Upgrade work has commenced at the Sydney and Alfred streets roundabout to improve safety of the area and improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians.

Construction is expected to take about six weeks to complete, weather permitting.

The work involves installing new median islands, pedestrian refuge islands, all abilities ramps, new road pavement and line marking.

To help minimise the impacts to businesses and traffic in the area, work will be undertaken at night between the hours of 6pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday. There will also be some instances where day works are required for specific activities.  

Road closures and detours will be in place each night with normal traffic conditions reinstated each morning.

Motorists are asked to follow the directions of all signage in the area and the instructions of traffic controllers.  

Some centre car parking on Alfred Street will be removed during the works, these parks will be barricaded off when they are unavailable.  

No changes will occur to the existing bus stop locations on either Alfred or Sydney streets.

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Mackay Regional Council held a special meeting last week to move a budget that has been described as “strong” and “sensible”.

With the region’s liveability and livelihood the focus of the $302 million budget, ratepayers will see a 2.5% increase across all categories which equates to an extra $81 a year for the average ratepayer.

This increase is lower than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which was 6 per cent in March 2022 and Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson says that is a credit to the staff and directorate of council.

“(The budget) recognises the current cost of living pressures that all of us are facing,” said Mayor Williamson.

“No services have been affected at all, but to keep it at a rate rise of 2.5 per cent when the CPI for QLD is running at 6 per cent when we expect inflation to be 7 per cent at the end of the year, when the majority of councils are running somewhere between 4 and 6 per cent rate rises, I’m very proud of what our council’s been able to achieve.”

Mayor Williamson says council committed to a rate rise of no more than CPI which was 2.5 per cent when the budget process was started six months ago.

“We always said we’ll keep it at CPI but it’s just not palatable, in my view, in this community, to go over a 5 or 6 per cent increase,” he said.

The budget will also see $104 million invested into capital works, with $58.5 million to go towards renewing existing assets, $18 million towards upgrades and $27.5 million towards new assets.

“We are continuing to build on signature projects that are on the table and progressing well,” Mayor Williamson said.

Some of the region’s signature projects to get a share of the budget include the Mackay waterfront precinct, the Northern Beaches Community Hub and the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike project.

“Ground-breaking works commenced in March for Mackay Waterfront’s Riverside Revitalisation project, which we know will be a game changer for our region,” Mayor Williamson said.

“And with the adoption of today’s budget, we will see an additional $6.2 million put towards River Street’s service road and further riverside improvements.”

Two Queensland Government Works for Queensland partially funded projects are also included - $3.8 million for Seaforth Esplanade masterplan implementation and $1.7 million for Woodlands District Park.

Mayor Williamson says most of these are long-term projects with more funds to be allocated in future budgets to continue development.

“Our signature projects that we’ve actually embarked upon, a lot of them are long-term projects but we’ve been funding them now for a number of years and they will start to come into fruition very rapidly over the next couple of years,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Karen May says the council serves a vast region with a small rates base compared to many other local government areas.

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With the Mackay Regional Budget delivered last week, we wanted to know what changes Mackay locals would make if they were ‘Mayor for a day’.

Phil – “I would get the Bucasia boat ramp pumped out so you can use it all day. You can use it for an hour, it’s so silted over that when the tide comes in you can get out and only stay out there for half an hour because you’ve got to come back in before the tide drops again and it’s all sand.”

Georgia – “I would look at fostering a stronger community by bringing life back to the town centre and would work towards developing infrastructure along the coastal beachfront – creating an esplanade vibe with local cafes, produce, boutiques, bikeways, waterpark, amphitheatre stage, etc.”

Kimberley – “I would provide a sporting grant for all sports in Mackay for reduced fees and increased accessibility.”

Christina – “I would fast track the riverfront development.”

Dominic – “I would invest more in the music scene and support more opportunities for collaboration across art, film and sound design, because I imagine how cool it would be to shoot videos similar to Mahogany Sessions with the scenery around here.”

Amanda - “I would make rates free or significantly reduced on blocks of land that have homes under construction. To encourage more development I think it would be a good incentive, with trade and supply shortages, some first-home builders have had to pay two years of rates on blocks of land they haven’t been using while their house build has been significantly delayed. I don’t think it’s fair to be paying for waste and water that isn’t being used.”

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Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer visited Prestige Cabinet Co, North Mackay earlier this week, a business who benefitted from a $5,000 Business Basics Grant.

“Since 2020, nearly 60,000 Queensland businesses have been supported by grants totalling almost $530 million,” Minister Farmer said.

“Following the successful business grants that spurred our economic recovery, the State Budget 2022–23 will invest a further $39.1 million over the next four years to support our crucial small business sector and I can confirm this will be permanent, ongoing funding.”

Julie Scott, co-owner of Prestige Cabinet Co, North Mackay, said the grant helped advance the business during an uncertain time.

“Having this funding was a highlight and gave us the positivity and confidence to progress our business forward,” Ms Scott said.

“We used this funding for our strategic marketing, something we would never have done previously, because we never had enough available cash flow to allocate to this part of the business.”

Thanks to the grant, Julie and her business partner, husband Danny, were able to advertise to a larger audience, increasing sales and demand and have since taken on a new employee with plans to hire another in the next six months.

Prestige Cabinet Co was one of 109 businesses to share in more than $607,000 in a range of Big Plans for Small Business grants for the Mackay region.

Minister Farmer said the State Budget would also deliver relief to small-and-medium-sized businesses through payroll tax cuts.

“This year’s State Budget 2022-23 will cut payroll taxes for more than 12,000 small and medium-sized Queensland businesses,” Minister Farmer said.

Changes to payroll tax will come into effect on 1 January 2023.

Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer and Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert with Julie and Danny Scott, owners of Prestige Cabinet Co, North Mackay

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A former Whitsunday Anglican School student has found success in the Ironman Cairns Asia-Pacific Championship.

Maggie Monckton, part of the class of 2016, took out the 18 - 24 age group at the Ironman 70.3 (Half Ironman) with a time of 4:56:19.

She has also qualified for the World Triathlon Championships to take place in Germany.

These achievements come all while Maggie completes her study, currently in her 5th year of a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at JCU in Townsville.

Maggie Monckton had plenty of support when she finished first in the 18 - 24 age group at the Ironman 70.3 in Cairns. Photos supplied: Whitsunday Anglican School

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School holidays are meant for fun and adventure, but one kid’s ‘break’ got off to a very bad start last weekend.

RACQ CQRescue was tasked by Queensland Health to a property not far from St Helen’s Beach about 3pm on Saturday 25 June after a child suffered a seriously broken leg after falling from a roof.

The rescue helicopter landed in a clearing nearby to transfer the child and mother to Mackay Base Hospital for further treatment at about 4pm.

Then on Sunday, a tourist travelling in a caravan in remote Central Queensland had to be airlifted by RACQ CQ Rescue after suffering a heart attack.

About 4.30pm Sunday 26 June, RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked by Queensland Health to the Belyando Roadhouse, more than 300km west of Mackay, where a man in his 60s was reportedly suffering serious chest pain.

The man had been travelling through the Central Queensland outback when he started feeling unwell yesterday and stopped at the remote facilities. The rescue helicopter was despatched to land near the service station on the Gregory Highway with a doctor and Critical Care Paramedic on board to attend to the patient.

After refuelling at Moranbah, the patient was flown in a stable condition to Mackay Airport, arriving at 7.30pm and was transported by ambulance to Mackay Base Hospital.

It was one of five missions completed by the Mackay-based rescue helicopter last weekend from Friday to Sunday.

RACQ CQ Rescue landed at the Belyando Roadhouse, 300km west of Mackay, last Sunday to airlift a tourist who was suffering a heart attack

A child was airlifted by RACQ CQ Rescue to Mackay Base Hospital after falling from a roof at property near St Helen’s Beach on Saturday. Photo credits: RACQ CQ Rescue

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“We woke up to windows breaking, the smoke was overwhelming.”

Jacky Thomas recounts waking in the early hours of last Saturday morning, to fire engulfing the East Mackay home she shares with three other people.

The McIntyre Street blaze is thought to have been started by a heater. Thankfully, everyone escaped the burning building without injury which Ms Thomas said is due to her dog barking to alert her to danger.

Ms Thomas said it happened so quickly and the housemates are devastated at losing their belongings in the blaze.

The community have been donating clothing and other sundry items to the property while the housemates struggle to find somewhere to live. All accommodation was booked out throughout the Mackay Region for sporting events this week and emergency accommodation is scarce.

“We just thank the community for the support we’ve received,” Ms Thomas said.

The McIntyre Street home in East Mackay was destroyed by fire on Saturday 24 June. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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COVID vaccination requirements across a range of categories were eased in Queensland from 1am June 30, with mandatory vaccinations no longer needed in a range of settings including visitors to correctional facilities or people working in education.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said; “As we move to the next stage of the pandemic, we will be adjusting our approach in relation to mandatory vaccinations.

“From 30 June, mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations will no longer be required for visitors to:

Residential aged care, disability accommodation, corrective service facilities.

“In addition, we will be revoking our high-risk workers COVID-19 vaccine mandate, with decisions around mandatory vaccinations to instead be made by employers.”

This will result in the following workers no longer being required to be vaccinated for COVID under the public health directions:

Schools, early childhood education, outside school care, kindergartens, family day care

Prisons, community corrections, work camps

Police watch houses

Youth detention centres

Airports

“The public health directive mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for workers in healthcare, hospitals, aged care and disability care remains unchanged,” Ms D’Ath added.

“We will also be removing the public health direction that requires post-arrival testing for those who have travelled to Queensland from international locations.”

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath

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Romance novels, childhood cartoons and British band The Police have led everyone to believe that one day, we’d all find a mysterious bottle washed ashore at the beach containing a grand tale of adventure from the original sender.

It doesn’t happen as often as these sources let us hope, but it did happen to fisherman Darrell Barba two weekends ago.

Mr Barba was traversing the mangroves looking for mud muscles at Midge Point, north of Mackay, when he spotted an old, clear bottle with a hint of colour shining through.

“I thought it was full of money, actually,” Mr Barba said.

“I thought, ‘I’m onto it here’.”

The source of the colour was a sole $10 note and, alongside it, a stamped postcard with a return address and a faded, handwritten note.

Failing to manoeuvre the contents through the bottleneck, Mr Barba broke the bottle.

Upon unravelling the faded note, Mr Barba discovered that the bottle had been afloat for over ten years after being dropped off a cruise ship about halfway between New Zealand and Brisbane.

The postcard revealed it had been “dropped astern off the Sun Princess on Christmas Day 25th December 2011” in the “mid-Tasman sea”, floating thousands of kilometres to wash up at Midge Point.

The postcard also featured instructions, directing the bottle’s discoverer to write down where and when the bottle was found and post the postcard back to the name and address, which read John Reed in northern Sydney.

Mr Barba followed the instructions and made contact with Mr Reed, returning the postcard.

This all came as a shock to Mr Reed as he didn’t drop the bottle off the ship himself.

“I think it’s pretty amazing it’s floated around the Pacific, or maybe the world,” Mr Reed said.

It was his good mate, Tony Potter, a whiskey-loving larrikin, who set the bottle free off the side of the Sun Princess.

Mr Reed said Mr Potter probably thought it was a good idea at the time.

“He’s a bit of a character, Tony,” said Mr Reed.

“A good mate for many years.

“That’s the sort of thing he did.

“I wouldn’t have done it myself but that was his idea of a joke.”

Unfortunately, Mr Potter passed away last year and didn’t live to see the punchline of his long-term joke.

“I’d like to ring him up and tell him the bottle’s been found and I’d love to talk to him,” Mr Reed said.

“But he passed away last year so I’d have to have a very long telephone cord.

“He’d think it was terrific, he’d think it was great that the bottle actually turned up.”

The bottle washed ashore at Midge Point, catching the eye of fisherman Darrell Barba

The bottle contained a postcard, a faded handwritten note and a $10 reward

Mr Barba sent the postcard to the surprise of the recipient, Sydney’s John Reed. Photos supplied: Camp Misguided

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Locals will no longer need to travel to Brisbane for complex sinus and nasal surgery with new state-of-the-art surgical technology now available at Mater Private Hospital Mackay.

Mater Private Hospital Mackay is the only hospital in the region equipped with the $88,000 Fiagon ENT Navigation System, funded by community donations to Mater Foundation.

Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon Dr Luke Reid said the cutting-edge technology enabled procedures to be performed within 1–2mm degrees of accuracy and allowed patients to access surgery close to home.

Marion resident William Whamond was the first patient to have surgery using the new technology at Mater and said it had significantly improved his quality of life. He is now able to breathe, smell, and sleep more easily.

“For years I have suffered from severe nasal polyps that were visible and gradually worsened, affecting my sinus cavity to the degree I always had a blocked nose,” Mr Whamond said.

“I am in a managerial position, and it started affecting my work because I didn’t want to go to meetings where people could be concerned that I had COVID-19 or the flu.”

Mr Whamond said being able to have the surgery locally without travelling to Brisbane had saved him time, money, and stress that would have interrupted his work and family life.

Mater Foundation Executive Director Andrew Thomas said last Wednesday (29 June) was Mater’s annual Giving Day, an opportunity for donors’ contributions to be tripled to fund much-needed healthcare equipment and services in regional Queensland.

“Mater Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraiser where generous donations made to Mater Foundation will be matched and tripled by donors,” Mr Thomas said.

“The funds raised contribute to the improvement of Mater’s facilities across Queensland in the same way the ENT Navigation System is enhancing access to world-class care in Mackay.

“Whether you dig deep or give a little, every contribution makes a difference to patients like William and extends the services offered at Mater.”

Dr Reid said he used the surgical equipment weekly to perform procedures on patients with sinus disease, including polyps, and for those with complex anatomy where the equipment enhanced the safety of the procedure being performed.

“Donations to Mater Foundation for new technology helps support us to deliver local services to our patients in Mackay that is comparable to those found in major cities and institutions around the world,” Dr Reid said.

Mater Private Hospital Mackay ENT surgeon Dr Luke Reid and the Fiagon navigation system

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Six students were the recipients of more than $25,000 last week to help them forge a diverse range of careers without having to move to a big city to do it.

Community Bank Sarina awarded the scholarships to assist in study costs through CQUniversity in regional areas, in a range of interests, from science and digital media to agriculture, engineering and plumbing. The scholarships were awarded for a combination of higher education studies and apprenticeships.

Scholarships To Support Diverse Studies

More than $25,0000 in scholarship funding was awarded last week by Community Bank Sarina to further support local students in their studies, helping them to achieve their goals while studying in regional areas.

Community Bank Sarina Board Chair Karen May said that the successful applicants had unintentionally all come from a “wide range of study interests and career goals”.

“All of these students are studying in regional areas through CQUniversity – representing the diversity of opportunity available outside of our metro counterparts,” Ms May said.

“It really goes to show that if you do want to stick close by to loved ones, that you don’t need to sacrifice following your chosen career path by staying in a regional centre.”

The recipients are:

• Taya Murray - Bachelor of Science > $6000 higher education scholarship

• Lucy Hamblin - Bachelor of Agriculture (Agribusiness major) > $6000 higher education scholarship

• Jordan Ruddell - Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade) > $4000 apprenticeship scholarship

• Andrew Vrbanic - Certificate III in Plumbing > $4000 apprenticeship scholarship

Scholarship recipient Taya Murray said that it was while at SSHS that she learned about biofuels and “found the mix of chemistry and mechanics really fascinating”.

“A career goal of mine is to work at Sarina’s ethanol plant, and with this scholarship – I really appreciate the Bank’s support and confidence in me,” Taya said.

Jordan Patullo (Ruddell) is undertaking an apprenticeship in engineering (fabrication trade) and was “so excited I couldn’t stop smiling” when her name was announced as a scholarship recipient.

“I tried welding in school and it was something that I just ‘got’ straight away, and I really liked it,” Jordan said.

“When I finish my apprenticeship – I’m hoping to become a trainer, to help guide others in learning how to do welding and fabrication.

“I’m also a leader with our local unit of the Australian Army Cadets, and I love nothing more than watching the kids grow and develop. So when I finish, I want to bring my love of welding together with that – to help train others in the trade.”

To keep up to date on future scholarship opportunities, follow Community Bank Sarina on Facebook.

Prof Pierre Viljoen, Cr Karen May, Jaymi Cook, Jordan Patullo (Ruddell), Lucy Hamblin, Andrew Vrbanic, Taya Murray, Maree Franettovich and Charmaine Matsen

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Encourage your children to get creative over the school holidays by making a masterpiece for the upcoming Cruise Whitsundays Great Barrier Reef Festival.

Held from August 4-7, the 22nd annual festival will bring colour, fun and fiesta to Airlie Beach with a range of exciting events, many of which you can contribute towards yourself.

Here are some ideas:

•Construct an inflatable raft for the recyclable regatta – all rafts must be made from recycled items aside from the ores.

•Design a piece of wearable art out of recycled items

•Build a lantern for the lantern parade

•Get your workmates together and create a costume or float for the street parade

Anyone in the community is invited to get creative and contribute their unique piece of art – this year the theme is the ‘Great Eight’ - clownfish, giant clams, manta rays, maori wrasse, potato cod, sharks, turtles, and whales.

Festival Chairwoman and ‘Immerse’ concept designer, Margie Murphy, said your artwork can be inspired by any of these incredible marine creatures.

“Just as an African safari has its ‘Big Five’, our Great Barrier Reef’s ‘Great Eight’ are a checklist of the reef’s most mesmerising marine creatures and should provide ample inspiration for costumes and floats for this year’s Rotary Street Parade,” she said.  

“We’re also looking forward to seeing reef conservation innovatively expressed through our Wilmar Wearable Art and Anything Environmental Recyclable Regatta entries, so the time to get creating is now!”

WHAT: Great Barrier Reef Festival

WHEN: August 4-7

WHERE: Airlie Beach

Create some wearable art over the holidays!

Construct an inflatable raft out of recycled items

What are you going to create for the street parade?

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Did you know that your skin-health can be directly related to the types of food you choose to eat? Here are a few ideas for giving you fresh, clear skin all year round:

•Tomatoes – A great source of vitamin C which can help boost collagen production, they also fight cellular damage which can prevent fine lines and wrinkles

•Fatty fish - A source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining skin health - salmon, mackerel and herring are all excellent choices

•Quinoa – This super food has amazing skin benefits - it is packed with nutrients - Vitamin A, calcium, zinc, protein, manganese, fibre, iron and essential amino acids

•Green Tea – It contains powerful compounds called catechins and can protect your skin from damage and ageing. It is also anti-inflammatory, reducing skin irritations

•Avocado - High in healthy fats, avocados can do wonders for your skin. Getting enough of these fats is essential to help keep skin flexible and moisturised

•Carrots - Carrots are filled with antioxidants loaded with beta carotene that works on healing scars and blemishes on the skin

•Broccoli - This green tree goodness is full of zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin C

•Strawberries – Containing lots of antioxidants, strawberries are good at stopping your pores from becoming blocked and preventing spots from developing

•Walnuts - They contain a large number of polyphenols, which are compounds known for their antioxidant properties that fight skin damage and prevent ageing

•Greek Yoghurt – Containing natural anti-bacterial properties, yoghurt can help prevent acne breakouts and ensure glowing and healthy-looking skin.

Information sourced from bulk.com.uk

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This year at the Cruise Whitsundays Great Barrier Reef Festival, the Immerse art installation returns with a Vivid-style sculpture and animation theme.

Award-winning multi-media artists Donna Maree Robinson and Margaret Burgess have been working with local creators Brigitte Peel, Anita Pender, and Liz Knight to produce marine-themed digital projections and sculptures for a foreshore trail from the Lagoon to Fairy Tree Park in downtown Airlie Beach.

Donna Maree Robinson said festivalgoers could expect to see all manner of vibrant reef life animated onto building facades, rock walls, bridges, water, and an iconic fig tree, using specialised stop-motion techniques.

“This is something many people may not have witnessed before – it’s an immersive experience that brings to life quirky areas throughout the space we’re working in, creating a sense of wonder and awe about the reef, and also hopefully raising awareness about the need to protect it,” she said.  

The series of sculptures incorporated into the trail are being created at free workshops which are being held in communities across the region thanks to Regional Arts Development Funding (RADF).

Airlie Beach is next on the list, with the Immerse Workshop due to take place at the Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre in Cannonvale on July 10, from 10am until 3pm.

“You don’t have to be an artist – you can have an interest in the environment, want to get creative or be somebody who just wants to connect with other people – it’s free of charge, and all the materials will be supplied, as well as the instruction,” said facilitator Margaret Burgess.

WHAT: Immerse Workshop

WHEN: July 10, 10am-3pm

WHERE: Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre

The stunning ‘Immerse’ art installation from 2021

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End of financial year is upon us and with it the usual rush of last minute claims and financial manoeuvres. Take some time with your accountant and financial advisor to plan ahead for the next twelve months – with inflation rising and the costs of everything spiralling upwards, there will be challenging times ahead.

In the meantime, school holidays have arrived along with the influx of families enjoying the Whitsunday Winter. Add these to the Cruise Ship visitors and there is certainly a buzz in the main street again, particularly on weekends.

The Queensland State Budget was handed down this week with some welcome payroll tax for small and medium businesses (SME). This means SME's will be able to employ more people to meet the need of their customer base – around the limitations of ongoing staff and accommodation shortages. There were also positive measures in mental health support, regional infrastructure spend, and continued small business support programs.

With local mayoral elections just around the corner, the Chamber has organised a Meet the Candidates event to be held at the VMR Building, 6pm on Thursday, July 14. With most of the candidates already confirmed it will be sure to be an interesting evening. There are an unprecedented number of candidates in this election, it will be held as an optional preferential vote and Council have requested a postal election which is yet to be approved by the Queensland Electoral Commission.

If this goes ahead, it has several ramifications. It is expected that only 50 per cent of residents will vote and the vote will be fragmented amongst the candidates. Voters can just vote 1, or place a number against every candidates (or any combination in between)

The Chamber strongly recommends putting a number against each candidate to ensure the regions gets the most preferred mayor – not just the one that gets the most votes.

From Allan Milostic, President of the Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce

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