NEWS
KANGAROO SHOOTINGS UPSET TRADITIONAL OWNERS Seven kangaroos were shot and left to die in a shooting spree on Main Beach, north and south of the Causeway. Quandamooka Traditional Owners were upset by the callous killing of the adult male and female eastern grey kangaroos, and one swamp wallaby. The roos, which had been variously shot through the head and neck, were discovered by staff members from Redland City Council. They reported the shootings to the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Staff and North Stradbroke Island Police.
PHOTO: MARIA TAN
The Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation has signed an Indigenous Management Agreement with the Queensland state government and since then has been in discussion with the state about the allocation of resources, including beach patrols.
Home of the Straddie Burger BY MARIA TAN IT’S HARD TO MISS THE CHANGES AT the Straddie Roadhouse since it came under new management. With bright blue signs now visible from the road, sheltered outdoor seating and a new menu, the Roadhouse is bustling with business from both visitors and locals. “When we first started, during Christmas time, we were doing one box of bacon and now we’re doing two to two-and-a-half boxes a week, so it’s doubled,” Straddie Roadhouse owner, Joe Rahurahu, told SIN. Home to the legendary “Straddie Burger” and still serving as a general store and fuel station, Joe thinks their success lies with being consistent. “A lot more local people are coming back because we have better food and it’s fresh, and our hours are always the same,” Joe said. “What you get today, you’ll get tomorrow, so the quality doesn’t change.” Joe and his partner Megan have more improvements in store for the Roadhouse, which was established more than three decades ago, with renovations planned for inside and outside the storefront. “A lot of people have commented that 4 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS
we’ve cleaned it up but there’s still a lot to do,” Joe said. “We are getting a lot more work during the winter time because of all the local people coming in. So we want to tidy the place up. There’s a bit more paint work to be done, as well as new seating rather than the green tables. I love my timber,” he added. Formerly working as a carpenter and labourer in Browns Plains, Logan, Joe is originally from New Zealand. “I prefer living over here than Browns Plains or Logan,” he said. “It’s good because now I know everyone in the community and it’s a really tight knit community.” Having holidayed on Straddie for many years, Joe and Megan made the decision to buy the Roadhouse and move permanently to Point Lookout, with their two young daughters, a year ago. “We’d spend a lot of time over here holidaying and camping and we used to come here every Christmas for six weeks and also during Easter,” Joe said. “Now it’s like living at work, but it’s good having the beach straight out the backyard. “And we still go camping on the beach.”
Suzie Coulston, CEO of QYAC said: “We wholeheartedly support the allocation of adequate resources to patrol the Island and we are working in consultation with QPWS, Redland City Council and other stakeholders about this. “It concerns us greatly that these shooting have occurred and that there are not more patrols being conducted by those who have been trained as authorised officers. “This shooting behaviour is not acceptable and unfortunately this is not the first time. “We want to see patrols ramped up by all parties and we encourage the police to expedite their investigations into this matter.”
SUMMER 2012–13
Amongst the gumtrees BY MARIA TAN
oalas are often seen crossing the road in front of the general store at Amity Point, where they climb the nearby gum trees to watch shoppers come and go throughout the day. “Tourists love it,” co-owner of Amity Point General Dealers, Kylie Manteufel, told SIN. “There are often koalas in the trees out the front and they just cross the road, go up the tree and sit there for a while.” While there are koalas out front, out the back the general store looks directly onto the waters of Moreton Bay, where dolphins are spotted frolicking near the jetty in the afternoons. “The water’s just right there, it’s easy to walk to,” Mrs. Manteufel pointed out. “You have beaches and you have the bay and you can walk from one end to the other or swim in the netted swimming enclosure.”
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Once, a runaway kangaroo was sighted swimming off into the distance, an event Kylie describes as “one of the strangest things that’s ever happened” since she and husband Duane bought the store in 2009. “One morning we watched a kangaroo hop past the shop and jump straight into the water off the rocks and it just kept swimming,” she said. “We were standing here going, ‘Gee that kangaroo’s going really fast,’ and then it’s gone into the water. “We had to ring the wildlife rescue to come and get it. It was really bizarre.” The mother of four told SIN that her life had changed “in every way” since she and Duane swapped country living in a small town near Gatton, for the Island’s beachside lifestyle, 15 years ago. “I’d never go back,” Kylie said. “I love Amity because it’s a small friendly community where everyone knows each other and
helps out. I also enjoy the tourist season and meeting new people and seeing different things.” Kylie says she and Duane plan to run the store for many years to come, and hope to see more “positive changes in Amity”, including a supervised feeding program for dolphins at Amity Point jetty. “Amity is quieter compared to Point Lookout. I’d like to see a bit more services in Amity and the only way we’re going to do that is to see more visitors in Amity,” she said. “Even the bus services to Amity are limited. A lot of people don’t even realise that if you come by public transport, no-one stops at Amity, so there are a lot of people that just don’t realise how nice it is here.” Amity Point General Dealers, 9 Ballow Street, is open seven days and sells bait and tackle as well as general groceries, fuel, ice and gas.
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Julie Elliott Sales Manager/Licensed Agent 0408 853 940 julie@discoverstradbroke.com.au SUMMER 2012–13
STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 5
PHOTO: MARIA TAN
PEOPLE
NEWS
ISLAND BEAT By Sergeant PETER TWORT, Officer in Charge, Dunwich Police. 3409 6020
ROAD RULES Visitors are reminded that the same road rules apply to the beaches and roads of North Stradbroke Island as they do on the mainland. Please be mindful of this as receiving a traffic ticket, or a charge of drink driving, would no doubt spoil your holiday. The most frequent issues are speeding, fail to wear seat belt, drink driving, riding in the back of utes, and parents allowing their children to drive on the beach. Another major issue is drivers failing to slow down around people on the beach. Please show common courtesy and slow right down when passing families; we do not want to see anyone’s summer holiday marred by tragedy, should a child be seriously injured, or worse. Be warned: extensive traffic enforcement will be conducted throughout the summer break. Flinders Beach 40kph. Main Beach 60kph.
RANDOM BREATH TESTING Good news: drink drivers are few and far between on Straddie. We have been performing RBT’s at the same rate as usual, and have only detected one drink driver in almost 1200 RBT’s. Hopefully this is a sign that people are realising the selfishness and stupidity of drink driving.
A male person was intercepted while driving a commercial vehicle and he is fronting court for disqualified drive, which will probably result in a heavy fine, and an extension of the existing disqualification period.
LOCK IT OR LOSE IT A reminder to our visitors: sadly, crime can and does occur here so please ensure that premises and vehicles are locked at all times when unattended. Do not leave items around the yard or front of houses over night, e.g. surf boards, fishing rods etc, as they may vanish if not secured away over night.
OFFICER OF THE YEAR I am proud to announce that one of our own officers, Sgt Constable Danny Wruck, was nominated for the Redlands Police Officer of the Year. I won this award myself a few years back and I know what an honour it is to be nominated for the top gong. Danny is a most deserving nominee.
OPERATION MERCURY Operation Mercury was conducted during the September school holidays. Policing numbers
Murri Court closure Straddie Elders and residents are being urged to start a Justice of the Peace (JP) Magistrates Court on the Island to counter the planned closure of the Murri Court in Cleveland at the end of the year, MARIA TAN reports.
W
hile the Newman Government cuts funding to Murri Courts across the state, a new alternative is being suggested by Uncle Norm Clarke, a presiding Elder on the Cleveland Murri Court. “The community, as well as a couple of mainstream JPs, can sit and run their own Indigenous court on the Island, for the Island people themselves,” Uncle Norm explained. “They do that at the Aboriginal mission at Cherbourg, it’s only about five or six kilometres from Murgon. They have a magistrates’ court with JPs and all the Aboriginal people who sit in the court are Justices of the Peace. “That’s something that maybe the community can get together on and put to the Attorney-General’s department about trying to run something themselves on the Island, because all the minor things that come through the Murri Court could be handled in a JP Magistrates Court,” Uncle Norm added. The LNP vowed to increase funding to JP Magistrates Courts by $3.5 million as 10 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS
one of their election promises, but so far only one new pilot program will be trialled to enable JPs to resolve minor disputes within the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Funding for the Murri Court was scheduled to finish at the end of 2012, a move that Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Jarrod Bleijie, said was based on evidence that suggested the program was not working effectively. “The Murri Court was not delivering consistent results and did not justify the amount being spent to keep it operating,” the Attorney General said. “The program was not reducing imprisonment rates for Indigenous offenders and has not stopped recidivism in the short term. “This is because many offenders return to their communities where they are exposed to the same levels of unemployment and drug and alcohol use,” the Attorney General told SIN. As the director of Project 10%, an organisation campaigning to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and
on the Island were boosted with the assistance of the Wynnum District Response Team and Traffic Branch. Similar numbers of offences, arrests, and liquor notices as per previous years were observed. Parents must take responsibility for their children’s behaviour, a message that is very hard to get through.
AMITY SQUATTERS Information was received recently regarding a male and female squatting in the Amity Point township. Property offences also started to be reported around the same time. Subsequently, we began investigations, resulting in the location of a 25-year-old male and 16-year-old female in a residence in Amity. Following a stand off, both persons were taken into custody and charged with numerous property offences and one drug related offence. Once again, the assistance of the public was key to this successful result. On behalf of all at Dunwich Station, and Point Lookout Police Beat, I would like to thank the large number of locals who have assisted us in our efforts to make NSI a safe place to live, and wish you all a great summer.
Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland prisons, Uncle Norm believes the Murri Court closure is “a backwards step” and says he is “disappointed” with the government’s decision. “With the Murri Court gone, more of our people will go to the Magistrates Court where they can be sentenced to prison time and the prisons at the moment are overloaded,” the Project 10% director said. “This government has shown that they are not looking at the bigger, wider picture or committed to their election promises.” The imprisonment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 14 times higher than the rate for non-Indigenous persons, according to 2011 prisoner census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. “In the long run I think it will cost them double to what it was to run the Murri Court,” Uncle Norm added. “The court system won’t be able to keep up with the number of the cases that will now run through the Magistrates Court.” North Stradbroke Island Community Justice Group member Colin Kingston told SIN the most important aspect of the Murri Court system was that it gave the Elders a platform to talk to young Indigenous people. SUMMER 2012–13
NEWS
Members of the North Stradbroke Island Community Justice Group at a recent meeting attended by SIN. Left (Clockwise): Colin Kingston, DSC Danny Wruck, PLO Tom Governor, Charlie Jia from CJ’s Island Pizza, Uncle John Campbell, Anthony Karklis from Sibelco and George Khan.
Straddie Justice Crew Concerned residents have joined forces with local police, council and community groups to combat crime and tackle ongoing social issues on the Island, MARIA TAN reports.
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nstalling Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras around Dunwich is at the top of the list for the newly formed North Stradbroke Island Community Justice Group (NSICJG). “At the Citizen’s Group meeting, we mentioned the cameras in High Street and we spoke up and said that we think we need cameras in some areas in Point Lookout,” NSICJG member George Khan told SIN. The justice group is now awaiting approval from Redland City Council before installing the fixed security cameras. “This is where other councils have sort of buckled because the monitoring of them is a cost,” George said. The justice group believes that security cameras will reduce crime on the Island, in the same way as Logan City Council’s Safety Camera Program and the Safe City Program in Ipswich. “Have a look at whether it’s worth it. The crime rate in Ipswich has come down, behaviour in the streets has improved and people love to walk around Ipswich at night time now and go to the restaurants and stuff so there’s consistent business,” he said. Local pizza shop owner and NSICJG member, Charlie Jia, agrees that the cameras are now necessary, following the Dunwich post office fire and ongoing issues surrounding drug and alcohol fuelled-violence on the Island. “We could see where our concerns with these issues were heading anyway. These issues had to come to a head somewhere and that’s just what happened,” Charlie said. “It’s an important point too that it’s not just about crime; it’s about public safety and perception of safety.” SUMMER 2012–13
The justice group also serves as a contact point for the rehabilitation of Murri Court offenders, while working alongside the Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders, local police and the council to discuss possible solutions for crime, social and youth-related issues at community forums. “We’re really working closely with the council and the council is on board with what’s happening over here and also the community, so that the police, community and council work together to do a holistic type approach to deal with things rather than just the traditional approach of policing,” NSICJG member Senior Constable Danny Wruck told SIN. “I think we’ve tried to change tack a bit in terms of being more proactive in getting the community involved in the process and through research on crime and social issues. That’s really the best way, to work in partnership with the community and help them help themselves.” Formed earlier this year, the justice group has been operating on a voluntary basis and hopes to gain more support from the Straddie community. “We haven’t had any funding yet,” NSICJG member, Colin Kingston explained. “We’re waiting for our first role with the surveillance cameras and hopefully when that appears up in the main street here, and it gets around town that the Community Justice Group was part of that arrangement, then maybe the community will prick up their ears and say, ‘Oh, there is a community justice group that’s taking things seriously’. “We’re very new at what we’re doing but we’re trying to do what we can to make a little bit of a difference.”
PHOTO: MARIA TAN
DELIVERING THANKS AFTER POST OFFICE FIRE
Dunwich postmasters, Brian and Hetty Conlon, have one simple message to all those who have given them support since a fire destroyed their home and workplace: “Thank you so much.” The Dunwich Post Office and the Conlon home were gutted by fire during a robbery and assault in late July, in which Hetty Conlon (above) was injured. “It’s because of the support of people and being part of the community that we’ve been able to get by,” Brian Conlon told SIN. “We couldn’t do it without their support and that’s the reason we live here.” More than $50,000 was raised to help the Conlons, including $34,000 raised at a community carnival held in August and generous donations from people all over Queensland. North Stradbroke Island Community Justice Group member, George Khan, described the Straddie Fundraiser as “the most positive thing that came out of the whole episode. “That was a major day for the community to get together. Everyone was there and it just flowed,” George said. “Initially [after the fire] there was shock and horror, then ‘let the police do their investigation and we will look after Brian and Hetty. We’ll support them and make sure they’re right’.” The North Stradbroke Island Community Justice Group (NSICJG) helped to put up the temporary mailing boxes now being used in the rebuilt post office. NSICJG member Colin Kingston told SIN that the Community Justice Group was formed before the fire, in response to rising youth and social issues that were becoming prevalent on the Island. “We were concerned and we could see that there was a problem with alcohol, drugs and anti-social or bad behavior in the streets. “We figured the best way we could help was to form a group and act as community people normally should act, and get support from the police,” he said. Picking up the pieces has not been an easy task for Brian and Hetty, who are still coming to grips with ongoing police investigations while slowly trying to rebuild their shop and home. —Maria Tan
STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 11
BON APPETIT
French Connection Locals are discovering their dining joie de vivre with the help of two French brothers working the kitchen at Look Café Bar, Point Lookout, writes MARIA TAN. rom Biarritz to Point Lookout is not such a stretch, when you consider the commonalities that the two places hold. Both have a connection to whales and whaling, and both are famous for their excellent surf. Sure, one has a population of more than 25,000 and has been the play place of the rich and the royal, since the wife of Napoleon III built a beach “shack” there in 1854 (now the Hôtel du Palais). Now, Biarritz, the city in southwest France, and Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, have a another common selling point: the Brothers Bilhe. Head chef Mathieu Bilhe told SIN he
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began his career in Biarritz and began travelling at the behest of his mentor. “He told me, ‘you have to travel now, you don’t have to stay around this place. You have to travel’ so I started to do this and I’ve never stopped.” For Mathieu, who is winning fans with his signature dish, the chilli pork belly, life is good – or as the French might say, la vie en rose. “I used to work in all different parts of the kitchen. Before coming here I was a pastry chef and it’s now been 10 years that I’ve been working in kitchens while travelling.” With its views over the ocean off Frenchman’s Beach, it’s fitting that the Look Café
Bar menu now offers a fusion of French and Australian flavours. “Everybody likes the chilli pork belly so I cook this as a signature dish, for everybody that’s the best dish,” Matheiu told SIN. Secretly though, he revealed to SIN that his personal favourite dish on the menu was none other than that all-Aussie favourite: the steak. “I cook a beef côte de bœuf that you can share, for two, with garniture and a really good sauce. I make the sauce too, but everybody thinks the best meal is the pork belly,” Mathieu says. Since joining the Look Café Bar, Mathieu has revamped the à la carte menu with the help of his sous chefs and staff, to adapt distinct French fare to the modern Australian palette. “John, my boss, told us about what Australian people like. After that we did the mains with all I know, all I like and all I want to taste,” the head chef recalls. “We tried different flavours and mixed Australian and French tastes. My brother helped me to do this, I’ve got a really good team.” Before arriving on Straddie at the start of 2012, Mathieu travelled around Australia, hitchhiking from Broome to Airlie Beach. In Brisbane he saw an ad calling for a chef to run the kitchen at the Look Café Bar, Point Lookout. “I was very surprised that it was a beautiful Island,” Mathieu said. “I didn’t finish my travelling; I stopped at Stradbroke. “Now that I’m here, I don’t want to go!” And that’s another thing Mathieu has in common with the locals – they don’t want him to go either. French brothers Mathieu and Fabien Bilhe
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SUMMER 2012–13
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Improve your breathing Lymphatic drainage Relieve pain & tension STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 13
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ollowing the beach breaks to Straddie nearly 30 years ago led veteran surfer Bob Minty from carving it up on the water to shaping his own signature series of hand-crafted surfboards. Overlooking the clear blue waters of the Coral Sea, Bob is living the dream at his Point Lookout beach shack, creating custom-made surfboards in his small surf shop. “It’s a good lifestyle in this sort of a business if you love what you do,” Bob told SIN. Fine white foam mists the baby blue
walls at Bob Minty’s Surfboards, as a new short board is planed into shape in the workshop out the back. Bob uses the same tools his mum gave him as a young man to craft each and every surfboard made in the shop, and has done since it was established in 1989. “I started down at the Gold Coast 35 years ago,” Bob recalled. “I started fibre glassing as a boy and then doing boards and learnt how to shape. “My mum bought me an electric planer, a three-foot steel rule and a square for my 20th birthday – and I still use them every day.
STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS—SUMMER 2012–13
“I came over here when the surf was good and just stayed. I got a job at the old pub and I’ve been here ever since.” After working in the mines for a few years an opportunity came up to buy a former holiday house turned surf shop, previously known as Uriah’s Heap. Now Bob specialises in creating customshaped surfboards and his own vintage designs including the Malibu, Mini Mals, and 70’s style twin and single fin surfboards. Bob Minty Surfboards is at Point Lookout opposite the bus turnaround. — Maria Tan
PHOTO: MARIA TAN
“i came over here when the surf was good and just stayed.”