The Queensland coal sector’s importance to the state and national economy has been highlighted in a major new report that forecasts coal will bring in record export earnings of $110 billion in 2021-22.

The resource is set to become just the second Australian commodity to break through the $100 billion annual export mark.

The figures are part of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources’ March 2022 edition of the Resources and Energy Quarterly (REQ).

Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said coal is making a significant contribution to a “very successful year for Australia’s resources and energy sector”.

“The latest REQ report has found that soaring demand and high prices for Australia’s coal will be a key contributor to our total resources and export earnings surging to a record high $425 billion for 2021-22,” he said.

Minister Pitt said critical global shortages in energy and some resource commodities have led to the high prices for some of Australia’s commodities.

Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said the new figures show the importance the sector held.

“The jobs and economic opportunities the coal sector provides are critically important to our region and the Coalition Government will ensure that continues well into the future,” Ms Landry said.

Senator for Queensland Matthew Canavan said nearly 92 per cent of metallurgical coal exports came from Queensland in 2021.

“[That] means billions of extra dollars in royalties and taxes to pay for the services we all rely on,” Senator Canavan said.

“We should be thanking our coal miners for the work they do.”

LNP Candidate for Dawson, Andrew Willcox said Queensland’s coal industry can continue delivering jobs in the region for decades

“There are 91 new major resources and energy projects in the pipeline in Queensland, which will deliver thousands of new jobs, especially in regional areas,” Mr Willcox said.

“The men and women working in the coal sector in the North and Central Queensland region, and throughout Queensland, have helped provide the bedrock for the state’s economy through the COVID pandemic.”

Minister Pitt said the efforts of Australia’s resources workers have helped put the country on track to deliver record high resources and energy export earnings.

“These earnings will keep the benefits flowing to all Australians, including through royalties the states use to pay for services such as the hospitals, roads and schools, we all rely on.”

The latest Resources and Energy Quarterly report is available on the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources website.

Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry with LNP Candidate for Flynn Colin Boyce (right) and Senator for Queensland Matthew Canavan

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A new water main will be installed along Shakespeare Street between Rae and Hoey streets, with the project duration anticipated to take eight weeks.

The new water main will be installed along the northern side of Shakespeare Street and will reduce the risk of failure while increasing the water supply and reliability of the local network.

Water interruptions will occur during the project, however advanced notice will be given to directly affected residents prior to any interruptions occurring.  

Mackay Regional Council said the works will be completed under traffic control, with the work zone area reduced to a single lane when crews are on site. The area will reopen as two lanes at the end of each day.

Motorists and pedestrians are asked to please follow all signage and instructions in the area while works are completed.

For more information on the project, visit council’s project hub connectingmackay.com.au.

Project map depicting the water main work zone area on Shakespeare Street

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Volunteering is a terrific way to immerse oneself in and contribute to the community and now there’s a simple way to get involved.

Laura Anzurri fills the newly created role of Neighbourhood and Care Army Connect Worker, where she connects volunteers with organisations in need.

She says there are plenty of upcoming opportunities to volunteer and is always seeking people to help.

Care Army was created two years ago as part of the Queensland Government’s Covid-19 recovery plan and has been adapted to address the decreasing volume of volunteers in regional Queensland.

The initiative proposes opportunities to an established and growing workforce of volunteers to help the organisations that have experienced this decrease.

She recently ran a successful campaign for the SecondBite initiative, recruiting eager volunteers to pick up groceries to contribute to the Neighbourhood Hub for people who struggle to afford them.

She says volunteers get matched based on skills, passions, and ability.

“It’s not just filling a role, it’s something that a volunteer should feel strongly about,” she said.

“It’s a matter of finding the right match.”

Laura is passionate about mental health and says the social interaction and sense of community that volunteering provides is the biggest benefit.

“It’s a way to make friends, it’s a way to know different realities,” she said.

“You get to know people with very big hearts.”

Laura is new to her role but has volunteered in the past and is a perfect example of how volunteering can lead to further opportunities.

“Volunteering did the trick for me,” she said.

“It often opens paths for paid employment in different fields.

“If it worked for me, it can work for other people.”

Care Army is looking for people of all backgrounds to get involved. Scan the QR code below to find out more.

Laura Anzurri recently ran a successful volunteer campaign for Taiya Thaiday, Administration and SecondBite Coordinator at The Neighbourhood Hub. Photo: supplied

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Magpies Crusaders United Football Club has suffered another blow, after the club’s new head coach Brian Murphy resigned, telling media he suspected a player’s family who resides in the UK of gambling on games.

Football Australia prohibits participants from betting on matches, with strict penalties including a lifetime ban a possibility if caught.

Mr Murphy handed in his letter of resignation earlier this week, saying “there was definitely gambling going on” and that he didn’t want his name associated with that.

Magpies Crusaders United Chairman Barry Jansen was visibly devasted by the allegation, saying he was completely unaware of any assertion of match-fixing until his meeting with Mr Murphy tendering his resignation.

“Magpies Crusaders is taking this matter very seriously and is committed to cooperating fully with Football Queensland and Football Australia’s investigation,” Mr Jansen said in a statement.

“As always, Magpies Crusaders wish to maintain the highest level of integrity and transparency but will be unable to provide any further comment as the investigation continues."

Mr Murphy alleged for the club to move forward and get a license to play next year they would need to do a thorough investigation.

Football Queensland has referred the incident to the Football Australia Integrity Department.

At the time of writing, Magpies Crusaders United will continue their QPL1 campaign this Saturday 9th April against Mitchelton FC at its home ground, Sologinkin Oval. Kickoff is set for 7pm.

Magpies Crusaders United Football Club Head Coach Brian Murphy (left) tendered his resignation this week, accusing a player’s family of gambling on matches. Image: Magpies Crusaders Facebook

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The Mackay Showgrounds vaccination hub recently facilitated its first drive-through COVID-19 vaccination, to give vulnerable members of the public with mobility issues a solution to get their vaccination or booster.

If you or someone you know has compromised mobility and would like to receive a first, second, booster or paediatric dose, you can call Mackay Hospital and Health Service’s COVID-19 hotline on 4885 5666 to book an appointment.

The Mackay Showgrounds vaccination hub is open 9.30am to 5pm weekdays, 7.30am to 3pm Saturday and 8.30am to 4pm Sunday.

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Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) are bringing a first of its kind, tailored curriculum to the region and rolling it out in classrooms to help students identify and prepare themselves for regional career opportunities.

The ‘For Greater Careers Education Program’ is a series of career modules aimed at helping high school teachers from year seven to ten support their students through the provision of regionally specific resources.

Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) Chief Executive Officer Kylie Porter said GW3 worked with education consultants ‘Future Anything’ to engage teachers, industry representatives and young people to develop the program.

“[It is a] series of hands-on, career modules that are co-designed by the region, for use in classrooms across the Greater Whitsunday,” Ms Porter said.

“The first module developed is targeting year ten students, while development of modules for years seven, eight and nine is now underway.”

The program aims at building job readiness for high school students across the region and providing them with accurate information around the types of careers available in a large range of sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, mining, and even aerospace.

Future Anything Founder Ms Nicole Dyson said over 50 per cent of current jobs are being replaced or irrevocably changed due to globalisation and automation – making the program extremely timely.

“It’s never been more important to provide young people with a clear understanding of the ‘future of work’ and how to navigate a ‘future proofed’ pathway to industry,” Ms Dyson said.

“Current research indicates an average 12- year -old today will have seventeen different jobs over five different careers.”

The program is research backed by regional data and is broken down into four phases of learning.

The modules will enable students to understand the ‘future of work’ before they imagine real world pathway opportunities in region.

Students will map their future through to training and education opportunities, before making their career decision with a focus on action through work experience.

Ms Dyson believes the For Greater Careers Education Program will bring transformational change to the ‘careers education’ space in the Greater Whitsunday region.

“Quite simply, young people can’t be what they can’t see,” she said.

“This will, no doubt, see more young people getting employed faster - especially in their chosen fields, greater engagement of young people in industry in region - particularly in emerging fields, and a closing the skill gap between education and industry.”

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Mackay Regional Council staff began scheduled maintenance of trimming trees in the Mackay City Centre earlier this week, to keep the city’s tropical palms tidy.

Palm cleaning will be carried out over two weeks between 5am and 9am on weekdays and weekends on Victoria, Wood, Macalister and Nelson streets, as well as Mangrove Road and Matsuura Drive.

Palm cleaning on Sydney Street will be completed on Sunday, April 10, and will take most of the morning to complete.

Full traffic control will be in place and some road/lane closures will be required during the work.

Residents are asked to obey all instructions from council staff and traffic control officers.

The work is part of council’s annual maintenance program.

For further information call 1300 MACKAY (622 529).

An alarming spike in motor vehicle accidents has the region’s rescuers pleading for caution on the roads this Easter and during the school holidays.

From January to the end of March, RACQ CQ Rescue completed 146 missions, 11 of which were airlifting people injured in serious motor vehicle accidents in the region. This compared to only eight accidents in the first three months of last year and four in 2020, representing a very concerning upwards trend on the region’s road.

Motor vehicle accidents involving, car, trucks and motorbikes occurred across the length and breadth of the helicopter’s service region including Ayr, Moranbah, Collinsville, Nebo, Gargett and in the Whitsundays, with serious injuries requiring airlift to hospital predominantly including fractures, cranial and internal injuries.

RACQ CQ Rescue pilot Owen Maitland said the message was very clear to all motorists this Easter – leave your phone alone when you are behind the wheel.

“The fatal five, particularly distracted driving, speeding and fatigue, are still playing a large part in serious road accidents and subsequent severe injury in this region,” he said.

“Distracted drivers are far too common. Sadly, we see it every day. You only have to pull up at a set of traffic lights and see drivers talking on their phones or sending a text message. This is a very serious threat not only to themselves and their passengers but to other road users as well. Mobile phones cause major distractions for drivers, on both long distance trips or even just around town, and largely increase the risk of accident, subsequent serious injury and even death,” Mr Maitland said.

“Please, for the sake of your loved ones and other road users, set up the Do Not Disturb While Driving function on your phone so you can stay focused behind the wheel. When this is on, text messages, calls and notifications will be limited so you can focus on the important job of getting to your destination safely.

“No message, notification or phone call is worth the risk to life and limb on the road. While we love our job and serving this community, we don’t want to meet you or your loved ones by accident this Easter,” he said.  

Locally, a horror period of deaths on the roads recently included a doctor in her 20s who died in a head-on collision between a truck and Suzuki Swift on the Bruce Highway last month, a young man killed when his vehicle hit a tree near Kuttabul, west of Mackay, and a 44-year-old Clermont woman killed in a head-on collision on the Peak Downs Highway near Strathfield, both in February.

RACQ CQ Rescue is urging motorists to take care behind the wheel. Image supplied: RACQ CQ Rescue

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Vietnam veteran and Mackay local Gordon McCall has been recognised for 50 years of cumulative service as a member of the Returned Services League of Australia.

RSL Mackay President Ken Higgins presented Gordon with a 50-year certificate as well as a certificate detailing his service with the Australian Army at an RSL meeting in Mackay on Sunday.

LCpl. Gordon Glen McCall joined the Australian Army on May 16, 1958, and trained in the 11th National Service Training Battalion, completing basic training in the Brisbane suburb of Wacol.

He then completed follow up training as part of the 42nd Infantry Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.

He enlisted in his hometown of Mackay in 1966 and served under the Australian Army Service No. 1411194.

He went on to train at Kapooka, Ingleburn in New South Wales, and Canungra in Queensland before being posted in the Ingleburn Reinforcement Unit.

From there, Gordon was sent to South Vietnam in 1967.

His operational postings in Vietnam included the Australian Reinforcement Unit and the 1st Australian Task Force Headquarters Light Aid Detachment before joining the 5th and 7th Battalions of The Royal Australian Regiment between 1967 and 1968.

Gordon returned to Australia and was discharged in 1969 in Brisbane.

His total Vietnam War service spanned from 1962 to 1972 and he is a life member of Mackay RSL.

Apart from his service, Gordon has been in Mackay all his life.  

After the war, he worked with the local fire brigade and enjoys retirement today.

RSL Mackay President Ken Higgins congratulated Gordon on the achievement.

“A 50 year achievement is a great effort,” said Ken.

“I’ve known Gordon for a long, long time and we are very proud of him for being a member of the Mackay RSL.”

Gordon thanked everybody for their well wishes and says the RSL has been an important part of his life after service.

“I joined the RSL when I got back from Vietnam,” he said.

“You get to see your mates every couple of weeks.”

RSL Mackay President Ken Higgins presents Gordon McCall with his 50 years of RSL service certificate. Photo: Sam Gillespie

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Opening a brewery is everybody’s dream at some point.

Mackay-born Jamie Woods, affectionately known as Woodsy, has achieved the dream.

Woodsy opened Red Dog Brewery, alongside mates and business partners Jason Egan and Matt Lawton, last Friday to a rousing response from locals.

“It’s been great, mate,” Woodsy said on opening day.

“As soon as I opened the doors, we had 30 people in here.”

The bustling brewhouse is spread over two levels in an industrial space on the corner of Chain and Victoria Streets at the edge of the city.

The wide variety of beers on tap offers flavours seldom seen in Mackay pubs.

Opening day saw plenty of amber ales, pale ales, pilsners, Kolsch’s, and coffee porters poured, with an IPA and more exotic seasonal styles to come.

The menu also offers locally sourced spirits, colourful cocktails, and ice-cold slushies so there’s something for everyone.

Get Crafty With It

Jamie “Woodsy” Woods and Jason Egan were in Brisbane a couple of years ago and ended up in a craft brewery in Teneriffe.

Jason turned to Jamie with an idea that would change their lives.

“It was his idea, he just said, ‘maybe we should open one in Mackay,’” Woodsy said.

“We went to a few different breweries down there and said ‘yeah, we can do this in Mackay, but first we need to learn how to brew.’”

With no background in brewing beer, the pair learnt that it’s an ever-evolving process.

“I don’t think you ever stop; you just keep learning more and more.”

After their first beer in Jason’s shed, which took 18 hours to brew, they continued to evolve, experiment, and refine, finding their calling in the process.

“I got a bit of a passion for it over that time, trying to perfect it and get it better.”

A couple of years later, the boys opened Mackay’s newest craft brewery and taproom, but Woodsy says a lot more people were involved.

“It was a collaborative effort from a lot of people in town,” he said.

“It took a lot of people to get us to this point and without those people we wouldn’t be opening the doors today.”

The brewery provides a relaxed and social atmosphere in an industrial setting, with plenty of space to sit inside and out, live music, and food trucks out the front.

The variety of beers is the widest you’ll find in Mackay, with the amber ale being Woodsy’s pick of the bunch.

“We add hops to our amber ale, and it gives it a fruity aroma as opposed to a traditional amber that you’d get in the UK where it’s just a malty beer,” he said.

All beer is brewed onsite and sold exclusively through the brewery, with growlers and refills available if you want the Red Dog experience on your own back patio.

Woody says his vision is to provide a tastier alternative to the beer drinkers of Mackay.

“We understood that the Mackay market is a very traditional lager market for beer, but we want to be able to change that mentality – there’s other beer flavours out there,” he said.

“You can get a lot more flavour out of a craft beer than what you can out of the commercial stuff.

“Our vision is that more people drink craft beer.”

Red Dog Brewery Brewer and Co-Owner Jamie “Woodsy” Woods was stoked with the opening day turnout. Photo: Sam Gillespie

Locals were out in force to support the opening of Red Dog Brewery and sample their delicious beers. Photos: Sam Gillespie

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Each year nearly 10,000 women and children seeking safety are turned away from accommodation and support services due to lack of beds and resources.

In response to these damning statistics, the Labor government has announced funding support for frontline organisations supporting women and children fleeing violence.

Mackay Women’s Services Executive Director Linda-Anne Northey welcomed Labor candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton and Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence Senator Jenny McAllister to Mackay Women’s Services to make the announcement last Thursday.

“We recently just had our women’s forum and we’ve listened to the needs of women in our area through that forum,” Mr Hamilton said.

“We’ve come up with some really great outcomes.”

The Housing Australia Future Fund will involve building 30,000 affordable homes across the country, including 4,000 homes to be allocated specifically to women and children fleeing violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness.

An additional $100 million will be allocated to the refurbishment and revitalisation of crisis accommodation across the country, with over $2 million to be dedicated to expanding crisis accommodation options in Central Queensland.

Labor will also invest in 500 community sector workers to focus on domestic and family violence, which will provide an additional 12 workers in the Central Queensland region.

Senator Jenny McAllister says this could help as many as 187 women and children to find refuge.

“Right across the country, we hear that women are struggling when they look to find accommodation for themselves and their children when escaping violence,” Senator McAllister said.

“I know that Linda-Anne Northey and all of the community service workers in the local area work incredibly hard to support every woman that comes through their door.”

Linda-Anne Northey says that providing somewhere safe to sleep is the first and most important step.

“All of our services work so closely together to value-add and to find resources out of almost nothing or to work together to make sure that there’s a cushion of support put in place, but to actually have a house or somewhere for people to go is a core start to making sure that people feel safe,” Ms Northey said.

Ms Northey says there is an ever-increasing demand for these services in the region, requiring an increase of dedicated social workers to support those in need.

“Unfortunately, in recent weeks, we’re getting more and more that are walking in, so we need more face-to-face workers being able to support the number of walk-ins and the response required,” Ms Northey said.

“Getting that extra accommodation, knowing that there’s housing, that basic survival need, and knowing that people will have an advocate to walk alongside them and support them through the system and support them to succeed in the move to that housing, absolutely fundamental and critical to their change of safety and to be in a better situation.”

Labor candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton, Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence Senator Jenny McAllister, and Mackay Women’s Services Executive Director Linda-Anne Northey. Photo: Sam Gillespie

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Some of the Greater Whitsunday region’s change champions travelled to Brisbane to meet with a range of parliamentarians and key advisors to showcase the Mackay region’s strong economic credentials and the regional ambitions to attract new industry.

Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) hosted a small delegation to Brisbane in March which culminated in a Greater Whitsunday Showcase event at Parliament House, attended by the Premier of Queensland, the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk, Treasurer Mr Cameron Dick, Leader of the Opposition Mr David Crisafulli and other key government Ministers.

The delegation included Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker; Whitsunday Regional Council CEO Mr Rod Ferguson; Red Cat Adventures Director Mr Asher Telford; Bowen Gumlu Growers Association CEO Mr Ry Collins; GW3 Director Mr Jordan Miller; Resources Centre of Excellence CEO Mr Steven Boxall and Nordzucker Mackay Sugar Mr Jannik Olejas.

GW3 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ms Kylie Porter said the theme of the delegation was Greater Whitsundays is for greater.

“One of the objectives of the delegation was to build the profile of the Greater Whitsunday region amongst parliamentarians in Brisbane,” Ms Porter said.

“The other was to discuss regionally specific topics including critical minerals testing, biofutures, aerospace, and the future of the gas reserves in the Bowen Basin region.”

Ms Porter said the delegation hosted five key meetings with Ministers and MPs in Brisbane, and hosted an event attended by 70 parliamentarians, industry leaders and key decision makers, co-hosted by Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert and Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm.

“The role of delegates was to provide the ‘real face’ to parliamentarians: to tell an authentic story about our region’s vision for the future; how it is evolving and what that means to the Queensland economy.

“It was an incredibly useful trip and GW3 looks forward to leading more delegations in the future.” Ms Porter said.

GW3 delegates with MPs and Ministers at Queensland Parliament. Photos: Supplied GW3

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It’s a little club which hosts an iconic event, and locals are calling on the Federal Government to giddy up when it comes to supporting the Nebo Showgrounds.

The Nebo community is calling for a $2.7 million commitment from federal candidates to back regional Australia and fund the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan Stage 1 in this year’s election.

Isaac community groups and Council have joined forces to advocate for funding to revitalise the Nebo Showgrounds facility and futureproof one of the region’s most utilised assets with infrastructure, parking and camping upgrades.

Mayor Anne Baker said Nebo Showgrounds is a critical piece of community infrastructure in need of important upgrades and it is time for Canberra to take notice.

“This facility supports our grassroot industries, community groups and neighbouring towns hosting over 685 events annually,” Mayor Baker said.

“From the national events like the Nebo Rodeo to its role in supporting the agricultural sector, communities in regional Australia are built on places like the Nebo Showgrounds.

“We have ambitious plans, but we cannot do this on our own. Federal candidates committing funds to this project is a vote of support for regional Australia.”

The Nebo Showgrounds are booked out for more than 80 days of the year, attracting 20,000 visitors annually with an estimated local economy return of about $1.2 million.

Mayor Baker said there is a lot of potential for growth in existing activities as well as attracting new industry and events.

“This is why we have developed the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan in consultation with community to maximise the facility’s full potential,” Mayor Baker said.

Local cattle producer Jarrod Deguara, who competes with his teenage son in team roping events at Nebo, said Nebo Rodeo is Australia’s biggest one-day rodeo, attracting 5,000 people from across regional Australia.

“To get federal support for this project would be phenomenal because the Nebo Rodeo is not just a community event … this is nationwide event,” the Nebo Bushman’s Carnival committee member said.

Joy Cooper from the Nebo Pony Club said Nebo Showgrounds are an essential place for the rural and regional communities.

“All of it costs money and we’re only little clubs and we can only do so much,” Ms Cooper said.

“That’s why this federal election we are calling on candidates to support projects that matters to us like the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan.”

Visit https://www.isaac.qld.gov.au/homepage/276/nebo-showgrounds-masterplan---stage-1 for more information.

Local cattle producer Jarrod Deguara, who competes with his teenage son in team roping events at Nebo, said Nebo Rodeo is Australia’s biggest one-day rodeos, attracting 5,000. Images supplied: Isaac Regional Council

Nebo community is calling for Canberra to back projects that matter to regional Australia just like the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan

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People will hit the polling booths in May. At Mackay and Whitsunday Life, we want you to know about the policies of this year’s federal candidates, commencing with our Political Life Column next week.

To kick off proceedings, we invited Shane Hamilton, Labor’s candidate for Dawson, to share with our readers why he put his hand up for politics and where he stands on mining, manufacturing and sugar.

Born in Mackay, Mr Hamilton has a wide breadth of understanding for the region as a whole. He grew up in Sarina and played rugby league for the Crocodiles until he was 19, having to give the sport a rest due to injury. Now, he coaches his son’s U6 Magpies team and gets just as much enjoyment nurturing the next generation from the sideline.

From Sarina, he spent a few years living up the Pioneer Valley in Marian, before his boilermaking career took him throughout the Bowen Basin where his future was forged in mining.

“People ask me where I stand on mining, it’s an industry I’ve built my career in and most of my extended family work in the industry,” Mr Hamilton said.

“The employment the mining industry generates is phenomenal,” he said.

“I know there’s rhetoric around Labor and the Greens and it’s false. As a person who has built a career in mining, there’s no better person than me sitting in Canberra to say what’s really impacting people in the industry.

“That’s a big part of the reason I’ve thrown my hand up for politics, because I’m really passionate about protecting the hard-working Australians out there.”

Mr Hamilton said it’s not in Labor’s game plan to shut down mining.

“It’s in our game plan to create more opportunities, by using mining as a baseload industry, but by looking at the big picture and asking how we create other jobs around it moving forward,” he said.

“My personal big push is regional manufacturing, bringing that back.

“We could be competing with the likes of Germany, building a name for quality, not trying to compete with places like China on price. I’ve seen steel towers shipped into Hay Point from overseas for big projects. As a boilermaker, I saw a lost opportunity in making that product here.”

Mr Hamilton said he believes sugar is another important part of the Dawson electorate and wants to fight for a fair go for farmers.

“My parents rented 160 acres in Sarina so we grew up with cattle and cane,” he said.

“Traditionally cane farmers don’t think a Labor bloke will understand them but it’s an area I’m really focused on and wanting to learn more about.

“Labor’s energy policies focus on lowering energy costs for farmers so they don’t have to think twice about whether they can afford to irrigate.”

Keep an eye out on our political column every week until the federal election to find out more from the federal candidates who opted in to take part in this opportunity.

Labor Candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton with his wife Anita, son Beau and daughters, Farrah and Isabella

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Traffic backed up past the Ron Camm Bridge last Friday when a suspected chlorine spill from the Memorial Swim Centre brought parts of Mackay’s CBD to a standstill.

An employee of the pool’s contractor Belgravia Leisure raised the alarm about a possible chlorine spill shortly before 7am.

This sparked a quick and major response from emergency services, including securing a safety perimeter and managing motorists in the area.

Investigations since determined there was only a minor leak on a pipe of the chlorine storage system.

“About three to five litres of chlorine had leaked into a contained pit, which was part of the system. This has now been rectified,” A Mackay Regional Council spokesperson said.

“There was also about 150 litres of liquid in a bunded area, but investigations have determined this was pool water and there was no leak.

“Once again, council wishes to thank emergency services and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland for their quick response.”

Council will hold further discussions with Belgravia about the incident.

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