Blog

If you’re anything like me, there’s a good chance you start the year with a bunch of resolutions, and by the time you get to November, you’re scrambling to get them all done.

Why not give the gift of life this Christmas before you start making your new resolutions?

The Blood Service is making it easy for North Lakes residents to make good on their resolutions, with two centres available over the next month to take blood donations.

The first is the permanent Strathpine Donor Centre, located only 15 minutes down the road from North Lakes. Located at 349 Gympie Road, Strathpine, it is open 6 days a week, with sessions available both early morning, late evening, and on weekends, so that everyone can find a time to donate that suits them.

We’ll also be setting up on North Lakes Drive, outside the Good Guys, between Monday the 18th and Friday the 22nd December. Being so close to all the shops on North Lakes Drive, it’s a great opportunity for people to cross a good deed of their list while taking care of some last minute Christmas shopping.

Blood donation is a very simple process, and the donation itself only takes between five and ten minutes. It’s a great chance to relax and plan your Christmas lunch or family holiday, all the while helping patients in need.

Because a lot of our regular donors take holidays over Christmas, it’s very important that we have enough of our infrequent or new donors come in over December and January, to ensure we have enough supply for the 25 000 units of blood that are required every week.

Because blood only has a short shelf life, we aren’t able to stockpile donations for when we have a downturn in donors. This means that there can be particular strain on stocks coming up to public holidays, which is why it is so important for people to make donating blood their rest of year resolution.

If you are interested in donating, or would like more information, you can visit donateblood.com.au, or phone 13 14 95.

If you run a business, or would like to donate as part of a community or church group, the Blood Service runs a group donation program called Red25. For more information on Red25, please call Liam Richardson on 3481 5908, or email lrichardson@redcrossblood.org.au

Written by Liam Richardson

An Initial Flood Watch has been issued for coastal catchments between Gladstone and the New South Wales Border.

The first flood watch, issued by the Bureau of Meteorology this morning, indicates that minor flooding across a large swathe of catchments, including Pine and Caboolture Rivers and their tributaries, is possible.

The Bureau released a video yesterday, detailing the impacts, with Southern States, New South Wales and Victoria, likely to experience the worst of the impacts.

Parts of Queensland will begin to see the effects of the trough from Sunday and into Monday. Rainfall during the past week has primed local catchments for future level rises.

Widespread 24 hour rainfall totals of 30-70mm are possible about coastal catchments south of Gladstone during Sunday and Monday. Isolated heavier falls in the range of 80-180mm are possible each day, these fall are expected from severe thunderstorms embedded in the trough. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings will be issued by the Bureau of Meteorology during the event as required. You can view all Queensland warnings here.

IF IT’S FLOODED, FORGET IT!!!

The warning is as follows:

IDQ20900

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland

Initial Flood Watch for coastal catchments between Gladstone and the New South Wales Border

Issued at 11:12 am EST on Friday 1 December 2017

Flood Watch Number: 1

Minor flooding is possible across the Flood Watch area.

A trough system and an associated band of showers and storms will move into the southwest of the state during Friday, shifting gradually eastwards across the state during the weekend. The associated band of showers and storms will likely clear the coast on Tuesday.

Rainfall during the past week has wetted up some coastal catchments meaning river level rises are likely.

Widespread 24 hour rainfall totals of 30-70mm are possible about coastal catchments south of Gladstone during Sunday and Monday.

Isolated heavier falls in the range of 80-180mm are possible each day with severe thunderstorms. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings will be issued during the event as required.

Minor flooding is possible across the Flood Watch area and isolated heavy rainfall may lead to localised flooding.

Rainfall totals and river level rises are expected to be significantly lower than those experienced in the Wide Bay catchments in October, and certainly nothing comparable to the widespread rainfall and flooding seen in Cyclone Debbie.

The Flood Watch area will be refined as the location of the heaviest rainfall becomes more certain.

Catchments likely to be affected include:

See www.bom.gov.au/qld/warnings to view the current flood warnings for Queensland.

Flood Safety Advice:

This Flood Watch means that people living or working along rivers and creeks should monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings.

• Remember: If it’s flooded, forget it.

For flood emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

For life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Current emergency information is available at www.qld.gov.au/alerts.

This advice is also available by dialling 1300 659 219 at a low call cost of 27.5 cents, more from mobile, public and satellite phones.

Warning, rainfall and river information are available at www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood/

Final election counts are still being tallied but it’s becoming clear that the ALP has a stronghold in the Moreton Bay Region and Queensland as a whole.

Six of the nine seats that are within the boundaries of the Moreton Bay Region has been won or retained by Labor candidates.

Bancroft – Chris Whiting (ALP)

Murrumba – Steven Miles (ALP)

Redcliffe – Yvette D’Ath (ALP)

Pine Rivers – Nikki Boyd (ALP)

Kurwongbah – Shane King (ALP)

Morayfield – Mark Ryan (ALP)

The three remaining seats are still undecided:

Pumicestone – Micheal Hoogwaerts (ALP) and Simone Wilson (LNP) are running a very tight race. It could be a long wait to hear the results for this seat.

Everton – Tim Mander (LNP) holds the lead over David Greene (ALP).

Glass House – Andrew Powell (LNP) has the lead over Brent Hampstead (ALP).

A woman has been charged after allegedly driving more than five times the legal alcohol limit with two children in the car in North Lakes yesterday afternoon.

Around 6pm yesterday evening, police were notified by members of the public who believed the woman to be adversely affected while shopping in a convenience store on Astley Parade.

Quick thinking members of the public detained the woman, preventing her from returning to the car until police arrived on the scene.

Upon arrival, police located a five-year-old and a four-year-old child in a car which had been allegedly driven by the woman from her home address to the store.

Police located the woman on and conducted a breath test where she allegedly returned a positive result of .256 percent.

A 28-year-old North Lakes woman has been charged with driving under the influence of liquor.

She is expected to appear in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on November 6.

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.

The Rothwell roundabout sign is now history as the intersection nears completion. The lights are about to be switched on and the new roadways opened up.

As the mammoth project nears completion, much to the relief of residents who use it daily, the final traffic switch will allow for the existing roundabout to be removed and realigned to the final intersection configuration. Final stage works are expected to run for two weeks along with a detour at night from 6.30pm to 6.30am.

Rothwell station access roads, Warbrick Way and Stubbins Street will be used to redirect traffic around the works.

Traffic conditions during the day will not be affected, with full access reinstated at the intersection to maintain
traffic flow.

The roundabout signage is now a piece of history for the Rothwell intersection.

Acting State Main Roads and Road Safety Minister Steven Miles, Members for Redcliffe and Murrumba Yvette D’Ath and Chris Whiting and Moreton Bay Regional councillors James Houghton and Koliana Winchester were on site, to inspect the progress of the work.

“With only two roads on and off the Redcliffe Peninsula, the Rothwell Roundabout has always been very important
to our community,” Ms D’Ath said

“When these works are completed they will provide much better access to the Redcliffe Peninsula.” Ms D’Ath said.

Mr Milles said the last major traffic switch is scheduled to occur on Tuesday, the 26th of September and the traffic signals would be switched on next week.

“This will be the first time motorists drive on the final road alignment with an operational traffic signal and this is very exciting news for motorists who use the intersection each day,” Mr Miles said.

Member for Petrie, Luke Howarth, said construction on the intersection was now entering its final stage, with work on track to be completed later this year.

“This major achievement will deliver great safety and efficiency benefits to motorists using this intersection,” Mr Howarth said.

Member for Murrumba Chris Whiting said he was especially pleased to see vehicle access retained between McGahey Street and the intersection

“This has been a more complex project than it would seem, as it has been necessary to keep the intersection open to
allow upwards of 50,000 cars to pass through it every day,” Mr Whiting said.

“When works are completed this upgrade will for the first time, provide a safe crossing point for pedestrians and
cyclists,” Mr Whiting said.

Acting Moreton Bay Regional Mayor, Mike Charlton said the new signalised intersection would provide improved safety and better connectivity for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Rothwell Intersection Upgrade delivers new signalised pedestrian crossings and dedicated cycle lanes making it more convenient and safer for local residents to get around, to school, to local shops and back home again,” Cr Charlton said.

The traffic lights have been installed, the wait is nearly over for a signalised intersection.

Mango Murphy, from Transport and Main Roads is retiring on Friday. He is to be commended for all of his hard work on projects in and around the Moreton Bay Region. The team at Big Local wish him all the very best and hope he enjoys his retirement.

Further information about the project can be found at www.tmr.qld.gov.au and search for ‘Rothwell Intersection Upgrade’.