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Region’s Cyclists Competing in USQ Ride the Range Sunday May 15

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The Toowoomba Range is the domain of cyclists today, Sunday 15 May for the inaugural USQ Ride the Range event.

Approximately 250 riders are tackling the course which started in Toowoomba at Picnic Point, progresses along to Flagstone Creek road, through the Lockyer Valley and Gatton districts before the cyclists return to Picnic Point via the Toowoomba Range.

Professor Bill Lovegrove, Vice-Chancellor and President of USQ is proud to support the event and wishes the 25 strong USQ team well in the event. The event supports the Prostate Cancer Association of Australia and has been organised through the Rotary Club of Toowoomba,” Professor Lovegrove said. Many of the event organisers are members of USQ Corporate Club and we all hope the Challenge will grow into a major tourism event over the years to come.”

The riders have two ride options, a 60km option where they ride to Helidon, or a 100km ride to Gatton and back. Additional details are available at www.ridetherange.org.au

submitted by
Sam Tickell,
USQ Media

Anzac Battles feature at 2011 Emu Gully Air & Land Spectacular

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The explosive fuses are set and war trenches have been filled with mud! These dramatic backdrops are in place at Emu Gully, Helidon Spa (in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley), for the large scale re-enactment of Anzac battles to take place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May.

In its third year, the Emu Gully Air & Land Spectacular will deliver Australia’s largest re-creation of Anzac war scenes, unrivalled in its display of battle action both on the land and in the skies overhead. The re-enactments will take Anzac stories out of the history books and bring them to life in an outdoor theatre on a spectacular scale. While ground troops fight from trenches and rumbling tanks, war birds will be flying overhead dropping special effects explosions on enemy targets. Amidst the action spectators will see Australia’s largest collection of operating military vehicles rumbling to life and again off to war!

Amongst the iconic Anzac scenes will be, the Boer War’s Siege of Elands River, displaying what is said to have been the start of the Digger Legend”. This battle will be brought to life with mounted troops and spectacular pyrotechnics. The famous Gallipoli battle will be recreated with Simpson and his donkey bravely transporting wounded men through enemy fire. Trenches filled with a ‘porridge’ of mud will provide a very realistic backdrop for the men who will re-enact the dreadful trench warfare of the Western Front.

Re-enactments of WW2 will feature a German replica Focke Wulf 190 aircraft swooping to attack an allied fuel dump with explosive results, before it engages in an aerial duel with a ‘Spitfire’. Many of Australia’s most iconic Anzac battles will be seen, including the Pacific and Vietnam Wars.

The ground troops in the battle scenes are military re-enactor enthusiasts and they get a real kick out of performing in the trenches as military aircraft drop bombs and dog-fight overhead,” said Barry Rodgers, Event Director. We have a record number of groups taking part this year, with new arrivals including the Italian troops from Regio Esercito History Group, the Queensland Permanent Artillery and vehicles from the Military Jeep Club of Qld.”

The sweet tunes of the Andrew Sisters Tribute Band will set a World War II backdrop to be enjoyed by troops and spectators alike. The whole event site will be abuzz with military bands, military models in action and authentic encampments that show how the military lived when stationed abroad.

The event offers an experience for those who like big boy’s toys” or Anzac history, but just as much parents should seize the opportunity to deepen their children’s appreciation for our Anzac heritage. This ‘out of the classroom’ education will be a thrill for the entire family, with interactive experiences to include the Vietnam tunnel, joy rides in military vehicles, self-drive laser equipped patrol boats, pedal jeeps and opportunities to get up close with the ‘Animals that Went to War’.

This year will absolutely be our biggest and best yet, and we are expecting more than 5,000 spectators to attend over the weekend to enjoy the show,” said Mr Rodgers. The funding we received this year from the Queensland Government under the Events Queensland Regional Development Program has enabled us to broaden our marketing campaign.”

The full program can be experienced on both Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May 2011, at Emu Gully Adventure Education Centre at Helidon Spa just off the Warrego Highway, 17kms east of Toowoomba. Tickets available at the gate ($20 adult, $10 child, $50 family, $15 students and concession).

For more information visit www.airandlandshow.com.au or phone 07 4697 7865.

New Website Ups Ante for Highfields High School

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A HIGHFIELDS High School has come a virtual step closer with the April 29 launch of the www.highfieldshighschool.com.au website.

The website is a non-political focal point for the community and families who would like their children to attend a Highfields State High School. It provides the reports which have been compiled supporting the need for the school, information on the criteria to establish a high school, milestones so far, family snapshots of those affected by the lack of a high school in Highfields.

Website founder and long-term advocate for the school, Bronwyn Cairns, says the website gets information into the community about the need for the high school to be built and provides an avenue for people to become involved in the campaign. The site has a link to an e-petition which closes on August 1, and also to a Facebook page which allows people to register their support of the cause,” Mrs Cairns said. I am often asked what people can do to help achieve the high school and this provides everyone with a way to show their support.”

Pressure from the community for a state high school in Highfields contributed to the state government purchase in March last year of land on O’Brien Road as the site for a future high school.

Various discussions with both politicians and state government staff have revealed that they don’t believe Highfields has the numbers yet to justify the school being built. We need to demonstrate to the state government just how big the demand is and how many families desperately need access to a state high school in Highfields,” she said.

Submitted by:
Bronwyn Cairns
Phone 4698  7786

District High School statistics
The 2006 census showed 922 high school students residing in the main catchment area or Highfields State High School, and a further 211 in the additional catchment area (Crows Nest for grades 11 & 12). The population growth of the area as stated by the Office of Economic & Statistical Research per annum from 2001-2009 was 5.9%.  This equates to 1,120 high school students in the main catchment area in 2010.

At the Day 8” 2010 School Census, the enrolments of the Primary Schools in the catchment area were:
Highfields State School – 806
Geham State School – 122
Meringandan State School – 157
Goombungee State School – 123
Mary Mackillop Catholic School – 405
This was a total of 1,613 primary school students enrolled in the Main Catchment area.

With students currently attending a variety of schools in Toowoomba, projections show Mt Lofty numbers would not drop significantly. An Enrolment Management Plan for the Mt Lofty campus is currently in place due enrolment numbers becoming unsustainably high. This has already forced numbers down and has severely restricted choice for a large number of students.

Highfields State High School would allow the removal of this Enrolment Management Plan and allow students in Toowoomba greater freedom of choice.

On average in Queensland, 77% of students attending state primary schools attend a state secondary school. Data collected over a number of years from Highfields State School shows a much lower attendance at state secondary schools – as low as 39% in some years.

This is not indicative of numbers that would attend a state high school in Highfields, but rather of the large number of choices available when having to attend school in Toowoomba. It also reflects a concerted effort by Toowoomba State High School, Mt Lofty campus to reduce its student population through its enrolment management plan.

Mother-of-Six Honoured at USQ’s First Law Graduation

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Mother-of-Six Honoured at USQ’s First Law Graduation

When Toowoomba teacher Mary Ann Armstrong returned to university to study law, she was determined to find out if two things were true. I was once told that nice people don’t make good lawyers. I was also told that I would not be capable to complete a law degree in three years because I had six children.”

Through sheer determination and a positive attitude, Mary Ann proved both statements false when she stepped proudly onto the stage last weekend as one of USQ’s first Law graduands. My law degree belongs to many more people than just myself,’ she said. ‘It was a choice to study law; however, it was a gift to study law at USQ.”

Mary Ann said her decision to become a solicitor stemmed from a desire for a new start and change in career. I had just completed my Master of Training and Development through USQ, having been a teacher in Toowoomba since 1997,’ she said. ‘Although I loved being an educator, I was looking for a new beginning. When I was told that USQ was starting up a Law School in 2008, I jumped at the chance to study law.”

USQ Law graduate Mary Ann Armstrong is congratulated by Law School Head, Professor Mike Robertson.

Mary Ann’s youngest child was a small baby when she attended her first lecture in March 2008. Her confidence received a boost when she achieved seven high distinctions and one distinction in her first year of study.

That first year I dedicated myself to that degree, only working part-time, although it soon became clear that I needed to find a position within a law firm so that I could balance the theoretical knowledge with practical application. I needed to work and study full-time to achieve my goals.”

Last year Mary Ann began working at GR Brown Solicitor in Sandgate, Brisbane.

I started out as the receptionist, and remember not even being able to understand some of the language used around the office,’ she said. ‘But with the support of Mr Brown, a sole, general practitioner with more than 40 years experience, I learnt quickly and woke up every morning looking forward to a new challenge. For two years he guided me, never raising his voice or being negative. He introduced me to the courts, allowed me to brief Counsel and attend court whenever possible. He also gave me time off for my exams. I was determined not to let him or my university lecturers down, let alone my family and myself.”

Mary Ann studied three semesters a year, and by January this year was eligible to graduate with a juris doctor qualification. During her last semester, Mary Ann enrolled as a full-time student in the Legal Practical Training course at the College of Law and recently received her Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, as well as her admission at the Supreme Court of Queensland. She is now a qualified solicitor in Queensland.

The USQ School of Law was established in 2008 and currently has more than 600 full-time, part-time, on-campus and distance education students.

Submitted by Madeleine Tiller, USQ Media

 

Australian Herons Achieve Record Flying Hours

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The fourth rotation (ROT 4) of Australia’s Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Detachment in Kandahar, Afghanistan, has set a unit record for monthly flying hours. Commanding Officer Heron RPA Detachment – ROT 4 Wing Commander Greg Wells said his personnel had achieved 475 hours during April.

“This exceeds the efforts of previous Heron rotations and means we have reached a point where we are able to achieve a significant amount of time on station providing an all-important ‘eye in the sky’ for our troops,” Wing Commander Wells said.

An Australian Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) is pushed back into a hangar after completing a successful mission.

One of the advantages of Heron is it can stay airborne for a very long time. We deliver enhanced situational awareness to our soldiers, which is vital in helping them achieve their mission on the ground. The success of Heron is a combination of both smart technology and people. A typical Heron mission involves a lot of work from a very small team of specialists, ranging from engineers to intelligence officers, imagery analysts and pilots.”

The Heron team comprises 28 Australian Defence Force personnel drawn from the Air Force, Navy and Army, and New Zealand Defence Force personnel operating from Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.  The tri-service unit has logged more than 4,600 total flight hours since beginning operations in January last year.

Dubbed ‘Bluey’ by the Australians, the Heron can fly for up to 24 hours and is a key asset in the conduct of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in the Afghanistan theatre of operations. It helps to protect Australian and Coalition forces, as well as Afghan civilians, from insurgent activity, including the laying of improvised explosive devices.

Squadron Leader Shawn Jenkins flys an Australian Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) mission from the Ground Control Section - Pilot Bay at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

Information collected by the Heron is analysed and processed in real time. This means the commander has the benefit of having eyes on a target to build a more accurate picture of the battlespace.  Herons are operated from a ground base, controlled by trained pilots and can withstand a range of weather conditions.

Every suspicious activity we investigate and every improvised explosive device activity we identify is potentially a life saved,” Wing Commander Wells said.

We are very proud of the record-breaking milestone the team has achieved this month, and we will continue to push our performance to exceed this in the future.”

Heron ROT 4 currently operates three airframes forming part of a larger International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) RPA capability in Afghanistan. The Australian Heron RPAs are unarmed.

Defence Media Operations

Toowoomba Region Residents Urged to “See The Signs”

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Doctors’ concerns for the mental health of Queenslanders following a devastating summer of natural disasters have prompted AMA Queensland to launch a new state-wide campaign urging friends and family to look out for each other.

The ‘See the Signs’ campaign has been officially launched by AMA Queensland President Dr Gino Pecoraro.

The aim of this initiative is to help Queenslanders including Toowoomba residents tell if someone isn’t coping by providing a practical checklist of common symptoms. We also want to make sure people know their GP is there to help,” Dr Pecoraro said.

An additional survey of AMA Queensland members found almost 60% of doctors had seen or expected to see a spike in mental health cases. More than half (52%) thought the affects of the recent natural disasters would continue having an impact on the mental health of Queenslanders for at least the next 12 months.

In the immediate aftermath of a flood or cyclone it’s common for people to show emotional numbing and even to appear as if in a daze but if this continues for more than five days it may be a sign they need extra support.

The sevens Signs identified by AMA Queensland to help indicate whether a person is having difficulty are:
1. Complaints of continued poor sleep with ongoing nightmares.
2. Observations a person is easily overwhelmed, tearful or fragile.
3. The use of drugs or alcohol to suppress intense emotions or to try and achieve sleep.
4. A pattern of withdrawing from family and friends and not engaging in day to day discussions that generally allow people to slowly debrief.
5. Problems performing at work such as struggling to concentrate on the job at hand.
6. Startling easily and declining invitations for social engagements and other usually pleasurable activities.
7. Increased or unreasonable irritability with family, workmates or friends.

Far North Queensland General Practitioner and AMA Queensland Councillor Dr Sharmila Biswas said if a person was still demonstrating these behaviours this long after the floods and Cyclone Yasi it was time to seek help.

Generally these signs can be easily observed and may be useful starting point when talking to someone you care about,” Dr Biswas said. Referencing changes in a person’s behaviour is often less threatening than directly challenging changes in their personality. For example, statements like ‘I don’t think you’re coping’ are less helpful than ‘I’ve noticed you’ve had some trouble managing lately’.”

Single parents and children between eight and 15 years of age are considered most at risk of a mental illness following a natural disaster. Elderly people are also at risk, especially in situations where family members or carers have been affected. Girls, women, small business owners and ethnic minorities are at greater risk of developing post a traumatic stress disorder as are rescue workers, volunteers and those with a direct exposure to trauma.

Queenslanders in need of advice or support should consult their local GP. To locate your closest AMA GP, download the free AMA Find a Doctor App. Alternatively the service can be found online at www.amafindadoctor.com.au

Easter Vintage Festival at Highfields Pioneer Village

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Resident swaggie Mick Bradford chats with the crowds during the Grand Parade
Doug Ashford driving a Farmall Tractor
Young Stars & idols singers perform for the huge crowd at the Pioneer Villag on the Saturday - l to r Cozzett Henderson, Jess Kutner, Tace Doherty, Eden O'Rourke, Brittany Dunham
Tractors taking part in the Grand Parade
l to r Graham Anderson, Chris Ryan, David Benington and Paul Ryan from the Warwick Veteran & Vintage Vehicle Club of Queensland enjoy a day out at the Highfields Pioneer Village Easter Vintage Festival.

Lots of stalls were available to keep visitors entertained. Marissa Dixon of Soul Vibrations shows visitors her crystals including this honey calcite. She also displayed essential oils, affirmation banners, oracle card, jewellery, candles etc.

Highfields Pioneer Village is at 73 Wirraglen Road, Highfields. Ph 4696 6309

photos by Jenny Gersekowski

Flash Flood Disrupts Easterfest in Toowoomba

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Heavy thunderstorm rain interrupted last night’s (April 23rd) main performance at Australia’s Biggest Christian music festival, Easterfest, taking place in Toowoomba. Switchfoot continued playing as  people were being evacuated from the Queen’s Park venue with a drenched lead singer, Jon Foreman climbing up the large screen support structure.

Water was up to the knees of many in the audience as security personnel progressively moved people out of one of the main marquee structures because the roof was sinking with the weight of the  rain. The tent partially collapsed, but there were no injuries and everyone has been accounted for.

The Toowoomba Chronicle is reporting a woman as saying  “People were panicking because they had seen the news reports from Toowoomba in January”. Children could be heard screaming as their parents grabbed them and moved to higher ground.

East Creek which was the scene of major flooding and 2 fatalities earlier in the year, runs alongside the main exit from the venue.

The camping area (which was completely booked out this year) was evacuated as a precautionary measure, with evacuation centres being arranged by Easterfest organisers at Toowoomba City Church in Neil Street,  Assembly of God in Spring Street and Christ Life Presbyterian Church, cnr of South and Greenwattle Streets, Toowoomba.

Late last night Easterfest organisers announced that the Sunday program in Queen’s Park would be called off, but the performances and services arranged throughout Toowoomba would proceed.

Police reported localised flooding in some streets surrounding the CBD, with one man being rescued from a car at Scott and Mackenzie Streets about 2kms from Queen’s Park.

At the height of the storm, the Weather bureau reported rainfall rates of up to 50mm per hour in the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley regions, prompting a preliminary flood warning for Lockyer Creek. However the storm rain was of relatively short duration and the severe weather warning was cancelled at 9.55pm

 

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