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September 5, 2024 14 mins

In today's episode, the truckies call for urgent repairs to the Bruce Highway 

Our region will be home to a Greater Glider Forest Park

The Gympie CWA celebrates 100 years

And a local legend crowned Queensland's SES Member of the Year 

 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
iHeart White.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome to iHeart White, Bay Burnett, your local news fix
on Bruce Atkinson, joined by Taylor Larson.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Ahead our region's role in saving an endangered species. But
we start today with a message from a peak trucking body.

Speaker 4 (00:16):
The drivers in line hall operations or long distance operations
are driving, you know, the very best of gear, the
most modern, up to date, the most technically competent vehicles
you can buy anywhere in the world. What we should
have is a road system that matches that.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
That's the response to two fatal truck crashes on the
Bruce Highway as the industry body calls for upgrades to
the road. The Queensland Trucking Association says the poor state
of the highway is a significant concern. CEO Gary marn
says that's why they partnered with the RACQ and College
of Surgeons to call for upgrades from Gimpey to Cairns
to be prioritized.

Speaker 4 (00:50):
When you look at the scale of the incidents this week,
I think it's a fair question to say, what is
it going to take to get the state and federal
governments to commit to a substent each uplifting capital investment
in the Bruce Highway. I mean these incidents are occurring
unduly regularly and that OSRAP study. An analysis that was
undertaken with RSQ shows that huge sections of the Bruce

(01:13):
north of Gempi are at a two star rating, which
is just nowhere near good enough for regional Queensland.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Let's talk about drivers being paid danger money, but the
Trucking Association hopes it doesn't come to that.

Speaker 4 (01:26):
You know, the drivers, particularly nighttime operations, of having to
operate within these environments seven days a week, they're the
ones that are going through these experiences all of the time.
What we do know is multi laning virtually eliminates head
on crashes, which is a wonderful outcome from multilaaning. But
we also know we're not going to be able to
afford a multi lane all the way to kens anytime soon.

(01:47):
But we can undertake a lot of work overtaking lanes,
pavement with bridge replacements, rest area provision, floodway treatments which
will substantially improve the safety of the in the meantime,
and then progressively work our way towards multi learning over
the next probably a couple of decades.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Last week's crash and explosion is the second ammonium nitrade
incident on a major road in Queensland within ten years.
It took five days to reopen the road and the
debris impacted homes more than one kilometer from the scene.
Gary Marn doesn't believe the chemical truck should be taken
off the road or have a police escort similar to
wide loads.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Fortunately, incidents have been pure and far between, and the
safety steamers of these vehicles the best you can get.
There is a lot of that carriage that is essential
for day to day living. I mean it's everything from
dangerous goods, includes everything from paint to all sorts of
products that are used in the household. It does include
nitrate and those sorts of products too, which is essential

(02:49):
for mining operations. Normally ammonium nitrate and those sorts of
loads actually aren't on the bruce for all that long
because they're heading off to mine sights. In the main.
Some of those sorts of destinations for the product. The
Duel is a major facility that generates the loads for
distribution across all sorts of places Queensland, Western newsd Wales,

(03:12):
Western Australia and the like. You know, you can put
it on some of that on rail, but you know,
if you look to the US, they've had some very
unfortunate incidents with rail as well. So I think what
we rely on is the very best of standards, the
very best of practices, and let's hope we don't have
a repeat of this incident. There's been four that I'm
aware of over about the last forty years. Three of

(03:34):
those have been in remade areas, and we would sincerely
hope this is the last one we see on a
number one highway.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Meanwhile, the Premier, Stephen Miles, says the proposed inland route
would take many trucks off the Bruce Highway, even if
there's no timeframe.

Speaker 5 (03:49):
With the number of natural disasters that Queensland experiences, there
will inevitably tight be times when the coastal Bruce Highway
is blocked or cut off, and in order to address that,
we want to build effectively duplicate the Bruce Highway, have
an inland frame route. We have funds allocated in the budget,
already detailed planning work underway, and it's one of the

(04:13):
ways that we are addressing the need to better connect
our regional cities.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
The Premiere wouldn't say which parts of the Bruce Highway
are most in need of safety upgrades.

Speaker 5 (04:23):
There are many priorities when it comes to the Bruce Highway.
The Rocky Ring Road is probably the top priority, and
as you know, we've allocated funds and that massive project
is underway now. We will always be continuing to invest
in that road. It's the most important road in the country.
There's not many places in the world that have thousands

(04:44):
of kilometers of road linking big important cities. It's the
artery of our state and that's why we have six
billion dollars worth of projects currently underway.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Greater glider populations have dropped eighty percent of across Australia
in twenty years. Now our region could be key to
helping the endangered species. The state governments proposed a Greater
Glide of Forest park, stretching fifty four thousand hectares from
Connandale National Park in the Sunshine Coast hinterland to Cord
Albert National Park near Childers. This includes seven and a

(05:19):
half thousand hectares that be placed into Natural Capital Preserve
as a potential advance offset for the Barumba pumped hydro project.
Niki mo Offfert from the Queensland Conservation Council is unsurprisingly
welcoming the announcements.

Speaker 6 (05:33):
Queensland have certain realized that we have some really unique
mammals and animals here in Queensland, a lot of animals
that live here with nowhere else. And the great Equator
is really special because it's sort of an indicator species,
So if the greater quair is doing well, it's quite sensitive.
If it's doing well, then the whole forest and all
of the other animals from microabouts to insects to all

(05:54):
the different flora that is in a forest is likely
to be going well as well. Protecting the greater glider
are also protecting a really vast array of upper animals
and plants in that ecosystem.

Speaker 3 (06:07):
It's hard to say just how many are left in
the wild. Greater gliders are nocturnal and reclusive, which makes
the tricky to monitor.

Speaker 6 (06:15):
Research shows that the wide Bay Burnett region and actually
a lot of central Queensland is really important for the
greater glider. Griffith University did some habitat modeling about a
year ago it was released and a lot of the
forests with big old trees in them, which the hollows
in those trees are really important for greater gliders. A

(06:35):
lot of those forests are in the wide Bay Burnett
region and they actually occur right down to the border
as well. But these forests are very important. They've been
managed mainly for timber until now and we think that
we really need to be looking at the best use
of these forests.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
In August, the Conservation Council claimed logging was threatening habitats
in Saint Mary State Forest near Marraborough. Part of that
forest would be it to the protected Area.

Speaker 6 (07:01):
I myself went out there recently and went through a
walk spot lighting with some volunteer experts and they were
showing me we actually saw seven of these really reclusive
animals in one walk, so in about forty minutes we
saw seven of them. It was just amazing and that
was right within a stone stow where part of things
been happening. So yeah, really really important that we don't

(07:23):
take these trees that these animals are living in out.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
For timber forestry Australia sees the government is jumping the gun.
The first meeting for the state's Sustainable Timber Industry Framework
was only held two weeks ago. Acting President Doctor Bill
Jackson says the group supports conserving threatened species and habitats,
but not enough consultation or evidence has been gathered for
this decision.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
After the break, a local named Queensland's sees Member of
the Year. I have.

Speaker 1 (07:58):
I Hard White.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
You're listening to iHeart my Baby in Airs. Te'm Taylor Larson,
joined by Bruce Atkinson.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
It's the Gimbee c W Way's one hundredth birthday this year.
I got invited to a lunch to celebrate this week
and found myself on the same table as Joan Barnier.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
I think what brings me back is the friendship is
number one. Friendship and working for the community. I like
working for the community. I lost my husband very early
and I just threw myself into community work and I
just love the c WA. I love what it's all about,
their aim, what they do for the community, and that's
what I get out of it, the satisfaction and seeing

(08:35):
what they do. And there's a lot that people don't
know they do. They're silent workers and I just love it.
And the friendship to me is everything. I lost my
husband a car accident and that was in New South
Wales and I moved. I was living in Queensland. When
I came home, I was on my own with my
children and c w WA were knocking on my door.

(08:57):
What can we do for you?

Speaker 2 (08:58):
Well, I just spent some money in one hundred Recipes
for one hundred Years ninet twenty four to twenty twenty four,
collection of favorite recipes from the current and past members
of the Gimpie QCWI. What do you reckon? Am I
going to be an instant cookie a fantastic chef?

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Do you think there's recipes in there from my grandmother?
It was a book that she had and we have got.
I think it's in the sources and where they made
their own sources in them days, and there's recipes from
our grandmothers. There's recipes from ourselves and past members. So
there's some good ones in there.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
And thanks to all the ladies for the invitation, their
friendliness and great food.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
Volunteer numbers are declining across Queensland and the country as
more people struggle to find a work life balance or
take on more hours to keep up with the cost
of living, But for some giving back is in their blood.
That's certainly the case for this week's Local legend kiring Gaily.
He joined the SEES almost seventeen years ago and hasn't
looked back. He's recently been named the SEES Regional Member

(10:01):
of the Year for the North Coast, then going on
to receive the Minister's Cup for Queensland Member of the Year.
Kieran was speechless when he received both accolades, but I
was able to get some words out of him when
we caught up this week. He was quick to thank
his deputy for the nomination.

Speaker 7 (10:17):
Very appreciative that he has recognized me for that, and
even my regional director. I personally thanked her on Saturday
because a lot of the endorsement come down to her
self recognizing the efforts that I had put in. And
my regional director, Angela Everest, was the one that selected
me to be the local controller eight years ago in Bunderberg,
so she's thrown some challenges at me over the years,

(10:40):
but she has been their support every step of the way.

Speaker 3 (10:45):
Kieran says, the awards come off the back of a
challenging year for volunteers right across the state.

Speaker 7 (10:50):
We've had a little bit of a structural reshuffle where
we in the Bunderberg units were originally three different units
and we went through in a male nation process that
all become one unit. Going through all the administrative processes
and working with all the volunteers to make that a
smooth of a transition as possible has been a significant challenge.

(11:11):
And then also the transition from what was Queenslayan Fire
and Emergency Services through to Queensland Fire Department and SES
becoming its identity alongside Queenslay and Police has been a
significant change for all the volunteers as well.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
On top of the usual disaster responsors, he's also heavily
involved in the training side of things.

Speaker 7 (11:32):
A lot of mind role comes down to coaching, mentoring
and developing the volunteers to be able to provide a
operational capability to the actual community itself in those times
of need. Whether it's down to administrative processes looking after
their membership, their ranks, through to all their training making

(11:53):
sure that they all have the opportunity in an appropriate
time frame to be trained up ready for those seasons,
down to the equipment management and maintenance at all of
our seven SES groups, working very closely with our key
stakeholders like Bunderbeg Regional Counsel along with the state emergency
service across the state and our counterparts at Queensland Police

(12:16):
Fire Ambalance to make sure we do have a professional
service for our community.

Speaker 3 (12:22):
It's a lot to juggle. Caring credits his work ethic
to his grandfather who was a firefighter and always pushed
him to give back.

Speaker 7 (12:30):
Also, my parents were on my case that I needed
to get off on the backside and do something again
in the community. Stops in buying a TV and do
something there I'll enjoy life. So I chose to join
the SEES and I've loved it every day since. It's
helped me significantly with my work career, developing up management,
leadership skills and knowledge. It's improved me significantly with teamwork

(12:55):
and working with others around the community itself. I've had
the oportunity to travel quite a bit around Queensland with
different disasters and emergency situations, so getting out and about
and actually enjoying life.

Speaker 3 (13:10):
And after almost seventeen years, Kieran has seen his fair
share of disasters, some standing out more than others.

Speaker 7 (13:17):
The biggest event that stands out to me I was
down in Ipswich and Lagan Brisbane. All that during the
twenty eleven floods, so that was quite a significant incident
that stood out to me. And then from there I
went straight up to Cyclone Yasi and I was in
Mission Beach during Cyclone Yasi and just seeing the devastation

(13:38):
that created it was absolutely horrific. But just getting that
thank you back from the members of the community for
what we were doing there as volunteers, helping them get
back to some form of normality. It nothing could replace that.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
Thanks for tuning in. If you want to hear this
episode again, I'll find pre vious ones look up iHeart
White Babe Burnett on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you
get your podcasts.

Speaker 3 (14:05):
We're back next week with more local, trusted and free news.

Speaker 1 (14:09):
Iharb Wide b Burnette
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