We have an update now on a story we brought you in yesterday’s blog, with police confirming a man who was pulled from the water at Rockingham Beach has died.
Authorities were called to the beach just after 11am on Wednesday after a diver pulled an unconscious man from the surf.
St John WA attended and performed emergency first aid, but the 70-year-old man was declared dead.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Rockingham Beach is open today.
That’s all for today, thank you for joining us.
Here’s a reminder of today’s top headlines:
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Indigenous leaders met with representatives of the Commonwealth, police and WA government at Dumas House in West Perth today following the declaration of the alleged Invasion Day rally attack in Forrest Place a terrorist act.
WA Premier Roger Cook led the meeting alongside WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, WA Police Minister Reece Whitby and elders and Aboriginal leaders like 2024 WA Australian of the Year Mechelle Turvey.
One of those leaders was Megan Krakouer, the director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, who said the meeting was historic but wanted action in its wake.
“Today, mark my words, it is a historic day, and as the first time as a black woman who’s been on that stage at Forrest Place hundreds of times, where I feel that some form of justice have been served,” she said.
Krakouer said the prospect of a truth-telling and justice commission was raised in the meeting which was considered seriously by Cook.
“There needs to be a powerful statement made to all constituents in Western Australia and indeed right across the country, and that could be done with a Truth Telling Commission, which will bring all our community, black, white and brown, together to understand the First Nations stories,” she said.
City of Perth Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds has released a statement after the attempted Invasion Day bomb attack was declared a terrorist attack this morning.
Reynolds said the incident was “an unacceptable act intended to incite fear and cause harm”.
“While it is incredibly fortunate that no one was physically injured, that does not mean no one was harmed. Acts like this have a profound impact on people’s sense of safety and wellbeing,” he said.
“The City is a diverse community. We support the right of all people to protest peacefully and safely in our City, and we remain committed to facilitating lawful gatherings while prioritising public safety.
Education Minister Sabine Winton has announced $230 million for school infrastructure upgrades, including an additional $140 million for four new primary schools to open in 2028.
And $57.2 million will go towards upgrades to Como Secondary College and Karrinyup Primary School.
The former will receive a new sports hall, with the old hall to be converted into a performing arts centre, while the latter will include a new classroom block, refurbishment of classrooms and the relocation of the hard courts.
Planning will also begin on new primary schools at Byford North and Anketell, to open in 2029.
Curtin MP Kate Chaney has just spoken in federal parliament about the double murder-suicide last Friday in Mosman Park, which falls within the independent’s electorate.
Chaney said the suspected murders of Leon and Otis Clune and suicide of their parents had sent shockwaves through the community.
Here is what she said to the house:
It brings profound sadness, but also anger, frustration and unfortunately some division.
At the centre of this tragedy were two children whose lives were precious. They deserved safety, opportunity and the chance to grow into their futures.
For young people living with disability, who are, like all young people, forming a view of themselves, this is a terrifying story.
To them, I say this is an extremely rare event and there is no justification for it. Your life is precious. Your worth is inherent, unquestionable and equal.
For families of people living with disability, this event may stir up anger, or memories of your hardest moments or fears for the future.
It is clear this tragedy has reopened conversations about how our society sees disabled people, how we support families and how we can prevent anyone from feeling alone or without options.
The coronial investigation is currently underway, to determine the facts. This is likely to be followed by a coronial inquest, so we can examine the broader circumstances that led to this crime.
As we mourn the loss of this family, we must stand together, acknowledge the pain caused to so many in our community by this devastating event and recommit to protecting every precious life.
We have an update now on a story we brought you in yesterday’s blog, with police confirming a man who was pulled from the water at Rockingham Beach has died.
Authorities were called to the beach just after 11am on Wednesday after a diver pulled an unconscious man from the surf.
St John WA attended and performed emergency first aid, but the 70-year-old man was declared dead.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Rockingham Beach is open today.
More from the press conference we brought you earlier, and AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has revealed specialist “hate disruptor” national security investigation teams would be setting up in WA.
The teams are already in operation in New South Wales, Victoria and Canberra.
“There are individuals and current and emerging groups across Australia, including in the west, which are eroding the country’s social fabric by advocating hatred, fear and humiliation, that is mobilising towards violence and I am here to put these groups and individuals on notice,” Barrett said.
Police Commissioner Col Blanch said leaders and the community should be working together to “make sure we have no one in our country that seeks to do this level of harm to others”.
Blanch said police had not been aware of the 31-year-old until after he allegedly attacked the rally, but said he had allegedly accessed instructions online regarding how to make a bomb, and was researching racist ideology.
“To be someone filled with hate and racism is unacceptable,” he said.
“[The bomb] should have gone off, it had a fuse that we allege was lit. Whether it fell out or failed, whatever was looking over the people at that rally that day stopped it from going off.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy have offered their support to Indigenous Australians following the charging of a man with a terrorist attack after he allegedly threw a home-made bomb into an Invasion Day rally in Perth on January 26.
“First Nations people, like all Australians, have the right to gather peacefully without fearing for their safety,” the pair said in a statement with Perth MP Patrick Gorman.
“Racism has no place in our society. All Australians have a right to feel safe and protected from violence and bigotry. Our message to the First Nations community in Perth and all those affected is we stand with you,” the statement read.
The MPs stood behind the investigation of the incident by the AFP, Western Australia Police Force and ASIO, saying: “This meant the right people, with the right experience, were engaged from the very start of the investigation.”
WA Premier Roger Cook has just announced that an incident at an Invasion Day rally in Perth’s CBD last week has officially been labelled as a terror attack.
A 31-year-old man who allegedly threw a homemade bomb into the crowd will become the first person in Western Australia to be charged with engaging in a terrorist act.
“We must condemn this incident in the strongest possible way,” Cook told journalists at a press conference on Thursday morning.
“The attack was motivated by racist, hateful ideology.
“I know that there is anger, we have every right to be angry.”
More to come.