Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Archive for April, 2024
Man denies assault of cable-tied Indigenous children
A man accused of aggravated assault after a video went viral of three young Aboriginal children cable-tied at a home in Broome has denied the charges. April 29, 2024 A man accused of racially aggravated assault after he allegedly restrained three young Indigenous children with cable ties has pleaded not guilty. Matej Radelic, 45, appeared […]
Drought could be ‘nail in the coffin’ for some WA farms
A prolonged drought, soaring livestock production costs and uncertainty about the future of the live export trade could force some farmers off the land. April 28, 2024 Record-breaking drought conditions, soaring feed costs and plummeting confidence in the livestock export industry could be the “nail in the coffin” for many Western Australian farmers. Large parts […]
Whale found at WA beach after mass stranding nearby
Authorities say a stranded pilot whale has been found at a beach 14km from the area where 160 whales beached themselves a day earlier. April 26, 2024 A stranded pilot whale has been found at a beach in Western Australia’s southwest near the location of a mass stranding a day earlier that left dozens dead. […]
WA targets family violence with $96.4m funding package
Western Australia will allocate $96.4 million in its upcoming budget to boost the safety and support of victim-survivors of family and domestic violence. April 26, 2024 Western Australia will spend $96.4 million to bolster the safety and support of victim-survivors of family and domestic violence. The state government funding, to be included in May’s budget, will […]
Woodside shareholders reject climate plan
Woodside Energy shareholders have re-elected chairman Richard Goyder but rejected the company’s climate plan in a raucous four-hour meeting. April 24, 2024 Climate activists have invaded Woodside Energy’s annual general meeting, shouting out the names of the children of its leadership while accusing the company of “killing kids” through its gas projects. Police were called […]
Rinehart’s children lose fight for sensitive documents
A judge has criticised John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart over their failed legal bid against their mother, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, to access documents. April 23, 2024 Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart’s two eldest children went over the top in their failed bid to access legally sensitive documents in the battle against their mother for iron […]
Thousands of WA teachers set to stop work over wages
West Australian public schools are expected to close or partially close amid a teachers’ strike to protest against the state government’s latest pay offer. April 23, 2024 More than 80 public schools across Western Australia are expected to close or partially close as thousands of teachers walk off the job over their pay and conditions […]
‘Unimaginable’: three brothers, friend die in car crash
Four people, including three brothers, are among four people killed in a car accident tragedy on a country road. April 19, 2024 Three brothers, one of them only nine years old, and a family friend have been killed in a car crash in the Western Australian Wheatbelt region. The brothers, aged 21, 19 and nine, […]
Public housing tenants fight to end no-grounds eviction
Two Supreme Court legal challenges in Western Australia could end no-grounds evictions for public housing tenants. April 19, 2024 Two Indigenous public housing tenants facing homelessness have launched legal challenges against the Western Australian government over their evictions. Lawyers for the pair will argue the Department of Communities’ use of no-grounds evictions and fixed-term public […]
Family forced through ‘hoop after hoop’ over boy’s care
A government department failed to support the family of a 10-year-old Indigenous boy before he fatally self-harmed under state care, an advocate says. April 18, 2024 The parents of a 10-year-old boy who took his own life in state care were made to jump through “hoop after hoop” in their failed bid to be reunited, […]
Lehrmann finding debunks cover-up claim, Senator says
Senator Linda Reynolds claims the Lehrmann defamation judgement has “finally set the record straight” over claims she attempted to cover up a rape allegation. April 17, 2024 The Bruce Lehrmann defamation judgement has “set the record straight” on claims of a political cover-up over the alleged rape of a Liberal staffer in 2019, a senator […]
Coles and Woolworths work to restock WA supermarkets
The supermarket giants say they’re working hard to replenish bare shelves in WA but some grocery items will remain in short supply for at least another week. April 17, 2024 Some grocery items will remain in short supply in Western Australia for at least another week, as supermarkets work to replenish shelves after a rail […]
Coroner puts justice department on notice over inquest
The coroner overseeing an inquest for an Indigenous teen who died in detention wants answers from the justice department. April 12, 2024 A coroner has expressed alarm over the “unlivable, disgusting and inhumane” cells in a prison wing where a teenager died after self-harming. Cleveland Dodd was found unresponsive in the early hours of October […]
‘Self-harm points’ in every youth cell, inquest hears
All cells in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison had points that inmates could use to harm themselves, an inquest has been told. April 12, 2024 Every cell in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison had damage that detainees could have used to inflict injuries on themselves, an inquest has been […]
Facebook-Twiggy Australian clickbait battle dropped
Andrew Forrest’s attempt to hold Facebook to account has been dropped as prosecutors decline to file a criminal indictment against its parent company Meta. April 12, 2024 Billionaire Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest’s bid to hold Facebook’s parent company Meta to account in Australia over an alleged clickbait advertising scam has been stymied. The mining magnate launched […]
Facebook-Twiggy clickbait battle returns to court
Andrew Forrest has accused Facebook’s parent company of “blatantly” refusing to moderate fraudulent content as their legal battle returns to court. April 12, 2024 The future of a legal battle that pits Facebook’s parent company Meta against billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest over an alleged cryptocurrency clickbait advertising scam is set to be decided. The mining […]
Tragic death inevitable in prison youth wing: nurse
A nurse who tried saving Cleveland Dodd from self-inflicted injuries has told an inquest a tragedy was inevitable in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison. April 11, 2024 A nurse who fought to save the life of an Indigenous teen after he harmed himself in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison has told […]
Jailed kids denied medication if violent, inquest told
A coronial inquest for an Indigenous teen who harmed himself in an adult’s youth wing has been told that staff denied detainees medication if they were violent. April 11, 2024 Correctional staff withheld medication from youth detainees if they had assaulted staff, an inquest into an Indigenous teen who harmed himself in the troubled wing […]
“Inhumane and disgusting’ Unit 18 youth detention
The youth wing of an adult prison where a teenager fatally harmed himself has been described as a “war zone” by a nurse who worked there. April 10, 2024 A nurse who tried to save an Indigenous teen after he harmed himself in the youth wing of an adult prison has told an inquest the unit was […]
Unit 18 ‘inhumane’ and a ‘war zone’ before teen’s death
Conditions inside a youth wing of an adult prison where a teenager fatally harmed himself have been described by a nurse who worked there as a “war zone”. April 10, 2024 A nurse who tried to save an Indigenous teen after harmed himself in the youth wing of an adult prison has told an inquest […]
Senior officer when teen harmed breached lawful order
An officer overseeing an adult prison’s youth wing the night an Indigenous teenager fatally harmed himself had breached a lawful order but remained on duty. April 9. 2024 A senior officer in charge of a troubled youth wing in an adult prison on the night an Indigenous teenager fatally harmed himself had been found to […]
Junior prison staffer forced into senior officer role
A probationary correctional worker has told an inquest that she was coerced into working as a senior officer in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison. April 9, 2024 A probationary corrections worker had to fill in as the senior officer in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison where an Indigenous teenager […]
Probationary guard worked as Unit 18 senior officer
A probationary correctional worker has told an inquest that she was coerced into working as a senior officer in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison. April 9, 2024 A probationary corrections worker had to fill in as the senior officer in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison where an Indigenous teenager […]
Indigenous teen’s death in detention avoidable: guard
The guard who found a teen with a self-inflicted injury in an adult prison’s youth wing has told an inquest the death was tragic and could have been avoided. April 8, 2024 An Indigenous teen’s death after he harmed himself in detention was a preventable tragedy, the corrections officer who found him in his cell has told […]