MAGNETIC ISLAND RESIDENTS AND RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION INC
May 7, 2022, RSL CLUB, ARCADIA
43 people attended the May MIRRA meeting at the RSL Club but disappointingly neither Cr Anne-Maree Greaney nor Council’s Infrastructure Manager Claudia Brassard could make it. They sent their apologies and said they would attend in June. Greens candidate in the Federal election, Scott Humphries was to have attended but couldn’t as he has contracted Covid.
The Tresasurer’s report was tabled showing a balance of $907 and the April minutes were approved with one query about the number of hours the new part-time compliance officer would be employed for.
Cr Greaney sent a report that the public walkway around Peppers at Nelly Bay had been closed after a member of the public slipped on algae growing on the concrete. It is now open but will be closed in the event of the expected rain event on Tuesday and Wednesday. Council is working with the Peppers body corporate on a permanent solution.
Mackenzie Serverns, Animal Justice Party candidate for Herbert addressed the meeting, laying out the party’s desire to create change for animals and the environment.
Jo Marks and Gemma Wickens, who are employed part-time by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to conduct their community action plans on the island, outlined their activities, There was much spirited discussion about the heritage status of Magnetic Island as the classification is ambiguous. The island is within the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area, but the island has no separate heritage classification, so it is unclear what responsibilities of residents and visitors actually are. They also told the meeting that there would be a workshop on May 27 and 28 at Amaroo for interested community members and that they were conducting pub talks on the last Thursday of every month.
Dr Adam Smith of the Museum of Underwater Art gave a Powerpoint presentation on the project, outlining the history, the public consultation, and the decision by the board to site six of the statues at Alma Bay and the remaining two at John Brewer Reef. It is now up to GBRMPA to accept or reject the proposal. There was considerable consternation at this decision, as it was claimed that Alma Bay was not initially considered and participants in the consultation felt they had been bypassed by not being asked about that proposal. But Dr Smith said it was now up to GBRMPA and a representative of that organization will be invited to the June meeting. There will be information sessions on the project at Amaroo on 28 May at 5pm and 29 May at noon.
In view of the expected rain event, the SES will have sandbags available at their shed on Monday morning.
Members were asked to keep an eye out for a metal green ant sculpture which was stolen from the Forts walk this week. Obviously by a local resident as it was removed with a grinder.
The question was raised as to whether the rates would go up with the increase in land valuations. To be put to Cr Greaney at the next meeting.
Next meeting June 4, 10 am at the RSL club
Greetings All
Thinking of the group’s stance on the environment, I would greatly appreciate signatures on this petition to protect the island from residents knowingly and intentionally growing poisonous and highly invasive weeds as garden features. On two sides of my block for example, the occupants insist/ed on cultivating groves of leucaena and yellow oleander as privacy screens. This is depite my polite information about how invasive these plants are. Yellow oleander is so poisonous its smoke is fatal if it catches alight and nothing can grow in its leaf litter except yellow oleander. Like yellow oleander, leucaena or wild cofee plant grows to about 5 metres tall and its fruit drops 1,000s of easily spread seeds. Seedlings gr…