Author: Ashleigh Fielding

Creation for Cottesloe

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

WHEN creating a piece of art, many things have to be considered.

The size, the shape, and the colours don’t always come together on their own; it sometimes requires agonizing over tiny details to make a piece of art just right.

For Albany artist Kevin Draper’s most recent project, a sculpture for the Cottesloe Sculpture by the Sea public art exhibition, he had to consider the position from which people would view his artwork.

“Because it will be on the beach, you’ve got to consider what it will look like close up and far away, from the water, and from above,” he said.

“If people are looking up close at the paint work, it will be different to when they look at it from a distance, so you have to think about that too.”

Draper said his creation, Configuration, has no storyline as such, but is instead a series of references – the fragile crossing over of the natural world and the constructed world, of which he was inspired by viewing the aftermath of a bushfire.

“The concept came from seeing a fire-damaged landscape that had some plantation trees arranged in lines,” he said.

“The linear pattern of the plantation made such a contrast with the rest of the landscape that I decided to work with elements of their shape and branch forms.”

Configuration is a series of 16 tree shapes constructed from steel, painted black and white; a colour scheme Draper has made a habit of keeping for several years.

“Black and white breaks up the form of the piece,” Draper said.

“It gives it lightness and permeability, and it’s creating an optic.”

The tree shapes will each be pushed down about a metre into the sands of Cottesloe Beach in Perth at the end of the month during the installation period, with the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition officially opening on March 2.

This is Draper’s 11th time participating in the public art show that draws in international artists.

“Installation is a bit chaotic, but I love it,” he said.

“It generally lasts about three days and it’s a really special time, because you have this crossing over of the art industry and the community.

“You’ve got artists from overseas who come [to the exhibition] and can’t understand or speak English, but we can all understand each other’s art, so there’s a lot of hand waving and gestures but we can understand each other still, because art is a way of communicating.”

This year will be the 14th annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Cottesloe Beach.

Photo: Ashleigh Fielding

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Cold call for actor

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN actor and Albany-born Simon Woodward is returning to his theatrical roots this week to embark on a unique performance that has taken the world by storm.

The Blue Heelers star and seasoned theatre performer will take centre stage at the Albany Entertainment Centre tomorrow as part of Nassim, the creation of Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour.

The performance features a new actor for each show, who reads from a script they have never seen before the moment it lands in their hands on-stage, exploring the freedoms and limitations of language.

Woodward (pictured) said he did not hesitate to accept the of- fer of being the Albany actor for Nassim as part of the Albany Arts Festival Season.

“John Doust dobbed me in,” he said. “He got me on the phone with Drew Dymond and

I met with him, and he explained it was a cold read. “I jumped at that, as soon as I heard it was a cold read. “I like the surprise of a cold read, and I like

sharing that first experience with people. Interpreting something without thinking too much is exciting.”

The actor said his only apprehension of the perfor- mance was “the unknown”, but believes that is an element of Nassim’s design as a theatre performance.

“I haven’t done any preparation for this because I think the spirit of it is to be as unprepared as possible,” he said.

“The temptation was there to look at his other per- formances, but another part of me said not knowing was part of it.”

You can still get tickets to Friday night’s performance of Nassim by calling the AEC Box Office on 9844 5000 or booking online at Ticketek.

Doors open at 7.40pm for an 8pm start.

Photo: Ashleigh Fielding

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Bruton brings magic

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

ALBANY’S young and aspiring basketball players will have the opportunity to participate in a potentially life-changing clinic next month, with National Basketball League Hall of Famer and former Perth Wildcats coach Cal Bruton making the trip to Albany.

PCYC’s Ice Breakers facilitator Craig Golding said he met the ‘Black Pearl’ when he was playing against the Joondalup City Wolves years ago. “I played against him a few years ago and he absolutely killed me,” he said jokingly.

“He’s a great bloke though. He wants to reach remote places to spread his message.

“A lot of A-grade Albany Basketball Association coaches all got behind the idea to bring him down; we’ve already had a fair few people sign up too.”

One of the NBL’s first imports to play in the Brisbane Bullets in 1979, Bruton played and coached prolifically across five teams as well as representing Australia at the 1986 FIBA World Champion- ship in Spain.

The clinics won’t just be about the “Five fundamentals” basketballers should learn though; players will learn the many lessons in life Bruton learnt through basketball.

“Most kids are looking for some- thing to hang their hat on and learn skills to get them through life,” Bruton said, in a highly antici- pated exclusive interview with The Weekender.

“It’s really important to me to have a great work ethic, and to back that up with a great skill set.

“So when you can pass on a posi- tive message to the youth, inspire them to do better and make a difference, you can only imagine what the world will be like.”

While learning the fundamentals of basketball such as passing and how to handle the ball Bruton-style, he said he will also use acronyms to give youth the tools to be better people.

“I use B.R.U.T.O.N. a lot, which means be kind to others, respect your elders, use your manners, trust in God, own your mistakes and never give up,” he said.

Bruton spends his time taking his “travelling salesman” routine to disadvantaged kids in country Australia.

“I had a bit of a rough childhood, so for me sport was a way to be successful and to make myself a better person,” he said.

“When my mum passed away she left me a letter telling me to continue putting sunshine into other people’s lives, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

For more information on the Bruton Fundamental Clinic this is open to 8-16 year olds, contact Craig Golding on icebreakers.albany@ wapcyc.com.au.

Photo: Courtesy Cal Bruton

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Wind farm tests tax laws

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

ON THE eve of its fifth birthday, the Denmark community wind farm has lost a test case in the Federal Court where it challenged the inclusion in its assessable tax income of more than $2 million spent on its two landmark wind turbines.

In a written judgement delivered last week, the Full Bench of the Federal Court dismissed the wind farm’s appeal against a 2017 judgment disallowing deductions it had claimed in 2013 and 2014 respectively for amounts of $747,045 and $1,271,380.

After the Commissioner for Taxation decided the amounts were assessable income, the wind farm objected, but the Commissioner disallowed the objection.

Denmark Community Windfarm Ltd Chairman Craig Chappelle told The Weekender he was disap- pointed with the appeal decision, but it was no more than a “blip on the radar” for the company.

“It means that what tax we have paid we’ve lost, it’s gone,” he said.

“The reason that we raised the case was to test the advice given to us by our tax professionals, an accountancy firm and a tax lawyer about the ambiguity of certain sections with the [Taxation Administration] Act.

“The interpretation that we got from our professional advisors was that we should not have had to pay tax on the grant that we received from the Federal Government.”

In 2011, the wind farm received a $2,487,800 grant from the Feds to fund up to 50 per cent of the cost of the farm’s two turbines. The wind farm powers 2000 homes, amounting to 55 per cent of Denmark’s annual domestic electricity demand.

“It was an argument on a technicality and we ended up losing,” Mr Chappelle said of the Federal Court ruling.

“The ATO recognised that this was a grey area that we were entering, to the extent that they helped to fund our case.

“They gave us some of the money that we claimed against costs for preparing our case, because they wanted an answer too.”

The case turned on whether the grant money was deemed to have been received by way of indemnity, in which case the Act mandated the deductions could not be made. The wind farm argued, unsuccessfully, that it was not. The Commissioner argued, successfully, that it was.

The Full Bench agreed with the primary judge that an indemnity may include money paid in respect of an outgoing in- curred by a taxpayer, and that the $2,487,800 Commonwealth grant was received as compensation for an expense incurred by the wind farm.

The wind farm, which turns five on Tuesday, was ordered to pay the Commissioner’s costs in the appeal case.

Mr Chappelle said it was possible the wind farm would have gotten status to appeal the ruling in the High Court, but the company did not intend to appeal further.

Photo: Simon Neville

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Rubbish mix-up could be costly

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

ALBANY residents face the spectre of a $350 fine if they toss recyclable waste into their general waste or organic waste bins.

Under a draft local law set to be considered by a City of Albany committee last night, ratepayers could also be fined $350 if they place general waste in a recycling or organic waste bin, or organic waste in a general or recycling bin.

In a report drafted by the city’s manager for governance and risk, Stuart Jamieson, recyclable waste is defined as paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, steel and aluminium containers, liquid paper board and any other waste determined by the city to be recyclable.

On November 22, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation consented to the draft law.

Mr Jamieson has advised the committee that the law will need to go back to the department’s CEO for consideration if city councillors make even minor changes.

If major changes are requested by the councillors, city officials will need to start the legislative drafting process over again.

Mr Jamieson foresees the city may favour education over “other enforcement options” when administering the law, but only if it is in the public interest and if education is likely to achieve compliance. He advises that factors to be considered when deciding what is in the public interest will vary from case to case.

He notes that “negative community feedback” could be a major consequence for the city if it fails to communicate and justify the new law adequately to residents.

The local law is based on a model prepared by the department and the WA Local Government Association.

If endorsed by the committee, the draft law will advance for approval of the full city council which next meets on Monday.

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Roll out the barrel

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

ON THE heels of last Saturday’s launch of Albany Roller Derby’s new track, The Weekender can reveal the league has sought a licence to serve alcohol at its Gledhow HQ.

Kendell Smith, who on January 25 submitted the licence application to the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor, said the planned bar would open on “limited days” to cater for quiz nights, roller hockey and events such as birthday parties.

“It would work much like a football club or a bowls club,” she said.

“Those people that are coming would need to be a member or their guests would need to sign a book like members and guests of those clubs would.”

Ms Smith, who works in Albany’s hospitality industry, stressed that alcohol would be served in a designated area away from the track, and nobody would be allowed to drink while skating.

Roller discos, ultimate frisbee contests, basketball, and rock-climbing are on the cards for the new venue.

“If the bar could benefit them and we saw no risks involved with combining the bar and those sports then we’d be keen to do so,” she said.

The league’s new track is in a light industrial area on Roundhay Street.

“We did a letter drop around the area this morning,” Ms Smith said of the league’s efforts to inform locals of the planned bar.

“There’s not a lot out there, a few businesses, the wreckers, Grande Food, and a couple of houses in our radius.

“Everyone was so positive.”

She said club membership was open to anyone, and the bar would help to broaden Albany’s mix of social opportunities.

“Hopefully we’ll sign up some new members who would like to have a drink and play a bit of sport,” she said.

“I’m not a skater myself.

“Most people skate, but if you don’t want to that’s fine.”

Attached to the league’s licence application is an alcohol management policy and league code of conduct.

The league has already received a Section 40 approval from the City of Albany, which is usually the first bureaucratic hurdle to be cleared before obtaining a licence from the state department.

The licence application says the bar’s target clientele will be aged 18 to 65.

“We provide a positive recrea- tional space for the community of Albany, with occasional games including the potential to bring tourists to watch,” the applica- tion says.

“The addition of a licence will help to build the social aspect of the sporting league.”

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House prices surge

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

HOUSES across urban Albany have leapt in value by 7.2 per cent, faster than in Bunbury, Esperance or metropolitan Perth.

Real Estate Institute of Western Australia figures for the December quarter show the median house price for Albany’s urban area is now $392,000.

That makes Albany more expensive than Greater Bunbury with a median of $365,000, Mandurah/Murray ($380,000), and urban Esperance ($340,000).

Albany’s 7.2 per cent increase in the three months to December 31 outpaced Greater Bunbury’s 2.8 per cent, urban Esperance’s 6.3 per cent, Mandurah/Murray’s 2.8 per cent and metropolitan Perth’s 1.2 per cent.

REIWA President Hayden Groves said Albany was one of eight regional centres across the state where median house prices rose.

He said 74 houses were sold in urban Albany in the December quarter, compared to 85 in the September quarter.

“That’s about 13 per cent fewer sales in the December quarter, but a 7.2 per cent increase in its median house price,” he explained.

“Interestingly, in the $150,000 to $360,000 bracket there were 39 sales in the September quarter versus only 25 sales in the December quarter.

“And if you go up a tier from $360,000 to the $500,000 bracket there were 31 sales in the September quarter but 34 in the December quarter.

“So that shift in the composition of more expensive property being acquired in the December quarter is what’s made the median price rise.”

Residential/lifestyle sales manager with Elders Albany Blair Scott agreed the higher end of the local market had seen most action.

“Certainly what we’re seeing is more movement in the 6, 7, 8 hundred thousand and a million bucks area,” he said.

“You only need to sell a couple in there and it will change the median price.”

Mr Scott said that at the depths of the housing slump it was difficult to sell any high-end houses.

“The prices at that top end gradually came back,” he said.

“And finally, when you get to a point where the buyers actually think there’s value, and you have buyers with that amount of money then that’s when they will start transacting.

“I think until recently that top end continued to come back a bit, and all of a sudden it’s off.”

Despite the increased median, it took an average of 89 days to sell a house in Albany over the December quarter, four days longer than in the three months to September 30. This compared favourably to 91 days across the whole of regional WA, where 1191 houses were sold.

The REIWA figures were for detached dwellings only, not units or townhouses.

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Barker roundabout action

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

THE looks of the main roundabout into Mount Barker, dubbed “a disgrace” by a Plantagenet shire councillor, will be the subject of a community workshop to be held in March.

At last week’s shire council meeting, Cr Brett Bell noted councillors had been talking about beautifying the roundabout “for a couple of years”.

“Slowly it’s been showing wear and tear,” he said of the circular intersection at the corner of Albany and Muir highways.

The roundabout is decorated with poles carrying flags of different colours.

After The Weekender revealed recently that Cr Bell had dubbed the intersection’s aesthetics “a disgrace”, its vegetation was cut back.

“We need to flash it up,” Cr Bell told his shire colleagues last week.

He said the roundabout needed a new visual treatment to “highlight the entrance to Plantagenet shire and the town of Mt Barker”.

Shire councillors unanimously agreed with Cr Bell that a community workshop be arranged to seek ideas on the design of an aesthetically re-vamped roundabout.

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Have fun at fair

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

GNOWANGERUP citizens are in full swing preparing for their upcoming Summer Fair after successfully receiving funding for the second year in a row.

The Act-Belong-Commit Gnowangerup Summer Fair will be held next Saturday, February 17 at the Gnowangerup Sporting Complex from 10am to 4pm, and Community Resource Centre manager Deanne Noakes said the fair will be a great opportunity for the community to come together.

“The fair was an idea that came from a discussion of CRC committee members who wanted to bring something back to town that was no longer available,” she said.

“Historically, the town held annual events to bring the community together, but slowly over the years the events have gone by the wayside, due to lack of people being involved or being available to volunteer their time.

“This is the second year we have received funding from Healthway, Road Safety Commission and the Shire of Gnowangerup, and this year we also have many local sponsors who have donated time, money or merchandise to the fair.

“This has enabled us to improve on last year’s fair and continue to provide the fair as an annual event for the community and surrounds.”

It will cost you just a gold coin to enter the fairground, and activities start from just $2.

The games and rides are valued by tickets; for example, it will cost you two tickets to go on the big bouncy castle.

Each ticket is $2 and can be bought from the ticket tent on the day.

Ms Noakes said there will be a classic car display, an art exhibition, baking and decorating competitions, a toy library, show bags, face painting, Reptile Haven, Laserscape, a climbing wall and many more rides and fun family events at this year’s Summer Fair.

“The Fair was a great event last year and brought the whole community together in many different ways, and forged alliances that will benefit all for the future to come,” she said.

“We encourage everyone to come along this year and have a great time with friends and family.”

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One hell of a shell

Posted on by Ashleigh Fielding

A 700KG concrete snail has emerged at Bremer Bay to celebrate an under-appreciated native snail.

Bremer-based landscape ecologist Nathan McQuoid, co-ordinating the project as contractor to the Fitzgerald Biosphere Group, said the sculpture was of a South Coast Land Snail, or Bothriembryon Melo.

“One of the most common things you see along the trail here is these snail shells, and they’re actually a native land snail of which there’s many species,” he said.

“They’re often overlooked and people don’t realise they’re a native and they’re a key part of the invertebrate ecology.

“So we thought we’d trumpet them a bit, give them a platform, give them some profile and make a super-sized snail sculpture.”

Mr McQuoid said the snail was very common around Bremer’s bushlands.

“You very rarely see them alive, but if it’s drizzly or humid or moist, you’ll see them out and about, cruising around,” he said.

“People already love the sculpture.

“Just the comments from people who were walking the trail while we were putting it in were wonderful.”

The 2.6m-long snail is about halfway along a 3.5km nature trail between Bremer’s town and caravan park.

It’s on a high point overlooking Doubtful Islands Bay Peninsula, and about 1000 times the size of a real snail.

“This is not a big prawn or a big banana,” Mr McQuoid said.

“It’s to invite and interest people in a part of nature that is often small or overlooked by making something that’s the size of a person or bigger.”

The snail’s creator, Northcliffe-based artist Peter Hill, said the sheer size of the snail and Bremer’s ocean breeze posed challenges.

“I did it at home as much as possible so I could control the drying of the concrete more,” he said.

Hill said a jaw or two dropped as he drove the all-but-complete 700kg snail across the Great Southern on the back of a light truck.

“I came through Mount Barker just before school started and all these kids going to school were looking at me going, like ‘whoooo!’,” he recalled.

“It basically looked like this big snail truck driving along.”

The snail materialised with support from Lotterywest, the Great Southern Development Commission and Jerramungup shire.

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