Miles Hall, the son of Maleny locals Les and Rae Hall won this year’s SCAP prize. His delighted parents were at the announcement at the Caloundra Regional Gallery on August 26.

Les, who has a distinguished academic career as a zoologist, said with a wry smile that, when Miles was a boy, he had tried to persuade him to become an architect. By coincidence, Miles’ wife Virginie is an architect.

Miles Hall also joins Hinterland artist, Kevin Oxley, as finalists in the prestigious Grafton drawing prize.

I am always pleased to publish more in-depth feature articles where they have relevance to our readership. In this edition, we have permission to publish extracts from the current edition of The Griffith Review – Prosper or Perish. The essays that touch on Australian population and its relationship to climate change are most revealing. I hope our extracts entice readers to get hold of a copy of the Review 29.

One of our occasional correspondents and Hinterland local is industry consultant and futurist, Stephen Alexander. Stephen is at the forefront of facilitating public debate on Australia’s creaking health system. In this edition he reports on a recent conference where some startling advances were being predicted, including patients having access to their own health records on their iPhone. Stephen also refers to Maleny as a good example where there is excellent cooperation between all levels of health providers.

The Maleny Community Precinct has been a near, ten year project in the planning. This special, 122 hectare site has several competing interests and Council is now deciding which projects get started first. A public walkway from town to Gardners Falls has always been top of the list for locals, but Council have left it off the master plan. We report on a public meeting where questions were asked about Council’s priorities and whether we are still focussed on strong environmental outcomes for the site.

Congratulations in this edition to Maleny’s Meisha Lowe whose passion for acting has landed her a role in the new Underbelly movie. And to Maleny Manor for another major win as one of Australia’s top wedding reception centres. Congratulations also to hinterland painter, Peter Hudson for being chosen to illustrate three children’s books by iconic Australian song writers. Finally, Faith and I would like to thank the growing number of people who write and phone with messages of appreciation for the quality of our magazine. They are most heartening.

Michael Berry

The bird had to be euthanased. Further investigation with EPA confirmed that the man did hold a licence to kill cockatoos. Margaret was horrified, “How can a

government department condone and licence this? There’s no policing of it and no process to ensure that it’s done humanely.”

Donna Anthony of Wildlife Volunteers said,“It’s just sad – on one hand you have wildlife carers spending so much time and money on caring for injured and orphaned wildlife, usually the result of human impact in some shape or form. On the other hand you have an unpoliced licence allowing people to kill.”

Further discussions will be held with EPA regarding these licences. We’ll update you with the outcome.

Soon after stepping off the plane from Texas, Stacey was in the saddle again, this time for the Queensland State Paint Horse championships. Riding her two year-old horse, Charley, Stacey, beat four state champions and won a swag of ribbons in the Horsemanship, Trail and Showmanship categories.

For some time Stacey, who is in Year 11 at Beerwah State School, has dreamed of going to the US to work and train horses. She now has that chance. While at the world championships Tracey was spotted by top Texas trainer Jeannie Young, who has offered to train her further and take her to the world championships for Palominos in 2011.

For a girl who is just turning 16, Stacey Bentley clearly has many successful rides ahead.

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.

Marlene Murray (third from right) with some of of the fifteen Maleny Manor award winning team.

THE HINTERLAND of the Sunshine Coast has consolidated its stake in the wedding industry judging by the results of the12th Queensland Annual Bridal Industry Awards (ABIA) held recently in Brisbane.

More than 1500 wedding suppliers were nominated for awards in 40 categories.

Hinterland businesses were finalists or winners in 13 categories. Maleny Manor was the winner of the Reception Centre category, and Wayne Wiltshire of Montville was the winner of the Live Band / Group award.

The ABIAs are much sought-after awards for Australian wedding suppliers as they are determined by the votes of past brides.

Relative newcomers to the Hinterland, Alan and Georgina Thompson of Flaxton Gardens said they were thrilled to have been finalists in both the Ceremony Venue and Reception Centre categories.

Georgina said that Flaxton Gardens was nominated for the ABIA based on the quality of product, quality of service, value for money and the attitude of the staff who serviced the bride’s needs, before, during and after their wedding day.

Maleny Manor was also a finalist in the In-House Wedding Advisor and Function Coordinator categories.

Host of Maleny Manor, Marlene Murray said, “the whole of the Hinterland is at the forefront of the Queensland wedding industry. Eleven years ago Maleny Manor was a B & B with a few weddings. Now we’re the leading venue here with 108 weddings for interstate and overseas couples a year.”

Local businesses estimate the wedding industry is worth about $12 million a year for Maleny alone, and the Sunshine Coast is now in the top eight of most popular places to be married in Australia.

SCAP winner Miles Hall with Caloundra Regional Gallery Director, John Waldron following the announcement of the $15,000 prize for Pine Lime (Splice).

BRISBANE-BASED artist, Miles Hall is the winner of the fifth annual Sunshine Coast Art Prize. Miles is the son of Maleny residents Les and Rae Hall. Miles has won a $15,000 cash prize and four weeks workshop residency at Arley Farm in Maleny. The winning painting is an abstract called Splice (Pine Lime).

This year’s judge, well-known art critic and weekly columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, John McDonald commented on the distinguished contribution SCAP was making to the national art calendar.

Highly Commended was Catherine O’Donnell’s Civic Centre. Catherine is from Sydney.

“Australia has a fatal attraction to art prizes, from the Archibald to the local fete”, said John at the Caloundra Regional Gallery. “By avoiding an obvious theme such as portraiture or still life, the prize leaves the door open to many different styles and genres in a range of media.”

While announcing the winner at the Caloundra Regional Gallery on August 26, John said, “Splice (Pine Lime), is essentially an abstract picture that generates a range of pictorial tensions. We see the work at first as a kind of landscape, depicting tangled undergrowth or a reflection in water. The severe green line across the bottom of the work creates a jarring contrast, bringing us back to the formal issues of line versus plane, depth as opposed to flatness. It’s an edgy, speculative affair that never aspires to perfection, but that’s part of the appeal.”

Commended was Vicki Hersi’s abstract painting, Still Life Objects.

Catherine O’Donnell’s Civic Centre was given the highly commended award.

John McDonald commented that, “Few will fail to be impressed by the artist’s painstaking mastery of charcoal, and her careful delineation of a piece of urban geometry that would make even Jeffrey Smart think twice,” said Mr McDonald.

The 2010 SCAP exhibition at the Caloundra Regional Gallery showcases the work of all 40 finalists. It is open until 3 October.

All works are for sale and entry to the gallery is free. If you would like to place your vote for the People’s Choice award you can do so either online at www.scap.org.au or at the gallery.

SUNSHINE COAST COUNCIL has completed its Master Plan for the Precinct but has left off the plan a key community resource – the 4km walkway from the township to Gardners Falls. There was also concern over a request to Council by the Maleny Golf Club for $450,000 to start its golf course.

The meeting at the RSL Hall was the first opportunity in more than two years that the public has had to discuss Council’s plans for the Precinct.

One of the five Precinct stakeholders, the Green Hills Fund, called the meeting, and its new president, Steven Lang, gave a detailed slide show presentation of the site components, the importance of species connectivity throughout the Blackall Range, and Council’s proposed schedule of development.

It is this schedule which concerned people at the meeting. Questions were asked of the three Council representatives present – Councillor Jenny McKay, Council’s director of the Precinct project, Alan ‘Fox’ Rogers and Council’s head of environmental policy, Steve Skull.

It was pointed out that feedback from the previous Council’s community consultation in 2007 had come down most strongly in favour of a walkway along the Obi Obi Creek from the Maleny township to Gardners Falls.

Peter Stevens, president of Lake Baroon Catchment Care said the walkway was absolutely vital to give the entire community the chance to connect with the Precinct after ten long years of planning.

Peter Rogers from Hinterland Tourism endorsed the view that a walkway would enhance the increasing reputation of the Range as a place for walking trails.

For example, Mary Cairncross Reserve receives 500,000 visitors a year confirming that visitors come here for the area’s environmental values.

Council plans to spend $4 million dollars over the next four years to kickstart development of the Precinct, but the first stages of the Master Plan do not include the walkway.

At the meeting Alan ‘Fox’ Rogers acknowledged that the Golf Club was seeking $450,000 to carve out its first nine holes, but said no decision had been taken by Council.

“If this funding is seriously being considered in the first few years of development then it goes against the intent of resident wishes as indicated by the consultation process three years ago,” Mr Lang told the Hinterland times. “It confirms that he who shouts loudest wins the prize.”

“The proposed walkway/cycleway to Gardeners Falls is how our children and grandchildren will get to Gardeners Falls. It gives ownership of the Precinct to the community. It is something everyone will use, regardless of which club or society they belong to. It is the one feature everyone can agree on. It is the priority.

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that Green Hills opposes a golf course on the precinct. We have formally signed off on a Master Plan which includes one, recognising the compromise as a win for all of Maleny. But we did so believing Council would require potential lease holders to provide their own funding, leaving Council to concentrate on the infrastructure the Maleny community so clearly declared it wanted.”

Several residents expressed concern that while stakeholder groups had to prepare commercial business plans before they became leaseholders of Precinct land, Mr Rogers could not guarantee that residents would get to see those plans.

Given that the estimated cost of the Precinct Master Plan over the next 20 years is close to $75 million, one suggestion from the floor was that Maleny land and homeowners might have a levy attached to their annual rates to speed up the process.

This was immediately rejected by another speaker who said she did not want her rates going towards the funding of a golf course.

Councillor Jenny McKay said she and her officers had heard the concerns of the community and would ensure that they were reflected in the Precinct strategy report that will go to Council within six weeks.

“We have had nearly three years of consultation with key stakeholder groups, Council and consultants,” said Mr Lang. “It is important that the outcome now delivers the environmental aspirations clearly expressed by this community three years ago. “

For further information: www.greenhills.org.au

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.

Cheryle Penrose demonstrating polymer clay & bead making techniques at her jewellery store at Artists on the Green, Montville.

MONTVILLE-BASED creative group, Arts Connect Inc. have received Council approval to stage monthly art events on the Montville Village Green. Having been trialled over the last year Artists on the Green will now be held on the second Saturday of each month from 8.30 am to 3pm. A diverse range of local artists will demonstrate and sell their work under colourful canopies in the heart of Montville.

Visitors will find potters, painters, jewellers, sculptors happy to demonstrate and talk about their work. Joined by doll makers, textile artists, illustrators, leather workers and even a scrimshaw worker, an interesting variety of genuine local art can be found at Artists on the Green.

The Village Green is part of the Montville Heritage Precinct found at the top of town alongside St Mary’s Church and the Village Hall.

The same Saturday each month a local produce market is run in the Village Hall where visitors can purchase farm fresh food, locally made breads and cheeses, condiments, plants and lots more. As a fundraiser to support the Montville Hall and Sports Ground residents serve yummy pancakes and Montville coffee from 7.30am and organic BBQ sausages for lunch.

The Montville Chamber of Commerce has co-ordinated a program of buskers each Saturday bringing together a wonderful show of cooperation within the Village.
All enquiries to president@artsconnectinc.com.au