Beekeeper Stung
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SUMMER 2011-12 10 YEARS OF LIVING IN SIN — STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 5 NEWS A few thousand music lovers came to Point Lookout for a three-day week- end of dance, culture, music and art at the sixth annual Island Vibe festival — and local shopkeepers re- ported they were bigger spenders than Sep- tember school holidaymakers. The local Yulu Burri Bah dancers officially opened the weekend, captivating the audi- ence with a superb display of Minjerribah culture performed to the powerful voice of local man Joshua Walker. Nine-piece urban roots sensation, Blue King Brown, brought their heavy dancehall style to the Vibe for the first time, while inter- national hip hop artist Chali 2na returned, backed by a full funk ensemble. Grace Barbè, with roots in Western Australia and the Sey- chelles, sang soul-reggae numbers in French, English and Kreole. Jipajiroa, an 8-piece string band from Van- uatu, got the crowd jiving with traditional songs and popular hits given the Melanesian string band sound. Adding to the global Vibes were home- grown bands, Salt Lickin’ Hicks, Pippi Lips and Midjimberry Road. Local man Mark ‘Bernie’ McCabe drums in each of these bands and has played at every festival since 2006. Bernie told SIN the festival gives local musicians the opportunity to interact with other performers and express the Island style through music. “There was plenty of praise for the Island talent this year. We now have our own music scene on Straddie, ranging across many different styles including ska, roots, rock and reggae.” As well as music there was a ukulele work- shop, screen-printing, boomerang painting and foods from around the world. Straddie is of cultural significance to local Aboriginal people and Vibe visitors witnessed this first hand. “We have a beautiful island, vibrant, with a unique culture; the visitors respect that,” Bernie said. Aboriginal Elder, Donna Ruska closed the festival, acknowledging the revitalisation of the local Aboriginal culture through dance. In the Vibe BY PEKERI RUSKA S traddie beekeeper Charlie Bow- man says he is the first person to lose his job due to the new national park. The veteran beekeeper runs a small busi- ness with his wife and son, producing the popular local honey sold in Island shops and at the Point Lookout markets. Within weeks of the national park announcement, and new national park leg- islation being introduced into parliament, Mr Bowman had received a “show-cause notice” from the Department of Environ- ment and Resource Management (DERM), asking him to justify keeping his hives on land declared Naree Budjong Djara nation- al park. With the help of Michael Dalton, of Fino Food in Bulimba, Mr Bowman gathered 1000 signatures for a petition in support of keeping the hives on national park land. The Bowmans also received a personal visit from then environment minister Kate Jones and DERM staff. During the visit the Bow- mans were promised that “resource reserves” would be created within the national park, allowing the hives to remain. Minister Jones told The Australian newspa- per the show-cause notice had been poorly worded and alternate locations for the hives would be sought. “Frankly, I don’t believe the communica- tion with this individual has been clear enough and I apologise if there has been any confusion,” Ms Jones said. However, Mr Bowman’s beekeeping per- mits were cancelled on June 30. “DERM was intent on getting them can- celled,” Mr Bowman told SIN. “There was no doubt about that and they just went ahead with it anyway. So much for Kate Jones and her baloney about us misreading it and it being badly worded. “The government achieved their objec- tive, which was to call off the dogs. We were starting to embarrass them,” Mr Bowman said. “It was perfectly clear to me what they were going to do and they did it.” Since having his permits cancelled Mr Bowman has written to DERM and met with numerous government officials, including those from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Seqwater, in the fight to keep his business alive. “All we wanted was to be left alone so that we could continue on with our beekeeping as we had done for the past 28 to 29 years,” the veteran beekeeper said. “It’s very, very close to us having to again decide whether we continue on and fight, or we close down.” DERM’s general manager for Sustain- able Communities and Landscapes, Geoff Clare, told SIN: “We are still working with the beekeeper on a solution that will ensure his business can continue better than ever and are negotiating some positive out- comes. The discussions should be finalised very soon.” Beekeeper stung BY MARIA TAN The Stradbroke Island Singers perform with the Singlets at Island Vibe
description
Straddie beekeeper takes on the Queensland Government after being pushed out of newly declared national park lands.
Transcript of Beekeeper Stung
SUMMER 2011-12 10 YEARS OF LIVING IN SIN — STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 5
NEWS
Afew thousand music lovers came toPoint Lookout for a three-day week-end of dance, culture, music and artat the sixth annual Island Vibe festival — and local shopkeepers re-
ported they were bigger spenders than Sep-tember school holidaymakers.
The local Yulu Burri Bah dancers officiallyopened the weekend, captivating the audi-ence with a superb display of Minjerribahculture performed to the powerful voice oflocal man Joshua Walker.
Nine-piece urban roots sensation, BlueKing Brown, brought their heavy dancehallstyle to the Vibe for the first time, while inter-national hip hop artist Chali 2na returned,
backed by a full funk ensemble. Grace Barbè,with roots in Western Australia and the Sey-chelles, sang soul-reggae numbers in French,English and Kreole.
Jipajiroa, an 8-piece string band from Van-uatu, got the crowd jiving with traditionalsongs and popular hits given the Melanesianstring band sound.
Adding to the global Vibes were home-grown bands, Salt Lickin’ Hicks, Pippi Lipsand Midjimberry Road. Local man Mark‘Bernie’ McCabe drums in each of thesebands and has played at every festival since2006. Bernie told SIN the festival gives localmusicians the opportunity to interact withother performers and express the Island style
through music. “There was plenty of praisefor the Island talent this year. We now haveour own music scene on Straddie, rangingacross many different styles including ska,roots, rock and reggae.”
As well as music there was a ukulele work-shop, screen-printing, boomerang paintingand foods from around the world.
Straddie is of cultural significance to localAboriginal people and Vibe visitors witnessedthis first hand. “We have a beautiful island,vibrant, with a unique culture; the visitorsrespect that,” Bernie said.
Aboriginal Elder, Donna Ruska closed thefestival, acknowledging the revitalisation ofthe local Aboriginal culture through dance.
In the VibeB Y P E K E R I R U S K A
Straddie beekeeper Charlie Bow-man says he is the first person tolose his job due to the new nationalpark.
The veteran beekeeper runs a small busi-ness with his wife and son, producing thepopular local honey sold in Island shops andat the Point Lookout markets.
Within weeks of the national parkannouncement, and new national park leg-islation being introduced into parliament,Mr Bowman had received a “show-causenotice” from the Department of Environ-ment and Resource Management (DERM),asking him to justify keeping his hives onland declared Naree Budjong Djara nation-al park.
With the help of Michael Dalton, of FinoFood in Bulimba, Mr Bowman gathered1000 signatures for a petition in support ofkeeping the hives on national park land.The Bowmans also received a personal visitfrom then environment minister Kate Jones
and DERM staff. During the visit the Bow-mans were promised that “resourcereserves” would be created within thenational park, allowing the hives to remain.Minister Jones told The Australian newspa-per the show-cause notice had been poorlyworded and alternate locations for the hiveswould be sought.
“Frankly, I don’t believe the communica-tion with this individual has been clearenough and I apologise if there has beenany confusion,” Ms Jones said.
However, Mr Bowman’s beekeeping per-mits were cancelled on June 30.
“DERM was intent on getting them can-celled,” Mr Bowman told SIN. “There wasno doubt about that and they just wentahead with it anyway. So much for KateJones and her baloney about us misreadingit and it being badly worded.
“The government achieved their objec-tive, which was to call off the dogs. We werestarting to embarrass them,” Mr Bowman
said. “It was perfectly clear to me what theywere going to do and they did it.”
Since having his permits cancelled MrBowman has written to DERM and met withnumerous government officials, includingthose from the Queensland Parks andWildlife Service and Seqwater, in the fight tokeep his business alive.
“All we wanted was to be left alone so thatwe could continue on with our beekeepingas we had done for the past 28 to 29 years,”the veteran beekeeper said. “It’s very, veryclose to us having to again decide whetherwe continue on and fight, or we closedown.”
DERM’s general manager for Sustain-able Communities and Landscapes, GeoffClare, told SIN: “We are still working withthe beekeeper on a solution that will ensurehis business can continue better than everand are negotiating some positive out-comes. The discussions should be finalisedvery soon.”
Beekeeper stung B Y M A R I A T A N
The Stradbroke Island Singers perform with the Singlets at Island Vibe
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