|
|
SearchArchives for April 2011
28 April, 2011
Guidelines deliver on
contract disclosures
The Queensland Government Chief Procurement Office (QGCPO) has published new guidelines governing the disclosure of contracts.
The purpose of the guidelines is to assist affected Agencies meet procurement-related integrity reforms.
The OGCPO said the reforms were incorporated into contract disclosure obligations under the State Procurement Policy.
Under the policy, affected Agencies must publish basic details of all awarded contracts $10,000 and over and publish additional contract details of those $10 million and over within 60 days of the contract date.
The OGCPO said affected Agencies were to progressively implement the requirements and be fully compliant from 1 July.
It said ‘Affected Agencies’ included budget sector Agencies, large statutory bodies, Government-owned Corporations and special purpose vehicles.
Agencies subject to the State Procurement Policy which were not ‘affected Agencies’ were encouraged to consider implementing the requirements as part of good practice in transparency.
The OGCPO said the guidelines provided the affected agencies with the what, when, how and where of contract disclosure.
“Affected agencies should use this information in preparing amendments to Agency procurement procedures for the purpose of implementing the disclosure obligations,” the OGCPO said.
“Guidelines should be made available both to procurement practitioners and or professionals within the Agency, as well as non-procurement staff who may make or influence procurement decisions.”
It said the guidelines used the term ‘reportable contracts’ to identify those that fall within the scope of a obligations.
“Where a purchase order has been issued and a further formal contract will not be issued, the purchase order is a reportable contract,” the OGCPO said.
“Where a purchase order is issued against an established contract which has already been disclosed, and the established contract is not a standing offer arrangement (SOA), then the purchase order is not a reportable contract.”
The guidelines provide detailed definitions of reportable and non-reportable contracts and can be accessed at this PS News link.
28 April, 2011
Mammogram myth
nipped in the bud
An email campaign linking mammograms to thyroid cancer is completely misleading according to Queensland Health.
Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeannette Young said she was very concerned that the email could deter women from having their regular breastscreen.
“We have had some of our BreastScreen Queensland Services report that women have cancelled appointments,” Dr Young said.
“Not having this life-saving check based on this erroneous email campaign is very serious.”
Dr Young said that the misleading information originated in the United States and had spread to Australia, being widely circulated to women through social media.
The campaign suggests there is an increased risk of thyroid cancer from having a mammogram and advises women to ask for a thyroid guard when they go for one.
“This is just scaremongering,” Dr Young said.
“The radiation dose to the thyroid from a mammogram is extremely low and there is no direct exposure of the thyroid to radiation as the beam is narrowly focused on the breast tissue,” she said.
Data obtained from Queensland medical physicists shows that the thyroid receives only a tiny radiation dose (typically about 0.08 milligray) during a breastscreen examination, far less than the radiation dose to the thyroid per year from natural background radiation.
“The use of thyroid shields is also likely to interfere with the optimal positioning of the breast, which will reduce the quality of the breastscreen image,” Dr Young said.
“Therefore the use of a thyroid shield during mammography is not recommended.”
28 April, 2011
QLD schools pass
improvement test
Queensland is on track to receive its first reward payment of $48.5 million from the Federal Government for meeting literacy and numeracy targets for 2010.
Acting Minister for Education, Annastacia Palaszczuk said the State received an A in all 20 performance targets and was therefore on track to receive 100 per cent of the reward money.
“The results are particularly impressive given Queensland is the only State or Territory to have achieved all performance targets,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“In 2010, 91.1 per cent of Year 3 students achieved at or above minimum standards in numeracy which is well above the target of 85.9 per cent, while 88.9 per cent of Year 3 students were at or above minimum standards in reading, exceeding the target of 81.5 per cent.”
She said the results were recognition of the hard work and dedication of students, teachers and principals across the State.
“The COAG Reform Council independently assessed the results and determined Queensland’s achievement of targets based on the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy NAPLAN results (40 per cent) and local measures (60 per cent),” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Reward funding will contribute to initiatives and projects to ensure Queensland students get the best possible education.”
The Queensland Catholic Education Commission and Independent Schools Queensland will receive a percentage of this year’s reward funding.
Ms Palaszczuk said the targets for 2011 would be set by the Department of Education and Training and the Federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
28 April, 2011
Energy search
finds Google
Ergon Energy is proposing to change the way its assets are managed after entering into a partnership with Google.
The electricity provider is one of only two companies worldwide to have signed up for Google Earth Builder which has just been officially launched.
Minister for Energy, Stephen Robertson said Ergon Energy had been working with Google for some time to ensure its product would complement Google’s Remote Observation Automated Modeling Economic Simulation (ROAMES) project.
“The ROAMES project will use purpose-built light aircraft to collect data, using laser scanners and digital cameras, on the entire electricity network - some 150,000 kilometres of power lines,” Mr Robertson said.
“The data will then be loaded into the Cloud-Hosted Google Earth Builder product, which will process the information into spatial layers and make them available in an interactive, 3D visualisation environment to Ergon staff.”
The special aircraft were being manufactured and assembled in Hervey Bay and were expected to begin flying and collecting data in August.
“Ergon Energy is the electricity distributor for 97 per cent of Queensland and its network traverses many sparsely populated areas,” he said
“It’s both challenging and expensive to build, maintain and operate a large geographically dispersed network.”
Mr Roberston said the ROAMES project, along with Google Earth Builder, would enable Ergon staff to improve decision making and realise operational efficiencies by delivering them rich, timely, spatial and precise information about the network.
Chief Executive of Ergon Energy, Ian McLeod said the information would initially be used to scope and schedule the costly but extremely business-critical vegetation management program.
“We estimate through using ROAMES capability we will save $44 million over five years on our vegetation management program alone,” Mr McLeod said.
28 April, 2011
Transport group
going somewhere
A Public Transport Advisory Group is to be established with nominees from designated geographical areas expected to represent their community on issues to do with public transport.
The group will consist of public transport advocates, community organisations and business representatives.
It will become a forum to discuss public transport issues within the TransLink network in south-east Queensland and will consider options to address any significant issues impacting on public transport users.
Meetings will occur every two months, with the first to take place in late May or early June.
Members of the public are invited to nominate themselves in the following Local Government regions: Brisbane West, Brisbane South, Brisbane East, Brisbane North, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Ipswich, and Redlands.
Nominations are now open and will close on Friday 6 May.
Nominees will be assessed criteria including a specific interest in, or frequent user of, public transport; current membership of community groups; the variety of modes of transport they use; regularity of travel; diversity of age and gender and one person per geographical location.
Department of Transport and Main Roads staff, TransLink staff, current elected representatives and candidates for Federal, State and Local Government are not eligible to apply. There is no remuneration for participation in the group.
28 April, 2011
Stronger push for
tourism operators
Tourism operators in Brisbane and the Darling Downs now have the assistance of Tourism Industry Recovery Officers.
Anita Adams has been appointed to assist tourism operators on the Darling Downs and Wayne Clift will support tourism operators in the Greater Brisbane area, including Gold Coast and Scenic Rim.
Minister for Tourism and Small Business, Jan Jarratt said the officers would work on the ground to assist tourism operators in very practical ways, in conjunction with the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.
“They’ll help coordinate the recovery for tourism operators by helping them determine their recovery needs and putting businesses in touch with the many assistance programs available to strengthen their operations and become more resilient,” Ms Jarratt said.
“They’ll effectively become a one-stop source of assistance and help tourism operators seek any additional assistance they need to get back on their feet after the recent natural disasters.”
She said a key role would be to help identify and develop measures to minimise potential impacts from similar events, should they occur in the future.
The officers would also assist tourism operators access skills and training programs which support recovery and resilience.
Ms Jarratt said a Tourism Recovery Officer would soon be appointed to the Capricorn region to assist tourism industry recovery efforts around Rockhampton.
“The need for more ground support was identified by the Tourism Recovery Industry Group established earlier this year to work with industry to assist and advise on a roadmap for economic recovery,” she said.
Tourism Industry Recovery Officers have already been appointed in Cairns and Townsville.
28 April, 2011
Flood workers awash
with new skills
A training package has been produced to rapidly up-skill more than 500 transport operators to assist in the reconstruction of Queensland’s flood-damaged transport network.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads and Skills Queensland have joined forces on the package which will help alleviate some of the pressure on skills supply during the rebuilding effort following the recent natural disasters.
Program participants will gain a heavy vehicle driver’s licence or plant operator’s ticket, and six recognised vocational competencies that can be accredited towards further qualifications after the program’s completion.
On graduation, program participants will be available to assist in flood rebuilding efforts to get communities reconnected and support Queensland’s economic recovery.
The program also supports the Queensland Government’s flood relief response to Cyclone Yasi and the Queensland floods by helping to alleviate some the pressure on skills supply.
Once participants have completed the program and obtained new skills (a new licence or ticket), they will be able to play a part in reconnecting communities across Queensland.
A Department of Transport spokesman said that the sooner communities were reconnected, the sooner Queensland’s economic recovery would take place.
The Transition program is an initiative of a partnership between the Department and Skills Queensland as part of the Queensland Government’s flood relief response.
28 April, 2011
Insurance policy
no policy at all
Queensland has provided a submission to the Federal Senate inquiry into the flood levy.
The submission makes it clear that the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) which have split, since 1974, disaster costs between the Federal Government and the States, should continue.
Minister for Finance, Rachel Nolan, presented the submission saying the NDRRA was a cost-sharing, not a cost-shifting mechanism.
Ms Nolan said the States retained a 25 per cent liability for the cost of restoring essential public infrastructure even in the case of catastrophic events which might place pressure on a State’s ability to pay.
The submission says that an extensive search of Government documents had found no evidence to support South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon’s claim that the Queensland Government was offered disaster insurance for $50 million a decade ago.
“This whole Senate inquiry was predicated on that claim - but nothing has been found to support it,” Ms Nolan said.
“I would suggest the Committee may now want to ask the good Senator what evidence he has to support it.”
The submission outlines details of the Queensland Government’s consideration of reinsuring its assets in the Queensland Government Insurance Fund in 2004. At the time, the offer for $500 million worth of cover, excluding roads, was for a premium of $6.4 million with a $20 million excess.
“That’s like insuring a $500,000 house for $6,400 a year with a $20,000 excess,” Ms Nolan said.
“Not surprisingly, Treasury’s advice at the time was to reject that offer - and we did as it was not good value for money.”
28 April, 2011
Kiwi campaign is
perfect one day
A New Zealand-based marketing campaign aimed at promoting Queensland as the place for a perfect holiday has been launched.
The television, print, online and multimedia campaign forms part of the Federal and State Governments’ joint $12 million tourism recovery strategy under the banner of Nothing Beats Queensland.
Minister for Tourism, Jan Jarratt said the campaign would be the largest ever undertaken by Tourism Queensland in New Zealand.
Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson said the $1 million venture would help spread the message that nothing beats Queensland’s holiday destinations to one of Australia’s key markets.
“New Zealand is Queensland’s largest international market, representing 20 per cent of all international visitors to the State,” Mr Ferguson said.
“That’s why this partnership between Tourism Australia and Tourism Queensland is so important in getting the message out and stimulating travel from New Zealand.”
Ms Jarratt said a series of television advertisements would cover themes such as reef, beaches, rainforest, and theme parks.
Online advertising would also roll out with the campaign also promoted via billboards, bus back advertising and an editorial spread in MindFood Magazine.
In addition, key retail travel agencies will continue to market Queensland destination packages.
“This marketing activity is an important component of our recovery strategy, designed to encourage our most important market to book a Queensland holiday and support the State’s $9.2 billion tourism industry,” Ms Jarratt said.
There are no specific plans to advertise to New Zealand’s Public Servants.
28 April, 2011
Roads swoops on
big bird warnings
Cassowary warning signs have been put back in place in the Cassowary Coast region as part of the State’s disaster reconstruction effort.
Motorists, including recovery workers driving trucks and other vehicles, have been urged to keep a keen eye out for cassowaries crossing roads in the region.
Minister for Main Roads, Craig Wallace said some cassowary warning signs were blown down or damaged by the wild weather. Most were now back in place.
Other recent measures to protect cassowaries include the installation of additional line-marking, new signage and an extension of the 60km/hr speed zone on Tully-Mission Beach Road.
“Our ability to influence driver behaviour through signage and changes to the road environment plays a big part in the protection of this endangered species,” Mr Wallace said.
More cars, utes and trucks were out and about on the roads as repairs to houses, businesses and public infrastructure to fix damage from Cyclone Yasi was underway.
“I urge drivers to stay alert to cassowaries unexpectedly darting across their path, particularly around Mission Beach,” he said.
“I ask all motorists, both local and visiting, to drive with care and keep a look out for these endangered and much-loved birds – we want to do all we can to maintain their fragile population.”
Large sections of cassowary foraging grounds between Cardwell and Innisfail were extensively damaged by Cyclone Yasi.
“As a result, cassowaries have been venturing out of their natural habitat in search of food and may be on or near roads,” he said.
28 April, 2011
OFT belts out
strap warning
The potential dangers of recovery straps used to free bogged or immobilised vehicles have been highlighted by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Executive Director of the OFT, Brian Bauer said it was common for families to take advantage of their 4WD vehicles over holiday periods.
“But it is very easy for your family holiday to become a tragedy if these recovery straps, also known as snatch straps, are not used appropriately or for what they are intended,” Mr Bauer said.
“Motor vehicle recovery straps are attached between two vehicles so the immobilised or bogged vehicle can be pulled free,” he said.
“However, the straps should be used strictly in accordance with the instructions.”
He said straps were supplied in different lengths and load-bearing capacities and stretched with the momentum of the pulling vehicle and released built-up tension to dislodge bogged vehicles.
“But people have been killed or seriously injured when these straps have broken or when components on vehicles have ripped off and struck the person with great force,” he said.
“This has happened mainly because people have unknowingly used the wrong capacity strap or misused the straps by attaching them to parts of vehicles that are not engineered to withstand the tremendous forces involved.”
Mr Bauer said Queensland’s mandatory safety standards required motor vehicle recovery straps to be marked with key product information and safety warnings.
28 April, 2011
New rules to make
jet skis shipshape
Tough new rules to boost safety for tourists and holidaymakers hiring jet skis have been announced.
The rules limit jet ski speeds, test jet ski driving ability and give Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) extra enforcement actions.
Minister for Marine Infrastructure, Craig Wallace said he was determined the tragic death of British tourist Sridhar Shekar, whose jet ski crashed into a boat’s anchor chain on the Gold Coast Broadwater in 2008, would not be in vain.
“The industry has to lift its game because we don’t want to have another tragedy like this,” Mr Wallace said.
“Jet ski hire is important to tourism but visitors must be safe on our waters.”
Currently in Queensland, private jet ski users not riding under supervision required a recreational boating licence and jet ski licence. Tourists using jet skis under supervision by a hire company did not need a licence.
Mr Wallace said the reforms were the result of extensive consultation, including a discussion paper which prompted 82 written submissions, when it was released in November 2010.
Changes included cutting legal speeds from 40 knots to 30 knots and even further down to 10 knots for group tours in high traffic areas; requirements that companies install 30 knot speed limiters on all jet skis; making it compulsory for jet ski companies to set competency testing for anyone hiring a jet ski; and MSQ to continue to hold audit programs to ensure continuing compliance with the changes.
28 April, 2011
Bunk bed safety
bedded down
The holiday accommodation industry now has an Australian Standards handbook for bunk bed safety.
Commissioner for Fair Trading, David Ford, said the handbook was another tool in a continuing campaign to reduce childhood injuries.
“According to the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit, bunk bed-related injuries account for approximately 450 hospital emergency department presentations across Queensland each year,” Mr Ford said.
“About 85 per cent of these injuries are the direct result of a fall from a bunk bed, with most injuries suffered by children aged five to nine years old.”
He said while parents could control the quality of the bunk beds in their home, they had less influence over beds used in holiday accommodation.
“That’s why it’s so important for businesses to be aware of the safety standards and what’s required of them,” Mr Ford said.
The bunk bed safety campaign was initially sparked by the death of a child as a result of a fall from a bunk bed in 2002.
“The Queensland Government has implemented a number of initiatives recommended by a specialist working party since then,” Mr Ford said.
“Although the working party did not endorse a recommendation to remove bunk beds from private homes, it did recommend improving Government efforts to raise awareness of bunk bed safety.”
He said the handbook was the latest step in the continuing campaign to educate businesses in order to stop preventable injuries.
28 April, 2011
Manners from heaven
for polite drivers
A University of Queensland study has found that politeness is not dead in Australian drivers.
The new study of driving behaviour in Brisbane looked at who was polite and who was selfish at traffic intersections in Brisbane.
UQ PhD student, Redzo Mujcic and Professor of Economics, Paul Frijters analysed data on about 1,000 commuters at selected intersections where commuters had the option to let someone from a side road enter the main road or to keep going and save themselves a couple of seconds.
They found that about 40 per cent of all commuters stopped for others at an intersection while 60 per cent kept going.
Male drivers were more likely to stop for others than female drivers: 42 per cent of male drivers stopped whereas only 37 per cent of female drivers stopped.
Both men and women were about twice as likely to stop for someone of the opposite sex as they were to stop for someone of their own sex.
About half the older drivers would stop but no more than a third of young drivers stopped.
Drivers of cheap cars were the least likely to stop, with the drivers of really expensive cars also unlikely to. The cars that stopped most were of intermediate value.
Drivers were about twice as likely to stop if there was someone in the passenger seat of the car (from 33 per cent of single drivers to 60 per cent of drivers with a passenger).
Except for gender, like seemed to stop for like: jeeps were more likely to stop for other jeeps whilst low-status cars were quite unlikely to stop for high-status cars (low-status cars were almost 18 per cent less likely to stop for high-status cars than for other low-status cars).
The authors interpreted this behaviour as evidence of widespread altruism in society, with more than one-third of the random commuters willing to forgo some precious seconds to do someone else a favour.
28 April, 2011
Arts grants in frame
for disused places
Regional Councils have been urged to apply for funds under a special program to upgrade disused community places.
Funding through the Grittier Places initiative enables Councils to access money to help them turn their disused or dilapidated places into spaces that the community could enjoy.
Minister for the Arts, Rachel Nolan said applications were now open for this year’s funding round.
Ms Nolan said Grittier Places, together with its predecessor, Gritty Places (2005-2009), had already helped Councils create 25 lively arts spaces across the State in just five years.
“From last year’s funding, Grittier Places projects are underway in Kowanyama, Palm Island, Roma, the Gold Coast, New Mapoon and Cloncurry,” she said.
Ms Nolan said the initiative had turned previously neglected and ignored spots across the State into arts-useable workshops and performance spaces.
“Blackall received funding in 2007 for a dedicated space in the Blackall Memorial Hall for young people so they can create multi-media, graphics, animation and design,” she said.
“Since opening in 2008, the hall has become a hotspot for young people and home to many creative activities, including the Shockwave Youth Arts Festival.”
She said Grittier Places applications close on 27 May 27, with a total $200,000 available.
Ms Nolan said under the program, rural or remote Councils can apply for matching funds of up to $65,000 and provincial and metropolitan areas for funding up to $50,000.
28 April, 2011
Wartime projects
target memorials
Funding for 22 projects to honour Queensland’s wartime heritage has been announced, as part of the Australian Governments Saluting Their Service grants.
Federal Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon said the grants, 93 of which were awarded nationally, provided funds to help communities build and maintain memorials, capture the wartime history of their towns, and preserve memorabilia for future generations.
“The 93 projects (nationally) range from assistance for a reunion luncheon in Sydney to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the formation of the Australian Women’s Army Service, to funding for a new annual Anzac Day concert in Canberra, as well as support to help publish a book titled Easter Monday 1941,” Mr Snowdon said.
He said the funding, worth a total of $224,165, would commemorate those who served, and continued to serve, Australia in wars, conflicts and peace operations.
“In almost every city and town across the country there’s history of Australian service,” Mr Snowdon said.
“Through these projects we can help ensure the contribution of our servicemen and women is remembered, and their sacrifice is not forgotten”.
The 22 grants awarded to Queensland organisations total $61,114 and provided funds for an array of initiatives including veterans’ reunions; restoration of memorials; school initiatives; and the preservation and display of Australian wartime memorabilia.
Major Queensland beneficiaries included the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam Association (Queensland Branch) Inc; Bowen, Laidley and Toogoolawah RSL Sub-branches; and Greenmount State School, which received $4,000 to help upgrade the Greenmount State Primary School Memorial and its immediate surrounds.
Mr Snowdon said local community and ex-service organisations interested in applying for funding should visit this PS News link, or call their nearest DVA office on 133 254 (for metropolitan callers) or 1800 555 254 (for non-metropolitan callers).
28 April, 2011
Ferries back in service
Brisbane City Council is now operating 21 of its 23 CityCat and CityFerry terminals, with seven-day- a-week services.
This includes a new morning express service from Riverside and South Bank to The University of Queensland.
Timetable information can be accessed at this PS News link.
Pay offer rejected
Staff of the ACT Government have voted to reject a pay offer of 2.5 per cent over three years.
More than 10,000 of the territory’s public servants voted to reject the offer, with the Community and Public Sector Union demanding a pay rise of between 3.5 per cent and 4 per cent.
The CPSU aired fears that the current pay offer would make it difficult for the ACT public service to attract employees to replace the ranks of its rapidly ageing workforce.
The Chief Minister’s Department will now consult with cabinet regarding the pay offer, and will meet again with the CPSU early next month.
Help for Roma victims
A local Community Recovery Centre is offering financial help and counselling services to flood-affected Roma residents.
The centre, at the Roma-Bungil Cultural Community Centre will be open from 9am to 4pm each day.
A hotline, 1800 173 349 operates 24 hours a day and will refer urgent cases to a locally based Community Services staff member.
Air show boost
The Wide Bay Australia International Air Show is to receive a $200,000 boost to help promote the State’s aviation industry.
The air show is the largest general aviation show in Australia and throws the spotlight on the Wide Bay Burnett region as an emerging aviation centre of excellence.
The last time this event was held, in 2009, it attracted more than 22,000 people. This year’s event will be held in Bundaberg from 19 to 21 August.
21 April, 2011
Archives gets texty
over Twitter
Queensland State Archives has issued a Public Records Brief on the management of short records such as micro-blogs, SMS messages and MMS communications.
Entitled Capturing Short Messages, the Brief has been prepared to assist Agencies meet their record management obligations as they apply to messages sent or received via Twitter or mobile phone text services.
The Brief makes the point that despite their brevity, public communications via these methods are still records and require management.
“Public records are not defined by format,” the Brief says.
“A public record is information in any format, either created or received, required as evidence of the business activities of a public authority.”
It says the informal nature of the short messages and their potential for rapid dissemination and comment can lead to a perception that they don’t need to be captured and managed in line with the Information Standards
“Short message communications that provide evidence of the decisions or actions undertaken by a public authority during its business activities are public records,” the Brief says.
“Short messages captured as public records should be retained for the same length of time as other public records. “
It calls on Agencies to develop strategies to maintain their short records in a “fixed and unalterable form for the required retention period”.
It also says the use of short messages is increasing.
“The current prevalence of short message use, combined with Government policies on the need to engage more directly with citizens, means that many Queensland public authorities now use or are considering using, short message technologies as an additional service delivery channel.”
It includes examples of Agencies using short messages and a checklist for best practice.
“To govern and guide the use of short message technologies, public authorities will need to develop relevant policies and procedures, proportionate to the extent of use of short message communications within an agency.
“When developing these documents, recordkeeping requirements should be incorporated.”
It says an Agency’s response to the use of short messages should be proportionate.
“High risk activities will require more detailed information to be captured,” it says, “where lower risk activities such as routine announcements, may be sufficiently captured by a log of messages sent.
“Public authorities should adopt a common-sense, risk-based approach to the capture of public records of short messages.”
The 6-page Brief can be accessed at this PS News link.
21 April, 2011
Recovery guidelines
for better buildings
The first in a series of Draft Guidelines to help Far North Queensland residents rebuild and repair their homes has been announced at a public meeting in Tully.
Premier Anna Bligh said the Guideline, Rebuilding in Storm Tide Prone Areas – Tully Heads/ Hull Heads, was the first of its type in Australia.
Ms Bligh said it was developed with input from James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station, the CSIRO, the Office of the Government Architect, the Australian Institute of Architects, consultant GHD and the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.
“This is Operation Queenslander in full swing and these guidelines were developed by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority in partnership with some of Australia’s leading cyclone and design experts,” Ms Bligh said.
She said the Guideline was not mandatory but designed to help Queenslanders rebuild better than before.
“The Draft Guideline has been developed specifically for the residents of Tully Heads and Hull Heads, but has relevance right along our low-lying coastal regions,” she said.
“The damage to houses in Tully Heads and Hull Heads ranges from minor internal water damage through to complete destruction of homes.”
She said that current figures indicated that 130 homes along the coastline were affected by the storm surge, 80 of which had serious structural damage.
Ms Bligh said that after Tropical Cyclone Yasi, the community needed to do everything it could to help the residents of Tully Heads and Hull Heads not only rebuild their homes, but ensure they were well prepared for future cyclone events.
Head of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Major General Mick Slater said the Draft Guideline had been developed to help homes survive a future storm surge.
“It does not replace the number one storm surge rule for people and that is if you are told to evacuate, get out,” Major General Slater said.
21 April, 2011
Industry officers
storm after Yasi
Eighteen Industry Recovery Officers have been assigned to assist primary producers and tourism businesses affected by Cyclone Yasi to rebuild.
The Officers are part of a joint Rural Resilience Fund delivered by the State and Federal Governments.
Minister for Agriculture, Food, and Regional Economies, Tim Mulherin said the 9-month assignments would cost $1.7 million with $1.16 million of funding to come from the Queensland Government and $555,000 from industry.
“The Rural Resilience Fund is just one example of a program which has learnt from the experiences of Cyclone Larry and allowed us to respond much more quickly,” Mr Mulherin said.
“The Industry Recovery Officers are targeting the severely affected areas of the Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, southern Cairns, southern Tablelands and areas of Charters Towers, Etheridge and Flinders Local Government areas.”
He said the Officers main priority would be to work with local industry and businesses to help them determine their recovery needs and link them with services such as financial counsellors, mental health professionals and farming system experts.
Mr Mulherin said they would also help Operation Clean Up coordinators prioritise debris-clearing work.
“The Industry Recovery officers are local people who know the local industry,” he said.
“They are there to help, so I urge all primary producers, small business and tourism operators to make contact with them.”
Mr Mulherin said the Officers are employed under arrangements with the Queensland Farmers Federation, Townsville Enterprise Limited and Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
21 April, 2011
Teacher standards
to pass the test
New national standards for improved teacher training have been endorsed at a meeting of State and Territory Education Ministers and according to the Minister for Education, Cameron Dick, Queensland’s work in the area contributed to their development.
Mr Dick said that following a recent Queensland review he announced the immediate implementation of 24 reforms aimed at lifting teacher training standards.
Mr Dick said that under the State’s initiative, teachers would be better equipped to identify students with special needs, engage with parents and control unruly children.
He said the review had been conducted by education experts, Brian Caldwell and David Sutton.
“I am pleased our initiatives have been mirrored at a national level,” Mr Dick said.
“Queensland’s reforms focus on graduate professional standards, behaviour management, teaching students with special needs and parental engagement, and these changes are reflected in the new national standards.”
He said the new national standards focused on professional knowledge, professional engagement and best practice to ensure high-quality teacher education.
“Research indicates teacher excellence is the biggest influence on student performance, and the new reforms at a State and national level will ensure teachers are better prepared for the classroom,” Mr Dick said.
“While good progress is being made in the area of teacher training improvements, Queensland acknowledges there is more work to do and we have referred 41 recommendations from our review to a taskforce for further evaluation.”
21 April, 2011
Numbers’ up for
licence plates
The Easter holidays will be the first test for new automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology on Queensland roads.
Minister for Police, Neil Roberts said research had shown that unlicensed and unregistered motorists were three times more likely to be involved in a traffic crash and these offences would be targeted by ANPR.
“The Queensland Police Service undertook a 12-month trial of the new technology, which was then evaluated by the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety,” Mr Roberts said.
He said an evaluation had found that ANPR technology was of benefit for use in road traffic operations in targeting offences that were detrimental to road safety.
He said one ANPR unit had been bought in time for Easter.
“The Queensland Police Service is currently purchasing additional units in the hope of having at least one unit in every police region across the State by mid-2012,” he said.
Mr Roberts said the Easter school holiday period would see an increase in traffic on the roads as Queenslanders took the opportunity to visit friends and family and take a short vacation.
“Last year 11 people lost their lives in road crashes during the Easter school holiday period – two during the traditional Easter long weekend,” the Minister said.
Acting Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the best way to stay safe this Easter was to drive to the conditions, not take unnecessary risks and to obey the road rules.
21 April, 2011
Transport maps
State’s roads
The Department of Transport and Main Roads’ updated Guide to Queensland Roads has been released.
The Guide, now in its 21st edition, has been helping motorists plan safe journeys since 1981.
Minister for Main Roads, Craig Wallace said the release would help people plan and enjoy a safe Easter while taking in the sights.
“With the reconstruction in full swing following the floods and cyclone…we’re encouraging people to holiday at home,” Mr Wallace said.
“This is made even easier with the Guide now containing 451 rest areas for motorists and 115 for heavy vehicles drivers.
“That’s an additional 125 sites from the previous edition.”
He said there were also global positioning system (GPS) co-ordinates for all rest areas - more than 850 in total- including driver reviver locations.
“Of course, the many features that have made the guide so popular and helpful since it was first released 30 years ago are still there,” Mr Wallace said.
“In addition to large, higher-level maps of Queensland and south-east Queensland, there are nine inset maps, providing a close-up view of the State from the Daintree to Coolangatta.”
He said the Guide also contains tips on how to drive on different road surfaces and has listings on over 140 caravan effluent dump sites as well as a checklist and hints for drivers preparing for their journeys.
The guide can be downloaded at no charge from this PS News link.
21 April, 2011
Cyclists saddled with
road rules too
Cyclists must obey the rules of the road like any other user, according to Minister for Police, Neil Roberts.
Mr Roberts said he was concerned that in 2010 police issued more than 6,400 infringement notices to bike riders who weren’t wearing helmets.
“Police also issued 198 notices for failure to stop at red traffic lights, 174 for bikes with no brakes, bell horns or similar warning devices and 140 for riding a bicycle at night without the required lights,” Mr Roberts said.
“Ninety-six cyclists also received infringement notices for using mobile phones while riding and 89 were issued for failures to stop at stop signs.”
He said recent figures released by Queensland Police showed bicycle misuse could cause serious injuries or even death.
“While bicycle crashes are usually less severe than a crash involving a motor vehicle simply because of the different speeds involved, cyclists are still at risk of injury on Queensland streets and bikeways if they don’t take care,” Mr Roberts said.
“For instance, there were seven traffic incidents resulting in the death of a bicycle rider in 2010.”
He said each year hundreds of cyclists required hospitalisation or some form of medical treatment for injuries incurred while riding.
“The physical and environmental benefits of cycling are not in question; however, it’s essential that riders remain attentive and adherent to the road rules for their own safety as well as that of the wider community,” Mr Roberts said.
21 April, 2011
Call for schools to
get holiday care
Queenslanders have been urged to look after their local schools during the Easter holidays.
Minister for Education, Cameron Dick said schools would have security measures in place but community vigilance was the best protection.
“I am asking everyone to keep an eye on their local school these holidays,” Mr Dick said.
“It’s been a challenging first term with the flood recovery effort and Cyclone Yasi. There were 212 State schools damaged in the summer floods and the cyclone caused damage at another 196 schools.”
He said the recovery effort had shown that schools were at the heart of communities.
“If you see something happening at your local school which doesn’t seem right, call the School Watch Hotline on 13 17 88.
“The School Watch Hotline receives an average of more than 65 calls a month which helps us protect schools from vandals, arsonists and thieves.”
Mr Dick said local residents played a big role in protecting schools by helping reduce the number of insurance claims for break-and-enters and vandalism by 14 per cent in the current financial year.
“The Government would much rather spend money on school resources for students than cleaning up the damage caused by vandalism, break-ins and arson,” he said.
Mr Dick said the Government had allocated $4.85 million this financial year on the School Security Program which included the completion of a security checklist by school staff, electronic intruder detection devices and 24-hour surveillance by police and Government and private security officers.
21 April, 2011
Reading challenge
is booked in
Primary school students across the State have been encouraged to take part in this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge.
Minister for Education, Cameron Dick said the sixth annual Challenge was open to all students from Prep to Year Seven in every State and non-State school.
Mr Dick said 71,000 students completed the challenge last year but the goal for 2011 was for 75,000 students to read more than a million books.
“The challenge is for Prep to Year Two students to read or experience 20 books, Year 3 and 4 students to read 20 books and for Years 5 to 7 students to read 15 books from Monday 9 May until Friday 26 August,” he said.
Mr Dick said reading allowed children to broaden their imagination, explore new subject areas and improve their literacy skills.
“Research indicates young people who read regularly are more likely to excel in learning,” he said.
“I am putting out the challenge to all primary school students to read up a storm in this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge.”
He said the Government was committed to boosting literacy skills with other initiatives including the Queensland Ready Reader, Parent Ready Reader, Queensland Reading Ambassadors, the Books for Bubs programs and the Reading Awareness Campaign.
Mr Dick said schools would be encouraged to celebrate their students’ achievements during the event’s celebration weeks from Tuesday 18 October to Friday 28 October and students who met the challenge would receive a certificate signed by the Premier.
He said parents of home-educated students could also register their interest and all registrations must be lodged by 27 May.
For more information, visit this PS News link.
21 April, 2011
Website has sights on
World War II sites
More than 1,000 Queensland sites of significance from World War II are to be mapped in a new website launched in Brisbane.
The website, developed by the Department of Public Works in co-operation with the State Library of Queensland, the Australian War Memorial, the National Archives of Australia, Brisbane City Council and the MacArthur Museum Brisbane, is to contain more than 500 citations on defined places.
Minister for Government Services and Communication Technology, Simon Finn said the Queensland WWII Historic Places would interest people from all walks of life.
“Between 1942 and 1945 Queensland served as a valuable support base for the war effort in the South-West Pacific Theatre,” Mr Finn said.
“Airfields, camps, workshops, depots and factories and vital medical facilities were established around the State, and the legacy of many of these places still remains in our landscape today.”
He said cataloguing the sites online helped communicate the historic effort of our ancestors to an entirely new generation.
He said users would be able to search Queensland cities and towns for sites of historical military significance via a system supported by Google Earth mapping.
“Visitors will also be able to compare historical sites to the present day thanks to overlays of historical maps and images,” Mr Finn said.
To view the Queensland WWII Historic Places website, visit this PS News link.
21 April, 2011
Workshops to work
on school standards
Ways to improve standards in Queensland schools are to be discussed at a series of workshops to be held across the State from 6 May.
The Raising the Bar workshops are expected to give principals, teachers and Parents and Citizens Associations (P&C’s) the opportunity to bring their ideas, suggestions and strategies to the table.
Minister for Education, Cameron Dick said principals and teachers did a fantastic job in schools across the State and the renewed focus on school standards would see them further supported in the important job of teaching young Queenslanders.
“The workshop process will identify best practice, areas for improvement and provide the foundation for a series of initiatives or pilot programs,” Mr Dick said.
“There will be the potential to implement more broadly programs which are already successful in schools. I expect participants will have suggestions on a range of issues including managing behaviour, uniforms and resources.”
He said the sharing of knowledge would be a valuable experience for schools, the Department of Education and Training, and Government.
“I encourage principals, teachers and P&Cs to get involved because the more good ideas we have, the better the outcomes for Queensland students,” he said.
Mr Dick said workshops would be held in Brisbane, Redcliffe, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Mount Isa, Emerald, Cherbourg and Bundaberg from 5 May.
21 April, 2011
Lower gas emissions
turn down the heat
Queensland’s greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing according to a new national report.
The State and Territory Greenhouse Gas Inventories 2009 report in the annual National Greenhouse Accounts found that Queensland had achieved the highest annual decrease in emissions of any State, bucking the national trend.
The report shows that total emissions declined by about nine million tonnes from 2008 to 2009, and remained below the1990 level.
Minister for the Environment, Kate Jones said this was an encouraging result given the extraordinary population and business growth Queensland had experienced.
She said the reduction had been achieved largely because of the ban on broad scale tree clearing.
“Reporting released last year showed a 48 per cent reduction in tree clearing in one year alone. These reforms were the single biggest contributor to Australia meeting our Kyoto Protocol target for carbon emissions,” Ms Jones said.
“I will soon be releasing the latest data which is expected to show more reductions in clearing, resulting in more emission reductions.”
She said another key reform was Queensland’s leadership in making a transition from coal to gas.
“Our mandatory gas target of 15 per cent has enabled this transition to occur and has led to the birth of a whole new industry in Queensland,” Ms Jones said.
She said despite the good results, there was still a long way to go to address Queensland’s emissions.
“Queensland is still Australia’s largest emitter per capita and that’s why we’re making a number of key investments statewide in renewable energy projects and waste reforms right down to households such as the ClimateSmart Home Service,” Ms Jones said.
“We want to see Queensland continue to move toward a cleaner, greener and stronger future,” she said.
21 April, 2011
Tourism report
shows the way
Australia’s top 20 tourism areas have been highlighted in a report that stresses the economic importance of tourism in Australia’s regions.
The report by Tourism Research Australia, shows Queensland has three of the top five tourism regions based on expenditure.
The regions are Gold Coast ($4.5 billion), Tropical North Queensland ($2.7 billion) and Sunshine Coast ($2.4 billion).
Released by the Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, The Economic Importance of Tourism in Australia’s Regions shows visitor expenditure as a percentage of overall output in the top 20 tourism regions.
Mr Ferguson said tourism was the lifeblood of many regional areas, creating jobs where people lived.
“Tourism is a source of employment for many people including hospitality professionals, uni students, travellers, Indigenous workers and older Australians looking for part-time employment,” Mr Ferguson said.
“Regions such as the Gold Coast, Tropical North Queensland, Sunshine Coast, NSW Mid North Coast and NSW Northern Rivers not only have a very high reliance on the tourism sector, tourism contributes between $1 billion and $4.5 billion to their local economy.”
Mr Ferguson said almost 46c in every dollar spent by visitors was spent in regional Australia.
“The Australian Government recognises the importance of tourism to regional Australia.
“That is why, through the National Long Term Tourism Strategy and the marketing efforts of Tourism Australia, we are supporting regional areas,” he said.
“As an example, the National Landscapes Program promoted the outstanding natural settings in areas such as Central Australia, the Great Ocean Road and the Flinders Ranges.”
The report can be accessed at this PS News link.
21 April, 2011
Tank engine chuffs
into record books
Official confirmation has been received from the Guinness Book of World Records that the Workshops Rail Museum at Ipswich is now the record holder for the ‘World’s Longest Toy Train Track’.
The museum broke the world record in November 2010 when a team of 20 track builders built a 2.014-kilometre track, 364 metres longer than the existing Guinness World Record held by Japan.
Minister for the Arts and local MP, Rachel Nolan said it was another win for the team and would help put Ipswich on the map.
“The official notification from Guinness coincided with the start of the popular Day out with Thomas 2011 school holiday event and just weeks after The Workshops Rail Museum took out the top prize at the Australian Tourism Awards for Heritage & Cultural Tourism,” Ms Nolan said.
She said the Thomas-themed toy train track was built using 10,197 Thomas the Tank Engine Fisher-Price track pieces built in 20 large spiral towers.
“The track building team, led by Ray Murphy, took more than 214 hours to construct the layout which spanned 35 metres by five metres,” Ms Nolan said.
“The total length of the track was six times the height of the Eiffel Tower and could have surrounded the Melbourne Cricket Ground four times.”
She said a Guinness requirement for the record attempt to be valid was that a Thomas train had to have made a full circuit of the track without derailing.
“Thomas didn’t disappoint and made his way around the track completely in a time of two hours and 52 minutes,” Ms Nolan said.
21 April, 2011
SkillsTech shows
off tech skills
Students from SkillsTech Australia have scored well at the Brisbane City Council (BCC) 2011 Apprentice and Trainee of the Year Awards that were held in March, with 14 nominated for the annual awards.
Organisers said the Awards were a City Council initiative aimed at encouraging skills development among Queensland students.
Nominations were awarded across disciplines including Automotive Vehicle (Body Vehicle Painting); Automotive Mechanical Technology (Heavy Vehicle Road Transport); Electro-technology; Automotive Manufacturing; Engineering-Mechanical Trade; and Plumbing.
Of the 14 students nominated, seven were declared winners at the Awards ceremony.
The winners were:
Apprentice of the Year, Peter Kenward (plumbing);
First Year Apprentice, Chris Nowosad (automotive manufacturing);
Final Year Apprentice, Levon Hollingworth (heavy vehicle mechanic);
First Year Apprentice Incentive Award, Luke Smith (plumbing);
Final Year Apprentice Incentive Award - Matthew Galvin (Automotive Manufacturing)
School-based Apprentice, Murray Andersen (heavy vehicle mechanic);
School-based Apprentice Incentive Award, Jordan Geary (heavy vehicle mechanic).
Organisers congratulated the winning students as well as the SkillsTech Australia teachers and staff who trained them.
The BCC Apprentice and Trainee of the Year Awards were introduced in 1988 and have since expanded to include trainees, with competition increasing every year.
21 April, 2011
Travellers warned
to do their duty
Queenslanders travelling overseas for Easter have been urged to find out what they can legally bring back into Australia.
Federal Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor reminded travellers to be careful about what they purchased and tried to bring back into the country.
“Don’t waste your money and time by buying items that may get seized at the border,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said items such as toy and replica guns, various knives, refused classification video games, novelty lighters, high intensity laser pointers and wildlife items like eggs and tusks, were sometimes bought as gifts or for personal use.
“Consumers should be aware that under Australian law these items, and others, may be banned or require an import permit prior to being imported into Australia,” Mr O’Connor said.
The Customs and Border Protection Service detected 2,998 prohibited goods at Brisbane Airport last financial year, an increase of 67 per cent on the previous financial year.
Mr O’Connor said travellers should also be wary of purchasing counterfeit goods. “Items such as fake pharmaceuticals, electrical items, cosmetics and perfumes can be dangerous.”
He said such items not only cheated unwary consumers but could also be a threat to health and safety.
“This holiday season I’m also reminding all travellers that Customs and Border Protection treats the importation of weapons seriously and detecting illegal imports is a priority,” Mr O’Connor said.
“Anyone who brings prohibited weapons into Australia without a permit will have their goods seized and destroyed – no matter how much they’ve spent on such weapons.”
He said individuals could also face fines of up to $275,000 or 10 years jail, or both.
For more information visit this PS News link.
21 April, 2011
Drug lab guidelines
stimulate clean ups
New national guidelines have been released for the remediation of illicit drug sites closed down by police.
Launched by the Minister for Police, Neil Roberts and Federal Minister for Justice, Brendan O’Connor the new Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines are a joint initiative of Federal, State and Territory governments and law enforcement agencies across Australia.
The Australian Crime Commission said it was currently assembling its 2009/10 report on drug detection across Australia and expected to find that clandestine drug laboratory detections were continuing to rise, with about 600 reported nationally.
Mr Roberts said detections were likely to continue to increase with a sustained police focus on drug manufacturing operations.
“Here in Queensland, police discovered 297 clandestine labs in 2009/10 - almost double the number found the previous year,” Mr Roberts said.
“We’re seeing more covert drug labs discovered as Queensland Police step up their efforts against the drug trade.”
Mr O’Connor said the guidelines provide a step-by-step process to determining whether a site was contaminated, and then would assist in the remediation of those that were.
“The residue of drug manufacturing can pose risks for many years,” Mr O’Connor said.
“That includes potential health and safety problems for neighbours and new residents, including children.
“Clandestine drug laboratories can also damage our natural environment through soil and water contamination and the disposal of toxic waste in public spaces,” he said.
Mr Roberts said communities could help by reporting suspicious activity to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines are available at this PS News link.
21 April, 2011
Transport group to give advice
A new advisory group aimed at finding ways of improving public transport in south-east Queensland, is being formed.
Nominations for the Public Transport Advisory Group are open and will run until 6 May with the first meeting scheduled for June.
It will include members from a variety of community sectors including disability and aging groups and representatives from tourism and business.
Barbecue warning
People planning to use barbecues during the Easter holiday period have been urged to check their equipment first.
Gas cylinders should always be disconnected from appliances and sealed with a safety plug before transporting them.
Home handymen and women planning to do work over the holidays should check their electric tools before doing any work around the house.
Drinks trial starts well
The two-year trial of Drink Safe Precincts (DSP) is off to an encouraging start.
Results from the first three months of the trial, in entertainment precincts in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast and Townsville, indicate that Drink Safe Precincts have resulted in a positive change in drinking behaviour.
Police have reported more than 1,000 arrests with seven people banned from entertainment precincts since the DSP trial began in December.
Safety plans funded
A total of $300,000 has been allocated for community safety initiatives at Sunnybank.
The money, part of the Federal Government’s Safer Suburbs initiative, will go towards measures such as closed circuit television cameras and lighting to deter crime and anti-social behaviour.
Safer Suburbs also funds local initiatives run by not-for-profit and Local Government organisations to implement a range of community safety initiatives.
Emergency vehicle bought
A new state-of-the-art Armoured Response Vehicle has been purchased for Queensland Police Service’s Special Emergency Response Team
The $400,000, nine-tonne vehicle will add to the team’s tactical options during domestic high risk and counter-terrorist operations.
It possesses a range of highly-specialised communication technologies in addition to full ballistic protection and high level four-wheel-drive and off-road capability.
Reminder to fishers
An operation to remove a potentially deadly fishing line from an osprey nest was described as a timely reminder for fishers to look after their tackle and dispose of it responsibly.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Officers who took part in the operation said lines like these could end up harming wildlife in unexpected places.
A similar operation to remove fishing debris had been carried out at a Sundale Bridge nest in May 2008.
Ambulance station open
The refurbished ambulance station at Moranbah has been officially opened.
The $700,000 upgrade of the 34-year-old facility includes enhanced communications equipment, a new clinical training room, an office and write-up room and an upgrade of staff amenities.
The station currently provides a base for four paramedics and an officer-in-charge, as well as a fleet of three ambulance vehicles.
14 April, 2011
PSC fills gaps in
separation plan
The Public Service Commission has published more information about the plan for Voluntary Separations across the Queensland public sector.
According to the PSC, staff taking a Voluntary Separation Package (VSP) will receive an enhanced incentive payment of 30 weeks pay with an increased payment of three weeks for each year of service up to a maximum of 60 weeks (i.e. maximum of 90 weeks in total).
The Queensland Public Sector Union (QPSU) has issued a paper outlining the information provided by the PSC with a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
The new information says the Voluntary Separation Program is to be targeted towards non-frontline service staff such as those in Corporate Services and Service Support.
Eligible employees may be offered a VSP but no employee can be forced to accept one.
The calculation of a VSP will be based on an employee’s separation date and their years of service.
The PSC says the level of base payment had been increased in comparison to previous schemes and each Department is to apply the program to suit its needs.
Once decided, Chief Executives are to advise the PSC on employees considered eligible for a VSP.
The PSC says the packages will become available early in the 2011/12 financial year, acknowledging the fact that some Departments have been affected by the recent disaster events.
Chief Executives may invite expressions of interest from eligible employees and make individual VSP offers. The final decision as to whether an employee received a VSP or not would be the Chief Executive’s.
Employees would have 20 working days to consider a VSP offer which the PSC says is reasonable opportunity to seek financial advice.
The Shared Service Agency is currently preparing separation payment calculations, in readiness for the start of the program.
The PSC says eligible employees must be permanent staff employed before 1 January 2010 and Senior Executive Service officers with tenure would be included.
As a general rule, employees in front-line service delivery roles would be ineligible for VSPs, although Chief Executives could consider individual circumstances.
The QPSU has stressed to its members that the program is entirely voluntary as the Government has promised no forced redundancies.
Employees taking a VSP will be ineligible to be re-employed in the Queensland public sector for three years and once an offer is accepted, the Chief Executive should set a termination date which will be as soon as practicable, usually within a couple of weeks.
Employees who apply for but do not receive a VSP can seek an internal review of the decision.
Further information is available from the employee’s Human Resources Division, or the Public Service Commission website at this PS News link.
14 April, 2011
Insurance advice
at a premium
Legal Aid Queensland has launched a self-help guide for people lodging insurance claims after a storm, cyclone or flood.
Welcoming the guide, When Disaster Strikes – Cyclones, Storms and Floods: A Guide to Getting Your Insurance Claim Paid, Acting Federal Assistant Treasurer, Bill Shorten said it provided a range of important information, including how to submit an insurance claim, understanding what an insurance policy covers, how to prove the cause of damage to property and options the policyholder had if the claim was refused.
“It is a valuable resource for anyone trying to make an insurance claim following the devastating floods and Cyclone Yasi in Queensland,” Mr Shorten said.
“While it is Queensland specific, it will also be of assistance to people in other States facing similar circumstances.”
He said the Guide was part of a suite of free or low-cost services offered by Legal Aid Queensland and other community legal centres in the State to flood and cyclone victims.
Commonwealth Attorney General, Robert McClelland said the Commonwealth Government donated $200,000 to legal services in Queensland to assist flood victims with legal advice.
The Insurance Council of Australia and Legal Aid Queensland donated $250,000 each.
“Queenslanders and other people affected by the floods have legal rights and recourse to pursue their insurance claims,” Mr McClelland said.
“A number of legal issues relating to insurance claims are being addressed, including housing and tenancy issues and lost or destroyed documents.
“The new guide will help these efforts,” he said.
14 April, 2011
Main Roads in
pothole push
Queenslanders are being asked to ‘Dob In A Pothole’ to the Main Roads Department so it can find the damage caused by recent natural disasters.
The new campaign is part of the largest pothole-fixing operation in the States’ history, swinging into action across Queensland with crews out doing emergency and longer-term repairs.
Minister for Main Roads, Craig Wallace estimated that 10,000 potholes had already been fixed.
Mr Wallace said he wanted road users to help ensure that no pothole escaped the asphalt of repair crews.
“Where potholes are not on State Government roads, our staff will refer them to Local Councils while we will look after Commonwealth road repair work,” Mr Wallace said.
“I ask road users to call Main Roads on 13 19 40 and listen to the prompts to report any potholes or road hazards they encounter.”
He said road crews were working around the clock to get roads repaired and reopened for Queensland communities and industry and repairing potholes would just be the first step in a massive permanent repair program for Queensland roads.
“There are many thousands of potholes out there and recently repaired potholes have again been weakened by further rain and flooding, making further work necessary,” he said.
“A massive 4,000 kilometres of road have been devastated again in just the past few weeks.”
Mr Wallace said many roads have had their speed limits cut to reduce the danger to vehicles from potholes.
14 April, 2011
Council charges
charged down
Changes to Local Government infrastructure charges on new developments are to be introduced to encourage building in Queensland.
The reforms, which are based on proposals by the independent Infrastructure Charges Taskforce, would give certainty to the building industry and make housing easier to build and more affordable to buy in Queensland.
Premier, Anna Bligh said the changes would provide simplicity, certainty and transparency for all involved.
“This is a significant reform that strikes the right balance between developers contributing to the cost of infrastructure and ensuring that new homes are affordable,” Ms Bligh said.
“It also gives industry the certainty they need to make investment decisions and that is one of the things we need if we are to see a building revival in Queensland.”
She said a key element of the reforms would be the setting of maximum charges for trunk infrastructure, which included water, sewerage, storm water, roads and parks.
Minister for Local Government, Paul Lucas said the Government was not introducing a blanket cap.
“Rather we are introducing maximum standard charges and we are retaining the ability for Councils to charge less than the maximums if they wish,” Mr Lucas said.
“A central element of the reforms is giving Local Governments flexibility to choose whether they adopt the maximum charges or to charge lesser amounts.”
He said the Government had been forced to step in because developers and Local Councils couldn’t agree.
“The State Government was responding to concerns from the development industry and Councils when it convened the Infrastructure Charges Taskforce following the Queensland Growth Management Summit in March 2010,” he said.
“About a third of our jobs in Queensland are in the building and construction industry which makes this a deadly serious issue.”
14 April, 2011
Disability expert
is new advocate
Jeffrey Chan has been appointed as Queensland’s first Chief Practitioner, Disability.
Dr Chan is an internationally renowned expert in the area of vulnerable people with disabilities, challenging behaviours and those on court-ordered treatment.
He will provide advice to Government and oversee major reforms in the area of forensic disability.
The Forensic Disability Bill 2011, introduced into State Parliament, covers a range of reforms for people with an intellectual disability, but not a mental illness, who are subject to a forensic order.
Minister for Disability Services and Mental Health, Curtis Pitt said the reforms would deliver an alternative option for the Mental Health Court when dealing with people with an intellectual disability who were unfit for trial or of unsound mind.
Mr Pitt said Queensland’s first forensic disability service was expected to open in the coming months as a purpose-built, secure facility at Wacol.
“It will be an appropriate environment where offending and challenging behaviour can be addressed and improved,” he said.
The service would cater for up to 10 people with an intellectual or cognitive disability who required secure care.
“It’s an alternative to detaining people in mental health facilities, but we have to face facts that some of these offenders are alleged to have committed very serious offences,” Mr Pitt said.
“They need to be housed somewhere safe and secure so they can get the right treatment to address their offending behaviour.
“The community would expect nothing less.”
14 April, 2011
Water charges to
be bottled up
Measures to force Local Governments to accept responsibility for water pricing have been introduced with changes to the South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) Act 2009.
The move will cap distribution and retail annual water and sewerage price increases at the level of the Consumer Price Index, which currently stands at 2.7 per cent.
Premier Anna Bligh said Allconnex had been proposing a price increase in the next financial year of $208 for a typical Gold Coast household. The price cap would reduce that rise to $83.
“For the Great Brisbane area where Queensland Urban Utilities was proposing an increase of $110 for a typical household, the price cap will mean the maximum increase to the average household will be $74,” Ms Bligh said.
“Enough is enough,” she said.
“The blame game on water ends today.”
She said the Government had decided to repeal sections of the South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) Act 2009 which meant Councils would be solely responsible for the price of water charged to their ratepayers and would no longer be able to justify blaming legislation, the utilities they established or the Boards they appointed.
The Premier said the State Government would continue to produce and treat the bulk water that was delivered to the water utilities.
“We will also continue to operate the water grid that shares water across the SEQ region and gives water security to all its citizens,” she said.
“It will be open to SEQ Councils to opt out of their utility company and operate distribution and retail as a business unit of their Council and set the price that way.”
Ms Bligh said equally it would be open to Councils to opt to retain the utilities in their current form with the Councils still holding absolute power to set the price of water bills.
14 April, 2011
Teacher training
moves up a class
Teacher training standards are set to improve with a new initiative helping ensure Queensland’s education delivery is second to none.
Under the initiative, teachers will be better equipped to identify students with special needs, to engage with parents and to control unruly children.
The move arose from the Government’s review of teacher education and school induction, which was conducted by education experts, Brian Caldwell and David Sutton.
Minister for Education, Cameron Dick said the Government immediately adopted 24 recommendations from the review.
“The improvements focus on behaviour management, special needs, early childhood, Indigenous, parental engagement and graduate professional standards,” Mr Dick said.
“New teachers entering classrooms for the first time will also be given additional professional support and guidance through a partnership with schools and universities.”
He said the response to the review provided a framework for the Queensland College of Teachers, Queensland universities and education systems to work together to improve teacher training standards.
“A meeting of Education Ministers from the States and Territories will consider adopting new standards nationally which align with the Queensland reforms,” Mr Dick said.
He said under the changes, aspiring teachers would have to clearly demonstrate their theoretical understanding and practical skills before being employed in Queensland schools.
“Pre-service teachers who are preparing to teach Indigenous, special needs or early childhood students will be required to undertake specialist study,” Mr Dick said.
“While 24 recommendations will be implemented immediately, a further 41 recommendations will be referred to a new Teacher Education Implementation Taskforce for further stakeholder consultation.”
14 April, 2011
Transport in drive
for more women
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) has launched an initiative to encourage women to take up a career in the transport industry.
According to the Department, the Australian-first scheme Women Take the Wheel was developed to counter the fact that while women made up 60 per cent of the labour market, they represented just 23 per cent of the transport, logistics and supply chain workforce.
A spokeswoman for DTMR said the initiative introduced new approaches aimed at providing training and support to individual women as well as offering businesses and other organisations the chance to increase the participation of females in the workforce, particularly in non-traditional roles such as drivers.
The spokeswoman said the benefits that could arise for employers by joining the scheme included an expanded range of job seekers applying for jobs; funding to contribute to employee skills through qualifications; and status as an industry of choice in gender-friendly employment.
DTMR pointed to Brisbane waste management company JJ Richards as one business which has embraced the scheme.
Manager with the company, Josh Richards said the response to its implementation of the Women Take the Wheel program had been positive.
“We already had the right environment; we just needed to promote it in the marketplace,” Mr Richards said.
“The first gender-friendly advertisement we ran attracted more than 1,000 applications,”
More information on the scheme is available from the Department of Transport and Main Roads website at this PS News link.
14 April, 2011
Science hothouse to
melt climate change
An Ecosciences Precinct housing more than 1,000 Queensland Government and CSIRO scientists, researchers and support staff, has been officially opened beside the old Boggo Rd jail.
The $270 million precinct is Australia’s first centre dedicated to solving some of the country’s biggest environmental issues and groups the largest number of scientists and researchers working in Ecoscience ever assembled in Australia.
Premier, Anna Bligh said bringing so many scientists together at the one location created a ‘critical mass’ to respond to the challenges.
“It has already paid off with CSIRO and Queensland Government scientists at the precinct working together to quickly monitor flood plumes in Moreton Bay and, once safe, to give the all clear for fishing to resume,” Ms Bligh said.
“This new facility is part of our Government’s $3.6 billion investment to make Queensland the Smart State of Australia.”
She said the Ecoscience precinct was one of 39 new research institutes created under the plan, with more than 8,000 new scientists and researchers building a smarter, hi-tech economy for the State.
“The Ecosciences Precinct has world class facilities, world class science and world class people,” Ms Bligh said.
The Precinct includes one of Australia’s only QC3-standard quarantine facilities designed for weed research, high-tech labs, controlled environment rooms, insectaries, glasshouses, shade houses, workshops, offices and a science education centre.
The Premier said research would focus on areas including climate change, a healthy environment, balanced growth and sustainable industries.
14 April, 2011
Electoral reform
gets the numbers
The financing of election campaigns has been changed with the introduction of new electoral reform laws into Parliament.
The Electoral Reform and Accountability Amendment Bill 2011 will see donations to political parties and election candidates capped.
Attorney-General, Paul Lucas said Queenslanders must be able to have confidence in the democratic system and there should be no perception that politicians could be influenced by excessive political donations.
“Nobody should be able to buy political influence in Queensland no matter how much money they have,” Mr Lucas said.
“Those with the means to make large donations should not be permitted to leverage more from the political process than everyday Queenslanders.
“These reforms limit the potential for third parties to try to unduly influence our political system by donating excessive sums to the electoral campaigns of certain candidates or parties.”
The reforms would apply to union donations as well as individual or company donations.
Mr Lucas said that over the past two years the Government had undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of integrity and accountability mechanisms and processes in Government.
“These new reforms will build on the suite of integrity and accountability measures the State Government has already enacted,” he said.
Mr Lucas said the Bill also lowered the provisional age of enrolment from 17 to 16 years.
The donations cap will apply to money received on or after 1 January this year.
14 April, 2011
Tide of consistency
for coastal plan
The new Queensland Coastal Plan has been released with the aim of establishing a consistent approach to coastal planning.
The plan will protect future coastal communities from threats such as storm tide surges resulting from cyclones, protect the coastline from development and safeguard areas of high ecological significance.
Minister for Environment and Resource Management, Kate Jones said that almost all of Queensland had been declared a disaster zone through floods and cyclone.
“Predictions from climate scientists for more severe extreme weather events leave no room for complacency when planning for Queensland’s long-term future, so we must confront these challenges now,” Ms Jones said.
“The Queensland Coastal Plan will allow State and Local Governments to work together to utilise climate science, advanced mapping technology and sound policy direction to prevent further community exposure to coastal hazards.”
She said with highly sophisticated mapping technology at their disposal, Councils would be able to make planning decisions for the future of their communities that would help manage growth and build more resilience to coastal hazards.
She said the new Plan would have the power of a State Planning Policy, and enable planners to prepare for future challenges.
“A number of Councils have been calling for a consistent approach to coastal planning, and this plan answers those calls,” Ms Jones said.
“The new Coastal Councils Adaptation Taskforce that has been set up by the Local Government Association of Queensland to collectively prepare, plan and adapt for sea level rise and other coastal impacts of climate change, will be able to use these tools to deliver better planning decisions.”
14 April, 2011
Single safety law
the safest way
The Chair of Safe Work Australia, Tom Phillips has defended the national harmonisation of work health and safety (WHS) laws saying the process was not designed to reduce the size of WHS regulation but to ensure uniform safety standards were in place across the country.
Mr Phillips said the initiative was consistent with the requirements of the Inter-Governmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety.
“This exercise is about harmonisation and putting everyone on the same page, it is not rationalisation or reform,” Mr Phillips said.
He said the content of the draft WHS Regulations was based on existing Work Health and Safety Regulations in each of the nine Australian jurisdictions, all of which were varied in length and content.
He said chapters of the draft WHS Regulations addressed hazards such as noise, confined spaces and falls, or specific industries such as construction, major hazard facilities or driving.
Mr Phillips said for national businesses, familiarity with only one set of work health and safety regulations would be easier than needing to know the nine sets that currently existed.
For these businesses, thousands of pages of regulations and rules would be replaced by the draft WHS Regulations which were about 580 pages.
“The model WHS Regulations needed to ensure effective safety standards and protections for all Australian workers without being overly prescriptive,” he said.
“It is not the number of pages or size that is important, but whether the model WHS Regulations will contain sufficient guidance to duty holders to ensure the health and safety of Australian workers.”
During a recent public comment process, submissions were made regarding concerns about the length and level of prescription in the draft regulations.
Mr Phillips said however that Safe Work Australia had already identified a number of ways the draft WHS Regulations could be reduced in size without compromising important policy objectives.
14 April, 2011
Development committees
develop more support
Regional Development Australia Committees are to receive the specific support of a second Parliamentary Secretary.
The appointment of Peta-Kaye Croft as Parliamentary Secretary assisting the Premier on the Gold Coast has been made under the Tomorrow’s Regions: the Queensland Government’s Partnership with Regional Communities initiative.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies, Tim Mulherin said the initiative brought together the Blueprint for the Bush initiative and Regional Development Australia (RDA) Committees to provide a stronger voice for rural Queensland.
“Under the initiative, Ministers, and now two Parliamentary Secretaries, are assigned to specific regional communities to work in partnership with those communities, to help achieve the outcomes specific areas want from Government,” Mr Mulherin said.
Ms Croft joins Parliamentary Secretary, Steve Wettenhall who is assisting Far North Queensland and Torres Strait. Eight Ministers are also involved in the program
“Ms Croft is a strong advocate for the Gold Coast region and her local knowledge and experience make her an ideal fit to work with the Ipswich and West Moreton, Logan and Redlands and Gold Coast RDA Committee,” Mr Mulherin said.
Ms Croft said she was pleased by the RDA appointment, and was ready to liaise and work with the RDA Committee.
Mr Mulherin said the RDA initiative had established 12 committees, made up of representatives from Local Councils and other local organisations across Queensland to work with all levels of Government to address regional issues and promote regional development.
More information was available from this PS News link.
14 April, 2011
Concern swells for
sea level rises
A new scientific report suggests Queensland can expect coastal erosion and permanent inundation of coastal land as a result of a predicted 0.8 metre sea level rise by the year 2100.
The new publication, Queensland Coastal Processes and Climate Change, was released at the at the recent Greenhouse 2011: The Science of Climate Change conference in Cairns which was attended by delegates from around the world.
Releasing the report, the Minister for Environment and Resource Management, Kate Jones said that with 85 per cent of Queenslanders living on the coast, it was crucial that Local Governments and planners had a clear understanding of the effect climate change would have.
“Queensland’s diverse coastline is one of our greatest environmental icons,” Ms Jones said, “but it is also one of our most vulnerable assets.
“That’s why we need to understand these threats and what we can do to mitigate them.”
She said science was telling us that sea levels were expected to rise as a result of climate change and we could expect the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events to increase.
“This means more inundation of coastal land and erosion.”
She said by understanding the science and what it meant for communities, early moves could be made to protect Queenslanders.
“This information is a useful resource for anyone trying to understand the physical make-up of Queensland’s coastal areas and their risks under a changing climate,” Ms Jones said.
“It will assist planners to make more informed decisions about how to protect our coastline, the surrounding infrastructure and local communities,” she said.
14 April, 2011
UQ business school
does the business
The University of Queensland Business School has become a member of the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC).
The Council is a non-profit organisation of leading business schools around the world, serving as a primary resource of research and information about quality graduate management education.
GMAC provides business schools and students with a wide array of products, services and programs to assist in the strategic development of enhanced management education.
Academic Dean and Head of the UQ Business School, Iain Watson said he was looking forward to engaging with leading business schools around the world to improve education for both UQ’s students and the wider community.
“Our membership into the GMAC organisation is another example of our School’s commitment to advancing the development of high quality management education,” Professor Watson said.
“As one of only three Australian Business Schools who have received membership to this exclusive organisation it is also recognition of our long-standing quality and innovation in business education.”
Executive Dean of UQ’s Business, Economics and Law Faculty, Tim Brailsford said that by becoming a member, the UQ Business School, had joined an exclusive network that would give insights into the trends in management education.
GMAC is the owner and administrator of the GMAT examination, a standardised test specifically designed for graduate business and management programs that are used in over 100 countries worldwide.
14 April, 2011
cPOP pops the
distance barrier
Queensland’s remote communities can now gain access to Australian Government financial assistance using technology developed during the recent weather disasters.
Social security agency Centrelink used a new mobile device known as the Centrelink Point of Presence, or cPOP, which connects up to 10 laptops at once to the Agency’s network, giving outreach workers instant access to their desktops from virtually anywhere.
Federal Minister for Human Services, Tanya Plibersek said that during floods and the cyclone hundreds of thousands of people were physically cut off from Government offices and unable to get through on the phone.
“In response, Centrelink flew in teams of assistance workers equipped with the new link devices, to areas which had been devastated and, in some cases, had no electricity or telephone services,” Ms Plibersek said.
She said the cPOPs - which are transported in small cases - log on to the Agency’s network using Windows 7, Citrix virtualisation and a link established through either satellite, 3G or cable, depending on the situation.
“The technology acts as a remote office, running up to 10 secure devices simultaneously at speed and reliability equal to that of being in an office connected to a central server,” she said.
This enabled Centrelink workers to process claims for disaster victims on the spot at evacuation and recovery centres across Queensland.
“Without this technology we would have been forced to take claims on paper forms and physically send them back to processing centres in major cities and towns,” Ms Plibersek said.
The Agency’s Infrastructure Group deployed 30 cPOPs in the weeks after the disasters struck. Previously only a handful of the devices had been trialled in remote communities in the Northern Territory.
Ms Plibersek said they could now be carried to remote communities to process claims on a routine basis.
14 April, 2011
More disaster relief
Round three of the Premier’s Disaster Relief Fund is now open for applications.
The Fund offers grants of up to $80,000 for Queenslanders who sustained flood or cyclone damage to their homes.
The third round will target those Queenslanders whose homes were not destroyed but sustained significant damage.
Go card hits 100,000
Transport has signed up its 100,000th go card customer – a year after its auto top-up functionality became available.
The go card is now being used for 80 per cent of all weekday travel across the TransLink network.
A year ago the usage was about 50 per cent.
Wellbeing package open
A $39 million package to support the recovery and wellbeing of people in Queensland has been launched.
The package draws on the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements to assist communities to confront the challenges associated with long-term recovery.
Grants will be made available to local non-government organisations to deliver assistance, counselling services, community access, respite and expert referral to other support services.
Gyms put to test
The Fair Work Ombudsman is targeting the fitness industry with an education and compliance campaign.
Fair Work inspectors are contacting 100 businesses in Brisbane, Hervey
Bay, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa as well as on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
Employers will also be asked to supply time-and-wages records for audit.
Smart buying back on
The 10th annual Office of Fair Trading Buy Smart competition has been launched.
The event is designed to help young people sharpen their consumer and financial literacy skills by saving money and spending wisely.
The total prize pool is $10,000 across all three categories (Years 5-7, 8-9 and 10-12).
Indigenous get PPP
An Indigenous-specific Triple P Positive Parenting Program is to be supported by the addition of 20 frontline family support staff.
The staff will be trained to deliver the program with a $55,000 Government grant.
The funding will be provided to the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak to work with Triple P International to deliver the training.
Prep class biggest
The 2011 Prep Class is the largest since it was introduced into Queensland State schools in 2007.
More than 42, 900 Prep students have begun their school years at a Queensland State school in 2011, up from 40,900 in 2010 and 39,500 in 2009.
The Prep Year prepares students for learning and ultimately success in life through a play-based curriculum designed specifically for 4½ to 5½-year-olds.
7 April, 2011
PS union votes to
merge with ASU
The Queensland Public Sector Union has reported that the ballot for amalgamation with the Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union, Central and Southern Queensland Clerical and Administrative Branch, Union of Employees (AMACSU) also known as the ASU, has been successful.
Union President Vivienne Doogan said the Electoral Commission Queensland had declared the ballot for amalgamation, with a majority of voters voting yes.
“We are entering an unprecedented time in Queensland’s history,” Ms Doogan said. “There’s now more demand for public services than at any other time in our history.
“At the same time some politicians and sections of the media are increasing their calls for widespread cuts to jobs and services,”
She said there were further stages to be reached in the formal amalgamation process but the hope was that the unions would be united by 1 July.
Ms Doogan said union officials had supported the amalgamation, which would create a new, stronger voice for workers in the Queensland public sector.
“There will be a small increase in the size of your Union Council, Union Executive and staff,” she said, “However, these structures won’t change as a result of amalgamation.”
“As a public sector worker, a stronger union means greater industrial strength and more services and support.”
“We can make a difference to the working lives of members in the public sector - but only if we have a strong, united, and effective union.”
Information about the proposed amalgamation had been distributed by the Queensland Public Sector Union over the past year and deeds of intent had been signed with the ASU.
7 April, 2011
Schools review has
weapons in sights
Education Queensland is to conduct an immediate review into policies and legislation relating to the possession of weapons in schools.
The review follows a serious incident at a Gold Coast School.
Minister for Education, Cameron Dick said he was disturbed to hear about the incident.
“I want to send a very clear message to students and parents that there is no reason for a student to bring a knife or object to be used as a weapon to school,” Mr Dick said.
“I’ve asked the Department to investigate whether any further measures should be implemented to further protect Queensland students and staff.”
He said the review would include the adequacy and application of powers to suspend and/or exclude students; advice on the need to search student property; the application of student responsible behaviour plans; and communication of current and/or new policies to students and parents.
“Almost three-quarters of a million students attend State and non-State schools each day, and schools remain very safe places for children,” Mr Dick said.
“We take a zero tolerance approach to violence with 108 students expelled from State schools in 2009-10 for physical misconduct involving an object.”
The Minister said Queensland had a detailed and transparent reporting system, publishing extensive information on Education Queensland’s website.
“In addition to the review, I will be convening a meeting of the Queensland Schools Alliance Against Violence which was established last year to deal with the issue of violence and bullying in schools,” Mr Dick said.
7 April, 2011
Broadband paper
for digital future
A discussion paper entitled Queensland’s Approach to the National Broadband Network (NBN) has been released for public comment.
The paper, produced by the Department of Public Works, invites feedback from Queenslanders about the best ways to use the NBN when it is complete.
Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Simon Finn said Queensland needed a high speed broadband network to secure the State’s economic future.
“The NBN will transform how we live and work in Queensland,” Mr Finn said, “leading to advances in health care, education and the way people do business.
“It will also help to keep people in rural, regional and remote communities connected with our major population centres.”
He said he wanted to hear how Queenslanders planned to use the NBN in their homes, businesses, schools and communities.
Mr Finn said the Queensland Government would use the ideas, suggestions and comments received to help shape a State-wide master plan for the use of the NBN.
“It’s important that the master plan we develop takes into account the expectations of all Queenslanders, and people have until 21 April to have their say.”
Mr Finn said the NBN was providing important jobs and investment throughout Queensland with the rollout worth $9 billion to the State’s economy as well as supporting 5,550 construction jobs.
He said a Digital Business Development Officer had been appointed to help local businesses prepare for the NBN roll out in Townsville, one of five NBN first release sites.
7 April, 2011
Disaster package
out of the box
A joint State and Federal Government package to aid recovery from the recent weather events is expected to assist about 10,000 Queenslanders.
The 2011 Queensland Natural Disasters Jobs and Skills Package has $83 million to distribute through four key skills and employment initiatives based on community capability, green jobs, apprentice and trainee support and priority skills development.
The package includes $4 million to appoint up to 30 Jobs and Skills Development Officers in affected industries and regions who will work closely with eligible Local Governments, organisations and industries to help coordinate skills training and provide opportunities for local residents in the rebuilding effort.
Funding of $36 million for Community Work Placements will allow up to 2,000 local residents join the Green Army and be paid a training wage while working on community infrastructure rebuilding projects.
Funding will also be directed to training and jobs projects which support Indigenous employment in disaster affected locations.
Apprentice and trainee support measures in the package include funding to place up to 750 out-of-trade apprentices in work teams to assist with the immediate recovery and rebuilding effort and help for Local Councils in affected areas to employ up to 200 new apprentices.
The package also includes an allowance payment to assist eligible apprentices replace lost or damaged tools, a payment of up to $3,000 to eligible out-of-trade apprentices who relocate to a flood or cyclone affected area to recommence their apprenticeship and a bonus of $3,350 to eligible small and medium sized employers in affected areas who take on a young person aged 19 and under as an apprentice.
7 April, 2011
Building inspectors
to nail shonksters
Building inspectors from the Building Services Authority (BSA) are out in force in Brisbane’s flood-affected Southside inspecting building sites in a crackdown on shonky operators.
Minister for the Building Industry, Simon Finn said the BSA teams were taking action to protect home owners as they rebuild their damaged properties.
“Queensland faces a massive reconstruction task after a summer of natural disasters and we need to ensure the rebuilding is being done by qualified, licensed contractors,” Mr Finn said.
“The last thing home owners need is to have work being carried out by an unlicensed contractor not covered by the statutory Home Warranty Scheme.”
He said the teams would ensure the work was being done by tradespeople who met the BSA’s standards of qualification and experience, and that compliant contracts were in place for the work.
“It’s about protecting home owners and protecting licensed contractors from unfair competition, while helping to maintain building standards,” he said.
Unlicensed contractors could be hit with infringement notices and fines of up to $2,000.
“The audits, throughout South-east Queensland, have so far detected nine alleged unlicensed contractors,” Mr Finn said.
“They’ve also uncovered 11 contractors who did not have compliant contracts with home owners, and six instances where insurance premiums had not been paid.
“But overwhelmingly, our local building contractors are doing the right thing.”
He said BSA inspection teams had already covered flood-affected areas in Brisbane, Ipswich, Pine Rivers, Caboolture and Emerald, and were moving on to Central Queensland.
7 April, 2011
Tourism campaign
comes to television
National television advertising has begun as part of the Nothing Beats Queensland tourism campaign, funded through the State and Federal Governments’ $12 million tourism recovery package.
The $5.5 million, three-month domestic marketing strategy already includes print, online, radio and public transport advertising.
Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business, Jan Jarratt said the television commercials would promote a range of competitive holiday packages in the lead up to Easter.
“These fresh, new commercials remind us all of the laid-back humour Queenslanders are famous for and, cleverly, all filming was done over the last week to show that Queensland is shining post-floods and cyclones,” Ms Jarratt said.
“Our marketing activities to date have driven very positive interstate bookings in the lead-up to Easter, which is promising for our industry.”
“By continuing this campaign we are working to extend on our initial success.”
She said advertisements would run on Channels 9 and 10 with the Today Morning Show, Footy Show, 7pm Project and Channel Seven all donating free additional promotions on their programs.
She said the series of television commercials was designed to show what Queensland looks like now to counter the perception that the Sate was still underwater, and were part of a comprehensive, multifaceted campaign which would run for three months in major Australian cities.
Tourism Queensland has provided further online promotional opportunities for Queensland tourism operators by sponsoring the advertising of discounted packages at this PS News link.
One report from PS News contributor, Christine Salins, appears in the PS News Features pages at this PS News link.
7 April, 2011
Mental health ads
to make headway
An advertising campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues in the aftermath of the State’s summer of disasters is to be run over Easter.
Premier, Anna Bligh said international research following the Victorian bushfires showed that around three months after natural disasters was often a difficult time for those affected.
“Operation Queenslander is well underway and right across the State we see a great sense of purpose as communities roll up their sleeves and get down to work,” Ms Bligh said.
“But the rebuilding of roads, schools and homes is only part of the reconstruction effort”.
“We also must rebuild lives and shattered communities right across this State.”
She said the Easter holidays would be the first chance many Queenslanders would have to pause and reflect on the experience of the natural disasters and this could be the time when the emotional damage of the events started to hit home.
“Holidays and times of celebration are also difficult as people feel they cannot celebrate as they struggle with their own internal trauma,” she said.
“Many have suffered terrible grief and trauma from what has occurred. Their lives have been totally dislocated and they may still be staying with family and friends, in-laws or living in a caravan this Easter.”
Ms Bligh said the State Government would launch the mental health advertising campaign in metropolitan and regional press and also on radio.
“We want to remind people it is normal if they feel stressed, letting them know where they can get help and asking family and friends to keep an eye on their loved ones,” she said.
“We will be directing them to available services like the 13 Health 24-hour telephone hotline.”
7 April, 2011
UQ applies itself
to new job site
A new recruitment website launched by the University of Queensland (UQ) has recorded more than 20,000 visits from 94 countries in 10 days.
According to the University, within hours of its launch applicants were applying for positions using the new web-based system.
Associate Director of HR Systems and Business Analysis at UQ, Tim Gall said he was pleased that the new system was running as planned and said offers of employment had already been made.
“Faster administration turnaround for new recruitment activities is one of the big advantages with changing from a largely paper-based system to a completely web-based system,” Mr Gall said.
“We have received positive feedback from both applicants and UQ staff regarding UQ Jobs.
“Applicants have told us in our online survey that they like the new system and found it an efficient way to apply for positions.”
He said UQ staff members who had used the system for the first time also said they found the process required to create a recruitment activity was logical, required minimal effort and took less than 10 minutes.
“The team that implemented UQ Jobs is monitoring the system and welcomes feedback or suggestions,” Mr Gall said.
“UQ Jobs support requests should be lodged with the ITS Support Desk.”
He said training materials were available as both e-Learning videos and electronic reference guides via ‘Blackboard’.
7 April, 2011
QPS Detective waltzes
off to Vienna
A member of Queensland Police Service (QPS), Detective Inspector Jon Rouse, is to represent the Service at a United Nations Commission conference in Vienna next week.
Detective Inspector Rouse has been invited from a pool of experts around the world to address the conference at three separate events during the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Twentieth Session, being held from 11 to 15 April.
The events Detective Inspector Rouse will speak at are:
* Concrete Examples of Law Enforcement Cooperation in Child Exploitation Cases where he will give the keynote presentation;
* An experts’ panel on protecting children in a digital age; and
* Working Together to Combat On-line Child Exploitation, a public-private symposium.
According to the Police Service, this is the first time since the conference was established that an Australian law enforcement officer has been invited to be a keynote speaker.
“The investigation of computer-facilitated child exploitation continues to present significant challenges for law enforcement Agencies across the globe,” Detective Inspector Rouse said.
“The topics that will be discussed clearly articulate that establishing and maintaining effective partnerships and law enforcement networks is the only way we will succeed in dismantling child sex offender networks.”
The recipient of two Commissioner’s Certificates for his leadership and investigative work, Detective Inspector Rouse has almost three decades of service to the QPS, 13 of those devoted to investigating crimes against children.
For nine years he led the operations team at the State Crime Operations Command’s Task Force Argos, and in 2001 implemented Australia’s first covert operations to target child sex offenders.
7 April, 2011
City plans on the
drawing board
Planning ‘blueprints’ for three new cities in South-east Queensland have been released.
The draft blueprints for the master-planned communities cover Yarrabilba, Ripley Valley and Greater Flagstone Urban Development Areas (UDAs).
Minister for Local Government, Paul Lucas said it was the first time a community building program of such size and scale had been undertaken in Australia.
“Today marks the start of delivering the necessary planning framework to progress development of these three key areas as model communities,” Mr Lucas said.
“Over the next three to four decades, Yarrabilba, Ripley Valley and Greater Flagstone will provide more than 130,000 homes for around 330,000 residents.”
He said the developments would deliver affordable and sustainable housing for first home buyers and key workers such as nurses, teachers and police.
“A percentage of homes in each UDA will be sold at or below the median house price for that region,” Mr Lucas said.
MP for Ipswich, Rachel Nolan said employment was a major focus of planning for the three new communities.
“There are already substantial existing and planned employment generators for the western and southern growth corridors, including Swanbank, Bremer, Ipswich Central, Logan Central, Yatala and the future enterprise precincts at Bromelton State Development Area and North Maclean,” Ms Nolan said.
“In total, these employment areas and the employment generated within the UDAs are projected to create around 280,000 jobs in their lifetime.”
MP for Ipswich West, Wayne Wendt said that so far six development applications in early release areas for 1,400 lots had been submitted for approval across the three UDAs.
“Approval has already been given for up to 132 new homes in Flagstone…and construction is expected to start mid next month,” Mr Wendt said.
7 April, 2011
Korean agreement is
good career move
Representatives of a delegation of more than 20 Vocational Education and Training teachers from South Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SkillsTech Australia.
Director of Business Development at SkillsTech, Miguel Diaz said the purpose of the MOU was to establish a mutually beneficial cooperative process with the Korean Youth Global Traineeship Program.
“It is an agreement between the Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education in South Korea and our institute,” Mr Diaz said.
He said the plan was for Year 12 students from Korean vocational and technical secondary schools, to complete English training, traineeships and internships in Queensland in a range of vocational and technical qualifications.
“This is the first time we have had such an agreement between our countries and we will commence focusing on the engineering, building and construction, and automotive trade areas,” he said.
“We are planning to start approximately 100 South Korean students in our August/September intake this year.”
He said Gyeongsangnam-do was a South Korean province of more than six million people and the agreement was aimed at building the students’ capabilities in line with the Australian Quality Training Framework.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to promote our best practice to South Korean students – and to improve the quality of the vocational education and training sector in their province,” Mr Diaz said.
He said SkillsTech also hoped eventually to offer electrical trade training.
7 April, 2011
Trains on track for
new timetable
The Ipswich and Caboolture train lines are to offer more seats and more frequent trains under new timetables
More than 150,000 weekly seats will be added from 6 June in the biggest change to South-east Queensland train timetables in almost 15 years.
The new timetable has been finalised after incorporating feedback from extensive community consultation, which saw 10 information sessions, 300,000 flyers handed out to commuters and 2,000 pieces of feedback reviewed.
The Government has spent $26 million on the upgrade.
Minister for Transport, Annastacia Palaszczuk said with patronage on Queensland Rail services growing by about five per cent in the six months to 30 December, the time was right to undertake a major re-cast of the timetables on two of the busiest train lines.
“This is an exciting and historic change made possible by the recently completed upgrade between Corinda and Darra, the expansion to the new Richlands stations and the 46 new rolling stock sets we have added to the network over the past three years,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“We’ve listened carefully to what people have been telling us and have been able to make more than 20 major changes to the draft timetable.”
She said the new timetable would deliver more capacity, a simpler format based on two stopping patterns on each line and more reliability.
“Between now and June, TransLink will be working with all bus operators to change their timetables to continue to ensure we have a fully integrated bus and train network,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
7 April, 2011
Workers busting
to Bussta Gut
Construction workers across Queensland are being targetted to take part in the Bussta Gut Health and Weight Loss Challenge.
The challenge was launched at the site of the new $600 million Supreme and District Courts complex in Brisbane and would provide tailored and personalised advice to help workers lose weight, get active and develop healthier habits.
Minister for Industrial Relations, Cameron Dick said under the eight-month challenge, workers would receive an initial assessment of their body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and also their lifestyle risk factors.
That assessment would then be used to develop a road map to a healthier life.
“As well as improving physical health, the wellbeing challenge will help workers improve their emotional outlook,” Mr Dick said.
“This might sound like touchy-feely stuff to your average builder but it is about living a longer, happier life.”
Minister for the Building Industry, Simon Finn said the Government was committed to tackling the growing obesity problem among Queensland construction workers.
“A recent lifestyle survey of 1,000 local construction workers made for pretty grim reading,” Mr Finn said.
“It revealed more than two-thirds of construction workers are overweight or obese, with over one third having blood pressure considered ‘at risk’.”
He said the survey also showed 34 per cent of Queensland construction workers were current smokers and 64 per cent are consuming alcohol at a ‘risky’ level.
Mr Finn said the Bussta Gut Challenge was an initiative of the Builders’ Labourers Federation, Building Unions Superannuation Scheme Queensland and the State Government.
7 April, 2011
National tourism plan
is big ticket item
A new national accreditation program to consolidate State and Territory tourism rating systems has been welcomed by the Minister for Tourism, Jan Jarratt.
Launched by the Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson the tourism quality brand TQUAL would be managed by Tourism Australia which would also develop and implement a marketing strategy for the national voluntary accreditation regime.
Ms Jarratt said the national TQUAL mark would help visitors choose businesses they could rely on, safe in the knowledge they had signed up to standards including customer service, environmental practices and accuracy in advertising
“Accreditation provides tourism operators with a simple and effective way to let customers know that their business has been officially recognised within the industry,” Ms Jarratt said, “and the fact that it is voluntary means businesses involved will strive to achieve and maintain this standard of excellence.”
She said funding had been provided for a dedicated accreditation manager who would guide tourism operators through the accreditation process and Vicki Jones had been appointed to the Queensland Tourism Industry Council in February to manage the uptake of accreditation throughout the State.
“Ms Jones has more than 20 years’ experience in the tourism industry in Queensland and the Northern Territory,” Ms Jarratt said, “and has been involved in a wide variety of industry-led accreditation and certification organisations.
“She will work with individual businesses and accreditation providers to accelerate the uptake of TQUAL accreditation by Queensland tourism businesses,” she said.
7 April, 2011
Artificial reefs
take the plunge
Three new artificial reefs are to be created in Moreton Bay off Bribie, North Moreton and South Stradbroke Islands in the coming months.
Minister for Environment and Resource Management, Kate Jones said the new structures would complete the Government’s promise to create six new artificial reefs in South-east Queensland.
Ms Jones said Moreton Bay was one of the most popular fishing spots in the State.
“These huge structures will create a fishing paradise for recreational fishers in Moreton Bay,” she said.
“The larger frames are designed to attract the bigger fish which are popular amongst game fishers.”
She said the location of the reefs had been chosen in consultation with local volunteers and fishing organisations to ensure the fishing spots were accessible and provided for a range of different fishing experiences.
She said the giant steel fish caves stood 11 metres high and 11 metres wide and weighed 14.4 tonnes. The concrete fish boxes were four metres cubed and weighed around 17 tonnes.
“They are made from durable materials to ensure they have as little impact on the natural environment as possible,” Ms Jones said.
She said all three artificial reefs would be completed by June, adding to the three already delivered.
Members of the public would have a chance to inspect the structures during an open day next Sunday.
7 April, 2011
Organised crime
targets organisers
Queensland Police have issued a warning to exhibition organisers that fraudsters are using stolen credit cards to target them in a new scam.
The warning was issued after the organisers of a popular large exhibition in Brisbane were contacted via email.
The sender claimed to be acting on behalf of a Government Minister in Pakistan and person inquired about booking a stall in the show, asking for the space to be reserved.
Member of the State Crime Operations Command Fraud and Corporate Crime Group, Detective Superintendent Brian Hay said the scam had the potential to net fraudsters a large amount of money.
“The person making contact will ask for the organisers to book them accommodation and car hire for a number of people and they will pay for this with stolen credit cards,” Detective Superintendent Hay said.
“After some time has passed the fraudster will cancel the booking and ask for a refund, or part refund for not only the stall but also the car hire and accommodation, and for it to be paid in cash or money transfer.”
The alarm bells rang for the organisers because the email address was a yahoo.com address, which seemed unlikely for a member of Government.
In addition the exhibition was irrelevant to the needs of the particular Pakistani Minister.
“Every day we are seeing new scams around the world and this is a prime example,” Detective Superintendent Hay said.
“While we are seeing an increase in sophisticated scams, there are still scams out there which rely on the basic principles of fraud.
“They certainly don’t need to be hi-tech to fleece you of money,” he said.
7 April, 2011
Hospital milestones reached
Major milestones have been reached with the announcement of two new Sunshine Coast hospitals.
The new private hospital at Kawana is to be run by Ramsay Health Care, the largest private hospital operator in Australia. Work starts on it in October and it will open in 2013.
The Government will also be calling for tenders for consortia to build a new $2 billion public hospital - the Sunshine Coast University Hospital - this month.
Rockhampton ED open
The new Rockhampton Hospital emergency department has begun taking patients.
The $244 million redevelopment is the single largest health service injection in Central Queensland’s history.
It will triple the size of the former emergency department.
Army Reserves thanked
The Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Senator David Feeney has met with Army Reserve soldiers and commanders involved in Operation Queensland Flood Assist.
Senator Feeney thanked the soldiers for their contribution towards the recovery and clean up.
The 11th Brigade has deployed a number of Army Reserve and Regular Army members to recent overseas and domestic operations such as the Queensland floods, Cyclone Yasi recovery efforts and Timor Leste Task Group.
Caloundra scheme out
A Proposed Development Scheme for the Caloundra South Urban Development Area has been released.
Opportunities for public submissions run for 30 business days until 20 May.
The scheme is aimed at delivering sustainable and affordable housing to the Sunshine Coast which the Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey has listed as the least affordable place in Queensland to buy a home and the eighth least affordable in the world.
Kindergarten access on track
Universal access to a quality kindergarten service for Queensland children by 2014 is proceeding on track.
According to the Minister for Education, Cameron Dick, 40 per cent of kindergarten-age children were enrolled in a kindergarten service in 2010, ahead of the Government’s target of 36 per cent for the year.
Up to 240 extra services will be established across the State by 2014.
|
|