July 16, 2021
Blackbutt residents and visitors to town have a new source of up-to-date local information, thanks to the idea of a newcomer to the region.
The updated Blackbutt & Benarkin Community Directory is the brainchild of local resident Maria Arranz who found she had difficulty locating local tradespeople and services when she shifted to the area.
Blackbutt and District Tourism and Heritage Association (BDTHA) president Noeleen Bird said Maria started collecting information and asking around about how she could publish the results.
Someone pointed her in the direction of the BDTHA, which just happened to have 1000 spare covers left over from the last community directory published in Blackbutt.
The next problem was printing the inside pages, which is when Noeleen knocked on the door of the local Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington.
Staff at Mrs Frecklington’s electorate office in Kingaroy started printing, printing and printing …
A “short” while later, 1000 copies of the 32-page booklet were ready to go, all nicely stapled.
The Nanango Electorate Office donated the paper for this project, although usually they ask community groups to provide their own paper when doing printing.
The electorate office often prints show schedules, as well as the Kumbia Partyline and other local newsletters.
Mrs Frecklington officially launched the directory at the BDTHA headquarters at Nukku Nook on Friday, ahead of the group’s regular history morning.
“This is one community that definitely bats above the average. When something needs to done, they get up and do it,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“They don’t just wait for it to fall into their laps.”
Mrs Frecklington praised Leanne Hams, from her office: “She did all the hard work; she should be the one here today,” she said.
But she noted the really hard work had been done by the people who gathered all the information together.
And all the changes since the last directory were recognition of how the area was growing.
Copies of the new Blackbutt & Benarkin Community Directory will be available at businesses in Blackbutt and Benarkin, including real estate agents.
