(51) Council Connection October - November 2017

COUNCIL

CONNECTION GLADSTONE REGIONAL COUNCIL NEWSLETTER October - November 2017 ISSUE 80

INSIDE 06 Excitement builds for art awards

06 Australia Day award nominations open

07 Prepare for cyclone and storm season

10 Strong attendance at Seniors Week

Mayor's Message October shaping up as busy month for region It is not long now until Lions Park at Kin Kora becomes our region’s first sensory park.

Cover The free, fun morning events at the Tondoon Botanic Gardens have proved popular with Gladstone Region children and their families. Two more events will be held this year in spring and summer.

Read more on page 11

Council Connection This newsletter is produced every two months by Gladstone Regional Council to inform residents about Council events, activities, services and projects. It is printed on 60 per cent recycled paper.

Delivery Council Connection is delivered directly into all residential letterboxes by Australia Post as 'unaddressed mail' and is also available for viewing or downloading from Council’s website at www.gladstone.qld.gov.au Cost Council Connection is automatically delivered free of charge to households in the Gladstone Region who have a residential letterbox. The cost of printing and distributing the newsletter is 48.6 cents per household per edition.

The upgrade to Lions Park, which is due for completion in midNovember, will create a vibrant, modern area for children and adults of all ages and abilities to enjoy by focussing on the seven senses – hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch, vestibular and proprioception.

Featuring inclusive spaces designed to meet the sensory needs of children with sensory processing disorder, auditory processing disorder, visual impairment, Down syndrome, autism, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and spina bifida, Lions Park will also prove to be a special place among the region’s general population.

Tom Jeffery Park in Agnes Water is also undergoing an upgrade with improved shower and toilet amenities, new and upgraded pathways, new garden beds and irrigation infrastructure, and the construction of a storage facility and combined office/first aid room for Surf Life Saving Queensland.

Both projects are being completed through the State Government’s Works for Queensland program.

The Gladstone Region’s efforts to become a renewable energy hub for the nation is also taking shape with two significant visits to be received in October.

Life Sciences Queensland will host its

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WITH COUNCIL www.gladstonerc.qld.gov.au/econnect

Gladstone Office 101 Goondoon Street Open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Calliope Office 5 Don Cameron Drive Open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Australasian Bioenergy and Bioproducts Symposium at Rydges Gladstone, featuring a number of international speakers and underlining the significant role the region can play in the state’s bio-future and bioeconomy.

While here for the symposium, another international company I met with in San Diego in June will investigate the possibility of establishing a facility within the region.

The entity converts cellulosic biomass derived from plant matter into renewable diesel, aviation and marine fuel, as well as create bio-char and bio-plastic by-products.

October will be a busy month for the region and I am looking forward to the first Under the Trees music and arts festival at Jacaranda Drive, Boyne Island on October 14.

Council is proud to have helped the Boyne Tannum Arts Business and Community Association get the project off the ground and we are confident that the investment will reap future rewards.

The inaugural event boasts an excellent line-up of talent and as the festival grows, and word of its existence spreads, Council expects it will become a major drawcard for tourists to the region and a highlight of local residents’ social calendars.

Also in October, we host the Local Government Association of Queensland State Conference at the Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre which will be officially opened by the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland.

Gladstone Regional Council PO Box 29, Gladstone Qld 4680 Phone: 4970 0700 Fax: 4975 8500 Email: info@gladstonerc.qld.gov.au www.gladstone.qld.gov.au

@GladstoneRegionalCouncil Miriam Vale Office 41 Blomfield Street Open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Agnes Water Rural Transaction Centre 71 Springs Road Open 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday

@GladstoneRegionalCouncil Boyne Tannum Community Centre Cnr Wyndham & Hayes Avenues, Boyne Island Open 9am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday

@GladRegCnl

Mount Larcom Rural Transaction Centre Raglan Street Open 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to noon on Saturday

Cr Matt Burnett Mayor Phone: 4976 6903 Email: Mayor@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr Glenn Churchill Councillor Phone: 0407 289 139 Email: GlennChurchill@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr Peter Masters Councillor Phone: 0438 145 780 Email: PeterMasters@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr Chris Trevor Deputy Mayor Phone: 0437 757 839 Email: ChrisTrevor@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr Kahn Goodluck Councillor Phone: 0433 944 302 Email: KahnGoodluck@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr Desley O'Grady Councillor Phone: 0437 837 148 Email: DesleyOGrady@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr Cindi Bush Councillor Phone: 0437 642 081 Email: CindiBush@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr Rick Hansen Councillor Phone: 0448 885 047 Email: RickHansen@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Cr PJ Sobhanian Councillor Phone: 0412 544 201 Email: PJSobhanian@gladstone.qld.gov.au Page 2

Mayor Matt Burnett and CEO Roslyn Baker hosted a morning tea in the Council chambers to welcome (from left) apprentice Nick Butler-Shaw and trainees, Dylan Cassell, Jay Booth and Madeline Van Vegchel.

Apprentice, trainees take first career step with Council Four young people are now following their passions at Council taking up an apprenticeship and traineeships in civil construction and maintenance, parks and gardens, business administration and theatre techniques.

Mayor Matt Burnett and Chief Executive Officer Roslyn Baker welcomed the group recently with the message that Council would provide them with a great environment to work in, where their safety would always be the most important priority.

The training offered through apprenticeships and traineeships would help to underpin the skills base in the Gladstone Region.

Madeline Van Vegchel and Jay Booth are trainees at the Entertainment Convention Centre while Nick Butler-Shaw is an apprentice in Parks and Gardens and Dylan Cassell is a civil construction and maintenance trainee.

As they begin their careers, the group was encouraged to think about where they were going and to understand education and learning on the job never stops.

They heard how both the Mayor and CEO are passionate about developing regional skills and believe Council had an important role to play in training young people when the economic times were tough.

This applies now, more than ever, as new technologies keep coming through and human jobs evolve.

Rates update Rate notices were issued by post in early September and are also available online to registered users of Council’s Online Services.

More information about rates can be found at www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/rates or by phoning Council on 4970 0700.

Discount and payment due dates Don’t forget to pay your rates by October 11 to receive a 10 per cent discount.

If this deadline is missed, you can still receive a five per cent discount if your payment is received by notices’ due date of November 10.

Paying directly to Council is the safest way

This means only half of these charges are included in current notices; the other half will accompany water consumption notices in February with the usual early payment discounts available.

to ensure payments are cleared in time for the discount to be applied.

This can be done via Council's Online Services platform at www.gladstone.qld. gov.au/OnlineServices or in person at any Council administration or transaction centre.

The change was made to assist the increasing number of ratepayers who requested that rates be broken up into more manageable portions, better enabling them to meet discount deadlines.

If you are unable to pay your rates by November 10, you can avoid interest charges on overdue amounts by setting up a payment plan with Council before the due date has passed.

But ratepayers who still want to pay their full annual water access and sewerage charges now can do so; the additional payment will appear as a credit on February’s notice (which will still include the usual half-yearly water consumption charge).

Reminder of changes to rates This financial year, Council split annual water access and sewerage charges into two half-yearly payments.

How general rates and charges are calculated

=

÷ Total rates revenue needed to service community

Combined value of all rateable properties

$ “The rate in the dollar”

+

x Valuation of your property’s land

= GR Service charges (water, sewerage, waste)

Your general rates & service charges

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Garage Sale Trail to link sellers and buyers There is still time to register for the 2017 Garage Sale Trail and join the fun of a big weekend of garage sales across the Gladstone Region.

The number of individuals, neighbourhood groups, community groups and organisations registering as sellers through the Garage Sale Trail has steadily grown within the Gladstone Region each year.

Within the first three weeks of online registrations opening, 26 sellers had registered across our region to host a garage sale on Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22.

Council is pleased to support the initiative which encourages residents to

recycle and reuse items to divert them from being contributed to landfill.

There is no cost registering to host a sale and sellers are able to place items on a regional listing of sales and benefit from local and national promotion of the Garage Sale Trail weekend.

Sellers will also receive selling hints and tips and be able to access materials to promote their sale, while buyers can plot their own treasure trail to print and follow, or view on a mobile device.

Register online for Garage Sale Trail 2017 at www.garagesaletrail.com.au or find out more by phoning Council's Strategic Community Inclusion Officer Luis Arroyo on 4976 6300.

Do you read me?

We are reviewing the way we connect with the community, including via this newsletter.

Would you like to continue to receive Council Connection in your letterbox every two months, or are there better ways we can reach you?

Do you think the newsletter can be improved or do you like it the way it is?

We would love to hear from you.

Whatever your taste, you could find a treasure following the Garage Sale Trail across the Gladstone Region.

To provide feedback, complete our short survey on page 15 or online at www. gladstone.qld.gov.au/comms-survey.

Race to secure your ticket to join GECC's Melbourne Cup crowd Residents will be racing to secure their tickets for Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre's (GECC) 2017 Melbourne Cup event.

line up full of free activities for all to enjoy in air-conditioned comfort.

GECC's A Day at the Races has become the place to be in Gladstone to celebrate 'the race that stops the nation' in style.

Punters will be able to access flower crown workshops, tarot card readings and a photobooth, or line up for Fashions on the Field.

This year, in addition to races being streamed live, there will be a jam-packed

Live band Juvinyl will entertain, beard trimmings and fades will be on offer, and

there will be games, prizes and more.

Invite your friends, choose a ticket package to suit and book your tickets to experience the excitement and atmosphere of the Melbourne Cup without leaving the region.

Book online at www.gladecc.com.au or phone the GECC Box Office on 4972 2822.

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Young residents invited to join Gladstone Region Youth Council Young residents aged 15 to 24 who are keen to let their voice be heard and serve others are urged to nominate to be part of the Gladstone Region Youth Council in 2018.

The Youth Council offers the opportunity to be part of an advisory committee and enhance leadership skills.

Take simple steps to ensure the efficiency of waste collection services.

Ensure efficiency of your bin collection service Council’s waste collection service is an effective, cost-efficient method for the removal of household rubbish and recyclable items.

Following is a list of actions that you can take to ensure the efficiency of your household waste collection service.

Do: • Place your bin out before 6am, or the previous night if necessary; • Place your bin facing outwards on the edge of the kerb; • Tie wheelie bin liners shut to prevent rubbish from spilling when collected; • On recycling collection days, space bins at least one metre apart, preferably on separate sides of your driveway; and • Return bins to your property on the same day collection has occurred.

Do not, or your bin may not be collected: • Place bins under low trees or near letterboxes, sign posts, power poles, fences or vehicles;

• Contaminate your bin with hazardous waste; • Allow bins to overflow with rubbish (lids must close) or place rubbish on the ground; • Fill bin with heavy materials (a 60kg per bin weight limit applies).

Rural residents should also place their waste and recycle bins in a visible location away from fence lines and passing traffic.

Waste collection services operate on a user pays model so collection is provided only for Council-supplied bins (with logos) at properties for which cleansing services have been paid.

However, some properties may be ineligible for bin collection or be located outside the bin collection service area.

To check if your property is eligible for Council waste collection services phone 4970 0700.

Youth Council members are youth representatives on other business and industry forums and provide a youth perspective to Council in a structured and formal way on future planning decisions.

Members assist with designing SUNfest and Youth Week events and have been involved with regional community events including Frolic and the Rainbow Run. The Youth Council meets on the first and third Monday of each month except public holidays.

Nominations close on October 28 with nomination forms available online at www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/youthevents-and-activities Gladstone Region Youth Council or nomination queries can be directed to Council's Youth Development Officer Vernetta Perrett on 4976 6300 or email vernettap@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Plans for a bigger and better than ever Christmas Street Party Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre (GECC) will bring Christmas to the city with planning underway for a bigger and better than ever Christmas Street Party in the Gladstone CBD. All residents are invited to the free community event on Sunday, December 3 at Library Square, Goondoon Street, Gladstone from 4pm to 8pm.

The event will feature fun family activities and entertainment including Christmas market stalls, live music, face painting, a jumping castle, Christmas carols, roaming elves and more.

Roaming elves will add to the free community fun at this year's Christmas Street Party.

Celebrations will have all the Christmas trimmings including the official lighting of the region's Christmas tree in Library Square at 6.45pm.

The major highlight of festivities will be a visit from Santa.

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Excitement builds for prestigious annual art awards Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum will take submissions for The 42nd Rio Tinto Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards from October 5 to 7.

The awards have become one of Queensland's most prestigious regional art events attracting hundreds of entries from established, emerging and amateur artists nationwide.

The awards honour Martin Hanson (1923-1976), a popular and highly respected local businessman, who was Member of the Legislative Assembly for Port Curtis from 1963 to 1976 and patron to the Gladstone Artists Club.

The Gallery & Museum became the custodian of the awards in 1993 and they were renamed in 2007 in recognition of Rio Tinto's continued generous support.

Each year the awards are supported by local industry, business and the community and artists vie for prizes in four sections including Easel Paintings, Works on Paper, Three Dimensional and Fibre Works and Digital Works.

The Gallery & Museum will be closed for install from October 9 to 13. After this the normal opening hours will apply: 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, with free admission.

An official opening and awards presentation will occur on October 14 with the exhibition showcased until December 7.

Nominations open for 2018 Australia Day Award Nominations are being accepted for the Gladstone Region's 2018 Australia Day Awards.

citizen and have lived in the Gladstone Region for 12 months prior to Australia Day (26 January) 2018.

Do you know someone who has gone to great lengths for an extensive number of years providing outstanding service within our region?

Nominations can be made online, forms can be downloaded and award selection criteria and eligibility guidelines can be viewed at www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/ australia-day-awards

Or is there a junior or senior sportsperson or someone talented in arts and culture who excels in their field and is an exceptional role model for others?

Council’s Australia Day Awards reward inspiring individuals, community events or initiatives which valuably contribute to the Gladstone Region.

Award categories include: • • • • • • • •

Community Event or Initiative Community Volunteer Award Arts and Culture Award Young Sportsperson Award Senior Sportsperson Award Sports Official Award Young Citizen of the Year Citizen of the Year

Nominations for the awards will be accepted until 5pm on Friday, November 3.

Nominees must be an Australian

Clean up before storm season to prevent mosquito breeding Council is requesting residents clean up around their homes and properties before the 2017-18 storm season arrives to reduce mosquito breeding opportunities.

All property owners must ensure their property remains clean, tidy, and not overgrown and does not increase mosquito breeding sites.

Overgrown yards are not only unsightly but the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes as potential carriers of the Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, Dengue fever and dog heartworm.

This is particularly important for those whose properties include swimming pools as a pool full of stagnant water is another favourite breeding place for mosquitoes.

Empty containers, pot plant bases and other household items that hold water are all ideal breeding sites.

Council would like to remind all property owners that fines and penalties are applicable if their property is found to be overgrown, unsightly or a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Council undertakes a number of prevention programs around the region to regulate mosquito numbers, but wants residents to play their part in reducing potential breeding sites for mosquitoes.

Gallery & Museum visitors browse submissions in last year's Art Awards.

Cr Rick Hansen congratulates Council’s 2017 Senior Sportsperson Award winner, Nicole Lowe.

This also applies to Gladstone Region property owners who no longer live in the the area.

Remember….no water, no mosquitoes.

For more information on mosquito management in the Gladstone Region visit www.gladstone.qld.gov.au and click on Your Council to find a fact sheet.

Page 6

Drones take asset management to greater heights Council has entered the drone age with the purchase of two DJI Mavic Pro models to give officers a new perspective on the organisation's assets.

The drones cost $2000 each, which will quickly be recouped through hire equipment savings, and their use will mitigate safety risks.

work is retained.

Already the drones have provided helpful images for Water Services project teams for maintenance works on the Agnes Water Desalination Water Treatment Plant inlet pipe, the upgrade of the SO1 Pump Station at Cemetery

Drive, Gladstone, and construction of the Paterson 2 water reservoir at Kin Kora.

Council officers have found the drones easy to manoeuvre and look forward to the additional services and cost savings these hi-tech assets will bring.

The drones, to be managed by Water Services officers, will help to track the progress of Council projects through the provision of aerial footage and images and to help inspect road conditions and Council assets during floods and other types of disaster.

Council will also use the drones to survey radio masts and antennas (negating the need to hire elevated work platforms or cranes) and reservoir roof tops, inspect electrical connections on older pump stations (mitigating the risk associated with officers climbing ladders), and film or photograph environmentally sensitive projects so that evidence of

Aerial footage of the S01 pump station, Cemetery Drive, Gladstone, taken by one of Council’s new drones.

Prepare for cyclone season



Steps you can take now to prepare for the cyclone season:  Register or update your contact details with the Early Warning Network to receive severe weather warnings;  Review your insurance levels and update your proof of purchases for potential claims.

Prepare your household:  Create a home emergency plan;  Make an emergency and evacuation kit.

Prepare your home:  Trim trees and overhanging branches;  Check the condition of roofs and structures and arrange necessary repairs;  Remove rubbish and loose items from your yard.  Source alternative power supplies.

The cyclone season is just around the corner and households are encouraged to complete vital preparations now to ensure they are ready should a disaster strike.

Council's guide to preparing for natural disasters and emergencies 'Ready?' provides simple checklists to complete vital tasks.

The Ready? Guide is available at all Council customer contact centres and online at www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/ emergencies

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Annual report earns gold

A 1938 Challen Baby Grand Piano is given a new lease of life at Tannum Sands State School.

Baby Grand piano heads to local primary school A retired asset of the Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre (GECC) has been given a new lease of life at Tannum Sands State School.

The school has taken ownership of a 1938 Challen baby grand piano which was deemed surplus to GECC requirements.

The piano was originally purchased second hand more than 30 years ago by the then Gladstone Entertainment Centre.

Following the facility's upgrade to GECC and the purchase of a new piano, the Challen became a surplus asset.

In 2014 expressions of interest for the piano were invited from all local schools,

churches and music/dance schools but no interest was received.

Calls for expressions of interest were sought again with Tannum Sands State School keen to acquire the asset.

This year, Council at its July 4 general meeting approved the baby grand to be gifted to the school.

Local residents and students will now be able to get value from this community asset for years to come.

The school arranged collection of the piano and will now assume complete ownership and maintenance responsibility.

Acting Corporate Performance and Reporting Coordinator Waneka Jannusch holds Council’s gold Australasian Reporting Award.

Council claimed its second gold award in the Australasian Reporting Awards (ARA) recently for its 2015-16 annual report.

The award recognises high standard reporting that meets a long list of criteria covering transparency, detail, accuracy and assessment mechanisms.

Council has used the awards program to benchmark its annual reporting standard and strive for improvements, receiving a bronze award for its first entry in 2014, improving to a silver award in 2015, and gaining its first gold award last year.

Acting Corporate Performance and Reporting Coordinator Waneka Jannusch, who has compiled eight annual reports for Council, said high quality reporting could be confronting for organisations.

d by some of Former Tannum Sands State School principal Leanne Ibell sits at the piano surrounde Adie.

John principal and Clarke Julie-Ann Teacher Music the Tannum Timbres choir, Classroom

Piano sends sound waves through Tannum The addition of a baby grand piano to the Tannum Sands State School community has reinvigorated the music program and given the students a lift they could never have imagined.

Staff and students are playing the instrument almost daily and use it for regular performances at school parades each week.

It was even a showpiece at the school's Grandparents’ Day with one of the school's special grandmothers performing for the community.

The day the piano made its grand appearance at the school there was great excitement with people buzzing around

wanting to play it, and that interest hasn’t waned!

Our previous principal Mrs Leanne Ibell was instrumental in securing the baby grand, and our new school principal, Mr John Adie has enjoyed encouraging students to perform on the piano at every opportunity.

Tannum Sands State School showcased the instrument and their students’ talent at Stars on Stage on September 1.

It was great to see how much excitement one instrument can generate in a school.

Submitted by Tannum Sands State School Classroom Music Teacher Ms Julie-Ann Clarke

“It requires scrutiny and laying bare challenges and missed targets, but Council’s organisational culture has evolved to consider the reporting of challenges an opportunity to learn and act,” she said.

Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said Council, as a complex organisation with many working parts serving a diverse community, found annual reporting brought benefits "beyond the meeting of a legislative requirement".

"Identifying trends in our community and opportunities to better serve them, through reporting, is vital; as is providing them with an honest account of our performance," he said.

Council's annual reports can be viewed online at www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/ annual-reports Council's 2016-17 annual report is expected to be released in November.

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Free fun for all seasons at Tondoon Gardens So popular have the free, fun Sunday morning events at the Tondoon Botanic Gardens become for Gladstone children and their families, the Gardens team has decided to present one for every season of the year.

The next one, planned for October 15, will have a fitness theme featuring activities to put a spring in everyone's step, as well as the usual favourites.

The Spring event will be followed by a

Summer one where the morning will be planned around a water theme to keep everyone cool in the hot weather.

All play activities are free and there will be a craft activity to bring kids in touch with plants and nature.

Crowd numbers attending the Sunday morning event have grown significantly since the first one was held back in March this year.

Some old fashioned team games such as Tug of War will also be included in future to add variety to the attractions.

Eleven hundred children and their families went along that day followed by 1600 in May and then more than 2000 in August.

Above all, these Sunday mornings at the Gardens will be about smiles, laughter and fun as families are drawn in to enjoy what's on offer.

Tondoon Botanic Gardens has more free family fun days in store.

BRIEFLY

Trainee undertakes firefighting training

 Ubobo general meeting

Fire management is one of the many new skills Council's Conservation and Land Management trainee, Monique Galloway, has been learning since starting with Council in February.

Gladstone Regional Council's general meeting on November 21 will be held in Ubobo at the Discovery Centre, as part of Council's commitment to make public meetings more accessible to our whole community. The meeting will commence at 9am and an agenda will be published online closer to the time of the event via www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/generaland-special-meetings

 Like us on Facebook Receive regular updates on Council events and activities, monthly video messages from the Mayor as well as disaster management and severe weather information by 'liking' Council on Facebook.

After completing her Firefighter Minimum Skills training thanks to the Gladstone office of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Monique took part in her first planned burn during a hazard reduction event at Agnes Water in August.

the Biodiversity Conservation Strategic Plan.

She has worked in a range of land management activities including the conservation of rare and endangered plants, weed and pest management, educational activities, plant propagation and nursery production.

She has also been involved with tree planting and erosion control.

The burn was a combined exercise between Council, the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, and Rural Fire Brigades from Agnes Water, Turkey Beach, Captain Creek and Wartburg and the Auxiliary Firefighters.

Turkey Beach Rural Fire Brigade Captain, Errol Noye, supervised the burn.

Monique is part of Council’s Conservation Team and has been helping to deliver the strategic goals of

Conservation and Land Management trainee, Monique Galloway, takes part in a hazard reduction burn at Workman’s Beach.

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Grants available to control invasive species Gladstone regional landholders can now access grants of up to $500 to control invasive species on their properties.

The grants can be used to cover costs involved in the control process such as: • Purchase of herbicide; • Pasture seed; • Hire of spray equipment; and • Hire of contractors to complete the work.

Senior residents were able to learn some classic dance moves at a Broadway Dance Workshop at Agnes Water.

The containment invasive species eligible for the financial grants include giant rats tail grass, groundsel bush, rubber vine and other species featured in table 10 of Council’s Biosecurity Plan.

To be eligible for the Invasive Species Grants Program, landholders must: • Have a containment pest species infestation on their property within the Gladstone Regional Council area; • Be located outside a species containment line (if applicable); • Have developed a current property pest management plan with Council outlining what actions they plan to undertake over a three-year period; • Complete an invasive species grants reimbursement application form and provide a receipt for the purchase of chemical, fuel, hire spray equipment and/or associated equipment; • Provide a grant application outlining the control actions in the property pest management plan.

Council's Pest Management Officers will make yearly inspections to assess landholders' progress against their management plan.

For more information about the Invasive Species Grants Program phone Council's Pest Management Unit on 4977 6821.

Strong attendance at free Seniors Week activities Thousands of Gladstone Region residents took part in more than 70 activities for Seniors Week from August 19 to 27.

Each year Council organises a Seniors Week program across the region to celebrate the valuable contributions of our senior residents.

Residents aged 55 years and over enjoyed art workshops funded by the Gladstone Region Regional Arts Development Fund, craft, outings, singing and dance workshops.

Popular activities included a Back to the Bush event, a LARC trip, harbour cruises and the Mayor’s Morning Tea featuring Boogie Bingo.

The week offered an opportunity to socialise, catch up with friends and meet others while celebrating the efforts of our senior residents from all walks of life including volunteers, those in the

workforce, community leaders or carers and grandparents.

Gladstone Region resident Gayle Black commended the week in a Facebook post stating: “Hundreds of ‘seniors’ in the Gladstone Region will know why I've posted this. One of the few pleasures of being aged over 55 years and living in this region is taking part in so-oooo many activities organised by our brilliant Council staff to celebrate Seniors' Week. It's one of my favourite times of the year and this year we had the perfect weather to be out and about, be it dining at the PCYC, playing Bingo for choccies at Miriam Vale, eating yummy tucker etc whilst ‘back to the bush’, coffee cruising around our beautiful harbour, and finally munching on morning tea during Boogie Bingo, plus other activities in between. Well done, Gladstone Regional Council, you've done it again”.

Wild Cattle Creek sandpush success Council has successfully completed work on the sandpush at Wild Cattle Creek to try and manage shoreline erosion.

The beach was re-profiled by shifting around 10,000 cubic meters of sand over a three week period.

Thousands of beach vines and grasses have since been planted by CVA volunteers and GEA trainees to help protect the sandpush works.

Council asks beach goers to respect the hard work volunteers and staff have put into propagating, growing and planting these plants and to stay off the dune

rehabilitation areas to allow the plants to establish.

Work to safeguard the erosion escarpment at Wild Cattle Creek was a huge project, but the result is the community can now enjoy the beach again. Council also undertook a smaller scale sandpush at Turkey Beach.

Erosion management projects form part of Council’s Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP). This outlines a framework for managing current and future erosion in a manner consistent with the Coastal Protection and Management Act (1995).

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Pig in a pipeline provides solution to curly cleaning problem Cleaning water pipes is not always as easy as combining apple cider vinegar and baking soda and tipping it down the sink.

When it comes to cleaning the Agnes Water Desalination Water Treatment Plant seawater inlet pipe, a more complex solution is required.

In July Council Water Services officers, in partnership with facility operator Trility, cleaned the inlet pipe of sediment buildup to ensure the continued supply of seawater to the desalination plant.

The task was completed via a method known as 'pigging' (pipe inspection gauging), with officers launching two cylindrical foam ‘pigs’, on separate runs, in the opposite direction to the normal flow within the seawater inlet pipe via a portable water-filled bladder and pumping arrangement.

Each pig was sent along the 560m length of the 600mm diameter pipe at a rate of 73cm per second, taking less than 15

minutes to complete the task.

A team of divers was employed to dismantle the seawater inlet diffuser and allow a clear path for the pigs to exit the pipeline into the ocean.

The pigs then floated to the surface and were retrieved by the dive crew and returned to the beach for inspection.

The pipeline is used to supply seawater to the desalination plant where it is treated and provided as the potable water source for the townships of Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy.

The project required that the entrance to Chinaman's Beach on Spring Road, Agnes Water, and an adjacent section of the beach be closed to the public for three days.

Council thanks the Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy community, and visitors to the area, for their patience while the cleaning was conducted.

Michael, Nicole, Emily and Katrina Banks got into the spirit of National Tree Day during the community planting event at Joe Joseph Park, Lake Callemondah.

National Tree Day plantings have all round benefits School children and community volunteers planted hundreds of new trees across the region to celebrate National Tree Day in late July, providing all round benefits for the environment.

Council held events with school groups in Tannum Sands and Agnes Water, while a community event was held at Lake Callemondah’s Joe Joseph Park.

The Chinaman’s Beach inlet pipe cleaning site

018 2 Youth Holiday Program 8-19 January, 2018

Program available mid-November www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/sunfest For more information or general enquiries call 4976 6983

Ninety students from St Francis Catholic Primary School, Agnes Water State School and Discovery Christian College took part, planting more than 100 trees representing a variety of coastal species.

Twenty-five volunteers, in partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia, supported the community planting on the banks of Lake Callemondah.

They planted 150 riparian species including a mix of tuckeroos, figs and kangaroo grass.

Rosella Park School students will help water and maintain this newly planted area until the school year ends.

The National Tree Day plantings will help restore and strengthen vegetation, increase wildlife habitats and help stabilise sand dunes, protecting the beach from erosion.

Page 11

Good vibes on offer at new music and arts festival The upgraded wastewater treatment plant site at Agnes Water

Upgrade increases twin towns' sewerage network viability The $600,000 Agnes Water Waste Water Treatment Plant Inlet Works Upgrade was completed in July, enhancing the capacity for Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy to meet the future demands of population growth.

The upgrade is one of a number of substantial improvements made to the area’s sewerage network and ensures the plant, located on Yabby Road, Agnes Water, will handle the increased flow generated by current and proposed development.

Meeting the needs of a growing population is vital to the twin towns’ economic development.

The inlet upgrade will prevent overflows and reduce the risk of waterways contamination, helping to create a cleaner environment and ensuring the community is not exposed to unacceptable health and social risks.

The Agnes Water Waste Water Treatment Plant Inlet Works Upgrade is a joint initiative of Gladstone Regional Council and the Queensland Government.

The countdown is on for the inaugural Under the Trees music and arts festival at Boyne Island on October 14.

A family friendly event which seeks to bring great festival acts to Boyne Island while retaining a grassroots feel, it is envisaged that Under the Trees will grow to become a drawcard event for the Gladstone Region.

Council has thrown its support behind the festival which will feature two stages, a great line-up of Sydney, Brisbane and Gladstone Region artists, and food stalls, licensed bar and street art.

The event is managed by the Boyne Tannum Arts Business and Community Asssociation and tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children under the age of 12 (plus booking fee) are available via oztix. com.au or at the BITS Medical Centre or Say Espresso.

Animal registration discount to help residents Residents can expect their animal registration in letterboxes shortly, but can also receive a 20 per cent discount if it is paid in full by October 31.

Council's animal registration fee structure has been developed to promote responsible pet ownership.

Increased discounts apply to owners who desex their animal; microchip their animal; hold a current Centrelink Pensioner concession card; or hold a Veterans' Affairs Repartition Health card - for all conditions (Gold Card).

There are many reasons for having your pet registered with a registration tag.

It allows animals to be easily identified and distinguished from the stray population and a quick reunion with their owners.

It is an offence to keep an unregistered dog

or cat within the Gladstone Region and current registration also reduces an animal's impound release fees.

Residents are encouraged to pay their animal registration renewal fee via Council’s Online Services website at www.gladstone. qld.gov.au/OnlineServices (click ‘Online Payments’).

Alternatively, payment can be made in person at one of Council's Rural Transaction or Administration Centres, using cash; EFTPOS; credit card (AMEX accepted); cheques or money orders.

Residents looking to renew their animal registration can also make an electronic payment via BPAY using the Biller Code 102475.

For more information on animal registration or Council's fee structure visit www. gladstone.qld.gov.au/registration

2017-18 registration renewal fees: Paid before October 31, 2017: Entire animal $89.60 (pension or concession $53.50) Micro chipped animal $76.00 (pension or concession $44.80) Desexed animal $44.80 (pension or concession $26.80) Desexed and microchipped animal $31.20 (pension or concession $17.50) Registered breeders animal $44.00 Paid after October 31, 2017: Entire animal $112.00 (pension or concession $67.00) Micro chipped animal $95.00 (pension or concession $56.00) Desexed animal $56.00 (pension or concession $33.50) Desexed and microchipped animal $39.00 (pension or concession $22.00) Registered breeders animal $55.00 Page 12

Gardeners flock to Tondoon workshops If you want to learn how to prune your garden properly and look after your tools, the basics of botany or even bonsai cultivation, then Tondoon Botanic Gardens can help you.

Details about the upcoming workshops in October and November can be found on Council’s website at www.gladstone. qld.gov.au/tondoon-botanic or in the Community Calendar on page 14.

The Gardens team introduced its first workshop last year offering Pruning 101 to see how much interest there was.

These workshops are free but spaces are limited so please book ahead.

It proved very popular with people coming to learn from Curator Brent Braddick and Senior Coordinator Barry Meiring about how to bring their garden back into shape.

There were plenty of Australia Day community activities organised at Rosedale last year.

The success of the first workshop has seen two others – Botany Basics and Basic Bonsai – added to the Gardens’ seasonal events.

There are now plans to expand the Basic Bonsai class into an in-depth Bonsai Beginners class presented over several weeks for a fee to be determined.

The workshops’ reputation has spread with the Rockhampton Regional Council approaching both Barry and Brent recently to present the Pruning 101 workshop in Rockhampton.

Donations aid regional Australia Day celebrations Are you part of a group within a regional township who is interested in hosting an Australia Day community celebration?

Not-for-profit groups within our regional communities are invited to apply for funding to host a 2018 Australia Day community event.

Each year Council offers financial assistance to regional communities to enable groups to organise an Australia Day celebration in their township to complement Council’s major Australia Day event.

Last year various communities served up Aussie breakfasts, sausage sizzles, pies and barbecues with events ranging from barefoot bowls to cricket games, thong throwing, water slides, crab pot throwing, traditional games and treasure hunts.

Funding is offered via Council’s Community Donations Program – Category 3 Regional Event Support – Australia Day. Applicants are assessed according to criteria outlined in Council’s Community Donations Policy.

The Community Donations application form and policy guidelines are available on Council’s website at www.gladstone.qld. gov.au/donations-and-grants Applications will be accepted until the close of business on Thursday, November 30.

For more information phone Council’s Community Donations Officer Janine Sorrensen on 4976 6351 or email Janine.

Sorrensen@gladstone.qld.gov.au

Community members attend one of Tondoon Botanic Gardens’ workshops, Pruning 101.

Little Pattie is a Morning Melodies favourite Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre's (GECC) Morning Melodies continue to prove popular with Gladstone Region patrons.

Bookings can be made online at www. gladecc.com.au or by phoning the GECC Box Office on 4972 2822.

Little Pattie showed why she is still one of Australia's favourite entertainers when she performed to a full house at the GECC in August.

Little Pattie's Morning Melodies show appealed to a larger than usual Gladstone crowd and featured popular songs and entertaining stories.

The popular entertainer has had strong involvement in the Australian music industry since the mid-'60s when she began her musical career as an enthusiastic 14-year-old from Sydney.

She had a succession of hits, was a long standing member of the Bandstand Family and has claimed many gold records.

The fun continues for Morning Melodies patrons with one more show to enjoy in the 2017 season with a performance by violinist Vov Dylan on November 21.

Little Pattie performs to one of the year's largest Morning Melodies crowds.

Page 13

BRIEFLY  Know your information and privacy

rights The Office of the Information Commissioner is providing free public sessions about information and privacy rights. Drop in any time between 9am and midday on September 29 to Council’s office at 101 Goondoon Street, Gladstone to have your questions answered. Or attend a presentation followed by question-time between 1pm and 3pm on the same day at the Gladstone City Library (limited to first 40 people).

 Assistance for young athletes Assistance to meet the costs of competing in high level competition is available to young, high-achieving athletes through the Gladstone and District Sports Foundation Trust.

Guidelines, information and an application form are available via www. gladstone.qld.gov.au/other-fundingopportunities

Community CALENDAR ALL MONTHS Date

Name of the event

Location

Contact

1st and 3rd Tuesday

Council general meeting

Gladstone Civic Centre

4970 0700

Every Mon

Library card games 10am-noon

Agnes Water Library

4902 1501

Every Mon

Social scrabble, 10.15am-noon

Boyne Island Library

4971 9700

Every Tues

Kids happy hour 10.30am-11.30am

Mount Larcom Library 4975 1205

Every Tues

Library scrabble 11am-noon

Agnes Water Library

4902 1501

1st Tues

Library book club

Agnes Water Library

4902 1501

2nd Tue

Kids time 10am-11.30am (except school holidays)

Miriam Vale Library

4974 6241

4th Tues

Tech Savvy Tuesday 10am-noon

Gladstone City Library 4976 6400

Every Wed

Toddler time 9.30am and 10.30am (except school holidays)

Boyne Island Library

4971 9700

Every Wed

Story time 10am

Agnes Water Library

4902 1501

Every Wed & Story time 11am Thurs

Gladstone City Library 4976 6400

2nd Wed

Bots 'n' Tots 10.30am

Calliope Library

4975 8105

2nd Wed

Playtime 9.30am-11.30am

Calliope Library

4975 8105

2nd Wed

Toddler time 9.30am

Calliope Library

4975 8105

Every Thurs

Story time 9.30am

Calliope Library

4975 8105

2nd & 4th Thurs

Baby Bounce 10.30am (except school holidays)

Boyne Island Library

4971 9700

Every Fri

Story time 10.30am

Calliope Library

4975 8105

Every Fri

Story time 10.30am

Boyne Island Library

4971 9700

 No charge for some waste items

Every Fri

Baby Bounce 11am

Gladstone City Library 4976 6400

Many non-recyclable items, including small or domestic volumes of general waste, green waste, white goods, LPG cylinders (up to 9kg), waste/cooking oils, clean wood, clean fill, scrap metal, car batteries and some types of e-waste, can be disposed of for free at Council’s waste transfer facilities. Fees apply for commercial sized quantities. For more waste management information visit Council’s website at www.gladstone.qld. gov.au/waste-management

SEPTEMBER Date

Name of the event

Location

Contact

Until Oct 7

Intercity Images 2017

Gallery & Museum

4976 6766

Until Oct 7

The Giant that Never Sleeps: 50 years of QAL

Gallery & Museum

4976 6766

Sep 27

Games Day & Robotics, 9.30am

Boyne Island Library

4971 9700

Sep 27

Kids Cooking: Sweets Made Easy

Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

Sep 28

Games in the Gardens, 2-3.30pm

Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

Sep 29

Games Day Codebots Workshops

Boyne Island Library

4971 9700

Sep 29

Messy Craft & Paper Fans

Agnes Water Library

4902 1501

Location

Contact

 View your rates information online

OCTOBER

Registered users of Council’s Online Services website can view their history of rates charges and payments and view electronic copies of their rates notices.

Visit www.gladstone. qld.gov.au/OnlineServices and click to register. Once your details have been matched with our rates database you will receive a confirmation email enabling you to log in to the system and access your account.

Date

Name of the event

Oct 7

Basic Bonsai workshop, free, pls book Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

Oct 11

Cooking in the Gardens, pls book

Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

Oct 14

42nd Rio Tinto Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards presentation and exhibition

Gallery & Museum

4976 6766

Oct 15

Fun Activity Morning, 8.30am -12.30pm

Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

Oct 29

Qigong, 7.30-8am, free

Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

Date

Name of the event

Location

Contact

Nov 4

Basic Bonsai workshop, free, pls book Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

Nov 4

Pruning 101 workshop, free, pls book Tondoon Gardens

4971 4444

NOVEMBER

Page 14



How can we better communicate with you?

How often do you browse this newsletter, Council Connection?

Would you read this newsletter if it was delivered digitally?

 Most or all issues

 Yes, but I prefer the printed newsletter

 Some issues

 Rarely

Does anyone else in your household browse it?

 Yes, a switch to digital is a good

 Yes

 I’m less likely to

 No

Council’s social media pages, eg Facebook Council’s eConnect digital newsletter Council website’s news feed I contact or visit Council Newspapers (print, online or social media channel) Radio stations (aired, online or social media channel) Television stations (aired, online or social media channel) Facebook groups within the community

 No

Where do you live or live close to?  Gladstone  Calliope  Agnes Water/Seventeen Seventy  Boyne Valley  Miriam Vale and surrounds  Mount Larcom and surrounds  Other [specify] ..........................................................................

How can we improve Council Connection newsletter (optional)? ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................

How can we better communicate with you (optional)? ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................

Do you favour Council Connection to these other news sources, for Council-related news?  Yes

 No, I wouldn’t read a digital version

 Boyne/Tannum I would like to see more news on this channel

I wasn’t aware of this channel

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

How else do you receive news about Council? Please complete the blue columns and, if applicable, the grey columns.

 It’s on par

 Optional comment: .................................................................. ......................................................................................................

......................................................................................................

Please send completed surveys to: Email: communications@gladstone.qld.gov.au or Post: Gladstone Regional Council, Comms & Marketing team,

PO Box 29, Gladstone QLD 4680

Infographic By the numbers

Serving the Gladstone Region are six library facilities, an Out & About library van to rural communities and a home-library service for those in need. In the last financial year, our libraries reported the following statistics.

24,242

Membership

3340

New members

*Meets State Library Collection size standard

872,098 Items loaned for the year

40,061

Bookings on internet devices

319,194

People through the door

125,784* Total collection

(physical and digital)

Page 15

SAVE ON ANIMAL REGISTRATION RENEWALS

Pay your animal registration renewal fee before October 31 and save 20% Declutter your home, meet your neighbours, fundraise or find bargains at thousands of garage sales on one big weekend of selling and shopping.

Save more if your animal has been Desexed and Microchipped.

Or if you hold a Current Centrelink Pensioner concession card or Veterans’ Affairs Repartition Health card for all conditions (Gold Card).

For more information on animal registration or Council’s fees visit www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/registration

Australia Day Awards2018

THE 42ND MARTIN HANSON MEMORIAL ART AWARDS 2017

EXHIBITION OF ENTRIES: 14 OCTOBER - 7 DECEMBER 2017

GLADSTONE REGIONAL ART GALLERY & MUSEUM

NOMINATIONS CLOSE November 3 Information and nomination forms available at www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/australia-day-awards For further details phone 4977 6803.

FREE ADMISSION 10am - 5pm, Monday - Saturday Cnr Goondoon & Bramston Sts, Gladstone QLD 4680 T (07) 4976 6766 E gragm@gladstone.qld.gov.au http://gragm.qld.gov.au

A community cultural initiative of the Gladstone Regional Council