Vietnam veteran and Mackay local Gordon McCall has been recognised for 50 years of cumulative service as a member of the Returned Services League of Australia.

RSL Mackay President Ken Higgins presented Gordon with a 50-year certificate as well as a certificate detailing his service with the Australian Army at an RSL meeting in Mackay on Sunday.

LCpl. Gordon Glen McCall joined the Australian Army on May 16, 1958, and trained in the 11th National Service Training Battalion, completing basic training in the Brisbane suburb of Wacol.

He then completed follow up training as part of the 42nd Infantry Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.

He enlisted in his hometown of Mackay in 1966 and served under the Australian Army Service No. 1411194.

He went on to train at Kapooka, Ingleburn in New South Wales, and Canungra in Queensland before being posted in the Ingleburn Reinforcement Unit.

From there, Gordon was sent to South Vietnam in 1967.

His operational postings in Vietnam included the Australian Reinforcement Unit and the 1st Australian Task Force Headquarters Light Aid Detachment before joining the 5th and 7th Battalions of The Royal Australian Regiment between 1967 and 1968.

Gordon returned to Australia and was discharged in 1969 in Brisbane.

His total Vietnam War service spanned from 1962 to 1972 and he is a life member of Mackay RSL.

Apart from his service, Gordon has been in Mackay all his life.  

After the war, he worked with the local fire brigade and enjoys retirement today.

RSL Mackay President Ken Higgins congratulated Gordon on the achievement.

“A 50 year achievement is a great effort,” said Ken.

“I’ve known Gordon for a long, long time and we are very proud of him for being a member of the Mackay RSL.”

Gordon thanked everybody for their well wishes and says the RSL has been an important part of his life after service.

“I joined the RSL when I got back from Vietnam,” he said.

“You get to see your mates every couple of weeks.”

RSL Mackay President Ken Higgins presents Gordon McCall with his 50 years of RSL service certificate. Photo: Sam Gillespie

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Opening a brewery is everybody’s dream at some point.

Mackay-born Jamie Woods, affectionately known as Woodsy, has achieved the dream.

Woodsy opened Red Dog Brewery, alongside mates and business partners Jason Egan and Matt Lawton, last Friday to a rousing response from locals.

“It’s been great, mate,” Woodsy said on opening day.

“As soon as I opened the doors, we had 30 people in here.”

The bustling brewhouse is spread over two levels in an industrial space on the corner of Chain and Victoria Streets at the edge of the city.

The wide variety of beers on tap offers flavours seldom seen in Mackay pubs.

Opening day saw plenty of amber ales, pale ales, pilsners, Kolsch’s, and coffee porters poured, with an IPA and more exotic seasonal styles to come.

The menu also offers locally sourced spirits, colourful cocktails, and ice-cold slushies so there’s something for everyone.

Get Crafty With It

Jamie “Woodsy” Woods and Jason Egan were in Brisbane a couple of years ago and ended up in a craft brewery in Teneriffe.

Jason turned to Jamie with an idea that would change their lives.

“It was his idea, he just said, ‘maybe we should open one in Mackay,’” Woodsy said.

“We went to a few different breweries down there and said ‘yeah, we can do this in Mackay, but first we need to learn how to brew.’”

With no background in brewing beer, the pair learnt that it’s an ever-evolving process.

“I don’t think you ever stop; you just keep learning more and more.”

After their first beer in Jason’s shed, which took 18 hours to brew, they continued to evolve, experiment, and refine, finding their calling in the process.

“I got a bit of a passion for it over that time, trying to perfect it and get it better.”

A couple of years later, the boys opened Mackay’s newest craft brewery and taproom, but Woodsy says a lot more people were involved.

“It was a collaborative effort from a lot of people in town,” he said.

“It took a lot of people to get us to this point and without those people we wouldn’t be opening the doors today.”

The brewery provides a relaxed and social atmosphere in an industrial setting, with plenty of space to sit inside and out, live music, and food trucks out the front.

The variety of beers is the widest you’ll find in Mackay, with the amber ale being Woodsy’s pick of the bunch.

“We add hops to our amber ale, and it gives it a fruity aroma as opposed to a traditional amber that you’d get in the UK where it’s just a malty beer,” he said.

All beer is brewed onsite and sold exclusively through the brewery, with growlers and refills available if you want the Red Dog experience on your own back patio.

Woody says his vision is to provide a tastier alternative to the beer drinkers of Mackay.

“We understood that the Mackay market is a very traditional lager market for beer, but we want to be able to change that mentality – there’s other beer flavours out there,” he said.

“You can get a lot more flavour out of a craft beer than what you can out of the commercial stuff.

“Our vision is that more people drink craft beer.”

Red Dog Brewery Brewer and Co-Owner Jamie “Woodsy” Woods was stoked with the opening day turnout. Photo: Sam Gillespie

Locals were out in force to support the opening of Red Dog Brewery and sample their delicious beers. Photos: Sam Gillespie

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Each year nearly 10,000 women and children seeking safety are turned away from accommodation and support services due to lack of beds and resources.

In response to these damning statistics, the Labor government has announced funding support for frontline organisations supporting women and children fleeing violence.

Mackay Women’s Services Executive Director Linda-Anne Northey welcomed Labor candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton and Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence Senator Jenny McAllister to Mackay Women’s Services to make the announcement last Thursday.

“We recently just had our women’s forum and we’ve listened to the needs of women in our area through that forum,” Mr Hamilton said.

“We’ve come up with some really great outcomes.”

The Housing Australia Future Fund will involve building 30,000 affordable homes across the country, including 4,000 homes to be allocated specifically to women and children fleeing violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness.

An additional $100 million will be allocated to the refurbishment and revitalisation of crisis accommodation across the country, with over $2 million to be dedicated to expanding crisis accommodation options in Central Queensland.

Labor will also invest in 500 community sector workers to focus on domestic and family violence, which will provide an additional 12 workers in the Central Queensland region.

Senator Jenny McAllister says this could help as many as 187 women and children to find refuge.

“Right across the country, we hear that women are struggling when they look to find accommodation for themselves and their children when escaping violence,” Senator McAllister said.

“I know that Linda-Anne Northey and all of the community service workers in the local area work incredibly hard to support every woman that comes through their door.”

Linda-Anne Northey says that providing somewhere safe to sleep is the first and most important step.

“All of our services work so closely together to value-add and to find resources out of almost nothing or to work together to make sure that there’s a cushion of support put in place, but to actually have a house or somewhere for people to go is a core start to making sure that people feel safe,” Ms Northey said.

Ms Northey says there is an ever-increasing demand for these services in the region, requiring an increase of dedicated social workers to support those in need.

“Unfortunately, in recent weeks, we’re getting more and more that are walking in, so we need more face-to-face workers being able to support the number of walk-ins and the response required,” Ms Northey said.

“Getting that extra accommodation, knowing that there’s housing, that basic survival need, and knowing that people will have an advocate to walk alongside them and support them through the system and support them to succeed in the move to that housing, absolutely fundamental and critical to their change of safety and to be in a better situation.”

Labor candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton, Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence Senator Jenny McAllister, and Mackay Women’s Services Executive Director Linda-Anne Northey. Photo: Sam Gillespie

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Some of the Greater Whitsunday region’s change champions travelled to Brisbane to meet with a range of parliamentarians and key advisors to showcase the Mackay region’s strong economic credentials and the regional ambitions to attract new industry.

Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) hosted a small delegation to Brisbane in March which culminated in a Greater Whitsunday Showcase event at Parliament House, attended by the Premier of Queensland, the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk, Treasurer Mr Cameron Dick, Leader of the Opposition Mr David Crisafulli and other key government Ministers.

The delegation included Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker; Whitsunday Regional Council CEO Mr Rod Ferguson; Red Cat Adventures Director Mr Asher Telford; Bowen Gumlu Growers Association CEO Mr Ry Collins; GW3 Director Mr Jordan Miller; Resources Centre of Excellence CEO Mr Steven Boxall and Nordzucker Mackay Sugar Mr Jannik Olejas.

GW3 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ms Kylie Porter said the theme of the delegation was Greater Whitsundays is for greater.

“One of the objectives of the delegation was to build the profile of the Greater Whitsunday region amongst parliamentarians in Brisbane,” Ms Porter said.

“The other was to discuss regionally specific topics including critical minerals testing, biofutures, aerospace, and the future of the gas reserves in the Bowen Basin region.”

Ms Porter said the delegation hosted five key meetings with Ministers and MPs in Brisbane, and hosted an event attended by 70 parliamentarians, industry leaders and key decision makers, co-hosted by Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert and Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm.

“The role of delegates was to provide the ‘real face’ to parliamentarians: to tell an authentic story about our region’s vision for the future; how it is evolving and what that means to the Queensland economy.

“It was an incredibly useful trip and GW3 looks forward to leading more delegations in the future.” Ms Porter said.

GW3 delegates with MPs and Ministers at Queensland Parliament. Photos: Supplied GW3

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It’s a little club which hosts an iconic event, and locals are calling on the Federal Government to giddy up when it comes to supporting the Nebo Showgrounds.

The Nebo community is calling for a $2.7 million commitment from federal candidates to back regional Australia and fund the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan Stage 1 in this year’s election.

Isaac community groups and Council have joined forces to advocate for funding to revitalise the Nebo Showgrounds facility and futureproof one of the region’s most utilised assets with infrastructure, parking and camping upgrades.

Mayor Anne Baker said Nebo Showgrounds is a critical piece of community infrastructure in need of important upgrades and it is time for Canberra to take notice.

“This facility supports our grassroot industries, community groups and neighbouring towns hosting over 685 events annually,” Mayor Baker said.

“From the national events like the Nebo Rodeo to its role in supporting the agricultural sector, communities in regional Australia are built on places like the Nebo Showgrounds.

“We have ambitious plans, but we cannot do this on our own. Federal candidates committing funds to this project is a vote of support for regional Australia.”

The Nebo Showgrounds are booked out for more than 80 days of the year, attracting 20,000 visitors annually with an estimated local economy return of about $1.2 million.

Mayor Baker said there is a lot of potential for growth in existing activities as well as attracting new industry and events.

“This is why we have developed the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan in consultation with community to maximise the facility’s full potential,” Mayor Baker said.

Local cattle producer Jarrod Deguara, who competes with his teenage son in team roping events at Nebo, said Nebo Rodeo is Australia’s biggest one-day rodeo, attracting 5,000 people from across regional Australia.

“To get federal support for this project would be phenomenal because the Nebo Rodeo is not just a community event … this is nationwide event,” the Nebo Bushman’s Carnival committee member said.

Joy Cooper from the Nebo Pony Club said Nebo Showgrounds are an essential place for the rural and regional communities.

“All of it costs money and we’re only little clubs and we can only do so much,” Ms Cooper said.

“That’s why this federal election we are calling on candidates to support projects that matters to us like the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan.”

Visit https://www.isaac.qld.gov.au/homepage/276/nebo-showgrounds-masterplan---stage-1 for more information.

Local cattle producer Jarrod Deguara, who competes with his teenage son in team roping events at Nebo, said Nebo Rodeo is Australia’s biggest one-day rodeos, attracting 5,000. Images supplied: Isaac Regional Council

Nebo community is calling for Canberra to back projects that matter to regional Australia just like the Nebo Showgrounds Masterplan

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People will hit the polling booths in May. At Mackay and Whitsunday Life, we want you to know about the policies of this year’s federal candidates, commencing with our Political Life Column next week.

To kick off proceedings, we invited Shane Hamilton, Labor’s candidate for Dawson, to share with our readers why he put his hand up for politics and where he stands on mining, manufacturing and sugar.

Born in Mackay, Mr Hamilton has a wide breadth of understanding for the region as a whole. He grew up in Sarina and played rugby league for the Crocodiles until he was 19, having to give the sport a rest due to injury. Now, he coaches his son’s U6 Magpies team and gets just as much enjoyment nurturing the next generation from the sideline.

From Sarina, he spent a few years living up the Pioneer Valley in Marian, before his boilermaking career took him throughout the Bowen Basin where his future was forged in mining.

“People ask me where I stand on mining, it’s an industry I’ve built my career in and most of my extended family work in the industry,” Mr Hamilton said.

“The employment the mining industry generates is phenomenal,” he said.

“I know there’s rhetoric around Labor and the Greens and it’s false. As a person who has built a career in mining, there’s no better person than me sitting in Canberra to say what’s really impacting people in the industry.

“That’s a big part of the reason I’ve thrown my hand up for politics, because I’m really passionate about protecting the hard-working Australians out there.”

Mr Hamilton said it’s not in Labor’s game plan to shut down mining.

“It’s in our game plan to create more opportunities, by using mining as a baseload industry, but by looking at the big picture and asking how we create other jobs around it moving forward,” he said.

“My personal big push is regional manufacturing, bringing that back.

“We could be competing with the likes of Germany, building a name for quality, not trying to compete with places like China on price. I’ve seen steel towers shipped into Hay Point from overseas for big projects. As a boilermaker, I saw a lost opportunity in making that product here.”

Mr Hamilton said he believes sugar is another important part of the Dawson electorate and wants to fight for a fair go for farmers.

“My parents rented 160 acres in Sarina so we grew up with cattle and cane,” he said.

“Traditionally cane farmers don’t think a Labor bloke will understand them but it’s an area I’m really focused on and wanting to learn more about.

“Labor’s energy policies focus on lowering energy costs for farmers so they don’t have to think twice about whether they can afford to irrigate.”

Keep an eye out on our political column every week until the federal election to find out more from the federal candidates who opted in to take part in this opportunity.

Labor Candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton with his wife Anita, son Beau and daughters, Farrah and Isabella

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Traffic backed up past the Ron Camm Bridge last Friday when a suspected chlorine spill from the Memorial Swim Centre brought parts of Mackay’s CBD to a standstill.

An employee of the pool’s contractor Belgravia Leisure raised the alarm about a possible chlorine spill shortly before 7am.

This sparked a quick and major response from emergency services, including securing a safety perimeter and managing motorists in the area.

Investigations since determined there was only a minor leak on a pipe of the chlorine storage system.

“About three to five litres of chlorine had leaked into a contained pit, which was part of the system. This has now been rectified,” A Mackay Regional Council spokesperson said.

“There was also about 150 litres of liquid in a bunded area, but investigations have determined this was pool water and there was no leak.

“Once again, council wishes to thank emergency services and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland for their quick response.”

Council will hold further discussions with Belgravia about the incident.

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Another precious life has been lost on the Bruce Highway, this time a promising young medical student was the victim of the treacherous stretch of road between Sarina and St Lawrence last Sunday Morning.

Yi-Jing Zeng was a student at James Cook University where the news of her sudden death sent disbelief through the medical fraternity.

Yi-Jing was the Secretary to MINT, a Physician Interest Group at JCU consisting of medical students and junior doctors. Her colleagues paid a heartfelt tribute to her saying Yi-Jing was an exceptional friend to many of them.

“Our team is in need of some time to grieve and pay respect to our lost beloved executive member. She has been diligently working with us for what has been an incredible few months for MINT this year, with her leadership in rolling out our revived premium memberships and organizing the logistics for all of our events so far,” the group said in a statement.

“Her team spirit and positivity will forever stay with us and will be remembered for the kindness she always had to offer.

“We hope to support our colleagues in this extremely difficult time and the MINT executive team offers its deepest condolences to all of Yi-Jing’s dearest family and friends.”

The Australian Medical Professionals’ Society said they were devastated by the loss of the sixth-year medical student.

“Our sincere condolences to her family, friends and fellow students and work colleagues,” the group issued in a statement.

Yi-Jing had been driving her Suzuki Swift from Mackay, heading South on Sunday March 27.

Police reported that initial investigations indicate that at approximately 7.45am near North Inneston Road and Petersen Road, her Suzuki Swift collided with a truck.

Yi-Jing was the sole occupant of the car and reportedly died from her injuries at the scene. Locals reported that it had been raining heavily that morning.

Police said that the 60-year-old male truck driver was not physically injured.

The incident closed the Bruce Highway in the area for approximately three hours and the Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

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A worker was killed in Moranbah North mine last Friday after suffering fatal head injuries in an event still undergoing investigation.

The 59-year-old father of two, Gaven Feltwell, was in the Moranbah North mine when the tragedy occurred.

Mr Feltwell was reportedly working on “ancillary work” moving an old piece of equipment in a roadway when he was struck in the head.

He was employed as a contractor for Mastermyne, a mining services firm, at the site owned by Anglo American mine.

"We send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to his family, colleagues and our communities as we process this tragedy," Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker said in a Facebook post.

"Our hearts break all over again today. On behalf of Isaac, I extend our gratitude and support to emergency workers who were there for him last night."

The company has since suspended operations at the site while Resources Safety and Health Queensland investigate the incident.

Mr Feltwell was honoured by the Moranbah Community at the Moranbah Miners’ Memorial with a moving service last Saturday night. Mayor Baker laid a wreath on behalf of the community who stood for a minute's silence.

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Buckets of popcorn, an outdoor movie and some live and loud local music are the treats for youth aged between 12 to 25 in the region, who are invited to kick back at three free events funded by council during Youth Week.

The free events will stretch from Melba House, Marian on Wednesday, 6 April, to Sarina’s Field of Dreams on Thursday, 7 April, and then to Bluewater Quay, Mackay on Friday, 8 April.

Each event will feature a screening of Space Jam: A New Legacy, as well as local performances from Sarina’s Tiffany Grace, and JONTE, who will be performing before the opening credits.

Mayor Greg Williamson said council’s youth development team had put a tremendous amount of work into the events and promised they would be great fun.

“Over three consecutive evenings, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, we will set up the big movie screen outdoors, have some local up-and-coming artists performing live music and there will also be an outdoor art gallery,” Mayor Williamson said.

“The art gallery will feature photographs from young people that live in the Pioneer Valley and Sarina.

“Food will be available for purchase and, of course, there will be free popcorn for everyone!”

Mayor Williamson also said that the youth development team would be presenting the highlights from the YOL1000 project so far.

“YOL stands for Youth Out Loud, and it’s a project where the team is working to have conversations with 1000 young people from across our region to better understand the needs of our region’s youth,” he said.

Mayor Williamson said the group has already recorded more than 800 conversations.

Queensland Youth Week is the annual celebration of young people aged 12 to 25 years and the positive contributions they make to Queensland. This year the week will be held from April 1–11.

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A clever solution to an infestation of weed is reducing the need for herbicide while providing an alternative source of food for local graziers.

Reef Catchments is working to protect and restore wetlands south of Mackay, assisting landholders in the Sandringham Wetland Complex to manage their land and improve grazing practices.

As part of this project, which is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, a long reach excavator has been used in a trial effort to mechanically remove water hyacinth and put it into the adjacent fallow cane paddocks as mulch, as an alternative to spraying vast amounts of herbicides to control this localised infestation.

Reef Catchments and the landholder are now investigating if the mulch layer of aquatic weeds in the paddock will improve soil conditions and benefit the next cane crop, optimising the balance between production and ecosystem protection, promoting a healthier environment for the native birds and fish species, and reducing pollutants running off to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

The potential for biocontrol releases is also being investigated, which could deal with the infestation long-term, since the seed bank can be viable for up to 25 years.

The Plane Creek catchment, in which the Sandringham Wetland Complex is located, covers 2,539 square kilometres, and 28 per cent of the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac (MWI) region.

Reef Catchments is partnering with landholders in the Sandringham Wetland Complex to improve fish habitat, restore native vegetation and improve water quality. Reef Catchments has already assisted local landholders to implement more than 6.5km of new wildlife friendly fencing and 11 additional off-stream watering points to manage stock access in sensitive ecological areas.

Most wetlands in Queensland are on private land, and many are on properties that run grazing businesses.

Reef Catchments Project Officer – Conservation and Communities, Carlos Bueno, said “The Sandringham Wetland Complex provides many vital functions to the local coastal area due to its unique soil types and water holding capacity. Improvements and adoption of best management practices on these critical ecosystems can enhance the ecosystem and improve grazing productivity.

“Graziers value the Sandringham Wetland Complex for providing water and feed for stock, and reserves during the dry season or droughts. The impacts of grazing on wetlands can include reduced water quality from additional nutrient inputs, increased soil compaction and reduced native vegetation.”

Wetlands are the boundary between two different ecosystems, dry and wet, which means they have a unique role in nutrient exchange and water supply to surrounding lands. They also provide habitat, food, and shelter to many different plants and animals including endangered, vulnerable, and migratory species.

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Helping to prepare today’s children for the jobs of the future was the catalyst in driving an expansion to one of Mackay’s growing Christian schools.

Carlisle Adventist College on Holts Road in Beaconsfield officially opened a new two-storey building last week to allow for the growing number of students building a future in technology and home economic subjects.

The rooms are designed to nurture collaborative learning and encourage problem-based skill solving which is an important part of preparing children for STEM-based careers.

The landscaping also incorporates a yarning circle for students to broaden their depth of understanding in Aboriginal culture, particularly understanding local history connected to the region’s Yuwibara people.

Federal Member for Dawson officially opened the new building which was made possible with $500,000 in funding from the Federal Government.

The large food technology space on the ground floor includes a learning café, while the upper rooms will be used for robotics and technology.

Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen officially opened additions to Carlisle Adventist College last Friday. Images supplied: Office of George Christensen

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The Federal Budget 2022 has dropped a cash bomb to ease the number one topic on the minds of ordinary Australians: the climbing cost of living.

It includes an extra tax cut for 10 million low- and middle-income workers worth up to $420 – while fuel excise will be slashed for the next six months.

Here's what you need to know.

Firstly, from July 1 this year, more than 10 million individuals will receive a one-off $420 cost of living tax offset, meaning eligible low- and middle-income earners will be up to $1,500 better off for a single income household, or $3,000 better off for dual income household.

Additionally, the Government has committed to helping Australians most in need by providing a one-off, income-tax-exempt payment of $250 to six million eligible pensioners, welfare recipients, veterans, and eligible concession card holders in April 2022.

The fuel excise will also be slashed by 50 per cent for six months, dropping to 22.1 cents per litre, which will see prices drop at the bowser over the next two weeks.

Another major issue addressed in the 2022 Budget is unemployment, training, and job security.

To help Australians gain more highly skilled and better paying employment, the Government is investing in the following measures to expand and upskill the workforce.

On top of the $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy announced in the 2020-21 Budget, the Government will invest a further $1 billion into the manufacturing sector.

More Australians will be trained in key skills across key industries, with $2.8 billion committed to supporting apprenticeships, building on the $13.3 billion spent on apprenticeships and traineeships since 2013.

$3.7 billion in Commonwealth funding has been committed to a new skills agreement that has the capacity to deliver up to 800,000 additional training places for Australians.

The Budget also includes $2.2 billion for a research commercialisation action plan to bring industries and universities together and develop the next generation of innovative Australian companies.

Small businesses will have access to a new 20 per cent bonus deduction for eligible external training courses for upskilling employees.

The Government is also providing $1 billion for a new Technology Investment Boost to encourage small businesses to go digital.

Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry says Australia’s economic recovery is leading the world.

“More Australians are in work than ever before and the unemployment rate is now forecast to reach 3.75 per cent in 2022, the lowest rate in close to 50 years,” Ms Landry said.

Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry says the Government’s plan for a stronger future provides cost of living relief, creates more jobs, guarantees essential services, and keeps Australians safe. Photo: supplied

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Three Mackay fishermen were rescued by the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter after their boat sank off Dolphin Heads last Friday evening.

The men, a 26-year-old from Rural View, a 34-year-old from Beaconsfield, and a 29-year-old from Slade Point, had spent the day fishing in a 16-foot centre console boat at a nearby island.

They were returning home when the boat started taking on water, reportedly due to a fault in the vessel’s bilge pump.

The trio started bailing water from the vessel before quickly roping together some jerry cans as a floatation device.

They then activated their emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and RACQ CQ Rescue was alerted to the beacon by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

The Mackay-based helicopter was alerted to the EPIRB activation approximately 18 kilometres north of Mackay at about 5pm Friday.

10 minutes after departing the Mackay Airport, the rescue helicopter crew, including a Critical Care Paramedic and rescue crewman, spotted the three men in the water about 5 kilometres offshore.

An RACQ CQ Rescue crewman was winched down into the water three times to secure each survivor into a vest to be winched up into the helicopter as Dolphin Heads locals watched on.

The crewman said the exhausted fishermen were incredibly relieved to see help arrive from overhead after spending about an hour in the water trying to swim to shore.

They had already swum approximately three kilometres from the rapidly sinking vessel and were using the empty jerry cans to keep afloat.

Volunteer Marine Rescue Mackay also responded and assisted in the rescue.

All three men were physically unharmed and were checked by the paramedic on board before being returned to Mackay Airport.

The men were incredibly relieved and happy to be back on dry land and to be reunited with their grateful families.

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It rained heavily on Monday 2 April 1962 but that did nothing to deter a total of 37 young children from attending the Proserpine Kindergarten on its opening day. No fewer than 51 children had previously registered with the association and an average attendance of 34.2 children per day maintained for several months until later in the year when an epidemic of measles swept through town.

The Proserpine Kindergarten Association had been formed on February 19 that year and the first president was Mr R E Horsford. Accommodation was the first priority. The Shire Council’s offer of the use of the old library building was accepted as suitable after some painting, fencing and the netting of a play enclosure. At such short notice, the association realised the difficulty of securing the services of a qualified kindergarten teacher. However, Mrs Shirley Robinson’s wide experience with children was looked on favourably and her offer to look after the children temporarily was accepted. A roster of mothers assisted Mrs Robinson until a fulltime assistant, Mrs Gloria Bloxsom, was appointed. Mrs Bloxsom had particularly useful skills, being a qualified hospital nursing sister and an accomplished pianist.

In the first year, morning sessions only were held at a cost of 2/6d (12.5 cents) per child for 3, 4 and 5 year olds. This included provision of fruit and sandwiches. At this point the kindergarten was totally self-funded by fees, hall rental, raffles and fundraising events. Money had to be found for wages, equipment, including a piano, and repairs and maintenance. The Education Department provided free milk to all children.

The year 1963 was an important one for the kindergarten. Mrs Pat Burns, a fully qualified teacher, was appointed, with Mrs Bloxsom continuing as her assistant. Affiliation was granted with the Queensland Creche and Kindergarten Association and an application for an annual grant of ₤150 was made to the Education Department. The numbers of registered children rose to 68 and afternoon sessions were introduced. Subsequent enthusiastic committees organised various fundraising activities such as fancy-dress competitions, concerts, the Bride of the Year, golf days and even a Find the Ball competition in “The Courier Mail”. Their main objective was to upgrade the building.

In 1967, the kindergarten moved into the old Windermere school building which had been relocated and re-erected in 1946 in the grounds of Proserpine State School behind where the Entertainment Centre now stands. It continued operating from that building for forty- five years.

On May 22, 2013. “The Proserpine Guardian” ran the following advertisement: “For sale: Proserpine Kindergarten has purchased its new building. Old building - must be sold.”

Proserpine Public Kindergarten has seen hundreds of children pass through its doors in the past 60 years.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum.

Gloria Bloxom on piano and teacher Pat Burns with the children in 1963

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