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E News December 2015 Issue 19
Mailing Address: PO Box 595 Charters Towers QLD 4820 Email: [email protected] Website:
www.charterstowerschamber.com.au
People working
together for a
strong community
Chamber News As 2015 draws to a close, I'm proud of what we have accomplished
together. The Chamber has progressed in a positive direction with a
number of projects completed. The banner to remember the WWII Air Force
Troops stationed in Charters Towers has been erected and the Visitor
Information Centre has reported they already have tourists enquiring about
it. The billboards (4) will be going up early in the New Year with the support
of Charters Towers Regional Council. Chamber has facilitated community
meetings, business events, forums and workshops where we have had a
number of interesting speakers who have helped inform and educate the
community on a number of issues. The Committee has also been busy
attending meetings and lobbying Federal and State Government bodies for
funding and support for a variety of projects.
Thanks to you, we will be going into the New Year with strength, to build on
our accomplishments and to consolidate our position. Let's celebrate that
and I look forward to working with you all in 2016 to achieve even greater
things. Please remember “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is
the presence of a happy family”.
Wayne Miller
President
We are only as strong as the voices that speak.
Come and made a difference at our monthly meetings
People working in partnership to build a stronger
future
2015/ 2016
EXECUTIVE
President: Wayne Miller
Vice President: Phil Hill-Warner
Treasurer: Kellie Battle
Secretary: Dominique Everard-Shepley
Management
Committee: FERGUS TAIT
JODIE COLINS
DENIS BEAHAN
ALIASTER GORDON
KEN HUDSON
There is no meeting on Thursday 10th December The Charters Towers Christmas Fair is on that night
YOU ARE INVITED TO A
Chamber Meet & Greet
On Wednesday 9th December At Henry’s Restaurant
From 5:30 to 7:30
Hope to see you there
All Charters Towers businesses are invited Please bring a non-Chamber member with you
RSVP Tuesday 8th December for catering purpose
Yeah for the month goes to Evolution Mining for their generous
donation towards the Crowe Horwath Christmas Hamper Appeal.
Businesses are encourage to make donations of items or
vouchers to make struggling families Christmas a little happier.
Contact Sarah Bunch on 47882900 if you are able to help.
FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW
Cereal is the second largest on television today, behind automobiles.
“Yahoo” is an acronym for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.”
Sixty-four percent of consumers have made a purchase decision based
on social media
Seventy percent of small businesses are owned and operated by a
single person.
Apology to Mark Crouch from Gold City Welding for misspelling his company
name in the last newsletter.
2016 Membership renewals will be emailed out in December for payment
by 30th January. We look forward to working with you next year for a better
more prosperous future.
Regional Business
News
As the Wangan and Jagalingou people resume land-use negotiations which
were hijacked by green activists over the proposed $16 billion Carmichael
coalmine in central Queensland, Irene White says she wants jobs and
training for her mob from the Indian energy giant Adani. She spoke of her
elation after the elected native title claimants voted to support the mega
mine a year after she says the green lobby infiltrated the group and “spread
lies’’, leading to an abandonment on a deal they were about to sign with
Adani. The vote on Monday came just a week after a Federal Court judge
described as “shambolic’’ an appeal brought by one of the group’s 12
native title claimants, Adrian Burragubba, challenging the Native Title
Tribunal’s decision to grant Adani a mining licence.
Adani, which has already signed indigenous land usage agreements with
three of the four traditional owner groups that cover the mine, rail and port
project, welcomed the vote. They have a good track record of working
closely with traditional owners, and negotiating in good faith to ensure that
the benefits of its mine, rail and port projects are realised throughout the
community. They were also in discussions to conclude the fourth and final
ILUA with the Wangan and Jagalingou last year before activist’s interference
in the processes. It is believed that Adani last year offered the group almost
$1 million a year in payments and business assistance, as well as hundreds
of jobs for Aborigines over the life of the project.
Ms White said her group had been angered by “the meddling’’ of green
activists and a recent report that the Queensland government was
considering extinguishing their native title rights to pave the way for Adani.
She feared that if the government went ahead they could lose their place at
the negotiating table. The group have been embarrassed that they have
been used by the ‘Greenies’ causing people within the group to turned
against each other. The decision is about
working with Adani to create jobs, create
training so that we can build a platform for
the younger generation.
The 'knot-a-saurus' statues were
commissioned by the Newman government
for the Brisbane G20 summit last year to
showcase Queensland's rich fossil heritage.
The family of 'twisted sauropods' has been donated to the Outback
Gondwana Foundation, Eromanga Natural History Museum in Quilpie Shire
in south-west Queensland.
It took six weeks for five highly skilled Queensland artists to build the
sauropod family. Though they are a little bit abstract and a little bit out
there it is thought it will be an interesting way to alert people to the location
of the new museum. The statues will be displayed near roads in the area,
which is hoped will attract tourists to the area and the museum. They will be
a place for people to meet, be photographed with or to just hang out with.
Chamber is proudly supported & sponsored by
Chamber is committed to assisting the local business community.
The Charters Towers Regional Council Community Grants Programme proudly supports local sport,
arts and culture. Contact Council for more details.
www.charterstowers.qld.au
Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) wants
to double the number of students visiting
western regional centres such as Birdsville,
Charleville, Cunnamulla, Longreach and
Winton. The Queensland Government's
tourism body delivers a subsidy to schools undertaking outback excursions
and the funds are used to reduce the travel costs for individual students.
This has enabled a massive growth in school students visiting outback
Queensland which is helping to bridge the city country divide as well as
providing economic stimulus for the drought stricken region. In 2015, 590
students accessed the subsidy, compared with 149 in 2011.
The students go out on stations and into the bush and then back into town,
where they buy souvenirs and goods. TEQ hope by 2020 there will 1,000
students a year visiting the remote region under the scheme. There are big
opportunities to grow the market and many mutual benefits, the students
are seeing first hand country life, drought and the challenges of working on
the land, as well as helping the community.
This is a welcome economic injection for drought affected communities and
it is hoped it will start to close the gap between city and country. It is also
hoped growth in the education tourism market will also create more jobs
within the area.
The Central West Racing Association Chairman is pleased the Queensland
Government has committed $21 million to fill the funding shortfall left by
changes made to country racing. It was announced in a 100 page report
that there will be an $18 million cut to prize money, with 60 country race
meetings to be scrapped over the next 4 years, plus jockeys will have to
renegotiate their fees and benefits. The Government has committed the
funds to compensate clubs for the changes. However, there are still other
issues that will need to be addressed into the future. There is a long way to
go before the full implementations are understood; and clarification from
Racing Queensland and the Government will be needed. The Racing
Association will be trying to get the best they can for country racing, in the
meantime the funding will fill the shortfall, but there is cause for concern.
The next four years will be crucial for 60 race
meet. Unfortunately the racing industry has
been living beyond its means and it's now
time for the industry as a whole to take
ownership for its own direction.