The 36th Chronicle Lifeline Bookfest is shaping up to be one of our biggest yet.
The two day event will be held on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th March at the Founders Pavillion, Toowoomba Showgrounds.
100,000s of book titles will be available over the weekend and nothing is over $5 with most items considerably less. Dolls, toys and games will also be available.
Free Admission, Free Parking and EFTPOS available.
National Trust of Australia (Queensland) Toowoomba Branch Royal Bull’s Head Inn Sunday 6th March 2016 Technology comes to the Inn! 2.00pm Official Launch of our Ipad Project Followed by Afternoon Tea
Please join us for a presentation by students from St Mary’s College and a celebration afternoon tea to thank the College for their involvement and Toowoomba Regional Council for their financial support. Visitors to the Inn will be able to experience the history of this iconic building through the information and stories detailed on the Ipads. Entry Fee:
$4.00 children/concession $6.00 adults
$18.00 Family Free for National Trust Members
from 2pm entry fee includes afternoon tea Please RSVP to Debby on 0402 138 751 or rbhi@icr.com.au
Royal Bull’s Head Inn: 59 Brisbane Street, Drayton Open First Sunday of the Month: 10am to 4pm Ph: 4637 2278 Email: rbhi@icr.com.au
The Mayors of South East Queensland (SEQ) have mourned the passing of their colleague and friend, Lockyer Valley Mayor Cr Steve Jones. Mayor Jones has passed away at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane after suffering a severe stroke.
Council of Mayors (SEQ) Chair Cr Graham Quirk acknowledged Mayor Jones’ significant contribution to Local Government in SEQ, and his unwavering commitment to the communities of the Lockyer Valley. “Steve was a colleague and a mate to the Mayors of SEQ, and we are devastated by the events of the last 48 hours. Our thoughts go out to his family, his Council and the residents of the Lockyer Valley,†said Cr Quirk.
“Mayor Steve Jones was a straight shooter, honest and real, and never took a backwards step when it came to standing up for the needs of the Lockyer Valley and its residents. Steve was passionate and outspoken because he genuinely cared and worked everyday for the people of the Lockyer Valley.” This was never more evident than in the aftermath of the 2011 floods when Steve led his local community through its darkest days.
Cr Graham Quirk went on to say “No one was a better ambassador for the bush and the interests of our rural communities than Steve. His contribution to the Council of Mayors (SEQ) will be greatly missed.â€Â
Steve Jones was elected as the inaugural Mayor of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council in March 2008, after serving as Mayor of the former Gatton Shire Council since 2004. Mayor Jones has been an integral part of the Council of Mayors (SEQ) since its inception in 2005.
Meanwhile, tributes are flowing in for the late Cr Jones. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk said “Steve was one of our hardest working civic leaders. Steve led his community through the devastation of the 2011 floods and into recovery. He was an inspiration when Queensland was at its lowest. He lifted us all.”
The family, through daughter-in-law Stacey Ebert, is appealing for privacy and has thanked all who sent Steve goodwill messages. Doctors at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane turned off life support on Friday night. Mayor Jones is survived by his wife Ann and three sons.
Toowoomba Leprosy Mission Support group invite you to a Morning Tea on Friday 26th February at St Barts Anglican Church, Rangeville to hear about leprosy in Papua New Guinea.
In PNG recently there has been a sharp increase in leprosy cases diagnosed, some with severe disability. This is due to a lack of medical training and health education over recent years, and difficulty in accessing health care. Health workers need training in early diagnosis, because leprosy can be cured, and disability can be prevented.
Come along to St Barts Anglican Church, 103 Stenner Street, Rangeville,  on Friday morning 26th February at 9:30am,
and hear Sheldon Rankin, CEO of The Leprosy Mission Australia. Sheldon will open your eyes to the deepening crisis situation in PNG, and how you can make a difference.
Admission is by donation towards training health workers in PNG.
 For more information phone Penny on 4635 0516.
The thoughts and prayers of the SEQ Mayors and the entire Council of Mayors (SEQ) team are with Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones as he remains in a critical condition at the Princess Alexandra Hospital today after suffering a stroke.
Council of Mayors (SEQ) Chair and Brisbane Lord Mayor Cr Graham Quirk shared the sentiment of his fellow Mayors in wishing Mayor Jones a full and speedy recovery, along with offering their support and assistance to the Councillors and staff of Lockyer Valley Regional Council.
“Mayor Jones has always been a strong advocate for the Lockyer Valley and communities of SEQ. He is someone who speaks his mind and stands by his convictions, and most importantly, we know he is a fighter,†said Cr Quirk. “The SEQ Mayors will continue to keep Steve and his family in our thoughts during this difficult time. We know the situation is serious but we’re all praying for Steve to keep fighting and make it through this.
“Our thoughts are also with the Councillors, staff and close knit communities of the Lockyer Valley who are no doubt devastated by this terrible news. The Council of Mayors (SEQ) continue to offer Steve, his family and Council any support or assistance they need during the challenging times ahead,†said Cr Quirk.
Mayor Steve Jones was elected as the inaugural Mayor of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council in March 2008, after serving as Mayor of the former Gatton Shire Council since 2004. Mayor Jones has been a Director of the Council of Mayors (SEQ) since its inception in 2005.
Submitted by:
Melissa Fitzgerald Media and Communications Coordinator
Six apprentices based in Toowoomba and one in Millmerran are among 85 apprentices and trainees in Ergon Energy’s 2016 intake.
Megan Seigmeier, Matthew Steger, Kim Major, Matthew Reis, Jacob Parkin and Jake Crisp are the new Toowoomba apprentices, while Jordan Pettman has joined the Millmerran depot crews. The seven recruits are undergoing their initial training in Toowoomba before heading to their depots, which are among 40 locations across regional Queensland to accept new apprentices this year.
New Ergon apprentices (from left) Megan Seigmeier, Matthew Steger, Kim Major, Matthew Reis, Jordan Pettman, Jacob Parkin and Jake Crisp.
Isaac Volker and Michael Markey (Dalby), Henry Tardent and Ben Ridge (Roma), Adam Upton (St George) and Duncan McNair (Charleville) also have secured Ergon apprenticeships this year and are undergoing their initial training in Rocklea.
Acting Chief Executive Roslyn Baker said the induction of 85 apprentices and trainees this month demonstrated Ergon’s commitment to providing regional Queensland with a safe and reliable electricity network now and in the future.
“It’s vital we continue to teach and pass on the front-line expertise and skills now and into the future to deliver a safe, reliable and affordable electricity supply to customers,†Ms Baker said. “Just a year ago, we saw the importance of having a highly trained workforce when our company responded to Cyclone Marcia.†More than 900 field staff from Ergon and other agencies worked for almost a fortnight to restore power to about 65,000 customers early in 2015.
“Most of our crews begin their careers in the industry as apprentices, just like this year’s intake, and the value and reliance the community places on their work soon becomes apparent in times of natural disasters,†Ms Baker said. She congratulated the 2016 inductees for their success in attaining a position with Ergon from a quality field of about 2200 applicants and wished them a rewarding career.
“The apprentices come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including eight indigenous applicants, 17 females breaking into the traditionally male-dominated roles and a good proportion of mature-age candidates, as well as school-leavers,†she said. “The newest recruits will gain skills such as communications technicians, distribution linespersons, systems electricians and transmission linespersons.
“Some of the new recruits will embark on tertiary studies for either an associate degree or advanced diploma qualification while undertaking their usual apprenticeship training.†Ms Baker said the apprentices include six employees from around the state who had successfully sought an apprenticeship to further their careers.
She said many of the recruits would work and train in their home towns, meaning they could gain valuable skills in a trade while continuing to contribute to their local community. All new apprentices receive health, safety and environmental awareness training as part of their induction before undergoing three to eight weeks of technical training, depending on their trade.
Submitted by: Rod Rehbein
Corporate Communications Manager – Southern Ergon Energy
University of Southern (USQ) Queensland researcher Dr Jenny Ostini will be giving evidence this week to the Federal Government’s first Senate Inquiry into the phenomenon of revenge porn.
Along with USQ colleague Dr Susan Hopkins, Dr Ostini is a recognised expert in the area of technology violence in intimate-partner relationships, and said she hopes the government’s inquiry will shed some light into a dark area.
“People can lose their jobs, and have relationships with friends and family destroyed through revenge porn. As a society, we need to look at our laws and our services, and see if they can adequately address what’s happening,†Dr Ostini said.
“I would like to urge the government to fund some research into getting a handle on the scope and the prevalence of revenge porn because we know it’s out there, but we know so little about it.â€Â
Revenge porn typically involves the non-consensual sharing of inappropriate images and recordings taken or accessed during a relationship being made available on the internet, including social media. Sometimes it involves images taken entirely without the owner’s knowledge or consent.
It can also involve the posting of inaccurate or harmful information, including people’s contact details, sexual preferences and activities, and may have links to physical as well as virtual violence.
USQ’s Dr Jenny Ostini (far left) is working on digital safety strategies for communities and is pictured with (from left) Queensland Police officers Wendy O’Neill and Nadine Webster, Ipswich City Council Mayoress Janet Pisasale and USQ’s Dr Susan Hopkins
Dr Ostini was invited to join the inquiry’s academic panel by the office of Queensland Senator Glenn Lazarus, which became aware of Dr Ostini and Dr Hopkins’ research into technology violence in relationships through an article they jointly published on The Conversation website.
Dr Ostini said education about the risks of being either the victim or the perpetrator of revenge porn need to be spelled out to children as well as adults. “Our work within the community has identified that there are some 10-year-olds out there getting involved in sharing inappropriate images, and they need to know that even if they are under 16, they can get a criminal record for taking these images of themselves or other people.â€Â
Dr Ostini will be participating in the inquiry on Thursday (February 18), when Dr Hopkins will concurrently be presenting at the Respectful Relationships: Education as Violence Prevention forum being hosted by True (formerly Family Planning Queensland) in Brisbane.
“We need to be thinking and talking about it because, no matter what you might think, nothing is private online, and we need to understand the role technology plays in contemporary relationships.â€Â
Dr Ostini was last year named as one of the inaugural Advance Queensland Community Digital Champions for her work in supporting community groups to use technology to fight domestic violence.
The Senate Inquiry into revenge porn is due to lodge its report on February 25.
Senior government MP Ian Macfarlane has announced his retirement as the polling gap tightens between the Coalition and Labor.
The veteran Queensland MP has decided not to contest his seat of Groom at the next election after 18 years in parliament, nine of which he spent as a minister.
Five Liberal MPs and two Nationals have signalled they won’t contest the election due around September, with nine ALP members also retiring.
Mr Macfarlane (60) said he had made his decision late last year and announced it now in order to give his party time to find a replacement.
He was demoted to the backbench after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull took over from Tony Abbott last year, and his attempted shift to the Nationals was blocked in December by the state executive.
An event not to be missed!
Council of Mayors (SEQ) Chair Cr Graham Quirk acknowledged Mayor Jones’ significant contribution to Local Government in SEQ, and his unwavering commitment to the communities of the Lockyer Valley. “Steve was a colleague and a mate to the Mayors of SEQ, and we are devastated by the events of the last 48 hours. Our thoughts go out to his family, his Council and the residents of the Lockyer Valley,†said Cr Quirk.
The thoughts and prayers of the SEQ Mayors and the entire Council of Mayors (SEQ) team are with Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones as he remains in a critical condition at the Princess Alexandra Hospital today after suffering a stroke.
Senior government MP Ian Macfarlane has announced his retirement as the polling gap tightens between the Coalition and Labor.