Government Moves To Ban Gillnet Fishing

By Bronte Hodge

The Federal Government has made the move to ban commercial gillnet fishing, a decision that will drastically impact over 90 licensed fishermen in the region.

Andrew Willcox Federal Member for Dawson said the decision came without consultation and allowed no rebuttal from affected fishermen, stating the supposed dangers that gillnets pose to marine life as reason behind the ban.

Willcox has addressed Parliament, voicing his concerns for commercial fishermen in the region.

“In June, a joint media release from Federal and Queensland Labor have said they’re going to ban gillnet fishing, no consultation with the community, no consultation with our fishermen, and short time frames! This is going to happen by the end of this year,” he explained.

Willcox believes this decision has a flow on effect that will harm chandlery and fishing supply stores, plus many more marine associated businesses.

“The boatbuilders, the repairers, they’re all going to go out of business. The outboard sales and service, going out of business,” Mr Willcox said.

Banning gillnets in Australia means that rather than being able to purchase locally sourced fish, consumers will only have the option of imported fish, or selected breeds that continue to be locally sourced but at an exorbitant price point.

“The wild caught fishing industry in Queensland deserves to be protected and deserves to be supported! The fishing industry is sustainable, and the fishery is in good condition!” said Mr Willcox.

For Kev Collins, owner-operator of Fish D’Vine Restaurant and Rum Bar in Airlie Beach, this ban would detrimentally impact his business.

“People travel to the Whitsundays and North Queensland for our seafood.

“This ban will mean we have no point of difference to other big cities,” he said.

“This indiscriminately disconnected decision will take the livelihood of hundreds of commercial fishermen, and dramatically spike the market price for the remaining available fish, and ultimately takes away from Queensland tourism.”

According to Mr Collins, in the 17 years since the fishermen have been required to remain with their nets, only seven dugongs have been killed, versus the 8.5 thousand killed over the same time period, in traditional Indigenous hunting that is allowed through the Native Title Act.

The gillnets in question operate at least 60 kilometres away from the Great Barrier Reef, and with the fishermen required to remain with their nets while in the water, the danger to marine life, particularly turtles and dugongs, is drastically reduced.

For these reasons, many people in the local fishing industry do not believe gillnet fishing should be banned.

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Andrew Willcox, Federal Member for Dawson, fights for local gillnet fishers. Photo: Supplied

Usually organised mother-of-the-groom, Leanne Kettleton, woke up on Monday morning in a panic – it was the week of her son’s wedding, and she was completely unprepared.

Working out west for long periods of time, she had just returned back to her hometown of Airlie Beach, and life was suddenly catching up with her.

Feeling overwhelmed she began ringing around trying to organise different services in preparation for the wedding which was due to take place on the Thursday.

But this was taking some time, so she decided to “put it out there into Facebook world and see what came back!”

The post on Whitsunday Chat read: “So I'm going to be 'that guy' who has not got her s*** together for reasons I don't even know. My son is getting married in Airlie on Thursday and I need to make some bookings (yes I know it's only 3 sleeps away). Can businesses or private people who do this sort of thing only comment if you are available and can help. I have already started ringing around but am hitting some brick walls so thought I'd jump on here.”

Within a few hours responses had started flying in and by Tuesday evening Leanne had connected with eight different business, from Airlie to Proserpine, who had all jumped in at the last minute to help make the day special.

From platters to nails and eyebrows, make-up to transport services – everything was sorted and Leanne could relax and look forward to the day.

“It’s been wonderful!” said Leanne.

“I am so grateful to everyone in the community, I was so stressed out on Monday but now I feel organised and it’s all thanks to them!”

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In January next year Airlie Beach will welcome a fleet of 11 racing yachts, as Coral Sea Marina once again becomes Host Port for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

As Leg 4 of the around the world race, the competitors will travel north from Newcastle, in New South Wales, before stopping and resting in the Whitsundays for a brief period before beginning Leg 5.

The Clipper Race is renowned for being one of the toughest endurance challenges, coming against extreme on water conditions and testing strength and determination.

Joscelyn O'Keefe, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Host Port, Coral Sea Marina Resort said “following the positive economic impact of its previous visits, we are delighted to once again be Host Port for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.‘’

“Having the opportunity to further promote our region as a leading sailing destination in the Southern Hemisphere is one which we couldn’t pass up.

“This will be the fourth time the Clipper Race fleet has been welcomed to Coral Sea Marina Resort and the team here are very much looking forward to the buzz the race fleet creates at the marina and throughout Airlie Beach during their stay.

“We will be working closely with the Clipper Race team to find ways to engage the community with the race and make this another memorable stopover for the race crews and their supporters.”    

While hosted at the Coral Sea Marina, the 11 crews will have opportunities to explore the region and take a few days of rest before setting sail for Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

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Clipper Race 2020 Whitsundays Parade of Sail

Clipper Race 2020 Coral Sea Marina Stopover. Photos supplied

By Rachael Smith

A flash mob of protest signs suddenly appeared on the Airlie Beach Foreshore over the weekend when representatives of a movement known as ‘Forest of the Fallen’ publicly displayed photos of people who are believed to have died or been injured following a COVID 19 vaccination.

Dozens of faces told the story of the human toll of the pandemic and the lives believed to have been impacted as a result of adverse effects of the vaccine.

As quickly as the silent protest appeared, however, it then disappeared.

Removed within an hour of its arrival.

The group’s website states that these ‘forests’ are set up and then “left to work its intention on all who are open to witness and interact with it.”

“It is not a protest, it is not a database,” reads the website.

“It is solely a platform where we share only cv19 injection deaths and injuries that I have personally found, only where stories have been publicly shared and published on multiple sources.”

The website also asserts that it is not an “anti-vax” display.

Another Facebook group entitled Forest of the Fallen – Australian Vaccine Injury Claims, however, casts speculation on the validity of the faces in the pictures, stating that some may be false.

“I have spent months trying to verify the validity of the stories, it is very rare to find one that is even true,” said a spokesperson from the group.

“They push the anti vax agenda and while they are called Forest of the Fallen, very few of the stories relate to those who have died.”

Despite questions into the validity of the individual people who featured in the ‘Forest of the Fallen’ protest, there still remains growing concerns that suspected adverse effects from COVID vaccinations has been mishandled by the Department of Health.

Dr Melissa McCann, who has been a local Whitsunday GP for many years, launched a Class Action lawsuit to fight what she believes to be a failing government compensation scheme and unsafe vaccine earlier this year.

Since the vaccination became available, Dr McCann has witnessed an unusually large amount of patients presenting with adverse effects such as chest pain, blood clots, miscarriages and strokes shortly after receiving a COVID vaccination.

Many of these side-effects are not included in the Services Australia Covid Vaccine Claims Scheme and she is asking for people to come forward if they have been impacted.

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‘Forest of the Fallen’ – dozens of posters featuring the faces of those believed to have experienced adverse effects of the COVID vaccine. Photo: Facebook

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A 67-year-old Dingo Beach man has sadly passed away following a two-vehicle collision on the evening of Sunday August 20, on Strathdickie Road.

Initial investigations indicate that the two vehicles collided at the intersection of Strathdickie Road and Staniland Drive, just before 6.30pm on Sunday evening.

The 67-year-old Dingo Beach man died at the scene, while the driver of the other vehicle, a 43-year-old Riordanvale woman was transported to Townsville University Hospital for treatment.

Police urge for witnesses or anyone with relevant camera vision to reach out.

This fatality marks six deaths on our region’s roads in two months.

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A total of 10 properties are due to go under the hammer as the Whitsunday Regional Council auctions off properties with rates in arrears.

This is off the back of 13 properties that faced a similar fate in April’s auction, although only one property was successfully sold.

The properties, encompassing addresses in Collinsville, Bowen, and Queens Beach, must be in council rate arears of at least three years to qualify, and for the council to have exhausted all other repayment options.

“The process to auction properties only eventuates after every measure has been taken to help the ratepayers clear their outstanding debt,” explained a council spokesperson.

“Correspondence and conversations take place during the six months up to the auction date.

“Council works closely with the impacted ratepayers prior to this action being taken, assisting to facilitate payment arrangements before it reaches the auction listing.”

Once a property has reached this stage of arrears, the council can offer the properties as ‘Sale by Negotiation’, which “essentially allows any interested parties to reach out to Council and place their highest and best offer to purchase the property.”

In the case of properties sold, the new owner does not take on the existing property debts, as the reserve price is a minimum to cover the rate arrears.

However, as outlined in section 143 of the Local Government Regulation, the local government must set the reserve price for the property at either the market value of the land, or the higher of either the amount of overdue rates or the charges on the land, or the value of the land.

If the reserve price is not reached at auction, the council can enter negotiations with any bidder who attended the auction, but the sale price must still be more than the reserve price of the property.

“Setting of the reserve price is delegated by Council resolution to the Chief Executive Officer,” explained the Council spokesperson.

Once sold, it is the new owner’s responsibility to exchange titles and mortgage.

“Upon settlement the new owner should lodge the transfer document with the titles office then the mortgage should be taken off the title.”

In terms of vacancy and tenants, the properties are sold without specified vacancy.

“The property is sold as is, the new owner has the responsibility of getting vacant possession,” said the spokesperson.

“It is important for Council to undergo the Intention to Sell process in order to ensure that outstanding rates arrears aren’t increasing which puts a burden on all other ratepayers who pay their rates on time.”

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Stolen Car Recovered

A Mitsubishi Triton was stolen from an address north of Proserpine on August 20.

The Triton was later found abandoned on Leichardt Street in Bowen, on the same day.

Police continue their investigations.

Drink Drivers

Whitsunday Police have intercepted 13 drink drivers across the last week, including a 34-year-old Sydney man who returned 0.16 per cent alcohol breath test on Hamilton Island, on the morning of Sunday August 20.

Also on Hamilton Island, a 37-year-old Sydney man was charged with four offences, including contravening a police requirement, obstructing police, and two counts of failing to supply breath specimen.

A 51-year-old Proserpine woman was issued with a notice to appear in court, following an incident on the evening of August 18.

The woman was intercepted after she was spotted missing a corner on Anzac Road and almost crashing into a pool area.

She returned an alcohol reading on 0.209 per cent.

Snake Bite

Bowen – snake bite

Paramedics transported a stable female in her 20s to Bowen Hospital following a reported snake bite on Powell Street at 11.07pm, on Monday August 21.

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With less than a week to go until the second annual Whitsundays Songwriters Festival and Residency kicks-off, organisers are excited to not only bring together a stellar line-up of legendary musicians for their mentorship program, but also to showcase a host of amazing talent at an intimate concert on Saturday evening.

Attracting a high calibre of artist to lead this year’s event, the festival is expected to flourish once again and will feature special guests, Tony Childs, Vika and Linda, Mark Sholtez, and event founders Francesca de Valence and Karen Jacobsen.

From Thursday, August 31, festival attendees will participate in a professional-level song writing retreat, connecting with other writers, co-writing, and masterminding new music.

On Saturday a special one-day workshop event for emerging songwriters will take place.

This will be followed by an evening performance by the professional faculty at Paradiso on the Airlie Beach Foreshore.

This intimate Concert and Conversation event will offer guests an up-close and personal insight into these talented musicians who will each share their new and original compositions, and the personal stories of their musical journeys.

Highly acclaimed local musicians, Karen Jacobsen and Francesca de Valence are co-founders of the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival and say they are absolutely thrilled to be bringing this event to the region.

“To have artists of the calibre of Toni Child’s, Vika and Linda, and Mark Sholtez coming here is very exciting,” said Karen.

“Our mission is to develop a next generation of songwriters in the Whitsundays, and the support from the community and local businesses has been incredible.

“Imagine hearing Vika and Linda in an intimate performance setting then hearing Toni Childs share about her career and creative process?

“The Concert and Conversation event offers exactly this and it’s really special to be able to bring this never to be repeated format with these artists right here in Airlie Beach.”

Whitsundays Songwriters Festival would like to thank Whitsunday Regional Council, Arts Queensland, the Whitsundays Arts Festival, Yangaro, Cruise Whitsundays and Paradiso for their support.

WHAT: Whitsundays Songwriters Festival, Concert and Conversations

WHERE: Paradiso Restaurant

WHEN: Saturday, September 2 from 5pm

TICKETS: $60 from whitsundaysartsfestival.org

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Festival co-founder Karen Jacobsen will be performing alongside Tony Childs, Vika and Linda, Mark Sholtez and co-founder Francesca de Valence next Saturday at Paradiso.

Photo Credit: T. D'Herville

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The Bowen Gumlu Growers Association has been making waves, delivering the ‘New Realities in Agriculture and Aquaculture Project’ to the region’s young people, though a virtual reality project.

Participating students were taken through the common misconceptions surrounding the industry and shown the diverse and varied roles that are available for young people.

Bowen Gumlu Growers Association Chief Executive Officer, Ry Collins, said the project was designed to engage directly with a young audience focused on their future.

“The virtual reality experience that the ‘New Realities’ project offers gives students and young adults the opportunity to step into a simulated environment and explore the roles available in the agriculture and aquaculture industries,” he said.

“Engaging this audience in an environment that stimulates discussion around future careers is crucial to the long-term success and viability of the industry.”  

Senior students attending the Whitsundays Career Expo in August were the first to try out the virtual reality headsets.

Mr Rob Harris, Bowen State High School Principal, was in strong support of technologies that offer alternate ways to engage students and encourage them to consider pathways beyond year 12.

“The students really enjoyed the Virtual Reality experience and commented on the number of roles on offer across the industry,” he said.

“I think it surprised many students to learn that skills in the sciences, information technology and food studies can be utilised to forge a career in agriculture and aquaculture.

“Hearing first-hand from local growers about their experiences on farms added another dimension to the experience and allowed the students to imagine the reality of a career working alongside these mentors.”

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Reef conservation is at the heart of Whitsunday schools, with the Whitsunday Regional Council leading waste minimisation programs across the region.

Working as part of the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Reef Community Action Plan (CAP), the council sought to begin reef protection and conservation with the region’s youngest, implanting carbon footprint reducing tactics in schools.

Primarily through reduction of food waste in schools, a Waste Education Officer conducted waste bin audits before constructing plans to mitigate the concerns they found.

Across the five schools visited, common priorities included organics excluded from landfill, reducing the amount of soft plastics discovered, and introducing recycling programs.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall said the waste minimisation programs are a great tool to empower schools and to educate our community.

"It is more important than ever to ensure that the younger generation in our community understand the importance of sustainable waste management practices in order to preserve our environment and delicate ecosystems for years to come,” said Mayor Hall.

These school-based waste education programs have been really successful in educating our young residents on the difference they can make by following a few simple waste reduction steps.”

The Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Reef Community Action Plan detailed 10 community strategies to improve protection and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef.

Mackay Whitsunday Isaac CAP Leader Kellie Best said that over the past year, two of these strategies have progressed to on-ground projects in our region.  

The Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Reef Community Action Plan is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

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Whitsunday Regional Council taking Reef Protection to region’s youngest. Photo supplied

More than 500 residential lots bordered by open space and parkland have just been opened-up and approved for development in Cannon Valley.

Gold Coast-based, Alder Developments, have secured this 100-hectare parcel of land at 1405 Shute Harbour Road, Cannon Valley and are looking forward to creating a master planned community “for Whitsunday residents to live in and to raise their families”.

Alder Developments General Manager Greg Tupicoff says Alder Developments assessed dozens of alternate opportunities before deciding to secure the Cannon Valley site which is positioned on Shute Harbour Road leading into Airlie Beach.

“This master planned community project will be delivered in 20-plus stages over the next 10-plus years providing a range of diverse houses, retail, commercial, and educational land uses for the growing market along with parklands with shaded areas, play areas, utilities, and community facilities for the enjoyment of residents and locals alike,” says Mr Tupicoff.

“The development will serve the families of the Whitsundays by offering affordable land to the market in the area which the Whitsundays Regional Council has designated in their 2021 Structure Plan as the desirable growth areas for the Whitsundays.”

Alder Developments’ are also behind Airlie Summit, the last major subdivision of Airlie Beach centre, a 24-hectare development which has approval for the creation of 89 new residential lots.

Explore Whitsundays is the exclusive selling agent for both Cannon Valley and Airlie Summit, any enquiries are to be directed towards Steve Marks on 0423 790 850.

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Family homes and lifestyle living at the new 100-hectare estate in Cannon Valley. Photo supplied

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Back by popular demand, the third iteration of this lively community fundraiser is returning in October and this time they have extended the party, opening the event up to welcome 500 guests.

Hosted by one of the event sponsors, Cape Gloucester Resort, the night will embrace a Hawaiian theme, so make sure you bring your floral shirts and headdresses, throw on a grass skirt and get ready to dance barefoot on the sand.

The Tiny Homes Project is a local charity organisation created by a group of locals who decided to tackle the housing crisis head-on by raising much-needed funds to build four homes for homeless women over 55 living in the Whitsundays.

They work closely with Whitsunday Housing to source grant funding and have also garnered community spirit by hosting regular events which have proven very successful, the last one raising over $30,000 for the cause.

One of the organisers, Fiona Donnellan, said that they are swiftly reaching their goal and are aiming to start construction of the four homes on Gardenia Street in Proserpine before the end of the year.

“We are getting closer to our target thanks to the generosity of the community,” she said.

“Every contribution, big or small, makes a significant difference in the lives of those we aim to help - we are not just building tiny homes, we're building a community.”

Whitsunday Transit are also an event sponsor and have kindly supplied some of their buses to ferry partygoers from the Greater Airlie Beach Area to Cape Gloucester Resort.

GForce and Viva Acoustic will bring their own unique talent to stage for the night.

These two highly regarded bands have donated their time for the event, their lively tunes guaranteed to get the party started and the dancefloor packed.

The events kicks-off at 5pm and guests will be greeted with a welcome cocktail on arrival, perfectly timed to watch the sunset over the ocean.

Canapes will then be served and a lively charity auction will commence.

As daylight fades and night surrounds, the party steps up a notch with the music beckoning everyone to the dancefloor.

The free return shuttle departs at 10am and organisers are hoping to include a camping option for those who would like to stay.

WHAT: Get Lei’d Hawaiian Beach Party

WHERE: Cape Gloucester Resort

WHEN: Saturday, October 7

TIME: 5pm-10pm

TICKETS: $100 from airlieevents.com.au

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Over 500 people expected to attend the Get Lei’d Hawaiian Beach Party Fundraiser at Cape Gloucester Resort. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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The inaugural Pop-Up Chamber event took place at Whitsunday Creatives in Proserpine last week and the relaxed, unstructured morning proved popular with attendees who relished the time to chat, network and share views in a casual environment.

“Today’s event saw business cards flying, excited conversations, and follow up actions,” said the Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce’s Policy Officer, Richard Evans.

During the event, attendees spoke of the need for genuine opportunities to make valuable business connections and to form an active and collaborative business community.

Team Amanda Camm were present on the day and they voiced their eagerness to find a time and a place to regularly meet, learn more about each other, and explore collaborations.

Business concerns were also discussed, and topics included comprehensive insurance, small business education, reliable internet, mobile phone coverage, enhancements to Proserpine’s streetscape, funding pathways and support with grant writing.

Earlier this year Whitsunday Coast Chamber and Proserpine Chamber merged to form one united entity and during the pop-up event, the Chamber’s yet to be released strategy and advocacy plan was sense-checked with attendees.

Mr Evans said that today’s event emphasised the necessity of a unified and organised voice for businesses in the region.

“Our goal is to ensure that businesses have a powerful advocate that champions their interests and effectively engages with policy makers at all levels of government,” he said.

“By collaborating with the Chamber, businesses can amplify their collective voice, and directly contribute to fostering a prosperous and resilient Whitsundays.”

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Julia and Richard Evans from Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce host the inaugural pop-up event in Proserpine last week. Photo supplied

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Earlier this month, my fellow Councillors and I attended the Greater Whitsunday Housing Summit in Mackay. The summit is a much-needed collaboration between the Mackay, Whitsunday, and Isaac regions to discuss gaps in our current housing system.

We came away with a multitude of learnings and information from the event which we will now use to prepare a local housing action plan to address local issues specific to our diverse industries and housing needs.

One of the challenges identified in the summit was investor and developer confidence in the region. To tackle this, we have been talking with community housing providers, and are investigating how we can move the provision of infrastructure forward by partnering with other government agencies.

Prior to the summit, WRC CEO Warren Bunker and I attended a breakfast with The Minister for Housing, the Honourable Megan Scanlon MP, to discuss how we can work with the State Government to secure future funding for social and affordable housing in our region.

In other news, Council’s organisational structure has recently undergone some slight amendments to allow for a greater focus on strategy and network planning. These changes will not affect the 23/24 budget and have been put in place to make sure we are well prepared for the future and that our regional advocacy needs are front of mind.

One such amendment of the organisational structure includes bringing all commercial business units under one Directorate. The goal of this strategic change is to refocus efforts within the commercial assets of council and ensure a strong and sustainable financial performance, which will deliver profits.

We are also identifying the key areas across the region where we will be talking to community and local stakeholders about masterplans to deliver more liveable and enjoyable places for residents and visitors alike.

To this end, Council have had an initial meeting with North Queensland Bulk Ports to investigate an economically viable way to save the Bowen jetty. I also recently had the pleasure of meeting The Honourable Minister Bailey MP, Minister for Transport and Main Roads to discuss the situation. I am extremely grateful for the $50M his government has decided to allocate to save the jetty.

In Proserpine, public consultation is underway for a new Whitsunday Coast Airport Masterplan. Amazingly, we have outgrown our last 10-year masterplan in 4.5 years due to the extremely successful performance of our airport. Well done to all!

Finally, I would like to take a minute to say THANK YOU to all of the amazing sponsors, donators, attendees, and auction bidders who made the record breaking 2023 Mayor’s Annual Charity Ball such a success!

We raised a whopping $105,828.58 which will go a long way in helping our two beneficiaries, RACQ CQ Rescue and Whitsunday Housing Company Ltd, to continue the great work they do in our region.

The generosity of our community has blown me away especially in tough times such as these. It is a real testament to the fact that our local people and businesses are truly the heart of the Whitsundays.

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We have a several different construction crews within Council, all extremely versatile and capable!

Our grader teams work hard to repair and maintain our rural road network whilst our maintenance crews work on our major roads to patch up potholes, undertake drainage repairs, conduct line marking, install road signs, and carry out minor concrete repairs.

We also have dedicated capital works teams in the north and south of the region who deliver a large portion of our budgeted projects, no matter how complex.

Our mower teams maintain our major roads and highways by slashing overgrown vegetation whilst our Parks and Gardens teams work to keep all of our open spaces clean, safe, and tidy for all residents to enjoy.  

We also have dedicated team who inspect Council infrastructure assets such as our roads, drainage, footpaths, and signage to ensure that they are always compliant.

This team also carries out investigations and replies to any Customer complaints we receive in these departments.

All of our construction workers are trained in traffic control and plant operation and are progressed though Certificate 3 and 4 Construction Operations.  

Our teams work tirelessly to make sure our region is a wonderful place for us all to enjoy. They also take pride in their work and carry them out using safe work practices to ensure every employee can return home to their families every day.

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