(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

You can receive this e-newsletter directly to your email address by registering at the Shire Office or by emailing council@kojonup.wa.gov.au.

GENERAL COMMUNITY NEWS Community Development Officer Ms Heidi Tyler who is presently teaching at the Katanning Senior High School and an active member of the St John Volunteer Ambulance Service in Kojonup, has accepted the position of Community Development Officer and will commence duties early in the New Year if not sooner. Heidi has a Bachelor of Arts – Education and English (Edith Cowan University) and a Diploma of Travel and Tourism from the Australian International College of Commerce, Perth. Council welcomes Heidi to our team. Executive Assistant Unfortunately, we will be saying goodbye to Miranda early January 2018 as Miranda has accepted the Media and Communications Officer Position at the Shire of Merredin. Miranda has been an exceptional EA and team member and Council truly wish her all the very best in the next chapter of life both personally and professionally. The position description and advertisement can be sourced from Council’s website and applications close 12:00pm, 14 December 2017.

SHIRE OF KOJONUP E-NEWS Edition 122 – 1 December 2017

In This Issue Carols by Candlelight & Christmas

Appeal

Road Works

Springhaven News

Library News

Coming Up at the Pool

Street Lighting

Recycle Centre Tour Success

Landcare Update

Water Service Works – Albany Highway

Public Notice – Christmas Break Closure

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT & CHRISTMAS APPEAL Sunday, 3 December 2017

5:15pm at Kodja Place

See you there!

NEXT COUNCIL MEETING – 12 DECEMBER 2017

SHIRE OF KOJONUP NOVEMBER | 2017

(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

Memorial Hall/Harrison Place Public Toilet Upgrade Officers recently met with officers from Lotterywest and the Kojonup Theatrical Society regarding the Memorial Hall/Harrison Place Project including a familiarisation visit to ascertain what elements of the project Lotterywest may be interested in funding. Lotterywest will not specifically fund replacement of the Harrison Place Public Toilet as it does not meet their criteria of community infrastructure whereas internal improvements to the Memorial Hall certainly does. Tourism WA will be approached to ascertain if any funding is available towards the public toilet upgrade. Officers are revisiting the concept plans as a result of Lotterywest feedback for Council’s consideration in the New Year. School Leavers Another school year has almost passed and to those students who will complete Year 10 a new chapter will occur for you in 2018, whether continuing further education, undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship or attempting to gain employment. We wish you all the very best on whatever path you choose as the choices you are about to make will be the start of a journey that thousands of students throughout Australia will also be making. To students entering High School a different journey will occur from your Primary School days. Yes! – you may feel like a small fish in a big pond

but remember that each journey starts with a step and fellow students are experiencing the same feelings and invariably despite your apprehension you will find support and reassurance! Always try to push forward despite life’s pressures as this determines your strength of character, resilience and desire to achieve. Also, recognise there will be obstacles along the way as life is a book which we (subconsciously or not) make an entry in every day and each entry will be good, bad or indifferent! Resist the temptation to lower your values or morals as the “if only” syndrome is very difficult to reverse once we have acted, especially on impulse and the outcome was not what we envisaged. Your parents and grandparents may be able to relate to this as society has changed considerably since they were your age and the one constant in life is change. This is well depicted at the Kodja Place Storyplace and Gallery. There will never be another Kojonup District High School Year 10 Class of 2017. To award recipients –celebrate your achievements as they are well deserved! To remaining students, families, teachers and support staff, enjoy your holiday break and keep safe! Council also expresses best wishes to Kojonup DHS Principal – Peter Callaghan in his retirement and thank you for your contribution not only to Kojonup but education in the Great Southern.

Re-elected Shire President, Ronnie Fleay (right) with newly elected Deputy Shire President, Ned Radford (left

Ronnie Fleay Rick Mitchell-Collins Shire President Chief Executive Officer

Got a burning question for the Shire President? Want to liaise with Council? Community members are reminded that the Shire President is available for appointments every Wednesday morning from 10:00am until noon. Please contact the Miranda at the Shire Office on (08) 9831 2408.

(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

SHIRE OF KOJONUP NOVEMBER | 2017

COMMUNITY EVENTS (REGULAR & UPCOMING) Call the Shire on 9831 2400 or view the Shire website – www.kojonup.wa.gov.au for further details.

Date / Day Time Event Location Cost Tuesdays 3:15pm –

4:15pm Homework Help Library FREE

Wednesdays (no 4th Wednesday)

9:30am – 11:00am

Play Café Kojonup DHS (Kindy Rooms)

FREE

Fortnightly on Friday

10:30am – 11:30am

Storytime (15 December)

Library FREE

Daily 11:00am – 7:00pm

Swimming Pool Open Swimming Pool

$2 or FREE for 0-3 & Spectators

3 December 5:15pm Carols by Candlelight & Christmas Appeal

Kodja Place FREE entry

5 December (Tues/Thursdays)

5:30pm – 6:30pm

Water Aerobics Swimming Pool

$10 or $8 for SP Holders

9 December 11:00am – 2:00pm

Pool Free Open Day Swimming Pool

FREE

Kodja Place Carols by Candlelight & Christmas Appeal Sunday, 3 December from 5:15pm Get into the Christmas spirit and join us for an evening of carols and entertainment at Kodja Place this Sunday. Lots of fun craft activities for the kids from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. Entertainment will be provided by our very own Southern Singers and Kojonup Youth Centre who will be performing their stage production ‘What Could Go Wrong the Night Before Christmas’. All Events will be providing special lighting effects and there might even be a visit from a very special guest. Support our Christmas Appeal to assist women and children affected by domestic violence by donating new toys, non-perishable foods, small toiletries and sanitary items in the collection box located in the Kojonup Visitor Centre. Donations will be accepted until Friday, 8 December. Carol booklets will be supplied and candles available to purchase. BRING: Your picnic basket, rugs, torch, warm jackets, singing voice and all donations for the Christmas Appeal are welcomed. Proudly supported by: the Shire of Kojonup, Combined Churches of Kojonup, Southern Singers, Kojonup Youth Centre and All Events.

ROADWORKS Replacing side-entry pits on Pensioner Road.

Expect to finish by Christmas break

Depending on bookings at the Sporting Complex, may start removing speed humps and kerbing to do second cul-de-sac before Christmas

Sealing of Kojonup-Frankland Road set to occur Tuesday, 5 December

Finishing off headwalls and re-sheeting on Fisher and Magini Roads

Grading where and as needed especially on roads affected by heavy harvest traffic

Bitumen patching where and as required.

Checking of all retic systems around town. Any comments regarding the proposed works are welcome. Craig McVee Manager Works & Services 0427 427 854.

SPRINGHAVEN NEWS We have been very busy at Springhaven with Christmas cooking activities and making Christmas decorations. The residents are looking forward to the annual Resident Christmas Party, which is always a lovely day when we get to celebrate with family members.

(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

SHIRE OF KOJONUP NOVEMBER | 2017

Year 1’s from St Bernard’s came to visit for morning tea and the children and residents made Christmas wreathes together. Helen, our physio, has started up our walking group on Thursday morning. Last week the residents ventured out and enjoyed looking at all the history at the Military Barracks.

Our gazebo is up and a new door has gone into the north side of the recreation room so the residents will be able to enjoy the warmer weather. As always if anyone has a special talent, plays a musical instrument or if you have a special pet you would like to bring in for pet therapy with the residents – please contact Cathy on 9831 2800. Sue Northover Manager Aged Care Services

LIBRARY NEWS New DVD’s to our Library – just ready for Christmas! Come and have a look at the latest titles we have in. Great to watch with the kids with Christmas approaching or just to take some time out to enjoy with a loved one. • The Tree That Saved Christmas • A Monstrous Holiday • Thomas & Friends: The Christmas Engine • Franklin’s Merry Christmas • Hey Duggee: The Tinsel Badge & Other

Stories

The following DVD’s aren’t Christmas but are perfect for an adult wind down after harvest… The Awakening – In post-World War I England a writer and sometime-ghost hunter (Rebecca Hall) investigates a reported haunting at a boys boarding school.

Bridge of Spies – During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom

Hanks), recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Fast & Furious Series: The Fate of the Furious – With Dom and Letty married, Brian and Mia retired and the rest of the crew exonerated, the globe-trotting team has found some semblance of a normal life. They soon face an unexpected challenge when a mysterious woman named Cipher forces Dom to betray them all. Now, they must unite to bring home the man who made them a family and stop Cipher from unleashing chaos.

Wonder Woman – Before she was Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana meets an American pilot (Chris Pine) who

tells her about the massive conflict that's raging in the outside world. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.

(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

SHIRE OF KOJONUP NOVEMBER | 2017

London Heist – A criminal goes on the warpath after his heist money is stolen and his father is murdered. Great New Audios A special thank you to the local family who donated their collection of audio’s for all to share. They’re great titles which are good listening. Check them out soon. ‘A Legacy of Spies’ – John leCarré. Staunch colleague and disciple of George Smiley of the British Secret Service, otherwise known as the Circus, has retired to his family farmstead on the south coast of Brittany when a letter from his old Service summons him to London. The reason? His Cold War past has come back to claim him. Intelligence operations that were once the toast of secret London are to be scrutinised by a generation with no memory of the Cold War. Somebody must be made to pay for innocent blood once spilt in the name of the greater good. Sourdough – Robin Sloan. A software engineer at a San Francisco robotics company, codes all day and collapses at night. When her favourite sandwich shop closes up, the owners leave her with the starter for their mouth-watering sourdough bread. Lois becomes the unlikely hero tasked to care for it, bake with it and keep this needy colony of microorganisms alive. Soon she is baking loaves daily and taking them to the farmer's market where an exclusive close-knit club runs the show. When Lois discovers another, more secret market, aiming to fuse food and technology, a whole other world opens up. But who are these people, exactly? Fabulous New Books for the Kids • Zoey and Sassafras: Mer-horses & Bubbles –

Asia Citro • Koala Bare – Jackie French • The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre – Gail Carson

Levine • Go Sleep in Your Own Bed – Candace

Fleming & Lori Nichols • School According to Humphrey – Betty G.

Birney

Little Library Update Our little library at the APEX Par, has been so well used and accepted by our community and travellers passing through town. I’m still so pleased to have worked on this project with the Kojonup Men’s Shed and Apex. Books are continually being swapped and taken. It’s always neat & tidy when I check on it too. Please continue to use our Little Library and we happily take donations to replenish stocks. Lorreen Senior Library Officer

COMING UP AT THE SWIMMING POOL Water Aerobics Once again Water Aerobics are running at the pool for the 2017/18 season. Sessions commenced 5 December and will occur every Tuesday & Thursday from 5:30 – 6:30pm. All ages and genders are welcome! The cost is $10 per session which includes your pool entry fee. For season-pass holders, the cost is $8.00. Pool Free Day Don’t forget the Pool Free Day is on Saturday, 9 December. There is free entry for all patrons for the day and Council will be providing a sausage sizzle, a soft drink and bag of lollies for all persons in attendance. The sausage sizzle will finish at 2:00pm. With plenty of shade, tables, seating and a free BBQ – the pool is a great venue for kiddies parties, other family and club social functions. Bookings can be made by contacting the Pool Manager, Gavin, on 9831 1374. See you there to help celebrate the new swimming season!!! Mort Wignall Manager Regulatory Services

(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

SHIRE OF KOJONUP NOVEMBER | 2017

STREET LIGHTING As part of our duty of care, the Shire would like to remind residents to report any faults with street lighting around town to the Shire. We will then endeavour to arrange with Western power for the lighting issue to be repaired as a matter of priority. Please either come into the Shire and complete a Maintenance Request form or email us at council@kojonup.wa.gov.au. Stephanie Waldron Works Administration Officer

RECYCLE CENTRE TOUR SUCCESS Have you ever wondered where your recycling goes after the yellow-topped wheelie bin is picked up? Have you heard the rumours that ‘it’s all just thrown in landfill anyway’?

Well, 37 people came along to the Warren Blackwood Waste Recycling facility in Kojonup on Wednesday, 22 November to find out first-hand what happens to the recycling collected in the eight shires serviced by the Warren Blackwood Waste company. Warren Blackwood Waste services the Shires of: • Cranbrook • Lake Grace • Katanning • Kent • Dumbleyung • Broomehill-Tambellup • Gnowangerup • Kojonup

While we encourage everyone to try to avoid using disposable items in the first place, and extend the life of any product you buy, eventually things will need to be thrown away. So, what happens next?

The contents of your yellow lidded wheelie bin are all brought to the Kojonup facility where it is hand-sorted by three full-time employees who pick out the paper, plastics, metals, and remove the contaminants. These are sorted by type and grade, and then baled into handy compact units. These bales are stockpiled until there is sufficient volume to secure a load to the next step in the recycling chain: everything ends up in Perth and from there is usually shipped to China for processing. Warren Blackwood Waste’s recycling and sorting is done by hand and as a result they are able to manage a wider variety of recyclables than some of the larger automated systems you see in places like Perth. The difference being that a human being can tell if something is paper or plastic and therefore can pull out items that are forbidden in some councils – like plastic bags, shredded paper, household batteries and smaller items. While there are some challenges with getting all the plastics recycled these days, particularly anything with a number 3 through to 7 marked on it (‘other, low-grade plastics’) due to a ban on imports in China, Matt Webb, director of Warren Blackwood Waste, urged everyone to continue recycling these products.

(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

SHIRE OF KOJONUP NOVEMBER | 2017

“Just because there isn’t a market for them right now, doesn’t mean they need to go to landfill. We will continue to sort, bale and store anything that is recyclable as long as we have the space to do so. Eventually, this market will open back up and we will be ready to deliver,” he said. There are only a few things that aren’t recyclable that Matt and his team see come through the facility. “Styrofoam is a big no-no. Nothing about it is recoverable and you should really be avoiding that at all costs,” says Matt. “And TetraPacks – you know, those long-life milk containers and little juice boxes – they just can’t be recycled. Pretty much anything where you have layers of different materials bonded together makes them unrecyclable.”

Matt also reminded the group to keep their recyclables out of bags. “Because we’re a small hand-sorting facility we can take things others can’t but please make sure that all of your recyclables are loose. People sometimes think they’re doing the right thing by bagging similar items together. We have a strict policy of bypassing anything in a bag due to the potential health risks. We need to be able to see what we’re handling.” It’s also good idea to give your recyclables a quick rinse. Things don’t need to be spotless but it is nicer for the boys if they don’t have to deal with smelly rotten pet food or milk. A quick rinse at the end of your washing up will do it.

So, what can we put in our bins in these eight shires? • Plastics of all types – with 1’s and 2’s being

the most recyclable • Glass bottles and jars (no stemware,

ceramics or pane glass) • Paper of all types, including shredded • Cardboard of all types • Aluminium – including cans, baking trays,

foil rolled into large balls • Steel cans – pet food, tinned food cans,

metal aerosol cans Matt’s advice to us: “If in doubt, put it in the recycle bin – we can sort it out and send to landfill what we can’t process.” For more information: Andrea Salmond – 9821 4327 andrea@katanninglandcare.org.au Photo Credit: Katanning Landcare or Jane Kowald – 0428 712 050

LANDCARE UPDATE The Landcare Office will be closed from 1 December 2017 – 1 January 2018. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas/holiday break and I take this opportunity to thank all my wonderful volunteers from the Kojonup Community. If you have any urgent enquiries, please call the Shire of Kojonup Office on 9831 2400. 12 Rules to Recycle Right this Christmas 1 Give the gift of knowledge by downloading

and sharing the Recycle Right app, from your app store.

2 Give gifts that create minimal waste, have a long life-span or can be easily recycled.

3 Give someone an experience or homemade gift.

4 Buy locally made products and support your local community.

5 Buy quality Christmas decorations that can be stored and re-used or even try making your own.

(08) 9831 2400 council@kojonup.wa.gov.au

SHIRE OF KOJONUP NOVEMBER | 2017

6 Use paper wrapping rather than foil or plastic and save wrapping you’ve received for re-use next year.

7 When entertaining guests, provide labelled bins to help them separate their waste.

8 Try to minimise food waste. Only buy what you need, serve smaller portions and store and use leftovers.

9 Ensure all recyclable materials (including broken glass) are placed into your recycle bin.

10 Be sure not to bag or box your recyclables by placing all items loosely and separately into your recycle bin. Flatten your cardboard boxes.

11 Donate unwanted gifts or items that have been replaced to charity.

12 For more great tips and information on how to ‘Recycle Right’ this Christmas, visit recycleright.wa.gov.au.

WATER SERVICES WORKS ON ALBANY HWY, KOJONUP Please be advised that the Water Corporation plans to make repairs to a leaking water main on the road verge on Albany Highway, Kojonup adjacent to the United Fuel 24hr Service Station. These works may affect passing traffic on Albany Highway. As part of this work the traffic speed

will be reduced. It is expected that these works will occur on 10 December 2017 and should be completed by the end of the day. If members of the public have any queries or concerns regarding the proposed works, please contact Greg Hall by email at gregory.hall@watercorporation.com.au or by phone on 0429 090 136.

PUBLIC NOTICE SHIRE OF KOJONUP OFFICE & LIBRARY CLOSURE Notice is hereby given that the Administration Office and Library of the Shire of Kojonup will be closed for the Christmas period from 2:00pm on Friday, 22 December 2017 and will reopen at 8:30am on Wednesday, 3 January 2018. Please ensure that you exchange your library books and see to your licensing requirements prior to the office closure. Emergency Contact Number – 0427 989 187. We apologise for any inconvenience. On behalf of the Shire Staff & Council we wish you a safe & happy Festive Season. Rick Mitchell-Collins Chief Executive Office

Shire of Kojonup Staff & Councillors

wish all of our readers a wonderful

festive season and hope that you have a

restful break with friends and family.

Please stay safe on our roads and see

you in 2018.

The Shire Team