Gympie

Gympie Council – Bad Decision on Divisions

Gympie Regional Council – Bad Council Decision on  Divisions

So Gympie Regional Council voted against introducing divisional representation at the meeting on Wednesday 9 March 2010 citing that a lack of response to their survey indicated that the community didn’t want divisions.

While this decision comes as no surprise because Councillor interest in self-preservation over-rides their interest in community representation, I find it difficult to accept that the whole process wasn’t a sham.

The Council was basically embarrassed into conducting “community consultation” on the issue and then the consultation process was undertaken in a half hearted manner by arranging a couple of obscure daytime meetings when most people can’t attend due to work commitments, a difficult online survey that required ratepayers to have the internet and an email address to complete and a few forms for available at Council offices/facilities.

This demonstrates that the only sincerity given to public consultation on the issue was to sincerely obfuscate the process ensuring that as few people could express an opinion as possible.

The local newspaper also showed it’s true colours as their reporting of the issue did not show any investigation into pros and cons of divisional representation or printing any survey forms to help their readers – a poor effort. 

Even a first year journalist could have done better and easily informed the readers that no divisional representation incurs huge financial liabilities for ratepayers without any local representation or accountability to help on their issues.

The right to divisional representation is basic electoral democracy.  This right has been removed from Gympie Ratepayers by an arrogant decision that should not have been able to have been made by this Council.

With 12 months to go to the next Queensland local Government election, the current Council having rejected divisions have ensured that it will be difficult for any person standing for election.  Prospective candidates now face the daunting and expensive task of conducting their campaign and building a profile across the whole Council area.

I trust that there will be some civic-minded people who will stand for election with a policy of implementing divisions and that the current Councillors will regret this decision.

UPDATE – 4/11/2011 – The Queensland Government has decided that Gympie Regional Council will re-introduce divisional representation for the 2012 Gympie election.  It is time to ensure that the current Gympie Councillors are called to account and made to regret their self interested decision to disregard the democratic rights of the people of Gympie.

Gympie

Gympie Council Divisions

Gympie Council Divisions

Congratulations to Reg Lawler for his efforts in “convincing” Gympie Regional Council to conduct public consultation on this important issue for Gympie Ratepayers.

For those that may not be familiar with the issue, prior to amalgamation, the Council areas had divisional representation – where the council area is divided and a resident of that division was elected to Council to represent the electors of the division on Council.  This system is the basis of Australian electoral democracy – Australia is divided into a number electoral regions and states are also have their own state electoral divisions where a resident is elected to represent that area e.g. David Gibson has been elected by the people to represent the Gympie region in Queensland Parliament.

Divisional representation is a fair and equitable system that seeks to ensure that the broader community is represented in Government.  Imagine a state without divisional representation – most of the elected politicians would be likely to be elected from the capital city leaving the rest of the stae without representation.

Unfortunately, divisional represntation was removed during the amalgamation process by decicions made by previous Councillors without any regard for the wishes or concerns of Gympie ratepayers.  Discussion of the whys and wherefores is un-neccesary here as this is history.

Given the State Governments recommendation that divisional representation should be re-instated, the Gympie Regional Council should review the previous stance against divisions.  In this review, Council should consult ratepayers and consider all aspects of divisional representation on the basis of determining the greatest benefit (and least cost) to Gympie ratepayers. 

It would be helpful if the local newspaper could actually provide a balanced report that informs readers of the results of an investigation into the reasons for the State Government recommending re-instatement of divisions with an analysis if the pros and cons of divisional representation instead of presenting what appears to be a one sided opinion (A few weeks ago, they presented an opinion (a bit of a lame tale of woe – look what the Government wants to do to us now) and the reporting in that issue seems to indicate an anti-division stance.

Perhaps they could also review S267 (3) of the Local Government Act 2009 and inform the ratepayers of the potential cost liability of holding a by-election to fill the office of a Councillor.  Without divisions, should a Councillor resign or become ill  leaving the position vacant, a by-election to elect a new Councillor is a full election across the whole Council area.  With divisions, such election is held in that division only.  I wonder if the current Councillors are aware of this liability and just how much a full election costs.

Without divisions, Gympie Regional Council is placing a huge liability on the ratepayer that could cost more than $1 million in the event of one of the Councillors being undable to carry out their duties for whatever reason. (Note: the actual cost for a full election is not available to us at the time of publication but $1M is a conservative estimate that does not include the inconvenience and disruption that results to all electors in the region). 

I urge all ratepayers have your say on this important issue by writing to Gympie Regional Council or completing the online form at http://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/displayprivacy.asp?ID=1348. 

Have a look at the increases in your rate notices for the last 2 years first though and remember that no divisions means a very costly by-election that won’t be covered in the annual budget and therefore guaranteed to result in more rate increases.

UPDATE – 10 March 2011:
Gympie Council rejects electroral divisions.  Read our view at Gympie Council – Bad Decision on Divisions

UPDATE – 4/11/2011 – The Queensland Government has decided that Gympie Regional Council will re-introduce divisional representation for the 2012 Gympie election. It is time to ensure that the current Gympie Councillors are called to account and made to regret their self interested decision to disregard the democratic rights of the people of Gympie.

Gympie

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

Gympie Gold Mining & Historical Museum

The Gold and Mining Museum, complete with Andrew Fisher’s House, is set in the attractive parklands at Lake Alford (on the Southern outskirts of Gympie) which are ideal for picnics.

The Gold and Mining Museum (at 215 Brisbane Rd) is an outstanding historial museum operated by The Gympie & District Historical Society.  The Museum has an interesting range of buildings spread over 5 hectares containing over 30 display areas in and around 15 major buildings with entry through a cafe and souvenir shop. The site of the Museum is that of the former No2 South Great Eastern Mine with some original relics still on site and an operational authentic steam winding engine, compound air compressor and generator reconstructed on the original footings.

One of the highlights is the very important Retort House of the Scottish Gympie Gold Mines which, remarkably, is the only mining building still standing in Gympie. It is listed by the National Trust.

Also in the museum grounds is Andrew Fisher’s House. Fisher was Australia’s first Labor Minister for Trade and Customs. He later became the first Prime Minister to hail from Queensland. He was Prime Minister three times in the years leading up to World War I and is credited with the famous declaration of Australia defending the British Empire to her ‘last man and last shilling’.

The other buildings in the complex range from old school houses to a blacksmith’s shop and the displays include an old camera and movie room, a military museum, a railway display, a trophy room celebrating Gympie’s sporting achievements, and a dairy display. Other attractions include horse-drawn equipment, a blacksmith and a 1931 Leyland bus. Some of the goldmining equipment is fired up with steam-powered equipment on special occasions.

The Museum will keep you busy discovering many things about Gympie and its’ past, some of the things you will see are:

• Relics of later Mining and Gold recovery including gem displays.
• Military History such as The 5th Light Horse Regimental Military Museum which houses an Award Winning Collection. It includes Military equipment and memorabilia of sons and daughters from the Gympie area that went to war.
• The Andrew Fisher House, named after Australias’ second Labour Prime Minister between 1908 – 1915. Andrew Fisher lived here with his Family.
• An original old Jail House from the Gympie area.

The complex is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and at other times by appointment. Detailed brochures on all the buildings in the complex are provided with each entry ticket. For more information contact (07) 5482 3995 or check out: www.goldmuseum.spiderweb.com.au.

Gympie

Gympie Attractions

Gympie Attractions

There are many attractions for visitors in and around Gympie.

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum houses memorabilia from the early gold mining era, as well as displays showcasing military, rural, transport, communications and steam development in Australia.

The WoodWorks Museum now operated by the Gympie Regional Council provides an insight into the timber industry & social history of yesteryear through displays and sawmilling demonstrations. Features include a large selection of pioneering handtools, 1925 Republic truck, bullock wagons and blacksmith shop.

Take a ride on The Valley Rattler steam train as winds its way through the backyards of the southern side of Gympie and then continues its way into the scenic Mary Valley where it crosses and then follows the Mary River up to the pictureque town of Imbil. This provides a spectacular journey through the valley beginning at the Old Gympie Railway Station in Tozer Street. This station is the original railway station for the track that passed through Gympie in the 1900s gold rush.

The Mary Valley has a stunning landscape of rolling green pastures and many beautiful forests. The countryside is spectacular with an abundance of curves, gradients and bridges. Steep slopes portray a patchwork of pineapples, macadamia nuts and other crops. The towns of the Valley include Dagun, a pretty little ten house town and Amamoor which hosts the National Country Music Muster, held annually in August. The Muster is held over six days and nights in the Amamoor Forest Reserve. With many venues featuring diverse music genres from country to Blues, the Muster is the largest outdoor country music festival in Australia. The Mary Valley Scenic Drive also travels through Kandanga and Imbil.

Gympie’s Mary Street offers a wide array of bars, cafes, banks and stores with stunning 19th Century Victorian architecture. Gympie also hosts the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival in March. The festival is five days of fun, inspiration and stimulation. Highlights include short films from all corners of the planet, special features and documentaries, parties, seminars, intimate Q & A sessions with filmmakers and an award Ceremony.  Gympie also holds the annual Gold Rush Festival celebrating the discovery of gold by James Nash in 1967.

15 mins south-east of Gympie subtropical rainforest & spectacular rocky creeks make the Mothar Mountain rock pools a popular retreat for locals and visitors. Crystal clear water gently cascades over ancient granite outcrops at Woondum State Forest. Facilities include picnic tables, barbecues, firewood, fresh water, amenities and bush walking tracks.

A short 40 minute drive east of Gympie is the coastal fishing town of Tin Can Bay where you can hand feed rare Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphins in their natural environment. The feeding is regulated for the protection of the dolphins. Tin Can Bay is the Southern access point to the Great Sandy Strait, a stunning aquatic playground protected by World Heritage listed Fraser Island. The Strait is an important ecological area with marine turtles, dolphin pods, dugongs also known as mermaids, migrating Humpback whales and valuable roosting area for migratory birds.

Gympie, Mary Valley, Tin Can Bay, Rainbow Beach and Cooloola are part of the Great Sandy Biosphere which gives world wide recognition of the outstanding natural beauty and high levels of biodiversity in this region.

Visit this page for Gympie Tourist Information

Gympie

Gympie

Gympie is a well known city is South East Queensland, Australia located about 170 kilometres north of Brisbane, the State Capital. Gympie  is situated on the Mary River and which came to international attention due to a failed attempt by the Queensland Government to build a large dam on the River (at Traveston just upstream from Gympie).  Gympie City is the Administrative centre for the Gympie Region Council which was formed in 2008 by a Queensland Government forced amalgamation of the former Cooloola Shire Council, Kilkivan Shire Council and part of Tiaro Shire Council.

The Gympie region was first settled for grazing purposes but became famous in 1867 when James Nash dicovered gold in a gully near where the current Town Hall stands today. At that time, the Queensland economy was severly depressed and it has been said that the gold dicpvery saved the State from bankruptcy. Gympie celebrates the 1867 gold dicovery every year with the Gympie Gold Rush Festival. The city was briefly named “Nashville” after the discovery by James Nash but was changed to Gympie in 1868. The City’s name “Gympie” comes from aboriginal word “gimpi-gimpi”, a tree (Dendrocnide moroides) with large leaves that cause painful stinging on skin contact. 

GYMPIE POPULATION
The Gympie region has a population of about 48,000 people (46,371 at 30 June 2008 with an increase of 1,084 people or 2.4% growth over the year). By 2016, the expected population will be between 50,960 and 54, 790 people. The average rental for a 3 bedroom house is about $100 a week cheaper than Brisbane prices and there are roughly 4000 businesses operating in the region.  The Gympie region has a gross regional product of around $1.5 billion with the two largest industry sectors being manufacturing and primary production.

The Gympie region has one of the best climates in Queensland.  The mean maximum temperatures range from 31 degrees in summer to 22 degrees in winter.  The mean minimum temperatures range from 19 degrees in summer to 7 degrees in winter.

The Gympie Region has also recently been included in the Great Sandy Biosphere which has been recognised by UNESCO for its outstanding natural beauty and high levels of biodiversity.

Gympie’s proximity to the major growth areas in south east Queensland (Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast) means that the region is subject to development pressures which will require the implementation of careful and consistent planning controls to maintain the present lifestyle choices for residents.  The region is home to a number of major companies such as: Nestlé Australia Limited, Nolan Meats Pty Ltd, J Smith & Sons, Laminex Industries, Carter Holt Harvey and Hyne Timber.

GYMPIE REGION INDUSTRIES

Timber & Timber Processing
The Gympie region is a major centre for the Queensland timber industry supplying about 60% of Queensland’s pulpwood and more than 25% of Queensland’s total hardwood timber output.

The region is undergoing an exciting phase in the timber industry with many companies investing in new capital equipment which will add value to the timber processed making Gympie a major regional centre for timber industry in Queensland.

Tourism
Tourism in the Gympie Region is underpinned by the Region’s historical, environmental and wilderness attractions. Major attractions include, The Valley Rattler Heritage Steam Train, Gympie’s gold mining heritage, easy access to Fraser Island, beach and coastal areas, including Rainbow Beach’s coloured sands, surfing, boating and fishing, National Parks and State Forests with drive and walking tracks, bird watching as well as the City of Gympie and the hand feeding of dolphins in the wild at Tin Can Bay.

The Gympie region is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist drive destination, primarily for the South East Queensland market being within a 1.5 hrs drive from Brisbane. Tourism spend is estimated at nearly $30 million in the local community per annum in the Gympie Region.

Agriculture
Agriculture and agribusiness is an important part of the local economy with agriculture adding $60 million in gross value product. Major crops include dairy, beef, pineapples, French and runner beans and macadamia nuts.

Seafood
Hundreds of tonnes of seafood are produced out of the fishing port, Tin Can Bay. Seafood products include scallops, prawns and crabs as well as finfish.

Beef and Dairy
Cattle studs and a fully operating sale yard operate near Gympie. Dairy has also been a traditional industry in the area.

GYMPIE REGION INFRASTRUCTURE

Road
Businesses are serviced by the location of the National Highway One (Bruce Highway) which runs directly through Gympie. This offers a direct road link to Brisbane, major southern markets and international destinations as well as important Queensland population centres to the north. The proposed major upgrade to the Bruce Highway will significantly improve travel times between the Gympie Region and the South East Queensland market. Importantly the city falls inside two hours drive to Brisbane, this makes Gympie a very attractive operational base for producers of perishable goods.

In addition to this north south access, the Wide Bay highway links to the Bruce Highway 10 kilometres north of Gympie and provides access inland to the South Burnett, Toowoomba and inland New South Wales.

Rail
Much of the Gympie region produce is transported via electric rail from the QLink Depot which is located near the city centre. Passenger rail is serviced via Gympie North station. The tilt train (Queensland’s express passenger train) runs a daily service.

Air
The Gympie airport has some minor freight capacity and Maroochydore Airport is only 85 kilometres away and supports all major domestic commercial airlines. Brisbane international airport is 150km from Gympie.

Telecommunications
A fully developed modern telecommunications network exists across the region.  Fast Broadband (ADSL2 at up to 20 Mbps) is available in selected locations across the Shire.

Energy and Electricity
Energex is responsible for energy supply and businesses can negotiate with this organisation as to their particular requirements.

Gas
Domestically, gas is presently available in the region through bottles and tanker refilling, or by exchange gas bottles. Gas supply is available from major suppliers.

Water
Reticulated water is available in Township areas throughout the region. The principal water source is the Mary River with Lake Borumba providing the major storage.

Industrial Estates
There are seven designated industrial estates for business and light industry in the Cooloola region. The zonings are generally for light industry. Industrial land is also available at Rainbow Beach and Imbil.

Gympie

Online Business Directories

Why subscribe to Online Business Directories

The Internet has really changed the way that many of us do business, and if you are currently running an Internet business, you probably understand exactly how important it is to get targeted traffic to your website. Although there are many different ways that you can do this, using an online business directory can help to focus your visitors a little bit further, and to send you prospects who are already looking for your products and services and ready to buy what you have to offer. Here are several different ways that you can use online business directories in order to increase your online business activity.

One of the ways that this is done is by getting listed on highly visible local online business directories that already have favor in the eyes of the search engines. The reason why this is the case, is because many people use search engines an increasing basis daily to find local businesses, products and services. Although at times, this will mean that they will find a phone number and call direct, there are many times when a local business directory website listing will lead them directly to your website. When you are listed in these online business directories, you stand a much better chance of snagging those leads.

Another way that online business directories can benefit you is that having a listing on one of these directories can increase exposure for your business website to the search engines, and provide valuable backlinks to increase your search engine rankings. Most of us that regularly receive business from the Internet are at least a little bit familiar with search engine optimization and the value of backlinks. These local business directories e.g. the Gympie Business Directory, are often highly favored by the search engines and will help your website to be indexed and give you the opportunity to move up through the rankings for your specific keywords that you are targeting.

If you would like to utilize these local directories even further, it is often possible for you to pay for additional listings and backlinks in order to move to the top of the rankings. Some may also have a network of directory sites offering the bonus of multiple listings and backlinks. You may be able to pay a set fee to the directory owner in order to have a prominent position on the page or a featured listing in the directory. Some directories also offer advertising, try contacting them directly and asking them if they have anything available for you.

Finally, you want to make sure that you are listed on as many of these online business directories as possible. There are some more prominent directories that you are certainly going to want to have your business details and website listed on but remember that you do not have to pay hundreds of dollars for full pages to get the benefits of listing local directories.  Even the minor directories where you can list for free can send you traffic through visitors that just happened to stumble across your listing in their searches.

Remember, everyone that comes to you through one of these directories is a potential customer or lead. If you utilize all of them properly, the resulting traffic can be quite beneficial. Although some of them may only send you people now and again, it is the sum of all of these directory referrals and the website backlinks that really makes a difference.

Business Directory News From Google

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Gympie

Victory Hotel

	Victory Hotel 54 Bath Terrace, Gympie 4570
Web:
The Victory Hotel Motel is well known for their cold beer, sumptuous meals in their Bistro, bottleshop and comfortable motel accommodation units.
54 Bath Terrace Victory Heights QLD 4570, Australia

Gympie

Fraser’s on Rainbow Beach

	Fraser’s on Rainbow Beach 18 Spectrum Avenue, Rainbow Beach Ph: (07) 5486 8885 Fax (07): 5486 3317
18 Spectrum St Rainbow Beach QLD 4581, Australia