THREE weeks, six good friends and a popular tourist spot. It was Leanne Creese's first ever trip overseas. And it came horribly close to being her last.

The Mooloolaba mum cheated death on Sunday night, just after 11.30pm when the Bali bomb blast tore through the now infamous nightspot, the Sari Club.
Ten or 15 more steps and we would have been in the club,'' Ms Creese, 31, said.
Still, the damage from a distance was harmful enough.
Ms Creese will today undergo x-rays on the Coast for suspected breaks to her feet.
The possible breaks come on top of deep cuts to her legs and fierce scratches on her arms.
The relatively mild injuries belie the trauma of her ordeal.
The impact (of the explosion) threw us through the air,'' she said.
I got hit by a car and when I looked up, there was just a cloud of dust and then a billboard came down on my head.''
Ms Creese, with her friends, took the first available flight home, arriving back at her Mooloolaba home late yesterday.
She can only describe what she saw as a war zone: It looked like September 11 all over again''.
The car bomb blast caused terrible carnage with the death toll likely to reach several hundred. More than 220 Australians remain unaccounted for.
Amid the chaos and carnage, Ms Creese recalls thick dust clouds, confusion and images of people with severe burns.
We were turned away from three hospitals but we ended up getting treated at an Army base.''

WRITTEN evidence from Maroochy Shire mayor Alison Grosse was tabled at the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry in Melbourne yesterday suggesting she had the reading ability of an eight-year-old''.

Mrs Grosse was called to appear before the Royal Commission to answer questions about a number of concerns involving the Sunshine Coast Regional Apprentices Limited company (SCRGAL) that occurred during her time as chairman.
She admitted she could not recall when she became chairman, suspecting it was 1985 or 1986.
The statement also said I have been described as a consultant to SCRGAL through my company, Excellent Communications, and I am told I was also a direct employee of SCRGAL from 1996 until 2000.''
In her tendered statement, however, she acknowledged being a signatory to SCRGAL's memorandum and articles of association in 1984.
Despite that, Mrs Grosse admitted she had not read the documents and was unaware of their contents.
She said that was why she accepted payment of more than $190,000 and bought houses from the company and sold them for profit.
At any stage that I received money I was not aware that the articles of association prohibited me from obtaining any financial arrangement from the company,'' the statement said.
I know that whilst chairperson of the company, I should be more aware, but I have the reading age of an eight-year-old and I suffer from dyslexia. For this purpose, I rely on other people to interpret and provide advice to me

FEARS big developers could steamroll Maroochy Shire's efforts to retain valuable agricultural land have prompted a local politician to introduce legislation lending the council support.

Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington yesterday said he would introduce a specific purpose legislation when parliament sat next week, to ensure the three parcels of land Bundaberg Sugar had put up for sale in Maroochy Shire would retain their rural zoning for at least 10 years.
A staunch supporter of cane farmers, Mr Wellington said he feared a string of applications by interested developers could become too costly for council to fight and eventually override the Town Plan, resulting in rezoning the land for residential lots.
We haven't had many runs of many wins on the local front,'' he said.
The Product Member's Bill would show Maroochy Shire they were not alone in their efforts to fight for the rich rural land, he said.
It's about giving the Council that extra piece of support,'' he said.
Maroochy's acting mayor Trevor Thompson said Bundaberg Sugar's shock plans to sell the prime cane land had caused alarm for a huge number of people throughout the entire Sunshine Coast.
There's a lot of worried people out there and we need to get some surety,'' he said.
He spoke to the Premier's department yesterday afternoon to officially confirm the State Government would stand behind them.
They even made us raise our minimum levels of agricultural land, we're just going to hold them to their word now,'' Mr Thompson said.


MARCOOLA will be home to the Sunshine Coast's second legal brothel following the granting of a licence for premises in Cessna Street at the Airport Industrial Estate.

There was little sign of controversy over the decision yesterday unlike the church protest which followed the approval of the Coast's first legal brothel, Moulin Rouge House of Erotic Pleasures at Kunda Park.
A spokesperson for the Prostitution Licensing Authority said they could not reveal the identity of the licensee or the scale of the proposal until the business was ready to open and the licence was issued.
He said the Marcoola applicant planned to open for business in January.
Maroochy Shire councillor Errol Middlebrook said Marcoola residents had been aware of the proposal for some time.
I suppose people don't like to see these sort of things, but it is located out of the way,'' he said.
Mr Middlebrook said he had notified a number of local people and community groups after the matter was first raised in council some time ago.
I don't think they are too worried about it.''
Marcoola Progress Association president Debbie Johnson said that while she could not speak on behalf of all members, personally I don't have a problem with it''.
She said members were aware of the proposal and it had not been an issue at meetings, and when Mr Middlebrook had made locals aware of the proposal it didn't cause any ripples''.
Mudjimba Progress Association acting secretary Marlene Kear said they had accepted that there was nothing they could do about the brothel but it was definitely not'' something they wanted in the area.


MOTORISTS on Sunshine Coast roads are among the worst drink drivers in the country, with alcohol contributing to more than a third of the region's road deaths.

A national survey by insurer AAMI has revealed an alarming number of Coast drivers admit to having driven while they were probably over the legal blood alcohol limit.
Thirty-nine percent of Sunshine Coast drivers confessed to the risky practice, compared with 36% of Gold Coast drivers and 34% of Central Queensland motorists.
Brisbane had the poorest record with 44%, and North Queensland recorded 42%, according to the AAMI Crash Index 2002.
Most interstate capitals had lower precentages, with Melbourne at 30% and Sydney 31%.
Senior constable Steve Knight, with the Traffic Accident Investigation Squad, said alcohol had contributed to seven of the 19 road deaths in the Coast district since January.
Drink-driving is one of the biggest contributors to road accidents in the district,'' Snr Const Knight said. Speeding, driver fatigue and driving without seatbelts were also factors.
Snr Const Knight said the relaxed attitudes of some motorists probably influenced the trend.
We get large numbers (of accidents) around the September school holidays and I would imagine that being a holiday destination, people can be in holiday mode,'' he said.
Snr Const Knight said driver inexperience and defective vehicles, such as cars with bald tyres, also fuelled road tragedies.
The AAMI survey of 1100 motorists found road rage was also a problem on the Coast, with one in five drivers admitting to using rude gestures.

BUNDABERG Sugar has placed more than 650 hectares of Sunshine Coast cane land up for sale claiming subdivision potential totalling more than 4000 housing lots.
The land, in four key locations, throughout Maroochy Shire and Caloundra City has been advertised as residential subdivision sites, despite all being zoned as rural.
The parcels of land range in size from 313 hectares at Sippy Downs and 242 hectares at Peregian Beach to 86 hectares at Nambour and 16 hectares at Coolum and have been estimated to be worth up to $65 million.
The move has infuriated local cane growers and Maroochy Shire Council.
Maroochy acting mayor Trevor Thompson said it was a big concern'' and the Nambour site was of particular significance to any future operation of Moreton Mill.
That's where the settling ponds are for the sugar mill if that's sold it's the death nell for the mill because where do they dispose the effluent?''
Canegrowers Sunshine Coast chairman Kevin Bailey echoed the concern and said it would put growers in a very difficult position if a bid to purchase the mill for the production of ethanol was successful.
He said they would have to investigate other options for disposing of the effluent but he was also concerned about the potential loss of cane land, which was desperately needed if the industry was to have a future on the Sunshine Coast.
Coast property valuer Rem Rafter, managing director of Rafter and O'Hagan said the two big interests were the sites at Peregian and Sippy Downs.


SUNSHINE Coast residents swapped sunscreen for rubber boots, raincoats and umbrellas yesterday for a downpour which delivered much needed rain for the hinterland.

While the Coast has not yet resorted to water restrictions, farmers have been feeling the pinch with low water storage levels putting added pressure on crops reliant on irrigation.
Department of Primary Industries senior extension horticulturist Simon Newett said the showers were welcome but had been patchy, and not very widespread, varying from as little as six millimetres north of Buderim to as much as 40mm at Beerwah on Thursday. Until 9am yesterday, Nambour recorded nine millimetres, Palmwoods, 18 millimetres, Landsborough 19, Maroochydore seven, while Tewantin, Kenilworth and Beerburrum all recorded four millimetres.
Mr Newett said heavy rainfalls about two months ago had been enough for fruit trees to flower and this week's rainfall could not have come at a better time.
Noosa Council's water supply manager John Chandler said the main water source, Lake Macdonald, was still at 80% capacity.
However, Borumba Dam on the Mary River was down to a meagre 21%.
Maroochy and Caloundra have also refrained from implementing water restrictions with Baroon Pocket Dam still at 65% to 70% capacity.
Police reported a relatively incident-free day on the roads despite the wet conditions.
At 9am, there were two close calls on the Bruce Highway within minutes.

SANTA can expect one thing to top the wish lists of most Maroochydore motorists this Christmas: a smooth drive along Plaza Parade.

The next stage of the Plaza Parade upgrade starts on Tuesday oct 15, and brings with it traffic changes until March next year.
The $1.5million construction between Horton Parade and Mungar Street will be carried out between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
It is expected to be finished by March, with a two-week break over Christmas.
Maroochy deputy mayor Trevor Thompson asked motorists to be patient during the changes.
Car parking and access to Plaza Parade, the Golf Club and other surrounding businesses will be maintained at all times,'' Cr Thompson said.
A Maroochy Shire Council spokesperson said Sunshine Plaza developers Lend Lease had contributed to the road overhaul as a whole.
A specific contribution for this stage could not be ascertained, she said.
During the roadworks, westbound traffic from Horton Parade will be detoured through a one-way system on Golf and Mungar Streets.
Eastbound traffic will go on the southern lanes of Plaza Parade, which will also become one-way.
There will be no right turn permitted from Mungar Street.
Pedestrian access will also be changed during construction, which is part of a five to 10 year strategy to upgrade Plaza Parade and Evans Street to four lanes between Horton Parade and Maroochydore Road.


JUVENILE offenders will come face-to-face with their victims to decide on punishment under a new program launched on the Coast yesterday.

Community conferencing will direct young offenders from the judicial system in a bid to boost their rehabilitation and provide closure for victims.
Maroochydore Judge John Robertson, the Coast's only Children's Court judge, said the program had huge potential.
This is a tremendous step forward,'' Judge Robertson said.
Kids would much rather face me or a magistrate than face up to their victim.''
Traditional approaches often left victims feeling marginalised, angry and ripped off'' because they were not part of the justice process, he said.
If this gives resolution (to victims), it's good for them.''
In the program, the police or court can recommend a case to community conference.
Young offenders then come face-to-face with their victims in special forums. Together, the group decides on an appropriate course of action.
Chief Superintendent Ron Pickering said the community conferencing made possible a win-win'' solution.
We are pretty excited by it,'' he said.
The North Coast region's program will become the second-largest in the state.
Department of Families deputy director-general Steve Armitage said it encouraged young people to take responsibility for their offences.
Agreements were reached in 99% of conferences in 2001-2002,'' Mr Armitage said.
The earlier we intervene we're more likely to stop that behaviour.''

ONLY one chance remains for golfers to qualify for the Coast's richest amateur golf tournament, the Sunshine Coast Daily Shootout final at Pelican Waters Golf Club.

The ninth monthly qualifying tournament was staged in strong winds on Thursday and now only the November event remains for those players who want to contest the December final which carries the prize of a trip to Dubai in March next year.
Once again the Greg Norman-designed layout showed its teeth from the back tees when no-one in the field managed to better par on Thursday.
The best handicap scores were returned by Alan Davies, from the Wantima club in Brisbane, who posted a nett 76 off his six handicap to win A-grade and G Craig from Royal Hobart who took the A-grade runner- up trophy after losing a countback.
C Hold won the B-grade competition with a nett 78, just one shot ahead of Pelican Waters member Jim Heit.
The C-grade was claimed by Brent Wakeham, from the Pymble club in Sydney, who recorded a nett 77 off his handicap of 19, four clear of Anthony Larchin, a 20 handicapper from Headland.
Headland's Brett Thompson won the sponsors competition on 79.
The three division winners earned direct entry into the Shootout grand final where the winner will earn a trip to the Dubai Desert Classic, one of the richest events on the European PGA Tour.
The prize includes a round in the pro-am before the tournament.
Timeslots for the last monthly Shootout, on Thursday, November 14, are now available by contacting Pelican Waters on 5437 5002.

A WORLD championships bronze medal has earned basketballer Jae Kingi the September senior award in the Suncorp Sunshine Coast Sports Star of the Year awards.

The 26-year-old former Kiwi earned a spot in the Australian Opals squad to play at the world titles in China the first time she had played in a Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) tournament.
The Opals qualified for the semi-finals where they were beaten by eventual gold medalists, the United States.
They claimed third place by winning the bronze medal playoff against Korea.
Kingi, a former Maroochydore Clippers player, plans to return to the US WNBA next season after playing with the Detroit Shock in 2001.
There are two junior award winners for September Caboolture boxer Todd Kidd and Maroochydore swimmer Melanie Schlanger.
Seventeen-year-old Kidd, who trains with the Shamrock club, gained his nomination after representing Australia at the world junior championships in Cuba.
He is the reigning cadet (15-16 years) 63.5kg champion and has set his goal at making the Australian boxing squad for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Sixteen-year-old Schlanger brought home two gold medals from the national schools championships in Darwin.
She took out the 50m and 100m freestyle double, as well as two silver medals and one bronze medal in relays.

AUSTRALIA'S No.1 ranked golfer Robert Allenby will try to become the first golfer ever to win three consecutive Australian PGA Championships after confirming yesterday he would play at the Hyatt Coolum from November 28 to December 1.

Securing Allenby, the winner of the past two championships at Royal Queensland, had been the PGA promoters' major goal since signing up former US PGA and British Open champion John Daly and Queensland favourite Greg Norman earlier this year.
His inclusion yesterday, along with reigning Australian Open champion Stuart Appleby, assures that almost all of the country's leading professionals will play in the first of five PGAs to be held on the Sunshine Coast.
No player since Dan Soutar, from 1905 to 1907, has won three straight PGA titles.
Allenby, ranked 21st in the world, will be trying to succeed where the likes of two in a row winners Greg Norman, Kel Nagle and Norman Von Nida have failed previously.
Meanwhile Appleby will be returning to the venue of his Schweppes Coolum Classic victory four years ago, while Allenby also has a connection to the Hyatt Coolum layout.
He was the resort's touring professional in the late 1990s.
The cut-off for player entries is not until November 7.
Among the other stars who have indicated they will play at Coolum are Craig Parry, Peter Lonard, Adam Scott, Rod Pampling, Geoff Ogilvy, Stephen Leaney, Greg Chalmers and Paul Gow.
I'm just so pleased for the people who are supporting us so strongly in Queensland, especially Queensland events Corporation, Hyatt Regency Coolum and the Maroochy Shire Council,'' promoter Tony Roosenburg, of SFX Sports Golf Australia, said.

ORGANISERS behind one of the Sunshine Coast's most anticipated annual events met with police and emergency services yesterday to finalise preparations for tonight's Buderim Street Party.
Up to 15,000 people are expected to flood Burnett Street from 5pm to 10pm for a celebration of music, food, family, entertainment, street theatre, and good old-fashioned fun.
Organiser Lynne Ryan said police, fire and ambulance officers, together with State Emergency Service volunteers, security guards, Street Angels and other organisations met yesterday to discuss logistics for the five-hour event.
We had 11,000 people last year and we expect anywhere up to 15,000 people to come tonight. It will be a big task and it takes a lot of organising,'' Ms Ryan said.
People think this kind of thing just happens, but it takes a lot of work by people who are all volunteers _ but it's pretty rewarding at the end.''
Burnett Street will be closed to traffic from 4pm until 11pm, and parking in Buderim Marketplace and Burnett Street will be progressively closed from 2pm.
Disabled parking will be available at the Hub parking area on Ballinger Road, while $2 off-street parking will be available at the Buderim Mountain State School oval.
Several buses will depart for the Street Party from 5.30pm, with bus stops at Wirreanda Park shops via King Street, Headland Park via Cumberland Way, Chancellor Park Marketplace via University Way, and Mons Road via William Street.


THE owner of a trendy Mooloolaba cafe wants his staff to undergo a lie detector test following the theft of $6000 from the store earlier this week.
Frustrated Oliver's owner Peter Reisman said he was considering subjecting staff to the test in a desperate bid to flush out the rat within his ranks.
"This is not the first time this has happened here,'' Mr Reisman said.
The move has outraged workers, who have been asked to sign a document consenting to the test.
Some employees are preparing for a showdown at a meeting today where they will be asked to sign the form.
Oliver's chef Crystal, who has worked at the cafe for six months, said her legal advice suggested that staff were under no obligation to submit to the tests.
"We shouldn't be threatened with our jobs because of this,'' she said.
"Why should we be made to feel guilty?''
Crystal said the cafe's 20 employees had been told to sit the test _ even kitchen workers such as herself who did not have a key.
Since the theft, the premises' locks have been changed.
Peregian lawyer Noel Woodall said staff could not be forced into such an ultimatum.
"I'd be advising them to stand their ground,'' he said.
"If their employment is terminated for those reasons it could be a case of unfair dismissal.''
But Mr Reisman said no firm plans had been made to make staff take the tests.
"It's just an idea that we may carry out ... because it personally upsets me that I'm working with someone who's stealing from me,'' he said.


Sex site refunds teen's $100 internet bill
INTERNET pornography sites are about to get a lot less profitable if an outraged Beerburrum mother has any say in the matter.
Furious at the $100 charge to her phone bill that followed her 14-year-old son's 18 minutes of on-line curiousity, the mother took on the NSW-based company and won a full refund.
"He's a typical boy of 14. Sex is starting to be of interest,'' she said.
The teen's short spell online, run by a NSW company, which dialed an overseas site. His 18 minutes online manifested itself as an extra $100.35 cents on his parents' phone bill after the NSW website connected to an overseas.
But rather than be upset, the woman said her son had learnt his lesson and was "enormously embarrassed''. In fact, she's sure plenty of other teenagers have done the same thing.
What did raise her ire was the ease with which children can access pornography online (they can simply click on an box to say they are over 18) _ and the way phone companies and the sex sites put the onus back onto parents to be vigilant or to put a filter on their computer.
"I'm sure this happens a lot, especially to parents of teens and because people are embarrassed, these businesses get away with it.
"But someone like me says `No. That's not on. Why is it so easy for a 14 year old to have access to this in the first place'?
"With every other business in Australia _ casinos, bottleshops, even newsagents for things like adult magazines, the onus is on the business to do the right thing and prevent minors from accessing them.
"These people tell you it's up to you to get an `net nanny' (internet filter). Surely they should be subject to tougher regulations.''
After receiving the bill she rang Telstra who gave her the phone number of the NSW com pany involved.
The company involved agreed to a refund when the woman supplied copies of the phone bill and her son's birth certificate. Now she want others to know their rights and hopes a wave of complaints will lead to tougher regulations.
"If I can get a refund, it means everyone else can too. The only thing these people understand is something that impacts on their hip pocket.''
"People power is the only way to make a change in this world.''
Department of Fair Trading regional manager Dorothy Woods said such was their concern with internet practices that they had released a brochure for parents on how to prevent children accessing pornography on the internet.


Police seeking information after house robbed and set alight

MONTHS of work were destroyed early yesterday when a newly-renovated Noosa Valley home was robbed and set alight.
Detective Sergeant Paul Reilly said a man walking his dog alerted firefighters to the smouldering ruins at the Panorama Drive property about 5am yesterday.
Det Sgt Reilly said no one was home when the offenders struck, forcing entry to the main house before allegedly setting the nearby garage and the car inside alight.
The garage and car were completely destroyed but the home sustained little damage.
Noosa QFRS spokesperson Brad Kernot said the fire had obviously been burning for some time and was smouldering when firefighters arrived. The crew remained at the scene for about an hour.
Det Sgt Reilly said it was uncertain what, if anything, had been stolen but the owner's relatives, who had been living there, were coming back to help police. The woman and her son had been away for a few days working.
It is believed the owner purchased the Noosa Valley property about 12months ago and had extensively renovated the home and gardens in the past few months ready for sale. It was listed on the market at the time of the fire.
Det Sgt Reilly said a doorknock of the area yesterday provided no clues and there had been no robberies or suspicious activity reported. in the area recently.
Scenes of crime officers were at the scene yesterday morning, and Brisbane scientific officers were also expected to comb the scene for clues.
"The owner is quite devastated, he's done all this work on the gardens, garage, deck, painting and rendering, ready for sale, and now he's got to do it all again,'' Det Sgt Reilly said. The property was insured.
Anyone with information who has seen cars, or people acting suspiciously in the area should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000 or Noosa Criminal Investigation Branch on 54745806.


ALLEGED rapist Bradley Murdoch refused to answer questions about the murder of British tourist Peter Falconio yesterday as police prepared to charge him with the crime.
Armed with his DNA profile, Northern Territory detectives said they already had enough evidence to seek a warrant for a murder charge.
But the work of building a circumstantial case against the 44-year-old truck driver and me chanic could delay the charge for up to three weeks.
"We shall not be solely relying on DNA evidence on this matter,'' NT Police Assistant Commissioner John Daulby said. "We will allege that there is a substantial circumstantial case that supports the DNA evidence.''
Three detectives interviewed Murdoch for an hour in Yatala prison in the presence of his lawyer, Grant Algie. Murdoch, from Broome, refused to answer any questions.
He is awaiting facing trial in the South Australian Supreme Court on charges that he abducted and raped a mother and her 12-year-old daughter in the Riverlands region in August.
Mr Falconio was shot 300km north of Alice Springs by a gunman who attempted to abduct his girlfriend Joanne Lees in July last year.
Police had to bring forward an announcement on a DNA link after news leaked out to the media in Britain, apparently from the families of Mr Falconio or Ms Lees.
Ms Lees' stepfather Vincent James said plans to lay a murder charge should silence her doubters.
"Joanne has told the truth the whole time and people doubted her but now she's completely vindicated,'' Mr James said. "She's never wanted to be vindicated. But she's pleased that they've caught this chap.''
Mr Falconio's brother, Nick, said the family would fly to Australia once Murdoch had been charged.
Even if Murdoch is charged with the Falconio murder, no decision has yet been made about extraditing him to the NT to face trial or whether he will stand trial on the SA charges first.
NT Attorney-General Peter Toyne told parliament the NT and SA directors of public pros ecutions were already discussing the case.
Detectives from the Alice Springs-based Falconio task force have been in Adelaide since Monday.
They included a crime scene examiner who was analysing what Mr Daulby described as "a number of significant items'' seized from Murdoch by SA police.


THE consultants undertaking a review of the Maroochy Town Plan have foreshadowed recommending it be "restructured to make it more workable''.
Developers and residents alike have been highly critical of the complexity of the plan, and also in delays in having their applications processed.
The dissatisfaction culminated in Danny Hill, the man behind much of Chancellor Park's development, publicly labelling those involved "incompetent''.
The review is being conducted by Brisbane-based Buckley Vann Town Planning Consultants and KPMG Consulting with the final report due by October 31.
After wide-ranging meetings with interested parties, the consultants produced a discussion paper which has been the basis for further meetings with those parties this week.
The paper identified many areas where council could improve, including "developing a greater customer service culture within its IDAS planning section, changing the role of staff from being adversarial''.
Chris Buckley from Buckley Vann, said although the plan had taken a huge leap from the previous one which had been around 15 years old, most people had endorsed the direction it was trying to take.
"Much of the concern, confusion and frustration has been with the plan's implementation rather than its intent,'' he said.
"There's no question it's better for ecological sustainability, but we've certainly identified some operational problems.
"I'm confident if council adopts our final recommendations the implementation will be much improved.''

FRANK Miles' dream of establishing a worldwide chain of Salad Bowl food franchise outlets is over almost before it started.
In June this year, Mr Miles opened the Salad Bowl store on Aerodrome Road at Maroochydore which provided sit-down, takeaway and drive-through options for customers.
But just four months later the business has been forced to close.
Kilpatrick Commercial is one of three real estate agencies which have the business listed for sale.
Greg Kilpatrick said yesterday the asking price was $745,000 which included the freehold land.
"It's in an outstanding location and that price includes the fitout and some of the equipment is negotiable,'' he said.
Mr Miles has been unavailable for comment about the demise of the business.
But when it opened he said he hoped to franchise the "Salad Bowl'' concept globally, at the same time acknowledging it would be "a steep learning curve'' for himself, his two managers and 30 staff to "get the Coast store right first''.
He said he hoped the store would "play its role in changing eating habits on the Sunshine Coast''.
Figures show around two- thirds of Australian men, half of women and one-in-five children are overweight or obese, even worse than the US.
That may be the case, but clearly people on the Sunshine Coast would rather tuck into a burger, pizza or piece of fried chicken and some fries than drive through for a serve of healthy salad.


POLICE Minister Tony McGrady has guaranteed the presence of enough police on the Coast to enforce the tough new anti- hoon laws, which take effect next month.
Speaking at yesterday's launch of the new $500,000 water police boat, Mr McGrady dismissed fears the Coast lacked the resources to implement the new laws, which let police confiscatecars involved hoon activity.
Asked whether he could guarantee adequate resourcing, Mr McGrady said: "Yes, we can ... I'm not going to waste 12 months bringing that legislation to parliament unless it's going to be effective''.
The minister joined senior police figures at the Mooloolaba Yacht Club yesterday for the official launch of the George Doyle _ the new water police boat.
The vessel _ a 12 metre catamaran with a top speed of 35 knots _ is one of three to be dispatched around the state.
It was named after fallen constable George Doyle, who in 1902 died in the line of duty during a swoop on bushrangers and cattle duffers.
Const Doyle's great nephew Thomas O'Neill attended the launch, where calls continued to have the water police base moved closer to the water.
The officers are now based on dry land at Kawana _ about a 20 minute drive from Mooloolaba.
Member for Kawana Chris Cummins and the police themselves have raised the issue with the minister, who has vowed to discuss its costs and benefits with the commissioner. Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson, who has long been pushing for the relocation, suggested the police share the Main Roads pilot station on the Spit at Mooloolaba.


CONTROVERSIAL Sunshine Coast Group Apprentices Limited chairman Alison Grosse stepped down from the chair at yesterday's board meeting, stating she now wished to serve only as a director.
Journalist Toni McRae, a director only since June, was the only nomination for the top job and was elected unanimously.
Ms Grosse, the Maroochy mayor, said she made the decision last year not to renominate for the chairmanship once the AGM was completed.
"I have been involved in creating, shaping and guiding SCRGAL for 20 years,'' she said.
"I believe I've helped to successfully steer SCRGAL through its most difficult months.''
Ms Grosse was chairman of the company for several years prior to the Department of Employment and Training launching an investigation late last year into a range of alleged improprieties.
DET's subsequent report identified serious concerns about a wide range of corporate governance matters.
Ms McRae said yesterday that every matter identified in the DET report had now been dealt with satisfactorily.
The former television presenter and radio station producer also said she considered Ms Grosse had shown "outstanding guts'' to stay on until all areas of concern had been rectified.
Ms McRae said she had taken "three minutes'' to decide to stand for the position after learning of Ms Grosse's intention to stand down at yesterday's meeting.
"I believe I can do the job with the help of the very good team we now have in place.''
Malcolm Dixon was elected deputy chair and Sean Fitzpatrick treasurer while Ms Grosse, Peter McNeale and Robert Dunbar make up the board.


A WEST Peregian development criticised by environmental groups has been honoured for its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Forrester Kurts Properties' Peregian Springs Estate received highly commended status at the joint Urban Development Institute of Australia and Environmental Protection Agency awards for environmentally sustainable urban developments.
UDIA president Grant Dennis said the joint UDIA/EPA commendation recognised the commitment of FKP to work with these agencies toward more sustainable outcomes.
"Particularly in relation to the proposed retirement village and the biodiversity issues specific to their site,'' Mr Dennis said.
An EPA spokesperson yesterday said FKP had been commended for its commitment, not for the impact its Peregian Springs Estate will have on the environment.
"The developers have agreed to work in partnership with us on aspects of water recycling and energy efficiency at their proposed retirement village and for that we commend them,'' the spokesperson said.
"We aren't holding the whole estate up as an example of environmentally sustainable development.
"We acknowledge the importance of the biodiversity issues in that area and that's why this project was probably not selected for a champion award.''
The awards decision has angered those opposing land clearing and loss of wildlife habitat in the ecologically-sensitive area.
The Sunshine Coast Environment Council said the UDIA's press statements implied the whole estate was being praised as an environmentally sustainable development.
FKP's representative for Peregian Springs, Peter Lightbody, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

A survey of Sunshine Coast Daily job advertisements has revealed a 41% increase last month against vacancies for September 2001.
The 1415 jobs advertised in September was also 7.85% higher than August this year.
Nationally, figures out today are expected to show the unemployment rate nudging out to 6.3%.
After years of double-digit unemployment on the Coast, officially at 11% last month but believed to as high as 17%, September's figures could well buck the national trend.
Diane Epps, branch manager at Manpower in Maroochydore, one of the Coast's largest employment services, said that for the first time in her experience, the Sunshine Coast employment market had become like a city market.
``Employers simply can't afford to dilly-dally ... usually the demand for temporary staff is very strong but at the moment both full-time and temporary staff are highly sought after,'' she said.
``It's definitely the best I've seen it.''
Ms Epps said Manpower had shown 166% growth in the number of temporary staff placed in the last 12 months.
She added that accountants and personal assistants/secretaries were keenly sought, while there was a ``huge demand for trained staff in the building and construction industry''.
Ms Epps also said it was pleasing to see older workers, sometimes into their 50's, finding jobs, while the shortage of good junior staff continued.
``Employers are realising people aged 35-up bring skills, experience and stability,'' she said.
``As far as young people go, some of our clients are finding it very hard to find good staff ... the ones left without jobs at the moment haven't necessarily got the motivation to succeed.''
The most recent Sunshine Coast Research Institute for Business Enterprise (SCRIBE) survey, showed employers expected to hire only marginally more full-time staff by March next year, at the same time suggesting part-time numbers would grow by 6%.
The survey confirmed that more than a third of companies believed they would have difficulty in finding suitable staff.
The most difficulty was expected in the construction, finance and insurance industries.
Almost half of the businesses surveyed said they had developed new local markets in the past year, 28% said they had expanded interstate and 12% had developed new export markets.


THE Sunshine Coast continues to lead the country in the tourism rebound post-Ansett and September 11, according to new figures released yesterday.
The Survey of Tourist Accommodation (STA) results showed Queensland recorded the highest growth in occupancy for hotels, motels, serviced apartments and guest rooms of any Australian state in the year to June 30.
The state's 3.1% increase lifted the national average to 0.7% after New South Wales recorded negative 1.1% growth and Victoria came in at positive 1.1%.
The Coast was the big winner with 15.5% growth in the 12 months to June 30 in room nights occupied, a 3% increase in the daily room rate, and a solid rise in occupancy rates.
Tourism Sunshine Coast general manager Andrew Sinclair said 2001 had been impacted not only by the Ansett collapse and the fallout from the September 11 terrorist attacks, but also by bad weather which caused severe beach erosion.
Mr Sinclair acknowledged the eight-lane highway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast could also have impacted.
``The latest up-to-date figures showed we've come through really well with average room rates up $10 a night and occupancy rates up from around 50% to about 60%,'' he said.
``The fact we've increased numbers and rates is significant because we don't want to follow the Gold Coast's lead and become discounter's paradise.''
Tourism Minister Merri Rose said Queensland's growth was largely the result of a significant increase in drive tourism to southern Queensland destinations following the collapse of Ansett on September 14.
Shadow Tourism Minister and Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson argued more State Government funding was required to promote regional tourism markets more effec tively.


A RETIRED RAAF Caribou that transported everything from Prince Charles to livestock has been given wings again.
It won't be taking to the skies, however, but will be a high-flying feature at the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra.
The fuselage arrived recently and a pair of 2.5 tonne wings turned up yesterday, thanks to the support of the Australian War Memorial.
These will be reattached in coming months.
The caribou, which has the serial number A4173, was built by Dehavilland in Canada in 1964.
It was a workhorse during the Vietnam War, ferrying personnel, food and ammunition for 12 years.
With its short take-off and landing capabilities, the caribou was perfect for such roles.
It was involved in two dramatic landing accidents, one close to enemy territory that required a quick-fix and difficult escape that earned its pilot the Distinguished Flying Cross.
In September, 1965, it was a bizarre sight as it had one wing with RAAF markings and the other with U.S. signage.
The Americans fitted one of their wings on the aircraft as an apology for destroying the original when one of their passing helicopters accidently dropped a case of ammunition through it.
Air Museum spokesman James Wing said the caribou came back to Australia in 1972 and, in 1979, had the honour of taking Prince Charles for a spin from Townsville to Lizard Island.
He said the plane would have the biggest wingspan _ 95 feet, seven inches _ in the museum's fleet of 21.
The Queensland Air Museum is located on Pathfinder Drive at the Caloundra airport.


MORE and more young people are battling the effects of depression and other mental health conditions, and governments should be working to provide more support.
Mission Australia spokesperson Aaron Henricksen said depression and suicide were named by young people as the most important issues facing them, and the public was not aware of how great the problem was.
Mr Henricksen said more early intervention programs providing positive mental health environments for children at risk was just one initiative that needed to be given greater emphasis and resourcing priority by governments.
Today is national Mental Health Day and this week is National Mental Health Week.
University of Sunshine Coast student guild welfare officer Dan Morgan yesterday said about one in five Australians would suffer a mental health condition in their lifetimes and students, who faced a lot of pressure to juggle study, work and family, often suffered depres sion and anxiety.
Mr Morgan said a public health expo was held at the uni yesterday to provide information on related public health issues such as depression, body image and sexual harrassment.
A mental health discussion forum was also held last night.
Peregian psychologist Ashley Wong Hoy, who works with young people at the Noosa Youth Service, said there were many pressures that contributed to the rise in depression and mental illness in young people, particularly the breakdown of the family and loss of mentors.
Mr Wong Hoy said many had lost hope because they felt they didn't have the skills, talents or support to achieve their dreams _ and thus stopped dreaming.
Mr Wong Hoy said young people needed a lot of support and encouragement to keep trying to achieve their goals, and thus realise they do have the capacity to fulfil their dreams.

CHEVALLUM teenager Ezra Mercury could be excused for feeling bitter about his life but despite losing his mother Lorraine to cancer when he was just nine, and then his guardian to throat cancer two years ago, Ezra is a well-adjusted year 11 student at Christian Outreach College who dreams of becoming an architect.
He gives some of the credit to his foster parents, Chris and Kylie Grehan, who took himself, his younger sister Faapusa and older half-sister Diana Haywood, into their family when life dealt its second major blow.
Ezra appreciated the contribution so much he nominated the Grehans for the BoysTown Australian Family of the Year, and was thrilled yesterday to learn they'd been shortlisted to the final 30.
``They've been awesome to us after the dramas we had,'' the 16-year-old said.
``I don't feel sorry for myself ... it's just the hand I've been dealt.
``I guess what's happened has forced us to grow up a bit.''
The Grehans have two children of their own, eight-year-old Chloe and six-year-old Jacob, and knew Ezra and his family when they all lived in New Zealand.
Chris and John Batger were made guardians when Lorraine died, both families eventually moving to Sydney.
The Grehans later relocated to the Sunshine Coast where Chris had grown up, Diana coming with them.
Mr Batger died not long after and Kylie said there was no question about Ezra and Faapusa joining the family.
``We'd looked at adopting a couple of Romanian children at one time so there was no concern about increasing the size of the family,'' she said.
``They're all good kids and they've been through a lot.''
A spokesperson for BoysTown said 1350 nominations had been received from throughout Australia for the Family of the Year with the winner to be announced in December.
As far as Ezra, Faapusa and Diana go, the Grehans are already winners.
``I live with a family anyone without parents would dream of,'' Ezra said.
``They took as in as their own, helped us to deal with our losses and look at the world in a whole new way.''

YANDINA paint manufacturing company Rockcote continues to win accolades as it sets new standards for sustainable development.
Yesterday its proposed international sales headquarters and supply centre on the Gold Coast was recognised as one of three ``champion projects'' in South-East Queensland under the Sustainable Development Project.
The SDP is a joint initiative between the Urban Development Institute of Australia, Environmental Protection Agency and Brisbane City Council.
The $2.5million building, due to be commenced in December/January, contains numerous environmentally-friendly design features that will set the benchmark for future developments.
Managing director Bob Cameron, still disappointed the complex will be built at Nerang instead of Yandina because of the inflexibility of Maroochy Shire Council, was thrilled with the recognition.
``We got a totally different attitude from the council down there and it turned into a win-win for everyone,'' he said.
``The award includes some cash ($35,000), but the assistance we'll get from the UDIA and EPA, plus the exposure nationally and internationally, will be the big benefit.''
The building's features will include: A rainwater collection system to provide all water requirements; enough solar energy capacity to power the building with some left over to put into the Energex grid; improved indoor air quality through the use of non-polluting fixtures and fittings, plus the use of Rockcote's own EcoStyle ``green'' paint, and an on-site vegetable, herb and flower garden for staff using recycled water.

Rockcote, which employs 60 staff, has depots in Newcastle, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and exports to several South Pacific and South-East Asian countries, was the only Sunshine Coast company recognised.
The other two awards went to QM Properties' Pacific Harbour development and Austcorp's residential Eco Village at Coomera Waters.

SEVEN crucial health care specialists have said enough is enough and are about to withdraw their services from Nambour Hospital.
The resignations of the obstetricians and gynaecologists including Nambour visiting medical officer veteran Dr James Dick is expected to put a huge strain on the hospital's birthing unit unless replacements can be found.
Dr Dick who has been a VMO for 24 years, much of that time at Nambour, said yesterday doctors had taken this course of action reluctantly.
He said the State Government had left them little choice because of the failure to resolve medical indemnity shortcomings.
``We feel like we are the biggest group in the firing line,'' Dr Dick said.
They have given three- month's notice starting from October 31 unless they can be convinced that their concerns have been addressed.
A major worry is that they would not be legally covered even if they have an allegation of criminal neglect made against them.
Opposition health spokesman and Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson said the quality of patient care would suffer and workloads increase because of the resignations.
``Nambour Hospital is now left with only two staff specialists, two registrars and two senior houses officers in the birthing unit,'' she said.
``Visiting medical officers naturally want to feel assured that they won't be required to unfairly fork out millions of dollars on an insurance claim.''
Miss Simpson said Nambour was already in dire straits as highlighted by figures which showed that the hospital's emergency department was not coping with demand.
Sunshine Coast Health District manager Dr Martin Jarman said yesterday the hospital would endeavour to recruit replacement VMOs in the three months to January when they leave the public system.
Dr Jarman understood that during this time some of the doctors would continue to handle emergency calls although he said not all of the seven doctors currently did.
He believed finding new VMOs was possible and said extra staff had already been recruited for the busy Christmas period.


AUSTRALIA was one of the best palliative care providers in the world but terminally ill patients were still missing out because of a lack of public awareness.
Palliative Care Queensland executive director Nicole Hastie said most people did not want to face death or dying unless forced to, which meant carers and patients were not fully aware of the options open to them.
Public awareness and community education will be one of the issues discussed at the second biennial Palliative Care Queensland state conference, to be held in Noosa tomorrow and Saturday.
The conference coincides with National Palliative Care Week, which aims to improve acceptance and understanding of the service throughout the community.
Ms Hastie said about 150 doctors, nurses, aged care workers, palliative care workers, social workers and counsellors from throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria would be welcomed to the conference at Australis Noosa Lakes Resort by mayor Bob Abbot tonightthursday.
``Palliative care is about quality of life at the end of life, and doesn't only help the patient but their carers as well. It also continues after the death with bereavement and grief support,'' she said.
Ms Hastie said palliative care was in the same situation as most areas of the health care system in needing more resources and more funding, to meet the needs of greater numbers of people.
And demand was not limited to the elderly, with Royal Children's Hospital oncology nurse Michelle Noyes delivering a paper on the special needs of terminally ill children and their families.
Bursaries were presented to several Sunshine Coast health workers to allow them to attend the two-day conference.

SCIENTISTS who believe the debilitating Ross River Virus Disease is not a long term illness should talk to Caloundra City councillor Andrew Champion.
A research team yesterday said they had demonstrated that patients whose illness persisted more than six to 12 months usually had other problems.
Associate Professor Andreas Suhrbier at The Queensland Institute of Medical Research said the findings had refuted previous studies that said Ross River was more persistent.
``In consultation with patients and treating doctors, we found about half the patients who had Ross River had other diseases, primarily chronic rheumatic illnesses like rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis,'' he said.
Mr Champion, 42, ironically was a member of the Sunshine Coast Mosquito and Biting Midge Control Group when infected 12 years ago after being bitten on his parents' farm at Diddillibah.
A former ironman, he said his body was devastated by the virus.
``I had two weeks of profuse sweating, hot and cold flushes, red blotches and did not have enough energy to walk,'' Mr Champion said.
He agreed that Ross River broke down the immune system and exposed sufferers to other problems.
However, he could not concur with scientists who said it was not a long term problem.
``It had a serious impact on my health for more than six years and I think a lot of people on the Sunshine Coast would be in the same boat.''
Up to 8000 cases are reported in Australia each year, costing the health system more than $8 million annually.
The cost to the workforce, according to Mr Champion, would be considerably more as patients encounter numerous relapses and lengthy recovery periods.
He said it was serious business and he did not think the State Government was taking appropriate responsibility for mosquito control of the lands under its control.

As Queensland's crime rate dives below the national average over most offences, the Coast is emerging as one of the safest destinations in one of the country's safest states.
The number of robberies reported on the Coast was down 20% compared with the previous financial year.
Queensland's drop over the same period was 11%.
Sunshine Coast District Crime Manager senior sergeant Dale Thompson credited a highly focused police presence in hotspots with the improvement.
A lot of the robberies used to be committed in areas where we've now deployed the Tactical Crime Squad,'' he said.
Premier Peter Beattie said Queensland's robbery rate was 48.6% below the national average.
As Crime Prevention Week gears up, Coast crime rates across most offences show an improvement on last year.
Unlawful entries to motor vehicles were down two percent, burglaries dropped 10%, and break-ins to offices were down three percent.
But police are urging the public to stay vigiliant.
This is no reason to become complacent,'' snr sgt Thompson said.
While the recorded incidence of most offences decreased, the number of break-ins to shops soared a massive 20%.
Snr sgt Thompson said that jump came courtesy of a handful of repeat offenders, most of whom have been nabbed.

THE discovery of a shipwreck that could pre-date Captain James Cook's arrival on Australia's east coast was no surprise, an historian said yesterday.
Dr Marion Diamond, a lecturer in colonial history at the University of Queensland, said it was highly possible Portuguese explorers had reached the east coast of Australia before Captain Cook.
Archaeologists have found a 30-metre shipwreck on Fraser Island they believe to be of Portuguese or Spanish origin, pre-dating Captain Cook's arrival in 1770.
Photographs of three cannons, visible at low tide, will be sent to international experts to verify their age.
A team of archaeologists, led by Brisbane researcher Greg Jefferys, has used a magnetometer to confirm dimensions of the wreck, situated about 1km north of Orchid Beach, on the north-east point of Fraser.
If the wreck is confirmed to be from the 16th century, it would prove Capt Cook was not the first European to land on the east coast of Australia.
While Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch explorers chartered much of north and western Australia in the 16th and 17th centuries, Capt Cook is credited with discovering the east coast in 1770.
Dr Diamond said the Portuguese were trading at Ambon, in what is currently Indonesia, by the early 1500s.
However, most of Portugal's exploration maps, which were held as state secrets, were destroyed in a Lisbon earthquake in 1751.
I think there was a lot more shipping into the southern hemisphere than we've often realised,'' Dr Diamond said.


The bold project is still in the planning stages, but was expected to become a centrepiece for the Kawana community.
Division five councillor Gordon Wallace said the multi-use hall would be a state of the art facility which would seat 600 people and incorporate an outdoor ampitheatre, coffee shop and library.
It's very exciting. This is a big, big, big project,'' he said.
This will be a real footprint or a real icon.''
He said the aim was to cater for the huge variety of community groups from senior citizens to bridge clubs and provide a space for them to call home.
The facility is expected to cost at least $2 million but with finer details still up for discussion Mr Wallace said it could be as much as $5 million.
The hall will be located on an 8000 square metre block on the east bank of Kawana Island on Sportsmans Parade.
He said there had been a number of expressions of interest from a variety of groups and the facility would be built so the room could be divided into two and used by groups at the same time.
Construction for the hall is expected to begin early next year with completion planned for March 2004.
He said the facility would be big enough for the expanding population of Kawana, which is expected to almost double to 45,000 in the next decade, and would have a life span of three or four decades.

SPECIAL events, festivals and conferences have been identified as key strategies for increasing visitor numbers during quiet months, an ongoing tourist survey has found.
Tourism Sunshine Coast has recently received extra government funding to do just that.
Tourism Noosa's Craig Templeman said findings from the group's quarterly visitor monitor survey identified event-creation as the answer to improving traditionally quieter months.Especially May,'' Mr Templeman said.
In this business, May has always been known as maintenance month, a quiet time when accommodation houses catch up on maintenance. We intend changing that.''
He said the Noosa Triathlon had totally transformed November into a busy period. Discussions have begun to have the Noosa LongWeekend a 10-day festival of drama, art, music and fine cuisine moved forward from June to May.
The event organisers have already locked in the artists for June this year, but said they see no reason why this can't be held in May next year,'' Mr Templeman said.
Tourism Sunshine Coast had just received an extra $200,000 from the state government to help us grow the conference/incentive market in this region, which is fantastic.''
The Hyatt Coolum's marketing director Rene Breuer said the five-star resort had managed to maintain a year round average occupancy of 75% and over by targetting both the leisure and the conference market.
The resort has also aggressively and successfully pursued the rights to host a round of the Australian PGA golf championships for the next five years.


MAROOCHY mayor Alison Grosse will mortgage her home in order to repay a $95,000 payout from her former husband's bankrupt estate.
The on-again, off-again repayment of the property settlement is very much on again after a Court of Appeal decision ordered Ms Grosse to hand over the hefty sum, plus court costs and interest.
An outraged Ms Grosse estimates she will be left about $135,000 out of pocket.
It's disgraceful,'' she said.
I am a victim of the system,'' she said.
Justice has become so far removed in the legal system these days that unless you have the money and the power, you don't have a chance.''
A Federal Magistrates Court decision handed down in February found in favour of the mayor, allowing her to keep the cash from the bankrupt estate of her former husband, John Jones.
But that decision was overturned on September 9, when administrators Worrells had their appeal upheld on the grounds that Ms Grosse had been inappropriately paid ahead of the other ten creditors.
Our job is to claw the money back and distribute it back to the other (10) creditors,'' Worrells partner Michael Peldan.
Ms Grosse said she could not afford to further appeal the decision to a higher court.
She said she had been ordered to pay back the $95,000, plus court costs, plus nine percent interest over the 18 months of the protracted saga, leaving her about $135,000 out of pocket.

THE Australian PGA Championship will produce a great spin-off for junior golfers with three of Australian golf's biggest stars to join in a national development camp at Twin Waters to coincide with the $1 million tournament.

Craig Parry, Stuart Appleby and Peter Lonard are confirmed starters at the camp which will host 20 youngsters drawn from around Australia.
Parry and Lonard will join the juniors for nine holes around the resort course, while Appleby will host a short game clinic for the group.
A series of Junior Shootout events are being staged across Australia with the winners earning a place at the camp.
The juniors will also have the opportunity to attend the PGA Championship just up the road at Hyatt Coolum where the field will include notables Parry, Appleby, Lonard, Greg Norman, John Daly, Adam Scott and Greg Chalmers.
The Sunshine Coast's future champion golfers are being treated to a series of junior clinics at three clubs in October and November.
The Sunday clinics are free and each participant will receive a ticket to the PGA, from November 28 to December 1.
The clinics, staged with the support of On Course golf shops and the Maroochy Shire Council, will be led by local professionals John Victorsen, Danny Freyling, Mal Wilson and Sean Seymore.
Caloundra will hold the first one-and-a-half hour clinic on Sunday, October 20, followed by Horton Park (November 10) and Headland (November 17).
Bookings can be made by contacting the various clubs.

CHRIS Flannery's father Peter has revealed his son played the last month of his National Rugby League premiership winning season with Sydney City with a fractured right leg.

Chris, 21, jubilantly celebrated Sunday's NRL grand final victory over the New Zealand Warriors with his family who were in the front row of the Telstra Stadium grandstand.
But as Peter revealed, the former Kawana Dolphin has been walking and playing through the pain barrier for several weeks just to get to his first grand final.
Just to see him running out there, and then to score a try was great,'' Peter said.
But what impressed me even more was what he went through.
It's a vertical stress fracture in his right tibia. And there's nothing you can do to kill the pain because it's a bone injury, not muscular.
He's hardly trained for the last month, just a little bit of pool stuff and physio.''
Peter said the injury was kept secret to protect his son from targetting in matches.
About 12 of the Roosters side were carrying injuries by the end of the season,'' Peter said.
Peter said his wife Dee and their other two children Clayton and Elissa had left their seats high in the grandstand about five minutes before full-time to make their way to the fence line for Chris's victory lap.
He came over to us and he kissed me and just said thanks','' Peter said.
It was pretty emotional stuff.
Dee had tears in her eyes when the national anthem was played.
To hear almost 80,000 people going Roosters, Roosters, Roosters' was just great.''


YOUNG and old alike turned out in force on Monday night to find a solution to the continuing problem of hoons on Coast roads.
A suggestion put forward by local businessman Scott Heaney to build a specific facility for car racing received strong support from all sectors.
A follow-up meeting was scheduled for last night to discuss the option, which Federal Member for Fisher Peter Slipper said could be a winner.
"You will always have car hoons, but I suspect these facilities will draw some people away from that,'' Mr Slipper said.
"I think people will support having a racing facility as long as it's not near them.''
A viewing area was proposed for central Maroochydore, with the racing facility proposed to be built in a non-residential area.
However Mr Slipper said the long term solution instead relied on strong state laws and adequate policing.
"You will always have a small fringe group that want to be hoons even if you have the best facilities in the world,'' he said.
"This is a major issue. Federal, state and local government representatives need to sit down and sort out a solution.
"Even when the (state anti-hooning) legislation comes into force we don't have enough police here to make sure hoons stop.''
The public meeting at Alexandra Headland attracted about 300 people.
A number of young car enthusiasts told the meeting they were worried about unfair persecution.
"A number of sports enthusiasts were very upset with being confused as hoons,'' Mr Slipper said.
"The idea is to throw the book at real hoons. People are entitled to a good night's sleep, and tourists are entitled to enjoy their holiday.''
Maroochy Shire Council is believed to be considering the option of creating a viewing area, with a proposal expected to go to public consultation by next year.


A NEW product safety guide could save hundreds of children from fatal dangers hidden in the home.
The safety standards of nursery furniture, prams, toys and clothes are all targeted by the booklet About Baby and Children's Safety.
Warana child health doctor Scott Parsons said the booklet should be given to every parent.
"I think it should be delivered with the baby,'' Dr Parsons said.
Fifty to 60 kids under five die from accidental injuries in Queensland each year. A further 10,000 present to hospital emergency departments for home-related injuries.
"To put it into context, meningococcus bacterium kills four or five children each year,'' Dr Parsons said.
"This problem is 10 times worse in the point of view of death and significant injuries.''
Fair Trading regional manager Dorothy Woods said all people with responsibility for a child should check the guide.
"For older people, we would never have been confronted with the range of products available,'' she said.
"There's no doubt modern society offers more choice, and also brings more dangers.''
Swimming pools and baby walkers posed the biggest risk for children, Dr Parsons said.
"New stuff has to meet safety guidelines, but lots of people use second-hand equipment,'' he said.
"This booklet goes through all childhood furniture and details what standards you should look for.''
The most common equipment which injures children aged under one are beds, baby walkers, change tables, and prams. Kids aged one to five most often fall victim to beds, tables and trampolines.
The booklet is available from the Office of Fair Trading

Coast pair throw hats in election ring in bid to make a difference
THE Sunshine Coast's two regional council candidates for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) have vowed to "clean up'' the indigenous organisation and fight for better health and community local services.
Anthony Beezleycorrect and Lyle Capewellcorrect, both former ATSIC regional council deputy chairmen for Rockhampton and Roma respectively, were two of the first in Queensland to cast their vote for the October 19 elections at a mobile polling booth at Kabi Kabi Aboriginal Organisation in Alexandra Headland yesterday.
Mr Beezley said ATSIC's tumultuous history of mismanagement had damaged the organisation's image in the eyes of indigenous people and the wider community, but better days were ahead.
"ATSIC has a bad history. I believe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the wider community aren't prepared to put up with another term of misappropriation and misguided directives for ATSIC funds and protocols,'' Mr Beezley said.
"For both the black and white community, if ATSIC maintains the status quo, then nothing will change. It has to be a whole new day.''
Mr Beezley said forming strong partnerships with all levels of government was a vital first step for ATSIC's future survival.
Mr Capewell said he would fight to re-implement ATSIC-managed legal, health and housing services on the Sunshine Coast.
"Right now, there are no services on the Sunshine Coast that are managed by the community's people and funded by ATSIC,'' Mr Capewell said.
"We need to ensure that the community receives stronger representation in legal, health and housing, and greater support in community and women's programs.''
ATSIC state election coordinator Mark Hewardcorrect said the organisation had worked closely with the Australian Electoral Commission to ensure voters had easy access to a record 79 mobile booths across south-east Queensland.
The main ATSIC election day will be held on October 19 from 8am to 6pm, with static booths at Nambour State School and Caloundra's Kabbarli Community Centrecorrect. Voting is not compulsory.


SUSTAINABILITY should not just be the keyword for a viable economic and environmental future, but applied to personal lives as well.
Maleny life growth expert Iain Druguid yesterday said people were not balancing work and life well, spending too long at the office and not enough time on family, enjoyment and relaxation.
Mr Druguid, addressing the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia conference in Noosa yesterday, said it was a "universal problem'', especially in Generation X members.
He said while the "Sea change'' influence was having some effect, it was not a rapid or far-reaching change.
"My real message for people is to find out who you are, decide whether you want to work 70hours a week for the boss or if it's important to have a life _ play footy, spend time with the kids, go out with friends,'' Mr Druguid said.
"People should learn to focus. Say you've taken the kids out for lunch, turn off the pager, turn off the mobile, turn off from work and totally focus on the quality time,'' he said.
About 180 delegates from across the nation were attending the five-day conference, which ends on Thursday, titled Riding the Wave to Sustainability and sponsored by Noosa Shire Council.
Mr Druguid has been a life growth speaker for the past five years, travelling throughout Australia and internationally for seminars and conferences.
He said people also needed to take time to learn from life, taking a year off between school and uni, and again in their 40s.


Multi-Sports event finds even more to celebrate
IT'S shaping up to be one hell of a 15th birthday for the Noosa Multi-Sports Festival, with a major television deal secured and record interest levels.
Event manager Donna Croft said vision of the Noosa Triathlon, celebrating its 20th year, will be beamed across the world in a two-hour broadcast through Fox Sports and nationally on a one-hour Channel 10 special.
Ms Croft said additional funding from the Noosa Community Tourism Board had enabled them to secure the deal, which would see visions of all the action and Noosa's picture-postcard surrounds beamed into households.
As well as the many favoured traditions, several new events and social functions have been added to the extensive Noosa Multi-Sports Festival program, which runs from October 27 until November 3.
Ms Croft said an estimated $8million was expected to be injected into the local economy this year, with an independent economic impact survey also planned to gauge an accurate picture across spectators, competitors, organisers and tourism.
She said the success of the triathlon and festival had also been recently rewarded as the recipient of the 2001 Australian Sports Tourism Event of the Year.
"The award was fantastic recognition of thousands of hours of hard work from many, many people in growing the event over the past 20 years,'' Ms Croft said.
"The 2000 award was given to the Sydney Olympians so I guess we are in pretty good company, particularly with an event budget of about 0.01% of the Olympics.''
New events include a Cross Code Challenge, inviting teams of all the football codes to take part in a specially- modified tri course, and an invitation-only Ironwoman and Ironman event, which has attracted the likes of Ky Hurst, Dean and Darren Mercer, Karla Gilbert and Reen Corbett.

THE lawyer defending former Sunshine Coast Group Apprentices Ltd boss Rob Purvis against stalking allegations by Maroochy mayor Alison Grosse died of a suspected heart attack on Monday afternoon.
John Wales Young, 52, was found dead in his home only hours after having lunch with Mr Purvis at Cotton Tree where they discussed the case due to be heard in the Brisbane District Court on Friday.
Mr Purvis said he'd been stunned to learn of the passing of a man he'd come to regard as not only something of a crusader in the law community, but also a close friend.
"John had the most integrity of any solicitor I'd known,'' Mr Purvis said.
Mr Young raised the ire of many in the industry soon after moving from Brisbane to join Maroochydore firm Richard O'Bryen Solicitors in August 2001.
He publicly announced his desire to "get rid of the grubs'', claiming some lawyers were intent on lining their own pockets by dragging out legal battles to increase their fees.
Bryan Pickard, principal of Richard O'Bryen Solicitors, said staff were deeply saddened by Mr Young's death, describing him as "very competent, a delightful person''.
Mr Pickard said the firm would continue to act for Mr Purvis in the stalking case, suggesting the argument was still deficient of detail.
Mr Young was separated from his partner and is survived by two children.


JOHN Glasgow lived every parent's nightmare when his son Jess was put on life support after a motorbike accident at Kilcoy last month.
The 20-year-old from Tewantin was competing in a motocross event when a jump he's done "hundreds of times'', went horribly wrong.
He missed a gear approaching the three-metre jump, cartwheeled over the top of it and landed on his head at the bottom on the other side.
Despite smashing his helmet, Dad John said he believed Jess owed his life to the headgear.
The former Sunshine High student was in a coma when he was rushed to Kilcoy Hospital before being transferred to Royal Brisbane.
John and his partner Leanna King spent five anxious days and nights bedside with Jess until he came out of the coma.
"On the Monday the doctors told us to be prepared for the worst,'' John said.
"A 16-year-old was in with Jess after a bad skateboard accident without a helmet.
"His parents had to agree to turn his life support off which was very traumatic.''
Thankfully Jess pulled out, although his left side is still paralysed and he hasn't fully regained his speech.
It could be weeks or even months of rehabilitation before he returns home.
In the meantime, John and Leann have made arrangements for one or the other of them to be in Brisbane virtually full-time to help Jess through.
The couple paid special tribute to the fantastic support provided by the Noosa community since the accident.


SYDNEY author and motivational speaker Cyndi Kaplan-Freiman was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago and underwent a mastectomy.
She began keeping a journal from the moment she was diagnosed _ as she awaited results of her mammogram in the medical rooms, she began writing her feelings down on paper _ and the result is an inspiring book called There's More to Life Than My Right Breast.
Ms Kaplan-Freiman launched the book yesterday at a breakfast meeting of the Sunshine Coast business women's network at the Headland Golf Club followed by a Zonta lunch at berados in Noosa and a dinner for the Sunshine Coast Health Services Foundation. The foundation, which aims to have a cancer centre built on the Coast, benefited from sales of the book.
"I like to think the book is both practical and hopeful,'' Cyndi said. "It can guide women through dark moments and shed some light on breast cancer. I began writing a journal even before the doctor told me the result of my mammogram and I kept writing all the way through surgery and afterwards. In the beginning, especially those first couple of weeks after diagnoses and shock, it was the writing of the journal that calmed me and helped me get through each day.''
Cyndi had written nine self- help books before she was diagnosed with breast cancer and has had to apply all her own philosophies to her situation. "I had to see if what I talked about in my books worked,'' she said.
said.
"I decided then I would be much nicer to myself and rest more and keep a nutritious diet and have a more balanced life. I did a lot of simplyfying, gave myself permission to be more self- nuturing. I think all women should do that. Take preventative steps to fight against breast cancer. There is a lot of evidence to show that a low fat diet, not being overweight, exercising, reducing stress, all increase your changes of not getting breast cancer.''
There's More To Life Than My Right Breast is Cyndi's fight with cancer and the result of her research into a disease which has touched the lives of many Australians. But the book is not just about her cancer fight. It also contains personal stories of women who are living with or who have survived breast cancer. Their frank, companionable advice is not only invaluable but inspiring.
"I really want to urge women of all ages to look after themselves,'' she said. "To take care, don't neglect themselves. An early diagnoses can result in a 100 percent cure. You must be vigilant. Have regular mamograms. In NSW where I live, statistics show that even though women over 50 are eligible for free mammograms only 53% of women take advantage of that. Have clinical examinations. You cannot always detect a lump yourself.''

THE historic Hotel Caloundra has been earmarked for multi-million-dollar twin towers in what would be one of the Sunshine Coast's biggest redevelopments.
The local icon, built at Moffat Beach in the early 1900s, has sat at the top of Bulcock Street since 1950.
Caloundra City councillor Tim Dwyer said preliminary meetings had been held with its owners, the Australian Hospitality and Leisure Group (AHL).
Mr Dwyer said council had been shown early plans for the site's redevelopment that included two towers up to 12 storeys high.
AHL, which has only just refurbished the hotel, confirmed redevelopment was on the cards but has yet to finalise plans or a timeframe.
In the early days at Moffat, the pub was called the Hotel Francis, named after owner David Rooke's son. Guests were collected on a horse-drawn buckboard from the Landsborough train station.
The hotel site was recently identified by the City's Central Business Area (CBA) master plan as having enormous potential for redevelopment.
AHL's twin towers bid is the latest indicator that Caloundra has come of age as a property hotspot.
The City is enjoying a construction, property sales and land valuation boom.
A steady flow of land releases has also seen the City begin to lead the way in housing approvals on the Sunshine Coast.
Approval figures for June, July and August show that Caloundra surpassed Maroochy Shire over that period by 67 dwellings and Noosa by 189 homes.
Caloundra council approved 92 homes in June, 114 in July and a year high 125 in August. This has shown a steady climb from an average 88 homes a month for the first three months of 2002.
Real Estate Institute of Queensland Sunshine Coast president Maureen Heaney said Caloundra had the opportunity to forge ahead at a faster rate than its northern neighbours.
Ms Heaney said it was a matter of topography and Caloundra had more land closer to the Coast that was more accessible and easier to develop.
Aroona builder Gary Rutch has been constructing homes in Caloundra City for almost two decades.
He said that while it was as busy as he could remember, it would be even busier if there were more tradesmen.
A lack of bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers and cabinet makers was slowing jobs, he said.
"I think the main reasons Caloundra is going ahead so quickly is that there is affordable land, more land than further up the Coast and it has a council that is efficient and easy to deal with,'' Mr Rutch said.
"There is a variety of people moving here from down south and while some are retiring, others are relocating to start businesses,'' he said.
Queensland Master Builder's Association regional manager Robert Dunbar said Caloundra had the capacity for huge growth, particularly from Creekside north to Kawana Island.
He said the building approvals were linked directly with land releases and Maroochy's figures had been affected by the "drip feeding'' of blocks in the shire.
Steve Morcombe, of GJ Gardner Homes, agreed Caloundra's "landbank'' was considerable.
Mr Morcombe said land was selling as quickly as it became available _ often before _ and most buyers wanted to build on their blocks immediately.


MORE than 300 people yesterday packed out the Gregson and Weight Nambour Chapel to pay tribute to Chris Rudledge _ but it was still very much a family affair.
The blood relatives and in-laws were joined by a sea of blue _ the members of Mr Rudledge's other family, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.
And there were plenty of mates from the police and ambulance services and other walks of life, in a show of respect and affection for a man whose life was cut short last Wednesday in a car accident at Sippy Downs.
The day's tribute began at Nambour Fire Station when the bells rang for "the last turnout'' and a crew boarded a fire unit to join a police escort and the hearse in a procession to the chapel. A guard of honour met them as a bagpipe player played The Battle is Over.
In his address, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service commissioner Lee Johnson said Mr Rudledge was a true leader during the period when the fire service evolved from watchrooms to fire communications centres. was instrumental in establishing the Firecom North Coast at Kawana which became a prototype for the service across Queensland, and went on to manage AFcom, Brisbane's combined fire and ambulance communications centre.
Mr Johnson said his colleague was "a beautiful and sensitive man'' who "cared for people, was passionate about his job and was highly respected''.
"Chris Rudledge has left us, but the family of the fire service will never forget him,'' Mr Johnson said.
Mr Rudledge, who lived at Cooroy, is survived by wife Anne and children Sally and Mark. In family tributes he was described as "the best man'', "the best dad'' and "the best mate'' they could have wished for.
A slide show of happy moments over Mr Rudledge's 55 years and the eulogy from his brother Richard confirmed he had lived "a beautiful life''.
"He knew how to laugh, didn't he?'' Richard asked.
The smiles of the crowd as they remembered Chris Rudledge were the only answer necessary.

MAROOCHY mayor Alison Grosse yesterday vowed to stay in her $100,000-a-year job despite claiming she has the reading ability of an eight-year-old and is "useless'' with dollars and cents.
The claims, made to a royal commission on Monday, have sparked fresh debate _ and an informal meeting _ among councillors yesterday regarding her future.
But Mrs Grosse said she would see out her full term as mayor, denying her reading and money problems meant she should step down.
"I can read slowly,'' she said.
"And I'm certainly capable of making the right decisions given the right information.
"I have an obligation to see my term through and I'm not going to cave in (to her detractors),'' she said.
The mayor's claim of having an eight-year-old's reading ability appears to contradict her curriculum vitae which states she is a qualified history and arts teacher and was a driving force behind the University of the Sunshine Coast, where she holds an honorary degree.
She yesterday received unqualified support from deputy mayor Trevor Thompson who suggested the difficulties facing those in the sugar industry were more important than his leader's problems.
"It's a strength to know your weaknesses ... I regularly rely on others when it comes to facts and figures,'' Mr Thompson said.
"If Alison does have a weakness it's that she trusts people too much.''
Mr Thompson said the voters had elected Mrs Grosse to the office of mayor, not the councillors.
But councillors Steve Dickson and Barbara Cansdell said the continuing focus on the mayor's SCRGAL problems and other non-council related matters, was having a significant negative impact on council staff, the councillors and the community.
Mrs Cansdell said Mrs Grosse was "treating everyone like fools'', suggesting she always tried to "shove the responsibility onto someone else''.
Mr Dickson said at a pivotal time, when Maroochy Shire was just starting to turn around its debt and town plan problems, good leadership was vital.
It was a view echoed by Nambour Chamber of Commerce president Les Hadlow who told Channel Ten the mayor should step aside.
After spending Monday afternoon in the hot seat giving evidence to the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry in Melbourne, Mrs Grosse was back in her own chair at the council offices yesterday.
As she did when grilled at the commission, the mayor deflected questions such as why she had purchased a Sunshine Coast Regional Group Apprentices Limited-owned property at 19 Cootamundra Drive, Mooloolaba in December 1998, in breach of the company's articles of association.
She later sold it for a capital gain of $110,000.
During Monday's hearing, counsel assisting the commission Stephen Donaghue suggested "it may well be the case that you owe the company (SCRGAL) all of the money that you made as a result of the sale''.
Ignoring the fact that as chairman she wasn't entitled to purchase the property, Mrs Grosse said she "had to sell for my own physical survival''.
That was a reference to the alleged years of stalking she claims to have been subjected to by former SCRGAL manager Rob Purvis.
Those claims are now before the District Court in Brisbane, Mrs Grosse confident the judge will allow her to put a defence when the matter is reheard on Friday week.
"I have to stand up _ in this whole matter, no-one has looked at the terror I've been subjected to,'' she said.

Call for action on Brisbane Road project
MOOLOOLABA tourism leaders have urged Maroochy Shire Council to fast-track its joint venture to create 550 free carparks on Brisbane Road.
Go Mooloolaba president George von Arnim yesterday accused the council of wasting time and driving tourists away because of a lack of progress on the much-needed parking development.
The Brisbane Road carpark project was approved by the council in March when it agreed to let the Juniper Development Group build a 12-storey unit complex on a public bitumen car park, in return for providing 550 public carparks.
Maroochy councillors will meet today for a special briefing on how the project is progressing. But the information session will be closed to the public and the media.
A council spokeswoman yesterday said there had never been a timeframe of when work had to commence.
She said the project had not yet started because the council and Juniper were still negotiating over some aspects of the deal.
Mr von Arnim said local businesses and tourists were frustrated at not yet being able to access the extra parks.
"The tender process has concluded, the carpark has been passed by council and now is the time for everyone to just get on with it,'' he said.
"We now have a fantastic product on The Esplanade, but that is no use to anyone if no one can park and enjoy it.''
"We desperately need the carpark or tourists will just get sick of it and move on somewhere else.''
Mr von Arnim said the parking problem had been especially evident during the Mooloolaba Carnival of the Arts over the September school holidays.
But the council spokeswoman denied the carnival had created extra traffic problems, saying the busiest days in the area coincided with good weather that traditionally encouraged tourist visits.


Group says public liability issue can be solved
By GORDON CLARK - gclark@scnews.com.au
THE Sunshine Coast Artificial Reef Group (SCARG) has submitted a legal opinion to the Queensland Government which it believes will clear any hurdles to the HMAS Brisbane being sunk as a dive wreck off Mooloolaba.
The sinking hit a snag earlier this year when Queensland Premier Peter Beattie baulked at the possibility the Government would have to pay up to $250,000 for public liability insurance covering divers.
But SCARG chairman Greg Riddell said yesterday that a legal opinion, prepared by the group's solicitor Roma Ferrier, a specialist in maritime law, dispelled any concerns.
"The Premier has been particularly concerned about private divers going out in their own boats and not being covered by public liability insurance in the case of an accident,'' Mr Riddell said.
"What we're proposing is that a code of conduct be created which would require signs to be erected at land access points, and also on buoys at the dive site.
"These signs would advise divers that permits are required to dive on the wreck site.
"Those permits would require a signature from the diver acknowledging they were trained and prepared for the dive, and also that they accepted full responsibility for their actions.''
Mr Riddell said the legal opinion had been given to Member for Kawana Chris Cummins. who in dicated to SCARG he would forward it to the Premier when he returns from overseas.
The HMAS Brisbane is still in dock in Sydney waiting a decision from the State Government.
"Understandably the Federal Government has said it wants a decision shortly or it will look at other options,'' Mr Riddell added.
"Hopefully providing this legal opinion will clear the final hurdle.''
Mr Riddell said divers would pay a small fee to cover administration of the permit scheme and maintenance of the ship and buoys once it had been sunk so the State Government wasn't out of pocket in any way.'


Coast couples try new injection system
THIS "IVF pen'' is writing a script for new life for lucky Sunshine Coast couples.
The pen technology is a new injection system that recently arrived on the Coast as an alternative to the more traditional _ and more painful _ needle-and-syringe fertility drug treatment.
Paul Stokes, from Coastal IVF at Cotton Tree, said the world's first IVF pen was also easier to use because women could self-administer pre-measured doses, similar to how diabetic people used insulin pens.
Since July, 24 women from the clinic have been using the pens to inject gonadotropin (an egg-stimulating hormone) just under the skin.
Eight pregnancies have already resulted.
Dr Stokes said trying to conceive through IVF was stressful enough without having to worry about mixing drug preparations.
But he said the simple pen system would make the process easier for couples already involved in IVF _ and perhaps encourage more to try.
"This new innovation provides more than 8000 Australian couples, who seek fertility treatments annually, access to a more practical and simpler alternative to conventional IVF drug treatments,'' he said.
"Improvements in fertility treatments, like the IVF pen, will hope
fully encourage more and more couples to consider assisted fertility treatments.''
For Karen Smith, IVF has already proved a winner.
Ten days ago, she and husband Chris discovered they were having a baby after their first attempt at IVF.
"We're amazed _ we've been trying for 10 years (to conceive naturally and through other assistance treatments),'' she said yesterday.
The Buderim couple joined the IVF program earlier this year, with Karen undergoing fertility injections last month.
She said the IVF pen had been simple to use.
"It's very quick _ once you get used to dialling up how much you actually have to have (of the hormone) it's just easy,'' she said.
"It doesn't take too much out of your day when you have to do it every day.''


AMA says hospital administrators must push for resolution to crisis
THE Australian Medical Association and a local woman who has spent months waiting for expert care have accused Nambour General Hospital administrators of offer ing rhetoric rather than answers to the health care crisis.
"The Nambour General Hospital has been in crisis since July 1. That crisis in unremitting and not getting any better,'' Australian Medical Association of Queensland North Coast representative Mason Stevenson said.
He said the withdrawal of services by Visiting Medical Officers embroiled in the ongoing medical indemnity dispute had virtually paralysed the hospital.
And he said Nambour administrators claims that they could easily replace the staff who resigned or took leave was "a nonsense''.
Dr Stevenson said said the only surgery being done at the hospital was category one _ surgery required for life threatening or limb threatening problems.
With only emergency surgery being done at the hospital, other patients face an indefinite wait.
"These are not trivial health problems,'' Dr Stevenson said.
Sally Marshall of Kandanga is one who has had to wait. For months she has lived with an almost constant ache in an injured knee which limits mobility and prevents her from working.
Miss Marshall said she was a private person who only spoke out so health administrators could not deny there was a serious problem for many people. across the Coast.
"Hopefully others will speak out too and something might happen,'' she said.
"I've been told that if I had private cover I could get an operation in two weeks. But I can't work so I can't afford it. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. And there is no end in sight.''
Miss Marshall's injury means that on uneven ground her leg sometimes gives way and she has suffered a number of falls.
"I'm always taking anti inflammatories just to remain functioning. It's also causing problems further up my spine because I have been walking to favour it,'' she said.
"I'm only 43 and I've got a lot of active life left. I can't live the next 20 years like this.''
Dr Stevenson said that while a full solution to the crisis rested with successful negotiations between Queensland Health and Visiting Medical Officers over the medical indemnity issue, the medical fraternity needed more than "politically driven platitudes'' from Nambour administrators.
"It's disappointing to hear administrators rationalise the biggest crisis Nambour General Hopital has ever faced.
"Frankly they are starting to look silly, and u
"Unless concessions are made in their negotiations with doctors this problem will only get worse.''
Sunshine Coast Health Services district manager Martin Jarman said it was a state-wide issue that could only be resolved by negotiations between doctors and the Queensland Government.
However, Mr Jarman said he made a point of keeping Queensland Health informed on the impacts of the dispute.on elective surgery and other aspects of provision of care at Nambour.

Sari club victim airlifted to Darwin hospital
IT'S not often you would feel relief at news one of your closest friends had suffered burns to a third of her body.
But Caloundra resident Lou O'Brien was expecting a diagnosis far more severe before she spoke to her good friend, Nicolle Haigh, who was in the Royal Darwin Hospital on Monday.
"We'd heard it was more like 60% all over her hands, her face and down one side of her body,'' Ms O'Brien said of the Caloundra local, who was in the Sari Club during the epic Bali bomb blasts.
Nicolle was among the hundreds of injured Australians evacuated by five RAAF C130 Hercules to Darwin for emergency medical treatment, following the devastating attack.
More than 14 Australians have been confirmed dead while more than 110 have been found injured. Over 220 remain unaccounted for.
The Australian Red Cross is calling for public blood donations to help treat the hundreds of burn victims from the tragedy.
At 29, Nicolle, a federal police officer, had been working in East Timor as part of the United Nations' role in building the fledgling nation.
Her trip to Bali had been her first holiday since she started in Timor in August.
Ms O'Brien said Nicolle, a former Caloundra High student, had been inside the club with friends when the car bomb exploded, reigning deadly flames and debris on international revellers.
Although she managed to cover her body with a sheet of tin she found nearby, the flames caused severe blistering of her hands and extensive damage down one side of her body.
"She couldn't hold the phone to talk,'' Ms O'Brien said.
Nicolle's mum, Sue, boarded the first available plane to Darwin on hearing the news.
Nicolle is expected to be transferred to the Royal Brisbane Hospital today.
To contact the Red Cross, call 0403056948 for the mobile unit or the Nambour centre on 54706886.

TRAGEDY in Bali, bombs in the Philippines, and in that idyllic corner of Australia that is Cotton Tree a joyful luncheon.

It was an event which underlined the bonds between nations, bonds forged even tighter by acts of terror, according to guest of honour, Philippines ambassador to Australia Willy Gaa.
Yesterday's luncheon was hosted by a number of Sunshine Coast-based Filipino organisations, representing hundreds of people across the region.
When I was posted to Australia I wanted to visit all of the Filipino communities and this is part of that commitment,'' Mr Gaa said.
Mr Gaa said Australians and Filipinos had common feelings in a common fight'' against the forces of terror.
He said the recent bombings could only serve to strengthen the bond with Australia that date back to World War II.
The bombings certainly affect the Philippines region,'' he said.
We had hoped to attract more tourists this year and more again next year. That will be affected, obviously.
But our history of strong ties goes back before these bombings.''
Mr Gaa said his nation had experienced the benovolence of Australians'' during the World War II when the allied forces rallied together in the Pacific.
He said Filipinos and Australians had bonded in a common fight'' again in Korea and Vietnam and as peacekeepers in East Timor.
Both our nations are now in a fight against terror, part of a common front with the rest of the world.''

THE Sunshine Coast proved yesterday it wasn't good at luring just tourists to the region.

Equally as important, it will now be on the radar screens of major companies after 130 Insurers Hotline staff moved into their new $8million call centre in Kawana, the location chosen after an Australia-wide search.
The company's purpose-built three-storey premises overlooks the northern end of Lake Kawana which is being transformed into a world-class rowing centre and community aquatic facility.
Insurers Hotline has taken up the entire top floor of the building and also has an option to lease first floor space.
The way the business has grown in the past 15 months, CEO Mike Weston said he wouldn't be surprised if that space was needed soon.
We've had incredible growth when you consider we started in the old Lensworth office at Currimundi with 12 trainees and two trainers in June last year,'' he said.
The company initially had only sales staff in the premises, but subsequently relocated its client services section from Brisbane and is now preparing to locate its claims department as well.
We'll start advertising for staff from this weekend I wouldn't be surprised if we had around 200 employees by June,'' Mr Weston said.
I'm extremely pleased with the quality of staff we've been able to recruit.''
A successful call centre could be a catalyst for other major businesses to relocate here with our advantages of lifestyle, lower land costs and availability of staff.

NOOSA teenager Claire Franklin was an outrageous, vibrant individual who changed her hair colour every week, created fashion from op-shop clothes and pillow cases, and whose sense of fun drew people to her like a moth to a flame.

Also known as Clairey, Bones and, when she insisted, Donk, this is the daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend that will be remembered and celebrated today.
Claire was studying hospitality at South Bank TAFE and living in Brisbane when she was raped and murdered on this day last year.
Labourer Colin John Richardson, 34, was charged with her murder, after Claire's body was found in his unit, and is undergoing psychiatric testing as part of court proceedings.
Mother Sandy, brothers Dane and Trent, sister Loren and best friend Kasi Rakic will today visit Claire's grave at Tewantin before gathering with family and friends tonight to celebrate Claire's life.
Kasi wears a tattoo of a helicopter inscribed with the name Bones' on its tail on her lower back as a lasting tribute to the childhood friend she shared dreams, adventures and laughs with.
We were always drawing firetrucks and helicopters, we wanted to be firefighters. We were also going to live in an old airplane, deck it out and put carpet on the walls,'' she said with a grin.
Mrs Franklin yesterday said it was important people realised just how devastating murder was not just for the immediate family, but for the wider community and the long-lasting effects the loss had on people's lives.
She said more than 180 people were victims of homicide every year. Mrs Franklin said the police and the Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group had been very supportive.

A HEART-WRENCHING tale of hope has emerged from the road tragedy that left a two-year-old boy dead in Cooroy last week.

The young boy's baby brother, who suffered a savage blow to the head in the Friday car crash, has made a swift recovery in a Brisbane hospital.
Little Jack Weyman-Jones, aged six months, was expected back at his home in Ridgewood, near Noosa, from the Royal Children's Hospital yesterday.
Although painful, the homecoming gives Jack's grandmother, Jane Weyman-Jones, the strength to come to terms with the death of Jack's brother Edward, who was killed on impact, three months short of his third birthday.
We've got to keep going for Jack,'' she said.
We've got to be strong for him now.''
The accident happened on Cooroy's Lawnville Road about 4pm on Friday, when the Mitsubishi the boys' mother, Anna-Jane, 39, was driving lost control and struck trees.
She escaped serious physical injury.
Police said Anna-Jane was shocked and distraught, and was undergoing counselling.
Ms Weyman yesterday told the Daily the boys' parents had asked her to keep Edward's toys in the sand pit, as he had left them.
They want to remove the toys themselves they want to grieve together,'' she said.
She had been flooded with calls from concerned friends and family abroad and in Noosa, where the boys' father, Harvey, runs Hallmark Business Sales.
It's very difficult, but we're doing what we can,'' Ms Weyman-Jones said.
Accident Investigation Squad officer Senior Constable Andrew King said police investigations were continuing.

SAM Turly has reason to be smiling the talented musician has been reunited with a lost instrument and accepted into university.
The Nambour teenager's valuable euphonium was among items allegedly stolen from a Burnside High staff room on May 28, prompting a family plea for its return in the Sunshine Coast Daily.
Amazingly, Sam has now been reunited with the 50-year-old instrument more than four months after its disappeared.
Hardworking police phoned Sam with the good news the same day she found out she had been accepted to do a Bachelor of Music at the University of Queensland.
She auditioned on a borrowed instrument I think she's on cloud nine right now,'' her mum Amy Compton-Keen said.
It (the euphonium) was sitting in a canefield for a few months. The bag was quite wet but the instrument wasn't damaged.''
Ms Compton-Keen said the $6000 euphonium had been found by police at a Noosa pawn shop after staff raised the alarm.
A teacher's $8000 trombone taken from the school has also been recovered.

NOOSA Triathlon has come a long way since the running of the inaugural race 20 years ago.

One person who has been part of the triathlon's development into the second-largest in the world is Sunshine Beach local, Peter O'Neill.
When the starter's gun fires on Sunday, November 3, O'Neill will be one of the very few, if not the only person, with the distinguished honour of competing in all 20 Noosa Triathlons.
The race has definitely come a long way in 20 years,'' 51-year-old O'Neill said.
It's certainly more professional now the first race was a bit rough and ready.
Only 80 competitors registered for the first race, and we only had 62 finishers. I think it was something like only the third triathlon to be held in the eastern states of Australia.
The transition areas weren't even roped off, so your bikes just sat in the park.''
There is so much that O'Neill has seen and experienced in 20 years competing at Noosa.
But he still holds most dear the feeling of achievement he gets each year as he crosses the finish line: Just getting through the race is the best part for me. I've had injuries for the last three years, so it's a good feeling just to get through and finish it.''
O'Neill was on the organising committee for the first Noosa Triathlon in 1982.
He worked with a small team to ensure the actual race course fitted its description.

A TWO-fight triumph has given Caloundra's Rochelle Small a national taekwondo sparring title, but she laments she still cannot call herself No. 1''.

Small said yesterday she was pleased with her clear wins on points at the Australian titles on the Gold Coast.
But I do not feel I am the champion until I have beaten Carmen Marton from Victoria,'' she said.
She did not compete this time because she has been in Greece for the World Cup, where she won silver.''
Small, aged 19 and in her first year in the open division, hoped to face Marton at an invitational tournament set for early December at Homebush as a preliminary for possible 2004 Olympians.
The pair last met at the World Cup selection trials in March; Marton won 7-5.
A disappointment awaited Small on her return from the nationals as the official featherweight (55-59kg) champion.
I have been working as a waitress but they (the firm) told me they had to put me off,'' she said.
I am now looking to get into the tourism area.''
Small said her search for the right job and sponsorship was crucial as she sought an Olympic cap for 2008, if not 2004.
She trains with Kicks Taekwondo, which now has three other national champions.
Sarah Best, who trains with Kicks for sparring and with Noosa's Chris Blight for patterns, won the under-18 patterns title. She will turn 16 on Thursday.
Brendon Woolley, 15, won the junior under-45kg sparring title.
Kicks instructor Mark Johns won the men's patterns championship.

SUNSHINE Coast police have warned of the dangers of car surfing after a 18-year-old man sustained serious injuries on Saturday night, when he fell from a moving car.
An Energex Helicopter Rescue spokesperson said the man reportedly fell from the roof of a car moving at 60kph, at around 8pm.
The man suffered fractures to both arms and his hip was also dislocated, the spokesperson said.
He was airlifted to Nambour General Hospital from Teewah Beach (south of Double Island Point), where the incident occurred.
The injured man claimed he had fallen after leaning out of a window, but a witness to the incident claimed he had been car surfing on the roof of a four wheel drive.
We should warn people that while weekends are a good thing, if you party too hard, accidents do happen,'' the spokesperson said.
Sunshine Coast police district communications supervisor Ian Tinker said the incident showed common sense should prevail when driving.
He said both car-surfing and hanging out of a car window were dangerous acts.
If people choose to treat a vehicle as a toy, then they should expect consequences of death or serious injury,'' he said.
Meanwhile a 50-year-old Noosa women died early yesterday morning after falling from a cliff in Noosa National Park.
Sunshine Coast communications supervisor Ian Tinker said the woman died on rocks at the Boiling Pot.
The Noosa local was located by walkers in a semi-conscious condition at around 5am, he said.
An Energex paramedic said the women had multiple injuries as a result of her 20 metre fall, and died around 7.30am, still on the scene.

While the notorious Bandido motorcyle organisation may have captured the attention of the Sunshine Coast, another bikie group was conducting its own full-scale annual run.
The group of about 85 to 90 bikers, including members of the Sunshine Coast Women's Motorcycle Group and other bike enthusiasts, road 100 kilometres of the Coast yesterday to raise money for cancer.
Each year the event, hosted by the Sunshine Coast Women's Motorcyle Group, gives its proceeds to Bloomhill Cancer Help Centre.
Founding member and event organiser Helen Knight said the bike riders had hoped to raise around $2000.
It was a great run and a perfect day for it,'' Ms Knight said.
And whilst O'Malleys pub at Mooloolaba may have been marked as Bandidos territory, Palmview's Ettamogah Pub belongs to the fundraising bikies.
"We did a 100 kilometre run from the Etto to Yandina and Coolum, and back along the coast road,'' Ms Knight said.
"Now it's back to the Ettamogah for lunch and a good afternoon."

SUNSHINE Coast water could soon be helping our drought-stricken northern neighbours if the State Government approves a deal to sell water from the region's major supplier.
The Caloundra-Maroochy Water Supply Board believes it can spare 3000 megalitres from the Baroon Pocket Dam from November to January, through the summer peak.
Board manager Phil Aldridge said farmers in the Mary Valley to the Coast's north desperately needed more water.
The board has made an allocation after considering the low water levels around the state,'' he said.
We're going to sell the water to Sunwater (the State Government water authority) and they'll sell it to the irrigators obviously it's going to assist those people in need.''
But Queensland legislation needs to be changed to permit the sale something which Mr Aldridge said should hopefully be done on November 1.
A price has not yet been set.
Water Conservation Week started yesterday and will highlight the need for Coast residents to be watchful of what they waste down the drain.
The huge Baroon Pocket Dam near Montville provides about 60% of Maroochy Shire's drinking water and almost all of Caloundra City's.
The dam, which straddles the two shires geographically, has a capacity of 61,000 megalitres and is now 63.9% full.
That's expected to be enough to supply Caloundra and Maroochy for another 18 months without water restrictions, even it there is no decent rain in that time.
Mr Aldridge said Baroon Pocket was filled in February 2000 after strong downpours and remained full until last year.
But levels have dipped due to ongoing dry weather.

The thousands of visitors to the Landsborough Heritage Festival yesterday, and proud publican Terry Morrow, spent an absolutely fantastic'' day celebrating the town's charms.
When I first came up from Brisbane, people used to refer to Landsbrough as the town of the way to Maleny,'' Mr Morrow, who owns Landsborough Pub said.
Part of what today was about was telling people Landborough is the gateway to the Blackall Range. Stop here, have a cold beer, see all that the town has to offer, visit our great museum.''
Mr Morrow said about 3500 to 4500 people had come along to a great day of fun and history.
Everyone had a lot of fun. The support from the community groups and and business people has been wonderful. It's great to see what can be achieved when everyone gets together.''
There was a street parade, market stalls, Irish bands, belly dancers and square dancing, woodchopping and steam train exhibitions, the Landsborough Gift footrace and the Pub Moving Competition won by the Landsborough Pub team.
The race, to move two mini pubs, was all a bit of fun and a tip of the hat to local history.
It was a renactment of the time when Mellum Club Hotel, established in Mellum in 1888 had to be relocated and was hauled on to logs and gradually shifted to a new home in Landsborough.


IT WAS hard to tell what Canadian Simon Larose was more pleased about after yesterday's Uncle Tobys Masters singles final at Kawana Tennis Club.

Beating number one seed Joe Sirianni from Victoria to claim the title, or finishing a spring campaign that included Davis Cup representation in Brazil and a month of daily matches on the Tennis Australia Satellite tour.
Larose and Sirianni had been the clear standouts throughout last week's $50,000 Masters, and yesterday's final could not have portrayed how closely they were matched, if a script had been written.
Larose won the match 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, but took five match points in an epic last game to finally defeat a gallant Sirianni.
I was struggling in the heat towards the end. I came back from Brazil and started the Satellite Tour the very next day, and I've played almost every day since then for the last month,'' 24-year-old Larose said.
The second set Joe came out booming, and I couldn't keep up.
But in the third set I came back, I thought this is it, this is the final day of the Satellite Tour, I have to dig deep'.''
Simon played great today,'' Sirianni said.
I thought I played pretty good, but just got pipped at the end.''
Sirianni said the turning point of the match was the sixth game of the third set when he had Larose 0-40 on his own serve at 3-3 and failed to get the break.
I gave him my all in the last game, I just couldn't break him,'' the 27-year-old Tennis Australia vetran said.

A REMARKABLE 167-run partnership for the ninth wicket rescued a rollercoaster Glasshouse innings on day one of the Caloundra RSL Cup match against Caboolture on Saturday.

The Rangers finished all out for 309 after looking down and out at 8-141.
It was Andrew Smith (136 not out) and No.10 Anthony Delforno (98) who were the heroes for Glasshouse, combining in the century stand which saw the Rangers' total past 300.
The visitors had earlier suffered a top-order collapse, slumping to 3-9 before Smith settled the batting and steered the middle-order through to 8-141, nearing his own century on the way.
With the end of the innings looking imminent, Smith was joined by 16-year-old Delforno and the pair reversed the run of play.
Leading a side without usual skipper Geoff Paulsen, Brett Milini tried all the options, including himself, to break through and end the partnership.
Delforno played his role sensibly, hitting well down the line of the ball as Smith powered on to an eventual 136 not out.
The youngster was denied a well-deserved century when he was caught by Milini off Meade two runs short of his ton.
The Snakes now face their second 300-plus chase in two rounds their target this time just one run more than the 308 they reached in the round one loss to Caloundra.
At Ron McMullin Oval, Maroochydore wrapped up a first innings win on day one as a disappointing Caloundra showed little determination to fall for 128 against a supposedly under- strength Swans attack.
The home side moved smoothly to 1-142 by stumps with a patient Brian Haggerty unbeaten on 75.

CALOUNDRA runner Jenny Philp-Young won the Queensland 10,000 metres championship on Saturday night, but not the way she wanted to do it.

Only two women lined up on the University of the Sunshine Coast athletics track and Philp-Young's sole rival was not eligible to claim the title because she was not registered with Queensland Athletics.
It didn't matter anyway because she lapped the other runner several times on the way to posting a personal best time of 37 minutes two seconds in the humid, windy conditions 30 seconds faster than the time which took her to fourth position last year.
Philp-Young, who has been in great form recently, described the race as the toughest 25 laps of her career.
It was very disappointing that we had all the no-shows from the Brisbane and Gold Coast runners,'' she said.
Some of them are injured and others are out having a rest but I still would have thought there would have been a few more there.
The race was virtually a time trial and it makes it very difficult when all you have to focus on is the clock.
When you're running with a pack you have the other runners' backs to focus on and you're thinking about the tactics of the race, but when there's no-one else it makes it a very long 25 laps.''
No prizemoney is offered at the Queensland championships, unlike the many weekend fun-runs on the running calendar a situation the sport's governing body may have to look into to improve events like Saturday night's.
Brisbane runner Brad Smith won the men's championship.

PARADISE was lost this week. Terror exploded in our playground with an unseen foe pointing the finger of death at Australian civilians at our most popular holiday destination.

Bali, its people and our travel-loving nation will never be the same.
As the toll from the blast continues to rise, many burns victims still fight for their lives.
Those who emerged physically unscathed struggle to understand why they were spared.
The Sunshine Coast, like almost every region in Australia, experienced its share of tragedy, heroic acts and chilling examples of how fate can measure life and death in metres and seconds.
Thousands of Sunshine Coast residents will join tomorrow in a nation-wide tribute to those who suffered.
All churches will offer prayers to victims and their families, and events such as Landsborough's Heritage Festival will stop for a minute's silence in a special tribute.
St Marks Anglican Church at Buderim will hold a service of remembrance at 3.30pm.
The biggest community service will be held at Alexandra Headland at 10am when a moving ceremony will be conducted in memory of those who lost their lives in the Kuta bombing.
Balinese in traditional dress will make Hindu offerings, a gong will sound for each of those who lost their lives, and children from the St Johns Catholic School band will perform.
Alexandra Headland Malibu Club will coordinate a traditional surfers' memorial service, which involves paddlers forming a circle in the ocean and offering floral tributes.

THE Bandidos motorcycle gang roared into Mooloolaba yesterday under a police escort for day one of of their national run''.

Ten police bikes and two police cars accompanied the 100-strong group of riders along the Bruce Highway from Brisbane, guiding their arrival at Mooloolaba's Outrigger resort yesterday afternoon.
Sunshine Coast central district inspector Merv Neilson said the escort was provided to ensure the safe and efficient flow of local traffic''.
We're not anticipating any problems over the weekend,'' Insp Neilson said.
Bandidos members themselves said the event was about cameraderie, and played down the gang's criminal history.
It's just about all the brothers and their families getting together for a holiday,'' Bandidos secretary Sep'' said.
Among the items on their intinerary were a party at a private residence in Coolum on Saturday night, some skydiving in Caloundra and plenty of trips to the beach.
The Bandidos were the focus of a two-year police operation in Cairns, when nine gang members were among the 21 people pinned with 142 charges for offences including grievous bodily harm, trafficking cannabis and amphetamines and firearm possession.
Far North regional crime co-ordinator Detective Inspector John Harris said the operation, which ended in December 2000, decimated the Cairns chapter of the gang and landed its president in jail.
On the Sunshine Coast last year, Bandidos sergeant-at-arms Dallas Devine was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to a number of drugs and weapon charges.

HAZARDOUS chemical experts, firefighters and the Environmental Protection Agency were called into Maleny yesterday to investigate how fuel could be leaching into a major Sunshine Coast water supply.

Low explosive levels of gas were detected around a storm water drain, which flows into the Obi Obi Creek and then to Baroon Pocket Dam, after a plumber notified firefighters of a strong smell of fuel on Thursday night.
Caloundra City Council and the EPA brought in gas monitoring equipment yesterday to try and identify the source but were unable to pin-point it.
Despite the scare, Maleny Fire Auxiliary captain Peter Hopper said evacuation was not necessary because the risk of ignition was so low, but the area, on Coral Street, behind the shops was cordoned off.
He said a Hazchem unit initially tested for chemicals but the high readings had not been recorded again when council and the EPA investigated yesterday.
Maleny councillor Pauline Clayton yesterday said the situation was alarming'' but not new.
I have had complaints of the smell of fuel in our drains on Coral Street on and off for years,'' she said.
She said council had used meters to measure gas levels in the drains and all they had been able to tell her was there were many old fuel storage tanks under the Maleny CBD.
This has been different, this has been a serious release of fuel,'' she said.
Environmental Protection Agency Sunshine Coast district manager Nerida Budd said it was working with council to identify the source of the problem but it could be difficult.

MAROOCHYDORE'S Bad Girls strip club may have failed in its bid for a licence which would have allowed dancers to remove their G-strings but Maroochy Shire councillor Barbara Cansdell won't be happy until they are gone from the CBD altogether.

I will be moving a resolution at the next meeting of the planning committee that council take Bad Girls into the Planning and Environment Court because they have breached the conditions of the approval on their original application,'' Mrs Cansdell said.
In denying the club's bid for a permit allowing full nudity, the Liquor Licencing Tribunal heard there had been 1489 objections to the club's plan.
Mrs Cansdell said she had been advised to wait for resolution the Bad Girls' bid for the permit at the Liquor Appeals Tribunal before pursuing the matter further.
She said the strip club had not met some of council planning scheme's original conditions to trade in the CBD when the proposal was considered to be for a more typical nightclub.
The establishment was supposed to be more open to the street and to provide light meals from a commercial- standard kitchen, she said.
It doesn't comply.
It's an amenity issue that particular site is not the place to have Bad Girls.
It's too near churches, Lifeline, the scouts and girl guides and in that area higher-density residential development is going to come in thick and fast. To me they should get out and set up near the brothel at Kunda Park.''
Mrs Cansdell said the number of objections noted by the tribunal represented serious concerns from the broader community.

WHAT sort of state are you in? If recent publicity is any guide, you're probably overweight and unfit.

You might want to start an exercise program, but can't find the motivational trigger.
That's something the Queensland Government wants to change.
Not only does Premier Peter Beattie want us to be the Smart State, he also wants us to be the Green State and the Fit State.
He wants people to leave their cars at home and get on their bikes, walk to the shops, or join the great American tradition of car pooling.
A campaign encouraging everyone to do just that was launched at the Novotel Twin Waters resort yesterday.
Appropriately called TravelSmart, the campaign is a collaborative effort between Queensland Transport, Sunbus and a regional television station.
In launching the initiative, Member for Noosa Cate Molloy, representing Transport Minister Steve Bredhauer, said almost 750,000 residents in areas like Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and the Sunshine Coast would see the TravelSmart community service announcements over the next two years.
TravelSmart promotional material supporting the TV campaign, will also be placed on the entire SunBus fleet of 105 vehicles operating in regional Queensland.
Values in our community are becoming greener, Mr Bredhauer said.


THE Sunshine Coast's turf industry toasted a sweet victory yesterday after the state's racing chiefs again stamped metropolitan standard'' on a Corbould Park meeting date.

The board of Queensland Racing snubbed the city-based lobby against the allocation of any main Saturday dates to regional tracks and approved applications from the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast turf clubs.
I'll certainly have a champagne over this one,'' Sunshine Coast Turf Club chairman Les Geeves said after the QR approved the Caloundra City Cup meeting as the state's metropolitan meeting for July 5, 2003.
The approval is worth many millions of dollars in promotion and tourism for the Sunshine Coast.''
The 2002 Caloundra Cup meeting in July was the first metropolitan-standard Saturday meeting at Corbould Park since it opened about 17 years ago.
SCTC chief executive Mick Sullivan said the meeting generated $2.7 million in off-course betting revenue and drew almost 7200 to the course.
Despite the success, the city lobby continued to vehemently oppose the allocation of any Saturday dates to courses outside Brisbane.
Queensland Turf Club secretary David Laing said yesterday he was disappointed Queensland Racing had adopted the same carnival format as this year.
Laing expected the QTC board's meeting next Friday to discuss the implications of the race dates.
However, QR chairman Bob Bentley said his board's decision was based on the results of this year's winter carnival and the potential for future growth.

IT'S amazing the variations tennis players on the world tour can encounter in just a few weeks.

Last month Canadian Simon Larose was playing doubles for his country in a Davis Cup world group qualifying tie against Brazil in front of around 8000 spectators in Rio de Janeiro.
With partner Daniel Nestor, he lost a five-setter to former world No.1 Gustavo Kuerten and Andre Sa.
This week, he's at the Kawana Tennis Centre playing in the Uncle Tobys Masters satellite tour event in front of a handful of Sunshine Coast tennis followers.
Larose, ranked 559th in the world, accepts it as part of his life as a tennis professional, although he'd rather be playing for almost a million dollars somewhere else in the world rather than for a share of around $50,000 at Kawana.
It was a big decision to come down here, but there's not a lot on this time of year,'' Larose said.
It's a small event but you have to leave your ego at home and be prepared to bust your arse.
Money's not the motivation this week. It's all about earning ranking points and getting your ranking back up to where you don't have to play these events anymore.
Nothing against this event, it's well organised, but I want to be playing main tour events.''

MOOLOOLABA ironman Tim Peach reckons his parents should have pushed him into golf or football instead of letting him follow his brother Ben down to nippers when he was little.

He joked that compared to golf, there was far too much hard work required and not enough monetary gain in the competitive side of surf lifesaving.
I reckon golf would have been the sport,'' he laughed.
I didn't even like swimming much when I first started nippers, I just followed my brother, and then just kept going with it''
But don't worry about him griping about a missed life as a pro golfer when he hits the beach.
Dry humour aside, he loves the sport and the friendships he has made through patrols and surf carnivals.
There is more to life as a professional athlete than money, and 20- year-old Peach loves being an ironman.
This summer he reckons he is the fittest he has ever been, and ready to trial for automatic entry into the 2002/2003 Kellogg's Nutri- Nutri Grain Ironman Series.
With last season's nine best finishers already securing contracts, the rest of the field will race on Coolangatta Beach this weekend for the remaining four Kellogg's contracts.
For those who qualify, Kellogg's will pay travel and accommodation expenses for competitors to enter all four Nutri-Grain series rounds.
I've raced all the guys who are competing this weekend before and beaten them at various stages. so I'm not overly worried about that. I'd prefer to concentrate on my own race,'' Peach said.

TWO young schoolgirls emerged as heroes yesterday after escaping a brazen daylight abduction bid.
The girls yesterday recounted their terror as police launched a massive public appeal for information.
Little Sasha Vurlow and her best friend Nichole Barnes, both aged just seven, mustered the strength and the courage to fight off a physically intimidating man who dragged them into his car near Kuluin State School about 3.20pm Wednesday.
The brave duo had been heading for Nichole's North Buderim home along Tallow Wood Drive when the man pulled up, just half a kilometre from Sasha's home, and tried to entice them into his Holden Commodore with lollies.
When they refused, the man reached over the seat, grabbed Nichole and dragged her into the car.
Sasha latched on to her buddy, and both Year Two students were yanked inside.
A frantic few minutes followed as the car travelled about 300 metres towards Main Road, running a red light and nearly colliding with a white VW.
Police are asking the driver of that vehicle to come forward to help with the investigation.
A calm and softly-spoken Sasha yesterday told the Daily that although she was terrified, and that she and Nichole had done everything they could to get out of the car.
"Nichole was trying to control the steering wheel and I found a knife in his pocket and threw it out the window,'' she said.
Sasha recalled the distinct smell of liquor on the driver's breath.
"I was really scared ... I thought something bad was going to happen,'' she said.
The tussle saw the driver lose control and pull over, giving the girls a chance to unlock the door and scramble to the safety of Nichole's home.
Nichole's mum Alison Barnes, who moved with her children to the Coast from NSW just five months ago, was rocked by the news.
"It was terrible,'' she said. "I could just cry.''
Sasha's mum, Shelley Daws, was still in shock yesterday, sobbing as she recalled the event.
"Sasha was shaking and she said to me: `Mummy, I didn't think I was ever going to see you again','' she said.
Ms Daws was among the chorus of voices commending the girls for their gutsy actions.
"They were both very brave little girls,'' she said.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Schmidt said two Comfits had been drawn up to allow for slight variations in the girls' descriptions, and agreed the outcome could have been far worse if not for the girls' courageous escape.
"I think they've done exceptionally well. Had the young girls not fought back, we might have been looking at something completely different today,'' Det Snr Sgt Schmidt said.
The man is described as aged in his early 20s with a fat build and a tanned complexion.
He had a possible foreign accent and was about 180cm tall, with a naked lady tattooed on his left leg, and about five earrings in his right ear.
Police are asking Main Road residents to check their wheelie bins for a knife with a six-inch blade after a tipoff it may have been located and dumped by a passer-by.
The car is described as a black or blue Holden Commodore, possibly a wagon, with yellow and black number plates _ from either WA or NSW.
It had roof racks and possibly a bullbar.
Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers on

Surfers, members of the Sunshine Coast's Balinese and Indonesian communities and school children will combine for the service which will be held at 10am on the Bluff as part of the national day of mourning.
Balinese in traditional dress will make Hindu offerings, a gong will sound for each of those whose life was lost and children from St Johns Catholic School's gamelan band will play.
Alexandra Headland Malibu Club will coordinate the traditional surfers memorial service, which involves paddlers forming a circle in the ocean, a beating of the water and offering of floral tributes.
All surfers are invited to bring their boards and participate in the ceremony.
Messages of peace and condolence sent by the Kuta village chief will be read at the service. Rama Brierty from the Sunshine Coast's Balinese community will also speak as will a member of the Sunshine Coast clergy.
All attending are invited to bring floral tributes from their gardens. These will be carried out into the water along with the Balinese offerings.
John Stokes of ABC Coast FM will act as master of ceremony.
Organising committee spokesman Bill Hoffman said powerful existing links between the Sunshine Coast and Indonesia would become stronger through the shared grief.
"Both countries have suffered a terrible loss,'' he said.
"The beach service will recognise the link between the two countries. Since the 1970s, young Sunshine Coast surfers have made the journey to Bali and other areas throughout Indonesia.
"In many ways the people they have met and the experiences they have had, have shaped who they have become as adults. Surfers have developed their own service of grieving and it reflects the Balinese belief that everything comes from and goes back to the sea.''
Mr Hoffman said the Balinese bombings would have a devastating effect on the lives of Australians and the people of Kuta for decades to come.
"The day of mourning will give all Australians an opportunity to express their grief at the terrible events of October 12 and to show that terror will only serve to strengthen us as a nation and strengthen our resolve for peace.''
For more information about Sunday's memorial service call John Stokes on 54755000, Bill Hoffman on 54308079 or Damien Coulter of Alexandra Headland Malibu Club on 54447091.

SYDNEYSIDER Terry Feehan, a regular visitor to the Sunshine Coast, echoed the feelings of a planeload of passengers on Virgin Blue's first direct flight to the Sunshine Coast yesterday.
"I normally fly to Brisbane and then drive up but the cost of the Virgin flight was so good I decided to fly direct,'' he said.
Fellow passenger George Livanos, also from Sydney, said he also chose Virgin because of the "cost and convenience''.
The only problem for Mr Feehan was that the trip ended up costing him an extra $700.
That was the amount he bid for a weekend trip for two to the Novotel Twin Waters Resort in Virgin's charity in- flight fundraiser for the schizophrenia fellowship.
"We were having so much fun I got a bit carried away,'' Mr Feehan said.
Certainly "fun'' was the theme of the day with staff providing passengers with face painting, free champagne, free ice-creams and a free t-shirt that read "go where it's sunny for less money''.
Jazz musicians and local identities including Maroochy mayor Alison Grosse welcomed the passengers to the airport where manager Neil Weatherson said Virgin's flights would bring in an extra 120,000 passengers a year.
"It means we'll have around 420,000 seats a year coming into the airport,'' he said.
"When you consider the figures show that for every extra 167 people that come in, one new job is created, Virgin Blue's arrival is fantastic news for the local economy.''
Virgin's public and media relations manager Amanda Bolger was on the flight and said it was great to see people supporting "the airline that promotes competition''.
That was a clear reference to the announcement yesterday that Qantas had introduced a $100 one-way ticket cost between the Sunshine Coast and Sydney in response to Virgin's prices which start at $99.

A MOOLOOLABA woman moved out of her home in a bid to escape an alleged stalker who police claim had also video-taped young children on the beach, a Maroochydore court heard yesterday.
Former Mooloolaba resident Samantha Lee Charles told the Maroochydore Magistrates Court that her neighbour, Michael John Carr, had followed her home to Brisbane Road from a Moo loolaba Esplanade nightclub last December, whistling and hiding behind bus shelters as he shadowed her movements with a video camera.
"I thought this is a sick person I'm dealing with here _ I was afraid and I was on my own,'' she said.
Ms Charles told the court she and her two daughters, aged five and eight, moved out of their Mooloolaba home because she feared for her family's safety.
Mr Carr, 46, was committed to trial in the District Court over one stalking charge on a date to be fixed.
He entered no plea when he represented himself at his committal before Magistrate Dean Wilkinson yesterday.
Detective Senior Sergeant Russell Halfpenny told the court police had charged Mr Carr after a public appeal for information about complaints that "a large man'' had been video taping children on the beach.
He said police had seized from the man's home five video tapes containing footage of young children on Mooloolaba Beach.

CALOUNDRA ratepayers caught out by massive land value hikes face a nervous wait as outside consultants are employed to find ways to soften the blow.
City mayor Don Aldous said the boom in unimproved capital values had hit about 90 properties.
Mr Aldous said many of the residents, particularly in the Minyama area, had lived there for 20 or 30 years and were now pensioners, struggling to cope with the soaring values.
Division four councillor Andrew Champion said some people had faced increases up to 50% and paid as much as $5000 on their general rates this year.
To add to their woes, another 30% increase was expected next year.
He said some pensioners had already cancelled their health insurance to pay the rates.
The council will launch a consultation process, seeking suggestions on making the rates system more equitable and to find out if it can be made equitable.
In the meantime, rating is being levied as an average over the past three years.
But the issue sparked a massive debate in council chambers yesterday, with division two councillor Anna Grosskreutz questioning the need to employ outside consultants to handle the process.
"We have a community consultation officer on staff and I think he could have done the work without having to spend $50,000 of ratepayers' money,'' she said.
But Mr Aldous said there was no question that consultants needed to be employed from outside council.
"To get impartiality, to get fairness and to be open about it,'' he said.
"It needs to be someone at arm's length from the council who can pull it together and can have good, open communications,'' he said.
The extensive community consultation, is set to get under way early in November and be completed by mid- December.

IT was a perfect match. The kidney David Eaves donated to his wife Lisa took instantly after a long operation in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital on Monday.
David's mother Teresa yesterday said both were sore but recovering well, walking around and starting rehabilitation exercises the day after.
"It went very well, the kidney started functioning immediately,'' Mrs Eaves said from the couple's Lake Cooroibah home, where she is looking after grandsons Darcy, 10, and Benjamin, 6.
"Medical staff said it usually takes a couple of days for the kidney to start working, but this one must have been full of yippy beans _ it took straight away,'' she said.
Lisa was diagnosed with lupis nephritis when she was 13 but after years of treatment, doctors warned the 39-year-old her kidneys would fail by the end of this year.
A family history of diabetes meant her siblings could not be donors and next on the list was husband David. The couple will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary on Mondayoctober 21.
Mrs Eaves said David would be out of hospital within 10 days but would stay in Brisbane for a few days with Lisa.
Lisa will spend the next few months in Brisbane with relatives, while she makes daily visits to the hospital for treatment, but expects to be home in time for Christmas.
"I wouldn't want to go through this every day and I hope it's still functioning in 45 years,'' Mrs Eaves said.
She said she had been overwhelmed with phone calls of concern and support from the popular couple's family and friends, including Lisa's mother who lives in Italy and was married just last week.

A DAY hospital where the nurses are in stitches instead of the patients, where insurance companies have hardly increased premiums at all, and where nurses are queueing up to work there ... I'd like to see that.
Well, you can.
The Sunshine Coast Day Surgery celebrates its 10th birthday next weekend and director of nursing Julie Viecieli said the facility was going from strength to strength.
"Fortunately our specialists haven't been affected by the liability insurance issue ... the insurance companies say they're happy with the processes and procedures we have in place,'' she said.
The facility is owned privately and 77 doctors use its two operating theatres and endoscopy suite to treat their own patients who are charged a fee on top of their doctor's and anaesthetist's fees. A full and part-time staff of 25 nurses and seven administration people keep the centre ticking over.
Ms Viecieli said a 10th birthday celebration party had been organised for Saturday week where all the doctors and staff and their families had been invited.
"We understand that people need a balance in their lives between work and family so we try to ensure staff have the opportunity to achieve that,'' she said.
"We have a lot of fun every day.''


Attack takes place metres from local primary school
POLICE yesterday were investigating the savage bashing of man outside a corner shop just metres from Maroochydore State Primary School.
Witnesses to the assault said a man had repeatedly bashed another man with a piece of wood, resulting in serious injuries to the victim of the attack.
Des Sheppard was passing on his motorbike and stopped when he saw the assault taking place.
"There was a fella with a piece of four by two just swinging and swinging and hitting him,'' Mr Sheppard said.
"He kept on flogging him and flogging him.''
He said the attacker then fled the scene, and Mr Sheppard flagged down a police car and reported the incident.
Convenience Corner and Papers owner Alan Birkenhead said he had not seen the attack as he had been working at the back of his shop.
But he said had heard the sounds of a serious altercation, followed by shouts from witnesses to call the police, which he did.
Mr Birkenhead said police were a regular sight in the Primary School Court area.
"There's trouble of some kind here every day.''
A witness who declined to be named said the victim had been sitting on the step outside the corner shop when the other man appeared with a "big lump of wood'' and attacked him.
Maroochydore QAS paramedic Lindon Shield said the man was conscious after the attack but had serious chest injuries and had been transferred to Nambour General Hospital after initial treatment at the scene.
Police inquiries were continuing yesterday afternoon but no arrest had been made.
Meanwhile, a Beerwah chemist became the second pharmacy in as many weeks to fall vitcim to a Sudafed smash-and-grab.
Theives smashed through the doors of the Soul Pattinson chemist and swiped up to 30 packets of decongestants, including Sudafed, which contain a chemical used in the production of amphetamines.
No other products, such as cameras or perfumes, were stolen.
The Montville Pharmacy was broken into last week.

Retribution would mean triumph for evil
TEARS flowed at a Brisbane church service in memory of the Bali bomb victims yesterday where a bishop implored Australians to resist reacting to the tragedy with anger, hatred and revenge.
"To be overcome with retribution ... would mean that evil hasreally triumphed,'' Brisbane An glican bishop Richard Appleby told the congregation of about 150 people at St John's Cathedral.
"We can do our bit to make sure that we don't keep the evil incirculation by passing it on.
"If we respond to evil with evil we will become part of the problem.''
The congregation included friends of some of the victims.
"It's quite horrendous,'' said an emotional Sherie Rodrigues, afriend of bomb victim Jodie Cearns.
Ms Cearns, 35, the stepdaughter of Olympic gold medallist Glynis Nunn-Cearns, remains on life support at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital after having her leg amputated in Darwin.
"To think that this could happen. I didn't think I would ever beaffected by anything like this. To especially know somebody, it'sscary,'' Ms Rodrigues said.
"I just want the families to know that we're thinking of them.''
Mary Lipinski, who had a friend in Bali who escaped injury,called on the young holiday makers who lived through the Kutablasts to resist becoming a victim of survivor guilt.
"Please all those young people don't feel guilty that you're alive and that some didn't make it.''
because we've just got to live in hope and pray that this doesn't happen again,'' she said, wiping tears from her eyes.
Ms Lipinski, who was at the World Trade Centre in New York just three days before the September 11 tragedy, said the Bali disaster was just as horrific.
"This, per head of population, has been far more devastating asfar as carnage of young life - children, mothers, brothers,'' shesaid.
"Today I had to come. I'm a mum, I'm a grandma, I'm a wife, I'm all of those and people out there are all suffering for no goodreason.''
Acting Premier Terry Mackenroth, who attended today's service, called on Queenslanders to attend Sunday church services as part of the national day of mourning.
He said it was still unclear how many Queenslanders had died inthe Bali terrorist attack.
Eleven Bali victims remain in hospital in Queensland, includingfour in intensive care at Royal Brisbane Hospital.
A 17-year-old youth from NSW was still critical and in an unstable condition, a Queensland Health spokeswoman said.

Fears many Australians will never be identified
CRIME scene investigators arestill finding human remains in the debris around two Bali nightclubs blown up in a terrorist attack five days ago.
So huge was the blast, which killed at least 180 people _ more than 100 feared to be Australians _ that many of the victims were blown to pieces and may never be positively identified.
Crime scene investigators are still poring through the rubble and putting body parts into little bags.
In one instance an official found something, put it in a bag,and used sign language to sig nal to a colleague that he had found a human hand.
Australian police experts warned yesterday that it may take months to sort out identities.
"There is nothing we would like more than to get this donequickly, but it's on a scale un precedented for Australia and rare in the world,'' said Julian Slater, head of the victim identification squad flown in from Australia.
The Australian Federal Police officer said he understood the frustration and anger of scores of relatives upset that none of the Australian victims had yet been returned home.
But he had more grim news for them when he said the entire process of identification and repatriation would take "months''.
"It is possible that some people may not be identified,'' he said.
And despite the fact that Australian authorities had confirmed at least 30 Australian dead, he said: "Nobody has been identified to the point of repatriation.''
The problem is that many bodies have been identified visually, but that is not sufficient to meet the international protocols required by all countries whose nationals have died.
These standards require identification by DNA samples, dental records or fingerprints.
"It might seem like red tape, but visual identification hastaken place in circumstances of extreme duress, and we need to be absolutely confident these are correct,'' Mr Slater said.
"It is a prolonged and extraordinarily complex process.''
He did not wish to hazard an estimate of when the first bodies would be flown back home.
Mr Slater said the Childers backpacker fire in Queensland was a far less complex identification task than the Bali emergency, and took place on Australian soil, but even that took two weeks.
Australian families in Bali today were giving DNA samples,mostly through mouth swabs, to help identify victims.
Relatives at home could do the same without having to come to Bali, experts explained.
A Foreign Affairs Department official pointed out that the identification process was complicated by the fact that thedisaster area was also a full scale crime investigation scene.
"There are other forensic issues to consider here,'' the official said.
"These people did not fall off the back of a motorbike.''
Mr Slater said conditions at Denpasar's Sanglah morgue had improved, though they were still "very hot and crowded''.

MATT Page publicly apologised yesterday to two German tourists he tied to a tree and robbed at gunpoint during his 10 days on the run in the Northern Territory.
The 31-year-old Hervey Bay man told the Darwin Magistrates Court he would plead guilty to all charges when he faces court next month.
He apologised to a total of six victims he encountered during the course of what his lawyer Jon Tippett, QC, described as a breakdown.
He also expressed regret to police for the resources they had to use to hunt him down.
He apologised to Eva Obermeyer, 50, and her 16-year-olddaughter, Sarah, for leaving them tied to a tree overnight in Litchfield National Park on August 30.
And for robbing them of $650, travellers cheques and three credit cards after firing his .40 calibre Glock pistol.
He also apologised to Suellen Pitt, the woman from whom he stole a car$47,000 four-wheel drive vehicle in Maryborough, Queensland, during a test drive on July 13.
And he apologised to Felicity Douglas, Leone Symons and Stuart Williams, who gave him a lift on September 8. Page threatened them with his pistol moments before he was caught. in a police roadblock in Arnhem Land.
"He wishes to extend publicly his profound apologies to (the six victims),'' Page's lawyer Jon Tippett told the court.
"He deeply regrets the distress and concern that his actions have caused,'' Mr Tippett said.
For reasons to will be explained in the Supreme Court, Page had lost all hope for the future before the crime spree, Mr Tippett said.
"His trek into the isolated regions of the Territory was apersonal journey that arose as a result of a belief that his life was not worth living.
"And with the specific idea of ending it at some point at an isolated place using one of the guns he possessed.''
As well as guns, the court heard Page was also found with a set of Smith and Wesson handcuffs plus three packets of cable ties of the type used to shackle the German tourists.
Magistrate Dick Wallace committed Page to appear before the next sitting of the NT Supreme Court on November 4.
He faces 13 charges including deprivation of liberty,threatening with a gun, and robbery.
While Page is a remand prisoner, he was allowed to wear street clothes and sit at the bar table beside a police guard rather than in the dock.
Mr Tippett asked that the suicide-risk stamp on Page's file be removed. Mr Wallace denied the request.
Page also faces 20 lesser charges for gun offences andtrespassing on Aboriginal land which will be heard by a magistrate.

A FURIOUS Alison Grosse lashed out at her opponents yesterday, claiming her "reign'' over Maroochy Shire had moulded it for the better, despite her having to work with people with "extreme personality disorders''.
The Maroochy mayor narrowly survived what was effectively a "no confidence'' motion at yesterday's council meeting after hearing a mix of insults and accolades from her fellow councillors.
Councillor Zrinka Johnston called on the council to "disassociate'' itself from evidence Mrs Grosse gave to the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry on Monday where she claimed to have the reading ability of an eight-year-old.
The Buderim councillor's motion also called on the council to express its concern at the mayor's alleged "continuing irresponsibility and lack of leadership''.
"It's a long-established tradition in Australia for elected representatives to voice no confidence in their leaders,'' she said.
She said the mayor's Commission evidence had been the last straw.
But the mayor found support from her deputy, Trevor Thompson, and councillors Errol Middlebrook, Bruce Dunne, Leigh Rowan, Gillian Taylor and Hermann Schwabe.
Mrs Grosse, who spoke quickly and loudly when she was given a chance to respond to the motion, told her opponents they were unfairly judging her.
"It's not me that's on trial at the Royal Commission,'' she said.
"As far as I'm concerned, I was just asked some questions and I answered them ... I'm part of a process.
"I think it's very shallow of anybody to think that they are a court judge ... quite frankly, I think it's degrading.
"Give me some real reason for your stupid, out-of-order motion today.''
At one stage during yesterday's debate, Mr Thompson left his chair, walked to the mayor's side and whispered to her to calm down.
He told the council Mrs Grosse did not give evidence at the Royal Commission as the Maroochy mayor, but as a private person and the former chairman of a Sunshine Coast apprentices company.
Mrs Grosse said she had a "courageous spirit'' as "a woman and a leader'', despite her "disabilities''.
She said if councillors wanted to "throw stones'', she could also criticise her colleagues.
"I have to put up with extreme personality disorders,'' she said.
Councillor Barbara Cansdell, who seconded Ms Johnston's motion, said she was surprised by the mayor's claim to have a juvenile reading ability, saying she got through a 25-minute speech when delivering this year's budget.
"I've always admired her for her speeches - which she reads,'' she said.
Mooloolaba councillor and mayoral aspirant Joe Natoli said it was unfortunate that the council and staff had to be brought into "this confrontation between the media and the mayor''.
Mr Natoli said debate over the mayor's leadership had been a distraction from the good work the council was doing.
However, he supported Ms Johnston's motion in distancing the council from what the mayor said at the commission.

IF not for a re-scheduled flight Julie Stevenson would have left Bali on Saturday _ and would not have been buying drinks in the Sari Bar.
But her family are still counting themselves lucky that she was able to get a message to them before she died, and that they will have her body to say their goodbyes to.
Brother Allan, of Mt Coolum, said Julie, 34, who worked for Mambo in Sydney, was on a week's holiday with a girlfriend and was due to fly home Saturday afternoon but their flight was delayed a day.
The women decided to head to the Sari bar for one last night of fun. Julie was at the bar buying drinks when the bomb went off, her girlfriend was in the toilet.
Mr Stevenson said somebody pulled Julie from the wreckage and took her to a clinic where she was treated for severe burns by an Australian doctor. Debbie walked out unharmed.
"She was able to say her name and give them her mother's name and telephone number, and asked the woman (doctor) to ring and tell her parents she loved them,'' he said. Julie died in theatre.
The loss is all the harder for Mr Stephenson and his family, as they lost his older brother at 14 in a car accident. He didn't even know his sister was in Bali until Sunday afternoon, when he was told of her death.
"It's such a shame and such a waste. I'm an only child now. To get the message and to know there is a body, at least we'll have some form of closure,'' he said.
"I can't understand this. I want people to know about my sister and know about our grief.''
Mr Stevenson said the family were waiting for Julie's body to be returned to Australia before planning her Gold Coast funeral.

COAST churchgoers and many members of the wider community were yesterday celebrating a courtroom decision which means the strippers at Maroochydore's Bad Girls will have to keep their G-strings on.
Bad Gil victory for people power over Maroochydore's Bad Girls strip club.
But the owner of Bad Girls has vowed the club is "there for the long haul'' despite the fail ure of his appeal against the Liquor Appeals Tribunal's refusal of an adult entertainment permit.
Tony Shead, who owns Queensland's five Bad Girls clubs, said he would considering further legal action to try to gain the permit, which would allow for total nudity at the club, in line with his other establishments.
would bring the Maroochydore club in line with the other four premises.
However, Stella Maris Catholic Church parishioner Greg O'Connor said the decision was "a victory for community action'' with hundreds of objections to the Bad Girls' bid.
"I think the tribunal has made an important decision, particularly for the local community,'' Mr O'Connor said.
While he said many churchgoers would object to Bad Girls on moral grounds, the legal fight was a "social action'' based on retaining a family- friendly precinct at Ocean St.
He cited a section of the tribunal's report in which it was found that "the use of these premises for sexually activities is out of keeping with the character of the locality as it presently exists and as council intends the locality to develop''.
Mr Shead said Bad Girls would continue to trade as "a topless bar'' while he considered his legal options.
He said there had been no problems with his clubs which did hold the adult permits, including one in the Queen St Mall _ "a family area'' _ and another located next to a church.
"We're in Maroochydore to stay,'' he said. "We bought the building. We're not going anywhere.''

THE recent burst of summer is only a taste of what's to come, and those holding out for rain have a long wait ahead.
The Bureau of Meteorology yesterday issued extreme fire weather warnings for the weekend as it also brought devastating news for the region's farmers.
According to the latest extended forecast, it is likely to stay hot and dry until April.
summer is going to be hot and dry and it's likely to stay that way until April.
While he couldn't say how intense the heat could become,
Meteorologist Livio Regano said there was not much good news for the region now afflicted by drought.
"The odds are certainly against us,'' Mr Regano said.
"The rest of Queensland has done well in the last few years, but south-east Queensland has been bad for three seasons. This is now likely to be the fourth.''
There is only 35-40% likelihood the Sunshine Coast will receive normal rainfall in the next three months. That drops to 30-35% a bit further inland.
"This is a new science _ that's as good as we can do at the moment,'' Mr Regano said.
The region missed out on the usual drenching summer rains because cyclones took the moisture north, Mr Regano said.
Then the winter high pressure systems came closer than usual, dumping good snow in the country's south, but again keeping rain away.
On top of that, the current weak El Nino is also predicted to hang around.
While not automatically i dicating drought, Mr Regano said the El Nino was a concern until Autumn.
"In Autumn, it all changes,'' he said.
"Autumn can't be predicted _ the climate is so changeable then no-one can forecast through the barrier,'' he said.
Yesterday's temperatures hit 29 degrees in Nambour, and 26 at Maroochydore.
While still steamy, it didn't come close to the state's top of 40 degrees at Camooweal and Julia Creek.
The Coast is likely to stay hot and fine into the weekend, with fire warnings issued for today and Saturday.
when temperatures are tipped to hit 32 degrees, and a possible thunderstorm this afternoon.

The Bureau yesterday issued the high to extreme fire weather warning, with thun derstorms possible this afternoon thursday.


BALI'S seeming immunity from the political troubles affecting other parts of Indonesia was the very reason why Saturday night's bombing happened.
That is the belief of former Sunshine Coast Daily surfing columnist Paul Anderson who's lived about 2km from the Sari Club in Kuta for seven years.
Yesterday Mr Anderson, now the manager of Billabong Indonesia, said a cloak of sadness had descended on the normally bustling island after the terrorist attacks that took so many innocent lives.
"Because Bali has always been regarded as immune, security had become lax, awareness was lax, people were off guard,'' he said.
"You've only got to look at the Paddy's Bar explosion.
"A guy walked in off the street, gave a bag to a security guard and asked him to look after it while he went to the toilet.
"The guard held on to it for a while, eventually put it down, walked outside and not long after it blew up.
"That would never have happened in Jakarta _ people are much more suspicious there.''
Mr Anderson said the increased security presence, plus the new-found vigilance of the local villagers, meant Bali was now a genuine safe haven, adding he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.
"I'm not concerned about my own personal security in any way,'' he said.
"I've lost friends and friends of friends, but there's been no talk of reprisals ... let tolerance be the winner.''

COOLUM could become a haven for souped-up cars after Maroochy Shire Council yesterday agreed to scour the shire for a "facility for high performance vehicles''.
Councillor Steve Dickson said a parcel of low-lying land _ just a whiff away from the Coolum sewerage treatment plant _ could be perfect for the car buffs.
He called on the council to investigate turning the site into an official high performance car precinct.
But the council instead backed a wider motion to consider Coolum and the rest of the shire for a suitable site.
Coolum councillor Bruce Dunne said a facility was warranted but that he did not believe the touted parcel of Coolum land was suitable.
He said parts of the site were under water, that it contained mangroves and that it would re quire a lot of clearing before it could be used for vehicles.
He said it was also not far from people's homes.
But Mr Dickson said the Coolum site had the support of many young drivers.
About 300 people turned up to a community meeting at Alexandra Headland last week to discuss the Sunshine Coast's "hoon'' problem and possible solutions. A suggestion to build a specific facility for car racing was strongly supported.
Councillor Joe Natoli _ whose Mooloolaba division has been a favourite with car enthusiasts for years _ said providing a specific facility was one way the community could deal with the issue in the long run.
"It's part of a long-term strategy,'' he said.
But he said drivers came to Mooloolaba and Maroochydore from outside the Maroochy Shire as well as within, and said sites could also be investigated in Caloundra City.

PUBLIC transport on the Nicklin Way will be subject to a comprehensive audit to improve safety and access for Kawana residents if a Caloundra councillor gets her way.
The audit has been pushed by Wurtulla councillor Elaine Darling, who said the expanding expanse of suburbia throughout Kawana had created the need for a revamp of services.
She said safety had become an issue at some bus stops, including the stop opposite the Wurtulla shops where there was no wheelchair or pram access and the situation needed urgent attention.
"On a number of occasions I have seen the driver pull up at the kerb south of the shelter, near the busy intersection, to enable a commuter in a wheelchair to board the bus,'' she said.
"This is potentially dangerous to the commuter, passengers and passing cars and pedestrians.''
Ms Darling last week met with representatives from Main Roads and Sunbus.
The Sunbus service runs down the Nicklin Way every 15 minutes but was difficult to access for many residents.
Ms Darling will use discretionary funds to immediately improve access ramps at the Wurtulla Shopping Centre bus stop.
She will present a notified motion to the council today to push for the audit of services to set the ball rolling for an audit of services.

A GYMPIE baby treated last week for potentially fatal meningoccal disease is at the centre of controversy over delays in emergency treatment.
The baby, later transferred to Nambour General Hospital for specialist care, had to wait for more than six hours for attention at Gympie Hospital, according to parents Sean McLintock and Vicki Gentry.
The couple said their son, six- month-old Joseph, received antibiotics at at 10pm after arriving at the hospital at 3.30pm and being tested at 9pm.
They are demanding an explanation, claiming they waited hours despite receiving a referral for "emergency'' treatment from their GP.
Nambour General Hospital was also under fire earlier this month after a leaked report revealed an increasing number of patients were being forced to wait for more than eight hours for hospital admission through their emergency department.
Shadow health minister Fiona Simpson yesterday called for an urgent response from Health Minister Wendy Edmond.

After initial treatment in Gympie, the baby was transferred to Nambour General Hospital for specialist treatment.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has blamed staff shortages at Gympie Hospital for an alleged five-hour delay before doctors saw a six-month-old baby with suspected meningococcal meningitis.

The AMA's Gympie branch spokesman Dr Rob Tuffley says he is not personally familiar with the case, but says staffing levels at Gympie Hospital have reached crisis point.

`I think the State Government has to take some of the blame, but having said that, staffing in emergency situations is always difficult and if the doctors were busy with another emergency, these things sometimes happen, you can't always provide staffing for emergencies,` he said.
The Gympie District Health Service has declined to comment.

IF you think the motorway is a mess now, imagine fighting 535,000 people for some lane space.
That's the staggering population projection that has prompted a State Government study into how the Sunshine Coast's major road network will be able to cope with a growth rate expected to pass half a million by the year 2032.
The SM2032 study began this week with an SOS for help to the people who know the Sunshine Motorway the best _ the drivers who tackle it every day.
And while researchers are looking 30 years into the future, the $1.5 million study is only expected to take 12 months.
Main Roads minister Steve Bredhauer, who launched the study yesterday, said SM2032 would focus on how to improve the crucial 17km of motorway that linked the Bruce Highway at Sippy Downs with the Maroochy River.
That will take in traffic flow between the key centres of Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Kawana.
RACQ general manager Gary Fites yesterday welcomed the study, but said he was surprised it had not been extended further north to Coolum and burgeoning Peregian Springs.
Mr Fites, who spent the September school holidays on the Coast, said he knew first-hand how frustrating the motorway network could be.
``Something needs to be done on the Sunshine Coast to remove this disturbing reputation of the area being particularly prone to crashes,'' he said.
``The big question (of planners) is if motorists can expect to see a dual carriageway put there.
``There's the capacity issue but there's also the safety aspect of dividing the traffic ... when you've got traffic travelling at high speeds it's essential to separate it.''
Mr Fites said he believed one of the major causes of driver frustration and accidents was confusion.
``Toward the southern end they need to look at removing some of the more confusing engineering,'' he said.
He said confusing road signs and difficult lane changes made life difficult for drivers.
``It's fair to say that confusion is a real negative in a safety sense,'' he said.
``If you're coming out of Mooloolaba you've got to get over three lanes to get over to Coolum (ie the turn-off to the north).''
Mr Fites said 75% of accidents were still blamed on human error, with 20% on road factors and 5% on vehicles.
But he said planners were becoming more aware that drivers were only human.
``Road authorities are increasingly recognising that drivers will make errors and lack concentration ... they're becoming more forgiving of human failings (in their planning),'' he said.
He said Coast tourism meant there were more drivers unfamiliar with local roads _ and ``arguably a higher proportion of people under the influence''.
The RACQ will do its own study into the region's safety record over the next year.
About 40,000 local residents are receiving newsletters this week informing them of Main Roads SM2032 study and how they can have a say.
The initial public consultation will be followed by a needs assessment and a short list of planning options to expand the motorway.
Those options will then be put back to the public by late 2003.
Work is already scheduled to begin mid-2003 on four-laning the congested motorway stretch between Buderim-Mooloolaba Road and Maroochydore Road.
Designs are also well advanced for a new connector road linking Nicklin Way with the Sunshine Motorway between Mountain Creek and Chancellor Park.

A WARANA businessman is calling for vigilance after he came close to losing $10,500 to a sus pected chequebook fraudster.
Mark Farrelley is urging bank customers to keep a close eye on their cheque accounts after he claims he was targeted not once, but twice by a crook who made such a convincing copy of his cheques, they passed routine inspection at the Maroochydore ANZ.
A cheque for $4730 was cleared by the bank last Friday, but Mr Farrelley said it carried the same encoding number as a blank cheque that was still in his book.
By sheer fluke, Mr Farrelley checked his account via the internet within the cheque clearing period, and alerted the bank to the anomaly.
Although the bank had cleared the cheque, it reimbursed him the sum because he raised the issue before the cheque had been approved, he said. "It was just fortunate I happened to be online because some people don't get their statements for weeks or even months,'' he said.
The following Monday, a cheque for $5860 from his account was also presented.
Again, the blank cheque baring the same number rested in his chequebook, but this time the bank was on the ball, and did not allow it to be cashed.
The bank is investigating and police have been notified. ANZ has not answered the Daily's queries.
But Mr Farrelley said it appeared the suspected fraudster had scanned copies of a cheque carrying his signature, and had changed the encoding numbers.
He understood cheques from at least one other person's account had also been forged.



THE heart-wrenching letters of two Perth children, written to a father who died in the Bali bombings, were read to a tearful memorial service in Parliament House yesterday.
Mathew and Tasha Dobson wrote the notes to their dad Andrew in the hope he would be found among the injured after the Bali attacks.
The letters were given to friends who flew to Bali in search of their mate.
Mathew, 11, and Tasha, 13, with their mother Tanya Dobson, were among the family and friends to mourn the 96 dead or missing Australians at yesterday's memorial service in Parliament's Great Hall.
The congregation of military chiefs, church leaders, politicians and family members was clearly moved when Labor leader Simon Crean read out the letters, with family permission.
"Get well, Dad, and hurry up so that we can go fishing. Bye, Mathew. Get well,'' Mathew wrote.
Tasha hoped her father would be found safe.
"Dear Daddy, hi it's Tasha Bear. Hopefully this letter will come to you when the boys find you safe.
"It's just been so confusing around lately with all of the stories Mum and Glyn have been getting.
"And on Wednesday they held a service at the sport centre for the whole school. Our names were mentioned three times.
"There's also another girl from my school who's in year ten or eleven and she has burns to 80% of her body and has lost two fingers.
"She's currently in the Fremantle Hospital and her Mum and stepsister are in Darwin with very bad burns. And her mother has spinal injuries. Her stepfather is still missing out there.
"We're all at home waiting for you, especially Nana, because she's really been fretting and has gone to stay with Ted and Val.
"Mathew's coping, he just hasn't been going to school for the past week. I've been at school except for Tuesday.
"When you get the chance could you please ring, because there are so many people, people who don't even know you, that are really worried about you.
"Talk to you when I see you next.
"Big hugs and kisses, Tasha Bear.''
Mr Crean said the letters were a testament to the impact of the Bali bombings on Australian families.
"Whilst I think that there have been many great words and tributes paid in the context of this great tragedy, those words are the ones that will last in my mind as testament to what this tragedy has done to families, to innocence, to love, to association,'' Mr Crean said.
Sunshine Coast federal MPs Peter Slipper, Alex Somlyay and Mal Brough were among those who gathered with Mr Slipper describing the service as one of the most moving he had ever attended.
"It was such a poignantly sad event,'' Mr Slipper said.
"It was an amazing outpouring of grief,'' he said.
Mr Slipper said it would have been incredibly difficult for the 200 family members who gathered. "It was very difficult to remain composed.''
Mr Somlyay said he hoped yesterday's service would never have to be repeated again in Australia's history.
"I experienced feelings I never knew I had when I saw people lighting candles for their loved ones.''
Mr Somlyay said both Mr Crean and Prime Minister John Howard gave statesman-like addresses on what was a day of national unity in condemnation of the mass murder of ordinary Australians.

THE biggest names in Australian retailing continue to sign up for places in the $50million Sunshine Homemaker Centre on Maroochydore Road.
A spokesperson for Australian Unity which has set up a public property trust to operate the centre, said yesterday that 90.17% of the space had been either leased or committed.
One of the latest companies to join the action was A-Mart All Sports which has committed to 1050sqm of floor space, more than it has at its popular Kawana Waters outlet.
Jeff Hockam has managed the Kawana store for two years and will move to the new shop when it opens on Saturday week.
"I'm confident it will will go very, very well,'' he said in between setting up displays yesterday.
"There's nothing else like this on the Sunshine Coast.''
Also preparing to open next week was Allan Dingwall, a director of Megafloor which will operate The Mega Flooring Depot, a new concept in floor coverings.
He said the company, part of the Harvey Norman group, had chosen the location to trial the concept because, "The Sunshine Coast has very strong growth and it's such an appealing market''.
Success at the Sunshine Homemaker Centre could see the concept expanded throughout Australia and eventually overseas.
The store will have plenty of competition with Taj Mahal Rugs and Solomons Carpets confirmed as other tenants.
Retailers that have already signed up include: Skinners Mazda, Super Cheap Autos, Fernwood Fitness, Cocos, Betta Electrical, Pillow Talk and Beacon Lighting.
Those committed, but yet to sign, include Sleepys, Brisbane Car Sound, Cash Converters, Early Settlers Furniture, OzDesign Furniture, Red Rooster, a liquour outlet, two homeware stores and a haberdashery outlet.
Discussions are also progressing for a video store, convenience store, pharmacy/medical centre and an office products outlet.
The managers are hoping to have the centre 95% full by mid- November.

Countless negatives hold positive pull for locals
WHEN photographer Rex Moir leaves his Buderim studio for a new life in New Zealand, he will leave behind a room full of magical memories.
With 22 years of local photography behind him, Mr Moir has captured on film the special occasions of countless Sunshine Coast families.
"I have met so many fantastic people,'' Mr Moir said "It has been very good fun.''
Mr Moir has lost count of the weddings, babies and family and business portraits he's done through Rex Moir Photography and estimates he's taken about 3000 photos each year for 12 years at dance eisteddfods.
Now he's encouraging people who want to purchase their wedding negatives or order debutante, formal or dance eisteddfod photos, to get in touch _ quickly.
He has the negative for every photo he has taken meticulously filed and says he'd have no wor ries tracking down jobs from two decades ago.
Mr Moir will continue his photographic work when he and his wife Janice fly to New Zealand on November 1.
Their new home at Whakatane, by the coast an hour from Rotorua, has beautiful gardens which will be hired out for weddings.
"I think it has been a great lifestyle here, but we just want a change and my wife has family there,'' Mr Moir said.
"It's very similar to here but far quieter.
"We came to Buderim when it was just a quiet little village and we want to return to that kind of lifestyle.''
Meanwhile, his Buderim business will be taken over by former Sunshine Coast Daily photo grapher Greg Miller.
"He's an excellent photographer,'' Mr Moir said.

Government advised to focus on the criminals
A FORMER Sunshine Coast politician has objected to greater gun controls on the basis that existing laws have not reduced gun- related crime.
As State premiers prepared to meet yesterday to discuss tougher gun laws in the wake of the Monash University shooting, Neil Turner, the former Member for Nicklin, said existing laws were not working.
Mr Turner said the gun laws brought in following the Port Arthur mass shooting had targetted legitimate gun users rather than criminals.
"Now, some five years after gun laws were brought in, we see an increase in gun related crimes of 75%,'' he wrote in a letter.
A Sunshine Coast sporting shooter agreed, saying Australia was going down the same path as England, where gun-related crimes were increasing despite gun laws.
The shooter, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the government was not doing enough to target the illegal gun trade and deter people from buying and selling on the black market.
"The way around it is for the government to get off their backsides and do something about the illegal gun trade and bring in some really harsh penalties,'' he said.
Mr Turner said the government should consider a proposal he had put to State Parliament which included a total ban on machine guns, mortars, cannons, and hand grenades, and a mandatory prison sentence for anyone convicted of a gun offence. He also proposed a cooling off period of two to three weeks for gun buyers.
, the introduction of a prohibited persons register, and a requirement for gun buyers to produce a passport and photographic licence for indentification at the time of purchasing a weapon.



Students say thanks for finding fun in education
HUSBAND and wife teachers Jamie and Juliette Simmonds have put fun back into the classroom.
And the smiles on the faces of their students _ not to mention improved learning outcomes _ are testimony to why they are among the most popular teachers at their school.
With today being World Teachers Day, students across the Coast will be encouraged to show a little appreciation for those in one of the most challenging and rewarding professions on offer.
Jamie, who teachers Year 4 at Suncoast Christian Outreach College, and Juliette, who teaches Year 1, both entered the profession because they loved working with children and wanted to make a difference in young lives.
Jamie said he loved helping children realise that life was meant to be fun.
Juliette said she loved seeing the personalities of students grow in their first year at school.
Australian Education Union federal president Denis Fitzgerald said now, more than ever, society needed to value teachers for their role.
"We live in a world of heightened anxiety and potential division and the better world of tomorrow can be crafted in the classrooms of today.''
Mr Simmonds said part of the challenge of teaching was relating to the children and providing them with fun and interesting projects.
"It is important to teach them that life is about making mistakes and taking the pressure off them.''
He said teaching was not just about the learning the basics but also about teaching students how to learn.
Teachers at the college's primary school will receive a box of chocolates today as part of World Teacher's Day, while in the senior school Student Representative Committee will raise money for the school by selling roses to students to give to their teachers.


Woman fights for right to keep fine fluffy friends
IT'S Survivor, canine-style, at Bev Davis's Regents Landing unit, with the body corporate and Maroochy Shire Council both telling her one of her two beloved dogs has got to go.
Will it be Phoebe the Pomeranian cross or Pinny the Japanese chin?
Ms Davis desperately wants to keep them both, but owning two dogs is in breach of body corporate guidelines and council bylaws.
Now she has been slapped with two $150 fines from council and told she has just days to comply.
"I think it's grossly unfair, but they (council and the body corporate) are unrelenting,'' Ms Davis said.
"I explained that one of the dogs (eight-year-old Pinny) is ill and I will not replace her.
"They want me to get rid of one of them _ that's something I just won't do.''
She said the problem arose due to confusion over differing bylaws in the bodies corporate in different stages of Regents Landing, which caters for "over- 50s living''.
She inspected a new unit where she was told the pets would not be a problem, but bought an older unit, through a different agent, in another stage of the complex.
It was only after she'd signed the papers that Ms Davis got the body corporate papers for her unit and found she would only be permitted to keep one of her beloved pets.
She said her dogs were well-behaved and rarely barked, but she was aware there had been complaints.
A Maroochy council spokesperson said they had had complaints from the body corporate and from Ms Davis's neighbours over a period of months.
She said the local law for multiple dwellings meant no dog could be kept their without the appropriate permit, and Ms Davis does not have a permit for either dog.
"Council officers have been in discussions with Ms Davis regarding the permits but nothing has been done, so infringement notices were the only other option. Basically at the end of the day, she will still have to find a home for one of the dogs.''
Ms Davis's body corporate regulations allow for one dog to be kept, if the appropriate permit is in place.



RAINWATER tanks should be supplied to every Caloundra household as part of a mass community effort to combat potential terrorist threats, according to a Caloundra City councillor.
Former CalAqua board member and Buddina councillor Andrew Champion said providing rainwater tanks was a forward thinking action that would have the two-fold effect of preserving valuable water supplies in case of drought and reducing the effects of chemical contamination.
"Any water supply for any local authority in Australia has the potential to be exposed to a terrorist action to contaminate the water supply,'' Mr Champion said.
He did not want to be alarmist but said in the wake of the Bali tragedy, all councils should conduct risk management studies to find how vulnerable the water service was and the types of terrorist activities that could affect them.
He said people paid their rates and council had a responsibility to provide safe and accessible water to residents.
"That includes providing every household with a 2000 gallon water tank.''
He said CalAqua had $10 million in reserves that could be utilised to initiate the mass installation which would also create employment in the local area. He also hoped the program would be subsidised by state government.
He said if everyone had a water tank, it would give them about a month's supply so if anything did happen to the communal water reserves, council would have some time to decontaminate it.
"We need to be pro-active. It's not scaremongering, I believe it's a real threat that local authorities across Australia should be addressing.''
Caloundra mayor Don Aldous was astounded by the suggestion and said it was "extreme left field stuff''.
"It's alarmist, scaremongering and it doesn't need to be highlighted by people that are supposed to be responsible and I would think it's got a long way to go,'' Mr Aldous said.
He said the $10 million CalAqua reserve was not for the purpose of installing water tanks.



COAST residents face a crackdown on water use for the first time in more than a decade as dam levels drop and dangerous weather conditions bring an urgent blanket ban on fires.
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service yesterday imposed a total fire ban across the Sunshine Coast as temperatures soared, humidity levels plummeted and fierce north-westerly winds lashed the region.
Noosa fire station office Phil Bowden said the ban would stay in place until the weekend at least.
It would be lifted once the weather conditions eased.
The ban came as Maroochy Shire Council urged residents to use water wisely, or the council could be forced to restrict mains water use early next year.
Maroochy Water Service manager Gary Sabburg said the shire's dam networks were down to about 60% capacity.
"We're not as bad as other areas in the state, but we have to make sure we use water responsibly.''
Without average rainfall over summer, usage limits may be introduced in late summer or early autumn.
The council has not restricted water use since 1991-92 _ the year before the user-pays water system kicked in.
"We've been able to manage use with that system because people are better at conserving water that way,'' Mr Sabburg said.
Maroochy Shire uses about 47million litres _ or 47 Olympic swimming pools _ of water a day.
The water level at Baroon Pocket Dam, which supplies 60% of the shire's drinking water and much of Caloundra's water, was down to 62%, while the South Maroochy System (made up of Cooloolabin Dam, Wappa Dam and Poona Dam) was at just 60%.
In Noosa Shire, Lake MacDonald is at 79% capacity and Lake Borumba is at 20%.
Temperatures on the Coast yesterday reached a steamy 32 degrees, but conditions are expected to ease for a top of 28 degrees today.
The humidity should also drop, but the searing heat is tipped to return on Saturday, for a forecast maximum of 34 degrees.
QFRS area support office Rob Frey said humidity dropped to a dry 13% yesterday, as north- westerly winds raged and temperatures crept above 30 degrees.
And because the Coast has been free from any major fires for the past decade, fuel loadings were high.
Those were the conditions in which last's week Granite Belt fires raged, leaving one woman dead and six houses destroyed.
"This is a dire situation,'' he said.
"The time for fires in Queensland is now.''
Total fire bans are implemented when humidity drops below 25%.
Open outdoor fires are not allowed, and permits for controlled burns will not be issued.

THREE Year 12 students are planning the trip of a lifetime to celebrate finishing school this summer, but they won't be partying.
Instead, Sam Hill, Jacob Horsey and Eddie Welsh are using their savings to do volunteer work in East Timor, where they even plan to build their own orphanage.
The St Joseph's College trio, who have been together since Year 1, will have just one week with their friends before they take off on November 27 to spend eight weeks in East Timor. "Everyone's excited,'' Sam said.
"There was talk about it at the start of the year. Then when the time came, we just tried to grasp it with two hands.''
Recent turmoil in the region has not dampened their spirits.
"If it wasn't safe, we wouldn't be going,'' Sam said.
Sam's father is a government advisor in East Timor, and the teenager visited the country last year.
"It's just a complete opposite (to Australia),'' he said.
"It was a bit of a culture shock. There are lots of people who need help.''
While his dad will welcome the teens to the country, Sam said the lads don't plan on staying in the town for long.
They already have plans to teach English at an orphanage, to help re-roof houses, build another orphanage and possibly teach English at a prison.
"We're hoping to gain experience and understand their culture,'' Sam said.
"We'll help them, but it's also for us as well.''
Sam, Jacob and Eddie have been working for months to save up for the trip which will cost each of them about $2000.
The school has put its support behind the trio as well, offering them lessons on how teach. The trio will also take a video camera and write a journal during the trip.



NOOSA hospital has moved to clarify its position on emergency treatment after a Cooroy father accused the facility of placing dollars before care.
Mathew Raison is angry hospital staff insisted on cash payment while his 12-year-old son Joshua cried in pain from a severe ear infection.
Mr Raison rushed his son to the facility's emergency department at 9.20pm Monday and left "in disgust'' after being asked if he could return home to get his chequebook before they had seen a doctor.
"Money's not a problem, I'll pay gratefully but let's get our priorities right,'' Mr Raison said.
"Surely they could have helped my boy and then hunted for cash.''
Joshua received antibiotics, pain relief and ear drops from Nambour hospital that night.
A Noosa hospital spokesperson said the patient's condition was not critical and he had been directed to a privately-run on-site clinic for treatment where upfront fees can be charged.
"If the patient is not satisfied with seeing a GP, they can wait for an emergency doctor to see them,'' a hospital spokesperson said.
Mr Raison said the hospital needed to clarify that policy.
"They never gave me any options, all I knew was they were hell- bent on cash while my boy was crying in pain'' he said.
Noosa Hospital is paid $13 million a year by Queensland Health to provide a range of services including treatment for category one, two and three emergency patients _ those with life threatening conditions. Critical patients are not charged an upfront fee.
Category four patients and five patients-those with minor broken bones, fevers and conditions such as earaches _ are not entitled to immediate emergency treatment.


A FLOOD of love between a Nambour school teacher and a South Australian farmer has broken a drought in bush wives.
Tanya Ilka, 28, and Peter Jaeger, 41, married this month after meeting through a national magazine's campaign to find wives for rural romeos.
But although they have already tied the knot, Tanya must finish the final 2002 school term at Nambour State High School before embarking on life on the land.
Her new hubby runs a sheep and wheat farm at Eudunda, an hour's drive north of Adelaide.
Years of rural loneliness prompted him to sign up for the Australian Women's Weekly campaign and place his photograph on the Internet in the hope of finding a bride.
Newlywed Tanya said she never imagined she would find her husband through a magazine.
But she thought she'd "have a go'' at writing to him after choosing his photo and profile out of 50 farmers, because he seemed nice.
"If you had told me this (that she'd marry a farmer) this time last year I would have thought you were mad,'' she said.
"But he's very, very kind, very thoughtful, and pretty accepting ... he's really sweet.
"And he looked really, really good in his suit at the wedding!''
After six weeks of letters and phone calls, Peter travelled 2150km to meet the shy maths teacher.
He proposed on their second meeting, during the June school holidays.
Tanya had been so optimistic about their future together that she even applied for leave from the Education Department before he popped the question.
She said news about the engagement quickly "filtered'' around the school.
"I thought the kids might be silly about it but they were really good,'' she said.
The pair married on October 5 at the tiny Fernvale Uniting Church, just west of Brisbane, with Tanya's best friend, Karen Troy, acting as bridesmaid.
Tanya said her grandparents had run a farm west of Brisbane and that she was sure she could adapt to Peter's property.
She said the couple had many things in common to ensure future happiness.
"We're probably both fairly quiet people and shy,'' she said.
"We're both very close to our families and we trust one another ... I like it that he looks after me.''
Photos of the Jaegers' beautiful wedding day feature in this month's Women's Weekly.
But Tanya has drawn the line at sharing their happiness on TV ... the couple turned down an offer from A Current Affair.


National day aims to promote exercise
EVERYONE from bouncing three year olds to silver-haired bowlers will do their best this weekend to inspire others to be more active and healthy.
Sundayoct27 is Active Australia Day, a Federal Government initiative designed to promote the benefits of regular sport and physical activity.
A spokesperson said the day aimed to "get through to all Australians, regardless of age or ability'' and was in part a response to the statistic that 40% of all Australians do no regular physical activity.
That's all about to change on the Sunshine Coast, with Active Australia Day embraced by councils and sports clubs _ and by a bunch of kids who are so excited they've decided to celebrate a day early.
FitKids' Club, at the Square Dance Centre in Buderim's Dixon Road, will open their doors on Saturday from 10am to noon to encourage children from three to nine to discover the fun of gymnastics.
"It is a great opportunity for parents to see the value of exercise for their children,'' club spokesperson Pauline Pearson said.
"The open day will allow children to experience some exercise to music, games, and the opportunity to ... challenge themselves over a large variety of gymnastic equipment.''
The Maroochydore Tennis Club and Maroochydore Beach Bowls Club, side by side at Cotton Tree, will get into the spirit on Sunday.
Their combined all-age open day, from 4pm to 7pm, will give people the chance to have fun and get active in a whole range of fun ways.
There will even be a free jumping castle and, at 7pm a fireworks show courtesy of Maroochy Shire Council.



THE Sunshine Coast will cash in on a slice of an $19billion retirement industry windfall expected nationally over the next 20 years.
University of Queensland Professor Bob Stimson said his study, released yesterday, had found construction of retirement villages would generate investment opportunities worth between $8billion and $19billion across the country over the next two decades.
The Coast would see a sliver of that pie.
"The most growth (in Queensland) will be the middle suburbs of Brisbane,'' Prof Stimson said.
But regional areas including Hervey Bay and the Sunshine Coast would also benefit.
Areas with older populations were the ones most likely to attract the investment.
"People moving to independent retirement villages generally move over a very short distance from where they are already _ usually about six kilometres,'' he said.
That finding rings true for Living Choice sales director Norman Tucker, whose company is pouring $70million into two retirement villages now under construction on the Coast.
Mr Tucker said in the two months since sales had opened, 28 deposits had been made on units over the two sites.
"Most enquiries are from locals and we're getting a few from Brisbane,'' he said.
The Kawana Island development comprises 150 villas and apartments, while the Twin Waters complex at Mudjimba will see the construction of 171 dwellings.
The first residents are expected to settle by January.
At Chancellor Park, construction of the $60million Oasis Retirement Resort continues, with completion of the entire 500-unit complex due for 2006.
Sixty units have already been completed, and several have been settled.
The Oasis and its adjoining sister complex, Hibiscus, are understood to be among the two largest retirement villages in Australia.
Aged Care Queensland president Glenn Bunney, who runs the Sundale villages, said the projects were a vote of confidence for region's booming retirement industry.
"Interest in the Sunshine Coast will continue to grow,'' he said.
But he expected the nature of occupancy to shift.
"I think we'll see people choosing shorter stays at resort- style retirement villages.''
Mr Bunney estimated there were about 2000 retirement dwellings on the Coast, with 500 more in construction.
And he expected suitable land would run out.
"The challenge will be to find available land, because it needs to be near amenities,'' he said.
"Usable land is becoming scarce.''



BUDERIM counsellor Diane Priestley has watched the full tragedy of the Bali bombing unfold.
She has seen its impact, from the death and devastation at Kuta to the outpourings of grief on the Sunshine Coast.
Now she wants to help.
Ms Priestley, a certified professional counsellor wants to compile a data base of qualified counsellors throughout the region willing to offer free grief- counselling sessions to people affected by the tragedy.
"We could help people who had family and friends there, people who lost someone to this tragedy, people close to someone who was injured, or perhaps someone who was there,'' she said.
She also believes such a database would be an extremely useful resource should another tragedy strike at the heart of our community.
"There are many different emotions involved in the grief process. Initially there can be shock and denial ... then a whole cascade of other emotions can set in.''
Ms Priestley said people could benefit from telling their story especially to to a skilled listener.
"As human beings we need to be able to express what we are going through. And it needs to be validated. These feelings of loss, all the emotions, can be validated by caring listeners.''
Qualified counsellors who want to register for the proposed data base, or people directly affected by the Bali tragedy, should contact Ms Priestley on 5476 6730.
Meanwhile counsellor and trainer Ken Warren said many people without a connection to the tragedy could also find themselves overwhelmed by emotion.
He said there was such a widespread history of trauma throughout the community, through things such as domestic violence, car accidents, child abuse and suicide.
He said many people had suppressed their pain from trauma in their personal histories and the Bali bombing could bring that to the surface.
"There would be a lot of people struggling with their own emotional issues following this very public trauma,'' Mr Warren said.
"If people are concerned with how they are coping a good place to start looking for help is through their GP, or agencies such as Lifeline, or therapists in public practice.''

A REGISTER of council staff salaries will be established and opened up for scrutiny by Maroochy ratepayers _ provided the council is not breaking its own rule book by doing so.
Buderim councillor Steve Dickson put forward a controversial motion to establish the register at yesterday's general council meeting and found support from councillors Jenny McKay, Paul Tatton, Errol Middlebrook, Zrinka Johnston and Barbara Cansdell.
But the council heard that the motion could be illegal under the Local Government Act because a similar motion had already been rejected back in February.
Council solicitor John Hall said he believed that February motion would need to be rescinded before the council could vote on the topic again.
But with three councillors away, Mr Dickson's register push was eventually passed, with a proviso that the decision only be binding if the motion did not contravene the Local Government Act.
Mayor Alison Grosse, who voted against Mr Dickson's motion, said the debate was not about trying to hide council salaries.
"Nobody minds all these things being exposed,'' she said.
But she said it put Maroochy at a disadvantage to have to list what it paid its staff when other councils across Queensland did not have to do so.
Mr Middlebrook said he tried to call for the Local Government Association to introduce such a policy at this year's state conference but did not get support.





TWO young schoolgirls hailed as heroes after fighting off an "abduction'' attempt at Kuluin last week had fabricated their story, police said yesterday.
Sgt Ian Tinker said it one of the seven-year-old students had made the story up to cover-up for her friend being late home.
The claim of an abduction attempt after school last Wednesday sparked a major police investigation which included police calling a press conference to issue two computer images of a suspect.
Sgt Tinker said a major incident room had also been set up, which was closed yesterday.
Investigations by the Juvenile Aid Bureau yesterday determined the girls' story was a hoax.
"One of the child's parents contacted police and it was established that the complaint was fabricated,'' Sgt Tinker said.
He said the girls would not face further police action because they were too young to understand the reconsequences of their actions. However, JAB officers were expected to talk to the girls and their parents.
The girls had claimed they were lured into a Holden Commodore by a man offering them lollies. Their story prompted warnings throughout Coast schools.

THE man behind the bid to develop a major resort on Noosa North Shore in the 1980s has been charged with offences under the Corporations Act.
John Barrie Loiterton, also known as Barrie Loiterton, has been charged in relation to his alleged actions while a director of Clifford Corporation Ltd.
He was charged in June with providing information he knew to be misleading to a director of Clifford Corporation on or about July 9 1998 and making a false or misleading announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange on or about October 21, 1998.
The matter was mentioned in the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday but Mr Loiterton was not required to appear. Fellow director Ian Robert Hall appeared on six charges of insider trading relating to the sale of 850,000 Clifford Corporation shares in October and November 1998.
Mr Hall did not enter a plea. The matter will come before the court again on December 17. The Clifford Corporation Limited group collapsed in late 1998. The subsidiary Austral Pacific Group Limited, was one of Australia's largest bus manufacturers.
Noosa Council fought for 10 years against Mr Loiterton's Leisuremark proposal to develop a 3400-unit development on Noosa North Shore, complete with connecting bridge to Noosa Heads, jet airport, golf course and lake system.
The battle, costing $750,000 in legal fees, ended in June 1999 when Council purchased the 500 hectares for conservation purposes.

THE Australian Defence Forces are fighting back after several years of being unable to recruit enough adequately-qualified personnel.
A review of the reasons behind that revealed one of the problems was that some offices were located in the wrong places.
To overcome that situation, a joint venture has been established between the ADF and Manpower Services Australia, one of the country's largest recruitment agencies, with 18 offices being set up to handle recruiting.
Early next year the Bundaberg office will close and a new shopfront will open in the Maroochydore CBD.
A Manpower staff member will manage the office which will also have a female RAAF flight sergeant and one least representative of each arm of the services on staff to handle enquiries.
Colonel Mark Bornholt, director of Defence Force Recruiting in Canberra, said it was hoped the new initiative would result in the forces reaching its target of 10,000 new recruits in 2002/2003.
"The defence forces are as busy as they've been since the Vietnam War, perhaps busier,'' he said.
"We've wanted to have a presence on the Sunshine Coast for some time and by opening an of fice in Maroochydore we'll be able to get out into the schools and the community and encourage more people to come on board.''
Col Bornholt said as well as recruiting new personnel, keeping them was just as difficult.
"Our training is so good that private companies target our staff once they've been with us for about five years,'' he said.
Manpower Services Australia has an office at Maroochydore headed by Dianne Epps.


KEV and Michele Watts are in the middle of the Great Aussie Nightmare and they're not alone.

They signed a building contract on March 10 and their $150,000 four-bedroom dream home is still three to four weeks from completion.
They expect the process will take a total of nine months.
The Sunshine Coast construction industry, which employs 10,000 people, is in the grip of a desperate skills shortage.
A Daily report last month revealed carpenters were in short supply.
Bricklayers and concretors have been added to the list and there is so much demand for their services, countless sites have ground to a halt.
Tempers are boiling over as customers are forced to pay rent and interest on their mortgages while they wait.
Kev and Michele are a worst case scenario.
Their home in Caloundra's burgeoning Bellvista Estate, has been hit by a succession of delays as Cavalier Homes, like many project home builders, struggles to find sub-contractors.
Kev, a mechanic with Caloundra City Autos, said it was the first time he and Michele had built a home together and it had been a terrible experience.
Our framework sat on the block for six weeks through the torrential rain we had in August. The wood buckled and went mouldy.''
Kev said a carpenter worked for one day and then quit and another was not seen for five weeks.
He said the brickwork then took a month and five weeks ago they were told it would be four weeks until they could move in.


A CRACKDOWN on handgun access would do little to prevent a repeat of the Monash tragedy, Sunshine Coast Pistol Club officials said yesterday.

Club vice-president Doug Probert said authorities should instead focus on stamping out the underground firearms trade.
It's the black market that's causing these problems,'' he said.
Police have called on the public to report information about anyone they knew who kept unlicensed weapons.
The debate over access to handguns comes after a Monash economics student allegedly opened fire on his classmates, killing two and injuring five.
Commerce honours student Huan Yun Xiang, 36, will on February 25 face committal mention in Melbourne on two charges of murder and five of attempted murder over the shootings.
A semi-automatic handgun was reportedly used in the rampage.
Prime Minister John Howard has vowed to consider strengthening gun laws as the Democrats joined Greens Senator Bob Brown and the National Coalition for Gun Control in pushing for tighter gun controls.
But Mr Probert feared sports shooters would be the ones to bare the brunt of such a move.
It's already hard to get a gun licence,'' he said.
You have to prove you're a member of a club, and there's heaps of paperwork.''
He believed the root of the problem was the firearms black market, and further restrictions would only cause problems for the honest gun owners who obtained guns legally.



BLACK sludgy seaweed is coating Noosa Main Beach, sending a rotten smell wafting down Hastings Street and turning tourists away.

Noosa Council lifeguard manager Scott Braby yesterday said council staff had been scraping and cleaning the beach for a number of weeks, but nature was being very persistent.
Mr Braby said the black sludgy weed was mainly concentrated outside the Noosa Surf Club, forming a thick band along the beach and up to 30metres off shore.
It's really awful but there's not much we can do about it. The weather conditions haven't been the best it's been fairly still and when it is blowing, it's a northerly and just blows it all into shore,'' he said.
Mr Braby said visitors to the beach had been asking questions about the mess, and more were heading to Sunshine Beach where conditions had been more favourable in the past week or so.
One Melbourne tourist yesterday said the smell made him want to vomit'' and he said he would be cutting his two-week trip short to head to the Gold Coast instead.
Mr Braby asked people to be patient and visit other beaches in the shire until weather conditions changed and pushed the weed off-shore.
We're trying to get information from local experts to see what the cause is, apparently it's weed off local reefs.
All we need is a couple of days of strong southerlys and a bit of a wave to push it out to sea,'' he said.
A flagged area had been set up near the middle groyne where it was more pleasant.



A GOOD icebox can save your life on a hot day. On a Northern Territory fishing trip, one can come in extremely handy especially when your boat explodes 12km offshore.

Two NT fishermen, who survived by keeping their cool, have sent a thank you letter to Caloundra company Evakool Iceboxes for saving them from a watery grave''.
Darwinite Ross Abraham and his mate were in Fog Bay, about 130km from Darwin, when he discovered a fuel leak in the main tank of his 5m craft.
For some unknown reason, the boat ignited just after he shut down the motor and isolated the batteries.
The pair had no time to react and looked on in horror as the life jackets caught fire.
Ross threw the icebox, containing 8kg of ice, 10kg of water and some food, into the sea, as well as some flares.
The 120-litre Evakool was to be their life-raft for 31.5 hours.
We used the icebox to advantage with the swell and wind to help navigate back to land,'' Ross said.
For two days we travelled up and down the Coast on the seven metre tides before reaching land about 15km from where we launched the boat. Without the Evakool we would not be here today.''
Ross thanked the Sunshine Coast manufacturer for the well-made product and even made a suggestion to have the handles placed lower on the icebox to maintain stability when floating about the ocean.
Sightings of crocs, sharks, and dangerous stingers added to the chilling ordeal, which ended with the boys in hospital on drips.

THE Australian PGA Championship's poster boys, Greg Norman and John Daly, will be kept apart when the first two rounds of the $1million tournament are played at Hyatt Coolum late next month.

While the prospect of seeing Norman and Daly playing side-by-side would be enticing to many, the tournament promoters see greater value in having one play in the morning and one in the afternoon when the PGA comes to the Sunshine Coast for the first time.
Although both former British Open champions have enjoyed better years, tournament promoter Tony Roosenburg has no doubt Norman and Daly will draw the biggest galleries at Coolum.
I wouldn't be surprised if either of them was right in it at the finish,'' Roosenburg said yesterday.
Greg has done pretty well in the few tournaments he has played this year and would love to do well back home in Queensland.
I think John will love this place. I think it's a course that will suit him, even though there might not be too many holes where he'll pull out his driver.
He'll be able to hit a one-iron off the tee on many holes and still have a wedge in.
There are very few players with his talent. It's just up to him to make the most of the talents he has.''
Both Norman and Daly are expected to arrive at Coolum on the Monday prior to the first round on Thursday, November 28.
Daly will be flying in after playing in the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan a schedule Roosenburg believes will help his chances of winning his first Australian tournament.


THE Australian PGA Championship's poster boys, Greg Norman and John Daly, will be kept apart when the first two rounds of the $1million tournament are played at Hyatt Coolum late next month.

While the prospect of seeing Norman and Daly playing side-by-side would be enticing to many, the tournament promoters see greater value in having one play in the morning and one in the afternoon when the PGA comes to the Sunshine Coast for the first time.
Although both former British Open champions have enjoyed better years, tournament promoter Tony Roosenburg has no doubt Norman and Daly will draw the biggest galleries at Coolum.
I wouldn't be surprised if either of them was right in it at the finish,'' Roosenburg said yesterday.
Greg has done pretty well in the few tournaments he has played this year and would love to do well back home in Queensland.
I think John will love this place. I think it's a course that will suit him, even though there might not be too many holes where he'll pull out his driver.
He'll be able to hit a one-iron off the tee on many holes and still have a wedge in.
There are very few players with his talent. It's just up to him to make the most of the talents he has.''
Both Norman and Daly are expected to arrive at Coolum on the Monday prior to the first round on Thursday, November 28.
Daly will be flying in after playing in the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan a schedule Roosenburg believes will help his chances of winning his first Australian tournament.




A COACH has threatened a discrimination case against the Sunshine Coast Soccer Federation after it failed to reappoint him to an under-11 representative team.

Otto Klaus, 70, of Coolum, plans to seek a legal opinion after the reappointment of another coach with whom he had a row.
He also believes that some coaches who did not apply in writing were appointed instead of him.
Federation chiefs have rejected any suggestion of discrimination against Klaus, who played in Germany's first division before coming to Australia in 1964.
Klaus said he did not want to end on a sour note after more than 50 years in the game'' and he might join Sunshine Coast Churches Soccer Association.
After first coaching in Sydney, he had taken the Australian amateur team to Europe in 1977, had been Australian under-19s and Socceroos assistant coach from 1976 to '80 and had other posts in NSW and Tasmania.
He believed two disputes with other under-11 coaches had played a part against his reappointment.
The first had been over lack of umpires in Brisbane in June, when he had complained about alleged abuse from a Coast coach.
At Buderim in August, he had raised his voice at a coach in the presence of coaching director David Martin, after a player from Klaus's team joined another team.
I was not notified about the player being taken; I was short of players and under stress; but I didn't use any bad language,'' Klaus said.




THE Sunshine Coast's reputation for fine cuisine has received national recognition with a Noosa restaurant taking out honours in an Australian-wide competition.

Berardo's won the best entertainment restaurant category one of just a handful of Queensland restaurants to be honoured in Australia's National Awards for Excellence in Restaurant and Catering.
Owners, Jim Berardo and Greg O'Brien were in Sydney to receive their award.
We are thrilled, absolutely stoked,'' Mr Berardo said.
It just says that the Sunshine Coast keeps getting bigger and better, and demonstrating to Australia that we have restaurants that are just as good quality as city restaurants and maybe even more so.
We are really happy for the whole region and for our team.''
Berardo's competed in the category against some of Australia's most renowned theatre and fine dining restaurants and was recognised for its guest chef program, it's classical music and jazz concerts and for its fresh produce markets.
It was for a little bit of everything,'' Mr Berardo said.
It also included fine dining and service standards.''
Michael Lambie's Circa The Prince in St Kilda fought off fierce competition from 1200 other restaurants to clinch the Fine Dining accolade.
Mr Lambie, from Camden in London, arrived in Australia on a holiday eight years ago.
He works with two head chefs, 16 chefs and 25 waiting staff to serve about 140 diners a day.
Peter Howard, the national chair of judges, said the competition had been outstanding.




A VIRTUALLY-unassailable lead atop the Australian Pro Junior Bodyboarding circuit means Maroochydore's Adam Ravazzano can focus on the final competition at his home beach next month.

Leading by about 1000 points after three rounds, Ravazzano, 19, is almost certain to win the tournament, despite not competing in this weekend's fourth round on Sydney's northern beaches.
And the healthy competition lead should take the pressure off when he competes in front of his home crowd in the final round at Maroochydore on the weekend of November 9 and 10.
Last weekend, Ravazzano finished third in the Fresha Fruit Juices Pro at Warrnambool, Victoria, behind New South Welshman Josh Kirkman, who sits second on the tour on 1970 points.
Ravazzano was the number one seed for that contest after winning at Avoca Beach in June and at Cronulla in July.
They only count your best three results, and I've got two firsts and a third,'' Ravazzano said.
Unless someone comes back and wins three contests in a row, the pro junior tour should pretty much be in the bag.''
The Sunshine Coast Pro has been organised under a mobile format, but Ravazzano expects the contest to be held at Maroochydore Beach unless conditions force changes.
The event will be the second of the Australian Pro tour, as well as being the fourth round of the Pro Junior.
It should be pretty good to get everyone up here. I've been bumming places to stay off people down south most of the year, so I'll have a few favours to return,'' he said.


PRESSURE is mounting on Sunshine Coast Grammar School head John Burgess to step down after he was yesterday found unfit to be a teacher.
After hearing four days of evidence, the 16- member Board of Teacher Registration determined the 53-year-old's registration be cancelled immediately.
He was also required to pay the board's legal costs.
Mr Burgess' legal representatives were unable to be contacted after the decision but an appeal against the deregistration is expected.
A separate inquiry is being held by the Queensland Government's Commission for Children and Youth which investigates the appropriateness or otherwise of people to be around children.
For Mr Burgess to remain as a member of a school board it is understood that he has to have clearance from the commission.
Last night Education Minister Anna Bligh confirmed she was seeking advice on what further action may be taken against Mr Burgess.
Ms Bligh said that she understood that under current legislation, Mr Burgess was prohibited from supervising or assessing practising teachers if he remained deregistered. But she said that was open to legal interpretation.
The Board of Teacher registration's inquiry was prompted by revelations that Mr Burgess had pleaded guilty in 1979 to two counts of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 13- year-old girl who was a student at the school at which he taught at the time of the offence when he was 27.
No conviction was recorded and he was placed on a good behaviour bond.
The inquiry was also believed to have examined Mr Burgess' dealings with teachers at Brisbane's Ormiston College where he was foundation headmaster and chairman of the board.
News of the deregistration was described as "fantastic'' by parents who had a legal letter drawn up asking for Mr Burgess to step aside recently.
"Our children have to look up to the head of the school ... it has to be someone they can admire,'' one parent said.
"We must stress we're completely happy with the teachers.
"We were never out to destroy the school.''
One parent who had supported Mr Burgess acknowleged the primary motivation was to "ensure nothing negative happened to the school''.
But it may be too late for that.
One teacher confirmed yesterday that several others had resigned in recent weeks and the much-lauded languages program would be cut significantly for next year.
"The teachers have tried to protect the students from the issue and we're very pleased the process has been finalised,'' the teacher, who refused to be identified for fear of repercussions,'' said.
The inquiry was held behind closed doors despite a legal challenge by the Sunshine Coast Daily to have it held in open session.

METRES high flames fanned by a strong north-easterly breeze menaced Coolum State High School yesterday as students were still making their way home.
Coolum auxiliary fire brigade captain Mark Clyne and his unit were first on the scene around 3pm to fight a blaze that would eventually send a huge pall of smoke over Emu Mountain and Coolum.
While 30 fire officers from regular, auxiliary and rural fire brigades were called in to fight the flames, Mr Clyne said the timing of the blaze meant a mass evacuation of the school was avoided.
"School was just over at the time and many of the students were being bussed out,'' Mr Clyne said.
"We were able to save the school but we're worried about the fire jumping the motorway.''
Local residents who lined the Havana Road motorway footbridge shared their concern, anxiously watching the advancing fire coming towards their homes west of the highway.
Fire units from Noosaville, Tewantin, Maroochydore and rural firies joined in what became a successful battle of containment for the rest of the afternoon.
A fire spotter took to the sky aboard the Energex helicopter which looked at times like something out of "Apocalypse Now'' as it repeatedly emerged out of thick, choking smoke.
The observations were a major support from the fire command post set up outside the high school.
Local National Parks and Wildlife officers joined with the Riverlands Rural Fire Brigade volunteers to help cut a foam trail later in the afternoon.
By 6pm Mr Clyne reported that command centre had declared the fire contained.
The blaze started across from Emu Swamp north of the school but its cause is not yet known.

Lean ideas take Daily columnist's business to national success
IT'S official _ smaller is better. Just ask low-fat expert, Daily columnist, author, speaker and publisher Annette Sym who has won a national award for a small business based largely on helping people get smaller.
In fact, Mrs Sym won two major gongs at the National Micro Business Awards on Wednesday night in Melbourne.
First the operation Mrs Sym runs from her Sunshine Coast residence was named Best Australian Home-based Business, then it won the big one _ the Epson Micro Business of the Year award.
"It's a dream come true, it really is,'' she said.
"Go all you home-based business out there!''
This week's successes cap a phenomenal five years for Mrs Sym since she wrote her first Lean Ideas column for the Daily and published the first of her three best-selling low-fat cook books Symply Too Good To be True 1, 2 and 3.
She works from home with the help of husband Bill and employs her two children part- time. It's a family effort and micro-business (employing five or fewer people) which has seen Mrs Sym in high demand as an author and speaker.
She has published and sold 850,000 books and suspects that with those on shelves across Australia sales will inevitably top the million mark.
Mrs Sym said she strived to be a great supporter of local business _ her
The books are printed locally and the photos and graphics are done by Coast companies.
And they have been snapped up by dieters, families _ people want to enjoy their food but value good health.
"Everyone who has bought my books has won this award for me,'' Mrs Sym said.
"They're not all about weight loss _ it's about empowereing yourself to be the best you can be.'

Council should appreciate what makes localities `special'
A STUDY to help preserve the character and heritage of towns was one of the major recommendations of the Maroochy Plan 2000 review report handed down yesterday.
According to town planning consultant Chris Buckley there was strong community concern that council did not fully appreciate what it was that made each population centre special.
"Under the IPA (Intergrated Planning Act) regime it's important that the council understands the economic and social dimensions of each community,'' Mr Buckley said. It was not enough for the council when considering new developments to investigate traditional concepts like water quality and vegetation loss. "It needs also to understand vacant shop tenancies etc in Nambour and other communities.
"The thing that came through loud and clear, almost from the very first meeting with the public was the importance of local area planning.''
Mr Buckley said residents wanted customised or tailored codes of development.
"Anything built in Coolum for example would be quite different from another regional community.''
Mr Buckley said Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Coolum were three areas in particular where local character had to be built up through planning.
Another major recommendation presented to the council yesterday was a review of quality agricultural land mapping, as primary producers felt existing records were out of date.
A major thrust of the review is to come up with "sustainable futures.''
Consultants Buckley Vann also recommended monthly briefings for councillors on development proposals to help with decision making. Briefings currently are by request.
There was also a need for streamlining the planning document to do away with du plications and to make it more accessible for developers and the public.
The council will now forDiet guru proves smaller is better
Lean ideas take Daily columnist's business to national success
IT'S official _ smaller is better. Just ask low-fat expert, Daily columnist, author, speaker and publisher Annette Sym who has won a national award for a small business based largely on helping people get smaller.
In fact, Mrs Sym won two major gongs at the National Micro Business Awards on Wednesday night in Melbourne.
First the operation Mrs Sym runs from her Sunshine Coast residence was named Best Australian Home-based Business, then it won the big one _ the Epson Micro Business of the Year award.
"It's a dream come true, it really is,'' she said.
"Go all you home-based business out there!''
This week's successes cap a phenomenal five years for Mrs Sym since she wrote her first Lean Ideas column for the Daily and published the first of her three best-selling low-fat cook books Symply Too Good To be True 1, 2 and 3.
She works from home with the help of husband Bill and employs her two children part- time. It's a family effort and micro-business (employing five or fewer people) which has seen Mrs Sym in high demand as an author and speaker.
She has published and sold 850,000 books and suspects that with those on shelves across Australia sales will inevitably top the million mark.
Mrs Sym said she strived to be a great supporter of local business _ her
The books are printed locally and the photos and graphics are done by Coast companies.
And they have been snapped up by dieters, families _ people want to enjoy their food but value good health.
"Everyone who has bought my books has won this award for me,'' Mrs Sym said.
"They're not all about weight loss _ it's about empowereing yourself to be the best you can be.'
mulate an action plan for formalising by December.

AMBER Peckston exercises her mind and body at the same time.
With not a second to spare the school dux and sporting champion combines her two loves and takes a text book with her when she goes for a walk.
She is the first to admit it has been a tough ask, but the determined year 12 student set her goals at the start of last year and made sure she did everything possible to achieve them.
"I never have a spare moment, everything I do is working towards something,'' she said.
"If I go to the beach I go for a run or take a text book to read while I'm going for a walk.''
And it all paid off for her this week when she was crowned sports woman of the year and dux of Mountain Creek State High School.
"It's been hard. I've had to give up a lot of stuff just to focus on school and sport, but it's been worthwhile.''
Despite her astounding success, which has included maintaining a minimum grade of A minus and a string of sporting accolades, like most year 12 students she said the year had been incredibly stressful and she would be relieved when it was all over.
She recently attended the state athletics championships and qualified for the nationals in the 800 metres and 1500 metres and also made it to the state titles for cross country and touch football.
The busy teenager, who is the second oldest of five children, has set her sights on a career in pharmacy or physiotherapy and plans to study at the University of Queensland next year.
Her mum, Chris, was over the moon for her success and said she deserved the rewards after all the hard work she had put in.

WITH Canterbury star Braith Anasta playing off a handicap of two, the Bulldogs should count their lucky stars their champ is wearing their jersey and not touring the world's golf courses.
While teammates Willie Mason and Luke Patten labelled their own putting prowess as "terrible'', they had no compunction in enviously revealing the five-eighth's skill.
"He could be a pro _ he plays off two,'' Mason said.
"They're just talking me up so when they play themselves no one takes much notice,'' Anasta said, insisting his handicap was really 12.
The Bulldogs were lining up alongside celebrities such as Dawn Fraser, world champion cyclist Robbie McEwen, Brisbane Bronco Andrew Gee, ironmen Zane Holmes and Darren Mercer, soccer legend Frank Farina and volleyballer Lee Zahner for the Noosa Multi-Sports Festival celebrity golf cup yesterday.
Growing up on a golf course in Sydney, Anasta said he had been honing his game since he was 10 and at one stage wanted to be a professional golfer.
"It was too hard _ better money, but too hard,'' he said yesterday, rounding up Mason and Patten for a pre-game putting contest.
A full course of 144 players teed off in a shotgun start yesterday, the day and dinner last night also aiming to raise money for the John Maclean Foundation for physically challenged children.
Since arriving on Wednesday, the three players have been throw into a whirlwind of functions and events _ including a stint judging the Miss Noosa and Miss Noosa Triathlon competition on Wednesday night for Mason.
While Patten has been to Noosa before, it's a first time visit for Mason and Anasta but all have said they will be back.
The three plan to spend the weekend relaxing before heading home on Monday.
exploring local beachs, pubs and streets over the weekend before returning to the much colder south on Monday.

MANY people dream of the day they'll get the million dollar windfall when those six numbers come up in the lotto draw _ happiness at last.
But the latest survey to come out of Deakin University's Australian Centre on Quality of Life has revealed that money is not the key to happiness for most Aussies.
Helping others is more likely to bring peace and personal contentment.
The results from the fourth survey of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index found volunteers had the highest sense of personal satisfaction with more than 75% happy with their lives.
Nambour couple Doug and Dawn Biggs have been volunteering their time and services for half a century.
Mr Biggs said he started with the junior Red Cross during WWII and the Volunteer Air Reservist Corp and the couple went on to become involved in everything from Apex and Rotary to the Sunshine Coast Children's Therapy Centre.
"I suppose it's right to say Dawn and I have always lived by the rule if you're going to be in a community you have to contribute to it,'' he said.
The decades of helping others had been incredibly fulfilling for Mr Biggs and he said he would have been at a loss without his community involvement.
A sentiment seconded by North Caloundra Surf Lifesaving Club fundraiser Enid Traill who has spent nearly 30 years trying to raise money for the club.
"There is a huge sense of satisfaction, knowing that you can contribute in some small way.''
Lead author of the index, Professor Robert Cummins, said Australians who engaged in volunteer work also enjoyed high levels of satisfaction over other aspects of their lives including work, leisure and health.
Stay-at-home mums working more than 70 hours a week also recorded high levels of happiness and satisfaction with their lives
The random study of 2,000 people chose work and leisure as the focus of its fourth index.

Noosa man's piece of paradise is on the market
WHERE better to bare all in a nudist colony than the virgin bushland and pristine waterfront surrounds of Noosa?
That's one of many plans long- time Noosa architect and resident Simon Reed has outlined for 147acres of virtually untouched land fronting Noosa River and Lake Cootharaba he has for sale.
Mr Reed bought it in 1985 and lived in the water-edge home for several years, but is now looking to move on to new visions and has the land on the market for $1.25million.
He envisages the land and house would be perfect for a nudist colony, if not a school or church holiday camp, or even a private retreat for a wealthy family.
"It's one of only half-a-dozen large parcels of waterfront land left in the area and it's the only one with a house right at the water's edge, which you are no longer allowed to do,'' Mr Reed said.
And with all good nudists relishing their privacy while engaging in outdoor pursuits such as swimming, fishing, canoeing and bushwalking, he said the location was perfect _ while still only 15 minutes drive to Noosa for shopping and dining.
"The property virtually has its own natural cordon santinaire,'' he said.
That loosely transcribes as privacy for those of us not fluent in French.
Mr Reed said that in the six months he has had the property on the market, there has been quite a bit of interest, especially from interstate.
But no nudists yet, he added.


WHEN Bli Bli's Hugh Mooney was nine he shocked his class and horrified himself by attacking his teacher.
An accusation over cheating led the mild-mannered dux of the school to argue and then turn on the woman tutor with violence that included kicking.
That was the start of a lifelong nightmare that was not diagnosed as manic depression until Mr Mooney was in his 50s.
Every time he would feel set upon Mr Mooney would lash out at his perceived persecutors in a fit of "temporary insanity''.
"That (first) attack was totally out of character and one that I found deeply disturbing,'' Mr Mooney recalls.
The psychiatric affliction, known these days as bipolar disorder, does not show any signs of relenting for 80-year-old Mr Mooney.
In fact his life has become more hellish since the medication that gave him some relief started to have little or no effect on his darkest moments.
Mr Mooney said at least 100,000 of an estimated 3 million Australians suffering from bipolar disorder shared his ordeal.
"I am very treatment resistant,'' said the former Royal Navy war veteran whose disorder forced him to quit a senior executive business position years ago.
"I have not had a very good life.''
Now Mr Mooney has the chance for some precious piece of mind, but he might have to sell his house to do it.
On Wednesday Mr Mooney was invited to Canada to have a special implant called a vagus nerve stimulator surgically inserted into his chest.
He said the VNS had proved highly successful in treating his disorder.
"The vagus is called the superhighway to the brain,'' Mr Mooney said.
The bottom line is that to get off his lifelong rollercoaster of highs and distressing lows, he needs $30,000.
And that is money that he does not have.
"I'm not doing this just as a selfish,'' Mr Mooney said.
"I want to open the doors for others.
" My daughter has it (bipolar), my sister and two grand daughters.''

COMPETITORS will be racing for prize purses of up to $10,000 cash as well as the title of Fastest Man on Sand'' at Mooloolaba Beach on Saturday, November 23.

Beach sprinters, track and field stars and other professional runners are being invited to enter the first of a kind event involving sprint races held over a 70m track in front of Mooloolaba Surf Lifesaving Club.
Event co-organiser Peter Roberts said Olympic Games long jump silver medallist Jai Taurima and Maroochydore's two beach sprint world champions, Rowena Barben and Andrew Jackson were all confirmed starters.
Reigning Australian sprint and flags champions Steve Munnery and Clayton Jones; National Surf League competitor Summer Hamson; and Stawell Gift winner Stuart Uhlmann were also among those who had indicated they would compete.
We've also got guys coming from all over Australia for the event,'' Roberts said.
People can enter right up until the Tuesday before the event and you could be lining up against anyone from Joe Bloggs to Andrew Jackson. That's how the event has been designed.''
In a bid to make the event as spectacular as possible, finals will be held in the evening under lights with competitors wearing fluorescent lycra singlets, there will be official finishing gates at the end of the track and race times will be recorded and announced.
A junior beach flags and sprints program, and an all age relay (under-11 years to open) as well as a celebrity beach sprint will also add to the colour of the day's program which begins at 10am and runs until 8pm.

BEING a small package does not guarantee you will be a good thing in the modern racing game.

A tiny stature still is a vital ingredient for jockeys, but apprentices these days need to be big on self improvement.
Rising stars like 20-year-old Mitchell Rice must be athletic, smart and diplomatic winners in and out of the saddle.
Helping them is apprentice school'', where they learn how to be highly critical of their own performances.
Race tactics, horse health, finance, how to maintain a healthy weight, protesting and stewards inquiry etiquette, taxation, public speaking and handling media interviews are all part of the curriculum.
Steward and recruitment program spokesman Stan Barrett said 60 candidates applied for last year's intake, 22 were put through an intensive 12-week course, 14 were selected and four made it to race riding.
"We put them through scientific testing at Queensland University of Technology where they were tested for strength, endurance, flexibility and balance,'' he said.
"They need it all these days ... to be successful, a rider has to be very polished indeed.''
Mitchell, who is apprenticed to Mick Mair at Caloundra, is 158cm and 51.5kg.
He was a painter after he left school halfway through Year 11 on the New South Wales central coast.
I did this for two years but really hated it,'' he said.
I later had a job as a ground worker at Gosford track and then started riding.''
Mitchell has since ridden 39 winners and 70 placings.

A SUNSHINE Coast tourist attraction and one of the region's biggest developers have blamed government paperwork for failing to comply with equal opportunity guidelines.

The Big Pineapple and Forrester Kurts Properties were among six Queensland companies outed'' in Parliament for not providing the Federal Government with reports on female employees.
Under the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act, companies with more than 100 staff members must report each year on their initiatives to advance women.
But Big Pineapple operations manager Peter Auld said the company actively advanced women on merit, regardless of whether or not it submitted reports to bureaucrats.
Mr Auld said he was buried in paperwork'' as it was, and had not had time to do the report.
But he said most staff - and about half of the Big Pineapple's management were women.
Ninety percent of my staff are women,'' he said.
We're always looking to promote within our organisation ... it's all strictly on ability.''
FKP group company secretary Trevor Toner said it was the second year in a row that FKP had been named in Parliament and that the issue had become a principle thing''.
We have the obligation not to discriminate against sex, race and age and yet this agency is saying we've got to report to them each year ... it's just a paperwork overload,'' he said.
Mr Toner said companies were not required to give strategic reports on initiatives for advancing other groups such as older or disabled employees.

THE glamour of the race that stopped a nation yesterday masks the fact that many Australians suffer from gambling addictions and would lose a worrying amount of money on the big race, Sunshine Coast counsellors and psychologists have warned.

They said it was important to recognise the significance of gambling addiction on the Sunshine Coast as a growing social problem.
Relationships Australia Gambling Help counsellor Katherine Bates said having a small bet on the biggest day in Australian racing was harmless enough if it remained just that.
But Ms Bates said the millions of dollars spent on yesterday's Melbourne Cup demonstrated the extent of Australia's gambling problem.
She said Sunshine Coast families and relationships were significantly affected by problem gambling.
I'd only have to go to Corbould Park today and look at the number of people betting to see that,'' she said.
More than 500 people have used the Gambling Help service, one of several counselling services on the Coast, since its beginning in 1999, and Ms Bates alone has seen 80 clients affected by the problems of gambling since the beginning of the year.
Gambling in this area is a big problem if you look at the Caloundra region alone people are spending between two and three million dollars a month on the pokies,'' she said.
Nambour psychologist Jacqueline Trost described gambling addiction as an overriding obsession that destroyed people's lives.
I've seen it happen with clients the moment comes when relationships break up, they incur debts with the bank, they start selling personal items or take money from their spouse or partner,'' she said.



AS FAR as Gwen Riddell of Beli is concerned there is no bigger hero alive today than her three-year-old son Marcus.

The plucky Marcus last week reached out to grab the arm of his two-year-old brother who was floating face down in a motel pool.
Marcus saved'' two people that day.
As much as his little brother will forever be indebted to Marcus, Gwen has been spared the agony of grieving for yet another child.
Five years ago Gwen and her husband Marc lost a three-month-old son to SIDS.
Losing another child is something I wouldn't be able to live with,'' a grateful and proud Gwen said.
She said just reliving that moment when she looked across to the pool to see Marcus on the top pool step dragging Trent to safety gave her goose bumps.
The Riddell family had travelled down to Singleton in New South Wales with another family.
Gwen said the adults cooked up a poolside barbecue breakfast while the kids played in the pool.
Distracted by looking after a new born baby, Gwen said she at first did not pay attention to Marcus calling out to her.
She thought the second oldest of four (the oldest is seven-year-old Amber Rose) was just showing off on the pool step.
Now she knows Marcus had spotted Trent in trouble.
Marcus said matter-of-factly yesterday: I grabbed him (Trent) by the arm.''
I'm so proud of him he's normally so self-centred about things happening around him,'' his mother said.
But Marcus was there for his brother when it counted the most.



ONE year in the open ranks showed Sunrise's Luke Jory he needed an edge to realise his dream of surfing on the world championship tour.

About six months ago Luke joined his boardshaper dad, Steve, in his Coolum workshop and set out to design the perfect board.
Four or five'' boards later, Luke, 21, credits them with the consistent form that has taken him to second on the Queensland Championship Circuit with one round to go this weekend.
He needed speed and flexibility.
I have made them thinner in the rails and changed the fins,'' he said.
I was riding standard fins but changed to a design that is a little bit narrower with the middle fin a little bit smaller.
When I turn off the top of a wave I can push the tail out more easily.''
Jory still credits his dad for his surf success after using Steve Jory Design boards since he took up surfing about a decade ago.
I owe Dad a lot,'' he said.
After 20 years of board shaping, Steve Jory, 53, takes no offence about his son now favouring his own designs.
Steve, who operates from a Corbould Road workshop, is just happy that the boy who grew up with surfing in his blood is getting results.
The good form continued on Saturday when Jory came third in the Volcom series round on the Gold Coast before returning to Sunrise on Sunday to win the open round with the Noosa Boardriders.
He said his best results last year had been fourth in the Billabong Pro Junior at Burleigh in May and a win in the Queensland Masters, also on the Gold Coast, in November.
He finished fifth on the QCC last year.



THE flying public can feel a little safer today after the unveiling of the latest hi-tech security equipment at the Sunshine Coast Airport.

Qantas group general manager security and investigation services, Geoff Askew, said yesterday the security upgrade would be mirrored at other regional airports such as Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville, Gold Coast and Hamilton Island.
This equipment is the latest available and identical to what is installed in the capital cities,'' Mr Askew said.
All passengers at the Sunshine Coast Airport, regardless of who they fly with, will now enter the boarding area through a state-of-the-art metal detector.
And any objects they're carrying, or wearing in the case of shoes with metal components, will have to pass through a separate x-ray machine that allows the operater to see exactly what's inside the item.
The display screen is colour coded for easier identification and the operator can isolate and zoom in on any object that looks suspicious.
The x-ray machine will eventually be able to be monitored from Sydney where a supervisor can enter dummy items on the screen at Maroochydore to ensure the operator is alert.
Mr Askew said the new equipment would make the detection of smaller items easier, at the same time saying the number of items confiscated had decreased significantly since September 11, 2001.
The travelling public are now much more aware of what they can and can't take onto an aeroplane,'' he said.

A TREASURE chest of cricket glory will arrive at Maroochydore next week to dazzle Sunshine Coast sports fans.
The 1999 and 1987 World Cups are the pride of the Travelex Cricket Roadshow but four other major trophies will go on public display.
The inaugural tour of the Australian Cricket Board collection will coincide with the Ashes test series between Australia and England, which starts in Brisbane on Thursday.
The World Cups and their precious mates will visit Sunshine Plaza from 10am to 1pm on Monday _ day five of the Gabba test if the Poms go the distance. And with a collective price tag in the millions, they will be closely guarded.
Alison Walburn from International Talent Management is one of the people babysitting the trophies around the country.
"We're not a physically driving roadshow _ we fly into each of the capitals, then drive the trophies to each location,'' she said yesterday.
"Each trophy has its own case and the good people of Qantas are flying them around for us ... all in all there's 350kg of trophies and banners and staging.
"They're worth millions of pounds _ insurance has been a huge issue and there are security guards who stand over them at each location.''
But despite being closely guarded, the public can still get up close and personal with the trophies handled by Steve Waugh and the Aussie team.
Ms Walburn said fans were welcome to bring a camera and pose with the cups.
In addition to the 1999 and 1987 World Cups, the Travelex Cricket Roadshow will feature the Waterford Crystal Ashes Urn, the Frank Worrell Trophy, the ICC Test Match Mace and the women's Ashes trophy.


The Sunshine Coast 20- year-old, who is studying in Brisbane, has become one of only five business students to claim a prestigious international scholarship.
Zara, who graduated from Noosa State High in 1999 with an OP1, is the first person from Queensland University of Technology to receive the Zonta International Jane M Klausman Women in Business scholarship.
The scholarship, worth $8000, is designed to encourage women to seek leadership positions in business communities.
Only five students are selected each year from 30 district winners in the world.
QUT has produced three district winners in the past but Zara, who is in the third year of a double degree in business and arts, is the first to taste success at the elite international level.
Zara was ecstatic with the win and said it was a great honour. She is interested in pursuing a business career that incorporated her two passions, media and education.
"I'd like to get involved in projects such as public education campaigns against things like drink driving and speeding.''


Maleny man Geoffreya David Swayna, 41, was granted bail in Maroochydore Magistrates Court yesterday for dangerous driving after the 20minute chase which ended with his car burning on a roundabout.
The chase started at 9.15pm, and ranged from 20kmh to 80kmh on the Nambour Connection Road.
It was alleged Mr Swayn stopped his car at one stage to quickly reverse into an oncoming police vehicle before speeding off.
At 9.35pm, the car crashed on the roundabout south of the Big Pineapple and caught fire, but the driver refused to get out.
Four minutes later the fire proved too hot and he was leaning out the car window when police pulled him free, coating him in capsicum spray.
Later at the watchhouse, Mr Swayn allegedly tried to escape by breaking into the roof cavity.
Defence lawyer Nicole Schmitt said Mr Swayn suffered post traumatic stress disorder after he was shot in the chest with a nailgun at work two years ago.
Police prosecutor Grant Wilcox opposed bail yesterday, claiming the man was "an obvious threat'' to himself and the community.
But magistrate Danny Munster released Mr Swayn on the condition he report regularly to police, not drink alcohol, and attend weekly psychiatric appointments. He is to reappear for mention on November 14.


LAST weekend's lively breezes made for some exciting racing in the Powersail Marine Cat Challenge, held on Lake Cootharaba.

More than 150 of the State's fastest catamaran crews and their boats raced in three divisions during the five race series.
The weekend also saw the first race of a national series for the new Formula 18 class.
Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club spokesman Noel Rickards said Saturday's 18 knot winds had produced plenty of spectacular racing, particularly in the f18s'', who could reach considerable speeds with their 21sqm sails and similarly sized asymmetrical spinnakers.
They're probably the equivalent of the 18ft racing skiffs,'' Rickards said.
Sydneysider Brad Sumner won the f18 class on a hobie tiger, with Cooroy's Mal Gray finishing second, also on a hobie tiger.
Hervey Bay's Claire Neeskens won division two on a Nacra 5.0, beating her husband Paul for line honours.
Bribie Island's Andy Fawcett won division three on an arrow.
The f18s is a very popular new division,'' Rickards said.
They get some excellent boat speed and are pretty demanding for their two-man crews who sit out on trapezes.
The next f18 regatta will be held in Sydney.


MEMBER for Caloundra Joan Sheldon insists she'll keep the heat on Minister for Employment, Training and Youth Matt Foley about accountability concerns at the Sunshine Coast Regional Group Apprentices Limited (SCRGAL).

After being sidestepped in parliament last week, Mrs Sheldon has put a question on notice to Mr Foley, and doesn't want to be fobbed off again.
I'm going to keep asking because the public has a right to know it's getting value for money,'' the Liberal Party shadow Minister for Training said.
Mrs Sheldon accused the minister of being too cute by half'', by saying her claim the government had provided SCRGAL with funding of around $5million in 2000/2001 was untrue.
Mr Foley said DET had provided funding of just over $300,000 in the past two financial years, at the same time acknowledging SCRGAL had been paid $4.98million in 2000/2001 to build houses and units under the Housing Industry Trade Training Program.
Those millions were also public money and we need to know it's being accounted for,'' Mrs Sheldon said.
Didn't DET do any checks?'' she asked.
Mr Foley confirmed it did, saying that before any construction contract was awarded, Project Services had to satisfy itself the group training company concerned had the financial capacity to complete the work.
In her question on notice, Mrs Sheldon also wants to know about any misuse of funding to SCRGAL subsidiary, Sunshine Coast Training Company (Qld) Pty Ltd, which has former SCRGAL chairman Alison Grosse and former managing director Rob Purvis as directors. The latest accounts show $184,718 written off as a Sunshine Coast Training Company bad debt, allegedly without explanation.

THE Sunshine Coast under-20 Soccer side will play the Manchester United Soccer Academy side tonight to prepare for the opening match of the Soccer Queensland Super Summer League against Soccer Far North Coast in Lismore on Saturday night.

Sunshine Coast coach David Martin said tonight's match would be his side's only trial before kicking-off in the summer competition which is a new concept for Soccer Queensland.
The under-20 competition features sides from the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Rochedale and Queensland Lions as well as the northern New South Wales team.
Martin said the Manchester United Soccer Academy had been established at Capalaba in Brisbane and was run by Tony Walmsley, who had been linked with one of the world's most famous soccer clubs for a number of years.
They have an academy side in residence at Capalaba, and they should certainly be quite competitive,'' Martin said.
The Sunshine Coast side will feature some exciting new players to the region, including South Australian under-16 vice captain Matthew Muscrof, who Martin said was unlucky to miss Australian Joeys selection.
Matthew has been at the AIS in Adelaide for the past three years,'' Martin said.
He's a very handy midfielder, come striker.
We've been allowed to register 22 players, and I think we've got all positions covered pretty well.
We've got a strong squad with plenty of first grade experience.''
Martin said he knew very little about Saturday night's opposition, except that they would primarily be a representative side and they had been training very hard from all reports.

NORTH Caloundra Surf Life Saving Club has solved its identity crisis.
Tradition, dating back more than half a century, on Sunday gave way to a name change to Dicky Beach SLSC.
This followed an emotional debate between long-time members, determined to continue the Norths heritage, and those frustrated by years of confusion and lost marketing opportunities.
President Bob Flynn, the mover of the motion, has been a member of the club for 36 years and its leader for a total of nine.
He was happy with the discussion and vote, which saw 65% of the quorum in favour of the switch.
"There is no such place as North Caloundra,'' he said. "You will not find it on any map or in any referdex.''
Mr Flynn said the supporters club had recently changed its name to Dicky Beach and it had been good for business.
He said the club's name would finally be the same as the historic beach that it served and fit in with the newly-rejuvinated shopping precinct.
Many competitors, often mistaken at major carnivals as members of other North clubs such as North Cronulla, will also appreciate the distinction.
North Caloundra was established in 1950, with the original clubhouse built on Beerwah Par ade between Dicky and Moffat Beach.
The club was gutted by fire in 1974 and council said rebuilding it at that location was unsuitable.
Construction of a new clubhouse at the end of Coochin Street started soon after.
Mr Flynn said the official ratification of the name change, by the State Government, would probably take three months.

MOOLOOLABA Beach has again cleaned up the opposition after being named the Sunshine Coast's cleanest beach yesterday.

Kylie Johnston from the Keep Australia Beautiful Council said great signage, an excellent recycling strategy and the visitor-friendly'' nature of the beach had swayed the judges.
The Sunshine Coast beaches were of just such a fantastic standard it's getting harder and harder for the judges each year,'' Ms Johnston said.
Nine other nominated beaches in the four shires (Caloundra City, Maroochy, Noosa and Cooloola) also received outstanding accomplishment awards.
They were: Noosaville Foreshore Beach (two categories), Coolum Beach, Noosa Heads Lions Park Beach, Dicky Beach, Marcus Beach, Tin Can Bay Foreshore, Peregian Beach and Maroochydore Beach.
Within the next few weeks, judges will select the top three beaches from the state's six judging regions in each of the nine outstanding accomplishment categories with winners announced at the state final on December 6.
That's when Mooloolaba area councillor Joe Natoli hopes to hear our top beach named as the cleanest in Queensland for the second successive year.
We've had outstanding support from individual companies and community groups which has helped us raise the bar even from last year,'' cr Natoli said.
Part of the prize for winning the state title is to feature the beach on a giant billboard at various strategic locations in South-East Queensland.

State of the Regions report released
SUNSHINE Coast residents are earning only three-quarters of their Brisbane counterparts' wages despite property prices rivaling the capital city's surge over the past 12 months.
The 2002 State of the Regions report released last week found the Coast had a per capita average of $13,603 compared with Brisbane's $17,999 for every man, woman and child. But the good news is that the gap between city and country is slowly narrowing.
Average Coast incomes were 75% of Brisbane's this year, but 72% last year and just 66% back in 1999.
The State of the Regions report, which is compiled by National Economics and the Australian Local Government Association, characterised the Coast as a region of tourism and the elderly.
"The Sunshine Coast is a resort and retirement strip, newer than the Gold Coast and with more room, hence not so intensively developed,'' its authors wrote.
But while retirees have come to the Coast for its famed lifestyle, Member for Fisher Peter Slipper said it was that lifestyle that also made workers sacrifice dollars.
"We've never had enough jobs to match the rapidly growing population,'' he said.
"I think many people are prepared to make a sacrifice (in wages) to live on the Coast.''
Mr Slipper said creating more industry was still the answer to boosting employment and income levels.
in the region.
Federal Opposition regional and urban development spokesman, Martin Ferguson, said the Coast, like many areas outside capital cities, needed more regional development assistance.
But Mr Slipper said he believed the Sunshine Coast was getting a "fair share of the funding available''.
"But that's not to say that more funding wouldn't be welcomed,'' he said.

FULL-TIME employees wanting a career change are being denied access to the full employment marketplace because the government has locked them out of the process.
One Coast woman, desperate to find a new job after her work hours were changed from mornings to night shifts, has been left angry and frustrated because she cannot apply for half the jobs she would be suitable to do.
A single parent, with two teenagers at home, she said her family was suffering because of her changed work situation but she could not access many jobs through agencies because she was already in full-time work.
"There are jobs advertised at Centrelink saying they're open to everyone and they're not technically,'' she said.
The concerned mother said the situation had arisen because most employment agencies on the Coast were part of the Centrelink Job Seeker Network. You must work 15 hours or less to register with them.
But a spokesman for Employment Minister Mal Brough was not apologising for the situation, saying people with jobs were in a more fortunate situation than those without.
"The government makes no apologies that the first responsibility is for people without work and getting them into jobs and helping people from welfare into work.''
Job network was set up specifically to help people without employment and who were forced to rely on the federal government for support and he said if the network was open to everyone, they would not be helping those most in need and therefore would not be reducing the employment rate.
But Shadow Minister for Employment Services and Training Anthony Albanese said the woman's situation was ridiculous and more flexibility needed to be introduced into the Job Network.
He said most people wanted to gain fulfilling employment and it was "outrageous people were missing out on this service''.
The boss of one employment agency said agencies who were part of the job network process did not get any money unless they placed people without employment in vacancies.
But the frustrated mum said employers registered through the network were not necessarily getting the best person for the job when so many people could not even send in an application.
"I have written to companies and sent my resume, only to be referred back to these same agencies that will not register me," she said.
"My options are not nearly as wide as an unemployed or part- time worker, even though my needs can be as great or even greater," she said.
Mr Brough's spokesman said everyone had access to the Australian Job Search website.
and some jobs listed on it would only be available through the job seeker network and some would be open to everyone.

PULSES will be racing as Sunshine Coast punters splurge $2 million on today's Melbourne Cup.
But if your heart's aflutter as the gates clang open on Australia's biggest horse race, spare a thought for Corbould Park's apprentice of the year, Michael Rodd.
Michael, 20, who will guide the hopes of 40-1 shot Prized Gem, will suddenly find he's a very long way from Caloundra, where he rides every Sunday.
The Brisbane-based jockey has plenty of mates here and is no stranger to Coast race fans, who watched him boot home 19 winners and 45 place-getters last season.
He said from Melbourne yesterday that his nerves were under control and he would be concentrating on giving the bold Kiwi mare the best trip possible.
Michael, who won the Brisbane Cup on Prized Gem, will need plenty of skill and mind-boggling luck to get her close to the rail from the outside barrier 24.
"I don't want to be near the tail ... I'll be trying to have her a bit worse than mid-field, hopefully one off the rail.''
Sunshine Coast Turf Club CEO Mick Sullivan said he expected between 9000 and 10,000 fans to flock to Corbould Park today.
Mr Sullivan said on course betting turnover would hit $1m for the day, with $250,000 invested on the Cup.
Fashions in the Field, live bands, food stalls, a large screen at the centre of the track and exciting seven-race local program would combine to ensure a great day. Gates open at 9am.
A spokesperson for TAB Queensland said Cup betting was likely to be up to $1.85 million on the Sunshine Coast, with $20m splurged Statewide.
"This year's race seems to be even more intriguing than usual with the foreign contingent adding to the mystique,'' the spokesperson said.
The emotional day brings a sobering warning from Relationships Australia's Gambling Help Service for people not to go overboard.
Counsellor Katherine Bates said the Cup could be a difficult day for people affected by excessive gambling.
She said on an exciting day like this one, it was important to have some practical strategies in place to avoid overspending.
"Set limits in the morning on the amount of money and alcohol you are going to use and take only a small amount with you, leaving keycards and bankcards at home.''


THERE will be more than $180,000 prizemoney and the Kirkwood Cup going to the winner of the Australian PGA Championship at Hyatt Coolum later this month.

The victor will also be guaranteed a start in the $10 million NEC Invitational, one of the four World Golf Championships events, in the United States next August.
The Australasian PGA Tour's decision to send the PGA winner to the NEC event was announced yesterday, giving the Hyatt tournament another significant boost less than four weeks before it begins on Thursday, November 28.
Craig Parry won this year's NEC Invitational at the Sahalee Country Club, pocketing the biggest cheque of his career almost A$2 million.
A 72-hole strokeplay tournament with no halfway cut, the Invitational is restricted to players from the most recent Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams, players ranked in the top 50 in the world, tournament winners in the top 100 in the world and the winner of one selected tournament from each of the Australasian, Southern Africa, Asian and Japanese tours.
The 2003 NEC Invitational will be played at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
The PGA and PGA Tour have been working closely in a number of areas and it is our pleasure to provide this opportunity to the next PGA champion,'' Tour chairman Wayne Grady said.
Meanwhile, Australian golf's newest star, Andrew Buckle, is a confirmed starter at Coolum after winning his first professional tournament, the Queensland Open, at Ipswich on Sunday.



SUNSHINE Coast dad Russell Dean travelled to Mackay last week to start a new life _ and to be a pallbearer at his aunty's funeral. Yesterday, a man appeared in court over his murder.
The 31-year-old, described by a family friend as a "gentle'' and "decent man'' had gone to Mackay to "clear his head'' after a difficult few months. It proved to be a fatal mistake.
Police allege that on Friday night he was murdered by 21- year-old Mackay man Shane Andrew Scott during an altercation about 8.40pm in Romeo Street.
Scott, 24, was yesterday granted bail after a Supreme Court bail application hearing took place via telephone link-up between legal representatives in Mackay and Justice Peter Dutney in Rockhampton.
Family friend Brett Skjonnemand said Mr Dean was a "very good'' man who "would do anything for anyone''.
Mr Skjonnemand said Mr Dean's death had devastated family and friends _ especially his eight-year-old daughter Tiarne who is in the care of her mother and stepfather.
"All she (Tiarne) wants to know is what has happened to her daddy but no-one has been able to tell her because we don't know anything,'' Mr Skjonnemand said.
"We are all desperately waiting for some details.''
Mr Skjonnemand said Mr Dean had travelled to Mackay last week to be a pallbearer at his aunty's funeral.
"Russell's been through a lot and had a bit of depression.
"He went to Mackay to clear his head, find some new direction and make a new start.
"It turned out to be a fatal mistake.''
Up until a couple of weeks ago Mr Dean had played a step father role to Mr Skjonnemand's own daughter.
"Russ and I had our issues but we got past all that and thankfully we were able to make up. "He was great . . . a patient, kind-hearted church-going man and he really enjoyed the company of kids.
"Despite our differences I always respected the fact he was such a great stepfather and he was very good for my daughter.
"It's just devastating that he is gone . . . it's the last thing we would've ever expected.''
Scott was remanded to re- appear for mention today where his legal counsel is expected to secure a date for committal callover.
Scott's bail was granted with residential and reporting conditions.
Meanwhile, Mackay CIB detectives continued their investigations into the incident yesterday.
Mackay Detective Sergeant Dave Geraghty said interviews of Romeo Street residents were expected to take place yesterday afternoon and last night.
Det Sgt Geraghty said investigations were also underway to detemine the involvement of two other people in the altercation.

A HEAVILY intoxicated woman driving a BMW sports car at 20km/h in a 110 zone on the Bruce Highway was the Sunshine Coast's biggest loser on Melbourne Cup day.

A man four times the limit, who stopped to abuse someone in full view of a marked police car, came a close second.
The pair were among a dozen drink drivers caught across the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday afternoon.
The high blood alcohol readings shocked police, who said the idiotic behaviour could easily have led to tragedy.
The drunken female, in her mid 40s, had no idea where she was going'' when picked up south of Moby Vics, while driving almost five times over the legal limit.
She had been partying all afternoon in Mooloolaba and was on her way home to Buderim when she decided to go for a drive''.
A series of 000 calls, including one from the service station where she had stopped, alerted police.
Arresting officer Constable Jeff Brandt, of Landsborough, said the BMW had been swerving all over the road and going too slow.
Const Brandt said the woman had been travelling at speeds no greater than 60km/h and, at times, as slowly as 20.
She did not seem to know what was going on,'' he said.
We intercepted her about 5km south of Moby Vics at 7.15pm. Initially, she said she had only had one glass of champagne but this quickly changed to half a bottle. It was obviously quite a bit more.''

SURF lifesavers breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as Maroochy Council backed away from a policy that would have made it impossible to hold carnivals in the shire.

Council had shocked clubs and Surf Life Saving Queensland by imposing new charges and restrictions for surf sports events.
These included a $3288 event levy, $5000 clean-up bond, additional fees for sponsor signage, no carnivals within 500m of a bathing reserve and a proviso that lifeguards dictate where races would be held.
Club presidents me with SLSQ and branch officials on Tuesday night to formulate a response. A deputation to council yesterday won some concessions.
SLSQ chief Brett Williamson said potential problems had been averted with council and surf lifesaving working through the areas of concern.
Mr Williamson said the reason behind council's willingness to revise the fees and restrictions was the acknowledgement of the economic and social benefits of hosting carnivals in the shire.
The event levy is likely to be waived, $5000 bond reduced to $500, or $2000 if alcohol is being sold, and the surf lifesaving patrol captain to decide the safest and best place to run carnivals, in consultation with the manager of lifeguard services.
Surf life saving will have to submit an event, first aid, environmental protection and risk mitigation plan prior to each carnival.

PETER Degotardi isn't ready to take his bike and go home, but he supports the general consensus that as far as property booms go, we've pretty much had our cycle''.

A director of Herron Todd White (HTW), one of Australia's best-known independent property valuers, Mr Degotardi said figures showed 10,000 homes across the Sunshine Coast had been sold in the last 12 months.
Normally we'd only have half that number change hands we've definitely been going through a boom, but at the same time we're clearly at or about the peak of the cycle,'' he said.
While people such as Reserve Bank governor Ian McFarlane and Prime Minister John Howard have warned about the property market overheating, Mr Degotardi said the Sunshine Coast was in a different situation to Sydney and Melbourne.
Over the last two years we've had big increases in the value of waterfront and other well-located homes,'' he said.
But it has really only been a catch-up, and with risks of interest rate rises not evident, a shortage of land and continued strong population growth, our market is at less risk than the capital cities.''
Mr Degotardi also said the upswing locally had been boosted by baby boomer buying'', with upmarket areas such as Kawana Island, Pelican Waters and Twin Waters emerging from that phenomenon.
He added, You would have to expect there will be some moderation, but I would have thought we would see a period of plateauing, rather than falls in value like we saw in 1995.''

SOMETIMES a smack may just be the best thing for a child.

It's a controversial concept but one with widespread support from parents and psychologists on the Sunshine Coast.
And without exception those spoken to by the Daily yesterday said context was everything.
Opinion gauged locally reflected the national view which flies in the face of a Tasmanian Law Reform Institute proposal to consider a ban on physical punishment of children by parents.
Mother of six Debbie Appleton, on holidays from Rockhampton, said a sensible amount of discipline was appropriate.
We certainly don't smack our children left right and centre,'' Mrs Appleton said.
But our children know that for certain things they will get a smack, for example, hurting someone on purpose or being deliberately disobedient.''
She said the children knew in advance the sort of behaviour that would warrant a smack and such punishment was never too hard a smack, never in anger and never without explanation.
And she said it was part of a bigger picture where the children were treated with respect and taught to treat others the same way.
We get told a lot how fantastic our kids are we work hard and put a lot of time in with them.''
Psychologist Jane Briscoe said that like any form of discipline it's all in context''.
She said a smack was appropriate in certain circumstances at certain ages, as when a child deliberately ignored clear instructions to avoid potential danger like hot stoves or running across the road.

POLICE have called for greater parental vigilance to help turn around a worrying trend of teenage parties ending in violence.

Acting inspector Chris Sang from Maroochydore said the way parties were being advertised'' led to hundreds of teenagers sometimes turning up.
Kids can now go onto the internet and find out where parties are on the Sunshine Coast through chat rooms,'' he said.
Or you find flyers are given out or the person holding the party invites 10 friends, then each friend invites 10 others and so on and next thing the neighbourhood is full and trouble starts.''
Acting inspector Sang said once the police turned up the crowd often dispersed'', but a small percentage of teenagers had an attitude of defiance.
It's not just to police, it's to everything often these kids come from broken families and no-one seems to be taking responsibility for their behaviour,'' he said.
The problem seems to be even worse at Caloundra where police called to out-of-control parties have been pelted with bottles.
Senior Sergeant John Wiseman, in charge of the Caloundra station, said his officers were working with council and other relevant groups to produce a how to host a party'' pack.
The pack will include a checklist of action for parents to take to ensure parties don't continue to get out of control.
Snr sgt Wiseman said that list would include: registering the party with police, issuing specific invitations, not advertising the party on the internet or by flyers, and ensuring adult control.

ALMOST 77,000 people have joined Australia Zoo in its protest at being left out of the Sunshine Coast.

This group is the people of Caloundra City, also not recognised as being part of the Coast by new signage that says the Coast'' is where the Sunshine Motorway joins the Bruce Highway at Chancellor Park.
This means you have not reached the Coast until after you have sailed past Caloundra,'' Mayor Don Aldous said.
This is ridiculous? I'll certainly be making a representation to the decision makers.''
The controversial reference point was decided by the Tourist Signage Committee, made up of tourism and business representatives from the region.
Australia Zoo, which attracts a 52% international trade, promotes itself as being on the Sunshine Coast.
But when visitors drive north from Brisbane and reach the Glasshouse Mountains turnoff which leads to the zoo they cruise past because, according to the last signpost, there are still 36km from the Coast''.
Terri Irwin said that because the Australia Zoo was no longer considered to be on the Sunshine Coast it would change all references to being part of it in the attraction's documentaries, stationary and brochures.
Tourism Sunshine Coast general manager and member of the signage committee, Andrew Sinclair, said a meeting was not scheduled until next year but in light of this controversy, members would get together before Christmas.

MANY Sunshine Coast residents might think detective Brendan White quite mad for swapping the beach for the bush.

When the Caloundra copper moves 1400km west to Jundah, he will be surrounded by a swag of former beach-beaters.
Brendan, 36, this week became the latest officer from the coastal fringe to head west.
He will take up a position as senior constable at Jundah, two hours south-west of Longreach.
His sergeant at the two-man station will be Wayne Lynn, who served at Caloundra for 12 years before shifting out.
Officer in charge at nearby Isisford is Ian Skinner, another ex-Sunshine Coast policeman, while an hour and a half away at Yaraka is former Caloundra CIB detective Chris Williams.
When you look at the map, we are in a triangle,'' Brendan said.
We are all mates and the families get on well so we are certainly not alone out there.''
Brendan, who has been a detective at Caloundra, Kawana and Maroochydore, will return to uniform at Jundah, which serves 120 residents and another 100 in the surrounding area.
The average temperature in summer is 37 degrees.
The cattle and sheep properties are suffering one of their driest spells in history.
It might sound crazy to some people that I'm looking forward to moving out there but the lifestyle in the bush is great,'' Brendan said.

PUBLIC transport on the Sunshine Coast could be thrown into chaos tomorrow as Sunbus drivers continue their campaign for proper pay.

Drivers yesterday spoke out at company inaction in responding to their demands and warned customers to think about making alternative arrangements for Wednesday.
Unfortunately this is going to upset the public,'' Trade Workers Union delegate Harry Adsett said yesterday.
That is not our intention though as we want to keep the public on our side but we just want what is fair.
I think 99% of our customers support us all the way.''
The latest round of industrial action was sparked by an ongoing claim by the drivers, dating back to 1997, that appropriate penalty rates are not being paid.
The award states we should be getting $9.70 per afternoon and night shift which works out to be about $48 a week,'' delegate Mick Ingles said.
And that dates back to 1997 that's the main issue.
Unless the company wants to do something about this then anytime from midnight on Tuesday night to midnight on Wednesday all the buses will be off the road.''
For Sunbus, the timing could not be worse with it yesterday promoting Wednesday as annual TravelSmart Day a day when it planned to give away passes for residents who write of the benefits of public transport.
The 88 drivers who will stop work are also concerned about rostering that sees some shifts not finishing until well into their day's off.

THE notorious Sunshine Motorway was in chaos yet again early yesterday after a three-car smash just west of Glenfields.

Fire and Rescue officers using the jaws of life helped free a man and a woman who were trapped in their cars.
Those two and three children travelling with the woman were transferred to hospital.
The motorway was closed for two hours with traffic diverted across Buderim.
Senior Constable Steve Knight of the Accident Investigation Squad said that despite its history of tragic accidents, the Sunshine Motorway could not to blamed for yesterday's smash.
There is nothing wrong with that road. It's in good condition,'' he said.
It appears to be 100% human error. That road can't be blamed.''
Snr Const Knight said it appeared that a Redcliffe man in a HJ Holden travelling east on the motorway had side-swiped a Falcon station wagon heading in the opposite direction before colliding head-on with a Hyundai sedan.
He said the accident occurred on the sweeping bend near the popular trail-bike area just west of Glenfields.
A Nambour General Hospital spokesperson said the man was in a stable condition at the hospital. Three children aged three, six and eight who were travelling in the Hyundai received minor injuries, the Brisbane woman driver was being treated for serious leg and pelvis inuries.
It was believed the woman in the car which was side-swiped was not badly hurt.

THE future of the Sunshine Coast Grammar School was bright regardless of the controversy over its disgraced head John Burgess, according to the speakers at yesterday's public support meeting.

The 500 people who attended the meeting, organised by the Friends and Supporters of the Sunshine Coast Grammar School (FROGS), heard a clear message in speeches from directors, the teaching executive and parents We must move forward''.
Enthusiastic applause met some emotional comments from teachers and parents who spoke of their love for the school and their firm belief in the educational philosophies which drove it.
The depth of feeling was obvious from many in the crowd, clearly committed to ensuring the best education for their children.
Questions from the floor showed that many held grave concerns for the school's future and wanted assurances that all was on track to provide what was best for their families.
Many wanted simply to show their commitment to the school had not wavered despite recent controversies.
Friends and Relatives of the Grammar School (FROGS) chairman Colin Berneville-Claye told the crowd they shared a very clear mission'' to move forward with their families to 2003.
Mr Berneville-Claye said it was a great school with an even greater future''.
School board member Malcolm McColm said the board hoped yesterday's show of support would be seen as a very positive statement for the future of our school''.
This school is an institution bigger than any one individual,'' Mr McColm said.

THE Hyatt Regency Coolum resort course is being transformed into tournament mode.

With just over two weeks to go before the start of the Australian PGA Championship, work on the grandstand behind the 18th green is almost complete and construction of the sponsors' marquees around the finishing hole began yesterday.
Everything is going along like clockwork,'' tournament director Phil Cutt said.
We couldn't be happier with how the preparations have gone. We've had good weather and the course is looking superb.''
To celebrate the first staging of the PGA on the Sunshine Coast, the Hyatt is opening its course to the public for a special Even Par'' week of golf from Saturday.
Green fees will be $72 until the course closes on November 24.
Local golf enthusiasts will be able to experience the course in the pristine condition that the professionals will take on a few days later,'' marketing communications manager Kaarin Lindsay said.
Bookings can be made via the pro shop on 5449 3582.

SUNSHINE Coast lifesavers are swapping the beach for the bush this week as part of a push to educate kids in rural areas about water and beach safety.

As part of the 2002 Australia Post Beach to Bush campaign lifesavers from the Coast will travel to Charleville, Mitchell, Roma, Miles and Dalby schools covering thousands of kilometres to spread the safety message.
Tour leader Craig Roberts said while many children living near the Coast were given water safety education, country kids were often at a disadvantage.
It is important for us to travel to schools throughout Queensland to educate our children regardless of where they live,'' Roberts said.
It is not just about reaching children near the coastline and we see heading to rural and western areas a major target for us.
This year we will not just educate children about safety in the surf, we will also teach them about all forms of aquatic safety.
We want to know that when children are enjoying any water activity this summer, whether it be in their backyard pool or at the local river or dam, they know how to stay safe.''
The lifesavers will also show the fun side of lifesaving through a mini ironperson challenge.
These children will then become community members of the surf lifesaving movement no matter how far away they are from the beach,'' he said.

THE Caloundra RSL Cup cricket season is only three rounds long, but already Robert Bloom has shown he is one of the most versatile sportsmen on the Sunshine Coast.

The captain-coach of the Northshore Jets in the AFL South Queensland Premier Division in 2002 has enjoyed plenty of success in his summer sporting activity, batting at No.3 for the Caloundra Lighthouses.
Bloom played a match-winning innings on Saturday, making a confident 85, as the Lighthouses gained a first innings victory against Tewantin-Noosa at Henzell Park.
The Thunder resumed at 9-165 and lasted just two balls before Nirmal Wickramathna picked up his third wicket for the innings Mike Thomson for a duck.
Dean McDonald struck early in Caloundra's run chase, removing opener Shane Riley for four, but that was where the joy ended for the visitors.
Bloom teamed up with John Meuleners (41) to take the total to 61 and then featured in a 46-run stand with Sri Lankan import Haresh Ratnayake (14).
Caloundra eventually passed the Thunder's total with only four wickets down and pushed on to make 5-244 with Greg Lyons (53 not out) joining Bloom in the half- century club.
At Yandina, Glasshouse broke through for its first win of the season, surpassing Yandina's first innings of 196 by compiling 241.
The Rangers looked in trouble when they slipped to 5-76, but a 97- run sixth-wicket stand between M Little (51) and Tony Levings (67) moved the visitors to within touching distance of victory.
A handy 30 from No.10 Michael Parr capped off Glasshouse's day.

THE Federal Government's plan for land transport reform has confirmed what local councils and Sunshine Coast motorists have known for years our roads are unsafe, congested and underfunded.

Local Government Association of Queensland president and former Noosa mayor Noel Playford said yesterday the Federal Government's AusLink Green Paper released last week recognised the drastic need for better regional road networks.
It is pleasing that the paper acknowledges what local government in Queensland has been saying for more than a decade our roads have been underfunded, are becoming congested and unsafe, cannot cope with the increased demand placed on them and that urgent action is overdue,'' Mr Playford said.
He said local councils, responsible for managing about 80% of the state's roads would have a keen interest in the the key initiatives identified in the paper.
And he said a cooperative approach was needed to ensure the much-need reforms were implemented as soon as possible.
There is little doubt that the current situation is not sustainable. A coordinated efforts between all levels of government, industry and the private sector is required to deliver roads and transport links to keep local communities alive and maintain the competitiveness of the nation's regions into the future.''
Mr Playford said the LGAQ had taken a leadership role by establishing a Road Management and Investment Alliance between local government and the Queensland Department of Main Roads.
He said the alliance was designed to set priorities and re-direct funding to the areas of highest need.

THE Australian Tax Office will crack down on the Sunshine Coast's black economy, targetting the cash rates'' that have flourished under the Goods and Services Tax.

ATO investigators will target the building and construction and hospitality industries, the mainstays of the Coast economy.
The ATO said yesterday that compliance officers would be contacting 85,000 businesses Australia-wide after anomalies were detected in Business Activity Statements.
Around 20,000 of these were considered to be seriously in breach of Australian tax laws.
The black economy is rife on the Sunshine Coast.
Building and construction industry sources say the GST had been fantastic'' for the black economy.
Contractors who did not wish to be named said the incentive for cash-in hand payment, for discounts of 10% and greater, had increased under the GST.
It was always there, but now people have more reason to pay in cash,'' one said.
There's certainly no incentive for the customers to pay the tradesman GST because they've got no way to claim it back.''
Coast Housing Industry Association president Reg Potts said the black economy was rife in the smaller end of the construction game.
It's always been the case but it's rampant now,'' Mr Potts said.
Especially since the home renovator market has gone through the roof. The black economy might have tightened up in the business to business transactions but certainly not in the renovating market.''
Queensland Council of Unions president Grace Grace said cash- in-hand payments to hospitality workers remained a problem.

SWIMMERS were evacuated from Sunshine Coast surf yesterday as shark sightings caused lifesavers to quickly sound alarms.

Hundreds of swimmers scrambled out of Mooloolaba surf around 9.30am when the shark alarm bell tolled across the beach.
Lifesavers were later doubtful whether a shark had actually approached the swimming area, but said it had been important to clear the beach in the interests of public safety.
But around 2.45pm a Wurtulla lifeguard spotted a shark chasing bait fish in the surf.
The beach was quickly cleared.
Swimmers were allowed back in the water about 20 minutes later after lifeguards saw off the threat.
A general notice was issued to other beaches in the area.
For Sunshine Coast nippers, out on their first day of patrol at Mooloolaba Beach, the action was unexpected but exciting.
Nipper Ryan Shanley, 13, said his first day had been pretty full-on''.
Thirteen-year-old Sarah Fullerton said she had not expected any action, having prepared to watch people having fun rather than help out with an alarm.
The pair, who both want to become fully qualified surf lifesavers, spent the moments after the alarm making sure no-one entered the water.
Mooloolaba patrol captain Ross Ullman said although the water was cleared after a possible sighting, two jetboats, a helicopter and the IRB did not spot a shark.
A Sunshine Coast Command Centre spokesperson said clearing the water was irregular, but it was best to err on the side of safety''.

THERE'S far more to glass- blowing than bottles, glasses and ornate candle-holders.

Just ask Steve and Jody Walkinshaw of Carlton Glass Marketing whose skill in manufacturing hydrometers has built a national client base.
The wine, sugar and petroleum and aviation industries across Australia are among those who rely on the small Maroochydore firm.
It is a bit different,'' Mr Walkinshaw said.
There are not many glass blowers around and even less who do specifically what we do.''
As well as hydrometers (used basically to measure the density of liquids) Carlton Glass Marketing also manufactures laboratory glassware.
And it's turning into a bit of a family tradition. Jody's father Rob Cox joined the Carlton family business in the 1950s as a teenager, when the firm, which started in 1934, was based in Brisbane.
Steve married Jody, learned the art of glassblowing from Rob, and about 15 years ago they moved the company to Maroochydore.
The wine industry is our biggest market,'' Steve said.
But it's not all hydrometers and laboratory equipment.
Some of Rob's more artistic efforts feature in a display cabinet at the business.
We do a bit of fancy stuff,'' Steve said.
We can do whatever people like, really.''
That includes a small glass helicopter, commissioned as a gift, and a variety of wedding-cake decorations.
Now they are perhaps the only and certainly the biggest'' manufacturers of hydrometers in Australia.

A LOOMING education infrastructure crisis on the Sunshine Coast has been averted with the confirmation yesterday the new Chancellor Park High School will open in 2004.

Education Minister Anna Bligh's office announced yesterday the school would be ready for business on the first day of the 2004 school year with a first year intake of Year 7 and 8 students.
The news of the new school co-incided with the launch yesterday of Mountain Creek High School's new Middle and Senior schools which will see Year 10 students take on the same timetable as the Year 11 and 12 students from next year.
The new $2.7m school at Chancellor Park, which was foreshadowed earlier this year in the state budget, comes just at the right time as it will relieve pressure from Mountain Creek which will strain with the weight of 2100 students next year.
With that many students the additional numbers will see the school take the title as the biggest in the state.
The bulk of those numbers come from new Year 8 students with 425 expected to turn up on the first day of classes next year.
Mountain Creek principal Greg Peach said to cope with the influx of students six new classrooms had been made available which would help house some of the 15 Year 8 classes the 425 new students would make up.
Mr Peach said while the school would still manage with such a large number of students, he hoped the Chancellor Park school would relieve the pressure the following year.
With 1600 students the school runs like a well oiled machine,'' he said.
But at 2100 it starts to get a bit creaky.''

THE second chance'' format of last season's Sunshine Coast rugby union competition has received the thumbs down'' from the clubs.

The rejection has paved the way to return to a two-round competition with the top five to go to the finals.
The format change appears certain to receive official sanction at a Sunshine Coast Rugby Union management committee meeting early December, general manager Russell Sheil said yesterday.
This year, the top four and bottom four teams on the ladder after round two split into two separate pools for a three-match third round.
The change, with all matches in the three grades lumped into one- day carnivals at Caboolture, Kawana and Caloundra, aimed to create an open contest for the weaker teams and extra hope of making the finals.
However, Sheil said the new third round had not changed any positions on the ladder.
It also created great difficulty in deciding the venues for the three days; fundamentally the competition has run on a home-and-away basis,'' Sheil said.
The revenue for every club comes from its home games.
The clubs decide the format and they have given us the basic ideas for the two rounds of home and away with the top five going into the finals.''
Noosa president Max Gunthorpe and A-grade coach Mick Phelan have welcomed the rejection of the 2002 format.
The Dolphins appeared to be worst affected of the eight clubs, having a drought'' on home games before the August 31 grand finals.

ZAC Purton was the name on everyone's lips at Corbould Park yesterday, with the 19-year-old apprentice booting home five winners.

The wins extended his lead to seven at the top of the jockey's premiership, with his nearest rival Brad Stewart failing to ride a winner yesterday.
Everything went right for the exciting young hoop, who endured a frustrating Saturday at Doomben, having to settle for one win and four seconds.
I'm just getting all the luck at the moment,'' Purton said.
But I've been getting good horses, you can't win without good cattle.
Yesterday's haul was Purton's second bag of five for the year, he did it in Townsville in February as well.
That was a bit of a surprise. Because at the time I couldn't ride a winner, and I went up there and won five,'' he said.
Purton left his most exciting win until the last race of the day the K Smith & Son Jewellers Handicap 1000m when 7-2 favourite Good Idea out sprinted Dawn Glances and Enchanting Lass.
He had fairly easy victories in race one the Midas Car Care Handicap (1400m) on four-year-old brown mare Maltlaw, and in race six, the Hudson Timber & Hardware Handicap (1300m) on seven-year-old brown gelding Get Going.
Race two, the Caloundra RSL Handicap (1400m) and race five,the Sunshine Coast Daily Handicap (1600m), took more of an effort, Purton said.

THE Sunshine Coast Scorchers, on the verge of winning an historic fourth match in a row, have received accolades for their team spirit.

With Toombul resuming today at 9/197, the Scorchers must take just one wicket before openers Jerry Cassell and Aaron Maynard take charge on the run-friendly Buderim pitch.
Coach Ian Moffett said the top of the XXXX Cup table would hinge on the Wests-Gold Coast match.
Wests have won three in a row too and they are fairly well positioned to win again,'' Moffett said.
But a win over Toombul would at least put us closer to the top and give a bit better than a game's break between the top two and the rest.
We have never achieved four in a row before.
Everything we have done this season has been a team effort and everyone has chipped in at some stage.
That gives more chances of getting on a winning roll, without relying on rather one player.''
Moffett said Scorchers bowlers Paul Cash (Palmwoods), Corey Otto (Maroochydore) and Chris McCabe (Caloundra) should quickly pick up the last Toombul wicket.
He said captain and Bulls batsman Cassell was looking for a high score to put pressure on the state selectors.
Maynard had also been performing well with about 160 runs this season.
The opening partnership had been reasonably consistent'' this season, the coach said.
The middle order would appreciate the bonus of a long innings and time at the crease.

DICKY Beach looks a million dollars. Today, after years of planning and six months of hard work, the result of that amount of expenditure will go on show.

While the historic skeleton of the SS Dicky still takes pride of place down on the sand, the suburb's shopping area is no longer a wreck.
Shopkeepers, residents and visitors are ecstatic with the colourful transformation of the fast-tiring business strip and its surrounds.
A new road surface, fancy interlocking pavers, stylish street furniture, improved signage and lighting and lush landscaping are part of the rejuvenation.
It's just wonderful,'' Helen Hamilton of Clancy's Takeaway said.
Dicky had been the same forever and really needed this. We think it is beautiful and will bring so many more tourists to the area.''
Helen said taking away the huge concrete step and making the shops and footpath the one level was a key improvement.
She said the streetscape was simply stunning.
Local councillor and deputy mayor Don Smith said he was ecstatic with the transformation and paid tribute to Caloundra City council's team.
The end result speaks for itself and we invite everyone to come and see the new Dicky Beach,'' he said.
Today's festivities will see a road closure from 3pm prior to the start at 4pm.
There will be 30 market stalls, live entertainment from bands, buskers and the 35-strong Caloundra City Concert Band, face painting, a jumping castle and merry-go-round, sausage sizzle, and fireworks at 8pm.
The official opening by Mayor Don Aldous will take place at 5.30pm.

THE 2002 basketball season gave two major lessons to former Sydney Kings forward-centre Michael Kenny.

He realised that at 37 he was too old to keep playing with his beloved Maroochydore Clippers; and the Clippers needed a slight change of game style.
Now appointed as the 2003 coach, Kenny has confirmed he will stay on the sideline next season to focus on building up the Clippers defensive skills and developing an inside'' shooting emphasis.
Kenny, who was co-captain of the Clippers' 1997 championship team, said he had returned to the second division last season after a five-year break, during which he coached juniors.
Halfway through the season, Jeff (Williamson, then coach) said he wanted me in the first division,'' Kenny said.
But I had been five years in retirement. My body hated me for doing it and my knees are finally giving in.
At my age you can't get the fitness you need in this sort of competition.
These guys are quick and athletic and they can jump like I never could.''
Kenny, whose credits include player-coach with Penrith from 1990 to '92 and a season playing with the Kings in 1993, moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1996 after transferring in his job with Telstra.
With the Kings I was very much an undersized big man at 6ft 6in (198cm) and 90kg,'' he said.
We had Dean Uthoff, who was 6ft 10in (208cm) and 130kg and could benchpress 400 pounds (182kg).

A GROUP of local golfers is quietly confident their bid to purchase Twin Waters Golf Club can succeed.

There's just one catch it's not for sale.
However, based on strong rumours'' the Novotel Twin Waters Resort (including the golf club and tennis centre) would come on the market next year, the group behind the bid plans to have their finances in place in time to make a serious offer.
And they mean business. Twin Waters Country Club chairman Trevor Herd said a members working party had been working since March to raise the capital for the purchase through a proposed issue of shares.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a golf course of the quality of Twin Waters,'' Mr Herd said.
It's a wonderful course.''
He said the working party, initiated by Twin Waters resident Hank Langstrom, had been formed by members of the golf club.
The Twin Waters Country Club has been registered as a company and their attempt to buy-out Twin Waters Golf and Tennis Club is based on an offering shares priced at $5000 each.
That initial purchase carries with it a right to apply to become a golf member with full playing rights.
The venture is being promoted amongst Twin Waters residents, interstate and to other Sunshine Coast golfers,'' Mr Herd said.
The group has formed an alliance with major Queensland developer Consolidated Properties the firm behind the Casuarina Beach development on the Tweed Coast.

GOLFER Katherine Hull's world championship win has earned her an October senior award in the Sunshine Coast Sports Star of the Year competition.

Based at Pepperdine University in the United States, the former Tewantin-Noosa champion was part of an historic victory by Australia at the women's world amateur teams championships in Malaysia.
In the closest finish in history, Australia made up a three-stroke deficit to win its first world women's title since 1978 on a countback over Thailand at the Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur.
Hull, 20, finished fourth in the individual event.
After placing 20th on the first day, the Aussies moved into fifth with a six-under-par performance on the second day.
They climbed again on the third day with a five- under-par score and were tied for third entering the final round.
The other senior winners for October are indoor cricketers Scott Gardiner and brothers Corey and Jay Otto who were part of the Australian team which clinched the World Cup in New Zealand.
Jay was the player of the tournament, while his elder brother was one of Australia's outstanding players in the final against the Kiwis, conceding zero off both his overs and making 18 with the bat.
Gardiner missed the final due to a groin strain.
All three are also very capable cricketers outdoors, with Gardiner and Corey Otto play with the Scorchers.
The October junior winner is Caboolture baseballer Chris Clem, who has enjoyed an outstanding 2002.

EXPERTS are lifting the lid on waste management as part of 2002 National Recycling Week.

School students, along with Coast residents, will be given vital tips in how to save the planet during the week which runs until Sunday.
Yesterday, Caloundra State School students learned they sent 21 wheelie bins a week to landfill. Cleanaway education officer Mandy Botterell said this was approximately 215 cubic metres per year.
She presented two recycling wheelie bins to principal John Liscombe to help the school start a program to reduce the amount of waste they are sending to be buried.
Having the bins and collecting rubbish items such as paper/cardboard, plastic, aluminium and steel, could cut waste back by a quarter and significantly reduce costs.
Today, the waste management unit will hold an open day at the Pierce Avenue resource recovery facility.
Mayor Don Aldous said it was an excellent opportunity to showcase the cutting edge waste management systems at the facility.
"We are leading the way in reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill by proving numerous opportunities for residents to reduce reuse and recycle their waste,'' he said.
Open day activities include a free barbecue breakfast, provided by Caloundra Scouts, from 6am to 9am, sausage sizzle from 10am to noon, and guided minibus tours of the facility from 12.30pm.

DEREK Sam sat staring at the ground, then at the ceiling before he said what three desperate families were begging not to hear.
Asked the direct question _ what had he done with the body of Jessica Gaudie _ Sam remained silent in the witness box for 30 long seconds.
It was a moment of extreme intensity. It was as if no one in the room was able to take a breath.
Finally, Sam's gaze turned to the police and the families sitting behind them in the Maroochydore court gallery.
He raised his shoulders slightly into a resigned shrug.
"What can I say?''
The words came out softly after a deep breath, dashing the hopes of three families who had come to the inquiry hoping to learn the ultimate fate of their loved ones.
"If that's how it's going to be, I'll die in jail. I cannot put my hand up for a crime I didn't commit,'' he said.
"I don't care what you people think. My kids are gone. My family's gone. I'm a puppet on a string. The day I walk out of jail I'm dead. It doesn't matter to me.''
The man who has been sentenced to life for the killing of the Nambour teenager, and tops the list of suspects for the disappearance of British backpacker Celena Bridge and Kenilworth teacher-aid Ann Glassop in 1998 and 1999, said there was nothing more he could tell.
The response followed a last bid to coax information from the convicted killer.
"I know you want to go up north. You can't get visitors now,'' Shane Panoho, the police officer assisting the coroner, said.
"I'm sure applications can be made if you help this family (the Gaudies),'' Sgt Panoho offered. "I don't mind if you consider this an inducement or not.''

A SCHOOLIES boom in the Gold Coast and Whitsundays could leave the Sunshine Coast's "safe'' festival as a shadow of its former self.
While Sunshine Coast organisers are predicting numbers to be down by as many as 2000 next week, other areas have reported record demand.
Sunshine Coast Community Solutions general manager David Curdcorrect said although the Coast hosted up to 5000 school leavers last year, no more than 3000 were e pected here next week.
Yet major Gold Coast accommodation agent BreakFree said schoolies bookings in the south had increased by almost 20%.
Record numbers of school leavers from throughout Australia and overseas are expected to descend on the Gold Coast for the celebrations, according to the council.
Destinations further north are also becoming more attractive to school leavers, with 40% increases in the Whitsundays annually over the last four years.
Mr Curd attributed the drop here to a greater number of quality alternatives.
"The success of the Sunshine Coast model has been rolled out in the Whitsundays, Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast,'' he said.
He also said school leavers had other monetary considerations, such as purchasing a car or looking forward to university costs.
He stressed the drop in numbers was not a concern, as the week was not a money-making scheme but was about providing a quality experience for young people.
Tourism and Fair Trading Minister Merri Rose said each school leaver would spend $1000 on average during the celebrations.
Maroochydore Chamber of Commerce president Leigh Rachow said schoolies were a big injection for accommodation and retail precincts.
"A thousand dollars each is nothing to sneeze at,'' Ms Rachow said.

THE Sunshine Coast could not receive the road funding it deserved until federal MPs "got off their bums'' and lobbied for a better return from fuel taxes.
Premier Peter Beattie made the comments in defending the lack of state funding to Coast roads following the release of a five-year road plan which consists mainly of federal funding.
Mr Beattie said Queensland was increasing its road funding but without a real return from federal fuel taxes, it would not be able to properly fund new roads across the state.
"Until we get our federal members of Parliament on the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere to get off their bums and start putting pressure on the Federal Government than we are not going to get the result we want.''
Mr Beattie said the Federal Government was now talking about more toll roads, something he knew had little support on the Sunshine Coast.
"What the Federal Government is basically doing is stealing from motorists and not putting the money back into roads.''
"If we got it back you could have a highway made of bloody gold, almost, to the Sunshine Coast.''
But federal MP Peter Slipper said his government had reduced fuel taxes, first introduced by Labor, by removing yearly increases.
He said it was now seen as part of raising funds for consolidated revenue.
Mr Slipper said he was lobbying both deputy PM John Anderson and state transport minister Steve Bredhauer for the Bruce Highway to be upgraded to six lanes to the Coast. A meeting involving council leaders would be held in the next week.

SHOPPERS at Sunshine Plaza aren't the only ones anxiously awaiting the completion of roadworks designed to realign the Plaza Parade intersection with Horton Parade.
A consortium of Sunshine Coast developers has drawn up floor plans for a $3million commercial complex to be built on vacant land on the north-eastern corner of the intersection, next to the Jenny Craig Centre.
Spokesman Geoff Glanville said yesterday it had been a long wait for the work to be completed.
"We bought the land off council some time ago ... it's probably the most visible site in town,'' he said.
"We've had some preliminary dialogue with a potential major tenant but it's probably a bit too early to put anything in concrete.''
Indeed, Mr Glanville said the backers hadn't decided whether to build a high-class showroom or single-storey professional offices, adding, "We've pretty well ruled out retail though''.
"We've had some preliminary floor plans drawn up but nothing specific at this stage,'' he said.
The 1350sqm block has 100m of frontage to Plaza Parade.
The roadworks started last month and are expected to finish in March next year, although work will be halted for two weeks during the peak Christmas period.
Maroochy deputy mayor Trevor Thompson said the realignment of Plaza Parade would ease peak-period traffic congestion.
The works are part of a five- to-10-year strategy to upgrade Plaza Parade and Evans Street to four lanes between Horton Parade and Maroochydore Road.
This stage will include the relocation of traffic signals at Horton Parade/Plaza Parade, drainage works, street lighting added, pavement construction, footpath construction and landscaping and relocation of utility services.

THE volatile Sunshine Coast building industry is set to stabilise in the next two years with the injection of a multi-million dollar public works program.
Queensland Masters Building Association (QMBA) regional manager, Robert Dunbar, sees the announcement of up to $55 million worth of public works in the area, a slice of the state government's current building projects' guide, as a shot in the arm for one of the Coast's most important industries.
"What this announcement does for the Coast is it injects outside work into the area, which, together with existing projects will keep contractors in work for the next couple of years,'' Mr Dunbar said.
He said the public works would include the refurbishment of a number of high schools across the Coast, together with $13.5 million allocated for the construction of the Sippy Downs High School.
Other government buildings to benefit will be a multi-million dollar upgrade to the Cooloola Sunshine Institute of TAFE at Mooloolaba, the continuing redevelopment of the Nambour Hospital and $12 million towards new public housing.
Although a number of Coast building companies would be pre-qualified to tender for the building projects, Mr Dunbar believed the biggest boon was for subcontractors.
"It will help to flatten out the constant boom and bust cycle of the housing industry on the Coast. This is good for the 'subbies, who should get a lot more joy leading up to Christmas and beyond,` he said.
Mr Dunbar saw the public works program as an indication the government recognised the Sunshine Coast as a major growth area.
`They keep pumping the building work into the Coast because it is such a booming area. If the construction industry is going well, so will the tourist industry and the Coast in general.'

MALENY'S Yvonne Johnston is a shining example of the message behind Spinal Injuries Awareness Week _ there is achievement after adversity.
The Paraplegic and Quadraplegic Association of Queensland chose Achievement After Adver sity as its theme to show that spinal injuries are life-changing events they do not stop people from living a full life.
That is something Mrs Johnston has demonstrated in the 28 years since a car accident in NSW left her with paraplegia.
She was 22. Her children were aged nine months and two years at the time and can't remember seeing their mum walk.
Strong support from family helped Mrs Johnston come to terms with her spinal cord injury and get on with her life.
She has enjoyed a diverse work history, running businesses with her husband, including spray painting, cattle farming and making mobile cattle yards.
"You name it, we've done it,'' she said.
But Mrs Johnston said raising her children was the biggest achievement of her life.
She has a strong message of encouragement for others coming to terms with a spinal cord injury.
and may have trouble accepting their disability:
"Get out there and have a go,'' she said. "If you smile the world smiles with you. If you cry, you cry alone. That's my policy.
"It's such a challenge. You've got to change your whole attitude, your whole outlook.''
She said it was important that individuals did not lose their identity after a serious injury.
"Be who you want to be,'' she said.
_ don't be a great sportsperson if you don't want to be. Don't do something if it makes you feel uncomfortable.''
A spokesperson for the Paraplegic and Quadraplegic Association said
The majority of spinal cord injuries result from motor vehicle accidents. Other causes include: motorbike accidents, bike/pedestrian related accidents falls, diving and surfing, horses, football and gymnastics.

Coast centre cements reputation as hub of business innovation
MORE than 60 leading business people from the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane gathered at the In novation Centre at Sunshine Coast University last nightwednov13 to hear a remarkable success story.
The president of Queensland Entrepreneurs and CEO of Vision in Action Kelvin Hutchinson, a self confessed "serial entrepreneur'' has created, developed, managed and sold more than 20 businesses in Asia and Australia.
His presentation drew on his in-depth knowledge of property development, digital data-casting, consulting, information technology, marketing and multimedia productions.
His many business activities have included:
n 20 years of property development throughout Australia _ and eight in Asia
n The establishment of a cruise line in Indonesia
n the establishment of a software house
n a partnership with golfing great Gary Player involving the management of integrated resorts and golf clubs throughout Asia.
Innovation Centre chief executive Colin Graham said last night was the second in a series of events designed to promote "an entrepreneurial culture on the Sunshine Coast''.
"The Meet the Entrepreneur evenings are very practical events that help to inform and inspire local entrepreneurs to create their own business success stories _ they also reinforce the Innovation Centre's position as the innovation hub for the Sunshine Coast,'' Mr Graham said.

NEWLY-ELECTED Sunshine Coast Regional Group Apprentices Limited chairman Toni McRae yesterday defended her independence, denying she was representing former chairman Alison Grosse on the board.
While acknowledging she had represented Excellent Communications, Mrs Grosse's private company and one of five SCRGAL member companies, at one meeting, Ms McRae said she had "no professional or personal connection with Excellent Communications''.
"I'm doing this job, voluntarily, because I believe in the 700 apprentices we're securing futures for,'' Ms McRae said.
The journalist and author said she had great confidence in SCRGAL's future, saying new CEO Howard Riach would have "a free and unencumbered rein to return the company to its number one position.''
It seems, however, that mistakes of the past, including non- existent record keeping, highlighted in a damning report from the Department of Employment and Training earlier this year, are being repeated.
ASIC records checked on Tuesday listed SCRGAL's directors as Malcolm Dixon (appointed December 3, 2001), Alison Grosse and Don Moffatt (resigned July 4).
Despite ASIC requiring board changes to be notified within 14 days, the election of directors Toni McRae, Robert Dunbar, Peter McNeale and Sean Fitzpatrick, all made prior to July, have yet to be advised.
And former manager Rob Purvis, sacked in December, has just received an ASIC penalty notice for not lodging an annual return for The Sunshine Coast Training Company, a defunct SCRGAL subsidiary.
Ms McRae also said staff who leaked company information to the media would be fired.

PREMIER Peter Beattie is putting the heat on federal MP Peter Slipper to deliver on his promise to have HMAS Brisbane sunk off the Sunshine Coast as a dive attraction.
Mr Beattie said Queensland still wanted to have the decommissioned Navy destroyer as a tourist attraction but was not prepared to commit itself to any ongoing funding.
"I remind divers and Sunshine Coast residents that the Liberal Member for Fisher, Peter Slipper, is on record several times promising the Federal Government will sink the ship off the Sunshine Coast and has the money to do so,'' he said.
"The Federal Liberal Government is trying to squirm out of its election commitment by saying the State Government should pay for insurance premiums,'' Mr Beattie said.
Mr Beattie said claims by Mr Slipper that he was not supportive of sinking the ship off the Coast were not true.
He said he had promised to sign the Deed of Gift with the Federal Government as long as it came with no price tag.
Mr Beattie said he still understood public liability insurance costs would be $250,000 a year.
But Mr Slipper said there were no such costs for Queensland with the Federal Government agreeing to pay up to $3million for the ship's sinking _ a cost normally met by the states.
Mr Slipper said he could not believe that Labor MP Chris Cummins could not convince the Premier to sign for the ship given such undertakings.
Asked why the Commonwealth did not just sink the ship itself, Mr Slipper said: "The Federal Government is not in the business of sinking ships. "(It) would not have the administrative infrastructure.''

A BUDDINA woman who has had more experience with lawyers investigating lawyers than most has welcomed a report into the Queensland Law Society and its calls for reforms.
Joyce Baker, who has been fighting to recover $36,000 she lost in failed Boyce Garrick Lawers-run mortgage schemes, said the report by retired judge Pat Shanahan didn't go far enough.
"They shouldn't have lawyers investigating lawyers,'' she said.
"I went in there (to the QLS) looking for help and now all my trust for lawyers is gone.''
She said the findings that many people didn't have faith in the QLS wasn't surprising and it would take years before that could be changed.
"We'll all be in the same boat if it's left in the same system,'' she said.
Ms Baker's reaction was echoed by Lawrence Sprinborg, opposition justice spokesman, who yesterday called on the State Government to appoint an independent body to handle future complaints and restore faith in the system.
"The report criticises the QLS's handling of complaints, which is reason enough for the Beattie government to quickly finalise legal profession reform, including the creation of an independent body that can manage complaints without fear or favour,'' he said.