POLICE BEAT

E-SCOOTERS

THERE has been a big rise in the use of E-scooters everywhere, with both personally owned and hire scooters becoming increasingly common. An E-scooter is considered a Personal Mobility Device (PMD) as are electric skateboards, electric unicycles and other self balancing wheeled devices.

Unlike motorised mobility devices, such as mobility scooters or motorised wheelchairs where the user is considered a pedestrian under Queensland law, PMD use is covered by the Queensland Road Rules found in the Transport Operations (Road Use Management – Road Rules) Regulation 2009). There are over 200 regulations for users of PMDs and I certainly won’t be listing them all here, but you can find a good summary of some of the common issues here, www.qld. gov.au/transport/safety/rules/ wheeled-devices/personalmobility-devices

However, I would like to point out a few that we regularly get questions and complaints about. The figures in brackets are the fines associated with each offence. One of the most important ones is the age of the rider.

Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to ride a PMD ($154), from the age of 12 to 15 children must be directly supervised while riding ($154), this means that a parent or another suitable adult must be with them while riding, not just aware that they are riding.

As with bicycles, everyone riding a PMD must wear a helmet ($154) and only one person at a time is allowed on a PMD (no doubling) ($154). In some instances, PMDs are only allowed to travel in bike lanes.

PMDs on footpaths or shared paths may not travel at more than 12km/h and are required to give way to pedestrians ($464). This is probably one of the more common complaints. While 12km/h is the limit, you are also required to ride at a speed suitable for the area you are in. If you are riding along a path in front of shops you need to be riding at a speed that allows you to stop for people entering or exiting the shops and ALL pedestrians. I really encourage anyone who rides or is thinking of riding a PMD to look at the link above before setting out. One last tip, the penalty for using your mobile phone while riding is $1161.

SCAMS

NOW the end of the financial year has passed, there is generally a bit of an increase in scams targeting all things tax return, including text messages requesting payment at a supplied link or recorded messages threatening some kind of legal action. Please remember that the ATO will not send you a link to pay your tax return. I’m sure many of us are familiar with the notification that you have a message in your

Happy 90th birthdays!

Contributed by Margaret Martin myGov inbox. While this may seem like an annoying arrangement it is to protect you, so always check at the known source.

A new scam identified by Scam Watch relates to loyalty points. The scammer sends a text message with a fake login to the loyalty program and obtains the victim’s login details. The scammer then steals not only the points but potentially other personal information which can be used to commit identity fraud. Unfortunately, Australians lose millions of dollars a year to scams with almost $300,000,000 lost in the first 6 months this year. If you would like more information, go to www.scamwatch.gov.au

BLUE LIGHT DANCE PARTY

OUR last Blue Light was a huge success and we are hoping to build on that this time around. The event is open to all school age children and runs from 7pm to 9pm on Friday 25th August at Beerwah Community Hall (next to the library).

Entry is $10 per person and we have a small canteen with sausage in bread, drinks and lolly bags for sale. At this stage we are a cash only arrangement.

Parents are welcome to hang around or just drop off and go enjoy a quiet dinner. Doors are shut and there are no exits before 9pm without a guardian to collect the child.

Hope to see a big turn out!

Maleny Senior Citizens club recently celebrated our birthday month. Three members turned 90 this year. We were joined by Andrew Powell and Winston Johnston.

Our three nonagenarians (pictured below) are Howard Mear, George Diefenbach and regular GC&M News poetic contributor Lisa Plucknett (see below).

To join in our fun mornings ring Margaret 5494 2621 or 0419 179 516.

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When i am asked to punctuate it’s worse than when I conjugate; My heart beats and i palpitate, At the other end I constipate. (Or go to church and congregate) I agitate, co-agulate, The deadline’s gone and I am late, I think I carry too much weight,

My nerves they just will not abate . There’s semi colons, colons, I thought that was a bowel, I had a colonoscopy, A procedure rather foul. (In fact it made me howl and scowl, And is a semi colon half a bowel)