Author: Grace Jones

ALBANY residents can expect their rates to rise this financial year if the City of Albany’s draft budget for 2019/20 is approved later this month.

Councilors will vote on the budget, which features a 2.95 per cent rate rise and $109.5 million in spending, when they convene for a council meeting on July 23.

In his introduction of the document released last week, Mayor Dennis Wellington described the rate increase as part of the City’s 10-year financial plan.

“The City of Albany continues to work with the cost pressures that an ever changing economic environment presents and with this budget we are pleased to maintain our long-term fiscal strategy,” he wrote.

“[The rate rise] supports the high level of services, facilities and community projects being maintained for our local ratepayers and residents.”

Rates were increased by the same percentage in the 2018/19 financial year.

This was slightly higher than the 2017/18 budget’s 2.5 per cent rise but less than 2016/17’s rate increase of 3.5 per cent.

This year rates are expected to raise $38.4 million in revenue.

An additional $18.1 million will be raised from “fees and charges” which denote things like use of facility fees, charges made for local government services and fines and penalties.

A total $37.5 million will be spent on new projects and the renewal of existing facilities, with around $8 million slated for a coastal enhancement project at Middleton Beach, $7 million for road works and $3 million for developments at Centennial Park.

A further $1.2 million will go to the Pathway Works Program and around $900,000 will be reserved for road drainage.

Albany Heritage Park, the Albany Leisure Aquatic Centre and Albany Airport are also set to benefit.

Just under $1 million will be dedicated to work at the National Anzac Centre and the Park, while ALAC will receive around $300,000 for general improvements and equipment renewal and Albany Airport will get around $270,000.

Roughly 40 per cent of the $69.4 million allocated for “ongoing operational service delivery” will cover employee costs, which include salaries, allowances and other expenses.

Another $2.6 million is slated for debt reduction. Acting Chief Executive Officer Susan Kay said the budget allowed the City to continue delivering projects that boost the economy and create employment, recreation and economic benefits.

She cited the National Anzac Centre, Centennial Park Shopping Precinct, the new Visitor Centre and the Field of Light installation “which injected $17.8 million of visitor expenditure into the Great Southern” as examples of such projects.

“This budget has also ensured capacity to absorb additional cost pressures from external sources such as government changes and contracts to maintain our City’s existing services,” she said.

RESIDENTS in the City of Albany may have noticed an increase in building projects in their neighborhood in May due to a recorded 31 per cent increase in the month’s average since 2013.

City Manager of Building, Health and Compliance Scott Reitsema told the Weekender that there had been 116 various types of building permit applications in May alone, totaling 906 in the past financial year.

“This also takes into account the Premier Hotel alterations, the new waterfront hotel and a large volume of additions and alterations against a smaller number of new dwellings,” he said.

The City approves a wide range of applications each year such as dwellings, sheds, patios and renovations.

“Recent trends indicate that there are fewer dwellings being approved, with more renovations, alterations and additions occurring,” Mr Reitsema said.

“[The average May increase] isn’t unusual and quite often occurs towards the end of the financial year where finances, taxes, assets and investments are top of mind with residents.

“Any form of development is great for our local economy and helps to boost the Albany building market.”

Mr Reitsema said while there had been an average increase in applications for May, overall there had been a reduction in the number of applications over the past year with similar trends seen across the state.

“This could be attributed to a possible lack of consumer confidence in the market, an election year and economic uncertainty.”

PLANS to relocate Bunnings Warehouse from Albany Highway to Chester Pass Mall still have a few hoops to jump through until the planned 14,000sqm behemoth can begin to break ground.

The popular green hardware store is situated on land owned by Perth based real estate investment trust magnate BWP Trust, which currently owns the largest number of Bunnings Warehouse sites across Australia.

According to their property portfolio from December 2018, the Albany site has a land area of 31,651sqm, a retail area of 13,660sqm, and reports an annual rent of $904,854.

In comparison the Geraldton site in the state’s north, also owned by BWP Trust, has a retail area of 17,874sqm and a reported annual rent of $1,318,888.

Bunnings Director of Property Andrew Marks said the company had lodged a development application for a new building to replace the current store next to the Chester Pass Mall, on the corner of Chester Pass Road and Brooks Garden Boulevard.

“If approved, the new Bunnings Warehouse development would span over 14,000 square metres and feature a fully enclosed timber yard, nursery and more car parking for our customers,” he said.

“All team members from the existing Albany store will transfer to the new store once complete and could be joined by additional new team members.”

Perth based property tycoons M/Group currently owns the site after purchasing Albany Brooks Garden Shopping Centre for $20 million in 2017 and subsequently rebranded to Chester Pass Mall.

M/Group Director James Collis said the anticipated development would bring families from across the Great Southern region to shop in Albany.

Despite the excitement to get the shovels in the ground, City of Albany Manger of Building, Health and Compliance Scott Reitsema said they had not yet received a building application, as the planning application for the site would need to be approved and then assessed by the Southern Joint Development Assessment Panel.

“There will be a public comment period commencing shortly which will have the information relating to the potential building and corresponding block of land,” he said.

The BWP Trust report on the Albany Bunnings Warehouse site states the current valuation for the property stands at $15,100,000 with the lease starting date from November 1, 1999.

The Weekender asked Mr Marks that based on that date and a standard commercial lease of 20 years, it could be assumed that the lease on the site would be concluding this year, and if that was the case – would the end of the lease affect their movement plans?

Mr Marks did not answer that question and a BWP Trust spokesperson did not comment on the potential move that could lose them more than $900,000 a year from rent.

ALBANY recorded some of the highest numbers of cases of animal cruelty in regional Western Australia last year, according to RSPCA WA.

Recently released figures from the animal welfare organisation’s Cruelty Hotline revealed the city ranked second in 2018 when it came to the number of cruelty reports received.

A total of 187 calls were recorded in Albany across the calendar year, placing it 23 cases behind Kalgoorlie-Boulder City which recorded 210 reports.

Albany also recorded 187 reports in 2017 and was at that time ranking first on the regional cruelty hot spot list.

RSPCA WA Chief Executive Officer Iain Torrance said while the figures were high, they did not necessarily mean more cases were occurring in Albany.

“The high number of cruelty reports received in Albany could indicate that more animals are suffering abuse and neglect or that more people in the area are standing up for animals and making a report,” he said.

“In regional WA, we receive more calls from cities and towns near where RSPCA WA has a presence because people know they can depend on us for help.”

“We also see more reports where there are more people and Albany is one of the largest population centres in regional WA.”

Mr Torrance said while the organisation worked hard to improve standards of animal welfare in the state, the high numbers of reports collated statewide each year were a concern.

“It’s encouraging to see the community is reporting cruelty and giving a voice to abused, neglected and mistreated animals who can’t speak for themselves,” he said.

“But with more than 50 reports flooding in every single day, the truth is we simply can’t get to every animal in time.

“Year on year, the number of calls from across WA is increasing. This year we’re expecting to reach 21,000 which equates to almost 200 additional calls per month.”

In 2018, RSPCA WA inspectors received 366 reports of animal cruelty in the Great Southern region, with most of those coming out of Albany and Harvey.

The Shire of Plantagenet and the Shire of Katanning also saw a spike in 2018 compared to 2017, with the former jumping 35 per cent to 27 reports and the latter jumping 63 per cent to 13 reports.

Founder of the state’s largest animal rescue organisation Saving Animals From Euthanasia (SAFE) Sue Hedley said although the RSPCA’s figures were “a shock”, they did not definitively point to more cases in Albany than elsewhere.

“You’ve got to look at where people do manage to report,” the Karratha-based animal advocate said.

“When there’s no RSPCA north of Geraldton, the majority of people living in the north west don’t go near contacting them.”

Ms Hedley instead thought cruelty was “far worse” in the north west where SAFE has five of its 12 state branches.

“It’s almost a daily basis of cruelty and neglect,” she said.

“Starvation of animals, animals left without food and water, dogs absolutely covered in ticks, ringworm and mange, things like that are very regular.

“[There are also] extreme cases where cats have been found with broken legs and have just learned to get around that way because no one has helped them … and animals covered in burns because people are pouring boiling water over them.”

Ms Hedley said Albany residents were probably more likely to make reports knowing an RSPCA person was “not that far away”.

“I want people to hear that if they see animals left without food or water or in a bad way or not looked after, they need to report it,” she added.

“It doesn’t have to necessarily be the RSPCA or an extreme cruelty act, but they can ring local rangers, the police, SAFE or others.

“Do not just turn a blind eye … animals rely on us humans to help them.”

Concerned individuals can contact the RSPCA Cruelty Hotline on 1300 278 358 or the SAFE Albany branch on 0412 491 203.

Albany Animal Welfare were contacted for this story but declined to comment.

EXHIBITS at the National Anzac Centre in Albany are set to be updated after council last week unanimously voted to approve phase one of a refresh of the site.

The $750,000 project is scheduled to begin sometime in the 2019-2020 financial year and will see the centre undergo various upgrades and essential maintenance.

City Executive Director of Community Services Susan Kay said “content loan renewals, an upgrade to the Viewing Hall … as well as the development of a theatrette or gallery for temporary exhibitions” would be among the improvements.

She said the work was needed to ensure Albany remained the “essential landmark for Anzac heritage” and to keep visitors coming back.

“We now have an important opportunity to reinforce our position as the landmark Australian Anzac Museum, evolve with technology, refresh the exhibition to ensure its relevance and continue to attract visitors from all around the globe,” she said.

“Our community priority is to maintain infrastructure and deliver programs that promote Albany’s unique heritage, engender civic pride and leave a lasting memory.”

More than 300,000 people have visited the National Anzac Centre since the $10.2 million facility first opened its doors on November 1, 2014.

The Mount Clarence museum combines multimedia and interactive technology and historical artifacts to tell the story of Anzac soldiers and their families, as well as Albany’s unique
connection to that story.

The town was the last port of call for more than 30,000 men who departed Australia on the first convoy overseas in November 1914.

Ms Kay said funding for the project would be covered by the City’s National Anzac Reserve fund specifically allocated for the museum’s ongoing management and building renewal.

A YOUNG man who was caught with two knives strapped to his body near an Albany nightclub in May told police his name was Duke Silver, the alias of a character from American sitcom Parks and Recreation.

Eighteen-year-old Thomas Penny pleaded guilty to giving false personal details to police and carrying an article with intent to cause fear when he appeared before Magistrate Raelene Johnston at Albany Magistrates Court last Thursday.

Police searched Mr Penny near nightclub Studio 146 on Stirling Terrace at around 2:40am on Sunday, May 19, and found one six-inch boning knife bound to his right ankle and another attached to his back between two layers of clothing.

Mr Penny, who did not have legal representation at the hearing, said he had run into a group of old school friends at the White Star Hotel earlier in the evening and was “quite drunk” by the time police searched him.

He admitted to telling police his name was Duke Silver, the “jazz playing alter ego” of Parks and Recreation character Ron Swanson and said “at that time I was quite paranoid”.

Mr Penny partly attributed his fear to living in Spencer Park where he occasionally heard “people screaming” and which he associated with “crackheads”.

“I just didn’t feel safe,” he said.

Magistrate Johnston said it was “particularly concerning” Mr Penny had the weapons on him at the time.

“Your judgement [when intoxicated] is not going to be what it would be sober,” she said, adding Mr Penny could have ended up threatening someone or using the weapons in his inebriated state.

“If you’re stopped by police, don’t mess around. Just give them your details.”

Mr Penny was fined $250 for the false details charge and $350 for carrying the two weapons, in addition to $205.30 for court costs.

He was also granted a spent conviction with Magistrate Johnston noting Mr Penny had a clean record, pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, was “articulate” and had “previous good character”.

THE Great Southern’s last rental video store will close its doors early next month, with its owner blaming digital media and the internet for declining customer numbers.

Albany Mega Movies proprietor Brett Mosel said his 24-year business venture ceased renting out its collection of more than 28,000 DVDs on Sunday and will officially close on August 2 after a month-long clearance sale.

This comes two months after another Albany entertainment fixture, the Central 70 Drive-In on Stead Road, screened 1982 film Running On Empty as its final showing on a long weekend in April.

Denmark video store Mainstreet Movies also closed on June 30.

“Technology has caught up with us basically … brick and mortar stores are just battling,” Mr Mosel said.

“We were the main place of entertainment for watching movies for years, but now with streaming there’s so much choice online and you don’t have to go out.

“You’ve got Netflix, iView, Stan, you’ve got everything else and people just flick channels and watch it. We’re getting to be a nation of stay-at-home at night.”

“We’re also classed as one of the top 50 countries in the world for illegal downloading.”

In its heyday, around 500 people would browse Albany Mega Movie’s shelves for a flick to rent on Fridays, with the most popular trading hours between 6-8pm.

On its last night of renting on Sunday, Mr Mosel said just over 60 people came into the store.

“Now our main trading hours are between 3pm and 5pm after school when people go home,” he added.

“We lost the 18 to 35 generation of customers a while ago, our generation now is probably the 40-year-olds and onwards.”

Mr Mosel attributed the changing demographic and quantity of customers streaming through the aisles to the ease and speed at which people can access video entertainment content via the internet.

He said his video store wasn’t the only business or industry impacted by digitisation, with retail and the food industry also feeling the heat of online shopping and delivery services like UberEats.

“The internet is changing everybody’s way of life and we’re tied up in it like a lot of other businesses,” he said.

“Retail is just about impossible to run in towns now, we’ve lost so many in Albany in the past 18 months and it’s just getting worse.”

“It’s a sad plight.”

Businessman Tom Kennedy, who took over the helm of the Central 70 Drive-In in late 2012, said his own struggles came from a lack of consumer interest in “nostalgia” and technological pressures.

He spoke with the Weekender as he worked to dismantle the screen of his drive-in cinema with a crane on Monday.

“It’s all pretty sad in a way,” he said of Albany Mega Movie’s closure.

“[Brett is] entertaining at home, I’m trying to get people out and about and remembering the good old times … but people do not care.

“Albany is so unmotivated, they whinge about having nothing to do and when you give them something to do they still whinge that it’s too expensive or too hard.”

Mr Kennedy said unless businesses were selling “haemorrhoid cream and dentures” it would be difficult for them to remain sustainable.

The self-described cinephile played films using a 1080p commercial projector during the six or so years of the drive-in’s operation and ruled the venture untenable as times changed.

He said he could not acquire the licenses needed to screen newer films because that required a digital projector valued at around $100,000.

Manager at Orana Cinemas Albany Memo Cardoza said he understood the drive-in owner’s concern, adding many smaller cinemas around Australia struggled with running costs.

He noted that film distributors around the country were “switching over from film to actual digital” and that it was “expensive for some” to keep up with the change.

“We don’t really have problems with that change of technology at Orana,” he said.

Mr Cardoza said although streaming services like Netflix were very popular, large franchise cinemas like Orana were not threatened in the same way as smaller video stores like Albany Mega Movies.

“What the cinemas really sell is the experience to come to the cinema, come by the candy bar and go sit down in front of a big screen,” he said.

“The movies are also coming here before anywhere else and we offer different kinds of movies for any age and different kinds of people.”

While Mr Kennedy said he would now focus on running Albany Tenpin Bowling, Mr Mosel said he did not yet know what he’d do in the future.

“I’d like to stay open, I don’t want to shut,” the 60-year-old said.

With Albany Mega Movies gone, the closest dedicated video rental store to Albany is Civic in Collie, a three-hour, 280-kilometre drive.

THREE-year-olds will be able to attend school for one full day per week next year at Albany’s Great Southern Grammar.

Principal Mark Sawle recently revealed that Director General of Education Lisa Rodgers had approved Great Southern Grammar (GSG) to add a pre-kindergarten class to the school’s registration as of 2020.

Mr Sawle said a qualified early childhood educator would run the class every Friday during school term from 8.45am to 3pm and deliver the Early Years Curriculum Framework.

“For some time, the school has received queries regarding the provision of a pre-kindergarten program,” he said.

“Currently, the school hosts the Kalgan Playgroup onsite once per week, however, the community has limited access to pre-kindergarten programs in Albany and surrounding areas.

“By offering a one-day-per-week program, GSG is meeting community expectations as well as supporting the transition to school-based education programs.”

An emphasis will be placed on planned and spontaneous play in the pre-kindergarten program and the “intrinsically inquisitive” nature of children will also be addressed, alongside oral literacy and numeracy.

Mr Sawle said the program would be based in the school’s existing Early Childhood Centre and students would have access to the whole campus including the school farm, bushland and wetlands, via guided exploration.

“It enables GSG to further support local families by providing access to early childhood education, parenting support and other services,” he said.

Expressions of interest for pre-kindergarten can be submitted to [email protected] or by calling 9844 0307.