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The Kimberley Echo

East Kimberley prevention services officer Jacquelyn McCoy.

local award winPremiumJacquelyn McCoy wins Aboriginal Student of the Year award

Kununurra mental health worker Jacquelyn McCoy has been named Aboriginal Student of the Year at the Central Regional TAFE Awards, after completing her Diploma of Counselling

Cain Andrews

DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm and Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia.

Climate Change Experts meet in Broome tackling bushfire risks

Bushfire experts converged in Broome on Wednesday to meet with Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia as part of a national forum tackling fire threats across northern Australia

Natasha Clark

The Banned Drinkers Register is set to become permanent under new legislation. 

WA newsCommentsPremiumBanned Drinkers Register to be made permanent in north WA

The Banned Drinkers Register is set to become permanent in some northern regions of WA under new legislation.

Cain Andrews

Durack MHR Melissa Price.

Regional WAPrice slams NDIS reforms, warns of harm to Regional WA

Member for Durack Melissa Price has slammed upcoming changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, warning the reforms will hurt regional WA.

Natasha Clark

Looking out over Lake Argyle at sunrise.

WeatherChilly nights grip East Kimberley region

Scarves and jumpers have been making a rare appearance across the East Kimberley, as locals from Kununurra to Halls Creek have been waking up to some unusually crisp mornings.

Natasha Clark

The Ord River Magpies have reclaimed the top spot on the ladder after a late game comeback as East Kimberley Football League teams clashed for round nine at the weekend. (Pictured: Ord River Magpies after winning the 2024 EKFL grand final.)

Football PremiumMagies back on top after round nine

The Ord River Magpies have reclaimed the top spot on the ladder after a late comeback as East Kimberley Football League teams clashed for round nine at the weekend.

Cain Andrews

Former Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders has had his trial allocation delayed.

CrimePremiumFormer Broome Bishop’s court date pushed back a month

Former Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders has had a trial allocation hearing delayed by one month. 

Natasha Clark

Heartwood founder Alex Wilson pictured inside her store in Cottesloe.

STM wellnessWhere wellness takes root in Cottesloe

Heartwood is more than a natural beauty store, it’s the deeply personal creation of Alex Wilson, who turned a family legacy of sandalwood into a sanctuary for wellbeing.

Megan French

Kimberley Community Grants Scheme recipients.

Grassroots fundingPremiumGrassroots funded by grassroots

Grassroots funding has taken on a literal twist in the Kimberley, where 14 community groups have received $80,000 raised by selling hay grown with recycled water

Cain Andrews

Not Supplied

BREAKINGPremiumHuge update on murdered backpacker

Nearly 24 years after a British backpacker vanished in a remote part of the Northern Territory while travelling with his girlfriend, police have made a fresh plea.

Brendan Kearns and Alexandra Feiam

It was a little chilly on Town Beach last week.

WeatherCool nights grip the Kimberley, locals rug up

Broome locals have been adorning scarves and jackets over the past week to seek comfort from a noticeable dip in overnight temperatures, and it’s not just in their heads

Natasha Clark

Kununurra oval

Football PremiumHezekiah McCorry kicks seven for Crows against Crocs

Hezekiah McCorry kicked a massive seven goals for the Waringarri Crows as the side went up against the Port Wyndham Crocs in a match that went down to the wire at the weekend. 

Cain Andrews

Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna and Minister for the Kimberley Stephen Dawson announcing pensioner cards.

Budget PremiumKimberley’s big budget wins — but energy support ends

Kimberley Minister Stephen Dawson has described last Thursday’s State Budget as having “something for everyone” in the region, despite the scrapping of a key household energy credit and rising utility bills.

Natasha Clark

A renal centre for Halls Creek is one step closer, with land for the facility allocated on Welman Road.

Renal centrePremiumOptimism as land is secured for Halls Creek kidney centre

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services says plans to establish a renal facility in Halls Creek have passed a significant milestone with the shire voting to give land to the State Government for its construction.

Sarah Crawford

‘Winpurpurla (Bushtucker)’ by Imelda Yukenbarri Gugaman.

JURY ART PRIZEPremiumImelda Yukenbarri Gugaman wins Jury Art Prize top award

When Imelda Yukenbarri Gugaman paints, she is passing on stories from her mother, with each brush stroke telling the tales of her country. 

Madelin Hayes

The Kununurra cotton gin to open in August

AgriculturePremium$60m cotton gin ”on time and on budget” to open in August

Kununurra’s cotton gin is on budget and on time to begin processing up to 100,000 tonnes of product produced in Ord Valley from August 11.

Sarah Crawford

Rita Saffioti said the government were focused on creating housing to match the infrastructure spend. 

WA BUDGETCommentsPremiumRegional projects to run over-budget with housing the focus

Millions of extra funds will be put into a range of regional infrastructure projects to see them completed, the State Budget has revealed.

Oliver Lane

Three people have been left with nothing after their Kununurra house was destroyed by fire on Wednesday.

House FirePremiumWA couple left homeless after fire tears through house

The couple were forced to flee for their lives after the house caught alight on Wednesday morning and was quickly engulfed in fire.

Sarah Crawford

A 50-year-old Camballin man has been accused of stealing $60,000 worth of cattle equipment in May.

Countryman NewsPremiumWA man accused of stealing $60k worth of cattle equipment

The 50-year-old was charged following a search warrant executed by police on June 3 at a Camballin property.

Georgia Campion

A record number of runners took part in the Kununurra Half Marathon 2025.

Half MarathonPremiumJunior stars shine in Kununurra Half Marathon

It was all systems go in Kununurra as a record 181 runners laced up for the 2025 Half Marathon, kicking off in cool Kimberley conditions.

Sarah Crawford

Former Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders

CrimeVideoPremiumShock twist as disgraced ex-bishop admits firearm offences

The charges are part of a broader WA police investigation into historical child sexual abuse allegations against the former Broome bishop.

Natasha Clark

Ian Trust, CEO of the Wunan Foundation in Kununurra. PICTURE BY NIC ELLIS THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

Evacuation EffortCommentsPremiumProminent WA leader trapped in Tel Aviv amid missile strikes

East Kimberley Aboriginal leader Ian Trust is among a group of prominent Australians who were frantically being evacuated from Israel on Monday as the conflict with Iran escalated rapidly.

Sarah Crawford

More than 4000 weeds and 130 feral pigs have been removed from the Kimberley.

Conservation PremiumHundreds of feral pigs removed from Kimberley

More than 4000 weeds and 130 feral pigs have been removed from the Kimberley as part of a four-year project by Australian Wildlife Conservancy to protect habitat used by threatened species.

Cain Andrews

Shire president Dale Stewart has met with key ministers and staff over the past week to plead for financial help and an accumulative assessment report to help the town prepare for thousands of new workers.

Renewable EnergyCommentsPremiumFunding floated for WA towns angsty over renewables rush

A new large-scale wind farm should be returning at least $100,000 a year to regional communities, based on trial guidelines set to be probed by locals who want new energy developers to pay their way.

Simone Grogan