Stakeholders from across the region gathered at the Greater Whitsunday Communities’ Housing Summit held in Mackay on Tuesday.

The event was held to address housing issues and develop solutions to issues that were identified at the Greater Whitsunday Housing Roundtable which was held in December last year.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall attended the event and said the Housing Summit was a much-needed collaboration to find solutions to address gaps in our current housing system.

“Collaboration is key to unlocking new housing stock, and this Summit provides opportunities for public-private partnerships to form which will be essential to apply for State and Federal funding in the affordable housing space,” Mayor Hall said.

“While council itself is not an accommodation provider, we understand we have a role to play in supporting new housing supply from a facilitation perspective, applying our planning scheme appropriately, incentivising where appropriate, and potentially allocating land for social and affordable housing development,” she said.

“The problem is complex and multi-faceted with no quick fixes, but the Summit is a starting point, and we will build an action plan with many sub-projects coming out of the Summit, where some actions have a short-term focus, and others position us strategically for the long-term.”

Member for Whitsunday, Amanda Camm MP also attended the event and said she was thrilled to see such united forces come together to support such an important issue in the region.

“I congratulate Greater Whitsunday Communities for hosting the Housing Summit today, which I was pleased attend,” she said.

“To see the breadth and diversity of stakeholders who made valuable contributions to the discussions today, highlights the real impact the housing crisis is having across community, industry and development sectors in the region.”

Ms Camm said that key topics discussed included workforce housing, supply issues and the concern around investor confidence.

“Until this housing issue is addressed, the challenge for all industries will be the challenge of attracting workforce to our region. It is going to take a collaborative, region specific approach to finding a solution,” said Ms Camm.

“The Government must let regional stakeholders drive the response and not just dictate a one size fits all response from Brisbane.”

She calls on the state government to use the $2 billion housing investment fund to help regional communities find solutions to the current housing shortage.

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Gary Warrener – Economic Development Manager, Neil McGaffin – Director Development Services, Cr Michelle Wright, Mayor Julie Hall, CEO Warren Bunker, Cr Jan Clifford, Cr Clay Bauman, Artiqua Harrison – Strategic Planner.

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Domestic Violence

On August 8, a 37-year-old Mackay woman was arrested and charged with two counts of breaching a protection order and one count of common assault in relation to actions she took against a person’s neighbour. She will appear in court.

On August 11 at about 11pm, a 43-year-old Brisbane man was arrested for breaching a protection order and public nuisance offences within a safe night precinct due to his behaviour towards another person.

Grievous Bodily Harm

A 21-year-old Cannonvale man has been arrested for an alleged assault on August 14.

The alleged attack occurred at 3.10am on August 14, when the 21-year-old approached a 23-year-old Bungalow man.

The Bungalow man sustained life threatening injuries and was airlifted to Townsville, where he remains in a serious condition.

The 21-year-old has been charged with grievous bodily harm and appeared in Bowen Magistrates Court earlier this week.

Search Warrant

On August 12, police executed a search warrant on a Cannonvale address.

Police allege they located a large quantity of dangerous drugs including cocaine, amphetamines, ketamine, MDMA, GHB, as well as cannabis and cannabis plants. Police also located a replica handgun.

The 34-year-old male resident was arrested for drug offences and will appear in court.

Car Theft

On the evening of August 12, a white 2004 model Toyota Landcruiser was stolen from a large rural property on the Bruce Highway in Guthalungra.

The registration number for the vehicle is 455 CY6.

Trespass

A 22-year-old Cannonvale man was arrested and charged after entering a unit on Maeva Street property in Jubilee Pocket.

It is alleged the male entered the unit complex at about 3.25am and attempted to open to a door, then entered the unit’s gated courtyard and sat at the outdoor table. He will appear before the Proserpine Magistrates Court.

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With Hamburgers For Homelessness

With National Homelessness Week underway, the Bowen Neighbourhood Centre completed their annual Hamburgers for Homelessness last Thursday.

The annual event sees community members buy a hamburger, with all funds raised going towards supporting homeless people in Bowen.

According to the 2021 Census, nearly one on 200 people in Australia were homeless on Census night, with more than 122,494 people estimated to be homeless.  

Bowen Neighbourhood Centre aims to tackle these statistics locally by hosting this annual event.

On the day, rail freight company Aurizon, kicked off the pre-orders, with a $200 donation for their staff who were hand-delivered these tasty treats.

A total of 302 hamburgers were cooked by the dedicated volunteers on the day.

“That was triple what we’ve ever done before,” explained Stephanie Cora, the Executive Officer of the Bowen Neighbourhood Centre.

“We also had resources and brochures available which included statistic on state homelessness.

“It’s not just low-income earners any more, we’re seeing professionals and middle-income earners too.”

Whitsunday Mayor Julie Hall and Councillor Michelle Wright attended the event and were put to work cutting onions and flipping burgers.  

The event was championed by Lauren Moxham, of Community Connect, who works closely alongside other organisations to tirelessly source permanent and temporary housing for Bowen locals

The Bowen Neighbourhood Centre combats homelessness in a myriad of avenues, by providing services such as hot meals, hot shower, toiletries, emergency and food relief, laundry facilities, and assisting with travel to relocate.

The funds raised from Hamburgers for Homelessness will go towards material aid for people affected by homelessness, and include the purchase of tents, swags, radios, phones, and powerbanks.

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Janelle Casey 18.08.50 – 01.08.23

The Whitsundays have lost one of its most charming and compassionate community members earlier this month when Janelle Casey passed away peacefully surrounded by close friends and her much-loved husband, Phil.

Most well-known as the owner of Flower Hut, Janelle spent 20 years bringing people joy through her exceptional eye for flower design and styling.

During this time, she nurtured a close-knit team of dedicated staff who became like family to her.

Originally from Plimmerton, on the North Island of New Zealand, Janelle trained in traditional floristry at the age of 16.

She first met her husband Phil when they were just 10 years old, but fate led them in separate directions for many years.

“We didn’t meet again until 1989 when she came to my resort to have lunch with her nephew,” reminisces Phil.

“We started talking that day, but it took us about two years to get together.”

Phil said it wasn’t until 1996 that Janelle “finally decided I was worth keeping!” and they were married.

Together, the couple embarked on many adventures, most notably sailing their 44-foot yacht in a regatta with 32 other vessels from New Zealand to Tonga in 1994.

The expedition became infamous when a fluke storm hit the group of yachts, sinking eight.

Fortunately, Janelle and Phil lived to tell the tale and went on to spend time in Fiji and Vanuatu, before sailing to Brisbane and then Hamilton Island where they spent three years running an ice-cream parlour and then a seafood restaurant.

In 2001 they decided to venture over to the mainland where Janelle re-discovered a passion for floristry, infusing a dedication to perfection with creative flair to make incredible floral displays that are her legacy.

During this time, she met Sophie Hodgetts who became like a daughter to her.

“I was very lost at the time and Janelle always knew what you needed” said Sophie who became an apprentice at Flower Hut and worked for Janelle for nine years.

“She had a very big heart, but you had to earn her trust, respect and friendship.

“She was like my Miranda Presley from Devil Wears Prada – always telling us to stand up straight, present ourselves properly as we were a reflection of her.”

Phil also recalls Janelle’s dedication to presentation – “she was always a lady and liked to do everything properly,” he said.

Janelle is survived by “wonderful friends that looked after her to the end”, her much-loved husband, her two step-sons, two nephews and nieces and her sister.

Friends will be informed of a date for the memorial service next month.

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Whitsunday Regional Council will see an internal restructure in the coming months, with more streamlined strategic planning for the region its goal.

This organisational restructure will see a separation between operations and strategy, to better focus and strengthen the delivery of services and future planning.

Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Warren Bunker, said the new structure is designed to allow each Directorate to streamline their focus.

“Making it easier to provide effective and efficient services as well as having dedicated resources for longer term strategic projects that will provide for our communities into the future,” Mr Bunker said.

One new department will encompass Council’s businesses, including Whitsunday Coast Airport, Shute Harbour Marine Terminal and Foxdale Quarry, as well as holiday parks, smaller airports, and aerodromes.

This unit is titled Commercial Businesses.

The second new department will oversee Council’s capital works plan, major projects, masterplans and networking planning, and is titled Capital Program and Network Planning.

This is not to be confused with Infrastructure Services Directorate, which will continue to maintain gardens, parks, drainage, transport and waster and water services.  

Mr Bunker said while there will be two Directors to head the newly created business units, they remain within the approved staff budget adopted on 30 June 2023.

Council will also change names of three units.

Development Services Directorate will become Regional Strategy and Planning; Community Services Directorate will become Community Services and Facilitation, and Manager of Human Resources will become Manager of People and Culture.

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Whitsunday Regional Council CEO Warren Bunker outlines new structure of Whitsunday Council. Photo supplied

A group of Collinsville State High School students have just experienced an exciting and educational two-day future-focussed workshop delivered by the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).

The event deep dived into renewable energy, offering students insights into the subject and practical tasks to put their new knowledge to the test.

About 60 students from the Year 7 and 8 cohort participated in the action-packed Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) initiative which offered an unparalleled educational experience exploring the fundamentals of renewable energy.

Day one saw the Year 7 students explore how solar energy is used to power hydrogen cars in the ‘Energy: The Inside Story’ workshop.

“Students discovered the fundamentals of using solar energy to power a reversible fuel cell,” explained (QRC) Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee.

Year 8 students were then tasked with identifying the optimal configuration of wind turbines for different wind conditions and Collinsville State High School Principal, Anna Reeves, said it was a very informative workshop.

All students were given model-scale wind turbines to construct themselves and invited to explore three different fan blade options by applying critical thinking and trial and error to determine how surface area and angle affects the efficiency of wind turbines.

“This helped them make insightful connections between their science curriculum and real-world applications and introduced them to the critical role renewable energy will play in a sustainable future, and how individuals can shape tangible outcomes,” Mrs Reeves said.  

The event was sponsored by Ark Energy who are the driving force behind an initiative to turn 180,000 acres of grazing property near Collinsville into a multi-purpose site that will create 3,000 megawatts of wind and solar renewable energy.

It is estimated that the project will generate at least $1 billion of economic activity in the region and more than 350 jobs during construction.

As a financial sponsor of the local school’s renewable energy workshop last week, Ark Energy are hopeful to have inspired the next generation of scientists who may one-day benefit even further by enjoying a long career in the sector.

All tasks completed during the event centred around science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), and Senior Development Manager Ark Energy’s Collinsville Green Energy Hub, Ms Trina Jensen said students enjoyed the interactive sessions.

“Working collaboratively, they looked at energy generation, distribution and planning as they use diced and problem-solving to create their own unique Energy Plan for 2050, based on real-world challenges and opportunities,” Ms Jensen said.  

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to use exciting game theory to gain a comprehensive understanding of Queensland and Australia’s energy market, analysing dynamic aspects such renewable energy targets, peak demand forecasts and energy contracts.”

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Collinsville State High School students loved the two-day renewable energy workshop. Photo supplied

Students experimented with different blades to see which turbine performed best. Photo supplied

Hands-on experiments allowed students to experience the inner workings of solar panel technology. Photo supplied

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This year, for the first time, the Whitsunday Tourism Awards will be introducing two new region-specific categories into the mix.

This follows the recent announcement that the Bowen Best Business Award and Collinsville Business of the Year Award will be featuring in the upcoming 2023 event which is due to be held at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre in October.

Backed by sponsorship from Bowen Tourism and Business, these awards celebrate businesses that are not necessarily tourism related but interact with the tourism industry.

Chair of Bowen Tourism and Business, Jenn Honnery, said the organisation was proud to sponsor the business awards as part of the Whitsunday Tourism Whitsundays awards this year.

“We have more than 200 members and many of those are non-tourism businesses,” she said.

“We believe that tourism is everybody’s business.”

Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy said this was about including all types of businesses.

“We encourage all Bowen and Collinsville businesses to nominate for these awards, even if the business is not directly involved with the tourism industry,” she said.

“Some of our visitors come to Bowen for the entire winter every year. They get their haircut, go out for dinner, buy new clothes, get their car serviced, their caravan fixed, and their pet groomed.

“The businesses providing these goods and services are complimenting the tourism industry.”

Rick Hamilton, CEO of Tourism Whitsundays said the Whitsunday Tourism Awards shine a light on the whole region.

“The addition of a Bowen, Collinsville and Proserpine Business of the Year Award presents a remarkable opportunity for all businesses in these townships to be spotlighted at the region’s biggest awards night.”

Submissions for these categories close August 21, so Bowen and Collinsville businesses are urged to put their applications in soon.

The link for the submissions can be found on the Bowen Tourism and Business Facebook page.

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Bowen Tourism and Business wins big at the 2022 Whitsunday Tourism awards, and the team encourage all businesses to apply. Photo supplied

As we head into mid-August, preparations are well underway for the much-awaited Cape Edgecumbe Walking Trail upgrades which are due to commence shortly.

The first stage of the upgrade will start at Murray Bay Road and stretch to Rose Bay Lions Lookout and Mother Beddock Rock. These initial works are set to take place between the 4th of September and early October.

The second phase is due to commence on the 2nd of October at the Horseshoe Bay end of the trail, and is estimated to be completed by late November.

The Cape Edgecumbe Trail is walked by many locals and tourists alike, and for this reason it is imperative that we set the time aside to upgrade the weathered sections to restore safe access for all.

Works will include repairing the eroded sections, adding new drainage, handrails and wayfinding signage, and the replacement of damaged steps with pre-cast concrete steps. We will also be widening the track to a minimum of 1.2m, with short sections widened to 2m to allow resting places and passing points.

The project has been funded by the Commonwealth Governments Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.  Further stages will be completed as grant funding becomes available.

I am so excited to see what the new tracks will look like, and I can’t wait to get back out there again and enjoy the unique scenery and viewpoints that Bowen has to offer.

In other news, last week Council approved a sponsorship of $25K of in-kind support to assist the Don River Dash.

This prestigious and one-of-a-kind event has exploded in size and popularity since its homegrown roots in 2019. Starting with only 90 competitors and 100 spectators in its inaugural year, this year the Don River Dash has 400 open competitor entries and is expected to draw crowds of over 5000 people!

This event not only attracts bike and motor enthusiasts; having gained Destination Queensland and Tourism Events Queensland recognition, the Don River Dash also puts Bowen and the Whitsundays on the map for all to see.

We are so happy to be able to provide assistance to these types of events to ensure that world class experiences like these can continue to take place in our very own back yard.

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With Bec Timmins

Hi, I’m Bec, the Tourism Whitsundays Member Services Coordinator.

My role is to help you get the most out of your membership with Tourism Whitsundays.  

Did you know that Tourism Whitsundays has four levels of membership for businesses to ensure no one misses out on an opportunity to be involved?

You can find our membership prospectus at tourismwhitsundays.com.au/members-centre.

By joining Tourism Whitsundays, you have access to our monthly networking nights, marketing opportunities domestically and internationally.

You will also have support and advice from our team in all areas of marketing and PR, your brochures displayed in the Visitor Information Centre in Proserpine and the opportunity to load your product on our website which receives over one million unique visits each year.

There are many more benefits, but I find these are the most used out of all the ones we offer.

The other benefit is your eligibility to enter the annual Whitsundays Tourism Awards, open only to our members, the awards process gives you valuable insight into your business and the many components it takes to successfully build a tourism business.

Each week I’m on the road visiting members and businesses who would like to become members.

If you would like to discuss membership opportunities, please email me on membership@tourismwhitsundays.com.au

Caption: Bec Timmins (centre in blue) with members at a recent Tourism Whitsundays networking night. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

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The local community is assured that new social housing will be delivered to the region thanks to the Quick Start Fund which will facilitate commencement of 100 new builds in the area before 2025.

Two projects are already underway in the region, one being recently completed on Livingstone Street in Bowen, supplying four one-bedroom houses for people living with disabilities.

A second project at 185 Shute Harbour Road in Cannonvale will deliver two, two-storey buildings and a total of 12 new social housing units to the area.

Construction of this $5.5 million complex commenced in April this year and is due to be complete by March 2024.

Six of the dwellings are accessible with four of the units designed to Gold Level, including features such as level thresholds, wider doorways and hallways, and provision for grab rails, making them suitable for people with varying levels of mobility.

Two of the units designed to Platinum Level include additional features and clearance spaces, making them particularly suitable for people who mobilise in wheelchairs.

The houses are centrally located two minutes from the shopping centre, doctor’s surgery, and local state school.

Fergus Builders have been contracted to the build and have so far employed 76 local people, a figure that is expected to double when other local trades join the final stages of construction.

Housing Minister, Meaghan Scanlon, took a tour of the site on Tuesday and reassured the community more housing is on the way.

“Queensland can expect more social housing,” she said.

“We need to pull every lever that is available to us - building more homes, rental subsidies, and scaling up supply - we are looking at every option to scale up supply which is why we are working with Council’s to unlock more.”

Earlier that morning, Ms Scanlon attended the opening of the Housing Summit held in Mackay and she said she was pleased to hear from local stakeholders firsthand.

“Supply is the key area right across country and state,” she said.

This year there are 183 applications on the social housing register for the Whitsunday Local Government Area.

Between 1 July 2022 and 30 April 2023, the Mackay Housing Service Centre has provided 367 bond loans and 147 rental grants to help people secure a rental home in the private rental market.

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Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon, at the site of the $5.5 million social housing complex in Cannonvale. Photo credit: Rachael Smith.

Ms Scanlon discussed time frame and logistics with a representative from Fergus Builders. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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PRD Annual Property Research Night

The second annual PRD Annual Property Research Night was a huge success, with PRD’s Chief Economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo, more affectionately known as Dr Asti, speaking about the Royal Bank of Australia and local property predictions.

With almost 70 people in attendance, the second annual PRD Property Research Night was well received with attendees feeling both inspired and reassured by Dr Asti’s comments and predictions.

“We are passionate about where we live in the Whitsundays and about bringing the information that matters to us, which is why we put this night on,” said Annette Neil, CEO of PRD Whitsunday.

Dr Asti is uniquely positioned to be able to talk about the RBA and economic trends, being a PRD Chief Economist and an RBA Liaison Partner, meaning she represents housing and property when meeting with the RBA every quarter.

Covering everything from inflation and cash rate forecast to a Whitsunday region property market review, Dr Asti communicated a resilient and undeterred economy, predicting that inflation will steadily decrease over the next year.

“We covered what is expected for the cash rate, especially the next three to six months, where the RBA is going to take us,” explained Dr Asti.

“How that’s going to impact a lot of people’s mortgages, their household budgets, and how all this has a multiplier effect on the real estate market.”

The evening also discussed property investment, geared towards owner occupiers and investors.

Dr Asti said that six months ago, the push was for first home buyers, but that has shifted towards investors, to ease the rental crisis.

“A lot more people are now being more inquisitive about properties, what are the comparables, how long has it been on the market, because this is the biggest purchase they may ever make,” she said.

“It’s no wonder people are being more inquisitive and wanting to make sure that they have the right information and as much information as possible.”

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PRD’s Chief Economist Dr Diaswati Mardiaso and Annette Neil, CEO of PRD Whitsunday. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

From the modest stages of Mackay pubs to national television, Bella Mackenzie is well on her way to stardom.

The local country music star featured on The Voice Australia’s Blind Auditions on Tuesday night, turning heads and chairs with her angelic cover of Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero.

Bella performed in front of a vocal crowd and four star coaches, Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Jason Derulo and Rita Ora, with all four pressing the big red button to express their interest in mentoring her throughout the show.

The 18-year-old chose to join Guy Sebastian’s team and will move into the Battle Round in coming weeks.

Putting Country Music On The Map

Bella Mackenzie grew up in north Queensland listening to country music and is on a mission to be the genre’s next big star.

From playing local pubs and festivals to starring on The Voice Australia, she’s become a national overnight sensation.

“For as long as I can remember when I was growing up in Moranbah and Mackay, all I ever dreamt of was going on The Voice Australia to sing,” she said ahead of her performance, which aired on Channel 7 earlier in the week.

“My ultimate dream for my music career is to be a huge powerhouse, sell out stadiums, just being the next kickass country female artist.

“It’s important for me to be able to go out and show that country music’s still alive and well.”

Putting a country spin on a current pop hit, Bella garnered the attention of all four coaches, ultimately selecting Guy Sebastian as her mentor.

“There was so much feel in the way you were singing; so much musicality in the things you were doing,” Guy told Bella after her performance.

“I think you’re great, I really do.”

Bella took to Facebook to thank her loyal and local fans.

“Thanks to you guys for listening to me sing all those years in my little town because now I can tell you, I’m doing it!” she said.

“I don’t want to be the next Taylor Swift; I want to be the first Bella Mackenzie.”

Follow Bella Mackenzie on Facebook to follow her journey and find out when her next performance will air.

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Photo credit: Channel 7

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In a move that promises to infuse new vitality into its operations, Regional Development Australia Greater Whitsundays (RDA GW) is unveiling a trio of dynamic individuals who are set to reshape its committee landscape. Chairperson Jeff Stewart-Harris is excited to introduce three remarkable additions to the team, marking a shift towards innovation and diversity.

Mr. Stewart-Harris announced the outcome of an extensive and meticulous recruitment process that culminated in the selection of these experienced individuals. These new members bring a diverse range of experience and expertise to the committee including cane farming, higher education, and First Australians advocacy.

The RDA GW's decision to open its doors to new committee members resulted in a flood of applications.

“There was a limitation on total numbers of committee members able to join RDA GW, and I wish to thank those that applied and were unsuccessful,” Mr Stewart-Harris said.

“The final selection process was an extremely challenging one, given the exceptional capabilities of all those that applied,” he said.

“The addition of these three successful individuals further strengthens RDA GW’s commitment to a diverse and skills-based team of regional leaders, who are passionate about developing innovative solutions to support and grow the region.

“Along with my fellow committee members, we welcome the new members to the RDA GW committee.”

The new committee members include Paul Schembri, Irene Leard and Rob Brown.

Paul Schembri has been an active canegrower in the Mackay region for forty-eight years, and is a former Chairman of CANEGROWERS from regional level to national, bringing extensive experience in industry development to the RDA GW committee.

“Regions are the engine room of the Australian economy,” Mr Schembri said.

“Our economic and social well being requires leadership, and I joined the RDA GW committee to help ensure we live in an economically and socially vibrant region.”

Irene Leard is the General Manager of Jangga Operations, a Traditional Owner organisation and Cultural Heritage Registered Body, as well as an advocate for First Australians – to help ensure we all have the same opportunities.

Ms Leard said she is “passionate about ensuring that First Australians have a voice around the table when we discuss our region’s economic development opportunities”.

“I believe in a holistic view of regional development, where economic and social growth are equally important.”

Professor Rob Brown is the Associate Vice-President for North Queensland, based at CQUniversity in Mackay, and the BMA Chair in Automation and Future Work Skills.

Rob has an extensive career in education, developing curriculums, working in senior management and executive levels in universities across three Australian states.

“I am a career-long educator, and believe education, skills and training will continue to be at the foundation of the ongoing prosperity and social cohesion of this wonderful Greater Whitsunday region,” Professor Brown said.

Each new committee member brings a wealth of experience and expertise in business, industry, and community involvement. Their induction marks an exciting chapter for RDA GW and the future of the Greater Whitsundays region.

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Paul Schembri

Irene Leard

Rob Brown

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A local policeman has gone out of his way to assist an elderly couple with a simple and selfless gesture.

A Facebook post on Mackay Noticeboard from Let the Children Play Toyshop shared the “lovely story my parents want to share”.

The poster’s elderly mother was bringing groceries in from her car one bag at a time, leaving the door open as she did so.

“Coming back from the kitchen she heard Dad, who couldn’t help as he is not mobile, say ‘here comes a policeman,’” the post read.

“There certainly was a policeman.

“He was carrying the rest of her groceries and just took them through to the kitchen.

“He just smiled and didn’t say anything.

“When she found her voice to say ‘thank you’ he just said ‘my pleasure’ and went back to his car and drove off.”

The policeman was parked across the street and is believed to have seen the elderly woman unloading her car as he was driving past, stopping to assist.

“It was a lovely gesture and meant a lot to them,” the post continued.

“Thank you, sir, whoever you were, you made my Mum feel very special and really helped out.  

“Small gestures make a difference.”

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More than a decade ago, as I embarked on my journey in journalism, I was granted the privilege of encountering the living remnants of a bygone era – World War II veterans. Their tales were whispered reminders that we must seize fleeting moments, for the faces that hold such stories won't grace our presence forever. These words, once fleeting themselves, now reverberate with an urgency I never fully understood until today.

Time marches on, and as it does, the ranks of those who bore witness to history's most trying moments thin. The veterans of World War II, those brave souls who endured the unimaginable on the battlefield, many now linger in our memories. It's a poignant realisation – the stark truth that the lessons of their lived experiences, their untold horrors and steadfast courage, are a dwindling treasure trove.

Last week, I stood at the Vietnam Veterans Vigil, a gathering of remembrance for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for Australia and Mackay. It reignited the resolve to ensure that the stories of these men and women, who have shouldered the weight of our shared history, will never fade into oblivion. The Vietnam conflict was unique in its uncensored portrayal through television, which meant for the returning soldiers, their ordeal continued as they navigated the tumultuous waters of violent protests and societal backlash.

For many, the scars were more than skin deep; the mental toll an unspoken burden carried silently. Conscription led countless brave individuals to the battlefield, where they shouldered the weight of duty, camaraderie, and, for some, the ultimate sacrifice. To think that for some, the nation they served could turn its back is a bitter irony that history must confront.

As 50 years have passed since Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, a new opportunity arises for these heroes to shed the shackles of silence. Their stories, the ones they once held within, have the power to shape the future. I hope they can now trust us to listen to and share their stories.

Amanda

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