Foreshore upgrade replaces struggling trees

The City will be replacing poor performing Norfolk Pine trees on the Foreshore.

Poor performing Norfolk Pine trees located on the Geraldton Foreshore will soon be replaced with similar looking Cook Pine trees as part of the City’s program of Foreshore upgrades undertaken in the last 12 months.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said even though Norfolk Pines are well suited to the climate a number of them are not doing well on the Foreshore.

“Norfolk Pines thrive in our Mediterranean climate and can be found almost everywhere in the City,” he said.

“However 12 of these trees, which were planted seven years ago on the Foreshore between Durlacher Street and Forrest Street, simply aren’t thriving despite all our efforts.

“Therefore, the City will be replacing them with Cook Pines, a hardier variety that drops less foliage and will fit well with the aesthetic of the Foreshore.

“These new mature trees will beautify the City’s premiere public open space whilst providing shade for many years to come,” Mayor Van Styn added.

From Wednesday 16 August to Friday 18 August 2017, seven of the 12 trees will be removed and new trees planted in their place.  The remaining five trees will be replaced when replacement trees are available.

Bushfire Cadets to represent Geraldton at Championships

A group of youngsters are gearing up for the Australian Fire Cadet Championships where they will be the first regional Western Australian team to compete and are seeking the community’s assistance to get them there. 

The Waggrakine Volunteer Bushfire Brigade Cadets are one of two teams representing the state at the Sydney-based Championships in October and a GoFundMe page has been established to raise funds.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the group are a huge asset in the community.

“The cadets will be our next volunteer firefighters and will gain key insights from this event,” he said.

“The Australian Fire Cadet Championships provide a safe and enjoyable opportunity for cadet firefighters to compete, develop their skills and interact with other cadets from across the country. It’s a great honour to be invited.

“I encourage everyone to spread the word about the GoFundMe page that has been created and help get these kids to Sydney in October.

“I wish the cadets the very best of luck at the Championships.”

Waggrakine Volunteer Bushfire Brigade Cadet Coordinator Darren Cole said the cadets are extremely excited about going to New South Wales to compete in the Championships.

“This event attracts 26 teams from all over Australia and to be given the opportunity is fantastic not only for the kids, but also for Geraldton,” he said.

“The cadet unit caters for kids from 12 to 16 years old and teaches firefighting skills, fire behaviour, teamwork and leadership whilst having fun.

“Unfortunately we are only allowed to take six cadets to compete in the Championships and none of them have been to Sydney before, so we are hoping to show them a few icons before heading to Myuna Bay for the Championships.

“That’s why we are raising funds – we want to make this a really enjoyable trip for the cadets.”

The Waggrakine Volunteer Bushfire Brigade were a recipient of the last round of the City of Greater Geraldton Community Grants. Round 19 of the 2017 – 18 Community Grants Program is currently open.

To support the Cadets at the upcoming Australian Fire Cadet Championships, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/waggrakine-volunteer-bushfire-cadet

The Waggrakine Volunteer Bushfire Brigade Cadets are representing the state at the Australian Fire Cadet Championships in October and are raising funds to help get them there.

Dozens to Sleep in Their Cars for the Homeless

Fusion Australia with the support of Shelter WA, will be hosting ‘Sleep in Your Car 2017’ on August 11 to raise awareness and funds for homelessness in Australia.

Held during Homelessness Week, the event hopes to create an understanding of the plight of those living without a home by having participants experience homelessness first hand.

In Geraldton on August 11 from 6pm participants will spend the night sleeping in their cars at 193 Marine Terrace (behind Headspace).

There are over a hundred thousand people who are homeless every night in Australia - 48% of these are under 25 years old.  ‘Sleep in Your Car’ aims to raise funds and increase awareness about the homeless.

Once again, Fusion, in partnership with GRC (now RAW) and Ngala Midwest, will run the event in Geraldton  “We are so excited about the opportunity for people to sleep out and make a real difference for the thousands of people that don’t have a home or a bed tonight,” said event organiser Alison Hilton.

So far 26 individuals including politician Ian Blayney MLA have volunteered to give up their beds and sleep rough on August 11.  The Geraldton team hopes to have 30 participants sleeping out and have raised $1500 already and hope to meet our target of $16000 from this local event.  Money raised supports Fusion’s homelessness programs, GRC (now RAW Regional Alliance West) and Ngala Midwest.

For the first time Sleep in your Car – Geraldton will be holding an interactive experience developed by Fusion Housing and Support Team “The Walk without Home”

The Walk without Home has a number of aims:

• To help participants develop empathy and compassion for others.
• To advocate for young people within this system and the obvious gaps in the housing sector that need addressing to best support those most vulnerable.

For those who don’t want to sleep out why not bring a cash donation and participate to discover what it might be like to be young and at risk of homelessness.

Other activities on the night will include games, an adult ball pit/discussion pit, a sausage sizzle and the sharing of information about homelessness in the Midwest and beyond.

Participants over 18 are asked to raise a minimum of $100 (under 18 raise a minimum of $50). The reason for this minimum is that we want people to do this that are committed to raising funds and creating awareness for homelessness.  Fusion is running the event nationwide, with people participating in at least ten different locations.  Here in Geraldton the event is being assisted through a $500 grant from Shelter WA to help cover the administration costs.

For further information or to register, visit www.sleepinyourcar.com.au or call 0423 895 978.

Enrolment reminder for Local Government election

With Local Government elections less than three months away, residents and ratepayers are reminded to ensure they are enrolled to vote and have their say in the future of the City of Greater Geraldton Council.

By simply going onto the WA Electoral Commission website, people are able to check their enrolment to ensure they have the chance to say who runs their community.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said it was important for the local community to vote in the election to ensure they felt confident that the Councillors in their ward would represent their needs.

“Our community is very passionate and vocal when it comes to topical issues and the best way to ensure their voice is heard at Council is through their ward Councillors,” he said.

“Council makes big decisions for our community from providing significant services through to community infrastructure and our Councillors are the voice of the people.

“A strong Council forms the foundation of an effective and efficient Local Government and I urge residents and ratepayers to assess the candidates and vote in this year’s election.”

Just one in three eligible Geraldton residents voted in the 2015 election and this year participation is strongly encouraged among under-represented sections of the community including women, Aboriginal people, young people, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

People who are ineligible to enrol to vote, such as non citizens, but are ratepayers are also entitled to vote in local government elections, as are ratepayers who are enrolled to vote in other parts of the country.

Local government elections take place on Saturday 21 October 21 2017. 

Enrolment forms are available at post offices, the Western Australian and Australian electoral commissions and local government offices.

To check your enrolment head to www.waec.wa.gov.au before 5pm on 1 September 2017.

Fauna successfully relocated from Olive Street Reserve

Golden Orb Spider

Fauna relocations undertaken as part of the Olive Street Reserve Remediation works have resulted in 672 insects, reptiles and mammals being captured and safely removed from the site during the initial clearance.

A report submitted by Darren Darch of Fauna for the Future stated 648 native insects and reptiles including Orb Spiders, Stick bugs, Binoe’s Prickly and Reticulated Velvet Geckos, Bearded Dragons, West Coast Four Toed Leristas and Gwardars or Western Brown snakes were captured onsite and successfully relocated to similar habitats across the City region.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the Chapman River Regional Park has especially benefitted from the relocation of Orb Spiders into the Park.

“More than 500 Golden Orb spiders were captured on the reserve and many of these were released in the Chapman River Regional Park,” he said.

“This has really helped boost local Golden Orb population numbers which were reduced in a fire in the Park three years ago.”

The report also indicated three feral animal species were netted and later euthanised during the process.

“All the traps used were designed to capture creatures humanly, which ensured any native animals caught would remain unharmed and could be successfully relocated,” said Mayor Van Styn.

“The traps worked so well that 17 Common European House mice, two European Black rats and a Red Fox were also captured and put down after they were confirmed as feral pest species.”

With onsite remediation works now complete, landscaping of the eight-hectare site is proceeding well with mulching and planting operations in full swing.

West reflects on election result

Member for Agricultural Region Darren West says he’s looking forward to “getting on with the job” of delivering for Geraldton and the Mid West after WA Labor’s stunning election win last month.

Mr West, who was returned at the recent poll said he is determined to get Geraldton moving again and thanked the Geraldton electorate and the wider Agricultural region for their support. .

“Being elected is humbling and I thank the electorate for their faith in us and the opportunity to get things done in the region,” he said.

“WA Labor made some sound commitments to the community before the election and our focus will be on making these projects a reality.

“WA Labor will also retain Royalties for Regions fund but will spend the money more wisely and more fairly with a focus on regional roads and regional jobs and will continue the Country Aged Pension Fuel Card at $575 per year.”

Mr West said his office will remain at 84 Marine Terrace in Geraldton.

“I am not moving out and the door is always open.”

Also elected representing Labor in the Agricultural Region is former City of Greater Geraldton Councillor, Laurie Graham, who will be sworn in to the Parliament on May 21.

Mr West said that he is delighted to get the opportunity to work with Laurie to represent the people of the Agricultural Region, which extends from Kalbarri to Esperance.

“Our differing skill set means that we will complement each other well in the community.”

Mr West also paid tribute to WA Labor Candidate for Geraldton Lara Dalton, who he described as “a breath of fresh air” and the clear choice of the community on March 11.

“The community clearly wanted Lara as their representative in Parliament but sadly the Nationals and One Nation preferences went against her and handed the Liberals the seat.

“While we are very disappointed that Lara was not successful, I remain hopeful that she will contest Geraldton again in 2021 - Geraldton needs her positive approach and willingness to get things done.”

Mr West was sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister Alannah MacTiernan and will assist with the portfolios of Agriculture and Food, Regional Development, State Development, Trade and Jobs.

Give Country Builders A Fair Go: Master Builders

Government incentives to use regional building contractors and suppliers should be doubled, the Master Builders Association says.

Under the Buy Local Policy, a contractor tendering for a regional Government construction project can claim preferences if it has an office in the area and if it undertakes to purchase services and materials from local businesses.

Its tender price is notionally reduced by up to 10 per cent if both preferences apply, but only in contracts up to $5 million. Master Builders is calling for the incentives to apply in projects up to $10 million. Builders say opportunities to tender for substantial projects in their regions are limited.

The Buy Local upper limit does not reflect their capacity to take on much bigger jobs but the incentives plateau at the $5 million level.

Master Builders supports an increase in the regional preferences.

“We’re calling on the major parties in the lead up to the election to look at the Buy Local preferences and commit to doubling them,” says Master Builders’ director Michael McLean.

“The incentives support builders maintaining a presence in country towns,” he said. “They encourage use of local labour, suppliers and trades and create opportunities for apprenticeships.”

Mr McLean said there were many country builders and regional offices of metropolitan firms capable of taking on $10 million building and construction projects.

“In the interests of a strong building industry, and ultimately, a strong economy, these country businesses and their local subcontractors, apprentices and suppliers need to be fostered,” he said.

But Master Builders says there also needs to be tighter monitoring of successful tenderers who have benefited from the incentives.

“The criteria by which a business is judged to have a regional office need to be strengthened,” Mr McLean said. “A requirement should be that at least a small number of the business’s employees live permanently in the town or locality. And currently, an office can be said to be permanent if it has been operational for six months. This should be increased to a year.”

Mr McLean said there also needed to be more rigorous auditing of the regional content preference. It was too easy to claim at the time of tendering that local labour and materials would be used but then to bring in subcontractors and supplies from elsewhere.

“This is a difficult issue,” Mr McLean said. “Things often are pretty fluid between the time tenders close and actually doing the job but we still believe there’s a need for greater integrity in the system. That means the Government agencies responsible for the projects taking a more active interest.”

Major suicide prevention trial extended to the Mid West

WA Primary Health Network is one of four regions across Australia with higher than average suicide rates and will take part in a $46 million trial aimed at delivering better mental health services.

The Federal Government will establish four Suicide Prevention Trial Sites, including the Mid West, with each site receiving approximately $3 million over three years.

Member for Durack Melissa Price said the local community will benefit from better resources and services for mental health.

“Suicide is tragic and heart wrenching experience for anyone involved, affecting family members, friends and the community,” Ms Price said.

“We must do all we can to turn the tide and reduce our suicide rate.

“We are bringing together and coordinating federal, state and local governments, GPs and mental health service providers to identify issues and deliver a tailored response to a community or individual need.”

WA Primary Health Network will administer the funding and, in consultation with the local community and government, decide what services can be brought together and assess which are most effective.

The four new Suicide Prevention Trial Sites will be established in Darwin, Central Queensland, Western New South Wales and Mid-West Western Australia.

This are in addition to the eight trial sites already announced for Brisbane North, North Coast NSW, North Western Melbourne, Perth South, Townsville, The Kimberley, Tasmania and country South Australia.

Two of the trial sites will be in Indigenous communities.

IGA Sports Night

On the evening of Wednesday 1st February more than 70 staff from Rigters Supermarkets enjoyed competing for their Argie Cup at Geraldton Croquet Club. The night pitted staff from Queens Supa IGA, Rigters Supa IGA and Wonthella Supa IGA against each other to see who would claim the glory.

The Argie Cup

The competition was a round robin event played on 6 half courts. Each game was guided by members of the croquet club who explained rules and technique to the players and helped to keep the scores as the games proceeded. The players enjoyed a pizza, drinks and snacks between games and had a great time.

The cup was won by Wonthella Supa IGA with 132 points who held out Rigters in second on 114 points and Queens in third on 86 points.

Wonthella Supa IGA celebrating the win on the night and retaining bragging rights as the winners of The Argie Cup for the second time in a row.

Pictured below, General Manager, Kyme Rigter and Operations Manager, Stuart Bain revealing the results prior to presenting the Argie Cup to Wonthella Supa IGA.

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.