The Round-Up, We Celebrate This Region and Its Bright Future
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New Aquatic Centre to open in April LADY OF THE MARY STATUE UNVEILED THE MARY VALLEY RATTLER GETS THE GO AHEAD COVER STORY: Australia Day Awards OUR REGION OUR FOCUS Your Councillors A message from Mayor Cr Mick Curran, Mayor Mick Curran Portfolio: Governance, Finance, Disaster Management Phone: 0417 959 331 Email: [email protected] Cr Mark McDonald, Division 1 Portfolio: Planning and Development Phone: 0439 001 170 Email: [email protected] Cr Glen Hartwig, Division 2 Welcome to the first edition of ‘The Round Up’ for 2017. Portfolio: Economic Development Firstly I hope you and your families have been making the Phone: 0437 722 931 most of all the enjoyment that comes along with summer in Email: [email protected] this wonderful part of Australia. Council is looking forward to bringing many new facilities and services to the Gympie Region Cr Mal Gear, Division 3 in the months to come. Portfolio: Business Activities A year-long salute has begun as we celebrate 150 years (G150). Phone: 0437 477 245 The year kicked off with our Australia Day celebrations where Email: [email protected] thousands of locals and visitors attended the hot summer day of fun and festivities at Nelson Reserve and we look forward to bringing you many more G150 events throughout the year. We Cr Daryl Dodt, Division 4 also recently unveiled the Lady of the Mary Statue in Mary Street Portfolio: Environmental Sustainability which signifies an important part of Gympie’s flood history. and Special Projects There is something very exciting just around the corner with Phone: 0499 080 164 the opening of the Aquatic Recreation Centre in April. The final Email: [email protected] touches are underway and it is truly going to be an amazing Cr Dan Stewart, Division 5 facility for everyone in the community to enjoy. At Council we will continue to focus on jobs creation and Portfolio: Social Wellbeing Phone: 0499 081 404 economic development with tourism highlighted as a major Email: [email protected] contributor to our region’s future growth. Initiatives such as the Mary Valley Rattler and River to Rail Trail projects are focused towards bringing people to the region. So, in presenting you Cr Hilary Smerdon, Division 6 with this issue of The Round-Up, we celebrate this region and its bright future. Portfolio: Water and Sewerage, Waste Management Mayor Mick Curran Phone: 0499 080 913 Email: [email protected] Cr Bob Leitch, Deputy Mayor Division 7 Portfolio: Infrastructure Services Phone: 0429 231 516 Email: [email protected] Cr James Cochrane, Division 8 Portfolio: Tourism, Sport and Recreation Phone: 0499 080 398 Email: [email protected] PAGE 2 THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017 Contents Australia Day Awards 01 Your Councillors Citizen of the Year - Marlene Owen 02 A message from Citizen of the Year Mayor Mick Curran HowMarlene do you feelOwen about receiving this 03 Australia Day Awards award? It is a privilege and an honor. I feel very 04 Mary Valley Rattler humbled about this award. I’m certainly 05 Gympie Aquatic Recreation not in it for the recognition; I’m here for Centre my community. 06 River to Rail Trail What do you love about Gympie? 06 Stage 1 - G150 We are in the middle of paradise! Gympie 07 Snapper is such a genuine, sharing community and 08 G150 Celebrations so close to the beautiful beaches. 09 Our region ... our focus If you could describe to a younger 10 Youth precinct and play space Gympie resident, what’s great about 10 Lady of the Mary volunteering? It’s all about giving and receiving. 11 Meet the staff The experience that comes along with Citizen of the Year 12 What’s on volunteering is very rewarding. Marlene Owen THE ROUND-UP Editorial Nicole Davis / Melissa Boully Design Jennifer Wohlk Produced By Gympie Regional Council Town Hall, 2 Caledonian Hill, Gympie Young Citizen of the Year Community Event of the Year 1300 307 800 Mikaela Calvert Little Kids Day Out [email protected] Our newest citizens Back from left: Deputy Mayor Bob Leitch, Helen Armitage, Flavia Burley, Raphael Man Ka Cheung, Sukhbir Singh Sarjit Singh Dhillon, Claudia Granshaw and Sports Administration Award Youth Sports Award Geoffrey Karley, Mayor Mick Curran. Darren Burns Jarred Brook Front: Maria Sinclair, Corinna Cervone, K Sameer Singh Dhillon, Samuel Cook and Charlotte Pegues. Youth Cultural Award Cultural Award Eliza Parker Jamie-Lee Griffiths THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017 PAGE 3 Mary Valley Rattler Stage One of the Mary Valley Rattler Steam Train revitalisation is set to go head in Gympie’s 150th year with the announcement of a funding commitment from the Queensland Government’s ‘Works for Queensland’ program. The revitalised Mary Valley Rattler will this project on track. Stage One of the The Mary Valley be transformed into a professional project will include getting the Mary Rattler will be tourism attraction with the potential to Valley Rattler up and running from generate significant economic benefits Gympie to Amamoor and vice versa and transformed into for the region. Council will then explore the feasibility of the train continuing to Imbil for Stage Departing Gympie’s fully restored a professional Two. heritage station, the Rattler will tourism attraction . carry passengers over the Mary The first steps of the project include: River and through the fertile Mary • Review and replacement of track Valley, traversing the gentle curves sleepers in need of repair and gradients of the line before • Review and remediation of the arriving some 45 minutes later in the existing bridges and crossings picturesque village of Amamoor. • Development of a Rail Food and Shopping precinct at Gympie Station Council has been working closely with • Working with the Amamoor, the Queensland Government and the Monkland and Dagun Communities. Rattler Rail Company Board to get PAGE 4 THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017 Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre Gympie Regional Council is gearing up for the grand opening of the new Aquatic Recreation Centre (ARC) with a free open day for the community on Saturday 1 April 2017. Final touches are commencing on the The ARC will include a two tube ARC which is due for opening in April. waterslide, a zero depth splash play The new Council is excited as it prepares to area, 25m eight lane heated indoor Gympie Aquatic launch a state of the art aquatic centre pool, a 50m outdoor pool, fitness in Queensland. centre, cafeteria, grandstand and plenty Recreation Centre of shade. Along with providing an amazing is due to open in recreational centre for locals all year This project has created 270 jobs whilst round, we are excited that Gympie will in construction and will provide up April 2017! now have an Aquatic Recreation Centre to 50 jobs ongoing. Well experienced with all the features needed to host local, Courtney Murphy has been regional competitions and bring a new appointed as the manager and is group of visitors to the Gympie Region. currently recruiting staff from over 300 applications for all positions from café staff to life guards. THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017 PAGE 5 River to Rail Trail Planning is underway for a walking trail along the Mary River. Council has commenced preliminary planning for a walking trail centrally located and surrounding the Mary River. This scenic link will be a tourism highlight and provide picturesque scenery whilst highlighting the region’s heritage through landmarks such as the historic Rattler Railway Complex and Lady of the Mary Statue. The trail will also incorporate the Mary River, the Gympie Weir and Deep Creek Conservation area. The trail will create an active recreation and community hub for people of all age groups to explore and create their own connecting memories from the region. Stopping at locations along the trail, visitors and locals will have space for social gatherings and to ‘Meet Mary’. The landscape concept has now been finalised and detailed trail development planning is now underway. The announcement of ‘Works for Queensland’ funding sees the first stage of the program happen during the G150 year. Locally grown Chef and Gympie Region Food Ambassador Matt Golinski shares on of his favourite recipes using local produce - Tasty Red Emperor Ingredients Method 4 x 180g fillets of Red Emperor In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, 1 tsp Limes Chilli and Kaffir Lime Salt shallot and red chilli to a paste. 200gm cooked and peeled prawns Mix in the fish sauce, lime juice and 1 green paw paw, peeled and shredded sugar, then add the beans and pound 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved gently without losing their shape. Add 1 bunch snake beans or small green the papaya, tomatoes, prawns and beans macadamias and mix gently to combine. 2 tbs roasted Mix in half of the coriander leaves. macadamias, roughly chopped Season the Red Emperor fillets with chilli 1 clove of garlic and lime salt and grill in a pan or on a 1 shallot BBQ until just cooked through. 1 red chilli Arrange the salad on 4 plates and top 2 tbs fish sauce each with a coral trout fillet. Pour over 2 tbs lime juice the excess dressing and sprinkle with the 1 tbs palm sugar remaining coriander leaves. ¼ cup coriander leaves PAGE 6 THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017 Snapper Have you been snapped while out and about in the region? THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017 PAGE 7 G150 Celebrations The G150 year will not only celebrate the beginnings of the town but the many achievements of the region and its people over the past 150 years.