So many touching comments after this "Stories of Geraldton" post

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As you may know, Everything Geraldton has been publishing images and quotes from everyday people around Geraldton, in the footsteps of Humans of New York. 

A recent post featuring a foster family with over a dozen children was particularly inspiring, and the comments touching. 

If you haven't taken a moment yet to read the comments on Facebook, I suggest you do. 

Part two of this post will be published Friday. 

Here's one example of the inspiring comments you'll read. 

Kathleen Nelly named named Durack Aboriginal Student of the Year

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Kathleen Nelly with her Aboriginal Student of the Year award – and others she has earned over the past two years! 

Kathleen Nelly has achieved a great deal since beginning work at Bundiyarra in 2013, and in April this year, she was named Durack Institute of Technology’s Aboriginal Student of the Year. Through a work placement at Bundiyarra as part of her Business Certificate II, Kathleen became a fulltime employee.

Last year, Kathleen returned to study the Certificate IV in Digital Media and Technology at Durack three days a week, while working at Bundiyarra for the other two, and was the recipient of three scholarships to help her on her way.

She was awarded the 2015 Aboriginal Education and Employment and Training Committee (AEETC) Academic Careers Pathways scholarship, and the 2015 Rio Tinto Aboriginal Scholarship. Kathleen also earned herself the 2015 Mid West Development Commission Certificate IV in Digital Media Scholarship to continue her studies at Durack Institute.

Kathleen, 21, has achieved what she set out to do and is now working fulltime at Bundiyarra once again as Administration Coordinator.

Kathleen said she is thrilled to have successfully completed her studies and looks forward to using her new skills as part of her full time role.

Consumer Watch - What everyone building a house should know

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With Consumer Protection Geraldton receiving enquiries recently about builders experiencing financial difficulty, the Building Commission has provided the following information to assist anyone whose building work remains unfinished or whose builder becomes insolvent.

We understand the frustration homeowners face when they are confronted with incomplete work and a builder who is no longer able to trade.  It is important to know that all residential building work valued over $20,000 is required to be covered by home indemnity insurance (HII).  

HII protects owners against financial loss if a builder cannot complete residential building work because of death, disappearance or insolvency of the builder. 

Occasionally, there is a period of uncertainty for owners between when a builder begins to experience financial distress and when they actually become insolvent. The following points may be helpful if you find yourself in this situation.

  • Before construction or renovation of your home starts it is vitally important that you read and understand the terms and conditions of the contract and what should be agreed as the progress payment points at the various stages of construction. 
  • Progress payments should only be made in accordance with the contract terms and when the work has been carried out.
  • A builder having trouble meeting its obligations may attempt to make arrangements with another builder to complete the building work. You have a choice as to whether or not you go ahead with this new builder or wait until it is confirmed that your builder is insolvent and lodge a claim with your HII provider.
  • Understand what your rights and obligations are if you wish to terminate your contract.  You should get legal advice.
  • Contact your home indemnity insurance provider. Details of who you need to contact will be on your certificate of insurance, which can be obtained from your builder or applicable local government.  
  • Delays may result in other unplanned expense or stresses including additional rent or storage costs while your home is completed. If you are experiencing any financial difficulties as a result of the delays, you may need to contact your bank or lender.

Once the builder has become insolvent and you haven’t transitioned to a new builder, you are able to make a HII claim against your policy. The claim will be treated in a timely manner as the insurers and their agents are very aware that it can be a frustrating and anxious time for home owners and can represent a significant financial burden.  

If approved, the insurer will work with you to resolve the issues associated with the completion of the building contract.  This may involve seeking quotes to complete the work, appointing a new builder to complete construction of the works and assess the shortfall (if any) of work against the progress payments.  Claims made under HII are capped at $100,000 and the policy may have up to a $500 excess that the home owner has to bear.

Talk to the Building Commission

If you are worried about your builder’s ability to complete your home you should raise these concerns with the Building Commission by phoning 1300 489 099 or email bcinfo@commerce.wa.gov.au.

Trying to get help in the system

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A woman reached out to EG a few weeks ago, at her wits end and demanding a return phone call. I rang back as quickly as I could. For privacy reasons we'll call her Jane. (That's not her real name, but Jane is such a wonderful name I like to use it whenever I can.) 

I wondered what I had done to upset her. Turns out she wasn't upset about anything to do with Everything Geraldton. Moreover, she didn't live anywhere near Geraldton. She lives in Rockingham. That would be Mark McGowan's electorate if I'm not mistaken. 

She reached out to EG, as well as a number of other media outlets, in a desperate attempt to have her story told. She told me the other outlets had basically said "we don't like to deal with these sorts of things" and I guess I can understand why. But I decided to listen to Jane for some time as she related her troubles. 

Here it is in a nutshell. 

Jane has seven kids. She's come out of a violent relationship. She had a VRO for her and her children's protection, but as she put it, "I may as well wipe my arse with the VRO." She says her ex breached it at least 20 times. 

Her ex husband committed a terrible crime recently and is about to go to jail. Jane says he got her onto meth a decade ago, and she says she's been off it for a bit over 100 days. Jane is also medicated for bipolar.

Oh yes. Seven kids, who have been brought up in a violent home, and are about to see their father locked away for a long time. 

Most men I know head to the doctor for that special procedure after kid number three, because they know the limits of what they can cope with. But Jane has seven, ranging from 14 to 1.

Jane copes. 

But barely. 

And she's been trying to get some help. 

Admittedly, she's already helped out by the government/taxpayer. She doesn't work, and receives the usual benefits a single mother receives. 

But Jane has been trying to get some assistance with caring for the kids from agencies like DCP. 

But because Jane copes she doesn't quite qualify. 

You see, Jane was told the only way she could get some extra assistance was if her kids were in actual danger. 

Jane had explained she was suicidal and barely coping at times. But it seems "barely coping" translates into "you're coping so you're not our problem." 

Someone kindly advised Jane that all she needed to do was lie to DCP and tell them she had neglected her youngest child. Jane told them the lie they needed to hear, and was then able to get day care for the children. 

It seems that if you're on the edge of coping, and can feel yourself slipping, there's not a lot of help available until you've actually slipped. 

Jane doesn't want her kids to go into foster homes. But she tells me she doesn't feel like she's coping much of the time. She says she's trying to get some sort of in home care or assistance to help keep her from the edge, but because she isn't bad enough of a parent, she's struggling to get the assistance. In her words: "I'm not a bad enough mum for DCP to do anything, but don't feel like I can keep treading water for much longer."

But having recently watched Jane try and navigate the numerous organisations that are ostensibly there to help, I can see why she's frustrated.

Here's another example of the difficulty faced by Jane in looking for assistance.

Jane's nine year old daughter has been more difficult than usual lately. Perhaps that's an understatement. She actually tried to run onto the road in front of a car. The daughter confessed to a psych worker she wants to kill herself, and explained how she would carry it out. She also explained how she would hurt her siblings. Jane tells me that this daughter has a history of similar behaviour. After the recent episode of the nine year old running out the front of the home and heading for the road, only stopped by a friend who happened to be arriving who tackled the girl to the ground, Jane sought help. 

As per her instructions from the support agencies, she called the Police. They said in a nutshell "What do you expect us to do? Call agency X or go to the emergency department of the hospital." Agency X also said "go to the hospital." The hospital admitted the daughter, but wanted her gone the next day with no other advice. After arguing and fighting Jane was able to take the daughter to another hospital in Perth. But they didn't want her either, because she wasn't displaying any problematic behaviour at that time. So home Jane went. But she didn't make it all the way home. Nine year old started threatening to open the car door and jump out on the freeway. So off to the nearest hospital, Fiona Stanley. And guess what. They don't want the daughter there any more either. Fair enough. They've got sick people to look after. So where do you take a suicidal nine year old who's threatening to hurt her siblings and herself? DCP will know. 

Nope. DCP said, and I quote because I heard the conversation, "That's up to you to talk to the hospital about."

"But I can't take my daughter home because it's unsafe, and the hospital says I can't leave her there. What do I do?" Jane asks. 

"That's up to you to talk to the hospital about," DCP says again. 

I'm sure you're a better parent than Jane. I'm sure you'd never make the life choices that would lead a person to this point. Good for you. 

But the fact of the matter is there are plenty of people like Jane living in our communities, and they struggle to navigate the complicated network of government departments and agencies. And some of these people don't fit our definitions of who qualifies for assistance.

They feel like they're being handballed each time they pick up the phone and ask for help.

I've done as much independent investigation as I can, viewed correspondence and court records, but as you can imagine DCP aren't too keen on speaking with the media about specific cases. I'm sure there's more than one side to the story, and I'm sure the individuals at all the different agencies are doing their best. Is Jane just someone who has failed to take responsibility for her own actions and needs to blame the "system" to make herself feel better, or is she someone who doesn't quite fit the description of a person who needs help, and hasn't said the magic words yet to get it? Is her case symptomatic of the disconnected age we live in where we can't even reach out to our neighbours or family and ask for help, and instead depend on the tax payer to fund an agency to solve our problems?

I don't know. But I keep meeting people who can't find the help they say they need, and they seem to be trying their best.

Clay program creates positive outcomes for Mullewa students

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Artist Debbie Crothers with Mullewa students

A collaborative program in Mullewa that has helped students learn about important life lessons has been praised by local schools.

The City of Greater Geraldton in Mullewa joined forces with clay artist Debbie Crothers to present the Polymer Care program.

Debbie engaged with students from Mullewa District High, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School as well as the local community to facilitate 11 polymer clay workshops at the Mullewa Women’s Indigenous Centre.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the main objective behind the project was to not only teach students new abilities but also some important life skills in a fun and interactive environment.

“We’ve had absolutely great feedback from all those who were involved, including the students,” he said.

Each school student successfully made a polymer clay piece that had relevance to a life lesson.

Kindy and pre-primary students made polymer clay dogs to accompany a thoroughly informative session on the correct way to care for dogs by two passionate volunteers from Geraldton Dog Rescue and a City Ranger.

Older students made their mums a polymer clay heart for Mother’s Day and transferred their own images of what makes them happy onto a bead, then took part in a fun and interactive session on positive feelings and general well-being with two inspiring Helping Minds and WA Centre for Rural Health employees.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Principal Di Nyman said she was over the moon with the outcomes of the project and hopes that it will be continued next year.

“It was absolutely brilliant and the kids loved it,” she said.

“Where else would you get the opportunity to work with such a specialist product like polymer clay along with an artist who specialises in it.”

The City of Greater Geraldton extended their thanks to those involved including Geraldton Dog Rescue, Helping Minds – Geraldton, Department of Child Protection and Family Services, Mullewa Women’s Indigenous Group, WA Centre for Rural Health, Mullewa District High School, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School, Debbie Crothers and the Mullewa community.

Response from city regarding ‘Geraldton may have to pay back $9 million’

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Letter to the Editor

In response to your article today ‘Geraldton may have to pay back $9 million to the federal government’, I would like the opportunity to provide some clarity around the commentary. 

The Karloo Wandina Project involved building Verita Road, Abraham St Bridge, the Ackland Street to Abraham Street connection, the extension of Columbus Boulevard, as well as water, electricity and sewerage infrastructure to enable the further residential and commercial development of the area.

At the time this project was approved Geraldton was experiencing strong growth but there was a shortage of available residential land, and house prices were becoming unaffordable for the average resident. 

The Federal Government’s contribution of $9 million was made on the condition that 400 affordable housing lots would be sold by the Department of Housing by June 2016, this date was later extended to June 2017. 

At the time, the Department of Housing were selling 80 affordable housing lots a year and there were no indications that this demand would wane. Put simply, selling 400 lots was not seen as a difficult target to reach as the residential housing market was booming and all indications were that it would continue to boom for some time.

The City of Greater Geraldton’s predicament is that we have spent the funding to build the required infrastructure but the Department of Housing will not be able to sell the required lots because of the significant downturn in the local residential property market.

The Federal Government has recently advised us that they are considering policy changes that may require the City to return the funding if 400 affordable housing lots are not sold by the Department of Housing by December 2017.

The City and our community does not have the capacity to repay the funds and have asked the Federal Government to provide a reasonable extension of time to suit our local market conditions. To date we have not had a response.

We have also had a number of discussions with the Department of Housing and have called upon Melissa Price, the Member of Durack to provide assistance on our community’s behalf. 

This is a ridiculous situation for our City to be put in. We have spent the money building the infrastructure that was required but because the residential housing market has collapsed and the State Government can’t sell the lots – the Federal Government wants us to pay it back.

We have a good relationship with Melissa Price and will continue to work closely with her to convince the Federal Government Policy makers to reconsider their position.

 

-Ken Diehm, City of Greater Geraldton CEO

(click here to read original article)

Geraldton City Band achieved an outstanding result of second place

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Last weekend saw the Geraldton City Band travel to Perth to compete in the 2016 State Band Championships. This annual event is a competition for both brass and concert bands and also includes soloist sections. This year, the Geraldton City Band (GCB) entered in the C Grade Brass Band section against two Perth bands, Town of Victoria Park, and City of Perth, and achieved an outstanding result of second place. Town of Victoria Park took out first place with 168 points, with GCB only three points behind on 165. That score also earned GCB the Les Nisbett trophy for the highest aggregate points awarded to a country band over the whole competition. One of the band's members, Melanie Penny, also scored a fantastic mark of 92 for her solo performance in the Brass C grade solo section.

This year has seen a large increase in member numbers for GCB which saw them performing with thirty five members on stage. The band is fortunate to have several music teachers from local schools as members and in turn, they are encouraging their talented students to come and join in. The brass band allows them to experience yet another genre of music and exposes them to a mature community group setting. GCB also maintains a strong bond with the Morawa School Brass Band and have quite a few of their players sign up after moving to Geraldton.

The State competition is one event that the GCB endeavours to attend most years. It helps the band maintain a high standard which then flows through to all other engagements, and this recent achievement is certainly something for all of us in the City of Geraldton to be proud of.

The band rehearses on Wednesday evenings, so if you would like to come and join in or have a listen, please call Mary on 0417 910 045, for some further information.

Shane Crothers Homes' staff, customers and creditors still in the dark

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Staff, contractors, and customers are still in the dark and wondering what to do as Shane Crothers Homes has still not entered into administration, despite Mr Shane Crothers telling staff, creditors and customers it was happening about 25 days ago. 

Mr Crothers also told customers that he had sold the business. Everything Geraldton has learned that this is not the case. 

A group of creditors who claim they are owed large sums of money have joined forces to try and make something happen, after still not being informed of who the administrator is. 

Below is a copy of original letter sent to customers around four weeks ago. It states that Shane Crothers Homes was to enter into Voluntary Administration immediately. Mr Crothers also told Everything Geraldton himself that Shane Crothers Homes Pty Ltd had entered into voluntary administration. 

Several staff from Shane Crothers Homes have contacted Everything Geraldton upset that they have not been paid money they are owed, have not been fired or let go officially, and have no idea what is going on. Apart from being owed holiday pay and entitlements, we were informed that some of the staff were still attending work until recently.

Multiple customers who were building homes through Shane Crothers Homes have also spoken with Everything Geraldton asking if anyone knew if the company had entered into administration yet, as they have been unable to move forward with insurance claims etc, and are just sitting in the dark. 

These are copies of emails sent to staff of Shane Crothers Homes over the last week or so, provided to Everything Geraldton by staff of Shane Crothers Homes. 

In one of the letters Mr Crothers blames a technical issue with the banks, lawyers and accountants for the delays.

Debbie Crothers contacted Everything Geraldton upset over a comment made on our website claiming they were "rubbing their hands together".

"It's all lies," she said. "It's just not true. We've lost everything. We even had to sell the boat to make sure everyone got paid."

What happened with the supposed sale?

We spoke with a local builder Mick Desmond, who told us he had been in discussions to take over the building of the homes through his company Norwest Building Group. "We were approached and asked if we would like to finish the houses off," Mr Desmond told us. "We said yes. I talked to some of the creditors and tried to get to the bottom of which trade did what on each home [in an attempt to be able to use them again on that home]."

Mr Desmond tells us the plan was for him to pay a sum of money into a trust account, which would then apparently be used by liquidators. In exchange Mr Desmond would then complete the building of the homes using tradies and contractors that were originally used on the homes. The contractors would not have received old monies they were owed, but the intention was to provide them work moving forward, according to Mr Desmond. 

Mr Desmond said he did not go through with the arrangement, and walked away from it last night. 

"I couldn't get to the bottom of how it's going to work. I couldn't get a guarantee of where the money would go," said Mick Desmond. "I met with Mr Crothers yesterday as part of doing due diligence," he said. Mr Desmond told us he wasn't satisfied with the state of the stocktakes he saw on the homes, and decided to walk away from the arrangement. 

"We're happy to still be involved in finishing the homes," said Mr Desmond. "However we've exhausted all opportunities through this avenue."

We asked Mr Desmond who it was that approached him to ask him if he wanted to finish building the homes, and were informed by him that it was representatives from a company called Hall Chadwick. 

Who is Hall Chadwick?

Hall Chadwick, according to their website, is a Chartered Accountant and Business Advisory firm with offices around Australia, including Perth. 

Everything Geraldton contacted them to ask questions regarding their involvement with Shane Crothers and Shane Crothers Homes, but they were not willing to talk. 

"We respectfully decline to make any comments in relation to Shane Crothers," was their response. 

Will people still get their homes built?

From the Department of Commerce for WA:

Residential building work contracts in Western Australia are governed by the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 (the Act). If residential building work valued over $20,000 is to be undertaken, the Act requires that a builder take out home indemnity insurance in the name of the owner before accepting payment or commencing work.
What is home indemnity insurance?
HII protects owners against financial loss if a builder cannot complete residential building work or meet a valid claim for faulty or unsatisfactory building work because of death, disappearance or insolvency.

Based on information provided by Dept of Commerce, it appears customers should be insured for exactly this kind of situation, and are able to have their homes completed if their builder becomes insolvent. The policy is in the name of the owner, not the builder.  

Click here to read more.

So what now?

We contacted Mr Shane Crothers this morning, who rang us back, but was not willing to make any comments at that time, other than that he was going to make a comment later this afternoon. 

We asked if it was true that the company still had not entered into administration, and were told a comment would be made later this afternoon. 

We asked if was true that Mr Crothers was leaving Geraldton, as per assertions made by creditors today. Again we were told a comment would be made this afternoon. 

We will update this article when Mr Crothers provides said comments. 

Update: Mr Crothers has sent the following statement

Our key priority throughout this process has been our clients. Our clients have been kept informed of our efforts to find another quality builder to facilitate a fast takeover of the unfinished jobs, avoiding delays related to the Home Indemnity Insurance system. 
This process has unfortunately taken a lot longer than we had anticipated due to negotiations with all parties involved and we regret the effect this has had on our clients, staff and creditors.
We will proceed with appointing a liquidator next week.

Isn't liquidation different to administration?

Yes. 

Read more here.

Mayor exercises discretionary powers for emergency works at St Georges

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City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn has exercised his discretionary powers under the Local Government Act to begin emergency works to mitigate erosion at St Georges Beach.

On Tuesday Mayor Van Styn approved immediate works which include the construction of a low level sandbag groyne and sand nourishment works.

Mayor Van Styn said it was with careful consultation with City staff that he decided to make the executive decision.

“I understand how rare it is to utilise this power but this is an extremely important issue that demanded immediate attention,” he said.

“Without me exercising my rights under the Local Government Act, this process could have potentially taken months which is time we just don’t have.

“We have very important community infrastructure at risk and that’s why I took immediate action.”

CEO Ken Diehm said the City asked the Mayor to consider the urgency of the matter and move this forward as erosion posed imminent threat to essential community infrastructure.

“We regularly review and monitor coastal erosion and it is vital we take the necessary steps to protect our essential community and public infrastructure,” Mr Diehm said.

“With damage that occurred over the weekend, we can see that the toilet block at Rundle Park and the road near St Georges Beach is under great threat.

“We have to act fast and look at our options, hence why the Mayor has used his discretionary powers to ensure an interim solution can be implemented before any further damage occurs.”

The City have engaged specialist consultants Royal HaskoningDHV to develop a foreshore protection scheme for St Georges Beach. A report from the company showed that erosion was the result of short period wind generated waves coinciding with high water levels.

The City are now working off Haskoning’s recommendation for a low-crested sandbag groyne and sand replenishment works.

“We believe the groyne will help to capture the sand that is getting washed away and it will give us more time to work on a long-term solution not just for St Georges but for the rest of our coast including Sunset Beach and Drummond Cove,” Mr Diehm said.

Whitehill Road in Drummond Cove has also been under scrutiny following damaging storms over the weekend.

Mayor Van Styn said the process being undertaken to combat erosion could not be rushed.

“We are not trying to jump the gun and we are going through all appropriate processes. A long term solution is something that cannot be rushed,” he said.

“Sand is moving from the south to the north and we are working with specialists on the Beresford Foreshore and are following the Department of Planning’s coastal hazard risk management and adaptation planning guidelines (CHRMAP) process.

“We know this is a sensitive issue and we have engaged with the community to ensure we get the best outcome for our residents.”

Works at St Georges Beach are estimated to cost $650,000 and there is money in the 2015/16 budget to undertake the project.

The groyne and sand works will begin in the coming weeks and may take up to two weeks for completion.

Traffic management will be in place during this time. Motorists and pedestrians are advised to exercise caution and obey all warning signs and direction from authorised City personnel and contractors.

Budding Filmmakers in Action

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Kids at Leaning Tree learn the art of filmmaking as part of the Scinapse’s SciFilms workshops.

Budding filmmakers have their creations on YouTube after learning the art of filmmaking at Scinapse's SciFilm workshops on April 29 and 30.

A group of students at Learning Tree school, and a group of adults at Pollinators’ CityHive, learned how to use their mobile devices to capture three-minute science-related stories, then edit them and prepare them for the big screen.

The top 15 shortlisted films from across the state will be screened on cinemas as part of Inspiring Australia's SciFilms competition, run in partnership with Film Harvest. Audiences will then vote live for their favourite.

Cash prizes will be presented for Judge's Choice and People's Choice.

You can view their creations on YouTube at https://youtu.be/kJVcb7KKWhc.

Scinapse chairperson Emma Jackson said the workshops were a fun and hands on way to learn how to tell a

science story, and share that in a visually interesting way to others.

She said the kids at Leaning Tree were particularly interested in learning the techniques of filmmaking using the simple story of washing hands.

"We got some great feedback, especially from the kids who got right into the subject - they couldn't believe that 95 percent of people don't wash their hands properly," Ms Jackson said.

Filmmakers can still submit three-minute films for the competition, with entries closing on July 22.

For more information on the SciFilm competition, visit the website www.scifilm.com.au.

Finding meaning through helping others - Letter to the editor

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Hi Everything Geraldton,

I have recently moved back to Geraldton after leaving the South West. Upon arrival I sourced help through Center Care for my depression and anxiety. After my final visit and finding myself ready to take some action towards improving my health I inquired into some volunteer organizations. Fortunately for me a voice from behind me piped up a said "Hi my name is Simone (Simone Mahoney) and I run midnight basketball." Simone also manages PCYC in Geraldton. Unfortunately Midnight basketball didn't start for another 6 months.

Like a good fishermen Simone dragged me into her net of fabulous volunteers at PCYC, where I have been able to give back to the community that I once called home. Under the guidance of Simone PCYC is getting busier than ever, hence this cry for help.

The volunteers at PCYC are an amazing mix of people and the array of positions are many. Fortunately the growing workload opens doors for others.

I would love for the people of Geraldton to realise that their community has a treasure in the PCYC and all it has to offer, but organisations like this can't function without the help of its community, and volunteers are a rare commodity.

People of Geraldton, if you feel like making a difference in the community then I can highly recommend being a volunteer at PCYC. Changing the world starts with our youth. So I'm encouraging anyone out there that needs to find some direction in their lives or just has time that could be used in a productive fashion to get in touch with PCYC and get involved with some of the fun and rewarding programs that they have to offer. There are no age requirements, just a desire to have fun and help others is all that's needed.

- Shane Williams

Attorney General contacts the Prisoner Review Board regarding Greenough Axe Murderer

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Geraldton MLA Ian Blayney has welcomed news that the Attorney General has sent forward his correspondence regarding the sentence review of Greenough Axe Murderer, William Patrick Mitchell, to the Prisoners Review Board.

“I am very pleased that the Attorney General has responded to my letter and to the petition I presented to the Legislative Assembly – which contained 3000 signatures – this way.

“By bringing it to the attention of the Board he is ensuring that they give consideration to the concern of the Geraldton community, when they review Mr Mitchell’s sentence.

“It is my hope that the Board also take into consideration the initial sentencing of Mr Mitchell and that decision that he should never be released from prison,” said Mr Blayney.

Damaged Yacht Rescued in Heavy Seas

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"He was happy to see us, I'll give you the tip!"

Those were Ian from Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue's words after their longest trip they've ever had to do ended well on the weekend. 

From the GVMR FB page:


Geraldton VMR’s Communication Officer was awoken at 0055 on Sunday morning by a phone call from the wife of a yachtsman headed for Cocos island who had run into trouble West of Leeman. Due to the light wind conditions they, that is, the Skipper and his deckhand, had been motoring along in a 3 to 5 m swell when a rope fell overboard and tangled in the propeller. The propeller snapped off and the driveshaft was badly bent. The bent shaft damaged the gland seal and the vessel began taking on water. With little wind and no motor, they were only able to sail very slowly in a north-westerly direction.

The skipper of the yacht, “Angel's Dance”, was able to contact his wife by satellite phone giving his GPS coordinates, whereby she passed on the message to Geraldton VMR. The Geraldton VMR communications officer immediately advised Fremantle Water Police of the situation and they began the process of organising a rescue.

The Geraldton VMR rescue crew were then advised of a possible job, and they then went to prepare the rescue boat Nashira for departure.

At 01:30 the go-ahead was given by the water police to commence heading for the position given, this was some 65.5 nautical miles South by West from Geraldton and 46 nautical miles West by North from Leeman.

Despite the heavy swell conditions, the sea state was relatively calm so the Nashira was able to maintain a speed of around 20 knots. The yacht had also developed a fault in its VHF radio system, the only communication was possible through the satellite network. The shore based operator was able to track the vessel using the AIS system and so was able to continually update the vessels position. Nashira was able to make phone contact with the “Angel's Dance” at around 05:20 and made a course change to intercept her. By this time a heavy fog had descended cutting visibility to a minimum so at around 05:50 the skipper of “Angel's Dance” was asked to set off a parachute flare and then a hand-held red flare. The Nashira arrived on site shortly after at 05:57. Due to the low light and full visibility it was decided that the Nashira would sail with the “Angel's Dance” until full daylight when it would be safer for a tow to commence. By 06:30 conditions had improved so the tow line was attached to the “Angel's Dance” in the long trip to safety began.

It was realised that the Nashira would not have enough fuel to complete the journey so the Port Denison VMR was contacted and it was arranged that their rescue vessel would rendezvous and takeover the tow while Nashira ran into Port Denison to refuel. As there was no unleaded fuel available at Denison the Geraldton VMR fuel ute was dispatched.

Nashira rendezvoused with Denison’s Rescue 1 at 11:20 and then she headed for the Port Denison Marina where she loaded on another 570 litres of fuel. The kind crew at Port Denison VMR provided steak burgers and other refreshments to the Nashira crew so they went out again refuelled and refreshed.

At 14:05 they caught up with Port Denison’s rescue boat and took over the tow again. At 1545 they arrived at the entrance of the Geraldton Fishermen’s harbour where they shortened up the tow and bought the “Angel's Dance” into the harbour and finally alongside the Fuel Wharf, at 16:08 bringing to an end an epic trip that had taken close to 14 hours to complete.

Geraldton has the highest level of air pollution of any city in Australia according to W.H.O. - but what does that mean exactly?

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Shot of the Geraldton Esplanade from the air
by @jthomas84_

 

According to the recent data released by the World Health Organisation, Geraldton has the highest levels of air pollution of any city in Australia. An article from The Guardian (link) (the UK based publication, not the local newspaper) made the assertion based on the spreadsheet of data put out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (link).  

But before you start wearing a gas mask full time, we want to go through the data to find out what it all means exactly, and if the assertion that Geraldton really has the highest level of pollution really stacks up. 

How exactly is air pollution measured?

Before we lose you with too many scientific terms, it may pay to explain exactly how air pollution is measured. 

Monitors measure two types of air pollution particles. Larger particles are called PM10. Smaller (invisible) particles are called PM2.5.

Sandeep Chowry, an environmental engineer, explains more on Quora (link)
 

  • Coarse dust particles (PM10) are 2.5 to 10 micrometers in diameter. (i.e. µm which is basically a millionth of a meter.) Sources include crushing or grinding operations and dust stirred up by vehicles on roads. These tiny particles which are about 30 times smaller than the width of a hair on your head are small enough to get inhaled past our defensive nose hairs and into our lungs.
  • Fine particles (PM2.5) are 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller, and can only be seen with an electron microscope. Fine particles are produced from all types of combustion, including motor vehicles, power plants, residential wood burning, forest fires, agricultural burning, and some industrial processes. While PM10's story ends at the lungs, PM2.5 can pass from our lungs into our blood supply and be carried throughout our bodies thereby making them "the invisible killer"

The 12 month median PM10 particle rate for Geraldton was 22µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre), which is worse than Sydney, Perth or even New York. The WHO guidelines for a 12 month median for PM10 is 20µg/m3.

The PM2.5 particle rate for Geraldton was 10µg/m3. The WHO guidelines for a 12 month median for PM2.5 is 10µg/m3.

To put that in comparison, Perth, with 2 million people, measured 17µg/m3 for PM10 particles, and 8µg/m3 for PM2.5 particles, slightly better than Geraldton.

But here's where it gets interesting. 

Geraldton doesn't have a monitoring station for PM2.5 particles. We only measure PM10. So the World Health Organisation used a formula to essentially guess what the PM2.5 particles are for Geraldton. 

Here's what the Mayor of Geraldton had to say

We asked Mayor Shane Van Styn, who had seen the WHO data, what he thought about the assertion that Geraldton was the most polluted city in Australia. 

"Geraldton is a windy city on the coast," said Mr Van Styn. "The majority of PM10 pollution in Geraldton would be background, natural dust and sea salt, not man made toxic fumes like in a city. And the WHO data doesn't include places like Port Hedland or Karratha. The level of 22 µg/m3 is what you would expect for a windy, coastal city in Australia with higher than usual background crustal dust levels.

"Finer fraction PM2.5 is typically more from products of combustion, but importantly, PM2.5 for Geraldton was converted from PM10 measurement, not measured. So this number is likely going to over-estimate the actual PM2.5 levels for Geraldton.

"I would challenge that you cannot call any city which only just exceeds the WHO guidelines and mostly based on background levels, a “polluted city”, which conjures up images of smoke laden air, which is chokingly hard to breathe in.

"When looking at other pollutants such as NO2, SO2 and ozone, Gero would not even rate a mention, compared to large cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Perth."

So what's causing the high PM10 pollution levels exactly? 

According to historical data from the Dept of Environment Regulation (link), the days on which Geraldton's PM10 levels spiked dramatically were largely due to dust. Given Geraldton is directly downwind from Southgates sand dunes, surrounded by broadacre farming, and has a busy port in the middle of town, dust is an obvious culprit. Moreover, Geraldton is right on the coast and is so windy the trees grow sideways, so a decent percentage of the particles in the air are sea salt. 

Is that all?

A report on heavy metals in the air in Geraldton from 2011 (link) stated that "Air monitoring data during ship loading have indicated that dust levels up to 430 µg/m3 TSP and 150 µg/m3 PM10 have been detected within the Port. If ship loading is allowed to occur during on-shore winds then there is potential for dust to reach nearby residences."

Why doesn't Geraldton monitor PM2.5 ?

Great question. Geraldton suffers for several months each year when nearby farmers burn off stubble, blanketing the town in smoke, and Iluka's refinery is directly south (upwind) of the town. But the Department of Environment Regulation doesn't monitor pollution levels for PM2.5 in Geraldton yet. 

We asked Mayor Van Styn if he supported the idea of setting up facilities to measure PM2.5 in Geraldton, to put people's minds at rest, and to find out exactly what our PM2.5 is. 

"Absolutely. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t. We’re already doing the work to measure PM10, surely we can do the same for PM2.5.

"The issue of pollution has been raised fair and square by the World Health Organisation. Let's make a call to the Department of Environment Regulation to measure the air quality for PM2.5 in Geraldton and find out exactly what the levels are."

NACC (Northen Agricultural Catchment Council) CEO Richard McLellan said air pollution is something to be taken seriously. "Of all the forms of pollution, air quality is the one that most that affects human health," he said. "With water you generally know if you're drinking polluted water. But when it comes to air quality, most people don't know if they're breathing polluted air."

Mr McLellan also spoke to the indirect implications of air pollution. "There's social implications, but there's also economic. It affects tourism and people wanting to visit a place. This issue needs to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible."

Everything Geraldton has contacted the Department of Environment Regulation for comment, and at time of publication has not had a response. We will publish their response to the matter when we receive it. 

Setting up a PM2.5 monitoring station in Geraldton would go a long way toward nipping the issue in the bud, as Geraldton would know with certainty if the WHO figure of 10µg/m3 is accurate or not.