Home Blog Page 16

What There Is To Know About The 2021 Toowoomba Royal Show

Newshound
-
0
What There Is To Know About The 2021 Toowoomba Royal Show

Damon Phillips, RASQ’s  Chief Executive Officer, says 12 months ago we gathered here to excitedly talk about the Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show and the impact it would have on the Toowoomba and Darling Downs Community.

Unfortunately only 3 days later, all mass gatherings were cancelled and 6 days prior to our first exhibitors arriving the 2020 Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show was cancelled for only the third time in our proud 160 year history.

What followed can only be described as demoralising, heartbreaking and down to earth soul searching. Could we as an organisation, solely reliant on events continue? Could we support our staff, volunteers and numerous community organisations that call the Toowoomba Showgrounds home?

We estimate that the cancellation of the 2020 Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show and subsequent closure of the grounds cost the society in the vicinity of $350-$400,000. It seems a long time ago. Thanks to Job Keeper we were able to retain most of our staff. We were able to keep the doors open and give 20 odd caravaners who were unable to travel a place to stay.

We were able to commence and complete numerous capital works projects and thanks to Heritage Bank we were able to refund each and every competitor and site holder their 2020 entry and site fees. Talk about putting people first. I must admit that being able to wear shorts to work and going home at 4 o’clock was enjoyable, although nothing compares with the excitement of staging great community events.

Late last year two very exciting things happened. Firstly we approached Clive Berghofer to fund a 5 year capital works program aimed at attracting new events to better secure our financial future. Clive committed $2 million of his own personal funds towards our projects. As he said, without our showgrounds as our community hub, what else as a community do we have?”

Additionally Toowoomba Regional Council committed $150,000 to the Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show for 2021. The fact is without the Toowoomba Regional Council support we would not be standing here today.

Anyway on with the show.  For our committee there are 4 main objectives. Provide a conduit for competition. Educate young people about the importance of agriculture. Entertain all our patrons and do so in the most COVID safe environment as possible.

COMPETITION       (Click HERE For Tickets)
160 years ago, pastoralists from across the region gathered to compete to find the best bull, cow, horse, pig, crops or rooster. Their aim was not to win the blue ribbon but to improve the livestock and crops of the colony. This tradition continues today.

Dairy cattle are judged early in the week.
Horses, with almost 1500 entries start arriving on Thursday for Friday, Saturday and Sunday judging.
Stud Beef cattle with over 200 entries are  judged on Friday and Saturday with Led Steers judged on Sunday.
Show dogs will be judged on Thursday, Friday and Saturday while Sheep Dog Trials, with record entries, will be judged from Friday to Sunday.
Other livestock to be judged include meat sheep, poultry and pigs and all will be on display for the 3 days.

A number of our livestock competitions were cancelled due to COVID but we will have animals on display such as alpacas, dairy and mohair goats. Unfortunately a number of competitions have been cancelled this year including Woodcraft, Inter-home and Apiculture although Handicraft, Cooking, Floriculture, Floral Art, Fine Art, Art in Bark, Photography and Leather have all attracted significant entries.

Home-grown Produce will be virtual allowing so many more individuals and schools to enter. I am looking forward to winning a blue ribbon for my marvellous crop of basil.

Of course any show is not complete without the traditional woodchop and chainsaw competitions.

EDUCATION      Click( HERE For Tickets)

Education continues to be the cornerstone of what we are aiming to achieve as an agricultural society. Educating, particularly young people, is part of our DNA. We will continue to do this across a number of platforms.

Costa returns to The Heritage Bank Royal Show and brings Dirt Girl for the first time. Paul West also returns and his passion for sustainable farming is infectious. For the first time, with the support of the Queenland Government, Heritage Bank and Stockyard Beef we will be hosting an Ag Long Lunch each day of the show.

Local school children will join farmers and industry to share a meal and learn about where their food comes from. Early this year, in partnership with the Mulberry Project we planted a corn crop on site. This will be harvested and enjoyed during the show.

In addition our very popular Animal Nursery, Working Dairy, Historical Machinery displays and Little Hands on the Farm programs will continue to engage, entertain and educate our patrons.

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT      (Click HERE For Tickets)Once in the door pay no more has been our mantra for many years and the 2021 Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show is no exception. There are over 50 things to see and do that will not cost our patrons a cent once they enter the gates.

New attractions this year include the Dinkum Dinosaurs displays and shows and Lukes Reptile Kingdom; the largest mobile reptile display in Australia. Also for the first time will be Eronis Circus with a larger tent than previous circuses and more animals, clowns and entertainers.

Spirits of the Red Sand also makes its debut at the Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show. Voted best local tourism attraction in the state via an RACQ survey, this interactive indigenous show will be staged twice daily and again in the
main arena on both Friday and Saturday nights. We are very grateful to Tourism and Events Queensland for their support in bringing this attraction to Toowoomba.

Our ever-popular fashion parades, jet pack super heroes, dock dogs, family stage and pig racing all return. When the sun goes down the main arena comes to life with monster trucks, Spirit of the Red Sand, Vintage Sprint Cars, Motorbikes, 2 fireworks shows and the most amazing laser light show Toowoomba has ever seen. I can’t wait!

STAY COVID SAFE      (Click HERE For Tickets)

Queensland Shows has developed a COVID Safe industry plan for all shows in the state. This was a significant step forward to ensure the Queensland show circuit kicked off in Stanthorpe in late January.

The plan covers everything from contact tracing to cleaning to physical distancing. Unfortunately, one thing it doesn’t cover is events attracting in excess of 10,000 patrons. Enter the Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show.

As the first show society established in Queensland in 1860, the RASQ continues to lead the show movement in the state. The Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show will be the first large show held in Queensland and as such we feel
we have a duty to get it right.

We have been working very closely with Qld Health to develop our COVID Safe plan which is currently with the Chief Medical Officer. We are confident that the decision will be made very shortly to increase our capacity above 10,000
patrons per day.

We have implemented cleaning protocols that will ensure that all amenities are cleaned every hour. There will be COVID Marshalls at all major attractions ensuring protocols are adhered to. There will be over 60 hand sanitising stations located around the grounds.

Every person entering the grounds will be scanned in and scanned out. We will know exactly who is on the grounds at any one time. No ticket. No entry.
We will monitor our pavilions and our inside areas to ensure crowd limits are not exceeded. We will have appropriate signage throughout the grounds highlighting the important COVID Safe messaging.

Students at Glenvale State School have recorded COVID Safe messages that will be publicised during the show. We are very proud of our community engagement and the way the local community has got behind us.

TICKETING      (Click HERE For Tickets)

We are encouraging everyone to pre-purchase their tickets online. Everyone entering the grounds must register. No ticket, No entry. Logistically this has been a significant cost to the Society but one that we are very committed to.

We have maintained our ticket prices. On Friday, the show holiday, and Saturday adult tickets are $20, concession $13 and children over 5 years of age $7. On Sunday we have reduced the prices to $17 for adults, $10 for concession and $5 for children.

We have also moved the show days. Our aim is to spread the crowd over 3 days.
The show holiday will now be Friday, 16th April. The show will operate between 9am and 9pm on Friday and Saturday and 9am and 4pm on Sunday.

(L to R) Jan Johnson (Heritage Bank), Damon Phillips (RASQ CEO), Mark Freeman RASQ Vice President), Andrew Fox (Heritage Bank)

This has been a challenging year for everyone. The RASQ is committed to staging an entertaining, educational, competitive and COVID Safe event for the Toowoomba and Darling Downs community. We invite you to join with us on this amazing, exciting and ground-breaking journey.

Damon Phillips,
Chief Executive Officer,
RASQ, Toowoomba Showgrounds, Glenvale Rd, Toowoomba Q 4350
P O Box 18099, Clifford Gardens, Toowoomba Q 4350
Tel: 07 4634 7400 Email: rasqadmin@rasq.com.au
Website: www.rasq.com.au

FULL PROGRAM CLICK HERE

Baillie Henderson Hospital Testing Site Reopens

Newshound
-
0
Baillie Henderson Hospital Testing Site Reopens

Darling Downs Health has re-opened the drive-in COVID-19 testing site at the Baillie Henderson Hospital in response to the evolving situation in Brisbane.

The Baillie Henderson testing site in Toowoomba will remain temporarily open 8.30am to 4pm until Thursday, 1 April 2021. Entry to the test site is via the Mort Street entrance only.

Testing helps us find as many cases in the community as quickly as possible. This will ensure we are doing everything we can to manage Queensland’s response to the pandemic.

If you have any of the following symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested.
– Fever
– Sore throat
– Runny Nose
– Diarrhoea
– Loss of smell and/or taste
– Cough
– Shortness of breath
– Fatigue
– Vomiting or nausea.

Alternative testing locations to the Charlton BP and Baillie Henderson Hospital sites can be found at www.qld.gov.au/covid19testing

We are closely monitoring the evolving situation relating to testing demand and are prepared to keep our pop-up drive-in testing sites open longer if needed. We are also prepared to open further pop-up testing sites at short notice if required.

If you are unwell with COVID-19 symptoms and planning to present to one of our hospital facilities for testing, please phone ahead to discuss your arrival with staff. In an emergency, please phone Triple Zero (000).

We ask anyone presenting for COVID-19 testing to understand that waiting times at our testing locations can vary. Please be prepared to wait and bring your Medicare card and other items you may need (for example, your mobile phone, phone charger, medications you may need to take while waiting, food and
water).

For more information about our testing sites, please visit www.health.qld.gov.au/darlingdowns or phone the Darling Downs Health COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 468.

Submitted by:
Darling Downs Health Media Team
a: Cnr Hogg and Tor Sts, Toowoomba  Qld  4350

Citizen Science” Style PhotoVoice Project

Newshound
-
0
Citizen Science” Style PhotoVoice Project

Can you take a picture worth a thousand words”?
If yes, then you are invited to participate in an exciting citizen science style PhotoVoice project.
Photovoice is a long-established method in community capacity building. As the name implies, the process uses self-generated images and captions to help participants have a ‘voice’ and articulate their interests and concerns around some problematic situation. For example, the community impacts of environmental pollution or uncontrolled climate change.”

Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 students and their home-schooled equivalents across the Toowoomba region are invited to get snap happy and find their voice in the lead up to the 2021 Youth Summit. Proudly hosted by Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc. and St Ursula’s College, the free virtual Youth Summit is being held from the 19th to the 22nd of April and will address current topical issues relating to the environment, social justice, animal welfare/conservation and heritage conservation and protection.

The PhotoVoice citizen’s science” project welcomes youth to submit a photo, short video or drawing/sketch of an issue that they find concerning, type up a short caption to match, and submit to HOPE by the 16th of April. This caption should aim to be about 30 words long and explain why the picture was taken, what it means to the student, why it is important, what issue it highlights and why it does so effectively, and what we as a community can do to improve the issue.
Youth are urged to be respectful of the people’s personal space and privacy – always ask permission first! Try not to take close-up portraits, and instead try to take images of things rather than people. Make sure to stay safe, check-in with teachers and parents, don’t go adventuring alone, and avoid hazardous situations. Some jumping off points are shown below but students are encouraged to get creative and inspired and choose whichever topic sparks their interest.

Submissions for the PhotoVoice Project are due by Friday16th April, 2021 and are to be submitted to HOPE via email, Google Drive or any other easily accessible platform. For photos and drawings, please submit a scanned A4 PhotoVoice submission and for videos, please attach a link to your email. Youth are asked to include their name, year level and school in their submission.

For more detailed information on the PhotoVoice project, email HOPE at office@hopeaustralia.org.au.

Submiited by:
Frank Ondrus
President – HOPE Inc.
Ph 4639 2135

Invitation To Tour Rose Garden

Newshound
-
0
Invitation To Tour Rose Garden

Our next tour of the Rose Garden is this Saturday 27th March, and you’re invited.  Members will be heading roses in the garden as well.

We are also holding a Market Day on Saturday, 10th April.  Anyone wishing to book a stall please ring Jenny on 0439 335 356. Tables are available for $15.00. For any queries contact Sandy Martin on 0408 753 602.Submitted by:
Sandy Martin
President
Queensland State Rose Garden

 

 

Unclaimed Super. Could Any Of It Be Yours?

Newshound
-
0
Unclaimed Super. Could Any Of It Be Yours?

Around $13.8 billion in Australians’ hard earned wages is waiting to be claimed, in the form of lost and unclaimed superannuation.

Data released by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for the financial year ending June 2020 shows that the Morrison Government’s reforms have had a big impact, reducing unclaimed super by $7 billion compared to 30 June 2019. But there is more to be done.

Workers may have lost or unclaimed super if they have:

•               Changed their name

•               Moved jobs or changed addresses

•               Forgotten to update details with their super fund in the last few years

Lost superannuation refers to inactive super fund accounts and ones that have lost contact with their fund member. By law, the fund is required to transfer certain accounts to the ATO, which then becomes ‘unclaimed super money’.

Unlike super funds, the ATO does not charge fees, and thanks to reforms passed by the Morrison Government, proactively consolidates any unclaimed super into an eligible, active super account where possible. Those reforms have seen $7 billion already sent back to workers.

There is $50 million unclaimed in Groom- money that workers may not even know they are missing.

Member for Groom Garth Hamilton said, You may have hard-earned money waiting to be claimed. By logging into MyGov, and checking for lost super with the ATO, in a few clicks you could boost your super balance.”

Thanks to actions taken by the Morrison Government, $7 billion has already been reunited with workers, but with $13.8 billion still waiting it is worth taking the time to check.”

The Government’s Protecting Your Super reforms have resulted in the ATO proactively reuniting more Australians with their lost and unclaimed super. Since November 2019 almost 3.3 million accounts worth almost $4.3 billion has been proactively reunited and paid out to their rightful owners.

Further information about lost and unclaimed superannuation is available on the ATO website at https://www.ato.gov.au/About-ATO/Research-and-statistics/In-detail/Super-statistics/Super-accounts-data/Lost-and-unclaimed-super-by-postcode/

New Members For The TRC Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee

Newshound
-
0
New Members For The TRC Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee

After establishing the ATSIAC in the last term of Council, TRC Finance and Business Strategy Committee Chair, and ATSIAC Chair, Cr Geoff McDonald said it was important the Committee continued the progress made since 2018.

We first began this Committee with the purpose of providing leadership and direction on the interests of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Cr McDonald said

We realised there was a missing link in our community and set the group up to open communication lines further.

I’ve seen a number of ways we’ve helped bridge this gap already but this is something we need to continue to progress which is why it’s exciting to have members chosen for this Committee.

With these new members we will continue to offer advice around fostering leadership and direction on Indigenous issues to Council.”

The following persons were appointed as community members on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee: Deb Anderson, Noeleen Dempsey, Amee Hetherington, Shandell Washington, Kay Blades, Caitlin Easton, Judy Hobson, Adam Wenitong, Kieren Gibbs and Roger Robinson.

The following persons were appointed as Aboriginal representatives on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee: Regina Munn (Bigamul Peoples), Averil Dillon (Barunggam Peoples), Tracy McLeod (Western Wakka Peoples) and Margaret McCarthy (Yuggera Ugarapul Peoples).

Council will have two representatives on the Committee with Cr McDonald as Chair and Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan as the Deputy Chair.

More information regarding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee can be found at www.tr.qld.gov.au/atsiac or by contacting Council on 131 872.

Submitted by:
Brendan Steinhardt
Principal Media and Strategic Relations
Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Toowoomba Regional Council

General Practices Join The Phase 1B COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

Newshound
-
0
General Practices Join The Phase 1B COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

More than 1,000 General Practices, including those in Groom, will join the COVID-19 vaccination program from next week, further strengthening the Commonwealth’s capacity, and ensuring efficient and equitable distribution of vaccines across the country.

Federal Member for Groom Garth Hamilton said services will come online from 22 March. We all know the invaluable work our local GP’s do for our community,” Mr. Hamilton said. Now we will see them play a vital role in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.”

Phase 1B of the rollout will see 1,000 GP’s across Australia delivering COVID-19 vaccines for our elderly and immunocompromised, progressively increasing in number to more than 4,000 by the end of April.”

Australians eligible for Phase 1B will be able to find a vaccination provider through the new national vaccination information and location service, at the Department of Health website.”

This will enable people to locate their nearest general practice providing General Practice Respiratory Clinic vaccinations and link through to their online booking system or phone number to make the appointment.”

Vaccines are the game-changer in our fight against the COVID-19 virus and I urge everyone in Australia to come forward and get vaccinated when they are able to. It will protect themselves, their family, and their community.”

Greg Hunt MP

In making the announcement, Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt MP, said the rollout would continue to grow in the coming weeks. This staged scale-up will align with the supply of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine, and as more vaccine becomes available more services will come online,” Minister Hunt said.

General practices will play a major role in ensuring all Australians who seek to be vaccinated have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. We are committed to making sure that every Australian that wants a vaccine will be able to be vaccinated,” Minister Hunt said.

Phase 1B includes vulnerable groups, such as older people and people with certain underlying medical conditions. No-one is better placed to support these people than our general practices.

Over 100 Aboriginal Health Services and 130 Commonwealth-operated GP-led Respiratory Clinics, who have been instrumental partners in the COVID-19 response to date will also be progressively added as additional vaccine providers.

Appointments on the service finder will increase as general practices establish their systems and vaccine supply. More appointments will become available as more clinics come on-board. People will still be able to book their vaccine appointments directly at a participating general practice – as they do now, for instance, to get a seasonal flu vaccine.

As the rollout moves into Phase two, additional general practices and selected community pharmacists will also participate in the program. No-one will miss out, whether they live in a city or country town or a very remote area.

There will be six million Australians in Phase 1B, and not all will be able to be vaccinated immediately. We recognise that every Australian will have the opportunity to be vaccinated over the coming months and we thank every Australian for their patience.

FAQ

Where do I go and how do I book in?

Go to the Department of Health website. Using the Eligibility Checker, you can find out which phase of the rollout you are in. If you are eligible, you will be able to view vaccination clinics and book an appointment online or via phone. If you are not yet eligible, you will be able to register your interest so that you can be notified when you are able to book.

If you prefer not to use the online option, you can call the National Coronavirus and COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 1800 020 080.

Will I be able to choose where I can book?

You will be able to view and select clinic locations based on the postcode you enter.

What happens if there are no clinics or appointments in my area?

A list of Commonwealth vaccination clinics, participating General Practices, and state and territory vaccination clinics will be made available as they come online.  

Do I have to use the Eligibility Checker in order to book?

The checker is a helpful tool to help you find out if you are currently eligible to book.

The checker will guide you through to a simple way to find and book vaccine appointments, or help you register to be notified if you are part of a later phase. If you prefer to book appointments directly at a participating general practice or Commonwealth state vaccination clinic, you can contact them directly to do so.

Submitted by:
Laura Cocks
Media Adviser
Office of Garth Hamilton MP
Federal Member for Groom
Ph. (07) 4632 4144
E. Garth.Hamilton.MP@aph.gov.au

 

Toowoomba Women’s March for Justice

Newshound
-
0
Toowoomba Women’s March for Justice

Toowoomba women will join thousands of people nationwide calling on the Prime Minister to act against gendered violence in Parliament and everywhere people live and work.

Event Spokesperson Louise Noble said Toowoomba’s march is one of 36 official ‘Women’s March 4 Justice’ events happening across Australia in response to continuous claims of misogyny, sexual harassment and sexual assault coming from Canberra.

More than 200 locals have registered their interest in attending to help us send the message that when it comes to ending gendered violence, changing harmful attitudes, building equality and stopping violent acts – action must start at the very top,” Ms Noble said.

In line with the apolitical, inclusive and respectful nature of this movement, we will have a diverse range

of speakers including First Nations leaders, Immigrant and Refugee community members, LGBTQI+ representatives and people with disabilities. We encourage participants of all genders and ages to attend,” she said.

Speakers include: Anna Jackson – Indigenous Activist, Janine Kelly – Yamatji (WA), DVAC Domestic Violence Action Centre, Genevieve Allpass, Lily Tombi (South Sudanese community), Emma (LGBTIQ community), Rojin Rash (Ezidi community), Alyce Nelligan (Disability Advocate).

Women’s March 4 Justice is CALLING FOR ACTION:
1. Full independent investigations into all cases of gendered violence and timely referrals to appropriate authorities. Full public accountability for findings.
2. Fully implement the 55 recommendations in the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work report of the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces 2020.
3. Lift public funding for gendered violence prevention to world’s best practice.
4. The enactment of a federal Gender Equality Act to promote gender equality. It should include a gender equity audit of Parliamentary practices.

Link to petition March4Justice (nationbuilder.com)

Toowoomba Women’s March for Justice, Monday 15th March, 12 noon, assembling @ Queen’s Park, finishing at Art Gallery Park.

Submitted by:
Louise Noble
M 0415 974 313

1...151617...217Page 16 of 217