OPINION PIECE

The Mackay region is quickly becoming a premier fishing destination, offering 365 days a year fishing. Reef Catchments, as part of their “Turning Rubble to Reef in the Mackay Whitsundays” project, seeks to facilitate the expansion of coral reef habitat into otherwise bare areas of the marine environment. This will be achieved through the deployment of 30 Habitat Reef modules in the coastal waters off Mackay in the second half of this year.  

Installation of the Habitat Reef modules will have a positive flow-on benefit for recreational fishing. Habitat reefs are like natural reefs and will attract and provide fish habitat. The purpose-built Habitat Reef modules are structurally complex, providing habitat for fish, particularly during their vulnerable juvenile life stages. These modules are in addition to the ones in the Pioneer River which, after only six months, have shown through underwater footage that they are a huge success.  

The key design feature is a cave hollow at the bottom and a second, separated chamber above for small-bodied and juvenile fish species. By providing refuge from predation, this increases juvenile survival rates and boosts fish populations.  The outside surface of the Habitat Reef modules has been roughened to provide improved settlement areas for encrusting marine organisms such as coral polyps and oysters, expediting the growth of the structures.

The reef modules will be deployed across two sites easily accessible to anglers with small vessels. Species anglers can expect to encounter at the Habitat Reef sites include coral trout, grass emperor, striped bass, jewfish, golden snapper, small bait species such as hardyheads and herring, as well as mackerel and tuna.

They will be strategically positioned to transform areas of the marine environment into vertically complex reef ecosystems and will support the long-term sustainability of local fish stocks in the Mackay region. Our region is unique in that you can catch a fish within one hour in any direction, no matter what the time of year or weather conditions, and we need to make sure we have recreational fishing opportunities now and into the future.

Cr Alison Jones

Mackay Regional Council

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By Rachael Smith

The Whitsunday region could soon have two multi-million dollar on-land eco-tourism developments underway if the new Twin Creeks Eco Park, located at the end of Rifle Range Road in Cannon Valley, is approved by Council. This new development will join the ground-breaking Whitsunday Skyway Project which is seven years away from completion.

Mayor Julie Hall donned her work boots this week to take a four-wheel drive tour of the newly proposed Twin Creeks Eco Park located on the Hidden Valley rural development site in Cannon Valley.

The guided tour showed the Mayor, Council CEO Warren Bunker, Deputy Mayor Gary Simpson and Councillor Clay Bauman the extent of the 1000-acre site, a large proportion of which is set to become a vast on-land tourism offering.

This will include a large caravan park that offers 400 sites which will be a mixture of campers, caravans, safaris tents, eco-cabins, and villas.

There will also be a central restaurant and microbrewery, adventure playground with rope swing course, dozens of bush walking tracks and, most importantly an extensive mountain bike trail.

Developers are hoping that mountain-biking will become a huge all-season tourism drawcard.

“Queenstown in New Zealand actually makes more money from mountain biking than they do skiing,” said Ashley Rees, Director of the Hidden Valley Development.

“Mountain biking is a real driver of demand in the area and with the upcoming 2032 Olympics it would be awesome to think we could be part of that somehow.”

The developers are planning to set-up a network of trails that will offer a range of grades and levels, perfect for training mountain-bikers both prior to and during the Olympics.

Throughout the construction phase, 31 local people will be employed and during the operational phase there will be 128 local jobs per year.

Following Tuesday afternoon’s on-site tour, developers met with Whitsunday Regional Council formally on Wednesday to gauge the interest in amending the existing master plan approvals to accommodate this broader range of tourism and community activities.

If this project goes ahead, Twin Creeks Eco Park will be the second major development of this kind in the area, with development plans for Whitsunday Skyway already progressing.

Whitsunday Regional Council CEO, Warren Bunker, said that although some people may see the two applications as a conflict or competition, he sees them as ‘complementary’, creating a larger overall on-land eco-tourism offering for the Whitsundays.

Whitsunday Skyway will be located 430 metres above Airlie Beach, in the Conway National Park.

A one-kilometre cable car ride will take visitors from town to the summit where there will be a restaurant and large viewing area.

There will also be a series of world-class mountain bike trails and luge cart tracks to descend in style.

Both Skway and Twin Creeks are aiming to offer an immersive cultural experience that will partner with local Indigenous representatives and include educational and adventure activities for school groups.

With a large percentage of Whitsunday tourism focused on coastal or on-water activities, these two developments are set to both diversify and maximise our overall tourism offering.

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Jackson Gray, Councillor Clay Bauman, Brett Evans, Mayor Julie Hall, Corey Brown, Ashley Rees, Whitsunday Regional Council CEO Warren Bunker and Deputy Mayor Gary Simpson at the site of the proposed Twin Creeks Eco Park. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

Mayor Julie Hall receives an on-site briefing from the team at Twin Peaks Eco Park. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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Korean Han-Ho H2 Consortium has partnered with the Queensland Government and Ark Energy to move forward with their proposed mega-project.

The proposed mega-project will see 1.8 million tonnes of green ammonia, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, produced per year in the Whitsundays and exported to Korea.

The project will also see the expansion of the proposed Ark Energy Collinsville Green Energy Hub from an output of 3,000 megawatts to 4.5 gigawatts.

The proposal will be supported by the Queensland Government’s investment of $8.5 million into the Abbot Point Activation Initiative, a project that will encompass solar, wind, water desalination and an electrolyser to produce 20 tonnes of hydrogen daily.

Both the Collinsville Green Energy Hub and the Abbot Point Activation Initiative will create thousands of job opportunities for residents, with Queensland’s energy exports estimated to support up to 10,000 jobs and $33 billion in economic activity by 2040.

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Hi Everyone,

Wow - what a week! I feel like I have truly experienced the depth and diversity of our wonderful region over the past seven days, and it reminds me not only how lucky I am to have such a cool job, but also how lucky we all are to live in this incredible region.

On Friday night I drove down from my home in Cannonvale to the bright city lights of Mackay to attend the Whitsunday Voices Youth Festival Literary Dinner with my partner and our friends.

The keynote speaker was political commentator and comedian, Annabel Crabb, who regaled the audience with how she progressed from country girl to one of the most respected journalists in Australia.

She also shared a deeply personal story about how her older brother had recently and tragically died by suicide.

When she was a young journo, Annabel was not allowed to report on any deaths of this kind, and it was very moving to see her stand up now as an important public figure and speak so openly about it.

Hopefully her message will encourage us all to speak about suicide and more broadly mental health, rather than hide it away.

Continuing on with my theme of incredible Whitsunday experiences, on Monday afternoon myself and two of the team were lucky to be invited on a ‘joyride’ aboard Viper Whitsundays.

This new highspeed vessel can take passengers to the outer Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven all in one day.

It’s amazing to think tourists can now get to the outer reef in less than an hour!

This incredible experience was backed-up on Tuesday afternoon by a four-wheel drive adventure tour of the proposed Twin Creeks Eco Park site.

It was great to meet the enthusiastic developers and I had a great time bobbing along through muddy puddles and creek beds on the four-wheel drive buggy alongside Mayor Julie and other council representatives.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter” (Bernard Baruch)

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The evening had been perfectly planned, meticulously organised, and beautifully decorated.

The crowds were eager, sweeping past the bar to collect the complimentary drink before settling at a table for an evening of fun and laughter.

The Tiny Homes Project’s newest fundraising event was another massive hit with locals and visitors alike.

It was the day afterwards when Sandy Clark, Fundraising Coordinator for Tiny Homes Project, was tallying the results of the night, when she received a phone call from their accountant.

Confused, Sandy rang the bank.

Astoundingly, $10,000 had been deposited by an anonymous donator into the Tiny Homes Project account.

“But all the bank could tell us is that the person wished to remain anonymous, had attended the event, and that they were someone who loved what we’re trying to do and believed in the cause,” explained Sandy.

Sandy said the donation came the day after the event and pushed the entire proceeds up from $32,000 to $42,000.

This helps the Tiny Homes Project inch even closer to the day they can begin construction of their four tiny homes in Proserpine, hopefully by the end of the year.

“We’re exploring every option possible,” said Sandy.

Tiny Homes Project has been named as an organisation to receive fundraising efforts from the 2023 Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor’s Ball, a Play for Purpose raffle, the Big4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort Camp and sCare weekend, and the Whisper Restaurant and Bar Plate of Hope.

“We are so thrilled with the effort,” Sandy said.

For those wishing to donate to the effort, scan the QR code here.

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RESIDENTS RISE UP AGAINST YOUTH CRIME

By Rachael Smith

A group of concerned community members living in Cannonvale have banded together to share information and fight back against a recent spate of vehicle break-ins.

What is believed to be one young boy, aged around 12-years-old, has been plaguing unlocked vehicles and stealing money.

One resident reported $800 went missing, but other thefts have been mostly loose change, the perpetrator choosing to leave behind keys, wallets, IDs and other expensive or personal items.

Local resident, Michael Stodd, set up a Facebook group called Neighbourhood Crime Watch, for people who have been robbed.

“Unfortunately, we have all left our cars unlocked and there are a lot of Airbnbs around with always new people coming and going so there are a lot of unlocked cars at the moment,” he said.

“There's always going to be someone to steal from so it will continue until this person is caught.”

Mr Stodd explained that the group of residents are all “keeping an eye out” by monitoring security cameras, driving around at specific times the thief is known to operate and sharing information.

Another resident, who has asked to stay anonymous, said he is setting up an action group to combat the issue and that within the first 12 hours of announcing, over 30 individuals contacted him.

Over the weekend dozens of residents took to Facebook to share their experiences with others.

“Yes, the glove boxes were raided two nights ago on Iluka Street,” said one post.

“Yes, both cars in our driveway the night before on Wambiri Street,” said another.

One resident decided to walk around and see how much of the area was impacted – “I've walked everywhere this morning and there are around 20 cars broken into last night in this area and some people are still finding their cars gone through.”

Residents are advised to keep their vehicles locked and to remove all money and possessions.

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A map of the area being targeted by the thief

Security camera footage of the alleged perpetrator in action in the area

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DESPITE $3.5BN FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT

By Rachael Smith

The last bulk billing doctor’s surgery in the Whitsundays changed its practices in May and will now only offer free medical services to certain patients, such as concession card holders.

This means that a high percentage of Whitsunday locals will need to pay around $75 for a standard appointment, with around $40 paid back into their bank account as a government rebate.

This means each trip to the GP costs, on average, $40.

The doctor’s surgery receives around $40 from the patient and $40 Medicare levy from the government.

Comparatively, when a doctor’s surgery bulk bills they receive just $40 from the government to fund all operations, from doctors and staff salaries to leasing the premises and purchasing equipment.

The Medicare rebate has been frozen since 2014 and with rising costs, this nominal figure has not been enough to keep the business viable.

Local Pharmacist, Allan Milostic, from Live Life Pharmacy said that he can understand the reasons we no longer have bulk billing surgeries in the Whitsundays.

“Medicare simply haven’t kept up with the increase in costs,” he explained.

“Over the last four years it has become financially unviable.

“I believe healthcare needs to be affordable to everyone and the government needs to ensure that this happens.”

Retired doctor, Peter Beaumont, who has been practicing for over 50 years, five of which were spent practicing in the Whitsunday area, said that he has seen a lot of change over the years and that this trend is not a recent one.

“It started a long time ago, it has not happened suddenly,” he said.

“I think the pandemic made doctors question whether it was all worth it.

“Doctors have been doing charity work for the government for years.”

“There are not enough GPs, especially in rural areas like this. In rural areas, they need to work really hard and with lots of responsibilities.

“Even the government incentive of $30,000 to relocate didn’t attract more doctors to the region – if you go to an area with a shortage, you work twice as hard.”

Dr Beaumont says that “private practice is a private business” and creating a better system is up to the medical industry and the government.

“It’s a shame that private health insurance can’t pay doctor consults,” he said.

“But I think that is perhaps because it would undermine Medicare.”

Dr Beaumont said he believes that, in many cases, it is now up to the ‘private’ patients to pay for the patients that are bulk billed.

“If you go to the supermarket, they don’t offer a discount – food is as important as health care.”

A small reprieve on the issue came with the 2023 budget announcement of a $3.5 billion incentive to bulk bill, effectively tripling the fee doctors receive from the government.

This incentive, however, is only available for children, pensioners and concession card holders and therefore leaves a high proportion of the population paying for their GP visits.

In the United Kingdom, 10 per cent of each person’s tax goes to the National Health Service (NHS), compared to just two per cent towards the Medicare levy here in Australia.

Perhaps an increased percentage of tax would be a better option for Australia.

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Remembering a man “who would do anything for anyone”, the family and friends of Gavin Hussey, who tragically passed away in a road accident near Proserpine two weeks ago, celebrated his life at his funeral in Townsville yesterday.

Survived by his soul mate and life partner, Sam Kissier and her two children, Jacinta (22) and Jasper (15), who he loved like his own, Gavin’s passing has left a big and irreplaceable hole in the lives of his loved ones.

“He was a flirter and a true gentleman,” said Sam who had been in a loving eight-year relationship with Gavin.

“There was nothing bad about him, he was such a genuine guy – likeable, sociable – and that laugh! It was very loud!”

“Gavin had been planning to ask me to marry him and I wish that he knew that I would have said yes 100 times – I just want to be hugging him and kissing him – I love him so much and hope I get to see him again one day.”

Gavin was originally from Townsville but had been living in the Whitsundays for over 15 years, many of which he had spent working as a contract truck driver for Whitpro’s postal deliveries.

He is also survived by his parents, Judith and Ronald, his brother Brenden, sister Annika and niece Madison.

His lasting legacies will always be the way he made everyone feel good about themselves, the unique bond he had with each of Sam’s children and the way he made Sam feel special at all the important times like her birthday and Mother’s Day.

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Gavin Hussey and his partner Sam Kissier in happier times. Photo supplied

The couple with Sam’s children. Photo supplied

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The Whitsundays Songwriter Festival has announced Emmy Winner and three-time Grammy nominated American artist Toni Childs to their line-up.

Now in its second year, the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival provides an opportunity for local singer-songwriters to learn from seasoned professionals in an intensive one-day workshop.

Toni Childs is a globally acclaimed singer-songwriter, who is infamous for her powerful vocals, independent spirit, and intimate storytelling.

Her discography includes massive hits ‘Don’t Walk Away’, ‘Stop Your Fussin’, and ‘Many Rivers to Cross’.

Festival co-founders Karen Jacobsen and Francesca de Valence said, “We were blown away when Toni said yes to joining us for the festival. We are both in awe of her talent, success, and career.

“To bring an artist of this international standing and reputation to the festival is a massive coup for local songwriters and the region.”

While in Airlie Beach, Toni will also join the professional faculty of the Emerging Songwriter Workshop, to mentor songwriters with their own music.

She will perform alongside other artists in a Concert and Conversation event at Paradiso Restaurant, culminating the festival with a fantastic display of musical art and powerful vocals.

Whitsundays Arts Festival president, Jess Begun, is also delighted to welcome Toni Childs to the Whitsundays.

“Last year’s songwriter line-up was outstanding, and this year is shaping up to be even more remarkable.

“The success of Karen and Francesca’s concept of a professional song writing residency and one day workshop for local songwriters to learn from artists of such talent and accomplishment is exceptional.”

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Singer and personality Toni Childs is coming to the Whitsundays to coach aspiring singer-songwriters. Photo supplied

Spectators and locals of Airlie Beach are being spoilt for choice, with a fully-fledged program of the Airlie Beach Race Week encompassing all things sailing, salt and sweet vibes.

The lawns of the Whitsunday Sailing Club will be alive each evening, with live music almost every night, showcasing the very best of local and visiting talent, including G-Force, Kieran McCarthy, and Mason Rock Bank.

The Whitsunday Sailing Club lawns, dubbed the Festival Village for the week, will also host a variety of food trucks and cocktail bars for a sailing seaside eat-street, as well as the 20 Degrees South Bar and Restaurant open for bookings for those preferring a sit-down meal.

For those wishing for a front seat to the thrilling action, there are a series of speciality spectator boats.

Each tour is about three hours long, and includes a perfect view of the race, in close and comfortable quarters.

Speak to the team at the Whitsunday Sailing Club for more information regarding the spectator boat.

On Sunday, attendees and locals are welcome to attend the special Long Table Lunch.

Held on the sea view balcony of the Sailing Club, overlooking the Coral Sea, the lunch will host a South American themed five-course degustation menu.

On the final night of the Race Week, be sure to get to Festival Village for the closing ceremony and fantastic firework display, on Thursday August 17.

WHAT: Airlie Beach Race Week

WHERE: Whitsunday Sailing Club

WHEN: Thursday 10 August – Thursday 17 August

PRICE: All evening entertainment is free

TICKETS: Long Lunch/Spectator Boat tickets: abrw.com.au

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The daylight action of the Airlie Beach Race Week gives way to music, food, and laughter on the lawns of the Whitsunday Sailing Club. Photo supplied

Over the weekend, the Whitsundays region welcomed 10 Starlight Children’s Foundation children from across Australia, for a jampacked weekend full of fun, laughter, and non-stop entertainment.

The Starlight Children’s Foundation marked their 13,000th Starlight Wish, banding together with Virgin Australia to create ‘Happiness Island’ on Hamilton Island.

Starlight endeavour to provide a sick child with the chance of happiness, of something fun to look forward to and to create wonderful memories with their loved ones.

The 13,000th wish recipient was 15-year-old Lara from Canberra, who was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma.

This was her first wish, and she wished for a relaxing family holiday at Hamilton Island.

Lara was joined with nine other children, between nine-years-old and 21-years-old, and their families.

“At Starlight we recognise being sick shouldn't mean missing out on the happiness of childhood,” said Starlight CEO Louise Baxter.

“Happiness is one of the strongest determinants to how we perform in education, employment, and long-term healthy life behaviours.

“For 35 years, Starlight has been granting children their life-changing Starlight Wish.

“These adventures create lasting memories and provide a sense of hope when it is needed most,” she said.

While on Happiness Island, the children had a sunny beach barbeque, a chance to head to Whitehaven beach, a bowling and pizza night, and a fantastic fireworks show.

For the remainder of 2023, Starlight will complete over 700 wishes, with 12 set to travel to Hamilton Island.

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The team from Starlight, their 10 special guests and their families landing on ‘Happiness Island’. Photo supplied

The Coral Sea Marina has pledged another three years as platinum sponsor of the Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) Whitsundays.

Joscelyn O’Keefe, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Coral Sea Marina explains of the sponsorship agreement, “The work done by this incredible group of volunteers is vital. Their dedicated service ensures that the boating community can explore the Whitsunday waterways safely and with peace of mind.”

“As the largest marina in the region, we are committed to supporting safe boating practices and encouraging both recreational and commercial boat owners to be prepared for the unexpected when they are at sea.”

Over the last few years, VMR Whitsundays has seen an increase of marine emergencies and calls for assistance, with a 116 per cent increase in boat malfunctions from 2022.

The VMR is completely volunteer run, operating seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

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The Coral Sea Marina has signed on to support the VMR for another three years. Photo supplied

Revitalised Chamber of Commerce Tackles Region Wide Issues

A Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Networking Meeting took place in Proserpine last week with over 40 local business representatives attending.

The morning kicked off with engaging speeches and was followed by a focus group brain-storming session where region-wide issues affecting businesses were discussed.

Hot topics included housing, for both current and prospective staff, infrastructure, and services upgrades to meet increasing demand.

The challenges of attracting skilled workers to the region and retaining school leavers to pursue tertiary education through the TAFE, were also brought up.

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP and Yvette Adams, a Business, Industry, and Regional Outreach Officer from the Australian Department of Home Affairs were the guest speakers at the event.

Ms Camm elaborated on the budget allocation for the region.

“Across our three local council areas, we have about $653 million in capital expenditure planned for the next year,” she said.

“That is the lowest amount of capital investment in the state, behind Outback Queensland.

“I don’t say this to depress people, but because it is a lack of recognition by the government of the priority that our region is when it comes to particular infrastructure.”

Ms Camm also addressed the housing issue and its impacts on labour and staffing.

“There is a $2 billion housing fund that the government has invested in, but not one house has been built yet out of that fund.

“So, we’ve made a commitment that at the next election in particular, that any funding from that $2 billion bucket needs to go towards new housing development, not existing housing, taking it off the private market, because its just competing with the market and we don’t need that right now.”

On the other hand, Yvette Adams from the Department of Home Affairs spoke on skilled foreign labour and demystifying visa requirements.

“Of course, it’s always employ Australians first, but if you can’t fill the vacancies locally with Australians, then one option is to look at overseas skilled workers,” she said.

“We’re looking at how we can attract and retain the most skilled people globally and bring them into Australia.”

The next revitalised Chamber of Commerce event will be a pop-up meeting on the topic of chamber membership, on Wednesday, August 16, 10am – 12pm.

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Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

Exciting news that the 2023 Whitsundays Tourism Awards will be held at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre on Friday, 20th October.

The selection of the Proserpine Entertainment Centre (PEC) as the venue for the tourism industry’s night of nights was a great decision by Tourism Whitsundays who were keen to deliver a cocktail-style event with two distinct elements to the evening – live music, canapes, and drinks on the lawn followed by the awards ceremony in the auditorium.

The PEC provides our region with a state-of-the-art facility that can seat up to 380 people in the auditorium and has international standard lighting, sound equipment, and professional backstage areas.

There is plenty of top-quality live shows and movies coming up at the PEC over the next few months with blockbuster films like Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (M), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (M) and Barbie (PG).

Live shows include the raunchy Garry Starr Performs Everything on tonight, 21 July at 6.30pm, The Spirit of Leonard Cohen on 28 July and the Grigoryan Brothers – “This is Us” – A Musical Reflection of Australia, on 26 August.

I attended the Wilson Beach/Conway Beach Community Catchup recently and it was great that more than 35 residents turned up to be updated Council activities and provide feedback to us on issues affecting their area.

Residents raised several issues at the Wilsons/Conway Beach catch-up including illegal dumping and closure of cane sidings which may have safety implications for residents.

However, the main talking point was the Wilsons Beach swim enclosure which was badly damaged in Tropical Cyclone Debbie.

Council’s Manager Natural Resource Management and Climate Scott Hardy explained at the catch-up that after unsuccessfully going out for tender multiple times to have the Wilson’s Beach Swimming Enclosure demolished and rebuilt, Council have adopted a staged approach to get the works done.

He told the residents that Council engaged a local contractor to remove the damaged sections of the enclosure with a few vertical posts/poles remaining as they are still in reasonable condition.

Council has now sought quotes for the materials and once they arrive the tender process to award the contract for the rebuild will be issued and we hope to finish the project before the summer months.

Council’s next Community Catch-up is planned with for Proserpine on Wednesday August 2 from 9am – 11am at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre.

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To make sure your dog and others around them are safe, it is important to keep your pet under effective control.

Effective control means holding your dog by a leash when you are in a public place such as parks, foreshores, or residential areas.

It is also essential that you are physically able to control your dog.

On the spot fines of $309 may apply if your dog is not deemed to be under effective control.

Unfortunately, the amount of calls our Local Laws Officers are receiving in response to roaming dogs, dogs off leash and dog attack complaints is rising.

Our Officers have spent over 130 hours in the last two months alone patrolling areas within the region in response to these complaints.

This blitz will continue and unfortunately has a flow on cost to all ratepayers.

If your dog is deemed dangerous as the result of a dog attack, Council may increase your dog registration to $797 per year.

In extreme circumstances, Council also has the ability to issue a dog destruction order.

Please remember, we have ample off-leash dog parks in our region, should you wish to exercise your dog off leash.

Your dog must remain controllable in these areas and not cause harm to any other animal or person.

For more information, visit the pet ownership section of Council’s website.

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