Western Australia's s Minister for Agriculture and Food will have an opportunity to sign up to the long-awaited federal farm finance package this week.

The City of Albany has chosen to hold an extraordinary election in February, to fill the vacancy created after the sudden resignation of the former deputy mayor.

The Albany Port Authority believes slow trade so far this financial year will be short-lived.

Consumer Protection is urging people to look beyond the price tag when shopping online this Christmas.

A former West Australian Football League player, charged with assaulting another player during a country match, has had the charge against him dropped in a Narrogin court.

Officials involved in the construction of Katanning's new sheep saleyards say the first sale at the facility will have to be pushed back to next autumn due to project delays.

Real estate agents say Albany's rental market has tightened significantly in recent times.

The AFL has announced it will hold a number of community camps in regional Western Australia next year.

The PGA says food security should not be the focus in the planned national review of agriculture with the country exporting surpluses every year.

The receivers of the collapsed Rare Coin Company say the return of stock, owned by customers caught up in the company's demise, will not begin until next year.

A new strategy to reduce fatal shark attacks is being implemented with baited drum lines to be set along popular beaches in Perth and the South West. Sharks will also be caught and killed if they enter zones near those beaches because they will be considered an imminent threat. The measures follow six fatal attacks by sharks in WA in two years. Opponents say sharks deserve respect and protection.

The Police Commissioner has paid tribute to a senior Walpole policeman as an "outstanding officer" after he won WA's Police Officer of the Year Award.

I'm inspired by our local farmers, community spirit, agricultural knowledge and leadership.

The Department of Fisheries has released the results of a survey of WA's recreational fishing take, which has found the blue swimmer crab is the most commonly caught species.

The public will soon have an opportunity to comment on new guidelines being developed for companies who want to use fracking to access gas deposits in Western Australia.

The plan to set out bait for large sharks near popular WA beaches has been criticised over concerns it could attract them into swimming areas, but others back the move.

The state Opposition Leader Mark McGowan has labelled as "out of control" fee increases for TAFE courses from next year. The Government flagged the increases months ago but the new fees were only published yesterday. Mr McGowan says the cost of a Diploma of Nursing will rise 390 per cent next year. He says the increases will result in fewer people enrolling and lead to skills shortages.

This week on backyard farmer, we go in search of the best grub from the bush with the help of a local Noongar man.

A storybook that celebrates and shares experiences from the Goldfields, Esperance and Great Southern regions was launched on Tuesday.

The charity food provider, Foodbank, says there has been a big increase in middle class people seeking help in regional WA this holiday period.

The latest survey of the cost of living in regional WA has shown a significant drop in living costs in the state's north. The State Government assesses the cost of 500 goods and services in 27 regional centres as part of the Regional Price Index every second year.

A hoax claiming the Church of Scientology was planning a nine-storey development at an iconic Albany site in WA's South Coast has infuriated local authorities.

Travel back through time with us and take a look at 2013 in the South Coast and Great Southern.

Thieves have caused significant damage to a shopping centre while trying to steal an automatic teller machine in Albany.

A bobcat was used to ram an ATM at an Albany shopping centre.

Demand on accommodation pushes tourists out from hotspots

Nationals MP Wendy Duncan says the State Government is paying the price for the shortage of doctors in regional Western Australia. She says the Commonwealth should fund efforts to attract doctors to regional areas.

The mercury is set to tip over the forty degree mark for many parts of WA this weekend, and it's important to know how the heat can affect your body.

Pledging to quit smoking, lose weight and get fit is pretty popular on New Years' Eve, so why do many people fail?

Police in Albany are investigating an aggravated burglary on Saturday afternoon.

Like sex and birth, death has always been hushed up. Death Cafes are a forum where there are no answers, only questions, says Sigari Luckwell of Bunbury.

The Denmark Shire is proposing a plan to replace the leases at a popular holiday spot with more traditional ownership rights.