This is re-writing a story of interest:

 Choose a family member or friend.

1. Read an online feature article of interests.  Get your family member / friend to also read it.
2. One person will assume the role of the reporter, and the other person assumes the role of one of the main characters of the story.
3. write 5 open ended questions, and then interview the other person. Take notes and rewrite the article and post it on your wordpress site.

Mr Walsh played by Kelly-Ann Quinn

 Interviewer played by Colin Morrison

5 interview questions:

 1)      Why do you believe the Federal Government is imposing this mining tax?

2)      Do you think it’s fair that a new tax be imposed at such a high tax rate?

3)      Is there a better way that the Federal Government could impose a mining tax?

4)      How will Rio Tinto be affected by the tax?

5)      What impact will this tax have on potential mining projects?

Why do you believe the Federal Government is imposing this mining tax?

This is a tax grab by the Federal Government that wants to tax profits on Australia’s non-renewable resources / the Mining industry because they’ve seen an opportunity to tax a highly productive and profitable sector of the economy.  The Federal Government have very few areas left where they can introduce a new tax.

Do you think it’s fair that a new tax be imposed at such a high tax rate?

The tax rate of 40 per cent is totally ridiculous and will make the Australian mining sector one of the highest tax rates in the world.  The Federal Government expects to make about $12 billion in the four years after the tax is introduced – that is akin to highway robbery.

Is there a better way that the Federal Government could impose a mining tax?

 Perhaps if the Federal Government wanted Mining companies to have a bigger tax burden they could simply up the current royalty rates.  Whatever the increase, it must be, and be seen to be fair.

 How will Rio Tinto be affected by the tax?

Rio Tinto will probably be largely unaffected by the tax, although shareholders will not be pleased.  I imagine there will be a lot of anger at shareholder level, because it is those people who the government is directly short-changing.

What impact will this tax have on potential mining projects?

The only good thing about this tax is that it will not disincentivise mining projects in Australia as the tax is only on profit.  What it will do though is encourage mining projects to go ahead in other countries where the tax rate is lower and there is no profits tax.  If the shareholders have anything to do with it, they will ensure that this will be the case.

 See Mining Story under National News Category

 Original Story below:

Mining sector punished for success: Rio chief

Updated Sat May 15, 2010 1:58pm AEST

Sam Walsh says the government wants to use the mining sector as a prop for the rest of the economy.

Chief Executive of Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore division Sam Walsh has accused the Federal Government of punishing the mining sector, by using it to prop up the rest of the economy.

Rio Tinto has been an outspoken critic of the Government’s 40 per cent resources rent tax since it was announced two weeks ago.

Mr Walsh says it is frustrating that the Federal Government wants to punish the mining sector for its success.

“I think the Prime Minister is concerned about a two speed economy. He’s concerned the mining industry is getting ahead of where he believes that it ought to be.”

Mr Walsh has criticised the government’s handling of the issue.

“People are reviewing their projects as certainly we are. This is not really a satisfactory way to run a country.”

The mining sector is now in consultation with the Government and Mr Walsh believes the tax will be refined.

“I think the Prime Minister is a pragmatic person. I think he’s issued an ambit claim for want of a better word.”

The Federal Opposition wants to fight the tax at the next election, but Mr Walsh has told the WA Stateline program that Rio will not enter that battle.

“We would like to see common sense prevail. We’re not going to get into party politics, we don’t play those games.” he said.

The company’s annual general meeting will be held in Melbourne later this month.

Tutorial 5

 Story ideas:

Exercise 1:  Field trips: Talk to people on your campus and in your community about what they read or don’t read in the campus or local newspaper and what kinds of stories they would like to see in their newspaper.

Generally most people felt that they’d like to see more positive stories in the media.  They emphasised that they find a lot of stories too sensationalist and that the stories were too often framed in a negative way.  In short, people wanted to see less stories about conflict and more positive human interest stories.

Exercise 2: Analyse your local or campus newspaper. Try to determine its primary audience from the kinds of stories it runs.  Discuss whether the newspaper includes stores targeted for certain audiences, such as college students, minorities, women and other special groups.  Perhaps one student or a group could interview the editor about his or her vision of the community.

 Analysis of the South East Advertiser:

The South East Advertiser is a free community newspaper for residents who live, quite generally, on the south side of Brisbane.  Its target audience is community minded families and the older generation and its pages are dominated by human interest stories, special interest stories about what events are happening in the community and local sports stories.

Exercise 3:  Daily life brainstorming: Working in groups of three to five students, have a ‘daily life’ discussion, such as those by teams at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and see how many story ideas this exercise ideas you can generate.  You could also try this exercise with a group of friends.

 N/A

Exercise 4: Look in your local newspaper for ideas for profiles.  People used as sources might be interesting subjects for a separate story.

 N/A

Exercise 5: Read the classified advertising section of your newspaper and look for items that could generate stories of human interest, new businesses, trends or unusual news.

Looking through the classified advertising section of the South East Advertiser, there are a lot of classifieds from people seeking employment.  This could generate a story on the plight of the unemployed and the generally high unemployment rate at the moment.

There was also a high number of personal classified from people seeking to meet their soul mate.  This could generate a human interest story about a person on their quest to find love and whether they were having any luck.

Exercise 6: Write a story budget with three ideas for stories you would like to cover.  Identify some sources you would interview, and consider photo or graphic possibilities.  Use the story budget format in this chapter, or modify it as you or your instructor wishes.

Road Safety: The Queensland Government has implemented strict measures to combat a high rate of road fatalities and it is not solving the problem. Why?

 Sources: Minister for Main Roads and Transport and young car crash survivor

 Graphics: Charts, map of black spots, Photo of car crash scene

Suicide: The State Government now spends more on road safety campaigns aimed at young people than they do trying to help people that are prone to suicide.  Queensland kids 10-17 years are twice as likely to commit suicide as the rest of the country.

Sources: Minister for Communities, spokesperson from Beyond Blue

Graphics: Charts, Photo of cross under bridge where person committed suicide.

Fences:  Australians have a preoccupation for demarking their land from farmers to suburbia, with a vast array of fences. We are also home to the longest fence in the world.  Why is this something we do?

Sources: Farmer, Behavioural academic, suburban resident.

Graphics: Photos of the many types of fences

 Exercise 7: Take a walking tour of your campus or your community (individually, in small groups or as a class).  Write as many story ideas as you can based on your observations.

 Mt Gravatt Scout group:  A story about the good work the Scout group does for the Mt Gravatt community.

 Sources: Scout group leader, a member of the Scout group

 Graphics: Photo of Scout group hut with members of the troop

Holland Pak Mosque:  A story about the unique Mosque in the Holland Park / Mt Gravatt area that was built in 1908.  The present mosque was rebuilt in the 1970s with a gift of money from Kuwait.

 Sources: Person who looks after the mosque, the head of the Islamic Society of Holland Park.

 Graphics: Picture of the mosque, picture of the head of the mosque

Exercise 8: Localise a news story based on a national issue.  For example, localise a story about problems and legal issues of gays in the military.  How would you localise your story, and whom would you contact?

I would localise the story about the issues of gay people in the Australian military by using the angle of a soldier currently serving in the Army at Enoggera barracks.  I would also contact the Army to see if they have a diversity officer and what initiatives they have in play to combat homophobia; and what support mechanisms are in place to protect homosexuals in the military (if any).

Exercise 9: Enterprise: Write a news story from one of your story ideas.  If you are still having trouble, consider a story about an upcoming holiday.  You might get some other ideas if you check the office of institutional research at your college or university for any studies the office has done, check some sports clubs that don’t regularly get covered in your campus newspaper, or check clubs and support groups on your campus or in your community.  Who are some of the people behind the scenes who perform valuable services in your community?  You could do profiles such as a day in the life of a postal carrier, the city clerk, a sanitation worker or other people in service jobs.

 Refer to Suicide in Queensland Story under State News 

Exercise 10: Plan a project.  Using the idea of drinking on campus or any other idea of interest to you, brainstorm a project in class.  Use some of these planning topics: focus, audience, field trips, mapping, visuals, clips and ethics.

 N/A

Try this experiment to test your reading habits.  Bring to class a copy of a newspaper you haven’t read.  Read the newspaper as you would for pleasure. Place a check on the fist item you look at – at picture, graphic, headline or story.  Mark the stories you read, and place an X at the point in the story where you decide to stop reading.

Where did your eyes go first?

My eyes tended to concentrate on articles that had large colour pictures / illustrations / graphics first.  They then centred on articles with large font headlines.

The eyes also tended to spend more time on the facing page that was presented (i.e. the odd numbered pages) as that was the convenient thing to do.  The opposing pages (i.e. the even numbered pages) were only glanced at unless the articles had pictures or large text associated with them.

Why are visual elements so important?

The visual elements like pictures and large font acted like a beacon in attracting my attention.  The newspaper text was like a blanket of black and white and they are quite distinct from the colour pictures.

Now analyse which stories you read and how much of them you read? Where did you stop on most stories? Why?

While I perused most of the stories it wasn’t in any sort of structure and I skipped to the stories that I found most interesting which are the one’s with the colour pictures and the large font.  Of those I only read the first paragraph or two unless the articles really piqued my interest.

Because you are a journalism student, you may read more than the average reader. Guess how many seconds the average reader spends on a story before deciding to continue or switch to another story ?  30 seconds.

Exercise 2:

Keep a journal of your reading habits for three days.  Write a paragraph each day about the kinds stories you read and didn’t read, how many you read all the way through , and how many you read just through the headline or the first few paragraphs.

Clip some of the stories you liked and didn’t like and analyse your preferences.  Record the amount of time spent reading the newspaper for pleasure, not for an assignment.

Then interview three other people – students, neighbours or strangers – ask them what kinds of stories they do and don’t read.  Write a summary of your findings.

Days 1, 2, 3 Summarised:

I only read stories that interested me.  They were an eclectic mix of articles on rugby league, State and Federal politics and mostly local issues that affect me.  Most of the articles in the paper I did read the headline and then if it was something I was interested in I read further.  As soon as I read enough of the article to know the gist of the story I moved on.  As I’m a long time Cowboys supporter / sufferer I tended to read all of the article (despite the pain!).

In all, I thoroughly enjoy reading newspapers and spent about 30 minutes reading it.

Summary of interview with students, neighbours or strangers

The female student interviewed seemed to prefer reading about entertainment / celebrity news that interested her and tended to refrain from reading about political pieces as they offered little interest. 

My work colleague (neighbour) indicated that they read articles that tended to relate to their work which is in a State Government department.

An older gentleman (stranger) indicated that he had a lot of time on his hands so preferred to read the paper from front to back.

All three interviewees indicated that they tended to read the articles with graphics and pictures first, even if this meant turning the page and then going back to a previous page to finish what they perceived as less important articles.

Exercise 3:

On-line news ideas: Either in small groups or as a class, brainstorm topics and ideas that you would want to read in an electronic newspaper or magazine.  Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of reading your newspaper or magazine on a computer screen.

Advantages

• Easy to navigate to the different stories of interest as opposed to turning the physical pages of a newspaper;
• Great flexibility in the amount of different stories of interest to the reader;
• The use of hyperlinks to similarly related stories which adds to reader convenience;
• Did not have to buy the newspaper; and
• Greater use of colour and pictures usually incorporated into articles.

Disadvantages

• Have to pay for internet connection;
• Had to view articles on a computer screen as opposed to relaxing on the couch;
• The news content is usually not as localised as in hard copy print newspapers;
• Articles were quite short to grab the reader;
• Articles generally were not hard hitting journalism; and
• No hard copy tv guide.

Exercise 4:

Analyse the role of graphics – maps, facts boxes, illustrations, photos – in your local or campus newspaper.  Find stories that could benefit from more graphics.

Most stories could benefit from more graphics in the local newspaper (The South East Advertiser).  Obviously, local papers have to adhere to a small budget and as such can’t afford to incorporate a large amount of photos and graphics.

Photos and graphics help to accentuate the story.  They are also vitally important in drawing the reader’s attention.   However, too many graphics can often lead to a visual overload for the reader and as such can be counter-productive.

Exercise 5:

Role of technology. Working individually, interview one or more sources in your field of journalism about the role technology will play in the presentation of information in that area of the media.

Field of journalism:  Government / Politics

Departments still prefer ‘old’ media

While high profile politicians embrace internet social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, at a departmental level governments of all political persuasions still prefer to utilise traditional ‘old media’ to promote government activity.

Principal Media Officer, Michael O’Meara, in the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation says government departments still rely on the traditional ‘old media’ including print news, radio and television to disseminate information to the people.

“Departments prefer low cost, tried and tested methods”, he said.

However, departments are beginning to venture into the digital age with ‘new media’ with information often placed on departmental web pages so that people can extract the information themselves.

Source:

Source:

Michael O’Meara

Principal Media Officer – Media and Communications

Mines and Energy Group

Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation.

Contact: 3247 3588 – Email: Michael.omeara@deedi.qld.gov.au

 Online story matches:

Conflict – Diggers wounded in Afghan bomb blasts

Brief description – A story of conflict that details that three Australian soldiers have been wounded while on duty in Afghanistan.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/28/2858264.htm

Proximity – Why Anna Bligh is boxed in over daylight saving

Brief description – A story of proximity outlining the debate about daylight saving in Queensland.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/why-anna-bligh-is-boxed-in-over-daylight-saving/story-e6frerhf-1225872690201

Prominence – Aussies snap up 30,000 iPads on day one

Brief description – A story of proximity with Australians embracing iPads and buying

more than 30 000 on the launch of Apple’s latest product.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/aussies-snap-up-30000-ipads-on-day-one/story-e6freooo-1225872802569

Impact – Cigarette tax to increase 25pc from midnight

Brief description – a high impact story concerning the Federal Government’s 25 per cent increase on taxes on cigarettes.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/29/2885725.htm

Sport – England beat Australia to win World Twenty20 title

Brief description – a sporting tale about England beating Australia in the ICC limited-overs tournament (the World Twenty20 final)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/8684847.stm

Special interest – Australian bomb sniffer dog Sabi found after being lost during a battle in Afghanistan

Brief description – A special interest story about Sabi the black Australian Army Labrador who went missing for a year during a gun battle in Afghanistan and has now been found.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/australian-bomb-sniffer-dog-sabi-found-after-being-lost-during-horrifying-battle-in-afghanistan/story-e6frf7jo-1225796853805

Human interest – Exhausted Watson relaxes on first day back

Brief description – A human interest story about Jessica Watson the teenage sailor

who has just completed a seven-month around the world voyage.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/16/2900640.htm

Entertainment – Should the Logies be scrapped?

Brief description – An entertainment story suggesting that the Logies should be scrapped.

http://www.popsugar.com.au/Should-TV-Week-Logies-put-out-misery-8269189

Currency – A fat nation

Brief description – A story that has a lot of currency about Australia becoming a nation of fat people.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/editorials/a-fat-nation/story-e6frfhqo-1111116695028

The unusual – ‘Monster’ pulled from Canadian water

Brief description – This unusual story incorporates a report from a remote Canadian community that a dog pulled this monster from the water.

 http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/entertainment/7273799/monster-pulled-from-canadian-water/

Valention and his famous red dresses in the background

 The Gallery of Modern Art is fast dispelling Brisbane’s notorious reputation as a ‘cultural backwater’ with a major retrospective exhibition of the House of Valentino to be held exclusively from 7 August until 14 November 2010. 

While members of the fairer sex will understand the gravity and importance of such an exhibition, many men will scratch their heads in wonder of just who Valentino is? 

In the late 1950s, Valentino Garavani forged a place as one of Italy’s finest fashion designers and became known the world over as the undisputed ambassador of elegance with his classic designs adorning royalty and the rich and famous. 

Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood can hardly contain his excitement at attracting such a prestigious display. 

“We are honoured to be the exclusive Australian venue for this extraordinary exhibition that will engage followers of Valentino and fashion lovers from all over the country”, Mr Ellwood said. 

“Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future” incorporates a stunning array of Valentino Garavani’s haute couture designs from the late 1950s through to his final collections in January 2008. 

Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing and Mr Ellwood said the exhibition will be comprised of 100 ensembles, including some of Valentino’s most important haute couture creations. 

“Garments worn by Hollywood stars and high society figures such as Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and Julia Roberts will be displayed”, he said. 

“The exhibition explores Valentino’s techniques and recurring motifs such as ornamentation, the use of geometric and animal prints, frills, folds and pleats as well as the creative possibilities of volume, surface and line’, he said. 

Self proclaimed fashionista and Brisbane resident, Dwan Cherrington, said she was really excited about the chance to see dresses worn by so many noted celebrities. 

“It’s one thing to see them in glossy magazines, but quite another to see them in real life”, Ms Cherrington said. 

 “I’m sure every dress has its own story”, she enthused. 

Useful links: 

Gallery of Modern Art: http://qag.qld.gov.au/

In a process that BP says could take up to three days, many including the President, oil industry heavyweights, environmentalists and citizens the world over, are collectively holding their breath as the biggest oil spill in US history threatens to turn global disaster.

Since an explosion ravaged the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killing 11 workers on 20 April 2010, it is estimated 795 000 litres of oil a day have been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.

There are widespread reports that the oil is beginning to significantly affect wildlife, including birds and marine life as well as the environmentally sensitive marshes and fishery disasters have been declared in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland President Simon Baltais said the Gulf of Mexico spill has the potential to affect ecosystems over hundreds of kilometres of coastline for decades.

“Oil reaching the coastal wetlands will mean an effective clean-up will be almost impossible”, he said.

The wetlands at risk are recognised as significant nursery grounds; where they suffer, future recruitment to the fishery and ultimately catches will inevitably suffer”, he said.

Mr Baltais firmly believes that approvals for oil rigs should be associated with risk management action plans that identify how the company will deal with a major event like an oil spill as well as provide evidence that they have the capability and capacity to implement it.

“When an event occurs we seem to be ill prepared and under resourced to deal with it quickly”, he said.

Useful links:

ABC News Online: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/05/2919065.htm?section=world

A dejected Cowboys team after the game

In a must win game to resurrect their flailing season, the North Queensland Cowboys were twice denied crucial tries from match referees in their 24 to 20 defeat at the hands of the Manly Sea Eagles.

A visibly angry Jonathon Thurston collectively vented his team’s frustrations to the referees as they embarked on raid after raid towards the Manly try line in the dying minutes of the game.

But poor refereeing aside, it was the Cowboys who lost themselves the game after another lacklustre first half start that has become a trademark of their 2010 rugby league season.

Manly in contrast did turn up to play and their attacking flair found the Cowboys error prone right side lacking with Dean Whare with Michael Robertson taking advantage of some poor defence.

But for a try to Cowboys centre Ash Graham, Whare and Robertson were a lethal combination constantly exposing the Cowboys right side underbelly to give them a dominating 24 – 6 half time lead.

The crowd of 13 000 fans at Dairy Farmer’s Stadium cheered the Cowboys on in sweltering conditions who sparked a second half comeback helped by the early loss of Manly player Jamie Lyon to injury.

Three unanswered tries by Ash Graham, Will Tupou and Luke O’Donnell had the Cowboys players enthused and looking to snatch an extraordinary win, however, Manly managed to hold on.

Long time Cowboys supporter, Andrew Lowrie, who’s been a fan since their inception into the competition in 1995 said the atmosphere in the final stages of the game was electric.

“Unfortunately the Cowboys squandered a number of certain scoring opportunities through poor execution and panic”, he said.

The vocal crowd reached fever pitch when referees denied two tries although replays clearly showed no knock on and no forward pass in the respective plays.

Although disheartened by the loss Mr Lowrie still thinks the Cowboys have a strong team.

“I think the Cowboys on paper are one of the strongest sides in the competition”, he said.

However, Mr Lowrie believes the Cowboys inconsistency will make it very difficult for them to resurrect their season but notes Parramatta last year made the finals from a similar position.

“A couple of wins in a row and we could turn it all around”, Mr Lowrie said.

MANLY 24 (D Whare 3, M Robertson tries; J Lyon 4 goals).

NORTH QUEENSLAND 20 (A Graham 2, L O’Donnell, W Tupou tries; J Thurston 2 goals).

Referees: J Robinson, A Shortall.

Crowd: 13,538.

Useful sites:

Cowboys homepage: http://www.cowboys.com.au/

Manly Sea Eagles homepage: http://www.mwse.com.au/

National Rugby League homepage: http://www.nrl.com/

Before and after shot of spray tan

It’s official, fake tanning is the new craze with a significant trend amongst young people showing a strong preference towards faking it rather than doing it the old fashioned way, naturally.

There is an abundance of fake tanning products available commercially including tanning lotions, creams, mousses and tablets but the most popular and instantaneous is the use of spray tanning.

Spray tanning involves being sprayed with a fine mist of a product containing the chemical dihydroxyacetone or a vegetable dye that temporarily stains the epidermal layer of the skin a darker colour, giving a tanned appearance.

However, the duration of the tanned look only lasts as long as the outer layer of the skin takes to replace itself with the dead skin cells falling off in about a week.

Proprietor of Diamond Spray Tanning Sinead Quinn works part-time and spray tans between 10 to 20 clients a week although experiences a sharp increase in the lead-up to summer.

Ms Quinn firmly believes that the only good tan is a spray tan and is capitalising on the health benefits afforded by a fake tan.

“Spray tanning is an excellent option for those wanting to look tanned without the dangers of the sun”, she said.

Cancer Council Queensland spokesperson Rachael Adams unequivocally agrees with this sentiment.

“Obviously a fake tan is a much safer option that a real tan, because it does not involve exposing the skin to dangerous ultra violet radiation”, she said.

“Approximately 133 000 Queenslanders are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer and 2 5000 Queenslanders are diagnosed with Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer”, she said.

However, Ms Adams emphasises that that the Cancer Council Queensland encourages people to be comfortable in their own skin.

“Promoting fake tan as an option continues to normalise the perception that a tan is cool, fashionable and desirable”, she said.

Useful sites:

Cancer Council Queensland: http://www.cancerqld.org.au/

Diamond Spray Tanning: http://diamondspraytanning.com/

Fake tan disasters in Hollywood: http://www.entertainmentwise.com/photos/38598/1/worst-celebrity-fake-tan-disasters

While there are myriad distance study providers, Open Universities Australia is at the vanguard of distance tertiary education bringing together 18 leading universities and tertiary institutions

Open Universities offers a broad spectrum of courses including undergraduate degrees and postgraduate qualifications in the areas of arts and humanities, business, education, engineering, health, information technology, law and science.

Rapid advances in technology means students undertaking distance education are no longer at a disadvantage to those studying on campus at universities and they have the ability to study when they want, wherever they want.

Courses generally delivered as a blend of online learning where students participate in online web tutorials and discussion boards balanced with an array of hard copy study materials supplied by post.

Open Universities Student Advisor Tim Splatt believes that the main benefit of distance education is the flexibility it affords people that ordinarily couldn’t study on campus.

“In my experience, there’s a large mix of working business people and stay at home mums that study”, he said.

With traditional barriers to learning crumbling, distance education provides the materials and the forum to learn but ultimately the onus is on the students to put the effort in.

However, while distance education may suit some people, other students like Kristen McDonald prefer the more traditional delivery of knowledge, studying on campus with the opportunity to attend lectures and tutorials.

“I need a more structured approach so I prefer face to face lectures and tutorials”, she said.

“Distance learning means, to an extent, you teach yourself”, she said.

Useful links:

Open Universities Australia: https://www.open.edu.au/

The north face of Mt Beerwah

Closed for almost two years, the Mount Beerwah track and lookout in the Glass House Mountains National Park is expected to re-open in early August 2010 according to the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management.

Last open on 5 June 2008, the track has been closed due to a 30 ton rock fall and minor landslide out of concern for the safety of visitors .

Located on the Sunshine Coast hinterland about nine kilometres from the Glass House Mountains township and approximately 30 kilometres from Brisbane, Mt Beerwah is popular among bush walkers and climbers all year round.

It’s the highest of the series of steep sided 20 million year old volcanic plugs that comprise the Glass House Mountains and is rich in Aboriginal history.

A trip to Mt Beerwah will be an learning adventure for the whole family learning about the unique cultural significance of this area to its original inhabitance, the Gubbi Gubbi Aboriginal people.

Avid bushwalkers Todd and Kirinya Reynolds have been waiting patiently for the track to re-open and are excited about the prospect of finally conquering the 556 metre summit.

“We can’t wait to see what the view’s like”, Todd Reynolds said.

The Department of Environment and Resource Management advises the trek to Mt Beerwah’s summit is a category class 5 climb which means it’s steep and difficult and recommends bushwalkers and rock climbers have a high level of fitness.

However, while initially daunting, the track is only 2.6 kilometres return and takes around 3 – 4 hours to complete.

If you can brave a few steep rocky sections that require some scrambling like a mountain goat, the breathtaking views across the Sunshine Coast are your reward.  In fact, you’ll be on cloud nine!

How to get there:

Mt Beerwah and the Glasshouse Mountains are approximately 30 kilometres from Brisbane with access via the Bruce Highway.

Walk hints:

• This challenging climb is recommended for experienced climbers only.
• It is very steep and should not be attempted in wet conditions.
• Leave early in the day and allow plenty of time to return in daylight.
• Take plenty of drinking water and wear a hat and sunscreen.
• Wear sturdy shoes and be careful walking on loose scree.
• Never climb alone. Make sure you let a responsible person know your plans and who to contact should you fail to return on time.
• Be sure to observe and comply with all regulatory signs.

Useful links:

The Department of Environment and Resource Management: http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/water/index.html

Source: Wilderness Society

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Stephen Robertson MP, has dismissed suggestions from Indigenous leaders that the Queensland Government’s wild rivers legislation blocks economic opportunities in Aboriginal communities.

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson and the Cape York Land Council and Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership vehemently oppose the wild rivers legislation arguing that it restricts commercial development and undermines Aboriginal self determination. 

However, Minister Robertson staunchly defends the legislation that aims to protect the natural values of untouched, pristine river systems and preserve them for future generations. 

“The wild rivers legislation is in place to control possible environmental degradation brought about by inappropriate development in sensitive environmental areas”, he said. 

Minister Robertson said he acknowledged that Pearson’s opposing views on the legislation had caused great uncertainty in Indigenous communities. 

“What we’ve seen is a campaign based on incorrect information which has led to a noticeable degree of confusion and concern in Aboriginal communities, particularly amongst traditional owners”, he said. 

“Claims such that wild rivers will impact on native title rights are simply not true”. 

And while this issue may be causing commotion at a political level, lifelong Hope Vale resident, Denise Hart, was rather more lackadaisical, saying she did not know what all the fuss was about. 

“I don’t really know much about wild rivers but I can see it being a good thing to protect them”, she said. 

Hope Vale has been the centre of some major falsehoods including where a grazier was told he wouldn’t be able to water his cattle on a riverbank and that housing approvals were being delayed as a result of the legislation. 

While both allegations are completely untrue, the fact they were made is something that doesn’t resonate well with Minister Robertson. 

“Ask Noel Pearson if he can point out one economic proposal that has not been able to proceed as a result of a wild rivers declaration and he can’t point to any”, he said. 

Noel Pearson did not return calls yesterday.

Useful links:

The Department of Environment and Resources Management: http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/

The Queensland Wilderness Society: http://www.wilderness.org.au/regions/queensland

The Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership: http://www.cyi.org.au/

“The Government has seen an opportunity to tax a highly productive and profitable sector of the economy”, he said.

The Federal Government expects that the super tax will reap $12 billion in the first four years after introduction that will be used to fund an increase in compulsory superannuation, cuts in company tax and an infrastructure fund.

However, Mr Walsh says this tax will have a detrimental effect on the millions of Australians who rely on mining shares for a comfortable retirement.

“The Government cannot increase taxes by such a large amount without impacting on share prices”, he said.

“Since the announcement of the tax, billions of dollars have been wiped of the value of mining shares”.

While no new Rio Tinto mining projects are at risk, Mr Walsh predicts many mining companies won’t be in such a strong position and shareholders have a right to be furious.

“There’s a lot of anger at the shareholder level because it’s those people who the government is directly short-changing”, he said.

There may be a flow-on effect as shareholders abandoning the domestic mining industry and move to invest in companies with large interests in off-shore projects.

“This tax is nonsensical, shareholders will vote with their feet and back companies that won’t be slugged with a 40% profits tax”, he said.

Mr Walsh maintains that if the Government wanted the mining industry to share a bigger tax burden they could simply increase current royalty rates.

“Whatever the increase, in must be, and be seen to be fair”, he said.

Useful links:

Commonwealth Government of Australia:  http://www.futuretax.gov.au/pages/default.aspx

Minerals Council of Australia: http://www.keepminingstrong.com.au/