The Aquarena will be closed today as Western Power replaces a power pole that caught fire last night.
Works will take place today Thursday 17 November from 9am-4pm. The Aquarena will advise when the centre is back open.
Swimming classes that are missed today will be replaced at a later date.
For any inquiries contact the City on 9956 6600 or e-mail council@cgg.wa.gov.au
The Geraldton community is invited to share in the benefits of two new programs to bring dynamic shows and performing artists to regional centres.
Nationals WA Member of Parliament and candidate for the seat of Geraldton Paul Brown MP said the investment of $1.3 million in the New Work in the House and Artists in the House initiatives would see performances created that were relevant to local audiences, along with exciting artist-inresidence programs.
“I encourage Geraldton performing artists to pitch their ideas and apply for funding,” Mr Brown said.
“This is about supporting and creating regional jobs in the arts sector, while entertaining and inspiring local residents.
“It is another example of the Liberal National Government’s commitment to ensuring country communities have access to as many cultural opportunities as possible.”
The funding has come from Royalties for Regions, through the four-year, $24 million Creative Regions program.
“The $1 million New Work in the House program will challenge Western Australian performers and performing arts companies to create work that will engage both regional and metropolitan audiences,” Mr Brown said.
“But the bottom line is that the performances will have to be produced and premiered in country WA, which will help drive job creation and community engagement.”
The $315,000 Artists in the House program will help fund artist-in-residence programs designed to activate regional venues.
“I have no doubt the Geraldton community will benefit because both programs will support strong interaction between performers and local residents,” Mr Brown said.
“The two new programs will dovetail with other Creative Regions initiatives, which support touring shows and improving local venues.”
Applications for stage one of New Work in the House are now open and close on 15 December 2016. The second stage opens February 2017 and closes at the end of March 2017. Applications for Artists in the House open in February 2017 and close at the end of March 2017
For more information on the new grants programs, visit: http://www.dca.wa.gov.au/onlinegrants/online-grants-programs/
The old building in West End (Point Moore) near the lighthouse that until recently housed Tropicanos restaurant is being demolished.
A concerned Point Moore resident claims her daughter was outside in her treehouse near the site on Tuesday, until she realised what was happening.
Residents are advised that the building does indeed contain "a lot of asbestos".
In a media statement issued regarding the demolition, City of Greater Geraldton Chief Executive Officer Ken Diehm said the poor condition the building was left in by the former lessee and presence of asbestos make it too cost prohibitive to repair.
“Regretfully, the former lessee completely gutted the building making it unfit for use or refurbishment,” he said.
“The building also contains a lot of asbestos and unfortunately, the cost to remove the asbestos and completely renovate the building to meet current compliance standards so it could be used for something else far outweighs the value of the building itself.”
Alert sent in:
Power pole on fire on Pass Street, Wonthella.
Western Power and Fire Brigade have been alerted.
Thanks Ryley for the heads up.
Written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Taken from Skin in the Game (link)
Editor's note: I've long been a fan of Taleb, the philosopher, author and trader. His commentary on risk analysis, journalists, scientism, tail risk, anti-fragility, probability, and many other things has helped me develop a more critical eye when consuming media, dealing with politicians, and interacting with bureaucrats. Perhaps his most well known book is Black Swan.
He was one of the very few people who consistently criticised those in the media and political scene who confidently predicted Hillary Clinton would win the US presidential election. Not because he necessarily betted on Trump, but because of sound mathematical reasoning when predicting a binary outcome.
While the following piece was originally published well before the aforementioned election, it's points speak well to the collective freakout that has occurred since the Trump victory.
What we have been seeing worldwide, from India to the UK to the US, is the rebellion against the inner circle of no-skin-in-the-game policymaking “clerks” and journalists-insiders, that class of paternalistic semi-intellectual experts with some Ivy league, Oxford-Cambridge, or similar label-driven education who are telling the rest of us 1) what to do, 2) what to eat, 3) how to speak, 4) how to think… and 5) who to vote for.
But the problem is the one-eyed following the blind: these self-described members of the “intelligentsia” can’t find a coconut in Coconut Island, meaning they aren’t intelligent enough to define intelligence hence fall into circularities — but their main skill is capacity to pass exams written by people like them. With psychology papers replicating less than 40%, dietary advice reversing after 30 years of fatphobia, macroeconomic analysis working worse than astrology, the appointment of Bernanke who was less than clueless of the risks, and pharmaceutical trials replicating at best only 1/3 of the time, people are perfectly entitled to rely on their own ancestral instinct and listen to their grandmothers (or Montaigne and such filtered classical knowledge) with a better track record than these policymaking goons.
Indeed one can see that these academico-bureaucrats who feel entitled to run our lives aren’t even rigorous, whether in medical statistics or policymaking. They cant tell science from scientism — in fact in their eyes scientism looks more scientific than real science. (For instance it is trivial to show the following: much of what the Cass-Sunstein-Richard Thaler types — those who want to “nudge” us into some behavior — much of what they would classify as “rational” or “irrational” (or some such categories indicating deviation from a desired or prescribed protocol) comes from their misunderstanding of probability theory and cosmetic use of first-order models.) They are also prone to mistake the ensemble for the linear aggregation of its components as we saw in the chapter extending the minority rule.
The Intellectual Yet Idiot is a production of modernity hence has been accelerating since the mid twentieth century, to reach its local supremum today, along with the broad category of people without skin-in-the-game who have been invading many walks of life. Why? Simply, in most countries, the government’s role is between five and ten times what it was a century ago (expressed in percentage of GDP). The IYI seems ubiquitous in our lives but is still a small minority and is rarely seen outside specialized outlets, think tanks, the media, and universities — most people have proper jobs and there are not many openings for the IYI.
Beware the semi-erudite who thinks he is an erudite. He fails to naturally detect sophistry.
The IYI pathologizes others for doing things he doesn’t understand without ever realizing it is his understanding that may be limited. He thinks people should act according to their best interests and he knows their interests, particularly if they are “red necks” or English non-crisp-vowel class who voted for Brexit. When plebeians do something that makes sense to them, but not to him, the IYI uses the term “uneducated”. What we generally call participation in the political process, he calls by two distinct designations: “democracy” when it fits the IYI, and “populism” when the plebeians dare voting in a way that contradicts his preferences. While rich people believe in one tax dollar one vote, more humanistic ones in one man one vote, Monsanto in one lobbyist one vote, the IYI believes in one Ivy League degree one-vote, with some equivalence for foreign elite schools and PhDs as these are needed in the club.
More socially, the IYI subscribes to The New Yorker. He never curses on twitter. He speaks of “equality of races” and “economic equality” but never went out drinking with a minority cab driver (again, no real skin in the game as the concept is foreign to the IYI). Those in the U.K. have been taken for a ride by Tony Blair. The modern IYI has attended more than one TEDx talks in person or watched more than two TED talks on Youtube. Not only will he vote for Hillary Monsanto-Malmaison because she seems electable and some such circular reasoning, but holds that anyone who doesn’t do so is mentally ill.
The IYI has a copy of the first hardback edition of The Black Swan on his shelves, but mistakes absence of evidence for evidence of absence. He believes that GMOs are “science”, that the “technology” is not different from conventional breeding as a result of his readiness to confuse science with scientism.
Typically, the IYI get the first order logic right, but not second-order (or higher) effects making him totally incompetent in complex domains. In the comfort of his suburban home with 2-car garage, he advocated the “removal” of Gadhafi because he was “a dictator”, not realizing that removals have consequences (recall that he has no skin in the game and doesn’t pay for results).
The IYI has been wrong, historically, on Stalinism, Maoism, GMOs, Iraq, Libya, Syria, lobotomies, urban planning, low carbohydrate diets, gym machines, behaviorism, transfats, freudianism, portfolio theory, linear regression, Gaussianism, Salafism, dynamic stochastic equilibrium modeling, housing projects, selfish gene, Bernie Madoff (pre-blowup) and p-values. But he is convinced that his current position is right.
The IYI is member of a club to get traveling privileges; if social scientist he uses statistics without knowing how they are derived (like Steven Pinker and psycholophasters in general); when in the UK, he goes to literary festivals; he drinks red wine with steak (never white); he used to believe that fat was harmful and has now completely reversed; he takes statins because his doctor told him to do so; he fails to understand ergodicity and when explained to him, he forgets about it soon later; he doesn’t use Yiddish words even when talking business; he studies grammar before speaking a language; he has a cousin who worked with someone who knows the Queen; he has never read Frederic Dard, Libanius Antiochus, Michael Oakeshot, John Gray, Amianus Marcellinus, Ibn Battuta, Saadiah Gaon, or Joseph De Maistre; he has never gotten drunk with Russians; he never drank to the point when one starts breaking glasses (or, preferably, chairs); he doesn’t even know the difference between Hecate and Hecuba (which in Brooklynese is “can’t tell sh**t from shinola”); he doesn’t know that there is no difference between “pseudointellectual” and “intellectual” in the absence of skin in the game; has mentioned quantum mechanics at least twice in the past five years in conversations that had nothing to do with physics.
He knows at any point in time what his words or actions are doing to his reputation.
But a much easier marker: he doesn’t even deadlift.
Not a IYI
Postscript
From the reactions to this piece, I discovered that the IYI has difficulty, when reading, in differentiating between the satirical and the literal.
PostPostcript
The IYI thinks this criticism of IYIs means “everybody is an idiot”, not realizing that their group represents, as we said, a tiny minority — but they don’t like their sense of entitlement to be challenged and although they treat the rest of humans as inferiors, they don’t like it when the waterhose is turned to the opposite direction (what the French call arroseur arrosé). (For instance, Richard Thaler, partner of the dangerous GMO advocate Übernudger Cass Sunstein, interpreted this piece as saying that “there are not many non-idiots not called Taleb”, not realizing that people like him are < 1% or even .1% of the population.)
Reproduced with permission.
Let some Geraldton’s best comedians save you from all the bad cracker jokes this December and get you into the festival spirit at the Comedy Improv Christmas Special.
Featuring the best christmas themed improv battles this side of the North Pole, such as Naughty vs Nice and Santa vs Rudolph, as well as the Young Guns Christmas Comedy Special.
The Comedy Improv Christmas Special is taking place over two nights in the vibrant west end of Geraldton’s CBD on Friday the 9th and Saturday the 10th of December at Pollinators City Hive.
If you haven’t seen live improv comedy in action before this is your chance to see some of Geraldton’s best comedians from The Comedy Emporium go head to head in a battle of christmas wits.
The Comedy Emporium’s 18+ Adults Improv Troupe will start the laughs off on the Friday night with the Young Guns Troupe (14-17yrs) continuing the laughs through to Saturday night.
Some of Geraldton’s youngest comedian’s – as young as 10 years of age from The Comedy Emporium’s Prodigies Troupe – will also be taking the stage as part of the C hristmas special on Saturday afternoon at 4.30pm.
The Comedy Emporium Ringmistress Jody Quadrio said, “the shows are guaranteed to be like nothing you’ve seen before and the spontaneous nature of improv comedy means you’ll never see the same show or laugh at the same joke twice.
“Often improvisers will take a suggestion from the audience, or draw on some other source of inspiration – this always adds to the fun of the shows,” she said.
“The shows are so much more than one liners, imagine whole scenes of hilarity coming together at whim,” she said.
The Comedy Improv Christmas Special is guaranteed to be the best Santa-sack full of laughs this festive season. So dont be a scrooge, grab yourself a ticket online at www.thecomedyemporium.com for just $10. Student prices are also available for the Young Guns show and the Prodigies show is free entry. BYO Drinks.
Event Details:
Naughty vs Nice Comedy Improv Christmas Special – Adults 18+ Troupe
Date: Friday, 9 December 2016
Venue: Pollinators City Hive, 184 Marine Terrace, Geraldton
Time: 8pm to 10pm (doors open at 7.30pm)
Tickets: $10
Santa vs Rudolph Comedy Improv Christmas Special – Prodigies Troupe
Date: Saturday, 10 December 2016
Venue: Pollinators City Hive, 184 Marine Terrace, Geraldton
Time: 4.30pm to 6pm (doors open at 4pm)
Tickets: Free Entry
Young Guns Comedy Improv Christmas Special – Young Guns Troupe
Date: Saturday, 10 December 2016
Venue: Pollinators City Hive, 184 Marine Terrace, Geraldton
Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm (doors open at 7pm)
Tickets: Adult $10, Student $5.
For more information visit www.thecomedyemporium.com or contact Jody on 0498 230 487 or jody@thecomedyemporium.com
Geraldton's Ocean West, a local short term accommodation provider, is the home of Geraldton's first TESLA and electric car recharge point.
Minnie Reynolds from Geraldton's Ocean West provided the following info regarding the install.
"Apparently they have approached a lot of businesses, council etc in the past.
"We were more than happy to have the first install here – TESLA paid for the recharge point equipment being the first in Geraldton, and Ocean West get to support the electric car movement. Win Win!
"We have the Tesla charger plugged into a 3 phase socket, which is good, since Electric Vehicles other than Tesla’s will be able to plug into the socket direct."
Elayna Carausu, born and bred in Gero, teamed up with Riley Whitelum from SA a few years ago. They started documenting their adventures sailing around the world on YouTube, and grew a large following.
They've been funded by fans through a platform called Patreon, and now they've landed a sponsorship deal that will see them get a new catamaran in Feb. Have a look at the video above, or the long version below, and subscribe to their YouTube channel if you'd like to follow along.
Young people with big ideas and entrepreneurial dreams now have the chance to make their dreams a reality.
As part of the Greater Geraldton Investment Showcase, young people will be able to attend a three-hour intensive workshop to help them take the first steps towards becoming innovators and entrepreneurs.
The Youngpreneur Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program workshop is from 6pm to 9pm on Thursday November 17, at CityHive, 184 Marine Terrace Geraldton.
CityHive Host and workshop co-organiser, 19-year-old Lia Thornton, said the workshop was aimed at young people, aged 15 to 25, who want to make a difference in the world, but don’t know where to start.
She said many young people, especially those in Years 10-12, were stuck deciding between university, TAFE, or getting a job but were unexcited by traditional options.
“In this three hour workshop, young entrepreneurs will learn and take action in teams, gaining skills and confidence to turn their passion into a job, or their hobby into a business, or their creative idea into a real product or service,” Miss Thornton said.
“This is suitable for everyone, whether you are a creative, coder, or simply interested in learning more about what innovation really means and how you can be a part of it in the future.”
There will be prizes for the best pitches, ideas and team players, and all teams and participants are eligible to participate in future events, leading into pitches to investors and meetings with mentors at the main Greater Geraldton Investment Showcase event on December 9.
Miss Thornton said the workshop could pave the way for a more intensive entrepreneur youth training program next year.
“I’ll be pitching such a program to the investors on December 9 in the hope that we can get a training program for young entrepreneurs off the ground,” she said.
“I’m really excited that we may be able to help young people turn their passion into a career, or give them options other than the traditional education and career paths.”
RSVP is essential, tickets cost $5 (payable online or at the event) and all details are at www.pollinators.org.au/event/youngpreneur-workshop/.
The Youngpreneur Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship activity is supported by the Mid West Development Commission through the Mid West Innovation Agenda, City of Greater Geraldton, ATC Midwest and headspace Geraldton.
This event is also part of the overall Greater Geraldton Investment Showcase, powered by Progress Mid West as part of the Greater Geraldton Investor Showcase and Growth Plan project. Funding partners include Royalties for Regions, City of Greater Geraldton, Mid West Development Commission, Regional Development Mid West Gascoyne, US Embassy Canberra & US Consulate Perth, and West Tech Fest.
If you would like to add your images to this gallery, email geraldton@justeverything.com.au
Travis Petford
Bill Belson
Bill Belson
Maggie Grant
Andrew Hopkins
Devinci Wilson JPA Lucid Imaging
David Melling
Faye Moore
Paul Brown
David Ford
Renie Brown
Rob Bradley
Tayla Fairclough
Sam
Natasha Gilmartin
Samantha Smith
Maureen Macdonald
Maureen MacDonald
Maureen MacDonald
Maureen MacDonald
Maureen MacDonald
We make our pasta by hand, in-store every day!
See, we think we’re onto something. We love great food and want to share it with you. We understand that everyone is an individual and we encourage it. When you come into our stores you get your choice of pasta, sauce and every ingredient to make your ideal pasta meal. Too much? Don’t worry – we have a menu too and lots of staff to help you choose!
The best part is, at Pastacup, you don’t have to sacrifice quality for convenience. We look after you, by making your life easier, without making it less healthy.
Whether you are just looking for a new lunch or dinner spot, or want to treat your staff members to a great meal, we are here waiting for you!
Or order online at http://www.pastacup.com.au/order-online/
And for a limited time only you if you buy one Pastacup you will get the second Pastacup of the same size at HALF PRICE, when you mention this ad.
Terms and conditions apply
Geraldton Police have welfare concerns for this missing child. If you see her or have any information, contact Geraldton Police on 9923 4582
Geraldton Senior College students and staff gather with members of the Geraldton Clay Target Club and Construction Onsite Training to celebrate the completion of the building project.
Year 11 students studying at Geraldton Senior College rolled up their sleeves last term to assist the Geraldton Clay Target Club. These students are studying certificates in Building and Construction and Engineering pathways with Construction Onsite Training whilst completing their schooling at Geraldton Senior College. Under supervision of their teachers and tradesmen, they built a brick trap house with a custom metal roof. This, in turn, enabled smooth running of the recent Crayfish Carnival held at the Geraldton Clay Target Club which hosts over 150 visitors from within WA and interstate over the three day event.
“We can’t find the words for what these students have done,” said Club President Laurie Oliveri. “They have done such a good job and we are so grateful.
“When we first spoke about the project, we had a definite deadline with the annual carnival. The young people really got into it and finished the job two weeks early. I have received many comments on the high quality of the workmanship and its accurate positioning. We all thought it was so good that we decided to repaint the other trap houses so we could renumber them and call the one built by the students’number one.
“The whole process saved the club a lot of money and gave these young people a chance to show themselves and the community what they can do. They took a lot of pride in their work. Their supervisor had a lot of patience for them, worked with their abilities and everyone learned a lot.
“The Carnival went very well and the extra trap house made our club look more professional. We have visitors from as far away as Darwin and Melbourne. The person who took out ‘High Gun’ for the day was from Mulgoa NSW.”
To show their appreciation the Geraldton Clay Target Club held a thank you event to bring together the families of the students, various staff within the school and club members. Attendees were able to try out the sport as well as enjoy lunch and a presentation.
For mum Denise Beard, this program has been a welcome change, “Programs like this are priceless in developing skills for my son’s future. Doing real-life activities in various types of trades helps our youth make decisions about being part of specific industries such as building and construction. Its’ hands-on experience that will help him secure a job in the future.
“They also participated in a community service task of cleaning up an elderly gentleman’s garden. They didn’t have to do it but chose to. They were all proud and happy to help out.
“My son hasn’t missed a day of this program. He wants to be there, doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty or cleaning up. Each week his pop has been enjoying seeing his progress and that of the project.”
Geraldton Senior College representative and Career and Vocational Education Manager, Cameron Todd said, “It is so beneficial to have a real-life project for students to work on rather than just creating a practice wall where you build it then take it down at the end. This has been a real game changer for the students involved.”
Principal of Geraldton Senior College, Greg Kelly said, “This is a brilliant example of the partnerships that we develop between the school and community. It gives the opportunity for our students to develop confidence in doing high level tasks while having the support of a teacher or tradesman nearby.”
Residents in the Midwest Gascoyne, Great Southern and Goldfields Midlands are being urged to prepare their families and properties this weekend, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting dangerous fire conditions on Tuesday.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Acting Assistant Commissioner Country Murray Bawden said the predicted weather conditions will make it extremely hard for firefighters to bring bushfires under control.
"Tuesday is predicted to bring a dangerous combination of 40 km/h strong winds, temperatures in the high 30s, and possible dry lightning,” A/Assistant Commissioner Bawden said.
"These are extremely bad conditions for a fire, and DFES is getting ready by putting preformed incident management teams and strike forces on standby.
"Tuesday also coincides with the anniversary of the 2015 Esperance fires, with it being a stark reminder of the heartbreaking destruction bushfires can cause.”
A/Assistant Commissioner Bawden said DFES is getting ready for the bad fire weather, however everyone needs to play their part.
"This weekend sit down with your family and have a chat about what you will do if a bushfire occurs, and make sure you have an emergency kit ready to go.
"Also take the time to prepare your property by pruning back trees, cutting long grass, clearing your roof gutters and removing rubbish from around your house – taking an hour to prepare now will give you, your family and property the best chance of surviving a bushfire.
"On Tuesday you will need to be extra vigilant of your surroundings, and if you see smoke and flames report it immediately to triple zero and put you bushfire survival plan into action.”
For more information about preparing for and responding to bushfire visit emergency.wa.gov.au
The removal of dangerous and unsightly timber power poles and overhead power lines on Chapman Road and Durlacher Street in the Geraldton CBD is one step closer with the City being approved for funding in Round Five of the Western Power State’s Underground Power Program Localised Enhancement Project.
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the undergrounding of power in the CBD was one of the key issues he wanted Council to focus on under his leadership.
“The undergrounding of power in the CBD was a key component of my mayoral campaign and I am very pleased that we are one step closer towards achieving this goal,” he said.
The removal of power poles and provision of underground power will improve road safety whilst providing a more reliable power supply and enhanced streetscapes.
“The power poles on Durlacher Street are an ongoing safety concern as a number of vehicles have collided with the poles in the past,” said Mayor Van Styn.
“Underground power also reduces the risk of blackouts during inclement weather due to downed power lines.
“Once the timber power poles are removed the City can take the first step in the beautification of these thoroughfares which starts with the renewal of the footpath on Durlacher Street between Chapman Road and Sanford Street.
“The project involves replacing the old concrete block footpath with a continuously poured reinforced concrete footpath will improve pedestrian and cyclist safety in this location,” Mayor Van Styn added.
Undergrounding of power in the CBD has also been recommended in the City’s Integrated Transport Strategy, City Centre Vibrancy Plan and in the recently released draft Growth Plan.
The project has now entered the Detailed Proposal Stage which will confirm the final project boundary and total project cost. The City has allocated $500,000 in the 2016/17 Budget to match the State Underground Power Program Grant contribution.
The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise it will be removing a dead Tuart tree in Rundle Park on Tuesday 15 November 2016.
Although the City is always reluctant to remove trees as they add to the liveability of the urban space, in this case the tree located in close proximity to the footpath presents a serious risk to pedestrians and motorists.
During the removal of the tree, motorists and pedestrians are requested to exercise caution and obey all warning signs and directions from authorised City personnel and contractors.
The City apologises for any inconvenience these works may cause.
If you have any queries regarding the renewal works please contact the City on 08 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.
The City of Greater Geraldton is seeking Expressions of Interest from non-commercial organisations interested in the opportunity of a peppercorn lease for the Spalding Community Centre office spaces in exchange for delivering services to community members and maintaining the building.
This opportunity ideally suits organisations involved in the provision of community and social services. Expression of Interest closes 12 December 2016 and a copy can be obtained from the City’s website www.cgg.wa.gov.au or by contacting Community Development Officer, Steve Davidson, on 9956 6651.
http://www.cgg.wa.gov.au/news/2583/spalding-community-centre-lease
Batavia Furniture and Bedding are having up to 30% off with their Clearance Sale.
There will be up to 30% off storewide, as well as a selection of one off clearance deals – but it’s for a limited time only!
Maddox 5 Seater with In-Built Recliner Modular Lounge with Chaise with Console - $2799 SAVE $300
Deco 4 Piece Queen Bedroom Package - $1957 SAVE $839
Exmouth 12 Piece Dining Package - $5759 SAVE $905
Backcare Latex Plus Queen Mattress - $769 SAVE $330
Get into Batavia Furniture and Bedding at the Homemaker Centre today and grab yourself a bargain!
Finance available, see in store for more information.
Discover how and why you should move your business to the “cloud” with Xero.
Xero’s representative, Michael Kerr, will be in Geraldton to explain the benefits of cloud accounting and demonstrate advantages of using Xero software.
This informative event will be held at
Ocean Centre Geraldton
Thursday 17th November 2016
4pm – 6pm
(Light refreshments provided)
NO COST AND OBLIGATION FREE
RSVP is required by Monday 14th November to Mid Coast Partners
– seats are limited
This event is proudly brought to you by –
Mid Coast Partners
3 Wiebbe Hayes Lane
Phone: 08 9964 4942
Email: accountants@midcoastpartners.com.au
Jamie Desmond, a third-year carpentry apprentice with Aussie Sheds Group in Geraldton is the 2016 Master Builders WA Most Outstanding Apprentice, beating six other finalists to take home this prestigious award.
Master Builders Training Director, Neil Du Rand said Jamie was a standout winner.
“The three-member judging panel was very impressed with Jamie and how he conducted himself in the interview. He has a broad skill set, is very articulate and a good thinker, all the qualities we look for in an apprentice. He will be a great ambassador for Master Builders and other apprentices in the industry,” Mr Du Rand said.
“The Master Builders Apprentice of the Year Awards are vital for our industry as they celebrate and acknowledge the innovation, skill level, dedication and leadership of the new generation of workers in the construction industry, those who will lead our industry in the future,” Mr Du Rand said.
Melanie Battilana, Office Manager at Aussie Sheds Group said Jamie has excelled in leaps and bounds since he first started with the company in 2013.
“Jamie is well respected by all his co-workers and other trades onsite. He uses his initiative in getting the job done in a safe and timely manner, and is constantly coming up with new ideas to make the working environment run smoother,” Ms Battilana said.
“Jamie is a huge asset to Aussie Sheds and all of our clients in the mid-west region,” Ms Battilana concluded.
Other finalists for the Master Builders Apprentice of the Year were:
Congratulations also to Tameka Kenny, a third-year painting and decorating apprentice with MPA Skills for winning the Most Outstanding Female Apprentice at this year’s awards.
“This year we saw the highest calibre of female apprentices enter the awards, among the 79 female apprentices in our industry in WA, so Tameka did extremely well to win,” Mr Du Rand said.
“The passion and dedication she displayed, along with the outstanding achievements she has attained to date made her a standout in an extremely competitive year for female apprentices.”
“All finalists for the Female Apprentice of the Year Award should be proud of themselves and their ability to perform at the highest level in the traditionally male dominated industry,” Mr Du Rand said.
“It is remarkable that for the third time in the last five years, an apprentice from Broome has won our Regional Apprentice of the Year Award,” MBA Geraldton Regional Manager, Di Gilleland said.
“Well done to Jeremy Allen who is employed by Broome Builders in being adjudged the most outstanding apprentice across five regional areas of WA.”
“Congratulations to all winners in this year’s Apprentice Awards. These awards are highly contested, and so to win is a great achievement that all finalists should be very proud of,” Mrs Gilleland concluded.
Master Builders acknowledges the generous support of Cbus Super and the Department of Finance as our major alliance partners, along with all our other sponsors and supporters in helping to make this special event happen.
The annual Master Builders Apprentice of the Year Awards were held on Friday, 4 November at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre before a crowd of nearly 300 apprentices, builders, contractors, trainers, sponsors, and other supporters including family members. Finance Minister Hon. Sean L’Estrange MLA represented the Premier.
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