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TMR Range Road Update for March 2021

Reminder: Chinese New Year Social this Saturday

Ni hao (pronounced “nee haow”)!

Don’t forget this Saturday evening Paluma will celebrate Chinese New Year with a Social at the Community Hall. Festivities begin at 6.30 PM.

Please bring a dish to share with your friends and neighbours – savoury or sweet. Your best Chinese-inspired delicacy would be most appreciated!

And don’t forget to bring your spare change to purchase a few beverages from our Barman Les.

See You There!

TMR Range Road Update: ROAD CLOSURE TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY

Good morning everyone,

Thank you for your feedback regarding the preferred temporary day closure of Mt Spec Road for the retrieval of the light tower trailer.

Please be advised that the temporary closure will be on Tuesday 16 February 2021 from 10am to 2.30pm.

During this time a full closure of Mt Spec Road will be in place from Little Crystal Creek bridge to McClennand’s Lookout. Road users may seek an alternative route via Hervey Range Road. In an emergency that requires Queensland Emergency Services to travel to Paluma Village, access will be provided by the contractor.

I will shortly send through a flyer with further details of the changed dates for the ongoing Mt Spec Road Geotechnical Investigations.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information regarding this advice.

Kind regards

Meghan

Customer and Stakeholder Management (Northern) | North Queensland Region
Program Delivery And Operations | Infrastructure Management & Delivery Division |

Department of Transport and Main Roads

TMR Range Road Update – February 2021

Good afternoon all

As Meghan is currently away from the office, I am looking after community engagement for works along Mt Spec Road and have some important information to share.

Geotechnical investigations (night closures) rescheduled

Geotechnical investigations on Mt Spec Road, initially scheduled to occur nightly from 8-17 February 2021, will be rescheduled. The works have been impacted by wet weather and the project team has made the decision to reschedule the works to a later date. At this time, TMR is proposing to recommence the nightly geotechnical investigations on 6pm Monday 22 February, continuing until 6am Saturday 6 March 2020 (weather permitting). During these works, road closure times will remain the same as for previous works – 6pm to 6am Monday to Thursday, and 7pm to 7am Friday. An updated information flyer is attached and Meghan will send a reminder closer to the works recommencement date.

Temporary day road closure required next week

Due to wet weather conditions on site earlier this week, an incident occurred at Mountain Creek which resulted in a light tower trailer (being used for the night works) slipping off the roadway and falling down the slope. The incident resulted in minor vegetation damage only and the fallen light tower is not posing a safety risk to traffic or people. However, a crane will be required to remove the light tower as crews are unable to drag it up the slope due to the risk of damaging the heritage stone wall at this location. To ensure the safety of both workers and motorists, the retrieval will need to be undertaken during daylight hours and will require a temporary road closure of 4-5 hours when the crane is on site and operating.

To undertake these works, TMR is proposing to implement a temporary day closure of Mt Spec Road on either Tuesday (16/2) OR Wednesday (17/2) next week, from 9.30am to 2.30pm.

I am seeking your feedback on these proposed closure times before anything further is confirmed. If you have any concerns with the proposed dates or times of the day closure, please let me know by reply email. While we recognise these works will have an impact on the Mt Spec community and we may not be able to accommodate everyone’s travel requirements, the objective is to minimise these impacts and obtain a general consensus from the majority of residents and stakeholders on the suitability of proposed closure times. Subject to community feedback, TMR will confirm closure times with the contractor and further information will be sent out from Meghan early next week.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as TMR completes essential works along Mt Spec Road.

Please do not hesitate to contact me by phone on 4421 8970 should you wish to discuss anything further.

Kind regards

Kelly Stolz

Customer and Stakeholder Management
Northern District | Department of Transport and Main Roads

Paluma Social Events for 2021

Dear Members of the PDCA, Paluma Residents, Friends & Neighbours,

Please note that your PDCA has a newly formed sub-committee known as the ‘Social Committee’ (or perhaps more aptly termed the ‘Any Excuse for a Get-Together Sub-Committee’!!).

Your new Social Committee Members are:- Lynn Hyland, Les Hyland, Colwyn Campbell, Lynda Radbone and Michele Bird.

The inaugural meeting of this new sub-committee was held just recently and we have set about in planning an array of Social Events over the coming year. We hope there will be plenty of opportunities in 2021 for you to get out of the house, dust off your best outfit, catch up with friends and neighbours and also dress up and be a bit silly on the odd occasion, should you feel inclined…..!

We do encourage all Paluma residents and PDCA Members to contact us with your thoughts, ideas and feedback on upcoming and future Social Events. We are sure many of you have some great ideas for future Social Events and we would love to hear from you.

A working list of the planned Social Events for 2021 is outlined below and regular posts will be added to the website to remind you of upcoming events. Please join us to support your PDCA, to share some great food, good company, good humour and the odd beverage. All are very welcome.

The exciting events to come are:-

Saturday 20 February Chinese New Year Social (Evening)

Saturday 20 March St. Patricks Day Social (Evening)

Sunday 4 April PDCA Paluma Markets

Saturday 24 April PDCA Annual General Meeting with BBQ (Lunch)

Saturday 15 May Petanque (Bocce) and Nibbles on the Green (Afternoon)

Saturday 12 June Les Hyland’s 90th Birthday Party (Evening)

Saturday 26 June Bush Dance – Wattle n Gum

Sunday 27 June Paluma PDCA Markets

Saturday 17 July Paluma Push Bike Race (Outer Limits Event)

Saturday 7 August International Night Social (Evening)

Saturday 11 September Back to the 70’s Social (Evening)

Sunday 3 October PDCA Paluma Markets

Saturday 9 October ‘Paluma-Fest’ Social – BBQ, Beer and Bonfire Night

Sunday 24 October Community Hall 20th Anniversary (Morning Tea)

Sunday 31 October Paluma Trail Run (Outer Limits Event)

Saturday 6 November Return of the Monsters & Mayhem on the Mountain

Saturday 11 December Tropical BBQ Social (Evening)

Chinese New Year Social, Saturday 20 February

The year 2021 is flying by and it’s time for the first Paluma Social Event of the year. Chinese New Year will be acknowledged and celebrated in true Paluma-style and you are invited to attend. 2021 is the Year of the Ox.

When: Saturday 20 February 2021 at 6.30 PM

Where: Paluma Community Hall

What to Bring: The usual. A Chinese-inspired or other delectable savoury or sweet dish to share with your friends and neighbours.

Dress: Yes please, whatever you like to wear, but clothing is preferred. If you have a Chinese outfit, please don’t hesitate to come along in costume.

Barman Les will be open to serve all kinds of beverages at bargain prices.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend. We look forward to seeing you there.

Jason the Tree Man Returns to Paluma

All Paluma residents please note……..

‘Jason the Tree Man’ is returning to Paluma soon and he will available for tree works – trimming, pruning and lopping over a period of about 3 weeks.

If you need some work done or would like to arrange a booking, please contact Jill or Colin with your details.

The Fast and the Furriest…..

Many dog lovers reside in the little village community of Paluma and it’s not uncommon to see people out and about walking their beloved canine companions in the fresh mountain air. But just lately, there are two very precious pooches who have taken to getting a bit of help when it comes to regular exercise. Let’s face it, some days it’s just hard to get out of bed and go for that vigorous walk, especially when you are well into your senior years.

At the outset of this tale (tail!) I must for the sake of clarity confirm the main characters in the story. The canine characters are Bailey and Flossie. Their well trained and dedicated human companions are Bruno and Colwyn, respectively.

Both Bailey and Flossie are well advanced in dog years. Arthritis, a bit of deafness and a few other ailments have made taking a stroll a bit of a challenge some days. The solution, get your human to invest in a new mode of transportation. Both these pooches now take their walk, or at least part of it, on wheels. They are the fast and the furriest!

Bailey has been seen recently in a bright red, rather flashy four-wheel drive version of a child’s pram. With mag tyres, a pillow and seatbelt, Bailey is ready for action. His pram is red because it goes faster. Strapped in on the top deck of his pram he can reach much greater speeds than he can on foot with his degenerative arthritis. There is a great view from the elevated deck so that Bailey can see everyone coming and going. There are no missed opportunities in getting free pats and loving attention from every passerby. Most importantly, Bailey no longer gets left behind at home when his favourite person in the world (Bruno) goes for a walk.

Bailey off on a walk in his flashy red pram.

Flossie also has a new pram, but hers is the deluxe version as far as canine transportation is concerned. Flossie’s wheels are like a ‘Pooch Porsche’, decorated with motifs and flashy designs. After all, a girl should be able to travel in style. Her pram has ample room for sitting, reclining or snoozing. When she gets tired of the walk (and her mum stopping to chat) she can settle herself down for a dog nap in transit.

Flossie is ‘hot to trot’ in her new wheels.

So, next time you are walking in the village of Paluma and you see someone approaching with a pram, do not assume it will hold a human baby or small child. No, around here the pram is much more likely to contain a ‘fur baby’ and a much coveted, spoilt and beloved pet.

These mobile pooches in prams are a testament to the devotion of both Bruno and Colwyn in caring for their elderly, increasingly fragile and very special best friends and canine companions. It also goes to show that sometimes you can teach an old dog a new trick!

Bruno and Bailey on a walk in the village.

Colwyn and Flossie preparing to take a morning stroll.

Bailey on a walk, catching up with his good pal Miss Molly.

Text & Photos by Michele Bird

TMR Range Road Update: NIGHT WORKS AND ROAD CLOSURES IN FEBRUARY

TMR Range Road Update: Planned Works in 2021

Good afternoon everyone,

I hope you all had a very happy Christmas and an opportunity to relax and unwind over the Christmas / New Year break.

It was very exciting to sign off 2020 with the successful and timely completion of our Natural Disaster Program of works on Mt Spec Road. The overall scope of the project was set with an ambitious schedule, and with your patience and assistance the Department of Transport and Main Roads and the project contractor were able to complete these important works prior to the commencement of the 2020/2021 wet season.

With the 2021 year underway, I am now touching base to provide further information about remediation works to take place on Mt Spec Road this year.

Following investigations that took place in mid-2020, three areas on Mt Spec Road have been identified that will require further slope remediation outside of the disaster and recovery funded works. These areas are located at Culvert 57, Culvert 169 near Mountain Creek and Culvert 197. From Monday 8 February 2021, TMR will undertake some minor geotechnical works to assist with the design of slope remediation to these areas. I will shortly be sending a follow-up email with further details about these minor works.

After the completion of these geotechnical works and design of the slope remediation project, TMR will begin consulting with the community to develop a plan to complete these remediation works. We understand that any works that take place on Mt Spec Road have impacts on the community and we want to provide everyone with ample opportunity to provide feedback on how we propose to undertake this project.

I will be in touch following the completion of these initial minor works on Mt Spec Road to engage with you further about the remediation project. Please do not hesitate to contact me on the details below should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Meghan

Customer and Stakeholder Management (Northern) | North Queensland Region
Program Delivery And Operations | Infrastructure Management & Delivery Division |