Farewell 2021: Look back at the top 10 stories which made headlines across the Mid West-Gascoyne this year

Last year threw just about every curveball it could at the Mid West, and 2021 has been arguably as big as its predecessor. The Midwest Times has looked back at the top stories which made headlines this year, with the region seeing everything from cyclones and floods to record-breaking harvests and a dramatic rescue which made international news. (Pic: genhospital1 and kellysketch1 and signsAR7) 1. Cleo Smith “My name is Cleo.” Just four words that still give us goosebumps when we think about the moment little Cleo Smith was rescued by police. Carnarvon was thrust into the spotlight when the four-year-old girl with a smile that melted even the toughest of hearts vanished from her family’s tent at the Blowholes Campground on October 16. Over the next 18 days, Australia held its breath as police mobilised SES volunteers, marine search crews, drone technicians, mounted officers and homicide squad detectives to solve the mystery of Cleo’s disappearance. Right from day one it was clear something far more sinister had happened than a child getting lost while going to the toilet. Parents Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon fronted cameras in the days after they last kissed their daughter goodnight, with police stressing they were not suspects in the wake of wild social media accusations against the couple. As the search approached the three-week mark, Carnarvon felt heavy with fading hopes and fears Cleo would never be found. But behind the scenes, the pieces of the puzzle were rapidly clicking into place. Police made their move at 12.45am on November 2 when they broke into a Brockman home and found Cleo quietly playing with toys. Alleged kidnapper Terry Kelly, 36, was arrested shortly after Cleo’s rescue and was later charged over her abduction. 2. Cyclone Seroja Everyone knew it was coming, but no one could have predicted the path of destruction cyclone Seroja would leave in its wake in April. Data on the once-in-a-generation storm was staggering: Wind gusts up to 170km/h caused widespread damage to more than 1100 structures across a 130,000sqkm impact area. No one was killed during the cyclone and incredible stories soon emerged of families who clung to each other as they sheltered under tables while winds ripped off the roof from over their heads. Kalbarri bore the brunt of the storm, with about 70 per cent of structures sustaining damage and many households relying on generators for months before power was restored to the town. Few homes were hit in Geraldton, but businesses which were forced to close during the three-day power blackout lost income. Inland farmers in Mingenew, Mullewa and Perenjori were forced to dodge downed power lines and poles as they turned their attention to seeding. But there has been an unexpected silver lining to the cyclone, as Mid West growers are now harvesting a bumper crop this summer. Residents, businesses and farmers in 13 local government areas are still picking up the pieces eight months on from the disaster, with problems associated with insurance claims, resource shortages and an under-pressure construction industry affecting the recovery process. West Australians eager to help donated $7.6m to the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund, with the State and Commonwealth governments also delivering a record-breaking $104m package to support communities as they rebuild. 3. COVID vaccine rollout The arrival of COVID vaccines in WA carried with it the promise of an end to snap lockdowns and virus deaths and the start of quarantine-free travel with the rest of Australia and, later, the world. But the Mid West was slow to roll up its sleeves with reports of a rare blood clotting side-effect of the Astra Zeneca vaccine making residents hesitant to get the jab. There were also issues with getting vaccination rates up in younger residents due to regional WA initially being ill-equipped to store the Pfizer vaccine. Demonstrations were staged in Geraldton in protest of mandatory vaccinations and those who lost their jobs after refusing to be vaccination marched outside the offices of local MPs. Some Mid West residents have gone so far as to break the law to avoid getting the COVID jab, with a Kalbarri woman currently before the courts after being accused of attempting to bribe a pharmacist to falsify her vaccination records. 4. Carnarvon floods From bushfires to tropical cyclones, 2021 was full of natural disasters which devastated regional WA. The Gascoyne was hit with one it its worst floods in 50 years when an intense tropical weather system dumped 200mm of rain on the region in February. Dramatic images emerged of a sea of orange surging over plantations and roads, with parts of North West Coastal Highway washed away by flooding. No one was killed in the weather event, but a mother and a daughter endured the frightening ordeal of being trapped in their car for 24 hours before they were rescued. The disaster trashed about 20 per cent of the region’s agriculture businesses, with Carnarvon growers forced to wait months for the State Government to deliver its $1m pledge to replenish topsoil so farmers could get on with seeding. Other growers whose properties escaped unscathed will now reap the rewards this harvest season thanks to record-breaking rainfall during the floods. 5. Marine tragedies The Mid West boasts some the best surfing, fishing and boating spots in the State, but the coast can also be fraught with danger for those who are caught off guard by treacherous conditions. A fun day out on the water off the coast of Jurien Bay came to a devastating end when a Perth grandfather drowned after being thrown from his boat in April. After a wave hit their vessel, Jakov Silich and his daughter Arna Menna fell into the water without life jackets. Ms Menna was quickly pulled back on board by others on the boat but her father had died by the time he was recovered about an hour after the accident. Tourists were not the only ones to succumb to the Mid West’s dangerous coast, with experienced windsurfer John Laverack also getting into trouble while surfing in rough waters in Kalbarri. Marine rescue volunteers put their own safety at risk to try to rescue the 72-year-old local, but relentless swells forced them to abandon the operation. Tragically, Mr Laverack’s remains were discovered in the coming days and a beachside vigil was held for the gentle animal lover. Tragedy struck again when Jurien Bay resident Rockley Heales died in a boating accident off the coast of Green Head. Mr Heales and a friend plunged into the water after their small dinghy capsized in open water near Dynamite Bay in October. The friend managed to swim to shore and raise the alarm, but Mr Heales had died by the time he was found. 6. State election Candidates threw around promises of cash for the Mid West and Gascoyne in the lead-up to the State election, but it was Premier Mark McGowan’s COVID-era popularity which analysts say gave Labor its landslide victory in March. The win signalled some historic changes for the region, with Geraldton electing its first female MP after Nationals candidate Ian Blayney lost the electorate to local TAFE lecturer Lara Dalton. The Agricultural region has some new faces among its representatives, with Geraldton teacher Sandra Carr, Wickepin farmer Steve Martin and former Shire of Esperance councillor Shelley Payne joining electorate incumbents Darren West, Colin de Grussa and Martin Aldridge. Labor candidate for the North West Central Cherie Sibosado looked poised to claim victory on election night but messages of congratulations proved premature after postal votes coming from Carnarvon swung the seat back into the hands of Nationals incumbent Vince Catania. Two-term MP Shane Love retained the Moore electorate. 7. Bumper harvest It’s proven to be a golden year for most Mid West farmers, thanks to the weather gods which have seen harvest records tumble — but that’s not to say it’s been without its challenges. In the face of strict border rules and failed deals to source overseas labour, grain farmers have been forced to think outside the box to find enough workers for this year’s harvest. Inexperienced hands and grey nomads have helped fill the void. April’s cyclone Seroja devastated many Mid West farming properties, with many farmers having to put clean up and repairs on hold while they seeded their paddocks, proving once again how resilient our agricultural community is. Power issues have caused more headaches for farmers in and around Northampton and Perenjori. It has long been tipped to be a bumper harvest and those predictions have proven correct. Last week, CBH’s Geraldton Zone broke its all-time tonnage record of 3.55 million tonnes. Last year’s total was 2.82mt. Yields from this season’s crops are up more than 25 per cent on the previous year. CBH Geraldton zone general manager Duncan Gray said about 90 per cent of Mid West grain growers would be “overwhelmed” by this season’s fortunes, while “5-10 per cent probably didn’t do as well as last year”. WA farmers are expected to deliver the biggest harvest in Australian history — tipped to be more than 22mt which would better last year’s result by 17 per cent — in an $8 billion windfall for the State economy. 8. Boat rescue A Perth father and daughter captivated the State after they escaped a boating accident with minimal injuries and a stunning tale of survival neither will ever forget. Glenn Anderson and his 11-year-old daughter Ruby were thrown from their yacht into the ocean after a huge wave struck the boat off the coast of Jurien Bay in June. Mr Anderson’s three crew found themselves in the water moments after the father and daughter when a second wave flooded the boat. It took just five minutes for the vessel to sink, tragically taking the family’s puppy Banjo with it. Mr Anderson’s friends were lifted to safety first but he and his daughter would spend four agonising hours in rough seas before being plucked from the water by rescuers. 9. Mount Magnet drama Lost jobs, hostile council meetings, a community member locked out of council property and hurt feelings — a stoush between a group of residents and the local council became a powder keg in Mount Magnet this year. At one end of the Mt Magnet spat was a group led by a former councillor and a former library officer, who claimed the council lacks accountability. On the other end, the local Shire CEO Kelvin Matthews — who has now resigned — and president Jorgen Jensen said the complaints were unwarranted and those complaining were vexatious and wasting time that should be spent advocating for improving the town. About a dozen people said they had lost faith in the Shire and would like to see it investigated, but others were tired of the disunity and spoke highly of the Shire’s senior management. Several residents claimed to have placed countless complaints to the Department of Local Government, calling for real investigation into the Shire. But a spokesperson said the department did not receive any formal complaints related to Mr Matthews. Some of those disgruntled locals stood for election in October, but the existing councillors ended up being re-elected. 10. Skydiver death Jurien Bay has had a tough year with road deaths, marine tragedies and fatal accidents, the first of which occurred when an experienced skydiver plunged to his death in March. Russian-Italian man Dimitri Didenko had been competing at the Virtual Australian Skydiving Championships in Jurien Bay when his parachute failed to deploy correctly and he fell to the ground. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Mr Didenko died at the scene. The accident left the quiet country town and the skydiving community in shock, with many in disbelief over how this could have happened to a man who had jumped thousands of times before. In inquiry into Mr Didenko’s death offered little answers, with the Australian Parachute Federation concluding equipment failure did not cause the tragedy. The APF has delivered its report to the coroner, who has yet to deliver their findings.