Hervey Bay Gossip

That’s hardly the headline that anyone who has been involved in a real estate purchase in the last two months wants to see but that’s the reality in Queensland today.

The Courier Mail is carrying a stoy today that reports that as many as 80% of real estate contracts signed in the last two months could be invalid because minor issues such as incorrect typeface size did not comply with the amended Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act

Hervey Bay City Council is set to commence work on adding sand to the beaches at Torquay and Urangan in February. Approximately 8000 cubic metres of sand will be added to each beach from excavations at Dayman Spit.

As on previous occasions when this type of work has been carried out the sand will be transported along the beach. The work will take approximately two weeks.

I wonder how they plan on getting the trucks around the new outfall near Aquavue on Torquay Beach - even at low tide there isn’t a great deal of room between the end of the outfall and the edge of the water.

The recent visit by the USS Ronald Reagan will be remembered by many Brisbane people for many reasons and there is no doubt that the US Navy works hard to be remembered for all the right things.

So it’s a shame that there are many who will now remember the visit for the rubbish that was dumped overboard once the ship returned to sea.

We understand that accidents do happen and planes can crash but what’s the excuse for the bags of rubbish that washed up on the beaches around Maroochydore?

I’m sure that someone really had to go out of their way to carry that rubbish from the point where it was bagged to some spot on the ship where they could actually toss it over the side.

Thanks guys - we liked the visit but the calling card stinks.

Yesterday’s Sunday Mail carried a story about a serious problem one group of Hervey Bay residents are having with snakes.

The houses in Wide Bay Drive that back onto land owned by the Xavier Catholic College have been bothered with snakes this summer. More than 30 snakes have been caught in just six houses this season while one resident has recored nine venomous snakes in ther backyard in 18 months.

The Council doesn’t seem to want to be involved and the school principal has dismissed their complaints because snakes are a natural part of Australian life.

I wonder if he would say that if they were slithering around the clothes line in his backyard?

February 1 is the official release date for the Nissan Tiida the car set to replace the Nissan Pulsar. For a sneak peak at the new car and a link that will take you to the first online road test for the Tiida check out the first Tiida review

Last week we reported that Don Burchill had been recognised in the Australia Day honours list but Don wasn’t the only Hervey Bay resident to receive an Australia Day Award.

John Murray from the Hervey Bay campus of the USQ received a Special Commendation 2006 Certificate of Thanks for his work with students.

Megan Skidmore received the Young Citizen of the Year 2006 award for her work with various community groups.

Richard Yaxley received the Australia Day Cultural Award Senior 2006 for his cultural activities in Hervey Bay.

Samantha Robinson received the Australia Day Cultural Award Junior 2006.

Brenden Kelly received the Australia Day Sports Award Junior 2006 for his achievements in archery.

Jenny Oliver received the Australia Day Sports Award Senior 2006 for her contribution to swimming in Hervey Bay

Richard Dugdale from Pialba State School received the Australia Day Sports Administrator Award 2006 for his work at the school.

Ongoing work by Hervey Bay Council, opposite the intersection of Bideford Street and The Esplanade, will shortly see the shared pedestrian cycleway path cut.

Signs directing users of the pathway to the other side of the street have been erected by are currently coovered.

Back on January 14 the Gossip reported on the Sustainable Home Hervey Bay, a project of the Hervey Bay Council.

Meeting times and locations for the focus groups have now been announced,

Urangan Community Centre, Elizabeth Street Urangan - Monday January 30 between 3pm and 5pm

Burrum District Community Centre, Steley Street Howard - Tuesday January 31 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm

Hervey Bay Sports & Leisure Park, Bideford Street Torquay - Wednesday February 1 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm

Toogoom Community Hall, Torbanlea Road, Toogoom - Thursday February 2 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm

Building Industry Focus Group - Thursday February 9, call the Council for details.

For more information about the project you can visit the website here

Well there is plenty of bitumen in Hervey Bay but about the only bull dust we’ll ever see here is on display at the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery right now.

Bulldust to Bitumen … and Beyond is a touring exhibition that takes you back over 100 years of motoring in Queensland.

The exhibition is sponsored by the RACQ as part of their centennial celebrations and you can see it at the gallery until mid-February

While we here in Hervey Bay were having a great old time celebrating and enjoying Australia Day spare a thought for those in the southern states who were celebrating all that it means to be Australian in another traditional way - fighting bushfires.

The vast majority of them are volunteers and without them there would be no one to fight the fires. Our volunteer brigades need your help to meet the challenge when it’s our turn to face the fire season.

Will you answer the call like a true Aussie or leave it to the next bloke?