Hervey Bay Gossip

A decision to extend the public comment period on the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam proves the Queensland Government is serious about hearing people’s views, Deputy Premier Paul Lucas said today.

Mr Lucas was speaking after the State’s Coordinator-General, Colin Jensen, decided people would now have until 14 January, 2008, to comment on the Environmental Impact Statement for the dam.

Mr Jensen extended the submission period after the project’s proponent, Queensland Water Infrastructure, advised of variations in the publication of the EIS for the dam.

“I am advised that an addendum has been prepared that contains 20 variations between the online, CD/DVD and hard copy of the environmental impact statement as published,” Mr Lucas said.

“The variations are of a minor nature but, we want to be sure that everyone has the chance to comment on the correct version.

“As a result people wanting to comment on the EIS now have until January 14 to provide their feedback - an extra 42 days.

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If you’re wondering why so many Australian voters deserted the Conservatives on Saturday then this piece in the Courier Mail is definitely worth reading.

It seems that many Australians - including many small business people - still believe in the principle of a fair go for everyone and didn’t want to sink to the point where we were nothing but a clone of the United States.

One of our daughters who happens to be highly skilled, highly articulate and quite happy to negotiate her own work contract was among those considered Work Choices totally un-Australian and unnecessary and it seems that there were many many people just like her who decided that the time had come to make a statement about their vision for Australia.

Victims of domestic violence don’t have to suffer in silence, says Minister For Women Margaret Keech.

Mrs Keech used White Ribbon Day to remind women that there is a vast array of services available to help anyone suffering abuse by a partner. “Each year on November 25 the world voices its anger about violence against women and people show their support by
wearing a white ribbon,” Mrs Keech said.

“Around eight per cent of Australian women are right now being abused by their partner, and disturbing recent research shows 42 per cent of women have experienced violence by a previous partner.

“It’s quite alarming to consider that at this moment so many women are living with domestic violence.

“I know they are scared, but I want to remind these women that they can speak up, because we can help and they can be protected.”

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I’m sure I’m not the only one here in Hervey Bay … or in the rest of the Federal seat of Hinkler for that matter … who thinks that the Labor Party let us down by fielding such a miserable candidate.

Instead of giving us a decent candidate who would have stood a great chance of unseating the National Party’s representative you gave us someone who lurched from one blunder to another.

Not only did he come out with the stunningly stupid warmonger comment but he was the person who was too busy to meet the press, suddenly discovered that he had a prior engagement after he had accepted an invitation to breakfast with the Hervey Bay Chamber of Commerce and then failed to be seen on the final day of the campaign.

Why did you do it to us?

The swing was 6.8% even with the wally you foisted on us - think what it might have been if you had given us a candidate that was worth voting for!

It seems that the not so esteemed newspaper here in Hervey Bay - the Chronicle - has taken a terrible dislike to a blog that has set out to expose some of the less endearing actions of local policiticans and developers.

Of course that’s only to be expected because said blog has also pointed one or two rather embarrassing fingers at the editor of the Chronicle.

The Chronicle’s reaction might also be because the readership of that ”defamatory and anonymous blog” (a description bestowed by the Chronicle)  blog is climbing while the readership of the Chronicle is declining … but then that’s only to be expected too. There are a lot of people who are unhappy that our fair town is seeing a resurgence of the despised white shoe brigade and the paper appears to be on their side.

If you would care to read that “defamatory and anonymous blog” then follow this link to Strewth! and read a more jaundiced view of what’s happening here in Hervey Bay.

Elligible voters go to the polls on November 24 to elect to elect a new Government. Since the last elections Hervey Bay has been moved from the seat of Wide Bay to the seat of Hinkler.

The candidates for the seat of Hinkler at the 2007 elections are:

Garry Parr           Australian Labor Party

Cameron Rub      Family First

Charles Dickes     Greens

Paul Neville           The Nationals

Robert Bromwich   Democrats

Roy D Wells          Independent

The federal government has announced that it will open an office of the Department of Veteran Affairs here in Hervey Bay.

This is one of five new offices to be opened in New South Wales and Queensland and is expected to be staffed by up to three people.

It seems that the development boom here in Hervey Bay is beginning to run well ahead of the ability of Telstra and Ergon to provide essential services.

Yesterday Strewth! reported on a situation in Pialba where a tenant of a new building was unable to move into the premises because Telstra had no capacity at the Pialba exchange to handle a new client and Ergon had reached the limit of its ability to provide power to the street where the new building was located - a street that continues to see a lot of new developments going up.

You can read the full story by following this link

Tropical Cyclone Guba has formed in the Coral Sea off the far north Queensland coast and may cross the coast north of Cairns.

Experts are suggesting that this could be the first of up to a dozen cyclones expected to form this season and there are expectations that this could be the worst season for tropical cyclones since 1998.

Hervey Bay takes another step into the aviation industry.

Hervey Bay has been selected  by Observair as its base for operations within Queensland. Observair, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Aerospace, provides specialised aerial surveillance, spotting and asset management services to numerous Government organisations. 

Using the worlds most advanced and efficient single-engine fixed-wing aircraft, the Seabird Seeker, Observair has recently been approved to provide aerial support to the Victorian Rural Fire Service and has submitted tenders to both Queensland and New South Wales for the forthcoming fire season.

With an unrivalled and unobstructed 270 degree field of vision from the cockpit, the Seeker allows quick and precise detection of targets “without the need of covering the same ground twice”. Managing Director of Southern Aerospace, Mr Jon Davies said “until one experiences flight in the Seeker, it is difficult to understand that there is simply no other fixed-wing aircraft capable of doing what the Seeker does.

“It provides the visibility of a helicopter and lower operating costs than a Cessna 172”. He added “and being a new fully certified Lycoming powered GA aircraft, it will prove more reliable and less expensive to operate than 20-30 year old Cessna sometimes used in such roles.

“Being a major regional airport, Hervey Bay was chosen as our Queensland base because all facilities are available, Seabird Aviation Australia the Seeker’s manufacturer is based there, airport and hangarage costs are still reasonable, and personnel can be conveniently located from elsewhere with Hervey Bay’s direct connections”.  Plans are in place so that by mid 2008 an additional 4 pilots and 4 maintenance staff will be employed.

For long range patrols requiring a faster cruise speed, Observair operates Australia’s only twin-engine fixed-wing specialised observation aircraft, the Partenavia Observer. With a seven hour endurance at 150kts, full glass nose section and convex side bubble observation windows, the Partenavia provides a comfortable, air conditioned environment from which to co-ordinate fire attack roles or spot lightning strikes after a storm front.

The Partenavia is fitted with dual five-place audio panels, numerous VHF and RFS radios, an HF radio and is fully IFR equipped and capable.

Together, the Seeker and the Partenavia offer an attractive fire attack and spotting opportunity allowing the cost effective use of single engine aircraft where permitted and twin engine speed where required. The Seeker is best suited to slow and low patrols and is capable of providing continuous visual contact with a ground target at a patrol speed of 65 kts as a result of its extensive glazing in front of, below, above and next to, the crew.