Clare Paine - Busselton Wellbeing Advocate

15/04/2026

🚗⚡ With EV sales currently at record highs, Busselton Council have unfortunately voted to remove the current EV charger at the foreshore, with no replacement planned.

Right now, this will only impact a relatively small number of people, but that number is growing quickly as more locals and visitors switch to electric vehicles, driven by rising fuel costs and more affordable EV options entering the market.

The idea that there are “other chargers available” doesn’t reflect many EV owners' experience. There are Tesla chargers on West Street, however:

👉 Historically, Tesla chargers could only be used by Teslas - they have started upgrading some of them now but not all Tesla chargers can be used by other EV brands.

👉 Tesla chargers have no "tap and pay" option like most other chargers do, instead requiring you to download an app and create a Tesla account to store your credit card details - which doesn't work on all phones.

👉 Tesla chargers are the most expensive and for the ones that do work for other EV brands, they charge even higher rates for non-Teslas.

👉 Many EV apps and in-car navigation systems don’t include the Tesla chargers because of the above points.

There are other EV chargers in Busselton however these are located at private accommodation providers and are intended for use by paying guests, often requiring you to get a cable from Reception staff.

EV drivers plan their trips around reliable, accessible charging. I have driven 15,000km around in an EV and haven't experienced any issues accessing public charging options, and have myself used the Busselton foreshore charger on occasion. Removing this public charger risks discouraging visitors and sending the message that Busselton is not EV-friendly.

15/04/2026

It's finally here! After months of preparation, we are super proud to announce the commencement of this Group, thanks to Lotterywest.

02/04/2026

Welcome to Djeran! It’s one of six seasons in the Noongar calendar of the South-West, generally spanning April-May, and means an end to the really hot weather 🌞🌞

A key indicator of the change of season is the cool nights that once again bring a dewy presence for us to discover in the early mornings 💧

The winds have also changed, especially in their intensity, with light breezes generally swinging from the south-east to south-west.

Djeran is a time of red flowers, including the red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia) on the south coast, the smaller and more petite flowers of the summer flame (Beaufortia aestiva) in the north of Noongar Country and native cranberry in the jarrah forest 🍒

You may also notice the red ‘rust’ and seed cones forming on the male and female sheoaks (Allocasuarina fraseriana), called condil. Banksias start to display their flowers too 🌾

Traditionally, foods at this time of year included the seeds (bayu) that had been collected and stored for treatment from the djiriji (zamia palm) last season, along with the root bulbs of the yanget (rush), bardi grubs, fresh water fish, kooyar (frogs), yakaarn (turtles) and quenda (southern brown bandicoot) 🐾

As the season progresses the nights will become cooler and damper, along with some cool and rainy days. Traditionally mia-mias (houses or shelters) were now repaired with materials from plants to make sure they were waterproofed and reinforced in readiness for the cold and wet period to come ⛈

A big thanks to our amazing traditional custodians at Undalup Association Inc. for this stellar info!

30/03/2026

🙃 Someone has spray painted a rather creative addition around a hole in the road on Mill Road – and yes I have reported it to the City!

Just a reminder, if you spot issues like this around town, you can report them directly via the City of Busselton website using the “Report Issue or Request Assistance” button: https://www.busselton.wa.gov.au Alternatively, a lot of people find the Snap Send Solve app super easy to use for things like this.

For what it’s worth, I’ve always found the City responds pretty quickly to issues I’ve reported, though maybe not everyone may have had the same experience...

20/03/2026

We already know that simply telling people to “move more” isn’t enough. The below article from The Conversation highlights why new physical activity guidelines alone won’t shift behaviour, and what actually works instead.

This article is timely given the City of Busselton’s new draft Community Health and Wellbeing Plan 2026–2031 is out for consultation. This is a plan which will shape how our community supports physical, mental and social wellbeing into the future. If we want real change, we need to create the environments, systems and funding to deliver those changes, not just advice.

📖 Read the article here:
https://theconversation.com/australias-new-physical-activity-guidelines-wont-shift-the-needle-here-are-4-better-ideas-278311

📖 Read the new guidelines here:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/collection-of-physical-activity-and-sedentary-behaviour-guidelines-for-all-ages

💬 Have your say on the City of Busselton’s draft plan here:
https://yoursay.busselton.wa.gov.au/community-health-and-wellbeing-plan

18/03/2026

👉 Have your say on Busselton’s Draft Community Health & Wellbeing Plan (2026–2031)

Consultation is open now and closes 31 March - see the link in the comments below.

From my perspective, there are some genuinely positive steps in this draft, including a proposed Community Health & Wellbeing Reference Group and a clear focus on disability inclusion throughout the plan. There are also a few actions with good potential, such as a proposed District Traffic Strategy - this could support healthier, more active communities, if it genuinely prioritises walking, cycling and safety over cars.

My main concern with the draft plan however is that while the plan opens with a strong statement about equity, inclusion and access for diverse communities (explicitly naming CALD communities, young people, LGBTQIA+ people and others), there are no actual actions in the plan for these groups, creating the risk that “inclusion” remains aspirational rather than measurable.

Take 5–10 minutes to have a look through the plan and provide your feedback on what you think needs to happen to create a healthy future for everyone across the City of Busselton.

12/03/2026

❗Catch up on last night’s Council meeting

If you’re interested in what’s happening in our community, the recording from last night’s meeting is now on YouTube. It covered some important debates about local democracy, community priorities, and how council responds to residents.

📺 Watch the meeting here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=losCKv4T90c

A few key moments worth watching:

• Local government elections: Council debated their recommendation to WALGA on if voting in local government elections should be compulsory (carried 6/3), and whether elections should be changed from every two years to instead four-year terms on an all in/out basis (carried 8/2).

• Dunsborough Lakes: Cr Cox pushed for action on infrastructure and play equipment for St Michaels Parkway North in Dunsborough Lakes, arguing the community has been asking for it for some time. While next year’s budget process hasn’t yet begun, Cr Cox argued that agreeing to action now would send an important message that the community is being listened to (lost 4/5).

• Reconciliation Action Plan & cultural awareness training: Cr Love moved notices of motion about the lack of progress on our Reconciliation Action Plan and introducing cultural awareness training (lost 4/5). It was good to hear Mayor Cronin speak highly of recent training he undertook with the Undalup Association and how valuable it was. However, it was disappointing (though not unexpected) to hear Cr Ryan dismiss the idea as “woke virtue signalling”. And yes, the standard “I’m not racist, I have lots of Aboriginal friends” line was also thrown in.

• Youth Advisory Committee: Another proposal from Cr Love was to explore establishing a Youth Advisory Committee to help engage younger residents in local decision-making (carried 6/3). The idea was met with some classic “whataboutism” i.e. comments like “what about seniors, cyclists, or every other demographic?” overlooking that many of those groups already have strong representation, advocacy groups, and voting power. Young people are often the least engaged in local government, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care about local issues or want to be involved.

Personally, as someone who has facilitated community consultation for both state and federal governments for more than 15 years, the most important lesson I would share is this: if you look around the room and only see one demographic consistently represented (often retirees), it’s naïve to assume they’re the only people interested. The real question should be: who isn’t in the room, and why not? If you are not hearing from young people, migrants, LGBTQ+ people, First Nations communities, or others, the answer shouldn’t be to dismiss them. Instead, you need to ask how your processes and systems might be excluding people, why they may not trust that they will be listened to, and what needs to change.

Local government decisions affect everyone in our community, and everyone should feel it is easy and worthwhile to get involved.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/03/2026

The World Health Organisation's pandemic declaration was 11 March 2020. It still has not been declared as over, meaning today marks the start of the 7th year living in the pandemic. So far over 30 million people have died and over 400 million suffer from Long Covid or, ongoing chronic illness or disability caused by covid. This number continues to climb.

SARS-CoV-2 is often talked about as a respiratory virus, but it's been known since 2020 that it's a vascular, neurotropic, oncogenic virus which directly infects immune & bone marrow cells, as well as the brain and other organs.

Lasting immune system damage means people are more susceptible to other illnesses, and combined with falling immunisation rates, is one of the reasons we are seeing the resurgence of serious diseases such as measles, as well as influenza cases year round, rather than a seasonal winter illness.

Excess mortality has risen and life expectancy has dropped in nearly all countries, some more than others. In the first three years of the pandemic, Sweden saw a staggering drop in life expectancy from 73.3 to only 66.2 years.

One of the easiest ways to reduce the spread of covid and other serious diseases is through improving air quality - increased ventilation, as well as filtration. Many countries have taken action to improve air quality standards with requirements for businesses, schools and hospitals, however at this point Australia has not made any progress in this space, instead relying on an ongoing mostly ignored recommendation from the Australian health department to wear masks.

17/02/2026

💙 Fathering today can look very different to previous generations. From economic pressure, balancing work and family life, to being more emotionally present, and navigating co-parenting and diverse family structures, many dads are carrying significant pressure.

This event looks like a great opportunity for Dads to connect with other men, share experiences, and hear from an engaging guest speaker.

MenAble and The Man Walk Busselton are partnering with Mens Talk to present a series of Blokes Catchup sessions at Shelter.

See flyer attached for details. The first catchup sees Shaun Chandran, Australian Community Father of the Year and Board Member for the Fathering Project attend as special guest speaker.

Should be a great night. Please join us and bring along any younger fellas in your family or network who ordinarily might not be able to get to Man Walks.

Registration for catering purposes at https://www.mtalk.com.au/calendar/blokes-catchup-sundowner/

17/02/2026

🍺 Did you know that people living in rural and remote communities are 150% more likely to experience harm from alcohol?

Out here, we look after our mates. If someone’s short, we shout them a beer without thinking twice. It’s part of who we are. But right now, somewhere in the bush, a mate is struggling with alcohol, quietly and often completely alone. And in small communities, it’s not always easy to ask for help. That’s why the Big Shout Appeal means so much.

Instead of shouting a beer, we’re asking you to shout a virtual one. The cost of a single drink, six pack or carton, can help fund real, practical support for Australians who need a hand up, not another beer in their hand.

If you can, please consider making your shout count today. Check out the link in the comments.

14/02/2026

🐱 Now is your chance to have your say on laws regarding domestic cats - on topics such as: registration, enforcement and compliance, sterilisation, microchipping, breeding and limits on the number of cats owned.

Submissions can be sent to the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety, or you can fill out the form via the link in comments below. Submissions close on Monday 31 August 2026.

Note - this consultation is the statutory review into the Cat Act 2011. The Cook Government is also reportedly planning to amend the Cat Act to enable local governments to make local laws on cat containment.

06/02/2026

Such great news for the Busselton library 💛

I’m especially looking forward to Craft-er Dark – this is a great idea which responds to a real gap in our community: evening activities that offer connection, creativity and belonging without being centred around drinking / going to the pub.

It’s a great reminder that libraries are so much more than books; they’re important hubs for wellbeing, inclusion and social connection.