Funding for water infrastructure in QLD
The state government has announced funding for water infrastructure across the state.
Water Minister Glenn Butcher said the Palaszczuk Government had $2.6 billion committed to water infrastructure.
Of that funding, $19.34 million has been allocated for the Southern Downs drought resilience package.
Emu Swamp Dam
An article released by The Guardian last week stated that the construction of Emu Swamp Dam has been affected by a “construction cost blowout”. Reportedly, the cost of building the dam has ballooned from $84m to more than $200m.
Reportedly, multiple irrigators have pulled out of the project. It was reported in this paper last that five irrigators had reportedly pulled out of the project, citing inconsistency from Granite Belt Irrigation Project (GBIP) regarding prices. A local involved in the project said watering their crops with bottled water would be cheaper.
As stated in our article last year, irrigators contributed a non-refundable deposit to GBIP for their involvement in the project. GBIP had reportedly exhausted their waiting list last year and asked irrigators to invest more into the project.
World-first sees Queensland Police, the community and technology team up to target hooning
In what is believed to be a world-first, the Queensland Police Service has become the largest user of Axon Citizen by implementing a technology product that allows the community to easily upload digital evidence such as video footage and photographs to the Police Service.
The new technology capability will be specifically used to enable members of the public to upload vision of hooning behaviour which the Police Service can then use to take action under Australia’s toughest and strongest anti-hoon legislation.
With this initiative, the Queensland Police Service cements itself as the largest use of technology produced by Axon Citizen, which has 20,000 customers worldwide and includes the Metropolitan Police (UK) and the LAPD (USA).
Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board strengthened by incoming specialists
Two new specialists have joined the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board in the 2022 appointment round.
Stephen Harrop and Terry Kehoe will join the board alongside three other reappointed members Dr Dennis Campbell, Marie Pietsch, and Emeritus Professor Julie Cotter.
Continuing members Michael Horan AM, Cheryl Dalton, Associate Professor Maree Toombs, Patricia Leddington-Hill and Dr Ross Hetherington remain in their roles until 2024.
Dr Harrop brings a background of nursing and education, previously working in the Princess Alexandra Hospital Immunology Division and later becoming a senior lecturer at Griffith University. Dr Harrop currently assists the Darling Downs community through his work as a clinical nurse in the Warwick Hospital Emergency Department.
Mr Kehoe brings over 47 years of leadership and engineering experience to his new role on the board. Mr Kehoe’s highly successful career has also seen the management of his own engineering practice for 31 years.
