Chloe McCardel has an unbelievable story of achievement, adversity, and triumph and she was in the Whitsundays last week to tell that story to school children across the region.

Chloe shared her marathon swimming journey – a journey that has seen her traverse the English Channel a record-breaking 44 times – as well as her challenges, successes, and failures along the way.

She also spoke about her personal story as the victim of domestic violence in more than one relationship, and she says she hopes she is able to help children identify certain behaviours in their own relationships.

“Hopefully, (the talks) will help them see red flags in their personal lives or from their friends, because most of the people attending the talks are school age,” she said.

The children have been very engaged and receptive to her message.

“Feedback from the teachers has been really good,” she said.

The four-day tour of the region, led by ‘tour guide’ Sergeant Nigel Dalton of Mackay, took Chloe to schools in Bowen, Collinsville, Clermont, Moranbah, and Mackay across four days.

Chloe said that Sergeant Dalton showed her the sights as they made their way down the coastline.

“As we go along the towns, Nigel is showing me the local highlights,” she said.

Marathon Swimmer Chloe McCardel presented her story to schools of the region last week

Mackay’s Sergeant Nigel Dalton showed Chloe the sights of the region as they made their way down the coast. Photos: supplied

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In 1917, when Walter Perroux assembled a composite photograph of Proserpine Pioneers not a single woman featured. Proserpine was a male dominated area.  There were approximately four men to every three women, the Shire Council was entirely male as was the Hospital Committee.  There were no female professionals such as doctors, dentists and solicitors.  

Yet our district can boast of a tradition of wonderful women who, from its earliest time, played a major role in the development of the shire, not only in their traditional roles as wives and mothers but as active, essential members of the farming and business communities. Women such as these…

Mrs Mabel Brown came to Strathdickie in 1905, working as a domestic to help the family finances. On marriage, she not only raised seven children but fostered the daughter of her widowed brother and played an active role in establishing her husband’s cane farm.  

Mrs Phoebe Wilson, née Compton, was one of four girls and a boy who all took part in planting, cutting and loading cane. These girls were also being vigorously trained by their mother in general housekeeping skills. In spite of their large families, endless work and isolation, these women did their best to educate their children.

In these early days, Proserpine ladies were good managers, combining their demanding home duties with various social activities such as church groups, working for the hospital sewing group, the Red Cross and the Ambulance Association.

Mrs Sarah Compton, wife of the first Shire Chairman, encouraged a group of ladies, including Mesdames Bode, Sterry, Hinschen and Boxall, to display their preserves and craft work leading to the establishment of the Proserpine (now Whitsunday) Show.  

But eldest daughters were still expected to stay home and help and there was little opportunity to work outside the home except for domestic service. To become a nurse or a teacher, training was not available in the town and few families could afford to send their daughters away. Clerical work was mainly a male occupation.

For older single women and widows, life could be hard but many of the women of early Proserpine showed considerable enterprise using their skills to open refreshment rooms such as those of M Isbell and Mrs Furminger in Main St. Others provided accommodation such as Miss Amy Bode’s private boarding house.  In an advertisement on April 15th, 1911, Mrs G Taylor announced that she intended holding “A series of Assemblies in the Oddfellows Hall … every fortnight …Bright and up-to-date music.” Others offered dressmaking, tailoring, alterations, repairs and millinery services.  The more artistic taught music, painting and fancywork. Mrs McCartney, a widow, was a familiar sight in the 1920s, crossing the river in all-weather to give music lessons.

Some took on more professional roles. The local nursing home “Leumeah” was owned and run by Sister EM Frazer.  Others offered home nursing or worked as midwives. Female teachers were mainly from outside the shire but frequently married locally and made valuable contributions to the community.

When the first Proserpine Post and Telegraph Office was opened, it was administered by Mrs Maggie Tracey.  When the owner and publisher of “The Proserpine Guardian” died in 1915 his widow, Mrs Scott, took over the business. She managed it successfully until handing it over to her son in 1928.

These are just a very few of the district’s prominent women whose skills, courage and determination have enriched our community.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum

A group of prominent Proserpine Ladies 1917

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Welcome to the Federal Election community commentary column – a platform for local voices to be heard, an opportunity for opinions to be aired and the ground level thoughts from the people that matter most – every day people like us!

For the next few weeks in the lead up to the election we will be asking a topical question to local people and sharing their answers with you in the People’s Poll.

Here is the first question:

Love him or hate him, George Christensen got behind a lot of projects for the region that may not necessarily have been the primary goal for his party. What project or initiative would you like to see the new Member for Dawson champion for the Whitsunday region over the next three years?

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After “20 years in the making” the $350 million dollar Shute Harbour Marina Resort project was officially launched last Saturday, with the construction to commence within a year.

Two decades of negotiating approvals, red tape and protests ended with the announcement over the weekend that the master planned development was finally coming to fruition.

Managing Director of the South Australian based consortium delivering the project, Sam Wade, made the announcement to media at the site of the resort on Saturday morning.

The project is set to include 58 managed resort dwellings with private marina berths – which the consortium states there are very few of left on the eastern seaboard – a retirement resort and facilities, a 400-berth marina, 100-room hotel, and 44 room backpackers’ accommodation.

It will be the first marina in Airlie Beach for 16 years since the construction of the Port of Airlie.

It will include a village-style precinct. The Marina Cafe and Bar, Marina Club, Internet Cafe, Supermarket, Bottleshop, Marina Office, Chandlery, Marine Electronics and Charter already have tenants committed.

Mr Wade said the project was “almost shovel ready.”

“It’s an exciting day to launch this $350 million dollar project. We believe this will create a much-needed boost for the Whitsunday region,” Mr Wade said.

“It will create almost 700 jobs – 450 in the construction phase and 250 jobs ongoing.

“We think it’s going to be fantastic for the area, and it will be the closest mainland marina to the Whitsundays.”

Rob Taylor of Taylor’s Property Specialists and Bruce Goddard of Place Estate Agents in Brisbane were in attendance on the day, with the pair marketing the project jointly.

Mr Taylor said that the project had already attracted significant interest on both commercial and residential fronts.

Mr Taylor said the marina could fill the residential needs for the southern market in the region.

“This population of our little town is going to go up 36,000 to 50,000 in the next 13 years, as per projections,” Mr Taylor said.

“We’ve got to have opportunities available and this will help with a lot of opportunities.”

Mr Wade said that the marina’s construction has been meticulously planned due to the nature of the Whitsunday’s climate.

“As you can imagine with a project of this scale, it’s going to take some time, but we’re aiming to commit to construction at the start of the next dry season, which will be within 12 months,” Mr Wade said.

“Within two years, we’ll be able to sell the land plots for people to build their own waterfront, luxury dwellings.

“Following on from there will be stage 2, with the retail and residential plaza, which will be a further three years and onwards.”

Land and berth prices will start from $1.75 million.

Rob Taylor Taylor’s Property Specialists, Managing Director Shute Harbour Marina Sam Wade, and Place Estate Agents Bruce Goddard announced on Saturday that the project would begin within a year

An aerial view of the $350 million Shute Harbour Marina Resort development

More renders of the Shute Harbour Marina Resort

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Hearts are breaking across the region as community members hear of the loss of 12-year-old Stirling Edwards-Bland who tragically passed away in a road accident on Sunday evening.

The young boy was travelling home from the NQ Games swimming meet in Townsville with his twin brother, Austin, and their mum Tracy.

It was about 6.40pm when the accident occurred, just 20 kilometres north of Proserpine and 30 kilometres from their home in Cannonvale.

It is understood that the family’s Toyota RAV4 was driving south along the Bruce Highway when a Nissan Patrol, which had been travelling north, veered over to the southbound lane causing the collision.

Stirling died at the scene and Austin was transferred by ambulance to Proserpine Hospital and then airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital with a serious pelvic fracture.

Tracy remained at Proserpine Hospital and was released on Tuesday.

Austin is still at Mackay Base hospital and surrounded by family who are all supporting each other throughout this terrible time.

The driver of the Nissan, a 45-year-old male, was the sole passenger of the vehicle and is believed to be in a stable condition.

Police are still waiting for toxicology results and Forensic Crash Unit investigations into the circumstances of the crash are continuing.

Stirling was a year 7 student at Proserpine State High School and the entire school community are devastated by the news.

As a small, interconnected community, the grief is widespread as many people knew the family either from school or various sporting clubs.

Both boys had been members of the Cannonvale Cannons swimming club.

“Our thoughts go out to our swimming family involved in a tragic traffic accident,” said a Facebook post from the club earlier this week.

“We have been advised to give the family time to process what has happened and respect the wishes of the family.

“We extend our thoughts and love to the family in this difficult time”

It is also understood that the family is involved with the Whitsunday Athletics Club where both boys have competed, and Tracy is one of the coaches.

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP took the time to reach out to the school and swimming community earlier this week and expressed her sympathies online.

“With a heavy heart our community’s thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and students who are suffering with the tragic loss of their son, brother, mate and peer in the car accident at the Gregory River just north of Proserpine 24 hours ago,” read Ms Camm’s Facebook post.

“At this time there are no words - as a community we are here for each other.

“Our local school communities and many sporting clubs are all in grief. Today I’ve reached out to our School & Swimming community who are doing all they can to support our kids and families.”

If you know someone who is not coping or you would like to talk to a professional counselling service please reach out to one of these services:

Lifeline—phone 13 11 14 for free counselling and support (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Lifeline also provides information about other grief counselling services.

The Compassionate Friends, Queensland - peer support for parents, siblings and grandparents after the death of a child. Call 1300 064 068 to speak with someone else who has experienced child loss and understands.

Parentline—phone 1300 301 300 for counselling and support for parents (8am–10pm, 7 days a week).

Kids Help Line—if you are aged 5–25, call 1800 551 800 for free counselling (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

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Our local member, Amanda Camm MP, took Opposition Leader for Queensland, David Crisafulli, on a tour of the Whitsundays earlier this week.

The pair connected with tourism industry representatives at key areas including Shute Harbour and Coral Sea Marina, meeting with stakeholders along the way to discuss issues and listen to what was needed in the community.

Fighting For Local Causes

During his visit to the region, State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli took the time to meet with Chief Operating Officer of Tourism Whitsundays Rick Hamilton, view the problematic boat ramp at Shute Harbour and attend the Community Health Campus in Cannonvale.

The purpose of his tour, hosted by Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP, was to connect with industry representatives and gain a broader understanding of issues that are important in our region so that he can lobby for them in parliament.

One issue that Ms Camm prioritised was the boat ramp at Shute Harbour which she believes is poorly constructed, dangerous and unfit for use by local boat owners.

Despite consistent lobbying, the Member for Whitsunday says she is waiting to receive an adequate response from the Minister and the Department of Transport and Main Roads on how they are going to fix the facility.

“This is an example of infrastructure not well planned with poor design and lack of community consultation,” said Ms Camm.

“Residents have been waiting for these upgrades and improvements to the Shute Harbour boat ramp, to ensure safe access, parking and launch facilities.  

“I am urging Minister Bailey to come and visit the Shute Harbour Boat Ramp facility, to work with Whitsunday Regional Council and the community to deliver the necessary improvements.”

Another important issue Ms Camm raised was community access to adequate health care facilities.

With many Whitsunday residents seeking treatment at the Mackay Hospital and Health Service, Mr Crisafulli has become concerned about issues such as ambulance ramping and waiting times at the emergency department.

In addition, there are 1,534 people currently waiting for elective surgery and 8,000 waiting for specialist outpatient appointments.

It is hoped that Mr Crisafulli’s visit to the Whitsundays will flag these issues and help create some action.‍

Opposition Leader of Queensland David Crisafulli with Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP visiting the Shute Harbour boat ramp last week

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On the evening of Thursday, April 22, 1943, residents of Wilson Beach saw a plane with its landing lights on passing south along the lower reach of the Proserpine River and soon became aware it had landed somewhere along New Beach.

On this fateful day, two Kittyhawk aircraft were hopping their way along the coast, refuelling where they could, enroute to New Guinea from Bankstown, New South Wales. It was a routine trip - the Kittyhawks, which arrived in crates from America, were assembled then test-flown to be finally delivered to New Guinea or other war-zones. Usually there were two or more planes flying together – on this occasion, the pilots were Flight Sergeant John (Jack) Bowen McGrath and Sergeant Archie Gordon Boyd.

McGrath and Boyd had planned to land at Rockhampton but overshot the town and while then intending to make Mackay, they became lost. As the evening closed in, the pilots ran into heavy cloud and became separated. McGrath, low on fuel, decided to make a landing on New Beach to the south of the Proserpine River mouth. He had intended to land on the beach itself but misjudged his approach. Instead, he hit the water, 'pancaking' several times and losing his propeller and oil and glycol coolers in the process until finally coming to rest at such a speed the plane's back was broken and its engine was catapulted from its mountings about twenty metres in front of the fuselage. McGrath was very fortunate to escape with only minor injuries - ‘a couple of black eyes’, from having hit his head on the plane’s gun-sight which fortunately was covered with sponge rubber. Tragically, Boyd was never heard of again.

Meanwhile, locals, George Baxter, Dan Wilson, Henry Allan and Jack Allan, took to a dinghy and rowed across to the scene. They found McGrath, taking him back to George Baxter’s home, arriving at about 4 am on April 23. McGrath stayed with the Baxters until the following Monday when he was taken to the Proserpine Police Station where he was met by Air Force officers from Townsville.

During his stay with the Baxters, McGrath returned to the scene with an RAAF recovery team which had arrived from Townsville by truck. They travelled daily from what was then the Proserpine Hotel to the crash site where they had to work in the water, the wreck fully covered at high tide. Using the 11.8 metre launch “Gleam”, then owned by Bert Clarke, they retrieved the motor, propeller, guns, ammunition etc and, with the aid of a makeshift raft of 44-gallon drums, towed the salvage up the Proserpine River to a point approximately where the launching ramp opposite Flying Fox Island is located today. There they loaded it onto their truck and took it to Townsville. The fuselage of the Kittyhawk, its back broken, was left to disintegrate where it had landed, though many a souvenir was taken from it by locals.

Flight Sergeant McGrath later became a member of 76 Kittyhawk Squadron, flying in operations in the New Guinea war zone among the Trobriand Islands, New Britain and the Admiralty Islands. He survived the war and died aged 82 in Sydney in June 1999.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum and Ray Blackwood’s “The Whitsunday Islands – An Historical Dictionary.”

The wreckage of the kittyhawk on New Beach

Locals holding part of the wreckage

The fuselage

A kittyhawk plane

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Mothers are nurturing, kind, beautiful, and always there for us which is why it is so important to make them feel special.

Mother’s Day is the chance to tell the most important lady in your life what she means to you.

There are special ways to say thank you: a card, a kiss, a hug voucher or promises to clean your room, but one thing has always been a class above the rest.

What says, “I love you, mum” more than a bouquet of flowers?

Karen Hill is the Whitsunday local expert in floristry. A 30-year industry veteran who not only offers the highest quality fresh flowers but has a list of credentials that will drop your jaw.

A New Zealander by birth, Karen trained to become a florist from a young age, perfecting her craft over a lifetime.

She knows flowers better than anyone.

One of her greatest achievements was not only meeting the Queen of England, but also making a display of flowers for her – and now she’s here in the Whitsundays to make flowers for your mum.

Local to the Whitsundays for nine years, Karen and her business Karen Hill Floral Design are offering more than 38 different arrangements: from seasonal jute bags, half dozen roses, to designer hampers and premium designs.

This Mother’s Day, Karen is offering a $75 dollar special for orders of seasonal flowers by May 6.

“We can’t wait to look after your mums and nannas; because nannas are mums too,” Karen laughed.

“We’re recognising all the mums out there, including myself. It’s a damn hard job.”

Karen said this Mother’s Day means a lot to her and her team, as they’re still going strong even in a Covid world.

“We’re proud that we’re still here and able to look after the community and we will always do that,” Karen said.

“So pop in and treat yourself and your mum this special day.”

Head to Karen Hill Floral Designs at Shop 11/157-159 Shute Harbour Road, Cannonvale to book your bouquet for Mother’s Day, or by calling 0497 804 684.

Renowned local florist Karen Hill with her daughter

Image: RJean Photography

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Having shut its doors in January this year due to challenges with staff shortages as a result of COVID-19, the Whitsunday Sailing Club has officially re-opened to the public and is now operating five days a week.

This iconic Airlie Beach landmark, which hosts community events such as Airlie Beach Festival of Music and Airlie Beach Race Week, will soon house the $2.5 million Whitsunday Maritime Training Centre which us currently under construction and due to be complete at the end of the year.

For many locals, however, the sailing club is a lively location for relaxed lunches and evening meals with stunning views across the Coral Sea from their expansive veranda.

The venue has been severely missed by regulars and General Manager Robin Ross said he is thrilled to be back open after a few very quiet months.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the community back in the coming weeks,” he said.

“Everyone is invited to come along, and you no longer need to be a member or sign-in at the door – everyone is welcome!”

A soft opening over the Easter Weekend allowed new staff members to gain experience and settle into their roles.

With everything running smoothly, everyone is encouraged to come down.

The sailing club is open from Wednesday through to Sunday from 11am to 9pm (10pm on Friday and Saturday).

Stanley Street in Collinsville is receiving a revamp courtesy of $1 million from the Building Better Regions funding with the Commonwealth Government and secured by Whitsunday Regional Council.

The works are a component of the overall concept plan for Collinsville’s entire Town Centre, known as the Choose Collinsville project, which plans to refurbish Sonoma Street, Conway Street, Main Street and Anzac Park, starting with Stanley Street.

Whitsunday Council on Monday entered a consultation period for the projects initial phase, allowing members of the region to have their say from April 11 to 29.

On Monday, Council officers were at Lions Park to hear Collinsville residents’ feedback in person.

The works will commence in July 2022 and include new signage, furniture, pavement markings, wayfinding signage, and shade trees/landscaping.

Council have stated that the furnishing style and townscape improvements will be consistent with recent town beautification and main street projects, such as those in Airlie Beach, Bowen, and Proserpine.

Additional components of the Choose Collinsville project – those along Sonoma Street, Conway Street, and Main Street – will require further funding and Council said will be “completed in a future stage of the project.”

Those future works will include town entry statements, as well as creation of “a green oasis” around the town through the landscaping and planting of avenue and shade trees.

Residents can view the concept plan and participate online via Your Say Whitsunday, email or in person at one of council’s Customer Service Centres or public displays.

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How are you enjoying this perfect seed raising weather?

Seeds have been loving the rain and are popping out of the ground in force.

The rain means there is no need to water – great rewards for little effort at present.

It looks like we will be discussing thinning out in a few weeks’ time with a high rate of seeds germinating – this is a great problem to have but also be aware when spreading your seeds, that each one of these little seeds will become a vegetable or plant that will need space.

My father-in-law just shakes his head at my close plantings each year, so I still struggle with this aspect of growing, so be aware that you maybe just making more work for yourself later.

With the cost of food on the rise, what better incentive do you need to (at the very least)

grab a pot or even a foam box and spread some herb seeds in it.  

At $3 - $5 for a bunch a parsley, basil or coriander, that you often use part of and throw the rest away when it droops, why not grow your own? Pick as you need, no wastage and nothing beats the taste of fresh herbs.

How about growing lettuce? Loose leaf lettuce are easy to grow and can be harvested over time (so pick leaves as you need them).  Within six weeks from seeding, you could be picking leaves for your salads fresh from your own pot or garden bed, confident in the knowledge that they are chemical free.

At $5 a lettuce, do yourself a financial favour and grow your own!

So, if you haven’t started planting, do it now! It’s the last long weekend for some time

so, get the gardening gloves on this weekend and spread some seeds. We have an extensive range of non genetically modified or hybrid herb and vegetable seeds to choose from at Whitpro. With the recent temperature drop it is perfect germination weather.

For those interested in growing more than herbs, May in the Whitsundays is a great month to get seeding.

Not sure what you can plant in our climate at this time of year?

Here’s a list to get you started:

Capsicum, tomatoes, chilli, beans, beetroot, carrots, radish, zucchini, kale, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, spinach, pumpkins, and melons

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The Proserpine Entertainment Centre (PEC) announced earlier this week that, due to circumstances beyond their control, they would be cancelling the upcoming Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow and The 13-Storey Treehouse performances which were due to be held next week.

Director of Community Services for the Whitsunday Regional Council, Julie Wright, apologised at the Council Ordinary meeting on Wednesday stating that they had issues with the smoke machine which needed to get fixed and then the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) inspectors were unable to sign-off on compliance.

A Council statement added that national staff shortages were to blame and matters beyond their control caused the building fire safety certificate to be delayed.

“This means that we unfortunately have no choice but to cancel performances until the relevant body can issue our certificate,” read the statement.

“The safety of our community is paramount and as such we must obey all health and safety building requirements.”

Councillor John Collins was outraged by the news.

“How can this happen?” he said.

“We are going to be the laughing stock!”

The Melbourne Film Festival was due to show on Tuesday, May 3 and the The 13-Storey Treehouse was due to be held on Thursday, May 5 and Friday, May 6.

Anyone who has purchased a ticket for the events will be refunded in full.

Refunds for online bookings will be processed automatically back to your credit card, there is no need to contact the Box Office.

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Tassal’s Proserpine prawn farm is looking to up its production with a submission of plans to expand operations at its Whitsunday farm.

The farm, the largest in the country and which only recently brought in its largest haul in its three years of operation, is looking to fill more plates with more Whitsunday prawns.

In an effort to meet the ever-increasing demand, the company is aiming to produce 5350 tonnes of their black tiger prawns annually – up from their current roughly 3000 tonnes.

The current farm comprises 325 hectares of production ponds, and Tassal’s expansion would see the construction of a further 210 hectares worth.

The stage four expansion also includes plans for 59 hectares of water treatment ponds, two new pumping stations and inlet channels.

The planned ponds would be fed by the Gregory River and would be completed in stages: the first 69 ponds over 112ha and the second comprising 57 ponds over 98ha.

“Stage 4a is planned to commence in July 2022,” Tassals referral states, with the caveat the expansion obtains Commonwealth environmental approvals.

Tassal’s proposal states the new stages are connected to the existing farm and feed from the same intake channels, making them an extension, rather than an independent entity.

The company stated they were in the “early concept planning phase for future major expansion to the east of the existing farm”.

“While some infrastructure would be shared between the existing farm and future stages (e.g. hatchery facilities), the future farming operations would be largely independent,” the referral reads.

The completion of the project would see the creation of an extra 60 jobs on the site – not including those for local contractors who would benefit from the construction work.

The expansion would see the ponds operated from the mission control centre on the Proserpine site, which also runs Tassal’s two other farms in Mission Beach, Queensland, and Yamba, New South Wales.

The farm has seen constant progression in its operating system since Tassal, Australia’s largest aquaculture company, took over the once Fortune Group owned site in September 2018.

Alongside other aquaculture north of Rockhampton, the Tassal farm will contribute to the industry which is expected to be worth $1.34b by 2030.

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This week I want to focus on Airlie Beach, the holiday capital of Queensland. An area of natural beauty, ample opportunity and a community of doers that just get on with the job at hand. This collaboration and fostering of working relationships are key to our region’s growth.

As we look to casting our votes in a few weeks, it is time to take measure of what the role of an elected member actually is. For me, it is very clear. You work to serve the people you represent. Your word should be backed by your actions and this is something I’m willing to be judged on.

Politics should never serve as a platform for ‘pushing’ your own agenda. When an elected official fails to listen to their constituents on key issues; they are failing to do their job.

Spending the last 12 months engaging with Whitsunday residents and tourism operators, I am very much aware of the key issues and just as importantly the key opportunities for people living in this community.

As someone who manages projects for a living, I can honestly say I am excited by proposed infrastructure developments for the Whitsundays. I recently met with local tourism operators and land-based tourist attractions were at the forefront of the agenda. Our patch needs an attraction that will ensure people stay in the area while the weather is rough offshore.

Projects such as the Sky Rail, a Reef Discovery Centre (doubling as a cyclone shelter) and Indigenous Cultural Centre are just a few that will entice people to stay in Airlie Beach for longer. There is great potential here and I will be advocating for projects like these because local vision deserves to become local reality.

The reef is central to tourism, it supports 64,000 jobs in Queensland and generates $6.4 billion in income. Whitsunday Tourism is a huge part of this and preserving national assets like the Great Barrier Reef is an important part of Labor’s plan for a Future Made in Australia.

To immediately boost conservation efforts and jobs, Labor will commit $85 million to scale up ‘shovel-ready’ work for coral to coast reef resilience and land restoration projects in reef catchments. We’ve committed to funding the Reef 2050 program through to the end of the decade, committing an extra $63 million over the forward estimates. Australia’s incredible natural environment is part of who we are as a country and is a drawcard for tourists all over the world. We need to shore up the future of these natural assets just like we do other parts of the economy.

I will end this week’s column where I started; actions speak louder than words and the leaders of both parties have shown this.

In a clear demonstration that we are taken for granted and don’t matter, Morrison hasn’t set foot in the electorate. He’s flown over the top of us twice to Cairns for announcements. Then bunny hopped down the coastline for photo ops, skipping Dawson completely.  

Albo on the other hand, drove the length of Queensland recently. Spent three consecutive days in the Dawson electorate speaking with farmers in Bowen over a beer, had a working breakfast with tourism operators at the Coral Sea Resort and met with local industry and primary producers.

Only Labor will build a better future for the Whitsundays.

Advertising Feature

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The entire Greater Airlie Beach area was brought to a standstill last Thursday following a once in a generation, freak accident where a semi-trailer span off the road in wet conditions, slamming into power poles which then ricocheted across the road, completely preventing any traffic from passing by for over six hours.

The incident took place at 11am on Thursday, April 21 directly opposite Whitsunday Green Golf Course and near to the Whitsunday Transit bus depot on Shute Harbour Road.

Due to electrical wires traversing the road and laying upon the vehicle, it took some time to free the driver and the road was not opened until 7pm.

At this point the build-up of traffic had reached as far back as Mount Marlow near Proserpine and in the other direction it extended as far as Whitsunday Shopping Centre in Cannonvale – a total of about 10 kilometres.

Initially only one lane was re-opened, and it took until 10.30pm that night for all accumulated traffic to pass.

Proserpine Highschool students and some primary school students who live in Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Jubilee Pocket were stranded on the other side of the incident, their buses unable to leave the Cannonvale depot and parents unable to pick them up.

During this time, kind volunteers, local schools and teachers all banded together to help students get comfortable while they endured the six-hour wait.

Pop-up sausage sizzles fed the hungry and a movie screening kept them entertained, meanwhile worried parents were appeased by regular communication from the schools, friends, and updates via social media throughout the event.

As soon as the road opened, Whitsunday Transit bus drivers were ready to leave Cannonvale and make the long trip to the respective schools before starting their drop-offs around 10pm instead of the usual 4pm.

Darren Crossley from Whitsunday Transit said he was incredibly proud of the whole Whitsunday Transit team.

“Our entire team from operations staff, office staff, workshop staff and of course our incredible driving team went above and beyond to ensure every child was transported home safely,” he said.

An incredible outpouring of thanks was also given by the community to school teachers who had stayed to look after children, as well as emergency services, Ergon Energy workers and of course the patient motorists who endured a long wait.

“We live in a region where we experience weather events, challenges with access and at times we feel the practical reality of the lack of equitable infrastructure,” said Member for Whitsunday, Amanda Camm.

“At times in life things just happen that are beyond our control - what is for sure is that as a community we band together.”

The scene of the accident: the jack-knifed semi-trailer in Cannonvale at 11am

Ergon Energy fixing power lines at the accident site at 10pm that evening

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