City Update - February 16
Aboriginal elders
Mayor Phill Stone, CEO Justin Commons and several Council Members got together recently with the Whyalla Aboriginal Elders and representatives, to take a tour of the new Civic Building on Grundel Street, and to discuss upcoming projects and opportunities to connect. Keep an eye out for more upcoming opportunities to meet with Council.
New starters
WELCOME TO THE TEAM Please help us give a warm welcome to Hayley Gooding, Cassie White and Rowena Barber, three new Assistant Childcare Educators at the Whyalla Childcare Centre. Since starting in January the trio have been a great addition to our team!
The City Growth team is thrilled to introduce Chloe Fisher, who has joined us as a Community Activation Officer with a special focus on youth. With her vast experience in the State Government working with youth in our community, Chloe is eager to bring about positive change. Let's give a warm welcome to Chloe!
The Whyalla Visitor Information Centre welcomes Vicki Robb, who has joined us as a Steelworks Tour Guide/Driver. Vicki has a long history of driving buses particularly on mine sites, we look forward to having her being part of our Visitor team. Let's give a warm welcome to Vicki!
Fiona celebrates 35 years
years!! 
Congratulations Fiona!! Thank you for all that you do - and have done over the past 35 years, we are very lucky to have you as part of our team😍 You bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to us all and we are very grateful for this and for you.
Capital rating feedback
A reminder that you still have until COB next Monday 19 February to provide feedback regarding the change to a Capital Value rating system. While the change itself is mandatory (as per State Government legislation), there are elements of the implementation on which residents can have their say. Feedback can be provided in-person at the 19 February Council meeting, or by emailing council@whyalla.sa.gov.au. Please read our full update and FAQ so you are equipped with all the relevant information: https://bit.ly/4aSRBHu
Rec Centre update
Works are continuing at the Whyalla Recreation Centre! The project is tracking on schedule, including the arrival of brand-new filters and pool pumps, which have now been installed for the main pool! We’ll continue to provide updates as the project progresses.
Tree pruning + MLS
The outdoor crew have been busy maintaining our city, including recent tree pruning work! Do you have any council-related work that needs attention in your area? Why not try submitting a customer request via our My Local Services (MLS) app! It’s free and super easy to use. You can find it on Google Play or the App Store. It also tells you which bins to put out each week, provides regular council updates, as well as plenty of other features – find out more here: https://bit.ly/42zLW4x
Sammy D
We were proud to support the Sammy D Foundation as they returned to Whyalla! The Sammy D Foundation had the opportunity to connect with eight different schools, sharing Sam's story, providing tools for students to use to keep themselves and their mates safe and fostering a violence-free future. To read more about the Sammy D Foundation, click the link: https://bit.ly/3OJkHPX
Unearth Festival
This year’s Unearth Festival is almost upon us In continuing our connection with the Adelaide Fringe, the ‘Funny Adelaide on Tour’ show will head to Whyalla as a lead-in act to our own festival. The show features three of Adelaide's best stand-up comedians and is set to be a fantastic night in the O Kipos garden on Thursday 22 Feb from 7pm. Tickets available here: https://bit.ly/3OHtphD.
Another exciting Unearth event that already has tickets on sale is the 360 Allstars, featuring BMX, basketball, break dancing, acrobatics, drumming and more! Proudly supported by Whyalla City Council, click here to book: https://bit.ly/42z1BSo
Stay tuned for details on the Unearth Festival very soon, be sure to follow Unearth Festival for all the updates – it’ll be a month-long celebration.
RIP Bruce Ledo
We were saddened to hear of the passing of Bruce Ledo – a former Council Member (2006-2010) who was passionate about Whyalla and getting positive outcomes for our community. As well as his contributions on Council, Bruce did a lot of work with local at-risk students, helping improve their educational and employment outcomes. His wife Vicki was also an integral member of our community, with our library’s Vicki Ledo room named in her honour. Vale, Bruce.
Library closure
The Whyalla Public Library is having a planned outage on Sunday February 25. It will remain open, but there will be very limited services on the day. There will be no access for the public to these services:
- NO Public PCs
- NO Print/scan and copy services
- NO Online catalogue
- NO Staff computers to help with check out/in and holds
- NO returns will be processed on the Sunday and will be processed on the following day so memberships will show items as outstanding and/or overdue
- NO access to the libraries SA APP – so no access to digital membership cards
- NO access to any 3rd party APPS ie: Libby, BorrowBox, Linked in Learning
The Self Check out machine is available if customers have a physical card. If customers have their card on their phone in the libraries SA APP, they won’t be able to borrow as we won’t be able to access the APP. Photo credit: Betty Nottle
Ultra Super Mega Fun Awesome Stadium Day
Get ready for another Ultra Mega Super Fun Awesome Stadium Day this weekend! Brace yourself for a thrilling adventure with brand new games. Conquer the 70ft Ninja Challenge, test your precision in the 9-hole mini golf and immerse yourself with our video gaming pods. Tickets are $5.90 and can be booked online. Don't miss out on the ultimate fun this weekend! https://www.whyalla.ymca.org.au/.../news-events/stadium-fun
Economic summit
The community will have a chance to hear directly from Premier Peter Malinauskas about his plans for the region’s future later this month, with the region set to host a three-day economic summit. The event is at the Westland Hotel on Sunday 25 February, starting at 4.45pm with a free BBQ. It’s open to the entire community, so be sure to book your place here: https://bit.ly/3OyFypd. Read our full release here: https://bit.ly/486r1Ii
Local Government elections review
The State Government is currently consulting on the election process for local government (councils), looking at how it could be improved - including increasing voter participation and the number of people nominating for council. The consultation also focuses on improving community engagement with councils more broadly. If you'd like to contribute, follow this link and have your say by 1 March: https://bit.ly/42toGFS.
Alligator Energy
Alligator Energy will be holding two informal drop-in sessions for community members to find out more about its Samphire Uranium Project, located 20km south of Whyalla (Mullaquana Road area). The sessions will be on Wednesday 21 February (between 3pm-7.30pm) and Thursday 22 February (between 10.30am-2.30pm) - no bookings required. Both sessions will be held at the Mount Laura Homestead, Ekblom Street. For further information, please contact the Alligator Energy team via feedback@alligatorenergy.com.au or (07) 3839 3904. You can also read about the project here: https://bit.ly/48mrRQZ
Youth parliament
Youth Parliament 2024 - Applications OPEN NOW! The YMCA South Australia Youth Parliament program is a non-partisan youth empowerment program providing a platform for young people aged 15-25 to voice their views on important issues, build leadership skills, parliamentary understanding, and learn about democracy. Youth Parliament focuses on personal development, empowering young people to be advocates for their community and to seek change by connecting youth voices and opinions with politicians and decision makers. To apply and view the program overview, click the link: https://bit.ly/49gE4b1
