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Australia’s third largest council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, has ditched the plastic straw.

After becoming the first council in South East Queensland to make the pledge to phase out single-use plastic straws, Economic Development and Tourism Spokesperson Councillor Peter Flannery said Moreton Bay had now removed plastic straws at council-operated venues and events.

Cr Flannery said council would now encourage local sporting and community groups to join the cause, and we hope the move would also inspire local businesses to follow suit.

“Already a number of businesses and cafes in Moreton Bay are taking up the push for greater sustainability through re-usable cups and biodegradable cutlery, and I hope this move encourages them to also ditch the single-use plastic straw from their menus.”

There are areas of Mango Hill and North Lakes that seem to attract an unusual amount of rubbish.

As we went to photograph and bring this to the attention of locals on Facebook @northlakesqld, we ran into Eric and Marion Barker, collecting cans along Kinsellas Road East.

They told us that as they take their evening walk, they enjoy collecting cans which they recycle, with proceeds going to benefit their nominated charity, that they choose on a yearly basis.

This year they have chosen Hummingbird House. Thank you Eric and Marion for doing a wonderful deed for the community!

Local resident Phillip Carlson addresses Moreton Bay Regional Council on the sale of the North Lakes Resort Golf Club.

On Tuesday 14 August 2018, I had the privilege to provide a resident’s viewpoint on the incomprehensible re-development of the North Lakes Golf Course into a retirement village.

I spoke to most of the Moreton Bay Regional Council Councillors, a few staff and some members of the public. Our local Councillor, Julie Greer advised those in chambers that on the advice of the Integrity Commissioner, she had a conflict of interest and left the room. I was appalled that she could not even hear a constituent’s concerns.

For 5 minutes I spoke about several provisions of a document that regulates all development in North Lakes, the Mango Hill Infrastructure Development Control Plan (MHIDCP).

The MHIDCP states that it may be amended, but only if an amendment is minor and does not affect any person. Further, because the original developers chose to build a golf course, that it must always remain a golf course.

The intent of the MHIDCP is to provide clarity to those who bought land in North Lakes. Clarity is something that we could really use a lot more of right now.

Part of me is still hoping that this has all been some collective bad dream from which we will soon wake. However I begrudgingly accept that it’s not and to VRG I say:

WE WILL fight on and WE WILL ensure there is always a golf course in North Lakes.

Words by Phillip Carlson

This year, the Queensland Police Service is determined to get the message out that there’s no excuse for elder abuse.

Elder abuse is any act within a relationship of trust which results in harm to an older person.

Elder abuse can take various forms such as physical, psychological or emotional, sexual and financial abuse. It can also be the result of intentional or unintentional neglect.

Using the funds of an elderly parent without their knowledge, such as skimming their pension or taking their key card, is elder abuse. So is intimidating an elderly person into signing legal documents to hand over assets or make new wills. Someone neglecting the care of an elderly person they’re responsible for is elder abuse, and can have devastating effects on health and wellbeing.
Sadly, it is most often close family members who are the abusers. This can mean older people are less willing to tell someone, or we are reluctant to identify this behaviour in others, and it stays hidden.

It’s vital to start a conversation and recognise these different forms of abuse so we can effectively combat it as a community.

Visit the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors website for more information – www.communities.qld.gov.au

They provide resources to help you see whether a situation might be abusive, and will give you the tools you need to identify, support and report.

If you are concerned about someone, you can contact the Elder Abuse Helpline (1300 651 192) for free, confidential advice and support. In an emergency always call Triple Zero (000).

For free legal and support services, contact your local Seniors Legal and Support Service, on (07) 3214 6333

Call 1300 063 232 for support and advice services located in Gladstone, Gold Coast, Mackay, Rockhampton and Sunshine Coast.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.

You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.

Did you know that more than 78,000 blood donations were made  by people over 60 years of age in the past 12 months?

Almost 15% of all donated blood comes from people over the age of 60, which makes older donors an integral part of our blood donor community.

There are a few misconceptions regarding older people and blood donation. People can donate blood for the first time up until the age of 70. If you’ve donated blood successfully in the past, you can donate all the way up to age 81.

Blood donation is an incredibly rewarding experience. Every blood donation has the power to save three lives. As well as helping to save people in an emergency situation, donated blood is used to help people stay strong during chemotherapy, provide support to the immune systems of those with immune disorders and is even used in medicines such as the chickenpox vaccine!

The reasons for people not being able to donate are the same between older and young people. Generally, if you are fit and healthy (and have been for a week prior to donation), are not under any health investigation, you should be able to donate. There is short exclusion periods for certain activities, such as travel to malaria-affected countries but these are only temporary.

The number one reason for older people not being able to donate blood is taking Aspirin. That again is only a temporary exclusion period, with donors able to donate again one week after taking Aspirin.

There a number of groups of older people donating throughout North Lakes and the greater Moreton Bay Region, generally as part of a community group or an over-50s housing estate.

You may have seen in the news recently that the Blood Service made a call for people with O negative blood to come in and donate. It’s a step that we don’t take lightly and only when we are very low on a particular blood group. This generally happens during the Winter months, when our regular donors may be affected by coughs and colds and we desperately need more blood to give to hospitals.

This means that we need more new donors, particularly at this time of year. If you are interested in donating, you can phone 13 14 95, or jump on to www.donateblood.com.au to check your eligibility and make an appointment. There is a Mobile Centre that visits all around the Moreton Bay Region, plus a fixed donor centre at Strathpine, located at 349 Gympie Road.

If you are interested in donating as part of a group, please email lrichardson@redcrossblood.org.au

Written by Liam Richardson, Red Cross Community Relations Officer, North Brisbane and Moreton Bay.

A new study reveals price drives decision making, ahead of design (19%), sustainability (13%) and convenience (11%), with 57% of Australians saying that price is the number one factor when shopping for textiles for the home.

When grown conventionally, cotton is a resource heavy crop and new research suggests that Australians are aware of the impact of cotton on the environment, with more than half the population saying that they believe conventionally grown cotton has the largest impact on the environment, compared to other fabrics. However, cotton is still the number one choice of fabric in Australian homes, with 74% of Australians choosing cotton over wool, synthetic blends, bamboo, linen or silk.

Australians are the second largest consumer of textiles in the world, buying on average 27kg of new clothing and textiles each year[1], but despite a desire to make purchases with sustainability in mind, more than half (55%) of Australians don’t consider where the cotton in their home textiles, like towels, bed linen, sofa covers and soft furnishings are sourced.

Conventional cotton uses large quantities of chemicals and water and often leads to significant health risks to farmers, soil erosion and water scarcity. In fact, it takes 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton[2] – that is the equivalent to a small backyard swimming pool.

With almost half of Australians purchasing home textiles and soft furnishings more than twice a year, IKEA wants to start a conversation about cotton and why it is important to know where it comes from.

There are more than 3,500 cotton products in the IKEA range and every one of them uses only 100% more sustainable cotton, that is cotton that is either recycled (18%), derived from the Better Cotton Initiative (82%) or other more sustainable sources such as the E3 program in the US, meaning it is grown using less water, chemical fertilisers and pesticides, while increasing profit margins for farmers and promoting biodiversity.

New research revealed:
– 61% of Aussies consider themselves environmentally conscious shoppers, yet only 24% always consider sustainability when purchasing products.
– 64% of Australians understand that more sustainable cotton is better for people and the planet, despite this 70% of Australians have not purchased or are not aware that they have purchased organic or more sustainable cotton for their home. However 75% of these people would change their mind if the price was right.
– 79% of Australians think brands should be more transparent about where materials used in products come from and how they are sourced.
– Almost half (49%) of Australians purchase soft furnishings more than twice a year. Of this number, 18% purchase soft furnishings four or more times a year.

IKEA believes that Australian shoppers shouldn’t have to compromise on price, quality, design, function or sustainability when making home purchasing decisions. That is why IKEA only sells products made from more sustainable cotton, meaning any cotton choice from IKEA is a better one.

Derya Völlings, IKEA Sustainability Manager Asia Pacific said, “People are becoming more aware of where the things we eat, wear and use come from and the impact this can have on our environment and now we are taking steps to encourage Australians to consider the source of their home textiles, raising awareness of the positive impact a move to more sustainable cotton can have.

”Cotton is one of our most important and loved raw materials. It lives in nearly every home, but we were uncomfortable with the fact that growing cotton in the conventional way is often harmful to the environment and the people involved. From farm to fabric, we want to keep reducing the environmental impact of growing cotton, while improving the lives of our suppliers, while also enabling a more sustainable life at home for Australians.

”We want all the textiles in our range to be sustainable and are always making improvements. IKEA was the first major retailer to only use cotton from more sustainable sources, reaching this milestone in September 2015. In FY17 IKEA used 145,000 metric tonnes of cotton, around 1% of the world’s total supply. The work IKEA does makes a big impact to people and planet. While we have reached our 100% more sustainable cotton milestone in 2015, we are now looking for ways to improve the industry beyond our own business and supply chain.

”We want to raise awareness about more sustainable cotton and take steps to make the global cotton industry better for people and planet. We also want to make more sustainable choices accessible to all people and by choosing more sustainable cotton Australians can feel good that they are making a better choice that improves the lives of cotton farmers, their families and the planet.”

[1] Sustainability consultant, Jane Miliburn, Slow Fashion
[2] http://wwf.panda.org/our_work/water/freshwater_problems/thirsty_crops/cotton/

Domestic Violence (DV) is consistently reported to be at epidemic levels in today’s society and undoubtedly remains a problem predominantly suffered by women at the hands of men*.

In answer, Communities and Governments have justifiably united to promote a culture of zero tolerance to DV and to enforce this with stronger DV laws however, in this drive to normalise zero tolerance, an alarming counter-culture is now on the rise.

Court applications for DV protection orders have increased dramatically however in some cases the DV allegations are as trivial as “he hogged the TV remote”. In other cases, applicants are casting back years into history to drag up past events to justify present-day orders despite no subsequent repeat incident. Worse still are cases where a DV order is sought because the person feels “harassed” by her ex-partner saying he will hire a lawyer and take her to court to press for a better deal over property or children’s issues. In short there is a growing trend of women using DV laws as a form of weapon to gain leverage against their male ex-partners.

Even when the evidence in favour of a DV order is very weak, a zero tolerance environment stacks the odds against any man who dares to defend his innocence and, with the costs of hiring a lawyer to assist with that defence running on average between $2,500 and $12,000, most men understandably give up and consent to an order being made against them.

Whilst a DV order is not a criminal conviction, it inevitably carries a stigma even though orders on a non-admission basis are available. Beyond this, DV orders typically restrict freedoms of movement/communication by, for example prohibiting coming within 100 meters of the victim in a public place and, where children are involved, prohibiting contact unless first authorised by a court order or written consent from the victim/parent. The affected parent (typically the father) will therefore be forced to either succumb to the mother’s terms or go the hard-way round and spend many weeks/months pushing through the legal system of mediation and courts before he can again see his children. Domestic violence against women is a very serious problem however. In solving this problem there must also be built in some protection for the men/fathers who are, in increasing numbers, themselves becoming victims of the system.

*1 in 6 women are reported to have been victims of domestic violence compared to only 1 in 17 men.

Michael Zande is a Queensland Law Society accredited family law specialist with over 25 years experience in the field. He is the principal at Zande Law Solicitors, Suite 7, Norwinn Centre, 15 Discovery Dr, North Lakes. To contact Michael for advice, phone 3385 0999.

The information in this article is merely a guide and is not a full explanation of the law. This firm cannot take responsibility for any action readers take based on this information. When making decisions that could affect your legal rights, please contact us for professional advice.