Hervey Bay Gossip

A Queensland Government jet was involved in its fourth maritime emergency in just two months this morning when the Hawker jet flew 607 nautical miles north-east of Brisbane to locate a stricken yacht that was taking water.

Premier Peter Beattie said the government’s Hawker jet was activated at 5.45am by the Australian Maritime Search and Rescue Authority.

“The Air Wing was told a yacht, The Dream Catcher, with two 60 year-olds on board was taking water,” Mr Beattie said.

“The jet flew immediately to the area, located the vessel and spoke with the skipper by radio about the yacht’s problems.

“The Hawker jet circled overhead until a merchant vessel the Tasman Commander was in position to assist the yacht.

“When the Tasman Commander arrived it transferred an electric pump to the yacht. The vessel is standing by while the crew pumps out the yacht and assesses whether the damage can be fixed.

“The Government jet has returned to Brisbane.

“It is the fourth time in two months that a government jet has been involved in a marine emergency,” Mr Beattie said.

“Two days ago the Government air wing was contacted about another marine emergency at about 4am but could not attend as it was involved in an organ recovery flight at the time.

“On that occasion the air wing contacted the Queensland police jet which performed the emergency flight,” Mr Beattie said.

It seems that the Federal Government could prevent the construction of the Traveston Dam under federal environmental laws.

There appears to be a number of unresolved environmental issues related to the building of the Traveston Dam and our Federal Local Member for once seems to be listening to his electorate.

We may find out in the next few days as inspectors start looking at crops in the Hervey Bay area today.

What a disaster this is for cane farmers - a bumper crop, prices are up and more than 20 farms are now under quarantine in the Isis district.

If you were wondering what that rather noisy aircraft was that kept flying around Hervey Bay yesterday then here is the culprit.

It’s a product of Hervey Bay’s very own contribution to the Australian aviation industry. It’s rather sad that, while much is trumpeted about the promise of big money coming from to Brisbane from the latest Defence Force helicopter contract we have a major aviation industry income earner right here in Hervey Bay … and you rarely hear about them. (Unless of course they’re test flying one of their creations).

Seabird Aviation is the company here in Hervey Bay and you can read more about them here

(Next time guys do you think you can go into your low and slow mode over my house so I can get a better photo? )

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death in women and in the United States one out of every seven women will develop breast cancer at some stage in their life.

But breast cancer is not just a disease that affects women. For every thousand women who contract the disease one man will also develop breast cancer.

A new web site has just launched in the United States that aims to educate people about the effects and treatment of breast cancer and you can find it at the Breast Cancer Notebook.

Migaloo, the white humback whale is definitely on his way north and is thought to be in Queensland waters right now - in fact he could conceivably be passing Fraser Island today.

Environment Minister Desley Boyle said Migaloo had again been declared a ’special interest’ whale in Queensland waters this year to ensure he could swim freely.

“A ’special interest’ whale declaration means no-one can drive a boat or Jet Ski closer than 500m or fly an aircraft closer than 2000ft to the whale without written permission,” Ms Boyle said.

“If these conditions are breached, the maximum penalty is $12,375.”

For ordinary whales - if there ever could be an ‘ordinary’ whale the following regulations apply:

# a boat cannot go any closer than 100 metres from a whale, except in the whale protection zone of the Whitsunday, Lindeman and Gloucester island groups where the approach limit is 300 metres;

# boats cannot go any closer than 300 metres from a whale if three or more boats are already closer than 300 metres to a whale;

# boats cannot go any closer than 300 metres if moving in a similar direction to or behind a whale, moving at more than four knots; and

# swimmers should exercise caution and move carefully away if a whale approaches or surfaces near them.

“These rules apply in State and Commonwealth waters, and they apply whether you’re operating your own yacht or cruiser, a fishing charter, a trawler, or a commercial whale-watching boat,” Ms Boyle said.

“There are also regulations applying to aircraft and personal watercraft such as Jet Skis.

“The safest place for inexperienced people to observe migrating whales is from commercial whale-watching vessels or from dry land.”

The maximum penalty for intentionally moving closer to a whale than permitted under the conservation plan is $9000. On-the-spot fines ranging from $225 to $375 may also apply for various contraventions of the conservation plan.

Premier Peter Beattie and beyondblue Chairman Jeff Kennett have signed a partnership agreement confirming Queensland Government’s commitment to the national beyondblue initiative until 2010.

The State Government has also increased its contribution to the independent, not-for-profit organisation from $280,000 to $3 million over the next five years, taking Queensland Government’s spending on mental health over the same period to $349 million.

“With one in five people experiencing a mental illness at some point in their lives, the beyondblue partnership is helping us reach more people, raise community awareness about depression, anxiety and related health issues, and break down the barriers of the past,” said the Premier.

“In partnership with beyondblue, there will be continued expansion of outreach and prevention programs such as the important schools research initiative which involves 18 secondary schools in Brisbane and is going to be extended until 2007.

“Already the research has uncovered information that will help improve understanding as well as the design and delivery of services for young people.

“The research found 10% of students taking part encountered mild depression, 13% reported moderate depression, while 12% reported severe depression. The research also found that 37% of those students taking part recognised they had a mental health issue and of those just a third sough help from family, friends or professionals.”

Chairman of beyondblue Jeff Kennett welcomed the agreement with Queensland.

“We look forward to continuing our programs to raise awareness of depression in Queensland,” Mr Kennett said.

“People need to understand depression is an illness, not a weakness, and help is available.

“beyondblue is now working in partnership with every government in Australia - Federal, Territory and State. It’s gratifying how beyondblue continues to reach beyond party politics, across competing sectors and policies to help people with depression, wherever they live in Australia.”

More than one million people living in Australia experience depression each year. One in five will experience a mental illness at some point in their life.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the beyondblue agreement will expand projects such as early intervention and prevention initiatives, a support network for carers, postnatal depression, and programs for the workplace.

“Mental health affects every community so it is important to intervene early so we can reduce the incidence of Queenslanders developing mental illness or harming themselves,” he said.

For more information about depression, available treatments and where to get help go to www.beyondblue.org.au

So the new traffic lights on Boat Harbour Drive near the Main Street intersection were turned on today. I seem to recall that we were assurred that they would not hinder the flow of traffic on the Main Street roundabout.

Even Blind Freddy could have seen that as an unavoidable outcome after the lights were positioned so close to the roundabout. And of course every time a pedestrian uses the lights to cross Boat Harbour drive traffic in all directions on the roundabout comes to standstill.

Well done Hervey Bay City Council - I’m sure somebody needed a University degree to not see that mess happening as soon as the lights were installed.

Instant traffic chaos many times a day and all at the push of a button.

The 2006 Premier’s Multicultural Photographic Awards, offering more than $25,000 in cash and other prizes, were announced in Brisbane today.

Premier Peter Beattie said the awards, now in their third year, were open to all Queensland residents and he encouraged professional and non-professional photographers, especially school students, to get their entries in by Friday 11th August.

“The theme for this year’s awards is People in Places and we’re looking for images that celebrate Queensland’s cultural diversity and heritage,” he said.

“First prize in the Open category is $15,000 and $4,000 goes to the winner of the School Student category. Highly commended prizes in these categories are $5,000 and $1,000 and every short listed entrant will also receive a prize.

“A Premier’s Encouragement Award and Minister’s Regional Award offer $200 worth of photographic equipment.

“Queenslanders will again be able to vote online for a People’s Choice Award from the shortlist, which will be on display at this year’s Queensland Multicultural Festival at Roma Street Parkland on Sunday 15th October.”

Multicultural Affairs Minister Chris Cummins said the awards would be judged by professional photographers from metropolitan and regional newspapers, academics and community leaders.

“Entry to the awards is free,” he said. “Photographs must reflect or be inspired by multiculturalism in Queensland, be taken in Queensland, in black and white or colour, be taken on film or transparency or digitally, not be computer generated and be a single moment in time.

“The Beattie Government developed these awards to complement the Queensland Multicultural Festival and our strategy to maintain the SmartState’s global reputation as an inclusive and welcoming place in which to live, do business and trade,” he said.

“In their first year in 2004, the awards attracted 251 entries, last year there were 521 entries, so I encourage Queenslanders to maintain that exponential growth in entries this year.”

The full photographic brief and guidelines for the awards are at www.photographicawards.qld.gov.au or by contacting (07) 3405 5215.

Yesterday was another of those days when we decided it might be nice just to get away from Hervey Bay for the day so we headed south to the Sunshine Coast.

We spent a little time at Noosa Heads trying to find a parking spot so we could get out and walk around. Maybe we missed something but it seems that weekends are not a good time to visit there because everyone else on the planet has the same idea.

We went on to Mooloolaba where the beach was nice and parking was easy to find. We went further south to Caloundra where trying to find a parking spot was even worse than Noosa Heads before coming back to Dicky Beach for lunch.

After all that it was good to get back to Hervey Bay - let’s just hope what we have here never turns into the commercialised madhouse that they have down there.

Dicky Beach with a massive car transporter sailing south to Brisbane.