Darlington Ratepayers and Residents Association (DRRA)

Since 1909”

Tree Replacement on Owen Road

At our last public meeting we discussed the Shire's request to replace the trees near Earnshaws. DRRA supported the replacement of these trees and ongoing discussions are being held to decide on the species to be planted as replacements.

Halloween

Liz Dumont presented residents' views on the Darlington Halloween event, revealing mixed opinions. Concerns were raised about crowd size, noise, and safety. Strategies for effective management were suggested.

Locality Plan – Sui Johansen

Sui Johanssen introduced the Darlington Locality Plan (DLP) and its history. Although the Shire had not incorporated the new DLP into their planning process, DRRA sought to explore how they could work together to consider the wishes of the Darlington community in planning discussions. Suggestions were made to use the Plan as a guide for new residents and real estate agents to preserve the village's ambiance.

Congratulations to the Darlington History Group

The Darlington History Group received a Lottery West grant of $152k for the 5km Heritage Walk Trail. DRRA expressed support for the initiative.

Councillors' Reports

Shire President James Martin announced the appointment of the new Shire CEO, Jason Whiteaker, starting in October. Budget deliberations were ongoing, and community review documentation would be presented soon.

Advocacy Win – Dog Signs

A win for Darlington! The Shire will be removing several dog signs from the Oval following advocacy from DRRA and other community members. Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to all who supported this cause, particularly Liz Dumont and Louise Stelfox, who saw it through.

The Shire's senior Infrastructure and Community Safety Ranger has advised that the following signs will be removed:

• The two new dog signs on the trail side of the oval and the cricket nets will be removed.

• The three old signs on the power pole of Pine Terrace will be removed.

• The "No horse" sign below the dog exercise sign on Pine Terrace will be removed.

This will leave three dog exercise signs at the primary entry points to the oval area.

This change (expected to take effect by the time this edition of the Review is in print) will reduce sign pollution while still providing notification to dog owners about the rules.

A good outcome for Darlington, a 'Community who Cares'!

The retirement of Bill Volich, who had been collecting bin waste for Mundaring Shire for fifty years, was appreciated by all.

Councillor Paige McNeil reported on discussions with the Federal Government concerning organic waste disposal and energy efficiency strategies. She highlighted the government's commitment to working with local governments.

For more detailed information about the above topics you can request minutes of the last DRRA meeting from DRRA Secretary Julia Richardson richardsonj0102@gmail.com or read previous issues of the Darlington Review’s DRRA notes at www.darlingtonreview. com.au

NEXT DRRA MEETING: 10 August, 7:30 pm, at Darlington Hall. Send through topics for discussion to drra@darlingtonvillage.org

At the beginning of July, I met with the Darlington History Group and Shire of Mundaring staff and councillors at the Darlington Hall to present a $152,510 grant from Lotterywest on behalf of the State Government.

The grant is to create and install 31 interpretive signs along historical and cultural sites in the local area. A Six Seasons garden is also planned recognising both Indigenous and European history. The Lotterywest funding is in addition to the $36,000 provided to the project as one of my election commitments and a similar allocation from the Shire of Mundaring.

The project has taken many years to bring to fruition and particular thanks and congratulations go to Val Shiell, Cliff Burns and the Darlington History Group team for all their work in its carefully design development.

In the broader context Lotterywest has delivered its third consecutive year of record-breaking returns to the Western Australian community, with $1.05 billion provided in grants and lottery prizes. With $1.22 billion in lottery sales last financial year, $351.5 million went to supporting the WA community through grants, with $704.2 million shared among WA lottery winners. The WA community continues to benefit from Lotterywest grants more than ever.

In total there were 438 WA not-for-profit groups and local governments that benefited from 489 direct Lotterywest grants, to the tune of $130.5 million. These grants ranged from $7.7 million being provided each to Screenwest and Perth Festival, to $3,000 given to Swan Valley Voices for arts and cultural activities. In addition, Lotterywest partnered with the WA Government to deliver a $3.4 million grant program to support 16 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to deliver services to Aboriginal people across WA.

The State's health sector received $176.7 million in Lotterywest funding, and the sports and arts sectors received $22 million each. The 2022-23 financial year saw 80 WA players share in a total $236 million worth of Division One prizes. Western Australia is unique, as the only State-owned and operated lottery in the country where profits have been returned directly to the WA community for the past 90 years.