
Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm has stepped down from her role as Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, in an effort to prioritise her health and wellbeing. The announcement comes a fortnight after Ms Camm returned from six weeks of medical leave following major surgery, with the Whitsunday MP recognising she needed more time to recover. “This has been a considered and deeply personal decision,” Ms Camm said. “Having returned from six weeks of medical leave following major surgery I have come to recognise that my recovery still has some way to go and I need to prioritise my health and wellbeing.” “I sincerely thank the Premier for the opportunity to serve in his Government and for his support of my decision.” Ms Camm added in a presser outside of Parliament house in Brisbane, that the pressures of ministerial work had contributed to her decision to step down. This follows months of intense scrutiny over conditions for children in care and domestic violence prevention funding cuts had reinforced the importance of personal safety, especially in light of the recent attack on Victorian MP Helen Haines. “Public scrutiny and accountability are essential to democracy and to our institutions,” she said. “Harassment, threats, bullying and personal vilification are not and for the past year this has been my experience.” But during her time in the role, Ms Camm oversaw reforms to strengthen child protection, support foster and kinship carers and improve responses to domestic and family violence. Central to her child safety work was the Government’s response to the Child Safety Commission of Inquiry, which delivered 52 recommendations for improving the system. “The landmark Child Safety Commission of Inquiry was the turning point for the Child Safety system,” Ms Camm said. “There is much more work to be done, while early positive signs show we have stabilised numbers in the Residential Care system for the first time.” Her work in domestic and family violence included introducing laws for electronic monitoring of perpetrators to strengthen accountability, alongside her reporting a doubling of calls answered by DVConnect to help more people access support when they needed it. “After sitting with victims of domestic and family violence over many years through opposition and then in the ministry, I’m proud to have been part of delivering change that can help save lives,” Ms Camm said. In a statement following her decision, Premier David Crisafulli praised her work across both portfolios, describing the child safety inquiry’s reform roadmap as her greatest legacy and highlighting improved access to the domestic violence helpline. “I thank Amanda for her service to Queensland firstly as a Shadow Minister and then as a Minister,” Mr Crisafulli said. “Amanda took on an enormous task with a Child Safety system in crisis and a state in need of domestic violence reform. “With her dedication, passion and commitment, she has put Queensland on the road to repair both. “I speak on behalf of the Government, the LNP and all Queenslanders in wishing her the best in her recovery.” Ms Camm will continue serving as the Member for Whitsunday, reaffirming her commitment to the local community. “I remain committed to the people of Whitsunday as their Member of Parliament, and to supporting the Premier and the Government in delivering a fresh start for Queensland,” she said.
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By Joseph Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay A firmly enforced bioethanol mandate, backed by increased local sugarcane production, is essential to strengthening Queensland’s industry resilience, regional jobs, and Australia’s long‑term fuel security. Our region holds enormous potential: not only for producing sugar, but for renewable fuel, energy diversification, and national economic security. Queensland’s sugarcane industry has always been a cornerstone of regional prosperity, but today it stands at a crossroads. Global markets are volatile and input costs are rising, and at the same time, Australia faces increasing pressure to reduce emissions, strengthen domestic fuel supplies, and build more resilient regional economies. A properly enforced bioethanol mandate is one of the most effective tools we have to meet these challenges head on. Queensland already has a mandate in place, but compliance remains inconsistent. When fuel retailers fail to meet their obligations, growers, mills, and regional communities lose out on opportunities that should rightfully be flowing into our local economy. Bioethanol is not a theoretical solution: it is a proven, practical, and immediate pathway to cleaner fuel and stronger regional industries and economies. Countries like Brazil and the United States have shown that bioethanol can reduce emissions, stabilise fuel markets, and create thousands of rural jobs. In these countries, and across the world, bioethanol forms a substantially higher portion of retail fuel sales than this country has embraced. Queensland has the same potential, but only if the mandate is taken seriously and enforced with the consistency it deserves. For Mackay, the benefits are clear. Our region is one of Australia’s most productive sugarcane hubs, with the land, infrastructure, climate, and expertise to support a thriving biofuels sector. Increased demand for bioethanol directly translates into increased demand for sugarcane. That means more cane in the ground, more certainty for growers, and more throughput for our mills, and we all know that milling is a volume game. This in turn supports jobs from the paddock to the processing line. But the opportunity extends far beyond economics. A stronger bioethanol industry enhances national fuel security, reducing Australia’s reliance on imported fuels. At a time when global supply chains are increasingly unstable, producing more of our own fuel is not just smart policy, it is essential. Every litre of bioethanol produced in Queensland is a litre of fuel Australia does not have to import. To seize this opportunity, we must also focus on increasing local sugarcane production. The industry cannot diversify, innovate, or expand into new markets without a reliable and growing supply of cane. More cane means more flexibility for mills, more investment in advanced manufacturing, and greater capacity to produce not only sugar and ethanol, but also bioplastics, green electricity, and other high value products. Growers are ready to meet this challenge. With the right policy settings from all levels of government, including a robust and enforced bioethanol mandate, we can plant more cane, improve productivity, and strengthen the long‑term viability of our region. But growers cannot do it alone. We need government to ensure the mandate is upheld, fuel retailers to meet their obligations, and industry partners to continue investing in innovation and infrastructure. Mackay has the land, the people, and the expertise to lead Queensland’s next era of renewable energy and agricultural diversification. What we need now is the policy certainty that comes from a mandate that is not only written into law but actively enforced. A stronger bioethanol mandate is not just good for growers it is good for Queensland, good for regional jobs, and good for Australia’s fuel future. The time to act is now. Bioethanol can use sugarcane by-products including molasses, bagasse, mill mud as well as plant material. Image: AdobeStock
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Marketing strategy boils down to answering four questions: What does your business want? > The goal. Who can help you achieve your goal? > The audience. What do you need to tell your audience so that they can help you achieve your goal? > The message. Where do you need to put your message so that your audience sees it? > The delivery. But how do you actually go about answering those Q’s? Like anything, the broad strokes are more complicated in practice but it’s a good framework to come back to when you’re planning your next marketing activity. Start by drilling down + identifying a measurable goal that you can work towards. Vague + lofty goals are okay, but without a clear way to track your progress, achieving them will be pretty tough. For example, tracking how many enquiries you get + the quote conversion rate can be useful info to have as a baseline. That way, if you do a targeted campaign to attract more work, you can see if it meaningfully pushed the needle in the right direction! Next, really empathise with who can help you achieve those goals. Try to build up a target customer in your head. How old are they? What do they want from your business? What are they interested in? The more specific you are, the easier it’ll be to craft messaging that will actually appeal to that person. Once you’ve defined your goal + who can help you achieve it, you’ve got to tell them how to help you do it. Your messaging should be the key information that your audience needs to know about your business. This is where you focus on not only what your customers want to know about you, but how your business is different to all the others out there. Your messaging should change based on the people you’re targeting. Lastly, the delivery. Where does your target market frequent? Do they use socials? Are they constantly listening to the radio? Do they frequent the pub on a Friday arvo? Once you know where they go, you can start figuring out how to get your message there. While socials are a great option, they’re not the only one. Billboards, coasters, or a flyer that sits on a wall somewhere are all effective options. But if that all sounds like too much effort, you can always reach out + talk to us. We’ll help you figure it out 😉 Taren McAuley
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Image: (From left) Cyirene Ralph, Montana Ramsamy, Jalen Pauling, Leysha Pearson (phone), Lara Pinkard, Klara Close, Megan Sutton (teacher). Front row: Jessalyn Peddel, Tamika Mooney, Shanae Corowa
Following the success of the first intake of students to complete the Budyubari Bidyiri Kebi Stapal (Big Dream Small Steps) program, the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS) is encouraging current Year 10 students to consider applying for the school-based health traineeships.
MHHS Manager HR Strategy & Engagement Onno Van Es said nine students graduated from the program last month, and all planned to pursue careers in the health sector.
“These students from six different high schools have all completed Certificate lll qualifications in either Health Services Assistance or Allied Health Assistance, and they are all interested in continuing their studies in health care,” Mr Van Es said.
“Some want to be nurses or doctors, and others want to pursue careers in allied health such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy or medical imaging.
“It’s a great result from the first intake of the Big Dream Small Steps program, which aims to increase the number of people in our workforce who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
“We currently have about 2.3 per cent and we want to increase that to 6 per cent to be in line with the proportion of the wider health service community that identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.”

Image: Celebrating 50 years of Croydens. L-R: Glen Croker, Ross Kynaston, Jason Cross, John Croyden, Patricia Croyden, Stefan Tomerini, Don McAlpine, Justin Donovan, Steve Knight, Nathan Fahl and Iain Allison
“We’ve managed to ride the ups and downs – there were some trying times, but also plenty of good times.”
A household name throughout Sarina and beyond for 50 years, JT & PA Croyden Pty Ltd celebrated hauling for half a century and reflected on how their business had evolved through the decades.
Owners John and Patricia Croyden established the “Croydens” business in 1972 with the purchase of their first truck from a local business formerly Crokers Truck Centre, to service the Sarina community with landscaping and quarry supplies.
Before the beach communities around Sarina had water installed, carting water was a big part of the business. People would ring in the middle of the night because someone was having a party and they’d run out of water. They would want Croydens to do a load of water immediately.
That’s how the Croyden name became woven throughout the fabric of the community.
The business quickly established a reputation for customer focus, which was based on a “make it happen” approach, and always being prepared to “have a go”. The result – being able to hold long-standing contracts with some of the region’s biggest players, including more than 45 years with BMA Hay Point Services and some 30 years with Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal.
John and Pat regularly talked with their customers to stay in touch with their requirements.
John’s perspective was that if something was wrong, they would fix it.
“It also helped that we looked after our gear with preventative maintenance, even before that became a ‘thing’,” John said.
“It was also significant at the time that we established a business office and weren’t operating from the driver’s seat of a truck.”
The 24-hour nature of the business meant both John and Pat were on call all hours of the day and night. At night, John and Pat would sleep with the telephone on one side of the bed and the two-way radio on the other. As Pat says, if you’ve got trucks out working, you’ve got to be on call – in case they get bogged, break down, or they’re having trouble finding a delivery point.
Since the heady days of employing more than 80 permanent staff, with a long list of casuals and approximately 150 pieces of equipment, some divisions of the business have been sold off, including quarrying, biodunder, cattle feed transport and water truck contracts with the mines.
Along the way, John and Pat have managed to transition to retirement, however easing the transition has been the steady hand of trusted, long-time employee, Stefan Tomerini.
Croydens General Manager Stefan Tomerini stepped into the role in 2007 to “help steer the transformation of Croydens”.
“John and Pat have supported the local community and been part of developing so many local charities and clubs financially, and it humbles me to manage the Croyden empire,” Mr Tomerini said.
A business turning 50 is an appropriate time to take a helicopter view of past achievements and impact on the community. John may have had the big picture view, but make no mistake – Pat was instrumental in making it happen.

Image: Lara and Mike Russell with their sons Arlo and Flynn enjoy a stroll through Woodlands District Park
The tender for civil works for the eagerly anticipated Woodlands District Park project has been awarded to local contractor, Vassallo Constructions, with works commencing this month.
Mayor Greg Williamson said the project was all about improving liveability for residents.
“Woodlands District Park will be a place where residents can enjoy time as a family and take in the beauty of the natural environment, regardless of their age or ability,” Mayor Williamson said.
“Providing we have good weather, we’re hoping to start civil works next month,” he said.
“This work will include drainage improvements and the installation of a new path network and lighting.
“Council has also committed to bringing the construction of the all-abilities playground and multi-purpose active track forward into stage one, and this work is due to commence next year.”
The civil works and drainage improvements are expected to start in December and will be completed by late May 2023, weather permitting.
Construction of the inclusive playground, new public amenities and the other recreational facilities will commence in 2023 once the civil works are complete.
The existing playground in Broomdykes Drive Park will remain operational while construction is underway.
To stay informed about work happening as part of stage one and to learn more about future stages of this project, visit connectingmackay.com.au/woodlands and subscribe to project update emails.
• a new all-abilities playground
• a multipurpose active track (Woodlands Track), which will be suitable for all ages
• new barbecue and picnic facilities
• public amenities, including an accessible adult change facility for the disabled community
• improvements to the park’s entries
• additional paths, including the start of a new north-south connection through to Caledonian Drive and the extension of the existing cross-park (east-west) link
• drainage and landscaping improvements, including the reshaping and replanting of the unsightly open swale drain to naturalise the water course.
This project is proudly funded by the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland Program in association with Mackay Regional Council.
The total cost of stage one is $5.9 million, with the State Government contributing $2 million towards the project.

At least 25 trees have been damaged at Ball Bay in a shocking act of vegetation vandalism.
The incident involved the complete removal of some of the trees at Buoro Street and extensive trimming of others.
Mayor Greg Williamson said council would be implementing the actions of its vegetation vandalism policy to their full effect.
“These trees protect our foreshore and provide residents’ properties with protection from severe weather events,” he said.
“We are currently in storm season, so it is disgusting that some residents continue to prioritise their views of the beach over the safety of the foreshore.
“As a result, council will be replanting trees at this location at a density of three trees for every one that was damaged. In total, we will be replanting up to 75 new trees.
“We will also be installing a large vegetation vandalism billboard at this location.”
Mayor Williamson said that there was not enough evidence available to prove the identity of the person responsible for this act of vegetation vandalism.
“If anyone has any information or evidence on who may have damaged the trees at Ball Bay, please contact council,” he said.
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Image: Presenter Tim Marshall, (National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia). Tim is a leader in organic agriculture and certification in Australia for 45 years and a significant contributor to organic standards and certification in worldwide forums. Photos supplied
Carlos Bueno, (Reef Catchments Senior Project Officer – Conservation and Communities) and Kym Kruse, (Co-Founding Director RegenAGE). Kym is a sought-after farming consultant and educator, with over 20 years of regenerative agriculture experience.
Kym Kruse and Katrina Dent (Reef Catchments CEO)
More than 70 landholders attended the 11th Annual Healthy Soils Symposium conference last week in Mackay, wanting to learn more about how to create vibrant healthy soils for increased productivity and sustainability.
The conference is part of a three-day event which included two field days where local farms showcased regenerative farming practices and sustainable land management.
The Soils Symposium is managed by Reef Catchments with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
Reef Catchments’ Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Gillian Barbat said this year’s turnout was a testament to the excellent guest speakers featured at the conference, and the landholders who were willing to welcome others to their properties to see hands-on examples of regenerative agriculture.
“As we move into our second decade of the Symposium, it’s great to see the desire to improve soil health and caring for country continue to grow,” she said.
“The Soil Symposium is all about networking and sharing ideas, offering delegates many opportunities to question and brainstorm solutions to challenges they may be facing in their own soil health journey.”
With extensive grazing, sugar cane production and forestry industries in the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region, events such as the Healthy Soils Symposium share experience, knowledge and management practices to help reduce the impact of these activities on our natural environment.
Read more about projects delivered by our Sustainable Agriculture team on our website at www.reefcatchments.com.au.

Quentin is a technology solutions architect based at the Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre in Emerald. The Centre recently hosted an AgTech forum. Photo credit: Queensland Agriculture
Growers and agri-technology representatives gathered in Emerald last week as part of AgTech Month to collectively brainstorm new and clever ways to address cropping challenges with technology solutions.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said Emerald’s new Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre is the perfect forum for this meeting of the minds.
“The Smart Cropping Centre is rapidly developing into a hothouse for robotics, sensor networks, drones and other tech which supports farming systems in an environment of increasing climate variability,” Mr Furner said.
“Just recently, the Smart Cropping Centre has begun using robots and drones on the site to field test their capabilities.
“This week’s co-design workshop will flesh out the challenges the local agricultural industry faces and what they believe would make a difference to their business and industry.
“The information gathered will ensure the centre continues to shape its work in a direction that is meaningful and supportive of local producers.
“The role of the Smart Cropping Centre is to develop solutions that assist producers in maximising their efficiency, so collaboration is key.
“This kind of innovation points the way to the future of agriculture and the thousands of good jobs that rely on this industry.
Mr Furner said Central Queensland is an important agricultural production region, contributing significantly to Queensland’s $23 billion agricultural industry.
“As part of the 2021 State Budget, the Queensland Government invested $5.85 million to develop the Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre as an innovation flagship that brings together RD&E in farming systems, agronomy, crop innovation and plant protection with the latest innovations in AgTech and data sciences to deliver a world-class research hub for Queensland’s cropping sector,” he said.
“It will boost local and national industry confidence to invest in new technologies and growing systems to achieve growth in productivity, expand exports and ensure future food security.”
The centre is part of the Queensland Smart Farms initiative which is developing a network of farms and facilities dedicated to advancing Australia’s agriculture and food industries through AgTech innovation–AgTech in action.
As everyone is winding down for Christmas, I’m officially signing off for the year and heading onto maternity leave.
It’s such a bittersweet time, as I will certainly miss being on air and working with the awesome crew at Star 101.9, however I’m also very excited to welcome my boy into the world and take a little time to focus on just family.
Christmas will certainly be looking a little different in my house this year, we will be swapping the booze for a baby bottle!
I do want to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year period. Good luck to everyone tackling Mount P and Canelands these next few weeks and enjoy this time with family and friends.
However, don’t get too comfortable without me, I’ll be back from mat leave singing (terribly) on your drive to work/school before you know it!
Also don’t forget if you are looking for something to do this weekend, Carols in the Gardens is on at the Botanic Gardens Amphitheatre this Saturday night. It’s a great family night out and the perfect way to get into the Chrissy spirit.
I promise not to sing a cover of Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ on the night.
Merry Christmas everyone,
Rach

That’s a common question from people considering putting their property on the market.
The truth is that in Mackay there is probably not a bad time to sell and I find that pretty much any time of the year is a good time.
The only issue around this time of year is that everything closes down over the Christmas-New Year period.
The way the dates fall this year, Saturday the 17th of December will be the last open house day for most agents. While solicitors, banks and brokers will mostly keep operating the following week, things will wind up on Friday the 23rd of December.
In terms of access to solicitors, building and pest inspectors, banks etc, it will be very difficult to get anything done between the 23rd of December and the 3rd of January.
There will be some people who will list their properties for sale between now and Christmas and history tells us that there can be some good results at this time of year.
For other people, the period between now and Christmas will be about getting ready to sell in the New Year.
A terrific approach can be to get listing documents signed, photos done and write-up completed before the holidays so that sellers are ready to go in early January.
That early January period can be good because the intrusion and delays over the holiday period are behind us and it is all systems go.
Buyers are motivated at that time of year … not many people want to go looking at properties in mid-January unless they are serious about buying.
A lot of those buyers are looking at that time of year because they want to have a property under contract before the end of January so they can make plans around where they will be living in the year ahead.
They know where the kids will be going to school and they have got certainty around access to work, shops and community/sporting activities.
For me, the idea is that I start getting things ready over the next couple of weeks for properties I will be putting on the market and selling in January.
If photos, write-ups, documentation etc. are done when I go on my Christmas break I know that I can come back in early January, hit the button and be ready to go.
It’s an exciting time in January because everyone’s had a break and we’re full of energy and ready to embrace the market and the world in a new year.
This is my last column for the year. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Looking forward to a continuation of Mackay positivity in 2023.

It’s December and Christmas is only three weeks away. My year has flown by and as I write this I wonder where 2022 has gone.
Mackay has had a good year; we have opened our new state-of-the-art Animal Management Centre; we are also well advanced with works on the Seaforth Esplanade project and the Riverside Link upgrade in the PDA. Preparation works are also happening with the Northern Beaches Community Hub and the mountain bike tracks in the Pioneer Valley.
I would like to thank all our staff and contractors for their dedication to their work at council, especially the Parks and Gardens crews for putting in the hard yards to get on top of our grass issues early in the year.
And while it’s great to reflect on what we have achieved this year, now is the time to find our Christmas spirit. Now is the time to consider family, friends and those less fortunate than ourselves as we prepare for Christmas.
We all know the story of Mary and Joseph struggling to find somewhere to stay in Bethlehem. Unfortunately, this same scenario is happening in our region every day as more people come to Mackay for work and cannot find accommodation. If you know someone in that position, think about inviting them to your place for Christmas lunch so they don’t have to eat theirs on a park bench.
Spare a thought for our cane farmers and all those who rely on them for survival, as they will have to work through the Christmas period this year in an attempt to harvest the crop.
So, where will you find your Christmas Spirit? For me, it will be found in spending time with family and friends and watching the faces on the little ones as they open presents. It will be found in saying thank you to Vinnie’s volunteers and hundreds like them in other groups as they celebrate this year’s achievements at Christmas gatherings.
And you are all invited to find your Christmas spirit with me at Habana Carols Under the Stars on December 17 at 7pm. We will be celebrating our 30th carols by sharing the true Christmas spirit of giving without expecting something in return at our totally free family event.
Please stay safe,
Cr Laurence Bonaventura
Mackay Regional Council

Hi Everyone,
How are you feeling about Christmas?
Excited? Frazzled? Happy? Overwhelmed?
Christmas is certainly a magical time of year but for many of us it can also involve racing around trying to squeeze in as many things as possible – drinks with friends, shopping for presents, hanging up the decorations – it seems every spare moment is full of fun and festivity.
But this can also be exhausting, and a little overwhelming.
Is anyone else feeling this too?
I am reading a book at the moment called Idiots by Laura Clery.
She is an American mum and comedienne who regularly posts hilarious online videos of her life as a mum.
She is real, candid and I love the way she does not pretend to have it all together.
Last night I read a chapter that reminded me about something I learnt many years ago, but as with many things, had gotten lost along the busy road of life.
The art of Gratitude.
In her book, Laura tells us how she lists all the things she is grateful for every day – whether that be her family, her health, or even the breath in her lungs!
From that state of gratitude, she then manifests what she wants in her life.
Now I know this sounds a bit fantastical, but stars like Oprah Winfrey, Lady Ga Ga and Will Smith all swear by similar strategies.
Back in my twenties I was obsessed with them too – reading every book I could find on the subject.
As with many things, I thought I would live my life with this ‘enlightened’ mindset forever, but I guess we all need to re-learn and remind ourselves every decade or so.
With this in mind, I have started to practice gratitude again.
Listing things I am grateful for each day can seem a little silly and pointless at first – but I dare you to give it go – I have, and it feels great!
Rach
Quote of the week: “Some people grumble that roses have thorns. I am grateful that thorns have roses” (Alphose Karr)

Residents of Division 2 will head to the polling booths tomorrow morning to cast their votes on who will become their next local Councillor.
Early voting has taken place all week with the voting station open from 9am to 5pm, and special extended hours until 6pm this evening, at Shop 15 Whitsunday Shopping Centre.
Tomorrow’s Election Day voting will take place at the same location from 8am to 6pm.
A clear winner could be announced as early as Saturday evening but, as a preferential voting system will be used again, it could be decided upon by who the community vote as second or even third favourite.
If this is the case, there might be a longer wait until a winner is announced and if the decision is reliant upon postal votes, this could take up to two weeks.
The Mayoral election held early August, was a close race and the successful candidate was not officially announced for almost two weeks.
It is compulsory to vote if you are registered and live in the Division 2 electorate.
Failure to vote will incur a fine of $143.75.
To enrol to vote, check your enrolment or update your details, go to the Australian Electoral Commission’s website.
WHAT: Election of Division 2 Councillor
WHERE: Shop 15 Whitsunday Shopping Centre
WHEN: Saturday, December 3 from 8am to 6pm

Many of us are getting excited for Christmas and looking forward to watching our family members unwrap special presents bought just for them.
While most are fortunate enough to be able to do this, we must also remember that there are those in the community who are unable to afford much this year and are worried their children will miss out.
Collinsville mum Zoe Williams remembers times like this when she was a single mum “living in the trenches” and wondering how she would afford Christmas presents for her children.
Understanding that many people are ‘doing it tough’ this year and are too proud to ask for help, Zoe went onto the local Collinsville Community Notice Board and offered to package up her kids’ pre-loved toys to give to others.
“I have four children and we have an excess of clothes, toys and books,” she said.
“They are all in great condition, but there is just no point in us hanging onto them when someone else might enjoy them more.”
In her post, Zoe asked anyone in the community to private message her if they are struggling financially, saying that it doesn’t matter whether presents are shop-bought.
“Wrap them up and kiddos will never know they are pre-loved!” read the post.
Inviting others in the community to donate as well, Zoe has also offered to coordinate any bags of toys, using her local connections to find homes in need of support.
“It’s also a great way to teach your children to think of others at Christmas,” said Zoe.
“With the cost of living at the moment, Christmas can be expensive, and I hope this lightens the load.”
If you are in need or would like to donate, you can look Zoe Williams up on Facebook and send her a message.

Flying down to Brisbane for a face-to-face meeting with Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey on Friday, Mayor Julie Hall sought answers to important questions in hopes it will improve infrastructure in the Whitsundays.
Adding her weight to the good work already levelled by Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP, Mayor Hall reiterated the community sentiment that the State funded Shute Harbour Boat Ramp was not “practical”.
“The boat ramp is a Department of Main Roads asset, and I urged Minister Bailey to consider the strong feedback from our community that they are not happy with the current fixed walkway structure,” she said.
“I stressed to the Minister that we want to put the past behind us, and we acknowledge the structure was engineered to withstand a cyclone in a harbour without a breakwater, but community feedback indicates the walkway is just not practical.”
Minister Bailey has now agreed to work alongside Council and provide senior staff from Maritime Safety Queensland to revisit the options to improve the “ease of use”.
Mayor Hall also raised state road maintenance issues which she said has a “maintenance backlog” of $6.5 million.
Minister Bailey said they had already added a further $1 million in funding for additional gravel to be placed on sections of Suttor Development Road and Mount Coolon to Belyando Crossing.
During the meeting, the topic of exponential population growth putting a strain on the main access route to Airlie Beach was also discussed.
“The road is becoming congested, and planning of this important corridor needs to be brought forward,” said Mayor Hall.
She was then informed that the Department of Transport and Main Roads will revisit the modelling used in the 2016 Shute Harbour Road plans to inform the best outcome for future upgrades.
Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall with Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey. Photo supplied

Australia’s most northern deep-water coal export port has released its draft Master Plan and Port Overlay documents for public consultation in what is a major step for the site’s potential development.
Whitsunday Regional Councillor Mike Brunker has called the Abbot Point documents “the most important we’ve seen in the last ten years” relating to the Adani Group operated port, as well as the location's State Development Area.
The drafts set out the long-term plan for sustainable development at the site until 2050, looking “beyond the port boundary to ensure port-related development is sustainably managed” – particularly in reference to the Great Barrier Reef and the Reef 2050 Plan.
Since 2012, expansion of Abbot Point has been on the backburner, with the most recent plans those made a decade ago: a $9 billion development of the port which was scrapped by the previous Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s government.
Now, the Abbot Point draft Master Plan and Port Overlay for the Priority Port of Abbot Point 2 is attempting to address the major environmental concerns which halted development 10 years ago.
The drafts themselves do not lay out explicit plans for the port or State Development Area. Rather, they act as outlines for future development, its impact on the reef, and how to facilitate the creation of a potential infrastructure hub through delivering major development of road networks, power, and other pivotal foundations.
Nothing is concrete save for precinct designations which the Master Plan has mapped out: Environmental land; marine infrastructure; port, industry and commercial areas; and the infrastructure and supply chain corridor – places where industry can grow, optimise, and develop.
Documents state that the Master Plan strikes a “balance between the sustainable development of the Port of Abbot Point and the long-term protection of environmental and cultural values, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Caley Valley Wetlands.”
Community consultations occurred last week, on Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25, at Bowen PCYC, and Whitsunday Regional Council signed their endorsement of the plans at their regular meeting on the Wednesday of that same week.
Councillor’s Michelle Wright and Michael Brunker were adamant the development needed to fulfill its potential as an industrial estate, which could be achieved by Council leaning on Queensland Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) in the form of an endorsement letter.
“The development and growth of the area should be facilitated to move forward at the earliest possible opportunity to support the Bowen and Whitsunday communities,” Council’s letter to TMR reads.
"Council supports the vision for Abbot Point’s continuous growth, as a key strategic coal port and leveraging benefits from the adjoining State Development Area to become a hub for import, processing, manufacturing and export activities of other industries of regional, state and national significance.”
Councillor Brunker said Abbot Point was “probably the jewel in the crown as far as port land”.
“More strategic than Townsville and I know politically, purely politics, Townsville has all the work done at their end. But this is going to be the hub in the future,” he said.
The Councillor for Division 6 was particularly incensed by what he said was lethargic expansion at the State Development Area over the past decade.
“What I want at the end of the day is [to see] where your infrastructure corridor is going, where your power is going,” he said.
“It’s only blind luck that Gilmour Space have moved over to the Quarry Site. If they were going into the Abbot Point Development Site it would be ten years before they were in there; [Gilmour Space] would be shooting rockets back from Mars before we got one up [from Abbot Point].”
Councillor Michelle Wright said “time is definitely of the essence” for endorsing the plans.
“We need to push this and get behind it and communicate with who we need to to get this through,” she said.
“It is high urgency. This will be great for the whole community – Bowen, Collinsville, and Whitsunday – so bring it on, I say.”
The Abbot Point draft Master Plan and Port Overlay are available for public comment until December 12.
Master planning for the Port of Abbot Point has been released, and Whitsunday Regional Council hope the site and its State Development Area will soon become an infrastructure hub

The separate Annual Australia Day events are set to become one as Council announces a combined Regional Australia Day Ceremony to be hosted at Proserpine Entertainment Centre in 2023.
The joint event will merge Bowen, Proserpine, and the Whitsundays’ Australia Day Awards Ceremonies – which are normally hosted in their individual township – to “bring the community together”.
Discussions surrounding the proposal, which was eventually approved at a Whitsunday Regional Council Meeting in November, were concerned with travel from the Whitsundays’ north – so much so that it required two meetings’ worth of discussion.
The pilot iteration of the event is also part of Council’s effort to heighten the prestige of the awards which, in recent years according to Council, have received fewer entrants than desired.
“In recent years, we have struggled to get nominations for the Australia Day awards when we have held separate ceremonies,” Mayor Julie Hall said.
“Which is why, in 2023, we will trial a united Whitsunday event with the venue to be rotated each year. Hosting one regional event allows us to duly honour high achievers and community members who are dedicated to making the Whitsundays a better place.”
Council did however note a special case: Collinsville’s Australia Day awards breakfast, which is separately organised by the Collinsville Community Association, will still go ahead unchanged in 2023. Those nominated in the separate Collinsville event will automatically be entered into the Whitsunday Australia Day Awards, however.
The change did have its detractors in Councillor Michelle Wright and Councillor Mike Brunker, both of whom believed there would be “pushback”.
“You’re not going to unite the region, you’re going to divide it,” Councillor Brunker said.
Despite concerns, the new event was approved by Council, and will act as a “trial” only, according to Mayor Hall, with the potential to return to its original form in 2024.
The inaugural Regional Whitsunday Australia Day Ceremony is set to take place at Proserpine Entertainment Centre on January 26, 2023.