Commander Grant Edwards, a mental health advocate who once held the crown as Australia’s strongest man, has pulled a 7.5 tonne Lifeline Darling Downs truck with his sheer strength in support of the Unleash the Beast Writing and Wellbeing Symposium.
Ergon, Energex Recruiting 100 Apprentices
Ergon Energy will have a strong focus on employing locals when they recruit the next generation of power industry field and substation crews through an apprenticeship recruitment campaign.
General Manager Operational Support Jeff Green said Ergon and Energex were offering 100 positions at 47 locations across the state, including 12 new roles in South West Queensland.
Mr Green said five apprentices would be selected to start with Ergon in Toowoomba early in 2019, along with two in Dalby and one each in Warwick, Stanthorpe, Chinchilla, Roma and Charleville.
“Most apprenticeships are offered to local people so they can develop their skills while remaining in the community with their family and friends,†he said.
Mr Green said this year’s recruitment campaign would again aim to produce a diverse range of successful applicants, including greater proportions of women and candidates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.
“The network businesses have a strong focus on being representative of the communities they serve, so I encourage people of all backgrounds, whether they are soon to complete Year 12 or are mature-aged, to consider applying for this great opportunity to learn a valuable trade,†he said.
Mr Green said the apprenticeship intake demonstrated Ergon and Energex’s commitment to ensuring they had the front-line staff required now and into the future to deliver a safe and reliable electricity supply to customers.
“The importance of having a highly trained workforce is evident from our response to natural disasters right across the state, when hundreds of crews work to restore power to communities impacted by cyclones, storms and floods,†he said.
“Most of the crews working in those situations began their careers in the industry as apprentices, just like next year’s intake will, and the value and reliance the community places on their work is clear for all to see.â€Â
Apprenticeships available vary by location and include electronics and communications technician, distribution linesperson, transmission linesperson, cable jointer, mechanical trade (diesel fitting) and electrician.
For more information or to apply, visit the Ergon website. Applications close at 11pm on Monday, August 20.
Submitted by
Rod Rehbein
Senior Corporate Communications Advisor
11 Enterprise Street, Bundaberg QLD 4670
ÂÂ
Tickets Galloping Away!
Toowoomba Hospice has sold over 130 tickets for next month’s Race Day to be held in the Clive Berghofer Atrium at Clifford Park.
Chairman of the Toowoomba Hospice Association Mr. Graham Barron OAM said he was very happy with the early response to their 15th Annual Race Day coming up on the 8th of September. “We hope to have 300 attending on the day to make it a successful event. This year we have made a couple of changes in the hope to entice everyone to dig a bit deeper to help us raise $20,000!â€Â
The race day is one of the Hospices’ major fundraising/social events, with the money raised being used to assist the daily operations of this important community facility providing free palliative care for adults.
Mr. Barron said tickets are only $85.00 and can be purchased from the Toowoomba Hospice in O’Quinn Street. (Phone in during normal business hours on 07 4659 8500 or email events@toowoombahospice.org.au . Ticket price includes entry to the races, a complimentary drink upon arrival, canapes and a delicious 2 course meal.
There will be prizes for best hat, best dressed female and best dressed male. There will also be a ballot box silent auction and a live auction “We have been donated a Baby-Q from Top of the Range Heating & BBQs (thank you) so if there are any other businesses who would like to donate a prize(s) they can contact our Administration and Fundraising Manger Mark at the Hospice†said Mr. Barron.
Finally, Mr. Barron wanted to reassure all those who donate money to the Hospice; that it stays in our region. “The Hospice is a Local Charity and I am very proud to say that the money raised locally stays locally to support local businesses, companies, families and individuals.”
(left: Hospice Chairman Graham Barron and Hospice Volunteer Barb Bissett preparing some of the many prizes to be won at this year’s charity ‘Racing into Spring’ Race Day!)
Submitted by:
Mark Munro
Administration and Fundraising Manager
Toowoomba Hospice
PO Box 6463
Clifford Gardens Qld 4350
Ph: 07 46598500 Fax: 07 46598511
www.toowoombahospice.org.au
Toowoomba Philo Mozart Concert
Toowoomba Philharmonic Society in conjunction with St Ursula’s College is hosting and performing a Moments of Mozart Concert on Saturday, 4th August at 2pm.
The concert will feature The Coronation Mass and highlights from the Great Mass in C Minor. The soloists will include Deb Rogers, Cherie Vera, Phillip Prendergast and Nicola Hayden.
The venue is the Toowoomba Philharmonic Concert Hall at 7 Matthews Street, Harristown. Tickets can be bought online or at the door (EFTPOS available). See the website tps.community for more information.
Submitted by:
Greg Ottavaiano
Production Manager
Toowoomba Philharmonic Society
Queensland State Rose Garden Pruning 2018
As this year is extra special to all interested in THE ROSE and Tourism, we the volunteer Friends of the Queensland State Rose Garden in Newtown Park will be conducting informative TOURS following the Pruning and free Morning Tea.
The honour to Toowoomba, the Region and all of Queensland by The World Federation Rose Society of EXCELLENCE AWARD needs and deserves explaining plus showing, and this Saturday 4th August is the ideal first occasion…..
Submitted by:
Regina Albion
Royal Bull’s Head Inn August Open Day
This Open Day (Sunday 5th August) at the Royal Bull’s Head Inn we’ll have a number of
*    Christening gowns on display from both the Inn’s collection and others kindly provided
*    Demonstrations/displays by Toowoomba Lacemakers
*    Antique pram display
*    Wooden toys for sale
Everyone is welcome to come along to the Royal Bull’s Head Inn, Sunday 5th August between 10am and 4pm. Entry fee’s apply. Don’t forget the upcoming Benjamin Glennie Day on the 18th August 2018.
Entry Fees:         $5.00 children/concession, $7.00 adults,
                  $20.00 Family
                  Free for National Trust Member
To keep up to date on what’s happening at the Royal Bull’s Head Inn, head to our Facebook Page or follow us on Instagram. Also, if you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, or would like to make a private booking, contact the Trust on <mailto:toowoomba@
toowoomba@nationaltrustqld.org or phone Debby on 0490 363 719.
Submitted by:
Tina Mundt
Media & Publicity
Finding The Tastiest Water In Queensland
Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) is aiming to be crowned as having the tastiest water in Queensland next month when it enters the state finals of the Ixom Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test.
Earlier this month TRC was named as the 2018 South West Queensland winner and will now compete at the Queensland finals on 5 Septemberat the Gold Coast. To determine which water to enter in the competition, the Mayor and Councillors have taken part in a taste-off made up from water samples from across the Toowoomba Region.
TRC’s Water and Waste Committee Chair Cr Nancy Sommerfield said this was the first time Council had 
taken this approach with choosing the water to be entered in the finals. “Normally we send a sample from the Mt Kynoch Water Treatment Plant but this year we thought we’d do things a little differently,†she said.
“We had 13 samples from the region and gave each councillor a chance to perform a blind test to decide which sample to send. “Each councillor used a scientifically proven water wheel to judge the entries by colour, odour and taste with the sample from Haden voted as the tastiest.”
Toowoomba Regional Council is a previous winner of the Queensland title, having won it in 2016 and was also named as the Australian winner in 2017. Water and Waste portfolio leader Cr Bill Cahill said Council was proud of these achievements and would continue to ensure the delivery standard remained high.
“Winning awards such as these, reinforces the methods we have in place and is acknowledgement of the work our staff do at TRC,†Cr Cahill said. “Our staff work tirelessly to ensure the water that’s pumped throughout our region is of the highest quality and continually look for new and innovative ways of servicing the region. It’s easy to take something as essential as water for granted but it’s important to remember that it’s the foundational pillar for the entire region’s economy.â€Â
As a result of winning the national title last year, the Toowoomba Region will host the 2018 National Taste Test competition on 18th October. For more information on Council’s Water and Waste Services, visit http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/ or call 131 872.
Submitted by:
Brendan Steinhardt
Principal Media and Strategic Relations
Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Toowoomba Regional Council
Spectacular Science Circus Comes To The Region
Spin yourself until you’re dizzy, compare your reflexes to a Formula 1 driver and see your fingertips under the microscope with the Shell Questacon Science Circus.
The local venues will be overflowing with exciting hands-on science exhibits when the Science Circus and its colourful semi-trailer roll into town for an exhibition of its ‘pop-up’ science centre.
Visitors of all ages can enjoy over 40 interactive science exhibits and watch spectacular science shows as Science Circus presenters hold fire in their hands, lie on a bed of nails and levitate beach balls.
“Our exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for the whole community to get hands-on with science. It’s a great way to discover new things about our world and explore the science and technology all around us,†Science Circus presenter Lauren Sullivan said.
The team is visiting local schools across the region, sharing flying rockets, freezing cold liquid nitrogen and gooey slime with students through a range of interactive science shows.
“We hope that many of the students we’ve visited in schools will bring their families along to the exhibition, to explore science together and with the rest of the community,†Lauren said.
The Science Circus comprises 16 postgraduate students studying a Master of Science Communication Outreach at The Australian National University. The students spend three months engaging people with science and technology through visits to communities all over Australia.
Since 1985, the Science Circus has inspired over 2.5 million people with interactive science demonstrations during multiple visits to over 500 towns and communities, including 90 remote Indigenous communities.
The Shell Questacon Science Circus is a proud initiative of Shell, The Australian National University and Questacon †The National Science and Technology Centre.
Shell Questacon Science Circus Exhibition
Jul28
Toowoomba Pop-Up Science Centre
Sat 10:00Events At The CBRC · Toowoomba
Jul31
Chinchilla Cultural Centre
Tue 16:00-Chinchilla Cultural Centre, Chinchilla
Aug1
Dalby Pop-Up Science Centre
Wed 16:00Dalby PCYC · Dalby