2017 Gladstone Tondoon Botanic Gardens Sunday, June 4 9am - 3pm Special Guest - Matthew Evans Presenter of popular SBS programs Gourmet Farmer, What’s the Catch and For the Love of Meat, and owner of Tasmania’s Fat Pig Farm. COUNCIL YOUR CONNECTION LIFT OFF GLADSTONE REGIONAL COUNCIL NEWSLETTER June - July 2017 ISSUE 78 PROGRAM GUIDE Be Great to Our Barrier Reef 2017 GREANhouse Tent stage program 9.15am Nerida Bradley (General Manager Queensland Trust for Nature) 1.00pm Dr Sandra Tuszynska (PhD) Topic: Avoid Island - Australian Flatback Turtle Research Centre, Topic: Fungi – The Superheroes of Our Future nature refuge and real-world classroom. 1.50pm Winner of audience survey, Ecofest 2017 awards and 9.50am Official Opening by Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Matt Burnett Eco Warrior competition to be announced. 10.00am Tim Harvey (Director of the Sea Turtle Foundation) Topic: A Turtle’s Tale: sea turtles of the GBR – thriving or threatened? 2.00pm Video Screening: Reef Guardian Schools Future Leaders Eco Challenge, presented by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. 11.00am Matthew Evans (Host of presenter of popular SBS programs Each year the Reef Guardian Schools program provides local Gourmet Farmer, What's the Catch, For the Love of Meat and, schools with the opportunity to participate in the Future Leaders owner of Tasmania's Fat Pig Farm.) Eco Challenge (FLEC). Last year students travelled to Quoin Island Topic: What is Sustainable Seafood? where they were involved in hands-on activities. 12.00pm Representative from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Topic: Biodiversity benefits of Marine Park zoning: What you can do to build reef resilience. ECOfun Zone Activities, Animals Rehabilitation Centre Quoin Island Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (QITRC), established Amazing Drumming Monkeys and Presentations in 2012, is licensed to rehabilitate up to 10 marine turtles – presented by WICET at any one time. Carers have rehabilitated green, hawksbill, 9.30am, 11.30am and 1.30pm Gladstone District Wildlife flatback and even baby loggerhead turtles. Come on over to Australia’s favourite little kids' show is returning to Ecofest Carers Association the QITRC marquee where there are displays, slide shows, 2017! The show includes a blend of puppetry, live music, activities and a live turtle education display. What a great way Come and meet the team as they 'show and tell' their animals to learn more about our sea life, than see them up close and comedy, and interactive themes for the whole family to enjoy. in care. Expect to see eastern grey kangaroos, reptiles, personal. If you see a sick or injured sea turtle, call 0408 431 The puppetry element of the show will feature two monkeys, wallabies and an array of native animals on the day. 304. Bongo and Congo, otherwise known as the 'African drum experts'. Native Plants Queensland Calliope Garden Club There will be various activities taking place throughout the day, The Calliope Garden Club Incorporated, established in RESTA & Creepy Crawlies including: 2012, will bring both keen and amateur gardeners together 10am, 12pm and 2pm • Native Plants Capricornia to share their passion and grow their skills. They aim to RESTA will be back again conducting their three 30 minute • Port Curtis Organic Growers educate attendees on a range of gardening activities and demonstrations. RESTA Training has been in business for 10 • Seed Savers Network create a healthy and organic shared years bringing educational entertainment to the public. Radical • Milton Scouts community garden. • Landcare - Bush Food Display Reptiles currently hold Australia’s only nationally recognised • Gladstone Branch SGAP - Native Plants sales course for reptile awareness and safety. • Betty Laver - Author & Book sales Gladstone Regional Art • Queensland Trust for Nature Recycled Arts & Craft - presented by Bunnings • CQ Koala Volunteers.- Dr Alistair Melzer Gallery & Museum 9am - 3pm • Greening Australia - CQ Cane Toad Challenge In conjunction with the Gladstone Regional Art Residents are encouraged to come and join the team at the • Butterfly Invertebrate Group Gallery & Museum, local artist Jan Ross-Manley will Bunnings marquee and make sea themed craft out of recycled • Wildlife Nest Boxes premiere an exciting collaborative digital artwork materials. • Ant’s Picnic and Bee Hotels at the Gardens' Visitor Centre. To celebrate World Environment Day, young local artists will work with Jan in the lead up to Ecofest, creating the Free Face Painting - presented by Orica Benaraby Plant Farm innovative work to be officially launched on the 9am - 3pm Ion Daetz will have a large display of plants and natives for sale day. Have your face painted by the fairies from Fantasy Faces. and be on hand to answer all your gardening questions. LIFT OFF Be GreatQuoin Island to Turtle Our Barrier Reef COUNCIL CONNECTION GLADSTONE REGIONAL COUNCIL NEWSLETTER June - July 2017 ISSUE 78 Will my rates go down in August? Ratepayers are advised that falls or increases distribution of its properties' values (not the Gladstone Region's residential properties in land valuations, as reported by the Valuer- values themselves). assessed in 2012 rose by an average of 19 General last March, may not result in similar per cent, but the General Rate for 2012-13 This distribution typically fluctuates from changes to their rate notices. only increased by 1.6 per cent. Twenty- year to year. three per cent of residential properties had It is a common misconception that local In some years, a fall or increase in values is their General Rate reduced, 18.1 per cent government rates are determined by a evenly spread across all had increases of less than one per cent and simple 'my property ‘In other words, a property's rates properties; in others, a the remainder had increases up to 10 per value' x 'rate' = 'my bill' bill is governed by the fixed costs pocket of properties will cent. equation. of its Council and how its land have an acute change A rate cap is also applied to reduce the In reality, local in value compared to value compares to others in the impact of large valuation increases. governments apply region, not by the percentage of its others in the region. more considered How did this affect our last rates? fall or increase in value compared The relatively fixed cost equations to their rate to the previous year.’ of providing adequate In the 2016-17 Budget, Council reduced notices, to make them services, combined with the amount of rate revenue per property as fair as possible and in accordance with uneven levels of property value changes, it required by 0.72 per cent, despite cost the Local Government Regulation. explains why a fall or increase in a property's inflation. But, as explained above, individual Firstly, the total rates revenue required to land value doesn't necessarily result in an rate bills varied. efficiently deliver the community's wants and associated rates change. Last year, 20 per cent of residential needs is determined. In other words, a property's rates bill is properties experienced a steep decline in A reduction or increase in a community's governed by the fixed costs of its Council value compared to the other 80 per cent. land values does not typically result in an and how its land value compares to others Although Council received less rate income equal reduction or increase in services' costs in the region, not by the percentage of its on average, the majority of ratepayers to that community. fall or increase in value compared to the experienced a slight rate increase to previous year. So the required rates revenue is spread offset the 20 per cent who received a across a community according to the As an example, land valuations for the considerable reduction. Infographic How general rates and charges are calculated ÷ = $ x + = GR Total rates Combined value “The rate Valuation of your Service charges Your general revenue needed of all rateable in the dollar” property’s land (water, rates & service to service properties sewerage, charges community waste) INSIDE 5 6 10 14 Gladstone Local guide to region's UQ students visit Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Children's Festival War Memorials treatment plant tickets on sale now Mayor's Message Region events prove community spirit alive and well Anyone doubting the economy picks up again. strength and spirit of And there are still some big events to the Gladstone Region come in the following weeks with the community need only ever-popular The Old Station Fly In look at the amazing and Heritage Show at Raglan on May variety of community 27-28 and Ecofest, the region's annual events that have been environmental festival, on June 4. hosted recently. The Labour Day long Another calendar date that should have us weekend was particularly eventful with all thinking about the type of community thousands of residents joining visitors from we want to be is on May 27 when we Cover outside the region to participate in the mark the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Learn more about our sea life at the turtle Boyne Tannum HookUp, Baffle Creek referendum at which more than 90 per education display at Ecofest Raft Race, Boyne Valley Country Music cent of Australians voted 'Yes' to include Campout and Labour Day March and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the national census. Council Connection Family Fun Day. This newsletter is produced every two These events were followed soon after by National Reconciliation Week, from May months by Gladstone Regional Council 27 to June 3, marks the referendum and to inform residents about Council events, the Mayor's Charity Ball which was also a activities, services and projects. It is printed on great success, raising vital funds for worthy the historic Mabo decision of 1992 and 60 per cent recycled paper.