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Toowoomba’s Christmas Party With The ‘Gift Of Giving’

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Toowoomba’s Christmas Party With The ‘Gift Of Giving’

Local Toowoomba based not for profit, Goodwill Village is raising money to build an earthquake proof school for over 670 children in a remote region of central Nepal. Goodwill Village is an initiative of Moyalia and Irfan Tokmak, owners of Sofra Turkish Cuisine, who saw a great need to support their 10 Nepali staff post the devastating earthquake of April 25th this year.

This year Goodwill Village is committed to raising funds through a Christmas benefit concert featuring world music that will ensure those people who buy tickets and sponsor the event have the opportunity to keep giving, while having a great time.

In the essence of bringing a community together with music and culture for a joint purpose, an amazing line up of world musicians will perform to help  raise the funds needed to rebuild the earthquake proof school in Satyadevi which was devastated by the earthquake.

Goodwill Village image Music for Nepal will feature guest artist world renowned Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal and be supported by an incredible line up of other well known musicians including Spirit of Bhakti, MZAZA, Gabe & Cecilia Brandolini, Vasil Lolo and Vasil Lolo The Damian Black Band, TIAPYE, Dheeraj Shrestha and Nepalese band featuring Suresh Shrestha , Sundar Dangol, Raz Shrestha, and Raj Knagarkoti.

All funds raised by the Music for Nepal Christmas benefit concert will go directly towards rebuilding the school in the Satyadevi village of the Dhading district in Nepal. This district is special to Moyalia and Irfan, as their head chef of the last seven years, Mangal Gurung was originally from this district and continues to support family who still live there.

Goodwill Village are asking for your support by attending the benefit concert event which is being held at the Empire Theatre on Saturday the 12th of December.  “Every cent raised goes directly to building the school and we just need to raise $125,000. We are still looking for sponsors too as the concert alone will not raise enough revenue to reach our target. “ said Moyalia Tokmak

For the perfect early Christmas gift or for a great work Christmas party, Music for Nepal has a great line up of musicians and entertainment. You can book for a music festival feel of ‘world music’ – the night promises to be filled with good fun and a good feeling in the heart. There will be an exotic market , Henna , dancing and Turkish and Nepali dinner with BAR also open throughout the night.
Music-for-Nepal-Poster
Get your tickets through the Empire Theatre booking office on 1300 655 299 or at www.empiretheatre.com.au

Donations can be made directly through the website www.goodwillvillage.org or Goodwill Village donation tins are located at various locations throughout Toowoomba.
For any further inquires please contact Moyalia Tokmak at moyalia@goodwillvillage.org

Let’s Tell Australia †Toowoomba Says No To Violence!

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Let’s Tell Australia †Toowoomba Says No To Violence!

Violence against women is a serious problem in Australia, where at least one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner. In fact, the Australian Institute of Criminology reports that 36 per cent of all homicides take place in a domestic setting and 73 per cent of those involve a woman being killed by her male partner.

Further, Australian Bureau of Statistics data indicates that one in three Australian women over the age of 15 report having experienced physical or sexual violence at some time in their lives.  In Queensland alone, there are 180 cases of family violence reported to police every day.

The Toowoomba region is not immune and we want this community to take a stand.

White Ribbon is the world’s largest male-led movement to end men’s violence against women. White Ribbon Day is held each November.

Each year the Toowoomba Says No to Violence Committee and other local groups organise a range of fantastic events to mark White Ribbon Day and the sixteen day campaign that follows.  Importantly, this year a summit is being held on Monday, November 23 to develop local solutions to this issue.

On Wednesday November 25, which is officially White Ribbon Day, the Toowoomba Regional Council in collaboration with Toowoomba Says No To Violence, will be unveiling a monument in Clewley Park, dedicated to all victims of violence.  All in attendance will be asked to take the new White Ribbon Oath:

I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent men’s violence against women.

The details for the event are:

White Ribbon Day Oath Swearing, community breakfast and monument unveiling
Wednesday 25 November 2013
Clewley Park, Water Street, Toowoomba
Breakfast will be served from 6.45am and the event will conclude by 8.15am.

Rally your troops †family members, colleagues,  students, friends and neighbours to be there on the day.  This event provides a wonderful opportunity to send a very clear message to the community that we strive never to be silent about violence in this community.

For more information or to confirm attendance (for catering and preparation purposes) please contact Toowoomba Regional Council on 131 872.

White Ribbon Australia seeks to change the attitudes and behaviours that lead to and perpetuate men’s violence against women, by engaging boys and men to lead social change. Together, we can take a stand and end violence against women!

Toowoomba Reflection for Paris Terror Victims †Saturday, November 21

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Toowoomba Reflection for Paris Terror Victims †Saturday, November 21

Residents are invited to join a community gathering at Toowoomba’s Village Green to honour the lives lost in the Paris terror attacks on Friday, 13th November Paris time.

The community gathering (wet weather venue – St Luke’s Church, corner Herries and Ruthven Streets) will be held between 10-11am on Saturday, November 21.

Those attending will include Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio and Councillors; President – Toowoomba’s French Alliance Sylvie Hayere and French community members; Toowoomba Goodwill Committee Chair – Reverend Dr Jonathan Inkpin and committee members.

The service also will reflect on all other innocent victims of recent atrocities.

As part of the simple ceremony, members of the public will be invited to place a flower/floral tribute beneath the French flag, which will be flying at half-mast at the Village Green.

Submitted by:
Roberto Garcia JP (Qual)
Community Development Officer – Multicultural
Community Development Services
 Toowoomba Regional Council

Invitation To DFV Summit

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Invitation To DFV Summit

The Department of Communities – Queensland are assisting the Toowoomba Regional Council, Toowoomba Says No to Violence & the local  community to host the Toowoomba Region Domestic and Family Violence Summit on Monday 23 November, 2015.

John Minz, retiring CEO, Heritage Bank and Chair of Toowoomba Says No To Violence invites all interested community members to attend.
Invitation Toowoomba Region DFV Summit 2015

Play your part in making Toowoomba & the region a safer community in which to live.

Registration Toowoomba Region DFV Summit 2015

Thanks so much for your support of this important community event.

Carnival’s Golden Run Continues At Qld Tourism Awards

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Carnival’s Golden Run Continues At Qld Tourism Awards

Toowoomba’s Carnival of Flowers extended an extraordinary run of success by winning the hotly contested Major Festivals and Events category at the Queensland Tourism Awards in Brisbane.

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) Tourism and Events portfolio leader Cr Geoff McDonald said the win was a fantastic achievement by Council’s Carnival organising team and the countless volunteers who supported the event.

“Carnival’s undoubted and growing popular appeal has been acknowledged further by this industry recognition,” Cr McDonald said.

Mel Kite and Cr Geoff McDonald
Carnival coordinator Mel Kite and Cr Geoff McDonald displaying the Award                                                                                     Trophy

“This is the first year Carnival has been entered in the Major Events category which matched it against the top events in Queensland,”Cr McDonald said.

“The award was for the 2014 Carnival, which marked the 65th edition of the country’s longest continuously running horticultural event. In 2014 Council hosted 18 flagship Carnival events with an incredible supporting program of 80 community-run events.”

“In that year 112,000 patrons, including 63,000 people from outside the Toowoomba region, attended functions across 10 days of festivities.”

“With an economic return in the vicinity of $30 million, Carnival is a major economic driver for Toowoomba and the region.

The organising team has worked hard to promote the food, wine and artistic creations of our region against the mainstay backdrop of the civic and private gardens, which are world renowned.

The Carnival program caters for all age groups and Council is working to improve the range and quality of attractions across the board. This award also proves that a regional event has all the ingredients to offer a fantastic stay for interstate and international tourists.

Ideally, these visitors would take the time to explore the wider region and be surprised to see other great SE Queensland attractions.”

Cr McDonald said the win topped an incredible 18 months of achievement in which Carnival last month won the events category at the Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) National Awards in Sydney.

The Carnival of Flowers also won the events category at the 2014 Australian Tourism Awards and a gold award at last’s year’s Queensland Tourism Awards (events and festivals category).

TRC’s Tourism and Events coordinator Ross Begent and Carnival events coordinator Mel Kite accepted the award at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre.

Small Town Culture Project Visiting Dalby, Warwick and Toowoomba

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Small Town Culture Project Visiting Dalby, Warwick and Toowoomba

A University of Southern Queensland (USQ) supported project to inspire young people through music and film has visited the Western Downs. On Friday November 6th, Small Town Culture launched two music video clips involving 8-17 year old students from local schools in Dalby.

Country musician Josh Arnold has been travelling through regional and remote Queensland to help showcase school and community pride via the Small Town Culture Project. The project, which has visited Barambah cluster of State Schools, Beaudesert, Clermont, and Wondai, involves workshops and the creation of music and film clips.
Josh Arnold 042
The project will head to Warwick Central State School to deliver workshops and create music and film clips, to be launched on Tuesday December 8th.  Newtown State School in Toowoomba will have their launch on Friday December 4th.

The Small Town Culture Project is supported through the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation Program (HEPP) to improve the access, participation and success of students from communities under-represented in higher education.

For more information on the project, visit www.smalltownculture.com

Submitted by:
Rhianwen Whitney,
University of Southern Queensland,
email: rhianwen.whitney@usq.edu.au

Jumbo Jets For Wellcamp Airport

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Jumbo Jets For Wellcamp Airport

Wellcamp Airport HeaderHistory will be made when a Cathay Pacific Airways Boeing 747-800F lands at Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport, Toowoomba and departs for Hong Kong on November 23 this year.

It will be the first time an international flight will depart from Australia’s newest airport and the first time Cathay Pacific Airways has operated a cargo service into an Australian regional centre.

Airport developer Wagners global chairman John Wagner said the flight would mark not only a major aviation milestone but a significant commercial initiative for the country.

“The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement is likely to come into force by the end of the year. We are on the cusp of a massive export opportunity that will give local producers access to markets that feed half of the world’s population and this flight is the first step towards achieving this long-term goal. We are thrilled Cathay Pacific Airways, one of the world’s leading airlines, is focusing on our region,” said Mr Wagner, whose airport celebrates its one-year anniversary on November 17.

He said as Australia’s second largest agricultural basin it made commercial sense to build an airport in the region with a 2.87km runway that could accommodate large freight aircraft. The plane will carry local Darling Downs produce when it departs Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport for Cathay Pacific Airways’ main Asian hub at Hong Kong International Airport.
Cathay Pacific 747Cathay Pacific Airways Southwest Pacific general manager Nelson Chin said the company was excited about bringing its 747-8 freighter into Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport later this month. At 76.3 metres long with a wingspan of 68.4 metres, the Boeing 747-800 freighter is larger than its predecessor the B747-400 and is quieter, more economical and environmentally-friendly. They now make up 13 of Cathay Pacific’s 24 freighter aircraft.

“Cathay Pacific is one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers and we are always looking for new opportunities. In fact, of the 12 new destinations that have been announced or commenced operations over the past two years, five are for freight only. We also congratulate Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport on its 12-month anniversary of operations,” Mr Chin said.

“This is a very exciting time for Australian exporters, and it seems South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales producers and businesses have enormous potential for growth after the signing of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Boeing 747-800 backtracking the runway at Brisbane-West Wellcamp Airport outside Toowoomba

New Weekly Farmers’ Markets For Toowoomba

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New Weekly Farmers’ Markets For Toowoomba

A heads up to all the local foodies who have been desperately crying out for the opportunity to access local fresh produce, direct from the farmer, every single week.

After three years of planning and identifying suitable locations, only to be told NO, local foodie Josie Townsend has come to an arrangement with the Empire Theatres to trial a farmers’ market every Thursday on the front lawns of the Empire Theatre.

“We live in one of Australia’s most incredible food growing regions and it has amazed me that there is no regular farmers’ market where I can buy my fresh produce weekly”, said Josie, managing director of Mojo Business Management who have taken the plunge to run the events.  Sourcing local products and produce has always been tricky, she said,

Josie’s previous experience includes running the commercial coordination of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, and also running her own Australian food hamper business in Sydney. “We are keen to see a collaborative, active and powerful local food trading economy grow in Toowoomba, and our business model includes the launch of a digital, national food connection platform early next year.”

Kerry Saul and Josie TownsendEmpire Theatres’ general manager Kerry Saul, who is focused on engaging the broader community said “The synergy between food and culture is extremely strong. In other similar theatre precincts, farmers’ markets have helped to revive a space by drawing crowds who may not normally frequent an arts space. We want to open our arms to the broader community, while supporting our farmers.”

The markets are envisaged as a no-waste market, where you will need to purchase your keeper cup for coffee, glass bottle for fresh juices and re-usable bottles for water, or bring your own. Plastics and disposables are a big no-no! Organisers will also sell plates and cutlery for their “Share a feast” concept, or once again you can bring your own, so you can try many of the different delicacies that stallholders will offer on the night.

The Empire Theatres will provide entertainment on the evening and will have the Armitage Centre bar open before and throughout the performances. Future events will include workshops and special guests.

The organisers will be  looking for appropriate stall holders who meet the Australian Farmers Market Model guidelines, and volunteers to assist each week.

Please call Josie Townsend on 0432 267 003, find us on Facebook or go to www.mylocalfeastfarmersmarkets.com.au. An app will be launched soon.

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