4000 COPIES DISTRIBUTED WEEKLY IN THE SOUTHERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA + DAILY JOURNAL & STANTHORPE STANDARD
CountryJournal Week commencing June 14th 2021
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WELCOME TO THE COUNTRY JOURNAL P.2
MORE PUZZLES, KIDS PANEL, RECIPES INSIDE
FACE TO FACE STUART JUDD
AROUND THE HALLS WITH GERARD WALSH
Budget time Councillors ponder the price of maintaining country roads
Country roads are in focus as councillors of the Southern Downs Regional Council sit down to plot out the 2021-2022 budget.
Big ticket plans were drawn up to pump $1.5 million into Old Stanthorpe Road and O’Deas Road at Wildash and Elbow Valley. It’s
not just a local government issue, though, with local MP James Lister pressing the state to look again at just completed highway
work at Glen Aplin which has attracted a storm of complaint. The region’s roads have paid a price for ‘good’ rain in recent months.
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
WOULD YOU LIKED TO GET A COPY OF THE DAILY JOURNAL DELIVERED DAILY? If you’re interested in keeping up to date with daily local news, you can try work your way around firewalls and websites, or you can subscribe to the Daily Journal, and have it delivered, in print. We can get the Daily Journal delivered to you throughout the region. Just contact the office on 07-4641 7953, and ask for Deb, and she will help organise a home delivery of the paper. Here’s the last eight front pages, to give you a taste: $2.00
Southern Downs
Monday 7th of June 2021
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Southern Downs
Tuesday 8th of June 2021
The Daily Journal The Daily Journal Australia's Smallest Daily Newspaper
INSIDE TODAY'S PAPER
INSIDE TODAY'S PAPER Warwick identity Daryl Evans' has sold his real estate operation, and his successor reveals her plans on page 3
High School Musical wraps up, proving a hit with the public and proof of budding local talent. See Sheena Shewell's coverage on page 14-15
“We need to keep this issue on the boil and do something about it,” James Lister says, launching a petition into parliament
Page 3
Page 14-15
Page 7
Change but... CEO, Mayor reassure staff on cutback fears
As reported in Saturday 's Daily Journal, council employees have expressed fears to the paper about
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Southern Downs drover Ray Collins and Henri Van Noordenberg of the Queensland Art Gallery present "Boss Drover" on Friday night at the Warwick Art Gallery. The traveling exhibition by Richard MacPherson will be showing until 10 July... Photo from Karina Devine
their job security, as the SDRC prepares to adopt its 2021-2022 budget. In the last several weeks Mr Burges has conducted a series of meetings with staff right across
the council’s workforce at the administration buildings and depots to reinforce a
The Toowoombabased Life Flight crew was sent to a Scenic Rim private property on Sunday where a young boy suffered a suspected broken leg after crashing while riding a dirt bike. A quick thinking man on the scene quickly mowed the long grass to close to the site of the accident. The boy create a safe landing was airlifted to Queensland’s Children's space for the chopper Hospital in stable condition.
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The Toowoomba crew also responded to the child’s accident, directly from the rooftop helipad at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where they had just completed transferring a patient who had been injured in a motocross accident. Another man, in his 30s, suffered multiple injuries
when he crashed his bike while mustering on a private property in the Maranoa region. He was taken to Toowoomba hospital by a Roma-based LIfeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service helicopter airlifted him to Toowoomba hospital on Saturday.
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Wednesday 9 June 2021
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Southern Downs
Thursday 10 June 2021
The Daily Journal The Daily Journal INSIDE TODAY'S PAPER
Truffles p4
INSIDE TODAY'S PAPER
Welcome lunch p11
Women's golf p13
Historic moment p14
Budget roadplan
Gap fix? p4
State of Origin p10
The big chill? p11
Maybe
iwanjones@thedailyjournal.ink
While everyone will be hoping that the snow has eventuated by now, or is still on its way, what is certain is how cold it will be today on the Granite Belt. “It is unlikely to feel above zero at any given time,” Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Meteorologist Pieter Claassen said. While it was initially predicted that snow could fall Wednesday evening and into Thursday morning, if it is to fall, it is more likely to happen this afternoon and through to this evening
continued on page 5...
Two car smash p3
continued on page 10...
Solar farm trickling out power The University of Queensland’s Warwick Solar Farm just north of town is generating electricity at just a quarter of its full 64
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Jeremy Sollars Senior Journalist
jeremysollars70@gmail.com
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New cafe opens p7
Iwan Jones Journalist
Jeremy Sollars Senior Journalist
jeremysollars70@gmail.com
The Southern Downs Regional Council says more than $1.5 million worth of roadworks earmarked for O’Deas Road and Old Stanthorpe Road at Wildash and Elbow Valley in the next budget will “benefit the entire community”. The projects include relevance to two major developments in the region, including the Terrequip limeston quarry, and the Cherrabah Homestead Resort--and the controversial water bottling plant planned for the resort.
megawatt capacity – and still being “tested” - despite being officially opened almost a year ago.
The $125 million solar farm at Sladevale, adjacent to the fertile Campbells Plain, was opened in July 2020 amid much political fanfare by now former Queensland Natural Resources and Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham and former State Development Minister Kate Jones.
Southern Downs
Battle of the flags...p4 flags...p4
Lister pushes for highway fix
continued on page 6...
Southern Downs MP the attention of Transport James Lister is bringing Minister Mark Bailey. the community reaction The $19.4m works, funded to the New England Highway road works to by the State Government through the Targeted Road Safety Program, includes COVID case travelled through Downs A Melbourne woman who has tested positive at the McDonalds) on Saturday June 5. The widening the road, vegetation to COVID in Queensland travelled through pair then made their way to Toowoomba clearing, culvert replacements, the Darling Downs. In a press conference (fuelling up at the Caltex Super) before arriv- bitumen sealing, line marking yesterday, Queensland's Health Minister ing at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. It is and installing dedicated right Yvette D'Ath confirmed the woman returned unknown if the couple travelled to Toowoom- turns at key intersections to a positive COVID-19 case after travelling ba through either Millmerran or Inglewood. improve safety and freight from Victoria, through New South Wales and Queensland Police are looking into how the efficiency on the highway Stanthorpe and into Queensland. The woman and her part- couple entered the state without having to between Ballandean. The works are ner left Melbourne on June 1, crossing the quarantine for two weeks.
Friday 11 June 2021
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The pair boasted at the time that the project – along with a “suite” of other solar and wind farms in Queensland – would help the Palaszczuk Government reach its target of 50 per cent of energy in Queensland coming from renewable sources by 2030. But records held by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) show daily
Iwan Jones Journalist
iwanjones@thedailyjournal.ink
considered to be functionally complete by TMR. Granite Belt residents and business owners have expressed their dismay at the quality of works, after enduring months of lengthy delays. On Monday, Mr Lister wrote to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey over the highway road works, seeking the delivery of a road that meets community expectations.
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Queensland border at Goondiwindi (stopping
Southern Downs
Saturday 12 June 2021
The Daily Journal The Daily Journal INSIDE TODAY'S PAPER
Snow? p3
Liver! p5
INSIDE TODAY'S PAPER
Stockyard p7
Rugby update p20
700 'puck' Warwick
Jeremy Sollars Senior Journalist
jeremysollars70@gmail.
More than 700 competitors from the length and breadth of Queensland are braving the chill of early winter to enjoy a huge several days of both serious sport and socialising in the Rose City.
Tenterfield p2
Water risk p. 7
Fighting Harrisia p6
Tender delay on dam
And it’s a huge economic boost for Warwick. Warwick Hockey Association identities Carly Hansen, Jenny Mangan, Sheryl Windle, Jenny Gillam, Melissa Schnitzerling, Darryl Gillam and Hayley Schnitzerling.
In for a huge weekend are long-time Warwick Hockey Association figures like
Darryl Gillam, who has been tied up with hockey in one way or another for 46 years, and along with Sheryl Windle is a current Patron of the WHA.
“The last major event we hosted here in Warwick was the Under 15 Boys State Championships in 2019,” Darryl told The Daily Journal.
Emu Swamp Dam is planned to be a 12,000 megalitre water storage facility south west of Stanthorpe with 117 kilometres of pipeline to about 51 agribusiness customers. The not-for-profit company indicates that the dam will deliver 3,900 megalitres of water per year, depending on rainfall volume, with 90 percent reliability.
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John Dee Warwick executive director John Hart is optimistic about both the short-term operation of the export abattoir, and long-term expansion. And he has reason to be. The $25 million new cold storage facility at the Warwick plant is ready for handover in the next couple of months. Full story, page 3. Photo: Jeremy Sollars
Saturday 5th June 2021
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Mayor warns of 'no frills' and...
'Ugly' budget The Southern Downs Regional Council has refused to categorically rule out staff cuts in the coming new financial year, but says it does not have a “target” figure for staff reductions. The Daily Journal has been told council staff are currently fearful for their job security as the council prepares a 2021-2022 budget Mayor Vic Pennisi last week said will be “no frills” and “ugly”. Cr Pennisi has referred to the “suffocating” cost of repairing and upgrading the region’s ageing infrastructure – water and sewerage in particular –
JEREMY SOLLARS Senior Journalist
jeremysollars70@gmail.com
and waste management next financial year, and for several years to follow. The new budget is forecast to include a 1.6 per cent general rates rise, increased water consumption charges and a new annual waste or ‘landfill access fee’. Council staff also say they are questioning the senior executive structure of the council, including the recent appointment of a fourth executive at ‘Director’ level, that position being Director of Finance, Assets and Special Projects.
Staff also say they are deeply reluctant to direct workforce queries to management and Human Resources for fear of recrimination, disciplinary action, or the sack.
But the Daily Journal also understands staff cuts and low workplace morale may also be an issue in senior council employee ranks, with suggestions a number of high-level managers will depart in the near future either as a result of structural changes, non-renewal of employment contracts or a desire to escape the organisation. According to the SDRC’s January-March quarter Human Resources report,
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LifeFlight rescues Girraween hiker. p2
Drop of rain for region
Widespread rain fell across the Southern Downs late this week, with southern parts of the region recording heavier falls. Over Thursday and Friday, Warwick recorded 5mm, while 8mm hit the gauges at Stanthorpe. The northern part of the region recorded about 5mm, with Allora (4mm), Queen Mary Falls (5mm), The Head (5mm), Bony Mountain (6mm), Pratten (7mm) and Killarney (7mm) around the mark. Durikai (10mm) and Upper Rosenthal (11mm) received the most falls for the northern part of the region. Areas to the south of Stanthorpe generally recorded upwards of 10mm with 11mm at Broadwater and Upper Quart Pot Creek, 13mm at Mountain Station, 14mm at Accommodation Creek and 18mm at Wallangarra.
Drought Angels representatives Tammy Horrocks, Tash Johnston and Antoinetta Kisiel at the Southern Downs Ag Expo. Full story page 4
Thankfully, the rain fell into our region’s major dams with 6mm falling at Leslie Dam, 8mm at Connolly Dam and 12mm at Storm King Dam.
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Southern Downs
Friday 4th June 2021
The Daily Journal Australia's Smallest Daily Newspaper
Southern lockdown ricochets north
Major motorsport event postponed A major motor racing event set to take place at Warwick this month has been postponed until August.
motorsport fans eager to get their racing fix.
IWAN JONES Journalist
“There are seven categories making up the fourth round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships at Morgan Park
iwanjones@thedailyjournal.ink
Billed as the biggest motorsport event in the town’s history, the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship event, slated for June 25 to 27, has been rescheduled for August 13 to 15, the weekend before the Historic Leyburn Sprints.
and we are eagerly anticipating our return to Queensland for a huge weekend,”Mr Smith said. “A big thank you must also go to the Southern Downs Regional Council and the Warwick and District continued page 2...
Fingerling good!
The event has been postponed, due to the Victorian lockdown extension and Queensland’s subsequent border closure with Victoria. Australian Racing Group CEO Matt Braid said the measures lead to the highlyanticipated round being rescheduled. “On the basis of what’s happening in Victoria and also the traditional stance of the Queensland Government – 14 days without community transmission has been the general rule for Queensland obviously and if that continues into next week with Victoria, then certainly that pushes us right up against the timeframe for Morgan Park,” Mr Braid said. Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships Director Michael Smith said the event promises to deliver significant benefits for Warwick and its surrounds, while putting on a show for
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Pictured from left to right are Vice-President of the club, Bill Fearby and Scott Goodwin loading the bins in Bill’s boat with golden perch fingerlings recently. In the background is Nick Donges from Granite Belt Fish Hatchery unloading golden perch fingerlings from two large tanks mounted on the tray of his utility. Story inside. “Friendly Helpful Personal Service from the Locally Owned & Operated Hardware and Paint Specialists for 40 Years”
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ing at rural and remote area access--to health for example, and aged care. The other ‘voice’ behind this project is Gerard Walsh, former sports editor at the Warwick Daily News. Gerard has encouraged on this project, but done more than just encourage, rolling up his sleeves and producing some of the features that he was famous for around these parts--he’ll be giving us a weekly ‘face to face’ for the Country Journal, just as he did a long time back for the Bush
Telegraph, and he’ll also be taking us around a dying piece of critical community architecture, the country halls. We hope that you enjoy this new publication, which will be inserted in the Daily Journal and the Stanthorpe Record, as well as delivered to around 3,000 addresses on mail services around the region.
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Eliizabeth Voneiff, Editor
editor@thedailyjournal.ink
155 new full-time jobs
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Welcome to the Country Journal. For myself, raised in Texas (USA) and the publisher Olav Muurlink, raised in Glen Aplin (Queensland) this is a project that is close to our roots in both rural issues and community journalism. For Olav it marks a return to free newspapers where he first made his mark in region, launching the Southern Free Times in 1999. Olav is now an associate professor at Central Queensland University, with his research work mostly look-
Elizabeth Voneiff Editor
Tenders for design and construct of the proposed Emu Swamp Dam project have been delayed.
The irrigation network, or the pipeline aspect of the build, has gone out to tender. When asked how many tenders GBIP has received to date, CEO Lloyd Taylor replied that they “cannot release any information about” the process, but “confirm there has been strong interest from the market from both tenders.”
The 2019 event was held in Mackay and was last hosted in Warwick back in 2010.
Warwick region accommodation venues – including in rural locales around the district - are booked out, and players are also staying as far afield as Stanthorpe and Toowoomba.
Justice for Dane p. 7
The Granite Belt Irrigation Project (GBIP), which manages the development, announced in April that the design and build tenders would be out May 18 and returned by July 27. The Daily Journal was informed yesterday that the design and construct tenders have yet to be released and are awaiting “completion of the final technical reports.”
The Championships are an annual state-wide hockey event shared between clubs across the Sunshine State – Warwick was to have been the venue in 2020 but like many major sporting and other gatherings was cancelled due to ‘you-know-what’.
The Country Journal is a new project from the Small Newspaper Company, a Southern Downs-owned publisher/printer that produces the Daily Journal (a six-day-a-week newspaper covering the Southern Downs, rated the smallest remaining daily newspaper in Australia) and The Stanthorpe Record, a twice-a-week paid paper covering the
Calling artists p11
Boys on-air p13
Three serious motorcycle accidents occurred in the Southern Downs region this weekend, with LifeFlight picking up patients and bringing them to Brisbane.
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Spate of bike crashes
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Happy 100th! p10
Chance of snow p6
.The first accident involved a man in his 20s in the Southern Downs. He was reportedly flung over the handlebars of his bike and suffered a broken leg.
Jeremy Sollars Senior Journalist
jeremysollars71@gmail.com
Mayor Vic Pennisi and Southern Downs Regional Council CEO Dave Burges say there are no plans for “mass "The community has sackings” of an expectation we'll be council emeverything - that we'll ployees – but both have made be involved in health it clear they are and educaiton as well on a drive to as roads, rates and “ s t r e a m l i n e rubbish...." and simplify” the council’s operations.
Australia's Smallest Daily Newspaper
WELCOME TO THE COUNTRY JOURNAL
The Small Newspaper Company
Published, Printed, Designed, Owned, Administered....here Not London. Not New York. Main phone number: 07-4641 7953 • Editor: Elizabeth Voneiff Address: 8/10 Maryland St Stanthorpe editor@thedailyjournal.ink and 69 Dragon St Warwick A.C.N. 167 171 217
A little bit of legals While every care is taken to compile this newspaper accurately, we cannot be held responsible for any errors that may occur with advertisements or articles. All submitted content does not necessarily represent the opinions of
• Publisher: Olav Muurlink
The Small Newspaper Company or The Country Journal All art and editorial content remains the property of the relevant copyright holder and may not be reproduced without permission. If we have got something wrong, get in touch, and we will print a correction in our next edition...and apologies in advance!
COUNTRYJOURNAL
‘FUTURE FIELDS OF GOLD’ – AUSTRALIA’S WINTER CROP PLANTING RISES
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GROWING A TREE FROM A TINY PIECE OF WOOD
MOUSE RISK REAL, BUT CROP YIELDS UP, ESPECIALLY IN QUEENSLAND Australia is looking at a second consecutive near-record winter crop planting, as excellent prices and good seasonal conditions see planted hectares rise. In its just-released 2021/22 Winter Crop Outlook, global agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank says the national winter crop planting – currently underway across the country – is forecast at 22.93 million hectares. This is up two per cent on last year – where planted area had soared on the back of a return to positive seasonal conditions around the country – and within one per cent of the nation’s record-high winter crop planting in 2016/17. This acreage also represents an area eight per cent above the five-year average. Queensland, like Western Australia and Victoria is forecast to see year-on-year increases in area planted to winter crop, with Queensland up as much as 15 per cent (to 1.3 million hectares). That’s substantially above the national average, and well above WA and Victoria, looking at around 2% increases. For New South Wales, the report says, the state is expected to plant another massive six million hectares of crops this year (just 0.1 per cent below last year), with most regions planting a similar area to 2020. “There may though be a slight decrease in winter-cropped area in major summer cropping regions, as farmers hold some paddocks to prepare them for summer planting,” Mr Voznesenski said. He said the east-coast mouse plague continued to be a serious concern, with lost grain and hay reserves, downgraded quality of stock and increased costs to manage mice populations challenging grain farmers. “The issue is particularly bad in, though not restricted to, central and western NSW,” report co-author, Rabobank grains and oilseeds analyst Dennis Voznesenski Mr Voznesenski said. “With winter here, we can expect colder temperatures to slow mouse populations. However, crop replanting and a re-emergence of populations in spring remain real risks in the outlook.” continued inside back
Technology to enable 500 fruit trees to be ‘grown’ from a single millimetre slice of a tree cutting could have major implications across horticulture--although the technique has only yet been proven in the avocado. Australia researchers have made a major breakthrough in the growing of avocados, potentially ensuring that farmers can keep up with the ever-increasing demand for the fruit. Horticultural scientists from the University of Queensland - the state that grows most of the nation’s avocados - have devised a way to use a single millimeter of a tree cutting to create up to 500 new trees. Until now, each cutting only produces one new tree. The innovation is likely to transform the already financially fruitful industry, which is worth about US$ 386.8 million annually, with every Australian consuming about 3.8 kilograms of avocados each year. Project leader Professor Neena Mitter has stated: “Every single cell in a cutting can grow into a new plant by giving it the proper nutrition, proper light and darkness conditions, and right temperature.” Mitter added that avocado growers currently wait up to three years from placing their order at a nursery to putting a tree in the ground. With the new system that time will be cut to about a year. Unlike traditional avocado propagation, where trees must be grown in fields for seed production, the new process enables 25,000 plants to be produced in a 10-m2 room. Trials of the process, using the popular Hass variety of avocado, are already underway in the states of Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales. Another benefit of the breakthrough is speed: the new technique allows the wait time between placing an order at a nursery to putting a tree in the ground from the current three years, to just one.
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
SECOND LIFE FOR CUNNINGHAM HALL
AROUND THE HALLS WITH GERARD WALSH FOUR years ago, the Cunningham Memorial Hall was set to be sold for removal until a group of women from the districts west of Warwick reformed the local QCWA branch. Karen Henricksen was elected president and has presided over a Cunningham branch which has organised major improvements to the hall. The contract with Warwick builder Cliff Brown to construct the hall was signed on March 2, 1955 for $5614 (2807 pounds). The Cunningham branch kicked many goals in its first 61 years before it went into recess in 2016. “When the hall was going to be sold for removal , we put a flyer in mailboxes in the area and had close to 30 at a meeting at my home,” Mrs Henricksen said. “The second meeting was with representatives of the Border division of the QCWA. “We have 15 members and a lot
of good supporters who help us with our functions. Our husbands have been strong supporters of the branch.” The first upgrading was with a grant from Southern Downs Regional Council for kitchen appliances, tables and chairs. The next grant was $55,000 from the State Government to line the interior and ceiling of the hall, paint the hall, replace electrical wiring and install ceiling fans. Members of the branch help out on some days at the Condamine Valley Warwick QCWA Tea Rooms and a percentage of the takings those days are donated to the Cunningham branch. The branch holds its meetings on the third Wednesday of the month at the hall at 5.30pm. The meetings finish with drinks and nibblies. Pratten resident Shelley Hamilton has been a regular at fortnightly craft days for the past three years.
“There is good company and lots of laughs at the craft days,” she said. Branch vice president Cheryl Cantwell said monthly drop in days were a good chance for district residents to meet and talk about their mental health and meet new people. The branch has an international day each year where a country is selected to study, Last year the country was Japan and this year Malaysia. A community Christmas Party is held each year at the hall along with a Mother’s Day High Tea. Hall opened: Contract to build hall signed in 1955. Regular activities: Craft morning every fortnight, visitors welcome to the next craft morning on June 21 at the hall at 10am. The branch has started a drop in day on the first Monday of the month at 10am. Patrons are welcome to bring children who can
play in an area of the hall which is cordoned off for children. Hiring uses: There have been three weddings at the hall in the past three years as well as 21st birthday parties, 30th birthday parties and many other celebrations and events. Bookings: Call Karen Henricksen on 0412 021 378.
PHOTO SHOWS Karen Henricksen, Shelley Hamilton and Cheryl Cantwell outside the Cunningham Memorial Hall on a craft day.
Would you like YOUR local hall featured in the Country Journal? Get in touch at the
editor@thedailyjournal.ink
COUNTRYJOURNAL
COMPLEXITIES OF PIECEWORK CATCHING GROWERS OUT Elizabeth Voneiff. Are you clear about the complicated rates of pay for piecework? If not, you’re not alone and the Fair Work Ombudsman has updated its website to include tools to ensure you are paying your fruit or vegetable picking crew correctly. The site will give clear information about when piecework rates should be set and the base r4ate hourly information from the horticulture award. It will also give what factors enter into determining an “average competent employee” and what records should be kept. For instance, a piecework agreement must be made in writing and signed by the employer and employee with no coercion or duress; t he rate agreed is to be paid for all work performed in accordance with the agreement and an employer must give the employee a copy of the agreement and keep a record of time and wages. Furthermore a piecework rate must enable the average competent employee to earn at least 15% more per hour than the minimum hourly rate for their employment type and classification. T he current minimum hourly rate for an adult casual employee is $24.80. Rates must be set and agreed to before work begins and they must be regularly reviewed. Records must be written in English, clear and accessible and can only be changed to correct an error. What makes an “average competent employee? This is tricky because there are many factors involved and yet no set standard across the industry or within particular industries. The average competent employee at each enterprise can even differ between properties with the same crop type and location, or on the same property at different times. The Fair Work Ombudsmen website tools promise to help growers identify this mystical number.
THE HON
SMART COLLARS TO GET LEGEN-DAIRY INDUSTRY MOOVING AHEAD Smart phones...smart watches...smart fridges...and now smart dairy. Queensland dairy farmers will be able to use ‘smart collars’ to monitor the health of their cows, on the hoof. Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner has announced the Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation (QDO) will receive $200,000 towards adopting digital animal health management systems for the industry. The grants is one ‘leg’ of the Queensland’s Economic Recovery Plan to help farmers to access new opportunities, Mr Furner said, and recognised thta the pandemic has created challenges on the farm as well. QDO President Brian Tessmann welcomed the grant saying it will help support a $646,880 digital herd monitoring project that will see (literal) field trials with 10 producers to demonstrate the technology, and deliver industry workshops, including on the Darling Downs.
DAVID LITTLEPROUD FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MARANOA
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Welcoming the Country Journal P5, 81 Palmerin Street | PO Box 188 Warwick Qld 4370 E: david.littleproud.mp@aph.gov.au P: (07) 4661 2494 Authorised by the Hon David Littleproud MP, Liberal National Party, Dalby Qld
Getting Maranoa’s fair share
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www.davidlittleproud.com.au
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
‘SHE LOOKS LIKE ME’ MORE WOMEN WANTED IN MEAT INDUSTRY
PRICKLY PROBLEM FOCUS OF WORKSHOP
Leading meat businesses want more women working in the industry and have launched a campaign to attract the ladies. A first of its kind for the meat industry, the campaign aims to challenge stereotypes about working in meat. Last year, women made up just 36 percent of the meat industry’s global workforce and only 5 percent of executive roles. The campaign, called “she looks like me”, will feature over 50 women including CEOs, farmers, retailers, technical and those in production roles.
PETER PIPE DIDN’T PICK THAT MANY PEPPERS CAPSICUM MARKET POPS Poor weather conditions across the globe are affecting the supply of peppers in many markets. In North America, growers were hampered by poor weather during the production and harvest seasons, as well as by the lack of pallets for transporting. Meanwhile in Europe the cold start to spring initially slowed down production, driving prices up at the start of the season, but the cold spell has also limited the consumption in many countries, causing prices to now drop. The majority of capsicums (bell peppers) are currently grown outdoors in Queensland, but increasingly capsicums are being grown year-round in high-tech greenhouses in the southern states for yearround supply. According to the latest figures, for the year ending June 2020, 71,718 tonnes of capsicums were produced in Australia, valued at $212m with 6 per cent sent to processing. While there was a seven per cent drop in the volume, there was a significant increase of 24 per cent in value. Exports also had a major jump, up 44 per cent to 506 tonnes, and a 74 per cent value growth from the previous year to $2.2million. There was also a slight rise in imports; up three per cent to 695 tonnes. At a consumer level, 61 per cent of Australian households purchased capsicums. Chilli production was slightly down in 2019/20, according to the data. 2,092 tonnes were produced (down 7 per cent) and valued at $8.5 (down four per cent) with 23 per cent sent to processing. Very small amounts were exported, only 5 tonnes, and a value of less than $1million - while at the same time, 7 tonnes were imported. It is still a niche vegetable at a consumer level, with only 35 per cent of households purchasing chillies. source: freshplaza
“It can be tempting to increase the ratio of chemical in the mix hoping for a more substantial kill rate; but this often only results in an artificial burn of the plant where the chemical has made contact,” said Southern Queensland Landscapes Graduate Project Officer, Isabella Murphy in the wake of a workshop at Leyburn to tackle the prickly problem of Harrisia cacti. The Harrisia cactus is a particularly invasive plant, introduced as a pot plant, but shifting rapidly through the gears to the point it has now taken root, literally, in large swathes of otherwise viable land. The cactus spread is driven by a couple of thorny characteristics: • Has huge potential for seed spread and propagation, with one piece of fruit containing up to 1,000 seeds. • Can regenerate without seed spread via shoot roots on the tuber. • Has a complex and extensive root system which can spread metres from the actual plant posing difficulties when using chemical controls. There are a number of options to landholders looking to control and eradicate Harrisia cactus including chemicals like Access® Herbicide and diesel fuel, biocontrols and manual controls. “The variety of recommended options for control of Harrisia cactus are outlined in the ‘Weeds of Southern Queensland’ 4th Edition’; an extremely valuable resource that SQ Landscapes can provide to landholders who are interested in knowing more,” Isabella Murphy told workshop attendees. By sticking to the recommended mix
and completely dousing the cactus you will give the plant time to draw the chemical all the way to the root extremities before it dies, ensuring a full death not just a ‘burn’ or the appearance of death.” Meanwhile BQ explained what biocontrols were available and when to use this method. “Tamara Taylor told us BQ have been researching the effectiveness of mealy bug and the potential use of stem boring beetle in the control of Harrisia cactus, but it was really emphasized that the best time to use this type of method is when there is a dense infestation where chemical or manual control just aren’t an option,” Isabella Murphy said. “Biocontrols are a more long-term control method where infestations are established, and preference should be given to chemical or manual controls when new outbreaks are identified or where landholders need to get control quickly,” Ms Murphy said. “And don’t forget the importance of washing machinery and mechanical cross contamination between paddocks or properties; if you’ve been somewhere where you may have picked up Harrisia cactus seeds or fragments on your vehicle make sure you decontaminate by thoroughly washing before you move onto clean landscapes,” she said. If you think you may have Harrisia cactus on your property please contact Graduate Project Officer Isabella Murphy by phoning 0417 746 532 or via email at Isabella.murphy@sqlandscapes.org.au
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
KNOWING THE INDUSTRY FROM THE CROPS TO THE TRUCKS
FACE TO FACE with gerard walsh Photo shows Transport operators: Stuart Judd and Robert Eastwell from Maydan Livestock Transport with one of their prime movers. Gerard Walsh.
“He’ll have a job here long after he gives the job away, keeping us entertained with stories form the Maydan days of old...”
STUART Judd likes nothing better on the farm than growing a cracking crop. He grew his last top crop in 2008 and is looking forward to the next one. “Our corn crop in 2008 yielded four tonnes to the acre dryland,” he said. Stuart, wife Helen and son James live on the 440-hectare Glengallan property which they bought 16 years ago. The property surrounds the heritage listed Glengallan Homestead. Stuart went to Yangan State School and then Warwick State High School but left school when he turned 15 and started working at Shelleys Industries. “I made truck and ute bodies and grain feeders at Bruce Shelleys,” he said.
At age 18, he went for his semi-trailer license and then worked for transport company Lill and Alexander at Millmerran. Stuart would head to Coonamble in New South Wales each year to help some friends with the harvest. Four years later, he secured a job with Wickham Farms at Killarney. “I learnt a lot about business from Angus Wickham and the team at Wickhams,” he said. “I stayed at Wickhams until I bought my first silage chopper in 1992.” His first silage job was for Doug Hall at Pinegrove Feedlot at Millmerran. Q and A GW: What is it like to live next to Glengallan Homestead ? SJ: The homestead trust are
great neighbours, my wife Helen is on the board. GW: What are the crops at Glengallan like this year ? SJ: We have aerial bated twice for mice and our sorghum won’t be flash but we will be pretty grateful we can put the header in it. We chopped 80 hectares of soybean for silage as the mice were devouring it. GW: What are your favourite crops? SJ: Lucerne and corn. GW: How big is your cattle enterprise? SJ: We fatten 50 to 60 steers each year and run 50 breeders on our grass country at Glengallan. GW: When did you buy Maydan Livestock Transport? SJ: We bought the business from Geoff and Rebecca Willett six years ago.
COUNTRYJOURNAL GW: What trucks do you buy? SJ: We use Kenworth trucks. In fact Warwick (4370) is the postcode where Kenworth deliver the highest number of new Kenworths to their customers in Australia . GW: Who are your right-hand men in the transport business? SJ: Peter Byrne looks after the trucks along with Robert Eastwell and Evan Judd in the B-Doubles and of course Aub Walker. Aub came with the business when we purchased it from Geoff and Rebecca Willett. He’ll have a job here long after he gives the driving away just keeping us entertained with the stories from the Maydan days of old and Geoffrey in his heyday. I am exceptionally lucky to have a great team of blokes around me that just get the job done . GW: Tell us about your longest trips? SJ: We have been to Western Australia and back three times this year bringing 100 cattle back in each B Double to a feedlot at Oakey. We unload the cattle three times during the trip when they are put on feed and water for eight to 12 hours before being reloaded. GW: You drove interstate with Lill and Alexander and then Wickhams, what is your favourite route? SJ: I love North Queensland. GW: What influence have your parents Jim and Olwyn Judd had on your working career? SJ: They had a huge influence
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on me and my older siblings Wesley and Leah. GW: Your family had a dairy farm at Swanfels, did you help with the milking? SJ: I was happy to do anything on the farm but would dodge milking like the plague. Watermelons originated in northeast Africa, according to the GW: How much does your wife Helen mean to the busilatest scientific research. Using DNA from plants that represent ness? all species and varieties of the plant, the study corrects the 90 SJ: A massive role. She is year old mistake that originally asserted that watermelons came the responsible adult around into the same category as the South African melon originated from here and her biggest roles are a Sudanese fruit called Kordofan melon which had a non-bitter in administration and paying whitish pulp. the wages. We have up to 10 This is consistent with Egyptian tomb paintings that suggest the employees. watermelon may have been on the table as a dessert more than GW: What has been your involvement at Olsens Produce? 4000 years ago. Today’s watermelon comes from a very small SJ: Helen and I have been base of genetic stock which is part of the reason it is highly susheavily involved in Olsens ceptible to diseases and insect pests, including various mildews, together with Cliff and Donna fungi, and worms. Shelley, Bill and Coralie The discovery has pointed to some interesting facts about the Shelley and our manager Ian mobility of ancient people and their connections. The scientists Wallace and his wife Kirsti. were convinced that depictions of huge fruits on flat trays next to The highlight of our involvement was to grow and improve grapes and other sweet fruits in Egyptian art must be watermelon. the business. Melons, cucumbers, and watermelons were domesticated severGW: What are the chances al times across human history, as DNA testing can now prove. of your son James joining the business? SJ: James is 15 and is truck and tractor mad, in fact he likes anything mechanical and is keen on the cattle side of the business. When his grandfaNatural Products ~ Country Style ~ Simple Living ther Jim Judd is away from his piggery at Willowvale, James feeds the pigs • Handmade Soaps GW: What is your favourite • Natural Body Products holiday destination? • Soy Candles SJ: I am happy to holiday anywhere in North Queensland, • Gourmet Foods all I need for a good holidayAtisElders Insurance Warwick, we provide residents across the • Homewares a cold beer, good steak andcommunity the with personalised insurance. From business owners local paper to find out whatand is trade workers to farmers and beyond, we can help find a cover going on. that suits almost every situation.
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
NATIONAL BIOCONTROL PLAN ON FRUIT FLY TAKES FLIGHT A new national research project is underway that aims to develop a biocontrol strategy for managing Queensland fruit fly populations in Australia. The project focuses on the use of Australian parasitic wasps, or parasitoids, that specifically attack Queensland fruit fly. Facilitated by an Agriculture Victoria team led by Associate Professor Dr Paul Cunningham, the national fruit fly biocontrol project is a collaboration between state and territory governments, universities, the horticultural industry, and Hort Innovation. The research is exploring biocontrol strategies that utilise species of parasitic wasps, or parasitoids, as important natural enemies of Queensland fruit fly.
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“Queensland fruit fly management relies on having an effective toolkit of IPM practices that work together to reduce fruit fly populations,” Dr Cunningham said. “At present, most of the fruit fly management tools – such as bait spraying, mass trapping, and sterile insect releases – target the adult stage of the fruit fly’s lifecycle, but there are always going to be female flies that manage to evade control and go on to lay eggs in our fruit and vegetables. The beauty of this biocontrol is that it targets the egg and larval stages of the fly, so it works really well alongside these other practices.” PARASITOIDS: OUR FRIEND AND A FRUIT FLY’S ENEMY Parasitic (parasitoid) wasps are insect predators that are commonly used as biocontrol agents in agricultural environments. These tiny insects are renowned for their amazing sense of smell, which enables them to hunt down their prey – they are essentially the sniffer dogs of the insect world! The two Australian parasitoid species selected for the biocontrol project are highly specific and only attack tephritid fruit flies (the insect family in which Queensland fruit fly belongs). Both species of parasitoid already thrive in Queensland and northern New South Wales where they can have significant impact on fruit fly populations when conditions are right, knocking populations down by 40 per cent or more.
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
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THREE WORDS TO SWEETEN THE FUTURE OF STRAWBERRY GROWING Berries Australia has three words for the future of strawberry farming: above ground growing. According to the peak body, it is the only way to future proof strawberry farms and have better labour options and control. Traditional methods of farming strawberries mean soil conditions are not easily managed. High fluctuations in cropping outlooks means an inability to schedule adequate harvesting labour. Instead, above ground hydroponic coir substrate growing is recommended. Obviously, changing over growing methods from the tradition to hydroponics requires a nerve-wracking capital investment. However, there are significant benefits to the switch and Berries Australia insists the “future is above ground growing”.
They argue that above ground growing changes your reliance on a young, seasonal workforce who can bend down all day picking fruit. Agronomist Ronan Hoyle says labour shortages throughout the world are causing a loss of productivity and damaging bottom lines” and having a waist high growing height makes harvesting much easier. Thus, employing older workers and locals willing to work outdoors is more of an option. Secondly, Berries Australia asserts that better conditions mean better harvesting and better efficiency of your pick. Less time in spent in the harvesting phase with a more efficient workforce will reduce costs overall. Finally, moving to an above ground growing situation means that the grower has far more control over crop losses.
Strawberry farming is heavily dependent on changing climate and soil conditions, which are much better controlled above ground. Above ground coir sub-
strate allows for better control over nutrition, moisture, pests and diseases, hopefully leading to better fruit quality and higher market prices.
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
ELIZABETH’S KITCHEN SCRUMPTIOUS BROWNIES FROM THE EDITOR’S KITCHEN Sweet treats meant things like peach ice cream and watermelon (with plenty of black seeds) in summer and pumpkin pie or pecan pie in fall and winter. Chocolate pies and cakes were especially luxurious and for occasions like weddings, anniversaries and wakes. Today “American brownies” are found everywhere, rarely resembling an American brownie at all. Ours were made with pecans and cut into tiny squares, only big enough for two bites. The flavour of chocolate in America is different, too: Hershey’s chocolate does not taste like Cadbury. It isn’t better, either, just different. Hershey’s chocolate has a metallic undertone and is not as buttery as Cadbury. This is a famous brownie recipe from the 1960s cookbook of Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Johnson and righteous Texas woman (pictured at her ranch). Enjoy! Lady Bird’s Texas Brownies ½ cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar (caster) 2 eggs 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted (baking chocolate, 30 grams)
¾ cup all purpose flour (not self rising) 1 teaspoon good vanilla extract ½ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans Cream butter in a large mixing bowl, gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate and beat until blended. Gradually add flour, stirring well until just mixed ( do not over stir- this is not a cake). Add vanilla and pecans. Pour batter into a greased square baking pan. Bake at 170 for about 25 minutes ( fan forced 160 degrees). The brownies will start to pull away from edges but remain moist in the centre of the pan. Cut into 4 cm squares. For a Tex-Mex brownie, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and dash
Growing up in Texas meant food heavily influenced by both Mexican cuisine and “soul food” or African -American traditions. I’m not terribly old yet but even still, when I was a child, most cakes and cookies and meals were made at home.
COUNTRYJOURNAL
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POLOCROSSE CARNIVAL MORE than 40 teams played in the Cunningham Polocrosse Club Carnival at Bony Mountain in early June. A-grade open was won by Gold Coast, Tara won A-grade mixed and Warwick won A-grade juniors from runners up Cunningham. There were 20 mini junior players at the Cunningham carnival.
SC IEN CE N OTE : Plants remove carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, and soil can soak up carbon and store it. These abilities are key to climate solutions that crop farmers can readily deploy today. Seeding narrow strips of land within and around crop
p
p
Melissa Kerr (red shirt, middle) at the front of the lineup for Cunningham in a polocrosse game against Warwick at the Bony Mountain Recreation Reserve in early June. Photo Gerard Walsh
Lineup: Anthony O’Leary (Cunningham) and Scotty McLellan (Warwick) in A-grade mixed
CRO P STR I P S FOR CLI MATE CON TROL fields with native plants is an effective and affordable way to make farming more climate-friendly. These strips can reduce emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 298 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide emissions
vary widely across agricultural landscapes and over time, but the largest contributions are associated with poorly drained croplands. All crops are not equal when it comes to mitigating climate change and conserving the environment. Perennials – includ-
ing various types of grasses, shrubs and trees – provide more ecological benefits than annual crops like corn, wheat and soybeans. Lisa Schulte Moore, The Conversation
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COUNTRYJOURNAL
‘FUTURE FIELDS OF GOLD’ continued from page 3... For South Australia, total winter crop plantings are estimated down 1.3% on last year to 3.6 million hectares. Overall projections are that will says this will see Australia on track to deliver an above-average winter grain crop for this season, with an estimated total wheat harvest of 28.9 million tonnes, barley of 10 million tonnes and canola of 4.1 million tonnes. With substantial rainfall and good soil moisture profiles across many parts of the country coming into this year’s planting, the main downside is the Aussie dollar, with the dollar’s strength against the US dampening real prices.
COMMODITY BREAKDOWNS, PRICES
For specific commodities, the bank is forecasting a three per cent increase in wheat planting this year (to 13.3 million hectares), while area planted to canola is expected to climb by 14 per cent (to 2.7 million hectares). Barley planting is down an estimated six per cent (to 4.2 million hectares), with oats declining eight per cent (to 0.9 million hectares). “With canola prices near record highs, and China’s tariff on Australian barley top of mind, farmers have heeded the call and switched in favour of canola,” Mr Voznesenski said. “Come harvest time, however, it may mean that
there will be increased harvest pressure on local canola prices.” With tight global markets and the world looking for Australian grain, the report says, the nation will likely be in a position to respond, with above-average export availability expected in 2021/22. Report co-author, Rabobank senior grains and oilseeds analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon said at this stage, the bank was “pencilling in an export program of almost 20 million tonnes of wheat, 5.5 million tonnes of barley and 3.1 million tonnes of canola”. Global prices for most grains and oilseeds are expected to remain elevated over the next 12 months, the bank says, on the back of strong demand and poor seasonal conditions in many other of the world’s grain-growing regions. Domestically, Dr Kalisch Gordon said, Australian wheat track prices were expected to remain near to AUD 300 per tonne for the coming 12 months, with marginal strengthening in the first quarter of 2022. Australian feed barley track prices were forecast to trade at around AUD 250 a tonne over the same period, with some softening in quarter three 2021, and canola prices to remain elevated. “Strength in the Australian dollar, which we forecast to continue to trade in the high US 70 cents range, together with strong local supply, will keep local prices at more modest levels than global price levels would otherwise
COUNTRYJOURNAL
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Opening up your art
Alpaca love: Alpaca Artisans Julie Hockings, Dell Tierney and Anni Washington July means Jumpers and Jazz in the region, with the art community ‘jumpering’ on board with a new selfguided tour of artists’ studios and creative hubs in the Southern Downs. Artists of all genres are urged to sign up to show their works in pop-up shops in two Creative Hubs – Kings Theatre and the CWA Function Room. It’s an easy way to showcase your skills and products to the wider community, and will also be extended to private studios
open to the public during the festival. An Ateliers Tour Guide will feature artists and include a map which guides visitors to the Hubs and private studios open to the public during the festival. Interested artists should contact Julie Hockings on 0428 661 114 or email ateliersjjj@gmail.com for more information.
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