earth hour 2011

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Earth Hour 2011 will take place on Saturday 26 March at 8.30pm

barney view coal

Fifty concerned Scenic Rim residents met at Mt Barney Lodge recently to plan how to best respond to the recent bombshell that there is a current and a pending coal exploration tenement at Barney View, with similar mining exploration leases across other significant parts of the Scenic Rim.

Mt Barney Lodge owner Innes Larkin said “the diversity and number of people attending the meeting and the level of preparation most of them went to undertake their own research on Carabella Resources and State Government legislation, shows how seriously this threat is being taken by the community.”

Community members from across the Scenic Rim were represented, as well as 3 traditional owners from the Ugarapul aboriginal group. Ruth James, a Ugarapul elder, said that “The mountains and valleys of the Scenic Rim are very significant to our people, for our stories and our connection. We would like to offer whatever support we can to help protect them.”

Cr Dave Cockburn and Cr Kathy Bensted attended as concerned residents, but they were also able to clarify Council’s actions in the last week and offered constructive suggestions on how to best proceed.

An initial action plan was distributed as part of the briefing which encourages all concerned residents to start a letter writing campaign to State and Federal Members of Parliament.

Innes Larkin said, “there is no better way to gain traction with government than by writing an original heartfelt letter containing all the relevant facts.”

Residents were also strongly advised to contribute to the Scenic Rim Community Plan. Cr. Dave Cockburn said “the Community Plan is a powerful document that community has direct input into. It will overarch even the SRRC Corporate Plan and is a document that will be submitted to the State Government.

“The State Government will be required to take community views into account because of the strength of this document,” he said.

The attending Councillors were thanked for their positive commitment at the meeting. Tricia Stinson challenged Mayor John Brent, who was not present at the meeting, to “send out an early and clear message to Federal and State bodies and industry, both formally and informally, that coal exploration and mining in the Scenic Rim is not welcome or tolerated.”

A Committee of volunteers was elected and they now have a mandate to act on behalf of the community. The new committee members are Bill Parke, Tricia Stinson, Cr Kathy Benstead, Leona Taylor, Anita Smith and Innes Larkin. Their first task after meeting is to formalise the committee structure and develop an action plan.

Further communication with the community is a priority and supporting information will soon be available on posters, emails, Facebook, and via letterbox drops.

Contact Innes Larkin for more information:

Information about Carabella Resources can be found at: http://www.carabellaresources.com.au/Projects/BarneyViewAndMaroon.htm

Input into the Scenic Rim Community Plan can be made at: http://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/get-involved-and-have-your-say

sugarloaf win

as of Tuesday 15th February 2011 the application to quarry iconic Sugarloaf has lapsed. no requests for further information from the various Government stakeholders were met by the applicants.

thanks to everyone for their interest and efforts in fighting to save both Sugarloaf and our unique lifestyle. I’m sure the community outrage at this proposal did much to ensure it didn’t proceed.

to ensure council understands the community's attachment to and appreciation for our beautiful scenic rim landscapes, please take the time to contribute to the Scenic Rim Community Plan. you can have your say through the online survey or talk to council at events across the region over the coming months.

boonah to ipswich trail community consultation sessions

Community consultation sessions are scheduled for the Boonah to Ipswich Trail Draft Plan, and the Department of Infrastructure and Planning invites you to provide feedback to help finalise the plan and deliver a new recreation trail for non-motorised trail users in South East Queensland.
Sessions will be held at The Outlook, Boonah Ipswich Road, Boonah, between 6pm and 7.30pm with refreshments provided. Details of the sessions are:

• horse riders and enthusiasts Wednesday February 16


• mountain bike riders and enthusiasts Thursday February 17


• general trail users Wednesday February 23


• local business and tourism operators Thursday February 24

You can view the Boonah to Ipswich Trail Draft Plan at www.dip.qld.gov.au/bit and also at the Boonah Library.

We would love to get as many people as possible to participate in these sessions, to ensure the trail is the best that it can be.

Please RSVP via phone on 5463 4774 or email boonahboss@hotmail.com

boonah to ipswich trail plan open for comment

You are invited to have your say on the draft Boonah to Ipswich Trail Plan http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/regional-planning/boonah-to-ipswich-trail.html

Your feedback will help finalise the plan and deliver a new recreation trail for non-motorised trail users in South East Queensland, and we need you to contribute your thoughts on how we make this the best trail in SEQ !!!!

How to have your say - Please download the submission form (39 KB) and provide your response under the relevant headings of the form. You can submit your feedback via post, fax or email to:

The Project Manager Draft Boonah to Ipswich Trail Plan
Department of Infrastructure and Planning
Post: PO Box 15009 City East Qld 4002
Fax: 07 3224 4683
Email: info@dip.qld.gov.au

For enquiries contact the department.

Submissions close on 18 February 2011

public education for our future

For the first time since 1973, the government is reviewing the way that it funds schools and is seeking community input.

This is your opportunity to have your say and help get a better deal for the millions of families who rely on our public schools, including everyone at Boonah State School.

More funding for public schools would mean smaller class sizes and more individual attention for students. It’s the best investment we could make for our future.

Did you know that currently public schools receive a fixed amount of around $1,000 per student each year, while private schools receive up to $7,000 per student, regardless of the school’s other income, its wealth or resources ? In total, private schools get two thirds of the money the federal government spends on schools, even though they only educate one third of students. If nothing is done to change this the public school share will fall even further.

We must move away from a system that puts private schools first and extends privilege rather than opportunity.

If you care about the education of our children and the quality of public education in Australia, and want to make a difference, please visit www.forourfuture.org.au. it’s as easy as adding your name to the petition or writing a simple submission. Working together we can convince the politicians that their top priority should be investing more in our public schools and our children.

fassifern reserve

on sunday november 28, a bunch of us got together to plant 250 trees and spread many bales of hay.

many more than in the photo came along. these were just the early birds who got there on time.

it was a great day with wonderful company, good food, and lots achieved.

lots more photos are accessible on facebook, even if you're not on facebook.

there's now around 1,000 trees in this planting, and once the project is complete, around 2,000 will be in the ground.