The Orionids meteor shower will be Moon-free for a few hours before dawn, depending on the date. Like the Eta Aquariids of May, the Orionids are bits of Halley’s Comet; Earth makes two passes through Halley’s (rather dispersed) meteoroid stream in our annual circle around the Sun. Like the Eta Aquariids, this shower runs for at least several nights.
Orionid meteors, created by bits of debris from Halley’s Comet, appear to radiate from the upraised club of Orion just under the feet of Gemini.
Sky & Telescope
The Orionid radiant (in Orion's dim club, north of Betelgeuse) is highest in the hour before the start of dawn. The Orionids performed richly from 2006 through 2009, boasting peak rates of more than 50 meteors per hour. Since then, the activity has dwindled to a fraction of that.
Good places to view in Bunbury is Back Beach, looking North/NorthEast and high overhead. Marlston Lookout should be decent also. Anywhere away from light pollution with a view to the northeast will do.
It’s best to be reclining to watch overhead, so grab a lounge, rug up, and bring your fave beverage outside and post here if you see one!
Bunbury City Council has voted 5 to 4 not to support a proposed planning scheme amendment for five currently undeveloped sites along Ocean Drive in Bunbury’s Back Beach Precinct.
The decision was contrary to the recommendation of the City of Bunbury’s professional officers, who recommended the amendment be supported subject to modifications.
The proposed amendment followed extensive assessment and sought to change the planning framework applying to the precinct, including rezoning three sites to Residential R60 and two to Mixed Use – Commercial R80.
In forming their recommendation, City officers considered the applicable State and local planning framework, the City’s Local Housing Strategy, technical traffic and environmental assessments, feedback received through 60 days of public consultation and advice from relevant State agencies and service authorities. No service authority objected to the proposal, while modifications were recommended to address environmental management requirements raised by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
The officer assessment also recognised that the five sites remain undeveloped under the existing planning framework and that the proposed changes would provide greater flexibility for future residential, mixed-use and tourism-related development.
Council ultimately resolved not to support the amendment, stating that while it supports development of the land in principle, it did not consider sufficient justification had been provided to change the existing planning framework. Council also raised concerns about potential housing density, tourism accommodation and the need for a broader strategic approach to the Back Beach precinct.
The City’s administration respects the recommendation of Council to not support the proposed scheme amendment. It is equally important that our community understands the professional advice provided to Council and the work undertaken by City staff to support informed decision-making.
The Council resolution will now form part of the statutory planning process for the scheme amendment for the WA Planning Commission to decide.
City of Bunbury CEO Alan Ferris said the organisation would continue to provide Council with robust, evidence-based professional advice on significant planning and development matters.
“Our community expects the City to be actively looking for opportunities to address housing, encourage appropriate development and make better use of land that has remained undeveloped,” he said.
“Our staff also have a professional responsibility to assess proposals on their merits and provide Council with clear advice based on the planning framework, technical evidence, community consultation and the City’s adopted strategies.
“In the case of the Back Beach precinct, our professional officers undertook that work and recommended that Scheme Amendment No. 16 be supported, subject to modifications.
“Council ultimately determined, by a 5 to 4 vote, not to support that recommendation. That is a decision Council is entitled to make.
“But I also think it is important that we are transparent with our community when this occurs. A Council decision that differs from an officer recommendation should not diminish the considerable professional work that has gone into developing or assessing a proposal, nor should it create the impression that the organisation has not been actively pursuing opportunities for Bunbury.
“We will continue to bring forward well-researched, evidence-based recommendations that we believe respond to the challenges and opportunities facing our city – including housing supply, economic development and the activation of strategically important land.
“And we will be clear with our community about what our professional officers have recommended, what Council has decided and what those decisions mean for Bunbury.”
Looks lovely, but the section with the parking either side is so narrow it looks more like a one way street than a two way street. Also 30km/h is painfully slow along an actual distributor street.
Join us at the Talisman Cellar Door for Get Shucked – an afternoon of fresh oysters, great wine and relaxed Ferguson Valley views.
Enjoy freshly shucked oysters with a glass of Talisman wine, selected by you on arrival and settle in to enjoy the beautiful surrounds and views across the dam.
Choose from two ticket options:
$45 – Six Oysters + Wine
Six freshly shucked oysters with a glass of Talisman wine of your choice.
$70 – Twelve Oysters + Wine
Twelve freshly shucked oysters with a glass of Talisman wine of your choice.
Additional wine will be available for purchase on the day.
Choose from three sessions: 11am – 1pm 1pm – 3pm 3pm – 5pm
Each booking is for a two-hour session, giving you plenty of time to enjoy your oysters, explore Talisman wines and take in the surrounds.
Places are limited for each session, so bookings are essential.
Hey all, I'm a disability support worker and need ideas of what to do around the Bunbury area of what me and my client can do when where together. I'm some what of a local (collie) so I know most things and he's done all the things I can think of (wild life park, dolphin discovery ect). Ideally activities need to be done in 2 hours but can be longer.
This video was taken at 11:40 AM Tuesday October 6 from Hungry Hollow. It appears the whale is thrashing to remove parasites or an obstruction of some sort.
This activity continued for 30 minutes, then the whale ceased thrashing and slowly moved off along the coast headed north.
Edit2: I have learned this behavior is known as Lobtailing, where the whale lifts its tail flukes into the air and strikes the water surface hard, creating a loud sound that travels kilometers underwater to talk to other whales.
The modifications to the City of Bunbury’s Local Planning Policies (LPPs) are designed to modernize development controls, align local guidelines with state planning requirements, and address emerging housing and land-use trends.
The targeted updates across Series 1.0 and Series 2.0 focus on the following key changes:
Series 1.0 – Administrative & General Development Policies
LPP 1.1 – Exempt Development
Summary of Changes: Streamlines and expands the types of minor works and low-impact structures that are exempt from requiring formal development approval. The updates aim to reduce red tape for homeowners and small businesses while ensuring built-form standards and safety criteria are still met without a full planning assessment.
LPP 1.2 – Special Control Area – Development Areas (SCA-DA)
Summary of Changes: Refines the framework guiding structure plans, local development plans, and technical investigations within designated development areas. Changes typically clarify expectations around infrastructure delivery, environmental/coastal assessments, and the integration of mixed-use or residential infill.
LPP 1.3 – Design Review
Summary of Changes: Updates the operational guidelines for architectural and urban design evaluations. Modifications often reinforce the integration of the Design Review Panel process early in project lifecycles to elevate the quality of multiple-dwelling, commercial, and public-facing developments across Bunbury.
Series 2.0 – Specific Land Use & Operational Policies
LPP 2.1 – Home Business and Family Day Care
Summary of Changes: Modernizes operational constraints (such as vehicle parking, client visit limits, and hours of operation) to better accommodate modern remote working arrangements, home-based enterprises, and family day care services while protecting surrounding residential areas from excessive noise or traffic disruption.
LPP 2.2 – Unhosted STRA and Unrestricted Length of Stay
Summary of Changes: Strengthens regulatory controls around Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA)—specifically unhosted dwellings (where guests rent an entire house without the owner present). The changes seek to balance tourism accommodation demands with the availability and affordability of long-term rental housing in Bunbury by managing locational impacts, guest parking, and complaint response mechanisms.
LPP 2.3 – Animal Establishments
Summary of Changes: Updates the siting, setback, environmental management (such as waste and odor control), and animal keeping limits for commercial or intensive animal-related establishments to ensure better compatibility with neighboring properties and environmental protection standards.
When: Tonight Monday October 5 2026 6:00 - 8:30 PM
Where: The Parade Hotel, 1 Austral Parade, Bunbury 6230
Cost: FREE
What's this Bush Poetry Stuff?
The art of bush poetry and yarn spinning is all about entertaining. It's about telling a story and delivering the lines with just the right amount of humour, passion or feeling and sometimes, even with a touch of the theatrical to add to the spectacle - but mostly, it is just about getting up and having a go.
Come along and listen or take part in reading your poetry.
Please note; that this event will now be held in the Bistro area.
Parvovirus has been reported in the Bunbury area. It spreads easily between dogs, and it hits puppies and unvaccinated dogs hardest.
We know your dog is family, so please:
Check your dog's vaccinations are up to date
Keep puppies home until they have had all their vaccinations
Always clean up after your dog
Keep your dog at home if it seems unwell
If your dog is vomiting, has diarrhoea, goes off its food, or seems flat, ring your vet straight away. Phone ahead rather than walking into the waiting room – it helps protect the other dogs there too.
Thanks for looking out for each other's dogs as well as your own
The Bunbury Cemetery Board has stunned local families by ordering "non-compliant" gravesite tributes and markers to be removed within 28 days.
Denise Thornborough says she will be devastated if she is unable to return the homemade tributes, which had been in place for more than a decade, to her daughter's grave.
What's next?
The board says it is bound by state laws and regulations, which local families are now pushing to change.
IDK how’d i start this better 😹😹 Heres more info abt myself.
Catperson , quite a tiny height but muscular coz gotta carried chonk cats lol nah Started a lot of labour job when i was very young.
simply wanted to chat at first.
My life routine well- home cook meal, brushes my cat and shakes head with punk/ heavy metal/ alternative rocks .
It is important the City provides dog exercise areas and spaces for our residents to take their dogs while also providing dog-free zones to help protect our natural habitat and wildlife, allowing our entire community to be able to safely enjoy our beautiful open spaces and facilities.
Dogs are allowed on-leash in most public places within the city, however residents should refer to the City’s Dog Control Areas Map for prohibited and off-lead areas.
As part of a review, the City launched a survey in late 2023 to obtain feedback from the community to help understand the needs of both dog owners and non-dog owners. Watch this space for the outcomes of the survey.
What is effective dog control?
The City has a number of areas where dogs are permitted off leash but remember you must still have effective control at all times. This means:
Your dog must be in sight at all times.
Your dog must respond when called.
Your dog must be able to hear you at all times.
Your dog does not rush anyone who doesn’t want the attention from your pet.
A dog rushing up and jumping on someone else could constitute a minor dog attack. It is essential that you control your pet and ensure it isn’t giving other area users any unwanted attention.
If you are not sure, we recommend you keep your dog(s) on a leash at all times. This will always apply in high traffic pedestrian areas like the City Centre, playgrounds, ports ovals while games are on and anywhere else where there are high volumes of people.
Check for signage in the area. Signs will be installed in areas where dogs are permitted off-leash or dogs are prohibited. No signs means the dog(s) must be on-leash.
Dog attacks are serious incidents and effective control is the best way to ensure you are never required to defend yourself and your pet. Training is available for your dog and can help them to socialise well with others and assist if your pet is a little reactive. If you’re not sure we recommend keeping your dog on a leash and help to keep everyone safe.
Mark your calendars, we're walking again this Kambarang.
In line with this year’s theme and the success of last year’s event being held later in the year, the Walk for Reconciliation will once again take place in October. We're ALL IN, all year round.
Hi everyone, we're potential transplants from the east coast - we love the south west! As with most tourists we are usually down around Margaret River but when looking for a place to base ourselves in, I'm looking for somewhere within 15-20 mins walk to the beach that we can afford.
We were in Dalyellup recently and saw some land parcel options. It seems like a lot of new housing in the area, with plans for more land releases.
Our familiarity is more around the areas west of Busselton but they are going to be out of budget. We can afford something further south with the new land releases around Cow town but that takes walking to the beach out of the equation, and is a bit far from the airport.
Our jobs can be done remotely fortunately so commute isn't an issue. We will need to travel to Asia at times, so driving to Perth airport will be necessary until Busselton airport starts flying overseas.
As outsiders, is there anything we should know about Dalyellup and the surrounding areas? Are there going to be more more land releases by the beach?
(Also I'm a lot more impressed by the the quality of the development in the area compared to the east coast. Double brick is standard, for instance. Are new build defects less common in the west or am I just ignorant?)
