In early August, Mackay Pet Rescue Incorporated (MRPI) received a call from an Ergon Energy depot with a most unusual report: a cat had fallen through their ceiling.

Ergon workers arrived at the depot one morning to find a ginger cat and a hole in the ceiling, the cat bolting the moment the door was opened.  

A few days later, the staff could hear meowing and got in touch with MRPI.

One of the MPRI team scaled a three-metre ladder to assess the situation, ultimately setting traps and trail cameras in the ceiling.  

“The staff at Ergon were amazing,” MRPI said in a Facebook post.

“They are such a friendly, caring group of workers.  

“They helped us as much as they could, getting ladders, resetting the traps morning and night, etc.”  

In the early hours of August 12, an unharmed, desexed male cat was found in one of the traps in the ceiling.  

Robin Morgan from MPRI carefully removed him from the trap and the cat happily settled in her arms - this was no feral cat; this was someone’s pet.  

Fortunately, the cat was microchipped, and his details were up to date.  

A call was placed to his owners, 1600km away.

The Newcastle residents had given up all hope of ever finding their cat, adorably named Eugene.

Eugene had escaped twice while his owners were travelling from Townsville to Newcastle, his last known whereabouts being Sarina eight months prior.

The adventures Eugene embarked on between then and now remain a mystery, but he was finally reunited with his owners last month.

“This story clearly highlights the importance of microchipping your pet so if it gets lost it can be reunited with its family,” the Facebook post reads.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the caring team at the Ergon Depot for going above and beyond to help rescue this cat from their ceiling.

“Well done to everyone involved.

“What a fantastic result.  

“We all love a happy ending.”

Eugene was located in the roof of an Ergon Energy depot before being returned to his Newcastle owners eight months after he went missing. Photos supplied: Mackay Pet Rescue Incorporated

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Around 100 students from Central Queensland came together in Mackay last week at the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) Scholarship Graduation ceremony to celebrate graduating senior.

An incredible 98.24 per cent of QATSIF scholarship students graduated from Year 12 in 2020, compared to 83.1 per cent of all Australian students and only 64.8 per cent of other Queensland First Nations students.

Queensland’s Public Trustee works with the QATSIF Board of Advice to invest and distribute scholarship funds.

The CEO of the Public Trustee Samay Zhouand said QATSIF is helping 266 Mackay students through senior this year by providing them with scholarships so they can continue their studies in Years 11 and 12.

“QATSIF has been running for nearly 14 years now, and the Public Trustee is proud to be associated with its amazing work,” he said.

“Of 2,000 QATSIF scholarship students across the state, there are 202 in leadership roles this year, including 22 school captains and 10 Vice Captains – a great achievement.

“Of the highest achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Queensland, five of the seven named are QATSIF scholarship students.

“It’s clear the Foundation is making a massive difference to outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,” he said.

QATSIF’s Secretariat Director Michael Nayler said more than $2.4 million was distributed through QATSIF in 2021-22, leading to great results for the students involved.

“Five of the last seven 7 News’ Young Indigenous Achiever Awards were awarded to QATSIF students – including two overall Queensland winners,” Mr Nayler said.

“And 18 of the 22 students named in the Peter Doherty Outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander STEM awards have also been QATSIF scholarship students,” he said.

Students who graduated in 2020 have gone on do well, with 87.3 per cent in employment, education and training last year, compared to 80.5 per cent of all Queensland students and 61.5 per cent of other First Nations students.

L-R: Andrew Wilcox – Federal Member for Dawson, Lainey Wilson - Senior Cultural Captain of Mirani State High School, and Samay Zhouand, CEO of the Public Trustee, Queensland. Images supplied

Students who attended the QATSIF Scholarship Graduation ceremony

Samay Zhouand and Juliette Gilbert – Member for Mackay

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Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson relished the opportunity to be a tour guide last week, showing Governor Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM the sights and sweet delights, as she conducted a visit to the region.

During her visit to the Mackay region, Dr Young and Mr Williamson, along with Dr Young’s husband Professor Graeme Nimmo, attended a variety of events and community visits.

Last Tuesday, August 23, Dr Young and Prof Nimmo were welcomed to the region at a Civic Reception at the MECC.

The next day, they travelled south to Sarina for a Community Breakfast at the Sarina Sporting and Services Club before being treated to a private tour of the Sarina Sugar Shed.

Making their way back to Mackay, the tour then took the official party to the Iona West Men’s Shed.

“It’s indeed an honour and a privilege to have (the official party) visit us this morning to meet with some of our members and have a look at our facilities,” said Iona West Men’s Shed Chairman Geoff Strange.

Established in September 2010, Iona West Men’s Shed currently has 27 members and is planning to expand with new facilities in the future.

“I am pleased to announce that our application for incorporation was approved a couple of weeks ago and hopefully this will put us in a better position to apply for land for an existing building to expand our activity,” said Mr Strange.

Prof Nimmo, who is a patron of the Queensland Men’s Shed Association, says this was his third Men’s Shed visit.

“The Governor and I are very pleased to be patrons of such a unique and worthwhile organisation,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful initiative.

“The Men’s Shed is much more than handicraft; it’s fellowship, it’s companionship, it’s community, and that’s probably the great strength of this organisation so I commend you and your committee and chair for all the good work that you do.

“Please keep it up and please keep growing.”

Iona West Men’s Shed also took the opportunity to surprise Mayor Greg Williamson with a certificate of patronage, presented by president Bruce Miller.

“It’s great that we have some esteemed visitors to come and visit our humble shed,” said Mr Miller.

“Humble as it is, it’s a very important part of the members’ lives and an important part of the community.

“We’re really honoured that our mayor has agreed to represent us as a patron.”

The official party was then taken on a guided tour by Mr Miller and Media Officer Allen Grant, followed by a morning tea and meetings with the members of the Men’s Shed.

The next part of the tour took the official party to the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens for a community lunch.

Governor of Queensland Dr Jeannette Young, Professor Graeme Nimmo and Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson visited Iona West Men’s Shed last Wednesday. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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Labour shortages driving the price of food up, the looming fuel excise increase and continued strain on the housing market is escalating a cost of living crisis which is forcing more locals into increased debt to cover essentials or onto the street.

Federal member for Dawson Andrew Willcox warns that without hands to work the harvests, farmers will be reluctant to plant crops for fear the food will end up rotting on the ground and in trees with no workforce to pick and pack produce.

Willcox Warns Of Food Shortage Crisis

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox warns labour shortages are driving the price of groceries up and escalating the cost-of-living crisis.

“We’re on the verge of a food shortage crisis,” Mr Willcox said.

“This is the time when farmers start to buy seed and plan for their next year’s crop and they’re very concerned about the labour shortages…which means food is rotting on the ground, rotting on the vine, not being picked, which means, for the average person, they’re paying a lot more in the supermarket.”

The Greater Whitsunday Region is home to the largest horticultural winter produce growing region in the country, valued at $450 million annually, and Mr Willcox says the agriculture and food processing sectors estimate the current workforce shortage at over 170,000 workers.

He has called on the Australian Government to reinstate the Ag Visa, saying the Government’s reliance on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme will fall short of the industry’s current needs.

“It can also be a pathway, if successful, to be able to stay in Australia,” he said.

“That way we have the farmers train the people, get the benefit out of their workforce, but then actually have some longevity in that so they can actually keep a trained workforce going forward.”

Mr Willcox says there should also be a plan to allow veterans and pensioners to be able to work on farms without it affecting their payments.

“There are a lot of lighter duties…you don’t have to necessarily have a lot of physical dexterity to be able to work on farms,” he said.

In response to cost-of-living pressures and soaring fuel costs, the previous Australian Government temporarily halved the fuel excise in March which is set to run out this month.

Mr Willcox is calling on the Government to continue the fuel excise cut.

“We’ve got the cost-of-living crisis right now, so let’s see what we can do to help the average mum and dad now and then we can have a look at other options as we go further,” he said.

“If we don’t get this sorted out, it’s going to be a lot more expensive for the average mum and dad…and they’re going to feel it in their hip pocket.”

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox says we are on the verge of a food shortage crisis which will escalate the cost of living. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

‍Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox says reinstating the Ag Visa and continuing to half the fuel excise will relieve cost-of-living pressures for the families of Dawson

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For F45 Airlie Beach trainer Monique Pattison, fitness is a lifestyle.

“Being fit makes me feel powerful; being able to lift a certain weight makes you powerful; being faced with a challenge and being able to say: ‘I can do that’ is a great feeling,” she said.

“I want to help people feel that way.”

Born into a fitness family – her mother has been an outdoor trainer herself for the past 10 years - Monique moved to the Whitsundays a year ago to get away from a Covid crazed Melbourne in on-again-off-again lockdowns.

She’d first experienced the region on holiday with her partner, and the lure of the sunnier part of the country was strong enough to bring her here, but what kept her here was its people and helping them achieve their goals.

“One of the things that makes me so happy is when someone accomplishes something. It can be something as small as a box jump,” Monique said.

“To see someone smile from something like that, that fills my soul.”

With a background in gymnastics and triathlons, staying fit has always been a personal passion, but now as a trainer at F45, she instils that passion into others.

“I know training can be hard for some people, they might not enjoy it, but that’s the difference with F45. You’re in a community. That’s what brought me to the gym,” Monique said.

“I love the values, which come from the top down with Sonny, our owner, who just explains things with health and fitness that let you relate to him.

“That’s one of the things I’ve learnt in my time at F45. With health and fitness, I think we’re so lucky to be able to exercise and I want to share that with people – that’s a value I’ve had and aligns with F45 so well.”

The world-renowned business, which has been in Airlie Beach for roughly ten weeks, has already made an impact on the region and those who train there.

As just one of the trainers at the fitness community that dreams big with its motto of “Team Training, Life Changing”, Monique said she feels privileged to be able to experience those fitness journeys of the people who train with her.

Pop in to F45 Airlie Beach and meet Monique and the other trainers and start your fitness journey alongside a welcoming community.

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Noun: Movement

It can be as simple as getting out of bed in the morning, as little as wiggling your finger, and it can be as big as moving mountains.

It can be a group of people working together to advance a shared idea, it can be a campaign, a minor part of a wider musical symphony. And movement can be hitting the gym or running along the boardwalk.

Welcome to Whitsunday Life’s Movement Month.

For the entirety of September, Your Community Voice In Print will highlight how to get moving. Following on from our widely successful Nutrition Month, and with the support of the region’s local movers – gyms, physios, chiropractors and more – your weekly newspaper will be putting exercise in the spotlight.

With a focus on the benefits of exercise and recovery, as well as the local experts who can help you get moving, there’s no excuse but to dig in and better yourself this month.

So where do we start?

The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore – they’re extremely well documented. But in a fast-moving, technology-based world, we’re certainly not moving as much as we should be.

Living a sedentary life may be the way our world is trending, but it’s certainly not the right way to live, nor is it the happiest. If you spend too much time engaging in behaviours that expend very little energy, it can cause you major problems – both with your mental and physical health.

On the flip side, there are the obvious benefits to exercising like weight-loss, combating health conditions, improving your mood, better sleep – the bottom line is it’s the best way to boost yourself in every facet.

Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. The best time to start moving may have been yesterday, but the second-best time is now.

This week’s challenge: Get Moving.

Whether it’s going for a run, working out, or as little as going for a walk, this week is your signal: enlist a friend and let’s start a movement movement.

There’s no better time than now to get moving

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Police officers from across the state made their way to the Whitsundays to test their limits in a gruelling race with an altruistic goal in late July.

The annual Whitsunday’s Toughest Race was held on the Whitsunday Great Walk by Queensland Police Service in support of victims of domestic and family violence.

The race, which was held on July 30, included nine teams of Police Officers from across Queensland.

It is the second time that the event has been run by Proserpine police station, and often takes its competitors more than nine hours to complete.

The title for this year’s race remained with last year’s champions– a team from Bowen Police Station – who again claimed the bragging rights, completing the course in a new record time.

The first ever event was organised by Proserpine police Sergeant Mark Flynn, who said the idea behind the race has always been to raise funds for people in domestic and family violence situations.

“Funds raised from the race were used to purchase toys for children, and care packages for mothers,” Sergeant Flynn said.

“[The toys] are gifted to community members forced to seek emergency accommodation after experiencing domestic and family violence.”

On Tuesday, Sergeant Mark Flynn delivered the gifts to Whitsunday Counselling Service.

“In an act of wonderful generosity, Big W Whitsunday donated $3,500 worth of gifts in addition to those purchased by the police,” Sergeant Flynn said.

Sergeant Flynn said this year’s event had already grown exponentially on the last, and he hoped next year’s would be the same.

Proserpine Police Officers continued a new tradition of running the gruelling Whitsunday Great Walk in support of domestic and family violence victims, donating toys from the funds raised

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The Collinsville airport runway will soon be completely resurfaced, making it all an all-weather facility which can be accessed by a multitude of aircraft.

Located six kilometres out of town, the airport has always been unsealed, but this new funding stream will allow for fresh tarmac to replace the previous surface.

Costing a total of $450,000, the runway has been jointly funded by Whitsunday Regional Council and the Federal Government as part of the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program.

Councillor Michelle Wright said that it was a competitive program with almost every remote airstrip in Australia putting in an application.

This was not the first time they had applied for upgrades for Collinsville runway, but with Whitsunday Regional Council contributing equally, Cr Wright believes this aided its approval.

“When I was elected this was one of the main things the community said that they wanted and I am really pleased that we have been able to deliver it now,” she said.

Collinsville Aerodrome is a vital piece of infrastructure for the remote town who were completely cut off for several weeks after Cyclone Debbie and relied upon the unsealed airstrip for supplies.

It is also an important facility for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) who received 55 activations in 2021.

For many locals, the aerodrome represents a lifeline.

With the new sealed runway, however, it is hoped that it will enhance business and recreation to the town as well.

Tender will go out this year and work will be due to commence in March 2023.

Collinsville Aerodrome was used for 55 med-evacs by the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 2021

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After a two-year hiatus, the Proserpine Health Festival is back and this year’s theme is ‘The World Within’, helping participants feel empowered by learning better life choices and looking inside their bodies to improve overall wellbeing.

The community of health services in Proserpine are banding together once again to give an educational and supportive experience to those interested in learning more about their health.

From colonics to naturopathy, nutrition to fitness and breathwork - festival-goers can experience a wide range of informative presentations and interactive workshops from local experts.

A wealth of health knowledge, organiser Selena Daly, says the Proserpine wellness community is a group of local businesses that all work in alliance to enhance the health of others.

“We all work so harmoniously together,” she said.

“Everyone is there for the benefit of the clients, and we all bounce ideas off each other to support others.”

“This week is Women’s Health Week, and we are all women, so this shows wonderful synergy!”

The whole community is invited to the festival which takes place at the Proserpine Community Centre next weekend, September 10 and 11 from 9am until 2pm.

Tickets are flexible and affordable with half-day passes just $10, full-day $20 and a weekend pass for $30.

“This is our way of giving back to the community – supporting them as they support us,” said Selena.

Tickets can be purchased from Bottoms Up Colonics or Wellness Centre Proserpine.

You can also purchase cash-only tickets at the door.

WHAT: Proserpine Health Festival

WHEN: Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11 from 9am – 2pm

WHERE: Proserpine Community Centre

Healthy fun at the 2019 Proserpine Health Festival

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It’s been 125 years since the first cohort of Proserpine State School students began lessons on a vastly different school campus to the one the township knows today.

Over a century on from those days, the local primary school will celebrate its momentous 125th anniversary this weekend with a School Fete, where it will remember its long history.

The school opened the very same year as the completed construction and first sugar season of the Proserpine Mill – an event which undoubtedly heralded the beginning of modern Proserpine.

It has seen countless students pass through its doors.

Julianne O’Brien is just one local for whom the school holds special significance; it has been a home away from home for four generations of her family.

“My mother worked as a teacher here for fifteen years before I started as a student at the Primary School in 1964,” Ms O’Brien said.

“I finished year seven here and came back as a teacher myself in 1984, working until about 2014 – I’ve been at this school a long time. While I was teaching, my son came to this school, too.

“It has changed so much, and it’s just constantly changing. I’m glad my granddaughter Lily [O’Brien] gets to experience the benefit of all that change now that she’s here in her first year of prep.”

Ms O’Brien will be just one of the ex-students taking part in the festivities for the school’s celebratory fete on Saturday, September 3. She’ll watch on as the school cuts a 125-year cake, hosts choirs, and old-fashioned games, as well as bands and food vans.

But she’s most excited about the Proserpine Historical Society display on the day: a classroom styled in the fashion of when she herself was a teacher and a student.

“I’ve got some memorabilia for that. I’ll be bringing along some of my son’s work from when he was in grade one, which I notice is still the same basic work as Lily is doing now she’s in the same grade!” Ms O’Brien said.

“Some things never change.”

The event starts at 2.30pm with an official opening ceremony and will feature school tours alongside other activities, including a firework display. The school will be producing a book which collates its 125-year history as well, which will be purchasable at the event.

Wilmar Sugar will be hosting their own display at the event to commemorate their 125th anniversary, too.

“This school has been my whole life, and my mother’s whole life. Four generations of O’Briens have been at this school; I think it speaks for itself,” Ms O’Brien said.

Lily said she wants to grow up to be a teacher, too.

Lily and Julianne O’Brien will be celebrating alongside Proserpine State School for the institutions 125th birthday this weekend

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Tourism operators and business owners from across the Whitsundays gathered for a Conversations with Industry event hosted by the state body last week, listening to the industry’s concerns and giving them the latest figures on the region’s impact on nationwide tourism.

Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) partnered with Tourism Whitsundays to welcome local businesses to the event which connected stakeholders with the latest insights into their industry.

The TEQ event at Mantra Club Croc hosted a who’s who of the Whitsundays’ tourism partners, as well as the Queensland Government’s Minister for Tourism Industry Development and Innovation and Minister for Sport, Stirling Hinchliffe.

The annual event highlights the state body’s marketing activities and opportunities for local businesses to get involved in them. Content was also specifically tailored to the needs of the businesses in the Whitsundays.

Minister Hinchliffe said it was excellent to see a great turnout from local operators, as well as representatives from across the state and country.

“It is great to have so many people interested in the conversations here in this region,” Minister Hinchliffe said.

“These conversations with industry this year are an opportunity to explore opportunities for the industry and continue the amazing work by individuals in building back better after the pandemic.”

Minister Hinchliffe said what was seen in the region was a terrific example of “the ingenuity of Queenslanders and the industry”.

“We know there have been some stand-out successes in this region during that Covid-19 recovery process,” he said.

Data presented on the day – gathered by Tourism Research Australia for March 2022 - showed the Whitsundays had the biggest surge in the country for domestic spending over a three-year trend, increasing 22.9 per cent on average, and going up to $1.1 billion.

But that did not mean the industry wasn’t seeing the same challenges which are ubiquitous across the state, Minister Hinchliffe said.

“The pandemics ongoing shortage of tourism and hospitality staff, chefs through to cleaners and everyone in between, are testing the patience of managers and owners not just in this region,” he said.

“As well as the shortage of housing. That message from you is not falling on deaf ears.”

Minister Hinchliffe’s address was followed by talks from TEQ representatives and delegates, who each spoke on the changing landscape of the industry – with careful notice given to the need to continue capturing the domestic market whilst again bringing in international tourists.

Tourism Whitsundays CEO Rick Hamilton, Minister for Tourism Industry Development and Innovation and Minister for Sport Stirling Hinchliffe, Julie Telford, and Tourism Whitsundays staff attending the Conversations with Industry event last week

Tourism Whitsundays invited its network of tourism operators and business owners along to a Conversations with Industry event hosted by Tourism and Events Queensland last week

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Motorists travelling along the Bruce Highway between Bowen and Proserpine have been enduring endless traffic lights and extended delays for several months and Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox said that the frustration is causing drivers to “do silly things”.

“I realise the situation is challenging but it has been going on for so long and there are so many areas sectioned off – why can’t they just make it safe?”

Transport and Main Roads (TMR) are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the highway which had been receiving $69 million of major upgrades which began in August 2021.

When WBHO Infrastructure, the South African company contracted to deliver the upgrade, went broke in February this year, roadwork crews downed tools and walked off three job sites, ceasing work along three Bruce Highway upgrade projects.

The company was delivering the $38.8 million Emu Creek to Drays Road upgrade, the $8.03 million Bowen Connection Road upgrade and the $22 million dollar works between Bowen and Ayr.

Great swaths of the highway have been playing host to kilometres of abandoned roadworks since February and, despite no crews on site, the speed restrictions and traffic control measures are still in-place.

Andrew Willcox, who travels between his hometown of Bowen to the southern end of his constituency most weeks, says that the 45 minute drive between Proserpine and Bowen often takes an hour and a half.

In addition, he has noticed some motorists make dangerous choices.

Talking to TMR on behalf of the community, Mr Willcox said he was informed they are making progress.

“But it’s been way too long!” he said.

“The standard of road is, and I quote many of you who have expressed your concerns to me, ‘a goat track and a disgrace’. This is just not good enough!

“Putting lives at risk every day, how many more accidents have to happen before TMR and the Queensland Government get the job done?”

The Roadworks between Bowen and Proserpine have been abandoned for over six months

Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox says it’s time the job was finished

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Australia’s newest low-cost air carrier has announced its maiden flight will be to the Whitsundays thanks to a deal struck between Whitsunday Regional Council and Bonza Airlines when the new routes were negotiated several months ago.

With take-off expected sometime in September, our region will be at the forefront of national publicity alongside this innovative and independent new airline.

Promising to bring prices down across the country by charging an estimated $50 per hour of air travel, the new fuel-efficient planes are set to offer the most competitive prices for locals too.

The new routes will open the Whitsundays up to an additional 2.5 million people who will now find it easier to visit our region.

Known as the fastest growing regional airport in the country, this new alliance is set to further expand our visitor offering.

“This is an exciting time for Australian aviation and most importantly, the Aussie travelling public who will now enjoy more choice,” said Tim Jordan, CEO of Bonza.

Opening 17 destinations on 27 routes, 93 per cent of which are currently un-serviced, Bonza Airlines stands to be a big game changer in the industry.

A major part of that change is the Whitsunday Coast Airport, which will open up three flights a week to the Sunshine Coast and is scheduled to launch a further two flights per week to Newcastle and Toowoomba by the end of the year.

A brand-new American-made 737 MAX aeroplane touched down in the Sunshine Coast on August 1 and has sincet received a complete fit-out on Australian shores.

A total of eight additional aircraft will be joining the fleet over the coming months with the inaugural flight scheduled for late September.

Whitsunday Chief Operator of Aviation and Tourism said that he is looking forward to seeing our local airport in the spotlight for their launch.

“This was all part of our initial pitch,” he said.

“We are hoping that they will stay overnight on the runway so we can have a big runway party!”

Dates are yet to be officially announced but the stage is set for a new and exciting flight path for the Whitsundays.

Whitsunday Coast Airport set to host inaugural Bonza Airline Flight

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Tourism operators and business owners from across the Whitsundays gathered for a Conversations with Industry event hosted by the state body last week, listening to the industry’s concerns and giving them the latest figures on the region’s impact on nationwide tourism.

Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) partnered with Tourism Whitsundays to welcome local businesses to the event which connected stakeholders with the latest insights into their industry.

The TEQ event at Mantra Club Croc hosted a who’s who of the Whitsundays’ tourism partners, as well as the Queensland Government’s Minister for Tourism Industry Development and Innovation and Minister for Sport, Stirling Hinchliffe.

The annual event highlights the state body’s marketing activities and opportunities for local businesses to get involved in them. Content was also specifically tailored to the needs of the businesses in the Whitsundays.

Minister Hinchliffe said it was excellent to see a great turnout from local operators, as well as representatives from across the state and country.

“It is great to have so many people interested in the conversations here in this region,” Minister Hinchliffe said.

“These conversations with industry this year are an opportunity to explore opportunities for the industry and continue the amazing work by individuals in building back better after the pandemic.”

Minister Hinchliffe said what was seen in the region was a terrific example of “the ingenuity of Queenslanders and the industry”.

“We know there have been some stand-out successes in this region during that Covid-19 recovery process,” he said.

Data presented on the day – gathered by Tourism Research Australia for March 2022 - showed the Whitsundays had the biggest surge in the country for domestic spending over a three-year trend, increasing 22.9 per cent on average, and going up to $1.1 billion.

But that did not mean the industry wasn’t seeing the same challenges which are ubiquitous across the state, Minister Hinchliffe said.

“The pandemics ongoing shortage of tourism and hospitality staff, chefs through to cleaners and everyone in between, are testing the patience of managers and owners not just in this region,” he said.

“As well as the shortage of housing. That message from you is not falling on deaf ears.”

Minister Hinchliffe’s address was followed by talks from TEQ representatives and delegates, who each spoke on the changing landscape of the industry – with careful notice given to the need to continue capturing the domestic market whilst again bringing in international tourists.

Tourism Whitsundays CEO Rick Hamilton, Minister for Tourism Industry Development and Innovation and Minister for Sport Stirling Hinchliffe, Julie Telford, and Tourism Whitsundays staff attending the Conversations with Industry event last week

Tourism Whitsundays invited its network of tourism operators and business owners along to a Conversations with Industry event hosted by Tourism and Events Queensland last week

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Stage one of the new skate park in Cannonvale opened last week and families flocked there in great numbers, eager to try out the facility.

Skateboards, scooters, bikes and trikes slid across the brand-new concrete with children of all ages excited to explore the twists, turns, slopes and grinds for the first time.

The newly completed stage one of the skate park complex is gentler and easier, making it ideal for little learners, as well as being designed to suit a broader range of skill levels compared to its previous iteration.

Some of the children commented that the skate park was slipperier than the last one but that they were enjoying getting to know the new course.

The teenagers said that they were looking forward to the second stage of the skate park complex because it will be more challenging as it is set to be of competition standard.

Stage two of the skatepark is a ‘bowl’ design which is ideal for intermediate to advanced level skaters and it is hoped that this standard of facility will help attract competitions to the area.

Whitsunday Region Council said they were thrilled to see the skatepark operational and that they were looking forward to completing stage two of the project by early 2022.

“The new venue is the perfect place to meet up with your friends and enjoy a new rider experience,” they said.

“Grab your scooter, your skateboard or your skates and try out the brand-new street style skating area.”

Ebony Gould, Josh Martin, Luka Nott, Riley Cowley and Sammy Mackie. Back row: Axel Sergeant, Jack Phyland and Damon Magill

The stage two competition bowl is due to be completed early 2023

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