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Wednesday, September 21, 2016
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Farmers the toast of region HUNDREDS of Tablelands growers and businesses came together to celebrate the region’s strong farming community on Friday night for the annual Mareeba District Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association dinner. While Ravenshoe farmer Warren Jonsson took out the Charlie Nastasi Horticultural Farmer of the Year Award, sisters Karolyna and Raychelle Srhoj (pictured) marvelled at the giant pumpkin on display at the Mareeba International Club. More than $20,000 was raised for local charities on the night, which was celebrated by a record crowd of over 400 people. FULL STORY – THE LAND
senseless hoons Lives endangered and wildlife killed in street rampage EXCLUSIVE By Michael Serenc
A RECKLESS rampage by a group of sadistic hoons has residents of a Mareeba street fearing for their lives. Riding in a white dual-cab 4WD ute, the group tore through Eli Cl about 10:50pm last Wednesday night, performing a burnout before running down and killing two wallabies. An Eli Cl resident, who asked not to be named,
said she was sickened by the act of cruelty and feared for the safety of her neighbours. “I think their behaviour is appalling. The wallabies are protected animals, they’re part of the attraction of living up here and that’s not a humane way to kill them,” she said. “It looked like they were deliberately targeting the wallabies, swerving all over the road trying to get them. “They’ve come down the street chasing them.”
The mum-of-one said there were several families with young children and household pets who lived in the street. “One of my neighbours was seeing off some relatives or friends who were visiting earlier that night, and I could hear their children out the front,” she said. “Had that incident happened around the same time and the hoons had been drinking, it could have been a lot worse.”
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Wallabies and other native animals are commonplace in the area, which backs on to bushland. “There’s a lot of wildlife around so I think these hoons are finding they’re a really easy target,” the resident said. “They could have damaged property because of the high speed they were driving at, they could have easily taken letterboxes, cars or anything else that was around.” CONTINUED Page 3
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