Queenslanders working together

Queensland industries, small businesses, universities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations continued to work together in 2014–15.

Queenslanders led by example in achieving outcomes for their local communities. Examples of community collaboration, which aligned to the goals of the Plan, include:

Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders:

• the Deadly Choices Brisbane Broncos Partnership between the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and the Brisbane Broncos helped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make good health choices
• the Cowboys' Dream, Believe, Achieve program, funded by the Queensland Government, providing local Indigenous Australians with training, work experience and employment opportunities in the hospitality industry.

Celebrating women:

• the Women of the World (WOW) festival, held in Brisbane, brought together women from all over the world to celebrate women’s achievements.

Promoting health and wellbeing:

• improved levels of immunisation through Logan City Council’s referral-based outreach home visit vaccination program for at risk members of its community
• Men’s Sheds, which provide a safe, friendly and busy place to make friends, share and learn new skills and talk about health and wellbeing.

Helping Queensland’s students:

• a Thuringowa State High School and James Cook University partnership encouraged more Townsville high school students to aspire to university
• Parents and Citizens Associations (P&Cs) promoted a greater involvement by family and community members in school life.

Collaborating in the regions:

• during the recovery from Tropical Cyclone Marcia, HQPlantations Pty Ltd in Central Queensland worked with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to commence the salvage of around one million cubic metres of windblown timber
• regional water supply security assessments, developed in partnership with the relevant regional local councils and water service providers, were published for Townsville, Cairns, Hervey Bay and Maryborough
• the Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program supported regional council collaboration, knowledge and resource-sharing to identify cost efficient measures to save councils money, better manage their water and sewerage assets, and improve customer service delivery
• the Tie Up The Black Dog Committee, set up by three Goondiwindi women, worked to increase awareness of mental health issues in rural and regional communities.

Managing the environment:

• BHP Billiton sponsored the Raine Island Green Turtle Recovery Project, involving major beach re-engineering, sand replenishment, fencing and installing long-term monitoring equipment.