Hervey Bay Gossip

The Premier of Queensland has called a general election for September 9. Here in Hervey Bay that means that voters will have a choice between Labor and the Nationals.

So for the next few weeks it’s another round of election madness. Undoubtedly health and water will be the major election issues although the latest surgeon problem should not really affect the outcome.

That doctor was originally registered in New South Wales and there has been a long-standing agreement between states that when a doctor moves across the border to a new state then his or her registration moves too.

Hervey Bay City Council has joined with the councils of Maryborough, Tiaro, Woocoo, Cooloola, Kilkivan, Noosa and Maroochy to commission a report into alternatives to the proposed Traveston Dam.

The report will be prepared by Dr Stuart White from the University of Technology in NSW.

The RAAF aerobatic team - The Roulettes - put on a tremendous show over the northern end of Hervey Bay on Saturday.

A fine display of precision flying kept people enthralled as the six pilots put their planes through a very impressive display.

That display and the actions of two very brave F-111 aircrew on July 18 underlines the high standard of training that all our defence force personnel undergo.

Roulettes over Weipa in May 2004
Photo by Warrant Officer Ray Bennell courtesty of Department of Defence

Speaking of the July 18 incident the Minister for Defence had this to say:

“On 18 July I received a call that put me on the edge of my seat - that one of our twenty six F-111s had “lost a wheel” on take-off from Amberley Air Base. An investigation showed this to be a maintenance, rather than a mechanical problem.

Fortunately, the pilot performed a successful “belly-landing”, with only limited damage to the aircraft, a few heart stopping moments and some spectacular television footage. From my perspective, the more impressive television footage came the following day, when the pilot - 29 year old Flying Officer Peter Komar - spoke of his experience.

In contrast to the “Top Gun” stereotype, Flying Officer Komar was completely modest, in: recounting how he and his navigator simply focused on the task; stressing that this type of situation is what they are trained to deal with “pretty much from day one”; and giving credit to the professional team on the ground who helped bring the jet down to safety.

Despite his calm demeanour, Flying Officer Komar’s enthusiasm for flying was palpable, in concluding: “I’ll be happy to go flying (again) as soon as I can”.

Peter - thank you for being an outstanding ambassador for the Australian Defence Force!”

Sometimes even I have to agree with a politician

… until you’ve checked if for an envelope that declares that it contains some important information about water.

Yes folks, the Queensland Government is writing to you to give you important information about the Home WaterWise Rebate Scheme and you really should read it.

Am I the only one who finds it strange that important information should be delivered with the junk mail?

Am I the only one who finds it strange that important information is delivered in an envelope that is addressed in a way that junk mail is usually addressed and uses a font one associates with rubbish?

Still, it is important and you really should read it because it encourages you to start being responsible for your own water needs.

‘No Vacancy’ signs were out in force along the Esplanade last night as high school basketball players from all over Queensland arrived in Hervey Bay for the Queensland School Sport 15 years-and-under basketball state championships.

The championships run until Sunday.

The State Government has commenced construction of a new $1.4 million hydrotherapy pool to help Fraser Coast patients with their rehabilitation and recovery.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today the new pool will be based at the Maryborough Base Hospital campus.

“This is a vital piece of infrastructure which will assist patients recovering after treatment at Fraser Coast health facilities.

“It will provide a supervised environment for hospital patients and residential care facility clients to access hydrotherapy or aquatic physiotherapy.

“Patients with conditions such as arthritis, back and neck pain, sports injuries, work-related injuries, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s Disease as well as people recovering from orthopaedic surgery and stroke will benefit.”

Mr Robertson said the hydrotherapy pool would be located between Community Health and the new Yaralla Place on the Maryborough Base Hospital campus,

“This new pool will be built to Australian Standards and has been designed with the assistance of a consultant engineering firm.

“The pool will be built by FK Gardner and is expected to be completed early next year.”

There are many body corporates here in Hervey Bay and there will be many more to come as the way we live in our urban environment changes and so new legislation introduced into State Parliament yesterday by Fair Trading Minister Margaret Keech will be of interest to many people.

Mrs Keech said the Body Corporate and Community Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill will also strengthen the statutory Code of Conduct for body corporate managers.

“It is proposed to give bodies corporate the power to enforce the Code of Conduct against a voting committee member by removing that member from office,” she said.

“Most bodies corporate are required to elect a committee with responsibility for day-to-day administration.

“Clearly, a committee has a significant and important role in the ongoing management of a body corporate.

“Stakeholders have expressed concern about the conduct of committees. In particular, it is claimed that many committee members do not understand their roles and do not act in the best interests of the body corporate.

“It is apparent that these issues contribute to the cause and escalation of body corporate disputes.”

“The Code of Conduct provides guidelines for voting committee members without increasing their existing obligations.”

The Code requires committee members to:

* understand the Act;
* act honestly;
* disclose to the committee any conflicts of interest; and
* ensure their behaviour does not affect a person’s enjoyment of common property.

Mrs Keech said the Code of Conduct for body corporate managers would also be strengthened.

“A body corporate manager is engaged by a body corporate to provide administrative services, such as secretarial or financial management services,” she said.

“The Body Corporate and Community Management legislation includes a number of consumer protection provisions regulating the relationship between body corporate managers and bodies corporate, including a Code of Conduct for managers.

“Concerns have been expressed about the competence, performance and conduct of some managers.

“At present, a manager is not subject to a specific regulatory or licensing regime, although my Department is currently considering possible regulatory options.

“The statutory Code forms part of the manager’s contract and includes obligations to act honestly, fairly and in the best interests of the body corporate.

“This Bill includes a requirement that managers must not attempt to unfairly influence the outcome of body corporate committee elections.

“It has been alleged that some managers influence the election of members so they can manipulate committees for their own purposes.

“This proposed amendment will swing the pendulum back in favour of the residents.”

It might be hard for you to believe but there are some of us who can remember a time when there was no television here in Australia. I think I was 10 or 11 before my parents bought their first television set.

Of course these days everyone has a TV and, for many people, it is the focus of their lives. The television is switched on first thing in the morning and often isn’t switched off till the last person goes to bed. Is that really healthy?

A noted writer found some very positive benefits when he decided to give up watching TV and you can read about those by following the link to 8 Changes I experienced After Giving Up TV

Continuing our nautical wreck them from yesterday there is a major salvage operation under way in Wide Bay right now. Before you rush down to the shoreline to try and spot it I have to tell you that it’s going on in the Wide Bay, Unalaska Island off the coast of Alaska.

A week or so ago the major television networks here all ran the story of the capsize of what they described as a container ship. In fact it was a car carrier, the Cougar Ace, carrying thousands of Mazda vehicles from Japan to North America.

The vessel hasn’t actually capsized, instead it has continued to list at up to 90 degrees as salvage workers rushed to get the vessel back on an even keel. The work was being done in the open seas but heavy swells have caused problems and now the vessel is being towed into Wide Bay where work can continue.

You can see images of it among the thumnbnails here and one rather stricking image here

If historic Australian shipwrecks interest you then here is some news on the latest discovery off Australia’s east coast. By the way, this is just one of more than 6,500 shipwrecks that lie off the Australian coast. The earliest known shipwreck dates from 1622 when the English vessel Trial went down off the north west coast of Western Australia.

The wreck of the SS Iron Knight, sunk in Australian waters during the Second World War will be protected as an historic shipwreck due to its maritime heritage significance, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said today.

As part of a wartime convoy, the Australian cargo steamer SS Iron Knight was en route from Whyalla to Newcastle with a load of iron ore when it was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine in the early hours of 8 February 1943.

Senator Campbell said the discovery of the wreck near Montague Island off the NSW coast is a reminder of the proximity of the Second World War to Australian shores.

“Of the 50 crew on board only 14 survived. Although historic shipwrecks in Australian waters are usually at least 75 years old, the SS Iron Knight deserves our protection as a war grave of the lost crew,” Senator Campbell said.

“I consider vessels such as SS Iron Knight, sunk during enemy action in the Second World War, to be a significant part of Australia’s maritime heritage and so I have declared the vessel a historic shipwreck to ensure its protection now and for future generations.”

Senator Campbell said he made the declaration to ensure the vessel and its contents were protected from possible interference or damage by visitors.

“It is important that we respect our underwater heritage. Shipwrecks hold valuable information that needs to be protected for the benefit of all Australians - both now and in the future.”

The discovery of the wreck of the SS Iron Knight was made by a team of specialist divers from The Sydney Project dive team 22 miles south of Montague Island, of the coast of NSW, in 125 metres of water.

“The discovery highlights yet again our fascinating and ever-changing coastal and maritime heritage - the Australian Government’s 2006 national heritage theme,” Senator Campbell said.

Under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, historic shipwrecks are protected and preserved by the Australian Government.

The Act aims to protect maritime archaeological sites, while encouraging public access to them. The Act prohibits damage, interference or removal of historic shipwrecks and their associated relics.