Herald 20220823

Emu Creek plane crash
Emergency services raced to an Emu Creek property on the
weekend after reports of a small aircraft crash.
Paramedics arrived at the Pierces Creek Road property after a
private plane clipped a tree and fell 10 metres on Saturday morning
at 8am.
The couple were able to safely get out of the plane before paramedics
arrived.
Both patients were taken to the Toowoomba Hospital with facial
and head injuries in stable conditions.
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Cost-saving generator inspected
at Wetalla
Inspections were made on the
new cost-saving generator project
for the Wetalla Wastewater
Reclamation Facility last week.
Toowoomba Regional Council
Water and Waste Committee
portfolio leader Councillor Nancy
Sommerfield and LGI CEO
Adam Bloomer inspected the
newly arrived generator for the
facility.
The new gas-fired generator
will use methane gas collected
from the Hermitage Road
landfill site to supply up to 70
per cent of the power to run the
wastewater plant.
Cr Sommerfield said it was
exciting to see the project take
the next step.
“This project began with discussions
during the 2012 to 2016
era where Cr John Gouldson
and myself raised the issue as a
potential opportunity for our region,”
she said.
“Since we started the test flaring
with LGI at the Toowoomba
Waste Management Centre
site in June 2020, the project
has been investigating the flow
of gas that could be reliably
sourced from the landfill cells
to run the generator. This testing
was required to determine the
appropriate size of the generator.
“Testing has proven the gas
LGI CEO Adam Bloomer and TRC Cr Nancy Sommerfield
field (Hermitage Road) can support
a 1000 kilowatt generator.
The generator was placed in
position at Wetalla earlier this
month with work now proceeding
on the final installation, electrical
connection and commissioning
of the unit.”
Cr Sommerfield said the
wastewater plant was the council’s
largest user of electricity in
the region.
“The council will mitigate the
effects of methane gas emissions
from the landfill while reducing
on fossil fuels to power our
Wetalla Water Reclamation Facility,
which is one of the council’s
highest energy users.”
LGI CEO Adam Bloomer said
LGI had been working closely
with the council, describing the
project as a win-win for both organisations.
“The site, on Hermitage Road,
has been flaring for the past couple
of years and has flared some
7.5 million cubic metres of landfill
gas so far which is a massive
reduction in emissions for the
council,” he said.
“The generator is expected to
be up and running in September,
it will be running a 1 megawatt
output initially with the potential
to do more in the future.”
Funding for this project has
been received under the Federal
Government Emissions Reduction
Fund for the carbon abatement
achieved through this contract.
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Watts News
During the last month, I have been fortunate to catch up with many
Highfields locals, including the new Chamber of Commerce President,
Sarah Mengel and I’d like to congratulate Sarah on her appointment
and wish her all the best.
In last month’s column, I highlighted the Parliamentary Estimates*
process. To say that I was underwhelmed by the responses received
from the Palaszczuk Government during Estimates Hearings is an
understatement.
I sit on the Transport and Resources Committee/Estimates Hearings
and in doing so, I was able to directly ask the Director-General for
Department of Transport and Main Roads about the planning and
corridor identification to the north-west Toowoomba for a second road
to Highfields.
My take on the response is that the Labor Government does not
care about the people of Highfields. A sum of $2.422 million has been
allocated to investigate a major new north-south transport corridor for
Toowoomba to address growing traffic problems stemming from the
New England Highway through to Toowoomba city, however…
the current suggested location and linkage is via Charlton and not
via Boundary Street.
I ask you, for those residents who today are caught in the congestion
of a morning and seeing lower speed limits along that Highway as well
as problems in and out of various schools, how does a link more than
15kms away help to alleviate these concerns?
Good planning will make an enormous difference to the community
going forward. I have been informed that consultation with key
stakeholder groups with transport needs will commence soon and if
the stakeholder consultation outcomes support the current location
and planning that, the Department will commence consultation with
potentially affected landowners.
If both stages of this consultation identify no significant barriers
to proceeding to corridor protection, then the Department intends to
protect the corridor by mid-2023.
Now is our time to ensure that the corridor is beneficial for our
growing area.
I am truly very humbled to be the representative of Toowoomba
North. This is a growing area
and Highfields, and surrounds,
is leading the charge with
developments and I intend to ensure
that we get a positive outcome for
the community.
Until next month,
Trevor
*Parliamentary Estimates allows
each committee to meet and examine
and report on the proposed expenditures
contained in the Appropriation Bill and
the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill by
the Government
P 4602 2100 A 182 Ruthven Street, North Toowoomba QLD 4350
• PO Box 285, Harlaxton Qld 4350 E toowoomba.north@parliament.qld.gov.au
W trevorwattsmp.com TrevorWattsMP /TrevorWattsLNP trevorwattsmp
12 - HIGH COUNTRY HERALD - AUGUST 23, 2022 To advertise phone 4615 4416 or email herald@highcountrynews.net.au