Update - 17 June 2010

BAG NEWS ….

A Business & Community Networking Breakfast will be held on the deck at the Great Artesian Spa Complex on Wednesday 23 June 2010 from 7.00 am to 9.00 am. Cost is $10.00 per person. RSVP by 20 April 2010 to me on phone 07 4623 7814 or email bag.eo@bigpond.com. This event will launch a new training strategy for delivering nationally accredited diploma level training within the region. Speakers arranged for the breakfast are Robyn Keenan, Skills Link Manager from Queensland Tourism Industry Council and Jo Smith, One Step Further (RTO). Please join us to find out about current opportunities for business training and tourism in Mitchell. Free gift packs! On the menu is: Kedgeree; Egg Cocotte; Swedish Style Bubble and Squeak; Pork, Apple and Sage Chipolatas; Creamed Spinach; Chorizo and Beans; Maple Syrup Shortcut Bacon; Mushrooms and Thyme Buttered Muffins; and Homemade Granola Yoghurt and Dried Fruit Compote.

Governance Workshop – the final workshop in our series of community workshops will be on Governance and Meeting Procedures. This will be held on Tuesday 22 June 2010, 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm at the BAG/Landcare office. This is a free workshop and all community members are welcome to attend. Please contact me to register.

Funded Diplomas – BAG has been working with the Queensland Tourism Industry Council and service providers to enable the subsidised delivery of Diploma qualifications for local Tourism and Hospitality workers. The training for the qualifications outlined below will be tailored to suit the needs of the individual and their workplace. You will learn, or enhance on, areas such as:
• People Management: team performance, coaching, industrial relations skills;
• Customer Service and Sales skills: how to exceed every customer’s expectation and turn this into greater sales and increased bottom line;
• Financial Management: how to build a budget then manage it to suit your business;
• Marketing: how to best market your products then build on the return business.
These areas of study are just to name a few. To find out more about this opportunity please come along to our breakfast!

Membership is continuing to increase! JOIN NOW!! – New or renewing members who pay their membership before the end of June will receive a free gift! Take a look at our new window display for what you could get!

BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………

Dentist – a reminder that our new private dentist, Life Time Smiles Mitchell is now OPEN for business. Call 1300 661 053 for an appointment.


GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………

Public Awareness Alcoholics Anonymous – Al-Anon participation. 7.30 pm – 9.00 pm, Tuesday 22 June 2010, at the shire hall. A light supper will be provided. Please phone 4623 7298 for more information. Everyone welcome!


Until next time! :-)

Cheers,
Sharyn.

Update - 17 May 2010

Did you miss me? The last few weeks have been amazingly busy, and I’m not sure it’s looking any better for the next few weeks!!

BAG NEWS ….

New Members – a big welcome to the 11 new members who have joined BAG recently. Membership figures are steadily growing and we see this as a positive indication of support for the work we are doing for the community. Thank you!

Governance Workshop – the final workshop in our series of community workshops will be on Governance and Meeting Procedures. This will be held on Tuesday 22 June 2010, 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm at the BAG/Landcare office. This is a free workshop and all community members are welcome to attend. Please contact me to register.

Funded Diplomas – BAG has been working with the Queensland Tourism Industry Council and service providers to enable the subsidised delivery of Diploma qualifications for local Tourism and Hospitality workers. This is a fantastic opportunity for the region as it is often difficult to undertake training such as this without the need for travel. The training for the qualifications outlined below will be tailored to suit the needs of the individual and their workplace. This will involve a combination of RPL (recognition of prior learning), online self-paced workshops and workplace projects. This means there is complete flexibility; it is easy to do, with very little time taken from the workplace. You will learn, or enhance on, areas such as:
• People Management: team performance, coaching, industrial relations skills;
• Customer Service and Sales skills: how to exceed every customer’s expectation and turn this into greater sales and increased bottom line;
• Financial Management: how to build a budget then manage it to suit your business;
• Marketing: how to best market your products then build on the return business.
These areas of study are just to name a few. Let us help you design a training program that is real to your business needs - fun and motivational - but most of all, will allow you to take your business, just that One Step Further. To find out more about this opportunity please contact me via email bag.eo@bigpond.com or call 4623 7814.

To officially launch our training/tourism initiative we will be hosting a Business Breakfast on Wednesday 23 June 2010. Put this date in your diaries and I will forward further information as it becomes available. It is intended to host a tour of our local tourism attractions for the Queensland Tourism Industry Council whilst they are here, so if you have any ideas of where we could go and what we could do, please let me know!

General Meeting – Our April General Meeting saw attendance up slightly. Special guests in attendance were councillors Jeff Watson and Tom Hartley and also MRC Director Community Service, Tony Kline. Tony provided an update on council activities, including a changed focus for council in the way they look to support and nurture communities to address identified needs that are not commercially viable due to size of community/population and location. This was welcome news which we hope means support for Mitchell in its ongoing work towards the establishment of a Child Care Centre. It also means a reprieve for the Retirement Village.

Our June General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010, 7.00 pm at the BAG cottage. All welcome!

JOIN NOW!! – New or renewing members who pay their membership before the end of June will receive a free gift! Please contact me for more information.

Management Committee Role – the BAG Management Committee has responsibility for the strategic direction as well as the day to day operation of BAG. They are a committed group of community members who are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to take our group forward. A large part of this is looking to source new business ideas to help make our organisation self funded, so that we can continue to employ staff and continue growing.


BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………

Dentist – woohoo! Life Time Smiles Mitchell is now OPEN. First appointments will be from Thursday, 27 May 2010. Call to secure your dental appointment today! Phone 1300 661 053. As comprehensive care dentists, Life Time Smiles services include: Toothache appointments daily; Oral examinations; Clean and fluoride; Crown & bridges; CEREC; Fillings; Root canal; and Extractions. Call in and see them today at the Mitchell Hospital, 95 Ann Street, Mitchell.

Sand/Weir – we have been approached by a local sand supplier who is interested in purchasing some of our lovely Mitchell sand….. but we need a way to get it out! Do you have some ideas or contacts in this field? Please contact me to discuss further.


GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………

MITCHELL STATE SCHOOL IS RECYCLING! WANTED: Aluminium Cans; Batteries - car, motorbike, truck; All things copper (electrical wire); All things brass; Anything Aluminium; Old Radiators. This Recycling Project is supporting the update of equipment in the school’s Manual Arts department and has the full support and assistance of the P&C. Pick up for large quantities available. Please contact the school on 4623 8888 for further information or assistance - ask for ANDREW!

The Biological Farmers of Australia & Seasol proudly present Cunnamulla Organic Roadshow hosted by the Paroo Shire Council. Thursday 20 May 2010; 8.30am – 5.00pm at the Cunnamulla Showgrounds, Broad Street, Cunnamulla. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Ph: 07 3350 5716 ext 232 or Email: events@bfa.com.au / or go to www.bfa.com.au to download booking form. Included on the Agenda is: Entering the organic beef market; Peter Gall (Organic Meat Company); Organic standards and certification; Terry Elliot (Auditor ACO); Biological Inputs – the benefits of kelp; Rick Keen (Seasol) & Mike Polymiadis (Elders); Understanding the organic wool market: Stuart MacKenzie (Plevna Downs); Understanding the organic lamb market; Toby Scales (Cleavers); Farm Tour; brothers Donald and Geoff Dunsdon provide a tour of their organic fat lamb operation; Managing healthy soils for viable agriculture; Neil Judd (Agronomist; CEO, South West NRM); Challenges and opportunities facing farmers worldwide today; Clive Wylie (Clive and Erika Wylie Partnership); Exporting organic beef to Asia and the US; Peter Schmidt (OBE Beef) Open forum; facilitated by Doug Haas (BFA Chairman). Roadshows are open to all interested in seeking the latest information on biological production systems and organic/biodynamic food and farming. The event is an excellent opportunity for those who want to make key contacts and network with industry members and is an opportunity to view trade displays of companies supplying organic “allowed inputs” and other products/services. Consisting of brief and practical talks, regardless of your type of business, you will gain an insight into biological farming systems and the entire organic supply chain.


Until next time! :-)

Cheers,
Sharyn.

Update - 22 March 2010

BAG NEWS ….

Show Schedule – The finishing touches are being made to the 2010 Mitchell Show Schedule! These will be available at the office later in the week.

The next BAG General Meeting will be held on 14 April 2010, 7.00 pm at the BAG cottage in Ann Street. Everyone is welcome.


BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………

Community Bus – As council is no longer hiring its bus to community groups, it has been identified the need for a community owned bus for use by all community groups. Helen Brindley has taken on the role of working party co-ordinator for this project. If you would like to join this working party, or want to provide details of when you/your group would make use of a community bus please contact Helen at bindies@activ8.net.au ... Also, if you have some ideas as to how this may be funded/supported long term, Helen would love to hear these!!


GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………

Mitchell Responsible Serving of Alcohol Course – So what do you do when an intoxicated 18 year old wants another beer – and you’re the one behind the bar? What do you say to diffuse what could become an awkward situation? The Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) course is a great way o learn how to deal with these and other tricky situations. They run for four hours and provide the knowledge and awareness necessary to serve liquor responsibly. Successful participants receive a Liquor Licensing industry recognised RSA certificate. Benefits include: Greater awareness of legal liabilities; Increased knowledge of alcohol and its effects; A safer environment for servers and patrons; Assists clubs to achieve Good Sports accreditation. Course Details: Tuesday 25 May 2010, 5.30 pm, at the Maranoa Regional Council, Mitchell Office (old Council Chambers). Cost is $45 for Good Sports club members and $75 for non-members. To book, please contact Good Sports Project Officer Justine Miller on 0400 726 652 or email goodsports_southwest@live.com.au. Payment must be received prior to course date to secure your spot!

Flood Assistance – The Department of Communities are conducting outreach services in the Mitchell and Dunkeld areas over the next few days. Affected people can register for: financial assistance; personal support; counselling services; specialist services; etc. by using 1800 173 349. Please keep in mind that this assistance is available for all affected residents of the Maranoa including primary producers.


Until next time! :-)

Cheers,
Sharyn.

Update - 4 March 2010

BAG NEWS ….

Community Workshops – A great first workshop on Communication was held on Monday night, but due to the deluge later that evening, we cancelled the Tuesday workshop. We covered a great range of topics, including how to frame your conversations for maximum impact, as well as NLP – Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP explores the relationships between how we think (neuro), how we communicate (linguistic) and our patterns of behaviour and emotion (programmes)). These workshops have proved beneficial to participants and are most entertaining. Our next workshop on Governance and Meeting Procedures will be held on Monday 19 April 2010, 6.00 - 9.00 pm at the BAG/Landcare office. Snacks and dinner (finger foods) will be provided. Please contact me to register for this workshop.

The next BAG General Meeting will be held on 14 April 2010, 7pm at the BAG cottage in Ann Street. Everyone is welcome.


BAG PROJECT UPDATES ………

Dentist – Good news this week, following a telephone hook up a start date has been set. We are waiting on confirmation to start advertising this date and for details on how to make appointments!!

Website – Members have been working in the background lately to put together a BAG website. Some further work is needed on this before it is ready for viewing …. I will keep you updated. If you have any great flood photos, please email these through to me and they can be included on the website!!

Sand/Weir - Our Sand Working Party Co-ordinator, Tom, is looking for some photographs of the Neil Turner Weir in its early years, when it was a full and active water playground. Please email or bring in to the office (for scanning) as many photos as you have.


GENERAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION ………

Shave for a Cure – to support the Leukaemia Foundation, we are being shaved on Saturday, 6 March 2010 at 6.00 PM at The Rock, Hotel Richards. All donations can be made online, go to shave for a cure and search for our team – The Rock. There is live entertainment that night, a singer is coming out from Bris Vegas – Fina. Going under the razor are: Katie Byrne, Lynne Smith and THE DON, Kate Field. Hope to see you there!
Visit the team page direct - http://my.imisfriendraising.com.au/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=44143&langPref=en-CA

The Mitchell RSL & Combined Sports Club is seeking the services of a highly motivated and enthusiastic person to fill the position of Sports Club Co-ordinator at the Mitchell RSL & Combined Sports Complex, Mitchell. The successful incumbent must be able to manage and co-ordinate the functioning and daily operation of the Mitchell RSL & Combined Sports Club Complex. Flexibility of working hours will also be essential. Applicants are required to specifically address each of the selection criteria listed in the Position Description. Requests for a position description or any further enquiries should be directed to: The Secretary/Treasurer, Mitchell RSL & Combined Sports Club, PO Box 42, Mitchell Qld 4465 or phone 4624 6905. Applications close Monday, 8 March 2010.

Flood Assistance – The Department of Communities will commence outreach services in Roma today, as well as establishing a Community Recovery Coordination/Information Centre. This ‘Centre’ (one-stop-assistance/information-shop) will be located at the Ernest Brock Room of the Roma Cultural Centre, Bungil Street, Roma from 1 PM Thursday 4 March 2010. It is anticipated that the Centre will be in operation until 17 March 2010. Affected people can register at the Centre for: financial assistance; personal support; counselling services; specialist services; etc. After Thursday, the Centre will operate from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM every day through to the 17th March (including weekends). People can also register for the assistance by using 1800 173349 particularly if they can not make it to Roma. Please keep in mind that this assistance is available for all affected residents of the Maranoa including primary producers.


Until next time! :-)

Cheers,
Sharyn.