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SearchArchives for January 2012
31 January, 2012
Union push for
PS job security
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has claimed that a permanent workforce was essential for the public sector to best serve the Australian community and that the alternative was an insecure Public Service that could not perform its role adequately.
The comments were made in the CPSU’s submission to an independent inquiry into Insecure Work in Australia commissioned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Branch Secretary of the CPSU in Western Australia, Toni Walkington said in the submission that it was in the community’s interests to have a permanent, independent PS that provided frank and fearless advice to the Government of the day and delivered services in an impartial manner.
She said the overwhelming prevalence of fixed-term contracts at higher levels had resulted in the politicisation of the PS.
Ms Walkington said Public Servants who were insecure in their employment could be compromised or limited in their ability to give frank and fearless advice due to the tenuous nature of their employment.
“The loss of knowledge and skills from the sector when contracts expire also has a detrimental impact on the quality of the Public Service as a whole,” Ms Walkington said.
She said insecure work was “rife” in the public sector while permanent work was decreasing and the use of fixed-term contracts was widespread.
She said that in 1994, 85 per cent of employees were permanent compared with 71.2 per cent in 2009, seeing a reduction of almost 14 per cent in a 15-year period.
Ms Walkington said there were high numbers of workers on fixed-term contracts which pointed to the widespread misuse of contract employment in the public sector.
She said the lack of financial security on a fixed-term contract hampered the worker’s ability to plan for the future and get approval for bank loans. This was particularly difficult when a worker was the sole income earner.
Ms Walkington said the lack of certainty about future employment put a lot of stress on the employee, both emotionally and financially and this stress often had an impact on the employee’s family.
31 January, 2012
PS achievers make
honours list
The achievements and dedication to duty of many Public Servants have been recognised by the Queen in the Australia Day honours list.
Governor-General, Quentin Bryce announced the recipients of the awards in the Order of Australia, including the Public Service Medal.
Those honoured were:
COMPANION IN THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AC)
His Excellency Malcolm James McCUSKER AC AO CVO QC,
Governor
For eminent service to the people of Western Australia, particularly through the provision of equitable access to legal representation, as an advocate for sustainable development and education, and through significant philanthropic support for a range of medical research, youth and arts organisations.
Mr McCusker is the Governor of Western Australia
OFFICER IN THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AO)
Noel Graham ASHCROFT AO
Department of Industry and Resources
For service to the public sector in Western Australia, and to the promotion and development of trade and industry links between Australia, Britain and Europe.
Mr Ashcroft is a former Agent-General for Western Australia in Europe.
MEMBER IN THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AM)
Dr Lorenzo FARAONE AM
University of Western Australia
For service to science as an educator and researcher, particularly in the field of micro-electronics, and to professional associations.
Dr Faraone has been Director of the Western Australian Centre for Semiconductor Optoelectronics and Microsystems at the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering at the University of Western Australia since 2003.
Professor Jeanette Anne HACKET AM
Curtin University
For service to tertiary education administration at Curtin University, to the fostering of links with overseas institutions, and to the promotion of equitable educational services for regional communities.
Professor Hacket has been Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University since 2006.
Graeme John HENDERSON AM
Western Australian Museum
For service to maritime archaeology in Western Australia through the documentation and preservation of Australia's underwater cultural heritage, to international professional associations, and to the community.
Mr Henderson has been a Research Associate at the Western Australian Museum, since 2009 and is a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
Professor S Caroline TAYLOR AM
Edith Cowan University
For service to the community through roles with social welfare organisations as a researcher, and to women's studies as an author.
Professor Taylor is the Foundation Chair in Social Justice and Head of the Social Justice Research Centre at Edith Cowan University since 2008.
PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (PSM)
Peter John MITCHELL PSM
Department of the Attorney General
For outstanding public service, particularly as the Sheriff of Western Australia.
Mr Mitchell is the Sheriff of Western Australia with responsibility for the provision of jury services, enforcement services for court judgements and orders and collection of revenue through the Fines Enforcement Registry.
Mr Mitchell has a strong enthusiasm for public service that encourages people to engage with the justice system rather than become alienated from it.
Dr Shayne SILCOX PSM
Local Government
For outstanding public service, particularly to local government in Western Australia.
Dr Silcox is Deputy President of the Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) Board and represents it in dealings with Government Ministers and on key working groups.
He contributed greatly to a Systemic Sustainability Study which was aimed at improving and reforming service delivery options for local governments which is still having a significant impact in shaping the future of local government in Western Australia.
AUSTRALIAN POLICE MEDAL (APM)
Assistant Commissioner Duane Garnet BELL APM
Assistant Commissioner Bell has been a member of the Western Australia Police for 32 years in both metropolitan and country locations. He has worked in metropolitan districts and was in charge of the Central Metropolitan District.
In 2008 he was promoted to Commander in charge of the State Intelligence Division where he oversaw the implementation of significant changes to the business of intelligence holdings and dissemination/sharing of information.
Senior Sergeant Mark Roger DAVEY APM
Senior Sergeant Davey has served the Western Australia Police for over 35 years.
In 1996 Senior Sergeant Davey joined the Human Resource Management Information System (RMIS) Project Team as a team leader implementing a new integrated computer-based system for the vital areas of Finance, Assets and Human Resources.
The RMIS continues to go from strength to strength.
Superintendent Kevin Charles LOOBY APM
Superintendent Looby joined the Western Australia Police in 1972 and has served at various metropolitan and country locations.
He served for a number of years as a Detective where he was involved in numerous high profile and sensitive investigations within the Sex Crime Division and Major Crime Division.
AUSTRALIAN FIRE SERVICE MEDAL (AFSM)
Russell Joseph HAYES AFSM
Mr Hayes’ contribution to emergency services in Western Australia dates back to 1979 when he joined the Fire Brigades Board as a volunteer firefighter in Merredin, and he is still linked to the Waggrakine Volunteer Bushfire Brigade.
Mr Hayes has also worked as a professional in emergency services and was Regional Director of the Western Australian State Emergency Service.
Marion Kaye MACDOUGALL AFSM and
Roderick Malcolm MACDOUGALL AFSM
Approximately 35 years ago Mr and Ms Macdougall moved to Denmark where they created an asset register of firefighting equipment held on private land in the Kordabup and Owingup areas. They raised funds to buy two fire trucks and established a volunteer brigade and have served the community of the Denmark area with distinction.
Jeffry John SMITH AFSM
Mr Smith has been an integral part of firefighting for almost 40 years beginning as a firefighter in the Australian Army at Singleton in NSW for nearly 8 years the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in Western Australia as a Technical Officer (Fire) based in Wanneroo and Pingelly.
His volunteer service began in 1984 when he joined the City of Wanneroo Bush Fire Brigade, becoming a Lieutenant in the Brigade after 5 years service and Captain between 1994 and 1999. He then became Deputy Chief Bush Fire Control Officer for the City of Wanneroo, remaining in this position until he moved to Mandurah in 2005 and joined the Mandurah Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service.
AMBULANCE SERVICE MEDAL (ASM)
Christopher Joseph GLEISINGER ASM
Mr Gleisinger joined St John Ambulance in Western Australia in 1991,and became a fully qualified Paramedic in 1994.
Since the commencement of his on-road duties, he has received a large number of written commendations from patients and their relatives acknowledging his caring and professional manner.
He has worked in Kalgoorlie, Hedland, Geraldton, Norseman, Mandurah and Pinjarra, working with volunteers as a tutor and mentor.
Julian John SMITH ASM
Mr Smith joined St John Ambulance in Western Australia in 1985, and became a fully qualified Paramedic in 1988 and has displayed a genuine desire to play a role in the improvement of ambulance services in Western Australia.
Mr Smith was appointed Deputy Superintendent in 1999, Clinical Shift Manager in 2000, Manager Ambulance Operations in 2002 and Manager Metropolitan Operations in 2003.
The current organisational structure of St John Ambulance has a General Manager position for each of its three major ambulance functions and Mr Smith has filled each of these roles.
Pamela Joy TENNANT ASM
Ms Tennant joined St John Ambulance in Western Australia as a volunteer in 1995.
Her involvement has included ambulance officer, treasurer, secretary and office manager. In each of these roles, Ms Tennant has made an outstanding contribution.
EMERGENCY SERVICES MEDAL (ESM)
David Emmanuel CLARK ESM
Mr Clark began his involvement with surf lifesaving in 1971 when he joined the Mullaloo Surf Cub as a senior member teaching resuscitation.
He was instrumental in the introduction of the Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) and Radio Communications. Mr Clark has been a persistent pioneer and a great advocate for a crucial innovation in Western Australia’s rescue services.
Leslie Alexander HAYTER ESM
Mr Hayter has displayed dedication and leadership towards training in the State Emergency Service (SES) in Western Australia, particularly in aligning SES training to National Standards to assist the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) to gain Registered Training Organisation status.
Mr has a passion for Road Crash Rescue (RCR)/Road Accident Rescue training which led him to play an integral role in the transition of RCR training to a competency-based training course.
He was appointed Manager Training and Development in 2004 and, since then, the level of training for SES volunteers and the standard of training resource kits available have improved dramatically.
William John NORRIS ESM
Mr Norris is an outstanding ambassador for the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) and the State Emergency Service (SES) in Western Australia.
He has made an extraordinary contribution for over 25 years to the training and development of SES volunteers from within his own community and throughout the state, and has demonstrated outstanding passion and commitment towards assisting his community and fellow volunteers to plan, prepare and respond more effectively to natural disasters and emergency incidents.
31 January, 2012
Information reforms
reflected in media
Reforms to the public’s Right to Information (RTI) have led to fewer negative media reports about official secrecy and an increased focus on the topic being reported according to the Queensland Information Commissioner, Julie Kinross.
Ms Kinross welcomed the change saying it was an encouraging measure of the effectiveness of the RTI reforms.
“There are fewer reports where government secrecy has become the story and more reports where the substance of the issue is able to be scrutinised,” Ms Kinross said.
“This contributes to government accountability and public discourse.”
She said that in 2009, the Queensland Independent Freedom of Information Review Panel found that the closed culture of the public sector was a key barrier to effectively implementing freedom of information (FOI) legislation.
She said the Right to Information (RTI) reforms that followed the review of Freedom of Information laws legislated that public sector executives could no longer consider embarrassment to the government, or mischievous conduct by the recipient of information, as a reason to withhold information.
It believed that with more open government there should be less media criticism of government secrecy.
To test this theory, Ms Kinross commissioned a study by the University of Queensland, School of Journalism and Communication.
The study led to a report entitled Changes in Media Reporting after Right to Information Laws in Queensland.
According to Ms Kinross, complex discourse analysis techniques were employed in the study to identify any quantifiable change in the way media reported on government agencies over three key periods; pre-reform (January–November 2007); during the reform (July 2009–January 2011); and post-reform (December 2007–June 2009).
Additional data was gathered through interviews with journalists.
The study found that during the pre-reform period, media reporting focused on a broken FOI system that allowed government to hide information of public interest.
“As a result two stories commonly ensued - one about the information sought, and the other, invariably negative, about government secrecy,” Ms Kinross said.
She said media reporting during the reform period reflected a transitional phase with repeated references to the promise of a policy that required proactive or administrative release of government information as a matter of course.
“With open access to information post-reform, media largely reported only one story, the course of action taken by the agency,” she said.
The study found that media reporting now focused on the issue or decision at hand, rather than the withholding of public information.
“There has been an important transition in media reporting of RTI and access to government information,” Ms Kinross said.
“There seems to be a discernable shift away from a perception of FOI as ‘a concept which is broken’ to an attitude of optimism towards RTI reform”.
The UQ report Changes in Media Reporting after Right to Information Laws in Queensland can be accessed at this PS News link.
31 January, 2012
Consumers eat up
smartphone app
Consumer Protection’s smartphone app, iShopWA has proven very popular since its launch before Christmas.
According to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Anne Driscoll almost 2,000 iPhone and Android smartphone users downloaded the free app in its first month.
Ms Driscoll said the new app gave shoppers vital information at their fingertips and set out in simple terms their consumer rights and the obligations of traders under the new Australian Consumer Law.
“WA shoppers now have the protection of the new laws and it’s important that they know their rights when it comes to refunds, warranties and lay-bys,” Ms Driscoll said.
“The information will help resolve any problems they might be having with getting a product fixed or replaced.”
She said another feature of the iShopWA app was that users could store photos of receipts and set reminders for warranty, gift voucher or online coupon expiry dates or pick-up dates for something on lay-by.
“The iShopWA app also allows users to email photos of illegal ‘no refund’ shop signs directly to Consumer Protection for further action,” she said.
Ms Driscoll said the app was available for free download from both the iPhone app store and the Android market.
31 January, 2012
NAPLAN report a
good one for WA
The NAPLAN final report has shown 2011 to be the best year ever for Western Australian schools, with mean score placings improving for 11 assessments.
Minister for Education, Liz Constable said the report showed the State’s improvements across 2009 to 2011 for years 3 to 5, 5 to 7, and 7 to 9 were higher than the Australian average for all assessments.
Dr Constable said WA indigenous students also made some important gains, with significant improvements in their scores in year 3 spelling and year 9 reading between 2010-11; and for year 3 and 7 reading, spelling and grammar and punctuation and year 9 spelling between 2008-11.
“In 2011 the achievements of WA’s students in very remote locations was well above the Australian means for very remote students, across all year groups and in almost all tests,” Dr Constable said.
“It is pleasing to see teachers and students are making a huge effort to boost literacy and numeracy in these very remote locations, though it is still concerning that our indigenous students’ results are still substantially lower than for other students.”
She said closing the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous performance continued to be a priority for all Governments across Australia.
Dr Constable said girls continued to outperform boys in all literacy-related tests but boys were still performing better in numeracy despite improvements by WA girls in that discipline.
“Talented WA students continued to make progress,” she said.
“Between 2008 and 2011 the percentages of students in the top band at each year level increased considerably in all tests.”
She said the State ranked fourth in Australia for 11 assessments, fifth in six assessments and sixth in the remaining three, which was a substantial improvement on 2010 results.
The Federal Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett, said more than 93 per cent of Australian schoolchildren achieved better than the national minimum standard although the final report showed there is still work ahead for Governments, schools and the community to improve the performance of regional and remote, low SES, and indigenous students.
Mr Garrett said NAPLAN was a powerful tool which provided detailed data on how schools and students were performing and identified where extra support was needed.
The final report can be accessed at this PS News link.
31 January, 2012
Prison report has
good and bad
A report into Bunbury Regional Prison by the Inspector of Custodial Services has found the facility to be generally performing well but facing a number of significant challenges.
The Inspector, Neil Morgan said Bunbury had been one of the State’s better performing prisons over the past decade and there were very many positive aspects to its operations.
“However, a number of factors are affecting Bunbury’s performance and culture,” Professor Morgan said.
“The most significant of these is overcrowding.”
He said apart from the issue of physically cramped conditions, it was important to understand the ‘knock on’ effects of overcrowding throughout any prison.
“Prisons are not static warehouses but dynamic living environments where good relationships, positive activities, and opportunities for prisoners to earn incentives are essential,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we found evidence of increasing tension amongst prisoners, including more assaults by prisoners on fellow prisoners, and a decline in the pro-social relationships between prisoners and staff.”
Professor Morgan said another area of concern at the prison was its high level of Workers’ Compensation claims but one of the most important and positive developments at Bunbury had been the opening of the Pre-release Unit.
“In summary, it is a tribute to Bunbury staff and management that they have managed around the challenges they have faced with a pragmatic, ‘can do’ attitude,” he said.
However, there are risks if the areas of concern identified in this report are not addressed.”
Superintendent of the Bunbury Regional Prison, Andy Smith said he was delighted the report applauded the multi-security prison’s management team, the good rapport between staff and prisoners and the effective use of resources to help prisoners further their education and employability in preparation for release.
“It is no secret the prison population has spiked in recent years,” Superintendent Smith said.
The Community and Public Sector Union said the issue of overcrowding at the Prison was not new.
capacity.
Branch Secretary of the CPSU/CSA, Toni Walkington said the issue had been raised with the Department of Corrective Services in November 2009 and was an ongoing concern.
The Inspector’s report can be accessed at this PS News link.
31 January, 2012
Thousands sign up to
call Australia home
More than 2,000 new citizens from 91 countries around the world were welcomed into the Western Australian community last week in 60 separate ceremonies on Australia Day.
Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests, John Castrilli said Australia Day was a wonderful time of year to celebrate the nation’s democratic values, equality, freedom of speech and religion.
Mr Castrilli said it was a special occasion for all Australians, especially for people from other countries who had become Australian citizens.
“Through citizenship and affirmation ceremonies, we reflect on the freedoms, responsibilities and privileges that go hand in hand with what it means to be Australian,” Mr Castrilli said.
He said Western Australia was home to a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, and he welcome the latest people who had become Australian citizens at Local Government ceremonies around the State on Australia Day.
He said cultural diversity was one of the State’s greatest strengths.
“Almost one-third of Australian citizens in WA were born overseas and the new citizens come from all over the world including European countries, African nations, Asia, the United States of America and New Zealand,” he said.
Mr Castrilli said last year in Western Australia, 2,100 people from 93 countries became Australian citizens as part of the 13,000 people from 143 countries across the nation who did so.
31 January, 2012
New levy to protect
energy industry
The Department of Mines and Petroleum has announced that a number of significant changes to petroleum and geothermal energy safety came into force in Western Australia on 1 January.
The Department said the changes coincided with the introduction of new levies to cover the cost of petroleum and geothermal energy safety services.
“Previously, the State Government has funded the cost of providing these services,” the Department said.
“However, as the industry has expanded, the costs of providing these services has placed increasing pressure on the government’s resources.”
It said the levies would ensure that funding available for safety services was maintained at an appropriate level.
“The revenue generated by the levies will enable Resources Safety to fund existing activities, as well as expanding services through the recruitment of specialist safety and risk analysts, and other safety and health initiatives.
“Industry has been consulted throughout the development of the levies to ensure there are minimal administrative burdens for industry and the regulator.”
It said its Resources Safety Division had also assumed direct responsibility for safety regulation in WA coastal waters on 1 January.
“This function was previously carried out on behalf of the State by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA).
“Assets in these areas include nine production licences, 22 pipeline licences, one manned and seven unmanned platforms, 18 monopods and tripods, four tanker loading facilities and several vessels from time to time, including diving operations.”
The Department said there were also a number of major subsea pipeline construction projects that would now have to be regulated by Petroleum Safety including Gorgon, Macedon, Wheatstone and Browse.
“In order to deal with the increasing workload, up to five additional specialist technical staff will be needed,” it said.
“This is in addition to nine senior/safety assessor positions that are part of the department’s latest recruitment campaign for Petroleum Safety.”
31 January, 2012
Consumers hot
on cooling off
Consumer Protection has identified problems with sales cooling off periods as the No. 1 issue of concern to WA consumers in 2011.
The agency received 791 calls from concerned consumers.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Anne Driscoll said there were only a few very limited circumstances when a cooling off period would be provided to consumers but half the calls from the last year concerned motor vehicle purchases where consumers wanted to terminate a contract.
“When consumers sign a contract to buy a motor vehicle in Western Australia there is no cooling-off period,” Ms Driscoll said.
“In most cases there is no need to sign a contract to work out a deal; the contract finalises the terms of the deal and should only be signed when you are entirely satisfied.”
She said one of the few circumstances when a cooling off period applied was with a health club or gym membership with consumers having a 48 hour cooling off period under Western Australia’s Fitness Industry Code of Practice.
“Door to door, telephone or telemarketing salespeople also have to give you a cooling off period and consumer rights are fully protected under the Australian Consumer Law,” she said.
“This law applies to all uninvited approaches; door to door, over the phone or even from salespeople in shopping centre car parks.”
Ms Driscoll said in some situations, consumers could face high-pressure tactics to force them to sign sales contracts.
“Insist on having time to consider the deal, get other quotes and then, if you wish to proceed, go back later that day or the next day,” she said.
“When you settle on a deal you should check the terms and conditions and ensure that what was offered verbally has been included in the written contract.”
31 January, 2012
Four-hour review
timely for hospitals
A review of WA Health’s four-hour hospital waiting time rule has entered its implementation phase.
A chief executive and senior clinician from WA Health are to oversee the new measures which arose from Professor Bryant Stokes’ review of the Four Hour Rule Program.
Director General of WA Health, Kim Snowball said Professor Stokes had completed a comprehensive report that provided insight into how the reform program could be improved.
“I thank Professor Stokes and his team for their work, undertaking consultation with more than 300 stakeholders across the four major hospitals,” Mr Snowball said.
“The report has now been distributed to area health and our hospital executives, junior doctors, and other key stakeholders.”
He said the Four Hour Rule Program Progress and Issue Review was instigated by the Department of Health in July, following a series of meetings with junior doctors by the Health Minister and senior health executives.
“The Four Hour Rule Program has clearly delivered remarkable improvements in quality and safety outcomes for the Western Australian community, and all of our staff have made it clear they do not want to return to the working environment prior to the Program’s implementation,” Mr Snowball said.
“However, such a significant hospital-wide change is not without its difficulties.
I am very pleased the review has been able to more closely examine the concerns raised by staff to ensure they could be validated and where validated, make clear recommendations.”
Mr Snowball said some of the issues raised in review were already being addressed however some recommendations, like changes to acute assessment units, required specific resources and commitment.
Professor Stokes’ report can be accessed at this PS News link.
31 January, 2012
Health checks for
health buildings
The conditions of 37 buildings in WA Country Health Service sites across the southern inland area are being audited in readiness for a major upgrade and refurbishment project.
The audits are being conducted through the Southern Inland Health Initiative with the assistance of the Department of Finance’s Building Management and Works team as part of a new era in country health for people living in the area.
Minister for Health, Kim Hames said the primary aim of the Initiative was to improve access and upgrade services available to people living in regional and remote areas.
“There are major upgrades planned for district hospitals in Northam, Narrogin, Merredin, Katanning, Manjimup and Collie,” Dr Hames said “as well new facilities or refurbishments of small hospitals and nursing posts across the Wheatbelt and Central Great Southern.”
Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls said the building condition audits would be conducted by teams of architects and building surveyors, as well as electrical and structural engineers.
“Size and scale of these audits is truly impressive, the logistics of 37 building condition audits across such a large area is akin to a large scale military exercise,” Mr Grylls said.
“Once these audits are completed, WA Country Health Service and Building Management and Works will review the findings and nominate and prioritise works required to support service delivery.”
More information on the Southern Inland Health Initiative is available at this PS News link.
31 January, 2012
New memorial is wall
of remembrance
A new memorial wall at Karrakatta Cemetery that commemorates the indigenous servicemen killed in conflict and buried overseas during World Wars I and II has been unveiled.
Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Peter Collier said the memorial wall was an important step in recognising the role indigenous people played in these conflicts, and the ultimate sacrifice they made for Australia on behalf of all Australians.
“In some small way, it also provides an opportunity to return their spirits to Western Australia,” Mr Collier said.
“Aboriginal people have a unique and strong connection to country, and the families of those killed in action now have a place to pay their respects despite the remains of their relatives lying in graves overseas.”
He said the contribution Indigenous people made to past conflicts was a unique part of Australia’s history.
He said they fought and died under the Australian flag and paid the ultimate price by leaving their country never to return.
“This is a true embodiment of the ANZAC spirit, which every Australian celebrates so passionately,” Mr Collier said.
He said an estimated 700 indigenous soldiers from Western Australia were part of the WWI and WWII campaigns.
“The memorial wall is located in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Keeping Place at Karrakatta Cemetery.
“The Keeping Place is a purpose-designed building holding the skeletal remains of Indigenous people previously stored in museums around the State and the country.”
Mr Collier said the placement and construction of the wall had been co-ordinated by Honouring Indigenous War Graves Inc. which was a not-for-profit organisation that had funded and erected more than 100 headstones at the resting places of fallen indigenous service personnel.
“The Department of Indigenous Affairs contributed the majority of funding toward the memorial construction,” he said.
“The Wall is first of its kind in Australia.”
31 January, 2012
Youngsters urged
to join awards
Nominations are being sought for the 2012 Participate! Award.
Commissioner for Children and Young People, Michelle Scott said the award was open to inspirational 12 to 17 year-olds who were active leaders in the community.
“The award is part of the WA Youth Awards program for 2012, which is presented by the Department for Communities and Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia,” Ms Scott said.
“It recognises a young person who has shown outstanding dedication to make a positive change in their community and who has inspired other young people to participate.”
She said the award was established in 2010 and past nominees and winners had been involved in a number of activities ranging from peer mentoring through to advocating on human rights.
“I created the Participate! award to acknowledge young people who lead by example and show others how they can help to build better communities,” Ms Scott said.
“I call on those who know an inspirational young person to nominate them for this award.”
Ms Scott said entries closed at 5pm on Friday 24 February 2012 and more information, including entry forms, could be obtained from the Department for Communities’ website this PS News link.
31 January, 2012
School coolers
pass the test
Forty-four schools are to start the 2012 study year in air-cooled comfort as a program of cooling every school in the State begins to make progress.
Minister for Education, Liz Constable said that of the 115 schools identified as priority schools for the air-cooling program, 44 already had or would have air-cooling installed by the first day of school.
“Work is continuing at a further 71 schools,” Dr Constable said.
“It is anticipated that 56 schools will be completed by 1 March, 72 by 1 April and 102 by 1 May.
She said $52 million had been committed over the next four years to air-cool every Western Australian school.
“After being allocated the funding to do so in the last State Budget, a huge amount of work has been done by the Department of Education, Building Management and Works and the contractors who have won tenders,” she said.
“Every single school had to be thoroughly assessed to determine how many air-cooling units they required, along with other infrastructure works such as power upgrades to support new units, which was a massive process.”
Dr Constable said everything had been done as quickly as possible, and the tender process and work had commenced straight away so as many students and staff as possible could enjoy more comfortable conditions.
“The second phase of the air-cooling rollout is expected to be completed by December 2012, six months ahead of schedule,” she said.
“The target was to air-cool 115 schools in the hottest areas by June 2012 and we are well on track to achieving this.”
31 January, 2012
Scientists team up
to save the whales
A new science program designed to help secure the future of endangered whales in south Western Australia has been launched by Curtin University’s Centre for Marine Science and Technology (CMST).
The newly established program integrates the research expertise of CMST at Curtin, Western Whale Research (WWR), and the community outreach experience of the Dunsborough Coast and Land Care (D-CALC) group, with an aim to improve the scientific foundation for environmental management and whale species protection.
Deputy Director of CMST, Dr Chandra Salgado Kent said iconic cetacean species, including the humpback, blue, and the southern right whales which were listed internationally as high-priority species for conservation, used locations within south Western Australia for migrating, resting, and calving each year.
“Not only do locations such as Geographe Bay provide key habitat for whales of a variety of species, but it is one of very few places in the world where the largest of these animals, the blue whale, migrates within hundreds of metres of the coast,” Dr Salgado Kent said.
“Blue Whale populations in particular, continue to be listed as endangered and have not recovered since the whaling that decimated the population from 1915-1965.”
She said the SouWEST study sought to obtain a better idea of the current numbers of whales using significant resting areas during sensitive periods of their life history, including mother and calf pairs.
“Geographe Bay is a last stop for many whales migrating south with their young calves before crossing the Southern Ocean to Antarctica or the southern convergence zone to reach their main feeding grounds,” she said.
“Therefore, obtaining a long-term data set investigating how whales are using this location is fundamental to conservation efforts.”
Dr Salgado Kent said the SouWEST study would also look at gaining a better understanding of whale vocalisation behaviour when migrating in WA waters.
31 January, 2012
New register runs
REVS off the road
The WA Register of Encumbered Vehicles (REVS) is set to undergo major changes as it becomes part of a new national system
From this week, the REVS system is part of the new Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR), operated by Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia on behalf of the Federal Attorney-General’s Department.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Anne Driscoll said the PPSR would incorporate more than 20 existing registers currently operated by various Commonwealth, State and Territory Agencies, and roll them into one national system.
“It certainly is an end of an era,” Ms Driscoll said.
“For 23 years REVS has played an important role in ensuring consumers have peace of mind when buying second-hand vehicles privately.
“The new system will be much better for buyers and investors as it transcends State borders.”
She said further checks could be carried out on security interests which may be held on an extensive range of personal property, including cars, aircraft, intellectual property, crops and livestock.
“The PPSR will also report on written-off or stolen vehicles via a link to the Written Off Vehicle Register (WOVR), operated by the WA Department of Transport,” she said.
“The REVS service ended at 5pm on Friday, 27 January 2012.”
She said licensed car dealers must guarantee clear title to any car that they sell.
The new national register can be accessed at this PS News link.
31 January, 2012
Honour for IPAA VP
National Vice President of the Institute of Public administration Australia (IPAA), Yehudi Blacher has been honoured with a Public Service Medal.
Mr Blacher PSM received the award for outstanding public service in the instigation, promotion and implementation of innovative reforms in public administration.
He is a former Secretary of the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development.
New weather office
A new weather observation office has been opened at Geraldton by the Bureau of Meteorology.
The $3.3 million Geraldton office is part of a total federal funding program of $34 million to upgrade 12 of the Bureau’s oldest meteorological offices.
The Geraldton office is staffed by three people and operates seven days a week.
Police warn on photos
Police are warning women to be careful when providing personal information online.
The warning comes after two WA women became victims of an extortion threat after a person they met online told them they would receive a modelling contract if they forwarded nude photographs and full details for the job application.
Officers advised the public never to send naked images of themselves to anyone online or provide personal details to someone they didn’t know.
Contractors shortlisted
Three contractors have been shortlisted for construction of the Perth Waterfront inlet and public spaces.
The companies, Leighton/Broad, John Holland and a consortium of Brookfield Multiplex and Georgiou were each successful in their initial bids.
The contract is worth an estimated $200 million.
Community Awards open
Nominations have opened for the 2012 Community Services Excellence Awards.
The awards celebrate outstanding work by community service organisations and individuals across Western Australia.
Nominations close on Friday, 2 March 2012 and the awards presentation will take place on 9 May.
More information is available from this PS News link.
Elephant celebrates birthday
Tricia the Asian Elephant has celebrated her 55th birthday.
The longest Perth Zoo resident has proven to still be popular among visitors despite her age.
The elephant herd at the zoo is made up of Tricia, her 22-year-old female companion Permai and 22-year-old male elephant Putra Mas.
24 January, 2012
New car parking app
is motorists’ dream
A new mobile phone application and website advising of car bay availability in City of Perth Parking (CPP) car parks has been launched.
Lord Mayor, Lisa Scaffidi said the new app was an Australian first and would be a handy tool for drivers to find information on the nearest City of Perth Parking car park.
“These new developments are necessary to help stay abreast of the way people consume new media,” Cr Scaffidi said.
“The new website and parking app can offer alternative media sources for tech-savvy people wanting instant updates on parking availability at CPP car parks.”
She said it should help to avoid the frustration that sometimes came with accessing a parking space by allowing commuters and visitors the ability to plan ahead.
“It will also be possible for customers to save money by being aware of the various pricing scales at different car parks,” she said.
Cr Scaffidi said some of the website’s features included real-time parking availability; a ‘Find Your Car’ locator; car pooling rates; a directory of all CPP car parks; payment options; promotional offers; and up to date City of Perth Parking news.
She said the iPhone and Android application was available now for download in the iPhone App Store and Android Market.
The new website could be visited at this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Activity framework
up and running
A new framework has been released to provide strategic direction for increasing and improving opportunities for physical activity in Western Australia over the next five years.
Launched by the Director General of the Department of Planning, Eric Lumsden, Active Living for All: A Framework for Physical Activity in Western Australia 2012-2016 was developed by the Physical Activity Taskforce to provide a coordinated and collaborative approach to ensuring active living opportunities existed for all Western Australians.
Mr Lumsden said the purpose of the framework was to provide an integrated planning and delivery model that acknowledged, and was responsive to, a variety of existing strategies and plans across a broad range of sectors and settings.
“The overarching aim of the framework is to improve the overall health, wellbeing and quality of life of individuals, families and communities in Western Australia through increasing active living opportunities for all,” Mr Lumsden said.
“It provides a model for working collaboratively and builds on the existing work of others in bringing about the multiple economic, environmental, health and social outcomes provided by the active living agenda.”
He said the active living agenda benefited everyone through lower health costs and improved workplace productivity; reduced vehicle dependence resulting in decreased traffic congestion, noise and air pollution; happier, healthier individuals with reduced risk of chronic diseases, overweight and obesity; and greater social interaction, supporting a sense of place and connectedness to the community.
“The framework identifies two key outcome areas - active places and active people,” Mr Lumsden said.
“Active Living for All provides the reasons why physical activity is vital to individual, family and community wellbeing.”
He said 10 active living principles had also been developed as well as key strategies for action by sectors and settings outlining the role of all Western Australians in activating people and places.
The Acting Living For All framework can be accessed at this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Seat selling tender
just the ticket
The rights to sell tickets to venues managed by the Perth Theatre Trust (PTT) are to be put out to tender.
Minister for Culture and the Arts, John Day said the public tender would be advertised in April this year after stakeholder consultation and would follow Department of Finance procurement procedures.
Mr Day said that if successful, the tender would mean the BOCS Ticketing agency would be decommissioned by the Government.
“BOCS was established at a time when ticketing options in WA were very limited and the market and its needs have changed significantly,” Mr Day said.
“It would not be a good value for the taxpayer to invest further in BOCS, particularly as there are many other ticketing specialists and providers in the current market.”
He said BOCS would continue to operate as usual during the tender process and a period of transition had been allowed.
“Patrons should not be unduly affected by this decision as any transfer arrangements will take into account current ticketing agreements,” Mr Day said.
He said the decision to outsource the ticketing rights for the PTT venues had been raised before and, after extensive research by the trust, it was recommended that the current best option was to test the market through the tender process.
“Specified service levels will be included in the contract as it is very important that high service levels are maintained, including during and after the tender process,” the Minister said.
“The State Government will ensure the interests of current BOCS staff, the Perth Theatre Trust and the Western Australian arts community be considered in any agreement,” He said.
24 January, 2012
New week to encourage
working from home
The Federal Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is to convene Australia’s first National Telework Week later this year to promote the benefits and advantages of working from home.
National Minister for the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said the opportunities presented by increased telework were exciting for both employers and employees.
“An increase in telework can lead to benefits across the economy and community, from big business through to individual workers and families as well as the environment,” Senator Conroy said.
“These benefits include cost-savings and productivity gains, increased workforce flexibility, expanded supply of skilled labour, reduced impact on the environment, reduced stress from traffic congestion and increased time available to spend with family and the community.”
He said for the next generation of employers and workers, IT connectivity would need to be seamless to allow work from any location, be it at home, in the office or at their local cafe.
“Australia currently lags well behind the leading nations for telework rates.”
He said the Digital Economy Strategy had set a goal to double Australia’s telework rate by 2020.
Senator Conroy identified cultural barriers as some of the factors contributing to poor telework rates and said it was important to address them through education and awareness of telework’s benefits.
He said initial partners in National Telework Week included the Australian Human Resources Institute, the Australian Industry Group (AIG), Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the Australian Network for Disability and the Local Government Managers Australia.
“Cisco, the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Unity4, Telstra, BlackBerry, Polycom, Infrastructure Australia and the Green Building Council of Australia have also agreed to become partners,” Senator Conroy said.
He said the National Telework Week would be held in November and more information was available from this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Property register on
stream this month
A new national register for personal property securities is to open for business on 30 January.
Federal Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon said the register would help Australian consumers and businesses ensure the property they had bought did not have a security interest over it.
She said stakeholders in the register, including the major banks, had confirmed they were ready to proceed.
“The new national register will let you check that the used goods you are buying, like a car, boat or machinery - almost anything except real estate - doesn’t have a security interest over it,” Ms Roxon said.
“Nobody wants to risk repossession.”
She said the register would also provide additional protection for businesses that leased or supplied goods, in the event that a debtor defaulted or went bankrupt.
“The national register will replace more than 70 different Commonwealth, State and Territory Acts and Registers used to regulate personal property used as security,” Ms Roxon said.
“The simplification of all these different registers will help make secured financing more accessible and reduce transaction costs, making lenders more willing to accept different kinds of personal property as security for loans.”
She said advice from her Department indicated that the migration of over 4.7 million records from existing registers was progressing well and most of those records had been transferred to the new register, with updates to follow.
“The existing registers transferring their data to the new register include the Australian Securities and investments Commission’s Register of Company Charges, the State Registers of Encumbered Vehicles and Vehicle Securities Registers, and various other Bills of Sale, stock mortgage and crop lien registers,” she said.
“Businesses and individuals that hold security interests will have up to two years to register their security.”
More information is available from this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Hospital report for
healthy outcome
WA Health has published its seventh annual report of unexpected, rare and preventable incidents in hospitals that led to patient harm or death.
The report into ‘sentinel events’ is published with the aim of ensuring similar events did not occur in future.
Director General of Health, Kim Snowball said the reports were produced in an effort to improve patient safety by sharing the lessons learned from past errors.
Mr Snowball said the WA Sentinel Event Report 2010/11 showed a total of 96 sentinel events.
“In 2010/11, sentinel events represented only 0.01 per cent of all public and private health service patient separations which is one sentinel event per 10,000 patient separations,” Mr Snowball said.
“Of the 0.01 per cent of all separations that constituted sentinel events, the number that resulted in patient deaths dropped by nearly 10 per cent from 0.0064 per cent in 2009/10 to 0.0058 per cent of total separations in 2010/11.”
He said WA Health welcomed the examination of all events and continued to be the only State where private hospitals were required to report sentinel events to their Health Department.
“All events are thoroughly investigated and lessons learned are shared across the WA Health system to further improve patient safety,” Mr Snowball said.
“Policy/procedure/guidelines, communication and ‘other’ factors were the three most commonly identified contributing factors for events in 2010/11.”
He said the majority of sentinel events continued to fall into the category of ‘other adverse event resulting in serious patient harm or death’ rather than into one of the eight nationally defined categories.
“In WA, this additional broad category allows greater learning from errors and opportunities for system improvement,” he said.
“It includes sub-categories such as complication of an inpatient fall and hospital process issue.”
The report is available online at the this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Fire alert issued
for pastoralists
Pastoralists have been urged to remain vigilant and ready for action in the case of a bushfire emergency.
District Manager of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority in the Midwest Gascoyne South, Steve McDonald said that the high number of pastoral fires in the past month was an important reminder for pastoralists to ensure their properties, and especially their homesteads, were bushfire ready.
“Two months into the bushfire season and over four hundred thousand hectares have been burnt in the Pilbara, Midwest Gascoyne and Goldfields regions,” Mr McDonald said.
“Fuel loads in the region are much higher this year and that means a challenging bushfire season for firefighters.”
He said pastoralists needed to be aware that during a bushfire, firefighters may not be able to protect all properties, especially when the location was dangerous and conditions were hot.
He said pastoralists who planned to defend their property needed to consider fuel reduction, firebreaks, water supplies and emergency supplies.
“Properties will often lose power and water which can make defending your home very difficult if contingencies haven’t been prepared,” Mr McDonald said.
“It is essential to clear a minimum 20 metre safety zone around your residence and infrastructure and remove any potential fire traps such as wood piles and fuel containers.”
President of the Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA), Rob Gillam said every pastoralist was well aware of how destructive bushfires could be, and needed to ensure their bushfire survival plan was up to date and ready for action.
“It’s also very important to have a plan for pets and livestock,” Mr Gillam said.
“Good preparation can mean the difference between your homestead surviving or not.”
More information is available from this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
New citizens urged to
join electoral roll
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is encouraging Australia’s newest citizens to enrol to vote this Australia Day as the nation celebrates its ‘2012 Year of Enrolment’.
State Manager of the AEC, Peter Kramer said the Federal electoral system was changed 100 years ago so that all citizens became not only entitled but also obliged to enrol to vote.
“Fifty years ago another important electoral change meant Indigenous Australians gained the right to vote,” Mr Kramer said.
“The anniversary reminds us that the opportunity to vote is a privilege, which you can only access by enrolling to vote.”
He said the privilege was one which the country’s newest citizens needed to take at the first opportunity.
“AEC staff will be on hand at citizenship ceremonies across Western Australia this Australia Day to assist new citizens to enrol to vote, and join more than 14 million Australians already on the electoral roll,” he said.
“As this year highlights the importance of enrolment it is concerning that around 175,000 eligible Australians in Western Australia are not enrolled.”
Mr Kramer said if an election was to be held, those people would miss out on their opportunity to vote.
“It’s compulsory for all Australian citizens 18 years and over to enrol to vote and you must be enrolled before you can vote in Australian elections,” he said.
“You can enrol to vote in three easy steps: go to www.aec.gov.au/enrol; complete the enrolment form, print and sign it; and return it to the AEC.”
Mr Kramer said enrolment forms were also available at any AEC office, Australia Post outlet, Medicare or Centrelink office.
24 January, 2012
Pool owners warned
on mixing chemicals
WA police and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) have joined forces to warn pool owners to take care when mixing chemicals for their pools.
he warning comes after two recent chemical incidents resulted in people being injured from accidently mixing liquid and dry powder pool chemicals together.
Manager for Hazardous Materials at FESA, Stuart Palmer said any mixing of chemicals should only be carried out under strict compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
“Failure to follow correct instructions can result in toxic chemicals being released, sometimes causing a violent reaction,” Mr Palmer said.
“In the last financial year, career and volunteer firefighters responded to over 900 hazardous materials incidents and the community really needs to be aware of the dangers associated with all types of potentially dangerous chemicals and materials.”
WA Police Sergeant Garry Tuffin from the East Metro Police District said that in the most recent incident in Ballajura, the victim was lucky to have only suffered minor burns to his hands, arms and face.
“We obviously have concerns for householders’ safety, but any subsequent chemical release could also place other residents at risk too, and can result in fire or explosions,” Sergeant Tuffin said.
“Regarding pool chemicals, if you are unsure about possible adverse reactions, householders are advised to contact their local pool chemical suppliers.”
He said in a life threatening emergency people should call 000.
24 January, 2012
Mental health plan
for public comment
A draft 10-Year Roadmap for National Mental Health Reform has been released for public consultation.
Federal Minister for Mental Health, Mark Butler said the Roadmap would provide Governments, the community sector, workplaces and communities themselves with a measurable, long term national reform plan for mental health.
Mr Butler said the plan would help guide where attention and funding was focused over the next 10 years and ensure the nation’s mental health system ranked as one of the world’s best.
“While we’ve taken great strides in how we view and treat mental illness, more needs to be done to provide a system that provides all the levels of care people living with mental illness need, available in the right place and at the right time,” he said.
“We especially need to target our efforts at those who are hard-to-reach and vulnerable, and stop them from falling between the cracks and from being shunted from one service to another.”
He said more needed to be done to break down the stigma, discrimination and misunderstanding that surrounded mental illness.
“COAG agreed to develop the Roadmap in 2011 and the Australian Government, States and Territories have been working hard alongside mental health experts and consumer and carer representatives to develop this draft,” Mr Butler said.
“We want to get this Roadmap right and we want the community to be involved in the process which is why we are making it available for public comment.”
He said the public comments would be used to help finalise the Roadmap for COAG to consider in early 2012 and an online survey tool would be available until 1 February 2012 on the mental health page of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing website this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
New book café opens
for Year of Reading
A new outdoor reading room and book café has been opened as part of an initiative by the State Library of Western Australia to kick-start the National Year of Reading in 2012.
The ‘Love2Read’ Café is located in the Perth Cultural Centre.
The new venue has a range of programs and events for diverse audiences including author talks, children’s activities, word game days, screenings of classic films based on books, and live music.
Free regular events are set to take place every week and will not require a booking.
Among the scheduled events are Stories on Screen which will provide a glimpse into WA’s history every Monday lunchtime and evening with digital stories from the State Library’s archives.
For families with children there will be weekly Baby Rhymetime sessions on Tuesdays at 10.30am, and Family Storytime on Wednesdays at 11am.
On Sunday evenings at 5pm classic films will be shown on the big screen at the Perth Cultural Centre amphitheatre.
Minister for Culture and the Arts, John Day said the National Year of Reading presented an opportunity for all West Australians to discover or rediscover the joy of reading.
“I’d encourage everyone to read where and when they can, from books and newspapers, on e-readers and mobile devices,” Mr Day said.
“The Love2Read Cafe at the State Library provides a perfect place in which to do this, and will be a great addition to the Perth Cultural Centre during the summer months.”
More information about the Year is available from this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Port gets call for
major expansion
Esperance Port is to be expanded to increase its export capacity by up to 20 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).
Minister for Transport, Troy Buswell said a market sounding exercise would be launched to identify private sector interest in expanding the port’s capacity for iron ore exports.
Mr Buswell said significant work had been undertaken to explore options to expand port capacity at both Esperance and Kwinana and the decision was influenced by a recently completed study into the Yilgarn province’s burgeoning iron ore industry and the fact that $120 million was being spent to upgrade the port’s road and rail access.
“The study showed 11 of the 12 miners preferred Esperance over Kwinana in relation to their individual export needs,” Mr Buswell said.
“The Yilgarn province is a rapidly developing iron ore region and, based on current iron ore prices, has the potential to earn the State up to $150 million a year in royalties which can be invested into schools, hospitals, roads, police and other essential services for the community.”
He said currently about 12 million tonnes of iron ore came out of the Yilgarn and it was a potential source of more than 15 billion tonnes of magnetite and one billion tonnes of high-grade haematite ore.
“This is a very exciting time for Esperance, however we need to act fast if Western Australia is to reap the reward of current high iron ore prices,” Mr Buswell said.
“Esperance Ports Sea and Land has a strong management team and the skills and capacity to proceed with a major project like this.”
He said engaging the private sector would minimise costs and risks to the Government.
24 January, 2012
Organ donors grind
out new record
New figures released by the Australia and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry (ANZOD) and the Organ and Tissue Authority show that Australia produced its highest ever number of organ donors in 2011.
Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King said the outcomes in 2011 showed that efforts to boost organ and tissue donation rates continued to have an impact.
“As well as the national DonateLife community awareness program, the reform agenda includes a clinical network of specialist organ and tissue donation staff in 77 hospitals,” Ms King said.
She said all were working to improve organ and tissue donation rates and outcomes, providing specialised family support services and raising awareness in their clinical communities.
Chair of the ANZOD, Professor Graeme Russ said a total of 337 Australians who lost their lives in 2011 had saved or improved the lives of 1,001 people in need of an organ transplant.
“This is the highest annual total of deceased organ donors and transplant recipients in Australia’s history,” Professor Russ said.
“Australia’s 2011 donation outcome of 337 donors translates to an increase of an additional 28 donors for the year, above the 2010 outcome of 309 donors.”
He said that was a 9 per cent increase.
“The 2011 total of 1,001 transplant recipients translates to an increase of an additional 70 recipients for the year, above the 2010 outcome of 931 recipients,” he said.
“This is an 8 per cent increase above the previous year.”
National Medical Director of the Organ and Tissue Authority, Dr Jonathan Gillis said 2011 marked the second full year of implementation of the national reform agenda to increase organ and tissue donation.
“The 2011 outcomes lift Australia’s donor per million population (dpmp) rate to 14.9, an increase of 4.7 dpmp since the commencement of the national reform agenda,” Dr Gillis said.
“The majority of States reported increases in 2011, with the most significant rises being in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.”
24 January, 2012
Child protection
making impact
The number of notifications of child abuse and neglect to child welfare departments across Australia continued to fall in 2010–11 according to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Spokesperson for AIHW, Tim Beard said the report, Child protection Australia 2010–11, showed a 13 per cent fall in the number of children subject to notifications of possible child abuse or neglect compared with the previous year.
Mr Beard said during the same period, the number of children in substantiated cases was stable - rising by less than 1 per cent.
“After investigation, a notification to a department is considered to be ‘substantiated’ when it is concluded that the child has been, is being, or is likely to be abused, neglected, or otherwise harmed,” Mr Beard said.
He said in 2010–11 there were 237,273 notifications of potential child abuse or neglect involving 163,767 children and of these, over half were investigated and just over a third were substantiated.
“There were 31,527 children involved in substantiated cases during 2010–11, or 6.1 for every 1,000 Australian children aged 0–17,” he said.
“This is the same rate that was reported in 2009–10.”
He said children aged under 12 months were most likely to be the subject of a substantiation of child abuse or neglect.
“However, over the past five years we have seen a large fall in reported rates of abuse and neglect for those under 12 months of age, from 17 to 12 per 1,000 children,” Mr Beard said.
“Age is one of the factors child protection workers take into consideration when responding to a notification, because younger children are regarded to be the most vulnerable, and most jurisdictions have specific policies and procedures in place to protect younger children.”
He said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continued to be over-represented within the child protection system with the report showing they were 7.6 times as likely as non-Indigenous children to be the subject of a child protection substantiation, and 10 times as likely to be in out-of-home care.
The full report is available at this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Public to pick holes
in drilling code
Public comment has been invited on a draft code of practice for mining operations involved in drilling.
Developed by Resources Safety, the draft code has been designed to provide a practical and accessible guide to help identify hazards and risk factors associated with drilling operations.
A spokesperson for Resources Safety said the code of practice had been written to be used by anyone involved in drilling operations, from the driller’s offsider to the managing director, and addressed hazards associated with the drilling methods commonly used in remote exploration in the State.
“The code has been developed with industry input from various sources,” the spokesperson said.
“When completed, the code of practice will be presented to the Mining Industry Advisory Committee (MIAC) for consideration.”
The spokesperson said that once it was endorsed by MIAC, the code would be submitted to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum for approval to publish.
“As well as industry feedback, companies and organisations are invited to submit photographs for designated hazard chapters to show best or leading practice,” the spokesperson said.
“Please send comments by 5 pm Friday, 30 March 2012.”
Comments should be sent to the Manager Safety Communications at su.ho@dmp.wa.gov.au
The draft code of practice can be accessed at this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Bright outlook for
after-dark patrols
Night patrols are to be expanded in Kununurra to deter children from roaming the streets late at night.
Minister for Child Protection, Robyn McSweeney said the Government had provided $97,000 to the East Kimberley arm of Save the Children to operate the patrols.
Mrs McSweeney said the patrols would transport children back to a safe place (to their parents, carers or family members) and offer guidance to young people to refrain from risk-taking behaviours like alcohol and drug use, juvenile delinquency, exchanging sex for favours and violence.
“Children on the streets at night is an ongoing issue in Kununurra where young people are exposing themselves to risk and in some cases getting involved in criminal behaviour,” she said.
“The aim of the youth patrol is to prevent harm to children, reach them before they get into trouble, provide youth intervention and maintain community peace and safety.”
She said young people roamed the streets at night because of an unsafe home life, alcohol abuse by parents, family violence, neglect, lack of parental care and boredom.
Mrs McSweeney said the patrols would have links to the Miriwoong Gajirrabeng Youth Worker Project (MGYWP) in Kununurra, which included the Waringarri Chilling Space, overseen by Save the Children.
“MGYWP offers a range of programs and diversionary activities to help reduce juvenile crime and promote social and cultural development among young people,” she said.
24 January, 2012
Visiting vessel keeps
science ship-shape
A state-of-the-art ocean-going science vessel that deployed robot floats to research the Indian Ocean and climate data has visited Fremantle.
Minister for Science and Innovation, John Day said important research was being coordinated through the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) established by UNESCO and supported by the State Government, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Federal Government.
“Western Australia plays an important role in this research to improve the understanding and prediction of the world’s oceanography and meteorology,” Mr Day said.
“The Perth office, one of only two UNESCO IOC offices in the southern hemisphere, is an important regional focal point of the IOC which is recognised through State Government financial assistance.”
He said the Lady Amber was originally a South African charter yacht for tourism and was unique as the only vessel of its kind involved in such work.
“The yacht, under charter to the CSIRO, has successfully deployed 55 Argo robot floats in the Indian Ocean and will deploy more robots to the north of the North West Shelf once she again sets sail,” he said.
Mr Day said the research was also supported through Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) to which the State Government had provided $6 million in funding.
“As part of IMOS, Australia has a diverse array of oceanographic instruments stationed off the coast, including floats for the Argo Sensing Network,” he said.
“The primary aim of the Argo program is to maintain a global array of robot research floats to increase understanding of ocean salinity, temperature and aspects of its biology to 2,000m depth.”
More information about the program and the Lady Amber could be obtained from this PS News link and this PS News link.
24 January, 2012
Doctors graduate
Two hundred and eighty medical graduates have started internships in Western Australian hospitals.
Internships were offered to all graduates from WA medical schools and this year’s intake represents a 20 per cent increase in the number of interns compared to 2009.
The new doctors will be based at Perth’s tertiary hospitals with rotations throughout other metropolitan hospitals.
They will all rotate through Country Health Services, community clinics and private hospitals.
Youth Awards open
The Department of Communities has opened nominations for the 2012 WA Youth Awards.
The awards, now in their 14th year, were established in 1999 to recognise outstanding West Australians aged 12 to 25 years.
Nominations close on Friday, 24 February and more information and entry forms can be obtained from this PS News link.
Australia Day activities online
The National Australia Day Council has unveiled a new web guide with details of Australia Day celebrations in every State and Territory to help people find events being conducted near them.
The Council has listed events from all around the nation on the website which also operates as a smart phone web page.
The guide can be accessed at this PS News link.
17 January, 2012
New Office announced
for energy policy
A new Public Utilities Office is to be established within the Department of Finance.
Premier, Colin Barnett said the Public Utilities Office would initially provide advice to the State Government on energy policy but over time could also have responsibility for water and waste management policy.
“The decision to establish a new Public Utilities Office is a recommendation of the Economic Audit Committee,” Mr Barnett said.
“Establishing a Public Utilities Office with an initial focus on energy markets will enable, through economies of scale, the development of appropriate policy capacity and capability to ensure the Government is able to draw on independent, high quality advice to inform its provision of essential services.”
He said the move was in line with the Government’s priority to build the policy capacity and capability of the public sector and had the support of the Public Sector Commissioner.
He said the Office of Energy would cease to exist, with its functions, staff and resources to be transferred to the Department of Finance.
“The Department of Finance will continue to report to Finance Minister Simon O’Brien on Government procurement, building management and works, State revenue and shared services issues,” Mr Barnett said.
“The new Public Utilities Office will report through the Director General of the Department of Finance to Energy Minister Peter Collier on energy industry and policy issues.”
He said the new arrangements would be implemented by the end of March 2012.
17 January, 2012
Increase and overhaul
for district payments
District Allowances for public sector employees working in regional areas have been increased and revised with the new arrangements providing separate regional centre and district rates.
The new rates replace the previous exception town arrangements and provide more consistent rates of allowance throughout Districts.
Announcing the increases, the Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls said they followed the release of findings from the Regional Price Index (RPI).
“The survey identified that Western Australia’s regional areas in the North-West and other remote areas of the State continue to experience a higher cost of living than people residing in or nearer to Perth,” Mr Grylls said.
“It is important that appropriate district allowances are provided to attract and retain quality public sector staff in the regions.”
He said it was the second time the RPI had been undertaken, with the first occurring in 2007.
Minister for Commerce, Simon O’Brien said the calculations followed lengthy consultation with a number of Government Departments and Public Sector Unions.
“I welcome the increased district allowance and I am pleased to announce that eligible public sector employees in Geraldton will now receive a district allowance payment for the first time.” Mr O’Brien said.
“Geraldton is a significant port and industrial centre in the Mid-West and the ability to pay District Allowance will enable public sector employees to continue to make their contribution to this vibrant and expanding city.”
The new District Allowances can be accessed at this PS News link.
17 January, 2012
Roads agreement
drives waste plan
A landmark agreement between Main Roads WA and the Waste Authority could see more than a million tonnes of recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste diverted from landfill and used to build roads.
Minister for the Environment, Bill Marmion said C&D waste was presently responsible for 50 per cent of all waste sent to landfill in Western Australia.
“Western Australia has been the worst performer in the country even though C&D waste is relatively homogenous and material such as concrete is comparatively simple to reprocess,” Mr Marmion said.
He said he had asked the Waste Authority to investigate the potential to improve the use of recycled C&D materials in State Government civil works in July 2011.
“A reference group consisting of State and Local Government representatives along with members from the engineering profession and C&D recycling industry consulted and ultimately prepared a report, Increasing the use of recycled materials in State Government civil works October 2011,” he said.
“One of nine recommendations involved negotiating a new specification for the use of recycled C&D materials in road base.”
Mr Marmion said Main Roads WA had endorsed a revised specification, also adopted by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia and the WA Local Government Association, for the use of C&D in road bases.
“The significance of this achievement cannot be understated as it creates a market for more than one million tonnes of recycled C&D waste,” Mr Marmion said.
17 January, 2012
Cabinet OK for new
Emergency Services
New laws that formally restructure the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) following the Keelty Review have been given the go-ahead by Cabinet.
Minister for Emergency Services, Troy Buswell said a Bill would be drafted to amend the Fire and Emergency Services Authority Act 1998 which would see FESA abolished and restructured as a Department of the State Government.
“The overriding intention of this legislative change is to ensure that the State’s emergency services response is directly accountable to Government,” Mr Buswell said.
“As a result of this change, a new position of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner will be created, which will have similar command and control capabilities to a police commissioner, and which will report to the Emergency Services Minister.”
He said the legislative changes would also empower the Minister to establish a new advisory committee, which would be required to have volunteer representation.
He said other legislative changes to related Acts would also be progressed as a matter of urgency.
“The Bush Fires Act 1954 will be amended so police can independently use the powers of the Act when assisting at a bushfire, in line with recommendation 31 of the Keelty Review,” Mr Buswell said.
“We will also make amendments to the Emergency Management Act 2005 to allow the chair of the State Emergency Coordination Group to declare an emergency situation, and also to extend the powers of all police acting in emergency areas,” he said.
17 January, 2012
Safety concerns after
solar inspections
An inspection program of home solar energy installations ordered by EnergySafety has found up to12 per cent had been incorrectly wired, posing potential safety hazards.
Director of EnergySafety, Ken Bowron said the defects were subject to orders to make them safe and a second inspection was carried out to ensure the systems had been fixed and complied with safety standards.
“It is vital that the rapidly expanding solar industry lift its performance and maintain the highest safety standards now and into the future to protect owners and their property,” Mr Bowron said.
“The work orders ensure that those homes were made safe.”
He said the audit also found that 11 per cent of installations had defects that could pose a future safety risk if not rectified and 27 per cent did not comply with labelling requirements.
“Householders and businesses must have confidence that their solar equipment meets stringent safety standards,” he said.
“These inspections will be stepped up and continued to ensure compliance with the law.”
Mr Bowron said only licensed electrical contractors were permitted to perform the solar installations and householders should receive an Electrical Safety Certificate stating that their system was completely safe.
He said installers must also notify the relevant network operator when a new installation was completed.
The audit report is available at this PS News link.
17 January, 2012
Recruitment campaign
to attract more nurses
A recruitment campaign urging more West Australians to consider nursing or midwifery as career choices has been launched by the Director General of Health, Kim Snowball.
Mr Snowball said the campaign encouraged more people to practise nursing and midwifery in the public system to help meet growing demand.
“Western Australia is embarking on its biggest ever infrastructure program, and with this comes the need to retain and recruit quality staff,” Mr Snowball said.
“The opening of new facilities such as Fiona Stanley Hospital, Albany Health Campus and New Children’s Hospital will represent a major attraction to nurses and midwives by offering world-class facilities in which to work.”
He said WA Health would welcome around 800 nurses and midwives in the first half of 2012, with more to be recruited mid-year.
“It is great to see so many nurses and midwives looking to establish a career in the public health system.
“However, we still need to expand our nursing and midwifery workforce to keep pace with increasing demand from a growing and ageing population.”
Mr Snowball said the campaign targeted a broad audience including school leavers, graduates and nurses and midwives eligible to return to the workforce.
“This campaign is a part of a proactive approach to ensure WA Health is well prepared to meet current and future workforce demands,” he said.
“It will help deliver more nurses and midwives for our public health system, leading to real benefits for Western Australian patients.”
Mr Snowball said the recruitment campaign started on 2 January and included press, digital and outdoor advertising.
17 January, 2012
Library books
new address
The City of Perth Library is moving to a new central city location.
The library’s previous address in the basement at 573 Hay Street, closed its doors for the last time on Saturday (14 January) with the thousands of books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and furniture transferred to a new, temporary, location on Level 1 of 140 William Street in the city.
Chief Executive of the City of Perth, Frank Edwards said the library service had to close while the relocation was taking place and the task of stocking the new premises was undertaken.
“Once the collection has been relocated, there will be a great deal of work to be done before the library is operational and ready to open to the public,” Mr Edwards said.
“The reopening date is yet to be confirmed but staff will make every effort to have it ready by mid-February.”
He said the reopening date would be announced as soon as possible.
“In the meantime, loan periods have been adjusted so no items will be due for return while the library is closed,” he said.
“The City put considerable time into finding an appropriate location for the library and I believe the prime, central-city location will prove popular with residents and commuters.”
Mr Edwards said it was expected the Library would operate from its temporary location until late 2014.
“That is the projected completion date for the new purpose-built City of Perth Library which is to be constructed on the site of the current library as part of the new St George’s Cathedral Precinct,” he said.
17 January, 2012
Hearing program
to be expanded
A hearing screening program for newborns is to be expanded to include babies born at private hospitals.
Minister for Health, Kim Hames said there were currently 29 hospitals across Western Australia that carried out the newborn screening and $1 million in funding would be provided so that babies born in private hospitals would also be given the opportunity to be tested.
“This program was unprecedented when it began and it has had excellent results in identifying children with possible Permanent Congenital Hearing Loss (PCHL),” Dr Hames said.
“This has allowed those children to receive earlier treatment which has led to better language development and social outcomes.”
He said more than 136,000 newborn babies had been screened through the program to determine whether they had any hearing abnormalities.
He said in WA, four in 1,000 babies tested had some type of hearing impairment.
“The program, run by the Child and Adolescent Health Service with support from the WA Country Health Service, began in Perth’s five biggest maternity hospitals and has since grown based on the success of early identification,” Dr Hames said.
“Without newborn hearing screening, 75 per cent of children with permanent hearing loss would remain undiagnosed by their first birthday.”
He said newborn hearing screening services had operated in metropolitan hospitals since 2000 and in 2010 the program was extended to country areas.
17 January, 2012
Health issues
swim warning
The Department of Health is reminding people about the increased risk of catching amoebic meningitis when swimming during warm weather.
Manager of the Water Quality Branch of the Department of Health, Richard Theobald said amoebic meningitis was a rare but potentially fatal disease which was contracted when recreational water contaminated with the amoeba bug entered a swimmer’s nose.
“Amoeba thrives in warm water temperatures between 28 degrees and 40 degrees,” Mr Theobald said.
“Pool and spa owners are advised to closely monitor and check that chlorine levels are within a safe range and water in wading pools should be changed after each use, as this water provides the perfect environment for the amoeba bug to grow.”
He said owners using pool covers also needed to check their water more frequently as the covers could cause water temperatures to rise quickly.
He said the risk of amoebic meningitis could be reduced by taking precautions such as staying out of dirty pools, spas, waterholes and dams; ensuring pools were kept clean, free of dirt and leaves, and properly chlorinated; testing water in swimming pools at least twice a day; and making sure pools that did not use a stabiliser contained at least two milligrams per litre of chlorine and four milligrams per litre where a stabiliser was used.
Mr Theobald said it was also a good idea to make sure pH levels were kept between 7.2 and 7.6 and that wading pools were kept clean and the water they held was only used once.
17 January, 2012
Compliance relief for
Local Governments
Reporting costs for Local Governments have been significantly reduced following the Minister for Local Government’s decision to simplify compliance audit returns.
The Minister, John Castrilli announced a reduction of 20 per cent in the size of the compliance audit return in December 2010 and said a further 70 per cent reduction meant Local Governments would now deal with eight, not 27 pages in their returns.
“The change decreases the size of the return by removing questions on areas of compliance that are already audited by the Department of Local Government,” Mr Castrilli said.
“Greater responsibility is given to each Council’s audit committee to ensure the Council complies with its statutory obligations.”
He said the remaining questions related to areas of compliance considered high risk, such as financial interest disclosures; procurement and tendering; delegation and use of delegated power; and the recruitment and appointment of the Chief Executive Officer.
He said the cut to Local Government red tape was another step in the reform process and gave Local Governments more time and resources to benefit other community activities.
“The need to review the Local Government compliance audit return process was identified in the Red Tape Reduction Group Report released in 2010 and the Local Government Reform Steering Committee Report, 2010,” Mr Castrilli said.
“The requirement for Local Governments to comply with relevant legislation will not change.”
He said the Department of Local Government’s Compliance Framework was aimed at building good governance by promoting and enforcing compliance, and by encouraging all Local Governments to move beyond minimum compliance through continuous improvement.
“This is another significant improvement the State Government has been able to introduce for Local Governments and their communities,” he said.
17 January, 2012
City steps up its
volunteer call
The City of Perth is urging members of the public to consider joining its i-City volunteer program and help other people make the most of their city visits.
People who want something different to do in their spare time and are looking for the opportunity to help thousands of people are being encouraged to volunteer.
The City of Perth said the i-City volunteer program had been running for 10 years and volunteers got to work in a friendly team, met lots of people and kept up to date with what was happening in the city.
“It’s up to you how many shifts you do,” an advertisement for the program said.
One of the original volunteers, Pam Furner said she looked forward to her weekly trip to the City of Perth kiosk in Murray Street Mall.
“I really enjoy the job…I’d recommend it to anyone,” Ms Furner said.
“I’ve been a keen traveller all my life and I know how positive and comforting it can be to see a friendly face and easily access information.”
She said she also enjoyed starting up conversation with different people and learning about their experiences.
“It’s also a good way of keeping the mind active and staying up to date about what’s happening in my own city, because it’s always changing,” she said.
For more information or to volunteer, contact the City’s Visitor Services Officer on 9461-3444 or barbara.simpson@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
17 January, 2012
Comment called on
Mining Committee
The Minister for Mines and Petroleum has called on the mining industry to provide him with its thoughts and feedback on an independent review of the Mining Industry Advisory Committee (MIAC).
The review, conducted by Rio Tinto’s Bob Hirte, evaluated the performance and effectiveness of the Committee, making eight recommendations for improvement.
In his report Mr Hirte said the predicted large increase in people new to the mining industry made it imperative there be a body with the ability to positively influence the occupational safety and health standards of the industry.
“This review also looked at the output and involvement that MIAC has had with occupational health and safety initiatives since it was formed in May 2005,” Mr Hirte said. He recommended that MIAC continue to exist but said it was apparent there needed to be much better communication with industry regarding its aims and achievements and it would require an increased commitment from all members to lift the Committee’s profile and demonstrate its value.
“MIAC should continue as the statutory advisory committee relating to occupational health and safety in the WA mining industry,” Mr Hirte said.
“Resources Safety should ensure the MIAC Secretariat has the appropriate resources available to effectively perform their role.”
He said it would seem justifiable to allocate some funds from the Mines Safety Levy for the extra resource, if required.
Other recommendations include that MIAC should develop a strategic plan and continue to ensure there was adequate consultation with industry, not only to enable it to capitalise on more opportunities to improve health and safety standards but also to help eliminate major omissions or oversights when developing guidelines and codes of practice.
Mr Hirte also recommended that all positions on MIAC be filled as soon as practicable following any resignation or vacancy; the MIAC Rules of Operation be reviewed; the MIAC membership be increased by one to include another member with knowledge of, or experience in, occupational safety and health in the mining industry; and the statutory appointed Chairperson should continue to be the Executive Director of the Resources Safety Division, as is the current arrangement .
The full text of Mr Hirte’s report can be accessed at this PS News link.
17 January, 2012
New protection plan
floated for river
A new draft protection plan for the Swan Canning Riverpark has been released for public comment.
The plan outlines a range of actions to improve the management, health and amenity of the river.
Minister for the Environment, Bill Marmion said the draft River Protection Strategy (RPS) set out how to achieve safe, equitable and sustainable management of the Riverpark.
“The draft strategy outlines ways of better managing commercial and recreational activities, preserving river ecology and improving public amenity of the Swan Canning Riverpark as a recreational space,” Mr Marmion said.
“The Riverpark is important to users for many reasons including its environmental, social and economic values.”
He said the draft RPS had been developed to foster a collaborative management approach for the Riverpark.
“Local government makes an enormous contribution to river management, and support from the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has been critical,” he said.
Mr Marmion said a $14.1million contribution to the Swan River Trust this year would help improve the health of the Swan Canning Riverpark.
“This commitment will enable the Trust to continue testing end-of-catchment wetland treatment systems, build a third oxygenation plant on the Canning River and continue erosion control infrastructure at 13 riverbank project sites,” he said.
The draft plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
17 January, 2012
Report released on
recognising Councils
An independent expert panel’s report on the recognition of Local Government in the Australian Constitution has been released by the Federal Minister for Local Government, Simon Crean.
A referendum on the issue is expected to coincide with the next Federal election.
Mr Crean said the panel was chaired by former Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court, James Spigelman, and was asked to identify options for the constitutional recognition of Local Government and report on the level of support for the proposal in the community.
Mr Crean said a majority of the panel members found that financial recognition was the only option with a reasonable chance of success at a referendum, provided steps were taken to secure the support of the States and achieve broader public awareness and engagement.
He said it was vital to protect the Commonwealth Government’s ability to directly fund Local Government.
“Our experience with programs like Roads to Recovery and the recent stimulus package demonstrate the importance, the appropriateness and the advantages of being able to provide funding directly to Local Government,” Mr Crean said.
“Local Government was in a unique position to provide shovel-ready projects and the ability to directly fund those projects was important to the success of the stimulus and the roads program in delivering jobs and much needed infrastructure.”
He said the ability of the Commonwealth to directly fund Local Government could create a relationship that supported, facilitated and drove collaboration among all three levels of government.
“It can also leverage additional investment in the regions which is good for local communities and for the country,” he said.
Mr Crean said the issue also had the support of the Federal Opposition.
“The Government will now take time to consider the community’s views and details of the report before providing comment in early 2012,” he said.
The Panel’s report can be accessed at this PS News link.
17 January, 2012
Pest plant warning
follows online sales
The Department of Agriculture and Food has issued a warning to gardeners and homeowners to take care buying aquatic plants after it found two species of Australia’s worst water weeds for sale online.
Research Officer at the Department, Sandy Lloyd said Salvinia had been found for sale online, incorrectly named giant duckweed.
Ms Lloyd said Salvinia was a ‘weed of national significance’ which could devastate waterways and have a severe impact on the environment, agriculture, and tourism.
“Salvinia is prohibited from being grown in Western Australia and the weeds for sale on this particular website and also at commercial premises in O’Connor have been confiscated,” Ms Lloyd said.
“It is one of Australia’s most damaging aquatic weeds, which can block waterways, pollute drinking water, and displace native plants and animals.”
She said Salvinia was a free-floating aquatic fern that produced fronds in pairs along the stem which were bright green and covered with short hairs.
She said water hyacinth was another serious weed which had been offered for sale recently at a weekend market in Melville.
“A woman who bought water hyacinth at the market later reported it to the Department when a friend told her it was banned,” she said.
“Water hyacinth is one of the world’s worst weeds, choking up rivers, lakes and other waterways.”
She said both weeds were prohibited from sale in WA and must be destroyed when found.
“Anyone with suspect aquatic weeds should not dump them in creeks or drains where they could proliferate and spread,” Ms Lloyd said.
“They should be reported to the department’s Pest and Disease Information Service on 1800 084 881.”
17 January, 2012
Red cyclone alert
prompts warning
The Pilbara community is being urged to consider their own safety this cyclone season and stay indoors when a Red Alert has been issued.
The Fire and Emergency Services Authority’s State Emergency Service (SES) is urging the community to stay safe and adhere to advice issued during a cyclone, especially during a Red Alert.
Pilbara Regional Director of the SES, John Newman said it was vital that people stay indoors during a Red Alert until local authorities had the opportunity to make the area safe.
Mr Newman said it was common each season to see people moving outside their homes before the All Clear was given, which was dangerous to both the community and to the emergency services personnel trying to assess the damage.
“During a Red Alert there is a threat to lives and properties, you are in danger and need to act immediately which means sheltering in the strongest, safest place of your house or the building you are in, or the closest welfare centre until the All Clear is given,” Mr Newman said.
“However, this message seems to fall on deaf ears as we continually encounter people outdoors and on the roads causing a danger to themselves and others.”
He said the sooner emergency services could do the rounds and clear any dangers, the sooner the All Clear could be given and people could get back to their business.
Mr Newman said if a cyclone was posing a significant threat to the community, FESA could declare an emergency situation and it was during an emergency situation and the Red Alert phase that people faced fines of up to $50,000 if they failed to comply with a direction to stay indoors and off the roads.
For more information on what to do during each alert stage of a cyclone visit this PS News link.
17 January, 2012
Commissioner extends deadline
The Building Commissioner has extended registration until 1 March 2012 for all builders and painters seeking renewal.
The Commissioner also apologised to building and painting companies who had received their individual renewal forms due to an error by the mailing contractor.
The correct renewal forms will be mailed this week.
Ambulance for Rottnest
A new ambulance has been delivered to the Rottnest Island Nursing Post.
The $180,000 ambulance is a modern all-wheel-drive van and replaces a troop carrier that has been in use since 2003.
The new ambulance has a brand new fit-out, allow nursing post staff to provide a high level of patient care when responding to medical emergencies on the island.
Police welcome recruits
Fifty-seven new recruits have graduated from the Joondalup Police Academy.
Thirty-nine men and 18 women, with an average age of 27 years will join WA Police with graduating recruits coming from a wide range of backgrounds, including Thailand, Northern Ireland, South Africa and Scotland.
Fourteen graduates have service history with the Australian Defence force and all have completed an intensive 28-week training course.
Duyfken replica comes home
The Western Australian-built replica of the first ship recorded as visiting Australian shores is to return to WA.
The replica 17th century sailing ship, the Duyfken, was built in Fremantle in the late 1990s and since then she has sailed to Asia, Europe and all Australian States a number of times.
New funding from the State Government will provide the Duyfken with a permanent home while also creating a new tourism attraction and educational experience for West Australians and visitors.
AEC handover delayed
The State Government is to continue to own and manage the Albany Entertainment Centre until 2014.
Ownership of the AEC had been due to be transferred to the City of Albany on 30 June 2012 but the venue, which has proved to be extremely popular with the local community, will now been handed to the City of Albany on 30 June, 2014.
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