NEWS 3
NOOSA TODAY
Council “flying squad” a hit with Noosa JIM FAGAN
JOLENE OGLE
MAN FACES COURT OVER STABBING A man charged with stabbing a Cooroibah man in the chest on Australia Day has faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court.
Noosa Council “flying squad” - Councillors Sandy Bolton, Frank Wilkie, Frank Pardon and Joe Jurisevic - were at North Shore yesterday as part of their series of quick-fire visits across the Shire to catch up with local issues.
More than 50 sites from Peregian to Kin Kin have been checked out in the last two weeks. This hands-on approach to hearing concerns is already a hit with Noosa, one farmer telling Cr Wilkie that: “This was the way it was in the old days when councillors used to visit people on their properties to see for themselves what was going on.” Cr Wilkie told Noosa Today the no-divisions shire meant councillors had to work together to find solutions for problems, or possible problems, across the region. “There’s no more looking after your own patch. We intend continuing visiting residents and communities personally to hear their concerns, discussing answers and solutions wherever possible. “Noel Playford and Bob Abbot are sharing their collective wisdom and Tony Wellington has provided extensive, detailed background briefings on issues he’s been dealing with.” Cr Wilkie said de-amalgama-
POLICE BEAT
The 20-year-old man was charged with one count each of unlawful wounding and assault occasioning bodily harm after allegedly stabbing a man in the torso after a fight broke out at the camping grounds on John’s Road, Cooroibah. Police attended the camping grounds, known as John’s Landing, at about 7.25pm on Sunday night. The victim was taken to Nambour General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the alleged offender was arrested and taken to the Maroochydore watch house. The case was adjourned.
QUIET AUSTRALIA DAY Police have congratulated locals for a relatively peaceful Australia Day long weekend without major incident.
tion had created a higher level of community unity and expectation than ever before. “This is a rare time when everyone seems to want the same things, the community, council staff and councillors.
“Yes, there are problems to be addressed and challenges ahead. But so far, we’ve been able to gather first-hand feedback from residents and marry that with quality advice from professional staff. The aim is to collectively deliver
better outcomes for the community. “The expectations are high, but they’re also clear. There is an enormous amount of goodwill in the community, which we value and don’t take lightly.”
OIC Senior Sergeant Steve McReight said that overall, the day was very quiet. “It comes down to two things, everyone had been warned and we had maximum officers out,” Snr Sgt McReight said. Officers from Cooroy and Maroochydore helped the Noosa Heads police patrol maintain a high presence in trouble spots. A traffic blitz on Sunday resulted in 652 random breath tests, with seven drink drivers arrested, 19 tickets issued for traffic offences and 12 people arrested on 14 charges, including public nuisance and drug possession. Snr Sgt McReight said he was most shocked at two motorbike riders who were caught riding without helmets.
Future not so sweet for bees The Coast’s honey industry is facing a tough future but not for the reasons the experts would have us believe.
The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) says “abnormal weather conditions” are set to deliver the lowest national honey
yields in at least a decade. But local beekeeper Zane Hacker – The Bee Man – said the real reason behind reduced yield is easier to rectify than the weather. Trevor Weatherhead, Executive Director of the AHBIC said the combination of excessive heat, flood and drought had hit prime honey producing areas in recent times, reducing honey supplies by over 50 per cent.
But Mr Hacker said the real problem lay in people’s backyards. “Honey production is affected by a lot of different factors, not just the hot weather. The simple answer is that bees rely on flowers, flowers rely on trees and plants, and people need to stop cutting them down,” he said. “A heatwave is a short-term problem and bees are actually really good at adjusting the tempera-
ture in the hive. “The real problem is tree clearing, and also people planting the wrong types of tree. Native trees are drought-resistant, more resilient to pests and encourage more bees. “People think about honey when they think about bees but they forget about the crucial job bees do by pollinating. For example, they may not eat honey but they may like eating nuts.
One nut relies on one bee to pollinate it. “If bee numbers drop, pollination will drop and our crops will suffer. So if people want to help, they need to stop chopping down trees and start planting native trees.” Mr Hacker supplies honey to IGA stores on the Sunshine Coast. The family-run business has been operating for around 30 years. 1323-105
ISOBEL COLEMAN
See you at the Surfie Susanna Music School Presents
TALENT IN THE AIR
Young talent from the Sunshine Coast to perform at the Club every Friday night from 6.00pm Combination of original material and covers from 60’s to the 2000’s Young artists are welcome to approach Susanna for the opportunity to perform
GREAT NIGHT OUT FOR ALL THE FAMILY KINGFISHER DRIVE PEREGIAN BEACH
MARKETS 1st and 3rd Sundays
ORIGINALS
Every second Sunday of the month
OPEN 7 DAYS LUNCH & DINNER
Daily Top 5 Parmy Honour Board available lunch and dinner 7 days
Five Fab Flavours Daily.
COURTESY BUS AVAILABLE THURS, FRI & SAT NIGHT
PH: 5448 1728 30 JANUARY 2014