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Paluma in the Rain – Still!

Three months into 2025 and Paluma has now passed the previous ANNUAL rainfall record set in 1981. Breaking news from Dean at the rain gauge this morning has our 2025 total at 4718mm eclipsing the 1981 total of 4691mm by 27.9mm. And no sign it’s over for this event.

Currently we are now completely shut out of road access to Townsville and Ingham. A number of flooded bridges and landslides. The road workers pulled back from working on the Mt Spec Range road on Tuesday because of danger of more slips in the heavy rain. They’ve been dealing with 60 landslips over the 20km from the base of the range to Paluma at about 3000ft.

Not many folk left in the village as most who have a principal dwelling in the lowlands have departed.

But mostly we currently still have power, water and food in the pantry and fridge. The birds have been doing it tough in the constant deluge and a pair of crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans nigrescens) have taken up sheltering on the struts bracing up our spare room. This race is smaller and darker than southern races of this bird.

Peter Cooke

Postponement of Meetings this Saturday

As a result of the recent additional rains, and the closure of the Star River Bridge on the inland access route, the upcoming Community Meeting, PDCA Meeting and PDCA BBQ have all been postponed until the following weekend – March 29th. The times and places are the same:

Paluma Community Hall March 29th

  • PDCA BBQ at 12 pm
  • Community Meeting at 1 pm
  • PDCA Meeting at 3 pm

Community BBQ and PDCA Meeting this Saturday

In addition to the Community Meeting to review experiences and lessons learned from the recent rains (Saturday at 1pm) the PDCA will be hosting a BBQ lunch at the Community Hall at 12 pm before the meeting.

There will also be a regular meeting of the PDCA Council at 3pm, after the community meeting. This PDCA meeting will cover various ongoing items (see agenda below). While these meetings have traditionally been considered as business meetings attended only by the elected members of the Council/Executive, we welcome any residents to attend and to raise any items that they would like the PDCA to consider in addition to what is already on the agenda. Here is the proposed agenda.

AGENDA

  1. Apologies
  2. Action Arising
    • History project – mining and timber history; “What to see and do in Paluma” flyers and linked QR code.
    • Monitoring of Telstra generator and back-up battery
    • Updating Paluma online presence:  PDCA activities; Paluma.org update; Facebook page;
    • Access to PRFB funds to share costs in hall upgrades eg: Solar panels and battery storage
  3. Suggested PDCA actions arising from previous Community Review Meeting on lessons learned during February’s extreme rain event
  4. Paluma Community Information and News network options – for urgent and non-urgent items
  5. Future events and Hall bookings
  6. Treasurer’s Report
  7. Any Other Business
  8. Confirm next meeting date – Annual General Meeting (election of officers) to be followed by exec meeting

Employment Opportunity at PEEC

Unit Support Officer – Paluma Environmental Education Centre

Education (Organisation site)
North Queensland Region, School and Regional Operations and Performance Division

Paluma Environmental Education Centre is seeking a Unit Support Officer for a temporary, flexible full-time position commencing 12 May 2025.
If you are a motivated team player, interested in actively supporting teaching and learning whilst also contributing to the maintenance of grounds and facilities and a range of administrative support tasks within the centre, we encourage you to apply for this position.

Closing date: 30-Mar-2025

If interested contact:

Chris Schell
A/Business Manager PEEC
Paluma: 47708528
Vincent: 47729555

Challenge yourSelf; Learn to live with Others; Explore Special Places.

Community Meeting to review experiences and lessons learned during the recent rain event

A community meeting to review our experiences during & after the February extreme weather event will be held on Saturday the 22nd of March commencing at 1 pm in the Paluma Community Hall. The objective is to record lessons learnt for the future, discuss known problems & see what we can do to improve how we manage such events. All members of the community are encouraged to attend.

Charlie Allen