Permanent home for the Men’s Shed Geraldton

Nationals WA Member of Parliament and candidate for the seat of Geraldton Paul Brown MP is thrilled to announce that the Men’s Shed Geraldton have a permanent home.

Speaking in Geraldton today, Mr Brown, accompanied by Land Minister Terry Redman, joined in with the Men’s Shed Geraldton committee and supporters at the handing over of the old Geraldton Fire Station in Durlacher Street as the new home for the group.

Mr Brown said, “I proposed the idea of the old Geraldton Fire Station as a permanent home for the Men’s Shed earlier this year. They were very keen to stay in the CBD and this proposal was very welcomed by the committee and their members.”

The Men’s Shed have been in need of a permanent home for many years, with many plans and possibilities not coming to fruition over this time. Thanks to the generosity of local businessman Bob Ramage the Men’s Shed has been located in the West End of the CBD for the past five years. This has added to the vibrancy of the area, whilst raising the public profile of the Men’s Shed, and supporting their social enterprise part of the business with the passing trade. With the building up for sale, the Men’s Shed have been lobbying very hard for a permanent home.

“As the Fire Station is a state owned asset, due diligence needed to be done on the dollar return to the state. I argued very strongly that the long term social return to the community would far outweigh any short term financial gains. Thankfully, this was agreed, and I would like to thank Minister Redman for his support of this proposal.” Mr Brown said.

Men’s Sheds have become a haven and place of respite for men suffering from mental health issues, depression and isolation and have become one of the most well regarded organisations across Australia. The sheds are run by a group of dedicated volunteers.

“I would like to congratulate the Men’s Shed Geraldton committee, particularly Ross Barden and Garry Hargreaves who have been relentless in their advocacy and determination to find a permanent home,” Mr Brown said.

“This is a great day, and I am glad that I have be a part of such an important project to the Geraldton community.” The Durlacher Street Fire Station will be vested with the City of Greater Geraldton by the Minister for Lands Terry Redman, for the purposes of the Men’s Shed Geraldton.

WACRH set to expand its school holiday program under WA Labor

A McGowan Labor Government will allocate $80,000 to expand and enhance the successful school holiday program run by the WA Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) in Spalding.

The program, which has been running as a trial, has engaged school age children, their parents, university students and the broader community.

Comments from WA Labor’s candidate for Geraldton Lara Dalton:

“The school holiday program at WACRH is a fantastic local initiative that is aimed at young school age children from a broad range of family backgrounds.

“This funding will allow the program to expand to cater for older school aged children and youth.

“Not only does it benefit those families who use the service but it also provides an excellent servicebased learning opportunity for tertiary students on placement with WACRH.

“As a Lecturer at TAFE, I can see the enormous benefits that a program like this provides for all students, no matter what they are studying.

“Many constituents have raised their concerns to us about groups of young people wandering around with nothing to do. This funding announcement will help address this.”

Comments from WA Labor’s Shadow Minister for Tourism and Corrective Services Paul Papalia:

“Lara Dalton has been working with the local community to deliver real benefits to families and locals.

“This program is a fantastic example of the kind of project that WA Labor is interested in supporting – it helps strengthen communities and provides educational benefits to participants.

“I congratulate WACRH for their initiative in establishing the program, which provides activities and something positive for young people to do in a structured environment.” 

Junior Roller Derby

Let’s face it Oakajee ain’t going to happen. If the Midwest’s finest minds and captains of industry drawn from across the globe can’t relocate or build a train track and a place to park boats our prospects are bleak.

So what does Geraldton need to lift its flagging spirits?

Over a couple of Chardonnays the other night some of Geraldton’s most feisty and colorful women decided that kids in the midwest  need more than a deep water port to look forward too!, they need a Junior roller derby team!

Kiwi Karnage one of Geraldton’s Sin City Rollers most dedicated skaters, was the first to state her frustration that the kids of this town shouldn’t miss out in one of the most active and addictive sports. “You know, not a day passes when I don’t get the urge to strap on my skates and go and knock some sucker off their feet. I’m sure most kids can relate to that!

The roller game has a long and ignoble history. Started in the US it was codified, in as much as the game has many rules, by Leo Seltzer and the author, Damon Runyon. The fortunes of the game have waxed and waned over the last century with its popularity once again on the rise. It is has been  included in the 2020 Olympic games.

Perth have an established junior roller derby and are keen to include regional leagues so they can consolidate their skills so it’s a perfect time for Geraldton to give them a run for their money!

The training begins with basic skating skills, including how to fall safely and basic derby game skills

The first public meeting is being held at The Dome Geraldton on Thursday the 19thof January @ 6pm. Anyone wishing to participate, assist or sponsor is warmly invited to attend.

Kiwi Karnage aka Trudy Gilmour, as always, has the last word. “This is a sport made for all kids of all shapes and sizes, and is perfect for the kid that is not into traditional ball sports (there is no ball), midwest kids are tough!  But here’s the thing, they’re not easily embarrassed. If someone lands a local kid on their bum they get up dust themselves off and go return the favour!  ”

United stance against proposed transport corridor

Shire of Irwin Acting CEO Geoff Peddie (left) Shire of Chapman Valley Deputy CEO Simon Lancaster, City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn and Shire of Northampton CEO Garry Keeffe finalising their proposed Dongara-Northampton Transport Corridor route.

Local Governments in the Midwest have come together to take a united stance against the proposed Dongara-Northampton Transport Corridor route.

The City of Greater Geraldton, Shire of Chapman Valley, Shire of Irwin and Shire of Northampton have expressed their concerns about the proposed route and outlined their alternatives in a joint letter to the State Government.

Driven by Main Roads WA (MRWA) in collaboration with the Mid West Development Commission (MWDC), the transport corridor proposes a route from Dongara through to Northampton which will be used by large trucks to transport freight.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said he and fellow Shire Presidents agreed the proposal was flawed for a number of reasons.

“Each of our local governments believe that the alignment as suggested by MRWA and MWDC would be detrimental to our communities,” he said

“The proposed two-lane inland route will have damaging effects to the natural environmentincluding land sterilisation which could lead to land owners blocking the project which could potentially delay the development on the Oakajee Port and Industrial Estate.

“Unlike the inland route which effectively strands Oakajee, our stance includes the Oakajee to Narngulu Infrastructure Corridor so trucks, rail and slurry pipelines will be able to access and use the Oakajee estate.

“Due to the scale of the outer option, urgent options such as the Northampton bypass and the inner bypass of Geraldton are being delayed into the very distant future,” Mayor Van Styn said.

The option proposed by all shires will still provide a linkage in a state freight network, by enabling 53.5m road trains to travel between Carnarvon and Muchea north of Perth without having to travel through Northampton and the City of Greater Geraldton.

Shire of Chapman Valley Chief Executive Officer Maurice Battilana said the united stance on the issue would help to cement the Shires’ position.

“The new option, which is favourable for all parties involved, should be far cheaper as it removes a lot of duplication and does not require the same upfront investment enabling it to be done in stages as and when funding and circumstances allow,” he said.

“By joining forces on this issue we have been able to identify options that will best suit all of our Local Government areas.”

Shire of Northampton has already taken the next step with their Council recently passing a motion that supports the joint proposal.

All Shires recognise the importance of this project and the urgency with which it should be pursued, emphasising that this should not be viewed simply as a Midwest project, but rather a key state and national project.

Councillors go electronic

Councillors Michael Reymond (foreground)) and Graeme Bylund making the transition from paper to digital devices.

In the City’s continued bid to cut costs, City of Greater Geraldton Councillors have gone paperless.

All Council correspondence is now sent digitally and will be viewed on electronic devices.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the savings will be huge.

“Often Council meeting agendas can be hundreds of pages long not to mention lengthy attachments,” he said.

“Together with minutes and other supporting documents which are often in full colour you can imagine the savings associated with going paperless are huge.

“Not only does the decision to go paperless have a positive environmental outcome, it will result in massive savings in the resources needed to print copies of Council meeting agendas which amounts to more than $35,000 per year.

“Reducing costs is something we as a Council are collectively working towards and I’ve had positive feedback from my fellow Councillors on this money saving initiative.”

Then & Now

TAKEN from approximately the same position but 144 years apart, these two photographs clearly illustrate Geraldton’s development in that time.

From the digital archives of Geraldton Historical Society, the old photo is believed to be the earliest image on record of Marine Terrace.

It shows the developing town’s main street as a rough sand track, the first layer of bitumen was not laid down until the 1920s.

However, that old photo is not quite as old as was first thought.

When it was added to the GHS archive around 20 years ago, it was recorded as having been taken in 1869, but the only recognisable landmark tells a slightly different story.

That landmark is the Victoria Hotel, which was built in 1871/1872 when the area's total population was only 500 people.

With solid walls of stone and brick, it still standsbut is now empty and unused.

No other buildings in the archive image are recognisable today, those which replaced them were built in line with the Victoria Hotel, closer to what is today the footpath.

An interesting detail in the archived photo is at the right, a tall pole bearing a bell.

This is believed to have been the town’s fire alarm, which would have been loud enough to call volunteers to the foreshore.

Once there, they would fill their one horse-drawn tank and pump with sea water before galloping to the blaze!

Summer fun for school holidays!

With everything from extreme sports, beach excursions, movie nights, gross games, science wonderland, art, dance and more, your kids will have no shortage of entertainment this school holidays!

Boasting yet another jam-packed line up of activities, the City of Greater Geraldton has teamed up with local service providers to bring back the ever-popular School Holiday Program for December/January.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the program which is released every school holidays had already proved to be a great resource for parents and carers who may be strapped for ideas on how to keep their kids busy.

“Coming up with fresh new ways to keep kids entertained over such a long period of time can sometimes prove to be a challenge, which is why we are always looking to produce a bumper school holiday program which has something for all ages and interests,” he said.

“As with previous editions, we know this one is sure to be a big hit.”

The Geraldton Foreshore will come to life with a variety of social sporting activities, including five-a-side soccer, beach volleyball and basketball. There will also be stand up paddle boarding, sunset yoga and outdoor movie nights on offer.

Mullewa Youth Centre has an array of activities on offer for the community, including the new Indigenous Hip Hop Program and a free bike workshop that will teach youngsters how to build their own bike from recycled parts.

Mitchell Street Park in Spalding will be a hive of activity between 19-23 December and again from 9-25 January. This exciting holiday program includes creative projects such as the urban art workshop and art meets science sessions, as well as gross games, science experiments and more.

Other organisations who have activities on offer during the school holidays include the Child & Parent Centre in Rangeway, Museum of Geraldton, WA Centre for Regional Health and PCYC, as well as the Geraldton Regional Library and the Aquarena.

For more information on the school holiday program, including prices, times and how to register, visit the City’s website at www.cgg.wa.gov.au to download your copy of the program, or call 9956 6600.

Tree removals on Durlacher and Fitzgerald Street

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise it will be removing two dead Norfolk pine trees located in the locality of Geraldton.

The tree located at 172 Durlacher Street will be removed on Tuesday 3 January 2017 and the tree located at 112 Fitzgerald Street will be removed on Wednesday 4 January 2017.

Although the City is always reluctant to remove trees as they add to the liveability of the urban space, in this case the trees are located in close proximity to the street and houses and present a serious risk to pedestrians, motorists and homes.

During the removal of the trees the road will be open for residents living in the affected area only. Traffic management will be in place including a total road closure.  Motorists and pedestrians are requested to exercise caution and obey all warning signs and directions from authorised City personnel and contractors.

The City apologises for any inconvenience these works may cause.

If you have any queries regarding the renewal works please contact the City on 08 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.

Letter to CGG from Ian Blayney regarding Geraldton Fire Station's future

Dear Ken

I write to you to seek clarity as to the City's preference for the future use of the former Geraldton Fire Station, on the corner of Durlacher Street and Anzac Terrace.

I understand that the City regards this site as crucial to the future of the CBD. It has been indicated to me in the past that Council’s preference would be for the site to be commercial or retail.

Menshed have made it clear that they see it as potentially a very good site for their organisation. There is no doubt that Menshed is a very valuable, and important group in Geraldton, and they do a lot of good in the community. I would see it as a priority that they get a permanent long-term home, preferably close to the centre of the city.

Menshed had a good site offered to them by the Uniting Church, but that stalled because the Church will not accept lotteries funding. I respect this and have not been able to find a way around it.

I seek clarity from the Council as to your preference for the future of the Fire Station site. If you agree that Menshed should have the site, I will advocate strongly for this within Government. If the Council would prefer the site to have an alternative use, I would ask you to publicly state this, so that Menshed, myself and the Council can find an alternative, acceptable and permanent site for Menshed in Geraldton.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Blayney MLA
Member for Geraldton

Dreams closer to reality

Catalyst participants celebrate their graduation.

Six Mid West people and ventures with big dreams are a step closer to seeing their dreams reach reality after completing the Catalyst pre-accelerator training program with Pollinators.

The group of six start-ups embarked on the three-month program to learn the business skills to transform their dreams from idea to reality.

They also had the chance to pitch their ideas to big-gun investors as part of the Greater Geraldton Investment Showcase.

Catalyst facilitator Fleur Porter said she was amazed to see the growth experienced in such a short time period.

“Facilitating the Catalyst process was like joining people and their ventures on a journey of incredible growth,” Ms Porter said.

“Watching them learn, expand their thinking, connect with and support each-other and then extend their ideas beyond what they originally thought possible was a very cool process to be involved in.

“I’m very excited about what is possible for the graduates and their ventures, and what they will bring to our community.”

Pollinators chairman Paul Dyer said it was such ventures who would contribute to making the Mid West healthy and resilient.

“At Pollinators our mission is to nurture innovations and people that enable healthy, resilient communities, which is why we facilitate a range of learning opportunities throughout the year: for early-stage commercial ventures, NFPs looking to be more enterprising, and corporates looking to be more innovative,” Mr Dyer said.

“In the future it will be innovative ideas like these ones that contribute to making our region the healthy and resilient place we dream it can be.”

Participants sought to grow ventures ranging from social initiatives to traditional businesses.

They learned everything from honing their value propositions and writing business plans to marketing and pitching to investors. 

Graduate Emma Jackson, who worked on her social venture Scinapse, said Catalyst had enabled her to be more strategic and focused on numbers, customers and customer needs and desires.

“This process challenged me to get out and actually call people up and make connections, which helped me to tweak my ideas,” Ms Jackson said.

Northern Agricultural Catchments Council employee Sarah Samulkiewicz-Taylor sought to grow her ‘Elevate Your Impact’ Initiative through the Catalyst program.

“Catalyst was all about legitimising my idea and realising there are other people who will come on board with your ideas,” she said.

“Although I knew I was responsible for my own outcomes, I felt supported to do the work, even the uncomfortable and challenging parts.”

Vaughan Masters from Masters IT said Catalyst taught him to become creative and think outside the square about his business while George Ainsley from Ainsley Agroforestry said Catalyst helped him pitch his idea to investors in a succinct and clear manner.

Catalyst was funded thanks to the Mid West Development Commission and Regional Development Australia Mid West Gascoyne, as part of the Mid West Innovation Agenda.

It was supported by the US Embassy Canberra & US Consulate Perth and West Tech who contributed to the Groundswell, conducted by Pollinators.

Greater Local Access to much-loved WA seafood

Geraldton MLA Ian Blayney has welcomed Fisheries Minister Joe Francis announcement of a special trial to help give more Western Australians access to our world renowned western rock lobster.

“Most of our commercial catch is exported to China at a premium price,” said Mr Blayney.

“This means that Western Australians also pay a premium at restaurants throughout WA.

“The trial, which begins today, will allow commercial rock lobster fishers to catch and tag up to an extra 50 lobsters for sale to the local market.

“This will provide about eight tonnes or 12,550 additional lobsters being made available for the general public,” said Mr Blayney.

“There has been concern for some time about the limited availability of lobsters for coastal communities and local seafood retailers, including restaurants.

“This trial will help to address the lobster shortage for local consumers.

“It will also be closely monitored but the Government is confident that it will not impact on the sustainability of the western rock lobster as it has worked closely with the Western Rock Lobster Council, which represents commercial rock lobster fishers, to develop this trial.

Western Australia has some of the best managed sustainable rock lobster fisheries in the nation. This trial will maintain their integrity but allow them to be enjoyed more readily and more affordable prices by locals.

“This issue was raised by locals at a meeting with the Premier that I organised earlier this year. The Premier promised to look at it and I’m very pleased to see this model being trialled,” said Mr Blayney.

Geraldton principal Harvard-bound

Waggrakine Primary School principal LisTurner will study at Harvard University next year, as part of a prestigious leadership program run by the Liberal National Government. 

Geraldton MLAIan Blayney said Ms Turner would travel to the prestigious university in Boston to learn from the world’s best at the Graduate School of Education. 

“Ms Turner is one of 20 of WA’s top Independent Public School principals taking part in the program in 2017,” Mr Blayney said. 

“They’ll spend a week at Harvard, after which time they’ll go on to complete an online course while taking on projects to make their local schools even better.” 

The principals will form a pool of skilled leaders who can as mentors to other principals and contribute to school leadership development programs across Western Australia’s public schools. 

Harvard University was chosen because of its international reputation for excellence in school leadership development

“As principal of Waggrakine Primary School, Ms Turner has already shown she can push the boundaries of what is possible and bring innovation into the classroom,” Mr Blayney said 

“Waggrakine is now Geraldton’s biggest Government primary school.” 

Each principal who completes the program will become an Independent Public School Fellow. 

The fellowship program costs $631,700 over two years (75% Australian Government and 25% Western Australian Government funding) 

A full list of 2017 participants is below. 

For more information, visit http://www.education.wa.edu.au

Learning Potential app-dated guide for families

A parenting app popular with Durack families is getting a refresh in time for the school holidays thanks to the Turnbull Government, with hundreds of articles, activity suggestions and advice to help families with children of all ages. 

The Learning Potential app has been downloaded 118,000 times since it launched in August last year and the latest updates come in time for the school holidays with a range of new features and 45 new articles that include a variety of activity ideas and parenting tips developed based on data of the information families had been seeking out. 

Member for Durack Melissa Price said local families had been enjoying Learning Potential’s the advice and suggested things to do with their children. 

"The Learning Potential app is a trusted resource for parents across the country because it uses the latest national and international research and is designed in collaboration with expert agencies, like the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority and the Office of the Children’s E-Safety Commissioner,” Ms Price said. 

“The Learning Potential app is free to download and easy to use and it helps parents in their role as the first teachers in any child's life and better allows them to complement the work of teachers and schools. 

“In the face of Australia’s declining rankings in international education benchmarks, the Turnbull Government’s Learning Potential app gives parents ways to easily tap and share advice, tips and ideas on being actively involved in their child’s learning and to ultimately help boost their personal skills and education outcomes. 

"Whether they’re in the high chair or when they’re in high school, the Turnbull Government’s Learning Potential app has hundreds of articles, games and tips designed to help parents no matter what stage their children are at.” 

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the app offered parents trusted advice for any of the burning questions they had. 

“As a dad I know what it can feel like to be looking for guidance but not wanting to sift through some of the dubious parenting advice you find on the internet,” Minister Birmingham said.

“Our Learning Potential app helps fill that gap of trusted advice and helps encourage parents to try new ways of engaging with their children. 

“Our updates build on the success of the popular Learning Potential app with new articles on a range of topics like how to teach children to read using phonics, whether handwriting or typing notes is best and managing stress during exams and activities for little ones designed to improve motor skills or encourage a love of science.” 

For further information or to download the app visit learningpotential.gov.au

Geraldton Airport security to increase with funding

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn, Minister for Transport Bill Marmion and Ian Blayney MLA.

Security at Geraldton’s airport will be improved after being awarded nearly $300,000 in State Government funding to replace baggage handling/X-ray and explosive trace detection equipment.

Keeping abreast with the latest technical standards, the new equipment is set to be installed during 2017.

Minister for Transport Bill Marmion announced approval of grants under the Regional Airports Development Scheme (RADS).

Geraldton Airport was among seven regional airports to receive RADS funding which supports upgrades to regional and remote aviation infrastructure.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the new equipment would be a welcome addition to Geraldton’s airport.

“There were about 127,000 passenger movements through our terminal last year. We want to continue to operate at a high standard and this funding allows us to do so,” he said.

“We’re hoping to secure more funding from the Government in the near future for significant infrastructure upgrades, to enable operation of larger aircraft through our airport to grow regional tourism and export trade.

“Real prospects have been identified for direct airfreight exports from Geraldton, and we need upgraded capacity at the airport to enable and support that growth in economic activity and jobs.

“We have already lodged submissions with the State, seeking funding support to extend the length of our main runway to 2400 metres, and we will also be seeking Building Better Regions funding support from the Federal Government in 2017,” he added.

Holiday fun to run in Spalding

Children participating in art and craft at the Spalding Family Centre in the October school holidays.

Children of the Spalding area will be in for a treat these summer holidays.

A new summer holiday program organised by the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) will be taking place at the Spalding Family Centre and Mitchell Street park in Spalding.

Following on the success of the holiday program held in October, this extended program will see lots more fun holiday activities.

There will be bike repair workshops, movie nights, arts and culture, health and wellbeing activities, circus fun, rap dancing DVD-making, community barbeques and plenty of sports.

Children will be able to test drive the WACRH blender bike. The bike uses pedal power to make healthy smoothies.

There will also be morning maths and reading learning circles to give kids a head start to their 2017 school year.

The holiday program is supported by the City of Greater Geraldton (CGG) and WACRH is collaborating with the Geraldton Sporting Aboriginal Association (GSAC), the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (GRAMS) and other agencies.

Professor Sandra Thompson, WACRH Director, was pleased that WACRH could again be involved in the holiday program.

“We interviewed residents in the Spalding area as part of a soon to be released report called Reality Street.”

“What was clearly expressed by the residents was the need for holiday activities to be put on in their area for children to alleviate their boredom.”

“There are lots of activities held in central Geraldton and in the sporting areas of Wonthella but it’s often difficult for children in Spalding and the northern suburbs of Geraldton to get there.”

“By holding this extensive holiday program we will engage with kids to provide a safe and happy environment. Staff and students have been planning this to ensure a range of great activities to challenge and involve the kids,” Professor Thompson said.

Adrian Bartlett, GSAC Project Officer, noted that the holiday program has origins from over 20 years ago.

“Back in 1994 the Department of Sport and Recreation initiated a school holiday program with GSAC and Geraldton Streetwork Aboriginal Corporation (Streeties) called Streetsports.”

“Many people may remember the Streetsports trailer full of sporting equipment being moved to different community parks and ovals around Geraldton for children to play with.”

“In my early days of working for GSAC on this program, we used to get up to 100 kids a day coming along.”

“It’s great to see the return a holiday program which was shown to effectively engage kids over 20 years ago and has now evolved into something bigger and better,” Mr Bartlett said.

The program is for children aged between 6 to 16 years old. Parents and relatives are welcome to come along to have some fun and to lend a hand.

The program is being held in the first week of the school holidays from Monday 19th up to Friday 23rd December. It then starts up again after Christmas from Monday 9th to Wednesday 25th January. It will run on weekdays (not on public holidays) from 9am to 4pm. For Thursday 12thand 19th January it will run from 12-5pm.

There are no costs to attend the Spalding Summer Holiday Program thanks to the sponsorship from the CGG and other agencies. It’s all free.

Healthy morning tea and lunches will be provided every day, thanks to generous donations from Foodbank.

For more details, contact Lenny Papertalk at the WACRH on 9956 0200.

Brede Street retaining wall works

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise it is undertaking works to extend the existing retaining wall along Brede Street to reduce rainwater runoff from the vegetated slope.

The estimated date of completion of works is 23 December 2016.

During this time members of the community are requested to exercise caution and obey all warning signs and directions from authorised City personnel and contractors.

The City apologises for any inconvenience these works may cause.

If you have any queries please contact the City on (08) 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au. 

Point Moore residential waste water systems study released

A study that investigated the potential impact the aged residential waste water treatments systems in Point Moore could be having on the local area has been released and is now open for public comment.

Acting on an April 2014 Council resolution to undertake studies of the area, specialist consultants GHD were contracted to complete the Point Moore Residential Onsite Effluent and Disposal Study (ROETD) which reports on the performance of the existing systems and impacts they could be having on public health and the local environment. 

City of Greater Geraldton Chief Executive Officer Ken Diehm said Council requested the Study be undertaken before further lease extensions could be considered as many of the dwellings were built more than 40 years and no longer meet State guidelines.  

“Many of the 178 houses at Point Moore were originally built as holiday cottages in the 1960s and 1970s and these dwelling use onsite septic tanks with effluent disposed via leach drains or soak wells,” he said. 

“Given their age, these systems don’t conform with current state legislative requirements and according to the study, many of them are in poor condition which has resulted in ground water contamination. 

“Although Council has extended 35 residential leases till 2028 they resolved they would not consider further lease extensions until detailed studies of the area which included the area’s vulnerability to coastal erosion and inundation and the REOTD Study were completed.” 

On 7 December 2016, the ROETD Study was presented to Point Moore residents and property owners.  The City is now seeking advice from State Government agencies to find a way forward. 

“The City will be taking a multi-agency approach by working with the Departments of Water, Health, Environment Regulation, Land and other key agencies to determine what the report means to the local community,” said Mr Diehm.  

“The City has also met with the Friends of Point Moore community group to develop a strategy going forward.” 

The ROETD Study follows the Point Moore Inundation & Coastal Processes Study which reported on the vulnerability of the area to coastal erosion and inundation. 

Both Point Moore studies are available on the City website.  The public comment period for the ROETD Study closes on 22 January at 4pm.

Funtavia Announces Ship-Load Of Performers

Awarded ‘Best New Venue’ at the 2016 Fringe World Awards, the Funtavia ship is set to dock back into Geraldton’s West End, Marine Terrace on Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 of February 2017. 

It is with absolute excitement that on Thursday night Funtavia organisers launched their 2017 program and sponsors list as part of CGG Christmas on the Terrace activities. From its inception in 2016 the program has doubled to feature more international, national and local artists. 

“We are proud that Funtavia has been able to bring a taste of Fringe World to Geraldton and the way in which the community embraced the 2016 pilot festival whole-heartedly.” 

Funtavia is part of Fringe World Festival, the third largest Fringe Festival in the world. 

Funtavia 2017 will feature more than 30 performances over three evenings of jam packed entertainment and fun nestled right in the heart of the west end Marine Terrace.  

 “Februarys program expect to see rappers, graffiti artists, rambling parents, comedians, improvisors, games of thrones fans, musicians and entertainers alike. No show will be the same, but we guarantee that each one will be insanely entertaining.” said Creative Producer Julian Canny  

Open each afternoon from 5.30pm will also be the Baba Marda pop-up bar, food stalls and entertainment in the Funtavia Hub, West End – this area is free for all to moseyon in and enjoy. 

Jodi Reilly, Event Producer says“ Funtavia aims to further boost Geraldton’s reputation as a colourful, lively and enviable place to live. This year we are working with tourism and hospitality partners to bundle up attractive packages that encourage visitors to stay a little longer and see what we love about our fabulous city.” 

Funtavia will host a first for regional WA, four locally produced original shows will feature as part of the program. The four shows are The Hungry Games, Smell like Meme Spirit, An Incompetent Life and Regional Produce.  Funtavia offers an incredible opportunity for our local artists and producers, not only to perform but to also become involved with the international arts sector and make connections with people across the industry. Many of these productions will be touring Perth for future performances. 

“We are extremely excited that we are able to deliver something that is really unique to Geraldton and invests directly into our local performers, while offering world class entertainment, and this is all made possible thanks to our generous event sponsors.” Ms Reilly said. 

Excluding opening night all tickets are $18 and will be available until sold out (so get it early). Tickets can be purchased online through our website www.funtavia.com

Head over to the website to keep up to date with information and to download the full event program. 

Sponsorship prospectuses are available from the Funtavia Crew at Event Nation – 08 9964 6088, funtavia@eventnation.com.au or our event website www.funtavia.com

Program copy: click HERE.

Record student numbers and donations as student scholarships open for 2017

2016 Scholarship recipients and Hollomby Foundation donors.

Student numbers continue to grow at GUC with more than 300 students expected to be studying in 2017.  With the record number of students, the Hollomby Foundation, thanks to its generous donors, will offer $70,000 worth of scholarships to assist students to study in the Mid West next year.

“Scholarships are already oversubscribed so with more students, the ability to offer more support through scholarships is most welcome. The Hollomby Foundation scholarships address a definite need and help reduce the financial barriers to study that some people face,” stated GUC Director, Natalie Nelmes.

Hollomby Foundation scholarships assist not only the region’s local talent to be able to study locally but also recognise their academic commitment, community participation, future aspirations and of course, financial need.

“Scholarships can help students to cover the cost of books (sometimes as much as $500 a semester), the home internet connections vital to keeping up with their study or a lap top to study with.  For some students, they are also required to travel from towns within a 2 hour radius of Geraldton and that fuel expense mounts up,” explained Ms Nelmes.

The Hollomby Foundation is named after the late Joe Hollomby, affectionately known as the ‘shortbread man’, who raised over $1million for charities and local organisations as well as people in need, baking and selling shortbread and apple pies.  The Hollomby Foundation was established for the advancement of tertiary education in our region and supports Mid West students to fulfil their educational dreams.

2017 Hollomby Foundation Scholarships have been made possible by the following generous donors;

Deepdale Bursary, St John of God Health Care Geraldton, RSM Geraldton, The Horwood Family, Greenough River Solar Farm, Mid West Development Commission, City of Greater Geraldton, Shire of Irwin, Shire of Northampton, Ian Blayney MLA, Darren West MLC, Paul Brown MP, Bendigo Bank, Bundiyarra Community Aboriginal Corporation, Rotary Club of Batavia Coast and MidWest Art Management.

For a list of scholarships and application details click here; http://www.guc.edu.au/students/scholarships-3/

Applications are open until 5pm Wednesday 8 March 2017.

Applications for Accounting, Business, Education (Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary), Environmental Science, Psychological Science, andSocial Work close 20 February. Applications for Graduate Diploma of Education and Engineering close 6 February. Nursing and STEPS applications have closed for Term 1 2017. For further information please contact the GUC on 9920 4400, email brendanp@guc.edu.au or visit www.guc.edu.au/courses/

Intersection resurfacing works in Rangeway

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise it will be resurfacing the road at the T-intersection of Diosma Street and Betula Street in Rangeway with asphalt works scheduled to begin on Thursday 8 December 2016 for a period of approximately 1 day. 

The anticipated hours of work will be between 7.00am and 6.00pm.

Traffic management will be in place and members of the community are requested to exercise caution and obey all warning signs and directions from authorised City personnel and contractors.

The City has allocated $523,127 for the resurfacing of 17 intersections in the 2016/17 Budget.

The City apologises for any inconvenience these works may cause.

If you have any queries please contact the City on 08 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.