ABC Great Southern

12/12/2025

WA Police believe they have located the body of missing Woogenellup farmer Mark Adams.

While formal identification is yet to be completed, police believe it is the 62-year-old.

Mr Adams did not return from a fishing trip last Tuesday, sparking a major marine search.

His catamaran was subsequently found adrift near Michaelmas Island, about 12 kilometres east of Albany, with no one aboard.

Mr Adams' death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.

12/12/2025

"It was like an earthquake, the sound was phenomenal," surf photographer Ben Allen says.

A natural phenomenon leaves surfers in awe of the "earthquake" wave.

12/12/2025

In early 2026 ABC Radio Perth, ABC NewsRadio, and Radio National will make the switch from AM to FM transmission for listeners in the Perth area. 📻

Your local ABC AM services will continue as normal in the Great Southern area.

Listen online, on the ABC listen app or On Air in:
• Albany 630 AM
• Ravensthorpe 105.9 FM
• Southern Cross 106.3 FM
• Wagin 558 AM
Or ask your smart speaker to "play ABC Great Southern" 📱

ABC Radio Perth's new frequency will be revealed in the new year.

12/12/2025

Dozens of farmers on WA's south coast are pitching in to help harvest Mark Mudie's final crop.

In the wake of the tragic loss of farmer Mark Mudie while fighting a bushfire, the community has rallied to help his family finish harvesting.

11/12/2025

Two surfers have discovered a unique wave 60km off WA's far south coast.

It's the first time the unusual break, the pair have dubbed the break 'The Thing', has been filmed.

11/12/2025

TOTAL FIRE BAN 🚫 Saturday December 13th
📍 Collie
📍 Dardanup
🔥 DON'T LIGHT A FIRE. NO HOT WORKS, WELDING OR GRINDING
More information: emergency.wa.gov.au/total-fire-bans
👉 Check warnings for your location on ABC Emergency: ab.co/Emergency or ab.co/ABC_WA

11/12/2025

The Mount Barker woman’s defence lawyer said the 61-year-old always intended to pay the money back, but was waiting until she could access her superannuation, which happened in July of this year.

The Albany Magistrates Court heard the woman had transferred the money to her personal account in smaller amounts over 15 months.

11/12/2025

After six months of struggling to find a farm manager, Christmas has come early for Kojonup District High School’s farm program.

In a statement, a WA Department of Education spokesperson confirmed the position had been filled recently, and the school farm will operate as normal next year.

The school farm, which has been running for 70 years, offers students from kindergarten to Year 10 a chance to learn about agricultural tasks like cropping, shearing and looking after livestock.

It also delivers a Certificate One in Agriculture for Year 9 students, and a Certificate Two in Conservation and Environment Management for Year 10s.

Kojonup District High School farm teacher Mel Shepherd told the ABC earlier this week the program is usually a highlight for their students.

"It's been a part of our school for 70 years ... and over those years, each student that you meet, in and out of school, they all say they love the school farm,”

“It's their favourite subject, they got so much from it.”

Listen back: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/southwestwa-rural-report/great-southern-and-south-west-rural-report/106109820

11/12/2025

We are currently experiencing intermittent outages across regional TV services in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. We apologise for this inconvenience.

We’ll update you as more information emerges. Thanks for understanding as we investigate further.

10/12/2025

As the 16 Days in WA Campaign against gender-based violence comes to an end, a collaborative Dream Dress has been unveiled in Albany 🧡

Southern Aboriginal Corporation counsellor Pamela Watts said the dress was “a reflection of the journeys that women go on, and go through, from being the victim-survivor through recovery and reclaiming their lives”.

“[It’s about] reclaiming their rights to live free from fear of pain and in safety for themselves and their family,” she said.

Over four community workshops, participants came together to talk, heal and craft, using jewels, flowers, tulle and other fabrics to make the dress as they shared their experiences and listened to one another’s stories.

“[We spoke about] how we can best be moving forward and providing each other support, because no person was ever meant to walk a journey alone in life," Ms Watts said.

SAC also kicked off the 16 Days campaign with a beach vigil, aimed at uniting the community in support of those who have experienced gender-based violence.

For the latest news, tune your radio to 630 AM or find ABC Great Southern on the listen app 📻 https://www.abc.net.au/listen/live/greatsouthern

10/12/2025

Bushfire ℹ️ DOWNGRADED TO ADVICE - WEST RIVER
*THIS POST WILL NOT BE UPDATED AGAIN. Check here for further updates: www.emergency.wa.gov.au/

ℹ️ ABC Emergency: ab.co/ABC-WA
⚬ Emergency WA Map: www.emergency.wa.gov.au/

10/12/2025

Congratulations to Hardy from the Porongurups! 🎉

Hardy's story is one of the 35 being shared by the 2026 ABC Heywire winners.

Announced today, the winners share compelling stories that reflect their real-world efforts to tackle local challenges, build stronger communities and inspire others through their lived experiences.

Read more about the winners here 📰 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-10/abc-2026-heywire-winners-tell-of-life-in-regional-australia/106021792

Hardy from the Porongurups, WA, Menang Noongar Country.