The Whitsunday housing crisis is set to be tackled by local council who have come up with sweeping reforms to ease the issue crippling the region.

Working both alongside Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre and Bowen Neighbourhood Centre, Whitsunday Regional Council have adopted a consultation plan to determine what measures will have the best results.

According to council documents submitted at the July 13 Ordinary Meeting – a Housing Affordability Literature Review - the Whitsunday region is well above the statewide rate of 45.6 persons per 10,000 homeless, with a rate of “59 per 10,000”.

Director Development Services, Neil McGaffin, said the crisis was nationwide.

“As everybody should be aware, there is a housing affordability squeeze everywhere in the country,” he said.

“Alongside Neighbourhood Centre’s in the Whitsundays, we have come up with some potential solutions that could ease that.”

Councillor Jan Clifford said that, even within the council, they’ve been struggling with staff shortages due to the housing availability.

“The housing crisis is endemic across the entire nation. There is nowhere for anyone to live; it’s a crisis and it’s getting worse and worse every day,” she said.

Releasing their Housing Affordability Community Engagement Plan, council suggest seven potential changes for public consideration.

These include potential changes to the planning scheme, such as granny flat floor sizes and dual occupancy on measured lots, as well as revising minimum lot sizes.

“Council wants to know if there is anything the community is disliking about the planning scheme in relation to housing and the development of housing,” the document states.

Council will seek community feedback through email, Facebook, and other social media as well as in local newspapers.

Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre have previously said that the crisis has seen families living in caravan parks, cars, and in tents.

Councillor Clifford echoed those sentiments.

“I have families living in my division who have been sleeping in cars and there has to be something we can do,” she said.

“This is a step in the right direction for that.”

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A group of Proserpine State High School Students didn’t think twice about letting Lochie Tucker join in on their pick-up basketball game at the Cannonvale courts.

Little did they know that it would mean the world to both Lochie and his mother Renee Tucker, who said, after her son came home that night, she had to wait until he’d fallen asleep to “just bawl with tears”.

“Lochie has Asperger’s – he just doesn’t fit in at mainstream schooling – his social cues are not there, which I love; he dresses how he wants, but he sees the boys down here and he always wants to join in,” Ms Tucker said.

“We’ve been down here to the courts so many times and these were the first bunch of boys that have ever let him join in with them.

“He was rapt when he came home; he was just so happy and he’s smiling all the time when he’s with them. Usually they’re forced but he’s just smiling for real.”

The Proserpine State High School Grade 9 students, Elijah, Will, Niall, Jason, Kody, and Chaz, said it was just a normal thing for them to include everyone.

“It’s good for him to see a group of good young men,” Ms Tucker said.

Sarah Post, a mother of one of the boys said they “didn’t think anything of it, that’s just how they are.”

Lochie said it felt very including to play with the boys.

“It was just really nice,” he said.

“I think we’ll come down and make it a regular thing!”

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The boys at the court, Elijah, Will, Lochie,Niall, Jason, and Kody

Hi, Constant Readers.

We can all feel a bit stressed sometimes. But, within those times, there’s an opportunity for great personal growth. I’ve certainly felt a bit under the pump lately – as is to be expected running a newspaper – but I already know I’ve learnt so much.

My time as Editor has been such a horizon expanding experience, to coin a phrase. I’ve certainly had some knocks along the way, like any new role, job, or responsibility. And there’s still (by my estimation) three weeks left.

I’m hoping the challenges keep coming and that I can keep hurdling them. Should I stumble, though, I know there’s plenty of people in my corner to come pick me up again and dust me off.

I’ve struggled in the past with mental health issues like depression and anxiety and learning to live with those things presented its own challenges, too. I look back on how far I’ve come, and I want you all to look back on how far you’ve come in your own personal journeys.

We should all take a moment in our day to just reflect on how we got here, who helped us, and where we want to be. There’s one thing we should always strive for: to be better than yesterday.

Stick with me here: there’s a line from BoJack Horseman that I always think of.

One character says to BoJack: “It gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you got to do it every day. That's the hard part. But it does get easier."

In that instance, he’s talking about running, but he’s not really; take it as being about life.

Whatever you’re doing, keep the momentum. Keep doing it every day because it gets easier. One foot in front of the other. And if you haven’t begun, there’s no time like the present.

Declan

Quote Of The Week:

“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.” – J.R.R Tolkien

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The more than 41,500 people visiting the Big Mango Visitor Information Centre and the information booth at Bowen’s front Beach in the past financial year can pick up a copy of the new Bowen and Collinsville Visitor Guide.

The guide was recently launched by Bowen Tourism and Business and is currently being distributed to Visitor Information Centres in Queensland as well as some in NSW.

It is a complete guide to Bowen and Collinsville with sections on where to eat, where to stay and what to do.

The business is hoping its new guide will capitalises on those visitors and the further 1,100 that passed through the centre in the first week of this financial year.

Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy, said those numbers are not expected to slow down any time soon with data showing strong forward bookings for accommodation providers in Bowen in coming months.

“We’re noticing the number of overseas visitors had been increasing each month since the opening of the international borders,” she said.

“In January this year, we only had 10 international visitors for the entire month but in June, we welcomed 177 people from overseas.”

The guide includes maps of Bowen and Collinsville as well as a regional map of the Whitsundays.

There is also a farming map with a QR code to be scanned by those looking for farm work.

There is a story about when the Big Mango was stolen as part of a publicity stunt and about the movie “Australia” being filmed in Bowen when Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman called the town home for several months.

The Summergarden Cinema, Queensland’s longest running movie theatre, is also featured as well as sections on the walking trails and lookouts around Bowen.

Aside from at the centre, it is also available at various business throughout the Whitsundays.

The 60 page A4 full colour guide is also available online by going to www.tourismbowen.com.au and clicking on “Holiday Planner” at the bottom of the home page.

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Bowen Tourism and Business staff Melissa Beuzeville and Beverley Adams reading the new Bowen and Collinsville Visitor Guide

A special council meeting was held on Wednesday this week to appoint a deputy mayor of the Whitsundays, with previous deputy, Mike Brunker, stepping down.

Councillor Brunker is one of six candidates campaigning for the role of mayor, and as such saw it fit to step down so there was no conflict of interest, perceived or real.

Councillor Brunker was filling the role of acting mayor with the office left vacant after now Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox was elected to the federal seat in April.

With there still no current council mayor, the role of deputy takes on status as acting mayor until the election appoints the position after the August 13 vote.

Councillor John Collins was elected to the role in a 6-0 landslide.

Now acting mayor John Collins was first elected as Councillor for Division 3 on Whitsunday Regional Council in 2012 and was returned for his third term at the 2020 Local Government Elections.

He has been a member of the Proserpine community since the age of four, when his family relocated to the region, with his father transferred as the local police sergeant. John completed his schooling at the local St. Catherine’s Catholic Primary School and Proserpine State High School, and currently lives in Proserpine with his wife Jill and four daughters.

“I would like to acknowledge the work of Councillor Brunker, who rang me after the federal election and said he was happy to step down there and then,” Acting Mayor Collins said.

“I’d like to thank him for what he’s done both in the budget and in the past months. Until the election I’m going to be calling upon my fellow councillors to delegate work to them.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their confidence.”

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Councillor John Collins has been voted in as deputy mayor of the Whitsundays this week, giving him the role of acting mayor until a new mayor is sworn in

Cody Gibbs passed away in early July after 11-months of treatment for a cancer which had manifested as three tumours on his brain and spine.

The 15-year-old Airlie Beach boy had originally been diagnosed with Pineoblastoma in 2018 – an aggressive, rare form of the disease in the pineal gland in the brain’s centre.

He was 11 at the time and spent nine months fighting the malignancy in hospital – four operations, chemotherapy, and radiation - which ended in clear scans for a period of two years.

In 2021, the cancer returned, and with the support of the community and his family, a second outing of “Cody’s Battle” began, but would sadly end in a Brisbane palliative care ward.

His mother Donna Davis said cancer is not the thing that defines who her son was, although it may have claimed his life in the end.

He was an avid Aussie Rules footballer, a larrikin with a self-deprecating sense of humour, and as a little boy he was “high adrenaline, high octane; he was on and he’d go and go and go, then he’d fall asleep just where he was.”

“I think his generosity and kindness defined him. He always thought of others before himself,” Donna said.

“I think I was pretty hard on him when he was little and it paid off. He was kind and had respect for others, but he was cheeky and loveable. He had that smile that you’d say: ‘You’re just trouble, mate!’

“You just want to hug him, and I think he affected everyone he met. He was funny, he loved to dance, and he loved making people laugh at his own expense.

“Those that knew him relayed it to others who didn’t. People knew he was a really good kid and that he didn’t deserve to have this disease.

“He never, ever once complained about anything or got upset with having cancer. We always thought he’d break at some point but he never complained about anything.

“I think that’s why everyone loved him and supported him so much. He never let it get to him.”

Over the course of the two cancer diagnoses and subsequent treatments, separate fundraisers and GoFundMe pages raised tens of thousands of dollars for Cody’s Battle.

Some of those events included an Airlie Beach Rodeo, raffles and auctions at businesses across the region: The Metropole Proserpine, Kazza’s Barber Shop, Domino’s Airlie Beach, Jubilee Pocket Tavern, Hay Point Hotel, and Ray White Whitsundays.

Parts of those funds raised helped with treatment, while others sent Cody skydiving in Airlie Beach – a dream he’d always had - on a Jetski trip, and Jet Boating.

And some of them eased Cody’s journey close to its end, putting him in a comfy hotel room away from the hospital beds where he could lay in a bath and float, “finding the weightlessness he craved” when the pain was too bad.

His faithful local AFL team, the Whitsunday Sea Eagles were chief amongst those fundraisers. Cody had found Aussie Rules not too long before the second diagnosis but had made an indelible impression on the club.

They hosted an enormous Kickathon Fundraiser for him in 2021 on top of already donating to his Battle, which included an auction with signed guernseys from clubs across the country, giving club members an outlet for their desire to help.

But no actions were more touching than, in solidarity, when upwards of 15 of Cody’s mates in grade 9 at Proserpine State High School whipped off their hats to reveal they had shaved their heads in 2021.

“It was beautiful. The boys, that group of his close mates that he met through the Sea Eagles, they were wonderful,” Donna said.

“They were always telling each other they loved one another, and that’s hard for boys of that age to do.”

Donna said he made the most of every day and that he left an indelible mark on everyone he interacted with, which is why she believes there are so many whose lives he touched.

“His attitude was that he never sweated the small stuff and made the most of everything.”

“I know there are so many people out there who did something for him - things that we don’t even know about – but we’ll learn about them in the coming weeks.

“There are too many people who have become family and helped Cody in his journey. I can’t thank this community enough for what they’ve done for us.”

If you would like to attend The Cody Effect, a celebration of Cody’s life at Whitsunday Sailing Club on July 24, please RSVP at the link: https://forms.office.com/r/Yx2QCWQawD

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Cody Gibbs passed away in early June after almost a year of treatment for Pineoblastoma

Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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Celebrating its tenth year, the Airlie Beach Festival of Music has big plans to celebrate a decade of unforgettable events.

Festival founder Gavin Butlin says the event has brought over 600 bands to Airlie over the past nine years and this year is looking big.

“We’re looking forward to our biggest and our best one yet,” he said.

“The whole town comes alive with about 15 venues through town plus the big tent at the Sailing Club.”

Imagine watching world-class live music on the shores of Coral Sea with an expansive view over the islands - it’s a party like no other in the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

Plus, there is something for every musical taste at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music.

“If you don’t like it in one venue, you just wander out and jump in the next venue and away you go,” said Gavin.

With a line-up featuring The Animals, Jon Stevens, Eskimo Joe, Ben Lee, Rogue Traders, Mi-Sex and The Badloves plus so many more, a brilliant weekend of music is assured.

As well as the big names, Passport to Airlie has become a highlight of the festival with over 1500 up-and-coming bands going through the competition in the past 10 years.

“Every year it’s getting bigger and bigger,” said Gavin.

Gavin says previous winners of the competition have gone on to great things.

“We’ve got so many local bands here in Mackay and the Whitsundays that don’t get a chance to play their music so it’s really important for the artists to get in front of a crowd and play their music.”

Gavin says tickets are moving quicker than ever this year.

“Get in now and get your tickets because it is going to sell out this year,” he said.

WHAT: Airlie Beach Festival of Music 2022

WHEN: November 4-6, 2022

WHERE: Airlie Beach

TICKETS: www.airliebeachfestivalofmusic.com.au

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Sunset on the Airlie Beach Festival of Music main stage. Photo credit: Kai Millen

A sea of maroon (with a few dots of blue) filled the Mackay Senior Citizens Hall as Golden Years showed their colours ahead of State of Origin last Wednesday.

A morning of smoko, tea and coffee, live music, dancing, raffles and bingo for just $3 is reason enough to turn up to Golden Years every Wednesday, but celebrations like State of Origin make it all the more fun.

“We celebrate anything that is, as I usually say, worth celebrating,” said Club President Michele Shepherd.

Just like the punters at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night, attendees enjoyed meat pies thanks to Byrnes Good Food, as well as the usual homemade sweets.

“We always do pies and peas and plenty of sauce, they absolutely love that,” said Michele.

Betty and Bruce Kearney provided entertainment alongside some friends.

Everyone joined in on a singalong of ‘aye aye yippee yippee aye’, with dancing and a conga line getting everyone to their feet, Chris Harle being the leader of the celebrations.

“(Chris is) very special,” said Michele.

“She said ‘can I bring something?’ and (Betty) said ‘bring six balloons, we might do something with balloons,’ well she brought six bags,” she laughed.

“We’ve got some lovely people like that,”

Golden Years happens at the Senior Citizens Hall every Wednesday morning from 9am – 11am and is open to everyone.

“They don’t have to register, they don’t have to pay any membership fee, it’s good value for $3.”

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“Go the Maroons!” say the volunteers of Golden Years

A morning of meat pies, tea and coffee, music and dancing was enjoyed by many Maroons, and a few Blues' fans

A fundraising breakfast has opened a platform for men across the region to express themselves in art, with the theme of celebrating positive role models.

Shed Happens Mackay, sponsored by DGH Engineering, celebrated International Men’s Day (IMD) last year (IMD21) with a fundraising breakfast. This year, as part of the IMD22 celebrations, Shed Happens have facilitated an Art Show in partnership with the Mackay Art Society, and entries close on August 1.

The first pillar of IMD is ‘Celebrating positive male role models’, and this is the theme for artists to create their works.

Shed Happens convenor Frank Cowell said, “We are calling on any local and emerging artists to submit their entries for this exciting art show.

“The entry form can be found at the SHED Happens Mackay Facebook Page, and there is an entry fee of $10.00 per artwork submitted, with a limit of two pieces per person.”

There are four sections, each with prize money for the winners, with second and third prizes in three of the sections.

The artworks will be on display during August at the Mackay Art Society, Snow Wright Court, Beaconsfield, and the finalists works will be displayed at the Mackay Botanic Gardens Lagoons Café Gallery throughout September.

For more information, contact Frank Cowell on 0434 908 968 or man@dfcowell.net

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When Mackay people gather for weekend barbies with friends and chat about the issues of the day, the conversation invariably leads to a discussion about the best-looking real estate agents in town.

While opinions vary on different agents, I am consistently named in the Top 98 Best-Looking Agents in Mackay.

Some say that, considering my competition, Number 98 is not that great and others point out that numbers 99 and 100 are absolute shockers.

The truth is I have to put a lot of effort into maintaining my standing in the Top 98 and I am far from complacent about my position on the good-looking list.

Diet and exercise are important and my preferred form of physical activity is running.

I like to run in the morning and, while I prefer to do so in daylight, sometimes I wake up during the night, toss and turn for a while and decide to go for a run and go back to bed for a bit more sleep after the run.

I live in West Mackay near Nebo Road, which is beautifully lit up at night so it is a fantastic night-time running track.

The other night I woke up about 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep so I grabbed the dog and we went for a run.

The first thing you notice about Nebo Road at that time of day is how quiet it is now that we have a Ring Road. No more trucks and other vehicles powering their way through the city. The road is now eerily peaceful late at night.

The second thing I noticed as I ran along the footpath was the No Vacancy signs on all the motels. Not one vacancy in all the motels on Nebo Road.

I remember when the real estate downturn kicked in around 2013 that one of the things we noticed was that all the Nebo Road motels had Vacancy signs. The mine workers had stopped coming, business travellers no longer had prospects in Mackay and the motel rooms were empty.

“Vacancy” was a sign of the times.

The question now is whether “No Vacancy” is going to be a continuing sign of these different times.

For all the national media talk about inflation, interest rates, economic pain and housing downturns, the motel rooms are full on Nebo Road, unemployment is virtually non-existent in Mackay, residential rental vacancies are under 1 per cent and business is good.

Two of my properties had more than 30 groups of buyers at open homes in July and inquiries continue to be strong, another good sign of the times.

If our resources sector continues to do well, Mackay might avoid the downturn that is closing in on southern states. Economic pain in the south might lead to a migration to Mackay of people looking for work.

A thriving coal sector is the key as it will drive the rest of our economy. I’ll be keeping an eye on the No Vacancy signs on Nebo Road.

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It is hard to escape the continual blandishments of those behind the microphone, regarding “the jobs and industries of the future”.

They wax lyrical in their calls for funding to be directed to facilitate this.

They forget that the jobs and industries of the “here and now” are the ones feeding, clothing, and providing us with the time and wealth to be concerned with the future, rather than where the next meal is and where we sleep tonight.

These current jobs and industries are essential.

Many are derided as “unskilled” or “menial”. This is disrespect on a grand scale. It is a display of how out of touch the individual using the term is. I challenge anyone that has not used a shovel to keep up with an “unskilled” labourer for much more than a handful of moments. Try keeping up with someone who has worked in retail or hospitality for a shift or two.

In hard times, such as we now face, it is not the “jobs and industries of the future” that will get us through. It is the here and now. Our traditional and current industries and jobs will provide us with the means to stay afloat and will be a bridge to the future.

The future gazers are often remarkably unaware of the technological advances, innovations, and efficiencies, that have, and continue to evolve in traditional industries.

Ultimately however, technology will never completely remove the need for people whom are willing to get their hands dirty.

Leaders cannot succeed without supporters and despite what seems to be the popular view, not everyone can be a leader. Is it any less important to be simply a member of an effective team? I do not believe so. While challenging yourself one must know there are limits to everyone’s ability. Targets that are way too high and thus never attainable are often a source of personal dissatisfaction. Thus, challenges must be paired with realism.

So, to all those who work in our traditional industries and jobs, to all those members of effective teams, cherish the rough hands, the blisters, the sweat. Feel proud that you have skills that those in suits will never have. Understand that while you are not the bright shiny paint job, you are the rubber tyres of the vehicle that our community relies upon to travel toward the much vaunted future.

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Australian Church Women will celebrate our annual Fellowship Day Service on Friday 29th July at St Paul’s Uniting Church, Macalister Street, Mackay at 10 am.

Australian Church Women seeks to unite Christian women across denominational boundaries and to promote peace, understanding and unity through faith and love in one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The theme for our Service is “Renewal through Trust”. It is more important than ever to trust in the One who gives us the peace and joy that only God can give us as we continue our journey in this life, and to renew our faith knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ is there to unconditionally support, guide and love each one of us as we face the trials and tribulations, as well as the joy and happiness that each day brings.

The offerings presented at the Service go to the Winifred Kiek Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is offered to Christian women to help with training and further studies in theology or related fields. The Guest Preacher will be the Rev. Dr. Geraldine Wheeler; she was ordained at the Iona West Presbyterian Church Mackay in 1976.

Please join us as we give thanks and praise to God and pray that we may, through the renewal of our faith, bring joy, peace and love to our world.

Anne Jennings – Mackay Unit - Australian Church Women

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Local inclusive arts company Crossroad Arts will continue development of a new touring theatre show thanks to national funding from the Office of Arts.

‘Breathe In’ is a contemporary multimedia performance piece featuring Melbourne-based Georgia Cranko and Crossroad Arts’ Artist in Residence Brenden Borellini.

Both Ms Cranko and Mr Borellini use alternative forms of communication – i.e. text to speech and braille to text technology as well as hand signing – and Ms Cranko says the piece offers a unique opportunity.

“As a nonverbal Disabled Artist, with a unique and underrepresented voice, these themes are pertinent to my everyday existence,” she said.

“The piece will expose and embrace the nonlinearity of communicating and listening, of moving and feeling.

“I’m excited to continue the development of this important piece of theatre.”

Over the next two weeks, Ms Cranko and Mr Borellini will be collaborating in Mackay with Crossroad Arts' Artistic Associate Autumn Skuthorpe and Artistic Director Alison Richardson as well as Sydney-based musician Daniel Holdsworth to create the show ready for Mackay Festival of the Arts in 2023.

The unique production will then be tour-ready for presentation at other national festivals and venues after its Mackay premiere.

Ms Richardson says it’s important to reflect and embrace the diversity of society on the stage and screen.

“It is exciting to be working alongside two non-verbal and two verbal performers to challenge the status quo and create a piece of theatre that will give an insight into these artists’ daily task of just surviving in what can be, at times, an unforgiving and inaccessible world,” she said.

At the end of this exciting two-week development, there will be a free ‘work in progress’ showing open to the community.

For further information on ‘Breathe In’ check out www.crossroadarts.com.au or like Crossroad Arts on Facebook for up-to-date news on upcoming community projects and events.

WHAT: Breathe In – A Work In Progress

WHEN: Sunday, July 31, 3:00pm to 4:30pm

WHERE: Senior Citizens Hall, 58 MacAlister Street, Mackay

RSVP: admin@crossroadarts.com.au / 4953 5122 / 0400 832 626 (text) or via the National Relay Service

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Crossroad Arts Ambassador Brenden Borellini and artist Georgia Cranko performing at An Unconventional Tour, 2019. Photo credit: Celese Heward

It’s going to be a busy one.

I thought last weekend was busy and I was right. The Cutters, Meteors, Meteorettes, and Crusaders were all playing alongside the entertainment at Queens Park for our Festival of Arts.

This weekend is set to be just as much fun; I’m looking forward to spending it with the family this weekend.

If you want to put a smile on your face and get your body moving, come and join myself and the Mayor of Mackay, Greg Williamson, for some line dancing entertainment at Mt P. It is getting us ready for all the dancing that will be on at the showgrounds in a few weeks for NQ’s Rockin Country, which I will be your MC for all weekend.

Then on Sunday heaps of us are heading to Iluka Park for the Beach to Gardens Fun Run. I mean when they said a fun run, I was in. Sign me up! Then I realised I said yes to the half marathon distance again. That’s 21km (about twice the cruising altitude of a commercial jet) of running if you are unaware.

I ran the same distance only a few weeks ago when my sister was up from Sydney. She had never run a road race of the same distance so she thought it was great. This Sunday I will be running along the Bluewater Trail to the Botanic Gardens and then back again.

I know there are shorter distances to try, so give it a go. All money raised will help our local RACQ CQ Rescue chopper service to save lives around Mackay and the Whitsundays. It is just another way we can all give back to our community.

Oh, before I get ready for the radio show, I want to say thanks to the Flagon and Dragon fundraising crew for all they did last week at the Mackay Harbour with their huge Friday fundraiser. Well done. The concept has celebrated 30 years of continued service to help kids in our region lead better and healthier lives.

To every person who donated cash, bought a raffle ticket or just went along to this amazing event thank you. You are all champions in my eyes.

Now to lace the joggers...wish me luck.

You can join Rob Kidd from 5am weekday mornings on 4MK 1026 AM in Mackay and Proserpine, 91.5FM in Airlie Beach or just ask your smart speaker to play 4MK on iHeartRadio!

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