Clare Paine - Busselton Wellbeing Advocate

Clare Paine - Busselton Wellbeing Advocate Let’s work together to make a healthier, kinder, and more connected Busselton.

Busselton local, public health professional and wellbeing advocate; a space to share local news, promote wellbeing, and highlight those making a difference in our community.

City of Busselton is seeking community feedback on its new Community Safety Action Plan. When we talk about community sa...
17/06/2026

City of Busselton is seeking community feedback on its new Community Safety Action Plan.

When we talk about community safety, the conversation often turns to things like CCTV, policing and enforcement. While these have a role to play, they are only part of the picture.

The safest communities are not just the ones with the most cameras or visible police, they are communities where people know their neighbours, young people have positive opportunities, public spaces are welcoming and well-designed, people experiencing hardship can access support, and the underlying causes of crime and antisocial behaviour are addressed.

A strong Community Safety Action Plan should look at prevention as much as response. What can we do to reduce social isolation, support families and young people, create inclusive community spaces, improve access to housing and support services, and build a stronger sense of belonging?

You can have your say here: https://yoursay.busselton.wa.gov.au/community-safety-action-plan

The City of Busselton is seeking community feedback on its proposed 2026/27 rates, including a proposed 7% increase for ...
15/06/2026

The City of Busselton is seeking community feedback on its proposed 2026/27 rates, including a proposed 7% increase for residential properties, which it suggests is around $2.98 per week for the average household.

The City says the increase is needed to maintain services, facilities and future sporting and recreation infrastructure. However, it’s probably fair to say that nobody is going to be excited about another increase in rates. Perhaps the bigger question is not just how much rates are increasing, but whether the community can clearly see where their money goes?

The Long-Term Financial Plan contains hundreds of pages of figures and forecasts, which can be difficult for the average resident to connect to their everyday experience. The City website includes a “Where do my rates go?” page, but this only provides broad spending categories.

If you’re paying $2,200 in rates each year, what does that actually pay for? How much goes towards roads, parks, libraries, community services, sporting facilities, environmental programs, and preparing for future growth?

Good community engagement isn’t just about asking whether people support a rate rise; it should be about helping people understand the choices, trade-offs and benefits behind it, and giving them a meaningful opportunity to discuss priorities.

Have a look at the proposal and share your thoughts before 4.30pm Friday 3 July:
https://yoursay.busselton.wa.gov.au/2026-27-differential-rates

The new City of Busselton Community Health and Wellbeing Plan 2026–2031 was adopted at tonight's meeting.This included p...
27/05/2026

The new City of Busselton Community Health and Wellbeing Plan 2026–2031 was adopted at tonight's meeting.

This included proposed amendments from Deputy Mayor Cox and Councillor Dykstra to bring forward establishment of the Community Health and Wellbeing Reference Group to the end of 2026 and allow earlier review and improvement of the action plan, as well as establishing a Housing and Homelessness Advisory Group focused on practical, coordinated local responses.

This is an excellent win for the community. Local governments cannot solve homelessness alone, but they do play a critical role in leadership, coordination, and partnership building. Bringing together local services, community organisations, people with lived experience and decision-makers in a structured forum can help identify gaps, improve coordination and support more practical, place-based responses.

Modern public health is not just about hospitals and healthcare delivery. Health and wellbeing outcomes are strongly shaped by the social determinants of health such as housing, transport, social connection, public spaces, food environments, walkability, safety and environmental conditions. These are all areas where local governments already play a major role.

The motion was carried 7/2.

In favour - Mayor Cronin, Cr Cox, Cr Love, Cr Dykstra, Cr Adams, Cr Mueller, Cr Kennedy

Opposed - Cr Ryan, Cr MacNish

The days of local government being responsible for just “roads, rates and rubbish” are long gone. Councils now play an i...
24/05/2026

The days of local government being responsible for just “roads, rates and rubbish” are long gone. Councils now play an important role in shaping community health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

The draft Community Health and Wellbeing Plan 2026–2031 is being considered at this week’s City of Busselton Council meeting.

This plan will help guide local priorities and actions relating to health, wellbeing, prevention, community safety, inclusion, ageing, and housing over the next five years, so it is an important document.

There are some really positive elements in the draft, including establishment of a Community Health and Wellbeing Reference Group. At the same time, I think there is also a missed opportunity to strengthen the focus of prevention to address some of the concerning trends in Busselton's health data - such as fast food and sugary drink consumption, and alcohol related issues.

Good community health planning works best when it reflects both community feedback and local evidence, so I would encourage you to read the plan (see link in comments) and share your feedback with the Councillors ahead of the meeting.

A special night for Busselton’s arts and culture community celebrating the reopening of the historic Weld Theatre, with ...
22/05/2026

A special night for Busselton’s arts and culture community celebrating the reopening of the historic Weld Theatre, with the opening night of the Busselton Repertory Club’s production “All Because of Agatha” .

After several years closed during construction of the new Saltwater Busselton precinct and backstage upgrades, it’s wonderful to see this much-loved heritage theatre alive again with stories, music, and community events.

Originally built between 1874–1881 as Weld Hall, the building has played an important role in Busselton’s cultural life for generations and remains one of the town’s oldest surviving buildings.

19/05/2026

📈 We all know Busselton's population is growing - here are some graphs showing just how our population has changed from 2006, along with projections through to 2036.

One trend that stands out is that for many years, Busselton has had a noticeable gap in people in their 20s and early 30s compared to other age groups. The projections suggest that may begin to shift over the next decade, with a more balanced population emerging as more young adults choose to live, work and stay in our region.

Population trends like these shape everything from housing and transport to jobs, healthcare, education, childcare, nightlife, and community services. Understanding who lives here, or doesn't, and why, helps plan for the future our community wants.

(Graphs have been made from data from Western Australia Tomorrow 12 - Population Forecasts provided by Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage)

A wonderful evening celebrating the people who help make our community thrive at the National Volunteer Week Recognition...
18/05/2026

A wonderful evening celebrating the people who help make our community thrive at the National Volunteer Week Recognition Sundowner hosted by the City of Busselton - Local Government, Busselton Dunsborough Volunteer Centre and Alike WA.

This week is National Volunteer Week; a wonderful opportunity to thank the many volunteers across our region who generously give their time, skills and energy to support others and strengthen community connections.

The contribution volunteers make in our community makes a real difference — thank you for everything you do. 🌟

New research from UCL has found that regular engagement with arts and culture may help slow biological ageing 🎭🎶📚It’s an...
12/05/2026

New research from UCL has found that regular engagement with arts and culture may help slow biological ageing 🎭🎶📚

It’s another reminder that performing arts centres, galleries, libraries and community spaces are not just “nice extras”, they are investments in the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Excited to see the new Saltwater performing arts centre creating more opportunities for people of all ages to connect with music, theatre, dance and creativity right here in our town. 💙

Link to the article in the comments below.

08/05/2026

Some amazing local talent performing at the opening of our new Saltwater Performing Arts & Conference Centre.

What an exciting bright future for local arts, creating new opportunities for young people in our region to perform, connect, and pursue their creative passions 💕

Congratulations to everyone involved in the opening night of the new Saltwater Gallery, Performing Arts & Conference Cen...
08/05/2026

Congratulations to everyone involved in the opening night of the new Saltwater Gallery, Performing Arts & Conference Centre.

Arts and culture are so much more than just entertainment! They help build connection, belonging, creativity and community pride, all of which are vital for mental health and wellbeing. Spaces like this bring people together, create opportunities for local artists and performers, and strengthen the social fabric of our region.

Investment in arts and community infrastructure also supports local jobs, tourism and economic growth, helping our communities thrive in every sense of the word. Looking forward to seeing Saltwater become a vibrant hub for creativity, events and connection for years to come.

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