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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

NATRAShield Mould Treatment Available

The Townsville City Council has delivered NATRAShield mould cleaner as promised. It appears to be a plant based product without the nasty chemicals present in earlier cleaners. This Saturday Peter Cooke and Lynda Radbone will be at the SES from 9am – 12pm, and this Sunday (9th) I’ll be at the Emergency Services depot between 9am & 12am to hand it out to anyone who is interested. Bring a 2L bottle. After that contact Peter Cook for any extra.

For Blackfriars contact Rhett or Kristy Harrison. For Hidden Valley see Tracy Armstrong.

Charlie Allen

Mt Spec SES

Paluma Bird of the Month, February 2025 – White -headed Pigeon

Pigeons are among the most broadly distributed and widely recognised bird groups. All pigeons belong to the family Columbidae, which has 42 genera and 316 species. Although the number of species of pigeon that can be found around Paluma is not particularly large (about 8 rainforest species in and around the village) we host some of the most striking and colourful species to be found in Australia. The white-headed pigeon (Columba leucomela) belongs to the former group, having a striking black and white plumage with just a dash of colour around the eyes and bill.

In Paluma it can be seen flying overhead in small groups, and foraging in the canopy of Bollygum (Neolitsea) and other local fruiting trees. It is found from Cooktown to Eden in NSW predominantly in rainforests and gallery forests along creeks and gullies. While not uncommon, it tends to feed quietly in the mid to upper canopy so it is not easily spotted along the village tracks.

Although it is not threatened if was previously a preferred target for hunters, which depressed populations along much of its range.

Photo by  J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours [Peterson Creek, Yunguburra, QLD, March 2022]

The White-headed Pigeon is the only native member of genus Columba in Australia. The only other member in Australia is the ubiquitous and frequently maligned Rock Dove or Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) which occurs worldwide in areas of human habitation.

Photo by (c) lrathbone – some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Pigeons are monogamous with both parents helping to raise their young. There are almost exclusively seed eaters (granivores) or fruit eaters (frugivores). When feeding their young, many other vegetarian bird species switch to energy and protein rich insects to promote rapid nestling growth. Pigeons, however, feed their young on a highly nutritious “crop milk”, which is a secretion from the lining of the crop (a muscular pouch near the throat of many birds). This useful trait is analogous to lactation in mammals.

Crop milk (often called Pigeon milk) is produced only by pigeons, although flamingoes and penguins also feed their young from secretions from different parts of the gut.

The extinct Dodo and Solitaire (Genus Raphus) are also formally included in the pigeon family (Columbidae).

Australia Post published a series of 4 pigeon stamps in 2021. Three of these are to be found in Paluma, including the White-headed pigeon.

Text by Jamie Oliver, photos as indicated