Running for your life

WHEN he was meant to be outside enjoying his school’s annual athletics day, 12-year-old Jack Joseland was dealing with the media from his hospital bed.

Twenty-four hours earlier the Yaraka State School student was a passenger in a single vehicle accident on the Tonkoro Road, 160 kilometres south-west of Longreach, which left the driver of the car, 65-year-old Wendy Blumson fighting for her life.

In shock and suffering from cuts and bruises, Jack managed to crawl free from the ute and run "flat-chat" for two-kilometres to raise the alarm at ‘Noonbah’ station.

Karen and Angus Emmott from ‘Noonbah’ were stunned by the youngster’s arrival, despite knowing that Jack and Wendy were enroute to their property.

"I knew they were coming and heard the dogs barking, but I wasn’t expecting to see Jack like that," Mrs Emmott said.

"As soon as I saw him – all grey, stumbling and disorientated – I knew something wasn’t right."
Many would consider being a medic to be a huge advantage in an emergency, but being a nurse herself, Mrs Emmott can now see a few drawbacks.

"Luckily there was another adult in the house to watch over Jack, while I went to Wendy.

"In some ways it is scary being a nurse in that situation and knowing all the complications of a chest injury.
"Even with my experience, all I could do was keep her calm, assess her injuries, check her pulse and keep her warm until the emergency services arrived."

The Longreach Ambulance Service was so impressed with Jack’s fortitude and quick thinking in the face of an emergency situation that they have nominated him for a bravery award.

"If it wasn’t for Jack, Wendy would have been dead," Longreach paramedic Ian Pyper said.

Paramedic Brian Masters described first seeing Jack: "He was quite a sick little boy when we arrived; pale and in shock.

"We decided to present him with the award because it was such an outstanding effort.
"Even though he was sick, he knew he had to get help for Wendy."

Jack’s actions sparked a media frenzy on Friday afternoon with not only local media outlets vying for his comments but also metropolitan papers keen to find out more about the brave bush kid.

But Jack simply stated the he had only done what anyone else would have done.

"There were three ditches on the [dirt] road that were not that far apart," Jack recalled.

"The first one wasn’t that bad, we dodged the second one, but the third one was hard to see and we hit it.
"We went side ways over the table drain, then we were airborne and hit a tree.
"It felt like I was dreaming.
"When I woke up, I don’t remember much, I was winded pretty badly.
"Wendy opened her eyes and said, ‘Go and get help, the turnoff is not that far away’.
"She was in a fair bit of pain and stuck behind the steering wheel.
"I had never been there [‘Noonbah’] before.
"I got to the turn off, but I didn’t know how far the house was, I just kept running.
"It got a bit hot so I took my jacket off and just chucked it on the ground, I couldn’t be bothered carrying it.
"I got to the house and told them about Wendy."

The Royal Flying Doctor Service, Queensland Rural Fire Service, police and ambulance officers all responded to the accident, something which paramedic Brian Masters said is indicative of communities in Western Queensland.

"You could really see the community spirit rally around Jack and Wendy that day," Mr Masters said.

Since Jack’s mum and dad were away, his aunty Susan Glasson was by his side after the accident and was naturally very proud of the youngster and his uncompromising act of bravery.

"He reacted very sensibly considering the conditions," Mrs Glasson said.

"He was surrounded by bushland and didn’t know where he was going, but that’s just Jack, he gets on with the job that needs doing.
"He’s a good boy and we are thankful that they both got out of the accident in reasonable shape."

Based in Byron Bay, Wendy Blumson is part of the Volunteers for Isolated Education (VISE) scheme and regularly travels the remote regions of Western Queensland, helping parents to educate their children.

"Not only is Wendy a great help to people in the district, she is also a great friend and quite well-known," Mrs Glasson said.

"We wish her all the best with her recovery."

Mrs Blumson was transported to Townsville Hospital by the RFDS, and is reported to be in a stable condition.

The tribulations of the trial dog

THE success of Winton couple Jim and Rhonda O’Connell in attracting top flight competitors to the Central West’s round of the Tasman team trails could well herald the return of the event in years to come.


A member of the first ever Australian team to defeat New Zealand on their home soil and to bring home the Waylego Cup in 2005, Mr O’Connell decided to see whether he could get his
Queensland and country team-mates to come to Winton for a special four-day event.

To truly test the competitors a unique course was trialled for the first time in Australia.

"The combination of half-Australian and half-New Zealand rules has worked so well I hope it will be adopted as a standard for the future.

"Unlike here, under NZ rules you can move in the middle two sections.
"Winton really is a bit like travelling to the end of the world for handlers travelling from Victoria and New South Wales, so it was great to see 22 handlers and 91 dogs out here for the four days of competition."

Mr O’Connell started trialling in 1990, while his wife took to the sport a couple of years ago after travelling the circuit as the support crew.

"We started out just having a go at the Longreach trials," she said.

"Everyone was so helpful. You can learn a lot from watching the good handlers and that is something we have tried to nurture out here in the Encouragement class.
"While we have always had good station dogs they didn’t have the finesse needed at the top end of competition, so Jim started to buy Border Collies bred specifically for trialling.
"We had no idea it would result in travel around the country let alone travel off-shore to represent Australia."

While the common perception is that trialling is about the speed of herding temperamental sheep around the course, Mrs O’Connell was quick to dispel the myth.

"At this level it is not about how quickly you finish but how many penalties you incur.

"We have 15 minutes to complete the course and at the start you have 100 points.
"If errors are made points are then deducted from the total.
"It’s about the challenge of getting five minds all working in sync.
"You could get sheep that are completely unworkable.
"It’s you and the dog against the sheep.
"Trialling is a very friendly sport; you’re not out to beat the other competitors just your last score."

You've gotta be game to get game

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Tania HUNT Advertising Manager
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07 4658 3855 or advertising@longreachleader.com.au

BY the time the five o’clock siren sounds the end of the working week, The Longreach Leader advertising manager Tania Hunt is itching to head bush.

After being brought up in the saddle, helping out on her parents’ property 200 kilometres west of Bourke, constant requests from husband Greg to help with mustering and droving wild goats fianlly gave Tania a perfect excuse to get a motorbike.

To escape the constant pressure of newspaper deadlines, during the weekend Tania heads for the hills for a little goat mustering for Western Exporters game meat.

"I absolutely love it.

"Greg has had his motorbike for a while but I have only had mine for about six months.
"It is a great excuse to get out into the bush and do something different on the weekend.
"There is always some where new to discover and the constantly changing terrain is great although it can be a real challenge.
"The goats are very feral and at times they have been known to knock you off your bike."

When not out riding the couple are running their part-time catering business.

Rather than opting for the steak burgers and chips, Greg’s passion for camp-oven cooking takes the industrious couple all around the Central West, even rustling up some grub for Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce.

"Sometimes things can get pretty hectic, like this weekend we are packing up and heading out to the Isisford fishing competition.

"Greg has always loved camp-oven cooking and what started as a hobby with a couple of ovens has evolved.
"We now cater for upwards of 400 people but it makes you a little fussy when you are out and someone else is doing the cooking."

Finding that ever elusive spare minute to herself can be nigh on impossible; not only does Tania bring wild animals into line but also, at times, her children.

Dealing with the blessings and heartaches of raising Bernard, 6, Hugh, 8, Christian, 16, Ingrid, 19, and Alexander who died at five-and-a-half months from cot death, requires a strong character, something the busy mother-of-five uses every day at work ... and out bush.

Blueprint leaves Boulia off the map

CONFUSION surrounds last month’s release of the Blueprint for the Bush.

Hailed as a 10-year-plan to create a sustainable and prosperous rural Queensland, one of the major tasks is "to improve communication between Government and the bush" but over the past week shire councillors have been left wondering when, if at all, the money will start rolling in.

The Blueprint was heralded as a chance to provide an "outline of the billions of dollars likely to be spent on infrastructure projects in rural and regional Queensland over the next five years" leaving Boulia Chief Executive Officer, Michelle McFadyen, to figure out how the recently launched Outback Way development slipped off the Blueprint radar.

The multi-million dollar road from Winton to Alice Springs failed to gain a mention in the Indicative Roads Implementation Program although the $2.8 million for the Barcoo River bridge upgrade at Blackall, $2 million allocated for sealing sections of Aramac–Torrens Creek Road and $40 million to rehabilitate 71 kilometres of the Dawson Highway were listed.

"We have all been talking about the Outback Highway but it didn’t get a mention in the document," Mrs McFadyen said.

"I phoned last week to find out what was going on and they said they are going to put it in.
"Currently the road is only open to 4x4s or vehicles with high clearance so the new road is going to be great for the town, considering the number of extra travellers and commercial operators who will then be able to pass through."

Before announcing the Blueprint an extensive consultation process was undertaken including two ministerial regional community forums and 22 AgForce run meetings which formed the basis of the discussion paper.

A total of 2,500 submissions were received from interested stakeholders before the launch of the final document.

At a meeting in Longreach of the RAPAD board two weeks ago, Office of Rural and Regional Communities Blueprint for the Bush director Karel Duivenvoorden acknowledged there were projects which have failed to make the final publication.

"We will begin our regional tour next month to hear what’s missing from the document," Mr Duivenvoorden said.

"It’s time for some healthy cynicism.
"This is a 10-year plan and it’s just the beginning. We need to look at this document like an actual blueprint for regional centres."

When asked to answer questions on whether the Blueprint was in fact a draft document rather than a finalised action plan Mr Duivenvoorden refered The Longreach Leader to a spokesperson for the Department of Communities, Paul Hall.

Mr Hall stated that the Blueprint for the Bush was the final document, but it would be an "ever-evolving process over the 10-year tenure".

When asked whether there would be additional funding allocations to accommodate omitted or missing projects Mr Hall was unable to comment.

Rain and song for Interpretation Centre

THE Isisford Shire Council’s punt on a venturing palaeontologist from the University of Queensland paid off last weekend with the official launch of the Outer Barcoo Interpretation Centre.

The gala opening featured everything from singing students to Commonwealth dignitaries, and attracted over 650 locals and interested passers-by.

The Interpretation Centre’s main drawcard is a fossilised replica of the world’s oldest crocodile, Isisfordia Duncani, which was found in the shire by former deputy mayor Ian Duncan, as well as a life-sized model of the snappy critter.

The opening of the state-of-the-art centre was the culmination of more than six years of work by an international team of palaeontologists, headed by Doctor Steve Salisbury from the UQ’s School of Integrative Biology.

Dr Salisbury was back in Isisford over the weekend, addressing the crowd at the opening.

"I would like to thank the Shire Council for the commitment shown to me and this project," he said to the crowd. They have been exceedingly supportive and, incredibly, they trusted me when I told them that what they had discovered was going to have a great impact on the world of palaeontology."

The Outer Barcoo Interpretation Centre not only features the $20,000 Isisfordia Duncani display, but also showcases local fauna and flora, works by local artists, nature displays and old Isisford relics.

A 60-seat theatrette is also incorporated into the building to screen local history presentations, while a modern café will service the hungry bellies of locals and tourists.

The main street of Isisford was cordoned off for the opening with guests and dignitaries including Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce, Member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson, Dr Salisbury and Isisford Mayor Joe Owens.

After songs by local school children and formal speeches, the Outer Barcoo Interpretation Centre was officially declared open.

Hundreds of people passed through the new doors on Friday evening, staying on for a free barbecue and drinks in the grounds of the shire council.

The evening was made all the more eventful with an unusual but steady downpour of rain falling across the region early on Saturday morning.

The Boulia Cup 2006

ALONG with celebrating a possible world first with their nighttime camel racing, spirits dampened for only a brief time when Boulia’s tenth anniversary event suffered it’s inaugural downpour.

By Friday night the upper and lower Limestone Creek floodways were completely covered and deemed impassable due to a 0.8metre torrent which trapped over 120 avid race goers.

In true Outback style, several utes with snorkels braved the flowing river and headed back to Dajarra for vital supplies which allowed the stranded group to party on well into the night while waiting for the level to drop.

Unfazed by the impending disaster, festival organisers went on a mercy dash, saving not only two band members of headline act Steve Forde and the Flange, but more importantly 3,000 bread rolls en-route from Mt Isa and every loaf in the shire had been thawed as a steak burger back-up.

By 8am Saturday, the waters receded 0.2 metres and council chief executive officer Michelle McFadyen and shire mayor Trevor Jones made every effort to get the marooned tourists through-with a very personal welcome.

Driving council utes, the pair ferried waiting punters across the water to waiting buses and then onto the Boulia racecourse to join the festive 2,500 strong crowd.

After cancelling the barrel racing and the ute muster Mrs McFadyen said organisers were not going to let the rain stop any visitor’s enjoyment of the event, even if it meant she missed the races.

"With only a day-and-a-half to run, it was getting on in the event, some of those people had travelled a long distances to get here.

"We had to go and get them.
"There is never a dull moment in Boulia and after the problems of Friday everything went to plan.
"There was some great racing and as far as we know Boulia can now make claim to running the first ever night camel race in the world."

Despite a trying start to the weekend, the success of the tenth anniversary event has ensured many more to come.

After Saturday’s qualifying trials, home town favourite Old Reggie Boy was course favourite to take the Boulia Cup, but not before Loose Lips Lucy took out the local’s final and Kick-A-Long-Tom won the Last Chance race.

Racing out of the Sutton stable, anyone looking to place a bet on the feature event should have kept an eye on the Calcutta.

Spirited betting was seen on Black Fred, Jackie and Dolly reaching upwards of $130. But it was when the announcer called for a $200 opening bid on Reggie Boy that the punters went wild.

$500 was posted straight up by a confident punter, and the winning bid ultimately rose to $750.

Glyenda Sutton didn’t disappoint, leading the feature 1500-metre race from the outset and bringing the former Boulia pet to victory ahead of Buzz, Black Fred and Jackie.

Ms Sutton managed to set a new course record with her flying lap to end the weekend with a staggering eight wins and three places before partying on well into Sunday night.

Man with a magic swing

IF you can’t get a hold of Greg Swan on a Thursday afternoon, there is a good reason: he’s teeing off at the Longreach Golf Club course.

For 20-odd years, Mr Swan has found pleasure in what many consider to be a frustrating sport.
"Some people can’t take to golf," Mr Swan said.

"But for me if I hit a good shot, then that experience just takes me back again and again."

Mr Swan won another Longreach club championship on July 9, taking that to 18 wins in 18 years.

The club championship is the only event played without handicaps during the year, in turn making the winner the best player at the club.

"This year was a much closer competition.

"In the last round I was only leading by two shots, but I managed to get up by six shots in the end.
"In the past five or six years I have won by 14 or more shots.
"The runner up this year, Chris Loveday, is a very handy golfer, but it just wasn’t his weekend."
A Queensland golfing magazine detailed Mr Swan’s illustrious career at the Longreach Golf Club, when he was up to 16 consecutive wins.

At that time they put the call out for any golfer to match Mr Swan’s record.

"They said: ‘If anyone knows of anyone who has done any better then get in touch with us’ – they still haven’t heard anything.

"I will keep playing golf on the weekends and on Thursday afternoons.
"It’s the one sport I like to play and you play what you like."

Meteorite re-enters Winton's atmosphere

ON March 31, 2004, Winton residents were literally left shaking in their boots as a meteorite ignited on entering the earth’s atmosphere, leaving behind a black trail in the evening sky above the Outback town.

Soon after many recalled feeling like they were "under attack" when the meteorite hit the earth, somewhere in Western Queensland.

Using neighbour hearsay to pinpoint the location of this yet-to-be-identified falling object, Winton grazier David Elliott set about on a two-year journey to uncover the mysterious item.

Late last month, Mr Elliott finally stumbled across two pieces of ‘space rock’ which lit up the sky in 2004.

"It all started out with a bunch of hearsay from the locals, each adding their understanding of which way the meteorite was headed," Mr Elliott said.

"I made contact with those that had witnessed the event in 2004, finding out what direction it had come from, its angle of descent, when it started to burn and when it stopped.

"Using this information I was able to put together co-ordinates and, as you could imagine, they were all over the place.
"We managed to narrow it down to an area within five to 10 kilometres, which is quite a bit of land to look over – that’s why it has taken me so long to find the bloody thing."

Coincidently, Mr Elliott had been on a trip to the Queensland Museum in Brisbane prior to the 2004 event to check out its latest meteorite display.

"These meteorites are not the first I have found - the funny thing is that two months after I visited the Queensland Museum I found a meteorite.

"I knew exactly what I was looking for, there are certain aspects of a meteorite that separates them from just an ordinary rock.
"I always hoped I would find them, at times I wondered if I ever would.
"It was the most exciting thing in my life; you couldn’t get the smile off my face."

Queensland Museum’s geoscience senior curator Doctor Alex Cook identified the fragmented specimens as stony meteorites or ‘chondrites’.

"Both are very fresh, and have not been exposed to the weather for more than a year or two," Dr Cook said.

"They are the largest so far found from this district and will provide us with important clues in understanding the origin of the solar system and even our own planet.
"Meteorites are fragments of the solar system that have fallen to the Earth.
"When the fragment enters the atmosphere, air resistance causes its body to heat up and emit light, thus forming a meteor or shooting star.
"Sometimes remains of these shooting stars fall to earth."

The next day the meteorite fall was the talk of the town with concerned Western Queensland choking talk-back radio and lines to emergency services.

"The first I knew of it was when the governess came racing across to the house saying that the chairs in the school room were shaking," Mr Elliott said.

"Because my wife and I didn’t hear it, we just assumed it was some wind in the tanks.
"But it really frightened everyone in the district.
"Then the phones started to ring – everyone was trying to find out what it was, whether we had seen it – there was a real panic.
"Looking back I really wished I could have witnessed it – I think we are the only ones in the whole district who didn’t see or hear it, and I’m the one who ends up finding it!"

A seventeen kilogram meteorite went on display at Winton’s Waltzing Matilda Centre yesterday where it will remain until September, while tests are performed on the smaller sample.

Eventually the Winton Shire Council plans to house the find in the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History.

Isisford pilots State trial

By Liz Brooker
news@longreachleader.com.au

ONE-and-a-half metre wide and unnervingly spacecraft-like, high-tech plastic modules are soon to land on water reservoirs around the Isisford Shire.

After signing up for a $75,000 project aiming to minimise the loss of water from the Yaraka dam, the town’s shire council has been approached to pilot a test program on their main water basin at Isisford.

Within the next two months Yaraka’s water supply will be covered by a raft of hexagonal, uniquely-designed AquaArmour modules in an effort to reduce the rate of evaporation from the dam.

The 1.5 metre-wide units, made from high-density polyethylene, are lighter than water and will float on 80 per cent of the reservoir’s surface for the next 20 years.

Council chief executive officer Robert Bauer estimates the Yaraka dam’s water level drops up to three metres each year as 7.6 millimetres of water evaporates from its surface each day.

The amount of water saved, up to 16 million litres each year, is desperately needed to service the small community of 20 people.

"This is the first attempt by a Queensland council to use this kind of technology to stop the problem," Mr Bauer said.

"Isisford Shire is still suffering the effects of drought, so water evaporation is a real issue, especially as more people move to the region.
"Assuming the dam is at its capacity, this saving will extend the dam’s ability to supply water to the town from 18 months to about 27."

With extensive large scale trials yet to occur in Australia, manufacturing company Water Innovations has offered the shire a chance to become the national blueprint.

Mr Bauer has been working both with the company and the western unit of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) who wish to study the effects of the modules on wildlife, waterborne organisms and native vegetation.

"The CSIRO want to get involved and do an in-depth analysis using the Isisford dam as a pilot project.

"People have been putting covers on their pools for years but finding something that is suitable for a water supply has been hard.
"Obviously, if there is a better way we can do something to save water, we should be doing it."

The business of living a dream

TAKING a gamble, Longreach’s Anna Douglas is trading in the security of spread sheets and tax returns for a world of flowers and art to fulfil a dream.

Last Friday night friends and family mixed and mingled with curious locals at the official opening of Flowers on Swan.

After spending several years working for Longreach accounting firm O’Regan and Partners, Ms Douglas finally felt courageous enough to return to the floral industry - but this time as her own boss.

"I have worked for florists in both Brisbane and Sydney and have always loved it.

"I got the idea a year ago that I wanted to start my own business and talked myself out of it because of the risk, but finally thought I would give it a go.
"Once I had the accounting experience it made me more confident to make the move to running my own business.
"It’s not just flowers.
"I have a bit of everything: artwork, silk flowers, children’s toys and gourmet foods."

Artists Lesley Cowper from Aramac and Roma’s Sandra Roberts are just two of an already expanding gallery collection lining the freshly painted walls of the refitted shop on Swan Street as Ms Douglas looks to find her niche in a local market.

"I really felt I wanted to do something more creative. I enjoyed accounting but this is more me.
"It is a real personal challenge."

Ms Douglas has recently spent time in Toowoomba with Southerden and C and J Florists in an effort to brush up on her arranging skills and checking out the latest trends and in-demand-blooms.

"I really want people to approach me and tell me what they like. I love deep purple tulips in boxes at the moment but that may not necessarily be what others like!"

CWA face challenges of a changing social fabric

With the CWA suffering from a decline in member numbers and rumours of a local branch's closure, Anthea Gleeson asks what it is that today's rural women seek when they choose to contribute to a community group.

ON July 21, the ladies of the Longreach branch of the Country Women’s Association will come together for their annual meeting.

Visited by many for their arts and crafts at local shows and markets, for 50 years the CWA has also been known as a social and political institution of rural Australia.

For branch secretary Gwen Rogers of ‘Glendon’, next week’s gathering will be her fortieth Central Western division CWA annual meeting, an occasion she regularly uses to catch up with friends old and new.

"The original branch of the CWA in this area took in all the properties, and we used to meet in each other’s homes for meetings and handicraft.
"I was the handicraft person, then I was made vice-president and eventually became the president.
"I was a shy mum of six who learnt to speak in front of people through my duties with the CWA. "I had to take resolutions to Brisbane and speak in front of 500 women, which was quite nerve racking at the time.
"The CWA opened up a big pond, rather than living in a little one."

Mrs Roger’s story is a common one among country women who grew up on the isolated properties and towns of post-war Australia.

The CWA offered housewives a chance to network before anyone had heard of such a thing, and provided a social platform on which women could contribute to their communities in a collective, and sometimes even political, manner.

Despite being cited as Australia’s largest women’s organisation, with a membership topping 44,000 in 1,855 branches, the Longreach CWA branch is struggling to find women to fill its ranks.

"It was discussed that the branch might have to be put into recess because our president had to give her position up and there was just no one to replace her," Mrs Rogers said.

"We wrote to all the members detailing the situation and we had a pleasing turn up for the next meeting.
"Even though there are not many of us now, we want to carry on."

With advances in communication technologies – emailing, teleconferencing and video conferencing – once ‘isolated’ women no longer need to travel long distances to have their voices heard.

As women across the country become increasingly time-poor, many use their personal computers to bridge the distances of isolated communities: as a consequence interest in committees, organisations and association becomes more and more pragmatic.

With technology conquering the once tyrannic barrier of distance, people with agricultural or rural interests are now faced with the dilemma of choosing an organisation which best represents their ideals and needs – as well as fits in with busy schedules.

Rural parents are often keen to pitch in with Isolated Children’s and Parent’s Association (ICPA) to ensure that their children have the same educational opportunities as the city kids, while the ‘man-on-the-land’ may affiliate with lobby groups such as AgForce, who represent primary producers at a State level.

Similarly young rural women, keen to expand their horizons are not limited when it comes to choice.

Louisa McKerrow of Longreach had a long family history of involvement with community issues passed onto her at a young age.

Ten years ago, Ms McKerrow felt it was time she became more involved with the issues that could affect her as a ‘rural woman’ and joined Queensland Rural Women’s Network.

"The then State president was Barb Anderson, who is a fantastic woman," Ms McKerrow said.
"Plus it was such an inspiration to have someone from a Winton property as State president.

"Like many of my family members I felt I too wanted to be more active in community development."

While many rural grandmothers, mothers and daughters aspire to change the lives of their fellow women, Mrs Rogers believes that, although often underestimated, it is still the CWA that has the greatest influence and she actively encourages aspiring young women to take their place in the ranks of the venerable organisation.

With clout in local, State and federal politics, the CWA has contributed to societal infrastructure over the decades from all levels, whether providing meal kits to Australian troops or supporting university research into the impact of sexually explicit material.

"Quite often it is the CWA representative who is the only woman in a parliamentary sitting," Mrs Rogers said.

"The different branches of the CWA can approach the State council directly with resolutions and recommendations. The council then considers these before being presented before the relevant State ministers.
"We still have a voice in the community."

If you'd like to learn more about the CWA, you can go to their website at www.cwaa.org.au or if you think you may be interested in joining the Longreach CWA please contact branch president Gwen Rogers on 4658 9146.
More information on QRWN is available at www.qrwn.org.au or by emailing State president Di Gresham at pres@qrwn.org.au

Indigenous celebrations close

LONGREACH’S inaugural NAIDOC celebrations came to a close last weekend, with a special family sports day at the showgrounds.

Drawing inspiration from a book detailing the ins-and-outs of Indigenous sports, Longreach’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community took to the field for a day full of boomerang throwing and touch football, Murri-style.

Myrtle Weldon from the Longreach ATSIC office was pleased to see local children interacting with their heritage in a fun and productive way.

"The whole week went really well," Ms Weldon said.

"The kids learnt more about culture and produced some really impressive paintings at the youth club during the week.
"They did up T-shirts celebrating NAIDOC and decorated boomerangs which they then took to the showgrounds to learnt how to throw.
"It was great to see the community coming together to celebrate this week. We will be definitely doing it all again next year-it might even be bigger."

Fresh Flowers Only policy upsets

By Liz Brooker
news@longreachleader.com.au

THE proposed banning of plastic flowers by the Longreach Shire Council may force Nola Brown to stop tending the graves of dear friends, if the planned council guidelines become legislation.

After council passed their Proposed Fresh Flowers Policy at last month’s meeting, they now seek public comment on their draft guidelines which seek to "maintain the cemetery in an attractive and dignified condition".

As published in the Shire Briefs column in last Friday’s The Longreach Leader, changes will mean the removal of unapproved articles on graves to include artificial flowers, statues, trinkets, glass and ceramic vases.

Permitted items are to be reduced to a limit of one council issued vase per grave, containing only fresh flowers.

The proposal also goes onto say that "any unapproved item will be removed by Council staff during routine maintenance operations".

Last October when plans to change cemetery guidelines were first mooted Mrs Brown contacted The Longreach Leader sending a letter-to-the-editor in protest.

Judging by the sheer number of graveside visitors using plastic flowers, she will not be alone in commenting on the proposal.

A visit to the site last Thursday revealed fake blooms are not just a preference of a few devoted caretakers; they are the norm.

Of the 339 floral tributes laid in the garden cemetery at the moment, 83 per cent were artificial.
Three percent were dried and a mere five percent of posies were fresh - with the 30 bunches of dead flowers far out weighing the 16 live ones.

One of the newer gravesites was completely covered in a plastic floral tribute, spreading over a two by five foot area which includes solar night lights.

Along with flowers, some of the more unusual trinkets to be found included a The Sportsman newspaper, an ANZAC wreath and a bottle of beer.

Mrs Brown said a possible fake flower ban will see her having to think twice about making pilgrimages to the cemetery.

"I just like to have a bunch of flowers, a little something there so they know I am thinking of them, it always soothes me to do that."

"I go down there three times-a-year, but if they change the rules it is going to become much too inconvenient.
"I can understand why the council would be considering it.
"Some people do go over the top, but if they are going to make me do fresh flowers, I am going to wash my hands of it."

Mrs Brown said the fact fresh blooms would die within hours in high summer, the display of florists’ arrangements would often be wasteful.

"I hope people will take the time to write in to the council."

Until recently, Longreach Shire mayor Pat Tanks was unaware of the high numbers of people using fake flowers and is calling on the community to make their true feelings known by sending in their submissions.

"I think the main reason (for the proposed changes) stems from trying to keep the cemetery in a tidy condition.

"Nothing has been done as yet but we want to get it right.
"The gardener has had problems with a lot of the plastic flowers when he is mowing.
"But at the end of the day, if plastic flowers are what the majority of people want then we (council) will have to listen."

Submissions to the proposed changes should be in writing addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Longreach Shire Council and delivered to the Council Office or mailed to P.O. Box 472, Longreach before July 31.

NAIDOC takes its first step in Longreach

WITH just two activities left in the National Aboriginal and Islander Days of Celebration’s (NAIDOC), events co-organiser Myrtle Weldon is hailing Longreach's inaugural commemorations as a success, and has bigger and better plans for next year.

NAIDOC has its origins in the fight for Aboriginal rights that began to gather pace in the 1920s and 1930s but has only latterly taken the form of a week-long celebration.

Mrs Weldon said Longreach had been a bit slow on the uptake of NAIDOC, being celebrated in Longreach for the first time this year due to a growing desire for youngsters to learn about their indigenous roots.

Mrs Weldon hopes NAIDOC will become an important date in the calendar when all sectors of the community can come together.

"We have being trying to get the celebrations up and running here for the last few years but nobody was interested.

"I think they were too scared to do anything.
"We just want to promote and share our culture.
"It is also a chance to get more of our young people to know their heritage.

"I have three grandchildren and they want to know [about their heritage]. I used to ask my mother about it and she would never tell me.
"Hopefully Longreach’s participation in NAIDOC will get bigger and bigger now we have finally started.
"It’s a chance to finally appreciate the diversity and beauty of our culture."

On Monday Longreach’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders kicked the week off by walking the streets, symbolising an official start to NAIDOC.

The group marched through Eagle Street to Qantas Park where an opening ceremony and flag raising was conducted.

Local Ron Beezley welcomed the crowd of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous onlookers, while Mrs Weldon acknowledged the Iningai people, the traditional caretakers of the land around the Central West.

The Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait flags were then raised above the Eagle Street egg-about, before the gathering enjoyed a morning tea in the park.

On Tuesday traditional storytelling was held at the Youth Club followed by the doors of the Longreach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation (ATSIC) office being thrown open for a community meet and greet on Wednesday.

Yesterday health checks were held at the ATSIC while in the afternoon a beading class was facilitated at the youth club.

Today from 3pm at the Youth Club a celebration of Australian Indigenous Day is being held till 5pm. Tomorrow NAIDOC will conclude with a Family Sports Day at the showgrounds, from 10am to 3pm.

Blueprint for the Bush absorbs criticism

By Anthea Gleeson
news@longreachleader.com.au

HAILED as a 10-year plan to build a sustainable, liveable and prosperous rural Queensland, Blueprint for the Bush has come under the scrupulous attention of Western Queensland councillors and CEOs since its release.

Last Friday Department of Communities disability services and seniors regional director Mick Shearer and Office of Rural and Regional Communities Blueprint for the Bush director Karel Duivenvoorden walked RAPAD (Remote Area Planning And Development) board members through the plan.

The RAPAD board comes together every four months, enabling the 11 shires to discuss pertinent issues affecting their region, such as skilled migration and housing.

At this meeting it was the Blueprint for the Bush session which garnered significant discussion and feedback.

Having already thoroughly studied the document, Ilfracombe Shire Council chief executive officer Vaughn Becker revealed his scepticism.

"There are so many reports and documents stating that they will make life better for all of us - will this be just another one?" asked Mr Becker.

"I’ve had 40 years in local government - and maybe the scepticism is starting to surface - but there is nothing in that document that the people of Queensland and local councils haven’t been telling the government for years.

"There’s one project around the Surat district that has been on its shire’s books since 1927, and suddenly it’s in [the Blueprint].
"It’s been looked at a number of times since and nothing has happened, yet it makes the list now.
"I hope the government is starting to listen to the bush because it’s no good just listening if they don’t pass on the funding."

The Blueprint for the Bush is touted as a 10-year plan to help regional and remote areas maintain or increase ‘sustainability and liveability’, through funding opportunities and generalised projects.

The launch of the document was held in Charleville last month, with Premier Peter Beattie and agricultural big-wigs coming together and signing off on the project.

Now Mr Becker feels unsure of what the next chapter is in the 10-year Blueprint saga.

"This is the perplexing thing; where do we go next?

"I think it definitely requires some timeframes and more specific information as to where the budgetary allocations are coming from."

Winton Shire Mayor Bruce Collins also admitted some suspicion of the blueprint after the meeting last week.

"I think there has been a fair bit of hype surrounding this document," Mr Collins said.

"The way that it has been put together I don’t think gives the people of Western Queensland much confidence.
"For example the blueprint states that the population of the bush is not declining, but it only draws on shires which are east of the divide and on the outskirts of a regional city, Toowoomba.
"I don’t think they are looking at the real bush, or what I would consider to be the ‘bush’."

Yet these inaccuracies appeared to be anticipated by the government, as visiting department speakers and Blueprint for the Bush advocates Mr Shearer and Mr Duivenvoorden said problem areas in the officially released plan are soon to be addressed, suggesting changes in Blueprint for the Bush may be on the horizon.

"We will begin our regional tour next month to begin to hear what’s missing from the document," Mr Duivenvoorden said to the RAPAD board.

"It’s time for some healthy cynicism.
"This is a 10-year plan and it’s just the beginning. We need to look at this document like an actual blueprint for regional centres.
"You can consider this a blueprint for a building and use it as a tool for each of your shires, to build from and enhance your communities."

RAPAD general manager David Arnold said he is impressed with the Blueprint and its 80 page outline for the future.

"I’ve got an open mind towards it and I am quite content to see that a number of RAPAD submissions have been directly addressed in the document," Mr Arnold said.

"But the devil is in the detail, we’ve got $150 million worth of new money to spend in the first few years, and even Karel and Mick don’t know exactly what it is going towards as yet.

"The Blueprint for the Bush definitely has the potential to benefit rural communities and the Central West should be a major beneficiary of this project."

Weekend warriors confront anti-hooning laws

By Liz Brooker
news@longreachleader.com.au

TOUGH new State-wide anti-hooning laws came into play at the beginning of the week, leaving one local trail bike rider worried he may become a target for unwarranted ticketing.

Under the new laws police have their powers extended to include the ability to confiscate trail bikes, with repeat offenders potentially losing their chosen mode of transport permanently.

The amendments also allow the courts to impose restrictions on the times and places trail bikes can be ridden, along with the issue of 48-hour noise abatement orders.

On any given weekend up to 20 trail riders can be found on the outskirts of Longreach, practising their sport not only on the showgrounds motocross track but also around the Town Common and the Thomson River.

A local rider said that until he had been approached by The Longreach Leader he was unaware of the law changes but is now worried he will become a easy target for police.

"If I can, I get out every weekend, and I do it legally.

"I walk my bike to the edge of town - it’s a racebike and isn’t licensed for the road - then I either head down by the river or to the track.
"It is unbelievable that you can now have your bike taken away from you.
"A lot of the cops around here ride or have ridden bikes in the past, so why target us now?
"Potentially, policing could take all the fun out of it."

Police Minister Judy Spence said noisy and careless riding of trail bikes had become a common complaint in communities across Queensland and the law changes were one of the ways of stamping out the problem.

"Local parks and bushland are an important part of our natural environment and irresponsible trail bike riding can cause significant environmental damage.

"Hooning in these areas also impacts on residents living nearby who moved there to enjoy the peace and quiet.
"The police will now regularly patrol local parks, forests and known problem areas to enforce the new laws which are not about targeting responsible riders - it is about cracking down on those who annoy others or damage the environment."

What is most worrying for the local rider is what level of noise will be deemed as ‘too loud’.
Currently he has a standard, manufacturer recommended muffler on his $7,000 bike and can’t see a way of making it any quieter in the immediate future.

"My bike has the standard pipe on it; I couldn’t make it any quieter even if I was picked up.

"How can I be prosecuted for that? Who is going to say how loud is too loud anyway?
"Yes there are one or two riders who will rev their bikes up but that’s only once in a blue moon.
"It is going to be a case of hoping and praying we don’t become an easy target. I guess I am going to be spending the weekends looking over my shoulder for flashing lights."