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Subscriber only A war of words has erupted over the notorious rail bridge junction in Palmwoods with the federal and state governments butting heads over the funding needed to fix the intersection. Calls for the upgrade of the Chevallum Road, Jubilee Drive, Margaret Street and Woombye Palmwoods Road intersection have been growing as the community banded together to demand urgent safety works in the hinterland town. Sunshine Coast Daily has launched the Pave the way for Palmwoods campaign. Nicklin MP Robert Skelton told the Daily the intersection at Chevallum Road and Woombye Palmwoods Road was somewhat of a sticky wicket with any safety upgrades reliant on the North Coast rail duplication.
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Subscriber only Local philanthropists Roy Thompson and Rod Forrester have reaffirmed that their $11 million pledge towards the Sunshine Coast Stadium expansion has an expiry date. Mr Thompson has pitched in $10m and Mr Forrester $1m towards the expansion on top of $17m from Sunshine Coast Council and $20m from the State Government. However, the project has a funding shortfall of $20m which the federal government has so far been unable to cover. Mr Thompson said he would walk away if the money was not made available at the May Budget. If it s not there, I am out, Mr Thompson said.
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Sunshine Coast Stadium supporters have launched a call to arms from the community to flex their muscles and demand the Federal Government cough up cash to upgrade the facility.
Sunshine Coast Council and stadium supporters are hopeful there will be funding granted towards the project when the Federal Government delivers its next budget in a few weeks.
Local rugby league identities Ashley Robinson and Billy Moore said it was “ridiculous” the funding shortfall remained and said the missing funds were a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things.
The federal funding is the missing piece of the stadium puzzle after a combined backing of $48 million was locked in from Sunshine Coast Council, the State Government and local philanthropists Roy Thompson and Rod Forrester.
He said admin staff were copping some backlash from patients frustrated at their inability to be vaccinated. Dr Faint said communications were very poor from the federal government and some orders were reportedly just being left at the front door of practices, without regard for the need to keep a continuous cold chain of supply for the doses. It s quite ludicrous and quite amazing really, Dr Faint said. Sunshine Coast Local Medical Association president Dr Roger Faint. He said it was easier to order and track a dozen wine bottles than it was the life saving vaccine at present. Dr Faint said his team had already delivered more than 300 influenza vaccinations while only able to give one COVID-19 vaccine a day for each doctor, as the rollout crawled along.
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Subscriber only Travellers from major cities could be flying to the Sunshine Coast for half the price as part of the federal government s $2bn tourism support package. The federal government is expected to release the details of the package on Thursday morning. The
Daily understands the package would include half-price return tickets from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to the Coast from April 1 to July 31. The offer is as part of a national package including 800,000 cheap airfares to 13 regions. Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O Brien welcomed the package after Coast businesses felt the pain of COVID-19. This new scheme means more Australian tourists coming into the Coast, which translates into more money for local operators and more jobs for retailers, accommodation providers and tourism facilities, he said.