new aquatic centre to open in april - gympie council...infrastructure services phone: 0429 231 516...

LADY OF THE MARY STATUE UNVEILED

Australia Day AwardsCOVER STORY:

OUR REGION OUR FOCUS

THE MARY VALLEY RATTLER GETS THE GO AHEAD

New Aquatic Centre to open in April

Your CouncillorsCr Mick Curran, Mayor

Portfolio: Governance, Finance, Disaster Management

Phone: 0417 959 331Email: [email protected]

Cr Mark McDonald, Division 1

Portfolio: Planning and DevelopmentPhone: 0439 001 170Email: [email protected]

Cr Glen Hartwig, Division 2

Portfolio: Economic DevelopmentPhone: 0437 722 931Email: [email protected]

Cr Mal Gear, Division 3

Portfolio: Business ActivitiesPhone: 0437 477 245Email: [email protected]

Cr Daryl Dodt, Division 4

Portfolio: Environmental Sustainability and Special Projects


Cr Dan Stewart, Division 5

Portfolio: Social WellbeingPhone: 0499 081 404Email: [email protected]

Cr Hilary Smerdon, Division 6

Portfolio: Water and Sewerage, Waste Management


Cr Bob Leitch, Deputy Mayor Division 7

Portfolio: Infrastructure ServicesPhone: 0429 231 516Email: [email protected]

Cr James Cochrane, Division 8

Portfolio: Tourism, Sport and RecreationPhone: 0499 080 398Email: [email protected]

Welcome to the first edition of ‘The Round Up’ for 2017.

Firstly I hope you and your families have been making the most of all the enjoyment that comes along with summer in this wonderful part of Australia. Council is looking forward to bringing many new facilities and services to the Gympie Region in the months to come.

A year-long salute has begun as we celebrate 150 years (G150). The year kicked off with our Australia Day celebrations where thousands of locals and visitors attended the hot summer day of fun and festivities at Nelson Reserve and we look forward to bringing you many more G150 events throughout the year. We also recently unveiled the Lady of the Mary Statue in Mary Street which signifies an important part of Gympie’s flood history.

There is something very exciting just around the corner with the opening of the Aquatic Recreation Centre in April. The final touches are underway and it is truly going to be an amazing facility for everyone in the community to enjoy.

At Council we will continue to focus on jobs creation and economic development with tourism highlighted as a major contributor to our region’s future growth. Initiatives such as the Mary Valley Rattler and River to Rail Trail projects are focused towards bringing people to the region. So, in presenting you with this issue of The Round-Up, we celebrate this region and its bright future.

Mayor Mick Curran

A message from Mayor Mick Curran

PAGE 2 THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017

Australia Day AwardsCitizen of the YearMarlene Owen

Community Event of the YearLittle Kids Day Out

Citizen of the YearMarlene Owen

Youth Sports AwardJarred Brook

Cultural AwardJamie-Lee Griffiths

Young Citizen of the Year Mikaela Calvert

Sports Administration AwardDarren Burns

Youth Cultural AwardEliza Parker

PAGE 3

Contents

Our newest citizens

01 Your Councillors

02 A message from Mayor Mick Curran

03 Australia Day Awards

04 Mary Valley Rattler

05 Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre

06 River to Rail Trail

06 Stage 1 - G150

07 Snapper

08 G150 Celebrations

09 Our region ... our focus

10 Youth precinct and play space

10 Lady of the Mary

11 Meet the staff

12 What’s on

Back from left: Deputy Mayor Bob Leitch, Helen Armitage, Flavia Burley, Raphael Man Ka Cheung, Sukhbir Singh Sarjit Singh Dhillon, Claudia Granshaw and Geoffrey Karley, Mayor Mick Curran.

Front: Maria Sinclair, Corinna Cervone, K Sameer Singh Dhillon, Samuel Cook and Charlotte Pegues.

THE ROUND-UP

Editorial Nicole Davis / Melissa Boully

Design Jennifer Wohlk

Produced By Gympie Regional Council Town Hall, 2 Caledonian Hill, Gympie 1300 307 800 [email protected]

PAGE 3THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017

Citizen of the Year - Marlene Owen

How do you feel about receiving this award?It is a privilege and an honor. I feel very humbled about this award. I’m certainly not in it for the recognition; I’m here for my community.

What do you love about Gympie?We are in the middle of paradise! Gympie is such a genuine, sharing community and so close to the beautiful beaches.

If you could describe to a younger Gympie resident, what’s great about volunteering?It’s all about giving and receiving. The experience that comes along with volunteering is very rewarding.

Mary Valley Rattler


Stage One of the Mary Valley Rattler Steam Train revitalisation is set to go head in Gympie’s 150th year with the announcement of a funding commitment from the Queensland Government’s ‘Works for Queensland’ program.

this project on track. Stage One of the project will include getting the Mary Valley Rattler up and running from Gympie to Amamoor and vice versa and Council will then explore the feasibility of the train continuing to Imbil for Stage Two.

The first steps of the project include:• Review and replacement of track

sleepers in need of repair• Review and remediation of the

existing bridges and crossings• Development of a Rail Food and

Shopping precinct at Gympie Station• Working with the Amamoor,

Monkland and Dagun Communities.

The Mary Valley Rattler will be transformed into a professional tourism attraction .

The revitalised Mary Valley Rattler will be transformed into a professional tourism attraction with the potential to generate significant economic benefits for the region.

Departing Gympie’s fully restored heritage station, the Rattler will carry passengers over the Mary River and through the fertile Mary Valley, traversing the gentle curves and gradients of the line before arriving some 45 minutes later in the picturesque village of Amamoor.

Council has been working closely with the Queensland Government and the Rattler Rail Company Board to get

Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre

Final touches are commencing on the ARC which is due for opening in April. Council is excited as it prepares to launch a state of the art aquatic centre in Queensland.

Along with providing an amazing recreational centre for locals all year round, we are excited that Gympie will now have an Aquatic Recreation Centre with all the features needed to host regional competitions and bring a new group of visitors to the Gympie Region.

Gympie Regional Council is gearing up for the grand opening of the new Aquatic Recreation Centre (ARC) with a free open day for the community on Saturday 1 April 2017.

The ARC will include a two tube waterslide, a zero depth splash play area, 25m eight lane heated indoor pool, a 50m outdoor pool, fitness centre, cafeteria, grandstand and plenty of shade.

This project has created 270 jobs whilst in construction and will provide up to 50 jobs ongoing. Well experienced local, Courtney Murphy has been appointed as the manager and is currently recruiting staff from over 300 applications for all positions from café staff to life guards.

The new Gympie Aquatic

Recreation Centre is due to open in

April 2017!


River to Rail Trail

Locally grown

Council has commenced preliminary planning for a walking trail centrally located and surrounding the Mary River.

This scenic link will be a tourism highlight and provide picturesque scenery whilst highlighting the region’s heritage through landmarks such as the historic Rattler Railway Complex and Lady of the Mary Statue. The trail will also incorporate the Mary River, the Gympie Weir and Deep Creek Conservation area.

The trail will create an active recreation and community hub for people of all age groups to explore and create their own connecting memories from the region. Stopping at locations along the trail, visitors and locals will have space for social gatherings and to ‘Meet Mary’.

The landscape concept has now been finalised and detailed trail development planning is now underway.

The announcement of ‘Works for Queensland’ funding sees the first stage of the program happen during the G150 year.

Planning is underway for a walking trail along the Mary River.

Method

In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, shallot and red chilli to a paste.

Mix in the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar, then add the beans and pound gently without losing their shape. Add the papaya, tomatoes, prawns and macadamias and mix gently to combine. Mix in half of the coriander leaves.

Season the Red Emperor fillets with chilli and lime salt and grill in a pan or on a BBQ until just cooked through.

Arrange the salad on 4 plates and top each with a coral trout fillet. Pour over the excess dressing and sprinkle with the remaining coriander leaves.


Chef and Gympie Region Food Ambassador Matt Golinski shares on of his favourite recipes using local produce - Tasty Red Emperor

Ingredients

4 x 180g fillets of Red Emperor

1 tsp Limes Chilli and Kaffir Lime Salt

200gm cooked and peeled prawns

1 green paw paw, peeled and shredded

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bunch snake beans or small green beans

2 tbs roasted macadamias, roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic

1 shallot

1 red chilli

2 tbs fish sauce

2 tbs lime juice

1 tbs palm sugar

¼ cup coriander leaves

Snapper

PAGE 7

Have you been snapped while out and about in the region?

THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017

G150 Celebrations

The G150 year will not only celebrate the beginnings of the town but the many achievements of the region and its people over the past 150 years.

This will include a celebration of some of our great politicians, sports stars, scientists and entertainers. During this wonderful year-long salute, the Gympie Region will be hosting community-led festivals, events and concerts, and exciting exhibitions and activities that explore our community’s rich heritage and celebrate the evolution of our great town.

The events kick off with a huge celebration on 26 January at Nelson Reserve and will culminate in a ‘Get Back to Gympie’ event which will take place on the long weekend 30 September to 2 October. This event targets anyone who has ever ‘Lived, Loved and Laughed’ in Gympie.

The weekend will host an inaugural Gala Dinner – themed ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’, school and club reunions and a community concert and food festival. Residents will be encouraged to reach out to family and friends, inspiring them to come back to Gympie that weekend to catch up and celebrate.

As further developments of these wonderful historic celebrations unfold, they will be posted to the Council’s G150 web page https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/g150 and our G150 Facebook event page. Please continue to visit these sites for up to date information and join us in celebrating and promoting our beautiful region.


Our region ... our focus

Feature – new businesses in the region

Council has set its sights on making the region the envy of the state and encouraging residents, tourists and business operators to experience the diversity of our beautiful region. Our region is being increasingly recognised as a vibrant, growing part of regional Queensland and if you live here or visit you can’t help but notice the positive changes, and the opportunities they present.

Confidence is high in our business community which is reflected in our regional economy growing at a greater

Kia Ora Lime Farm From the Gunshop Café in Brisbane to a picturesque lime farm at Kia Ora, Jason and Sarah have moved to the area to provide an all-round lifestyle for their family. “With the Bruce Highway upgrade and proposed Noosa to Rainbow Beach sealed road plans, we believe this area is truly destined to be

one of the next areas for substantial growth,” says Jason. They moved here to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and wanted to find somewhere that provided a country lifestyle for their family but still had potential for good growth and investment.


rate than the Queensland average*. Council’s Economic Development Unit works closely with business operators and those looking to move to our region and can provide regional business and industry details, statistics and contacts to help ensure they have access to the assistance and services they need.

Entrepreneurs and innovators in the region are set to benefit from an innovative program, StartUP Gympie Region and Gympie is also gearing up for a GourMAY experience during eat local month in May 2017.

Fresh produce growers markets are also providing a solid testing ground for start up businesses to trial their products in a public sphere.

You can find information about doing business in the Gympie Region at www.gympie.qld.gov.au/business. Subscribe to a monthly Business & Industry e-news update for the region whilst you are there, and stay up to date by following Gympie Regional Council Economic Development on Facebook.*Source – Lawrence Consulting Gympie Region Economic Brief December 2014.

Rainbow Beach HelicoptersGlen and Diana recently started Rainbow Beach Helicopters and offer a new tourism business for the region. Having spent a lot of time in the area as children, they have moved here from the Kimberly Region of the Northern Territory where they were operating a similar business. It has been Glen and Diana’s dream to come back and share the unique beauty this region has to offer with the thrill and exhilaration a helicopter flight provides. “Rainbow Beach and Double Island Point have always been the best kept secret in South East Queensland and are truly world class destinations” said Diana.

Youth precinct and play space; a precinct for everyone

Lady of the Mary

With considerable growth in youth numbers in Gympie, in particular the age groups 0-4 and 5-9*, Council is considering Stage One of a Youth Precinct and Play Space in the existing memorial pool area which is due for closure in March as the new Aquatic Recreation Centre opens.

Council hopes to create an open air family-friendly youth space that is designed to cater for people of all ages. The proposed concept comprises two main areas, a Youth Precinct and a Regional Play Space and will lend itself towards social events and entertainment.

From skateboarding, scooters and a BMX track to play equipment, an outdoor stage and barbeque areas, this facility will have plenty of shade, parking and amenities.

The Youth Precinct will be right in the heart of the town for everyone to enjoy. Council will be asking the community for feedback through a “Have Your Say” engagement.

*Australian Bureau of Statistics 2015


A significant part of Gympie’s history was recognised recently with the unveiling of the Lady of the Mary Statue. Centrally located in Mary Street, this town feature recognises the naming of the Mary River and consequently years later the naming of Mary Street.

The Lady of the Mary artwork is located at an approximate point which recognises memories of Gympie’s highest flood recorded in 1893. The sculpture represents the Mary River.

The sculpture was created by Australian contemporary artists Gille and Marc. Other public artworks by the highly regarded husband and wife team can be found all over the world including major cities such as Shanghai, New York and Sydney.

Concept plan only

Aleisha – Customer ServiceWhy Gympie Region? Everything I love is here and I feel so lucky this is my home town! I love the beach and the fresh produce markets, and the town has such a great selection of shops and eateries. It’s also great that Gympie still feels like a country town and yet we are so close to Brisbane and Noosa.

About your jobBusy, busy! I’m in the Customer Contact Centre and the team takes an individual average of sixty phone calls each per day, providing counter support to residents, monitoring and managing incoming email enquiries, and directing them towards the correct departments. We help people with enquiries about dog registrations, parks, rates, road maintenance, waste services, water and sewerage issues, and Council-based events or celebrations around town.

What is your favourite place to grab a sandwich for lunch? My favourite is the City Café (Mary Street), as the owner cooks everything from scratch, is a very talented chef, and uses produce from the surrounding areas.

Bree – Officer - Lands ProtectionWhy Gympie Region? I was travelling around Australia a few years ago and saw this job advertised as I travelled through this region. It felt right. Instantly I could see myself living here! I love the scenery, the mountains, reserves and parks; and the proximity to the beach is great.

About your jobI am one of a team of Lands Protection Officers and we focus on sustainable management through pest animal and weed management. We help people become aware that invasive pests can have an effect on everyone. Controlling pests is vital to both the sustainability of our region’s economy and environmental values. We collaborate with many stakeholders and implement strategies to help landholders maximise their production while maintaining the beauty of our region.

What is your favourite place to grab a sandwich for lunch? Currently I’m enjoying the new Café on Lady Mary Terrace “Cosmic Café” – not for a sandwich though, I like it for its great local raw produce, mostly organic and gluten free, with a nice strong coffee, a small tasty menu and homely atmosphere.

Christine – Roads Maintenance Why Gympie Region? I moved to Gympie in the late 80’s from rural NSW when my Dad was moved here for work and I’ve stayed ever since. It’s so central to everything, the beach and the bush.

About your jobWe work hard and the crew is great, they really are a great bunch of people to work with. I’m a grader operator and we spend most of the year grading and maintaining rural roads everywhere in the area as well as maintaining the shoulders of sealed roads. Our crew is one of many that is called on with disasters such as floods.

What is your favourite place to grab a sandwich for lunch? I enjoy eating my home-made lunch overlooking Gympie up in the mountains of Wolvi or down by the creeks of Amamoor. I sometimes even have lunch with the goannas at the Mothar Mountain Rock Pools!

Meet the staff


To find out more about these articles or Council activities:

gympie.qld.gov.au

1300 307 800

facebook.com/GympieRegionalCouncil

twitter.com/GympieRegion

instagram.com/GYMPIEREGIONALCOUNCIL

What's on

BUSINESS 4 BREAKFAST - EXPORT 101 Thursday 23 March, 7am - 8am Gunabul Homestead, Power Road, Gympie [email protected] 1300 307 800

GOOMERI SHOW Friday 24 - Sunday 26 March, Goomeri Showgrounds, Cnr Burnett Highway and Laird Street, Goomeri goomerishow.com.au

EASTER ON MARY Wednesday 12 April, 5pm. Mary Street, Gympie www.gympie.qld.gov.au

124TH QUEENSLAND EISTEDDFOD Friday 14 - Sunday 16 April Gympie Civic Centre, 32 Mellor Street, Gympie qld.gympieeisteddfod.com.au

WIDGEE COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL Friday 21 - Sunday 23 April Widgee Bushmans Bar, Upper Widgee Road, Widgee www.facebook.com/WidgeeCountryMusicClubInc

EAT LOCAL MONTH - GourMAY 1 - 31 May, Gympie Region www.gympie.qld.gov.au

GYMPIE GARDEN EXPO Saturday 6 - Sunday 7 May, 8am - 4pm Gympie Showgrounds, Exhibition Road, Gympie gympiegardenexpo.com.au

GYMPIE DISTRICT SHOW Thursday 18 - Saturday 20 May, 9am - 10pm Gympie Showgrounds, Exhibition Road, Gympie gympieshow.com.au

GYMPIE REGIONAL CAREERS EXPO Thursday 25 May, 10am - 2pm The Pavilion, Exhibition Road, Gympie www.gympie.qld.gov.au

GOOMERI PUMPKIN FESTIVAL Sunday 28 May, from 6am. Goomeri www.goomeripumpkinfestival.com.au

GROWERS MARKETS 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month, Memorial Park, Gympie www.gympie.qld.gov.au

THE ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2017PAGE 12

1867 ~ 2017

Celebrating 150 years of Gympie

new aquatic centre to open in april - gympie council...infrastructure services phone: 0429 231 516...

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