Christmas is a happy time for nearly all of us, re-affirming bonds of family and friendship whether or not we celebrate it as a religious festival. 

But it is not all good. The spiritual side of Christmas was being drowned out by the clangour of cash-register bells even when I was a small child still willing to believe in Santa, and in these days of environmental degradation there is another reason to reject its commercialisation, too: Christmas is yet another pretext for blatantly wasteful over-consumption.

In itself, giving is always a good thing (receiving can be nice, too!) and Christmas can be a good excuse to acknowledge our relationships in this way. And choosing not to give presents offends and upsets those who believe in tradition, while refusing to accept gifts offends them even more. So what can we do to opt out of Consumas and back in to Christmas?

A life of outstanding service to country and community

Adapted from a tribute written by Liz Downes, Wildlife Queensland Townsville Branch

With the passing of Margaret Thorsborne on Tuesday 16^th October 2018, we mourn the loss of not only one of NQCC’s Honorary Life Members but also one of Queensland’s most revered and beloved champions of our wildlife and natural heritage.

Born on 3 June 1927, Margaret was the daughter of Constance (nee Keys) and Lionel Kemp-Pennefather, both of whom had given extraordinary service in the most horrific arenas of the first world war: her father with the AIF and her mother with the Australian Army Nursing Service. Their influence on Margaret imbued her with a great compassion for others, a respect for life in all its forms, and a deep love of nature – and with this came an immense sense of responsibility. Seeing herself as a “protector not a protestor” Margaret was indefatigable in her defence of all wildlife species and their habitats, particularly those most vulnerable to human pressures. For Margaret our wetlands and waterways, islands and oceans, forests and woodlands, mangroves, estuaries, dunes and beaches were all a part of our “backyard” to be treated with sensitivity, understanding and the utmost care.

President’s Report

Some of you know me as the political independent anti-Adani candidate for Townsville, others as a teacher and artist, but for those of you who do not know me, I am a passionate advocate for the future of this planet. As always the continuous assault on the environment means that organisations such as NQCC have our work cut out for us trying to hold back the tide, whether the destruction of marine or land based habitats or the major issue of our time - addressing the causes of climate change.

Sweet Country is the first of our new series of monthly movies. Click on the link for more information.

If you enjoyed Guarding the Galilee, the documentary that highlighted the threats of Adani's proposed Carmichael mine, you'll love the sequel... #StopAdani: A Mighty Force explores the diversity and power of the #StopAdani movement, and what it will take to win this campaign.

On Sunday 21st January, NQCC hosted our first social event for 2018, and we all had a blast!

Hosted in our very own backyard, we broke the New Year in with style - food, drinks, games, prizes and lots of laughter!

Election? Pollies? Who cares?? First we have the Trivia Night in which teams with improbable names** bluff and bribe their way to victory and the undying glory of a plaque on our honour board.

What you really need to know 

WHEN: Friday 24 November

WHEN EXACTLY: 6:30 for 7:00pm – 10:00pm

WHERE: CWA Hall, 134 Denham St, Townsville

WHAT: Free food, drinks (to buy), hilarious fun

HOW MUCH: $20/$5/$15 (waged/unwaged/NQCC members)

WHERE TO RSVP: Here on FB or ring us on 0428 987 535 (business hours)

In October Bill Ray, the Anglican Bishop of North Queensland, and Tim Harris, the Catholic Bishop of Townsville, released a joint statement “In the Care of our Common Home: Sister Earth”. Recalling numerous past Christian leaders who have reminded us of our inter-connectedness with all of creation they say, “For Christians, this care for our common home is not an optional or secondary part of our daily living, rather it is “an essential part of our faith”. They go on to say that our dominion over the planet needs to be understood in the sense of “responsible stewardship” especially to future generations.

The Bishops' statement also draws attention to Laudato Si – On Care for our Common Home, the document on the environment released by Pope Francis in June 2015. Laudato Si is not addressed to Catholics or Christians alone but to every person in the world – such is Pope Francis’s concern for a planet where we no longer respect Nature as a shared gift.

Protecting North Queensland’s Environment

NQCC Conservation Priorities for 2017

The environment is the key to this election, as it always has been the key to the long-term health and prosperity of our region. NQCC is calling on all candidates in the forthcoming State election to commit to securing our futures by protecting the environment on which we all depend – all species and all future generations.

With every passing day the world, Queensland, and North Queensland in particular, grow more and more aware, not least through cyclones, droughts, floods, tumbling heat records and the death of vast areas of the coral reefs on our doorstep, that we cannot continue to use fossil fuels, particularly when clean and renewable energy is so readily available.

NQCC has three conservation priorities for Queensland in 2017. [For a copy of this document able to be emailed click here].

The Queensland Government recently announced a new policy regulating trans-shipping (unloading and reloading at sea) of coal off Queensland including within the Great Barrier Reef. While this looks like increasing protections it breaks a commitment by the Labor Party to not allow trans-shipping in reef waters by making exceptions for "designated ports", like Abbot Point. With a quick turn around date for the proposed regulation NQCC made a submission, available here: Trans-shipping_submission.pdf.

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