Straddie Island News - Spring 2012

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Post off rFhrce people have been charged after a I p"., office and a school classroom I were set alight and a woman assaulted in Drmwich.

A24aearoldman and a 2lyear-old.rur,', 'i'' from Dunwich, appeared in Cleveland Mag- *l-

istrates Court charged with nine offences relating to a fire that destroyed the Dunwich Post office.

Charges included one arson, attempted arson,

bodily harm, comPany, premises

wefe

AI

appeared

Court

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Dunwich post office and

WINTER 2012

house in

STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 3

Passing the buck on ferry prices Passengers are paying higher fares due to fuel price rises, state government lease increases, more council fees and the growth of the Straddie ferry operator, MARIA TAN reports.

i,t LL\16p U *-tff IIF,

nllationirrv pressures irncl thc cost of economic glol,th have hit baree prices harcl or,er the past rnonth, as public transport pror.idel Transit

significant expclrses to help irnprove sen. iccs at Dun'w.ich and Tciondah Harbour.

"\fe'r,e inr,ested or.er $300.{-XX) in nol

up r,ith thc bills.

safc'ti piling zrt Dunrr.ich ancl Toonclal'r Harbour, all at our o\\,n cost,.just irr the past six months," N{r Balkin saic1. "\\Ie'r-e

Tr:rnsit sYstems area nlanager, Gree Balkin, told .\7N he "nearlv f'ell ofI his

ing the ne\r

Svstems raisecl its ferr-r'fziles to keep

chair'" Ihen he snr,r' thc l:rtest invoice frorl Recllancl Citr, Clouncil, firr lease charges and landilrg l-ces at Dunr,r'ich and

Toondah Harbour'.

"\\'c har,e leases clou,n at Tcronclah Harbour ancl r,e h:rve quitc n number of lcases for landing rishts," N,Ir Balkin explained.

"Like manr businesses. 'lr.e har,e cr()st pressllrcs - as in l,agcs, c:rpital investntent ct()sLs ancl firel price acljusrrnenls.

"\{e have enterprise agreements olrr stziff ancl thev

'r,r.ith

haYc cxpechtions

of

annual increases in tagcs. The federal

government adjusts the cliesel fuel rebatc, rl,hicl'r irnpacts ()n lls - and u,ith tl-rlough Recllancl Clin' (louncil - one cif thcnr has increased b1' 18.5 per' cent,.just over last \,ear's Iease."

Tlansit Svstems has aiso been pavine extra fucl costs since thc tederal go\.ernment made changes to the cliesel fucl rebate onJulr'1.

"It's costing Lrs un extra 6. [c per ]itre of fucl beclluse of some acljustment.s thirt hare orLr' leases

beel made since those changes ll the lederal governrnent-," NIr Balkin adrlcd.

Thc Transit Systen-rs area maltager tolcl .S7Nthc transporl. cotnpanr,also hacl to par.

SPRING 2012

also spent

at

cr1()se

to $100,000 on

secrti()n

u1-relacl-

of otLr ou,rr c:rr palk

T<rondah Harbour so

that \\.e calr

incrcase the number of cals. because therc's l;een challenges in the past of people not being able to gct lcng-terrn parking.

"That cost has somehot, got tcl

be

iiddresserl. "

Redland (lin' Clouricil's intelirn Clhiel' Executir.e Oflicer (CEO), Susan Rankin. has con{rrmed that the leaser and lancling Iees exist, but clisptrtes the clctails zrnd am()lrnl tlr:rt Transir 5rslemr is par irrg.

"The trl,o charges purssed on b1'council to Transil S)'stems arc the st:rte govcl'r]rlcttt lease charge and corurcil's landing 1-ee charses," the inrerim CEO tolcl S/,\i

"The leasc charse is ctrlculatecl

ancl

lcviecl by the state so\.ernmcnt. (louncil cloes not acld to this charge ancl simplr.

the chalge onto the opertltor fi)r Pil'm(]nt.

"Clouncil landing fee char3^es irle calculatecl at cost recro\.er\:, onlr fbr use of pul> lic f a.cilities and from 2017 / 72 ro 2012/13 onlv increasecl lrr, a CPI rate of ,1.5 per cent. Transit Sr.stens is culrentlr, onlr' charged for the clocking of the Bis Ri'c1 Cat fern,at Dunl.ich." passes

-\Is Rurnkin tolcl .\lIN rhat anr, wrrk Tr:Lnsit Svstems hacl cai'ried out on leased

propertv at theil o\\ll expensc, ridc ,,f corrrrr il'r-irrli.rlir tion.

\\ras ()1lt

\\hen verifvins'this infornration nith the statc govefnr]rent, lr spokcsperson frrr Tr';uspolt ancl Nlain Roacls (TNIR) referled SIN eriquiries about fern price increlises to the ACCICI and the fcderal

llovernrnent. Holr,ever, the

TN{R

spokespelson clicl rnnfimi "all N,loleton BaV Islancl Fcrrv operatot's rec()yer clpcratiolal cosls through farcs anrl nrn these senices at their o\\.n colltnlcrcial lisk."

The Big l{ecl Clat and Stradlrroke Ferlics flect are:r managct' saicl that Transit Svstems kcpt the firre hikcs at "the lou,est reasonable increase" that thev coulcl rnanage. "\{e \,:rnt to make sure that u,e can continue in tl're ftrtule. invest in nerr- r.esscls atrcl rnaintain a rcliiible link to the Islancl. \\'c can't clo that unless uc'r'e got t.hc income to supp()rt. thirt." he tolcl ,!1N N{r'Balkin belier,es there r,ill bc nti fr-rrther farc increases "fbr at Ieast another

12 months" zrucl renrindcd Islancl rcsiclcnts th:rt tl'rc last incleasc' las in 2008.

"I clorr't think there l.ill bc auv increast-s fcrr nt least another 12 nrorrths ancl r,r'c reriel, tlurt annuallr, l;ut ns I sar,, there's been no adjustmenLs fbr ftrul rears. "\\'e continue to bc support.irc of the [Islancl] resiclenls urnd the bnsitrcsses and till contitme to intcst in oul business.

inclucling ir larce marketing spend

tcr

encorrrage people to tr:n'el to Lhc Island."

STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 5

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Resilience at Dunwich heart _____

_

llt[A]lutu

*ffi&|fri1 he State Emergeno'Service (SES)

lffif lill be equipped to responcl t<r ffii Island disasters liorn Dunu,ich, $$l thanks to a ner,Disaster Resilience ;:{lii Centre due to open in October.

The ner,facilifl will bc equipped ro handle emergencv responses, r,olunteer training and cornrnunifi, education fronr the Redland CiS Council Dcpot in Dr-mwich.

Bcnjamin Holdeq group leader of thc North Stradbroke Island SES. told .\7N as rvell as offerins a great resolrrce in the time of need, the ner, fircilin, could be used to train Island basecl SES and Clotmtn, Fire

Authorin' members.

"n rrill hc uscd lcrr t|aining qnlc ctncrgenct serrice rnembers within our unit but also used rr.ithin our region lbr region:rl training exercises," N{r Holder said. "\{e hope that our other Island based agencies rrtll also be able to LNe the I:rcilin-fcir training, or inter-ageno' exercises."

The SES group leader believes tl'rat local residents are the key to the success of the SES on the Islirnd. "\{e knorr. that l,e hare a lot challenges on the Island; frorn gettir-rg mainland

An artist's impression of the new Resilience Centre to be built in Dunwich.

members on the Island, keeping Island members active, ancl the threats [posed br'] such a direrse landscape. \\hen something does happen r,e hur.e to be leaclr: "Our nerv centre rill plav a huec role in this. but our Island communir l.ill he tht-

link ir-r the chain le neecl fbr it to eo srnoothlr.."

The centle l'ill be rnanaeed bi the Rcclland Clin'SES Unit irnd is being built rsing ftrncls frorn Reclland Cin, Council ancl the National Disaster- Resilience Fund.

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Sedge Frog

SAUETSIRAIIDIE.GtIM

NAIItlIIAT PARI( I NtlT MIl'IING!

SPRING 2012

STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 9

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Goodby. Dunwich High BY

l|ilARIA IAII

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he six remaining high school

students enrolled at the Dunwich Secondary Campus

were forced

to transfer to

mainland schools when the Isl:rnd's seconclarr. school proerarl cktsccl in ArLgust after 20 r'ears.

Hieh scht)ol errrolmenLs had becn in declinc for vears, :rnc1 ntited in thc school's lour-r'ear strategic plan since 2009. According^-

to Dunrrich

Surt.e

.

''.\ trrrnrlrcr ol r'orrrrrrrr|lin , rr{tt)i\ittion\ nnd the school's Parents ancl Citizens' Association fulll srrppor:tecl its closurc," he tolcl .\7N

The rernaining high school students halc 10

STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS

The remaining high

school students have been transferred to Gleveland District State High School

coherence :rnd t.ranspalencti' and a "lack r,coordinirtion" befir,een golernlnenLs. Nlinister fcrr Scl-rool Edtrcation. Peter (,ar. rett, cr()mmentecl on this isslre at a speci:t-

Scliool's 2010-2013

strategic plan, prirnan' school to Ye:u' 7 cnlohnents cleclinerl 26 per ccnt since 19!17, 'u,hilc \tirrs 8 to l0 enroLnenl.s rlcclined ,18 per cent or,er the salnc period.

"Unfortrlnatclr, ovel the vears, enlcilment rtrrnl,crs hlne rlcclirrcd a\ [)Alcltl\;r.pirc lo cnsule their childlerr receivc zr less is<ilatecl ancl ntore dir,erse secondarv schooling cxperience bv travelling to a mainland statc or private high scliool," the school reported. ,,\ccrrrding to tlie South East Regional l)ircctor of thc Department of Eclucation.

Ti'ainius ancl Enrplorment (DETE), Glen Hoppnc-r': "Discussions :rbout thc progralr and horv it could hirr,c been improi,ed har,e hren orrgoirrq rr'itlt thc ( i,ntntUllin \iil( c Octoher' 201 l

Thc school's closure follols rccent plan. by the Clillarcl (]or,ernrnent to refbun thr natirinal education s)'stcnr at zr cost of S(r.l billion. aJter the Gonski Ro'iov found rha. school firndinq acr()ss the countn'\{as n() onh' "unrrccessarilr' compler" but also "lacl.

been transf'errecl to Clo,cland District Statc High Scl'rool ancl "trnnsitionecl throuuh persorralised proeranrs." \'Ir Hoppner said a benefit of the ckisure

rr,as the abilitr' lbr students to access transport sr.rbsidics to 1're1p coYe| the cost of

tlavelling to ancl fi'orl (ller,elancl each

da1,.

Travel assistance rvas llot zuailablc to zrnv Islancl familr, as long'. as the option of attendirij^ the Islancl hig^h school cilmpus rcn-rainecl open.

"Thc subjects and

rninisterial council rlccting held in April.

"Thc Clonski Rer.ie'n told us that our funciing slstcm isn't u'orking. \{e arc seeing ; decline ir-r lcsults and our sl,sterr-i is failin:some of our neccliest kids. .\r-rstralia cau i aflord to isnore this aclr,ice. This is:r nation-

al pri,hlcrrr rrlriclr exists in crcrr \ttle iur,. cven'school s\:stenl, and it's in the intelc:r: of all Australian kids that u,e u'ork togerher on it."

G'onski Rer.iel. pancl rnember Dr Iierr Boston also criticiscd gor,ernrnent school tiurding arraneernents, rvhen he spoke trt the Ptrblic Eclucation Dav fbrum.

"\{hat

extracurricular

is

in it for pnblic

schools?

An encl

prosl-alns able to bc oflered at Cler.eland District State High School sive srudents

to thc firncling arransement.s that liirr,e tiecl one hancl behind the biick of cvery state

the opportunih,t() receive the hiehest qual-

school in the courrtrr,..." he saicl.

Durnr.ich has had a prirn:rn scirool sirrcc

i$, educ:rtion cxperience possible," \'Ir

a ple-school since

Hoppner said. "Dunrich Stirte School's Sec-

1904, and

ondan, Progrirm \\i:rs not ablc to proricle sorne of thcsc r':rst opportunities lbr a rtunber cif reasons."

pre-sch<x>l conyertecl

1976. Thc

to a prep facilit'in

2007. The Sec<inclar Canrpus rlas openerl

in

1992.

SPRING 2012

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irrlr

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itt (lrt s;rtittg sttttsltittt :ll( il l):lll:l( (:l lor l)r(sslll( llttll loo lttttrlr lltitrl'itlg. ll rvt I rr r':rl I tc ot tl sloxlt', sotltt'litltcs ivt t ltll lt:tll ll rt' ,,ng,rirrr sltr':tttt ol lltottglrls lttttg t:tlorttlt lo lrrr':rllr itt ltgltitr nitltotLt thc llttlsstttc.

Wr"r,c sceir zln interesting cttllttt:rl

lr',rrrirr1l

r,,r rgk rrrtcration of People at beach yog:r

il

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l\ '/" " llt' ""'l i'

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flonths; British folk tralellinu rlrrrirrli tlrc Olympics, Lithuanians expt'tit tt, trrl' r St r ttlclie, Victorians taking ii break Iir rr r, I l,irsl

(rvo

rrII

r

murns, groups of fal--flung friertr ls I i, I I, ing t.o share mcmories and nelv expt't i.rr' ' A firr seal took up residencc at Atlt lt r li ' "

r rri rri

l the

Ba1' Plavers' cheekv procluct.iorr

tcmpt to tuln their rnen into fulh' tllinccl

clerspelateh,\\,ant t()

SLillhxl lritr xrllirg in the aisles. r,orr \\Jolr't warrt ttr nriss Hou to'lhrin. Yntr

rncrnbc'r's of thc opyrosite sex. Nothing quitc goes;rccorcline to pLur, arr(l tlre resrrlt is a hi-

nrirlricci.

lolrk at thc Lrattlc of plar'rvlieh t l)t'r'on

lalious corne<lr, rvit.h lot.s of trncrpccrtcrl trvists lrrrl trurrs.

Thclc'll bc plcrttv ol local thespi:rn tlilcnt.on

Atrstlrlian prenriere is at. lhc

shorv. rvith Stlirclclic la',rrurites Estelle \Valkcr.

Alison Ninncs ?1nd Fiorra Strranski as t.hc

Htr.,slto.rttl. a t:ler,er

the sexes br, Williamson.

Thc

p1a1's

[)turu,ich (lornrnturitt' IIall, Thtrrsclal nighr., ()ctolrer lSth, ancl nrns firr thrcc' nights. It ftrllou,s the lxlventures of thlee gt:ncnttions of rvorttcrt in ther Srnith Iamilii, 2rs t.hcv at-

Irtrsbanrl training elanclrnothcr, rlirtrghtcr iurtl glanrl-clauglrter, anrl Jrrcly I)r:rerina irrrd Kirthv liiclrrnartrt as the '\Veircl Sist.els'. u,ho

lrain

a

man but are rtol

Strbjc-ct to all the women's 'r'r,ifen'rvilcs' ax' the pla-v's token husban cls,.f atnes N,loore :utr (krl (lunnin{rton. l'hc producti()1r is clirecte<l I

bv Slrlli,' Nor,ak, a grucltrirtc ol IIavcs Ckrrclon's Ensernble Strrclios in Si,clncr,.

Tickcts lcrr Hou h Thrin Yitur Huslruad.ltrc <ttt sale zit the l)rrnrvich Ncrsirgerrct, ancl tltt'

Point Lookout

Post.

()fllcc.

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I

tnore caslErill:rs lost thcir foolitrl lr""' lrigtides.There was21 sanddroP-ofl ttl ,'rt' t" l\,v() metres in fi'ont of the tea tl't't stt.ttrrl' Ir nvard Anchorage, and a litre dr,v rvl r ilt ''. r r " Ir slrclf protected from the wind.

Beach -voga particiPanls have lx' " '"' lrirppy to sit st:ill aft.er their s('ssi"tt .rr"l obsen e the panorarna r,r'ith pleasrrn . I t t t t t t' t' lrcings, not human cloings.

Four young women in one clltss tr';rlr"' 'l circh w:rs Prelf)ant ancl thcir babit's <lrt, rl llre sarne month. Trlo men in anotltt't gr"rr;' lcalised they'd rnet as b()ys fishing itr :r < r"

lrrr<[

I

Bush tucker brings back old ways I

hc.firnan.|inlrrr btrsh ttrckel f'estir.al lrr,,rrqlrt tlrt lrllrrrrl ( r,lllililillil\ l()gct.hor in r cclc-blzrtion ol culttrre and the old ways.

iclcrrt ol Presiclcrrt

tl the

N,Iinjerrihahtrncil Aunt-r" N,Iargalel lselin kickccl off thc cclcbrations u,itli a \\Ielcome 1rr (irttntn, ccrclnon\' 1lt tlral Tc:rrit Rulla Lcurr cah siter. rvhere she anr'l rnanv othcr clclcls spc'nt tlicil cliilcihoul N'l

oo rgtrm Pi

n

Flklcrs-i n-(lo

rllrts,rn tlte,,kl \lr,rl \lissi,rrr.

"It's bring-in3- e\refl'onc t.ogcthc-r

zrncl a 1ot

ol the okl people that hare been hcrt- lcars ae() alre coming back to thc lirncl, u,hich is 'nonclelful and I'm mccting olcl fiicncls I haven't mel. firr vears," Auntt \{argalct tolcl .VIi "It has immense histon,, this lirncl, becatrse it's part

ol'the olcl nrission," Armtv

Nlirrsriret zrclclccl.

26

STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS

'lhc l)unrvich ancl X,It'ora

c()2rst \{2rs nn

imporlanl. lncctilrg Placc Ior' ,\lroriginal

people inchrcline thc NunukrLl, Ng-ugi an<l (l.ocrrprrl tribc:s, l4ro bnrteled fes()ur'ccs

incluclinq btLsh ttrckcr;'r'urr3-r.rn (clugong), trrlt.le, fish ancl shclllish, belirre tlte ,\'Ixrra N,Iission r'r,as establishr:cl

in

1892.

"The place rrsecl to bc part ol thc old N,Ir'ora \[issiorr uncl u,hcn \re L()ok it. over, rve decidecl 1.o hlu,e ?ur zlqrccnra:nt r,r,ith the ReclIand ( lin, (ilrncil anrl rvc chirngccl the narne to lux)tirer rulme. l'hat's lvhy ltc czrll it Tl,rra Rtrllir f,etune:rh, nhi<:h mcllns. "l bcaurifirl pla<:e - I sleep hcrc" rncl th:rt is 1or anv Ab<r

rig-inal pelson rvho mirv Lrc loriking lirr sonrervhere to resl. and slccp," Arurtt, N,Iargarc-t explained.

.]inian.firrral - t hi<:h rne:u rs brrsh tuckcr' the t.hernc of thc cliN trncl festir,al goers

r,r,ns

cnjolccl n lrtrsh tuck<'r bl'Lrcqrrc

:ttWlnnum.

And al1 belbre a glistcning s('ils( ,ll,i intermpted only by the {lasl-r of Itttttt1,l,.r, | rlorsal flipper. Beautiful!

u,hile

oxpcrts glvc tirlks on the rnre ancl thlcuten<'cl slrccics still gnrrvinll sh'on{r ilt Tbrnl Bulla L.eurne:rh. "lt rvas part ol the olcl nrission sitc ancl the bLrsh ttLckcr clicl grrri,\' on the lancl." r\rurh N'lnrsalct. r'ccallccl. "But apparent.lr; ovcl thcr t'ears, it h:rcl qonc fi'orn the l:urcl ancl bircls prrrbublv torik the seeds ancl ch'oppccl thern \()1il( r\lr( r'( t lst :rrrd s,, r,ttt itrtt'rrtioil i\ t(, set it going again rvith the plants thzrt uscd t<l er<xr,

lhclt'."

.\ rnrrrr,rri:rl trcc grl:rrrtirrg (rrcr)r(,r)\. hoorlcrang thlorvinsr.ith theYtrlrr Burli Ba d:rnccrs ancl kicls alt nntl u,eavinu uorkshops r,ere also hclcl on the da1; thile pancls clisplar.ing t.he h,lclers' historv rvere exhibit.crl at

the Iestir,;rl.

-

ilfuti.u. Tirn

SPRING 2012

SPRING 2012

,'