Council is considering installation of a dog-off leash park to service hinterland communities in Montville, Eudlo, Palmwoods and Woombye and seeks residents’ input for a preferred location.
Three options for discussion include:
To have your say you can view the park concepts at the community market day at Palmwoods RSL Hall, Margaret Street Palmwoods, on Saturday 3 December from 8.00 am to 12.00 noon where you can also speak with me and Council staff about the project and provide feedback verbally and/or by questionnaire. If you are unable to attend the community event, you can also view the concepts and complete a questionnaire on Council’s website from Monday 5 December.
It is hoped that funds will be secured this financial year to complete the dog off leash park by mid 2012.
****Being held on the 23 November 2011. The workshop is a building event to enhance the development of the skills and knowledge required to deliver public art outcomes. The workshop will host a number of guest presenters who will share their knowledge within varied fields of public art delivery. The event will be held at the Arts and Ecology Centre, Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens, Tanawha, beginning at 9.00am and concluding at 4.00pm, with networking drinks and nibbles from 4.00pm to 5.00pm. Registration closes on 16 November, for more information or to submit an online registration, access the events calendar on council’s website.
Sport and Rec. Funding Round;
The above recommendation will be presented to Council next week prior to the cheques presentations. Well done to all that were successful. If your organisation was not successful please seek feedback and reapply to the next round.
Chinaman’s Creek. DERM have advised that the lease has been abandoned by the applicant.
****Council has received requests to improve the safety of school pedestrians along Palmwoods School Road.
It was identified that an additional formalised pedestrian crossing is required including disability compliant ramps. As such, council will undertake work to construct a flagged pedestrian crossing opposite the primary school on Palmwoods School Road, Palmwoods.
To ensure the crossing meets current standards, it is necessary to remove 6 parking bays on the northern side of the street for visibility purposes and restrict car parking on the southern side between Old Orchid Drive and 6 Palmwoods School Road shown through the use of yellow lines.
The work is programmed to commence the week beginning 7 November 2011, and completion anticipated within one week (weather permitting). During construction, property access may be affected for short durations. Council officers will contact residents, where relevant, to discuss timing for access or parking if work is likely to block entrances.
Your patience during construction is appreciated. Traffic management measures will be in place to ensure the safety of pedestrians and motorists.
****At council’s Ordinary Meeting last week the Draft Sunshine Coast Council Reconciliation Action Plan 2011-2016 was endorsed for community consultation.
As the Portfolio Councillor for Community Policy and Programs I am delighted to invite the community to have their say on the Draft Reconciliation Action Plan available until 16 November. The Plan aims to promote reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community and other Australians living on the Sunshine Coast. The Plan has a five year implementation timeframe to provide actions that are aimed at enhancing relationships, enriching respect and creating opportunities in council’s information, facilities, services and programs.
The draft plan is available for comment until 5pm on Wednesday 16 November 2011 at http://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm?code=rap
To register your attendance at one of these sessions please phone (07) 5441 9376 or email commdevelopment@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.
I recently accompanied a group of local residents for a visit to the Northey Street City Farm at New Farm. Northey Street City Farm offers a range of educational activities together with opportunities for people to learn about Permaculture practices and experience the life of urban farming. The farm has been developed for people to enjoy and participate in using the principals of Permaculture; it is also intended to be a demonstration site where people for all ages can learn from practical hands on experience. Northey Street City Farm is a not-for-profit community organisation, situated on the banks of Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek in Windsor; they have more than 1500 exotic and native bush trees, bush tuckers plants, shrubs and ground covers have been planted on the four hectare farm site since its inception in April 1994.
Montville is the perfect place to do your Christmas Shopping this year. Beautiful village, unique gifts, great dining options and also the chance to win one of three amazing hampers.
Over 40 local businesses have donated prizes worth $8,000. Purchase a gift of $25 or more at a participating Montville retailer to receive an entry. Do all your shopping in Montville to increase your chances.
The winners will be drawn at this year’s Montville Village Association Carols night on Wednesday 21 December, 2011 on the Village Green. ****Postage **will be paid for winners within Australia. **
Council and the region’s emergency services are getting ready for the storm season with a “Spring Departure” disaster management exercise which took place last week. The exercise tested the readiness of the Sunshine Coast Disaster Local Management Group (LDMG) for this year’s storm season with a desk top cyclone scenario during which residents will need to be evacuated.
The LDMG is made up of representatives from state and local government agencies, and other providers, including council, Emergency Management Queensland, Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, State Emergency Service, Red Cross and Energex. This annual exercise is an important test of the LDMG’s readiness for disaster, but it is also the trigger for us all to check if we are personally ready for the storm season.
The January floods showed just how quickly tragedies can happen so it’s vital that everyone is prepared for anything mother-nature can produce. To help you and your family to get ready for this summer’s storm season, look out for a special guide designed to better prepare residents for severe weather events which will be delivered to all Sunshine Coast letterboxes this month.
Work to be carried out will include:
• Pedestrian pavement providing access to the existing shelter
• Multi-purpose play area with a basketball unit and an adjacent sandstone block retaining wall doubling as a seating wall
• Safety fencing inbetween the playground and shelter and the open drain
• A new refuse bin
• A new playground element along with an extension to the existing playground
• Earthworks to raise levels and relocation of site boulders to adjacent the playground
• Improvements to sub-surface and surface drainage
• Removal of trees that are weed species and pruning of existing trees in order to open up the park, improve natural lighting and casual surveillance
• Planting of street trees to park boundary to offset tree removal and improve park amenity
• Planting to the open drain to improve bank stabilisation and park amenity
• Turf to areas affected by construction works
Council will be carrying out the final stage of community consultation in parallel with the tender stage. This final stage of community consultation will entail a newsletter to include results from first stage of consultation, direct mail out to recipients who advised their interest in the first round of community consultation an article for the Sunshine Valley News with coloured concept plan and a link to Council’s project website and a site sign will be provided for the construction period.
Council staff are part of a forum to discuss the Palmwoods Sports Complex Terms of Reference. The goals of the Palmwoods Sports Complex Group is to provide a district level, multi use facility that meets the needs of Palmwoods sporting and recreational organisations, residents and visitors to the area. In the Terms of Reference, it is proposed that membership comprises council officers and recreational users of the reserve, that hold current trustee leases or permits. The role of the Multi Sports Management Group is to reduce duplication of effort within and between organisations; provide a forum for collaboration with council staff, disseminating information. Identify and monitor the sports complex facility maintenance, development events and services required and opportunities for funding. I congratulate the groups together with council on this approach; the strength of opportunities will come through by working together for the betterment of the complex.
I would like to congratulate Barung Landcare for their very successful launch of the Hinterland Bush Links on 13 November. It was a fantastic day, 122 people came along to be part of the event with 700 trees being planted to enhance the corridor between the Conondale and Blackall Ranges. The strongest sentiment was that people were excited to be contributing to protecting our wildlife in the Hinterland region and that it was great to be part of something big. Georgia Beyer from the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative in NSW attend, which was great as he is part of the committee helping to connect bush from Atherton to the Alps in Victoria. Well done to the organisers and all who attend.