Jarrod Lucas
Kalgoorlie, WA
Jarrod Lucas is the news reporter at ABC Goldfields-Esperance, based in Kalgoorlie, WA.
Latest by Jarrod Lucas
Outback bushfire closes main freight link between WA and eastern states
Bushfires have closed the Eyre Highway for the second time this summer, with no confirmation of when the critical road route will reopen.
Kalgoorlie brothers jailed for nine years after holding 69yo man at gunpoint during home invasion
District Court hears James and Gregory Brockman were in the midst of a nine-day methamphetamine binge when they tied up the man, threatened him with a shotgun and stole more than $30,000 of his possessions.
Thousands of jobs at risk as BHP considers mothballing nickel operations
It would be the biggest blow yet to the state's once-booming nickel industry, which has seen mine closures and hundreds of job losses this year amid a sharp fall in metal prices.
Mercury scare at WA primary school follows raids on backyard gold smelters
Health officials are inspecting East Kalgoorlie Primary School and parents are being urged to take precautions to keep their kids safe.
Health workers shun drink ban powers as police referrals surge
Police have cracked down on alcohol-fuelled offending in remote areas of WA but health workers fear trust would be broken if they put clients on the Banned Drinkers Register.
Independent review to probe sale of city's precious water to rare earths miner
Rare earths miner Lynas says it has used only a "small proportion" of its greywater allocation from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder amid an independent review of contractual arrangements with the council.
Goldfields miners sniff an opportunity in the wind
The state's resource-rich Goldfields region has been swept up in the global push to renewable energy, with billions in mining investment driving the development of six wind farms.
Arrest warrant issued for man accused of decapitating Paddy Hannan statue in Kalgoorlie
Timothy Giles Walker, 38, failed to appear in the Laverton Magistrates Court over his alleged involvement in the beheading of a bronze statue of a pioneering Western Australian gold prospector.
FIFO worker avoids jail over taxi rank attack that left woman unconscious
A woman violently assaulted during a night out in Kalgoorlie shares the physical and emotional trauma she has suffered since, as her attacker has his prison sentence suspended.
'There was this giant cow's head staring at me': Mining town's solution for big, bovine problem
A small town council in Western Australia's Goldfields is considering building a boundary fence to curb an influx of wayward cattle, with one charging cow having knocked a council worker unconscious.
Federal Liberals back cashless debit card reintroduction in response to crime, social issues
They have pledged to bring back a version of the controversial scheme if they win the next federal election, suggesting there have been "devastating consequences" since it was scrapped.
Work stalls on multimillion-dollar resort at Kalgoorlie Golf Course
A long-awaited hotel development at the home of the WA PGA Championship is "off track" according to a council report, despite $10 million in ratepayers' money being committed for early works.
State government to replace aging Kalgoorlie power generators after regional WA blackout
As power is expected to be restored to the final 80 Western Power customers affected by last week's blackouts, WA's premier promises Kalgoorlie-Boulder's power supply will be "more reliable" in the future.
Hundreds still without power as gold miner props up damaged Kalgoorlie power grid
The owner of Kalgoorlie's Super Pit gold mine is feeding additional power into the grid as Western Power continues to repair a 220-kilovolt transmission line damaged in last week's storms and local generator suppliers do their best to accommodate unprecedented demand.
'Poisoning the community': WA Police seize 30 tonnes of stolen gold-bearing ore in bikie crackdown
WA Police have charged 20 people and seized more than 30 tonnes of allegedly stolen gold bearing ore in the state's Goldfields as part of the latest crackdown on outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Kambalda nickel mines to close less than a year after $760m sale
More than 250 mining jobs are set to be affected by the closure of another operation in WA's once-booming nickel industry as prices slump.
'We try to put a brave face on it': Kalgoorlie community rallies to help sick, elderly people during four-day blackout
At least 20 people presented to hospital emergency departments with heat-related issues during this week's blackouts across outback WA. A researcher says it's time to rethink cooling strategies.
Another blow for WA's nickel boom as Ravensthorpe mine suspends mining
The owner of the Ravensthorpe nickel operation on WA's south coast says it will suspend mining and cut 30 per cent of its 420-strong workforce.
Perth man pleads not guilty after being allegedly caught with $4m in drugs at WA border
Deng Kiir Dau, 34, has denied he tried to transport more than $4 million worth of drugs into Western Australia via the state's border checkpoint at Eucla.
Queensland man extradited to face WA court over alleged cocaine bust in mid-2023
The 38-year-old is the fifth person to be charged following the alleged seizure of 145kg of cocaine in Eucla and Esperance last year, nearly half of which was allegedly found during the search of a trailer being towed through a WA border checkpoint.
Bushfires that cost the life of young volunteer firefighter under control as tributes flow
Bushfires that destroyed nearly 12,000 hectares on Western Australia's south coast and cost the life of young firefighter Harry Stead have been brought under control.
Housing shortage sees Kalgoorlie council back $140m lifestyle village despite local objections
Two controversial plans to ease housing shortages in WA's historic mining city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, including a $140 million lifestyle village for "essential workers" that attracted 82 objections, are a step closer.
Outback medical service angers creditors after pushing ahead with a third GP clinic while owing thousands in wages
A country medical service facing liquidation angers creditors by offering them 30 per cent of what they are owed to escape a half-a-million-dollar debt while pushing ahead with plans for a new clinic.
Blood donation pop-up centre trial proof 'a whole village can make change'
A pop-up blood donor service will be trialled in regional WA next year after thousands of people threw their support behind a grassroots campaign.
Flying doctor landing on Eyre Highway in dramatic Nullarbor rescue prompts calls for airstrip upgrade
There are renewed calls to upgrade the flood-prone Eucla airstrip after the Royal Flying Doctor Service performed a rare highway landing to evacuate a seriously injured patient on the Nullarbor Plain.