LNP supports Whitsunday doctor's call for help

There are certain services you just can’t live without. One of them is health.

A Whitsunday doctor - who sees up to 60 patients each day - says the answer to the severe shortage of GPs in regional areas lies in the hands of the federal government.

Principal GP at the 121 Medical Centre in Cannonvale, Dr Yehia
El-Baky, says it’s no longer "humanly possible" to continue working at the rate he and his colleague have been for the past number of years.

"I am not asking for a new doctor, just a replacement after one of my doctors left," says Dr El-Baky who admits he is considering closing his popular practise two days a week because of mounting pressure.

Dr El-Baky says the answer to the doctor shortage right across the nation lies with the federal government’s refusal to relax certain laws that allow overseas practitioners to work in Australia.

"We can’t get Australian doctors … even with the $40,000 incentive to live in regional areas, for some reason they just don’t want to come here. But overseas, there are fully qualified doctors working in service stations, shop fronts, waiting for the okay to come to Australia and practise," he said.

"The government tells us we have about 23,000 people in this region who will need to see a GP, but this is not the actual population. We have 600,000 visitors to the region each year and about 10 per cent of those will need to see a doctor during their visit," he said.

This plight led Dr El-Baky to seek help from the member for Dawson George Christensen who will take a petition to the government outlining the unsustainable situation in the Whitsundays.

"The petition outlines the number of GPs that are overworked, in some instances attending to patients for up to 12 hours a day, and the pressure being placed on the tax-payer funded health system," Mr Christensen said.

The principal petitioner will be Jason Costigan, the LNP candidate for Whitsunday.

"Losing a doctor is of grave concern to many people in regional communities and the Airlie Beach area is no different. I think the good doctor has raised a valid point in saying tourist numbers should also be taken into account, not just the resident population," Mr Costigan said.

"If we keep losing doctors, it can only put more pressure on Proserpine Hospital, hardly an ideal situation."

The petition will be available in a number of surgeries around the Whitsundays.

Whitsunday real estate agents join fight against insurance premium hikes

 Harcourts real estate agents Robyn Tyson (managing director) and Sharon Dewsbury (consultant) have joined the ongoing fight against body corporate insurance premium hikes.

 Ms Tyson said units with outgoings, sometimes in excess of $10,000 a year, were now becoming harder to sell.

 “Traditionally (these types of) units were often taken up by retirees, but what retiree can afford ongoing costs of $10,000 a year on a pension?” Ms Tyson said.

 “I think it is interesting that most of the insurance claims prepared by our office after the cyclones were related to trees down and fencing damage. Homes and in particular units had no damage to remark of. But these are the very clients that have seen their insurances double if not treble as well as rates increase,” she said.

 “How do you convince an investor to purchase a unit or a home when there is such extraordinary fixed costs per year to take on board? Insurance companies should be taking our money and investing wisely so that they can ride the storms so to speak not put up insurance premiums to ensure their profitability.”

 Ms Dewsbury said the current situation was not sustainable, with homeowners now forced to spend existing funds and levies on increased insurance premiums instead of building maintenance and upgrades.

 “There’s simply not enough money to do both. If this isn’t rectified, in the long term we’re going to have an awful lot of shabby buildings that are non-compliant,” Ms Dewsbury said.

 Executive for the Queensland Insurance Division (QUID) of Whitsunday Ratepayers Association (WRA) Lester Riley, said Harcourts was the first real estate agency to speak out.

 Mr Riley said QUID was currently working with federal government representatives but had yet to see any action from the state.

 “Warren Entsch (chief opposition whip) and George Christensen (federal member for Dawson) have responded at a federal government level and are in there fighting for us. Why can’t the state do the same?” he asked.

 Ms Dewsbury said it was now up to homeowners to take a stand.

 “We’ve got locals here in town who own a unit in a body corp, that never go to a body corp meeting and take part.

 “I think we need to bring it to the awareness of REIQ (Real Estate Institute Queensland) and the head offices of franchises like Harcourts Qld, but (essentially) it’s the owners of units that are the ones who need to pull their heads out of the sand and speak out. A real estate agency could then support that,” she said.

 For more information contact lesterriley1@gmail.com

Federal MP George Christensen takes action on insurance premium rises

 The Queensland Insurance Division (QUID) of the Whitsunday Ratepayers Association is starting to achieve recognition and support from key political figures promising to address its cause.

 QUID’s executives Lester Riley, Margaret Shaw and Dave Tindall met with Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen last Friday, with Mr Christensen proposing to put a motion before parliament in just a few short weeks.

 “This is happening all over North Queensland. We’ve had reports (of insurance premium hikes) of anything from 300 per cent to – believe it or not – 800 per cent!

 “We want to take the issue to the ACCC, but there’s a process in doing that. More than that we’re talking about putting a motion before the parliament, which would express the parliament’s will on the issue and leave the government to act,” Mr Christensen said.

 Mr Christensen said it was his understanding that insurers claimed the Queensland market was previously underrated in terms of risk, with the past year’s cyclones and floods prompting a reassessment of that risk.

 “It’s absolutely ridiculous to say that we’re only just realising North Queensland suffers from cyclones,” he said.

 QUID spokesman Lester Riley said in light of the fact there were very few insurance claims made from mainland Whitsundays, he would like to see some sort of ‘no-claims bonus’ apply.

 “There’s no horses for courses – the insurers don’t look at past history and seem to be charging premiums at will,” Mr Riley said.

 In order to assist with the parliamentary motion, Mr Riley is currently compiling a database and wants to hear from “as many body corporate committees as possible, representing multi-level units or resorts, whether they are for tourist or residential use, where the premiums have increased dramatically over the past year”.

 “The information we require is the overall value of the block, the number of units and the percentage increase of the premium,” he said.

 “Confidentiality will be maintained – the figures will only be published as percentages, with no property identification attached.”

 To provide information email lesterriley1@gmail.com

George Christensen to meet Whitsunday residents

 Roads, insurance, and local industry are expected to be the big issues raised with Federal Member for Dawson, George Christensen, this Friday.

 Mr Christensen will be talking with Proserpine and Whitsunday residents this week about issues that concern them and already there has been a strong indication of what those issues are.

 "Roads are top of mind with everyone at the moment," Mr Christensen said.

"Especially in North Queensland where the wet summer really took a toll on our roads, there are problems with the Bruce Highway, main roads and local streets.

 "Roads is an issue for every level of government but, at the Federal level, the Liberal National Party members from electorates along the coast have banded together to push for more work on the Bruce Highway.

 "After the summer we have just had, the importance of our main artery along the coast has been highlighted."

 Mr Christensen is conducting public hearings in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney this week with the carbon tax enquiry.

 "We tried to have a public hearing in Mackay but the plan was rejected by the Labor-Greens alliance," he said.

 "Most people in the Whitsundays are dependent on either sugar or tourism and both these export markets will be affected by the carbon tax.

 "Residents in our region are very concerned about the future of the local economy and uncertainty over the potential sale of the Proserpine mill."

 Residents can arrange a meeting with Mr Christensen by calling the electorate office on 4944 0662.

Tony Abbott visits the Whitsundays

 The leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott made a brief stop in the Whitsundays this week, whilst promoting his anti carbon tax campaign. Mr Abbott took time out from his busy schedule to become an eco-warrior for an afternoon, joining Eco Barge Services director Libby Edge and her trusty band of volunteers in a clean-up mission to South Molle.

 “For me, it was really stunning to see just how much rubbish there was on beaches that to the naked eye at first glance look pretty pristine. It’s really important that we encourage people like Libby,” Mr Abbott said.

 “I think that the Government has neglected direct action on the environment ever since the current government started talking about emissions trading schemes and carbon taxes. Real action to help the environment has been lacking,” he said.

 Mr Abbott told the Guardian that as well as opposing the carbon tax the coalition had plenty of “positive environmental policies”.

 “One of the policies that I’m particularly committed to is the Green Army which is about deploying 15,000 people into environmental hotspots like this to provide the hands-on, practical environmental assistance that appropriate land care for Australia really needs. The Green Army would certainly be available to supplement the work of Libby Edge and her volunteers cleaning up this part of our coastline,” he said.

 Ms Edge, whose Eco Barge program relies on funding, said it was wonderful to take Tony Abbott on a trip and show him first-hand what marine debris is.

 “If Tony can come onboard and support us in protecting our island (which is Australia), from dumping our rubbish into the ocean, protecting our islands and our marine life, that would be a wonderful solution,” she said.

 Yesterday, Mr Abbott also took the opportunity to meet representatives from Tourism Whitsundays and industry leaders, who were keen to ensure the coalition had an understanding of tourism in the region and the challenges currently faced.

 Tourism Whitsunday Chief Executive Officer Peter O’Reilly said discussions included a number of the region’s crucial infrastructure projects, including the Whitsunday Coast Airport, Airlie Beach’s main street and broader issues such as the shortcomings of the Bruce Highway.

 “We were able to point out that the Whitsundays is the most tourism dependent region in Queensland, with Queensland’s greatest concentration of tourism workers. It is great to have recognition from the highest level of alternative government in this country,” Mr O’Reilly said. 

 Executive Secretary for the Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association (WCBIA) Deb Lewis, who attended the meeting, said Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen had taken issues away to address immediately.

 “Tony Abbott was very mindful of our situation, but at the end of the day the proof’s in the pudding,” Ms Lewis said.

 “All politicians can talk rhetoric but it should be about getting results.”

No payments for landslide victims at Hydeaway Bay

Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen has accused Mayor Mike Brunker of undermining landslide victims at Hydeaway Bay.
Mr Christensen said he wrote to the Attorney General in the wake of the landslide, requesting disaster relief payments be made to victims, but Cr Brunker said no one had suffered hardship and therefore payments would not be made.
"Not only is that a slap in the face from their own mayor, it undermines any chance those residents had of compensation for the situation they now find themselves in," Mr Christensen said.
To read the full story pick up a copy of the Whitsunday Coast Guardian, available now from leading news agencies, service stations, Coles (Cannonvale) and the Chapman Street office in Proserpine.

Politicians in the Whitsundays

Popular senator Barnaby Joyce is in the Whitsundays this week urging sugar cane growers to keep the mill in Australian hands.

Accompanied by Federal member for Dawson George Christensen and Shadow minister for regional communications, Luke Hartsuyker, the trio called into the Proserpine Sugar Mill before attending a digital TV talk at Dingo Beach on Tuesday night.

For more on this and other Whitsundays news stories, see the March 16 edition of the Whitsunday Coast Guardian, available at Coles (Cannonvale), leading newsagencies, and the Chapman Street office in Proserpine.