We are re-opening the blog briefly to keep you updated for commuter delays for those using the Mandurah line this evening.

Following a crash on the Kwinana Freeway, Transperth has closed the Mandurah line between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove with replacement buses now running.

The incident caused the Freeway to be closed between Armadale Road to Beeliar Drive southbound around 2pm after a truck and car collided near the Cockburn train station.

A St John ambulance took the driver of the car — a female in her 60s — to Royal Perth Hospital.

The freeway was reopened just before 3pm but is still reduced to a single lane.

The closure of the Mandurah line has caused chaos for some commuters and may have an impact on those planning to attend tonight’s AC/DC concert at Perth stadium.

We’re bringing our live blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us.

Here’s a recap of some of the day’s headlines:

• Albany has topped the state for property price growth as regional centres outpaced Perth for the September quarter of this year.

• The family of missing Mt Barker man Mark Adams have opened up on the devastating possibility that he has been lost at sea. Grave fears were held for Mr Adams after his boat was found drifting in the ocean off Albany.

• Around 200 naval personnel have returned to WA’s shores in time for Christmas following a three-month deployment covering almost 20,000 nautical miles throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
• WA’s Josh Inglis has been officially named in Australia’s Test squad to take on England in the second Ashes cricket match at the GABBA.
• Detectives have charged two people over a series of incidents from the past week in addition to a chase on Wednesday night.

• Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie says the Coalition’s immigration portfolio needs significant reform.

• Opposition leader Basil Zempilas has defended his party receiving 97 per cent of its election spend back from taxpayers under the new generous reimbursement scheme that saw Labor endowed with $5.5 million in public money.

Thank you again for tuning in today. We’ll see you back here tomorrow for more news you need to know.

Albany has topped the state for property price growth as regional centres outpaced Perth for the September quarter of this year.

According to the latest data from REIWA, all but one of the nine regional centres recorded growth at or above 2.3 per cent for the quarter compared to 2 per cent for the Greater Perth area.

According to the latest figures for the three-month period, Albany enjoyed 6.3 per cent growth for the quarter, to a median of $680,000, and is up 23.6 per cent over the past 12 months.

Geraldton recorded the highest 12-month increase in median house sale price at 27.9 per cent while Broome recorded the highest lift in rents with a staggering 41.7 per cent.

REIWA regional spokesperson Peta McKenzie said regional sales price growth was driven by first-home buyer demand.

“Buyer demand in Albany is extremely robust. Below the $700,000 price point the market is as strong as local agents can recall,” she said.

“Agents say growth is being driven by first home buyers and investors in the price bracket $500,000 to $700,000. Investors are still buying, but not as actively as last year.

“Across the regions agents are telling us a similar story. Listings are low; first home buyers from Perth and the local area are very active in the market; and multiple offers are pushing prices higher.

“The low listing stock is creating a sense of urgency for some buyers, who may have already missed out on one or two properties when trying to purchase.”

It’s the final Question Time of the year and the MPs are getting a little loopy.

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti has utilised one of her most intricate props yet in response to a Dorothy Dixer about the transport projects completed this year.

She brought in a home-made advent calendar complete with red and green panels she peeled off to reveal projects completed by Labor in 2025 like the Ellenbrook line and Scarborough Surf Cat.

Later, Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson derided the opposition for its stance on net zero, producing a mug with Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas’ face on it and the quote “only a mug” in reference to Zempilas’ comments last month that net zero was a factor in the Liberals’ massive election losses.

Around 200 naval personnel have returned to WA’s shores in time for Christmas following a three-month deployment covering almost 20,000 nautical miles throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

HMAS Ballarat docked at Garden Island after conducting engagements with 10 partner and allied navies across the region.

The ship and her crew also conducted several patrols through the South China Sea and trained alongside navies from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO said the ship’s company had represented Australia with professionalism and pride.

“I am immensely proud of the crew and the way they represented our nation as Australia’s ‘saltwater diplomats’,” he said.

“Deployments of this nature require significant commitment from our people and their loved ones.”

“We could not do what we do without the love and support of our families ashore, so I am pleased we could return them home safe and in time for Christmas.”

The Ballarat deployed with an MH-60R helicopter and around 200 crew.

The regional presence deployment was the nation’s fourth for 2025 following the Hobart, Sydney and Brisbane - the Navy’s three guided-missile destroyers.

In an update on a police pursuit through Perth’s northern suburbs last night, detectives have now charged two people over a series of incidents from the past week in addition to a chase last night.

Motorists were forced to swerve out the way as multiple police vehicles chased after a Mazda before the pursuit ended on Morley Drive about 9.30pm on Wednesday.

Police allege a man and a woman forced entry into a home in Inglewood and stole a Mazda CX5 on Friday November, 28. It is also alleged the pair used the vehicle in an aggravated burglary the following Monday morning where they entered a retail store and stole several high-value luxury items.

Last night police saw the vehicle with false number plates driving on Mitchell Freeway in Joondalup. Police allege the driver failed to stop after activating lights and sirens, and an evade police incident ensued.

In a statement, police said ground crews terminated the chase due to public safety concerns.

“However, the vehicle continued to be monitored by Police Air Wing and was tracked to Morley Drive and Tonkin Highway in Morley,” the statement read.

“A significant number of police resources were deployed to the area, with officers successfully deploying a tyre deflation device, bringing the vehicle to a stop and arresting a man and a woman.”

Neighbours told 9News Perth there was a heavy police presence as officers took evidence from the car, which had been left with smashed windows.

A 27-year-old woman from Como has been charged with four counts of stealing, three counts of endanger life, health or safety of a person, and individual charges for aggravated, burglary, stealing a motor vehicle, failure to comply with a direction to stop, reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, no authority to drive, driving with false plates and obstructing public officers.

A 36-year-old man from Como has been charged with six counts of stealing, three counts of endanger life, health or safety of a person, and individual charges for aggravated burglary, aggravated home burglary, gaining benefit by fraud, stealing a motor vehicle and driving recklessly, and obstructing public officers.

Following on from his earlier remarks on ISIS brides coming back to Australia, Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie says the Coalition’s immigration portfolio needs significant reform.

Hastie had been the party’s home affairs spokesperson but quit because he claimed he had been sidelined from developing the Coalition’s policy on immigration.

“Jonno Duniam as the home affairs shadow minister is a really safe set of hands. I think he’s right on [testing migrant values]. We do need to make sure that we’re getting the right people through,” Hastie told 2GB.

But he said he disagreed with shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg, who has argued migration cuts would not solve the housing crisis or skilled worker shortage.

“Andrew Bragg is okay to ventilate these views… I’m not going to pick a fight with a colleague on radio,” Hastie said.

“Suffice to say, I don’t agree with him, and I do think we need to take some fairly significant reforms to the immigration portfolio. If we get the settings right for the Australian people, to fix the congestion, to fix a whole range of issues that the numbers under Labor have caused particularly with our essential services.”