Kieran Noonan for Council

A very big thank you to all who voted in the recent local govt elections. It's an honour to be part of the Capel Shire Council for another 4 years. I'm especially looking forward to working with the Economic Development Advisory Committee and the Trails Working Group. Cheers!

Coolingup or Coolingnup?
Both spellings refer to the same Aboriginal place; the area around the Capel River and west to Minninup. The difference is simply down to different European written interpretations of the spoken word. The ‘g / gn’ sound at the end is actually made not on the exhale, as virtually all English sounds are made, but is made on the inhale, at the top of the mouth / back of the throat. The Coolingup spelling seems to be the most common and easiest for most European / new Australian people to pronounce with confidence.

I am proud to be part of the Capel Shire Council that has decided to ask our ratepayers and residents what they think of the name of the Shire. It is a good exercise for any organisation to examine the core of its identity from time to time. I believe this opportunity for community reflection is the first time it has been considered in 121 years, so it is not done lightly. I hope the discussion heard by those who attended the Council Meeting in person or online last Wednesday allayed any concerns people might have for the process. If there is a strong sentiment expressed by the majority of responses that the name of Capel Shire should not change, then that is indeed a valuable affirmation.

It’s interesting to reflect that many historic sources speak of this ‘hitherto unknown’ river being ‘discovered by F. Ludlow in 1834’… which is of course a very Euro-centric view of history. A parallel today would be someone coming from another part of the world (eg New Zealand, South Africa etc) and giving the river a completely different name and then expecting that to become the official title. Popular acclaim and acceptance always depends on the population you are sampling!

Personally, I am in favour of dual naming. When you consider that this area was known as Coolingup not for hundreds, or thousands, but for tens of thousands of years, from a time even before the pyramids of Egypt were built, it would seem to me to be somewhat ungracious if we were to ignore or dismiss such a vast human history and connection to place. This area has been a home providing refuge and sustenance not just for a handful of generations, but for thousands. If we were to embrace the original name, I believe it would go some considerable way in truly connecting us and our descendants as a whole community to this special place that we are privileged to call home and to care for during our brief time here.

FOWLER ROAD - OFF THE TABLE.
Please be aware that while recognizing the considerable degree of support for the Fowler Railway Road route as an alternative for the BORR, I also appreciate that there is considerable opposition to it, just as there has been to the Red and Green routes. In light of this, I will no longer propose this as an alternative alignment for the BORR. Instead, I will from now on advocate the simplest position; that the Govt complete a link from the central BORR across to Bussell Hwy via the Centenary Road Reserve. That's all. I believe this will suffice for at least the next 20 to 30 years, and beyond that it is the responsibility of the State Govt, Main Roads, the Bunbury Geographe Sub-Regional Strategy Group and the Shire of Capel to investigate any future transport corridors that may or may not be required. I hope this clear and unequivocal statement will relieve the concerns that some people have felt. I apologize for the angst that my previous advocacy for that route caused.

A very sincere thank you to all who voted in the Council elections, not just for me or the other successful candidates, but for all of the 13 candidates who nominated.
Thank you too to the former Councillors for their years of dedication and service.
And thanks also to the Council Staff who have worked hard this week to ensure a efficient and informative transition.

Boyanup deserves a better bypass. The current council plan is for the red route, 5km long, passes within 100m of dozens of homes, only 700m from the current main street. It will act as a collar, cutting off existing semi-rural properties immediately west of Boyanup and restricting development of the town. The black route is 4km, connects into the southern end of Fowler Road, avoiding all homes by 200m. It provides the opportunity for Boyanup to develop out to the bypass. Ask the people of Gelorup what happens when bad plans are left on the books. Vote to change the council, and change the bypass.

We need to tell the Govt to build a better bypass for Bunbury, Gelorup and for Boyanup. It's easy - shorter, cheaper, more efficient

Ballot papers have arrived, so it's time to have your say

More good news! The Victory Moodjar, the second biggest in the world, has been listed on the National Register of Big Trees. Here is the link
https://www.nationalregisterofbigtrees.com.au/listing_view.php?listing_id=1331

Special thanks to Derek from the National Register for processing these so promptly. Hopefully the National Trust will be able to assess it very soon as well.

As a long shot, we've sent a request to Sir David Attenborough to present Certificates of Recognition of Sacred Trees to the Greater Bunbury Aboriginal Community Elders Group and the Shire of Capel.

Thank you to all who are doing so much to preserve this sacred space.

Tree Register : National Register of Big Trees