I’m the first to admit “Women only” programs make me feel a bit icky and I am conscious of not swinging the pendulum too far to over-correct the historical disadvantages of women towards the exclusion of men from participation. However, the statistics still point alarmingly towards the underrepresentation of women in key decision-making roles across almost all industries in the Australian workforce. While women make up half of the employees in the 2020-21 WGEA dataset (51%), women comprise only:

● 19.4% of CEOs

● 32.5% of key management positions

● 33% of board members

● 18% of board chairs.

Women can and do face different challenges to their male co-workers. Furthermore, today’s leaders face challenges their predecessors never had, not least a complex global marketplace with ongoing economic, political, and environmental uncertainty and an alpha and millennial generation that demands a new style of leadership.

The Regional Development Australia - Greater Whitsunday branch, recognised these challenges but also the regional benefits of cultivating a network of resilient, visionary leaders. The Local Buying Foundation funded a 6-month Women In Leadership pilot program that linked 25 mentees with mentors who have significant leadership experience, coupled with a face-to-face program aimed to develop self-awareness, leadership skills and confidence in the participants.

It's important for women who aspire to progress into leadership roles to have role models to inspire them. I was privileged to be selected for the pilot program and it’s been a profound opportunity to develop my skills, strengthen my network and learn from my generous and experienced mentor, Robert Cocco (CEO RDA-GW).

The pilot program is a huge success with many of the mentees/mentors voluntarily continuing their mentorship.

There is undeniable value in having a mentor, or being a mentor, and I encourage you to seek out a role model whether that be within your organisation, a mentoring program such as the Mackay Regional Council-Resource Industry Network ‘Mackay Mentoring Network’ or an associate whom you admire.

Self and professional development are so important. When you regularly develop yourself, you become better equipped to take control of your life and create a future that you desire.  

Cr Michelle Green

Mackay Regional Council

‍

‍

Robert Cocco and Cr Michelle Green

‍

Last Friday a woman in her twenties was transported to Proserpine Hospital in a stable condition after sustaining a suspected snake bite to her foot off Shingley Drive at 9.08pm.

Local snake expert David Barwell said that at this time of year there are a lot of snakes hatching.

“Snakes are a fact of life in our area,” he said.

“They cruise through our yards on a regular basis going about their business completely unnoticed and without a problem.”

David said that in this case, there is no further information confirming whether it had been a snake bite or whether it was venomous.

“The vast majority of people, 90 per cent, presenting at a hospital for a suspected snakebite do not need anti-venom because either they were bitten by a non-venomous species such as a python, or by weakly or mildly venomous species or received a dry bite or weren't bitten at all,” he said.

David suggests that residents can reduce the chance of an encounter by keeping lawns mowed and garden tidy, remove any pet food scraps and anything that snakes can hide under.

“If you see a snake move the pets and children inside and let the snake go on its way,” he explains.

“If it doesn't appear to want to move on in a few hours or overnight then consider calling a licensed snake catcher.

“If the snake is inside the house close any doors that lead further into the house and put a rolled-up towel against the bottom of the door to keep it in the room where it was seen then call a licensed catcher.”

Contact details for local snake catchers are available on the SnakesoftheWhitsundays Facebook page.

‍

When Michael Campbell and his father were travelling back from Double Cone Island on the weekend, they spotted a little white bird in the water.

Noticing that it didn’t move or fly away when they passed, the pair turned the boat around to take another look.

“We went back and scooped it out of the water,” said Michael.

“It seemed very relieved and exhausted, it was covered in lice, soaked to the bone and spent the rest of our trip home to Airlie sitting up the front of the boat.”

When they arrived home, Michael jumped on the popular community Facebook page, Whitsundays Chat, and asked for advice.

He was soon put in touch with Di Forster from Fauna Rescue Whitsundays who said that the little bird was likely waterlogged and would have died if they had not rescued it.

The bird was identified as a juvenile Torres Strait Pigeon that migrates and was due to fly north later this month.

Di cared for the little bird and hand-fed it for 24 hours.

The next day it was transferred to her aviary and when she gave it a ‘test flight’ she could see it was ready to go.

On Tuesday morning, Di released the little pigeon back into the wild and she hopes it will now be healthy enough to migrate.

Fauna Rescue Whitsundays are a non-profit, voluntary group that cares for and rehabilitates sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife.

They provide a 24-hour wildlife hotline service and anyone who sees an animal in distress is encouraged to call 4947 3389.

You can also view their full range of services on frw.org.au.

‍

‍

This water-logged pigeon was rescued by Michael and his dad over the weekend. Photo supplied

‍

Hi Everyone,

Almost three years ago we started this newspaper with a dream to bring the local community a ‘free voice in print’.

At the time, we had just heard NewsCorp announce they were closing 14 regional newspapers overnight – three of those were here in the Whitsundays.

A few weeks later, our boss took a huge leap of faith when she launched this free, local and independently owned newspaper.

Fortunately, it paid off and with the support of the community we serve, we are now an established mainstay, a weekly read that is picked up by thousands of people every Friday.

As a team, we aim to be over-achievers, delivering not only the best we can, but also pushing ourselves to be one per cent better than last week.

One of the ways we have recently raised the bar is by introducing our first annual readers survey.

The idea came from our Sales Manager Mike McCann, a young Irish dynamo who joined the team two years ago.

By enticing participants with a motivating $1000 fuel voucher as a prize, he managed to get 881 readers to complete our two-minute survey and the results were fascinating.

You can read the full results on our snappy infographic on page 12, but here are a few highlights.

If you’re between the ages of 31 and 50 you make up the largest age demographic of our readership.

If you read both sides of the paper, you are part of the 70 per cent of people who do the same.

If you love community stories and the fact that the paper’s free, then you share this with most readers too.

One of our biggest core values is providing local news and we are pleased to see that community stories are the most popular.

We love covering community stories too.

Rach

‍

Quote of the Week: “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often” (Winston Churchill)

‍

Countless sightings of Australian pop princess Delta Goodrem have generated many excited conversations around the Whitsundays this week.

Rumoured to be filming a low-budget movie in Airlie Beach, the multi-award-winning singer/songwriter, ex-Neighbours star and cancer survivor is said to be staying in an apartment in Airlie Beach with her long-time boyfriend Matthew Copley.

The couple have been dating since January 2018 but are notoriously private about their relationship.

Matthew did, however, call into a local florist in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day and ordered two dozen red roses, one to be delivered to the film set and the second to their hotel room.

Karen from Karen Hill Florists said that when she wrote the name down, she jokingly said “what Delta, as in Goodrem?” and when Matthew nodded his head she felt suddenly “starstruck”.

“When he first came into the shop, I had no idea,” she said.

“But he was really lovely and so was Delta – she even let me take a photo with her when I delivered the roses to the film set.”

There are not many details known about the movie so far, although it is believed to be a small $1.5 million production.

Filming started this week and crews are expected to be in the area for some time.

Other big-name Australian and international actors are also rumoured to be appearing in the movie.

‍

‍

Delta Goodrem and her boyfriend Matthew Copley are in Airlie Beach filming at the moment. Photo supplied

Delta Goodrem received two dozen red roses, hand-delivered by Karen Hill Florist

‍

One of the country’s biggest breakfast shows made a series of special drop-ins at locations across the Whitsundays during its daily weather broadcast this week to promote the region.

TODAY Show weather presenter Tim Davies spent Valentine’s Day on Hamilton Island, hung out at the Airlie Beach Foreshore with Cruise Whitsundays, made mojitos at Fish D’vine, dug into a mango sorbet at Bowen’s Big Mango, and enjoyed five-star luxury on Hayman Island in a week-long sequence of nationally televised weather segments.

Mr Davies, a journalist for more than 15 years and the news program’s weather presenter for three, regularly travels across and out of the country with a small team, presenting the weather in a variety of what he said are “the best places on offer”.

“What we do is highlighting things to the nation, letting them know what’s on offer, and that’s the key; we cater to a diverse audience with different budgets, desires, family situations to show them places they can visit,” he said.

“We’re showing them the camping as well as places of five-star luxury like Hayman Island.”

For the local tourism industry, Tim and TODAY provide a platform of promotion – the region spotlighted and its vibe captured for the entire country to see.

“People will see something cool every morning and think, that’s cool, I want to do that. That goes in the memory bank and when it comes to a holiday, it’s at the top of their mind,” Mr Davies said.

“We run into people all around the country who will tell us, we went to Fish D’vine because of you, or we went on Red Cat Adventures, or stayed at Hayman because we saw you there. That is incredibly pleasing for myself and those who work on the show.”

And aside from helping out with tourism across the country, Mr Davies said his job is the “best in the world”.

“It’s a phenomenal role but a huge responsibility as well,” he said.

“You want to accurately represent an area and operators and a local vibe. People who tune in and live in Airlie, or have been to Airlie, I hope to make them proud of what they see and know that if anyone is looking to come on a holiday, this will be a great spot to do it.”

‍

Frustrated patients vented their impatience last week about the length of time they have been waiting for a bus service to transport them from the Whitsundays to Mackay Hospital and the Icon Cancer Centre for regular medical appointments.  

Many wanted answers on why the bus was “sitting idle” and thought that perhaps a lack of volunteer bus drivers was the cause of the delay.

It has been almost a year since the Whitsunday Regional Council and Mackay Hospital Foundation jointly funded a $50,000 minibus to transport Whitsunday residents, who were otherwise struggling to travel between locations.

Since then, the Mackay Hospital Foundation has been working towards creating a service that will fulfill the needs of the community and operate as efficiently as possible.

Local Layers, Macrossan and Amiet, donated $5000 towards fuel costs which will help with initial runs, and a total of 10 volunteers came forward to donate their time to drive the minibus.

Getting the vehicle on the road, however, is more complicated than fuel and volunteer drivers, it involves establishing timetables, completing legal paperwork and ensuring the service’s longevity.

General Manager of Mackay Hospital Foundation, Kristi Algate, asks that everyone remain patient while they are organising these finer details.

“We have to make sure the legalities and the logistics are sorted first,” she said.

“We are trying to make sure we get it on the road as soon as possible but we must make sure we are all covered first so that it operates now and into the future.”

Kristi says they have had to navigate issues such as driver fatigue and risk management so that legal obligations are satisfied.

They have also had to consider the costs of providing the service and are currently working with Queensland Health to see how they can divert the fuel subsidies patients currently receive and divert them towards the minibus so costs are covered.  

“We are very lucky to have access to this service,” she said.

“And while we ask for your patience on the matter, we do understand the disadvantages of living in regional and remote areas can be very frustrating.

“When we can get this up and running, however, it will be a great service.”

Mackay Hospital Foundation is also working on a bus timetable that will hopefully pick-up at Whitsunday Health in Cannonvale, followed by Proserpine Hospital and then Bloomsbury Service Station.

“We are also working to coordinate all Proserpine Hospital outpatients so that postcodes are flagged to be booked in for appointments between 9am and 2pm so there are no long wait times in Mackay,” said Kristi.

There are over 33 areas that they need to coordinate with to facilitate the program.

Currently, some patients without transport have to get a commercial bus down to Mackay and overnight there, returning home the next day.

Others are relying on lifts from friends or even strangers.

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP was approached by a local resident and subsequently met with Kristi in person to discuss the issue.

“I am truly passionate about access and equity for our rural and regional communities and this service would be valued by many who have to travel so far for care,” said Ms Camm.

“I will work with Mackay Hospital Foundation to provide an update to the community as the project evolves.”

‍

‍

The Mackay Hospital Foundation minibus which will soon transport Whitsunday patients to regular hospital appointments in Mackay

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP met with the General Manager of Mackay Hospital Foundation, Kristi Algate, to discuss the progress of launching the service. Photos supplied

‍

A winter wonderland theme will enthral guests at the first ball our new Mayor Julie Hall will host, it will also be the first to be held since the 2019 event held by previous Mayor Andrew Willcox in Bowen.

The pandemic halted the 2020 ball due to crowd restrictions and last year the campaign race leading to the election of our new Mayor was likely the reason it was postponed once again.

With the pandemic behind us and Mayor Julie well established in the seat, the announcement of the Mayor’s Ball for Saturday, July 22, is a welcome festivity that celebrates community and our local government.

The Mayor’s Ball is due to take place at the new Shute Harbour Marin Terminal in a giant open-air marquee overlooking stunning views across the bay.

Crowds will be entertained by live music from top Brisbane performers, Baker Boys Band, and up to 300 people are expected to attend the evening.

“I’m sure we are all keen to gather for a spectacular night of dining, entertainment, and fund-raising activities once again for charity,” said Mayor Julie.

Proceeds from the ball will go to two charities.

RACQ CQ Rescue who have been providing critical, lifesaving service to visitors and residents right across the Whitsunday Region for over 27 years.

Also, Whitsunday Housing Company Ltd (WHCL), which is a not-for-profit company managing emergency, transitional and long-term social housing throughout the Whitsunday Region.

WHAT: Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor’s Charity Ball

WHEN: Saturday, July 22

WHERE: Shute Harbour Marine Terminal

‍

‍

The Mayor’s Charity Ball will be held at the Shute Harbour Marine Terminal

‍

A local animal rescue operator is distraught following a series of events that led to Council seizing two of her dogs.

Christina Della Valle, the owner of Animal Rescue Whitsundays, was on holiday in Switzerland over the Christmas period when three of her dogs escaped and allegedly attacked cattle on the neighbouring farm.

A friend had been caring for her animals in her absence and had accidentally left the gate open while he escorted one of her other pets to the vet.

Subsequently, the three dogs were declared ‘dangerous’ by Council and following an unsuccessful compliance inspection last week, a search warrant was enforced and Seizure Notice issued.

The incident took place on Christina’s 107-hectare rural property which was sheltering three cats, six dogs, three horses, two goats and some cattle.

While Christina says she does not question the events on that fateful day, she adamantly disagrees that her dogs are dangerous.

“The reason my dogs did what they did is not that they are dangerous,” she said.

“It was because I was away, they were confused, nervous and distracted.”

Christina says that she paid for the treatment of the cattle immediately and believed that to rectify the situation.

By comparison, in a separate incident where a neighbouring dog attacked one of her geese – there was no Council involvement – and the matter was sorted between the residents.

“At no point was anyone at risk or was there any threat to the community,” she said.

“My dogs never go out, I have now taken appropriate measures to ensure they never do again and can promise such an incident will never occur again.”

Director of Community Services, Julie Wright, said that Council has strict procedures that they need to adhere to.

“On 2 February 2023, two Council Local Law Officers again visited the property to conduct a compliance inspection and were unable to gain access to the property due to a locked gate,” she said.

“Councils Authorised Senior Local Law Officer then had a telephone conversation with the property’s responsible person and requested access to the property to conduct a compliance inspection and discuss the alleged contravention of the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 section 67 Prohibition on the supply of declared dangerous dogs or menacing dog.

“It was Council Officer's belief that the subject declared dangerous dogs would offend in a similar nature again and require seizure by Council.”

Feeling scared and vulnerable, Christina responded with anger, and in desperation informed the law officers that she had ‘shot’ the dogs but was subsequently unable and unwilling to provide evidence to support her claims.

She then refused entry to her property which prompted the search warrant that led to the seizure of her two dogs.

It has been over a week since Christina has seen her two dogs and she is very concerned for their welfare.

The only comment Council could give in regard to their return was that the matter is being dealt with through the legal process.

“In the four years that I have been operating Animal Rescue Whitsunday I have saved 200 dogs and over 300 cats,” said Christina.

“They have no problem sending me the animals that need shelter, I always try to do the right thing – this was a one-off incident, everyone makes a mistake – I just want the dogs back.”

‍

‍

Christina Della Valle is pleading with Council to give her dogs back. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

‍

New Whitsunday Regional Councillor Clay Bauman caused a stir at the most recent Ordinary Council Meeting by declaring a conflict of interest despite receiving legal advice to the contrary.

Councillor Bauman submitted conflict-of-interest documents in reference to the Whitsunday Regional Council Planning Scheme Major Amendment last week, stating in the document that his conflict was due to an earlier “submission on the draft Major Amendment and long-term personal interest in maintaining amenity with continued low-rise development in Airlie Beach.”

The Statement Mr Bauman made is in reference to his strong pre-election advocacy against the development at Port of Airlie – which is currently being scrutinized in the Queensland Planning and Environment Court – and whether he would be required to leave the room during any conversations on planning matters.

“We all know I’ve had a long, strong, very vocal personal interest in planning for the future of the Whitsundays,” Mr Bauman said.

“I did look into this quite a lot before I nominated for council because I did not want to be here if I couldn’t be an effective Councillor. I have done this genuinely to bring this out into the public so there is a discussion whether I have a right to be involved in the vote in the greater public interest.”

Some council members were confused by Mr Bauman’s declaration, as according to Whitsunday Mayor Julie Hall, Council had enquired with legal aids as to whether Councillor Bauman had a conflict of interest –the legal advice affirming he did not.

Councillors John Collins and Michelle Wright pointed to the lack of respect in the Council's seeking of legal advice and in disputing the advice, as well as Mr Bauman calling his abilities as a Councillor into question.

“Sometimes it’s best to leave sleeping dogs lie, honestly, Councillor Collins said.

“You didn’t have to make it all about you – that’s what you’re doing here. I’ll be honest, I can’t support you with this. You don’t have to make a big thing of it.”

Council was given two options in a formal vote: Do not allow Mr Bauman to remain in the room with regards to Major Scheme Amendments in briefings, workshops, or regular meetings; or he could remain.

“By us making this decision here today, it is saying that the majority of the council thinks I can act in the public interest,” Mr Bauman said.

Council Resolved that Councillor Bauman be allowed to stay in the room on these matters, with the motion passing 4/2 (Councillor Michelle Wright and Collins against).

‍

Launch Art Exhibition Fundraiser

The dedicated volunteers from Save Our Foreshore (SOF) have gathered more momentum within the community following the announcement that an art exhibition and auction will soon take place to raise much-needed funds for the upcoming court case.

The local activists are currently taking Whitsunday Regional Council (WRC) to court to fight against the approval of a 47-metre, 12-story high-rise on the low flat land adjacent to Port of Airlie.

They believe that the high-rise hotel development completely contradicts the current Airlie Beach Town Plan which outlines a four to five-storey maximum height restriction.

So far, SOF has garnered objections from 2242 people, 87 per cent of which were living in Queensland and 64 per cent were locals to Airlie Beach.

Despite the objections, WRC Councillors approved the development last year and since then an ongoing legal battle has ensued.

Director of Planning and Development for WRC, Neil McGaffin, said that Council would not have approved a development if the facts did not “stack up” and that the project has “very positive impacts for Airlie Beach”.

Meanwhile, SOF is outraged that a height restriction change of this magnitude has been approved without sufficient community consultation.

It is estimated that legal costs for SOF could amount to $150,000 and expert witnesses are currently in discussions ahead of a final verdict, expected in April.

“This development should never have gone this far,” said Suzette Peel from SOF.

“Our Councillors mustn’t accept blindly what is put in front of them – they need to question, and they need to listen to the community.

Representing SOF in the court case is Chris Buckley who successfully won the last development battle which saw SOF appeal a foreshore development in Airlie Beach in 2006.

Nearly 20 years on and they are in the midst of another battle but feel buoyed by the community support.

One of these passionate community members is owner of 3 Little Birds Espresso, Joan Hunter.

“People come here to relax and unwind,” she said.

“And we just don’t think people come here for high-rises. We understand that the town needs to progress but there has to be another way. That’s why we decided to help.”

3 Little Birds Espresso have a large, dedicated art space next door to their café, and they have kindly donated this space for an art exhibition to raise funds for ongoing legal costs.

Meanwhile, SOF has been gratefully receiving donations from local artists who have kindly offered their work for auction.

So far there are over 15 artworks up for grabs and Suzette expects there will be more to come.

The Art Exhibition Fundraiser will take place at the end of March and organisers are planning a lively Wine and Cheese evening to raise both awareness and much-needed funds.

“We are not anti-progress by any means,” said Suzette.

“Our job is to simply protect public parkland, to keep our parklands open and available to everybody.

“There are plenty of building sites still in Airlie Beach – look at Funnel Bay a development with hundreds of rooms approved – it’s just the location at Port of Airlie, that’s the problem.”

A date for the Art Exhibition is still to be confirmed.

‍

‍

Dennis Mundle from SOF, Joan Hunter and Pauline Kupa-Morgan owners of 3 Little Birds Espresso and Suzette Peel from SOF. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

The 12-storey, 47 metre high-rise that is currently planned for Port of Airlie

‍

John Carey joined SKAL Whitsundays, an international organisation promoting global tourism, in 2013 having relocated his business and family to Airlie Beach in 1986. Looking for new opportunities John understood very keenly the potential of the Whitsundays and Hinchinbrook (his hometown) areas to attract visitors.

Born in Townsville, he was the eldest of 10 children and their childhood was a very simple, happy and hardworking one, with the entire family working together almost every weekend, public and school holidays developing the small crop family property on their parent’s property at Dalrymple Creek, 30km’s west of Ingham.

John hailed from a long line of Accountants with this father, grandfather, two brothers, one sister, his sons and two nephews all following the accounting/business/finance career pathways. John first married in 1974 and had 4 children - 3 boys and 1 girl. He originally worked in the family accounting/farming business in Ingham, until he branched out and relocated to Airlie Beach to commence his own accounting and financial management business.

John was involved in sport for most of his life, both as a player and in sporting management. In his early days, he was committed to the local basketball executive for many years, at a time when the participation by local community was exceptionally strong. His love of all things sporting continued in Airlie Beach and extended to include sailing and rugby, amongst others.

After Johns first marriage dissolved in the late 1990’s, John married Bridget in 2013 and together with Bridget’s daughter and son-in-law, managed the Colonial Palms Motel for 8 years.

Sadly, John’s eldest son Andrew, drowned in 2014 and John will be laid to rest beside him at Ingham cemetery.

John will be sadly missed by many, not the least his beloved wife Bridget (and our member), who loved him dearly and was by his side right until his final passing on Australia Day, January 26, 2023.

RIP John Joseph Carey

13th July 1952 - 26th January 2023

Contributed with thanks to SKAL.

‍

With Councillor Michelle Wright

Hi all,

I was going to wish our amazing community a Happy New Year but wow, I blinked, and we are already in the middle of February!

As this is my first Councillor column, I'd like to thank Whitsunday Life for allowing space each week. It's a good opportunity to inform our Whitsunday community of relevant topics and good outcomes.

A quick update of the Ted Cunningham Bridge at Bowen River where late last year the approaches washed away.

As Divisional Councillor, I've got to meet and know the families in this community over the last few years and the current situation is very disappointing.

I would like to thank the residents who attended the Bowen River community meeting last week attended by myself, Mayor Hall and Council officers.

It was an opportunity for everyone to ask questions and Council to listen to the local resident’s feedback. A step in the right direction and we are pushing to rectify this situation and exploring options to reinstate the bridge as soon as possible.

On a positive note, some of the projects underway for 2023 include, Collinsville Main Street upgrade, the sealing of the Collinsville airstrip (currently gravel) and researching a suitable design for a new Pump /BMX track to be built at Darcy Munro Park Collinsville.

Bowen's projects include the upcoming Richmond Road Floodway project to create a higher resilience during the wet season, upgrading and renewing the Edgecombe Heights walking track at Horseshoe Bay, creating a masterplan for Muller’s Lagoon and a bus shelter for the Gumlu State School.

Plenty of other projects in the pipeline this year will also see an increase in community meetings which will be well advertised to give residents a chance to attend and have their say.

The first community meeting in Division 4 to specifically discuss rural roads will be held at the Collinsville Community Centre on February 24 at 10.30am.

Looking forward to the busy year ahead and working with you.

Cheers

Michelle

‍

Disappointingly, the first sniff of a cyclone sent the media into a complete frenzy with ridiculous headlines like “Horror cyclone head towards Queensland Coast” and the “ominously” named Cyclone Freddie is expected to wreak havoc on Queensland coast. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so damaging to our local businesses, with several reporting cancellations.

Alongside council representatives, the chamber recently met with Hero Experiences, an established Dubai based adventure tourism operator looking to expand and introduce some new product to Australia. Whilst looking at several locations in Australia, the benefits of the Whitsundays region were clearly laid out and articulated. Exciting prospects for the future.

In other meetings, the chamber is looking at ways to work more closely and in collaborations with Tourism Whitsundays and other local chambers and provide complementary benefits to local businesses moving forward.

Last night was Chamber’s first networking event of the year, held at the Reef Gateway Hotel.

Focussing on the Industrial Relations changes being enacted, Joanna Minchinton GM Workplace Relations for Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland was invited. Joanna is a recognised workplace relations expert and provides practical, real-world advice on employments matters.

Contributed with thanks to President of Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce, Allan Milostic.

‍

Local farmers are set to benefit from $4.47 million in funding which supports the continuation of best management practices (BMP) that promote initiatives that will not only help the environment but also increase the bottom line for many in the industry.

Over the four years, CANEGROWERS across the country have been embracing Smartcane BMP with more than 40 per cent of growers adopting the scheme to become officially accredited and operating at best practice.

CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said that there are likely more farmers adopting these practices than are signed up for the scheme.

“While 40 per cent might be the official number, when you take into account the number of growers who are implementing best practices on their farms but have not sought accreditation, the actual figure would be much higher,” he said.

“The Smartcane BMP program is 100 per cent voluntary and I encourage growers to seek accreditation.

“While we in the industry know we are operating at the highest of environmental standards, accreditation provides a validation that opens the doors to policy and market-based recognition.”

So far, more than 500 growers have used Smartcane BMP to document changes to their farming practices. 

These changes have addressed disease management, weed control, nutrient management, soil health, tillage, fallow cropping, and/or irrigation scheduling.

The funding is part of a broader $20.75 million government funding allocated for the next three years to help farmers reduce harmful run-off, improve productivity and protect the Great Barrier Reef.

The multi-million-dollar injection into the agricultural industry will enable the continuation of the Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS) program and the Smartcane BMP.

Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Meaghan Scanlon, made the announcement earlier this week and said that farmers continue to play a critical role in helping to protect our Great Barrier Reef.

“Both programs are aimed at helping our agriculture industry improve land condition, enhance production and, ultimately, reduce pollutants in reef catchments,” she said.

“This funding forms part of our five-year $270.1 million Queensland Reef Water Quality Program to address water pollution, taking our total spend on water quality since 2015 to over $1 billion.”

‍

‍

Over 500 cane farmers now operate under best management practices

‍