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MVA Monthly Newsletter October 2024

Updated: Oct 11






Have Your Say! General News and Volunteering Opportunities


And check out the full calendar of local events on our home page:


Welcome to our Monthly Newsletter.


The Montville Village Association brings people together to participate in a wide range of activities.


As per our constitution, our objectives are:

 

(1)   To represent the views of the people of Montville in local, State and Federal forums on matters associated with the progress and development of Montville and with the conservation of its heritage and environment.

 

(2)   To provide and support the social structures and networks necessary to maintain a healthy and vibrant community and promote community building in response to community needs.

 

(3)   To manage, and ensure fair and equitable community access to, the community facilities owned by the Association for and on behalf of the people of Montville; namely the Montville Village Hall and the Montville Sports and Recreation Grounds.


Feel free to share this newsletter and invite others to our events. If they receive the "Happenings" but don't receive the monthly email, they are not MVA members yet! Membership of the MVA is open to all with an interest in Montville, it is free and doesn't come with any commitments. The size of our membership, however, does impact our ability to speak for the Montville area, obtain grants to organize events, and lobby for things that are important to us. So invite your neighbours to join up!


Contact the MVA secretary, at Secretary.mva@gmail.com


What's on in Montville


October 16 - MVA AGM at 6 pm in the Montville Village Hall; Vote on our Australia Day Celebration


We need our members to turn up and vote! From our January 2024 GM proposal two motions will be presented at the AGM for our members to vote on:


Motion One:

That from 2025 the Montville Village Association no longer celebrate Australia Day on January 26.


Motion Two:

That until such time as there is national consensus on a new date for Australia Day, the Montville Village Association devote its first General Meeting of each new year to the celebratory aspects of Australia Day including presentation of its two citizenship awards and hosting of a guest speaker on a relevant topic.


If these motions are voted down we will

Maintain the current Australia Day Programme on January 26th without changes.


Brief background:

Each year there, is around Australia Day, discussion as to the appropriateness of the date for Australia Day. The discussion rarely results in a change, peters out by mid-February, and rested until the following year. Several councils and organisations no longer celebrate Australia Day on January 26. The number doing this increases each year. Whilst there is general consensus that we should celebrate Australia Day as a national event there is, however, no consensus as to what date Australia Day should be moved to.


This proposition is aimed at ensuring debate and discussion on this issue over time by the Montville community and a decision by the community.


There is no presumption of any specific outcome other than the issue be debated and any decision reflects the local community.


Please note that our constitution does not cater for postal or proxy votes, so you have to be a member and you have to be there to vote!


October 12 - Montville Growers and Makers Market


Thinking about people, the planet, food production, loose leaf tea and delicious home style pancakes? The market opens at 7:30 am and pancakes are served until 10:30, or until they run out, so come early to get yours!




Our new oven and a range of kitchen essentials were purchased with funds received from the Sunshine Coast Council’s grants program. Thank you, Sunshine Coast Council! 


October 12 & 13 - Writers Festival (Montville Village Hall and St Mary's Hall)


Whether you're an avid reader, a budding writer, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of the written word, our insightful and entertaining author panels and workshops offer something for everyone, featuring some of Australia's most celebrated literary voices.


There are a range of free events, as well as ticketed events.


Check out these free events at Maleny Primary School (Oct 12) and in St Mary's Hall, Montville (Oct 13).



As for ticketed events:



Attached is the programme, get your tickets online!




October 18 and 20 - Mapleton Choir presents around the world in song


The Mapleton Choir has two concerts coming up, Friday 18 October at 7:30 pn and Sunday 20 October at 2:30 pm. Brian Martin is their musical director and he is producing wonderful sounds. Songs you will know, and some you don't.


At Kureelpa Hall, click the button to get your tickets.




October 19 - Trivia in the Montville Village Hall


There are still a couple of tables at the time of writing (Wednesday Morning), be quick!!!!


Blind Auction Historical Metal Sign - to close on 31st October 2024


In the early 1920s, Alf Smith was making and selling wooden toys at his Fancy Goods Store. This was one of Montville’s first ventures into the tourist market. Fifty years later, the Toymakers and Craft Centre, was part of an Arts and Crafts boom that attracted tourists to Montville from all over. Owners, Paul and Sutira Sykes, renewed Montville’s reputation for toymaking. Today, the Blackall Range Woodcrafters Guild (Woodies) make, sell and donate to charity 100s of wooden toys every year. Toymaking has been a part of Montville’s creative history for over a century.



The Montville History Group (MHG) has been bequeathed a 4 foot x 3 foot metal sign (displayed above) advertising the Toymakers and Craft Centre in the 1970s. As the MHG does not have a museum function, it has decided to offer the sign for auction. It believes this sign could feature in a studio or workshop or be an historic feature on a wall of any of our older, historic houses, holiday rentals or tourist orientated businesses.


The MHG decided on a Blind Auction, because it believes that this way the market will determine the value of this historic piece of memorabilia. Interested bidders have until midnight on the 31st October to make a bid. All bids will remain confidential and the winning bid will be notified on 1st November. Bids can be submitted by mail; Montville History Group, PO Box 5, Montville, 4560 or by email; montvillehistorygroup1@gmail.com .



November 2, from 12 noon til 3 pm - Final Grooves on the Green


The Trio Funklava will be performing at our final Grooves on the Green. Bring a picnic blanket or chair, enjoy the free live music on the Village Green!


November 30 and 1 December - Come Fly with Me


By popular demand, a repeat of the sold out Rangebow performance. Tickets will go on sale soon.


MVA key reports


Montville Village Market: Lookback on the September Market


A beautiful cool spring morning.  As the breeze was a bit brisk, the blinds down on the deck provided a cozy breakfast retreat, people enjoyed each other's company. Very relaxing atmosphere.


A huge thank you to our cheerful volunteers as we achieved 113 serves of pancakes being made.  This compares with 123 pancake serves at the August market. 


Total volunteer hours required to setup and run the market 85hrs.  There were 23 volunteers helping, working an average of 4 hours per person.


The new stove worked very well and our cooks are very happy!


Thank you to everyone for their valuable contribution of time and happiness.


KITCHEN: 

The 17 volunteers working in the kitchen and serving pancakes were very well appreciated by patrons.


Left overs:  Exceptionally good portion control, ingredients left over consistent with number of serves.

Kitchen receipts:

 

 EFT $682.50 Cash $579 less $120 float

$1,141.50

MVA receipts:

 

EFT Nil Cash $58

$58.00

 

Stallholders receipts:

 

EFT $0  Cash $635 (no musician, $10 electricity)

$635.00

Less  Electricity St Mary’s

3 stalls

($15.00)

 

TOTAL RECEIPTS BEFORE SHOPPING/ADMIN expenses

 

 

$1819.50

There were 29 paying stallholders, 1 new stallholders,  3 cancellations.


Community stalls this market – 3-  MVA Community Harvest, Barung Landcare, Coffee van

September notes: 

  • The market menus have been updated – send the MVA Secretary a copy for the website update.

  • Market brochures - redesign and print.  Also create a QR code for digital information referring to MVA website.

  • Memorial Road Closure on Market mornings - Wayne is working on this with Council.

  • Market committee to follow up and connect with St Mary’s church re promoting the labyrinth on the Village Green for upcoming markets.

 

Montville Village Hall: What's Happening

 

4 enquiries 2 bookings.  Qui Gong, Tai Chi, Lions Club continue. Yoga has recommenced.

 

Work/Repairs

The Council’s report noted there was a lot of leaves and debris on the roof that was blocking the downpipes, this job has been completed.

 

Stove

New electric oven installed last month prior to the Markets; it was met with approval. Old stove has gone for recycling.

 

Storage Shed underneath Hall

Still waiting for quote to build a shed style structure on the old water tank base.

 

Mowing

Frith has stepped up and volunteered to mow the Hall lawn.

 

Deck Plaque

A plaque has been installed on the Hall wall leading onto the Deck acknowledging the donation from Diana O’Connor and those involved in the design and construction.

 

The photo of King Charles, donated by the Masonic Lodge, has replaced the one of the late Queen.

 

Community Group Updates


Russell Family Park (RFP)


General


The lagoons in the Park have been ‘cleaned’ of weeds and despite little rain being received, the middle lagoon still has a small flow of water from it to the lower lagoon. The unofficial rain gauge recorded 49.5 mm this month. Unfortunately the improved water conditions have not resulted in any better photographic sightings of the local platypus – maybe next month.

However, the conditions have been favorable for the Dusky Moorhens with a number of young currently being raised.

 

BushCare Group


If anyone is interested in joining us, we are at the Park for one and a half hours from 7.00 am every Sunday. For further information contact Eric Anderson – Mobile 0427 127 417.

With the continuing dry conditions since the Rangebow Festival planting it was necessary to water the newly establishing plants. Initially we had to carry buckets of water some 60-80 m from the top lagoon but fortunately by the second week we were able to borrow a pump to transfer the water to our site. Currently all the plants have survived and are doing well.


The Group spent 49.5 hours this month on our site, and apart from watering, we continued with maintenance weeding in the areas to the east of the Top Lagoon.

 



         Newly hatched Dusky Moorhen                        Adult Dusky Moorhen feeding young


Montville History Group

 

Our new website is life! All stories and images have been transferred to the new site. Check it out, it will take google a little while to start finding this site, so the more clicks, the better!


We now have a lot more space for higher resolution images, so please share them with us if you have any interesting ones, or better versions of the ones that are already posted!



Montville Sportsground Committee


The Montville Sportsground is owned by the MVA and has three tennants: The Range Soccer Club, the "Woodies" and the Montville Tennis Club.


The next meeting of the Sportsground Sub-committee is scheduled for 6 pm Thursday January 16.


The focus of this meeting will be:

  • Role of the Sportsground Sub-committee

  • Issues of common interest /concern such as road access, road maintenance, grounds maintenance, car parking.

  • Future of the Sportsground and in particular the Montville Sportsground Development Plan (subject to MVA Management Committee acceptance of this idea see point 5 and recommendations ) to which each club will be invited to contribute.

  • 100 th anniversary celebration in 2025 of establishment of Montville Sportsground (subject to MVA Management Committee acceptance of this idea see point 5 and recommendations) to which each club will be invited to contribute.


Additional meetings will be called by any of the parties as and when necessary, with all other matters being dealt with electronically or by individual face to face meetings.


Issues


  • Road upgrade. The Soccer Club, with approval from the Gambling Fund which provided the grant, spent some of the grant monies on their fencing and not the road. A gate has been put on  the large drain to prevent children from crawling in and potentially getting stuck.

  • Dust. A complaint was received about excessive dust due to people driving above the speed limit when entering the grounds. This has been drawn to the attention of the clubs and from them to their members.

  • Public toilets. Despite discussions cleaning remains an issue between the Tennis and Soccer Clubs with no long-term resolution. It may be necessary for a cleaner to be employed.


Lease template/renewal


Feedback from each club varied with the Tennis Club being the most vocal providing useful feedback as well as being against the suggested fee increase. There is little appetite by any club to renew their lease earlier than the end of their current lease which is Soccer December 2025, Tennis January 2026 and Woodies June 2026.


Incorporation of the sportsground and its future.


Since the transfer of the Sportsground Trust to the MVA in 1992 each club has been responsible for fund raising and development of their club. Whilst this has been very successful there has been little interest in the expansion of what is offered at the grounds. The three clubs are silos each successful in their own way and proud of it. Incorporation is seen as another level of bureaucracy which it is unless is linked to the ‘big’ picture of developing the area. Previous ‘big’ pictures ideas include 1985 Sun Astronomical Society seeking to build an observatory on the grounds to host heir 12-inch telescope, 1993 Range Bowls Club seeking a 75-year lease of two thirds of the grounds to construct additional facilities including a swimming pool, croquet court and tennis courts, and this century discussion to have new access road from Mill Hill Lane funded by land transfers. New access road would open the possibility of additional facilities which could attract Federal funding as part of their community development policies.


However, it will take time to bring everyone along. The first step is changing how the Sportsground Sub-committee operates. Concurrent to this the MVA can take the initiative by creating a Sportsground Development Plan to paint the ‘big’ picture. The renewal of leases is also an opportune time to discuss the ‘big’ picture with each club and their place in it.


Hopefully sometime soon we will reignite the enthusiasm that existed when the Sportsground was created in 1925. The land was purchased for 500 pounds from Joseph James Thomas and a further 500 pounds was spent on improvement. The land was part of the T Weitmeyer selection (first settler), ten people stood as guarantors and there were five trustees. Despite the hardships of the depression the loan was paid off with a celebration in 1938. The mortgage papers were burnt and the ashes bought for 6 pence by a young soldier, Joe Fisher, and were the origins of the Montville Ashes.


Let’s hope we can generate the same enthusiasm for the future and in particular the Sportsground 100-year anniversary in 2025 which could be a fitting focus for the three clubs, the MVA and community.


Small Events Committee


Come Fly With Me is being re-run on 30 November and 1 December.  The sold out performances which were part of the Rangebow Festival in early August were very well received.  So the cast is looking forward to bringing their characters back to the stage.  Tickets will be available on Trybooking soon.




Montville Streetscape (a joint MVA and MCC committee)


See the annual report, issued this month.


Montville Primary School


We currently 95 students enrolled over 4 classes here at Montville.


Our big news is that our playground and outdoor learning area is now complete and was officially opened on Monday 30 September. I would like to sincerely thank Montville Gourmet BistroI por providing pizza for all of the students, parents and community members. It has been wonderful to see the students enjoying and learning in this amazing new space.


Now that the playground is complete we are moving our focus to other facilities improvements. Our 2 main projects will be the refurbishment of 2 classrooms over the Christmas holidays as well as increasing our kitchen garden and putting into use 6 new wicking beds that were obtained via a grant. We will be holding a working bee here at the school in November and will advise the MVA when this will occur 

 

We are holding our final Open Morning on Friday 18 October from 9:00-10:00. If you or anyone you know are interested in bringing a child to Montville School we would love to show you around.


Finally on behalf of the staff and students, I would like to thank the MVA for their ongoing support.




Montville Tennis Club (MTC)

 

Events/programs:

  • Women and Girls Sport sponsored coaching program started 1 October ’24 with 16 new participants

  • Montville Magic Team performance in the Sunshine Coast Veterans (over 35 years) Tennis Competition remains solid with some valuable ‘lessons’ learnt from our opponent teams. Last tournament match 13 October ’24 against Nambour

  • Kids Tennis Competition commenced 5 October ’24 through to 2 November ’24

  • MTC will host the Passionate Cup Tournament between Mapleton, Montville and Toowoomba Range on 26 & 27 October’24.

  • Hinterland Range Quarterly Social Competition between Eudlo, Landsborough, Montville, Maleny, Mapleton and Witta to kick off 23 November ’24.

  • MTC XMAS Hit and Giggle scheduled for 1 December ’24.

 

Facilities/equipment:

  • Heritage Bank grant for new dishwasher received

  • Women in Sport Grant for facility improvements and safe pathway/access passed first EOI submission in April ’24. In response costed detailed plans have now been submitted and are currently being assessed.

 

Membership:

  • Steady with two new members and two retired members since August’24.

  • QLD Fair Play Vouchers available for juniors to undertake coaching – contact Ian Cowan (details on the MTC website)

 

Court use:

-        All social sessions are well attended when not impacted by rain including:

  • Tuesday morning mixed social tennis

  • Tuesday afternoon kids group coaching (x2)

  • Tuesday evening adults group coaching (x2)

  • Saturday small group and individual coaching with ball machine training.

  • Sunday social tennis (two sessions)

-        Casual bookings daily are steady with several permanent bookings ongoing.  

 

Priorities for the club:

1.     Security surveillance system

2.     Safe accessible pathways and secure storage

3.     LED court lighting solution

4.     Shade solutions on the pavilion green.

 


Brett Abbenbroek (President), Wendy Sandford (VP and Player Representative), Grace Petterson (Secretary), Rachel Kienzle (Treasurer), Ian Cowan (Coach and Player Representative)


Fire Brigade


Fire Brigade Report: period to and including 10 October 2024

 

Rainfall to and incl 10 Oct 2024:   1799 mm. (1 Jan - 10 Oct 2023; 591 mm)

 

2023  total:                                     938 mm.

2022  total:                                     3450 mm.   

 

Sep 2023 rainfall:                           25 mm.

Sep 2024 rainfall:                           19 mm

Oct 2024 rainfall to date: 63 mm

  

Driest year before 2023 (2011)       1033 mm

 

Rainfall to 10 Oct 2024 incl is 183 % of 2023's total year's, 104 % of av yearly total over last 20 decades

 

Permits issued 10 Sep-09 Oct  2024:       4 (last period: 4.)

                 

We're still falling below last year's monthly figures for the last 5 months (rainfall so far in Oct24 35mm). We are still in the balance. 


Masonic Lodge


Lodge building renovation continues.


Lodge met 05 October in Maleny; New Master installed and Officers for 2024-25 invested.     


Have Your Say!


Your voice matters, contribute your ideas, submit feedback or exchange views on matters that affect you and your community on the Sunshine Coast Council's "Have your Say" website.



Volunteering Opportunities:


Volunteer in Montville - MVA Secretary


We are still looking for a secretary to join the Montville Village Association's Executive Committee. If you are interested in what is happening in your area, and have a bit of time each month, drop us a line. We would love to hear from you! Please contact secretary.mva@gmail.com





Volunteer at Sculptures on the Edge


We are looking for community-minded volunteers to assist us with our 9 day Sculpture on the Edge event at Flaxton Gardens in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. This is an annual event run by Arts Connect Inc.


The event runs from Saturday 23rd November 2024 until Sunday 1st December.


Volunteers must be an adult (18 yo+) and are required for a range of duties which may include using an EFTPOS machine or ticket scanning device, handling cash, interacting with visitors, handling boxes of event catalogues, data entry on a computer, and assisting where possible. Some training may be provided.


Volunteers are required from 7:30am to 3:30pm each day. To volunteer you can register via our Humanitix portal at: https://events.humanitix.com/sculpture-on-the-edge-2024-volunteering

 

If volunteering is not for you then why not purchase a ticket to the event or register for one of the many workshops being run during the event. Tickets available from the 1st September.


To find out more details go to our website:https://sculptureontheedge.com.au/


Wildlife Road Casualties


If you hit an animal, and don't know what to do, make sure you call one of our local wildlife volunteers. Program the number in your phone, and let your employees know who to contact!


Please, don't let these beautiful animals suffer; slow down, slow down, slow down...... and rethink the need for fencing your property as it limits their escape routes from the road.


Injured Wildlife: Rachel Connelly - phone: 0407 881 008



AED (Defibrillator) Devices in Montville


AEDs can be found in the following locations in Montville:

  • Montville Village Hall Entrance - available 24/7, donated by Cr Winston Johnson to St Mary's Church

  • Montville Visitor Information Centre - available 24/7, donated by Opal Cutters

  • IGA - available during opening hours (every day 07:00 to 18:30)

  • Montville Mountain Inn, 126 Main Street, AED kept in the office - phone 07 5442 9499


First aid is also available from the Montville Health Centre at the Village Square (Mon, Wed and Thu 09:00 - 12:00, Tue and Fri 09:00 - 17:00)



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