book.sorell - Flipbook - Page 2
2 - JUNE 2024
The Sorell
TIMES
Editor: Martine Haley
Ph: 6287 6122
Email: martine.haley@fontpublishing.com.au
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June 28, 2024.
A home truth from
the back of nowhere
IT’S a different kind of (acting)
mayor’s report this time.
I’m reporting in from William Creek, 1100km north of
Adelaide and well up SA’s
fabled Oodnadatta track on
the edge of Lake Eyre which
is now known as Kati-Thanda.
No one here seems to know
what that name exactly means
but given the nature of the
place it might have something
to do with being a lake that
only 昀lls once every 20 years.
And is 昀lling now.
Which is why I am here and
also why I am not standing for
Mayor of what I call ‘the happy
shire’ of Sorell.
My job has always been
to travel the world and while
being Mayor is not a full-time
job it probably needs a Mayor
who can say where he will be
this time next month.
Even though these days I
spend most of the year at home,
I can never predict when I will
be away.
And you probably don’t
want a Mayor who is a parttime travel writer. Although
that might make this regular
column in the Sorell Times a
little more colourful.
Now, at least I can report that
I am 昀ying over the nation’s
biggest pothole. The lake is
10,000 square kilometres and
at its deepest 18 metres below
sea level.
It’s the lowest place in Australia, so when there are great
rain events 2000 kilometres
to the north, the water 昀ows
MAYOR’S
REPORT
with Sorell acting mayor
CHARLES WOOLLEY
The only people who don’t
think this is ridiculous
tend to be some elected
councillors.
downwards to Lake Eyre.
I am writing this on my
iPhone in the front seat of a
Cessna 210, a single-engine
six-seater heading out on a
two-hour-昀ight to the north
of the lake.
More than 1000km back of
nowhere, you wouldn’t want
anything to go wrong out here.
But I am at ease and con昀dent
in the hands of pilot Trevor
Wright who is regarded locally
as the Mayor of William Creek.
He owns a 20-plane airline
as well as the William Creek
pub and the rest of the small
town, permanent population
about 10.
But last night 100 people
including my 昀lm crew stayed
in William Creek and the wonderful old pub was fuller than
the lake. It’s like that every
night.
Everyone is here, just like
me, to see the 20-year event
of a dry salt pan becoming the
biggest lake in Australia.
It has now become an inland
ocean, but with 10-times the
salinity of sea water.
“This is the inland sea our
昀rst explorers went looking
for,” Trevor tells me. “They
were in the right place but just
10 million years too late.”
I recommend that the time to
see the lake is right now.
Or in 20 years time.
The Lake Eyre basin is half
the size of NSW and many
times the size of Tasmania
and is a place where cattle stations can be six million square
kilometres.
Remote settlements like William Creek don’t have local
governments. They are run by
the South Australian Government’s Outback Community
Authority which allows smaller
places sometimes to go their
own way.
“Mayor” Wright has provided treated artesian bore
water and piped sewerage as well as solar power
for his small self-contained
community.
He was surprised to learn
that more than 7000 people living in Sorell’s beach suburbs
have neither supplied water nor
deep sewerage.
But not as surprised as he
was to learn that tiny Tasmania
with a little over half a million
people has 29 councils.
It is now my experience in
my state that the only people
who don’t think this is ridiculous tend to be some elected
councillors.
Don’t forget to register your
postal vote for Mayor and
councillor by 2pm, Thursday,
June 20.
Make your choice carefully
and consider the possibility that
if common sense prevails in the
new state parliament, the next
time you vote in a local council
election, it might be for a much
bigger one.
School upgrade on track
Working Dog 20kg
THE $27 million redevelopment of Sorell School is nearing completion.
Stage two works of the
contemporary new learning
facilities for students is now
completed.
Education Minister Jo
Palmer recently toured the
school.
“It was wonderful to see
first-hand how these new
spaces are already being used
and enjoyed by students and
staff,” Ms Palmer said.
“Stage 2 works included
demolition of old buildings
and construction of a new K-2
learning hub along with ‘The
Nest’ Child and Family Learning Centre, which was funded
separately by the State Government and commenced operating earlier in May.
“This important upgrade at
Sorell School will set up one of
Australia’s oldest continually
operating government schools
to support families in the region
well into the future.
“Our Government is investing in education facilities for
our students now and into the
future.”
Stages three and four of the
Sorell School redevelopment
are expected to be completed
towards the end of this year,
with works to refurbish the
Years-7-8 learning hub well
underway.
Prosser Liberal MLC Kerry
Vincent said generations of students would bene昀t from the
Government’s investment in
the Sorell School.
“I know there’s been such a
buzz in the community about
the Sorell School upgrade and
it is brilliant to see stage two
is now completed,” Mr Vincent said.
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GOT a news tip? The
Times is keen to hear
from readers about
what is happening in
the South East region
at the grassroots
level. Anything from
wedding anniversaries,
signi昀cant birthdays, local
achievements, milestones
and anything you think
your community would
like to read about. Please
send any ideas to martine.
haley@fontpublishing.
com.au and keep up your
support for your local
newspaper.
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