Shire of West Arthur

05/09/2026

** Stay on Your Feet **

Your home should be your safe space, but there are hazards that can increase the risk of falls. Removing trip hazards makes your home safer. Use the Stay On Your Feet® Home Safety Guide to help find and remove hazards.
Remember, a little every day goes a long way in preventing a fall.
For more information, visit stayonyourfeet.com.au

03/09/2026

POWERING OUR COMMUNITY - Community Meeting
Tuesday 8th September, 2026. 6pm-9.30pm.
Light supper provided
Darkan Town Hall
Register here - https://www.trybooking.com/DOPBI

Don't forget to bring along your phone so that you can submit questions for the panel Q&A session. We will also have pen and paper available for those that are more comfortable submitting their questions in hard copy.

01/09/2026

Time is running out to register for the Powering our Community event. Register at https://www.trybooking.com/DOPBI

The agenda for the night will include:
- Roger Marshall (The Energy Charter) will MC the event
- Tim Bray (Powering WA) will discuss the local context
- Margot Hammond from Western Power will outline Western Power developments in our Shire (Clean Energy Link East Stages 1 and 2)
- Rob Cossart (Powering WA/DEED) will discuss the Community Benefit Program and how it will operate
- Karen Harrington (Shire President) will discuss the Shire's involvement and the potential impacts of development.

After a break for a light supper/dinner, there will be Question and Answer session where audience members will be able to submit questions for the panel which will consist of the speakers on the night.

Exploring the renewable energy transition and shaping local communitiy benefits together.

The transition is happening, and our community needs to

01/09/2026

** Stay on Your Feet **

Making your home safer, checking your eyesight, looking after your feet, and wearing safe footwear can help you stay active and independent.
All it takes is a little every day, but it goes a long way in preventing a fall.
For more information, visit stayonyourfeet.com.au

26/08/2026

** Nominate Your 2027 Community Citizen of the Year **

Recognise someone who goes above and beyond in our community.

It’s time to start thinking about those who are doing amazing things in our local community!

The Community Citizen of the Year Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the positive impact of individuals, groups and events who are engaged and committed to our local community. Whether they are a nominee or recipient, we can all celebrate their outstanding contribution, because we’re all part of the story.

Recognising local heroes for more than 20 years, the Awards are made up of four categories:

🏆 Community Citizen of the Year (for individuals over 16 years)
🏆 Young Community Citizen of the Year (for individuals aged 16-30 years)
🏆 Senior Community Citizen of the Year (for individuals aged 65 years and over)
🏆 Active Citizenship (for community groups or events)

Nominations can be made for contributions to education, health, fundraising, voluntary services, business, sports, arts, culture, the environment, social inclusion or any other area that enhances the wellbeing of our community. For the full criteria, visit www.citizenshipawards.com.au/criteria

25/08/2026

** MEDIA RELEASE **
For Immediate Release
25 August 2026

Shire of West Arthur receives $95,180 to upgrade bore infrastructure, storage and monitoring systems to improve drought resilience.
The Shire of
West Arthur has been successful in an application through the Community Water Supplies Partnership (CSWP), which is jointly funded by the Federal and State governments as part of the National Water Grid Fund.

The project consists of infrastructure upgrades to the Gorn Road and Rees Road bores, including the installation of two solar-powered bore pumps, two swipe card metering systems, and a 200kL storage tank at Gorn Road. These upgrades will improve water reliability and management during shortages, enable effective monitoring, and protect water quality to strengthen drought resilience and support agricultural productivity across the south of the Shire.

Shire President, Cr Karen Harrington, said “It was identified in the Shire’s Non-potable Strategic Community Water Supplies Report that the improvement of infrastructure at Gorn and Rees Roads would enable the bores to be a reliable water source for emergency stock water and fire-fighting purposes.”

“It is estimated that the Shire’s current demand for fire-fighting water is over 5,000kL per year”, she said. “Add to that the water used for stock water purposes, which is estimated to be 300,000kL over the five-month summer period, there is a lot of water that needs to be drawn from water sources throughout the Shire.”

“The Shire of West Arthur thanks the State and Federal Governments for the funding, which will result in better water security in the south of the Shire. The $95,180, along with the co-contribution of $39,909 of cash and in-kind labour and plant from the Shire, sees the south of the Shire receiving a significant project in the 2026/2027 financial year.”

Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Hon Murray Watt, said “this funding investment will strengthen community water security, bolster emergency fire-fighting capability, and reduce reliance on scheme water supplies.”

“This funding will help local governments deliver practical projects that improve water security, support community infrastructure, and strengthen emergency response capability,” said Minister for Water Daniel Pastorelli.

**ENDS**

Media Contact
Cr Karen Harrington
Shire President
Shire of West Arthur

25/08/2026

Our new housing development is progressing nicely. In coming weeks the developers will need to install and connect water pipes from Gibbs Street to the new development. This will require Nangip Creek to be temporarily dammed. This will be short term to progress the development.

24/08/2026

** Changes to the Working with Children (WWC) legislation are coming! **

Amendments to the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004 that significantly strengthen protections for Western Australian (WA) children, have now passed parliament. The amendments are part of ongoing national WWC Check reform to improve child safety.https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-11/scag-agreement-to-deliver-national-working-with-children-check-reform.PDF

The changes provide for the mutual recognition of negative WWC outcomes across states and territories, known in WA as an adverse interstate WWC decision.

What does this mean?

This means that anyone who has their application for a WWC Check denied or their WWC Card revoked, in one state or territory, cannot be granted or hold a WWC Check in any state or territory – banned in one, banned in all. This change also applies to those who have been granted a WWC Check with restrictions or conditions imposed.

Please note, WWC Checks may be known by another name in other states or territories.

When the changes take effect, an individual subject to an adverse interstate WWC decision will be unable to access the parent volunteer, child volunteer or unpaid student on placement under 18 years of age exemptions.

An adverse interstate WWC decision remains current unless the original negative outcome is cancelled under the issuing authority.
Your organisation may have people who will be affected. Once the legislation commences, the WWC Screening Unit will notify all impacted WA applicants and Card holders and their employer.
How do I find out more?

Our website https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/working-children-check-amendments-the-act has been updated to provide the community and our stakeholders with information about this legislative change and what it means for individuals and organisations, including a new factsheet and frequently asked questions.

We also hold regular online Ready, Check, Chat sessions, which are an opportunity to speak to us about these changes. Visit our Eventbrite page to register for a session. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/working-with-children-screening-unit-33449292425

We will inform you when the legislation commences and the changes have come into effect. In the meantime, we would be grateful if you could share this information with your networks.

Regards
WWC Community Engagement Team

The Department of Communities’ Working with Children (WWC) Screening Unit is responsible for the compulsory screening strategy, known as the WWC Check, for all people engaging in child-related work across Western Australia and the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. We run a series of free onli...