April 2014
Created on: Thursday, 1 May 2014 at 12:12:19 PM
President’s Message
I would like to remind ratepayers to be careful with fires. Although we are in the unrestricted period now where permits are not required, we still need to exercise great care, with no rain in sight. Simple measures such as ensuring that they have adequate firefighting equipment to completely extinguish any fire they light, notifying their neighbours and keeping an eye on the weather conditions.
The construction of the water playground in Bernard Park has commenced, further details below. The water pipeline to move recycled water from Wundowie to Bakers Hill is nearing completion.
Wesfarmers
The Shire of Northam would like to congratulate all those involved in the recent Wesfarmers celebration. Feedback received from a wide range of community members has been glowing of the event and significant pride has been expressed that Northam played host to such a significant celebration.
The Wesfarmers Centenary Community Concert was performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Opera. It was a huge success with the inclusion of talented young performers like Perth Hills and Wheatbelt Band and young Aboriginal hip hop dancers Kellerberrin’s Static Crew and Lil Sparks.
The Northam Shire Council would like to acknowledge the efforts of all those involved in the organisation and set up, from Wesfarmers and Northam Shire Council employees to volunteers – your efforts are very much appreciated.
Flying 50
The Flying 50 roared into town this month and was another huge success. The event attracts a significant number of people into Northam, both spectators and competitors and provides an ideal opportunity to showcase the Northam community. Thirty people competed in the hill climb and 23 competed in the autokhana. The winner of the hill climb was David Watkin. There was a huge Car Clubs Display in Bernard Park and demonstration laps from the juniors at the Hurricane Go Kart Club.
Congratulations to the event organisers (Vintage Sports Car Club of WA) for their continued efforts in bringing this event to Northam. Also a special thanks to the many volunteers who help make the day such a success.
What’s happening in Bernard Park?
Water Playground
Keen eyes would have noticed the work going on in Bernard Park adjacent to the current playground. The water playground/area work is being undertaken by Water Features by Designs led by Mr. Tony Jones. The Water Playground will provide a hard stand area with a series of sequential ground sprays shooting up randomly. This addition to the Park will be very welcomed during the summer months and provide another element to the Park which will be beneficial to the Northam and surrounding community.
Bernard Park Master Plan
The Northam Shire Council has endorsed a master plan over the Bernard Park area. The focus of the plan is to provide strong direction in terms of what will be developed in the park.
The structure plan includes the development of a water playground, as well as a potential youth space on the Peel Terrace side of the Music Shell. Other key elements of the master plan include the creation of distinct places within the park promoting active recreation in certain areas, whilst other areas will be focused on more passive recreational pursuits. The development of shaded areas around the music shell also form part of the plan to enable better utilisation of this area. The Swan enclosure is also a focus with the aim of developing this area into a more useable and visually appealing community asset. The implementation of the plan will occur subject to funding.
Copies of the masterplan are available on the Shire of Northam Website - http://www.northam.wa.gov.au/supertowns.aspx
Footpath Program
The Northam Shire Council has endorsed a range of footpath development works to occur as soon as possible the following footpaths will either be improved or reconstructed commencing next month;
Avon River – South levee bank
Northey St - East St to Edmondson St
Gregory St - Edmondson St to Lyon St
Rec Centre - Peel Tce to Carpark
Rec Centre - Carpark to Stadium
Selby St - Atkinson St to Gordon St
Peel Tce - Oliver St to Mitre Ten
Throssel St - Parker St to Lewis Wy
Wellington St - Gairdner St to Charles St
Modifications to Strategic Community Plan
Community members are invited to make comment on the proposed modifications to the Strategic Community Plan (originally adopted in 2013) which are available from the Shire of Northam Administration Office, 395 Fitzgerald Street Northam, Northam Visitor Centre, Northam Regional Library, Wundowie Library and from the Shire of Northam website:
http://www.northam.wa.gov.au/Assets/Documents/Document-Centre/Applications_for_Comment/Modified_Strategic_Community_Plan.pdf
Community Collaboration for Safety and Crime Prevention
The Northam Shire Council held its first meeting of the Northam Community Safety Committee in April 2014. The Committee has been established to enhance community safety and reduce criminal and anti-social behaviour through a collaboration of key interests and agencies. The Committee is fortunate to have attracted the interest of a wide range of stakeholders including the Department of Housing, the Wundowie and Northam Police, Northam Chamber of Commerce, Department of Health, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Roadwise, Department of Main Roads, Department of Education, Department of Sport and Recreation, Northam PCYC and Avon Youth Services, as well as representatives from the wider community.
The Committee’s terms of reference include the development and review of the Shire of Northam Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan, as well as the development of a Community Alcohol Management Plan. It is envisaged that the initial meetings will focus on developing a strong understanding of the issues and challenges facing the community after which time the focus will turn to developing actionable strategies to contribute to Northam being recognised as a safe, inclusive and welcoming community.
The initial meeting was well attended by the government agency and organisational representatives and included a review of the Terms of Reference and the selection of the community members to be appointed onto the committee. Mr Jason Whiteaker, Chief Executive Officer said “The meeting was very positive with everyone focused on identifying areas of concern and where the Committee can best focus its attention to improve community safety and reduce the community fear of crime. We are very fortunate to have the level of engagement and I am confident that the collaboration will result in positive measurable outcomes for the community.”
Avon River Town Pool Study
Council has recently endorsed a range of actions focusing on the Northam Town Pool. The report undertaken by a Consulting Hydrologist (Mr Matt Giraudo) recommended a range of long term options which the Council has endorsed and will continue to develop.
The recommendations are around the removal of the build-up of sediment removal through a range of actions including Aerobic digestion, dredging and the potential development of a variable crest weir to assist in the management of the water levels and flows. The Council is aiming to undertake a trial of the Aerobic digestion approach a smaller water body adjacent to the Town Pool in Bernard Park.
Local Biodiversity Strategy
The Shire of Northam has commenced the process of developing a Local Biodiversity Strategy. Council recognises that the Shire is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including nearly 34,000 hectares of bushland, of which 9,000 hectares is of regional or local significance. The proposed Strategy will draw together environmental data and maps, which can be used to guide decisions for future development and subdivision. A steering group represented by relevant environmental groups will meet in early May to discuss criteria for identifying significant local natural areas, and biodiversity targets, for inclusion in the draft Strategy. Public comments will be sought once the draft is available.
Lotterywest Grants
The Lotterywest Grants Team are visiting Northam on Thursday, 8 May. If you have an idea or project that you think might be suitable for a Lotterywest grant, and would like to discuss it, please contact Lee Grmas on:
Ph: 9340 5280 or 0420 964 407
Email: [email protected]
Pdf Version of the April 2014 Newsletter can be downloaded by Clicking Here.
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