BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort has been awarded top honours in two categories at the annual Whitsunday Tourism Awards, held on Saturday night under the big top at the Whitsunday Sailing Club.  

Winning gold in the ‘Caravan and Holiday Parks’ category, the resort also won the consumer-voted ‘People’s Choice Award for Accommodation’ at the gala industry awards.

The resort has been proudly owned by the McKinnon family for 29 years and was represented on the evening by 20 of the resort’s now 75-member strong team, who enjoyed a night out celebrating the Whitsunday tourism industry’s night of nights.

“We are so very proud and grateful to have won both of these awards,” said resort owner and operator, Greg McKinnon.

“Both awards reflect the offerings of our quality tourism product, our ongoing development and our customer service, which is a testament to our forever growing team who are incredibly deserving of this award.

“They are a huge part of making the magic happen. And of course, our guests - we truly thank them for choosing us to enjoy their precious family holiday.”

“We would also like to extend a huge thank you to Tourism Whitsundays for hosting another brilliant event and for all of their incredibly hard work in promoting and celebrating this beautiful part of the world we are lucky enough to live in.

“It’s also so important for us to recognise our local community, industry partners, agents and suppliers who have supported us throughout.

“The resilience the region has shown throughout the last couple of years is unwavering and it certainly is time for everyone to shine again.”

“Last but not least, a massive congratulations to all of the other Whitsunday winners and entrants - what a wonderful night to share with our industry friends - it's been far too long and it was definitely worthy of huge celebration, which was most certainly had by all it seems.”

Over the years, the McKinnon family have been passionate about continually reinvesting into the business in order to offer the ultimate Whitsunday mainland holiday resort.  

“We have put everything into the resort over the past 29 years and continue to grow to make it the multi-award winning and nationally recognised destination to escape to with family and friends in the Whitsundays,” Greg contnued.

“Our resort is all about connecting with each other by offering an environment where everyone can enjoy the many facilities and activities on offer, relax in quality accommodation and just all come together.”

This year has seen further development of the resort, with a particular focus on accessibility needs.

To complement the resort’s existing accessible cabins, facilities and Sensory Room, vision-impaired cabins were recently added to the inventory to more broadly cater to guest’s specific needs and provide them with an unforgettable Whitsunday holiday.

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort offers a range of accommodation, from tropical landscaped camp sites through to self-contained studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom cabins, providing options to suit every taste and budget.  

With over 15 onsite activities including a big, huge, mega waterslide park, lagoon style pool, mini golf, outdoor cinema, Kid’s Club, year-round activities program and much more, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort offers the ultimate holiday escape.  

For more information visit www.adventurewhitsunday.com.au

The BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday representatives at the awards on Saturday

The huge waterslide park

A friendly welcome

Whitsunday Regional Council are congratulating their team’s success following the Tourism Awards on Saturday evening which saw Whitsunday Coast Airport and Shute Harbour Marine Terminal take out the Tourism Retail, Hire and Service Category.

Craig Turner, Chief Operating officer Aviation and Tourism, and his team at Whitsunday Coast Airport won Gold, while Shaun Cawood, Shute Harbour Coordinator, and his team at Shute Harbour Marine Terminal took home Bronze in the same category.

“The gold win for the airport was a great reward for the hard-working team as they have been kicking numerous goals for our region’s post Covid recovery,” said a Council spokesperson.

“Our airport recorded the highest ever monthly passenger totals in April this year, with 47,384 passengers transiting through the terminal.

“The previous highest monthly total passenger count for April was 37,486 in 2019 so too eclipse that by nearly 10,000 proves that the Whitsundays is one of the fastest growing regional airports in Australia.”

Connectivity is key to making it easy for visitors to explore the Whitsunday region and the flow on economic benefits to Bowen, Proserpine, Collinsville, and other areas is huge.  

Over 220 flights monthly equate to more passengers and visitors to stay and play, all the while supporting our region’s tourism and business stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the Shute Harbour team took home bronze for their efforts in reactivating the new Shute Harbour Marine Terminal which will welcome the first of many luxury cruise liners docking in the marina in November.  

Celebrity Eclipse will dock on November 9 followed by the Royal Caribbean’s 4000 passage ship, Quantum of the Seas on November 20.

Shute Harbour is home to a multitude of operators including Sealink, Cruise Whitsundays, Explore Group, Ocean Rafting, Salty Dog Sea Kayaking, Scamper, Pioneer Adventures and Elysian Resort.  

Explore 74 Café will open in the coming weeks and will be a welcome addition complete with a bar and off-premises liquor available.

Shute Harbour is an ideal location for functions and conferences due to its proximity to Airlie Beach and the Islands.  

The well-equipped 344m2 function space is located on the upper floor of the terminal building.

The fully air-conditioned space can accommodate 120 guests and up to 250 guests in a luxe cocktail formation.

The integrated Wi-Fi and private amenities allow for a fully immersive conferencing experience.

Council wishes to congratulate all the nominees and winners of this year’s Whitsunday Tourism Awards and applauds all their efforts in making the Whitsundays the one of most popular tourism destination in Australia and the world.

Marianne Goldman from Whitsunday Coast Airport, Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall, Amy Humphries Terminal’s Officer and Craig Turner, Chief Operating officer Aviation and Tourism

Whitsunday Coast Airport’s innovative departure’s lounge aquatic feature

The newly revitalised Shute Harbour Marine Terminal

“Waking up at a different pristine reef every day, 145-kilometres offshore” is just a small part of why local business Kiana Sail and Dive won big at the 2022 Whitsunday Tourism Awards on Saturday night.

Claiming two wins and a finalist recognition at the region-wide awards, Brent Chatterton and his team at Kiana were ecstatic with the results, especially in their first year entering the esteemed competition: Gold in Ecotourism, Bronze in Unique Accommodation, and a Finalist in Adventure Tourism.

The win in Gold Ecotourism is something close to owner and master of Kiana Sail and Dive, Brent Chatterton’s heart.

“I was shocked when they called our names; I was stunned like a mullet! My team were so ecstatic for me,” Brent said.

“I’m humbled by it because we’ve done a lot of work in the Reef space – rehabilitation, work in the Whitsundays, restoration and giving our own time and money to the reef we love so much.”

A tourism company named after its vessel, Kiana specialises in unique tours out to the Reef for three and five day overnight trips, but is also a key voice and activist in reef restoration – a factor that undoubtedly played a role in its Gold win.

They have been involved in placing restoration frames as part of Project Refresh at Bait Reef, the recent Coral Nurture Program in the Whitsundays, Reef Bags as a separate project, and the Coral Reseeding Project.

“What it’s about is giving back. We give back to places so important to us as key, top tourism sites, which have economic, cultural, and social benefits and significance,” Brent said.

“We impart that to our guests too, that stewardship of the Reef. I tell the story of the Great Barrier Reef on the second night of our tours: how it was formed, the interconnectivity, the size, the fun facts.

“But I also let them know that now they’ve seen it and fallen in love with it, they must protect it.”

Alongside their Gold win, they placed Bronze in the Unique Accommodation category, which Brent attributes to their tours being “further than any other operator. You wake up every day on an exceptional and different reef.”

Kiana nabbed a finalist spot in Adventure Tourism as well, an extremely strong category in the Whitsundays, which Brent said was “fantastic to be up there with esteemed colleagues like Ocean Rafting.”

The Gold win sees the business gain direct entry into the Queensland Tourism Awards, but staying on brand, Brent said he will be unable to physically attend.

“I’ll be heading 200-kilometres out where there’s not much data on the health of the reef for a Great Reef Census,” Brent said.

“Although business is important, it’s more important that we’re out there doing stuff in those undiscovered places, even if it’s at a great cost to the business. I think it’s important to do these things because we live and breathe and love the place we work in.”

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On Saturday night luxury accommodation providers, Mirage Whitsundays, were thrilled to take home an award for the fifth time in a row.

Having entered into the Hall of Fame at the 2018 Whitsunday Tourism Awards for bringing home Gold three years in a row, the team were glad to be back after COVID put a halt to the awards, making the 2022 occasion even more special.

This year they took home Gold in the 4-4.5 star category.

General Manager Jeanette Harris said that she had recently joined the team, having worked over on Hamilton Island for the past eight years, and that it was wonderful to see all the great work they had been doing.

“The team were really proud!” she said.

“It was really fantastic to be among other industry participants in the region and really exciting to be with other excellent operators on the night.

“I would like to give special thanks to Connor Davis who is our Front Office Manager and Mick Bennett who is our long-serving Maintenance Manager who knows the place inside and out and keeps it running.”

There are 104 luxury apartments at the complex and Mirage Whitsundays manages 85 of them as Holiday Rental Apartments.

Ms Harris says that people comment most about the palatial feel of the large and modern apartments and Villas which have full kitchen facilities and spacious lounges. The Villas and Executive and Penthouse Apartments also each have their own private plunge pool.

“They also love the sea views!” she said.

Mirage Whitsundays offers a hot buffet breakfast each morning from the on-site Whisper Gin Bar and Restaurant, and their signature Bottomless Brunch is held every Sunday morning.
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General Manager of Mirage Jeanette Harris with Maintenance Manager, Mick Bennett

A couple that are bringing their own unique style of guest experience to the region were thrilled to take home the Excellence In Customer Service Award at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards on Saturday night.

Paul and Fran Tuddenham, who took over their first property management role at Peninsula in Airlie Beach in July last year, have transformed the local business and have now received recognition for all their hard work.

“We simply treat people the way we want to be treated and try to do little extras wherever we can,” said Paul.

From leaving chocolates on pillows for guests when they enter their rooms to keeping a secret stash of kids’ toys, like bubbles and bracelets, under the counter to give away and organising honeymoon hampers wherever possible – it is easy to see why their guests always give them excellent reviews.

“If you have happy kids, then you have a happy holiday!” laughs Fran.

But it is more than just gifts that create a customer experience, nothing is too much for Paul and Fran and their positive enthusiasm is infectious to everyone they encounter.

“We are all about customer service,” said Paul.

“People come here happy, and our job is to maintain that.”

Originally from Robina, the couple worked in Banking and Management for over 20 years before starting a Mortgage Broking Business which they also operated for 20 years.

When they came to Airlie Beach on holiday, they took a tour of Peninsula and fell in love with the area and its stunning sea views.

Now, just 12 months after taking over the business, they have grown from 12 units to now managing 21 units on the property.

They were also awarded Resident Managers of the Year at the ARAMA national awards in July.  
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Paul and Fran Tuddenham from Peninsula Airlie Beach at the Tourism Awards last weekend. Photo credit: R Jean Photography

A $483 million project that has been over 20 years in the making and was forecast to deliver water security for our region, has been axed following the Federal Budget which was announced on Tuesday night.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox says he is disappointed to see the Urannah Dam project on the chopping block.

“Urannah Dam is planned and ready to go. It’s a dam shame,” Mr Willcox said.

“It was the only dam that has been through Infrastructure Australia and has private equity partners ready to go.

“Urannah Dam ticks all the boxes, provides water for agriculture, tourism, mining, and urban use as well as pumped hydro which will put clean, green electricity directly into the north south grid.”

Member for Whitsunday, Amanda Camm, agrees saying that Urannah Dam would have provided a secure water supply.

“This project is one of the most advanced in approvals for our State and it's a deceptive move by the Government to not support this project,” she said.

Meanwhile the Mackay Conservation Group say they welcome the government’s decision to stop the project.

“This project has the potential to damage our region’s precious waterways, the Great Barrier Reef and wildlife while returning as little as 26 cents in economic benefits for every dollar it costs,” said Mackay Conservation Group dams campaigner, Imogen Lindenberg.

“The water from the Urannah Dam will be used to wash coal but the industry in our region has a limited lifespan.

“Without demand from coal, this dam will become a stranded asset in decades to come, costing taxpayers even more money.”

Meanwhile, the state government recently announced a new pumped hydro project in the Pioneer Valley, just north of Mackay.

While it is set to supply 50 per cent of the state’s renewable electricity, it will also displace local residents with the need to remove 50 houses in a small rural area called Netherdale.

Mr Willcox suspects the hydro project is an unsubstantiated decoy.

“Labor’s Pioneer-Burdekin Project is nothing more than a thought bubble that is set to wipe out local homes,” he said.

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced this years’ Federal Budget on Tuesday night, aiming to address cost of living issues in a number of ways.

Promising to build one million new homes, increase paid parental leave to 26 weeks, provide cheaper prescription medicines and an additional $4.6 billion boost to childcare subsidies, the new budget will undoubtedly make a big impact on living costs around the country.

Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox, however, says he is concerned that there is not enough set aside for his electorate which spans from Mackay to Townsville and includes all of the Whitsundays.

“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised if he won government, there would be “no one held back, no one left behind”,” he said.

“In Labor’s first Budget, 30 per cent of Australians who live in regional and rural areas, including Dawson have been held back and left behind.”

Expecting drastic increases in grocery bills, Mr Willcox states that the average family worse off by at least $2000 by Christmas.

“Groceries are eight per cent higher, not just because of natural disasters, but also because of Labor’s foolish political decision to scrap our Ag Visa,” he said.

“Supply has been slashed because farmers and processors are only working at around 60 per cent capacity, which has put upward pressure at the checkout for families in Dawson.

“Retail electricity prices are predicted to go up by 50 per cent, while the $275 promised by Labor to reduce electricity bills is now gone.”

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SNAPSHOT

• 1 million new homes built

• Paid parental leave increased

• Cheaper medicine available

• Bigger childcare subsidies

• Tax rates flattened to 30 per cent for people earning between $45,000 and $200,000

Hi, Constant Readers.

Professionals, tradesmen, and business owners in the Whitsundays are more than familiar with the characteristics of a small team: can do attitudes, grit.

And, often, being in a small team means doing the odd job around the workplace.

Those can range from things like vacuuming to – in my case – distributing newspapers across Proserpine last month.

That extra-vocational outing took me on a morning drive through the sugarcane town to, in effect, deliver the newspaper to you, Constant Reader.

That was one of two times recently where I was shown how much the newspaper means to people in the region – especially Proserpine.

As soon as bundles went onto the shelf at places like IGA, they started flying off again; there was even a queue developing at one point. Lots of people had two copies furled under their arms or popped into the trolley – one for them and one for their neighbours, mostly.

Sometimes you can’t see the scale of a thing until you spy its smallest part.

That was one of the sentimental moments in the past month that’s underpinned this profession with sweetness for me.

The next week, I was back in Proserpine chasing a story and ended up in the Museum’s archive room. It’s filled with boxes on boxes of Proserpine’s history, and amongst them I found hundreds of copies of Whitsunday Life newspaper.

When I saw that in amongst issues of the long-since gone Proserpine Guardian, it put into perspective what our paper means to people.

To become an integral part of people’s lives here when they read our paper each week, and a part of its history - that is a feeling I can’t express.

Thank you.

Declan

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Quote Of The Week:

"There is a history in all men's lives.” – William Shakespeare

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In this week’s Good Deed Feed our local Whitsunday member, Amanda Camm MP, is encouraging others to volunteer their time at Proserpine Meals on Wheels.

This vital local service has been struggling to find volunteers since COVID and they are currently operating with a team of just 21 people.

This means that the staff that kindly donate their time are having to work longer hours to ensure the needs of the community are met.

“Meals on Wheels Proserpine provides healthy meals which are cooked on site, to clients from Midge Point to Dingo Beach and from Proserpine to Jubilee Pocket and all the rural areas in between,” said Ms Camm.

“The service isn't just for seniors as many think, and they provide for anyone who is unable to prepare a meal or shop for themselves.  

“They currently have clients of all ages who have differing circumstances like recovering from hospitalisation, living with a disability, or major injury or are in their senior years.

“The service not only provides nutritional support but also an important contact point for members of the community - community connection is very important to mental health and plays a big part in any recovery or way of life.”

The kitchen is open Monday to Friday and people can volunteer in the kitchen preparing meals from 6.15am to 10am or volunteer as a driver delivering the meals from 10am to 12pm.

If you have some spare time to help, please call Helen a Proserpine Meals on Wheels on 4945 1733.

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Amanda Camm with the kind staff at Proserpine Meals on Wheels

A luxury yacht moored at Hamilton Island Marina was ablaze for more than seven hours on Monday, October 24.

The 25-metre Sunseeker 82 yacht began billowing smoke and flames just before 11am taking emergency services until after 6pm that night to quell them, when the vessel began to finally sink.

No persons were onboard when the fire began, and the cause is now under investigation.

Paramedics remained at the scene due to reports that members of the small island community were heading to the marina to look at the blaze before suffering from smoke inhalation.

Whitsunday Volunteer Marine Rescue President Mal Priday said resident firefighters on Hamilton Island fought the blaze all day and his vessels were tasked with transporting relief Queensland Fire Service crews to the island from Airlie Beach.

“We arrived there about half-past five and it had been burning already for seven hours – a large amount of smoke could be seen well before we arrived at Hamilton Island,” Mr Priday said.

“After seven hours there were still flames coming out; some of the flames were three to five metres high.”

Mr Priday said, although investigations into the cause were still pending, firefighters were of the belief that the fire had started in the ship’s bow.

“When we arrived, the boat had sunk at the back. That was part of the problem for the firefighters: they couldn’t get at it because of the small portholes and windows, so they just decided to monitor it overnight.”

Volunteer Marine Rescue left the scene at roughly 8:00pm and the bow was still out of the water at an angle, leaning to the starboard, smoking and alight.

Neighbouring boats in the marina reported damage from smoke and heat, mostly those downwind of the 30 knot conditions.

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A 25-metre Sunseeker 82 – a luxury yacht – caught fire in Hamilton Island Marina on Monday morning and blazed into the night

New budget airline, Bonza, is gearing up for take-off following a series of test flights which took place over Whitsunday airspace earlier this week.

The Sunshine Coast based airline, which had postponed launch dates due to delayed delivery of its brand-new planes from America, is now taking to the skies with the latest test flights an indication that the official launch is imminent.

The next stage in the process is the final tick from Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer of Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner, said that he is excited to welcome Bonza Airlines soon.

“We can’t wait to get notification from Bonza when the official date will be,” he said.

“We promise them a huge welcome to the Whitsundays when they arrive and look forward to an ongoing partnership.”

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Dates for the first Bonza flight expected to be announced soon

This is the question a local couple are asking following news that the land in front of their house is currently being re-zoned to accommodate 550 storage sheds.

Robin Weaver and his wife came to the Whitsundays two and a half years ago, moving into the property they had bought in 2018 with the knowledge that the adjacent 3.8-acre vacant lot was zoned for low-medium residential development.

When this site, located at 82 Shute Harbour Road, sold for a million dollars three years ago, Robin believed that eventually a developer would put residential houses on-site.

That was until he saw a sign go up stating there had been an application to ‘Reconfigure the Lot’ with a ‘Material Change of Use’ development application submitted to Council detailing plans for a storage shed complex.

“We are all very aware of the acute shortage of residential accommodation in Airlie Beach and Cannonvale,” he said.

“A 3.8 acre, almost flat block of land on the main road, offers the opportunity for the lowest cost development of such land, for whatever purpose, including that for which it is currently zoned - residential accommodation!

“This is prime residential land and should not be wasted for such an unnecessary, unsightly, unpleasant and unwelcome project.”

The storage shed complex will extend 175 metres along Shute Harbour Road and will be brightly coloured, it will also have a tall boundary chain-link fence and bright security lights.

Mr Weaver believes this is an inappropriate use of the site and that it will impact on the liveability if the area.

With two industrial estates located in Cannonvale, he asserts that there are other viable options that would be more in keeping with the surrounding zoning.

Appealing for other residents to take action against this development, Mr Weaver has taken the time to examine the development application set before Council and analyse, what he believes, are inaccuracies.

He is now posting his findings to surrounding neighbours hoping to gather further support.

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Local resident Robin Weaver does not want to see 550 storage sheds take up prime residential land in Cannonvale

Whitsunday Coast Airport practiced a real-life response to a plane crash earlier this week with over 60 volunteers and emergency personnel taking part in the enactment.

Using a bus to act as a plane, the premise saw an ‘aircraft’ come off the runway and clip its wing following high winds at the point of landing.

Volunteers were given fake injuries that needed attending to and a sea of emergency personnel all worked together to rescue injured passengers, ensure the scene was safe and manage the airport during the event.

Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer of Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner, said that while this occurrence is extremely unlikely, it was really beneficial for the team to ensure best working processes were in place.

“It was fantastic to see the communication between all the stakeholders in real time,” he said.

“It allowed us to experience a full timeline of events and to identify things that could have been done better.

“We’ve learnt so much and taken on improvements to make sure we stay up to speed.”

These improvements include the purchase of new powerful radios that ensure communication is clear and also the placing of dedicated emergency packs with checklists at all control stations.

The Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service, Queensland Police Force and the State Emergency Service were all present on the day as well as ground handlers and the airport safety team who all worked together to provide an efficient and seamless response to the emergency simulation.

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Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer of Aviation and Tourism Craig Turner and Manager of Hamilton Island Airport Paul Watson

Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service Officer

Emergency service personnel. Photo credit: R Jean Photography

In last week’s edition of Whitsunday Life Newspaper we printed a story which stated that Councillor Mike Brunker would be ‘leaving the region’ to work a new full-time position in the mines while still retaining his role as Councillor.

Following a conversation with Cr Brunker we have now been made aware that he is in fact working at a Collinsville mine and therefore staying within the region.

“I will still have access to phones and emails after work,” he said.

“I’ve also arranged my swing so that I’ll be able to attend every Council meeting, it was part of the condition of taking the job.”

Cr Brunker is a fourth-generation miner, in fact his father is the only still-living survivor of the 1954 Collinsville mining disaster.

“I started working in the mines when I was a kid,” said Cr Brunker.

“After 25 years working in an office environment, now it’s time to be back into the workforce – I am sure this will give me a new outlook on life.”

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The Federal government has promised an additional $204 million towards protection of the Great Barrier Reef, upping its total spend on the world wonder to $1.2 billion.

Minister For Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek outlined the government’s vision for the future of the Reef last week in a joint statement with special envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, Nita Green.

That vision highlighted much of the work already being done through the Reef 2050 plan, as well as what the additional funding would address.

The $204 million is set to fund immediate action, tightening critical gaps in the long-term sustainability plan of the government major Reef 2050 project and speeding up reef protection activities.

Much was spoken of replanting efforts in parts of the reef with new corals, catchment restoration, working with fisheries and a new research centre in Gladstone.

“Together, we hope these measures can start to turn around the health of the reef, it is still a beautiful wonder of the world,” The environment minister said to the ABC.

“We’ve got a little breathing space in the last couple of years; we’ve seen some of those corals come back because we’ve had cooler weather and we need to build on that to protect.

Ms Plibersek said the funding will protect the reef itself as well as river systems and animals that are part of its wider ecosystem.

Alongside Queensland government, the newly announced funding tallies Australia’s total reef investment to more than $4.4bn from 2014-15 to 2029-30.

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The Reef gains more financial support to fund vital projects