vowed to hold to account anyone involved in the “cowardly acts” which he said were designed to sow division, hatred and fear in the community.

“We will not stand by and allow this corrosive behaviour to undermine people’s sense of peace and security in Western Australia,” Cook said.

“Our WA Police have the best resources in the country. To anyone that thinks you can get away with these vile and cowardly acts, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will be held to account.”

If you noticed the commute was a bit busier this morning, that might be because close to half a million students officially started the school year.

The first bell of term 1, 2025 has rung for a record 498,700 students and more than 62,000 teachers from kindergarten to year 12 across the public and non-government schools.

This includes 326,600 students in the public system and 172,100 students in the non-government sector.

More than 303 graduates and 60 overseas teachers will take up their first teaching jobs in public schools across WA.

WA Labor has taken the first day back as an opportunity to announce a raft of new funding commitments ahead of the upcoming election.

The proposed $745 million funding injection is for 11 new public primary and secondary schools and upgrades at older schools.

Four new primary schools – Treeby East Primary School, Eglinton North Primary School, Yanchep East Primary School and Vasse West Primary School – would open in 2028.

The new Brabham Senior High School would also open in 2029.

A further two future secondary schools at Alkimos North and Dawesville and four primary schools at Anketell, Mount Lawley West, Byford North and Brabham South were also included in the funding.

Schools set to receive more than $20 million for redevelopments

• North Albany Senior High School – $22 million
• Champion Bay Senior High School – $23.5 million
• Karrinyup Primary School – $27.5 million
• Hampton Senior High School – $25 million
• Kinross College – $30 million
• Ocean Reef Senior High School – $30 million

Former West Coast Eagles star Adam Hunter, a key member of the club’s 2006 AFL premiership team, has died aged 43.

He was found dead early on Wednesday morning in Bunbury, south of Perth.

Daniel Chick and Adam Hunter (right) at the 2006 AFL grand final. Credit: The Age

Hunter played 151 games for the Eagles over a decade-long AFL career from 2000-09, before injuries led to his premature retirement.

Hunter kicked a career-best 29 goals in 2006, including a crucial major in the final stages of that year’s epic grand final battle against Sydney.

His iconic celebration was etched in Eagles folklore as they gained revenge on the Swans for their defeat in the previous year’s decider.

West Coast led tributes to Hunter on social media on Wednesday.

“We are devastated by the loss of 2006 Premiership Eagle Adam Hunter,” the club posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Our thoughts are with his family, teammates and friends.”

Hunter’s death continues a tragic week for the AFL, after former Brisbane Lions player Troy Selwood and Essendon VFL coach Dale Tapping both died on Tuesday.

Selwood’s twin brother Adam was a teammate of Hunter’s at West Coast.

Hunter battled legal issues after his AFL career and was fined $400 for possessing cocaine when stopped by West Australian police in 2014.

Lifeline 13 11 14. Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.

AAP