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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The Whitsunday Climate Change Innovation Hub welcomed tourism operators on its deep dive of the latest renewable energy options available in its Green Electricity Information Session on Tuesday.

Part of The Hub’s Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project (WHHP) workshop series, the session was aimed at supporting the Whitsunday tourism sector and the wider community by showing them the options available for reducing their carbon emissions and improving sustainability.

Partnering with the Coral Sea Academy, The Hub brought together speakers from Ergon Energy, Green Energy Technologies, and Edify Energy.

The Green Electricity Information Session was hosted at The Lookout Lounge, Coral Sea Marina.

Lee Hawkins, Climate Change Resilience Officer at The Hub said around “50 per cent of the municipal or human sourced carbon emissions in the Whitsunday region comes from electricity consumption.”

“At this information session, the Whitsunday community learned more about how they can explore ways to reduce their direct emissions,” Ms Hawkins said.

Presenters at the event covered the gamut of climate change topics relevant to Whitsunday Business Owners and how they could change their approach.

It included optimising energy ratings for property portfolios, case studies on successful renewable energy installations, how to buy green electricity through the grid, and Power Purchase Agreements with local solar farms.

The talks of carbon emission reduction came at an incredibly salient time for the region as a Unesco Delegation oversees the Great Barrier Reef’s health ahead of a major decision which is due to be announced in July.

The Hub agreed that the Whitsunday Islands are one of three key locations with current projects underway as part of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Islands Initiative, which is working to restore critical island habitats to protect ecosystems and save vulnerable species.

The initiative is a 10-year program supported by funding from Lendlease, the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, the Queensland Government, and the Fitzgerald Family Foundation.

Climate Innovation Hub’s Olivia Brodhurst, Lee Hawkins, Edify Energy representative Manas Choudhury, Kon Flaherty from Green Energy Technologies Whitsunday, and Damien Krauklis from Edify Energy

Whitsunday Councillor Al Grundy attended, as well as Tony Fontes, Whitsunday Conservation Council Spokesperson

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The young people of the Whitsundays and their families are invited to Proserpine Youth Space next Friday for a fun afternoon of activities with the opportunity to chat with a range of local services.

Whitsunday Ballers are setting up their gel-blasting range for attendees to experience, a gladiator duel to challenge guests, and there will be free face-painting, fun workshops, demonstrations, games and prizes.

Many of the activities will be held by local youth service representatives who will be available for questions by young people and their families in a relaxed and easy-going environment.

“This is a great opportunity to see local services that help support youth all together in one place, so they know what’s out there to help them,” said Youth Space Coordinator Renee Buckley.

“There will be loads of fun activities too – we even have an obstacle course where you can time yourself going round the course with and without ‘beer goggles’ on so you can see the effects of alcohol on your response rates.”

Also in attendance will be PCYC Whitsundays who will be providing information about their new ‘Braking the Cycle’ program which helps kids attain their drivers licence by matching them with older mentors who assist with accruing the 100 hours needed to take the test.

Whitsunday Counselling and Support, MADEC, Selectability, Real Mates Talk, Lives Lived well and Headspace will also be present on the day.

The Lions will be cooking up a free BBQ for everyone.

The event kicks-off at 3pm on Friday 8th April and winds down at 7pm.

Youth Space is open from Tuesday to Friday throughout the school holidays from 11.30am to 5.30pm.

A home away from home for young people between the ages of 8 and 21, the centre has a pool table, TV, kitchen, arts activities and more.

Everyone is welcome anytime to the Youth Space centre located at 69 Marathon Street in Proserpine.

Free face painting

Free gel blasting experience

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This Whitsunday’s newest mental health and counselling service for local youth was officially launched to the community last week with a formal ceremony followed by relaxed lunch.

Headspace Whitsundays, located on Proserpine Main Street, is a free service that offers early intervention and mental health support to those aged 12-25 years old.

The team offer face to face counselling for issues such as alcohol and other drugs, vocational support as well as sexual and physical health needs.

Over 50 people attended the event including Member for Whitsundays Amanda Camm MP and local elder, Aunty Sue with her son Ryan.

Members of the health industry, groups connected with the service such as PCYC, high school students and contractors who helped construct the space were also invited to the celebrations.

The launch party began with a Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony and storytelling by Aunty Sue and her son Ryan.

Afterwards, there were speeches and the cutting of the ribbon, followed by an opportunity for guests to take a tour of the facilities in small groups.

Lunch and refreshments were then served and young local musicians played music to entertain the crowd while everyone mingled and enjoyed the festivities.

Headspace Whitsunday is a is a satellite office which is open to the public three days a week from Monday through to Thursday.

With a Clinical lead, two clinicians, a Youth and Community Engagement Officer and a Clinical Receptionist as well as a Youth Reference Group the team have a wealth of knowledge which can assist with a broad range of issues.

Alannah Fitzpatrick (headspace Whitsundays Youth Reference Group Member), Abbie O’Sheehy (headspace Whitsundays Youth Reference Group Member), Amanda Camm (Member for Whitsunday)

Abbie O’Sheehy (headspace Whitsundays Youth Reference Group Member), Kiera Mansfield (Head of Centre Services, headspace National), Whitsunday Elder Aunty Sue, Robin Whyte (CEO – Northern Queensland Primary Health Network) and Luke Guazzo (CEO – Northern Australia Primary Health Ltd)

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Thieves Steal Yellow Ute From Bowen

Shortly after 8am, a yellow 1990 Toyota Hilux utility was stolen from a shed at a rural property on the Bruce Highway near Sandy Creek in Bowen.

At the time of the theft, the car was parked in the shed and was left unlocked.

The early hours robbery occurred on 17 March, and the yellow utility’s registration number is 655ZSJ.

Since then, the stolen vehicle has been linked to a stealing incident on Palmerston Street, Pimlico in Townsville on 19 March.

Police are encouraging anyone who might have information about the original offence or the current location of the stolen car to contact Policelink as soon as possible.

As well, local law enforcement has taken the opportunity to remind all vehicle owners that they need to ensure that their cars are secured at all times – even when unattended.

“If you witness any suspicious activity, at any time of the day, please report the matter as soon as possible,” Senior Constable Steve Smith said.

To report any information quote these reference numbers via Crime Stoppers: QP2200475569, QP2200482901.

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The brave heroes at VMR Whitsunday were tasked to attend a serious situation on Sunday morning when a man suffered a suspected Box Jellyfish sting at Butterfly Bay on Hook Island.

The individual was a guest on a charter boat vessel.

With the RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopter unable to attend the incident, the volunteers at VMR Whitsunday jumped to action, transporting Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics to the remote location as quickly as possible.

Whale Song VMR2 was deployed first, racing the paramedics to the site at 37 knots and arriving at the scene in just 27 minutes.

Coral Sea Marina VMR1, the patient transfer vessel, followed shortly behind arriving 45 minutes later.

By the time the teams attended to the patient he had been transferred to Hayman Island Resort marina where he was being looked after by the island’s emergency care staff.

As soon as the paramedics arrived, they stabilised the patient which took roughly 45 minutes.

A third paramedic from Hamilton Island also came to support the crew, transported to the site on a fast charter boat to ensure there was enough assistance.

The patient was transferred to Coral Sea Marina VMR1 along with his brother and the pair were brought back to the marina, tying up alongside at 12.55pm.

The entire operation had taken less than two hours.

After the incident, a test uncovered that there was a troponin leak in the patient’s body – this is an enzyme that is released when the heart is under extreme stress like a heart attack – and it was likely the paramedics saved his life.  

“A great team effort by all concerned!” said Mal Priday from Whitsunday VMR.

“Di at the base, staff at Hayman Island Resort, the Hamilton and Airlie Beach paramedics, and both rescue boat crews – to help a patient that was in a very dangerous situation. Well done, everybody!”

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A surprise announcement this week caused discontent among many locals in the region who believe they should have been consulted before our northern-most township was named Capital of the Whitsundays.

Following discussions at a state level, all regions in Australia are now being asked to nominate a capital town as part of a nationwide movement that will see individual regions work more autonomously and with a more centralised approach.

The decision has been made using such credentials as which township showcases the best beaches, provides the most industry and income for its region, has the friendliest townsfolk and is generally better than the other towns in the region.

Mr Loof from Airlie Beach said that he has resided in the Whitsundays for 20 years and believes it should have been Airlie Beach instead.

“This must be a joke!” he said.

“Airlie Beach is the best town by far – we are the gateway to the Whitsundays – we have all the restaurants, bars and nightlife – we are the most progressive place to live by far!”

Ms Jan Kidd from Proserpine disagreed, saying that they should have picked a country town that is steeped in history and has a wealth of farming knowledge.

“Proserpine was the first town in the Whitsundays and therefore should be the one named as its capital,” she said.

A resident from Collinsville also voiced her concerns, stating that the mining town of Collinsville always gets overlooked when in fact it is the one bringing in all the money for the region.

“We have the mines here in Collinsville - it is all our hard work that makes the rest of the region rich, so we should be the best – I will be complaining about this for sure!” said Ms Longnose.

Meanwhile, many locals and business owners in Bowen are celebrating the news and welcoming the special treatment which will undoubtedly follow.

“This news is great for our town and finally means that we have an answer to the age-old question about which town in the Whitsundays is the best - now we all know it is Bowen,” said Mr Gotya.

“Hopefully this will mean that we get a larger portion of state and federal funding – because we deserve it!”

It seems that so far this rash move by the state is only breeding contention and divisive behaviour which is the opposite of its original intention.

Due to the uproar that has ensued, the state is asking for residents to stop calling directly on the matter and to please submit all correspondence in a calm and orderly fashion through the proper means and send all letters directly to aprilfoolsjoke@state.gov.au.

 “This news is great for our town and finally means that we have an answer to the age-old question about which town in the Whitsundays is the best - now we all know it is Bowen,” said Mr Gotya.

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The Federal Budget was announced on Tuesday evening with an impressive $37.9 billion allocated for regional Australia, $1.7 billion of which is due to be spent directly on Central and North Queensland.

Some key highlights include $1 billion for the Great Barrier Reef to help protect its health and resilience - this is in addition to the $3 billion Reef 2050 plan.

A Gas Wells Trials initiative was also allocated $15.6 million in the North Bowen and Galilee basins, its aim is to improve gas recovery and lower production costs by trialling innovative gas drilling and well completion techniques.

In addition, the hospitality, agricultural, and tourism sectors will be able to secure more casual workers thanks to an extra 11,000 working holiday-maker visas available for prospective backpackers.

Infrastructure also saw substantial investment with significant improvements to the Bruce Highway, a $11.6 million spend over five years to Bowen-based North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority, $80 million to the future construction of the Bowen Pipeline, and of course $483 million towards the construction of the Urannah Dam.

LNP candidate for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, said that everyone from Mackay through to Townsville will reap the rewards when the much-anticipated Urannah Dam goes ahead.

“We’ve got the good news on funding for some terrific projects and the biggest of these for me is almost half a billion dollars to build Urannah Dam,” he said.

“I’ll keep shouting this news from the rooftops because it is a game-changer for our region through the creation of about 1800 jobs, the opening up of 20,000 hectares of irrigated land for high value crops, the provision of water for our towns and for our mines and the potential to create hydro power.

“It’s a project that will transform our region and will reap benefits for future generations.”

Meanwhile, Labor candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton said he is concerned that the vast majority of working families in this region won't get any relief from this budget.  

“I'm very sceptical that the Urannah Dam project will even get the funding - we have seen many times the LNP announce the shiny brochure but never deliver on their promises,” he said.

“It would have been good to see more on housing pressure relief - people can't find houses to live in at the moment, the cost of rent or purchasing a house is quickly getting away from people with many at risk of becoming homeless.  

“There is also no long-term vision on extreme weather proofing our region from cyclones or floods which would help lower insurance premiums and our service sectors have missed out with no additional public hospital funding keeping people on waiting lists for longer.”

Dissenting voices from Labour and other political commentators have noted that the budget can be viewed as a "short term cash splash" aimed at pleasing voters ahead of a Federal election.

The overall consensus, however, is that the budget is positive, reserved and realistic – in many ways Australia being the envy of nations around the world for how our unemployment rates are decreasing and our general standard of living improving as we emerge from COVID.

In Your Pocket

• A saving of 22 cents at the fuel pump for six months

• $420 cost of living tax offset for low-to-middle income earners

• $250 cost of living supplement for six million Australians

• Small businesses tax deduction boost of 20 per cent

• Incentives for small business to train staff and employ apprentices

• 20 weeks of paid parental leave (single parents included)

• Cheaper medicines and more regional medical centres

• More mental health and social services, aged care and NDIS funding

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The Airlie Beach Festival of Music has been voted Festival of the Year at the Queensland Music Awards, representing the Whitsunday region and carving a commanding place at the top.

After 10 years delivering music magic to thousands of people from their iconic main stage tent at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, the festival has been acknowledged among the best of the best in their field.

One of our region’s favourite local festivals has just been named ‘People’s Choice’ Festival of the Year at the Queensland Music Awards which was held at the Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane on Tuesday evening.

The Airlie Beach Festival of Music has been running for a decade come November and organisers say this announcement is a wonderful way to celebrate 10 years of passion, dedication, and determination.  

“For a small boutique festival like ours to even get a look-in is a huge thing for us – it’s definitely given us an amazing kick-along for 10 years hard work,” said Festival Coordinator Ellie Hanlon.

“It was awesome to be up here and to be recognised alongside other big names – and then to take it out! – I really don’t know any words.

A small contingent from Airlie Beach attended the event, including Ellie Hanlon, Margie Murphy from Airlie Events and Passport to Airlie Organiser Stacey Robertson-Falvey along with Festival Ambassador Sarah McLeod from Superjesus.

Festival founder, Gavin Butlin, said given the event was one of only two finalists, and up against the much larger ‘Big Red Bash’, he was stunned, honoured, and humbled by the win.

“Ten years ago, this festival was just a dream and now look where we’ve come,” he said.

“I am so proud of what our small but dedicated team has achieved, and I can’t wait to make this year’s 10th anniversary festival our best yet.”

Around 400 people from the music industry packed the hall for the gala dinner event which saw over 20 awards handed out to winners from a range of categories which included song of the year, video of the year, highest selling single as well as winners from the different music genres.

Airlie Beach Festival of Music were thrilled to represent the region and take home the lucrative state award in honour of their popular event.

“To all our Airlie Beach Festival of Music family – thank you!” said Ellie Hanlon.

“We’ve got such a dedicated team – and to everyone in the community who comes along and supports our events – thank you!”

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L-R: Margie Murphy from Airlie Events, Passport to Airlie Organiser Stacey Robertson-Falvey, Airlie Beach Festival of Music Coordinator Ellie Hanlon and Festival Ambassador Sarah McLeod from Superjesus

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Sixty per cent of people who own shares identify as male, and sixty-one per cent of women agree with the statement “I find investing confusing”, versus forty-one per cent of men.

Liz, a 31-year-old high school teacher working and living in Mackay is one of the many women who feels that the investing world is a male-dominated one.

Her investing journey began three months ago, meaning she’s in the very early stages, and already she’s found that breaking the bias has been not only incredibly rewarding, but also empowering.

“I really believed it wasn’t something for me,” Liz said.

“I thought it was too hard, and exclusively for the smart or rich people – the grownups.

“I’ve never spoken to another woman about investing, and even at work it’s my male colleagues, and the male doctors at my partners work that are doing the investing.”

In a world of ever-changing gender roles, women like Liz are making headway in male-dominated industries, both through their own head-first dives into the world of investment, and through sharing their stories with others.

Her own story began when she and her partner were saving furiously for a deposit for a home loan.

“The market is insane and we don’t know what our long-term plan is, or whether we wanted to buy in Mackay,” Liz said.

“We decided we weren’t ready to make the commitment yet, and we had the deposit sitting there and we thought, should we invest it?”

Both Liz and her partner are quite risk averse, but Liz started doing a bit of research and heard of Sharesies, as well as micro-investing.

The Sharesies platform is an accessible digital investment platform was a no-brainer with over 500,000 people using the platform in Australia and NZ, with the aim of breaking down the barriers to investing.

Through the platform, Liz joined the investing world, and is now advocating to other women in Mackay to keep breaking the bias and join the world of investing.

“It’s been interesting [trying to convince my co-workers], my staff room at school is all female and I come in and tell them I’m investing,” Liz said.

“It’s interesting to see the reaction – they’re unsure about it. We don’t usually talk about money.

“They’re still on the fence, but I think I’ve convinced two of them that they should get started. I look forward to discussing my shares with them.”

Liz said that she feels more confident in her financial future and managing her wealth thanks to delving into the world of shares, and she is just one of the normal people in Mackay doing their part to represent in an often male-dominated world.

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