Category: Community Noticeboard

Update on Defibrillator at the Community Hall

The Rural Fire Service defibrillator, which normally resides in the fire truck, has been moved to the box at the Hall entrance so it is available in the case of an emergency until the PDCA unit is back from service. The RFS has agreed that whenever the PDCA unit is out of commission, or out for service, the RFS unit will be moved to the Hall entrance.

Notice of PDCA AGM, April 6th, 2024

Members (and prospective members) are advised that the Annual General Meeting of the Paluma & District Community Association Inc. will be held on:

Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 12pm for a BBQ lunch followed by the AGM at 1:15pm in the Community Hall

Nominations are open for all Executive Committee positions. Nominations should be forwarded to any member of the Executive Committee or by email to PalumaPDCA@gmail.com. Please use the nomination forms, which can be downloaded here.

Positions are:

  • President,
  • 1 or 2 Vice-Presidents
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • General Committee members (numbers flexible)

Members are reminded that Annual Subscriptions are now due and should be paid prior to the commencement of the AGM.   Membership is $45.00 Please use the subscription form here to submit your dues. New members are more than welcome and should use the same form.

Please note that you must be a PDCA member to nominate someone to the Committee or vote for any Committee member.

The AGM will be followed immediately by a normal General Meeting with the new Committee.

AGM AGENDA

  1. Opening – circulation of attendance sheet
  2. Apologies
  3. Minutes of previous AGM April 1st, 2023
  4. President’s Report
  5. Treasurer’s report
  6. Election of Officers for 2024-2025
  7. Election of Auditor for 2024-2025
  8. Close of Annual General Meeting

Normal General Meeting Agenda

  1. Open General Meeting
  2. Proposed Events/Fund-raising for the coming year
  3. Any other business
  4. Close of General Meeting

St. Patricks Social this Saturday Night

The Paluma Community will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this Saturday evening 16th March at the Community Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend and if you feel inclined, please wear your best ’emerald outfit’ to mark the occasion.

Please bring a plate of food to share with your friends and neighbours. Drinks will be available at the Bar on the night including that most Irish of beverages, Guinness. Start time is 6.30 pm.

As everyone knows, the Hylands have hosted this event over many years and have always produced a challenging Irish Quiz to test our knowledge of all things Irish. This year the quiz master will be Michele Bird – who certainly has some big shoes to fill in replacing Leslie Hyland in this role! Start doing your research in preparation for what promises to be a mind numbing, brain twisting, cranium crushing test of Irish Intellect. The winner will score a free beverage of their choice from the Bar, in addition to the admiration, respect and envy of their fellow quiz persons.

Don’t spend your Saturday night “on ya tod”, join in the fun and come along for a good old Irish chin wag and perhaps even an Irish jig with your Paluma pals. See you at the Hall.

Call-Out to Paluma Bakers for the Easter Market

The Paluma Community Easter Market is fast approaching on Sunday March 31st.  This is a call-out for Paluma’s Kitchen Rockstars to make, shake and bake home made goodies to sell for our community’s (PDCA) fund raising.

If you are interested in doing some baking and donating your goods for sale at the Easter Market then please read on…..

Here’s what to do:-

  1. Please divide your baked goods into small batches for sale. We suggest batches of 2, 4 or 6 individual pieces as this has worked well at previous markets.
  2. Please add a sticker or other suitable label outlining the contents of your baked goods. You will need to add this label to EVERY individual batch of goods. This is required for health & safety reasons. “Paluma Produce” stickers will be available for this purpose if you wish to use them. Pick up from Anneshka Brown at your and her convenience or from the hall on Saturday 23rd between 10 and 11am. See image at end of this post.
  3. Please plate the goods (in batches) and secure with glad wrap or suitable packaging. (We have previously used paper plates and glad wrap and this works well).
  4. Please add a price sticker to your goods, with what you think is a fair and reasonable price for your baked delights. We can provide price stickers as well.
  5. Please deliver your goods to the Community Hall on Sunday morning 31st March at 8.30 AM (for a 9 am market start).
  6. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!😊

If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact Juanita Poletto by email: jpoletto@gmail.com or phone 0410202968. Some of our other lovely PDCA executive members Anneshka Brown, Jill Meads, Wilfred Karnoll and Jamie Oliver (he just might bust out his famous chocolate brownie recipe) should also be able to answer any questions you may have.

Previous cake stalls have been a roaring success, so please contribute if you can for the upcoming Easter Market. All donations are much appreciated

Image of the “Paluma Produce” sticker you can label your goods with if you wish. Designed by Anneshka

Friday Night Drinks at the Hall, March 1st

After a recent PDCA exec meeting we decided to initiate regular Friday evening drinks and nibbles on the Friday before each Saturday working bee. If you feel the urge to relax and unwind, or play a friendly game of darts or table tennis over a beer or glass of wine then come over to the Hall around 6pm on March 1st. The bar will be open. Feel free to bring nibbles or finger food to share.

Cyclone Season Preparation

Memories of the 2019 February inundation and the subsequent isolation of Paluma and communities to the west will be with us for years. These memories should prompt all of us living in the area to consider carefully how we prepare for this wet season.

The best way to start this years’ preparation is to visit the Queensland Government website https://www.getready.qld.gov.au. The site addresses preparation for a range of disasters that could affect Queensland. Cyclone, storm damage & fires are the most relevant to our area.  It also lists a number of disaster related apps. Other useful websites are https://disaster.townsville.qld.gov.au  & https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/safety-education/resources.

Cyclones & extreme rainfall events

The getready website suggests being prepared for 3 days of self-sufficiency. This may be adequate for the lowlands, but could easily prove inadequate for Paluma to Hidden Valley communities.  If a high category cyclone crosses the coast anywhere near Townsville, Paluma to Hidden Valley problems are likely to be well down government priority lists, if they are not life threatening.

Plan for the worst – what if?

  1. All access roads to the area closed for seven (?) plus days
  2. Prolonged loss of the electricity grid supply.
  3. Eventual loss of landline, mobile phone & internet communication due to loss of power to Telstra sites.
  4. Damage to Townsville Water infrastructure resulting in unreliable water supply.
  5. Structural damage to your private residences forcing evacuation to temporary accommodation.
  6. For those living west of Paluma & not dependant on town water & the electricity grid – consider consequences of damage to satellite dishes & solar panel arrays. Ensure water tanks contain enough water to resist cyclone strength winds.

If you work through the three steps of the Have a Plan section of the get ready website you should be covered for most things. But there are local considerations.

THE FOLLOWING CHECKLIST COVERS SOME OF THE THINGS TO CONSIDER.

Clearing around you residence to remove anything with the potential of becoming an airborne projectile.

Insurance – Check currency & adequacy.

Basic supplies

  1. Enough food for the whole household including pets. If you have no generator backup for your refrigerator then stick mainly to non-perishable food. (dried or tinned)
  2. Adequate supplies of prescription medication plus cold & flu tablets, pain killers etc.
  3. Toiletries.
  4. Adequate clothing for everyone for the duration.
  5. Extra bed linen & towels.
  6. Sturdy gloves.
  7. Wet weather gear.
  8. Allow 3 litres of bottled water per person per day. Alternatively a small rainwater tank with water purification tablets from chemist/camping stores. Without power electrical appliances will not be able to boil water for safety.
  9. Important documents & a backup hard drive.
  10. Up to date first aid kit.
  11. Adequate fuel for vehicles & generators plus gas for backup cooking equipment. Those on solar off grid systems should consider how much fuel they may need if the solar array is damaged.
  12. Spare batteries for torches/radios.
  13. Sturdy waterproof containers for food, clothes, medication, phones etc.

Communications

  1. The Telstra site in Paluma has backup batteries & a generator but when the fuel  runs out Telstra will be unable to refuel if access roads to Paluma are closed. So the phones & internet may continue to work for some time after a power failure & then shut down. Suggest it wise to make any important phone calls or emails as soon as possible after the event. West of Paluma landline phones may also eventually fail due to loss of power or damage to Telstra facilities.
  2. For landline phones a non 240v dependant phone is best.
  3. Have an alternate way of charging mobile phones & tablets without mains power.
  4. Will your mobile phone work at the Star Valley or McClelland’s’ lookouts.
  5. Battery radio.

Equipment

  1. Generator –tested/serviced.
  2. Backup gas cooking equipment (BBQ) if you only have an electric stove.
  3. Alternative lighting.
  4. Fire extinguishers are always cheap insurance.

Rental properties.  If you have any form of rental property in the area, consider the need to advise potential tenants of the risk of isolation after extreme weather events.

If you are not going to be in the Paluma area.

  1.  Ensure anyone occupying your house is aware of the above suggestions.
  2. Clean out your fridge & freezer
  3. Consider supplying a neighbour with a key & your contact details so they can access your property to check for damage & report to you.

Evacuating your house due structural damage. Extra things that should be considered for an evacuation kit include bedding (sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses & pillows), reading material & games, cash.

 Fallen Power Lines.  Assume live & maintain an exclusion zone of 8 meters. Report to Ergon Energy – Ph 131670. Warn others.

Mt Spec SES

Memories of the 2019 February inundation and the subsequent isolation of Paluma and communities to the west will be with us for years. These memories should prompt all of us living in the area to consider carefully how we prepare for this wet season.

The best way to start this years’ preparation is to visit the Queensland Government website https://www.getready.qld.gov.au. The site addresses preparation for a range of disasters that could affect Queensland. Cyclone, storm damage & fires are the most relevant to our area.  It also lists a number of disaster related apps. Other useful websites are https://disaster.townsville.qld.gov.au  & https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/safety-education/resources.

Cyclones & extreme rainfall events

The getready website suggests being prepared for 3 days of self-sufficiency. This may be adequate for the lowlands, but could easily prove inadequate for Paluma to Hidden Valley communities.  If a high category cyclone crosses the coast anywhere near Townsville, Paluma to Hidden Valley problems are likely to be well down government priority lists, if they are not life threatening.

Plan for the worst – what if?

  1. All access roads to the area closed for seven (?) plus days
  2. Prolonged loss of the electricity grid supply.
  3. Eventual loss of landline, mobile phone & internet communication due to loss of power to Telstra sites.
  4. Damage to Townsville Water infrastructure resulting in unreliable water supply.
  5. Structural damage to your private residences forcing evacuation to temporary accommodation.
  6. For those living west of Paluma & not dependant on town water & the electricity grid – consider consequences of damage to satellite dishes & solar panel arrays. Ensure water tanks contain enough water to resist cyclone strength winds.

If you work through the three steps of the Have a Plan section of the get ready website you should be covered for most things. But there are local considerations.

THE FOLLOWING CHECKLIST COVERS SOME OF THE THINGS TO CONSIDER.

Clearing around you residence to remove anything with the potential of becoming an airborne projectile.

Insurance – Check currency & adequacy.

Basic supplies

  1. Enough food for the whole household including pets. If you have no generator backup for your refrigerator then stick mainly to non-perishable food. (dried or tinned)
  2. Adequate supplies of prescription medication plus cold & flu tablets, pain killers etc.
  3. Toiletries.
  4. Adequate clothing for everyone for the duration.
  5. Extra bed linen & towels.
  6. Sturdy gloves.
  7. Wet weather gear.
  8. Allow 3 litres of bottled water per person per day. Alternatively a small rainwater tank with water purification tablets from chemist/camping stores. Without power electrical appliances will not be able to boil water for safety.
  9. Important documents & a backup hard drive.
  10. Up to date first aid kit.
  11. Adequate fuel for vehicles & generators plus gas for backup cooking equipment. Those on solar off grid systems should consider how much fuel they may need if the solar array is damaged.
  12. Spare batteries for torches/radios.
  13. Sturdy waterproof containers for food, clothes, medication, phones etc.

Communications

  1. The Telstra site in Paluma has backup batteries & a generator but when the fuel  runs out Telstra will be unable to refuel if access roads to Paluma are closed. So the phones & internet may continue to work for some time after a power failure & then shut down. Suggest it wise to make any important phone calls or emails as soon as possible after the event. West of Paluma landline phones may also eventually fail due to loss of power or damage to Telstra facilities.
  2. For landline phones a non 240v dependant phone is best.
  3. Have an alternate way of charging mobile phones & tablets without mains power.
  4. Will your mobile phone work at the Star Valley or McClelland’s’ lookouts.
  5. Battery radio.

Equipment

  1. Generator –tested/serviced.
  2. Backup gas cooking equipment (BBQ) if you only have an electric stove.
  3. Alternative lighting.
  4. Fire extinguishers are always cheap insurance.

Rental properties.  If you have any form of rental property in the area, consider the need to advise potential tenants of the risk of isolation after extreme weather events.

If you are not going to be in the Paluma area.

  1.  Ensure anyone occupying your house is aware of the above suggestions.
  2. Clean out your fridge & freezer
  3. Consider supplying a neighbour with a key & your contact details so they can access your property to check for damage & report to you.

Evacuating your house due structural damage. Extra things that should be considered for an evacuation kit include bedding (sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses & pillows), reading material & games, cash.

 Fallen Power Lines.  Assume live & maintain an exclusion zone of 8 meters. Report to Ergon Energy – Ph 131670. Warn others.

Mt Spec SES

https://www.paluma.org/attractions/safety/cyclone-awareness-preparation