Hervey Bay Gossip

The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is on again from May 18 - 21.

The very best of Australian boats and super yachts, marinas, marine equipment, components and services will be on display. Marine industry representatives from around the world will attend the boat show to learn more about Australia’s marine expertise, establish and strengthen industry networks and seek business opportunities.

Austrade will host two export seminars on Friday May 19 that will brief local businesses on the latest trends and information from key international marine markets, offer advice from experienced exporters and Austrade advisers, as well as highlight the types of government assistance available.

Brendan Egan, Austrade’s Marine Industry Export Adviser, said that Australia’s innovative marine industry has been at the forefront of developments in vessel design and production techniques, interior fittings, and components and currently exports over $750 million worth of products annually.

“Austrade together with the Queensland Government will assist local companies network with buyer delegations attending the boat show from China, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia by providing business matching services opportunities and offer advice on developing export markets,” Mr Egan said.

Austrade is also supporting the International Business Lounge at the boat show in conjunction with Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, Queensland Government, Gold Coast City Council and AIMEX. The business lounge will allow local businesses to meet and network with the overseas buyers visiting the boat show to establish business relationships and generate export opportunities.

The Austrade export seminars are free upon entry into the boat show and will be held at the Village Theatre at the following times:

Session 1: 9:30 – 11:30am China, Taiwan and South East Asia
Session 2: 1:30 – 3:30pm Europe, Middle East and USA

Even if you’re only in the market to kick a few tyres this show is not to be missed.

Follow the link “See Martin Dance” (link is now dead) on Benmay.org

It was filmed at a high school here in Hervey Bay - all I can say is - Should We Be Worried?

Thanks for the direct link Ben

Have you looked at the world map lately? Have you noticed where the trouble spots are?

Sure they’re in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa but they’re also in the Solomons, Fiji, Irian Jaya, Bali and East Timor. Places that we never thought of 20 or 30 years ago.

30 years ago, when I spent some time in the Army. the NCOs would continually remind us that we were training for the day that “the Noggies came over the hill”.

Everything we did was to prepare us for the day when “the Noggies came over the hill”. We didn’t have to ask who “the Noggies” were. We knew that it wasn’t China or Vietnam and it was never going to be Russia - no, we knew back then that “the Noggies” were much closer than that.

And now the unrest is starting why are our men so far away? Why are our men in Iraq when they should be here. Afghanistan is perhaps within our region … just - but Iraq?

It seems like deja vue - and we’re back to the early days of the last big war when our men were in Africa and Greece while the menace was coming from the north.

Come on Mr Truss, come one little Johnny … tell us why our men are so far away when they should be at home preparing for when the Noggies come over the hill.

Well obviously good old Vaseline has been in use in Hervey Bay for many years and the uses that it has been put to are undoubtedly many and varied. But I bet you’ve never seen it used like this before.

Whatever it might be - and the Art Gallery describes it as an ‘installation’ - it’s on display at the Hervey Bay Art Gallery Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm until June 10 … and the medium is vaseline.

Hmmm - I’m not sure I want to go any further with that one

If you do then the State Government wants to hear about them.

The State Government wants Queenslanders to nominate quiet achievers aged over 50 for the 21st Premier’s Awards for Queensland Seniors.

The Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors, Warren Pitt, today called on Queenslanders to nominate an older person who has made an outstanding contribution to the community.

“The Premier’s Awards are an excellent way of acknowledging the many seniors who are actively involved in voluntary work, particularly after they retire,” Mr Pitt said.

“The awards recognise that these older Queenslanders are positive role models for our young people.”

Nominees can be an older person who is involved in organising community events or fundraising, participating in voluntary activities, or generally contributing to the wellbeing of the community in their own time and for no financial reward.

Nominees should not have received an Australian or Commonwealth honour such as an AM, OAM, MBE or previous Premier’s Award for community work, unless the work is in a different field.

Mr Pitt said seniors nominated for a Premier’s Award in the past 20 years had ranged in age from 50 to 100.

“The 393 past winners were selected for a variety of volunteer activities and outstanding contributions in a range of areas,” he said.

“These include the arts, the environment, fundraising, caring for others, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, assisting migrant communities, and a host of other vital community services.

“This year, another 15 seniors will be selected to receive an award.”

For more information phone the Office for Seniors on 1300 132 654.

Nomination forms are available from Department of Communities’ regional offices, seniors’ organisations, electorate offices, QGAP agents or on the Department of Communities website at www.communities.qld.gov.au

Nominations close on Friday, 16 June 2006.

FM 107.5 Fraser Coast Community Radio is Hervey Bay’s very own radio station staffed by 40 volunteer presenters.

This Sunday the station hosting an open day to celebrate their move into new studios in the old Hervey Bay Council Depot on the corner of Old Maryborough Road and Hunter Street Pialba. Why not call in and see how a radio station operates.

Google has just introduced a new service called Google Trends so when she-who-must-be-obeyed wasn’t looking I spent a few minutes slacking off and playing with it.

Google Trends is supposed to provide broad insights into search patterns so just for fun I compared Hervey Bay with Brisbane and here are a few interesting things I came across.

More people in Maryborough search for information on Hervey Bay than the residents of any other place in Australia.

Bundaberg and Toowoomba residents are next on the list

People in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide hardly seem to know we exist

In the above diagram the blue bar represents the searches for Hervey Bay and the red bar represents the searches for Brisbane.

Does that mean that our advertising campaigns in those major centres aren’t working?

Does it also mean that the people of Maryborough would much rather be living in Hervey Bay?

Mark Twain once said that “there are lies, damn lies and statistics” and I reckon that says it all when it comes to Google Trends and Hervey Bay

The Federal Governmetn has admitted that the cost of further improvements to the Pacific Highway will soon have to be borne by the users of the highway. The Government hopes to have converted the highway to four lanes all the way by 2016 but without the extra funding that would come from tolls that deadline may not be met.

The Minister for Transport cited increasing costs of raw materials, land resumptions and a lack of competitiveness between contractors as reasons for the increased cost in road building.

How many people in Hervey Bay have family who travel that highway every year when they come to visit?

Operation Summer Safe, the police crackdown on drinking and boating that began in December last year has now concluded. The skippers of 7922 recreational vessels and 443 commercial vessels were tested.

As a result of those tests 34 recreational skippers and 5 commercial skippers were charged with exceeding the legal limit of 0.05.

Police Minister Judy Spence said yesterday that the skipper of any watercraft - including a jet ski was required to have a blood alcohol level under 0.05 even when the vessel is at anchor.

The worst offender caught in the operation was a commercial skipper from Townsville who returned a reading of 0.20.

While those figures should not raise any alarms – less than 1% of recreational skippers were found to be over the limit there is definitely cause for some concern in other areas.

During Operation Summer Safe water police also issued 1278 Marine Infringement Notices for offences ranging from speeding, driving unlicensed, unsafe activities and unregistered vessels. 458 of those notices were for failing to carry the prescribed safety equipment.

In today’s changing industrial relations world it’s good to see that there there is still some support for the ordinary worker and some checks on those employers who want to be un-Australian and not give a man a fair go.

The Beattie Government today passed laws allowing unions the right to enter workplaces on health and safety grounds.

Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton said this was a good result for the Queensland workforce.

“This legislation will assist in keeping workplaces safe,” he said.

He said the legislation will bring Queensland into line with the current rights existing in NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.

“This legislation will not give unions unfettered access to Queensland workplaces on the pretext of worker safety,” he said.

“Authorised representatives will still have to meet some strict conditions, such as providing 24 hours notice where they wish to inspect employment records for fatigue and associated issues, and will require a Federal permit to enter premises.

“There are strong penalties under WorkChoices for entering a workplace on health and safety grounds and for intervening in another matter.”

Mr Barton said other amendments included moving the protection of injured workers from the Industrial Relations Act 1999 to the Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003.

He said the debate over the legislation had exposed further division with the Queensland Nationals, who expressed widely varying views during the debate on the legislation.