Oh Gosh another e-petition.
Do these really work, I think once they government states they are doing something they just do it. Labour is really making the cost of living unaffordable. Thank god I run my own business and am at the moment financially stable due to budgeting and watching my spending and living costs, I feel if I was on an average Queensland award wage there is No Way I could meet my bills!!!!!!!

Maybe a better way to raise revenue and grow Queensland is to stop throwing away money and putting us more in debt with stimulus packages that then raise the cost of living and everything else!!!!

QLD Government is proposing to increase Vehicle Registration by 20%.  Most can barely afford rego now, without having to pay extra $250 per year!
In simple terms this would mean that we will pay about $800 a year for car rego when Victoria only pays about $300! 
[accuracy of statement and source unknown]

Petition now to stop increase of Car Rego in QLD!!!!! Click here !!!!!

Looks like I’ll be using the push bike for work soon!

Tell you what I’m quite over all Anna Bligh’s pre election promises being lies.

I hope all the people that voted for the ALP due to all the free money and lies they were throwing about at election time are adding up how much more it is now costing the whole population to have them in power! 

Why anyone would vote the ALP in when they already had us $64 billion in debt before the global financial crisis was even heard of is beyond me!

We are certainly paying far more than any stimulus package could possibly compensate. Greed should not override commonsense at election times as a dishonest government in power will leave you out of pocket!!! (Karma)

Click here to sign the e-petition!

Stop the fuel tax petition

The State Government plans to scrap Queensland’s 8.35 cents a litre fuel subsidy from July 1 – despite specific assurances to the RACQ and the broader community ahead of the March election that the subsidy would be retained.

Combined with increases in vehicle registration of 17 to 22 percent from July 1, this extra fuel tax will cost most Queensland families and businesses several hundred dollars a year, while also pushing up the prices of other goods and services. 

With GST, it will add 9.2 cents a litre to petrol and diesel and will hit families in the outer suburbs and regional areas hardest, as people in these areas have less access to public transport and, often, longer distances to travel…. click here to read more and sign the e-petition!

[Info via RACQ & news.com.au]

Please click here to sign the e-petition to try and save our Fraser Island Dingoes!!

The petition has been organised by Hervey Bay resident Karin Kilpatrick and sponsored by MP Ted Sorensen and will be on the Queensland Government website until Tuesday, July 22 2009.

Fraser Island Dingoes Face Extinction
Locals, animal experts and some politicians fear that heavy-handed culling under the Queensland Government’s current dingo management plan will be the final nail in the wild dogs’ coffin ……. learn more here!

[Some Info via the Courier Mail]

The 4^th Annual Forget Me Not Children’s Orphanage Charity Ball was on again last night at Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island. 

I attended the Ball with Fraser Coast Regional Mayor, Mick Kruger and my friend Naomi Wood.
The ball started this year from the Marina cruising on board the Spirit of Hervey Bay enjoying alcoholic beverages on route to Fraser Island. We then proceeded to the function room at Kingfisher Bay where we enjoyed a three course alternative drop meal plus free beer and wine. 

We listened to Lars Olsen founder of the orphanage and viewed plans for the projected further development, buildings and stages involved.

This was followed by 6 live auctions raising $19K +. Quite a lot of testosterone could be felt in the room as alcohol infused men bid big dollars & egged each other on. 

20 people from the floor also took to the front stage to pledge a donation of $500 each with over a third of the people at the ball being from Bundaberg. 

As the night progressed and the drinks & dollars flowed it looked like over 80% of Stage 1 of the proposed 6 stage plan would be achieved just from the donations at this one ball! The response was overwhelming. 

I won an Award for ‘Best Fancy Dressed Female 2009′ and I wasn’t even in fancy dress, that’s how I was dressed normally!!!! (How Funny!)

Next we had an Amazing performance from the very talented Jon Stevens. I had hoped to have a photograph taken with Jon after his performance as it was mentioned he would be coming out to mingle. Disappointingly we never saw Jon again with some commenting on his appearance as being brief even though it was well over an hour far longer than he had been booked for!! (Nice job Jon!) Time flys by when your having FUN!!!! (Luckily we had snapped a couple of shots while Jon was on stage).

Once again a very professional and successful night for the Forget Me Not Children’s Orphanage team and a sensational job by organiser Debbie Haigh from Haigh’s Jewellers.

Donations
$35K Rush QLD /NT
$30K McDonalds Bundaberg, Gympie, Hervey Bay
$19,600K+ live auctions on the night
$15K Private Donation
$15K Cardno (in services to build)
$14K + Silent auctions
$13, 800K + Ticket Profit
$10K in $500 lot donations from 20 ball attendees (the 500 Club)
$5K Hotondo Homes
$2,900K +  Haigh Jewellers emerald & diamond pendant
$1K The Pier Pavillion
TOTAL RAISED $166,000.00

Ticket cost went up from $120  to $195 this year, it has not been mentioned yet whether some of this cost will also be donated.

Click here to read Lars Olsen’s Quick News.

Some more exciting news from organiser Debbie Haigh…!

a)    The final figure which was a straight donation from every ticket purchased was $107 per ticket!!!

b)    Jon was given a private transfer & a drive around the Great Sandy Straits & over to Kingfisher by ‘That’s Awesome’ which he totally loved (totally sponsored)

c)    Jon was given a private transfer off the island by MI Helicopters & they gave him an aerial tour on the way to the airport.(totally sponsored)

d)    FMN had a Chef travel onsite to cook a fantastic meal for the Ball Committee & Jon & his crew on the Friday night – It was a great night (totally sponsored)

e)    Jon, Dion & Adam (the guitarists), Tommy (the sound engineer) & Simon (his manager) were very impressed with Hervey Bay & Fraser Island. They were also very impressed with the generosity of the people on the night.

f)     Jon does a lot of charity work, but not in venues this small. He did it only because of Lars & Forget Me Not – They were very taken with the organisation.

g)    Jon had personally waived his performance fee for this event - but we still had costs from the rest of his crew, which were covered by our platinum sponsor  *‘Harris Dental Boutique’ Bundaberg & three gold sponsors *McDonalds –Bundaberg, Gympie, Hervey Bay *Bay Dental Care – Hervey Bay *ABN AMRO Morgans – Bundaberg

h)    Jons Performance – was 85 minutes

i)     Jump in ticket price included; Private transfer over & back … alcohol all night … headline entertainment plus a much larger donation per ticket from last year

Related story, Related story

The Hervey Bay Public Library was the result of community demand and positive input by the Hervey Bay Cultural and Library Council and a City Librarian, Mrs Sandra Maynes (my Mother) was appointed and commenced work in May 1977. Her role was to assist in the establishment of the Hervey Bay Public Library which opened on the 6th July 1978. Therefore my family relocated from Townsville to beautiful Hervey Bay.

Mrs Sandra Maynes was appointed Librarian and the Council is very fortunate in having such a capable and experience Librarian as Mrs Maynes to establish the library, encouraged by the town clerk and his staff with the full support of the Council.

Mrs Maynes commenced duties on the 2^nd May 1978 after all the alterations were done and proceeded with due haste to obtain shelving, books carpets and furnishing and it does credit to her what has been achieved in two months.
[Info via the Commemorative Brochure from the Opening of the Hervey Bay Public Library - 6^th July 1978]

1978 [Population 11,000] – The first Public Library was located in three rooms upstairs in the Council Chambers in Bideford St Torquay.

1979 – The Public Library moved to three leased shops in Turo Street, Torquay. Two extra shops were acquired and the corridor enclosed during the next three years.

1985 [Population 18,800] – The Public Library relocated to the Pialba business area in Main St. where it continued to grow.

1996 the Hervey Bay City Council commenced a partnership with the University of Southern Queensland and on the 1^st of March 1997 the Hervey Bay Public Library opened its doors at 161 Old Maryborough Rd in a spacious facility of 1306m2 which housed the first joint use Community / University Library Collection in Australia. The library staff assisted in establishing the first Regional Public Art Gallery in the Wide Bay area which is also located in the library facility.

2003 [Population 45,959] – 51% of Hervey Bays Population are enrolled at the library.

Mrs Sandra Maynes was the Chief Librarian from 1978 – 1996. She has worked at both the Hervey Bay & Maryborough Libraries and currently still works part time …. (Good Stuff Mum, Very Proud of You!)