The state Opposition Leader Mark McGowan has labelled as "out of control" fee increases for TAFE courses from next year. The Government flagged the increases months ago but the new fees were only published yesterday. Mr McGowan says the cost of a Diploma of Nursing will rise 390 per cent next year. He says the increases will result in fewer people enrolling and lead to skills shortages.

The latest survey of the cost of living in regional WA has shown a significant drop in living costs in the state's north. The State Government assesses the cost of 500 goods and services in 27 regional centres as part of the Regional Price Index every second year.

Travel back through time with us and take a look at 2013 in the South Coast and Great Southern.

Thieves have caused significant damage to a shopping centre while trying to steal an automatic teller machine in Albany.

Police in Albany suspect an attack on an automatic teller machine may be linked to a similar incident on the south coast a a few months earlier.

Local government officials in Mount Barker say they are angered by the "senseless" burglary and vandalism at the town's swimming pool complex.

The Masters Builders Association (MBA) says it is highly encouraged by improving demand for commercial and housing developments in Albany.

A number of Western Australian south-west and Great Southern projects have received funding to clean up contaminated sites.

Clubs WA has hit out at the recommendations in a review of Western Australia's liquor laws released yesterday, claiming its interests have been ignored. The review of the Liquor Control Act released by the State Government makes 141 recommendations, including the introduction of secondary supply laws which make it an offence to supply liquor to a juvenile on an unlicensed premise without parental consent.

WA's District Court has confirmed Collingwood defender Marley Williams will face trial next month, accused of causing grievous bodily harm.

Iron ore miner Grange Resources has launched an internal review of its proposed Southdown magnetite mine, near Albany, to see if the project start-up can be cheaper than the estimated multi-billion-dollar cost.

Analysts say it makes sense for Grange Resources to examine trying to get its Southdown project, near Albany, off the ground sooner by starting on a smaller scale.

Albany's peak business lobby is calling for closer cooperation between the city's businesses, in a bid to ensure the region capitalises on November's Anzac centenary commemorations.

Investigations are continuing into the cause of a blaze in the Western Australian Wheatbelt town of Corrigin.

Leaseholders in the Western Australian south coast holiday community of Peaceful Bay have expressed concerns over a proposal to transfer their property leases to more conventional ownership titles.

This week's backyard farmer believes that every family needs a cow - and that getting up at 4am to do the milking is great fun.

Finding ways to attract and retain doctors to regional areas is an ongoing challenge for many communities but there is some good news coming out of a study conducted by the University of WA.

A 40-year-old Albany man is due to appear in court this month after being charged with deliberately lighting three fires in Narrikup.

The outgoing Mental Health Commissioner says the state's Indigenous population is over-represented in the suicide rate.

An economic forecaster says WA mining companies operating in Africa are struggling with a range of cost and productivity issues. The Deloitte WA Index indicates the combined market capitalisation of WA companies with African assets, particularly gold producers, fell almost 45 per cent. That is compared to WA producers, as a whole, who rose nearly five per cent. The fall is bigger than expected.

Nigerian police have arrested a man after the death of a West Australian woman who was caught up in an online romance scam.

Narrogin is set to become the first Western Australian Great Southern town to access the National Broadband Network (NBN), changing a previous plan to roll out the service in Katanning first.

Regional local governments say the Western Australian Government's handling of council mergers in Perth is increasing their fears they will be forced into mergers they do not want.

A 55-year-old man has been charged after police allegedly uncovered a hydroponic set-up being used to grow cannabis at an Albany house.

A business analyst says conditions are improving in the nickel sector but it is too early to declare that the industry has 'bottomed out'.

Police have seized a Taser, disguised as a torch, and drugs during a raid of an Albany house.

The City of Albany has denied there has been delays in upgrades to the city's Anzac precinct.

The Mayor of Albany has scoffed at reports the city is considering spending millions of dollars on a prime vacant site in the central business district.

How quickly do you think Australia could assemble more than 20,000 troops, 8,000 horses, and put them on to yet to-be-equipped navy ships to be sent to the battlefields of World War I?

Negotiations over the City of Albany's new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) have been finalised, with staff overwhelmingly voting to ratify the document.

University of Western Australia (UWA) researchers have warned of the potential for "very large extinction rates" among marine life unique to southern WA due to climate change.