Hervey Bay Gossip

… take the washing off the line

Ah the marvels of modern science - I was just sitting here in Hervey Bay checking out the weather radar in Sydney where two of our kids live and noticed that there is a rather nasty storm headed their way.

So I picked up my mobile phone and sent one of them a text message - ‘Big storm headed your way’

In less than a minute back came the reply - ‘Thanks - I’ll take the washing off the line’

:)

Some things just make you wonder

Earlier this week A Current Affair ran a piece on people who were drowning in credit card debt. It was obviously quite timely  because, once again, Australians have gone out on a spending spree over Christmas and used their plastic to finance the fun.

The piece that A Current Affair ran was quite interesting and offered hope to those who are hopelessly trapped in credit card debt. The hope was in a programme called The Money Tree and you can find the details by following the link.

The Money Tree programme consists of a book and some software on a disk and costs $59.95 including postage.

Now the programme certainly may work - my issue isn’t with whether it works or not - my issue is with something quite different.

The first step in the programme recommends that people cut up their credit cards and that is definitely something that people should be doing. But the only way to buy the book and software is with ….

you guessed it …

a credit card.

Some things just make you go “Hmmmm”

Vehicles with eight or more cylinders, turbo and supercharged vehicles, and some with modified engines will be off-limits to young provisional licence holders from mid-next year under new young driver restrictions.

Minister for Transport Paul Lucas said high powered or ‘performance’ vehicle restrictions formed one element of a range of tough new measures aimed at reducing the youth road toll.

“Young drivers are the most vulnerable on our roads. They are 2½ times more likely to be killed in a road crash than other motorists,” Mr Lucas said.

“Provisional drivers in particular are more at risk than learner drivers.

“There seems to be a fascination - particularly from young men - for driving high-powered, hotted-up cars.

“While it’s true that driving recklessly in a family four cylinder car is dangerous, the added power of some vehicles, coupled with youthful inexperience and exuberance, is a recipe for disaster.

“Research suggests that young drivers take more risks, such as deliberate speeding and reckless driving when in charge of high powered vehicles or ‘performance cars’.

“Young drivers behind the wheel of eight cylinder cars involved in crashes in Queensland from 2001 to 2005 were twice as likely to be driving with excessive speed (11.5%) when compared with young drivers in cars with less than eight cylinders (5.6%).

“Time and time again it is young drivers with limited experience who are involved in accidents behind the wheel of high powered cars, such as V8s.”

“In an effort to reduce the road toll provisional young drivers will no longer be allowed to drive these potentially lethal weapons,” he said.

For the full period of their provisional licence, under 25s who obtain their provisional licence after 1 July 2007 will be restricted from driving:

    * vehicles with eight or more cylinders;
    * turbocharged vehicles;
    * supercharged vehicles; and
    * vehicles that have an engine performance modification that requires approval from an Approved Person (person approved by Queensland Transport to inspect and certify modified vehicles).

Some vehicles will be exempt from this list, for example cars with small engine capacities that are fitted with a turbocharger.

We’re cheaper than Brisbane

A check of fuel prices around Hervey Bay today shows that you can pick up a litre of ULP at Urangan Central Caltex for 108.9.

The cheapest fuel in Brisbane was 108.5 in the west while the average price in Brisbane was 117.1 this morning.

In Sydney the cheapest was 114.9.

Get ready to rock and rumble

Monster trucks are coming to Hervey Bay for one night only on January 3. The venue is the Susan River Homestead and gates open at 3pm.

 
Photo courtesy of Morguefile

Along with the Monster Truck Madness there will also be motorcyle stunts, Adam Brand will be singing and there’ll be fireworks as well.

You can buy tickets at The Good Guys Discount Warehouse in Hervey Bay or from Auto Barn in Maryborough.

This weekend we could be cheaper in Brisbane.

The average price for ULP in Brisbane today is 115.5 cents per litre with the cheapest price being 108.5.

We just filled up with Vortex 98 (the most expensive fuel) at the Caltex on Boat Harbour Drive for 118.5 cents per litre so if you’re travelling this weekend look to fill up here in Hervey Bay before you leave because it won’t come much cheaper anywhere else.

A HerveyBay real estate agent has been fined $2000 for failing to advise clients about his personal financial interest in the purchase and sale of a house in 2005.

Philip John Dickins, 54, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court to one count of beneficial interest. He was fined and ordered to pay court costs.

Fair Trading Minister Margaret Keech said the prosecution highlighted the Beattie Government’s commitment to cleaning up the real estate industry.

“Dishonest traders will have their day in court,” said Mrs Keech.

“The Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 states that if a real estate agent receives a beneficial interest from a property, they must inform the buyer and seller.

“In this case, Dickins purchased the Point Vernon property in HerveyBay from a client for $200,000 and failed to disclose himself as the director of the purchasing company, Caltowie Nominees Pty Ltd. He on-sold the property less than a month later for $230,000.

“During this time, he also withheld the details of his dealings from his employer, who is the licensee of the real estate office.

“The licensee became aware of the dealings during a routine internal audit and subsequently lodged a complaint with the Office of Fair Trading.

“The licensee also paid the original owner $30,000 in compensation for the difference in the subsequent sale price.”

Mrs Keech said laws are in place to protect consumers from unprofessional and dishonest conduct.

“Magistrate Graeme Tatnell said the Court should view any breach of this nature seriously because the legislation existed to protect vendors listing property with real estate agents, who are in a high position of trust, to do the best for vendors,” she said.

“This case should serve as a deterrent to any real estate agent and salesperson who think they can get away with being dishonest.”

For more information on real estate agent obligations, visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au.

It’s scam time of the year for small business

Minister for Fair Trading Margaret Keech urges businesses to be on the lookout for bogus advertising invoices - especially in the lead up to Christmas.

Fraudulent invoices are mainly targeted at small business owners who are busy with the Christmas rush, and don’t always have the time to double check things.

“These scammers use professional sounding telemarketers to trick you into paying for ads in bogus publications,” Mrs Keech said.

“Often they claim the publication is affiliated to a government organisation such as defence, police or emergency services.”

“To avoid being scammed, I recommend all businesses to:

* allow yourself time to check the invoices thoroughly, don’t rush the payment through no matter how many calls you receive;
* restrict the number of people authorised to book ad space;
* restrict who can pay company bills; and
* be alert to unsolicited phone calls, emails and letters requesting payment.”

“Chances are it is a scam if the person:

* harasses you relentlessly, and tries to get you to pay up quickly;
* refuses or delays sending you the information you request such as a copy of the publication or your written authorisation to book the space;
* claims someone in your office approved it but doesn’t tell you who that was; or
* insists that you have dealt with them, even though you can’t recall it.”

The view from the Hervey Bay Council Chambers

When the Hervey Bay Town Plan was released the week before last the Hervey Bay Gossip just had to add it’s 2 cents worth to the debate. Over the weekend Hervey Bay Councillor Sue Brooks took the time to add some comments to the piece.

Those comments are important and deserve their own entry here on the Gossip. Councillor Brooks makes some important points about the town plan and she also gives us an insight into what happens at council meetings.

I am but one Councillor in a group of eight. I firmly believe that Hervey Bay is threatened with over development especially and specifically high density development concentrated anywhere that provides a view of our Bay. Most obviously this is concentrated along our Esplanade.

I am sad to say that I am quite alone in my views. I repeatedly have voted against developments that breach our town plan guidelines but am consistently the only ‘no’ vote.

Yes I have supported the new Planning Scheme. Troubling as the extra height allowance is the alternative to supporting the new planning scheme was to leave the city with no planning scheme at all. The old scheme, even if it could have been extended past December 15th, was permitting more high density over a greater part of the city. I felt caught quite literally between a rock and a hard place.

The new scheme can now be amended. I have tried already to have the maximum height reduced back to the six storey limit and failed. (Cr McNeven and myself voted for this prior to adopting the scheme but received no support from any other Councillor).

The new scheme protects vegetation, recognises wetlands and water ways and has other features which make it superior to the old scheme.

I will continue to lobby as strongly as I can against high density tall buildings but feel quite powerless to effect change without support from my fellow Councillors.

Can I please ask members of the community who share my concerns about high density to lobby Councillors directly. I fear our Esplanade will become a tourist strip catering predominantly for tourists.

Fortunately the storms that struck the region around Hervey Bay yesterday afternoon and evening appear to have caused any real damage here in Hervey Bay.

The intense thunderstorms all passed to the south.

Unfortunately storm damage has been reported around Howard and Tiaro.