Toodyay Herald

Cr Greenway served more than eight years on the council after being elected with 68 votes in the shire’s now-abolished West Ward in 2013 and won re-election in 2017 with 214 votes in an ‘in-person’ ballot restricted only to former West Ward electors.

Shire CEO Suzie Haslehurst will prepare a report to the council about options for the already cash-strapped shire to avoid the additional $23,000 cost of a postal ballot of all Toodyay voters in a one-seat by-election.

This would leave Cr Greenway’s seat vacant until October’s state-wide local government elections when the four-year terms of four Toodyay councillors expire.

Cr Greenway’s resignation takes effect from April 30, and her last council meeting will be on Tuesday April 27.

Her departure will leave the Shire of Toodyay with an eight-member council, with President Rosemary Madacsi holding a second ‘casting’ vote to break any deadlocked decisions.

The last time this occurred was two years ago, also on April 1, when former Cr Craig Brook resigned after a council meeting for which he flew back from his new job in Melbourne.

At that meeting, former Cr Brook seconded a motion that was passed 5-4 not to re-employ former shire CEO Stan Scott when his contract expired in July 2019.

Cr Greenway was one of Mr Scott’s most ardent supporters in council and reportedly angrily berated Cr Brook as he left the chamber after his final meeting.

The shire’s Code of Conduct requires elected members to “treat others with respect and fairness” and not “make any allegations that are derogatory or improper”.

“We will always act in the best interests of the Shire and refrain from any type of communication, in our public or professional duties, which may cause any reasonable person unwarranted offence or embarrassment.”

Cr Greenway later told The Herald she could not recall the incident.

She then took part in a surprise council backflip a month after Cr Brook’s departure to re-employ Mr Scott in a secret 6-2 vote behind closed doors.

This was despite a State Government inquiry that later made 14 adverse findings against Mr Scott for financial mismanagement, conflict of interest, unethical conduct and other failures under local government law, many of which were reported in The Toodyay Herald but largely ignored by the former council.

Cr Greenway voted unsuccessfully against employing Ms Haslehurst as Mr Scott’s replacement in May last year.

She also lost her second bid in two years to be elected shire deputy president after unsuccessfully opposing the election of Cr Rosemary Madacsi as shire president.

Managing Director Alex Dorsch told the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) last month that her appointment would help “advance our major project towards development as a long-term supplier of many of the critical metals required to decarbonise the global economy and reduce pollution”.

Shares in the cashed-up Perth explorer rose sharply to 5.46c on April 1 after the company informed the Australian Stock Exchange a week earlier of “highly encouraging” new results.

These include tests for palladium, which fetches more than $2500 an ounce (28.3g) on world markets, as well as nickel, copper, cobalt and other platinum group elements.
Palladium is highly sought after on world markets for use in catalytic converters to reduce vehicle pollution in petrol engines.

The platinum group elements are regarded by major car manufacturers and ‘clean energy’ industries as “critical metals for electric vehicles and other energy storage applications”.

The latest Toodyay test results follow ground-based electro-magnetic surveys in the southern Julimar Forest.

They add to drilling results on 945ha of private land – which Chalice calls ‘Gonneville’ in nearby Keating Road – which the company bought last year for a total of $14 million in cash and shares.

Chalice says it has yet to apply for State Government permission to drill in the environmentally sensitive State Forest to confirm the full extent and potential cash value of its Julimar discovery.

In its March 25 ASX statement, Chalice described the Hartog results as similar to last year’s ground-based electro-magnetic findings in Gonneville, south of Julimar Road.

“The results are considered to be highly encouraging,” Mr Dorsch said.

They were “mostly aligned along the strike from Gonneville. making these high priority drill targets”.

For Aboriginal peoples – including in Toodyay – Australia’s colonial history was characterised by devastating land dispossession, violence, and racism.

Over the last half-century, however, many significant steps towards reconciliation have been taken, including locally.

Developing a shire reconciliation action plan is part of that ongoing journey.

Corporation chairperson Robert Miles said he was very encouraged by recent talks with the shire about developing a practical action plan built on relationships, respect and opportunities.

In other news, the corporation is working closely with the shire to install a plaque to commemorate a State-registered Aboriginal burial site behind the historic Toodyay Showgrounds grandstand.

It was used as a hockey pitch from 1979 until 2013, when the shire was informed by the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council that the site had been gazetted since 1916 as an Aboriginal Cemetery.

An older plaque hidden in nearby trees is not visible from the burial site, which was cordoned off by a line of large rocks in 2013 when hockey playing stopped.

We are progressing well with this project, which will in future include other nearby cultural facilities, and hope the new plaque will be installed in time to be celebrated, along with the shire’s new reconciliation action plan, during National Reconciliation Week which runs from May 27 to June 3.

Medical authorities say ‘herd immunity’ to end the pandemic can be achieved in Australia if more than 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated.

Toodyay is due to receive 50 doses of the vaccine every week, with plans to increase this number over time to immunise the more than 1200 eligible people – about a third of the shire’s population – during the first phase of the mass roll-out.

They include people aged over 70, emergency service volunteers, those with chronic disease and Aboriginal people older than 55.

Some GP clinics in other parts of the state have chosen not to administer the vaccine, resulting in increased demand in other GP medical centres.

The Wheatbelt Health Network says it will call all eligible Toodyay patients to offer them local Covid-19 shots as fresh doses arrive from Perth.

Bookings will be made in groups of 10 because each vial of the AstraZenica vaccine contains 10 doses.

The Toodyay clinic says it is balancing standard medical appointments with Covid-19 vaccinations to enable a doctor to be present when shots are administered.
The AstraZenica vaccine requires two doses to be given 12 weeks apart.

The local vaccination roll-out coincides with the start of WA’s annual flu season, for which separate shots are due to become available in Toodyay at the end of this month.

Covid-19 and flu vaccines need to be administered at least two weeks apart.
The Wheatbelt Health Network said people who didn’t want to wait for a local booking could contact Perth respiratory clinics that are providing dedicated immunisation programs.

The public competition for the favourite busker was awarded to C & J Rockin’, brothers Charlie (14) and Jack (11) (below) who have been performing for the past three years at festivals, markets and fetes.

They were extremely excited not only to have won the spot performing between James Blundell’s first and second sets, but the time James spent with them before and after their set.

It was great to have Emma Pettemerides, a principal of the WA Opera who has regularly performed for the company’s outreach program and is an ambassador for Healthways’ Smarter than Smoking campaign.

Emma is also a regular soloist with local companies Freeze Frame Opera, Perth Symphony Orchestra, Lux et Veritas, Art Song Perth and performs for events around Australia as The Perth Soprano as well as being one of Toodyay’s own.

She facilitated a number of fellow artists, including Jun Zhang (below) in opera and musical theatre to appear and St Stephen’s Anglican Church was at capacity seating all day.

Our evening entertainment was provided by country music singer James Blundell who is no stranger to WA.

In his early 20s he mustered cattle in the West Kimberley and way before that, his great-great-grandfather was the surveyor for the fledgling Swan River Settlement, so the connection goes back a long time.

Once music became his career, WA has always been an important tour component providing inspiration for his song writing.

James (below) was joined on stage in the second part of his show by WA locals Johnny Taylor and Trent Matheison, and his son Briar Blundell.

Duidgee Park was well patronised all day and it was great to see the numbers swell as we moved into the evening’s entertainment.

Food and merchandise stalls were located within the two parks with our Toodyay businesses providing for both locals and visitors.

This free community event could not have gone ahead without the support and funding from a number of people.

To our major sponsors Lotterywest, Shire of Toodyay and Toodyay and Districts Bendigo Community Bank we give the community’s sincere thanks.

The local Op Shop, RSL, Community Resource Centre and Makit Hardware, Shane Love, MLA, Darren West, MLC, Laurie Graham, MLC, LJ Hooker and Country Realty all supported this event along with Northam’s Coles and Woolworths.

Finally, this event would not have happened without The Toodyay Music Fest Working Group and our enthusiastic volunteers who stepped up to help make this a great day.

I joined this group in June last year, after the disappointment of having the 2020 festival cancelled due to Covid-19 and what I found was a small group of enthusiastic, dedicated people who worked tirelessly to provide Toodyay with an event that is a credit to the community.

If you would like to provide feedback on how you as the general public saw the event or should you be interested in getting to know your fellow Toodyayians, have an interest in music or working within the community, we would love to hear from you.

The planning for the next Toodyay Music Fest starts soon. Please contact toodyaymusicfest.secretary@gmail.com or phone 0419 869 927.

“Ambulance volunteers have no one to advocate for their interests,” Mr Love said.
“Workers in paid jobs have protections and procedures but ambulance volunteers feel they cannot speak out without a risk of ramifications

“I have heard the same thing from other ambulance volunteers elsewhere – Toodyay is not an isolated case.

“St John’s ambulance volunteers are the state’s only emergency service volunteers without a representative body.”

Mr Love said regional WA St John Ambulance staff and volunteers serviced the world’s largest health jurisdiction and answered 43,000 call outs last year.

“Regional paramedics and volunteers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe and responding to emergency incidents,” Mr Love said.

“However, the workload can be onerous, and the situations they encounter can be challenging, leading to volunteer burnout.

“It’s the role of government to support this iconic organisation so that its members can continue to answer the call when needed.”

If elected, the Nationals WA plan to commit $1 million to create the state’s first volunteer association to advocate for and protect the interests of ambulance volunteers, $29 million for an additional 18 community paramedics across regional WA in areas of need and $10 million to ensure some of WA’s smallest ambulance sub-centres remain sustainable and well equipped.

“We’ve seen how effective community paramedics are, and volunteers tell us they appreciate the extra support on the ground,” Mr Love said.

“Our commitment will boost the total number of community paramedics across regional WA to 45 to ensure they can continue to provide that support.

“Giving volunteers a voice will help to create a better work environment, improve workplace relations and create a greater awareness of the role volunteers play within and outside the health sector.

“St John Ambulance plays a huge role in regional WA, and volunteers often encounter very difficult and challenging circumstances in their volunteer roles.

“This will give them much-needed support and advocacy and will also help to guide organisational and government decisions to ensure WA’s ambulance and health services remain world class.”

Mr Love won a primary vote majority of nearly 35 per cent in the 2017 State Election, with Labor’s Barni Norton on 21 per cent and Liberal candidate Darren Slyns 19 per cent.

All three are again contesting this month’s State Election and Labor hopes its cash splash in Moore will at least force Mr Love to rely on preference votes to retain his seat.

In January, Labor pledged $100,000 for Toodyay RSL’s new headquarters.

Local medical staff were gearing up to vaccinate up to 50 people a day in addition to normal flu shots and other regular local vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella and other diseases.

Toodyay residents will receive the Oxford/AstraZenica vaccine which gained Australian Government approval on February 16 after completing successful clinical trials in record time last November at Britain’s Oxford University.

Dr Randhawa said Toodyay residents younger than 70 would gain access to the new vaccine when more supplies became available from the Eastern States.

Not pregnant women or kids

However, pregnant women and children under 16 remain ineligible for the vaccine because it has not been tested in those groups.

“We will have to wait until further trials show that the vaccine is safe for them,” Dr Randhawa said.

Studies have found that children appear to be less affected by the Covid-19 virus than adults and, if infected, generally suffer only mild symptoms.

However, children can still infect adults.

Dr Randhawa said he hoped all Toodyay residents could be vaccinated by August.

Two local nurses (pictured right) have been trained and officially certified to deliver the AstraZenica vaccine in Toodyay.

“We expect to be able to vaccinate 20 to 50 people a day at the Alma Beard Medical Centre, depending on supplies and demand,” Dr Randhawa said.

“This is in addition to normal demand for annual flu shots, which will commence locally as winter approaches.

“We expect in coming months to go through double the number of syringes we normally use.

“To be effective, every AstraZenica vaccination needs to be followed up by a second shot 12 weeks later.

“This is similar to measles, mumps and rubella, which require three shots, each two months apart.

Flu shots need to be separate

“However, flu shots can’t be given at the same time as AstraZenica – they need to be spaced at least two weeks apart.

“We will open the Toodyay medical centre on weekends if we receive sufficient supplies to meet demand.”

Dr Randhawa said the AstraZenica vaccine could be kept safely between 2C and 8C in normal refrigerators at the Toodyay clinic, which is equipped to store up to 500 doses.

This made it more practical for local use than the Australian-approved Pfizer vaccine which needed to be transported and stored at -70C.

In addition, the AstraZenica vaccine was supplied in single-dose vials.

This would prevent last month’s Queensland situation when untrained doctors gave two elderly patients four times the recommended dose of the Pfizer vaccine, which comes in six-dose vials.

“Toodyay people don’t need to file a special application to get their free AstraZenica vaccination,” Dr Randhawa said.

“All they need to do is call the Wheatbelt Health Network on 9574 2300 to book their shot at the Alma Beard Medical Centre.

“Toodyay people can also book to be vaccinated in Northam.

Vulnerable people first

“Priority will be given to people classed by the Australian Government as vulnerable to Covid-19 infection and serious illness.

“These include people aged 70 or older, and those with chronic diseases such as heart-lung disease, diabetes and other pre-existing medical conditions, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“Priority will also go to quarantine and border workers, frontline healthcare staff, emergency services and people supplying and distributing essential goods and services.

“People who are infected but don’t get ill are still classed as carriers and will need to be vaccinated too.”

Dr Randhawa said every AstraZenica shot would contain “an inactive part of the Covid-19 virus”.

It would be injected into the muscle, similar to a tetanus shot.

Sore arms

“There will be a little bit of a sting and a sore arm for up to 48 hours,” Dr Randhawa said.

“People can ask to get it in their non-favoured arm.

“You might get a very mild fever and symptoms of a flu-like illness similar to ordinary flu.

“Any fever, muscle aches and pains, and lethargy should wear off in 48 hours.

“These symptoms can be treated with paracetamol (such as Panadol) or ibuprofen (eg: Nurofen) just as you might for ordinary flu.”

Dr Randhawa said everyone vaccinated against Covid-19 would have their details recorded in the Federal Government’s Australian Immunisation Register.

This would enable health authorities to ensure enough supplies of the second dose.