I hope you may have got to read my recent opinion piece in the Mandurah Mail about the range of options available to assist people in finding work and being supported to expand their education and skills. If not, you can access it here.
There have certainly been plenty of activities happening throughout October and November that the Commission and myself as Chair were involved with. Initiatives, activities and events that really show the breadth of community spirit and connections we are making here in the Peel region. Just some of them I would like to touch on include the following:
In October I attended the Local Friends Mandurah steering group meeting along with Dr Sheila Twine. Local Friends are a start-up group of friends who are reaching out to make sure every elder has a friend. They see a compassionate neighbourhood helping each other, joining hearts and hands together and so bringing well-being to all.
Governor’s visit – 8 October
It was my privilege to attend a tour and discussion with the Hon Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia when he was the guest of the City of Mandurah recently on a vist to the Peel region. The Governor participated in a cruise of the estuary and nature walk which certainly provided him with an appreciation of our RAMSAR listed wetlands. He also paid a visit with the Mayor to Rocky Bay, a leading provider of disability services. A key message delivered to the Governor during his visit was the importance of the Peel having a diversified economy.
Post budget Breakfast briefing – 9 October
It was great to see so many people attend the Post Budget breakfast briefing with David Templeman where he provided an overview of the 2020-21 WA State Budget. He outlined what funding and investment was included for the Peel region and what job-creating projects would assist with the region’s recovery. There were some significant announcements around training and infrastructure.
Indian Consul General visit – 10 October
What a great opportunity it was for the Commission to partner with Visit Mandurah this month to host a delegation with the Indian Consul General, Miss Dantu Charandasi and guests. A significant visit to the region which came as a follow up from a recent visit by Trade Commissioners. It was a privilege to spend time with such an experienced and knowledgeable diplomat to talk trade and future tourism and the great opportunities between Peel and India. The delegation had a tour of the estuaries with Mandurah Cruises with a briefing on board and spent the afternoon touring the facilities of Fruitico – one of our region’s primary agricultural producers. Our thanks to Visit Mandurah for helping coordinate the visit and thanks to Flics Kitchen who provided a wonderful luncheon and service accommodating many different dietary requirements.
Board meeting Serpentine Jarrahdale – 14 October
Our thanks to the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale for hosting the PDC Board recently for their final meeting of the year. There were some high-level discussions about the priorities for the Peel region with a presentation by the Shire on the opportunities they are advocating for in their fast-growing local government area. The Board was also privileged to hear from a number of key business and community leaders within Serpentine Jarrahdale that were invited by the Shire to share their latest projects and opportunities.
I had the privilege of giving a guest talk to the Mandurah/Murray branch of the National Servicemen’s Association where I provided them with an overview of the range of economic development projects and initiatives happening across the Peel region. The people and families involved in this Association have played such a significant role in Australian history and it is so heartening to see how they support and care for each other. I always enjoy the opportunity of getting to spread the word about how great this region is to live in and work in and the many opportunities that the Commission is helping drive to further improve the quality of living for those in this region.
Power to the People conference – 29 & 30 October
The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. has partnered with Inclusion Solutions to deliver an annual National Community Development Conference called Power to the People which was held in Mandurah across 2 days (29-30 October). The theme for this 2020 Conference was “Activating Community Assets”. The conference brought together people from across Australia who share a personal or professional passion for building citizen-driven communities and it was my privilege to have been asked to deliver one of its keynote addresses titled ‘Reflections on Community Building in the Peel region’.
In my presentation, I highlighted a wide range of wonderful community-minded organisations and groups doing amazing work to bring communities together hence strengthening and making our region more resilient by activating the various local assets they have in their Shires and City.
RED Grants Round 3 Announcement – 6 November
The recent announcement of the Round 3 Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants is terrific for our region. The Minister for Regional Development, the Hon. Alannah MacTiernan, announced eleven projects in the Peel region will receive funding sharing in more than $1,033,000 to support business development, increased manufacturing capability and to expand local tourism in the region.
The Round 3 recipients highlight a focus on increased manufacturing capability and supporting the development of local businesses and tourism expansion in the region. Again, Round 3 shows off the diversity of our region’s businesses and industry with this round covering chocolate beans, farmer’s markets, engineering, a distillery, horses, recycling and tourism attractions.
RED Grant recipients aren’t just a good news story for the region – they’re projects that deserve recognition for their contribution to our local communities both economically and socially. RED Grant recipients highlight the industry diversity that’s strengthening the Peel region as a thriving and sustainable place to live, work and visit, and I congratulate each of them on their achievements.
To read more about RED Grants and the Round 3 Peel projects, click here.
Probus Mandurah Guest Talk – 17 November
I had the pleasure of joining approximately 90 members of the Probus Mandurah Club this month at one of their monthly meetings to deliver a presentation and guest talk on all the projects and various regional development activities happening across the Peel region. Feedback received from the members was that they were surprised at just how much activity is happening across the region that they weren’t aware of and there was certainly a sense of hope and optimism that Peel was on the right path towards economic recovery post-COVID. They also expressed strong interest in the environmental activities happening with the Peel estuary.
Probus provides such an excellent opportunity for fun, friendship and fellowship in retirement and it was great to see just how active some of the members are in various activities across the community really embracing the purpose of healthy minds and active bodies through social interaction.
Managed by OVIS, the Peel Therapeutic Refuge will provide accommodation and therapeutic services for women, and their children, who are victims of family and domestic violence. This integrated therapeutic refuge model is the first of its kind in WA providing tailored and holistic service for women with co-occurring health issues including harm resulting from alcohol and other drugs and mental health concerns.
Peel-based trauma counselling specialist, Allambee Counselling has partnered with OVIS and will coordinate and deliver the therapeutic services. Other local health, wellbeing and cultural support services will also be involved in the Peel Refuge as the program is established to support women and children from across WA to find safety, security and stability in their lives.
Peel Food & Beverage Guide – seeking submissions
The Peel Food & Beverage Guide is an online publication promoting products unique to the Peel region. It’s the first of its kind in the Peel and will assist restaurant, cafes and caterers in sourcing and buying local goods such as fruit, vegetables, animal products, dairy and value-add products.
Inclusion in the guide is 100% free of charge thanks to the Food Industry Innovation Project by DPIRD with each producer including product range, company, and sales information. To find out how to include your produce in the guide, visit www.peel.wa.gov.au/guide and fill out the form. Submissions close Friday 18th December.
Read more about the range of activities and initiatives the Commission has been involved with in our November e-news by clicking here.
Paddi Creevey OAM
Chair