Toodyay Herald

Local WA National’s MP Shane Love later told State Parliament that he was “shocked” and “dismayed” by the sacking, which he described as “gut-wrenching”.

Mr Wroth testified under oath to the inquiry that St John Ambulance management culture was “toxic” and had failed in basic areas of emergency service delivery.

Several Toodyay ambulance volunteers had resigned, and others were too afraid to speak out, he told MPs in Perth.

The State should take over WA’s ambulance service and run it similarly to rural WA’s fire and emergency services, Mr Wroth said.

The inquiry said WA was one of only two Australian jurisdictions – the other is the Northern Territory – where ambulance services were not governed by State law.

It agreed there was a case for the State to take over ambulance services in WA but said “a private provider may deliver essential government services so long as it provides the services to a similar or higher standard as would a public entity”.

The inquiry said the State should investigate new laws to govern ambulance services or implement a “comprehensive policy”.

“Pivate providers of essential public services must be subject to the same oversight and scrutiny as a public body,” the inquiry said.

It noted that unlike with other essential services run by the State, the WA Corruption and Crime Commission had no jurisdiction over St John Ambulance WA operations.

A seven-year State agreement with WA’s monopoly ambulance service provider is due to expire at the end of this month.

The inquiry recommended that St John be offered a new contract for five years instead of the 10 years with two five-year options it had sought, with greater public scrutiny and accountability to the State.

This would include regular WA Health Department audits of St John Ambulance workplace and organisational culture to be tabled annually in the WA Parliament.

The inquiry said WA should consider switching to a different private operator or a government-run ambulance service if these higher standards could not be met.

Mr Bell’s Brisbane-based company, Australian Mines Ltd, announced his resignation last month as managing director and CEO on the same day the Australian Government Solicitor’s office filed its Federal Court action in Perth.

ASIC said the UK Financial Conduct Authority had assisted the investigation.

Trading in Australian Mines was halted on May 10 pending a further announcement.
Prices fell from 16c to 13c next morning and dropped further to 10c on May 31.

It wiped more than $400,000 from the value of Australian Mines shares held by Mr Bell and his wife, Rachel, according to figures published in a May 11 Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) announcement.

Australian Mines is named as a co-defendant in the Federal Court litigation.

Lawyer Jennifer Flynn representing the Australian Government Solicitor, told The Herald that a hearing date is yet to be set.

The company informed the stock exchange on May 10 that it intends to defend the case.
It announced next day that Mr Bell had been assigned to an unspecified new role which included helping Australian Mines transfer its business to a new acting CEO.

Mr Bell did not respond to a Herald request for comment about his intentions after being named as the second defendant in the Federal Court litigation.

The former councillor, who company reports show earned $400,000 a year in his former job, failed three years ago in a highly publicised bid on Facebook to become Toodyay shire president after topping the poll in the October 2019 council elections.

He received only one vote – presumably his own –in a secret ballot in the council chamber three days after the election.

Former Cr Bill Manning was later elected unopposed as shire president.

Mr Bell resigned from the Toodyay Shire Council in January this year after missing several monthly meetings and playing no role on any council committees to which he was elected over the previous two years.

His four years on the council were marked by several legal disputes with former shire CEO Stan Scott, who was later named in 14 adverse findings after a year-long WA Government inquiry into his performance.

Mr Bell’s criticism of Mr Scott and other councillors on Facebook resulted in several adverse State Local Government Standards Panel findings directing him to publicly apologise, some of which he ignored.

No penalties were imposed.

Mr Bell is a former Herald monthly columnist who wrote about shire matters under the title The Insider for about two years until after the 2019 council elections.

Mr Roberts resigned from the committee later that day “so as not to cause the elected representatives any embarrassment of drawn-out mediation or litigation”.

Former Men’s Shed vice chairman and “Shed Boss” Fred Fellowes failed a month later to secure a committee vote of no-confidence in the Secretary and Chairman.

The vote was lost 5-2 with only Mr Fellowes and Steve King voting in favour.

Mr Fellowes then tabled a note signed by nine Men’s Shed members that required a special general meeting of all members to be called, prompting the five who voted against his no-confidence motion to resign.

A special general meeting called by Mr Fellowes for May 7 elected Mr Jeff Roberts as Secretary, Phil Roberts as Chairman and former Toodyay shire president Brian Rayner as Vice Chairman.

At last month’s Northam court hearing, Mr Jeff Roberts and Mr Webb accepted the magistrate’s view that the restraining order sought by Mr Roberts should not go to trial.

Neither side was understood to have been represented by lawyers, and the pair agreed to sign a “mutual understanding” provided by the court for them to sign this month.

Mr Jeff Roberts wrote in this month’s Men’s Shed column on Page 12 that “gaps” had been filled after a “glitch” in the “normally smooth running of the organisation”.

An interim committee had been formed.

Mr Roberts said later that he knew of only five Men’s Shed resignations in April.
One of them – former Men’s Shed chairman Graham Hill – now chairs Moondyne Men.

Mr Hill said Moondyne Men had been incorporated as a not-for-profit association and had 18 new members – mostly from the Toodyay Men’s Shed – who meet weekly at the new Toodyay RSL Hall in Clinton Street.

Former Men’s Shed committee member Colin Bird was new Moondyne Men Secretary, and Barry Squires Treasurer.

Mr Hill said Moondyne Men raised $1100 in last month’s Moondyne Festival clean-up and donated it to Toodyay Locals Care.

Members meet at the RSL Hall on Mondays and Thursdays from 9am to noon, and for breakfast on the last Saturday of the month from 8.30am.

The Stirling Terrace facility provides a range of community services for local residents, including printing, laminating, secretarial support, office services, events and workshops.

It helps people to access online government services on computers provided at the centre.
It also rents out a conference room and meeting space for use by other organisations.

Ms Coleman said the State Government contributed $106,000 a year in quarterly instalments under a five-year deal that runs until June 2027.

This paid for just over half of the centre’s operating budget, she said.

Other revenue came from fees and charges for services, fund-raisers such as raffles, membership fees and donations.

The centre has asked the Toodyay Shire Council to provide a total of $10,000 to help pay for the town’s annual Christmas Street Party and School Holday Program.

The request will be decided at the next council meeting starting at 1pm on Wednesday June 22.
Ms Coleman said the requested funds were for annual one-off community events and did not cover the $10,000 needed to cover the centre’s budget shortfall for everyday operating expenses.

The centre had 115 financial members, including some small local businesses, who paid between $15 and $50 a year depending on their membership category and circumstances.
Staff numbers were recently cut with the departure of an administration officer, leaving three others to keep the centre open.

Ms Coleman said the centre had no money to pay for a replacement.

However, she was heartened by the public response after the centre posted a recent plea for help on a local Facebook community page.

“We just need $10,000 to keep going,” Ms Coleman said.

“I don’t think anyone in this town would like to see us close.”

If you can help, please call 9574 5357 or email admin1@toodyaycrc.com.au.

Punters will also be deprived of traditional post-race entertainment by Tod Johnstons’ popular Perth band Peace/Love.

The shock decision to cancel was made after recent heavy rain leaked through the ageing roof into the tote area and bar, wrecking a new 104cm (55-inch) TV and soaking other electrical equipment.

It is understood concerns were also raised about the poor condition of the Toodyay race track after two unseasonally dry summers left insufficient grass on the surface.

The Toodyay Race Club says it has spent thousands of dollars on maintenance over several years but has no money to pay for major repairs.

A large aluminium roof that spans the main betting area and bar has been patched many times and needs replacing at an estimated cost of at least $100,000.

Gutters are rusted and broken, and showers need to be installed for female jockeys who feature strongly on country race cards.

Model aircraft enthusiasts are the only regular visitors to the shire-owned racecourse which is used only once a year for the annual running of the Toodyay Cup.

A decision to move the Toodyay Cup to Belmont instead of Northam follows years of financial friction between the two neighbouring Avon Valley race clubs.

The Toodyay Race Club leases the track and buildings from the Shire of Toodyay, which said four or five years ago that it would upgrade the facilities but failed to allocate budget funds to pay for it.

Shire President Rosemary Madacsi alluded to it in this month’s President’s Pen report when she suggested community input on how best to manage all shire-owned sport and recreation facilities.

Toodyay Race Club Chair John Prater said the main roof had been patched every year for the past 15 years and was now beyond repair.

“All the gutters are rusted and don’t work,” he said.

“Water leaks into the bar and tote.”

Mr Prater, a former Toodyay shire deputy president until 2013, said tickets would be sold for buses to Belmont for the running of this year’s Toodyay Cup in Perth.