Stephen Tait, Sally and Ross Hopper and Tanya Alison at the Sunshine Coast Business Awards night.

Maleny Dairies already supplies its premium dairy products to Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran, Tewantin, Doonan, Eumundi, Kin Kin, Imbil, Gympie and Yandina, and has now taken on an additional 10 retailers in these suburbs.

Maleny Dairies CEO Stephen Tait said the move comes due to demand from consumers and retailers.

“There is such a demand from consumers for our products and retailers wanting to stock us.

“We want to ensure everyone has access to premium products such as ours.”

Maleny Dairies sources milk from 10 different local farms.

“We are all about paying farmers top dollar for their premium milk.

“There’s not a day that goes by where I am not

Call 5443

6633 overwhelmed by the amount of work, care and love that our farmers and the Maleny Dairies team put into producing our fresh, pure, quality milk and dairy products.

“We are continuously innovating. Last year we launched lactose-free milk and we will have a new sour cream available from mid-July.”

Maleny Dairies is owned by third-generation farmers Ross and Sally Hopper.

“Great-grandfather Hopper purchased the land in 1948 and we initially began as a cream-only farm.

“After we built our own processing and bottling plant early this century, due to the deregulation of the industry and our fight to survive, we expanded.

“We began purchasing milk from other local farmers in the Sunshine Coast hinterland and beyond.

“The flexibility and control afforded to us by managing our own plant has facilitated the opportunity for us to pay our farmers at a much higher rate per litre of milk. In turn, this has enabled each farmer to keep their herds healthy and their farms viable.

“The company received an overwhelmingly positive response from their consumers. For that, we are very appreciative and we say thank you for your support of our dairy, our farmers and our industry,” Ross and Sally said.

Maleny Dairies welcomed its new CEO, a Cooroy resident and farmer, in February 2022.

“When my wife and I discovered our property in Cooroy, we knew we were home. We just love the people of Cooroy and feel privileged to be part of this community,” Stephen said.

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COOROY can add a bestin-the-state playground to its state-of-the-art library, with the Hinterland Adventure Playground winning the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Queensland (AILAQ) Award of Excellence for play spaces.

In a seesawing contest, the Marara Street attraction slid into first place with judges praising the all-abilities, creative and inspiring project for reflecting the site’s natural and industrial heritage and its well-crafted design that encourages nature-based play. Parents and kids continue to be the ultimate judges.

A fine finish in the latest grant round for the respected Cooroora Woodworkers, clamping down $20,757 for a clubhouse refurbishment.

The majestic Pomona Arts Inc accepted a $7,322 accolade to renovate their green room, Ridgewood Hall Association iced a cool $12,550 for air-conditioning, and the Federal Community Hall group was not overshadowed with $12,000 for a sun-protection sail. Pomo-

Frank Wilkie Deputy Mayor for Noosa

na Cooran Rugby League Club locked down $5,536 for security and the Kin Kin Community Group leapt into $23,841 for recreation and wellbeing participation programs.

Councils are obliged to use the state’s land valuations as a basis for council rates, but this does not mean rate increases will mirror land valuation spikes. Despite an average 62 per cent increase in land valuations across the shire, it’s proposed that 80 per cent of ratepayers will see rates rise less than 7.4 per cent, which is CPI.

If the draft budget is approved, the majority, 63 per cent, of ratepayers on the minimum general rate will see a rise of 5.5 per cent. About 4,000 property owners will see a reduction in their rates.

It’s also proposed that every eligible pensioner will receive the full pensioner rebate of $115, where previously it was a sliding scale depending on eligibility.

External disaster funding sits currently at a record $88m to repair roads across the shire, including 31 landslips.

A shire-wide encroachment policy will provide guidance on how we collectively respect, protect and enhance the bushland and road reserves adjacent to private properties.

The policy promotes an ‘education and partnership before enforcement’ approach to encroachments onto council-managed land and includes guidance on native planting lists.

The policy takes a more nuanced, risk-based approach to the powers available under local laws for addressing unauthorised encroachments upon council-managed land.

Get action on damaged roads, downed trees, cracked footpaths and any general hazards by downloading the free app Snap Send Solve onto your phone.

The app allows you to take a geo-located photo of the incident, provide a brief note on the issue and send it to the most relevant authority, be it a council, power or water utility, or Telstra anywhere in Australia.

Frank

NOOSA Council is thrilled to sign a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with our northern neighbour, Gympie Regional Council, to help find efficiencies in waste management plus potential ways we can share costs. Waste management is one of the biggest expenses councils face so it pays to work together where possible to avoid duplication and look for better environmental outcomes and efficiencies. Noosa Council is also a member of the Council of Mayors South East Qld (COMSEQ) which has launched a Waste Management Plan to tackle the war on waste. Seventy per cent of Queensland’s waste is processed through South East Queensland, so we all have a shared ambition to find ways to improve recycling and identify resource-recovery opportunities.

As we continue to wage our war on waste, Council has also purchased a machine that will ensure around 50 tonnes of polystyrene will be spared from landfill annu-

Clare Stewart Noosa Mayor

ally. The upcoming arrival of our new Expanded Polystyrene Thermal Compaction Unit at our Eumundi Road waste facility follows a successful six-month trial of the recycling technology using a smaller machine.

Processing polystyrene in-house will save Council more than $380,000 annually in costs associated with landfilling of this material. It makes good business sense as the machine will more than pay for itself in less than six months, and we’re conserving space in our new landfill cell while helping reduce the environmental impact of polystyrene waste. We are hoping to have the new machine up and running in August.

Ratepayers can take comfort in Council’s strong financial position, as confirmed by the latest Queensland Treasury Corporation rating. We’ve retained our sound credit rating with a neutral outlook, reflecting the continued delivery of balanced operating results. Council has a strong track record of prudent and responsi- ble financial management and is in a good position to weather the current uncertain and inflationary economic conditions. This strong credit rating reflects Council’s goals of sustainability and its dedicated focus on responsible financial management.

In great news for our residents, our new mobile library service is on the road. It has solar panels, air-conditioning and a covered outdoor area and Wi-Fi.

The Mobile Library contains thousands of new and popular items such as books, magazines, audiobooks and DVDs. It’s big enough to walk inside and browse the collection; however, it is smaller than our previous vehicle making it more versatile than the old one ensuring that we can access more locations and reach more customers. You can also now book the library service to come to your community organisation’s event: libraries.noosa.qld. gov.au/my-library/mobile. Until next time, take care, Clare.

Llew O’Brien

Federal Member for Wide Bay

JUNE has been another busy month, with Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick visiting Wide Bay and accompanying me to several meetings and community events. Senator Rennick and I met with Tourism Noosa to discuss some of the key issues affecting the local tourism industry, and we also addressed a meeting of the Noosa Branch of the Association of Independent Retirees (AIR). We spoke about a number of issues including the impacts of the Federal Budget, the rise in energy costs, and the Voice referendum. If you would like to know more about my position on the Voice, you can visit my Facebook page and listen to the speech I made in Parliament about this proposal.

Senator Rennick and I hosted a Politics in the Pub event at Noosa, which drew a large crowd who came out to listen and engage. From economics to Covid, everything was on the table, and it was great to take part in a respectful exchange of views.

This month I also opened the Property Rights Australia conference in Gympie, where guest speakers from across the country spoke about the erosion of property rights and the impacts the proposed Borumba Hydro project and its transmission lines will have on the amenity of the region.

The proposed invasion of Powerlink’s pylons into Wide Bay communities threatens to trample over private landholdings. Green energy doesn’t come without environmental costs, and some 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines, uprooting trees and habitat, are needed to connect renewables to the grid to meet the Albanese Labor government’s 82 per cent renewables target by 2030.

To date, the National and Liberal parties in the Senate have moved four times to establish a Senate Inquiry into the effects of renewable energy transmission lines on regional and rural communities, and four times Labor,

The Greens Party, and Canberra Senator David Pocock have slammed the Senate doors shut on letting our communities have their say. Another important matter I raised in Parliament is the impact the Albanese government’s announcement about 60-day prescriptions will have on local pharmacies. Several regional pharmacists have told me how this $3.5 billion funding cut will undermine their viability, impact the services they provide, reduce their opening hours, and risk closing their doors permanently. Unfortunately, this policy will come at a great cost to our nation’s health, and I have called on the government to work with pharmacists to find a solution. Llew

FOR those who missed our Facebook post regarding a pedestrian crossing for Factory St, Pomona, we gathered with representatives from Noosa Council and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) for further discussions on a crossing to provide the best safety for all who traverse the road daily to access essential services. The outcome was a location for an island put forward by Council, which is being assessed by TMR regarding pavement strength, loss of car parks, etc. and they will come back as soon as completed. It was great to see an agreement, and we will update when further information is provided. A reminder that TMR-managed roads in the Pomona township area are Reserve St, Factory St and Hill St. Other roads such as Station St and Summit Rd are managed by Noosa Council, and any advocacy for crossings on those should be done via the Noosa mayor and councillors.

It was good to catch up with Daniela and Olivia from Seqwater for an update on the Lake Macdonald replacement project which had been delayed due to a review. This has now been completed, and we shall have further information, including on any community engagement, in the coming weeks.

On the state budget, for the Noosa electorate specifically, we had welcome inclusions such as the $13 million Pomona Campus Hall, as well as disappointment in the non-allocation for the expansion of the Advanced Manufacturing Hub at Sunshine Beach State High School. A summary has been posted to Noosa 360 (SandyBolton. com/Noosa360) along with a copy of my speech which contains both what we are happy with, and those not so, including around a lack of increases needed in a number of realms that we will be questioning further during budget estimates hearings.

In relation to the broader state realm, the lack of substantial funding to rectify our housing crisis was a shock. Given that we have a record $12 billion surplus due to mining royalties, and a need of 6,000 social and affordable homes each year for the next 20 years, the amount put forward is not acceptable. Nor is the lack of a strategy outlining how these needs will be addressed. As studies have shown, it costs less for governments and taxpayers to ensure people have a secure home, versus to not. We are a wealthy state yet are struggling with the basics?

Stay in the loop via Noosa 360 with updates on a range of important issues, including with Nicklin MP Rob Skelton regarding those dangerous Cooroy intersections which I mentioned in my budget reply speech. If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact my office at 5319 3100 or email noosa@parliament. qld.gov.au.

Until next time, Sandy

What’s on list

Sconetime in Cooroy SCONETIME in Cooroy with Sunshine Coast Foodie Martin Duncan and Traecy Hinner of Noosa Black Coffee is on Tuesday 11 July at Cooroy Memorial Hall. Sconetime creates meaningful community connections where seniors

Sconetime, Cooroy

come together with family and business owners over fresh hot scones loaded with home-made jam and loads of freshly whipped cream. Tickets: trybooking. com/CISPE.

Yandina Country Music GUEST artists The Elderly

Burlesque Show, Kandanga

Brothers will perform at the ACMA concert on Sunday 16 July bringing well-loved harmonies of Don and Phil and a smattering of pop, rock ‘n roll and bluegrass. Enjoy popular country music and other upbeat, crowd-pleasing favourites from local artists backed by a great house band. Hall of Fame, 24 Steggalls Road at 12 noon. Raffle and door prizes, BYO lunch, free tea and coffee. Entry $8. Enquiries call 0437 191004.

Imperial Hotel Eumundi ALYS Ffion on Wednesday 5 June from 12 pm to 3 pm; open mic night for 7 –17-year-olds on Thursday 6 July from 6:30 pm; Hayden Hack on Friday 7 July from 6 pm to 9 pm; Alys Ffion on Saturday 8 July from 12 pm what’s on to 3 pm, Haleigh Hing from 6 pm to 9 pm and Tijuana Cartel with guest Lila Swain at 7.30 cost $35; Liam Griffin on Sunday 9 July from 1 pm to 4 pm; Shannon Carroll on Friday 14 from 6 pm to 9 pm and Jeff Martin with guest Hellhound Brown at 7.30 pm cost $55; Jay Bishoff on Saturday 15 July from 12 pm to 3 pm and Haleigh Hing from 6 pm to 9 pm; Alys Ffion on Saturday 16 July from 1 pm to 4 pm; Hayden Hack on Friday 21 July from 6 pm to 9 pm; Alys Ffion on Saturday 22 July from 12 pm to 3 pm and Katie Millae from 6 pm to 9 pm; Viva La Vintage Market on Sunday 23 July from 9 am to 1 pm and Little Mountain from 1 pm to 4 pm.