Since that time, Australia has elected its first female Prime Minister in Julia Gillard and the United States of America elected its first African-American president in Barrack Obama.

Of course, along the way there has also been a Global Financial Crisis, a hung parliament in Canberra and the emergence of the iPad.

Closer to home there have also been changes, with the former Beaudesert Shire Council scrapped in favour of parts of the community joining Logan, while others helped to form the Scenic Rim.

There has also been the announcement of so-called “model” cities at Flagstone and Yarrabilba and the Jimboomba Times has gone from printing some pages in black and white to printing all pages in full colour.

But what significance do these events have to anything? It is all a matter of perspective. Despite these significant milestones having been marked along the way since 2007, some things have changed little, if at all.

Among this list is the struggle faced by residents in Errol Court, Cedar Grove who despite having seen four years pass them by, still feel internet and mobile phone services in their street are sub-standard for the 21st Century.

The Times was a little shocked this week to find that residents who spoke to the newspaper four years ago about this issue were having almost the same problem in 2011, at a time when social networking, mobile computing and smartphones are all the rage.

It is a sobering indication that despite the rhetoric and spin from all levels of government about the need for infrastructure to keep pace with growth in this region, that has to date not been the case.

Given the infrastructure in place now is so obviously struggling to keep up with the demands placed upon it, residents must surely be wondering what the chances of it catching up anytime soon will be.

Only time will answer this question, but let’s hope during the next four years the residents of Errol Court have more luck accessing services than they have had in the past four.

That is the question Beaudesert MP Aidan McLindon wants debated in State Parliament. The often outspoken MP will today (Wednesday) introduce a private member’s bill aimed at overhauling the State’s electoral laws.

As well as pushing for voting to be non-compulsory, Mr McLindon wants a ban on how-to-vote cards and a ban on election material on State Government property - meaning voters would no longer be bombarded with material as they tried to vote. The concept of non-compulsory voting is sure to find supporters.

On the plus side, as Mr McLindon suggests, there is potentially a better chance that those who do turn up to vote will make a more informed decision, having gone to the trouble of taking part in the democratic process.

On the down side, it is often suggested that non-compulsory can lead to governments being seen to lack legitimacy by those who chose not to vote, potentially causing more people to disengage. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, it should make for an interesting discussion in the lead up to the next State election.

Although the Albert catchment remains in the good category, the Logan catchment has been graded with a D+, not something we should be proud of.

Wildlife Logan president David Keogh is correct when he says we have seen next to no improvements over the past 10 years, despite several promises to clean the health of the rivers.

The Logan population is set to skyrocket with new cities at Flagstone and Yarrabilba, meaning there will be even more pressure on the region’s waterways.

Our waterways are the foundations of local ecosystems and it is for this reason the entire community must take ownership of the problems plaguing them.

If local wildlife are to be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations, a collaborative approach to maintaining the health of our rivers is a must.

It is obvious from the report card results that strategies employed over the past 10 years have had little impact.

Governments at all levels must devise a new strategy to achieve positive outcomes and will need to work hard to engage the community to ensure all stakeholders, residents included, understand the value and importance of local waterways.

THE importance of a lifelong learning and a quality education cannot be understated.

Often, whether a person has access to a quality education or not can mean the difference between living a successful life or one filled with struggle.

For many people the majority of their formal education - be it via primary school, high school or university - is done during the early years of life.

However as Beaudesert man Dave Rogers has shown, age should be no barrier when it comes to learning new skills.

At age 54, Mr Rogers, who is a Logan City Council employee, joined a workplace learning and literacy program in a bid to learn to read.

He was successful and is now using his newly-acquired ability to keep himself better informed and help his colleagues decipher workplace memos.

Mr Rogers’ story has already inspired his colleagues, but we hope it will also inspire others in the community to tackle their own personal challenges from which perhaps they have long shied away.