CATEGORY

Qld

Major overhaul to keep Wivenhoe pumping

Queensland’s largest hydro power station will undergo a $14 million overhaul to ensure it continues to pump cleaner, cheaper energy for years to come. Major maintenance works will start at the publicly-owned Wivenhoe Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Station this month, creating 100 jobs under the Palaszczuk Government’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.

Toowoomba Regional Council extends polystyrene recycling to Kleinton, upgrades O’Mara Road equipment

Toowoomba Region residents’ enthusiasm for recycling expanded polystyrene has seen more than 17 tonnes of the packaging material processed at the Greater Toowoomba Waste Management Facility at O’Mara Road since May 2020.

Loop road to provide new four-wheel drive track

A four-wheel drive track that connects Weipa with the Bamaga Road will be a smash hit with both locals and tourists in search of a new off-road experience. The controversial Bertiehaugh Road has only existed as a line on the map since the Irwins took over the property in 2006, renaming it Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve ... a team of determined locals, who asked not to be named, got the GPS coordinates from Cook Shire and went to work themselves. Using buggies and four-wheel drives, they created a 60km single-lane track that runs from Stones Crossing to Bramwell Junction.

Lockhart River claim prestigious shield

The threat of COVID deterred a number of dance groups from attending, but that didn’t stop a sell-out crowd from enjoying the show at the Laura Quinkan Dance Festival. Around 2000 people filled the grounds around the traditional Bora ground and watched as groups from across the Cape and Far North shared their culture with a crowd filled with mostly southerners.

Underwater hockey has a place at Weipa’s pool

Could underwater hockey be the next big sport in Weipa? Scott Barton thinks so. The keen spear fisherman says its the perfect sport to hone your underwater skills and hopes it will catch on in the community ... “Weipa has got the ideal pool because it has great tiles and it’s not too deep,” Sean Hartley said. “Underwater hockey is a great sport in the tropics because you don’t sweat.”

Caloundra main street among Queensland’s best designs

Bulcock Street Caloundra was one of the finest examples of urban design on display at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) 2021 awards this month. Caloundra Main Street Urban Revitalisation project was awarded the Urban Design and Regional Achievement Awards at the 2021 Queensland Landscape Architecture Awards.

What will you refuse and reuse this Plastic Free July?

This Plastic Free July Sunshine Coast residents are encouraged to refuse single-use plastic products and adopt more sustainable behaviours by transitioning to reusable alternatives. Many single-use plastic items can be avoided by making simple changes in our daily habits and choices. Last year, an estimated 326 million people worldwide took part in Plastic Free July. On average, participants reduced their household waste and recycling by almost 5% (or 21kg).

Plastic melting machine making a big impact

Enough polystyrene packaging to fill an Olympic swimming pool has been diverted from landfill on the Fraser Coast in the past year. “The introduction of a machine to melt Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), such as the packaging around a new TV or fridge, has had a huge impact,” Fraser Coast Regional Councillor David Lee said. The process reduces the volume of polystyrene by more than 90%.

Gold City’s facelift and new green

Bob Wine. Gold City Bowls Inc. was incorporated as an amalgamated bowls club in June 2018, which combined three bowling associations in Charters Towers. At that time, we owned two properties and had two ageing bowls greens requiring urgent replacement.

Caboolture to Wamuran Rail Trail commended by Qld Government

Moreton Bay Regional Council has been recognised for pushing the boundaries of urban design at one of Queensland’s most prestigious awards. The Caboolture to Wamuran Rail Trail project received commendation for the highest quality at the Minister’s Award for Urban Design, in a competition that featured the likes of Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville.

Brisbane investor snaps up prized Wagyu station

South East Queensland’s Shamrock Vale Station and its world-class Wagyu operation has been sold to a Brisbane-based buyer for $27 million. Spanning 1,857 hectares in the Kerry Valley area of south east Queensland’s Scenic Rim on the Albert River, the property has fertile alluvial cultivated river flats running to undulating ridges and gullies, with plateaus of sheltered grazing.

American investor hoping for meaty return from Qld aggregation

New York-based investment firm The Rohatyn Group is hoping for more than $55 million from the sale of the 28,000-hectare Kaiuroo Aggregation in Central Queensland’s Mackenzie River district.

Federal Government exacerbates farm labour shortage with new visa rules

Growcom and AgForce have come together today to slam changes to the Working Holiday Maker visa conditions which only suggest the Federal Government is totally divorced from farming reality. Growcom Chief Executive Stephen Barnard said the change defied logic and ran counter to all available evidence, including analysis from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries which found the Queensland horticulture sector is currently short up to 9,000 workers.

Tower gets a look from Brightsiders

The artists who will transform Casino’s water tower have been decided. The Brightsiders are working on a project in the far south-western Queensland town of Thargomindah and will be in Casino mid-July to start painting the tower.

Miles off the mark

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has shown scant regard for the residents of Weipa, completely ignoring questions regarding normalisation. Mr Miles, who is also the Local Government Minister, didn’t even bother to address the questions put to him by Cape York Weekly.

Kidney unit snubs the Cape

A political decision to build a kidney transplant unit at Townsville instead of Cairns has riled medical experts in the Far North. The state government held bids from both Cairns and Townsville hospitals for the new renal transplant unit, but opted for the more southern hospital, despite evidence suggesting more patients would benefit if it was in Cairns.

Wigness to lead Australia

Torres Strait basketball prodigy Tamuri Wigness has been named as the captain of the Australian Emus team ahead of the upcoming FIBA U19 World Cup.

Costa forks out $231m for citrus farms

“There are a number of strategic benefits and alignments that will result from what is a financially compelling acquisition, which include greater export supply to key Asian export markets, production scale, increased variety offering, including rights to commercialise varieties with plant breeder rights in certain jurisdictions, access to a proven 30-year proprietary breeding program, expanded geographic footprint and extended season timing,” Sean Hallahan, Costa Group CEO said.

Miranda Downs sells for a record $180m

Peter and Jane Hughes have splashed out a figure believed to be north of $180 million to buy the 438,000-hectare Miranda Downs in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria, setting a new record for a single pastoral holding as the agricultural sector sees a wave of investment demand amid strong trading conditions.

Real outcomes for regional and rural Queensland

Economic development and delivering the State’s Economic Recovery Plan has been the focus of the Palaszczuk Government’s Regional Community Forums held across the state todayMinisters and MPs participated in the sixth Regional Community Forums, held in seven regional centres.

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