Arabian Prince visits cyclone shelter site at Proserpine School

 Just like in a children’s fairytale, a crowned prince from a far away land touched down in Proserpine late yesterday afternoon bearing a gift for the Whitsundays that would unite two nations forever.

 In a scene that made you proud to be Australian, his royal highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan from the United Arab Emirates was welcomed by a sea of Australian and UAE flags held proudly and excitedly by Proserpine State Primary School students who sat collectively to form the letters U, A and E - visible from the helicopter.

 Sheikh Abdullah and his entourage made an historic stopover in Proserpine for the official turning of the sod for the new cyclone shelter, which will be built on the school grounds within 12 months.

 Deputy Premier Andrew Fraser, Local member Jan Jarratt and Mayor Mike Brunker were also there to welcome the distinguished guest.

 "Our relationship with Queensland stretches beyond the government. We want to be friends with you," His Highness Abdullah said.

 "It’s true we come from very different societies and cultures, we talk different and the colour of our skin is different, but there are also great similarities. We all love kids … and we all love you … you are our future," he told the students.

 The Sheikh heard from Major General RG Wilson who heads up the recovery task force who spoke of the restoration process in Queensland.

 "22 lives were lost, three quarters of Queensland was declared a disaster zone and 2-and-a-half million people were in the disaster area. But we are on our way to recovery and I thank you on behalf of everyone in Queensland for your generous donation," Major RG Wilson said.

 School captains Timothy Hines, Logan Donadelli, Darcy Pepper and Dana Madeley then gave personal accounts of their harrowing time during the last wet season, with Tim’s recollection of the landslide.

 "We were lucky to get out alive. Amazingly the mudslide was diverted somewhere a bit further up the mountain but we had mud and rocks through our home for weeks.

 "We were cut off for three days from town," he told the prince.

 "The facility will not only be a cyclone shelter but a hall for the entire community," the captains said.

 The Proserpine State Primary School band played the national anthems for the two nations, which drew applause from the prince before he was invited to officially turn the sod for the new centre.

 Deputy premier Andrew Fraser told the crowd that this was the beginning of a great friendship.

 "We have a saying here in Australia …that you discover who your true friends are in times of need … and it was during the cyclone that this friendship was formed," he said.

Whitsundays briefed on cyclone season ahead

 Whitsunday Regional Council’s CEO John Finlay was one of a number of attendees at Friday’s Queensland Tropical Cyclone Consultative Committee (QTCCC) workshop in Airlie Beach. Mr Finlay and other representatives from local government and disaster management agencies were able to hear firsthand from a panel of experts, including Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), who all gave advice on preparing for the season ahead. 

 “It’s absolutely tremendous to have all the different departments and agencies in one room advising and telling us of their roles, that from a council perspective, we include in our disaster management plans,” Mr Finlay said.

 “Ultimately it’s about having all of the information so that in the event of a disaster we are 100 per cent prepared,” he said.

 Mr Finlay said the overall message was to not be complacent.

 “Adhere to all the warnings – the preparations with batteries and food etc – those things are so important,” he said.

 Mr Finlay also said the forthcoming cyclone shelters would be a “plus” for the region.

 “It’s really positive to have those types of facilities constructed here and in terms of evacuation centres we are lucky we’ve got a lot of buildings in the region that can be quickly converted (into evacuation centres), so we’re well catered for in the event of a disaster.”

 Regional Director for BOM Jim Davidson gave a presentation on the outlook for the forthcoming season, saying the weather pattern was “trending” towards a La Nina.

 “The jury is still out. The experts are still undecided as to what’s going to happen. It may not become one, but more than likely will,” Mr Davidson said.

 Though a La Nina generally means above average rainfall and the possibility of increased cyclone activity for our tropical coast, Mr Davidson said this did not mean a repeat of last year’s extreme weather events was necessarily correct.

 “No two La Nina’s are the same and we’re a far cry from where we were at this time last year, but we still need to keep our guard up,” he said.

 “Even in a normal wet season, we need to be prepared.”

Premier visits Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine

 Premier Anna Bligh has personally inspected the Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine, to see firsthand how the airport’s upgrade is progressing.

 “This airport is so important because it is the first glimpse of the region and first impressions really count,” Ms Bligh said.

 Ms Bligh said from this week locals would be seeing a big change with the opening of stage one’s new check-in section.

 “The room is modern, filled with light, and spacious. The Whitsundays deserves this upgrade,” she said.

 After the state’s announcement that Abu Dhabi would donate $30 million to flood and cyclone relief, the Premier said discussions were being held this week to determine the best place for a shelter in the Whitsundays.