E News December 2015 Issue 19

Mailing Address: PO Box 595 Charters Towers QLD 4820 Email: admin@charterstowerschamber.com.au 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.