[Pil-pc-oceania] Brisbane: Advance Notice: Di Thorley at The Brisbane Institute

[pacific-edge]

For Brisbane region list members interested in youth.....

------ Forwarded Message
> From: Brisbane Institute Events <RSVP at brisinst.org.au>
> Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2007 10:51:42 +1000
> To: <news at list.brisinst.org.au>
> Conversation: Advance Notice: Di Thorley at The Brisbane Institute
> Subject: [Brisbane Institute News] Advance Notice: Di Thorley at The Brisbane
> Institute 
> 
> Rural Youth - what's real and what's needed?
> 
> Di Thorley
> 
>  
> 
> Tuesday 20th March 2007
> 
> Seminar commences 6.00pm (doors open 5.30pm)
> 
>  
> 
> 
> Di Thorley will be speaking about the major issues facing young people
> from rural areas around Toowoomba and south West Queensland.
> 
> 
> She will consider, with her usual wit and passion, what is currently
> being done to support young people in rural areas, utilising specific
> examples
> 
> 
> from Toowoomba and outline what she thinks are the steps communities
> need to take to help support their local young people.
> 
> 
> The Mayor's presentation on "Rural Youth" will focus on 3 key areas:
> 
> 1.                  What are some of the major issues facing young
> people from rural areas around Toowoomba and South West Queensland; and
> 
> 2.                  What is currently being done to support young people
> in rural areas, utilising specific examples from Toowoomba; and
> 
> 3.                  What are the steps communities need to take to
> better support their local young people.
> 
>  
> 
> The Mayor's office in Toowoomba and the town of Stanthorpe in the heart
> of the Granite Belt are worlds apart. From Stanthorpe, where she was
> born and grew up, Dianne Thorley has trodden a hard path and come a long
> way to reach the top job in Toowoomba. When Dianne Thorley was elected
> Mayor of Toowoomba in 2000, she did not bring to the office the
> machinations and aspirations of a career politician. Instead, she
> brought a wealth of life experience and, most importantly, passion, good
> old common sense and practicality with a down-to-earth approach to
> everything. From the moment she was elected, Dianne tackled her Mayoral
> duties with an enthusiasm and boundless energy which has never waned. A
> typical day in the Mayor's office starts at 5am and does not end until
> 10 or 11 at night. Despite her busy schedule, she always finds time to
> talk candidly to residents and listen to their concerns, offer support
> and assistance or share a joke.
> 
> Dianne is passionate about seeing Toowoomba and the surrounding region
> realise its potential as a hub of industry, technology, commerce and the
> resulting employment opportunities. She has taken Toowoomba to the world
> to market the business, investment and tourism opportunities our city
> has to offer. Her passion means she never misses an opportunity to lobby
> Federal and State Government Ministers for funding for Toowoomba
> initiatives and projects. And if you don't think she has passion, just
> ask one of those ministers who may have seemed less than enthusiastic in
> their support for a what's happening in Toowoomba. They have quickly
> discovered that the Lady Mayor from Toowoomba is certainly not a person
> to be underestimated or trifled with.
> 
> She is equally passionate about everyday issues facing the residents of
> Toowoomba, particularly the city's youth, and is an energetic champion
> for the environment. Dianne is a strong defender of the environment and
> is a member of numerous active environmental committees and is dedicated
> to reducing salinity and improving water quality in the Condamine River
> catchment and Murray-Darling River system.
> 
> Dianne is not only passionate about her city and its residents but her
> training as a nurse has also made her a very compassionate person. She
> is quick to help others and devotes a large part of her time improving
> the lives of those in need - either through direct physical help by
> regularly rising at 3am to help on soup kitchens, raising funds to
> provide better facilities for disadvantaged groups in the community or
> putting her heart and soul into tackling youth issues.
> 
> Although blessed with a wicked sense of humour and ability to laugh at
> herself, Dianne also has the ability to quickly identify an opportunity
> or assess a situation and then take quick, decisive action which has
> earned her a reputation as a person who does not wait for things to
> happen but a person who makes things happen. When confronted with a
> problem, Dianne's alert, dark brown eyes appear to be looking into the
> distance, almost as if she is picturing a solution
> 
>  
> 
> Tuesday 20 March Long Room, Customs House 5.30 pm for 6pm start
> 
> Cost: $22 general admission, $11 concession, Free for BI members/
> sponsors
> 
> RSVP: 19 March 2007  rsvp at brisinst.org.au <mailto:rsvp at brisinst.org.au>
> or phone: 3220 2198
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 

------ End of Forwarded Message