Wayne Barrett
Wayne Barrett wins loyal long service award
By Amy Blom
Examiner Newspapers (Gosnells edition)
August 26, 2015
Wayne Barrett
Becoming a paraplegic at the age of 21 has not stopped City of Gosnells councillor Wayne Barrett from being an active community member. He recently received the long and loyal service award at the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) convention after 12 years as a councillor. Mr Barrett was elected to the City of Gosnells council in 2003 but has been volunteering within the city for more than 30 years after being prompted by a car accident.
“I was a young bloke when I had a car accident and I became a paraplegic just before I turned 22,” he said. Mr Barrett said he had grown up being active and he had refused to let his disability change that. I was brought up in a country family in Katanning where you didn’t have TV and all that sort of stuff, so you went and did something,” he said. “You were always busy doing something and there was no way I was going to sit at home and wait for the Lord to come and get me. I had some very good nursing staff as well as family and friends and, at the time, I thought well I can’t go out and kick the footy anymore, but I can still go out and do something for the community.”
Since then Mr Barrett has volunteered with the Thornlie Sports Club where he is a life member, chairman of directors and one of seven people recognised for 30 years of lifetime volunteering in WA at the Clubs WA awards of excellence in May.
“It’s good because you meet all these people and it keeps you young too,” he said. “There’s all these young cricketers, footballers and netballers around you who encourage you to keep active.”
More recently Mr Barrett has been trying to establish a community market at the Thornlie Sports Club grounds, which he hoped would foster a greater sense of community in his suburb. As a councillor, Mr Barrett has been particularly active in road safety issues and was currently the presiding member on the WALGA RoadWise advisory committee in Gosnells.
He was chairman of the city’s disability access inclusion plan reference group and has regularly worked to ensure city events and programs were inclusive and accessible to all. Mr Barrett was also a council delegate on the Perth airports municipalities group, which was a coalition of 12 local governments representing residents on matters related to aircraft noise and flight paths.
He said while he was happy to have been acknowledged for his long list of achievements, he had never sought out recognition. “I didn’t expect anything out of it because I enjoyed doing it but it’s always nice to be recognised,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about getting the award beforehand but obviously someone at the council nominated me.”
City of Gosnells mayor Dave Griffiths congratulated Mr Barrett, saying he was not only a valued member of the community but also an important contributor on many local issues. “This is a well-deserved award for a very community minded man,” he said.
CLUBS WA
Metro Vice-President
Wayne Barrett
From the CLUBS WA website.
How long have you been involved with clubs, and which club are you with now?
I have been a member with Thornlie Football & Sports Club for 42 years after joining in 1981. I was also a member with Kenwick Rotary Club for six years from 1995 to 2001.
What’s the best thing about being part of a club?
Definitely the people. Being involved with a sports club you meet a lot of people from within your own club and from other clubs and the camaraderie you get with others is a lifelong friendship. Also, you get to see and support those playing sports particular the young ones and it gives a sense of pride that you have had a helping hand in giving to your community.
What is your professional background/work experience and how did that lead you to nominate for a role on the Clubs WA Board?
I had a stint in the Army through National Service and was placed with the Artillery Battalion in Townsville and ended up in the field working on Long Range Ballistic movement, which was cool. After my car accident in 1974 I began work with CIG – now BOC Gases in Sales Management and gained considerable knowledge in Marketing Programs, building and maintaining client relationships, and Sales Reports and Budgets. In 1996 through to when I retired, I ran my own business which made me the General Manager one day and the blue-collar worker the next. You learn to do all when in your own business.
What advice do you have for club committee members?
Listen to your members. You won’t always agree with them, but give them time. Otherwise enjoy the time, the people, the pride in doing something for yourself and the Community. You will have ups and downs, highs and lows but that is minor in the work that you achieve for your club and its members.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge for clubs and associations today and how can Clubs WA help with this?
I think our Kickstarter program is a great initiative and I think we are having a big impact in regional Western Australia. The program helps with all aspects of running a club from compliance through to looking after members and volunteers, and they can be really hard things to do nowadays.
What’s the best thing on your club calendar?
It has to be our ladies’ day, where we raise funds for the community