Kate Forrester
Bunbury, WA
Kate Forrester is a rural reporter for ABC South West WA based in Bunbury.
She joined the ABC in 2023 after graduating from Edith Cowan University with a postgraduate broadcasting diploma.
Kate is the 2022 ABC Paul Lockyer scholarship winner.
Latest by Kate Forrester
Six months into the WA government's timber industry shutdown, locals in this country town wonder what's next
From tobacco to cauliflowers to timber, Manjimup has long struggled to find an identity that sticks. Where the small WA town heads next is the million-dollar question.
WA farmers 'egged' Gough Whitlam in the 1970s — now they are being called on to take a convoy to Canberra
Farmers have been told to stand "shoulder to shoulder" after the federal inquiry into phasing out the export of sheep by sea recommended the bill be passed.
On the streets of Collie, opinions are split on Peter Dutton's plan to build a nuclear reactor in town
The coal mining town, 200km south of Perth, is one of seven sites identified by the Coalition as the potential site for a nuclear reactor under Peter Dutton's nuclear energy proposal.
'Recipe for disaster': WA energy minister slams plan to build nuclear power plant south of Perth
Peter Dutton's plan to build a nuclear power plant in Collie has drawn mixed reactions in the west, but it won't happen before 2050.
Chestnut growers look to adapt after changing climate causes harvest slump
John and Linda Stanley have just come out the other side of what they are calling "the worst year for any chestnut grower" which produced only 1.7 tonnes of their normal 12-tonne crop.
Hemp producers say bureaucracy, marijuana stigma, are major hurdles to fibre crop's uptake
While pushed as a sustainable source for clothing, hemp producers say a complex web of rules and regulations — including going through the office of drug control — make it hard for them to meet demands from the fashion industry.
What's the first step to upgrade the sport facilities in your town? Plant a crop
Farmers around Boyup Brook are aiming to raise $90,000 through community cropping in a bid to improve the WA town's aging sporting facilities.
Sheep farmers 'plan for the worst, hope for the best' when facing hard decisions with likely end to live exports
With the likely end to live sheep exports out of Western Australia, people right along the state's supply chain are contemplating how the future of sheep production will look.
'More money in budgie food': Citrus grower says he has no choice but to rip his trees out and he's not alone
A growing number of citrus producers in Australia are being squeezed out of the industry, blaming rising production costs and low prices for their produce from supermarkets.
Negative impacts of federal government's 2028 live sheep export ban already biting, industry says
Farmers from the sheep and wool industries argue a decision made with animal welfare in mind will ultimately lead to worse outcomes for the animals and the people directly impacted.
On the farm Grace would pretend to be Pink. Now she's supported the pop star on stage
Grace Newton-Wordsworth spent her younger years on the farm listening to pop star Pink through the headphones of her Walkman. Now she is singing right next to her.
Storm front brings much-needed rain across southern Western Australia
A potato farmer says he has turned his six pumps off as rain gives his crops a soaking that has spread across much of his region.
'It's my getaway': Farmers and their mates muster fierce, friendly rivalry at Australia's top dog competition
Trialling sheepdogs in Australia has a long history, with many competitors travelling year-round to compete at rural and remote events, and for others it's their "getaway from the farm".
Tiny town's population swells as West Australian farmers hold drought crisis talks
Amid some of the driest conditions in recent memory, hundreds of WA farmers have condemned the state government's response and called for more direct action.
WA government rules out subsidies for farmers facing feed shortage as 'seasons get hotter and drier'
Producers in WA's south are facing a grim outlook as dams dry up and feed supplies run short, with some saying they have never seen such extremes before.
At just 17, Libby is already one of the youngest wool judges across Australia
Forget chess and debating clubs, in an old shed in Western Australia, these county kids are competing in merino wool judging to prepare them for life on the land.
Fire south of Perth eases after flare up as authorities warn of risks in 'incredibly dry' bush
The alert level for a bushfire burning south of Perth is downgraded to 'watch and act', after a flare up on Tuesday afternoon prompted authorities to briefly reissue an emergency alert.
Firefighters contain blaze that destroyed homes south of Perth, but warn it is not yet under control
Three homes and five short-stay accommodation units have been lost to a fire burning near Waroona, but firefighters have since managed to contain the blaze.
'Sisterhood' of CWA in Western Australia is 100 years old, but is the women-only club about to change?
Celebrating its centenary this year, Western Australia's CWA is contemplating allowing men to become associate members.
Fruit growers facing difficult future as key WA dam dries up
Water in Glen Mervyn Dam, 200km south of Perth, has dropped by 80 per cent in a year, prompting calls for growers to future-proof their orchards.
Young guns encourage next generation to get involved in 'athletic' shearing industry
Shearers Ethan Harder and Ethan Gellatly have been named WA's first shearing ambassadors, and plan to break down some of the stigma associated with their industry.
Sunburnt fruit getting 'cooked' on the tree as dry spell continues in WA
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts below average autumn rainfall across the South West, with drought conditions across parts of the North West also set to stretch on.
Brutal heat affecting your appetite? Chickens feel the same — and you might have noticed the result
Temperature is a key factor in the productivity of hens — much like us, they tend to eat less when it is hot and that means they are likely to lay smaller eggs.
The humble spud is now a $1 billion industry but a potato farmer says not all growers are benefitting
Australia consistently produces about 1.4 million tonnes of spuds each year and their value is on the rise.
Shire investigates new holding yard after 'frustrating' trespassing cattle case
A $19,000, three-month process to move more than 60 trespassing cattle in the Shire of Capel ends with officials considering a future livestock impounding facility.