Author: Matt Fanning

Thursday, 26 March 2020

 Pursuant to Regulation 12 (3) of the Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996, notice is hereby given that a Special Meeting of the Shire of Mingenew Council is to be held on Thursday, 26 March 2020, commencing at 5.30 pm in Council Chambers at the Shire Offices, Victoria St.

The purpose of the meeting is to consider emergency management actions in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The agenda is available from the Shire’s website.

Nils Hay

Chief Executive Officer

26 March 2020

We are providing assistance to members of the community facing unprecedented challenges and increasing isolation due to COVID-19.

The ‘We’ll Help You in Mingenew’ initiative aims to support our residents at high risk of being impacted by the threats of COVID-19, including seniors, people with a disability, and those with other risk factors. Through this initiative, we can support those who are impacted by COVID-19 as well as those doing their part to protect the community by self-isolating.

You can download the flyer right here.

Want to help?

We are looking for volunteers to help those who are socially isolated in our local community or self-isolating to assist to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Mingenew. Whether it’s helping someone with their grocery shopping, picking up the mail, checking in with the occasional phone call or another form of help – any little assistance you can offer will go a long way for someone in need.

Call the CRC on 9928 1264, email mingtel@wn.com.au or the Shire on 08 9928 1102, or email cdo@mingenew.wa.gov.au to register as a volunteer and we will help to connect you with those requiring assistance.

All we require is your name, phone number and an indication of the tasks you can assist with. This might include:

• Phone check-in­­s
• Pick up/drop off groceries, mail, medication or other supplies
• Dog walking
• Donation of consumables (e.g. canned food, toilet paper)
• Anything else you think would help

When volunteering your time, please remember that COVID-19 is contagious. Please take every precaution to ensure you are spreading only kindness. Avoid physical contact, maintain social distancing protocols, wash your hands regularly and regularly clean any delivery vehicle you are using.

Do you need help?

Are you self-isolating, planning to, or generally in need of assistance? Please contact us and we will match you up with available volunteers.

If it’s information you are chasing, head over to our COVID-19 page for a range of helpful links and details relating to COVID-19, including plenty of local information.

Message from the Shire President

The year is off to a very good start, we have received some welcome soaking rain and – almost counter-intuitively – $500,000 of Federal funding through the Drought Communities Program. Over the coming weeks and months Council will be deliberating on the best way to utilise that funding to drive the aims of our Strategic Community Plan and provide positive outcomes for the Shire.

Potential projects were among the topics for discussion at a recent half-day strategic planning session held by Councillors and senior staff. With both population and economic growth key aims, and significant challenges, identified by last year’s Strategic Community Plan it was helpful to devote some time to examining our current project pipeline and service delivery with a view to ensuring it helps to support our aspirations for the community.

Our local businesses are a key part of the long-term wellbeing of Mingenew, and I know that our CEO and CDO have been holding some workshops with local business-owners to discuss how our business community, and the Shire, can work more collaboratively for the common benefit. This conversation was happening at the same time that Starick Tyres – a long-running Mingenew business – changed hands. On behalf of the Council, I want to thank Rick and Linley Starick for the contribution they have made to Mingenew over their many years of operation. I also want to welcome Fred and Lisa, the new owners of Mingenew Tyre Services, to Mingenew and wish them the success and support that the Staricks enjoyed.

– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads

Sealing crews have completed works on the Yandanooka North East and two sections of Coalseam Road. Further construction works on Coalseam road are planned for completion during mid-late March, followed by the completion of construction and sealing works on Mingenew-Mullewa Road in late March-early April (barring any further significant rain events).

Mingenew Skate Park

The working group for the Mingenew Skate Park met recently. The next step in the project is that some draft ‘mud map’ style designs will be created and disseminated for public feedback.

Electors’ Annual General Meeting

Council held its Annual General Meeting of electors on 10 February 2020. We would like to thank those who attended and participated in the meeting. You can view the minutes for the meeting online here.

Small Business Meetings

The Shire’s CEO and Community Development Officer recently held a series of meetings with local small business owners. “Making Business Easy in Mingenew” is one of the five pillars of the Shire’s Strategic Community Plan 2019-2029 and we were keen to find out about the barriers to growth local businesses are experiencing and how the Shire can assist. It was also an opportunity to discuss the impact of the Shire’s ongoing marketing, as well as the possibility of reviving Mingenew’s Business Alliance.

Surveys have been sent to business owners who were unable to attend (if you haven’t received one please contact Margaret Rowe – click here) and a summary of the meeting and survey outcomes will be distributed once the surveying process is complete.

Fire Season Reminder

Please be aware that we are no in a Restricted Burning period (until 15 March 2020). As such, permits are required for all burning up to this point. After that, we ask everyone to exercise due caution when conducting burning off activities. To arrange a permit, contact the Shire’s Chief Bushfire Control Officer, Murray Thomas, on 9928 1122 or 0428 281 157. Please click here for more information.

Mosquito Activity

Following recent rain, Shire officers will be testing and treating standing water for mosquito larvae. If you are have issues with mosquitos at your property, please let the Shire know (visit the office, call 9928 1102 or email enquiries@mingenew.wa.gov.au) so that we can investigate and treat the issue. If required, we will issue public notices and conduct a program of fogging.

Scrap Metal Clean-up

The Shire is arranging for the free pick-up and disposal of any unwanted or abandoned vehicles, machinery or scrap metal. They don’t just look untidy, they also make great homes for vermin and breeding sites for mosquitoes. If you have some at your place, contact our CDO Margaret Rowe (9928 1102 or cdo@mingenew.wa.gov.au) for more information and to arrange a pick-up.  (And if your neighbours have some, make sure they know about this service!)

Free Stargazing Event

The Shire, in conjunction with Astrotourism WA, will be holding a free stargazing event at Yandanooka Hall starting at 6.30 in the evening of 28 March 2020. The event will include presentations on astronomy and there will be telescopes set up to view a whole range of celestial objects. If you have a telescope or binoculars bring them along, if not just bring along some picnic gear! You can find all the details on the Shire website here.

Mingenew Races

The Mingenew Races are taking place on Saturday 14 March 2020. The day will include Fashions on the Field, children’s entertainment, evening entertainment, TAB, food and drink and – of course – some great thoroughbred racing! Head over to the Turf Club’s Facebook page for more details.

CheckMate Men’s Health

CheckMate will be holding “A Night with the Blokes” in Mingenew on 17 March 2020. This workshop, facilitated by Tomorrow Man aims to get men talking and explore ways they can look after themselves, their mates and their families. You can find out more on the Checkmate website.

Land and Housing Audit

Council is conducting an audit of available (for sale or rent) housing and land in and around Mingenew. If you own a house or land which is vacant, your input would be incredibly valuable. You can complete the survey online here or pick one up at our front counter.

Town Planning Scheme

After many months of development, consultation and review, the Shire of Mingenew’s Local Planning Scheme No. 4 has now been completed and received Ministerial endorsement. You can find out more about the Scheme, as well as download a range of planning and development forms and documents from the Shire website. A hard copy is also available for viewing at the Shire office.

Road Condition Reports

As the wet weather comes in, the Shire will update the status of its roads on its website (click here) and Facebook page. You can also subscribe to be added to our text message service by completing the registration form at the Shire Office or downloading it from this webpage.

We ask that – when it is wet – motorists avoid non-essential travel on our unsealed roads, as this can cause damage to our road network, and diverts resources away from our ongoing road improvement efforts.

Marketing Report

As you will have likely noticed, the Shire has spent significant resources and effort on the marketing of the Shire. To give an idea of the impact that is having, we have prepared a report which can be downloaded from the Shire website (click here) or obtained from the Shire administration office.

Service Outages

The recent weather brought with it some power, telephone/internet and TV service outages. Unfortunately, these are not services that the Local Government has any control over. Should you experience these at any stage, please report it directly to the service providers:

Western Power:         13 13 51 or visit https://westernpower.com.au/faqs/outages/

Telstra:                        13 22 03 or visit https://outages.telstra.com.au/

COVID-19

Council is keeping a close eye on developments as COVID-19 spreads. At this stage, we have not chosen to make any changes to our current operations or scheduled events, but we continue to monitor this ever-evolving process and take advice from government and health care professionals.

During this time, we urge people to remain alert – but calm – and to seek their advice and information from reputable sources, such as:

• The HealthyWA website – this site has regularly updated information on COVID clinics and current advice.
• Commonwealth Department of Health – contains a number of fact sheets to answer the many questions that are currently being asked by the broader community and different industries including advice for employers,
• WA State Government Coronavirus Page – includes the WA Government Pandemic Plan

Council Meeting Review

The first Council Meeting of the year took place on 19 February 2020.

In addition to a number of procedural items, including the adoption of the Shire’s Freedom of Information Statement and review of the WA Local Government Association’s State Council Agenda, Council also considered several land-related matters:

• A proposal from a land-owner to purchase several blocks in the Mingenew townsite was declined
• Council will be commencing formal negotiations with a rural land-holder to purchase some land in order to complete the realignment of the Yandanooka North East-Mingenew Morawa Road intersection
• Council will formalise arrangements with the Mingenew P&C around the ‘cropping block’ behind the school that was bequeathed to the ‘children of Mingenew’ over 60 years ago. Among other things, the new arrangement will mean the P&C will no longer pay rates on the land.

For all the details, you can check the minutes on the Shire website right here.

 

We are sometimes asked about what Council spends its marketing budget on, the impact and reach that it has, and the results and feedback that we see from this. To help provide some greater detail around this, we have prepared a brief report relating to our 2019 marketing activities.

You can download it by clicking here.

Message from the Shire President

Whilst harvest may have finished earlier than we all would have liked, December was still a busy month for many of us. At the Shire, the first couple of weeks featured renewed interest in our space industry, as Capricorn Space – the newest commercial satellite tracking operator in our region – officially opened their facility. The opening both put the spotlight on Mingenew’s space industry, whilst also giving many Councillors a crash course in our radio quiet zone, the existing operators in the sector and the importance of continuing to work with the State Government for infrastructure upgrades to help the sector grow.

As we move into a new year, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who contributed to the betterment of both the Shire and Community of Mingenew over 2019; our Councillors, staff and community members – all of whom work hard to help make Mingenew what it is.

I would particularly like to highlight the work of all our Shire employees; much of the work they do is unseen and – as with many public institutions or utility providers – we usually only notice (and give feedback) when things go wrong. For every pothole though, there are long stretches of upgraded and maintained roads. For every weed, there are numerous maintained lawns and gardens. For every administrative oversight there are countless transactions and interactions which happen seamlessly. For all the good work that often goes unacknowledged, I say thank you.

 – Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads

Dean Contracting have commenced widening works on Yandanooka North East Road (south of the Yandanooka-Morawa Road intersection) early in the New Year. This work should be completed and sealed by the end of January.

We will be continuing works on Coalseam Road, and then moving to Mingenew-Mullewa Road through January and February.

Mingenew Christmas Tree

Thanks to all the volunteers who came together to put on this year’s Mingenew Christmas Tree. Despite a few last-minute changes to try to deal with the scorching heat, the event was well-attended and enjoyed. Like many events in the Shire, without our generous and dedicated volunteers, events like this would not be anywhere near as successful.

Capricorn Space Opening

This month saw the opening of our newest Space Industry business, Capricorn Space. Whilst over 40 years old and nationally (even internationally) significant, Mingenew’s space industry is still relatively unknown. This event shone a spotlight on the sector, and helped to highlight some of the challenges that we face in continuing to grow it. You can read more in this ABC article.

Waste Transfer Station

Tenders will be called shortly for the management of Mingenew’s Transfer Station. Whilst no changes are anticipated until April 2020, the commencement of more formal transfer station activities will see changes to how and when we can access the landfill and dump waste.

This follows the community consultation which took place through the second half of 2019, and the feedback from that consultation has been factored into the future operations of the waste facility. Whilst we will seek to minimise any inconvenience to residents and ratepayers, the evolving environmental requirements and associated costs with managing a compliant waste facility continue to grow – and the impacts of dumping of waste from outside of the Shire (to avoid increased regulation elsewhere) have left us with little alternative to change our practices.

Council Meeting Review

At the December Council Meeting Council adopted its 2018-19 Annual Report. This document can now be viewed on the here. It captures our audited annual financials, as well as a range of reports regarding the activities of the Shire over the previous financial year, including where we are allocating our budget and how we are working towards achieving our Strategic Community Plan goals.

At the meeting we also adopted our Ordinary Council Meeting Dates for 2020. As per this year, Ordinary Council Meetings will take place from 4.30pm on the third Wednesday of every month (except January). For a full list of dates, click here.

Council also elected to make two small land purchases in Mingenew; one to correct a past planning issue and another to give the Shire ownership of the lot which houses our Fire Shed. This is necessary for us to seek funding to make future improvements to the Shed.

Fire Season Reminder

Speaking of the Fire Shed, with more hot, dry weather ahead of us, please ensure that you are prepared in the event of a fire. If you haven’t already, please ensure you have a bushfire plan in place for you and your family. You can find more information on bushfire plans and a range of helpful tips on the Department of Fire and Emergency Services website here.

Annual General Meeting of Electors

With the completion of our Annual Report, we have also scheduled our AGM of Electors. The meeting will take place at 6.00 PM on Monday 10 February 2020 at the Council Chambers. The purpose of the meeting and order of business for matters to be discussed at the meeting are firstly, the contents of the 2018/19 Annual Report and then any other general business.

Questions from Electors are welcome and may be submitted in advance to ensure a timely and accurate response can be provided. For further information please contact the Shire on (08) 9928 1102.

Shire Contact Lists

With fire season upon us, we will be utilising the Shire’s text message service as well as social media to alert people to any incidents. If you have not already registered for our public messaging database, we suggest that you do so to receive the latest updates. You can simply contact the Shire or visit our website:  Click here and view the Public Communications tab.

Happy New Year

Lastly, but certainly not least, we hope that everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas and want to wish you all a Happy New Year. Thanks to everyone who has taken part in our various community consultation efforts through 2019, thanks to all the volunteers throughout the community who give their time to the betterment of the Shire, and thanks to everyone who supports our efforts. We look forward to working for you and with you in 2020.

An Annual General Meeting of Electors is scheduled to be held on Monday 10 February 2020 in the Council Chambers, 21 Victoria Street, Mingenew, commencing at 6.00 pm.

The purpose of the meeting and order of business for matters to be discussed at the meeting are firstly, the contents of the 2018/19 Annual Report and then any other general business.
A copy of the 2018/19 Annual Report is available from the Shire’s website (click here), from the Shire Administration Office at 21 Victoria Street, Mingenew, or by emailing governance@mingenew.wa.gov.au.

Questions from Electors are welcome and may be submitted in advance to ensure a timely and accurate response can be provided. For further information please contact the Shire on (08) 9928 1102.

2020 COUNCIL MEETING DATES

In accordance with Regulation 12 of the Local Government Act (Administration) Regulations 1996, notice is given of the Ordinary Council Meetings for the Shire of Mingenew.

Ordinary Council Meetings commence at 4.30pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend. All meetings are held at the Shire of Mingenew Administration Building (21 Victoria Street Mingenew) unless otherwise advertised.

Meetings take place on the third Wednesday of each month, except January, as per the following schedule:

• January: No Meeting
• February 19^th 2020
• March 18^th 2020
• April 15^th 2020
• May 20^th 2020
• June 17^th 2020
• July 15^th 2020
• August 19^th 2020
• September 16^th 2020
• October 21^st 2020
• November 18^th 2020
• December 16^th  2020

Should you require information regarding items on the agenda, the procedure for Public Question Time or to arrange a deputation, please call the Shire on 08 9928 1102, send us an email or visit the Shire website.

Message from the Shire President

As the newly-elected Shire President, firstly I want to acknowledge my fellow Councillors – to thank Helen Newton for the work that she did as outgoing President, to congratulate Bert Newton on his re-election as Deputy President, and to welcome Justin Bagley back in his second term. I also want to welcome our newest Councillors: Anthony Smyth, Hellene McTaggart and Carol Farr.

It is encouraging to see a new generation of community-minded people putting their hands up to join the Council here in Mingenew; they represent the future of our Shire and I look forward to working with them and – where I can – helping them to develop the skills and confidence to lead well into the future. Ultimately, we are all here for the betterment of our Shire and community, so it is important to me that we have a committed team working effectively now but also that we are laying the foundations for long-term strength.

I am also keen to focus on the ongoing economic development of our Shire during my term – through the encouragement of new business development and supporting the growth of existing business and industry. As part of this I also want to ensure that we are receiving adequate funding to deliver on key infrastructure. In my role as Chair of the Mid West Regional Road Group I am made very aware of the challenges local governments can face in securing critical road funding, so I am keen to ensure that the Shire of Mingenew is receiving its fair share, and spending it effectively.

Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

 

Roads

Work on the current Coalseam Road widening project continues and we hope to be in a position to seal before Christmas or shortly thereafter. A second, smaller, widening and sealing project will commence during December at the southern entrance to the Conservation Park. In the New Year, following the work on Coalseam, we also plan to complete and seal the open gravel section on Mingenew-Mullewa Road.

Our maintenance grader continues to travel across the Shire. At the time of writing, we have just finished along Scroops Road and will be heading south to Mooriary and Yandanooka West Roads from there.

Mingenew Skate Park

Thanks to everyone who provided submissions regarding the Mingenew Skate Park. Our working group will be meeting early in December to talk through them and progress the project. We will provide future updates through our usual channels. It is hoped that this project will not only lead to an upgrade of the skate park facility, but also a general review and improvement of the various play areas throughout the Mingenew townsite.

Annual Audit

Council recently completed its annual external audit. This process has become more rigorous recently, as the Office of the Auditor General has assumed responsibility for the auditing of the local government sector in Western Australia. This has added additional external audit costs and required greater internal resourcing as the audit scope and level of detail has increased. In light of this increased rigour, we are very happy to report an unqualified audit opinion for our 2018-19 financial statements. In addition, no management items were identified by our auditors to be addressed. This outstanding result reflects the hard work of the Shire’s finance team, as well as a strong focus from both Management and Council on improved governance practices.

Men’s Shed AGM

The Mingenew Men’s Shed recently held their first meeting in some time, electing a new management committee to oversee the Shed recommencing operations. The Shire has been working with the group to make some minor upgrades to power and safety infrastructure in the Shed, and to seek assistance from Men’s Sheds WA in supporting our local group to get back up and running. The new committee consists of Bill Bain (President), Jim Pascoe (Deputy President), Neal Boonzaaier (Treasurer) and Verity Ryan (Secretary).

You can contact the Shire for more information on the Shed, and we will be happy to put you in touch with members should you wish to join and make use of the facility.

Fire Season Reminder

There have been several recent fires within the Shire and more hot, dry weather ahead of us. If you haven’t already, please ensure you have a bushfire plan in place for you and your family. You can find more information on bushfire plans and a range of helpful tips on the Department of Fire and Emergency Services website here.

Shire Equipment Theft

We are disappointed to report that during the night of Sunday 1 December locks were broken on Shire equipment being used for the Coalseam Road works, with fuel and a battery stolen. The Police are investigating and have some leads; it’s believed that the offenders were in a white vehicle towing a trailer. It is also likely the white vehicle has a large scratch down one side. As Shire assets, this equipment belongs to the ratepayers of Mingenew, so we ask – should you ever see something suspicious – that you report it to the Shire or the Police.

Telecommunications Issues

We have had some reports from local residents regarding service dropouts on their phones and internet services. We are conscious of the need of reliable telecommunications for operating of farming businesses, emergency services communications and general day-to-day modern living. We are passing this information to Telstra to try to have issues examined and rectified. If you are experiencing issues, please let us know and we will gladly pass that information on. To assist, please let us know the type of problem you are experiencing and the address/location.

Council Meeting Review

As the first Council Meeting following the recent election, there were a number of important procedural matters to address at the November Council Meeting. Chief among these was the election of a President and Deputy President. Through the secret ballot process, Gary Cosgrove was elected President over Helen Newton four votes to three and Robert Newton was re-elected as Deputy President unopposed. Congratulations again to both appointees, and thanks to Helen Newton for her hard work and guidance during her term as President.

In addition to the election of the President and Deputy President roles, there are a number of committees that Councillors are members of, and these were filled over the course of the meeting. Those appointments were as follows:

• Audit and Risk Committee: Cr R Newton (Chair), Cr A Smyth, Cr H McTaggart and Mr Maurice Battilana (external member)
• WALGA Northern Country Zone Delegates: Cr G Cosgrove and Cr J Bagley, with Cr C Farr as proxy delegate.
• Joint Development Assessment Panel: Cr G Cosgrove, Cr C Farr and Cr J Bagley, with Cr H Newton as proxy.
• North Midlands Regional Road Group: Cr G Cosgrove and Cr J Bagley, with Cr A Smyth as proxy.
• WA’s Wildflower Country Incorporated: Cr C Farr, with Community Development Officer and Chief Executive Officer as proxies.
• Mingenew CRC Management Committee: Cr H McTaggart and the Community Development Officer, with Cr H Newton as proxy.
• Mingenew Silver Chain Branch Committee: Cr H McTaggart and the Community Development Officer, with Cr C Farr as proxy.
• Mingenew Tourist and Promotions Committee: Cr C Farr and the Community Development Officer, with Cr A Smyth as proxy.
• Shire of Mingenew Bushfire Advisory Committee: Cr J Bagley with Cr A Smyth as proxy.
• Shire of Mingenew Executive Management Committee: Cr R Newton, Cr G Cosgrove, Cr J Bagley, with Cr H McTaggart as proxy.
• Shire of Mingenew Local Emergency Management Committee: Cr A Smyth (Chair) and the Chief Executive Officer (or his/her nominee), with Cr R Newton as proxy.

The Council Meeting also saw the completion of our current quarter’s Internal Audit project, the development and adoption of a Customer Service Charter for the Shire. This document outlines the type and level of service that we strive to deliver as an organisation to our customers and stakeholders. It also provides information about how members of the public can help us to deliver the kind of service they would like to receive. You can view a copy of the Charter on the Shire’s website here.

Council also received the audited financial statements for 2018-19 and reviewed the draft Annual Report. This document will be finalised and presented at the December Council Meeting for adoption, and a date (likely in February 2020) will be set for the Annual Electors’ Meeting. We will provide an update in next month’s newsletter (or you can check the minutes when they are uploaded to the Shire website here.

Number Plate Changes

From 1 January 2020, the Shire of Mingenew custom logo number plates will be updated to reflect the Shire’s current logo and branding. Vehicle owners are not required to take any action, as any existing plates will remain valid, however new plates issued next year will feature the new logo and “We’ll see you in Mingenew” message.

Shire Christmas Shutdown

A reminder that Christmas is almost upon us! Please be aware that the Shire offices will close for the year on Friday 20 December and reopen on Monday 6 January 2020. During this time there will be a skeleton staff on hand to conduct required maintenance and address any urgent matters, but our offices will be closed. Should you need to contact us during this period, we will have an after-hours phone service operating on the Shire’s regular number (9928 1102). This will allow you to be transferred to and pass messages on to the relevant staff member for urgent matters during the break.

Shire Contact Lists

With fire season upon us, we will be utilising the Shire’s text message service as well as social media to alert people to any incidents. If you have not already registered for our public messaging database, we suggest that you do so to receive the latest updates. You can simply contact the Shire or visit our website; see the Public Communications tab here.

At a Special Council Meeting on Wednesday 20 November 2019, Council elected its President and Deputy President.

The results were as follows:

Shire President:

Gary Cosgrove – 4 votes (Elected)

Helen Newton – 3 votes

Shire Deputy President

Robert Newton – Elected unopposed

President Cosgrove and Deputy President R Newton have been elected to serve until 16 October 2021.

A copy of the election results can be downloaded here.

Thanks go to outgoing Shire President Helen Newton for her hard work and contribution during her time in the role.

Message from the Shire President

We have just sworn in our returning and new Councillors. I am happy to welcome Councillors Carol Farr and Hellene McTaggart, and welcome back Councillors Cosgrove and Bagley. We will be holding the election for Shire President and Deputy President, as well as nominating Councillors for the Shire’s various committees at the November Council meeting.

Our new Councillors will have plenty to sink their teeth into in the coming months, as we take a good look at the Shire’s long-term strategy in a number of key areas. Chief among these will be ensuring that we are on a sustainable financial path moving into the future. Like virtually all small rural local governments, the Shire of Mingenew receives the majority of its income from the State and Federal governments – which are beyond our Council’s ability to control. As such, it’s important that we have clear plans in place to ensure that we are doing the best we can with what is within our sphere of control to manage any future funding challenges or uncertainty.

While a less engaging topic, but nonetheless an important one, I spent some time this month with Shire staff and our insurers going over the performance of our insurance policies. Local Government is self-insured through a large mutual fund in WA, which means that even small Shires like Mingenew can enjoy the economies of scale of our much larger urban counterparts. It has also meant that we have a range of quite specialised insurance in place for the various pieces of infrastructure we manage and the local government-specific activities that we engage in. Increasingly in our modern world, having appropriate insurance cover is a vital part of any business operation and the old attitude of “She’ll be right, mate” is stuck in the past. Whilst this sometimes creates additional hurdles and hoops to jump through, it also means that the Shire’s assets and people are appropriately protected and the risk exposure to our organisation (and by extension, our ratepayers) is minimised.

Lastly, on a much more exciting note, Halloween has just come and gone and I want to recognise the efforts of our local volunteers who helped to arrange the Trick or Treating and Disco at the Sport’s Club. I was really happy to see plenty of kids (and adults) out enjoying themselves in spite of the weather.

– Cr Helen Newton, Shire President

Roads

We are now into one of our major road projects for the year, the widening of around 9km of the Coalseam Road. While this will cause some inconvenience for harvest traffic (which we will seek to minimise as much as possible), it will mean that – upon completion – the vast majority of Coalseam Road south of the Nanekine Rd intersection will be sealed to two lanes wide.

Council has also recently awarded tenders for the widening and sealing of a 2.5km section near the crossing at the entry to the Coalseam Conservation Park, as well as a further 1km of widening and sealing on Yandanooka North East Road. This bulk of this work will take place over the summer months.

Looking forward to 2020/21, we have received funding to widen and seal a further 3km of the Mingenew-Mullewa Road and have been awarded $660,000 to realign the intersection of Yandanooka North-East Road and Mingenew-Morawa Road. The latter project has been in discussion for some time, so this injection of Main Roads funding is welcome to help this project reach completion.

The construction works mean that we only have one grader available for maintenance – and it is making its way through the Strawberry/Mooriary/Depot Hill area at present.

Mingenew Skate Park

As part of the delivery of our 2019-29 Strategic Community Plan, we are looking to improve and consolidate some of the recreational spaces and facilities in town. To assist with this, we will be seeking input from interested community members to upgrade our existing skate park facility on Shenton Street. If you would be interested in being part of the reference group, please contact cdo@mingenew.wa.gov.au or call the Shire on 9928 1102. There will also be an opportunity for general public submissions and feedback to come.

Mingenew Entry Statements

We are also reviewing our town entry statements, as the maintenance required to keep them looking great all year round places stress on limited town crew resources. We will be seeking community feedback and input into the design process, with a view to coming up with something that reflects our Shire, looks good year-round, and requires less upkeep than the current gardens. Stay tuned for more information on this initiative.

Fire Break Management

We have been making a concerted effort to ensure that appropriate firebreaks and clearing have taken place in the Mingenew townsite ahead of the commencement of the prohibited burning period on 1 November 2019. While most residents do a great job in this area, we ask that everyone does their part to reduce the risk of fire spreading throughout the Shire. This includes keeping branches away from buildings, clearing leaf litter from gutters and ensuring that grass is kept short. For more information, visit click here.

Mosquito Control

The Shire has recently been undertaking a range of mosquito control activities in the Mingenew townsite, this includes fogging and the treatment of standing water. By combining these two approaches, which target adults and larva respectively, we hope to be able to break the mosquito breeding cycle. If you are noticing large numbers of mosquitoes on your property, please let us know so that we can assist. The species of mosquito most common in this area rarely travel far, so there is a good chance they are breeding on or near your property. You can find a helpful checklist of things you can do around the home to discourage mosquitos from breeding or bothering you right here.

Council Meeting Review

Several key decisions were made at the October Council Meeting, across a range of areas.

Firstly, Council has agreed to accept several blocks of land, proposed to be gifted back from a ratepayer. Whilst no formal decision has been made on the future of this land, it does have potential for future residential development – by either the Shire or private parties.

Council has also agreed to enter into a lease on the vacant bank building. Following a public expression of interest campaign, the lease will be offered to the Hinterland Collective, a new business which will see a publishing studio, music recording/practice space and small gallery and gift shop house in the building. It is hoped that the new venture will be operational around February 2020.

Another more procedural, but nonetheless important, decision was regarding the adoption of a Debtor Management Policy for the organisation. Under this new policy, after a set period of time, debtors will start to incur interest charges and Council will be stricter in its use of collections agencies to recover unpaid debts. Whilst this is not a major issue for the organisation at present, it is hoped that it will assist to keep the Shire’s cash flow smooth.

Our October meeting was also the final meeting for Councillors Kym McGlinn and Leah Eardley, as they did not re-nominate for the recent election. In November our new Councillors (Carol Farr and Hellene McTaggart), returning Councillors (Gary Cosgrove and Justin Bagley) will be sworn in.

Tourism Update

As we move out of Wildflower Season, we want to recognise all the hard work of the volunteers in the Mingenew Tourism & Promotions Committee who help to keep the visitor centre open every year. It has been another busy year for the centre, and we have received a lot of positive feedback about the centre, its volunteers and the town as a whole.  Thank you to all!

As we move into the summer months, the Shire is looking to shift focus from wildflowers to stargazing and astrotourism. This is still a fledgling niche in the local tourism industry, but one that we believe Mingenew is in a good position to take advantage of. We are already in the planning stages for some stargazing events around March or April 2020.

Shire Christmas Shutdown

Christmas is less than two months away! We wanted to get in early to let you know that the Shire offices will close for the year on Friday 20 December and reopen on Monday 6 January 2020. During this time there will be a skeleton staff on hand to conduct required maintenance and address any urgent matters, but our offices will be closed.

Shire Contact Lists

With fire season upon us, we will be utilising the Shire’s text message service as well as social media to alert people to any incidents. If you have not already registered for our public messaging database, we suggest that you do so to receive the latest updates. You can simply contact the Shire or visit this webpage. (see the Public Communications tab).

The Shenton Street Skate Park is in need of upgrading; something that was identified during the development of our Community Strategic Plan 2019-2029.  The Skate Park itself still gets a lot of use from the youth in Mingenew and if the area is made more inviting it would encourage more outdoor recreational activities for our young community members.

We are looking for several interested community members to form a committee for this project; ideally those who currently or historically have made use of the skate park and surrounding recreational facilities.  If you would like to join the committee and assist in bringing this project to fruition, please contact the shire and put forward your interest.

Alternatively, if you simply would like to make a submission, we would love to hear from you. You can download the submission form right here.

What is Planned?

Nothing is ‘set in concrete’ yet; but as the concrete slab of the skate park is still in reasonable condition it can potentially be retained with a facelift and an upgrade of modules.

The area between the Skate Park and Cecil Newton Park could potentially also be used for some outdoor recreation activity/Playground. This would align with the shire’s Strategic Community Plan (2.4) and the Corporate Business Plan (2.4.2 e) “Improve amenity & function of local playgrounds, including Shenton Street Skate Park to support outdoor recreation activities for local youth.”

Some other initial ideas include:

• Repair/upgrade of the Skate Park’s existing modules
• Upgrade/repair of concrete slab itself
• Addition of shade sails
• Addition of more skate modules for the area.
• Installation of picnic shelter table and chair sets
• Plant fast-growing (shade trees)
• Potential for installation of additional playground with soft fall (to allow for longer-term consolidation of the town’s playgrounds)

Have your say!

We will be taking submissions up to 4.00pm Friday 22 November 2019. Please download the form, or come into the Shire office to request one so that you can put your ideas forward.

In response to recent increases in mosquito activity, there Shire will be engaging in a mosquito control program.

This will include:

1. Treatment of standing water with a larvicide to kill mosquito larvae (‘wrigglers’)
2. Fogging to control the adult population. To minimise impact on residents this will take place at dusk (when they are most active) from the week starting 14 October 2019. Fogging will only be intermittent and dependent upon wind and weather conditions

By utilising these methods in tandem – controlling adults and larvae – it is possible to break the mosquito breeding cycle and significantly reduce their population.

How Can I Help?

Are mosquitos a problem at your place? They rarely travel far, so it is likely they are living and breeding on or near your property. We suggest you:

1. Empty out standing water that they could breed in
2. Tidy up any debris which might be serving as a breeding ground
3. Let us know! We can help treat standing water on or near your property which might be serving as a breeding ground that can’t be emptied out

You can contact the Shire on 9928 1102 or email enquiries@mingenew.wa.gov.au to report mosquito problem areas.

What Products Do You Use?

We use a Pyrethrin-based fogging agent and the granules are a formulation of bacteria specifically targeted to control mosquito larvae. We are aware of community concerns following previous fogging efforts and have made great effort to ensure that the products we use are as safe as possible for residents and pets, whilst also being effective against mosquitos.

None of our products are considered hazardous by Work Safe Australia. That said, it is not advisable to inhale the vapour when fogging is taking place.

What Else Can I Do to Control Mosquitos?

If you would like to know more, go to the Department of Health’s website to learn more about how you can protect yourself and your family.