October e-Newsletter Gympie Electorate

Oct 30, 2023 | e-Newsletter

The personal connection reflected in each artwork shows that Gympie certainly has a thriving and sweeping array of artistic talent.

Our Regional Gallery has been at home in the historic School of Arts building for all of those 25 years.

Tony with Gympie Probus President Margaret Anderson.

Probus puts on the glitz for its 40th Birthday

Forty years for any club is a commendable milestone. Gympie Probus celebrated its 40th anniversary with a Glitz and Glamour gala event.

As we were reminded on the night, when Gympie Probus started in 1983 there was no internet, no email, no airbags in cars. There were no electric powered windows. TVs were in a big box, and petrol was 37cent a litre.

When Probus was first formed it was a men’s club and as times changed its first female president was elected in 2001.

The club has now grown to thriving 100 members active who participate in the many Probus activities as well has bus tours, day outings, and club interest groups.

Congratulations Gympie Probus.

Biggest Community Survey

The answers are in for My Biggest Community Survey. A total of 1,203 paper and online surveys were received, with 942 providing details which could be collated. Unfortunately, when contact details or addresses are not provided, I am not sure if they are from the Gympie Electorate.

A snapshot of the results shows that law and order, health crisis, the cost of living crisis, and the state of our roads remain the top concerns for locals.

A massive 95% of respondents were concerned about youth crime, 86% said current sentencing of offenders did not reflect community standards and 74.7% said there were not enough police on the beat. Of most concern is that 28.64% indicated they had been impacted by crime in the past five years.

Of those responding, more than 90% were concerned about the health crisis, with 72 % saying the Gympie Hospital does not adequately meet the health care needs of our region. Chief concerns in order of priority were hospital wait times, specialist wait times, with ambulance ramping and lack of hospital beds equal priority, followed by other concerns including dental waiting lists.

Cost of living pressures, including the local housing crisis is biting hard. Of those responding 81% said they had had to cut items from their weekly budget to cover rising costs. Rises in the cost of electricity and groceries topped the list followed by fuel, insurance, and water costs.

Almost 80% of respondents said the State Government should be doing more for affordable housing and social housing.

The survey has provided some great input from locals on the range of State issues that impact us all. The survey covered a range of issues about health services, law and order, the cost of living, housing, roads and transport, agriculture and the environment, education, and local infrastructure.

As I drill down into the specific details, I will continue to provide greater detail in future newsletters.

Business comes out on top at
Chamber of Commerce Awards

I was pleased to be able to attend the Gympie Chamber of Commerce annual Business Awards.

The 4,849 businesses in this region all deserve to be recognised for the input they provide to the Gympie region’s economic growth.

Business is often for dreamers, risk takers, and hard workers. Business owners are renowned for risking everything, working extraordinary hours. They take few holidays, receive reduced wages, and operate on tight margins all to make an entrepreneurial dream into reality.

It is business that continues to be steadfast in making a tangible and financial commitment to invest in this region, including being our region’s largest employer group.

I was pleased to recognise some of our local businesses for their demonstrated support for Gympie’s future economic prosperity.

Chamber Of Commerce Business Awards 2023

Business of the Year

■ Winner – IGA Rainbow Beach

■ Runner-up –  Aerial Dreaming Circus School

 

Small Business of the Year

■ Winner –  Smyth Studio

■ Runner-up –  Mary River Veterinary Service

 

New Business of the Year

■ Winner – BLOOM Hair Studio

■ Runner-up – Krystal Clean

 

Business Innovation

■ Winner –  Cured Compliance

■ Runner-up – Petal Head Farm & Florist

 

Workplace of Choice

■ Winner – Bravo

■ Runner-up – All Day Electrical

 

Not-for-Profit Business of the Year

■ Winner –  Bravo

■ Runner-up –  Hope Reins

Community Contribution of the Year

■Winner – BOQ Gympie

■Runner-up –  Bendigo Bank

Customer Service Hero

■Winner – Natasha Lobegeier F45

■Runner-up Shereen Walsh I Can Cook

■Runner-up Dianne Woodstock Magicality

 

Food & Agri Business of the Year

■ Winner – Natalie and Garry Wheeler

■Runner-up – Farmer and Sun

Micro Business of the Year

■Winner – EM Events

■Runner-up – Curves Gympie

Out and about

During the last month I have been able to attend or visit:

Gympie Regional Gallery official exhibition opening of Dear Gympie

Gympie District Show Society Pavilion & Dairy Showgirl Entrant event “ The Haystack”

Gympie Probus Club 40th birthday

Gympie State High School Awards night

Gympie Chamber of Commerce Business Awards

Shadow Ministerial Visits across Queensland

Get Involved – Have your Say, Grants, Prizes, Surveys, Events and Reviews

  • Industry and Recovery Resilience Program – Help for primary producers impacted by the floods of 2022
  • SwimSmart Vouchers – Vouchers up to $150 for tots -0-4 years to learn to swim. Register your interest Applications open late 2023.
  • Queensland Great Awards – nominate an inspirational Queenslander or institution. Closes 16 February 2024
  • Help Stop Labor’s Fresh Food Tax – Register your interest to have a say on Labor’s ‘Sustainable funding to Strengthen Biosecurity “ plans.
  • Cash back for appliances – rebates of up to $1,000 to buy and install eligible energy-efficient appliances with a four-star rating. Closes when money runs out.
  • Environmental Protection Act – have your say on the independent review of the powers and penalties to enforce protection laws about noise, odour, and other pollution – consultation closes 10 November.
  • Commonwealth Fisheries Policies – have your say on harvest strategy and bycatch. Closes 3 November.
  • Resilient Regional Communities –up to $20,000 or $50,000 grants for events and initiatives to strengthen communities and capability for drought preparedness.  First round closes 14 November.
  • Future drought funding – have your say about the next four years of investment under the Future Drought und. Closes 6 December.

Have Your Say on Bills before the Parliament

  • Information Privacy Bill – protection of personal information, how to respond to data breaches, misuse of personal information, scheme to release Cabinet documents. Submissions close 3 November.
  • Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Bill – outcomes for individuals and communities from renewable projects, provide more household support for rooftop solar and jobs, jobs from renewable projects. Committee report due by 1 March, 2024. Keep an eye out on the link for when submissions are due.
  • Education Helping Families with School Costs Bill – reduce out of pocket expenses of state school children. Submissions close 1 December.
  • Crime and Corruption Bill – to allow the Parliament to publish CCC reports so the public can understand the reasons for its conclusions and any outcomes. Keep an eye out on the link for when submissions are due. The committee will report by 11 April, 2024.
  • Education Extension of Primary Schools in Remote Areas Bill –  to increase access to designated secondary education services in emote areas. . Keep an eye out on the link for when submissions are due. The committee will report by 25 April, 2024.