Friday, 22 July, 2022
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Trekking for mental health
Mooloolaba bridge progresses
Magic realism’s message
32-page lift out Property Guide
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INSIDE
PR OP ER TY
Teen singing sensations By Abbey Cannan Two local teen singing sensations are preparing to shake the stage at Sunshine Sounds Festival with their stunning voices. The all-ages, family friendly music festival on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 July boasts a line-up featuring Katie and Tyrone Noonan of george, ARIA-winning Clare Bowditch and band, Asha Jefferies, Hatz Fitz and Cara, Deline Briscoe, JaZZella, Lyndon Davis and the Gubbi Gubbi Dancers, Andrea Kirwin and the Yama-Nui Social Club, Band of Frequencies, and the up and coming local artists, Layla Barnett and Zara. Layla Barnett is a 13-year-old First Nations singer songwriter who lives on the Sunshine Coast. She started singing in 2020 when she auditioned for a scholarship for the Eumundi School of Rock and was successful. The program was where she had her first singing lessons and found the love of performing on stage. Since then, she has been mentored by five-time ARIA Award-winning artist Katie Noonan. They have performed together at Woodford Folk Festival 2020, Powerhouse Theatre Brisbane, on local radio and Katie’s local concerts. “Katie has been the best mentor ever,” Layla said. Continued page 4
Layla and Zara are apart of the Eumundi School of Rock squad.
Repair blowouts By Abbey Cannan
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The landslide on Black Mountain Road is the biggest experienced on the Sunshine Coast in 30 years with initial reconstruction cost estimates between $25 and $30 million. Geotechnical assessments have revealed the damage to be quite extensive with no easy fix. Council expects the repairs to take about two years, flagging a possible completion date of mid-2024. “The experts tell us that much of the damage is below the surface and restoring the area is quite complex,” infrastructure services director Larry Sengstock said. Residents were given an update at a specially convened information session at Black Mountain Road last Saturday.
Black Mountain resident and Noosa Country Cat Hotel owner Amy Langley said the impact on the community was immense. “I think we’ve all come back a little bit shellshocked at the timeframe, considering we were initially told six months,” she said. “I can now completely understand the timeframe after speaking with the engineer about why it’s going to take so long. My frustrations are not about the speed in which it is happening, as I have some depth of knowledge on the process. “We’re not angry at Council, we know everyone is doing what they can. We understand everyone is working really hard.” Mrs Langley said the community was now thinking of long-term lifestyle changes.
“I think we’re all feeling a little bit deflated,” she said. “I’m suffering. This has been a pretty hard blow to us as a family with a small business. “I’ve already sent emails looking into changing schools and daycares because we can’t afford the travel. “If we were to sell our property, we’d be fearful that prices would have depreciated because of the landslide. “Our property values would have decreased significantly because who would want to move to this side of the landslide. “So, we feel that even if we were to sell, we wouldn’t be able to afford to buy anywhere as lovely to give our kids the same upbringing.” Mrs Langley said people within the com-
munity had become very resilient. “We love our home and community,” she said. “No one in the community is feeling ashamed to say they are stressed or struggling, and we can all talk to each other.” Mr Sengstock said final reconstruction costs would not be known until designs were completed. “A complex detailed design is required and we will need to engage specialised contractors to carry out the work,” he said. “It’s difficult for residents to hear, but this is a significant landslide and we need to be as transparent as possible so they understand the complexities involved.” Continued page 3