Rebecca Turner
Rebecca Turner joined ABC News in 2015 and has worked for the Australian Financial Review and the Australian. You can follow her on Twitter at @rebeccasturner
'Unlikely' 96yo activist takes on aged care industry (photos)
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Unlikely activist Keith Parsons claims the retirement village system, from its contracts to management rules, is so complex that it tips the balance in favour of developers over residents.
Topics: community-and-society, aged-care, perth-6000
WA Attorney-General plans to expunge historical homosexual convictions
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WA Attorney-General Michael Mischin indicates he has the support of the Premier over his plan to expunge all historical homosexual convictions, as gay rights activists herald the move a "step towards equality".
Topics: gays-and-lesbians, laws, law-crime-and-justice, community-and-society, discrimination, state-parliament, perth-6000
Toxic chemicals in WA airports, defence sites under investigation
Posted
Authorities scramble to determine the extent of contamination by toxic firefighting chemicals in WA airports, firefighting training facilities and defence sites.
Topics: land-pollution, water-pollution, defence-forces, environmental-impact, perth-6000, wa
WA Premier takes aim at Labor's union links
Posted
Union influence on the WA Labor party will be a key target for the Liberals in the state election campaign, Premier Colin Barnett signals.
Topics: government-and-politics, elections, unions, wa
WA companies welcome decision to prescribe medicinal cannabis
Posted
WA companies welcome the Government's decision to allow doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis, calling it the final hurdle to setting up a homegrown industry.
Topics: wa
Donald Trump masks a sellout for Halloween
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Donald Trump masks are proving to be a surprise hit in Australia in the lead-up to Halloween, with many costume suppliers running out of stock.
Topics: carnivals-and-festivals, us-elections, wa, australia, united-states
Environmental watchdog taken to task by WA auditor-general
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WA's environmental regulator is questioned why it is using the speed at which it issues environmental approvals to measure its effectiveness at protecting public health and the environment.
Topics: environment, public-sector, wa
Incomes, job insecurity high in WA post mining boom
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Western Australia is still struggling to adjust to the end of the mining boom as job insecurity rises, but household incomes remain high, a new economics report finds.
Topics: economic-trends, mining-industry, business-economics-and-finance, unemployment, wa
Toxic firefighting chemicals leached into bore near training site, DFES confirms
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The Department of Fire and Emergency Services confirms chemicals from toxic firefighting foam used at its Forrestfield training academy have leached into the bore of a nearby property.
Topics: environmental-impact, water, defence-and-national-security, forrestfield-6058
Western Power debt could be sold to super funds
Posted
As the West Australian Government finalises its plans for Western Power, Premier Colin Barnett reveals an option to sell its $8 billion debt to superannuation funds is on the table.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, states-and-territories, perth-6000, wa
Perth's traffic hotspots: What needs fixing?
Posted
Road congestion is shaping up as a hot-button issue in the lead up to the West Australian election in March next year — so where are the Perth traffic hotspots in need of fixing?
Topics: states-and-territories, perth-6000, wa
Water contamination fears near Pearce RAAF base
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People living near the RAAF Pearce air base in Bullsbrook in Perth are drinking bottled water while the Department of Defence investigates whether chemicals have contaminated nearby water sources.
Topics: defence-forces, community-organisations, environmental-health, bullsbrook-6084
$25m v $85m: The difference in Elizabeth Quay riverfront land deals
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West Australian Premier Colin Barnett admits the developers of the Ritz-Carlton hotel at Elizabeth Quay got a good deal in buying the riverfront land for $25 million, after a similarly sized parcel of land was sold for more than three times that amount.
Topics: states-and-territories, perth-6000, wa
'Killing machine' shark nets not for WA: Premier
Posted
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett again rejects the push for the installation of Queensland-style shark nets at Western Australian beaches, labelling the nets "killing machines" for marine life.
Topics: shark, government-and-politics, perth-6000
Analysis: Parents choosing public schools in Perth's western suburbs
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The announcement of a new high school at City Beach highlights the shift away from private education and towards public schools in Perth's western suburbs.
Topics: education, secondary-schools, public-schools, city-beach-6015
Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug approval brings hope for Perth family
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There are cheers in the suburbs of Perth where the US FDA's decision to approve the first drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy - a treatment designed locally - could change lives.
Topics: diseases-and-disorders, bones-and-muscles, health, science-and-technology, science, research, medical-research, wa, perth-6000
Analyst criticises ACCC green light for Sunday Times takeover
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A veteran media analyst slams the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's decision not to block Seven West Media's purchase of the Sunday Times.
Push for local councils, communities to have more say on big developments
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Western Australia's peak local government body will use the coming state election to push all sides of politics to give communities and councils a bigger say on how multi-million dollars developments are approved.
Topics: local-government, wa
Kerry Stokes' firm in contention for East Perth power station redevelopment
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Billionaire Kerry Stokes' private investment company is one of five being considered to develop the East Perth power station site for the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority.
Topics: privatisation-and-deregulation, urban-development-and-planning, east-perth-6004
Perth development panels not living up to hype, review finds
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A five-year review of the WA Government's development assessment panels, known as DAPs, claims the controversial boards are not living up to their hype in the Perth metropolitan area.
Topics: local-government, urban-development-and-planning, wa, perth-6000
WA Arts Minister approved $1.7m funding to board members (photos)
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Arts Minister John Day has approved film funding worth around $1.7 million over the past three years for production companies owned by members of the WA government's film funding and development agency board, annual reports show.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, film, wa
Mandogalup residents take development buffer fight to social media
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A residents' group against a Kwinana development buffer launches an online campaign saying the Government will lose the State election if it goes ahead.
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, state-parliament, mandogalup-6167
WA local government lobby group votes against scrapping DAPs
Posted
WALGA members vote down a motion to abolish development assessment panels, or DAPS, but call for a review into the state's planning system.
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, local-government, perth-6000, wa
Former WA minister dismisses development panel opponents
Posted
The architect of the Barnett Government's controversial development approvals panels calls the growing movement to abolish them a "cause célèbre".
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, states-and-territories, government-and-politics, perth-6000, fremantle-6160
DAPS anger behind formation of new WA political party
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Subiaco councillor Julie Matheson is creating WA's newest political party, fuelled by anger over the Government's controversial development assessment panels.
Topics: government-and-politics, perth-6000
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