It’s dog registration time again and this year, dog owners are being reminded to notify the City of Gosnells if their details have changed.
Dog owners in the City of Gosnells should have received their renewal notices in the past week and renewals are due by Wednesday 31 October.
“Ensuring that your dog is registered is an essential part of being a responsible pet owner,” said Governance Director Trevor Perkins.
“It’s also important that people notify the City if they move house or their dog has been sterilised – and owning a sterilised dog qualifies residents for a big discount on their registration.”
It is a requirement under the WA Dog Act 1976 to register a dog over three months old and ensure that its registration tag is worn in public.
Information on payment and how to notify the City about changes is on the back of the renewal form.
as posted on COGsite
Friday, 19 October 2007
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Body part case dismissed over legal loophole
A hospital refuse worker who recorded images of human body parts to keep as “memorabilia” has had a charge of interfering with a corpse dismissed after a Perth court ruled yesterday that body parts did not necessarily qualify as “human remains” under law.
The ruling sparked one health consumer group to call for a legislative review and the Australian Medical Association WA to reassure patients that medical staff were trained to treat body parts with respect.
Dwayne Lawrence Goff, 27, faced trial in the Perth Magistrate’s Court after he used his mobile phone to take a photo of human toes and footage of a human leg being manipulated by a co-worker while he was employed by a refuse company contracted to work at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Police alleged that during the footage of the leg, which was played to Magistrate Elizabeth Woods but not the rest of the court, Mr Goff was heard to say “It’s a f…… knee-cap. Meaty”. Mr Goff claims he said “a bit of meat”, not “meaty”.
The macabre images were found by police after they seized Mr Goff’s phone during other enquiries at a Gosnells address he was staying at temporarily in May this year.
Mr Goff, who worked with the waste disposal company for about two years before leaving in 2006, was charged with interfering with and making indignant comments about human remains under a section of WA’s criminal code covering misconduct with corpses.
The section of the legislation used in Mr Goff’s case deals specifically with a “dead human body or human remains”.
Yesterday, Ms Woods agreed with a no-case-to-answer submission made by defence lawyer Nicholas Stevenson in which he argued “human remains” meant parts from a dead body, not a living one.
Mr Stevenson said because the limb and digits were amputated, it was likely the owners were still alive – possibly as a direct result of the surgery.
Police prosecutor Sgt Brett Spark argued that the “spirit” of the law meant it should apply.
But Mr Stevenson argued that the term “human remains” had to be kept tight, otherwise “the law could be open to cover even a baby’s tooth”.
“What else comes under the banner – donated blood, sewage?” Mr Stevenson asked in court.
Ms Woods decided police had not proven the charge against Mr Goff and dismissed the case.
“While what was done was probably tasteless, it does not constitute a criminal offence for the circumstances,” she said.
AMA State president Geoff Dobb said Mr Goff’s actions were ethically questionable but it was important patients still had confidence in the hospital system.
“I think it’s important that the public do have confidence that parts of bodies are treated with absolute respect. That is something that is absolutely drummed into medical students from day one and it’s important that everyone working in a hospital take the same approach,” he said.
Health Consumers Council executive director Michele Kosky labelled the case “bizarre”.
“As a general principle patients would expect that their bodies and body parts are always treated with the respect and dignity they should be whether they are alive or dead. Perhaps the legislation needs to be reviewed to reflect that,” she said.
Mr Goff, who was described by his former boss during the court proceedings as a good worker, admitted to the court his behaviour had been “stupid” and “juvenile”, saying he made the recordings to use as “memorabilia” and to show friends, if they could “stomach it”, what he dealt with in his job.
But he said he did not know the actions were illegal.
The court awarded Mr Goff $4500 in legal costs.
CHRISTIANA JONES
as posted on WestAustralian
The ruling sparked one health consumer group to call for a legislative review and the Australian Medical Association WA to reassure patients that medical staff were trained to treat body parts with respect.
Dwayne Lawrence Goff, 27, faced trial in the Perth Magistrate’s Court after he used his mobile phone to take a photo of human toes and footage of a human leg being manipulated by a co-worker while he was employed by a refuse company contracted to work at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Police alleged that during the footage of the leg, which was played to Magistrate Elizabeth Woods but not the rest of the court, Mr Goff was heard to say “It’s a f…… knee-cap. Meaty”. Mr Goff claims he said “a bit of meat”, not “meaty”.
The macabre images were found by police after they seized Mr Goff’s phone during other enquiries at a Gosnells address he was staying at temporarily in May this year.
Mr Goff, who worked with the waste disposal company for about two years before leaving in 2006, was charged with interfering with and making indignant comments about human remains under a section of WA’s criminal code covering misconduct with corpses.
The section of the legislation used in Mr Goff’s case deals specifically with a “dead human body or human remains”.
Yesterday, Ms Woods agreed with a no-case-to-answer submission made by defence lawyer Nicholas Stevenson in which he argued “human remains” meant parts from a dead body, not a living one.
Mr Stevenson said because the limb and digits were amputated, it was likely the owners were still alive – possibly as a direct result of the surgery.
Police prosecutor Sgt Brett Spark argued that the “spirit” of the law meant it should apply.
But Mr Stevenson argued that the term “human remains” had to be kept tight, otherwise “the law could be open to cover even a baby’s tooth”.
“What else comes under the banner – donated blood, sewage?” Mr Stevenson asked in court.
Ms Woods decided police had not proven the charge against Mr Goff and dismissed the case.
“While what was done was probably tasteless, it does not constitute a criminal offence for the circumstances,” she said.
AMA State president Geoff Dobb said Mr Goff’s actions were ethically questionable but it was important patients still had confidence in the hospital system.
“I think it’s important that the public do have confidence that parts of bodies are treated with absolute respect. That is something that is absolutely drummed into medical students from day one and it’s important that everyone working in a hospital take the same approach,” he said.
Health Consumers Council executive director Michele Kosky labelled the case “bizarre”.
“As a general principle patients would expect that their bodies and body parts are always treated with the respect and dignity they should be whether they are alive or dead. Perhaps the legislation needs to be reviewed to reflect that,” she said.
Mr Goff, who was described by his former boss during the court proceedings as a good worker, admitted to the court his behaviour had been “stupid” and “juvenile”, saying he made the recordings to use as “memorabilia” and to show friends, if they could “stomach it”, what he dealt with in his job.
But he said he did not know the actions were illegal.
The court awarded Mr Goff $4500 in legal costs.
CHRISTIANA JONES
as posted on WestAustralian
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Minister launches trio of community integration projects
Multicultural Interests and Citizenship Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich today launched three projects that aim to support migrant and refugee families in the south-east metropolitan area. The combined launch was for two projects funded through the Community Relations Integrations Officer (CRIO) Grants Program, administered by the Office of Multicultural Interests, and one through Lotterywest.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Multicultural Interests and Citizenship Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich today launched three projects that aim to support migrant and refugee families in the south-east metropolitan area.
The combined launch was for two projects funded through the Community Relations Integrations Officer ( CRIO ) Grants Program, administered by the Office of Multicultural Interests, and one through Lotterywest.
The CRIO Program has been developed by the State Government, with funding assistance from the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship, to raise awareness of and facilitate access to services and programs for members of new and emerging communities.
The two CRIO projects launched today are The Gowrie and the Gosnells Women�s Health Service.
�I strongly support the CRIO projects as they are a practical community based strategy that aims to educate people about what local community services are available for them to offer support and assistance,� the Minister said.
�Newly arrived refugees and migrants are often unaware of the range of services and programs available to them.
�They also face barriers such as language, transport and the cultural appropriateness of services and information provision in gaining access to those services.�
Ms Ravlich said settlement was a highly complex process and its success was the responsibility of both the individual concerned and the community as a whole, particularly in its ability to support the integration of immigrants into Australian society.
�Community based projects such as these are vital in developing relationships between new and emerging communities and service providers so that members of these communities can better access services and programs,� she said.
�It also helps them build their capacity to identify and find solutions to their needs, which they know better than anybody else. �
The Gowrie�s CRIO project aims to establish networks and identify issues and service gaps for young people aged 12 to 17 from new and emerging communities.
The Gosnells Women�s Health Service CRIO project aims to provide support for refugee women and their children settling in the south east metropolitan corridor to access post and prenatal services available in the area, with a focus on parenting, pregnancy, childbirth and emotional health and wellbeing.
The Gowrie�s innovative Multicultural Supported Playgroups project, funded by Lotterywest, is also being launched to assist migrant and newly arrived refugee families with young children in the south-east corridor.
The project aims to develop and strengthen parents� knowledge and understandings of young children's development and to facilitate their access to local community services and facilities. Weekly �family play and learning sessions� are provided at the creche facility at Gosnells Community Lotteries House.
�It�s very encouraging to see community agencies with shared visions working together address to issues and implement programs that have the potential to make such a difference,� the Minister said.
Minister's office - 9213 6800
as posted on media-newswire
(Media-Newswire.com) - Multicultural Interests and Citizenship Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich today launched three projects that aim to support migrant and refugee families in the south-east metropolitan area.
The combined launch was for two projects funded through the Community Relations Integrations Officer ( CRIO ) Grants Program, administered by the Office of Multicultural Interests, and one through Lotterywest.
The CRIO Program has been developed by the State Government, with funding assistance from the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship, to raise awareness of and facilitate access to services and programs for members of new and emerging communities.
The two CRIO projects launched today are The Gowrie and the Gosnells Women�s Health Service.
�I strongly support the CRIO projects as they are a practical community based strategy that aims to educate people about what local community services are available for them to offer support and assistance,� the Minister said.
�Newly arrived refugees and migrants are often unaware of the range of services and programs available to them.
�They also face barriers such as language, transport and the cultural appropriateness of services and information provision in gaining access to those services.�
Ms Ravlich said settlement was a highly complex process and its success was the responsibility of both the individual concerned and the community as a whole, particularly in its ability to support the integration of immigrants into Australian society.
�Community based projects such as these are vital in developing relationships between new and emerging communities and service providers so that members of these communities can better access services and programs,� she said.
�It also helps them build their capacity to identify and find solutions to their needs, which they know better than anybody else. �
The Gowrie�s CRIO project aims to establish networks and identify issues and service gaps for young people aged 12 to 17 from new and emerging communities.
The Gosnells Women�s Health Service CRIO project aims to provide support for refugee women and their children settling in the south east metropolitan corridor to access post and prenatal services available in the area, with a focus on parenting, pregnancy, childbirth and emotional health and wellbeing.
The Gowrie�s innovative Multicultural Supported Playgroups project, funded by Lotterywest, is also being launched to assist migrant and newly arrived refugee families with young children in the south-east corridor.
The project aims to develop and strengthen parents� knowledge and understandings of young children's development and to facilitate their access to local community services and facilities. Weekly �family play and learning sessions� are provided at the creche facility at Gosnells Community Lotteries House.
�It�s very encouraging to see community agencies with shared visions working together address to issues and implement programs that have the potential to make such a difference,� the Minister said.
Minister's office - 9213 6800
as posted on media-newswire
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Book Review: Those Faraday Girls
BEST-SELLING Australian author Monica McInerney and her latest book, Those Faraday Girls, is the first featured writer in The Sunday Times Big Book Club.
She will tour WA libraries this week talking to readers about her work and new book.
Set in Tasmania, New York and Ireland, Those Faraday Girls, which has rocketed to No. 2 spot on the Dymocks bestseller list, centres on an eccentric grandfather, five charismatic sisters, the niece they’ve collectively raised – and a secret that could destroy everything these women have grown up believing.
It’s filled with McInerney’s trademark warmth and humour and will engage readers of all ages.
The Sunday Times Big Book Club aims to promote the love of reading, encourage readers to give other titles that they might not necessarily read a go, support emerging and established local and Australian authors and bring together authors, libraries, communities,and booksellers in both regional and metropolitan areas.
The Big Book Club is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, the State Library of Western Australia, in association with WA public libraries, The Sunday Times, and participating booksellers.
MEET MONICA MCINERNEY AT THESE LITERARY EVENTS:
WEDNESDAY, 17th October
1.30pm-3pm. Knowledge Centre, 2232D Albany Highway, Gosnells. Free, with afternoon tea provided. Bookings, phone 9398 2551.
6pm for 6.30pm start. Official launch of The Sunday Times Big Book Club with Monica McInerney, hosted by the State Library of Western Australia. State Library of WA, Perth Cultural Centre. Free, with drinks and nibbles provided. Bookings, phone SLWA on 9427 3151.
Visit www.thebigbookclub.com.au or contact Sue Hill, national project manager, on 0402 000 472
as posted on PerthNow
Get into it! at Leisure World
Australia’s top Paralympian swimmers will take on members of Thornlie Swimming Club and Gosnells Aussi Masters for the Race of the Century, as part of Get Into It! at Leisure World in October.
Get Into It! is a City of Gosnells SafetyLynx event to be held on Saturday 27 October to encourage people with disabilities and their families to discover recreational opportunities in their community.
There’s free entry to Leisure World so everyone can catch the action between the Paralympians and local swimmers, who’ll compete in a series of races, including a novelty event where swimmers will don neck-to-knee togs to mark the City’s 100th anniversary.
City of Gosnells Mayor Patricia Morris AM JP said the event was a fun way for people with disabilities and their families to try new activities.
“Leisure World is a great place for the event. We have beach-entry to the pool and a pool hoist for people who use wheelchairs, as well as a spa with a ramp for wheelchair access.
“We would really like people with a disability who live in the City to come along and get involved.
“It’s important for everyone to enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle and this is a wonderful opportunity to have some fun too,” she said.
Get Into It! also features skate and break dancing demos at Thornlie Skate Park, children’s storytelling at Thornlie Library, Safe City and Neighbourhood Watch displays and ‘have a go’ in the gym for people with a disability.
The event is from 12.30pm to 3.30pm at Leisure World on Culross Avenue, Thornlie.
Bookings are essential. For more details or to book your place, call the City’s Disability Services office T: 9398 7327.
as posted on COGsite
Get Into It! is a City of Gosnells SafetyLynx event to be held on Saturday 27 October to encourage people with disabilities and their families to discover recreational opportunities in their community.
There’s free entry to Leisure World so everyone can catch the action between the Paralympians and local swimmers, who’ll compete in a series of races, including a novelty event where swimmers will don neck-to-knee togs to mark the City’s 100th anniversary.
City of Gosnells Mayor Patricia Morris AM JP said the event was a fun way for people with disabilities and their families to try new activities.
“Leisure World is a great place for the event. We have beach-entry to the pool and a pool hoist for people who use wheelchairs, as well as a spa with a ramp for wheelchair access.
“We would really like people with a disability who live in the City to come along and get involved.
“It’s important for everyone to enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle and this is a wonderful opportunity to have some fun too,” she said.
Get Into It! also features skate and break dancing demos at Thornlie Skate Park, children’s storytelling at Thornlie Library, Safe City and Neighbourhood Watch displays and ‘have a go’ in the gym for people with a disability.
The event is from 12.30pm to 3.30pm at Leisure World on Culross Avenue, Thornlie.
Bookings are essential. For more details or to book your place, call the City’s Disability Services office T: 9398 7327.
as posted on COGsite
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