Three industrious siblings have been banking the big bucks over the school holidays with a home baking project that has earnt them more money than the average teenager working a part time job.

Jack, Evie and Archie Oberg have been running a roadside stall on the corner of Schnapper Street and Beach Road in Cannonvale for the past week using a home-made recipe that is proving to be a real crowd pleaser.

Their dad, Tim, said that the idea came from a school project last term where the students had to create a market stall based on recycling and sustainability.

“This really planted a seed for Jacko!” he said.

When a friend came around with Rocky Road last week, the idea for the school holiday stall was born.

The three siblings worked together and, assisted by their parents, learnt how to source ingredients, think in unit values, make a unique recipe, package the goods, draw-up signage and sell the sweet treats to real customers.

They even designed a logo on Canva and started up a Facebook site calling their business ‘Airlie Confectionary Co’, uploading an image with their location every morning and afternoon.

Tim said they are now waiting for their branded stickers to arrive.

Surprised by its success, the kids said they are frequently selling out and have so far sold over 60 bags, retailing at $5 each.

What started out as a bit of extra pocket money soon became a quest for a bigger dream – they are now putting the money into purchasing a family tinny with mum and dad saying they’ll match whatever the kids contribute.

“I loved the idea of being able to transfer a school project into an out of school project,” said 10-year-old Jack.

Both Evie (8) and Archie (5) agreed they loved cooking the most, smelling the chocolate and then getting to try it afterwards.

Tim said he would love to see a ‘kids collective’ start up where other families bake, create or make and then come together to run a kid’s market stall.

Reach out on Facebook if you’d like to join them.

Image: Siblings Evie, Jack and Archie host a Rocky Road roadside stall

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The Whitsundays’ homegrown space manufacturer are always looking to the stars for their next small step for Australia.

Rocket and satellite company, Gilmour Space, last week announced plans to launch Australia's first ‘caravan' into low orbit in late 2024 from their Bowen launch-site at Abbot Point State Development Area.

The site in Bowen - which is still under construction and counting down towards its first expected launch in 2023 - will be host to the “innovative rideshare mission”.

The Australian launch services company said that, unlike most rocket launches which host a primary customer payload, a rideshare launch comprises of many customer payloads – a caravan like cubesats, microsats or other small spacecrafts.

Adam Gilmour, CEO and co-founder of Gilmour Space said the vessel will be named Caravan-1 and will have a lift capacity of 1000 kilograms.

“This mission will provide affordable access to new space customers looking to launch into a mid-inclination orbit at the end of 2024,” Mr Gilmour said

“The next few years are going to be a very exciting time for the global space industry, and missions like this will allow us to support the growth of new satellite and in-orbit technologies that could benefit humanity on Earth, in space, and beyond.”

The venture-capital-backed company is developing Australian rockets that will deliver a variety of spacecraft into low-earth orbit (LEO); and is expecting to launch the first of what it has coined Eris vehicles from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport early next year.

The Spaceport recently saw Whitsunday Regional Councillors tour its progress, with construction on the orbital launch facility – one of Australia’s first - well underway with contractors working on the construction shed and launch pad.

When the facility becomes operational, rockets carrying small satellites will be the most common item launched into low-Earth orbit.

Gilmour Space predicts that up to 92 rocket launches annually could be conducted from the Spaceport by 2032.

In the United States, rocket launches at Cape Canaveral regularly see attendances of over 150,000 spectators – a figure which has been suggested to be an “absolute boon” for Bowen tourism if numbers match even a tenth percent of that figure.

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Hi Everyone,

I hope you’ve had a fantastic week!

School holidays has certainly transformed our towns into thriving hubs for both visitors and local families who are all enjoying being out and about – spending money at our small businesses and generally improving the mood for everyone.

This week I met two sets of very different people who both shared the same dream and I’d like to share their stories with you now.

On Monday I chatted with a 71-year-old real estate agent who had just started up his own business.

While many others would be kicking back in retirement, his industrious spirit ran deep and he found reward, not by sipping cocktails on a sunlounge, but with the sweet smell of entrepreneurial passion.

On Wednesday, I met three siblings, aged between five and 10 who had started their own business selling Rocky Road from a roadside stall.

Not only did they have a sign and a bucket of change, they also had a Facebook page, a Canva designed logo and now a newspaper article!

This is not the first kid we covered over the school holidays; you may remember young Trinny who told us about her bracelet making business last week.

For many of us who are in the midst of our working careers, we look enviously at retirees and their leisurely lifestyles or our children enjoying their carefree days – I know I do!

But as we know, the ‘grass is always greener’ and we often forget the sense of purpose and passion we feel after fulfilling day’s work or the thrill of having a successful career.

Whatever stage you may be at, enjoy every moment and don’t be afraid to set up that business or chase that dream, no matter your age.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!” (Mark Tawin)

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Recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Mackay Isaac Tourism and current Whitsunday Councillor Al Grundy, caused shockwaves last week when he resigned from his position following an unsuccessful bid to become Mayor.

Cr Grundy said that it was a difficult decision to make but that ultimately, he “wanted to be a leader” and had “excess capacity” to create more positive change within the community.

“It’s pretty hard to steer a car from the backseat,” he explained.

“I’ve been learning for the last two and a half years and now I am ready to run, I want to be a leader.”

Cr Grundy said that he initially joined the Whitsunday Regional Council because he wanted to work with Andrew Willcox on a “journey of uniting the community”.

“When the mayor went to Federal, I thought – ‘I’m ready to run for mayor’ – and was looking forward to strategically planning how to improve and unite the region over the next 10-15 years,” he said.

“When I was unsuccessful, it took me a while to digest.

“Being a Councillor, the bulk of the decision making and advocacy falls to the mayor so I was left thinking – ‘what am I going to do’ – I have all this excess capacity.”

Initially surprised when he was awarded the role at Mackay and Isaac Tourism, Cr Grundy said that it took him some time accept the position.

“I understand there will be some people out there that feel frustrated and annoyed with my decision,” he said.

“But I still have the best interests of the community at heart and at the end of the day I’ll still be able to make a difference.”

Eager to unite the regions of Whitsundays, Isaac and Mackay, Cr Grundy said that he is looking forward to harnessing all his industry knowledge and thinking of new innovative ideas that can further enhance our overall tourism offering.

“I’ve got a great opportunity to help grow a really important economic driver for our Greater Whitsunday Area,” he said.

“With this new role, I can have a direct line back to the decision makers and the broader RTO network across the state.”

Cr Grundy will reside in Mackay during the week and aims to return to the Whitsundays to spend time with his family on the weekend.

He is unsure whether he will run for Mayor again in 18 months, but says he will always help the community in any way he can.

Image: Al Grundy, with his wife Ruth and their two children

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Movement Tips From The Experts

Proper health and movement – getting and staying active – can often be overwhelming and hard to stay in the routine. We can get so busy in life, and balancing work with good exercise can fall by the wayside. Good movement is a critical part of staying healthy and developing your health, whether it be mental or physical.

While there are plenty of approaches one can take to improve, there are some simple steps anyone can take to get the ball rolling.

We asked the experts: if you could give one piece of movement advice, what would it be?

Sonny Ivanovic – F45 Airlie Beach

“My number one tip would be to stay consistent. It’s very difficult to expect to see any results if you are always stop starting. Set a time daily to exercise and treat it like it’s an appointment. Most exercise only needs to be 30 to 45 minutes daily, so it’s not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, yet its so import for your physical and mental health.”

Manyia Vale – Vibe Yoga

The best ‘movement’ advice from Manyia came in the form of a daily routine mixing mindfulness with movement and emotion: “Breathe deeply and calmly with awareness. Sweat, meditate, and remember to laugh.”

Dr Tim Harris – Whitsunday Spine Care

If you’re doing something, make it walking! After adjustments, we always recommend a short walk to help the bodies nervous system recalibrate. The short-term benefits of walking can help with blood flow to the back and pelvis, which assists with healing and maintaining the spine. It also helps produce serotonin which not only makes you feel good but helps manage chronic pain. Bonus if you grab a coffee for your walk, with the view of the Whitsundays!

Emma Whybird – Edge Dance

The owner of Edge Dance, which caters for children across the Whitsundays, said she had just one piece of advice for youngsters (and adults) in whatever part of their dance journey they were in: “Dance from the heart.”

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Peries IGA Proserpine recognised those making a difference in the Whitsundays’ community last weekend through their Local Hero Award.

The Proserpine store highlighted those working in charity groups, organisations, or services who provide their time to benefit the community.

It is the second year running that the local store has organised the award, with nominations open throughout August.

The winner received a $500 dollar IGA gift card and a plaque as appreciation from Peries IGA Proserpine on behalf of the local community.

Peries IGA Proserpine Merchandise and Marketing Manager Colin Hickey said the award “recognises those people that do a lot for the community and don’t always get recognised.”

“IGA’s motto is: ‘Where Locals Matter’, so we want to recognise people within the Proserpine community for being good locals, especially during Covid, which was where the idea originally began,” Mr Hickey said.

“Peries Group are all about locals and being involved in the community, and we want to recognise those heroes who make the community what it is.”

The IGA Local Heroes Award recognised seven members of the Proserpine community this year : Bryce Fraser, Faye McPherson, Kelsey Fyffe, Ingrid Ruck, Chris Hinschen, and Ailsa Reinke, as well as the eventual winner.

This year’s Winner of Peries IGA Local Hero award went to Elsie Magee for more than 10 years Elsie has worked five and a half days a week as the volunteer manager of the Proserpine Vinnies shop.

She is almost 81 years old.

“In today’s world, few people would show such long-term voluntary commitment on a weekly basis and never seek payment of any kind, so I think the local heroes award would be a wonderful and completely unexpected reward for Elsie,” her nomination read.

Ms Magee said she couldn’t believe she’d been awarded the honour.

“For 33 years I’ve volunteered at Vinnies and I think more people should,” she said.

“It’s given me purpose; I go in there every day. Helping people, meeting them, it’s been some of the most rewarding moments of my life at Vinnies. I think older people should come by and get out of their homes, because they’ll love the people and do something with purpose like I do.”

Ms Magee said that both Proserpine Vinnies and Airlie Beach Vinnies were looking for volunteers, and with the platform of her award – which would go on her mantle at home next to her Citizen Of The Year award from 2000 – she wished for others to become a part of the Vinnies’ family.

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Cancer Survivor Walks From Townsville to Airlie Beach

Three ex-Australian Defence Force personnel with more than 40 years of military service combined have made the walk from Townsville to Airlie Beach in aid of a charity supporting veterans.

Orchestrated and walked by Pete Schefford, who was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic bowel cancer three years ago, and two others, the long walk was aimed at recognising and continuing to embody military values, all while faced with insurmountable odds.

Over September 19 to 24, the trio of Schefford, Beau King, and Jason Handsaker made the more than 270-kilometre journey to prove that something as small as just walking can make a major difference.

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The Long Walk To “Make A Difference”

Pete Shefford has already beaten the odds.

Diagnosed with a form of terminal bowel cancer just after his 50th birthday, the Townsville man and Defence Force veteran was issued with a life expectancy of roughly two years.

That was almost three years ago, and he wants to keep beating those odds – which is in part why he and three other men from Queensland’s far north took on the walk from Townsville to Airlie Beach in blistering heat last week.

In the face of his prognosis, Pete saw an opportunity to establish a legacy for future veterans; reinforcing his belief that “diagnosed medical conditions need not define nor restrict us.”

In collaboration with charitable organisation Eyes Front Ltd, he established the ‘Pete Shefford Enduring Spirit Award’, aimed at recognising the esteemed military values within a critically or terminally ill veteran and provide an opportunity for them to tick something off their bucket list.

“A ‘Make-a-Wish’ opportunity for community-minded ex-defence personnel if you like,” Pete said.

“I’ve had a good life; I’ve done a lot of good things. I know that not everyone had the opportunities I had and they get too old or too sick to do things they might wanted to have done. The idea is to give back to people who are giving already while raising money for hands-on charities.”

Joined by ADF veterans Beau King and Jason Handsaker, the three ordinary blokes – fathers, husbands, footballers, mates, and veterans – set out to prove that “one doesn’t need to be a celebrity or a socialite to make a difference.”

They walked the shoulder of the road for roughly 270 kilometres, through Ayr, Gumlu, Bowen, Proserpine, and finally Airlie Beach, raising roughly $7,000 (at the time of writing) along the way.

“What we realised along the walk was that everyone was willing to give us a hand. Places like Travellers Motel, The Grandview, Original North Australian and Metropole Hotel looked after us,” Pete said.

“Free food, free accommodation. We had lots of chats with locals, too, lots of interest in what we were doing, and quite a few people who donated as much as they could. People just dropping cash into my hand and things like that.”

They walked for as long as 13 hours a day during some of the stretch and looked forward to a dip in the Airlie Beach Lagoon come the end.

“The message we want to get out there is: we want people to focus on what they can achieve – who they can help. None of the buts, just what you want and to focus on that. And it’s a reminder that you can do things if you’ve got support,” Pete said.

“That’s been my message. It’s not about the physical side of things. It’s about having a go, it’s about three ordinary blokes who are saying, we can make a difference, and we can do it together.”

You can continue to donate to the Enduring Spirit Charity via the link: https://enduring-spirit.square.site/enduring-spirit-award

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Image: Kinglsey Theiber says Wests couldn’t operate the way it does without volunteers Robyn Stevens and Alexis Lake. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

It’s often said that volunteers are at the heart of every community.

While volunteers can sometimes go underappreciated, Wests Leagues Club cherishes its volunteers, particularly Robyn Stevens and Alexis Lake.

“Both ladies are integral to our club operations,” said General Manager Kingsley Theiber.

“Clubs don’t operate without volunteers and these ladies have been with the club for numerous years.

“They don’t have children who are playing sport, but they have the club at heart and just continue to support.

“I can’t speak highly enough of what they do for our venue.”

Close friends for over 40 years, Alexis and Robyn have been involved in Wests since the 1990s.

Robyn began volunteering in the late 1990s, first getting involved through her sister-in-law.

“My nephew played football and my husband’s family come from Marian, they grew up in Marian, so they’ve always been Wests Tigers,” she said.

“We just got interested in the club and started to volunteer at the canteen, that’s how it all came about.”

Robyn has previously filled the role of club secretary and board member but now spends her volunteering time in the canteen.

A life and foundation member of the club, Robyn says she has made lifelong friendships through volunteering with Wests.

“I just feel I want to help while I can, because I’ve been honoured with that life membership, I would still like to do volunteering for the club,” she said.

“I just love it, I just love the club.

“It’s like part of the family.”

Close friend and fellow foundation and life member Alexis is formerly a Manager of Wests Leagues Club, a role she filled for six years before leaving to travel.

Upon returning, Alexis joined the Board of Directors and has been in the role for the last eight years.

“With that job, you’ve also got to do a lot of voluntary work so that’s when I just kept going and doing voluntary work for the canteen,” she said.

“It’s just a very friendly, very family-orientated club.

“They’re just a good bunch, we love it.”

Friends through thick and thin, Robyn and Alexis will be volunteering together in the Wests canteen until the end.

“We always say we’re going retire, Robyn and I,” said Alexis.

“We’ve got a pact: when one retires, the other one is going to go with them.”

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Image: Kingsley Theiber plans to deliver a multi-sport facility to the Pioneer Valley community. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

For decades, Wests Leagues Club Mackay has been a social and sporting hub for the communities in the Pioneer Valley and beyond.

With the valley’s population growing and the demand for sporting facilities rising, the club has big plans in the works.

“The club acquired a farm that’s directly behind our current facility, over 60 acres we purchased, with the vision to create a multi-sports complex out here in the Pioneer Valley,” said General Manager Kingsley Theiber.

“Unfortunately, there is a massive lack of facilities out in the valley so the club’s taken it upon themselves as part of their vision to complete and construct a multi-sports facility for all residents in the valley and surrounding communities.”

The club currently incorporates two fields which support junior and senior rugby league and soccer and senior soccer as well as a set of cricket nets adjacent to the fields coupled with an undercover bowls green.

The construction of the multi-sport complex will include additional fields to support AFL and cricket, netball courts, more cricket nets, lighting, security, community facilities such as a men’s shed, covered seating, unisex dressing rooms and canteen and bar facilities.

The project will provide a first-class sporting facility for multi-sports in Walkerston for all of the Pioneer Valley, something Mr Theiber says the community is hungry for.

“We have had feedback from our members that have junior children driving into town for training and it’s an hour into town back and forth for some of these people and people are time-poor as it is, which then turns into children not getting opportunities to participate in sport,” he said.

The project is expected to create 160 jobs during construction, 19 full-time club and 30 permanent part-time club positions and bring the community together in more ways than one.

“It’s an essential part of the community, not only for the sporting side of things but from a social aspect as well,” said Mr Theiber.

“Obviously, coming out of Covid, that had a major effect on people’s mental health not being out and social.

“Our role in the community is to be able to provide that social aspect, not only to our sporting codes but to all members of the public.”

The next step is to secure funding for the project.

“All of this is going to be reliant on funding from state, federal and local governments to work in partnership with the club,” Mr Theiber said.

“We look to support from all levels of government to make sure we can create this and make it a reality.”

What Will The Expansion Bring To The Pioneer Valley?:

• Provide a first-class multi-sport sporting facility in Walkerston

• Engage community and enhance the community spirits

• Provide opportunities for all in the region

• Promote and increase participation in sports, through the provision of universally designed facilities

• Be an inclusive club where everyone is welcome

• Develop facilities for girls and women in their chosen sports

• Fill the void in quality sporting and training facilities in the community

• Provide further opportunities for future heroes and role models to be homegrown from the region

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With more and more businesses allowing flexible working options which often include working from home, it can be easy to fall into a routine of laziness and simplicity when the work desk is mere metres from the bed. On the contrary, working from home allows the freedom and flexibility to take exercise and leisure into your own hands. Read on to discover tips and exercises to incorporate into your routine, making the most of your workdays.

Start Your Day With A Walk

Starting your day with a walk is a great way to boost your energy first thing in the morning. Put on a podcast, catch up on current events or spin some bangers to get yourself moving and begin your workday already exercised, motivated and ready to go.

Depending on your schedule, you can also break your day with walks before, during and after your workday. Leaving the desk and the house is a great way to reinvigorate and re-energise your body and mind as well as avoiding the dreaded cabin fever.

Stand During Calls

Sitting for long hours can be terrible for your blood pressure, back, posture and more, especially when sitting on the couch or at the kitchen bench. Regularly standing or walking will decrease your sitting time and doing these things while working will integrate them into your workday seamlessly. Walk around the house or the block when on a work call or stand at your desk when on a Zoom call. Investing in a standing desk or finding somewhere to properly prop up your computer can help you get up out of your chair and boost your concentration and focus.

Turn Your Office Equipment Into Gym Equipment

With enough space, your desk or chair can serve as push up equipment to help you exercise from home. All you need is something stable to be able to complete push up exercises, including:

• Tricep dips: keep your arms bent at a 90-degree angle on your chair while pushing up and down.

• Desk push ups: place your hands on your desk in a push up position and push up and down.

• Wall push ups: again, place your hands in push up position on the wall and push back and forth.

Make sure to keep your legs at an angle and your entire body in a straight line for best positioning and results.

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A popular new fitness offering in Mackay that provides both Pilates and Yoga in one place is becoming a huge hit. So much so that its owners have just opened a second location to meet rising demand.

When Madeleine Snaith and partner Jake Salomone moved up from Brisbane in July last year, they were surprised to discover this combination was not yet available in the region.

Eager to share how these two disciplines could work together to enhance both physical and mental wellbeing, the couple opened their first studio, Contro Pilates and Yoga in January this year.

With their Rural View location frequently booking out and a wait list of three weeks, they decided to investigate their client list. They quickly noticed clients were often travelling from the other side of Mackay to participate in classes.

Deciding to make it more convenient for their growing clientele, the couple decided to open a second studio on Shakespeare Street in Mackay City earlier this month.

With a total of 12 instructors spread over two rooms at each location, Contro offers a wide range of class options including Reformer Pilates, Matwork Pilates, Yoga, Hot Yoga and Barre.

A maximum of 10 people per class ensures a relaxed and intimate environment, enabling instructors to build positive connections with each and every client.

“It’s such a beautiful community that we’ve built, a lot of clients have now become our friends,” said Madeleine.

“We’re all about making people feel special for an hour and I always tell my staff to remember everyone’s names plus a fast fact about them – that way we have a personal connection.”

The membership structure at Contro has been flexibly designed and purposefully priced to meet the needs of everyone.

Enquire now to find out how Pilates and Yoga can work together to challenge your strength, stability, flexibility and inner wellbeing.

Image: Madeleine Snaith and partner Jake Salomone from Contro Pilates and Yoga

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Seniors of all ages and stages are invited to come together at the Big Shed on the Mackay Showgrounds later this month for an event that promises to offer a wide range of opportunities to maximise quality of life during retirement years.

The annual Mackay Seniors Expo is a popular event which often attracts upwards of 2000 people who enjoy browsing over 75 different stalls.

There is plenty to see and do - discover avenues to volunteer your time to charity organisations, sign-up to sporting activities such as pickleball and learn about your health options including managing hearing loss or how you can receive Meals on Wheels.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the expo is a great place to connect with others.

“This expo is all about making connections, whether with a group you’d like to be part of or a sport or hobby you’d like to try, or maybe just with old friends that you haven’t seen in a while,” he said.

“We’ve found that community members are interested in learning more about leisure and lifestyle activities as well as the more ‘practical’ considerations of growing older and staying active and healthy.

“This expo really offers a tremendous mix – in the Big Shed this year you will find everything from senior-friendly sports and hobbies to retirement living and healthcare services.”

The event forms part of the Queensland Government’s state-wide Seniors Month celebrations which aim to improve community attitudes towards older people, facilitate community participation and activity by older people, and enhance community connections and inter-generational relationships.

WHAT: Mackay Seniors Expo

WHERE: The Big Shed at the Mackay Showgrounds

WHEN: Tuesday, October 11 from 9.00am to 1.00pm

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Do you have an exciting creative idea and need a bit of financial assistance to get it off the ground?

Mackay Regional Council is here to help you through the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF), offering almost $95,000 in grants during the latest funding round.

RADF Committee Chair Councillor Fran Mann said this round of funding was again offering three different categories to promote creativity across the Mackay community.

“RADF will again offer General Arts grants, as well as the Youth Arts grants which aim to support young people to pursue creative career pathways,” Ms Mann said.

“There will also be Green Arts grants available, which will support initiatives that focus on environmentally based arts and cultural practice and that highlight issues relating to our unique local biodiversity.

“Creativity makes communities connect, and RADF promotes the role and value of arts, culture and heritage as key drivers of diverse and inclusive communities and strong regions.”

This funding round of RADF (round one for 2022/23) is open now and applications close Wednesday, October 5, 2022, for projects commencing after Monday, November 14.

This round will offer $46,000 in General Arts grants, $33,934 in Green Arts grants, and $15,000 in Youth Arts grants.

Previous RADF grant recipients have used the funds to publish books, record music, hold art exhibitions and more.

Council is also looking for new RADF committee members and you or your arts organisation can still apply for RADF funds if you are a RADF committee member.

To apply for a RADF grant, visit mackay.smartygrants.com.au.

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One of Mackay CBD’s many laneways is now a whole lot brighter thanks to local artist Cynthia Gregg.

The space next to Sam’s Singapore Restaurant on Wood Street has been transformed, with Cynthia spending a week painting the whole wall white before creating her masterpiece last week.

Cynthia, who is also a Crossroad Arts Wearable Art Co-Facilitator and performer, created the artwork using water-based exterior paints to celebrate the deep blue waters of the Pioneer River.

“The mural consists of a human silhouette spreading outwards into a large dynamic splashing of droplets in aquamarine blue hues,” Cynthia said.

“This form will suggest a welcoming river spirit, inviting the audience to interact.

“The themes are playfulness, vitality, appreciation of and engagement with arts and the natural marine environment.”

Brightening the street, the artwork invites passers-by into the laneway to interact with the piece.

“This type of painting is designed to engage its audience with photo shoots and selfies,” Cynthia said.

“It consists of shapes designed to smoothly frame and uplift the appearance of a person standing directly in front of the mural.

“In photos, it will appear as though the person featured is one with the painting and wearing wings of splashing water rising, encouraging a cultural embrace with the river and street arts in Mackay.”

Cynthia was able to complete the mural after receiving an Activate My Place! (AMP!) program micro-grant from Mackay Regional Council to create this new work.

She also had the support of Crossroad Arts and Horizon Clubhouse.

With the whole wall now painted white, Cynthia hopes to secure more funding to fill the wall with similar figures.

Members of the local community are invited to take part in photoshoots with the completed mural, encouraging connection and share to social media using the hashtags #BlueRiverSpirit and #MackayPride.

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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, Canegrowers Mackay

Looking north, and seeing the deep troubles experienced in other growing regions in sourcing labour to transport cane to the mill, the Mackay region cane growing community is thankful for a couple of factors that have served us well this crush.

Canegrowers Mackay, working with our CQ Queensland Agricultural Workforce Network officer, went out hard and early, recruiting workers not just from within our community, but across the country. We used electronic billboards, social media and online jobs boards focused on backpackers and grey nomads. We ran ads in local media, and state rural press.

We even went old school, with posters and flyers delivered to roadhouses and caravan parks.

Beyond that, Canegrowers Mackay is almost unique among Queensland’s milling districts in that part of our recruitment strategy is to actively train haulout drivers. The course is led by growers and harvesters and a registered training organisation. This year, we had 20 trainees, 19 of whom passed the course and were work-ready by the end of their four-day training course, with some good in-paddock experience.

We think it’s important, to help raise skill levels of new workers to the industry, and thereby improve safety and productivity. That’s why we are currently applying for funding to run two courses in 2023.

This year, the course also taught us something. The majority of the trainees were older workers, looking for seasonal work to supplement their early retirement income. Many had experience in other ag sectors and were looking to apply these to cane harvesting. It’s interesting and gave us a pointer on places to focus efforts in 2023.

Overall, taking this multi-pronged recruitment approach has been a good success, thus far, with a list of people seeking work updating on our website jobs board, and members, for the most part, are not flagging that they are having difficulty sourcing labour.

However, with the crush now expected to extend into January, the sector will need to ensure that we can retain the labour needed to see the crush through, or if not, attract new workers. It’s a hard call, but many farming operations unfortunately end up relying on family members to scrape through that end part of the season.

We are lucky that, for the majority of harvesting operations in this region, a C-class licence is all that is needed to be a haulout driver. Like many regions, the sugarcane industry can suffer attrition to the resources sector. It can’t be helped – those are high paying jobs in an affluent industry.

But what the sugarcane industry can offer is a worksite that’s a green paddock, not a black and brown hole. And to be home with your loved ones every day. There’s a good lifestyle trade off.

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