Sunshine Coast Council and Regional Developments You may recall that our local Member of Parliament, Mr Mark McArdle, attended our School Assembly two weeks ago to present an award to Louis Whitney for his beekeeping work. Mr McArdle and I had a long conversation that day about regional developments for his electorate and surrounds; and Sunshine Coast Council (SCC) has also been proactive in promoting infrastructure and other developmental activities with which they are engaged with all levels of government. SCC has always been superbly supportive of our community, and Mr Tim Dwyer, Deputy Mayor, has always been vitally interested in our School community’s progression. We are very well served by our community leaders here. SCC is assisting us with the fine details; such as they are actively engaged in mosquito monitoring and larval stage spraying. This week I called and emailed Council about the Pelican’s Creek waterway bushland with its vast sheets of flocking mossies there presently. Last week I was almost carried off by a scourge of mosquitoes when I looked at the Creekside walkways and amenities to the immediate west of our School, and with Cross-country running coming up next Thursday, I wanted to check the course. The scourge was an eye opener, or perhaps it was an eye closer, there were so many attacking. SCC told me they had sprayed the larval stage five times since Cyclone Oma, a matter of weeks ago; and it takes seven to twelve days for the larvae to die. They are fully aware of the matter and are actively on the case. You can find a Fact Sheet for Golden Beach, Pelican Waters and Caloundra at the SCC website. In my discussion, with him Mr McArdle spoke of bigger picture items such as the way the Sunshine Coast University Hospital has rapidly changed our society, in so many ways. It is a major employer, in diverse fields, not only in Medicine, and many other complementary businesses have been brought to Kawana and surrounds. Then there are the associated other activities, such as home construction, and transport infrastructure, for example. “The region is one of the top ten significant urban areas in Australia with an average economic growth rate of 4% (2001-2016), making it one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Its current population of approx. 311,000 is expected to grow to more than 500,000 people by 2014” (Sunshine Coast Our region Healthy. Smart. Creative). This publication is fascinating to read, and I recommend it to you as a vision for the future, including discussion of how our region is earmarked for rapid Information Technology growth as a hub. No doubt, the Hospital precinct and the University of Sunshine Coast will have been part of the catalyst for this innovation high-tech push. These continue to be exciting times, as we see our local area rapidly transformed from a sleepy fishing village predominantly for retirees, into one of Australia’s innovative growth centres. Our School is proud to be part of that future, with Sunshine Coast Council, and all tiers of government support. Dr Dirk Wellham – Principal