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A canister containing aluminium phosphide pellets was found washed up in Airlie Beach after recent wild weather along parts of the Queensland coast last week.

The canisters have been washing up on beaches across the entire east coast of Australia since 2012, having been located as far north as Thursday Island and as far south as Tasmania - most coming ashore in Queensland.

A similar canister washed up on the Airlie Beach Foreshore in 2013 before being removed by Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.

The canisters are believed to have been used as industrial fumigation for pest control onboard grain ships and have either fallen overboard or been discarded carelessly before washing up on shore.

The exact origin of the canister is unknown, as is the quantity of canisters that are drifting in the ocean currently. The silver canisters are found about once a year on beaches.

The contents are phosphide pellets, a stable substance when dry and sealed in the container, but when introduced to moisture, produces phosphine gas – a highly toxic and highly flammable fume.

The toxic gas is flammable and colourless and can be incredibly dangerous and potentially fatal for anyone exposed to it – even the friction of opening the container could cause it to ignite.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said that if a person were to locate one of these silver canisters or any similar type of container, “leave the canister where it is and do not attempt to move it.”

“Call Triple Zero (000) immediately and report the item so our specially trained Hazchem officers can respond,” they said.

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A dangerous canister containing phosphide pellets – a potentially fatal and flammable substance when exposed to moisture – was found in Airlie Beach last week

An out of court settling has been reached following a five-year legal battle with the widow of a Chinese commercial airline pilot who drowned at the Airlie Beach Lagoon with his five-year-old son in October 2018.

Yuanwei Zhang, his son Chenxi and wife Jie Tan were visiting the Whitsundays on a cruise ship when they went ashore for the day and tragedy struck.

It is understood the pair were swimming at the lagoon while Jie Tan went to the nearby shops and it is possible that Mr Zhang suffered a medical episode while in deep water and was unable to save himself or their son.

It had been a busy day at the lagoon and many people were baffled that no-one noticed the pair quietly slip below the water.

It was six minutes before Mr Zhang’s submerged body was found and a further seven minutes before the young boy’s body was brought to the surface.

Following the tragedy, Jie Tan launched a $4.5 million legal case, suing the lifeguard company Ellmill Entreprises and Whitsunday Regional Council who own the facility.

She alleged that risk assessments of the facility had not been made regularly and that the lifeguards were negligent on that day.

Shortly after the incident a lifeguard tower was placed at the site and it is believed that the lifeguard company was also replaced.

The matter has now been settled out of court but there is no information available to indicate the agreed amount.

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The family together a few days before the tragedy. Photo supplied

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Hi Everyone,

Last weekend we bought a dog.

This is my first time as a pet owner and jeez this week has been an interesting learning curve!

From puddles of pee and piles of poo all over the lounge room floor to chasing him around trying to catch my pyjamas that were swiftly stolen and then lodged in his mouth – it has already been an adventure with this mischievous little pup.

His name is Finn, and he is an eight-week old Border Collie – he is warm, friendly and independent – which are all qualities that I admire so I think he will fit right in.

This week also represented some new beginnings at the newspaper.

We welcomed our new Cadet Journalist Bronte – you can read her story on page 12 this week - and we also bid farewell to our journalist Declan.

Declan has chosen to progress his career and start his own ‘new beginning’ by moving to Tasmania to work on a daily newspaper.

He has been with us for over two years and will be sorely missed by all of us in the team.

His quiet wit in the office, his deep compassion for telling people’s stories, his highly skilled photography and his incredibly perceptive movie reviews will be part of his legacy and we wish him all the luck in his future endeavours.

Our new recruit, Bronte, joins us from Armidale and has been brave enough to move by herself to a town she has never even visited before.

Bronte brings with her a passion for journalism, a dream of adventure and a hope of an exciting new life in the Whitsundays.

I hope everyone will make her feel welcome.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust in the magic of beginnings”  (Meister Eckhart)

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An enthusiastic group of Collinsville residents have been acknowledged for their incredible fundraising efforts by being named a Mater Foundation Community Hero. 

This privilege is given to not only the community groups who raise the most, but also those who embody the community spirit, enthusiasm and support the mission of the broader project.

In February this year, the first Collinsville Sea of Pink event took place – 62 people participated in a five-kilometre walk or run for charity, with all proceeds going towards breast cancer research.

Organiser Alice Randell said that she was inspired to create an event that brought the community together and celebrated women on International Women’s Day.

“From very small things, big things grow!” said Alice.

The event was a huge success and was followed by a community breakfast with raffles and a guessing game.

“By the end everyone was asking what date it would be next year!” said Alice.

In addition to the run, several other community events raised further funds.

The ‘Pay per Rep’ challenge at Alice’s workplace was one of the most popular.

A group of visiting athletes were conducting a training session at the Collinsville Open Cut Mine that day and Alice said that over $1,000 was donated within 10 minutes of the event because everyone was eager to see how much they could do.

Incredibly, 14 volunteers managed to do 470 squats, 515 star jumps and 662 push ups!

The fundraising effort continued with Collinsville Youth Coalition selling pink lemonade slushies and one community member even handcrafted quilted products to auction off.

In total, across all fundraising avenues a total of $9,216 was raised and the event was ranked 16th in the top 20 of its kind in Australia.

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The Collinsville Sea of Pink participants. Photo supplied

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Bowen State High School graduate and Whitsunday Brahmans junior player Shaniah Power has signed a two-year deal to join the inaugural North Queensland Toyota Cowboys NRLW side.

Power scored “the biggest try in the history of women’s rugby league in North Queensland,” crossing the line last-minute in the grand final victory for the Gold Stars last season -- and now she’s ensured her part in the next major milestone for the female game in her home region.

Power said that as soon as the Cowboys knew they would be joining the NRLW, she’s been in their thoughts.

“We’ve been talking about it for a very long time,” Power said.

“But the moment I actually put pen to paper with my favourite club was a dream come true, it was quite surreal.”

The 26-year-old second rower has featured for the Warriors, Titans and Roosters across three NRLW seasons, scoring six tries in 13 games, she’s no stranger to this level footy.

Bowen-born, she began playing her junior rugby league for the Whitsunday Brahmans and has been part of the Cowboys Women’s Academy since its inception in 2019.

“I didn’t think it was possible I would ever sign for the Cowboys,” she said.

“I never even thought it was a possibility three years ago to play professional women’s rugby when I got picked up for the Warriors.

“For girls in the regions, I think my signing gives them hope that they can achieve that goal if they work hard enough for it. But they have to work hard; you have to make bigger sacrifices than someone living down in Brisbane.”

For Cowboys NRLW Head Coach Ben Jeffries, Power was a perfect choice with her resume, which includes representing Queensland at State of Origin level in 2020 and 2021 and the Indigenous All Stars on four occasions.

“Shaniah has very good football instincts, possesses good footwork and can find space consistently,” Jeffries said.

“Her form this season has been outstanding. As it stands after four rounds of the BMD QRLW competition, Shaniah leads the points tally for the Steph Hancock BMD Premiership Player of the Year.

“Shaniah loves being amongst the community in promoting the game and as a North Queenslander, she will be a pivotal player within the leadership group who sets the standards for our inaugural season.”

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Bowen-born rugby star Shaniah Power has signed for the inaugural North Queensland Toyota Cowboys NRLW side

Whitsunday Regional Councillors have delayed their decision on major amendments to the planning scheme, citing the need for “more time” to look over a whopping 999-page document.

The Whitsunday Planning Scheme Major Amendment was brought before Council after a public consultation period where 1331 submissions were made from locals.

A large portion of submissions made direct reference to Airlie Beach’s amenity and its building heights - a topic of fervid local discussion with Airlie Beach action group, Save our Foreshore Inc., began court proceedings against Whitsunday Council on Tuesday, April 18.

Council officers expected the amendments would be endorsed and move to the next stage in the adoption process - submitting the documents to the Minister of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, Stephen Miles.

Despite urgings from Council’s Director of Planning and Development, Neil McGaffin, most Councillors voted to table the document.

Mayor Julie Hall said there was need for further consideration of the amendments, and said she felt uncomfortable passing anything without having a firm grasp of it, especially something with such a sweeping nature.

“I need time to look through documents like this and wrap my head around them,” Mayor Hall said.

A full public gallery attended the ordinary meeting when the decision was made, with Airlie Beach resident and Save our Foreshore member Faye Chapman presenting a question to council on one of the amendments more “startling” points.

“The words ‘maximum building heights’ is causing confusion to the general reader, as building heights stipulated in the Planning Scheme are only the Code or Council accepted assessable heights,” the amendment states.

“Under the Planning Act an applicant may apply for a greater building height. Delete ‘maximum’ and put in note to help general understanding.”

Ms Chapman asked Councillors “What is so confusing to the ‘general reader’ about the term ‘maximum’?”

“Maximum means just that: maximum,” she said.

“There's only one reason to remove these words and we all know what that means – high-rises.”

The Major Amendments are due to be voted on again at a later council meeting.

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An inquest into the death of Luke Gilbert, who was tragically killed in a police shooting in October 2022, is due to be held in Cairns in August.

Luke was shot in the chest three times just after midnight on October 1 last year following an altercation with two police officers.

Police allege CCTV evidence shows Luke approaching the officers with a pocketknife, refusing to retreat when asked, and then shouts at officers, “f***ing shoot me then you f***ots”.

It is alleged that a total of five shots were made, two hit nearby cars and three hit Luke directly.

Afterwards, he was searched, and it was over seven minutes before resuscitation attempts began.

His parents, Nicola and Darren Gilbert who reside in Western Australia, have since been petitioning for the police officers to be charged with their son’s murder.

They have now received over 16,000 signatures on a petition asking for an inquest into his death.

The Gilbert’s claim that Luke had been wearing his work uniform and that the knife was part of tool kit.

They also allege that unnecessary force was used that night.

“18 seconds was the whole interaction and they shot at my son five times,” said Nicola Gilbert.

“Luke would never have thought they would actually shoot him – had they got the taser, baton or pepper spray out he would have known they would have definitely used them and dropped the knife.”

A pre-inquest was held on Tuesday this week and evidence is now being gathered ahead of the inquest in August.

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Luke’s family have received 16,000 signatures on a petition for a police inquest into his death. Photo supplied

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The Puma Service Station in Cannonvale closed its doors suddenly last week with staff saying they were given very little notice before they were left unemployed.

“Yes, they closed us forever, the lease wasn’t renewed,” said a staff member named Anthea.

“Gonna miss all my amazing staff and customers, we got a month’s notice which was a huge shock as I had just employed two new staff a week before and they gave up good jobs to come work at Puma.”

In 2020, American company, Chevron, purchased Puma which had previously been one of Australia’s largest independent fuel retail chains.

It operated a network of about 360 retail fuel, 222 shops and dozens of cafes and truck stops.

For the past three years, Chevron have been gradually rebranding all its assets to Caltex.

Ampol, which had been using the name Caltex, has also been gradually returning its outlets to the Ampol brand, since American company Chevron withdrew its licence to use the Caltex name in Australia.

No information is yet available about the fate of the Cannonvale service station, but if it follows the national trend, it will eventually be re-opened as a Caltex.

Meanwhile, many local customers are disappointed that their favourite servo has closed its doors.

They took to Facebook to express their disappointment stating that it had “the best hot box and the friendliest service I had ever seen around.”

Another said the service station had “the best mince burgers and savoury mince jaffles ever” and they were “the only place in Cannonvale to make fresh sandwiches.”

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The Puma Servo closed down, giving staff only a month’s notice. Photo credit: Bec Douthwaite

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Councillors Stand Against Saturation Of Short-Term Accommodation

Whitsunday Regional Councillors have deferred a decision on a short-term accommodation (STA) application in a move to take a stand on further exacerbation of the region’s housing crisis.

The proposal for the Cannonvale property hoped to turn the two-story house with three bedrooms into short-term accommodation managed by local business, Whitsunday Holiday Rentals.

Disregarding town planner’s recommendations, Council defeated the motion to approve the property 2/5, tabling the matter for a later meeting to provide reasons for refusal and using it as an opportunity to discuss their growing concerns with short term accommodation.

Councillor Jan Clifford was first of the Councillors to proclaim that she could not support more holiday homes in the region.

“There are currently 500 short-term accommodations operating within the Airlie Beach-Cannonvale area, and enough is enough,” she said.

“I believe there are 14 to 15 rentals available for the average person. How many of the 500 plus properties are actually lawful?”

Whitsunday Mayor Julie Hall agreed but was concerned that denying short term accommodation, such as the Cannonvale one, could lead to legal troubles for Council.

“It is an issue that we’re losing a lot of accommodation to these short-term accommodations but, if we are to knock this back, it will go into the Environmental and Development Court,” she said.

The situation could be described as ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’: If Councillors permit more STAs, there will be fewer rental homes on the market during a housing crisis. If they don’t, the denied STA owners could have grounds for legal action, costing ratepayers up to $100 thousand.

The change of use was eventually denied on the grounds it would be in a medium density residential area and would not be compatible with the prevailing residential character.

Councillor Clay Baumann said every development must be assessed individually.

“If it does go to court, which is not for certain, it would be heard anew. If we sit here, allowing bad decisions to go forward, we’ll end up in a worse position,” he said.

“I agree that we need more holiday accommodation but what we really need are suburbs and houses for people to live in.”

Council’s Director of Planning and Development, Neil McGaffin said justifying these arguments would be difficult if the matter did become litigious.

“I understand what everyone is getting at and certainly we’re moving towards a situation where we need to carefully look at the saturation of short-term accommodation in the area,” Mr McGaffin said.

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This ANZAC Day, the Whitsunday community will gather to honour all the Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in conflicts, wars, and other service operations, marking their involvement and suffering on our behalf. Lest we forget.

The following services will be held on Tuesday, April 25.

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Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach RSL will hold ANZAC commemorations beginning from 5.30am, with the Dawn Service at Cenotaph Bicentennial Park, Cannonvale.

There will be a Gunfire Breakfast at Jubilee Tavern at 6.30am for ex-servicemen and women and their families.

From 8.45am, the March will begin at Broadwater Avenue carpark, with assembly from 8am.

The Second Service will begin directly concluding the March, at the Remembrance Rock Foreshore Park Airlie Beach.

All are welcome to attend the Jubilee Tavern for a Trench Lunch at 12pm, complimentary for Veterans and their families, and emergency service people.

Dawn: 5.30am at Cenotaph Bicentennial Park, Cannonvale

March: 8am assemble, for 8.45am step-off from Broadwater Avenue carpark

Service: Directly succeeding the March, at Remembrance Rock Foreshore Park, Airlie Beach

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Bowen

Bowen RSL will begin their ANZAC Day commemorations from 5.50am, at the Cenotaph on Herbert Street.

The Dawn Service will be followed by a gunfire breakfast hosted by the Bowen RSL.

The March will begin at 9.15am, from the RSL on Williams Street, with the second Service beginning at 9.30, at the Cenotaph on Herbert Street.

Dawn: 5.50am at the Cenotaph on Herbert Street

March: 8.50am assemble, 9.15am step-off from the RSL on Williams Street

Service: 9.30am at the Cenotaph on Herbert Street

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Proserpine

The Dawn Service in Proserpine will begin at 4.30am, at the Proserpine Cenotaph.

The March will step-off from the Proserpine RSL at 10.30am, with the second Service to begin at 10.45am at the Proserpine Cenotaph.

Ex-servicemen and women are welcome to return to the Proserpine RSL for the afternoon.

Dawn: 4.30am at the Proserpine Cenotaph, 14 Main Street

March: 10.30am from the Proserpine RSL

Service: 10.45am at the Proserpine Cenotaph, 14 Main Street

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Collinsville

Collinsville Community Centre will hold a 6am Dawn Service at ANZAC Park, with several Australian Defence Force personnel from Townsville in attendance.

The March will begin at 9am, with 8.45am assemble at Foodworks.

The Second Service will begin at 9.15am at ANZAC Park.

Dawn: 6am at ANZAC Park

March: 8.45 assemble, for 9am start from Foodworks

Service: 9.15 at ANZAC Park

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Local historians return to community cemeteries this weekend, in support of buried ANZAC soldiers and ex-military personnel.

In a yearly tradition, beginning with Proserpine Cemetery in 2016, Lyn Burke and Lloyd Fox will erect over 350 small Australian flags on the graves of ANZAC soldiers and ex-military personnel, including one Boer War soldier, two Gallipoli veterans, and one 5th Light Horseman.

Five white crosses will also be erected for five World War One veterans who have no headstone.

The pair will begin their duties on Saturday, April 22, at 9am, in Proserpine Cemetery, placing 380 Australian flags on the graves of ex-servicemen and women.

They will also be honouring Maureen Busuttin, who passed away in September 2022 and enlisted into Great Britain’s land army in 1923, as well as two newly located sailors, John Compton and Keith Savage.

In Collinsville Cemetery at 2pm, the pair will continue placing the flags, for a further 30 ex-servicemen.

A QR Code will also be placed on the Collinsville Cenotaph, containing information gathered on nine of the men who appear on the Roll of Honour.

This will continue to be an on-going project, with information updated periodically.

A similar QR Code is hoped for Bowen Cemetery, with local schoolchildren and the Bowen Chamber of Commerce working collaboratively on producing a comprehensive list of local ANZACs and ex-servicemen and women.

Lyn and Lloyd are no strangers to local history, completing two books on World War One, titled ‘Proserpine Answered the Call’ and ‘The Proserpine News’, which are readily available in the local library and in local schools.

Members of the community are warmly encouraged to join in the effort to recognise local ANZACs and ex-military personnel.

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Collinsville ex-servicemen and women to be honoured this weekend. Photo supplied

My name is Bronte, and I am the new cadet journalist with the Mackay and Whitsunday Life newspaper.

I’ve relocated from the regional city of Armidale, in New South Wales.

When I left Armidale, the temperatures were as low as two degrees, with some people starting their fires, so the weather here has been a massive change!

In 2021, I graduated from the University of Southern Queensland, completing my Bachelor of Arts – English Literature and Critical and Creative Writing.

I chose this path of study because I love reading and writing, with the ultimate goal to get into journalism, media, and publications.

I lived in Toowoomba while I was studying, which I loved, but COVID caused my campus to close, and I headed back to Armidale.

From there, I worked in advertising and marketing for 2 years, but I was ready for the big change, and when the Whitsundays came knocking, how could I say no?

I am eager to get to know Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays, hitting the beach and taking part in all the exciting adventures that are on offer here.

I’ve never even visited the Whitsundays before, so any recommendations on something to do would be much appreciated!

In my free time, I enjoy going on walks and hikes, and exploring my surroundings, shopping at local markets and boutiques, as well as reading and hanging out with friends.

I am excited to get settled and stuck into life in the Whitsundays and learn all that I can from the Whitsunday and Mackay Life team!

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Hello everyone!

I hope a wonderful Easter period was had by all and that everyone enjoyed being out and about in our beautiful region.

The Easter holidays concluded with the last of the Get Active community events which was held on the Bowen Foreshore. It was great to so many faces, new and old, getting involved with all the wonderful free events and enjoying the perfect Whitsunday lifestyle that Bowen has to offer.

In other good news, the Bowen and Proserpine pool heaters have now been installed. The heaters keep the water at a perfect swimming temperature of 28 degrees, so even on those chilly winter mornings residents will have a free and warm facility to use.  

The Whitsunday region is one of the only places you can still use public swimming pools for free, and I’m proud that we continue to support this in our region.

On a separate note, Anzac Day falls on Tuesday next week. The 25th April is the day where all Australians and New Zealanders unite to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect their nation.

We remember their courage, their bravery and their commitment to their country. We also pay tribute to the many families and loved ones who were sadly left behind.

The theme for Anzac Day this year is “That’s the Anzac Spirit: We Will Remember” - and I for one vouch to do so. I vouch to remember the men and women who fought on the battlefield and in their homes during the conflicts of Gallipoli, the Western Front, in the Pacific, in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. I hope you will take the time to pause for a moment and remember with me.

Anzac ceremonies will be held across the region on Tuesday, with a Dawn Service and Main Service in each location.

These services are organised and led by our local RSL branches. Thank you to all of the volunteers that donate so much of their time in order to make sure these services duly honour the fallen.

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A year on and it’s time to clear, sort, and record the plastic pollution caught in the 15 litter traps that have been placed in the waters as part of the Whitsunday Gross Pollutant Trap project.

An initiative between the Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership (HR2RP) and the Coral Sea Academy, the project involves the catching, sorting, and recording details of litter and pollution gathered in the 15 traps, detailing each piece into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database, for ongoing research and to aid reduction programs.

Since early 2022, when the traps were first placed, over 8,000 pieces of litter have been collected, and volunteers are urged to step forward for the next community litter audit, next Saturday, 29 April

“The information we gather from the community litter audits will help inform plans to reduce litter in the first place, so it’s a great way to get involved and keep our region’s waterways healthy,” HR2RP Community Engagement Officer, Rebekah Smith said.

This two-year project, set to complete in early 2024, will inform pollution reduction programs, as well as keep local beaches clean.

Edutourism has seen a rise in popularity, with pollution, conservation, and education becoming more prevalent in tourist experiences.

“The purpose of the Coral Sea Academy is to provide the opportunity for events such as these to engage with guests on themes that are relevant to the Whitsundays,” said Joscelyn O’Keefe, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Coral Sea Marina.

“These community litter audits are certainly a great way in which any individual can help towards this goal.”

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The next community audit needs your help. Photo supplied

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