COVERAGE CONTROL

How we catch the next big story.

The brick shortage exposed a real blind spot.

The earlier system concentrated on suburb and case records. That was too narrow for a materials shortage, law change or infrastructure disruption that can affect projects across Perth. The coverage model now has a separate metro-wide signal desk.

Discover broadly

Twice-daily searches across every coverage beat catch stories outside the fixed source list.

Check fixed sources

Official, industry and reporting lanes stop one source or one suburb from defining the agenda.

Score importance

Reach, consequence, actionability, a real status change and evidence determine the review queue.

Verify, then publish

Candidates are reviewed against primary records where available. Nothing is auto-published.

THE FIXED SOURCE REGISTER

Six beats, each with more than one route to a story.

Coverage beat	What it catches	Source lanes	Expected check	Status
Build supply & workforce	Materials, trades, builder capacity and delays that can affect projects across Perth.	• WA Government and Parliament • HIA and Master Builders WA • Metro and construction reporting	Twice-daily discovery · primary pages daily	Active
Builder & consumer protection	Insolvency, disciplinary action, consumer warnings, court matters and compensation changes.	• Building and Energy / Consumer Protection • ASIC, ABR and court records • Attributed reporting	Twice-daily discovery · registers daily	Active
Planning, housing & law	Statewide reforms, major approvals and policy changes that alter what can be built or bought.	• WA Planning and legislation • Government media statements • Parliament and gazettes	Twice-daily discovery · official releases daily	Active
Infrastructure & essential services	Transport, utilities, schools, health and major works with a broad property or liveability effect.	• Transport and project agencies • State service departments • Local government programs	Twice-daily discovery · project pages daily	Active
Market & finance	Rates, listings, rents, dwelling approvals, commencements and finance settings.	• RBA and ABS • REIWA • Treasury and industry data	On release · weekly reconciliation	Release-led
Local records	Council decisions, planning registers, consultations and works in the priority suburbs.	• Council registers and minutes • Consultation portals • WA Planning and DevelopmentWA	Priority registers weekly · deadlines daily	Active

IMPORTANCE GATE

Important is defined before the scan runs.

That prevents the loudest headline from automatically winning. A score of 80 or more is high priority and should be reviewed the same day. The score orders attention; evidence still decides publication.

01Reach

How many Perth households, buyers, tenants or projects could be affected?

02Consequence

Could it materially change time, money, safety or access to a service?

03Actionability

Is there something useful a reader can ask, check, submit or prepare?

04Status change

Is this genuinely new—a decision, deadline, disruption or confirmed milestone?

05Confidence

How strong and direct is the available evidence?

CURRENT HIGH-PRIORITY SIGNAL

WA brick constraints can delay home builds

Strong demand has put pressure on WA brick supply. The State has committed up to $4 million to help restart Austral's Cardup brickworks, but the extra capacity is not an immediate fix.

91/100

High priority

Read the evidence and questions to ask

Missed-story controls

Dead-man check

A beat with no completed scan or an inaccessible core source is itself an alert. Silence is not treated as “nothing happened”.

Weekly gap audit

The week’s major Perth property and construction developments are compared with the review queue. Any miss is logged and its source lane is repaired.

Reader tip route

Readers can send a public-record link to the editorial desk. Tips are discovery leads, not proof.

Send a news tip

Watchdesk review ledger

A review date tells you when a listed source was read. It is separate from the date an event happened, and it does not make an old record current.

Case	Review status	Source / limitation
Ocean Beach Hotel redevelopment	Historical — further review needed	Listed primary page checked. Other historical sources keep their original dates.
Bella Modular Homes	Historical — further review needed	Listed primary page checked. Other historical sources keep their original dates.
North Ellenbrook East and West	Historical — further review needed	Listed primary page checked. Other historical sources keep their original dates.
WA short-stay registration enforcement	Historical — further review needed	Earlier reporting remains attributed. No new outcome is asserted.
Ideal Realty WA / Roy Li	Historical — further review needed	Earlier reporting remains attributed. No new outcome is asserted.
BGC Housing Group class action	Historical — further review needed	Listed primary page checked. Other historical sources keep their original dates.
70 Cecil Avenue, Cannington	Historical — further review needed	Consultation-page status only; later determination not excluded.
Nicheliving legacy and reform	Historical — further review needed	Earlier reporting remains attributed. No new outcome is asserted.