Graham Jacobs

The state’s biggest industries are watching closely as water reform bubbles away below the political surface.

Specialist social services provider Centrecare has won a $13 million government contract to be the main services provider in the WA Suicide Prevention Strategy 2009-2013.

The Department of Health failed to properly assess its ability to commission Fiona Stanley Hospital on time prior to signing a $4.3 billion facilities management contract with Serco, according to a report by a parliamentary committee.

The chairman of a state inquiry into the impact of fly-in, fly-out work practices on mental health is confident Western Australia can enact a raft of recommendations to reduce suicides and improve wellbeing for the state’s 60,000 Fifo workers, despite admitting the federal government’s response to a recent similar national inquiry was ‘lame’.

The state government will provide a free, confidential drug and alcohol counselling service for fly-in, fly-out (fifo) workers and others who work away from home.

The state government has announced it supports half of the 30 recommendations stemming from a parliamentary inquiry into the impact of fly-in, fly-out work on the mental health of those in the resources industry, after considering the findings for nearly four months.

The chairman of a state inquiry into the impact of fly-in, fly-out work practices on mental health has highlighted several missed opportunities following the state’s announcement it will enact half of the 30 recommendations.

Federal and state electoral boundary redistributions can cause havoc in party ranks.