Latest news with #Ingham
ABC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Queensland expands primary producer definition to improve access to disaster assistance
Farmers denied disaster relief due to their off-farm income could now be eligible for recovery grants due to changes to Queensland's definition of primary production. In the past, disaster recovery grants, loans and freight subsidies were only available to producers who earned most of their income from the farm, or would in future. It meant farmers who also earned income off-farm, including from agriculture services like contract harvesting, mustering and milking, were not eligible. The criteria had been criticised for excluding farmers with small-scale or diversified operations, regardless of how much damage they experienced. Farm groups have welcomed the change, which would apply retrospectively to include the devastating 2024/25 wet season. But some producers said the criteria still unfairly disadvantaged off-farm jobs. Harvesting contractor Luke Roveda bought land two years ago to start a farm near Ingham, north of Townsville. "That's always a big thing, spending money," he said. "My son hopefully can take it on. "The cane harvester [business] complements the farm as well." Relentless rain and flooding in February battered the region, damaging homes and tearing up cane farms. Mr Roveda lost roads, culverts and the crop, but he was not eligible for disaster recovery assistance. "I haven't really worked it out [the cost] because honestly we weren't eligible for anything," he said. Changes to the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) now mean Mr Roveda can apply. Queensland will consider income from agricultural support services such as harvesting and mustering as primary production income. Minister for Primary Industries, Tony Perrett, said it would also help those working off-farm who had a plan to grow their operation. "We know disaster events don't discriminate ... and that announcement will capture the three flood events that we've had this year," he said. It means Mr Roveda can get started on his repairs. "It's not easy buying a farm and off-farm income is needed for a young feller, for anyone really," he said. "Having this assistance we can fix stuff up and put it back to where it needs to be." Canegrowers chief executive Dan Galligan said the narrow definition was out of date. "Earlier this year, I stood in front of a group of around 120 farmers in Ingham talking about disaster recovery assistance, and probably half of those farmers were ineligible 10 minutes into the meeting," he said. "And that's because they had modern businesses, growing business, and they had off-farm income." The definition of a primary producer used by the DRFA comes from a classification developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Each state and territory government then sets its own rules within that classification. Queensland opted to exclude agriculture, forestry and fishing support services. Farm lobby group AgForce chief executive Michael Guerin said the policy adjustment was significant. "Policy settings traditionally have just assumed that primary producers are primary producers full-stop," he said. "But we know the industry is changing fundamentally, we know that young people need off-farm income to build deposits to buy land. "We know existing farming families need off-farm income to support their enterprise through droughts and floods." Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA), which administers the funding, said regulatory amendments were required to formalise the change, but once that was done, those who had been denied a grant in 2025 could reapply. The changes have disappointed Nick Holliday, who produces pasture-raised eggs, pork and beef in the South Burnett. In 2022, he successfully appealed a ruling that his operation was not eligible for disaster recovery assistance to repair roads, fences and landslips caused by flooding. "I was really excited to hear that there were changes to these provisions because they were in desperate need of review, but almost immediately I was disappointed," Mr Holliday said. "This is a real missed opportunity that gives different statuses to different jobs in rural communities." He said other government agencies used broader definitions that considered more than where off-farm income came from. "It's an oddity that a person could satisfy government that they're a primary producer for tax or vehicle registration purposes, but not to qualify for essential assistance in a natural disaster," he said. Premier David Crisafulli said the state government was open to further discussion. "Those changes do enable farmers to be able to show that that they have a plan in place," he said. "But if more needs to be done, we'll continue to take that case forward." Queensland Farmers' Federation chief executive Jo Sheppard said the industry had been advocating for the change for more than a decade. "We're seeing farmers across the state diversify to maintain their future viability and profitability whilst maintaining agriculture as their core enterprise function," she said. "It's really important that these farmers aren't disadvantaged and are supported during times of disaster. "We all need farmers to keep farming … it's really important not just for the sector but the regional communities and for consumers."
ABC News
16-05-2025
- ABC News
Church report revealed concerns about paedophile links at Queensland school
A report by Catholic church authorities raised concerns about the links between known paedophiles and their associates accused of historical child sex abuse at a rural Queensland boarding school. Warning: This story contains distressing content about The report, which was handed to Queensland police in 2022, detailed the connections between seven men who worked at St Teresa's College in Abergowrie, near Ingham, between 1989 and 2012. Three of them have since been convicted of child sex offences, including former school safety officer and boarding master David Justin Crisp, who was jailed this week after more than three decades on the run from police. Alastair McDougall, a former detective who issued the warrant for Crisp's arrest in 1993, said he had no inkling then that the case would lead to the exposure of a disturbing web of offenders at an "out of the way" school catering to vulnerable teenagers. "When you look at who was there at the time and what positions they held, and the allegations proven and unproven against them, those boys just didn't stand a chance," Mr McDougall said. Jacqui Francis, the current chief executive of Townsville Catholic Education which runs St Teresa's College, said its handling of allegations against Crisp between 1989 and 1993 was 'totally inadequate". "We acknowledge historical abuse and the pain and suffering that past students have been subjected to," she said. "No student or family should be subjected to this pain." The "Connections at St Teresa's College" report, seen by the ABC, shows the seven men shared personal and professional histories, helped each other get jobs, and some were accused of targeting the same victims. It reveals that five of the men have been accused of sexually abusing up to 14 boys at the school between 1989 and 1998, while the other two were accused or convicted of abusing children elsewhere. Some complaints emerged in recent years and were settled with church payouts of up to $70,000, according to church documents. But only one complaint from the school has resulted in a criminal conviction. Crisp, 57, was sentenced in the Townsville District Court on Wednesday to serve eight months in prison for indecent treatment of a boy in his care. Mr McDougall, who went on to work for some of Australia's top crime-fighting agencies, said it was his only "unresolved" case and he never expected Crisp to be caught. Crisp was 25 years old and facing charges of abusing three boys when he fled to the UK via Vanuatu and New Caledonia. He finally returned to Australia last year to care for his sick mother in Toowoomba, where police swooped in to arrest him after a tip from Crime Stoppers. "And I'm just really hopeful that that sense of closure is one that's also felt by the remaining complainant." Two alleged victims did not live to see Crisp face court and those charges were withdrawn. But their original statements were admitted as "tendency" evidence in the case and Crisp pleaded guilty, which spared surviving victim the distress of giving testimony in court. The victim was exposed to abuse after Crisp was allowed to return to the school despite allegations by the other two boys prompting him to resign in 1990. An internal investigation at the time found one boy had "mistaken a medical examination" by Crisp for sexual abuse, which a later church report found 'inherently' unlikely. The school priest Brooks Patterson told church officials he believed the other boy's account was truthful — but privately he told Crisp that "there are those of us who believe in you and will support you to the hilt". The decision by principal James Sampson Doran to rehire Crisp in 1992 was "extraordinary and indefensible", according to a 2016 internal report. When then Detective Senior Constable McDougall asked for files about earlier complaints against Crisp, he was told that "details of the previous incident would not assist" and a church investigation had resolved the matter. Mr McDougall said this was "completely incorrect". He said that given Crisp was welcomed back to the school by a "principal who was [later] a convicted paedophile… you have to say it was a cover up". The principal, Doran, died in 2018 while serving a 13-year sentence for child sex abuse. The 2022 church report highlighted close ties between Doran and Crisp, who was suspected of sexually abusing up to seven boys and harassing two others at St Teresa's. Three of them alleged they also were sexually abused by Doran. In one complaint referred to police in 2016, a former student alleged that Crisp "would masturbate over him and other students", while Doran allegedly abused him in so-called counselling sessions after plying him with alcohol "laced with drugs". The report says the two predators were "strongly suspected as having a sexual relationship whilst they both worked at [the school]". Crisp was a former student of Doran's at St John's College in Lismore, where Doran preyed on boys in the 1970s and 1980s. Crisp then worked at the school as a boarding supervisor alongside Doran, who gave him a glowing work reference. After Doran became principal of St Teresa's in 1989, he recruited both Crisp and his father as boarding masters. Church documents show Townsville Catholic Education officials knew Doran was accused of sexual misconduct in Lismore in 1983 but "noted [this] as having been dismissed". Doran was eventually jailed for his earlier offences — but he was never charged over his time at St Teresa's. A fourth former student accused Doran of sexual abuse in 2021. The church report a year later noted Doran had hired three other alleged paedophiles who had close associations with convicted child sex offenders who provided work references. The church referred one of these men to NSW police after an informant accused him of being a "notorious paedophile who fled from Sydney to North Queensland to avoid persecution". It said NSW police knew of no allegations against the man but urged the church to notify Queensland police given his "connection to Doran" through a Sydney boarding school in the 1970s. The report also named Raymond Frederick Ayles, an Anglican priest who was assigned to support non-Catholic students at St Teresa's in 1989. There were no complaints at the school about Ayles but he was later jailed for molesting boys in Adelaide in the 1970s. The church in August 2022 reported its findings on the "possible connection of multiple alleged/ potential offenders" to child protection police in Townsville, who "advised that they have generated an intelligence submission" to share with police interstate. Ms Francis said the Catholic church in Townsville was "committed to assisting investigations for victims to receive justice, healing and compensation". "We have welcomed and embedded legislative changes and prioritised student protection within our current system's policies and procedures," she said. "The safety of students is our number one priority and we have had a dedicated student protection team at Townsville Catholic Education since 2014." Mr McDougall said it was "pretty disappointing" the same information was not shared with police years earlier. He said it revealed a network of convicted and alleged offenders who had "assisted each other to find employment with each other, which has allowed them to cover up effectively any complaints that come forward". Mr McDougall said he thought it would "never have seen the light of day" without that first complaint to police by the teenager from St Teresa's.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Hospice celebrates awards for nursing team
Otago Community Hospice nurses Sally Hanrahan (left) and Selena Branson pictured at the Southern Nursing Excellence Awards. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The dedication and outstanding work of two Otago Community Hospice nurses was recognised at this week's Southern Nursing Excellence Awards. Sally Hanrahan, an enrolled nurse, who has worked in the Otago Community Hospice Inpatient Unit for 35 years, received a clinical excellence award. This award recognises nurses who provide exceptional nursing care and role model clinical excellence in their practice. Selena Branson, from the Hospice Residential Support Team, received a rising star award. This award recognises nurses who have already made significant contributions to the nursing profession early in their career and inspire and encourage others. Otago Community Hospice director of nursing and clinical services Louise Ingham said, in a statement, the organisation was ''so proud of their achievements". "They are a shining example of the dedication and skill our clinical team bring to everything they do." "Our team are not only skilled in managing symptoms and supporting decision-making, but also in the subtle, human art of accompanying people through some of the most profound moments of life," Ms Ingham said. Ms Hanrahan and Ms Branson are part of a dedicated team of health care professionals that deliver holistic, responsive, and evidence-based care to people and whānau across Otago. "At Otago Community Hospice, our commitment to providing expert, specialist palliative care is deeply rooted in the skills and experience of our team, and nowhere is this more evident than within our nursing and whānau support workforce," Ms Ingham said. The Southern Nursing Excellence Awards recognise nurses across the whole health sector. Ms Ingham said it was timely, during Hospice Awareness Week, to acknowledge and celebrate the special work of palliative care nurses.
News.com.au
21-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Coffs Harbour preview: Trainer Adam Duggan confident gelding can be big threat up in distance
Gosford trainer Adam Duggan says there is no better time for the 1967 Golden Slipper winner Sweet Embrace's modern-day descendant Divine Bene to make his 1400m debut than at Coffs Harbour on Tuesday. Duggan's four-year-old gelding has done some good things in his nine starts, all of which have been at distances ranging from 1000m up to 1262m. Divine Bene broke through for a well-earned first win when he had his first run for the year in an 1150m Maiden at Beaumont on March 24. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! He followed that up with an honourable third at Newcastle in a Class 1 three weeks ago behind the Kris Lees-trained/Coolmore-bred blue blood, Lutetia. 'He won well first-up in a pretty average race and I thought there was plenty of merit in his second run,'' Duggan said. 'He was just beaten by a couple of better horses on the day but I just thought that run, going along at a good gallop like he did, might just sort of help solid him up for the 1400m so to speak. 'I have been looking forward to getting him to 1400m and even maybe a mile.' Divine Bene is a horse with 'cerise' running through his veins given the sheer number of Woodlands males and females that share his family tree. None of them more famous than his sixth dam, Sweet Embrace, who won the 10th running of the Golden Slipper Stakes and to this day, still holds the record as the longest priced winner, SPing at 40/1. Sweet Embrace went on to become a broodmare of note, more so via her daughters, one of which (Sudden Impulse) was responsible for the trio of Ingham stakes winners, Strategic, Clang and Destruct. Divine Bene returns strong, winning first up for @adugganracing with @AshMorgan6 in the saddle! ðŸ'� — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 24, 2025 Despite his 'Golden pedigree', Divine Bene cost 'only' $60,000 when presented at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. 'He hasn't paid his way yet but if he got the job done on Tuesday, he'd be getting pretty close,'' Duggan said. Divine Bene will have company of the float by another Duggan-housed blue blood, Call Me Basil. The three-year-old gelding turned in an encouraging debut at Taree on April 5 when third in the 1270m maiden. 'After reviewing that meeting, you just couldn't make ground down any part of the middle of the track so his run was probably a bit better than it looked,'' Duggan said. 'He is still a fairly inexperienced horse and is probably going to get over a bit of ground in time being by Kingman out of that mare that he is out of. 'I don't think the wet track will worry him and I don't mind the barrier for him. 'He is no good thing by any stretch of the imagination but it would surprise me if he is not in the finish in that sort of grade of race. 'I am looking forward to when he is a four, five-year-old, I think he'll be a nice horse. 'I don't think he'll be racing up that way but sometimes it's not where you start, it's where you finish as they say so we'll see how it all plays out (today).' Both of Duggan's Coffs Harbour participants will be ridden by Ashley Morgan who boasts a phenomenally high winning strike rate with the Central Coast conditioner of 26.9 per cent. 'I was pretty happy when I was able to book Ash,'' Duggan said. 'We've had a good association for a while now. 'He's a very, very good rider and I'm probably lucky to have him on at these sort of meetings.' Queanbeyan preview: Kissing goodbye on high note Speed freak Kissing Supido will have his last start in NSW at Queanbeyan on Tuesday before he packs up and heads north to Darwin. The son of Widden Stud resident stallion, the one time flying machine Supido, is purpose built for Fannie Bay with his uncommon pace over the short course. It is no wonder then that the chestnut's record at the frontrunner favoured Queanbeyan track is three starts for a win and two placings in just nine outings for trainer Joe Cleary. 'He's a very fast horse.'' Cleary said. 'He's had a fantastic base for this race first-up. 'He heads to Darwin after Tuesday. He's heading up to (trainer) Gary Clarke for the carnival up there so it's his final run for me. 'And I am more than certain he'll go out with a bang. 'His work's been great, he had a jumpout, he looks awesome and he will be straight on the bunny, handlebars down.'' Cleary has been, and remains, one of industry titan Gerry Harvey's go-to trainers when it comes to ensuring as few of his fillies and mares race off to Baramul Stud without a win or two. Enter Juliette's Joy and Snitz And Straand, who will retire as winners when the time comes thanks to some deft placement on Cleary's behalf. Doncaster and Epsom placegetter Zastov's granddaughter Snitz And Straand won first time out for Cleary on the Riverside track at Wagga, while Juliette's Joy has barnstormed her way to three wins in only 10 starts since her change of address. Juliette's Joy looks ideally placed at 1460m second-up off a stunning return in a 1200m race at Queanbeyan when giving away an impossible start. 'She'll be winning,'' Clearly said. 'She just needed that run the other day. She probably should have run straight over the top of them. 'She has done really well in the 10 days between runs, she's done super, and she races well at the track. 'Up to the 1460m and Jess (Taylor) on, she looks like she is nearly all but over the line.' Snitz And Straand turned in a below-par performance at Queanbeyan on April 12 but is capable of bouncing back on Tuesday. 'She got caught four deep with no cover,'' Cleary said. 'In a shallow (on Tuesday), she'll run quite well and if she gets the money she'll head to Wagga for the Guineas.'
CBC
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Thunder Bay plans summer drone light shows
People in Thunder Bay will have a new show to look forward to at the Live on the Waterfront festival this year: drone light shows. The Thunder Bay Airport Authority announced Monday that it's partnering with the City of Thunder Bay to put on drone light shows during the summer send-off events at Marina Park on August 27 and 28. Over 400 drones with synchronized music and lights will come together to create moving images in the sky, said Karen Kadolph, the City's special events developer. "I'm really excited for this opportunity for the entire community. This is something that has never happened in Northwestern Ontario. So this is something that's really unique, really different," she said. While there are a lot of logistics involved in getting the show off the ground, Kadolph said she thinks it'll be worth the effort. While the City has previously done summer fireworks shows, Kadolph said there wasn't enough room in the budget for fireworks last year. When the airport came forward to offer financial support for the drone show, Kadolph said the City jumped on the opportunity. "The really big difference is there's a bit more of a storytelling component instead of fireworks. So with the drones, you get to curate the images, how they move through the sky, what comes next. There can be music to them, there can be narration. So it's a very different show," said Kadolph. The show is the airport's way of giving back to the community and being a "good corporate citizen," said Thunder Bay International Airport Authority President and CEO Graham Ingham. "We want to do unique things people are interested in. There's always fireworks, but fireworks are fireworks. And, you know, they're a bit of old and tired these days." said Ingham. Ingham said they chose drones specifically because they're aviation-related and because it's something that hasn't been done locally yet. "We thought, hey, what a great opportunity to do something a little different, little innovative for Thunder Bay," said Ingham. Ingham said the airport is working with a company called Drone Show Canada to plan the event. "They're 100% Canadian and they've got quite a bit of experience. They've done a number of shows in a number of different provinces and cities, large and small, and the feedback is really, really positive." The drone light shows will take place August 27 and 28 at Marina Park in Thunder Bay. There will be different shows both nights. It is free to attend.
