Connecting people and communities SFT
Page 2 Thursday, 20 February, 2014
Airport plans take off By STEVE GRAY WELLCAMP airport will be a “game-changer” for farmers on the Southern Downs, according to government and agriculture heavyweights. Queensland Minister for Agriculture John McVeigh and National Farmers’ Federation president Brent Finlay both praised the new airport under construction near Toowoomba at a Rural Press Club function in Brisbane on Friday. Both said it would assist southeast Queensland farmers to access Asian city markets. “Through that airport there you’re into the likes of Singapore and Hong Kong within an eight or nine-hour period,” Mr McVeigh said. “That’s quicker than getting it to Melbourne, so I think the potential is astronomical.” Mr McVeigh said the new airport, due to open late this year, is due to the vision, the foresight and the confidence of the Wagner family. “There’s not one cent of local government, State Government or Federal Government money going in to their development and I think that is a magnificent achievement,” he said. “In terms of what it means for agriculture, I think it represents some fairly significant opportunities. “Horticulture out of the Lockyer Valley, horticulture out of the southern Darling Downs, from Toowoomba to Stanthorpe, we’re seeing a lot of horticulture export development there,” Mr McVeigh said. Mr Finlay said the new airport would help to get high-quality produce to high-value markets. “That’s a game-changer,” Mr Finlay said of the Wagner project. “I see that as an amazing opportunity for agriculture, particularly in the southeast corner. Eight hours in a jumbo and you’re almost in an Asian city. “We have to always be at the high-value, sharp end of agricultural produce. We can never compete on just fair, average quality. “Australia is still well-positioned to put highquality produce into those markets that are the high-value markets. “I’m excited about the opportunity we’ve got now, but we’ve got to go and grab it.”
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Government and industry see Wellcamp airport as a game-changer. 115133_01
Urbenville rallies to aid injured feller IT was just another day at work, a week before Christmas, when things went horribly wrong for 32-year-old Urbenville timber worker Troy Hill. “Troy cut down a tree for the 1000th time, but didn’t have luck on his side this time,” local Colleen Scofield said. Urbenville will unite this weekend as the town stages the Troy Hill Swampy Classic to raise money for the injured worker. Mr Hill was known for his generosity and now it’s the community’s turn to help him out.
“In what can only be described as a freak accident, the tree he felled dragged another small tree with it,” Ms Scofield said. “That’s pretty standard, but that tree flicked back, snapped and fell exactly where Troy’s escape route was. “A couple of small branches drove him to the ground, but 500mm to the right and he wouldn’t be here at all.” With severe leg wounds the injured timber worker was flown by helicopter to Lismore, just in time.
He spent two weeks in an induced coma before it was decided to again evacuate him, this time to Sydney. “After three weeks of trying to fight the infection the surgeons in Sydney decided the only option to control the infection was to remove his leg,” Ms Scofield said. Six weeks later Mr Hill has been moved from intensive care and should begin physiotherapy soon. “His spirits are pretty good for what he’s been through, but he still needs our help,” Ms Scofield said.
This weekend a Twenty20 cricket tournament will be at the showgrounds in Urbenville, with eight teams already committed. The bowls club is also organising a benefit day. A monster raffle is offering at least 40 prizes including a riverboat journey, a caricature donated by Federal MP Barnaby Joyce, a TV, loads of wood, strainer posts, gift cards and fuel prizes. Ms Scofield said Skype will be used to include Mr Hill in the fund-raising effort, direct from his hospital bed.
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