Geraldton's big dig

GERALDTON’S BIG DIG

In 2015, major multi-million dollar conservation work is expected to commence on Geraldton’s most iconic building, St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral.

It is also planned to build a Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre, Café and Plaza in the grounds in front of the Cathedral.

This area contains an early 20th century Geraldton rubbish dump which as part of the conservation and development work is to be archaeologically excavated under the supervision of Fr Robert Cross (Catholic priest & Archaeologist) from 24 – 28 November, from 8am to 5pm daily.

It is anticipated that artefacts recovered from the dig will provide valuable historical information about early Geraldton and the early phases of the Cathedral’s construction.

A feature of this archaeological dig is that it will be a Public Archaeology Event, that is, the public will be welcome to come to the dig and help with the sieving, collection, cleaning and sorting of artefacts.

Ocean & Earth Training Specialists is one of the major contributors to this project, supplying various machinery and labour to the value of approximately $40,000.

Other contributors to this archaeological project in kind or financially are: Security Co, Cross Archaeology and Ecclesiastical Heritage, Monsignor Hawes Heritage Inc, St Vincent de Paul, Nagle College and several individuals.

An application has also been submitted for the latest round of the City of Greater Geraldton’s Community Grants Programme.

Fr Robert Cross deeply appreciates the commitment of all the above to this project but is still looking for contributions (money or in-kind) to help meet the costs of the dig, estimated to be in excess of $60,000.

All contributions will be acknowledged on the website and in any publicity material.

Please visit the website that has been set up to publicise and inform about this unique Geraldton event: https://sites.google.com/site/archaeologyofsfx.

If you would like to can help with any of these or would like to make a donation of money, please contact Fr Cross on 99213221 or email him at heritage@diocese-geraldton.org

(Note: Fr Robert Cross will be out of his office from 10 -14 November but messages, donations or offers of assistance can be left with Genny at the Diocesan Office Ph: 99213221).

Public meeting on the future of Geraldton Secondary Schooling

Public meeting on future of Geraldton secondary schooling

Thursday, 6 November 2014 

• Community meeting to be held Thursday, November 13
• Education Minister to share results of community survey 

Parents and community members with an interest in the future of public education in Geraldton are invited to attend a community meeting next week.

Education Minister Peter Collier will visit Geraldton to host the meeting and share the results of a recent online survey about local public secondary schooling.

More than 300 people responded to the survey, and Mr Collier said it was important to hear the views of the local community about what made a good secondary school.

“I want to have a close look at education in Geraldton - a major regional centre of our State,” he said. 

“This process is about looking at the way we deliver secondary education and whether it is most effective, or if we can do better for students in this area.”

The Minister said all students needed the opportunity to study a broad range of subjects, and have access to pastoral care programs and support services that parents would expect of a good secondary school.

Fact File

• The meeting will be held from 6pm-7.30pm, November 13 at Geraldton Surf Lifesaving Club, 260 Willcock Drive, Geraldton
• Survey findings will be published online following the meeting at http://www.education.wa.edu.au 

Minister’s office - 6552 6300

Weed Management Commenced to Protect Dune Systems in Jurien Bay

Pink dye marks where Pyp Grass has been sprayed with herbicide.

Over the coming weeks some vegetation areas around the town of Jurien Bay will be dyed pink. The pink dye indicates where spraying of Pyp Grass (Ehrharta villosa) has commenced to eradicate this invasive weed from the Jurien Bay township.

Pyp Grass is an aggressive invasive weed that is known to smother and replace important native vegetation species that naturally occur within dune systems.

Dr Mic Payne, NACC’s Coastal and Marine Program Coordinator explained that dunes infested with Pyp Grass are more susceptible to erosion caused by wind, waves and unmanaged visitor access.

“Jurien Bay’s beaches, coastal infrastructure and tourism all rely on healthy dunes protected by native vegetation,” said Dr Payne.

Contractors spraying Pyp Grass at the infestation site at Shingle Avenue.

The current Pyp Grass eradication work is part of the Jurien Bay Pyp Grass Management Plan, development of which involved members of the local Jurien Bay Herbarium Group. Group members assisted in surveying vegetation present in Pyp Grass infested areas and monitoring the success of treatment for future management actions.

NACC encourages the community to assist in managing Pyp Grass by keeping an eye out for further infestations.

To get a copy of the Jurien Bay Pyp Grass Management Plan or to get involved in the project please contact Dr Mic Payne on 9938 0123 or Michael.Payne@nacc.com.au

This project is supported by NACC, through funding from the Australian Government.

Seniors Week to commence with stage production at Queens Park Theatre

Seniors Week 2014 will kick off next Sunday November 9 with the live stage production of Cis and Barbiche at the Queens Park Theatre.

Commencing at 2pm with an afternoon tea, and then followed by the live stage production, Cis and Barbiche is a lively, romantic story of two lovers in wartime Europe recounted by their letters and diaries from over 70 years ago.

‘Cis’, as he was affectionately known by his family and friends, was a gunner on Halifax Bombers and part of a squadron allied to RAF in WWII, whilst ‘Barbiche’ remained in Liverpool awaiting the return of her young airman lover.

Following their exciting and passionate journey through a dialogue created from the actual letters preserved from the war.

The production is proudly being toured by Agelink Theatre Incorporated and is currently celebrating 21 years of producing professional theatre based on history, including touring ‘Cis & Barbiche’ to the prestigious York Theatre Royal UK for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in York earlier this year in July.

Tickets for Cis & Barbiche are only $12 for Seniors which includes afternoon tea at the show, available at www.queensparktheatre.com.au or directly through the box office on (08) 9956 6665 between 1pm and 5pm weekdays.

Development Industry to be hit by a new Tax

The State Government Cabinet is holding a meeting this week to consider a new tax on developers and Councils that donate or contribute electricity infrastructure to Western Power.

City of Greater Geraldton CEO, Ken Diehm, said only just learning about this plan was disappointing as it has been done without seeking additional public comment.

“It was originally proposed in April this year but a decision was deferred due to the public outcry,” said Mr Diehm.

“It was my understanding the State would seek public comment before considering this matter, clearly this is not going to happen now and it has been quietly snuck back into the Cabinet door”.

Under the plan, a tax of 13.9 per cent will apply to any work completed by a third party and then gifted to Western Power, or for any modifications to the existing network and network connections, including subdivisions, street lighting, pole to pillar, built strata, network extensions, substations and transmission lines.

Mr Diehm said the tax will hit the development Industry and Councils across WA and is likely to reap the State around $24M annually.

Mr. Diehm said that the new tax will:

• Push Local government’s rates up as Councils will need to recover the tax from the community through their rates and charges. 
• Increase the cost of development, which will result in some developments being shelved or deferred.
• Push land prices up because of higher development costs.

“This is a really disappointing outcome and a body blow to the development industry during a time when everyone is doing it tough,” said Mr Diehm.

“I would urge the government to reconsider this matter.”

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

Calling young leaders 18 – 25 in the Midwest community

The Rotary Club of Geraldton is calling for young people aged between 18 – 25 to apply for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.

The program will run from Saturday 31st January – Friday 6th February 2015 and is an intensive training program aimed at potential young leaders in our community.  Applicants attend a 7 day camp just out of Perth and the rewards are ongoing.  A number of Midwest leaders have attended this program over the years and have reaped the rewards. 

Objectives are to; 

• Develop their personal  effectiveness and self confidence
• Develop leadership skills as well as the capacity to contribute effectively as team members
• Gain a wider understanding of the challenges that present themselves in a changing society.

A variety of fun and interactive developmental activities are provided during the 7 day camp including goal setting, teamwork exercises, hike and bush camp, leadership skills, abseiling, high ropes, conflict resolution, public speaking, magazine/CD preparation, time management, problem solving, overcoming obstacles, bush navigation, effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Employers interested in sending their staff members are encouraged to apply.

For more information please contact :
Rotary Club of Geraldton Rotarian– Dianne Gilleland M: 0419 854 413
RYLA  contact:  Barry Ryall – M: 0418 177 191

Sand Bypassing works in northern beaches

As part of the Northern Beaches Stabilisation Programme the Mid West Ports Authority today started undertaking sand bypassing which will continue through to Friday November 7.
 
Approximately 6,250m3 of sand will be transported from Pages Beach to placement sites along the Beresford Foreshore during this time.
 
The purpose of sand bypassing is to feed sediment into the longshore current operating in a northerly direction along the Geraldton coastline.
 
Through a coastal process known as littoral transport, the sand by-passing provides sediment to Geraldton’s northern beaches through the action of the breaking waves and the longshore current.
 
This approach provides a cost-effective way of providing sediment to Geraldton’s northern beaches.
 
Traffic management will be in place to minimise the disruption to traffic in the area. Where appropriate a water cart will be used to suppress dust and sand movement off the placement sites.
 
To protect the shared pathway from damage by the sand bypassing transport trucks the Port Authority will place sand over the pathway for the duration of the works.
 
The sand will be removed on completion of the works. Working hours will be between the hours of 7.00am to 5.00pm for duration of the works.
 
For further information on these works and the Northern Beaches Stabilisation Programme, contact Project Coordinator, Michael Dufour, on (08) 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.

Bushfire season is here: do you have an independent water supply?

Bushfire season is here: do you have an independent water supply?

• Public water supplies cannot be guaranteed during a bushfire 
• Residents who choose to stay and defend their homes need to have an independent water supply

Water Corporation customers living in or near bushland have been reminded not to assume they will have a water supply if they choose to stay and defend their homes during a bushfire. 

Bushfire season in the southwest corner of Western Australia starts in November and continues through to April, so now is the time to assess your water supply needs.

Water Corporation Mid West Regional Manager Steve Greeve said it was important to understand that water supplies could not be guaranteed during a bushfire.

“We will always do all that we can to maintain supply but fire damaged infrastructure or a cut to power can result in a total loss of water,” he said.

“If scheme water is available during a bushfire it is a bonus for property protection efforts, but it is not something that can be relied upon.” 

“If you choose to stay and actively defend your home you need to fully assess and plan your water supply needs, independent of public water supplies.”

The Water Corporation has made its own preparations for bushfire season by readying equipment and systems to cope with extreme conditions. Despite these efforts, it is likely that during a bushfire there will be a reduction in water pressure, and public water supply tanks may run empty.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and local councils have information available to assist with bushfire preparations and residents are encouraged to contact them should they require assistance or advice.

Information is also available online on the DFES website www.dfes.wa.gov.au

Navy cadets join Albany celebrations

Three navy cadets are busy packing their uniforms in preparation for the ANZAC centenary celebrations in Albany. Executive Officer of TS Morrow navy cadets, Sub Lieutenant Kevin Freeman said, ”These cadets really put a lot of effort into community events in Geraldton and also places like Three Springs and Mingenew. It’s great when the opportunity arises for them to be rewarded for their dedication. This celebration of the 100th anniversary of the departure of the first ANZAC convoy has attracted a lot of attention because it is such an important part of our history and the cadets will be right in the thick of it. “

Cadet Able Seaman Keelan Purcell said, “Cadets get amazing opportunities other people don’t and I’m really excited to be chosen to take part in this ANZAC celebration. I am especially looking forward to being in the centennial troop march, going on board the ships and seeing the re-enactment of the fleet departure.”

Albany was the final Australian departure point of the first convoy of troop ships from Australia and New Zealand heading for World War 1 nearly 100 years ago. After several months training in Egypt and the Middle East, these troops landed at dawn on the beaches of Gallipoli. As part of the centenary celebrations seven ships from Australia, New Zealand and Japan will do a re-enactment of the departure of that first convoy from King George Sound on 1 November 2015.

Sub Lieutenant Freeman said, “Being a cadet with the Australian Navy Cadets not only opens up opportunities other people don’t get but also allows you to make new friends and be part of a team that values you. We also aim to provide challenges that develop your potential as a leader. If you are 13 or older you can join navy cadets by visiting the unit on the Foreshore near the yellow submarine on a Wednesday night.

GERALDTON RESIDENTS ANSWER THE BEACH CLEAN UP CALL

Participants gathered to hear instructions before heading out to collect rubbish.

Proving that Geraldton residents love their beaches, more than 100 people showed up to take part in Geraldton’s Massive Beach Clean Up last Sunday. The Geraldton-wide beach clean-up complemented the 10th anniversary of the West Australian Beach Clean Up conducted by the Tangaroa Blue Foundation.

Tangaroa Blue Foundation continue to collect and collate data on the rubbish washing up on our beaches every day. The information collected helps identify the sources of environmental contamination, assisting development of innovations to reduce future impacts.

Sorting in action!

Although Geraldton Coast Care Groups are no stranger to annual beach clean-ups, having conducted smaller scale clean ups for over a decade, it was decided Geraldton was ready for a larger city-wide event.

On Sunday, many Geraldton locals joined forces to be a part of Geraldton’s Massive Beach Clean Up, organised by the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) and the City of Greater Geraldton (CGG). Locals gathered on the foreshore to register before heading out to their favourite beaches between Drummonds Cove and Cape Burney, with collection bags in hand.

Participants then returned to the foreshore to enjoy a BBQ lunch and live music from local artist Daron Keogh whilst they sorted through their bags and recorded their findings.

Some unusual items returned to the sorting stations, including a discarded microwave, pieces of bed head and a car jack.

Dr Mic Payne, Coastal and Marine Program Coordinator at NACC said, “it was a fantastic turn out with over 93 people registering on the day, and 260kg of rubbish collected over 14 kilometres of coastline.”

“All of which would not have been possible without huge contributions from the rest of the project partners: Drummond Cove Progress Association, Point Moore Coastcare, Sunset Beach Coastcare, the Department of Fisheries and the Batavia Coast Maritime Institute. In addition, Apex Australia, Culinary HQ, Lattitude 28 and the Water Corporation all donated prizes or equipment for the event,” said Dr Payne.

As a result of the amazing response from the public, NACC and the CGG hopes to continue this event in the future with plans to make it bigger and better next year.

Record Numbers for Sunshine Festival

Record numbers of festival goers filled Geraldton with a carnival of colour, laughter and sound during this year’s Geraldton Greenough Sunshine Festival.

This year’s festival, which finished on October 12, has been labelled an enormous success with all events experiencing record participation and support.

Festival committee chairperson Julian Canny said the MMG Float Parade was a fabulous sight to see and received great involvement from businesses, community groups and individuals this year with 50 entries parading the streets of Geraldton creating fun, laughter and atmosphere.

Julian said over 3000 people enjoyed the fun and games of the Stirling Central Family Opening Day, while the Toll Truck Pull attracted more than 900 spectators. Geraldton Bullbars SciTech Science Roadshow entertained 775 people over two days, while the Colour Decor Pavement Art, Chapman Animal Hospital Pet Parade, Let’s Party Little Miss &Master Sunshine Pageant and the PCYC Teddy Bears Picnic all exceed past entry numbers.

“The festival was so well received this year,” Julian said.

“It was amazing to see the way the community embraced this treasured and long-lived festival once again.

“We were just ecstatic to see the level of support and the way people of all ages and backgrounds came together as one to celebrate our wonderful community.

“The committee would like to thank the community for its support - all the planning in the world would have been for nothing if the community did not embrace the 56th Sunshine Festival like it did. We still have a long way to go – though it is great to see that the festival still holds a place as one of the region’s favourite community events.

Mr Canny paid tribute to the many people and organisations who worked hard to make the event so special.

“Media support was critical and we could not have connected with everyone without their continued support with radio interviews, stories and community announcements,” Julian said.

“And community events cannot take place without the generous ongoing support and backing from funders including the City of Greater Geraldton and Lotterywest, and also our fabulous sponsors that live and work within our community.

The committee are seeking new energetic people with fresh ideas to lead the charge for 2015, would you like to join us?" 

Crisis Accommodation for Geraldton

The City of Greater Geraldton recognises the need for crisis accommodation in Geraldton and calls on all government agencies to come together to address the growing requirements in the Mid West.

The call comes on the back of Bundiyarra stating that the future of the Boomerang Hostel, a 17 bed hostel on Gregory St, is uncertain.

Mayor Ian Carpenter said, “There is very high demand for crisis accommodation in Geraldton, especially for people travelling to Geraldton to access regional services, such as medical care.”

“We are concerned about the possible closure of Boomerang Hostel and call on the State to work with key stakeholders to get an outcome.

“We will work with all the agencies to assist and advocate where we can to make sure that crisis accommodation in Mid West is available.

A new hostel is listed as a flagship project in the MWDC's Midwest Investment Plan. The City calls on the State and other agencies to support the need for crisis accommodation by implementing their plan sooner rather than later.

Seniors Week – recognising our seniors

Seniors Week is just around the corner with a variety of events to recognise the contribution of seniors in our community.
 
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor, Ian Carpenter, said the 2014 Bendigo Bank Seniors Week is an annual event to thank our seniors for inspiring the quality way of life for elderly in the Mid West.
 
“The City promotes positive and active ageing with a range of programs available for Over 50s at the QEII Seniors & Community Centre.”
 
Kicking off on Sunday November 9, Seniors Week is anticipated to be one of a kind with including the following events:
 
Sunday November 9:

• Seniors Week Opening Event – screening of the classic film Cis and Barbiche at the QPT at 2pm. Tickets: seniors/concession $12, early bird $17, adults $20. (Includes afternoon tea).

 
Monday November 10:

• City of Greater Geraldton Mayor’s Mystery Bus Tour – 9am at the Queen Elizabeth II Seniors and Community Centre, followed by morning tea. Free event.

 
Tuesday November 11:

• Grandparent’s Story Time at the Geraldton Regional Library – 9.30am to 10.30am, followed by morning tea. Free event.
• Seniors Quiz Afternoon – 1pm at the QEII Centre, afternoon tea provided. Six people per table, cost $3.
• Afternoon tea and musical entertainment – 1.30pm to 3.30pm at Opal Geraldton (former Geraldton Nursing Home). Free event.

 
To see more of the events happening during this week, visit the City’s website on www.cgg.wa.gov.au/events/seniors-week-2014. 
 
For more information about Seniors Week or to get your copy of the program, contact QEII Seniors and Community Centre Coordinator, Rosetta Finlay, on 9921 2684 or 0407 993 413.
 
Programs can also be found on the City’s website.

Superhero Mascot to raise Indigenous immunisation rates in Midwest and Goldfields

A superhero will travel through remote Indigenous communities in the Midwest and Goldfields to raise child immunisation levels above the national standard, thanks to a $20,000 GSK Immunisation Grant.

The new mascot has been deployed by Goldfields-Midwest Medicare Local, armed with education materials and health professional assistants as part of the “Immunisations are for everybody” program, explains Program Officer, Kathleen Slootmans.

“Only 77.1 per cent of 12-15 month old Indigenous infants in the Midwest community, and 87.1 per cent in the Coolgardie region are fully immunised. Our aim is to increase this to 90 per cent within 12 months,” says Kathleen.

“Our new superhero mascot will be more relatable for children than the usual immunisation promotional materials. He’s a happy, colourful and muscular looking boy wielding an immunisation rocket that makes needles a bit less scary.”

The immunisation mascot will be officially launched on Tuesday 21 October as part of the Geraldton Regional Community Education Centre’s Children’s Week event, and his community-chosen name will be revealed.

“We’ll also be handing out our colour-in storybook which is targeted towards Indigenous children and their families. The story is based on a conversation between two children, their mum and grandmother on the importance of immunisation.” 

The immunisation roadshow will begin on 26 November covering Carnarvon, Kalbarri and Shark Bay before heading to the Goldfields and Kalgoorlie region early next year. 

“We’re running the roadshow in partnership with other local health agencies such as WA Country Health Service and Bega Garnbirringu Health Service, which already utilise a mobile clinic in remote and rural areas to deliver health services.” 

“We’ll also link-in with schools, day care centres, private practices, community health centres, the Carnarvon Hospital, Carnarvon Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation and True Culture, True Care to plan out the best approach locally. Resources are often stretched so this grant is a good opportunity for us to link-up and reach as many children as possible across both regions.”

“Where we can’t provide immunisations on the day, we’ll at least be able to assist with consent forms and arranging future immunisation sessions.”

The GSK Immunisation Grants is one of Australia’s longest standing programs encouraging innovation and sharing best practice for immunisation providers.

Dr Mark Amies, GSK Vaccines Medical Director, said the grants are about enabling local solutions to local problems.

“We’ve seen some fantastic initiatives over the last nine years of the program and we’re proud to be able to support public health care,” said Dr Amies.

For more information about the winners visit www.immunisationgrants.gsk.com.au.

Job opportunities for Aboriginal youth

SMYL Trainees Zemma Connell, Talecah Clayton, Tiffany Collard, Zamaria Councillor (Western Australian Country Health Services Midwest) and Maitland Spratt with SMYL Aboriginal Group Training Manager, Ashley Garlett. 

The City of Greater Geraldton has partnered with SMYL Community Services (South Metropolitan Youth Link) by providing young Aboriginal school students the opportunity to work in local government through a school based traineeship.

SMYL is a charitable organisation that offers Aboriginal students the chance to engage themselves in education, training and employment in the program throughout Western Australia.

City of Greater Geraldton Aboriginal Community Development Officer, Nola Gregory, said the City has taken on four trainees for the duration of the program.

“The traineeships allow Aboriginal students to have an insight of working in local government and the different career opportunities that are available,” she said.

“By working at the City, trainees are able to find what type of work best suits them and what they’re most comfortable in.”

The City has the following Geraldton Senior College students:

• Maitland Spratt – Automotive Traineeship with Fleet and Support
• Talecah Clayton – Business Traineeship with Community Law and Safety
• Tiffani Collard – Business Traineeship with the Aquarena
• Zemma Connell – Business Traineeship with Arts, Culture and Events.

Western Australian Country Health Services Midwest, Geraldton Sporting Aboriginal Corporation and the Commonwealth Bank have also joined the initiative by taking on an Aboriginal School Based Trainee.

Throughout their traineeship students are mentored by SMYL Manager, Ashley Garlett, who regularly visits Geraldton.

Without the traineeship some students would be at risk of dropping out of school and find the transition from school to work hard.

Aboriginal students can apply by speaking to their VET Coordinators. 

For more information about SMYL Community Services and what programs they offer, visit the website on www.smyl.com.au or contact (08) 9430 4921.

Youth Mental Health "headspace centre" to open here in Geraldton

Good news for Geraldton. Headspace have announced they will be opening a centre here in Geraldton.

It's expected to be open toward the end of 2015 or early 2016. 

Full media release below. 

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Thousands more young Australians will get the help they need for problems affecting their wellbeing, after the Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, announced the next 15 headspace centre locations.

In welcoming the announcement, headspace CEO Chris Tanti said the new centres will extend the important early intervention work of the national youth mental health organisation into areas of significant need.

"Through our existing headspace centres we've helped thousands of young people with issues ranging from depression, anxiety, relationship break downs, bullying, exam stress and problems with alcohol and drugs," Mr Tanti said.

"These additional locations will bring us to a national network of 100 headspace centres. Together with our online service, support to schools and expansion to help young people experiencing early psychosis, we can help thousands more young people and their families no matter what issue they're facing."

"Many of these communities announced today have advocated strongly for headspace centres to be established in their areas, so we know these centres will be highly valued. We also know there are many more communities across the country in need of support for their young people," Mr Tanti said.

The 15 locations announced by the Federal Government today are:

New South Wales: Griffith - Murrumbidgee (Griffith), Orange, Sydney - Castle Hill, Broken Hill - Far West (Broken Hill), Goulburn.

Queensland: Moreton Bay - north (Caboolture), Gladstone, Brisbane east (Capalaba), Bundaberg

Victoria: Swan Hill, Melbourne - Greensborough, Gippsland (Bairnsdale), Grampians (Horsham)

Western Australia: Geraldton

South Australia: Limestone Coast (Mount Gambier)

Mr Tanti said determining the locations of the new headspace centres is based on a range of factors to ensure headspace services are delivered in the areas of greatest need.

"We take into account distance from existing headspace centres, the current and future population size, social and economic factors, accessibility of the location and the readiness to set up a headspace centre," Mr Tanti said.

The process to determine locations for centres is done in consultation with the Department of Health, headspace and the State and Territory Governments. The final decision is made by the Commonwealth Government.

The additional centres are part of the 2014-15 Federal Budget commitment of an additional $14.9 million to support expansion of the headspace network by 10 centres, bringing the total to 100 across Australia.

Young people who do not have convenient access to a headspace centre or would prefer to get help online, can access eheadspace.org.au - a free, confidential and anonymous telephone and web-based mental health support service.

About headspace

The primary focus of headspace is the mental health and wellbeing of young Australians. headspace helps 12 - 25 year olds going through a tough time through a national network of 70 headspace centres (soon to be 100) and online and telephone counselling service eheadspace.

headspace can help young people with general health, mental health, education and employment and alcohol and other drug services.

headspace was established and funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia in 2006.

G-Force shows appreciation of City employment

City CEO Ken Diehm is presented with a certificate of appreciation from G-Force Executive Officer, Tony Cooper, along with (from left) City staff - Manager, Corporate Services, Jeff Graham, Acting Sanitation Supervisor, Dave Meneguzzo, Acting Parks Manager, Graham Smith; and Director Community Infrastructure, Neil Arbuthnot.

The City of Greater Geraldton was recently presented with a framed certificate of appreciation from service contractor, G-Force, in recognition of the City’s continued support in employing G-Force workers with a disability. 

Presenting City CEO Ken Diehm with the certificate, G-Force Executive Officer, Tony Cooper, said it was organisations like the City that has allowed the not-for-profit company to be successful. 

“Without the likes of the CGG assisting us with this, we would not be where we are today,” he said. 

“For a number of years now, the City has used G-Force to provide staff to assist with the street sweeping of Marine Terrace and Foreshore Drive under the guidance of Parks Manager Kim Trotter and Sanitation Supervisor, Stuart Gilchrist.” 

G-Force recently won the Goodness Festival 2014 Best Social Enterprise in Geraldton Award. 

“This was a great outcome as we continue to strive with our mission of employing people with disabilities within the community, on full rates of pay,” Mr Cooper said. 

“G-Force does not receive any form of government funding and we have to source our own contracts. 

“We are able to offer services in all aspects of garden care and clean up, commercial cleaning, window cleaning and document and paper shredding.” 

Mr Diehm said he is pleased the City is able to support G-Force.

“The City recognises the value of this work and the social investment in getting people back into the workforce,” he said. 

G-Force can be contacted on 9964 3525 or www.gforcecontracting.com

Commercial dive boat mistaken for refugee vessel

A commercial dive boat just off the coast of Geraldton today has caused quite a stir with many people alluding to the boat being a refugee vessel.

But actually, the commercial dive boat was involved in a routine inspection and cleaning of a sea water intake pipe for the Batavia Coast Maritime Institute (BCMI) this morning.

The incident is still making its way around cyberspace with many people still Facebooking and Tweeting the rumours.

ABC News 24 Tweeted statements this morning but within an hour police quashed the rumours. Although it didn't stop people from re-Tweeting them.

The commercial boat which could be seen just off Separation Point, was contracted by Durack Institute of Technology to support commercial divers involved in the annual maintenance of its sea water intake pipe used by BCMI. 

BCMI Training Director Suresh Job said the maintenance is carried out on an annual basis. The sea water intake pipe brings in up to 130 kL/hr and is an important part of the BCMI infrastructure which opens out onto Separation Point.

“BCMI aims to maintain the quality of the sea water used in the facility’s research and training programs which includes the commercial production of marine ornamental fish species, coral, Pink Snapper, and Black Bream,” Mr Job said.

Entrepreneurs learn and launch at Startup Weekend

Geraldton Startup Weekend was held on the 19th and 20th of September, providing a structured fun and fast way for local people to launch new ventures or projects.

A mix of participants from business, government and community formed teams and used new tools to form, test and then present their ideas for new ventures. 

The benefits go beyond the prizes for the winning team, as this sort of event grows capacity in the Midwest region to grow new ventures for a diversified economy and stronger community.

Simultaneously on the same weekend, there were similar events held in Morocco, Brazil, United States, Peru and across Europe.

Startup Weekend is a global movement that inspires people to act on their entrepreneurial ideas by enabling them to meet collaborators, learn how to validate and build an idea and make compelling presentations to potential partners, funders or customers.

Since 2007 more than 700 cities have hosted Startup Weekends, all following the same ethos of “all action, no talk”.

Rather than being competitive and results-focused, Startup Weekend is actually focused on collaboration and learning about the process. The Geraldton Startup Weekend event attracted pastoralists, comedians, project managers, digital trainers, facilitators, photographers, and gardening gurus who each had an idea, or a desire to learn. 

After the Friday night pitches where people present themselves and ideas, a limited number of teams were formed around the most popular ideas. Mentors, presenters, educational videos and toolkits are then provided to all the teams to guide their work over the weekend.

 By the time the final presentations came round a day later, teams had:

• Exploded vague ideas into ten thousand variations, then narrowed back down to a single focused business proposition.
• Formed sub-teams to work on different aspects of the venture.
• Tested propositions with potential customers through calls, surveys, and text messages.
• Researched competitors, market size and then made decisions about features of the product and its pricing.
• Prepared and presented a 3-minute summary to judges.

 The winning team “Express: Impress: Progress” did exactly that, turning a general idea that could have been relevant to community groups or businesses, into a very specific proposition for scalable group training in communication skills.

This idea proved very popular with the target market, even when surveyed on a Saturday, with 97% of those surveyed about the service interested in using it in the next 6 months. 

Based on a polished final presentation, the winning team shared in more than $1500 of prizes including a place in the Catalyst program, thanks to MMG Golden Grove, a co-working space, thanks to CityHive and pro-bono business support thanks to Lifetime Services.

The next steps after Startup Weekend for the teams and individuals are to use those new resources to progress their ideas. Several have committed to taking their ventures further through the Catalyst program where there are longer time frames to develop their ideas!

Pollinators have committed to run Startup Weekend again in 2015, with some of the participants from this year likely to facilitate the event. There have also been expressions of interest in running similar events within specific sectors (e.g. Tourism, Youth and Environmental issues), and inquiries can be directed to the team at Pollinators Inc.

Geraldton Startup Weekend in Geraldton 2014 would not have been possible without the support of many organisations and individuals, including:

•  Local sponsors MMG, Lifetime Services and 3M,
• Global sponsors including Google, .co and Amazon web services,
• Mentors, coaches, speakers and judges including Alan Bradley, Jason Smith, Melissa Hadley Barrett, Brendon Davies, Jen Hanrahan, Euan Beamont, and Wendy Burr
• Organisers and facilitators including Yvette Hollings, Jo Blayney and Andrew Outhwaite, and the Goodness team who helped with the initial planning.

Geraldton and Mullewa pools get funding

City of Greater Geraldton pools in Geraldton and Mullewa will be sparkling that little bit more this summer after $30,000 of grants funded by Royalties for Regions.

The grants come as part of the Community Pool Revitalisation Program, which through Royalties for Regions will contribute $13.2 million over four years towards supporting local pools and aquatic facilities in regional WA. 

Money will go towards aquatic centre maintenance, upgrades, purchase of pool equipment and staff training at the Geraldton Aquarena and the Mullewa Swimming Pool. 

Member for Moore Shane Love MLA and Member for the Agricultural Region Paul Brown MLC congratulated the City on receiving the grants, saying they hoped to see the funding boost in action over the summer months. 

“Anyone who lives in a regional area knows how important local pools are to their community, and we don’t mean just for taking a cooling dip,” they said.

“These facilities also play a valuable role in connecting the community socially, providing numerous health benefits, recreation opportunities and increasing education outcomes.

“This funding will keep our local pools as inviting and accessible as possible to people of all ages, encouraging them to lead an active, healthy and refreshing lifestyle.”

The Community Pool Revitalisation Program was a Nationals WA election commitment in 2013, providing regional local governments up to $30,000 per aquatic facility under their management each year.

In the inaugural funding round, a total of $2,708,128 was granted to 91 pools around WA. Of 127 public aquatic centres in the state, almost 100 are located in the regions.

It is estimated they receive more than 10 million visits each year and in 2012-13 employed more than 3000 people in a full or part-time capacity, including life guards, pool operators and swimming instructors/coaches.

For further information about the Community Pool Revitalisation Program visit www.dsr.wa.gov.au/cprp