Occasionally, despite best intentions, things get missed in my vegie patch.

Consequently, I’ve had a couple of plant issues to deal with of late, so I thought I’d talk vegie garden problem solving over the next few weeks.

Let’s start with POWDERY MILDEW caused by fungi.

This is a particular common issue with zucchini, cucumber and pumpkin plants but effects a large range of vegetable plants.

Powdery Mildew is that white patch on leaves that slowly spreads until it covers the entire leaf surface.  If left, the leaves will eventually turn brown and die off.

If caught early you can organically treat the leaves.  Milk is a popular option.  Simply put milk in a spray bottle and spray the infected area.  Some use a diluted solution of 50/50 milk to water but I use straight milk.  Apply twice a week until the problem is resolved.

Baking Soda is another option I have heard used, though I have not used this myself.

X1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

X3 Litres of water

X1 Teaspoon liquid soap (not dishwashing liquid)

If you’ve left it a little late and the leaves are covered in Powdery Mildew, then I would pull the plants out and use your valuable space for other plantings.  The spores spread easily and can become an issue in other parts of your garden.

The three things to be aware of to prevent Powdery Mildew are:

AIR FLOW

Air movement is an important factor when dealing with fungi.

This is one reason why thinning out your planting is important for plant health.

Location is also important.

I made the mistake of planting against a wall and then using hessian instead of netting to give sun protection, this resulted in no air movement and, of course, fungi took over.

Air movement dramatically reduces the spread of fungi, disease and insect pests.

WATER

Water the soil and not the foliage of your plants and don’t use a “jet stream” when watering, that will splash spores from the soil onto the foliage.  Water gently.

Water in the morning, giving the foliage time to dry out before the evening temperature drops.

MULCH

If you mulch around your vegetable plants, not only will you be supressing weeds, feeding the soil (as it breaks down), regulating the soil temperature and saving water, you will also be reducing the spreading of spores from the soil to your plants.

Mulching is essential for successful vegetable growing.

BE AWARE:  Plants and cuttings with Powdery Mildew should not be put in your compost bin as the spores will potentially be spread throughout other parts of your garden when used.

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Many of you may have heard about tinnitus or personally experienced it for yourself.

Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. Some people experience a hum, buzz, cricket or high-pitched squeal which may be constant, intermittent and can sometimes change in tone, pitch or intensity.

The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn't caused by an external sound, and other people usually can't hear it. Tinnitus is a common problem. It affects about 15 to 20 per cent of people and is especially common in older adults.

So what causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus is usually caused by an underlying condition and is most commonly associated with a hearing loss. Generally, the worse your hearing is, the louder or more frequent the tinnitus will be.

Wax occluding the ear canal, injury to the tympanic membrane such as a perforation are also other common causes of tinnitus, and then there are more serious causes which are less common. If your tinnitus occurs suddenly, it is always best to seek medical advice to work out the underlying cause.

Other contributing factors to someone experiencing tinnitus can include alcohol intake, levels of salt in the diet, stimulants such as caffeine, various medications may have tinnitus as a side effect, and stress. Often, if someone is stressed or anxious, or there has been an unwanted change in personal circumstances, the level of tinnitus they experience can fluctuate in intensity.

For many people, tinnitus improves with treatment of the underlying cause. Apps such as Beltone Tinnitus Calmer uses a combination of sounds and relaxing exercises that aim to distract your brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Hearing aids are also another great option for tinnitus suffers as many also have a hearing loss, so the benefits are twofold.

Written by Owner/Audiometrist at Whitsunday Hearing, Sarah Logan

Tinnitus affects about 15 to 20 per cent of people around the world

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Peter J Hood

1: Council can deal, in a limited way, with repercussions from increased financial stress. While we have lower house prices compared to many other areas in Queensland (and consequently lower interest repayments) we also have some of the highest rates and insurance premiums.

I’ve hammered home over the past couple of years Whitsunday rates can and should come down. As Mayor I would immediately Conduct my own audit of council spending (zero cost to residents for the audit) and look at the budget priorities we have.

I also believe we can reduce the hoops many buyers need to jump through to be able to build and buy locally.

2: If I weren’t running, I’d take a close look at each of the candidates. I’ve copped some criticism because some candidates believe you need to be a Councillor before you run for Mayor. I have to say that their performance to date as a Councillor hasn’t been spectacular enough to fill me with any sort of confidence.

One of the advantages of a by-election at this time is that no matter who you vote for you can get rid of them in two years. I have been dealing with the top-end of local, State and Federal governments as a Principal Accountant in Public Practice for 44+ years.

Working with state and federal governments, particularly around funding, requires a professional approach. There’s also a need to get the basics right before we waste money on things that are not essential.

3: I think we can make a good case for upgrading the Bruce Highway between Mackay and Townsville, floodproofing Goorganga and Hamilton Plains and developing a sealed road between Proserpine and Collinsville. Housing is obviously an area of need for our region. I’d argue that many essential medical services need incentives to encourage providers.

We also need to support our residents and to take the lead from them. We can’t tell people what they need, Council should be prepared to listen and act.

Julie Hall

1: The interest rate rises are going to place more and more pressure on the cost of living, and this will have a run-on affect to our community, businesses, and our tourism industry. People stop spending money on non-essentials when times are tough.

Advocating for more support from Federal and State Government for our businesses, tourism and our industries and ensuring Council is doing all it can do to protect the economic development of the region.

This is not a time to be placing more pressure on our locals with higher rates and we should be looking at where we can save money, especially wasted money, this I believe is an absolute must.

Listening to the needs of the community as we move through these times, so we have enough foresight and planning to adapt and change as required. This will require a leader who is willing to step outside the box and who is willing to bring new initiatives to the table.

Our local community groups are an essential part of supporting the people in our community that are doing it tough and as a community we can all do more to help and support. My vision is to pull together the Whitsunday region and stop the division of us and them. Together we will be stronger and more resilient and together we will get through these tough times.

2: I would give my vote to Phil Batty if I wasn’t running as he has similar values to me. He is genuine in his vision of doing what’s right and helping the community first and foremost.

3: I have already made many State and Federal government contacts since running in the last Federal Election and I will be leveraging on these contacts to advocate for our region to ensure we are not forgotten up here in the north and we receive our fair share of funding.  

Al Grundy

1: Council can support our community by being as effective and efficient as possible to ensure that every dollar is spent wisely. We are moving into a period that has not been experienced by a great majority of our community, with rising interest rates and rising costs of living, greater than wages growth. These recent economic pressures come on top of the housing shortage and challenges presented to businesses with staff shortages.

For the next few years, the most important role for the Mayor and the Councillors is to keep a close eye on expenditure to ensure that rates and utility charges are kept to an absolute minimum, while maintaining the services of Council at the best possible standards. The work of advocacy for the Mayor will also be very important, meeting with local, state and federal politicians and agencies to ensure the financial assistance from grants and programs is fairly and equitably distributed back to our community.

On financial management, another area I want our CEO to focus on is achieving the best possible returns from the commercial business units. By ensuring we are realising a return from the business units we can help reduce the pressures on the general rates from rising costs, such as wages, fuels, fleet and consumables.

2: If I was not running, I would want a candidate who had experience in local government and running a small to medium size business. One of the things that I have found since becoming a councillor in April 2020, is that it takes around a year to understand the legislative requirements and processes for conducting Council business.

3: I have over 10 years of experience advocating for this community, in particular during the period after Cyclone Debbie. I have represented this community in Canberra with politicians and bureaucrats on two occasions, and have hosted numerous politicians and agencies on local visits to the area. I have also presented papers to senate estimate hearings and been asked to represent the area on numerous committees. The most important advocacy is the with Financial Assistance Grants, where grants from the Federal Government are distributed back for Councils to work on programs, such as the local road network.

Mike Brunker

1: Cost of living pressures are always at the front of mind when you are a Councillor. Framing our budgets for the region, we are sure to make certain that, while all of our water and sewerage budgets should be self-funding, we balance that principle with the affordability of our rates each year.

That's why over the six years since Cyclone Debbie and the Covid outbreak, we have only raised the general rates twice, as well as still trying to provide the communities with a good standard of services that are expected today.

2: I obviously have voted for myself, as I believe I have the most experience as a Mayor to make sure we as a Whitsunday Regional Council still get our fair share of funding from State and Federal governments.

But, if I wasn't running for Mayor, I would probably vote for Al Grundy. Although he has not been on Council for long, I believe he has more – a lot more - credibility and integrity than the others. You cannot say one thing around the council chambers and a different thing out in the community. So, for me, it would be Al Grundy.

3: As I said: I have the experience of running a Council as a Mayor as I've spent 22 years in Local Government with 15 of those years as Mayor. So, I do know my way around, which is important when lobbying State and Federal Ministers for project funding or support for our communities.

It's crucial that after this election, whoever has the honour of leading the mighty Whitsunday Regional Council, that we get straight back to business and work as a united group without any hard feelings or backstabbing. It is a bare minimum that the voting public would expect.

So Just Vote 1 Michael Brunker - you don't have to fill in every square - and stick with experience.

Jan Clifford

1: As a councillor, I have no control over the interest rates.

2: I have no interest in voting for any other candidates.

3: As a long serving Councillor for many years, I have both formed professional friendships and strengthened others with both levels of governments on both sides of the political aisle. As a Director of Regional Development Australia for the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday region I become aware of funding opportunities in their early stages and am able to react quickly. I will, through my contacts, continue to push for additional funding such as the Works for Queensland State government initiative and ensure that these funds are shared equitably across the entire region.

Phil Batty

1: Council cannot control interest rates and inflation rates in any meaningful way, what council can do is not continually impose rates, fees and charges to the community which compound the global and national impacts.

Council can and must do better in terms of budgeting and wasteful spending, like every household it must very quickly adapt how business is done to get better value for every dollar spent thus minimising and holding the line on rate increases, charges and other income lines like parking fees and all other revenue lines from the public. This focus and prudence will relieve and assist the continual stresses caused by interest and inflation.

2: I can understand the dilemma currently presented to the resident in deciding who to vote for. Each of the candidates have different strengths and different political leanings. The difficulty as with any election is separating what you are told from what will be achieved. Whoever gets elected, and I am not going to pick one, I would hope has the vision to improve this region and the strength to lead and manage a council to make these things happen.

3: This is where my strengths will really bring results. Firstly, modelling and planning before approaching state and federal governments is mandatory. Fully costed clearly articulated proposals with ROI and risk profiles in place addressing the need and benefits to the current community and that of future generations must be completed before asking for support. Simply asking for money will never work in the current financial climate.

Then getting these proposals into the right hands, knocking on doors, knocking again and pressing the case. Having the answers to the obvious questions which will come back. Then sell the region and show that Council is ready and able to deliver on all their plans to compliment this investment. Do the work well to make the government’s decision to offer support easier and publicly acceptable.

I can and will lead this approach if elected as Mayor, the Mayor for all the people of this region.

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Paperbacks were flying off the shelf in July for Proserpine Museum’s Book Bonanza with the local institution reporting this year was its best ever, both in terms of donations and funds raised.

Volunteers at the museum were astounded by the backing from the local community as the over two decade-long running event experienced unprecedented support.

A volunteer at Proserpine Museum attributed the 2022 event’s success to a few factors.

“The community has always given us strong support by giving us the books themselves,” the volunteer said.

“But this year in terms of donations, it’s definitely our best ever. The only things I can think is that people had purchased a lot of books over COVID and they needed somewhere to get rid of them!

“I think, even though it’s been 26 years, the word is really getting out now because there were a lot of new people dropping in.”

The week-long event is the major fundraiser for the museum, with money cycled back into maintenance, upkeep, and upgrades for the volunteer-run building.

The Book Bonanza has long been a “treasure trove” for local collectors, but volunteers were particularly glad to see the new generation picking up the paperbacks this year – another indicator of its growing success.

“We were just so thrilled – the first Saturday and Sunday were the busiest and I was so pleased,” the volunteer said.

“We had so many young families coming through and that was something in particular that I noticed. It was fantastic to see.”

Volunteer Jan Lade, Proserpine Museum Vice President Don Kurkowski, and volunteer Larraine Bigg

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One of the Great Barrier Reef’s most popular and awarded destination marinas has claimed another award: the ‘World’s Best Superyacht Marina’ 2022 in the prestigious ACREW Superyacht Business Awards last week.

Coral Sea Marina Resort won the title in the ACREW Superyacht Business Awards – which are considered globally to be the most recognised award program in the Superyacht industry.

The selected finalists are voted on by ACREW’s extensive network of over 15,000 captains and crew across the globe.

“When I purchased the marina from the receivers in 2013, my vision was to create the Monaco of the South Pacific,” Coral Sea Marina owner, Paul Darrouzet said.

“I expected the transformation to take five years. I did not envisage enduring a major natural disaster or a global pandemic, but throughout it all, we have survived and thrived.”

It adds another jewel to Coral Sea Marina Resort’s crown, which includes Australia’s Marina of the Year in 2017/2018, 2019/2020 and was entered into the Hall of Fame in 2021.”

“Being awarded the world’s Best Superyacht Marina just as we have entered our tenth year of operations, is not only the ultimate accolade – it is a vision realized,” Mr Darrouzet said.

International marina finalists in this category were Porto Montenegro, Rhodes Marina, Marina Genova, Limassol Marina (Cyprus), and Coral Sea Marina Resort.

The award acknowledges the marina with the highest standard of facilities, services and hospitality in the world.

“The past few years have dealt our business some major losses, which makes this win all the more meaningful,” Kate Purdie, CEO of Coral Sea Marina said.

“I could not be more proud of the dedicated and passionate team I have the privilege of working with every day and their seamless delivery of transformational guest experiences.”

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Two local pastors are utilising the platform of their church to make positive change in the community, one bag of groceries at a time.

Whitsunday Impact Church pastors Sam and Josh Faltinsky began their ‘Community Pantry’ six weeks ago, distributing food to “those who need it most” in the small sugar town.

Taking in donations of canned goods, vouchers, groceries, and more from locals, their Community Pantry has quickly taken off – both on the donation and collection front.

People from “all walks of life” have dropped by in their time of need to receive food assistance, as well as drop off astounding donations.

“We’ve had people drop by a full $500 dollars’ worth of groceries for donation, and we’ve had up to $1500 in vouchers for those in need, too,” Pastor Josh Faltinsky said.

His wife and co-pastor, Sam Faltinsky, said the idea was to help the community originally through crisis care - helping a few people find a room for the night.

It quickly became apparent locals needed more help than just housing, and Sam said it was now “a way to help people eat every week.”

“The cost of living has gone crazy, and we were helping these people with rooms, but what they really needed a lot of the time was food,” she said.

“We started collecting donations as a church: non-perishable items that we’d be giving out.

“It just grew from there, and now we have a huge collection of food that comes in every week, and then disappears when we open up our doors on a Tuesday. People in the community pop by for their free bag of food, no questions asked.”

Josh said it was a way for their church to “fill the gap” that was being felt in Proserpine, with the town’s extremely limited options for assistance of this type.

“We’re kind of the third party that is distributing the generosity. We’ve found a real need, and we’ll fill the gap. We want to keep growing it,” he said.

“Now, we’re wanting for our community to rise up as well and take responsibility of those less fortunate.

“I can see it being open more than one day soon – we just need more volunteers – and it could be a whole warehouse of food for those in need eventually.”

Whitsunday Impact Church Community Pantry is being run as an entirely volunteer operation each Tuesday, opening at 9.00am to 12.00pm at the 202-204 Bruce Highway church.

“Our biggest heart as a church is: what can we do for our community. How are we giving back and impacting our community,” Sam said.

“You can come in, no strings attached, it’s just if you need a hand, come in and get a bag of food.”

Local pastors in Proserpine, Sam and Josh Faltinsky, have begun a ‘Community Pantry’, donating grocery goods to “those who need it most”

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Today - August 12 - marks 125 years since the first police station was opened in Proserpine.

Before our first “permanent” police presence:

In the early days of settlement, police protection in Proserpine was scant indeed. Members of the Colonial Police Force were responsible for patrolling huge areas of land throughout Queensland. Such was the case for Ferdinand Tompson who travelled by horseback with an aboriginal tracker scouting ahead of him. His police district encompassed all the land bordered by settlements of Proserpine, Cairns and Georgetown and he would take twelve months to cover the district. In the course of his travels, Tompson often stayed at Goorganga (then known as Bromby Park) with his sister, Rebecca Bode. His final resting place is in the Proserpine Cemetery.

Finally, an official police station of our own:

• On August 12, 1897, the Proserpine Police Station – if one could call it that – opened on two acres of land purchased from Proserpine Central Mill directors at £7/acre. It consisted of two duck tents (12 foot by 10 foot) and flys – one for an office; the other for a dwelling. The lockup was primitive - prisoners were chained to a large, heavy log under a massive Moreton Bay fig.

• Constables Tasker and Sherlock and a tracker, patrolled the district on horseback.

• On February 3 1898, a cyclone destroyed the station but requests for a building were ignored.

• In October/November, a police hut was completed after three District Justices of the Peace complained about the inhumane act of chaining prisoners to a log and that police were still living in tents.

• By the end of 1898, the Proserpine district was declared a place for holding Court of Petty Sessions and with a growing population, residents felt a building was appropriate.

• By 1899, a combined police station and courthouse had been erected on the corner of Main Street and what is now known as Mill Street.

When the “silent cops” came to town:

Did you know that Proserpine had two “silent cops” back in 1935? And no, these were not shy recruits.

• Traffic domes made from stone, concrete, metal or other substances were installed in the centre of the road, rising above the road’s surface. They were fitted with reflectors and painted to improve visibility.

• These domes replaced a policeman who, in earlier times, was on point duty at some intersections to direct vehicles in heavy traffic areas. They took on the nickname, “silent cop”.

• Proserpine Council installed two domes, one on Main Street at the Chapman Street intersection and the other at the junction of Mill Street. Drivers had to keep the “cop” on the right when making turns.

     It was hoped these would minimise accidents at these corners.

• The “silent cop” disappeared from Queensland roads on Monday, October 1 1962.

Moving forward:

• Over time, there were alterations and extensions to the police station/courthouse built in 1899 – most notable was in 1938 when a major addition saw the complex extended further down Mill Street.

• On June 9, 1967, a new complex consisting of two separate buildings was opened. The police station was built in its current position in Mill Street approximately on its original site while the courthouse was built in Main Street where it still exists today.

• In response to growth in the district, the Cannonvale Police Station, built as a two-officer station, opened on November 30, 1979. Then, in June 2009, a new $11.9 million building including a modern eight-cell facility on site and a major incident room was opened beside the original station.

How times have changed.

Story and photo courtesy of Proserpine Historical Museum

Police station and courthouse complex cicra 1950s

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Some areas of Great Barrier Reef are reporting their highest amount of coral coverage in 36 years of monitoring as it recovers from past storms and mass-bleaching events – including reefs in the Whitsundays.

Coral coverage is the proportion of the reef covered by sponges, algae, and other organisms – which has improved significantly in the northern and central sections of the 2300-kilometre reef.

Coral cover has reached record highs according to new data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), part of a three decade-long monitoring mission.

Dr Paul Hardisty, CEO of Australian Institute of Marine Science, said he would categorise the story as “good and bad news.”

“The good news is obviously the north and central areas have reached record coral, and that signals the reef is resilient,” he said.

“The not so good news is the recent bleaching events in 2020 and 2022 signal the reef is in a different era than it was 36 years ago.

“The easy thing to take away from this story is: coral cover is as good as it was in the 80s. But are the conditions the same? No. We’re walking a tight-rope and that recovery isn’t going to continue unless we act to turn it around.”

Dr Mike Emslie, who leads the AIMS’s long-term monitoring program, elaborated: “the resurgence could be short-lived with the increase driven by fast-growing Acropora corals that are highly susceptible to bleaching, wave damage associated with cyclones and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish.”

"This isn't the first time the Great Barrier Reef has recovered. It's been seen before. The rate of increase has been seen before. But all it takes is another summer of bad bleaching or a cyclone, which we haven't had for a while, and things can change,” he said.

The latest monitoring report is based on surveys at 87 reefs between August last year and May this year. About half of that work was done before this year's bleaching event.

Dr Hardisty said there were three things we could do.

“Bring global emissions down as quickly as possible, continue to protect the reef’s resilience through crown-of-thorns starfish management, water quality, and the third thing is help the reef adapt to climate change,” he said.

“If you give the reef a chance, it can recover. If the disturbances like cyclones and bleaching come too frequently, it won’t.”

The Great Barrier Reef is showing its resilience in the face of increasingly frequent coral bleaching events, but scientists say it still needs our help

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The man at the centre of a Queensland cattle property triple-homicide which shook a small rural town between Collinsville and Bowen appeared in court for the first time on Monday.

He did not appear in person - instead via video-link from the Cannonvale Watchhouse - due to concerns for his safety following the assessment of the security facilities at the Proserpine Magistrates Court.

At the hearing, Darryl Valroy Young, a 59-year-old, long-time resident of Bogie, was charged with three counts of murder and another count of attempted murder.

The matter has been adjourned to a location closer to the alleged triple homicide: Bowen Magistrates Court on November 1.

In the aftermath, the town of Bogie is reeling from an incident that could “only have happened in the United States, not here”.

Police allege the incident occurred in the early morning of last Thursday.

At 9.00am, Thursday, August 4 Police allege they received a report that three people had been fatally shot at a property on Shannonvale Road, and another man, Ross Tighe, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Police said Mr Tighe, 30, managed to flee the scene in a red ute and alerted them to the shooting. Police and Ambulance services arrived, as well as RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopters, who flew Mr Tighe to Mackay Base Hospital where he received life-saving surgery.

Police soon announce a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) covering a large swath of Bogie, one which they later revoked in favour of a smaller area centred around the actual site of the shooting.

The victims of the alleged shooting were soon identified as Ross Tighe’s family members - stepfather Mervyn Schwarz, his mother Maree Schwarz, and brother Graham Tighe – all of whom were shot dead at the front gate of the cattle property on Shannonvale Road.

Police Detective Inspector, Tom Armitt, said police received confused reports about where the crime scene was located as the properties were “tens of thousands of acres” large, which led to an almost day-long traversal of the crime scene.

“[Police had] no idea who or where the [alleged] shooting offender was,” Detective Inspector Armitt said.

But believed he was armed with a rifle, meaning officers were “in danger of being shot from any distance.”

“So that was slow and meticulous work and extremely brave of the officers who were involved.”

The investigation and travel through the rural country of Bogie lasted into the night, until three persons of interest were arrested – later identified as Mr Young, his son and a female member of the family - along with two members of a power company who had been working on the property but were not believed to be involved in the dispute.

None of the party had any idea that the murders that had taken place until police arrived.

After giving statements, all were released except Mr Young, who was taken to Bowen Police station and charged on Friday afternoon with the triple-homicide.

Police will allege a “conversation” between the victims and the alleged shooter occurred the night before (Wednesday, August 3) the incident. This conversation then led to a meeting at a gate between their properties on Thursday.

“What we do know is that all parties are neighbours, some conversation has occurred between the parties and resulted in a meeting up at the party’s boundary line earlier that morning when the incident occurred,” Detective Armitt said.

“We understand that there was a conversation the night before and that was the reason they met the next morning.

“There was an invitation for them to go there and discuss.”

Police will allege Mr Young then murdered the family at the front of the Shannonvale Rd property over an ongoing dispute about land boundaries.

Mr Young is due to appear in Bowen magistrates court on 1 November.

Two of the victims of a triple-homicide in Bogie were identified as Maree and Mervyn Schwarz

The other was identified as Graham Tighe

Ross Tighe (R) was the sole survivor of the event and underwent lifesaving surgery at Mackay Base Hospital, having been shot by the alleged gunman in the abdomen

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Some areas of Great Barrier Reef are reporting their highest amount of coral coverage in 36 years of monitoring as it recovers from past storms and mass-bleaching events – including reefs in the Whitsundays.

Coral coverage is the proportion of the reef covered by sponges, algae, and other organisms – which has improved significantly in the northern and central sections of the 2300-kilometre reef.

Coral cover has reached record highs according to new data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), part of a three decade-long monitoring mission.

Dr Paul Hardisty, CEO of Australian Institute of Marine Science, said he would categorise the story as “good and bad news.”

“The good news is obviously the north and central areas have reached record coral, and that signals the reef is resilient,” he said.

“The not so good news is the recent bleaching events in 2020 and 2022 signal the reef is in a different era than it was 36 years ago.

“The easy thing to take away from this story is: coral cover is as good as it was in the 80s. But are the conditions the same? No. We’re walking a tight-rope and that recovery isn’t going to continue unless we act to turn it around.”

Dr Mike Emslie, who leads the AIMS’s long-term monitoring program, elaborated: “the resurgence could be short-lived with the increase driven by fast-growing Acropora corals that are highly susceptible to bleaching, wave damage associated with cyclones and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish.”

"This isn't the first time the Great Barrier Reef has recovered. It's been seen before. The rate of increase has been seen before. But all it takes is another summer of bad bleaching or a cyclone, which we haven't had for a while, and things can change,” he said.

The latest monitoring report is based on surveys at 87 reefs between August last year and May this year. About half of that work was done before this year's bleaching event.

Dr Hardisty said there were three things we could do.

“Bring global emissions down as quickly as possible, continue to protect the reef’s resilience through crown-of-thorns starfish management, water quality, and the third thing is help the reef adapt to climate change,” he said.

“If you give the reef a chance, it can recover. If the disturbances like cyclones and bleaching come too frequently, it won’t.”

The Great Barrier Reef is showing its resilience in the face of increasingly frequent coral bleaching events, but scientists say it still needs our help

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choice will soon be yours with new Lake Proserpine caretakers, Red Cat Adventures, announcing glamping will be added to the ever-improving tourism locale.

Only new as custodians of Lake Proserpine, Red Cat Adventures Director, Julie Telford, said her business – a famed Whitsunday tourism operator - wasn’t resting on its laurels, and have already been in proactive planning for the future, which included the addition of this new tourism offering.

“We are excited to announce that we aim to be offering “Glamping” tents in time for the September school holidays,” Ms Telford said.

“Lake Proserpine will still be a relaxed outback environment, it will still be bush camping, but by adding the option of “Glamping” visitors can now choose the type of experience which suits them.”

“We will also use our extensive experience and knowledge of the tourism industry to raise the profile of Proserpine as a destination which will have a flow-on benefit to the town’s local businesses.”

Glamping, a portmanteau of glamorous and camping, describes camping with amenities not usually associated with traditional bush camping – think luxurious tent-living.

Ms Telford said they were confident on expanding the Lake Proserpine experience even further.

“[We want to] improve on the land and water activities,” she said.

“There are also plans to introduce low-impact water sports, so it is timely for Red Cats to expand and invest in new land-based projects in the region.”

Ms Telford said it was a “slice of paradise” and the new caretakers Ilze and Mark Huston, are passionate about their roles and enthusiastic about meeting and greeting visitors daily.

Acting Mayor John Collins said it was exciting to have the multi award-winning Red Cat Adventures onboard and helping to grow the Lake Proserpine experience.

“Regional tourism is booming and we look forward to the exciting initiatives that such a proactive local tourism stakeholder like Red Cat can bring to make Lake Proserpine a must visit for tourists,” Acting Mayor Collins said.

A new tourism offering ‘Glamping’ is coming to Lake Proserpine courtesy of its new caretakers, Red Cat Adventures

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On August 13, thousands of Whitsunday residents will cast their vote in the Whitsunday Mayoral by-election at voting booths across the region.

More than 4000 people have already taken advantage of early voting ahead of the Saturday mandatory vote, according to the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ).

They expect up to 12,000 more people could cast their vote at one of four early voting polling booths in Bowen, Cannonvale, Collinsville, and Proserpine before Saturday.

Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen said Whitsunday early voters were making the most of early voting options, including voting in person at early voting centres, via postal votes or telephone voting for those eligible.

“We still expect around 40 or 50 per cent of votes to be cast before Saturday’s polling day,” Mr Vidgen said.

“We know the last couple of days before election day are always busy so we encourage anyone interested in voting early, to get in early to avoid queues.”

Early voting booths are open daily in Bowen, Cannonvale and Proserpine from 9am to 5pm, except Friday when they close at 6pm. Collinsville opens today until Thursday from 1pm to 5pm and from 1pm to 6pm on Friday.

• Bowen PCYC, corner Hay St and Queens Rd, Bowen

• Whitsunday Shopping Centre, shop 150/226 Shute Harbour Rd, Cannonvale

• Collinsville Community Centre, 11 Conway Street, Collinsville

• Proserpine Whitsunday Freemason Lodge, 29 Chapman St, Proserpine

Voters have until midday on Saturday to register for telephone voting and can vote up until 6pm on election night. To register phone 1300 912 782.

Telephone voting is available to those who meet certain criteria, including having to isolate due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or those who are interstate or overseas.

Where To Vote On Election Day:

Five polling booths will be open from 8am to 6pm on election day, Saturday 13 August:

• Cannonvale State School, 56 Coral Esplanade, Cannonvale

• Collinsville Community Centre, 11 Conway Street, Collinsville

• Father Tom Guard Hall, St Catherine’s Catholic College, 90 Renwick Road, Proserpine

• Hamilton Island Resort, Hamilton Island

• Bowen PCYC, Corner Hay St and Queens Rd, Bowen

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Athletes are constantly searching for cutting edge technology to help them to train longer to perform stronger or faster. Recovery has been an underrated component of training for decades, with more sports scientists striving to find the balance between beneficial recovery and loss of time training.

Compression boots and sleeves have been in the market for a while, however world class athletes are learning the art of lymphatic drainage and compression from the lymphatic community, where compression that includes the torso and back is providing remarkable rest and recovery results.

Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre in Marian is gaining a reputation for lymphatic drainage therapy for lipoedema / lymphoedema patients as well as an athletic recovery centre.

Owner and Lymphoedema clinician Laura Hamilton has fought lipoedema and secondary lymphoedema most of her life. As she struggled with weight that wouldn’t budge, she underwent gastric sleeve surgery, but found there was still a buildup of lipoedema fat that she could not remove, no matter how much she exercised or reduced her energy intake.

“I was basically just called fat and put in the corner. It still frustrates me today the lack of knowledge around the lymphatic system and conditions such as lipoedema. I wish someone had told me a decade ago what I know now.”

Laura has undergone multiple surgeries to remove the lipoedema and says she still has some way to go, but the difference in her appearance is remarkable. In total she has lost 50 plus kg and has had 10lts of lipoedema removed from her legs. She has changed the salon into a space that can now offer help to others suffering with lipoedema and lymphoedema through massage and compression.

At her base in Marian, Laura uses world class technology with the Lympha Press, pneumatic compression therapy which can assist with lymphatic drainage and reduce inflammation. While most of her patients visit her for lipoedema and lymphoedema related treatment, Laura says the Lympha Press can be used to reduce pain for a number of conditions where inflammation is a problem. It’s also gaining worldwide chatter as an effective way to recover after strenuous sport.

Hamish Wright is a local track cyclist. Now competing in his mid-40s, Mr Wright said that quick and effective recovery is more crucial to his training than when he was younger.

Mr Wright will be competing at the Masters World Track Cycling Championships in Los Angeles next month, and uses the Lympha Press to recover from heavy training sessions.

“I’m a sprinter, so my training sessions can be quite brutal, especially coming into a big competition,” Mr Wright said.

“It’s a lot of explosive power training as well as top-end speed, so recovery that allows me to get back on the bike feeling better is crucial to lead into a big event like the world championships.”

Mr Wright picked up two golds, a silver and a bronze at the Masters Track Cycling Nationals earlier this year and will be competing for Australia at the World Championships.

His recovery session at Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre starts with a lymphatic massage, to open the lymph nodes to assist with drainage to reduce inflammation. The massage is very gentle, more like a sweeping motion over the skin rather than a deep tissue massage that athletes are used to.

Then, the Lympha Press is used from 30 to 45 minutes. Where standard compression boots only compress the legs, the Lympha Press includes the torso, allowing drainage from the inguinal nodes along with other nodes to thoroughly rid the body of inflammation.

Laura sets the room up as a relaxation hub, with soft music and starry sky lighting for full relaxation while the Lympha Press compresses and decompresses using air pumps.

Mr Wright said the difference in his recovery has been noticeable since trying the Lympha Press.

“Usually, my legs would ache all day after a heavy session, but after the Lympha Press, the soreness is instantly reduced and I feel less tight, more flexible,” Mr Wright said.

“The ability to get back on the bike the next day with less pain means I can push each training session harder, thanks to accelerated recovery.”

Compression is helping athletes across a wide range of sports play at a higher level and stay in the game longer.

The clinic has an 8 cell Lympha Press hire unit so that the therapy can be tried at home, or Laura can assist with the purchase of a Lympha Press for people who would benefit from everyday use.

Laura can also measure and fit compression. The clinic offers a range of services as well as stocking Talking compression, Juzo, Lipoelastic, Mobiderm and Hardingham garments.

With first-hand experience dealing with inflammatory conditions, Laura can offer plenty of great advice and tips on pre to post surgery for lipoedema.

Contact Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre to book a Lympha Press session to feel the recovery benefits for yourself.

Track cyclist Hamish Wright using the Lympha Press at Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre for post-training compression recovery

Hamish Wright will be representing Australia at the World Masters Track Cycling Championships in Los Angeles next month

Laura Hamilton is the owner of Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre

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Robyn Geiger completed her first Vision Board in her 50s and says she’s since achieved nine out of ten of the goals she put on her board.

“It made me realise the power of the mind is amazing,” she said.

“You put these things up on your wall when you get home and visualise them constantly.

“I just think it’s a great way for people to do goal setting and personal development.”

Robyn runs Vision Board workshops with Phoenix Counselling, giving participants the opportunity to think about what their plans are for the future and set new goals for themselves.

Workshops are done in small groups where Robyn says bouncing off others can be a great way to get ideas and motivation flowing.

“We sit on the floor with scissors, glue, a board and about 1000 magazines and they just cut out the pictures or the words to put on the board – it might be exercise, it might be walking, it might be travelling,” she said.

“For young mums that feel that everything’s all about raising children and they don’t see where they’ll be in 2-5 years, doing a Vision Board workshop gives them an opportunity to stop and think about the direction that they’d like to take.”

And that goes for anyone, Robyn says.

“It can be anybody, really, it doesn’t matter what age you are.”

While Vision Board workshops are great for personal development, Robyn says there are also many benefits to running the exercises in businesses and schools.

“It’s good for staff development when they get out of the office and do something like that, so that they can be encouraged to work towards something – they’re not just going to work to pay off the car, pay off the house and put the kids through school – they can still have some personal goals,” she said.

“They’re also very good for year 11 and 12 students who are trying to think about what they’d like to do and set some goals for the future.”

Robyn hopes to run Vision Board workshops monthly in the future.

“It’s one of the things that helped me develop as a person and as a professional and I’d like to pass that on to others,” she said.

“It’s just a great way of envisaging where you can go in life.”

To find out more about Vision Board workshops and other services offered by Phoenix Counselling, call Robyn on 0497 912 009 or find Phoenix Counselling on Facebook.

Caobyn Geiger of Phoenix Counselling

Vision boards involve manifesting through cutting and pasting images and words. Photos supplied: Robyn Geiger

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STEM, it is one of the most talked about topics in education. STEM, now also known as eSTEAM, is a teaching approach that combines science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. The “e” stands for entrepreneurship.

STEM emphasises collaboration, communication, research, problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity; skills that students need to be successful in today's world. Our future will be built on our capacity for innovation, invention, and creative problem solving.

There is STEM education with regards to the teaching of STEM in the classroom, but also, a STEM education in terms of you, me, parents, teachers; all of us becoming more educated on the importance of STEM.

If we aren’t educated on the importance of STEM, we won’t push our kids to become educated in STEM.

So, let’s talk about STEM jobs:

STEM jobs pay very well.

For some students and parents that’s all you need to know!

STEM jobs are abundant.

STEM, by its very nature, won’t stop growing and evolving, ensuring jobs for our kids into the future.

STEM and innovation.

While STEM jobs are already a part of our daily reality, it’s not out of the question to think that our kids will be working jobs we haven’t even dreamed of. Research cool STEM jobs and down the Google rabbit hole you will go!

STEM jobs are interesting.

A rocket company launching satellites out of Bowen! A museum curator combining technology and art to engage audiences with virtual and augmented reality experiences! Robotic, AI and drone technology to increase agricultural productivity!

There is no shortage of STEM opportunities in our region for our children. Award-winning STEM Punks director and co-owner, Fiona Holmstrom says, “Mackay is one of our favourite and most visited places and the whole region is always buzzing with potential and positivity!”  

Over 25 per cent of the Mackay region’s workforce is employed in sectors with strong STEM links; which is higher than both the state and national figures. Mackay Regional Council proudly supports the Whitsunday Festival of STEM, Split Spaces and its own library programs that champion STEM events and foster linkages between students, entrepreneurs, local business and industry.

So, check out STEM jobs, home-based activities and events in our region. Introducing STEM in ways that are relevant, memorable and impactful, that tap into our childrens’ interests, is setting them up for secure jobs today and into the future.

Councillor Michelle Green  Mackay Regional Council

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