Across Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Proserpine, there are now 16 more trained suicide prevention experts.

Undertaking the free training at Proserpine Community Centre, facilitated by Ross Romeo from Community Response to Eliminating Suicide (CORES), 16 community members are prepared and ready to intervene when they encounter an individual they believe to be suicidal.

“This is a community focussed, non-clinical training,” explained Ross.

Since 2017, over 100 local community members have completed the training, with five locals taking the next step and completing facilitator training, becoming Suicide Prevention training facilitators for the region.

“We are extremely appreciative and thankful for the volunteers who stepped up to become facilitators. They are the backbone of our training,” Ross explained.

Ingrid Ruck is now trained and is now qualified to teach others suicide prevention.

“But we like to think of ourselves as intervention friends,” she said.

The three local facilitators are Ellen Farquhar, Kate Mitchell, and Gill Graham.

“Our plan is to offer more regular suicide training chances for community members,” explained Kate.

“We are able to facilitate the training more often.”

Last Friday’s training was made possible by a generous donation from the Prince of Whales Hotel.

“They donated the money, with the plan that it was used for suicide prevention training, and we thank them for that,” Ingrid said.

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Ellen Farquhar, Kate Mitchell, Ross Romeo, and Ingrid Ruck. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

The highly anticipated upgrades to the Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) Whitsundays have started, with scaffolding erected around the property.

“We’ve been working on this for four years, and it’s all coming to fruition,” VMW Whitsundays President, Mal Priday said.

“We are expanding the operation, giving us room to train, hold meetings, and grow as a community asset.

“We are tripling in size, and upgrading our radios, giving us better access and communication for emergencies.

“This is also expanding a great community asset, as the building is also a very popular venue for community organisations.”

The entire project includes replacing the old roof, a sizeable extension to the floorplan, and brand-new facilities.

“This is a great asset to us and an even better asset to the wider Whitsunday community.”

This expansion will see a purpose-built room constructed for Search and Rescue operations and training, volunteer training, and a general-purpose meeting space for volunteers.

Between now and the expected completion of the works by mid-March 2024, the VMR organisation  will still be fully functional, holding practical boat training and their monthly meetings at the Airlie Beach Bowls Club.

“We will still be fully functional, 24 hours a day, for 365 days a year,” Mal said.

With the work expected to conclude early next year, Mal expects that the VMR won’t be holding their grand re-opening until June 2024, in line with VMR Whitsunday’s 60th year anniversary celebrations and the new partnership with the Queensland Coast Guard, which aligns better funding and better support.

The works are being undertaken by Ben Doolin Builders, with other contractors being outsourced to take part in the project.

“Davies Cranes even donated their work for free for us, which is amazing,” said Mal.

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Renovations are underway for the VMR Whitsundays headquarters. Photo supplied

Flourishing into a haven for creatives, Whitsunday Social Craft Group and Boomerang Bags has blossomed over the last three years.

Tina Everett, who started the group, did so with a desire to bring fellow crafters in the community together.

“This is such a transient area, so you get lonely and sort of get stuck in your own thing at home crafting,” explained Tina.

“A group like this gets people out of their bubble, while you still get to do something.”

Tina is a dedicated member and instigator of the group, having nursed the group since its inception.

She continues to expand the offerings, taking on a Wednesday disability group, where she plans craft for individuals with disability and their carers, as well as crafts activities for other days of the week, and is now welcoming teachers to host their own classes in the studio.

On Thursday, the group host more of a social gathering, with members each bringing their own projects.

“So today, we have Julie and Sandra doing diamond art. Bobby is too, but last week she was doing needle work. Krystal here is doing some crocheting,” tina explaimed.

“We also have some sewing machines here that people can use, and sometimes people just come here to draw and have some social activity.”

Tina has recently been looking at expanding the group, and welcoming teachers to host craft classes.

“I’m hoping we can start with mosaics, and often a lot of our materials that we use are donated from the community, so I’m hoping that maybe a builder will donate extra or leftover mosaic tiles, or even plywood boards, that we can use to back our mosaics.”

For the members of the group, the group offers a social connection without the pressure of interacting with strangers that do not share a similar hobby.

“It’s not like going to coffee with a new person, you can bring your knitting or craft, and bond over that,” Tina said.

Many of the members join solely for this social aspect, and some of the group is made up of people who have only just moved to the area and are wanting to make friends.

“And you don’t have to bring your craft the first time,” said Tina.

“Maybe just grab a coffee and join us for a few hours, have a chat. We welcome anyone and everyone.”

To find out more, head to Whitsunday Social Craft Group on Facebook, or drop into the studio in the Whitsunday Shopping Centre, just a few doors up from Coles. They are open Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm, and every second Saturday.

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Celebrating Queensland Seniors Month, Bowen Uniting Church and BlueCare have joined forces and held their Seniors Expo and Morning Tea.

Seeing over 90 people attend the Expo, with 16 providers setting up information stalls, the day was a massive success for organises and the local Bowen community.

Renee Colless, Home Care Package Partner for BlueCare, said the event was fantastic for the community.

“We would also like to acknowledge Bowen Home Hardware who kindly donated potted plants for the lucky door prize, and a special thanks to Whitsunday Regional Council who kindly supported this event.”

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Photos supplied

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It was no surprise that Ocean Rafting’s Environmental Manager, James Unsworth, won the Young Achiever of the Year Award at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards recently, but the humble environmental ambassador had kept his nomination quiet, so no-one expected him to take out the top gong.

As a result, a crowd of 39 of his workmates erupted with excitement as the inspiring young man made his way to the stage to accept the award.

“It was very nice to be nominated but I didn’t tell many people, so the rest of the crew were really surprised!” he said.

“I was lucky enough to take one of the judges for our other award submissions out on a trip and talk about the reef, so it was really good to be part of the whole process.”

James has worked for award-winning local tour company, Ocean Rafting, for the past six years and during that time he has been the driving force behind not only educating guests but also encouraging other team members to share his passion for reef protection.

“This award is a real team effort and reflects all the work we do as a team,” said James.

“My role has been to try and engage staff and influence the crew to deliver a range of reef protection programs.

“I think that’s perhaps what the judges noticed in the submission.”

Renowned as much for their environmental conscience as they are for their spirit of adventure, Ocean Rafting are at the forefront of many environmental initiatives and are always among the first to put their hands up to survey and protect the reef.

One of James’ favourite projects is the Reef Seeker Program, which is an educational school initiative started by the company during the pandemic.

Delivering Eye on the Reef and Citizen Science programs, James helps children study and survey the reef, reporting all data back to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks Association (GBRMPA).

Last financial year, Ocean Rafting took more than 2,000 students out to the reef, with over half of them actively involved in the Reef Seeker Program.

Additionally, the crew are all involved with the Reef Protection Initiative which actively monitors the health of the reef around the islands.

They have conducted 1,400 reef survey expeditions over the past 10 months and successfully controlled 40 Crown of Thorns Starfish and 800 Drupella Snails, which are known to damage the reef ecosystems.

James and the team are also heavily involved in quarterly marine debris clean-ups, aerial monitoring of whales, monthly water quality surveys and the Coral Nurture Program.

“I encourage anyone who has a passion for protecting the reef to come out and experience it with guides who are leading the way in reef protection initiatives,” said James.

“They can seek volunteer opportunities and engage – people want to have meaningful experiences and we can help them achieve that dream.”

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James Unsworth loves sharing his passion for reef protection with passengers on Ocean Rafting. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

Ocean Rafting’s Environmental Manager, James Unsworth, won the Young Achiever of the Year Award at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards. Photo credit: R Jean Photography

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The new Bowen calendar is now on sale at the Bowen Visitor Information Centre next to the Big Mango, and at several outlets around the town.

The calendar features photos of Bowen’s beautiful beaches, bays, seafood, and fishing spots.

The calendar has been produced by Bowen Tourism and Business (BTB) for the second year in a row.

Manager of BTB, Leanne Abernethy said the decision was made last year to produce a calendar as a souvenir for travellers to take home and for residents too.

“Last year’s calendar proved popular, so we decided to produce it again for 2024,” Leanne said.

“Bowen really is a photographer’s paradise as there is so much beautiful scenery.

“These calendars make great Christmas gifts, and we are pleased to have them on sale now, with less than nine weeks until 2024 begins.

Leanne also thanked the businesses who advertised in the calendar, making it possible for BTB to produce it.

The calendars are on sale at several local businesses including the Big Mango for just $20.

These new calendars are just one of many products on offer at the Big Mango as the range of Bowen merchandise continues to be expanded to meet customer demands.

If you love mangoes, make sure you call in and see the friendly team of staff and volunteers and check out the mango-inspired products – from mango sorbet and dried mango to mango daquiri mix, mango soaps and candles and even mango soft toys.

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Civil Construction Worker For Whitsunday Regional Council

This week we kick off a series of Whitsunday Regional Council staff profiles to provide insights on the varied services Council provides for our community.

Our first staff profile focuses on Civil Construction Worker Luke Handley who joined Council over 12 months ago as part of our Roads and Drainage Team.

Luke, or “Handles” as his mates call him, recently won the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year award at the 2023 Queensland Training Awards in Townsville.

Born and bred in Proserpine, Luke plays rugby league for the Whitsunday Brahmans and joined Council straight out of school via a traineeship in civil construction which has since led to a fulltime role.

He describes his role in civil construction as having a lot of variety, currently working on the maintenance of the Airlie Beach Main Street while also performing maintenance on the local boardwalks around the area.

Luke said his motivation every day is all about working for his community.

“I am always learning from others around me, whether that be my work mates giving me advice on the job or locals around the area passing on what they know about the history of the region, it is amazing what you can learn,” he said.

“Community is a huge part of why I live here and being a part of our Whitsunday events such as Anzac Day, The Great Barrier Reef Festival or even when natural disasters strike and my team is called into action for road issues.

“I just love giving back to our community and my goal is to continue learning. I am currently undertaking my Certificate 3 in Civil Construction, and I have future ambitions to go further within Council,” Luke said.

“Personally, I want to get more young students to join council within the apprenticeship and traineeship program as it offers so many opportunities and is a great career starter. “

Contributed with thanks to Whitsunday Regional Council.

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Dogs and cats are often spotted roaming freely in our community, and our Local Law officers are tasked with ensuring their safety.

If you've registered your pets with Council, our Local Law Officers will get in touch with you to facilitate the safe return of your beloved companions.

However, if your pet cannot be identified, our officers will take them into safe custody. An updated register of impounded animals is available on the Council's website.

In case you're searching for a lost pet, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Service Centre on 1300 972 753 during regular business hours.

It's essential to remember that registering your pet, and ensuring they’re wearing their registration tag, offers the best chance for our Local Law Officers to reunite you with your dog or cat in case they get lost or wander from their home.

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With Rick Hamilton

October was filled with big events for us at Tourism Whitsundays. As you may have noticed in the two editions previous to this, we celebrated the Whitsundays Tourism Awards with two special features for our members in this paper.

Held on Friday 20th October, over 320 people came to celebrate the tourism and business industry awards at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre (PEC).

33 gold awards were presented with Ocean Rafting and BIG 4 adventure Whitsundays Resort the big winners with special mention to the Young Achiever recipient, James Unsworth, Bob Porter Awardee, Craig Turner and Business Legacy Achievement Award winner, Allan Milostic.

If you are looking at hosting an event, I recommend the PEC, it’s a fabulous venue and a real asset for our region.

Following directly on from the Awards, the Tourism Whitsunday team hosted over 30 domestic and international travel buyers at the Whitsundays Tourism Exchange which was held at the Shute Harbour Marine Terminal.

The opening event, hosted by Daydream Island Resort, began with a sunset cocktail event at Lovers Cove, which was followed by the Trade event on Tuesday where key buyers met with our industry in 30, 10 minute presentations.

Our latest tourism experience, the Whitsunday Explorer owned by the Explore group with 30 private cabins hosted the group with a magical sunset event. If you want to spoil that special one, I thoroughly recommend.

We’re now on the count down to Christmas school holidays via the Airlie Beach Music Festival, where we’re predicting we’ll see another year of outstanding visitation for the region.

Rick.

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As disaster season approaches, it is vitally important that we all prepare ourselves for the possibility of a cyclone, bush fire or extreme flooding event.

Overhanging or damaged trees pose a real threat to both properties and individual safety, but fortunately the professional arborists at WhitPro know how to protect both you and your property from potentially threatening trees this storm season.

What do we look out for in potentially dangerous trees?

Poor health – missing leaves, the bark flaking off or dead wood in the branches. Other issues could be rotting ground roots at the base of the tree, fungi, and black rot. Also check your trees out for termite activity – they will look like a dirt trail up the trunk and on the underside of the lower limbs.

What hazards do we look for nearby?

If trees are leaning over the roads or are close to powerlines, they are dangerous and must be pruned or removed.

How far are trees meant to be away from property?

1 metre is the minimum gap for any vegetation to be near your house. This is primarily for termite and pest management reasons but also a good gauge for cyclones and strong winds. Any closer, branches will be flapping and potentially damaging gutters.

How do we ensure our house or business is safe?

Call a professional to assess your property. They will be able to prune trees away from buildings, remove any dead wood and give you a quote for any removal. WhitPro has all the equipment for the job with a Spider to prune with ease, the Chipper to dispose of any rubbish and a crew of “groundies” on-hand to clean-up. We have the capacity to deal with any dead wood, tree, or type of vegetation.

Whose responsibility is it to ensure properties are safe?

It’s the property owner’s responsibility to ensure that trees on his or her property are in good health and will not damage any infrastructure or be a threat to human life.

Trees are an important part of our environment and saving a tree is a priority however a diseased tree can be a dangerous tree in a populated area and council can insist on tree removal by a property owner if deemed necessary.

So have your tree assessed before cyclone season.

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A large tree hanging perilously close to powerlines in Cannonvale. Photo credit: Norina Jane

Tim Perkins from WhitPro

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This disaster season be ultimately protected with Lightning Comms, with an up-to-date and fully equipped alarm system and camera security for your home and property.

Now, while your alarm system may not necessarily be front of mind during storm season, it is an important factor for keeping your home and family safe, with Lightning Comms, the experts in the field.

“Particularly for disaster season, it’s great to have your system serviced and know that it’s working properly,” explained Sarah Watson, owner and operator of Lightning Comms.

“When the power goes out or something worse, it’s great to know that your battery and system has been serviced and is working, that the backup battery is operating and that your home and family is protected.”

Offering fully comprehensive servicing, Lightning Comms ensures that the backup battery is operating, and will last another six to 12 months, that there are no cobwebs or other debris that will interfere with the system, and, most importantly, that the system works correctly.

Regarding what systems Lightning Comms recommend, anything from a simple alarm or camera system works.

“The alarm system is more of a preventative measure. With sirens and noise, it deters thieves to continue to enter your home.

“The camera system is great for after the fact, when you need the images to catch the thieves. In both cases, there are quite cost effective, and in some cases, your insurance premiums could decrease because you have a system in place.”

This disaster season, be prepared the best way, with Lightning Comms.

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Be prepared with storm season. Photo: Shutterstock

Council is aware of water discolouration at Midge Point, which is due to emergency firefighting activities that occurred in the area on Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28.

Council advises to not consume darkly coloured water at this stage. A water tanker is currently available at Midge Point Rural Fire Brigade, 1481 Midge Street, from 2.30pm to 5:30pm today and noon to 5pm tomorrow for residents to obtain drinking water only.

During firefighting periods, there is a significantly higher water demand in the system which increases velocities in the pipe and stirs up any sediment in the existing pipe network.

Council is completing scouring works to help minimise the impact, but some ongoing issues are expected until the system returns to normal operation.

The discoloured water is safe for other activities such as washing dishes, bathing and washing clothing, however dark water may stain light clothing.

Council conducts regular water quality testing and any results that don't meet the guideline values are reported to Queensland Health and the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.

Council apologises for any inconvenience this may cause and encourages customers to continue to contact us to report discoloured water.

If you have any concerns, please call 1300 MACKAY (622 529).

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Region’s Rescuers ‘Gob-Smacked’ By Record Donation

One of Mackay’s smallest schools has shown enormous heart with an incredible, record donation to the region’s rescuers.

Chelona State School fundraised an incredible $13,000 for RACQ CQ Rescue during Rescue Chopper Week and has now set their sights on reaching a target donation of

$15,000 by next Friday.

The blue and yellow Bell 412 rescue helicopter landed on the oval last Friday morning, about 15km south of Mackay, to thank the students and teachers for their fundraising efforts ahead of their school fun run.

Chelona Teacher Amy Privileggio said the school community felt RACQ CQ Rescue was an important charity as a number of families had actually used the lifesaving service.

“Through our school fun run we’ve raised $12,090.22 for RACQ CQ Rescue which is just fantastic for such a little school,” she said.

“Our fun run is being held today but our fundraising is ongoing and already this morning, it's increased by another $1000 to $13,000. We actually expect that the total amount raised will continue to climb in the next week.”

RACQ CQ Rescue confirmed it was a record amount for a school donating to the rescue chopper service.

Chelona School Soars In Fundraising Efforts For RACQ CQ Rescue

Ms Privileggio said the rescue helicopter was often seen overhead the school by students and was an absolutely vital service in the community.

“There’s a few of our families who have actually used the chopper so we wanted to do this fun run to raise funds for such an important charity,” she said.

“We only have 110 students at our school and most of those are fundraising for the fun run, with some of our kids actually raising over $1000 alone, so that's just amazing.”

The students were also given an extra incentive to reach fundraising targets, she said.

“If they reached $10,000, the students got to slime teacher Mr Matthews and we've decided today if they can now reach $15,000 by next Friday, they also get to slime the school principal Ms Brown as well as some of the RACQ CQ rescue crew,” she said.

Chelona teacher Kym Marshall admitted she was incredible emotional and had goosebumps watching the rescue helicopter landing on the oval today as it was a traumatic reminder of when her son was airlifted to hospital by RACQ CQ Rescue in March last year.

Eight-year-old Hunter suffered serious abdominal injuries while bull riding near Bloomsbury.

“I was riding a mini bull and I got my hand stuck in a rope and I was dragged along the ground,” the Year 4 student said.

“It (the bull) stood on me and sliced open my stomach, so I had to go to hospital.” Hunter was airlifted by RACQ CQ Rescue from Proserpine to Mackay hospital for further treatment.

“I remember a little bit of going in the helicopter, but it got me to Mackay a lot quicker than going by road,” Hunter said.

He said it felt “pretty good” about the school donating a record amount to the service which cared for him after such a frightening ordeal.

“I raised $75 for the chopper through our school fun run because it’s pretty important to help keep the chopper in the air to help other people like me.”

The Sammut family, including dad Chris, mum Trish, and students Kiara, Miley, Zachary and Nicholas, were also airlifted by the rescue helicopter back in 2017 when their Homebush home was inundated by floodwaters in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie. Another Chelona parent, Helene Bezzina, said members of her family had also used the service after accidents on cattle properties and that her father had also been airlifted by RACQ CQ Rescue with a medical condition.

The highest fundraiser for the Chelona School fun run was Harry Silling ($1270), followed by runner-up Jackson Wynn ($1150) and Nash Milburn ($520). The Sillings, including Evelyn, Harry, Jack and mum Patrice were the family who raised the most amount of money.

Year 6 student Sam Bezzina said it was quite exciting to see the rescue helicopter land on their school oval and chat to the crew this morning.

“It’s good to see them land here – it was really cool,” he said.

Sam said he was looking forward to the fun run and enjoying some time on the large jumping castles with his friends.

RACQ CQ Rescue Media and Communications Manager Naomi Noy said the service was “gob-smacked” by the amount raised by such a small school.

“They’ve done a phenomenal job fundraising – it’s an absolute record amount for a school donating to our rescue chopper service. We couldn’t be more grateful for their efforts,” she

said.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to land here at Chelona today to thank the school as each year we have to raise about $5 million to keep the service up in the air. It costs about $11,500 each hour to have the helicopter on task and we have a huge workload.

“We’ve already flown 587 missions this year, so that’s a lot of lives touched and changed by the rescue chopper in this community.

“But today, the real heroes are these incredible kids and the amazing donation they’ve made to this vital service.”

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The Sammut family, including mum Trish, Miley, Zachary and Nicholas enjoyed a viewing of the RACQ CQ Rescue Bell 412 helicopter at the Chelona State School landing last Friday. The family were airlifted by RACQ CQ Rescue during Cyclone Debbie in 2017. Photo credit: RACQ CQ Rescue

Chelona student Hunter Marshall with crew from left, rescue crew officer Jarrod Healey, air crewman Mick Di Stefano and pilot Leigh Wilkinson. Hunter was airlifted by RACQ CQ Rescue last March

Hunter Marshall in the pilot seat of the Bell 412 helicopter

Hunter Marshal and his mother, Chelona teacher, Kym Marshall

Chelona State School captains with RACQ CQ Rescue crew from left, pilot Leigh Wilkinson, air crewman Mick Di Stefano and rescue crew officer Jarrod Healey

Chelona fundraising heroes Jackson, Harry and Nash

Entire school of 110 students with the chopper

Crew talk to students

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Mackay’s festive spirit will soon be on full display as Mackay Regional Council staff will begin installing Christmas decorations this Saturday (October 28).

The long lead time is necessary to ensure the decorations are in place for the festive season and so that work can be done at times that won’t inconvenience the public.

The installations will be completed each weekend from now until early December, with most of the banner and pole unit installations completed in the early hours or mornings.

Motorists are asked to take care when driving, as staff will be working close to the road during the installations.

This year’s Christmas decorations will include:

• Christmas tree at Calen next to the RSL building (October 28-29 installation)

• Christmas tree at Sarina in front of the library (November 4-5 installation)

• Christmas tree in Walkerston in Anzac Park (November 12 installation)

• Christmas tree and garland at Bluewater Quay (November 18 installation)

• Christmas tree at Mirani in Anzac Park (November 26 installation)

• 116 banners

• 62 pole units

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Mackay’s Christmas tree will be located at the Bluewater Quay and installed on the 18th November

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Queensland Police are investigating following a wilful damage incident in Slade Point last week on 19th October.

Emergency services were called to the Slade Esplanade property just after 7pm following reports of a shot fired.

Upon arrival, police observed damage from a single impact on the outside wall before investigating further.

Mackay police said that people were home during the shooting incident but no injuries were sustained. Two people were confirmed as being home at the time of the shooting but it is unclear if there may had been others.

Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Eaton, Mackay CIB, said bullets had travelled into the interior of the home.

“Concerningly from that incident the projectiles had gone through the front wall of the house, and then travelled through two further walls and lodged in a rear bedroom at the back of the premises,” he said.

“Inside the house at the time was a 32-year-old female and a 59-year-old male, thankfully no persons were injured during the course of that particular shooting.

“As you can imagine the occupants were incredibly shaken, it’s an incredibly seriously incident, the shooting of a projectile into a house can have deadly consequences,” he said.

Witnesses or anyone with relevant vision is urged to come forward. Police are unsure if the offenders arrived at the property in a vehicle or by foot so all footage from surrounding streets around the date and time of the offence is welcomed.

“Anyone with CCTV footage from the streets surrounding Slade Point Esplanade area or dashcam footage from that area on that evening are urged to come forward,” DSS Eaton said.

“We also call on members of the public that may have knowledge of the particular incident, I have no doubt there will be members of the community who will know who committed this offence or have strong suspicions who has done this.

“We ask them to contact local police or Crime Stoppers.”

Police said they have no reason to believe it was a random shooting and are looking into whether it was the occupants who were targeted or people who were visiting the premises.

At this stage police haven’t confirmed the type of firearm used in the shooting and said forensic teams have retrieved the projectiles for testing. They confirmed that witnesses reported hearing one distinctive loud bang but it was part of their ongoing investigation to determine how many shots were fired.

Investigations are continuing.

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