the bay islands: June 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Council Budget and Whats in it for the Islands.

What's in it for the islands?

from the BayJournal.com.au
Saturday, 26 June 2010 13:08 Lee Shipley

For starters,radical change in how the accounting is done will allow islanders to know were their money has been spent.d

Some of the burden has been lifted from the shoulders of those who have built on the islands to those who have not built yet.

While planning is continuing for bigger things, spending is continuing to bring the island infrastructure up to scratch, especially the roads---editor

More than $3.2 million will be spent on infrastructure across the four Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI) as part of Redland City Council’s 2010-11 budget.

Following extensive rate reform, Southern Moreton Bay Islanders will also be able to see where every cent of their rates is spent.

For the first time, Redland City Council will separately report on the value of rates paid by islanders and show where those funds have been invested in infrastructure, facilities, programs and services.

Redland City Mayor Melva Hobson said there would no longer be an infrastructure charge for the islands or a SMBI reserve.

“Under our new model, every single cent paid in rates by SMBI ratepayers will be reported separately, and then used on island infrastructure projects, as well as ongoing programs and services such as libraries, parks maintenance etc,” Councillor Hobson said.

Over the next 12 months, Council will invest more than $3.2 million in capital programs across the four islands, including $1.1 million to seal roads and $707,000 for other road projects.

Council has also introduced a new rating category for the islands – that of vacant developable land.

“Of the 12,000 properties, 8,000 of them are still vacant lots, with only 4,000 inhabited. The rate in the dollar for vacant land will be higher in this category, so that those living on the islands are not subsidising owners of these vacant lots,” Councillor Hobson said.

We have reduced the minimum general rate for residential properties:
54.9% of properties will now pay less than paid in 09-10
a further 13.4% will have less than a $200 increase.

The Mayor said Council was continuing to deliver initiatives through its Bay Island Blueprint, with the comprehensive review of SMBI Integrated Local Transport Plan well under way.

“Providing quality infrastructure and services to the bay islands remains a high priority for this Council, and we are continuing to work closely with the SMBI Communities Advisory Committee and to lobby other levels of government in this regard.”

Key projects for the Southern Moreton Bay Islands in 2010-11 include:

* $1.1 million to seal gravel roads (see list below)
* $425,000 for the first stage of the Pat’s Park upgrade on Macleay island
* $300,000 for land acquisition for open space
* $278,000 for stage three of Melaleuca Drive on Lamb Island
* $225,000 for paths and trails along Canaipa Road, on Russell Island
* $250,000 to complete planning and design of Macleay Island car park
* $195,000 to construct the causeway for Noyes Parade on Karragarra Island
* $130,000 for the Attunga Street recreational bridge on Macleay Island.
* $71,896 for site works at Kennedy’s Farm on Russell Island
* $50,000 to design improvements for Jock Kennedy Park on Russell Island
* $30,000 to build a covered walkway at The Shack on Macleay Island

$1.1m to seal gravel roads:

* Alkira Street, Macleay Island
* Eastbourne Terrace, Macleay Island
* Judith Street Russell Island
* Scarborough Terrace, Macleay Island
* Tina Avenue, Lamb Island (Leonie Crt – Paula Pde)
* Vista/Short Streets, Russell Island

Additional road programs:

* East Road, Karragarra Island
* High Street intersection upgrade, Russell Island
* McBean Road/Nina Street, Karragarra Island
* Stage 3 Melaleuca Drive, Lamb Island
* Noyes Parade (causeway), Karragarra Island

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Team effort to investigate Moreton Bay's dugongs

from The Bay journal

Biologists from the University of Queensland (UQ) will team up with Sea World, Sydney Aquarium and Taronga Western Plains Zoo to assess the health and reproductive status of wild dugongs in Moreton Bay this week.

Leader of the UQ Dugong Research Team, Dr Janet Lanyon, said that determining reproductive status of individuals is one of the most important factors for estimating reproductive capacity and health, and therefore effective management of populations of a vulnerable species.

Dr Lanyon said that this week, field biologists will be sampling a selection of dugongs, which are representative of both sexes and from adult, sub-adult and juvenile size classes.

Sea World Director of Marine Sciences, Trevor Long said that the sampling involves lifting wild dugongs out of the water to take a comprehensive series of blood and other tissue samples to measure reproductive hormones, collect semen from adult males and conduct abdominal ultrasounds to confirm pregnancy of females.

Trevor Long
Mr Long said that a specially designed stretcher will be used to cradle the animals from the water onto the deck of research vessel Sea World One.

“This is the third year in which Sea World and UQ have teamed up to conduct this exciting study which allows us to capture data to help establish reference clinical blood parameters for the species, and monitor annual reproductive capacity”.

“These baseline parameters can then be used to assess the health of dugongs in wild populations further up the Queensland coast and elsewhere, and also for comparison with captive dugongs”, he said.

The plan is to capture up to 20 dugongs in Moreton Bay over 8 days with a team of 18 skilled personnel taking approximately 30-40 minutes to sample each animal.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Windjammer: a beautiful old friend is back in the Bay

Windjammer: from the Bay journal 15.05.10

Many Redland Bay residences may recall the huge upside down boat that was being built on farmland at the end of Moore’s Road,now known as Orchid Beach.

Or they may remember the big green boat on the hill on the side of Redland Bay–Beenleigh Road slowly taking shape over 12 years

Launched “Leanne Marie” in October 1993 with many local residents attended the launching, it would never have been possible without the help and support of family and many friends.

The boat was sold and found her way to Sydney. Some may remember Leanne Marie accompanying the Young Endeavour into Sydney harbour.

Leanne Marie is considered to be one of the most beautiful yachts ever built in Australia. She has been the focus of many an article and the pallet of a lot of artists.

She is a 72' gaff rigged schooner replica of the famous 72' schooner 'Integrity"' designed and built by Pete Culler in 1960-62.

Culler's designs are considered so important that over a hundred of them are now archived in the Mystic Seaport Museum in America. Schooners like these had worked the Grand Banks in the North Atlantic and plied the east coast of America for 200 years as trading packets.

She has the grandest of schooner qualities, sailing at speeds of 10 knots or more on the beam and broad reaches. With 2000 sq ft of sail area with raked masts she is a spectacular sight.

She is a classic example of elegant lines and fine craftsmanship.

The appointments below decks are luxurious beyond the dreams of any 19th Century sailor; New Guinea rosewood adorns the interior with fittings reminiscent of a bygone era.

“Leanne Marie” has found her way home to her original owner builder for a refit, and at present is on the slip at Pelican’s Slipways

She is now known as “Windjammer” She has been in charter off the Whitsundays with Barefoot Cruisers for the past 16 years but now her owners Ashley and Cathy Kerr intend sailing her around the world, making sure she visits the US East Coast where her design originated.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A new national park will be established on North Stradbroke Island .

There is land that the miners want to mine which hasn't been touched before that is extremely valuable from a jobs perspective, economics and environment and that is the area that needs to be saved.

A new national park will be established on North Stradbroke Island as existing sand mining leases are cut back.

Sand mining has been a feature of North Stradbroke for the past 60 years, impacting about 15 per cent of the island.

The major sand mining company at the location, American firm Unimin, operates mines as Consolidated Rutile Limited and employs about 135 people.
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Last year, Unimin was charged by the state government with illegal sand mining, claiming it was selling sand to landscaping and landfill industries.

brisbanetimes.com.au has been told native title issues on North Stradbroke Island are almost resolved, which would likely mean significant changes to mining leases on the island.

Indigenous Australians have been on North Stradbroke Island for 20,000 years.

Acting Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said protecting more of Stradbroke Island as national park was an ambition of the government.

''There's been a lot work done behind the scenes, including close talks with key stakeholders, especially the Quandamooka People,'' she said last night.

''And we've also been consulting with other key stakeholders including Unimin about a transition.''

Wildlife Preservation Society president Simon Baltais said he understood a decision would be made "very soon".

''We believe a national park of some sort is going to be announced," Mr Baltais said.

It was unclear whether the announcement would be part of today's State Budget or made later in the week.

Other green groups expected an announcement on World Environment Day on Sunday.

Mr Baltais said the announcement would be a positive step, as long as it did not give mining companies the ability to hand back land they had already mined in return for land that had yet to be touched.

"If the miners are just going hand over land that they have already mined and have done some rehabilitation, that will be a shade on the potential tourism and environmental values that you can get out of the land that really needs to be saved," he said.

"There is land that the miners want to mine which hasn't been touched before that is extremely valuable from a jobs perspective, economics and environment and that is the area that needs to be saved."

Mr Baltais said that critical land was part of Unimin's Enterprise Mine, at the southern end of North Stradbroke Island.

Mr Baltais said Tangalooma on Moreton Island - an island without sand mining - was an example of how regional tourism added economic value.

"This is where you can see one operator with the capability of employing over 250 people and generating over $26 million a year," he said.

A South East Queensland Catchments Report published in April showed that even a five per cent slowing in regional tourism because of degraded environmental conditions in south-east Queensland could reduce nature-based tourism turnover by $2 billion in the next 20 years.