As it happened: WA news on Wednesday, May 22

It’s been a busy day. Did you manage to keep up? If not, here’s a quick breakdown of today’s top stories.

We started the day with news that a Perth man had been hospitalised with broken bones after an alleged road rage incident in Dianella overnight.

We took you inside the Australian Financial Review Mining Summit, where Premier Roger Cook warned BHP not to forget where it made most of its money when considering the future of its WA nickel operation.

In federal politics, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton doubled down on his opposition to the $14 billion worth of tax breaks for hydrogen and critical minerals projects, which has been denounced as “anti-WA”.

And we brought you some figures from WA budget estimates that piqued our interest, specifically that the state government was struggling to fill one-in-10 roles in its child protection workforce.

Pro-Palestinian student protesters took over the campus’ engineering building in an escalation of an ongoing dispute with the university over its alleged ties with weapons and technology companies that arm Israel.

We gave you a sneak peek at the concept designs for Westbridge’s $78 million apartment complex plan, which will see Subiaco’s treasured Regal Theatre given a refresh.

The Waalitj Marawar (West Coast Eagles) football club revealed their forward Tyler Brockman would be participating in a wellbeing and education program after being charged over alleged careless driving at the weekend.

Two men were charged with murder after a major probe into the death of a woman in an Ascot Hotel room back in February.

And, this afternoon, we broke the news that the Cook government will announce a new law tomorrow giving WA Police sweeping powers to search people for knives in public.

Thank you for joining us. See you tomorrow!

Back to politics now, and WAtoday and Nine News Perth reporter Michael Genovese reports that the Cook government will tomorrow announce its own version of “Jack’s Law”, giving WA Police sweeping powers to search people for knives in public.

WAtoday understands the laws will be modelled on Queensland legislation – introduced following the stabbing death of 19-year-old Jack Beasley on the Gold Coast in 2019 – and will allow officers to use metal detecting wands in designated areas including entertainment precincts, train stations and shopping centres.

WA Attorney-General John Quigley; Jack Beasley; and weapons seized in Queensland under the law.Credit: WAtoday

The New South Wales government announced last week it was adopting its own anti-knife legislation in the wake of the Bondi Junction massacre and a church stabbing in Western Sydney.

In April, Premier Roger Cook tasked Attorney-General John Quigley with preparing a brief for cabinet ministers on whether Jack’s Law would work in WA.

Read the exclusive story here.

Breaking police news now, and two men have been charged with murder after an investigation by police into the death of a woman in an Ascot Hotel room.

Police have charged a 28-year-old Joondalup man and a 24-year-old Baldivis man with murder over the incident from February.

St John Ambulance was called to the hotel on Great Eastern Highway “responding to a report of an unresponsive woman in one of the hotel rooms” about 11.20am on Sunday, February 4.

“Upon arrival, the woman was confirmed to be deceased,” a police spokeswoman said.

The woman was 42 years old. The Joondalup man and Baldivis man will go before the courts on May 29 and June 6, respectively.

To Curtin University, where pro-Palestinian student protesters have taken over the campus’ engineering building, urging the university to cut alleged ties with weapons and technology companies that arm Israel.

The protesters marched on the building and renamed it “Najwa’s Pavilion” after a young girl in Gaza who had reached out to the Curtin Gaza encampment, which was set up at the start of the month, mirroring similar campsite protests at universities across the nation.

Students for Palestine protesters take over the engineering building at Curtin University on Wednesday. Credit: Instagram

Ahead of Wednesday’s protest, Erin Russell from Students for Palestine WA claimed the Curtin vice chancellor had refused to address the group publicly.

“We will be protesting to say that this is not good enough, we demand more, and we are willing to escalate,” she said.

Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at university campuses across Australia, modelled on similar protests in the United States and elsewhere overseas, calling for the end to Israel’s war in Gaza and urging western governments and institutions cut ties with the nation.

However, tensions are rising, with the University of Melbourne on Monday warning protesters occupying a building on its Parkville campus that police would be called and students may be expelled if they did not pack up their encampment.

La Trobe University has also announced it will begin misconduct proceedings against students still camping at its Bundoora campus after ordering last Friday that they leave.

In a statement, a Curtin spokesperson said the university was “extremely disappointed”:

Curtin’s first priority is the health and safety of our students and staff.

We are extremely disappointed at today’s escalation of protest activities by a small group from the Bentley encampment.

Since the beginning of this protest, Curtin has repeatedly advised the protestors that only peaceful and lawful activities that did not disrupt University life for students and staff would be tolerated.

Today’s move inside our buildings was an unacceptable breach. Curtin supports freedom of speech and discourse, but only when it is civil and respectful of others.

We urge all staff and students to consider how their words and actions may impact others.

As always, we are prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our community members and will continue to update them.

To WA budget estimates now, where Child Protection Minister Sabine Winton has revealed the state is struggling to fill one-in-10 roles in its child protection workforce.

After fielding questions from Carnarvon-based Liberal MP Merome Beard, Winton confirmed the statewide vacancy rate for departmental staff was 10 per cent as of March 31.

Child Protection Minister Sabine Winton.Credit: Hamish Hastie

The stubborn staff shortage was far worse in far-flung corners of the state, with the regional vacancy rate reaching 13 per cent, compared with 9 per cent in metropolitan Perth.

Winton insisted the state government was working hard to attract new staff and retain those already on the books, including through working with universities and leveraging financial incentives.

And that included initiatives like the $3.7 million Child Protection Regional Workforce Attraction and Retention program announced in June 2023, which provided for cash bonuses of up to $13,000 for eligible staff.

“It is a key priority and something I discuss with the [Department of Communities] on a weekly basis to, wherever possible, drive down the vacancies,” she told parliament.

“We know [child protection staff] are a critical part of the community.”

To Opposition Leader Peter Dutton who is in Perth and has doubled down on his opposition to the $14 billion worth of tax breaks for hydrogen and critical minerals projects.

The breaks were revealed in the Albanese government’s budget last week and have been resoundingly welcomed by the state’s resources sector and the state Liberal party, but were rubbished as “billions for billionaires” by Dutton.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

Both federal and state Labor have denounced that position as “anti-WA”.

Dutton said the state’s powerful resources sector could count on the coalition to support mining in other areas.

“There are so many attacks on the mining sector and when Chris Bowen and Tanya Plibersek speak on the East Coast, they’re dead against gas, they are dead against iron ore and they are dead against mining in this country,” he said.

Meanwhile, at the Australian Financial Review’s Mining Summit in Perth, Premier Roger Cook renewed his attacks on the opposition leader.

“Peter Dutton is unashamedly targeting outer suburbs in major cities in Australia, and he believes that to bash billionaires somehow garners support,” he said.

“The fact of the matter is that in WA, people who live in those outer suburbs work in the resources industry and in many cases work for those billionaires.”

Turning now to the Australian Financial Review Mining Summit being held in WA, and Premier Roger Cook has warned Australia’s biggest company not to forget where it makes most of its money when considering the future of its nickel operation in the state.

“BHP should reflect on this, everyone understands that WA has played a key role in building the company that it is today,” Cook told those at the summit on Wednesday.

Cook said the support of WA governments and the community had been a key part of BHP becoming a global company.Credit: Trevor Collens

BHP employs more than 3000 people mining and processing nickel in Kalgoorlie, Kambalda and Kwinana and is considering their future in the wake of a crash in nickel prices due to surging cheap production from Indonesia.

The $235 billion Melbourne-headquartered company received more than $37 billion in revenue last financial year from selling Pilbara iron ore that is owned by the WA government.

Cook said the support of the WA government and the community had been a key part of BHP becoming a global company.

“So I hope BHP reflect on that when they consider whether they’ll turn their back on WA in relation to the nickel industry,” he said.

In April the miner said it would announce the future of its Nickel West decision by August.

Specialist divers and number of other police resources are travelling to Geraldton to help search for a missing man, after a pair of his shorts washed up on a local beach.

Brenton Shar.Credit: WA Police

Brenton Shar is 37-years-old and was last seen at his home in Rangeway on May 1.

A pair of shorts believed to belong to Shar were recently found near the groin area of Midalia Beach in Beresford.

He is described as 179 centimetres tall, medium build with brown eyes and short brown hair.

Anyone with information in relation to his whereabouts is urged to contact police on 131 444.

Police will be holding a press conference later this afternoon – stay tuned for any updated information.

WAtoday has previously reported on the state’s dying forests, with scientists comparing the collapse to a coral bleaching event.

Now, researchers at the University of Western Australia have issued an urgent call for public help in assessing the damage caused by the state’s hot, record-shattering summer.

The university’s Centre for Water and Spatial Science is measuring the impact of the extreme conditions on Perth’s trees to learn about their vulnerability, resilience and what can help them survive.

Project leader Associate Professor Sally Thompson said the initiative involved combining remote sensing data with eyes on the ground.

Vegetation in WA is suffering, with mass plant death that some have likened to coral bleaching events.

We’re inviting residents in the Perth metro area to visit their local bushland, park or streets to record both the healthy and less healthy trees they see.

Establishing the approximate percentage of tree canopy that is healthy, bare or has dead leaves, as well as the tree’s location, will help us identify tree health to use with other spatial data to form a picture of what is happening.”

Those wanting to help can record data online.

The Waalitj Marawar (West Coast Eagles) football club has just released a statement, revealing their forward Tyler Brockman will be participating in a wellbeing and education program after being charged over alleged careless driving at the weekend.

The 21-year-old player was stood down from his role in the club after he allegedly drove into a lamp post in Wandina, south of Geraldton, before fleeing the scene on foot.

West Coast player Tyler Brockman.Credit: Getty Images

The club says the incident occurred after a family funeral. Brockman will be gradually re-integrated back into games, joining the WAFL Eagles against Claremont on Saturday.

“Tyler has taken some steps forward since that incident and the support and education programs will be ongoing,” football general manager Gavin Bell said.

“While he will be available to play in the WAFL this weekend he will not be considered for AFL selection until after the bye.

“The charges he faces are serious and we are disappointed that he has placed himself in this situation.”

The club also released some comments from Brockman, which you can read below.

I would like to apologise for my actions. I accept I have to make some changes to meet AFL standards on and off the field.

I look forward to working on the things I need to so I can return to playing football.