🎆 Quandamooka Music & Cultural Festival is back | Community grants program offers up to $30k in funding| Google's mega data centre rejected and more!
Today’s newsletter is 1,232 words: a 6.5-minute read.
Welcome back, this time it’s August 29 and it’s a crack-a-lacking sunshiny day🫠
Don’t miss local Paralympian swimmers Paige Leonhardt and Jake Michel’s upcoming events, starting this evening 🏊♀️
Women’s 100m Butterfly heats – Thursday August 29 from 5:30 PM
Women’s 100m Breaststroke heats – Monday September 2 from 5:30 PM
Women’s 200m Individual Medley heats – Wednesday September 4 from 5:30 PM
Men’s 100m Breaststroke heats – Monday September 2 from 5:30 PM
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In today’s email
One Big Thing: Quandamooka Music & Cultural Festival returns to Minjerribah
From Mount Isa to Mooloolaba: Making a difference across Queensland
Australia’s Right to Disconnect: A win for work-life balance or another hurdle for business?
Trending: On the move
Around the Web (Snippets): Capalaba State College seeks sponsors, Oasis announces comeback tour, Google’s mega data centre rejected, Redland City Choir wins big, Bulldogs look for footballers, and more!
Upcoming Events
Redlands Weather Forecast and Tides
The Weekly Dream Gig
Calling out a local job we reckon is epic, intriguing, or that just has a big pay packet…
This week - With gorgeous water views, a unique opportunity to work as a Chief Stewardess on a 50-metre private superyacht, paying $120,000-$140,000 a year.
Live National Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: Quandamooka Music & Cultural Festival returns to Minjerribah
By Marianne Zander
What's Happening
The Quandamooka Music & Cultural Festival returns to North Stradbroke/Minjerribah this August 30-31, featuring live performances from Jem Cassar-Daley, Uncle Joe Geia, and others.
The festival kicks off with a Traditional Smoking Ceremony and includes cultural panels, corroborees, and the first-ever Quandamooka Film Festival.
Why It Matters
This festival is a unique opportunity to celebrate and engage with the rich cultural heritage of the Quandamooka people.
By the Numbers
2: days of cultural celebration
5: headline artists
1: island festival
Zoom In
Catch Jem Cassar-Daley’s award-winning performance on Friday night!
What To Look For Next
The full article below 👇
2. Community Grants Program by Queensland Country Bank now open
By Ishee Sayson and Worthview
What's Happening
The 2024 Good for Good Community Grants Program by Queensland Country Bank is now accepting applications from not-for-profit organisations across Queensland.
Grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 are available for community projects.
Why it Matters
Since 2005, the program has provided $2.8 million in funding, crucial for supporting community projects, especially as organisations face rising costs.
By the Numbers
$2.8M: total funds since 2005
$5,000-$30,000: grant range
12: groups funded in 2023
What to Look For Next
Applications close at 5 PM on Monday, September 2!
Check out the full article for more details 💲
3. Australia’s Right to Disconnect – a win for work-life balance or another hurdle for business?
What’s Happening
As of Monday just gone, August 26 2024, Australian employees gained the right to disconnect outside work hours under the Fair Work Act 2009, allowing them to ignore work-related communications unless responding is reasonable.
To be clear, the new laws do not prohibit bosses from trying to make contact with you or employees from contacting each other.
They simply give employees the right to ignore that contact without disciplinary action.
Why It Matters
This change aims to redefine work-life balance, giving employees greater control over their time and reducing out-of-hours work pressure that causes stress and burnout.
By the Numbers
Millions of employees: Will be impacted from 2024, where you are considered a national system employee
What’s a National System Employee, though?
A National System Employee in Australia refers to an employee who is covered by the national workplace relations system established under the Fair Work Act 2009.
This system encompasses most Australian workers and is administered by the Fair Work Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman.
August 26 2024: The date that modern awards and enterprise agreements will contain a right to disconnect term
August 27 2025: Is the date the right to disconnect to will apply to employees of small businesses
Local Impact
Nobody doubts that the full-blown intensity of the attention-consuming internet and communications devices that facilitate it needs to be stepped away from (dare to check your screen time?).
However, in a big place like Australia that can have up to five different time zones and border communities like on the southern Gold Coast, implications for businesses and staff that work interstate or in different industries of varying intensity and requirements, the real-life impacts are yet to be realised.
What To Look For Next
It’s hard to run a business in good times, let alone in the current economy, where a lot of small businesses are facing dwindling margins amongst increasing GST obligations, payroll tax, increasing wage demands, rising operations costs and overheads, and more.
While the mental health of employees is absolutely critical, you have to wonder what this change does to the mental health of small business owners who must be feeling like they are up against it for the reasons mentioned above and who rely on their staff to keep the show on the road (within reason).
In the meantime, however, national system workers can look forward to more downtime on their judgement without the pressure of after-hours work calls, texts or emails.
4. Trending
On the move…
4. Around The Web (Snippets)
Capalaba State College seeks sponsors: To support students as they head to state basketball:
Google’s request to build a 72,363 square metre data centre outside of Dublin, Ireland, was: Rejected over power supply concerns (Data centres are projected to consume a third of Ireland’s energy by 2026, up from 18% in 2022)
Redland City Choir wins big: At World Choir Games in New Zealand
Capalaba Bulldogs are looking for: U9-U18 footballers to join their 2025 Academy teams
After making more than $200 million in revenue without any: Venture capital investment, Midjourney have announced that they are getting into hardware
Redlands Coast Chamber of Commerce: Is looking for their 2024/2025 Chamber Executive Committee – nominations close September 2
Archaeologists have uncovered the real story of how: England became England and a mighty country of its own
Bayview Conservation Area fires up: For a controlled burn scheduled today
A 15-year feud has been put to bed with Oasis announcing: A reunion tour (yew!) 👇
6. Upcoming Events
🏝️ Straddie Arts Trail: August 30 - September 1, Celebrate an island of creativity, meet local artists, visit open studios, join workshops and enjoy a variety of art-inspired activities – you won’t want to miss it!
💜 Redlands Coast Distillery – Fundraise for Sasha: August 31, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM; Enjoy a night of music, food, drinks, prizes and fun while raising much-needed funds for young mother battling Hodgkins Lymphoma.
⚽Redbacks v Rovers: September 1, 1:00 PM; The Div 6 Women are gearing up for a monumental grand final this weekend at Kippen Park.
🪘 Cirque Africa: September 4, 7:30 PM; Immerse yourself in all things Africa with rhythmic and awe-inspiring acrobats, dancers, musicians, contortionists and more!
🌿 IndigiScapes Eco Markets: September 7, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM; Explore the range of unique exhibitors, sustainable products and fresh artisan produce available from our creative market community
🍓 RedFest: September 7-8, from 9:00 AM; Get ready for an incredible line up of live performers, mouth-watering food stalls and an iconic carnival atmosphere at the Redland Showgrounds.
📣 World Suicide Prevention Day: September 8, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM; Help raise awareness and show support at this outdoor community day filled with face painting, sausage sizzle and important information about suicide prevention.
