Hervey Bay Gossip

Driving a car, riding a mobility scooter or even walking along parts of McLiver Street/Oleander Street Hervey Bay can be quite dangerous in places.

In places the road is not all that wide and there are large stretches that have no footpath for pedestrians or those on mobility scooters and one of the worst spots just happens to be the busiest spot … the last few hundred metres or so that lead down the hill to the lights at the McLiver/Main Street intersection.

Jim MacKellar says that the Fraser Coast Regional Council still has $1.7 million in their Footpaths and Bikeways Capital budget but the council has been busy telling residents who have complained about the situation that they have no money.

So does the Fraser Coast Regional Council have the money or not? It’s possible that all will be revealed on the local news on Channel 9 tonight.

We all thought that Tropical Cyclone Yatsi was bad and there’s no doubt that it was but with our modern forms of communication help wasn’t far away. Maybe the recovery effort was a little slow to get into gear but then this is Queensland and distances are huge.

Back in 1918 when a major tropical cyclone hit Mackay things were different. Communications were transmitted with lights and flags and help was weeks away. This report from the Lighthouse Keeper’s log of the storm … and the aftermath … may well show you that these days we’ve got it easy compared to what it was like back in January 1918.

Follow this link to the report and skip the the page labelled ’45′ … it seems to be out of sequence

Don’t let the title fool you … there’s nothing controversial to see here, just a photo of the storm that seemed poised to engulf Hervey Bay yesterday evening.

Despite the angry clouds all we got was a quick burst of heavy rain.

Of course when there's a spectacular shot like this on offer all Toni and I could muster between us was an iPhone

The floods have come and gone and the roads are open.

The cyclones missed us completely and there is plenty to see, do and enjoy here in Hervey Bay so come on up for a holiday … you won’t be disappointed.

And sunset walks on the beach like this one? They’re free every day.

Cool breeze after a warm day and the beach is the place to be

As one report after another shows, the majority of people who live in this region are at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. Our illustrious Fraser Coast Regional Council could be taking some positive steps to alleviate the problem but instead … as Jim MacKellar points out … all they are doing is giving themselves pay rises.

According to the draft Community Safety Plan presented to the Fraser Coast Council on Thursday 27/1/2011 almost half (49.8%) of the residents of the Fraser Coast are among the most socioeconomically disadvantaged people in the state of Queensland.

Only 3,300 people in Maryborough are considered to be among the 60% least disadvantaged people in the state. 24,000 are among the 40% most disadvantaged.

These are appalling and distressing facts. Especially as there are no apparent reasons for our region to be so poor, for our people to be so disadvantaged compared to the rest of the state.

We have a wonderful climate, ready access to road, rail and air transport, a ready pool of employable people and ample available land. Why are we so disadvantaged?

Even more appalling is the fact that this report was presented to Council on the same day as they chose to increase their salaries to cover the proper reduction in their allowances. Where is the empathy?

What is to be done? Professional regional economic development presents the only real opportunity to improve the situation. And the organization best placed to implement regional economic development is the regional Council.

But what are they doing? The Council’s economic development efforts are directed only to major projects and tourism. And the last few months have proved how fickle the tourism market can be. Why are we pouring millions of dollars into it at the expense of all other forms of business development?

Economic wellbeing is based upon a solid foundation of small to medium size businesses producing goods and services for local and external markets. Building this base can only be accomplished by following the well proven steps that have been successful in the past.

Where are our small business incubators? Where is our business retention scheme? What has Council done to improve the regulatory environment for small business investment on the Fraser Coast?

Are our present Councillors seriously interested in improving the desperate degree of socioeconomic disadvantage on the Fraser Coast or are they more focused on the preparation of their fancy reports and strategies to create the impression they are doing something?

‘Words, its only words’, may very well be the theme song of this Council but the people of our region need more, much more.

Last week the Fraser Coast Chronicle ran a story regarding the production of the 2011 Fraser Coast Holiday Planner. According to the story in the Chronicle the production of the Planner had been outsourced by Fraser Coast Tourism to Sixth Sense Media … a business that operates on the Gold Coast … despite the fact that there were several local businesses that could have handled the job.

It’s what has become a fairly typical scenario in this area … well-paying jobs for this part of Queensland outsourced to big companies in other parts of Queensland and of course that just takes money out of the local economy.

Yesterday Fraser Coast Tourism issued a statement about the article in the Chronicle and one local reader thought it all sounded just a little fishy … maybe that’s why it attracted the attention of someone who prefers to be known simply as “The Seagull”

You’ll find the interesting parts of the Fraser Coast Tourism below with the Seagull’s comments highlighted.

Not sure about you readers but to me today’s statement from FCT sound a little bit like a cover up!

It tells us that “Incorrect statements have been made in writing in a number of mediums, as well as verbally, regarding the Fraser Coast Holiday Planner”

The facts are or so he tells us:

“Sixth Sense Marketing has no part in the 2011 Fraser Coast Holiday Planner. They are not a member of Tourism Fraser Coast and were never invited to provide a quote, nor have they provided a quote” Ok are the mystical firm that won the tender locals or members?

“Tourism Fraser Coast is a member based company with over 400 industry members, which works with all levels of government for the benefit of our members” So if this is correct why was not this tender offered to all members first?

“As per previous established activities and procedures, three members were invited to quote holistically on a number of aspects in relation to the Holiday Planner, one of which included printing. This component was the largest cost. None of the member’s quotes included using a local printer”

Maybe those who quoted could comment on this as I was under the impression that it was one tender included printing and that one local firm had two days notice to prepare and submit a tender and that another company that was unsuccessful was approached about supporting FCT…..bet you can guess that answer!

Each quote was assessed on a number of criteria, including price and the process included a favoured weighting for local firms.

If this is so why was the tender not advertised locally starting this fact and by the way how many members are there who are in the industry?

This fair and equitable process resulted in the successful quote being from an individual who grew up and lived in the region for most of their life, knows the region well and currently works out of Brisbane. This person is not related to, nor has any association with any Director or staff member of Tourism Fraser Coast.

Ok then do they pay any wages to locals or rent to local land lords have they supported FCT or the old structure for years? Right so this means they are from out of town right that was a clear as mud……knowing the region well is a new criteria,so is currently working out of Brisbane …so how long has this been?

The printing component of the project has not and never has been finalised. Tourism Fraser Coast confirms today that McTaggarts The Printers, our only local Printer member has been invited to quote on this aspect of the project. This part of the process was always to happen but has been brought forward due to the level of incorrect statements being made on this matter.

So today you talk to Mc Taggarts so when were you planning on talking with them? By the way when did the tender close? Is it true that Cr Nioa spoke to McTaggarts today in relation to this matter? Back to the fact that this is a cover up and just wrong and action needs to be taken or is the CEO and the Chairperson protected species?

A similar, fair and equitable decision making procedure will take place as part of this process. As above this sounds like spin……if the above was going to happen when were the businesses involved going to be informed?

I would please ask that all people take a professional approach and check the facts before making a statement. You got a deal you start the ball rolling….better still get your story right!

There are many passionate people in our great region and none more than the members of Tourism Fraser Coast ….insert were members … I can give you my absolute assurance that as locals born and bred, my Chairman, Cr Anne Nioa and I, along with all at Tourism Fraser Coast, will continue to work tirelessly and justly to gain the greatest benefits for the Tourism Industry on the Fraser Coast …Ok admit you are wrong pack up your desk and move on and you can help Cr Nioa while you are at it! Come on board members stand up and have your say…….do it now before any more damage is done to FCT if it is possible!

Better see if you can play cricket Mr CEO as the Aussies are down on spinners or that is right the local was shafted to!

The Bureau of Meteorology has announced at 11.55am this morning that Tropical Cyclone Anthony has redeveloped this morning and is now moving in a north northeasterly direction.

The Bureau expects Tropical Cyclone Anthony to change direction and begin to move towards the Queensland coast and increase in intensity to a Category 2 Cyclone during Saturday. At the moment it’s not clear where the Cyclone will cross the coast but it’s currently north northeast of Townsville.

It must be a sign that local government elections are approaching. Jim MacKellar … an occasional contributor here at the Hervey Bay Gossip … now has a website online that’s a clear indication that he intends to stand for the Fraser Coast Regional Council at those elections.

You can find his website here and it’s definitely worth looking at if you want to know what Jim stands for.

I must admit that my memory is a little vague here but wasn’t our much vaunted Water Park – that attraction at the bottom of Main Street that draws lots of people – supposed to be a major tourist attraction for Hervey Bay?

I guess tourism isn’t that important to us any more … either that or the Water Park wasn’t such a tourist attraction after all … because according Wide Bay Water, the body that runs the Water Park, they will soon begins closing it on weekdays and only opening it on weekends.

Maybe Wide Bay Water thinks that tourists only come to Hervey Bay on weekends during the off-season.

The announcement that the park is going to spend most of its time closed till next summer has already had some impact. The kiosk/cafe closed on Tuesday when the current operator decided that there was no point continuing in business at that location if the park was going to be closed.

Wide Bay Water’s decision to close the park is rather sad really. Hervey Bay needs all the open and operating tourist attractions it can get.

Update
Earlier this evening I had some discussions with Ms Maynes from Wide Bay Water and I urged them to join the conversation and post a response in the comments section. I’m pleased to say that they have done that and I urge you to read the comment section to see what the real position is going to be with the Water Park over the coming months.

In case you don’t see the comments as you read this in the general section of the Gossip this link will open the original post and the comments too.

Tropical Cyclone Anthony is currently located west-northwest of Mackay and well out to sea.

In the next few hours the intensity of Tropical Cyclone Anthony is expected to drop below cyclone and the subsequent low is expected to turn northwest and begin to move back towards the coast.

While the Bureau of Meteorolgy’s track map is suggesting that the low pressure system will remain below tropical cyclone level right through tomorrow other forecasters are suggesting that the low will re-intensify as early as this evening.