Local Esperance News Headlines

weekly wrap from Dempster Street


Article heading image for Local Esperance News Headlines


It has been a busy news week of news Esperance with several pertinent issues arising that directly affect the local community.  Here are the headline stories.

You can listen to the Catch Up podcast from the Sean for Breakfast show or you can read on...

WIFI around the Town Centre

Shortly you will be able to access free WIFI around the main parts of Esperance. The network will cover the area from the Whale Tale on the Foreshore up to Dempster Street and along to the Skate Park and Andrew Street.

Installation of the WIFI network will be funded through Royalties for Regions as part of the Supertowns program and not at a cost to the Esperance rate payer.

Internet goers will have a couple hours on the network and site resitrctions and download limits will apply. 

Pump testing completed at the Merivale tip site

Groups including the Merivale Tip Action Group and the community have already been disappointed with the confusion surrounding the suitability of the proposed tip site on Kirwan Road. Two separate investigations have yielded opposing results, so a new round of testing was conducted to provide a clearer picture. Now, the most recent results of pump testing done at the site has been received by the Shire.

An independent hydrogeologist has found that the site is underlain by Pallinup Siltstone with moderately permeability. The groundwater flow velocity calculated across the site approximately equates to ground water taking about 41 years to travel the 1.6km to reach the southern boundary if a leak from a landfill cell was to occur.

Principal Hydrogeologist Phil Wharton has stated within the report that “the site is moderately permeable and suitable for the construction of leachate recovery bores, should they be needed”. Recovery bores are used to intercept any contaminant material that has leaked from the tip lining construction.  

The Shire will now confer with the EPA and their consultants and decide what the next course of action will be, with the most recent testing results in mind. Considering the typical life of a tip site, the significant Shire investment existing on this proposal and and the pump test results, expectations are that the current site will go ahead, although this decision is FAR from being confirmed. 

Target to recall and refund baby clothes

A line of baby coveralls are being recalled at Target department stores across Australia.

15 styles of coveralls worth $10 were found to be faulty, with concerns dodgy zippers on the clothing could fall off and become a choking hazard for children. The coveralls in question were sold between February and June this year. Target will refund customers for any coverall products that have now been recalled. 

Further information can be found from the Target Customer Support Centre on 1300 753 567.

Voluntary redundancies on the way at the Esperance Ports

Southern Ports Authority have confirmed and asked for 18 voluntary redundancy for staff based at their Esperance facility. 

The announcement follows the resumption of operations at Cliffs Asia Pacific Iron Ore’s Koolyanobbing mine under new owner Mineral Resources on Wednesday, August 29.

Iron ore through Esperance Port is expected to continue at a volume of around 6 million tonnes per annum for the next five years, almost half the amount received in 2015 and 2016.

6 September 2018




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