[box]ROY REEKIE is running as an independent in the by-election for South West Coast. Here he writes about improving the rail service:[/box]

[quote]

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] I[/dropcap]n what’s been a confusing by-election so far, we have our first certainty. The South West will get its extra daily train service.

Last Wednesday, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy stood at Warrnambool station, flanked by a bank of dark suits, to announce that ‘a Coalition government’ would introduce a fourth daily service from Warrnambool; that is, IF the Coalition is elected back into government in 2018 or some election beyond. That’s not much of a guarantee. There are too many ifs and too much waiting.

I can go one better.

If I’m elected as your independent member for South West Coast on 31 October, I  guarantee that we will have an additional daily train service out of Warrnambool by this time next year.

I will also work with the community and the government to reform our train service to improve comfort, reliability, frequency and guaranteed, no excuses inclusion of people with mobility issues. I will make the train service safer and more convenient for  older people and young families. I will work on the government and the opposition to achieve a long term infrastructure investment plan for track upgrades and duplications so that our future rail services are faster, more comfortable and modern.  This is what’s required; not just a promise of an additional train here and there.

How will I do this? On Wednesday next week , I will announce my comprehensive rail policy at Warrnambool station just prior to the lunchtime train. Then, you need to vote on October 31 to make South West Coast marginal. If I’m elected, I’ll take it from there and deliver what we need.

I welcome the Coalition’s commitment to an extra train service. I don’t think it goes far enough or will happen soon enough, but I welcome it. And I say this to Mr Guy and Mr Walsh: if I’m elected, I expect your full support on the floor of the Parliament on this issue.

Roy Reekie

Ferguson Street Warrnambool.

(PO Box 882 Warrnambool 3280

Facebook: Roy Reekie, Independent candidate for South West Coast)

[box]MICHAEL McCLUSKEY is running as an independent in the by-election for South West Coast. Here he writes about improving education:[/box]

[quote]

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #8F9F59;”] A[/dropcap]ccess to affordable education is a cornerstone pillar of how successful a society is when it comes to economic and social development. If we look at any community throughout the world the more freedom people have in being able to access education, the more developed and evolved that society becomes particularly in relation to it’s economic and social well being.

Many studies have shown a strong association between better education and economic growth. The impact of this education continues throughout generations owing to the fact that educated individuals are more likely to nurture healthier and more educated generations

Education is one of the key determinants of an individual’s empowerment within their society. It is one of the reasons why totalitarian regimes try to prevent the access of children, especially young girls, to a full and broad education. The International Conference on Population and Development has stated that ‘Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process.’ Also a a study by the International Centre for Research on Women highlighted that ‘Women are more likely to control their own destinies and effect change in their own communities when they have higher levels of education’.

Education needs to be thought of as a ‘many rather than one’ pathway.

I think we need to be cautious in our tendency to sometimes believe that Year 12 and beyond is ‘the be all and end all’ of education. The trade, technical and other creative pathways are all valid and important pathways and it is crucial we provide and foster the options that best suit each individual rather than trying to push people down paths that might not be a good fit for them.

The Victorian ombudsman’s recent report on prisoner rehabilitation highlights the importance of the link between education access and social well being. The report noted that the Year 12 or equivalent completion rate amongst Victorian prisoners has varied between 5 and 7 per cent over the last decade compared to a Year 12 completion rate of 89% for 20-24 year olds in the general population.

I also lament the way the Victorian TAFE system has been underfunded in recent times. It may take a number of years before we fully appreciate the economic and social cost of having failed to properly fund our TAFE system.

I struggle to see the wisdom in bringing in large numbers of foreign workers on 457 work visas on one hand and then on the other failing to provide a well funded and sustainable education system that could train up the skilled workers we need from within our own community.

Our political system needs to do all it can to improve the accessibility to education at all levels for all people.

Dr Michael McCluskey B.V.Sc. (Hons.)

Independent Candidate

South-West Coast electorate

(8 Megan Ct, W’bool.)

By Carol Altmann

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A5CECD;”] T [/dropcap]he South West International Women’s Day Art Prize is fast becoming one of the premier competitions for women artists across the region, with more than $4000 in prize money for the 2016 event.

Organisers Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West are offering a $2000 cash first prize – up from $1500 for the inaugural event – with the winning work to be acquired by the group and also featured on the cover of its annual report for 2016-17.

A $1000 cash prize will be awarded to the runner-up, with another $1000 cash prize for best emerging artist.

Bluestone Magazine is also, for the first time, sponsoring the People’s Choice award of $250.

Emily Lee-Ack, Executive Officer of Women’s Health, said the response to the 2015 inaugural event had been “unexpected and astonishing”, with the group expecting perhaps a dozen entries and receiving more than 70 that responded to the theme of “Women and Place”. (First prize was won by Marion Manifold).

The group is expecting a similar response to the 2016 prize, which has the theme of  “Hope”.

“Hope is a very broad theme that means a lot of different things to a lot of people,” Emily said of the choice.

“It is also a very uplifting and positive theme and we would like to think that there is a growing sense of hope in the community about how things can be changed. Without hope, we are lost,” she said.

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A5CECD;”] E [/dropcap]mily said the prize, which will again be hosted by The Artery, in Warrnambool, demonstrated the commitment of Women’s Health to not only advancing women’s health interests, but also supporting women more broadly.

“The prize is one way of supporting and promoting women in a really positive way…and making their work visible in the community, not only during the exhibition, but with the winning work finding a permanent home in our space,” she said.

“It also reminds us of the great value of women in our community and renders this visible, where they are so often not visible.”

In anticipation of the same response to this year’s prize, a panel will be chosen to select those entries that will make up the 50 or so to be exhibited. A guest judge – who is yet to be finalised – will determine the winners.

The prize is open to women living in the councils of W’bool, Colac-Otway, Glenelg, Southern Grampians, Corangamite and Moyne.

[box]The South West Women’s IWD Art Prize will run at The Artery from February 26 to March 13, 2016. Entries close on January 28. Detailed information about how to enter will be available on the Women’s Health website from Tuesday Sept 29. For further information you can also contact Emma Mahony: emahony@womenshealthbsw.org.au or phone (03) 5500 5490.[/box]

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Comment – Carol Altmann

It is a question that has been swirling around Warrnambool for a fortnight – now that Mayor Michael Neoh has been preselected to run for the National Party, why is he still Mayor?

It is more than two weeks since Mr Neoh switched parties from the Liberals to the Nationals so that he had a clear run at the October 31 by-election for South West Coast without having to endure a potentially bruising preselection battle inside the Liberal Party.

In that one move Mr Neoh revealed many things, not least that – like any politician in the making – he will use whatever political advantage he can to boost his chances of election, even if it means swapping parties.

His refusal to step aside from his role as Mayor is another such move.

For no matter how you look at it, staying in the mayoral role for as long as possible is all about gaining a political advantage.

By wearing both hats, as a mayor and as a National’s candidate, Michael Neoh doubles his public profile.

Sometimes he is out and about as the Mayor, other times he out and about as the candidate for the Nationals, and sometimes he swings between both and – for the average person – it can be hard to tell the difference.

It also means Mr Neoh – as Mayor – has access to opportunities and information that would not be available to him as just a member of the public.

I am not suggesting Michael Neoh has improperly used these opportunities for his own political gain, but the fact is that when he now attends any public event, he is seen as both the mayor (not the former mayor) and the Nationals candidate.

It also means when he reads any council documents, attends any briefings, or receives any other information as Mayor, he has to be disciplined enough not to let it have any influence on his election campaign.

Again, I am not suggesting Michael Neoh has been anything but disciplined in this regard, but the potential conflict of interest looms large.

No wonder the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) describes the “politicisation” of local councils from councillors running for state or federal parliament as a “contentious” issue.

When Mr Neoh was first nominated by the Nationals on Sept 10, he said he would take leave when the election date was set (the issuing of the writ).

The election date was announced 10 days later on Sept 17, but, in the meantime, it appears Mr Neoh ran a magnifying glass over the rules and found he could stretch his time in the chair even longer.

The MAV says, as a minimum (not a maximum), a councillor running for Parliament should take leave when the electoral commission is formally notified of their candidacy. The last date for this to happen is October 2.

Again, in a smart political move, Mr Neoh is applying the bare minimum of what is required and will stay on for as long as possible to gain maximum exposure during the by-election campaign.

We did ask Mr Neoh, via email, if he was using any of his mayoral time, allowance, car or mobile phone for his campaigning. We also asked about the potential conflicts of interest as outlined above.

This was his response:

“I have a campaign car that I use and also non council equipment.

I am following the MAV policy in regards to taking leave of absence and I do not use mayoral invited functions to campaign.

If I meet with stakeholders outside of Council duties and as a candidate I make it very clear that I am an election candidate and are not representing council.”

The boundaries, in Mr Neoh’s eyes, are very clear. But I know they are far less clear to the general public, many of whom are asking why he has not “done the right thing” and stepped aside.

Guidelines are just that – guidelines – and it is up to the individual to decide whether they wish to follow them to the letter, or embrace the spirit of their intent.

Bluestone also asked Mr Neoh, straight up, why he was staying on as mayor until the final hour.

We have not yet received an answer.

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DC943C;”] I [/dropcap]f you have ever wanted to power across the finish line of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic without having to ride 250-plus kilometres, this is the year you can do it.

As part of the 100th race celebrations on Saturday October 17, the Warrnambool Citizens Road Race Committee is launching a fun, family-oriented cycling event with a French twist, the Roobaix de Bool.

But unlike the gruelling 258km classic road race that includes several, lung-busting hills, the Roobaix de Bool is all about taking it easy and having a good time.

Riders will have a leisurely five hours, starting from 8am, to complete a scavenger hunt around the back streets, main streets, shops, tourist spots and secret nooks and crannies of Warrnambool, where they will either collect specific items, maybe take a “selfie”, or answer a question.

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DC943C;”] O [/dropcap]nce they have completed the “hunt”, the final stop is to cross the finish line of the historic race – well before the competing cyclists arrive of course! – but in time to cheer them home.

“You don’t need to be a cyclist, you don’t even need to own a bike – just any non-motorised way of getting around,” says committee member and co-organiser Sandra Maguire.

This means you can turn up on a scooter, roller skates, or even a penny farthing, but perhaps leave the horse at home and also the dog.

And riders don’t need to worry about squeezing their legs and backsides into Lyrca.

“It is also definitely a Lycra-free zone,” Sandra laughs, “so we are encouraging people to dress in whatever they like: the more outrageous or creative, the better.”

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DC943C;”] T [/dropcap]he Roobaix de Bool was inspired by the Melburn Roobaix, which takes riders through the back streets and alleyways of Melbourne, and that event, in turn, was inspired by the famous French cycling race, the Paris-Roubaix.

The Paris-Roubaix began in 1896, one year after the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, and is best-known for taking riders across long sections of lumpy, bumpy, slippery cobblestones – no wonder somebody invented padded cycling pants!

Sandra and co-organiser Dean Picken hope the Roobaix de Bool will add another dimension to what is already a feature event on Warrnambool’s sporting calendar.

“We hope it will take people to some of the parts of Warrnambool that they don’t see every day, or may not even know about, while also getting out, exercising and having a good time,” Sandra says.

The Roobiax de Bool will also be a part of what is a history-making event.

The 100th running of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic has seen a huge response from riders, with registrations selling out within six minutes of opening. This year will also see a record number of women cyclists competing in a separate women’s category that is being held for the first time.

Author and former race director John Craven was also commissioned to write a history of what is Australia’s oldest one-day cycling race and the second oldest one-day cycling race in the world. His book, The ‘Warrnambool’, was released earlier this month.

[box]The first 200 registrations for the Roobaix de Bool will receive a free, quality musette bag. Entry is $20 adults and children under 16 free. You can find more information and register here.[/box]

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