Author: Ashleigh Fielding

CITY of Albany Councillor Rebecca Stephens will join the fight for the Seat of Albany at the 2021 election as the candidate for WA Labor.

The Tuesday announcement was made just eight days after current Albany Labor MP Peter Watson revealed he would retire from his position at the next election.

Ms Stephens is the Regional Manager for the Great Southern-Esperance region for Worklink, has volunteered with various school and community boards and has been a member of the Albany Surf Life Saving Club for more than 20 years.

She paid tribute to outgoing Member Mr Watson.

“Albany is a better place because of what Watto has achieved,” Ms Stephens said.

“I look forward to representing my community and campaigning for the re-election of the McGowan Labor Government.”

Premier Mark McGowan described Ms Stephens as an “outstanding candidate” who was ready to “take the baton” from Mr Watson.

“I’m proud to have Rebecca on my team, so we can continue to deliver on our plan for Albany, to create new local jobs, build the infrastructure Albany needs and upgrade important health and education services,” he said.

Mr Watson said he was excited Ms Stephens had been chosen as the WA Labor candidate for Albany as she “shares the same values as I do to put Albany first”.

Albany City Motors Financial Director Scott Leary is expected to join Ms Stephens in the race for the Seat of Albany as the sole nominee for pre-selection for the WA Liberal Party.

Other political parties are yet to announce their candidates.

IN A last-ditch effort to save Albany Seaside Flats from divestment after the budget accommodation site failed to secure funding for crucial renovations three times, its volunteer committee must raise $50,000 in the next three months for the site to be considered for funding once more.

The site, located on Flinders Parade in Middleton Beach, currently has four operational one, two and three-bedroom units.

The Country Women’s Association (CWA) of WA site was originally designed to offer affordable accommodation to regional and remote families, but now offers inexpensive accommodation to anyone.

Three older units on the site, built in 1938, were closed in 2013 after 75 years of use due to their poor condition.

Secretary Anne Radys, Finance Officer Anne Barton, Committee Member Peg Vickers and Caretaker Laura Ferrell said the Albany Seaside Flats committee had discussed taking financial and administrative control of the accommodation site for many years with the CWA of WA State Committee – so they could work on upgrading the old facilities – but it was to no avail.

Only recently, the group said, was the committee awarded the control it needed.

Now, CWA of WA has given the committee a May deadline to fundraise a minimum of $50,000 before the decision to fully fund the renovation can be put to a state vote for the fourth time.

“They are part of Albany’s social history,” Ms Vickers said of Albany Seaside Flats.

“We didn’t have much back then but staying here was something I still remember, and it was absolutely wonderful.

“Losing them now would be like giving up the crown jewels.”

The three 1938-built units in question are heritage-listed and cannot be demolished.

The other option is to fund extensive and expensive renovations.

This includes installing firewalls, asbestos removal, replacing the ceilings, updating the kitchens and replacing the floor coverings.

CWA of WA State President Elaine Johnson explained that the issue of financing these renovations had been put forward to the CWA State Conference several times, but had failed to secure support and funding each time.

“A motion was carried at State Conference in 2014 to approve renovations of units A, B and C for up to $120,000 but no funding source was identified,” she said.

“Branches were consulted by postal vote in 2016 in an attempt to seek funds to support the required renovations or return the property to the State, and the response to the vote was mixed; it did not lead to a decision to fund the renovations, and further investigation into projected costs was authorised by the Board and approved as a motion at the 2017 State Conference.

“The renovations were proposed to the membership at the State Conference as a Statewide fundraiser, but this motion was lost.”

Ms Johnson said various other proposals had been considered by the Board, but they were deemed unsuitable.

This was because the financial model was “not sufficiently proven to justify the re-allocation of assets, nor do the units provide a sufficient community benefit to risk undermining the Association’s asset base and independence”.

“It is noted that the property is a Crown Grant in Trust, which means the Association cannot realise any funds invested into infrastructure, as if it wishes to divest the property it will need to return it to the State, subject to the approval of the Minister for Lands.”

Ms Barton is starting a crowd funding account which the public can donate to if they wish to support the cause.

The Albany Seaside Flats committee will also host a fashion show in April to assist the effort.

While the Weekender was speaking with the group about this issue, Ms Ferrell turned away bookings from potential clients as she had no room for them to stay.

She said the accommodation site was frequently booked out during the year and that it lost money by not being able to offer more accommodation, as the three 1938-built units sat empty.

“How can we make money if we can’t fix and use these units?” Ms Ferrell questioned.

President Ms Johnson said a minimum of $280,000 was required to lift the three 1938-built units to a “holiday lettable standard”.

She said she understood the community sentiment and history associated with the property and hoped the Albany community could help to save the units.

“CWA of WA cannot do this alone as the costs are high and returns low when you are dealing with budget family accommodation,” Ms Johnson said.

“As the units continue to deteriorate there is some urgency.”

A crowd funding link will soon be launched on the Albany Seaside Flats Facebook page to give community members the opportunity to financially support the cause.

Alternatively, people can call Ms Barton on 0412 937 641 to make a donation or donate direct to the account here: BSB 633 000, Acc 172 407 363.

THE Shire of Jerramungup will no longer be part of the seat of Albany for the 2021 state election after changes to State electoral boundaries were formalised last week.

The reshuffle, conducted by the Western Australian Electoral Distribution Commission, will see Jerramungup cede from the District of Albany currently held by Labor MP Peter Watson.

It will be absorbed by the agriculture District of Roe, held by Nationals WA’s Peter Rundle, which will in turn lose the shires of Kulin, Wickepin and Cuballing to balance elector numbers in the Central Wheatbelt.

The changes come three months after Jerramungup councillors unanimously voted to lodge an objection to the Commission about the move (‘Boundaries crossed’, 29 August).

In his report to council at the time, Shire CEO Martin Cuthbert claimed the decision would have “detrimental effects” on the work the Shire had put into building a relationship with the City of Albany.

“The Shire of Jerramungup believes it does not share a community interest with the majority of the Roe District,” he wrote.

Jerramungup originally joined the Albany electorate in 2015 and has since coordinated a number of economic, tourism and advocacy efforts with the City and the shires of Denmark and Plantagenet.

“The Commissioners have decided to affirm their decision,” the report read.

“Alteration of state electoral boundaries should not prevent continued each Parliament.

Retired judge Eric Heenan, government statistician Tom Joseph, Electoral Commissioner David Kerslake and Acting Electoral Commissioner Chris Avent led the review.

Shire of Jerramungup CEO Martin Cuthbert was contacted for comment.

THE closure of the Albany Primary School (APS) canteen for 2020 has been shrouded in secrecy as outraged parents have their questions as to why it was closed left unanswered.

The APS P&C formally announced the decision last Thursday on their Facebook page and followed it up in the school newsletter the following day.

The decision was made at the final P&C meeting for 2019 on the previous Monday.

The P&C Executive Committee released a brief statement saying the canteen was no longer financially viable and would not re-open in 2020.

“We understand that shutting down the canteen will have an impact on APS families and during term one 2020, the P&C will start to investigate alternative lunch service options to mitigate the impact,” it said.

P&C President Carly Talbot declined to elaborate any further or discuss if any other options were considered.

APS Principal Cathy Willis passed the Weekender’s queries to the Department of Education’s Media Team who said, “as the canteen is run by the P&C, we will leave it to them to talk about it”.

On the day before the social media post announcing the canteen closure due to financial constraints was made, the P&C thanked visiting artists for the P&C funded Toilet Artwork Project that ‘has lifted our toilet blocks to new and inspirational heights.”

“Three toilet blocks have been completed and they truly are beautiful, fun spaces for our students,” the post read.

On social media, parents expressed their anger.

Questions such as exploring the option of opening two or three days a week or outsourcing the service went unanswered.

Outraged parent Courtney Hathaway is so upset with the decision and lack of transparency, she is looking at moving her son to another school.

“How can you even run a school with no canteen? Are you serious?” she told the Weekender.

“As a parent of a child that goes to the school, I’m very disappointed that the canteen is closing. I don’t understand how you can efficiently run a school without a canteen.

“If they can afford artwork in the toilets then why can’t they afford something that’s actually needed like the canteen? I don’t know about you but I don’t sit on the toilet looking at the artwork on the walls.”

The Weekender understands that one of the paid employees, who had worked there for 19-and-a-half years, was only told of the decision two days before it was announced on Facebook.

The Weekender also understands that the canteen bank balance was deemed healthy, there was not a lack of volunteers and paid employees managed to run the canteen efficiently whether there were any volunteers or not.

The decision has blindsided employees with two people losing their jobs. Parents are demanding answers and even some teachers were unaware of the impending closure days after it had been announced.