Insurance Reprieve In Sight

Last year I attended a coastal leaders forum that brought together leaders from 41 councils. This was an opportunity for our coastal leaders to gather, share ideas and find ways to work together to improve the liveability of our communities impacted by coastal erosion now and into the future.

The Insurance Council of Australia commented at the forum, $150m is given out each day in Australia for insurance claims. Government has invested heavily in a solution to the insurance crisis with a re-insurance scheme, which at the outset looks promising to assist many families in Australia who suffer high insurance costs to protect their homes.

As of July 1, 2022, the re-insurance pool was accepted in parliament and passed. This pool is designed to support insurance companies, the pricing is available in a report found at arpc.gov.au.

At the forum, I was interested to hear that a nature-based solution like a 30m wide stand of mangroves will reduce wave height and therefore reduce erosion. Sea walls are costing $8000 per lineal meter, and nature-based solutions are $1000$2000 per lineal meter (these figures have not been ground truthed with current labour and material shortages).

Our government pays 3 per cent funding for pre-disaster measures and supplies 98 per cent of funding for post-events. Natural hazards will continue to happen, and we can’t dwell on the past. We need to be risk intelligent and risk aware. Tomorrow won’t look like today and we need to gather more information to make informed decisions.

The State Government needs to make changes in legislation for Local Government regarding planning schemes, LUP, and flood plain models. Buyback and re- treat must be part of ongoing conversations.

MY TAKEAWAYS FOR OUR REGION:

• Coastal hazard adaptation is very real, and our council will be able to better inform our community once the coastal hazard adaptation study (CHAS) is complete. As part of the CHAS we must always remember our coastline is not just for the people that live on the coast, it’s our entire community that uses it for recreation and we must be concerned about the loss of community amenity and community trauma coastal erosion causes.

• The three levels of government need to work together.

• Implementation of CHAS in our region can’t come soon enough and must include nature-based solutions.

However, I’m wanting to give more than my time. As part of Star 101.9, I’m so excited that next week one school in Mackay and the Whitsundays will win ten thousand dollars with Star’s School of the Year. We’ll be visiting one of our five finalists each day next week during the breakfast show with the winner of the ten thousand dollars to be announced Monday the 20th of March.

I’m wishing so much luck to all the schools in our region because I’ve been visiting as many of them as I could over the past few weeks and seeing what they’d spend the money on to improve their facilities and the school lives of their students and families. If I was in control of the coin purse, I’d be giving every school ten thousand dollars!

Kaley

Local Artists To Open Their Studios For Mackay Festival Of Arts

An exciting new art tourism project involving about 150 artists has received Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) backing.

The 2023 Mackay Art Studio Trail is a pilot project for Artists Connect Inc that is set to launch in late June for the Mackay Festival of Arts.

According to RADF Committee chair Cr Fran Mann, up to 150 participating artists will open their studios and galleries to visitors by appointment and some will offer art workshops in their studios.

“A central location will also be established as a hub for participating artists to initiate residencies, rolling exhibitions, dropin public conversations, workshops and community and business collaborations,” Cr Mann said.

“The committee were very supportive of the project and were happy to approve $12,628 to help Artists Connect Inc deliver this exciting initiative,” she said.

Cr Mann said another exciting project to receive funding this round ($5594) was the Waste and Weeds program, co-designed by Deadly Weavers and ATSICHS Mackay.

“As part of this program, Deadly Weavers will be facilitating six, weekly mixed media workshops covering weaving, eco-dyeing, mark making and sculpture.

“A really exciting element is that participants will be utilising materials and plant matter which would normally be destined for landfill,” she said.

“Participants, who will include First Nations men and Elders, will be given a small budget to purchase materials from the

Paget Tip Shop and they will also use collected green waste.

“At the end of the program, a four-week exhibition of works produced during the workshops will be held in Jubilee Community Centre throughout NAIDOC celebrations in July 2023.”

Also receiving funding to the value of $12,610 was the Eungella Arts and Crafts Fayre which is returning after a very successful inaugural event in 2021. This event is a celebration of ancient and traditional arts and crafts.

The day will include traditional dancing, musical instruments and songs, art and craft workshops, various stalls, a Viking village, lantern parade, demonstrations, children's activities and natural healing.

All up, 13 projects were supported to a total value of $85,659.