A vehicle that was stolen in Gympie in December has been found in the Proserpine River and, in order to retrieve it, emergency service personnel had to dodge a three and a half metre resident crocodile on a nearby bank.

Despite the dangerous local wildlife and the muddy, steep shoreline, officers reported that the vehicle was removed from the water without incident.

The 2014 model Kia Cerato was stolen from the Gympie home on December 13 and discovered mostly submerged in tidal waters on December 29 where it had been dumped in the Proserpine River near Glen Isla Road.

The location is known as "The Landing" - a popular site amongst locals for fishing and known for its dense crocodile population.

With a strong focus on safety, the vehicle was removed from the waters with the assistance of officers from the Proserpine station, the Whitsunday Water Police, officers from the Police Dive Squad, personnel from the State Emergency Service (SES) and also Parks and Wildlife.

“Police are grateful for the assistance offered by all in the retrieval of the stolen vehicle from the water in these unique circumstances,” said a police spokesperson.

“Anyone who may have information about either the initial car theft from Gympie, or the dumping of the stolen car at this location is encouraged to contact police as soon as possible.”

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The stolen vehicle was dumped in croc infested waters

The 2014 model Kia Cerato was removed without incident. Photos supplied

Sir Elton John is rumoured to have visited the Whitsundays over the Christmas period, landing on Hamilton Island before transiting to Hayman Island with his husband David and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah.

The legendary musician is in the country ahead of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour which will see him play in Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in January before heading on to New Zealand in February.

His plane, a Gama Aviation Bombardier Global Express bizjet M-EDZE, was first sighted when it landed at Hamilton Island Airport on December 27 and images were posted on the Central Queensland Plane Spotting Blog.

“The sleek Global Express is the personal ride of British singer Sir Elton John who was spotted, along with his partner, kids and several others,” read the blog.

From here, the family and their entourage headed to Hayman Island where absolute secrecy is promised and no further information was available.

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The Gama Aviation Bombardier Global Express bizjet M-EDZE arrived at Hamilton Island Airport on December 27

Elton John and his family spent time at Hayman Island

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A 27-year-old man from Tannum Sands has been arrested and charged with several offences following an alleged marine incident inside the Port of Airlie Marina at about 7am on January 3.

It's alleged that police were advised of a stolen jet-ski being operated dangerously in the Port of Airlie.

It's further alleged that upon police arrival officers located and arrested the operator of the jet-ski, which was also then returned to the owner.

The 27-year-old man has been charged with trespass, unlawful use of a vessel,

unlicensed operation of a vessel, disobey marine speed limit and disobey safety equipment obligations.

The matters will be heard via video link this morning at Rockhampton Magistrates Court.

Police are grateful for the assistance received from members of the public with the reporting of this incident.

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Record numbers of tourists visiting the Whitsundays last year have set the region on an exciting trajectory for 2023 following the release of a report that stated domestic visitor numbers went up by 179 per cent compared to 2019 data.

The National Visitor Survey (NVS) revealed a record 923,000 domestic visitors came to the region, spending $1.5billion dollars in The Whitsundays.

It was also noted that visitors were staying longer and spending more with a total of 4.9 million nights in the year to 30 September 2022, an increase of 73% based on 2019 figures.

This comes as good news for a region where one in three jobs are reliant on tourism and bodes well for a strong and stable 2023.

Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hamilton said these results cement what everyone in The Whitsundays already knows, The Whitsundays is the best place to holiday.

“Select domestic markets have always known about the attraction of The Whitsundays, but the growth we are seeing in domestic visitation shows that more of Australia is now familiar and confident about this unique holiday experience,” he said.

“These results once again underline the significant contribution tourism makes here. We have world-class operators, accommodation options and businesses all working   to deliver outstanding holidays to vacationers in The Whitsundays, whatever their budget.

While there has been a record increase in interstate travellers, 274,000 up 18.9 per cent on 2019, it is Queenslanders who are making up 69 per cent of visitors.

“It is encouraging to see more of Australia discovering and experiencing The Whitsundays because we can compete with anywhere in the world for the range of experiences, unique attractions and location,” Mr Hamilton said.

“However, Queenslanders are taking advantage of The Whitsundays, which is right on their doorstep.”

Tourism Whitsundays Chair, Julie Telford understands why The Whitsundays is getting record visitation from inter and intra state travellers.

“Queensland is such a diverse State and travelling within its border can take you through the rainforest, outback, surf beaches and the wonderful Whitsundays by car, bus, train, plane and boat. It’s no wonder we’ve seen so many Queenslanders rediscover their love of The Whitsundays,” she said.

“Visitors are staying an average of 5.2 nights this year, increasing almost a day compared to results from March 2022 because there’s so much to do and enjoy in The Whitsundays that every minute of that time can be booked onto a different experience.”

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With Andrew Willcox, Federal Member For Dawson

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone has had a fantastic time over the festive season and if you are lucky enough to still be on holidays, please stay safe and enjoy your well-earned break.

2022 was a big year.

The start of the year saw our borders reopen and families reuniting at long last. It was the year that we farewelled our beloved Queen Elizabeth II and welcomed our new King Charles III to the throne. In 2022 our mighty NQ Cowboys came so close to the premiership. Fingers crossed the silverware falls into the right hands in 2023.  

Of course, it was also the year our nation’s political leadership changed. I respect peoples’ choice to elect a Labor Government under Albanese, however I have significant concerns about the direction that Labor is leading us in.

The Dawson region punches well above its weight in terms of tourism, agriculture and mining. Our resources sector, made up of our hardworking men and women, contributes in droves to the wealth and prosperity of our nation keeping our lights on and our businesses running.

In the last days of 2022, Federal Labor introduced price caps to our coal and gas supply. History has shown that this jeopardises supply, jobs and businesses, and discourages investment. It’s not good news. This issue is squarely in my sights, and I will continue to hold the Government to account on their promise of cheaper (and reliable) energy for all Australians.

In 2022, the previous Liberal National Government committed to key projects being delivered locally. We set aside $420,000 for the Whitsunday Volunteer Marine Rescue who do magnificent work keeping us safe on the water. We budgeted and committed $50,000 for Proserpine State School P&C and another $80 million for the construction of the Bowen pipeline.

It was disappointing when Labor revealed they were canning the funding committed to these projects. I will continue to keep up the pressure, to see our region get the investment it deserves.

Speaking of pressure, when Labor neglected the north through the abolishment of the Northern Australia Committee, I made a racquet about it alongside my Coalition colleagues. Within a week, it was reinstated. I am proud to be on this committee, which works to ensure the north gets a fairer share of government spending.

More wins for our region include the Coalition’s Ag Visa agreement with Vietnam being honoured and Townsville AEIOU, education centre for children with Autism, received $2 million funding as previously committed by the Coalition. This shows even in opposition we can achieve for our regions.

I’m 100 per cent committed to growing a stronger future for Dawson. There is a lot of hard work ahead.

As your Federal Member for Dawson, I want to hear from you about your ideas and insights for our region. I’m here to take your voice to Canberra and fight for our great region.  

Andrew Willcox’s office is at Level 2/45 Victoria Street, Mackay. His office is contactable on 4944 0662 or via email at andrew.willcox.mp@aph.gov.au

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox (centre) with Volunteer Marine Rescue Whitsundays team Mal Priday (left) and Roger Wadson (right). Photo supplied.

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To Fight Port Of Airlie Development In Court

Local action group, Save Our Foreshore (SOF), are calling out for public support following news that legal action to fight the Council approved 47.7 metre high-rise development could amount to $150,000.

So far, all legal costs have been covered by donations but funds are running low and the legal costs are getting higher.

“To date we have paid for preliminary legal advice and all ongoing legal costs, including appearances of our solicitors and barrister to three preliminary hearings in Brisbane,” said spokesperson for SOF, Faye Chapman.

“We need to build our fighting fund now because prior to the actual seven-day court hearing our lawyers will require us to deposit funds in their Trust fund to cover the estimated costs of $150,000.”

SOF has engaged a planning expert, a visual impact expert and has also submitted laypersons statements in regards to visual impact, storm surge and community expectations.

The main point of contention is that the approved development at Port of Airlie exceeds the recommended building height level for the site and a high-rise hotel on this land will become an eye sore.

SOF also believe that the development goes against the small-town-feel upon which Airlie Beach has built its tourism brand.

An approved town plan from ten years ago detailed a three to four storey resort for the site with a leisurely lagoon and tropical surrounds.

Many feel that the new development completely contradicts this town plan and SOF managed to get over 2000 signatures to support their fight.

They are now looking for additional financial support from the community and can be reached through their Facebook page.

The site of the approved 47.7 metre high-rise hotel. Image supplied

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Happy 2023!

A town of contrasts at the moment with many enjoying a well-earned rest whilst others are enjoying the buzzing of a fully booked town and people everywhere as visitors and locals alike enjoy the festive season in paradise.

With 2022 behind us, it is time to consolidate on what has been another extraordinary year for local businesses - generally in a positive sense. Yet again, the business community of the Whitsundays demonstrated strength, resilience, adaptability and innovation across all industries and the foundation has been laid for solid growth well into the future.

The Chamber will continue to provide independent advocacy, practical support and educational networking opportunity to further strengthen businesses in the region.

A huge shout out and thanks to the five businesses that generously supported the NYE fireworks in partnership with Council to set the sky alight in Airlie Beach. atHotel Group, Airlie Beach Hotel, Cruise Whitsunday, LiveLife Pharmacies and PRD each contributed $1000 to the event enjoyed by thousands.

Congratulates Clay Bauman on his successful campaign to be the councillor for Division 2 in a close finish. Our thanks also to the other candidates for putting their hands up to have an impact in the region.

Let’s not forget the Fair Work Legislation Amendment which will result in Industrial Relations changes in the following areas – Gender Pay Equality, Flexible Work Arrangements, Pay Secrecy, Fixed Term Contracts, Enterprise Agreements, Anti-Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and the introduction of paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave.

In response to these changes, the Chamber’s first networking event in February will focus on these changes with a HR expert guiding us through new HR best practise. See you all then!

Contributed with thanks to President of Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce, Alan Milostic.

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Business owners and those planning to purchase or start their own business are invited to a free business workshop at Coral Sea Marina later this month.

Attendees can expect to learn key skills such as how to track and measure numbers in order to make smarter decisions, turn your marketing into an investment instead of an expense and leverage your time to maximise efficiency and results.

Additional supportive information includes learning how to attract, train and retain exceptional employees that deliver outstanding customer service.

The workshop is facilitated by Entrepreneurial Business School (EBS), a Sunshine Coast based coaching firm which has helped thousands of business owners scale their practices so that they can eventually step out and let the enterprise run itself.

The event will be hosted by senior coach Wade Grundon who has operated his own business for many years and is an outstanding speaker.

During the workshop attendees will learn practical tools and will be given the skills to implement much of what they learn the following day.

Everything you need will be provided on the evening, including pen and paper.

“Simply turn up and be ready to listen,” said EBS marketing manager Tanya Proctor.

“We have hundreds of success stories, and it is not often you get a speaker of this calibre come to the Whitsundays.”

After the event, participants are invited to sign-up to the broader program which includes a community of thousands of business owners who attend a variety of events hosted by EBS Director and Master Business Coach, Bruce Campbell.

These include a six-monthly forum and large-scale functions which feature motivating speakers, inspiring case studies and avenues to set goals through further workshops.

WHAT: Free Business Growth Workshop

WHEN: Tuesday, January 17 from 5.30pm to 7pm

WHERE: Coral Sea Marina, Lookout Lounge

PRICE: Free

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Senior Business Coach, Wade Grundon, delivers the free workshop

You can meet Wade at Coral Sea Marina later this month

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Luxury Waterfront Residences Sell For $3.45 Million

Investors are reassured by a commitment to fix costs on luxury waterfront residences at the new Shute Harbour Marina Resort, a move that developers say will alleviate concerns about growing uncertainty with building prices.

The $350 million development project will include a large marina village with restaurants, retail outlets and a commercial heart.

In addition, there will be 58 luxury waterfront residences which will be located along the marina, each with their own private marina berth of between 25 and 35 metres.

“A key concern for buyers is the rapid increases and uncertainty surrounding building costs,” said Rob Taylor, of Taylors Property Specialists.

“The developers of Shute Harbour Marina are assuming this risk and giving price certainty to the buyer. Strictly limited numbers of guarantees are being made available.”

There are now two distinctive designs which have now been released at the fixed price of $3.45 million providing a collection of these luxury waterfront home-and-berth packages for this exclusive residential enclave.

“These packages offer incredible value to secure a waterfront home at Shute Harbour Marina Resort in one of the most exciting developments in north Queensland in years,” said Mr Taylor.

“Not only are the Whitsundays at your doorstep, but these homes will be just a short stroll from Pier 61, a world-class mixed use marine village that will be the commercial and retail heart of Shute Harbour Marina Resort.”

The Tropicana and The Whitsundays are the two choices available at the fixed price.

The Tropicana’s two-storey main residence delivers an expansive 295sqm of enclosed living areas.

The upper-level master bedroom features a private owner’s study/retreat and deck, while the spacious second and third bedrooms are located in a private pavilion with undercover walkways connecting the pavilions.

The residence comes complete with a cooling plunge pool and the 25-metre berth right at its doorstep.

The Whitsundays delivers a modern three-bedroom design that captures incredible views of the marina.

This two-storey design is equally as spacious, with 295sqm of enclosed living areas and 2.7-metre-high ceilings helping to maximise the open areas on the lower level which are ideal for entertaining and relaxed tropical living.

A generous master suite is located on the upper level and the residence is completed with an 8 x 2.5-metre swimming pool overlooking a 25-metre marina berth.  

Luxury living at a fixed price – new $3.45 million waterfront residences at Shute Harbour Marina Resort. Photos supplied

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Kind volunteers spent their Christmas Day hosting a free community lunch at Whitsunday PCYC and over 60 people, many of them elderly, came along to share in friendship and food.

Paula Hovey and Phil Ruck cooked up an incredible festive spread with all of the contents donated by local businesses – Whitsunday Foodservices, atHotel Group, Fish D’Vine, Proserpine IGA, Whisper Gin Bar and Airlie Beach Bowls Club.

The event was organised by author of PJ’s Food Diary, Paula Hovey, Councillor Jan Clifford and Ingrid Ruck from Proserpine Community Centre.

There were also a host of volunteers who spent the day putting smiles on faces and gifts in hands.

One volunteer, Helen Pike, even found an older gentleman at the bus-stop on his way home and offered him a lift to the event where he was filled up and made to feel special.

“It makes us really happy to be able to do it and know that people aren’t by themselves on Christmas Day,” said Paula.

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Two of the organisers – Councillor Jan Clifford and Paula Hovey

Everyone enjoyed a colourful Christmas spread at Whitsunday PCYC. Photos supplied

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Over 70 emergency services personnel, families and members of the public attended a special service in Bowen which was held to remember the fallen officers who passed away in the Wieambilla shooting just before Christmas.

Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29 were both ambushed and murdered in a pre-planned attack by three assailants from the same family.

Four officers attended the scene to conduct a welfare check and two managed to escape - Constable Keely Brough, 28, who raised the alarm as she was hunted by the attackers and Constable Randall Kirk, also 28, who was shot in the leg.

The incident sent shockwaves across the country when it occurred on December 12 last year and dozens of ceremonies to honour the fallen and their families were held in multiple locations on December 21.

The Bowen service was officiated by the Whitsunday Police Chaplain who led a small local service prior to the live stream.

Retired Police Sergeant David Blundell read the Police Ode and Councillors Mike Brunker and Michelle Wright attended to pay their respects on behalf of Whitsunday Regional Council.

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Over 70 people attended a special service in Bowen which honoured the fallen police officers

Police Officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow died in December. Photo credit: Queensland Police Union

Wreaths were laid outside the Bowen Police Station in their honour

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We spend all our working week with the same group of people, fulfilling the same set of duties, something’s bound to start getting on your nerves. Why do our co-worker’s tick us off? Why do some people’s communication drive us crazy?

Learning how to handle different personalities is the first step to creating the workplace where we all want to be.

Invest in three hours a month to step out of work and start working on how to do things better.

You will quickly create and enjoy:

·         Staff who are more motivated – which means they’re more likely to go above and beyond for your business

·         Increased productivity and efficiency. A trained team wastes fewer resources, money and time, and they’ll produce a higher quality of work

·         A trained workplace is a safe one. If you’ve trained your staff, you’ll reduce the number of accidents and incidents, which can be insanely costly

·         A consistently awesome customer experience – increased loyalty and great reviews

As you embark on 2023 why not invest in your people and see how Shiift can create positive, sustainable change with minimal effort.

It’s easier than you think.

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Over the past weeks, we have been featuring stories on various water quality projects being delivered in the Mackay Whitsunday region, which are funded by the partnership between the Australian Government and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Regional programs, like those being delivered here in the Whitsundays, seek to work with landholders to refine farming practices now and into the future, leading to enduring water quality improvement.

To date nearly 400 farm-level projects are underway in the Mackay Whitsunday region, with all contributing to specific targets on reduction of pesticides and nutrients entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

The Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program (MWWQP) targets are to reduce losses of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) by 26 tonnes and pesticide active ingredients by 215 kilograms. Now over halfway through the program, modelling shows that these targets are expected to be met or exceeded by the completion date of June 2024.

Chris Dench, Program Manager for the MWWQP said that “the reporting to date is encouraging, and the significant uptake of projects in our region highlights the commitment of growers to improve water quality on farm and consequently the quality of water that flows to the reef.”

The overall target of all regional water quality programs in Queensland is to reduce 457 tonnes of DIN, 463 kilotonnes of fine sediments and 250 kilograms of pesticides from entering the Reef.

More than 800 farmers and graziers to date are involved in projects that have contributed to the 187 tonnes of nitrogen, 229 kilograms of pesticides and up to 37 kilotonnes of fine sediment prevented from entering the Reef each year so far (GBRF Progress Dashboard).

Reporting on the outcomes of the projects from all regional programs is through the Paddock to Reef integrated monitoring, modelling and reporting program (Paddock to Reef) which is jointly funded by both the Australian and Queensland Governments.  

For more information on the Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program or Paddock to Reef please visit www.reefcatchments.com.au

Contributed with thanks to Reef Catchments.
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Nearly 400 farm-level projects are underway in the Mackay Whitsunday region, aiming to reduce the number of pesticides entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Photo: Stock image

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Sea level rises are not new. Following the last Ice age, as the world began to warm causing the massive polar ice caps to melt, sea levels all around the world began to rise. Over a period of 12,000 years (between 18,000 and 6000 years ago) the sea levels rose more than 120 metres.

Although this happened erratically, with some very rapid rises and some halts, this does average out at a rise of 1 centimetre a year - or half a metre in the lifetime of someone who lived to the age of 50 - and must have come as a shock to the people who experienced them. Although there have been many fluctuations, it had been over 100,000 years since sea levels were high enough to flood the Torres Strait and Bass Strait. Before then, continental shelves all around the world had long been dry land.

About one-seventh of the land mass which was the Australian continent at the end of the Ice age - two and a half million square kilometres - became submerged. This is equal to the present state of Western Australia. When rising quickly, the sea is likely to have drowned gently sloping plains in Northern Australia at the rate of 5 kilometres a year, inundating strips of land over 100 kilometres wide within a generation. Where the continental shelf sloped more steeply the rise would have been less dramatic but would have impinged on the people's lives nonetheless - and they would have had no way of knowing that the sea would ever stop rising.

Memories of this sea level rise is preserved in mythology. All around the world there were tales of floods. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories are particularly rich in references to inundation. Damarri, a Dreamtime figure of the Gungandji Aboriginal people, from the Cairns area was caught out as the sea levels rose but managed to stop the flood by heating stones in a fire and throwing them into the sea. The rocks can still be seen, off the coast at Yarrabah.

Land which was inundated was not 'lost' to the people who traditionally include it in their tribal territories. For many indigenous people's both land and sea, and the creatures which lived there, have a spiritual significance which is intimately linked to their particular creation beliefs and that sense of attachment was not destroyed simply because some of the land was covered with sea. New creation stories explain the origins of Islands and reefs and the inundated territory became 'sea country'.

See the Reef, Love the Reef, Protect the Reef.

Contributed by Master Reef Guide Brent Chatterton.
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Aboriginal stories spoke of inundated territory that became ‘sea country’

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With storm season in full swing, we are all reminded not to get complacent, but to keep vigilant and prepared in case a severe weather event comes our way.

On average, 11 cyclones hit Australia each year and four of them are likely to cross land.

While this may not seem like a lot, it only takes one to cause extensive damage.

In March 2017, Cyclone Debbie hit the Whitsundays and large areas were without water for over a week and had no electricity for two weeks.

During this time, residents needed to be self-sufficient and resilient.

Will you be prepared if this happens again this year?

Here’s what you need to do:

• General maintenance: check the condition of your roof tiles, clean out gutters, trim trees and secure lose items

• Home preparation: Make sure you have an emergency pack, a torch and batteries, wide masking tape for windows, containers for water, spare fuel, portable gas stove top or BBQ and hessian bags

• During a severe weather warning: Close windows or shutters, fill buckets and bath with clean water, park vehicles under cover, move all family members to the strongest room of the house

• Keep connected: Listen to the radio and head to the Whitsunday Regional Council Disaster Dashboard where you will be able to keep up with real time information about the weather event

Cyclone season takes place from November to April each year and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) will issue warnings when a severe weather event is expected to hit within 24 hours.

During this small window the shops may be full, and supplies can run out so it is best to ensure you are prepared ahead of time.
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Cyclone Debbie hit in 2017, causing residents to be without power for weeks. Photo contributed

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