Category: Local Issues

Dangers of Paluma Range Road

Our local member for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto, has written to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads, the Honourable Brent Mickelberg regarding urgent safety concerns about the Paluma Range Road.

Fairy Falls completed roadworks. Image from Michael Drew

We thank Nick for bringing the safety issues regarding our coastal access road to the Minister’s attention. Thanks also to Michael Drew for forwarding Nick’s letter for this post. I’ve inserted the letter as three images below. Please forgive the formatting but we wanted quick and easy access for all to read.

Margie and Nick – A Successful Community Meeting

Nick and Margie…Margie came up in her set of four wheels in case you were wondering.

Last Sunday, on August 20th was our first Community Meeting with Cr Margie Ryder for this year. It was very productive with some rigorous discussion around several issues. There was also an earlier briefing with Nick Dametto, our Hinchinbrook electorate representative in Qld Parliament, regarding the village entrance signage. The issues raised at the community meeting included:

  1. Pet clean up bags and general pet management
  2. Traffic management – speeding in the village
  3. Community security – break-ins, hooning
  4. Road maintenance – verges on road to Dam turnoff and potholes on dam road
  5. Vegetation control – weeds on council land and vacant blocks
  6. Signage at village entrance
Pet cleanup and other resources left by Cr Maggie Ryder will be distributed directly to resident pet owners or left at the Community Hall for pickup.
  • Pet clean up bags: proposal put to council to provide pet clean up bag dispensers has not been approved. Maggie will take it back to council again noting that the PDCA is happy to do the restocking of any installed dispensers with resources provided by council.
  • A ‘letterbox drop’ to residents suggested as a reminder of their responsibilities as pet owners including use of leashes.
  • Pet management: There is currently a ‘local law’ pertaining to cat ownership currently being considered at State level. This resulted from a community survey open to all of the Townsville City Council area. If this law is passed, this community has the option to be considered for its use. It would mean residents will not be able to bring in ‘new’ cats to their home. A grandfather clause will allow those who currently have cats to keep them. It was suggested this also be applied to dog ownership although Margie indicated this would likely not be accepted.
  • The notion of an ‘off leash park’ be established on council land was also put forward.
  • Maggie provided some pet clean up dispenser bags and leashes for distribution to residents with dogs.
  • Traffic management/speeding: Need to report ANY observed offences with the police, online or by phone. Mobile number for Rollingstone Police: 0456096305 If its not reported, it hasn’t happened and no action can be taken.
  • Due to valid concerns of the safety of visiting school groups and visiting families during school holidays walking along the main road, Margie will write to Nick Dametto to approach Education Queensland (Nth Qld Region) and Townsville Catholic Education Office as well as Main Roads in regards to signage and other measures to mitigate the possibility of future casualities due to vehicles speeding through the village. Specific examples of ways other communities have mitigated speeding provided.
  • Community security: Need to report ANY observed offences with the police, online or by phone. Mobile number for Rollingstone Police: 0456096305 If its not reported, it hasn’t happened and no action can be taken.
  • Suggestion residents purchase loud portable air horns to assist in alerting close neighbours of immediate security concerns. This has been effective in reducing criminal activity in some streets in small communities near and within Townsville city.
  • Suggestion to establish a community alert ‘phone tree’ to ensure residents are alerted to any immediate security threats.
  • Suggested to invite Rollingstone Police mobile number to Paluma Community Alert WhatsApp
  • Paluma Dam Road and verges from village end to turn off: Paluma Dam road annual maintenance will occur in September. Request for support for more regular maintenance considered.
  • A request to council to budget for building up and strengthening verges to cope with large vehicles including garbage trucks. Recent repairs due to request by Sam Stedman of Outer Limit Adventure Fitness in preparation for the recent Paluma Push. Noted this took persistent communications to happen.
  • Use ‘Snap Send Solve’ App available on TCC website; Contact Margie directly regards road/verge maintenance (from village to Paluma dam turnoff and the Dam road, Hussey Road) that have been logged with council but not actioned ESPECIALLY if any safety concerns.
  • Vegetation control: Council to be informed to mow verges of loop road as part of their regular maintenance. Margie will query council on their ability to enforce landowners to manage vegetation on their vacant blocks of land. Individuals can register a complaint with council regarding unkempt properties.
Early morning briefing regarding Village entry signage
  • Village entrance signage: Margie will check with council if they can take ownership of the proposed location from National Parks. If not possible, Nick Dametto has agreed to appeal to the appropriate State minister.
  • Other signage around the village: regardless of prior consultation and against Margie’s recommendations, TCC has started installing a range of signs through the village. Some are not appropriately located. Further collaboration and consultation will be sought by Margie.
Some of the community meeting participants in the hall with Cr Margie Ryder. Image supplied by Margie Ryder.

Participation in this meeting by local residents was most appreciated and we are grateful for having a local councillor who is willing to drive up our range road regardless of feeling quite unwell let alone having to manage car sickness with doses of ginger. Appreciation also for Nick Dametto meeting with Margie and the PDCA president at 9am to discuss improving the Paluma Village entry signage. Nick is one ‘ever-ready bunny’ and doesn’t suffer car sickness as he truly enjoyed his motorbike ride up the range road to meet with us.

Margie has noted the tropical BBQ on December 9th in her calendar and our next community meeting will be around this time, if not earlier.

Text: Juanita Poletto. Images: Juanita Poletto unless otherwise noted

PDCA Community Meeting with Townsville Councillor Margie Ryder

On Sunday, August 20th at 10am the PDCA is hosting a community meeting with our Townsville City Council representative, Margie Ryder.  This will provide an opportunity for Margie to report on what the Council has been doing and to listen to any concerns that Paluma residents may have relating to council facilities and initiatives.  Items that we will be inviting Margie to comment on include:

  1. Plans for signage at the village entrance, and upgrade of other signs around the village
  2. Dog Poo bag dispensers and other issues on animal control (Cats, noisy dogs)
  3. Community security in the light of multiple recent events in and around the village
  4. Road Maintenance
  5. Vegetation control (weeds)

The meeting is open to all Paluma residents.  Please mark this date and come along to have your say.

Pictures of people on Paluma.org

During many of our community events such as community social evenings working bees and meetings. Members of the PDCA often take pictures during these events including individual participants. These pictures are then used to enhance a post on Paluma.org or other publications that report on this event.

While the editors of Paluma.org, and other PDCA executive members generally receive positive feedback regarding the use of pictures of participants in various events, we have been made aware that some individuals would prefer not to have their photographs published.

This matter was discussed at our last Annual General Meeting (AGM) and it was decided that while the practice of taking pictures by authorised people and subsequent posting on Paluma.org should continue, there should be a clear and simple procedure for those who are not comfortable having their picture published to opt-out.

The PDCA AGM agreed that we should never take or publish pictures of people who have indicated that they do not want this to occur. We (the organizers of events) will endeavour to remind people at each event that we are taking pictures for publication but we ask those who do not want this, to ensure that the photographer or one of the event organizers knows that you feel this way as soon as possible. If an event photographer starts taking your picture or has just taken your picture before you have had a chance to express your wishes, please politely let them know and they will ensure that no images of you are published.

I hope that the procedures above will provide appropriate assurances to those who do not wish to have their picture taken, while still allowing others to enjoy reviewing the description and images of recent events that they had fun at, or wished they hadn’t missed!

If you have any concerns regarding this issue please don’t hesitate to contact me or any other member of the PDCA by email or in person.

Jamie Oliver
PDCA President

A Wet Working Bee

Come rain, hail or shine, nothing stops a working bee at Paluma.

A very successful working bee was held last Saturday (4 March) to carry out some much needed maintenance and clean up work round the village. The planned track repair works along the Rainforest Walking Track was postponed for the time being due to the wet weather, but there were plenty of other jobs to complete. The targeted works included installation of new signage at Whalley Crescent and the H-Track, pruning of vegetation along the road verge at the western end of the village and removal of wattle clippings near the tennis courts.

The seven very keen volunteers were: – Wilfred, Ian, Julie, Rob, Annesheke, John and Michele. The crew worked through the persistent and sometimes heavy showers of rain and nothing could dampen the enthusiasm for the jobs at hand. Well done to all those who came along to lend a hand.

The (damp) volunteers at Saturday’s working bee.
Putting your back into the working bee.
New signage at the western end of the H-Track.
New signage at Whalley Crescent.
Pruning of vegetation from the road verge at the western end of the village.

On a walk around the village you might also have noticed some new signage at the western end of Lennox Crescent to alert visitors to the H-Track and Len Cook Ceramics.

New signage at Lennox Crescent.

A recent clean-up of vegetation encroaching over the signage at the entrance to the village has also been undertaken, this volunteer work by Jamie. Some new signage to welcome visitors to Paluma is planned for this area in the future. Stay tuned…

Tidy up around the signage at the village entrance (volunteer work by Jamie).

Text & Photos by Michele Bird & Roy

An Important Message from Mt Spec SES – Cyclone Season Preparation

CYCLONE SEASON PREPARATION – Paluma/Hidden Valley (2022/2023)

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 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. Another useful website is http://disaster.townsville.qld.gov.au

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