As it happened: WA news on Wednesday, June 10

A Perth woman has died after she contracted Murray Valley encephalitis in the Kimberley.

The woman, believed to be 78-years-old, is understood to have contracted the mosquito-borne illness while travelling in the West Kimberley.

Department of Health programs have previously detected the virus in the Pilbara and Kimberley after increased mosquito breeding following the region’s wet season.

Managing scientist Dr Andrew Jardine said it was currently the highest-risk period for mosquito-borne illness activity.

Hundreds of thousands of trees will be planted to restore critical habitat in a bid to save an endangered native cockatoo from extinction.

The massive conservation project will create a 10km-long bushland corridor for the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo in Western Australia’s southwest.

The Carnaby population has plummeted in recent decades as the birds’ habitat and woodland food sources have been cleared for farming and urban development.

Without intervention the species, which is found nowhere else on earth, faces extinction, botanist Kingsley Dixon says.

WA Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia says he has no intention to resign, despite the state opposition calling on him to be sacked following the delivery of a damning report into the current condition of the prison system.

The report, released on Tuesday by Inspector of Custodial Services Eamon Ryan, revealed deteriorating conditions at Hakea, Casuarina and Melaleuca prisons, and led to Ryan issuing a show cause notice.

However, Papalia said the state opposition called for ministers to resign on a regular basis.

“It’s no great earth-shattering news that the opposition calls for a minister to retire,” he said.

Bailey Williams has described Reuben Ginbey’s serious quad injury as flattening, but he’s backing the inexperienced Eagles to continue displaying plenty of heart without their “barometer”.

Ginbey will miss a sizeable chunk of football after tearing his left quad in last week’s loss to Port Adelaide, but the fact he’s avoided surgery means there’s still hope he’ll play again this year.

The 21-year-old had been in All-Australian form, and his injury means extra heat will go on the likes of Tylar Young, Rhett Bazzo and potentially Brandon Starcevich to hold down the key defensive posts.

West Coast are still without Harry Edwards, who has suffered three concussions in 2026, while Jeremy McGovern (concussion) was forced to retire last season and fellow star back Tom Barrass was traded to Hawthorn the previous year.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is en route to Perth today, riding high atop a surge of popularity with recent polls putting the right-wing party slightly ahead of Labor on first-preference votes.

Hanson is due to speak at a sold-out event at the Crooked Spire in Midland this evening, with an open agenda sure to touch on the budget, negative gearing, as well as the One Nation classic of migration.

And the event is already drawing controversy, with a protest planned in Midland this afternoon ahead of Hanson’s arrival.

Speaking to Radio 6PR’s Simon Beaumont ahead of flying to Perth, Hanson said people had a right to have their say on politics, but said protests targeted at One Nation were often “full of aggression”.