Almost five years to the week that the Proserpine Entertainment Centre shut its doors following substantial damage in the wake of Cyclone Debbie, the new $18.8 million cultural heart of Proserpine has officially re-opened.

Proserpine Entertainment Centre – “Built Back Better”

With all levels of government working together to see the project come to fruition, the new entertainment centre tells a story of how Councils, State and Federal Government have all been united in rejuvenating the cultural heart of Proserpine.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that she has personally followed the journey of the rebuild following her visit to the Whitsundays shortly after Cyclone Debbie.

She remembers talking to a group of local ladies who asked her what she was going to do about it and has since made it her mission to help in any way she could.

Mayor Andrew Willcox sad that initially they had expected to fix instead of rebuild the centre and estimated the cost to be around $500,000.

“This project was a bit like an onion – the more we peeled back, the more problems we started to find,” he recalled.

With structural damage proving too significant, it was decided to completely re-build the facility with $5 million funding from the Federal Government thanks to Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen and $5 million funding from State Government thanks to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

It wasn’t long, however, before Council realised that the new building would cost significantly more and Mayor Andrew Willcox asked the state government to increase funding.

“This Mayor’s pretty good at knocking on my door, but that’s what you do when a community is so impacted,” said Premier Palaszczuk.

“I could see how much you needed a community centre to be built back and renewed and built back better and what you see now is a really modern, dynamic community and it’s good to have that infrastructure.”

Last year the State Government provided an additional $8 million in funding.

“Without you this project wouldn’t be where it is today, I can’t thank you enough,” said Mayor Willcox.

Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen said the facility was now a valued community venue, acting as an arts and cultural centre, local cinema, conference venue and a social activity hub.

“I am pleased to see the rebuilt centre open and looking better than ever,” Mr Christensen said.

“This is a fantastic example of Australian Government funding in action, increasing the liveability and amenity of our regions by delivering locally important community infrastructure.”

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Dynamic rock vixen Sarah McLeod from legendary Australian band, Superjesus, has just been announced as the face of the 10th anniversary of the Airlie Beach Festival of Music.

Having wowed the crowd in 2019 with her full-band performance, the three-time Aria award-winner, returned as a solo act in 2019 with an additional unplugged-style set at the event’s boutique after-party.

She was also the star judge for the national ‘Passport to Airlie’ talent search.

An inductee to the South Australian Music Hall of Fame, and more recently immortalised in the Adelaide Festival Centre’s star-studded Walk of Fame, Sarah McLeod accolades are equally as impressive as her credentials.

Festival founder, Gavin Butlin, said he was immensely proud to announce Sarah McLeod as the 2022 ambassador, effectively cementing her as the face of the milestone anniversary event.

“Sarah is an artist who comes with both a loyal fan base and significant industry recognition, so this feels like a fitting tribute to our achievements in bringing live music to the heart of the Great Barrier Reef for an entire decade,” he said.

When the opportunity to be the 2022 ambassador arose, she literally jumped at it.

“I’m privileged to have played at so many great festivals and I know people love them all for different reasons, but the Airlie Beach Festival of Music is my personal favourite,” she said.

“The Whitsundays really is one of the most beautiful places on earth and I can’t wait to get back there.”

Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hamilton, said it was fantastic news.

“Having a high-profile ambassador as an outward ‘face’ is a powerful addition to any brand so I congratulate Sarah and the Airlie Beach Festival of Music on this partnership,” Mr Hamilton said.  

The Airlie Beach Festival of Music takes place from November 4-6 and early bird tickets can be purchased for $275 until March 28.

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Thousands of people across the country participate in annual Clean Up Australia Day events each year, and the local team at Coral Sea Marina Resort (CSMR) decided they were going to join in and make a difference in their own backyard.

In partnership with Tangaroa Blue Foundation and the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach, Coral Sea Marina Resort put the call out to the Whitsunday community on Sunday, March 6, to come and clean up a slice of paradise.

“The first Sunday in March is generally a scorcher in the tropics – and that was especially true this year – so we were thrilled to have a dedicated group of volunteers brave the heat and help us do our part by joining in Coral Sea Marina Resort’s Clean Up Australia Day event,” Kate Purdie, CEO of Coral Sea Marina said.

Ms Purdie said that, even with the scrupulous cleaning and maintenance practices of the marina, it was surprising to see just how much rubbish we found.

“After dedicated campaigns to reduce the use of plastic straws and plastic bags it was great to see fewer of them this year, but they have been replaced with disposable masks and shopping receipts among other items – a compelling reminder that the real issue is single use anything, not just plastics,” Ms Purdie said.

Volunteers, young and old, came out in heatwave conditions to do their bit and collect litter on land and at sea.

Collection bags were provided by Tangaroa Blue as part of their ReefClean program, with all the litter collected being sorted, monitored, and weighed with the data then being inputted into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative database for further analysis.

In total, 131kg of litter was collected, with the main items being plastic food packaging and hard and soft plastic fragments.

Clean up efforts at the Coral Sea Marina Resort Clean Up Australia Day Event

CSMR and Rotary Airlie Beach volunteers

More exceptional clean up volunteers

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A Whitsunday local will be representing not just the region, but the all of Queensland as a National Finalist in the Miss Grand Australia 2022 beauty pageant in July this year.

Born in Townsville, Paitin Powell moved to Airlie Beach 14 years ago with her family, and the young local woman will be heading to Sydney in a few months to compete against 19 other finalists from around the country for the title of Miss Grand Australia.

Miss Grand is similar to the Miss Universe and the Miss World competitions, where contestants are judged on their presentation through a series of criteria, such as their physical appearance, but also their intelligence, the eloquence of their speech, and more.

Gone are the days of beauty pageants that objectify women and enter the age of empowerment and representation.

For Paitin, the opportunity Miss Grand presents is to show the world that, regardless of where you come from, you can achieve your dreams.

“A lot of these girls who go into these pageants grow up or come from major cities in Australia,” Paitin said.

"I want to let girls from the regional areas know that you can be born in Townsville and grow up in the Whitsundays and still go on to represent Australia at the international level.”

Miss Grand will judge its competitors in three major categories: evening gown, swimwear and interviews.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this all again and to represent the region,” Paitin said.

Paitin will head to Sydney in July and said that she’s excited to work with Destiny Rescue, the sponsor charity Miss Grand Australia works alongside which has the mission to help children from sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Paitin Powell represents Queensland at Miss Grand Australia 2022

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In modern times we tend to take for granted the ease of transport when we can hop into our cars, onto a bus, train or plane and arrive at our destination in a relatively short time? Not so in the early days.

In Proserpine in the 1930s, many residents relied on bus transport. One such bus was MacPherson’s Bus Service that was used by Strathdickie families.

The bus was a 1935/36 two-ton Bedford truck with a tray body fitted. There were two bench seats with back rests near the front just behind the cab. The rest of the tray was space for groceries. Thursday was the allotted town day. MacPherson’s farm was at the top end of Strathdickie. Families were collected along the way; others waited to drop off orders. There was no regular timetable - sometimes 9 o’clock, sometimes 11, dependent on how much livestock had to be caught and loaded. At times, there would be one or two pigs in a crate, wire cages with turkeys, ducks, geese.

It was an open-air trip but was not uncomfortable as the bus travelled at only about 3mph, what with the condition of the roads, frequent stops, hills and gullies. Mrs Mac, as everyone called her, was a pretty rough driver and the brakes didn’t always work - it was a miracle that there was never an accident.

On livestock days, the bus would pull in behind Foxlee’s Butcher shop and on other days, passengers alighted at Faust’s corner in Mill Street.

Leaving town was the highlight. Pickup would begin at 4pm at Foxlee’s Butchers for meat, then to the Co-op where groceries would be on the footpath, then around to Fausts for meat and groceries. The last stop was at the mill gates to collect bread orders from Sam Killian’s Bakery. By then, it was about 5pm and the fun would begin. Some passengers would be in the hotel so a couple of people would take off to get them. They in turn would disappear. The original ones would turn up and volunteer to go back for the others. This took about half an hour and departure time was usually later than 5.30pm.

Groceries were loaded haphazardly so there would be much shifting and searching as passengers were dropped off. Mostly the groceries were put in cases with a docket. Often there were big brown paper packets of pollard and bran. Meat was wrapped in paper and tied with string and a name tag. Frequently, with all the sorting, the tag would fall off. Winter time was the worst as it would be pitch dark by the time the bus reached the hall. Striking matches and looking for people’s goods took up more time but at least the further along they travelled, the fewer parcels there were to sift through.

Story and photo courtesy of the Proserpine Historical Museum.

Killian's Bakery Waite Street 1934 L-R Phyllis Gannon (nee Leeds), Sam Killian, Snow Matthews, Hew Strickland

Fausts Bros - a major port of call on the trip to town

Proserpine's Main Street in 1938

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Unmarked graves dot the Whitsundays, their location and their occupants are largely unknown - lost to time - and it falls upon the patient few to track down these lone resting places.

Hundreds of burial sites dating back as far as 1861 have been found across the state, and in our own region the hunt for lone graves is in the hands of Whitsunday Regional Council senior information officer Kia Ellem.

Ms Ellem has been leading the council’s lone grave project since 2018, keeping track of not only where people are buried, but creating public databases which include their personal histories.

Along with finding missing graves along riversides, roads, and up through the backroad properties of the region, Ms Ellem has helped locate 70 unmarked graves in the Proserpine cemetery.

She uses ground-penetrating radars, metal detectors, maps and old records, as well as information from long-time Whitsunday families to find them.

“I wish I had started 20 years ago so that I could ask a lot of those people who’ve since passed away about the vague locations of graves on properties,” Ms Ellem said.

In many cases Ms Ellem finds not only graves of Australians, but also those of other countries – particularly ones brought here against their will.

“Blackbirding” of South Sea Islanders by Australian settlers was a common practice of the late 19th and early 20th centuries which brought over 50,000 Islanders to Australia to work as indentured labourers on cane fields in Queensland.

They were tricked, kidnapped, or lured to the country.

Their graves have since been unearthed in cane fields, farmsteads, and some local cemeteries across Queensland.

“We have South Sea Islanders buried in Proserpine and Bowen cemetery, and I know of some on private properties,” Ms Ellem said.

“When the old Crystalbrook sugar mill in Glen Isla was active, we know there may be 20 graves out near there somewhere.”

Ms Ellem has found 20 graves underneath a section of the old road in Proserpine’s Cemetery, 17 of those were South Islanders that were not given headstones.

As part of the operations, families of the deceased are told that the grave of a family member has been found, but usually not the exact location, and Ms Ellem said she was always looking for more information.

“We don’t want to intrude on properties or encourage people to do that,” she said.

“It is for future generations because these people deserve to be recognised.”

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In the Whitsundays we are spoiled for choice when it comes to pristine beaches and exquisite, untouched beauty, but there’s nowhere better than Whitehaven.

One of the region’s very best scenic experiences to one of Australia’s best beaches is SeaLink’s Big Island Day Tour.

With ample time to explore the crystal-clear waters of both north Hill Inlet and south Whitehaven, the tour offers a relaxed journey of pure comfort to the backdrop of the Whitsunday’s incredible islands.

SeaLink’s air-conditioned, modern catamaran comprises three levels including an observation deck with 360-degree views of the turquoise panorama. Your comfort is paramount, and that extends to both the service and food aboard the vessel.

Departing from the brand-new Shute Harbour Marine Terminal, SeaLink’s MV Nancy Wake glides past the unique view of the Molle Island Group and Cid Harbour.

The scenic tour then cruises to Whitehaven, taking in the pristine coastline’s remote island locations along the way.

The vessel has the feel of a large ship, with the intimacy of a private cruise.

Guests sip champagne and can With full bar service available, guests can sip champagne and head outside to enjoy the experience if they so choose or stay inside the cabin and listen to the captain’s entertaining commentary over the intercom.

The interactions with crew members and their incredible knowledge of the region’s water ways are worth the price of admission alone. With education, interaction, and experience at the forefront of this unique tour, every guest will leave feeling both inspired and informed.

If you’re looking for a relaxed, comfortable, and scenic ticket to Australia’s best beach at the hands of the region’s most knowledgeable skippers and most amicable deckhands, there’s no better choice than SeaLink.

The tour departs from 9am and returns at 5pm, operating daily from Friday through to Sunday.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some of Whitehaven’s silica sand helped to reveal the universe when it was used to make parts of the Hubble telescope.

SeaLink’s premier vessel, the Nancy Wake

The tour of Whitehaven Beach is spectacular

An experience unlike any other, dipping your toes into the cool sand at Whitehaven

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There is nothing that could ease the heatwave quicker than knowing the construction of the brand-new $1.2 million waterpark in Collinsville is tracking nicely and on course to open later this month.

The new facility, which is expected to attract families from across the region, will feature two thrilling waterslides, a timed tipping bucket, water jets and a shaded splash pad area.

Work has been delayed slightly due to late shipment of parts with some of the features stuck on a boat in Brisbane waiting for the port to reopen.

Despite this, the Whitsunday Regional Council operated facility is still expected to be open later this month.

Mayor Andrew Willcox said that he is excited to see the waterpark coming together nicely.

“This will be a fantastic facility for families of the Collinsville and Scottville communities to enjoy and cool off from the heat of summer,” he said.

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Two Whitsunday locals are about to embark on a six-day jet ski adventure from Mackay to Port Douglas, raising both awareness and funds for a children’s charity along the way.

Father and son duo, Steve Ward and his 18 year old son Rhys, will depart on Sunday and are expected to reach their destination by the following weekend, covering some of Australia’s most spectacular coastline along the way.

The pair are aiming to raise $5000 for Variety Children’s Charity, an organisation that directly changes the lives of Aussie kids who are sick, disadvantaged or living with a disability by providing practical equipment and experiences for kids in need.

This is Rhys’ third and Steve’s twelfth Yamaha Variety Jet Trek and they will be joined by 110 other riders on personal watercrafts, known as the community of ‘Trekkers’.

The event began in 1998 and since then, the Trekkers have successfully raised over $2.4 million to empower Aussie kids to reach their full potential regardless of ability or background.

Now in its 24th year, the iconic Yamaha Variety Jet Trek is Australia’s largest and most successful charity personal watercraft event.

Steve, who operates Whitsunday Jet Ski Tours, has been participating for 12 years and says that he loves giving back when he can.

“We are more than happy to give up a week of our fortunate lives and dedicate our time to giving, as well as take on the challenges of jetskiing some incredible coastlines of Australia,” he said.

With support of wife Toni and other son, Will (11), as well as Rhys, Steve has raised over $45,000 for the Children’s Charity.  

Steve and Rhys Ward are ready to jetski to Port Douglas for charity

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Police are appealing for witnesses after a local man suffered from an unprovoked attack outside a licensed venue on Shute Harbour Road in Airlie Beach.

The victim had stepped outside the premises to check his mobile phone at 1am on Saturday 19th February.

It was this split second decision that saw him targeted by an unprovoked attack by an unknown individual.

As a result, he lost consciousness and was transported to hospital with serious facial injuries which later required surgery.

There were 2,469 assaults reported in the Whitsundays in 2021, the highest rates in more than 20 years.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have information or who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.

Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.

Quote this reference number: QP2200398614.

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To the Chagrin of Whitsunday locals, works along the Bruce Highway between Ayr and Proserpine have halted as the main contractor has gone into voluntary administration.

WBHO Infrastructure, the main contractor for the $46 million Bruce Highway upgrades, closed its construction works along the region’s main highway in late February.

The South African construction company has shut down operations in Australia due to the hard-line government response to COVID-19 making the businesses Australian arm “unsustainable.”

Its roadwork crews downed tools and walked off three job sites on February 25, ceasing work along three Bruce Highway upgrade projects.

The company was delivering the $38.8 million Emu Creek to Drays Road upgrade, the $8.03 million Bowen Connection Road upgrade and the $22 million dollar works between Bowen and Ayr.

Despite work abruptly finishing, the reduced speed limits have remained in place which is causing confusion for many motorists.

Swaths of the Bruce Highway from Proserpine to Bowen have reduced speed limits of 40 and 60 kilometres per hour.

Whitsunday Deputy Mayor, Mike Brunker questioned this at the council meeting last week, asking what could be done to increase speed limits to a safe 80 kilometres per hour.

Director of Infrastructure Services Whitsunday Regional Council Adam Hagy said he has already held meetings with Transport and Main Roads (TMR) who are still assessing the issue.

Council asked whether they could undertake safe works, but Mr Hagy said they were still live construction sites and possession of them falls under WBHO, meaning council would need approval from TMR.

Transport and Main Roads in a statement have said that “although road users may not see construction underway as they travel through these sites, reduced speed limits may need to remain due to changed road conditions.”

The construction was planned for completion by late 2022, and there is no confirmation for a restart date.

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When Yuliia Kuzma first heard Russia had begun its invasion of the Ukraine, she went into shock, desperately trying to find a way that she would be able to bring her adopted son from the city of Kharkiv to live with her in Proserpine.

“The first thing I did was cry; I could not believe it or imagine it - they are attacking the whole country and it has been so horrible watching what is going on,” she said.

Yuliia is a Ukrainian citizen who arrived in Australia seven years ago.

She is also a single mother working two jobs - one at Proserpine Pies and Pastries, the other in Woolworths.

Four of her last six years in this country have been spent trying to adopt her sister’s son, Max, and bring him here.

This led to a long battle to, not only have Max be declared Yuliia’s son, but also bring him to Australia to live with her.

When war broke out, those hopes of bringing the 12-year-old here for a better life changed drastically.

He had been living in Kharkiv with a family friend before the city was captured by the Russian Army, and Yuliia said they had since moved to a safer city after Kharkiv had been “smashed.”

She had hoped to already be in Poland last week, where she is going to coordinate Max’s safe arrival across the border before bringing him back to Australia to live.

She now plans to leave as soon as possible.

Whether that be through crossing the border herself to bring him back or having a friend do so, she cannot say.

“Legally, you are not allowed to go,” Yuliia said.

“What I am doing is not special, everyone can do it; if you would be in the same spot as I am, if you had a sister or a brother there, you would do the same thing.”

Max will come to Australia on a three-month tourist visa and hopefully extend to six, as currently Ukrainian citizens do not qualify as refugees.

Whether he will be allowed to attend school is also unknown.

She said that the outpouring of support from the Whitsunday community was the most astounding thing about her situation and she looks forward to hopefully bringing some good news about Max’s safe arrival in Australia soon.

Yuliia Kuzma will travel to the Ukrainian border to bring her twelve-year-old son back home to Proserpine

Yuliia’s adopted son, Max

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Last weekend, in two separate single vehicle traffic accidents, two cars flew off the road and into ditches – all of the occupants were lucky to survive the split-second moment in which their cars left the road.

On Thursday afternoon, Strathdickie resident Mariz Zarina had just picked her two sons up from school and was on her way to a dentist appointment in Cannonvale in wet weather conditions when her car started sliding uncontrollably across the road.

Mariz recalls skidding towards a bus pole and, without being able to control the steering wheel, the vehicle hit the pole and flew into the ditch.

Mariz lost consciousness but witnesses later informed her that the car rolled three times.

Miraculously no-one was hurt.

“The boys were aware of everything - it was scary and traumatising especially for my little boy, Andy,” said Mariz.

“All the windows, front and rear were damaged, and we were just so lucky that there was not a single injury. But the following day, I felt the body pain in my head and neck.

In a separate incident, less than 24 hours later in Cannonvale, local resident Maz was driving to the shops, just around the corner from her house, when she recalls an animal running directly in front of her car.

A split-second moment caused her to instinctively steer away from it and straight into a ditch with such force that the doors bent out of shape and she was trapped inside.

Maz recalls being on two wheels and remembers bouncing in her seat to trying to push her side down to prevent the vehicle from flipping.

“I honestly thought I was going to die, especially when I saw the rocks” she said.

Once the vehicle came to a halt, some quick-thinking bystanders raced to the rescue and comforted Maz until the emergency services arrived.

“I can’t even express the gratitude I have for them,” she said.

“They were fantastic trying to keep me calm, I’m not sure what I would have done without them.”

Similarly, passers-by stopped to aid Mariz and her two sons, an act of kindness that she says her family will never forget.

Mariz also wants to encourage other residents to be careful on the roads, especially in wet conditions.

“Check your car is in good and safe condition,” she said.

“The seatbelts are important - that saved us. I was not going fast because there was a car before me, but I would like to remind people to be mindful when driving and check your tyres - the cause of my accident was that I lost traction.”

In her incident, Maz believes that placing barriers on the stretch of road where her accident took place would help prevent future upset.

This spot, opposite the police station in Cannonvale, was the same site as where a fatal accident took place a few years earlier.

Mariz Zarina with her sons, 15-year-old Gabriel and nine-year-old Andy

The site of the accident on Shute Harbour Road near Plemenuk Road

Maz whose vehicle crashed in Cannonvale

The site of the accident, opposite Cannonvale Police Station

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The best of the best tourism operators from across Australia will come together this evening to vie for prestigious National Tourism Awards which is being held in the Sunshine Coast.

There are 24 Queensland operators participating, three of which are local Whitsunday businesses.

Red Cat Adventures are aiming for gold and a lucrative place in the ‘Hall of Fame’ which could be theirs if they win Best Major Tour and Transport Operators in 2022, notching up three consecutive years they have been awarded this title.

Pinnacles Resort won gold for the Best Self-Contained Accommodation in 2021 and are hoping to take home the same again this year.

Similarly, the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort was awarded gold in the 5-Star Accommodation category in 2021 and are looking to replicate that achievement again.

Julie Telford from Red Cat Adventures said that she is excited but also nervous about the awards.

“I have mixed emotions, just being nominated is an amazing achievement but winning gold and getting a place in the national ‘Hall of Fame’ would be a mike-drop moment – if that happened it would be the absolute highlight of our entire business career,” she said.

“These awards are very different to State because we are all there rooting for Queensland, the more gold we get for Queensland, the better it is for tourism – it’s an absolute honour to represent our region with these guys!”

Therese Moran from Pinnacles Resort said they are honoured and really excited to be representing Queensland.

“It has been a tough couple of years, however, we are looking forward to celebrating the

resilience of our industry,” she said.

It really wouldn't be possible without our hardworking and dedicated team who strive to ensure that all guests have a wonderful holiday experience.”

Tourism Whitsunday CEO Rick Hamilton said that being recognised on a national stage is a significant achievement and shines a spotlight on our iconic destination.

“Three cheers for InterContinental Hayman Island Resort, Pinnacles Resort and Red Cat Adventures for Friday evening – let’s bring some gold home!” he said.

Red Cat Adventures aiming for double ‘Hall of Fame’ tonight

The team at Pinnacles going for gold again

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Dignitaries Gather To Celebrate New Era For Local Sport

The Whitsunday Sports Park Precinct has officially been handed over to its clubs at a ceremony last Friday, heralding the beginning of a new era for the Whitsundays’ organised sports.

Four years and $8.2 million dollars after construction began on the precinct, representatives from Local, State, and Federal government attended the completion ceremony, including Mayor Andrew Willcox, Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen and Whitsunday Regional Councillors.

Community Sports, A Whitsunday Winner

Committee members and volunteers from each sporting club - netball, touch football, soccer, rugby, bowls, and AFL – were in attendance, too, along with Police Sergeant Billy Li from PCYC Whitsundays.

Although not the end of the journey for the Sports Park, with the official opening to the public slated for July, Chairman of the Whitsunday Sports Park Association, Justin Butler, said they were “in the home strait” with all major construction complete.

He thanked the sporting clubs and the PCYC for what has been a “tremendously disruptive last few years.”

“Thank you very much for that and we hope that you can now use the better sporting facilities, changerooms, toilets, as well as the club, to grow your sports further,” Mr Butler said.

The facility is yet to be named but “Club Whitsunday” is the forerunner.

Federal Member for Dawson, George Christensen said that, aside from the boost to jobs and the local economy, the benefits to liveability were paramount.

“The Whitsundays are recognised the world over as a tourist destination, but it is much more than that,” Mr Christensen said.

“For thousands of locals, the Whitsundays is where we live, where we work, and where we play. When all the focus is on providing the ultimate experience for tourists, it would be easy to forget about the locals that make it all happen.”

Mr Christensen said that, of all the local community projects he has been involved in over his 13 years, this project is “probably the most significant that there has been.”

The project saw the construction of a new clubhouse building with a lobby, commercial kitchen, bar, dining areas, sports lounge, male, female and accessible toilets, covered outdoor terraces, tiered seating, kids’ recreation area, offices, storerooms, access road, car parking and landscaping.

It also includes a reorientation of the existing fields to allow for a third field to be installed, as well as new lighting to the existing fields.

Mayor Andrew Wilcox congratulated the Whitsunday Sports Park Association and especially Mr Butler.

“You came to us with a dream, but this dream has been fulfilled through you and your team,” he said.

The venue is still to be outfitted before the public will be able to use the facility seven days a week as a bistro type bar and gaming venue.

Mr Butler said that National Bank (NAB) have offered support in the form of loans to the tune of $500,000 for kitchen outfitting, $300,000 fitting out the remainder of the bar, $1.5 million to fit out the pokies and the operational cash to open and employ staff.

Once open, revenue generated by the project will be used to support the further development of sporting and community organisations across the Whitsunday region by being cycled back into the clubs.

“This business makes the money for the sports people, and that’s the way it should be,” Mr Butler said.

‍Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen, Whitsunday Mayor Andrew Willcox, Whitsunday Sports Park Chairman Justin Butler, Project Manager Penny Gill Conan, Steve Tween, Bob McMahon, Craig Spence, and Jason Salecich from NQ Rep Clubs Qld

Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen

Charmain of Whitsunday Sports Park Association Justin Butler

Mayor Andrew Willcox posing with Proserpine Whitsunday Raiders coach and players

Government representatives, sports club representatives and the PCYC all attended the handing over ceremony for the Whitsunday Sports Park

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