Situated among the trees in North Mackay, Mackay Riding for the Disabled (RDA) provides the unique experience of riding a horse to those living with a disability but the not-for-profit organisation is in desperate need of volunteers to continue the service.

The dedicated team of volunteers provide both recreational and therapeutic horse riding programs for children and adults with disabilities, facilitating fortnightly lessons to special schools, community groups and other participants.

Coach of 30 years Jody Burrows said that one rider may require up to four people to support them on that one horse.

“If we don’t have enough volunteers, the participants don’t get as long a ride as they normally would,” she said.

“It breaks my heart when we see horses tied up there with saddles on, people sitting there who would love to have a ride and not enough people to help.”

Ms Burrow’s role is an all-encompassing one, ranging from preparing the horses, managing volunteers, assisting riders and participants and making sure everyone has a wonderful day.

With a varying list of tasks required, many volunteers fill many roles depending on the needs of the animals, the grounds and the participants.

“As far as volunteering goes, it’s not just horses,” said Ms Burrow.

“We have a wide range of roles including gardening, bookwork, and kitchen duties.

“If you’re not a horse person, it doesn’t matter, because we train you.”

Mary Steel has volunteered in a variety of roles including maintenance, fundraising, and currently manages the horses, saying there are many benefits to the variety involved in RDA.

“You can get fit and healthy, you're outdoors, you can make friends, you learn a lot,” she said.

“Coming here as a volunteer, you learn about disabilities so you can then get a job in that field.

“What makes people feel good in themselves is doing something for somebody else without expecting anything in return, but you still get lots of thank yous, hugs and high fives.”

To find out more about volunteering with Mackay RDA, email mackayrda@bigpond.com or call 07 4944 0066.

“Come down, have a look and see what you think,” said Ms Burrow.

“We’ve got the facilities, we’ve got the gear, we just need the people.”

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Volunteers fill a number of roles and complete a variety of tasks at Mackay Riding for Disabled

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Mackay locals, long time tennis friends and valued volunteers Mavis Liddell and Pam Keune both celebrated 30 years of volunteering at Mackay Hospital Foundation last week.

Ms Keune has a long history of volunteering, starting at both Friends of the MECC and Mackay Hospital Foundation after returning to Mackay from a stint in Townsville.

“Our youngest was just starting uni, so I didn’t have any schools or sports to get involved in, but I still wanted to volunteer,” she said.

From tuckshops to tennis canteens to the base hospital, Ms Keune has a passion for volunteering, filling roles in the hospital canteen, mail delivery, gift shop and information desk over the years.

“I just love helping people,” she said.

“Especially at the hospital, you have a lot of people who are very sad because they have people sick, so I try to do anything I can to help them.”

Similarly, Ms Liddell began volunteering as something to fill time while her son played rugby league.

A former employee of Queensland Health, Ms Liddell also started in mail delivery and covered a variety of roles over her 30 years.

“I like being with people and I like working in hospitals,” she said.

“There’s always somebody who needs help or information.”

Mackay Hospital Foundation recognised their volunteers at a lunch held last week during National Volunteer Week where 38 of the foundation’s 80 volunteers gathered.

Community Engagement Officer Brenda McFadzen said the lunch was an opportunity to thank the volunteers for their years of service.

“If we didn’t have our volunteers, we certainly wouldn’t run,” she said.

“I love the different personalities and walks of life, there are so many characters.”

Mackay Hospital Foundation is always looking for new volunteers to fill a variety of roles from the information desk, gift shop or convenience trolley to playing Santa at Christmas or the Easter Bunny at Easter.

Both Ms Keune and Ms Liddell urge others to get involved.

“You’ll get as much out of helping other people as they do,” said Ms Keune.

“You make lots of friendships along the years,” added Ms Liddell.

More information can be found at www.mackayhospitalfoundation.com.au or at the hospital’s information desk.

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Mavis Liddell and Pam Keune celebrated 30 years of volunteering at Mackay Hospital Foundation at a National Volunteer Week lunch last week. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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Exciting new plans are on their way for the next instalment of the Cruise Whitsundays’ Great Barrier Reef Festival which is due to take place in August.

The mammoth four-day festival, from Thursday August 3 to Sunday August 6, has a jampacked program of events and experiences, sure to impress locals and visitors alike.

This years’ theme of Whales reinforces the festival’s ideals of creating both a fun and educational event that features environment-based learning workshops and interactive eco-education platforms, carnival-style attractions, art, food, live music, fireworks and more.

The theme is especially significant as The Whitsundays has been named a Candidate Whale Heritage Site by the World Cetacean Alliance.

Many of the Festival events will centre on Humpback Whales, as thousands of humpbacks make their annual migration to The Whitsundays.

Great Barrier Reef Festival Chair, Margie Murphy, said that she is excited to be bringing another action-packed Reef Festival to take over Airlie Beach again this year.

“This is a truly inclusive event, and we encourage the whole community to get involved,” she said.

A key component to the event this year will be an immersive, educational full-day cruise to Hardy Reef with Cruise Whitsundays which will be hosted by 10 Master Reef Guides on Saturday, August 5.  

Hosting this event allows event sponsors, Cruise Whitsundays, to promote education and eco-tourism.

Renee Branton-Brown, Sales and Marketing Manager of Cruise Whitsundays said that Cruise Whitsundays takes its role of reef custodians very seriously.

“We are ecstatic to host our award-winning Great Barrier Reef Experience alongside the largest cohort of Master Reef Guides for the festival this year,” she said.

“Reef education is imperative for everyone to understand the important role we all play in protecting this natural wonder.

Rick Hamilton, CEO of Tourism Whitsundays said, “The Whitsundays is the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef, and this event is when the whole community gets together to celebrate that.”

WHAT: Cruise Whitsundays Great Barrier Reef Festival

WHEN: August 3 - 6

WHERE: Across Airlie Beach

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Popular festival celebrating the Great Barrier Reef has been scheduled for 2023. Photo supplied

For Out-Of-This-World Fostering Experience

When a lack of services for pets without a family became apparent, Mackay Animal Rescue Society Inc. (MARS) was formed, becoming a haven for the dogs and cats of the Mackay region since January 2011.

MARS is a not-for-profit registered local charity committed to providing animals with a second chance by taking them into loving and safe foster homes and providing them with the care they need until they find their new home.

Led by President Rachael Darmanin, Treasurer Sherrie Screen and Secretary Denise Home, MARS rehomed 451 dogs and cats in the last financial year.

“Foster carers are the backbone of MARS,” said Ms Home.

“We rely heavily on them as these wonderful people give a temporary home to cats and dogs in care, while actively assisting in finding a new forever home.”

All foster animals in care are health checked, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed, flea treated and desexed, with all vet costs covered, ensuring that all MARS fosters are healthy and ready for adoption when their perfect match comes along.

“I started fostering as too many dogs were being let down and forgotten,” said foster carer Kailey Anderson.

“By fostering, I have an opportunity to choose their forever family so they have a chance at a longer and happier life.”

“When your foster finds their new home there is no greater feeling than knowing you helped save a life,” added Ms Home.

Find more information about fostering and volunteering for MARS at mackayanimalrescue.com.au or Mackay Animal Rescue Society on Facebook.

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Foster carer Kailey Anderson with her foster puppies

Diana Ralph and Rachael Darmanin with their foster kittens at adoption day

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Learn the fundamentals of art, design, and community collaboration in these 101 workshops for all makers, DIY-ers, creatives, and artists.

Designed for members of the community who wish for growth in community connection and relationships, these workshops will provide creative ideas to foster connection through art and artistic projects.

In these one-day only workshops, attendees will begin with a session on planning and curating a community arts event.

In the afternoon, attendees will test their creatives skills with a hands-on lantern making workshop, hosted by Lalune Croker.

Attendees will also enjoy a digital animation workshop, with international exhibited Donna Maree Robinson.

WHAT: Animate a Space

WHERE: Bowen PCYC

WHEN: Saturday May 27

TIME: 10am – 5pm

REGISTER: Eventbrite.com.au

Cost: Free plus lunch provided

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WHAT: Animate a Space

WHERE: Proserpine Community Markets

WHEN: Sunday May 28

TIME: 9.30am – 4.30pm

REGISTER: Eventbrite.com.au

Cost: Free plus lunch provided

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The upcoming Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards for Regional Queensland have two local buildings in the running for awards.

The Hutchinson Builders construction, Proserpine Entertainment Centre (PEC), has been nominated into the Project Award Public Architecture, because of the complex’s impact on Proserpine’s community.

The PEC underwent a complete rebuild following Cyclone Debbie in 2017, when the building was damaged beyond repair.

The new complex includes a multipurpose auditorium and stage which has since showcased many travelling theatre performances, a new cinema screen, art installations, outdoor performance area, and an upgrade to the Cenotaph.

The second local attraction to be nominated is the Shute Harbour Marine Terminal.

Similar to the PEC, the previous Shute Harbour Marine Terminal was extensively damaged in Cyclone Debbie.

The construction of the new terminal utilised salvaged timber from the old site, and the cost of construction was $63.6 million in total.

The new complex includes a rebuilt seawall which is higher than the previous by one metre and more resilient against storm surges.

There is also a brand-new terminal, three finger pontoons and carparking, with a restaurant, function centre, retail space and a recreational fishing jetty.

The Shute Harbour Marine Terminal was nominated in the Public Architecture category due to the complex’s promotion of tourism and recreation.

‍Shute Harbour Marine Terminal boasts high numbers to local tourism and recreation

A lot if you take last night’s 4MK Rob’s Party at Magpies Sporting Club as an example.

We had a ball with a night that we’ve never done before. Filled a room with everyone named Rob. Sure, some people were officially named Rob or Robin, or Roberta based on their birth certificate. But we had plenty more there who were given a world famous Rob name for the night, and we loved every second of it.

We played a few games, gave out some prizes and we may have had a couple of drinks, but let’s not say how many because it was a school night anyway.

Tonight it’ll be a fun night with the launch of the Mackay Golf Pro Am and I guess I’ll get some tips of how to best shoot a 5 under at the Mackay Golf Course. Just for those who don’t know, I’m a hacker and 5 under would be great for anyone, but for me 5 over would be normal.

Remember over the next few weekends we are off to the basketball for some high quality NBL1 action with our Meteorettes and Meteors doing battle against Cairns, Logan and Ipswich. If you’ve never been to Candlestick Park before, have a look. It’s a fun night.

A reminder that the annual Mackay Marina Run is next week and then it’s pretty much show season. The Pioneer Valley Show at Finch Hatton will be my highlight as I’ll be on the microphone again having a few laughs, but then straight after we’re off to the annual 3 days festival that is the Mackay Show.

So many fun things to see and do around Mackay and the Whitsundays and as the weather gets colder and the days shorter, what’s not to love right?

Get outside and have some fun.

You can join Rob Kidd from 5am weekday mornings on 4MK 1026 AM in Mackay and Proserpine, 91.5FM in Airlie Beach or just ask your smart speaker to play 4MK on iHeartRadio!

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Last week this newspaper published a story on a memorial service that took place in Airlie Beach to mark what would have been Luke Gilbert’s 25th birthday.

Luke sadly passed away during a police shooting in October last year.

Since then, his devastated family have been campaigning for an independent inquiry into the incident which they believe to be the result of excessive police force.

Last week this paper stated that the inquiry was already going ahead, but this was inaccurate.

There is an inquest due to take place in August which the family hope will pave the way for an independent inquiry.

In last week’s article, this newspaper incorrectly stated that Luke drew a 4cm penknife from his pocket.

Please note, that the knife allegedly had a 7cm blade and he unclipped it from his belt when the police asked him what he had.

The family assert that he did not threaten police with the knife and that they were allegedly backing away when he was shot.

They also state that no CCTV footage has been released, it was phone recordings that documented the event.

This newspaper was told by one of the people attending the memorial that they had seen the CCTV footage, but that information was inaccurate.

The newspaper article also stated that the family acknowledge that Luke’s behaviour in saying “shoot me then, faggots” was ‘disgraceful’.

They did not say this.

“As a family we have never said Luke’s behaviour was disgraceful,” said mum, Nicola Gilbert.

“We do not agree that it was. He was highly intoxicated and it’s fair to say he should not have taken the knife off his belt but we do not believe that doing so warrants being killed.”

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The mobile Breast Screen van will be making the rounds in the area from June 8, starting with Proserpine Hospital.

The Breast Screen initiative began in 1991 and has since detected 25,000 breast cancers through five million breast screens.

The free program is encouraged for all women over 40 years old.

Please note that this service is for a check-up only and not for women who have a concern or can feel a lump.

If you are worried about either of these, you need to book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.

The level of treatment required can be massively reduced if cancer is caught early, so do not delay in speaking with your GP immediately if you are concerned.

All women over 40, who do not have a concern or change in their breast, are recommended to have a breast scan every two years.

The procedure includes scans of the breast tissue, which can detect growths or cancer cells that can not be felt or seen.

Two photos of each breast will be analysed by doctors and results sent to the patient.

It is common for some women to be recalled for a second screen at the Mackay Breast Screen Centre.

This does not mean you have cancer; it simply means they wish to conduct a second screening, an ultrasound and possibly a biopsy.

In the majority of cases this still results in a cancer-free diagnosis.

The Breast Screen mobile van will be parking up in Proserpine and Cannonvale from June to August, to service local women.

The service is free and is minimally invasive, so be sure to make an appointment and get checked.

To make an appointment, ring 13 20 50 or visit breastscreen.qld.gov.au

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The Breast Screen van will be at Prosperine Hospital on Herbert Street from Thursday June 8 to Saturday July 1.

The Breast Screen van will be at Whitsunday Plaza on Galbraith Park Road, Cannonvale from Monday July 3 to Thursday August 31.

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A breast scan can detect growths and cancer cells that even doctors can’t see or feel. Photo supplied

A mate of mine posed a question to me the other day: When did it become okay to wear those branded fishing shirts out to dinner?

They’re definitely great for fishing in Queensland, with their protective long sleeves and collars but, according to my friend, wearing them out to dinner is a step too far.

The question is, has Mackay changed or is my friend a little bit precious? Perhaps pretentious?

My friend was born in South Mackay where, last time I checked, no one was complaining about fishing shirts in the dining area.

However, he now lives in a nice street in Mount Pleasant and has a white-collar job that requires him to mix in certain smart business circles. “Ooh la la,” I hear you say.

No, the truth is My Mt Pleasant Mate is not pretentious but he probably has changed from when he was a kid growing up on the streets of South Mackay.

I wasn’t in Mackay 40 or 50 years ago but I imagine those fishing shirts wouldn’t have been too prevalent then, even in fishing circles, and let alone in a dining area. My guess is that it would have been fishing in a pair of stubbies and a tank top or a t-shirt and probably not too much in the way of sunscreen.

So in some ways Mackay, along with My Mt Pleasant Mate, has changed. In others it hasn’t.

In summer, the shorts and singlet or t-shirt are still part of the uniform, along with those new-fangled fishing shirts.

My Mt Pleasant Mate hasn’t passed comment to me about stubbies and a singlet in the dining area but I think we all know how he’d view it. Being a real estate agent, I got to thinking what would he think about the way people should dress for an open house? What would he think about stubbies and singlets?

There is no dress code for an open house in Mackay … and I’ve got no problem with that.

I’ve seen people turn up in bikinis, speedos, stubbies without a shirt and one bloke who turned up with a towel wrapped around his waist and no top … not sure if there was anything underneath because I dared not ask.

One thing I know about Mackay is that the way someone dresses does not indicate whether or not he or she has the money to buy a property I am selling.

That quiet, barefoot bloke in shorts and a t-shirt looking at the shed out back turns out to be a retiring cane farmer who is very financially comfortable and is ready to pay cash for the low-set $600,000 Glenella property he is planning to downsize to with his wife.

In real estate, and in life, you don’t judge a book by its cover and you soon realise that it takes all types and all styles of dress.

So feel free to come along to my open homes in whatever makes you feel comfortable. I promise not to have My Mt Pleasant Mate at the door imposing a dress code.

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The recently announced Havana Party Night ‘Let’s do Latin’ fundraiser night for the Whitsunday Tiny Homes Project has another massive announcement for the event.

Kelly Ann Doll, Australian power burlesque dancer will be appearing as Carmen Miranda, the famous Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress who is renowned for her floral fruit headpieces and her signature outfits.

“Kelly is a swing dancing burlesque dynamo and you’re bound to be in for some exciting surprises in the final act,” said event organiser Sandy Clark.

“This will be something very different for Airlie Beach and we are thrilled that an artist of this calibre is flying in from Sydney and donating her time especially for this worthy cause of building four tiny homes for elderly homeless women in our community.”

Kelly is a formidable burlesque dancer and entertainer, having been voted in the Top 10 of the Most Influential Burlesque Artists in Australia by 21 Century Burlesque Magazine.

In conjunction with this fundraising event, Tiny Home Project volunteers have been visiting local businesses, asking for cash donations to fund the project.

The project was launched in October 2022 and is raising funds to construct four tiny homes for homeless women who are over 55-years old and live in the Whitsundays.

The tiny homes will be constructed on donated land from the Whitsunday Regional Council, on Gardenia Street in Proserpine.

The project has gained momentum, with the second fundraising event, held in February of this year, raising just over $17,000, and now Mayor Julie Hall has vowed to donate 50 per cent of proceeds gained from her Mayor’s Charity Ball, held in July.

WHAT: It’s Havana Party Night @ Let’s do Latin

WHERE: Whitsunday Sailing Club Bali Hut

WHEN: June 8, 5pm – 10pm

COST: $125 per person

TICKETS: airlieevents.com.au

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National Sensation Kelly Ann Doll will be performing at the Havana party fundraiser. Photo supplied

The absolute passion and drive that fuels Wendy Downes OAM is clear, illuminating everything she does.

When Wendy and her husband John moved to Airlie Beach in 1998, she brought her passion for running, cycling, and competing with her.

However, Airlie Beach was sorely lacking in any runners or bikers.

“There was nothing here at all,” Wendy said.

“But once we started, it just started to build.”

Wendy was a “maniac runner”, competing in numerous Sydney City to Surfs, the Six Foot Track Marathons, the Royal Park Marathon, and the 1994 Duathlon World Championships, where she finished 4th.

“Running is a part of me,” she said.

“It feels like I’m floating.”

Wendy began the Whitsunday Running Club and championed the various running events of Airlie Beach, including the Airlie Beach Festival of Sport, the Whitsunday Trail Fest, Parkrun, and the Whitsunday Triathlon Club.

In more recent times, Wendy has moved onto being a Technical Official for various triathlons, including being involved in the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final on the Gold Coast in 2018.

In 2015, she was honoured with an Order of Australia, for her involvement in the Whitsundays and to recreational running.

And in 2018, Wendy carried the Queens Baton Relay through Airlie Beach.

“It felt good. Absolutely amazing,” Wendy said.

“Those two honours are really special to me.”

“When I look back, I would go back and do every single one again.”

Wendy expects that the 2023 Airlie Beach Triathlon, scheduled for July 29 and 30, to be the biggest one yet.

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Wendy Downes is a power marathon runner and avid community supporter. Photo supplied

A hugely successful Vision for the Whitsundays launch event last week saw over 60 attendees from local businesses eager to hear the visionary perspectives from David Littleproud MP (federal leader of the National Party), Andrew Willcox MP (Federal Member for Dawson), Amanda Camm MP (Queensland Member for Whitsunday) and Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall, all centred around driving economic growth and prosperity in our region.

Read more about the details presented on the evening on our Vision for the Whitsundays page of our website, which will be regularly updated as this project progresses.

It was clear that to help our political representatives advocate more effectively, we need to be coordinated in our ask as a business community.

The Chamber’s next networking event in Proserpine on 15th June will focus on discussing the priorities for the region – we will be asking for input in the interim, so feel free to contact the chamber to discuss.

Now is the time to join the Chamber and be part of this initiative.

New memberships to end of FY23 are free – jump onto our website and join up.

Onto the budget, the Federal government announced some modest energy bill and tax relief for small business with key measures including increasing the instant asset write-off threshold to $20000 for 12 months, a rebate of up to $650 off electricity bill for eligible businesses and up to $20000 in bonus tax rebates per asset under the Small Business Energy Incentive scheme, to encourage businesses to install energy efficient appliances.

This week, representatives from the Chamber will meet with The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) with a view to establish a closer working relationship and getting the department to be more active in the region.

The department’s primary purpose is to support the workforce with learning opportunities and by helping small businesses establish and thrive and is an invaluable resource for our local enterprises.

Onwards and upwards for 2023.

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Greater Whitsunday Communities (GWC) and Regional Development Australia Greater Whitsunday (RDA) have partnered and initiated the Housing Summit to identify collaborative solutions to the housing stress being felt across the Greater Whitsunday region.

Stakeholders from across the housing industry came together in October 2022 to guide the project.

The first initiative in December 2022 was to hold a housing round table where the following key themes emerged from the consultation:

1. Availability and diversity of choice

2. Affordability

3. Consumer needs

4. Roles and responsibilities.

A social and emergency accommodation working group has also been established to investigate safe sleeping spaces, storage facilities and mapping possible options for repurposing of housing.

Urbis have been engaged to carry out a research component to identify the baseline data and look at the current and future needs of all sections of the housing supply chain. This research will help inform the solution-based co-design workshop that will be held at the Housing Summit.

The Housing Summit will be held on June 6, 2023, from 9am to 4.30pm at the Mackay Turf Club. To date there are 120 attendees registered to participate in the summit. The summit will use Urbis’ research to develop solutions to address the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday housing issues. The summit will also feed into the development of the Local Housing Action Plans along with a Regional Housing Action Plan.

The State Government recently announced funding that will be delivered through the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) that will enable all local councils in Queensland to develop local area housing plans. Our region will be working with the State Government representatives and LGAQ representatives to ensure our plans meet the State Government housing plan requirements.

If you have an interest or are part of the housing supply chain i.e. local governments, developers, builders, not-for-profit housing providers, industry bodies, financial institutions and housing support services, please consider registering to attend the summit to be part of the housing solution.

Contact Greater Whitsunday Communities to register for the Housing Summit on June 6.

Cr Karen May

Deputy Mayor

Mackay Regional Council

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I am pleased to provide an update on the progress of the Wilson’s Beach Swimming Enclosure.

As I’m sure many of you are aware, the enclosure was damaged during Tropical Cyclone Debbie and Council has been unsuccessfully out to tender three times in an attempt to have the enclosure rebuilt.

As a result, we are now taking a new approach to the refurbishment. Instead of going out to tender for the entire project, we will now be splitting the rebuild into a three-stage approach and seeking quotes for each stage of the project individually.

The three stages are:

1. Dismantling the current enclosure.

2. Purchase of materials directly by Council.

3. Building of the new enclosure.

We have procured the services of a local contractor to complete stage one of the Wilson’s Beach Swimming Enclosure project.

Work is scheduled to commence in the next 4-6 weeks and residents can expect to see the vertical posts/poles remain as they are still in reasonable condition. The contractor will be using two entry points to dismantle the current enclosure and residents will be notified of these works once dates have been confirmed.

Council officers have already commenced seeking quotes for stage two and three of the project with stage two procurement process almost finalised and stage three not far behind!

I understand your frustrations with how long this process has taken, as I have been frustrated too. To the Wilsons Beach residents, thank you for your patience and support – we have fought together to get this far.

Since adopting a staged approach, I am thrilled to see significant progress and look forward to seeing the enclosure rebuilt soon. Keep an eye on my Facebook page for further updates!

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