Hervey Bay Gossip

Are we shuffling deck chairs here?

The Deputy Premier Anna Bligh announced some major changes to the Traveston Dam proposal in Parliament this morning.

The capacity of the first stage of Traveston Dam will now be 153,000 megalitres, down from the original 180,000 megalitres. Because of this 16 properties that have already been purchased are now no longer required and will be offered back to the original owners.

However, the catch is that a further 18 properties that were not originally required will now be resumed by the the Queensland government.

The scenario is not good

For far too long our national leaders have tried to tell us that global warming was just a myth and that it would have no impact on us. Well now even they are beginning to wake up to the fact that global warming is very real and it is definitely going to impact on every one of us.

How it will affect those of us who live in Hervey Bay can best be seen by using Google Maps to show how the sea will encroach on the land as sea levels rise.

You can do that yourself by following this link - http://flood.firetree.net/?ll=-27.8390,138.1640&z=13&m=2 - and using the magnification and navigation tools you will find on the left hand side of the screen.

That can be a little fiddly and so the Hervey Bay Gossip has produced three maps of Hervey Bay using that tool that shows what to expect when global warming and Hervey Bay meet face to face.

 You will find three scenarios there with maps that show what will happen if there is a 1 metre, 3 metre and 7 metre rise in sea level. It’s not a pretty picture.

I think that the time has come for little Johnnie to get off his bum and join the rest of the world in doing something about it instead of waving his arms around in Parliament and telling us that others should do something first.

Whether you’re a private pilot flying every other weekend from Hervey Bay or a commercial pilot flying from Sydney to Perth this service is for you! 

Keeping up-to-date with what is happening in aviation safety regulation in Australia is about to become simpler and easier.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority will launch a new email newsletter next week to help everyone in aviation from the private pilot to commercial operators.

The e-newsletter – The CASA Briefing – will be published once a month, providing an easy to understand overview of key safety regulatory issues.

Each edition of The CASA Briefing will give subscribers a summary of the central points of each issue, with links to more details for people wanting to read in-depth.

The first edition features:

    * the development of CASA’s new relationship with industry
    * work on ideas for self regulation for general aviation
    * consultation on changes to CASA’s fees
    * progress on the review of pilot medicals
    * a proposed new category of airline pilot licence
    * new assistance for Australia’s aviation manufacturing sector.

CASA’s chief executive officer, Bruce Byron, will feature in each edition, with comments and observations vital to everyone in aviation.

Subscription to The CASA Briefing is free – it is just a matter for filling out the subscription form, which can be accessed from the CASA web site or the e-newsletter.

The first edition is being sent to everyone who has lodged their email address with CASA as a way of introducing the e-newsletter, but people will have to subscribe to continue to stay up-to-date.

People who subscribe are being assured that CASA will not pass on their email account details to any other party.

To subscribe now to The CASA Briefing go to the subscription form.

Keeping up-to-date with what is happening in aviation safety regulation in Australia is about to become simpler and easier.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority will launch a new email newsletter next week to help everyone in aviation from the private pilot to commercial operators.

The e-newsletter – The CASA Briefing – will be published once a month, providing an easy to understand overview of key safety regulatory issues.

Each edition of The CASA Briefing will give subscribers a summary of the central points of each issue, with links to more details for people wanting to read in-depth.

The first edition features:

    * the development of CASA’s new relationship with industry
    * work on ideas for self regulation for general aviation
    * consultation on changes to CASA’s fees
    * progress on the review of pilot medicals
    * a proposed new category of airline pilot licence
    * new assistance for Australia’s aviation manufacturing sector.

CASA’s chief executive officer, Bruce Byron, will feature in each edition, with comments and observations vital to everyone in aviation.

Subscription to The CASA Briefing is free – it is just a matter for filling out the subscription form, which can be accessed from the CASA web site or the e-newsletter.

The first edition is being sent to everyone who has lodged their email address with CASA as a way of introducing the e-newsletter, but people will have to subscribe to continue to stay up-to-date.

People who subscribe are being assured that CASA will not pass on their email account details to any other party.

To subscribe now to The CASA Briefing go to the subscription form.

A clear win for Les MucKan

Although the poll will not be officially declared until Wednesday there is no doubt that Les MucKan has won by a clear majority from Kerri McInerney and Wendy Bennett.

In an election that some people did not realise was happening (see the comments here) only 71% of the electorate voted and 6% of the votes were informal.

Fair Trading Minister Margaret Keech yesterday launched the Beattie Government’s Summer Safety Campaign, aimed at protecting Queensland families.

Mrs Keech said while summer was the time for fun in the sun for many Queenslanders, the hotter months unfortunately could mean an increase in injuries.

“The Summer Safety Campaign will provide Queenslanders with important information on Christmas toys, pools and the great outdoors,” she said.

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) plays a proactive role in increasing consumer awareness by monitoring and enforcing mandatory safety standards for products, recommending unsafe products be banned or recalled and providing safety advice.

“Queenslanders also need to keep in mind that being sun smart and safe doesn’t have to cost the earth. The great benefit of mandatory safety standards is even the cheapest bike and sunglass products must comply with the standards.

“When shopping for toys this Christmas look for good design and manufacturing and make sure the toy is suitable for the child’s age.

“And when using backyard pools, ensure constant supervision of children. Pools, while providing hours of fun, can also be dangerous, particularly for children in the one-four years age group.”

Mrs Keech offered these safety tips:

• always supervise young children around water - never leave them alone, even when other children are present. Remember swimming aids are not safety devices;
• check fencing requirements with your local council before buying any type of large pool and be aware that some inflatable pools must be fenced under Queensland pool fencing standards;
• buy the highest SPF rating, water resistant, broad spectrum sunscreen and check the use-by date as they need replacing every two years;
• stay out of the sun between 10am and 3pm and apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out;
• choose sunglasses carefully as Ultra-Violet rays can cause serious eye damage - if in intense UV situations such as being near water, consider specific purpose sunglasses; and
• toy sunglasses for children are just that - toys and should not be used as protective sunglasses.

The OFT website at www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au is packed with safety brochures, fact sheets and guides than can be downloaded.

Sadly not in south-east Queensland

The National Climate Centre has releasted their latest climate outlook and unfortunately it’s not good news for the areas affected by drought. Most of New South Wales and south-east Queensland only have a 30 to 40 percent chance of receiving rain in the next three months.

On the other hand north and north-west Queensland can expect more rain than usual in the coming months.

Tropical Cyclone Xavier
The first cyclone of the season - Xavier - which blew up last week and quickly escalated to a category 5 has now blown itself out and is now little more than a depression that is generating high seas well to the north-east of Australia.

Even though the Weather Bureau forecasts this cyclone season to be quieter than last year  that does not mean we should not be prepared here in Hervey Bay. If you haven’t done so already now is the time to check over your emergency kit and be prepared.

Who are they?

Hervey Bay is facing the prospects of a by-election to fill a vacancy on the City Council tomorrow and choosing the right candidate is vital but who are the candidates?

We’ve seen one advertise on television (a rather rushed ad that, if you are a little hard of hearing you might have had trouble following), many have advertised in the paper (although not all used their ad to tell voters what they were about) a couple used letter box drops to get their message out and one or two actually took the time to knock on doors.

So you could still be wondering just who the candidates really are and what skills and policies they might take with them into Council if they were elected.

Yesterday the Hervey Bay Independant published a two-page spread that introduced the candidates to the electorate and it is definitely worth reading if you’re serious about voting for the right person.

If you missed the paper then here are a list of tomorrow’s hopefuls with a words on what they say they offer to us voters (courtesy of the Hervey Bay Independant) .

Jorge Roshkov - promises integrity and accountability

Di Schuback - vows to be a servant of the people

Les MucKan - believes leadership is key to the role

Rhonda Simonis - offers independent representation

Wendy Bennett - committed to preserving the Hervey Bay lifestyle

Jan Stafford - offers strong ethics and professionalism

Jenny Peters - brings innovative new ideas to Council

Keri McInerney - an achiever and problem solver

 And if you were wondering what the eligibility is to be a candidate here it is:

• Candidates for Council must live in the Hervey Bay Local Government Area.
• Candidates must be on the Electoral Roll for the Hervey Bay area. (Candidates may check they are on the Electoral Roll by calling the AEC on 13 2326.)
• Candidates must be nominated by at least 6 people who are on the electoral roll for Hervey Bay City or be nominated by a registered political party.
• Candidates do not need to be ratepayers of Hervey Bay City. Non ratepaying residents have the same rights as ratepayers.

 

The residents of Hervey Bay will have the opportunity to vote in a by-election to fill a vacancy on the Hervey Bay City Council on Saturday October 28.

14 Polling Booths will be open between 8am and 6pm and can be found at the following locations:

• Pialba - The Great Hall, Hervey Bay High School, Beach Road, Pialba
• Pialba - PCYC, O’Rourke Street, Pialba
• Pialba/Urraween - Fraser Coast Baptist Church, 171 Urraween Road, Pialba
• Scarness/Torquay - Hervey Bay & District Senior Citizens Centre, Cnr Denman Camp Road & Totness Street, Torquay
• Torquay - Torbay Retirement Village, Exeter Street, Torquay
• Urangan - Urangan State High School, Robert Street, Urangan
• Urangan - Urangan Point State Primary School, Herbert Street, Urangan
• Scarness/Kawungan - Kawungan State Primary School, Grevillea Street, Kawungan
• Toogoom - Toogoom Community Hall, Cnr Torbanlea & O’Regans Creek Roads, Toogoom
• Burrum Heads - Burrum Heads Community Hall, Cnr Howard Street & Burrum Heads Road, Burrum Heads
• Howard - Burrum District Community Centre, Steley Street, Howard
• Aldershot - Aldershot Community Centre, 2 Vaughan Street, Aldershot
• River Heads - River Heads Community Hall, Ariadne Street, River Heads
• Dundowran - Yarrilee State School, 15 Scrub Hill Road, Dundowran

From mid November the Liquor Barn on Boat Harbour Drive Pialba will have a new owner. Woolworths will take over the business from November 13

It will be interesting to see what impact the change in ownership has on prices. The Barn definitely has a great range but prices seem to be a little higher than other bottle shops around Hervey Bay

Everyone has their own opinion of whether or not Chris Masters should or should not have mentioned Alan Jones’ sexuality. But there is another side to this and it’s one that is presented in a well-reasoned article that appears online in todays Courier Mail.

It is definitely worth reading and you will find it here - but be prepared to be challenged about the man and his influence.