June 2024 e-newsletter

Bryson with lollies and Gympie Monopoly boardgame he won.

That is why it is important that the community has its say.

“Feasting Season” in the Mary Valley

Mary Valley was centre stage when the region celebrated its month long Gourmay Mary Valley Food Festival, 2024. Visitors, locals, and ‘foodies’ were treated to the best from the region’s producers, growers, and creators. I was delighted to be able to attend the festival’s gala culinary and celebratory event where 120 people dined on produce sourced exclusively from within a 50-kilometre radius. To conduct a month of celebration could be daunting. Congratulations to the organisers, locals, the region’s farmers, producers, businesses, and supporters.

Massey Ferguson tractor and machinery heaven

It was Massey Ferguson tractor heaven at the 2024 Roddau Family Tractors and the Gympie and District Historical Machinery Club’s field day. Several hundred enthusiasts celebrated the legacy of Massey Fergusons at Kia Ora where 74 Massey Ferguson tractors and stationery engines were put on display. It is one Australia’s largest private collections of Massey tractors in working order. The collection started two generations ago with a clash about whether the better investment was two Clydesdale horses or a tractor. The tractor won.

BUSY delivering for job seekers

Last month I was fortunate to visit our local non-for profit BUSY at Work group to meet the faces behind the name and find out what they do to help job seekers secure work and establish a pathway to a career. I learned that our local BUSY group also supports local employees and employers to get the most out of the apprenticeship and traineeship schemes, and also helps those who are on the NDIS scheme and disability employment services.

No more secrets

Last year, Queenslanders had significantly greater power price increases than any other state or territory.

Queenslanders paid nearly 20% more in their power bills—triple the national average.

The Australian Energy Regulator found that in the two years since the catastrophic explosion at the Callide power plant Queensland’s underlying wholesale power prices increased 135%.

That explosion and the failure to bring it back online have directly contributed to our increased prices.

Last week marked three years since the explosion and Labor still hasn’t provided answers about why the serious incident occurred.

The Government is doing everything possible to cover-up what happened.

It is refusing to release the report by independent expert forensic engineer Dr Sean Brady Report into what went wrong.

Despite a Federal Court order to hand over the report late last month, the Government is hiding behind lawyers’ robes to block its release.

Whistle blowers have revealed a lack of maintenance caused the explosion which has driven-up power prices.

Even the union is speaking out that there are major maintenance issues at Callide on this Government’s watch which are putting workers at risk.

Queenslanders deserve the truth about what happened.

The Brady Report must be publicly released.

Around the House – in Parliament

Links to the most recent Parliamentary Questions and Speeches.

Questions on Notice

• Overtaking lanes on Tin Can Bay Road
• Great Sandy National Park draft new Management plan
• Business case, approvals and timeline for Borumba Pumped Hydro Scheme
• Bruce Highway upgrade from North of Curra to south of Tiaro
• Asbestos in Gympie schools
• Traffic counts on Kidd and Normanby bridges
• Economic impact of camping reduction in Cooloola Recreation Area
• Gympie Hospital Redevelopment
• Red Fire Ant Eradication Program

Petition:

• Gympie deserves a PCYC – Closes 18 August.

Speeches

• Cheaper Power Bill
• Adjournment Gympie Show
• Committee Report – Inquiry into Scrap Metal Theft
• Cognate debate on Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Bill and the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Bill
• PMS – Beef Week; Agriculture Industries, Exports

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

• Cooloola Recreation Area management plan – the draft has been released. Any changes to reduce visitors to the region will have a major impact on the economy of the Cooloola Coast, and especially Rainbow Beach. The community has until 4 June to have its say. The Draft Management Plan is available here. The  Draft Resource Information document is available here. To provide feedback either go to the online survey here. Written submissions can be emailed to: ParkManagementPlans@des.qld.gov.au
• Cost of Living Inquiry Petition – State government costs must be part of any inquiry into our increasing costs of living.  They must be held to account for their role. Join our fight to expand to the Cost-of-Living Inquiry to put State Government costs under a microscope.
• Young people at risk of homelessness – grants up to $5,000 for essential goods & services to assist moving into accommodation or work. Contact housing service.
• Telstra Footy Country Grants – Grants up to $20,000 for AFL Clubs. Round 3 closes 13 June.
• Business Disaster Preparedness program – assistance for businesses to prepare for disasters.
• Agriculture Disaster Impact Survey – survey to assess effectiveness of disaster recovery assistance.
• Women and Change grant – $50,000 grant for a charity assisting disadvantaged Queenslanders. Note the grant is not limited to women. EOI opens 1 July.
• Queensland Government Grants finder
• Women and Leadership scholarships – $1,000 to $5,000 partial scholarships to undertake leadership courses. Apply by 14 June.
• Business Basic Grants Program – $5,000 grants for small business with less than 20 employees. Closes 11 June.
• Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Grants (MEEG) – Qld based manufacturers looking to increase energy efficiency. Grants of $5,000 to $25,000. Round one closes 30 June 2024.
• National Consumers Art Competition – up to two original art entries to celebrate National Multicultural Mental health month. Closes 31 July.
• Deny Bail Petition – support the Coomera community to fight the impacts of crime. Closes 18 August.
• Premiers Reading Challenge – read 15 or 20 books, depending on your school year level. Closes 23 August.
• Stop the Fresh Food Tax Petition – fight Federal Labor’s new fresh food tax.
• Join the Crew – careers in tourism.
• Premiers Coding Challenge – competition for Years 3-10 students. Closes 2 September.
• Buy Smart competition – competition for school children. Closes 13 September.
• Gambling Community Benefit Fund – grants up to $35,000 for community groups. Round 3 closes 30 November.
• School Student Broadband Initiative – Free NbN connection for school aged students. Closes 31 December.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON BILLS BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT

• Criminal Justice Legislation (Sexual Violence and Other Matters) Bill – Implements recommendations from Taskforce into domestic and family violence changes including admissibility of recorded statements, inadmissibility of admissions made during remand programs, new authority offence, sexual exploitation, protections to prevent retraumatising victims during court proceedings. Keep an eye out for when submissions close. Report due 2 August.
• Trusts Bill – includes modernising language, issues regarding trustees including, appointments, eligibility, removals, powers, responsibilities, charitable trusts, providing the District Court with the same powers of the Supreme Court regarding property. Submissions close 19 June. Report due 2 August.
• Electrical Safety Bill – expands definition of electrical equipment to include low-voltage items, electrical installations to include battery or storage technology, notification of incidents, installation of appliances, and disciplinary powers of Electrical Licensing Committee, WHS issues including industrial manslaughter offences . Submissions close 14 June. Report due 2 August.
• Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill – regulation of assisted reproductive  technology providers and services, and establish a donor conception information register. Submissions close 27 June. Report due 2 August.
• Progressive Coal Royalties Protection (Keep them in the Bank) Bill – introduces a coal royalty rate floor. Submissions close 14 June. Report due 2 August.
• Criminal Code (Defence of Dwellings and Other Premises – Castle Law) Bill – lawfully responding to a home invasion which may cause grievous bodily harm or death. KAP Bill. Submissions close 2 July. Report due 1 November.
• Mount Isa Mines Limited Agreement (Continuing Mining Activities) Bill – Keep an eye out for details. KAP Bill. Report due 4 November.
• Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill – eliminate from State waterways crocodiles that threaten humans and continue measures to protect crocodiles from extinction. KAP Bill. Keep an eye out for when submissions close. Report due 25 November.
  

  Bills and Inquiries waiting to be reported on

• State Financial Institutions and Metway Merger Bill – conditions regarding the head office, staffing and reporting requirements after the merger of Suncorp and ANZ.  Report due 31 May.
• Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Bill – changes relating to psychiatric or psychological injury, mandatory standards, rehabilitation, return to work, scrutiny of insurers, providers, default payments, deemed disease for firefighters, compliance notices, information and coverage of gig workers, bailee taxi, and limousine drivers. Report due 7 June.
• Mineral and Energy Resources Bill – changes regarding land access, issues regarding coal seam gas including impacts, assessments, monitoring, and rebrand Gasfields Commission to Coexistence Queensland. Report due 7 June.
• Resources Safety and Health Legislation Bill – competency requirements, information sharing, notifications, worker protection, court orders and enforcement proceeding regarding worker safety in mines.  Report due 7 June.
• Queensland Community Safety Bill – changes regarding youth crime and detention, firearms, knives, protection orders, penalties. Report due 14 June.
• Help to Buy (Commonwealth Powers) Bill – Transfer powers to the Commonwealth to enable the Federal government’s Help to Buy Bill to meet constitutional requirements. Report due 7 June.
• Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Bill –   to provide the same level of medical care and attention to babies born during an abortion as is currently available to other babies. KAP Bill. Report due 23 September.
• Inquiry into prehistoric and paleo tourism – initiatives and developments to build prehistoric, dinosaur, and paleo tourism. Report due 30 August.