Job creation and ‘rural smells’: two piggery tales – 14/4/2016 and 10/3/2016

PLANTAGENET Shire has approved two free-range piggeries in two months, despite neighbours’ objections on environmental and amenities grounds.

Click on this image to read the story.

Click on this image to read the story.

I love development stories because hardly anyone else does them.

Council minutes and agendas can make them appear so dull, yet to someone, somewhere, someone is planning to dig, build or change something right beside the places they live, work or otherwise value.

Click on this image to read the story.

Click on this image to read the story.

This is not boring for them and if we don’t give them good information as readers we don’t deserve to be their chosen newspaper.

If a similar story comes up a second time, the challenge then is to see what is new about it, and tell the story afresh.

From The Great Southern Weekender

Recognition for deal ‘architect’ 11/6/2015

Here is a nice local angle on a national story I missed posting last year.

Click on this image to read the story.

Click on this image to read the story.

Albany man Glen Colbung was acknowledged as the architect of a $1.3 billion native title settlement between the Noongar people and the WA Government.

Former South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council CEO Glen Kelly paid tribute to Mr Colbung at the signing of the deal in Perth last June.

Under the arrangement, the state is to pay $50 million into a Noongar futures fund every year for 12 years.

Six Noongar corporations will then be able to draw on the interest for social and economic programs.

Booster plan for coverage 21/05/2015

PICTURE AND TEXT BY GEOFF VIVIAN

Click on this image to read the story.

Click here to read.

I love to do this type of “local hero” story from time to time.

There is nothing like a community-minded individual who, having solved his own problem, wants nothing more than to help his community.

Added to this he shows no political motive in doing so. 

It is this kind of community spirit that made Australian towns work in the first place.

What if nobody thought this way any more, and we all end up existing as fee-paying clients of our governing bodies?

Not a happy thought.

[From The Great Southern Weekender, May 21 2015.