Goldfields, Esperance, Midwest and Wheatbelt WA local news briefing, October 6, 2026 - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Premier Roger Cook and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson at the Mt Charlotte water reservoir.    (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)

Here's what's making news in the Goldfields, Esperance, Midwest and Wheatbelt regions of WA today.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson has welcomed the start of construction on the $543 million upgrade to the historic Goldfields water pipeline.

Work has begun replacing about 44 kilometres of the 566-kilometre pipeline through the Wheatbelt shires of Merredin, Westonia and Yilgarn.

The pipeline supplies drinking water to more than 100,000 people in the Wheatbelt and Goldfields, and the upgrade is expected to increase daily capacity by more than 7 million litres, or about 10 per cent.

"Water is a precious commodity here in Kalgoorlie-Boulder … 7.2 megalitres a day going back into the system is not only going to diversify our economy but also help grow our economy," Mr Wilson said.

Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent says the pipeline upgrade, due to be completed by the end of next year, will secure the future of the resources industry.

"With the economy going so strong, the gold industry going gangbusters, this is a once-in-a-generation upgrade to this pipeline, and this will secure our resources industry and provide residents with the water that they need, probably for the next century," she said.

WA Premier Roger Cook says plans to build Australia's biggest vanadium flow battery in Kalgoorlie-Boulder are progressing, with the project now in the final stages of procurement.

WA Labor promised at last year's state election to build the 50-megawatt, $150 million battery by 2029 to reinforce the Goldfields' power supply.

More than 20 industry groups expressed interest in delivering the project on the edge of the state's main power grid.

"We've gone to expressions of interest within the industry and that period is now closed, and we're in the final stages of assessment of those applications," Mr Cook said.

"This is a really important piece of work. It's going to be one of the biggest battery energy storage systems based on vanadium technology in the world."

A Wheatbelt shire says proposed changes to the Working Holiday Maker program will disproportionately affect regional Western Australia.

Last month, the federal government revealed it would introduce a ballot system to limit the number of backpackers staying in Australia beyond one year.

Second-year stays will be capped at 45,000 places and third-year visas restricted to 5,000.

Victoria Plains Shire President Pauline Bantock said the change could mean backpackers starting in Sydney and Melbourne would not make it to WA farms needing workers.

"Those extra visa years often give them that time and the incentive to travel west and work in our regional communities, make their way over here, if they're starting on the east coast," she said.

The Shire of Coorow in WA's Mid West has received an application for a $2 billion solar farm and battery system.

Synergy proposes co-locating the facility within the existing Warradarge wind farm, using existing access and electrical infrastructure.

Up to 200 people could be employed during construction, which is expected to take almost two years once approvals are received.

The proposal is open for public submissions until early November.

The WA Nationals have welcomed the state government's move to reconsider plans for a proposed desalination plant on WA's south coast.

Premier Roger Cook yesterday said decades-old plans for a desalination plant at Esperance could be part of the Goldfields' future water security mix.

The move marked a backflip after WA Labor heavily criticised the Nationals for campaigning on the issue during last year's election.

Shadow Water Minister Peter Rundle said the concept of piping desalinated water from Esperance to the Goldfields has been discussed for decades.

"Water security, right through the likes of Salmon Gums, Grasspatch and onwards, is really important as well for those not only mining but farming," he said.

"From our perspective, we thought this was a great opportunity for regional development and we were pretty frustrated when it was called a thought bubble."

The Shire of Esperance president Ron Chambers welcomed the Premier's comments.

"I think a desalination plant in Esperance is going to become very, very critical," he said.

The border sign at Western Australia's Eucla quarantine checkpoint on the South Australian border has been demolished after more than 30 years.

It is being replaced with a new four-and-a-half-metre-high sign, which is designed to become a landmark for travellers crossing the Nullabor from 2027.

The sign had stood at the checkpoint for more than three decades before it was removed as part of the redevelopment.

Underground mining contractor Macmahon has won a two-year contract extension worth an estimated $98 million at the Daisy Milano gold mine near Kalgoorlie.

Macmahon has held the mining services contract at Daisy Milano since 2024, and the extension runs until October 2028.

Daisy Milano is owned by Vault Minerals, which is the focus of a $5.6 billion takeover bid from fellow WA gold miner Genesis Minerals.