Tobacco went up in smoke.
WA Health and WA Police Force seized nearly 1,000 illegal e-cigarettes from a company in the Southwest and 950 vaping products, and two boxes of illicit tobacco.
WA Health recently notified 3,000 retailers to remind them of ongoing restrictions on selling e-cigarette devices and nicotine vaporizers.
In Australia, it is illegal to sell, supply or possess nicotine vaping products (such as e-cigarettes or e-liquids containing nicotine) without a doctor’s prescription.
In WA, it is illegal for e-cigarettes, whether they contain nicotine or not.
Community workers at NSW again
Specialized workers from the Department of Communities flew to New South Wales this weekend as part of the ongoing effort to support areas hard hit by severe flooding.
Employees with experience in recovery and social work are on the north coast of NSW, where communities are still struggling in the wake of the emergency.
The deployment of five staff replaces an earlier rotation of Community staff sent out earlier this month.
Pipeline supplies water
Water supplies to Mullalyup and Kirup are now safer with a $15 million pipeline built.
The pipeline from Greenbushes to Kirup will carry drinking water through Balingup and north to Mullalyup, which connects to the Warren Blackwood Regional Water Supply Scheme.
Due to increasingly unreliable rainfall, it will replace the previous drinking water source, the Kirup Dam, offline in 2018.
Curtin opens for an art exhibition.
Curtin University’s Carrolup Center for Truth-Telling is one step closer with $1.76 million from Lotterywest to provide a permanent home to precious works of art created by children of the stolen generation.
More than 120 pieces, known as The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork, were created by Aboriginal children held in the settlement at Katanning before it closed in 1949.
The collection was abroad until an Australian professor recognized the artwork at Colgate University in New York.
The new gallery will be open to the entire community.
School WasteSorte grants awarded
The first round of the 2022 WasteSorted Schools grants has been announced with funded projects, including worm farms, chicken coops, waste sorting bins, and composting systems.
Formally known as Waste Wise Schools, the grants are now administered by the Waste Authority, with all accredited WA schools eligible for a grant of up to $5,500.
Information about the scheme, including the first-round winners, can be found at this PS News link.
Modular Homes to Pilbara
The first social housing units delivered under the Modular Build program are on their way to the Pilbara, where they will provide additional social housing in the region.
The four homes were recently completed in Perth and delivered to Tom Price, where they will be provided.
A further five modular council homes are being constructed for delivery to South Hedland in the coming months, and 36 new homes have been contracted through the program.
Dreibergs leaves police
Deputy Police Commissioner Gary Dreibergs has announced that he will leave the Western Australian Police Service.
Deputy Commissioner Dreibergs (pictured) has played a critical role in WA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a key member of the Emergency Management Team, including the role of Acting State Emergency Coordinator and Vaccine Commander.
Prime Minister Mark McGowan publicly acknowledged DC Dreibergs’ contribution and said he was vital in guiding Western Australia through the pandemic. On behalf of the state, he thanked him for his efforts and assistance.
“Gary Dreibergs has been a key part of the WA Police Force for many years and has played a vital role in advancing police practice using innovation,” the Prime Minister said.
“He also played an integral part in the historic 2021 AFL Grand Final in Perth.”
“I thank Gary for his four decades as an officer and wish him all the best for the next chapter of his career.”
New COVID law on the way
The measures to take COVID-19 steps should be given legal certainty with a new law to be introduced in the state parliament.
Under the proposed COVID-19 provisions, Western Australia will remain safe and strong during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the planned legislation will only remain in effect during the state of emergency.
The new rules include seven-day isolation requirements for COVID-19-positive cases; use of face masks for close contact; measures to ensure that cruise ships are managed according to strict protocols; and restricting movements in and out of Aboriginal communities.
Prime Minister Mark McGowan said the sentences of up to 10 years in prison reflected the seriousness of deliberately coughing or spitting on officials trying to keep the state safe.
Reading challenge on
The Premier’s annual Reading Challenge has been launched with children from Kindergarten to Year 10 on the starting line to read 12 books over the next five months.
This year’s theme is ‘Reading Can Take You Anywhere’ with prizes including family vacations for winners in each four-year group category and awards for students who read the most books and others who show significant improvements in their reading habits.
Registration to participate in the readathon and search over 7,000 book titles and logs read is available on the Premier’s Reading Challenge website, accessed at this PS News link.
Pearl oyster, for the comment
The draft of the Western Australian Silverlip Pearl Oyster (Pinctada maxima) t Resource Harvest Strategy 2022-2026 is now open to public comment.
The first periodic review since the strategy was first published in June 2016, the new study updates the inclusion of new harvesting control rules for large pearl oysters (+175mm shell length) and revised formulations for other harvesting strategies.
The 35-page Fisheries Management Paper can be accessed at this PS News link, with commentary required on May 25 at 5 pm.
