Jess Chatfield: fighting for Framlingham forest

The Terrier – Carol Altmann

Young Gunditjmara woman Jess Chatfield speaks from the heart about her fight to save Framlingham forest and the Hopkins River from a bluestone quarry that is proposed for land nearby.

This 8min work was created by Jess under the guidance of Warrnambool’s best digital storyteller, Colleen Hughson, who is an extraordinary teacher.

This digital storytelling mentorship was funded by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, who generously supported an idea put forward by The Terrier and which has now come to life.

Jess is a natural storyteller and it has been a privilege to be a part of this mentorship and to learn so much from Jess and her family along the way. I am going to miss our Fridays, but this will not be the last you hear from Jess, I just know it.



WCC suffers mortal wound in Mayoral election bloodbath

Cr Kylie Gaston watches on as Cr Peter Hulin explains why the councillors deserve to be sacked. Image: Annie Cairn Terrier.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

The Fallout: Oh, if looks could kill.

How on earth does the W’bool City Council come back from the Mayoral showdown?

On Monday night there were more knives out than an episode of Masterchef; more blood on the floor than the Red Wedding, if thankfully of the invisible variety.

(If you missed the audio, it is a must listen. You can find it on the WCC website).

The truth is, it can’t recover.

You can’t un-say that someone betrayed you, that you were set up, that you were manipulated, or that the place is run by two political wolves in Crs Gaston and Neoh who urge you stick with them, then eat you up for breakfast.

You can’t un-say, as our Mayor elect did in a phone call, that you did a c*** act.

So here we are, right back to square one after three years, with a council split right down the middle.

For the council to keep blaming the media for eating its own head off is ludicrous.

This is a shambles all of their own making and it’s the natural outcome of backstabbing, disloyalty, power plays…and an obsession with control.

It is the sort of political bastardy that might happen when you are running for state politics, but it doesn’t wash here.

So the council will limp along with one arm and half a leg, like the Black Knight from Monty Python’s Holy Grail (“a mere flesh wound, sire”), until we get to the next election.

That election is 12 months away, but the search for fresh candidates must start now.

Who would you like to see re-elected? And who do you know who should be there? Your time starts now. #election2020

If you would like to support the work of The Terrier, please consider throwing something in the tip jar.

Terrier Tip Jar



WCC tearing each other’s heads off in mayoral race

Behind-the-scenes tensions among councillors have exploded into a full-blown battle in the fight to be Mayor. Image: Game of Thrones.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Isn’t the selection of Warrnambool’s next Mayor going well!

As of next Monday, we are most likely going to have a Mayor in Cr Tony Herbert who doesn’t want to be Mayor. Woo hoo!

Tony has told his fellow councillors he is tired, not sleeping at night and he doesn’t want any more of the stress that comes with leading a city that is finding its voice, even if it pays around $77,000 a year.

Tony is done with the top job and fair enough.

But wait, you can’t just leave, Tony, because the Mayoralty is not about putting people INTO the role, but keeping people OUT, don’t you get that?

This is why Cr Peter Hulin will never, ever, ever be Mayor, even though he is the second-most experienced councillor in the joint.

And this is why Cr Robert Anderson became Mayor five minutes after he was first elected and bumbled along as best he could for the first 12 months.

And this is why Cr Sue Cassidy won’t be allowed anywhere near the big chair, despite leaving the meeting with her fellow councillors last Monday night thinking she had the gig.

I heard she even opened a bottle of bubbles when she got home.

Sorry, false alarm, because Tony also went home, sat down, probably swigged a giant scotch, and realised he wanted to be mayor after all. Yeah, right.

Barry the Bullshite Detector can smell a political power play at 100 paces and senses his fellow political animals, Crs Kylie Gaston and Michael Neoh, were all over Tony’s change of heart.

If Cr David Owen was well enough to be the next Mayor, he would have been their choice.

But with Cr Owen out, Cr Anderson out, themselves out (unless Mike was mayor for the 400th time), and Cr Herbert out, the unthinkable loomed: a loss of control.

And we can’t have that.

So Tony has booked into the Hotel California and propped himself up for another round.

Ah, such is democracy, Warrnambool style.

If there was ever a case for the direct election of Mayors by the people, rather than by the power brokers, it is this one.

If you would like to support the work of The Terrier, please consider throwing something in the tip jar.

Terrier Tip Jar