Blue Light shearing program starts up in central west Qld

Reporting to the Queensland's Wool Harvesting Technical Advisory Group meeting in Charleville, its founder, police officer Laurie Bateman said the inaugural central west Blue Light Shearing event had taken place at Macfarlane Station at Tambo.

That attracted 17 participants, from Barcaldine, Blackall and Tambo.

Following that, another of the week-long course that gains participants credits towards a certificate II in rural operations was held at Evesham, north of Longreach, and plans are afoot to run the next in the Barcaldine district.

Outlining the program for the south west Blue Light Shearing program, Acting Senior Constable Bateman said they'd started the year with 20 students at the Bank family's Dunwold station at Dirranbandi.

"Another 15 students across five schools in the south west put their names in to attend the program when spots are available," he said.

In term two, the program was able to make use of the shearing facilities at Alistair and Narelle Webb's Wyandra property, Warrego Park, and the plan for term three was to shear at Nelyambo Station, courtesy of Don and Belinda Perkins.

Acting Snr Const Bateman said the south west program had 10 participants in Year 12 that would finish their cert II in rural operations this year, adding that three of those had intentions of entering the wool industry following that.

QWool TAG chair Mike Pratt said it was showing the Blue Light shearing initiative was a success story, not only for the wool harvesting industry but just as importantly, for some of the young people at risk of making bad life choices.

Mr Bateman agreed, saying that shearing taught participants how to control their emotions in order to keep sheep relaxed, a skill that was essential for life.

"Shearing is what keeps a big group of kids busy," he said. "You don't want idle young people."

Commenting on the formation of a central west group, he said they wanted to have a six hour distance between furtherest towns in each group, so that participants could get home on a Friday night after a big week.

Thanks to a transfer to Palm Island, Acting Snr Const Bateman has taken a backward step as the coordinator of the south west Blue Light Shearing group, handing over to the officer in charge at the Wyandra Police Station, Tanya Clarke.

In the central west, Major Organised Crime Squad Longreach OIC Detective Sergeant Allan Cook is coordinating venues, course dates and liaison work.