The Sentinel 12 February 2025 by SomersetMedia

Housing ‘won’t hit koalas’

◗ Marina Gomide

A DEVELOPER is appealing a Somerset Council decision to reject a proposed Fernvale housing estate, due to its impact on koala habitat and lot size.

The council rejected an application by United Development Corporation in December 2024, ruling the proposed 121-lot project

loss of 11 hectares of koala habitat, including 2,360 mature koala trees.

But end of last month, UDC appealed the decision to the Planning and Environment Court, arguing that its proposal had been speciﬁcally designed to avoid, minimise and mitigate its impact on koala habitat areas.

In its Notice of Appeal, lawyers for UDC stated that 20 per cent of the development area would be retained as koala habitat.

Somerset Mayor, Jason Wendt, said Council “stands by its decision” and “intends to defend its position”. Full story p3

Morayﬁeld planning

◗ Marina Gomide

MORETON Bay Council has released a draft report intended to help prepare Morayﬁeld and Caboolture South for strong growth over the next 20 years. Residents are now being invited to provide feedback by March 3.

The Future Directions Report will inform the Morayﬁeld Neighbourhood Planning project, with the current draft report emphasising on the need to balance housing demand with the natural environment. Full story p5

to discuss the current market or for any of your livest AND REPORTS

please reply with “add” to our email address below.

David 0412 704 456

Email: david@starihaauctions.com.au www.starihaauctions.com.au

NEWS TEAM

MITCH GAYNOR news@sentinelnews.com.au

MARINA GOMIDE marina@sentinelnews.com.au 0406 505 656

KIRRA LIVINGSTONE news@sentinelnews.com.au

CAROL FITTON carol@sentinelnews.com.au 0491 655 129

SHARON KING

KATIE BUCKLEY

Somerset SES heads to north QLD

SEVEN State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from Somerset have ﬂown to Far North Queensland to support communities impacted by ﬂoods.

The crew joined more than 60 SES personnel from across South East Queensland ﬂying from Brisbane on February 3.

Somerset Regional Council Mayor Jason Wendt thanked the Somerset Region SES Unit members for going above and beyond to help those in need.

“Our SES volunteers are always ready to support our community in Somerset, but their dedication to helping people isn’t limited by our region’s borders,” he said.

“They are highly skilled individuals, and we are proud to have them representing Somerset.”

The unit members were tasked with assisting the management of evacuation centres among other duties.

Sentinel

FROM THE EDITOR

12 NOON

6, 35 Swan Street, Beerwah

I MIGHT be a sucker for a lot of anniversary days each year, but Valentine’s has always been a struggle.

Our kids will sometimes complain that my wife and I - 25 years strong I might add - don’t hold hands or kiss in

Ewww, no thanks.

I make the point ‘I’m still here aren’t I?’, thinking that

But no, if I was truly committed I would be waltzing around the house/ castle like we’re in a Disney

It wasn’t always so rst Valentine’s

Day I bought a rose and in my best handwriting penned a poem on the fanciest paper professing

In response I was, kindly, urged to back oﬀ, but could continue to see her on an

agreed two days a week, including one weekday, and all within set hours.

It felt like the 1890s, not the 1990s - indeed our ﬁrst proper date came with a chaperone - but I acceded, and became a regular diary entry.

I asked her what this weird courtship was all about and apparently she didn’t like the idea of having a full-time boyfriend.

So we would spend those occasional days doing super romantic things like playing squash (well it was the 90s).

I would deliberately lose, a point she continues to reject, but … come on.

In the end it didn’t matter and I proved irresistible. Now her diary is ﬁlled with not only me, but ﬁve children.

How lucky for her!

It’s a blessed little world we live in, but made easier

by agreeing to disagree, accepting diﬀerent perspectives, backing the other partner as your kids probe for weaknesses, and always taking an interest in your better half.

It’s not so hard is it?

But as far as roses and poetry goes ... that’s a distant memory.

I asked her last week if she still had that poem.

‘Yup, of course’, she said, unconvincingly.

The kids will just have to forgive us for not having the

going out.

This week we proﬁle Kerri and Adrian Raedel, who devote as much to each other as they do to their community (p7).

It never gets old learning how other people navigate relationships.

And you can never know enough about treating the people closest to you with the love and respect they deserve.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

New faces on the beat

SOMERSET and Moreton Bay have both welcomed new law enforcement oﬀicers to their police stations, with Moore Station welcoming a new Senior Constable, and Moreton having ten new ﬁrst constables.

Moore Station, which is the most Western station of the Moreton Police District, has welcomed the arrival of Senior Constable Joel Little, who has fourteen years service experience with the majority spent in rural locations.

Constable Little has spent

the last ﬁve and a half years in the Burdekin at Clare and Home Hill stations, having previously also worked in Cunnamulla and Hughenden.

He is an avid sport and tennis enthusiast and is keen to get involved in the local competition at the courts, which are conveniently situated across the road from the station.

He thoroughly enjoys country policing and looks forward to meeting the local Moore community.

On the other side of the map, Moreton Bay

has welcomed ten new Constables to the area, who have commenced their duty and begun their policing careers, after graduating among the recent 136 recruits who were sworn in as Constables of the Queensland Police Service on Thursday, January 30. Burpengary, Caboolture, Woodford, Deception Bay and North Lakes/Mango Hill stations welcomed one new oﬀicer each, with Petrie welcoming two, and Redcliﬀe three.

Acting Chief Superintendent Adam Guild attended the Burpengary Station on February 5 to welcome the oﬀicers to the district, where they spent two days in orientations before heading out to their stations.

The oﬀicers

will undergo 12 months of stationbased training as First Year Constables (FYC’s).

Constables Westermann, Pool, Plant, Burt, Bachmann, Jon, Belesky, Genero, Magee and Mason come from various careers before joining the QPS including retail sales, Policelink, Protective Services, a production manager, baker and insurance quality control expert.

Constable Bachmann joined the QPS as a Protective Services oﬀicer in 2021. It has always been in the back of his mind to become an oﬀicer and after a bit of encouragement from a friend decided to give it a go.

“I am deﬁnitely looking forward to a change of pace in work and just getting

considering joining, jump in,” he said.

Constable Westerman wanted to join for a new challenge and a career with a lot of opportunities.

“The study can be a challenge, so be prepared to put in the hard work and great results will follow,” he said.

These 10 FYCs will join 76 other FYCs currently in the Moreton District.

Moreton Bay Lunar New Year celebrations brighten Caboolture.

Photo: Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism.

Mitch Gaynor r

Moore’s new Senior Constable Joel Little.

Moreton District Acting Chief Superintendent Adam Guild with Moreton’s newst First Year Constables.

Borumba Hydro open for input

QUEENSLAND Hydro (QH) are inviting the public to submit written public comments in relation to proposed exploratory works at Lake Borumba in relation to the Borumba Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project.

The proposed action was determined to be a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, with assessment by Preliminary Documentation.

Public comments in writing related to the information or the action are invited from 9am on Friday 14 February 2025 until midday on Monday 10 March 2025.

A hardcopy of the draft Preliminary Documentation is available to be viewed, free of charge, during this time at:

• Imbil Library, 123-125 Yabba Road, QLD 4570

• Kilcoy Library, 15 Kennedy Street, Kilcoy QLD 4515

• State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Brisbane QLD 4101

• Queensland Hydro oﬀice, 6 Imbil Island Road, Imbil QLD 4570

The documentation can also be viewed and downloaded at: www. qldhydro.com.au/borumbapd

Appeal over koalas

Fernvale koala habitat becomes target of development appeal

◗

Marina Gomide

A DEVELOPER is appealing a Somerset Council decision to reject a proposed Fernvale housing estate, due to its impact on koala habitat and lot size.

The council rejected an application by United Development Corporation in December 2024, ruling the proposed 121-lot project would have resulted in the loss of 11 hectares of koala habitat, including 2,360 mature koala trees.

In its Notice of Appeal, lawyers for UDC stated that 20 per cent of the development area would be retained as koala habitat “or replanted post development to provide future habitat”.

because it was “an isolated area of koala habitat that has limited connectivity which has degraded over time … such that any impacts to koala habitat are not signiﬁcant”.

Further, it stated that the koala habitat areas “retain limited ecological value for koalas, and the impacts of the proposed development to koala habitat are not signiﬁcant in that context” and that the project “serves to retain connectivity to the west and north, while at the same time preventing koalas from dangerously traversing the Brisbane Valley Highway”.

The appeal also argued that the impact of the project was minimal

Council also had concerns with lot sizesfrom 600sqm to 1500sqm, stating it “was not consistent with this zoning”.

In regards to Council’s refusal due to the Planning Scheme conﬂict, UDC argued the development “complies with relevant provisions”, adding that it complied with Council’s Strategic Framework, which

identiﬁed that Fernvale oﬀered “the greatest urban growth opportunity”, along with Lowood.

According to UDC, the proposed development complies with this, as it “takes advantage of this urban growth opportunity by providing an appropriate residential development within the urban area of Fernvale”.

application on its merits as part of the relevant legislative process.

UDC argued the project was located within a developing urban area and in proximity to existing educational facilities.

It further argued that it “aligns with community expectations” and “will have no adverse amenity impacts by virtue of including higher density in the areas”.

While Council was directed by the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) to refuse the application, as it conﬂicts with state mapping for vegetation with signiﬁcance (koala habitat), Council was also required to assess the

UDC is asking the court to “set aside” and replace SARA’s response with “an amended referral agency response, directing the Respondent (Council) to give any approval of the Application subject to relevant and reasonable conditions”.

Over 100 submissions against the DA were received by Council during the public notiﬁcation period last year, with submitters having been notiﬁed they can become co-respondents by elections. This means submitters can join the

appeal.

Somerset Mayor, Jason Wendt, said its recommended submitters seek their own independent legal advice before electing to become a co-respondent, due to the time and cost associated with an appeal.

Cr Wendt also added that Council “stands by its decision” and “intends to defend its position”.

“We have a statutory obligation to uphold the Planning Scheme, but we are always conscious of public interest and the costs associated with court proceedings,” he said.

Somerset Regional Council has entered an appearance with the court via its legal counsel.

QLD Government Globe map showing core koala habitat area (green) and koala habitat restoration area (yellow). Black lines outline proposed development site.

Mayor Jason Wendt.

Sewage smell concerns

Algae bloom behind Moreton Bay water’s unpleasant odour and taste

◗ Marina Gomide

RESIDENTS across Caboolture, Morayﬁeld, Burpengary and surrounds areas have experienced an “awful sewage-like smell” coming from their homes, including showers and drinking taps last week.

An Seqwater spokesperson said they were aware some residents had experienced temporary taste and odour changes to their drinking water, but were assuring the public “these are aesthetic impacts only”, with the water still being safe to drink.

range of challenges during this season, with the recent warm weather and heavy rainfall providing an additional challenge with the algae bloom. As algae is ﬁltered out

Help make Esk auction

taste and odour, due to the increased movements and compounds.

According to the spokesperson, some residents may notice the change in taste and odour more than others, as sensitivity varies from person to person, with most people comparing the changes to a musty, earthy or unpleasant taste and odour.

“These changes have been due to recent elevated algae levels and increased rain, inﬂows and outﬂows from North Pine Dam,” they said.

“Our tap water continues to remain safe to drink and meets the health parameters of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.”

According to the spokesperson, the issue of algae bloom is a natural and common event in water sources and open catchments around the world, especially during the wet season.

Seqwater’s South East Queensland’s open catchments (including the Brisbane River) present treatment plants with a

at its North Pine Water Treatment Plant to reduce taste and odour impacts, with water sampling conducted by Seqwater staﬀ already seeing improvements in the taste and odour.

Powdered activated is a safe and eﬀective method that removes taste and odour compounds from water.

“Customers should expect

through the treatment process, it can leave behind organic taste and odour compounds, known as MIB (2-Methylisoborneol) and geosmin, which impact the aesthetics of tap water.

Increased rainfall also means increased inﬂows and outﬂows from dams, contributing to changes in

This does not impact the safety of the water at these levels, as conﬁrmed by Queensland Health.

The spokesperson advises locals noticing the change to refrigerate the water or put some lemon in it to help improve the taste.

Seqwater initiated powdered activated carbon

their drinking water to return to normal levels in coming days if not already,” they said.

“Seqwater would like the thank the community for their patience.”

Seqwater has committed to publishing a weekly taste and odour water quality report on its website related

to this event. This report will show MIB and geosmin presence in all Seqwater water treatment plants, including all of Moreton Bay and Somerset.

In addition to publishing the current taste and odour event results weekly, Seqwater reports on health, aesthetics and other parameters of their water quality each month, including compliance with health standards set in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and the Public Health Regulation 2018.

The processes used by Seqwater to remove contaminants from raw water and to turn it into clean, safe drinking water is similar to those used all around the world.

The most widely applied water treatment process – known as conventional treatment – is a combination of coagulation, ﬂocculation, sedimentation and ﬁltration, and is used by the majority of Seqwater’s treatment facilities.

Seqwater undertakes 400,000 water sampling tests every year.

To view the weekly report visit www.seqwater.com.au/ water-quality-report

Anyone with health concerns or health related enquires is encouraged to, call 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84).

ESK Hospital Auxiliary (EHA) is preparing for one of its major fundraisers of the year , asking any locals wanting to get involved to donate unique or valuable items to put up for auction. The EHA’s Charity Auction, on Friday, April 4, is set to be a big hit, with a number of signed or limited addition Bronco’s memorabilia, antique quilts and quality wines having already been donated.

For more info and to donate ring EHA secretary Trevor Page on 0403 902 180.

Invasive weed treatment

SOMERSET Council’s Pest Management spray crews are methodically treating lantana across the region.

Somerset Mayor Jason Wendt said crews were treating to reduce infestation of the invasive weed species.

“The teams are currently revisiting areas treated last year, controlling regeneration from the seed banks,” Cr Wendt said.

“Treatment will be held along main roads and local roads, so please be mindful of your speed as you pass our Pest Management teams.

“We thank the community for their understanding and support as we work to reduce the impacts of lantana in Somerset.”

North Pine Dam wall. Photo: Seqwater. inset: Algae bloom in natural waterway.

Photo: Victor Moragriega.

Join small business campaign

SOMERSET Council is running an exciting ‘buy local’ marketing campaign called ‘Support Our Somerset’, aimed at boosting the economy by encouraging residents and visitors to spend in the region.

Somerset Councillor Sally Jess encouraged businesses in the community to engage with the campaign.

“We would love to feature more Somerset small businesses in Support Our Somerset,” Cr Jess said.

“This is an exciting opportunity to share your business’ story and why shopping local is important in your community.

“Your involvement will contribute to the success of our campaign and the prosperity of businesses in Somerset.”

If you are interested in participating, contact Council at mail@somerset. qld.gov.au or 5424 4000. For more information, visit somerset.qld.gov.au/ support-our-somerset

A new Morayﬁeld rises

Council reveals new planning scheme draft for Morayﬁeld housing

◗ Marina Gomide

MORETON Bay Council has released a draft report intended to help prepare Morayﬁeld and Caboolture South for strong growth over the next 20 years.

Residents are now being invited to provide feedback by March 3.

According to the draft, Council is aiming to preserve 75 per cent of the city as rural and natural landscapes, free from urban development, while focusing on availability of diﬀerent housing options and increased density to meet population and housing objectives.

The draft proposes changing the Planning Scheme to create “mixed-use areas” along and around Morayﬁeld Road to “increase opportunities for higher density residential uses close to services and public transport, including the Morayﬁeld bus station and train station”.

According to the draft report, “increasing

residential density within the centre will also increase the diversity of housing types in the neighbourhood, which will better cater for residents as their life and housing needs change”.

The draft also proposes to increase building height in the mixed-use areas to 20 storeys (60-70 metres) in high-density areas, and 11-13 storeys (39 metres) in moderate density areas.

High density areas are classed as having a minimum of 100 dwellings per hectare (dph), while medium density areas would have a minimum of 50 dph, and low to medium density areas a minimum of 30dph.

The report proposes four high density areas: one south of Torrens Road, one north of Walkers Road, one fronting Jonkers Court and the northern side of Oakey Flat Road, and one for land located west of Kirkcaldy Street adjoining BillabongsArthur Allan Park.

Dark red - High density area (min. 100dph).

Pink with stripes

- Medium density area (min. 50dph).

- Solid pink - Low to medium density area (min. 30 dph).

of the report is to increase housing diversity within the project area.

Division 3 Councillor Adam Hain said higher density living would provide more options to the community and it would support Council’s goal to preserve three quarters of the city as rural and natural spaces.

“We understand this will be a big change for some residents, but it’s also a huge opportunity to

Crime spree extradition

Inspector David Harbison said, despite time already served, it’s important for the man to face court in QLD.

“This shows the community that we will hold people to account for their actions, regardless of how much time has passed,” he said.

“The man’s alleged oﬀending was extensive and very serious, causing harm to many people in the community, which escalated in NSW.

“Housing diversity is important because it creates more options for diﬀerent stages of life, meaning residents can stay in their neighbourhood for longer,” he said.

“It also means children will have options to buy their ﬁrst home nearby instead of needing to move further from their families and support network.”

According to Council, regular Moreton Says surveys, which have shaped

estates on the city’s urban edges, while 69 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that higher density living is acceptable in the right location (i.e., a centre or close to a train station or the city’s coastal edges).

Mayor Peter Flannery said Morayﬁeld was the perfect suburb to build up, due to its existing access to key services such as jobs, public transport, schools, and more.

“As South East Queensland continues to ﬂourish, it’s time we had a conversation about housing

density and building heights in well-serviced suburbs like

Activity Centre because it has access to existing services and infrastructure like the Morayﬁeld Station, a vibrant commercial and retail precinct, medical facilities, schools, and plenty more. “ Once ﬁnalised and approved by Council, the Report will inform changes to the local planning rules and other projects and initiatives.

To view the draft report and/or provide feedback on the report visit moretonbay. link/neighbourhoodplanning-morayﬁeld.

in Bellmere, Caboolture, Morayﬁeld, Narangba and North Lakes.

Alleged oﬀences include armed robbery, dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm, going armed to cause fear and unlawful possession of weapon.

The man was intercepted following a pursuit that crossed the NSW border, where he was arrested by NSW police on February 5, 2015, and charged with multiple oﬀences.

The man has remained in police or corrective services custody in NSW since then.

Upon his release in NSW, detectives from the Caboolture Criminal Investigation Branch have travelled to NSW to extradite the man back to QLD to face charges.

He has been charged with ﬁve counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle, four counts each of unlawful

causing previous bodily harm, stealing, unlawful possession of weapon and unlicensed driving.

Moreton District Detective

“I acknowledge the bravery of both QLD and NSW police oﬀicers that day during such dangerous circumstances.”

Spotlight on... Woodford & Wamuran

Community events/groups

Woodford Historical Society

- Kids Yarrow Club - Free to join. All events are free.

Woodford Historical Society Museum, 109 Archer Street Woodford.

- Woodford Historical Society 45th Annual Villeneuve-Neurum Get Together - 10am Sunday 31st August, Woodford Historical Society Museum, 109 Archer Street Woodford.

Woodford Community Art Group

New members welcome to attend classes. Woodford Historical Society Museum, 109 Archer Street Woodford.

- 18th February

Lynne Marshall Abstract Workshop.

- 24th March Jan Lawnikanis Watercolour Workshop.

- 23rd April Don Milner Back to Basics Workshop.

Email for more info

woodfordart@gmail.com

Woodford Historical Society Museum and Woodford Community Art

Group Gallery 109 Archer Street

Woodford, Free entry. Open 10am to 2pm Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat and 3rd Sunday of the month on market day.

Woodford Country Markets

Binambi Place Archer Street Woodford, 3rd Sunday of each month, 7am to 12pm.

Woodford Senior Citizens

Every Tuesday at the Woodford Library, 1 Elizabeth Street Woodford, 9am to 12pm. Card games and a cuppa.

Woodford Knitaholics 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at the Woodford Library, 1 Elizabeth Street Woodford. 12 to 2pm. Knitting and crocheting items to help the needy. Helping teach others to knit and crochet.

Woodford Drum Circle

Every Tuesday at Binambi Place Archer Street Woodford, From 9.30am Community drumming and music sharing.

Web design made simple

BUSINESS owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone need help navigating the world of web design and marketing need look no further for a solution.

Meet Karen Ahl, the founder of WebSta Web Design, a business dedicated to making the digital world simple and accessible for local entrepreneurs.

Since 2006, Karen has made it her mission to take the confusion out of web design and provide high-quality, userfriendly solutions that help businesses grow online.

Karen decided to found Web-Sta out of the frustration that web design was becoming this overly complicated, jargony industry, where everyday local business owner struggled to keep up with.

Web-Sta has expanded to a core team of eight plus a small army of local collaborators, ranging from designers and copywriters

“We ask all the right questions to get what we need out of your head and onto a screen.”

“I just wanted the whole process easy - and that’s been my philosophy ever since,” she said. 18 years and literally 1000’s of clients later,

“Everyone we partner with has our customer’s best interests at heart,” Karen said.

“From our very ﬁrst conversation, everything is explained in English and made as streamlined as possible.

Web-Sta oﬀers highquality and engaging website design, logos and automated email, newsletters, along with a host of other supportive marketing services including: search engine marketing, coaching and events like PEAK Business Connect.

Karen and her team also conduct keyword research to match what people are actually Googling in relation to the business, and even ﬁnd the right images to represent the business, all resulting in a website that clients will be proud to promote.

“Our tailored solutions are designed to grow and evolve as your business does,” she said.

To discuss your marketing needs, give me a call on 0415 142 178 or visit www. web-sta.com.au to schedule your free consultation.

Wamuran District park consultation

MORETON Bay Council are planning a new district park for Wamuran that will incorporate the Wamuran Sports Complex and H&J Walters Recreation Area, asking the public to chip in by providing design ideas. Council have developed a concept plan to transform the area and are asking the public for ideas to help ﬁnalise the design for Stage 1, which focuses on upgrades to the H&J Walters Recreation Area.

Stage 1 is expected to include: a new internal access road and parking area, a district level playground, toilet block, picnic shelters and BBQ, an exercise area, and an open kickabout spaces.

Public feedback will help ﬁnalise the theming and features for Stage 1 of the park.

Locals can share ideas by completing a short feedback form on https://yoursay. moretonbay.qld.gov.au/ wamuran-district-park.

Anyone wishing to share ideas in person, should get in touch with the Project Team on 3205 5555 to organise a time.

Consultation is open until 4pm Wednesday 5 March 2025.

Web-Sta founder, Karen Ahl.

A love for community

THIS Valentine’s Day, Wamuran’s own Kerri and Adrian Raedel are celebrated not only for their devotion to each other, but for their remarkable contributions to the local community.

Known for their handson charity work and deep commitment to helping those in need, they have become pillars of kindness and generosity in the Caboolture, Wamuran, Woodford and surrounds region.

Adrian is well-known as the former Division 12

Kerri started a non-proﬁt charity called Bright Bags, aimed at helping foster and disadvantaged kids, two and a half years ago.

Having met at just 18-years-old, while Kerri worked for Adrian’s parents, their love story took more than 10 years to start, as their friendship didn’t develop into a relationship until they were in their 30s.

“Adrian actually asked me out when we were 18, which I declined, and then we went oﬀ our separate ways, but remained friends our whole life because I was friends with the family,” Kerri said.

er both had been in other serious relationships in their 20s and early 30s, after the 2016 elections they happened to be single and caught up over a coﬀee to celebrate his win, eventually leading to two kids and an ongoing nine year relationship.

“We just had diﬀerent paths and

diﬀerent things happen in our lives before and when we were older a spark happened and we aligned,” she said.

“It’s nice to marry someone you’ve known for such a long time because

the Raedels have long been involved with many local groups, both as a couple and before getting together, including Lions Club, who the still host movie nights for occasionally, Beachmere Community Association, Apex, where Adrian served as president, and fundraising to help get equipment for the CREEC All Abilities Playground in Burpengary.

Free advocacy from Woodford to Kilcoy

ENABLE Home Care Services is expanding its reach, bringing its free Advocacy Service to Kilcoy and surrounds, with the next visit on Tuesday February 25.

The service will be available at the Kilcoy RSL every second and last Tuesday of the month, from 9am to 12pm, helping locals navigate Aged Care and Veteran Aﬀairs systems.

ENABLE’s advocacy ensures that community members can access the right care, whether it’s Home Care Packages, DVA claims, or allied health referrals.

Beyond advocacy, ENABLE provides tailored services in aged care, disability, and veteran

support across Somerset and Moreton Bay.

Aged Care clients receive personalised assistance, from home care packages to transport, nursing, and home maintenance— ensuring holistic support that enhances quality of life.

ENABLE Connect specialises in disability support coordination, helping NDIS participants with plan implementation, budgeting, and provider liaison.

For veterans, EnveCare delivers ongoing clinical visits, medication management, wound care, and palliative support, ensuring dignity and continuity of care.

Founded in 2020 by

aged care professionals

Janene Smith and Debbie Jones, ENABLE was built on the principle that care should be personal and community-focused.

“We need care providers who truly care about their clients. That is what ENABLE is all about,” says Janene.

With a passionate team and a commitment to making a real diﬀerence, ENABLE continues to grow, ensuring the right care is always available for those who need it most.

For more information, visit ENABLE Home Care Services at the Kilcoy RSL or contact them directly to organise a home visit on 0488 192 689, or email info@enablehcs.com

When reflecting on what inspired their love for community, both acknowledged their parental figures as a major influence and inspiration.

For Adrian, both his parents were always heavily involved in advocating for their community, having helped get the Beachmere school up and going oﬀ the ground, placing petitions, and helping community associations.

“My mum was just so passionate about community and she would give you the shirt oﬀ your back,” he said.

“It deﬁnitely got passed down and is inherited behaviour.”

For Kerri, her main inﬂuence was her grandmother, who raised her from a young age.

“My nana was very much about doing things for other people and I’ve always been community,” she said.

“I won community awards in school and volunteering and stuﬀ like that, and I just want to help people, and that has to come from your upbringing.”

Kerri and Adrian have already seen the inﬂuence of their selﬂessness being passed on, noting their 5-year-old twins already show the same community spirit, including helping Kerri with Bright Bags by helping volunteers pack bags in the shed,

and getting involved in community and charity events.

For Adrian, one of the things he admires most about Kerri is her passion, energy and determination to get things done.

“When she ﬁres up about something, she will grab it and run it until the end or until she runs out of energy, which is usually a long way away,” he said.

“She can make her own decisions and if she’s got an idea or concept, it takes a very good reason to change it, so she holds on.”

Kerri, on the other hand, said she ﬁnds Adrian’s loyalty and patience very attractive, allowing and going along with her energy and spontaneity.

“You have to be loyal and patient to put up with someone like me and I see it in other areas too, like his loyalty to the community and the kids,” she said.

“We work well together because we’re like-minded individuals, so it doesn’t take convincing when we have ideas, making it an easy dynamic.

“He’s not going to stop me and I’m not going to stop him, so I think there is a mutual respect for our independence.”

◗ Marina Gomide

Adrian and Kerri Raedel.

The Enable TeamJasmine, Caleb, Debbie and Natasha.

Adrian and Kerri with their twin boys.

Wedding day in 2018.

Elected Reps

Neumann News

with Shayne Neumann Federal Member for Blair

We know how important reliable, high speed internet is in the Somerset area. Without it entertainment is not so entertaining, and it is essential for businesses, health care and education.

I am proud to be part of a government that is upgrading the NBN and building the Somerset area’s future.

We will upgrade the NBN to make it faster and make sure it stays aﬀordable. Families and businesses deserve high speed internet at an aﬀordable price. Faster, more reliable full

ﬁbre broadband is essential economic infrastructure providing productivity beneﬁts to Australian households and businesses.

The Albanese Government is working to fund the upgrade of Australia’s remaining national ﬁbre to the node network through an equity injection of up to $3 billion, with NBN contributing more than $800 million to the project. This upgrade means an additional 3,245 homes and businesses in Blair will get access to world class full-ﬁbre upgrades. This will

Deb’s Diary

with Deb Frecklington State Member for Nanango

This week marks the first 100 days in office for the Crisafulli LNP Government. We have made significant strides in addressing key issues and setting the stage for Queensland’s future. Focused on delivering a strong economic recovery, the government has prioritised job creation, fiscal responsibility, and improving essential services across the state.

beneﬁt families and small businesses across Marburg, Minden, Fernvale, Esk, Lowood and Brightview,

This is in addition to the 36,141 premises in Blair already able to access higher speed broadband this year under the Albanese Government’s ﬁbre upgrade program.

All up, about 95.6 per cent of premises in Blair’s ﬁxed line footprint will be able to get speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second once all upgrades are complete.

Only a Labor Government, with a publicly owned NBN, can ﬁnish the job of completing the ﬁbre network build and deliver faster and more reliable broadband for Australians.

Youngy’s Yarns

with Terry Young Federal Member for Longman

Aﬀordable health care has always been a proud Australian achievement. I’m so grateful to live in a country where low-income earners can still receive world-class medical treatment.

Sadly, for many, this vital service is becoming less aﬀordable for the most vulnerable in our country.

Since the Coalition was last in government, bulk billing rates have dropped from 88 per cent (under the Coalition) to 77 per cent (under

Labor).

A decrease in bulk-billing rates (percentage) means that patients must pay more out-of-pocket to see a doctor.

Labor has claimed that

higher under the Coalition due to bulk-billed COVID vaccinations. However, the facts are there. In my electorate of Longman, the bulk billing rates in 2019 (pre-COVID) were at 93 per cent. The latest data from 2023 shows that these rates have dropped to 79 per cent. They have also claimed that Peter Dutton lowered the bulk billing rates when he was the Assistant Minister for Health. However, the data tells us that the bulk billing rate was 83 per cent under Peter Dutton’s watch. Don’t believe the political spin and let’s get bulk billing and Australia back on track.

· The rights of victims now take priority over the rights of young criminals in sentencing.

· Young oﬀenders can now receive adult sentences for serious crimes.

· Detention for young oﬀenders is no longer a last resort.

One of the key areas of focus is tougher penalties for repeat oﬀenders and individuals involved in

One of the government’s ﬁrst actions was introducing the Making Queensland Safer Laws. These measures focus on strengthening law enforcement powers, supporting victims of crime, and ensuring justice for those aﬀected.

Welcome back to school!

It’s been a highlight to connect with our local schools again aft summer school holidays. In addition to attending a number of student leader inductions, I’ve also joined some schools with a “good morning, welcome back” initiative that I started a number of years ago. At these schools, I distribute some healthy fruit snacks (and

including domestic violence and organised crime. By increasing sentences and penalties, the government is sending a clear message that criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.

These new laws are part of a broader commitment to ensure Queensland remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. The focus is on creating a secure environment where residents feel protected and empowered.

As the LNP government marks its ﬁrst 100 days, it’s clear that they are focused on delivering real outcomes for Queenslanders. The road ahead looks promising, with strong commitments to a prosperous and secure

Pumicestone’s Pulse

with Ariana Doolan State Member for Pumicestone

Another key issue I’ve been working on is elder abuse. With one of Queensland’s largest elderly populations, it’s critical we do more to protect our seniors.

As part of the Queensland Parliament’s Education, Arts, and Communities Committee, I’m helping lead an inquiry into this issue.

week at school – so much enthusiasm and excitement

I’m committed to ensuring Pumicestone residents have access to the services and support they need. That’s why I’m proud the Crisafulli Government has delivered on its promise to provide real-time, transparent health data. The Open Hospitals website is now live, allowing Queenslanders to track emergency department wait times and hospital performance. This tool empowers people to make informed healthcare decisions. You can access it here: https://openhospitals. health.qld.gov.au/

additional pressures.

dentially contact ice so we can refer you to appropriate support

We’re all here to help local kids to have the best start to the school

PUMICESTONE and surround residents are invited to attend a public hearing on Bribie Island on February 28, to help the State Government’s inquiry into elder abuse.

A public hearing will be held on Bribie Island on February 28 from 9am to 11am at the Bribie RSL—a vital opportunity to hear from those impacted and ensure better safeguards are in place.

Powelly’s Pitch

with Andrew Powell State Member for Glass House

Real-time Health Data –

We made a promise, and we’ve delivered! I am so pleased to share that the Open Hospitals website is now live, providing transparency into what is happening in the state’s health system.

The Queensland Health Open Hospitals website provides accurate and up to date data including median wait times, number of patients triaged and number of patients waiting for treatment. The data will be refreshed every

It’s also been a fantastic week celebrating local successes! Congratulations to the Abbey Museum on opening its exciting new extensions—this wonderful attraction is a must-visit for locals and tourists alike. I also had the opportunity to tour Woolworths, one of the island’s biggest employers. It was great meeting the hardworking staff and seeing their latest innovations, including electronic shelf labels for business efficiency and VR training modules for staff development.

As always, I’m here to listen and advocate for you. Email pumicestone@ parliament.qld.gov.au or follow me on social media.

the ﬁrst step to healing our states Health Crisis. Visit openhospitals. health.qld.gov.au.

A Fantastic Day at Abbey Museum

15 – 30 minutes, enabling Queenslanders to make informed decisions about their healthcare options and where to go. Selecting the right option for healthcare will ensure you receive the correct treatment, without unnecessary delays.

Anyone who needs emergency attention should still go to their nearest emergency department or call an ambulance by dialling Triple-0 (000).

We’re aware the healthcare system has multiple challenges, but delivering transparency is

Join elder abuse inquiry

Nigel Hutton, Member for Keppel, said seniors are “the

With Pumicestone being home to one of the state’s largest elderly populations, residents are encouraged to attend and share their experiences with Member for Pumicestone, Ariana Doolan, and Queensland Parliament’s Education, Arts, and Communities Committee.

haven for retirees, fostering a community where older residents can enjoy a peaceful and engaging lifestyle, with the island’s rich history of community involvement and support underscoring the importance of protecting its senior members. Chair of the committee

importance of this inquiry.

“It is our duty to protect and respect them (seniors),” he said.

“This inquiry is a crucial step toward understanding the challenges they face and

enhancing the measures in place to safeguard their well-being.”

Ms Doolan encouraged the community to engage with the inquiry calling the insights and experiences of locals “invaluable”.

contributing, you help us build a safer and more supportive environment for our elderly

Bribie-Moreton Hospice Health Services

Inc secretary Maree Cunningham has seen her share of elder abuse in its diﬀerent forms.

“Elder abuse is a wellhidden issue, like most forms of abuse,” she said.

“These days it’s a lot easier to hide certain abuse because most of our banking is digital/online.”

Elder abuse includes physical, emotional, and ﬁnancial harm, neglect, and other forms of mistreatment within relationships of trust.

Recent data reveals higher-than-expected rates of elder abuse in regions like Moreton Bay North.

I had the pleasure of joining Ariana Doolan MP and the beautiful people at the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology to oﬀicially open their new art gallery and café on Sunday 2nd February. Now open to the public, you too can enjoy my three favourite things all in one location – art, coﬀee and culture! The quality of the artworks and the stories they tell is extraordinary – the envy of many a European city. Do yourself a favour and visit! Online bookings recommended.

The inquiry invites public submissions, focusing on the following:

- Nature and Extent: Understanding the prevalence and forms of elder abuse.

- Eﬀectiveness of Current Measures: Evaluating laws, policies, and services.

- Opportunities for Improvement: Strengthening responses across all sectors to ensure they are trauma-informed and culturally appropriate. Submissions are open until 5pm on Thursday, 10 April 2025. To participate, visit the Inquiry webpage at www.parliament.qld.gov. au/elderabuse

Flannery’s Focus

with Peter Flannery Mayor of City of Moreton Bay

With a busy start to the year in City of Moreton Bay this February. Saturday 22 February will see the oﬀicial opening celebration of the new and improved Morayﬁeld Skate Park at Sheepstation Creek Park. This fantastic facility upgrade takes the park to a District-level service and will provide hours of entertainment and community for our youngsters and skate-lovers alike. I invite all our resident skate fans to come along from 10am and enjoy some skateboarding, BMX and roller-skating demos, live music from The Phosphenes and a free sausage sizzle!

Staying in Morayfield, we announced a consultation as part of our Morayfield Neighbourhood Planning project at the beginning of February. The draft Future Directions Report guides growth in Morayfield and parts of Caboolture South over the next 10-plus years and we’re calling for feedback until 3 March.

This month, we are also celebrating a record funding achievement, having secured $13.6 million through the South East Queensland Community Stimulus Program (SEQCSP). The SEQCSP funding will be used across a wide range of projects,

Latter’s Letter

with Tony Latter, Councillor Div 12, Moreton Bay Council

The City of Moreton Bay is excited to release plans for a new district park in Wamuran, integrating the Wamuran Sports Complex and H&J Walters Recreation Area.

The proposed Stage 1 developments aim to enhance community recreation and include: A new internal access road and parking area, a district-level playground, toilet facilities, picnic shelters, and BBQ

areas, an exercise zone, and open spaces for informal activities

The council is seeking community input to ﬁnalize the design for Stage 1, focusing on the theming and features within the outlined area of the concept plan. Residents are encouraged to share their ideas by completing the feedback form available on the project website. For those preferring in-person discussions,

delivering much-needed improvements across our City infrastructure to improve services and liveability for our residents.

SEQCSP Projects include library courtyard upgrades, work on aquatic and sporting centres and various new and improved park environments and amenities.

And ﬁnally, this month sees the launch of Joy Connection 25, a free and inspiring creative program running until October. The program oﬀers our resident kids a fabulous range of artistic and creative activities across City of Moreton Bay.

As always, you can ﬁnd out more about the above, and lots more local news and activities, at www. moretonbay.qld.gov.au.

appointments can be arranged by contacting the Project Team at (07) 3205 0555. The consultation period is open until 4 pm on Wednesday, 5 March 2025. Following the consultation, the detailed design for Stage 1 is expected to be completed within 2025, with construction timelines being ﬁnalised.

To stay informed about the project’s progress and future engagement opportunities, residents can follow the project updates by clicking the “+Follow” button on the project page. This initiative reﬂects

Wendt’s Words

with Jason Wendt Mayor of Somerset Regional Council

We’re working hard at Somerset Regional Council to improve communication with our residents.

It’s important to have informed communities, and our latest initiative provides our online followers with a weekly update on operational works across the region.

Have you tuned in for your weekly Minute with the Mayor? Every Monday we’ll post a short video on Facebook and Instagram with updates on our roadworks, parks, waste, facilities and disaster management.

This week we’re looking

the council’s commitment to fostering vibrant communities and wellplanned spaces, ensuring that Wamuran and surrounding residents have access to quality recreational facilities.

Active community participation is crucial in shaping a park that meets the needs and aspirations of its users.

For more information, including viewing the concept plan and accessing the feedback form, please visit the project website: https://yoursay. moretonbay.qld.gov.au/ Wamuran-District-Park

to far north Queensland and wishing the best for the communities recovering from ﬂooding. This is a timely reminder to familiarise yourself with our Council’s Disaster Dashboard and sign up for our Early Warning Network to stay informed during disasters.

Did you know about the Somerset Bin App? It has all you need to

know about waste services with alerts and useful information about what and what not to put in your bins. Our mowing crews are still busy servicing the region’s parks and gardens this growing season, and we ask residents to be patient in this time.

I look forward to sharing my learnings and working with my fellow councillors to make sure Somerset is well positioned for the 2032 Olympics when I return from the Council of Mayors South East Queensland delegation later this month.

SOMERSET residents are reminded to be vigilant in the fight against fire ants and report any suspected nests to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program (NFAEP).

future.

Somerset Mayor Jason Wendt said if fire ants are not eradicated, they will have significant financial, social and environmental impacts on the Somerset Region and wider in the

“You can help stop the spread of fire ants by learning how to identify the invasive species, reporting suspect nests to the NFAEP so they can be eradicated, and not spreading fire ants by your actions.”

For training and compliance resources, and to report fire ants visit fireants.org.au Somerset

Welcome Year of the Snake

the main stage.

goods and boutique items. The event concluded

under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

This notice is published pursuant to section 95A(3) of the EPBC Act.

Queensland Hydro Pty Ltd proposes to undertake the Borumba Pumped Hydro Energy Storge (PHES) Project - Exploratory Works (2023/09461) at Lake Borumba approximately 13 km southwest of Imbil, Queensland.

The proposed action was determined to be a controlled action under the EPBC Act with assessment by Preliminary Documentation.

The matters protected by a provision of Part 3 of the EPBC Act are ‘Listed threatened species and communities’ (sections 18 and 18A).

section 1.4 of the Preliminary Documentation.

Public comments in writing related to the information or the action are invited from 9am on Friday 14 February 2025 until midday on Monday 10 March 2025.

Imbil Library, 123-125 Yabba Road, QLD 4570

Kilcoy Library, 15 Kennedy Street, Kilcoy QLD 4515

State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Brisbane QLD 4101

www qldhydro.com.au/borumba-pd

Borumba Pumped Hydro Project Environment Team, PO Box 12278, Brisbane QLD 4000 borumba@qldhydro.com.au

Persons with special needs (i.e. for whom English is a second language or who has a vision impairment) may contact Queensland Hydro on

Red Dragon Martial Arts

Photos: Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism.

Photo: Div 9 Councillor, Cath Tonks. Source: Facebook.

Buying Now

Mike and Nate Cornish will be in the Caboolture area for 3 days only on February 22nd, 25th, and 26th. We want to buy your unwanted items listed below. Please visit us at one of the venues shown below, for an ‘on the spot’ appraisal. See our full Brisbane schedule for February at www.heritageint.nz.

If you live outside the area, have too many items to bring in, or would like a home visit, phone Nate on 0426 820 646 NOW to arrange a time. These events are often compared to the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ on TV, but without the long queues. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Fully Licensed Antique, Numismatic, and Precious Metal Buyers with over 45 years Industry Experience. Security Supplied by Security International Limited.

Gold & Silver Jewellery

All Worn or Broken Jewellery

All Modern, Vintage & Antique Jewellery, Rings, Chains, Bracelets, Earrings, Brooches, & Pendants. Gold Coins

Australian Proof & Uncirc. Gold, Silver, Proof, Uncirculated, C-Mint, Old or Modern Coins and Sets, Collections & Accumulations. All RAM and Perth

Silver Coins

Full and Half Sovereigns, Nuggets, Bullion, $200 Aust. Coins, Commemorative Coins, World Gold Coins, Holed or Worn, Gold Medals & Fobs

Aust. – Crowns, Florins, Shillings, Sixpences, Threepences, all coins from NZ, Great Britain, Fiji, South Africa, USA, Canada, Misc Silver Coins & Tokens, and all Other World Silver Coins

Silver: Tea Sets, Cutlery, Trophy Cups, Trays, Baskets, Vases, Jugs, Cigarette & Card Cases. Silver Bars of any size

Links, Necklaces, All Broken or Worn Jewellery ellery y ngles, Cuf Broken or Worn

fLik f n Neck

What’s On

Phone 5424 4000 for more information.

Thyme Morning Tea & Resort Tour

When: Thursday February 13, 11am

Where: Thyme Lifestyle Resort Moreton Bay, 70 Amy St Morayfield

Info: Join us at Thyme Moreton Bay and experience vibrant, over 50’s resort living at our next Morning Tea. Showcasing the benefits of downsizing and secure community living, you will meet key team members tour our luxurious Clubhouse and facilities and explore our stunning display homes.

FEBRUARY 13

1 Day Autism Workshop for Parents & Carers

When: Thursday February 13, 9.15am - 2.45pm Where: Kilcoy Visitor Information Centre, 41 Hope Street, Kilcoy

Info: During this workshop you will learn; the diversity of autism, sensory processing, working together with your child’s school. Brought to you by Positive Partnerships. Morning tea and a light lunch will be provided. Visit: www.positivepartnerships. com.au/

FEBRUARY 14

Cards And Conversation

When: Friday February 14, 1pm - 4pm Where: Kilcoy Library Kennedy Street, Kilcoy Info: Join in with cards, games and conversations over a cuppa. Great for socialising, meeting new friends and having fun together.

FEBRUARY 14-16

Moreton Bay Expo

When: Friday February 14Sunday February 16, 8.30am - 4pm Where: Redcliffe Showgrounds, Scarborough Rd, Redcliffe Info: Visit us and explore the latest caravans and outdoor gear! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just beginning your outdoor journey, we have something for every adventurer. Don’t miss this opportunity to browse, ask questions, and find the perfect gear to elevate your next adventure!

FEBRUARY 16

Woodford Country

Sunday Markets

When: Sunday February 16, 7am - 12pm Where: 109 Archer Street, Woodford Info: Set in Binambi Place, immerse yourself in a vibrant community atmosphere where local artisans, farmers, and crafters showcase their talents. The Woodford Country Markets are held on the 3rd Sunday of each month from 7am to 12pm.

FEBRUARY 18

Painting on Acrylic

When: Tuesday February 18, 10am - 11.30am Where: Toogoolawah Library Gunyah Street, Toogoolawah Info: Create vivid, striking painted works using acrylic on acrylic. Bring your own design or be inspired on the day. Bookings via Somerset On The Go app or phone 5424 4000.

Moreton Bay Area Community Disability Expo

When: Thursday February 20, 10am - 1pm

Where: Caboolture

Memorial Hall, 55 King St, Caboolture

Info: The Moreton Bay Area Community Disability Expo is a free event designed to connect people living with disabilities, their families, guardians, support workers and disability providers. The expo will feature local disability providers ready to answer your questions, provide expert insights, and guide you in achieving your NDIS goals. This event also offers a fantastic opportunity for providers to network with fellow professionals in the local community. There will be a wide range of services and products on display, from assistive technologies to support services, all aimed at helping you succeed in your NDIS journey. For more details, feel free to reach out to The DEC at hello@ thedec.com.au or call 0493 993 320.

Kilcoy Lions Yowie Markets

When: Saturday February 22, from 7.30am Where: Yowie Park, Hope Street, Kilcoy Info: Plants, crafts, soaps, tools, honey, cloths and plenty more.

FEBRUARY 22

Where: Kilcoy Exchange Hotel, 13 William Street, Kilcoy

Info: Back by popular demand, the vintage motorbike show is returning to Exchange Hotel Kilcoy! The Historical Motor Cycle Club Of Queensland will be riding into Kilcoy with over 60 stunning vintage motorbikes on display Lunch from 11:30am! Call on (07) 5497 1331 to book.

FEBRUARY 22

Morayﬁeld Skate Park: Oﬀicial Opening

When: Saturday February 22, 10am - 12pm

Where: Sheepstation Creek Skate Park, Cnr Morayfield and Station Roads, Morayfield

Info: Come celebrate the exciting upgrade of Morayfield’s Skate Park! Get ready for a FREE actionpacked day featuring epic BMX and skating demos, live music to set the vibe, and the chance to learn some fresh tricks. Bring the whole crew along - there’s even a free sausage sizzle to keep you fuelled! Designed with input from our incredible local skating community, this revamped space is modern, safe, and ready to roll!

FEBRUARY 22-26

Heritage InternationalAntiques BuyersBuying Now!

When: Saturday 22nd

February to Wednesday 26th February 10am-2pm

(Function Room)

37-47 Golden Wattle Drive, Narangba (26th)

Info: Buying unwanted items such as Gold and silver coins, Gold and silver jewellery, Silver, Military medals, Bank notes (Aust & world), Jewellery, Silver and gold bars, pendants and all watchesmodern and vintage. Home visits available on request: 0426 820 646. See ad on page 11 for full details. www.heritageint.nz

FEBRUARY 25

Polymer Creations

When: Tuesday February 25, 11am - 12pm

Where: Lowood Library 1 Michel Street, Lowood Info: Create a key ring, bookmark or earrings using polymer clay and your imagination. Bookings via the Somerset On The Go app or phone 5424 4000.

MARCH 1

Woodford Show & Rodeo

When: Saturday March 1, 12pm

Where: Woodford Showgrounds, 38 Neurum Road, Woodford Info: Round up the family, gather your friends and head to Moreton Bay Hinterland for the annual Woodford Show. The Showgrounds proudly host the annual Woodford Show. Positioned conveniently close to Woodford Township within walking distance to local shops and cafes.

MARCH 7 FEBRUARY 22

Kilcoy Vintage Motorbike Show

When: Saturday February 22, 10am

Where: Sports Central Caboolture 1 Hasking Street, Caboolture (22nd23rd) Narangba Valley Tavern

Street Feast - Caboolture When: Friday March 7, 4pm - 9pm

Where: Caboolture Showgrounds, 140 Beerburrum Road, Caboolture

Info: A premier travelling gourmet food market, bringing a delectable culinary experience to Australia. This vibrant night of food, dessert, and retail promises an unforgettable experience for visitors. From savoury delights to sweet treats, our diverse selection of food stalls caters to every palate and preference. Street Feast isn’t just about the food; it’s about fostering community and celebration. Amidst the bustling atmosphere, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the vibrant ambiance, connecting with fellow food lovers and supporting local businesses. Whether you’re a seasoned foodie seeking the next culinary adventure or a casual visitor looking to indulge in a tasty treat, Street Feast promises an unforgettable experience celebrating the joy of food and community.

MARCH 8

Morayﬁeld Collective Indoor Market

When: Saturday March 8, 8am - 12pm Where: Morayfield Indoor Sports, 298 Morayfield Road, Morayfield Info: Entry Fee: $2 per adult - 16 years & under Free We’re thrilled to invite you to the Morayfield Collective Indoor Market! This exciting event is perfect for families, friends, and the entire community. Whether you’re looking for unique handmade crafts, vintage collectibles, or fresh plants.

Somerset’s upcoming senior events

THIRTY people attended Somerset Council’s inaugural Midday Movies, held on February 2 at the Kilcoy Visitor Information Centre, screening of The Magniﬁcent Seven (1960).

Council’s next Midday Movies screening will take place on Sunday, March 2, from 11am, with a screening of the 1952 classic musical, Singin’ in the Rain at the Kilcoy Visitor Information Centre.

Midday Movies is part of Council’s In Good Company program, which aims to engage Somerset seniors and create spaces for community connections.

Another recurring In Good Company event, called Coominya Capers, will launch on Wednesday, 19 February at the Coominya Public Hall from 9am to 11am.

Coominya Capers will be held on the ﬁrst and third Wednesday each month until the end of June, with seniors coming together for morning tea, to catch up, and play games.

Bookings are essential, contact Council.

For more information contact Council at mail@ somerset.qld.gov.au or 5424 4000.

Declutter for cash with antique buyers arriving

IN today’s trend of downsizing and decluttering our homes, it’s the perfect time to go through those drawers and cupboards, to turn those unwanted items into cash. Antique Buyers, and father-son duo, Mike and Nate, will be travelling the North Brisbane area for two weeks only, starting Saturday, 15th February. See page 11 for full details.

“We are enthusiastic buyers, particularly interested in gold jewellery, whether broken or intact, antique jewellery, gold and silver coins, collectibles including military medals, and banknotes, as well as mechanical watches.”

“Everyone has something we want to buy, and nothing is too small for our consideration. We are just as happy to buy one item, as we are buying 10,000!” says Mike Cornish, the

company’s chief buyer. If you are in doubt about any items you wish to sell, take them in for an instant appraisal. No appointment is needed.

Gold and Silver still at high prices

With the gold price still at higher than traditional levels, right now is an opportune time to explore your jewellery box and dig out those old gold chains, rings, and brooches, to turn them into cash. Mike emphasizes, “This is an ideal time to sell. We will buy anything made of gold – old jewellery, coins, virtually anything, even gold teeth! We also need silver in any form, including coins, and bars of any size.”

Old coins can toss up a

Check those drawers and cupboards, you may have a rarity lurking amongst your coins. “We want to see any old foreign coin accumulations. Bags, tins, boxes, folders, however they

Volunteering with history

AN exciting opportunity has come up for anyone interested in volunteering, as the Caboolture Historical Village is holding a Volunteer Recruitment Tour Day this Saturday, February 15.

The day aims to inform community members thinking of volunteering about what’s involved with volunteering at the Caboolture Historical Village and how they can help.

Volunteering at the village can be counted towards Centrelink mutual obligation requirements for over 55’s.

The morning starts at the village at 9:30am, with tours of the village kicking oﬀ at 10am.

other volunteer positions.

A light morning tea will be provided along with a short presentation and Q&A session for you to pepper us with any questions you may have.

Volunteers have developed the Village over 40+ years into a major tourist attraction in the region; and they proudly still operate almost entirely

learn new skills, and keep active.

If you love to talk to people being a tour guide might be just the ticket –take a tour on open tour day to see what it is all about.

come, we will be quite happy to go through your coins on the spot and give you an idea of what we can pay. You just never know what can turn up!”

Rolex and mechanical watches wanted Mechanical watches are needed urgently by the buyers. “Collectors at this stage want brands such as Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, Longines, and Seiko, just to mention some. These brands can command good prices depending on the model and condition.” Mike explains. “If you are unsure, bring your watches in for an appraisal.”

Home visits are oﬀered for those unable to make it to a venue, or those with too much to carry. Refer to the advertisement on page 11 for home visit times, then call Nate on 0426 820 646 to book your appointment.

For more details, please see the advertisement on page 11, and for the full schedule, please see www. heritageint.nz.

Civic centre’s 2025 program

WHATEVER your taste, the Somerset Civic Centre has something for all.

There’s opera, country, folk, blues, theatre and more in stall for the venue’s 2025 program.

Somerset Regional Council Arts, Culture and Heritage Chair and Councillor Kylee Isidro said it was exciting to see more artists choosing to perform at the awardwinning facility in Esk.

“This is a great venue and we have some incredible talent coming to our corner of South East Queensland,” Cr Isidro said.

5 April with NEWK (The John Newcombe Story), a play by award-winning Australian playwright Kieran Carroll and performed by Melbourne classical actor Paul Armstrong.

Just in time for the school holidays, The Smashing Bumpkins will bring a highenergy, family-fun bush dance to the Somerset Civic Centre on 9 April.

On 3 May, ARIA Award winner Karise Eden is bringing the Brisbane Valley Blues with one of the country’s most distinctive voices in a show that’s sure to excite.

“Tickets are now on sale for six incredible events between February and May.”

Acclaimed soprano

Rebecca Cassidy takes centre stage on Sunday, 16 February for That’s Amore: A Valentine’s Opera Soirée!

On 8 March, Cairns sisters and rising country stars Nina, Wren and Lulu from Vixens of Fall will stop in at Somerset and share their love and passion for music.

If teaching younger generations about the “Old Days” sounds like, fun join one of our school demonstrators

Tour guide tours and school’s tours (guides and demonstrators) will be available. Additional volunteer work area representatives may be available to chat with about

by volunteers. It has been through the collective eﬀorts of many volunteers that the Historical Village is what it is today.

The Caboolture Historical Village is a wonderful place to volunteer, meet people,

There are many different roles to fill at the Village, including tour guides and volunteers who conduct activities and demonstrations for our school visitors, train drivers, reception staff, cafe and catering staff, administration, marketing, building, grounds and machinery maintenance, vehicle restoration, and curated collection management. Registration for this event is required – contact the village on 5495 4581 or email to register at VRC@ historicalvillage.com.au.

Trace the life of a great Australian tennis champion of the 1960s and 70s on

Then, on 31 May, Lawrence Menard from the USA and Australia’s Clare Quinn, ‘Those Folk’, will explore sounds from the 1960s folk revival and contemporary Americana music with breathtaking harmonies and rich instrumental performances. For more information on the Centre’s events or to purchase tickets, visit somersetciviccentre.com. au or visit the box oﬀice at 35 Esk Hampton Road, Esk on weekdays between 10am and 4pm.

THE KILCOY THE KILCOY GAMESHOW GAMESHOW

The Smashing Bumpkins.

SUDOKU

Don’t let anyone take credit for a job you did. Be sure to cover all the necessary groundwork before signing binding contracts.

Disputes may start because of a lack of honesty. Try not to skirt issues if you think you’ll hurt

before you pursue an unrealistic

You might have a problem juggling your time. Dig deep to ﬁnd out how costly a new venture will be before you sign on the dotted line. Creative pursuits should payoff. This is not the day to be extravagant.

You may want to take a trip; however, before you do, make sure that your car is serviced properly. You may want to take a trip; however, before you do, make sure that your car is serviced properly. Romantic encounters are evident through travel or educational pursuits. Avoid friction with your mate.

Go with the ﬂow and don’t be concerned about your own job. You can discuss your intentions and ideas with your colleagues or friends this week. Lay your cards on the table regarding your personal direction. Read some books on self awareness.

Your sensitive, affectionate nature will capture the heart of anyone you are attracted to. A long discussion is in order if you wish to clear the air. Control your temper by getting immersed in your work. A new relationship can be yours if you get out with friends.

Look before you leap. Try not to allow superiors or those in a higher position to take advantage of you. Confusion regarding other people’s money and joint ventures will come to a head. You can make changes to your living quarters, but not everyone will be pleased with your efforts.

Be careful when dealing with investments. Beware of colleagues who don’t have your best interests in mind. Make sure that you have all the pertinent facts before taking action. You can make rewarding connections through the organized groups you associate with.

The battle continues. Take care of any medical problems if they’ve been troubling you. Travel will be favorable.

& Wellbeing

Satellite Hospitals across SEQ now under new name

QUEENSLAND’S ‘Satellite Hospitals’ will be renamed Satellite Health Centres, hoping to put an end to confusion created by the former name.

As identiﬁed in the Queensland Audit Oﬀice 2024 Health Report, more than 3,500 patients with life-threatening conditions put themselves at risk by presenting to satellite hospitals last year, where they could not be treated.

The Renaming Satellite Hospitals survey received submissions from 2,780 people –including frontline clinicians and primary care providers – who had their say on a more appropriate name for the facilities.

the seven facilities at Caboolture, Redlands, Ripley, Tugun, Kallangur, Eight Miles Plains and Bribie Island.

Member for Pumicestone, Ariana Doolan, welcomed the change, saying it was a necessary step to ensure

it clear what people can expect.”

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said patients’ lives had been left at risk due to the misleading name for the health facilities.

residents clearly understood the services available at Bribie Island’s facility.

The results of the survey strongly recommended calling the facilities Satellite Health Centres, which was recently supported by the clinical advisory group established to consider the survey results.

The clinical advisory group was made up of representatives from

“This is about making sure our community has access to the right healthcare, in the right place, at the right time,” Ms Doolan said.

“Our Bribie Island Satellite Health Centre will continue to oﬀer essential same-day, walk-in services for minor injuries and outpatient care, but this new name makes

“These facilities were designed to provide their communities with same day walk-in, walk-out services for minor injuries and outpatient care like dialysis,”

“We have listened to the expert and will adopt the recommended name of Satellite Health Centres.

“I want to assure the community these centres will continue to deliver excellent minor injury and illness care and outpatient services from our dedicated nurses, medical oﬀicers, and allied health professionals.

“This process was about continuing to deliver vital healthcare services while ensuring the community’s and clinicians’ voices were heard and health facilities were appropriately named.”

Birthing crisis

A CRITICAL assessment into regional maternity services commissioned by the State Government’s has revealed a crisis in the regional birthing workforce, with workforce shortages rising between 11.5 per cent and 17.9 per cent for key maternity professions across regional Queensland.

Profession-wide, there are staﬀing vacancies of up to 14.2 per cent in obstetrics, 17.9 per cent in anaesthetics, and 11.5 per cent in midwifery, with some facilities experiencing vacancy rates far above this.

The lack of skilled maternity staﬀ led to rural hospitals sending birthing mothers to larger facilities, often hundreds of kilometres away.

The assessment considered facilities that are most at risk of temporary closure of birthing services resulting from workforce shortages.

These are sites designated as Clinical Services Capability Framework (CSCF) Maternity Module level 3 and 4 (33 sites), with Caboolture, Ipswich, Recliﬀe, Kingaroy, Dalby, and Roma being named.

Between 1 July 2023 and 8 January 2025, eight facilities in regional and rural Queensland experienced

periods of birthing bypass, including Beaudesert Hospital, Ingham Health Service and Mareeba Hospital.

Birthing services within Queensland Health facilities are provided by a maternity team that comprises, at a minimum, clinicians who specialise in obstetrics, clinicians who specialise in anaesthetics, and midwives.

Obstetric skills are provided by either a general practitioner obstetrician, rural generalist obstetrician or specialist obstetrician.

Anaesthetic skills are provided by general practitioner anaesthetists, rural generalist anaesthetists or specialist anaesthetics.

and birthing services in regional facilities could not be maintained.

“The assessment has highlighted the significant gaps in staffing levels across these professions; the data demonstrates the impacts of workforce shortages and maldistribution affect regional Queenslanders far more than their metropolitan counterparts,” he said.

“The State Government is committed to ensuring the sustainable delivery of rural birthing services and is working to develop a homegrown health workforce strategy to train and hire the clinicians needed for the next decade.”

midwifery, delivery

Ketamine may help PTSD treatment

A NEW University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) study has found that small amounts of liquid ketamine, administered in a clinical setting, can signiﬁcantly reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with fewer side eﬀects.

Conducted by researchers

at the National PTSD Research Centre, the study is the ﬁrst open-label clinical trial to explore the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of low-dose oral ketamine for PTSD treatment.

Ketamine—a short-acting anaesthetic—is being tested as a fast-acting treatment

for PTSD and depression.

However, this oﬀ-label use is typically delivered via injections or infusions requiring hospital administration.

In the UniSC study, 73% of participants reported that their PTSD

symptoms had reduced by more than half one week after completing the oral ketamine treatment, which involved one ketamine drink per week for six weeks.

One month after their last dose, 59% of participants, many with lifelong PTSD, said their symptoms remained signiﬁcantly reduced.

Senior investigator, Professor Dan Hermens, said the ﬁndings suggest oral ketamine is a potentially more accessible and aﬀordable option for

PTSD patients, with a lower risk of adverse reactions than intravenous (IV) ketamine. “Our study found that oral ketamine—given in small amounts once a week in a clinical setting—is a safe, well-tolerated therapy that could be integrated into PTSD treatment programs,” Prof Hermens said.

Henry Somerset COMMENT

Weeded oﬀ

One of life’s great conundrums is why weeds grow faster than your desired plants. The invasion of these foreign plants outgrowing our natives, or the vegetable patch, has been particularly noticeable this year.

The seed bank of these invaders must have been lying dormant for years waiting for the recent warm, wet Spring followed by the warmer, wetter Summer.

Areas where weeds haven’t been seen in many years has now a forest of invaders.

Lantana (from England) and big leafed Noogoora (from the USA) are overcrowding creek banks and road verges across our region. Giant Rats Tail (GRT from The Gambia in

Africa) has enjoyed a perfect growing season, even in areas where it has been persistently sprayed out.

For those with a few or many acres, the weed problem is often insurmountable, especially as our native and introduced (deer) animals carry seeds hither and yon. Calculating the number of weed control hours by landholders just in our region would be in the tens of thousands.

And any success relies on neighbours and government being just as persistent and consistent in controlling the weeds across the fence - as

well as the feral animals which know no boundaries. Then there’s the cost of control chemical. The only eﬀective chemicals for GRT and Noogoora and Lantana have doubled in price in the

last three years. And this causes some gritting of teeth, given our federal and state governments not only introduced our major weeds, but proﬁt from the

Under My Skin

Comedians can see into the future

Some comedians have an uncanny knack of predicting the future, and I’ve found another classic example, Stan Freberg.

Remember the hilarious scene in the Monty Python movie Life of Brian:

Stan: I want to be a woman. From now on I want you all to call me Loretta.

Reg: What?

Stan: It’s my right as a man.

It just kept getting funnier but the script for that movie was written almost 50 years ago. The writers were basically predicting the gender ﬂuidity future way back then.

Freberg did much the same thing almost 50 years ago, predicting the politically correct, speech and thought control future we now endure.

He did a skit based on the century-old song Ol’ Man River, made famous in the musical Show Boat.

Freberg’s skit centred around his performance

of the song but with Mr Tweedly, a “censor” from the Citizens Radio Committee, on stage with him.

“I must okay all the material used on your program here, and I think the best method is to just sit back here and interrupt (with a buzzer) when I feel it’s necessary”, the censor tells him.

If you know any of the words of this song you can imagine how the performance degenerated into a hilarious farce, starting with the ﬁrst line.

Freberg: “Old man river, that old…..” (buzzer).

Tweedly: “The word ‘old’ has a connotation that some of the more elderly people ﬁnd distaste-ful. I would suggest you make the substitution”.

Every line was stopped for various reasons — pronunciation, grammar, double negatives — with Old Man River becoming Elderly Man River plus multiple other changes.

Now, of course, we realise that Ol’ Man River was not

only grammatically ﬂawed and ageist, it was racist, sexist, and much, much more.

For example, how come the river was automatically assigned a gender? And what if the river wanted to be identiﬁed as something else (as is its right), like an ocean, or a mountain, or a Sia-mese cat.

Some people of colour, and whities, would take oﬀense at some of the stereotyping words:

“He don’t plant taters/ He don’t plant cotton/An’ dem dat plants ‘em/Is soon forgotten”, and “Tote dat barge!/Lif’ dat bale!/Git a little drunk/An’ you land in jail”.

You’ve got to love brilliant and ageless comedians like the Python gang and Freberg.

What a croc!

I’m sure you’ve all heard those dire warnings about ﬂoodwaters. “If it’s ﬂooded, forget it” is the common one but there are many more promising almost instant death if not heeded.

WEASEY’S PROPERTY REPORT

Upsizing, downsizing – or missing out on your dream home? Thinking outside the square may lead to a solution.

Last year I wrote about bridging loans to bring about awareness of this option – one of the best tools to help property owners move faster and more smoothly. It’s astounding how many people are still unaware of the variety of ﬁnancial products available to them.

In the current market, most properties are in a multi-offer situation. Some buyers have made offers on properties for months and keep missing out to cashed up buyers or those with shorter finance clauses.

Don’t get me wrong: subject-to-sale contracts and sunset clauses are not unusual, but there are many sellers who won’t accept those terms, so it is very common for sellers to choose a cash oﬀer with a quick settlement date even

if that oﬀer is for less money than the subject-to-sale oﬀer.

Sometimes, the seller of the property you want to buy subject -to-sale of your current home, will require a ‘sunset’ clause in the contract as well. This allows the seller to continue marketing their property to other potential buyers even after accepting your offer. If they receive a more favourable offer with better conditions during this time, then they must notify you, and you’ll have a specified length of time to make your dream home contract unconditional. This circumstance can be avoided with a preapproved, short term bridging loan.

Essentially, it oﬀers a line of credit to cover the

gap between buying the new property and receiving settlement funds from the sale of the old one. This can be crucial in competitive markets where timing can make all the diﬀerence in securing the property you really want. It also removes the stress of aligning settlement dates between properties, giving you more control over the transition process and means can borrow considerably more money than you might have under normal circumstances. This is because the lender understands that your overall home loan debt will decrease once your current property is sold and the loan amount is repaid, therefore the arrangement is temporary. Interest on a bridging loan is calculated daily and charged monthly like usual.

import duties and GST. GRT came in with Setera imported by the state Department of Primary Industries in the late 1970s while Noogoora came in with seed from the USA in a federal program.

So if the governments introduced these weed seeds, why don’t they ensure the price of control chemicals are kept aﬀordable, given landholders provide the free labour and machinery to apply?

We also need a lot more eﬀort from state and local governments to control weeds on their lands. And we need some real training of government and private road and infrastructure workers and contractors to

In the north they’re told to stay out of ﬂoodwaters because of crocs, but everywhere you can get plague-type illnesses from polluted water, plus there’s vermin of all sorts, dead animals, logs, de-bris — you name it, it’s there waiting to pounce when you dip your toe in.

I have therefore been fascinated watching a senior weather man standing in these dangerous ﬂoodwaters, in his shorts and thongs, giving his nightly reports.

Maybe TV types have special immunity to these life-threatening perils. Obscene art?

Is the latest purchase of work by the National Gallery of Australia an example of obscene art? No. But the price tag is.

Can you believe, when too many Australians are foregoing essentials and living on the streets, the outof-touch boﬀins at the NGA have spent more than $14 million on a questionable sculp-ture by an unknown

This means that the longer it takes to sell your current property, the more interest you’ll accrue. If you end up selling your home for less than expected, you may have a higher home loan balance than anticipated originally. Bridging loans usually have a maximum term of 12 months but some products will allow up to 24 months, so consider that failing to sell your property within the loan term could be considered a default. Your lender may potentially step in to assist with the sale, which could result in a ﬁnancial loss. Eligibility is dependent on the speciﬁc criteria of your existing lender. You would typically need to have had a credit facility with your bank for at least 6 months and continue on as a customer with your bank with a loan after the gap funding is repaid. Both standard and Investment home loans can

identify weeds. Recently contractors doing state highway work parked their vehicles on a big patch of ﬁre weed - a fast to spread and noxious weed fairly new to this region.

Then a Council crew just graded through GRT and its related Paramatta tussock spreading its seed, now lushly growing, for kilometres along local roads.

After this season, forget about wars around the world. Our serious local war has to be against this season’s big ﬂush of weeds.

artist?

I don’t pretend to understand art but I can normally recognise bullshit. And when I hear that the artwork is “an abstract rendering of an ancient symbol of regeneration, featuring a snake swallowing its own tail”, alarm bells sound quietly in the background.

They grow much louder when I hear the artist saying, “One of my great catchphrases is that cos-mos is the length, breadth and depth of everything that has ever existed, exists right now, and will exist into the future and we can never fall outside that web of interconnection”.

We really have gone past the point of caring when no one in authority stops this blatant waste of taxpayers’ money.

Just brieﬂy

There’s a tragedy waiting to happen in a high-rise development near you. We are continually be-ing warned about increasing numbers of uncontrollable

be bridged. Applicants will need to demonstrate the ability to make interest-only payments on the total debt during the bridging period but you can repay early without penalties.

Once the bridging loan is repaid, your ongoing home loan typically reverts to a Principal and Interest repayment option so it’s important to budget for future P & I costs after the bridging loan period ends. Seeing an experienced, properly qualiﬁed broker will be well and truly worth your time to get advice for your speciﬁc circumstances.

If bridging ﬁnance isn’t available to you, remember that there are still other ways to reach your property goals. An excellent agent will be experienced at negotiating alternatives with the other parties that may include longer

terms or

By SKINHEAD

ﬁres caused by lithium-ion batteries. How can you guard against something over which you have no control?

Don’t think I’ll bother reading Annastacia Palaszczuk’s book. If her performance as Premier and past Premier is a guide it will be found in the ﬁction section. It will be like the book “History of the World 1939-45” that doesn’t mention the war.

Thank goodness we have smart researchers to tell us we could save more than $4000 a year if we make our work lunch at home and not buy takeaway coﬀee. How many maths gurus and behav-ioural scientists did it take to work that out? Or did they just ask Blind Freddie? Quote for the Week: “I don’t worry about terrorism. I was married for two years”. — American comedian the late Sam Kinison.

adding conditions on the contract to rent back your home from the new owner in the short term. Understanding the advantages and risks associated with diﬀerent approaches is essential for making informed decisions when navigating the property market. If I can be of assistance in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime on 0427 536 725 or cwease@ remaxliving.com.au. I look forward to being of service. living

settlement

with Chris Wease, Senior Sales Agent at Remax Living, Woodford.

Prime 4,047m² Main Street OpportunityResidential, Commercial, or Development Potential

- Extensively renovated with polished timber floors throughout

- Designer kitchen featuring stone benchtops, soft-close drawers, a gas stovetop, and premium appliances

- Handcrafted rustic hardwood barn doors

- Expansive rear patio, perfect for entertaining while overlooking the beautifully landscaped backyard

- Powered Colorbond shed with an awning

Stunning Fully Renovated Acreage Oasis with Pool & Endless Features!

-Fully renovated throughout with modern finishes

-Spacious open-plan living area

-Stunning new kitchen with Caesarstone island bench

-Beautiful frontage with landscaped gardens

-Double carport at the front plus a single carport

- 24 solar panels for energy efficiency

-Resort-style in-ground pool

-Huge undercover patio, perfect for entertaining

- Ceiling fans and split system air-conditioning

-New roof with insulation, new quality paint inside and outside

-Big shed approx. 9mt x 12mt. 5mt in height. 4 roller doors with chains and pullies + entry door and power connected to the shed

-Property fully fenced into 2 paddocks

-Crafted fruit trees orchard. Including mango, apples, pears, mandarins, Tahitian lime, Asian pears, nectarines, grapes, dragon fruit, wiping cherry's, mulberries and more - Property completely free of lantana - Spring fed dam

-Extra-large bedroom with full-length built-in wardrobe & plush carpet

Spacious lounge with reverse-cycle air conditioning

Private outdoor patio with covered roof and Colourbond screening Open-plan kitchen/dining with new marble-look benchtops

-Ample kitchen storage plus a freestanding gas oven & cooktop

-Single lock-up carport with roller door

Auction Opportunity - Ultimate Lifestyle Retreat on 34.7 Acres!

-Horse stables with 4 individual stalls

-Two large sheds, providing ample storage

-Two large outdoor undercover patio entertainment areas

The well-equipped kitchen is a chef's delight, featuring a breakfast bar, abundance of cupboard space, a doubledraw dishwasher, microwave nook, gas cooktop, stainless

Kathy Sweeney | 0427 374 117

Weaner Steers

SHEPHERDSON and Boyd reported a yarding of 891 head at their fortnightly store sale. Quality pens of backgrounder and weaner cattle sold to a stronger market whilst cows and calves sold to a slightly easier market. Heavy feeder steers were in short supply and sold ﬁrm on the previous sales prices.

Jilliwill Pastoral P/L of Mount Walker sold six tooth Droughtmaster X steers for $1510/head and 4 tooth heavy feeder steers for $1610/head. Tancred management of Laceys Creek sold Charbray feeder steers 24mths old for $1640/ head. The Martin Family of Mount Stanley sold Droughtmaster feeder steers 24mths old for $1620/head. The Richter Family of Gregors Creek sold Droughtmaster feeder steers, 20mths old for $1560/head. A & R Jackwitz of Lowood sold Charolais X Weaner steers 8-10mths old for $1500/head and $1430/head. Redlin Grazing of Toogoolawah sold Droughtmaster X,

backgrounder steers 14mths old for $1440/head. H & D Farming of Mount Archer sold Charbray backgrounder steers 12-14mths old for $1430/head. Tom Crowley of Buaraba sold Charbray weaner steers 6-8mths old for $1400/head. Ian Curtis of Stoney Creek sold Angus X Charbray, heavy backgrounding steers, 14mths old for $1390/head. CJ McCormack of Kipper Creek sold Brangus X backgrounder steers 14mths old for $1380/ head. Peter Carseldine of Linville sold Droughtmaster X steers 12-14mths old for $1330/head. D Smith & W Hurley of Linville sold Droughtmaster X steers 12mths old for $1330/head. N & K Green of Villeneuve Sold Limousin X Senepol weaner steers 10mths old for $1320/head. Angus X steers 12mths old from Eidsvold sold for $1320/ head. D M Vogler of Biarra sold Droughtmaster X steers 12mths old for $1250/head. CAP Genomic of Kipper Creek sold Senepol steers

12mths old for $1170/head. Barry Pratten of Mt Kilcoy sold Brangus X weaner steers 6mths old for $1160/ head. Peter Buntine of Esk sold Charbray weaner steers 5mths old for $1050/head. K & K King of Lacey’s Creek sold Charbray heifers 20mths old for $1230/head. Fernvale Pastoral Co of Fernvale sold Charolais X heifers 14-16mths old for $1100/head. Droughtmaster heifers from Eidsvold sold Brangus X heifers 12-14mths old for $1100 and Droughtmaster heifers 12-14mths old for $1090/ head. A & R Jackwitz of Lowood sold Charolais X weaner heifers 8-10mths old for $1090/head. Brisbane Valley Pastoral of Harlin sold Angus X heifers 12mths old for $1070/head. N & K Green sold Limousin X Senepol weaner heifers 8mths old for $900/head. Tom Crowley of Buaraba sold Charbray X weaner heifers 6-8mths old for $810/head. Peter Buntine form esk sold Charbray weaner heifer 5mths old for $800/head.

BT & PA Oppermann of Kingaroy sold middle aged Charolais X Cows with calves 1-2 months old at foot for $2000/unit. Mount White Stone Droughtmaster of Gatton sold Droughtmaster

ﬁrst Calfe cows with calves 2-3 months old for $1850/ unit. C.D McConnel sold Droughtmaster X aged Cows with calves 3months old at foot for $1750/unit. Shepherdson and Boyd

would like to thank all their vendors, buyers and underbidders for their valued support. The next Toogoolawah Store Sale will be Friday 21st of February, starting at 9am.

Charolais X weaner steers account A & R Jackwitz of Lowood sold for $1500/head.

Cattle markets

WOODFORD

A good line up of cattle sold to solid rates at Stariha Auctions Woodford cattle sale on Monday. Western buyers ensured the market remained fully ﬁrm, with the majority of cattle heading for backgrounding in the west.

HB Investments, Carters Ridge, sold Santa weaner steers for $1150. R & R Livestock, Bells Bridge, sold Euro steers and heifers, 4-6 months, with males making $950, $810 & $740 and heifers $700 & $640.

$1480. Anthony Klein, Cedarton, sold Brahman backgrounder steers for $1400 & $1390. Phillip Burton, Eerwah Vale, sold steers for $1240 & $1140 and heifers for $1160 & $900. Mark McLennan, Wamuran Basin, sold Charbray backgrounder steers for $1450 & $1360. PJ Roberts, Woodford, sold Limousin weaner steers for $1020. Roseville Partners, Mt Kilcoy, sold Murray Grey steer calves for $830. Jason Raine, Kilcoy, sold young Droughtmaster steers for $1000 and heifers

steers for $850. Dorothy Andreassen, Woodford, sold Brahman vealer heifers for $760. Michael Friedrich, Toogoolawah, sold Murray Grey vealer heifers for $795. Wagner Rural, Yarraman, sold Angus heifers for $980 & $910 and vealer heifers for $660. Barry Proctor, Stanmore, sold Murray Grey calves for $520 & $500. Max Tones, Sheep Station Creek, sold Murray Grey cows for $1280 and heifers for $880. Stuart & Rachel Gibson, Mooloo, sold Speckle Park store cows for $1120. Dingle & Lauw, Elaman Creek, sold a Droughtmaster bull for $2000 and heifers for $1260. Darrel Fogg, Mount Samson,

Moreton Saleyards market report

Agents Boyd O’Brien Bartholomew reported a yarding of 408 head. A much improved lineup of quality vealers and yearlings came to hand and sold to an enthusiastic panel of buyers. Good lines of Angus restocker steers and heifers attracted very strong buyer support. An improved quality yarding of cows was oﬀered and sold to rates 10 to 15 cents dearer than last week.

The return of a major export to the market place this week saw improved competition on bulls by 15

to 20 cents.

West Moreton Anglican College sold Weaner Steers Charolais 401.2c/kg $1063p/ head.

McPherson Grazing sold Weaner Steers Santa x 381.2c/kg $1075p/head.

P & H Lyons sold Weaner Heifers Limousin x 342.2c/kg $865p/head.

Cole Country Trust sold Yearling Heifers Angus x 317.2c/kg $1019p/head.

Cole Country Trust sold Backgrounder Steers Angus x 389.2c/kg $1227p/head.

HC Rural sold 2 Tooth Pasture Ox Droughtmaster

333.2c/kg $1732p/head. A Sellin sold Medium Cows Braford 273.2c/kg $1486p/head.

Yawarra Pty Ltd sold Heavy Cows Charbray x 294.2c/kg $1711p/head. Grieve Bros sold Pens of Heavy Cows Charolais x 295.2c/kg $1822p/head.

HC Rural sold Heavy Bulls Droughtmaster 284.2c/kg $2202p/head.

For Sale Details, Market Reports and more info, visit our website www. moretonsaleyards.com.au or ﬁnd us on Facebook @ Moreton Saleyards.

Australia’s climate in 2024 breaks heat and rain records

THE Bureau of Meteorology has released its oﬀicial record of Australia’s climate, water and notable weather events for 2024.

The Annual Climate Statement 2024 outlines the climate conditions across Australia in 2024. It includes information on temperature, rainfall, water resources, oceans, atmosphere and notable weather events.

The report conﬁrms that 2024 was Australia’s secondwarmest and eighth-wettest year on record.

Climatology Specialist

Nadine D’Argent said that it was warmer than average throughout the year across

most of the country.

“Nationally, spring was the warmest on record, winter was the second warmest on record and summer 2023–24 was the third warmest on record,” Ms D’Argent said.

“It was the wettest year since 2011, with overall rainfall 28 per cent above average,” Ms D’Argent said.

“Tropical cyclones brought heavy rainfall to northern parts of Australia early in the year, where there was major ﬂooding.”

Australia’s total surface water storage volume was just under 73 per cent at the end of 2024, which was similar to the end of the

previous year.

Ms D’Argent said Australia’s climate is inﬂuenced by global patterns in the oceans and atmosphere.

“Sea surface temperatures in the Australian region, as well as globally, were the warmest on record in 2024,”

Ms D’Argent said.

“Warmer oceans can increase the amount of moisture available for rainfall in our weather systems.”

Globally, 2024 was the warmest year on record and the warming in Australia is consistent with global trends.

Further information about the impact of long-term climate trends is available in

the State of the Climate 2024 released by the Bureau and CSIRO in October 2024.

Facts at a glance: 2024 was Australia’s second-warmest year on record. Australia’s warmest year on record was 2019.

The national annual average temperature was 1.46 °C warmer than the long-term average and the warmest since 2019.

Annual average temperatures were warmer

than average for every state and the Northern Territory.

Both national average maximum and minimum temperatures for the year were above average. The national average minimum temperature for the year was 1.43 °C warmer than the longterm average, making it the warmest annual minimum on record.

Australia’s overall average rainfall was 596 mm, which is 28 per cent above average.

Rainfall across northern Australia was 42 per cent above average, making it the ﬁfth-wettest year on record.

Rainfall across parts of southern Australia was below average. Annual sea surface temperatures for the Australian region were the warmest on record.

The extent of Antarctic sea-ice, which is the area of ocean covered by sea-ice, was below the 1991–2020 average throughout 2024.

Steer calves $1000.

WANTING to upgrade your home’s electricity or planning a new sparking project? Tactical Power is ready to deliver solutions that work for you, with a service you’ll remember.

Founded and led by Dan Farrell, this expert electrical business has built a reputation for providing honest advice, innovative solutions, and exceptional service.

With 40 years experience, Dan and his skilled team

ensure each project meets the highest standards of safety and eﬀiciency.

Located just outside Brisbane, Tactical Power services a wide area, from the Lockyer Valley to the South Burnett regions, oﬀering expertise in all aspects of electriﬁcation.

From full electrical installations to complex technological systems like electric vehicle (EV) charging, solar batteries, renewable

energy integration, home automation, and advanced safety systems, Tactical Power designs tailored solutions that meet the needs of both residential and commercial clients.

What truly sets Tactical Power apart is their ability to navigate the oftenoverwhelming array of technological options.

The team is dedicated to providing clients with clear, understandable advice, helping them make

informed decisions for sustainable, future-proof energy systems.

Dan said he ﬁnds the most satisfaction in seeing the joy and relief on clients’ faces when the job is complete, knowing they’ve received top-quality work that enhances their everyday life.

your home or planning

new project, Tactical Power is ready to deliver solutions that work for you, with a service you’ll remember.

Whether you’re upgrading

Tactical Power is open

CLASSIFIEDS Sentinel

10am Sunday 23rd February 2025

A/c Est of Thomas Edward Dunning 1714 Wivenhoe Somerset Rd, Dundas via Fernvale QLD 4306

Proposed Development

Make a submission from 13 February to 06 March 2025

Reconfiguring a Lot for Subdivision by Road Severance (1 Lot into 2 Lots) and Access Easement

We’re developing a design for a new district park in Wamuran, and we want your ideas.

What do you love about your community? What features would you love to see in the new park?

Consultation is open until Wednesday 5 March 2025.

Have your say on this district park at moretonbay.link/wamuran-district-park

Containers – MF 503 Baler – LT Bale Elevator – NH Bale Loader – 3F Disc Plough – 4T Grain Feeder – 20 Plate Offset – NH Side D Rake – Ironair Compressor 360 – Jib – Spray Unit B & S Motor – Rear Blade – Curly Tyne – Scarifier – S Row Planter – Pipe Layer – Endless Chain – Drill Press –Corn Cracker – Old Potato Planter – MF Sunshine Planter (12 Run) – Rear

Snipper -Qntys of Tools, C Saws, Poly Pipe & Fittings, Irrig Spray & Main Line, Irrig Fittings, Sawn Timber, 1000Ltr Pods, Solar Panels, Bathtubs, P Wire, Steel Pegs, Leads, Cream Cans, Chains

Plus many sundries too numerous to mention.

Horses: 1 Brown

all for genuine sale. Outside Vendors accepted but please book early.

Photos on website: bartholomew.com.au (Clearing Sales).

Bid Card System – Photo ID required (e.g. Drivers Licence). Payment on day by cash, cheque or EFTPOS. Signs will direct. Light refreshments available.

1144 Vehicles: 2004 Isuzu 1400 Truck Lazy Axle 30’ Tray Pantec (750,000Kms) – 2003 Isuzu 950 Truck 26’ Tray Pantec (281,000Kms) – 730 Mahindra Tractor with Loader & Bucket (730Hrs) – Toyota Hilux 4WD Ute (Unreg) – Regal Poptop Caravan 17’ (Unreg) – Nissan Patrol Ute (Unreg) – MF 35 Tractor (Parts Only). Machinery & Equipment: 2x 20’ Shipping

Garth

Rhys

Office:

Sale of Vacant Land by Public Tender

Colinton and Braemore

Somerset Regional Council invites Tenders for the purchase of the following six blocks of vacant land.

Tender No. 1394

Lot 503 on CSH2384 – Colinton Street, Braemore

Tender No. 1395

Lot 505 on CSH2384 – Colinton Street, Braemore

Tender No. 1396

Lot 506 on CSH2384 – McConnel Street, Braemore

Tender No. 1397

Lot 507 on CSH2384 – McConnel Street, Braemore

Tender No. 1398

Lot 20 on SP303049 – Nurinda Road, Colinton

Tender No. 1399

Lot 21 on SP303049 – Nurinda Road, Colinton

Detailed speciﬁcations of each property is provided with the Tender Documents. Tender Documents can be obtained from Council’s website somerset.qld.gov.au/tenders-public-quotations

Tenders close 11am on Wednesday, 26 March 2025. Tender submissions will only be accepted by email landsaletender2025@somerset.qld.gov.au

Enquiries in relation to the Tender process or properties can be emailed to mail@somerset.qld.gov.au

www.somerset.qld.gov.au

Where: Cedarvale Road and Bellthorpe Road, Sandy Creek On: Lot 7 LX837, Lots 484 and 485 C311721

Approval sought: Development Permit for Reconfiguring a Lot Application ref: DA25654

You may obtain a copy of the application and make a submission to: Somerset Regional Council PO Box 117, Esk QLD 4312 mail@somerset.qld.gov.au (07) 5424 4000 www.somerset.qld.gov.au

Public notification requirements are in accordance with the Planning Act 2016

www.developmentsigns.com.au

GEOFFREY BELL BROWN

27/4/1938 – 23/1/2025

Passed peacefully in Toowoomba hospital. Dell and family would like to thank everyone for your cards, messages, and support during this very sad time.

Friday Turkey Run 6-1-2025 - Winner - G Ray 51/33; R-Up - J Humphrey 49/33. Best Putts - B Glanville 12; Ntp 8 - B Thorogood.

Sunday 9/2/25 9 Hole Chooky - Winner S Dargan 28nett; R/UP J Humphrey 28.

Putting Competition: Stuart Dargan 12putts; NTP No 4 S Wilson, No 8 2nd S Dargan.

Good turnout for our Chooky , with Stuart taking a good win with Jeﬀ getting R/UP spot. Stuart also winning the putting competition and a pin shot, Shaun taking the other pin shot.

Further to the story of Ernie Lee last week, Ernie rang me to ask if I would mention the two golfers that virtually saved his life as he had a heart attack whilst playing golf at Esk. Captain Shaun Wilson ran to the Clubhouse to get the deﬁbrillator while Garth Wilson (no relation) started resuscitation on Ernie, fortunately everything went well after paramedics arrived and also the ﬁre brigade to take over. Ernie has recovered and is now back playing golf. Heartfelt thanks to Shaun and Garth for their quick actions.

Esk golf

February race day next week

◗ Kirra Livingstone

AFTER a successful Australia Day race cup on Sunday, January 26, the Kilcoy Race Club is gearing up for their next race day on February 18.

The Terriﬁc Tuesday Races will be held on February 18 at the Kilcoy Race Club.

This event welcomes all punters with free entry, a raﬀle, bookies on site and an open cafeteria. There will also be a $100 members draw and a $500 pick the card game. Sponsors for the day include Great Northern Brewery, Ladbrokes, Kilcoy Global Foods, Searles, the Exchange Hotel and the Somerset Regional Council.

The club is also oﬀ platter packages and exclusive Kilcoy Race Club merchandise for spectators to pre-purchase.

There is still reserved seating options available at the betting ring, cafeteria and deck. To prepurchase merch, platters or to reserve seating, visit https://cutt. ly/7e6OJS1I

Caboolture Snakes set

Women’s

ﬁnal regular game of the season, as their gear up for their ﬁnals campaign.

They won the major premiership last year and are hoping to go back to back in the 2024/25 season.

Caboolture have only lost one game this season, and sit in second on the ladder just behind the Caloundra

Caboolture darts

Pot Luck Doubles played on third February 2025. Twenty Two players attended. Winners Corey/Jai, Runners Up Sid/Luke, High Score prizes Josh 140, Chantelle 109, Peg Prizes Smokie 106, Kylie for the ladies. Ruby a junior received a prize for her 65. Visitors are always welcome at the Combined Services Hall Hayes Street Caboolture with names by 7.15pm.

Coming up event on Saturday March 8, from 9 to 4 pm - another Pot Luck Doubles Saturday special event open to all dart players, names must be in by 930am. Bar Coﬀee food available. For

cricket eye for ﬁ

ultimate grand ﬁnal match on March 9.

Caboolture Tier 1 Women team coach, Jayden Coﬀin, recently told The Sentinel News that he credited the ladies success to the hard

Toogoolawah golf

Wednesday 5th February

ladies played a 9 hole single stableford. - Winner was Ulla Freihofner 19 points. PM Chook Run also a 9 hole single stableford. Winner Craig Granzien 20 points . Saturday 8th February

Toogoolawah Golf Club hosted the 1st Round of Brisbane Valley Championships. This is played between Toogoolawah, Esk and Kilcoy. A round at each club,

“I’m big on fundamentals so some trainings are very boring, basically I try to make the girls focus on if you can do the one percenters right, everything else will fall into place.”

Kilcoy next, then ﬁnal at Esk.

The Daily Prizes were proudly sponsored by Shepherdson and Boyd Toogoolawah. Overall men’s winner Graham Black (K) 62 nett. Overall Ladies Winner Jennifer Bleakley (K) 71 nett. Congratulations to Toogoolawah members Agg Dagan and Judie Marschke for winning February’s Monthly Medal. Championship Scores will be in next week editions.

Coming Events: Saturday 15th February 2nd Round of BV Championships at Kilcoy. Time Sheet

Please ring Kilcoy 5405 5705 for times, and if you need to book a motorised cart. Wednesday 19th February Ladies AM Golf 8.00am.PM chook Run 3.30pm.

on the overall ladder behind Tewantin Noosa and Maroochydore, while Division 2 is in ﬁfth place out of ten teams.

Division 3 Men sit ﬁfth on the overall ladder out of

On Thursday 6th February we held our second Pub Day for the year. Our proud Sponsor on the day was Jackpot Nursery. A huge thankyou to Jackie and Andrew for their ongoing support.

Winners on the day were: The Wolves: Sandra Currell, Todd Currell, Kevin Fainges and Joe Wright.

Runners up were Kilcoy Team 1: Trevor Stewart, Rennie Lachlan, Greg Stanforth and Lester Bechly.

First Round Winners were: Nanango Bandicoots: Hooley, Leigh, Lenny and Craig.

Second Round Winners were: Kilcoy Team 2: Rod Goldsbrough, Dennis

Bleakley, Harold Alford, and Noel Lanes. On Sunday 9th February at home, with visitors from Kilcoy, we played 2 games of Triples. Winners on the day were: Zack, Brian, and Damien.

For your Calendar:

- Our Next Pub Day will be held on Thursday 6th March.

- Our next Club Meeting will be held on Sunday 9th March at 9.00am. All members are welcome.

- Our next Trivia Night will be held on Friday 28th February.

The Senior Men teams all have two rounds left of the second grand ﬁnal to round out the competition.

2024 Caboolture Snakes U19s captain Bayden Hales and his dad.

Caboolture’s 2023 Division 1 winning team.

Toogoolawah bowls

Pub Day Winners The Wolves.

Wolves grow game for girls

◗ Kirra Livingstone

WITH a ﬁve-year plan to establish the Stanley River Wolves’ inaugural Open Women’s squad, the club is now looking for junior girls to sign up.

While the Wolves have 21 girls in their U13s player pool, they are working to attract more U15 and U17 girls to sign up before the season kicks oﬀ Stanley River Wolves

junior vice president, Jarrod Bailey, said the Wolves is the perfect club for girls to play rugby league for, and build long lasting connections in the sport.

“We invest back into our volunteers and players, and most importantly we have a great club culture,” he said.

“We want to produce our own players from the start, and create a positive, fun environment.

“Winning is important but

it’s not the most important part for us, it’s more about having a good club culture, which will attract players to the club.”

Jarrod reiterated that the club’s main focus for the year ahead is to create the best club culture for local girl players.

“We’ve got a really big emphasis as a whole club in creating a really good environment in the female space,” he said.

“We’ve got a really good base of coaches, who are really aligned in the female space experience.

“The committee is very driven in the female space this year, and we have some of the budget aside to invest into our female crew.”

Jarrod added that it would be a few years until the club launches its ﬁrst Open Women’s team, but is a long-term goal for the club.

“I’m a big believer that you have to build from the bottom up, we have to get our juniors right until we worry about that,” he said.

“But we have got recruitment, retention, and a ﬁve-year plan on how we are going to get from here to starting an Open Women’s team.

“Our U13s have been right now for the last two years, and then it’s just building the next three or four years

so hopefully the girls stay with us.”

The Wolves are hoping to build on last season’s success, with the U13s Girls Pool B and U15 Division 2 Boys teams both snagging a grand ﬁnal win each.

Late last year, Stanley River junior, Reegan Hicks, was signed to the NRLW Brisbane Broncos club, and has been selected to play for the U19s Maroons side for the past two years.

Stanley River Wolves girls players running in a pack.