Kandanga Koala Country

SLOW DOWN DUSK THRU TO DAWN

It’s been exciting over recent years to hear of so many koala sightings in the Kandanga area, and to see the community becoming increasingly engaged in helping to protect these precious residents. The Kandanga School community love their own regular koala ‘attendee’. Pictured top, Koala mum ‘Bluebell’ with her 2022 joey this October. Her home area out on Kandanga Creek Road is well known, thanks to her human guardians sponsoring her own signs to try to keep her (and the joey she is carrying) safe on the road she crosses constantly!

Image #2 - this gorgeous koala was spotted below Kann Park on entry to Kandanga in April 2021, while the last Image #3 was taken recently, 26 August at 3.45am, on the road, near Kann Park.

“Residents are helping in so many ways, such as checking if koalas are showing the signs of chlamydia so they can get help, and by reporting koala sightings in ‘Wildwatch Gympie’. This is helping build up important data on our endangered koala populations. Others are planting koala corridors or helping at community tree plantings. Right now, with koala breeding season in full swing, they really do need extra help from us – they are SO much more active, and at much higher risk. Sadly we have already lost some healthy male koalas to road strike in the Mary Valley,” said a volunteer recently.

To help keep them safe:

• Be koala-aware (they are noctural) and slow down when driving between late afternoon and early morning.

• Ensure our dogs are contained at night. Koalas can and do show up in unexpected places at this time of year. Do check if dogs are barking – it could be a koala!

As a local koala conservation group, our main aim is to create a more koala-aware community. We produced a ‘Koalas of Gympie Region’ brochure, a Koala Glovebox Guide (available Imbil and Kandanga Post Offices and many outlets), and there is an active Facebook page and a website www.kagr.org.au

On the Habitat page is a link for Gympie Region landholders who would like support with a koala habitat planting.

Also find a ‘buy tickets’ button for our fundraising raffle. The glorious prize (drawn 16 December 2022) is a six-day getaway in a lovely Mary Valley Airbnb cottage.

We meet monthly, and love to welcome new members.

Rescue contacts: Noosa and Sunshine Coast Region Koala Rescue Team-Wildcare (24-hour 55272444 or find direct numbers on their FB page).

ANARRA Gympie Wildlife Rescue 54849111 (all native wildlife species).

Michelle Daly, Public Relations, Koala Action Gympie Region 0437 549 252.

CR DAVID LAW DIV 10 SUNSHINE COAST

Work has commenced to replace the existing shelter and picnic tables at Pioneer Park in Gheerulla. One of the picnic tables will be located where the existing shelter is currently, with the other picnic table to be located further into the park. • Does your community organisation need funding to help make something great happen? Make it a reality with support from Council’s Community Grants Program.

Minor Grants of up to $2000 are available for community groups to deliver projects, events and activities that provide community benefit. The current round closes on Monday, 31 October . Visit Council’s website to apply today. • This past year Council has worked with the local community to achieve incredible results. We are proud to present the Sunshine Coast Community Strategy Annual Report for 2021/22 which summarises the key achievements during the latest financial year.

It exemplifies the practical work being undertaken to achieve our collective long-term goals of achieving a strong community with opportunities for everyone to participate and contribute to community life.

We have co-designed the powerful Shine a Light on Racism campaign, the Migrant Work Ready Program to help new migrants prepare for work and build connections, and an All Access Day at the Beach, partnering with Mooloolaba Surf Club to celebrate International Day of People with Disability.

The Community Strategy is delivering a pathway to create a strong Sunshine Coast community. To view council’s Community Strategy Annual Report, please visit council’s website. david.law@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au | @DavidLawDivision10

CR WINSTON JOHNSTON DIV 5 SUNSHINE COAST

The Division 5, 2022-23 road resurfacing and rehabilitation program has started which means you might start to notice pathways and roads being repaired. A range of roads in Maleny, Curramore, Conondale, Woombye, Witta, Palmwods, Hunchy, Bald Knob, Mooloolaba and Ilkley will undergo spray seal resurfacing, asphalt resurfacing, rehabilitation and reconstruction works.

Once these works are completed by Christmas (weather and site conditions permitting), only a relatively small number of roads and streets in Division 5 will still require resurfacing and renewal. Hopefully they will be completed in 2023-24, with the occasional extra few being planned as needed in subsequent financial years. • Spring has nearly sprung and our beautiful Australian birds are having their babies. Magpies and other defensive birds can be protective parents but remember they are only looking after their young. Please don’t respond aggressively to defensive behaviour as they remember faces and this can make the behaviour worse over time. Keep an eye out for council’s defensive bird signage across the region and go to council’s website for more information on how to stay safe this swooping season. • The impact of a series of major landslips caused by the February and May weather event has assessed the worst affected areas being Bald Knob, Wootha (west of Maleny), Glenview, Eudlo, Peachester, Montville and Towen Mountain.

We are liaising with the affected local residents, and we are providing as much information as we can to keep the community informed throughout the construction works.

• Calling all Sunshine Coast community groups! Does your community organisation need funding to help make something great happen? Make it a reality with support from Council’s Community Grants Program. Minor Grants of up to $2000 are available for community groups to deliver projects, events and activities that provide community benefit. The current round closes on Monday, 31 October 2022.

www.facebook.com/winstonjohnstondivision5scc

GOURMAY MARY VALLEY 2023 ART ON YABBA EXCITES LOCALS

Planning for a food event in the Mary Valley in 2023 is under way. The event GourMay Mary Valley is a celebration of the regions farmers, producers and creators.

Satellite events will be spread across the valley from Dagun to Kenilworth and Crystal Waters, and could include – farm tours, picnics, workshops, cooking classes, food art (the art of food), mystery food tours, dinners and breakfasts, along with a Festival Day to be held in Imbil on Saturday 6 May 2023.

Festival Day will include food and produce stalls, cooking demonstrations, presentations, competitions and more.

Janelle Parker, president of the Mary Valley Chamber of Commerce said, “It will be a great opportunity for our farmers, producers and creators to showcase the diversity of food that comes from the Mary Valley and to tell our food story.”

Events already in the planning include farm tours and dinners, with Kenilworth Dairies, the Mary Valley Rattler, Kandanga Farm Store, Mary Valley Country Harvest and Bunya Grove already on board.

Ms Parker added “We’d love to have the Kenilworth business community involved and we’re talking with the Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce to work through things for the benefit of all our communities.”

Expressions of interest are being requested from businesses across the Mary Valley to host an event or participate in Festival Day.

Enquiries for GourMay Mary Valley, Festival Day and the Festival launch can be made to gourmaymaryvalley@gmail. com or by phoning Malcolm Oakley on 0405 105 702.

GourMay Mary Valley will be launched on 5 November at the Amamoor Village Green. This will be a ticketed cocktail event with local food prepared by chefs from across the Mary Valley, including Busby St in Amamoor, Imbil Taste of Croatia and Wild Vine, Imbil.

Tickets are $35pp and are available at www. eventbrite.com.au/e/gourmay-mary-valley-and-food-festivalevent-launch-tickets-430096479147

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MARY VALLEY MAP UPDATE

The MVCOC is updating the Mary Valley Country map, which will be distributed through tourism channels across the Mary Valley, Gympie and Sunshine Coast. Tourism and advertising opportunities are available for local businesses.

Information will be sent to local tourism and hospitality businesses. If you are a new Mary Valley business and would like to be included on the map contact mvcoc.secretary@gmail.com

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ART ON YABBA EXCITES LOCALS

Art on Yabba, fine art gallery, is an exciting new initiative of Mary Valley Artslink and opens in Imbil with fanfare at 4pm on 15 October 2022. The gallery at 116 Yabba Road – the main street of Imbil – will be run by the group as a not-for-profit art space.

Mary Valley Artslink president Heinke Butt said the gallery fitted the group’s vision of promoting the arts and culture in the Mary Valley.

Outback Odyssey by Yeats Gruin ©

Yeats Gruin, artist.

“It presents the opportunity for artists to exhibit their work in a small, friendly country gallery with loads of atmosphere,” Ms Butt said. The gallery will feature both local artists and artists from further afield and will offer opportunities for artists in residence. The opening exhibition From Chatsworth to Arkaroola … the Spirit of Land will feature two local artists, painter and sculptor Kym Barrett (below right) and ceramic and multimedia artist Yeats Gruin above.

Arkaroola by Kym Barrett ©

Kym Barrett, artist.

Kym’s work visually demonstrates her love for the outback – and her hankering for a new landscape experience came to fruition during a recent trip from Chatsworth to outback Arkaroola, pictured right. She said her work from both landscapes described the exterior form, the interior aliveness of the locale and her sense of being in the place.

Top image of a Yeats piece, the ceramic is titled Outback Odyssey. As a visual artist, Yeats Gruin’s work extends through fibre sculptures and ceramics engaging with contemporary forms of artistic expression using texture, colour, form and a dialogue based on a personal concept or pursued theme. Yeats said she regarded being an artist as a means of creating a personal statement in a poetic or spiritual way.

The gallery will also act as a hub for workshops and talks to share art with the community. These kick off with “Coffee and Conversation” with Kym Barrett on Friday 21 October 2022 at 10am. Kym will speak about her recent outback trip in a relaxed conversational manner, using a slideshow with photographs, video and interesting art snippets.

Kym will also host a workshop at the Imbil RSL Hall on Sunday 23 October. Limited tickets $90pp. Bookings to Ms Butt on 0419 024 291.

• While you are at the gallery, indulge in locally grown food and delicious, locally roasted coffee Website issues at the Wild Vine Café, the Valley’s newest food destination.

Find Mary Valley Artslink Facebook for event details.

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COMMUNITY CONVERGES ON CLASSIC WEEKEND

Do your stretches, change your oil, stock up on spare levers and blow the cobwebs off your pride and joy, the best weekend of vintage riding is back again!

Get your mates, family and friends together for the 2022 Ballard’s Off Road Classic Weekend presented by Rat Racing at Conondale's Green Park on 14-16 October, 2022.

The three day Conondale Classic Weekend has something for everyone, its a non-competitive vintage dirt bike riding event across a series of tracks including two MX tracks, a vinduro loop, trials area and the grass track for riding Saturday and Sunday.

We invite vintage motorbike riders, supporters and any twowheel fans to get involved with a huge lineup of riding, workshops, trade village, historical exhibitions, sponsor activations, vintage 1990 RM250 motorbike raffle, the legendary Shannon's Show n Shine Saturday 12-1pm and entertainment all weekend.

Held at the legendary Conondale Green Park in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland, a secluded motorcycle haven, with lush green hills, the best dirt you could ask for, a flowing creek through the middle and ample amenities.

Shannons Show n Shine attracts over 50 incredibly restored vintage motorcycles.

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2022 #11 MVV NOVEMBER DEADLINE MONDAY 31 OCTOBER

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