Prepare for Thunderstorms - Alert

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The following alert has been issued by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).


Time of issue: 08:09 AM
Date of issue: 09 August 2017

Get ready now for thunderstorms in parts of the Midwest-Gascoyne, Perth Metropolitan

If you live in the area from Geraldton to Perth including Eneabba, Jurien Bay, Lancelin and Yanchep you need to get ready now for the thunderstorms coming this afternoon.

A strong westerly flow and cold air mass in the wake of a cold front is developing over the south west of the state. The westerly flow will ease during this afternoon. Thunderstorms and showers associated with the cold air mass may produce DAMAGING WINDS to 100 kilometres per hour and could cause DAMAGE TO HOMES AND PROPERTY.

This weather is not unusual for this time of year, but could damage homes and make travel dangerous.

WHAT TO DO:

DFES has these tips to help you and your family get ready now: 

  • Store or weigh down loose objects around your home like outdoor furniture that could be picked up and thrown by strong winds, causing damage or injury
  • Ensure your emergency kit is complete including a battery operated radio, torch, spare batteries and first aid kit
  • Ensure pets and animals are in a safe area
  • Move vehicles under cover
  • Boat owners should securely moor their boats
  • Campers should find safe shelter away from trees, powerlines, storm water drains and streams
  • Unplug electrical appliances and avoid using landline telephone if there is lightning.

If you are away from home contact family or friends to prepare your property


WEATHER DETAILS:

At 09/08/2017 07:29:00 the Bureau of Meteorology advised SEVERE WEATHER WARNING for DAMAGING WINDS For people in parts of the Central West and Lower West districts.


ROAD CLOSURES AND CONDITIONS:

Some roads may be closed

Take extra care on the roads and do not drive into water of unknown depth and current.

Road information may also be available by calling Main Roads WA on 138 138 or visiting www.mainroads.wa.gov.au or your local Shire.

WHAT EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE DOING:

  • DFES is monitoring the situation.


IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE:

  • If your home has been badly damaged by a storm, call the SES on 132 500
  • In a life threatening situation call 000

After a storm SES volunteers make temporary repairs to homes that have been badly damaged, such as roofs that have been ripped off or large fallen trees on homes or cars. Please contact your insurance company to organise permanent repairs.

KEEP UP TO DATE:
Visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dfes_wa, Facebook: https://facebook.com/dfeswa/, listen to ABC Local Radio or listen to news bulletins. 

Updates will be provided when the situation changes.

Aquarena closed due to power pole fire

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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

Warning: Asbestos riddled building in West End (Point Moore) is being demolished

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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.”

Call for Witnesses of a Serious Assault at Wonthella IGA Carpark

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

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

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

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

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

 

Scam Alert - Car accident claims

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Shared with us by a member of the community:

Just had a scam phone call from an Indian sounding man stating someone at my number had a car accident in December last year and it was my fault. He was trying to get information from me. He said he was given my number by the WA Transport. He wouldn't say what company he was from. I asked for his phone number so my husband could call him back. He told me to get stuffed and hung up. I have reported it to Scam Watch and to WA Transport. 

⚠️ URGENT: Explosives stolen in Geraldton overnight

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The Geraldton Police have issued a warning to the community regarding explosives that were stolen last night. 

They posted moments ago on Twitter that the explosives are dangerous, and should not be handled if they are located. 

If you have any information regarding the explosives, please call Geraldton Police urgently on 08 9923 4555. 

Mayor exercises discretionary powers for emergency works at St Georges

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prepare now for severe weather

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If you live in an area southwest of a line from Geraldton to Southern Cross to Norseman to Israelite Bay you need to prepare your home and family now for the severe weather coming Saturday. 

This includes people in Perth metropolitan area, Geraldton, Dalwallinu, Jurien Bay, York, Mandurah, Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River, Bridgetown, Albany, Katanning, Narrogin, Southern Cross and Esperance and surrounding areas.

This weather is not unusual for this time of year, but could damage homes and make travel dangerous

WHAT TO DO:

DFES has these tips to help you and your family prepare before the bad weather starts: 

  • Trim branches around your home to prevent them falling on your roof or car. 
  • Clear gutters and downpipes so they do not overflow after heavy rain. 
  • Store or weigh down loose objects around your home or work like outdoor furniture that could be picked up and thrown by strong winds, causing damage or injury. 
  • Prepare an emergency kit with a battery operated radio, torch, spare batteries and first aid kit. 
  • Organise an emergency plan, including a relocation plan for your family and pets in case your home becomes flooded. 

WEATHER DETAILS: 

As at 11.35am on Friday 20 May 2016 the Bureau of Meteorology advises the first significant cold front of the year is expected to affect southwest WA during Saturday.

The strong cold front is likely to cause widespread damaging winds to 100 kilometres per hour that could result in damage to homes and property. In isolated areas dangerous gusts in excess of 125 kilometres per hour could cause significant damage or destruction to homes and property.

Damaging winds are expected to develop about the Southwest Capes late Friday evening, extending to reach Perth to Katanning to Albany by 6:00am Saturday and Jurien Bay to Merredin to Hopetoun by late morning.

Higher than normal tides may cause flooding of low-lying coastal areas particularly along the west coast during Saturday morning around the time of high tide. Dangerous surf conditions which could cause some beach erosion are also likely.

Heavy rainfall will occur with the passage of the front with the heaviest falls expected southwest of a line Perth to Albany. Isolated thunderstorms and small hail are possible southwest of a line Perth to Albany, extending along the south coast to Esperance during Saturday afternoon and evening.

People in the southwest of WA experience a front as windy as this about 5 times per year.

Storms may be accompanied by:

  • Damaging winds 
  • Heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding
  • Small hail

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE: 

  • If your home has been badly damaged by a storm, call the State Emergency Service (SES) on 132 500
  • In a life threatening situation call 000

After a storm SES volunteers make temporary repairs to homes that have been badly damaged, such as roofs that have been ripped off or large fallen trees on homes and cars. Please contact your insurance company to organise permanent repairs. 

KEEP UP TO DATE: 

Visit www.dfes.wa.gov.au, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Twitter @dfes_wa or listen to news bulletins. 

For the latest weather warnings visit www.bom.gov.au/wa/warnings or call 1300 659 213. 

Incident at foreshore

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Everything Geraldton has just been informed of an incident at the foreshore. 

There is a large police presence, and numbers of people in the water. 

Fire services and ambulance are also present. 

Police have said they are not willing to comment on what has occurred at this time. 

GWN7 have reported a bodyboarder is stuck between rocks.

Onlookers were very concerned: "... must be twenty police with a rope been working hard for ten minutes to get them out ... pretty scary with big waves coming in every three minutes."

Update, person has been recovered and is ok. Click here to read update and rescue story. 

 

You wont get in to One Night Stand if you're under the influence of alcohol or drugs

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“Do not attend the event if you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol as management of the concert will refuse you entry.”

That's the message to concert goers from Geraldton's Senior Sergeant Brad Bird. 

“We are taking a zero tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour, drugs and alcohol,” he said.

There will be a large contingent of police from the district, specialist units and support units as well as sniffer dogs and mounted police. There will also be other covert resources to identify people that are under the influence of any illicit substances.

As well as a massive police presence, there will also be security guards and rangers conducting patrols of the venue surrounding areas.

Visitors that are staying at tent cities are also reminded that alcohol is not permitted. Police will patrol and those caught drinking alcohol at these locations may be fined and removed.

Everything Geraldton has had multiple people contact us asking about whether they'll be able to drink beforehand, thinking that "alcohol free event" just means the bar isn't open. But the message from event organisers and police is clear that anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol won't be allowed in. 

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn reiterated the messages from police saying he hoped everyone would enjoy themselves.

“This event will showcase Geraldton to the rest of Australia and I urge everyone to abide by the no drugs and alcohol rule,” he said.

The all ages, drug and alcohol free event presented by triple j will take place at Wonthella Oval this weekend, Saturday 9 April. Click here for more information. 

Pic: Our local little Art store is a tad excited about ONS - Kellie Mayer

 

 

Scam Alert - You do NOT need tickets for Triple J One Night Stand concert

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Everything Geraldton has just been informed that there are people trying to sell tickets to Triple J's One Night Stand concert in Geraldton. 

However, there are NO TICKETS NEEDED for this event. 

Entry price for the event is a gold coin donation, which will go to a local youth organisation. 

People have been selling their supposed unwanted tickets to unwitting concert goers. If you see anyone trying to sell tickets to this concert, contact Police on 131 444 and Consumer Protection on (08) 9920 9800.

Click here for more information on the upcoming concert this Saturday. 

 

Kwinana Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing 49 year old Deborah Kay Bell

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Kwinana Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing 49 year old Deborah Kay BELL.

It is believed that Ms BELL is travelling in a silver Hyundai Tuscon registration 1EHF563 towing a 1991 Coromal caravan registration 8RS396 with her white and tan dog.

It is unknown when Ms BELL departed her home in Wellard or what direction she is travelling. She was last seen by a family member 19 March 2016.

She is described as being fair skinned, approximately 156cms tall with a solid build, brown/grey hair and green eyes.

Police have concerns for her welfare and ask that anyone who sees Ms BELL, or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call police immediately on 131 444.