JOBS VITAL FOR EX- ADF MEMBERS Employers urged to assist with switch to civilian life
THE illicit drug “ice” may be linked to the unsolved murder of Donna Steele in Cooktown, police believe.
Locals have told detectives the drug scene – in an isolated region once notorious for bush cannabis plantations – had turned heavy, with hidden labs, trafficking, and abuse of methamphetamines in the frontier Cape York town.
Officers have interviewed nearly one out of five adult locals in the hunt for the killer.
“It is a homicide investigation, not a drug investigation,’’ detective Inspector Geoff Marsh said yesterday. “But we did deploy the drug squad up to have a look.’’
He said the drug scene in Cooktown was “no different to any rural or coastal town in the Far North or anywhere else in Queensland’’.
But police are still baffled by the motive behind the slaying of the mum- of- two and dumping of her body in a crocodileinfested creek.
The 42- year- old’s body was found wrapped and dumped in a known crocodile hole 15km from her rural home in the Endeavour River Valley, north of Cooktown, on August 6. TOWNSVILLE businessman Brad Webb is tonight hosting a black tie function for about 200 people to thank them for their service to a charity that has helped thousands.
Mr Webb, who heads BM Webb Industrial Property Developers, founded Food Relief NQ 15 years ago, giving $ 1.6 million of support each year to local charities.
The charity hands out up to 18,000 food hampers each year and provides 49,000 school breakfasts to underprivileged Townsville students.
Mr Webb said the charity did not get government funding, instead surviving off his own contributions, corporate supporters and some funding from Townsville City Council.
He said tonight’s event was about showing his appreciation for his group’s 30 volunteers, some who have been there since the beginning, as well as sponsors.
“I really appreciate how all these people are an integral part of this charity,” he said. “This is a sustainable charity … and I’m so humbled by the fact so much effort has gone into making it a great success.” AN ex- service organisation is calling on Townsville employers to support military members who transition out of the defence force.
Mates4Mates general manager of operations Suzanne Desailly said most ex- defence force members had a high calibre of skill that was suited to any civilian employer.
“At a community level, employment is a big issue for our ex- defence members,” she said. “Getting employers to understand and appreciate all of the unique skills that an ex- serving member can bring them is what we try to do every day.”
Ms Desailly said Townsville employers needed to be “willing and open” to employ exservicemen and women.
“Australian Defence Force members live by some core values of honesty, honour, respect, integrity and team work to name a few,” she said.
“These qualities are what any employer would value. They ( ex- defence force members) pride themselves on being responsive, on their problem- solving skills and on their ability to work well under pressure.”
Townsville Enterprise is in the process of securing support from the Veterans’ Employment Industry Advisory Committee. It is planned that the city will be home to the country’s first targeted veteran employment program.
Townsville Enterprise director of policy and investment Michael McMillan recently presented the committee with a proposal to establish a targeted employment program in the city that would, eventually, be rolled out across the nation.
Townsville Chamber of Commerce president Troy Popham said the chamber whole- heartedly supported ex- service personnel transitioning from military to civilian employment.
“As a garrison city we have a lot of past service people in our community and provided their skills sets match the position description, we would strongly recommend supporting ex service personnel whenever possible,” he said.
“We have a very strong exservice personnel community in Townsville and they definitely have skillsets that are worth taking advantage of.”
Ms Desailly said the support of ex- defence force members moving into civilian employment was far reaching.
“If local employers embrace the employment of ex- service members that will go a long way to help their recovery and rehabilitation,” she said.
“The transition out of military service into civilian work can be a real struggle for some people. Adapting for a civilian workplace isn’t easy.”
Ms Desailly said Mates4Mates provided a range of services, career coaching and vocational counselling services to help make that transition more seamless.
“We focus on the transferable skills,” she said.
“That is what a lot of ex- service personnel battle with. They often ask ‘ how does what I did in the military equate to the civilian workplace?’.
“When we help them transfer those skills to the civilian work environment it is one step in the right direction.”