Home
Search
thewest.com.au

Countryman

WAFarmers dairy council president Ian Noakes.

DAIRY DEBATEPremiumBrownes Dairy’: Farmers call for ‘good ownership’ above all

WA dairy farmers say they would prefer an Australian company but above all want a “good” company to take over milk-buying juggernaut Brownes after it was put on the market abruptly last week. 

Melissa Pedelty, Sean Smith

Tammin-based Kylagh Feedlot owner and general manager Ivan Rogers said the future was strong for a well organised WA-based Wagyu enterprise.

WagyuEdge ‘25PremiumWagyuEdge ‘25: Wagyu growth strong in brand trade

The Australian Wagyu Association brought its annual WagyuEdge ’25 to WA for the first time since the Japanese breed’s first genetics appeared in Australia 35 years ago.

Bob Garnant

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at CBH’s Metro Grain Centre.

GRAIN ON RAILPremiumAlbanese backs WA plan for deprivatisation of rail network

Anthony Albanese has thrown his support behind a WA Government push to bring the State’s privatised rail network back into government hands.

Cally Dupe and Neil Watkinson

Colin Barnett is seen at the WA Liberal Party State Conference 2022 held at The Pan Pacific on July 30, 2022.

Farming leadershipPremiumFormer premier Colin Barnett would ‘love to be Ag Minister’

Colin Barnett says he would have loved to have been the State’s Agriculture Minister and would dedicate the “attention” he gave to the resources industry to farming if he had his time again.  

Cally Dupe

Australian Livestock Exporters Association chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton.

KEEP THE SHEEPPremiumKeep the Sheep clap back at ‘falsified’ leaflets

Keep the Sheep campaigners have clapped back at anti live export leaflets being dropped into letterboxes around Perth.

Cally Dupe

China last March dropped a crippling tariff of more than 200 per cent imposed on local wine producers four years earlier.

RetailCommentsAussie wine exports to China jump back above $1b

Australian wine exports to mainland China have jumped back above $1 billion, one year after onerous tariffs of as much as 200 per cent were removed.

Cheyanne Enciso

Asked how a nuclear reactor in Collie would impact Margaret River, 191 kilometres away, Ms King doubled down.

State politicsCommentsPremium‘People don’t like that’: King’s attack links nuclear & wine

WA Minister Madeleine King has launched a bizarre new attack on Peter Dutton’s nuclear policy, warning that a reactor in Collie could pose a risk to Margaret River’s wine crops.

Jessica Page

Former WA Premier Colin Barnett.

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTPremiumColin Barnett says Forrest ‘impossible’ to predict

The former premier has called the South West seat of Forrest as one of two ‘impossible’ to predict ahead of Saturday’s Federal election.

Cally Dupe

Brisbane-based Stanbroke sales manager Chris Woolhouse with a sample entry that represented the Grand Champion tile win for the Sanchoku Pure Wagyu brand at this year's Wagyu Branded Beef Competition.

Branded Beef CompetitionPremiumWagyuEdge ‘25: Sanchoku Pure Wagyu wins Grand Champion title

An entry from Queensland-based Sanchoku Pure Wagyu, by Stanbroke, was awarded Grand Champion in this year’s Wagyu Branded Beef Competition after the judges were sold on its “rich umami flavour”.

Bob Garnant

Scanlan Wool founders Peter Scanlan and Margaret Scanlan celebrated Peter's wool industry medal awarded to him last year to recognise his 81 years of contributions in wool.

Wool industry medalPremiumNominations open for wool industry medal

Nominations have opened for the 2025 Australian Wool Industry Medal, a prestigious award that recognises people’s “outstanding and lasting” contributions across the wool supply chain.

Bob Garnant

Celebrating the top-price sale at the Elite Wagyu Sale are Australian Wagyu Association chief executive officer Matthew McDonagh, Circle 8 Bulls wagyu stud co-principals Carmen and Jeremy Cooper, Gene Flow seedstock principal Keith Hay, Ray White Livestock Dalby principals David and Amy Felsch, and Ray White auctioneer Lincoln McKinlay.

ELITE WAGYU SALEPremiumWagyuEdge ’25: Elite Wagyu Sale tops at $95,000

This year’s Elite Wagyu Sale was marbled with enthusiasm with prices reaching a top of $95,000 for a NSW-bred Fullblood heifer described as having “royal blood through her veins with superstar pedigree”.

Bob Garnant

Rodeo Queen of Australia first runner-up Olivia Donaldson, of South Australia, and Rodeo Queen of Australia Paris Alsenton, of Victoria.

HARVEY DICKSON RODEOPremiumHarvey Dickson Rodeo: Large crowd enjoys great day out

The Harvey Dickson Easter Rodeo drew a large crowd to cheer on some of WA’s best cowboys and cowgirls as they competed in a full spectrum of extreme equestrian and rough stock sports.

Bob Garnant

Pauline Hanson at the 2025 Nullarbor Muster.

Federal election 2025PremiumPauline Hanson takes election campaign to Nullarbor Muster

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson took her Federal election campaign to the Nullarbor Muster on Saturday, where she was seen socialising with patrons and cracking open a beer just one week out from polling day. 

Jessica Antoniou

Nathan White, Shanae Johnston, Dean Brettoner, Merita Stevens and Todd Buttfield at the 2025 Nullarbor Muster.

YEEHAWPremiumNullarbor Muster returns with gusto

More than 1000 cowboys, cowgirls and keen patrons travelled from across Australia to attend the 42nd Nullarbor Muster at the weekend.

Jessica Antoniou

Ben Sutherland is the president of the WA Livestock and Rural Transport Association

opinion
opinion
Ben SutherlandCommentsPremium
opinion
Live export ban will wipe out 3000 jobs in WA

You might wonder what on earth a truckie like me is doing writing in the pages of The West Australian about Federal politics.

Ben Sutherland

A member of the Brunswick Volunteer Fire and Rescue service on guard during Brunswick's Anzac morning service.

Anzac DayEnormous crowd marches though Brunswick for Anzac day

Brunswick Junction’s Anzac ceremony saw an enormous crowd attending the event, with hundreds from across the Harvey region coming to the town to pay their respects.

Craig Duncan

Aiden Walker, Zachery Platell, Commander Royce Spencer, Lara Nottle and  Willow Hawkins  at Waroona’s Anzac Day dawn service.

Anzac Day 2025Hundreds from across Waroona gather for Anzac Day

As night turned to dawn, hundreds from across Waroona gathered to remember and honour the Anzacs.

Craig Duncan

WA Meat Marketing Co-operative in Katanning was on the list.

ABATTOIR APPROVALPremiumWA abattoirs granted greater access to China

Two WA abattoirs have been given expanded access to Chinese markets for chilled and frozen sheep and goat meat in what is being labelled a significant win for the processing industry. 

Cally Dupe

Details of the funding deal are subject to secrecy orders, but documents released by the court reveal liquidators had been privately haggling with tax officials since June 2023 over allegedly unfair preference payments.

LiquidationsPremiumTax office target in Mrs Mac’s blue

The liquidators chasing the tax office for $3.8m of payments made while former Mrs Mac’s Pies company allegedly broke in 2022.

Neale Prior

Brianna Peake, who has left CBH Group after 15 years to pursue a new US-based role as WA’s Investment and Trade Commissioner for the Americas.

INDUSTRY PEAKEPremiumBrianna Peake reflects on CBH Group career

Brianna Peake’s new career adventure to Austin, Texas, is a world away from her farming roots at Dalwallinu. 

Cally Dupe

An Albany man who was caught driving at more than 45km/h over the speed limit on Albany Highway has been fined.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
courtsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
WA man caught driving at 157km/h while under influence fined

An Albany man caught driving at more than 150km/h on Albany Highway while under the influence of alcohol has been fined and had his licence disqualified. 

Jacki Elezovich

A sheep truck arrives at a loading facility in North Fremantle.

LIVE EXPORTCommentsPremiumLive export: First $40m ‘transition’ funding earmarked

WA sheep processors and feedlotters would be the first to benefit from the Federal Government’s plan to ban live sheep exports, with $40 million in grants set to be up for grabs within months. 

Cally Dupe

Some voters in regional Australia are feeling fenced out when it comes to major party policies. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

ElectionPremiumBush voters looking further afield for local action

Rural voters want a national plan that considers the millions of people living outside cities, with a new poll predicting a political shake up in the bush.

Stephanie Gardiner

Former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon says the western world has lost the will to protect itself.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Federal PoliticsComments
The West Australian exclusive
Ex-minister blasts Australia’s complacency on defence

A former Labor defence minister has issued a withering assessment of Australia’s complacency in the face of looming conflict, urging bipartisanship and stronger will to build up the Defence Force.

Katina Curtis