In recent Parliamentary Estimates hearings Labor Agriculture Minister Mark Furner embarrassingly failed to articulate when the promised, and now overdue, cattle tick line review would begin, raising questions around the government’s commitment to this serious issue.*
Liberal National Party Shadow Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett blasted the government for sitting on its hands and failing to properly resource biosecurity measures around cattle tick line enforcement in Queensland.
"Instead of announcing the overdue review, all we have seen is the vague commitment of roadshows with AgForce to start in August," said Mr Perrett.
"Well August is already here and we still don’t have details on when and where these ‘listening’ opportunities will take place.
"The most frustrating thing about this entire process is that we know Labor’s Minister has been sitting on the details now for weeks, but continues to keep graziers in the dark.
"As a grazier and landholder in the ‘ticky’ area, I know firsthand the increased time, hassle and cost associated with managing cattle across the tick line, so I understand people’s passion about this issue."
Mr Perrett said recent reports of tick infestations in ‘clean’ or previously tick-free areas highlight worrying gaps in Biosecurity Queensland’s approach to policing the current tick line.
"If the Minister is fair dinkum about having a tick line then it’s about time he made sure it’s being properly policed and resourced," he said.
"Tick lines should be bread and butter business for the Ag Department, but under this city-centric Labor Government the real issues facing our agriculture sector are ignored."
*page 20 estimates Hansard: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2018/2018_07_25_EstimatesSDC.pdf
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington says it is unacceptable that the South Burnett has been overlooked to host an information forum in preparation for the rollout of the Container Refund Scheme.
Mrs Frecklington said the entire region has been forgotten when it comes to the introduction of this scheme, with the closest forums being in Dalby or Gympie.
"Yet, again, regional areas like ours are being forgotten and this is a perfect example," Mrs Frecklington said.
"It’s unacceptable that people from our region are always expected to travel long distances to access State Government information sessions.
"The Container Refund Scheme should be an important opportunity for our local community groups, P&C’s and other not-for-profits to help their groups fundraise or establish social enterprises, but how can they be involved when in most cases, they won’t be able to make it to one of the forums.
"It’s also unacceptable that the forums are being held so late in the implementation process of the Scheme. It gives groups little time to decide if they wish to be involved, and almost no time to plan for the start of the Scheme on 1st November.
"Our local groups needed this information months ago.
"I’m calling on the State Government and the Minister for Environment, Leanne Enoch, to schedule a forum for the South Burnett and give our region a chance to be involved in this important recycling initiative.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington has personally presented Coolabunia State School Year Six student, Lillian Alexander, with a new Queensland flag for her school.
Mrs Frecklington made a special trip to Coolabunia State School after Ms Alexander wrote to her on behalf of the school about the need for a new flag.
"I was very impressed by Lillian’s letter and the effort she made to write to me and let me know that the old Queensland flag they had was getting a bit worse for wear," Mrs Frecklington said.
"It was lovely to be able to visit Coolabunia and take the opportunity to speak with the Year 5 and Six students and meet Lillian.
"I also wanted to congratulate Mr Johnson on his recent success at the Darling Downs South West Region Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools where he was presented with the award for ‘Principal of the Year’.
"Mr Johnson will now progress through the Showcase Awards process and ultimately to the selection of State Finalists, so I was keen to wish him the best of luck.
Queensland flags are available through Deb Frecklington’s office. If your community group or school needs a new Queensland flag, please call Deb’s office on 4190 7100.
Photos – Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, presents a new Queensland Flag to Year 6 student Lillian Alexander and School Principal Mr Murray Johnson.
Queensland Government department and corporations are enjoying cheaper electricity on soon-to-be obsolete tariffs, while farmers are being told to use more expensive business tariffs.
It has been revealed that more than 761 taxpayer-funded government energy users are using Ergon Energy’s obsolete transitional tariffs (T20, 21, 22, 37, 62, 65 and 66) despite their termination from 1 July 2020.*
The furore over the impending tariff crisis post-2020 has angered Queensland’s farmers and irrigators, with the new business tariffs set to push farm electricity bills even higher putting more pressure on rural and regional businesses.
Liberal National Party Shadow Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett said electricity costs for Queensland farmers remained one of the industry’s unresolved flashpoints.
"The Labor Minister responsible for energy prices has been preaching that farmers should be restructuring their businesses to accommodate the tariff changes post-2020 – but his government is not transitioning because the numbers just don’t add up.**
"You can’t tell farmers to change their energy tariffs, insisting it will be cheaper for them, while not changing over your own accounts.
"Quite obviously the economics behind these business tariffs don’t add up, that’s why both farmers and government departments alike are not transitioning.
"How out of touch is the Minister to be telling farmers to suck it up while refusing to put his own house in order?
"The worst part of this hypocrisy is that the government-owned corporation charged with managing the state’s water assets, SunWater, is still accessing more than 97 obsolete tariffs as they know it’s the only way they can deliver the best price for its irrigation customers."
In 2016, the Queensland Competition Authority identified that there were about 42,000 regional businesses on eight different tariffs classified as transitional or obsolete.
About 17,400 of these connections are for farming and irrigation purposes.
* https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2018/829-2018.pdf
** http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/Hansard/2018/2018_05_02_WEEKLY.pdf#page=23
"….Tariffs 62, 65 and 66 will all be phased out on 1 July 2020. I advise the honourable member that many canegrowers will be better off now under a business tariff. I ask them to please contact their electricity retailer right now, because a lot of them—some 40 per cent of them—would be better off under a business tariff, rather than on the transitional tariff going through…."
Further information:
According to Ergon Energy’s records, a total of 761 national meter identifiers of government departments, statutory authorities and government-owned corporations are on transitional tariffs 20, 21, 22, 37, 62, 65 and 66, across the following:
The hard work and dedication of the Somerset region’s longest serving Justices of the Peace was recognised in a special event hosted by the Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington.
Deb Frecklington held the special event in Esk on 19th July to thank and congratulate 25 Somerset JP’s from within the Nanango Electorate who collectively have served the community for 735 years.
"This is a very special group of people. All have volunteered for more than 25 years to serve the community as a Justice of the Peace, and several have reached the 40 year service milestone," Mrs Frecklington said.
"We also have one award for Mr John O’Keefe of Esk, who has offered his time as a JP for more than 60 years.
"It is so important that we recognise local JP’s, who dedicate so much of their time to supporting members of the community when they need help with documents, at often very important moments of their life," she said.
Shadow Attorney-General and Member for Toowoomba South, David Janetzki, was a special guest at the event and helped present the awards.
"When you add up the years of service this group of JP’s has provided, you can see how important their role is in regional areas like this. It’s obvious they have built a level of trust in the community and people rely on them for guidance and assistance when they need it," Mr Janetzki said.
"They are the quiet achievers," he said.
John O’Keefe, the longest serving JP of the group said he took on the volunteer role in 1952 when he lived in NSW, and was then registered in Queensland in 1955.
"I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. You meet wonderful people," Mr O’Keefe said.
"The most common documents I help with are property transfers and Wills. The best thing that happened during my time as a JP was the introduction of a JP Rubber Stamp. That saved a lot of extra writing!" he said.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, says the community is to be commended for their push to bring a Community Health Nurse back to Kilkivan.
Mrs Frecklington said a Nurse Navigator position for Kilkivan has been confirmed in the Health Minister’s response to the petition tabled in Parliament last month.
"It is a shame that it took a massive push by the community, 354 signatures in fact, to convince the Health Minister that this needed to happen," Mrs Frecklington said.
"The confirmation they will trial a Nurse Navigator to visit Kilkivan twice fortnightly is a win for the community, especially as the Minister for Health rejected my initial request earlier in the year.
"It is obvious he didn’t take our first request seriously, but the recent Health Forum held in Kilkivan was evidence that people in regional towns like Kilkivan need, and deserve, better health services.
"The forum was a direct result of our calls for a Community Health Nurse and I would like to thank the Federal Government’s PHN (Central Qld, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast) and the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS) for listening to the communities concerns and taking steps to improve health services for the two towns.
"The three month trial of a Nurse Navigator for Kilkivan is welcome, and I encourage the community to make use of the service to demonstrate the need.
"I will keep track of the progress of the trial and will be lobbying to ensure the service becomes permanent," Deb said.
"Congratulations again to Mavis O’Neill, Jan Kirby and Joyce Koy who first raised this issue with me and then worked very hard to coordinate the petition in Kilkivan and Goomeri. It goes to show that perseverance and determination does pay off, and if you believe in something strongly enough, you can create change," Deb said.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, says the response to the ‘Reclaim the South Burnett’ crime petition (tabled 11th July) from the Minister for Police is too little, too late.
Mrs Frecklington said her calls for extra assistance for the Murgon and Cherbourg communities in particular had gone unnoticed for six months.
"It’s taken the Police Minister, Mark Ryan, half a year to finally realise something needed to be done to tackle the crime wave in the South Burnett," Mrs Frecklington said.
"It’s insulting for the community that their desperate calls have gone unheard.
"Why did it take a Police Officer being hurt during the terrible incident in Cherbourg just recently, before the Minister offered any help at all?
"It was even admitted in Murgon this week, by the Police Service, that it wasn’t until their officers were hurt that the Labor Government were kicked into action.
"I know the community is very disappointed it has taken so long. They have been living with the constant threat of break-in’s, stolen cars and property damage. It is taking its toll, especially on our elderly and children.
"While I welcome the deployment of a senior officer, and the Tactical Crime Squad, I am very concerned that this may be a band-aid solution.
"I really want to see a long-term strategy to boost police resources and restore safety, not a fly-in, fly-out response.
"There are also four new officers in Murgon, however, these are not new roles, just vacancies which have finally been filled. I will continue to fight on behalf of the community."
"I would also really like to congratulate and thank the South Burnett community for stepping up and signing the petition. While it has taken too long for crime in our region to be acknowledge, the support for the petition did highlight the importance and urgency of this issue," Deb said.
"Since February I have been calling on Police Minister Mark Ryan to put boots on the ground and bring the crime wave in the South Burnett under control.
"Minister Ryan’s response today to allocate a temporary senior copper is a Band-Aid solution for our community.
"We have been calling for a stronger police presence for six months to respond to the increase in break-ins, vandalism and car thefts.
"The Murgon and Cherbourg communities deserve a long-term strategy to boost police resources and restore community safety.
"The resources allocated by Minister Ryan fall well short of what is required and I will continue to fight on behalf of the community."
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, says she’s pleased to see the Year 4 and 5 students of Blackbutt State School have finally got a new classroom.
Mrs Frecklington said she had lobbied the State Government in 2016 to highlight the urgent need for facility upgrades and request funding for renewal of these old buildings.
"When I visited Blackbutt SS in late 2016, I saw first-hand the difficult and cramped conditions in several of the classrooms," Mrs Frecklington said.
"The old, demountable-style classroom block had to go, and I wrote to the Education Department requesting urgent consideration of funding.
"It was great news when $250,000 was secured in June 2017 to make the upgrades a reality.
"It’s wonderful to be here for the official opening and see how happy the students and teachers are in their new surroundings.
"It’s also a boost for the Blackbutt community and demonstrates that children from our region deserve the best facilities available.
"I would like to congratulate Principal Gayle Williamson on her work to bring this to fruition.
"The new Year 4 & 5 classroom has air-conditioning, is colourful and modern. I know the students and teachers will excel in this fantastic learning environment," Deb said.
