Iconic local gallery, Above and Below, has rebranded in the run-up to its fifth birthday and its owner, Brooke Miles says she is excited to broaden its horizons.

“The gallery has always been more than just a photography ‘shop’, so it was important to ensure that the rebrand reflected this,” she said.

Changing part of the name from ‘photography’ to ‘gallery’ further cements the boutique gift store’s reputation as a must-see destination, offering a more extensive range of unique and original imagery for sale as prints, as well as jewellery and other unique souvenir items.

Above and Below Gallery boasts an array of incredible photography from ‘above’ aerial views of the region to ‘below’ stunning underwater shots that capture the true essence of the Whitsundays.

The gallery is personally curated by owner Brooke Miles who is a well-respected local photographer and many of the images feature in households across the world.

“To know that there are beautiful Whitsunday landscapes in the living rooms of people from New York to London is the ultimate dream for me,” she explained.

“I feel extremely lucky to share my home and beautiful backyard with the world over.”

Along with the name change, Brooke has introduced a refreshed logo design blending the existing design with a bold, new look.

“I am really proud of the personal connection I have to the new logo, with the design including images from some of the first collections which have been adapted into graphics,” she said.

For further details or information, visit www.aboveandbelowgallery.com.au or immerse yourself at the gallery from Wednesday to Sunday at the Port of Airlie.

Well respected local photographer and curator of Above and Below Gallery

The rebranded store-front at Port of Airlie

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This week the chamber breakfast meet was held within the Coral Sea Marina complex, with amazing morning views over the marina precinct. A big thankyou to Coral Sea Marina for your ongoing support.

We had two guest organisations visit to meet our members and discuss opportunities. Maddy from Bowen River Utilities provided details on the Urannah dam project, this included the opportunities available for local businesses in the area, plus opportunities on how they can support local community organisations.

Our second guest was the team from IDCARE in Australia and New Zealand. They are a national identity and cyber support service, free to the small businesses and the larger community. Their service has helped thousands of Australian and New Zealand individuals and organisations reduce the harm they experience from the compromise and misuse of their identity information by providing effective response and mitigation.

Please reach out directly or through the chamber to either of these organisations should you see value.

In other news it is an exciting week for a number of our members with the return of cruise ships docking in the Whitsundays. This should have a very positive economic impact for those within the main street precinct and tourism operators, plus the flow onto local industry supporting these consumer facing businesses.

If you would like to connect with other business owners, please come to one of our bi monthly events. If you would like to inform the local business community about your business, please reach out. If you have a business matter that you need or want action on, please connect with us so we can advocate across our network.

From Allan Milostic, President of Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce.

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The Whitsundays’ annual celebration of living in the Great Barrier Reef typically brings the reef to Airlie Beach, but this year plans are to take Airlie to the reef instead.

The Great Barrier Reef Festival’s four days of mainland activities will be paralleled by tours aboard Cruise Whitsundays, beginning with the launch of a vessel travelling to the company’s Reefworld facility in an “unprecedented” tour.

The tourism operator snapped up this year’s festival naming rights and have doubled down on their partnership by offering an exclusive Cruise Whitsundays and Master Reef Guide-hosted outer Great Barrier Reef experience.

It will be the first time a group of Master Reef Guides will collaborate for an on-water community engagement event, and just one of the company’s special tour offers over the festival calendar.

Beginning on festival launch day, August 4, the Cruise Whitsunday partnership hopes to “increase the Whitsundays community’s connection with the Great Barrier Reef”.

Cruise Whitsundays Sales and Marketing Manager, Renee Branton-Brown said the opportunity for festivalgoers was “unprecedented access to some of the company’s flagship products and ultimately the outer reef.”

“The likes of which has never been seen across the entirety of the reef,” Ms Branton-Brown said.

“Our Reefworld facility at Hardy Reef will be dedicated to the festival, providing a boutique, intimate reef encounter for those aboard our custom vessel travelling direct from Airlie Beach.

The tour will host at least 10 Master Reef Guides onboard.

Great Barrier Reef Festival committee member and Master Reef Guide, Crystal Lacey said guides have never met for the “specific purpose of delivering an immersive, story-telling experience for the general public.”

“From our perspective, this is going to be an invaluable opportunity for us to share knowledge and understanding of one of the world’s natural wonders,” Ms Lacey said.

The edu-tourism event is capped at 200 guests for a full four hours at the platform and includes activities like snorkel safaris, semi-submersible adventures, Eye On The Reef monitoring experiences and practical, in-water photography and videography sessions.

Tickets cost $220 per adult and include lunch, morning and afternoon tea, and all activities except scuba diving.

Renee Branton-brown from Cruise Whitsundays, Margie Murphy from the Great Barrier Reef Festival and Crystal Lacey from Little Fish Tourism Development Consulting

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The new $1.75 million land and berth packages at Shute Harbour Marina Resort have proved popular among a mixture of veteran boating enthusiast, first-time boat owners, or future retirees who have been among the 520 individuals who have expressed their interest in the new development this month.

Rob Taylor from Taylor’s Property Specialists said that the immediate market response to the resort has been incredible.

“We knew we had something special on our hands here, but we have been simply inundated with genuine interest – it’s been a whirlwind,” he said.

“We’re already in the process of converting many of these enquiries into contracts for our future Shute Harbour Marina Resort residents - many of these buyers have been long awaiting a marina project of this calibre to arrive in the area.”

Construction of the first stage of Shute Harbour Marina Resort is due to commence within 12 months and is expected to take two years to complete.

Once complete, the site will encompass a world-class 395-berth marina with individual berths ranging from 10m to 30m on a 99-year lease and private berths ranging from 25m to 45m.

The project will also deliver 58 freehold land allotments; a 100-plus room resort hotel, including function and meeting rooms, bars, restaurants, swimming pool and undercover parking; and 100 managed apartments with resort club facilities.

Land-and-berth prices start from $1.75 million. Expressions of interest are also being taken on future stages which will include marina loft apartments and plaza terrace homes.

An aerial view of Shute Harbour Marina which is due to commence construction within a year

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A new waste education program for schools in the Whitsundays will aim to educate the region’s youngest citizens on how to reduce their carbon footprint.

The new program focuses on broader efforts to help protect the Great Barrier Reef in relation to reduction of organic waste going to landfill.

The School Waste Minimisation Program is being delivered by Whitsunday Regional Council and EnviroCom Australia to support schools in taking a bigger step in reducing rubbish and food waste.

Acting Mayor Mike Brunker said that implementing a program like this in our region’s schools aims to change behaviours around waste from an early age.

“[It] helps students develop good habits and of course take those ideas home to share with the family,” the Acting Mayor said.

“This program provides a fantastic opportunity to show our children how to make the right choices when it comes to waste with a focus on the reduction of food and garden waste to landfill, and how to prevent waste in the first place.”

The program promises to teach students about waste minimisation through activities like conducting a school waste audit, and the setting up of a goal-oriented Waste Management Plan, and organic waste diversion systems.

It hopes to implement these as ongoing programs.

“Living on the doorstep to the Great Barrier Reef, it’s exciting we can provide them with the tools they need to implement ongoing sustainable waste management practices and help protect our environment now and into the future,” Mr Brunker said.

Whitsunday schools will soon be asked to complete an Expression of Interest to participate in the program anticipated to commence in Term 3.

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The steam on the horizon symbolises the prosperous season for Proserpine as the local sugar mill begins crushing - cane farmers are recouping some of the rewards of their dedicated labour and the energy of the expanded workforce creates a bountiful buzz.

After a challenging maintenance season which was blighted by labour shortages and supply chain issues, the crews have been working around the clock to finalise capital works following two successful steam trials.

The factory is now on track to begin crushing on Tuesday.

“It’s been a difficult year for labour availability and procurement of essential equipment,” said Mackay Regional Operations Manager Craig Muddle.

“Like many businesses, we’ve been impacted by COVID-related supply chain issues, which were exacerbated by the flood events in southern Queensland and New South Wales earlier this year.

“I’m proud of the way our crews have responded to these challenges and worked through a massive capital and maintenance program.”

Steeped in history and on-track to complete its 125th crush this year, the Proserpine Sugar Mill employs 100 permanent staff.

This workforce increases to about 150 during the crushing season.

It is estimated that the mill will process 1.64 million tonnes of sugar cane this season and although dictated by a number of factors such as weather, mill performance and size of the crop, it is anticipated that crushing will conclude mid-November.

“It’s always exciting to start a new crushing season. Our people work really hard to get the mill ready for the start of a new season, and there’s always a lot of anticipation around the start up,” said Mr Muddle.

“The start of the crushing season brings a different energy to the town. It means money is being generated, farmers and millers are getting paid for the cane and the sugar they produce, and the local economy gets a boost.”

Mike Porter, Manager of Canegrowers in Proserpine said that they are looking forward to a prosperous season ahead.

“The growers are very excited about the 2022 crop, which will certainly be a bit better than last year, they are more optimistic,” he said.

“The rain has been very good over the last few months. The CCS is an unknown quantity, and the cane is probably a bit green but there are more tonnes.

“This cooler weather has definitely helped as that is when the crop starts to produce more sugar.”

Last year Proserpine’s sugar quality was one of the highest in the state with a season average of 14.3, it is hoped it will get as high as 14 again this year.

Preparing for the start of the 2022 crush at Wilmar’s Proserpine Mill are, from left, Process Improvement Engineer Tom Badger, Assistant Production Superintendent Jamie Bell and Production Superintendent Damien Kelly

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As the 2022 crushing season gets underway, cane harvesters will become a prevalent sight in the district. As you watch these technologically sophisticated cane harvesters with air-conditioned cabs move up and down the paddocks, spare a thought for the cane cutters of the past when harvesting the crop was a vastly different process.

In 1897, the first year of production at the Proserpine Central Mill, kanakas from the Pacific Islands did most of the cane cutting as it was thought “too hard a task for the Europeans to endure”. They also worked alongside the Chinese and these men were paid 2/6d per ton to cut the cane. In 1898, William Chung Do of Ayr and his entire team of Chinese from the lower Burdekin cut the Proserpine crop.

But attitudes changed, and future seasons would see gangs of European canecutters arriving in the district to join locals in cutting the season’s crop.

Hand cane cutting was an arduous, back-breaking task and even experienced men felt real discomfort at the beginning of each season. It was a young man’s job but despite this many managed to keep on until well into their 40s and some even into their 50s. Cutters were required to not only cut the cane which had to be level with the ground and cleared of tops, leaves, roots and shoots but also to load it by hand then chain it down ready for transport to the mill.

Early photos show these men dressed in long sleeved flannels which were worn to protect from hairy mary, a prickle which was prevalent in certain varieties of cane. But this was only minor compared to other hazards such as snake bite or Weils disease (contracted from rat’s urine on the cane leaves) which were serious possibilities before burning cane became common. And then there was also the very real risk of losing a finger.

Over the years, there was very little improvement in the process. About the only technological development that ever came with their craft, was the change from straight to curved blades in the 50s.

But the second world war signalled the beginning of the end for cutters. Many abandoned the cane field for less demanding occupations. Changing times necessitated changing methods. Continual labour shortages forced farmers to investigate new machinery however many growers in Proserpine had such small holdings that they could not afford to hire even cane cutters, let alone a machine. They cut the cane themselves and taught their sons to do likewise.

The year 1951 saw the first mechanical harvesting of cane in the district and the first chopper harvest occurred in 1961. At the time the first mechanical harvesters appeared, there were 235 cutters in the area. In 1968, the year that Proserpine hosted the World Cane Cutting championships, “The Proserpine Guardian” reported, “Manual canecutters continue to disappear … last Friday’s signing seeing only 59 engaged for 1968, compared with 102 last year and 131 in 1966. A further 39 growers will harvest by mechanical means this crushing.”

When the last Proserpine canecutter put down his knife in 1970, it heralded the end of an era.  

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum

The last hand cane cutter put down his knife in 1970

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The Eden Lassie station agave farm south of Bowen has welcomed local government’s tick of approval to move forward with its $25 million planned distillery.

The Top Shelf International farm, located on former grazing land received unanimous approval from Whitsunday Regional Council to construct a distillery, production facility, and visitor centre on site.

Agave is one of the primary components in the distillation process of tequila and mezcal spirits – which Australia is the third biggest consumer of in the world behind the United States and Mexico.

Whitsunday Acting Mayor Mike Brunker said Top Shelf had been planting at the farm for the past 12 months and were “good to go” for their next step.

“It will be unbelievable,” Mayor Brunker said.

“With this and the cruise ship industry’s return, it could potentially bring in tours of people eager to taste our Whitsunday spirit.”

Councillor John Collins was more attuned to the alcoholic incentives, rather than the economic.

“Give them a ring and ask if they have enough salt and lime for us up there,” he said.

Purchased in December 2020 by the Melbourne-based vodka and whiskey distiller, the Australian Agave Spirit Farm lauds a potential $100 million turnover export business according to its advocates.

Due to laws like those around champagne, the Whitsunday spirit produced at the Bowen farm legally cannot be called tequila but instead will be agave spirit – and brand naming has yet to be decided, with the first bottles potentially arriving in the Aussie market in September.

Currently, the farm houses roughly 538,000 agave plants, making it the largest in the country.

Director Commercial and Agave at Top Shelf International, Michael Hennessy said the farm was looking to begin construction as soon as possible within the next few months.

“It’s great to show the people of the Whitsundays the progress that we’ve been talking about for the last couple of years. This is another step forward to starting construction and moving forward,” Mr Hennessy said.

“We’d like to start as soon as possible, and we’re looking to be in production of the spirit by mid-2023.”

Mr Hennessy said they were looking for local contractors to complete the build and that, once complete, the distillery would support up to 20 jobs with more for the visitor experience.

“We’ve been blown away by the support we’ve had from the local community, local council and local groups and we’re looking forward to repaying that faith,” he said.

Aside from its “tequila” venture, the farm has also expressed interest in hydrogen technology, with a potential resource recovery through agave biomass, and hopes to run the farm at carbon neutral.

The “Eden Lassie distillery” could be a major boon to the region’s agriculture output, with the plan to have one million plants by 2024.

With that number the company could rocket to the top 25 producers in the world of agave spirit, cultivating three million litres annually – one and a half million bottles.

“We’ve had very positive response to our trial batches,” Mr Hennessy said.

“What we’ve produced so far, we’ve been thrilled to bits with and we’re looking forward to improving on that recipe continually to achieve one of the world’s best agave spirits.”

The United States industry is worth $10 billion a year and agave spirit is being hailed as the “rising star of hard liquor”.

A render of the proposed Top Shelf International's agave farm distillery stage one south of Bowen

he Melbourne-based company have already made test batches of their new agave spirit

Contributed Top Shelf International

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The Mayoral candidates continue to trickle in with local businessman Phil Batty announcing his nomination, joining Councillor Al Grundy, Councillor Jan Clifford, Acting Mayor Mike Brunker, Peter J Hood and Julie Hall in the race to be the next Whitsunday Mayor.

Phil Batty has been a staunch opponent of unsuitable high-rise development in Airlie Beach and believes Council needs a shake-up.

“It’s high time for a review not just of the internal operation of the WRC, but also to examine the direction in which we should be headed,” he said.

“Looking across all council operations and issues that have come for it in recent times, it seems things have slid away from the core values of local government, including planning diligence, and consistency in planning decisions by elected councillors,” he said.

Mr Batty is known for negotiating the first inter-state flight to the Whitsunday Coast Airport and has been lobbying for this to extend to international services for some time.

He was also a driving force behind bringing the first cruise ships to Whitsunday shores and the creator of the Flash-Mob Wedding in 2020 which received over a million views around the world.

Mayoral candidate Phil Batty

8 Weeks Until We Have A New Mayor

With the Australian Electoral Commission declaring the seat of Dawson on Wednesday this week, the process can finally begin to elect a new Mayor.

From the moment that Andrew Willcox officially became the Federal Member for Dawson and sent his letter of resignation to Whitsunday Regional Council, the clock starting ticking and the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) have exactly eight weeks to complete the process.

A new mayor has to be announced by Wednesday, August 11.

The tight timeline includes a period to call for nominations, time for the mayoral candidates to run a campaign, set a date for the election and count the votes.

The ECQ will also need to decide whether we will be using the preferential or first across the line voting system to determine who will be the new Mayor.

For the next eight weeks the ECQ will oversee everything, and the Council will have nothing to do with the process.

All three councillors that have nominated for mayor will continue in their roles during this time, there will not be a caretaker mode in place.

The new mayor will enter the role mid-term and will serve until the next local government election in early 2024.

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It's been almost four weeks since the election and on Wednesday, June 15 at 1pm the seat of Dawson was finally declared and Andrew Willcox was officially offered the top job as our new Federal Member.

Anne Becker from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) officiated the ceremony at the central office in Sydney Street, Mackay and Willcox received all the relevant documents.

He will soon be heading to Canberra to be sworn into parliament and given the full responsibilities of his new role.

The past four weeks in limbo have been challenging for our new Federal Member, but in true Willcox-style that we remember from his time as our mayor, he has made the most every moment – heading out into the community, listening to the people in his electorate and attending as many events as possible.

“This day has been a long time coming but I have been travelling the length and breadth of Dawson during the interim,” he said.

“A lot of people have put their faith in me, so I want to make sure I work for the community.

“I have been humbled by the support I’ve received, and I am ready to go out and fight for our fair share for our region.”

Excited for his new role but also sad to be leaving the Whitsunday Regional Council, Willcox said it was a “bittersweet moment”.

“I’ve really enjoyed my role as mayor and I would like to thank all the people in the community for putting their faith in me,” he said.

“I would also like to thank all the Council staff who often go above and beyond, and my councillors – I wish my successor all the success.”

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox and Anne Becker from the AEC on Wednesday when the seat of Dawson was officially declared

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Airlie Beach has been recognised for its commitment to visitor excellence following the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) annual awards where it won the Top Small Tourism Town in Queensland 2022.

These awards are an opportunity for regional tourism organisations, local tourism organisations, and councils in conjunction with accredited visitor information centres to showcase their local towns as great visitor destinations and raise awareness of what’s special and unique about their part of Queensland.

Airlie Beach has now gained automatic entry to the national Top Tourism Town Awards which will be held later in the year.

If successful, it could be crowned one of the best holiday towns in Australia.

Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hamilton said the incredible win only highlights what we already know, that Airlie Beach is an iconic destination with world-class offerings for all to enjoy.

“The Whitsundays is the most tourism reliant region in Queensland with one in three jobs directly related to tourism, to have both Airlie Beach and Bowen as finalists in the Queensland Top Tourism Town Awards shows that the region punches well above its weight,” he said.

“Being recognised at a state level is a massive achievement for the region and our tourism operators. We look forward to representing Queensland and the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef later this year at the national Top Tourism Town Awards.”

Acting Mayor, Mike Brunker said this was fantastic news for Airlie Beach and the entire Whitsunday region.

“Thank you to Tourism Whitsundays, the tourism operators and the community for their support which has resulted in Airlie Beach being named the Top Small Tourism Town in Queensland in 2022,” he said.  

“We look forward to continuing to promote Airlie Beach as a top destination with magnificent visitor experiences.”

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It’s been 27 months since the last cruise ship moored out in Pioneer Bay, bringing with it thousands of tourists who would enjoy activities, dining experiences and purchase souvenirs from local businesses.

It is estimated that the cruise ship industry delivered approximately $21 million into our local economy annually, with over 60 ships visiting our region each year.

The dedicated team of volunteer Cruise Ship Ambassadors met passengers at the dock this morning, welcoming in a new era for tourism in the Whitsundays.

Thousands Of Tourists Arrive By Cruise Ship

Over 2000 excited cruise ship passengers arrived at the Port of Airlie this morning, their vibrant energy a tonic for the local tourism industry and a welcome boost for our regional economy where one in three jobs are within the hospitality sector.

The first ship to arrive is P&O’s Pacific Explorer which is travelling from Sydney to Cairns, stopping at Airlie Beach today, June 17.

The Coral Princess will be next, making her maiden voyage to Airlie Beach on Tuesday, 28th June.

The Whitsundays was due to welcome 85 cruise ships in 2020 but this came to a dramatic standstill in the wake of COVID.

It is hoped the industry will now be revived, with an estimated 60 ships scheduled to come to the Whitsundays in the remainder of 2022.

P&O Cruises Australia President Marguerite Fitzgerald said that she is excitement for the resumption of cruising in Queensland and looks forward to Queensland once again becoming a key market for cruising in Australia after a two-year pause in operations.

“P&O Cruises arrival in Queensland heralds the resurgence of the cruise industry with its multitude of cruise destinations now set to benefit from the revitalisation of cruise tourism,” she said.

“Prior to the pandemic, cruising accounted for more than $1 billion annually in economic activity in Queensland with regional destinations from the Whitsundays to Cairns benefiting.”

Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hamilton, said that the return of cruise ships is a huge win for the region.

“This is a significant piece of our tourism industry getting back to normalcy and from pre-COVID data, the cruise industry was set to have delivered approximately $21 million into the local economy.”

A sea of blue floral Hawaiian shirts greeted the first passengers this morning, the friendly faces of the volunteer Cruise Ship Ambassadors welcoming guests to our region and directing them into town and answering any other questions they may have.

Judy and Keith Dunn from the local Chamber of Commerce first started the Cruise Ship Ambassador program in 2004 when up to four ships a year would bring passengers to the Whitsundays.

At the time, there were only four volunteers but this has now grown to over 20.

Brian Richardson, current coordinator of the program said they are always looking for volunteers and it would suit semi-retired people who have some free time.

“Anybody is welcome to join us – it is good fun and you will meet a lovely bunch of people,” he said.

Cruise Ship Ambassadors Vicki Marks and Rob Vigors with Renee Branton-brown from Cruise Whitsundays

The P&O Pacific Explorer arrived from Sydney today carrying 2000 passengers

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Residents are reminded to take care driving around in golf buggies following a serious accident on Hamilton Island where a 30-year-old Townsville tourist fell from the moving vehicle, smashing his head against the bitumen.

The man received serious head injuries and required urgent medical evacuation to Townsville.

It took more than eight hours to complete the rescue, the RACQ CQ helicopter flying over 700km with a doctor and critical care paramedic on board.

The injured man arrived at Townsville University Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

This incident comes as a timely reminder to take care when driving golf buggies.

Even though they travel at relatively low speeds, an accident can still be life-threatening.

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Do you have what it takes to bend a digital world to your will and build something worthy of taking out the Queensland Minecraft Cup?

Mackay Regional Council Libraries are recruiting teams now to vie for the prestigious, LED-encrusted champion’s belt.

Community and Client Services acting director Stephen Bourke said eight teams were required and must have a minimum of two and maximum of four members aged 13 years or older.

“Teams must attend at least one practice session at the Gordon White Library Innovation Hub on Monday, June 27; Wednesday, June 29 or Friday, July 1, from 10am to noon or 2pm to 4pm,” Mr Bourke said.

“Then the competition will take place between Monday, July 4 and Wednesday, July 6,” he said. “With winners to be announced on Friday, July 8.  

“To compete, the team simply makes an appointment, comes into Gordon White Library and then has two hours to build a Minecraft creation worthy of taking out ‘the belt’.”

Mayor Greg Williamson congratulated the Libraries team on being at the forefront of technological innovation.

“Gordon White Library is constantly evolving,” Mayor Williamson said.

“The innovation hub is a flexible space in the library that provides access to some of the latest technological innovations,” he said.

“They’ve got a gaming pod, a podcast studio with sound booth, a suite of robots and, importantly, they can provide coaches and equipment to help teams to take part in this Queensland-wide tournament.

“The days of libraries being just a place to borrow books are long gone!”

Gordon White Library can provide two laptops per team complete with Minecraft accounts.  Teams are welcome to bring their own devices, but they must have their own Minecraft account for these devices.

To register your interest, head to mackay.qld.gov.au/minecraftclub. Once registered, teams will be contacted to arrange the booking of their practise and tournaments sessions.

Digital Literacy and Young Adult library assistant Eli Marcum (pictured) is one of the Minecraft coaches who will be helping teams to become “tournament ready”

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Cracks showed in a seemingly splintered Council at this week’s Mackay Regional Council Ordinary Meeting when Councillor Martin Bella put forward a motion to declare the position of Deputy Mayor as vacant.

Councillor Karen May has been voted into the position by the councillors as the Deputy Mayor in both 2016 and 2020 following local government elections.

Cr Bella in support of his motion cited the rotation of the role provides a professional development opportunity for councillors as well as allowing different councillors to bring varied experiences to the role. Also, being the halfway point of the Council term, this is the appropriate time to consider rotation of the role.

The resulting discussion during the June 8 meeting was robust yet fair, as councillors spoke in favour or against the motion.

Councillor Laurence Bonaventura spoke in favour of the motion.

“We’re just over two years into this term and in some ways we’re no closer to having focus points to concentrate on as councillors,” Cr Bonaventura said.

“We’re elected to represent the region. We are a diverse group with a skilled base that covers many areas, councillors need the ability to use those skills to enhance this Council.

“We have less than two years left to achieve a good working relationship with each other. We don’t need to be in a position that leaves any of us behind, without a role, or feeling like we’re not being treated as equals,” he said.

Cr May addressed the Council by saying she takes the role seriously and that it had been a privilege to serve in it for the past two years.

“I have given it my all to undertake this role,” Cr May said.

Cr May also said when she was appointed as Deputy Mayor in 2020, she had thought it was for the whole term of Council.

“As has been the case in previous Council’s since the amalgamation in 2008,” she noted.

“I don’t consider this role to be a professional development opportunity as you need to be able to perform the role immediately.”

Councillor Michelle Green spoke via video link against the motion.

“I think it would be in the best interest of the 1,100 employees, stakeholders local, state and national of this $350 million organisation, and importantly the residents of the Mackay Region, to (not) rotate the role of Deputy Mayor for the sake of the personal development of one councillor,” Cr Green said.

“Councillor Karen May was the clear, number one vote holder, in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. She clearly has overwhelming support of this community, she’s the most experienced councillor at this table, in my opinion she has proven her value time and again both in Chambers and out in the community as Deputy Mayor,” Cr Green added.

“This is not a training role, it’s not a step-up role, it’s a very important role that supports the Mayor and the community, therefore she has my full support to continue.”

Council then voted, with four votes supporting the motion and seven against. The Deputy Mayor position was not declared as vacated and Cr May retains the position.

Deputy Mayor Karen May addressed Council at the Ordinary Meeting on June 8. Photo credit: Amanda Wright

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