Katter talks footy, ethanol and polls in Whitsundays

The first thing Bob Katter did when he came into Proserpine on Sunday was to visit his former on-field footy mate Laurie Goldman at the Metropole Hotel.

Late into Proserpine due to weather delaying his flight into Mackay, the outspoken leader of Australia’s newest party told his welcoming committee he’d "just go and say g’day to an old mate".

Goldman was behind the bar when Katter spotted him.

"This man …" Katter said slipping in behind the bar and turning to the audience of blokes on the other side, "is the toughest bugger I’ve ever seen on a football field," he said taking his hat off to the publican.

After a rock star reception in Gympie early last week, where the media likened Katter’s visit to that of Justin Bieber, after scores of bingo ladies waved and cheered at the man in the hat from across the street, Proserpine was somewhat quiet on a drizzly Sunday morning.

"Nobody knew much about me when I was an Independent. Now suddenly once we formed the party, I suppose it’s almost like people can buy shares in our policies. I don’t like using the word vision but it’s almost like we all have the same vision, the same hope for Australia," Mr Katter said on route to the Proserpine RSL in Chapman Street for his public meeting with candidate for the seat of Whitsunday Amanda Camm. Early polls tipped the Australia Party at 0.2 per cent, they soon moved up to eight and now Katter says they’re tracking a little higher than 14 per cent. Some 40 people gathered at the RSL upstairs to greet Katter applauding him as he climbed the stairs.

"I have asked scores and scores of meetings, blokes in pubs in drinking circles and people in the street and I ask them … "what is the difference between the ALP and the LNP?" nobody can tell me. If the two major parties are the North Pole … then Katter’s Australian Party is the South – that’s how far apart our thinking is. ALP and LNP believe in free markets, we believe in cutting Woollies and Coles back to under 20 per cent of the market. Currently having 88 per cent of the market where in America they have 23 per cent and they are squealing. Cutting the major supermarkets right back will give farmers a fair go," he said.

Mr Katter talked passionately about the travesty that was the de-regulation of the dairy, tobacco and sugar industry which he says brought farming communities to their knees.

"This is why my rage and hatred for the LNP runs so deep. I represented the biggest dairy industry in the region. This was back when I was part of the National Party. Now I saw this happen to sugar and tobacco and then they wanted to deregulate the dairy industry," the crowd was enthralled. "If you deregulate milk, we will be murdered. I argued. There are only two people to sell milk to in this nation. No one listened. The day after it was deregulated milk went from 59 cents a litre to 42 cents a litre, I then left and became an Independent. I was so disgusted," he said.

Katter has mega plans for the state and big plans for the Whitsundays including ethanol and electricity made from bagasse at the mills.

"Mining is unpredictable but there is about $5000 million the state can use from royalties. If we use it in the region it is raised then there will be money to do the things we want to do, like build an ethanol plant in the Whitsundays …Every other country has gone to biofuels, America, Brazil even China is making headways into it. Our party will immediately go to ethanol and we are committed to giving $200m plus to each sugar mill to burn the bagasse and make our own electricity. I hate to say this but obviously we would be giving the money to Mackay first because its mill is still Australian owned," he did add.

"The other parties can say what they like about our ethanol plan because believe me there is no one on this planet who can outdo me when it comes to knowledge on ethanol," he said.

Mr Katter spoke for over an hour in Proserpine before making his way to the beach to talk to the boaties about their ramp heartache at the VMR. "There may only be a few people here today, but every town, every village, every suburb and every city there are meetings being held and there is a huge army out there that wants this country back … back from the big businesses that own and fund the campaigns of the two major parties," he said.

1647 RBTs conducted in Whitsundays before Christmas

Twelve drink drivers were nabbed during an early Christmas police traffic operation over the weekend.

Police from the State Traffic Task Force and Roadside Drug Testing Unit were involved in Traffic Operation Paddington, which focussed on drink/drug driving, speed, seatbelts and fatigue, for three days last week.

Police covered the Whitsunday and Proserpine area, with Bowen, Proserpine and Mackay Traffic Branch, Mackay Tactical Crime Squad, Whitsunday and Proserpine Police also taking part.

The operation was also run in conjunction with the Christmas road safety campaign.

From 132 roadside drug tests, five offenders were caught while 12 drink drivers were stopped out of 1647 RBTs.

Seven people were found to be driving while unlicensed, 61 speeding tickets were issued and 16 people were caught not wearing a seatbelt.

On Friday 10.40pm a 29-year-old male from Western Australia was intercepted on Shute Harbour Road Cannonvale and BAC of .092.

The male was charged with drink driving and his licence was suspended for 24 hours.

On Saturday, at 7.52am the following morning the same male was intercepted on Shute Harbour road and gave a breath alcohol reading of .114 per cent and charged with drink driving and unlicensed driving. Then at 10.30am the male again drove along Shute Harbour Road. Police from the State Traffic Task Force have impounded the driver’s vehicle and charged him with unlicensed driving.

Whitsundays man appointed to Tourism Queensland board

 For local man Adrian Bram, an appointment to the board of Tourism Queensland (TQ) marks the realisation of a 20-year dream.

 “It’s been an ambition of mine to be on the board of TQ for over two decades, having previously held some senior positions with the WA tourism commission including media and industry affairs manager, regional director Asia (based in Singapore) and regional director Europe (based in London),” Mr Bram said.

 Mr Bram originally sailed into the Whitsundays and has called the region home since 1996.

 “I decided that I really didn’t need to go too much further on the planet,” he said, detailing the commencement of a colourful career locally, including the role of international sales manager with the previous incarnation of TW, and involvement at management levels in the crewed and now bareboat charter industries.

 Mr Bram said he felt it was important for the Whitsundays to have representation on the board of TQ.

 “For a place like the Whitsundays, which is primarily dependant on tourism for employment it’s critical to have a voice on that table.

 “In these trying times it’s (also) critical that the state’s peak tourism body, which manages millions of dollars of taxpayer funds, channels that investment into the right areas. It’s an enormous privilege to have the opportunity to participate in that process,” he said.

 Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business Jan Jarratt welcomed Mr Bram as one of two new appointments to the TQ Board.

 “As the General Manager of Cumberland Charter Yachts, Adrian has an acute understanding of the needs of regional tourism operators and has a long history of working with government,” Ms Jarratt said.    

Airlie Beach business wins TNT award

 One of Airlie’s longest standing booking agencies won a prestigious award in Sydney last week, thanks to nominations by the very customers it serves.

 Owner/director of airliebeach.com Travel and Internet Centre, Tony Laurent, said the 17-year-old business picked up the “best small travel agent in Australia” award at the “Golden Backpackers Awards” organised by international young travellers’ magazine TNT.

 “This was an a-political competition, which was about votes from customers so we were over the moon (to win),” Mr Laurent said.

 “We have a very simple mantra – put the right people on the right trips and in the right accommodation and they come back happy. That’s the thing my wife and I have always adhered to. We’ve always said that honesty and integrity are what it’s all about and we’re lucky to have great local Whitsundays staff that reflect those principles,” he said.

 “I’m very proud of them (the staff) and I’m proud of the recognition they justly deserve.”

 Mr Laurent said winning the award was also a coup for the Whitsundays as a whole.

 “It’s a wonderful reflection on the region. The standard of operators here is very good. Here you’re not so much a travel agent as a facilitator.

 “There’s a lot of quiet achievers here in Airlie Beach. We just have to feel good about ourselves and our region and present it in a genuine way,” he said.

Whitsundays' white whale needs a name

 Following the spectacular sighting of a white baby whale in the Whitsundays two weeks ago, a campaign has been launched to give the little humpback a name.

 Tourism Whitsundays together with local charter company Whitsunday Escape is offering a five night Whitsundays sailing holiday to the person who submits the best name for the new baby whale.

 “As we hope to see this new whale each year on it’s annual migration, we felt it really needed a name for everyone to refer to it as,” Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer Peter O’Reilly said.

 “Whether or not it’s related to the famous ‘Migaloo’ who has migrated up and down the coast over the past few years, this white calf will be equally as popular for whale spotters and should have a name,” he said.

 “Of course the name will need to not be gender specific, as we know so little about this calf including whether it is male or female. We look forward to learning much more about it as it grows up and continues to migrate along the coast each year.”

 The competition opens today at www.facebook.com/WhitsundaysQLD and closes on Wednesday, October 26, with judging to be conducted by Tourism Whitsundays, Whitsunday Escape and the local who first spotted the whale.

 The winner’s holiday includes five nights on board a 38foot sailing catamaran (which comfortably fits five passengers) during the Whitsundays prime whale watching time from July 1 to August 31, 2012.  No formal qualifications are required to charter a vessel, and a sail guide will be provided for up to 2 days to teach the charterer/s the basics of sailing.  The prize is valued at $5,000.

 Manager of Whitsunday Escape Trevor Rees said the white baby whale had been sighted on several occasions over the past couple of months, by charter guests, staff and other visitors.

 “It is expected that the (competition) winners will more than likely see the whale they named when it returns to the Whitsundays (next year),” Mr Rees said.

 “There has been a lot of interest in the new calf and video footage has been shown on news channels all over the world. This is a great opportunity to promote the Whitsundays,” he said.

Photo courtesy Wayne Fewing.

Arrow Energy talks coal seam gas in Proserpine

 More than 100 people turned out to Arrow Energy’s Coal Seam Gas update at the entertainment centre on Monday.

 After his near one-hour presentation on who Arrow Energy is and what they want in the region, the company’s Vice President of Explorations Tony Knight and his team of experts answered questions from the crowd.

 "Arrow Energy has 237 exploration wells in Queensland at the moment, only two of them are in this region. We only plan on sinking the same amount again in 2012," he clarified.

 How the landowners will be compensated, what will happen with the water and what are the risks associated with the practice were just some of the 30 or so questions fired at the presenters during the session.

 Greens candidate for Whitsunday Jonathan Dykyj asked whether there was any data into the cumulative effect of all the companies searching for the same resource to which Mr Knight answered he wasn’t sure but it was up to governments, not his company.

 Mr Dykyj also asked what the ratio was between compensation paid to landowners and how much money each well would generate to which Mr Knight said it was impossible to answer.

 "How much money does a software company make?" he said.

 Bloomsbury landowner Trevor Costigan put the meeting into perspective when he asked Mr Knight what his gut feeling was.

 "Are we talking about this and it's never really going to happen? Are we getting all worried for nothing," he said.

Premier re-opens Hayman Island Resort

 The legend of Hayman Island is set to live on. On Friday August 5 Queensland Premier Anna Bligh officially re-opened the new-look resort after five months of rectification works following the devastation wreaked by Cyclones Anthony and Yasi earlier this year.

 Ms Bligh said Hayman’s re-opening was a “powerful symbol of recovery for the Whitsundays”.

 “This paradise was battered and bruised but is now back even better than before. When we see great success stories like this one at Hayman it gives everybody hope,” she said.

 Premier Bligh was accompanied to Hayman by Tourism Minister and local MP Jan Jarratt, who said, “Hayman represents the resilience of the Whitsundays”.

 “As both the Tourism Minister and the local member it’s an emotional journey for me here today. In the face of the challenges confronting our industry, the team at Hayman has demonstrated that we can fight back from a shocking summer as a community and as a state,” Ms Jarratt said.

 The Premier and Minister were taken on a tour of the island encompassing its iconic 16 hectare botanic garden, revitalised with the introduction of 33,000 new plants including 327 new plant species. Ms Bligh was treated to tropical juice and gourmet fingerfoods from the resort’s kitchens before visiting the island’s small state school where students presented her with a special Hayman book.

 Before boarding her helicopter, Ms Bligh was presented with a cheque for $32,650 raised by Hayman staff and Hayman/ Mulpha Australia management for the disaster relief appeal.

 The employee chosen to present the cheque was Captain Bill Hutchinson, who has been with the resort for 41 years.

 “Captain Cook dropped me off on the way past,” Bill joked.

 “We’re back to being the best resort in the world, but nothing’s changed in the way we treat our guests,” he said.

 Hayman’s General Manager Shane Green said it was staff like Bill who were responsible for “putting the island back together”.

 “If there was one thing about this closure it’s that our sense of community and sense of ownership of the island is unbelievable right now,” Mr Green said.

'Do the Whitsundays' back on track

 Three months ago 50 independent tourism operators from the Whitsunday region joined forces to launch a competition inviting participants to “Do the Whitsundays”, but after just three weeks of operation problems in cyberspace forced the competition to close.

 Co-organiser James Davison explained there were issues with the competition’s facebook page through which entries were made.

 “We just couldn’t be guaranteed of the voting system’s integrity. On the surface it looked like it was going very well but ultimately we couldn’t be sure everyone was getting a fair chance,” Mr Davison said.

 Within twelve hours of making the announcement to close, James was contacted by CEO and founder of Australia’s leading online wine and food travel guide VisitVineyards.com. Robyn Lewis had seen the competition on facebook and twitter and was keenly following its progress.

 “I actually entered. I thought, “This looks great”. And then the wheels fell off,” she said.

As a former Queensland resident and fundraiser for the Premier’s disaster relief appeal, Robyn said she felt a need to help.

 “Tourism is down significantly in the region and as a former North Queenslander I thought this (competition) shouldn’t be allowed to die, especially when we’ve got the means to help out,” Ms Lewis said.

 “Visit Vineyards has 36,000 subscribers nationally and we run promotions of this nature every month. They’d got all the prizes together and it’s a really good promotion. We’re prepared to put a lot of effort into making it work,” she said.

 One of the 28 original contributors to stick with the competition is Captain Pete of Aviation Adventures.

 “It’s the only thing I’ve seen in the last couple of years that’s promoting the Whitsundays with that many local businesses involved,” he said.

 Competition co-founder Phil Batty said it was a “different” end result, but “a good one”.

 “The fact that it hasn’t been wasted is terrific and the facebook site is still promoting the Whitsundays, which is what it was all about in the first place,” Mr Batty said.

 Do the Whitsundays will officially relaunch on September 1. It will run for three months, with the final draw on December 1.

 To enter, people will now go to www.VisitVineyards.com/win for the chance to win one of two main prizes, both of almost equivalent value. 

Census night in the Whitsundays

 A snapshot of life in the Whitsundays on Tuesday August 9 will lay the foundation for the next five years.

 Tuesday August 9 is Census night, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics every five years.

 Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Mike Brunker asks residents and visitors of the region to support the Census and help make it a success.

 “The Census underpins Australia’s democracy and is crucial to community organisations, the private sector and all levels of government for planning services and facilities across Australia,” Cr Brunker said.

 “It is therefore important that everyone who is living, staying or working in the Whitsunday Regional Council area on Census night takes the time to fill out their Census form accurately and in full,” he said.

 “This will ensure that our community has the right information we need to support planning for important infrastructure, like emergency services, road improvements and other services that will support the people who live and work in our area day to day”.

 Fully trained Census collectors and area supervisors across the region have been working tirelessly since July 29 to get the Census forms out.

 Area supervisor for Cannonvale John Powell said people could complete the census on paper or online.

 “We are encouraging people to do this online where possible. It’s a secure site and it can be done in your own time,” he said.

 Mr Powell said it was compulsory to do the census and “in an area like ours it is vital that the information is gathered”.

 “Because it’s done every five years population trends and predictions are the deciding factor in what Canberra allocates in federal funding. For example, ten years ago the Census figures resulted in Canberra identifying a need for water treatment plants, more schools and kindergartens – basically the general infrastructure people take for granted,” Mr Powell said.

 Mr Powell stressed even our visitors have an important part to play.

 “The proportion of interstate and overseas visitors who are counted here on August 9 will indicate where future marketing needs to be directed,” he said.

 Mr Powell said Census information was entirely confidential and in no way linked to organisations like Centrelink or the ATO.

 For further information call the Census Inquiry Service on 1300 338 776, or visit www.abs.gov.au/census, or for eCensus information, www.census.gov.au.

Tourism Shadow Minister to visit Airlie Beach

Tourism in the Whitsundays is entering its darkest hour since the pilots’ strike of the late 80s and the region needs a committed member under a new government to fight for its rights.

Shadow Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business Jann Stuckey, who will be in the Whitsundays next Thursday, had this message for tourism, small business operators and anyone she said who was passionate about the region.

“I want to meet as many people I can during the time I am in the Whitsundays, although it certainly won’t be my only visit. Everyone is invited to a business breakfast at the Grub Café on Friday morning following the dinner at Shingley Beach on Thursday.”

Appalled by the news the information centre on the southern side of Proserpine had shut its doors, Ms Stuckey said it could only be described as a kick in the guts by Mike Brunker and his council and if she was the local member here, she would be demanding answers.

“Why is the local member so quiet on these issues? Traders have every reason to ask why she isn’t advocating for more funding for these vital services.

“The Whitsundays is about to enter its darkest hour and you need all the help available from a government that is willing to stand up for its people.”

Ms Stuckey said along with her commitment to help tourism operators through their darkest hour, she would also be bringing a small business questionnaire recently launched by the LNP which aimed to cut red tape on lengthy government practices.

“The feedback we are getting from small business is that they are spending an unacceptable amount of time that is often unnecessary on red tape issues. There is a strong commitment from the LNP to cut this nuisance right out of the process.”

Ms Stuckey will be joined by LNP candidate for the seat of Whitsunday Jason Costigan.

Social Media - the only way to "Do the Whitsundays"

 For the first time in history, more than 50 Whitsunday tourism operators have chosen to unite in an independently organised social media promotional campaign.

 “Do the Whitsundays”, a free online competition, was launched today, June 1, offering two winners a 25-night Whitsunday holiday (for two people), with 74 components, in keeping with the 74 Island wonders theme.

 Campaign organiser Philip Batty said entering the competition was easy.

 “Simply visit the “Do the Whitsundays” Facebook page, follow the prompts and you’re in.”

 Entrants will have 74 days, from June 1, to accumulate as many entries as possible by sharing the page with friends.

 Mr Batty said it was this viral component that had the capacity to make “Do the Whitsundays” a great success.

 “Basically the more times your name is in the hat the more chance it has of being pulled out,” he said.

 The prize includes flights from anywhere in the world, accommodation and more activities than any holidaymakers have experienced in the Whitsundays before.

 Mr Batty said the competition would also be posted on the Facebook walls of Tourism Whitsundays, Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia, reaching a potential 1.9 million entrants through these avenues alone.

 Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said seeing so many Australian businesses band together for the benefit of Australian tourism was amazing.

 "Obviously, both Tourism Australia and Tourism Queensland are already heavily involved in the Queensland recovery efforts but it's great to see the industry helping itself - further proof, if it were needed, that nothing beats Queensland,” Mr McEvoy said.

 Member for Whitsunday and Tourism Minister Jan Jarratt also praised the initiative.

 “It’s fantastic to see this level of collaboration and innovation from local operators working with TW, TQ, and TA. It’s these partnerships that will add value to the campaign in terms of brand awareness and such,” Ms Jarratt said.

 Prize contributor Heidi Ward of Catering Whitsunday said it was great to see businesses getting together to proactively promote the region.

 “This is a good opportunity for us all,” she said.

Find “Do the Whitsundays” at:

·      Website www.dothewhitsundays.com.au

·      Facebook http://www.facebook.com/dtwhitsundays

·      Twitter @dothewhitsunday

·      Youtube http://www.youtube.com/dothewhitsundays

World Tai Chi Day in the Whitsundays

 At 10am on Saturday morning the Whitsundays were at the forefront of a global focus on Tai Chi. A wave of Tai Chi, travelling across the world, began at 10am in New Zealand, progressing westward and finishing at 10am in Hawaii in celebration of World Tai Chi Day, which is held on the last Saturday in April every year.

 Around 40 people turned out to the foreshore at Airlie Beach (between the Sailing Club and lagoon), to participate in routines led by Sandy McBean from Queensland Health and Maureen Kovachik, a Tai Chi instructor with Queensland Keep Fit.

 In fact, the session proved so popular it is now likely to become a regular event, with many now recognising the health benefits associated with Tai Chi.

 The Whitsunday World Tai Chi Day initiative was organised by Whitsunday Regional Council (WRC) and funded by WRC and the Australian government as part of the ‘Healthy Active Whitsunday Region’ campaign.

 For more information on future sessions pick up a copy of the Whitsunday Coast Guardian, available now at leading news agencies, service stations, Coles (Cannonvale) and the Chapman Street office in Proserpine.

 

Anzac Day in the Whitsundays

Whitsunday locals turned out en masse for the various events of Anzac Day, which this year marks the 96th anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove; a historic episode now commemorated to honour those who fell in the Gallipoli campaign and preserve the legacy of the Anzac spirit.
President of the Whitsunday/Airlie Beach RSL sub branch Terry Brown said close to 1,000 people attended the dawn service in Cannonvale, with similarly large crowds gathering in Proserpine.
Although Anzac Day pays homage to the sacrifices of the past its relevance to the present is no less significant, as modern society continues to rely on service men and women for the provision of peace-keeping and disaster relief services.
Guest speaker Flight Lieutenant Dave NcCarron reminded Whitsunday crowds that serving a nation takes many forms.
"The support of family and friends is also part of the Anzac spirit," he said.
Lest we forget.

Do the Whitsundays

Whitsunday Tourism Operators are about to be offered another bite of the social media promotion cherry, when a new campaign called 'Do the Whitsundays' launches in June.
The independently organised campaign is the brainchild of long-time local Phillip Batty, who came up with a 'best holiday in the world' as opposed to a 'best job'.
Competitors stand to win one of two Whitsunday holidays worth roughly $25,000 each, comprising an action-packed itinerary of 74 components in keeping with the 74 island wonders theme.
Mr Batty said the campaign will be run predominantly through an application on facebook.
"All you have to do is enter, 'like' the page and you're in. The more friends you share it with the more entires you get. Basically the more times your name is in the hat the more chance it has of being pulled out," he said.
To read more on this story pick up a copy of this week's Whitsunday Coast Guardian, available now from leading news agencies, service stations, Coles (Cannonvale) and the Chapman St office in Proserpine.