Mornington Island residents enjoyed a great evening at Lelka Murrin Tavern while listening to Warren H Williams for most, this was the first cold, alcoholic beverage in a decade.
Mayor Wilson says, “as Mayor of Mornington Shire, it brings me such pride to see local residents taking part in healthy social cohesion”.
“A big thank you to all those that attended and Mornington Shire Council can’t wait to bring our residents the next Council sponsored events”.
#Gununa #responsibledrinking
Keen eyes would have spotted the new building installed at the Mornington Island Aerodrome last Saturday!
This will be the new airport waiting room while the old terminal is demolished and the new one built.
Once we’re ready to open it up, this will be where Rex tickets are collected from.
Stay tuned for further details!
Last month, Mornington Shire Council leaders visited Parliament House, Canberra for several high-level meetings regarding topics such as Service Delivery Reforms, Direct Funding and Social Housing
Mayor Bradley Wilson says “the meetings with the ministers were extremely positive and we are committed to working together to provide better outcomes for the residents of #Gununa“.
“Our community needs to be the voice that determines what is delivered on the ground and to have ministers support our vision is a great achievement for our region” Mayor Wilson adds
“As Mayor of the Mornington Shire, I can certainly say our meetings this week with Minister Scullion, Senator Dodson, Senator Hanson’s advisors and Senator Fifield’s advisors have strengthened our voice and our cause.”
“Together, we will steer our vision in the right direction for our community”
“We are working hard with all tiers of government to ensure our voices are heard”.
Our crew is hard at work this morning with the airport upgrade underway!
Mayor Wilson giving the official thumbs up.
Mornington Shire Council would like to thank RISE Ventures for hosting an exceptional morning tea following their hard work to restore the cemetery on Mornington Island.
Mayor Bradley Wilson states “it is wonderful to see such grassroots restorations and events prosper in the remote region for an extremely worthy cause”.
‘Prohibition has never worked anywhere in the world’
The unintended consequences of the AMPs does not stop with sly grogging.
On the nearby community of Mornington Island, a toxic home brew — characterised by its high ethanol content — has ripped through households.
Frank Mills, the CEO of Mornington Shire Council, said the “hot brew” had its own special recipe made with a potent brewers yeast that sped up the fermentation process.
He has pleaded with the state government to ban the product and stop his residents being “slowly killed”.
“The home brew that’s getting brewed at the moment [has such high] levels of toxicity that it’s actually poisoning people, it’s causing organ failure,” Mr Mills said.
“It’s reputedly instantly addictive [with] very high alcohol content [and] no sugar content.
“You’ve got two or three generations on Mornington Island, whose only type of alcohol they know about is home brew.”
Mr Mills also argued the AMPs had failed on multiple levels.
A council-led analysis of the policy’s impact found almost 40 per cent of presentations at Mornington Island’s hospital and health services were from intoxicated patients.
“How then can you say this is working?” he asked.
“Prohibition has never worked anywhere in the world.”
Across the state, the illegal alcohol trade has landed thousands of people in court.
James Cook University professor Alan Clough spent years researching the policy, and said he felt it criminalised Indigenous people.
“The last estimate we had, the numbers [of people] with a charge of at least one breach was 60 per cent, so that’s 6000 adults,” he said.
“That was quite a while ago now so that number may have increased substantially.”
Professor Clough agreed any early positive changes as a result of the restrictions were no longer being achieved.
“We’re seeing indications that the positive effects that were so hard won by 2008 may be unravelling,” he said.
“There clearly needs to be some creative solutions to refreshing the policy, and by that I don’t mean tightening restrictions.”
Councils have been lobbying the state government to amend the law, and it has been under official review for six years with no change.
The Government would not say whether it believed the law was working or had achieved its aims, but acknowledged the concerns around sly grogging and home brew.
The Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs said “improving the safety and wellbeing of community members will continue to be the focus of Alcohol Management and the review, which is expected to be finalised by early 2019”.
Mornington Shire Council extends congratulations to the very first paramedic cadet in the Wellesley Islands, Miss Abby Watt.
She has completed six weeks of training in Brisbane and is officially on the road full time for Queensland Ambulance Services.
An exciting time, CEO Mr Frank Mills says this is an exceptional achievement.
“Miss Watt is an outstanding role model in the region, she is working hard, determined to follow her dream and the council congratulate her efforts.”
Mayor Brad Wilson extended his personal congratulations, “Abby, you make us all proud of your commitment and dedication”.
Keep up the great work.
Mornington Shire Council has three representatives in Longreach participating in the LGMA Future Leaders Forum.
CEO Frank Mills says this is a natural step forward for our staff participating.
“Our team is leading the way in the local government arena, which is quite exceptional given we are a remote council,” says Mr Mills.
“Congratulations to Andrew, Keola, and Tatiana.”
Mornington Shire Council recently welcomed Ministerial Champions, Minister of Emergency Services Craig Crawford and Director General of Queensland Health Michael Walsh to the pristine region.
Mayor Bradley Wilson says the visit was positive, with great discussions held.
“It is the start of a new relationship between government organisations.”
“It is exciting to have a genuine support, paving the way for the future of Mornington Island.”
As one of Australia’s most remote regions, additional government support is paramount to the overall progress achieved by Mornington Shire Council.
“These partnerships are key to the success, empowerment and sustainability of our communities.”
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.