Apparently 2500 motorists to 30 June were snapped. The second highest was Logan Road, Holland Park in Brisbane, the third Gympie Road, Kedron, again in Brisbane, fourth Cottesloe Drove, Robina on the Gold Coast, and fifth in Brisbane again, Mt Gravatt / Capalaba Road in Wishart.
Queensland Police Acting Chief Superintendent Andy Morrow from the State Traffic Support Branch said police targeted the Tugun site because of the large traffic volumes. According to a recent report given to our Tweed Heads Chamber of Commerce there are 11,000 commuter vehicles each day running from New South Wales into Queensland (mostly for work, then recreational and community activities).
The Courier Mail article likewise quoted Police Minister Jack Dempsey, who said the laws offered no tolerance for high-risk drivers, with a first offence to result in a three-month impoundment and forfeiture for a subsequent offence. People caught behaving in a hoon-like manner on the roads will soon face the loss of their vehicle for a minimum three months - and potentially permanently - under tough new laws being introduced by the Queensland Government.
Each Australian State or Territory could reveal similar "hot spots" for radar and in effect, monies into their respective State revenue. One of the benefits of "cruise control" is that one's vehicle can be set on the speed limit, yet many who have cruise control still choose not to use it in built up areas.
Church Life Lists
Church Life likewise has various listings and even a cursory glance at the CRA (Christian Research Association) and their vast array of statistical information provides many insights. Denominational information is also available for slightly different information. Mission agency information also provides more data.
These therefore are not controlled statistical analysis, rather a brush stroke from the various information sources which reveal a lot of very interesting raw data.
Small Congregations
Sydney it appears has the largest proclivity to small suburban churches of any city in Australia. This shouldn't be surprising as there are many historical and sociological reasons for this. As Sydney expanded so too did denominational life right across the wider Sydney basin.
It is not uncommon to find Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Uniting (Methodist and Presbyterian), Churches of Christ, Salvation Army, Apostolic …. in any group of Sydney suburbs. Rarely do they close their doors, sometimes churches have merged but this is rare. Even more surprising some did it in the seventies, such as North Campsie and Croydon Park Baptist Churches.
There is a great warmth of fellowship and commitment to a small congregation that has survived through congregational ups and downs since the 1960's.
Misnomer of the Pentecostal mega-church
If anyone surmises that the Pentecostals have gone "mega church" they would be misguided. Yes, there are some very significant Pentecostal congregations such as Hillsong in Sydney and lesser mega-situations such as Bayside in Melbourne, Paradise in Adelaide and the like.
That however is not the norm in terms of Pentecostal congregations. As one example near us in Tweed Heads, there are eleven Pentecostal congregations from Tugun in south east Queensland (just over the border) to Kingscliff (over the Tweed River.
This is replicated all over Australia. On the Sunshine Coast for example, one of the two largest church attending regions in Australia, there are Pentecostal churches in almost every suburb and given names that are 'motivational' in nature rather than after one of the great Saints of the Bible or Christian history.
Congregational adherents
A significant trend over the past several decade and which has become the norm today is that of the notion of 'adherents' to a congregation rather than any formal allegiance.
This works on two levels. The first is the Census statistics for at least two decades in the religious question, are not revealing where people actually worship, rather what they consider to be their 'home church'. This is evident by the Pentecostal Census figures where so many adherents are from Catholic backgrounds and that is what is stated on the Census form.
The second is that many Protestant churches have seen a shift steering away from formal "membership" to that of "a personal commitment to their congregation." This has developed as so many Australians regularly relocate from one State or another or one regional city to another, and choose to avoid church politics as opposed to serving the Lord.
In our own local network of Christian people, we can identify innumerable families who have chosen the latter and are as much or more committed to their local congregation and work of their local church as are those who have signed the dotted line of formal membership. One family who has relocated with their work, have committed themselves to a different denominational church in their five moves as that was the one that fitted their spiritual and emotional needs best.
There are endless similar statistical analysis from the information available. These three, from what is available to make sound deductions, illustrate the nature of where Christian commitment has been headings in recent years.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
