As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, October 8

What’s that? Yes, even more sports news! This time from down in the South West, where WA’s biggest network of mountain bike trails has officially opened.

The completion of 47 kilometres of tracks in the Wellington National Park near Collie was the final stage of the Wambenger Trails network, which links Wellington Dam, Honeymoon Pool, Mount Lennard and the Collie River Valley.

New to mountain biking? Fear not, the trails cater to beginners as well as experienced and competition riders.

A new bike hire outlet has also opened in Wellington National Park to support the trails.

Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns said there was a mountain bike trail to suit everyone.

“In just a few weeks, Collie will host the AusCycling Mountain Bike National and Oceania Enduro Championships over four days, attracting hundreds of local, national and international riders to town,” she said.

In more breaking news, embattled WA Ombudsman Chris Field has confirmed his intention to resign, while demanding a review of a damning corruption watchdog report accusing him of engaging in serious misconduct and creating a “sham” process to greenlight taxpayer-funded travel.

In a report handed down on Tuesday, the state’s Corruption and Crime Commission ruled the evidence showed Field acted in what it claimed was arrogant disregard of his functions under the law and failed to seek approval for international travel between 2022 and 2023 in his dual role as head of the International Ombudsman Institute.

Several hours after the report was handed down (see our 10.10am post), Field, who’s held the role for 17 years, released a statement:

I intend to request a review by the parliamentary inspector … to assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the Commission’s procedures that led to this final report. This is because I believe there was a denial of proper procedural fairness in the final stages of the Commission process ...

There has been no finding of serious misconduct by the Commission in regard to my travel, which was the essential and original basis for the conduct of the public examinations.

The final report however, does contain two remaining and ultimate findings against me, in circumstances where I was not able to make submissions to the Commission regarding the legal basis for one of these findings before the final report was tabled ...

I intend to seek consideration by the parliamentary inspector regarding whether the final stage of the process afforded me proper procedural fairness and whether the two adverse findings based on that process are fair and sustainable.

But notwithstanding this intention, it is with deep regret that the publication of the final report in this form means I can no longer serve in the Office of Ombudsman of Western Australia as I have for the last 17 years. I intend to submit my resignation to the state governor later today.

“I will also be unable to make further comment on the substance of the Final Report until I have had the opportunity to report my concerns about the appropriateness of the final stages of the Commission process and seek the performance of the Parliamentary Inspector of his review functions.”

Read more in the related article.

West Coast have added Richmond’s unrestricted free agent Jack Graham to their list today. The 26-year-old was a dual premiership player at the Tigers and a hero of their 2019 flag, which he missed due to a shoulder injury in the preliminary final.

The AFL has announced the Tigers will get an end-of-second-round pick as compensation – that’s currently pick 42.

Graham was one of the Tigers’ best selections, with the club using pick 53 at the 2016 national draft to land him from South Australia. He will provide the Eagles with a defensive midfielder alongside emerging star Harley Reid.

He also reunites with his former midfield coach Andrew McQualter, who is now the Eagles coach (more about McQualter’s plans in our 8.55am post).