Qld

Australian governments are seeking stakeholder feedback on a consultation paper that seeks to increase liquidity and flexibility in the east coast gas market through enhancements to the Wallumbilla Gas Supply Hub and the pipeline capacity trading framework ... Stakeholder feedback on these options will inform development of a roadmap for Energy Ministers to consider in early 2022.

$5 million will be available between three leading Northern Australian universities for research into water security in Northern Australia. The money from the Federal Government, through the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA), is for Charles Darwin University (CDU), CQUniversity Australia (CQU) and James Cook University (JCU).

A proposed silica mine that will give Traditional Owners a direct slice of the pie has Cooktown and Hope Vale residents excited about its prospects. Diatreme Resources has received a shot in the arm this month with former Treasurer and political heavyweight Wayne Swan agreeing to join Diatreme as chairman of the board.

Aurukun mayor Keri Tamwoy last week joined Kailung Hudson, Estelle Yunkaporta and Sheryl Pamulkan from the Akay Koo’oila Women’s Art Centre for the opening of the Mermaid ‘Zeloh’ exhibition as part of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. The women created the mermaid and woven bowls from a ghost net they retrieved from underneath the art centre.

Cape York’s future Olympic stars were put through their paces by two of the most qualified coaches you could come across at a two-day clinic in Cooktown earlier this month ... members from Cooktown Amateur Swimming Club had the opportunity to be coached by former Olympians – breaststroke champion Leisel Jones and backstroke star Meagen Nay.

The Blair Athol Clermont Bowls Club recently held its annual carnival with more than 70 players coming from Mackay, Emerald, Townsville and Brisbane. The winners on the day was Emerald second was Mackay. All players showed good sportsmanship in the five games played.

The Mooloolaba Boardwalk and Parkland Project has been awarded for its excellence and environmental responsibility in design by the Australian Institute of Horticulture Inc (AIH). The 2021 Green Space Urban Award recognised this signature project’s commitment in preserving the iconic Norfolk Pines, which have become sentinels of the Mooloolaba foreshore.

Alpha HPA has purchased a 9.2-hectare site in Gladstone, Queensland to develop a $300 million high purity alumina industrial plant. Alpha HPA has now received approval from the government for the first two stages of its Gladstone hub, which will be built in tandem, bringing jobs to Queensland not only in the delivery stage but once the hub is fully operational.

Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott and two councillors have heard the concerns of residents living in the council’s smallest locality. Around eight Portland Roads residents – or Iron Range if you want to be technical about the actual locality – attended a community forum last Tuesday to voice their concerns ... One of the hot topics was the desire for better water access in the area.

Mining and cattle magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest has become one of Cook Shire’s biggest ratepayers after he paid $42 million for Lizard Island. Mr Forrest and his wife Nicola’s private investment company Tattarang splashed $42 million for the Great Barrier Reef resort ... Tattarang declined to comment on the Lizard Island deal, but the vendor, Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed SEA Group, announced the deal in an investor statement.

This time last year, Athol Ryan was in hospital with severe facial injuries after an innocuous incident while preparing to gallop a horse at Mount Garnet ... “When you’ve got a horse like Macipenko it keeps you going,” he said of the horse that has now won four races this year. While seven winners might not seem like a lot, it’s not bad considering Ryan only has a few horses in work at any one time and has to travel more than 300km one-way for just about every race meeting.

Queensland Government Minister for Tourism and Sport, Stirling Hinchliffe MP visited the South Burnett on Saturday 6 November 2021. Minister Hinchliffe opened Blackbutt’s new Bicycle Building School and Museum, the brainchild of renowned Penny Farthing historian, Mr Brett Richardson.

Wagga Wagga will have regular airline services flying direct to a third Australian capital city from early next year. Riverina travellers will have direct flights to Queensland when QantasLink starts flying between Wagga Wagga and Brisbane from 28 March, 2022.

A $300 million high purity alumina industrial plant is a step closer for Gladstone with Alpha HPA purchasing a 9.2 hectare site in the Queensland Government’s State Development Area.

Minister for Agricultural, Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said the Queensland Dog Offensive Group (QDOG) developed the new five-year strategy in consultation with stakeholders. “The Queensland Wild Dog Management Strategy 2021-2026 provides state-wide coordination and direction to wild dog management,” Mr Furner said.