With Torres Strait Regional Authority Chairperson, John Toshie Kris.

I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of Kaiwalagal, on whose land I am writing from and all other traditional owners and elders throughout our region.  I am receiving pleasing feedback on the role this column has had in keeping our communities informed of the many progressive projects and exciting developments that are occurring within our region.                                                      

Dengue Fever and Community Health 

The Torres Strait is a wonderful region in which to live.  Beautiful beaches, pristine seas and clean air all combine to offer a healthy and unique lifestyle.  However this must not be taken for granted especially with the ever present threat of dengue fever.  The dengue virus is prevalent in the Torres Strait and its incidence generally rises in the wet season, as was experienced last year.  The TSRA is committed to working with other agencies to help prevent dengue outbreaks in the Torres Strait.  With your assistance we can all do more to help in the fight against dengue fever.  I urge all residents of the Torres Strait and NPA to be vigilant in protecting themselves and one another from this potentially fatal disease by removing possible breeding sites around the home.  In the lead up to the wet season the Torres Shire Council will conduct a special rubbish collection on Thursday and Horn Islands to remove potential mosquito breeding sites such as discarded cans and buckets.  This will occur from the 1st to the 26th of November and residents are urged to leave all rubbish on the roadside for collection during this period.  In addition, the TSRA has been conducting its Waste Management Program around the islands by removing potential mosquito breeding sites. For more information on protecting yourself and your family from dengue, please contact the environmental health section at the Thursday Island Primary Health Centre on 4069 0400.    I urge all residents to take personal responsibility this wet season for keeping their home and community safe from dengue fever. 

Congratulations to Seaman Dan 

On behalf of the TSRA I would like to congratulate Uncle Seaman Dan on winning the Best World Music Album Award at the ARIA Fine Arts Awards in Sydney recently.  Uncle Seaman’s achievement is a proud moment for the whole of the Torres Strait as national artistic recognition has been bestowed upon a much loved and popular Torres Strait identity.  An award of this magnitude recognises talent and diversity in music and I applaud Uncle Seaman and his production team on this achievement that will no doubt raise his profile but also of the Torres Strait as a region rich in musical talent.

TSRA Sponsored Events and Education in the Community

Education plays a key role in the social and economic progress of the Torres Strait and I am pleased that the TSRA was recently able to support the Thursday Island State School in a number of important activities designed to foster student leadership, cultural enhancement and learning.  Students were able to attend and participate in the North Queensland Student Council Conference in Cairns, the Cultural Arts exchange which toured the near western islands and an academic tournament.  I congratulate all those involved in these progressive events and I wish all students in the Torres Strait the very best in their studies.  On a separate education initiative, I would like to thank the committee members of the Torres Strait Islanders Regional Education Council (TSIREC) for their invitation to attend the opening day of their four day education conference.  The conference was organized around a program designed to address among other things, directions, challenges, needs and priority areas in education.  I congratulate the committee on this initiative and their planning process.  I am hopeful that through this program the education pathways of our students will be expanded for greater benefit.

Sustainable Marine Life Research

The Torres Strait has a unique marine environment and protection of its marine life is an important undertaking for long term sustainability.  The dugong population in our region is one of the largest in the world and like other marine life they hold a culturally and ecologically important role.  Good progress is being made in understanding their behavioral patterns through a collaborative effort between CRC Torres Strait, James Cook University and local Mabuiag Island hunters.  The joint project team has been tagging and recording the movements and behavior of dugongs to gain a better understanding of their habits.  Via satellite tracking the results of the study will play an important function in effectively managing their existence and I commend those involved in this important work.

Any feedback for my column can be sent to:

Mr. John T. Kris
TSRA Chairperson
PO Box 261
Thursday Island QLD 4875

Alternatively, feedback can be sent to me through the TSRA website via the media contact in the ‘contact us’ segment of the site.  Until my next column, may God bless you all and keep you safe.

John T. Kris
TSRA Chairperson