NEWSPORT NEWSFEED: Big tree means big delays

It was slow going for motorists on the Mossman to Daintree Road on Saturday morning after a large tree fell and blocked the road around 8am just north of the Wonga Beach Service Station and blocking both lanes.

One of the first on scene was local resident Trevor Ford, who acted quickly to notify emergency services.

Emergency services including the Douglas Shire Council, Police and Ergon were notified.

Photographer Ian Arcus said the tree was of significant size, and fell due to a combination of wet soil and possibly age; the weather in the area at the time was fine, clear and sunny.

Traffic started to significantly back up in both directions, initially local residents attempted to help clear the tree using small chainsaws, however due to the size of the tree it was not until Douglas Shire Council staff arrived and brought larger/ heavier chainsaws into play that significant progress could start to be made.

A statewide inquiry into the mistreatment of Queensland’s elderly will be implemented urgently following revelations there were close to 4500 calls to the Elder Abuse Helpline last financial year, State Government Seniors Minister Amanda Camm says.

The calls included close to 140 from the Cairns area and more than 30 from the Outback region, which takes in the parts of the state north of Far North Queensland’s biggest city.

The latest elder abuse report, released as part of the government’s Year in Review, “revealed the urgency for an inquiry”, Minister Camm said.

The new Crisafulli Government established a Parliamentary Inquiry In December to investigate the consequences of elder abuse as part of its promised 100 Days Plan.

“The inquiry will shine a light on the mistreatment of some of the most vulnerable members of the community,” Ms Camm said.

“All Queenslanders have a role to play in preventing elder abuse, including families, communities, service providers and all levels of government.”

There were close to 2700 notifications of elder abuse across the state, Ms Camm said.

More than 76 per cent of callers said they were being subjected to psychological abuse, with 24 per cent saying they were being neglected, about 13 per cent reported physical abuse and more than 1 per cent said they had been sexually abused.

About 70 per cent of the perpetrators were reportedly the children of the older people, while close to 13 per cent were their partners.

“Increasing our understanding of elder abuse and boosting community awareness is vital to stopping the abuse,” she said.

Minister Camm said six in 10 older people who experience abuse will likely not seek help from a professional source, but instead seek advice from family or friends.

“This inquiry will also help increase awareness right across Queensland, as we work towards better protecting some of the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Suspected cases of elder abuse can be reported at qld.gov.au/stopelderabuse or the Elder Abuse Helpline on 1300 651 192.