In brief
A MAN has been charged with several driving offences after allegedly travelling at 50km/h above the speed limit.
Police detected the 28-year-old from Toowoomba travelling at 150km/h in a 100km/h zone on the New England Highway near Clifton at 3pm on Wednesday.
Warwick senior officer in charge Shane Reid said the man was issued with a traffic infringement notice for $1062, lost eight demerit points and would face court over the alleged offences.
“That is a ridiculous speed to be travelling and it’s not often we see people breaking the limit by 50km/h in the region,“ Sgt Reid said.
Day labour rules
QUEENSLAND councils will now be able to use their own workers rather than contractors to rebuild communities following natural disasters.
The Federal Government has agreed to allow reimbursement for the use of council day labour under Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
The move follows a campaign by the Local Government Association of Queensland to convince successive federal governments that day labour saved taxpayers money.
LGAQ President Margaret de Wit said the resolution of the issue would be a relief for local councils anxious to ensure their communities recovered quickly from natural disasters.
State Government figures show the use of council day labour rather than contract labour to clean up after floods and cyclones over the summer of 2011 and 2012 saved taxpayers $160 million.
Rights remain
THE Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is reminding Southern Downs bargain hunters to pay attention to their consumer rights as retailers discount prices to tempt shoppers in mid-year clearance sales.
A number of complaints received by the OFT concern purchases made during sales which could have been avoided if consumers were aware of their rights.
Fair Trading Executive Director Brian Bauer said it was important consumers remembered that their consumer rights did not stop when these sales started.
“All goods must be fit for purpose, safe, as described and have no defects – these are basic rights under consumer law that do not change during sales,” Mr Bauer said.
“If goods don’t meet these requirements then consumers are entitled to a remedy in either a refund, repair or a replacement.”
