Local business owner, Helen Paddon, will take part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout charity event this year, for the second year running.

The one-night event takes place on the Winter Solstice, which falls on the 21st of June and will see hundreds of CEOs, business owners and community and government leaders sleep outdoors in order to raise funds to assist Vinnies to provide essential services to people doing it tough.

Homelessness can affect anyone – but it disproportionately affects people living with disability or mental illness, and people who have experienced abuse. Through events like the CEO Sleepout, Vinnies are raising public awareness and helping Queenslanders break the cycle of poverty for good.

At the event last year, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout raised 5.6 million dollars for people experiencing homelessness. The Brisbane and Gold Coast 2017 events raised more than $1 million, which went towards housing and other support for people facing homelessness. This year, they are hoping they can make an even bigger impact.

At the event, Vinnies CEO Peter Maher announced the purchase of over six million dollars of housing in Queensland. The housing, located in Cairns, Mackay, Toowoomba and Brisbane, is used to provide safe, secure and affordable accommodation for individuals and families who would otherwise have no place to call home.

Vinnies Queensland has been involved in providing housing to the homeless for over forty years and has recently established the Vinnies Housing Company to manage their properties. Since 2008, when the Society owned just forty-two properties, Vinnies has made it a priority to invest in housing for people facing homelessness or who are at risk. The Society now owns more than four hundred and fifty properties across Queensland, that people experiencing severe disadvantage call home. Vinnies Queensland provides support, helping people transition to independent tenancies in the private or public housing sector, providing them with a hand up, not just a hand out.

Last year, as a first time CEO Sleepout volunteer, Helen braved the cold winds under Brisbanes’Story Bridge. She was reminded of her past and of her own experiences of homelessness.

Helen first experienced homelessness when she was 8. “As a child, we lived in a caravan park for about 18 months and moved around quite a lot because my parents didn’t have the financial stability to rent a property on a long-term basis. There were a few nights when we slept in the family car because we didn’t have anywhere to live. It was freezing and I didn’t get more than two hours sleep all night.”

“It’s heartbreaking to know that there are over 105,000 Australians experiencing homelessness each and every night, with many more at risk. Many are sleeping on the street with less than I had,” said Helen.

Now, CEO of Tradettes Plumbing, Helen has a goal of raising over $5000 this year to fight homelessness. As at the time of writing, she has successfully raised $1,172.00.

Can you help? If you would like to donate please visit – www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/helen-yost

Northside residents will benefit from increased safety and security when exploring the Redcliffe Peninsula shared pathway.

The Federal Member for Dickson, Peter Dutton and the Federal Member for Petrie, Luke Howarth, announced $1 million in funding for the Moreton Bay Regional Council to install CCTV along the 12.3 kilometre shared path from Kippa-Ring to Petrie thanks to the Turnbull Government’s Safer Communities Fund.

The funding will provide for the installation of CCTV to boost security for residents who wish to ride or walk along the shared path providing access to the local retail and visitor hubs such as Petrie, North Lakes and the Redcliffe Peninsula.

Federal Member for Dickson Peter Dutton said it ensures that people could get active with the added comfort that measures were in place to keep them safe. CCTV will discourage anti- social behaviour and allow people to enjoy the local surrounds.

“These grants are important as it ensures that community organisations or local councils are able to upgrade security that benefits the wider community,” Mr Dutton said.

Federal Member for Petrie Luke Howarth said he was proud to be able deliver CCTV cameras for the local community.

“I believe every person has the right to feel safe and protected. As a husband and father of three I want everyone in our community to feel safe when they are walking to and from, home, school
or work.”

“These cameras will serve as a deterrent to crime and offer more security to locals who use these walkways. These are important projects for our electorates,” Mr
Howarth said.

Round three of The Safer Communities Fund was announced recently in the 2018 Budget and applications will be open in mid 2018.

The Safer Communities Fund is the Turnbull Government’s crime prevention program that provides grants of up to $1 million to community organisations and local governments for infrastructure that prevents crime and increases security.

For further information contact:
Peter Dutton: Peter Dutton’s Electorate Office – 3205 9977
Luke Howarth: Luke Howarth’s Electorate Office – 3284 8008

Traffic signals will be installed at the Old Northern Road intersection with Explorer Drive at Albany Creek to reduce crashes.

State Member for Everton Tim Mander said, “The works to improve safety at the Old Northern Road/Explorer Drive intersection in Albany Creek, are scheduled to start in May and are expected to take up to four months to complete.”

“I first asked the Minister in 2015 to investigate concerns about the growing trend of crashes involving vehicles turning right from Explorer Drive into the path of northbound traffic on Old Northern Road,” he said.

Works will include:

• installing traffic signals to fully control traffic movements at the intersection
• extending the southbound right-turn lane on Old Northern Road to increase capacity for turning vehicles
• providing a dedicated on-road lane for northbound cyclists through the intersection
• installing signalised pedestrian crossings on the western and northern legs of the intersection

Traffic controllers will be in place at times to assist and direct road users.

During National Road Safety Week, Tim called on the Minister for Transport and Main Roads to make the intersection of Eatons Crossing and Lilley Rds safer. If you would like to sign the petition, head to –  www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/petition-details?id=2916

Moreton Bay Regional Council has announced one of the first smart technologies to be delivered at The Mill at Moreton Bay: a smart lighting and city network system.

Council awarded a $970,000 tender at its coordination committee meeting for the rollout of smart lighting and smart city network technology services at The Mill at Moreton Bay, Petrie.

Anchored by the new USC Moreton Bay campus, The Mill at Moreton Bay PDA will deliver a world-class innovation and knowledge precinct adjacent to Petrie train station, and is expected to support 6,000 jobs, 10,000 university placements and $950 million in economic activity by 2036.

Innovation Spokesperson Councillor Darren Grimwade said the smart technology would include road, street, park, open space and other public lighting solutions with the ability to deliver and complement other services like wi-fi, smart parking sensors, CCTV and electric vehicle (EV) charging ports.

“This announcement will deliver approximately 40 street and public area lights in the first stage of The Mill development and additional lighting as future stages progress,” Cr Grimwade said.

“Smart street lighting networks are considered foundational technology to supporting other smart city initiatives, and The Mill’s network will have the capability to host other innovative services such as wi-fi, smart parking sensors, CCTV and EV charging.

Division 7 Councillor Denise Sims said with the ability to be controlled remotely based on weather conditions, or dim and brighten automatically via motion detectors, the software-controlled smart street lighting would reduce the overall electrical demand for the site and also improve community safety.

“Providing council with real-time communication of the lightings’ performance, this technology will also help to improve maintenance processes,” Cr Sims said.

Cr Grimwade said the smart lighting technology could also be rolled out across the region on new projects and upgrades once council develops its planning and policy framework for the use of the technology.

“The Mill will feature Queensland’s first new university campus in over two decades and will act as ground zero when it comes to government, business and industry implementing innovative technologies in the region,” Cr Grimwade said.

“Deploying the technology at The Mill first will show us what systems are available and what will work best elsewhere across the region.

“As a council and community we’ve made great strides in implementing innovative technologies, from the five-star green-star Corso at North Lakes to open data systems, and today’s announcement marks the next step in creating a smart region.”