Focus on Katanning

Plans for a series of multicultural, Aboriginal, youth and childhood focused projects were in the spotlight when Shire of Katanning councillors and members of the Community Development Working Group were taken on a tour of the town last Thursday.

The group comprised representatives from various government departments, cultural, indigenous and youth organisations based in Katanning, Albany and Perth.

Among those on the tour were Shire councillor Ainslie Evans, Shire community and recreation services manager Sam Davis, community development officer Jessie Dixon, youth development officer Ziagul Sultani, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace relations deputy State manager Ian Richards and the Department’s education, skills and jobs co-ordinator for the Great Southern region, Geoff Belz.

Some made the trip from Perth and Albany for the tour, which showed proposed sites for six initiatives as part of Katanning’s SuperTown status through the Royalties for Regions Scheme.

The projects include multicultural and Aboriginal engagement enhancement, a language learning centre, migrant transition centre, community youth initiative, multicultural interpretive centre and early childhood hub.

Funding of $155,000 has already been allocated to the projects and a business case for each initiative is expected by the end of September.

The business cases will be submitted for more grants in the next round of SuperTowns funding.

SuperTowns community development officer Jessie Dixon said the tour aimed to introduce the group to the town’s attractions.

“We are hoping that the relationships we build with the community groups will form partnerships that will last longer than the business cases,” she said.

After the tour, attendees were joined by community members at a meeting where the projects were discussed. Mr Belz was impressed by the proposed projects.

“Community development in any small town is important and I think particularly across these towns where there is a degree of disadvantage,” he said.

Later this year, surveys of each project will be available to the community for feedback. Surveys will be available from the Shire.