On Our Selection News - 4th May 2023

Covering Cambooya, Hodgson Vale, Westbrook, Wyreema Districts

Thai and Irish ingredients create recipe for success

In eight short months an overgrown small acreage block on Breydon Road Hodgson Vale has been transformed into a lush Thai market garden brimming with all the ingredients for authentic Thai cooking.

Nayada Hansopa (also known as Chilli Kanon) and partner James Kelleher worked from sunrise to sunset to clear the ground of metre high weeds, prepare the ground for planting and install a drip irrigation system and are now reaping the rewards of their hard work and initiative.

Kanon came from Thailand eight years ago where she ran a restaurant in Phuket and honed her skills in producing authentic Thai cooking.

“Cooking has been my passion forever and I love to grow much of the produce I cook, so I know it is organic and with no chemicals and fresh,” Kanon said.

James came to Australia from Ireland over twenty years ago and works as an Electrical Engineer.

Continued on page 8

Chilli Kanon and James Kelleher have made the most of their Hodgson Vale property.

Bunker’s Hill State School

CAMBOOYA DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS

On Friday, 21st April, fifteen students from Bunker’s Hill State School competed in the Cambooya District Cross Country trials.

All the students displayed great sportsmanship and competed with enthusiasm.

The course is a little more challenging with more hills than our school course at Bunker’s Hill.

Nine students were selected as part of the Cambooya District team and they will compete at the Inner Downs Cross Country trials.

Congratulations to Sam, Tyler and Silas were also named Age Champions on the day.

Honouring veterans

As a show of thanks, the Australian Government is inviting veterans to apply for a Certificate of Appreciation. Those who have served overseas, from World War II onward, as well as those who served on the home front during World War II, can apply.

Family members can apply on behalf of eligible veterans who are deceased, however Boer War and World War I veterans will not be eligible.

National Servicemen who served overseas in eligible conflicts and operations, including Vietnam, and Reserve personnel who served in Peacekeeping Operations are eligible for a Certificate of Appreciation for their service.

To apply, visit dva.gov.au/recognition/certificate-appreciation

Age Champions Tyler, Silas and Sam.

Shocking smash and grab at servo

The United service station at Etonvale on the New England Highway was ram-raided and robbed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Anzac Day, last week. anything or may have dashcam or CCTV vision of the area around the time of the incident to come forward.”

A vehicle was used to destroy part of the concrete and glass wall facing the petrol pumps, also knocking over several shelves full of stock in the process.

A Queensland Police spokesperson said police are investigating after a reported break-and-enter.

“Initial investigations indicate around 12:30am, a vehicle was used to gain entry to the New England Highway business, causing extensive damage, before multiple people from the vehicle stole multiple items of property from the business,” the spokesperson said.

“The vehicle was seen travelling south along the New England Highway towards Cambooya Connection Road.

“Investigators are appealing to anyone who may have seen

Investigations are ongoing.

The fuel station was temporarily closed as staff worked hard to have the business up and running again as quickly as possible, with temporary fencing erected where the destroyed wall once was.

The clean-up required from the damage caused by the vehicle was extensive.

is also an investment in regional

minimum of 20% of government print advertising should be placed ed by Deakin University recommended the same thing In fact, the s been advocating for more regional newspaper advertising for his small policy change would be a simple and fair solution to a dvertising is placed in regional newspapers would be great news for

journalism jobs

This shouldn't be controversial

A recent parliamentary inquiry recommended that a minimum of 20% of gove with regional news services A recent study conducted by Deakin University Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, has been advocating for m many years

Great news for the country that won’t cost a cent

We know there may be bigger budget issues, but this small policy change w growing problem for regional Australia

A policy that ensures weekly federal government advertising is placed in re the country

And it won’t cost you a cent

Yours sincerely,

An open letter to Treasurer Jim Chalmers regarding the Budget

Thursday 8 December 2022

The Hon. Dominic Perrottet MP

Premier of NSW

Director of Australian Community Media, Australia's largest 140 titles around the country. In NSW we publish 8 daily Mercury, Wagga Daily Advertiser and the Northern Daily from the far south in Batemans Bay to far north in Lismore. We in our stable of papers.

Dear Dr Chalmers,

support for our industry and the communities we serve. towns and cities. Sadly, due to the rise of the digital platforms and had to close and many more are on life support.

GPO 5341 Sydney, NSW 2000

There’s a crisis in our country you can fix in your first budget, at no extra cost. With the stroke of a pen you could help secure the future of critical regional news services, using money already allocated in the budget.

By email: media@premier.nsw.gov.au

All you need to do is allocate a fairer percentage of the federal government’s advertising budget to local and regional news services, rather than spending almost all of it with corporate capital city media and foreign-owned digital platforms (which don’t produce any content or employ any journalists).

Michelle Rowlands announced a campaign promise of $15m of newsprint costs that we faced at the time. Whilst this is welcomed by structural issues we face.

Dear Premier Perrottet

This can be achieved by simply adopting the Victorian Govt policy that mandates a weekly full page government advertisement in every regional and community paper.

Local and regional newspapers connect more than 80% of the country, but they get almost 0% of the government advertising spend.

by the Premier of Victoria (see attached) with a policy that a full page advertisement in every regional paper every week

In an era where false news spreads faster on social media than the truth does, trusted local news services reach more regional Australians than any other medium. And unlike other media, every government dollar spent with a local newspaper is also an investment in regional journalism jobs.

By way of introduction, I am the Managing Director of Australian Community independent regional publisher. ACM has over 140 titles around the country. In newspapers like the Newcastle Herald, Illawarra Mercury, Wagga Daily Advertiser Leader. Additionally, we publish 47 weekly titles from the far south in Batemans Bay also have the St.George and Sutherlands Leaders in our stable of papers. The reason for writing to you is to seek your support for our industry and the Regional newspapers are the lifeblood of their towns and cities. Sadly, due to the rise increased cost pressures many titles in NSW have had to close and many more are on

During the recent federal election campaign, Michelle Rowlands announced a campaign grant funding to address the 80% rise in newsprint costs that we faced at the time. the industry it is a short term solution to ongoing structural issues we face.

promise for NSW Labor that does three things: publishers and the jobs they support valuable communications tool in the most trusted of mediums government grants.

Association that represent another 27 publications in NSW and, together, proposed policy announcement across our respective mastheads and available to meet with you at any time to discuss this important

A recent parliamentary inquiry recommended that a minimum of 20% of government print advertising should be placed with regional news services. A recent study conducted by Deakin University recommended the same thing. In fact, the Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, has been advocating for more regional newspaper advertising for many years.

This shouldn’t be controversial.

A more meaningful solution has been enacted by the Premier of Victoria (see guarantees that the Vic state government will buy a full page advertisement in every of the year.

We believe a similar policy could be an election promise for NSW Labor that does three - provides certainty for regional publishers and the jobs they support - provides the NSW Government with a valuable communications tool in the - moves away from the need for government grants.

We know there may be bigger budget issues, but this small policy change would be a simple and fair solution to a growing problem for regional Australia. A policy that ensures weekly federal government advertising is placed in regional newspapers would be great news for the country. And it won’t cost you a cent.

We are working with the Country Press Association that represent another 27 publications we would be enthusiastically covering this proposed policy announcement across our their websites.

Both Andrew Manuel from the CPA and I are available to meet with you at any initiative.

Yours sincerely

Yours sincerely,

Andrew

Manuel

Tony Kendall President Managing Director Country Press Australia Australian Community Media

Andrew Manuel President Country Press Australia am@plainsproducer.com.au

Tony Kendall Andrew Managing Director Australian Community Media Tony.kendall@austcommunitymedia.com.au Encl.

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WYREEMA STATE SCHOOL

ANZAC DAY SERVICE

The Wyreema State School community came together to honour and pay its respect to the country’s fallen servicemen and women.

During the school’s ANZAC commemorative service, students from all classrooms laid wreaths in remembrance of the those who have fought and died in the war. Lest we forget.

The school captains speak at the service (above) and the wreaths made by the students (below).

Qld agricultural land prices on the rise

by 20 per cent in 2022.

The bank’s analysis of the DAS data set, which comprises genuine rural sales and excludes lifestyle and non-market transactions, shows agricultural land prices across the country rose by 29 per cent (median price per hectare) in 2022, with cropping land increasing by 29 per cent, livestock grazing land by 26 per cent and dairy by 29 per cent.

Australian agricultural land is on track for another year of strong price growth in 2023, agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank says in its newly-released annual Australian Agricultural Land Price Outlook. The report, supported by farmland sales data from DAS (Digital Agricultural Services), says three consecutive seasons of good financial performance for Australia’s farm sector – driven by high commodity prices and good weather conditions for the majority of the country – is set to once again fuel “double digit” percentage growth in agricultural land prices for the year ahead, albeit easing from the record near-30 per cent increases seen in both 2022 and 2021.

For Queensland, the average price of agricultural land grew

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Agricultural land prices were found to have recorded double digit percentage growth on the previous year in all states, with South Australian farmland prices rising the most – at 34 per cent.

While a decline in agricultural land prices is not forecast, the bank cautions that, after the estimated double digit percentage price increase this year, a significant slowdown in the “pace” of price growth, which had been “massive” in recent years, is expected from 2024 potentially through to 2028.

Report author, RaboResearch agriculture analyst Vitor Pistoia said, “Farmland sale prices in early 2023 are still setting new records”, with prices in 2023 expected to continue to rise.

“Albeit to a lesser extent to the previous year as the combination of high property prices and increasing interest rates, along with the expected onset of El Nino, and potentially drier weather for many parts of Australia, which may hamper agricultural yields, will be impacting farmers’ appetite for buying land,” Mr Pistoia said.

He said the income outlook for Australian farmers in 2023/24 was, though, “solid and positive” with abovehistorical-average prices for agricultural commodities still granting good profitability and with recent high costs for farm inputs now easing.

Progress for flood-damaged roads

Toowoomba Regional Council has resolved to select two preferred contractors to assist in the delivery of the 2022 Flood Recovery Program, paving the way for large-scale repairs to commence. Council will now undertake final negotiations with the two preferred tenderers with the intent of awarding the contracts in the near future.

The names of the successful contractors will be announced following finalisation of the contracts.

TRC Infrastructure Services committee chair Cr Carol Taylor said the contractors would help repair the damage to the Region’s road network from multiple flood disasters.

She said more than 1,800 roads across the Toowoomba Region have been assessed for flood damage, with approximately 5,500 sites damaged.

Flooding in 2021-22 saw three State Declared Disaster Events, requiring more than 7600 emergency repairs.

Cr Taylor said the Region’s southern area, which includes Cambooya, Greenmount, Felton and Nobby, was split into four sections for reconstruction project submissions that were lodged with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA).

She said the QRA had approved the first of the submissions, which covers roads in the east of the southern area.

“Flood restoration works in the remainder of the area will start when approvals are granted by the QRA,” Cr Taylor said.

To see to the repair status of individual roads, TRC has made available an online interactive map that shows if a road is under assessment, has had funding approved, is a scheduled project or is a completed project.

The map can be viewed at maps.tr.qld.gov.au/wab/ TRCFloodRecoveryProjects/

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Hennessy Road (above) and Henry Road (below) at Cambooya have already had work completed by TRC’s internal workforce under Reconstruction of Essential Public Assets funding.

Hodgson Vale market garden thriving

Continued from page 1

When James has time, he helps out in the garden or driving to markets in Brisbane with Kanon to sell the condiments she makes from her garden produce.

Chilli Kanon now supplies seven Toowoomba outlets and restaurants with her delicious hand made curry pastes, oils and jams and is a regular at the Cobb & Co Farmer’s Markets; plus her chillikanon.com website hosts a convenient online shop supplying people throughout the Darling Downs.

While their garden overflows with various types of chilli plants, turmeric, melons, cucumbers, lemon grass and a host of other exotic plants needed for Thai cooking, Kanon has had to compromise with one small corner of the garden where James, like any true Irishman, grows his beloved potatoes.

Currently the pair (who jokingly refer to themselves as ‘Thai-rish’) are getting their heads around how much product they actually need to grow to meet their current and growing demand.

The entrepreneurial spirit Kanon and James have displayed is now being rewarded and they have even bigger plans for the future when Kanon hopes to build a kitchen suitable to hold Thai cooking classes.

“We’re hoping to offer cooking classes right here at the farm where people will be able to go down to the garden to collect the vegetables and herbs they need for cooking and see just how easy it is to have your own garden, cook your own food and taste just how good it is,” she said.

The pair is constantly trying new ideas and improving gardening techniques and the purchase of a tractor has helped to reduce the physical demands of the garden.

Kanon is not afraid of hard work and can be found working in her garden every day.

“I am daily weeding, watering and training plants.

“I give the left overs or spoilt garden cuttings, fruit and vegetables to the chickens and ducks,

“I use white vinegar and chilli water to spray the plants with and keep them healthy of bugs; and I plant marigolds next to the cucumbers, melons, potato, lettuce, pumpkins and tomatoes because the bugs don’t like the smell.

“I used to water in the morning and the evening, but we found we were having problems with mould, so we’ve adjusted the water to just one hour in the morning and we’ve found we don’t have any problems with the mould anymore,” she said.

It was only a short time ago Kanon was on Jobseeker payments but her can-do attitude could not be contained and with James’ help and guidance the couple has created a growing and successful business on the edge of Toowoomba.

Kanon believes in another eight to twelve months they will have the garden to the stage where they want to be.

It is clear the couple have successfully tapped into a growing niche market and have found the recipe for success.

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers 2023 program

After smashing records last year with attendance figures increasing an astonishing 28 per cent to 364,775 and generating $22.61 million in direct and incremental spending in Queensland, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will this year bloom across all of September, with Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio launching the 2023 program at long-time Exhibition Garden host, Val Peachey’s garden.

The Exhibition Garden program has raised over $800,000 for charities and will run this year from Friday 15 to Sunday 24 September.

“Our internationally famed Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will take over September as a joyous 30 days of petals, flavours, sounds and sights, headlined by 190,000 blooms which are being planted now by our Gardens Team,” Mayor Paul Antonio said.

The superstars of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers are the city’s parks, gardens and public spaces, all meticulously planted in designs that are seen only when in bloom.

The event that stops the city is the famous Floral Parade, which will be held on Saturday 16 September, again at the earlier time of 10am, with the theme Create a Buzz!

The popular Festival of Food & Wine will be held from 8 to 10 September in Queens Park, a three day celebration of the best in regional produce and Australian music.

The music line-up will be announced on June 1 and fans can expect some of Australia’s most popular bands and musicians and local sound-makers.

This year there are more Twilight Tours of Laurel Bank Park, when ticket holders see and hear from experts about the darker side of plant life in a one-hour nocturnal tour, meet shady characters like English and Spanish oaks, Gingko trees and Japanese maples, track down exotic and rare species and see what goes on behind the scenes to create a picture-perfect park.

Tours will be held every Wednesday to Saturday.

After the success of the inaugural Teddy Bear’s Picnic at Picnic Point, it’s happening again on Saturday 23 September from 8.30am to 11.30am and activities include, fairy bread making, face painting, food stalls and of course a Teddy Bear Parade, this is one for the young, and the young at heart!

In the Botanic Gardens at Queens Park the ever-popular Ferris Wheel program has been extended to run 15 to 30 September.

Flavour lovers are in for a feast this year.

The regional food trail #trEATS (Toowoomba Region EATS)

returns, with cafés, restaurants and bars offering a signature springtime dish inspired by the event.

The Talking Pubs Tours will feature four character-filled Toowoomba pubs, while taking in the city’s hidden laneways, home to some fantastic street art.

Watch out for famed local brewer 4 Brothers Brewing’s signature floral beer for the event, and Toowoomba Region’s first artisan distillery in Pechey Distilling Co. which works botanical magic with gin and vodka.

Cinema Under the Stars returns on Saturday 30 September, along with the fabulous Hanging Baskets at Cobb+Co Museum, Sideshow Alley in Queens Park from 15 to 17 September, the city-wide Parkland Entertainment program featuring local musicians and the hugely popular Petals and Pups program.

There are 53 community events and tours, as well as the Chronicle Garden Competition, and for three nights from 15 to 17 September the skies over Toowoomba will light up with breathtaking firework displays!

Chair of the Toowoomba Regional Council Environment and Community Services Committee Cr James O’Shea said the continued expansion of the 74 years-old event proved to have extraordinary financial and social benefits for the community.

“Once again, our incredible event will take place over 30 days, to allow for greater visitation, business connections and community engagement and taking centre stage, as they should, will be flowers and local flavours, as the event continues to bloom into a truly region-wide experience for both locals and visitors,” he said.

Breanna McCarthy was at Val Peachey’s Exhibition Garden to celebrate the launch.

Vietnam Veteran makes it home for Anzac Day

Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War, a soldier who hailed from Westbrook came back last week to attend his first Westbrook Anzac Day commemoration.

Len Muller is one of just two Vietnam Veterans whose names appear on the Honour Roll in the local hall.

An insight into the lives of these two men was given in an address by Christopher Hughes at the Westbrook Dawn Service.

Sadly, the other Vietnam Veteran, Jeff Rowbotham, passed away in May 2013.

Jeff had grown up at Westbrook and attended the local State School before attending Harristown State High.

When he was about 18, he moved west to the CharlevilleBarcaldine area to work on a property.

It was while he was there that he received his Vietnam conscription notice.

“In all those years we shared together Jeff never went to any Anzac Day Services,” Jeff’s wife, Fay, told Christopher Hughes.

“He felt the general community didn’t respect him for his Vietnam Service and he distanced himself from being involved in any shape or form,” she said.

“He was happy doing this.

“We always respected his decision.”

Jeff never spoke of Vietnam.

This is true even with his good mate Len Muller.

“They only spoke of the good times,” Mr Hughes said.

“I know this because also with us this morning, is Len Muller, Westbrook’s only living war veteran of those named among the many on our honour boards.”

“I wasn’t surprised when Len told me, despite their friendship over the years, that he and Jeff never spoke about Vietnam.

“For those of us who have family who have seen combat, that is the way it is.”

Len grew up on the family farm on Muller Road, named after his father who was a Councillor for 30 years in the Umbiram/Cambooya district.

Len also went to Westbrook State School, leaving when he was 14 to work on the land.

Even though he was a couple of years younger, as they were basically neighbours, Len and Jeff were best mates.

Len was drafted in the birthday lottery and sent to Vietnam

where he served for 10 months, first as a machine gunner then as a scout.

One fateful day, a 10-seconds pause in battle to help his Company mates meant an enemy shell was fired before his.

The resulting shrapnel wounded many, including Len.

For him this was compounded with a bullet wound to his leg.

Len spent three weeks in hospital in Nui Dat, where, as he put it, the other heroes were working - the doctors and nurses who had to deal the wounded and dying.

Len was sent home to Brisbane for further recovery and shortly after received his Honourable Discharge on medical grounds.

And so, a new war began.

Part of that war was the abandonment, the returning soldiers felt, by the Australian Defence Force and the governments of the day.

The battleground was paperwork and red tape; more and more of it falling on deafer ears as time has rolled on.

But the real war as Len put it, was at home in civilian life.

Here, in Toowoomba and Dalby, Len and the other returned soldiers couldn’t go into a pub without being called a murderer or being spat on.

It happened every time in every pub, before he could finish one beer and all he could do is let them know, “You have no idea mate”.

On top of that there is Len’s inner war.

Every night, since that day in Vietnam, Len goes to sleep thinking of those few seconds and the guilt it brings, the ‘what if?’.

He was discharged, unable to return to Vietnam to finish the job, to help his mates again.

But the love and support of his wife Theresa and his children have made it bearable.

Our thanks to Len Muller and Christopher Muller for allowing us to reproduce part of Len’s story.

Christopher Hughes and Jeff Muller after the Westbrook Dawn Service on Anzac Day.

Local Events Calendar

If you are holding an event in the area covered by On Our Selection News, forward details to editorial@cliftoncourier.com.au

Sunday Cambooya Anglican Church service, 10am All Saints Anglican Church, Eton Street

4th Tuesday Nobby Heritage & Development Association Nobby School of Arts Hall June Smith 4696 3108 meeting

Ramsay STATE SCHOOL

Ramsay State School held a well attended Anzac Service last week.

The service was run very competently by the older students of the school.

The younger students were part of an Anzac Parade with Prep students dressed as doctors and nurses, soldiers and

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Guest speaker Chris Burgess from the Clifton RSL Subbranch was welcomed by Ashton Robertson of Year 5.

Students dressed up as soldiers, sailors, doctors and nurses.

sailors. Mr Chris Burgess was our guest speaker. Wreaths were laid in memory of the fallen. The Preps to Year 2 placed hand made poppies in our Anzac Garden.