Latest News & Updates

Discover what’s at the heart of Eat Local Month

Locals and visitors alike are being invited to explore the heart of the Scenic Rim during Eat Local Month in June.

As a highlight of the month-long paddock-to-plate celebration of the Scenic Rim’s farmers, growers, producers, artisans, chefs and quality food and beverages, the weekend of 23 to 25 June will showcase the smorgasbord of tastes and experiences at Beaudesert, Allenview, Kerry and Rathdowney.

The weekend opens on Friday 23 June at the sixth-generation Tommerup’s Dairy Farm at Kerry with two all-new events in the Eat Local Month line-up, the Our Bread and Butter – Simple Farmhouse Pleasures Masterclass at 10am followed by Tommerup’s Feast on the Farm on Sunday 25 June with guest chef Scenic Rim Food Ambassador Richard Ousby from 10am to 2pm.

An indulgent Friday Long Lunch at the Two Chefs Restaurant at the Overflow Estate 1895 at Wyaralong will celebrate the perfect pairing of local produce with the vineyard’s own wines.

With a growing interest in home-grown, Oaky Creek Farm near Rathdowney will present a Growing Root Crops Workshop on Saturday 24 June from 10am with a focus on ginger, garlic and turmeric.

An odds-on favourite for the weekend could be the running of the Towri Twilight Woolly Cup at 3pm on Sunday 25 June at Towri Sheep Cheeses,  Allenview, where the characterful Awassi sheep will be showing it’s not only horses for courses.

In addition to the showcase events, there is plenty to see and do in the heart of the Scenic Rim.

It is the home of authentic farm stay experiences at Tommerup’s Dairy Farm, Cedar Glen Farmstay at Darlington and Worendo Cottages, set in the Lost World Valley overlooking Lamington National Park’s World Heritage-listed rainforest.

Across the weekend and throughout Eat Local Month from 1 June to 2 July, there will be hearty breakfasts at Teaspoons and Aprons in Beaudesert, which also offers a range of delicious sweet tarts and cakes, and the Harvest Café at Oaky Creek Farm, where free-range eggs accompany Running Creek Beef’s legendary sausages.

There will be wine tastings at The Overflow Estate 1895 and Barney Creek Cottages, and afternoon teas at Rathlogan Olive Grove and Shed Café, which is renowned for its tapenade, jams and relishes.

Towri Sheep Cheeses will host Open Farm days on 3 June and 1 July and a workshop on growing herbal remedies in conjunction with Jasmine Urban Farm on 3 June.

Sample Native Flavours of the Scenic Rim at Teaspoons and Aprons on 13 June and 15 June and linger over lunch at the Two Chefs Restaurant at The Overflow Estate 1895 on Friday 2 June.

Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said Eat Local Month offered something for every taste and budget, from indulgent long lunches to flavour-filled dinners, farm gate experiences, food walks, tastings, tours, talks, masterclasses and workshops for all ages culminating in the signature event, the Winter Harvest Festival on Saturday 1 July.

“Eat Local Month in winter celebrates the most abundant time of the year for our region, making it the perfect time to enjoy local produce at its finest and connect with those who put food on our tables,” he said.

“This year we will enjoy our greatest ever celebration of authentic paddock-to-plate experiences with a full month of Eat local events.

“Having tasted all our region has to offer during Eat Local Month, I am sure you will be back for seconds!”

The full Eat Local Month 2023 program is available to download from the eatlocalmonth.com.au/ website from Thursday 20 April.Scenic Rim Eat Local Month is proudly presented by Scenic Rim Regional Council, with support from Major Partners Kalfresh Vegetables and Moffatt Fresh Produce, and Supporting Partners Urban Utilities, Community Bank Kalbar & District and Brisbane Economic Development Agency. The event is also supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.

Boonah Community Music Festival

Join us for a community picnic in the heart of Boonah at the Boonah state school oval for a new event for The Scenic Rim. Bring a picnic rug or camping chair and grab a spot in front of the stage.
Local Artists Nicky Convine, Grooveyard, Ross Weber and Smashing Bumpkins, Food Trucks, Coffee Van, Market Stalls.
Saturday 20 May – 2pm to 7pm
Gold Coin Entry
Boonah & District Chamber of Commerce is a proud supporter of this event.

Top 10 Tech Tips – Y(E)P Online Training

The ‘Top 10 Tech Tips’ webinar is here to save the day!
Last Thursday of the month: 25 May is the next date.
Join Tracy for a 30-minute session as she shares the latest and greatest apps and software designed to help small business owners like you increase productivity, save money and work smarter.
Each month, she’ll share ten new tips, tricks, or software you need to know about to stay ahead of the game. Trust us; you don’t want to miss out on this.
Tracy will share information that will make you the envy of your peers and your competitors shake in their boots.
And the best part? It’s a short and sweet 30-minute session, so you won’t have to sacrifice your afternoon to learn something new.
But don’t wait too long to join because the tech world waits for no one. See you there!
Location: Online
Level: Foundations(This workshop is for anyone who is completely new to a topic and is ready to learn the fundamentals and basics.)
For more info and to sign up, check out the Facebook Event.

Y(E)P Ipswich Webinar: The ‘Top 10 Tech Tips’

Join Tracy for a 30-minute session as she shares the latest and greatest apps and software designed to help small business owners like you increase productivity, save money and work smarter.

Each month, she’ll share ten new tips, tricks, or software you need to know about to stay ahead of the game. Trust us; you don’t want to miss out on this.

Tracy will share information that will make you the envy of your peers and your competitors shake in their boots.

And the best part? It’s a short and sweet 30-minute session, so you won’t have to sacrifice your afternoon to learn something new.

But don’t wait too long to join because the tech world waits for no one. See you there!

Tickets – https://events.humanitix.com/top-ten-tech-tips-arjyi8dq/tickets

Sign up to clean up and protect Australia’s environment

Boonah business and community groups are encouraged to take part!

Saving the planet is a huge goal, but if everyone steps up we can make a big difference this Clean Up Australia Day.

Grab your family, friends, school, sporting or community group, your colleagues or your neighbours and get behind this year’s national events to tackle the environmental challenges we are all facing.

Schools and businesses can lead the way with their own events this month before national Clean Up Australia Day in March.

The Schools Clean Up Day offers teachers and students a hands-on educational and team bonding experience and a springboard for further discussion around environmental issues.

Businesses of all sizes can help drive environmental change, leading by example and fostering team spirit within their local community.

Key dates:

  • Businesses – Tuesday February 28, 2023
  • Schools – Friday March 3, 2023
  • National Clean-Up Australia Day – Sunday 5 March 2023

Donate, register and create your own Clean Up event today at https://www.whatsonscenicrim.com/…/clean-up-australia-day

Registration is FREE and includes a FREE clean-up kit*.

How will you step up this Clean Up Australia Day?

*Terms and conditions apply.

Community encouraged to have its two cents’ worth on Council’s Budget

Scenic Rim community members are being invited to have their say in Council’s financial planning for the coming year by providing feedback on the Draft 2023-2024 Annual Budget.

The draft Budget documents will be made available from Wednesday 5 April for viewing and comment on Council’s online community engagement platform, Let’s Talk Scenic Rim. Residents and business operators will also be able to share their views at community consultation sessions to be held in April at Boonah, Beaudesert and Tamborine Mountain.

Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen encouraged community members to get behind the Budget planning process that will see all submissions received being tabled at its Ordinary Meeting on Tuesday 9 May before the Budget is presented for adoption in June.

“During the development of our Scenic Rim Community Plan 2011-2026, one of the key priorities identified by residents was the efficient and equitable delivery of affordable services that provide best value for money,” he said.

“This current community consultation is a golden opportunity for residents to contribute to the Budget process.”

The Draft 2023-2024 Annual Budget documents will include statements of cash flow, income and expenditure and Council’s financial position, as well as the proposed capital works budget for the coming financial year and the 2023-2024 register of fees and charges.

Community consultation will commence on 5 April 2023 and will close on 3 May 2023.

Community members can provide their feedback online by registering on the letstalk.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/ platform or by attending one of the three community consultation sessions.

These will be held on the following dates at these locations:

Thursday 20 April at Boonah Cultural Centre from 5.30pm to 7pm
Wednesday 26 April at The Centre Beaudesert from 5.30pm to 7pm, and
Thursday 27 April at Tamborine Mountain State School from 5.30pm to 7pm.
Once all feedback has been considered, the final 2023-2024 Annual Budget will be prepared and will be tabled for adoption at a Special Meeting of Council scheduled for 14 June.

“Council values all feedback and is committed to continuing to work with the community to deliver a sustainable future for our region,” Mayor Christensen said.

Have your say!

To inform development of a new small business strategy, the Queensland Government is currently conducting a survey of Queensland small businesses to understand their goals, challenges, how they get their information and what they need to help them thrive.

We need your help in encouraging local small business owners and operators to complete the survey. Their ideas and feedback will help inform development of a new small business strategy due for release in the second half of 2023.

The survey is open from 30 January – 24 February 2023.

To complete the survey, visit: www.business.qld.gov.au/smallbizsurvey

Workforce Connect Fund

The Workforce Connect Fund is an initiative designed to increase investment in industry and community-led projects that address attraction, retention and participation issues within the workforce.

 

It aims to drive systemic, industry-wide change in relation to these issues to enhance workforce outcomes for employers, employees and jobseekers.

 

The Workforce Connect Fund will fund large, scalable projects delivered by industry peak bodies and community peak organisations to connect, develop and implement new and innovative strategies, services and/or mechanisms that support the attraction and retention of employees now and into the future.

 

It will also provide funding to small businesses that identify an immediate need for new and innovative Human Resource (HR) solutions to support their business.

 

For large-scale projects delivered by industry peak bodies and community peak organisations, funding is available for a maximum 12-month term. The level of funding depends on the nature of the project and is capped at up to $1 million.

 

For eligible small businesses, up to $5,000 is available to provide immediate human resources (HR) support and advice (subject to funding availability).

 

Here is the link to find out more – https://desbt.qld.gov.au/employment/workforce-connect-fund

Scenic Rim Small Business Hub 

The Queensland Government is here to help your business thrive.

If you are starting out, need support to recover or want to grow your business,

they can help with:

  • Free mentoring and business guidance
  • Grants and financial assistance
  • Free training for apprentices under 25
  • Resources to make it easier to employ apprentices and trainees
  • Opportunities to supply to Queensland Government
  • Queensland Small Business Commissioner advocacy and support

Feel free to pop into any of the below locations to speak with their staff.

Date  Location 
12 January  Beaudesert 
19 January  Boonah 
2 February  Tamborine Mountain 
9 February  Beaudesert  
16 February  Boonah 
23 February  Canungra 

They are also available online, on the phone or we can visit you at your business.

Please contact Paulina Ford 0427 757 169 or email [email protected] to book an appointment.