AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The objects of the Association are the general progress of the district and the provision of facilities and support for sporting and recreational activities

Community Description

Our community comprises some 300 families across two municipal boundaries (Waroona and Mandurah). In the 2002 school year there were approximately 160 children attending primary and high school. The Lake Clifton area is located some 35 km south of Mandurah and a similar distance west of Waroona. It is a semi-rural area where the majority of residents live on 5 to 10 acre blocks in a number of separate subdivisions linked by the main highway to the Busselton/Margaret River area.

Residents are in the main self-employed, work in Mandurah and Waroona or are retired. They have chosen to live in the area for the relaxed country lifestyle with the bonus of being relatively close to the water, both estuary and ocean. The residents acknowledge that living in the area is a lifestyle choice but the relative isolation has limited the choices available to residents to engage in community activities. Single car families, single parents, teenagers without a car, families struggling to make ends meet and paying rising fuel costs and retirees have previously been unable to access a wide range of services/activities which are taken for granted in the city such as after school care, dance lessons, aerobics lessons, craft groups and senior's activities. The youth of the area require facilities which cater for out of school activities such as teenage meetings, dances, and social activities. Mandurah and Waroona both suffer from a lack of facilities and opportunities for young people - being 30 to 40kms from both these centres only serves to focus us more strongly on the need to provide facilities in our community.

Support and Facilities Provided

The Association is dedicated to helping to develop a cohesive community with a developed sense of identity and purpose and providing an environment which promotes growth, self-worth and social development. We need to support those individuals and groups currently marginalised by distance and with the completion of our Community Hall late in 2004 we have the opportunity to provide the facilities for such services.

Currently we are providing the following range of services:

Physical facilities such as the recently completed Lake Clifton / Heron Community Hall, sporting facilities including tennis and basketball courts, playground equipment etc

Community activities such as our regular Christmas party for children, Australia Day breakfast, quiz nights, tennis group, patchwork group, first aid courses, exercise classes etc

Community facilities such as health services. A part time doctor uses our hall and the Community Health Nurse is planning to visit our very young children.

Publication and distribution of a quarterly Newsletter which is distributed to 300 homes free of charge.

Support for community activities such as Playgroup which is affiliated with the Association. The Playgroup is not active at the moment and we are seeking interested parents to get it up and running again. The facilities and great and there are lots of wonderful toys.

Assistance for our local young people. There are plans for a youth group plus tennis coaching and we are meeting with officers from Department of Sport and Recreation Peel region to plan further activities.

Support for environmental activities through organizations such as Landcare, the local branch of which is affiliated with our Association and is involved in many activities including tree planting and Tuart decline.

Facilitation of community discussions regarding pertinent planning, safety, environmental and social issues.

Representation of local concerns to the relevant local Council, State or Commonwealth Departments.

Participation in planning for future development - improved community access, road safety, school bus routes, tourism etc

Communication between residents and authorities on health issues eg mosquito control.

All of the above are happening now. In the medium term we believe that we can provide an even wider ranging community resource with links to the Mandurah library, a centre for immunization or any other public health requirements, Internet access to Local Councils, State and Commonwealth Government Agencies, banks and other online services.

Association Background

The Progress Association began as a group of community minded residents in 1986 and became incorporated in 1988. They initially met with the local Fire Brigade but community issues quickly provided the Association with its own focus. The Association continues to meet monthly including its affiliated groups such as Playgroup and the Lake Clifton Landcare group. Playgroup and Landcare operate as satellite groups and are responsible for their own affairs, but report monthly to the Association and are incorporated in the Association's insurances and annual audited financial statement.

The Association has a strong record of successfully managing significant grants including:

1992/93 - Grant of $16,103 through the Community Cultural, Recreation and Sporting Facilities Program for the development of tennis/netball/basketball facilities. (Department of The Arts, Sports, The Environment and Territories)

1997/98 - Grant of $2,748 for the purchase of toys, play and craft equipment for Playgroup from the Lotteries Commission.

2001/02 - Grant of $1,775 for tube stock and materials for "Assisting Tuart Reafforestation in Lake Clifton". Community Conservation Grant, Department of The Environment and Heritage.

2001/02 - Grant of $2,776 from the Department of Local Government and Regional Development, Peel Regional Development Commission for "The Lake Clifton Lime Kiln Concept Plan".

2002/04 - Grant of $170,000 for "The Lake Clifton Community Centre Project" through the Regional Solutions Programme, Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services.

2002/04 - Grant of $145,000 for the Community Centre for Lotterywest

2004/05 - Grant of $15,000 from Department of Local Government and Regional Development for playground equipment

2007 - Grant of $10,000 from Department of Local Government and Regional Development for upgrade of power supply to enable air conditioning and installation of other electrical equipment.

Future Development

Our new Community Hall provides us with the opportunity to dramatically improve our services to the community. However there are still many things we need to do such as:

Shade sails for the Playground equipment and other areas to protect our children

Establishment of a "Men's Shed"

Resurfacing and lighting of tennis and basketball courts

Pergola areas for outdoor functions

Coaching for tennis and other sports