INSIDE Clean-up begins after Tom Price storm - Page 4
FEBRUARY 2011
New spray park in Onslow - Page 5
Pannawonica refurbishment on track - Page 6
Onslow multi-purpose facility officially opens
Recently elected chief executive Jeffrey Breen invites Deputy Shire President Linton Rumble to speak on behalf of Shire President Greg Musgrave, who was unable to attend, during the official opening in Onslow last month.
Recently elected chief executive Jeffrey Breen described the opening of the Onslow multi-purpose facility last month as a momentous occasion for the Shire and said he was proud to be there for the opening. “The building will be a catalyst to draw the Onslow community closer together through sport and give people the opportunity to experience different activities in air-conditioned comfort.” The facility was officially opened by Regional
Development and Lands Minister Brendon Grylls with the symbolic ribboncutting to mark a new chapter in the Onslow community. The complex includes a full-size sports gymnasium, basketball, indoor soccer, netball, badminton and volleyball and badminton courts, as well as an indoor cricket pitch and a daycare centre. Please turn to Page 5 for further details.
Tom Price centre construction begins A key milestone was achieved on February 13 when the first stage of works on the Tom Price Town Centre Revitalisation commenced. The project, funded exclusively by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions Programme, will see major upgrades to the mall and surrounds, and is scheduled for completion mid-July 2011. The successful tenderer, Environmental Industries, will build on the excellent efforts of a team of planners, designers, architects and engineers, who have spent many months refining the design and negotiating the myriad of hurdles that arose throughout the process. Shire of Ashburton project manager, Justine Hyams said that the engineering issues that had
to be overcome had been continuous and very challenging, and the patience and professionalism of the project team had been second to none. “But, we have pushed through and now look forward to formally opening the new mall in August,” she said. Ms Hyams said the works, will, as a matter of course, be accompanied by increased noise, dust, water, and the presence of heavy equipment in a high-activity area. “Access to shops will not be restricted but, on the odd day, pedestrians may have to walk a little further to get somewhere, as barrier fencing will be erected for everyone’s safety.” She encouraged everyone to be patient and keep a close eye on children while work is in progress.
Inside this issue Ranger Report
2
Chief Executive Report
3
Tom Price Community News
4
Onslow Community News
5
Paraburdoo Community News
6
Pannawonica Community News
6
Rio Tinto Community Information
7
Out & About
8
PAGE 2
Ranger Report with Morgwn Jones
Animal Pest Management Services completed the trapping programme in Tom Price on January 12. The programme has had limited success mainly due to the weather being experienced however, five dogs have been trapped and destroyed. Out of the five dogs, four were caught around the town landfill and one adult male wild dog was captured east of the Tom Price town site. This makes a total of seven dogs destroyed in the last two weeks. Out of this four were caught around the town landfill and one adult male wild dog was captured
east of Tom Price town site. Foot hold traps applied with strychnine were set for a period of six nights in areas where the presence of wild dog activity was found. This was deemed safe as the public were considered not to be at risk and the traps enabled the problem of wild dogs on the town site surrounding Tom Price to be removed. Strychnine warning signs, alerting the public of the dangers posed in the areas where traps were set, were placed at vehicle and walkway entry points. The trapped areas were approved by the Department of Agriculture and Food Karratha who deemed it safe to use strychnine laced padded jaw traps for the control of wild dogs. DNA testing is being conducted on wild dogs captured during the programme. Results, which have not yet been received, will determine if the captured wild dogs are pure bred “dingoes” or if they are cross bred with domestic or stray dogs. It is recommended that areas targeted are expanded to include, for example Rio Tinto managed lands, mine sites and Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) managed lands. This will allow future programmes, if warranted,
to further reduce the impact that wild dogs have within the Tom Price area. DEC is conducting an aerial culling programme of feral animals in Karijin and Millstream National Parks and adjacent UCL in February. The shoot, which will include the road network managed by the SoA, will be conducted by air, using a helicopter, and will cover some of the main recreational zones of each park. Whilst Dingos will not be target, wild dogs will be. Future meetings with the Department of Agriculture and Food Karratha, on site in Tom Price and Paraburdoo hopefully will lead to the expansion of land the Shire can target. Discussions have begun with Richard Watkins (Dept Ag & Food Karratha) regarding the possibility of training Shire staff to conduct their own programme. Jamie Richardson of Mt Florence Station has offered his assistance to help in this process. This would mean some costs to the Shire for the purchase of traps and other equipment. In the meantime night time patrols will continue on an as-need basis in Paraburdoo and Tom Price. These patrols will be conducted based on frequency of sightings and numbers sighted.
Letters to the Editor
Pictured: Baby Freya.
I have said it before and will say it again that as a family we have been overwhelmed by the support of the Tom Price Community in helping us through the difficult period of the diagnosis and the operations that have occurred since our daughter Freya was diagnosed with several congenital heart defects. The Trivia night and silent auction held in the Community Centre on November 12 was largely organised by Denise and Shane Bilston along with a cast of hundreds who ran the bar and performed other duties such as Chris Bailey who compered the night in fine style. The generous spirit of the community was evident in that $9014.92 was raised in just this one event - that’s staggering! The Year 12 students at the high school ran a sausage sizzle and free dress day that raised over $1000. In addition to that there was a donation of $200 from a tin in the United Community Credit branch in Stadium Road, a $200 donation from the Tom Price Toy Library
committee, $150 from the staff at the Rio Tinto Housing and Infrastructure branch and Bentech Contracting sent a cheque for $1000. This is not to mention the countless local businesses and contractors who contributed to the Quiz Night. The grand total (minus the high school money) was $10564.92!!!! The $1000 raised by the high school was donated straight to the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. The $10500 was split as follows: $3521.64 was donated to Heartkids WA which is a group set up to support families and kids with Congenital Heart Defects through social functions, education, camps for the kids and ongoing research through the Cardiology Department of PMH. $3540 was placed into a trust account for Freya to enjoy when she is old enough. The remaining approximately $3500 is waiting for a use within the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at PMH which became our second home for a period last year. The generosity of the people of Tom Price and Paraburdoo is not the only thing we miss about living in the best town in WA. The views of the Hammersley Ranges, the gorges, the thunderstorms, the trains, the easy pace of life, the lack of traffic snarls, the footy players and the great blokes that I umpired with, the students of the school, our work and play mates to name a few are all sadly missed. At the quiz night I played a song I had written to express my thanks to Tom Price and its people called “My Baby’s Heart”. I may have promised to record it and send it North... well I’ve started to make good on my threat and sometime in the next three months I’ll have a recording of a few such songs that I will be distributing widely and freely to anyone who’ll listen!!! Freya’s progress is steady. She is a very brave girl as far as we’re concerned. Just two
weeks ago she underwent another procedure to see if she’s ready for her next “shunt” or openheart surgery. She gave us more grief over a tooth that she was popping out at the same time than she did over the general anaesthetic! So we are optimistic that the first part of Freya’s heart journey is coming to an end soon (the next operation has been scheduled for the 15th of March) and that hopefully by April we can go back to enjoying watching our little girl crawl, stand, walk, destroy things, chuck tantrums and all that other stuff that we used to think was hard work. And you can rest assured that in April this year, next year and the one after we will still be missing living in Tom Price! Thank you to everyone in the Tom Price Community for a very memorable two years and for your show of generosity. Thank you Denise and Shane Bilston for reminding us just how lucky we were to pass through Tom Price. Yours sincerely, Rohan, Brooke, Morgan and Freya Smith If you have an issue or a topic you would like to discuss then why not send us a letter to the editor. Please include a contact name and the town you live in. Letters can be sent to PO Box 567 Tom Price WA 6751, attentioned Letter To The Editor or please email soa@ashburton.wa.gov.au. Letters must be received by the third Friday of each month to ensure they are published in the next newsletter. Please be advised that letters will be accepted and edited at the Editor’s discretion. The Shire reserves the right not to publish any material which it deems defamatory.
PAGE 3
Chief Executive Report with Jeff Breen
The Shire President, Greg Musgrave, is off on a well-earned break so I thought I would take the opportunity to explain a bit about local government life. I’ve been a professional engineer for over 30 years and half of that has been with local government as an employee and consultant.
Around 15 years ago I told myself that I would never work for a Council again, but here I am, nearly five years on, with the Shire of Ashburton. The Shire of Ashburton is not like most other councils. It is a vibrant and exciting place to work with massive mining and gas developments of global significance ( did you know that the resource wealth produced from the Ashburton Shire equals about 70% of the GDP of New Zealand?). So, what goes on at the Shire? Local Government is a very complex business governed by many Acts and Regulations. We are required to provide services such as town planning, building licences, environmental and aboriginal health services, local laws, financial management, ranger services, roads, drainage, footpaths, community
Position Vacant!
facilities, recreational facilities, public safety, emergency management, bush fire brigade, rubbish collection, tips, libraries, swimming pools, tourist promotion, visitor centres, airports, economic development, youth programmes, school holiday programmes, etc. Unlike other businesses Local Government provides services to 100% of its customers (the community). To do this we have strategic plans, corporate plans, asset management plans, financial plans, workforce plans, community plans, project plans, etc. Local Government is a complex business but its aim is very simple – to provide for the community. All of our infrastructure and plans only exist to provide a sustainable
Land goes under auction in Tom Price The Shire of Ashburton is pleased to announce the release of residential and industrial land to the public in the thriving town of Tom Price. Six industrial lots and 13 residential lots will be offered for auction on 19 February 2011, with a further 24 residential lots going under the hammer on 19 March 2011. The shortage of private property and accommodation has been an ongoing issue in Tom Price, and these land releases are expected to attract considerable interest. For further details go to www.ashburton.wa.gov.au.
Expression of interest sought for General Manager of Future 18 Room, 4.5 Star Executive Apartments in Onslow. - - -
service to all people in the Shire. My job, with guidance from our nine Councillors and support from my staff, is to make our communities safer, more connected and happier places to live, work and recreate. Over the next two years or so, there will be revitalisation of our towns through building programmes, new recreational facilities and new amenities. There will improved roads and telecommunications to service pastoralists and industry, but just as importantly, I will be working with the community, Councillors and staff to identify ways to better connect our communities through sport, art, culture and events. It’s simple- Local Government is about community, and community is important to me.
Experience in Hotel Management & Property Management Systems preferred but not essential Data entry/Bookkeeping Suit local couple/Attractive remuneration with incentives
Phone Elberton Property: 08 9384 7589
The Shire celebrates 2011 Australia Day While Tom Price and Paraburdoo residents enjoyed a balmy Australia Day in typical Aussie style, Onslow and Pannawonica residents were advised to stay indoors with weather forecasters predicting dangerous tides, heavy rainfall and intense winds. Onslow residents were on red alert bracing for the full impact of the cyclone, while Pannawonica residents were catching the back end of the system including storms and rains.
While it may not have been atypical for Onslow residents to experience a cyclone, it was still disappointing for many who remained couped up indoors for the whole day. Onslow’s 2011 man-made boat regatta race had to be postponed until further notice. In Tom Price and Paraburdoo community gathered around the pool and the floaties were a real hit for the kids as sunset and the Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie chants reigned in.
Tom Price Australia Day
Celebrating in typical Aussie style with a bbq and pool.
Lifeguard Brock Smith kept his eyes on the kids throughout the day.
Locals donned the Aussie flag.
Pictured Chayce Newberry.
Kids took advantage of the floaties.
Paraburdoo Australia Day Karingal Neighbourhood Centre once again presented the Big Breakfast in the very hot local residents were not deterred, with the older kids enjoying the Park to celebrate Australia Day for 2011. Although the weather proved to be water activities and younger kids bouncy on the inflatable castle.
Jo Barron Perry, Senior Active Citizenship Award Winner.
Tidy Town Committee – Winners of the Group Division of the Active Citizenship Awards.
The bouncy castle is a real hit with the kids.
Cooks of the day, from left to right: Peta Pownall (United Communities), Simon Kaufman (Rio Tinto) & Kristy-Lee Fraser (Karingal Neighbourhood Centre).
PAGE 4
Tom Price Community News Builders Roadshow draws in a crowd Almost 100 people turned up to the Builders Roadshow held last month, in the lead-up to the release of residential and industrial land auctions in March. The day gave prospective land buyers the opportunity to meet and greet builders, finance providers and other related companies hoping to offer their services locally. Six industrial lots and 13 residential lots will go under
the hammer on February 19 with a further 24 residential lots to go under the hammer on March 19, 2011. Shire of Ashburton chief executive Jeffrey Breen said he was happy with the turnout. “We appreciate the effort made by the participants as they travelled either from Perth or Karratha for the weekend, and pleased that they received positive feedback from the public.”
Almost 100 people turned up to the Builders Roadshow held in Tom Price last month.
Floods of donations
Shire employees Rici Peters and Dean Govenor cook up a storm.
With the official death toll from the Queensland flood disaster at 20 and likely to climb with nine people still confirmed missing, as well as the recent Carnarvon, Gascoyne, NSW and Victorian floods, the generosity of strangers has been unsurpassed, with people banding together to support
those in need. At the Shire of Ashburton it was no different, with Shire employees raising money by holding a flood relief morning tea and a barbeque lunch at the Builders Roadshow in Tom Price last month. $1300 was raised and the Shire thanks all employees for their efforts.
Shire employees hold a morning tea to help raise much needed funds for the flood disaster victims.
Freak storm in Tom Price
In just half an hour, streets were unpassable, businesses flooded and tree trunks lay strewn on the ground.
Tom Price was hit by a massive freak storm last month, which tore down trees in the main street of the town and flooded local stores. Residents were stunned by the strength of the storm that lasted just 20 minutes. Local resident and manager of building services at the Shire, Bernie Smith, said the storm was the worst he had seen in ten years. “I’ve been in a number or cyclones over in Onslow and it was like being in one of them. It was like being in the eye of the storm”. With small storms occurring throughout the month of January residents were braced for the ferocious weather, but they were not prepared
for it to take hold so quickly. According to the Weather Bureau 35mm fell from 9am, which was more rain than anywhere else in the region on that day. Local resident Rebecca Parish was driving to work when the storm hit. “I quickly got out of my car and went into the Community Services building when the rain started coming down hard. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw trees being blown away.” Local emergency management teams and Shire workers were quick to respond, blocking off roads that had become unpassable and starting the clean-up.
Collided rocks the house It might have been a long time in the making but patrons were more than happy to flock to the Tom Price pub last month to listen to some live tunes from local talent Collided. The band has been together for just over six months. Base player Tom Hooyer, who only just joined the
group a month ago, said it was a great atmosphere on the night. “What we aim to do is start early and finish early, avoiding the drunken disorderly behaviour that can happen at the pub.” Band members say they hope to play
more Sunday “seshes” at the pub and will hopefully be kick-starting one gig a month soon. Inside Ashburton is keen to support local musical talent, so if you have a band that you would like featured drop us an email at soa@ashburton.wa.gov.au
Derek Moulton, Scotty Woolfe, Tom Hooyer, Moe Rahim.
Local fans asking for one more.
Local band Collided were in their element.
PAGE 5
Onslow Community News Minister visit marks official opening
Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendon Grylls chats with Thalanyji Elder Les Hayes at the official opening of Onslow’s Multi-purpose facility in Onslow.
As the Minister for Regional Development and Lands Brendon Grylls uttered the words “brilliant” the ribbon was officially cut to symbolise the official opening of the multi-purpose complex in Onslow. Minister Grylls, who turned the first sod in February 2010, dubbed the finished product as “amazing”. He congratulated Shire staff on the completion of the project which was funded in part by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions Programme. “If every community can do this with their funding, I’ll be a happy man,” Minister Grylls said after the event. He also said the facility was designed for its dual purpose and was an important part of the long-term strategy to create sustainable communities in the Pilbara. “Given the current threat of cyclones off our coast at present, and recent flooding in the Gascoyne, this development is a timely reminder of the needs of communities throughout our state,” The State Government provided $7 million in funding towards the project with the Shire of Ashburton contributing over $3 million. Other project funders included Department of Sport and Recreation, Emergency Services Australia, Onslow Salt and the Pilbara Development
Commission. Shire of Ashburton chief executive Jeffrey Breen said it was a momentous occasion for the Shire. “The building will be a catalyst to draw the Onslow community closer together through sport and give people the opportunity to experience different activities in air conditioned comfort” The new multi-purpose centre, which cost $10.9 million to build, took only nine months to construct. The complex includes a full-size sports gymnasium, basketball, indoor soccer, netball, badminton and volleyball and badminton courts, as well as an indoor cricket pitch and a daycare centre. It also doubles as a community emergency evacuation centre which can cater for up to 250 people for a period of five days during extreme weather conditions such as cyclones. Previously, the only evacuation point for the 750 permanent residents was a single classroom at the Onslow Primary School, which holds fewer than 50 people. North West MLA Vince Catania said the development of the Onslow Community Centre provided a secure evacuation point for the town and would meet critical social needs that had been lacking for years.
Traditional Welcome to Country. Pictured Shirley Hayes, Glenniss Hayes and Les Hayes.
Cyclone Bianca delays opening of water park in Onslow
Loader bucket.
Onslow residents had to wait slightly longer than expected for the opening of Onslow’s newest and coolest attraction, a state-of-the-art water spray park,due to severe weather conditions hampering the opening date. It was hoped the water spray park would be opened by Christmas to coincide with the opening of the multipurpose complex however unpredictable weather and technical issues delayed landscaping of the park. As Inside Ashburton went to print the water spray park
was scheduled to open. The park is a zero-depth play area where water is sprayed from colourful upright structures or ground sprays and then drained before it can accumulate. A water recycling strategy has been adopted for the park whereby water is drained away into a catchment area then placed into storage tanks for treatment before being re-cycled through the park. The theme of the park is based on local flora, fauna and industry with custom-designed features including the iconic Ashburton Pea along with a windmill and 3m long Spanish mackerel. The park also includes water cannons, ground spouts and an innovative 1200mm wide tipping loader bucket. Shade sails, lights, fencing and artwork by the local children
The Onslow multi-purpose facility came as an early Christmas present to Onslow residents.
help set-off the original, custom design. CCTV cameras will be installed in the area. Water Features by Design, having more than 2000 commercial and residential projects in their name, designed the park. Construction of the park was made possible following collaborative funding from the Shire of Ashburton, Royalties for Regions Programme, Department of Sport and Recreation
Shire of Ashburton project manager Megan Walsh said the team had encountered many challenges with the project. “These sorts of parks are relatively new…so it was a
matter of perfecting the project and working closely with the contractor and other Shires.” She said the cost of the park tendered at just over $697,000.
Silver Mackerel.
Windmill.
PAGE 6
Paraburdoo Community News Qantas to purchase and grow WA charter operator It is hoped a recent acquisition announcement by Qantas will alleviate seat shortage issues passengers are faced with when flying from Paraburdoo’s domestic airport. Last month Qantas announced it had reached an agreement to purchase and grow a local operator Network Aviation – one of the primary FIFO operators on Western Australia’s regional mining routes. Currently there is a strong demand for FIFO air services to transport employees to and from remote sites within the State, which cannot solely be met by Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) services.
The demand for RPT services has created issues for ordinary passengers with many forced to book flights weeks, sometimes months in advance, in order to compete with the FIFO market. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the acquisition would provide a strong growth opportunity, new revenue stream and further diversification for the Qantas Group. Network Aviation operates a fleet of two 100seat Fokker 100 aircraft and six 30-seat Embraer Brasilia EMB-120ER aircraft. Subject to finalisation of the acquisition, Network Aviation will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Qantas Group.
Paraburdoo revitalisation project on track Following continual community consultation, the Paraburdoo master plan is currently being revised and will be back to the community for comment by the end of the month. Previous ideas that were suggested under the plan included upgraded parking lots, additional shaded areas, a water playground, improvements to walkways, public toilets, lighting, landscaping, seating and a bus shelter. Over one million dollars has been allocated in funding towards the project.
Carnarvon floods donation appeal
Surprise visit shocks local
As you all know Carnarvon and Gascoyne Junction suffered a devastating loss when the floods went through in midDecember 2010. Like all communities around the Shire of Ashburton, Paraburdoo also gave back to those in need. Local lady Natalie Hutchcraft put out a request for anyone wanting to donate goods and clothing to drop these off at her house. The response she got was staggering. On behalf of the Carnarvon and Gascoyne residents Natalie would like to give very special thanks to the following. • Mark and Ted from Rio Tinto for organising the use of the Crown trucks as well as all the donations from Rocklea Palms. • To Crown for coming on board and supplying the trucks and containers.
Local resident Lorraine Creusot had a surprise last month when a 3.2m (10ft) female olive python got up in the engine bay of her car, just after the heavy rains hit the town. Although these snakes pose no immediate threat to humans, they are capable of taking out a small animal such as a dog or cat. Local snake handler Ivan Diaz was quick to act and arrived to remove the reptile. After a lot of coaching the snake finally unwrapped itself from its new found home.
• Massive thumbs up to Brent Rowe and the boys from NWSP for all their hard work loading and unloading the donations. Not to mention the use of Brent’s storage facilities and work utes to actually go around town and collect the goods. • GLH thanks once again for kindly donating the diesel to fuel the trip. • Thrifty Car Rentals for supplying the vehicles used to transport the load. • Many thanks to the girls at Karingal Neighbourhood Centre for sorting and boxing donations. Also a very huge thank you to the ladies from Tom Price who came over to drop trailer loads of goodies to Natalie’s house. Your generosity was greatly appreciated. And once again thank you to all the residents of Paraburdoo who opened their hearts and gave in this time of need.
Captured: Stephanie Anderson and Ivan Dias.
Dias warned that this was a timely reminder to keep a lookout for snakes in and around your homes and always keep an eye on children and pets when they are outdoors.
Pannawonica Community News Volunteers thanked at morning tea
Pictured: Valued community volunteers Arthur and Eileen Hall.
Thank a Volunteer Day Morning Tea was held at Pannawonica Tavern on December 5, 2010 to recognise the valued commitment from all the volunteers in the Pannawonica Community. Volunteers from all aspects of the community were acknowledged for their efforts with a certificate and a keyring. The community also nominated a few outstanding volunteers who were awarded a hamper compliments of Rio Tinto and The Shire of Ashburton.
Pannawonica Library Story time Story time recommenced in February and is held every Tuesday at 10.15am during the school term. Please contact the Pannawonica library on 9184 1038 for further details.
Winners brighten up the town of Pannawonica at Christmas Pannawonica Christmas Lights competition was held during the lead up to Christmas and we had some fantastic entries. These include :
The fourth prize winner was the Weaver family.
1st prize winner – Angelina and Chris Hales 2nd Prize – Kath and Tony Evans 3rd Prize – 14B Ashburton Wy 4th Prize – Weaver Family
Pannawonica refurbishment project The Rio Tinto Wandoo upgrade project is currently underway in Pannawonica. Commenced in 2009 the project includes the refurbishment of 230 residential properties, 19 commercial and community buildings, and a town beautification programme. To date the dry mess has been
refurbished, the Pannawonica swimming pool upgraded, a 140 person camp and ten transit houses have been built and a new skate park complex completed. Refurbishments of 48 residential houses have also been completed. The project is expected to be completed during 2012.
PAGE 7
Latest news Rio Tinto rocks Kings Park Nyoongar elders officially welcomed over 150 tonnes of huge red rocks from the Pilbara to their new home in Kings Park on 20 January. The rocks travelled over 1,400 km from the base of Jarndrumunhna to Kings Park where they will become unique visual markers
within Rio Tinto Naturescape in Kings Park; a highly anticipated community environmental discovery facility set to open in mid 2011.
farewell the Eastern Guruma people and send them safely back to their own country.
Present at the cultural exchange were Traditional Owners from the Eastern Guruma people of the Pilbara, Wayne and Tania Stevens who gave Rio Tinto permission to remove the rocks and donate them to the park.
Rio Tinto’s iron ore Pilbara Operations president Greg Lilleyman praised the Eastern Guruma traditional owners for offering up the rocks to Kings Park and thanked Nyoongar elders for accepting the ironstone gift to their country.
Nyoongar elders thanked the Eastern Guruma people for the gift and accepted the rocks by conducting a smoking ceremony using native plants to cleanse and take away any bad spirits associated with the rocks. Nyoongar dancers then performed a good spirit dance to
Rio Tinto would like to thank Jim Gordon and his team for co-ordinating the removal of the rocks. Rio Tinto would also like to thank Gary Duss and his team for co-ordinating the transport of the rock with assistance from Centurion Transport.
Nyoongar dancers with the rock transported to Kings Park from Jarndrumunhna
In the community
Health & safety
School holiday run
Fighting fatigue
During the summer school holidays the youth of Pannawonica and Paraburdoo were keeping busy with school holiday programmes provided by Rio Tinto.
Pannawonica Emergency Response captain, Bobby Whitton, approached the Rio Tinto Emergency Management team with the innovative idea to build a fatigue trailer, with a difference.
The activities completed included indoor games, kids Zumba, kite making and flying, a treasure hunt and much more. The aim of the programme was to provide local young people with an opportunity to get active, healthy and have some fun during the school holidays. All children involved the programmes had plenty of fun whilst being creative and burning energy during the activities.
The fatigue trailer has been developed for use on the North West Coastal Highway to provide free tea and coffee to road users and at community events to promote road safety messages. The trailer has the additional
function of BBQ facilities for travellers. The fatigue trailer was launched on Tuesday 25 January which saw over 15 vehicles pull in for a free brew over three hours. Volunteers that are passionate about fatigue management and Road Crash Rescue will man the fatigue trailer during busy periods (Christmas holidays, long weekends etc.) in an effort to reduce the Pilbara road toll. The fatigue trailer will also be used during major incidents, such as bush fires, to provide refreshments for emergency service personnel. Rio Tinto would like to thank Bobby Whitton and all the volunteers for completing this project in their own time.
If you wish to nominate an individual, family or group that add significant value to their local community for a Community Recognition Award then please contact your Rio Tinto Community Officer: Tom Price - Kris Starcevichon on Kris.Starcevich@riotinto.com Paraburdoo - Jacquie Price on Jacqueline.Price@riotinto.com Pannawonica - Amanda Williams on Amanda.Williams@riotinto.com
PAGE 8
Out & About Exciting new sports start up for residents in Tom Price Tom Price locals are being treated to some new and exciting sports in their town with both water polo and Zumba starting up recently. Local resident Chloe Shaw, who attended her first water polo training session, said she had a great time and it was fantastic to combine exercise with fun. “I had a lot of fun and really felt it working all the muscles in my body. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in a fun, fastpaced sport.”
Zumba, which is currently being run two nights a week, combines new-age Latin and international dance. Some 30 participants attended the first class and all feedback was positive. With the town centre revitalisation currently underway and Tom Price set to expand with land to be auctioned in February and March, residents can now look forward to more dynamic and exciting sports in the town.
Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas in Paraburdoo The Karingal Kid’s Xmas Party and Market Evening was held on December 3and was very well attended by the Paraburdoo Community. The kids enjoyed their Christmas gift bags and a surprise visit from Santa. The markets were also very popular
with the adults providing them with extra things to browse through whilst the children played. Thank you once again to everyone that put in a huge effort volunteering on the day to make the event every bit of the success that it was.
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST Karingal is calling on ALL women that would like to be involved with the running 2011 IWD celebrations. We are looking for women that would like to cook traditional foods, art/craft to display, a product to demonstrate etc. For further information or to register your interest please contact the centre on 9189 5579
All proceeds from this event will be donated to the QLD floods
Paraburdoo Bowling Club The Bowling Club has a membership drive, which will be happening on March 11 and 18 commencing at 6.30pm. For further details contact 9189 5514.
Advertising Enquiries Advertising and news enquiries can be directed to soa@ashburton.wa.gov.au
Rugby Following the recent devastating floods that washed through Queensland and Carnarvon, community support has been evident in the numerous contributions being made. Whether contributions have come through a live telethon appeal or a fund-raiser by a small regional community, every dollar counts. And this is exactly what Tom Price locals Wilson and Kero and Paraburdoo local Spike were talking about when they decided to start a senior
rugby match to raise money for the East Coast flood victims. With three upcoming exhibition games in the pipeline those interested in finding out more should give the guys a call. Wilson said they were still in the process of organising the game and it was in its early stages. They urged communities in Tom Price and Paraburdoo to throw their support behind a great cause. You don’t have to be the next phenomenal rugby player like Sonny Bill Williams
Pannawonica is running a Pink Stumps Day fundraiser to raise money for the McGrath Foundation. Collection tins will be placed around the town and there will be prizes for the best PINK costume at Milo Cricket on February 16. To find out more contact Be Active Officer Liz Phillips on 9184 1038.
to play and anyone from any level is invited to join. For further details please contact Wilson on 0488 699 595 or Kero on 0417 954 134.
Karingal Markets The first Market Day for 2011 will be held on Sunday 27th February from 10.30am to 1.00pm at the Karingal Function Centre. If you would like to book a table or hold a stall please contact the centre on 9189 5579.
If you have an interesting story that you would like to share to do with news, sports or a community event then please send us an email accompanied by any photos and we would be more than happy to include this in an upcoming edition of Inside Ashburton
As this is a small newsletter and there is only limited space, priority will be given to the businesses/not-for profit groups that get their advertising and news stories in first. Please contact us soon to avoid missing out. If you would like a copy of the advertising rate card please visit www.ashburton.wa.gov.au.
Newsletter Drops The Shire of Ashburton is supporting the community by giving a different not-for-profit group from each town, every month the chance to deliver its newsletter. If you would like to find out more please contact the Shire of Ashburton for further details Thanks to Karingal Neighbourhood Centre Inc and everyone else who helped to make this edition of Inside Ashburton possible.
Administration Centre Poinciana St, Tom Price WA 6751 (PO Box 567) P) 08 9188 4444 F) 08 9189 2252 E) soa@ashburton.wa.gov.au W) www.ashburton.wa.gov.au
Disclaimer This newsletter is for general information purposes only. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Shire of Ashburton. The Shire has taken all measures to ensure the contents in this publication is correct, however it accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or the completeness of the material. Readers are advised not to rely solely on this information when making any decision. The Shire of Ashburton reserves the right to change the publication as it sees fit. The Shire of Ashburton disclaims any responsibility or duty of care towards any person for loss or damage suffered as a result of this newsletter. Copyright The contents of this newsletter are subject to copyright under the laws of Australia. The copyright in materials in this newsletter as a whole is owned by the Shire of Ashburton. Third parties may own the copyright in some materials incorporated into this newsletter. In reference to the Copyright Act 1968 , please feel free to reproduce parts of this newsletter for personal, educational or any other non-commercial purposes, provided that the Shire is aware of this.