Catch up with The Geraldton Guardian: Top three reads in Friday’s edition

In a bumper edition, we are giving you the quick guide to Friday’s Geraldton Guardian.

We have a special report into Geraldton’s booming building industry, but it’s not all shiny good news amid a skills and supplies shortage. We speak to local builders about how busy they are, and how many challenges they are confronted with.

In our lates Going Steady in the Windy City, Lisa Favazzo reviews the Daarrgi Naaguja Dreamtime, learning a lot about Indigenous culture, coinciding with NAIDOC Week.

Also keeping with the NAIDOC theme, we had sneak peek of the Geraldton Buccaneers designed by Yamatji artist Charmaine Green.

BUILDERS IN SEARCH OF KEY TRADES

Amid a housing crisis, with more than 350 homes in the pipeline, an unforeseen shortage of trades and supplies — driven by booming demand, natural disasters and closed borders — is leaving Geraldton builders swamped.

A year after State and Federal government incentive grants ignited a construction boom, build times are growing longer, and profit margins are shrinking.

Despite this, Geraldton builders still expect to finish more than 200 new homes in the next year.

Read the full story here.

NAAGUJA DREAM TOUR HEALING COUNTRY

Naaguja dream tour healing country

If the last WA Regional Tourism Conference in Geraldton is anything to go by, Aboriginal experiences are having a moment.

Daarrgi Naaguja operator Derek Councillor says he’s getting inquiries from as far away as Spain. Unfortunately for Spaniards, COVID-19 has closed off our region to the rest of the world.

Geraldtonites are lucky enough to have people like the Councillor family living next door, willing to give those interested a peek into their culture and a bite of their home-cooked damper.

As Mr Councillor pointed out, some people have lived in the area for generations without deep-diving into the surrounding Yamatji cultures.

Read the full story here.

BUCCS PROUD TO DON SPECIAL INDIGENOUS SINGLETS

Clayton Parfitt and his Geraldton Buccaneers side proudly represented culture and history as they step out on court this weekend.

The Buccs will take to the court wearing singlets designed by Yamatji artist Charmaine Green to celebrate NAIDOC Week and the Indigenous community’s contributions to the team, and Parfitt — one of a string of Indigenous players to have suited up for Geraldton — said he was looking forward to it.

“It recognises past, present and future Aboriginal leaders and community,” Parfitt, who is the older brother of Rovers players Farren, Gabriel and Trevor and a flag-winning former captain with the footy club himself, said.

Read the full story here.