Author: David Kavanagh

Pony club turns 55

Posted on by David Kavanagh

A CLUB as old as Nicolas Cage and Keanu Reeves celebrated its birthday on the weekend with a dress-up day and parade.

The West Plantagenet Pony Club turned 55 on Sunday, marking it as one of the oldest clubs in Pony Club Australia’s 80-year history.

There are 40,000 members in the national group and 24 of them hail from Tenterden, Frankland, Mt Barker, Ongerup and Cranbrook to form the West Plantagenet Pony Club.

In honour of the occasion, the group’s final rally of the year featured a day of pony-related games, including barrel races and bends.

After the end-of-year award ceremony, members showed off their cowboy and Indian-themed costumes in a parade.

Those who attended said although it was a bit hot, the day was full of fun and laughter.

In its early days, the West Plantagenet Pony Club won 13 out of 20 Prince Phillip Mounted Games at the Perth Royal Show.

Recent successes include four members placing in all areas of the State Tetrathalon, a combination of horse riding, swimming, running and shooting.

The Club has also won the Brigid Woss Equitation Turnout Show jumping event twice.

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Indigenous foods make the final cut

Posted on by David Kavanagh

A SPOTLIGHT has been shone on the Great Southern again but this time, in the form of a documentary.

Readers of the Weekender may recall that various towns in the region have played a role in different productions recently – Mount Barker in feature film Rams, Denmark in the movie Breath and Albany in H is for Happiness and TV series Itch.

Now, a documentary exploring indigenous foods and methods of farming across the state will include the Great Southern – in particular, Albany – in the final cut.

LVF Visuals Creative Director Todd Delfs said Fat of the Land was a concept he and Fervor chef Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov had been playing with for the past four years.

“Every time we go out on country or visit another region, our world gets flipped upside down,” he said.

“I grew up in the South West and Paul in the Perth metro area…we quickly realised how sheltered our lives had been from traditional aboriginal culture.

“With the popularity of indigenous foods growing every day, it’s not a debate anymore whether there’s a market for native foods in Australia or the world; the real problem is, will the market treat the foods with the right respect where respect is due and go beyond understanding the foods, beyond just their nutritional and economic value?

“The days are gone where people say ‘oh, there is a market for this, let’s grow 10,000 acres of one species’; that sort of thinking has caused a lot of trouble, especially in WA.”

Delfs said the documentary includes footage from Porongurup, the Stirling Range and around the Kalgan River.

He described the Great Southern as “a wild, ancient and richly tactile frontier”.

“The ongoing relationship between cross cultural communities and the country itself is stronger than most other places,” Delfs said of the region.

“Whether it’s foraging for food in local streams or by the highways, we are introduced to connections between place, life and story, and stories of culture in continuous transition.”

Delfs is now calling on the broader community to financially contribute to the project, to extend it from being a short film to feature length.

The fundraising goal is $30,000.

“The ultimate aim for this documentary is to prove that through the fusion of modern and ancient farming techniques, we can mitigate the traumatic damage that recent land care management systems have caused,” Delfs said.

“One of the challenges with this film has been the frustration and grief in learning what was here before and now is gone…over the years, Yoda and I have learnt certain values on country and that is you have a duty of care to everything around you; your plants, your animals and the people.”

Delfs hopes to complete the project at the end of next year.

To find out more about Fat of the Land or to donate to the cause, visit thefatoftheland.com.au

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Wattle weedbusters receive funding

Posted on by David Kavanagh

GREEN Skills Albany will continue its fight against invasive weeds in the Great Southern after it recently secured a state grant worth more than $380,000.

The non-profit will use funds received via the Government’s State Natural Resource Management (NRM) Program to combat the Sydney Golden Wattle, a species of weed voted Albany’s worst in 1996.

Green Skills Albany Manager Anne Sparrow said the contribution would build on previous efforts to “put a serious dent in the spread of this woody weed”.

“There are so many volunteers who are out there working hard to eradicate Sydney Golden Wattle from both private land and public reserves,” she said.

“It is fantastic to be able to offer them support over the next three years.”

The organisation’s new project will prioritise on-ground works and monitoring efforts in high value conservation reserves and adjacent areas spanning roughly 3000ha.

It will involve a variety of community engagement and education initiatives, including partnering with Southern Aboriginal Corporation to support the training of Indigenous youth in weed management.

The Sydney Golden Wattle restricts growth of other flora by blocking sunlight, allelopathy and increasing nitrogen levels in soils.

A spokesperson from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development described it as a “significant environmental and pest weed in the Great Southern”.

“It invades bushland and nature conservation corridors such as roadsides and disturbed land. There is limited agricultural impact as most cropping and grazing practices will control it,” they said.

State NRM has provided community groups across Western Australia close to $900,000 to assist with the management of invasive wattle species since it was established in 2009.

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Fergie’s 92 a royal display

Posted on by David Kavanagh

MT BARKER took out their frustrations of consecutive last-ball losses in the previous two weeks over a hapless Denmark on Saturday, posting a massive 148-run victory.

Cars and spectators were in danger as the top-order batsmen went riot, clocking up the largest score of the season.

Things started ominously for Denmark as Mt Barker won the toss and openers Alexander Fergie and Tim Shephard put on an 84-run partnership before the latter was caught off the bowling of Paul Alexander.

This only brought out the explosive and in-form Jeremy Wood with the captain leading by example, smashing a quick-fire 70 off only 47 balls including a couple of towering sixes.

Fergie meanwhile was in the nineties and looking set to record a ton but Wood’s dismissal may have upset his concentration as he went two runs later for 92.

Some late hitting including Nathan Crosby, 31 off only 15 balls including two four and two sixes, and Clayton Wood, 31 off 18 balls, had Mt Barker finishing on an imposing 5/293.

Denmark’s bowling attack battled bravely against the powerful batting line-up with some expensive figures and Alexander was the only multiple wicket-taker with 2/57.

Denmark started brightly with Daniel Robson and Matthew Burton putting on a 97-run stand before Robson was caught for a well-compiled 52.

Then the floodgates opened as Denmark collapsed, the last four batsmen going for ducks as Denmark lost 10-48 to be all out for 145 in the 43rd over.

The Barker bowlers were ruthless with Patrick Butler, Kobi Williams, Todd Hammond and Jeremy Wood all taking two wickets.

On Turf B, Manypeaks won the toss and batted first against Royals with opener Regan Poett continuing his solid form in scoring 28.

Royals were bowling a tight line, restricting the cavalier Manypeaks batsmen but Declan McNamara hit out late belting 44 off 41 balls, well supported by Sebastian Stanton with 32.

Jack Hastie led the bowlers with 2/25 with Bodhi Stubber chiming in with 2/35.

Royals again lost early wickets being 2/15, but Matt Wolfe steadied the ship and put on a valuable partnership with Jack Steel (24) and they looked like victory was in sight.

Enter veterans Ryan Kinnear and Jeremy Stewart who quickly changed the course of the game.

Wolfe was still making runs at will but was rapidly losing partners as Kinnear bamboozled the middle-order and Stewart cleaned up the tail.

Wolfe was left stranded on 93 not out as Royals were all out for 172 in the 47th over.

Kinnear must surely be in discussions amongst the test selectors as he took consecutive five-wicket hauls, finishing with 5/38 off his 10 overs and Stewart claimed 4/34.

The final game saw Collingwood Park all out for 154 that Railways easily accounted for with the loss of six wickets in the 39th over.

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Capturing life on film in Antarctica

Posted on by David Kavanagh

AFTER just one year of setting up her own filmmaking company, former Wheatbelt resident Briege Whitehead did what most filmmakers will never have the chance to do in their entire careers – she visited Antarctica.

Armed with camera equipment she tested in sub-zero temperatures within commercial freezers and only two crew, Whitehead embarked on a mission to create a ground-breaking virtual reality (VR) experience of Antarctica to share with the world.

She spoke with the Weekender ahead of the Albany launch of The Antarctica Experience on December 14.

“This sort of thing hasn’t been filmed in Antarctica before,” Whitehead said.

“We spent about a year consulting with the Australian Antarctic Division because only one media company is allowed there each year…we were there for two weeks in February last year.”

Whitehead said she was lucky the weather turned out well, otherwise her allotted time in the coldest place on Earth would have been wasted.

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a vigorous process of evolving the script to cater for every encounter and situation that occurred.

“It was just amazing,” she said.

“We visited East Antarctica and we filmed around the Davis Station to capture what life is like there, we saw penguin colonies 10,000-strong, our helicopter landed on a glacier, and we spoke to krill researchers, ice core scientists and glaciologists.”

Whitehead expected Albany audiences to be blown away by the footage they would see.

“Watching it [VR experience] is the next best thing to actually being there,” she said.

“People will experience the place for themselves, a real immersion.

“This is by far the best thing I’ve done in my career; I don’t think I’ll do anything that will beat this.”

Whitehead wanted to make sure an environmental message was also woven into the main storyline to highlight the work being completed in Antarctica.

“We have scientists explaining how carbon dioxide and temperature work together, and talking about their climate change research,” she said.

“It was important for me to have that message because the people down there are there solely for research.”

The Antarctica Experience will screen at the Museum of the Great Southern from December 14 to February 9 during a variety of daily time slots.

Museum Manager Catherine Salmaggi said it was a must-see for everyone.

“Even though it’s almost on our doorstep, Antarctica still feels so mysterious and far away,” she said.

“This VR adventure really opens your eyes to a truly spectacular place and allows you to experience it in a real, exciting and educational way.

“It’s hard to put into words just how special this experience is; no matter your age, background or education, you’re sure to be blown away.”

Tickets for The Antarctica Experience can be purchased online at museum.wa.gov.au/museums/museum-of-the-great-southern/antarctica-experience

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Albany jailbirds locked up longer

Posted on by David Kavanagh

INMATES at Albany Regional Prison spend less time out of their cells than a majority of their peers around the state, according to figures tabled in Parliament last week.

Liberal MP Sean L’Estrange asked Minister for Corrective Services Francis Logan how much time on average adult prisoners at 15 Western Australian prisons spent out of their cells in the 2018-19 period.

He was told Albany Regional, one of four maximum-security prisons in the state, recorded “average out of cell hours” of 9.49 hours.

This put it second lowest on the list, preceded only by Bandyup Women’s Prison, where inmates spent an average of 9 hours out of their cells per day.

The state’s two other maximum-security prisons, Casuarina Prison and Hakea Prison, recorded 9.83 and 10.04 hours respectively, while prisoners at Pardelup Prison Farm near Mount Barker had on average 17 hours outside of their cells daily.

The state average for 2018-19 was 11.37 hours.

According to a Department of Justice spokesperson, the primary factor influencing out of cell hours was security classification.

“The minimum security prison farms have the greatest out of cell hours as prisoners are not locked down and can be out of their beds as early as 5.30am to milk cows or commence produce harvesting,” they said.

“The prison regime (structured day) is designed to manage the risk factors … and the regime at Albany is commensurate with other maximum security prisons in the state.”

While WA legislation does not list a minimum amount of time inmates may have out of their cells, a Productivity Commission Report on Government Services released in January noted “a relatively high or increasing average time out-of cells per day is desirable”.

It said this provided inmates opportunities for work, education and training, wellbeing, recreation and treatment programs, visits and interaction with others.

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Albany jailbirds locked up longer

Posted on by David Kavanagh

INMATES at Albany Regional Prison spend less time out of their cells than a majority of their peers around the state, according to figures tabled in Parliament last week.

Liberal MP Sean L’Estrange asked Minister for Corrective Services Francis Logan how much time on average adult prisoners at 15 Western Australian prisons spent out of their cells in the 2018-19 period.

He was told Albany Regional, one of four maximum-security prisons in the state, recorded “average out of cell hours” of 9.49 hours.

This put it second lowest on the list, preceded only by Bandyup Women’s Prison, where inmates spent an average of 9 hours out of their cells per day.

The state’s two other maximum-security prisons, Casuarina Prison and Hakea Prison, recorded 9.83 and 10.04 hours respectively, while prisoners at Pardelup Prison Farm near Mount Barker had on average 17 hours outside of their cells daily.

The state average for 2018-19 was 11.37 hours.

According to a Department of Justice spokesperson, the primary factor influencing out of cell hours was security classification.

“The minimum security prison farms have the greatest out of cell hours as prisoners are not locked down and can be out of their beds as early as 5.30am to milk cows or commence produce harvesting,” they said.

“The prison regime (structured day) is designed to manage the risk factors … and the regime at Albany is commensurate with other maximum security prisons in the state.”

While WA legislation does not list a minimum amount of time inmates may have out of their cells, a Productivity Commission Report on Government Services released in January noted “a relatively high or increasing average time out-of cells per day is desirable”.

It said this provided inmates opportunities for work, education and training, wellbeing, recreation and treatment programs, visits and interaction with others.

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Campaign to combat cancer

Posted on by David Kavanagh

AS THE days get longer and warmer and people start to spend more time in the sunshine, a new Cancer Council WA campaign is urging people to remain aware of the dangers of skin cancer.

Don’t Let The Sun See Your DNA is a statewide initiative that kicked off on Sunday to increase public knowledge of the risks associated with ongoing UV exposure.

Cancer Council WA’s Great Southern Regional Education Officer Bruce Beamish said half of all sunburns in Australia occurred during passive recreation, such as watching sport, garden, picnicking and doing chores.

TAFE Beauty Therapy lecturer and coordinator Alison Sharpe is all too familiar with this type of sun exposure.

“I was driving one day and I saw this opaque, almost clear-looking freckle on my hand, and it was tiny but I showed the doctor anyway,” she said.

“The doctor said it was fine but I said, ‘no, can you check it again’, and they ended up taking a big triangle out of my hand because it was a melanoma.”

Ms Sharpe frequently spends time in the sun and is now hyper-aware of skincare.

Alongside Mr Beamish, she teaches her beauty therapy students the importance of being aware too.

“I love going to the sea and gardening…but the sun is pretty vicious here,” she said, reiterating the importance of her sun protection behaviours.

“I teach my students about how to recognise abnormal freckles and moles, and to not be afraid to refer a client to the doctor.”

Albany Ink’s Danica Joysdottir lost her mother to skin cancer a few months ago and has since joined the Cancer Council’s mission to raise awareness of early detection and looking for symptoms.

“My mum was always sunbaking in Mexico and Canada,” she said.

“She had a mole that she kept catching when she was shaving, so she went to the doctors to get it checked.

“The doctor said it was fine but she went back and asked for it to be removed…she wasn’t educated in the fact that it’s when the cancer comes back that it’s dangerous; it had metastasized.

“It grew into this big lump on her leg and by the end, she had so many lumps over her body…you could smell her rotting flesh.”

Ms Joysdottir will soon be stocking special sunscreen in her store to remind her clients and anyone who stops by the store of the importance of sun protection.

“I worked as an apprentice for a year and a half and the tradies never liked wearing sunscreen because they’d get grit on themselves and it wouldn’t feel very nice,” she said.

“Cancer Council has come out with a non-greasy sunscreen now so hopefully we can encourage them to wear that, as well as remind people to cover up their tattoos.”

Visit sunsmart.com.au for more information.

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Royal award for Albany duo

Posted on by David Kavanagh

A PAIR of Albany men joined the ranks of thousands of young achievers around the world last week when they received the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award at a ceremony in Perth.

Eighteen-year-old Sam Reeves and 22-year-old Simeon Colback each spent several years taking part in the structured youth development program, which stresses individual goal-setting and self-improvement.

“There was definitely a sense of accomplishment of it all coming together,” Mr Reeves said of winning the prize.

“When you first start, you set out what you want to do for your category and you have to set goals. I definitely met those goals and then some, so it’s a big achievement.”

The initiative’s Gold Award requires participants to meet criteria in five categories including physical recreation, skills, voluntary service, adventurous journey and a residential project.

For Mr Reeves, this involved volunteering his time at Albany State Emergency Service, coaching air rifle at PCYC, playing cricket, engaging in a 12-day Outward Bound navigator course in Walpole and spending six days aboard the STS Leeuwin II.

“It requires dedication more than anything,” he said.

Mr Colback, also an SES volunteer, initially entered the program through his position at the Army Cadets.

He said for him many of the criteria for the award were satisfied when he ran numerous adventure trips in Karijini over the span of two years.

“I started running these just for me and my mates. We would all get together and I’d take them canyoning through the gorges there which is a ton of fun,” he said.

“There’s some people that go overseas and rebuild places for this, others who might learn how to speak a different language or learn how to computer code.

“It’s purely a way of getting youth to go and do more stuff and then through that, it helps them figure out what you’re good at and where to go in life.”

Mr Colback now works as a tour operator in the national park for West Oz Active, while Mr Reeves hopes to study a Contemporary Bachelor of Music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

The duo encouraged others to sign up for the initiative.

“The Army cadets are actually going to start up an award centre to help others take part,” Mr Colback said.

“Hopefully more people in Albany get the award because it’s really great and looks amazing on your resume.”

More than eight million young people from 130 countries around the world have participated in the program since it was founded roughly 60 years ago.

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No go for FOGO until mid-year

Posted on by David Kavanagh

A WASTE collection service originally scheduled to launch in Albany in January will not get underway until mid-2020 after councillors voted to defer it at last week’s council meeting.

The Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service will require residents to separate their food and garden waste into green bins when it launches in around six months.

It will be implemented alongside the Better Bins initiative, which will see urban households in Albany designated bin lids consistent with Australian standard colours.

This includes red for general waste and yellow for recycling.

City Executive Director of Development, Infrastructure and Environment Paul Camins said the postponement of the FOGO service was the best outcome for the community.

“By implementing FOGO in mid-2020, the City of Albany can ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible for residents, with clear communication for all,” he said.

“The FOGO service will keep food waste from landfill and recycle nutrients into quality compost while helping Albany residents be more aware of how much waste their households make.

“Making sure all households have the same coloured bin lids will make it easier for us to communicate what goes in each bin and reduce confusion and contamination across the board.”

A report tabled at a Development and Infrastructure Services Committee meeting on November 13 stated the City had “no facility capable of accepting FOGO waste” (‘FOGO may be deferred’, 21 November).

It noted its Greenwaste Processing Contractor was implementing modifications to “accept, transport and process food waste” but that these were unlikely to be in place by January.

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