Bulloo Buzz 03 April 2019 MAYORS MESSAGE ……………..………….………………………. Rural Mens Night It was wonderful to see such a huge roll up of gentlemen at the Rural Men’s Night, particularly our remote residents who made the effort to travel in and stay for this great inaugural event. This event provided the men of our district and beyond with an avenue to kick back, have some fun and forget about their everyday worries and hardships, and recharge their batteries for what was still ahead. The women organisers were surprised to see us all there promptly at 6:30, a feat we jested was due to the fact that we did not have to wait for our wives to get ready. I would personally like to thank all those that attended making this night a tremendous success and a night, I believe, was enjoyed by all who attended. Whats out there for our residents: The Bulloo Shire is the third largest shire in Queensland with a small population. Having such a small population means that we are not eligible for a lot of community services. It also means that due to long distance, these services are not easily accessible. The drought has taken its toll by increasing workload around properties, leaving no free time for parents to spend driving to attend service locations. To help address this issue Council successfully applied for funding to implement the following programs: First Five Forever - This web and social media program aimed at taking the library into the homes of the people who are living in isolation. Loneliness, boredom and limited contact with the outside world can contribute to a lack of motivation to educate and stimulate their children. This innovative ‘Parent Power’ program is aimed at breaking early literacy development down into quick, easy and practical steps with one minute video chats and demonstrations which empower and motivate parents to change the way they communicate and play with their children. For more information contact the Library on 46 218 094 Tech Savy Seniors - This project will be aimed at teaching older residents (50 and over) how to use technology to “bridge the distance” between our remote area and family, friends and everyday services. Becoming proficient in the use of online communication, web access, use of social media will allow residents to embrace digital technology instead of being afraid of it. For more information contact the Library on 46 218 094 Mayor John (Tractor) Ferguson Bulloo Shire Council PO Box 46 Thargomindah 4492 T: 07 46218000 Fax: 07 46553131 A/H Emergencies: 0429 611 872 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bulloo.qld.gov.au A WORD FROM THE CEO ……………….………………………. The big talk at the moment is all about Thargomindah’s dry flood. It’s a dry flood because I don’t think 15mm of rain could have produced any disastrous situations. However, I have just sent out our first Situation Report (SITREP) advising that work has been undertaken and preparations put in place. Just so everyone has the same info, we are expecting the Bulloo River to go over the bridge sometime on Wednesday, possibly in the morning. We are expecting about 1.2 to 1.5 metres over the bridge and possibly lasting until Friday. This is based on the information we get from upstream at Quilpie and today we are watching Autumnvale. In terms of the length of time it will be up that is purely a guesstimate. We really can’t tell because we can’t say the volume of water will be the same as it was at Quilpie. We have activated the Flood Truck and it will operate each day in up to 1.2metres of water from 6.30am in the morning to 5.00pm being the last run across from the Thargo side and 5.30pm will be the last run back from the other side. Flood truck contact number is 0427 553 133. THERE WILL BE NO FLOOD TRUCK RUNS AFTER THAT TIME UNLESS IT IS A GENUINE EMERGENCY! Ago Vires have kindly put a fork lift on the other side of the river for any goods that need to come in whilst the flood is on. The shop is well prepared with supplies and the SES guys are all over the boat preparations. So once again, the Thargo community has acted like a well-oiled team machine and people are ready for most eventualities. I personally don’t think this will last long and we should be back to normal for the weekend with all the Yabbie holes topped up with water. (We only have one more month with an ‘R’ in it before they will go off the bite). I assume I don’t have to remind people but please use common sense with flood waters. IF ITS FLOODED – FORGET IT! Now a few notes on the Council side: Council recently applied for 10 Million dollars to undertake works on the Warri Gate Road. Unfortunately we did not succeed in this application. However, we continue to push the importance of this road with the deputy Prime minister, Opposition members and our Local Member Hon. David Littleproud. We believe this project is starting to get some traction but we need funding for it to get off the mark. We continue to push the $71 million dollars over 10 years deal as this would be the most beneficial for Government and Shire. You will have noticed the Works 4 Qld projects starting to emerge. The old Gaol has been finished, the walking path is well underway and being partially used and the amphitheatre at the memorial park will be a most grandiose structure. I’m sure it will have the tourists talking this year about what a great place is Thargomindah. The second water pond is having a new set of pipes installed. This is the same work as the first pond where we enlarged the cooling pipes and built in an expansion chamber in each pipe. Hopefully you will notice a difference in the future with the reduced heat of the water. We have just had funds approved to erect a structure to house the emergency generator in at the rear of the office. This will give us continuity and reduce business interruption but it will also supply power during blackouts particular if we are in disaster mode. Lastly, my congratulations to Jan and John O’Shea being awarded a great retirement after 38 years with the Toyota brand here in Thargo. From Council’s point of view, we have enjoyed a great relationship with them both over the years and on behalf of Council I would like to wish them all the very best in their retirement years. Naturally the follow-on is to congratulate Mr Neale O’Brien for taking over the business and committing to continue here in Thargomindah. We all know its tough out here for everyone so I recognise this is a big commitment for Neale and I thank him for having the confidence in our community to invest here. Welcome Neale. Lew Rojahn Chief Executive Officer. …………..…………….………………………. SPECIAL PROJECTS Memorial Park Amphitheatre Memorial Park is in the process of receiving a make-over, with a brand new, timber cladded public toilet block and a state of the art amphitheatre being installed. The amphitheatre overlooks the Cenotaph in an easterly direction so that during the ANZAC Dawn Service, we will be watching the sun rise over the Cenotaph. Future plans are for a new Cenotaph which will be facing towards the amphitheatre. The amphitheatre will provide a much needed undercover recreational space for members of the community and groups to be used for functions and events. At this stage, the roof and slab have been completed, blockwork is underway and the building will be ready for ANZAC day. River Walk Extension The river walk has been extended to include the Old Hospital, hydro and Old Jail. The concrete path will provide a scenic, off-road place for members of the community and visitors to walk, ride or skate. The walk has been planned to provide the most scenic experience for everyone by winding through the trees from the Cobb & Co Crossing to the Old hospital and then following the tree line to the Hydro. At this stage, the path has been completed to the cooling ponds. Old Hydro Power Plant Work has commenced on the renovation to the hydro, the illusion of the free running bore is now complete and the construction of the new deck has begun. The internal renovations are due to be completed in the next two months. Old Jail The old jail renovations are complete. We now have a wheelchair access ramp, new deck and a verandah to the old kitchen. There will be more happening to this attraction in the coming months with the new concrete pathway, fencing and landscaping. Just a note: Apologies for any dust created while working on projects, we are watering the areas as best as we can, unfortunately this is another downside of the drought where the ground turns to bulldust as soon as you drive on it and even after being wet down, it is bulldust again in a few hours. Thank you to all the staff and contractors involved in making these improvements to our shire. Having the ability to us local contractors and bringing in others when required is making the town busy. Great to see them supporting the local businesses and getting involved with community activities. Chris Woodland Project Design and ………………………….……………………...……. OPERATIONS The operations crews have been busy with work as follows: Crew 1 have been working on Hungerford Road and Eulo-Hungerford Road.