Sawmill jobs

May 8, 2008: The member for NANANGO … DOROTHY PRATT … says up to 500 more jobs could be at risk in the timber industry as a result of the STATE Government’s taxes.

Thirty-five workers were sacked from the YARRAMAN sawmill last week … after the government increased royalties by 14.79 per cent.

Ms PRATT says the government should have introduced the increase over a five-year period.

She says the government should not be putting profit before community survival.

Click to hear DOROTHY PRATT

TRANSCRIPT:
“It’s an horrendous thing to do to a very small town which is struggling to make a ends meet at the best of times and then to lay the boot in, which is what they’ve done. They’ve backdated it to July 2007. That’s a reprehensible step by any government. They should not be putting government profit before community survival.”

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.

USQ AFL

In AFL, the coach of USQ’S COUGARS says four players are out this weekend.

TONY BULLEN (pro: BUL-LEN) says the team has lost captain MATTHEW BUSUTTIL (pro: buz-it-ill) to injury … and three other players aren’t available.

Click to hear CHARISSE LEWINGTON’s report.

TRANSCRIPT:
COUGARS have defeated COOLAROO twice this year. TONY BULLEN says even though they won’t have a full strength side, the COUGARS are still odds-on to win this SATURDAY against COOLAROO.

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.”