Toodyay Herald

Four councillors who voted for a 0.9 per cent rate rise in June changed tune last month to join Shire President Brian Rayner – who was away in June – to more than double the proposed overall increase to 2.2 per cent.

This is more than twice the Perth Consumer Price Index, which rose 0.9 per cent in the 12 months to June.

Hardest hit will be 900 land owners in rural residential subdivisions such as Morangup, Julimar, Coondle and Hoddys Well who face an actual rates hike of 3.4 per cent under shire plans to apply “differential” rates to their ‘bush lifestyle’ properties.

It follows last year’s council decision to move rural residential properties from unimproved to gross rental valuations which cost hundreds of land owners up to 50 per cent more in rates.

About 530 town properties now face a rates hike of 2.6 per cent, and about 35 business owners 2.2 per cent.

At the other end of the scale, about 180 farming properties are set to benefit from just a 0.6 per cent rate increase, which is 0.3 per cent lower than Perth inflation.

Cr Bill Manning said he would not vote for higher rates because he believed the shire had not done enough to look at cutting costs.

“We owe it to ratepayers to investigate if we can provide a reasonable surplus without having to impose rate rises,” he said.

“For example, reducing operating expenses by 2.3 per cent – leaving aside capital costs – would produce about the same budget surplus as the proposed 2.2 per cent rate increase.

“Continually increasing rates to achieve a required surplus is the easier way out.

“Cutting costs is more difficult but not impossible.”

Cr Paula Greenway also questioned whether enough had been done to cut costs.

Cr Craig Brook said he didn’t believe the council had looked at all the savings that might be possible.

“In private industry, you look at reducing expenses before increasing prices,” he said.

“We could save $18,500 by eliminating catering expenses for councillors and staff, and $15,000 could be saved by halving expenses for conferences.”

Cr Ben Bell said the council had voted the previous month for a 0.9 per cent rate rise.

“Nothing has changed since then,” he said.

“Why are we now putting more pressure on ratepayers to raise an extra $86,000?”

Cr Bell’s call for an eight per cent rates cut based on cost cuts was rejected 4-2 in April with only him and Cr Welburn in favour.

A month later, councillors voted 6-1 (Cr Bell against) for Shire CEO Stan Scott to “review” Cr Bell’s claims and publish any “factual errors” in the shire newsletter and Herald “to correct the public record”.

However, no further action resulted.

Cr Welburn, who heads the council’s audit committee, moved last month’s proposed 2.2 per cent rates rise and said it was needed to boost shire reserves for long-term planning.

“We’ve already been through cost-cutting and we can’t push back any further – 2.2 per cent is the only figure that is workable,” he said.

“We need to err on the side of caution and not pass the buck onto the future.”

President Rayner said other shires had gone as high as five per cent because they had no financial reserves.

“Ratepayers would be absolutely furious if we used up all our reserves and had to increase rates higher,” he said.

“I believe 2.2 per cent will serve us in good stead for the next 12 months.”

The shire’s proposed rate increase is advertised for public comment on Page 21 of this month’s print and digital edition of The Herald, with submissions closing at 4.30pm on Friday August 24.

The higher rates differ from a 4-3 council vote in June for a 0.9 per cent increase.

However – with President Rayner and Cr Greenway absent – the decision lacked an absolute majority vote of five of the council’s nine members and was declared invalid.

The four councillors who voted for 0.9 per cent in June – Acting-President Therese Chitty and Crs Judy Dow, Rob Welburn and Eric Twine – joined President Rayner last month to vote 5-4 for a 2.2 per cent increase.

Crs Manning, Brook, Bell and Greenway voted against the decision.

Cr Chitty pledged that a new Toodyay pool would get priority under a new $4.7 million Federal Government sport and recreational grant announced last month.

“The pool will be built first,’ she said.

“I hope it will be ready by Christmas next year.”

Last month’s announcement by local Liberal MP and Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter ends decades of community despair over Toodyay’s lack of a public swimming pool.

The announcement – ahead of what is expected to be a closely fought Federal Election due by next May – means Toodyay will get a six-lane 25-metre swimming pool, ‘splash pad’, learn-to-swim area, seating and barbecue area on shire-owned land near the town’s high school.

The money will also be used to build a rectangular field for hockey, soccer and rugby, multi-use outdoor courts for tennis, basketball and netball, changerooms and a viewing area.

“Learning how to swim is an integral part of Australian life, which is why a public swimming pool in Toodyay is so critical,” Mr Porter said.

“Toodyay has never had a public swimming pool, and the community has clearly identified its desire for a pool and improved sporting facilities as high priorities.

“This will have major flow-on benefits across the Toodyay community, including economic, social and job creation, ensuring the region continues to thrive and prosper into the future.”

Local WA National MP Shane Love, whose party pledged $10 million for a Toodyay pool before the former Barnett government lost last year’s State election, said it was now “only fair that the McGowan State Government chips in with a matching share to ensure its success”.

“Research has shown that aquatic facilities offer enormous social and health benefits to communities that have access to them.

“Full realisation of the project is now contingent on the State Government stepping up and committing funds to ensure its success.”

Toodyay Shire President Brian Rayner told last month’s council meeting that work on the new sports and recreation precinct “must be commenced as soon as possible”.

“I would like to congratulate everyone involved over the last three to four years by way of making submissions for grant funding to Federal and State Government agencies, and to other organisations who have helped to raise money,” President Rayner said.

Boral’s new licence allows it to operate up to 11 heavy trucks an hour from 6am to 5pm every weekday except on public holidays, when no trucks are allowed.

Councillors rejected a shire recommendation to allow quarry trucks to operate from 6am to 5pm on Saturdays.

They also added a new condition that will bar the trucks from using Morangup Road during school bus hours.

A shire recommendation to grant the new extraction licence was moved by Cr Paula Greenway, seconded by Shire Deputy President Therese Chitty and carried 8-1 (Cr Ben Bell against) after lengthy discussion and several amendments.

The motion included a new clause proposed by Cr Greenway and agreed by Cr Chitty that Boral be required to check with the State Public Transport Authority in Perth to notify truck drivers and the council about any changes to school bus stop locations on Morangup Road.

Cr Craig Brook declared an impartial interest because he said his children used the school bus service on Morangup Road “and my children’s safety will be affected – I will vote impartially”.

Boral applied to the shire in April for a new licence to increase production at its Cobbler Pool Road quarry from 50,000 tonnes a year to 500,000 tonnes annually.

The shire advertised the licence application for public comment in the Hills/Avon Valley Gazette on April 27 and on its website.
Eleven objectors raised concerns over increased heavy truck traffic on local roads and the risk to children using school buses.

The Morangup Progress Association said there had not been adequate community consultation.

The Toodyay Roadwise Committee said it was concerned about “road safety and congestion created by the increase in heavy freight traffic count on Toodyay Road, as well as on other local and minor roads”.

Shire Planning and Development Manager Graeme Bissett said that “in the light of strong community opposition” Boral had agreed to reduce production from 500,000 to 300,000 tonnes a year.

The quarry began operating in 1980 but had been “relatively inactive for the past four-five years,” Mr Bissett said.

An amendment by Cr Bill Manning, seconded by Cr Rob Welburn, to delay truck start times to 7am on weekdays and bar trucks on Saturdays was defeated 2-7 (only Crs Manning and Judy Dow in favour).

Cr Eric Twine queried the lack of a standard clause in the shire recommendation that would require Boral to pay for road maintenance and repairs.

His motion to correct the omission – a staff error in the shire recommendation to council – was carried 9-0 without debate.

Cr Bell moved an amendment, seconded by Cr Brook, to allow trucks to operate 6am to 5pm on weekdays but not on Saturdays.

This was carried 7-2 (Crs Twine and Welburn against).

A further amendment by Cr Brook, seconded by Cr Greenway, to bar all Boral quarry trucks from using Morangup Road during school bus hours was carried 7-2.

Forty years ago, the newly married couple were on the lookout for some land where Ken could indulge his passion for race horses.

Ken had been a sales rep for L’Oreal and Margaret, a hairdresser and hospitality worker; both were looking for a change of pace.

“At the time, I was shovelling chicken shit in Wanneroo,” said Ken who decided to look for a block in Royd Nook subdivision in Coondle just north of Toodyay.

“It was too far away for me,” said Margaret who recalls turning back towards Perth and heading up a dirt track to have a picnic.

In the middle of the roughly graded pea gravel track they encountered four men sitting around a card table in what is now Dryandra Road.

They were salesmen for Countrywide Real Estate who were spruiking blocks in Morangup’s first subdivision, Rolling Green.

“Let’s get out of here,” was Ken’s first thought after they were cajoled into driving around the endless blocks of scrubby parrot bush.

By late afternoon they had bought an uncleared 15-acre (6ha) site which had direct access to the community water supply.

They paid $13,000 for the land in 1978 and soon after Ken discovered some weatherboard houses in Midland which were being sold for $500, transported and restumped*.

By January 1979 the house had been relocated and the Vinicombes became the first permanent residents of Morangup.

“There was no power, no phone – he had brought me to absolutely nothing,” said Margaret.

The couple worked various jobs, Ken in agriculture/horse studs with Margaret mainly doing bar work in the Hills.

Margaret applied for work in Toodyay but she was told she “lived too far away”.

By 1984 the Vinicombes had two children.

With two toddlers in tow Margaret headed by bus to NSW to visit her grandfather.

Leaving Ken to his own devices was not a good idea.

On a night out at the Noble Falls Tavern Ken sold the house – on a whim.

The pressure was on to buy another block but by this time they had learnt the value of a good water supply and enlisted the services of Bailup water diviner Basil Davies who confirmed their current 25-acre (10ha) farm on McKnoe North had an abundant supply.

“It cost me a carton,” laughs Ken.

For the next couple of years the family put in the hard yards, clearing the block and building a house while they lived in a hired caravan that leaked badly.

In 1991 Ken started farmhanding in Gidgegannup for Gabrielle Kervella who pioneered goat-milk cheesemaking in WA and achieved cult status among Australia’s culinary elite.

A year later Margaret joined Gabriella in the cheese factory and learnt the techniques for making fresh curd, creamy-ash logs, feta and other handcrafted cheeses.

Gabriella’s decision to go organic and fully biodynamic didn’t sit well with Ken and after working for her for five years he got the sack.

Margaret stayed on for another year until the couple had been repaid their outstanding wages.

In 1996 they branched out on their own, built the dairy and cheese room and bought equipment and 70 mixed breed goats from a Coolup dairy that was closing down.

Within a year the Vinicombes had more than 80 per cent of the WA goat’s cheese market and are today the state’s top supplier by a country mile.

Their Kytren brand name is a fusion of their children’s names, Kylie and Trent.

“I tell all the journos that it’s Arabic for perfect cheese,” laughs Ken.

Producing award-winning cheeses and maintaining a consistent supply to distributors throughout Australia is a gruelling seven-day-a-week, year-round commitment.

Margaret’s day starts at 5am in “the dungeon” where she makes fresh curd to order and turns out the previous day’s cheeses to drain.

At 7.30am, the Vinicombes do the first milking for a couple of hours; the second daily milking is shorter, from 4pm to 5.30pm.

For four months, when the nannies are in kid, milking of their 130 Saanen goats takes place once a day but there is still plenty to do – feeding, animal husbandry, bookwork and deliveries throughout the metropolitan area.

Producing untainted goat’s milk is a tricky business and relies on strict management of mating foreplay.

Not only do the nannies have to come into season, so do the bucks and the mating ritual where the buck sprays urine on his head to attract the female requires human intervention to prevent milk contamination.

The Vinicombes aren’t coy about the challenges of working together day in and day out and readily admit that at times it isn’t easy, but 40 years later they’re still together and still going strong.

Forty years ago, Margaret’s step-father bet Ken $50 that he couldn’t keep Margaret in WA but he took 25 years to settle the debt.

“He should have charged interest,” quips Margaret.

*Countrywide Real Estate latched onto Ken’s idea of transporting cheap houses and followed suit, offering house and land packages in Morangup.

A 99-page consultant report to the Toodyay Shire Council follows months of community workshops and underpins a new three-year tourism strategy advertised for public comment on Page 21 of the digital edition of month’s Herald.

It said the refurbished Victoria Hotel – which is due to reopen later this year – would provide a catalyst for business events in the region and “will easily become an iconic attraction for Toodyay”.

The report said the Destination Perth tourist region – which includes Toodyay – attracted about 13 million local, national and international visitors a year.

To capture this market, the shire needed to become part of a local tourism organisation – such as operated in Mandurah and the Peel Region – otherwise it would have no chance of succeeding.

Local tourism organisations often operated across more than one shire and were different to local visitor centres, which mainly serviced visitors once they reached a destination or just before arrival.

Perth infrastructure developments, new direct flights from London, a boom in Chinese tourism to Australia and Tourism WA’s latest two-year action plan gave Toodyay a unique opportunity to seize the Perth tour market.

However, the report said Toodyay had several growth hurdles, including local politics, lack of leadership, lack of funding and parochialism.

The report identified “a lack of confidence in shire processes and policies” which it said “remains a strong threat to growth in amenities and services within the community”.

“All attendants at workshops reported endless petty and costly problems trying to get shire approval for innovative new developments, causing some to give up in frustration,” the report said.

A lack of local public transport, and “highly restrictive” restaurant and cafe hours were also deterrents.

Local tourism-related businesses had raised “a wide range of concerns”.

The most common was the need for more attractions in the main street, more advertising of Toodyay as a tourist destination to outside markets and concerns with “various aspects of shire policy governing building development, signage and planning decisions”.

The report said the shire should establish an advisory committee with local business and tourism operators to provide industry leadership and engage with the tourism community on a shire and regional level.

“It is time to identify key messages, and consolidate logos, slogans and taglines,” the report said.

“To put it simply, a consistent and consolidated marketing strategy is required that targets the local audience, supported by proactive public relations and communications efforts, and a strong social media campaign.

Last month’s shire council meeting voted 9-0 to advertise the draft tourism strategy for public comment and appoint a part-time tourism officer from existing shire resources.