By Paul Gellatly

Bowen could one-day be home to the largest over-water cable car system in Australia if plans by a Bowen developer go ahead to connect Flagstaff Hill, North Head and Stone islands with a cable car.

Jarrod McCracken, speaking at the November meeting of Bowen Chamber of Commerce, said the project would be the first $130 million stage in a Stone Island development plan that would ultimately be worth $1 billion over 15-20 years.

The audience heard how the cable car project, if it passed all Council and planning processes, could be up and running by 2026, providing what he called "a game changer" for Bowen tourism.

Mr McCracken has taken on the Stone Island development as a long-term concern and has already spent about $12 million on upgrades to the island's seawall, wharf system and a pontoon.

He said as the island was outside the barriers of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, he had been successfully able in 2016 to negotiate with Whitsunday Regional Council to have the island zoning changed, in effect making it something like another suburb of Bowen, opening it up to development with limited potential for third-party objections to the project.

With about 7800sqm of land available to develop, there would be space for a range of businesses to set up on the island, including accommodation, food and beverage outlets, and tourism. He said he had also acquired a 1.5ha lease on the seabed on the resort side of the island, also attractive for tourism ventures.

Mr McCracken said work was still to be done in answering parking/traffic concerns at Flagstaff Hill and visual amenity as towers would be erected on the three sites to support the cable car wires.

The cable car project would be provided by Swiss firm Doppelmayr, with whom Mr McCracken said erection cost/cost recovery issues were yet to be determined.

The plans will be submitted to a full council meeting in mid-December for a year-long draft development application. If it passed, Mr McCracken said the cable car project could be constructed within 18 months.

He said sewerage works had already been undertaken to service 3000 people, enough to service 500-bed, 500-staff facilities envisaged for Stone Island.

"It's a way to get visitors to Bowen to stay longer here in the Whitsundays," Mr McCracken said. "It's a way of ending the idea of Bowen as an afterthought for tourists."

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Artist's impression of how the Stone Island cable car service and associated infrastructure will appear. Photo courtesy Jarrod McCracken

Queensland schools now have the option to opt for a four-day school week from term 1 2024, with new procedures set in place by the Queensland Department of Education.

The updated policy, effective from January 22, 2024, applies to all Queensland state schools, and outlines the responsibilities and processes for making changes to school hours in state schools.

“The Department of Education has updated its policy to ensure a consistent approach when schools are contemplating changes to school hours,” a spokesperson for the Department of Education said.

“Any changes to school hours must occur in consultation with the school community including parents, staff, students, and other key stakeholders and be approved by a Regional Director.”

Changes that schools can suggest include changes to school hours, such as altering start and end times of the school day, the length of the school day, the number of school days in a week or a fortnight, or a combination of the aforementioned.

Each school must hold a trial period, minimum of one term, to test the feasibility of the changes, before the change is implanted permanently.

The Department of Education will provide approval prior to any school commencing consultation on changes to school hours,” the spokesperson said.

“It will also review the outcome of consultation prior to considering the approval for a trial of modified school hours. Consultation will consider a range of factors with the overwhelming focus of ensuring students are actively engaged in learning for the whole school week. Changes can only occur where the school community determines it provides benefits for students and families.”

Regarding supervision, schools must provide appropriate supervision for students who are at school before the day begins and afterwards.

The spokesperson said, “It is expected that all Queensland state schools continue to operate for five days a week and the new policy does not give schools a green light to implement a four-day week.”

After 25 years owning Whitsunday’s McDonalds stores, well-known faces Mike and Jane Muller have hung up their aprons and settled into an active retirement where they plan to travel Australia in a campervan and enjoy hiking together.

The couple first considered becoming McDonald’s licensees when they travelled to Thredbo for a skiing holiday when their children were young.

“We could see how busy McDonalds was and we thought – there could be a bit of money in this!” reminisces Mike.

It took the couple several years to make the leap, however, with an ad in a local newspaper for the Airlie Beach store acting as the final impetus.

Mike remembers that McDonalds was going through a massive expansion at the time and that he had to pass 11 interviews before he was permitted to become a licensee.

It was 1998 when they opened the Airlie Beach store and 11 years later in 2009 when they decided to take on a second branch in Bowen.

Their empire expanded further in 2010 when they opened the Cannonvale store and again in 2019, when Moranbah was added to the list.

By the time of their retirement, the couple owned four stores and had over 350 staff working for them.

When asked what he will remember most, Mike said it would be “our people” and fondly remembered mentoring countless teenagers, helping to give them a purpose and a good work ethic in life.

On Monday this week, Mike and Jane’s McDonalds officially changed hands and the new owners, Andrew Paranomas and Jaide Hunt took over.

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Jane and Mike Muller with Andrew Paranomas and Jaide Hunt. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

The people of Collinsville, meet Siobhan Scott, new nurse and midwife of the Collinsville Multi Purpose Health Service.

As of November 10, Collinsville Multi Purpose Health Service has recommenced Child Health and Midwife Clinics, with Siobhan eager to get out and servicing the community.

Siobhan brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience as a child health nurse and midwife, and she is committed and passionate about midwifery, care for women and mothers, and families that live in rural and remote communities.

Siobhan will provide antenatal and postnatal care, as well as child health services, including immunisations, for children four years old and under.

To make an appointment to see Siobhan, contact the hospital administration officer during business hours on 4785 4777.

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Siobhan, baby Lara Henry and mum, visiting the Collinsville Multi Purpose Health Service. Photo supplied

Galbraith Park in Cannonvale is facing a face lift and upgrade, with the Whitsunday Regional Council opening up public consultation regarding the park’s Land Management Plan.

Comprising of four State reservations, the park hosts the Whitsunday Organic Community Gardens and is well used by local groups.

The Council, as trustee of the reserves that make up the park, have drafted a Land Management Plan, outlining the short-term and long-term proposals.

The short-term plan is to redefine zoning to part of the reserve to be ‘Recreation’, in order to develop and construct a new community facility, to provide the proposed needs of the community in 2040.

The long-term proposal is the freehold of the area, so that the facility will continue to benefit the community.

The new facility plans include hot desk facilities, arts and cultural displays, provision of a library service, and community meeting rooms.

This proposal has the scope to attract a Regional University Study Hub, local business growth, address the growth of residents in the region, and increase community connectivity.

Residents of the region are welcome to submit their thoughts on the Whitsunday Regional Council’s Your Say website.

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The reserves of Galbraith Park in Cannonvale and the 3D rendering of the proposed facility. Image supplied

With just two days’ notice before an additional 4,500 passengers were due to disembark an unscheduled cruise ship, the volunteer Cruise Ship Ambassadors rallied together to assist.

Quantum of the Seas needed to call in at Shute Harbour over the weekend, diverted to the sunny Whitsundays due to bad weather on its planned itinerary.

Fortunately, the guests were greeted by a team of six friendly Cruise Ship Ambassadors, and, by lucky coincidence, our visitors came to town on the same weekend as the Airlie Beach Festival of Music.

“The ambassadors were very flexible and rallied to the call,” said Cruise Ship Ambassador, Lyn Blanche.

“It was extra special to be able to offer the passengers all the activities around the music festival in addition to our town's other activities.”

Buses were running between Shute Harbour and Airlie Beach all day, with Cruise Ship Ambassadors positioned at both the ferry terminal and drop-off location.

Armed with town maps, abundant knowledge and friendly smiles, the ambassadors were able to provide a warm welcome.

A total of 31 cruise ships have called into the Whitsundays between August and December this year.

There are also 103 ships scheduled for next year.

A group of local fundraisers have raised an impressive $14,142 to help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, their dedicated efforts coming in 2nd place on the national teams leader board in an Australia-wide charity drive.

Smashing their initial goal of $8K, the Whitsundays Type 1 Tribe participated in the JDRF One Walk Australia, a charity walk where 1800 groups from around the country were also involved.

Each participant is required to walk 8000 steps a day for the month October and nine locals were part of the Whitsundays Type 1 Tribe.

Local mother, Karen Vloedmans, whose daughter Mia was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes some years ago, helped organise the combined fundraising efforts.

“This year I created a team ‘Whitsunday Type 1 Tribe’ so we could combine our fundraising efforts and make an even bigger impact,” she explained.

“Each of our team members exceeded their personal fundraising goals and as a team we have absolutely smashed our target.”

Joining Karen in the Whitsundays Type 1 Tribe are Kym Hepburn, Theresa Huttley, Kelly Belton, Kelly Bullen, Hannah Oliver, Liliana Hepburn, Mia Vloedmans and Jessica Cristaudo.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition that can develop at any age, with over 130,000 Australians living with the condition.

It is unpreventable and, right now, there is no known cure.

Karen said she will continue holding the fundraising event annually to support better management practices and continue research to find a cure.

“If you wish to join our team because you have Type 1 Diabetes, or like me, love someone who does, then please get in touch because we’d love to welcome you into our team for next year’s event,” she said.

She also thanked everyone who joined the team this year and offered heartfelt praise to those living with Type 1 Diabetes.

“You are all incredible humans!” she said.

“For those of you living with Type 1, you totally amaze me. You carry this mostly invisible diagnosis with such resilience and strength, every single day. You are total legends.”

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Karen Vloedmans with her daughter Mia. Photo supplied

With multi-million-dollar houses popping up in the Greater Airlie Beach Area and local builders regularly approached to construct architecturally impressive houses, many developers are beginning to compare our local lifestyle to Noosa.

The $60 million development at Airlie Summit is an example of how high-end architecture is changing the landscape of Airlie Beach and a previously modest holiday town now boasts some jaw-droppingly lavish homes for the rich and possibly famous.

According to local builders, this change to residential design has coincided with the growing popularity of the region which has been experiencing exponential growth since the pandemic.

Owner of Morris Constructions QLD Pty Ltd, Abel Morris, said Airlie Beach has become the new go-to spot for individuals seeking a quiet haven and a slower lifestyle.

“People used to head to Noosa but prices there have skyrocketed and it’s much busier than it used to be,” he explained.

“What I can gather from my clients is that Airlie is being noticed not only as a tropical paradise but also as the pinnacle of contemporary relaxed luxury living.”

An example of this is currently under construction at Airlie Summit – the stunning new architecturally designed home known as ‘Ancora’.

Featuring four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, three car spaces and an internal courtyard, Ancora boasts an abundance of natural light, an open floor plan, 270-degree views across the Coral Sea and sits 200 metres above sea level.

It’s also got soaring ceilings with clerestory glazing, concrete floors, and expansive windows showcasing meticulously curated living spaces.  

“I think Airlie Summit is largely responsible for inspiring this architectural and demographic shift we are seeing. With a landscape like this to set the scene, the possibilities truly are endless,” said Morris.

Greg Tupicoff, general manager of Alder Developments, the company behind the Airlie Summit development, says architects are drawing on the aspect of the blocks in their initial Lookout Release to create one-of-a-kind architectural designs.

“The size and shape of each block has been carefully considered to make the most of its natural attributes with each offering expansive island, bay and ocean views,” says Tupicoff.

“The design of houses like Ancora engage with the surrounds and the views out over the Whitsunday Ocean to create a deliberate balance of scale and transparency, with intimate gestures carefully orchestrated throughout.”

Ancora is the first home in the latest stage to receive design approval, Tupicoff says the development team are excited to see this incredible vision brought to life over the coming months.

“It’s one spectacular example of what the aspect here at Airlie Summit is inspiring in architectural design. It is the epitome of aspiration living and we can’t wait to see what else might flow from here.”

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The stunning architecturally designed home at Airlie Summit called ‘Ancora’. Image supplied

The Tiny Homes Project is now $8K closer to its ambitious target of $700 thousand thanks to the Airlie Beach Festival of Music and their dedicated fundraising efforts over the weekend.

Leading up to the event, a beautiful portrait of Matty Rogers donated by local highly acclaimed artist, Lee-Anne Burrows, was auctioned.

A total of $2,830 was raised through the efforts of volunteers and public sales through Matty’s fan base and through electronic media.

Fiona Donnellan, Fundraiser for Tiny Homes Project at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music said she was absolutely ecstatic about the money raised by community support leading up to and at the 2023 event.

She would also like to thank volunteers who worked tirelessly this week for the cause.

“The winner of the Matty Rogers painting is Rhys Conroy,” she said.

“It was a superb result, and we are so thankful to artist Lee-Anne Burrows for painting this masterpiece to raise money for the Tiny Homes Project to build for homeless women 55 and over in the Whitsundays.  

“Lee-Anne is a woman with deep compassion for the underprivileged and her compassion comes through in this artwork.

“Matty Rogers has publicly endorsed her work as meaningful to him.    

“Homelessness for this age group and particularly for women, is the major statistic not only in the Whitsundays but Australia wide. That is why we, as a group, are volunteering to make a difference in our community to set an example for others to follow.”

For the past few years, several events and a range of other dedicated fundraising efforts have been taking place thanks to the volunteers of The Tiny Homes Project.

All funds raised are going towards building four tiny homes in Proserpine on land donated by Council.

These homes will be allocated to homeless women over 55 years of age.

During the Airlie Beach Festival of Music weekend, fundraising for the Tiny Homes Project continued with the auction of a guitar personally signed by all the headlining acts.

“We also had the opportunity, as preferred charity for the event, to raffle the annual guitar signed by all of the headliners on the main stage performing at the Festival on the final day of the event,” said Fiona.

“We are thankful and honoured to announce the winner of this historic prize is the very community minded business, Powered by Murphy whose successful bid was $6,000.”

This brought the total up to $8,830, a wonderful achievement, congratulations to all involved.

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Rhys Conroy won the portrait of Matty Rogers which was painted by Lee-Anne Burrows. Photo supplied

The guitar was signed by all the headlining acts at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music. Photo supplied

The Cape Edgecumbe trail upgrades are well underway, with the section closure expected to be lifted by mid-November.  

The first stage of the update, from Murray Bay, Mother Beddock, and the Lions Lookout near Rose Bay include widening the track, improving drainage systems, installing rock barriers at Mother Beddock lookout and the installation of stairs between Lions Lookout and Mother Beddock.

Rotary Lookout, near Horseshoe Bay, is currently still open to the public, and the commencement of Stage 2 will include Rotary Lookout and the re-opening of Mother Beddock Lookout.

Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business Leanne Abernethy said it was great news that work on the trails was progressing and that the first stage was now open.

“The Edgecumbe Bay Walking Trails are a fantastic natural attraction providing breath-taking views across the ocean,” she said.

“We are really pleased that the Whitsunday Council decided to upgrade these tracks.

“We have thousands of tourists asking about the walks each year when they come to the Bowen Visitor Information Centre, and this is a free, healthy activity that so many enjoy.”

Community members are encouraged to follow the construction signage and to not use the closed sections of trail.

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Trail upgrades see track widening and steps constructed. Photo supplied

By Paul Gellatly

The Save the Jetty Committee took to the floor at the most recent Bowen Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Chairman of the group, Tony Bale talked about progress on the project and a Queensland Government $50 million commitment to the jetty, and a Bowen survey to gauge community reaction to the project.

Mr Bale said the historical jetty was "as significant as mangoes" to Bowen.

The jetty received a makeover in the early 2000s by North Queensland Bulk Ports to make the walkways safer, but "unfortunately, it does need a bit of care now".

The jetty, opened in 1867, was an early user of the Monier steel-reinforced concrete construction method, but this has proved so durable that demolition would be an expensive option.

The present operator, NQBP, is moving from the site to be closer to the Adani/Bravis facility at Abbott Point, and if a new resident operator cannot be found, the structure must be demolished.

Mr Bale said NQBP had already set aside $18 million for this purpose.

However, in pursuit of its goal of preserving the jetty, Mr Bale said the committee had sought ideas for new uses of the jetty and 52 ideas were received.

Mr Bale said the project had received a $50 million boost with an offer by Transport Minister Mark Bailey for a $50 million grant taken from Abbott Point royalties.

Mr Bale said the Save the Jetty Committee had been working alongside this to develop a better use for the jetty, "and as we all know, everyone wants to save the jetty.

"In this process, we want to find the sweet spot in what is desirable, feasible and viable," he said, without causing an unnecessary burden for ratepayers.

An engineering inspection to begin later this month will gauge the state of decay in the jetty to determine what can be built there.

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Tony Bale has some good news about plans to repurpose Bowen's crumbling jetty. Photo credit: Paul Gellatly

The Cannonvale skate park is in the midst of its highly anticipated renovation, which is set to heat up the tricks and flips completed by local skateboarders in the community.

The Whitsunday Regional Council anticipate that the works will be completed by mid-December, subject to weather, and will see a great benefit the community.

“The works were required as the previous skatepark wasn’t fit for purpose for skilled skaters, with quarter pipes that were of too steep a gradient and poor drainage,” a council spokesperson explained.

“The project has been a work in progress since consultation with local skaters helping to refine initial concepts for the park in October 2021. Refinements to the design led to the completion of stage 1, that is a street style park for beginner to intermediates, in August 2022,” the spokesperson said.

“Stage 2 is a more complex bowl, providing a greater challenge for intermediate and advanced skaters.

“The upgrade courtesy of the Australian Governments Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Grant will support skaters of all expertise and be another awesome recreational outlet for our youth and young adults.

“Stay tuned for our upcoming opening event, to be announced once the anticipated completion date is confirmed by our local contractor.”

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The extensive works being completed at the Cannonvale Skate Park. Potos supplied

Being a member of Tourism Whitsundays comes with all sorts of benefits and there's generally an extra few we come up with during the year!

This year we've held three member workshops, one a month in September, October and November.

These workshops are exclusive to our members and run by people we work with.

In September we held a marketing workshop with our agency, Wavemaker.

Here, the Managing Director presented a workshop on the markets and trends they are seeing.

In October, our PR agency, Verve PR came to the region to present a PR 101 to our members.

This workshop helped attendees to understand the foundations of working with media and how to best get coverage in traditional media forms.

Earlier this week we held the third event which was a digital marketing workshop that covered off the foundations of digital marketing.

Run by our team, this workshop gave attendees a great understanding of the most commonly used digital marketing channels and how the previous two workshops can help to bolster your digital marketing approach.

The feedback we've received is hugely positive and we're absolutely happy to share the knowledge, connections and expertise we have access to with our members to ensure that The Whitsundays continues to captivate audiences and visitors around the world.

We're currently reviewing a calendar of workshops for next year. Watch this space!

From Laura Knipe, Marketing Manager at Tourism Whitsundays.

Manager of Customer Service

Whitsunday Regional Council

Council strives to serve the needs and interests of our community so effective customer service is an important means of engaging with residents, understanding their concerns, and addressing their issues.

This week we meet Whitsunday Regional Council’s Manager Customer Service, Shane Douglas.

“Dougo” as he is better known to his friends has been with Council for seven years and had previously worked in management positions across a variety of backgrounds for 22 years.

In his words, “I had a desire to give back to my community and being a part of grassroots local government allows me to do that every day”.

“My ambitions were to ensure open and honest communication with residents was treated as a priority because providing information about council activities, decisions, and initiatives through exceptional customer service helps ensure transparency and accountability. Helping customers get from reporting an issue to resolving it and removing the need for service all together is what great Customer Service is all about.”

“Customer service is the bridge that connects Council to its community. My role includes overseeing our Customer Service counters in Cannonvale, Proserpine, Bowen and Collinsville, along with our afterhours call centre and online services,” he said.

Whitsunday Regional Council received 52,361 calls, 23,611 visitors to our branches and logged 23,501 requests for service last year. With the push for digital services across all sectors, WRC’s next stage is to reduce cost through emerging digital services while balancing the need to remain accessible to all our residents.

Shane said that while his role can be challenging it is also rewarding as he gets to lead a fantastic team and has been sought after as guest speaker at customer service conferences in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and New Zealand.

“Customer service is not just about providing information or resolving issues; it's about building trust, and ultimately creating a community where residents feel heard, valued, and well-served.”

In his spare time, ‘Dougo’ can be seen on the cricket field and coaching junior Rugby League and Union teams or out on the water fishing and crabbing.

This week is National Recycling Week, a time for us all to think about how we can work together as a community towards a greener and healthier Whitsundays.

Have you ever wondered what happens to your recyclable products after they go into your yellow bin and get picked up by your bin man?

Our truck drivers take your recyclables to the MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) in Mackay where they are sorted and processed. Once the items in your bin have been separated, they can be sent away to be used to make new items such as car parts, benches, pens, carpets, clothing and more!

Being a small region, we do not collect enough materials to have our own local MRF facility. By teaming up with the MRF in Mackay, we can make sure that our Whitsunday recyclables have the best opportunity to become something new! Using recyclables to make new products greatly reduces the amount of energy needed during the manufacturing process, helping to keep our planet heathy and to conserve natural resources.

For more information on how to recycle right in the Whitsundays, head to the Waste and recycling section of our website.