Palm Island Voice Your Community Issue 61 Your Newsletter Tuesday 10 August 2010 Your Voice ‘BUMPER’ 20-PAGE Your vote will count VOTERS on Palm Island are considered vital in determining ISSUE!!! which of the major parties will win the important seat of Herbert at the August 21 Federal election, particularly considering Peter Lindsay won in the last election by just 343 votes. Herbert is one of the most marginal Palm Island Voice that with just seats in the country with some over 1000 registered voters on political experts claiming the party the Island our community could who wins it will win overall. certainly decide the outcome. Free at last Labor candidate and former At the last election 71% of Palm Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney Island votes went to Labor and visited Palm Island on July 16 and 29% to the Liberals on a two- again the following week with party preferred basis. Federal Indigenous Health Minister Bwgcolman Radio Station has Warren Snowdon. followed the election closely and His main opponent, the LNP found that living costs, health, Stolen candidate Ewen Jones, visited unemployment, lack of housing Palm on July 20 with four senators and education are the main issues Wages including Barnaby Jones, and for Islanders in the lead up to the answered questions from locals at election. Update a forum held at the PCYC. Whilst Herbert is considered a Mr Jones, along with Senator Nigel two-horse race, Greens candidate Scullion, the Shadow Minister for Dr Michael Rubenach is standing Indigenous Affairs, visited the on a climate change platform and Island again on Saturday July 31. will almost certainly direct his After a meeting with Deputy Mayor preferences to Mr Mooney. Raymond Sibley and others, they The other candidate is Family First went to the local Palm football. National Party’s Michael Punshon. At the last Federal election long The Australian Electoral All the term Liberal sitting member Peter Commission has advised that Mr Lindsay won the seat with 41,089 Mooney drew top position on the fortnight’s votes which was 50.21% of the ballot paper, followed by Mr Jones, total, from Labor’s George Colbran Mr Punshon and Mr Rubenach. footy with 40,746 votes (49.79%), on At previous elections a percentage action a two party preferred basis after of Palm Island registered voters preferences were distributed from have not cast their votes and with the other seven candidates. the stakes so high it is vital they The difference was only 343 do so on August 21. individual’s votes. For ‘What the Candidates A Council spokesperson told the Say’ see pages 8-9. A visit to the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council by Year 5s has been described by teachers as a ‘great learning experience’ for students, pictured here with Mayor Alf Lacey ‘Torres’ the turtle released back to sea A turtle found on Palm Island’s north-east bay beach by Veronica Coutts and grand daughter Talani Coutts in 2006 has been freed from Townsville, where it has been looked after for the past four years by Reef HQ. ‘Torres’ was brought in in an ice cream To increase in weight container to Townsville’s world renowned from a paltry 366 grams Aquarium and was released back into the wild to 45kg was an amazing on July 23 weighing 45kg (pictured below). effort and testimony to The release was at the Townsville Strand the fine work by Reef beach and watched by about 400 adults and HQ staff. school children. As it grew in size, Torres Talani (pictured right) was there with her Palm became a regular “star” Island mates Lana Daisy and Mariah Stone. of the Reef HQ Dive “We called him Torres because grandma is Show and touched the from the Torres Strait,” she said. hearts of staff, volunteers “I had been running and members of the up and down the public with a larger than life personality and beach that day repertoire of cheeky antics, after four years of when I was 10 rehabilitation. and saw him, so Reef HQ volunteer Freda Hudson said Torres we contacted the had become very big and cheeky. Aquarium. “Torres used to nip the leopard sharks and “But whilst I am had become a cheeky turtle,” she said. emotional it is also Torres has been fitted with an acoustic tag a happy day.” which transmits a signal to local receivers Talani and her across Cleveland Bay, Magnetic Island and grandmother were other regional areas across the Marine Park. credited with saving In addition Torres has also been fitted with a the orphaned satellite tag where researchers and the public turtle’s life. can follow its movements. 2 No more ‘phantom projects’ - Deputy Mayor Chronic housing shortages and high freight costs were several issues raised by Palm Island Deputy Mayor Raymond Sibley (right) with Federal Shadow Minister for Aboriginal and Islander Affairs Senator Nigel Scullion (below left) during his visit last month. Cr Sibley and his wife Ruby, Eddie Walsh Mr Walsh told Senator Scullion Palm Islanders (below centre), Ray Dennis and Acting-CEO didn’t want shallow promises, just more Jeff Brown met with Senator Scullion at the houses. Coolgaree Bay Sports Bar and Bistro Coffee ”My children grew up in my house and I don’t Café for 90 minutes. Also there was LNP want my grandchildren to have to,” he said. candidate for Herbert Ewen Jones (below Senator Scullion promised to check out “where right) and his media advisor Max Tomlinson. the housing situation was at” and also other “The Howard Government approved the concerns brought to his attention during the construction of 46 new homes in 2007, meeting. the funding has been allocated in Forward They were given a tour of the Island by Mr Estimates but not a sod has been turned since Brown and later joined locals at the rugby Labor came to power,” Cr Sibley said. league match between Skipjacks and Mundy “We are sick and tired of politicians coming Bay Warriors. Senator Scullion left Palm airport to the island promising the world and then at 4pm after arriving at 12.30pm. nothing ever happens. It’s just another phantom project.” Cr Sibley said freight charges to Palm Island were high and a disgrace which directly impacted on the cost of living. “It costs $45 for a carton of Coca-Cola on Palm and in Townsville that is around $16,” he said. “At Woolworths on Townsville when they are on special you can get two cartons for $32.” Rodeo postponed to later this year THE third Palm Island rodeo, which was scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, has been postponed to a date to be decided due to unforeseen circumstances. A final decision to postpone the rodeo was made late today, just as the Palm Island Voice was about to go to print. John Moss of Bucko Billy Rodeo, who has organised the bulls and competition side of the event for previous two Palm Island rodeos, said he wanted everybody to know. The other organisers are Palm Island couple Pauline and Shaun Shortjoe. “It was due to unforeseen circumstances but it had to be postponed,’ Mr Moss said. 3 Elders & youth working on future Palm Island Elders are working with a group of aspiring youths to each learn how to play important roles in helping to shape the future of the Island community. A newly-established Elders Reference Group reviewed with stakeholders such as Palm and the Island’s first Youth Council intends to Island Shire Council, Queensland Government meet regularly to discuss issues related to the and the community.” community’s social, economic and educational The Elders Reference Group was established wellbeing. during an information session held at the Both groups are funded and facilitated by newly-opened Coolgaree Sports Club in Palm Island Community Company (PICC), a June. not-for-profit organisation established in 2007 At the meeting Elders highlighted the to provide service delivery, capacity building importance of youth welfare, in particular the and economic development to Palm Island. ongoing operation of the Palm Island Safe PICC programs manager Hedley Alley said House. residents were passionate about providing The facility was established by the State protection and future opportunities for the government to assist with keeping children Island’s youth. within their community when they are “We’ve already seen from our first meetings removed from their families in response to a that there is a lot of raw passion amongst the child protection matter. Elders, because they want the best for their “The Elders made it very clear that greater community,” Mr Alley said. resources needed to be put into helping the “These two groups were formed in order parents of these children to get their lives back to get different perspectives about how on track so that families can stay together on PICC and other stakeholders can provide Palm Island,” Mr Alley said. better support programs and services for “They want to see the children remain on the residents. Island during those hard times while case “The Elders and Youth Council will meet workers help to work through any issues with regularly to discuss major issues and hopefully each family.” that will lead to a number of solutions and Meanwhile, the Youth Council was formed positive outcomes that we can use to our to advise both the Council and PICC on a advantage when offering support programs. number of issues that affect the Island’s “All of the information will be shared and young population. The long-awaited Last week Palm Island initiative will allow Voice reported Yolanda the Island’s next Kerr as one of the Kirwan State High School generation of leaders to students short-listed for offer recommendations the Queensland Training in relation to youth Awards in the School services, activities Based Trainee/Apprentice and opportunities (SBTA) section for 2010.