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Click here to find out moreNational Road Safety Week
Next week is National Road Safety Week running from 6 to 12 May. This annual initiative highlights the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it. Every year, more than 1,200 people are killed and another 35,000 seriously injured on Australian roads. Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second-biggest killer of all Australians aged between 15 and 24. These numbers are growing every year, but are fully preventable.
I encourage all road users to take the Road Safety Pledge and lead the way by promising to drive so that you and others survive. Together we can strive towards safer roads, for not only our community, but the whole of Australia.
Hinchinbrook Industry Breakfast
This week I attended the inaugural Hinchinbrook Industry Breakfast with presentations from the Executive Director, Genex Power regarding the 50MW Kidston Solar Project and Managing Director, Australian Mines Limited regarding Sconi Mining Project. It was a fantastic chance to gain further insight into these two major projects and possible opportunities they may generate for locals and local business. It was also a great networking occasion for all in attendance.
Both corporations have indicated an intention to preference labour and other required resources locally in Hinchinbrook, Townsville and Charters Towers. Further information on how and when to apply will be notified in the not too distant future, keep watching Council’s pages for further information.
Women in Sugar Conference
Early this week Hinchinbrook played host to the Women in Sugar Conference, which was held at TYTO Conference and Events Centre over two days. It was wonderful to see so many locals and visitors in attendance at this conference and I am sure the information sharing was productive to all involved. Thanks must go to the small committee of Herbert Women in Sugar volunteers who organised this successful conference.
The presentations were very topical and well received and all attendees were well looked after. Congratulations ladies.
Waste Levy
The Queensland Waste Levy, which is being introduced by the Queensland State Government is set to commence on 1 July 2019 and aims to reduce the amount of waste generated, and to grow the resource recovery and recycling industry.
Whilst the levy will not directly impact households, businesses will incur the levy.
Households will not incur the levy for wheelie bin waste or self-hauled residential waste; it will however apply to all commercial waste including regulated waste and general waste such as construction and demolition waste, industrial and municipal solid waste.
The levy rate will start at $75 a tonne and will increase by $5 per tonne each year until 2022. Regulated waste will incur a higher levy fee.
The State Government have announced that between 2019 and 2022, it is expected that 70% of revenue generated through the waste levy will be reinvested into scheme start-up and operational costs, industry programs, other environmental priorities and advance payments to Councils. The advanced payments to Council will be used to mitigate any direct impact of the waste levy on households.
Some wastes will be exempt from the State Government levy such as waste produced from declared natural disasters. Charitable organisations will also be eligible to apply for exemptions for donated items that cannot be used or recycled and are encouraged to contact NACRO for support with exemption applications.
Exemptions will not be issued by Council, but rather will be managed by the State Government.
For further information, please visit Council’s website Waste and Recycling page.
Need to print the Council Connections page? Click on the link below for the printable version.