Published on Wednesday, 4 June 2025 at 4:04:00 PM
Kaya Wanjoo (hello and welcome). I hope you are keeping warm during the current Noongar season, Makuru.
Makuru is the coldest and wettest time of the year. It was traditionally the time when Noongar people moved back inland and away from the coast.
It’s also the season where we join as a community to celebrate National Reconciliation Week (NRW).
Keep reading to find out more about our Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan 2025 – 2028 (RAP), tree canopy and the upcoming budget.
To celebrate NRW, we hosted various community and internal events to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
I was pleased to catch up with Rosemary Walley from Kambarang Services and Vaughn McGuire last week.
Vaughn presented me, on behalf of Vincent, Sticks of Authority – two beautiful, handmade traditional wooden leader totems.
This gracious gift will be permanently placed in the Council Chamber and serve as a reminder that Vincent has a role to play in working towards reconciliation with, and justice for First Nations people.
It was also fantastic to see the community gather at our free events.
From our first quandong jewellery making class with Fiona Reidy from Djinda Daal to damper making with Noongar Yorga woman Kaya Carson, people had the opportunity to learn more about traditional Noongar customs.
We are committed to holding engaging and interactive events that promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, languages and customs as part of our new Stretch RAP.
The goal is to make a positive impact within the community and continue our journey towards reconciliation.
We’re also currently consulting on our Enhanced Environment Strategy, and I encourage you to have your say.
This strategy will guide everything we do in the environmental and sustainability space.
It focuses on enhanced urban tree canopy and greening, protecting and managing our water resources, and promoting resource recovery to manage our waste.
One of the key proposed targets is to increase current numbers of canopy coverage on public land by 25 per cent and 12 per cent on private properties by 2030.
In the current changing climate, it is important that we plant as much as we can and encourage developers to retain significant species where possible.
We’ve already started our annual planting season, which will see 450 trees being planted across streetscapes and verges.
If you would like a new verge tree, visit our website before 30 September to secure your tree for next year.
We’re also focused on replanting following the loss of trees due to the polyphagous shot-hole borer infestation in parks and private properties.
Once the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development completes its removal of infested species on the two islands at Hyde Park, we will start our replanting program.
While it was heartbreaking to see the trees go, we are confident that the islands will thrive again with new, borer-resistant species.
We take confidence from our previous successful replanting of the eastern island about 12 years ago, when it was last cleared.
The end of the financial year is approaching, and we’ve been planning our budget for next year.
Over the past few weeks, the community has shared their thoughts on proposed rates.
As part of this planning, we’re looking to increase vacant residential rates by 25 per cent and 4.5 per cent for all other ratepayers.
The proposed increase for vacant residential properties aims to encourage property owners to develop their land during the State’s housing crisis and deter anti-social behaviour on unused and derelict sites.
Council will be considering the budget at this month’s meeting.
Best wishes,
Mayor Alison Xamon
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