Tuesday, 20 December 2016
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Commerce Minister Michael Mischin has approved an immediate 60-day interim ban on the sale of the products pending further assessment by Consumer Protection, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and other consumer agencies nationally. Mr Mischin said 113 injuries - many serious - and 115 fire incidents had been reported throughout Australia since 2010. "These worrying statistics may just be the tip of the iceberg, as we believe there could be many more incidents and injuries involving decorative ethanol burners that have not been reported to consumer agencies and fire emergency services," he said. "In October this year, a 28-year-old Perth woman suffered serious burns to her face and upper body after an ethanol burner exploded in the backyard of a Safety Bay home. This was closely followed by two people being injured in Queensland from an ethanol burner accident. "The biggest danger arising from these products occurs when consumers re-fuel the burner when it is still lit or warm. When the fuel is low, the flame can appear blue or clear, making it difficult to see. There is also a risk of the burner being knocked over, especially by children or pets, potentially causing serious burns to people nearby as well as damage to property." The interim ban only affects the portable or table-top versions of the product and does not affect products with a power output of more than 4.5 kilowatts and those used in the heating or warming of food. Ethanol fireplaces that are installed in a fixed position are not included in the ban, however, further investigations into injuries are being carried out. In the meantime, caution is still strongly recommended in the use of these fireplaces. Retailers and online traders based in WA must take the banned products off their shelves or delete them from online catalogues and cease sales from midnight. There are tough penalties for selling banned products, with individuals facing a maximum fine of $220,000 and corporations facing a maximum fine of $1.1 million. "WA consumers who have ethanol-fuelled burners in their home should cease using them immediately. After further investigations are complete, consumers will be advised if they can return the product for a full refund and the store may require proof of purchase such as a receipt or a credit card/bank statement," Mr Mischin said. Fact File
Tuesday, 20 December 2016 Page Content
Deputy Premier and Training and Workforce Development Minister Liza Harvey said the MoUs between Muresk Institute and Curtin and Murdoch universities would open the door for greater sharing of resources, facilities and expertise. "The MoUs detail the commitment of all parties to work together to build the capacity of the State's agricultural industries through research and development and higher education," Ms Harvey said. "They will support the agricultural sector through teaching and research activities and facilitate opportunities to benefit students. This could include sharing industry specific expertise for training, workshops and seminars held at Muresk Institute." Among their key objectives, the MoUs will provide formal pathways for courses delivered at Muresk Institute, such as the Integrated Diploma Program, to relevant undergraduate degree programs at the universities. The Deputy Premier said the MoUs would also allow the universities to access the institute's working farm and facilities to give students practical experience relevant to their undergraduate programs and to host familiarisation tours for international students. In addition, the universities will be given access to the site to carry out research projects for post graduate and PhD students. "These new alliances will complement existing partnerships Muresk Institute has developed to boost agricultural skills development," Ms Harvey said. "Our focus is to improve the perception of agriculture and agribusiness careers, while ensuring industry relevant training is delivered to help meet the demand for skilled workers." Fact File
Tuesday, 20 December 2016
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Agriculture and Food Minister Mark Lewis said the investment to 2020 would enable a new Western Australian grains research and development model to be established and ensured essential grains science capacity remained in the Department of Agriculture and Food. "The State Government is a key investor in agricultural science and technology to drive the long-term growth of our grains sector and boost the vital economic benefits for WA," Mr Lewis said. "This will reinvigorate grain crop science, innovation and technology to ensure WA grain growers continue to improve productivity and profitability into the future." Mr Lewis said the State Government would work in partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the grains industry on the best approach for research and development with a strong regional presence that would endure well into the future. "The certainty of additional State funding will also allow the State to leverage not only the nearly $20 million of its funding per year, but also the nearly $30 million of WA grain growers' levies per year, against Commonwealth and other funding sources," he said. Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said the funding commitment included a $20 million investment by Royalties for Regions. "With up to 90 per cent of the State's grain exported, it is vital the industry remains internationally competitive through the advancement and adoption of new technology," Mr Redman said. "This funding is vital to drive ongoing on-farm productivity grains, lift the profitability of the grains sector and return more value from export markets. "Each year, about 4,200 grain growing businesses, primarily family-owned and operated, produce an average 14.5 million tonnes of grain, such as wheat, barley, canola, lupins and oats, which makes an enormous contribution to the WA economy and regional communities." Fact File
Tuesday, 20 December 2016
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Premier Colin Barnett said the justice complex would nearly triple the number of courtrooms from two to up to five and accommodate up to 315 police officers, a big increase on the 80 officers currently working from the police station. "This Liberal National Government is continuing to deliver improvements to community safety through significant upgrades to police and justice complexes like this project at Armadale," Mr Barnett said. "Not only will this project enhance community safety in the region, it will create hundreds of construction jobs, and additional police and court workers, which will be a boost to the local economy." Deputy Premier and Police Minister Liza Harvey said the new police station would be a major regional hub for local police teams, rapid response teams and detectives. "This project recognises the growing needs of the south-east metropolitan corridor and will equip officers with the latest resources to help combat crime and anti-social behaviour in Armadale and surrounding suburbs," Ms Harvey said. "Since 2008, the State Government has invested $400 million in building new, replacing old and conducting major refurbishments on police stations across Western Australia." Attorney General Michael Mischin said the new justice centre complex would ease pressure on the court system and enable the State Government to appoint additional Magistrates and court staff. "By increasing the number of courtrooms and Magistrates we will be able to reduce the time between offenders being charged, convicted and potentially locked up," Mr Mischin said. Fact File
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"Beach enclosures are an important component of the Liberal National Government's shark hazard mitigation strategy and are proving to be incredibly popular with swimmers and families," Mr Barnett said. "The Government has invested more than $33 million on shark hazard mitigation measures including research, public education, shark tagging, aerial patrols and a trial of drones. "No single measure alone will protect water users from shark interactions, but a complementary suite of measures will reduce the risk." The Premier said the first enclosure was trialled in Old Dunsborough in the South-West and the Government had helped fund additional enclosures at the Busselton foreshore, Middleton Beach in Albany and at Quinns Beach, north of Sorrento, where an enclosure would be installed in January 2017. The Government has contributed $400,000 to the Sorrento enclosure, more than those at other beaches because engineering challenges associated with the water depth and Hillarys' seawall added to the cost. The City of Joondalup contributed a further $500,000. The enclosure extends 270 metres seawards from its attachment at the Sorrento groyne and 430 metres across to its attachment point at the Hillarys seawall. It is large enough to accommodate nippers' programs and is expected to be popular for other training programs and water-based events, such as triathlons. Mr Barnett said Western Australia had an amazing coastline and the beaches and ocean represented a core part of our way of life. "The ability to swim and train within a protected area will make a significant difference to people's peace of mind and enjoyment when undertaking ocean-based activities," he said. Fact File Sunday, 18 December 2016
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Announcing the project today, Health Minister John Day said the investment highlighted the Liberal National Government's commitment to RPH. "This is an investment in the future of Royal Perth Hospital as a key health care centre of excellence," Mr Day said. "It is especially important for the major trauma unit, guaranteeing large rescue helicopters will be able to deliver patients to the centre, which has been recognised as a Level 1 facility by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons." Emergency Services Minister Joe Francis said the new helipad would ensure a seamless rescue helicopter operation at the hospital. "RPH currently receives between 160-300 direct landings per year, from as far afield as Albany and Dongara," Mr Francis said. "The development of the new helipad coincides with the recent Civil Aviation Safety Authority standards upgrade for helipads, set to take effect by December 2018." Mr Day said the latest project took the Liberal National Government's capital works investment in Royal Perth Hospital to more than $56 million since 2008. Aside from the $19.5 million infrastructure enhancement and operations maintenance allocation in May 2015, significant RPH capital works since 2008 include:
"The Government is focused on delivering quality, efficient care as close to the community as possible, and that includes for our growing inner city population. The hospital also supports high-quality research and education facilities." Work on the new helipad will start in 2017, for completion in 2018. The existing helipad will continue operating while the new facility is built. Fact File
Sunday, 18 December 2016
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Deputy Premier and Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said that the centre's 'The Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Rural Run Off-Road Crash program in WA' found the program, which included audible line edging, wire rope barriers and shoulder widening, to be effective overall in reducing both the frequency and severity of run-off-road crashes. The evaluation found that roads worked on under the program led to an average 35.5 per cent reduction in run-off-road crashes, an 18.4 per cent reduction in run-off-road casualty crashes and a 25.6 per cent reduction in run-off-road killed and serious injury crashes. "The State Government recognises the importance of the road safety treatments, that is why we've invested more than $237 million to widen road shoulders, create audible edge lines and install wire barriers in regional Western Australia over the past five years," Ms Harvey said. "Audible edge lines create noise and vibration when they come into contact with tyres, alerting lone drivers who may be tired or distracted while covering long distances. "The shoulder widening and sealing provides drivers with a greater opportunity to recover safely before their vehicle hits the soft edge of the roads, reducing the potential for them to lose control." The Deputy Premier said the $237 million of safety treatments in regional Western Australia over the last five years had made hundreds of kilometres of roads safer with shoulder widening, sealing, audible edge lines and wire rope barriers. The research recommended that the run-off-road crash program be continued. "This financial year, the Liberal National Government allocated a record $155 million from the Road Trauma Trust Account towards proven road safety initiatives, including $65 million for the regional run-off-road program," Ms Harvey said. Fact File
Saturday, 17 December 2016
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MyWA will eventually allow people to pay their utility bills, apply for licences and access most government services anywhere. Launching the myWA alpha site, Innovation Minister Bill Marmion said the prototype would give members of the public the chance to test an early version of the web portal and give feedback on the design, content and functionality. "Our vision is for the West Australian community to be able to access most government services anywhere, anytime, using any digital communication device," Mr Marmion said. "This alpha or 'test' version of the site we are launching today is the first stage of the myWA Government Digital Services Portal - members of the public can go on the site to access existing government digital services and provide feedback on their experience. "More than 80 online services can currently be found using the portal, from paying for car registration or public housing rent through to applying for a national police clearance certificate, seniors card or fishing licence." Users are encouraged to register as 'alpha testers' and provide feedback on whether the site is useful and what they want included in the future. "This is a great opportunity for the public to tell us what they prefer when seeking to access government services," the Minister said. The myWA alpha site will stay live through the first half of 2017 with updates being made during the development phase based on user feedback. It will then be replaced by a more robust and refined 'beta' site. "Any government moving into the digital space needs to deliver what the community wants to see, not just what governments think is important - our approach will go a long way toward making that happen," Mr Marmion said. Fact File
KidSport changes for 2017
KidSport engages eligible youth 5 – 18 years in sport and recreation by providing financial assistance of up to $200 towards club fees. From 1 January 2017 the following changes will be in place: 1. Applicants listed on a valid Health Care or Pensioner Concession card should now:
2. KidSport no longer has referral agents.
For more information visit www.dsr.wa.gov.au/kidsport or contact your closest local government office. |
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