Gary Crew and Conondale Grade 4 teacher, Phil Gaffney with his winning team.

THE SEVENTH annual Gary Crew Readers Trophy was even bigger and better this year. The reading competition for Year 4 classes at Maleny State School was expanded to include student teams from Montville and Conondale Schools.

More than 100 students, teachers and parents gathered in the Maleny Community Centre to see three teams answer questions on four books – From Little Things Big Things Grow by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody, Sally Murphy’s Toppling, Moya Simons, High Crime in Milk Bay and The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan.

Founder of the Readers Perpetual Trophy, author Gary Crew talks to students from the three competing schools before the contest gets under way.

The morning’s fun was under the control of actor and playwright, Simon Denver. The three judges were Peta Miller from Rosetta Books, June Hammond from Friends of the Library and Maleny Library Coordinator, Patricia Stahl. Maleny Library organised the event with considerable community input on the day.

On stage Simon Denver posed questions to the three teams who had a minute to write down their answers. The judges awarded points on how well the students had read the four books and were precise in their answers.

Facilitator Simon Denver confers with judges. The Conondale team is in the background.

The winning school was Conondale who received a resounding applause from the audience. The winning team consisted of Tarci Carey, Matthew Fisher, Sophie Grigor, Chloe Lanham, Aya Rae-Anthonysz and Jack Shalley.

Patricia Stahl said she was delighted that the Readers Trophy was into its seventh year and had now embraced Montville and Conondale schools. It is hoped that Mapleton will join the competition in 2011.

“We are delighted that the students are involved in this competition”, said Patricia. “As librarians and friends of the library we want children to read for life and the Readers Trophy is one way of helping fulfil that ambition.”

Author Gary Crew told all the students that he had started the Readers Trophy because as a child he had loved reading and he hoped this competition stimulated them to keep reading books.

Montville team confer over one of the questions.

“Writing, reading and the arts competitions can be just as important in schools as sports competitions” said Gary, “as they encourage the budding writer or artist to seek out a future career in the industry.”

Team members received certificates and medals, with the winning school to be inscribed on the perpetual trophy.

The Gary Crew Readers Trophy was supported this year by Rosetta Books and Maleny Additions, Friends of the Library who provided book vouchers and prepared refreshments, Maleny IGA and the Maple Street Cooperative who donated food, Peter Hudson who visited schools to discuss his work, and the Hinterland Times and Rosetta Books which donated sets of books to each of the schools.

In conjunction with author Stephen Lang and Rosetta Books, national and international authors will be interviewed before an invited audience about their recent publications and writing careers.

The funding for the series of events to be known as Outspoken follows successful author events held in Maleny with renowned writers such as Mungo MacCallum, Tom Keneally (pictured), Geraldine Brooks, Professor Ian Lowe and Reg Mombassa.

Local boys create butterflies to complement the Mary Cairncross Birdwing Butterfly Walk

Art4place is an exciting new community-based arts enterprise that wants to see more art in public places on the Hinterland. The concept not only brightens our built environment but helps give people a sense of belonging to the community.

Art4place is working with artists, community groups, businesses and all levels of government to highlight art that is already in public places and to stimulate the creation of more public art on our streets.

The recent Festival of the Walks gave the group the opportunity to showcase their aims when the Hinterland Business Centre and Hinterland Tourism created a walking art trail around Maleny.

A giant Birdwing Butterfly creates a good impression

The group also collaborated with Arts Connect to set up arts activities at Mary Cairncross Park and Kondallilla Falls during the Festival. They also helped organise the street party and launch of the Montville art and heritage trail at Russell Family Park in Montville.
Some of the key public art installations in Maleny include Janna Pameijer’s herd of cows beside the Obi Obi bridge, The Obi Pathway Kirsten Cash’s salute to the Obi Obi creek’s lush, rich habitats and diversity, Craig Medson and Fiona McCarron’s Community Centre Pavement featuring Australian fauna icons of platypus, echidna and giant barred frog, and A Sense of Place – six panels and words outside the Hinterland Business Centre  encapsulating the relationship of the Range community to the land.

If you are interested in helping create new placemaking art contact: www.art4place.blogspot.com or Ph: 5499 9911.

One-on-one support can make all the difference. Teacher John Mays with Jaimi

THE MALENY Flexi School is located in the town’s new Neighbourhood Centre. It has the support of Education Queensland which provides teachers for the school as well as access to Maleny State High School facilities and resources. The school also relies on services and resources provided by the community.

Flexi School students can opt for subjects through distance education, link to the high school, complete programs developed at the Flexi school or develop independent projects. Teacher Brad Owens is also embarking on a mentor program in conjuction with United Synergies so that young people can gain some knowledge of potential career and job prospects from locals with experience in the workplace.

Flexi School students, RikkLee and Bryce are working on individual programs according to an agreed work rate calendar.

On the day that the Hinterland Times visited the Flexi School a group of students was having a barbecue and meeting representatives from United Synergies, an organisation running programs to support people facing challenges in entering or re-entering the workforce.

Tasmin is a Year 10 student who has just started at the Flexi School. After a year away from formal study she has decided to try again – through the Flexi School.

“I just wasn’t getting on with the people at high school. None of the teachers wanted to help me and I ended up doing no work. So I quit school. Then I decided to come here. I thought it would be better for me.

“There are better opportunities here,” adds Tasmin. “Teachers listen better. They help you more and they have more one-on-one contact with you. I am starting out with easy Maths and English and then I can work up.

Brad with Carol (right in red) and Flexi School students.

“I may come back here next year or get a job – maybe get a traineeship or apprenticeship in hospitality. You need good maths for measurements and so on in cooking.”

Brad Owens is the head teacher at the Flexi School which over the last 12 months has provided support for more than 40 students. Brad is assisted by part-time teacher John Mays and teachers’ aid Carol Ferriday. The school is very much a part of the Maleny High School system and they have a lot of support from the high school teachers. They understand that Brad and his team are providing a service which makes their job a lot easier.

“The majority of students here realise that the Flexi School is another chance for them”, says the quietly spoken Brad Owens, who is clearly the antithesis of a heavy-handed authority figure. “The ones who find it hard here are those who have no idea where they’re going,” adds Brad. “So we provide a safe environment where they can continue to do schoolwork while they’re still sorting themselves out.”

The new Flexi School provides a comfortable space for students and staff to work together.

Part of the Flexi School rationale is that students who have dropped out of the high school system need to be coaxed back to study via a sense of security, and having their personal learning needs met. The Flexi School provides that place where students can get the attention they need, and, as Brad says, they do not simply disappear off the radar.

Since the start of 2010 RikkiLee has been at Year 12 level. She is another example of someone falling through the cracks of the traditional school system.

“I didn’t get along with the teachers at my previous school], says this articulate young woman who feels she is now on a better life track.

“The teachers here haven’t got so many students so they can help you more. I want to finish Year 12 now and not muck around. I want to do a childcare course at TAFE in Maroochydore and I need Certificate 3 to get there.”

“There is a point where some kids give up,” stresses Brad.

“It’s usually when they are not understanding something or can’t keep up with what’s going on. Sometimes it can be that a one-on-one session can get them past that block. But it is difficult when you are in a system to get the personal attention when you need it.”

Each student at the Flexi School has to agree to an individual learning contract. Attendance requires a minimum number of hours a week and the need to get work material completed. There is a calendar for every student so they can quickly see whether they are up to date. The focus at the school is to get each student through their particular program.

Brad says Flexi School success is measured by having some kids simply attend, particularly those who have a history of truanting. “It’s then a matter of how well they progress in terms of their academic studies, but also in terms of the bigger picture of having some idea or plan of their immediate future,” he adds.

“One thing I have learnt is that all kids are different,” says Brad. “Here they have no sense of group identity common in the traditional high school. They are very much individuals, and they all have their reasons for coming here.

“Some are very dramatic and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Others are very quiet. They are a reflection of their home life. I like to think that despite what happens outside of the Flexi School, they are able to feel good about being here.”

Sharne Hobill and Alex McKean

Sharne Hobill and Alex McKean are professional lawyers with Maurice Blackburn and are two of the many volunteer lawyers providing free legal advice as part of the Suncoast Community Legal Service.

Hinterland residents can make appointments on Monday evenings to see a lawyer at Morris House in Landsborough or at the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre.

The two lawyers specialise in medical negligence and workplace injuries with Maurice Blackburn, a firm also known for its interest in social justice matters.

Sharne told the Hinterland Times that people are encouraged to take advantage of the service which helps to point them in the right legal direction.

“It’s really an opportunity to tell people what their legal rights are,” said Sharne, “and what long term pro bono services are available beyond their initial Suncoast Community Legal Service appointment.”

“People always need legal help,” added Alex. “It’s whether or not they know the service is there. It’s getting the word out.”

On the Hinterland the Service provides an initial 15 minute interview. If you can’t get help in that time then you can be referred to one of the full time lawyers who work for the Service.

“People often don’t know what their rights are or what process they need to go through” says Sharne. “We hope to provide people with guidance, particularly as people come in with multi-faceted problems and they may not know where to start.”

People with any kind of legal problem are encouraged to access the service. The kinds of legal problems the service has seen are motor vehicle accidents where an insurer says a person is at fault, neighbourhood disputes, say over a dividing fence, the rights of tenants, criminal offences and a summons to appear in court, contractual disputes, family property disputes, wills, injuries, bankruptcies, employment contract queries and people who have been discriminated against in their employment.

“People are often simply looking for someone to listen to their side of their story,” says Alex. “Their voice is not being heard. For us it’s issue identification. We are there to listen to their story, explain the range of services available to them, and then direct them towards taking the right course of action.”

“As lawyers we’re very good at asking the right questions,” adds Sharne. “We know how to get to the bottom of things.”

This married couple met at QUT where they majored in human rights and ethics, and both see access to the law as a human rights issue.

“I feel passionately about ensuring people know what their rights are and the legal remedies they are entitled to,” says Sharne.

Alex sees pro bono work as a matter of career motivation. “It depends on whether or not you see the legal profession as a vocation or a career. If you see it as a vehicle for your own personal wealth then you probably won’t volunteer for community level services. If you see yourself as someone who actually has knowledge which should be used for the good of everyone, then you are more likely to want to take it to as many people as you can.”

Alternate Monday evening consultations with the Suncoast Community Legal Service are available at 6pm at Morris House in Landsborough and at the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre.

Call 5443 7827 to make an appointment.

Graham Moon from the Nambour Museum sitting at a manual exchange

FORMED by a group of businessmen in 1907 to promote and develop the town, the Nambour Progress Association was a driving force behind the arrival of the telephone. With a reliance on the rail service for mail and the use of morse code for telegraph transmissions, one can only imagine the delight of townspeople at the thought of conversing with each other over a telephone line.

Locals wanted it located near the railway station in the centre of town but railway officials would not release land to the Postmaster-General. Shire Chairman J.T Lowe’s old residence in lower Currie Street was offered as interim rental accommodation and this allowed Nambour to become established as a trunk line telephone office on 5 February 1908.

Finally, on 1st July 1910 the new purpose built Post Office building in upper Currie Street was officially opened along with the long-awaited manual telephone exchange.

This Swedish Ericsson wall telephone became the Australian standard in 1901.

According to the editor of The Nambour Chronicle, the new exchange opened with 25 subscribers. He also commented that, “It is early to judge, but we may say that we have made a number of calls already, and with full

satisfaction in each case. We are beginning to wonder how we could have done without this modern convenience for so long.” (02/10/1910).

The manual telephone service remained in Nambour until 24 May 1969 when an automatic service was finally introduced.

Australians have always been quick to embrace new technologies and in many rural and remote areas, in particular, party lines were established to increase the availability of telephone service to ever more homes. As the name implies, the party line provided no privacy of conversation as two or more subscribers shared the same common line back to the exchange.

Another feature of party lines was the rather basic form of line construction. The aerial lines were erected on timber poles and/or suitable trees and the responsibility for erecting and maintaining the line rested with the individual parties where the line traversed their own property and the collective group where the line was common to all parties.

Generally, the party lines serviced farming communities and families but one particular party line provides an interesting insight into the importance placed on the telephone service after its arrival in Nambour.

In 1933, telephone service “Nambour 58” served an astonishing eight parties. They shared the same line which ran from the Nambour telephone exchange via Diddillibah to Maroochydore. The overall length of the line was long compared with other party line construction in the Nambour area and this would have exacerbated the usual signaling, privacy concerns and management issues associated with party lines.

All this makes you smile when you walk along Currie Street one hundred years later and note people walking and talking interstate and overseas on their mobiles and iPhones. If you have any old telephone memorabilia, the Nambour Museum would be interested in receiving contributions. Contact Graham Moon Tel: 544 13121.

“Decentralisation means regional development”, says Mr Abbot. “Regional development means jobs, lifestyle and the future for regional and rural towns. And that should be high on the agenda for all Australians and for both political parties.”

For the first fifty years of the last century, the Queensland Government not only focussed on, but actually bragged about their decentralisation policy. And they built a very large rail system in Queensland to do exactly that, to decentralise our business. As demographer Bernard Salt said, in the year 1900, 80 per cent of the population lived in regional, rural and remote Australia. In the year 2000 it was only 18 per cent.

I can remember my Grade 6 Social Studies Reader in the Queensland education system, bragging about that theory of decentralisation and showing photos of the trains like the Sunlander and the Westlander.

I firmly believe that the Queensland Government was on the right track in the early days, and the state did value the input from regional communities. But since the 1960s we have forgotten about that. We have focussed 100 per cent on developing the coastline, and very much a part of that is in south-east Queensland. All the rest has been ignored.

When you look at places like Toowoomba for example, where one of the busiest highways in Australia basically runs parallel to the town through a residential area -that should have been removed 20 years ago and it wasn’t.

So they are the kinds of challenges I will be taking to this new task force.

Claims that clip-board bureaucrats are inhibiting the production of organic and free-range eggs are becoming angry shouts from frustrated farmers. The Hinterland Times spoke with Julie Shelton convenor of Slow Food Sunshine Coast Hinterland , who has investigated regulatory impediments to small-scale food production around the world.

Food producers relate stories about government agencies having conflicting requirements, or even two sections of the same organisation interpreting laws differently – such anecdotes would be funny if they weren’t so true.

Food regulations are important of course, but are not always consistent and they don’t always work in the interests of both producer and consumer. For example, Julie makes the point that Queensland eggs must be stamped with a unique producer identifying number. However, this is not required in NSW (a review is currently underway). So if there is a glut of eggs in northern NSW they can be sent across the border and stamped with a Queensland stamp.

“They are then distributed as if they are fresh, and as if they are Queensland eggs, which they are not. They may have been in a cool store in NSW for months.”

Meanwhile, in NSW producers of fewer than 20 dozen eggs per week are exempt from complying with the Food Safety Scheme, and are only required to ensure that basic hygiene is maintained.

“If you aren’t accredited you’re not allowed to sell your eggs”

“Council needs to actively support small scale, high quality primary food production in this region. Perhaps because they don’t have the resources to regulate and to police too many different categories, it’s easier for the regulators to develop systems that apply across the board … one size fits all.”

Small to medium scale farmers have a perfect fit with the free ranging of chickens, however there are only two, small accredited egg producers on the Sunshine Coast (one is a school!). Meanwhile, the market share for free-range and barn-laid eggs has doubled in the last eight years. According to Maleny IGA, it has become very difficult to source consistent supplies of organic free-range eggs, with eggs travelling great distances from where they are produced to the Sunshine Coast.

As the convenor of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Slow Food group, Julie Shelton wants to see government at all levels catch up with current practice overseas. In her 2009 Churchill Fellow report into regulatory impediments to small-scale food production she concluded that:

“What we need is a Department of Food to streamline bureaucracy and provide support to existing producers”

“Food safety regulations must be made more appropriate to the scale of production and distribution, so that a small grower selling at a farmers’ market is not regulated as onerously as a multinational food manufacturer.”

There are too many anecdotal instances of Council regulations that seem unnecessary, counter-productive or simply suppress potential growth of small-scale farming ventures.

Julie Shelton cites the egg producer with 2500 chickens who set up ‘across the border’ at Traveston in the Gympie Region because compliance rules and regulations of the Sunshine Coast would have been prohibitive. The nonsense is that by setting up in Traveston the farmer could still sell her eggs on the Sunshine Coast. Then there is the former dairy farmer in the Mary Valley who wanted to switch to a small-scale egg producing enterprise of only a few thousand birds but was told he would be operating within the 1.5km buffer to the nearest residential development, which was on his own property!

One concern about free-range chickens is waste run-off from paddocks into watercourses. However, Julie insists that regulatory bodies have problems understanding small-scale operations.

“Unfortunately, the regulations in Council have been set up to deal with the conventional, intense and large food production systems,” says Julie. “Small-scale farms employing innovative practices, such as integrated farming systems, pastured poultry and rotational grazing, can provide positive environmental, nutritional and social impacts,” she adds.

“Council has a new Rural Futures Plan, which is yet to be implemented”, says Julie warming to her argument. “But they don’t seem to be focussed on whether or not the people of the Sunshine Coast are eating food that’s grown in the local area. It’s no wonder that people living in this potentially rich, food-bowl environment have the idea that food comes from somewhere else.

“Council is primarily interested in jobs creation, which they equate to large-scale enterprises that employ 50 people or more, or ramping up the facilities at the airport so that we can have more exports. But business has to start somewhere and it’s usually small.”

“What we need is a Department of Food to streamline bureaucracy, provide support to existing producers and make start-up easier for producers of good quality food in this region,” she declared.

Julie Shelton is passionate about the need to help small-scale farming practice on the Sunshine Coast where our combined temperate and semitropical environment gives us an enormous advantage for a wide range of food production opportunities. It is this big picture that concerns Julie, where she says we are also in danger of losing our small-scale milk processing and abattoir facilities. But that’s another story…

C ouncillor Jenny McKay proudly presents the Maleny Community Precinct Plan to Sunshine Coast media.

THE 126 HECTARES of farmland next to the Maleny township, and bordered on its southern boundary by the Obi Obi Creek, was bought by Caloundra City Council in 2006.

The years since then have seen competing interests consolidate around those who foresaw a world class parklands that would showcase Queensland flora and fauna and those who wanted an 18-hole golf course.

In controversial circumstances Caloundra City approved a plan for an 18-hole golf course, despite public and private surveys which showed resident preference for public parkland over the limited use that a golf course would offer.

The amalmagation of Queensland councils in 2005 saw the new Sunshine Coast Regional Council promise to diffuse local tensions and re-visit the Caloundra City Precinct decision.

Two years later, and after regular meetings chaired by local Councillor Jenny McKay, a compromise has been established between stakeholder groups.

If Council approves the plan, the Maleny Community Precinct will have several distinct elements – an ecological parkland, two separate wetland areas, Barung Landcare nursery, an area of 3-4 sports fields and an aquatic centre, space for a future communal sports clubhouse, the heritage-protected Pattemore House, a par 3,18-hole golf course and an area that will be land-banked for possible future development as residential land adjacent to the existing Cloudwalk Estate.

Project Director, Alan Rogers said that although the residential component was important for future funding of the project he was recommending it should be put on hold for five to seven years given the depressed state of the housing market.

One of the most sensitive aspects of the project has been the size of riparian zones around the Obi Obi Creek. The City Plan provides for a minimum of 40 metres but to accommodate sports field on low-lying land a buffer of 20 metres is proposed.

Barung President Eric Anderson said that, “I believe the path along Obi Obi creek from the centre of the Maleny township to Gardners Falls will become a walk of significance for locals and visitors alike. “

President of Green Hills Maleny, Paul Gilmour-Walsh said his group is proud of the part it has played in bringing the Precinct to this stage.

“The Master Plan is a great start towards detailed designs and implementation of those designs”, Mr Gilmour-Walsh said. “We look forward to playing our part which will benefit the community for generations to come.”

Once Council has ticked off the proposal the various groups will have to form business plans to demonstrate they can deliver the facilities they have argued for on behalf of the Maleny community.

One of the undecided issues is road access to the Precinct. Cr McKay favours vehicle access beside the Primary School although the most likely option is beside Erowal. Alan Rogers believes a main road access will not be built until the residential area comes onto the market to provide the funding. At present, the only vehicle access to the Precinct will be from Porter’s Lane via Obi Lane in north Maleny. A footbridge beside the Primary School is a likely interim access. Mr Rogers says having a master plan allows the groups to firm up their business plans, allows Council to put in governance provisions and open up avenues for outside funding. Community groups will have to meet milestones before they will be granted leases.

Cr McKay said her fellow councillors respected the amount of work that has been done on the master plan, but there is concern about the money required to complete projects. Sunshine Coast Mayor, Bob Abbot told the Hinterland Times that, “a wide range of views had to be considered during this process in our effort to address two key objectives: the allocation of land for community and sporting purposes; and the desire to protect the Obi Obi Creek while creating a world-class natural environment on the site for all to enjoy. This plan is borne out of lengthy and detailed discussions between Council and the relevant community groups .I think it has potential to enhance Maleny’s liveability and environment well into the future.”

Peter Kenyon at Montville recently

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, author and inspirational story-teller Peter Kenyon captivated Montville business people recently with his countless stories of ordinary rural people who succeed by daring to be different.

Peter was invited by Councillor Jenny McKay to present his powerful business tools for getting the most out of small business operations.

Peter’s popular book, Good Enough Never Is charts the extraordinary rural entrepreneurs who, with few resources, have discovered and developed attitudes, behaviours and skills that set them apart from most business operators.

Inside Montville’s Village Hall Peter ran through inspiring story after story of business people he had met who often overcame enormous personal challenges to succeed in their chosen small town business ­Anita Roddick (The Body Shop), Tom O’Toole (Beechworth Bakery), Syd Rusker (Aboriginal NT transport business), Elvis Parsley (Woodford greengrocer).

Peter described the small towns of Kaikoura, Bulls and Tirau in New Zealand that were suffering acute economic depression until they explored new entrepreneurial options. Now they are thriving through playing to regional strengths or creating humorous visual themes.

Peter’s challenge to small business people is that they recognise the need for change and being a learner is essential to a vibrant business; that standing still is a recipe for failure. You have to be hungry for ideas.

Peter set out seven lessons that he has learnt and passes on for the success of small business:

• Positively outrageous customer service

• Innovative marketing

• Staff pride, enthusiasm and involvement

• Community connectedness

• Idea obsession and continuous learning

• Collaboration and networking

• Passion

Peter also stressed the importance of  business leaders ‘talking up’ rather than ‘talking down’  commercial opportunities. He said the three community and business problems in rural Australia is negativity, cyncism and resistance to change. Those three attitudes are killing our towns he said and we must make efforts to turn around those negative attitudes.

Peter Kenyon is recognised in Australia and around the world as a leading authority on Business, Town & Regional Development. He is a keynote speaker and facilitator at events and programs around the world, including at key global events with the United Nations.