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COUNCIL NEWS
Message from the Mayor, Pulse - August 201 6
Redland City Council has taken immediate action after an
independent survey showed that internet access continues
to be a major barrier for local business.
The survey reflected the findings of a University of
Queensland School of Business report commissioned by
Council that revealed poor connectivity had forced
businesses to leave Redland City. A review of internet
infrastructure in the Redlands will be conducted in response
to the survey results.
The University of Queensland survey was part of an update
for the Redland City Economic Development Advisory Board
(REDAB) which identified that internet connectivity
continued to be an economic impediment across the city.
The review was recommended by the Board and endorsed
by Council.
Connectivity is critical to business success and anyone who
has tried to do business in the Redlands knows that access
to fast and reliable internet continues to be an issue.
As such Council will commission, as a matter of priority, a
review of the existing and proposed high speed broadband
infrastructure in the Redlands, including the Commonwealth
Government’s proposed National Broadband Network. The
review will identify gaps where additional internet
infrastructure is needed.
The review in itself will not improve internet connectivity in
the short term, but it will show where extra internet
infrastructure is needed to ensure as a community we are
connected from an economic and social perspective.
The recommendation from the Board shows how proactive
they are. Board members were selected because they have
the experience needed to provide strategic advice to local
business and deliver on our economic development
framework. Chair Samantha Kennedy has extensive
experience in internet connectivity.
REDAB will also undertake development of industry sector
action plans, prioritising the health care and social
assistance and education and training sectors – identified by
the Board as economic and employment generators. These
action plans will help us take advantage of the opportunities
as they present.
Council will also continue to lobby the Federal Government
to improve the NBN rollout within the Redlands.
Karen Williams
Mayor
Opens Friday 2 September until Sunday 4 September
Red
Fest
Redland Showgrounds,
Long St & Smith St,
Cleveland
Redland City's annual
music and cultural
festival boasts fun for the
whole family!
Get set for
special performances by
Taxiride and The Black Sorrows, and much more!
Stay safe during swooping season
An Australian Magpie perches on a railing.
parents and keeping their young safe.
There’s a flurry of
nesting activity at
this time of year,
which also means
it’s swooping
season!
Why do magpies,
plovers and
butcher birds
swoop? They are
simply being good
Plovers are especially vulnerable because they nest on
the ground. The defence of their family rarely exceeds
warning swoops by whichever parent is on guard. Their
warning calls become more persistent the closer you get
to their nest or chicks.
For magpies, only the male actively protects the chicks.
His swooping will become targeted and more aggressive
if he believes a person or object poses a particular
danger. This is why it is so important not to retaliate by
throwing or waving things at them, as it will only escalate
the situation.
These birds will only swoop within a certain distance from
their nest or young, usually within 1 50m. The key to avoid
being swooped is to avoid the ‘swoop zone’. Learn how to
stay safe during the swooping season.
Please contact Indigiscapes on 3824 8611 to report
nesting areas where birds are swooping. Council will
install temporary signage around nesting birds to warn
others.
Bring the kids along to meet the magpies during a free
wildlife education show at Wonderful Wildlife Day on
Friday 30 September.
Sponsorship and grants
Did you know that Redland City Council provides more
than $750,000 of sponsorship and grants every year to
help local organisations, community groups and
individuals make a difference in the Redlands?
From cultural festivals, wellness expos and vintage
markets – to triathlons, bowls tournaments and fishing
competitions – sponsorship is available for communitybased
activities and events that provide measurable
benefits for the community. Applications for the next
round of sponsorship will be accepted from 1 5 August
until 1 6 September 201 6.
The next round of community grants close on Friday 26
August, with
funding available for organisation
support, project support and
conservation initiatives.
Applications for capital
infrastructure grants will close
on Friday 2 September.
Learn more about how to apply
for grants or sponsorship and
eligibility criteria. Alternatively,
you can call 3829 891 2.
Turn your great idea into a reality!
Bay Island News September 201 6 edition page 38
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