What made the news in Cockburn – 29 May- 5 June 2026

Friday 5 June:
The City of Cockburn has clamped down tree removals by making it more difficult for residents to chop them down.
The new tree planning policy, which came into effect on May 28, regulates when development approval is needed for any “tree damaging” activity on private property.
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said the City had acted on the feedback of 76 per cent of people who had their say in favour of adopting a planning policy to protect mature trees, generally those taller than 8m, on private property.

Spearwood residents hit by days-long power outages after last weekend’s wild storm say older suburbs are being left behind, vulnerable residents were forgotten, and compensation should be tailored to people’s means and needs rather than a flat payment.

A popular Bibra Lake carpark and biodiversity hotspot has become a breeding ground for antisocial behaviour say concerns local residents.
City of Cockburn councillor Philip Eva is spear-heading a mission to update the carpark at the south end of Progress Drive with plans for CCTV cameras and resurfacing the dusty area.

West Australian "Spud King" Tony Galati's group of businesses has been fined for illegally setting up a chip factory in the state's South West without official approval.
Tony Galati grew up in Spearwood. Read the article about the Quintessentially Cockburn local on the City's website.  

Thursday 4 June:
A Perth father of two is recovering from a heart attack thanks to some quick-thinking staff at his local gym, at the City’s award-winning Cockburn ARC aquatic and recreation centre.

A free community arts festival will turn up the heat this winter. The Makuru Arts Festival is returning to Cockburn for its second year after a hugely successful 2025 debut, offering a mix of theatre, music and interactive experiences for all ages.
The festival includes the fresh additions of a dedicated family weekend for junior art lovers plus two artist residencies, designed to provide art teams with time and space to create or develop new artworks or practices.

Wednesday 3 June:
The time Perth homes spent on the market has blown out to a median of two weeks, according to new data, but houses are still being snapped up in suburbs once considered working-class, including Coolbellup, or ‘Coobiaco’ as it is known locally.

Fremantle Dockers midfielder Nathan O'Driscoll says speaking up about his mental health struggles has been the "best thing" he could have done, after his emotional social media post last month.

Tuesday 2 June:
Thousands of homes are still without power, including in Coolbellup and surrounds, two days after one of the WA’s worst storms in years battered the State.

The Cities of Cockburn and Melville were proud to help shine a spotlight on the local businesses doing amazing work in our community at the recent Melville Cockburn Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Monday 1 June:
City of Cockburn Mayor, Logan Howlett, has been awarded the Order of ‘Red Hrvatskog Pletara’, presented on behalf of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović.
Mayor Howlett said the City of Cockburn and Croatia had deep historic ties that began many decades ago, long before the establishment of the City's Sister City relationship with Split 28 years ago.