Two Men Winched To Safety, One Man Sadly Lost

A massive sea rescue search mission involving multiple aircraft and on-water vessels was conducted to find survivors of a boating tragedy which occurred last Thursday evening.

Three men, two of whom were brothers, were left clinging to their seven-metre Goodwin Longboard 150 kilometres out to sea after a large wave hit and overturned their boat.

One man was winched to safety at 6am Friday morning, a second was brought aboard a VMR vessel at 11am that morning and a third man remains missing.

Police announced on Monday that, despite best efforts, they have now sadly suspended the search.

A Cruel Fate At Creal Reef

When three men departed Mackay Marina on Tuesday last week, they had no idea that tragedy would strike and only two of them would be returning home.

The trio had been fishing recreationally 150 kilometres offshore near Creal Reef, 85 nautical miles from Mackay, when their boat overturned.

One survivor later reported that a large wave caused the vessel to capsize.

They managed to activate their emergency locator at 8.10pm on Thursday evening and the signal was sent directly to Canberra where a central office deployed the emergency services.

Within hours the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter had made the long journey to the remote location, homing in on the destress beacon.

The aircraft spotlight and Night Vision Goggles were used to locate one survivor who was spotted clinging to the hull of the upturned boat at around midnight.

Despite best efforts, however, the helicopter had to return to base without the man, a mechanical issue and low-fuel were cited as the reasons it was unable to winch him to safety.

Volunteer Marine Rescue was immediately deployed to retrieve him, but it took several hours to reach the site, meaning the man had to endure a long and terrifying night at sea.

Search efforts resumed just before dawn and within five minutes an RACQ CQ Rescue pilot spotted a naked man floating near the reef.

He was winched to safety and taken to Mackay Base Hospital suffering exposure, dehydration and hypothermia.

It was then confirmed that he was the same person located by the chopper the previous evening.

The survivor, who was the 43-year-old friend, reported that the brothers had tied themselves to a blue esky but had somehow become separated over the night.

Fortunately, at 11.10am that morning a second man was spotted by a Volunteer Marine Rescue boat, and he was soon winched from the vessel by a Townsville helicopter Rescue 500 and transported to Townsville Hospital.

He was the older brother of the 41-year-old Mackay man who remains missing and is now feared lost.

Search efforts continued for four days, despite Inspector Andrew Godbold saying that it was unlikely for any individual to survive more than two days at sea.

He said it was a challenging search that was hampered by the remote location of the incident.

“By the time we get boats and planes out there to search they have to turn around again,” said Inspector Godbold.

“The search area was very large.”

Up to 15 emergency vessels ranging from boats, helicopters and planes were combing a 200-kilometre radius and by Monday lunchtime the search was sadly suspended after a gruelling 80-hour search.

The missing man, a 41-year-old Grasstree Beach resident, is called Scott Jasperse.

Our thoughts are with his family, and his brother and their friend as they recover from their injuries.

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One of the survivors was winched to safety, rescuers saying the shallow reef prevented him from drifting too far from the search scene. Photo supplied by RACQ CQ Rescue

The youngest of two brothers onboard, 41-year-old Scott Jasperse, remains lost at sea. Photo: Facebook

Search efforts miraculously managed to save two of the three men. Photo credit: RACQ CQ Rescue

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Good Deed Feed

A local, independent, community driven not-for-profit charity received some charity of its own to help continue it’s work supporting public hospitals in the region.

Mackay Hospital Foundation was the benefactor of a few choice gifts last Friday when two local girls dropped off donations to the organisation’s Children’s and Adolescent Unit.

Madison and Brooke, two “beautiful young ladies”, came in last Friday to donate books and toys to the Foundation, which aims to enhance the hospital experience and help improve the health outcomes for people in the Mackay Hospital and Health Service region.

The donations will help the Foundation fulfill its role of “filling the gap,” providing those extras that will help patients to receive the finest health care possible and support hospital staff.

A Mackay Hospital Foundation spokesperson said Madison knew how important and humanising small donations like this can be.

“[She] had spent a month in the Children’s Ward before Christmas so she knows first-hand the difference toys and books make while being in the hospital when you are sick,” the spokesperson said.

“Thank you girls for your generous donation, it will definitely put some smiles on children’s faces.”

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Two Mackay girls donated books and toys to a local charity last week

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Hi readers.

This week, I’m going to share my thoughts on a movie. It’s been an age since I last wrote a movie review. I had a shitty high school blog with a mate on which we would write little reviews of movies and music, so I’ve had plenty of practise, but I’d like to think my tastes have evolved since giving Transformers 7/10.

Earlier in the week, I went to BCC Mount Pleasant and saw Suzume, a Japanese animated adventure film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, known for Your Name and Weathering with You. It was a pretty spontaneous decision to head to the cinema inspired by a sponsored Facebook post. I love the experience of going to the movies alone and should do it more often – you should too.

Suzume follows the titular character, a 17-year-old high school student, as she encounters and befriends a young man and, together, they travel around Japan, preventing disaster after disaster as two of few people who can see it coming. It’s obviously a lot more nuanced than that, and I won’t pretend I understood the plot 100% of the time, but being a fantastical adventure through abandoned Japan, there was a lot going on.

My biggest takeaway from Suzume was how much of a treat it was on the eyes and the ears. It’s a visually dazzling movie, with colours and actions exploding out of the screen. Movements from grass blowing in the wind to an animate chair running through the streets of Tokyo are so perfectly created. And the soundtrack, by Japanese rock band and frequent Shinkai collaborator Radwimps, is an epic accompaniment. I’m excited to explore their repertoire.

It's an action-packed adventure with shades of coming-of-age, packaging heavy themes of loss and grief into an exciting, positive, and hopeful PG-rated kids flick. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, why not head to the movies?

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Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, is frustrated with what he’s calling the Federal Government’s “brand-new attack on ten million low and middle-income earners in Australia”.

The Member said the Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ decision to cut the former government’s 2019 Low- and Middle-Income Tax Offset (LMITO) from the 2023 May Budget, is a “tax on ‘Aussie Battlers’.”

The LMITO was originally designed as a one-off payment but was extended through the pandemic by the former Coalition Government.

“I’m appalled at the Albanese Labor Government, who have demonstrated how out of touch they are with everyday Australians by this decision,” Mr Willcox said.

“People in Dawson aren’t any better off since they were in the pandemic, yet Labor think it’s time to put the pressure back on low and middle-income earners.”

“In the last ten months, everyday Australians have faced the biggest cost of living crisis in decades.”

The offsets removal is one of the country’s largest tax increases in history and will leave people earning under $126,000 a year with $1,500 less in their pockets.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said that the Federal Government’s work in its first budget had been that of “budget repair”, after the free spending of the previous government – it was more about repairing the public finances.

The backdrop for the revised forecasts and policy deliberations was “natural disasters, a deteriorating global economy, rising inflation and persistent structural pressures on the budget,” Mr Chalmers said.

But Dawson’s MP was unconvinced and said that the new “Battler Tax” won’t solve issues, it will just hurt his constituents, leaving them significantly more hard done by at the end of the next financial year – it’s the “equivalent to two interest rate rises at the same time.”

“Labor used to be for the worker, now they want to tax them to oblivion,” he said.

“I will be standing by the people of Dawson, and strongly opposing this tax.”

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Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox says the removal of the low and middle income tax offset is a “tax on ‘Aussie Battlers’”

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“Great Result For Mackay”

A statewide wanding blitz saw police search over 450 people for weapons over the weekend in a nation-leading strategy to detect weapons and combat knife crime across Queensland.

Here in Mackay police conducted 14 wandings, with no weapons detected.

Police Inspector Godbold said that he was pleased with the results.

“It was a great result for Mackay,” he said.

“We didn’t detect any knives or other weapons.”

Wanding is the term given to a non-invasive bodily weapons inspection that is conducted by a metal detecting ‘wand’ which is passed over someone’s clothing.

It takes about one minute to conduct the search and soon all officers will be trained in the process that is helping stop knife crime in its tracks.

Last month Queensland Parliament passed legislation that allows officers to conduct wand operations in all Safe Night Precincts and on public trains, trams, buses, and ferries and at public transport hubs.

This new legislation has been named Jack’s Law and came about following powerful advocacy of Brett and Belinda Beasley who lost their 17-year-old son, Jack, in a tragic stabbing incident on the Gold Coast in 2019.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler paid tribute to the family.

“Despite their grief in the face of their senseless loss, Brett and Belinda have been unwavering in their voice for change, ensuring the legacy of their son lives on,” he said.

“As a father and a police officer, my heart goes out to them, and I thank them for their invaluable efforts both in running the Jack Beasley Foundation and it’s important education initiatives and in seeing Jack’s Law become legislation.”

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Jack’s Law is helping to stop knife crime in its tracks. Photo: Queensland Police

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A skydiving instructor was critically injured after impacting heavily with the ground at Laguna Quays Resort near Midge Point on April 16 and has now been flown to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Douglas Ball, a 52-year-old skydiving instructor was diving with a group according to police when he “had something go wrong.”

Mackay Police Inspector Andrew Godbold said Mr Ball was solo diving with a group when the incident occurred during his descent.

“We understand his chute did deploy, it is just that he has impacted the ground fairly hard,” Inspector Godbold said.

Mr Godbold confirmed Mr Ball was skydiving solo rather than in a tandem drop when he suffered a “hard landing” at the site north of Mackay.

Queensland Health tasked the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter with attending the scene of the incident, which occurred on Sunday at roughly 11.30am.

The group of skydivers with Mr Ball immediately called emergency services, according to Inspector Godbold.

A skydiving service has yet to be associated with the incident, with Laguna Quays Resort regularly used as a “drop zone” for skydivers in Airlie Beach.

Inspector Godbold said Mr Ball is local to the area.

A spokesperson for the Central Queensland Rescue Helicopter Service said the patient is at Mackay Base Hospital with critical injuries and said it was “a horror skydiving incident.”

“Please send your strength to those involved in the incident and the families,” the spokesperson said.

The helicopter crew rushed the 52-year-old to Mackay Base Hospital, arriving at roughly 2.10pm to be met by doctors on the helipad. He has since been flown to Brisbane in critical condition.

Further details are yet to be released.

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The RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopter flew 52-year-old Douglas Ball to Mackay Base Hospital after he “had something go wrong” while skydiving near Midge Point and impacted with the ground.

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Orange Sky Mackay is responding to increased demand for their services by adding another evening shift to their roster.

With the assistance of another community minded organisation, Team Global Express (TGE), providing a fortnightly barbecue, Orange Sky will welcome friends on every second Wednesday night, starting on Wednesday, April 26.

The laundry shift will operate from 5:30 to 7:30pm with the TGE firing up the barbecue.  

“We are seeing an increased demand for our services over the past 12-15 months,” said Orange Sky Mackay Service Leader Lisa Jamieson.

“Eight months ago, we added a brekky shift that is supported by the Phoenix Place team, and now we are looking to add another evening shift to our roster to try and cope with the demand and help more people out.

“Thanks to our team of wonderful Orange Sky volunteers that are joining this new shift, so our washers and dryers are spinning around.  

“Our service provides free access to laundry machines for those needing them, along with the opportunity to sit down and have a chat in a supportive environment.”

If you are interested in joining the team, head down to the Mackay service at Juliet Street and have a chat with the team or you can come and have a chat at the volunteer expo on Sunday, May 7.

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Public concern for the future of Mackay Base Hospital’s maternity services mounted this week following reports that the ward could be going into bypass causing patients to be referred to the nearest alternative hospital.

Acting Chief Executive Dr Charles Pain was quick to deny these claims, stating that “Mackay Base Hospital has never been on bypass for maternity services and is not at risk of going on bypass”.

“I would like to provide some reassurance to the community about the safety and sustainability of maternity services at Mackay Base Hospital,” he said.

“We were able to cover a period of emergent leave last year with our team of dedicated obstetricians/gynaecologists and locum support.

“Maternity staffing at Mackay Base Hospital has improved considerably since this time last year with two new highly qualified and experienced consultants appointed.”

There are now five on-site consultants working at the ward and Dr Pain said that by June this will rise to six with a seventh coming onboard in September.

“This improvement in staffing ensures that we are a more sustainable service with reduced reliance on locum support,” he explains.

Mackay Base Hospital Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward has been under significant scrutiny since a damning report was released by Queensland Health last October.

The report gave evidence of ‘inadequate care’ that resulted in lifelong physical and mental harm, including 21 cases of bladder, urethra and bowel injuries received by maternity and gynaecological patients within a year.

Three babies also lost their lives due to alleged negligence.

The evidence presented from almost 170 cases resulted in two dozen women, including three mothers who had each lost a child, to be offered compensation.

Several staff members were dismissed, and the entire Board was sacked.

Since then, the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward has been recovering from the damning revelations and working to regain its good name.

Staffing shortages throughout Queensland Health, however, have created a new set of challenges with Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli saying that the entire state is experiencing a “maternity crisis”.

He believes the employment of locum staff is not the best way to run hospital services and was disappointed to see other hospitals “close to bypass” last year.

Gladstone Hospital went into bypass for a month last July and both Gympie and Mackay were close to doing the same.

With new consultants filling the gaps at Mackay Base Hospital, however, it is now hopeful that our local maternity wards will gain strength and credibility over the coming year.

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Mountain bikers, rejoice.

Three contracts have been awarded for the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike project, with a total value in excess of $6.25 million, to complete stage one of the project.

The approved plans for the major development include 26 trails, a 100-kilometre network of mountain bike trails that navigate Eungella and Sky Window to Finch Hatton, with a 36-kilometre trail to connect Sky Window, Broken River, and Finch Hatton.

A potential trail has been proposed for the northern side of Cattle Creek has been sidelined at this stage.

The Finch Hatton development will provide facilities for the community, including carparks, bathrooms, signage, and event hosting capabilities, with the trails being designed of various difficulty levels, from beginner and family friendly, intermediate, shuttle-accessible gravity trails, and extended experienced tracks.

“These three contracts will bring the Finch Hatton trailhead, and the first of associated trails, to life,” Mayor Greg Williamson said.

This is a significant move, with two of the three contracts being awarded to Mackay local companies.

The first contract, awarded World Trail, is worth $2 million, and encompasses the design and construction of 16 trails, of 13.5 kilometres and a provisional sum for a six-month maintenance program.

The largest contract, with the value of more than $3.8 million, was awarded to Mackay company JMac Constructions, with another, worth $395,583, tendered to local TKK Service, trading as Bike Track Australia, for the pump track.

Specialising in landscape and building construction, JMac Construction has been previously completed various rejuvenation projects throughout North Queensland, including the Heatley Park upgrade in Townsville, and Cone Street Park, Mackay.

“JMac Constructions will provide the landscape construction of the trail’s entry statements, picnic shelters, amenity blocks, car parks and open recreational space at the trail head providing connections to the mountain bike trails and the township,” said a JMac Constructions spokesperson.

“JMac will endeavour to source as much labour, plant and materials from the Finch Hatton and greater Mackay region to support the local community,” the spokesperson confirmed.

Once complete, the Mountain Bike Park is estimated to generate an additional $18 million is economic revenue, another 110 permanent positions, and send an increase of 31,000 visitors to the region.

“Excitement is building and that will only be heightened with tenders awarded for stage one and the start of construction is upon us,” Mayor Williamson said.

“There has been a huge amount of community consultation done, especially with the Finch Hatton and Eungella communities, throughout planning for this project.”

“Onsite work is due to commence from approximately mid-June 2023,” JMac spokesperson said.

“[We are] not anticipating any significant disruptions to local businesses and residents, and we will work closely with the Mackay Council and locals to minimise construction impacts where possible.”

Estimated in 2020 to be costing $27 million, the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike Park will be to international standards to host world-class events once complete.

Stage one will begin mid-June 2023 with JMac’s earth works and set to be completed by October of this year, weather permitting.

A potential trail has been proposed for the northern side of Cattle Creek has been sidelined at this stage.

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Finch Hatton Trailhead to undergo major updates. Photos supplied

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Holy Spirit College, a Catholic co-educational College for Years 7 to 12, welcomes you to their Year 7 in 2024 Information Evening on Thursday 27 April, 5:30pm – 7:30pm. As you learn about the College, there will be family fun activities and a free sausage sizzle.

With over 25 years in the Mackay community, Holy Spirit College continues to welcome all types of learners as they are nurtured and given every opportunity to develop their God-given gifts. Skilled and professional staff offer a quality education and extra-curricular opportunities in the areas of sport, culture, service, STEM and academic development.

Mrs Alison Wales, Principal, said “The College strives to achieve a sense of positive community for all, laying the foundation for a successful and fulfilling future for students. Year 7 students are welcomed into Holy Spirit College with experiences designed to make their transition into high school a positive, supportive, and enjoyable occasion.”

Enrol now for Year 7 in 2024 at www.hsc.qld.edu.au/enrolments - numbers are limited and Year 7 in 2024 enrolment applications close on Monday, 8 May 2023.

Explore the College at our Year 7 in 2024 Information Evening on Thursday 27 April at 5:30pm. Pre- Register your attendance here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1029908

For more information, go to www.hsc.qld.edu.au, call 4994 8600 or email enrolments@hsc.qld.edu.au. In One Spirit... we welcome, we nurture, we excel.

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“Very Good Fingerprints Have Been Taken”

A scene of chaos and devastation greeted the volunteers at All Abilities non-for-profit organisation when they entered their Casey Avenue address on Monday morning.

They discovered that thieves had “gone through every drawer in the building and emptied out every cupboard” in a destructive rampage which left the usually bustling community centre covered in shattered class and ruined.

Doors to the locked office were pried open, computers, laptops and office equipment stolen.

The central play area for children was a war scene, TVs pulled down from the walls, their wires ripped out and screens jumped upon.

Video games were ripped from their boxes and strewn across the floor.

The outside hose was left running and the fridge door left open in an ultimate act of defiance and destruction.

When asked what she suspected the thieves’ motives were, President of All Abilities Elsa van den Heever, said that they noticed every first aid kit in the building had been opened like they were looking for something – perhaps needles.

The one consolation from the devastation was that the thieves had been amateur enough to leave good quality fingerprints everywhere and blood from the shattered glass was able to give police excellent samples with which to track down the perpetrators.

“The police said we were very good at preserving the evidence,” said Elsa.

“They were very happy with the blood samples and said that very good fingerprints had been taken.”

All Abilities is a charity organisation which provides people of every ability, a safe place to play, relax and connect.

Elsa and her team had spent months reviving the service, cleaning it up and creating new programs, so this recent event has hit an even harder blow.

For the past two weeks they had been holding a school holiday Messy Playdate program and they also coordinate weekly wheelchair dancing classes.

Now, instead of planning a series of term-time activities for children, they are removing shattered glass from play equipment.

Elsa said, however, that they are determined to carry on.

“We would like to thank the police for doing such a good job and all the community for their well wishes,” she said.

“We are not going to let this incident stand in our way and will make every effort to move forward.”

The organisation is funded on donations, and they are currently hoping to raise money to pay for security cameras and an alarm.

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Thieves went “through every drawer in the building and emptied out every cupboard” at All Abilities charity organisation. Photos supplied

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Unmarked burial plots in Mackay have been given plaques and a WWI veteran given official recognition thanks to a family ancestry project.

Robert “Bob” James McGill, now a resident of Cairns but born and raised in Mackay, was researching his namesake when he realized his Great Uncle Bob was at rest in an unmarked grave in Mackay Cemetery.

He further realized that Bob was interred with his father James, known as “Jack”, who emigrated from Scotland in the mid-1800’s with his wife Maggie, becoming valued pioneers of the Mackay region and parenting six sons.

“They settled in the Hampden and Kuttabul parishes as farmer-graziers and set about building a dynasty which today remains their legacy,” said Mr McGill.

As young men, four of the six McGill brothers enlisted to serve when WWI enveloped Europe.

“Uncle Bob served as an ambulance attendant-driver,” Mr McGill said.

“A heroic and accursed task of retrieving injured soldiers from the trenches of the front line.

“It was a truly honourable contribution to helping his fellow enlistees try to survive the war.”

Bob was followed onto the WWI Belgian battle fronts by three of his brothers - Hughie, Jim, and Jack, all of whom enlisted in 1916 and embarked together on HMAT Karroo on May 5 of that year, all three joining 2nd Light Horse Regiment.

Remarkably, all four brothers survived the war and returned to Mackay.

“One brother, Jim, eventually moved into Mackay town,” said Mr McGill,

“He was my grandfather, who went on to have six children, the second child and eldest son, yet another “Jim” (James Edward) was my father, who later served in WWII.”

Upon returning to Mackay, the boys began a vibrant fresh meat trade.

In particular, Jack and his wife, Kate, opened a busy butchery and abattoir while raising a cluster of seven children.

Their grandson, John McGill, still operates the business to this day.

“The surname McGill is synonymous with Mackay, Kuttabul, and Walkerston,” said Mr McGill.

It is unknown why the graves have been unmarked for so long.

“Without second thought I see it as my duty, the least I can do, in collaboration with my sister Barbara, to honour and commemorate their place of rest with name plaques,” Mr McGill said.

Bob’s grave has been recognised by the Office of Australian War Graves with official commemoration.

“It is fitting, proper, and long overdue that the burial place of Robert McGill SN3564 b.1894-d.1965 now has formal marking and placement of a standard OAWG memorial,” Mr McGill said.

“Barb and I will now finalize and tidy Uncle Bob’s burial arrangements.

“He is, after all is said and done, my namesake.”

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Robert “Bob” James McGill with his sister Barbara and aunt Margaret

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Uncovered At Coalface Art Gallery

Preserving the stories of bravery through collecting military memorabilia has been a long running passion for one Moranbah local.

‘Anzac Day 2023’, an eclectic mix of military memorabilia, is on display at the Coalface Art Gallery for the third year running, curated by local military historian Dave Law with assistance from Andrew Tomlinson of the Moranbah RSL Sub-Branch.

An array of servicemen and women uniforms will be on display, including the uniform of an Australian soldier from 1943, to uniforms worn by soldiers serving in the British occupational Force in Japan, the Korean War, Vietnam War, East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Some of the items were collected by Mr Law during visits to the battlefields of Gallipoli, Flanders Fields, and the Somme, or donated to him by ex-veterans to preserve their stories.

Mr Law’s interest in collecting and preserving military memorabilia was fostered by his family’s long history of military service during the two World Wars and the Korean War.  

“I am passionate about ensuring our youth understand the services rendered by our men and women in uniform during periods of conflict and during peacetime, and the debt we owe to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Mr Law said.

‘Anzac Day 2023’ runs until April 28 at the Coalface Art Gallery, Monday to Friday between 8.30am to 5pm.

The exhibition will be available for viewing following Anzac Day services on Tuesday, April 25 between 6am and 7am and between 11am and 12pm.

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‘Anzac Day 2023’ will be available for viewing following Anzac Day services until April 28. Photo supplied

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The father of five World War II veterans has been honoured with a headstone 76 years after his passing, unifying a family to reflect on his life and contribution.

John Patton passed away on April 12, 1947, and was buried at Mackay Cemetery in an unmarked grave.

John had eight children, five of which served various theatres of World War II, with one being killed in action.

“Money would’ve been very tight, and it broke our heart that our grandfather was in an unmarked grave; we wouldn’t stand for that,” said John’s grandson Tim Patton.

Upon discovering the unmarked grave, the family approached Ken Higgins, Mackay RSL Sub Branch President, admitting that while John didn’t serve, five of his sons did.

“Ken’s words were, ‘If that ain’t serving, I don’t know what is,’” Tim said.

While it wasn’t the goal, Tim is pleased the headstone was complete in time for Anzac Day.

“It’s the time of year when we think about our veterans and our family members who we’ve lost,” he said.

“It’s a place where we can come as opposed to a piece of grass.

“I can bring my children, my grandchildren and generations afterwards will be able to honour their predecessors.”

Costs of the headstone were split three ways between the family, Mackay RSL Sub Branch and Mackay Monumental Masons.

“He gave five sons to the war and finished up in an unmarked grave in Mackay and that’s not on,” Ken said.

“We need to do better, we have, and we’ll continue to do that.”

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John’s grandchildren Tim Patton, Des Patton, Ken Higgins (Mackay RSL), Nichole Hood (Mackay RSL), Linda Caruana, Julie Samnut and Karen Grech. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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It’s an Australian first that could prove Mackay’s future to be in the safest of hands.

21 Mackay residents between the ages of 11 and 17 are campaigning to be on the Mackay region’s Youth Council, with Mackay Regional Council being the first in Australia to partner with Foundation for Young Australians and adopt the Young Mayors program.

The young candidates came together last week for their first Town Hall meeting, where they shared their vision for the region ahead of elections in May.

“In the next few weeks, we’ll be holding our first ever Young Mayors election held in a variety of locations, so schools, libraries and the Jubilee Community Centre for 11–17-year-olds to place their vote to help shape who will be representing the youth council in Mackay,” said Young Mayors Program Assistant for Mackay, Savannah Vella.

A council of 12 will ultimately be elected and given the tools and access to present to council and potentially influence change within the region.

“Just based on their passion alone, I feel like some great things are going to come out of this program,” Ms Vella said.

Mayor of Mackay Regional Council Greg Williamson said he is proud of Mackay for being the first in Australia to adopt the Young Mayors program.

“We know out of this will come a voice for young people in Mackay around our table and I think we’re going to hear a really loud voice,” he said.

“We’ve got 21 young people saying, ‘We are youth leaders in this community, we’ve got a voice that’s going to be heard by your local council, by local people in the elected environment, and that voice will mean something.’”

11-year-old Stephen Miranda feels passionately about youth mental health, focusing his campaign on a proposed app providing access between youth and support services.

“There’s not enough access to current services for youth mental health around Mackay,” Stephen said.

“I just hope that one day, adolescents will be able to feel confident in who they are.”

Similarly, fellow 11-year-old Farrah Hamilton hopes to assist in making the region better through restoration projects, street art, and performance spaces addressing the needs of the youth.

“I think it’s important that we all embrace who we are … but we have to work together to make the best possible future,” Farrah said.

Farrah’s advice to other young people is to “give it a shot and do your best”.

“We’re all different and we all have our different areas of strength, but it is important to try anything that comes up at you so you can find out what you are good at and where you belong,” she said.

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21 young people presented to councillors, family, and peers at last week’s first Young Mayors program Town Hall meeting. Photo supplied: Mackay Regional Council

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