Rebecca Pizzey Central Ward COJ

Another fantastic evening at the Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club Annual Awards Night, celebrating the people who give so much to keep our community safe on our coastline.

It was wonderful to see so many dedicated volunteers, members and contributors recognised for another successful season. The commitment, leadership, camaraderie, and community spirit within the club is truly something special.

This year was particularly special for our family, with my daughter starting Nippers for the very first time. We thoroughly enjoyed our first season at the club, and seeing over 700 Nippers participate each week is incredibly impressive. The organisation, patience and volunteer effort behind the scenes is enormous.

A huge hats off to Nippers Manager Dawn and all the volunteers who make it happen week after week. Your dedication creates such a positive, safe, and supportive environment for our kids and families.

Particular thanks also to Club President Steve Dargie for returning for a second time as President and leading the club through another highly successful season. Leading one of the State’s largest surf clubs is no small task and your commitment and leadership is greatly appreciated by members, volunteers and the wider community alike.

Congratulations to all award recipients, life members, and volunteers recognised on the night, and thank you to everyone at Mullaloo SLSC for the quiet hard work that keeps our beaches safe and our community connected.

Great to see the wonderful work being done by Meerilinga Woodvale during Neighbourhood Centre Week 👏

Neighbourhood centres play such an important role in building strong, connected communities by creating spaces where people can meet, learn, volunteer, seek support and form lasting friendships.

I’m always happy to support such an amazing local centre that was also a place of connection for me when my boys were little. Like many local families, I spent time there through those early years, and I know firsthand how valuable these community spaces are for parents, children and residents of all ages 💛

It was fantastic to see so many people come together to celebrate this year’s theme, “Your Place to Connect.” Congratulations to everyone involved in making the event such a success, and thank you to the staff, volunteers and community members who continue to make Meerilinga Woodvale such a welcoming place for our community.

I also look forward to supporting Meerilinga in future collaborations and community initiatives — watch this space 👀✨

To everyone raising concerns about the wildlife at Woodvale Drive. Thank you. This matters, and your voices are important.

For transparency: I voted against Scheme Amendment 15. I also moved at the May 2024 meeting to have the Waterview Drive connection excluded from the development — that motion was not supported.

I want to be clear that the City of Joondalup officers are doing what Council directed them to do. The accountability for this outcome rests with the decision that was made.

What has been lost or is at risk of being lost on this site cannot be understated. The mature native trees that once defined this landscape are irreplaceable on any human timescale. The hollows that Carnaby's Black Cockatoos depend on for nesting take well over 100 years to form. You cannot clear a site, plant some new trees, and call it offset. The black cockatoos that have called this area home do not have 100 years to wait.

The conditions attached to the approval — including a Fauna Management Plan addressing relocation practices for the fauna identified on-site, were included because the consequences for the resident kangaroos and black cockatoos were entirely foreseeable.

The community has every right to ask how and when those conditions are being enforced. I will continue to advocate on this and raise these concerns through the appropriate channels. Please feel free to reach out to me directly.

WA sits on some of the world's most valuable natural gas. So why are we broke?

Gas companies spend more on public relations than they pay in Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. And as a nation, we collect more through HECS a student loan scheme for universities, than we do from taxing the extraction and export of our own natural gas.

Australian students contributing to the cost of their education generate more public revenue than multinational corporations taking non-renewable resources offshore forever.

And who writes the rules? Too often, the same politicians who retire straight into lobbying roles for the very gas companies they were meant to regulate. That's not a conspiracy theory, it's a documented pattern that should concern every Australian who believes in government that serves the public, not the industry.

Is this a local government issue? Strictly not really. But when the State Budget lands and I see the funding pressures flowing down to communities and services, I can't help but ask:

Where else are we not getting our fair share?

This one industry tells a very big story. Western Australians deserve better answers.

🩺 International Nurses Day — some honest reflections. 💙

Twenty-two years as a nurse has given me more than I can put into words.

The privilege of being trusted in someone's worst and best moments. The gift of never knowing what the day will bring. The extraordinary ordinary of showing up and making a difference every single shift.

But today I want to be honest about what this profession costs.

Missed birthdays and rescheduled holidays.
Wages that haven't kept pace with the cost of living.
Patient loads that were unsustainable yesterday and are worse today.

We are losing experienced nurses at a staggering rate; not because the love is gone, but because the system has taken too much for too long. And behind them, a generation of passionate graduates finishing degrees full of promise, ready to serve with no guaranteed job waiting for them.

That is not good enough.

Nursing is not just a career. It is a vocation built on sacrifice, compassion, and an unshakeable commitment to others. It deserves formal workload standards, wages that actually reflect the value of the work, and a genuine pipeline that brings our graduates in and keeps our experienced nurses from burning out.

It is time for the government to start caring for the people who spend their lives caring for everyone else.

To every nurse working today — you are seen, you are valued, and you deserve so much more than applause. 💙

And a very special thank you to the nurses caring for my Abbie today. You are exactly why this matters. 💙

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🦘 Kangaroos on Woodvale Drive – Community Update

Following questions raised at our recent community meeting, I have received responses from the City of Joondalup and want to be transparent with you about those outcomes.

As your elected councillor, my role under the Local Government Act 1995 is to represent your interests and facilitate communication with the community, and that is exactly what I am doing here.

Digital warning signage - I requested that the City install digital signage along Woodvale Drive to warn drivers to slow down during the construction period. The City has declined this request. I am disappointed with this outcome and wanted you to hear that directly from me.

Community alert: I also requested that the City issue a social media alert warning residents about displaced kangaroo activity in the area. The City has also declined this request at this time. In the absence of the City doing so, I am fulfilling my obligation to keep you informed by posting this update myself.

Please slow down on Woodvale Drive. With site works now underway, kangaroos are being displaced and are moving through the area. Share this post and spread the word to your neighbours. 🙏

Vegetation and line of sight -The City reviewed the shrubs east of the church and confirmed there are no line of sight concerns.

Environmental assessment - The City is still reviewing the environmental assessments for the site. I will continue to follow this up and report back to the community.

What a morning. 💛

At dawn today, I joined council and dignitaries, and an estimated 3,500 of our incredible community members at the City of Joondalup's ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the War Memorial in Central Park.

Seeing so many people young children standing quietly beside elderly veterans, families, neighbours, strangers united by the same purpose is one of those moments that reminds you just how much heart this community has. It was deeply moving and truly uplifting.

A heartfelt thank you to Peter Gooch, RSL Vice President, who guided the service with great dignity as Master of Ceremony. Warrant Officer Scott Welham's address and Lisa Woodbrook's beautiful renditions of both National Anthems made for a tribute worthy of every soul we were there to remember.

Thank you to everyone who came out this morning. Your presence matters. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. Thankyou to present, past and future service men and women.

Lest we forget. 🇦🇺

☕ Come join us for a catch up at Dropinz Mullaloo this Saturday at 10:30am! Cr May and I will be there and would love to see you. Whether you've got something on your mind or just want a chat, come on down.
All are welcome! 😊

ANZAC Day is a special day on the Australian calendar.

Now more than ever it is important to show our respect to past, present and future service men and women.

I personally have a rich family history of service and am grateful for this.

People of all ages are welcome.
ANZAC cookies at the end of the service are a treat to share.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B7PpDQjLm/

ANZAC DAY 2026 | Saturday 25 April

Join the City and Joondalup City RSL Sub-branch to pay respects to the men and women of Australia and New Zealand who served and died in wars and conflicts around the world.

📌Central Park War Memorial, Grand Boulevard, Joondalup
📅Saturday 25 April
🕕arrive by 5:45am.

Tea, coffee and Anzac biscuits will be served at the end of proceedings, courtesy of the City.

❤️ A huge thank you to the incredible team at Whitford Catholic Primary School for taking such a powerful step to keep their school community safe! 🙌

We were so honored to have Brian J Omondi, and I welcomed in to chat all things ZaZa's Legacy - Choking Prevention Australia and help their amazing, passionate educators familiarise themselves with LifeVac — an airway clearance device that truly has the potential to save lives.

It was wonderful to see such dedication and enthusiasm from every single staff member in the room. These are the people who show up every day for our children, and now they're even more prepared to protect them. 💙

A very special thank you also to the Whitford Catholic Primary School Parents and Friends Association for helping to fund the implementation of LifeVac at the school. Your support makes all the difference. This wouldn't have been possible without you. 🙏

Thank you for opening your doors to us. Your commitment to the safety and well-being of your students is truly inspiring.

Together, we're building safer communities, one school at a time. 💛

Catholic Primary School Parents and Friends Association

🦘 Woodvale Development Update

Fauna & Subdivision Works

Many residents have been in touch this week regarding activity at the Woodvale development site, and I want to keep you informed of where things stand.

Following concerns raised about the removal of the site fencing, I can advise that the City of Joondalup has been actively engaging with the civil contractor and that I have been following this matter closely.

The City has now formally notified the contractor that commencing subdivisional works prior to the required Fauna Management Plan and Wetland and Revegetation Management Plan being approved may constitute an offense under the Planning and Development Act 2005. These plans were only received by the City late last week and are currently under review; A process expected to take up to three weeks.

Importantly, the City has requested that temporary fencing be installed along the full Woodvale Drive boundary as a priority to minimize the risk of kangaroos accessing the road. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has confirmed this is an appropriate measure.
The City has also made clear to the contractor that fauna relocation can only be undertaken by a trained fauna specialist; attempted removal by untrained persons risks serious harm to the animals.

As many of you will know, I fought hard during the council decision-making process to have Waterview Cul-de-sac excluded from connection to this development, and I raised serious environmental concerns throughout. While the outcome of that process was not what I had hoped for, I respect and accept the council's decision. My commitment to ensuring the environmental values of this site are respected throughout the development process has not changed — and it never will.

I will closely monitor this situation. If you have concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. 🌿