Council renews commitment to access and inclusion

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City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn (right) and Disability Services Commission Count-Me-In Ambassador in the Midwest Chris Kerr, check out the recently repaved footpath on Sanford Street which greatly improves accessibility to the buildings and properties.

Council has reaffirmed its commitment to providing an accessible and inclusive community by endorsing the recently amended Disability Access and Inclusion Policy.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said a review of the five-year old policy showed it no longer aligned with recent revisions to the Western Australia Disability Services Regulations.

“In 2013, Council formalised its commitment to ensuring our community is an accessible and inclusive one for people with disability, their families and carers by endorsing the Disability Access and Inclusion Policy,” he said.

“The policy recognises that people with a disability have a right to quality services, facilities, programs and events that enable them to live and fully participate in our community.

“This means people with disability will be provided with the same opportunities, rights and responsibilities enjoyed by other people in our City which includes employment at the City.”

Disability Services Commission Count-Me-In Ambassador in the Midwest, Chris Kerr, said it is very important for people with disability to be part of the community.

“It is essential for everyone, regardless of their ability, to be present, seen and connected to their community,” she said.

“Over the past five years the City has improved existing infrastructure and built new facilities which make public open spaces, our foreshore and our City more inclusive and welcoming.

“This includes creation of a MLAK (Master Locksmiths Access Key) Changing Place facility in the toilet block behind the Visitor Centre and the provision of beach wheelchairs which now means our beautiful beaches and the ocean are more accessible.

“I am so pleased to see that Council has widened its commitment to ensure people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to obtain and maintain employment with the City,” she added.

The  City’s Disability  Access  and  Inclusion  Policy is supported by the Disability  Access  and  Inclusion  Plan which aims  to ensure  that  universal  access  is  available  to  the  whole  community  and therefore  ensures  that  the  Greater  Geraldton  economy  can  benefit  from  all sectors of our community and visitors alike. 

Prescribed burn in Cape Burney

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The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise it will be undertaking two prescribed burns in Cape Burney on Saturday 14 April 2018 and Sunday 15 April 2018 commencing at approximately 9.00am.

The burns will take place at Lot X20 Brand Highway in Cape Burney.

The Cape Burney, Moonyoonooka and Waggrakine Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades will be on site to control the burn rate and extinguish the fire by the end of the day.

Smoke from this prescribed burn should been carried by prevailing winds out to sea, however it may affect the surrounding areas. If you have a respiratory condition or are affected by smoke you should contact your local doctor or call Health Direct on 1800 022 222.

Prescribed burns are undertaken by the City to mitigate the severity of bushfires by reducing the build-up of flammable fuel loads, which helps protect lives and property.

Members of the community are requested to exercise caution and obey all warning signs and directions from authorised City personnel and contractors.

The City apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you have any queries please contact the City on (08) 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.

Pindar-Tardun Road repair works

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The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise it will be undertaking road repairs at the intersection of Pindar-Tardun Road and Dean Road and the intersection of Pindar-Tardun Road and Williams Road with works scheduled to begin on Wednesday 11 April 2018 and taking approximately four working days to complete.

Traffic management will be in place and members of the community 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 please contact the City on (08) 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.

Partial closure of Midalia’s Beach footpath

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The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise the partial closure of the Midalia Beach footpath, located on the south side of the beach, to undertake key services and footpath connection works associated with the Beresford Foreshore Enhancement project.

The footpath between Stellar Maris Drive and the Organ Donor Awareness Fountain, including a portion of the laneway to Stanford Cove will be fenced off and closed to the public from Wednesday 11 April 2018 to Saturday 14 April 2018. The footpath between Stellar Maris Drive and the Stanford Cove laneway will remain closed until completion of footpath extension works at the end of April 2018.

Members of the community 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 please contact the City on (08) 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.

School Holiday Program returns for autumn

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Kids will have no reason to be bored this autumn break with the return of the ever popular School Holiday Program.

The School Holiday Program, a combined effort of local providers, will begin on Monday 16 April and run through to 27 April.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the line-up of programs would entertain kids of all ages and interests.

“I am delighted to introduce the latest School Holiday Program which offers kids a fantastic variety of activities from sports, arts and more,” he said.

“It’s great to see local community providers unite to put a jam-packed fortnight of quality entertainment together for kids of all ages.”

Kids will have plenty of reasons to keep active during the break, with a variety of sporting events such as basketball, soccer, volleyball and sunset yoga on offer. There will also be special kids SUP yoga classes, fishing clinics and junior golf.

For those who prefer to stay indoors, there are plenty of crafts to create at the Geraldton Regional Library, PCYC and Scrapbook House, as well as a video game zone at the Geraldton Multipurpose Centre, and lots of pirate themed fun at the Museum of Geraldton.

Panaceum’s Films on the Foreshore will return to the Stow Gardens on Friday 27 April. Families are encouraged to bring along a picnic rug, blankets and some snacks, while settling down to enjoy a free screening the hilarious family comedy, Despicable Me 3 on a large outdoor screen.

Parents with very young children from newborn to five years of age can come along to a morning of free activities and games designed for littlies on Friday 27 April thanks to Child and Parent Centre – Rangeway.

With lots more on offer, be sure to check out the full program by clicking here or pick up a hard copy from the Civic Centre on Cathedral Avenue, the Library, Visitor Centre, Aquarena and the Mullewa Youth Centre.

For more information about events on offer during the school holiday program, visit our website at www.cgg.wa.gov.au or contact the Youth Development team on 9956 6600.

Temporary footpath closure on Marine Terrace

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The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise the footpath at 190 Marine Terrace (location of the Menshed) has been closed while repairs to the building awning are undertaken.

To ensure community safety during the works, a footpath diversion over the four carpark spaces in front of the building will be in place.

Members of the community are requested to exercise caution and obey all warning signs and directions from authorised City personnel and contractors.

The City apologises for any inconvenience this temporary footpath closure may cause.

If you have any queries please contact the City on (08) 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.

Grant funding secured for plant propagation e-Booklet

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Community Nursery Volunteers standing proud with the Scaevola seedlings they have successfully grown for the first time.

Valuable knowledge of local native plant propagation methods gathered by Community Nursery volunteers will soon be available to the wider community in an e-Booklet.

The City has received $7,770 in grant funding from the Western Australian State Natural Resource Management program to collate seed collecting and propagation data for a Community Nursery Local Provenance Native Plant Propagation Guide.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the project is critical to the continued protection of local biodiversity.

“Our Community Nursery volunteers have documented a large amount of knowledge on how to collect and propagate local native plant species which must be made more accessible to the community,” he said.

“This is particularly important for plant species such as the Scaevola tomentosa and the Westringia dampieri which volunteers were previously unable to reliably germinate or grow until this year.”

“Ensuring information on how to grow species like these is available will certainly increase the number of plant species nurseries or community members may be able to grow.

“This year alone, Community Nursery volunteers have grown about 22,000 seedlings comprising 62 different species. New techniques and new research have contributed to the successful propagation of 4,000 of those plants including 11 species completely new to the Community Nursery. "

Publishing an e-Booklet has a number of advantages over printing hard copies.

“E-booklets make sense.  They can be quickly updated and easily shared which will ensure our Community Nursery, and other nurseries from across the state, can continue to provide a wide variety of native plants for revegetation projects,” Mayor Van Styn added.

The development of the Native Plant Propagation Guide is supported by Central Regional TAFE, The Drylands Foundation and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Herbarium.

Drummond Cove foreshore works continue

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The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise as part of the ongoing works to return the former leasehold foreshore area in Drummond Cove to coastal public open space, fencing of the foreshore reserve on Whitehill Road will be undertaken.

Pedestrian access to the foreshore will be maintained at Surf Place, Tailer Street and Park Place.

Works will begin on Wednesday 11th and take approximately one week to complete.

Members of the community 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 please contact the City on (08) 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au.

Lot 601 to be upgraded

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Lot 601 will be transformed after Council voted to enter into a five-year lease agreement with LandCorp.

Plans to enhance Lot 601 will go ahead after Council voted to enter into a five-year lease agreement with LandCorp.

Located on Marine Terrace, the City of Greater Geraldton will look to improve the aesthetics of the area and activate the site for community use.

Mayor Shane Van Styn said he wanted the “dust bowl” gone.

“Lot 601 is located in such a prominent spot in our CBD and we really want to beautify the area,” he said.

“Even simple things such as taking down the chain mesh fencing and resealing the area will make such a big difference to the look and feel of the area.

“Being located next to our premier location, the Foreshore, our aim is to active this site for community use.”

The space is used as a free informal carpark and Council are currently undertaking a paid parking review to determine if the parking remains free.

As part of the Growing Greater Geraldton Growth Plan, the City will enter into a five-year lease with LandCorp at peppercorn rent with a further five-year option.

“As part of our City Centre Revitalisation Plan we are always looking at new ways to redefine our city centre to unlock its full potential and we are seeing this with the transformation of the Rock’s building into a laneway.

“The lease of the parcel of land also gives us opportunities for bigger developments in the future.

“Council will decide on a preferred detailed design option for the site this financial year and funding for the project will be considered as part of the 2018/19 budget.

“It is such a prominent space in our community and activation of the site is extremely important.”

After Council makes a decision on the design, works to transform the space will begin next financial year.

Rabbit numbers to be reduced with virus strain

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As part of the City of Greater Geraldton’s rabbit control program, a strain of rabbit haemorrhagic virus has been released this week in Chapman River Regional Park.

City of Greater Geraldton Chief Executive Officer Ross McKim said controlling feral rabbits is essential to supporting revegetation works and preserving natural areas for future generations.

“The Chapman River Wildlife Corridor is one of the few remaining quality stands of remnant vegetation in the area and we need to protect it from these feral animals,” he said.

“Feral rabbits are costly issues for landholders and control of their population is essential to reducing their grazing impact on native vegetation.

“For the first time in 20 years, a new rabbit biocontrol agent is being released into the Geraldton area and we are hoping it will help get rabbit numbers under control.”

The RHDV1 K5 virus being released  is a strain of the existing virus already widespread in Australia, commonly known as calicivirus. Once the virus is introduced, it will spread via flies and mosquitoes into surrounding areas.

The K5 strain is expected to assist current management practices with an expected reduction of 40% of the population. This is why additional follow up measures such as warren ripping are so important to maximise the effect of the virus release.

The virus does not affect dogs, cats or any other animal other than rabbits. Pet owners should contact a veterinarian for advice on how to protect their domesticated/pet rabbits, with online information available from the Australian Veterinary Association www.ava.com.au/rabbit-calicivirus

Landholders and other community members can report sightings of rabbits or evidence of disease through the Rabbit Scan online portal www.rabbitscan.org.au 

Olive Street war memorial construction begins

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The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise construction of the WW1 Memorial on the Olive Street Reserve will begin on Monday 9 April 2018 and take approximately two weeks to complete.

The anticipated hours of work will be from 7am to 6pm and will take place within the existing fenced area of the reserve.

Members of the community 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 please contact the City on 08 9956 6600 or email council@cgg.wa.gov.au. 

Wind Propelled Vessel Arrives at Geraldton Port

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More than a century after moving away from wind power, a new vessel to arrive at Geraldton Port’s Berth 3 this morning has again looked to harness the power of mother nature.

The MV AFROS is the first ever bulk carrier to embrace spinning sail technology to harness the power of the wind – developed originally to reduce reliance on fuel.

Mid West Ports Authority marine pilot Scott Beevers brought the wind propelled vessel in to Geraldton Port this morning, which he said handled beautifully.

The vessel, with its unique look already catching the eye of many around the port, features four large rotor sails on the starboard side.

These rotors use the principles of the Magnus effect to propel the vessel forward.

The Magnus effect, commonly associated with a spinning object, drags air faster around one side, creating a difference in pressure that moves it in the direction of the lower-pressure side.

It’s the same effect that causes a ball to spin in some sports, and can be harnessed in a similar way to propel the vessel forward.

The thrust produced by the rotors significantly reduces the need for engine power, without losing operating speed, therefore saving fuel and ultimately reducing emissions.

Marine pilot Ross Halsall said a ship with this type of configuration is a first for the port.

“This system has been developed with the intent of both reducing fuel costs and reducing greenhouse gases,” he said.

“It is very much at the forefront of future ship development.”

The MV AFROS will depart Geraldton Port tomorrow morning.

Mayor says Abrolhos could turn around tourism in WA

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Mayor Shane Van Styn says the Abrolhos Islands could be key in turning around WA’s tourism market. Picture: Eco Abrolhos

The Abrolhos Islands are one of Western Australia’s hidden gems and City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn says they could be the answer to turning around the state’s tourism market.

With statistics showing there was a five per cent decline in spending by tourists in WA last year, Mayor Van Styn said the Abrolhos Islands are an untapped resource that could turn numbers around.

“It is alarming that WA was the only state to have a decline in the $40 billion industry in 2017,” he said.

“We think the Abrolhos Islands has exactly what it takes to bring more tourists to our state to see an increase in the amount our tourists are spending.

“It could be the next biggest exciting destination in Australia, a real game changer!”

The 122 islands that make up the Abrolhos are located 60km off the coast of Geraldton in the Midwest and have been predominately inhabited by rock lobster fishermen.

There has been a compelling case put to the State Government to turn the Abrolhos into a National Park to create world-class tourism opportunities including accommodation and other facilities.

“With best practice management in place of the Islands’ terrestrial and marine environment, we could create a huge tourism opportunity but it will be imperative to preserve the area’s nature, culture and visitor appeal,” Mayor Van Styn said.

“The State Government has announced $10million to fund best practice management and development of the Abrolhos Islands and we would ideally like this funding to be brought forward to the 2018/19 financial year so we can take a hold and enhance this opportunity in the very near future.”

Mayor Van Styn also added that modelling indicated the development of the Abrolhos would create huge economic benefits.

“Resultant growth in tourism is projected to increase business revenues by over $70 million and increase economic benefits over $100 million in the first decade,” he said.

“Not to mention the amount of local jobs it would create.

“We believe the Abrolhos Islands has what it takes to be the turning point for tourism in WA.”

The Geraldton Mayor and Free Speech

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In case you missed today's "here's what we should be outraged about" article from the taxpayer funded ABC, here's a link. 

In a nutshell, Laura Meachim from the ABC has done a piece about a "formal complaint" following Van Styn's comments that someone didn't like on social media. 

The comment in question was in relation to the community outrage the ABC says was occurring over the release of the Boulder man who killed a 14 year old boy. 

Regarding the outraged, Shane Van Styn pointed out that cricket bat killer we all remember well also received about the same amount of jail time, and Van Styn questioned why there wasn't the same level of community outrage then?

Consider these two scenarios:

Scenario 1

Your colleague at work comes up to you and looks you dead in the eye. He's about to insult you. 

His mouth opens. 

"You're an idiot!"

You're instantly offended. How dare this person insult you like that. 

Scenario 2

Your colleague at work comes up to you and looks you dead in the eye. He's about to insult you. 

His mouth opens. 

"You're a cloud!"

You instantly laugh. You know you're not a cloud, and your colleague is clearly misinformed. 

Why do we choose to be offended by scenario 1, but we would simply brush off scenario 2?

Because a little voice inside us thinks that maybe scenario 1 is correct, and then another voice says no it's not, then we have internal conflict, then we direct that turmoil outwards in the form of being offended and retaliation. 

In reality, the conflict lies within us. 

Because when someone calls us a cloud, we don't think it's true in the slightest, and there's no inner dialogue demanding we defend our honour.

If Van Styn had said something that was obviously untrue and absurd, we'd all laugh at him and pay him no mind. 

But instead people have chosen to be offended by what he wrote. News articles are being written. 

And, counter to what the complainer actually wanted, Van Styn's comments are now getting even MORE publicity and attention. 

Rather than argue the merits of Van Styn's arguments, point out why they disagree with him, or make a case for why the cricket bat murderer deserved a lesser sentence than the 56 year old Boulder man, the complainer would prefer Mr Van Styn not be allowed to express an opinion at all. 

From what I can tell, this "formal complaint" is just an email with the words "without prejudice" at the top. 

As a general rule of thumb, one writes "without prejudice" at the top of a letter when they DON'T want what they have written to be held against them in court.

Interestingly, the Maddington based author of the email is Lindsay Councillor, an uncle of the cricket bat killer.

But what Van Styn actually wrote is beside the point.

What's concerning here is that someone calling for silencing of someone's free speech rights has been given the time of day by the ABC and wasn't abruptly dismissed by Labor politician and Minister for Local Government, David Templeman. 

In Australia we are very capable of having civilised debate of competing ideas without appeal to authority to shut the other side down because they wrote or said something we didn't like. 

It reminds me of my 2 year old coming in to my office complaining that his brother called him a name. 

Without freedom of speech, we wouldn't have been able to make so much progress on women's rights, indigenous rights, gay rights, and more. The entirety of western democracy is built on the reliable fact that we can argue about ideas and opinions freely. 

That said, I wholeheartedly support Lindsay Councillor's freedom of speech and his right to send complaint emails to public servants. 

But we need to call out the obvious efforts by many among us who are attempting to silence anyone they don't agree with. 

Your decision to choose to be offended is on you. You don't have any right to silence people you disagree with or who you decide are offensive. 

The argument for Van Styn not being allowed to have an opinion is that it comes across like he's speaking in his role as Mayor. 

But what politician among us has agreed to no longer voice an opinion?

If Mr Van Styn was using the CGG ratepayer funded media department to spread propaganda and his own personal opinion, then I think he would have something to answer for. 

But calling for local government representatives to not ask questions about double standards in the daily-outrage-virtue-signalling-world-of-social-media is not the direction we want our society to head.  

I don't agree with everything Shane Van Styn says, but I'll defend his right to say it.

Financial Empowerment Workshop for Women

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Are you struggling to understand the superannuation lingo? Are you trying to budget but fail to get in front? Do you wish to have a better understanding and increase your financial knowledge? Do you wish to invest but don’t know how? Well this workshop is for you.

Lisa Farnell, Certified Financial Planner™ who has been working in the Financial Planning industry since 1999, is on a mission to help you understand your financial issues.

This workshop is being held on the 9th of April, from 9.15am to 2.30pm at The Geraldton Yacht Club.

Tickets cost $65 (concession cards welcome)

Tickets available at:
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=366543

For more information call 08 9964 9000 or email admin@fsgeraldton.com.au

 

Nagle Catholic College 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner

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On Saturday 9 June, Nagle Catholic College is holding its 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner. We would like to invite everyone who has been part of the Nagle, St Pat's or Stella Maris family in the past or present to attend and help celebrate this special milestone.

The dinner will be held in a marquee on the Peter Saunders Oval at the College. Skeetas Restaurant & Cafe will be providing a tasty three-course meal. There will be entertainment, dancing and a trip down memory lane with past student guest speakers and performances.

To book your ticket today, please visit our website, www.ncc.wa.edu.au. For more information please contact the College.

 

When the government brags about creating jobs

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A few weeks ago I stumbled across a weird political stunt which ended up backfiring on the Labor party in WA. They set up a fake Twitter account that looked like it was run by state opposition leader Mike Nahan, and linked to a "Meet Mike" url, which was loaded with Labor's own propaganda. 

However, what made me take umbrage was the argument made by Labor that Nahan wanted to destroy 10,000 jobs by cancelling Metronet. The implication here is that the government spending actually creates jobs. 

What gets completely lost on these folks with their misdirected sense of self importance is that in order to create these 10,000 jobs they had to destroy at least that many jobs already. 

How? you ask. 

Taxes.

The government doesn't create wealth except through taking it from me and you. And when they take my money, I can't afford to pay someone to mow my lawns, fix my car, or build me a new computer.

Every time I go shopping, one eleventh of the bill goes straight to the government, (GST), reducing my ability to do as much shopping as I otherwise would like. 

Because I have to pay so much tax I can't afford to employ more people in my business. I can't afford to invest in new projects. I can't afford to go on a holiday in WA with my family. 

The nerve of politicians bragging about "creating jobs" with the very money they just took from me under threat of violence is galling.

If Metronet, or any other public spending project, warrants the investment, then fine... argue the case for its existence. 

But don't pretend you're "creating jobs" when the very people who are funding those jobs, had they not had to pay such high amounts of rates, rego, stamp duty, income tax, GST, and more... would have created the same number of, if not more, jobs in our economy. And we would be creating the jobs that the market actually demanded. 

Building infrastructure just because you think you're "creating jobs" is how we get left with school facilities that aren't needed, roads that no-one uses, and overpasses that are just expensive ornaments. If people had kept their money and spent it on what they personally thought was good value, jobs that were actually wanted might have been created. 

The next time your local parliamentary member starts bragging to you about all the jobs they create, remind them of all the jobs they destroyed in the process by taxing you so heavily. 

QPT turns purple for Epilepsy

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Geraldton Primary School staff Ashe Gough, Katie Taylor and Student Kristy-Lee Percy have Epilepsy and will be celebrating ‘Go Purple Day’. They are pictured with Mayor Shane Van Styn.

Lights at the Queens Park Theatre will shine purple on Monday 26 March as part of Purple Day for Epilepsy.

With March being epilepsy awareness month and March 26 being Purple Day, people all around Australia are being urged to ‘go purple’ to end the stigma and discrimination of epilepsy.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said it was something many people are touched by. 

“One in 25 people will have epilepsy at some stage in their life and nearly everyone knows someone who is affected by epilepsy,” he said.

“The City is proud to ‘go purple’ and support the cause by having the lights at the QPT purple on Monday evening.

“It will definitely make a mark on the building so make sure you drive past and check it out.”

Epilepsy is a common brain disorder which takes the form of recurring seizures. It can develop at any age, regardless of gender or ethnicity. An estimated 65 million worldwide currently live with epilepsy - in Australia alone approximately 250,000 people live with epilepsy.

Locals can show their support by hosting a Purple Day fundraising event with friends or at work, or make a donation to raise epilepsy awareness.

More information can be found at www.epilepsyaustralia.net