The weekly program keeping you up to date with Toowoomba Regional Council’s facilities, activities and services.
Council Connections with Darren Burton
This week Darren talks on the Draft Regional Planning Scheme, the Carnival program guide, National Tree Day celebrations, scheduled burn offs in the Pechey area, a family history workshop, Toowoomba Art Gallery submissions, the mobile library back on the road and a reminder to dam users.
HMAS Toowoomba has successfully concluded command of a multi-national exercise with Turkish Navy vessels and French Mirage fighters, contributing to maritime security in the Bab El Mandeb Strait, in the Middle East.
Exercise Scimitar Exocet was conducted between 22 and 23 July 2011 in the vicinity of the Gulf of Aden and involved the Toowoomba, two Turkish Navy vessels and French Mirage fighter aircraft.
Commanding Officer of HMAS Toowoomba, Commander Andrew Quinn, said the exercise proved the Royal Australian Navy’s interoperability with the Turkish Navy against an airborne attack.
The exercise demonstrated the Combined Maritime Force’s resolve to maintain safe and unfettered access for shipping through a vital international strait,†Commander Quinn said.
The crew honed their skills just before kicking off the exercise by responding to a real world distress call from a vessel’s crew which thought it was under attack from pirates.†Toowoomba’s Seahawk helicopter was launched and, along with the ship, provided surveillance and escort support to the merchant traffic.
On 23 July, Toowoomba was also afforded a unique opportunity when she engaged in advanced air warfare exercises with French Mirage fighter aircraft as part of Exercise Scimitar Exocet.
The Middle East can be a very demanding and volatile environment in which to operate,†Commander Quinn said. To date, the crew of HMAS Toowoomba have risen to every challenge in a professional and committed fashion, maintaining Australia’s highly respected position as a coalition partner.â€
HMAS Toowoomba is presently deployed in support of Operation SLIPPER in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO), operating as part of the Combined Maritime Force (CMF). The CMF mission includes maritime security operations in the Gulf region, the maritime environment around the Horn of Africa, and counter piracy/terrorism operations in the Gulf of Aden.
As the 26th rotation of an RAN vessel to the MEAO, Toowoomba has been on patrol supporting the CMF mission since 2 June 2011.
from Defence Operations
Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce officially launched their new Future Leaders Professional Mentoring Program at a well-attended function at the Downs Club on Thursday night, 21st July.
Registrations are now invited from prospective mentors and mentees.
Chamber of Commerce President, Geoff McDonald says the mentoring will help the community by encouraging an environment where people motivate each other and work together to improve skills and knowledge, building stronger relationships and networks.
Mentees are able to learn from someone who has travelled the path before them.
Mentors have an opportunity to invest themselves in someone who could benefit from their experience.
Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce members have the opportunity to mentor a Future Leaders member over approximately five months. A minimum commitment of one face-to face meeting is encouraged, after which the mentoring relationship may be extended, or finalised in order to apply for the next program.
The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce Future Leaders Mentor Program will hold an ‘Ice Breaker’ function to allow a comfortable environment for mentors and mentees to meet face-to-face to get to know each other, and discuss how they will manage their relationship for the duration of the program.
Concurrently with the launch, the chamber sponsored a ‘Grubs Club’ get-together for the media.
For further information on the Chamber’s Mentoring Program phone 4637 9276 or email: info@toowoombachamber.com.au
The Toowoomba Hospice is eight this month and the Management Committee, staff and volunteers have been in party mode for the whole month of July!
Toowoomba Hospice Chairman Graham Barron OAM said the Hospice is celebrating a milestone in providing Palliative Care Services to the Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs Communities. We are excited to be able to celebrate our 8th birthday, and we want to thank the Community as a whole from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us in providing Palliative and Respite care for those with a terminal illness.â€
Director of Nursing Mrs. Alicia Trimingham-Turl said It is fantastic to think that we have been operational for the past 8 years and cared for 675 clients and their families in this time. Without Sr Frances’ vision we might not have had the opportunity to provide such a service.â€
Mr. Barron said “We celebrated this special occasion with a lovely service and afternoon tea Saturday, 9th July. It was a lovely afternoon, one of our Pastoral Care Volunteers Nicole Rangiira conducted the service and her husband Brett played the guitar to some songs and we finished off with an afternoon tea.â€
During my day-to-day activities I continually receive many accolades for the Toowoomba Hospice which I’m very proud to accept on behalf of everyone involved with this valuable facility†said Mr Barron. “I want to acknowledge the Management, staff and volunteers who diligently carry out their duties to ensure that the Toowoomba Hospice delivers a very professional and much appreciated service.”
Anyone who wishes to support Toowoomba Hospice’s 8th Birthday by making a donation can send them to the Hospice, PO Box 6463, Toowoomba West, Qld 4350.
The Regional Achievement & Community Awards are calling for nominations in the following categories:
The Salvation Army Employment Plus Business and Employment Award
The Flight Centre Events and Tourism Award
The Peabody Environment and Landcare Award
The Clark Rubber Regional Service Award
The Prime Super Community of the Year Award
The Clark Rubber Regional Service Award is one of five Award categories through this year’s Queensland Regional Achievement & Community Awards. The Regional Service Award is looking to acknowledge individuals who are passionate in dedicating their lives for the needs of others. Whether they mentor the unemployed, run camps for underprivileged teenagers or simply spend their time offering friendship, hope and inspiration to the disadvantaged and those who need it most in their community.
WIN Television and the Commonwealth Bank are proud to be offering a share in $10,000 or TV Advertising. The Queensland Regional Achievement and Community Awards are proudly supported by Sirromet Wines and Queensland Country Life.
For more information on how you can nominate or to pick up nomination forms please contact the local awards office on 1300 735 445 or visit the website at www.awardsaustralia.com. Nominations Close – Friday 19th August 2011.
‘Volunteering for all the right reasons…
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers Young Ambassador Entrant Skye Michels is running a Crushed Car Competition and is seeking volunteers to help man a stall at Toowoomba Plaza for few hours each day begining 16th July to 30th July.
Ms Michels said We will be running a guess the make/model of the crushed car for a ‘Gold Coin’ donation with entry forms being placed in a barrel, and the first 3 correct entries will win a prize!
I’m in need of 4 – 6 volunteers per day for a few hours to help me raise $4,000.00 for RACQ Care Flight.â€
Anyone who is interested can call Skye on 0467 906 992
Seventeen members of the Green Army put down their work tools last week and instead picked up graduation certificates, acknowledging their roles with Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) over the past five months.
In an official ceremony, held in Toowoomba’s Laurel Bank Park, Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine and TRC Mayor Peter Taylor praised the program that is seen as a pivotal support for helping unemployed individuals get back into the workforce.
The Green Army concept is a genuine win/win for council and the participants,†Cr Taylor said. As an organisation, we have more people on the ground attending to the maintenance and beautification of our region. On the other side of the coin, these participants gain valuable experience and skills during the program, which they can use to secure full-time employment.
These participants have taken an active role in the control and eradication of weeds, assisted planting programs and general maintenance work including the use of mowers and whipper snippers,†Cr Taylor said. Their efforts make a big difference, in particular helping with the enormous workloads undertaken by all our crews as a result of the January floods.â€
Environmental and Community Services portfolio leader Cr Bill Cahill said two separate groups had been involved in TRC work following the devastation of the floods. He said the disaster had brought a desperate need for coordinated clean-up efforts and a team of participants worked specifically on a number of flood-related projects including debris removal, infrastructure repairs, reconstructing tracks, reinstating garden beds and pothole repair.
They worked in areas that included Highfields Falls, Peacehaven Park, Hartman’s Walk Crows Nest, Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery, Jubilee Park, East, West and Gowrie creeks as well as the Waterbird Habitat,†Cr Cahill said.
He said participants were rotated through council’s Construction and Maintenance crews to gain extra skills and hands-on practical experience. Both crews were also given the opportunity to obtain chainsaw tickets.â€
The Green Army program has given these participants a valuable addition to their resumes and no doubt has strengthened employment opportunities for many of them,†Cr Cahill said.
Submitted by:
Darren Burton
darren.burton@toowoombaRC.qld.gov.au
