7 minute read
No supervisor, no swimming says CEO
THE Mineworkers’ Memorial Swimming Pool was closed last Saturday because it was not possible to provide an adequately qualified supervisor, Collie Shire chief executive officer Stuart Devenish said on Monday.
“Adequately trained staff could not be found at short notice, so we had to close the pool,” he said.
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“It was unfortunate it was quite a hot day.”
Mr Devenish said the department of health’s code of practice requires a supervisor with an “aquatic technical operator” qualification to be at the pool when it is open to the public.
He described Saturday’s closure as “an unavoidable absence by the rostered supervisor”.
Mr Devenish said that with the co-operation of Royal Lifesaving WA, the everyday operations of the pool had been largely maintained through the 2022/23 season.
He added that circumstances could always arise, such as chemical leaks or health concerns, which would lead to closure of the pool, but council did all it could to minimise occurrences such as these.
“Pool closures do occur from time to time, such as when competition events or carnivals are held and when there is water contamination and need for chemical
1000 Days Of Reading
THE Collie Child and Parent Centre is encouraging reading development this term, with its 1000 Books Before Kindy program.
Co-ordinator Carole English said the program has had great success, and there is proof that early exposure to reading has many benefits.
Seven local children have participated so far, and many read 100s of books during summer.
The program is based on extensive research, Mrs English said.
“There is so much research that says that if you read to children, they will do well in school,” she said.
The playgroup also offers the First 1000 Days program, which supports families up to kindergarten.
Mrs English said the program is based on the proverb “it takes a village to raise a child”, and connects families to each other and community services.
“These connections are especially important for people who don’t have an extended family to support them,” she said.
The program is run during school terms and centre co-ordinators hope it helps attract people to its playgroup.
1000 treatment,” he said. “The circumstances last Saturday were unusual.”
In answer to questions about season ticket holders, Mr Devenish said that historically, there had been no refunds, as from time to time, such things as major events or carnivals would mean use of the pool was restricted.
“We would always deal with requests for refunds on a case-by-case basis,” Mr Devenish said.
Given hypothetical examples, such as someone breaking a leg and being unable to use a season ticket, he said situations such as this would be dealt with sympathetically.
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However, if someone made personal choices such as going away on an extended holiday, it was unlikely that a refund would be forthcoming.
“It would be the difference between a circumstance over which someone had no control, and something which was a personal choice,” he said.
“We would need to look at all the particular circumstance.”
The pool reopened on Sunday, one hour after ordinary opening times.
The pool will be closed this weekend (February 25 an 26) until 1pm on Sunday for the annual underwater hockey Collie Cup.
For more information please contact us at the Forrest Business Centre:
Unit 10, 13 Forrest Street T 9734 1000 rsm.com.au/collie
What would you like to see done at the Collie Roundhouse?
Some responses have been edited for readability.
Francoise Brittain: Take a good long look at the full working roundhouse in Junee, NSW. It is one half workshop for QUBE with a fully working turntable, which is a huge draw card when engines are being moved. Plus the other half is a beautiful museum with a large range of beautifully restored engines, carriages and railworking machinery all maintained to a very high standard.
Please, let's do something positive and special with the trains and digger that are out in the open outside the tourist bureau. Get them under cover for people to enjoy for years to come, especially as they were such a big part of Collie's history. They are worth preserving.
Russell Coffey: Turn at least part of it into organic vegetable markets or some form of sit down meals, surrounded by Collie’s museum pieces.
Josh Davies: No more of my taxes spent on it until something or someone actually goes into it.
Bill Sloan: Theatre.
Tamara Morton: Either what was talked about - a cafe or brewery. Otherwise going down the track of restoring the building to how it originally was, and restoring some old trains and putting the Collie museum there. I think something along those lines would be great.
Rodney Hart: I would like it to be restored to its former glory. To be the way it was when it was first built. I don’t really know what it is, where it is or what its original purpose was, but I understand that it is a significant piece of our town’s history.
John Borlini: Where is all the money that was allocated in the first instance for this project? Why hasn’t any of this money been used to at least make a start on it? Have there been any audits on the financial expenditure so far?
I don't really care what goes down there so long as it's fixed up and put to good use. Stop wasting time kicking dirt around.
Pam Anderson: Maybe the museum could relocate there. And a cafe.
Well deserved, Ted
WHAT an incredible afternoon spent with minister Paul Papalia at the Collie-Cardiff RSL on Friday as he presented replacement medals to WWII veteran Ted McCormick.
The club was full of returned servicemen, and Ted’s children and grandchildren.
Thank you to Gary Benton and, in particular Grahame Old, who assisted in obtaining replacement medals for Ted –and the medals of his late father - after they were stolen from his home.
Minister Papalia also visited several state government funding commitments, including the $1.5 million upgrade at the Collie Police Station, and the $60,000 election commitment to upgrade the kitchen and ceiling fan at the PCYC.
The kids at safeSPACE enjoyed chatting and shooting hoops with the minister, and I thoroughly enjoyed scoring more points than him.
I was pleased to see Collie represented at the WA Scout Youth Awards.
A big congratulations to Dylan Cartledge, Abigail Jones, Samuel Shepherd, Jarrad Sloan and Lachlan Sloan as winners of the prestigious – and last - Queen's Scout Award.
We are only a week out from the massive Collie Labour Day Festival, showcasing a long list of great local Collie events for everyone in our community.
Thanks in advance to the Collie Cycle Club for the incredible effort in pulling the event together once again.
The recent initiative of placing dedicated career practitioners in WA schools funded by the state government is already making a huge difference to students.
Collie Senior High School is privileged to have the skills and dedication of career practitioner Bec Stewart, and I was thrilled to see the impressive list of students who have secured school-based traineeships this year.
Congratulations to these students, and thank you to the host businesses for supporting these students.
IF YOU are a regular reader of my columns, you will remember that I have two young children.
I have a six-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.
They bring equal parts of joy and stress to my life, and I love them more than anything.
If you’re a regular reader, you will likely also recall that in November last year I stepped into the editor’s role at the Collie River Valley Bulletin
It was a big step and it has brought four months of big things.
But, while I stepped into a world that was wonderful for my career, unfortunately I discovered it was a bit too big for my family life.
So, I’ve had to make the big decision to take a step back.
Sadly, tomorrow will be my last day as the editor of the Collie River Valley Bulletin
It turns out running a newspaper and managing a family is kind of hard work (who would’ve thought?!).
I will be sad to leave the Bulletin’s great team - I’ve been lucky enough to work with old friends, and make new ones.
But I will enjoy being more present with my kids, being at school pick up and spending one-on-one time with my son before he has to go to school.
Motherhood can be such a hard gig.
It can be difficult to get the work-life balance - to feel like you’re contributing to the household, but also being there for the kids.
To chase your dreams - and your sense of self - but also to remember that you play a pretty big role in the dreams of the tiny people you created.
It’s a big decision to make, but I feel like I’ve made the right one.
As many people have told me, these are the times in my kids’ lives that I will never get back.
I can’t turn around in 20 years and decide I want to be at home, playing with my two-year-old.
I won’t get the squishy cuddles back, I won’t always hear their tiny voices, hold their little hands or take them to the park. They won’t always want to be by my side.
Work will always be there, but my babies won’t.
To forgo what is an amazing career seems harsh, but missing out on my kids is harsher.
I am lucky that I have a really supportive family - my husband is always right behind whatever crazy idea I come up with, as are my parents and in-laws.
I’m not saying goodbye to my ambitions forever - journalism will always have a place in my heart.
But, it’s like my mum said: “In life many doors will present themselves to you.
"You can always open them and go in, but there is nothing stopping you from turning around and coming back out”.
