It’s our Sixth Birthday! Friendly Bay Islander Mirrors Islands’ Growth
This edition of your Friendly Bay Islander marks the 6th anniversary of the first time the island magazine was published. That was October 2011.
In that time, we have seen some huge changes to our island communities.
Those changes have never been more evident than they are today!
We started The Friendly Bay Islander for a number of reasons, and one really good reason.
Whilst there had been a succession of island publications; none of them focused on the real issues confronting our islands.
We believed six years ago that someone needed to ‘speak up’ for our island.
And there needed to be an agenda for our islands for the following reasons:
1. Each of our islands was isolated by both word and deed;
2. Our islands had been neglected by a succession of State Governments and local councils. Whilst hundreds of millions of dollars had been spent on infrastructure throughout SE Queensland, our islands were being ignored;
3. Our islands were treated as the ‘poor relations’ to the rest of Queensland and were viewed in a lesser light.
By publishing The Friendly Bay Islander, we immediately struck a positive tone.
Our quality and high standard of printing, presentation and editorial has been second-to-none and we believe few communities in Australia have a publication of such high standing.
We started out with 16 pages in full glossy colour, and today we produce 72 pages each and every month in full, glossy colour!
We have supported causes that have brought our islands closer together such as the Translink incorporation into our island ferry service. That move alone and the subsequent free travel between islands has transformed our Bay Islands.
In the past 12 months we have seen a major transformation with the finishing of the Translink Bus Station at Weinam Creek and the start of the $8.5 million car park extension on Macleay Island; both projects improving the ‘front door’ image to our islands.
In the past 12 months on our bat, and operating mostly at a loss, we started the Direct Ferry link to North Stradbroke Island; providing a huge change in island relations. We have done this with the very best of intentions.
Whilst we started on the Southern Bay Islands, we quickly expanded to include Coochiemudlo and then North Stradbroke Islands.
We are delighted that news and information from those islands are enjoyed by our readers on all of the islands and have brought about new friendships, connections and understanding.
There are issues that pertain to individual islands; but in general there is commonality that definitely brings us together.
We could not have done any of this without support from the island business community with their advertising
The FBI has literally become the island ‘Bible’. Strong readership is attracted to the local issues, island business messages, and inter-island information about events and happenings.
We have given voice to our political representatives for one reason and one reason only: To keep our readers, informed.
No matter which party they represent, they would still enjoy the same support.
This is because we believe for us to have a better and stronger island community, we all have to work together.
In the six years we have been able to write some great stories about local islanders and have introduced some remarkable people.
We like to think that the islands are a better place to live today than they were when we first started out in 2011.
The Friendly Bay Islander thanks its readers for your strong support. We thank you for your many kind remarks and ideas. We shall continue to work for and in the best interests of our island community.
TIME N TIDE OCTOBER
MACLEAY FERRY TRANSFER
It was an unusual situation, and definitely ‘something different’ for island commuters. With the work starting on the Macleay Island foreshore parking and asbestos capping project, it is a requirement by law to adequately barrier the site from the areas and water beyond. As part of that process plastic floating barriers were placed not only along the length of the site, but also surrounding the Macleay Island jetty. Understandably, no-one thought that the plastic barriers would pose a problem; but they did. There was so much of it, they were too close to the BITS passenger ferries and, sure enough, the yellow and black plastic floating lengths soon got caught up in one of the ferry outlets. Until it could be unravelled, the passenger ferry was stock at the mooring. The only way to get the passengers to the mainland was to bring another ferry and tie up to the existing ferry. Passengers then were directed by the deckies through one ferry, and then into the second ferry. Talk about using your imagination. The floating barrier was trimmed to length of the work site. Well done all!
SPEED OF MACLEAY WORKS COMPARED TO TRANSLINK
Wow! The Pensar Civil group doesn’t muck around. The contractors for the $8.5 million Macleay Island foreshore project certainly did their homework. They had the site cleared within a day and work on capping the asbestos affected site started immediately with a special material laid over the site and then covered with soil material. That took another couple of days. The signs are that work on the site is going to really progress quite quickly. Certainly a far cry from the work on the mainland involving the Translink Redland Bay Marina that seemed to go on forever. We shall watch with interest!
FOLLOW UP SPRING CLEANUP
The big Spring Cleanup that Redland City Council got underway has been having the desired result. Visitation to island waste stations has been busy. With the weather so dry, council and fire authorities want people to make sure that their homes are as safe as possible in the event of a repeat of the fires that stunned both Macleay and Russell Islands late last year. There are a few homes on our islands that are definitely potential ‘fire bombs’. There is so much accumulated rubbish around them, that they would go up in a flash if fire was to eventuate. Can’t understand why some people live in such conditions. Not only are they a potential fire waiting to happen, but they have a detrimental effect on property values in the immediate area and the islands in general. So how do you get your neighbours to clean up their act? Embarrassment usually works. Leave a none-too-subtle message in their letter box. Might be a way to go!