Shire of York
Thursday, 1 September 2016
THE PILBARA PRINCE TALKS TO MACRO
"I as a local member have continued to talk to all of the developers interested in the Pilbara about market conditions and how we deal with not just the property boom ... but how we deal with the downside of that," Mr Grylls said.
Mr Grylls said he had instructed his staff to investigate whether the video could be removed.
Thursday, 11 August 2016
WHEATBELT SHIRE GAMBLES
The
WA Auditor General, Colin Murphy, is on public record inferring that the
results of financial auditing by external accountants, hired to keep Shire
Council’s solvent and fiscally accountable, could be referred to as a compliance
governance gamble. It is odds-on for these audits to miss the hand of the
corporate credit cardsharp and those who covet their ratepayers’ revenue for
personal gain.
With a disturbing number of rural councils, including both Toodyay and Dowerin, this appears to be a sure bet. York makes up a trifecta of Wheatbelt Shires whose audits have been seriously at odds with financial accountability over the years and smell a bit like a dead horse.
As usual with the lack of Local Government enforced compliance, some accountancy firms may feel it is in its best self-interest to maintain a lucrative shire auditing contract than advise everyone that its employer is non-compliant with its accounts and auditing procedures. This is even to the point where senior Local Government Officers can literally have a permanent lend from municipal funds without a query being raised until well after the dead horse has bolted.
Colin Murphy does sniff out the equine decomposition, but he has no remit to do anything about it and the WA Corruption & Crime Commission that does- is an abject failure.
Murphy faces the problem that no government agency or regulatory body deals out punishment for its own ingrained, systemic failures including holding private accountants properly accountable for their inability to find the disappearance of municipal funds, and no contracted, private accountant wishes to lose a lucrative local government contract just because the municipal fund figures do not quite add up.
As a result, both internal and private audit procedures usually fail to produce sufficient evidence to launch successful prosecutions for fraud or misappropriation of funds for personal gain and/or with criminal intent.
Here are examples of the recent track record.
One of the Shire of Toodyay’s dearly departed (and I do mean dear) Chief Executive Officers, Mr. Graham Merrick, was accused by Council of being unjustly enriched by reason of his conduct that including failing in his fiduciary duties to the Shire.
The enrichment practices supposedly took place between 2004 and 2010 and obviously were not revealed by any internal or independent audit for 6-years.
The Shire’s legal cost to pursue Mr. Merrick through the WA court system was recently enumerated as being in excess of $250,000.
Now safely ensconced in his Wembley Downs bunker Mr. Merrick still refuses to concede he allegedly owes the Shire around $351,000 in allegedly unjust enrichment that includes his secret-squirrel termination payout.
In due fairness to Mr.
Merrick, he has offered to repay an undisclosed amount which the Shire has
refused to accept. This is not an assumption of guilt as a court official’s
advice is at long-odds for any meaningful shire debt recovery of unjust
enrichment, probably meaning that the auditors have never quite discovered
irrefutable evidence of it.
As of today’s date his
next guest appearance would have to be in the WA Supreme Court. This is
an unlikely scenario as the fiscal scales of justice are
heavily weighted towards a new Lamborghini for the Shire’s Queens Council
representative- with these proceedings maybe leaving the Toodyay Shire feeling
unsatisfied- and possibly poverty stricken.
Then there is the infamous ‘Dacre of Dowerin’ Alcock, a Chief Executive Officer who for 4-years is said to have had complete control over the Shire of Dowerin’s accountancy and finance systems.
Oddly enough he took the punt and invested around $600,000 in gambling for and on behalf of himself, rather than his ratepayers. Dacre will know how long he will be deprived of direct sunlight in September this year.
While Alcock was off at the TAB, the external auditors, Byfields, have publically admitted it did not tell the Shire that its accounting procedures were not compliant and it had failed to detect the CEO was taking out large, non-refundable personal loans (now known as gambling grants) of around $150,000 per annum-if divided up on an annual basis.
Now the CCC is holding a Dacre Alcock soirée in Dowerin in a belated attempt to give it some relevance in the corruption and crime industry when at least 80 of its previous prosecutions are considered invalid.
There is the idiom ‘each to his own’ and York certainly had its own in the form of long-term master manipulator and part-time CEO, Ray Hooper, who had complete control of the York Shire’s accountancy and finance systems through himself and his hand- picked proxies.
On April 18, 2013, then Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Tyhscha Cochrane, received an email from the Shire’s auditors, MACRI, asking to ‘show-us-the-money.’ It was with regard to a sizable sum owed to the Shire by Settlers House that had not been settled by Settlers, nor, apparently, by its ownership successors and/or assigns.
MACRI, that had done a field audit on the Shire of York’s books, felt that recovering this money would be a real long shot- like Dacre Alcock may have backed.
It clearly states it was gravely concerned regarding the collectability of the debt and what documented evidence was available regarding actions taken against the debtor. Obviously to recoup the debt.
Then there is the infamous ‘Dacre of Dowerin’ Alcock, a Chief Executive Officer who for 4-years is said to have had complete control over the Shire of Dowerin’s accountancy and finance systems.
Oddly enough he took the punt and invested around $600,000 in gambling for and on behalf of himself, rather than his ratepayers. Dacre will know how long he will be deprived of direct sunlight in September this year.
While Alcock was off at the TAB, the external auditors, Byfields, have publically admitted it did not tell the Shire that its accounting procedures were not compliant and it had failed to detect the CEO was taking out large, non-refundable personal loans (now known as gambling grants) of around $150,000 per annum-if divided up on an annual basis.
Now the CCC is holding a Dacre Alcock soirée in Dowerin in a belated attempt to give it some relevance in the corruption and crime industry when at least 80 of its previous prosecutions are considered invalid.
There is the idiom ‘each to his own’ and York certainly had its own in the form of long-term master manipulator and part-time CEO, Ray Hooper, who had complete control of the York Shire’s accountancy and finance systems through himself and his hand- picked proxies.
On April 18, 2013, then Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Tyhscha Cochrane, received an email from the Shire’s auditors, MACRI, asking to ‘show-us-the-money.’ It was with regard to a sizable sum owed to the Shire by Settlers House that had not been settled by Settlers, nor, apparently, by its ownership successors and/or assigns.
MACRI, that had done a field audit on the Shire of York’s books, felt that recovering this money would be a real long shot- like Dacre Alcock may have backed.
It clearly states it was gravely concerned regarding the collectability of the debt and what documented evidence was available regarding actions taken against the debtor. Obviously to recoup the debt.
MACRI may have felt
some poorly structured, legally unenforceable finance gathering activities had
taken place and that it had not advised its client, the Shire of York, or
anybody else, that the Shire’s books of account and verification may not be
compliant.
A hand written notation on the email says ‘holding a certificate of occupancy as leverage for 30 units’? The question mark raises more questions that require answering- than not.
The original
planning consent for Settlers was for 50 units approved in April, 2007, with a
condition that car parking bays for use by patrons and residents would need to
be provided as per the Shire of York Town Planning Scheme No. 2. If the
required number of bays could not be provided onsite, the Council would accept
a cash in lieu payment per bay.
On December 20, 2008,
Chief Executive Officer, Sir Lunch-a-Lot Ray Hooper, along with his merry band
of gourmondes Councillors Hooper, Boyle, Lawrance, Randell and Fisher enjoyed a free
Christmas lunch with owner Des Mullins at Settlers House. As you do with those
who owe you money.
Shortly after, on January 20, 2009, Chief Executive Officer Ray Hooper was back asking for more- another free business lunch with Mr Mullins. This time it was with Peter Stevens, the Shire Building Inspector who had previously been invited to the Xmas lunch but could not attend, thereby missing out on having his trotters in the trough.
So here is the historic overview of this unpaid debt conundrum with the free lunches thrown in.
Shortly after, on January 20, 2009, Chief Executive Officer Ray Hooper was back asking for more- another free business lunch with Mr Mullins. This time it was with Peter Stevens, the Shire Building Inspector who had previously been invited to the Xmas lunch but could not attend, thereby missing out on having his trotters in the trough.
So here is the historic overview of this unpaid debt conundrum with the free lunches thrown in.
In July 2009
‘retrospective planning approval’ was granted for a further 8 units with the
same condition requiring the provision of car parking bays or a cash in lieu
payment per bay. In the agenda item the reporting officer stated: ‘The
proposal is requiring ongoing high staff time and resources input due
to ongoing non-compliance with building and planning conditions.’
Why the approval? When the initial debt had not been paid and planning conditions were not being met!
Then in February,
2010, Council granted planning consent for a further 12 short-term
accommodation units bringing the total number to 70. The reporting officer
stated “the proponent is required to contribute cash-in-lieu for parking as
only minimal parking is expected to be accommodated on site.” The officer then
commented: It is proposed to impose the same conditions as in the previously
granted planning consents of 2007 and 2009.”
Why the approval? When the initial debt had still not been paid!
Why the approval? When the initial debt had still not been paid!
The conundrum is that
Settlers House had 50 units approved in 2007 and did not pay a single cent of
the cash in lieu contributions for the car parking bays provided in Howick
Street as agreed to.
So having previously identified the ongoing non-compliance, why did the Shire Council go on to grant permission for further units not once but twice without any payments being made? Maybe long and free lunches cause long term memory loss?
So having previously identified the ongoing non-compliance, why did the Shire Council go on to grant permission for further units not once but twice without any payments being made? Maybe long and free lunches cause long term memory loss?
The next conundrum is
why did MACRI think this debt was so difficult to collect?
The debt was, and
still is, for parking bays required by Settlers House to acquire Certificates
of Occupancy from the Shire of York to allow the units to be legally occupied,
sold and on-sold. That is end of story.
At least 6 legal advice invoices have been received from McLeods Barristers and Solicitors regarding this debt in the past 7-years. Although the amount is not known- it would be at least $10,000, but possibly more like the amount it costs for a well credentialed yearling at a bloodstock sale.
At the Ordinary Council Meeting on May 16, 2011, the Shire of York Council voted that McLeods initiated legal action against Settlers House Pty Ltd developers to recoup the parking bay debt.
The original amount
required as satisfactory payment in 2011 was $361,550. This was reduced by
Council to $218,580 through a debt write-off arrangement on September 3,
2012.
On June 14, 2012 Chief
Executive Officer, Ray Hooper and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Tyhscha
Cochrane accepted another invitation to attend a free breakfast with Settlers
House. Just a great place to eat and chat about debt recovery!
Then Jacky Jurmann, wrote
to Settlers House on 11 September 2012 thanking them for taking the time to
meet with Council on September 3, 2012, to discuss outstanding car parking
contributions (now reduced to $218,580) and unpaid rates totalling tens of
thousands dating back to 2007. (It is not known if this meeting took place with
a decent Shiraz, entre, main, sweets and a cheese board.)
In her final paragraph, Ms Jurmann said “Council look forward to working with you and is pleased to have Settlers House once again operating and contributing to the community”. Settlers House obviously thought that as it was already contributing to the Shire of York’s waistline, what debt was Council talking about?
In her final paragraph, Ms Jurmann said “Council look forward to working with you and is pleased to have Settlers House once again operating and contributing to the community”. Settlers House obviously thought that as it was already contributing to the Shire of York’s waistline, what debt was Council talking about?
So what Shire of York
Council Policy did not even make it to be a guideline, had the accountants
believing a debt would be hard to recoup and had lawyers enjoying a long ride
on the gravy-train?
In October, 2012, Council endorsed a Development Approval Compliance Policy specifically related to all commercial developments in the CBD which authorised legal action for any non-compliance.
Included in the report were compliance options available under the provisions of the usual Local Government omnipotent but impotent Act:
In October, 2012, Council endorsed a Development Approval Compliance Policy specifically related to all commercial developments in the CBD which authorised legal action for any non-compliance.
Included in the report were compliance options available under the provisions of the usual Local Government omnipotent but impotent Act:
- Instigate legal action under the provisions of Section 218 of the Act for commencing development without approval and carrying out development not in accordance with the approval.
- Issue a Planning Direction under the provisions of Section 214 of the Act to stop, not to recommence, remove and to restore the land.
- Issue an Infringement Notice for a prescribed offence against the Act in accordance with the provisions of Section 227 of the Act.
- Approve conditionally, upon application, the works carried out retrospectively if assessed to be consistent with the provisions of the Scheme and the R-Codes.
Yet during the
subsequent file audit investigations and/or site visits, usually called
free-lunches, the Shire failed to identify the outstanding ongoing
non-compliance issues at Settlers House and to exercise any of the compliance
options available or to enforce a payment request. Maybe all the cars blocking
the entrance impaired its vision and the exhaust fumes caused a brain fade,
then total amnesia?
As we already know, in April 2013, MACRI was
chasing former Deputy Chief Executive Officer Tyhscha Cochrane for an
explanation of the likelihood of recovering the huge debt.
Close to 12-months
later at a Special Council meeting on February 27, 2014, in an Agenda item relating
to Settlers House Pty Ltd-Car Parking Contributions, Council was requested
to re-confirm the agreed dealings on the car park contributions for the 70 new
units constructed on the Settlers property to allow for dealings with current
and future owners and the administrators of the property.
Background information
stated that Council had a legal agreement with the previous owner
for car park contributions for the first 58 units constructed, however the
owner did not abide by this agreement.
Following legal advice in, 2011, Council considered the legal agreement to be void and raised a car park contribution invoice for full fees at the time. (The ubiquitous Legal advice was dated September 15, 2011).
Following legal advice in, 2011, Council considered the legal agreement to be void and raised a car park contribution invoice for full fees at the time. (The ubiquitous Legal advice was dated September 15, 2011).
Subsequent to this
action and in an attempt to have the premises re-opened Council agreed to
reduce the amount owing for car parking from $361,550 to $218,580 resulting in
a write-off of $142,970 which was affected in 2011/12.
The written off amount of $142,970 was listed on the Doubtful (WTF) Debt Provisions of the balance sheet which also showed an outstanding sundry debtor for Settlers House car parking of $361,550. To ensure that the financial statements were a correct record as at June 30, 2014, it was proposed that various journal entries be made to leave the outstanding Settlers House Car parking fee at $218,580 which is the Council agreed amount to be levied and paid.
At that time Council Resolution 190511 precluded certificates of occupancy / classification from being issued until and unless the entire car parking payments, associated with the development, was paid in full. Obviously that did not work very well.
The written off amount of $142,970 was listed on the Doubtful (WTF) Debt Provisions of the balance sheet which also showed an outstanding sundry debtor for Settlers House car parking of $361,550. To ensure that the financial statements were a correct record as at June 30, 2014, it was proposed that various journal entries be made to leave the outstanding Settlers House Car parking fee at $218,580 which is the Council agreed amount to be levied and paid.
At that time Council Resolution 190511 precluded certificates of occupancy / classification from being issued until and unless the entire car parking payments, associated with the development, was paid in full. Obviously that did not work very well.
On January 2, 2015, the then Acting CEO, Graeme Simpson received an invoice for the continuing Settlers settlement saga for $3,398.34 if it was paid within 14 days. This was for the same old debt that should have been actioned against 4-years earlier.
Taking 7-years of late payment penalties, solicitor’s fees and other sundry expenses into account, the original required payment of $361,559 could be in excess of $500,000, approximately half of what the current Council needs to cover the annual cost of essential shire road maintenance.
Being generous again, the reduced fee of $218,580, three years down the track, could be $300,000, around the amount needed to de-dilapidate the Old York Convent building and possibly make it a viable asset.
With tautogram overuse of the letter ’s’, the Settlers House settlement saga will never be settled.
Those who were involved in the administration of this debacle are Ray Hooper, Tyhscha Cochrane and Jacky Jurmann, now all dearly departed, leaving York with more chance of winning Lotto than getting any money from Settlers House. The accountancy firm involved did not believe that the debt could be collected and the legal firm involved spent 7-years sending out invoices for interminable advice regarding a debt that will never be collected.
There is a postscript however. Other businesses were illegally targeted to provide parking bays that were not necessary. These businesses were threatened, lied about and lied to by Shire of York staff.
There has yet to be a reckoning.
David Taylor.
Tuesday, 9 August 2016
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT 101
York- A Tourism aptitude for a new beginning?
York has a relatively new council and a brand new administration with a Major Strategic Plan that should be the precursor to future success.
Given this-the Shire of York Administration should now revisit and reflect upon parts of the official mantra emblazoned on its Website and ensure, in future, it is the truth, not platitudes and self- aggrandisement.
‘A place to visit’ is certainly something to reflect upon given current circumstance with tourist numbers in free fall! Dull, boring, nothing open and nothing to do is the general consensus critique from those who do visit.
‘A place of vibrancy and energy’ is something that the new administration has to prove it can return the community to!
‘A place of growth and local business opportunity’ is a bold statement requiring extensive administrative cathartic re-evaluation given the potentially massive real value write-down of Shire of York assets including local roads and massively over- valued community property investments.
It could take some time for the Major Strategic Plan to be proven to be the panacea.
The Shire should invest at least $1 million, per annum, in road restoration alone. It is financial resources it has not got and this could seriously impinge on the Shire’s ability to promote growth and new business development.
The Shire of York’s annual gross revenue is in the vicinity of $9 million. WA Tourism claims that it is currently a $9.3 billion, per annum, industry which may be the town’s single economic development saviour.
If York could attract the equivalent of 3 % of Perth’s population to spend 2 nights in the town, the potential gross revenue, direct input to the community should be around $20 million.
If promoted correctly York has the historic significance and architectural ambiance to re-vitalize itself as a tourist attraction in the short term.
Given reputable financial analysts are suggesting that the WA economy is close to recession, the economic growth and development of any other form of new business in York is to put it bluntly-highly unlikely- up to ‘not happening’.
The Shire of York has been renowned for its incompetence and arrogant and aggressive, sometimes totally illegal, pursuit of a number of successful tourism businesses in the community for various reasons which are mostly incomprehensible and mainly personal revenge driven.
This, arguably, includes the current regime which recently pursued a highly respected local business for allegedly creating excessive noise levels in breach the Environmental Protection Act. It appears that a little night music and wedding party frivolity does not soothe several savage beasts that live nearby.
Luckily for York, the new Chief-Executive-Officer intervened preventing a farcical situation that could have led the media to destroy any credibility York still has as an increasingly popular venue for society weddings.
The Shire of York administration senior staff members still include a Planning Officer whose main role appears to be to try and prevent the building of massive, metal, rural barns, usually restricted to farming properties, on domestic blocks within the boundaries of a famous historic town-site.
York has a relatively new council and a brand new administration with a Major Strategic Plan that should be the precursor to future success.
Given this-the Shire of York Administration should now revisit and reflect upon parts of the official mantra emblazoned on its Website and ensure, in future, it is the truth, not platitudes and self- aggrandisement.
‘A place to visit’ is certainly something to reflect upon given current circumstance with tourist numbers in free fall! Dull, boring, nothing open and nothing to do is the general consensus critique from those who do visit.
‘A place of vibrancy and energy’ is something that the new administration has to prove it can return the community to!
‘A place of growth and local business opportunity’ is a bold statement requiring extensive administrative cathartic re-evaluation given the potentially massive real value write-down of Shire of York assets including local roads and massively over- valued community property investments.
It could take some time for the Major Strategic Plan to be proven to be the panacea.
The Shire should invest at least $1 million, per annum, in road restoration alone. It is financial resources it has not got and this could seriously impinge on the Shire’s ability to promote growth and new business development.
The Shire of York’s annual gross revenue is in the vicinity of $9 million. WA Tourism claims that it is currently a $9.3 billion, per annum, industry which may be the town’s single economic development saviour.
If York could attract the equivalent of 3 % of Perth’s population to spend 2 nights in the town, the potential gross revenue, direct input to the community should be around $20 million.
If promoted correctly York has the historic significance and architectural ambiance to re-vitalize itself as a tourist attraction in the short term.
Given reputable financial analysts are suggesting that the WA economy is close to recession, the economic growth and development of any other form of new business in York is to put it bluntly-highly unlikely- up to ‘not happening’.
The Shire of York has been renowned for its incompetence and arrogant and aggressive, sometimes totally illegal, pursuit of a number of successful tourism businesses in the community for various reasons which are mostly incomprehensible and mainly personal revenge driven.
This, arguably, includes the current regime which recently pursued a highly respected local business for allegedly creating excessive noise levels in breach the Environmental Protection Act. It appears that a little night music and wedding party frivolity does not soothe several savage beasts that live nearby.
Luckily for York, the new Chief-Executive-Officer intervened preventing a farcical situation that could have led the media to destroy any credibility York still has as an increasingly popular venue for society weddings.
The Shire of York administration senior staff members still include a Planning Officer whose main role appears to be to try and prevent the building of massive, metal, rural barns, usually restricted to farming properties, on domestic blocks within the boundaries of a famous historic town-site.
It
is a thankless employment task because local planning policy is considered by a
number of current Councillors to be some sort of non-specific, easily ignored
guideline only.
Then there is the Environmental Health Officer who, when strolling down Avon Terrace, walks within 10-metres of a 2 metre high wall of a hundred or more decomposing tyres and numerous rustic, rusting car bodies which are usually confined to industrial areas- not situated just off the main thoroughfare of a beautiful, iconic old town.
It could be described by some as a safe haven for local fauna. In particular, mice, rats, dugites and the occasional tiger snake.
A better description would be an environmentally unfriendly pile of rotting rubber and rusty metal
located uncomfortably close to the front door of the York Tourism Visitor’s Centre that could see
the Shire of York Administration itself in breach of The Environmental Protection Act. In 2014 the
Shire’s Chief Executive Officer was warned of this, but chose to do very little about it.
Of real importance is the Manager of Works and Services- but only when these works and services, including road maintenance, are delivered on time, within budget and to approved Australian standards. This is where the $1 million per annum, that the Shire of York does not have, comes in.
Maybe these three employees suffer from the systemic problem of policies becoming guidelines then guidelines becoming policies.
Amid all the job descriptions of the new upper management echelon, among the myriad managerial responsibilities and protocol clichés, the word Tourism is never mentioned as a potential economic driver. In fact it is not mentioned at all.
There are those who look after human resources, the YRCC, the swimming pool, occupational health and safety, capital works, information technology, customer service, planning, environmental health and works and services. The last three must be considered super important as there are designated officers already in these roles.
The only new role that could be associated with anything like tourism promotion is the Community and Economic Development Officer.
Tourism means cafes, restaurants, bars, accommodation, entertainment, extreme sports, clothing and memorabilia sales, along with books and antiques. If it is listed as a saleable service or commodity a tourist is often in the mood to try it and buy it.
York’s status within the Western Australian community should mean it has a dedicated Tourism Promotions Officer, with a licence to vigorously promote and market the town to its best advantage, in consultation with its tourism operators and in close collaboration with the major tourism agencies.
The Shire of York itself can no longer pay just lip service to tourism.
Since the York Tourist Bureau Inc. stealing debacle of 2008-2009, based on its funding levels received from the Shire of York at that time, over $600,000 in municipal funding has been withheld from where it could best be utilized. That is the promotion, marketing and selling of unique York, by the Shire of York for the betterment of the York Community.
So far the only new employees directly linked to the tourism industry are two Information Officers, who will man the coal-face, the York Tourism Visitors Centre. They will be the face of York and its conduit to the hearts, minds and wallets of visitors to York. For this both will receive less than the Australian Basic Wage per annum.
How is York going to be competitive in a multi-billion dollar industry when this is the best it can do?
However, when you start to closely analyse the new Shire of York Administration’s Senior Management Structure there is at least one door left slightly ajar. It is the door of the Chief Executive Officer who may well be in total charge of what could be York’s tourism renaissance.
David Taylor.
Then there is the Environmental Health Officer who, when strolling down Avon Terrace, walks within 10-metres of a 2 metre high wall of a hundred or more decomposing tyres and numerous rustic, rusting car bodies which are usually confined to industrial areas- not situated just off the main thoroughfare of a beautiful, iconic old town.
It could be described by some as a safe haven for local fauna. In particular, mice, rats, dugites and the occasional tiger snake.
A better description would be an environmentally unfriendly pile of rotting rubber and rusty metal
located uncomfortably close to the front door of the York Tourism Visitor’s Centre that could see
the Shire of York Administration itself in breach of The Environmental Protection Act. In 2014 the
Shire’s Chief Executive Officer was warned of this, but chose to do very little about it.
Of real importance is the Manager of Works and Services- but only when these works and services, including road maintenance, are delivered on time, within budget and to approved Australian standards. This is where the $1 million per annum, that the Shire of York does not have, comes in.
Maybe these three employees suffer from the systemic problem of policies becoming guidelines then guidelines becoming policies.
Amid all the job descriptions of the new upper management echelon, among the myriad managerial responsibilities and protocol clichés, the word Tourism is never mentioned as a potential economic driver. In fact it is not mentioned at all.
There are those who look after human resources, the YRCC, the swimming pool, occupational health and safety, capital works, information technology, customer service, planning, environmental health and works and services. The last three must be considered super important as there are designated officers already in these roles.
The only new role that could be associated with anything like tourism promotion is the Community and Economic Development Officer.
Tourism means cafes, restaurants, bars, accommodation, entertainment, extreme sports, clothing and memorabilia sales, along with books and antiques. If it is listed as a saleable service or commodity a tourist is often in the mood to try it and buy it.
York’s status within the Western Australian community should mean it has a dedicated Tourism Promotions Officer, with a licence to vigorously promote and market the town to its best advantage, in consultation with its tourism operators and in close collaboration with the major tourism agencies.
The Shire of York itself can no longer pay just lip service to tourism.
Since the York Tourist Bureau Inc. stealing debacle of 2008-2009, based on its funding levels received from the Shire of York at that time, over $600,000 in municipal funding has been withheld from where it could best be utilized. That is the promotion, marketing and selling of unique York, by the Shire of York for the betterment of the York Community.
So far the only new employees directly linked to the tourism industry are two Information Officers, who will man the coal-face, the York Tourism Visitors Centre. They will be the face of York and its conduit to the hearts, minds and wallets of visitors to York. For this both will receive less than the Australian Basic Wage per annum.
How is York going to be competitive in a multi-billion dollar industry when this is the best it can do?
However, when you start to closely analyse the new Shire of York Administration’s Senior Management Structure there is at least one door left slightly ajar. It is the door of the Chief Executive Officer who may well be in total charge of what could be York’s tourism renaissance.
Thursday, 21 July 2016
YORK’S ANATHEMA! The threat from SUEZ regarding Allawuna Farm is over. Or is it?
SHARE THE LOVE
An assessment of those who
assessed Allawuna Farm.
TO THE STATE ADMINISTRATION TRIBUNAL MEMBERS (sat@justice.wa.gov.au)
RE: Your Allawuna Farm Landfill Assessment
SAT-
A Tribunal saturated with Lawyers who prove that legality outweighs reality and that ‘Justice’ can be seen to be blind, deaf, dumb and retarded
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION (info@der.wa.gov.au)
RE: Your Allawuna Farm Landfill Assessment
A putrefied pond of environmental quacks, charlatans and fakirs slavishly following the desires of State Government Ministers and the big end of town with absolutely no regard for the rural environment , economy and community health and welfare.
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER (Atrium.Reception@water.wa.gov.au)
RE:-Your Allawuna Farm Landfill Assessment
We always save the best for last. This is the department that threw the book of Australian seismology records and earthquake hazard modelling in the bin. And is the department that fell asleep at the wheel during the mining boom when WA’s population increased by around 1,800 x 237,600 Kilolitres-per-year ‘water guzzlers’ each week- without taking any reasonable measures to
improve WA’s water supply to meet such a rapidly increasing population demand.
It is why you will be drinking your own urine in the near future.
So Cheers Mia- I’ll have a vodka, lime and soda without the piss/pee/wee thanks!
**********
It should be woe betide any other company that tries to take up the Allawuna Farm Landfill licence, any politician or local government agency official who supports it and continues to defend the farcical and moronic evaluations by SAT, the Department of Environmental Regulation and the Department of Water that would have allowed it to happen. (Or will they shrug their shoulders and try to do it anyway?)
Remember that the Minister for Water, Mia Davies, has made no known public comment, media statement or Tweet congratulating her constituents in York for dodging the potential economic fiasco and environmental disaster bullets that were the Allawuna Farm project. Her continuing lack of public support may well leave a two-year window of opportunity for other rubbish tip artisans (including Avon Waste) to demand to dig big holes where SUEZ was going to.
Remember, with regard to the Allawuna Farm project itself, the simple questions never adequately answered include why did SUEZ require a significant buffer zone between the landfill site and homes, drinking water catchment areas and main roads when its site was declared safe by every environmental authority under the sun- and the Department of Water? Also the rest of Allawuna was to remain a working farm right next to a massive landfill that would be used for twenty years and its residue embedded there forever?
Why is there 350 hectares of remnant bushland within the 1516 hectares of Allawuna Farm that has remained there for decades? The traditional reason for this is the understanding that it was a required buffer zone between agricultural pursuits and a clear-water catchment area that supplied Mundaring Weir. (Yet according to the Department of Water this catchment area now does not, in all government bureaucratic actuality, exist.)
So nearly one-quarter of the total area of Allawuna farm is covered by bushland that, if removed now, will apparently have absolutely no negative environmental consequences, but increase farm yield and the farms future saleable value? (This could be interpreted as the findings of the Department of Water, SAT and the Department of Environmental Regulation.)
And the best fiction over fact is the government agencies understanding that seismic activity was absolutely no threat to a major city landfill project even though York is in the centre of one of the world’s most active earthquake regions, the South-West seismic zone that stretches from Moora to Albany.
Brookton, 1963, 5.4 on the Richter scale, Meckering, 1968, 6.9, Calingiri, 1970, 5.9 and Cadoux 1979, 6.1, are some examples of earthquake activity that would rupture any underground waste-storage facility in close proximity. (In 2001, in the Southern Ocean- off Albany, there was a massive 7.1 earthquake. At around the same time seismic activity in parts of the South-West seismic zone was at its greatest since the 1960’s.)
If any government seismologist told you that the force of the Meckering earthquake erupting within five kilometres of Perth’s CBD would not have had the potential to reduce many of its buildings to rubble and kill hundreds, if not thousands, you can tell him he is an expert liar.
In 1906, an earthquake 0.9 per cent larger than that of Meckering devastated San Francisco killing 3,000 and demolishing 80 per cent of it buildings.
The SUEZ Allawuna Farm landfill proposal provides some of the most ridiculous misinformation that anyone could possibly hope to get away with by saying its site is located 40 kilometres away from the earthquake prone zone around Meckering. Unfortunately for SEUZ, York, is right in the middle of the same earthquake prone zone that stretches 500 by 300 kilometres from North to South and East to West.
In the past 53-years there have been two significant earthquakes at Brookton and Meckering with York smack-bang in the middle. There have also been thousands of minor quakes. So look your local government seismologist in the eye and ask him if a major earthquake could not occur around York. If he says no- it could not, then he is an expert who is also a liar.
Also remember that any type of expert whose expertise is paid for by a government provides more and more of what the government wants the public to hear and less and less of the truth, until the public knows everything about nothing.
York has now shed the massive encumbrance of a malevolent, self-interested and incompetent Shire of York Administration staff and some Councillors who were backed by those who consider themselves to be- not only the movers and shakers- but the voice of York. These people are no longer a welcome integral part of the real York community and this is something that Councillor Trevor Randell may wish to get his head around.
In the past the voice of big business has tried to drown out the voice of the people. In this case there should no whisper that the Allawuna Farm Landfill project is not dead and buried.
The proverb “waste not- want not” in York’s case is waste-not wanted and that means forever.
David Taylor.
Friday, 8 July 2016
WHERE DID WE WANT IT? NOT HERE! WHEN DID WE WANT IT? NEVER!
It
would appear that the last major external obstacle to York’s rejuvenation has
been removed with SUEZ shelving its planned Allawuna Farm project.
The surreptitious demand for this project by a Shire of York clique led by Ray Hooper, approval by the then Elected Member for Central Wheatbelt, Brendon Grylls, ridiculously flawed findings by environmental and administration agencies and the failure of the current Elected Member, Mia Davies, to heed the personal appeals from the second largest town in her electorate- has been stymied by the will of the people.
Was it a commercial decision as the WA Managing Director of SUEZ, Niall Stock says? No it was not!
Allawuna Farm was an $8 million single project commenced by SITA nearly four years ago. The June 1, 2016, $87 million acquisition of Perthwaste was a total market-share repositioning by SUEZ who had rebranded its local company, SITA Australia, under the world-wide parent company’s name in 2015.
Stock was told by SUEZ not to proceed with an unnecessary project that was likely to cause public condemnation from here to eternity.
Stock claims that the Allawuna Farm project was acknowledged as an environmentally safe and appropriate development for this site. No it was not. Even the Premier, Colin Barnett, had some strong reservations regarding the site’s suitability.
The SUEZ ‘feel the love’ descriptions of waste management as recycling and re-use solutions and resource recycling did not apply to the Allawuna Farm project. It was to be strictly a huge hole in the ground to be filled with domestic and commercial waste, and asbestos.
Its only recyclable resource would have been the 99.9 per cent Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Methane and Carbon Dioxide with 1 per cent of unknown gases. Both Methane and CO2 are asphyxiates with Methane highly flammable. Both are toxic to humans and animals in high concentrations.
What the other gases would have been and how toxic? No-one knows!
David Taylor
DATE 6 July 2016 at 15.42
SUBJECT :- PRESS RELEASE
SUE-US DUMPS ALLAWUNA DUMP
Leading contaminate recycling and dross and grot resource convalescence and rehabilitation purveyors, SUE-US, formally known as SHITA Australia has dumped the dump known as the Allawuna Farm Land-Fail near York.
SUE-US State General Manager, Nail Toxicstock, said the decision was made for commercial reasons, not because of water pollution problems, earthquake concerns, land degradation factors, seriously adverse atmospheric conditions, road fatality possibilities and Mercury, Venus and Mars were not in alignment, as the company had acquired a new waste-dump toy, PerthCrap.
“While the Allawuna Farm debacle was acknowledged as environmentally safe and appropriate for the site by those who had received our very generous handouts before enjoying a free holiday flight with Pig Airways, the PerthCrap acquisition delivered additional infrastructure to SUE-US in Western Australia, which allowed us to remove any possible desire by the people of York to bury my front lawn in 5,000 tonnes of sheepshit”, Mr Toxicstock said.
The $87 million purchase of PerthCrap became effective as of July 1 and has expanded the SUE-US contamination portfolio in WA with additional infrastructure including a polluted landfill at North Bannister, two infected waste transfer stations, two poisonous materials recycling facilities, two used drug needle depots and a decomposing facility.
“SUE-US is excited by our ever expending big and dirty footprint which allows us to deliver innovative and efficient rubbish collection, contaminant recycling and regurgitation solutions to even more local authorities, commercial customers and the broader community in WA” Mr. Toxicstock said.
The surreptitious demand for this project by a Shire of York clique led by Ray Hooper, approval by the then Elected Member for Central Wheatbelt, Brendon Grylls, ridiculously flawed findings by environmental and administration agencies and the failure of the current Elected Member, Mia Davies, to heed the personal appeals from the second largest town in her electorate- has been stymied by the will of the people.
Was it a commercial decision as the WA Managing Director of SUEZ, Niall Stock says? No it was not!
Allawuna Farm was an $8 million single project commenced by SITA nearly four years ago. The June 1, 2016, $87 million acquisition of Perthwaste was a total market-share repositioning by SUEZ who had rebranded its local company, SITA Australia, under the world-wide parent company’s name in 2015.
Stock was told by SUEZ not to proceed with an unnecessary project that was likely to cause public condemnation from here to eternity.
Stock claims that the Allawuna Farm project was acknowledged as an environmentally safe and appropriate development for this site. No it was not. Even the Premier, Colin Barnett, had some strong reservations regarding the site’s suitability.
The SUEZ ‘feel the love’ descriptions of waste management as recycling and re-use solutions and resource recycling did not apply to the Allawuna Farm project. It was to be strictly a huge hole in the ground to be filled with domestic and commercial waste, and asbestos.
Its only recyclable resource would have been the 99.9 per cent Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Methane and Carbon Dioxide with 1 per cent of unknown gases. Both Methane and CO2 are asphyxiates with Methane highly flammable. Both are toxic to humans and animals in high concentrations.
What the other gases would have been and how toxic? No-one knows!
David Taylor
**********
Never believe what is said
in a Press Release. This is
what was actually meant. DATE 6 July 2016 at 15.42
SUBJECT :- PRESS RELEASE
SUE-US DUMPS ALLAWUNA DUMP
Leading contaminate recycling and dross and grot resource convalescence and rehabilitation purveyors, SUE-US, formally known as SHITA Australia has dumped the dump known as the Allawuna Farm Land-Fail near York.
SUE-US State General Manager, Nail Toxicstock, said the decision was made for commercial reasons, not because of water pollution problems, earthquake concerns, land degradation factors, seriously adverse atmospheric conditions, road fatality possibilities and Mercury, Venus and Mars were not in alignment, as the company had acquired a new waste-dump toy, PerthCrap.
“While the Allawuna Farm debacle was acknowledged as environmentally safe and appropriate for the site by those who had received our very generous handouts before enjoying a free holiday flight with Pig Airways, the PerthCrap acquisition delivered additional infrastructure to SUE-US in Western Australia, which allowed us to remove any possible desire by the people of York to bury my front lawn in 5,000 tonnes of sheepshit”, Mr Toxicstock said.
The $87 million purchase of PerthCrap became effective as of July 1 and has expanded the SUE-US contamination portfolio in WA with additional infrastructure including a polluted landfill at North Bannister, two infected waste transfer stations, two poisonous materials recycling facilities, two used drug needle depots and a decomposing facility.
“SUE-US is excited by our ever expending big and dirty footprint which allows us to deliver innovative and efficient rubbish collection, contaminant recycling and regurgitation solutions to even more local authorities, commercial customers and the broader community in WA” Mr. Toxicstock said.
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
“MAMMA MIA’ (Lyrics by Max Trenorden-sung by the York Ladies Choir)
You’ve done sweet bugger all since way back when
So early next year this must come to an end
Look at us now, we’ve finally learned
Now that we know, we will take control
In your vote count, a great black hole
No more votes to the polling booth bring
When you’re gone, we’ll try to forget everything
Wo o o oh
(Chorus)
Mamma Mia - soon time to vote again
My my- we will all resist you
Mamma Mia- it’s time to show again
My my -that we won’t miss you
We won’t be broken-hearted
Just glad that you’ve departed
Why, why?- it’s time to let you go
Mamma Mia- now you’ll really know
My my- we’re going to let you go.
(Guitar solo)
We’ve been angry and sad about the things you don’t do
Soon you’ll count the no votes, that tell you you’re through
And when you go, when we slam the door
I think you know-it will be way too long
You’ll find out that we’re really strong
Just one look and you’ll see there’s nothing
And the Wheatbelt will get up and sing
Wo o o oh
(Chorus)
Mamma-Mia (repeat twice)
So early next year this must come to an end
Look at us now, we’ve finally learned
Now that we know, we will take control
In your vote count, a great black hole
No more votes to the polling booth bring
When you’re gone, we’ll try to forget everything
Wo o o oh
(Chorus)
Mamma Mia - soon time to vote again
My my- we will all resist you
Mamma Mia- it’s time to show again
My my -that we won’t miss you
We won’t be broken-hearted
Just glad that you’ve departed
Why, why?- it’s time to let you go
Mamma Mia- now you’ll really know
My my- we’re going to let you go.
(Guitar solo)
We’ve been angry and sad about the things you don’t do
Soon you’ll count the no votes, that tell you you’re through
And when you go, when we slam the door
I think you know-it will be way too long
You’ll find out that we’re really strong
Just one look and you’ll see there’s nothing
And the Wheatbelt will get up and sing
Wo o o oh
(Chorus)
Mamma-Mia (repeat twice)
Monday, 4 July 2016
THE BIGGEST TWIT YET! (From your legally blonde, legendary leader Mamamia)
Jeez Wheat ‘Belt-Tighteners’.
Barnaby Joyce, our Dear Supreme Leader and American TV’s inbred ‘Mr. Tomato Head’ courtesy of Johnny Depp , concedes that us Nat’s are now considered nits across Australia’s rural, regional and vast empty spaces. (Our local bloke, Terry Redman, is worried too, but he’s not sure what ‘nit’ means. He thinks it might be the abbreviation for a sports star called Nit Nat.
Being the Minister for that Sporty stuff, I told him it was Nic not Nit!
Let’s move on. Those vast empty spaces are in the voter’s heads. In WA, even Pauline (wot was the question?) Hanson, also known as Pauline Pantsdown, is getting sh*t-loads more votes than us.
However I’m not worried, I’m a star Member, I have my star Member moves and if push comes to shove from you lot, I can always shake cocktails at The Lizard Lounge at the YRCC. I hear a few hero- to-zero ex-Councillors slink in there to cheaply drown their accumulated sorrows at ratepayers expense, while having a raucous cackle of self-relief when reading their expensive copy of ‘The Fitz-Gerald Report’.
Speaking of the YRCC, the jewel in the crown of classic commercial financial collapsibility, what is York going to do with his debt riddled sinkhole surrounded by disintegrating faux lawn? It must cost a fortune just to clean the windows?
I can tell your there’ll be no Royalties for Regions bailout for this cash-strapped crypt.
You do know that an anagram for tavern is antre which means cave, hole, even old hole. A pretty good definition for a Local Government owned bar one would have thought-but not me of course!
All my fans in York must have worked out what their tavern tab is by now. It stands at around $4,500 per ratepayer and the loose change is $200 per year, each, to keep the doors from rusting shut. That’s assuming you’re still paying your rates.
This means you will be still forking- out when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse gallop down Avon Terrace announcing ‘Armageddon Day’ as a must-see York Event.
Now I must have a ‘biartch’ (otherwise known as having a bitch). One of your Taliban has written a letter to the lovely Colin Holt, Minister for Racing Gaming and Boozing about Sergeant, Barry Sargeant of the Liquor Licensing squad.
He had the audacity to call him a bumbling , bureaucratic buffoon who spoon-fed the Shire of York Administration a tavern licence because they had no idea what Public Interest Assessment meant, or more likely that it was a Personal Interest Assessment. It was sort of like that Barry’s mother should have thrown Barry out with the bathwater when he was a very young Barry.
Minister Holt had the courtesy to reply to this vitriolic verbiage with a personally signed response to these intuitive insults by saying they had been noted.
Now some will say what Col meant was ‘tell someone who gives a rats-ass’. Yet he had no need to respond, let alone show that he must have read it by signing his name and made no attempt to defend his underling. Maybe he understands that Sergeant Sargeant made a tavern a cave and York’s pecuniary poor-house.
Speaking of bureaucrats, a little mammoth in the room told me the Shire of York is ‘hiring’.
It is going to get the Mount Olympus/ Marvel Comics Employment Agency in West Perth to find a Demigod -dash-Super Hero to fill a couple of positions.
One could be a MS.THOR, who’ll bring her hammer and knock-up her own office prior to indulging in finance, human resources, information technology, customer service, administration, governance, the YRCC , swimming pool and library before fixing-up the Old Convent on the weekend.
The other may well be a MR. ODIN in charge of works and services, capital projects, asset planning, asset maintenance, planning (maybe some other type of planning?), environmental health, building (what exactly?) ranger and community emergency services before mowing all the Shire lawns and the footy oval when necessary.
I know York Shire has to cut its coat (which it doesn’t have) according to the cloth (which it doesn’t have either) but ‘Wow’ these could be real savings on what would normally be a State Government, 25 bureaucrats-per-day jobs.
York Shire has obviously remembered that to face the future with me and the Nits (sorry Nat’s), it will have to tighten its belt- at least a dozen fiscal notches!
We used to be the Country Party, the political party of the country people, by the country people, for the country people- that shall not perish from the earth. Now we are the Nationals, by the Nationals, for the Nationals. We might not be as dead as the country economy is right now, but we are certainly on the nose with voters.
Yet there are positive signs. One being I’ve got at least another 8 months, until Election Day, to live of the fat of your land.
SO DON’T’T BE SHY, YOU KNOW WHERE MAMAMIA HANGS OUT (SOMETIMES) AND HER CONTACT NUMBERS. Just DROP ME A LINE.
One of my 20 eager staff members will be there to respond, - otherwise we’ll get in some casuals.
Barnaby Joyce, our Dear Supreme Leader and American TV’s inbred ‘Mr. Tomato Head’ courtesy of Johnny Depp , concedes that us Nat’s are now considered nits across Australia’s rural, regional and vast empty spaces. (Our local bloke, Terry Redman, is worried too, but he’s not sure what ‘nit’ means. He thinks it might be the abbreviation for a sports star called Nit Nat.
Being the Minister for that Sporty stuff, I told him it was Nic not Nit!
Let’s move on. Those vast empty spaces are in the voter’s heads. In WA, even Pauline (wot was the question?) Hanson, also known as Pauline Pantsdown, is getting sh*t-loads more votes than us.
However I’m not worried, I’m a star Member, I have my star Member moves and if push comes to shove from you lot, I can always shake cocktails at The Lizard Lounge at the YRCC. I hear a few hero- to-zero ex-Councillors slink in there to cheaply drown their accumulated sorrows at ratepayers expense, while having a raucous cackle of self-relief when reading their expensive copy of ‘The Fitz-Gerald Report’.
Speaking of the YRCC, the jewel in the crown of classic commercial financial collapsibility, what is York going to do with his debt riddled sinkhole surrounded by disintegrating faux lawn? It must cost a fortune just to clean the windows?
I can tell your there’ll be no Royalties for Regions bailout for this cash-strapped crypt.
You do know that an anagram for tavern is antre which means cave, hole, even old hole. A pretty good definition for a Local Government owned bar one would have thought-but not me of course!
All my fans in York must have worked out what their tavern tab is by now. It stands at around $4,500 per ratepayer and the loose change is $200 per year, each, to keep the doors from rusting shut. That’s assuming you’re still paying your rates.
This means you will be still forking- out when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse gallop down Avon Terrace announcing ‘Armageddon Day’ as a must-see York Event.
Now I must have a ‘biartch’ (otherwise known as having a bitch). One of your Taliban has written a letter to the lovely Colin Holt, Minister for Racing Gaming and Boozing about Sergeant, Barry Sargeant of the Liquor Licensing squad.
He had the audacity to call him a bumbling , bureaucratic buffoon who spoon-fed the Shire of York Administration a tavern licence because they had no idea what Public Interest Assessment meant, or more likely that it was a Personal Interest Assessment. It was sort of like that Barry’s mother should have thrown Barry out with the bathwater when he was a very young Barry.
Minister Holt had the courtesy to reply to this vitriolic verbiage with a personally signed response to these intuitive insults by saying they had been noted.
Now some will say what Col meant was ‘tell someone who gives a rats-ass’. Yet he had no need to respond, let alone show that he must have read it by signing his name and made no attempt to defend his underling. Maybe he understands that Sergeant Sargeant made a tavern a cave and York’s pecuniary poor-house.
Speaking of bureaucrats, a little mammoth in the room told me the Shire of York is ‘hiring’.
It is going to get the Mount Olympus/ Marvel Comics Employment Agency in West Perth to find a Demigod -dash-Super Hero to fill a couple of positions.
One could be a MS.THOR, who’ll bring her hammer and knock-up her own office prior to indulging in finance, human resources, information technology, customer service, administration, governance, the YRCC , swimming pool and library before fixing-up the Old Convent on the weekend.
The other may well be a MR. ODIN in charge of works and services, capital projects, asset planning, asset maintenance, planning (maybe some other type of planning?), environmental health, building (what exactly?) ranger and community emergency services before mowing all the Shire lawns and the footy oval when necessary.
I know York Shire has to cut its coat (which it doesn’t have) according to the cloth (which it doesn’t have either) but ‘Wow’ these could be real savings on what would normally be a State Government, 25 bureaucrats-per-day jobs.
York Shire has obviously remembered that to face the future with me and the Nits (sorry Nat’s), it will have to tighten its belt- at least a dozen fiscal notches!
We used to be the Country Party, the political party of the country people, by the country people, for the country people- that shall not perish from the earth. Now we are the Nationals, by the Nationals, for the Nationals. We might not be as dead as the country economy is right now, but we are certainly on the nose with voters.
Yet there are positive signs. One being I’ve got at least another 8 months, until Election Day, to live of the fat of your land.
SO DON’T’T BE SHY, YOU KNOW WHERE MAMAMIA HANGS OUT (SOMETIMES) AND HER CONTACT NUMBERS. Just DROP ME A LINE.
One of my 20 eager staff members will be there to respond, - otherwise we’ll get in some casuals.
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