Hervey Bay Gossip

Will we actually get an answer?

The by-election to fill the vacancy on the Hervey Bay City Council will be held next Saturday and there seem to be plenty of people who are prepared to serve the community in the important position of councillor … but who are they?

That was a question that popped in our minds as we drove around town on the weekend. There are plenty of posters around telling us that this or that person wants our vote but who are they and do they really have what it takes to make a useful contribution to Hervey Bay?

While there are plenty of candidates only one seems to have taken the time to get their message out to the electorate via a letterbox drop. None seem to have taken the time to knock on doors or press the flesh. We even live in the same street as one candidate and that person hasn’t even bothered to knock on doors around here.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the coming week. Will any of the others actually bother to tell us why we should vote for them or will we be expected to give them our vote simply because if the way they look on their posters?

Edit: If you’re reading this from the front page then be sure to follow the comment link below. As I write this one candidate has taken the time to respond and her response is well worth reading.

Hey … it’s Monday and news is slow

 So with that in mind you might find a cat’s tongue closeup to be of some interest on this slow news day

Common sense prevails

The ABC is reporting that 16 local councils in the Wide Bay, Central Queensland and the Darling Downs have signed a memorandum of understanding with native title claim groups.

The memorandum should remove the need for costly native title litigation and covers an area of around 45,000 square kilometres.

You can read the full report here

The latest web browser from Microsoft has now been released and is available for download but what’s it like and is it worth the effort of downloading?

You can read my quick review of Internet Explorer 7 here

Police Minister Judy Spence has announced the new multi-million dollar Gympie Police Station and watchhouse is now operational.

Ms Spence said the new police station - which has cost $10 million to build - opened its doors this week.

“This has been a major capital works program for police in Gympie, and one that has improved the conditions for officers and provided modern-day policing infrastructure,” Ms Spence said.

“This new station was needed to replace the former Gympie District Police Headquarters, which was constructed in 1945 and had become over-crowded.”

Ms Spence said the new station features a three-level facility accommodating 24-hour policing operations, watchhouse, Scenes of Crime Office, Traffic Branch, Criminal Investigation Branch, Child Protection Investigation Unit, administration, and radio-communication facilities.

The new complex, on the corner of Channon and King Streets, has a total floor area of more than 2000 square metres.

The former police station will be refurbished in the future to accommodate the Gympie District Office.

Police Minister Judy Spence has announced the new multi-million dollar Gympie Police Station and watchhouse is now operational.

Ms Spence said the new police station - which has cost $10 million to build - opened its doors this week.

“This has been a major capital works program for police in Gympie, and one that has improved the conditions for officers and provided modern-day policing infrastructure,” Ms Spence said.

“This new station was needed to replace the former Gympie District Police Headquarters, which was constructed in 1945 and had become over-crowded.”

Ms Spence said the new station features a three-level facility accommodating 24-hour policing operations, watchhouse, Scenes of Crime Office, Traffic Branch, Criminal Investigation Branch, Child Protection Investigation Unit, administration, and radio-communication facilities.

The new complex, on the corner of Channon and King Streets, has a total floor area of more than 2000 square metres.

The former police station will be refurbished in the future to accommodate the Gympie District Office.

Thursday November 9 is the big day for Hervey Bay

Construction and fitting out of the Aldi Supermarket near the Main Street and McLivor intersection in Pialba is nearing completion. The store is now displaying a sign indicating that it will be opening for business on November 9

From a purely marketing perspective of course

With an election coming up to fill a vacancy on the Hervey Bay City Council we’re beginning to see the typical candidate signs springing up around town. In marketing terms those signs are what is known as branding and by putting them up the candidate hopes to imprint their name on your brain.

The signs are fairly basic and have remained unchanged for many years but this time one candidate is seeking to brand themselves in a slightly different way. It’s something that certainly works when it comes to selling all manner of products but will it work when it comes to selling a candidate to the electorate?

I guess we will find the answer to that question next week.

What does the cyclone season hold in store for us this year?

On the basis of the best available information, it is considered unlikely that the coming cyclone season will be quite as active as last season. In 2005-06, there were 5 tropical cyclones in the Queensland region with both LARRY and MONICA having severe impacts on the east coast.

The general climate pattern is typical of the developing stage of an El Niño event. Sea surface temperatures are cooler than average in the region and sustained negative values of the Southern Oscillation Index have been recorded.

Furthermore, there is considered to be an elevated risk that these El Niño conditions will soon become fully established, and then persist through until Autumn next year.

The Regional Director of the Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland, Mr Jim Davidson said today that from a climatological perspective, cyclone occurrence on and near the east Queensland coast is lower during El Niño conditions than in Neutral or La Niña years.

Accordingly, cyclone numbers this season are more likely to be below average. At least two cyclones are expected however and one of these may well be severe.

At this early stage, it is impossible to predict the likely onset, path or intensity of any individual cyclones that might develop. Historically, the first cyclone of the season has often occurred in December, but this is not always the case.

Mr Davidson reaffirmed that the most important advice that people can receive at this time of year is to be well informed of the dangers posed by cyclones, storm tides and floods, to understand the warning service, and to be sensibly prepared.

It is also worthwhile to note that the steady growth in coastal development has served to significantly increase community vulnerability to tropical cyclones, with mitigation being a widely accepted strategy to reduce the impact.

The best source of information on cyclones is the Queensland Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre’s web site at www.bom.gov.au/weather/qld/cyclone. People are advised to take time out to read the “Surviving Cyclones” brochure as it provides timely advice on preparing for tropical cyclones – and includes a summary of the warning service.

The seasonal outlook for the Gulf of Carpentaria is issued by the Northern Territory Regional Office

We’re approaching cyclone season again

Four state and national government agencies will combine to deliver joint disaster awareness and education seminars to Queensland communities.

The first seminar will be held in Cairns tomorrow, with seminars to be held in coming weeks in Townsville, Mackay, Hervey Bay, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Maroochydore, Mt Isa, Gold Coast, Charleville and Brisbane.

Emergency Services Minister Pat Purcell said the seminars would help promote preparations for the cyclone and storm seasons, in line with the Government’s commitment to safer sustainable communities.

“The Department of Emergency Services, Department of Public Works, Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Meteorology will hold combined briefings designed to address cyclone, storm tide and flooding issues for Queensland’s at risk communities,” Mr Purcell said.

“Tropical Cyclone Larry reminded all Queenslanders of the damage natural disasters can cause, and while I hope we don’t see another natural disaster of that scale again, it is imperative that we prepare local disaster managers continually.

“The seminars will focus on informing Local Governments, Disaster District Coordinators, Disaster District Control Groups and other attendees about a range of cyclone and storm surge mitigation, response and recovery initiatives being promoted by the State and federal governments.

“The seminars will assist local organisations understand the potential disaster risks in their area, and how they can help work with state and federal agencies to develop and improve their natural disaster mitigation, response and recovery arrangements.”

A special aviation safety workshop for local pilots is being held tomorrow in Maryborough.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Maryborough Aero Club are staging the free workshop as part of a national air safety campaign.

Aviation experts will conduct the workshop at the Maryborough Aero Club on Wednesday 18 October.

The workshop will look at key air safety issues including flying in bad weather and fuel management.

Experts from CASA will make presentations on these topics, as well as leading discussions about local safety issues.

CASA’s Peter Gibson says the workshop will make a real difference to air safety in the Fraser Coast and Wide Bay regions.

“Education and training are keys to better air safety,” Mr Gibson says.

“This workshop will help to improve air safety in the Fraser Coast and Wide Bay regions.   That’s good news for pilots and passengers.

“The Fraser Coast and Wide Bay regions have a good air safety record but we must continue to work to prevent accidents.”

The workshop is being held at the Maryborough Aero Club, starting at 6pm, on Wednesday 18 October 2006.

All local pilots are urged to attend.CASA is hosting a free BBQ on the night for everyone who takes part in the workshop.