Wednesday 16 September 2009

Eco walks and talks celebrate nature at its best

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The Eco Walks and Talks season is on again and with the wildflowers in full bloom – now is the time to experience nature at its best.

City of Gosnells CEO Ian Cowie urged people not to miss the opportunity to enjoy walking through Ellis Brook Valley with naturalist Marc Lane and see some of Perth’s most spectacular bush reserves.

“Each walk allows you to discover new wildflowers and local birds, insects and animals,” Mr Cowie said.

“In October and November there are also night stalks at Ellis Brook Valley and Mary Carroll Park respectively, where people can bring their torches and spotlights for a guided night time ramble to discover the local nocturnal animals.

“Mary Carroll Park is one of Perth’s major breeding wetlands and a haven for waterbirds, songbirds, migratory birds, reptiles and turtles.

“People can enjoy a range of special activities such as Breakfast with Friends on 4 October, 2009 – where nature lovers can enjoy a breakfast in the park followed by an informative walk around the lake learning about bush site rehabilitation and observing waterbirds building their nests.

“Also at Mary Carroll Park on 1 November, the Adventure with Nature walk offers a pleasant stroll around the lake and the opportunity to discover a unique ecosystem with naturalist Eric McCrum,” he said.

Mr Cowie said other walks included the Wetlands Ramble at the Brixton Street Wetlands in Kenwick on 24 October.

“This walk is followed by morning tea with live music by Peta Lithgo and Malaika,” he said.

“At the Flora Walk on 7 November, people can also discover the amazing and unique plant life on offer at Brixton Street.”

The walks are run by the Friends of Ellis Brook Valley, Friends of Mary Carroll Park and Friends of Brixton Street Wetlands and supported by the City of Gosnells.

A gold coin donation is asked to support the work of the Friends groups.

If you would like a brochure or more information please call Leisure Services on 9452 9901 or visit www.gosnells.wa.gov.au


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Tuesday 15 September 2009

Parents will receive individual student reports from today

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The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Social Inclusion
Deputy Prime Minister
14 September, 2009
Media release
Parents will receive individual student reports from today

From today, parents of students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 that sat the 2009 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will receive a report on their child’s individual performance.

Parents will receive a Student Report (format attached below) which will outline their child's performance on an achievement scale for each assessment area of reading, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and numeracy.

Results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10.

The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understanding demonstrated in the assessments.

The scale clearly identifies the national average for the grade and in a number of States, the scale also shows the school average for the grade and subject.

Of course, the information contained in the Student Report should be considered together with school-based assessments and reports.

Before the start of the next school year, the new Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) will publish school profiles online for the very first time.

The profile of each school, government and non-government, will provide accurate data on individual school performance and important, relevant data about school context.

The school profiles will include school level results from the 2008 and 2009 literacy and numeracy assessments, painting a much clearer picture of school performance around the country.

These transparency measures will give parents, teachers and the public much better information about how schools are going and allow governments to target additional resources to schools which may be struggling.

The Rudd Government has made it perfectly clear that we are not interested in simplistic league tables which rank schools according to raw test scores because they do not actually tell us very much about how a school and their students are going.

The Rudd Government believes parents want and need comprehensive, meaningful information about how their child is doing at school, particularly in relation to the key learning areas of literacy and numeracy.
Together with the new National Curriculum currently under development, the Education Revolution will achieve a renewed focus on the foundation skills of literacy and numeracy.

The Rudd Government believes it’s time we stopped averting our eyes from poor performance and ensure every Australian child is receiving a world class education.

Last week the 2009 NAPLAN National Summary Report was released by the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA).

The 2009 NAPLAN Summary Report is available at NAPLAN website.

More information visit the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) website.

The Principles and Protocols for Reporting on Schooling in Australia is also available on the MCEECDYA website.

Student Report ( PDF 217KB)

Deputy Prime Minister’s Press Office Phone: 02 6277 7758
Deputy Prime Minister’s Press Office Emai: media@dpm.gov.au


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Pistol whipped man treated

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A man has been treated in hospital after being pistol whipped at a house in Thornlie.

Police say the victim was assaulted after inviting 2 men into his house just after 11:00 pm last night.

An argument broke out between the men and the victim was hit with a pistol.

He managed to lock himself in a bedroom and call police as the men stole a laptop and left the house.

The man has been treated in hospital for minor injuries.


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Man pistol whipped during fight

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A MAN was pistol whipped and doused with pepper spray in what police suspect was a drug deal gone wrong in Thornlie last night.
Police say two men went to a house in Elliot Place at about 11pm and argued with an occupant inside the property.

During the dispute, one of the intruders produced a gun which he bashed the victim with. The other intruder then sprayed the man and another occupant with pepper spray.

The two victims managed to lock themselves in a room and later emerged to discover a laptop had been stolen.

Police enquiries are continuing.


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Thornlie man attacked with gun and pepper spray

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A man was pistol-whipped and doused in pepper spray during a fight at his Thornlie home overnight.

A police spokeswoman said two men visited the man at his Elliot Place house about 11pm.

An argument began and the resident fell to the ground after being hit with the gun.

He escaped to a back bedroom and when he emerged he found his laptop had been stolen and the men had left.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333000.


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Schools wait in line

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FIVE local primary schools and two high schools have applied to become independent public schools from next year.

They are Bletchley Park Primary School in Southern River, Campbell Primary School in Canning Vale, Mundijong Primary School, Neerigen Brook Primary School, Challis Primary and Early Childhood Education Centre, Kelmscott Senior High School and Yule Brook College in Maddington.

Education Minister Liz Constable said the Department of Education and Training had received 102 expressions of interest from schools throughout WA.

“It is clear this initiative has been seen by many different schools as offering the kinds of flexibilities they need to ensure their students have the best possible learning opportunities,” Dr Constable said.

She said the process of deciding which schools will be given independent status for next year was already under way.

An induction program for principals, registrars and school councils would start in October.

“These schools are still public schools, with all the support and backing of the public school system in WA,” Dr Constable said. “However, they will have more ownership of overall school direction, teacher selection, education programs, values and ethos, discipline and behaviour management.”

There would also be strict accountability measures in place and the schools needed to abide by legislation and industrial agreements.

Schools that are unsuccessful this year will automatically be considered for 2011 when applications are reopened for new entrants.


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30 join race for council

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THE race is on for the October 17 local government elections, with 30 candidates vying for 14 seats in Armadale, Gosnells and Serpentine-Jarrahdale.

In Armadale, 13 candidates will contest six seats in the first-past-the-post contest for four-year terms.

Donna Shaw and Jim Stewart will contest Heron ward, June MacDonald and Bret Busby (Lake), Ruth Butterfield and Mark Dadd (River), Laurie Scidone and Caroline Wielinga (Jarrah), and Laurie Sargeson and Graham Wallace (Palomino).

There will be a three-way contest for Minnawarra between George Scott, Trevor Bourne and Matt Norman.

Councillors John Knezevich (Minnawarra) and Jim Everts (Palomino) will not re-contest their seats.

With no opponents, Guenter Best will retain his seat of Neerigen.

In Gosnells, the ward system has been eliminated, leaving 12 candidates to battle it out for six seats in a city-wide contest.

They are Roger Drew, Terry Brown, Olwen Searle, Ron Hoffman, Jennifer Napolitano, Susan Iwanyk, Salim Youssef, Julie Brown, Simon Tarnawskyj, Karen Jayne Jones, Frank Fretz and Daniel Stevens.

In Serpentine-Jarrahdale, five candidates will contest two seats, with Jackie Marsh, Tom Hoyer and Alex McHoul up for the Central ward and Denyse Needham and Ann-Marie Lowry (South).

North West councillors Kevin Murphy and Beth Brown, and Byford councillor Merri Harris have been re-elected unopposed.

All councillors will be elected via postal voting, which is being supervised by the WA Electoral Commission.


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Turning a new page

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STAFF are busy stacking books on shelves as the new Amherst Village Community Centre in Southern River prepares to open to the public on Tuesday, September 29.

Thousands of books, CDs, DVDs and other materials available for use by the community have been moved in.

Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie said the Amherst Village Community Centre would cater for people of all ages, providing a place where the community could come together.

“The City of Gosnells is thrilled to provide residents with a state-of-the-art community centre that will have a modern library, function area and somewhere for young people to enjoy themselves,” Mr Cowie said.

“It will be a vital element of an area which is now well established with restaurants, shops, entertainment and services.”

The centre will also have a strong youth focus and the City’s youth services team is busy preparing programs for people aged from 12 to 25.

Young people will have access to computers, a digital film suite, recording studio and recreational equipment such as a pool table, table soccer, table tennis, Wii and an outdoor area with barbecues.

The facility is at the corner of Warton Road and Holmes Street.


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Council veteran calls it quits

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VETERAN Gosnells councillor and former mayor Pat Morris has decided not to contest her seat at the election.

Cr Morris has been a councillor for 23 years and was mayor for two terms from 1989 to 1993 and 1999 to 2007.

“I think I’m the longest-serving mayor the City has ever had and I’ve been absolutely satisfied with everything that has been achieved within my term as the mayor and a councillor,” she said.

Cr Morris praised the working relationship she had with former chief executive Stuart Jardine and the council’s directors during her second term as mayor.

“We achieved some absolutely monumental changes with our executive team of how Gosnells is today,” she said.

“I’ve seen some amazing changes to our city from a tiny community of 5000 people in Thornlie when I moved there 50 years ago to somewhere between 95,000 and 100,000 people today.”

Cr Morris said she would remain active in the community and keep busy with her extended family. She said she would miss daily contact with residents.

“I’ve always been a committed community representative for them and that’s what I’ll miss.”


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Monday 14 September 2009

Drugs, knife netted during traffic stop

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DANIEL EMERSON
September 13, 2009 - 3:32PM
Police have charged a Huntington man with a range of drug related offences after pulling over a car and allegedly finding illegal substances and a weapon yesterday.

The 22-year-old man was pulled over on Wellington Street in Perth at about 12.30am by traffic officers who allegedly found a knife on a passenger and MDMA tablets in a clip seal bag in the car.

The driver was taken to a police station where police allege cannabis was found hidden in his clothing.

Police later searched the man's home in Huntingdale where officers allegedly found a hydroponic cannabis-growing operation and more of the drug.

The man has been charged with possessing and intending to sell cannabis and MDMA, possession of cannabis and cultivating a prohibited plant.

He is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrate's court on Friday.


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TERRY BROWN - CANDIDATE

I am a currently serving as Councillor for your City of Gosnells and have resided in Kenwick for past 31 years with significant experience working for local communities in the following roles;
· Chairman of Gosnells Neighbourhood Watch committee
· 18 years as WACSSO councillor representing 32 government school P&C committees
· Member of Bickley Ward Progress and Ratepayers association
· Eight years as member of the Maddington/Kenwick Sustainable Community Leadership Network
· Eight years as member of the Gosnells Safe City Taskforce
· Neighbourhood Watch program in Kenwick
· Established the East Kenwick Safety House committee and program

I have a clear understanding of sports clubs, schools, business and commerce, seniors and youth’s interests, having assisted as an independent, impartial decision maker, vigorously and honestly representing community interests.

Be assured I have the time, energy and local knowledge to be your voice in your Council.

Address: 1 Oakley Court Kenwick W.A. 6107
Tel: 94599693 (H) 94599693 (Fax)
Email: teb [AT] tpg.com.au

Sunday 13 September 2009

Thornlie skate park to get a major facelift

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The City of Gosnells is set to give the Thornlie Civic Precinct a major facelift thanks to Federal Government funding.

The precinct – which sits between the Thornlie Skate Park, Leisure World and Thornlie Library – will be redesigned to create better access for all three facilities and to encourage positive behaviour.

City of Gosnells CEO Ian Cowie said the work was being undertaken to address community concerns raised in a 2007 review.

“The review contained recommendations for design changes based on designing out crime principles and also programming initiatives,” he said.

“Together these recommendations are intended to minimise the potential for anti-social behaviour and address access issues for the Skate Park, library and leisure centre users to ease current conflict.”

Mr Cowie said the Council recognised that many different age groups used the area and the aim was to ensure the needs and requirements of all the users were taken into account.

“There is solid evidence to show that creating a better environment also encourages better behaviour,” he said.

“Work to make it easier to access one facility without going through another will also reduce issues.

“The City has a proven track record of developing excellent facilities for many different users and this project will add to that list.”

The Thornlie Civic Precinct Revitalisation Project begins in September 2009 with funding secured from the Australian Government’s Safer Suburbs Plan.

Mr Cowie said the Federal Government support was much appreciated.

“Infrastructure needs in our fast-growing City cannot be met without assistance from other levels of government. This project is an example of local and Federal governments working together to deliver results to the community.”

A concept plan of the scope of works taking place is on display at Thornlie Library and Leisure World and works are expected to be completed by December 2009.


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Local residents can now safely recycle household batteries

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City residents can now safely dispose of household dry-cell batteries at recycling bins delivered to locations around the City of Gosnells.

City of Gosnells CEO Ian Cowie said the bins were located in the City’s Administration Building on Albany Highway, Gosnells, the Operations Centre in Maddington, the Kenwick Library, Knowledge Centre in Gosnells and Leisure World in Thornlie.

“I am delighted the City can be a part of this ground breaking new recycling initiative,” Mr Cowie said.

“The program is being administered by the Dry-Cell Battery Working Group and involves all five of Perth’s metropolitan regional councils – including the Southern, Eastern, Western, Mindarie and Rivers Regional Councils.”

It is estimated that more than 18 million household batteries are thrown away in WA each year and by eliminating household batteries from ordinary household rubbish, they can be recycled into a range of valuable new products such as streetlights, car parts and building materials, rather than going to waste.

The new battery recycling bins accept most household batteries including AA and AAA cells (single use and rechargeable), C and D sized batteries, watch batteries and 6 and 9V batteries.

For more information go to www.zerowastewa.com.au/recovery/community/batteries/


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Local Government Elections - Saturday 17 October 2009

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ORDER OF BALLOT DRAW

Drawn at 4pm Thursday 10 September 2009 at the City of Gosnells Administration Building.

Local Government Elections - Saturday 17 October 2009


DREW, Roger

BROWN, Terry

SEARLE, Olwen

HOFFMAN, Ron

NAPOLITANO, Jennifer

IWANYK, Susan

YOUSSEF, Salim

BROWN, Julie

TARNAWSKYJ, Simon

JONES, Karen Jayne

FRETZ, Frank

STEVENS, Daniel

as posted here

One must note that one of the currently sitting Councillors [Cr Patricia (Pat) Morris AM JP Honorary Freeman (Mrs)] does not seem to have re-nominated, does this mean that she has/wiil retire for the local government scene ...

Man faces ecstasy, cannabis charges

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A 22-year-old man is facing a string of drug charges after police allegedly found ecstasy and cannabis in his car and house yesterday morning.

Police also allegedly found a knife on the man's passenger when his car was stopped by police on Wellington Street in Perth just before 12.30am.

It will be alleged a further search of the vehicle located a number of tablets in a clip seal bag which police believe was MDMA.

The driver of the vehicle was taken to a police station where it will be further alleged an amount of cannabis was found hidden in his clothing.

A Huntingdale house was searched where police found a hydroponic set-up and a further amount of cannabis.

The man was charged with two counts of possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply, possess a prohibited drug and cultivate a prohibited plant.

He is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday. Two other people will be summonsed over related offences.


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Saturday 12 September 2009

Case closed on Dante Arthurs sex assault police blunder

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EXCLUSIVE: THE Police officers who botched an investigation into an indecent assault by sex monster Dante Arthurs will face no disciplinary action.

The decision comes after a corruption probe found they made ``an honest error'' -- three years before Arthurs raped and killed schoolgirl Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu.

The Corruption and Crime Commission findings, released to The Sunday Times this week, determined there was no misconduct by police over their investigation of the attack against an eight-year-old girl in a Canning Vale park in December, 2003.

The inquiry found that police made ``an honest error'' in failing to forensically test Arthurs' blood-spattered shorts after he was charged with indecent assault and deprivation of liberty over the incident.

Arthurs was charged by police at the time, but after a review of the evidence the DPP discontinued the prosecution.

Police have been under intense scrutiny that their failure to test the shorts and the conduct of two officers in a heavy-handed video interview, deemed inadmissible by the DPP, may have ultimately contributed to Sofia's death by allowing Arthurs to go free.

But the CCC investigation found that any suggestion the events could have prevented Sofia's death, less than three years later, was ``no more than speculation''.

Eight-year-old Sofia's naked body was found by her 14-year-old brother on the floor of a toilet cubicle at Livingston Marketplace Shopping Centre at Canning Vale on June 26, 2006.

In November 2007, Arthurs was sentenced to life for Sofia's murder, with a minimum of 13 years before being eligible for parole.

At that time, Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said it appeared that police had bungled the investigation into the 2003 attack, in which the girl was grabbed from behind and dragged towards trees, but managed to bite the offender and free herself.

He requested the CCC conduct an independent investigation.

In a statement to The Sunday Times, CCC Commissioner Len Roberts-Smith QC said he had sent a letter to Mr O'Callaghan advising that the CCC did not have the statutory function to comment about any possible impact the failure of the 2003 police investigation may have had on Sofia's murder.

In the statement, Mr Roberts-Smith said the CCC had found that:

While the decision to not have Arthurs' clothing forensically tested was ``extremely unfortunate'', it was ``an honest error'' and there was no misconduct by the police officers involved.

While the two detectives who conducted the forceful video interviews with Arthurs in 2003 did not engage in misconduct under the Corruption and Crime Commission Act, they had not followed police regulations, and

The internal police investigation into the actions of two detectives who conducted the interviews with Arthurs in 2003 was conducted adequately.

Sofia's mother, Josephine, and the DPP yesterday declined to comment.


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Voluntary Contributions

I was in the kitchen this morning and I noticed a piece of paper on the bench, my family like many seem to love to fill any flat surface in the house with objects, I am the sort of person that believes that everything has a place, and that if you pick up something it usually has a place for it to go back too (workplace training), but anyway I live in a house of a reasonable level of clutter, but back to the piece of paper, I picked it up as I do and noticed that it was a Statement, I thought this was unusual for this sort of thing to be lying around, as my wife handles the family accounts and very well considering the limited income that we live on (my fault, lack of ambition, I am a low income wage earner) usually she would have this in her book of bills and would pay it as soon as possible. The thing that struck me about this particular bill or as it says it was a statement, not a tax invoice as such but a statement, but clearly at the bottom of the sheet it says Total Balance Owing, this particular statement had a total owing of $63.50, my first thought was to have a look at the statement date, it was for July so my first thought is why has it not been paid, believing that if it had been paid it would be in its appropriate place in the wifes bill book, the statement is like any other statement has charges on it and Cash payments listed, I can see that my wife has made payments on some of the charges but two of the charges appeared to be outstanding on amount of $3.50 for Culture Fusion Incursion NAIDOC Week, my wife and children being of Aboriginal decent, I was curions why this had not been paid and intend to ask if it had been paid as it should, but the other "Charge" was Voluntary Contributions, an amount of $60, hence the total at the bottom owing of $63.50, I can understand the amount of $3.50, but for the life ov me I can not understand why we have a statement telling me that we "owe" $60.

Now I understand that the issue of Voluntary Contributions in Public Schools is a hotly discussed issue, and I have heard of Principals getting in to a lot of trouble because of the way that they word letters sent out to parents demanding payment of these contributions, now the amount in itself of $60 is not unreasonable, but clearly it has the word "voluntary" in front of it, now myself, which you can probably tell by my poor grammar am the result of a Public Education, but I found it hard to understand how a voluntary contribution can we consider an amount owing ...

I do admit to owing money, we have a mortgage, credit cards and utility bills, I consider these to be a debt that has to be paid, and if someone gives me a statement with an amount owing I believe that they should justify this amount, and if they cannot then they should give me an statement that reflects the amount that I owe.

A few, not most, would say "just pay it", a few people will just pay it because its say it is owed, but the point is it is not an amount that is owed, 400 years ago under the reign of Queen Elisabeth I the education system that we now have started to form, before that only the rich had any chance of an education, now days, education is compulsory, we have the choice of a public education or a private education that we must pay for, I personally see no advantage in a private education, and the fact is an institution or business that trades as a private school is only doing so to make money, a business by definition must strive to increase it profits, which may mean downgrading its services, obviously there are private schools out there that provide a high level of education but they are well and truly way out of my income level, and yes by denying my children that level of education I feel guilty, but to be made to feel guilty because I don't pay $60 to my child's public school is so wrong if I was financially independent I would have them in the best school but then again I believe they need the social education that only a public school can provide.

Now if you take the word "contribution" in to account it does get quite messy, basically it implies a payment or a gift, now if you say a voluntary payment, well why would you, but if you say a voluntary gift this makes sense, so whats the problem, well State Schools are consider to be a State Government Entity and State Government Entities are not entitled to receive tax deductible gifts, or so I if I do pay this contribution I can not claim it as a gift on my tax return, fair enough, if I give money to my local church I can claim it, but if I give money to my local underfunded school it is a gift of pure charity one that I can choose to volunteer if I wish and it should not be consider a debt ...

Friday 11 September 2009

Friends, family rally to help bashed man

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Family and friends of a newly married father of one who was bashed unconscious at a Gosnells party last month have rallied together to help his family financially while he learns to walk and talk again.

Mathew Double was at a party on Walter Street in Gosnells on August 2 when a group of juveniles were seen hanging around cars out the front of the home about 12.30am.

Police allege an argument began between the man and members of the group became physical, spilling out on to the street.

Mr Double was later found unconscious in a nearby park.

He was in a coma in Royal Perth Hospital for several weeks.

Mr Double's former colleagues and friends at Bossong Engineering in Welshpool, which he joined as an apprentice 17 years ago, have rallied to do whatever they can to help his wife Karlene and teenage daughter.

Financial controller Janice Bossong spoke of the horror she felt when hearing of what happened to "the six foot six giant" she treated like a son.

"I'm devastated," Ms Bossong said.

"Mat started with us as a 15-year-old apprentice, as a naughty little boy …we have seen him grow into a lovely man.

"We've always wished him the best and this situation…there is nothing good about it - it's awful.

"We feel helpless really."

The bank has frozen the Double's mortgage repayments for three months but Ms Bossong said that provided just a small window of financial reprieve.

Twelve of Mr Double's former colleagues have asked that a day of their holiday pay be donated to the family.

A quiz night and dinner and racing night at Gloucester Park have been organised for September 24 and 25.

Donations of prizes for the quiz night and money donated by strangers have been coming in thick and fast.

"One man who cleans ovens said he'd never done this before (donated money) but was sending a voucher our way…that really touched me," Ms Bossong said.

"I was impressed and delighted from the worst that could happen to the opposite - its put (my) faith back in human nature."

For details about the events call 9212 2345.


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Parents get payout over baby death

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The State Government has made an ex-gratia payment of $14,440 to the parents of 11-month-old Grace Moorby, who was killed by a drink driver in 2007.

The payment was granted to Tania and Jamie Moorby on "compassionate grounds in recognition of personal circumstances". The sum was equivalent to the stamp duty payable on the purchase of their new home.

Benjamin Alan Butler was sentenced last November to three years, eight months jail for the death of Grace and injuries to Mrs Moorby.

Butler crashed into the Moorbys' Thornlie front yard on April 18, 2007, with a blood alcohol reading of 0.166.


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Thursday 10 September 2009

Perth man puts faith in lotto nines for Superdraw

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STAFF at a Perth lottery centre have been left stunned by a player who insisted they wait until 9.09am yesterday to print his ticket for the $20 million Superdraw.

The man walked into the Good Fortune Lottery Centre in Maddington at 9.01 yesterday - September 9, 2009 - to buy a ticket for Saturday's Superdraw, a Lotterywest spokeswoman said.

Staff member Gloria King put his ticket request through the lottery terminal but was quickly stopped by the man, who was adamant that they wait until exactly 9.09am to print out his ticket.

Ms King said the man told her the number nine was very lucky for him.

"He told me the number nine is a very lucky number, and I'll be really interested to see if he wins," she said.

"As soon as we printed his ticket out, I printed one out for myself and my staff!"

Yesterday's date of 9/09/09 was the last of the single-digit dates for 1001 years, Lotterywest says

What's more, the words "Wednesday" and "September" are each made up of nine letters.

Tickets for Saturday's $20 million Superdraw will be on sale at Lotterywest retail outlets around the state until 6pm on Saturday.


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New laws extend smoke-free zones to cars, alfresco, Royal Show Article from: PerthN

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WA smokers have been put on notice as major reforms are set to accelerate the growth of smoke free communities throughout the State, says AMA(WA).

“Legislation passed by the Upper House last night to extend smoking restrictions to areas such as alfresco restaurants and in cars carrying children, is an historic step forward in the fight against the dangers of passive smoking,” said association President Prof Gary Geelhoed.
“And later this month the Royal Show will become the world’s largest smoke free community event when smoking is banned anywhere within the Showground.

“Last year more than 400,000 people attended the show -- half of them under 17 -- and it’s fantastic that this number of children will be able to spend a day at the show without inhaling second hand smoke.”

Prof Geelhoed said the community and the medical profession owed a debt of thanks to Alfred Cove MLA, Dr Janet Woollard, for her determination to push her private member’s Bill through Parliament, despite intense lobbying by the hotel and tobacco industry to derail the legislation.

“This legislation still has some formalities to go through in Parliament, but it will eventually save lives and reduce many smoking-related illnesses as well as lower the rate of respiratory diseases among children,” said Prof Geelhoed.

“It will also lower absenteeism in the workplace and reduce the cost of healthcare in WA which is already facing huge funding difficulties.”

Prof Geelhoed said Healthway and the Royal Agricultural Society deserved praise for taking the responsible healthy step of having a smoke-free Royal Show.

“Thousands of grateful parents and grand parents will know their kids can spend a day at the show without facing the risk of second-hand tobacco smoke,” he said.

“We should remember that only a few years ago our kids had to sit at Subiaco Oval with 40,000 football spectators and be drowned in smoke.”


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Second teen charged over Gosnells party bashing

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Police have charged a second teenager over the bashing of a 34-year-old man at a Gosnells party last month.

Mathew Double was at a party on Walter Street in Gosnells on August 2 when a group of juveniles were seen hanging around cars out the front of the home about 12.30am.

Police allege an argument began between the man and members of the group became physical, spilling out on to the street.

Mr Double was later found unconscious in a nearby park.

The newly married father of one was in a coma in Royal Perth Hospital for several weeks.

He recently regained consciousness but cannot talk or walk.

A 17-year-old Coolbellup youth has been charged with grievous bodily harm and will face the Perth Children's Court today.

Two weeks ago a 15-year-old boy was also charged with grievous bodily harm.


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Day one ..

the following reply was given ...

Thankyou for your enquiry. Council meetings are conducted under the provisions of the City of Gosnells Standing Orders Local Law 2003, a co...