Extended trading hours survey circulates

Locals will soon be asked for their opinion about the future of extended trading hours in Geraldton as an online and phone survey circulates.

A 12-month trial of extended general retail trading hours was officially introduced in October last year after given the tick of approval by Minister for Commerce and Industrial Relations Bill Johnston MLA.

Now with three months left in the trial, an independent survey is being conducted by consultants to measure the impact extended trading hours has had on the Geraldton community and local businesses.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn urged people to take the survey if they were called or emailed.

“A sample of our population will be targeted to take the survey via phone or via an online link and I urge those people to have their say as it will have a huge impact on our community,” he said.

“The City has contracted fully independent specialists to conduct the survey to ensure the results best reflect the opinions of our residents and business owners.

“We want to know what is best for our community and therefore we need people to have their say so we can implement the right outcome.”

The survey is currently underway and once the sample is complete a report will be compiled and sent to the Minister for the final decision on extended general retail trading hours in Geraldton.

Visitor Centre deck closed to repair vandalism

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise the decked area under the Morton Bay fig tree located beside the Geraldton Visitor Centre is closed until further notice to repair damage caused by vandals last night.

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.

Aquarena leisure pool closed for maintenance

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise that the Aquarena will be closing its leisure pool for a period of eight weeks from Monday 16 July through to 9 September 2018 for scheduled maintenance.

The main pool and the hydrotherapy pool will remain open during this time.

Works include tile repairs, installation of new lane rope anchors and the cleaning of the over-head air duct. To ensure public safety during this time the leisure pool will be fenced off.

Customers are requested to obey all warning signs and directions from Aquarena staff during this time.

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.

Wreck at Dongara beach identified

Research by the Western Australian Museum into a recently discovered shipwreck at 7 Mile Beach in Dongara points to it being the Margaret Ann.

WA Museum Maritime Archaeology Curator Dr Ross Anderson said his work was greatly assisted by leads provided by the local community, after a call out for its help to identify the remains of the motorised wooden cray boat.

Chris Akerstrom contacted the Museum with information that the Margaret Ann LFB16, operated by her late husband Mick Akerstrom, sank at its moorings in the early 1960s and was never salvaged.

“A number of other leads were followed up, but from the available evidence the wreck is most likely the Margaret Ann,” Dr Anderson said.

“It was a 6.6-metre motorised, single-mast, carvel-planked wooden vessel, which matches the archaeological information the Museum had recorded.”

The area where the wreck was found is a haven for fishing boats as it is sheltered from prevailing southerly winds.

Dongara teacher Aletta Bussenschutt, who discovered the vessel at a depth of about three metres while snorkelling and reported the find to the WA Museum, said she is glad a name can be put to the wreck.

“It’s been a great response from the community – hearing old stories from past fishermen and their family members, current fishermen interested in local history have been raising questions, and Dongara District High School students are excited they personally know the finder and can’t wait to go snorkelling on a shipwreck!” Ms Bussenschutt said.

The WA Museum would like to thank everyone who provided information during this investigation.

“Throughout this process we also found out about three other vessels that were wrecked in the area – two of which there were no records of previously,” Dr Anderson said.

“It just goes to show how much valuable information is held by the community!”

Verified information is being added to the Museum’s shipwreck database and is helping document the evolution of the Mid West crayfishing trade.

Central Regional TAFE announced as award finalists

Central Regional TAFE (CRTAFE) are finalists in this year’s WA Training Awards in two categories.

• WA Large Training Provider of the Year 2018
• WA Industry Collaboration Award 2018

The Hon Sue Ellery BA MLC, Minister for Education and Training announced the organisational finalists yesterday and said that this year's finalists demonstrate how the training sector delivers vital education and training opportunities while providing important services to the community.

“The WA Training Awards encourage continuous improvement, innovation and excellence in a sector that is critical to building the State's capacity” she said.

CRTAFE is the only regional TAFE amongst the three overall finalists in the WA Large Training Provider of the Year category.

The college is being recognised as a leader in industries such as maritime, agriculture, land management, community services, local government, mining and nursing. Also for continuing to place students, industry partners and strong links with community and Aboriginal people, at the forefront of activities.

There are also three overall finalists in the Industry Collaboration category. CRTAFE are finalists for being the training partners of the Biodiversity Conservation Collaboration Project (in Geraldton) to manage invasive aquatic species and restore key ecosystems on Australia's Coral Coast.

The project gives students real world experience while helping to protect WA's Abrolhos Islands. CRTAFE won the ‘On-ground Coastal Management Award’ for the project earlier this year at the WA Coastal Awards for Excellence.

CRTAFE Acting Managing Director Joanne Payne said it was fantastic to be recognised amongst such an outstanding group of training organisations.

“We are so proud to be finalists and to be recognised for the many achievements we have had over the last year” she said.

“Our staff work tirelessly to support and guide students through their vocational education journey and strive to establish innovative training programs that are beneficial for local industry” she said.

Ms Payne said the college was particularly excited to see the conversation project at the Abrolhos Islands recognised as it has been a significant collaborative effort for the TAFE and project partners, spanning across 4 years and involving over 600 community volunteers, students and stakeholders.

“Staff at our Batavia Coast Maritime Institute still oversee ongoing activities which have resulted from the project to ensure successful outcomes continue into the future” she said.

“We would like to congratulate all of the other finalists of this year’s awards for the great work they do in ensuring the continual improvement of the WA training sector” she said.

Award winners will be announced in September. Winners may also be eligible to compete against the nation's best at the Australian Training Awards later in the year.

Roads remain closed

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise the following roads remain closed to the general public.

• Casuarinas Road
• Erangy Springs Road

The City urges members of the community to adhere to road closures as unauthorised use results in extensive road damage.

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

National Redress Scheme begins in Durack

Member for Durack Melissa Price said survivors of child sexual abuse living in Durack should apply to the National Redress Scheme that launched on 1 July.

The National Redress Scheme was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Ms Price said the Scheme was established to provide counselling, an acknowledgement from the institution involved and a redress payment to people who were sexually abused in an institutional setting as children.

“To apply for redress, people will complete a form explaining what happened to them and how it has impacted them. You can do that on paper or online through myGov,” Ms Price said.

“Redress Support Services are available to help people understand the Scheme and complete their application, while free legal and financial support is also available.

“I encourage anyone in Durack who is a survivor of child sex abuse to apply for the Scheme.

“This is an important part of the healing process. Redress will acknowledge the hurt and the harm suffered by survivors, and ensure that institutions take responsibility for the abuse that occurred on their watch, by their people.”

For more information about the National Redress Scheme:

• Visit www.nationalredress.gov.au
• Call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (local time), excluding public holidays.

People who need immediate assistance can contact:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours)
• 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

Member for Geraldton elated that Southgate is saved

The decision to refuse the approval of Amendment No. 4 of the City of Greater Geraldton Town Planning Scheme NO. 1A is welcomed by Local Member for Geraldton, Ian Blayney MLA.

“The amendment initiated the planning scheme to rezone the land at Southgate for development purposes”, said Mr Blayney.

“Given the significance of the Southgate Dunes in the region, I am pleased development and subdivision will not be implemented.

Mr Blayney said there was widespread consternation throughout the community when changes enabling the subdivision of 780 hectares on Southgate Dunes were reported in the paper in 2016.

“I wrote to the Minister for Planning several times advising against the proposed changes.

“Southgate is an environmentally sensitive area and any disruption to the dunes may impact on local beaches.

Mr Blayney said that he opposed the changes not only because the dunes are a significant natural asset but also because Geraldton already has problems with beach erosion.

“Any disruption to the sand recharge could further exacerbate coastal erosion in the area.

“This will not only detract from the attractiveness of Geraldton’s beaches but will also add to local government costs as they would have to address such effects.

“I am delighted the Southgate Dunes have been saved.”

Info Sessions on Ward and Councillor review

Community information sessions on potential options to change the current ward system and council representation will be held by the City at the end of the month.

The sessions are part of a review of ward boundaries and the number of Councillors is being undertaken in accordance with the Local Government Act 1995.  All local governments with wards must carry out reviews of their ward boundaries and the number of Councillors for each ward at least once every eight years.  The last time wards and representation were reviewed was in 2011, when the then City of Geraldton-Greenough merged with the Shire of Mullewa.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the purpose of the information sessions are to inform the community on the review process and present the various options for future representation.

“Currently, we have seven wards with 14 elected members and a popularly elected mayor,” he said.

“However, there are a number of options up for consideration which include changing or reducing the number of wards or the number of elected members representing a ward or even abolishing wards altogether.

“The pros and cons of these options will be presented at the information sessions along with the opportunity for attendees to provide their feedback on what they have heard.”

The Geraldton Community Information Session will be on Wednesday 27 June 2018 at 5pm, in the Function Room at the City Civic Centre and the Mullewa Community Information Session will be on Thursday 28 June 2018 at 5pm, in the Dining Room at the Recreation Centre.

Mayor Van Styn encourages everyone to have their say on how they will be represented by local government in the future.

“The feedback we received from the community will help Council identify the system of representation that best reflects the characteristics of our community which include communities of interest, physical and topographical features, demographic trends and economic factors,” he said.

When the Review is complete, a report on the process and Council’s resolution regarding wards and representation will be submitted to the Local Government Advisory Board for assessment against the requirements of the Local Government Act and consideration of any recommended changes. The Board’s recommendations regarding the review are then submitted to the Minister who has the final decision on wards and Councillor representation in the City.

For more information on the review or to make a submission visit the City’s website www.cgg.wa.gov.au

Million Trees Project nears halfway mark

New hessian tree guards, developed by the City in response to community concern regarding using plastic, protect seedlings recently planted by the Sunset Beach Community Group at Triton Place in Sunset Beach.

A recent tally of tree and shrub plantings registered with the Million Trees Project shows the community is on track to reach the halfway mark of 500,000 this winter.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said greening the City region has been the community’s aspiration for many years.

“In 2010, when the 2029 and Beyond Project was launched, we asked the community what would make Greater Geraldton a better place to live and greening our City by planting more trees and shrubs was their top priority,” he said.

“Now eight years in and more than 327,500 tree and shrub plantings later, we are continually asked by the community to keep beautifying streets and public open spaces with more trees.

“That’s why more than 127,000 trees and shrubs are scheduled for planting by community groups, businesses and the City along our foreshore and river reserves over the coming weeks.

“With only 11 years to go till 2029, I am confident together, as a community, can reach the million trees target,” he added.

If you have planted one or more trees or shrubs on your property you can make your trees count by registering them towards the Million Trees Project on the City’s website www.cgg.wa.gov.au

All varieties of trees, including fruit trees and shrubs such as Grevilleas, can be added to the register.

Member for Geraldton urges constituents to attend Ombudsman Complaint Clinics

Member for Geraldton, Ian Blayney MLA is encouraging all members of the community who are having issues with their electricity, gas or water service provider to attend an ombudsman complaint clinic later this month.

“I’ve had a fair few constituents come into the office over the last month that are having problems with their electricity, gas and water service providers.

“This visit from the ombudsman will be a valuable opportunity for the community of Geraldton to raise any concerns they may be having with such providers.

Mr Blayney said that he has written to the Minister for Energy a few times over the last couple of months to bring constituent concerns to the attention of the Department.

“I have been writing to the Minister to ask that concerns raised by members of the community be reviewed and investigated.

“Most recently, I wrote to the Minister regarding the power outage at Port Gregory. The power went out on Thursday and was not fully restored until the following Monday. That is a long time to be without reliable power.

“I asked the Minister that power issues be reviewed by the government and for energy security options for the town of Port Gregory to be given some consideration.

The ombudsman complaints clinic will be held at Pollinators CityHive (184 Marine Terrace) on Wednesday 27 June, 4pm – 6pm and Thursday 28 June, 8:30am -10:30am.

Help needed to identify wreck at Dongara beach

The Western Australian Museum would like the public’s assistance to identify a recently discovered shipwreck about 20 metres offshore at 7 Mile Beach in Dongara.

Regular visitor to the area Aletta Bussenschutt discovered the wreck at a depth of about three metres while recreational diving, and reported the find to the WA Museum.

“I had snorkeled many times at 7 Mile Beach and I was lucky enough to have found the wreck due to the recent swells which had moved the benthic sand,” Ms Bussenschutt said.

“I remember diving down to inspect the wreck further and thinking ‘that’s a wooden hull on the bottom of the ocean!’”

WA Museum Maritime Archaeology Curator Dr Ross Anderson said after inspecting the site, it was identified as the remains of a motorised wooden cray boat.

“The vessel is about seven metres long and was built sometime between the 1950s and 1980s,” Dr Anderson said.

“A timber sample shows it was built in part using jarrah indicating the vessel was built in Western Australia.”

Another artefact recovered was a mammal bone, which points to the wreck occurring before bovine cray baiting stopped in the 1990s.

The area is a haven for fishing boats as it is sheltered from prevailing southerly winds which means the boat may have been moored at the time of sinking.

“As it’s likely the boat wrecked in the relatively recent past, the Museum is asking anyone who may be able to identify the vessel to get in touch,” Dr Anderson said.

“Verified information would be added to the Museum’s shipwreck database and would help document the evolution of the Mid West crayfishing trade.”

Information can be reported to Dr Ross Anderson by phoning 1300 134 081 or emailing reception@museum.wa.gov.au

Gero Rate payers Action Group Letter to the Editor

Hello Rate Payers,

Your ratepayers action group (GRPAG) has been granted a special meeting on 11th June at Queens Park Theatre 7 PM. We are providing a forum for you or ANYONE  ……  to attend and ask questions and provide feedback to councillors.

Those wishing to have questions answered on the night must submit them before 5th June to the City chambers.

We are asking council to live with within the level of rates our community is able to afford.

 Several topics are listed for discussion  including

1. A CGG rates  freeze for 2018-19
2. A discussion on finances related to specific topics. Do we need 14 councillors at a cost of around $450,000???  Perhaps a reduction from  14 to 7 councillors
3. A need for the transparency  and disclosure of financial details  for major contractors
4. Availability of information to rate payers.  Transparency except in special circumstances.
5. Council finances..The need for resolutions relating to their analysis and propriety over the last 5 to 8 years

Please read this information and plan to attend on 11th June, to protect your assets.

Regards
Dr Barry Thompson
GRPAG              

711 Cadets receive Freedom of Entry

The 711 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets have received Freedom of Entry to the City.

The 711 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets have received Freedom of Entry to the City after Council approved the request at this week’s Council Meeting.

The honour will be presented at the 2018 Sunshine Festival on Sunday 30 September.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn also acknowledged the 711 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets 25 years of service.

“The 711 Squadron has helped a large number of youth reach their true potential and they regularly support community events including Australia Day, ANZAC Day, HMAS Sydney II Memorial services and Variety Club events,” he said.

“The organisation has made a significant contribution to our community and I am proud to honour them with Freedom of Entry to our City.”

Freedom of Entry is a ceremonial honour whereby a military or civilian unit is granted the right of entry to the City.

It is awarded to Australian military and civilian units that have, through their command, a significant attachment to the City of Greater Geraldton. 

The award is conferred in recognition of their achievement while on active service or overseas duty or as a mark of respect and gratitude for their efforts in the defence of Australia.  

David Power, 711 Squadron Commanding Officer, said the honour was very well received.

“It is great to receive recognition for the commitment to youth development in Geraldton over the years,” he said.

“We have had several thousand young people use the Cadets as a great platform to develop remarkable self-confidence and leadership skills, and go onto bigger and better things.”

The conferring of the award of Freedom of Entry, will be held in conjunction with the 2018 Sunshine Festival opening ceremony at 1pm on 30 September 2018, before marching in the Sunshine Festival parade.

Those interested in the 711 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets can visit www.aafc.org.au or head to the Army Reserve Depot on Monday nights during the school term from 6pm.

Offenders on the loose without being monitored

West Australians were left in the dark when dozens of offenders, some with serious convictions including dangerous sex offences, were unable to be tracked following a telecommunications outage.

Shadow Minister for Corrective Services Zak Kirkup said it was incomprehensible the Government did not alert the community to the dangers posed by offenders able to roam the community without being able to be tracked.

“If there is a telecommunications outage and offenders cannot be tracked, the community needs to be made aware,” Mr Kirkup said.

“Last night in Parliament it was revealed 81 offenders with trackable ankle bracelets had been disconnected from monitoring as a result of the outage.

“The first the community has heard of this is through questioning in Parliament.

“The question must be asked, why did it take questioning in Parliament for this information to be made public?  Why didn’t the Minister bring this to the attention of the public at the height of the risk of these offenders being in public without being able to be monitored.”

Mr Kirkup said the Government needed to assure the public they would not be kept in the dark if there was a similar telecommunications blackout in the future in which offenders were unable to be tracked.

“It is the responsibility of the Minister for Corrective Services to be open and transparent about these very serious and concerning security issues,” Mr Kirkup said.

“He would have received a briefing that the Department had lost track of the offenders as a result of the outage, and he should have insisted on warning the public that this had occurred.

“His failure to do this smacks of a cover up.  I am concerned he may not have wanted the public to know that offenders were out in the public and not being tracked.

“This has only come to light through questioning in Parliament and it would not be surprising if the Government was hoping the questions would not be asked and this incident had not come to light.

“It is now incumbent on the Minister to insist his Department develop a communications protocol to alert the public whenever there is an incident in which tracked offenders are unable to have their movements monitored.

“The public needs to be assured they are protected from these offenders.  This is the Minister’s responsibility and he needs to take action now that this incident, and the potential for further such incidents, has been exposed.”

Path and drainage works in Drummond Cove

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise it will be undertaking path and drainage works at Whitehill Road between Hester Street and Seacrest Way in Drummond Cove with works scheduled to commence on Monday 21 May 2018 for a period of approximately four weeks.

The anticipated hours of work will be between from 7am to 6pm. Traffic Management will be in place during this time. 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

Beresford Foreshore landscaping begins

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise landscaping of the Beresford Foreshore will start during the week of 21 May 2018 and requires construction site access through three temporary entry points along Chapman Road for the duration of the works.

The entry points will be located on the north and south sides of the Adam Street Carpark and in front of Mitchell and Brown.  To ensure community safety, traffic controllers will be in place from Tuesday 22 May 2018 for the remainder of project works as required.  Motorists can expect delays and are encouraged to use alternative routes wherever possible during this time.

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.

‘An Incompetent Life’ to brighten up yours

An Incompetent Life, is a short look into a life that could've gone a bit better.

Local comedian Brian Poller looks at life just a little differently; using incompetence to gain success – or at least one version of success.

Poller will be performing his unique comedy show, that sold out at Fringe World 2017, as part of the Big Sky Festival in Geraldton on Friday 25th of May. The event will be held at the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery commencing at 8:15p sharp (limited tickets available to the public).

Fitting in with the festival theme of “windswept words”, Poller’s intricate storytelling will have you completely absorbed in his world.

This one man show has been more than 50 years in the making… A soaring saga of disaster and comedy; inanity and depth.

In Brian’s world, competence may lead to success and money, but incompetence is a shortcut to seeing things a little differently, if only out of necessity.

“Anyone who loves tales of adventure, tragedy and raw life truths will love Brian Poller’s An Incompetent Life,” said Euphorium Creative Ringleader, Julian Canny.

“Brian’s story telling ability is incredibly engaging and will have audiences hanging on his every word. It’s also completely inspiring through his ability to tell his story and perform to a live audience, all whilst having a speech impediment.” Said Canny.

Tickets can be bought at the Geraldton Regional Library or over the phone. Please contact Tracy Smith on tracys@cgg.wa.gov.au or 9956 6659.

Find out what the Red Rubber Thing has to do with loss, how reticulation can only be managed from the inside, and a few other things that can’t be mentioned here due to….er…… incompetence!

For more information on the Big Sky Festival, please view the program online: https://library.cgg.wa.gov.au/Profiles/library/Assets/ClientData/Big_Sky_Readers___Writers_Fe stival_Program_2018.pdf

City to trial two-hour free parking at two CBD carparks

Following the free parking trial during the installation of underground power in the CBD, the City will begin a trial of two-hour free parking at Carparks 2 & 3 with a proposed date of Tuesday 8 May 2018.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said trialling two-hour free parking at Carpark 2 at the Geraldton Regional Library and Carpark 3 behind McDonald’s will inform Council’s review of paid parking this year.

“The trial of two-hour free parking at these carparks over the coming months will help the City better understand the demand for short term parking at these two locations,” he said. 

“Being able to park for a couple of hours free of charge just may entice more people to visit the nearby shops, restaurants and businesses which is good for the businesses and their customers.”

The ‘Pay by Plate’ trial involves reprogramming the existing parking ticket machines so car park users can enter their license plate number into the machine and retrieve a ticket that states their plate number and the time the ticket was retrieved. Additional paid time beyond the two hours can be purchased simultaneously.

The valid ticket must be displayed on the dash of the vehicle whilst parked in the carpark.

The two hour free parking period in Carparks 2 and 3 has a proposed day of Tuesday 8 May 2018 to commence however further communication will be released to confirm the date.

Temporary closure of the Esplanade

The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise that the Esplanade will be closed to the public from 10am on Sunday 22 April to allow for the setup and execution of the Mitchell & Brown Retravision and Sealy Posturepedic Fireworks Show.

The Esplanade will reopen the following day on Monday 23 April at 11am.

The City apologises for any inconvenience and will endeavour to keep disruptions to a minimum.

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