Toodyay Herald

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.

The town’s security cameras were upgraded under the direction of former shire CEO Stan Scott in 2019 after years of delays.

The new cameras – some with advanced vehicle number plate recognition technology – were understood to be incorrectly earthed.

“There was no written agreement and to the best of our knowledge, the cameras were installed by the shire without Western Power approval,” a power utility spokesperson said.

“Western Power inspectors were alerted to the cameras and upon inspection deemed them unsafe and disconnected the power.”

Toodyay police say there are 14 shire-owned video security cameras in the central business district, including two at Duidgee Park.

Video camera display screens inside Toodyay Police Station have been blank for months and the viewing software is frozen.

Police have been unable to trace the occupants of wanted or suspicious vehicles by using number plate recognition to check if potential offenders have been in Toodyay.

Some shire cameras are installed on Western Power light poles and the rest are mounted on other supports.

The shire installed six security cameras in Stirling Terrace in 2019, including five on light poles.

Acting Shire CEO Tabitha Bateman said a search of shire records had failed to find any evidence of a written agreement with Western Power in 2019 to mount cameras on light poles owned by the State power utility.

She said the problem was raised with Western Power last year but the shire had yet to hear back after being promised a response by February.

It is understood Western Power discovered that its light poles were being used without permission when a work crew was called out last year to check a report of water spouting from one of its Stirling Terrace light poles.

It resulted in all shire cameras on Western Power light poles being disconnected because they were ruled to be unsafe.

The power utility said its engineers had since designed and developed new equipment to make the fittings safe.

“This connection type has been specifically designed for this type of application so that local governments and other customers will be able to use this design to mount a range of products, including safety cameras, weather stations and other sensors,” the spokesperson said.

“Testing has now been completed with the first set of permanent installations expected to be completed by July.

“The original prototype testing was scheduled earlier but was delayed for six months due to global supply chain issues.

“Western Power will complete the work, including the mounting of the equipment.

“Maintenance and operation of the cameras will be done by the shire.

“Costs for this project are yet to be finalised.”

Western Power said one other WA local government authority had a similar problem.

The dogs were unregistered and the ranger reported that the animals were being kept in poor conditions.

Puppy farming is tightly controlled in WA after new State laws were adopted last year.

It followed complaints of unhygienic conditions and animal cruelty.

Breeders must be approved and comply with strict local government local laws and State legislation to protect puppies’ health and buyers’ rights.

Shire of Toodyay local laws allow no more than two dogs to be kept on a property unless councillors vote to approve additional animals up to a maxmimum of six.

No application was made to keep more than two dogs at the Julimar property.

The shire ranger reported the discovery of guns and crossbows to Toodyay police while the shire started searching for suitable alternative accommodation for the 35 dogs.

There was no room in the shire dog pound at the West Toodyay recycling depot for so many animals.

The matter was reported to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Perth in a bid to to help find alternative accommodation.

The shire ranger returned to the property with Toodyay police a few days later to find that all the animals and been removed and the adults gone, leaving the house empty.

The ranger attached a $250 shire infringement notice for an alleged breach of local health laws to the front door.

Investigations are continuing into other potential breaches of local and State laws.

It is thought that the puppy farm owners may have abandoned a similar operation in Joondalup before moving to Toodyay.

Shire authorities fear the puppies may have been shifted to another secret location – possibly also in the shire.

Northam Hospital declined to provide case numbers but it is understood some Toodyay residents may have sought treatment there.

School students who tested positive or those with close classroom contacts were required to isolate at home with their families for seven days, causing local businesses that employ parents to shut or reduce hours due to staff shortages.

Toodyay police warned that at least three fake exemption certificates had been used by people trying to gain illegal entry to local business premises, an offence that carries an on-the-spot fine of $1000 (see Police Beat column).

The town’s two hotels remained open but sales were affected and staff hours cut.

The Toodyay Community Resource Centre closed for two days after a case was reported at the “View from the Magpie’s Nest outdoor music and art event (pictured right) that it co-presented in Stirling Terrace last month.

No resource centre staff tested positive for the virus but Toodyay Shire President Rosemary Madacsi said she felt unwell after attending the event and later tested positive, causing her to miss last month’s council meeting while isolating at home for seven days.

President Madacsi said she felt ill and tired “in waves’ after testing positive at home on her second attempt following an initial negative Rapid Antigen Test result.

Severity of symptoms has varied, with normally healthy people reporting a more severe illness than they expected while isolating at home.

One Shire of Toodyay employee tested positive last month and returned to work after recovering.

Two more returned to work after isolating for seven days following close contact with others who tested positive.

Ten shire staff were working from home on rotational shifts to limit disruption in case others in the office tested positive, which would require all close contacts in the workplace to isolate at home for seven days.

Several local businesses joined the shire in splitting their workforces into home-based rosters to avoid closures.

Others, such as Toodyay Fairytale Farm, were forced to shut because of COVID-19 among family members but said on Facebook that they hoped to re-open for Easter holidays.

Toodyay Tyres was also forced to close for a few days at the end of last month and has since re-opened.

Supplies of food and other household items were generally returning to normal at Toodyay’s IGA store after shortages caused by widespread flooding in January halted eastern states’ rail deliveries.

IGA store owner Dean Carter said there were still shortages of some items such as canned pet food at the start of this month because of a shortage of ingredients imported from China.

“We have plenty of fresh food but a lot depends on whether suppliers have to shut down for seven days if their workers test positive,” Mr Carter said.

Lots of local businesses were “feeling the pinch” and trade was down at the Victoria Hotel.
“Business at the restaurant and bar has been pretty diabolical and we have had to reduce staff hours,” Mr Carter said.

“However, we are seeing a lot of tourists and things are starting to pick up.

“We’re all in the same boat and by Easter it should be full-on.

“Pubs everywhere have taken a bit of a hit and are a lot worse off in Perth, so we’re not complaining.”

Freemasons Hotel owner John Pearce said his pub was similarly affected by “Covid hesitancy”.

“There’s a new word for it – ‘HOGO’, the Hassle Of Going Out,” he said.

“Covid is here to stay, and our town’s business survival depends on getting through this week rather than worrying about what might happen next week or next month.”

The State Government is expected to ease isolation and close contact rules as the virus becomes more common in the community, though the emergence of new variants may cause restrictions to return.

Local traders in Toodyay’s main café strip are concerned that big trucks rolling past shops, hotels and cafes pose a danger to customers, including children and elderly people crossing the road from between parked cars.

Toodyay Bakery co-owner Cassie Marion said she also had a concern about heavy trucks carrying livestock passing so close to customers seated at outdoor tables.

Former WA Premier Richard Court’s government announced a $9 million plan for a Toodyay bypass in January 2001 which included a new bridge over the Avon River near the Northam-Toodyay Road.

His government was defeated by former State Labor leader Geoff Gallop a month later and the plan was abandoned after objections from local landowners, who are understood to have since left the shire.

The 2001 proposed route passes near homes in Toodyay’s new River Hills Estate.

The town’s temporary bypass made Herald Page 1 news in August 2016 when it was revealed that former Toodyay shire councillors voted 8-1 (former Cr Sally Craddock against) to cut down two tall trees on the corner of Anzac Memorial Park to make it safer for trucks to pass.

The plan was axed after a public outcry and a confrontation between police and protesters.

Toodyay Shire CEO Suzie Haslehurst said land was previously acquired for a bypass behind Toodyay District High School for a route between the Toodyay-Goomalling Road and Telegraph Road.

Revisiting the need for a new bypass had been raised in recent informal discussions.
“We are a heritage town and concerns have been raised about increased mining and agricultural traffic,” she said.

The need for a new bypass had been raised in ‘Let’s Talk’ community sessions hosted by shire councillors and staff at recent public meetings in Bejoording and Morangup.

Ms Haslehurst said councillors would be asked if they wanted the shire to conduct a public survey to gauge community support to lobby the State Government for a new bypass.

Chalice has told investors that the conservation park has the potential to become a “globally significant mine”.

Drilling on nearby private land that Chalice now owns has already produced results worth between $14 billion and $35 billion on today’s market for ‘green’ metals.

Chalice says it has drilled only six holes on existing forest tracks (pictured above) using ‘low-impact’ techniques and told the Australian Stock Exchange last year that there would be “no mechanised clearing”.

The forest is home to threatened species such as the Black Cockatoo and Chuditch.