She replaces former Cr Bill Manning, who resigned last month to move to Tasmania.

Audit Committee Chair Beth Ruthven (shown left being sworn in by Cr Brian Rayner JP) was elected new shire deputy president.

Cr Therese Chitty ran unsuccessfully for shire president in her third failed attempt in four years after saying publicly last February that she wouldn’t run again.

Cr Paula Greenway lost her second bid since 2017 to be elected deputy.

It is understood Crs Manning, Ruthven, Madacsi, Susan Pearce and Phil Hart voted for Cr Madacsi, and Crs Brian Rayner, Ben Bell, Chitty and Greenway voted for Cr Chitty.

Councillors voted 5-4 similarly to appoint Shire of York Corporate and Community Services Executive Manager Suzie Haslehurst (below) to be Toodyay’s new shire CEO.

It is understood Ms Haslehurst was one of four shortlisted candidates interviewed by councillors last month after the job attracted more than 20 applicants.

The result was a win for five new councillors who were elected last year for the first time by all Toodyay voters, and a defeat for a veteran minority (excluding Cr Bell) who were elected in 2017 under now-abolished rules that barred most Toodyay voters from having a say in their elections.

Nobody voted for Cr Rayner because he was the only candidate to nominate in the now-abolished North Ward.

Ms Haslehurst replaces former Shire CEO Stan Scott, whose contract was terminated last month after he failed to convince councillors last year to let him keep his job for another three to four years.

Mr Scott’s last day is Tuesday May 12 but he has been on extended sick leave for three months and is not expected to return to work.

The shire is currently awaiting the outcome of a year-long State Government inquiry into its operations and affairs, and “reasonable suspicion” that the council may have breached local government law.

The new shire CEO will be expected to manage a response to any recommendations arising from the inquiry, the result of which has yet to be released by WA Local Government Minister David Templeman.

His department sent a draft to the State Solicitor’s Office last December to decide if any part should be withheld as evidence for prosecution before the findings are made public.

IT IS understood the inquiry was reopened last February to examine a new $1.1 million shire contract awarded last year without calling for public tenders.

In answer to a public question in March, former shire president Manning said it was not advertised because the previous council had voted 8-0 last August for Mr Scott to “source a suitable contractor” under a State Government ‘common use agreement’.

It is understood the fresh investigation has delayed the release of a final inquiry report.

The council has appointed Shire Corporate Services Manager Chileya Luangala as Acting CEO to manage the Covid-19 emergency and budget review until Ms Haslehurst starts work in June or sooner.

Ms Haslehurst has worked for four years at the Shire of York, including earlier this year and previously as acting CEO.

She was previously Acting Director of Community and Economic Development and Manager of Community Development for four years at the Shire of Broome.

Ms Haslehurst also has a background in arts administration, chaired Country Arts WA for a total of eight years, was CEO of Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation for 11 years, chaired the Performing Arts Touring Alliance for two years, was national president of Regional Arts Australia for two years and Buzz Dance Theatre general manager for four years.

She holds a University of South Australia graduate diploma in management and studied at Mt Eliza Business School.

It is understood Ms Haslehurst has signed a four-year contract with an initial six-month trial and has started making plans to move to Toodyay.

From the photos, phone calls and messages we have received, even with the disappointment felt over the cancellation of services due to the Covid-19 no gatherings rule, most (including Toodyay Fire and rescue volunteers (right) and regular Anzac Parade leader Warren Hall (below) were able to commemorate this day in unique yet safe ways while adhering to the restrictions.

 

The sub-branch is very impressed and grateful with the way our members and the wider community embraced the driveway vigil and altered commemorations.

We look forward to the day we can meet again and share the camaraderie that would normally accompany this day.

Until then, take care and stay safe.

Our sub-branch would like to sincerely thank the Toodyay Country Women’s Association ladies for their generous and timely donation of freshly baked Anzac biscuits.

Due to Covid-19 social-distancing regulations, the wood raffle on Friday and Saturday May 15 and 16 outside the IGA has been cancelled as has the RSLWA Congress in June.

The map shows that Chalice currently holds 180sq/km of active exploration tenements (marked green) in the western part of the shire from Keating Road to Dewars Pool and has pegged a further 2300sq/km (blue) covering most of the rest of the shire from Hoddys Well to Wattening, and Nunile to Lower Chittering and the border of Morangup.

The company is chaired by mining entrepreneur Tim Goyder, brother of AFL Chair and former Wesfarmers, Qantas and Woodside chair Richard Goyder who owns Glendearg Farm on the Bindi-Bindi-Toodyay Road.

Initial results from about a dozen Chalice test holes drilled 500m south of Julimar Road to a depth of 250m on an 800-acre Keating Road cattle farm were described this month by Chalice Managing Director Alex Dorsch as “a once in 10 years discovery”.

“If this turns out to be what we think it is, it will be a pretty substantial find of strategic interest for Western Australia,” Mr Dorsch said in an exclusive interview with The Herald.

“It looks like it could be a sizeable deposit of hundreds of millions of tonnes.”

Local concerns

Lower Chittering residents say they are concerned about increased traffic on Julimar Road if mining proceeds.

The Avon and Hills Mining Awareness Group (AHMAG) says it also has concerns about the Julimar project and is keeping a close watch on developments.

Mr Dorsch said his company had pegged most of the shire as a precaution to prevent rival companies pegging nearby for the same minerals.

 

Mining Monthly and Stockhead magazines quoted Mr Dorsch recently as decribing the results of exploration drilling at the Julimar site (pictured above) as “spectacular”.

He said main ore body was thought to lie in the shire’s west and extend into Julimar State Forest, where Chalice conducted preliminary electromagnetic aerial surveys before seeking permits to start test drilling.

The expanded exploration area being sought includes part of the Avon Valley National Park and several conservation reserves which would require special State permission for further drilling.

Mr Dorsch said Julimar was unique because it was near an existing heavy freight rail link to a nearby port and close enough to Perth for miners to sleep at home in their own beds and commute to work instead of having to work Fly In-Fly Out at a remote minesite.

It was valuable also because Australia was a more stable country than Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo, where most of the world’s cobalt is currently mined.

Further drilling would determine whether the Julimar ore body suited underground or open cut mining.

Chalice currently has $25 million to fund further exploration.

Mr Dorsch said it would take 4-8 months to gain State Government approval to drill in Julimar State Forest, and two or three years to know whether the ore deposit was commercially viable to mine.

March rainfall was generally below average as well, however rainfall in the last week of February was above average.

Most farmers are all prepared and ready to start seeding programs.

Lime spreading and stubble burning duties are mostly complete.

Many livestock owners are still hand feeding sheep and cattle with no end to it in sight.

Lester Snooke, owner of Bolgart Rural Merchandise, commented recently that “most farmers are primed up and ready to go but most are standing on the sidelines to see what happens with the weather”.

He added “about 25 per cent of farmers have made a start on their 2020 seeding programs mostly seeding canola and lupins.

However, the rest have made a decision to sit it out until early May or until more promising signs of rain eventuate”.

Mr Snooke said that he expected canola programs to stay much the same as last year but expected a slight drift back towards wheat from barley due to grain prices.

Covid-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions are still not having much effect on agriculture within our shire and within WA.

Intermittent delays due to social distancing and Covid-19 protocols are being experienced at some agricultural supplies outlets.

The delays appear to be an inconvenience more than a threat to productivity.

Covid-19 protocols have also affected the number of people who are able to attend livestock sales which has raised concerns about competition.

Some states within Australia have now adopted ‘computer selling’ of livestock via electronic means to overcome this issue.

There has been a general easing of sheep and wool values over the past few weeks.

Concerns over the impact of the coronavirus has added a cautious note to any buying of both commodities.

Seeding operations within our shire will be in full swing this month and in June which will result in increased movements of oversized agricultural machinery on our local roads.

All residents are urged to take extra care on the roads during this busy period while farmers transport equipment.