Sue Brooks August 30th, 2009
Just a quick post to show off some pictures. Firstly is one taken on the pet walk last weekend in the Bay.
Ranger Jay and the gang
Then I have 3 pics of dogs badly in need of a good home.
This is Angel, she is being deseed next week. We think she is a Boston terrier/staffy cross. About 10 months old, very good with kids, and people, but boisterous.
This is BESSIE, she is about 5-7 years old and border collie X, very friendly, but would rather be one on one dog. Needs company. The only thing she doesnt do well is walk on a lead (she's good without lead, doesnt wander etc)
This is Billie, beautiful dog – male approx 10-12 months old. English German pointer
If you know someone who needs a canine companion do drop me a line.
Lastly Graham and I now own two new puppies. Years and years ago when I first saw a Papillon dog I fell in love with it. So what was I to do when I saw 2 female Papillon Maltese cross puppies advertised locally! You guessed it… We figured the two would keep each other company and this is proving to be the case. It will be easier to leave them when needed as they have each other for companionship.
Ellie
Ellie and yet to be named..!
Sue Brooks August 26th, 2009
60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS)
As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:
A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, ‘What are you thinking?’ She doesn’t care what you think. If a woman over 40 doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it’s usually more interesting. Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it. Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.. Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, ‘Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?’, here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!
Andy Rooney is a really smart guy!
Sue Brooks August 23rd, 2009
Friday saw me attend the Indigenous Forum organised by Buallum Jarl Bah, USQ. The speakers were excellent and I was quite moved by the success stories we heard. It is so very uplifting to hear stories first hand of how individuals have picked themselves up, taken a look and decided to change their lives. All the speakers shared one common element. They collectively decided to put some effort into their lives. I do get tired of hearing from the complainers who seem to believe society owes them a living so it was a very pleasant and uplifting experience to listen to stories from ordinary people doing extra ordinary things. My heartfelt thanks for sharing your stories with us.
Saturday was an educational day with a full day workshop at Dundowran faciltated by Greg Smyrell. Greg shared his knowledge and his love of our wonderful rain forest species with us. His teaching skills are excellent and I know a lot more about leaves than I ever did before. Greg worries that our tiny patches of rain forest are struggling to shrug off the impacts of human development which brings weeds and fragmentation and also believes that climate change is making life hard for our fauna and flora also. if you ever get the chance to meet Greg or read his works I thoroughly recommend you take up the opportunity.
Today was Ranger Lacey Dog Walk Day. I joined Cr Hawes at Maryborough for the morning walk and then travelled to Dayman Park Urangan for the Bay event. Both events were well attended and I had the pleasure of accompanying Cr McNeven with her dog Ollie and Ranger Lacey and Tekoo for a ‘trike’ ride with a difference. We travelled up the Esplanade with the wind blowing our hair and all 3 dogs seemed to enjoy the experience. 3 events in 3 days, and each event was a unique and very enjoyable one. We are lucky to live in a community with such diversity and I am continually glad that we have so many volunteers that roll up their sleeves and get together with Council staff and other bodies to work so that we can enjoy a day out or learn something new.
Best dressed pooches
Sue Brooks August 19th, 2009
I was very pleased to receive a call yesterday from some caring and excited residents, Elaine and Gary, about their backyard visitor. A koala had decided to visit a large gum tree in their backyard. Now this backyard is not ‘out in the bush’. It is right here in Hervey Bay in Doolong South Road near the Fraser Coast Anglican College.
With regular reports about the reduction in Koala numbers throughout Australia I really do hope that this koala and all the others still found in our region survives the pressures that development brings. While we often here the saying ‘you can’t stop progress’ hopefully we can steer progress to better protect existing habitat and create new habitat where needed. The destruction of our existing local fauna and flora is not my idea of responsible ‘progress’.
So if you are travelling down Doolong South Road please don’t speed and keep a look out for our furry friends. Thanks Elaine and Gary for sharing your photos with us.
Koala in town
Koala with a view
Sue Brooks August 18th, 2009
The burning issue. Can I reassure readers, that my comments about fires and the impact of ‘burning off’ quoted in the Fraser Coast Chronicle yesterday, were made in relation to natural areas not urban areas. Many Whitsunday Islands and National Parks ie World Heritage Fraser Island, are burned where there is no risk to human life and property. I do acknowledge that some burning is necessary to provide fire breaks and reduce the threat of fire around urban development. I have seen photographs however that clearly demonstrate that the level of undergrowth and litter is greater in areas that have been regularly burned than in areas left alone. Aboriginal people were very clever and used fire as a tool to improve their lives. There is much debate about the impact that this burning has had on our natural environment over time. I’m just not convinced that regularly burning huge tracts of natural habitat is ‘good for it’.
Sue Brooks August 15th, 2009
Guineas sunbaking
Thought I’d try to steer away from Council related topics today. It is Saturday morning and I have caught up with my personal inbox and don’t won’t to think about my Council one. Today many people will be visiting the Glenwood Swap Meet and tomorrow we will be able to savour seafood at our local Hervey Bay Seafood Festival. With Seniors Week activities underway the week is packed with events. I tip my hat (well I would if I was wearing one) to all the organisers. Events take an awful lot of co-ordination to set up and many volunteer hours go into making events happen.
At home the remaining 5 new Guinea Fowl are well settled now and sit eagerly awaiting the morning seed ration on our verandah. If we don’t get up early enough they even start tapping on our windows. We feed them close to the house to ensure that we can fend off the Brush Turkeys as we do not want to feed them! The two old Guinea Fowl have assimilated well with the new birds but still leave the yard to roost in their traditional roost trees down the road come nightfall. Our new birds flutter and fly high up into a tree on the edge of our forest and so far the rotten fox has not been spotted again. The Council fox trap managed to trap a bandicoot, an echidna and several brush turkeys. Obviously all dumber than the fox who has eluded capture!
Graham and I are both holding steady after loosing 10 kilos each on the Tony Ferguson plan and while I think I should lose a bit more I’ll await the warmer weather before making up my mind. It is so much nicer being lighter and smaller and my knees are much happier also.
Graham and I have booked tickets to see a show by a unique orchestra called Deep Blue Orchestra. They are performing at the Brolga on the 11th Sept. You can watch a short clip of them via their web site. I am looking forward to this night out and recommend that you check out their web site and come along if interested.www.deepblueorchestra.com
Too cold for a dip!
Sue Brooks August 12th, 2009
I am pleased and disappointed in unequal measures after yesterdays Council Meeting. On the pleased side was a unanimous decision to refuse an application for a very tall telecommunications tower next to the water tank on the top of Ghost Hill where other towers already protrude. Council decided to ask for a report on how other Councils are managing the towers and poles so that we can better manage the rapidly growing number of requests to erect these towers. Apparently the Gold Coast has 300m buffer requirement etc so FCRC needs to ensure that we act responsibly in relation to these towers. Many people are worried about the health impacts of the towers as well as the visual impacts.
My great sadness from yesterday was the decision to allow the development of a 13 hectare heavily vegetated site off Hughes Rd, Urangan. The site is surrounded by large acreage blocks where kangaroos graze but the block will be fully developed with a mix of blocks ranging from 8000sqm down to just over 1000sqm. There is no public open space dedication. I was disappointed to be the only Councillor voting against this application. I don’t believe that the application meets the requirements of protecting vegetation located within a “Natural Area’ overlay and I side with the assessment of the Council Land Protection Officer who also believed the application did not meet the requirements needed to protect vegetation. Hervey Bay already has several ‘Conservation Parks’ within our urban area and this site would have been ideal for another one. Personally I believe that with fewer trees we receive less rainfall so turning our landscape into a metal and concrete covered one does not improve our climate.
I did support an application for a 6 storey building at the corner of Hillyard and Main St as the building won’t encroach on any residential amenity. If there is a place for taller buildings within Hervey Bay I believe Main St is one of the places to put them.
Lastly Council launched its new PC Online application. This software enables anyone to search and locate details about their property online via the Council web site. It has some teething problems right now but once ticking over properly will be a great asset to the community. Please visit the Council web site for a look at it.
http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/
Sue Brooks August 10th, 2009
The reason I am writing tonight is that we have a very full Planning agenda this week in Council at Hervey Bay. Decisions are required on applications including two applications for mobile phone towers (Ghost Hill and Burrum Heads), a negotiated decision response for the first stage of the Messers Land development (cane paddock in Main St), a recommended refusal for a big Granville development in Maryborough, a 6 storey building on the corner of Main St and Hillyard St, Hervey Bay overlooking Seafront Oval and lastly a recommended approval report on the large treed lot adjacent Hughes Rd and Senor Dve, Urangan.
I worry that much of the Planning Decisions these days go by with little community knowledge as under the New Planning Scheme much more development is not required to undergo public notification processes. This is all well and good when development is aligned with the desired outcomes of our Planning Schemes but it means many of you may not be aware of decisions being made through out the area. Also worthy of note is the lack of construction following many previous approvals. It seems that the economic downturn is having a major impact on developers and many blocks of land now are back on the market or sitting quietly awaiting better times.
I do recall however a lot of community interest in the Hughes Rd development. This land is heavily treed and is largely undisturbed. The block is constrained with only one road entrance and is like an island of green surrounded by houses. The block is approx 13 hectares in size. The officers report includes a recommended approval and is recommending that the most valuable section of the land containing remnant veg, is to be preserved by including it in the development and placing covenants on the blocks. In other words, if approved by Council, there will be no public open space dedication. All the land will be subdivided and large blocks of 8000sqm will include a covenant. If you have an interest in any of these reports they are available on the Council web site and will be decided at the Council Meeting this Wednesday.
http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/council/meetings/PLANNING_DEVELOPMENT_MEETING_AGENDA_MINUTES.shtml
I notice the reports are not yet appearing via the web site so will enquire in the morning.
The whale festival was very well patronised and Graham and I ended our Sat evening enjoying the local Z Pac production of Fawlty Towers. On Friday we attended the Art Society awards night at our Regional Gallery and after a recent evening of opera at Gatakers Restaurant we certainly can’t complain about a lack of cultural performances and events.
Sue Brooks August 6th, 2009
Another busy week. Yesterday Council considered several issues ranging from car aprking issues in Maryborough to the dates for the Show Holiday next year. We also decided to repeal many old Council policies as our ‘clean up’ post amalgamation presses onwards. It is amazing how many policies are written and adopted but then tend to be left alone and gradually become irrelevant. It is a sober reminder of the vigilance needed to regularly review and update accepted practices for any organisation.
One of the recent developments in Council is the roll out of the expanded Community Environment Programme or CEP. This programme operated in Hervey Bay prior to amalgamation and now has been reviewed and expanded. The aim of the programme is to encourage community involvement in the restoration and maintenance of public ‘open space’ and to align and co-ordinate any groups wanting to carry out environment related works on the public lands which are under Council control. I applaud the volunteers that come along and help weed and plant etc to assist us retain the naturally beautiful parks that we are so lucky to have. The foreshore is a particularly important ‘park’ and we must ensure that we care for it well. If you are interested in finding out more or joining a group do let me know.
In the FCC today we see a depiction of the new entrance sign for Hervey Bay. I do think that community consultation would assist the development of what I believe are community signs rather than ‘Council signs’ and I do have some concerns that this particular sign is a bit too ‘busy’ and that the free standing bits and pieces won’t stand out against a varying background. However I have to applaud a team of hard working staff who, together with Cr Nioa, have achieved an outcome that Hervey Bay has long been waiting for.
Lastly we received an email from a disgruntled developer this week. Two complaints were made about the infrastructure charges and about perceived hold ups relating to a particular development. While I agree the infrastructure charges have increased developer contributions I don’t believe they are flawed and I don’t believe our community can carry the developer related costs that the charges are designed to pay for. In relation to the Development Application process it is a complicated beast but it is a system foisted on us by State Government and we must follow the rules as set down under the relevant Legislation. When Planning Schemes change so do the rules. So my message is that developers have to remember that what has gone before might not apply now and that, as Council should be constantly reviewing our policies, the development industry has to do likewise in relation to Planning Scheme requirements etc. Council staff are currently dealing with 4 Planning Schemes so please understand that everyone is working under challenging circumstances but that with positive communication mis understandings etc can be avoided.
Sue Brooks August 3rd, 2009
Is it possible to donate to an individual or political party and not cast a seed of doubt about what is expected in return? I personally do not think so. Our political system is heavily geared towards a donation culture. It continues to amaze me that politicians from all levels of government, can accept donations and honestly believe that doing so does not find them obligated in any way to the donor. If donations are to remain an aspect of our political system, and I believe that they shouldn’t, then donations should be anonymous. Any other means of providing financial or other support to a particular candidate or political party, in my opinion, smacks of potential conflicts of interest.
Why is it acceptable that mums and dads want to be able to support the party of their choice by donating a small amount of money but an organisation donating bucket loads of cash is not welcomed? In other words to be consistent we need to either set up a system where donations can be done anonymously or, my preferred solution, make elections a set process with a limited advertising budget funded by the tax payer. If all candidates were regulated so that they all received equal advertising space and/or time, wouldn’t the electorate be much more able to make a choice based on qualities other than how wealthy the candidate or political party is?
Lastly I abhor corruption, dishonesty and lies. I think that all layers of Government in this country are very heavily developer and big business influenced. It seems that the ‘bigger is better’ and ‘greed is good’ culture is alive and well in Australia. Many, many small business owners are content to quietly and without fuss, do a hard days work for a decent annual income but big business and developers often want more and more and more. More business and more development. Not to benefit the community but to make more profit for a select few! It is time we acknowledged that growth is not necessary to develop a healthy economically rich and culturally diverse country, and that pandering to a select few is not actually what the majority of residents want from our political leaders. From personal experience the most intense lobbying that I receive, is from developer related interests.
Over to you…
