TRC Water

May 8, 2008: TOOWOOMBA’s deputy mayor says all ways to provide a water supply for the area should be considered.

Councillor PAUL ANTONIO is one of four TRC councillors who met with gas producers ARROW ENERGY to discuss supplying the region with waste water from the company’s gas fields.

Councillor ANTONIO says this project needs substantial support from the STATE and FEDERAL Governments.

He says someone must take responsibility to ensure that the salty water by-product from gas is not a wasted resource.

Click to hear PAUL ANTONIO

TRANSCRIPT:
“We live in an environment where water is absolutely critical. Water will be more costly in the future and we need to make absolutely sure that we don’t just put aside any opportunity for a new source of water.”

Means Test

By SARAH FLEMING

May 8, 2008: AUSTRALIAN families may not receive their baby bonus if the Federal Government implements a means test.

KATH TURLEY from the KATH DICKSON FAMILY Centre in TOOWOOMBA says there will be additional hardship for families with young children.

Mrs TURLEY says the one-off payment doesn’t send the wrong message to potential parents about the long term commitment of having children.

But she says she doesn’t agree with the baby bonus being spent on any item that is not for assistance for a child.

Click to hear KATH TURLEY

TRANSCRIPT:
“There are a number of expenses for people in higher income brackets with paying mortgages and stuff like that, or in some cases they don’t necessarily have the ability to be buying lots of things.”

Frozen Meals

The manager of a TOOWOOMBA retirement village says the type of food offered at nursing homes can affect how people over the age of 50 choose to retire.

GARY STEGART says most residents at the BRIDGE Street RESORT would prefer to have fresh meals rather than frozen ones.

Click to hear CHARISSE LEWINGTON’s report.

TRANSCRIPT:
Mr STEGART says the type of meals residents get will depend on the fees they pay and this can change how people want to retire. His comments follow reports in a TOOWOOMBA newspaper that residents at a retirement village in the city are angry because they are being served frozen meals.

Happy hours ban

A TOOWOOMBA bar manager says plans to ban happy hours will encourage people to buy alcohol and stay at home to drink it.

The USQ club’s GEOFFREY COWITZ says his club has happy hours on WEDNESDAY nights and on FRIDAYs from four to six.

Mr COWITZ says if the ban goes ahead, he will lose business as it takes away the option for customers to come in early.

Click to hear Geoffrey Cowitz

TRANSCRIPT:
“It is much cheaper to just buy a bottle these days from the bottle shop and stay home and drink there and then when they feel like going out and dancing that’s when they come out to us.”