The 2023 Mackay Isaac Region Tourism Awards recently shone a spotlight on the outstanding accomplishments of local tourism operators, underlining their essential role in the region's economy. This prestigious event unfolded at the Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre (MECC) with 172 attendees representing the region's tourism businesses and industry stakeholders.

Mackay Regional Council Deputy Mayor, Karen May, emphasised the importance of these awards in acknowledging those who continually elevate the local tourism industry and excel in a competitive field.

"All of the winners and finalists at this year’s awards are a fantastic example of the exceptional tourism experiences offered in our region," she said.

These businesses contribute to the community's growth by attracting investment, fostering sustainability, creating jobs, and enhancing the overall quality of life in the region.

In a year marked by tourism success, the Mackay Isaac Region saw record levels of domestic travel and an upsurge in business and events tourism. The Isaac Regional Council Mayor, Anne Baker, highlighted the awards' role in setting local tourism operators apart and boosting their profiles, helping attract more domestic and international visitors.

Al Grundy, the CEO of Mackay Isaac Tourism, extended his congratulations to the winners, praising the awards' significance in recognising commitment to tourism excellence and celebrating the remarkable achievements of businesses and individuals throughout the region. Grundy noted that these dedicated businesses and individuals have positioned tourism as a vital economic driver in the Mackay Isaac Region, bringing in substantial investments and generating numerous job opportunities.

WINNERS

Best of Queensland Tour

GOLD: Wildcat Mackay

SILVER: Sarina Sugar Shed

Best of Queensland Food & Dining

GOLD: The Flackyard

SILVER: Sarina Sugar Shed Café

Best of Queensland Camping & Caravan Accommodation

GOLD: Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park

SILVER: Discovery Parks Mackay

Best of Queensland Hotel & Motel Accommodation

GOLD: Ocean International

SILVER: Shamrock Gardens Motel

Festivals and Events

GOLD: St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend

Retail, Hire and Services

GOLD: Mt Pleasant Centre

Business Event Venues

GOLD: MECC

SILVER: Windmill Motel & Events Centre

Tour and Transport Operators

GOLD: Oh Deere Farm Tours

SILVER: Bush Heli Services

Restaurants and Catering Services

GOLD: Moss on Wood

Standard Accommodation

GOLD: Comfort Resort Blue Pacific

Deluxe Accommodation

GOLD: Rydges Mackay Suites

SILVER: Country Roads Motor Inn Dysart

Excellence in Food Tourism

GOLD: Sarina Sugar Shed

SILVER: The Flackyard

Mackay Isaac Tourism Service Recognition Award

GOLD: Murray Gibbs

Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer or Volunteer Group

GOLD: Friends of the MECC

Outstanding Contribution by an Individual

GOLD: Amanda Pelagalli

People's Choice Awards

GOLD: Shamrock Hotel

SILVER: Oh Deere Farm Stays

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Sarina Sugar Shed

Wildcat Mackay

The Flackyard

Mt Pleasant Centre

Comfort Resort Blue Pacific

MECC

Murray Gibbs

Amanda Pelagalli

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Mount Pleasant Centre took home the gold in the Mackay Isaac Tourism Awards for ‘Excellence in the Retail/Hire Services’ category.

MTP have worked diligently over recent years to define themselves as a community centre, with retailers catering to all needs from food to clothing and homewares.

The recent win has alluded that the Centre has plenty to offer both locals and visitors to our region, priding itself on holding community engagement at the forefront.

Two years ago, the Centre was bought by Fawkner Property with supporting the local community as a key pillar of the business, which has been shown through hosting regular events and community partnerships, such as NQ Rockin’ Country, Mackay Motor Show and Mackay Festival of Arts.

Mount Pleasant Centre offers unique experiences for all visitors, providing free or low-cost indoor activities and events.

The Centre partners with local charitable organisations to support them in their fundraising efforts, with events to promote these groups and help to raise vital funds.

Centre Manager Cathy Sullivan stated that the win brought ‘an extra smile to the already wonderful staff’, commenting, “We are honoured to have received this award from Mackay Isaac Tourism. The award recognises all that Mount Pleasance Centre has to offer for our local community and visitors to the region.”

The next six months will see new retailers joining the MTP family, offering even more variety for a one-stop shopping experience. Christmas is set to be bigger and better this year, so keep an eye out for upcoming details.

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(L-R) Marketing Manager Berta Collins and Centre Manager Cathy Sullivan of Mount Pleasant Centre

Photo supplied

Mount Pleasant Centre

Credit: queensland.com

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Cath and Nick uit den Bogaard are the owner and operator power couple behind Comfort Resort Blue Pacific, located on the golden sands of Blacks Beach.

Comfort Resort Blue Pacific won gold in the Standard Accommodation category at the 2023 Mackay Isaac Region Tourism Awards.

Established in the Northern Beaches area over forty years ago, the couple have proudly owned the property for twenty four years.

Since then, Comfort Resort has offered its variety of quality accommodations and services to a host of interstate, intrastate and overseas travellers.

The company has become the longest-running accommodation provider involved with Mackay Tourism, winning numerous awards for both their restaurant and accommodations.

For the past three consecutive years, Comfort Resort has won gold for the 3.5 Star Self-Contained Accommodation award category, as well as Hotel of the Year this year from their franchisee, Choice Hotels.  

Comfort Resort Blue Pacific is all about consistency in delivering a quality product to its customers. From guest experience to cleanliness of their units, the team goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service.

The accommodation has been refurbished three times over the past twenty four years, with the past twelve months seeing updates to verandas and the tennis court.

Owner and Operator Cath stated that the Resort’s recent award win gave all staff ‘ownership and self-pride’, stating “It motivates us to do better, especially good for our staff so they know their hard work is being rewarded.”

Comfort Resort Blue Pacific encourages the local community to book directly with the company, to receive great competitive rates for your next holiday.

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Comfort Resort Blue Pacific overlooks the beautiful Blacks Beach

One of many beautiful accommodations at Comfort Resort Blue Pacific

Photos supplied

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Amanda Pelagalli

Amanda Pelagalli, Managing Director of Wake House Australia and the creative mind behind Mackay Adventure Tours and Transfers, has received the 'Outstanding Contribution by an Individual' award at the Mackay Isaac Tourism Awards. Her journey from hosting pro wakeboarders to transforming Mackay's tourism landscape is a testament to the untapped potential of the region.

It all began in 2019 when Amanda and her husband, Dan, revived the wake park at Wake House Australia, one of only eight wake parks in the country. Hosting international pro wakeboarders meant they soon found themselves showcasing the region to their foreign guests. As these athletes explored the region's hidden gems, Amanda and Dan inadvertently became tour guides, offering experiences that piqued the interest of adventure seekers.

These experiences, as well as more than a few nights having someone camped on their couch, sowed the seeds for a grand vision: the establishment of Mackay Adventure Tours and Transfers and the Mackay Adventure Lodge. With an unwavering commitment to developing Mackay's reputation as an adventure haven, Amanda embarked on a journey that has significantly impacted the tourism industry in the region.

Today, Mackay Adventure Tours and Transfers offers a variety of tours, attracting tourists from around the world. The 'Beach Sunrise with the Wallabies' (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) and 'Platypus Paradise Tour' (Tuesday and Thursday) are among their popular offerings.

“Local referrals have been our biggest win,” Amanda said.

“Friends and family, hotels and motels, the Mackay Airport and Marina teams and the volunteers at the Information Centres have all helped to get the tours up and running to what they are today. Our departures are guaranteed so when people book they know the tour will run regardless.”

Yet, Amanda's influence goes beyond tourism. Her tours incorporate local artisans and small businesses, offering them a platform to thrive. Amanda believes that supporting one another is the key to positive change in the community. This approach has made her tours not just about tourism but also about community development.

“Transfers for Christmas parties to the Sarina Sugar Shed, The Flackyard and One Hungry Mumma in Finch Hatton have also been popular this year,” she added.

Her enthusiasm and commitment were rewarded with the 2023 Travellers' Choice Award from TripAdvisor, placing her tours in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. This recognition reflects the heartfelt feedback and reviews from delighted guests.

“A huge thank you goes to our tour guide, Michelle, who has worked hard to perfect the tour experience. The feedback we receive from travellers about Michelle is phenomenal.”

Amanda’s advocacy for Mackay as a thriving tourism hub is a call to action for others to join in shaping the region's future. As Amanda aptly puts it, “Mackay Issac Tourism CEO Al Grundy says it all the time, ‘an incoming tide rises all boats,’ highlighting the need for collective effort to elevate tourism in the region.

“The way we see it, you can sit on the sideline and complain that there is nothing to do in Mackay or you can be part of the change, it's as simple as supporting the people and businesses who are making the change.”

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Amanda and Dan at the Adventure Lodge

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Mackay Base Hospital is receiving a boost to its ability to identify cardiac issues thanks to Mackay Hospital Foundation and Daly Bay.

Local Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Specialist, Dr Stephen Luke, is attending a masterclass in Critical Care Transoesophageal Echocardiorgraphy in Europe, thanks to a grant from Daly Bay, coordinated by the Mackay Hospital Foundation.

One avenue to detect cardiac issues is a transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) which is a specialised procedure which can be performed at the patient’s bedside to get detailed images of the structures of a beating heart.

Similar to a gastroscopy, a probe is passed through the mouth and into the oesophagus which lies behind the heart. This process allows for a clearer picture of the heart than an ultrasound where images may be inhibited by other organs.

A transoesophageal echocardiogram enables a clear view of the heart structure such as the chambers and valves, while also evaluating blood flow and pressures within the heart.

Currently, only one doctor in Mackay is qualified to carry out this procedure so in the event that a patient requires this diagnostic test and the qualified doctor isn’t  

available, patients are then sent to Townsville where they could potentially wait some time for an appointment.

Dr Luke has undertaken post-graduate studies in Clinical Ultrasound to be qualified in this diagnostic testing procedure and thanks to Daly Bay, he will complete his practical studies in Europe in December.

Mackay Hospital Foundation General Manager Kristi Algate said, “When Dr Luke first spoke with Mackay Hospital Foundation about the opportunity to attend a masterclass in Critical Care Transoesophageal Echocardiorgraphy in Europe, we approached Daly Bay for funding to cover the cost of the masterclass and knowing the benefits involved for our region, Daly Bay was very pleased to be a part of this opportunity.”

Daly Bay Senior Specialist Public Relations, Sharon Johnston, said the organisation aimed to fund opportunities that improved the liveability of Mackay.

“We are very glad Mackay Hospital Foundation approached us about the opportunity to fund the expansion of Dr Luke’s expertise, as this will provide improved health outcomes for the Mackay Region.

“The better our health services are in Mackay, the more likely people will want to live and stay in the region.”

Having a doctor in Mackay to be able to conduct this procedure is wonderful but having two doctors based in Mackay will add so many more benefits to cardiac patients in our region.

Dr Luke said, “The masterclass is conducted by the best of the best medical professionals in the northern hemisphere sharing experience from France, USA and Canada. It will be an amazing opportunity to learn from these people and  

unfortunately, this option isn’t currently available in Australia, so I appreciate Daly

Bay providing funding to allow me to do this.

“Some of the patients who would benefit from this procedure are those who have suffered cardiac arrest or heart failure, patients in severe respiratory distress such as with flu or COVID, and patients with heart valve infections resulting from sepsis.”

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Dr Stephen Luke

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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay

It has been excellent to see the recent news from the University of Queensland and Sugar Research Australia that a five-year collaboration has resulted in proof through a validation trial that genomic selection can successfully predict the performance of key sugarcane traits.

The technology promises to bring benefits to the industry, improving plant breeding outcomes and speeding up the implementation of genetic improvements.

In the announcement, SRA’s Executive Manager of Variety Development Dr Jason Eglinton said while other crop industries were also adopting genomic selection, the technology would probably have a bigger impact for sugarcane because of the plant’s biology.

“For the UQ team to develop the calibrations, algorithms and then to validate those predictions in field performance work is a significant step forward. Sugarcane is a perennial crop so ordinarily we would be growing a trial for three years over multiple crop cycles to test its performance. If you can have a shortcut like a DNA profile telling you something about its performance, we don’t just save a year, we save three years.”

Dr Eglinton has said the models and methods developed by the UQ team were already being deployed in commercial variety development by SRA.

From my point of view as a grower, for some time now productivity has generally been in decline, although we have seen some reasonable outcomes in years of suitable weather conditions, particularly rainfall.

Since the early 90s and the introduction of green cane harvesting and trash blanketing, the industry has been on the search for the next stepped change in increasing production. These findings, I believe, are a great boon for our industry and have the potential to see us making major advances in our breeding program.

When we as farmers talk about productivity, it's very easy to blame varietal development. But there is a huge amount of work that goes into selecting varieties that suit different climate patterns in different growing regions, varieties that perform well in difficult soils, plants that have disease resistant qualities. The SRA plant breeders in each region are selecting, years in advance to solve many productivity challenges.

It's a 10 to 12-year process to release a new variety, with thousands of seedlings and years of careful seedling selection and ratooning trials that look at traits for ratooning, disease resistance, milling performance and, of course productivity qualities.

In SRA's renowned plant breeding program, only a small percentage of varieties come through the trials to be released and then trialled by growers in their own conditions on farm.

As an important part of the process of release, new varieties need to pass an assessment of the data presented by SRA staff through a long process at a Regional Variety Committee, comprising representatives from CANEGROWERS, prod services, millers.

It's great to see this development in genomic selection and the work of the UQ research team led by Professor Ben Hayes, and the SRA Variety Development staff led by Dr Jason Eglinton, SRA Executive Manager of Variety Development.

Prof Hayes has indicated that genomic selection has the capacity “to accelerate gains for the sugarcane traits that determine INCREASED profit for growers”. The technology has been successfully applied in both dairy cattle and wheat, resulting in productivity gains for those sectors.

The sugarcane genome is one of the most complex plant crops with modern varieties containing between 110 and 120 chromosomes – more complex, surprisingly, than the human genome.

Research is also underway at UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) to map the genome to pinpoint which genes are responsible for which traits and how genetic variation influences a plant’s composition and performance.

It is to be hoped that the introduction of this technology will support and refine the work of variety development and allow more precision in delivering the traits needed to build the industry's productivity in a shorter timeframe.

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Validation trial, first ratoon stage. Photo credit: SRA

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One of the questions you get asked a lot in real estate is: When is a good time to sell?

There are not many bad times to sell in Mackay but certain times of the year are very good for selling a property. This is one of them. The lead-up to Christmas from late October is a very active time for buyers.

One of the things sellers should be more aware of is the mind-set of buyers. Put yourself in their position. Imagine what would be going through your head if you were a buyer.

At any time of the year buyers are in the market for various reasons … divorce, marriage, downsizing, upgrading can all happen irrespective of the time of the year. So there really isn’t a bad time to be selling unless you have a property that is dramatically affected by the wet season.

But there are times of the year when there are some additional factors that create more interest among buyers,  generate more activity, greater energy.

So, what additional factors would be motivating buyers over the next six weeks or so?

The additional aspect relates to Christmas and the upcoming year and buyers wanting their plans in place and their lives conveniently set up.

Many of the people buying right now want to be in their new home for Christmas. When your plan is to have the kids/grandkids/parents/extended family having Christmas lunch by the pool at your new home on Christmas day … well there is a bit of extra motivation for locking in a place now.

The dates are important to factor in: in theory, the last day for a property to settle before Christmas this year is Friday the 22nd of December, although many law firms will probably close at lunchtime that day so the 21st is probably a better last-day option.

A bit earlier would make things easier but if a buyer wants to get the keys no later than the 21st of December and they have the normal 35-day settlement period, they would need to have a signed and dated contract by Thursday the 16th of November. Not long to go.

But sellers have not missed the boat. Plenty of other buyers want to get through Christmas without the hassle of moving into a new property but they want to be in a property before the end of January so they are set up for the year ahead.

Those buyers need to factor in Christmas and New Year closures for banks/law firms/real estate agents/building and pest inspectors, and the delays they cause, so you would need to factor in more than the usual 35-day settlement period.

But someone who buys a property on the 14th of December could have a 42-day settlement period and still get the keys on the 25th of January, providing everything goes smoothly. So the period between now and mid-December is hot in more ways than one.

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OPINION PIECE

There is always excitement around celebrating our sporting achievements and on November 4 we will do just that.

The MM Electrical NQ Sportstar Awards is being held at the MECC to determine the best North Queensland has to offer, with 129 finalists across 11 categories. Mackay is well represented, with 28 finalists in the following categories: Service to North Queensland Sport, Masters Sportstar, Athlete with Disability, Senior Sportstar, Junior Sportstar, Senior Team of the Year, Junior Team of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

The NQ Sportstar awards started in 1991 and has grown in popularity over its 32-year history, with the winners for Junior, Senior and Athlete with a Disability being nominated for the QSport Awards to be held in Brisbane later in November, with the possibility of progressing to the National Awards.

Senior category winners Wayne Mawer of Cairns (1997, World Champion Water Skier) and Ashleigh Stebbeings of Mackay (2009, World Champion Barefoot Water Skier) went on to win both State and National Awards. Kristen Wadley won the Junior State Award in 2016, David Nicholas won the Athlete with a Disability Award in 2017 and Chelseann Osborne won the Athlete with a Disability Award in 2019.

This year marks 40 years since the formation of the North Queensland Sports Foundation (NQSF) and to celebrate the milestone a Gala event has been planned with memorabilia and a presentation from past NQ Games and other events.

A highlight of the evening will be guest speaker Brooke Hanson OLY OAM. As an Olympic gold and silver medallist, she empowers people to live a purpose-driven life, motivating individuals and inspiring organisations to achieve greatness. Brooke will share how to embrace what’s important through passion, purpose, love, leadership and finding internal strength to persevere in the face of your biggest challenges.

To our local sponsors – I appreciate your support to ensure the success of the event.

I would like to invite you to attend this one-off event to show support to our sporting heroes from across North Queensland. Tickets are available online at the MECC box office.

Cr Laurence Bonaventura

Mackay Regional Council

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A couple of big things are happening this weekend that you may not be aware of. I suppose you could get into quite an argument over which is more important than the other.

I’ll just put it out there.

The first one is National Teachers’ Day which is today. The second is our 4MK Cyclone Sunday in Bowen.

Sure, both are very important to highlight and to be thankful for so I’m going to break down both for you and you can either agree or disagree with me. That’s your call.

Let’s look at National Teachers’ Day. It’s a day that quite frankly shouldn’t even happen. It should be 365 days a year not just one day on the calendar. When we celebrate a day like this, it’s nice to give a big thanks to all the teachers who shape of children’s lives, from kindy to high school and forwards to tertiary life. They do amazing things for our kids. For that I say thank you.

We all know teachers cop a hiding as to all the holidays they get every year. Well, here we go, try working 7 days a week, marking exams, fielding emails, attending courses, preparing classes, and the old weekend volunteering for events like the classic bikeathon. All that requires holidays that go longer than an Adam Reynolds post grand final speech, which isn’t that hard to do. I want teachers to get more holidays, not less.

The other event this weekend is Cyclone Sunday in Bowen and I reckon it could be on par for equal status with teachers’ day for the one reason, staying alive.

Think about it, if you want to be safe this cyclone season, get all the info this weekend so you and your family can be prepared just in case the worst happens. Now that could be a storm event, it could be a cyclone, it could also be a bushfire. For all these safety is paramount, just like teachers’ day.

My point is both special days have huge significance to us all. You can’t have one without the other, so let’s highlight both, make us all safe, and know that when it comes 9am Monday next week, we’ve all got smiles on our faces.

If you don’t have a smile, we can only presume that you weren’t nice to a teacher on Friday, or your house blew away with a Cyclone. I hope the later doesn’t happen for both of us.

Here’s a tip, buy a few apples today and start handing them out to teachers. You might get some handshakes, and perhaps some apple pie in a few days’ time!

You can join Rob Kidd from 5am weekday mornings on 4MK 1026 AM in Mackay and Proserpine, 91.5FM in Airlie Beach or just ask your smart speaker to play 4MK on iHeartRadio!

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Hi Everyone,

This week our humble little publishing house has produced 136 pages of local news for the Whitsunday, Burdekin, and Mackay regions.

A whopping 163 ads have been placed and 156 articles have been written.

Very soon, the best part of the job will happen for all of us . . . the knowledge that all our hard work, hunched shoulders and dry-computer-screen-eyes will be worth it when you, the community, pick up your copy and read the fruits of our labour.

It is both exciting and rewarding to know that our local community loves and appreciates what we do, especially when we strive to deliver an awesome paper, even under immense pressure!

This week has been particularly special for Whitsunday Life as we celebrate the winners of the 2023 Whitsunday Tourism Awards with an incredible 16-page feature to commemorate the achievements of local businesses.

Within the feature you will be able to read about 17 local businesses who have each

excelled across different categories this year, scooping up awards that will undoubtedly be taking pride of place in their offices as we speak.

Congratulations to each of you and thank you for sharing your story with the paper, it was wonderful learning more about your wonderful businesses.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful team for putting together a fantastic paper again this week – from the design and production team who always make sure the paper looks incredible to our journalists who tell amazing stories and of course our sales team who work closely with local businesses.

Every single person in the team has an equally important role that keeps every cog of this crazy machine working – thank you all for smiling under the pressure and delivering something magical no matter what.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song” (Maya Angelou)

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For one visiting family, Airlie Beach was a calling card of fun and excitement.

And for single mum of two, Mandee, that’s exactly how her holidays unfolded thanks to the kindness of strangers.

The story began when Mandee was travelling in a taxi, headed towards the ferry with her children ahead of their much anticipated holiday to Daydream Island, and she suddenly realised that she’d misplaced her card.

Panicked, Mandee asked the driver to turn around so she could see if the missing card was in the last place she’d visited.

Pulling up at the Vinnies carpark, the driver kindly waited in the carpark allowing Mandee ample time to rush into the store.

Fortunately, a kind gentleman had discovered her keycard and handed it to the ladies at Vinnies, to safeguard.

Mandee gratefully placed the card back in her purse, relieved to be able to continue on her holiday with funds enough to enjoy every minute.

Turning to Facebook later that day, Mandee expressed her gratitude to the pair of strangers.

“Thank you to the man who handed in my keycard to Vinnies at Cannonvale,” Mandee’s post said.

“You saved my holiday. I am a single Mum with 2 small children and without my card I would have had a hard time and stressed the rest of my holiday.

“And also to the beautiful taxi driver who went out of her way to turn around and give me time to walk in and look for my card. You are a ray of sunshine. Thank you so much.”

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Trucks, tradies, and diggers retuned to the previously abandoned work site on the corner of Paluma Drive and Shute Harbour Road this week and it looks as though works have resumed.

A spokesperson from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) said that “a component of the enabling works on this section of road was temporarily paused while a review of the scope and program of works in this location was undertaken”.

“Progression of the full scope of the project to construction is subject to the outcomes of the Australian Government’s Independent Strategic Review of its Infrastructure Investment Program (IIP) and timelines for delivery will be confirmed following this review,” they said.

Confirming that crews were due to return to the site this week, TMR said that while the works were “paused” the project site was made safe with some fencing and concrete barriers.

“Reduced traffic lanes are remaining in place to preserve the roadworks and ensure the safety of road users and pedestrians in this location,” said the spokesperson.

TMR confirmed that the overall project is “currently in the detailed design phase” which has been underway since mid-2021.

The TMR website states this phase will be completed by late 2023, and will include the construction of the shared path, the progress of required service relocations, and other works to support the future delivery of planned upgrades.

The $60.34 million project comprises three projects, which will widen Proserpine - Shute Harbour Road from two to four lanes, build a new shared pathway and upgrade key intersections between Paluma Road and Tropic Road.

While works paused over the past few weeks TMR confirms “road crews were mobilised to progress enabling works between Valley Road and Tropic Road” where traffic lights are due to be installed.

When asked about the much-needed upgrades to the flood-prone Hamilton Plains sole arterial road linking the Bruce Highway to the Greater Airlie Beach Area, TMR stated it was still in the “procurement phase”.

“Progression of the project to construction is subject to the outcomes of the Australian Government’s IIP review,” said the spokesperson.

“Timeframes for award of contract and construction will be determined following the Australian Government’s review.”

With population growth increasing traffic and adding pressure to our local roads, many believe these works to be vitally important, especially as we approach rainy season.

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm has written to the Minister for Transport, Mark Bailey and raised the issue in Parliament.

“We are about to go into a wet season and peak tourism season, and we have half a road left in extremely dangerous conditions that sees over 26,640 traffic movements a day”, Ms Camm stated.

“Regional Queenslanders and our Whitsunday community deserve better”.

As of this Wednesday, roadworks had resumed at the intersection of Paluma and Shute Harbour Road. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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All local servicemen and women are invited to the 100 years commemorations of the Proserpine Returned Services League.

“We have over 65 returned servicemen and women members of our league, from all walks of life, from all different services,” explained League volunteer Brian Dunlop, known more affectionally as ‘Weary’.

The celebrations will begin at the Proserpine Cenotaph with a service, before a lunch at the Proserpine RSL Hall.

“It’ll be a big lunch with all the trimmings, and we’re expecting 60 members and their families.”

Brian asks that all members ring him, on 0427 728 217 to RSVP seats.

“This will be free for members, just let me know you’re coming.”

WHAT: Proserpine RSL 100 Years Commemorations

WHERE: Proserpine Cenotaph and Proserpine RSL

WHEN: Saturday November 11, from 10am

RSVP: RSVP to Brian on 0427 728 217

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Russ Bowden, John Jobson, Brian Dunlop, and Nick Topp. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

The grand final of Young Whitsundays Got Talent took place in front of a crowd of over 400 people last weekend, the young stars performing heartfelt renditions of their favourite songs for an engaging afternoon of live entertainment.

Winners on the day were Gleezus, a band from Bowen who stood out from the rest when they chose to play an original song in the grand final.

In second place was the ever-popular Category 5 and coming in third place was the talented Damon Leary.

A total of seven soloists and seven bands performed on the afternoon and Organiser Paula Hovey said she was impressed by everyone involved.

“Absolutely super proud!” said Paula.

“They’re next level this year and every year they just seem to be getting better and better!”

The winners are being spoilt this year with a $1000 gift voucher thanks to Airlie Beach Music Centre, a $250 cash prize from Lola’s Bar and the opportunity to perform for one hour at Lola’s Bar.

They will also receive a back-stage experience at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music.

Paula said she would like to thank all the youngsters for their participation this year and that she is looking forward to growing the event in 2024 to include battle of the bands and all age groups.

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A total of seven bands and seven soloists performed in the Young Whitsundays Got Talent Grand Final at Northerlies on Sunday. Photo credit: Rachael Smith  

Bowen band Gleezus were crowned winners on the day. Photo supplied

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Nominations are now open for the 2024 Australia Day Awards, through the Whitsunday Regional Council.

And Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall is calling on residents to nominate the special people in their lives for the awards.

“This is your chance to recognise and celebrate the remarkable individuals and groups that make our community a better place,” Mayor Hall said.

“The Australia Day Awards are a tradition that honours outstanding contributions to our community, and it’s your turn to be a part of it.

“Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond to make the Whitsunday Region a more vibrant, inclusive, and caring place to live?

“Whether they’ve demonstrates remarkable leadership, offered a helping hand to those in need, or achieved something extraordinary in their field, we want to hear about them.

“Residents can complete the form online, making it quick and easy to nominate someone special living in our community.”

There are eight categories of awards:

Citizen of the Year (aged 26 and older)

Young Citizen of the Year (aged 16 to 25)

Young Sports Award (aged 16 to 25)

Senior Sports Award (aged 26 and older)

Arts and Culture Award

Environmental Achievement Award

Community Event of the Year

Volunteer of the Year Award (awarded in honour of the late Wally Hinschen)

You can complete the online form at yoursay.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au/, or go to Council’s Customer Service Centre, or print one from the website.

Nominations close Wednesday November 29, at 5pm.

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