THE COUNCIL BUDGET
The 2024-25 Redland City Council budget has finally been released. Your Friendly Bay Islander has deliberately held back our usual publication date and hold this July 2024 edition to publish all relevant stories re the budget. Had we published earlier, island residents would not have been aware of the budget and its outcomes for another month.
IT’S TIME FOR MASKS ON OUR PASSENGER FERRIES
It’s winter and it is cold and flu time. We are also told by island doctors that there is Covid a pneumonia in the air. So why is it hardly anyone wears a mask on our passenger ferries in particular? Observe when you are next on a ferry the number of people coughing and spluttering with little or no attempt to cover up the mouth by hand or mask. Doctors also confirm that it is in confined spaces that disease and virus spreads. Many islanders admit that they have caught colds and flu whilst travelling two and from the mainland on the Translink operated ferries. Perhaps it is time for mask wearing on ferries to be mandatory, particularly in our cooler months?
WINTER SOLSTICE FULL MOON!
The Winter Solstice on our islands was something special. Not only did we have a great LUMI Festival to enjoy, but the Full Moon on the night was just spectacular. It all added to the great atmosphere at the Light Up My Island event held on Russell Island. There were some beautiful lights and efforts made, but unfortunately there was no warming bonfire this year. Congratulations to all involved.
TIMETABLE EFFORT
We have received a message from islander Ralf Wenske who has been confused by the many online ways to find a ferry connection to our islands. He rightly says it is sometimes easy to make a ‘mistake’ like mixing up the directions. Ralf has actually gone to the trouble to modify the Translink timetable to our needs. He has used Translink time tables and modified them to be specific for the island I live on (Russell) As a result, he has printed out his (Russell Island timetable) and attached to his fridge. Ralf says it might be fantastic to receive a printed version in your letterbox. We can’t quite get it into each letterbox, but we have listed Ralf’s efforts and the timetable is The Friendly Bay Islander website. www.thefriendlybayislander.com
PUT A LID ON HOUSEHOLD WASTE
Redlands Coast residents are being urged to rethink how they dispose of their household waste to mitigate costs to the community and improve environmental outcomes across the city. Audits show that approximately 17 per cent of what is currently ending up in landfill from household red-lid bins could be recycled, and the main culprits are items like paper and carboard, junk-mail, tuna cans, sushi containers and meat trays. A further 45 per cent of what ends up in landfill is made up of garden organics (30 per cent) and food waste (15 per cent). Each resident on Redlands Coast currently generates 682 kilograms of waste and recycling each year on average – the goal is to reduce this by 15 per cent and increase the amount of materials being recycled to 60 per cent by 2030. These targets are Queensland Government benchmarks which have been adopted in Council’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2021–2030. If the amount of kerbside waste being sent to landfill continues at its current rate of increase, the $3.25 million Council currently pays for waste to be landfilled will rise to at least $5 million over the next seven years. The cost associated with the statewide waste levy is expected to add another $6 million on top of this, bringing Council’s kerbside forecasted waste disposal bill to approximately $11 million by 2030–2031. Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell said if the community was to reduce their household waste it would help to mitigate these forecast cost increases. For more information on how to reduce waste to landfill or to find out what goes in each bin, visit Council’s website: Waste and recycling | Redland City Council.
WILDLIFE WARNING
Reduced daylight hours in winter increases the danger for wildlife on Redlands Coast, and particularly on our islands. Shorter days mean the dawn and dusk movements of wildlife correspond with the area’s peak traffic times and, unfortunately, casualties are on the rise. Redland City Council urges motorists to show vigilance particularly at dawn and dusk, and when passing through bushland or acreage areas. Mayor Jos Mitchell said that in many places there were wildlife warning signs on the side of the road and also temporary signs notifying of “recent crossings” by wildlife. “Please adjust your driving accordingly and if you do spot wildlife near the roadside, slow down and proceed with caution,” she said. “Sometimes these animals will make sudden movements that can catch you off guard. “Kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidna, blue-tongue lizards, snakes and possums, are just some of the many animals that we need to watch out for.” If you see injured wildlife, phone Redlands 24-hr Wildlife Rescue Service on (07) 3833 4031.
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