08 NEWS
THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2023 TORRES NEWS
Energy efficiency grants available Small, and medium businesses across Australia can apply for grants of up to $25,000 to improve energy efficiency, save on energy bills and bring down emissions from now until 19 April 2023. The grants can be used to upgrade or replace existing airconditioners with high efficiency units or gas heating boilers with heat pumps, helping to lower power bills and emissions. Other activities supported
through the program include energy audits of business sites and investment in energy monitoring systems. The grants are part of the Federal Government’s commitment to ease cost of living pressures for Australian businesses by putting downward pressure on energy bills. Minister for Small Business Julie Collins said helping business cope with power prices was front of mind for the Government. “Across the country I
hear from small businesses who tell me energy prices are an increasing cost to their business which is why the Albanese Government is acting,” Minister Collins said. “The grants will provide practical assistance alongside the Government’s wholeof-economy approach to rising energy costs, giving businesses more security and confidence.” She said Round 1 was a $16 million investment from the $62 million program
TN0461 • 09/02/23
to help businesses use less energy and improve competitiveness, while reducing their carbon footprint. Applications for the grants will close on 19 April 2023, or when funding is exhausted. For more information about the Energy Efficiency Grants for Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) program and how to apply, visit https://business.gov.au/ eegsme
Walter loves reading his Torres News
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TIMETABLE SUBJECT^KD & ZZ/ ^ D z EKd KW Z d TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE DUE TO QANTAS SCHEDULING, SOME FERRIES MAY NOT OPERATE
Ph: (07) 4069 1586 Thursday Island/Horn Island Ferry Timetable from 06/02/2023 dŚƵƌƐĚĂLJ /ƐůĂŶĚͬ,ŽƌŶ /ƐůĂŶĚ &ĞƌƌLJ dŝŵĞƚĂďůĞ ĨƌŽŵ ϬϲͬϬϮͬϮϬϮϯ All TI Transfers Include Complimentary Bus Service on Thursday Island.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: - We will ALWAYS meet any QANTAS and Skytrans flight from Cairns - should extra services be scheduled (eg School Holidays) we will add services that may be outside this schedule. For late flights - you MUST have a booking
IMPORTANT NOTE: We will ALWAYS meet any QANTAS and Skytrans flight from Cairns – should extra services be scheduled QF = QANTAS WATER TAXIS AND CHARTERS AVAILABLE QN =MUST SKYTRANS (eg school holidays) we will add services that may be outside this schedule. For late flights – you have a booking.
FROM
MON
TUE
WED
THURS
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SAT
TI
6:15
6:15
6:15
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06:15 *
HIW
6:25
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6:25
06:25 *
TI
7:00
7:00
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HIW
7:15
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7:15
TI
8:00
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HIW
8:15
8:15
8:15
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TI
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
HIW
9:15
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TI
10:30
10:30
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HIW
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
TI
11:45
11:45
11:45
11:45
11:45
HIW
12:00
12:00
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TI
13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
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13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
HIW
14:00
14:00
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TI
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496
15:15 QF2491
15:30 QF2496 /
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496
15:15
HIW
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496 /
15:30 QF2496
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17:30* QF2490
TI
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HIW
18:10 *
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DELIGHTED: Walter Nai with the Torres News featuring an article on his Warraber Island relatives.
P J 07 4069 1586 • F J 07 4069 1408 • E J info@rebeltours.com.au • W J www.rebeltours.com.au & Ϭϳ ϰϬϲϵ ϭϰϬϴ ŝŶĨŽΛƌĞďĞůƚŽƵƌƐ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ Important: please request pickups at least 1 hour prior to Ferry departure �me ǁǁǁ͘ƌĞďĞůƚŽƵƌƐ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ Please note: Please be aware that we will have ferries to meet EVERY QANTAS and SKYTRANS flight from /ŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ͗ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ƌĞƋƵĞƐƚ ƉŝĐŬƵƉƐ Ăƚ ůĞĂƐƚ ϭ ŚŽƵƌ ƉƌŝŽƌ ƚŽ &ĞƌƌLJ ĚĞƉĂƌƚƵƌĞ ƚŝŵĞ Cairns. If you can not see a ferry that suits your flight please CALL the office on 4069 1586.
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WůĞĂƐĞ ŶŽƚĞ͗ WůĞĂƐĞ ďĞ ĂǁĂƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĞ ǁŝůů ŚĂǀĞ ĨĞƌƌŝĞƐ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ s Zz Y Ed ^ ĂŶĚ ^<zdZ E^ ĨůŝŐŚƚ ĨƌŽŵ Bookings are essen�al for 18:00/18:10 ferry Mon-Fri, and Saturday 06:15/06:20 & 13:45/14:00 Sunday ferry 17:15/17:30 ONLY operates when Qantas operates a late flight. ĂŝƌŶƐ͘ /Ĩ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ŶŽƚ ƐĞĞ Ă ĨĞƌƌLJ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƵŝƚƐ LJŽƵƌ ĨůŝŐŚƚ ƉůĞĂƐĞ >> ƚŚĞ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ŽŶ ϰϬϲϵ ϭϱϴϲ͘
Office hours are Monday to Friday - 08:00 - 17:00 - Please consider these hours to make bookings - our office is not manned outside of these ŽŽŬŝŶŐƐ ĂƌĞ ĞƐƐĞŶƚŝĂů ĨŽƌ ϭϴ͗ϬϬͬϭϴ͗ϭϬ ĨĞƌƌLJ DŽŶͲ&ƌŝ͕ ĂŶĚ ^ĂƚƵƌĚĂLJ Ϭϲ͗ϭϱͬϬϲ͗ϮϬ Θ ϭϯ͗ϰϱͬϭϰ͗ϬϬ hours and we can not look up bookings or emails. We answer the phone whilst the ferry is running, but please try to book during office hours.
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KĨĨŝĐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ ĂƌĞ DŽŶĚĂLJ ƚŽ &ƌŝĚĂLJ Ͳ Ϭϴ͗ϬϬ Ͳ ϭϳ͗ϬϬ Ͳ WůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ďŽŽŬŝŶŐƐ Ͳ ŽƵƌ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ŵĂŶŶĞĚ ŽƵƚƐŝĚĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ĐĂŶ ŶŽƚ ůŽŽŬ ƵƉ ŬŝŶŐƐ Žƌ ĞŵĂŝůƐ͘ tĞ ĂŶƐǁĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƉŚŽŶĞ ǁŚŝůƐƚ ƚŚĞ ĨĞƌƌLJ ŝƐ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ͕ ďƵƚ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ƚƌLJ ƚŽ Ŭ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ
STORY AND PIC BY ALF WILSON Quadriplegic Walter Nai was both emotional but delighted when he saw the 2 March 2023 edition of the Torres News which featured some of his relatives on Warraber Island. Included was a photo with the article about Warraber gearing up for a big season or rugby league which included several of his relatives Peter Nai and Cr Kabay Tamu. “Cr Tamu is a cousin and Peter is a nephew and it was great to see them in the paper,” Mr Nai said. Mr Nai said the Torres News was much appreciated by people living in Cairns and Townsville. “There are a lot of Torres Strait islanders in both towns and other family members read the paper when I am finished with it,” he said. In 2012, Mr Nai became a quadriplegic after a car accident on Masig which has confined him to a wheelchair and changed his life dramatically. “I spent six months in hospital afterwards and because of my disability am confined to
a wheelchair and I can’t live on a remote island,” he said. But he said whilst he kept in contact with family and friends on many of the islands, including Waiben, on social media, he was glowing in his praise of the Torres News. “I get to keep track of what is happening up there and have many relatives on Masig, Moa (St Pauls), Poruma, Iama, Warraber, Mer and Erub. I haven’t been up there for a few years but will try and get to TI soon,” he said. TSIRC Cr Kabay Tamu said Walter had been a top quality touch football player around the Torres Strait before his accident. “I played touch on TI, Erub, Mer and a few other places and loved it,” he said, smiling broadly. Mr Nai said he would love to visit the islands where his relatives reside but he said the smaller planes didn’t have wheelchair access. “I can go to Horn Island as the planes from Cairns do have that access,” he said. Mr Nai said he was a happy man despite his disabilities. “God bless you,” he said.
