BAG NEWS ….
We have been successful in securing funds from the Maranoa Regional Council’s Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) to employ a local artist to make our noticeboards beautiful and to make the job of updating the calendar of evens easier!!
The Rural Forum incorporating a Climate Change Roundtable held recently provided an opportunity for the 7 participants in the Women Leading Change Program to learn more about the possible impacts of Climate Change as well as deliver some very inspiring and entertaining presentations on their individual business projects. Each participant has set up a blog to record their thoughts and achievements as they develop their projects over the next few months. Please feel free to have a look at these and leave your comments.
http://thecowlabel.blogspot.com
http://achieveyourgoals-bullseye.blogspot.com
http://brassrazu.blogspot.com
http://kyliedouglas.blogspot.com
http://kangaroocoop.blogspot.com
http://thingsonwallsdesign.blogspot.com
http://teamtomoo.blogspot.com
We have also been advised of our success in securing funds to update the tables and chairs at the BAG cottage.
As you hopefully have noticed, Booringa Action Group, with support from council and local businesses, is running a shop local campaign in the lead up to Christmas 2009. The impact of re-thinking purchasing decisions and choosing to buy locally provides a significant impact on the local economy and local employment.
For every $10 spent at participating stores, shoppers will be entitled to a voucher to place in an entry box to enter the draw for $1400 worth of local shopping vouchers. At the point of sale, shoppers can complete and lodge an entry form. There is no limit to the amount of entries you can have. The competition will run from Tuesday 17 November 2009 until close of business on Tuesday 15 December 2009.
The prize draw will take place at 7.30 pm on the evening of the Christmas late night shopping celebrations on Wednesday, 16 December 2009. For the late night shopping evening we have Santa, lots of activities for the whole family, especially the children who will be entertained with local businesses offering child friendly activity stations. The winner of the $1400 worth of local shopping vouchers must be present at the draw to claim their prize. See you there!!
BAG would like to take this opportunity to thank the following businesses who have offered their generous support toward this shop local campaign:
Poppy’s Boutique;
Mitchell Café;
Lemon Pie Gifts;
Mitchell Pharmacy;
Mitchell Bakery;
Mitchell Hardware & Plumbing;
Samios Trading Post;
Dobbins Foodworks;
Hotel Mitchell;
Mitchell Beauty Salon;
Rob Cornish Electrical;
Bulldog Bikes;
Hunters Store;
Lawson’s Butchery;
Landmark;
Hotel Richards;
Nutri-Lick;
BP Service Station;
Tower Roadhouse;
Bridge Service Station;
Courthouse Hotel;
Mitchell Post Office (gift lines ONLY);
Mitchell Mini Mart;
Mitchell Tyre Centre;
Mitchell Auto Care;
Maranoa Arts Gateway;
Mitchell News & Casket.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
An invitation for you to come to the Amby Christmas Tree this Saturday, 12 December 2009, at the Amby Hall at 7.30 pm. Admission is $10 which includes a meal and lucky door ticket. Pensioners and High Schoolers $5. There are raffles and a hamper to be won and Santa will be arriving during the evening to give prepaid gifts to the children. Also, there will be a licensed bar and dancing 'til late with L.V Rhythm. Please come and share the fun , you are most welcome!
The Mitchell on Maranoa Art Gallery is holding a Christmas Clearing Sale. Now on at the library until 23 December 2009. This is a fantastic opportunity to purchase patchwork, sketches, paintings, photographs and jewellery at discounted prices so everyone can give local and original Christmas gifts. You can take purchases the moment you pay for them, so you can wrap, stash or post immediately. Hurry before you miss out on your favourite artists’ pieces.
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Update - 11 November 2009
BAG NEWS ….
BAG and Landcare have joined forces to host a Mitchell & District Rural Forum, planning for a changing climate. High profile guest speakers have been secured to ensure an informative and thought provoking day of information sharing. Topics include succession planning, climate change, financial planning and The Great Idea Bank! Incorporated into the day will be Climate Change Roundtable including presentations from participants in the Women Leading Change program. There will be lots of giveaways on the day, and smokos and lunch are included. There is no charge to attend with the day made possible by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Recognising Women Farmers grants program, Mitchell & District Landcare Association, Booringa Action Group and Queensland Rural Industry Training Council. Wednesday, 18 November 2009; 9.00 am to 5.00 pm at the Mitchell Bowls Club. Please come along and support this initiative.
The Business Breakfast held recently was a very successful morning for all involved. It was good to meet Tim Cornell, the new Regional Economic Development Co-ordinator. I met with Tim after the breakfast and he offered his support for some of the business ideas BAG is currently facilitating.
Booringa Action Group, with support from council and local businesses, are running a shop local campaign in the lead up to Christmas 2009. The purpose of this campaign is to motivate residents, workers, community and sporting groups to spend money locally. This in turn will have following results:
• Local employment stability and / or employment generation
• Reduction in carbon footprints
• Reduced leakages from out of the Mitchell economy
• Increased economic multiplier effect
• Enhanced community spirit.
Look out for more information coming soon and thank you for your continued support of local businesses.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community walk – Thanks to those who joined us on our most recent walk. It was a lovely walk, if you haven’t done the River Walk, it’s well worth it. Doing our community walks has provided some fantastic feedback to pass on to council as part of their Maranoa Regional Council Trails Strategy.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
REMINDER: Australia Day Nominations must be in by the end of this week, Friday 13 November 2009. If you know of anyone that you believe should be nominated please pick up a nomination form from the council office. Award categories include Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year, Sports Award, Junior Sports Award, Achievement Award and Cultural Award. Successful nominees will be presented with their awards at official Australia Day Ceremonies being coordinated by Maranoa Regional Council throughout the region on January 26, 2010.
The ClimateSmart Home Service is coming to Mitchell and surrounding areas between 16 November and 19 December 2009. If you want to save money on your electricity bills, book in now! The ClimateSmart team will supply and install a wireless power monitor so that you can see your power use and where it is being wasted, so you can find easy savings. The service costs $50 and includes up to 15 energy efficient light globes, where suitable, a water and energy efficient showerhead and an energy audit by a qualified electrician. Book now on 13 20 40. Bookings can also be made at the BAG office. For more information visit www.climatesmarthome.com ...
The Maranoa Regional Council has released a Statement of Proposals to enable public consultation on our region’s new planning scheme. A public meeting is hoping to be arranged to discuss this in more detail with council. Given the importance of the planning scheme it is hoped that the community will become involved in this process. Please let me know if you would like to be kept updated on this. For a copy of the Statement of Proposals, please visit www.maranoa.qld.gov.au/council/P_and_E_town_planning.shtml
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
BAG and Landcare have joined forces to host a Mitchell & District Rural Forum, planning for a changing climate. High profile guest speakers have been secured to ensure an informative and thought provoking day of information sharing. Topics include succession planning, climate change, financial planning and The Great Idea Bank! Incorporated into the day will be Climate Change Roundtable including presentations from participants in the Women Leading Change program. There will be lots of giveaways on the day, and smokos and lunch are included. There is no charge to attend with the day made possible by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Recognising Women Farmers grants program, Mitchell & District Landcare Association, Booringa Action Group and Queensland Rural Industry Training Council. Wednesday, 18 November 2009; 9.00 am to 5.00 pm at the Mitchell Bowls Club. Please come along and support this initiative.
The Business Breakfast held recently was a very successful morning for all involved. It was good to meet Tim Cornell, the new Regional Economic Development Co-ordinator. I met with Tim after the breakfast and he offered his support for some of the business ideas BAG is currently facilitating.
Booringa Action Group, with support from council and local businesses, are running a shop local campaign in the lead up to Christmas 2009. The purpose of this campaign is to motivate residents, workers, community and sporting groups to spend money locally. This in turn will have following results:
• Local employment stability and / or employment generation
• Reduction in carbon footprints
• Reduced leakages from out of the Mitchell economy
• Increased economic multiplier effect
• Enhanced community spirit.
Look out for more information coming soon and thank you for your continued support of local businesses.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community walk – Thanks to those who joined us on our most recent walk. It was a lovely walk, if you haven’t done the River Walk, it’s well worth it. Doing our community walks has provided some fantastic feedback to pass on to council as part of their Maranoa Regional Council Trails Strategy.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
REMINDER: Australia Day Nominations must be in by the end of this week, Friday 13 November 2009. If you know of anyone that you believe should be nominated please pick up a nomination form from the council office. Award categories include Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year, Sports Award, Junior Sports Award, Achievement Award and Cultural Award. Successful nominees will be presented with their awards at official Australia Day Ceremonies being coordinated by Maranoa Regional Council throughout the region on January 26, 2010.
The ClimateSmart Home Service is coming to Mitchell and surrounding areas between 16 November and 19 December 2009. If you want to save money on your electricity bills, book in now! The ClimateSmart team will supply and install a wireless power monitor so that you can see your power use and where it is being wasted, so you can find easy savings. The service costs $50 and includes up to 15 energy efficient light globes, where suitable, a water and energy efficient showerhead and an energy audit by a qualified electrician. Book now on 13 20 40. Bookings can also be made at the BAG office. For more information visit www.climatesmarthome.com ...
The Maranoa Regional Council has released a Statement of Proposals to enable public consultation on our region’s new planning scheme. A public meeting is hoping to be arranged to discuss this in more detail with council. Given the importance of the planning scheme it is hoped that the community will become involved in this process. Please let me know if you would like to be kept updated on this. For a copy of the Statement of Proposals, please visit www.maranoa.qld.gov.au/council/P_and_E_town_planning.shtml
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Update - 27 October 2009
BAG NEWS ….
The 2010 Booringa Business Calendars have been printed and are ready for distribution! Thanks to all businesses who support this local initiative.
Women Leading Change, a Women in Rural Communities Leadership Development Program and Climate Change Roundtable – applications now open! Any local women who have a new business idea that they would like to develop with support from this program are encouraged to contact me for more information.
Aussie Host are currently undertaking a survey to gather updated information regarding customer service standards in Australia. Please help by visiting https://www.survey-online.com/survey/survey.asp?id=3D8D84FB and completing the survey.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community walk – We will be doing our next walk this weekend, Sunday 1 November 2009 beginning at 4.00 pm. We will be doing the river walk from Fisherman’s Rest to the Weir. We will meet at the Weir (Rotary Park) to be ferried to Fisherman’s Rest. A free BBQ will be available at the end.
Dentist – After some delays, latest news is that our private dentist is hoping to start in January 2010!!!
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
‘Panadol for Grant Writing’ - Take the headache out of the application! You are invited to attend a Grant writing workshop on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 at the Mitchell Shire Hall between 5.30pm – 7.30pm. Topics include: The six steps in planning your project; How to identify project partners; Gathering support for your project; How do I determine if a grant is suitable for my project; What needs to be included in my application; The Do’s and Don’ts of applications; What is expected when you receive your grant; Understanding the language – What does it all mean. The workshop would be of particular interest to community groups, school P & C’s, not for profit, charities and sporting groups. It is open to anyone that is interested in learning about applying for grants. Bookings: All participants will need to book and pay prior to the workshop. Bookings can be made at any Council Administration Centre through the Customer Service desk. Cost - $10.00 (to cover light refreshments and information folder).
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
The 2010 Booringa Business Calendars have been printed and are ready for distribution! Thanks to all businesses who support this local initiative.
Women Leading Change, a Women in Rural Communities Leadership Development Program and Climate Change Roundtable – applications now open! Any local women who have a new business idea that they would like to develop with support from this program are encouraged to contact me for more information.
Aussie Host are currently undertaking a survey to gather updated information regarding customer service standards in Australia. Please help by visiting https://www.survey-online.com/survey/survey.asp?id=3D8D84FB and completing the survey.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community walk – We will be doing our next walk this weekend, Sunday 1 November 2009 beginning at 4.00 pm. We will be doing the river walk from Fisherman’s Rest to the Weir. We will meet at the Weir (Rotary Park) to be ferried to Fisherman’s Rest. A free BBQ will be available at the end.
Dentist – After some delays, latest news is that our private dentist is hoping to start in January 2010!!!
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
‘Panadol for Grant Writing’ - Take the headache out of the application! You are invited to attend a Grant writing workshop on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 at the Mitchell Shire Hall between 5.30pm – 7.30pm. Topics include: The six steps in planning your project; How to identify project partners; Gathering support for your project; How do I determine if a grant is suitable for my project; What needs to be included in my application; The Do’s and Don’ts of applications; What is expected when you receive your grant; Understanding the language – What does it all mean. The workshop would be of particular interest to community groups, school P & C’s, not for profit, charities and sporting groups. It is open to anyone that is interested in learning about applying for grants. Bookings: All participants will need to book and pay prior to the workshop. Bookings can be made at any Council Administration Centre through the Customer Service desk. Cost - $10.00 (to cover light refreshments and information folder).
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Update - 1 October 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Community Workshops – We had another successful 2 evenings with our community workshops. These workshops are very interactive and have produced tangible results relating to project management and leadership. Our next workshop is on Time Management and is to be held on Monday 19 October and Tuesday 20 October 2009, 6.00 pm at the Landcare/BAG office. It is not too late to join the fun, please contact me to register.
General Meeting – The next BAG General Meeting is to be held on Wednesday 14 October 2009, 7 pm at the BAG Cottage, Ann St. New members would be most welcome!
Welcome to our new member who joined BAG this week. Growing support is encouraging, please contact me if you would like a membership form.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community Walk – WOW!! Thanks heaps to all the supporters who showed up for the community walk. We had over 20 people do the walk, and it was so much fun that the group want to do another one!! I have had many more people say they wished they had remembered this one, so a bigger roll up is anticipated for the next one. We will be experiencing the walk from the Weir to Fisherman’s Rest. Details are being finalised, which may include a BBQ at the end …. I will let you know details in the next update.
Child Care Centre – Jayne McLean is our newly appointed Child Care Centre Working Party Co-ordinator. Jayne has a true passion for education and for that reason she is pursuing the establishment of a childcare centre in Mitchell with an amazing enthusiasm. Jayne has reviewed the Childcare act and regulations and summarised the requirements; we have inspected the old kindy centre with regards to reopening as a childcare centre (with renovations!); Jayne has spoken to the Office of Early Childhood Education and Childcare consultants and has a meeting with them in Toowoomba this week for more advice and assistance (funding and procedures etc); we are currently locating building plans for the old kindy so as to assess its capacity; as well as investigating funding opportunities for new businesses etc. There has been some great progress by Jayne, who would greatly appreciate any support from interested community members!
Events Calendar Noticeboards – Just a reminder that if you would like details of your event in the noticeboards, please contact me for an Event data capture sheet.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Mitchell Get Together - Friday Night Roast & Fantasy Dress - A warm up before Saturday night’s reunion. Come along for a Roast Dinner and raffle night of fun. Lets all meet up, old and new Mitchell clan members. Friday 2 October 2009, 6.30 pm at the Courthouse Hotel. $12 for an Adult and $7 for Children under 12.
Australia’s Open Garden Scheme Open Garden Day – 3 gardens are opening in the Mitchell area on 3 and 4 October 2009 from 9am to 5pm. Mrs Mansfield’s garden, 160 Alice St; My Family Garden, 62 Alice St ; and Wallhallow, Injune Rd, Amby.
Feel Good Expo (Mental Health Week) – Thursday 8 October 2009, 10 am – 3 pm at the Great Artesian Spa, Mitchell. Come along and see what great services and activities are available in the community and in the district. Come in and browse the information on hand and collect some of the giveaways available on the day. Activities include: Reiki, Scrapbooking / Bookmarks / Cardmaking (bring a photo!), Gentle Exercise, Breath Relaxation, Guest Speakers. Kids area available. Morning tea and lunch provided free of charge!
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Community Workshops – We had another successful 2 evenings with our community workshops. These workshops are very interactive and have produced tangible results relating to project management and leadership. Our next workshop is on Time Management and is to be held on Monday 19 October and Tuesday 20 October 2009, 6.00 pm at the Landcare/BAG office. It is not too late to join the fun, please contact me to register.
General Meeting – The next BAG General Meeting is to be held on Wednesday 14 October 2009, 7 pm at the BAG Cottage, Ann St. New members would be most welcome!
Welcome to our new member who joined BAG this week. Growing support is encouraging, please contact me if you would like a membership form.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community Walk – WOW!! Thanks heaps to all the supporters who showed up for the community walk. We had over 20 people do the walk, and it was so much fun that the group want to do another one!! I have had many more people say they wished they had remembered this one, so a bigger roll up is anticipated for the next one. We will be experiencing the walk from the Weir to Fisherman’s Rest. Details are being finalised, which may include a BBQ at the end …. I will let you know details in the next update.
Child Care Centre – Jayne McLean is our newly appointed Child Care Centre Working Party Co-ordinator. Jayne has a true passion for education and for that reason she is pursuing the establishment of a childcare centre in Mitchell with an amazing enthusiasm. Jayne has reviewed the Childcare act and regulations and summarised the requirements; we have inspected the old kindy centre with regards to reopening as a childcare centre (with renovations!); Jayne has spoken to the Office of Early Childhood Education and Childcare consultants and has a meeting with them in Toowoomba this week for more advice and assistance (funding and procedures etc); we are currently locating building plans for the old kindy so as to assess its capacity; as well as investigating funding opportunities for new businesses etc. There has been some great progress by Jayne, who would greatly appreciate any support from interested community members!
Events Calendar Noticeboards – Just a reminder that if you would like details of your event in the noticeboards, please contact me for an Event data capture sheet.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Mitchell Get Together - Friday Night Roast & Fantasy Dress - A warm up before Saturday night’s reunion. Come along for a Roast Dinner and raffle night of fun. Lets all meet up, old and new Mitchell clan members. Friday 2 October 2009, 6.30 pm at the Courthouse Hotel. $12 for an Adult and $7 for Children under 12.
Australia’s Open Garden Scheme Open Garden Day – 3 gardens are opening in the Mitchell area on 3 and 4 October 2009 from 9am to 5pm. Mrs Mansfield’s garden, 160 Alice St; My Family Garden, 62 Alice St ; and Wallhallow, Injune Rd, Amby.
Feel Good Expo (Mental Health Week) – Thursday 8 October 2009, 10 am – 3 pm at the Great Artesian Spa, Mitchell. Come along and see what great services and activities are available in the community and in the district. Come in and browse the information on hand and collect some of the giveaways available on the day. Activities include: Reiki, Scrapbooking / Bookmarks / Cardmaking (bring a photo!), Gentle Exercise, Breath Relaxation, Guest Speakers. Kids area available. Morning tea and lunch provided free of charge!
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Update - 9 September 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Community Workshops – our first workshops on Project Management proved a very entertaining two evenings. Lots of information and ideas were shared to apply our learnings to current community projects. If you have missed the first workshop but would still like to be able to do the other workshops and get the certificate of attainment, it’s not too late! I have had a few enquiries on this already, so am arranging a catch up day for those community members who missed the first workshop. Please contact me if you want some more information on this.
Some feedback we received:
“This workshop has been extremely worthwhile to me as I have realised how so many people are interested in working for the community. Not only are we keen to progress relevant projects, but are happy to work together.” Donna McCarrol
“The course was a great opportunity for busy people to be focused for a period of time on community projects. Further, the attendees are gaining valuable project management tools that can be shared and taught to others.” Adam McEvoy
“The workshop taught me that from the simplest idea, by developing a plan of action and working through it you can attain success.” Christine Waldron
“I felt that the course presented by Pen allowed for all participants to engage in discussion relating to the topics presented. The open format of this course allowed for an exchange of ideas that could be directly related to the needs of the individual projects as per need. Through Pen’s enthusiastic and positive approach attendees were able to engage in self exploration not only in regard to individual projects but also the management of those projects in regard to human resources and directional input. The loose structure of the program allowed for an expanse of ideas that could be pinned to a variety of uses beyond the sole purpose of project management per say. Through hands on engagement I feel more was learnt as people were able to be actively involved in the process of their learning, taking from the program what was necessary for them in a point in time.” Tilly Butler-Woodall
Our next workshop is Leadership - Monday 14 September and Tuesday 15 September 2009, 6.00 pm – 9.00 pm. Explore leadership styles and qualities, leadership vs management, leadership models and develop skills to become a more effective leader. All welcome! Please contact me to register.
A decision was made at our last general meeting to move to holding our General Meetings every two months, instead of each month. Please note that there will be no General Meeting this month.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community Walk – On Sunday 27 September 2009, the BAG Walking Track working party will be going for a walk! They will be investigating and mapping our current tracks. We would like to invite community members to come along on this walk with us. It will be a perfect opportunity to discuss the how, when, where, why and who’s of improving our local tracks for both walking and cycling while we casually walk and talk! We will, of course, continue to liaise with Council on the work they and external consultants are doing to map out potential walking tracks. No RSVP necessary, just join us if you can. We will be meeting at the swimming pool entrance at 4 pm.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Child Safety Awareness while using Mobile Phones – To coincide with National Child Protection Week, concerned parents are hosting a public meeting to raise awareness for an emergent local issue regarding the use of mobile phone chats. This is a real and growing issue where the safety of our children is at risk. Everyone is invited to attend the meeting being held Thursday, 10 September 2009 at 7pm, at the Mitchell Town Hall. Guest speakers include Telstra, AIRG, a representative from the Mayor's office, and representatives from Hon Bruce Scott MP. The whole community needs to know how BIG and REAL this problem is. Please come along to find out how to be mobile safe and smart. A light supper is provided so please help by letting Cathy know if you can attend – phone 4623 6662 or email csomp@yahoo.com.au ...
Mitchell goes digital! Upgrades have been completed which now allow Mitchell & Amby residents to receive digital television. You will need a digital ready television or set top box to access this new service which includes some new channels - ABC1, ABC2 and the soon to be broadcast ABC3. The new digital frequency gives you stereo sound and with the right equipment you can pause, rewind and record live tv! Worth following up if this is of interest to you.
Check out the new and improved Heartland FM 102.1 – Heartland FM have just installed a VPN connection to their transmitters which means daily updates from their base studio …. every day if need be! For the past six years Heartland FM have had to come out and update the data base at each site, technology has made this no longer necessary, so any community service items can now be handled on a daily basis. Please contact me if you would more information and contact details for the station.
Calling Youth for Applications in Maranoa Youth Council - If you are between the ages of 12-25 years, and looking to develop your leadership and social skills, want to voice the opinions of youth within the Maranoa region, or create and work on projects and events for youth to participate in, then nominate to become part of the first Maranoa Youth Council! Youth Council membership is free and will run annually for 12 months from November to November. Youth Council members will get to work closely with Maranoa Regional Council’s Regional Youth Coordinator, Samantha Grant, and will have the opportunity to assist with a variety of regional and national community events along with investigating projects of their desire! The first elected Youth Council members will have the opportunity to vote for the new Council’s name and also design the logo. Applications are now open to all youth between 12-25 years and who reside within the Maranoa region. Visit www.maranoa.qld.gov.au/community/youth.shtml . Applications close 5:00 pm on Friday, 9 October 2009 for the 2010 Council. For further details, please feel free to contact the Regional Youth Coordinator – Samantha Grant on 1300 007 662 or at regionalyouthcoordinator@maranoa.qld.gov.au
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Community Workshops – our first workshops on Project Management proved a very entertaining two evenings. Lots of information and ideas were shared to apply our learnings to current community projects. If you have missed the first workshop but would still like to be able to do the other workshops and get the certificate of attainment, it’s not too late! I have had a few enquiries on this already, so am arranging a catch up day for those community members who missed the first workshop. Please contact me if you want some more information on this.
Some feedback we received:
“This workshop has been extremely worthwhile to me as I have realised how so many people are interested in working for the community. Not only are we keen to progress relevant projects, but are happy to work together.” Donna McCarrol
“The course was a great opportunity for busy people to be focused for a period of time on community projects. Further, the attendees are gaining valuable project management tools that can be shared and taught to others.” Adam McEvoy
“The workshop taught me that from the simplest idea, by developing a plan of action and working through it you can attain success.” Christine Waldron
“I felt that the course presented by Pen allowed for all participants to engage in discussion relating to the topics presented. The open format of this course allowed for an exchange of ideas that could be directly related to the needs of the individual projects as per need. Through Pen’s enthusiastic and positive approach attendees were able to engage in self exploration not only in regard to individual projects but also the management of those projects in regard to human resources and directional input. The loose structure of the program allowed for an expanse of ideas that could be pinned to a variety of uses beyond the sole purpose of project management per say. Through hands on engagement I feel more was learnt as people were able to be actively involved in the process of their learning, taking from the program what was necessary for them in a point in time.” Tilly Butler-Woodall
Our next workshop is Leadership - Monday 14 September and Tuesday 15 September 2009, 6.00 pm – 9.00 pm. Explore leadership styles and qualities, leadership vs management, leadership models and develop skills to become a more effective leader. All welcome! Please contact me to register.
A decision was made at our last general meeting to move to holding our General Meetings every two months, instead of each month. Please note that there will be no General Meeting this month.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Community Walk – On Sunday 27 September 2009, the BAG Walking Track working party will be going for a walk! They will be investigating and mapping our current tracks. We would like to invite community members to come along on this walk with us. It will be a perfect opportunity to discuss the how, when, where, why and who’s of improving our local tracks for both walking and cycling while we casually walk and talk! We will, of course, continue to liaise with Council on the work they and external consultants are doing to map out potential walking tracks. No RSVP necessary, just join us if you can. We will be meeting at the swimming pool entrance at 4 pm.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Child Safety Awareness while using Mobile Phones – To coincide with National Child Protection Week, concerned parents are hosting a public meeting to raise awareness for an emergent local issue regarding the use of mobile phone chats. This is a real and growing issue where the safety of our children is at risk. Everyone is invited to attend the meeting being held Thursday, 10 September 2009 at 7pm, at the Mitchell Town Hall. Guest speakers include Telstra, AIRG, a representative from the Mayor's office, and representatives from Hon Bruce Scott MP. The whole community needs to know how BIG and REAL this problem is. Please come along to find out how to be mobile safe and smart. A light supper is provided so please help by letting Cathy know if you can attend – phone 4623 6662 or email csomp@yahoo.com.au ...
Mitchell goes digital! Upgrades have been completed which now allow Mitchell & Amby residents to receive digital television. You will need a digital ready television or set top box to access this new service which includes some new channels - ABC1, ABC2 and the soon to be broadcast ABC3. The new digital frequency gives you stereo sound and with the right equipment you can pause, rewind and record live tv! Worth following up if this is of interest to you.
Check out the new and improved Heartland FM 102.1 – Heartland FM have just installed a VPN connection to their transmitters which means daily updates from their base studio …. every day if need be! For the past six years Heartland FM have had to come out and update the data base at each site, technology has made this no longer necessary, so any community service items can now be handled on a daily basis. Please contact me if you would more information and contact details for the station.
Calling Youth for Applications in Maranoa Youth Council - If you are between the ages of 12-25 years, and looking to develop your leadership and social skills, want to voice the opinions of youth within the Maranoa region, or create and work on projects and events for youth to participate in, then nominate to become part of the first Maranoa Youth Council! Youth Council membership is free and will run annually for 12 months from November to November. Youth Council members will get to work closely with Maranoa Regional Council’s Regional Youth Coordinator, Samantha Grant, and will have the opportunity to assist with a variety of regional and national community events along with investigating projects of their desire! The first elected Youth Council members will have the opportunity to vote for the new Council’s name and also design the logo. Applications are now open to all youth between 12-25 years and who reside within the Maranoa region. Visit www.maranoa.qld.gov.au/community/youth.shtml . Applications close 5:00 pm on Friday, 9 October 2009 for the 2010 Council. For further details, please feel free to contact the Regional Youth Coordinator – Samantha Grant on 1300 007 662 or at regionalyouthcoordinator@maranoa.qld.gov.au
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Update - 12 August 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Community workshops begin next week!
These workshops are designed for community members who are actively involved in not for profit community groups who want to further develop their skills to be effective committee members, wish to see the continued development and growth of the Booringa community, and want to seek new opportunities for personal development.
Workshop 1 – Manage Projects
Monday 17 August and Tuesday 18 August 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
This workshop covers the management of projects including the development of a project plan, administering and monitoring the project, finalising the project and reviewing the project to identify lessons learnt for application to future projects.
Workshop 2 – Leadership
Monday 14 September and Tuesday 15 September 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Explore leadership styles and qualities, leadership vs management, leadership models and develop skills to become a more effective leader.
Workshop 3 – Time Management
Monday 19 October and Tuesday 20 October 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Couldn’t we all use some more time! Learn strategies (that work) to make the most of each day and give you more time to enjoy the things you love. Time management is also about using given time more efficiently and to reduce procrastination. This workshop will give you the tools you need to make the most of your time.
Workshop 4 – Communication
Monday 16 November and Tuesday 17 November 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Covers communication styles, communicating for change as well as practical advice for communicating with the media. Also includes tips for email communication and writing newsletters.
Workshop 5 – Meeting procedures / Governance
Monday 7 December and Tuesday 8 December 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Tips and ideas to ensure more productive and quicker meetings. Also covers the essentials for good governance.
These workshops have been designed to develop the leadership capacity of active community members to ensure the successful implementation of projects of benefit to the community. All workshop participants will receive a resource kit full of practical resources for use in their community groups. You may choose to participate in one, some or all of the workshops. Participants who complete all 5 workshops will be awarded a Statement of Attainment for the accredited training competency BSBPMG510A Manage Projects. These workshops are free for community members. The development and delivery of this program has been made available by the State Department of Employment, Economic Development and innovation through the Blueprint for the Bush program.
Please contact me if you would like to register for any of these workshops.
Don’t forget the Business & Community Networking Dinner on Friday 21 August 2009, commencing at 6.45 pm at the Berkeley Restaurant. Previous community dinners have been well supported and we look forward to hosting another successful dinner where community members are provided the opportunity to share ideas for how we can ensure the continued growth and development of our town. Cost is $28. Please RSVP to me by 16 August 2009. Everyone welcome!
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Mitchell Show Society proudly presents the Camel Races - Saturday 29th August, 2009 at Mitchell Show Grounds. Bring the whole family along for a fun day with * Fashions on the Field, * Novelty Events, * Stalls, * Jumping Castle, * Face Painting & * so much more. Rides to be auctioned to the public before each race. Gates open at 10 am - First race at 1 pm. Bar & canteen. Admission $5 or $15 for a family. Entertainment til midnight with Neil Duddy. Free camping available at the grounds. So bring your swag & all your mates for a great time! For more information contact Steve Hancock on 0447 721 211. See you all there!!
St Patrick’s Primary School is having a Family Portrait Fundraising Day on Sunday 16 August 2009. For only $20 you will receive a 33 cm x 25 cm framed photo in a quality wooden frame normally valued at $75. No catch!! Experienced portrait photographers will ensure the best possible results for your family. You will have the opportunity to purchase additional photographs at most affordable prices. To book your appointment time, please ring the school on 4623 1448. Upon receipt of your $20 you will be notified of your sitting time. Please note: a parent or guardian MUST appear in the $20 offer and is limited to one $20 offer per family.
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Community workshops begin next week!
These workshops are designed for community members who are actively involved in not for profit community groups who want to further develop their skills to be effective committee members, wish to see the continued development and growth of the Booringa community, and want to seek new opportunities for personal development.
Workshop 1 – Manage Projects
Monday 17 August and Tuesday 18 August 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
This workshop covers the management of projects including the development of a project plan, administering and monitoring the project, finalising the project and reviewing the project to identify lessons learnt for application to future projects.
Workshop 2 – Leadership
Monday 14 September and Tuesday 15 September 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Explore leadership styles and qualities, leadership vs management, leadership models and develop skills to become a more effective leader.
Workshop 3 – Time Management
Monday 19 October and Tuesday 20 October 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Couldn’t we all use some more time! Learn strategies (that work) to make the most of each day and give you more time to enjoy the things you love. Time management is also about using given time more efficiently and to reduce procrastination. This workshop will give you the tools you need to make the most of your time.
Workshop 4 – Communication
Monday 16 November and Tuesday 17 November 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Covers communication styles, communicating for change as well as practical advice for communicating with the media. Also includes tips for email communication and writing newsletters.
Workshop 5 – Meeting procedures / Governance
Monday 7 December and Tuesday 8 December 2009
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Tips and ideas to ensure more productive and quicker meetings. Also covers the essentials for good governance.
These workshops have been designed to develop the leadership capacity of active community members to ensure the successful implementation of projects of benefit to the community. All workshop participants will receive a resource kit full of practical resources for use in their community groups. You may choose to participate in one, some or all of the workshops. Participants who complete all 5 workshops will be awarded a Statement of Attainment for the accredited training competency BSBPMG510A Manage Projects. These workshops are free for community members. The development and delivery of this program has been made available by the State Department of Employment, Economic Development and innovation through the Blueprint for the Bush program.
Please contact me if you would like to register for any of these workshops.
Don’t forget the Business & Community Networking Dinner on Friday 21 August 2009, commencing at 6.45 pm at the Berkeley Restaurant. Previous community dinners have been well supported and we look forward to hosting another successful dinner where community members are provided the opportunity to share ideas for how we can ensure the continued growth and development of our town. Cost is $28. Please RSVP to me by 16 August 2009. Everyone welcome!
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Mitchell Show Society proudly presents the Camel Races - Saturday 29th August, 2009 at Mitchell Show Grounds. Bring the whole family along for a fun day with * Fashions on the Field, * Novelty Events, * Stalls, * Jumping Castle, * Face Painting & * so much more. Rides to be auctioned to the public before each race. Gates open at 10 am - First race at 1 pm. Bar & canteen. Admission $5 or $15 for a family. Entertainment til midnight with Neil Duddy. Free camping available at the grounds. So bring your swag & all your mates for a great time! For more information contact Steve Hancock on 0447 721 211. See you all there!!
St Patrick’s Primary School is having a Family Portrait Fundraising Day on Sunday 16 August 2009. For only $20 you will receive a 33 cm x 25 cm framed photo in a quality wooden frame normally valued at $75. No catch!! Experienced portrait photographers will ensure the best possible results for your family. You will have the opportunity to purchase additional photographs at most affordable prices. To book your appointment time, please ring the school on 4623 1448. Upon receipt of your $20 you will be notified of your sitting time. Please note: a parent or guardian MUST appear in the $20 offer and is limited to one $20 offer per family.
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Update - 6 August 2009
BAG NEWS ….
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE!! …… The BAG Annual Meeting will be now be held on Friday 21 August 2009, 6.00 pm, at the Berkeley Restaurant, Cambridge Street, Mitchell. This is a week later than previously advised. Following the members’ meeting, a Business & Community Networking Dinner will be held, commencing at 6.45 pm. All community members are invited to attend the networking dinner to help us celebrate our achievements for the past year and to encourage ideas and networking so that BAG may continue to develop projects identified by the community as providing benefits and increasing the Booringa lifestyle.
AIPF Expo – Last week I attended an Australian Institute of Professional Facilitators Expo at the Gold Coast. This Expo was beneficial in providing some ideas to use in facilitation, marketing and organisational development. I received some very helpful advice and tools to assist with developing and delivering training. Most importantly, it was an opportunity to network and get the name and activities of BAG out to more people further afield.
Community Workshops – The design of these workshops on project management, time management, communication, leadership and meeting procedures is nearing completion. Dates and times will be advertised very soon!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Computer Fix It Person - Booringa Action Group is seriously looking into establishing a business involving the repair and unscrambling of computers – an IT Fix It person. This could also include Workshops designed to help confused amateur operators to get satisfying results from their equipment. So, we are asking for an expression of interest in this service and any ideas as to how you would like to see it operate. Also, we would like to know what other services you would appreciate having available in Mitchell – just let us know and we will look into it because you never know your luck! Think how much easier and less time and fuel consuming it would be not to have to travel to Roma, Toowoomba or Brisbane to get these jobs done.
COMMUNITY NEWS …….
The Maranoa Arts Gateway Tea Cosy competition will be on show for all of this month, go along to the craft shop and be the judge of the best tea cosy in the Maranoa!
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE!! …… The BAG Annual Meeting will be now be held on Friday 21 August 2009, 6.00 pm, at the Berkeley Restaurant, Cambridge Street, Mitchell. This is a week later than previously advised. Following the members’ meeting, a Business & Community Networking Dinner will be held, commencing at 6.45 pm. All community members are invited to attend the networking dinner to help us celebrate our achievements for the past year and to encourage ideas and networking so that BAG may continue to develop projects identified by the community as providing benefits and increasing the Booringa lifestyle.
AIPF Expo – Last week I attended an Australian Institute of Professional Facilitators Expo at the Gold Coast. This Expo was beneficial in providing some ideas to use in facilitation, marketing and organisational development. I received some very helpful advice and tools to assist with developing and delivering training. Most importantly, it was an opportunity to network and get the name and activities of BAG out to more people further afield.
Community Workshops – The design of these workshops on project management, time management, communication, leadership and meeting procedures is nearing completion. Dates and times will be advertised very soon!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Computer Fix It Person - Booringa Action Group is seriously looking into establishing a business involving the repair and unscrambling of computers – an IT Fix It person. This could also include Workshops designed to help confused amateur operators to get satisfying results from their equipment. So, we are asking for an expression of interest in this service and any ideas as to how you would like to see it operate. Also, we would like to know what other services you would appreciate having available in Mitchell – just let us know and we will look into it because you never know your luck! Think how much easier and less time and fuel consuming it would be not to have to travel to Roma, Toowoomba or Brisbane to get these jobs done.
COMMUNITY NEWS …….
The Maranoa Arts Gateway Tea Cosy competition will be on show for all of this month, go along to the craft shop and be the judge of the best tea cosy in the Maranoa!
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Update - 17 July 2009
BAG NEWS ….
The BAG Annual Meeting will be held on Friday 14 August 2009, 6.00 pm, at the Berkeley Restaurant, Cambridge Street, Mitchell. Following the members’ meeting, a Business & Community Networking Dinner will be held, commencing at 6.45 pm. All community members are invited to attend the networking dinner to help us celebrate our achievements for the past year and to encourage ideas and networking so that BAG may continue to develop projects identified by the community as providing benefits and increasing the Booringa lifestyle.
Adam McEvoy met this week with Senator John Hogg, current President of the Senate. This provided an opportunity to raise some of our local issues with the Senator. Adam discussed the desperate need for a child care centre, the sand issues at the weir, rubbish recycling and Qld Rail’s decision to discontinue rail freight from Roma to Mitchell amongst other things. We will need to wait and see if there are any tangible outcomes from this meeting, but the more profile we can give our town, our organisation and our issues, the better our chances of ensuring we don’t miss any opportunity!
The next Aussie Host workshop has been scheduled for Wednesday 5 August 2009 at the Agforce Building in Roma. Please contact me for a registration form.
Along with the steady stream of membership renewals, we also welcome another new member who has joined BAG this week. This continued increase in membership is most encouraging!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Dentist
It has been a huge effort to coordinate the support of all stakeholders, but we are now at the stage where a dental company who offer fly-in, fly-out services has been sourced and an enormous amount of progress has been made. These guys could be operating as early as the end of August!
Noticeboards
As you may have seen, we have now put something in our new noticeboards! Keep in mind that this is an interim ‘display’ as we are still developing the permanent photos and posters that will be going in. We are happy to include any and all local events, please contact me if you would like details of your event included. I believe that the line dancers had 5 tourists attend their session this week, following the calendar of events going up last Friday!
Sewerage Treatment Farm
Adam McEvoy and Kent Morris met with representatives from Santos and Noela Ward and Ed Simms from the Maranoa Regional Council. We gained a greater understanding of what Santos is doing in rejuvenating work site landscapes and discussed the potential for using the sewerage treatment plant and accompanying land for growing and supplying seed stock. There are a number of parties involved and the next step is to meet again with a view to building a project feasibility.
COMMUNITY NEWS …….
Fun Bowls Day this Saturday! Names in by 1.30 pm, play starts 2 pm at the Mitchell Bowls Club. Select your own team, 4 players to a team. Multi-draw raffle and BBQ. For more information phone Kerry at the Hospital – 4623 1277.
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
The BAG Annual Meeting will be held on Friday 14 August 2009, 6.00 pm, at the Berkeley Restaurant, Cambridge Street, Mitchell. Following the members’ meeting, a Business & Community Networking Dinner will be held, commencing at 6.45 pm. All community members are invited to attend the networking dinner to help us celebrate our achievements for the past year and to encourage ideas and networking so that BAG may continue to develop projects identified by the community as providing benefits and increasing the Booringa lifestyle.
Adam McEvoy met this week with Senator John Hogg, current President of the Senate. This provided an opportunity to raise some of our local issues with the Senator. Adam discussed the desperate need for a child care centre, the sand issues at the weir, rubbish recycling and Qld Rail’s decision to discontinue rail freight from Roma to Mitchell amongst other things. We will need to wait and see if there are any tangible outcomes from this meeting, but the more profile we can give our town, our organisation and our issues, the better our chances of ensuring we don’t miss any opportunity!
The next Aussie Host workshop has been scheduled for Wednesday 5 August 2009 at the Agforce Building in Roma. Please contact me for a registration form.
Along with the steady stream of membership renewals, we also welcome another new member who has joined BAG this week. This continued increase in membership is most encouraging!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Dentist
It has been a huge effort to coordinate the support of all stakeholders, but we are now at the stage where a dental company who offer fly-in, fly-out services has been sourced and an enormous amount of progress has been made. These guys could be operating as early as the end of August!
Noticeboards
As you may have seen, we have now put something in our new noticeboards! Keep in mind that this is an interim ‘display’ as we are still developing the permanent photos and posters that will be going in. We are happy to include any and all local events, please contact me if you would like details of your event included. I believe that the line dancers had 5 tourists attend their session this week, following the calendar of events going up last Friday!
Sewerage Treatment Farm
Adam McEvoy and Kent Morris met with representatives from Santos and Noela Ward and Ed Simms from the Maranoa Regional Council. We gained a greater understanding of what Santos is doing in rejuvenating work site landscapes and discussed the potential for using the sewerage treatment plant and accompanying land for growing and supplying seed stock. There are a number of parties involved and the next step is to meet again with a view to building a project feasibility.
COMMUNITY NEWS …….
Fun Bowls Day this Saturday! Names in by 1.30 pm, play starts 2 pm at the Mitchell Bowls Club. Select your own team, 4 players to a team. Multi-draw raffle and BBQ. For more information phone Kerry at the Hospital – 4623 1277.
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Update - 6 July 2009
BAG NEWS ….
It has been a while since our last update, not because there has been nothing going on …. But because there has been too much going on!
BAG has been successful in a proposal to facilitate a Women Leading Change Case Studies program. This project will identify six women leaders to be case studies, from a business perspective. This will provide an opportunity for local women to explore new business ideas, or to develop existing businesses, as well as to develop leadership and management skills. The application process is still being developed and I will provide more information as it becomes available. Local women are encouraged to start thinking about some good business ideas that they would like to develop with the support of this project.
The BAG July General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 8 July 2009, 7.00 pm, at BAG cottage in Ann Street, Mitchell. All welcome!
We welcome 2 new members who have joined BAG recently.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Main Roads
Last week, BAG met with Bruce Scott to discuss the options currently being explored in relation to the bridge upgrades necessary for Type II Road Trains. Mr Scott has advised Main Roads that the Mitchell community would not support a heavy vehicle detour via Winchester Street. Mr Scott went on to explain that with limited funds available, Main Roads’ priority should be road improvements, as this will provide more benefits than a new bridge. On Mr Scott’s suggestion, Main Roads is exploring viable options for a light system on the bridge to address safety issues.
Noticeboards
As you may have noticed, our notice boards are now up! You may also have noticed that they are empty …. We are working on this. These noticeboards are designed to be an Event Calendar noticeboard, to advertise local events to both locals and tourists. A dateclaimer section will provide notice of long term event dates to assist with planning. If you have an upcoming event that you would like to advertise in the noticeboards, please email me for an electronic data capture sheet.
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
It has been a while since our last update, not because there has been nothing going on …. But because there has been too much going on!
BAG has been successful in a proposal to facilitate a Women Leading Change Case Studies program. This project will identify six women leaders to be case studies, from a business perspective. This will provide an opportunity for local women to explore new business ideas, or to develop existing businesses, as well as to develop leadership and management skills. The application process is still being developed and I will provide more information as it becomes available. Local women are encouraged to start thinking about some good business ideas that they would like to develop with the support of this project.
The BAG July General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 8 July 2009, 7.00 pm, at BAG cottage in Ann Street, Mitchell. All welcome!
We welcome 2 new members who have joined BAG recently.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Main Roads
Last week, BAG met with Bruce Scott to discuss the options currently being explored in relation to the bridge upgrades necessary for Type II Road Trains. Mr Scott has advised Main Roads that the Mitchell community would not support a heavy vehicle detour via Winchester Street. Mr Scott went on to explain that with limited funds available, Main Roads’ priority should be road improvements, as this will provide more benefits than a new bridge. On Mr Scott’s suggestion, Main Roads is exploring viable options for a light system on the bridge to address safety issues.
Noticeboards
As you may have noticed, our notice boards are now up! You may also have noticed that they are empty …. We are working on this. These noticeboards are designed to be an Event Calendar noticeboard, to advertise local events to both locals and tourists. A dateclaimer section will provide notice of long term event dates to assist with planning. If you have an upcoming event that you would like to advertise in the noticeboards, please email me for an electronic data capture sheet.
Until next time! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Update - 10 June 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Booringa Action Group is currently undertaking many projects of benefit to the Mitchell community. As you may be aware, we are working on:
Establishing a permanent dentist in Mitchell
Building a new child care centre
Developing a website
Creating some additional walk/cycle tracks
Getting the sand out of the weir
There are clearly some big projects that may seem unachievable, but we firmly believe that if a committed group can focus their efforts then these projects can be achieved. For this reason, we are actively seeking to increase our membership base to assist us in undertaking our current and future projects. The more people we can get involved, the better the results. In our current structure, members are not required or expected to attend our general meetings. Members join a project working party to focus on their own area of interest. It is anticipated that they will meet as often as needed to progress their projects. Reporting processes are being established to ensure adequate communication back to the Management Committee. The Management Committee will take care of the day-to-day operations, to allow the project working parties to get on with their job! Memberships are now due for the 2009/2010 financial year. Please contact me to request a Membership Application Form.
The June General Meeting is being held tonight, 7.00 pm at the BAG cottage.
Spa Complex – In response to matters raised by BAG in our last email update, the Roma Regional Council quickly undertook a review of the spa management, and produced a report which provides a number of initiatives to be implemented with a view to improving current operations.
Our first Aussie Host workshop is to be held in Mitchell on Monday 29 June 2009, 8.30 am to 5.00 pm. Cost for this workshop is $195 per person, including training manual, tea/coffee and light lunch. Please contact me for a registration form.
AussieHost is a one-day customer service training program that focuses on:
· What is customer service excellence?
· Workplace and professional presentation
· Excelling in communication skills
· Effective telephone communication
· Handling customer complaints
· Who are your customers and how best to serve them.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Main Roads
There has been some media attention recently given to the options being considered for the necessary upgrades to the bridge at Mitchell to accommodate Type 2 Road Trains. Contact is to be made with Main Roads with a view to arranging a public meeting to discuss current proposed alternatives. If you have any feedback on this issue, please let me know so that it can be passed on.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Don’t forget the Sport and Recreation Community Forum is being held in the Mitchell tonight at 6.00 pm at the Council Chambers. Also attending this meeting are Mike Halliburton Associates and Transplan Pty Ltd who are currently preparing a recreation trails strategy for Roma Regional Council as part of the broader Sport and Recreation Plan. The trails project is aimed at developing a strategy for the future development and maintenance of an integrated network of multi-use recreation trails throughout Roma Regional Council. This network should provide quality recreational experiences and access to open space destinations. For this purpose, a recreation trail is any corridor, route or pathway for recreational purposes such as walking, mountain biking, canoeing or recreational horse riding - and which passes through or has a strong connection with the natural environment, open spaces and cultural heritage. A survey has been prepared to assist with future trails planning. The survey is seeking information on who uses what existing trails, for how long, how often and why. It also asks for suggestions for improvements on existing trails, and potential new trails. The trails identified in the survey are trails that we know exist from published sources such as the Council website, Tourism Queensland website and brochures and Visitor Information Centres. All existing trails may not have been recorded. The survey allows you to indicate what other existing trails there are…….If you would like a copy of this survey, please email me.
Until next week! J
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Booringa Action Group is currently undertaking many projects of benefit to the Mitchell community. As you may be aware, we are working on:
Establishing a permanent dentist in Mitchell
Building a new child care centre
Developing a website
Creating some additional walk/cycle tracks
Getting the sand out of the weir
There are clearly some big projects that may seem unachievable, but we firmly believe that if a committed group can focus their efforts then these projects can be achieved. For this reason, we are actively seeking to increase our membership base to assist us in undertaking our current and future projects. The more people we can get involved, the better the results. In our current structure, members are not required or expected to attend our general meetings. Members join a project working party to focus on their own area of interest. It is anticipated that they will meet as often as needed to progress their projects. Reporting processes are being established to ensure adequate communication back to the Management Committee. The Management Committee will take care of the day-to-day operations, to allow the project working parties to get on with their job! Memberships are now due for the 2009/2010 financial year. Please contact me to request a Membership Application Form.
The June General Meeting is being held tonight, 7.00 pm at the BAG cottage.
Spa Complex – In response to matters raised by BAG in our last email update, the Roma Regional Council quickly undertook a review of the spa management, and produced a report which provides a number of initiatives to be implemented with a view to improving current operations.
Our first Aussie Host workshop is to be held in Mitchell on Monday 29 June 2009, 8.30 am to 5.00 pm. Cost for this workshop is $195 per person, including training manual, tea/coffee and light lunch. Please contact me for a registration form.
AussieHost is a one-day customer service training program that focuses on:
· What is customer service excellence?
· Workplace and professional presentation
· Excelling in communication skills
· Effective telephone communication
· Handling customer complaints
· Who are your customers and how best to serve them.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Main Roads
There has been some media attention recently given to the options being considered for the necessary upgrades to the bridge at Mitchell to accommodate Type 2 Road Trains. Contact is to be made with Main Roads with a view to arranging a public meeting to discuss current proposed alternatives. If you have any feedback on this issue, please let me know so that it can be passed on.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Don’t forget the Sport and Recreation Community Forum is being held in the Mitchell tonight at 6.00 pm at the Council Chambers. Also attending this meeting are Mike Halliburton Associates and Transplan Pty Ltd who are currently preparing a recreation trails strategy for Roma Regional Council as part of the broader Sport and Recreation Plan. The trails project is aimed at developing a strategy for the future development and maintenance of an integrated network of multi-use recreation trails throughout Roma Regional Council. This network should provide quality recreational experiences and access to open space destinations. For this purpose, a recreation trail is any corridor, route or pathway for recreational purposes such as walking, mountain biking, canoeing or recreational horse riding - and which passes through or has a strong connection with the natural environment, open spaces and cultural heritage. A survey has been prepared to assist with future trails planning. The survey is seeking information on who uses what existing trails, for how long, how often and why. It also asks for suggestions for improvements on existing trails, and potential new trails. The trails identified in the survey are trails that we know exist from published sources such as the Council website, Tourism Queensland website and brochures and Visitor Information Centres. All existing trails may not have been recorded. The survey allows you to indicate what other existing trails there are…….If you would like a copy of this survey, please email me.
Until next week! J
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Update - 21 May 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Planning is well underway for our Blueprint for the Bush funded project - liveMitchell 2020 Community Workshops. The aim of this project is to increase the capacity of the Booringa community to lead and manage change and development. The following five workshops will be delivered over 5 months, [hopefully] beginning in July 2009.
· Communication
· Leadership
· Time management
· Project management
· Governance / Committee obligations
·
Workshops will be available to all members of the community, with no cost for participants!
Annual BAG memberships are due 1 July. Membership renewals are being prepared for existing members. If you have been considering joining BAG to support our activities, please reply and I will send you a membership application form.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Roma Regional Council Sport and Recreation Plan - community forum dates have been set for the week of 9 -12 June in each area within the region. The Mitchell forum will be held on Wednesday, 10 June 2009, 6.00 pm at the Mitchell Council Chambers. RSVP to Fiona Vincent by Friday 5 June 2009 on 1300 007 662. Please consider taking the opportunity to attend to have your say about Sport & Recreation within the area over the next 10 years. This covers facilities, parks and playgrounds, trails and walking tracks, direction of clubs, training and coaching needs, and so much more. If any person or club/group cannot make the forum, they can speak with Fiona Vincent or the appointed consultant prior to or after the meeting. Roma Regional Council is seeking assistance from all interested community members in writing a comprehensive and workable Regional Sport and Recreation Plan.
Mitchell Scout Group – The Annual General Meeting for the Mitchell Scout Group is to be held at the Mitchell Community Hall (the spa complex) on Monday 1 June 2009 starting at 5.30 pm. All are welcome to attend, so please come along and show your support for renewing this activity which provides very beneficial activities for our local youth.
Pink Bowls Fun Day – Bring the family along and support the Queensland Cancer Fund. Saturday 6 June 2009 at the Mitchell Bowls Club. Names in by 1.30 pm, play starts 2.00 pm. Dress PINK – prizes for best dressed adult and child. Multi Draw Raffle – Spider – Sausage Sizzle. For more information, please contact Julie Kennedy MHEP on 4623 7236 or the Mitchell Bowling Club on 4623 1267. Local businesses can donate to the multi-draw, any contribution would be greatly appreciated! Donated items can be left with Sharyn or Jenny at the Landcare/BAG office.
Dateclaimer: The Amby Progress Association will be holding their next Charity Auction on Sunday, 9 August 2009 at the Amby Hotel. If you are having a clean out over the next few months, please consider donating your surplus goods to this Charity Auction. More details to come!
Until next week! J
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Planning is well underway for our Blueprint for the Bush funded project - liveMitchell 2020 Community Workshops. The aim of this project is to increase the capacity of the Booringa community to lead and manage change and development. The following five workshops will be delivered over 5 months, [hopefully] beginning in July 2009.
· Communication
· Leadership
· Time management
· Project management
· Governance / Committee obligations
·
Workshops will be available to all members of the community, with no cost for participants!
Annual BAG memberships are due 1 July. Membership renewals are being prepared for existing members. If you have been considering joining BAG to support our activities, please reply and I will send you a membership application form.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Roma Regional Council Sport and Recreation Plan - community forum dates have been set for the week of 9 -12 June in each area within the region. The Mitchell forum will be held on Wednesday, 10 June 2009, 6.00 pm at the Mitchell Council Chambers. RSVP to Fiona Vincent by Friday 5 June 2009 on 1300 007 662. Please consider taking the opportunity to attend to have your say about Sport & Recreation within the area over the next 10 years. This covers facilities, parks and playgrounds, trails and walking tracks, direction of clubs, training and coaching needs, and so much more. If any person or club/group cannot make the forum, they can speak with Fiona Vincent or the appointed consultant prior to or after the meeting. Roma Regional Council is seeking assistance from all interested community members in writing a comprehensive and workable Regional Sport and Recreation Plan.
Mitchell Scout Group – The Annual General Meeting for the Mitchell Scout Group is to be held at the Mitchell Community Hall (the spa complex) on Monday 1 June 2009 starting at 5.30 pm. All are welcome to attend, so please come along and show your support for renewing this activity which provides very beneficial activities for our local youth.
Pink Bowls Fun Day – Bring the family along and support the Queensland Cancer Fund. Saturday 6 June 2009 at the Mitchell Bowls Club. Names in by 1.30 pm, play starts 2.00 pm. Dress PINK – prizes for best dressed adult and child. Multi Draw Raffle – Spider – Sausage Sizzle. For more information, please contact Julie Kennedy MHEP on 4623 7236 or the Mitchell Bowling Club on 4623 1267. Local businesses can donate to the multi-draw, any contribution would be greatly appreciated! Donated items can be left with Sharyn or Jenny at the Landcare/BAG office.
Dateclaimer: The Amby Progress Association will be holding their next Charity Auction on Sunday, 9 August 2009 at the Amby Hotel. If you are having a clean out over the next few months, please consider donating your surplus goods to this Charity Auction. More details to come!
Until next week! J
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Update - 15 May 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Our May General Meeting was held on Wednesday night, and although not a huge turn out, it was a productive meeting.
We resolved to write to council regarding the current operation of the spa complex. We have received some not so positive feedback from the community and tourists as to the level of customer service, cleanliness, and a general lack of atmosphere to the complex. The Mitchell community relies heavily on the spa as the major draw card for tourism, and without a level of standard to ensure repeat business, the whole community suffers. We need to harness every opportunity for local economic stimulus, and to miss out on those tourist dollars is of detriment to local businesses with flow on effects to the whole community.
We have had a prospective lessee come to have a look at the River Boat! It would be great to have this asset being put to some use, given that we are unable to use it in the Maranoa River.
Customer Service – Isn’t it obvious? Booringa Action Group is making arrangements for our first AussieHost customer service training program. Thousands of untraceable dollars are lost from the Booringa economy each year from customers choosing to shop elsewhere due to poor or indifferent service. In today’s competitive marketplace, if you don’t provide good service you won’t attract customers, and without customers, you don’t have a business! While it may seem obvious, Australian businesses in general have been slow to develop a service culture. Many businesses still reflect a lack of customer focus, with owners believing that their service levels do not need improvement – we’re okay, they say, it’s everyone else that needs to lift their game. In a highly competitive marketplace, it is the ability and willingness to deliver service excellence that lifts a business above its competitors and brings commercial success. Customer service is real, it matters, and more importantly, it is achievable. AussieHost is a nationally recognised customer service training program delivered across Australia. This exciting and dynamic training program focuses on interpersonal communications, customer relations and service. It builds personal, professional and community pride and inspires a greater commitment to providing better service. Most importantly it provides participants with the appropriate skills and knowledge to deliver high quality customer service. AussieHost’s unique approach focuses not only on skill development, but on versatility, innovation, self reliance and self confidence and ensures that the individual takes responsibility for their service delivery. Through successful facilitation, participants learn that a positive attitude to service and improved skills can make a difference to their personal development and their business opportunities.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Child Care Centre – C&K have advised that they are currently reviewing our proposal and we hope to hear back from them in the not too distant future, while BAG, the Kindy and Council continue collecting support for this project.
Sand / Weir – SunWater have replied to our letter bringing the current state of the weir to their attention and asking for their assistance. SunWater realises the problem, but there is little they can do, as the operation of their ‘business’ expects users of the facility to pay for any maintenance work. As it is classed as a storage facility for irrigation, it is obviously not viable to ask the ‘users’ to pay for it to be dredged! So back to the drawing board, and we will continue negotiations with dredge operators and explore further possible markets for the sand.
Dentist – A representative from the dentist practice visited Mitchell last week, to inspect facilities and meet with local stakeholders. This was a very successful visit, with all good news regarding available facilities. There are a few more details still to be finalised and signed off on, but it all looks very promising for a dentist in Mitchell to become a reality very soon.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Qcoss social policy and advocacy forums 2009 – You are invited to attend the QCOSS Social Policy forum taking place at the Roma Neighbourhood Centre on the 26 May 2009 from 10 til 2pm. These forums will - give you and your organisation the opportunity to comment on social issues faced by your community and workshop recommendations to address them; analyse opportunities for local advocacy arising from the state election; report back on QCOSS advocacy work in 2008 and the local and state-wide results of the previous round of policy forums; improve QCOSS’ regional networks and mechanisms for feeding in to our policy and advocacy work. To register, please call Allyson Spears on 3004 6900.
Port-a-bowl – Active Roma has purchased a portable 10-pin bowling kit as a fun and enjoyable new sport for Roma and outlying communities (including Mitchell!). Port-a-bowl consist of five lanes and five sets of pins and balls which can be set up in a community hall or undercover area. Port-a-bowl is a modified 10-pin bowling game which could teach people of all ages and abilities the basic skills of 10-pin bowling, while developing the co-ordination of players working together. To access the Port-a-bowl kit, free of charge, for your community group, please phone Jasmine Glasson on 0428 200 033.
Until next week! J
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Our May General Meeting was held on Wednesday night, and although not a huge turn out, it was a productive meeting.
We resolved to write to council regarding the current operation of the spa complex. We have received some not so positive feedback from the community and tourists as to the level of customer service, cleanliness, and a general lack of atmosphere to the complex. The Mitchell community relies heavily on the spa as the major draw card for tourism, and without a level of standard to ensure repeat business, the whole community suffers. We need to harness every opportunity for local economic stimulus, and to miss out on those tourist dollars is of detriment to local businesses with flow on effects to the whole community.
We have had a prospective lessee come to have a look at the River Boat! It would be great to have this asset being put to some use, given that we are unable to use it in the Maranoa River.
Customer Service – Isn’t it obvious? Booringa Action Group is making arrangements for our first AussieHost customer service training program. Thousands of untraceable dollars are lost from the Booringa economy each year from customers choosing to shop elsewhere due to poor or indifferent service. In today’s competitive marketplace, if you don’t provide good service you won’t attract customers, and without customers, you don’t have a business! While it may seem obvious, Australian businesses in general have been slow to develop a service culture. Many businesses still reflect a lack of customer focus, with owners believing that their service levels do not need improvement – we’re okay, they say, it’s everyone else that needs to lift their game. In a highly competitive marketplace, it is the ability and willingness to deliver service excellence that lifts a business above its competitors and brings commercial success. Customer service is real, it matters, and more importantly, it is achievable. AussieHost is a nationally recognised customer service training program delivered across Australia. This exciting and dynamic training program focuses on interpersonal communications, customer relations and service. It builds personal, professional and community pride and inspires a greater commitment to providing better service. Most importantly it provides participants with the appropriate skills and knowledge to deliver high quality customer service. AussieHost’s unique approach focuses not only on skill development, but on versatility, innovation, self reliance and self confidence and ensures that the individual takes responsibility for their service delivery. Through successful facilitation, participants learn that a positive attitude to service and improved skills can make a difference to their personal development and their business opportunities.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Child Care Centre – C&K have advised that they are currently reviewing our proposal and we hope to hear back from them in the not too distant future, while BAG, the Kindy and Council continue collecting support for this project.
Sand / Weir – SunWater have replied to our letter bringing the current state of the weir to their attention and asking for their assistance. SunWater realises the problem, but there is little they can do, as the operation of their ‘business’ expects users of the facility to pay for any maintenance work. As it is classed as a storage facility for irrigation, it is obviously not viable to ask the ‘users’ to pay for it to be dredged! So back to the drawing board, and we will continue negotiations with dredge operators and explore further possible markets for the sand.
Dentist – A representative from the dentist practice visited Mitchell last week, to inspect facilities and meet with local stakeholders. This was a very successful visit, with all good news regarding available facilities. There are a few more details still to be finalised and signed off on, but it all looks very promising for a dentist in Mitchell to become a reality very soon.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Qcoss social policy and advocacy forums 2009 – You are invited to attend the QCOSS Social Policy forum taking place at the Roma Neighbourhood Centre on the 26 May 2009 from 10 til 2pm. These forums will - give you and your organisation the opportunity to comment on social issues faced by your community and workshop recommendations to address them; analyse opportunities for local advocacy arising from the state election; report back on QCOSS advocacy work in 2008 and the local and state-wide results of the previous round of policy forums; improve QCOSS’ regional networks and mechanisms for feeding in to our policy and advocacy work. To register, please call Allyson Spears on 3004 6900.
Port-a-bowl – Active Roma has purchased a portable 10-pin bowling kit as a fun and enjoyable new sport for Roma and outlying communities (including Mitchell!). Port-a-bowl consist of five lanes and five sets of pins and balls which can be set up in a community hall or undercover area. Port-a-bowl is a modified 10-pin bowling game which could teach people of all ages and abilities the basic skills of 10-pin bowling, while developing the co-ordination of players working together. To access the Port-a-bowl kit, free of charge, for your community group, please phone Jasmine Glasson on 0428 200 033.
Until next week! J
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Friday, May 1, 2009
Update - 30 April 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Ed Sims, the Roma Regional council Regional Economic Development Officer, was in Mitchell last week to meet with the BAG Management Committee for input into the council’s Regional Economic Development Strategy. Ed would like to present the draft strategy to the community sometime over the next few weeks and I will let you know as soon as a date is set. It would be good to have some community feedback, especially from local businesses.
Booringa Action Group is now a Gold level AussieHost business! I was in Brisbane last week to undertake this course and I am now an accredited AussieHost facilitator. This is a very exciting program which I urge all businesses to undertake, as it can be clearly demonstrated the links between good customer service and your business’ bottom line! AussieHost is a nationally recognised customer service training program that focuses on interpersonal communications, customer relations and service. It builds personal, professional and community pride and inspires a greater commitment to providing better service. The AussieHost mission is to create a culture of high quality customer service standards throughout Australia, while contributing to every Australian’s opportunity to achieve personal, professional and commercial significance. AussieHost’s unique approach focuses not only on skill development, but on versatility, innovation, self reliance and self confidence. It ensures that the individual takes responsibility for their service delivery.
We are now taking Expressions of Interest from local businesses interested in undertaking this course. The content of the one day program covers the following topics:
· What is quality customer service?
· The importance of workplace and personal presentation
· Excelling in telephone communications
· Handling customer complaints and dissatisfaction
· Who are your customers and how to best serve them
For more information on AussieHost visit www.qtic.com.au/aussiehost.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Child Care Centre – We were fortunate to make a new contact in C&K last week and this has been very encouraging. Hopefully some feedback will be forthcoming soon on our proposal to establish a new child care centre so that we may take the next steps.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
I hope everyone has their sparkling outfits ready for tomorrow night’s Mitchell Show Society Bling Ball. Tickets are still available at either Landmark or Poppy’s. It should be a great night and I look forward to seeing you there!
And don’t forget the Mitchell Races on Saturday! Gates open 12 noon. 5 race program …. Bookies and SKY …… entertainment …… fashions on the field ….. licensed bar …… BBQ ….. fish and chips ….. prizes …. Jumping castle.
A big weekend for Mitchell!
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Ed Sims, the Roma Regional council Regional Economic Development Officer, was in Mitchell last week to meet with the BAG Management Committee for input into the council’s Regional Economic Development Strategy. Ed would like to present the draft strategy to the community sometime over the next few weeks and I will let you know as soon as a date is set. It would be good to have some community feedback, especially from local businesses.
Booringa Action Group is now a Gold level AussieHost business! I was in Brisbane last week to undertake this course and I am now an accredited AussieHost facilitator. This is a very exciting program which I urge all businesses to undertake, as it can be clearly demonstrated the links between good customer service and your business’ bottom line! AussieHost is a nationally recognised customer service training program that focuses on interpersonal communications, customer relations and service. It builds personal, professional and community pride and inspires a greater commitment to providing better service. The AussieHost mission is to create a culture of high quality customer service standards throughout Australia, while contributing to every Australian’s opportunity to achieve personal, professional and commercial significance. AussieHost’s unique approach focuses not only on skill development, but on versatility, innovation, self reliance and self confidence. It ensures that the individual takes responsibility for their service delivery.
We are now taking Expressions of Interest from local businesses interested in undertaking this course. The content of the one day program covers the following topics:
· What is quality customer service?
· The importance of workplace and personal presentation
· Excelling in telephone communications
· Handling customer complaints and dissatisfaction
· Who are your customers and how to best serve them
For more information on AussieHost visit www.qtic.com.au/aussiehost.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Child Care Centre – We were fortunate to make a new contact in C&K last week and this has been very encouraging. Hopefully some feedback will be forthcoming soon on our proposal to establish a new child care centre so that we may take the next steps.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
I hope everyone has their sparkling outfits ready for tomorrow night’s Mitchell Show Society Bling Ball. Tickets are still available at either Landmark or Poppy’s. It should be a great night and I look forward to seeing you there!
And don’t forget the Mitchell Races on Saturday! Gates open 12 noon. 5 race program …. Bookies and SKY …… entertainment …… fashions on the field ….. licensed bar …… BBQ ….. fish and chips ….. prizes …. Jumping castle.
A big weekend for Mitchell!
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Update - 16 April 2009
I hope everyone had a very happy Easter …. and a restful break.
BAG NEWS ….
The April General Meeting was held last week. At this meeting we discussed the council’s proposed review of the spa complex and its operation; in addition to our regular updating on project progress.
Ed Sims, the Roma Regional Council Economic and Business Development Coordinator has contacted us regarding having input into the new Regional Economic Development Strategy/Plan. This has been arranged over the next few weeks. If you have any ideas or input you would like us to pass on, or you would like to be involved in this process, please let me know.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
SBS - A group is beginning to explore the possibilities of getting the television station SBS for Mitchell and the surrounding areas. Please let me know if you are interested in this service!
Dentist - The idea of getting a dentist to come to Mitchell could very soon become a reality. Parties from BAG, Queensland Health and the dental service provider are putting the finishing touches on the proposed service provision. Once this is done there will be formal agreements drawn up.
Sand / Weir - Representatives from Sunwater have visited the weir this week and we hope that this trip will reinforce our formal approach and concerns made to Sunwater at the beginning of March. We will follow Sunwater up on their progress/next steps in coming weeks. A possible market for some of the sand to be extracted from the weir has presented. It is not for much sand initially, but if we are able to begin the dredging process, it will lead to further opportunities. If anyone has any ideas for this project, please share.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
The Queensland Young Volunteer Awards recognise and reward the positive contributions made by young people aged 12 to 25. The awards are a great way to say thank you to a young person, or group of young people, who have made a difference through volunteering. Ten winners will be selected. Winners will receive $500 and a certificate of recognition. Nominations will close at 5 pm on Wednesday 10 June 2009. For more info visit: http://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/participate/awards-events/awards/index.html
The premier has announced a moratorium on clearing of endangered regrowth vegetation. The moratorium means that some area of endangered regrowth vegetation cannot be cleared pre-emptively while the government is working with stakeholder groups to finalise changes to the vegetation clearing laws in Queensland. More information on the moratorium can be found at http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/vegetation/regrowth_moratorium.html. A website has been established for you to enter in your lot plan numbers to determine what areas of your property are covered by the moratorium. Visit http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems/introduction_and_status/regional_ecosystem_maps/#lot. To have your say on this matter, you can contact the premiers office direct, via email thepremier@premiers.qld.gov.au or by phoning 07 3224 4500.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
BAG NEWS ….
The April General Meeting was held last week. At this meeting we discussed the council’s proposed review of the spa complex and its operation; in addition to our regular updating on project progress.
Ed Sims, the Roma Regional Council Economic and Business Development Coordinator has contacted us regarding having input into the new Regional Economic Development Strategy/Plan. This has been arranged over the next few weeks. If you have any ideas or input you would like us to pass on, or you would like to be involved in this process, please let me know.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
SBS - A group is beginning to explore the possibilities of getting the television station SBS for Mitchell and the surrounding areas. Please let me know if you are interested in this service!
Dentist - The idea of getting a dentist to come to Mitchell could very soon become a reality. Parties from BAG, Queensland Health and the dental service provider are putting the finishing touches on the proposed service provision. Once this is done there will be formal agreements drawn up.
Sand / Weir - Representatives from Sunwater have visited the weir this week and we hope that this trip will reinforce our formal approach and concerns made to Sunwater at the beginning of March. We will follow Sunwater up on their progress/next steps in coming weeks. A possible market for some of the sand to be extracted from the weir has presented. It is not for much sand initially, but if we are able to begin the dredging process, it will lead to further opportunities. If anyone has any ideas for this project, please share.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
The Queensland Young Volunteer Awards recognise and reward the positive contributions made by young people aged 12 to 25. The awards are a great way to say thank you to a young person, or group of young people, who have made a difference through volunteering. Ten winners will be selected. Winners will receive $500 and a certificate of recognition. Nominations will close at 5 pm on Wednesday 10 June 2009. For more info visit: http://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/participate/awards-events/awards/index.html
The premier has announced a moratorium on clearing of endangered regrowth vegetation. The moratorium means that some area of endangered regrowth vegetation cannot be cleared pre-emptively while the government is working with stakeholder groups to finalise changes to the vegetation clearing laws in Queensland. More information on the moratorium can be found at http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/vegetation/regrowth_moratorium.html. A website has been established for you to enter in your lot plan numbers to determine what areas of your property are covered by the moratorium. Visit http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems/introduction_and_status/regional_ecosystem_maps/#lot. To have your say on this matter, you can contact the premiers office direct, via email thepremier@premiers.qld.gov.au or by phoning 07 3224 4500.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Update - 2 April 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Yesterday I met with representatives from Roma Regional Council at the library. I shared the feedback I had received regarding the walking track with Fiona Vincent, RRC Regional Sport & Recreation Co-ordinator. She supported wholeheartedly the work we were doing to ensure the planning included as much feedback from people who were going to actually use the track! Fiona advised that council had recently been successful in obtaining funds to undertake a Regional Sport and Recreation Plan. This is your opportunity to provide input into what you would like to see happen in our communities with regard to sporting and recreational pursuits. Fiona suggested that people start thinking about this now, so that the lots of ideas can be generated before the consultant comes out.
I also spoke with Barbara Cooper, Regional Arts and Cultural Co-ordinator. Barbara asked me to pass on to the community that if anyone has any ideas or projects they would like to pursue, with regards to Art and Culture, to please contact her.
Nicola Sankowsky, Community Development Officer (Mitchell/Surat) advised me of the outstanding number of applications received for the Council’s Community Grants and Assistance Program. She said that these would be assessed and community groups would be advised of an outcome in due course. Nicola also wished to thank local groups for their efforts to submit their applications. The next round of this program will be in September 2009.
Yesterday, Gary Birkett attended a meeting with council and other regional community groups to discuss the draft RRC Corporate Plan. A general discussion on the planning process was undertaken. The meeting had only a few suggested changes. That finishes our contribution as representative of community groups, but community submissions can still be made. Roma Regional Council residents are encouraged to have their say on Council’s Draft Corporate Plan 2009-2013. This is the inaugural Corporate Plan for Council and sets the strategic direction for the organisation over the next four years. Copies of the draft Corporate Plan can be downloaded from http://www.romaregionalcouncil.qld.gov.au/news/2009/20_mar_09_draft_corp_plan_consultation.shtml . Comments and suggestions are invited to ensure that the plan reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. All submissions are due by 5:00 pm on Friday 24 April 2009.
Council held a successful Meet & Greet evening on Wednesday 1 April for residents that have recently moved to our region. It was well supported by Councillors, Council staff, BAG and residents. The well run concept featured food and wine produced in the region and hopefully Council will have similar functions from time to time welcoming residents that move here. Attendees were supplied with a welcome pack to take away including Council information, BAG information and other data from local businesses.
AussieHost is a nationally recognised customer service training program that focuses on interpersonal communications, customer relations and service. It builds personal, professional and community pride and inspires a greater commitment to providing better service.
The AussieHost mission is to create a culture of service excellence within Australia, while contributing to every Australian’s opportunity to achieve personal, professional and commercial significance. Some people may have had some experience with the program in the past . BAG has decided to become a provider of this training. A training course to become an Aussie Host course trainer is being held in Brisbane on 21 – 22 April 2009 and I will be attending this course. If there is anyone else who may be interested in delivering this training, please contact me for further information regarding pre-requisites and costs.
We have been busy in the office this week, which explains why this email update is a bit late!, and the photocopier has been getting quite a work out. The Mitchell Show Schedules have been finalised and printed and are available from the BAG/Landcare office. There is no charge for the schedules this year.
Our community networking dinner originally planned for April is now going to be held in May, due to school holidays, Easter, Anzac Day and the other numerous events on in April.
We welcome another new member to BAG. The increase in membership is very encouraging for the Management Committee, and I think this demonstrates a strong foundation with which to grow our organisation in the future.
On behalf of the BAG Management Committee, I would like to offer our sincerest sympathy to Kent Morris and his family on the passing of his father, Neville Morris. Our prayers and thoughts are with the Morris family at this time.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Noticeboards
Our new community noticeboards have arrived! These will soon be erected on the fence between the Mitchell Bakery and Foodworks. There will be an opportunity for community groups to display their upcoming events, both regular and one off events. Details are still being finalised as to the process for this. The goal of this community events noticeboard is as a central location for all community events so that we all know what is going on, it will also allow for long term event date claimers. This will help with event organisers to reduce clashes of dates, and will also allow tourists to know upcoming events to assist with their travel itineraries!
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Mitchell Cadet Unit faces closure - The Emergency Services Cadet Program is designed for young people aged 13-16 and introduces participants to forms of emergency service related training. The program aims to instil confidence, initiative, teamwork and leadership in young people, and encourage them to participate in their local communities. The Mitchell Cadet Unit is currently in recess pending closure due to the difficulty currently being experienced by Emergency Management Queensland in finding candidates to fill a number of vacant positions within the unit. • Local Cadet Coordinator • Adult Administration Officer • Deputy Cadet Coordinator • Adult Stores Officer • Adult Instructors & Leaders. A public meeting had been scheduled in order to discuss the current position of the Cadet Unit and address the above vacancies and will be held on Tuesday 7 April 2009, 6.00 pm at the Mitchell Office of Roma Regional Council. A light supper will be provided. If you would like any further information on any of the above positions please collect a position description from the Mitchell Office of Roma Regional Council. For further information contact Jay Dobbin 4616 1531.
Samantha Grant, RRC Youth Worker, is in the process of putting together a Regional Youth Services Directory. She would like any information you may have of your own service, services offered by your organisation/s, or if you know of any services that are able to assist Youth between the ages of 12-25 years in any way, whether it be counselling, assistance, programs they are able to take part in etc. Also both referral based services and available to everyone services. Information needed for the Directory is: name of the service, its organisation, Brief spiel on the service/s (2 sentences), Postal address, Office address, Phone number & also email address if it is to the organisation (not a person). Details can be emailed direct to Samantha – SamanthaG@romaregionalcouncil.qld.gov.au
Woolworths 2009 Agricultural Business Scholarship - This course has been specially designed to be practical as well as theoretical, providing you with the chance to apply best practice ideas to your own real life experiences. You'll also learn from some of the country's leading experts in business management and gain a deeper understanding of how the retail business actually works. During the 12 day course you will hear from lecturers from the University of Western Sydney and Woolworths business leaders. Based at the Woolworths support office in North-West Sydney, you will gain a broad academic perspective on business and address key issues facing the agricultural industry today. The program will cover the following topics: Retail market trends and influencers, Business strategy and planning, Successful business leadership, Business finance, Logistics and supply chain management, The international marketplace, The role of Government, Doing business with retailers, Sustainability and environmental issues. To apply, you will need to meet the following essential criteria: * Aged between 20 - 30 years old (as at 1 Jan 2009) * Currently employed in the agricultural or horticultural industry OR in your second or further year of study in an agricultural or horticultural faculty at a registered tertiary institution * Available to attend the entire course from 10th August to 21st August 2009 in Sydney. Participants will be selected based on the submission of an online questionnaire and resume. Visit https://woolworths.taleo.net/careersection/5/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=067215 for more information.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Yesterday I met with representatives from Roma Regional Council at the library. I shared the feedback I had received regarding the walking track with Fiona Vincent, RRC Regional Sport & Recreation Co-ordinator. She supported wholeheartedly the work we were doing to ensure the planning included as much feedback from people who were going to actually use the track! Fiona advised that council had recently been successful in obtaining funds to undertake a Regional Sport and Recreation Plan. This is your opportunity to provide input into what you would like to see happen in our communities with regard to sporting and recreational pursuits. Fiona suggested that people start thinking about this now, so that the lots of ideas can be generated before the consultant comes out.
I also spoke with Barbara Cooper, Regional Arts and Cultural Co-ordinator. Barbara asked me to pass on to the community that if anyone has any ideas or projects they would like to pursue, with regards to Art and Culture, to please contact her.
Nicola Sankowsky, Community Development Officer (Mitchell/Surat) advised me of the outstanding number of applications received for the Council’s Community Grants and Assistance Program. She said that these would be assessed and community groups would be advised of an outcome in due course. Nicola also wished to thank local groups for their efforts to submit their applications. The next round of this program will be in September 2009.
Yesterday, Gary Birkett attended a meeting with council and other regional community groups to discuss the draft RRC Corporate Plan. A general discussion on the planning process was undertaken. The meeting had only a few suggested changes. That finishes our contribution as representative of community groups, but community submissions can still be made. Roma Regional Council residents are encouraged to have their say on Council’s Draft Corporate Plan 2009-2013. This is the inaugural Corporate Plan for Council and sets the strategic direction for the organisation over the next four years. Copies of the draft Corporate Plan can be downloaded from http://www.romaregionalcouncil.qld.gov.au/news/2009/20_mar_09_draft_corp_plan_consultation.shtml . Comments and suggestions are invited to ensure that the plan reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. All submissions are due by 5:00 pm on Friday 24 April 2009.
Council held a successful Meet & Greet evening on Wednesday 1 April for residents that have recently moved to our region. It was well supported by Councillors, Council staff, BAG and residents. The well run concept featured food and wine produced in the region and hopefully Council will have similar functions from time to time welcoming residents that move here. Attendees were supplied with a welcome pack to take away including Council information, BAG information and other data from local businesses.
AussieHost is a nationally recognised customer service training program that focuses on interpersonal communications, customer relations and service. It builds personal, professional and community pride and inspires a greater commitment to providing better service.
The AussieHost mission is to create a culture of service excellence within Australia, while contributing to every Australian’s opportunity to achieve personal, professional and commercial significance. Some people may have had some experience with the program in the past . BAG has decided to become a provider of this training. A training course to become an Aussie Host course trainer is being held in Brisbane on 21 – 22 April 2009 and I will be attending this course. If there is anyone else who may be interested in delivering this training, please contact me for further information regarding pre-requisites and costs.
We have been busy in the office this week, which explains why this email update is a bit late!, and the photocopier has been getting quite a work out. The Mitchell Show Schedules have been finalised and printed and are available from the BAG/Landcare office. There is no charge for the schedules this year.
Our community networking dinner originally planned for April is now going to be held in May, due to school holidays, Easter, Anzac Day and the other numerous events on in April.
We welcome another new member to BAG. The increase in membership is very encouraging for the Management Committee, and I think this demonstrates a strong foundation with which to grow our organisation in the future.
On behalf of the BAG Management Committee, I would like to offer our sincerest sympathy to Kent Morris and his family on the passing of his father, Neville Morris. Our prayers and thoughts are with the Morris family at this time.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Noticeboards
Our new community noticeboards have arrived! These will soon be erected on the fence between the Mitchell Bakery and Foodworks. There will be an opportunity for community groups to display their upcoming events, both regular and one off events. Details are still being finalised as to the process for this. The goal of this community events noticeboard is as a central location for all community events so that we all know what is going on, it will also allow for long term event date claimers. This will help with event organisers to reduce clashes of dates, and will also allow tourists to know upcoming events to assist with their travel itineraries!
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Mitchell Cadet Unit faces closure - The Emergency Services Cadet Program is designed for young people aged 13-16 and introduces participants to forms of emergency service related training. The program aims to instil confidence, initiative, teamwork and leadership in young people, and encourage them to participate in their local communities. The Mitchell Cadet Unit is currently in recess pending closure due to the difficulty currently being experienced by Emergency Management Queensland in finding candidates to fill a number of vacant positions within the unit. • Local Cadet Coordinator • Adult Administration Officer • Deputy Cadet Coordinator • Adult Stores Officer • Adult Instructors & Leaders. A public meeting had been scheduled in order to discuss the current position of the Cadet Unit and address the above vacancies and will be held on Tuesday 7 April 2009, 6.00 pm at the Mitchell Office of Roma Regional Council. A light supper will be provided. If you would like any further information on any of the above positions please collect a position description from the Mitchell Office of Roma Regional Council. For further information contact Jay Dobbin 4616 1531.
Samantha Grant, RRC Youth Worker, is in the process of putting together a Regional Youth Services Directory. She would like any information you may have of your own service, services offered by your organisation/s, or if you know of any services that are able to assist Youth between the ages of 12-25 years in any way, whether it be counselling, assistance, programs they are able to take part in etc. Also both referral based services and available to everyone services. Information needed for the Directory is: name of the service, its organisation, Brief spiel on the service/s (2 sentences), Postal address, Office address, Phone number & also email address if it is to the organisation (not a person). Details can be emailed direct to Samantha – SamanthaG@romaregionalcouncil.qld.gov.au
Woolworths 2009 Agricultural Business Scholarship - This course has been specially designed to be practical as well as theoretical, providing you with the chance to apply best practice ideas to your own real life experiences. You'll also learn from some of the country's leading experts in business management and gain a deeper understanding of how the retail business actually works. During the 12 day course you will hear from lecturers from the University of Western Sydney and Woolworths business leaders. Based at the Woolworths support office in North-West Sydney, you will gain a broad academic perspective on business and address key issues facing the agricultural industry today. The program will cover the following topics: Retail market trends and influencers, Business strategy and planning, Successful business leadership, Business finance, Logistics and supply chain management, The international marketplace, The role of Government, Doing business with retailers, Sustainability and environmental issues. To apply, you will need to meet the following essential criteria: * Aged between 20 - 30 years old (as at 1 Jan 2009) * Currently employed in the agricultural or horticultural industry OR in your second or further year of study in an agricultural or horticultural faculty at a registered tertiary institution * Available to attend the entire course from 10th August to 21st August 2009 in Sydney. Participants will be selected based on the submission of an online questionnaire and resume. Visit https://woolworths.taleo.net/careersection/5/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=067215 for more information.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Update – 25 March 2009
BAG NEWS ….
Many thanks to those community members that replied with valuable feedback regarding the considerations for a safe walking track around Mitchell. A co-ordinator for this project is needed. As a working party co-ordinator, support is provided to assist you with organising your project and your working party members. Formal meetings are not compulsory to arrange or attend, and your focus is simply on achieving your project. If anyone is interested in taking on this role, please let me know.
A copy of the Roma Regional Council’s draft Corporate Plan has been received. A representative from BAG will be attending a meeting next week, arranged by the council, to discuss this in more detail.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Dentist
The dentist working party has made a proposal to and received a favourable response from an organisation which supplies dental services to regional communities. The next step being looked at by the working party is confirming that the relevant stakeholders are happy to formalise an agreement for use of Qld Health facilities.
Child Care Centre
A proposal has now been sent to C&K asking for financial assistance for a child care centre. Will be interesting to receive their response!
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Roma Regional Council invites all community members and organisations to join with them to welcome new residents at a meet & greet to be hosted at the Great Artesian Spa for “drinks on the deck”. Everyone is welcome to come along to get to know your community and sample some local wines and produce. The event is to be held on Wednesday 1 April 2009, 5.30 pm – 7.00 pm. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Jane Fenton, RRC Events & Tourism Officer, by phoning 4624 6918 or email janef@romaregionalcouncil.qld.gov.au
Residents, Community Groups & Organisations are invited to come along and meet with Roma Regional Council staff members on Wednesday 1 April 2009 at the Mitchell Library 2.30 pm –3.30 pm, and/or at the Great Artesian Spa 4.00 pm – 5.00 p.m. Council staff members in attendance will be Nicola Sankowsky - Community Development Officer (Mitchell/Surat), Barbara Cooper - Regional Arts & Cultural Co-ordinator, and Fiona Vincent - Regional Sport & Recreation Co-ordinator. Please come along to discuss with them your or your organisation’s ideas for projects and activities that council might be able to assist with.
The Woolworths and Country Women’s Association Community Recovery Grants program provides the opportunity for community organisations to receive up to $3,000 in funding for initiatives that strengthen community and social infrastructure, and have a long term benefit to the community in areas affected by drought/dryness in rural and regional Australia. Eligible projects include upgrades to community social infrastructure, and equipment for upgrades of sporting clubs and volunteer services. Applications close on 30 April 2009. Further details available at http://www.qcwa.org.au/drought_assistance.htm .
Position Vacant: Landcare Coordinator, Mitchell & District Landcare Association. The position is based in Mitchell at the local Landcare office and is initially for a period of 12 months from appointment with possible extension of tenure subject to further funding and performance. Salary range is $38,000-$52,000 pa based on relevant skills and experience. The successful applicant will work predominantly with landholder groups to support natural resource management improvement at a property and landscape scale. Formal qualifications or experience in a rural or natural resource management field are desirable, as are group facilitation and project management skills. Applications close 5 pm Monday 6 April 2009. The position description and selection criteria can be obtained from 07 4620 4600 or AngelaB@qmdc.org.au. For further information contact Kay Cameron on 0428 171 191 or Jamie Gorry on 0427 500 182.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Update - 18 March 2009
BAG NEWS ….
The BAG General Meeting held last week provided an opportunity for members to receive an update on the progress of all active projects. The new structure of BAG appears to be working well, as projects are being achieved, new commercial activities are being explored, and membership is increasing. Our General Meetings are of course not the only way we report back to members and the community. This email update is currently distributed to 116 community members, with the list constantly growing. If you know of someone who would like to be added to this list, please let me know.
The members resolved to explore the commercial opportunities of leasing our river boat to other entities and defer selling at this time. Anybody looking to lease a river boat?? :-)
We welcome the Amby Progress Association as our newest member. This has been a reciprocal membership arrangement. Amby residents are advised that Community Issues Capture Forms are now available at the Amby Store, to record any local issues to bring to the attention of the BAG Management Committee.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Local walking track
BAG is looking to really progress this project and is seeking feedback from the community as to where they want a walk/cycle track around Mitchell. Safety issues, including dogs, need to be addressed. Walking and cycling is very popular in Mitchell and BAG would like to assist with the development of a safe and practical track for the benefit of the whole community.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
We have been advised that the Mitchell Main Street landscaping is about to commence and will be carried out as per the original consultative plan.
Local shop owners are charged with the responsibility of maintaining the cleanliness of the footpath in front of their shops. This is obviously in their best interest, and we encourage shop owners to keep their area of the footpath clean and free of rubbish, especially with tourist season fast approaching.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
The BAG General Meeting held last week provided an opportunity for members to receive an update on the progress of all active projects. The new structure of BAG appears to be working well, as projects are being achieved, new commercial activities are being explored, and membership is increasing. Our General Meetings are of course not the only way we report back to members and the community. This email update is currently distributed to 116 community members, with the list constantly growing. If you know of someone who would like to be added to this list, please let me know.
The members resolved to explore the commercial opportunities of leasing our river boat to other entities and defer selling at this time. Anybody looking to lease a river boat?? :-)
We welcome the Amby Progress Association as our newest member. This has been a reciprocal membership arrangement. Amby residents are advised that Community Issues Capture Forms are now available at the Amby Store, to record any local issues to bring to the attention of the BAG Management Committee.
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
Local walking track
BAG is looking to really progress this project and is seeking feedback from the community as to where they want a walk/cycle track around Mitchell. Safety issues, including dogs, need to be addressed. Walking and cycling is very popular in Mitchell and BAG would like to assist with the development of a safe and practical track for the benefit of the whole community.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
We have been advised that the Mitchell Main Street landscaping is about to commence and will be carried out as per the original consultative plan.
Local shop owners are charged with the responsibility of maintaining the cleanliness of the footpath in front of their shops. This is obviously in their best interest, and we encourage shop owners to keep their area of the footpath clean and free of rubbish, especially with tourist season fast approaching.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Update - 10 March 2009
The verdict is in, we will remain at weekly updates for the time being. Thanks everyone for your support and feedback.
BAG NEWS ….
BAG General Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Our March General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 11 March 2009, 7.00 pm at the BAG Cottage, Ann Street, Mitchell.
At this meeting, we will be discussing the future of the River Boat now owned by BAG. As much as this has the potential to provide a great service to Mitchell, the current state of the weir leads to the need to discuss this further to see if we should keep it or sell it.
Laura Douglas has generously donated her services to design a new BAG logo. This logo will be revealed to members at the meeting. An official launch of the logo is being planned for a networking dinner to be held in April at the Berkeley Lodge Restaurant.
We have identified the need for a computer / IT technician in Mitchell and are gathering a list of local people who can provide this service. If you can / do provide this service, or know of someone who does, please let me know.
And finally, welcome to the four new members who joined BAG last week!!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
A meeting of the Child Care Centre working party was held today to finalise a proposal to see if we can source funding and other assistance from C & K to establish a new centre at Mitchell.
As a result of the feedback received from these email updates, the dentist project is making headway. The services of a fly in, fly out dentist are currently being negotiated. This will provide the community with a much needed service. This will also create a more solid foundation with which to continue to pursue a permanent dentist in Mitchell.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Having issues with your satellite internet connection?? The Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG) advises that people in Category C and D locations – the ABG Service Locator is available at http://bcoms.dbcde.gov.au/BSL/Welcome.do;jsessionid=E89A41D5087CE648AF57B0B88FA97054.caosl – are eligible for upgrade of equipment or infrastructure through the ABG every 3 years. This means that if you have previously received the ABG subsidy (eg. HiBis etc) more than 3 years ago, then you are eligible to apply again for new equipment or infrastructure. There are also many other new service providers servicing our area, meaning Telstra is no longer the only option. The ABG website is http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_business/news_and_events/australian_broadband_guarantee or phone 1800 883 488.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
BAG NEWS ….
BAG General Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Our March General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 11 March 2009, 7.00 pm at the BAG Cottage, Ann Street, Mitchell.
At this meeting, we will be discussing the future of the River Boat now owned by BAG. As much as this has the potential to provide a great service to Mitchell, the current state of the weir leads to the need to discuss this further to see if we should keep it or sell it.
Laura Douglas has generously donated her services to design a new BAG logo. This logo will be revealed to members at the meeting. An official launch of the logo is being planned for a networking dinner to be held in April at the Berkeley Lodge Restaurant.
We have identified the need for a computer / IT technician in Mitchell and are gathering a list of local people who can provide this service. If you can / do provide this service, or know of someone who does, please let me know.
And finally, welcome to the four new members who joined BAG last week!!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………
A meeting of the Child Care Centre working party was held today to finalise a proposal to see if we can source funding and other assistance from C & K to establish a new centre at Mitchell.
As a result of the feedback received from these email updates, the dentist project is making headway. The services of a fly in, fly out dentist are currently being negotiated. This will provide the community with a much needed service. This will also create a more solid foundation with which to continue to pursue a permanent dentist in Mitchell.
GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………
Having issues with your satellite internet connection?? The Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG) advises that people in Category C and D locations – the ABG Service Locator is available at http://bcoms.dbcde.gov.au/BSL/Welcome.do;jsessionid=E89A41D5087CE648AF57B0B88FA97054.caosl – are eligible for upgrade of equipment or infrastructure through the ABG every 3 years. This means that if you have previously received the ABG subsidy (eg. HiBis etc) more than 3 years ago, then you are eligible to apply again for new equipment or infrastructure. There are also many other new service providers servicing our area, meaning Telstra is no longer the only option. The ABG website is http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_business/news_and_events/australian_broadband_guarantee or phone 1800 883 488.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Update - 3 March 2009
BAG NEWS…………..
Representatives from the Amby Progress Association attended the BAG General Meeting last month to seek advice as to how BAG and Amby Progress Association could work together for mutual benefits. Amby Progress Association is struggling with the organisational capacity to undertake the task of instigating and following up jobs to ensure continued development and maintenance for the residents of Amby. Reciprocal membership was discussed and this proposal is currently being explored. Within the Roma Regional area, Amby and other small communities appear to have lost their voice.
I’m after some feedback from you regarding the frequency of these BAG Email Updates. I’m overwhelmed with the positive way they have been received, but do you think weekly is too often? The alternative would be fortnightly. Thanks for your comments!!
** A reminder that the next BAG General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 11 March 2009, 7.00 pm at the BAG Cottage in Ann Street. **
BAG PROJECT UPDATES………………
This aerial photo of the Neil Turner Weir shows the extent of the sand deposits.
.jpg)
GENERAL COMMUNITY information ………….
The Australian Government has introduced the Fresh Ideas for Work and Family grants program to support Australian small businesses to implement practices that help employees balance their work and family obligations as well as improve employee retention and productivity. The program provides grants of $5,000 to $15,000 (GST inclusive) to small businesses to help meet the set-up costs of family friendly arrangements that suit the individual needs of the business. http://www.deewr.gov.au/WorkplaceRelations/FreshIdeas/Pages/default.aspx
The recently formed Breast Cancer Association Queensland (BACQ) sub-committee has begun planning several fundraising events that will take place around the district to raise funds to support the appointment of a Breast Cancer nurse in the south west. This is not a support group, but rather a social group whose aim is to raise funds to support the appointment of a Breast Cancer nurse in the region and all funds raised will come back into this area to assist women and their families right here. The feature function of the year will be the Mulga Matrons Ball to held in Charleville on Saturday 29 August 2009 at the Racecourse Complex – mark your calendars!
Roma Regional Council is offering a scholarship to one youth within the Roma Regional area to attend one of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme voyages. A voyage on the tall ship Young Endeavour is a voyage of a lifetime. For 11 days with 23 other young Aussies aged 16 - 23 years you learn not only how to sail but how to work together as a team. You also get to see spectacular parts of Australia that many others never get to see. The successful candidate will be a youth which Council will recognise as a leader within our community who has demonstrated leadership qualities within their community and amongst their fellow peers. Nomination forms are available from Samantha Grant SamanthaG@romaregionalcouncil.qld.gov.au .
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com/
Representatives from the Amby Progress Association attended the BAG General Meeting last month to seek advice as to how BAG and Amby Progress Association could work together for mutual benefits. Amby Progress Association is struggling with the organisational capacity to undertake the task of instigating and following up jobs to ensure continued development and maintenance for the residents of Amby. Reciprocal membership was discussed and this proposal is currently being explored. Within the Roma Regional area, Amby and other small communities appear to have lost their voice.
I’m after some feedback from you regarding the frequency of these BAG Email Updates. I’m overwhelmed with the positive way they have been received, but do you think weekly is too often? The alternative would be fortnightly. Thanks for your comments!!
** A reminder that the next BAG General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 11 March 2009, 7.00 pm at the BAG Cottage in Ann Street. **
BAG PROJECT UPDATES………………
This aerial photo of the Neil Turner Weir shows the extent of the sand deposits.
.jpg)
GENERAL COMMUNITY information ………….
The Australian Government has introduced the Fresh Ideas for Work and Family grants program to support Australian small businesses to implement practices that help employees balance their work and family obligations as well as improve employee retention and productivity. The program provides grants of $5,000 to $15,000 (GST inclusive) to small businesses to help meet the set-up costs of family friendly arrangements that suit the individual needs of the business. http://www.deewr.gov.au/WorkplaceRelations/FreshIdeas/Pages/default.aspx
The recently formed Breast Cancer Association Queensland (BACQ) sub-committee has begun planning several fundraising events that will take place around the district to raise funds to support the appointment of a Breast Cancer nurse in the south west. This is not a support group, but rather a social group whose aim is to raise funds to support the appointment of a Breast Cancer nurse in the region and all funds raised will come back into this area to assist women and their families right here. The feature function of the year will be the Mulga Matrons Ball to held in Charleville on Saturday 29 August 2009 at the Racecourse Complex – mark your calendars!
Roma Regional Council is offering a scholarship to one youth within the Roma Regional area to attend one of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme voyages. A voyage on the tall ship Young Endeavour is a voyage of a lifetime. For 11 days with 23 other young Aussies aged 16 - 23 years you learn not only how to sail but how to work together as a team. You also get to see spectacular parts of Australia that many others never get to see. The successful candidate will be a youth which Council will recognise as a leader within our community who has demonstrated leadership qualities within their community and amongst their fellow peers. Nomination forms are available from Samantha Grant SamanthaG@romaregionalcouncil.qld.gov.au .
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Update - 23 February 2009
BAG NEWS…………..
We were advised last week of a successful funding application to facilitate some community development workshops as part of the Blueprint for the Bush, Strengthening Rural Communities, Our Place, Our Future funding initiative. This project will deliver workshops in project management, leadership, communication, time management, and governance to any interested community members, with a target audience of those currently holding voluntary committee positions. Project outcomes will include Certificate of Attainment qualifications for participants, a resource kit, and an increased community capacity for sustainable development and growth. Details are still being finalised with the Department and I will keep you updated as this project progresses.
The Fostering Rural Innovation and Change workshop that I attended last week provided some great ideas and thought provoking psychology for encouraging innovation and change in rural communities. This workshop confirmed (what I already suspected!) that the Booringa community is well placed to undertake change and foster innovative projects and ideas due to the recent BAG organisational restructure, including: new and younger committee members, a smaller group for decision making and a turbulent operating environment (in our case, following amalgamations and the organisational restructure of council). Communities are often driven by the ‘wisdom of the elders’ and in a rapidly changing world, we still defer to that wisdom, though it is increasingly irrelevant. It is part of the conservatism of rural communities. This is healthy and normal, but a deterrent to change. To overcome this and ensure survival and growth, consideration should be given to the characteristics which support innovation and change in rural communities.
The characteristics which support innovation in a rural community, which BAG will look to pursue in more detail, are:
· Availability of resources and services
· Availability of technologies for delivering those resources and services
· Quality of management and promotion
· Availability of experts or specialists
· Clusters of specialists
· Continuing professional development of specialists
· Decentralisation of decision-making
· A supportive managerial attitude towards change
· Freshness of leadership
· Adequate administrative capacity
· Communication – both internal and external.
Congratulations BAG, many of these have already been identified and worked on!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES………………
Main Roads have advised us today, that they will not be attending our March General Meeting. Approval is still being sought from the Minister to formally consult with community on this project, which they have advised they expect shortly. Main Roads have assured us that they do want to talk to the community, but only once they have been formally approved to do so. The Working Party will continue to liaise with Main Roads and will keep us updated.
The process for establishing a dentist in Mitchell is becoming more structured. Contacts have been made with Rural Health who are supportive and have been assisting with advice as to the many hurdles to jump! The next step is to get the key people together in a meeting in the near future. It would be great to gauge some idea of how many people would be willing to pay for the services of a private dentist in Mitchell ….. please reply with your comments.
We have discovered that Neil Turner now sits on the board of SunWater, who are responsible for the water storage facility at Mitchell, officially known as the Neil Turner Weir! We have written to Neil in his capacity as a SunWater board member, to determine if he is sympathetic to our cause.
The number of Chrisco Hampers purchased in our local community has concerned members of the Existing Business Sub-committee. It also raised an idea for locally supplied Christmas Hampers that could be paid off throughout the year, in a similar fashion to the Chrisco Hamper business model. Some more investigation is needed to see if this would be a worthwhile venture for BAG to pursue. Interestingly though, a price comparison undertaken on a basic hamper from Chrisco and the same items purchased at full retail price locally showed that the Chrisco Hamper is actually more expensive …. some food for thought there!
GENERAL COMMUNITY information ………….
Clean Up Australia Day is on this Sunday 1 March 2009, starting at the Mitchell Showgrounds. Clean-up is from 9am – 11 am, followed by a BBQ at the RSL Complex. Get your friends together and enter a team. Teams of 4 will compete for prizes in the following:
· Scavenger Hunt
· Most Rubbish Collected
· Best Site Clean-up
· And the coveted ‘Oscar’ Award.
Everyone is invited to attend. FREE iceblocks for all children. BBQ and Drinks will be on sale. Don’t forget your hat, bag and gloves. This Clean Up Australia Day is proudly hosted by the Mitchell Campdrafting Association.
FREE Get Active Queensland Accreditation Programs (GAQAP) and Beginning Coaching General Principles workshops will be held in Roma on Saturday 14 March and Sunday 15 March 2009. These workshops are a great learning opportunity for coaches, officials, administrators, instructors and volunteers operating at the grassroots level. The GAQAP provides teachers, school staff & volunteers, community members, tertiary and senior school students with FREE training that can lead to accreditation in coaching, officiating and sports first aid. Courses offered include – Netball Coaching, Swimming Teaching, Rugby League Coaching, Athletics Coaching , Netball Officiating, Touch Coaching, Inclusive Sports & Physical Activity, Sports Strapping. Registrations close on Friday 27 February 2009. Registrations are online at http://www.sportrec.qld.gov.au/school_community/gaqap.cfm
Thank you to everyone who has replied to me with information requested in these email updates. Please keep those great ideas coming!!
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
We were advised last week of a successful funding application to facilitate some community development workshops as part of the Blueprint for the Bush, Strengthening Rural Communities, Our Place, Our Future funding initiative. This project will deliver workshops in project management, leadership, communication, time management, and governance to any interested community members, with a target audience of those currently holding voluntary committee positions. Project outcomes will include Certificate of Attainment qualifications for participants, a resource kit, and an increased community capacity for sustainable development and growth. Details are still being finalised with the Department and I will keep you updated as this project progresses.
The Fostering Rural Innovation and Change workshop that I attended last week provided some great ideas and thought provoking psychology for encouraging innovation and change in rural communities. This workshop confirmed (what I already suspected!) that the Booringa community is well placed to undertake change and foster innovative projects and ideas due to the recent BAG organisational restructure, including: new and younger committee members, a smaller group for decision making and a turbulent operating environment (in our case, following amalgamations and the organisational restructure of council). Communities are often driven by the ‘wisdom of the elders’ and in a rapidly changing world, we still defer to that wisdom, though it is increasingly irrelevant. It is part of the conservatism of rural communities. This is healthy and normal, but a deterrent to change. To overcome this and ensure survival and growth, consideration should be given to the characteristics which support innovation and change in rural communities.
The characteristics which support innovation in a rural community, which BAG will look to pursue in more detail, are:
· Availability of resources and services
· Availability of technologies for delivering those resources and services
· Quality of management and promotion
· Availability of experts or specialists
· Clusters of specialists
· Continuing professional development of specialists
· Decentralisation of decision-making
· A supportive managerial attitude towards change
· Freshness of leadership
· Adequate administrative capacity
· Communication – both internal and external.
Congratulations BAG, many of these have already been identified and worked on!
BAG PROJECT UPDATES………………
Main Roads have advised us today, that they will not be attending our March General Meeting. Approval is still being sought from the Minister to formally consult with community on this project, which they have advised they expect shortly. Main Roads have assured us that they do want to talk to the community, but only once they have been formally approved to do so. The Working Party will continue to liaise with Main Roads and will keep us updated.
The process for establishing a dentist in Mitchell is becoming more structured. Contacts have been made with Rural Health who are supportive and have been assisting with advice as to the many hurdles to jump! The next step is to get the key people together in a meeting in the near future. It would be great to gauge some idea of how many people would be willing to pay for the services of a private dentist in Mitchell ….. please reply with your comments.
We have discovered that Neil Turner now sits on the board of SunWater, who are responsible for the water storage facility at Mitchell, officially known as the Neil Turner Weir! We have written to Neil in his capacity as a SunWater board member, to determine if he is sympathetic to our cause.
The number of Chrisco Hampers purchased in our local community has concerned members of the Existing Business Sub-committee. It also raised an idea for locally supplied Christmas Hampers that could be paid off throughout the year, in a similar fashion to the Chrisco Hamper business model. Some more investigation is needed to see if this would be a worthwhile venture for BAG to pursue. Interestingly though, a price comparison undertaken on a basic hamper from Chrisco and the same items purchased at full retail price locally showed that the Chrisco Hamper is actually more expensive …. some food for thought there!
GENERAL COMMUNITY information ………….
Clean Up Australia Day is on this Sunday 1 March 2009, starting at the Mitchell Showgrounds. Clean-up is from 9am – 11 am, followed by a BBQ at the RSL Complex. Get your friends together and enter a team. Teams of 4 will compete for prizes in the following:
· Scavenger Hunt
· Most Rubbish Collected
· Best Site Clean-up
· And the coveted ‘Oscar’ Award.
Everyone is invited to attend. FREE iceblocks for all children. BBQ and Drinks will be on sale. Don’t forget your hat, bag and gloves. This Clean Up Australia Day is proudly hosted by the Mitchell Campdrafting Association.
FREE Get Active Queensland Accreditation Programs (GAQAP) and Beginning Coaching General Principles workshops will be held in Roma on Saturday 14 March and Sunday 15 March 2009. These workshops are a great learning opportunity for coaches, officials, administrators, instructors and volunteers operating at the grassroots level. The GAQAP provides teachers, school staff & volunteers, community members, tertiary and senior school students with FREE training that can lead to accreditation in coaching, officiating and sports first aid. Courses offered include – Netball Coaching, Swimming Teaching, Rugby League Coaching, Athletics Coaching , Netball Officiating, Touch Coaching, Inclusive Sports & Physical Activity, Sports Strapping. Registrations close on Friday 27 February 2009. Registrations are online at http://www.sportrec.qld.gov.au/school_community/gaqap.cfm
Thank you to everyone who has replied to me with information requested in these email updates. Please keep those great ideas coming!!
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
If you’ve missed an update, please visit http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Update - 16 February 2009
I am continually amazed at the strength of the community spirit that lives in the Mitchell and surrounding area. The positive feedback on our first email update was overwhelming! Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply, and for your encouraging comments.
The February BAG General Meeting was held last Wednesday and provided the opportunity for the Management Committee and Working Party Coordinators to provide an update on project progress to members. The outcomes from our meeting include:
- The Department of Main Roads will be attending our March General Meeting on Wednesday, 11 March 2009 at the BAG Cottage in Ann Street, starting at 7.00 pm. Members and non-members are welcome to attend to hear from Main Roads what the proposed plans are for Mitchell and to provide community feedback.
- The loss of our full time Youth Worker has been identified as a significant issue for our community. BAG is looking to explore options to help address this issue. If you have any ideas or feedback on this, we would love to hear from you.
- A representative from the Department of Natural Resources and Water recently inspected the weir and was as horrified as we are with the amount of sand. It is hoped that this may cause some pressure on Government to assist with a project to remove the sand.
I will be attending a Fostering Rural Innovation and Change Workshop in Toowoomba tomorrow. The outcomes from this workshop include strategies to assist with developing the capacity of rural communities, and understanding why some country towns are resilient and thriving, and why some with similar attributes are in decline. I look forward to bringing this information back to the community.
Many community groups would have received the Community Grants Program / Community Ongoing Assistance Program Application Forms from council recently. Booringa Action Group acknowledges that this is a complex form to formalise current council support, and is happy to assist local groups with their applications, including providing letters of support. Please feel free to contact me if I can help with this.
The council’s name change looks to be going ahead …. See http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/asp/index.asp . The Electoral Commission has finally proposed to determine that the name of the Roma Regional Council be changed to Maranoa Regional Council.
Council has advised that the correct phone number to use for all council enquiries is: 1300 007 662
If anyone is interested in undertaking study towards a career in child care, the Federal Government has removed all TAFE fees for diploma and advanced diploma child care courses. The following web site may be of assistance www.oececc.gov.au .
BAG is still looking for someone to assist with the options for developing a website. If you have an interest or some experience with website development, please contact me.
Booringa Action Group is now offering a photocopying service to the community. Copying is free for up to 10 pages! For more than 10 pages, the following charges apply:
Price per copy for BAG Members
1 – 10 pages Free !
11 – 50 pages 25c
51 – 250 pages 20c
251 – 500 pages 15c
501 – 1000 pages 10c
1000+ pages - by negotiation
Price per copy for non-BAG members
1 - 10 pages Free!
11 - 50 pages 30c
51 - 250 pages 25c
251 - 500 pages 20c
501 - 1000 pages 15c
1000+ pages - by negotiaion
Free Business Seminars
Sam Thrupp from Telstra has advised that in association with The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Qld they are holding Free Business Seminars across Queensland. The global financial crisis has dominated world headlines over the last 12 months and the implications are now taking a toll on Queensland business. Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland and Telstra are inviting businesses to attend the free Surviving Tough Times Seminar. Topics will include:
· How has Queensland's economy been affected and how are other businesses coping?
· How does today's financial crisis compare to previous downturns?
· What should businesses do to safeguard their operations?
· How to capitalise on the opportunities of a downturn?
· Tips on how better use of telecommunications can deliver productivity improvement, efficiency and costs savings.
The Roma Seminar is being held on 10 March 2009, from 5.00pm to 7.00pm at the Maranoa Club.
Other details can be found at: http://www.cciq.com.au/Business-Connections/Surviving-Tough-Times.aspx
We are actively seeking to increase membership! If you are interested in supporting BAG, please consider joining. Membership fees are still only $10 . Please email me for a membership application form.
If you’ve missed out on any of the BAG Email Updates, these are now available at http://booringaactiongroup.blogspot.com .
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Update - 9 February 2009
Welcome to the first edition of a planned weekly email update from Booringa Action Group (BAG). This first message is to provide you with a quick summary of where we are up to, but future updates will be much shorter (I promise!), and will cover various topics that we hope will be of local interest.
What has BAG been up to?
- Following the change of BAG management in mid 2008, a new Strategic Plan has been developed. Five sub-committees have been established to implement the plan. The sub-committees are Communication, Community, Existing Business, New Business Development, and Tourism.
- Late 2008 the Community Sub Committee of BAG developed a comprehensive response to the Queensland Government’s Department of Infrastructure and Planning Draft Maranoa and District Regional Plan that stated Mitchell was not expected to grow and only maintenance levels of service would be provided to the town. The Maranoa and District and Regional Plan, once finalised, will become statutory (law) and act as the reference point for all future State Government policy.
- Businesses in the region have been surveyed and the results collated. A summary of the findings will be communicated at a function in April 2009.
A modern photocopying/printing machine has been purchased with a grant received from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund. This machine can supply a cost effective printing and photocopying service to BAG and community members. - BAG has initiated contact with the other community groups / progress associations throughout the new amalgamated Shire and a working party, consisting of the presidents of each of these groups, is meeting to strengthen the role of these groups in the region.
- BAG contributed to the success of the 2008 Christmas in the Park.
- BAG Management reviewed a list of some 30 projects that would offer a benefit to the Booringa community. The list has been prioritised and work has commenced on a selection of these projects.
What is BAG currently working on?
Projects have been considered and work has commenced on the following:
- A Child Care Centre for Mitchell – a team is following the progress of an application for funding for this. BAG was to receive notification about being on a shortlist for this Government funding in December 2008, but as yet no information has been forthcoming. Another option being explored is the preparation of an application to be a partner in the establishment of a new centre, and the team is working on this proposal.
- A Dentist for Mitchell – it is proposed to utilise the existing medical centre and staff to support the functioning of a Dentist. Dr Martin Byrne supports the project in principle and now Queensland Health need to come on board to progress arrangements.
- A large, secure, notice board is to be erected in the main street displaying a complete list of major events in the region for the benefit of locals; and also tourists, so they can plan further travel to the region to coincide with future event dates.
- A project team is investigating the opportunity of using the sewerage treatment farm as an enterprise.
- The BAG Communication Sub-Committee is in discussions with Council regarding the Booringa Bulletin. The Bulletin is a significant expense to Council and BAG is investigating if an alternative model could deliver a more economically viable product.
What’s next?
- BAG is developing a strong working relationship with Council and aims to be a reference point for Council in gauging community wants and needs.
- If community members would like to raise a proposal or concern with Council, consider BAG as a vehicle to support your quest.
- BAG is working on a new Corporate Image.
- BAG is planning a function to launch our new image, reveal the results of the business surveys previously conducted, and update all on the status of projects.
How can you help?
- BAG has a large number of projects that would have a significant positive impact on the liveability of the region.
- You can participate in projects via email. Time is something most people lack and as such we are changing the way projects are undertaken so that participation in projects can be done using technology such as email. That means you can read an update about a project from the team leader and make comment or contribute via a reply email or other method, when and where you can. Some meetings are still held, but your input can be contributed prior.
- We are continuing to look for members for the following projects:
Child Care Centre
Sewerage Treatment Farm project
A project addressing the sand in the weir
Sourcing a Dentist for Mitchell
Construction of a BAG website.
If you can help, please just drop a quick email reply and we will be in contact.
If you have your own ideas for projects in the region, then contact BAG to support you. BAG doesn’t need to own projects …. Our aim is to simply see the lifestyle of those in the region improved.
For more information on BAG, please contact Adam McEvoy, BAG President, on 4623 1141; or Sharyn Garrett , BAG Executive Officer, on 4623 7814.
Until next week! :-)
Cheers,
Sharyn.
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