Brothers cleared in Muslim school fraud trial

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Two directors of a Muslim girls school in Kenwick have been cleared on charges they stole $355,000 of federal and state funds and transferred the money to Afghanistan.

The jury took just over two hours to reach their not guilty verdicts for brothers Anwar Sayed, 50, and Zubair Sayed, 33.

Flanked by their lawyers and friends, the two men rejoiced at their acquittals.

Anwar Sayed gave a triumphant wave and said he was "relieved" the trial had ended in his favour while Zubair Sayed said he felt "vindicated" by the verdict.

The brothers had pleaded not guilty to stealing more than $355,000 in April 2007 from the company which ran the Muslim Ladies' College of Australia.

The school was situated in Bickley Road on land owned by Anwar Sayed.

Zubair Sayed transferred the money from a bank in Cannington to a Pakistani bank account which his older brother - who was overseas at the time - could access so he could set up a school in Afghanistan.

The case against the two men - who were both directors of Muslim Link Australia - was based on claims Anwar Sayed had no legal entitlement to the money and that he did not have a genuine belief that he was allowed to withdraw the funds from the company account.

Prosecutors during the trial - which started last Monday - told the jury that documents showing Anwar Sayed was to be paid deferred salary and rent were fake, and that he did not inject enough of his own money that was covered by the $355,000 withdrawal.

The State also claimed the public funding from the Commonwealth and State governments was to help keep the Kenwick school running and to improve the facilities, and not to help set up another school in Afghanistan.

Prosecutor Alan Troy also accused the men of concealing the transfer by taking the funds without notifying key people within the school and company.

Defence lawyers for the brothers argued the Commonwealth funding was only for ''recurrent expenditure'' such as rent and salary, and as such, Anwar Sayed was legally entitled to the money that was owed to him.

The Commonwealth funding did not cover capital expenditure, so improvements could not take place with those grants.

Anwar Sayed's lawyer, Mark Trowell, QC, said his client had only taken about 30 per cent of what he was actually owed, and if it was not for his contributions, the school would not have got off the ground.

Zubair Sayed's lawyer, Andrew Skerritt, told the jury the 33-year-old had organised the overseas transfer because he was privy to the deferred rent and salary agreements signed in 2002, so he genuinely believed the money belonged to his brother.

Anwar Sayed had deposited almost $340,000 into the school over several years and the bank statements would support that, Mr Trowell said.


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School founder would have bolted if guilty: lawyer

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JOSEPH SAPIENZA
September 17, 2009
A man accused of stealing $355,000 from the Perth school he founded would have taken a lot more money and fled Australia if he acted dishonestly, a court has heard.

Anwar Sayed, 50, and his brother Zubair Sayed, 33, are on trial for stealing the money - provided through Federal and State government funding - from the parent company of the Muslim Ladies College, in Kenwick, and siphoning it to an account in Pakistan.

Both have denied stealing the money, claiming the money belonged to Anwar Sayed.

They say that because Sayed had ploughed more than $1 million of his own money into the school, he was legally entitled to withdraw the money from the school's bank account in April 2007 and use it to help set up a sister college in Afghanistan.

Sayed was in Pakistan when the money was transferred, but returned to Perth later that year. The prosecution says the money in dispute was federal and state funding for upkeep of the Kenwick school.

Defence lawyer Mark Trowell, QC, told a Perth District Court jury yesterday that Sayed had taken only about 30 per cent of what he was owed by the school.

Documents showed Sayed deferred his salary and rental income for four years until 2007, while he made cash deposits totalling at least $330,000 to the school, Mr Trowell said.

Sayed also deferred an annual rental income of $289,000 over four years and an average $35,000 a year in salary.

As one of three directors of the company, Sayed was authorised to withdraw funds from the company's account at his discretion, Mr Trowell said.

He added that no effort had been made by the two men to conceal the overseas transfer, as Zubair Sayed had given a bag containing cheque books to a staff member - which included the cheque butt in question - while the other signatory on the cheque "had no objection to the transfer".

The jury is expected to deliver a verdict today.


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Muslim school directors had no right to money: court

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JOSEPH SAPIENZA
September 16, 2009
Two brothers who allegedly stole $355,000 in public funding for a Perth Muslim girls' school and siphoned the funds to Pakistan had no legal entitlement to the money, a Perth court was told yesterday.

Anwar Sayed, 50, and his younger brother, Zubair, 33, have been on trial in the Perth District Court for more than a week, accused of stealing the money from Muslim Link Australia – a company that ran and helped set up the Muslim Ladies College in Kenwick – in April 2007.

The brothers were directors of Muslim Link Australia. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming Anwar Sayed was entitled to the money that was transferred out of the Commonwealth Bank account to a bank in Karachi, Pakistan.

It is claimed the money - granted to pay for maintenance and upkeep of the school - was transferred to set up a sister Islamic school in Kabul, Afghanistan.

During closing remarks, prosecutor Alan Troy said the school's board or treasurer did not approve any transaction for the brothers.

He further claimed Anwar Sayed had not put enough of his own money into the company to warrant the $355,000 withdrawal.

''There was no entitlement to this money that was transferred,'' he said.

''The prosecution does not say this is a case that Anwar Sayed did not put a single cent in to the school. But any money that he had contributed prior to April 16, 2007, was less than the money that was transferred out.''

Mr Troy said deferred lease, salary and rent agreements from the school to Anwar Sayed - who owned the land on which the school was built - were a ''recent invention, a falsity''.

''Those (lease, salary and rent) documents are not genuine, and only came into existence after the (police) search so as to justify what had happened in April,'' Mr Troy said.

Mr Troy questioned why Anwar Sayed did not take his salary from the beginning of 2005, when Federal and State government funding began to flow to the school.

He also noted the company accountant did not acknowledge the deferred rent - which indicated the agreements were spurious.

Mr Troy said another member of the company was forced to sign blank cheques, and that signatory only found out about the transfer in question a long time after it was made.

''It was a deliberate and underhand procedure,'' Mr Troy said of the transaction.

''It was quarantined and confined to the two accused.

''They took $355,000 from the account ... without convening a meeting, without notifying the accountant. They were the only people who knew about it.''

Lawyers for the two accused men will present their closing submissions this morning.


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$98.4 million for kindergartens in WA

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The Hon Kate Ellis MP
Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth
17 September, 2009
Media release
$98.4 million for kindergartens in WA

The Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth Kate Ellis today announced $98.4 million to help build a world-class early childhood education system in Western Australia.

This significant investment will boost the number of kindergarten hours that eligible Western Australian children will receive in the coming years.

“Early childhood education is the foundation of the Government’s education revolution,” Ms Ellis said.

“We know that the quality of learning experiences during the early years of a child’s life set the stage for all future learning and development. And that is why we are making this major funding commitment.”

Ms Ellis said each state and territory has a different starting point, so will take different approaches to improving early childhood education, such as boosting the number of places, increasing the number of hours and reducing cost.

Welcoming the announcement, WA Education Minister Liz Constable said the increased hours of attendance would be offered at all public, independent and Catholic schools in WA by 2013.

“WA already offers 11 hours of early learning a week and has around 95 per cent participation and the Western Australian Government is committed to maintaining the state’s high rate of kindergarten participation and increasing the hours to 15 per week,” Dr Constable said.

“Schools will progressively be added each year on a district-by-district basis. The first group of schools for 2010 will be announced in coming weeks.

“By 2013 all WA children will have access to 15 hours of kindergarten by a university-trained early childhood teacher every week, 40 weeks per year.

“A priority for us is to improve the participation of Indigenous children to help close the gap between the achievements of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.”

The funding follows an agreement between the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to implement the Council of Australian Government’s National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education.

The National Partnership supports the Government’s election commitment that by 2013, in the year before they start full time school all children will have access to 15 hours a week of quality early childhood education for 40 weeks a year, to be delivered by a university-trained early childhood teacher.

“The national partnership will help make kindergarten services more affordable and accessible for families,” Ms Ellis said.

“The Rudd Government has committed $970 million over five years to early childhood education through the national partnership. Of this major investment, $955 million will go directly to the states and territories to achieve universal access to early childhood education.”

The Rudd Government’s Universal Access initiative will also be supported by a range of early childhood reforms, including the implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework, which began in July 2009. This framework provides guidance to parents and early childhood educators to support early learning.

The Government has also committed $126.6 million nationally over four years to support the training and retention of more, better qualified early childhood professionals.

“Governments across Australia are working together to create a world-class early childhood education system, so that our children can have the best possible start in life,” Ms Ellis said.

Further details on the National Partnership for Early Childhood Education and Universal Access to childhood education can be found on the Early Childhood Policy Agenda page at www.deewr.gov.au.

Media Contact:

media@deewr.gov.au

Non-media queries: 1300 363 079


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School theft verdict

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In the District Court in Perth two brothers have been found not guilty of stealing more than $300,000 in government grants given to a Muslim school.

Anwar and Zubair Sayed stood trial accused of stealing the money while they were directors of the Muslim Ladies College in the Perth suburb of Kenwick.

It was alleged the money was transferred to an account in Pakistan with the intention of creating a sister school in Afghanistan.

The brothers denied any wrongdoing and today it took a jury three hours to acquit them.


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Two charged after police chase

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POLICE used stingers to stop an allegedly stolen Holden Statesman and end a pursuit through Perth's southern suburbs last night.

It will be alleged the car was stolen from Shelley at about 8.30pm last night and was later used in an aggravated burglary in Shelley.

A police chase began after the driver refused to stop for a patrol car on Gosnells West Rd in the early hours of the morning.

Police followed the car through Maddington onto Tonkin Hwy, where officers had laid tyre-puncturing stingers near the Kelvin Rd intersection.

The car was driven for several hundred metres on flat tyres before veering into scrub.

Two men were arrested after being tracked through the bush by a police dog.

A 25-year-old Maddington man was charged with aggravated burglary, car theft, reckless driving, failing to stop and not having a driver's licence. He is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates court today.

A 17-year-old man from Forrestfield was charged with car theft and will appear in Armadale Children’s Court on Monday.


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Fire at cannabis operation

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Police say faulty wiring in a hydroponic cannabis operation sparked a fire in a Perth home.

Emergency service crews were called to the Gosnells home yesterday.

A search uncovered an elaborate hydroponic set up in 3 bedrooms of the house.

Police found a number of mature cannabis plants, about 6 kilograms of cannabis and a shotgun.

A 46 year old Gosnells man has been charged with numerous offences and is due in court next week.


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Stingers used to halt high-speed chase

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CHLOE JOHNSON
September 17, 2009 - 9:27AM

Two Perth men took police on a speedy pursuit this morning after stealing two vehicles during the night.

Police said a 25-year-old Maddington man and his 17-year-old accomplice from Forrestfield stole a Holden Statesman from a Maddington home about 8.30pm.

The duo used that car to drive to a house in Shelley, where police claim they stole another car, which they abandoned nearby.

Police said they spotted the Holden driving along Gosnells Road early this morning.

They attempted to stop the car but it continued to speed through several streets in Maddington and on to Tonkin Highway.

The vehicle came to a halt after police laid stingers on the road to puncture the car's tyres, causing it to veer off the road and into bushland.

Both men fled the car into the bush but were later found hiding in scrubland by police dogs.

Police did not say how fast the car was driving in the chase, but said it was well above designated speed limits.

The 25-year-old faces 11 charges including aggravated burglary and stealing a motor vehicle. He will appear in Perth's Magistrate's court today.

The 17-year-old was charged with stealing a motor vehicle and will appear in the Armadale Children's Court on September 21.



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Two charged after police chase

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September 17, 2009 08:30am

TWO men have been charged following a pursuit through Perth's southern suburbs last night.

It will be alleged the men last night stole a Holden Statesman which was later used in an aggravated burglary in Shelley.

A pursuit began after the driver refused to stop for a police patrol car on Gosnells West Rd.

Police followed the car through Maddington onto Tonkin Hwy, where officers had laid tyre-puncturing stingers near the Kelvin Rd intersection.

The car was driven for several hundred metres on flat tyres before veering into scrub.

The two men were arrested after being tracked through the bush by a police dog.

A 25-year-old Maddington man was charged with aggravated burglary, car theft, reckless driving, failing to stop and not having a driver's licence. He is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates court today.

A 17-year-old man from Forrestfield was charged with car theft and will appear in Armadale Children’s Court on Monday.


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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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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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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

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

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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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