Talented Mackay dancers Ruby Meares and Eva Bishop experienced a huge thrill recently when they participated in specialised classes at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and Queensland Ballet Academy in Brisbane.

Both Ruby and Eva spent five days developing their dance technique and artistry and grabbed the opportunity to work with teachers of high renown and in a class of only high aptitude peers.

The 12-year-old duo – who attend St Patrick’s College in Mackay - compete for Leisa Payne School of Dance and are part of the school’s Australian Ballet Interstate Program and Queensland Ballet Guest Academy Dance Program.

Eva dances seven days a week and joined the Leisa Payne School of Dance at the age of four where she has performed with distinction in the Intermediate category and Level 5 with the Queensland Ballet Academy.

Since taking up dancing, young Ruby has developed her all round skills and described her stints in Melbourne and Brisbane as an “awesome experience.”

She soaked up the expert tuition from the highly acclaimed teachers and was able to hone her Queensland Ballet Academy Level 6 training in competitive surrounds.

Both girls performed at the recent Royal Academy Dance Jacqueline Morland Awards in Brisbane where they showcased their dancing aptitude in the Masterclass Solo competition.

Participating in the specialised classes has given Ruby and Eva a huge boost in confidence as they prepare for various upcoming dance events.

Contributed by Chris Karas

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Leisa Payne School of Dance students Eva Bishop and Ruby Meares made the most of their invitation to perform in specialised classes at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and Queensland Ballet Academy in Brisbane

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For the past two years, Naomi Tickle has been leading workshops on smart eating and healthy cooking, and in 2020 she became a Country Kitchens program facilitator.

This year, Naomi is one of three program facilitators to receive the Facilitator of the Year award, given to individuals who have completed outstanding contributions to the Country Kitchens program.

Country Kitchen is a partnership between the Queensland Country Women’s Association and Health and Wellbeing Queensland, supporting Queenslanders to improve their health and wellbeing, particularly those living in rural, regional, and remote areas.

The program is open to volunteer facilitators who already have a wealth of knowledge regarding cooking and healthy eating and provides them with further training and support.

There are five core values to the program: get more fruit and veg into your meals, cook at home, check portion sizes, be aware of hidden sugar, and sit less, move more.

“I really enjoy facilitating a range of workshops and teaching participants how easy it can be to prepare healthy, low cost, simple meals from scratch,” Naomi said.

“I have developed a valuable partnership between Country Kitchens and Mind Australia, delivering ‘Smart Eating’ cooking classes to participants with lived experience of mental health.”

Receiving this award means Naomi will be delivering Country Kitchens showcases, recipe promotions and promoting healthy catering at the Queensland Country Women’s Association Mackay branch.

“I am also looking forward to building new partnerships with community groups and schools to run the programs Back to Basics workshops with,” said Naomi.

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Locals will not be able to access Bluewater Lagoon this coming winter, with plans to repair the lining confirmed.

Mackay Regional Council has announced the schedule for the refurbishment of Bluewater Lagoon, with the tender awarded to Aquatic Project Solutions.

This project with encompass two winter periods, 2023 and 2024, with the 2023 winter seeing the repair of the children’s pool.

2024 will see the relining of the main and top pools.

“In 2021, patchwork was completed to the lagoon’s surface as a short-term solution to fix leaks that were discovered in the lining of the lagoon,” Major Greg Williamson said.

“This resurfacing work will be a long-term solution.”

The relining work will be completed with a Polyvinyl Chloride membrane structure, which will decrease maintenance commitments.

However, the proposed budget for the repair has been far exceeded, by about $500,000.

“This will be addressed through a budget adjustment request so residents and future generations of Mackay locals can continue to enjoy the benefits of this facility,” said the Mayor.

The first stage of the Bluewater Lagoon repairs will take place May 1 to September 4. During this time, the Bluewater Lagoon café will also be closed.

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For 25 years, Crossroad Arts has been developing the sphere of celebrating communities, have embraced equity, diversity, and confidence, through collaborative arts.

And, for 2023, the Annual Giving Program has taken a turn, with ReNew Mackay vowing to match donations, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000, until June 30.

“Supporting things in Mackay, from a financial point of view, is easy,” ReNew Mackay Director, Craig Percival, said.

“It’s what the people behind the scenes at Crossroad Arts do that is important to the Mackay Community and the work that really matters. I encourage everyone to get involved, understand what Crossroad Art is all about and become involved.”

This past week, Crossroad Arts have accomplished its first target, reaching $5,00, with ReNew Mackay matching the donation.

Crossroad Arts is committed to the inclusivity and diversity of the performing and creative arts, offering a number of outreach and service programs to aid in the development of avid artists.

Being a not-for-profit organisation, the Annual Giving is a vital tool in funding the organisations community outreach program and workshops.

The Annual Giving program will aid in expanding the continued workshops and events it conducts in regional and remote Queensland, which have included delivering a three-day contemporary movement workshop in partnership with Dancenorth, located in Townsville, and La Boite Theatre Company, located in Brisbane, and hosting a ‘Street View Gallery’, an opportunity for Mackay-and-Whitsunday-Local artists with disability to have their art exhibited in the Crossroad Art street side gallery, for a month.  

“I encourage other businesses to have the conversation with Crossroad Arts… I think it is important to think about your business in the context of where it sits within the community and what support can be offered to organisations like Crossroad Arts,” ReNew Mackay Director, Sean Kelly said.

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ReNew Mackay Director, Craig Percival, matches $5,000 Annual Giving donation. Photo Supplied.

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Since its inception in 2018, the Mackay region has returned over 174 million containers using the Containers for Change program, and now Sarina is seeing the opening of a brand-new depot in the community.

With over six billion containers returned through the Queensland program across the state, this new depot opens opportunities for locals to recycle their drink containers and earn some extra money at the same time.

Holding a soft launch over Easter Weekend, the Sarina Depot saw more than 40,000 containers exchanged, confirming the enthusiasm of local recyclers.

The purpose-built depot replaces the previous bag drop program and includes an extensive carpark and allows residents to receive their refund instantly, either via cash or electronic payment.

The official grand opening took place Saturday, April 15, and included free giveaways of branded water bottles and cooler bags.

Community groups are encouraged to participate as well, with the Scouts in Sarina already making large exchanges.

“Local community groups like the Scouts in Sarina have already made thousands of dollars using Containers for Change,” said Natalie Roach, chief executive of Container Exchange.

“We find many Queenslanders like the cash option when they refund their containers, so it’s fantastic this is being offered to the Sarina community for the first time.”

Refunds can also be directly donated to local charities if members of Containers for Change. The current charities registered in the Sarina area are Sarina and District Community Kindergarten, Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association, and Sarina State High School P & C Association.

Once returned, the containers are sorted into composition types before they are transported to recycling process centres. They will be cleaned and prepared for recycling before being purchased by accredited and recognised recycling organisations, to the produced into new containers and products.

The Sarina Depot will be operated by local business owners, Tammy and Mark Johncock, who are excited to service the community’s first full-service container refund location.

The Sarina Containers for Change Depot will be open 8:30am to 4:00pm Tuesday to Friday, and 8:30am to 12:30pm Saturday. It is located at 20 Range Road, Sarina.

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A new facility open to the public, encourages recycling programs

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Often associated with big cowboy hats, shiny belt buckles, noisy boots and country music, line dancing has seen a resurgence around Mackay and Deb Wookey is one person bringing it to the fore.

Teaching around 10 classes a week across Mackay, Sarina and Walkerston, Deb has had to expand her schedule to accommodate for the growing demand.

She’s been teaching line dancing in Mackay for just over a year, with Mackay Line Dancers celebrating their first birthday earlier in 2023.

Deb has been dancing for 15 years, her love of line dancing born through rock and roll dancing.

She started teaching line dancing on the Gold Coast five years ago and was dancing six days a week.

“I would teach but I’d also go to other people’s classes just so I could have a dance,” she said.

Moving to Mackay last year, Deb discovered small classes were already being held in Glenella by Sharon Fry, but she filled a niche of entry-level line dancing.

“When I came along, I opened up the market for the people who wanted to learn, the absolute beginners, so it worked out well,” she said.

Deb loves that she can line dance without a partner, but she also loves the music.

“I enjoy music and I love being able to put a dance to the music,” she said.

“It keeps your mind thinking all the time.

“All I ever do is think about what steps will go with what songs.

“It’s good for the brain and good for keeping everything moving.

“You’re moving parts that would be sitting doing nothing, otherwise.”

Deb hopes to grow interest for line dancing among young people and start teaching in schools.

“I want to try and get the young kids to taste it,” she said.

“I think they think it’s not cool or boring, not a lot of kids are into country music but it’s not all country music.

“It’s so much more choreographed these days, it’s not just fingers in your belt.”

Mackay Line Dancers hold their next social on Sunday, June 11 as part of a state-wide Queensland Line Dance Association Syncronised Social, raising funds for Care Kits for Kids Queensland.

To find out more, search Mackay Line Dancers on Facebook where you will find all classes listed, locations, times, and the appropriate level of ability for each class.

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L-R Deb Wookey, Jo Stewart and Malda Shepparton. Photo supplied

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The township of Walkerston - with a population of 3615, 50% male, 50% female; according to 2021 census - is named for John Walker who was a plantation manager in the Walkerston/Homebush area.

Walkerston - affectionately known as ’Scrubby’, from the then scrubby terrain of the creek banks - is situated approximately 10 kilometres west of Mackay (Central Queensland, Australia).

In 1866, Walkerston was known mainly as Scrubby Creek, with a small section known as Alsatia. In 1881, Scrubby & Alsatia joined to form Walkerston (Gazetted 22 December 1881).

On the south-west side of the township is the historic Greenmount Homestead and, as the name suggests, it is situated on top of a hill, just a short distance from Walkerston.

The Greenmount site was first settled in 1862 by Captain John Mackay, for whom the City of Mackay is named. The homestead was built in 1912 by the Cook family on the highest hill within the Greenmount station. In those days the station stretched in all directions as far as the eye could see.

Today only the land surrounding the homestead is part of Greenmount, the rest has been divided and sold, and then sub-divided into house blocks.

Impressive Greenmount Homestead is the only heritage listed homestead in the Mackay region.  It is quite refreshing to be able to sit on the wide cool verandah of the homestead, just enjoying the view imagining what it was like a-hundred years ago when it was a huge cattle station; on a clear day one could glimpse the coastline.

In 1983 Greenmount Homestead was gifted to the then Pioneer Shire Council by the Cook family. Today the homestead is held in trust, maintained, and operated by Mackay Regional Council.

Contributed by Bente McDonald

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A painting of Walkerston circa 1912 by Pat Hamilton

The same view of Walkerston in 2023

Greenmount Homestead

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Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox is calling the Federal Government’s safeguard mechanism a “Carbon Tax 2.0,” claiming it will impact the livelihoods of the region’s resource workers, especially farmers.

The safeguard mechanism reforms – which passed both houses on March 30 this year – requires large-scale industrial emitters to reduce their carbon emissions intensity by 4.9 per cent per annum, to achieve a 205-million tonne greenhouse gas reduction by 2030.

The bill is the centrepiece of the Labor Government’s emissions reduction target of 43 per cent. It will take effect on July 1, 2023. Reportedly, the cut will be the the equivalent of taking two-thirds of the nation’s cars off the roads.

But Mr Willcox said it will adversely affect the regions, claiming it exists to “penalise the 215 largest emitters in Australia, many of whom employ workers from the Dawson region,” if their carbon emissions tally higher than the baseline.

“Labor’s Safeguard Mechanism is yet another attack on the industries that keep our lights on, our cars running, and food on the table,” Mr Willcox said.

“Because of the Carbon Tax, industry is now forced to rip back productivity, or offset their emissions to stay under the baseline on paper. They’ll be forced to buy up productive farmland in a desperate search to tick Labor’s box.”

The National Farmers Federation (NFF) warned much to same effect, claiming the safeguard mechanism would “turbocharge” demand for offsets.

“This will potentially escalate land-use conflict, with pressure to turn food and fibre producing land into carbon sinks to counter the emissions from other industries,” NFF chief executive Tony Mahar said.

Mr Willcox said mum and dad farms are the ones set “to be used as that ‘offset’.

“This is going to lock up prime agricultural land, and price the next generation out of farming,” he said.

“Labor can’t land one policy right. They haven’t thought any of this through. It’s either they don’t know, they don’t care, or don’t value our farmers […] and none of those are good options.”

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Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox said the new safeguard mechanism will affect mum and pop farmers more than the big companies

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A global trend of “capital to regional” migration during the pandemic has continued in Australia as new figures show city dwellers moving countryside – could this be a boost for Mackay’s aging agricultural industry?

This quarter’s Regional Movers Index reported migration from major cities to regional centres remained higher than pre-COVID levels and had even increased from the height of the pandemic by 16 per cent.

The Regional Australia Institute and Commonwealth Bank report suggests that “inflationary pressures, lifestyle benefits and job creation in agriculture and services” are luring people out of cities.

Commonwealth Bank’s regional and agribusiness executive general manager, Paul Fowler, said that if the regions can “sort out housing” it could lead to a period of sustained growth.

“Regional centres should, in the meantime, prepare for continued growth for the foreseeable future,” Mr Fowler said.

With a perceived “simpler way of life” than the fast-pace of cities, a counter-culture movement of younger generations to smaller towns has been steadily growing for a decade – even being coined the “Great Relocation”.

Now Mackay farmers are wondering if the exacerbated Great Relocation of the pandemic could be a potentially “Great Supplementation”.

The Sugar City suffers from the same affliction as the rest of the country, its farmers are old and getting older: the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports the average age of farmers across the nation as 58.

Mackay’s agricultural industry could be getting a facelift courtesy of young city dwellers taking the road less travelled.

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The Sugar City may capitalise on the increased movement of people from cities to the country

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If you’ve tried home brew before you may have some horrible memories, and for good reason. Maybe it’s my mid-life crises.

I recall my dad home brewing in Adelaide as a youngster. While not being able to taste it because of my age, I was part of the clean-up of exploding bottles in the shed, and at the time I had no idea why.

What beer is actually made from is extremely simple, but I’d love to go back a few thousand years and see how a civilization worked out how to make the stuff. Was it luck or an accident?

Put simply, its soaking grain in hot water for an hour at about 67 degrees, then boiling that water for an hour, adding some seed cones/flowers (the hops) then fermenting. That’s it. A big thanks to the malting businesses and those that grow the hops.

When people come over to my place and ask about the home brew, some are surprised just how basic it. A whole lot of grain, which could be bread, flower or breakfast cereal. That’s the basis for beer, and many other drinks too.  

One of the more interesting aspects of the beer you might be buying from your local grog shop, or from one of our local breweries, is the hops. The hops are what’s making craft beer so interesting and popular in Australia over recent years.

They all look basically the same, they’re grown vertically along wires, the hop cones visually look the same, but the different varieties bring different things to your beverage. There’s one called Pride of Ringwood, and it’s in most of the big Australian beers from the bigger breweries.  

A variety can be added at different points along the beer making process and make totally different beers, with the same recipe. On a night out if you’ve had a tropical ale, there’s a fair chance a hop called Galaxy is in it. It would taste of passionfruit, peach and citrus – but none of those fruits have been near the beer, it’s what comes out of the galaxy hops.

Right now, we’re lucky enough to have a few different places around our region brewing, Red Dog and Goanna in Mackay, and Ballistic in the Whitsundays. Down south the craft brewery industry is taking off, and maybe Mackay’s turn is coming to grow further.

Scotty

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Catch the Star breakfast show - Scotty and Rach with Kaley - from

5am, Daytimes with Johnny, Will & Woody from 5pm and the Kyle and

Jackie-o Hour of Power from 7pm every weekday!

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At first glance I am a boring creature of habit who has a predictable life with very little variation in what I do, where I go, who I see and the businesses I use. That may still be true after the second glance. And the third.

I prefer to think that I am loyal. But it’s not blind loyalty, rather it’s loyalty that has been earned and deserved.

I like going to the Shamrock Hotel on a Saturday afternoon or a public holiday for a quiet drink with my wife because there is a quiet, civilized bar (not the sports bar) and the bar manager is efficient, attentive and friendly. It isn’t good some days and bad on others, it’s always good.

And I love going to the Austral Hotel for lunch with friends because the steaks are good and the restaurant manager knows me and my mates and she is efficient, attentive and friendly.

Yes, I know, a theme is emerging here … not that I spend all my time in pubs but that good, friendly service brings me back time after time.

I go to the Ampol service station on Nebo Road for my petrol because I like the middle-aged lady who usually serves me.  She is efficient, attentive and friendly. She doesn’t try to up-sell. She never does any of the very annoying; “would you like to get a can of coke, a Mars bar and a pie for $10?”. Just good service.  I don’t even check the petrol price before filling up and sometimes I do buy ice creams for the family or a bag of ice for the Esky.

I like going to Laffo’s for a Sunday breakfast because, well, Laffo’s a good bloke, the food is good and the service is efficient, attentive and friendly.

My loyalty list goes on … Trantech for IT, NB Industries for servicing the car etc. It all comes down to the great service and trust.

I know there are other outstanding IT guys and mechanics, but I pick and stick with those I know who haven’t let me down. I need someone to trust for IT and David Tranter from Trantech is my man. I need a good mechanic that I can trust, and Shaun from NB Industries never lets me down. So I stick.

The other day I rang a client that I sold a house for a few years ago. He told me a while ago that he would be selling again at some stage, so I rang to see how he was going.

He said he and his wife had been talking about selling.

“We said just the other day that we need to get David around to have a look at the house and start making plans for the sale,” he said.

He told me that he wouldn’t go with anyone else and, while that is a wonderful thing to hear, I know there is an over-riding principle when it comes to loyalty … you have to deliver, always.

You can’t rest on your laurels. Loyalty is great but it is only retained by maintaining the standard that created the loyalty in the first place.

In my experience, selling real estate is no different to working in others businesses …  deliver results, be trusted, create loyalty.

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Platypus Beach, the Pioneer Valley Rail Trails and the Finch Hatton Mountain bike trail town are the ideas of three separate locals that found a councillor to champion their idea and present the idea to council for consideration.

My primary project has been the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike trails. This project has never been about building something for the local kids to do on the weekends. The kids still get to use it, but this is the region’s biggest economic development project in two decades.

Mountain biking is the world’s second fastest growing sport, mountain bikers spend serious money on their machines and are willing to travel and spend money on new and favourite experiences.

At last week’s ordinary meeting, council approved tenders for the mountain bike trail head which connects the finish of the trails directly to town. A pump track that is critical to help mountain bikers develop their skills and the first 13 kilometres of mountain bike trail that will be the largest cluster of Airflow trails ever seen in Australia.

There have been some asking why council doesn’t spend on fishing and other tourism products. This council is the first to develop a fishing strategy, recreational vehicle strategy and mountain bike strategy.

It’s personally beyond me why we have never had a fishing strategy, but this council has done it.

There are big players in fishing that are coming to town because of this mountain bike project.

One product by itself can’t carry the load so now mountain biking is here fishing tours have a better chance of being viable.

The 30,000 mountain biking visitors a year will book a fishing or other tour on their rest days. They will buy meals, rent accommodation, and spend money at Finch Hatton, Eungella, Pinnacle, Garget, Walkerston, and Mackay. This will in turn bring more tourism products to the region and more opportunities for more people.

This council is spending money to provide opportunities for its residents, ratepayers, and their children. We used to be the gateway to the Whitsundays many years ago, but we lost that tourism title. This is how we get it back.

Cr Justin Englert

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Individuals working within the agricultural industry will soon have the opportunity to up-skill their ag-tech knowledge thanks to a new pilot scheme.

Expressions of interest are currently open to participate in The AgTech Skills Hub Pilot Program which has been under development since early 2022.

The scheme aims to support new ways of attracting, skilling, upskilling, retaining, and growing local workforces through the identification of a broad suite of new and updated skills and workforce programs.

The Aquaculture and Agriculture Tech Skills Hub is jointly funded by the Australian Government (under the Regional Recovery Partnerships program), Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) and Regional Development Australia Greater Whitsundays (RDA GW) and is being delivered in partnership with the Queensland Government, TAFE Queensland and CQUniversity to support existing plans and priorities within the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region.

RDA GW CEO Robert Cocco said that the implementation of pilot programs will “enable a range of cohorts, particularly in regional locations, to acquire new skills”.

“Our education partners – TAFE Queensland and CQUniversity – are seeking expressions of interest to participate in training, at no cost to participants,” said Mr Cocco.

“The Pilot Program will test the following micro-credentials throughout the course period – based on how participants interact effectively with others at work, work effectively within the industry, and follow work safety fundamentals.”

Applications to confirm participating pilot organisations and participants close on April 26 and the course information, training plan and materials are available from May 8.

The self-paced training course will be complete by May 26 and key findings will be summarised by June 22.

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New Ag-Tech Pilot Program aims to up-skill workforce. Stock image

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Established in the local community for over 18 years and with over 40 years of combined industry experience, you can count on Roy Powell Security to find the best security solution for you.

Roy Powell Security provides advice, installation, and maintenance services for every aspect of security from your home, business and even vehicle.

Their services encompass security alarms, alarm monitoring services, CCTV, intercoms, boom gates, automatic gates, access control and much more, so you’ll rest easy knowing your premises are safe and secure.

“Our solutions can start from a basic home security system to a fully automated and customised solution,” said Roy Powell Security Office Manager Kelli Powell.

“Imagine hitting one button on an app on your phone that turns your alarm system off, your lights on and aircons on, knowing that you can walk in, and your house is ready for you to be at home.”

Roy Powell Security can offer a certified data and fibre solution for your business as well.  

With the industry’s technology ever-evolving, Roy Powell Security strives to stay at the forefront with innovations including thermal cameras, intercom systems, key trackers, GPS trackers, solar camera/boom gates and facial recognition software.

The team at Roy Powell Security can advise you on the security system products to suit your home or business and strives to offer a cost-effective, professional service each time.

Find out which level of security best suits your needs and speak to their consultants today.

Call 07 4952 5334, email reception@roypowellseciruty.com.au or visit the team at 3/52 Margaret Vella Dr, Paget.

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Kelli and Anthony Powell are here to help with your security needs. Photo credit: Alyce Holzy

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As the lush tropical region of North Queensland continues to attract an influx of plant lovers, it’s important to acknowledge the unique challenges and considerations that come with pot and plant care in our area.

Best plants

Tropical gardens are well suited to the far north, with stand out varieties such as palms, gingers, crotons, ferns and cordyline, Strelitzia, Anthurium, Spathiphyllum, and Bougainvillea being happy to be planted all year round. Likewise, native varieties such as Callistemons can be very successful when planted in winter, as they can harden off to the sun before the spring and summer heat.

Size matters

First, finding a pot suitable for your plant is important for the plant to thrive. When choosing a pot, choose a pot that is 1-2 inches larger than the current size if the plant is currently in a 10-inch pot or smaller. If your current pot size is smaller than 10 inches, choose a pot that is 2-3 inches larger in diameter.

Plant Care

One of the most important aspects of plant and pot care in our North Queensland climate is choosing the right container and soil. It’s crucial to select pots that are large enough to accommodate the plant’s root system and provide adequate drainage to prevent waterlogging, as heavy rainfall can quickly saturate soil and drown roots. Additionally, using a high-quality potting mix that is specifically designed for the region can help ensure that plants receive the necessary nutrients to thrive.

Watering

Striking a balance between providing enough moisture for plants to thrive and avoiding overwatering, which can lead to root rot and other issues, is essential in keeping our plants alive. It’s best to remember to pour no more than 1/3 of the container/pot size in water. This allows the soil to dry out slightly between waterings.

Porters Mitre 10 is having 25% off Plants and Pots this Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th of April at participating stores; Mackay City, Marian, and Sarina.

T&Cs apply, please visit in-store for more information.

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