Kind gesture - "It's great to see people still willing to do this."

I was in Rigters IGA this morning when I saw a simple but generous gesture that isn't often seen anymore. I was at the express checkouts and the lady at the checkout next to me had obviously had very recent shoulder surgery, she was 45 cents short on her small bit of shopping and asked if she could bring it in later, I was digging in my purse for it when a man behind her stepped forward and said I've got it and paid it for her. To the man that did this, I thank you also, you made the woman's day and put a big smile on my face. It's great to see people still willing to do this.
- Mary

A memorial gift for Greenough murder victims' family

A community member has decided to put together the following project for the family of the Greenough murder victims. 

"Another anniversary of the Greenough Murders draws closer. As a community we have all spent a long time angry, hurt and confused by this senseless act of violence. We each lost a friend, a member of our community - and with it, a part of our own innocence was lost. These feelings have never left the family of Karen, Daniel, Katrina and Amara. For them it is something they remember every day. For some years now I have been in contact with Karen's sister Evelyn. We've shared memories and frustrations, with many of the good memories and knowing her family are not forgotten, helping her everyday to keep fighting. This year, I'd like to put together some positive support from within our community, a small gift Evelyn and her family. I'd like to create a digital wall of memories. Of OUR memories of our time with the family and invite you all to play a part. If you'd like to be involved, it is very simple .... and it doesn't matter how small a memory it may be. Perhaps something adorable one of the girls did... or a fun moment shared with Karen or Daniel. A hug that made you feel like you'd found your best friend - right there. Simply email your memories to ourcommunitywall@gmail.com and they will be added to a new blog being established, to go live on the eve of February 21st. There will be no limit on the word count and you may choose whether your memories are published with or without your name. Please aim to have your memories sent through by February 18th to be included in the launch."
Melanie Comito

Letter from woman involved in recent NWCH crash

Hi everyone, I'm Tina

Unfortunately I am the innocent person involved in the accident on Thursday afternoon. Don't ask me for details, that's up to Major Crash unit to sort out and release what information they deem the general public needs to know. Thankfully I am going to be ok, some healing to be done but I am alive and that's all that matters to me.

I would like to send huge thank yous to the public who came across the accident and helped and the ladies who stayed with me, rang my husband and my sons work. I can't thank you enough.

The lady from his work who stayed with him until I arrived at the hospital and my husband also arrived, thank you for your compassion xx. Sharkbay man - thanks for the pillow, made the roadside more comfy under my head xx. Please next time you are in Northampton let me buy you a beer.

The police, ambulance, off duty fireman, the doctors, nurses, orderlies, xray techs and anyboa\dy else who has assisted me since Thursday thank you from the bottom of my heart xx You all do an amazing job and your care could not have been better xx

To the people who see posts announcing accidents on sites like this please STOP asking for details of cars and names of people. There are protocols that have to be followed and if you need to be contacted by authorities you will be. Don't go saying 'oh but I have friends who travel that road'. Instead of sitting on social media actually ring your friends and family to ensure they are safe. If you don't get an answer try again or try another friend. My husband and our son were both at work and our daughter was overseas. They needed to be told of the incident before reading about it on social media.

To the people who hear gossip and continue it on, STOP. We have heard rumors about the accident that are just utter bullshit. Unless you are 150% sure it's correct when told to you don't repeat it. You're not helping anything or anyone.

To the people who immediately blame the road FFS STOP. There is nothing wrong with the road, it is the dickhead drivers who have no consideration for other road users. I do 2 return trips a day between Northampton and Geraldton daily, the road is fine. There are overtaking lanes and safe areas to overtake if you need to. But daily I see people using mobile phones, people overtaking on double white lines, on bends etc. The limit on the road is 110kph and yet I have been overtaken like I am standing still.

I love my family and enjoy going home to them each and every night, so please slow down, stop using phones and concentrate on your bloody driving. There is more than just you on those roads!

- Tina

Letter to Geraldton community from Salvos following robbery

To the people of the Geraldton community,

We are writing this letter to thank the community for the response to the break in at our Salvation Army facility just before Christmas. As many of you know, the Salvation Army Geraldton Corps experienced a break and enter on the 20th of December. When I arrived to check the alarm, I was confronted by a masked intruder wielding a crow bar who stole a large amount of the donated toys and food we were preparing to hand out at during the Christmas period to families in need around Geraldton. Aside from the theft, a significant amount of damage was done to our facility. The ongoing repairs have meant that the Salvation Army Geraldton Family Crisis centre has had to close until the damage is repaired. We apologise to the needy who would be looking to us for assistance in the coming weeks. We are working as hard as we can to get our facility up and running again so that we can be there for you in your time of need.

After the break in, the Geraldton Community rallied around us, with a constant stream of donations of food, toys and money coming in over the days following. It is due to these donations that we were able to maintain and indeed increase our assistance to needy families this Christmas.

We would like to thank all those who made donations, rang with offers of support and assistance, as well as the well-wishers who along with most members of the community voiced their sadness and disgust at this incident and those responsible. We would also like to thank particularly the following individuals and businesses who made significant contributions to our efforts, first amongst those being, Rigter’s IGA group for their $5000.00 donation.

They’re community spirit is wonderful and we are so grateful for their incredible support. We would also like to thank Mayor Shane Van Styn, MLCs Paul Brown and Darren West, Sun City Security, as well as all the members of the media who helped us publicise this incident. I would especially like to thank the team at Everything Geraldton who helped us get the word out almost straight away, and other members of the local media including Arthur Muhl at ABC Mid-West, Tasha Tania at GWN7 Regional, and the Geraldton Guardian newspaper. There are probably many more we have missed but to all those that brought donations in or those who made contact offering assistance and support, we are deeply appreciative of you and your efforts.

Our Christmas efforts this year were a success despite this incident. We were able to assist all those that presented for support at Christmas, and no child missed out this year. We are proud of the response from the Geraldton Community, and we pledge to continue, with the community’s ongoing support, to be there for those that are struggling in the Mid-West.

Blessings,

Lieutenants Jeff and Jacqui Milkins and the team at the Salvation Army Geraldton Corps

Warning from local after attempted theft in car park

This week [at a local supermarket], my mother had just finished putting her shopping into the car and popped her purse on top when a pregnant lady approached her in the carpark. The lady asked my mum if she could go into the shop and buy her a few things as she didn't have any money.

My mum locked her car (forgetting to grab her purse) went into the shop and told the nearest supervisor. He and another employee came outside with her, to find the lady AND about 8 other people were about to break into her car and steal her groceries and her purse.

PLEASE be warned about this method that is being used to distract you. Thank you

- Anon

Mark Turner's Response

Mark Turner got in touch with us after someone published something claiming to be suspicious of him, describing him and naming him and his publicly naming his employer. The person who published this did not bother to contact the business first. We tried to contact the person who published the original post, but they did not respond. Everything Geraldton deleted the post as there appeared to be nothing to substantiate the claims made. It's worth keeping in mind that you are legally accountable for anything you publish and can be sued for defamation, even if you only publish on social media.

Here is Mark's response:

Yes you're right, my name is Mark. My full name is Mark Turner.
I have been newly employed by Batavia Concrete. Geraldton WA. 
I just sold my successful Hunting film entertainment production company over east & have left the Northern Territory a few months ago, setting off on an around Australia working road trip, in my white twin cab Toyota Hilux 4X4, fitted with aluminium tray, roof rack, tool box, trailblazer fridge & dog box for safe transportation of my Border Collie cross pig hunting dog. (I do like a good yarn like most Territorians) I'm a light drinker & I do NOT do drugs of any kind.

I'm spending Christmas & New Years with very close friend in Geraldton.
I'm happy for anybody to approach me & have a chat at anytime.

I am very happy for anybody to get in contact with me in regards to anything they may be concerned with via my Facebook page. Mark Turner.

Here is a good boar my Border Collie cross caught while I was hunting a private property with Chapman Valley farmer Josh Gould.

It's Our Business

Sadly, not many people take an interest in Local Government. It’s a bit like the Melbourne Cup, where once a year the nation comes to a stop. In the case of Local Government, it is when the rates come out and everyone stops in shock at the increase. But, as rate payers, we really should take more of an interest. Because if one thinks about it, we invest a considerable amount of money each year through our rates and for that investment we want a decent return. I think the other mistake we can make is that we don’t see our City as a business, but it is. The City’s budget expenditure for 2015/16 is around $80,000,000 which is a decent amount of money. And for that reason we need the business to perform at its best.

So to be honest, I’m writing this letter to myself. I’ve jumped up and down about Council decisions and about rate rises in the past but what have I achieved? Not a lot. So this is the reason why I am standing for the Tarcoola Ward.

So here’s my spiel. I’m not going to make a lot of promises about things/issues that I have little control over. If elected, I will be one person with one vote. But, what I will promise, is that any of my votes and decisions will be well considered and for the betterment for the majority of the community not just a few. 

Finally, I with the help of a friend, created a Facebook page, ‘Fred for the Tarcoola Community’. If want to ask me any questions or start a discussion please ask to be added as a friend.

Happy Christmas

Fred Block
Written and Authorised by Fred Block
153 Gregory Street Geraldton WA 6530

This generation of Australians

I would like to make a comment about this generation of Australians, you and me included, responsibility to our children, and grandchildren in regards to climate change.

Regardless of what we personally believe, be it a climate change sceptic, A person who believes the science of climate change, or someone that believes something that sits in the middle of the two, It is our role as Adults young, and old, to make decisions that leave a positive lasting legacy for future generations to inherit.

All of Australia, This includes the GREATER CITY of GERALDTON belong to one world, our world, For these reasons I personally applaud the Federal Government support of the recent global commitment to reduce global warming.

I believe that the CITY should embrace the opportunity that this commitment can provide, and actively endeavour to work with the Federal Government, to encourage our City to become a Centre for research,Innovation and climate change technology, that will, and can drive new and developing employment opportunities for not only our current generation, but more importantly our future generations.

Ron Ashplant

Open Letter to Ratepayers

Open Letter to Ratepayers

Ratepayers  - you may not have noticed the small notice in the Guardian recently advising you of the Electors Meeting tomorrow Tuesday at the Council Offices at 5.30pm.

This meeting isa once a year opportunity for you asa ratepayer to have your say about the operations and decision making of Council – Don’t waste it.

Preferably you should put any questions you have in writing to Council beforehand so as to allow time for a researched answer. 

Ratepayers I urge you to spend an hour or so of your time to show the Council you care.  The opportunity is yours – come along and ask why the Council do what they do with your money.  Remember it’s your money the Council spend.

Regards

Max Correy

I will be nominating for the Tarcoola ward vacancy

Hello,
My name is Ron Ashplant and I will be nominating for the Tarcoola ward vacancy. This is required because of the recent election of mayor Van Styn, The election will be in January 2016. Both my places of work are located within the Tarcoola Ward.

I work at the Accor Ibis Styles Hotel, and I'm also an Aproved Manager at the Tarcoola Tavern. I have given notification of my intention to nominate for the Tarcoola Ward early, so that any one that lives in the ward are most welcome, and i would encourage them to contact me through my face book page. 

By dropping in to talk to me at the Tarcoola Tavern, or contacting me on 0400215031.
I look forward to being able to assist , and work with and on behalf of the communities that make up the Tarcoola Ward.

 I have developed this Facebook page to provide a platform for ideas to be posted and shared with our City of Greater Geraldton Community. Ideas big and small, ideas that when worked through make our communities a better place to live and prosper. Ideas that look at development of new industries and opportunities that value and expand the current mix of industries that our city as a regional centre provides.

If I have to good fortune to be elected to the City Council again there are a number of things I wish to pursue, which I will share with you all in the near future.

Thank you and please don't hesitate to comment or message me with any ideas or questions you may have.

https://www.facebook.com/ashplantr

Kind Regards,
Ron Ashplant

Regarding GLYPHOSATE use in the City of Greater Geraldton

To the City of Greater Geraldton

You need to STOP spraying our town with toxic weed killers. Permanently.

As a resident and ratepayer, it is my WILL that you cease spraying all streets of our town with herbicide.

You are poisoning us.

I won’t walk around town any more because I refuse to unwittingly breathe in another burning lungful of the poisonous fumes that rise from areas around our streets and footpaths that you constantly spray.

I previously had no choice but to walk my children to school and I became so sick and tired of being exposed to newly sprayed areas of footpaths, verges and grassed areas. I’ve had to detour so many times to get away from the fumes, sometimes there are no detour options, I have to hold my breath and try to run past the fumes hoping my young children aren’t breathing too deeply. I have mentioned to you before, in previous emails (which I have copied and pasted to the bottom of this email for easy reference) and by phone, that if you insist on poisoning the residents of Geraldton with this product, glyphosate, remembering that the World Health Organisation has deemed it to be a PROBABLE HUMAN CARCINOGEN, and it has also been directly linked to birth defects, nervous system damage, Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, various forms of cancer and kidney failure, then the least you can do is provide ample WARNING for those of us trying to keep our children safe and healthy.

I know other councils do.

With the World Health Organisation’s finding in mind, please take the time to read this information about Precautionary Principle. http://www.sehn.org/ppfaqs.html I believe you should apply Precautionary Principle to your weed control methods. Some countries have already banned glyphosate (eg. Sri Lanka), others start their bans soon (Netherlands) and still others are trying to get the product banned (eg. Brazil and Germany).

I was told on the phone, by a CGG worker, when I asked, that you spray twice a year. Well now. That isn’t quite true, is it. The spraying is never ending. You don’t even do a whole street at a time. Just sections, so there’s often fresh glyphosate sprayed just when I think it must be over.

You sprayed the verge and footpath outside a day care centre, the herbicide went through the wire fence and killed some grass along the inside of the fenceline. I could smell it, very strong, before I saw where you had done it. Most days when I walked past that day care centre there were small children, two and three years old, standing at that fence, holding on to it, looking out. I rang the centre to let them know and they had no idea you had sprayed inside their fence. You may not have intended to, but you did. Very careless and an example of why you should not be using poisons so widely. You have become negligent.

You spray around the bottom of trees and shrubs which are on the verges and in parks. Do you realise you are damaging them? Glyphosate may not kill them outright, but it weakens them over time and makes them sick. So they need to be removed and replaced, costing us more money.

You spray around every drain on the roads. You know what happens when it rains don’t you. You are responsible for herbicide washing into our oceans and groundwater.

You spray along kerbs and footpaths where there is grass. You kill the grass and what replaces it? WEEDS.

You spray verges that are obviously being maintained by residents. You started to spray MY VERGE on Wednesdaymorning, I had to go outside and ask your unprotected worker to please STOP! This is the SECOND TIME YOU HAVE SPRAYED MY VERGE SINCE I ASKED TO BE PUT ON A DO NOT SPRAY LIST!

You spray around individual bollards and power poles. You spray around individual pit lids. Very time consuming and labour intensive I would imagine. Perhaps a whipper snipper would do the job, other gardeners manage to protect their bollards without chemicals. (TAFE on Fitzgerald Street is an example, it IS possible.)

You spray all around the seats at bus stops. A sure way to ensure people come into direct contact with the poison. Very clever.

You say in your “You and Your Street Verge” booklet (link) that you can’t control the weeds mechanically. Personally, I think that is utter rubbish. You have chosen the EASIEST and LAZIEST option and make excuses to continue with it with no regard for the wellbeing of our community.

You also say that “where they become a problem, weeds along footpaths and kerbs are sprayed.” What, exactly, constitutes “problem” weeds? Because you spray everything. Grass, as well as verges with very few weeds. You spray great swathes of grass a metre or more wide at people’s fencelines. And then you mow it anyway. WHY? The verges you sprayed on Wednesday morning are very well MAINTAINED by the residents. YOU don’t care, you poisoned them anyway.

You spray, then you mow. You spray and then you mow again a few weeks later. When using your “poison buggy” you also have a car driving near it with a light on top flashing. No easily visible signs to say what is going on.  From a distance it looks like you are mowing.

No warning for anyone down wind. No warning for anyone walking immediately after and while the fumes are still strong.

The men spraying may be happy to do it WITH NO PROTECTIVE GEAR ON, (that’s right none, ever! Steel cap boots aren’t going to stop them breathing it in or getting it on their skin), they may be happy to repeatedly expose themselves to the chemicals, BUT I’M NOT, not me and CERTAINLY NOT MY YOUNG CHILDREN.  

If the people in this town weren’t so busy. If they had time to look around and see what I’ve seen over the last year, then they too would be shocked and horrified, just like I am.

Shocked that the City of Greater Geraldton shows no regard for the health and wellbeing of the residents of Geraldton and horrified that they are repeatedly drenching our suburban streets with chemicals, UNNECESSARILY.

I have walked for a long time. Decades. To school when I attended school, to work before I had children. I wanted to teach my children that you can walk. That it’s enjoyable and great to get fresh air and have time to think. I used to walk every day and I loved it.

Then, this past year, while slowly realising the extent of your “weed control” methods and becoming very concerned by them, I only walked to my children’s schools and straight home.

Now, and it has caused a great upheaval to my family’s routine, I no longer walk my children to school at all. I can’t. You have no idea how much you are damaging our town and the people in it. How much you are poisoning those residents who choose to walk, and run, in our town.

You are also incredible hypocrites, you have bylaws regarding smoking, to “protect” the health of residents, and yet you are doing far more harm to the WHOLE environment, including the residents, with the never ending drenching of our town with toxic chemicals.

I no longer take my children to the playgrounds and parks around town. I know what to look for now and I see evidence of your herbicide spraying everywhere. Absolutely EVERYWHERE.

What about the insects, bees and spiders which are vital to our ecosystem? They too are being poisoned. So are the birds that feast on bugs, the birds that eat the seeds you have sprayed. What do you think the long term effects of your spraying on these creatures is?

It’s time you stopped using herbicide to “control weeds”. It is a never ending, pointless, useless, toxic process.

In most areas that you use it, mowing a couple more times a year would suffice. No need for anything else.

The weather has warmed up and the weeds are dying, all on their own.

As they do throughout winter, regardless of the rain. The number of times you have sprayed them AFTER they’ve gone to seed is ridiculous. Truly, it would be funny if it wasn’t so utterly devastating. You do know most of them die right after they go to seed, don’t you? All by themselves. NO need for expensive toxic chemicals at that stage.

Also, perhaps not so important but definitely an issue, for the purposes of aesthetics, you must stop spraying. This town is covered with patches of dead plants. Death and poison is all I see when I travel through Geraldton. It is ugly as well as toxic. Walking between strips of dead, poisoned grass is awful.

Fremantle Council no longer uses toxic chemicals to “control weeds” in their residential areas. They use saturated steam and have been for years.

http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/treesandverges

They also WARN their residents when they do use herbicides to spray in open parkland and reserves.

http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/turfprogram2015

The City of Greater Geraldton needs to consider saturated steam as an alternative. Or just mow.

The City of Greater Geraldton needs to STOP drenching our residential streets with CARCINOGENIC CHEMICALS.

Just remember, to those at the City of Greater Geraldton who are responsible for soaking our town with poison, any damage to the health of any resident of this town due to them coming into contact with the herbicide, or from breathing the fumes of the herbicide, is on YOUR HEAD. Just because you will probably never hear about it doesn’t mean it hasn’t/won’t happen. The extent of the spraying that I have witnessed this year is horrifying. If you think that no children are walking through newly sprayed weeds and grass, picking up rocks and sticks covered in the stuff, then you are fooling yourselves.

I have also found an interesting document, “A guide to the management of pesticides in local government pest control programs in Western Australia” released by the Government of Western Australia’s Department of Health.

I understand these are optional guidelines, intended to assist local governments to develop responsible pesticide use policy.

Interestingly, the points I have made in my previous emails to you are all covered in the guidelines.

So what I have thought and written, and said in the phone call I made to you, is actually recommended procedure.

But you still choose to ignore it.

The guide also outlines an auditing process that should be undertaken to ensure that your current practises are effective.

Well, I could give you a report on that. I have taken photos and observed what you do over the last twelve months and I KNOW without a doubt that your procedures are completely ineffective in controlling weeds. In fact, they encourage more weeds to grow.

What you do is the repeated, widespread, and somewhat secretive (in that you do not make the extent that you spray herbicides in residential areas widely known) poisoning of the people of Geraldton under the guise of “weed control”.

No matter how you try to spin it, no matter what excuses you use, the City of Greater Geraldton is responsible for saturating our residential streets with noxious chemicals and it has to stop.

Melissa Rose

*My previous correspondence with the City of Greater Geraldton regarding this matter is below.

*I have also attached a series of photos which show real examples of the areas sprayed that I have written about in this email. They were predominantly taken at Beachlands and Mahomets Flats during August and September when everything should be lush and green. If you look around town you will find endless other examples, only now that everything is drying up the areas poisoned are harder to distinguish.

I have also included a left view and a right view from the middle of my verge which was half sprayed (including my driveway) on Wednesday, judge for yourselves how necessary an application of poison on my, and my neighbours’ well maintained verges was.


My email to CGG 8/10/2014

Good morning,

I would like some information about the small, red vehicle that I saw yesterday lunchtime on the footpath at the corner of Willcock Drive and Hadda Way.

It looked like it was spraying the sides of the footpath.

I would like to know if that is what it was doing, what it was spraying with, why it was spraying, how often you do it and why aren’t there more signs warning walkers and cyclists that there are poisons being sprayed [if that’s what it was doing].

Regards,
Melissa Rose

 

COUNCIL REPLY (1) 8/10/2014

Our Ref:            D-14-66801

File Ref             RO/6/0017                                                                                    

Enquiries:        Rhonda Parker

 

Dear Melissa             

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT EMAIL – WR 54466 – SPRAYING AT MAHOMETS FLATS

Thank you for your email enquiry received8 October 2014. Your request has been assigned a work request number and is being investigated. A formal response will be provided in due course.

If you have any further queries regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact Rhonda Parker on (08) 9956 6683 or emailcouncil@cgg.wa.gov.au

 

Yours sincerely

Rhonda Parker
Secretarial Support Officer
Community Infrastructure

 

COUNCIL REPLY (2) 14/10/2014

Hi Melissa

Your placed a works request query about a red car. Can you call me at your earliest convenience on the number below as I need to get more details

 

Thank you

Rhonda Parker
Community Infrastructure

 

*My family and I were away for a couple of weeks after I sent the email dated 8/10/15. I saw the replies from the council when we returned and rang them to discuss the matter.

 

My email to CGG 7/4/2015 (I have removed my address from this email but it was included in the original.)

 

Hello,

I have contacted the council in the past, email 8/10/14 and a phone call on about the 28/10/14, about glyphosate spraying in Geraldton.

My personal opinion is that glyphosate should not ever be sprayed in towns or any populated areas.

I don’t care how “safe” its manufacturer says it is, I believe it is a poison which is overused to an incredible degree.

During the phone call I had with a council worker regarding the spraying of glyphosate in Geraldton, they said that I could have my property verge removed from the area that is sprayed.

I would very much like to do this. I do not want my verge sprayed, with any herbicide or pesticide, or anything, by anyone, ever again.

My address is ...

I would also like the verge over the road from my residence to be removed from the area you spray, along with the rest of my street and all the footpaths in the vicinity of my house. I walk with my children a lot and I don’t believe they should be exposed to glyphosate at all.

Obviously, I would like the spraying in the whole of Geraldton stopped.

I understand the reasons for spraying. I remember very well what was said during the phone call I had on this subject with the council last year.

I was disappointed to see on Monday, 23rd March at about 8:20am, the glyphosate ute parked off Cathedral Ave, in an area where it was not actually visible to pedestrians walking towards town on the Cathedral Ave footpath, until they were nearly right next to it. The worker was plodding along, pulling the hose, he looked like he didn’t really have any protective gear on either, spraying.

I did not have the opportunity to go a different way. It was too late by the time I saw the ute, I had to walk, with my 5 year old and my 2 year old, right past the area being sprayed. I spoke on the phone last October about additional signage being placed on footpaths to give pedestrians enough time, and opportunity, to detour what they determine is a safe distance around the glyphosate ute.

I feel I should have that right.

No one else should be able to decide for me whether I, or two of my young children who were with me in the pram that day, should be exposed to that poison.

I was very angry.

Obviously, my suggestion that signs are placed on the paths has been ignored. Perhaps it is too much effort to assist in protecting the public from a poison the council chooses to spray everywhere.

I think that, along with the signage already mentioned, the council should maintain and regularly, accurately, update a page on its website that details where and when, exactly, glyphosate spraying will be (and has been) performed in the whole of Geraldton.

The information should remain on the page indefinitely, for future reference, and be placed on the page with as much notice as possible, the minimum notice being 24 hours.

As it is the school holidays, I would like to walk with my children quite a lot, visiting playgrounds in the area etc.

I would like to know when the council is next spraying, and has most recently sprayed, the dual use path from the African Reef resort, at the end of Willcock Drive/Broadhead Road, past the Back Beach Surf Club and Separation Point to the lighthouse at Point Moore. This will assist me in deciding whether to venture out or just stick to playing with the kids in the back yard.

I do not wish to discuss this subject with the council by phone. I have already done that and not only does it achieve nothing, there is no record of what was said.

I would prefer a written reply please.

 

Regards,
Melissa Rose

 

COUNCIL REPLY 14/4/15

Dear Ms Rose

OUTCOME EMAIL-  WR 57842 – VERGE SPRAYING – (address was here)

I refer to your email enquiry received 8 April 2015, regarding your request to not have Glyphosate sprayed on the verge of ...(address was here)

A City Officer has advised that spraying has commenced and the contactors have been advised not to spray glyphosate on the verge of ...(address was here)

If you have any further queries regarding this matter, please contact Denise Wrensted on 08 9956 6600 or emailcouncil@cgg.wa.gov.au and quote the above work request number.

 

Yours sincerely

Stacey Heberle
Personal Assistant to Director
Community Infrastructure

 

*My children and I did not go to any parks/playgrounds during those school holidays. We played in our own backyard.

Note: No weeds are controlled during the implementation of the City of Greater Geraldton’s “weed control” regime.

What will it take Geraldton residents?

"I am fuming right now. 
What will it take Geraldton residents? Yet another mother dead and baby motherless!!
Do you really have to experience it for yourself before you stop over taking a car and truck over a solid white line with oncoming traffic!! If I didn't pay full 110% attention and slowed down in preparation to make a gap for you to get off quickly my baby and I could have been your next biggest life mistake!!!!!!
Three cars did this to me only ten minutes south of Geraldton going through Greenough. So what if you get home 5 min later than expected! At least then MY family may see me return to give them hugs."

This happened only moments ago. If you know who these drivers are or have dash cam footage of them please report them to the Police ASAP. I'm off to buy a dash cam.

Its in the Bag

We would love to put a shout out to the ladies of Geraldton for a project we would like help with -
 
We all know that domestic violence and homelessness for women increases at this end of the year.
The Share the Dignity program helps women who arrive in these unhappy circumstances.
 
Between now and 11.12.2015 we are participating in “Its in the Bag”.
It’s the simplest thing – most ladies  have a handbag we don’t use – and we all collect the shampoos and soap from hotels we stay in.
Put the items in the bag and add a small tissue pack, a lipstick sample you didn’t use…….
Then contact Su 0438 239 922 or Chez 0438 643 989 to organise a drop off or a pick up.
 
After 11.12.2015 we will take the bags we have collected to our refuge.
I don’t know how many ladies have been in the position where they have nothing…….
A new bank account, Centrelink….. and all you have is a plastic shopping bag to put your papers in.
There is no dignity in that.
 
Help us to share a little dignity before the year is out. 
 
Thank you,
Su and Chez

Lucky Bay

How wrong is the changes to camping on the beach at lucky bay, we have done it for years Lm 53, and have been going to lucky bay since l was five, now the Northampton shire want to make people camp in Bush land near the camps at half way, up that, how hot would that be not to mention the ticks you would get , how about people write to the shire, and voice your opinions. So Wrong.

Barbara Somers

Our experience at the Wintersun

I just wanted to finish off my night writing a few words about The Wintersun restaurant. After being recommended this recently refurbished family friendly restaurant, my wife decided to take myself along with our son (4) and daughter (3).

We ordered our meals and were offered pencils and colouring in sheets that occupied the kiddies. Meals arrived with 3 waitresses presenting the dishes all ready to go, nobody had to wait watching the others eat.

No sooner did we start eating our meals (I had a perfectly cooked steak and my wife had "the best chilly mussels ever"), that my son had an accident. He had rocked on his chair, slipped causing the chair to flip out with him crashing to the floor. He was soon followed by his bowl of pasta that shook hands with his head, resulting in a split on his scalp...and a good measure of blood.

The staff jumped into action assisting my wife and I. The recently first aid trained staff member (that I regret not asking her name) was phenomenal at reassuring my wife it was going to be ok. Confidence with her first aid and strategically offered Freddo frogs quickly resolved matters. We were additionally presented with a fresh bowl of pasta (at no charge).

We would like to sincerely offer a whole hearted thank you to all the staff at The Wintersun Hotel. We will definitely be returning. The friendly, efficient and extremely helpful staff made our experience one to remember. Given that one day we will have to explain were my son got that scar from, one not to forget either.

Thanks
Grant and Cathy

Tip Charges

Congratulations to the previous Mayor and Councilors for their efforts, putting up their hands for the benefit of our great City. 

But the new Mayor and Councilors should prepare themselves for abuse from ratepayers on the newly introduced rubbish tip charges.

Please, new Mayor and Councilors, be brain smart, The Aquarena and Library are community assets, but run as a loss. The rubbish Tip is an essential asset that needs to be used. Go back 30 years when charges were introduced, the bush surrounding Geraldton became unsightly with rubbish dumped everywhere. As ratepayers, we have been hit hard in the past. Maybe this is why we have so many changes at Council elections.

Please, think about this important issue as we need to promote this Great City and not be the Dirtiest City in the West.

Kim Parker,
Geraldton Ratepayer

An Open Letter to Cyclists Riding on Heavy Haulage Routes

THIS IS AN OPEN LETTER TO CYCLISTS RIDING ON HEAVY HAULAGE ROUTES DURING PEAK PERIODS.

I am an open minded wife of a farmer who is currently carting canola to Geraldton.
I love physical activity, slow down to pass cyclists safely and value humanity.

The emotion I observed in my husband whilst listening to the ABC Rural Report this morning was overwhelming. Truck drivers and farmers are very connected to land and life. They have families and they feel profound responsibility. They quite simply do not want to kill someone.
We all have a right to use the roads. We are all happy to share. We all have a responsibility to ourselves and our fellow human beings.

I would like to invite cyclists to come ride with us. The passenger seat in our road train is empty and you are welcome to sit in it and experience being part of 79t moving down a tired road without sealed verges at 90km/hr. Passing another truck with 1m between you is something to behold. Heaven forbid doing so over a bridge. Seeing a cyclist evokes the kind of stress that few would admit to but I can tell you that it is very real.

I would like to encourage other farmers and truck drivers to make the same offer. This is not an opportunity to berate each other. This is an opportunity to practice radical honesty. This is jumping in the passenger seat to connect with another human being who is having a different experience to you whilst using the same piece of infrastructure. Another human being who has just as much right to be there as you. Another human being who is genuinely concerned for your welfare. Another human being who has a family. Another human being who doesn’t want to end up broken after taking someone’s life whilst trying to make a living.

We all have rights. We also have responsibilities to each other.

A suggestion has been made that reducing the speed limit by 30km/hr would make our roads safer. Assuming this suggestion is limited only to heavy haulage vehicles, I would argue that it may make them more dangerous. The roads in question are well worn and do not have large sealed verges. Slower moving heavy vehicles would encourage smaller vehicles to overtake in less than desirable locations on a road that is precarious at best. “The braking distance of a loaded road train is about 70 metres if the vehicle is travelling at 60 kilometres per hour. That distance increases to 170 metres when the speed is 90 Kph.”http://bit.ly/1kxQpiC. Yes – that is a significant difference but I’m not sure if 70 meters is really enough time to stop on these roads and I would question the accuracy of these figures. I have attended a defensive driving school and stood on the side of a road whilst an ex-policeman/paramedic drove a car at 110km/hr and braked to a stop. None of us guessed the distance it would take accurately. We are literally talking about the difference between dead and deader.

Agriculture and farmers are the reason why Chapman Valley Road and Morrell Road exist. The licence fees paid by small vehicle users or land rates of those residing on rural residential blocks in Chapman Valley could not possibly cover the cost of maintaining such infrastructure.
It costs $12 314.10 to licence our roadtrain (prime mover with two trailors) which carts grain to Geraldton.

Last financial year, our farming enterprise outlayed $21 401.37 to the Department of Transport for annual licences.

The typical family with two 4WD vehicles and a trailor pays $1636.35 annually to licence these vehicles. Bicycles incur no licence fees.

This is not an open letter written to antagonise or point the finger at anyone. I am appealing to all road users to walk a mile in each other’s shoes and seriously consider whether riding bicycles on Heavy Haulage routes during the harvest period is an absolutely necessary activity. It is only 10 weeks of the year.

Please think about your comments - lets find a balance together through mutual respect.
Come ride with us – I’m about to jump in right now!

Renaye Stokes

Opinion Piece - Mental Health Needs Geraldton and the Mid-West

Darren West MLC

At a time when the pressures on families are high and services in regional communities are stretched, more than ever we need the facilities promised by the Liberal National Government here in Geraldton. In particular the dedicated acute mental health facility that was promised to enable people to be treated locally rather than have to transfer to Perth.

The effects of mental health are far reaching and is an Australia-wide problem that impacts on all of us.

As reported in a recent article1- delays, indecision and a lack of political will is part of the crisis Australia faces dealing with mental health. The article also lists 10 telling facts that were tabled to the Senate Select Health committee including:

  • Mental health is not a small problem - each year, it is estimated that more than 3.6 million people (aged 16 to 85 years) experience mental ill-health problems—representing about 20 per cent of adults.

Over a lifetime, nearly half of the Australian adult population will experience mental illness at some point—equating to nearly 7.3 million Australians aged 16 to 85. Less than half will access treatment.

  • Plenty of ‘reviews’, not a lot of action - “Despite four national plans and two national policies, one road map, two report cards and one action plan, genuine mental health reform seems as far away as ever,” Sebastian Rosenberg, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre told the committee.

 

  • So it’s time to act, not talk - National Mental Health Commissioner Professor Ian Hickie said, “we don’t need more reviews, we don’t need more consultation, we don’t need more discussion about discussion – we actually need the Prime Minister, the new Prime Minister, working in combination with the states, so that people get the services that they need no matter where they live.”

It is the ability to access local facilities that is at issue here. We need increased services to take the pressure from current providers and to enable people to be treated closer to their home.

Only recently this very news outlet was involved in a siege that took place in Geraldton – the lack of local support being one of the reasons cited.

The Ice Summit held in Geraldton in June enabled community members and service providers to relay how ice has impacted on people’s lives. What was made clear from their stories is that this is a complex problem that needs to be addressed at multiple levels. It is a social problem that impacts on community, legal, education and health systems.

When community services are lacking, the hospital system bears the brunt. Locally the emergency department is dealing with daily presentations from people with drug and alcohol related problems that consumes a disproportionate amount of services.

There were calls at the summit for local mental health services so that people can receive initial and ongoing treatment locally. And there have also been calls in the local media by the medical profession to establish a specialist mental unit in Geraldton as a matter of priority.

Back in August 30, 2013 the Minister for Mental Health told the community that Geraldton was her first priority for an acute mental health facility given that at that time, “the number of patients flown from Geraldton to Perth for treatment had increased by 80 per cent over the three years she had been Minister”. That commitment was reaffirmed in December 2013.

Then in March this year the Minister gave a watered down commitment that Geraldton would receive 21 hospital beds for mental health patients and 12 beds for alcohol and drug rehabilitation – subject to Cabinet approval.

Despite these commitments there is no funding in the 2015/16 Budget and it is doubtful that the community will ever see these vital services under the Liberal/Nationals’ watch.

But of course there are many contributing factors to mental health other than alcohol and drugs.

Earlier this year we saw the closure of the Mid-West Men’s Health following the withdrawal of State Government funding.

Men are traditionally not the best at accessing support services but Mid-West Men’s Health provided the help needed across the community. The location was also ideal and could be visited with a degree of anonymity.

We believe that the Government needs to fulfil its promise to the community, provide the funding and get on with it. The Mid-West can’t afford to wait any longer.

This needs to be made abundantly clear to the Premier and the Minister during their upcoming Cabinet meeting in Geraldton later this month. They should make good on their promises to the community to build a facility for acute and other mental health patients.

Our community deserves better than the hollow promises made so far. Trying to squeeze mental health services into the already under pressure health facilities will not do.

If this raises any issues for you or someone you know, call:

  • Lifeline 13 11 14
  • Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
  • Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

Darren West MLC

Mental Health Services in Geraldton

I would like to raise awareness during mental health week of the failure of the current mental health systems in Geraldton. Recently I was diagnosed with bi polar and mild schizophrenia with anxiety and depression. This has so far taken professionals 2 years to find and have up until recently been prescribed a barrage of drugs and misdiagnosed by local GPs including many hrs in A & E at the hospital due to lack of sleep. Somehow I managed to hold a full time professional job until recently and I am now on 12 months leave without pay to "get well". My current treatment was kickstarted by a referral to a psychiatrist in Perth who referred me to my GP to receive care as a mental health patient at Mental Health. I attended on a set day and time and after assessment was told, "you're not suicidal or thinking of harming others so we can't help you but if it gets worse come back during office hrs or A&E after hrs". I contacted PHAMS and did get a case manager who saw me once in a month and was helpful and listened but the service is sporadic and apparently underfunded. Basically I feel, like a lot of others, that there is very little practical support on the ground for people with mental health issues and professionals have no idea how it can affect the individual and their families, financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is draining and even more so when you feel like you have to go it alone, book weeks in advance to see someone or have complete lack of communication between so called professionals. WHERE IS THE HELP?