» 2020
Read the Dec20/Jan21 Holiday Edition of Best Of Local Moreton Bay.
To subscribe and have the magazine delivered to your inbox once a month and for advertising enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
After last summer’s fires destroyed vast tracts of bushland across eastern Australia, USC’s Detection Dogs for Conservation team spent many days searching for surviving koalas using heat-seeking drones and the now world-famous USC x International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) koala detection dog Bear.
The detection dogs team, which was co-founded in 2015 by USC researchers Associate Professor Celine Frere and Dr Romane Cristescu, searched for koalas across more than 5,000 hectares of land in partnership with IFAW.
Dr Cristescu said the team was now bracing itself for another long summer of scouring scorched bushland.
“While it is unlikely that we will see bushfires to the scale of last year, we are still preparing for multiple fires that can impact many hectares of koala habitat during the next fire season – especially, this year, Queensland has higher than average risk of bushfires,” Dr Cristescu said.
“We expect we might be called upon, with our partners at IFAW, by different wildlife rescue groups, to help them locate koalas – as with drones and dogs we can find many koalas that otherwise can escape the naked human eye. And in places such as QLD and NSW, where populations are already declining, every koala counts.
“Last year we found koalas struggling with and dying from burns, dehydration and malnutrition weeks after the fires had been contained, and we were able to find help for them. That is why we are preparing now for the 2020-2021 season.”
Bear, whose skills last year caught the attention of Hollywood actor Tom Hanks, is one of a team of USC detection dogs.
He has been specially trained to sniff out koalas by the scent of their fur, which enabled the team last fire season to locate more than 100 koalas, many of which needed help and were rescued.
IFAW wildlife campaigner Josey Sharrad said post-fire wildlife rescue was critical to koala survival.
“Bear was our secret weapon during these fires. His ability to smell what we can’t see was crucial to locating survivors,” she said.
“Many of the koalas that were rescued have now been released back into the wild after months of rehabilitation. With over 6,000 koalas perishing in New South Wales alone last bushfire season, every one that we can save counts towards the future survival of the species.”
This work by USC’s Detection Dogs for Conservation and IFAW is supported by Wildcare, Qld Koala Crusaders, AZWH, Friends of the Koalas, Jali Aboriginal Land Council, Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Two Thumbs Wildlife Trust, Australian National University, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Vets for Compassion and the Native Animal Rescue Group.
Read the November 2020 edition of Best Of Local Moreton Bay.
To subscribe and have the magazine delivered to your inbox once a month and for advertising enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
Read the October 2020 edition of Best Of Local Moreton Bay.
To subscribe and have the magazine delivered to your inbox once a month and for advertising enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
Read the September 2020 edition of Best Of Local Moreton Bay.
To subscribe to have the magazine delivered to your inbox once a month and for all advertising enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use the left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
Read the August 2020 edition of Best Of Local Moreton Bay.
To subscribe and have the magazine delivered to your inbox once a month and for advertising enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
Read the July 2020 edition of Best Of Local Moreton Bay.
To subscribe, have the magazine delivered to your inbox once a month or for advertising enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
Read the May 2020 edition of Best Of Local, Moreton Bay.
To have the magazine delivered to your inbox every month and for all other enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
On Wednesday 22nd April our new Mayor and 12 Local Councillors officially took office with seven of the thirteen Council positions having new representation.
The newly elected Mayor and Councillors could not meet as a group due to social distancing requirements.
Councillors took the Declaration of Office in front of CEO Greg Chemello, on a rotation spaced 15 minutes apart.
The new Moreton Bay Regional Council is:
(Newly elected representatives highlighted)
Mayor: Peter Flannery
Division 1: Brooke Savige
Division 2: Mark Booth
Division 3: Adam Hain
Division 4: Jodie Shipway
Division 5: Sandra Ruck
Division 6: Karl Winchester
Division 7: Denise Sims
Division 8: Mick Gillam
Division 9: Cath Tonks
Division 10: Matt Constance
Division 11: Darren Grimwade
Division 12: Tony Latter
“Having met with all our councillors to discuss their priorities and ideas for our region, I’m pleased that they are collectively focused on the immediate need for financial support and economic recovery, as our region fights to come back from coronavirus.
“I’m very pleased to have six returning councillors bringing their experience back to the chamber, and six new councillors bringing fresh ideas with them.
“I’d particularly like to welcome our three new female Councillors – Jodie Shipway (Div 4), Sandra Ruck (Div 5) and Cath Tonks (Div 9) – increasing female representation in our team of 12 up to five alongside Brooke Savige (Div 1) and Denise Sims (Div 7).
“I also want to thank the community for putting their faith in me to lead through this uncertain time.
“When we started this campaign, we didn’t know we’d be hit with the global pandemic that is COVID-19. So, locals have certainly made the right choice in electing an experienced councillor and a safe set of hands. That’s critically important at an uncertain time like this.
“I promise locals that my door and the door of every councillor you have elected will always be open to people who have their hearts in this community and have ideas on how we can get through this challenging time together.”
“We may be living in uncertain times and no one knows what the world will look like on the other side, but between the experience of our returning councillors and the fresh ideas of our new councillors, I think we already have the foundations for success.
“My door will always be open to anyone who has ideas on how we can do things differently here in Moreton Bay Region.”
Mayor Flannery said that the community had to be at the heart of every economic, strategic, and stimulus decision they make in the Chamber and he has committed to leading an open and accountable Council that’s united in its focus on economic recovery.
Facebook Post
Read the May 2020 edition of Best Of Local, Moreton Bay.
To subscribe and have the magazine delivered to your inbox once a month and for advertising enquiries, visit – https://www.bestoflocal.com.au/qld/moretonbay/
Use left and right arrows to flick through and double click the page to zoom.
The Federal Government bailout will cost an estimated $1.6 billion to assist the struggling industry and provide some relief to families, many of whom have taken their kids out of care.
Under the plan, the Federal Government will pay half of the operating costs of Australia’s 13,000 childcare and early learning centres.
Federal Education Minister, Dan Tehan said, “If parents have an existing relationship with a childcare centre, they will get free childcare. We want as many people able to work as we possibly can and we want them to be able to access childcare as they need to make sure their children are being looked after while they are working and helping us deal with the Coronavirus pandemic.”
“We want to ensure your childcare centre will remain open so that where you normally take your child to get cared for, that will be there for you so you are not looking to have to go to a new centre.”
Back to post:
Weather agencies have been struggling to provide an accurate forecast on which areas will be impacted and exactly when the rain will hit but the consensus now appears to have been reached.
Issued by the Bureau OF Meteorology at 12:52 pm EST on Wednesday 5 February 2020.
Minor flooding is possible from Thursday across parts of the Flood Watch area.
South east coastal catchments: Heavy rainfall that was expected during Wednesday is now likely to commence Thursday morning and continue through to Thursday night. Some heavy falls are possible particularly in the south. Unsettled conditions will continue into the weekend with further showers and thunderstorms expected.
Southern inland catchments: Persistent widespread showers, thunderstorms and rain areas are expected over southern inland catchments during Wednesday and are likely to continue into the weekend. Locally heavy falls are possible.
Catchments in the Flood Watch area have received rainfall over the last few weeks so will respond to heavy rainfall.
Riverine flooding is possible from Thursday, particularly coastal catchments where the heaviest rainfall is expected. Several days of showers and thunderstorms over inland catchments may cause river level rises into the weekend.
Localised flooding and minor disruption to transport routes is possible throughout the Flood Watch area.
Catchments likely to be affected include:
Pine and Caboolture Rivers
Upper Brisbane River
Lower Brisbane River
(Specifically the Bremer River, Warrill Creek and Brisbane Creeks)
Logan and Albert Rivers
Gold Coast Rivers and Creeks
Condamine Rivers
Macintyre River
Weir River
Moonie River
Balonne River
Wallam and Mungallala Creeks
Warrego River (QLD)
Paroo River (QLD)
(Covered by an existing flood warning)
Bulloo River (QLD)
Flooding is no longer expected in the following catchments: Mary River, Noosa River, Sunshine Coast Rivers and Creeks.
