Dobbing in shoplifters - A letter sent to Everything Geraldton

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To dob, or not to dob.....

Today, I witnessed an incident of blatant shoplifting.

One of several incidents I’ve either witnessed personally, or been aware of in my vicinity in the last month or two. One of many I’ve witnessed over many years.

I have pretty strong feelings about theft in general and, having spent many years working in the retail sector, about shoplifting in particular, and today I found myself re-visiting something that happened to me not long ago.

A while back, I found myself in a group situation where I felt not only that I was being negatively judged for having said that I would (in fact, have), reported someone who I witnessed shoplifting to store staff, but actually felt belittled and judged for having done so. The initial response by the people I was with was “why would you do that?”, followed by “perhaps they were genuinely in need”. (For the record, the incident I had mentioned involved the theft of CD’s from a charity shop).

There was also a sense of disbelief that people actually do report such incidences. I left feeling like a piece of shit for having had the guts to admit to reporting/preventing crime, and I felt that people were disbelieving about my claims that this type of reporting is actually not uncommon.

I spent a pretty sleepless night wondering whether I am over-judgemental, self-righteous etc. And then I decided to ask other people how they felt.

Turns out, a lot of people I know feel the same way I do.

Most people said they either would report, or have reported, shoplifting.

Several people said that they hadn’t, but only because they were too scared to do so because of fear of reprisals.

100% of those who worked in retail said that not only do people report these incidents, but that it happens regularly. Like daily. Like multiple times in a day.

I’m still a little confused. Am I (and my friends) a more judgemental group than society in general? Am I less sympathetic/empathetic towards others in need?

Actually, I don’t think I am.

I’m the first generation of my family to raise their children in a financial situation that is considered “above the poverty line”. My family knew what it is to live in a world before social security. And even when social security became available, my parents chose to work long hours, for very little money, rather than “bludge”.

You see in my family, and many others, if you couldn’t afford it, you went without.

So do I still feel shamed for dobbing in a shoplifter?

No, I don’t.

I don’t in any way wish to belittle those who find themselves in need, or without financial support. I would like to think that I would show compassion towards someone who I felt might be in genuine need. I’d like to think that if I saw a mother with kids in tow, stealing baked beans and noodles to feed the family, I’d offer to help. If I saw the same person stealing luxury items that I as a working, tax-paying parent can’t afford, I’d probably be less sympathetic.

I’m actually pretty comfortable with the idea of reporting someone stealing. Especially when we’re talking about CD’s, makeup, jewellery, fashion items etc. Or all the random items that are stolen just for fun, then discarded in the street. Or the stuff that’s stolen and then used to commit acts of vandalism.

An article that appeared on the ABC website today quoted: “National Retail Association chief executive Dominique Lamb said theft cost the Australian retail industry $4.5 billion each year, or about 2.2 per cent of annual retail turnover”

That’s $4,500,000,000.00 per year.

Just in Australia.

Shoplifting costs every one of us. Including the many people who are in dire financial situations, but choose to live in honest poverty, rather than stoop to theft and dishonesty to improve their lot.

Isn’t it about time we started judging those who think it’s OK to steal, and who defend those who do steal, rather than belittling and judging those who take a stand against theft?

- Geraldton local

Nominate someone you think deserves recognition for their volunteer efforts

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This community award aims to recognise and honour Geraldton’s outstanding volunteers. Our community of Geraldton has thousands of “unsung heroes” that work tirelessly and sometimes without thanks. These awards are about acknowledging and celebrating the remarkable work of Geraldton volunteers.

Centacare’s Community Volunteer Service aims to promote the value and important contribution of volunteering to the social, cultural, economic and environmental well-being of our community. Nominations are now open for anyone to nominate in any of the below categories:

Community Volunteer of the Year – Presented to an individual 18 years and over to recognise their outstanding voluntary contribution and who, through their volunteering has made a significant impact in our community.

Lifetime Community Volunteer of the Year – Presented to an individual 18 years and over to recognise their life-long (10 years plus) contribution to volunteering in our community and who has enhanced the lives of others and our community through their voluntary activities.

Youth Volunteer of the Year – Presented to an individual under the age of 18 years who has made an outstanding voluntary commitment and through volunteering has positively impacted the lives of others.

Community Volunteer Organisation of the Year – Presented to a volunteer-involving organisation that provides innovative leadership and through good practise in volunteering, brings about positive and enduring change to their community.

All nominees will be honoured at our annual Thank a Volunteer Day event being held on Monday, 5th December at 5.30pm. Venue to be confirmed. http://centacaregeraldton.org.au/nominations-for-volunteer-of-the-year-now-open/ 

Call for Witnesses of a Serious Assault at Wonthella IGA Carpark

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Geraldton Police are calling for witnesses to come forward following a serious assault at about 7:00pm on Sunday 9th October 2016 at Wonthella IGA car park, corner of Fifth Street and Central Avenue, Wonthella.

It is alleged that a female was assaulted by another female causing serious injuries, before bystanders stepped in to help the alleged victim of the incident.

The alleged female suspect is believed to have fled the scene in a vehicle.

Police would like to talk to those witnesses who intervened or otherwise observed anything that may assist in the investigation.

Witnesses are asked to call Geraldton Police on 9923 4555 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 with any information.

 

Lots of rock throwing reports today

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The most recent was about 10 minutes ago: 

 "... male throwing rocks at cars on Abraham street just past back of Cemetery 😡"

A few hours ago:

"Heads up guys. Bunch of teenagers throwing Large rocks at cars/trucks on gtn/mt magnet road, near limestone wall.

They hit the car infront of me, just missed my car. I also had my 8 yr old brother with me! 😑

2nd time in 2 weeks I've witnessed this!

Those kids will be bloody sorry when it actually kills someone! Or a child!

Such a shame it will have to come to that before they realise and before anything will be done about it! 😠" 

Earlier today rocks thrown at SES vehicle: 

 "Ok people if you are turning off the Northwest Coastal Highway into Utakarra Rd be careful there is little brats throwing Rocks again,we were in our STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLE and had rocks thrown at us"

This was from a week or so ago: 

"I've waited a few days before I wrote this otherwise it would be full of abuse and anger, but on Saturday as I was driving on the highway near Utakarra my car was hit by 3 rocks that were thrown out of the bushes.

Now I can go on about the cost of repairs but the fact is if one of the rocks hit 10cm higher it would have smashed through the window into my babies head and THIS is what I can't put a price on.

I'm hoping that maybe these people might read this and realise the real danger and the potential cost in this game they play."

Sick seal on beach

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Had a couple of people reach out about this guy today. From Greenough Wildlife & Bird Park earlier:

"Sub-Antarctic fur seal on Lucy's beach,  I am here with it now , please avoid the area if you can . It is very vocal .

Dpaw have been notified , it is being monitored as there as no signs of injury , thanks for calling us ."

Thanks GWBP and Cass.

9 Brilliant images of the Cathedral

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In an age of minimalism, budget constrains, and boring architecture, the St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Geraldton is an asset that few cities in Australia can match. Here are a collection of images recently sent in of the Cathedral we think you'd enjoy.  

Due to the way the lighting has been set up, the building is actually quite challenging to photograph while lit up. Hopefully this is something the propenents of the recent renovations can rectify in the future. 

Karl Monaghan Photography

From the air. Elliot Brown

Real Vibe Photography.  

Please stop abusing staff who ask you for ID

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Everything Geraldton received a letter this week from a concerned parent. It essentially stated that a local deli has been selling cigarettes to minors, including their own daughter. The author allegedly sent her daughter in to buy cigarettes to test the deli out, and they them to her. It's been reported to the authorities, who hopefully are investigating. 

But the letter reminded me of my own experience working at a servo in Geraldton several years ago. I had the unenviable task of guessing people's age who wanted to purchase tobacco products. 

Almost every time someone who looked quite young was asked by myself for their ID, they would get abusive. I have no idea why, but it was almost always women. The guys seemed quite chill about it.  

On several occasions, the abusive female would reluctantly show her ID, flabbergasted that anyone could think she was potentially 17, only to show she was barely 18. I would point out how close to 18 she was, nevertheless she would remain offended that I didn't think she looked 25.  

One time the woman was 18 by 2 days. 2 DAYS! And STILL she was abusive towards me for daring to ask for her ID.  

Fortunately, I had a wonderful boss at the time, who basically said if anyone treats you that way, don't serve them at all. It gave me no end of pleasure to kick them out of the store empty handed. I just wasn't paid enough to deal with their crap. 

Another time a young woman who couldn't present her ID and left angry hurling insults at me came back with a man claiming to be her husband. He in turn started abusing me for not selling his wife cigarettes, presented his own ID, and demanded cigarettes. Of course, I kicked them both out. 

But I realised then what a difficult job selling tobacco products is. I'll be honest, many people I see selling cigarettes are young, and may not have the strength of character to want to square up with abusive teenagers and young adults all day long, who act incensed that you don't think they look like a retiree.

If ya'll could chill out and just take it as a compliment that you look young or something, that would be great.  

Hoons along 5th St risking lives - Letter to the Editor

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Hello,

I have a concern that I would like to share. I live on Fifth St Wonthella, I also have a 2 year old, there are 3 little children across the road from me, another toddler 2 doors down and even more kids along our street. I was just in my kitchen cooking my family dinner, when a faded cherry red Land Rover Discovery came through the roundabout ( I am right near there), the vehicle would have been travelling at at least 80+ km. This is not a one off incident, people speed down this road daily and gun it through the roundabout. Although it's a busy artery it does not mean that this sort of driving is acceptable. We have fences and locked gates, I am vigilant and do not let my child out of my sight. This sort of speed that occurs daily will kill any body that happens to be on the road. Please spread the word for people to slow down, we live here, it is not a race track! And to the person in the Land Rover, if I see you vehicle again doing this I outside my home I will be reporting you for dangerous driving. Thanks, on behalf of the little people of Fifth St x

 - Gillian.  

Regarding the "clowns" in Geraldton

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Everything Geraldton has received a number of questions from community members somewhat concerned as to whether or not the media hyped "clowns" are in Geraldton. Is there a group of people in Geraldton wandering around trying to scare the daylights out of people dressed as clowns? 

First, I agree clowns are quite creepy. Whoever thought they were an appropriate way to entertain children was on some decent acid.  

But, Geraldton folk predominantly aren't like our metro counterparts. We go fishing, camping... and hunting. 

Can you imagine what a Hilux full of Gero lads would do if they spotted someone lurking around in a clown costume trying to scare people? They certainly wouldn't run away scared. Let me tell you, I'd be more concerned for the wellbeing of the clown. They're more likely to hog tie them and leave them at the cop shop than run away scared (that's if the clown is lucky). 

In my opinion, there's very little chance anyone would be willing to risk their life at the moment by going outside in anything resembling a clown costume. Heck, if Maccas had Ronald McDonald visit for the day I'd suggest he get body guards. 

Some numbskull thought it would be funny to start a Geraldton clown page, and from this a few people have actually become concerned for their safety.  

But if the people who started the page had any idea about how the law actually works, they'd realise their anonymity is far from assured.

If you make a threat to break the law, or do something to cause people to fear for their well being, the Police are within their rights to get a court order for Facebook and your ISP to hand over identifying information. And Facebook are only all too willing to comply.  

Some people are treating this like a joke, some think it's a marketing stunt for the new Stephen King "IT" movie coming soon, some think it's serious and they need to hide their kids. 

But seriously, if you think you're being funny walking around in a scary clown costume now, you clearly have a death wish.   

 

There are two types of people. Guess which one Gero people are.  

Update. Geraldton Police say they've received reports of people driving around dressed as clowns intimidating other drivers. 

Duyfken replica sails into Geraldton

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Members of the public will have a rare opportunity to interact with the Duyfken replica as it sails into Geraldton this Saturday.

As part of the Festivals on the Foreshore Programme, the floating museum has been specifically built to tell the compelling and relatively unknown story of European contact with Australia in the 1600s.

Visitors can interact with sailing and navigational equipment used 400 years ago to traverse thousands of kilometres across the globe with great accuracy.

The stopover in Geraldton is part of the Duyfken ’s 400th anniversary Dirk Hartog commemorative voyage and exhibition program that will see the ship undertake a 10 week, 1,000 kilometre journey along the Western Australian coast.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn will experience sailing on the vessel first hand as he will be a crew member from the Dongara to Geraldton leg of the journey.

“It was an honour to be chosen as one of seven locations that the Duyfken replica will be making port at during the voyage,” he said.

“Being provided the opportunity to interact with the ship that played a pivotal role in mapping our coastline while catching a glimpse at some of the hard living conditions endured by those sailors is one that doesn’t happen often.

“I highly encourage anyone who is interested to book a ticket and take a tour of this floating piece of history.”

The Duyfken will sail into the Geraldton Marina on Saturday 8 October and will be open until 8pm. The vessel will stay in Geraldton untilFriday 16 October with tours running every day.

Once on board, you can begin your journey of discovery via an audio guided tour.

Visitors will get to see, touch and interact with the sailing and navigational technology of the early 1600s that enabled Dutch mariners to sail halfway around the world from The Netherlands to the Spice Islands of Indonesia.

There will be a Duyfken Open Day on Sunday 9 October which will be the official welcome celebrations with the community invited to dress up as a pirate.

Tickets for a one hour tour of the Duyfken Replica cost $12.75 for adults aged 17 and older, and $5.10 for children aged 5-16 years. They are on sale now via www.ticketek.com.au

Big names to hit GMC stage

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Former X Factor Winner Reece Mastin.

A swag of big names will hit the Geraldton Multipurpose Centre stage this Sunday for the RedFM Open Air Arena Concert as part of Festivals on the Foreshore.

Former X Factor winner Reece Mastin and X Factor contenders The Fisher Boys will grace the stage for a free all ages concert, with local group Songbird also performing.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the concert would be a great event for the whole family to enjoy.

“Bring a picnic rug, enjoy the entertainment and take in a beautiful Geraldton sunset while you’re at it,” he said.

“It’s amazing to see even more big names hit the Geraldton stage and we are very fortunate enough to have these amazing acts as part of Festivals on the Foreshore.”

After taking out the X Factor title in 2011, Reece Mastin has already amassed a stockpile of further achievements including two platinum #1 albums, three consecutive chart-topping radio-blasting singles and most recently, a platinum #1 DVD release.

Reece has just released his new album Beautiful Nightmare and says he is looking forward to touring and showing Australia his new music.

"I really hope there's a great reaction to the material from Australian audiences, and from there I'd like to then take the project overseas to see what happens there,” he said.

“I just wanna be able to tour with this record and have kids sing the songs back to me, or have kids on Twitter or Facebook just telling me that they love the record - that would be crazy!

“I just want people to love the music I'm writing and singing, and feel like they're right there in the moment with me.”

Festivals on the Foreshore kicked off on September 30 and runs through to October 16.

There is still loads of great activities and you can head to www.cgg.wa.gov.au for a full programme of events.

Festivals on the Foreshore was made possible by a grant from Tourism WA.

Regarding the dismissal of Geraldton Councillor Renee Ellis

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Renee Ellis was dismissed as a City of Greater Geraldton councillor this week. What follows are the reasons given, and the drama that has transpired since. 

To follow the story, it’s important to understand the difference between the following two terms for when a councillor misses a council meeting. 

They are “Leave of Absence” and “Apology”.

Leave of Absence: This is when a councillor has sought permission to be away, and permission has been granted by their peers. A motion is put forward at a meeting that the person is requesting a “leave of absence”, and all the councillors vote on it.  

Apology: This is when a councillor is simply away from the meeting, but has not formally been granted permission to be away. It’s not unusual, but is not desirable. If a councillor has three apologies at three consecutive meetings against their name, the CEO is required to issue a dismissal notice to that councillor. 

Renee Ellis

On Monday of this week, City of Greater Geraldton Councillor Renee Ellis was issued a notice of disqualification by CGG CEO Ken Diehm. Mr Diehm was of the belief that Ms Ellis had three apologies earlier in the year, for the March, April and May meetings, and therefore issued the notice. 

But Ms Ellis is claiming that the matter is not as cut and dry as Mr Diehm and the CGG are making out. She did indeed miss all three of those meetings, but argues that at least one of them should have been counted as a “Leave of Absence” and not an “Apology”.

And this is where things get murky. 

Ms Ellis did in fact complete an application form for a “Leave of Absence” for the April meeting.  And she sent the completed form to the office of the CEO. 

That form was never presented to council to vote on. 

Why wasn't the form presented to Council?

The reason it wasn’t presented to council was due to the City of Greater Geraldton Guidelines that stipulate that a “leave of absence” must be approved at the meeting prior to the absence; that is to say, you cannot ask for a leave of absence at the meeting you plan on missing. The guideline states: “Any leave of absence approved by Council can only apply to subsequent meetings. Therefore, leave of absence cannot be granted for the ordinary Council meeting at which approval is given.”

But, according to the Local Government Act, you can apply for a leave of absence at the meeting you intend on missing. Thus it appears the CGG guidelines don’t line up with the Act. 

Section 2.25 of the act
Part: (3A) Leave is not to be granted in respect of — 
(a) a meeting that has concluded; or
(b) the part of a meeting before the granting of leave.

The act seems to imply that a Leave of Absence can be granted for the part of the meeting following the motion for a leave of absence being approved. 

Ms Ellis also completed a leave of application dated 25th of May to the 20th of June, while noting she would be an apology for the meeting on the 24th of May. This submission was not dated from the 24th of May due to the advice given Ms Ellis at the time from the CEO's office, based on the CGG Guidelines. It's arguable that had the city's guidelines matched the Act, Ms Ellis may have dated her application as being from the 24th.  

Notwithstanding the discrepancy between the CGG guidelines and the legislation, legal advice obtained by CGG CEO Mr Ken Diehm stated that if the motion for a “leave of absence” was never voted on and approved by councillors, then Ms Ellis did not have a “leave of absence”, ergo she has three “apologies” in a row and should be dismissed. 

It should be noted that Ms Ellis was also an "apology" for the preceding March meeting. 

Extract of March Council meeting minutes. 

Unfortunately, it gets even murkier. 

Despite Ms Ellis’ application for a “leave of absence” never being presented to council at the April meeting, in the minutes of the meeting Ms Ellis was noted as a “Leave of Absence”, not as an “Apology”. 

Extract of April Council meeting minutes.

At the following meeting in May, those minutes were all voted on as a “true and correct record of proceedings”.

Extract of May Council meeting minutes. 

So at the time it was not picked up on that Ms Ellis (then Cr Ellis) was an apology for three meetings in a row. 

Ms Ellis was an "apology" for the May CGG council meeting. 

Extract of May Council minutes. 

Fast forward to the September council meeting. Renee Ellis was also an “apology” for this meeting.

At the September meeting a motion was put forward concerning the performance of Cr Ellis. The discussion of the motion was held behind closed doors, so the press and the public were not able to hear what transpired, or even what the motion originally stated. We officially know what the final motion that passed states, although we have had several people inform Everything Geraldton that the motion that passed was somewhat diluted compared to the original motion that was tabled. 

The motion that was passed concerning Cr Ellis states as follows:

COUNCIL DECISION
MOVED REYMOND, SECONDED TANTI

That Council by Simple Majority RESOLVES to: 

1. EXPRESS that it is losing confidence in Cr Ellis due to her lack of attendance;

2. CALL on Cr Ellis to improve attendance and/or to reconsider her position on Council;

3. MAKES the determination on the following grounds:
    a. To ensure ratepayers are represented by Councillors in accordance with community expectations. 

The motion passed 10/0, voted for by all who were present: 

Mayor Van Styn
Cr Douglas
Cr Bylund
Cr Keemink
Cr Graham
Cr Tanti
Cr Reymond
Cr McIlwaine
Cr Freer
Cr Colliver

As you can see, Cr Michael Reymond moved a motion that expressed that council is “losing” confidence in Cr Ellis for the reasons of ratepayers not getting what they expected. 

Note that while the motion is certainly quite serious, it does not call for Cr Ellis to be dismissed. 

Following on from this motion, dialogue between Cr Ellis and the CEO’s office opened, looking into Cr Ellis’ absences. This led to the discovery of three “apologies” in a row from March, April and May 2016 and the ensuing dismissal of Renee Ellis. 

So while they are indirectly connected, there are two matters that have transpired: 

1. A motion of “losing confidence” toward Cr Ellis. 

2. The dismissal of Cr Ellis based on three apologies from earlier in the year. 

Regarding the issue of her dismissal, Ms Ellis believes she should not have had three strikes against her name, and that at least one of her “apologies” is because of an administrative error on the part of the CEO Ken Diehm. 

Regarding the motion of “Losing Confidence”, Ms Ellis is of the strong opinion that the motion was crafted and put forward in an attempt to undermine her for political reasons. This week it was announced at a gathering that Ms Ellis was a Labor candidate for the upper house (Legislative Council) in the upcoming WA state elections.

Unarguably, these are strong claims. So Everything Geraldton spoke with some of the parties involved in order to present their arguments to the wider public. Author comments are in bold, interviewee comments italicised. 

Darren West MLC

Labor MLC (Member of the Legislative Council) Darren West expressed outrage at the news of Ms Ellis’ dismissal, calling it an “act of political bastardry”.

Darren West speaking:

The meetings in question were six months ago. During that time Renee was struggling with a very difficult time in her life. She sought leave for one meeting. On the second meeting she sought compassionate leave. I thought this might have given a few councillors a clue that something was going on. She was concerned about how she might perform at council meetings, and she sought leave in accordance with the local government act, as amended in 2009. Council guidelines don’t reflect this change in 2009. The council guidelines have not been updated since the changes. But the law’s the law. This administrative bungle lies with the CEO. The CEO did not present that leave request to council on behalf of Councillor Ellis. The act says you can do it, the guidelines say you can’t. 

Now it’s hypothetical whether council would have granted it, but I’ve done a search through past minutes. (A leave of absence request) has never been denied, I can’t find an example.

Presuming from that, had the leave request been presented to council, you could make a reasonable assumption that leave would have been granted.

The fault lies with the CEO. Rather than say “I’ve made a mistake and will refer this to SAT for a ruling”, he has served the notice on Councillor Ellis. I believe he has been pressured to take that course of action.

Who do you think has placed pressure on him?

I don’t know, but the week she pops up as Labor’s candidate this happens. The CEO finds himself in an unenviable situation, in a politically charged environment, in my view.

The legal advice we have seen that was provided to the CEO says he is obligated to serve the notice of dismissal if he has reason to believe Ms Ellis has three apologies in a row.   

The key words are “if he is of the belief”. I find it bemusing… that the CEO is the person at fault by his inaction to instruct the Mayor to table a leave request to council.

Further, Cr Ellis is listed as “Leave of Absence” in the minutes. Not an “Apology”. That’s significant. Because had she known she was actually an apology for the April meeting, that may have influenced her decision to attend the May meeting. 

We are very keen to clear her name, because she has done nothing wrong. The smear on her professional reputation is unwarranted, unfair, an unjust.

She now has to prove herself innocent through the appeals process. She’s guilty until proven innocent, as a result of the CEO’s bungling administration, and she will appeal. 

Have you read the press release from the City of Greater Geraldton regarding the matter?

They couldn’t even be gracious in that. It paints Cr Ellis as having done something wrong. It is purely 100% a political smear and a witch hunt. 

The Council has become extremely politicised. We believe this never would have happened in years past. It’s a disgrace. It’s outrageous. 

Regarding the motion of Losing Confidence at the September meeting:

A councillor moved a motion of no confidence. The CEO and 5 councillors were absent, and the motion was debated behind closed doors. What’s going on?

Cr Raymond moved the motion, and it was watered down to “losing” confidence, due to lack of attendance. It was supported by all 10 councillors. It’s outrageous that debate was held behind closed doors. 

This is the City of Perth all over again. It’s outrageous, unfair, and it lacks common decency. (Ms Ellis) had no voice. She had court (Ms Ellis is a lawyer). 

(Debating the motion) without her having the right to respond is gutless. The Mayor, in my view, could have deferred that motion.

I think the council has a problem with women, it’s become a boys club, and it’s very, very conservative and targets those with progressive views.

In 2014 Cr Van Styn (now the Mayor) missed 4 meetings. In 2013 when he ran for parliament he missed 5 meetings. There were no votes of no confidence despite him missing more meetings than Cr Ellis.

But the point is, Cr Ellis has had to deal with a very difficult set of circumstances. She needed support, instead she’s been hung out to dry. And that is very sad. 

City of Greater Geraldton CEO, Ken Diehm

Ken Diehm is the CEO for the City of Greater Geraldton. A CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is not elected by the public, but employed by the Councillors to run the City. He spoke to Everything Geraldton regarding the matter. 

Are you of the opinion that it was your own mistake that has caused this to be an issue?

The guidelines … have been practiced for many many years. Those guidelines reflect the mood of the council. 

The guidelines are more rigid than the legislation. I accept that. 

Mr Diehm explained that the application form includes the guidelines on it.

Those guidelines were brought to Renee’s attention.

Mr Diehm said Ms Ellis had confirmed that she knew her application for a "Leave of Absence" for the April meeting would not be presented to council. 

She acknowledged that it would not be presented to council.

We asked if he would continue to not present Leave of Absence requests to council if they applied for the upcoming meeting, as per existing council guidelines.

In the future when the leave application is received, I will provide it to council in the next meeting it applies to. 

Regarding the April meeting minutes that actually state Cr Ellis as a “Leave of Absence”, Mr Diehm said it only had the mistake in the “preamble to the minutes proper”.

Cr Ellis is well aware that consideration was not recorded in the meetings, (and that the) application was not considered by the council. There was no resolution. 

It was an administrative error, I’ll take responsibility for that. 

Is it fair to consider that Ms Ellis could have thought that she was recorded as a “Leave of Absence” rather than an “Apology”?

I don’t think so, because she was told it would be considered as an apology. 

Why did your press release not include information about Council Guidelines not matching the act, and the administration now retrospectively going back and changing the minutes?

If Ms Ellis had no understanding of the guidelines, and solely relied on the act I would agree with you. She had confirmed her understanding by email, that it wouldn’t be considered, and she’s had discussions with my office providing the same advice. 

Do I think it’s fair? It’s not a matter whether I think it’s fair or not. I have an obligation as CEO (to issue the notice of dismissal). This hasn’t come out of the blue with Renee. I’ve been liaising with Renee for the last few days. 

Renee’s options that are open to her are to advise me in writing if she is not disqualified and the reasons why, alternatively she can apply to SAT (State Administrative Tribunal).

Could you have referred the matter to SAT rather than dismiss Cr Ellis?

My legal advice said I had an obligation (to dismiss Ms Ellis). It was irrelevant with respect to my determination.

It’s being alleged that this is politically motivated. Has there been any pressure on you from third parties regarding this matter?

I can unequivocally say there’s been no pressure applied on me from any party to take any course of action. While these circumstances are unfortunate, I have no choice.

Renee’s options are to accept, or provide reasons why she believes she was not disqualified, or apply to SAT for a determination.

Why have you not acted sooner (regarding the dismissal)?

Council passed a resolution due to her lack of attendance.

As a result of that resolution, my office reviewed her attendance, and discovered she had missed 3 missed meetings in a row, and 5 of the last 7 ordinary council meetings. 

Once I was made aware of that, I was legally bound to provide a notice of disqualification of the Act.

I’ll take responsibility for failing to pick that up. We’ll make sure our staff are more vigilant in the future.

In terms of do I think it’s fair? I think it’s totally irrelevant. I'm required to act impartially. The local government Act requires me to act. 

It does not allow you any discretion to take into account extenuating circumstances, or Renee’s personal circumstances. 

That’s why the matter is best left to SAT should Renee disagree with the notice that has been provided.

Has this ever happened before, where a councillor is dismissed for lack of attendance?

To my knowledge, there has not been in recent history (an instance) where a councillor has had to be disqualified for consecutive absences at council meetings. 

We spoke to Renee Ellis about her dismissal as councillor. 

Mr Diehm claims you were aware you would be marked as an apology for the meeting in question, were advised of that by email, and responded to the effect that you understood this as well. If that’s the case, should you have been aware that the following apology was going to be a third strike?

The whole issue is that when I was asking for their support and advice, “How do I get through this, what do I do?”, they said “Do this form” and that’s basically that, even though I’ve applied for leave 3 weeks before the meeting.

In my time of need, they said "you’re all good Renee". I’ve done everything they’ve said. 

I’d been a councillor about three months at that stage. 

I said “I take my roll very seriously. I have to go through this process of grief. Can you help me, what can I do?”

They advised me “This is how you do it. And you do it in this way.” If they’d had said, “If you do this now, it will be three apologies” instead of putting it through as a request for leave as they should have... I’ve done everything in accordance with the way I’ve been told. In accordance with the act, they should have put my request in front of council.

Were Ken’s hands tied (in terms of issuing the dismissal notice)?

I think there’s a grey area there. I think that he knew I had got incorrect advice. Council, even though they haven’t marked me as being on leave, in the minutes they have endorsed it as a true and correct record.

Did you know you it (the April "Leave of Absence" request) wasn’t put as a motion ?

I went on the advice I was given at the time, from the office of the CEO. And the CEO failed to put it to council.

His alternative was to apply to SAT. He didn’t have to disqualify me. He could have gone to SAT.

Couldn’t you do that now?

It’s been recommended that the City (of Greater Geraldton) pay for my legal representation because they’ve made so many errors.

Do you plan on going to SAT?

At this stage, Yes.

Are you confident on a result in your favour?

(There’s been) no fault of my own, and with the mistake of the office of the CEO, I think it’s manifestly unfair.

Whether or not I’m successful, there will be a review of process by SAT, and a policy decision will come out of it. So it won’t be in vain.

And what we’re expecting is that there will be discussions with the Minister about this. There have been discussion with the Shadow Minister and the Dept of Local Government, and I have no doubt that this decision will come under intense scrutiny.

It is an administrative bungle.

You’ve been away a lot though.

I would have had leave appropriately for two meetings, and apologies for three.

In 2013 the mayor had missed as many meetings as me. I think he had leave, but he had a big chunk as well. 

When he took leave for federal parliament, that was ok, but when I took leave on compassionate grounds, I get raked over the coals.

They told the councillors that the Mayor had had a one on one. The Mayor never had a one on one with me. A true leader would have pulled me aside and had a discussion with me. But they’ve done it this way. But they didn’t do it to Shane. They did it to Renee, the Labor candidate. 

What’s your relationship like with other councillors?

I thought it was quite good. But I’m very disappointed to hear that the Mayor encouraged councillors to vote for the recent motion. I'm very disappointed. 

If you go to SAT, and you get reinstated, will you resume your duties with no love lost?

I would be honoured. That’s why I was elected by the people of Willcock.

I stand up for the underdog, and social issues. And I’m one the few that do. The council currently are very conservative. This motion came about, it’s sort of weird and uncanny, the same week I was announced as a labor candidate.

Are you asserting it was politically motivated?

Yes. No doubt. 

I can tell you that as soon as that motion became public, within half an hour Paul Brown tweeted it, and the mayor and Paul Brown were together that day.

(Note: Paul Brown is a current Nationals state upper house member (MLC) and running for the Lower House in the upcoming state election. The tweet incorrectly states the motion was one of "no confidence" when the motion was that of "losing confidence". The tweet appeared approximately 3 hours after the September council meeting minutes were made public.)

They were looking for an opportunity to attack me.

From what I’m told, the council was given incorrect information when they voted on that motion. Had they been given the correct information, it wouldn’t have succeeded.

There were 5 councillors away, it was out in Mullewa. Nobody gave me an opportunity to speak. I wasn’t at the meeting (but) they could have given me a right of reply.

Instead they’ve decided to publicly hang me out to dry. It’s affecting my business, it’s affecting my personal life. I reached out for compassion, and this is how they respond. 

Cr Michael Reymond

Councillor Michael Reymond was the councillor who moved the motion of “losing confidence” at the September meeting. We spoke with him about the reasons for the motion. 

Who put it to you about the problem with Ms Elllis?

It was a consensus. There was a feeling that we had to bring the matter to the head. 

Did anyone help you draft the motion?

It was done for me by the council officers.

Myself and the Mayor sat down and put the words together and had it typed up. 

Did the Mayor (Shane Van Styn) approach you?

Yes. The Mayor approached me. I said I think it’s an excellent idea. When I came back from leave, we discussed it then. 

Was it agreed between you and the Mayor that you would put forward the motion?

He asked me what I thought about the idea, I said I’d put a motion forward. He updated me on the situation, on approved leave. When I came back to have a chat with him, I was a little bit out of touch. He told me that Cr Ellis had put another apology in. I said I’d support a motion.

Why wasn’t he the one to put the motion forward?

He tries to keep a mutual position on things. He tries to manage things. He’s meant to be mutual and unbiased. It’s not appropriate. 

But it seems that it really did come from the Mayor?

It’s not new. Her absences have been a discussion among councillors for so long. She never turned up to the Reconciliation Committee meetings. I had to become chair. It’s a team effort. She gets paid a reasonable allowance. Would she do this if she got elected to state parliament? I don’t know. She needs to prioritise her issues.

Are you affiliated with any political party?

No.

Are you aware Renee Ellis was a Labor candidate?

It was pretty obvious.

Could (The Mayor’s) National Party membership have anything to do with this?

No. That’s conspiracy type stuff.

I’m only worried with the fact she’s not turning up. That’s a fact. Look, she’s got a whole lot of reasons for having leave. 

How did you react to the news she’d been dismissed?

I was surprised, as that was never the intention. 

The motion was just to let her know that we we’re not happy with her attendance. We were hoping… the idea of the motion was to encourage her to rectify the issues and get on with business. 

The fact that she was dismissed came as a surprise to me. That was never the intention.

Cr Reymond went on to speak about the motion being more than just about attendance, but about Ms Ellis’ participation in the wider council life.

The email traffic when we discuss matters with each other… I never see her name come up on email traffic on issues. For example, the sand dune issue. 

There’s about 10 emails a day coming out. You know by that correspondence traffic who’s participating and who’s not. 

I certainly haven’t been getting any emails from her at all. 

I can only conclude that she doesn’t spend a lot of time on matters. I might be wrong. It seems to me she has family, personal, work commitments that are very demanding. You go into this position (knowing what’s involved). 

She’s going to pull out anyway if she gets elected (to State Government). Her ambitions seem more for state politics than local politics. 

But you need to keep on doing what you’re elected to do. 

Cr Reymond spoke about how he valued Ms Ellis’ contributions.

She was providing a balanced view and an alternative view occasionally. But she has to meet what she was elected for. 

I think to turn the blame on the Mayor and other councillors is unfair. Look at the attendance record. She’s the one not turning up to the meetings, we’re just the ones concerned about it. 

You can’t say she hasn’t been given natural justice. She knew the rules. It’s like running a stop sign. 

It’s inappropriate, and she’s been told many times about the consequences.

In conclusion:

It’s a storm in a tea cup, and it will sort itself out. 

It’s no secret that Mayor Shane Van Styn is affiliated with the National Party, having run for both the State seat of Geraldton and the Federal seat of Durack under the Nationals banner in recent years. We spoke with him about allegations that what has transpired might be politically motivated.

What do you say about the allegations this was politically motivated?

CGG Mayor Shane Van Styn

Absolutely categorically denying it. 

There’s nothing political about counselling a councillor who has failed to show up for 5 of the last 7 meetings. 

We have in recent times placed great emphasis on keeping rates down and providing value, and councillors being remunerated around $30,000 a year have to be accountable to the ratepayers they serve. 

The city has embarked on staff cuts and efficiency drives, and councillors have to show value for money. 

I think councillors have a right to question whether seven and a half thousand dollars a meeting is good value for money. (Mr Van Styn based this on Ms Ellis’ annual remuneration vs meetings attended.)

Why did Cr Reymond put the motion forward?

A number of councillors have approached me and sought advice. A number of councillors asked if we can put forward no confidence. I held them back. 

After another apology, the budget meeting where she informed me she was going to be an apology, I contacted her and personally spoke with her. She came into the office, and I spoke with her in the offices, and counselled her on her attendance. 

She has denied that (you had a meeting with her about her attendance).

That is utterly outrageous. 

I had held off people wanting to move motions of no confidence. Since then Ken (Diehm, CEO) has also has spoken to her. 

Since that, not only has she failed to apply for a leave of absence, but failed to provide an apology, and has simply gone absent.

You say a “number” of councillors have approached you. Zero is a number. One is a number. 

Zero is not the number. More than a couple. A few.

Councillors confide in me directly.

Was there any intention to see her dismissed regarding the motion?

There was no intention. I was completely unaware of the three strikes. That only occurred when she requested the reasons for the absences, and that’s when the three strikes were discovered. 

Speaking on the question of the motion being politically motivated:

I have seen no official announcement that she’s the endorsed Labor candidate ticket. I’ve heard that claim, but never seen it official. Look on the website, it’s not there. 

The CEO is the person who has to disqualify the councillor. It is the CEO’s role. 

The motion was carried 10/0. Absolutely unanimous. Moved and seconded. She has missed 5 of the last 7. The last was just a no show, and the second last was an apology the day before. 

In terms of the politics of it, I note that by standing for state parliament, I expect she’ll seek leave of absence for January and February to conduct a campaign, and if successful, she’d resign in March. 

If there was anything political, it’s why is she choosing to be on council yet not attending, and now challenging her disqualification knowing full well that she may require a leave of absence in January and February and, if successful, resigning from council in March, some 15 months after first being elected to council for a four year term? 

What changes will there be, regarding council’s guidelines being inconsistent with the act?

That will be a matter for council to determine in the future. It’s been a long standing practice that application for leave is made at the meeting prior to which you seek leave. 

If matter goes to SAT, and they rule she’s to be reinstated, are you happy to welcome her back and get on with business?

Absolutely, and I encourage her to apply to SAT if she wants to remain on council.

Why weren’t you the one to move the motion?

It’s not common practice for the Mayor to move motions from the chair. 

Is it permissible?

Absolutely. 

Mayor Van Styn spoke of what transpired after the motion at September’s meeting.

She emailed councillors and apologised in writing, and said she’d work to improve it (her attendance). And if she fails to improve it she’ll offer her resignation.

The important thing to note is, the three strikes is set in law. 

If the councillor had attended meetings, the motion would not have occurred, simple. 

But there were a number of councillors, more than a couple, that have raised concerns.

Moving Forward

 

Everything Geraldton understands that CGG CEO Ken Diehm has advised the councillors that the CGG guidelines will be updated in accordance with the legal advice he has received. He also plans to implement measures to catch any future “three strikes” occurrences immediately. 

However, since issuing the dismissal notice and advising Ms Ellis to take the matter to SAT herself if she disagrees, the CGG is now offering to do a joint submission to SAT. 

In an email to councillors Mr Diehm wrote:

"Whilst I have been required by law to issue a Notice of Disqualification to Councillor Ellis, I am not unsympathetic to her circumstances. Since issuing the Notice I have personally contacted Ms Ellis to advise her that I will be referring the matter to the State Administrative Tribunal for final determination. We have agreed to work collaboratively on the submission to ensure that all the facts and circumstances are presented to the Tribunal.

"My obligations under the Act are not negotiable and I would have been breaking the law if I had not issued the Notice of Disqualification. Ms Ellis understands and appreciates the legal obligations that are placed upon me and we both believe that working collaboratively on a submission to the State Administrative Tribunal is the best course of action to bring finality to this matter."

Ken Diehm and Renee Ellis are expected to be meeting today (Thursday, October 6) to discuss the joint submission to SAT. 

The Department of Local Government and Communities is the State Government body that overseas the running of local councils. They have issued a statement on the matter. 

"All local governments in Western Australia must abide by the provisions of the Local Government Act 1995.  There are no penalties or consequences with regard to actions of the City of Greater Geraldton or its staff in this matter.

"Once the CEO issued a notification under this section the Local Government Act gives the elected member 28 days from the date of the CEO’s notification to either satisfy the CEO that they are not disqualified or apply to the State Administrative Tribunal asking for a declaration as to whether or not they are disqualified. 

"If the elected member does not respond to the CEO’s notification in the above manner they are taken to be disqualified.

"This is the only way to have the matter resolved."

The department’s statement doesn’t speak to whether or not it was the correct move to issue the dismissal notice, but restates what Ms Ellis’ options are once the notice has been issued. 

The statement clearly states that there are no penalties or consequences for any CGG staff in this matter.

Ms Renee Ellis spoke with Everything Geraldton again regarding the joint submission:

The city have acknowledged that they have acted outside of the act, I have acted within the act, and because of that anomaly the city are now funding my legal representation to SAT and we are preparing a joint submission together. 

Mr Darren West also spoke regarding the offer to do a joint submission to SAT. 

Do you stand behind the comments you have already made?

At the time that was the case. It has become clear to anyone in this case that those comments have been vindicated. We feel that councillors have recognised this, and the CEO has made the appropriate change in course. I stand by the comments I made re the notice of disqualification.

The City has had a change of heart. We're happy to work with the City in preparing the brief and evidence for SAT. We’ve asked the City to admit to publicly what they’ve admitted to privately, that the City’s guidelines sit outside the act and Cr Ellis’ submissions sit inside the act. 

We’d like a public apology, whether or not we’ll get that remains to be seen. She’s been vindicated in her actions. 

We are seeking legal advice regarding the power of the City to change the minutes (for the April meeting). 

All the councillors were of the view that they had given her a leave of absence. 

But the Leave of Absence request was never put as a motion.

But they (the councillors) were all privy to that leave request. And she was noted in the minutes as a leave of absence. Councillors considered her as being absent and not an apology. 

And they carried the minutes in the May meeting from the April meeting without amending. 

I don’t think the CEO has the capacity to say “those minutes are wrong, I don’t accept those minutes.” Because they’re not the CEO’s minutes, they’re the council’s minutes. I don’t think they can change the minutes without a resolution of council. 

The reason it wasn’t considered by council is because of a major bungle by the CEO.

Has Ms Ellis been officially named a Labor candidate? We haven’t found anything published to this effect. 

She was endorsed in April. At this time she had some difficult times in her life.  A decision was made to hold back publicly announcing her candidacy. 

We made a public announcement last week. We’ve announced it but we’re not shouting it at this stage. 

Do you think the average Joe on the street really cares about all this?

Not much. What they do care about is that their city has become highly politicised.

But isn’t it possible the average Joe might see your response to the matter as the very thing that has politicised the issue?

We’re responding to a political smear campaign. We don’t see any other way that we can respond.

Do you see the joint submission offer as an olive branch from the City?

I saw it as a concession that they’ve got this wrong, and have created a problem that needs to be fixed. 

What I do see as the olive branch is that they’re willing to work with Renee Ellis to prepare an application for SAT, and to fund the costs. But it was going to go to SAT anyway. 

The City of Greater Geraldton anticipates a submission to the State Administrative Tribunal to be ready by Friday, 7 October 2016. 

Abraham Street bridge gets higher fence

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A review into the recent rock throwing incident near the Abraham Street bridge has resulted in the installation of a higher fence on the north side of the road.

City of Greater Geraldton CEO Ken Diehm said although the new Abraham Street Bridge and Southern Transport Corridor are owned by Main Roads WA the City has been working with Main Roads officers to review the current arrangements.

“The construction of the Abraham Street bridge included a number of safety measure such as safety screens on the bridge deck, a fence and the bridge batters along the road were purposely left unplanted to reduce areas where rock throwers can hide,” he said.

“However, to ensure the safety of road users Main Roads and the City will jointly fund the installation of a higher fence on the north side of the road which will provide a further deterrent to potential rock throwers.

“Other efforts to increase safety included the removal of vegetation along the highway in areas the City manages and repair and maintenance of damaged fences.”

Mr Diehm said rock throwing at vehicles is not isolated to Geraldton and the police are aware of the issue.

“The throwing of rocks at vehicles is an ongoing issue faced by road authorities around the country and is regularly discussed at the Mid West Industry Road Safety Alliance meetings in which the police are actively involved,” he said.

Installation of the fence is expected to begin next week.

Geraldton’s female performers are damn funny

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Get ready to fall off your seat from laughter at The Comedy Emporium Geraldton October Showcase as part of Geraldton’s popular Festivals on the Foreshore. Featuring and focusing on some of Geraldton’s female sensations that have crossed The Comedy Emporium stage, this is one show you won’t want to miss!

The night of hilarity is taking place at the Geraldton Multipurpose Centre on the foreshore at 7pm on Friday October 7. Doors open from 6.30pm.

With an effort to promote geraldton and some the state's best female performers, this Showcase will offer something that Geraldton people can be proud of. Although lead by The Comedy Emporium’s team of female performers they will also be joined by a few of the local boys.

The Comedy Emporium Ringleader Julian Canny said “We have more ladies in comedy here in geraldton then almost the entire WA industry.”

“People do not know how cool that is for places like Geraldton that women are bucking the trend of male dominated line ups in the industry and performing comedy. ” he said.

“although the show will focus on our female talent, it will be no different from any other show” he said.

The Comedy Emporium Geraldton October Showcase is an 18+ show with an open bar. Food will also be available outside in the Festivals on the Foreshore Twilight Dinner Market.

There is only 100 tickets available for this show so get in quick to avoid missing out. Tickets are available online at www.thecomedyemporium.com for $25.

The Comedy Emporium Geraldton October Showcase is sponsored by the City of Greater Geraldton and the Festivals on the Foreshore.

Event Details:
The Comedy Emporium Geraldton October Showcase
Date: Friday, October 7, 2016
Venue: Geraldton Multipurpose Centre
Time: 7pm to 10.30pm

Bond for life as students see the light at the end of the tunnel at GUC

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Two students who are set to graduate with a CQUniversity Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) have shown the enormous opportunities and achievements that are possible for MidWest residents undertaking tertiary studies at GUC.

“It feels surreal,” they both said almost simultaneously, when asked how they felt about the amazing achievement of reaching the end of their undergraduate studies.

Rianna Pension (23 year old Aboriginal student) and Norisah Ajaran (mature aged student of Cocos Malay heritage) may have come from very different paths but they are now approaching the completion of a profound journey together as they come out the other side as professional Early Childhood Educators.

“Every year you do, you still feel like its ten-thousand miles away,” Rianna explained in retrospect. On starting her final year she said to herself, “I’ve done this for four years, I can do this! (We) just couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and finally we’re here.”

“You just have to pinch yourself and ask; is it really finishing … are we really there?” Norisah continued, “4 years seems a long, long time, but it just went so fast.”

Both high achieving students have been studying together for 5 years, having started in 2012 in CQUniversity’s STEPS Bridging program supported at GUC.

“Thanks goodness for STEPS,” Rianna exclaimed. “If it wasn’t for STEPS we would’ve been struggling along the way,” Norisha added. “We wouldn’t be teachers,” continued Rianna. “It was the best thing I did,” Norisah surmised.

Through studying together at GUC the pair have developed a close relationship and formed a strong lifelong bond.

“The relationship, Norisah and ,I” started Rianna, “Yeah, we’ve been through the whole thing together,” extended Norisah, “I’ve had Norisah from the start and I don’t ever want to leave her,” Rianna said.

The pair are currently setting out on their last teaching practicum before graduating in the 4-year CQUniversity undergraduate course. GUC Director Natalie Nelmes chipped in sarcastically “You’d better get the same school then,” to which Rianna jokingly replied “we come as a team.”

“I’m her Uni mum and I love her. The bond that we’ve shared in the class, with the rest of the class, is just something you can’t break,” Norisah concluded. 

Sun City Batteries proudly donates to Relay for Life

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Sun City Batteries were proud to help Rik and the Bach Bum Relay for Life team by sponsoring them with two BBQ’s to help them raise funds for such a worthy cause. We wish Rik and his team all the best. We would also like to thank Steve (Jimmy) Taylor from JIMFAB and Jason Walsh from Batavia Panel and Paint for their contributions.

 

Caffeine consumption in older women seems to reduce risk of dementia

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This coffee from Lavender Valley Farm in Chapman Valley might be just what the doctor ordered. 

From the Washington Post:

A new study suggests a significant relationship between caffeine and dementia prevention, although it stops short of establishing cause and effect.
The study, published in the Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, found that higher caffeine intake in women 65 and older was associated with reduced odds of developing dementia or cognitive impairment.

Click here to read more.

An apology for some high speed driving on Brand Hwy

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"Just to say sorry to all the cars I blew past in my Jeep earlier today on the Brand Highway, Tarcoola. My wife contacted me on the phone, she had had an accident at home and was laying in the backyard and couldn't get up. I was near CGG Council Chambers so I knew I could get to her faster than the Ambos, so I put my boot into it to get to her. Also thanks to the guy travelling west on Bellimos Drive who stopped to give me a helping hand with her. cheers mate. and yes she is ok, bit of bark off and a bit sore and sorry. So once again apologies to all, not normally the way I drive."

- L