The Standard will introduce a local news subscription package for online readers from September 18.

Visitors to www.standard.net.au from September 18, will be able to subscribe for full website access to the latest news from the south-west for only $3.75 a week.

As announced in August, the new subscription offer will include around-the-clock digital access to all of the local news, sport and opinion published by The Standard, as well as essential community information and the latest national news and sport, plus lifestyle, health and travel advice.

Subscribers will also get access to digital replicas of each days print edition of The Standard, so they can read every page of the newspaper on their tablet or desktop. Theres also the option to receive regular news updates, including breaking-news alerts, by email.

From September 18, www.standard.net.au readers who want to subscribe can opt to pay monthly and get the first 30 days of access for free. Or they can pay for an annual subscription, receive 20 per cent off plus the first month of access for free.

In a message to south-west audiences and advertisers, editor Greg Best said the introduction of a local news subscription would allow audiences to choose the way they wanted to support The Standard to continue providing its valued journalism and community information.

As our audience increasingly reads our local journalism online via their smartphones and tablets, we need to make sure we can continue to deliver the coverage our community expects and deserves, Best said.

By subscribing for full online access, you will be supporting The Standard to continue its mission to deliver the local journalism that keeps our community informed, entertained and connected.

Some content online will remain open to all website visitors after September 18, including classified advertisements, such as birth and funeral notices, and recommended articles featuring local businesses.

Visitors can also sign up to have a free newsletter emailed regularly to their inbox, making it easier to browse the latest headlines and see whats making news across the south-west.

The website changes will not affect the printed version of The Standard, which will continue to be published Monday to Saturday.