ffi ru€*f$

Post offrFhrce people have been charged after a

I p"., office and a school classroomI were set alight and a woman assaulted

in Drmwich.A24aearoldman and a 2lyear-old.rur,', 'i''

from Dunwich, appeared in Cleveland Mag- *l-

istrates Court charged with nine offencesrelating to a fire that destroyed the DunwichPost office.

Charges included onearson, attempted arson,bodily harm,comPany,premiseswefe

AIappearedCourt

-lt5'j;,"'-:l-,

[" '';-, -

r3

Dunwich post office and

WINTER 2012

house in

STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 3

Passing the buck on ferry pricesPassengers are paying higher fares due to fuelprice rises, state government lease increases,more council fees and the growth of theStraddie ferry operator, MARIA TAN reports.

i,t LL\16p U *-tffIIF,

nllationirrv pressures irncl thc costof economic glol,th have hit bareeprices harcl or,er the past rnonth, as

public transport pror.idel TransitSvstems raisecl its ferr-r'fziles to keep

up r,ith thc bills.Tr:rnsit sYstems area nlanager, Gree

Balkin, told .\7N he "nearlv f'ell ofI hischair'" Ihen he snr,r' thc l:rtest invoicefrorl Recllancl Citr, Clouncil, firr leasecharges and landilrg l-ces at Dunr,r'ich andToondah Harbour'.

"\\'c har,e leases clou,n at Tcronclah Har-bour ancl r,e h:rve quitc n number of lcasesfor landing rishts," N,Ir Balkin explained."Like manr businesses. 'lr.e har,e cr()st pres-sllrcs - as in l,agcs, c:rpital investntent ct()sLs

ancl firel price acljusrrnenls."\{e have enterprise agreements 'r,r.ith

olrr stziff ancl thev haYc cxpechtions ofannual increases in tagcs. The federalgovernment adjusts the cliesel fuelrebatc, rl,hicl'r irnpacts ()n lls - and u,ithorLr' leases tl-rlough Recllancl Clin' (louncil

- one cif thcnr has increased b1' 18.5 per'cent,.just over last \,ear's Iease."

Tlansit Svstems has aiso been pavineextra fucl costs since thc tederal go\.ern-ment made changes to the cliesel fuclrebate onJulr'1.

"It's costing Lrs un extra 6. [c per ]itre offucl beclluse of some acljustment.s thirt harebeel made since those changes ll the led-eral governrnent-," NIr Balkin adrlcd.

Thc Transit Systen-rs area maltager tolcl.S7Nthc transporl. cotnpanr,also hacl to par.

significant expclrses to help irnprove sen.iccs at Dun'w.ich and Tciondah Harbour.

"\fe'r,e inr,ested or.er $300.{-XX) in nolsafc'ti piling zrt Dunrr.ich ancl Toonclal'rHarbour, all at our o\\,n cost,.just irr thepast six months," N{r Balkin saic1. "\\Ie'r-ealso spent cr1()se to $100,000 on u1-relacl-ing the ne\r secrti()n of otLr ou,rr c:rr palkat T<rondah Harbour so that \\.e calrincrcase the number of cals. becausetherc's l;een challenges in the past ofpeople not being able to gct lcng-terrnparking.

"That cost has somehot, got tcl beiiddresserl. "

Redland (lin' Clouricil's intelirn Clhiel'Executir.e Oflicer (CEO), Susan Rankin.has con{rrmed that the leaser and lanclingIees exist, but clisptrtes the clctails zrndam()lrnl tlr:rt Transir 5rslemr is par irrg.

"The trl,o charges purssed on b1'councilto Transil S)'stems arc the st:rte govcl'r]-rlcttt lease charge and corurcil's landing1-ee charses," the inrerim CEO tolcl S/,\i"The leasc charse is ctrlculatecl ancllcviecl by the state so\.ernmcnt. (louncilcloes not acld to this charge ancl simplr.passes the chalge onto the opertltor fi)rPil'm(]nt.

"Clouncil landing fee char3^es irle calcu-latecl at cost recro\.er\:, onlr fbr use of pul>lic f a.cilities and from 2017 / 72 ro2012/13 onlv increasecl lrr, a CPI rate of,1.5 per cent. Transit Sr.stens is culrentlr,onlr' charged for the clocking of the BisRi'c1 Cat fern,at Dunl.ich."

-\Is Rurnkin tolcl .\lIN rhat anr, wrrkTr:Lnsit Svstems hacl cai'ried out on leasedpropertv at theil o\\ll expensc, \\ras ()1lt

ridc ,,f corrrrr il'r-irrli.rlir tion.\\hen verifvins'this infornration nith the

statc govefnr]rent, lr spokcsperson frrrTr';uspolt ancl Nlain Roacls (TNIR)referled SIN eriquiries about fern priceincrelises to the ACCICI and the fcderalllovernrnent. Holr,ever, the TN{Rspokespelson clicl rnnfimi "all N,loletonBaV Islancl Fcrrv operatot's rec()yer clpcra-tiolal cosls through farcs anrl nrn thesesenices at their o\\.n colltnlcrcial lisk."

The Big l{ecl Clat and Stradlrroke Ferlicsflect are:r managct' saicl that Transit Svs-

tems kcpt the firre hikcs at "the lou,est rea-sonable increase" that thev coulcl rnanage.

"\{e \,:rnt to make sure that u,e can con-tinue in tl're ftrtule. invest in nerr- r.essclsatrcl rnaintain a rcliiible link to the Islancl.\\'c can't clo that unless uc'r'e got t.hcincome to supp()rt. thirt." he tolcl ,!1N

N{r'Balkin belier,es there r,ill bc nti fr-rr-ther farc increases "fbr at Ieast another12 months" zrucl renrindcd Islancl rcsi-clcnts th:rt tl'rc last incleasc' las in 2008.

"I clorr't think there l.ill bc auv increast-sfcrr nt least another 12 nrorrths ancl r,r'c

reriel, tlurt annuallr, l;ut ns I sar,, there'sbeen no adjustmenLs fbr ftrul rears.

"\\'e continue to bc support.irc of the[Islancl] resiclenls urnd the bnsitrcsses andtill contitme to intcst in oul business.inclucling ir larce marketing spend tcr

encorrrage people to tr:n'el to Lhc Island."

SPRING 2012 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 5

Resilience at Dunwich heart_____ _ llt[A]lutu*ffi&|fri1 he State Emergeno'Service (SES)

lffif lill be equipped to responcl t<r

ffii Island disasters liorn Dunu,ich,

$$l thanks to a ner,Disaster Resilience;:{lii Centre due to open in October.The ner,facilifl will bc equipped ro han-

dle emergencv responses, r,olunteer train-ing and cornrnunifi, education fronr theRedland CiS Council Dcpot in Dr-mwich.

Bcnjamin Holdeq group leader of thcNorth Stradbroke Island SES. told .\7N as

rvell as offerins a great resolrrce in the timeof need, the ner, fircilin, could be used totrain Island basecl SES and Clotmtn, FireAuthorin' members.

"n rrill hc uscd lcrr t|aining qnlc ctncr-genct serrice rnembers within our unit butalso used rr.ithin our region lbr region:rltraining exercises," N{r Holder said. "\{ehope that our other Island based agenciesrrtll also be able to LNe the I:rcilin-fcir train-ing, or inter-ageno' exercises."

The SES group leader believes tl'rat localresidents are the key to the success of theSES on the Islirnd.

"\{e knorr. that l,e hare a lot challengeson the Island; frorn gettir-rg mainland

An artist's impression of the new Resilience Centre to be built in Dunwich.

members on the Island, keeping Islandmembers active, ancl the threats [posed br']such a direrse landscape. \\hen somethingdoes happen r,e hur.e to be leaclr:

"Our nerv centre rill plav a huec role inthis. but our Island communir l.ill he tht-

link ir-r the chain le neecl fbr it to eosrnoothlr.."

The centle l'ill be rnanaeed bi the Rccl-land Clin'SES Unit irnd is being built rsingftrncls frorn Reclland Cin, Council ancl theNational Disaster- Resilience Fund.

rFS

SAUETSIRAIIDIE.GtIMNAIItlIIAT PARI( I NtlT MIl'IING!

SPRING 2012 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 9

:r,:,:'ti : i.l i, 'i ,:..' 'l;

H.-6-m-r

m;=,

Sedge Frog

,::i:, ,iJ..,-. :: .. :::

Goodby. Dunwich High

.," dk

he six remaining high schoolstudents enrolled at theDunwich Secondary Campuswere forced to transfer tomainland schools when the

Isl:rnd's seconclarr. school proerarl cktscclin ArLgust after 20 r'ears.

Hieh scht)ol errrolmenLs had becn indeclinc for vears, :rnc1 ntited in thc school'slour-r'ear strategic plan since 2009. Accord-ing^- to Dunrrich Surt.e Scliool's 2010-2013strategic plan, prirnan' school to Ye:u' 7cnlohnents cleclinerl 26 per ccnt since 19!17,'u,hilc \tirrs 8 to l0 enroLnenl.s rlcclined ,18

per cent or,er the salnc period."Unfortrlnatclr, ovel the vears, enlcilment

rtrrnl,crs hlne rlcclirrcd a\ [)Alcltl\;r.pirc locnsule their childlerr receivc zr less is<ilateclancl ntore dir,erse secondarv schoolingcxperience bv travelling to a mainland statcor private high scliool," the school reported.

,,\ccrrrding to tlie South East Regionall)ircctor of thc Department of Eclucation.Ti'ainius ancl Enrplorment (DETE), GlenHoppnc-r': "Discussions :rbout thc progralrand horv it could hirr,c been improi,ed har,ehren orrgoirrq rr'itlt thc ( i,ntntUllin \iil( cOctoher' 201 l .

''.\ trrrnrlrcr ol r'orrrrrrrr|lin , rr{tt)i\ittion\nnd the school's Parents ancl Citizens'Association fulll srrppor:tecl its closurc," hetolcl .\7N

The rernaining high school students halc

BY l|ilARIA IAII

The remaining highschool studentshave beentransferred toGleveland DistrictState High School

been transf'errecl to Clo,cland District StatcHigh Scl'rool ancl "trnnsitionecl throuuh per-sorralised proeranrs."

\'Ir Hoppner said a benefit of the ckisurerr,as the abilitr' lbr students to accesstransport sr.rbsidics to 1're1p coYe| the cost oftlavelling to ancl fi'orl (ller,elancl each da1,.

Travel assistance rvas llot zuailablc to zrnv

Islancl familr, as long'. as the option of attend-irij^ the Islancl hig^h school cilmpusrcn-rainecl open.

"Thc subjects and extracurricularprosl-alns able to bc oflered at Cler.elandDistrict State High School sive srudentsthe opportunih,t() receive the hiehest qual-i$, educ:rtion cxperience possible," \'IrHoppner said. "Dunrich Stirte School's Sec-ondan, Progrirm \\i:rs not ablc to proriclesorne of thcsc r':rst opportunities lbr artunber cif reasons."

Thc school's closure follols rccent plan.by the Clillarcl (]or,ernrnent to refbun thrnatirinal education s)'stcnr at zr cost of S(r.lbillion. aJter the Gonski Ro'iov found rha.school firndinq acr()ss the countn'\{as n()onh' "unrrccessarilr' compler" but also "lacl.coherence :rnd t.ranspalencti' and a "lack r,-coordinirtion" befir,een golernlnenLs.

Nlinister fcrr Scl-rool Edtrcation. Peter (,ar.rett, cr()mmentecl on this isslre at a speci:t-rninisterial council rlccting held in April.

"Thc Clonski Rer.ie'n told us that our funci-ing slstcm isn't u'orking. \{e arc seeing ;decline ir-r lcsults and our sl,sterr-i is failin:-some of our neccliest kids. .\r-rstralia cau iaflord to isnore this aclr,ice. This is:r nation-al pri,hlcrrr rrlriclr exists in crcrr \ttle iur,.cven'school s\:stenl, and it's in the intelc:r:of all Australian kids that u,e u'ork togerheron it."

G'onski Rer.iel. pancl rnember Dr IierrBoston also criticiscd gor,ernrnent schooltiurding arraneernents, rvhen he spoke trtthe Ptrblic Eclucation Dav fbrum.

"\{hat is in it for pnblic schools? An enclto thc firncling arransement.s that liirr,e tieclone hancl behind the biick of cvery stateschool in the courrtrr,..." he saicl.

Durnr.ich has had a prirn:rn scirool sirrcc1904, and a ple-school since 1976. Thcpre-sch<x>l conyertecl to a prep facilit'in2007. The Sec<inclar Canrpus rlas openerlin 1992.

10 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS SPRING 2012

e

I€.- -l

;.-it

l the Ba1' Plavers' cheekv procluct.iorrSLillhxl lritr xrllirg in the aisles. r,orr

\\Jolr't warrt ttr nriss Hou to'lhrin. YntrHtr.,slto.rttl. a t:ler,er lolrk at thc Lrattlc ofthe sexes br, plar'rvlieh t l)t'r'on

Williamson.Thc p1a1's Atrstlrlian prenriere is at. lhc[)turu,ich (lornrnturitt' IIall, Thtrrsclal nighr.,()ctolrer lSth, ancl nrns firr thrcc' nights. Itftrllou,s the lxlventures of thlee gt:ncnttionsof rvorttcrt in ther Srnith Iamilii, 2rs t.hcv at-

tcmpt to tuln their rnen into fulh' tllincclrncrnbc'r's of thc opyrosite sex. Nothing quitcgoes;rccorcline to pLur, arr(l tlre resrrlt is a hi-lalious corne<lr, rvit.h lot.s of trncrpccrtcrltrvists lrrrl trurrs.Thclc'll bc plcrttv ol local thespi:rn tlilcnt.onshorv. rvith Stlirclclic la',rrurites Estelle \Valkcr.Alison Ninncs ?1nd Fiorra Strranski as t.hc

Irtrsbanrl training elanclrnothcr, rlirtrghtcriurtl glanrl-clauglrter, anrl Jrrcly I)r:rerina irrrdKirthv liiclrrnartrt as the '\Veircl Sist.els'. u,ho

clerspelateh,\\,ant t() lrain a man but are rtolnrirlricci.Strbjc-ct to all the women's 'r'r,ifen'rvilcs' ax'the pla-v's token husban cls,.f atnes N,loore :utr I

(krl (lunnin{rton. l'hc producti()1r is clirecte<lbv Slrlli,' Nor,ak, a grucltrirtc ol IIavcsCkrrclon's Ensernble Strrclios in Si,clncr,.Tickcts lcrr Hou h Thrin Yitur Huslruad.ltrc <ttt

sale zit the l)rrnrvich Ncrsirgerrct, ancl tltt'Point Lookout Post. ()fllcc.

lll,lll( lllllll .l lo.lll. )ll('l( llllll'. l\\r\rrrr( irrlr

lr',rrrirr1l itt (lrt s;rtittg sttttsltittt :ll( il l):lll:l( (:l

lor l)r(sslll( llttll loo lttttrlr lltitrl'itlg. ll rvt

I rr r':rl I tc ot tl sloxlt', sotltt'litltcs ivt t ltll lt:tll ll rt'

,,ng,rirrr sltr':tttt ol lltottglrls lttttg t:tlorttlt lo l\ '/" "lrrr':rllr itt ltgltitr nitltotLt thc llttlsstttc. llt' ""'l i'

Wr"r,c sceir zln interesting cttllttt:rlr,,r rgk rrrtcration of People at beach yog:r i l I t I r,

l,irsl (rvo flonths; British folk tralellinu rlrrrirrli

tlrc Olympics, Lithuanians expt'tit tt, trrl'

St r ttlclie, Victorians taking ii break Iir rr r r, I r r I I r

r r r i r r i murns, groups of fal--flung friertr ls I i, r I I, r

ing t.o share mcmories and nelv expt't i.rr' 'A firr seal took up residencc at Atlt lt r li ' " I

lrrr<[ tnore caslErill:rs lost thcir foolitrl lr""'lrigtides.There was21 sanddroP-ofl ttl ,'rt' t"l\,v() metres in fi'ont of the tea tl't't stt.ttrrl'

Ir nvard Anchorage, and a litre dr,v rvl r ilt ''. r r " Ir

slrclf protected from the wind.Beach -voga particiPanls have lx' " '"'

lrirppy to sit st:ill aft.er their s('ssi"tt .rr"lobsen e the panorarna r,r'ith pleasrrn . I t t t t t t' t'

lrcings, not human cloings.

Four young women in one clltss tr';rlr"' 'lcirch w:rs Prelf)ant ancl thcir babit's <lrt, rlllre sarne month. Trlo men in anotltt't gr"rr;'lcalised they'd rnet as b()ys fishing itr :r < r" I

:ttWlnnum.And al1 belbre a glistcning

intermpted only by the {lasl-r ofrlorsal flipper. Beautiful!

s('ils( ,ll,i

Itttttt1,l,.r, | ,'

I and the old ways.

Presiclcrrt ol tliclcrrt ol the N,Iinjerrihah-N'l oo rgtrm Pi n Flklcrs-i n-(lo trncil Aunt-r" N,Iar-

galel lselin kickccl off thc cclcbrations u,itlia \\Ielcome 1rr (irttntn, ccrclnon\' 1lt tlralTc:rrit Rulla Lcurr cah siter. rvhere she anr'l

rnanv othcr clclcls spc'nt tlicil cliilcihoulrllrts,rn tlte,,kl \lr,rl \lissi,rrr.

"It's bring-in3- e\refl'onc t.ogcthc-r zrncl a 1ot

ol the okl people that hare been hcrt- lcarsae() alre coming back to thc lirncl, u,hich is'nonclelful and I'm mccting olcl fiicncls Ihaven't mel. firr vears," Auntt \{argalct tolcl.VIi "It has immense histon,, this lirncl,becatrse it's part ol'the olcl nrission," ArmtvNlirrsriret zrclclccl.

Bush tucker brings back old wayshc.firnan.|inlrrr btrsh ttrckel f'estir.allrr,,rrqlrt tlrt lrllrrrrl ( r,lllililillil\ l()-gct.hor in r cclc-blzrtion ol culttrre

'lhc l)unrvich ancl X,It'ora c()2rst \{2rs nnimporlanl. lncctilrg Placc Ior' ,\lroriginalpeople inchrcline thc NunukrLl, Ng-ugi an<l(l.ocrrprrl tribc:s, l4ro bnrteled fes()ur'ccsincluclinq btLsh ttrckcr;'r'urr3-r.rn (clugong),trrlt.le, fish ancl shclllish, belirre tlte ,\'IxrraN,Iission r'r,as establishr:cl in 1892.

"The place rrsecl to bc part ol thc oldN,Ir'ora \[issiorr uncl u,hcn \re L()ok it. over, rve

decidecl 1.o hlu,e ?ur zlqrccnra:nt r,r,ith the Recl-

Iand ( lin, (ilrncil anrl rvc chirngccl the narneto lux)tirer rulme. l'hat's lvhy ltc czrll it Tl,rraRtrllir f,etune:rh, nhi<:h mcllns. "l bcaurifirlpla<:e - I sleep hcrc" rncl th:rt is 1or anv Ab<rrig-inal pelson rvho mirv Lrc loriking lirrsonrervhere to resl. and slccp," Arurtt, N,Iar-

garc-t explained.

.]inian.firrral - t hi<:h rne:u rs brrsh tuckcr' -r,r,ns the t.hernc of thc cliN trncl festir,al goers

cnjolccl n lrtrsh tuck<'r bl'Lrcqrrc u,hileoxpcrts glvc tirlks on the rnre ancl thlcut-en<'cl slrccics still gnrrvinll sh'on{r ilt TbrnlBulla L.eurne:rh.

"lt rvas part ol the olcl nrission sitc ancl thebLrsh ttLckcr clicl grrri,\' on the lancl." r\rurhN'lnrsalct. r'ccallccl. "But apparent.lr; ovcl thcr

t'ears, it h:rcl qonc fi'orn the l:urcl ancl birclsprrrbublv torik the seeds ancl ch'oppccl thern\()1il( r\lr( r'( t lst :rrrd s,, r,ttt itrtt'rrtioil i\ t(,

set it going again rvith the plants thzrt uscdt<l er<xr, lhclt'."

.\ rnrrrr,rri:rl trcc grl:rrrtirrg (rrcr)r(,r)\.hoorlcrang thlorvinsr.ith theYtrlrr Burli Bad:rnccrs ancl kicls alt nntl u,eavinu uorkshopsr,ere also hclcl on the da1; thile pancls clis-

plar.ing t.he h,lclers' historv rvere exhibit.crl atthe Iestir,;rl.

- ilfuti.u. Tirn

26 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS SPRING 2012 SPRING 2012