February 11, 2015 Free Community News of Walpole, Nornalup, Peaceful Bay & Bow Bridge Proudly published in litter-free Walpole Walpole says: Thanks firies! Good men & women To lead this edition of the Walpole Weekly, we are proud to relay messages of gratitude that members of the Walpole & Districts community are so keen to convey to our firefighters and support crews; from heartfelt letters to the editor, and an anonymous paid classified ad, through to a booked and bought full-page space thanking the personal sacrifice of members of the Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. Good men and women true stepped out that day (Wednesday), booted up and helmeted. Good men and women true bowed heads that day and prayed, “Good Lord save!” That night, “He covered the heaven with cloud and prepared rain for the earth,” Psalm 147:8. Good men and women true we applaud your brave efforts against the bushfires ravaging our great southern forests. Thanksgiving prayers were offered at St George’s Walpole on Sunday last and prayers continue for the firefighters battling on . —Geoffrey Newby Selfless sacrifice The Walpole Volunteer Bushfire Brigade would like to express its heartfelt thanks to the selfless volunteers who have assisted in fighting the ongoing bushfires in Northcliffe and North Walpole. Members have worked relentlessly, often at significant personal financial cost, to protect property and life far from their own homes. — Anthony Thompson, Captain, Walpole Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade See his full letter of thanks on page 6 Good call An image shared by a wife and mother of her partner leaving home for his fourth callout last week. Reproduced with the permission of the Association of Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades of WA I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to all the firies who so bravely and successfully defended our town from last week's fire; in particular those who made the call to build containment lines on Beardmore and Ordinance Roads. Once the post-mortems are (Continued on page 5) Walpole Weekly Published by Walpole Community Resource Centre (Inc) Latham Ave. (PO Box 197), Walpole, WA 6398 Phone (08) 9840 1395 Fax (08) 9840 1394 Email: [email protected] Web: www.Walpole.org.au DISTRIBUTION: 450 print copies + online at Walpole.org.au DEADLINE for all advertisements, stories and pictures is 10 am each Monday at [email protected]; news Items are included solely at Editor’s discretion. Announcements, notices of meeting etc will be treated as paid advertisements unless they have particular news value. 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INVOICE issued at the beginning of the month after publication SUBSCRIPTION per calendar year (post) $ 55 INTERNET: All editions of the Walpole Weekly can be downloaded from Walpole.org.au (follow the links). DISCLAIMER: The Management Committee takes no responsibility for the content of contributions and any views expressed are those of the contributor. Weather Temperatures and rainfall for Sunday February 1 to Saturday February 7, 2015 Temperatures Min Max mm Sunday 16.0 29.3 0.6 Monday 17.8 33.7 0.6 Tuesday 21.4 36.6 0 Wednesday 22.5 38.5 0 Thursday 17.9 26.9 0 Friday 16.3 24.0 1.4 Saturday 13.9 23.7 0 Total rainfall for the week Sources: www.bom.gov.au; www.willyweather.com.au Times to Remember Walpole Waste Transfer Station Tuesday and Thursday 1 - 5; Sunday 9 - 5 Peaceful Bay Tip Wednesday 9 - 1; Sunday 1 - 4.30 Library ph: 9840 1108 Wednesday 9 - 12 and 1 - 3.30 Friday 9 - 12 and 1 - 3.30 Saturday 9 -12 Walpole Op Shop Monday—Friday 9.30 - 11.30 and Saturday 10 -1 Submit your friends’ and family members’ birthdays to the editor at [email protected] Corner Vista and Pier Streets Contact: Rev Sue Lodge-Calvert Telephone: 9848 2173 Website: www.denmarkanglican.org.au 2 - February 11, 2015 2.6 Forecast for the next five days: St George’s Anglican Church Walpole Holy Communion Sunday 10am. Rainfall Feb 11 Feb 13 Feb 14 Feb 16 Judy Svenson Sammy Ward Nathan Lane Neville Brass, Cooper Masters Calendar of Events Date Details Feb 11 Business After Hours @ Walpole CRC with Bendigo Bank Income Tax , BAS & FBT Returns Financial Statement Tax Planning & Advice Bookkeeping set up & training Mobile Service available 12 Seniors Computer Club resumes @ Walpole CRC, 1:00 pm 17 Farm support seminar 1-3pm @ Manjimup CRC, 45 Rose St 28 ‘Thank You Fireys’ Red Balloon Day Feb 28- Walpole in the Trees Regatta Mar 1 incorporating the 2015 Moth State Titles Mar 6 Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” Westlink Simulcast @ Walpole CRC Apr 2 Last day of term 1 @ Walpole Primary School Oct 3 Live Life with Relish Festival Important Deadlines OP-SHOP Manji grants Community project applications by Feb 13. Community groups and not-for-profit applications for Shire of Manjimup community grants by 4 pm Mar 27. WA heritage Nominations for the Western Australian Heritage Awards close Feb 20. Herring limits New herring bag limits of 12 per angler per day from Mar 1. Farm finance Applications for the Farm Finance Concessional Loan Scheme close on Apr 30. Hard waste Walpole hard waste collection May 25. Walpole Quality Meats Support us. We do support you! Disaster relief fund Walpole Community Resource Centre has a disaster relief bank account set up to facilitate the consolidation and distribution of cash donations from the Walpole & Districts community to victims of the bushfires via the Shire of Manjimup. Our friendly teller at the Bendigo Bank Agency can facilitate that for you. Opening hours for the Agency are Tuesday-Friday, 9:30am-3:00pm. Donation tins are also around town. Online The Walpole Weekly has a new home on the World Wide Web at the newly redeveloped Walpole.org.au. A free email subscription is available to those who want to download the full-colour PDF version of the Weekly as soon as it is published. Visit www.Walpole.org.au/subscribe to subscribe. It’s greener! For every three confirmed email addresses subscribed, the Weekly will reduce its print run by one copy! :-) www.Walpole.org.au/subscribe Corrections Feb 4 At the time of writing of “Alex, Monty honoured on Australia Day” in the Walpole Weekly, February 4 edition, Emergency Services Medallist Alex Williams was not fighting fires in Northcliffe. He was fighting fires in Boddington. And he has been involved in volunteer emergency services nationally since 1971. The cover story of that same edition was not written on Feb 4. It was, of course, written in the afternoon of Feb 3 moments before the newspaper went to print. February 11, 2015 -3 Letters and contributions to the The Walpole Weekly is YOUR newspaper; published by the community for the community. There is so much going on that it is impossible for the Community Resource Centre to cover it all for you. You can help us with words: If you’re on a committee or in a club, let us know what happened at your big event. If you've witnessed something amusing, dramatic, unusual or eventful, jot it down for us. If you’re an expert in a particular subject or a close follower of politics, sports, books, music, or anything else, we welcome your idea for a regular column. If you’ve written a joke, poem or a very short story we’d love to share it with the community. If you think you can’t write, you probably can; and of course we will edit and proofread it! And you can help us with pictures (and captions): If you’ve attended an event send us your snaps (please identify all the people in them). If you’ve caught a huge whiting or seen a ghost in Pioneer Park, send us your pictorial proof. Submit your contributions and ideas for stories and columns to [email protected]. 4 - February 11, 2015 The Walpole Weekly values freedom of expression and welcomes contributions and feedback from readers via letter or email on any topic of community interest: 1) All content submitted for publication must provide full name and contact details. 2) If the writer wishes to remain anonymous, the words “Name withheld by request” will be used in the byline. 3) Any content published will be done so without alteration—except to enhance flow, clarity, spelling, and grammar—therefore the writer should carefully check facts and consider their choice of words. 4) Should content be deemed by the Editor to be too long, incomprehensible, libelous, illegal, or incite a sensitive issue, then it will not be published. 5) In the case of content being rejected, the writer/s will be notified of the decision by the Editor. 6) Should the writer dispute the Editor’s decision they should take it up in writing with the Management Committee of Walpole CRC. 7) The Management Committee will make the final decision on whether or not to publish the content in the next available edition of the Weekly. (Continued from page 1) done it could emerge that this decision saved the lives and properties of many people living in the bush in and around North Walpole Road, and perhaps even our town. Thankyou, you brave bunch! — Louis Beckerling THANK YOU A big thanks to all the wonderful firefighters who have gone above and beyond their endurance to keep Walpole and the South West safe. Anon. Do the fires tell us anything? For many years people would have heard me saying that the only real defence from wildfires is to prescribe burn. The current Northcliffe and Hotham fires are classic examples of what will happen if you allow forest fuels to build up excessively and mix with the severe weather conditions that we get from time to time. After the 1961 Dwellingup fires, a Royal Commission recommended regular prescribed burning on a large scale. Aerial burning was developed to a very high standard and the southwest of WA enjoyed a broad scale mosaic of low fuels that provided strategic protection to communities until the late ‘90s. So what has changed and placed the community in this current situation? There are a series of events that have collectively contributed to it: A large reduction of available firefighters in DPaW. Five hundred wages staff in the 70’s reduced to less than half now. Also a large reduction of logging crews who provided backup resources. A regular increase of staff centralised into regional centres and head office positions. These are very often the experienced fire officers who previously would have been located in Districts. The unfortunate wildfire calamities of Boorabin, Margaret River and Two Peoples Bay have created a situation where the paperwork and cross checks involved in doing a prescribed burn have become excessive. It is not possible to do the amount of prescriptions required to protect the community, especially small burns adjacent to private property. Local brigade units are no longer available for landowners to reduce fuel levels in their bush areas. This results in less burning on private property adding to the overall fire risk to communities. The extinction of the Bush Fires Board and creation of DFES has resulted in the replacement of experienced bush fire officers with mostly a hierarchy of urban firefighters. The issue with this is that too much money is being spent on equipment (helicopters, waterbombers, etc) and not enough on prescribed burning. This is due to the emphasis being on suppression rather than prevention. So how do we reverse this situation? Some suggestions are: We need to allocate more funds to prevention. DFES collects millions of dollars from fire levies on our land rates and insurance policies. A large proportion is spent on equipment. The Government needs to direct some of this to prescribed burning. DPaW needs to urgently address fire training and succession planning. The fire training section of the department is grossly understaffed for the risk involved with wildfires in WA. Have regional officers with fire experience based in District offices where they can mentor and train junior staff. A much more simplified prescription should be developed, especially for small hand burns. Government Ministers need to strongly support and fund prescribed burning in the State. How often do we see them giving a press conference on the achievements of prescribed burning? Yet they are the first ones seeking an interview when another Elvis helicopter appears on the scene. The conservation groups need to stop the persistent “no burning” hype and actively support the environment. Sort out the real concerns and look at alternative ways to protect them but within a burning regime that protects the whole environment. — Peter Bidwell, Fire Consultant February 11, 2015 -5 6 - February 11, 2015 What do fire, harvest, vehicle bans mean? HAZELVALE FIRE REPORT By Alex Williams, ESM I have been asked a number of questions over the past week with respect to what a total fire ban involves. If you have internet access you should look at the DFES website for this information at the following link: dfes.wa.gov.au/totalfirebans/Pages/whatisatfb.aspx There is also confusion with respect to harvest and vehicle movement bans imposed by Local Government so again, visit the DFES web site. The following are some of the questions I am frequently asked: animals, such as urgent feeding and watering of stock has an automatic exemption. However: You must ensure your vehicle is mechanically sound and the exhaust system is in good condition, free of gas leaks and has a well maintained spark arrester. You must ensure all reasonable precautions have been taken to prevent a bushfire starting. Can I use equipment and machinery (e.g. bobcats, excavators, bulldozers etc)? Yes. Their use is permitted in suburban or built up areas where the area is sufficiently cleared of flammable material to prevent a fire escaping. In bush or in areas of crop, pasture or stubble, equipment and machinery can only be used for agricultural purposes and only if a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban has not been implemented by your local government. The following conditions must also be met: You must ensure the equipment or machinery is mechanically sound. You must take all reasonable precautions to prevent a bushfire starting. However, if possible, postpone this activity altogether to minimise the risk of fire. Dos & don’ts Can I drive a 4WD offroad (e.g. through bushland) for recreational purposes? NO. During a Total Fire Ban you cannot use a vehicle in bush or a paddock, unless it is for agricultural purposes. You can only use a vehicle on a road, track or in an area that has been sufficiently cleared of flammable material. Can I ride my motorbike, motocross bike or quad bike through bush or in a paddock? NO. During a Total Fire Ban you cannot use a vehicle in bush or a paddock, unless it is for agricultural purposes. You can only use a vehicle on a road, track or in an area that has been sufficiently cleared of flammable material. Can I feed or water my stock in a paddock? Yes. Agricultural activities can continue during a Total Fire Ban, as long as a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban has not been implemented by your local government. If a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban has been implemented, the immediate welfare of Can I use my lawnmower? Yes. However this activity can only be undertaken in suburban or built up areas, not in bush or other areas where there use is likely to cause a fire. This is a summary of dos and don’ts with respect to Total Fire Bans and Harvest and Vehicle Ban. Note: The information below is a summary of the main points in relation to these Bans and not a definitive statement. A Total Fire Ban is declared because of extreme weather conditions or when existing fires seriously stretch firefighting resources. It is declared by DFES under delegation from the Minister. A Total Fire Ban prohibits the lighting of all fires in the open and any other activity that may start a fire such as but not exclusive to welding, grinding, gas/ oxy cutting etc. Farmers can continue day to day agricultural activities such as harvesting, feeding, moving stock, etc as long as a Harvest and Vehicle Ban has not been imposed. A Harvest and Vehicle Ban is not automatic with a Total Fire Ban. Farmers are not required to have a firefighting unit on site when undertaking agricultural activities during a Total Fire Ban. However common sense requires people to exercise appropriate precautions. Gas BBQs may be used during a Total Fire Ban but not solid fuel units, and flammable material must be cleared five metres in all directions. Electric BBQs without flames may also be used. 4WDs, motorbikes and other internal combustion powered vehicles may not be used off road during Total Fire Bans unless for an agricultural purpose. Generators may not be used in the open outside urban areas. Internal combustion engine water pumps should have an appropriate clearance around them such as to ensure there is no risk of them being a source of ignition to any flammable material. Electric- and gas-fired stills are permitted under the (Continued on page 8) February 11, 2015 -7 (Continued from page 7) same rules as BBQs. Wood-fired stills are prohibited. Total Fire Bans apply from midnight to midnight however there is provision for revocation if weather conditions ease. Penalties for breaching Total Fire Bans are a $25,000 fine and two years jail. Harvest and Vehicle Bans issued by Local Governments are independent of Total Fire Bans. It is the individual’s responsibility to be aware of bans. The Chief Bush Fire Control Officer (CBFCO) in consultation with other FCOs may impose a Harvest and Vehicle Ban at any time during the restricted or prohibited burning periods. A Harvest and Vehicle Ban must be imposed when the fire danger index is 35 or greater. During Harvest and Vehicle Bans all off-road activity likely to cause a fire must cease including agricultural activities, however urgent feeding and watering of stock is permitted with reasonable precautions. I hope this is helpful to the Hazelvale Fire District and to the broader community covered by the Weekly. — Alex Williams, Hazelvale Fire Control Officer 8 - February 11, 2015 THANK YOU Don and Margo Redman, together with Terry and Maria, would like to sincerely thank all those who expressed sympathy and support for us since the tragic loss of our son and brother Geoff. THANK YOU Many thanks to all our Walpole friends who have either visited, sent cards, or phoned to wish Bob a speedy recovery from his recent stroke. He is improving each day and hopefully we will be back in Walpole in the very near future. Your thoughts have been greatly appreciated by all his family — Roslyn Quin Boronia fire issue smoulders Dear Editor, It is now four and a half years since a bushfire devastated the Boronia Ridge area of Walpole. Because of the unseasonal timing of the event on the second wettest month of the year and the prompt response from DEC (no DPaW), no life nor houses were lost. The comprehensive report in the Walpole Weekly on the fire highlighted the dangers which this fire made evident. There is only one road in or out of the area. The second entrance road was closed on Main Roads’ insistence. The remaining access road has dense bush along the western kerbside. The 100-metre low fuel zone around the subdivision in the Shire’s Fire Management document was not maintained by the Shire. The trees left on the lots, contrary to established fire prevention strategy, ignited, with flames many metres above the tree tops. There was no alternate route with the highway the only way in or out of the town causing traffic confusion when the highway was closed. The possibility of this event occurring again mid-summer would be a disaster. None of these obvious elements requiring urgent response or even recognition have been addressed by the Shire. Quite the contrary, your local councillor, David Tapley, has supported legal action against the developer for endeavouring to carry out remedial clearing after the fire. Boronia Ridge residents, some 60 in number, signed a petition supporting the actions taken by the developer and, on April 24, 2014 requested the Shire take no further legal action. This was ignored. The Shire has, four summers later, made no effort to comply its own Fire Management Plan for the surrounding 100-metre low fuel zone. The request by the developer to the Shire for the developer to assume responsibility for the clearing of housing envelopes prior to sales, has been refused. This forces first home builders in the area to build amongst the eucalypt forest with onerous costs incurred to their building specs, simply because their neighbours have not submitted building plans to enable approval to clear the surrounding house sites. The dense understory on these lots absorbs 50% of the ground water and when continually removed under the fire control requirements, changes the environment to the extent that the water table rises and the jarrah and red gum trees blow over. The desire to retain the existing forest environment on quarter-acre residential lots has proven impossible to achieve. Walpole is over 100kms from the FOR SALE Lot 37 Latham Avenue Centre of Town Very Close to Shops and Park 2 Road Frontage Zoned R30 Perfect for Retiree / Investor / Family Offers over 200k ONO Phone Tom 0418 933 110 Manjimup seat of local Government which controls all of the above planning issues and your local councillor either cannot or is unable to plan or take any practical meaningful action to protect the constituents of Boronia Ridge. The developer, Sunland Pty Ltd, is aware of the dangers involved in creating a subdivision on the western edge of the town, with millions of hectares of forest on its doorstep and is more than willing to carry out whatever fire safety measures that this environment dictates. However, with absolute lack of Shire support to remedy any of the important issues that the fire of more than four years ago highlighted, and with the warning unheeded, the danger continues, unchecked and ignored by councillors living safely 120 kms to the north. In a democracy such as ours, it is up to the local rate payers to elect a responsible person to represent their interest and address their concerns. Otherwise Walpole will remain out of sight and low in the Manjimup Council’s priorities. As an example, the petition from the 60 ratepayers living in Boronia Ridge was tabled at a Manjimup Shire meeting 10 months ago and there has been no action taken. — Graeme Robertson, Managing Director, Sunland Pty Ltd The Whirling Rainbow Holistic Healing Traditions Deep Tissue Massage, Swedish Massage, Reflexology, Reiki, Earcandling, Raindrop Treatment, and Holotropic Breathwork Tues—Walpole at Aradia Blue Tues.— Fri at Denmark Chiropractors Enquiries & Appointments Call SAMADHI 9840 9330 or 0423 503 085 30 years experience February 11, 2015 -9 Silent Meditation National park closures Sundays 9:00 am The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) has closed 18 national parks and reserves and 36 recreation sites including tracks and trails in various parts of the State due to the bushfires in the State's southwest. DPaW Director General Jim Sharp said staff resources had been redirected towards fire suppression and that closures would ensure public safety Closures include: Serpentine National Park Avon Valley National Park Walyunga National Park Lane Poole Reserve Wellington National Park Boorara-Gardner National Park including Boorara Tree and Lane Poole Falls D'Entrecasteaux National Park including Camfield, Banksia camp, Crystal Springs and Yeagarup beach Gloucester National Park including Gloucester Tree Greater Hawke National Park, including Yeagarup Lake Jane National Park Mount Frankland South National Park Shannon National Park including Great Forest Trees drive and Shannon campground Walpole Nornalup National Park including Valley of the Giants, Longpoint Track and Fernhook Falls Warren National Park Two People Bay Nature Reserve Stirling Range National Park including Bluff Knoll and Toolbrunup walktrails Porongurup National Park including Granite Skywalk, Castle Rock, Tree-in-the-Rock, Nancy Peak Circuit Waychinicup National Park Hoffmans Mill Stockton Lake Contos, Boranup and Point Road camp sites within Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park Brockman Sawpits Z-Bend and The Loop In Kalbarri National Park Track and Trail closures include: Cape to Cape Track: major recreation sites in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park What’s on: Munda Biddi from Dwellingup to Ferguson Road including Collie; and Pemberton to Walpole, including Northcliffe Fridays: Chase the Ace Bibbulmun Track in the Helena National Park Happy Hour between Randall Road and Dale Road and between Op en 7 day s a w ee k Bar Snacks Dwellingup to Collie; between Dwellingup and Harris Dam Road; Wellington National Park’s Restaurant Open Hours Phone: (08)9840 1023 Wellington Spur Trail; and between Pemberton and Walpole, including Northcliffe. Lunch 12-2pm, Dinner 6-8pm 7days Kentdale Hall, Parker Road Enquiries: Jillian 9840 8685 Walpole Hotel/ Motel 10 - February 11, 2015 February 11, 2015 - 11 Manji seminar focus on farm support A series of free seminars offering information on support measures available to WA farm businesses is set to begin. The seminars will run in eight locations across the agricultural region, providing detailed information about assistance. It is a combined delivery by the Rural Business Development Corporation, Rural Financial Counselling Service WA, Regional Men’s Health Initiative and the Australian Department of Human Services. Department of Agriculture and Food, WA project manager Jason Moynihan said the upcoming seminar series followed similar workshops run successfully in the Wheatbelt and pastoral areas last year. “There are a range of schemes and support measures available, and it can be a challenge for farm business owners or managers to know the extent of what is on offer and what is relevant to them,” Mr Moynihan said. “These workshops bring several providers together in one place, to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for farm businesses keen to find out more. “These range from concessional loans, financial counselling, health and wellbeing, and household allowance payments.” The Rural Business Development Corporation (RBDC) will provide details on the Australian Government’s Farm Finance and Drought Concessional Loans Schemes which will assist participants to determine whether the schemes are applicable for them. The RBDC will also outline grants under the State Government’s Farm Business Assessment Scheme which are available to farm businesses in eligible shires. The Rural Financial Counselling Service WA will present information on helping people and businesses through tough times The Regional Men’s Health Initiative will outline its activities to support health and wellbeing. The Department of Human Services will provide an overview of the Farm Household Allowance. For further information on the seminars, please phone the RBDC on freecall 1800 198 231 or email [email protected] The closest seminar to Walpole & Districts will take place in Manjimup, February 17, 1-3pm at the Manjimup CRC, 45 Rose Street. Walpole Quality Meats — Your Local Butcher Walpole CRC’s Manager, Operations Linda Beard will fill the role of Kidsport Referral Agent in Walpole for the Shire of Manjimup. KidSport enables WA children from low-income families to participate in community sport and recreation, no matter their financial circumstances. Eligible youth aged 5–18 years can apply for financial assistance to contribute towards club fees. The fees will go directly to the registered KidSport clubs through their participating local government. While the primary objective of KidSport is to ensure all WA children can participate in sport and recreation clubs, its secondary objective is to engage these children and their families in the community. Applications for consideration of eligibility should be presented in person to Linda at the CRC. To find out more about the Kidsport please contact the Shire of Manjimup Community Services Administration Officer on 9771 7701 or email [email protected]. 12 - February 11, 2015 Smith found guilty Colin Smith of Philippine Magic Café, Walpole, faced the Albany magistrates court in January charged with purchasing crabs and other fish on three separate occasions from a recreational fisher. The court found Mr Smith guilty of all three charges and, on January 23, imposed fines and penalties totalling more than $7,000 plus costs of $7,500 for three $20 purchases of crabs and one gummy shark. Richard Petty, Compliance Manager – South, Department of Fisheries said: “The fines reflect the seriousness of unlawfully buying or selling fish.” In the sentencing submissions, made by the State Solicitors on behalf of the Department of Fisheries, it was reinforced that the livelihoods of the commercial fishers are compromised by unlawful sales. “The health and integrity of fish products must be maintained and fish stock sustainability remains paramount,” Mr Petty said. Kerry Halse 0427 482 437 A/hrs Ph/Fax 9848 2437 17-21 Cockburn Rd PO Box 5628 Albany WA 6332 Ph: 9842 1533 Fax: 9842 1833 www.rainbowft.com.au Your suppliers for Timber Roof Trusses & Wall Frames Twitter BOM The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is now active on Twitter in all states and territories, with staff tweeting daily to enhance the community’s awareness of forecast information, particularly during severe weather events. Bureau meteorologists around the country are now trained and ready to tweet, with these tweets pointing back to the most up-to-date, comprehensive and official source of information – the BOM website. BOM hopes Twitter will help let people know what the weather looks like in their state or territory. Forecasters will also keep followers informed about significant weather such as storms, tropical cyclones, destructive winds, floods, tsunami and heatwaves. The Bureau’s newest Twitter handles are: @BOM_au; @BOM_NSW; @BOM_Tas; @BOM_ACT; @BOM_SA; @BOM_Vic BOM fast-tracked Twitter in WA and Queensland as well as the Northern Territory because they experience cyclones. @BOM_Qld, @BOM_WA, and @BOM_NT have been actively tweeting tropical cyclone information since mid-December 2014. BOM mostly uses Twitter one way; to share information, not engage in conversation. February 11, 2015 - 13 WALPOLE CONCRETE SUPPLIES and EARTHMOVING SERVICE Lady Walpole update Pre-mix concrete Sand, gravel carting Site works, house & shed pads, driveways Back hoe, bobcat, loader and grader hire Blue metal and metal dust available. A ‘Lady Walpole’ meeting will be convened once Walpole returns to normal after the summer holidays and the heroic firefighting teams return from protecting people and property from the bushfires. The meeting will help plan events to raise funds. We will also discuss the future of the ‘Lady’; options are either in the water or on land with the upgrade of the main Walpole jetty area. A special thanks to Bunbury Plumbing Supplies who have provided the vessel’s temporary home at the industrial area and the Walpole Work Camp for their excellent efforts preparing and protecting the Lady for its restoration under the guidance of Peter Newton. Wood supplies for the ribs, stringers, gunwale and beams are currently being obtained for the restoration with the assistance of Peter Bidwell. The propeller is being restored in Perth at Northport Marine Services. Trevor Holms has restored the steering wheel and is now working on the jarrah rudder. These items are hoped to be part of the Walpole Nornalup and Districts Historical display coordinated by Lee Hunter throughout Walpole Yacht Club’s Walpole in the Trees Regatta long weekend. Fund-raising is now the most urgent priority. Money is needed to acquire more materials for restoration and pay for expert advice and the ongoing costs of maintenance so restoration can proceed. Donations are always welcome at the Walpole Visitor Centre. — Gary Muir Contact Nigel Fry Phone 98401626 - Mobile 0419948072 BRAD PIERCE HOUSE Slabs Verandahs Driveways sheds Aggregate CONCRETE Brick paving Mob: 0428 927 158 Ph/Fx: 08 9848 3191 Email: g.s.concreting PO Box 434 @bigpond.com Denmark wa 6333 HP & LJ 9840 8141 0429 850 917 FENCE LINES ; DAMS & SOAKS ; BLOCK CLEARING AQUACULTURE-PONDS And all other general excavation work EXCAVATOR HIRE ABN: 56 925 355 168 22T Excavator & D6 LGP Dozer Walpole Quality Meats Phone: Rusty0427 000 983 Email: [email protected] 14 - February 11, 2015 Supplying & supporting Walpole for over 11 years Sanctuary news Uralla Wildlife Sanctuary’s Open Day was a huge success with lots of people travelling far and wide to visit and see what we are all about. All the animals are doing well and growing up fast. Our arrivals this month included a kookaburra found caught in some barbed wire. Luckily his injuries were not that significant and after a few weeks in care was able to be successfully released. This is always a happy event at Uralla. We have also had some new joeys arrive; Heywa and Banjo; both settling in nicely. Heywa is only a tiny little girl but is doing well under the loving attention of her new human mum Margaux. Yesterday saw the arrival of Debbie, an “at foot” joey that would have still been in her mum’s care but independent of the pouch. She turned up at a house in the Porongurup and was watched from a distance and was obviously very unwell, floundering about, weak and no mum in sight. She was observed for quite some time but it soon became obvious that she needed help. Luckily she was able to be caught easily – a clear indication of just how unwell she was – and brought to us at Uralla. She presented with extreme swelling of the entire head but luckily the swelling had not affected her ability to breathe. With vet advice and medication we were able to both calm her down and get her to feed. She was extremely thirsty and had lost condition. Today the swelling is slightly improved; we can now see her eyes and we hope she will continue to recover over the coming days. Many thanks to our English volunteer Sophie who has willingly and patiently taken on the care of this very sad little girl. On the volunteer front this month we sadly said goodbye to Lou and Sacha our two French zookeepers who did a fantastic job. We have welcomed Sarah from France, Seb from Switzerland and Laetitia from France who is back for her second visit. Add to that Aurélie from France who has been wonderful but sadly leaves us soon, and our two longtermers, the irreplaceable Margaux and Sophie. We have a great team who are very much appreciated by John and I. Uralla is open to visitors every day and admission is free. We do ask that you ring prior to your visit. We are also able to take animals 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and can be contacted on 98561065. — Mandy English, www.urallawildlife.com.au RODERICK’S TREE LOPPING SERVICES We are a fully Insured Company with very Experienced & Qualified staff to handle your job professionally. Any size Tree Removal or Lopping, Pruning, Mulching. Stump Grinding, Bobcat Clearing, Fire Breaks or Parkland Clearing Please call Paul for a free quote Mobile 0428 481 280 Office 08 9848 1113 Sales Service Aircon Specialists Fridge Repairs ARC AU18684 FOR ALL ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS & REPAIR WORK •Domestic • Commercial • Rural • Industrial EC 6877 Obligation free quotes Ph 9848 2026 Fax 9848 2212 E [email protected] February 11, 2015 - 15 Sport Whether it’s for fun or money we want to know what inspires competitiveness in Walpole. Email [email protected] Golf Bowls Scroungers Golf results from February 3, 2015: Stableford Winner: R Knight 24 points Runner-up G Becker 23 points Longest putt #9 F Stevenson Best 3rd # 10 G Becker Best 2nd #11 F Stevenson Nearest the pin #13 G Becker Nearest the pin # 17 G Peck Birdies G Becker #13, C Devine #9, G Peck #9 & #18 Summer Golf results from February 8, 2015: Stableford Winner M Lumb 46 points Runner-up B Cooper 44 points Best putt #11 G Peck Nearest the pin #17 B Cooper Best chip #16 N Hawkins Club Championship Triples Winners: Graham Becker Graham Pola Colin Oliver — Betty Cooper 16 - February 11, 2015 — Peter Grant FREE CLASSIFIEDS FREE non-commercial classifieds; this size & format; strictly one per person per week ($10 per additional). Email [email protected] LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME Lovely B&W female cat (snipped & chipped) seeks new home ASAP. Happy as an indoor cat. Suit single or couple. Ph Victoria 0428 401 422
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