Drug dealer arrested

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A 41-year-old female will appear in court next month for possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply and possessing unlawfully obtained property charges relating to the money. At around 2pm yesterday, Geraldton Police attached to the Volume Crime Team (VCT) conducted a Misuse of Drugs Warrant at an address in Tarcoola Beach.

It is alleged that during the search approximately 200 grams of cannabis packaged ready for sale was seized along with over $5000 cash.

New technologies reveal more of maritime mysteries

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Picture: An impression of the Zuytdorp ashore. Artwork by Stanley Hewitt (WA Museum). Adjunct Professor and Curator of Maritime Archaeology at the WA Museum Dr Michael (Mack) McCarthy will reveal new and exciting developments occurring behind the scenes at the Museum in an engaging lecture presented in Geraldton on Wednesday 3 September.

As part of the WA Museum’s 2014 In the Wild West lecture series, Dr McCarthy will present Wreck update: Behind the scenes in Maritime Archaeology, featuring some of Western Australia’s most historically significant maritime sites, including the wrecks of the Zeewijk, Batavia, Zuytdorp and Gilt Dragon.

“Technological advances have enabled us to examine the marine environment in new and exciting ways, allowing for deeper layers of understanding to develop around our significant maritime sites, which in turn sparks new questions and new research project ideas,” said Dr McCarthy.

“The fate of the Gilt Dragon survivors has been re-examined due to new revelations; new research has been undertaken into the whereabouts of the elusive fifth Old Dutch wreck the Aagtekerke; and we’re partway through a major project surrounding the Batavia site.

“It’s an exciting time for maritime archaeology as our knowledge base constantly grows and evolves.”

Regional Manager of WA Museum – Geraldton Leigh O’Brien said hosting lectures from the In the Wild West series is an engaging way to share important and relevant stories with the local community.

“There are shipwrecks scattered along our vast coastline and the Mid West and Gascoyne communities feel a real affiliation with these wrecks, and are keen to hear about new developments,” Ms O’Brien said.

In the Wild West is a six-month lecture series delivered to regional and metropolitan locations across the State.

The Wreck update lectureswill take place at 7pm on Wednesday 3 September, at the WA Museum – Geraldton; Bookings can be made on 9921 5080 (Geraldton), or at http://museum.wa.gov.au/whats-on/in-the-wild-west.

Female punches police officer in the face

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A 21-year-old female has punched a police officer in the face during an altercation in Wonthella yesterday. At around 6am yesterday, police attended the address in Wonthella in relation to another matter.

Police were in the process of conducting an arrest of a male for a breach of bail offence and were escorting him to the rear of the police vehicle when the incident occurred.

It is alleged that the female attempted to stop police arresting the male by standing between police and the vehicle door, preventing it from being closed.

It is further alleged that as police attempted to remove the female, she punched a male officer on the face causing the officer's glasses to be broken and swelling to the officer's left eye.

The female was arrested and will appear in the Geraldton Magistrates Court early next month on assault public officer, obstructing police and damage charges.

 

500km walk to raise money for burns unit

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10647570_10152653875697432_1160546116_n Locals will embark on a 500km walk to Perth next month to raise money for the Burn’s Unit of the Children’s Hospital in Perth.

The event has been dubbed the 'Firey's 500 Charity Walk', and a statement on their Facebook page said that the Burn’s Unit needs no ready explanation to its purpose.

"The Volunteer Emergency Services Hardship Fund is to assist the imitate families of Volunteers from the four Emergency Services within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services when a life is lost in the line of duty," The Facebook page said.

"We the Brigade, are a group of motivated volunteers who provide an important service to the local community.

"We are now seeking sponsorship from anyone interested in being a part of this exciting opportunity, by either sponsoring a walker for a set amount per kilometre covered, or a direct donation. Bank Details will can be given upon request."

Many will embark on the enduring journey and one of those people will be Geraldton teenager Laura McKeating.

"Being a volunteer firefighter, this is a fundraiser that is very close to my heart," she said

The 19-year-old said she is nervous about the journey ahead of her but is urging the community to back the great cause.

"Yes I'm very nervous, especially as it gets closer because you never really realise how far it is until you start walking," she said.

"Please donate, a little bit goes a long way."

 

The walk will commence on 6th of September 2014 from the Geraldton Volunteer Fire & Rescue Station in Webberton and finish in Perth on 16/17th of September 2014 at the Fire Service Museum on Murray Street.

You can head to the Facebook page and donate by clicking here.

Important fire break information

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Fire Break Notices for the City of Greater Geraldton 2014-2015

It’s that time of year again where the City of Greater Geraldton would like to remind land owners to start looking at preparing their property for the up and coming bush Fire season.

The following Fire Prevention measures are a Minimum Standard Requirement.

GERALDTON

Small lots (under 0.4ha) - regardless of whether the land is vacant or has a building.

5 October 2014 to 1 May 2015:

• Blocks must have flammable material, mowed or slashed to a maximum height of 7.5cm – ploughing and rotary hoeing are not permitted. • All wattle bush must be removed from block unless application is made to retain wattle prior to September 15 and approved. (See exemptions). • All structures and buildings must have a minimum of 3 metres clearance of all flammable material.

Residential and Special Rural/Rural Residential/Rural Smallholding lots between 0.4 and 5ha

5 October 2014 to 1 May 2015:

• Firebreaks must be mineral earth (bare earth) a minimum of 3 metres wide and have a minimum overhead clearance of 4 metres or have flammable material graded, mowed or slashed to a maximum height of 7.5cm over the entire property (excluding managed vegetation such as ornamental trees, distinct islands of vegetation remote from boundaries and assets). • All structures and buildings must have a minimum of 3 metres clearance of all flammable material.

*Structures include power poles.

Broadacre farming or lots over 5ha

5 October 2014 to 1 May 2015:

• Mineral earth firebreaks installed within 20 metres inside and along the whole external boundary of land held in contiguous ownership up to a maximum of 200ha. • Firebreaks must be a minimum of 3 metres in width and have a minimum overhead clearance of 4 metres. • All structures and buildings must have a minimum of 3 metres clearance of all flammable material. *Structures include power poles. Fuel and/or Gas Depots • Owners or occupiers of land on which any storage container is used to contain liquid fuel or gas, including land on which any ramp or supports are constructed shall have a 5 metre flammable material-free area surrounding the container.

MULLEWA DISTRICT

RURAL LAND

Owners and Occupiers of lands, other than within a townsite, shall clear of all flammable material firebreaks of at least three (3) metres width as close as practicably possible inside and along the whole of the external boundary of their property or properties.

TOWNSITE LAND

Owners and Occupiers within a townsite shall: (a) Clear of all flammable material the whole of the area where; (i) The area of the land is 2023 square metres or less or, (ii) The land is used for storage of flammable liquids, or (iii) There is a hotel situated thereon. (b) If the area of land exceeds 2023 square metres (half an acre): (i) Clear of all flammable material firebreaks at least two (2) metres wide immediately inside all external boundaries of the land; or (ii) Have the grass mown to a height of not more than 50mm over the whole of the land, except where the land is used for the storage of flammable liquids.

HOMESTEADS, BUILDING, HAYSTACKS, STACKS OF FODDER, BULK FUEL, DRUMS AND LIQUID PETROLEUM

Owners and Occupiers of land shall: During the period from 1st day of October, 2014 to the 31st day of March 2015, inclusive, have firebreaks at least three (3) metres wide in such positions as are necessary to completely surround the perimeter of any homestead, building, fuel installation (including drums), haystack (where such a haystack is situated within 200 metres of any homestead, building, fuel installation) or group of such structures or installations.

For the full Fire Break Notices please visit the City of Greater Geraldton website.

Send off parade for the Buccs

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The City has announced a massive send-off parade for the Suncity Plumping Geraldton Buccaneers by the Mayor to take place this Thursday at 5pm in the CBD.

The parade will involve all of the Buccaneers players, prior to making their way to Perth to play in the SBL Grand Finals.

Organisers want as many Buccaneers supporters as possible to line the streets on Marine Terrace.

City CEO, Ken Diehm, said the City will decorate the street in blue and yellow and work with businesses to make their shop fronts look amazing.

“We want a massive send off for our boys as they represent Geraldton in the Grand Finals. We want it to be a huge send-off,” he said.

“The Buccs will slowly drive down Marine Terrace from Freemasons to the Basketball Court on the Foreshore.”

Buccaneers General Manager, Andrew Horstman, said having this amount of community spirit has helped us win the last two games.

“It has been phenomenal, we never thought this much support would have such a positive effect,” he said.

“The whole campaign has been game changing and we encourage everyone to come to Marine Terrace this Thursday at 5pm to cheer the team on”

The streets will be covered in blue and yellow, Buccs Cheerleaders chanting and an official send-off from the Mayor will be part of the occasion.

Spirit FM will be doing a live broadcast from the basketball courts with pumping music.

The Mayor will present the Best Individual Buccaneer with a cheque for $500 and Best Dressed Business with $750.

For more information contact the City of Greater Geraldton (08) 9956 6600.

Westpac Geraldton are running a First Home Buyers Information Seminar!

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seminar

Are you thinking about buying your first home - but not sure where to start?

To help you work out if now is the right time for you to take that first step into the property market, Westpac Geraldton is running a First Home Buyers Information Seminar.

Along with Tanelle Tubby, your local Westpac Home Finance Expert and Lyndell James, your local Westpac Bank Manager, we have local guest speakers Leigh Jones from Activewest Real Estate, Bruce Kenny & Katherine Price from Sanford Settlements, Matt Poynton from WA Country Builders and Mike Hayter from Midwest Lawyers all there to provide you with a one-stop shop of First Home Buyer information.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity! See flyer for more details or phone Tanelle on (08) 9920 7312.

Humpback whale in danger spotted entangled in rope off Horrocks

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01eec10693d9896b4d757174d0f20dd9_XL The Department of Parks and Wildlife is urging boaters and beach visitors near Horrocks north of Geraldton to be on the lookout for an entangled humpback whale.

The whale was first sighted north of Kalbarri on Sunday and again late yesterday by a beach fisherman off Lucky Bay. It has since been re-sighted by Parks and Wildlife staff 10km off Horrocks.

Geraldton district manager Rory Chapple said it has a rope entangled around its tail flukes and is towing two large orange buoys.

“It is currently travelling slowly in a southerly direction due to the gear it is carrying and appears to be malnourished,” he said.

“We encourage boaties to report any sightings to the department and refrain from approaching the whale or attempting to free it. A disentanglement team from Parks and Wildlife is in transit to the area and will undertake disentanglement of the ropes if feasible.”

People who see an entangled or beached whale should keep a safe distance from the animals and contact the department’s Wildcare Helpline on 9474 9055.

Source: http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/news/media-statements/item/884-entangled-whale-tracked-off-geraldton-coast

Water supply interruption

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As part of the City of Greater Geraldton’s major Karloo-Wandina (Verita Road) Infrastructure project, the Water Corporation and the City will undertake works in Rangeway, Mt Tarcoola and Wandina to improve the water supply network.

It is necessary to relocate some existing water mains at critical road crossings along Verita Road at Columbus Boulevard and Ackland Road. Some shutdowns to water supply tanks in the area are required for relocating these water mains.

This will result in reduced water pressure to homes and businesses in the area however the water may be turned off completely if stored water runs out before completion of the work.

The planned works will start on Wednesday August 27 from 5am to 5pm and at 5am on Thursday September 11 to 11am on Friday September 12.

Residents are requested to keep water usage to a minimum during these times. The City apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.

For any questions relating to the work please contact Moneer Fates, Site and Delivery Manager on 9956 6600 or mobile 0433 453 441.

Water Minister visits Geraldton to discuss odour complaints

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Water Minister Mia Davies visited Geraldton on Monday to discuss odour complaints coming from the Utakarra Waste Water Pumping Station. Residents have been complaining for months about the odour and after the Minister's visit yesterday, Geraldton MLA Ian Blayney said the Water Corporation are hopeful that the odour issues can be addressed by October and other issues fully resolved by mid-February, 2015.

Minister Davies was accompanied to the site by senior staff of the Water Corporation and spent Monday afternoon inspecting the site and being briefed on the continuing work being undertaken to resolve the odour issues that have been a concern for local residents.

The Minister met with the City of Greater Geraldton CEO, Ken Diehm and Mayor Ian Carpenter to discuss the new biological odour scrubbers that will be fitted in October and the installation of the new pumps in February.

A meeting was also held with local residents who expressed their concerns and the impact that the continuing problems at the Waste Water Pumping Station was having on their day to day lives.

“A reference group has been formed. This group will receive regular briefings on progress, which I will be happy to facilitate," Mr Blayney said.

Head on collision being investigated

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Everything Geraldton had reports of a car accident on North West Coastal Highway last night and police have confirmed it was a head on collision. At around 7:48pm last night, a small hatchback with 4 passengers was travelling south on NWCH when it attempted to overtake a truck.

It is believed that the vehicle was struck head on by an oncoming Holden Commodore.

The driver of the hatchback was trapped and had to be cut free by DFES. The driver was flown to Royal Perth Hospital with a suspected broken pelvis. Other passengers in the hatchback received cuts and bruising, and they are still being assessed for other injuries but police say they are believed to be non-life threatening.

The driver of the Holden Commodore received a suspected fractured ankle and bruising.

The incident is being investigated by police in relation to possible charges.

Full flight mobile use introduced

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Passengers travelling on Virgin and Qantas flights around Australia and internationally will not have to turn their mobile devices off during landing and take off. According to an article on ZDNet, this announcement comes after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) put in place new procedures for airlines to allow passengers to keep their devices switched on - still in flight mode.

Qantas have released a statement saying the new changes will come into effect this afternoon.

"Qantas customers will be able to use their personal electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets and music players in flight mode, for the duration of each flight, providing uninterrupted access to work and entertainment," the statement said.

Qantas plans to lift restrictions on electronic devices across the entire Qantas Group for regional, domestic and international flights. QantasLink and Jetstar are in the final stages of preparing their submission to CASA for the extended use of personal electronic devices.

Qantas has released the following advice for customers:

  • Devices can be used whether passengers are boarding via aerobridge or transiting across tarmac.
  • Once aircraft doors are closed for departure, devices will need to be in ‘flight mode’.
  • Customers are required to secure handheld devices by holding them or placing them in a seat pocket during taxi, take-off and landing. Larger items such as laptops will still need to be stowed.
  • Customers are still required to listen to all inflight safety briefings and comply with cabin crew instructions.
  • Mobile and smart phones will still not be able to be used to make calls or send texts from the air.

Sources:

http://www.zdnet.com/virgin-qantas-passengers-to-get-full-flight-mobile-use-7000032920/

http://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-customers-can-keep-their-phones-laptops-on-from-gate-to-gate

Geraldton Dog Rescue Dog of the week

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geo Meet Dog of the Week, Geo. Geo is a very cute Jack Russell cross, approximately 2 years of age. He is a sociable little fellow who gets along well with other dogs. He is very playful and loves a cuddle whenever he can get one.  He is quite good on the lead and enjoys going for a walk. He comes when called and does not chew or dig. He is a great little watchdog with a bark much bigger than he is, he will let you know when anyone approaches your gate or front door. Geo will make a great addition to any home.

Geraldton Dog Rescue is a not for profit organization run solely by volunteers. All GDR dogs cost $350 and have been bathed and flea treated, vet checked, vaccinated, wormed, micro-chipped and de-sexed. If you would like to view a dog or become a volunteer please call 0400219719. Geraldton Dog Rescue can also be contacted via their website www.geraldtondogrescue.com.au or you can find them on Facebook.

Foreshore toilets closed for maintenance

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The City of Greater Geraldton wishes to advise that maintenance works will be carried out at the Foreshore “Coral Trout” public toilets and Rest Centre.

Works on the Rest Centre and the public toilets are expected to start on Wednesday August 27 and continue for approximately 14 days.

Public members are advised to use the Stow Gardens public toilets at the south end of the Foreshore and the Rubik’s Cube toilets at the north end.

The City regrets any inconvenience and will endeavour to keep disruptions to a minimum. For more information contact the City of Greater Geraldton on (08) 9956 6600.

Community Question: Social mothers groups

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Community Question:Are there any coffee clubs/groups around for mums? I'm new to Geraldton well three months here now from Sydney and finding it extremely hard to meet people or find anything socially. I'm at Drummond Cove and my neighbours are even extremely quiet and private. Struggling here to adjust and make friends. We know no one here so was suggested by a relative to see of any social coffee get togethers or something.