Etheridge Shire Council Inform Newsletter www.etheridge.qld.gov.au Edition 4, April 2018 ANZAC DAY SERVICES 2018 WEDNESDAY 25th APRIL GEORGETOWN (Greens Park) 6.00am Dawn Service 9.00am Service followed by Tea and Coffee FORSAYTH (Caschafor Park) 5.30am Dawn Service followed by breakfast 7.00am Breakfast at the CWA Hall 9.00am Town March starting from Goldfields Hotel MT SURPRISE (Park) 10.00am Service at the School with Morning Tea to Follow EINASLEIGH (Park) 7.00am Dawn Service followed by breakfast in the Park Lest We Forget MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR A cheery hello to all It is with great sadness that we extend our sincere condolences to the Collins family on the sad passing of Gerry. To have known this iconic man was a privilege and an inspiration not only to myself but to all who knew him. Gerry played a pivotal role in striving to place Etheridge Shire on the tourism map of Australia as a destination not to be missed. This council still today shares his vision in understanding that tourism plays an important role in our future. Following the return of Norm and myself from Brisbane after meetings with the Coordinator General’s office, Ministers and Shadow Ministers regarding the Gilbert River Irrigation area; Norm, Rolfe and myself travelled to Kununurra during the last week in March to obtain a good understanding of the irrigated agriculture project in Northern Australia. The tour included viewing of several trial crops that would suit the Gilbert River precinct. We found the trip invaluable in gaining an insight into what diversifying into agriculture will mean for our shire with regards to jobs, infrastructure and community. As you are all aware, Etheridge Shire experienced the tail end of tropical cyclone Nora as it formed into a rain depression and hovered over the northern half of our shire. Some properties reported falls in excess of 400mm in a 24 hour period, causing severe flooding and inundation to their properties. This deluge caused major losses to infrastructure and crops. Council has been working hard with NDRRA and was successful in getting the event declared a flood event. In a nutshell this means that our crews are busy recording the event and starting the Emergent Works to open up the roads to traffic. There will be ongoing work through the NDRRA process (Flood claim) to restore our road networks. This month’s community consultation meeting was held at Einasleigh. It was well attended by the community, with Cr Troy Barnes and Cr Tony Gallagher sending their apologies. The 9th April saw Norm, Cr Will Attwood and I attend the FNQROC meeting held in Ingham. It was an interesting meeting with many vigorous debates over road funding pertaining to our region. Following that meeting, Lydia and I went on to Townsville where I underwent spinal surgery to hopefully ‘fix’ a few long-term issues I’ve had with back and neck problems. Time will tell! Drive safe and be patient with our visitors as we come into the tourist season with grey nomads and backpackers etc. visiting our beautiful region. Bye for now. Warren Devlin | Mayor From the Office of the CEO March was a busy month, with the Mayor, Gilbert River Project Officer and I travelling to Brisbane to meet with Ministers and other members of Parliament about our Gilbert River Irrigation Project, following which, we visited Lake Argyle and the Ord River Irrigation Scheme. Unfortunately, while we were away, Cyclone Nora visited the shire and provided us with a good proportion of our annual rainfall in just one 24 hour period. Rainfall figures from around the Shire vary significantly and hopefully residents got more benefit than grief from the rain events. These events caused the activation of the Shire’s Counter Disaster Operations and approvals for the restoration of Essential Public Assets, Essential Services and Reconnection Scheme and Personal Hardship Assistance Schemes. The Department of Communities administers the assistance programs and attended the Shire in the middle of April, assisting 39 residents. Council has started the ‘emergent’ works and documentation of the damage (essential for NDRRA funding). If you are aware of any dangerous or unsafe road conditions, please let us know. Council is generally fairly relaxed about dogs kept in the towns, but over the weekend of 14/15 April, there were three reports of people being menaced or attacked by dogs in Georgetown and another incident in Forsayth. This is not acceptable. If you keep dogs in town areas, there are some basic rules that you are expected to meet: You cannot keep more than 2 dogs in the town area without special approval; Certain dog breeds are prohibited (including the Pit Bull Terrier); The area where dogs are kept should be sufficiently sized and allow the dog to have access to adequate shelter, drinking water, be cleaned regularly, with waste disposed of frequently; The dog(s) should not be allowed to bark and become a nuisance to neighbours; The dog(s) should be kept in your yard and not be allowed to roam (no matter its size); When walking your dog(s) on the footpath, it needs to be on a leash and under control; If the dog is declared to be dangerous by Council, a higher standard of enclosure must be provided, the dog microchipped, wear a special identification tag and muzzled if out in public (in addition to being on a lead). Looking forward, as the weather cools we will see more tourists and their caravans on the roads. As much as this may cause some inconvenience on the roads, we need to acknowledge that they also are an important part of the Shire’s economy. Drive safely. Norm Garsden FIRST POINT OF CONTACT IN AN EMERGENCY CONTACT PERSONNEL: Council’s Works Manager, Michael Brookes is nominated as the first point of contact in respect to RMPC (Roads Maintenance Performance Contract) and relevant emergent work, amongst other demands at the time. PHONE: 0484 119 391 If the LDMG (Local Disaster Management Group) is activated by the Chairperson (The Mayor) the Controlling Officer will be Norm Garsden PHONE: 0458 621 285 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUGGESTION BOX A suggestion box is available for the staff and public in the foyer of the Etheridge Shire Council Main Office and within the Engineering Services. All suggestions are welcome including anonymous or otherwise. Let’s work together to make the Shire better! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REQUEST FOR OLD MINING MACHINERY OR EQUIPMENT Etheridge Shire Council is seeking any old mining equipment to be put on display in the Shire. If you have any equipment or machinery that may be of use, please contact Anna Christensen on 4079 9090 or [email protected] Summer months bring rain, cyclones and unstable weather conditions to Queensland. More than half of flood related deaths in Queensland are the result of people driving through floodwater. KNOW THE DANGERS All Queenslanders should be aware of the dangers connected to floodwater or swift flowing water. No one can predict what lies underneath the surface. The second you decide to push through floodwater, you will give up control. Firefighters across the state rescue more people from water each year than they do from fires. PREPARE TO STAY SAFE Don’t wait until it’s too late. Plan ahead and keep yourself, family and friends safe. The only way to stay safe is to stay out of floodwater. The best way to avoid floodwater is to make sure you are prepared – whether that’s staying in or finding a safer alternative route to travel. You can find current traffic and road conditions in Queensland on the QLDTraffic website or by downloading the QLDTraffic app. Alternatively, the latest information can be obtained by calling the Transport and Main Roads and RACQ state- wide traffic and road condition reporting service on 13 19 40. Etheridge Shire Council provides local updates on road conditions as a guide. If you would like to be added to the email distribution list please send an email to [email protected] Base level 0 restrictions will now apply to all water connections within the FORSAYTH WATER SUPPLY SCHEME. Notice is hereby given of water restrictions in accordance with the Local Government Act and the Water Act 2002 Section 388(1) Restricting water supply No sprinklers on Mondays. 1. Sprinklers allowed Tuesday to Sunday between the hours of 5.00 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. 2. Attended hand held hoses permitted at any time except Mondays. (Watering permitted 36 hrs per week) Level 0 Water Restrictions are effective Midnight on Sunday 15 January 2017 Base level 0 restrictions will now apply to all water connections within the Georgetown Water Supply Scheme. Notice is hereby given of water restrictions in accordance with the Local Government Act and the Water Act 2002 Section 388(1) Restricting water supply 1. No sprinklers on Mondays. 2. Sprinklers allowed Tuesday to Sunday between the hours of 5.00 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. 3. Attended hand held hoses permitted at any time except Mondays. (Watering permitted 36 hrs per week) Level 0 Water Restrictions are effective Midnight on Sunday 10 January 2018 IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR GEORGETOWN & FORSAYTH RESIDENTS Water service disruptions are planned between: Monday 21 May, to 10 June, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm We will do our best to notify residents before interrupting your water supply. This disruption is necessary to allow council to carry out cleaning of the water supply system.