Tree Planting Project » Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley

Growing Through COVID, Together: Tree Planting Project

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact globally. The lockdown period was tough on our community members, yet we've all managed to pull through, together.

To celebrate our community's resilience, the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley held a 'Growing through COVID, together' event in Wyndham on 31 March 2021. Community members and Wyndham students assisted in planting new flame trees at Croc Park to signify the community's growth during COVID.

The tree-planting project is also part of the Wyndham Town Revitalisation program. The Wyndham depot team has planted 50 new trees around town. It was identified as a priority at the Wyndham community consultation that was held in August 2020. Below are the outcomes from that consultation.

Wyndham Town - Community Consultation: August 2020

Culture and Heritage
Signage	Update signs for tourists to find attractions and facilities Potential for dual naming for places on signs would be ideal signs along the highway - entrance to town prior to Bonaparte Street (between existing boabs)
Big Croc	Paint big Croc Potential upgrade of facilities i.e. BBQ Area Pop up food vans would be good in this area
Art Centre	Investigate the potential for art/cultural centre on vacant land
Public Art	Public art to be installed within the croc park and to Reserve 44714 (Bonaparte) Public art at Crock Park - similar style to Warriyu

Connection to Surrounding Environment
Seating	Keep seating the same as in croc park - it is functional install more seating
Plant and native trees	Don't plant too many trees on the highway - will reduce visibility and make it difficult to see pedestrians. No up lighting to existing boabs - don't put lights in trees Local fruit trees - mangoes? Bauhinia galpinnii Whitegums No Mahogany Bird nesting boxes Potential for Community Garden
Bins	More bins
Landscaping	Use local rocks for landscaping
Reticulation	Investigate retic options
Shade	More shade structures Shaded walkways and shaded areas

Improve Connectivity
Reserve 44714 (Bonaparte Street)	Use reserve for visitor parking/long vehicle parking (caravans, boats etc.) Toilets Public Art Establish a walkway/path between crock park and Reserve Relocate Visitor information sign/information bay
Lighting	More lighting Prefer bollard lighting rather than overhead Solar street lights
Footpaths	Footpath to link school with rec centre Upgrades needed on current footpaths - need to be disability compliant Shaded walkways and shaded areas

Building a Safer Community
Signage	Safety signage - within the Town Centre area. To advise vehicles that pedestrians/children are in the area install signs - 'no airbrakes to be used in the town area'
Pedestrian Crossing	Install crossing point between Croc Park and across to the northern side of Welch Street Need safety crossing near school & shops (with good lighting)

Economic Opportunities

Market

Have a Market Day somewhere in the town centre or the reserve – if long vehicle parking is put there.

Employment

Getting people involved in Shire projects (i.e training opportunities).

Tours

Do a virtual historical tour and incorporate local historical/ museum in the tour.

On the 19 November 2019, The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley held a Community Consultation workshop at the Peter Reid Memorial Hall in Wyndham.

The workshop was focused on revitalising the Wyndham Town Centre and over 35 community members attended to voice their ideas, concerns and options.

There were 5 Key discussion themes that linked to the Shire’s Strategic Community Plan, below are some of the ideas and comments mentioned by various community members:

WYNDHAM TOWN CENTRE RE-VITALISATION
COMMUNITY COMMENTS	PRIORITY AREAS
Improving Connectivity
Develop safe crossing points & pedestrian ramps Need for shaded footpaths to connect for point to point Maintain kerbing/ verges Assess and upgrade & maintain drainage as it is affecting walkways Have raised footpaths that can still be used during flooding Make footpaths wider Have Disability inclusion ramps onto paths Trucks having issues with cars with caravans stopping in middle of road and slowing them down. Bypass around town for trucks and service vehicles Need for measures to be put in to slow people down in cars-(especially around school areas)	Footpaths	Need for shaded footpaths to connect for point to point
		Have raised footpaths that can still be used during flooding
		Make footpaths wider
	Safe Crossings	Develop safe crossing points & pedestrian ramps
	Drainage	Assess and upgrade & maintain drainage as it is affecting walkways
	Verges/ Kerbing	Maintain kerbing/ verges
	Disability inclusion ramps	Have Disability inclusion ramps onto paths
Connection to Surrounding Environment
Shaded Seating (Out front of IGA and corner of Clovelly & hwy) More Reticulation & upgrade existing, and move further out-Need more water/bore More green grass More plants More native trees ( for shade, to attract birds, that will not drop branches nests etc. , low maintenance, water tolerant, Not all the same, Not thousands of boabs, fruit trees, bush tucker trees ( for fruit at Christmas time), No bougainvillea's) Paint Big Croc and update signage Put lights in trees at croc park Welcome to Wyndham signs	Seating	Shaded Seating and corner of Clovelly & hwy)
	Reticulation	More Reticulation & upgrade existing
	Green Grass	More green grass
	Plants & Native trees	More plants
	Plants & Native trees	More native trees ( for shade, to attract birds, that will not drop branches nests etc. , low maintenance, water tolerant, Not all the same, Not thousands of boabs, fruit trees, bush tucker trees ( for fruit at Christmas time), No bougainvillea's)
	Big Croc	Paint Big Croc and update signage
	Big Croc	Put lights in trees at croc park
	Signage	Welcome to Wyndham signs
	Trails	Bastion reserve - Three Mile Valley, Bastion walking trail, base of bastion walk
Culture & Heritage
Review location of heritage monuments as they may be in incorrect areas Aboriginal names of trees on plinths Main road to put up signage re:statue park Develop interpretive signage at iconic places (big croc, etc.) Update signs for tourists to find things Old photos on current facilities with interpretive signage-Virtual Reality Visitor servicing Grant/sponsorship for museum/ croc maps Info centre/ noticeboard crn Koolama	Signage	Main road to put up signage re: statue park
		Update signs for tourists to find things
		Develop interpretive signage at iconic places (big croc, etc.)
		Aboriginal names of trees on plinths
		Old photos on current facilities with interpretive signage-Virtual Reality
	Town Information	Visitor servicing Grant/sponsorship for museum/ croc maps
	Heritage monuments	Review location of heritage monuments as they may be in incorrect areas
Building a Safer Community
Review, replace and maintain all street lighting Old houses need fixing or demolishing Huge amount of asbestos lying around Lots of rubbish lying around-need more bins in town centre Need to look at measures to slow traffic down Develop a safe crossing Poor lighting in town Lighting needed at Croc Park Need no air brake signs/ change gears in town area Electronic sign telling people to slow down through town centre Need 90 km speed limit between 9 mile into town (lower the speed limit) Side road near Ngnowar Aerwah there is a timber logs retaining wall that is rotting and people sit on it. It needs to be removed or fixed. Tourists need tip pass or skip bin available in tourist season Develop a bypass Watch out for wildlife signs Make suitable playground for small Children Put Shade Sails over playgrounds	Lighting	Review, replace and maintain all street lighting
	Lighting	Poor lighting in town
	Rubbish	Lots of rubbish lying around-need more bins in town centre
	Rubbish	Side road near Ngnowar Aerwah there is a timber logs retaining wall that is rotting and people sit on it. It needs to be removed or fixed.
	Traffic	Need to look at measures to slow traffic down
		Need no air brake signs/ change gears in town area
		Electronic sign telling people to slow down through town centre
		Need for measures to be put in to slow people down in cars-(especially around school areas)
Promoting Sustainable Economic Growth
What would increase business in Wyndham? Population Growth, things were good when we had 1,500 people in town Jobs and job opportunities Funding for projects that create jobs We need a functioning TAFE, access to skills in town TAFE only here once a month Trades training in town, car mechanics, carpenters, welders Free or reduce the cost of training Staffing issues - people don’t have the skills to fill the jobs in town Training for people to do the jobs at the port A place for an art workshop where people can paint and carve and include a gallery for visitors to buy Art shop to stop humbugging Include history and information about Wyndham in the art workshop Get tour buses to stop in town on the way to and from the port Accommodation for people wanting to work in Wyndham, there is limited housing especially for single person accommodation Standard of housing in HomesWest, government worker and private rental market is poor - people won’t come because of the houses No accommodation for truck drivers Houses for people who want to work Overcrowding in some houses Need to promote Wyndham in Kununurra, more signs, signs on the highway Visitor Centre in Wyndham Places to eat visitors chat on the 2-way about how great Wyndham looks but complain there is nowhere to eat or have a drink Shared locations for business and community activities (café/eatery in the Supermarket Wyndham Port Waste Water Treatment - stopping businesses in the port reopening such as the pub and new businesses starting Boat Ramp maintenance - major drawcard for visitors to Wyndham Port Toilets More money from visitors Aboriginal tax or Levey start with just visitors 3 key values for Wyndham to guide investment in the town and set expectations for businesses like Airbus Airbus has not contributed to Wyndham, just fly in fly out workers Get Airbus to shop, stay in town Make the most when ministers and politicians visit the town - make the case for Wyndham, united voice of what we want and need investment in Three Mile Valley maintenance - make it an attraction again Create a Wyndham Leisure Centre - Air con hall, gym and a squash court What opportunities are there for new businesses? Visitors coming to Wyndham on the Melbourne flights Start an art gallery and workshop Pop up gallery A place to do and sell art Look at the Job Pathways Building (private ownership) or Old servo on Koolinda St. Visitor Centre in Wyndham Places for visitors to eat Café in the Port area Café or food van on the Bastion/ five Rivers Lookout Food van at the Port area Café or eatery in the Supermarket Café at the Halls Creek turn off (Cockburn Rest Area) Rusty Shed Café Tours, tour operators Fishing tours form Wyndham Port Cultural tours Make the bastion more of an attraction to draw in visitors—pop up shops on the bastion. Worker accommodation Truck drivers one bedroom accommodation Expand Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC Gym Wyndham Club opening hours, serve visitors, open on Sundays Expand the Port—build off existing businesses Access deep water Compete with Broome and Darwin Access to land for exporters and new businesses Shire support local businesses to grow and develop through awarding shire contracts Shire jobs in town Develop a cotton industry in Kununurra so that the cotton from Kununurra and Katherine comes through the Wyndham Port. Promote Wyndham Port and get new businesses to export through Wyndham rather than Broome and Darwin What businesses would you like to see in Wyndham? Car mechanic Tyre shop More cafés TAFE or other training providers in town More competition to lower prices Kununurra shops supporting the Wyndham community more, maybe some could have a Wyndham branch shop. Pub! Furniture shop Hardware store 24 hr petrol station (servo) We need to support existing business such as those operating through the Port. Access to water is expensive. Get behind the live cattle industry in Wyndham, you need to give them access to water, its free in Darwin but not in Wyndham. Cattle operators are starting to bypass Wyndham because of the cost of water. Broome and Darwin offer much cheaper even free water for the cattle while at the port, Wyndham are charging $4.95 per ** Cotton industry and a gin in Kununurra make sure the cotton comes through Wyndham Port. Cotton Growers on Katherine will bring their cotton through Wyndham then We could do with a Gym, consider putting it inside an existing shop/business so that it help the shop with more trade Businesses that contribute to the Wyndham Community Develop values for businesses to follow “this is our town and these are our values” Set expectation of employment for local people Invest in families Support community and invest in the streetscape Levey or tax on business to support Aboriginal people (Aboriginal Tax) Businesses that create things in town for people to do Get Airbus and other big businesses to employ local people, shop in town, stay in town Businesses that address food affordability on town More competition to lower prices so we don’t have to travel to Kununurra to shop. Wyndham Leisure Centre with an indoor air conditioned hall, squash courts and gym	TAFE	Bring back TAFE in Wyndham and make sure courses match jobs in town
	Art Centre or pop up gallery	Develop an Art Centre/Shop/workshop Develop services for visitors and residents such as cafés
	Visitors Centre	Marketing and promotion of Wyndham
	Housing & Accomodation	Address housing needs Worker accommodation / short stay accommodation
	Maintenance	Look after existing infrastructure in town Make town a nice place to visit Boat ramp
	Population growth	Need to maintain and grow the population in Wyndham Have Businesses that meet the needs of the community Establish Businesses that create jobs
	Port	Develop & Promote Wyndham Port as the premier export/import hub for the Kimberley Expand the Port to create sustainable jobs for Wyndham
	Business Ideas	Community Gym Food businesses to serve visitors and local Trade businesses - car mechanic, maintenance etc. Use Shire managed land for local business opportunities Improve the procurement process for small local businesses so they can win Shire work
	Other Economic Development ideas	Develop a Wyndham Plan capturing Wyndham’s values to guide investment in the town Develop a Wyndham plan to capture more revenue from visitors

The Shire would like to thank those that attended the November workshop, and would like to advise that a follow up session will be held late March (date & time yet to be confirmed) to discuss the following:

Clarification of priorities:

Review and discuss that the information collected is a true reflection of the community's comments and to ascertain, as a community, what the priorities should be

Discussion of potential partnerships:

Discuss what projects/ideas are within the Shire's capacity to undertake
Discuss what projects/ideas the Shire can advocate on the community's behalf to local stakeholders, State and Federal Governments.
Discuss how projects/ideas are considered, planned for and incorporated into the Shire budget and operational plans of the immediate, middle and longer term

If you would like to be involved or find out further information please contact Jennifer Ninyette, Manager Planning and Regulatory Services on 9168 4100.