Media releases

Community members can apply now to receive one of ten Neighbourhood BLOCK Party grants from the Shire of Augusta Margaret River.

The grants are being offered to encourage people to get to know their neighbours and improve social cohesion and networking in the community.

Shire of Augusta Margaret River Community Development Officer Jessica Black said a successful BLOCK party could be as small and intimate as a few chairs in a backyard, right up to a BBQ in your local park, or a party in a community hall.

“I encourage you to reach out to neighbours you see regularly,” she said.

“Our goals for the funding is to foster trust at neighbour level, improve health and well-being, and improve our community’s preparedness in the case of an emergency.”

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River can support your BLOCK party by providing:

• Loan of a Games Bag which includes a cricket set, bocce, quoits, hacky sack, frisbee, soccer and football; and
• Up to $100 worth of receipts reimbursed per event by the Shire (excludes alcohol).

Funding recipients may consider running their event on ‘Neighbour Day’ on Sunday 31 March 2019.

For more information, or for plenty of resources to assist in the planning of a neighbourhood event please visit Relationships Australia on: http://neighbourday.org/.

For further information or to request a BLOCK party information pack please follow this link https://www.amrshire.wa.gov.au/services/community-development/community-resilience or contact Jessica Black, Community Development Officer on (08) 9780 5276 or jblack@amrshire.wa.gov.au.

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River is assisting with firefighting efforts in the neighbouring Shires of Nannup and Donnybrook-Balingup.

Up to 100 members from the Shire's Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades will work on five of the Shire's appliances over the coming days.

The members will work in 12-hour rotating shifts from 7am to 7pm and 7pm to 7am.

“Thank you to our Shire brigade members who, with their skills and expertise, will be valuable assets to our impacted neighbours,” Shire Community and Emergency Services Manager Chris Lloyd said.

“We wish them, and all other assisting staff and volunteers, the very best as they respond to this incident.”

The request for firefighting assistance came from Parks and Wildlife via the Department of Fire and Emergency Services earlier this morning.

Augusta Margaret River Shire President Pam Townshend and Acting CEO Dale Putland have contacted each of the affected local governments to offer further assistance if required and express their sentiments to the fire-affected residents.

Margaret River’s Intercultural Action Group has recently produced a handy flyer to assist new arrivals to Margaret River.

Titled Hello Margaret River the flyer includes a list of local services and information available to help new arrivals settle into the region.

Intercultural Action Group co-founder Yen Hawkes said the key service information flyer will be distributed from the Margaret River Civic Administration Centre, Margaret River Library, Margaret River Community Centre and upon request. 

“As a migrant myself, I understand that settling in a new place takes time and can be stressful,” she said.

“The Intercultural Action Group aims to be a resource and reference point for new arrivals.

“We think our Hello Margaret River flyer is a small but valuable gesture for international arrivals in Margaret River.”

The Intercultural Action Group who is supported by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, was formed in February 2018 as a response to the increasing multicultural population in Margaret River.

The group acts as a reference group for the local multicultural population and develops projects aimed at empowering and building the leadership skills of migrants. 

For more information please contact the Intercultural Action Group at  admin@interculturalactiongroup.com, via the website at

Community members are being asked to share their views on what they think are the most important elements in building a creative and culturally-diverse community. 
The feedback received by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River will be used to inform a review of the Shire’s ‘Creative Blueprint’ (2014-2018) and supporting policies. The ‘Creative Blueprint’ focuses on enhancing the area’s cultural participation and vibrancy through arts and culture initiatives, events and infrastructure.
There will be both online and face-to-face opportunities for the community to share their thoughts.

Online:
Please visit YourSay to access the existing documents and share your thoughts https://yoursay.amrshire.wa.gov.au/margaret-river-public-art-policy-culturally-active-communities-policy-and-creative-blueprint-review.

Face-to-face:
Join the Art and Culture Community Forum where facilitator Niomi O’Hara will host an interactive discussion on the future of art and culture in the Shire. This event is open to all and light refreshments are included.
Tuesday 5 March 2019
5:30 – 7pm
Margaret River Council Chambers
Wallcliffe Road, Margaret River
Please RSVP to Shire Community Development Officer, Jessica Black on (08) 9780 5276 or jblack@amrshire.wa.gov.au.

Shire Community Development Officer, Jessica Black said that art and culture is an important aspect of our community. It fosters personal development, social cohesion, health and wellbeing, economic prosperity and local identity.
“Arts and culture is a way of expressing who our community is: our people, our values, our region, and our history,” she said.
“It’s what sets us apart and makes us uniquely Augusta-Margaret River.”
For further details please contact the Shire on (08) 9780 5255 or amrshire@amrshire.wa.gov.au
 

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River is seeking new members for its Community Access and Inclusion Reference Group (CAIRG), a community based reference group for consultation on access and inclusion issues within the region.
CAIRG membership is open to members of the public who may themselves experience barriers or have an interest in access and inclusion for people with a disability, seniors, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal Australians and other groups. 
Shire Community Development Officer Katie Taylor said she is particularly hoping for new members from Karridale to Augusta and surrounds, and/or people living with a disability.
“The group’s existing membership is predominantly from Margaret River, Cowaramup and Gnarabup/Prevelly,” she said.
“We really hope to get some new members to represent the south of the Shire as the demographics, facilities and services are quite variable between the different townsites.
“The Shire can assist with travel costs for those experiencing difficulty accessing transport to attend the quarterly meetings.”
Ms Taylor said the key role of the CAIRG is to identify barriers to people accessing and being involved with Shire services, events, buildings, facilities, information, communication, employment and opportunities to participate in the community, and to develop strategies aimed at reducing these barriers.
“Shire staff attend the meetings and consult with the CAIRG on various projects and developments such as new or upgrades to Shire infrastructure, services and facilities.
“It’s a valuable platform for people that may experience barriers to access and inclusion to have their voices heard and ensures that Shire services are adaptive and responsive to community needs.”
“The CAIRG is a useful forum for information sharing, providing feedback and advice on access and inclusion matters and acts as an advocacy group to improve the social wellbeing of our community, creating a welcoming and inclusive place to live, play, work and visit.”

The first CAIRG meeting for 2019 will be held:
Wednesday 13 February
10 – 11.30am
Mainbreak Meeting Room
Shire of Augusta Margaret River Civic Administration Centre
Wallcliffe Road, Margaret River

Interested community members can contact Shire Community Development Officer Katie Taylor on 9780 5255 or by email at ktaylor@amrshire.wa.gov.au