Time of healingand reckoning for region

From jailed cult leaders to a guerilla graffiti activist, Kimberley Echo journalist Elise Van Aken looks back on the news highlights from the second half of 2019. JULY Dingo leads bush camp for indigenous health A premier men’s health initiative led by an Australian treasure was held in the East Kimberley. Men from the Strong Men, Strong Families program participated in the national Camping on Country program, with elders, support workers and Australian film and television legend Ernie Dingo’s Bush TV film crew, workshopping strategies to improve outcomes for themselves and their people. Plea to jail cult leader The survivor of a WA cultist’s sexual abuse said she fought a lonely battle to recover and urged a court to jail him. The now adult woman was abused by Kununurra man James Gino Salerno when she was a child and told South Australia’s District Court she still feared his worshippers would exact revenge for bringing down their “god”. Judge Paul Slattery later jailed Salerno for nine years, 51 weeks and five days. Remote flights set for take-off Kimberley airline Aviar struck a deal with the State Government to extend a twice-weekly service between Kununurra, Halls Creek and Balgo for another 12 months. The announcement was labelled a major win for tourism and business by Member for Kimberley Josie Farrer. Farm work bonus Farmers facing labour shortages in the East Kimberley welcomed a recent expansion to the working holiday visa program. The revised laws allowed a lot of skilled migrants from an increased number of countries to remain in regional areas for a third year. AUGUST ACCC push to cut insurance costs A national website comparing home insurance costs was among 13 new recommendations by the consumer watchdog to help those struggling with high premiums in the North West. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released the second update report of the Northern Australia Insurance inquiry. Iconic club grills Shire The Kununurra Race Club criticised the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley after it was obliged to apply for the same temporary caravan licence once again. KRC secretary Sally Thomas expressed her frustration at having to go through a lengthy application process each year to accommodate jockeys, trainers and staff during the racing season. Shire seeks lease over Ord Hill to boost tourism New tourist facilities were proposed by the Shire of Halls Creek to boost visitation. The Shire’s councillors voted to seek a lease from the State Government over the Ord Hill site between Halls Creek and Victoria Highway-Duncan Road intersection in the NT. The great scone-off For thousands of Gibb River Road travellers every year, Ellenbrae Station is a must-visit for its famous scones. But Parry Creek Farm near Wyndham usurped the Kimberley’s baking throne and took the inaugural scone-off trophy. SEPTEMBER Taking the bait After years of work on conditioned taste aversion, scientists came close to knowing if it could help save the Kimberley’s mammals and reptiles from extinction as cane toads continued their march across the north. The Department of Bio-diversity, Conservation and Attractions found throwing more sausages at the problem closer to the toad front was effective in teaching northern quolls to steer clear. Community mourns girl who lit up lives Wyndham girl Abbey Forrest, 11, died when she was thrown from the back of a ute in marshland about 150km from King River Road and 900m from Great Northern Highway. The St Joseph’s School student was named junior person of the year at the East Kimberley Aboriginal Achievement awards just the month before. Prawn plant delayed Construction of Kununurra’s planned prawn processing plant was pushed back. Seafarms told The Kimberley Echo all stages of the project were taking longer than planned. $30k catch for barra boss A Kununurra farmer was named one of WA’s “leading primary producers” and one of its three 2020 Nuffield scholars. Kimberley-based Marine Produce Australia’s Cone Bay Ocean Barramundi nursery manager Albertus Hanekom, who lives in Kununurra and works off the Derby coast, was awarded a $30,000 bursary to research ways to grow more seafood and manage stock. OCTOBER Let’s grow our region The Kimberley’s biggest annual conference attracted a strong field of politicians, business leaders and experts, all with the goal of growing the local economy. Tourism, agriculture, mining, infrastructure and small business were all the talk at the Kimberley Economic Forum. Border link beefed up Upgrades started on a major northern road between the East Kimberley and Northern Terri-tory, set to boost cattle export numbers and allow year-round access. Construction on the Keep River Road, about 47km north-east of Kununurra, started to improve access to the town and export facilities at Wyndham Port. Work to start on centre Sod was turned on a new medical centre in Kununurra, which would alleviate wait times for general practitioner appointments and increase the availability of specialists in the East Kimberley. Not-for-profit company Wunan Foundation, which operates the existing Kununurra Medical, signified the 57-61 Bandicoot Drive, Kununurra site was construction ready for the facility. Stable Shire wins vote The people of Wyndham-East Kimberley kept faith in the Shire by retaining all four incumbent councillors up for election. Cr Mat Dear took nearly 20 per cent of the vote, running on a platform of “continuity and stability” with Judith Farqhuar, Michelle McKittrick and Alma Petherick. No blame over blaze A prominent businessman, who defended his property from a week-long blaze, called for more volunteer brigades and fire education. Lake Argyle Resort owner and member of the on-site volunteer fire brigade Charlie Sharpe said the landscape was unrecognisable after 40 years of human-lit fires. NOVEMBER It’ll be the time of your life Movers and shakers from across the region banded together to market direct flights between Melbourne and Kununurra. The East Kimberley Marketing Group teamed with the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, Alliance Airlines and Kimberley Experiences to promote the region at the Tourism WA Trade and Travel Media Event in Melbourne. Like I give a pram Caravan park director and mother-of-three Maria Bolten Magnay said she would “shout from the roof tops” in defence of graffiti she sprayed in Kununurra’s town centre. Dubbed the “princess of Kununurra” by Kununurra Shopping Centre manager Brad Williams, Ms Bolten Magnay claimed dismissal of her six-year campaign to have the mall’s pram parking bays more clearly signed forced her to take matters into her own hands. Stop torching our region Kununurra Sen. Sgt Leeca Smith pleaded with firebugs to stop destroying the “beautiful town”. Lakeside residents were evacuated when a suspicious bushfire came within metres of homes. Five years of waste Taxpayers will fork out half a million dollars to bring an architectural award-winning aged-care facility in the remote Kimberley up to scratch, after it was left vacant for five years. Construction of the $12 million Garrenbawoorroom-boorroo Daam aged-care centre in Warmun, about 200km south of Kununurra, was completed in 2014, but it has not housed one person since. DECEMBER Farmers fight cuts to water Farmers in the Ord Irrigation Scheme will be back in court in March to continue a legal battle against a State Government decision to slash their water allocations by a third. The WA Department of Water and Environment Regulation wants to cut allocations for growers in the 15,000ha Ord Stage One area from 335 gigalitres to 246.3GL a year. We can see you A $1 million project hit East Kimberley streets, cracking down on break-ins, vandalism and reckless driving. Antisocial behaviour in Kununurra and Wyndham began being monitored 24/7 thanks to the Shire’s CCTV and lighting project. Suicide report goes to WA Government Young Aboriginal people across the Kimberley have produced a report containing 29 recommendations in response to the rate of suicides in the region. The 2019 Kimberley Empowered Young Leaders report has been circulated to key leaders at Federal and State levels with the intention of gaining support to improve the wellbeing of those at risk.