Untitled Document

15/08/2002 latest update

Report of public meeting
held on Monday 29th July 2002 , Northcliffe

About 50 residents of Northcliffe attended a public meeting on Monday 29 July at the Community Recreation Centre to talk about new ideas to take Northcliffe into the future. For those of you who may not have been able to attend, the following is a summary of the issues and ideas, which were discussed.

The AGENDA was:

To explain the role of the Timber Industry Restructure Assistance Centre
Acknowledgment of things which are already happening in Northcliffe
To offer the support of the Timber Communities Project Officer, Gail Laing to assist with the development of community strategies that the meeting may decide upon.
To discuss possible community development options

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Cluster
NICC
Windy Harbour power supply lobby
Recreation Association
Forest park
Small Business
CALM developments
Streetscape
Family Centre and Youth Voice
Website

OUT OF THIS MEETING WE WANT TO GET:

People offered the following comments-

Ideas
Coming together
Whole of Shire approach to employment - join together,
think big and "forget" tourists.
Maybe work towards airport expansion for the transport of high value goods.
Some potential for tourism (bushwalks)
Good dunny
Interpretive Centre (example Kojonup)

THIS RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING INSPIRATIONS:

Clean, green agricultural products
Need an Icon - BIG STUFF. The cliff top walk at Windy is exciting, need marketing of the cliff top walk. Perhaps a cliff face walk. CALM promo of D'Entrecasteaux is planned for 18 months time.
Food -grow good quality here. Organic area established. Investment opportunities. Local milk to cheese. Idea of a factory; this depends upon which company the dairies have their contract with.
Garden supplies business - there is demand for peat, sawdust and quartz pebbles (all sizes). Good money earner.
Community to buy local winery; set this up for young people to provide employment.
Fish processing using local fishery. Transport issues. The community needs to get behind the fishermen HOW THINGS MIGHT BE DONE:
Willingness to resolve divisions between people
Celebrate the Northcliffe life style; $ are not the most important thing in life.
Progress association had been proposed in the past. Gail has hopes for a community development group with communications established across the existing community groups: -doing things together -working on projects -volunteering and building ownership
Community Enterprise "not for profit" organisation (Gail to send information )
locals get $ together to invest, use as seeding fund, basis for grant application
Might be used to establish co-op for processing; processing the raw materials that we have to build employment
TAFE - Prepared to offer a Land Management Course in Northcliffe if there are 8 to 12 people interested.
Landcare Traineeships are available with wage subsidies
Retrenched timber workers can offer employers wage subsidy of up to $5000.
Kojonup has developed a community work pool of people available for casual work. Going so well they now have a paid coordinator. Look at small, solo employment opportunities (new world of work).
Northcliffe Round Table -example of way a group had operated in the past. Useful to pass information between groups, unstructured, lapsed now.
Ideas box available for group to continue to hear of community suggestions and follow up
Use local paper for feedback to the community.
Lotteries Community Development Grant is a possibility.
Find out the skills available within local population; consider a LETS system. Make use of the Family Centre Register of skills.
Complement CALM's promotion of the coast, use photographs of scenic places to promote area.
Fill empty shopfronts in town to show a better face to the locals and tourists - suggest Real Estate "window". Local products/ community store. Youth hostel and craft shop
Gear shop - bushwalking and biking equipment.
Streetscape is making appearance of the town a priority at the moment. Suggestions of a "maze", giant chessboard, giant log or log playground for children to play on as activities to keep tourists interested and in town.
Marketing needed, NICC, Billboard; generates activity in the town.

ISSUES OF CONCERN

Public Liability issues - Government needs to address
Land tax is going to affect food and wine producers - needs to be addressed
What size population is best for this community -"we don't want to be another Margaret River".
District High School will be under threat in a few years because of the small numbers of children in the Primary and Pre Primary sections. The School is the biggest employer in town and if the DHS is reduced to Primary status there will be a loss of jobs and equipment.
Look at our own decisions and how they affect the town. Shopping locally for the things that are available here; attending the local school; can make a difference.
New residents may need to be drawn into the community to support the community

VOLUNTEERS FOR A WORKING GROUP:

Peter Bird 9776 7029
Alison Daubney 9775 1018
Judy Thomson 9776 7030
Chris Farnworth PO Box 136
Diana & Roy Moss 9776 7308
Alison Duffy 9776 7290
Noel & Leigh Makin 9775 1035
Phil Vitou 9776 7766
Monique Vitou 9776 6177
Neita Van Bladel 976 6063
Lyn Daubney 9775 1052
Erin Halse 9776 7251
Gordon Clark 9776 7251
Helen Nixon 9776 7009
Wendy Goodall 9776 7060
Fiona Sinclair 9776 0205
Kate Haslam 9776 7010
John Walters 9776 7010
Jeff Nixon 9776 6 160
Liz Troup 97 76 6 106

Times that are suitable to get together are still to be worked out. However anyone is welcome and every effort will be made to keep the community informed of directions and actions. Thank you for your participation, Gail Laing Timber Communities Project Officer, Phone 9777 2299 TIRAC, PO Box1139, Manjimup gala@indtech.wa.gov.au 31/7/02

16/03/2002 latest update