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Volume 14, Thursday, October 5, 2017
7/7: a positive change T
he seven days on, seven days off (7/7) roster, along with an increase in employment and production at Olympic Dam, has combined to bring an air of positivity to Roxby Downs and surrounds. That’s the message from a range of local stakeholders The Monitor spoke with for this week’s edition.
After being implemented on 15 August last year, BHP’s 7/7 roster has now been in place for more than a year. Although there were some initial concerns that it would encourage a greater number of staff to commute to Roxby Downs instead of living in the town, the flow-on effects of new people relocating to Roxby Downs are being are being noticed throughout the community.
Local mortgage adviser Joanne Dillon described it as a “breath of life being breathed back into the town”. “People are seeing it as a positive thing and are now deciding to live in Roxby, call it a home, buy a house and call it their own,” she said. Roxby Council Chief Executive Roy Blight said he believed the roster provided more flexibility for employees, enabling them to spend
their days off with their families, studying, or exploring recreational activities within the town. And chair of the Roxby Downs Community Board and Business Forum and local business owner Sandy Sumsion, noted that a range of local businesses and education providers appeared busier.
FULL REPORT – PAGE 3.
Scouts’ own land at last!
Celebrating the Roxby Downs Scout Group’s big step towards finally building their own hall this week were (back), Roy Blight (Roxby Council), Rebecca Cooke (Roxbylink), local scouts Logan Casserly, Scott Gaskin, (middle) Alex Runge, Adam Malm (Roxby Downs Golf Club), Michelle Casserly, Cherie Gaskin and (front) Joanna and Abigail Runge, with Brock and Brodie Gaskin.
I
n a major breakthrough, the Roxby Downs Scouts Group (RDSG) looks to be one step closer to building their very own hall – at last. Roxby Council last week approved a proposal for land to be allocated to Scouts SA on the Roxby Downs Golf Club lease, next to the Country Fire Service shed on Olympic Way. The land is council-owned and currently leased to the golf club,
and the new agreement will pave the way for the local scouts to move forward with their longheld dream of constructing their own facility. After fire destroyed the original Roxby Downs Scout Group hall around 20 years ago, the group has not had its own space and has been meeting in the Roxby Downs Community Church building in recent years. While it’s still early days, with
the finer details now to be worked out, it’s great news according to RDSG leader Scott “Yak” Gaskin. “It still needs to have all of the final legalities sorted, but it looks to be going through,” he said. “It’s excellent news, we have been trying for years to find a suitable piece of land.” The scouts would look to build a hall with facilities including a kitchen, toilets, meeting rooms and storage, as well as a
much-needed outdoor area with a fire pit and barbecue. Mr Gaskin said the new hall would enable his group to grow its identity and presence locally, as well as having somewhere to display memorabilia. Roxby Downs Scout Group secretary Michelle Casserly said the group had been trying to find a home of its own since reforming in 2006. “It is with relief that we have
reached a tangible first step in the process of achieving our own hall,” she said. “The RDSG is grateful and acknowledges the community church for allowing us the use of their hall for the past 11 years.” Roxby Downs Golf Club President Adam Malm said he was very pleased the council had approved the lease of the land to the scouts. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2