The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) says it is hopeful regional councils which lost a combined $20 million in previously allocated funds will be given a State Government reprieve.

A Collingwood footballer admitted to police hours after his arrest that he punched a man out of 'anger' following an earlier altercation outside a nightclub. The trial of Magpies defender Marley Williams in the District Court in his home town of Albany, on WA's South Coast, was this morning played the accused's initial interview with police. Williams is charged with grievous bodily harm, after punching then 29-year-old Matthew Robertson outside the Studio 146 nightclub in December 2012.

The Shire of Kojonup says its hopes of seeing a new medical centre built in the town could be revived if a State Government grant is reinstated.

Footballer Marley William's claim he acted in self defence when he punched another man is a "fantasy", the prosecution in his trial says. Mr Williams admits to punching then 29-year-old Matthew Robertson in the face outside the Studio 146 nightclub in the south coastal town of Albany, the Magpies defender's home town. He gave evidence on Wednesday and today, saying Mr Robertson and two other men had previously attacked him inside the club and he feared being 'beaten up' again outside.

How much training would you expect a soldier to receive before being sent to the frontline in the theatre of war?

WA grain growers are being told they must take the initiative to market their own grain if the industry is to survive.

The Shire of Manjimup's chief executive officer, Jeremy Hubble, has resigned from after eight years in the job.

Police have charged three people with drug offences after raids on several properties across Albany.

Supporters of wind farms are urging state and federal governments to back the use of the renewable energy source, after an official review of evidence found a lack of support for claims of health effects.

A regional business lobby group says the Federal Government should recognise how important skilled foreign worker visas are in country areas.

A $42 million upgrade of Albany's sporting facilities is a step closer, after the city council ratified plans for the precinct.

A Denmark man has pleaded guilty to more than 50 charges relating to filming, or attempting to film, his teenage step-daughter.

Several accommodation providers in Albany have expressed frustration at delays in finalising plans for the city's Anzac centenary commemorations.

An illness is rarely something that saves a life, but in the case of Tom Sharp, that is what is likely to have happened.

A parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme wants to hear your experiences with the initiative.

A group of West Australian farmers is planning a class action in the federal court after their lenders shortened the length of their loans, in some cases, from 25 years to just 12 months.

Tristan was a kind and gentle 23-year-old surfer from Byron Bay. One night he suffered a drug-induced psychotic episode. And ended up driven to hospital in a small steel cage. Police say it is probably the worst place he could be. Tristan later died in hospital. Mario Christodoulou investigates the series of tragic events that led to Tristan's death that raise questions about how emergency services treat young drug-affected people in New South Wales.

Two terrifying incidents involving convicted extremists took place in London last year. The first, the London Bridge attack, left two people dead. Nine weeks later, in Streatham, two passersby were stabbed on the street. Both cases occurred after the perpetrators had failed to be rehabilitated in prison. So how effective are the UK's schemes for de-radicalising offenders? The BBC's File on 4 investigates where it is time for a radical overhaul of the way England treats extremists. For copyright reasons there will be no podcast or streaming of this program.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing pain and suffering the world over, but then there are always those who never let a good crisis go to waste. Some are benefiting from COVID-19 for legitimate reasons: just think of companies that make video conferencing apps, ventilators, or canny investors. But there are also more nefarious players looking to bank a win off the back of coronavirus fear and confusion: scam artists, fraudsters, counterfeiters. This week, Geoff Thompson, Mario Christodoulou, Meghna Bali and Kat Gregory investigate who's winning in these turbulent times and how.

People experiencing homelessness are being moved from the street and shelters into four-star hotels. The radical plan is meant to protect them from the pandemic and it's temporary. But as Hagar Cohen discovers, there are questions about what happens once the virus crisis is over.

Coolah and Dunedoo are neighbouring towns, both with no visible Aboriginal community, and the reason why is complex with reports of massacres, movements and missing pieces of history.

Wild donkeys are known as environmental pests in Australia, causing erosion and damaging vegetation, but there is growing interest in turning that pest into a profit.

How the Wiradjuri people, indigenous to the Central West of New South Wales, survived European settlement.

Thousands of fish which became trapped in a NSW pond after flooding in 2016 have been returned to the Macquarie River after a painstaking effort to keep them alive.

Shearers, labourers, chefs, farmers and lifeguards are among the workers who push through the heatwave.

A peaceful paradise known for its iconic pine trees and spectacular coastline, Norfolk Island is riddled with political tension and simmering social unrest.

It's hard to imagine a subtropical island struggling with drought, but Norfolk Island has had only 12mm of rain all summer and dams and water tanks are running dry.

Perched 1,600 kilometres east of Brisbane, a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean hosts a landscape resembling a desert scene from the NT.

Lucy Moss's boutique in Coonamble is bursting with colour, and her latest venture offers various shades of relief for drought-affected farmers.

Water is extensively treated before it's used for dialysis

Walgett residents Roslyn Wallace and Di Denis receive dialysis in the rural town

The drought could have major implications for life-saving medical procedures, such as dialysis with patients needing up to 4,000 litres each week for treatment.

Flamboyant fascinators and fedoras, once destined for fashion's grandest stages, help to overcome isolation and mental health issues in outback Australia.

When the local RSL in Coonamble in central west New South Wales found itself in debt to the tune of $500,000, it was feared nothing could be done.

The Federal Government has handed Norfolk Island a lifeline to save its tourism industry, but locals have railed against their offering saying it could turn tourists away.

This state-of-the-art shearing shed hopes to attract and retain good shearers in a safe environment.

Thousands head to the tiny New South Wales town of Louth for a dusty race weekend amid the ongoing dry.

Uschi Rowlands grows gourmet mushrooms in Mudgee, NSW, August 2019.