Neighbourhood Watch The Gap 4061

Check out “LOVE THE GAP” http://nhwq4061. com/love-the-gap/

Lot’s of great info on places to enjoy, eat, play surrounded by a wonderful safe community created by NHW The Gap!

Check out the merchandise too and get your hands on it which supports our NHW The Gap fundraising -> which is reinvested into local campaigns.

Queensland and The Gap is a safe place to live however, crime does occur. Adopting core personal strategies will enhance your personal safety.

Exercise your right to safety

We all have the right to be safe.

While it is important you are aware of and exercise this right, be mindful that you also have responsibility for your own safety.

Keep fear of violence in perspective

Many people have a fear of crime that is disproportionate to the actual risks they face. This can result in unnecessary limitations being placed on their lifestyle and a diminished quality of life.

Be committed

Being committed to your safety is fundamental to maintaining it.

Many people have a strong commitment to preserving the safety of their loved ones, often willing to take any action if those people are in danger but lack the same level of commitment to their own safety.

Be confident

Display an air of confidence, even if it is a bluff. Attackers target vulnerability. The more confident you look the less likely you are to be attacked.

Body language can convey our thoughts reflecting confidence or fear.

Be aware of your surroundings

Continuously surveying your surroundings in a relaxed, positive manner can alert you to potential danger, enabling you to take action to avoid it.

Trust and act on your instincts

Your instincts are sound. If you pick up a bad feeling from someone, or if you feel a sense of threat or danger, trust your instincts and remove

Source: https://www.police.qld.gov.au/sites/default/ files/2021-08/Personal%20Safety.pdf yourself from the source of potential danger.

Be assertive

Assertiveness is about using direct and honest communication that demonstrates self-respect and respect for others.

Develop a safety network

Consider developing a safety network of trusted people who are easily contactable and can provide support and advice if you have a problem or if you are concerned for your personal safety. Your network may include friends, relatives, neighbours, work colleagues, community groups and police.

Have a personal safety plan

A personal safety plan is comprised of safety strategies chosen by you to suit your lifestyle and abilities.

These strategies should become habits you develop as you routinely implement your plan.

COMMUNITY NEWS: March 2023

Platypus are certainly amongst the most fascinating animals in the world. Our guest speaker Tamielle Brunt took us on rapid history of the Platypus, including to dream-time stories, discovery of their egg laying, and the additional insights gained by modern research such as rapid discovery of genetic materials in waterways that indicate whether Platypus are present or not. Tamielle importantly reiterated the ten actions every individual can take to improve the chances of Platypus returning to The Gap such as reducing water use, cleaning up rubbish that might end up in the creek, rehabilitate native vegetation in your garden and along the creeks, and responsible pet ownership. Tamielle runs the PlatypusWatch project officer for Wildlife Queensland and asks us to report any sightings we may make, regardless of the location. In addition to these actions, community organisations and citizen scientists can play a major role in understanding whether the habitat is suitable by observing water quality and depth in the local creeks throughout the years, and understanding the impact of developments and community actions on the chances for Platypus to be reinstated in the Gap.

This was our first event at The Gap High School which is a fantastic venue, and has a very accommodating set up with air-conditioning and presentation technology.

Next Events: On the 21th of March, TGSI will hold its next working group meeting at The Gap High School Library. The Community Energy Group was busy over the last few weeks exploring the federal government’s community battery scheme and whether TGSI could apply to host such a battery. However, this requires very complex issues such as legal, technical and health and safety issues to be resolved that are beyond our capabilities as a small charitable organisation. We can however play a role in informing the community about the benefits or drawbacks of battery systems, and have provided a letter of support for a large company that may apply for the grant, and is interested in a community partners. There are several other grant opportunities being worked on for which we either provided letters of support or are considering whether we could be a partner. Its exciting to get to know all these different avenues in which sustainability can be increased in the future.

Membership: Thank you very much or the many new members who sent their details through over the last month. Its very much appreciated and warmly welcome all of those new members. If you are interested, the membership fee is $5 per financial year (increasing to $20 next financial year) to cover costs such as insurance, website hosting fee, room hire and facilitated meetings. Please use our Bank Account Name:

The Gap Sustainability BSB124001 Account No: 23277186 and send us your name, DOB, and address to thegapsustainability@gmail. com for the membership registry.

Fundraising:TGSI now is an official fundraising team with Containers for Change. Please consider donating your refund to our cause by using our Scheme ID: C10826699.

Social Media: Please stay updated about our activities by visiting our website www. thegapsustainability.org. We now also have an active presence on Facebook.

Yours sincerely, The Gap Sustainability Initiative Mgt Committee