More than $619,000 in grant funding is available to celebrate state school education success across 11 award categories this year.

The Showcase Awards are an annual celebration of all that is great about state schooling and this year there’s two extra categories-One to celebrate Indigenous education initiatives and one to highlight outstanding rural and remote programs.

Nominations will close on 18 May 2018. Regional award winners and commendations will be announced in June, state finalists in July and the state award winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Brisbane on World Teachers’ Day on 26 October 2018.

The Showcase was established in 2000 as an annual awards program to recognise and reward state schools that are significantly improving student learning outcomes.

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Barnaby Joyce will step down as Leader of the National Party and move to the backbench.

“This has got to stop”, was the quote Mr Joyce used to describe his decision at a Media Conference in Armidale today.

Mr Joyce says he will announce at a party room meeting in Canberra on Monday morning that he’ll be stepping down as the leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.

A leadership ballot will then held.

Mr Joyce says his decision is aimed at acting as a “circuit-breaker” to stop the fallout of his relationship with his partner, Vikki Campion for his children, estranged wife, his partner and unborn child.

He says he hopes the move will also end the politics.

Over the last half a month, there has been a litany, litany of allegations – I don’t believe any of them have been sustained.”

“Might I say right here, any person in any political party always says, the leaking, the backgrounding, all that, it will destroy not only our government, it will destroy any government.”

He has also today described the formal sexual Harassment case that has surfaced against him as “spurious” and “defamatory”.

“I’ve asked for the right of the person who’s made the allegation and I’ve asked for my right of defence that that be referred to the police.”

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The organization’s Cattle Board Director Peter Hall says with many parts of Queensland entering their sixth year of drought, ensuring the state’s stock routes were managed and maintained properly was now more important than ever.

Mr Hall says it’s incredibly disappointing that Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham is now claiming we can’t move forward because drovers, conservationists and indigenous groups need to be consulted yet again.

“AgForce joined with councils and the Queensland Government in mid-2017 to hammer out the ‘Longreach accord’ which outlined eight key requirements for stock route reform, around issues such as fees, oversight, an education program and the development of a state management plan.”

“The key stakeholders – landholders, councils and the State Government – all agree on the key principles and all agree urgent reform and investment is needed to ensure the stock route network doesn’t end up unusable. Let’s just get on with it.”

Mr Hall says the Queensland Government was only being asked to maintain capital funding for water facilities and make a modest investment to support a transition process to allow councils to take more responsibility for managing the stock route network.

“The Minister is not the only one being asked to put his hand in his pocket. AgForce has actually backed fair fees for long term grazing as well as price increases for travelling stock, with the money raised to be reinvested into network maintenance,”

Mr Hall says while the organization is aware that fee increases won’t be popular with all members AgForce is prepared to back higher fees if the return is a sustainably-run stock route network for current and future generations to use.

“We have the model, the conditions and the draft legislation. Efforts to reform the stock route network must not stall now.”

He says there can be no more delays.

“The stock route network has been plagued for decades by issues such as overgrazing by producers, unmanaged weed infestations and an inadequate fee structure that meant infrastructure such as watering points were not maintained or renewed.”

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Federal Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Steven Ciobo welcomed the new short walk infrastructure, opening less than one year after Tropical Cyclone Debbie made landfall in the Whitsundays.

“Around 70 per cent of international visitors to Australia already enjoy an ocean-based experience during their trip, so it’s great to have another attraction to motivate travellers to visit the region.”

The track along with several other under construction in the Whitsundays are key in strategy to help the region recover.

State Tourism Minister Kate Jones says the walk, which takes visitors to a lookout with great views across Langford Passage, there’s few places in the world that can match this lookout for natural beauty.

“Photo opportunities like these make a big difference to visitors and we know that opening up our islands with projects like this will drive tourism to the region.”

Two more short walks, one on Haslewood and one on Border Islands, are due to be complete by mid-2018.

An expanded Hill Inlet Lookout on Whitsunday Island will be ready for visitors by the end of this year and will complement a $2.78 million walking track development connecting Whitehaven Beach to Tongue Point.

Tourism Whitsundays CEO Craig Turner says local tourism operators would be excited to see the new walking tracks open to the public.

“We are well-known for our reef and island experiences and island walks such as this will further drive visitation and, importantly, length of stay, as there are more things for people to do while here, with a more diversified tourism experience.”

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Queensland Health Clinical Excellence Division Medical Lead Associate Professor Rebecca Kimble says that latest data shows many pregnant women in Queensland are either not wearing their seat belts correctly or are scared to wear them altogether.

‘We determined that more work is needed to educate Queensland mothers-to-be on seatbelt safety, which was why Queensland Health was rolling out a state-wide social media campaign to spread the message.”

A preliminary survey of pregnant women in Queensland showed that around 42 per cent believe wearing a seat belt could cause harm to them or their baby if they were in an accident.

Professor Kimble says that’s just dangerously wrong.

“Because of this false belief, women aren’t wearing their seat belts correctly, or choosing not to wear them at all – which could have serious or devastating implications.”

“Some women also find wearing a seatbelt uncomfortable, particularly in the later stage of pregnancy, so understanding how to wear it properly is not only about safety but also comfort.”

Professor Kimble reminds pregnant women that every kilometre per hour increase in speed, the risk of injury to a mother and their unborn baby, without a properly used three-point seatbelt restraint, increases exponentially.

“The safest and most comfortable way to correctly wear a seatbelt is with the lap belt ‘below the bump’ over the lap, and the sash between the breasts and over, not across, the pregnant uterus.”

“It’s a really simple message and is incredibly important for pregnant women to hear, which is why we are rolling out a social media campaign to spread the message.”

Assistant Commissioner of the Road Policing Command Mike Keating says mothers to be also need to remember that failing to wear a seatbelt continued to be a significant contributor towards the Queensland road toll.

“Crashes are largely preventable and putting on a seat belt should be second nature, as it is designed to protect the body from moving forward in the event of a crash.”

“It is the responsibility of both drivers and passengers to make sure seat belts are always worn. If not, the penalty is a $378 fine and a loss of three demerit points.”

To access campaign materials, please visit the Queensland Health Facebook page or visit, www.health.qld.gov.au

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To qualify as independent for Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY Living Allowance, students from regional or remote areas must earn at least $24,836 before commencing further study.

Previously, students had to wait 18 months after leaving school before qualifying for independent payments, putting them out of studies for one and a half to two academic years.

The Federal Government has reduced the time regional and remote students must spend earning this income, from 18 months to 14 months, allowing them to study with financial support one year after leaving high school.

Minister for Human Services Michael Kennan says the change provided a range of benefits for young people in regional and remote areas, and their communities.

“Under the new rules, students who take a gap year after Year 12 can then use that time to become independent for student payments and start university sooner.”

“The Government recognises the importance of helping regional students transition to further studies and has committed to helping students get to university sooner.”

The change would immediately impact around 3,700 regional students across Australia.

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Apparently, far fewer women than men are nominated to become Queensland Greats.

Women’s Minister Di Farmer says she wants to see females step up and is claling on those that know great women to nominate them.

“There are so many women out there with incredible stories, of hardship and triumph, of remarkable achievement, and those stories need to be told. Of the nominations already in progress this year, so far only 20 % of them are for women. That compares to 15 per cent in 2016 and 20 per cent in 2017.”

“Women have made an enormous contribution to Queensland and it is time to appreciate this through our awards, whether as individuals, through an institution or posthumously.”

Nominations closing at 5pm this Friday 23 February.

Ms Farmer says the Queensland Greats Awards are an opportunity to recognise publicly Queenslanders who have shown dedication to advancing our great state.

Past recipients include The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, Deborah Mailman, Dr Dimity Dornan AO and the late Diane Cilento.

Minister Farmer says here in Queensland we are incredibly lucky to have so many people who demonstrate what it means to be a Queenslander every day of every week.

“And I urge everyone to think about who deserves to be honoured as a Queensland Great.”

The Queensland Greats Awards is in its 18th year.

To make a nomination or find out more about the Queensland Greats Awards, visit www.qld.gov.au/qldgreats

Oh, and it’s not too late to nominate a bloke either!!

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The program provides funding of up to $4,700 per trainee to get the qualifications they need to advance their career.

Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman says graduates from the program have recognised trades qualifications across diverse industries such as automotive, engineering, hospitality, food processing and manufacturing.

“The program supports employers to take on more apprentices, by ensuring business owners and their staff who have completed a trade qualification are recognised by the Queensland Government as workplace supervisors of apprentices.”

Applications from Pre-Qualified Suppliers for the latest round of Trade Skills Assessment and Gap Training funding close on 31 March 2018.

For more information or a full list of priority trades supported under TSAGT and approved Pre-Qualified Suppliers, visit https://training.qld.gov.au/providers/funded/tradegap.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Barnaby Joyce says the Mackay Ring Road Stage 1 project would give the city a fourth Pioneer River crossing and better access during flooding.

“The new bridge is also going to be a really important new part of the Bruce Highway, by making this section of the highway safer and more reliable and is going to significantly improve resilience against major floods, improving access and reliability for residents.”

The piling works is taking place upstream from the existing Edmund Casey Bridge, and will provide the physical support for the new 670-metre-long structure.

The piles will form the permanent foundation of the river crossing and will be drilled at least 2.3 metres into the bedrock, which is 26.6 metres below the level of the highest tide.

The $497.3 million Bruce Highway – Mackay Ring Road – Stage 1 project is scheduled for completion by early 2020.

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As part of its budget saving measures, the federal government cut the funding it makes available to the RFDS by $11 million, to $57m, a move Senator O’Sullivan says is unacceptable.

The cuts were made based on the belief that State Governments would manage the shortfall but this has not and is unlikely to now happen.

The RFDS says the cuts, although absorbed this financial year, will result in a cut to service delivery in future years…and health initiatives would have to be cut.

Senator O’Sullivan says the cuts are not on.

“The RFDS runs 16,000-odd clinics in the bush, which are the only opportunity many people have to access medical help in those parts. I’m angry with my own government and I’ll persist until I get it restored.”

The funding reduction means a loss of $2.6m to the Queensland section.

The Senator is pushing to restore the $11m funding shortfall and wants a permanent government guarantee for the $6m it made available for two years to cover RFDS dental clinics.

“In the last financial year, the clinic treated 8000 people across 21 communities, from Camooweal to Cherbourg.”

He says he will be progressively lifting his campaign for $17m in additional funds to be provided to RFDS in the next budget.

“The bush has been hurting for the past five or six years and any further reductions, particularly in life-giving health care, is unacceptable. How can they justify something like this, where people are so far behind the eight-ball anyway?”

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