A three-day Innovative Grazing Forum will once again attract attendees and exhibitors from across the state.

The Grazing Forum is a one-of-a-kind event in the Mackay Region, with innovative ideas and methodologies to enhance grazing practice at the core of its program.  

Celebrating its 10th year, the forum boasts notable industry speakers, stallholders, two practical on-site field days and plenty of networking time.

“As the only large-scale grazing event in our region, Reef Catchment’s Grazing Forum has brought landholders and industry specialists together for more than a decade,” said Reef Catchments Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator Gillian Barbat.

“Attendees catch up on the latest industry innovations, engage and network with fellow graziers and hear speakers from across the country”.

The forum will welcome Director of Nature’s Equity Dick Richardson to the region as the 2023 keynote speaker.

Also presenting at the forum will be 2022 Farmer of the Year Mike Taylor, Senior Beef Extension Officer Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Jim Fletcher, DAF’s Lara Landsberg, Project Officer at Reef Catchments Carlos Bueno and Recipient of the 2022 Queensland Farmers Federation - Reef Conservation Champion Award Jason Bradford.

“The forum features an inspiring line-up of stallholders across the three days and offers plenty of time to connect with industry specialists, network with other graziers and to discover ways to invigorate grazing enterprises,” Ms Barbat said.

“With two field days sandwiched around the conference day, there’s plenty of opportunities to discover methods and practical ideas on integrating innovation into grazing management.”

This years’ event will include a pre-event field morning, to demonstrate the forage crop trials benefiting production quality and quantity – a segue to the more formal presentations the following day.

The second field day, post-conference, will focus on an enterprise where attendees can explore on-farm hydrology and regenerative grazing practices.

“Bringing together landholders, industry experts and agencies will be the highlight for me,” Ms Barbat said.

“We’ll be connecting folk, growing their network of support and information while offering examples to motivate them on their own individual journey.”

The three-day event will run from April 18-20, each day involving the following:

• April 18 – Field Day – GRT, legume & pasture improvement trial – Habana

• April 19 – Conference – Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre

• April 20 – Field Day - Hydrology focused enterprise, off-grid, biodiversity – Bowen region

Held by Reef Catchments, the Innovative Grazing Forum is supported with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and Glencore.

WHAT: 10th Annual Innovative Grazing Forum

WHEN: April 18-20, 2023

TICKETS: Eventbrite

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Reef Catchments Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator Gillian Barbat

Keynote speaker Dick Richardson, Director of Nature’s Equity. Photos supplied

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A local retirement village is realising the health benefits of encouraging residents to join together and walk their dogs in its safe and familiar environment.

A group of 11 dogs and their owners all enjoy going for walks around Breezes Retirement Village each day.

From a cute Dachshund to a Miniature Fox Terrier, a Toy Poodle to a Maltese Shih Tzu cross and Terrier Mix, there are plenty of breeds – and fast friendships are formed both between pets and their owners.

Resident, Sally James, who has lived in the village for 13 years, says she walks about a kilometre daily with fellow residents.

“The dogs promote friendship, fitness, menu planning and socialisation among us all,” she says.

“We often meet up with people afterwards.

“The three of us walk around while our fur babies are spoiled enroute with treats as they enjoy their daily exercise.

“We talk about everything and anything and for the dogs, it’s become like their happy hour.”

Sally says there are many flow-on benefits to having a pet such as fostering positive mental health.

“Keisha is part of my surrogate family and calms me if I’m feeling anxious,” she says.

“A dog offers security, companionship and helps motivate you to exercise.”

Fellow dog walker Errol has lived in the village for 12 months and says he has quickly met new friends thanks to his pooch.

“Meeting up with the ladies here has got me involved in the village and I talk to a lot of other people I wouldn’t have talked to otherwise,” he says.

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Residents at a local retirement village forge friendships over their mutual love of dogs. Photo supplied.

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The variety of adrenaline-pumping challenges in multisport adventure racing has seen the concept skyrocket in popularity around the world.

Adventure racing can include mountain biking, kayaking, road cycling, trail running and orienteering, and Mackay’s ZACH MACH Adventure Challenge involves them all.

“Being able to work as a team across many sporting disciplines rather than the emphasis being on individual achievement is what attracts many people to adventure racing,” said Event Director Nikki Giles.

ZACH MACK Adventure Challenge was established in 2013 following the sudden passing of local adventure enthusiast Zach Roberts.

The challenge was started by Peter Lister, a former teacher at Mackay Christian College where Zach went to school and since then, it has grown in size and popularity with locals and adventure seekers from across the nation embracing the challenge.

“Mackay’s Pioneer Valley is the perfect playground for an adventure race like ZACH MACH,” Ms Giles said.

“The stunning rainforest is a haven for trail runners, Mia Mia is a mountain biker’s dream, Teemburra Dam is great for the kayak leg and the green cane paddocks that line the sealed roads are a spectacular back drop for road cycling.”

The event is held across the second weekend of May with the ZACH MACH Adventure Challenge on Saturday, May 6 and MINI MACH, an enticer course designed for ages 7+ and including mountain biking, trail running and orienteering, on Sunday, May 7.

Competitors can register for all stages or select any of the four disciplines (mountain bike, kayak, trail run and road bike) as an individual, pair or a team.

Registration and event details can be found at www.tri-activ8.com.au/zachmach.

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Adventure racing continues to sweep the Mackay region

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Easter time is now in full swing and I would like to disturb your peace by raising a contentious opinion. Hot cross buns are not good. Now, hear me out. There are alternative types that can be made into something yummy, but the humble traditional fruit hot cross bun is not even good.

People wait with bated breath for these to hit the shelves on boxing day. I understand these are probably the best sellers at this time of year in all our favourite bakeries but, regardless of what the stats say, I’m calling it how it is. I have never understood the hype and, in fact, I’ll go so far as to say I have never eaten a hot cross bun by choice. Last year I used my subjective tastebuds to help find the best hot cross bun in Mackay and the Whitsundays along with a panel of bun lovers. While a noble and exciting endeavor for many, it simply reaffirmed to me that I will never enjoy a hot cross bun despite how ‘good’ it is in terms of what they’re meant to taste like.

Chocolate, on the other hand, I am a huge advocate for, and I encourage you to consume as much as you can across the long weekend. Also, while there’s still time and if you haven’t already, jump onto the Star 101.9 website and register yourself for Star’s Shop Til You Drop. We are giving one person and their friend a $10,000 trip to Los Angeles! Flights, accommodation, spending money - it’s all sorted. It could be all yours so don’t miss out!

If you have already registered you need to keep it locked on Star because your name could be broadcast in our boarding calls and you need to ring 1300 89 19 29 in time to get your name on the shortlist.

Happy Easter to you all!

Kaley

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Following an 11-month trial period, a brand-new Freight Distribution Centre was officially opened at Whitsunday Coast Airport on Monday.

The new service will transport high-yield perishable produce such as seafood, fruit, and vegetables to major urban centres such as Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.

This means that suppliers can go crabbing in the Whitsundays in the morning and sell their produce at the Sydney Markets in the afternoon.

For almost a year Whitsunday Coast Airport has been trialling its new fresh produce cargo program and due to its success, they have opened the doors to a dedicated facility which will receive and send produce to and from the Whitsundays.

From mud crabs to mangoes, and almost any type of live, perishable, or precious cargo, the airport can now manage the efficient and safe transfer of produce.

Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner, explains that there are many advantages of the new offering.

Not only does this add a new revenue stream to the Council-owned facility, which directly benefits ratepayers, it also allows farmers and suppliers to command a higher yield by delivering fresher, better-quality produce.

“Some mango farmers have reported that up to 30 per cent of their freight can be damaged when travelling to markets by road,” said Craig.

“Using air freight can deliver produce to market quicker and more cost effectively than ever before.”

In addition, placing produce into the underbelly of the plane means that airlines are less likely to cancel flights as the double revenue stream makes the service twice as valuable.

This will in turn make air transport to and from the Whitsundays more reliable for both tourists and locals.

So far, Craig and his team have confirmed a freight service with Virgin, Bonza and Skytrans.

They are still waiting on confirmation from Qantas.

Registered Air Cargo Agents, Whitsunday Coast Airport staff have undergone training to create a system that is efficient and fully compliant with national standards.

The airport is one of only two in Australia to handle the management of air freight rather than outsourcing to an external contractor.

This means they can quality control every step in the process, from meeting the flights to storing the produce and sending it off again.

Most items are only sitting at the facility for a few hours before they are sent off again.

Craig says that he hopes to “bolt on” additional services as the demand builds and that he can anticipate it leading towards transport services from the depot to local restaurants and onto ferries which will transit to nearby island resorts.

Not only does air freight increase the freshness and quality of produce, it also reduces its travel time and overall carbon footprint.

Often produce travels from Cairns down to Brisbane before then being sent back up to the Whitsundays.

“This can mean an entire week of unnecessary travel time,” said Freight Officer Paul Knott.

While their focus is centred around live or perishable produce, the cargo depot can transport other items including pets and animals, unaccompanied baggage, valuable possessions and parcels.

Craig says they can also handle parcels from Amazon and other online purchases which can dramatically decrease waiting time for residents.

Since inception, the cargo service has transported 28 tonnes of live mud crab around the country.

But it also works the other way around.

“Just this morning we had a call from a crayfish company in Tasmania booking 25 kilos of lobster onto a flight,” said Craig.

“This is a great sign for us, and I think it reinforces that there is a high demand for the service.”

The new air freight facility was largely funded by the Federal Government with in-kind contribution from the Whitsunday Regional Council.

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Transporting fresh local produce to markets across Australia: Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner and Freight Officer Paul Knott. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner and Freight Officer Paul Knott. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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St Patrick’s College has a long history of offering excellence in schooling and is a Catholic Coeducational College in the Diocese of Rockhampton catering for Years 7 to 12.

Families looking for a quality secondary education in Mackay are invited to attend the St Patrick’s College Mackay Open Night being held on Tuesday 2 May at the Mercy Campus in Penn Street, Mackay from 4.00pm to 7.00pm.

Prospective parents and students are invited to view subject displays, chat to teachers, admire students’ work and join in classroom activities. Tours of the facilities and dynamic performances from the College Choir, Band, Drum Corps, Dance Troupe, Concert Percussion, Handbell and Strings ensembles will all be scheduled throughout the evening.

Enjoy the free sausage sizzle, tea and coffee, wine and cheese for the adults, with popcorn and snow cones for sale to support the St Vinnies Committee.

For those attending there is a Treasure Map prize draw at 7pm at the Pavilion offering:

First Prize - $200 City Beach Gift Voucher

Second Prize - $100 City Beach Gift Voucher

Third Prize - $50 City Beach Gift Voucher

Why enrol at St Patrick’s College? St Pat’s is a partnership between students, staff and parents, providing an environment of learning, personal growth and faith development while recognising students as young adults.

St Patrick’s College holds as its central character the motto ‘Seek and Serve Christ’.

With strong sporting, cultural, spiritual, academic and vocational programs established, St Patrick’s College offers positive experiences for students in a dynamic and exciting dual campus environment.

The College is ideally located close to Mackay’s burgeoning Sports precinct with Multi Sports Basketball and Netball Stadium, BB Print Stadium, Junior League Fields, Harrup Park cricket fields, netball courts plus soccer and hockey fields nearby as well as the Paget Business District.

If you would like more information regarding enrolment at St Patrick’s College Mackay, please visit our website www.stpats.qld.edu.au or call (07) 4994 8700.

WHAT: St Patrick’s College Mackay Open Night

WHEN: Tuesday May 2 from 4.00pm to 7.00pm

WHERE: Mercy Campus, Penn Street, Mackay

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If you want to find a terrific way to waste time, get on to TikTok. Download the app and get started wasting as much time as you want.

The Chinese Government is watching and storing information about you but who cares? Those short, clever videos will cater to your interests and keep you mindlessly entertained for hours … if you let it.

I have a TikTok time-frame and time-limit to ensure it doesn’t take over my life but I do get to watch health, fitness, food, real estate, politics and sport-related videos that get served up to me as I scroll through.

They have videos that test your health. There is the one that gets you to hold your breath while a red dot moves along a horizontal line to test your lung capacity. If you can hold your breath till the dot reaches the end of the line you’re not going to die this week. Which is always a relief.

There’s another one that tests your hearing. It starts with a piercing, high-frequency sound and there’s a number 80 on the screen that tells you that’s what a normal 80-year-old can hear.

Then the number starts descending and the sound gets more difficult to hear, 79, 78, 77 … it’s easy in the 70s. 59, 58, 57 … it’s getting harder, but I can still hear it pretty well.

Once it starts to get to around 40 it gets hard for me to hear and, full disclosure, I hear a faint sound at 34 but at 32 I am out, can’t hear a thing. It keeps going into the 20s and I can only hear the sound of silence. Damn kids … most don’t need glasses to read either.

The thing about these hearing tests is that no matter how much you try to hear, forcing yourself to listen, it doesn’t make any difference. You can either hear the sound or you can’t and focusing on listening won’t help.

Life in a service industry, and certainly in real estate, is different because listening does make a difference.

There are plenty of agents who can hear just fine but they don’t listen. They don’t listen to what is important to a seller, how the seller wants things done, the process they want the agent to follow.

Sometimes the agent likes the sound of their own voice and they’re just not listening to what is important to the seller; a seller always wants the best price the market will pay but often there are other important matters such as when they want inspections, what they feel about the marketing, the signage, costs, things they are willing to do and others they don’t want to do, how they want feedback provided etc.

The same principle applies to agents who don’t listen to buyers and ignore what they want.

The Greek philosopher Epictetus said: “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Real estate agents need to remember that.

If you are thinking about selling, give me a call. I promise to listen.

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The population of Indian Myna birds has grown significantly over the past few years and many locals are concerned about the impact this invasive pest is having on native wildlife.

Local nature lover Debra Burns has been following their rise in population for several years and she believes there are now over 3000 living in the region, compared to the 100 that Whitsunday Regional Council have listed in their Feral Animal Species Response Plan.

This plan allocates 10 days per year for Council staff to work on extermination efforts and Ms Burns believes they are not providing enough funding for traps needed to catch the birds.

She would like to see an Environment Levee put in place.

“They are the most invasive species in the world,” she said.

“The reason they are so dangerous is because it’s like the Hell’s Angels have moved in – they take your home and they kill your kids.

“I call them Hell’s Angels of the bird world because they take nests even if they don’t want them.”

Indian Myna Birds first came to Australia from Southeast Asia in the 1850s but it wasn’t until 2015 that they arrived in the Whitsundays.

Since then, their numbers have grown exponentially.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature declared the Indian Myna Bird as one of only three birds species in the world to be included among the world's 100 worst invasive species.

They are very dominant and are known to gang up on other smaller birds, often attacking in packs, destroying nests and breaking eggs.

“They are killing native wildlife in front of our eyes,” said Ms Burns.

“But the majority of the people in the Whitsundays would be blissfully unaware of what’s going on.”

Killing native birds, destroying nests, and overtaking large portions of scenic parkland, the Indian Myna Birds are aggressive and dominant.

They pair for life and can often produce up to 26 chicks a year.

Debra Burns runs the Whitsunday Indian Myna Action Group which currently has over 400 members who are mostly concerned residents witnessing an influx in their area.

Working to educate, inform and eradicate, Ms Burns says that she has been contacted many times and has personally funded 13 traps which have kindly been built by the local Men’s Sheds.

Recently, Council provided $1000 to fund 13 additional traps.

There are now almost 30 traps circulating in the area, but Ms Burns says residents need to act quickly.

“People notice the birds around their property and after a few weeks or a couple of months they've had enough and contact me for a cage,” she explains.

“By then it's too late and the birds have moved on. So, if you see them, and think you'd like to trap, please don't wait.”

A farmer in Bowen borrowed one trap and captured 134 birds in six weeks, but they are very smart creatures and are known to evade trapping measures.

Ms Burns believes more funding is required and the only solution is to reinstate the Environment Levee.

Back in 2006, a levee of $10 was given to every household.

“Just because we don’t like paying to protect our wildlife doesn’t mean we don’t have a responsibility as a community to protect it,” she said.

“We need an environment levee.”

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Naturelover Debra Burns says we need an Environment Levee to fund Myna Birderadication numbers. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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I have long argued, that in many cases, the answer to that question is “no”. As a council we apply for grants for many reasons. In some cases, it assists in the delivery of essential items.

It is the “other cases” I wish to speak about.

Most grants involve only partial funding of any given project. The example being, that if we are the recipients of a grant of $5 million to build a “something”, on the surface it sounds great. The problem is that we have already spent close enough to a million on a business case and design etc.

Still sounds ok, spend a million to get five? Well, woah back, we usually must match the grant dollar for dollar. So, spending 6 to get 5 does not sound quite as good, does it?

Well, the bad news continues. Any cost overruns are our responsibility and currently some of these overruns can be nearly twice the initial forecast! But for this exercise let’s say the overrun stands at 20 per cent or around $2 million. Now we have the situation where we are up for $8 million to secure the offered $5 million.

Now where the real kicker on this whole exercise comes in, is in maintenance and depreciation. Opening a shiny new “something” that has cost $13 million provides a wonderful opportunity for those that thrive on media opportunities.

However, it saddles us with the unenviable task of covering the cost of maintaining and depreciating that “something” every year for many years to come, not to mention the running cost – and that is wholly funded by your rates - maybe to the tune of hundreds of thousands.

While I in no way am suggesting that we do not apply for grant funding, we would do well to realise that all dollars are not created equal.

Dollars for essentials are great dollars.

Dollars for discretionary projects are dubious dollars indeed.

Coupled with this is the fact that many of our assets are decades old – many decades. These are often things you cannot see. Sewers, storm water lines, water services and more.

Renewal of these is essential or we become third world. Running to failure is NOT a desirable option as repairs in this case cost multiples of what planned maintenance costs.

Now call me conservative, but for me, uninterrupted services are more important than cutting ribbons.

Cr Martin Bella

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Whitsunday Regional Council will submit a motion to the National General Assembly of Local Government seeking support from the Federal Government on the standard of the Bruce Highway.

The North’s main highway has been under increased scrutiny over the past two years after both an increased number of damaging weather events, fatalities, and delayed roadworks caused closures and unsafe conditions.

Council’s Director Infrastructure Services Adam Hagy said the motion to the Federal Government advocates for a highway which meets that expected of a main thoroughfare, especially one of the longest in the country.

“A highway that is immune to the weather impacts that the Whitsunday Region faces and any weather event across the state, for that matter,” Mr Hagy said.

“Recently, during a rain event in January, several sections of the Bruce Highway were cut off in our region and others, stranding motorists across the network.”

The highway – which stretches close to 1,700 kilometres from Brisbane to Cairns - is the major north-south freight and commuter corridor in the state.

In recent months, the State Government’s commitment to its upkeep has been called into question by prominent Whitsunday figures, including State Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm and Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox.

Both members made extraordinary claims of “neglect” in reference to upgrades at Goorganga Plains – the site of flooding which Mr Hagy referred to.

To the particular chagrin of locals travelling North to or South from Bowen, the over twelve-month long delay for contracted upgrades has been a continued thorn in travellers’ sides.

The National General Assembly will be held from June 13 to 16 in Canberra.

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55 seniors celebrated St. Paddy's Day at the Metropolitan Hotel with a delicious hot two course lunch and good humour.

A table booklet of Irish limericks raised the hilarity.  

Guests came dressed in Irish green and wearing large funny hats.

Add chocolate, lucky door and raffle prizes, and it was a great day out for one and all.

The following Friday, 61 friendly members came together for a bus trip to Airlie Beach singing all the way.  

We stopped at Midge Point for morning tea at The Point Tavern.  

A lovely cool spot on a warm day with yummy tucka.

We continued on to Airlie Beach's main street, where members wandered and shopped to their heart's content.

The Jubilee Tavern was our destination for a delicious hot two course meal.  

We had a choice of steak or grilled red emperor with salad and chips, followed by dessert of course.  

We all had full bellies and happy hearts on the day.  

We talked and talked and talked.  

We love each others company and look forward to all the social events.

Interested in joining? Phone 0400 242 779 for more information.

Contributed by Margaret Edwards

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Mackay 50 & Better have been a busy bunch

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Hi Everyone,

It’s been a tragic start to the Easter holidays with the sad news that a young couple perished in a light aircraft crash near Proserpine Airport on Sunday evening.

You can read the full story on the front page of Mackay Life, if you wish.

I happened to be at the airport on Monday morning when the news that the wreckage of the plane had been discovered and their bodies found.

Since then, I have been thinking about how the devastating news would have travelled to loved ones whose lives will undoubtedly never be the same again.

The pain and complete despair they would be feeling is hard to imagine.

The couple were so young and with such a wonderful future ahead, it feels particularly cruel that this has been taken away from them.

It is a reminder, however, that not one of us knows what lies ahead – a snap decision to get in a vehicle – whether that be a light plane ride or to nip round the corner in the car to get a carton of milk – no-one knows when that one journey could be our last.

That’s why it is so important to hold our family close, never go to sleep on an argument and spend every precious second enjoying life – being kind to others and ourselves.

While we are taking time off to enjoy the Easter long weekend, watching kids cover their faces with chocolate, spending time with visiting relatives and generally relaxing in our beautiful region, let’s remember how sweet life is and appreciate these moments before they become memories.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “Breathe. Let Go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure” (Oprah Winfrey)

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Every year school students across the country make their Easter Bonnets out of an array of colourful materials, glitter, paint and plastic nick nacks.

Often the bonnets are used briefly for the school parade and are then set aside – but what happens to them after this?

Cannonvale State School considered how each bonnet could contribute to additional landfill and so asked their students to make their bonnets out of decomposable materials this year.  

One young lady who took on the challenge to create an entirely decomposable bonnet was Year Six student Chelsea Baines.

Her efforts were rewarded when she won the award for Best Easter Bonnet in the school after the parade on Wednesday.

Chelsea said she was thrilled with the win and excited to hear that the hours she spent crafting the bonnet with her mum, had been extra worthwhile.

The winning bonnet was made using an old Gum Tree that had fallen over the creek in her back yard.

Chelsea gathered sticks and created a triangular base to hold the structure in place.

She used pruned banana tree leaves to decorate the bonnet and cut little bilby shapes out of the leaves.

“Bilbies are the new Easter bunnies!” sad Chelsea.

“I loved this project and I think that more people could get involved because it was compostable, although it was definitely more challenging.

“I put mine in the garden so it could break down and when I checked yesterday it had already started!”

Chelsea was given a box of Easter goodies as a prize.

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Chelsea Baines in her compostable Easter Bonnet

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Seven communities came together throughout March to recognise and celebrate the powerhouse women in the Isaac region.

Nominees included local female role models and leaders, as well as being mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives and daughters.

The theme for Queensland Women's Week 2023, held from March 5 to 12, was Empower her voice; secure her future.

The theme is a celebration of women and girls who have stood up to be heard and acknowledges the fundamental right of every woman and girl to equally participate and be safe in all areas of society.

Congratulations to the winners!

Dysart

Inspiring Women in Isaac Award winners: Carmen King and Aleisha Kenny

Inspiring Young Woman in Isaac Award winner: Karissa Bailey

Middlemount

Inspiring Woman in Isaac Award: Lynn Davison

Moranbah

Inspiring Woman in Isaac Award winner: Amanda Raymond

Inspiring Young Woman in Isaac Award winner: Jaeda Maris Navarro

Clermont

Inspiring Woman in Isaac Award winner: Joanne Salmond

Inspiring Young Woman in Isaac Award winner: Leah Purnell

Nebo

Inspiring Woman in Isaac Award winner: Jessie Bethel

Inspiring Young Woman in Isaac Award winner: Jamie McDowall

Isaac Coast

Inspiring Woman in Isaac Award winner: Nikki Gayler

Inspiring Young Woman in Isaac Award winner: Serenity Box

Glenden

Inspiring Woman in Isaac Award winner: Leanne Fraser

Inspiring Young Woman in Isaac Award winner: Kristen Cant

_________________________

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Aleisha Kenny (right)

Karissa Bailey (right)

Lynn Davison (left)

Jaeda Maris Navarro and Amanda Raymond

Leah Purnell and Joanne Salmond

Jamie McDowall (left) and Jessie Bethel (right)

Serenity Box (left)

Leanne Fraser (left) and Kristen Cant. Photos supplied: Isaac Regional Council

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Whitsunday residents can now travel directly to the Hunter Valley thanks to new direct flights to Newcastle which commenced last Thursday.

Bonza Airlines will now travel twice weekly to the wine growing region, allowing locals to enjoy cultural weekends away and, more broadly, general tourists to experience both the vines and the reef within one holiday.

Whitsunday Regional Council mayor Julie Hall applauded Bonza for exploring new routes to make it easy for Aussie families in regional areas to reconnect.

“Connecting the amazing Newcastle and Hunter Valley wine region to the beautiful Whitsundays, heart of the Great Barrier Reef is a win for both communities,” she said.

“From the vines to the reef opens a huge catchment area that can now access budget direct flights to the wonderful Whitsundays.”

Bonza is Australia’s brand-new independently owned airline carrier and its head office operates from the Sunshine Coast.

The airline aims to reinstate affordable air travel and each hour of travel will cost passengers on average $50.

Bonza travels between the Whitsundays and the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba weekly.

Newcastle Airport Executive General Manager Aviation and Air Freight Business Development, Andrew Warrender, and Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner

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