If you’re keen to join other women from our region for the second annual International Women’s Day breakfast at Cassis Restaurant, you’ll need to be quick.
The breakfast, being held on 8 March 2017, still has tickets available on eventbrite but organisers say ticket sales have been moving quickly, and the event is likely to fill well before the 20 February closing date.
The inaugural breakfast in 2016 was used to launch the Dr Ellen Mary Kent Hughes Memorial Scholarship. Dr Ellen Mary Kent Hughes became Queensland’s first female councillor when she was elected to the Kingaroy council in 1923. The scholarshipwill support a local woman to embark on tertiary education by way of a $5,000 grant. The committee will announce the recipient of the first scholarship at the March IWD breakfast, and will invite applications for the 2017 round of this important regional grant for women.
This year’s speaker is local State Member for Nanango, Deputy Leader of the LNP and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, State Development and Trade and Investment, Deb Frecklington, who is also one of the key sponsors of the scholarship and IWD breakfast. South Burnett Women acknowledges the important contributions of sponsors, which also include SBcare, Swickers and Sun Pork Fresh Foods. The committee continues to seek corporate sponsorship from the community and welcomes further expressions of interest from the business community.
Deb Frecklington is highly supportive of the aims of South Burnett Women, saying “”South Burnett Women are a terrific organisation truly dedicated to supporting women in our region, and encouraging our young women to become the best they can be.”
“As a working woman from country Queensland, I know how important it is to have people who support and encourage you along the way, so I’m really looking forward to the Breakfast and finding out the winner of the first Scholarship,” she said.
The organisation was also successful in their application for a Queensland Women’s Week grant. The grant, auspiced by Red Earth Foundation, will benefit female students in year 10 through their participation in the Enlighten Education South Burnett Road Show 2017. This program works with the young women to develop self-reliance and resilience and to build self-confidence. Support for Enlighten in the South Burnett has also come from our very own four female local government councillors – Crs Roz Frohloff, Danita Potter, Kathy Duff and Ros Heit – the Lions Club Kingaroy and Stanwell Corporation. The committee acknowledges the support of their partners in this new and exciting program for the region. Enlighten will roll out across the South Burnett in March 2017.
Applications for The Dr Ellen Mary Kent Hughes Memorial Scholarshipwill open mid 2017.
The LNP welcomes Minister Frydenberg’s decision to approve the New Acland coal mine stage 3 project.
Workers, their families and the local community are one step closer to a more certain future.
The Palaszczuk Labor Government now needs to listen to locals and issue the mining lease, the environmental authority and the water licence for this important project.
Labor has been dragging its feet on the New Acland stage 3 project including imposing a new, duplicative approval process.
With hundreds of jobs at stake, the future of many Queensland families is dependent on this project proceeding.
Pauline Hanson’s plan to halve the number of electorates and reinstate the Upper House or Senate will be disastrous for regional Queensland.
It will mean regional Queenslanders have less representation and their voices will be drowned out even further.
Regional Queenslanders need a bigger voice, not a smaller one.
Regional Queenslanders don’t want larger electorates and less representation, they want equal representation.
Queensland needs better government not more government.
They certainly don’t need a bunch of Senators who are voted in as a result of back-room deals and are unaccountable to the people they are meant to serve.
The last thing Queensland needs is to import the political problems and chaos seen in Canberra.
Queensland’s unique one-house system isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength.
Remember, it was Labor who abolished Queensland’s Upper House during the 1920s.
It’s interesting that the only people calling for the reinstatement of an Upper House in Queensland are those self-interested politicians.
I will continue to stand up for regional Queensland and call out those self-interested politicians when I see it.
Queenslanders want politicians more focused on creating jobs rather than making their jobs easier.
Enough is enough, we need to start talking about the real issues that matter to Queenslanders.
Deb Frecklington
Deputy Opposition Leader
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington says everyone in the South Burnett town of Blackbutt was celebrating when the life-size bronze statue immortalising Australian tennis great, Roy Emerson was officially unveiled.
Mrs Frecklington said Roy Emerson was born on dairy farm just a few kilometres from Blackbutt and called Blackbutt home before he began his tennis career.
“This is an historic and momentous occasion for the small regional town of Blackbutt as they honour their home-grown hero, Roy Emerson,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Volunteers from the Blackbutt & District Tourism and Heritage Assoc deserve an enormous congratulations for their commitment to commissioning the statue and their daily commitment to staffing the Roy Emerson Museum.
“They have done an amazing job in raising funding for the statue, which will provide locals and tourists with an insight into this wonderfully talented tennis player and his connection to Blackbutt and the South Burnett.
“The group were successful in securing a $35,000 Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant, along with more than $37,000 pledged through various local groups and individuals.
“They also partnered with Tennis Qld, Tennis Australia and Mr Peter Rasey of Frew Park (formerly Milton Tennis Centre) in Brisbane to ensure the project had as much support as possible.
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s slash and burn regime over country racing continues after she threw country bookies under the bus in favour of multinational corporates.
Deputy Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said Labor’s refusal to enforce a minimum bet limit for corporate bookmakers meant there was an uneven playing field in Queensland, particularly for country bookies.
“We’ve heard a lot of discussion about the introduction of a minimum bet limit in Queensland but it seems the Labor Government and Racing Queensland have kicked that into the too hard basket,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Unlike the major racing states of Victoria and New South Wales, Queensland will continue to have an uneven playing field, which is bad news for punters and the Queensland industry as a whole.
“At the same time, Labor is reducing the fees corporate bookies have to pay and undermining the entire funding model for the Queensland racing industry.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk continues to favour a handful of large multinational corporate bookmakers who aren’t based here and don’t pay tax here.
“The industry is being ripped off by Labor’s bad racing policies.”
Ms Frecklington said the racing industry supports up to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, generates $3.5 billion in wagering turnover that injected over $200 million back into the racing industry in 2015/16.
“Not only does country racing make a massive financial contribution, it plays an important role in building the social fabric of many rural and regional communities across the state,” she said.
“Labor’s policies will make it unviable for country bookies to operate and without them, there is no country racing.
“This is a decision that will cost jobs, force punters interstate and funnel money out of the Queensland racing industry.”
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington says the South Burnett town of Blackbutt will be celebrating on Wednesday 18th January when they officially unveil a life-size bronze statue immortalising Australian tennis great, Roy Emerson.
Mrs Frecklington said Roy Emerson was born on dairy farm just a few kilometres from Blackbutt and called Blackbutt home before he began his tennis career.
“This is an historic and momentous occasion for the small regional town of Blackbutt as they honour their home-grown hero, Roy Emerson,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Volunteers from the Blackbutt & District Tourism and Heritage Assoc deserve an enormous congratulations for their commitment to commissioning the statue and their daily commitment to staffing the Roy Emerson Museum.
“They have done an amazing job in raising funding for the statue, which will provide locals and tourists with an insight into this wonderfully talented tennis player and his connection to Blackbutt and the South Burnett.
“The group were successful in securing a $35,000 Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant, along with more than $37,000 pledged through various local groups and individuals.
“They also partnered with Tennis Qld, Tennis Australia and Mr Peter Rasey of Frew Park (formerly Milton Tennis Centre) in Brisbane to ensure the project had as much support as possible.
“I am extremely proud of what has been achieved by Blackbutt and look forward to officially unveiling the statue on the 18th,” Deb said.
ENDS…
Details for Unveiling of the Roy Emerson Statue
When: Wednesday 18th January at 1pm – 2pm
Where: Roy Emerson Museum, Cnr Hart St and Bowman Road, (adjacent to the Rail Trail near the Showgrounds).
Special Guests:
Background on Roy Emerson
Roy Stanley Emerson was born in Blackbutt, and is a former No. 1 tennis player who won 12 Major singles titles and 16 Grand Slam tournament men's doubles titles.
He is the only male player to have completed a Career Grand Slam (winning titles at all four Grand Slam events) in both singles and doubles.His 28 major titles are an all-time record for a male amateur player.Roy Emerson is the first male player to win each amateur major title at least twice in his career.He is one of only seven men to win all four majors in his career. He was the first male player to win 12 majors and win 6 Australian Championships.He won five of them consecutively (1963–67).Emerson is only one of five tennis players all-time to win multiple slam sets
Roy was born on a dairy farm at Nukku, a small farming district a few kilometres from Blackbutt. The old Nukku School, where Roy completed his primary years has become a museum after being relocated to alongside the rail trail in Blackbutt in 2011 and subsequently renamed Roy Emerson Museum.
The Blackbutt & District Tourism & Heritage Assoc commissioned a Life Size, Bronze Statue to honour Roy and will be situated adjacent to the Roy Emerson Museum, in Blackbutt.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington says asphalt resurfacing works have commenced on a major Kingaroy thoroughfare.
Mrs Frecklington said the roadworks will improve the road surface for motorists approaching Kingaroy on the D’Aguilar Highway near Mitre 10 and will continue to Avoca Street.
“Sections along approximately 1.65km of the road will be resurfaced, helping to improve the main entrance into Kingaroy from the D’Aguilar Highway,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The works commenced on 11 January and will take about two weeks to complete (weather permitting) and all works will occur between 6pm and 6am.
“There will be some partial lane closures and detours for the safety of motorists and roadworkers, however the finished product will greatly improve the road surface for everyone.
“There are also two electronic message boards which will keep motorists updated with the progress of the works and any changes to completion dates,” Deb said.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington says the official opening of Nanango’s new Police Station was a very proud moment for the township of Nanango.
Mrs Frecklington said that as the Local Member, her priority continues to be securing infrastructure and funding for the South Burnett and the completion of the Nanango Police Station was one of those priority projects.
“For years our region was overlooked, and I have made it my goal to make sure our regional communities get their fair share,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“It’s my job to always push for services and infrastructure for our region and securing the funding commitment for a new, state-of-the-art police station in Nanango was a huge achievement,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“In 2014 I announced funding had been committed to completely overhaul both the Nanango and Kingaroy Police Stations. Today’s official opening is a fantastic outcome for our region and it makes me really proud to know that Nanango now has such an amazing new facility.
“Our police officers in Nanango did a remarkable job in what was a very old and run down building, so they thoroughly deserve this new station,” Deb said.
Photo: Deb celebrated the opening of the new Station with staff who work at Nanango.
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s third Police Minister in less than two years, Mark Ryan, has decided the best response to a Parliamentary e-petition on Category D weapon restrictions is to host a “firearms forum” in early 2017.
After nearly two years of inaction, it’s too little, too late, Minister.
A closed-door roundtable with select invitees isn’t the kind of consultation about weapons policy that sporting shooters, dealers, recreational shooters and primary producers have so desperately needed.
Unlike Labor, which dances to the tune of inner city greenies and is out of touch with regional Queensland, the LNP has been in continual discussion with these groups.
Issues such as the classification of the Adler shotgun, category H licensing renewals and stronger penalties for gun crime have been at the forefront of this debate over the past two years and Labor has been missing in action.
Under Annastacia Palaszczuk, the police portfolio has been a game of musical chairs.
This kind of tokenism is exactly why the shooting community is fed up with Labor.
They do one thing in Canberra and say another thing when they meet with shooters in Queensland.
The LNP doesn’t take its riding instructions from Canberra and we will do what is in the best interests of Queenslanders.
That’s why proper consultation is so important and unlike Labor, we respect the rights of the 190,000 licensed firearm owners in Queensland.
The Palaszczuk Labor Government should be focusing their attention on criminality and non-compliance rather than law abiding firearm owners who do the right thing.
Deb Frecklington - Deputy Opposition Leader
