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As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, February 3

Updated ,first published

Today’s headlines

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We’re bringing our live blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us.

Here’s a recap of some of the day’s headlines:

  • A woman has died, and a man has been rushed to hospital following a crash in Baldivis overnight.

  • Senator Lidia Thorpe moved a motion in the Senate condemning the alleged attempted bombing of an Invasion Day rally in Perth on January 26.

  • A Perth man arrested over an alleged antisemitic comment he posted on social media in the hours after the Bondi Beach terrorist attack has faced court for a second time.

  • Students and teachers sweltered through their first day back to school on Monday as the mercury soared past 42 degrees in some areas of WA.

  • The impending shutdown of the Albany gas network has forced the state government and City of Albany to convene a working group to quell community concerns.

  • The Mandurah Estuary Bridge duplication is now complete with the new dual lane bridge set to open later this week.

  • After roads were relatively smooth on the first workday of the Fremantle traffic bridge closure, commuters faced heavier traffic on Tuesday morning, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has conceded.

  • The 25-man West Australian squad has been named for the AFL State of Origin match at Optus Stadium next weekend, with the Eagles deciding to withdraw its star recruit from the side due to the injury.

Thank you again for tuning in. We’ll be back tomorrow for more news you need to know.

WA’s AFL State of Origin squad announced

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The 25-man West Australian squad has been named for the AFL State of Origin match at Optus Stadium next weekend, with the Eagles deciding to withdraw its star recruit from the side due to the injury.

Defender Brandon Starcevich was earmarked for the team, but has been pulled by West Coast after suffering a knee injury.

Brandon Starcevich.AFL Photos via Getty Images

Instead, West Coast player Jake Waterman - who has been sidelined by injury for nine months - and Fremantle star Jaeger O’Meara are among the final players announced for the squad.

WA’s STATE OF ORIGIN SQUAD

Minister concedes first day traffic around closed Freo Bridge could have been beginner’s luck

By Hamish Hastie

After roads were relatively smooth on the first workday of the Fremantle traffic bridge closure, commuters faced heavier traffic on Tuesday morning, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has conceded.

“Our feedback this morning is it’s a bit more heavier than yesterday,” she said.

The new Fremantle traffic bridge under construction.Hamish Hastie

“We again apologise for that, but we’ll continue to work with the community to try and limit the impact.”

Saffioti put the heavier traffic down to yesterday’s success.

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Mandurah Estuary Bridge duplication complete

By Hamish Hastie

The Mandurah Estuary Bridge duplication is now complete with the new dual lane bridge set to open later this week.

The $148 million bridge blew out from the original $100 million promised price tag by Labor in 2021.

The Mandurah Estuary Bridge duplication. Main Roads

It will mean four lanes will cross the estuary, however, the old bridge will shut until March for asphalting works.

Premier Roger Cook said the bridge was a major route for the Peel region.

Impending shutdown of Albany gas network causing angst

By Hamish Hastie

The impending shutdown of the Albany gas network has forced the state government and City of Albany to convene a working group to quell community concerns.

Last month private gas network operator ATCO announced it was shutting down the Great Southern city’s reticulated gas network which will impact about 8000 homes and businesses.

Decommissioning will start later this year and take at least three years.

The new working group will include state government representatives, the city, the Albany Chamber of Commerce, Synergy, Western Power ATCO, Supagas and appliance retailers.

“We know this news will be unsettling for many people in our community, and I want to reassure residents and businesses that they are not facing this situation alone,” Albany Mayor Greg Stocks said.

Hot first day for WA students as school inundated with air-con requests

By Holly Thompson

Students and teachers sweltered through their first day back to school on Monday as the mercury soared past 42 degrees in some areas of WA.

Shadow Education Minister Liam Staltari said his office had been flooded with calls from angry parents who’d expressed concern and disappointment at broken-down air-conditioning units on a very hot start of school.

Figures revealed in parliament showed the number of maintenance requests for broken air-conditioning in WA’s public schools had nearly doubled in just two years, rising from 5662 in 2023 to 10,409 in 2025.

“This situation was a predictable result of the government’s chronic under-investment and failure to deliver on its own election promises to upgrade school air conditioning,” he said.

“No child should be expected to learn, and no teacher expected to teach, in unbearable heat.

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Perth man who ‘praised Bondi gunmen online’ facing more charges

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A Perth man arrested over an alleged antisemitic comment he posted on social media in the hours after the Bondi Beach terrorist attack has faced court for a second time.

Martin Glynn, 39, is accused of making a post to his Instagram in support of the gunmen and their actions in targeting the Jewish community on December 14.

Martin Glynn was arrested in December.

He has been behind bars since his arrest on December 23 when WA Police executed a search warrant at his Yangebup home.

During the search, it’s alleged handwritten notebooks labelled “Ideology, views, ideas and insights”, were discovered, which contained extremist views about Jewish people.

Senate passes motion to condemn Perth Invasion Day rally attempted bombing

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Senator Lidia Thorpe has just moved a motion in the Senate condemning the alleged attempted bombing of an Invasion Day rally in Perth on January 26.

A Perth man has been arrested and charged in relation to the incident, which is being investigated by WA Police and federal authorities as a potential terrorist act.

Thorpe said an attack against First Nations people was an attack against all Australians.

“The attempted bombing was an act of horrific, overt hate and racism. What followed was the quieter, insidious thrum of the entrenched, systemic racism that shapes this country,” she said.

“Decisions were made in newsrooms, in ministerial offices, in the daily rhythms of power, about whether this was urgent, whether it mattered, whether our lives mattered.”

Woman passenger dies in Baldivis crash

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A woman has died, and a man has been rushed to hospital following a crash in Baldivis overnight.

A police spokesman said the incident occurred around 11.20pm when a blue Ford Falcon sedan travelling south on Kwinana Freeway left the road and struck a tree.

The scene of the crash.9 News Perth

It’s understood the two people in the car were ejected on impact before the vehicle caught fire.

The 40-year-old male driver was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while his 44-year-old female passenger died at the scene.

Major Crash is appealing for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers or upload their dash-cam vision here.

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‘An unspeakable tragedy’: NDIS Minister faces questions over Mosman Park double murder-suicide

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Minister for Disability Mark Butler has just held a press conference over east where he has been asked to respond to claims a Mosman Park family – killed in a double murder-suicide last week – had recently had their NDIS funding cut for the two teenage boys, who were living with autism.

Teenagers Leon and Otis were killed by their parents in a suspected murder-suicide in Mosman Park on Friday.

It’s suspected the parents killed the boys, and then themselves, after leaving a note on their front door to call police.

Friends and one of the family’s support workers said the family had recently had their NDIS funding cut, and were struggling to cope with the high needs of the children.

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