Sydney woman raises funds for childhood cancer cure
A 43-year-old Sydney woman was riding her bike across the Nullarbor to raise funds for research for childhood cancer cure.
Charissa Hanrahan said she started from Ceduna, SA and finished her 1186km ride at the Whale Tail in Esperance for the fitness event “86K for a Cure”.
“Actually, I’m just absolutely stoked to not only be finished but to have succeeded in creating that awareness for childhood cancer,” she said.
“I feel like I’ve achieved so much raising $15,000 for childhood cancer.”
“I did start on the Nullarbor and the idea was to ride the whole Nullarbor,” she said.
“I got halfway and there was a tragedy where Chris Barker lost his life while cycling.”
“It made me rethink what I was doing on the Nullarbor and (consider) my safety and my family’s safety; this essentially got me to Esperance,” she said.
“So, I thought of coming here to this beautiful town.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the bicycle paths here, which are really safe, and the wonderful people — some of whom are here today — just encouraging me, making donations, and helping with this fight against childhood cancer.”
Ms Hanrahan said she started the bike ride after her friend Lucy Galvin was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma — a cancer that most often occurs in and around the bones in children and young adults.
“Lucy was diagnosed with cancer on March 17 two years ago, so this was the date that I started the ride,” she said.
“She is one of the Ambassadors for the Children’s Cancer Institute and she was my driving force for starting this venture.”
Cocanarup exploration refused
A resource company’s application to clear old-growth salmon gum forest near Ravensthorpe for critical minerals exploration has been knocked back.
Last Friday the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation refused permission for Bulletin Resources to clear access tracks and seismic pads after a concerted campaign by local group Cocanarup Conservation Alliance.
CCA spokesperson Rosemary Jasper said the Cocanarup forest was important habitat for the endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoos and other wildlife, and opening tracks would give easier access to feral cats, foxes and birds of prey.
“The decision report also recognises the importance of Cocanarup as part of a significant ecological linkage from the Fitzgerald River National Park through to the Ravensthorpe Range and the Great Western Woodlands,” she said.
Former senator’s trial scheduled
A former One Nation senator who had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him at the Esperance Magistrates Court in November last year has his trial set at 9.30am on November 6 at the Esperance Magistrates Court.
Representing himself, Rodney Norman Culleton, 59, had entered the plea for charges including trespassing, breaching police order, unlicensed possession of a firearm bolt and failing to comply with storage regulations.
He had his trial allocation date hearing set for Tuesday this week.
In Mr Culleton’s previous court appearance, Magistrate Janie Gibbs had amended bail conditions, allowing him to reside on a disputed Grass Patch property.
Electronic plea for better school facilities
MEMBER for Roe Peter Rundle is calling on Esperance people to sign an ePetition demanding upgrades to Esperance Senior High School campus.
He launched the petition outside the school last week with Shire president Ron Chambers and P&C president Michelle Handley.
“By any standards the 1960s-built parts of the campus have reached their use by date,” Ms Handley said.
“The campus is currently a piecemeal, disjointed collection of add on infrastructure that surrounds a central hub of leaking, crumbling, prison-like buildings designed for 400 students and 1960’s learning methodology.”
She gave the example of the school’s performing arts centre.
“At the moment our kids are learning in a refurbished library with a roof that leaks, a stage that’s held together with duct tape and they’re practicing in a thoroughfare,” Ms Handley said.
“These are the facilities the State Government provides to empower the development of the region’s talent.”
Local school crossing to be updated
A street near Esperance Primary School with a posted speed of 60km/h is to have new electronic signage displaying an updated speed limit, according to WA Transport minister Rita Saffioti.
She said the Harbour Road section of the Coolgardie– Esperance Highway would have its warden crossings upgraded so its speed limit falls within 40km/h.
Ms Saffioti said this would be part of WA Government’s investment of $10 million aimed at enhancing safety measures at warden-controlled school crossings across the State.
She said the funding would facilitate the expansion of the 40km/h speed limit to include all warden-controlled school crossings situated outside existing designated school zones.
Ms Saffioti said this initiative is to ensure all warden-controlled school crossings in WA would operate within 40km/h speed zones during school drop-off and pick-up times, enhancing the safety of both pedestrians and motorists.
She said currently there were approximately 165 such crossings throughout the State that did not fall within the 40km/h speed limit area.
Esperance jobless numbers low
AT just 1.6 per cent, Esperance has one of Australia’s lowest unemployment rates.
This was one of the facts business people were treated to at a Business After Hours sundowner hosted by Workforce Australia last week.
“Essentially we’ve run out of people to fill our jobs,” representative Andrea Wynne said.
The first was for individual job seekers; the second for service providers to assist job seekers; and the third for business owners to simplify recruitment and admin tasks. “There’s no cost to use the portal,” she said.
Workforce Australia is a network of organisations which the Australian Government contracts to deliver employment services to employers and job seekers.
Esperance teachers stage ‘stop work’
AROUND 70 Esperance public school teachers staged a “stop work” meeting at the Esperance Bay Yacht Club on Tuesday at 9.30am.
Esperance Senior High School principal Ian Masarei said on the school’s Facebook page that this “industrial action may see teachers stop work, meaning some will not be teaching at the direction of the union”.
“At (ESHS), the strike action will occur for the first few hours of the morning and teachers will be back in classrooms ready to teach period four at 12.30pm,” he said.
“I want to reassure you that despite this action, our school will remain open all day.
“However, there may be some disruption to normal teaching and learning programs, period one to three, when we will arrange for the provision of supervision and modified activities.”
Mr Masarei said regular teaching and learning would recommence period four when the strike action concluded.
“The Department of Education has assured me that they are working as hard, and as fast as they can to reach a resolution with the unions,” he said.
