The outbreak of war in the region has already had a significant effect on shipping in and out of the region.

Russia and nearby Belarus produce a large amount of the world’s fertilisers, some imported directly into Western Australia.

Supply and pricing will be affected by new trade sanctions imposed by Western nations on those two countries.

The likely effect on local farmers will be an increase in cost of fertilisers, fuel and some herbicides.

The interruption to production and export shipping caused by the hostilities will lead to increase in prices, for wheat particularly.

Some international market commentators suggest it could be as much as 30 per cent.

Canola prices are already at near-record highs, will likely remain strong and also have the potential to rise further.

The Black Sea ports also export canola, although on a lesser scale than for wheat and corn.

Meanwhile, local farmers are now busy with paddock preparation and livestock husbandry duties.

Most producers managed to squeeze a few weeks away from their farms in January.
Harvest finished very late last year, with many farmers finishing their harvest in January for the first time in decades.

The ideal time to finish is the week before Christmas, which avoids all the non-work days between Christmas and New Year.

Last year’s harvest was a record for Western Australia, easily exceeding 20,000,000 tonnes of grain.

This record production was a result of a wet growing season and a very mild Spring which allowed crops to mature without heat or drought stress.

Toodyay farmers also enjoyed a very good harvest, although waterlogging was very evident in parts which generally reduced yields from the many record yielding crops in areas of the state further north and east.

Prices for sheep and cattle continue at record levels.

Consistent high prices are now becoming the norm.

Continuing export demand and grazier re-stocking have driven prices to new levels, to prices that many industry insiders suggest will be the new norm.

The software was purchased by a previous council in 2018 from a New Zealand supplier with limited knowledge of WA local government finance reporting needs.

Its only other WA client at the time was the Shire of Manjimup which had experienced similar difficulties.

The Toodyay installation started in December 2019 – six months before Ms Haslehurst was appointed new CEO – and was due to be fully operational by last December.

The roll-out for shire income and expenditure occurred over several months but the new system was found to be unable to produce adequate financial reports.

“The original change management plan for a project of this scale was flawed,” Ms Haslehurst said.

“The rates module was quite complex and required greater understanding by the developers than they had envisaged.

“We went live with payroll and payments to creditors in July 2020.

“It includes security-level checks and balances to prevent fraud and misuse of funds – from that perspective, the system is robust.

“However, the ability to generate reports in the format required does not exist.

“What would normally take a day or two at the most is taking hundreds of hours of staff time to produce manually.

“That is why we are unable to produce a final accurate cost for the recreation centre.
“We have held weekly meetings with the software developers for several months and shire staff speak to their people every day.

“Thousands of hours have been spent on this – the company is paying to fix it up.

Ms Haslehurst told councillors last month that an interim audit by the State Auditor-General was likely to raise the shire’s failure to produce statements of financial activity last July and August as a breach of local government law.

She said the WA Local Government Department was aware that the shire was undergoing a complex and difficult transition to its new accounting software.

“Officers will liaise with the department regarding the consequences of this breach,” Ms Haslehurst said.

Cr McKeown said he looked forward to his questions being answered next month.

Patrons sitting on bar stools was a “grey area” for mask wearing, pub owners said.

Proof of vaccination is not required to enter the town’s IGA supermarket because it is classed as an essential service, but the new rules require shoppers to wear masks.

Mandatory vaccination and mask requirements do not apply to people with officially approved medical exemptions.

Infected staff and workplace contacts are required to isolate for 14 days, which could cause some businesses to close, but this measure is expected to ease soon.

Both Toodyay hotels reported downturns at the start of this month, and the bakery is now shut on Mondays due a staff shortage caused by workplace vaccination rules.

The new measures coincide with shortages of essential goods after floods cut interstate rail services until at least February 12.

IGA store owner Dean Carter said 30km of rail freight every week had been halted, causing retailers to switch to interstate trucking to maintain supplies.

“We use independent supply chains and have enough to get by if people don’t panic,” Mr Carter said.

Freemasons Hotel owner John Pearce said a minority of pub customers had objected to being required to show proof of vaccination.

The first week under new rules was “an education process”.

“Everyone needs to just suck it up and get on with it,” he said.

“Like everybody else, we’re just following the law because that’s what we are required to do.”

Local police say they will conduct random checks around the town ensure the new public health measures are being observed.

Toodyay District High School Principal David Ball said all Year 7 to 10 students are required to wear masks indoors unless they had a medical exemption.

Other students did not need to wear masks, and masks were not required outdoors.

All school staff are double vaccinated.

The State Government says people concerned that vaccination may affect their health can seek a medical exemption.

However, this does not apply “to an objection based on personal belief” or “vaccine hesitancy and related fears and anxiety”, for which health provider advice should be sought.

Former Cr Bell also figured in several legal battles with former shire CEO Stan Scott after posting strident criticism of Mr Scott’s performance on Facebook.

The former CEO was later named in 14 of 23 adverse findings against the shire and its former council after the results of a year-long State Government inquiry were tabled in the WA Parliament in 2020.

Former Cr Bell gave no official reason for his January 15 departure, though there was growing speculation based on his frequent absences that he might not stay.

A discussion last year to cut the size of the council from nine to seven members was deferred pending the October 2021 poll.

The 2021 elections completed a four-year transition to allow all voters to vote for all candidates regardless of geographical area.

The reform included the introduction of postal ballots which caused a big increase in voter participation after years of low turn-outs at little-known shire polling stations.

York, Chittering, Goomalling and Victoria Plains all have seven councillors – a move favoured by the State Government.

Reducing the Toodyay Shire Council’s size to seven members would save ratepayers about $23,000 a year in councillor allowances.

It would also save a further $22,000 by avoiding a fresh council election so soon after the last poll three months ago.

A special meeting this month voted 5-1 (Cr Mick McKeown against) to seek WA Electoral Commission permission to leave the seat vacant, pending an expected Ministerial move to introduce smaller councils at the October 2023 poll.

A council of eight elected members with one vacancy still needs an absolute majority of five councillors to pass important decisions such as budgets regardless of the president’s casting (second) vote because it is still officially a nine-member council.

Her crowded evacuation ship was sunk by enemy aircraft off Indonesia’s Bangka Island and 29-year-old Alma was one of 22 Australian nurses who were able to reach the shore in a lifeboat.

They started treating wounded survivors on the beach when they were captured by Japanese soldiers who ordered them back into the water where they were machine gunned in the shallows.

Only one nurse, Sister Vivian Bullwinkle, survived and, after spending more than three years in Japanese prison camps, she wrote to Alma’s parents to tell them what happened to their daughter.

She said Alma was the last in a line of nurses in the water to be shot.

Her last words were: “Bully, there are two things in my life I’ve always hated – the Japanese and the sea – and today I have ended up with both of them.”

“Her brave conduct in an hour of crisis has added lustre to the service which she so nobly carried on,” Sister Bullwinkle wrote.

Local historian David Sims suggested an outdoor memorial to honour Alma’s heroism after seeing a wall display about her war service in the medical centre waiting room.

Toodyay RSL affiliate member Colin Bird led the project which, after being unable to get Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs funding, attracted a local benefactor who donated $2000.

Another $500 was donated by Newcastle Gaol Museum volunteers and, with work in kind and materials donated by trade suppliers and other donors, the $5000 project was finalised.

A Perth firm was commissioned to cut a life-sized metal silhouette of a nurse to stand in a setting of Toodyay stone and brickwork with a commemorative plaque.

The memorial will be unveiled in a public ceremony at the Alma Beard Medical Centre at 2pm on Wednesday February 16 – the 80th anniversary of Alma’s death.

Local RSL organisers plan to follow the unveiling with afternoon tea next door at the Toodyay Club, depending on State Covid-19 requirements.

“The shire’s commitment to improve its procedures throughout this difficult process is commendable,” she said.

A formal inquiry into the shire and its culture was ordered by Ms Chopping’s predecessor, former director general Duncan Ord, after official departmental criticism of the former CEO’s performance and lack of understanding of legal matters.

His refusal to inform the council of the criticism was followed by a weekend email attack on former Cr Di Granger, prompting her resignation only four months after she defeated former shire leader David Dow by an absolute majority in the 2017 elections.

Last year’s inquiry report to State Parliament recommended that Toodyay’s new civic leaders adopt a “review action plan” to address the adverse findings.

The plan was completed last August after a review by former City of Perth Commissioner Andrew Hammond.

It was approved by the department in October and requires ongoing meetings between the shire and senior departmental officers, starting this month.

The shire plan to address the inquiry’s adverse findings includes departmental-approved councillor training in:

• meeting procedures,

• dealing with conflict,

• CEO performance appraisals,

• financial management,

• local government procurement, and

• accountability

A letter tabled at last month’s council meeting showed that most of Toodyay’s nine councillors have attended most of the courses, which were completed in October.

Four councillors – Shire President Rosemary Madacsi, Deputy President Beth Ruthven and Crs Phil Hart and Susan Pearce – attended all of the courses.

Cr Mick McKeown attended two courses – CEO performance appraisals and financial management – and was listed as an apology for two more.

Cr Ben Bell was the only currently sitting councillor who did not attend any courses.

He was reported as being granted a leave of absence for two of the courses and listed as an apology for a third.

It is understood business travel commitments outside WA and Covid-19 quarantine restrictions prevented Cr Bell from attending the recommended training.

New Crs Danielle Wrench, Charmeine Duri and Steve McCormick were elected two months ago and are yet to undertake similar local government training.

State Local Government Executive Director Tim Fraser wrote to the shire last month that “it is encouraging that most councillors participated in the training offered”.

He said it “will hopefully lead to improved governance”.

“The newly elected members may also provide a fresh start for the council in moving forward,” Mr Fraser said.

In a separate file note, Mr Fraser wrote that legal advice sought by the shire was protected by legal and professional privilege.

“As such, it is not normally released publicly,” he said.

“Councils need to be able to seek legal advice to assist them to make decisions and that such advice is provided on the basis of legal professional privilege.”

Mr Fraser invited Shire CEO Suzie Haslehurst to “share this advice publicly”.