Tove Easton of Easton Lawyers

An accident causing injury to someone in your home does not necessarily mean that you, as the occupier, is liable for that injury. As an occupier you are only liable if an accident is caused by your failure to take ‘reasonable care’ to protect the person being injured.
The key words are ‘reasonable care’. As you may have suspected already there is no hard and fast rule about what amounts to ‘reasonable care’ or lack of such care. It depends very much on the nature of the premises, the type of danger and the reason for entry. An example is a defective staircase in a house would be a danger to most people, but would not be a danger to the tradesperson engaged to fix the staircase.
You may think that provided your visitor has been warned of the danger then this would be sufficient to protect you from liability. However a warning is not always sufficient to protect you from liability. The occupier’s duty is to take ‘reasonable care’ to protect your visitor from danger – not simply to warn your visitor of the danger. Sometimes a warning may be sufficient but other times not depending on the type of danger.
What of a person who enters your premises without your permission – a trespasser? The law holds that if you know or you have reason to suspect that a trespasser is on your premises, you have a duty to that trespasser to take reasonable care to protect that person from injury. This duty does vary depending on the circumstances. An example here would be the requirement on you to fence a pool to prevent a child trespasser from being injured or drowned.
Finally, a landlord has a statutory duty, under the Residential Tenancies Act (Qld) 1994, to keep premises in good order and repair. A landlord may be liable if a tenant is injured on the premises, if the injuries occurred as a result of the landlord’s failure to repair defects and the landlord knew of the defects.

Tove Easton, Principal Lawyer, Easton Lawyers

62 Maple Street, Maleny; Ph 5494 3511
6b/3 Obi Obi Road, Mapleton; Ph 5478 6500
tove@eastonlawyers.com.au

In order to balance fitness and health and prevent functional illness, your body needs to generate large amounts of energy. When this doesn’t happen, you will get a symptom – FATIGUE. This is one of the most common complaints I hear. The fatigue may be physical or mental or both. Over time, fatigue will make you unwell. If you feel that physically you are struggling to get through the day and mentally that clear thinking and decision making are becoming more difficult, then it is up to you to change that and make it better. I can help with that.
When you’re constantly tired the first thing you have to do is find out why, and that means learning not only where your energy comes from, but how to maximise its production.
Energy of course comes from the food you eat – for most people this means a combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. What you have to learn is what works best for you. Keep in mind that FATS can provide you with more than twice the energy you get from either carbohydrates or protein. It is clear that to maximise your energy levels and stop the fatigue, you must reprogram your body to BURN FAT. Most people who are tired, rely on too much carbohydrate and sugar (often as much as 80 – 90%). This means that fat, since it is not burnt, is stored in and on the body, resulting in weight gain, obesity and further health problems – blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart problems.
Fix the fatigue factor as soon as you can. Learn to maximise body energy. You’ll start to really like the way you feel and look.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

siaholistichealth.com.au

Dr John Pirie
Chiropractor &
Applied Kinesiologist
19 Coral Street, Maleny
Phone 5435 2155

Maleny Hospital Nursing Director, Mark Sierakowski receives a cheque for the new ventilator from Eve Breiner with Ronne Wildman (left) and Paula Richardson

Maleny Hospital Auxiliary members have been giving aid to patients for many years – from toiletries to building furnishings and maintenance.

This year the Auxiliary helped provide almost $12,000 towards the purchase of a new ventilator.

If you have children, grandchildren or even a neighbour or friend with children, come along and try out the Playgroup on Wednesday August 26 from 9am – noon at the Mapleton Community Hall.

This remarkable group of mums, dads, grandparents and caregivers meet every week with their babies, toddlers & preschoolers for interaction and fun and we work together to provide their children with opportunities to learn through play.

The Range Playgroup will also be showing their appreciation on open day to the Gambling Community Benefit Fund, and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council Community Fund for recent generous grants which have been wisely used to purchase new toys and educational activities, (to comply with health and safety regulations), arts and crafts supplies and a new storage cupboard to house some of their equipment.

All over Queensland, Playgroups are the first step to families coming together to support one another and using creative teamwork to provide youngsters with educational, social and fun time.

Any questions about Range Playgroup open day can be directed to Kim Sloan.  Ph: 0438 000 741.

School vice captains (l.to r.) Jai and Laura. School captains Alex & Samantha with school principal, Dr Jennifer Clarke. Alex and Dr Clarke are holding a 19th century district inpector’s report.

The teaching methods at Mapleton State School, “are thoughtful and effective in a marked degree.” So said the school district inspector’s report in 1912.
Mapleton State School is celebrating its 110th birthday and its teaching is still regarded as thoughtful and effective. The school opened on 17 July 1899 with 15 pupils on roll. The early school records provide interesting reading with district inspectors highlighting proficiency in record keeping, school governance, organisation, and teaching methods,
In 1912, the Inspector, Mr Radcliffe reported calmly that progress in most of the curriculum areas was considered to be “good” and that “there is a well-designed flower garden; and a flourishing vegetable garden.”
Today the school has grown to more than 200 students. A welcome addition to the facilities is the new library which will be completed by the end of 2009.
The extensive, well-manicured grounds are a reflection of the Mapleton community’s pride in its school. A school and community vegetable garden is being established and, as in 1912, the students still exercise on a daily basis.
This year the school was recognised as high-performing based on its excellent results across all curriculum areas.

School students attending a Methodist Sunday school picnic at Mapleton in 1909.

This year’s Mapleton Fair to be held in the school grounds on August 29 and will provide an opportunity for the Mapleton community to celebrate its school’s 110th year. The fair will be opened at 12 noon by Councillor Paul Tatton. Apart from displays of memorabilia, rides, stalls and amusements of all kinds, there will be Toad Races and a wide assortment of refreshments.
To book a stall contact Josi. Ph: 0407 457 278 / Krista – 0409986865

“The state originally came in and said they would take over bulk water, down to its treatment. They said they would create the bulk water; they would treat it, and sell it for us to distribute to our customers.
They originally said they were going to have one big distribution business for potable water and sewerage right across south-east Queensland – from Noosa to Coolangatta and west to Toowoomba.
The Council of Mayors argued against that from day one. That’s because the people who were sending the bills – the councils – were the people who were going to get all the complaints. So the customer down the line was totally isolated from the distribution company. That company was responsible for the quantity and quality of water that we use, but they weren’t the ones that were going to get the complaints. So the state distribution company was totally remote from the customer. A classic example of that is Energex where there have been problems because the customer no longer has contact with their service provider.
Two years after the original announcement of plans to create a single water distribution company the state government, at our urging, changed its mind. Instead of a distribution monolith, it decided to set up three smaller companies that would supply and sell water in the south east. Those three businesses would sell the water and the sewerage – all water – storm water, manufactured water, desalinated and recycled water. So we saw that as a big positive where the returns come back to the council that is providing the service.
The Council of Mayors wanted the Sunshine Coast and Moreton councils to be one of those three retail companies, but for some reason, the minister recently recommended that Ipswich join with the Sunshine Coast and Moreton councils to form one of three retail entities.
This made no sense to us or to Moreton. The problem is remoteness – we’re significantly remote from Ipswich as a business interest. What they do and what we do are very different, geographically and culturally.
Also, the majority of growth in south-east Queensland is in the Ipswich-through-to-Brisbane corridor. Therefore the wealth generated in that region does not benefit us. They have 40 per cent of the growth in south-east Queensland, but we only have 28 per cent of the connections. Also, I don’t know what infrastructure agreements are in place in that area, I don’t know what they have agreed to. So, you’re buying a pig in a poke, by being linked to Ipswich.
From my perspective for five to ten years of pain that the Sunshine Coast would have to wear, it is not worth the percentage long term.
Currently the state government owns the treatment plants and all the bulk supply, including the desalination plants and recycling schemes. We still own the rest. That is, we take potable water from their treatment systems and deliver it to our customers. We operate the sewerage treatment plants and we deliver the treated water back to the environment.
Thankfully, the state government has agreed to support our original submission and allow the Sunshine Coast and Moreton councils to team up and build a water supply business to serve our regions.
As local governments, we’re on parity. We roughly have equal numbers of people, equal amounts of debt, a similar number of connections, a similar long term view to growth and it will be a geographically-aligned business.
This is a significant victory for our region and will allow us to keep costs down.
Water has become the single most valuable commodity in the world. Electricity and oil – we can change our energy resources. Food – we can manipulate. But water is the ultimate bottom line. Of all the natural assets that need to be kept in the hands of the people, it is surely water.

Olga at Essendon Airport 1958

One day Olga Tarling, a young teleprinter operator working at Townsville airport looked out of the window and saw a Tiger Moth on the runway. Olga was fascinated with this fragile little bi-plane, and she knew immediately that she would fly it one day. This was the spark that ignited Olga Tarling’s life-long passion and commitment to flying. It was a commitment that led to an Order of Australia medal for services to the world of aviation.

Young women in the 1950s encountered many barriers to the all-male aviation industry. However, she eventually got someone to teach her to fly and after only ten hours of instruction Olga was flying solo in the Tiger Moth.
“Isn’t it the greatest thrill ever going solo?” she muses. “It is one of those extraordinary experiences that never dims for any of us”.

Flight Officer Olga Tarling and Captain Joe Salfas in the 1950s

Olga was soon up and away and down to Brisbane to gain her commercial licence. Not surprisingly she faced a hostile male examiner and a gruelling test in the air. Olga made her last runway approach after a simulated engine failure. The examiner looked anxious, but getting out of the plane after a successful landing he casually asked, “Well how does it feel to be a commercial pilot?”
Olga was delighted but she still faced opposition. She was told by the chief flying instructor of the Queensland Aero Club that being a woman she would never get a job flying commercially. Undeterred, Olga soon won a job with Southern Airlines at Melbourne’s Essendon Airport. She flew De Havilland propeller aircraft, carrying country folk around Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Sadly for Olga, Southern Airlines folded in 1959. Never downhearted, Olga discovered an advertisement from the Department of Civil Aviation calling for people ‘with substantial aeronautical experience’ to train as air traffic controllers. Again, Olga was breaking new ground and her application raised all-male eyebrows. But she was finally accepted and joined 15 males in the first intake for training.

Olga Tarling OAM in Maleny

After completing her training, Olga was stationed at Brisbane Airport and there was only one other female controller at that time, stationed in Sydney. One particular American Airlines pilot had occasion to fly between Sydney and Brisbane on two consecutive days and asked with surprise if all air traffic controllers in Australia were female!

Olga’s professionalism and reliability led her to instructing other controllers in Brisbane, and at Melbourne’s Central Training College. She finally retired from aviation in mid 1985.
When asked what were her aviation career highlights she replies with a gleam in her eye, “My first solo, and visiting Cape Canaveral Space Station in 1967″.
In 1971 Olga received the Nancy Bird Walton Trophy for outstanding achievement in aviation and in 1972 she was the only woman at the International Air Traffic Control annual conference in Dublin.
Olga also took key roles in the Australian Women Pilots Association and was its president in 1981.
Although she doesn’t consider her achievements extraordinary, Olga was truly a trail blazer for women in the aviation industry.

Dr Zoltan Bourne (left) with Veronique Ponthieu, practice manager and Dr Fabian Jaramillo in their Maleny medical centre

Zoltan Bourne and Fabian Jaramillo are two young doctors with a different approach to delivering patient care and providing health support.
Zoltan and Fabian are partners in vibrant health centres in the main streets of Maleny and Montville. They are focussed on disease prevention, health education, community support and actively partnering with allied health professionals in a co-ordinated approach to each person’s health and wellbeing.
“We don’t just practice reactive medicine”, says Zoltan. “We both passionately encourage patients to approach their health long term, and apart from offering a broad range of medical health services in both surgeries, we acknowledge the whole range of alternative and complementary therapies, in our efforts to heal the whole person – whatever their health philosophy may be.”
These medical partners have interesting backgrounds. Zoltan is off the land, coming from a long line of dairy farmers near Toowoomba. He now runs beef cattle with his wife on their farm near Conondale.
Fabian and his wife came from Colombia two years ago searching for the safety and peace not always found in their home country. Over this time, Fabian has been drawn to the special lifestyle known here on the Range.
Both Zoltan and Fabian know they are here to stay. “When you have come half way around the world and stumbled upon such a wonderful place, why ever leave,” emphasises Fabian.

Medicine on Maple and Medicine on Main have five doctors, three nurses and links with a range of other health professionals. They can be contacted on 5494 3944 (Maleny) and 5478 5059 (Montville).