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Ergon’s Darling Downs Crews Tops For Safety

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Darling Downs crews were dominant at Ergon Energy’s annual Field Safety Days competition in Townsville this week, taking the honours in both streams and top two positions overall.

General Manager Service Delivery Southern Paul Jordon said the results were a credit not only to the team members who attended the competition, but also their fellow crew members at their local depots who helped them qualify for the competition.

Mr Jordon said the crews competing in Townsville were the “best of the best” †chosen from the top of the rankings in Ergon Energy’s Comprehensive Safety Indicator (CSI) results.

Toowoomba team field safety day june 2014-cThe Toowoomba Communications team comprising Andrew Brown, Kyle Schmidt, Richard Kruger and Paul Harvey claimed first place in the transmission stream and overall.

The CSI results take into account safety outcomes such as injuries sustained, as well as pro-active safety measures such as on-time reporting and completion of safety visits, to measure the organisation’s safest and most professional crews.

“The Field Safety Day competition is an opportunity to reinforce our crews’ commitment to safety, while also recognising and rewarding them for their unwavering dedication to serving their local communities,” Mr Jordon said. “Regardless of the results, the greatest reward for the competing teams was that they could learn from their peers and strengthen their commitment to safety.”

ergon warwick team field safety 2014The Warwick Regional Service Delivery team of Morgan Taylor, Matt Dwan, Matt Roche and Luke Brosnan were the winners in their category and overall runners-up.

Lead judge Michael Heinemann said all teams deserved credit for being selected to represent their regions and for performing so well on the day. The crews competed in critical safety challenges designed to put their expertise to the test. Challenges included Pole Top Rescue, Switchboard Rescue, High Voltage Switching, Secondary System Isolation and CPR

“It was a very closely run race between all the teams, so well done to the boys from Toowoomba who impressed the judges in all categories and congratulations too to the team from Warwick.”

Submitted by:
Rod Rehbein
Corporate Communications Manager
Ergon Energy

Toowoomba Chamber Welcomes New CEO

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Toowoomba Chamber Welcomes New CEO
Helen Jentz with Andew Wielandt
Helen Jentz is welcomed by Chamber President, Andrew Wielandt

The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Helen Jentz who officially commenced in the position of CEO on 2 June 2014. Outgoing CEO, Greg Johnson will be spending the next four weeks introducing Helen around town and assisting her to settle in to the role.

“I am very excited to be taking up this role at a time of significant growth and opportunity for the Toowoomba region. Along with the dedicated Chamber Team, the Board and Members, I am committed to delivering services and support to Toowoomba businesses and engaging with them to ensure the Chamber is the ‘Voice’ of all businesses in the area,” Helen said.

Helen has over 15 years experience leading member-based associations and not-for-profit organisations. She is an experienced policy and advocacy specialist and has worked with the Australian Medical Students’ Association, Diabetes Australia and the Australian Industry Group.
Helen’s family has lived in Toowoomba for many years. She is familiar with the area and is looking forward to enjoying the wonderful Toowoomba lifestyle and all that the region has to offer.

The Chamber Board, Staff and Members acknowledge Greg’s dedicated efforts in guiding and positioning the Chamber during his two and a half year tenure and sincerely thank him for his vision and commitment. Please join us in welcoming Helen.

Mobile Service Centre Visit To Assist Drought-Hit Farmers

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Mobile Service Centre Visit To Assist Drought-Hit Farmers

Minister for Human Services, Senator the Hon Marise Payne said a Mobile Service Centre will be travelling to Allora, Inglewood and Millmerran next week, and Chinchilla, Wandoan, Condamine, Tara and Moonie the following week to offer farmers assistance with Interim Farm Household Allowance claims.

“My department’s two Mobile Service Centres ‘Kangaroo Paw’ and ‘Desert Pea’ have been travelling through drought affected areas in Northern NSW and Queensland since March,” Minister Payne said. “So far the Centres have visited over 100 drought affected communities and helped more than 2000 people.

“I encourage farmers in the Darling Downs who have been experiencing financial hardship to visit the Mobile Service Centre when in their vicinity and apply for the Interim Farm Household Allowance, which has a higher farm assets test threshold, so households with net farm assets of up to $2.55 million can apply for financial support.”

“It will be paid at a rate equivalent to Newstart Allowance – or Youth Allowance for those under 22 years old – and farmers will have access to other assistance such as a Health Care Card.”

farmers1 Minister Payne said staff on board the Mobile Service Centre have extensive experience in rural servicing and understand the needs of people living in rural and regional communities. “The original Mobile Service Centres were known as the “drought buses” and came into service in 2006 as a drought response measure,” Minister Payne said.

“The feedback we’ve received from drought affected communities has been very positive †people have even encouraged neighbours, friends and family to visit the Mobile Service Centre while we’re in their town.”

Staff can help farmers to complete and lodge their claim form on board, access Social Work services and refer people to other community support organisations for further assistance. “In some locations the centre will be joined by Rural Financial Counsellors, who can speak to farmers about other government drought assistance measures available.”

For more information on the Interim Farm Household Allowance, visit humanservices.gov.au/rural or call the Farmer Assistance Hotline on 132 316.  To see which drought-affected communities the Mobile Service Centre will be servicing next, visit humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/mobile-service-centres

 

Rise In Property Offences Occurring In Toowoomba area

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Rise In Property Offences Occurring In Toowoomba area
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Volunteer in Policing, Roger Brown on a letter box drop

Police are wishing to alert Toowoomba residents that we are currently experiencing break and enter offences into homes and vehicles.  Most recently there has been activity in the Newtown, Harlaxton, and Kearney Spring areas.

Police are actively patrolling these hotspots and other areas of Toowoomba investigating potential suspects, and Volunteers in Policing have been hitting the streets, letterbox dropping information on property security and prevention strategies.

For information about local crime prevention initiatives please contact your local police station and ask for the Officer in Charge or the District Crime Prevention Coordinator.
Anyone with information which could assist with this matter should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.

Crime Stoppers is a registered charity and community volunteer organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police Service.

For all non-urgent police reporting or general police inquiries contact Policelink on 131  444 or Policelink.qld.gov.au 24hrs a day.

A Major Donation For Lifeline Can Appeal

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On school parade on Tuesday the 3rd of June, Centenary Heights State High School has donated 4,000 items of non-perishable food to Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland. The food will be given to local families accessing Lifeline’s  Emergency Relief assistance this winter.

The food collected was unveiled at parade and afterwards the students assisted in loading the food on to a Lifeline truck.

Centenary State High School representatives with Suzie Washington and Lifeline CEO, Derek Tuffield
Centenary State High School representatives with Suzie Washington and Lifeline CEO, Derek Tuffield (Kevin Howarth Photo)

‘The Lifeline Can Appeal’ has been in operation for 11 years organised by the Interact Club, which is under the guidance of the Rotary Club of Toowoomba South. The whole school got behind the appeal with students, teachers, administration and ancillary staff all contributing with the motto ‘If everyone gives a little it will add up to a lot’ and ‘Success comes in CANS not cannots’.

Submitted by:
Suzie Washington
Manager Marketing and Fundraising
Lifeline Darling Downs & South West Queensland Ltd
192a Stephen Street,
Toowoomba Qld 4350

 

 

Toowoomba’s Russell Street Returning To Two Way Traffic

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Russell Street will be converted to two-way traffic between Ruthven and Victoria Streets from 15th June, 2014 as part of the Outer Circulating Road (OCR) Victoria Street extension project.

Toowoomba Regional Council Infrastructure Committee Chair Cr Carol Taylor said Cr_Carol_Taylorconverting that section of Russell Street to two-way traffic was an important step in the OCR project which would lead to improved traffic efficiency in Toowoomba’s Central Business District (CBD).

“Changes will be made to the Ruthven and Russell streets intersection to allow traffic to turn west into Russell Street,” she said. “While the Russell Street diversion is in place, motorists will be able to do a U-turn at the traffic signals at Victoria Street to head back east along Russell Street.

“Traffic from Victoria Street turning east into Russell Street will go into a single lane with barriers in place to keep vehicles in the correct lane.” Cr Taylor said Scholefield Street would be temporarily converted to a cul de sac with two-way traffic as part of the changes. There will be a turning area at the western end of Scholefield Street to allow motorists to turn around and exit left only on to Ruthven Street.”

Russell Street is on track to be re-opened to through traffic in mid-September 2014.

“The remaining one-way section of Russell Street, from Ruthven Street to Neil Street, will be converted to two-way traffic at a later stage along with Neil and Victoria streets as part of the inner city two-way circulation system,” she said.

Submitted by:
Trevor Mitchell
Strategic Projects Officer
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
Highfields Service Centre
Toowoomba Regional Council

Caitlyn In The Running For Another Walkley

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Caitlyn In The Running For Another Walkley

Caitlyn Gribbin University of Southern Queensland (USQ) alumni Caitlyn Gribbin is once again up for a prestigious journalism award. The ABC reporter has been nominated for a Young Walkley Award for the second year in a row.

Ms Gribbin took out the radio/audio category of the 2013 Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year awards for her work as a national reporter for ABC Rural radio. She has now been named as a 2014 finalist in the Radio/Audio Journalism category, the same category she won last year.

This year, Ms Gribbin has been recognised for stories titled The Kununurra Midnight Prowlers, Bushfire Residents Return Home and Graziers Turn To Desperate Measures. She is currently based in Perth as an ABC News journalist for the National Reporting Team, an investigative journalism unit that produces stories for television, radio and online.

The Walkley Awards recognise excellence in Australian journalism across print, radio, television, online and photography. Category winners go into the running for the overall Young Journalist of the Year Award. The winners will be announced in Sydney on June 25.

Submitted by:
Rhianwen Whitney
USQ, Toowoomba

 

Model Trains To Interest Young And Old At Toowoomba Exhibition

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Model Trains To Interest Young And Old At Toowoomba Exhibition

The Darling Downs Model Railway Club Inc. will be holding the 2014 Clearspan Toowoomba Model Train Exhibition for on Saturday the 31st of May and Sunday the 1st of June in the Founders Pavilion at Toowoomba Showgrounds.

The event will feature Kid’s Korner with activities for the little ones including a Colouring Competition with prizes (thanks to “Your Inspiration at Home”), Face Painting and Balloons by “Big Top Face Painting” and layouts the children can have a turn at operating.

Although this is mainly a Model Train Exhibition, other modelling crafts have not been forgotten with the  Toowoomba Scale Modellers showing their masterful model creations, an animated Meccano Display and for the first time at a Toowoomba Model Train Show “K’NexMania”, an innovative model construction system.
DDMRC-2
The ladies haven’t been forgotten either with several Craft Stalls displaying, demonstrating and selling exciting creations. Also, refreshments will be available. There’s plenty of free parking in the Showgrounds, and the Darling Downs Model Railway Club Inc. takes great pride in giving patrons value for money with reasonable admission charges, so you won’t go wrong making a family day of it.

Admission charges: Adult $12.00, Pension/Tertiary $10.00 (subject to presentation of suitable ID),  Pre-School and School age children FREE (unaccompanied children $4.00). If you go to the website ddmrc.com.au  and view the sponsors and exhibitors, you can download a $2.00 off Admission Voucher.

The Clearspan Toowoomba Model Train Exhibition runs from 9am to 5pm on Saturday 31st May and 9am to 4pm on Sunday 1st June. Enquiries to 07 4638 1408.

Submitted by:
Ted FreemanSecretary
DDMRC Inc.

 

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