MEDIA STATEMENT - ST ANDREWS HOSTEL MEMORIAL

Published on Monday, 10 August 2026 at 2:27:42 PM

MEDIA STATEMENT
St Andrews Hostel Memorial

The Shire of Katanning provides the following statement to clarify its role in the proposed St Andrews Hostel memorial.

The memorial is a State Government / Education Department funded and coordinated initiative, first announced by the education minister, Minister Tony Buti in November 2024.  The State Government has subsequently appointed the Commissioner for Victims of Crime and a stakeholder Working Group to plan the delivery of this initiative. 

In April 2026, Shire representatives met with the Commissioner for Victims of Crime and two Working Group representatives to discuss the initiative.  At the Commissioners request the Shire has maintained confidentiality regarding the outcomes of this discussion.  In response to recent media commentary, we seek to clarify information regarding that meeting that has now been made public.

During this meeting, the Commissioner agreed to undertake further work, including:

  • consulting with local survivors and affected families to document the memorial’s purpose and message;
  • exploring options, in consultation with local survivors, for where to locate the memorial;
  • issuing an editorial to the Katanning community detailing the memorial’s purpose, message and preferred location; and
  • developing an ongoing management approach for the site.

The Shire has not received any feedback on these actions and has not been asked to take any actions by the Commissioner or to make any decision regarding the memorial.

The Shire has not delayed this initiative and remains ready to engage constructively in its delivery.

The Shire encourages the State Government, Commission for Victims of Crime and its Working Group to complete the agreed actions to minimise the opportunity for the spread of misinformation and to provide greater certainty for survivors, their families and the broader Katanning community about the State Government’s plans for this memorial.

Shire President Kristy D'Aprile said “the Shire has participated in the process for establishing the memorial whenever requested and was now awaiting the outcomes of the Commissioner’s agreed actions.

"Since meeting with the Commissioner and Working Group representatives in April, the Shire has received no further update on the memorial’s progress. This has created uncertainty and has led to public commentary that does not accurately reflect the Shire's role in the delivery of a memorial.

“We respectfully encourage the Commissioner for Victims of Crime to provide an update on the agreed actions and the pathway forward. The Shire remains committed to supporting the delivery of an appropriate memorial informed by the voices of those most directly affected."

For further information, contact;

Kristy D’Aprile
President - Shire of Katanning
0427 211 705

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