Whitsunday Regional Council have delivered what Mayor Julie Hall is calling “one, tiny piece of the pie” towards solving the housing crisis sweeping the region.

At Council’s Ordinary Meeting on Wednesday, November 23, Councillors approved amendments to the Whitsunday Planning Scheme in hopes to encourage housing diversity, promote affordable rentals, and entice home ownership options.

The amendments are a direct result of Council’s consultation with community for input on affordable housing options.

The results of the Affordable Housing Consultation Submission Analysis Report were placed into two “Amendment packages”.

Whitsunday Regional Council’s Director Development Services, Neil McGaffin, said the first of those two changes to the planning scheme was to reduce the minimum lot size for dual occupancies to 600 square metres.

“What we have taken out of the data is the need to reduce that minimum lot size,” Mr McGaffin said.

“There’s a lot of land out there that is just below the minimum requirements. The potential is, if we reduce the minimum lot size, that it could free up opportunity for dual occupancy or two dwellings on the one site.”

The second amendment to the Planning Scheme complimented an earlier change passed down by State Government in the same meeting and accepted by Council on a local level: That secondary dwellings or ‘granny flats’ can now be rented out to third parties rather than a person from the same household, such as grandparents or teenagers of the same family.

“In the past, there’s been an inherent requirement for a relationship between the people in the main dwelling and the proposed granny flat. That’s now been wiped, so it’s possible for two separate families to live in two separate dwellings on the same block of land,” Mr McGaffin said.

In addition to those State-wide changes, Council’s Affordable Housing Amendment Package 2 is a further boon for secondary dwellers or those looking to construct them, with it allowing an increase in the size of granny flats from 100 square metres to 120 square metres.

“That makes it a bit more liveable and reflects the desire for more housing opportunities not only in this area, but throughout the state,” Mr McGaffin said.

“And that’s coupled with the potential removal of infrastructure charges, so that’s Councils initiative to make housing a lot more affordable in the area.”

Mayor Julie Hall was pleased with the result after what was a three-month consultation period.

“The purpose of this consultation was to investigate the possible amendments to the Whitsunday Planning Scheme that will encourage a range of housing and home ownership options and promote affordable rentals,” Mayor Hall said.

“This is just one little, tiny bit of a massive issue. It’s definitely not going to solve the housing shortage in the region, but at least it will give one, tiny piece of the pie to solve the issue in some circumstances.”

Whitsunday Regional Councillor Michael Brunker was more than pleased with the State Government’s amendment to definitions surrounding granny flats.

“This will go towards a freeing up of more housing,” Councillor Brunker said.

“There could be the old-style granny flats out there where granny has moved on and the fact other people can now rent them should help with our housing crisis.”

Director Neil McGaffin was mindful, however, that although the changes are now implemented, the “direction from community” was unclear – particularly as only 39 submissions were made to the survey.

“The interesting thing was that some of the responses to the questions were about fifty-fifty,” Mr McGaffin said.

“So there was no clear indication that some of the initiatives council could have considered had any clear direction from the community.”

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As the only candidate living in Cannonvale, Clay Bauman says he understands the issues we share and “will live with the consequences of those decisions daily”. He promises to “be right here for you to talk to” if elected as the Councillor for Division 2 in tomorrow’s election.

Known for holding Council to account, Clay has been a regular outspoken voice at Council meetings, fighting for the community on issues close to his heart.

These include protesting against the 12-storey high-rise at Port of Airlie and pushing for the adaptation of a cohesive town plan that reflects the sentiment of residents.

“I have been actively working for years to inform the public and help them to make submissions that will hopefully give significant weight in the current court case against the Port of Airlie 12-storey proposal and also to correct the unsuccessful model put forward in our current town plan,” he said.

“I don't have an issue with the Hermitage Drive buildings, which are setback against the hills. We had a long period of growth under our old low-rise town plan. Since the new plan has been in place not a single major accommodation development has been built. It is time to bring back certainty for the public, developers and investors that want to move our town forward.”

Taking matters, such as the public’s overwhelming preference for roundabouts, to the relevant State authorities, Clay said he is constantly standing up for community rights.

“One of my key goals, if elected, is to develop a Division 2 local plan that stops the ad-hoc development that is creating gridlock around what should be an enjoyable and vibrant shopping district,” he explained.

“This includes opening Cutuli Rd that would join Paluma and Riordanvale Roads, giving us the much needed second access.”  

If elected, Clay also said he will be a driving force behind the Cultural and Civic Hub in Cannonvale, which he would like to see double as a cyclone and disaster shelter funded by Government grants giving real benefit to the community.

“I would also like to see more community events at Cannonvale Lake, so locals can enjoy a great day out without the current Airlie parking hassles,” said Clay.

Concerned that “important decisions are currently being made behind closed doors”, Clay said he would like to encourage changes to Council policy that would give more control back to community elected Councillors, stating that Council are “paid by us, to serve us, not rule us.”

A man who enjoys speaking face-to-face with locals and visitors about our region, he wants to be our community voice at the Council table.

“I have assisted many residents in navigating the bureaucracy of Council including helping property owners when inappropriate development comes knocking on their door,” explained Clay.

“I think this problem is because it appears Council’s current communication choice is to stymie us with gobbledegook. I want real communication we can all understand.”

Advertising feature.

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Clay Bauman is running for the Division 2 Councillor seat

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Monday night’s Candidate meet and greet session saw each of the four individuals running for the Division 2 Councillor seat in the spotlight, answering questions about topical subjects that directly affect the residents of Cannonvale and Woodwark.

Each candidate was given up to a minute to respond to each question, followed by a quick fire round where they were asked to say a short sentence in response.

Here is a brief summary of the best bits.

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Does the new fire station belong in the residentially zoned area in Cannonvale?

Clay Bauman: We’ve got a growth corridor out this way – I think a fire station should be put further out where it will be of service for a much longer period. A new Ambulance Station could be sited with it.

Andy Camm: The State government seems to overrule everything in this area from what I’ve seen – I don’t understand why we would have a fire station right there when it’s residential.

Dan Popovich: It seems highly inappropriate to put something light industrial into a residential area but the safety factor that needs to be added into this to make an informed decision.

Chris Harvey: Coming from an emergency services background this will directly affect me. I think it’s perfect location, it is right in the centre, it covers all the population easier – with the distance travelled, time frames and future planning it makes sense.
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Would you like to see traffic lights or roundabouts along Shute Harbour Road:

Clay Bauman: When they wanted to put traffic lights at Shingley Beach intersection, I overlayed an image of roundabout – it fit. I then posted it on Facebook and in 24 hours had 2,500 engagement, only five per cent of respondents were in favour. I agree.

Andy Camm: Traffic lights are cheaper than roundabouts, but I don’t want traffic lights.

Dan Popovich: Roundabouts are 20 per cent more efficient in terms of traffic through put, fuel waste and are much safer. There are also long-term savings. A daisy chain of traffic lights along this road will be catastrophic.

Chris Harvey: I am not for traffic lights the whole way but I feel we need at least one more set as there is nowhere safe between Centro and Banjos to cross the road.

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What do you think about having high-rises in Airlie Beach?

Clay Bauman: I have been against it for six years but it is site specific – I’ve got no problem with Hermitage drive – but I have a real problem with one on the Foreshore.

Andy Camm: I don’t want to see a high-rise in Airlie Beach

Dan Popovich: I think this should be considered on a case-by-case basis, development shouldn’t be open slather.

Chris Harvey: I’m not for or against until I’ve seen the finer details.

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Jarrah Boeghim was raised on her father’s wooden ships.

In Airlie Beach’s Pioneer Bay, the 20-year-old finally sat on the prow of her own ‘ketch’ ship last week, a 1937 New Bedford Model wooden vessel, and surveyed what has been a six-month labour of love.

Half a year ago, in a mooring just outside Airlie Beach, Jarrah had spied the classic vessel built in the ‘50s sitting in the water, slowly rotting.

The Airlie Beach-born local, after the death of her father two years ago – a Whitsunday sailing icon, the late Tony Boeghim, captain of the famed vessel Providence - had decided to return home and become her own skipper in his memory.

And the ship – who was then named Black Adder – was love at first sight.

“I had always wanted to buy a wooden vessel, but all that was around was fibreglass. Then I saw her,” Jarrah said.

“I bought her without knowing her condition; but I fell in love straight away. I said, this is the one I want. I knew it then and there without looking inside. When I finally saw her, I was worried because there was so much work to do. But where there’s a will there’s a way.”

Jarrah took Black Adder to Edge’s Boatyard in Jubilee Pocket where the hard yards began, but not unassisted; what was originally Jarrah’s solo passion project soon gained in notoriety and gained in help.

“As soon as I got her in the shipyard every boatie was coming over, saying, ‘Isn’t she a gem? We can’t believe you’re 20 years old and you’ve bought her,’” Jarrah said.

“Then this whole crazy, beautiful experience happened: 30 different people were coming down to help work on her [Black Adder]. I had put up this post on Facebook and people were offering their time for free, just for an opportunity to be a part of the restoration. I had guys at the boatyard dropping their work to help.”

People of all ages – from 18 up to 70 – were working on Black Adder, aiming to get her seaworthy. Even Jarrah’s own grandfather came along to help with the wiring, adorning the vessel with a modern touch: solar panels.

“Everyone has been astounded by how many people have come out to help restore her,” Jarrah said.

“It’s not an everyday thing. We’re restoring this 72-year-old vessel and we’re all so young. It doesn’t really happen in Airlie. It’s an old sailing tradition but all of us youngsters are here restoring her; it’s magical.

“I think it’s a unique project. Not many people would do something like this or get the opportunity to work hands-on with a vessel like this.”

Over the past few weeks, Jarrah and her motley crew of good Samaritans, sailors, and Airlie Beach locals have pieced together Black Adder to get her water-tight, ready to sail once more with a new coat of paint.

In the time she’s worked on her, Jarrah has met and been reached out to by people from Black Adder’s past: a man in Cannonvale got in contact, letting her know he has the ship’s original mizen mast lying in his backyard from year’s past. Another found her story on social media and told of how the ship once belonged to his great-grandfather and shared film-footage of the boat sailing in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria.

Touched by it all, Jarrah, who has successfully restored the ship to some of its former glory and plans to continue to work on her, decided to give her back her original name from when she was constructed in the ‘50s of Tasmanian wood: Alinta, which means wonderful.

“She’ll never be finished – she’s a wooden boat – but I’ll make her perfect,” Jarrah said.

“I think dad would be proud in a way.”

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Joely Hemzell and Jarrah Boeghim onboard Alinta, Jarrah’s newly refurbished wooden ship

During the restoration, Jarrah was joined en masse by helpful locals to finish the job

Bowen Tourism and Business now has two new committee members, Peter Greer and Karen Morton.

Peter is the owner and operator of the Queens Beach Tourist Village with his wife Jennie.

They purchased the park in 2019 and now call Bowen home.

Peter is very passionate about Bowen and says he likes to buy local, support local and employ local.

He has a genuine desire to ensure all guests at the park have a happy relaxing holiday and he is passionate about the promotion of Bowen and surrounds.

Karen is a long-term local resident as she moved to Bowen when she was in high school.

She now owns and operates Karen Morton Insurance Services.

She has extensive knowledge of the local area and is keen to see further promotion of Bowen.

Jenn Honnery has taken on the role as chair of the committee for the fifth year in a row and Kerry Meier will be the new deputy chairperson.

Leah Darwen is the treasurer for the second year in a row.

Jenn said she was looking forward to working with Karen and Peter as new committee members and she thanked outgoing committee members Ruth Morton, Emily Harvey and Kylie McRae for their commitment and dedication during their time on the board.

Bowen Tourism and Business is a not-for-profit organisation supported by more than 200 members.

The organisation operates the Big Mango Visitor Information Centre on the Bruce Highway and the information booth at Bowen’s Front Beach.

In the past financial year, the staff and volunteers welcomed more than 40,000 visitors.

Contributed with thanks to Leanne Abernethy from Bowen Tourism and Business

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New Bowen Tourism and Business committee members Karen Morton and Peter Greer. Photo contributed

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A Bowen youth group is looking for adult leaders to restart its operations and mentor the next generation of “heroes”.

The Emergency Services Cadets (ESC) is getting set to recommence in the Whitsundays’ northernmost township after a prolonged hiatus during the Covid pandemic.

The Scout-like program provides young people with a “safe, fun and inclusive environment that offers them practical life skills and leadership opportunities.”

Coordinated alongside the Emergency Services, the Cadet’s program is based at 25 locations across Queensland and helps encourage the exploration of careers in the various fields, either as volunteers or in paid roles.

Program Coordinator for ESC, Ashleigh Karaitiana said the Bowen program was looking for any adults who want to mentor the next generation.

“The Bowen unit has, in the past, run out of the SES headquarters, which it will again,” Ms Karaitiana said.

“For the Cadet program, we need adult leaders to give their time on a weekly basis for roughly two hours where they can teach something as simple as cooking a meal -- things that benefit the kids.”

Ms Karaitiana said adult leaders in the program do not necessarily need Emergency Services experience, although it was helpful, but that the volunteer position is for adults who want to guide the future of the country’s emergency services.

“The reward for our adult leaders is being able to see the cadets grow, both physically, mentally, emotionally,” Ms Karaitiana said.

“Seeing them build friendships, knowing that some of those cadets are going to become future emergency service personnel, that is a great feeling. Time is the greatest gift you can give.”

Volunteering enquiries, and Cadet membership, can be made at the emergencyservicescadets@pcyc.org.au email address.

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The Emergency Services Cadets is looking to restart in Bowen – all it needs is you

The beginning of a $7.5 billion renewable energy project was marked with the opening of its information centre in Collinsville on Saturday morning, with over 50 people present to find out more about the innovative Green Energy Hub.

The initiative will see 180,000 acres of grazing properties developed and multi-purposed to create 3000 megawatts of wind and solar renewable energy.

Farms will still be operational; the Green Energy Hub will simply work in addition to current industry, and it is estimated that this will generate at least $1 billion of economic activity in the region and more than 350 jobs during construction.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall, Councillor Michelle Wright, participating landowners, representatives from local businesses, and residents from Collinsville and surrounding areas were all present at the opening held on Saturday.

Everyone enjoyed a sausage sizzle, coffee van and giveaways, before hearing from Ark Energy CEO Daniel Kim.

“The Collinsville Green Energy Hub is a huge investment for the region and will give Collinsville, Bowen and surrounding communities a significant opportunity to be a part of and benefit from Queensland’s energy transition,” he said.

“We’re looking forward being part of the Whitsunday region for this exciting project.”

Afterwards, Ark Energy’s General Manager Development for Queensland Anthony Russo presented an overview of the feasibility work that has been done for the project so far, next steps in the planning process, and spoke about the importance for Ark Energy of being part of the local community.

The Collinsville Green Energy Hub information centre is at 47 Railway Road, Collinsville, and is open every Wednesday afternoon.

It has information on wind and solar renewable energy, the Collinsville Green Energy Hub project, and lots of takeaway materials.

More information on the project is also available on the website at collinsvillehub.com.au and the project team can be contacted directly by email to info@collinsville.com.au or phone 1800 731 296.

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From left to right: Anthony Russo, General Manager Development, Queensland for Ark Energy, Mayor Julie Hall, Ark Energy CEO Daniel Kim, and Councillor Michelle Wright cut the ribbon to officially open the Collinsville Green Energy Hub Information Centre. Photo supplied

Visitors join the Ark Energy project team, Mayor Julie Hall, and Councillor Michelle Wright for the official opening of the Collinsville Green Energy Hub Information Centre. Photo supplied

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As the heat builds and storms become more frequent, the chances of power cuts increase.

Many residents will remember the multiple power cuts of December 2020, where three outages over Christmas caused 5000 households in the Greater Airlie Beach Area to lose power on December 22, 23 and 28.

Fortunately, since this incident, Ergon have embarked on a $27 million upgrade of the local electricity network, including the Cannonvale substation.

“We took immediate steps to boost the security of the community’s electricity supply by replacing faulty underground cables and constructing a section of overhead network to provide an alternative supply route to get the power back on to customers sooner in the event of further faults,” said an Ergon Energy spokesperson.

“There have been no significant outages at the substation since and the expansion that is underway now will support population growth in years to come.”

Proof of this came when the Whitsunday region reached the record peak load of 469.8 megawatts during a heat wave on March 3 this year, and the system passed the test.

Five of the top six peak loads were recorded in March this year and up to 40 per cent of the load can be attributed to air-conditioning use.

While there is plenty of capacity in the local electricity network to support the community’s needs, customers can save money by being energy efficient.

Here are some energy-saving tips for summer:

• Clean your air-conditioning filters.

• Set your air-conditioner to 25 degrees – it’s more energy-efficient and still comfortable when the outside temperature is more than 30 degrees.

• Keep doors and windows closed when the aircon is running.

• Only air-condition the rooms you are using.

• Fans are much more energy-efficient if you don’t need aircon.

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Everyone in the community is encouraged to shop local this Christmas and, if supporting local small business is not incentive enough, then the Local 4 Locals campaign will definitely get you excited!

With a total of $5000 worth of shopping vouchers to give away over the next three weeks, there will be a special draw each Friday in the run-up to Christmas.

For your chance to win, simply purchase an item from one of the 23 participating stores and your entry will be put into the draw.

The first draw will take place this evening in conjunction with the Christmas Street Fair and Markets during which many shops will be open for extended hours.

“On the night there will be a special appearance by Santa and Rudolf,” said organiser Wendy Bickhoff.

“Come down dressed in your best Christmas outfit and you may win a prize!’

For full details head to the Locals 4 Locals Bowen Facebook page.

A prize of $1000 will be drawn this evening, December 2, and a further $1000 will be drawn on the following two Fridays - December 9 and 16.

Each entry from previous weeks will then go into the final grand prize pool of $2000 which will be drawn on December 23.

The promotion itself begins at 8am today and all entries will be submitted for tonight’s draw.

If you are local business and would like to participate in the campaign, simply chat to Wendy at Coral City to Country for full details.

The first draw will take place at 8pm this evening and the winner does not need to be present in order to claim the prize.

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WHAT: Local 4 Locals

WHERE: Participating shops in Bowen

WHEN: Friday, December 2 from 8am to 5pm on Friday, December 23

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The warm glow of salt lamps, the sweet perfume of an aromatherapy diffuser, a mesmerising backflow waterfall burner or a glass vase moulded into timber – these are just some of the gift ideas that can transform homes into havens this festive season.

They adorn the shelves of Goodness Gracious at the Whitsunday Shopping Centre in Cannonvale and the stores new owner, Jacki Movigliatti, invites everyone to come and browse the wide selection of healthy, organic, and alternative items she has for sale.

“We have leather, timber and embroidered diaries which are very popular this time of year,” she said.

“We also stock a variety of candles, incense, bath salts, massage oils and an entire range of ‘Boody’ which is bamboo clothing – everything from sleepwear to active wear.”

Jacki has just taken over the reins of the longstanding health and organic produce business and said she is looking forward to continuing the good work of the previous owner while introducing some fresh ideas along the way.

“I’d like to bring some more wholefoods in, and I am looking at some pesticide free fruit and veg as well,” she said.

Originally from Townsville and having spent many years in the Atherton Tablelands, Jacki moved to the Whitsundays six years ago for a fresh start.

A yoga teacher for the past 20 years, she has also been an Ayurveda –a traditional medicine system native to India- practitioner for the last five.

Looking to get back into the health industry, she jumped at the opportunity to become the new owner of Goodness Gracious.

With a reputation for its diverse range of health produce, the store stocks everything from spices to vitamins, beauty products to cushions and mats.

Jacki is also ordering some Christmas themed health foods this year, including specialist tea, gherkins and organic olives.

Head into Goodness Gracious today and enjoy a wealth of health while supporting local this festive season.

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Goodness Gracious owner, Jacki Movigliatti, holding a glass vase moulded into timber

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Back by popular demand, the Proserpine Community Markets are hosting their annual Christmas Fair and everyone is welcome to come down for a morning of lively music, fun activities, delicious food and of course Christmas Shopping.

With an abundance of store holders, this years’ Christmas markets have seen a record number of businesses apply for a spot, and organiser Tarnia Patton said she is trying to find extra space at the site so she can cater for the additional enquires.

From home-made trinkets to unique health products, plants and succulents, clothing and many other creative gift ideas, there is plenty to choose from if you are looking for a present that will make someone feel truly special on Christmas Day.

By purchasing your presents at the Proserpine Christmas Markets, you will also have the added satisfaction that you are supporting a local small business who, in turn, will be reinvesting the money back into our region.

This year, there will also be a special guest at the market, one that is sure to put a smile on every child’s face.

“The big man in red will be coming along this year,” said Tarnia.

“At 10.30am he will do walkthrough and then children will have the opportunity to sit down and tell Santa what they want for Christmas.”

The Joy Chimers will also be present on the day, performing with their chimes and offering a unique take on some of the most popular Christmas Carols.

Lucy Sherrington and Noah Robinson will also be playing some of their popular music as shoppers soak up the vibrant Christmas Market atmosphere.

A host of food vans will be on-site throughout the morning, and when weary legs need a break, you can relax on the lawn and sample home-made cakes, freshly brewed coffee and other delicious treats.

WHAT: Proserpine Community Christmas Markets

WHERE: 69 Marathon Street, Proserpine

WHEN: Sunday, December 11 – 8.30am to 12.30pm

SANTA: Arrives at 10.30am

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The whole community are invited to the Proserpine Community Christmas Markets next Sunday. Photo credit: Declan Durrant

Santa will be making an appearance at 10.30am. Photo credit: Declan Durrant

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For the first time since Proserpine’s El Dorado Picture Theatre played its final reel on December 7, 1984, the Whitsundays’ sugarcane town will be host to regular movie screenings of new releases.

The reconstructed Proserpine Entertainment Centre (PEC) will officially launch its cinema on December 12, heralding in a new age of “the pictures” in Proserpine.

Although the previous iteration of the Proserpine Entertainment Centre held movie screenings for special events only, this will be the first time a new release has been shown in the town for almost four decades.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be the first to grace the screen at the PEC, and Manager at Proserpine Entertainment Centre, Kate Boyd said the cinema schedules will be posted on the PEC website.

“Two sessions will be held daily during school holiday periods. Outside of this time, Cinema screenings will be held on a Sunday and Monday for a trial period, with a few interruptions for live events which have already been scheduled,” she said.

Ms Boyd said most movies held at the PEC will be recent releases, with something to suit all age ranges, with older films and nostalgia films playing on special occasions.

“The more people come to see films at the PEC, the newer releases we will receive from the distributors!” she said.

All prices can be found at the Entertainment Centre’s online box office and a Facebook page competition is running until December 9, where locals can win one of three double cinema passes to the first screening.

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One way for sugarcane growers to reduce business costs is through practices such as planting legumes and the precision application of pesticides. These practices provide cost benefits to the grower as well as improving the quality of water which flows to the Reef.

In the Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program (MWWQP), there are nine delivery provider run projects that address nutrient and pesticide practices to minimise run-off, particularly during the wet season when the rainfall intensity flushes the catchment.

Development of these practices requires financing and extensive research to understand what impact the new management practices have on yield, and what water quality risk there is.

One of the projects being run under the MWWQP by Sugar Research Australia (SRA) seeks to validate improved practices and identify which of those result in less runoff of nutrient and pesticides while not impacting negatively on the crop.

To achieve this, SRA has trial sites set up with participating growers that collect water runoff from a paddock. This runoff is then analysed for nutrient and chemical content, which is then communicated to growers to inform future management decisions.

This wet season, SRA is looking into run-off water quality profiles of enhanced efficiency fertilisers compared to traditional fertilisers.  Enhanced efficiency fertilisers are relatively new products designed to improve nutrient use efficiency by minimising nutrient losses.

SRA are now trying to understand the water quality risk for these new products.

Other trials underway this wet season include looking into management practices relating to cane grub control, and the use of mill by-products to assess what impact these practices have on water quality.

Through research and effective communication, growers are provided with the evidence that they need to maintain a viable business and adopt new practices which will ultimately improve their business and water quality.

The Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation with support from Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government.

For more information on any of the projects involved in the MWWQP please visit reefcatchments.com.au.

Contributed with thanks to Chris Dench.

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Research into farming practices paves the way for adoption of new practices and improved water quality

Chris Dench from Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program

As you drive into Airlie Beach town centre you may notice a small but important local landmark is now missing – the large Blue Gum Tree at the entrance way.

Two weeks ago, it was chopped down to make way for a new development on the site and local climate action group, Whitsunday Conservation Council (WCC), say they are concerned that our urban canopy is being slowly destroyed by this process.

While this is just one tree, they believe it is representative of a bigger picture, stating that “Airlie Beach is already noticeably hotter than Cannonvale due to the predominance of dark-coloured hard surfaces and the loss of tree cover, which is ongoing and unregulated.”

“From all directions this tree is an imposing factor of the entrance statement to Airlie Main Street, more importantly provides habitat and food for local fauna,” said Jacquie Sheils, President of WCC, in a letter of appeal sent to Council.

“So many large mature trees have been lost to development in recent years and a dominant beautiful tree such as this deserves our protection and care to thrive and provide shade, shelter and habitat.”

Approaching Whitsunday Regional Council to appeal, the environmental group were told that there is no tree policy protecting local land.

Less than a month after this appeal, concerns were realised when the tree was felled.

“Apparently the developer has contributed a handful of seedling Blue Gums to the revegetation project at Twin Creeks Cannonvale to ‘compensate’ for the destruction of this mature tree,” said WCC Secretary Faye Chapman.

“But this publicly funded revegetation project is already in place, so these trees would have been planted anyway.”

WCC are now asking why Council has no policy on local matters of environmental significance, including a ‘Significant Tree Register’ to provide protection for iconic trees like the one lost earlier this month.

“Other Councils in our region have tree protection and maintenance policies and do not allow mature trees to be removed without first making every effort to maintain and nurture these beneficial giants of nature,” said Faye.

“This tree was on the extreme corner of the development block, surely enlightened design and prudent trimming could have seen this tree safely incorporated into the plan for the new hotel.”

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The old Blue Gum Tree acted as an entrance statement to Airlie Main Street

It was chopped down to make way for a new development at the site of the Colonial Motel

The iconic tree featured on postcards in the 1980s

The stump is now a memorial feature

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The dedicated team at Whitsunday Coast Airport (WCA) is celebrating after being voted the “Best Large Regional Airport” at the Australian Airports Association Annual Award in Adelaide last Friday night.

Known as the fastest growing regional airport in Australia, the Whitsunday Regional Council owned and operated WCA won the same award back in 2018 and Mayor Julie Hall said this demonstrates the resilience of the team to “bounce back” after COVID.

“In April we smashed the highest monthly passenger record with 47,384 passengers transiting through the terminal,” she said.

“The previous highest monthly total pax for April was 37,486 in 2019, so to eclipse that by nearly 10,000 proves that WCA is probably the fastest growing regional airport in Australia.”

The airport’s Chief Operating Officer Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner, attended the awards in person and said the win highlighted how critical WCA is to the success of the Whitsunday region for our industry and business stakeholders.

“A major focus for my team has been business development to attract new carriers and new destinations to increase passenger and air movement, plus the introduction of freight operations,” he said.

“Adding freight to our business plan was a strategic move aimed at maximising the capacity of aircraft to drive additional revenue and provide more reliable and efficient supply of fresh produce for tourism operators.

“We have hit over 220 flights monthly which means more bums on seats, bodies in beds and visitors exploring our region and a major reason the Whitsundays is one of Australia’s most popular tourism destinations.”

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Craig Turner, Chief Operating Officer Aviation & Tourism, receiving the “Best Large Regional Airport” award at the Australian Airports Association Awards night. Photo supplied: Whitsunday Regional Council

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