A total of 3,500 people cast their vote at Whitsunday polling stations across the region on Saturday and when this figure was added to the 11,000 early-voters, more than 390 telephone voters and 1,200 postal votes the Queensland Electoral Commission (ECQ) deemed the result “too tight to call”.

This means that the results of the by-election will likely be left to preferences and despite Mike Brunker being currently (as of 2pm Wednesday, August 17) in the lead with 29.11 per cent of the votes, there is a high possibility that either Julie Hall or Al Grundy could be in with a chance.

In simple terms, preferential voting means that as the candidates with the fewest number of votes are eliminated from the race, their votes are then passed onto whoever the voter marked as ‘second’ on their voting card.

This process of preference distribution will begin when the ECQ are “certain of the order of the candidates based on their first preference votes and have all ballot papers in the count.”

Postal votes must be returned by 5pm on August 23 for them to be counted but as soon as the ECQ have a clear picture on who is eliminated, it is hoped that preferences will begin to be distributed.

In the meantime, there is an agonising wait for the candidates. Current poll leader Mike Brunker stated that he’s “just got to wait for the process to take its course”.

“Hopefully it will come my way,” he said.

“But I am not popping the champagne just yet!”

Mr Brunker received almost 50 per cent of the votes in his hometown of Bowen but with four out of the five remaining candidates residing further south, it is thought that preferences are more likely to sway towards them, potentially knocking him out of the race.

Al Grundy currently has 21.63 per cent of the votes, followed closely by Julie Hall who has 20.68 per cent.

Battling a severe sickness which saw him head to hospital for IV antibiotics, Mr Grundy’s election race was hampered by poor health which saw him miss the ballot draw and candidate networking night held by the Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce.

Despite this, he said that he “gave it my best shot”.

“The outcome doesn’t matter; I’ll still do my best as a Councillor and support the Mayor,” he said.

Choosing not to fill in a How-To-Vote card with preferences like other candidates, Mr Grundy believes that people should make an informed decision.

“I want people to make their own mind up, I don’t want to tell people how to vote. I hope voters read into it enough to make up their own minds, not listen to other candidates with vested interests,” he said.

Julie Hall said she was pleased with how she ran her campaign and feels that she could do very well on preferences stating that “it’s anyone’s game.”

“If people voted according to the rate cards that would make Al and Mike down the bottom,” she said.

Having never been a Councillor before, Ms Hall says she is thrilled by the trust the community have placed in her.

“The fact that I polled so high is an indication that people aren’t happy, it shows that not enough of Council are listening”

Jan Clifford is currently sitting on 13.87 per cent of the votes and said “it ain’t over yet!”

Phil Batty achieved 6.2 per cent of the votes and said it was a very eye opening, educational experience but that he is looking forward to getting on with life now it is over.

When asked who he thinks will win, he simply stated that Brunker is looking unlikely.

“It’s going to be a very close call,” he said.

“It’s down to preferences for candidates who are all from down here so it would be almost impossible for Brunker to win.”

Peter Hood received 8.1 per cent of the votes and although likely defeated this election, has already put his hat in the ring for 2024.

Al Grundy

“I am very keen to work with the planning department on short term housing. I’d like to get a better understanding of how developers, builders and real estate agents can help fast-track and fulfill the housing shortage.”

Julie Hall

“Getting feet under the desk, looking at how everything is sitting. Bringing the people together and looking at why the rates are so high. It’s the Mayors job to represent the people and that’s what I would do.”

Mike Brunker

“Our plans are in place and budget is on order, the first thing I would like to address is the roadworks in Bowen.”

Representatives of the candidates outside the polling booths on Saturday morning

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Proserpine Hospital is now equipped to provide more comfort for both carers and medical staff following two considerate donations from local community groups last week.

In June, the Whitsunday Lions Club held their inaugural Charity Golf Day at Whitsunday Green with over 120 players participating and an impressive $10,000 raised.

The proceeds were kindly put towards two attendant/carer chairs which can be used when a parent needs to stay overnight with a sick child in the paediatric ward.

Already proving useful, a recent patient commented that she “slept so good in these chairs when my daughter had emergency surgery recently”.

In addition to this practical donation, the St Pauls Anglican Op Shop in Proserpine also delivered two brand new chart trolleys to help clinicians in the hospital’s Emergency Department.

Sue Gravelle from the Whitsunday Lions Club said that after COVID put such a stress on medical facilities, they decided the local hospital would benefit most from a donation.

“It was especially nice to donate to the paediatric ward,” said Sue.

“Looking after a sick child would be such a stressful time for the parents, and I am sure the carer beds will be put to great use.”

There is still over half the $10,000 raised at the Charity Golf Day remaining and Sue says the hospital have a “wish list” of further items which will likely include some equipment for the maternity ward.

“We are looking forward to hearing what they would like to spend the money on as it will undoubtedly benefit the community further,” said Sue.

One of the new carer beds and chart trolleys at the Proserpine Hospital

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The region’s Neighbourhood Centres took part in National Homelessness Week from August 1 to 7, supporting those who need it most through fundraisers and community forums.

With the national housing crisis an ever-growing concern, the local organisations continued their advocacy on behalf of those experiencing housing stress and especially for those without a roof over their heads at all.

Over 116,000 people experience homelessness on any given night.

On August 5, Bowen Neighbourhood Centre held its annual Hamburgers for Homelessness fundraiser, collecting $900 dollars to support the homeless of Bowen through the sale of hamburgers to the local community.

Bowen Neighbourhood Centre Coordinator Stephanie Cora said they hoped to “create awareness in the community for Bowen’s homeless”.

“This year, with the help of Grace Christian Church and Project Deliver Managers donating the resources for the burgers, we were able to raise $900 at our Hamburgers for the Homeless event. These funds will go towards swags and backpacks for those in need,” Ms Cora said.

“We thank the Bowen Community for their ongoing support for this amazing cause.”

Ms Cora said the event came at a troubling time.

“At present, the Bowen Neighborhood Centre is seeing around two people a day that are experiencing homelessness,” Ms Cora said.

“[We] saw 466 couch surfers during the 2021-2022 financial year, and we had 93 crisis inquiries. A total of 559 for the year. This is the highest we have ever seen.

“As the Neighborhood Centre is a referral pathway, we do not have the ability to house people as our resources are very stretched.

“Events like this are the least we can do to help.”

In the same week, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre invited locals to a meeting to advocate for people experiencing homelessness.

The Whitsunday Centre said between six to 10 people present to them asking for housing assistance each week.

They plan to continue regular meetings.

Bowen Neighbourhood Centre volunteers served up hamburgers to raise awareness and funds for Homelessness Week

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An armed man was arrested at the Mobil Service Station in Proserpine on Sunday evening thanks to quick-thinking staff who called the police when a suspicious vehicle matching the description of a wanted man’s car entered the site.

Staff hid in the storage room while police confronted the man and made the arrest. He was wanted in relation to the alleged violent murder of a 44-year-old Townsville mother of four, Tania Trickey, on Saturday and the drive-by shooting of a Gold Coast man’s vehicle on Sunday morning.

Gunman Arrested In Proserpine For Alleged Homicide

A dramatic end to an intense 24-hour manhunt took place at a Proserpine service station on Sunday evening when police apprehended a person of interest involved in an alleged drive-by shooting just hours before.

He was also the main suspect in the alleged violent death of 44-year-old Townsville mother of four whose body was found in bushland by a group of teenagers in Bluewater on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, the alleged offender was seen driving erratically between Mackay and Bowen and at 11.30am on the Bruce Highway near Yarlboroo, 40 kilometres south of Proserpine, it is alleged that he fired shots at another motorist in what was reported to be an unrelated matter.

The Gold Coast motorist had been driving behind the suspect who was travelling at a low speed. When he tried to overtake the vehicle, it is understood that the motorist saw the shotgun and immediately ducked from sight, speeding away.

At this moment, a shot was fired and hit the rear driver’s side door.

Detective Inspector Jason Shepherd said that the driver of the vehicle was “very shaken up but uninjured”.

The incident was reported to police straight away and when the suspect’s vehicle was spotted at the Proserpine service station police moved in quickly to arrest the suspect at 8.30pm Sunday evening.

“We only became aware of the incident on Saturday and had the person in question in custody by 8.30pm Sunday evening,” said Detective Shepherd.

The arrest comes just 24 hours after the body of a woman, known to be in a “recent relationship” with the alleged offender was found in Bluewater in Townsville.

There are suspicions this could be a domestic violence offence and it has been confirmed that the man was known to the police.

The autopsy took place on Tuesday and it is understood a weapon was used but there has not yet been confirmation of whether it was the same shotgun used in the drive-by incident.

The suspect is in custody and has been transported to Mackay.

His vehicle is also in Mackay and it underwent close examination earlier this week.

Police are calling out to anyone who may have dashcam or CCTV footage on Jaloonda Road in Bluewater, Townsville at any time prior to 4.40pm on Saturday, August 13.

They would also like to see footage from the Bruce Highway between Mackay and Bowen on Sunday, August 14.

‍The vehicle wanted in relation to two serious crimes as it entered the Proserpine service station

Detective Inspector Jason Shepherd at the press conference on Monday

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A dramatic end to an intense 24-hour manhunt took place at a Proserpine service station on Sunday evening when police apprehended a person of interest involved in an alleged drive-by shooting just hours before.

He was also the main suspect in the alleged violent death of 44-year-old Townsville mother of four whose body was found in bushland by a group of teenagers in Bluewater on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, the alleged offender was seen driving erratically between Mackay and Bowen and at 11.30am on the Bruce Highway near Yarlboroo, 40 kilometres south of Proserpine, it is alleged that he fired shots at another motorist in what was reported to be an unrelated matter.

The Gold Coast motorist had been driving behind the suspect who was travelling at a low speed. When he tried to overtake the vehicle, it is understood that the motorist saw the shotgun and immediately ducked from sight, speeding away.

At this moment, a shot was fired and hit the rear driver’s side door.

Detective Inspector Jason Shepherd said that the driver of the vehicle was “very shaken up but uninjured”.

The incident was reported to police straight away and when the suspect’s vehicle was spotted at the Proserpine service station police moved in quickly to arrest the suspect at 8.30pm Sunday evening.

“We only became aware of the incident on Saturday and had the person in question in custody by 8.30pm Sunday evening,” said Detective Shepherd.

The arrest comes just 24 hours after the body of a woman, known to be in a “recent relationship” with the alleged offender was found in Bluewater in Townsville.

There are suspicions this could be a domestic violence offence and it has been confirmed that the man was known to the police.

The autopsy is taking place today and police anticipate being able to confirm cause death afterwards.

It is understood a weapon was used but there has not yet been confirmation of whether it was the same shotgun used in the drive-by incident.

The suspect is in custody and has been transported to Mackay.

His vehicle is also in Mackay and due to undergo close examination today.

Police are calling out to anyone who may have dashcam or CCTV footage on Jaloonda Road at any time prior to 4.40pm on Saturday, August 13.

They would also like to see footage from the Bruce Highway between Mackay and Bowen on Sunday, August 14.

Detective Inspector Jason Shepherd at the press conference today

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A full-page ad in Mackay and Whitsunday Life Newspaper went viral this week when a woman named Jenny decided to take revenge on her cheating partner by booking the premium placement ad spot to tell everyone in town about his alleged actions.

Jenny booked the ad through our newspaper’s online portal and it was published in this Friday’s edition which is read by over 50,000 people in the Mackay and Whitsunday Life community.

The ad read:

Dear Steve,

I hope you are happy with her.

Now the whole town will know what a filthy cheater you are.

From Jenny.

P.S. I bought this ad using your credit card.

When payment for the ad was due to be processed it was noticed that the name on the credit card was different to the name on the booking so no payment was taken for the ad.

As soon as the newspaper hit the stands, we were inundated with calls from the community so we felt it best to release the information on Facebook.

Here is what it said:

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**ANNOUNCEMENT** We have been inundated with dozens of messages this morning about the Advert on Page 4 of Mackay Life - As there’s too many to reply to; we would like to address it here.

1. We do NOT know who Steve is, but apparently he’s been very very bad.

2. We won’t be revealing any details about Jenny.

3. We have not charged the credit card in question.

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Within hours of the post hitting social media the story went viral, gaining over 2,500 likes and generating both national and international media interest.

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Occasionally, despite best intentions, things get missed in my vegie patch.

Consequently, I’ve had a couple of plant issues to deal with of late, so I thought I’d talk vegie garden problem solving over the next few weeks.

Let’s start with POWDERY MILDEW caused by fungi.

This is a particular common issue with zucchini, cucumber and pumpkin plants but effects a large range of vegetable plants.

Powdery Mildew is that white patch on leaves that slowly spreads until it covers the entire leaf surface.  If left, the leaves will eventually turn brown and die off.

If caught early you can organically treat the leaves.  Milk is a popular option.  Simply put milk in a spray bottle and spray the infected area.  Some use a diluted solution of 50/50 milk to water but I use straight milk.  Apply twice a week until the problem is resolved.

Baking Soda is another option I have heard used, though I have not used this myself.

X1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

X3 Litres of water

X1 Teaspoon liquid soap (not dishwashing liquid)

If you’ve left it a little late and the leaves are covered in Powdery Mildew, then I would pull the plants out and use your valuable space for other plantings.  The spores spread easily and can become an issue in other parts of your garden.

The three things to be aware of to prevent Powdery Mildew are:

AIR FLOW

Air movement is an important factor when dealing with fungi.

This is one reason why thinning out your planting is important for plant health.

Location is also important.

I made the mistake of planting against a wall and then using hessian instead of netting to give sun protection, this resulted in no air movement and, of course, fungi took over.

Air movement dramatically reduces the spread of fungi, disease and insect pests.

WATER

Water the soil and not the foliage of your plants and don’t use a “jet stream” when watering, that will splash spores from the soil onto the foliage.  Water gently.

Water in the morning, giving the foliage time to dry out before the evening temperature drops.

MULCH

If you mulch around your vegetable plants, not only will you be supressing weeds, feeding the soil (as it breaks down), regulating the soil temperature and saving water, you will also be reducing the spreading of spores from the soil to your plants.

Mulching is essential for successful vegetable growing.

BE AWARE:  Plants and cuttings with Powdery Mildew should not be put in your compost bin as the spores will potentially be spread throughout other parts of your garden when used.

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Many of you may have heard about tinnitus or personally experienced it for yourself.

Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. Some people experience a hum, buzz, cricket or high-pitched squeal which may be constant, intermittent and can sometimes change in tone, pitch or intensity.

The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn't caused by an external sound, and other people usually can't hear it. Tinnitus is a common problem. It affects about 15 to 20 per cent of people and is especially common in older adults.

So what causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus is usually caused by an underlying condition and is most commonly associated with a hearing loss. Generally, the worse your hearing is, the louder or more frequent the tinnitus will be.

Wax occluding the ear canal, injury to the tympanic membrane such as a perforation are also other common causes of tinnitus, and then there are more serious causes which are less common. If your tinnitus occurs suddenly, it is always best to seek medical advice to work out the underlying cause.

Other contributing factors to someone experiencing tinnitus can include alcohol intake, levels of salt in the diet, stimulants such as caffeine, various medications may have tinnitus as a side effect, and stress. Often, if someone is stressed or anxious, or there has been an unwanted change in personal circumstances, the level of tinnitus they experience can fluctuate in intensity.

For many people, tinnitus improves with treatment of the underlying cause. Apps such as Beltone Tinnitus Calmer uses a combination of sounds and relaxing exercises that aim to distract your brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Hearing aids are also another great option for tinnitus suffers as many also have a hearing loss, so the benefits are twofold.

Written by Owner/Audiometrist at Whitsunday Hearing, Sarah Logan

Tinnitus affects about 15 to 20 per cent of people around the world

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Peter J Hood

1: Council can deal, in a limited way, with repercussions from increased financial stress. While we have lower house prices compared to many other areas in Queensland (and consequently lower interest repayments) we also have some of the highest rates and insurance premiums.

I’ve hammered home over the past couple of years Whitsunday rates can and should come down. As Mayor I would immediately Conduct my own audit of council spending (zero cost to residents for the audit) and look at the budget priorities we have.

I also believe we can reduce the hoops many buyers need to jump through to be able to build and buy locally.

2: If I weren’t running, I’d take a close look at each of the candidates. I’ve copped some criticism because some candidates believe you need to be a Councillor before you run for Mayor. I have to say that their performance to date as a Councillor hasn’t been spectacular enough to fill me with any sort of confidence.

One of the advantages of a by-election at this time is that no matter who you vote for you can get rid of them in two years. I have been dealing with the top-end of local, State and Federal governments as a Principal Accountant in Public Practice for 44+ years.

Working with state and federal governments, particularly around funding, requires a professional approach. There’s also a need to get the basics right before we waste money on things that are not essential.

3: I think we can make a good case for upgrading the Bruce Highway between Mackay and Townsville, floodproofing Goorganga and Hamilton Plains and developing a sealed road between Proserpine and Collinsville. Housing is obviously an area of need for our region. I’d argue that many essential medical services need incentives to encourage providers.

We also need to support our residents and to take the lead from them. We can’t tell people what they need, Council should be prepared to listen and act.

Julie Hall

1: The interest rate rises are going to place more and more pressure on the cost of living, and this will have a run-on affect to our community, businesses, and our tourism industry. People stop spending money on non-essentials when times are tough.

Advocating for more support from Federal and State Government for our businesses, tourism and our industries and ensuring Council is doing all it can do to protect the economic development of the region.

This is not a time to be placing more pressure on our locals with higher rates and we should be looking at where we can save money, especially wasted money, this I believe is an absolute must.

Listening to the needs of the community as we move through these times, so we have enough foresight and planning to adapt and change as required. This will require a leader who is willing to step outside the box and who is willing to bring new initiatives to the table.

Our local community groups are an essential part of supporting the people in our community that are doing it tough and as a community we can all do more to help and support. My vision is to pull together the Whitsunday region and stop the division of us and them. Together we will be stronger and more resilient and together we will get through these tough times.

2: I would give my vote to Phil Batty if I wasn’t running as he has similar values to me. He is genuine in his vision of doing what’s right and helping the community first and foremost.

3: I have already made many State and Federal government contacts since running in the last Federal Election and I will be leveraging on these contacts to advocate for our region to ensure we are not forgotten up here in the north and we receive our fair share of funding.  

Al Grundy

1: Council can support our community by being as effective and efficient as possible to ensure that every dollar is spent wisely. We are moving into a period that has not been experienced by a great majority of our community, with rising interest rates and rising costs of living, greater than wages growth. These recent economic pressures come on top of the housing shortage and challenges presented to businesses with staff shortages.

For the next few years, the most important role for the Mayor and the Councillors is to keep a close eye on expenditure to ensure that rates and utility charges are kept to an absolute minimum, while maintaining the services of Council at the best possible standards. The work of advocacy for the Mayor will also be very important, meeting with local, state and federal politicians and agencies to ensure the financial assistance from grants and programs is fairly and equitably distributed back to our community.

On financial management, another area I want our CEO to focus on is achieving the best possible returns from the commercial business units. By ensuring we are realising a return from the business units we can help reduce the pressures on the general rates from rising costs, such as wages, fuels, fleet and consumables.

2: If I was not running, I would want a candidate who had experience in local government and running a small to medium size business. One of the things that I have found since becoming a councillor in April 2020, is that it takes around a year to understand the legislative requirements and processes for conducting Council business.

3: I have over 10 years of experience advocating for this community, in particular during the period after Cyclone Debbie. I have represented this community in Canberra with politicians and bureaucrats on two occasions, and have hosted numerous politicians and agencies on local visits to the area. I have also presented papers to senate estimate hearings and been asked to represent the area on numerous committees. The most important advocacy is the with Financial Assistance Grants, where grants from the Federal Government are distributed back for Councils to work on programs, such as the local road network.

Mike Brunker

1: Cost of living pressures are always at the front of mind when you are a Councillor. Framing our budgets for the region, we are sure to make certain that, while all of our water and sewerage budgets should be self-funding, we balance that principle with the affordability of our rates each year.

That's why over the six years since Cyclone Debbie and the Covid outbreak, we have only raised the general rates twice, as well as still trying to provide the communities with a good standard of services that are expected today.

2: I obviously have voted for myself, as I believe I have the most experience as a Mayor to make sure we as a Whitsunday Regional Council still get our fair share of funding from State and Federal governments.

But, if I wasn't running for Mayor, I would probably vote for Al Grundy. Although he has not been on Council for long, I believe he has more – a lot more - credibility and integrity than the others. You cannot say one thing around the council chambers and a different thing out in the community. So, for me, it would be Al Grundy.

3: As I said: I have the experience of running a Council as a Mayor as I've spent 22 years in Local Government with 15 of those years as Mayor. So, I do know my way around, which is important when lobbying State and Federal Ministers for project funding or support for our communities.

It's crucial that after this election, whoever has the honour of leading the mighty Whitsunday Regional Council, that we get straight back to business and work as a united group without any hard feelings or backstabbing. It is a bare minimum that the voting public would expect.

So Just Vote 1 Michael Brunker - you don't have to fill in every square - and stick with experience.

Jan Clifford

1: As a councillor, I have no control over the interest rates.

2: I have no interest in voting for any other candidates.

3: As a long serving Councillor for many years, I have both formed professional friendships and strengthened others with both levels of governments on both sides of the political aisle. As a Director of Regional Development Australia for the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday region I become aware of funding opportunities in their early stages and am able to react quickly. I will, through my contacts, continue to push for additional funding such as the Works for Queensland State government initiative and ensure that these funds are shared equitably across the entire region.

Phil Batty

1: Council cannot control interest rates and inflation rates in any meaningful way, what council can do is not continually impose rates, fees and charges to the community which compound the global and national impacts.

Council can and must do better in terms of budgeting and wasteful spending, like every household it must very quickly adapt how business is done to get better value for every dollar spent thus minimising and holding the line on rate increases, charges and other income lines like parking fees and all other revenue lines from the public. This focus and prudence will relieve and assist the continual stresses caused by interest and inflation.

2: I can understand the dilemma currently presented to the resident in deciding who to vote for. Each of the candidates have different strengths and different political leanings. The difficulty as with any election is separating what you are told from what will be achieved. Whoever gets elected, and I am not going to pick one, I would hope has the vision to improve this region and the strength to lead and manage a council to make these things happen.

3: This is where my strengths will really bring results. Firstly, modelling and planning before approaching state and federal governments is mandatory. Fully costed clearly articulated proposals with ROI and risk profiles in place addressing the need and benefits to the current community and that of future generations must be completed before asking for support. Simply asking for money will never work in the current financial climate.

Then getting these proposals into the right hands, knocking on doors, knocking again and pressing the case. Having the answers to the obvious questions which will come back. Then sell the region and show that Council is ready and able to deliver on all their plans to compliment this investment. Do the work well to make the government’s decision to offer support easier and publicly acceptable.

I can and will lead this approach if elected as Mayor, the Mayor for all the people of this region.

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Paperbacks were flying off the shelf in July for Proserpine Museum’s Book Bonanza with the local institution reporting this year was its best ever, both in terms of donations and funds raised.

Volunteers at the museum were astounded by the backing from the local community as the over two decade-long running event experienced unprecedented support.

A volunteer at Proserpine Museum attributed the 2022 event’s success to a few factors.

“The community has always given us strong support by giving us the books themselves,” the volunteer said.

“But this year in terms of donations, it’s definitely our best ever. The only things I can think is that people had purchased a lot of books over COVID and they needed somewhere to get rid of them!

“I think, even though it’s been 26 years, the word is really getting out now because there were a lot of new people dropping in.”

The week-long event is the major fundraiser for the museum, with money cycled back into maintenance, upkeep, and upgrades for the volunteer-run building.

The Book Bonanza has long been a “treasure trove” for local collectors, but volunteers were particularly glad to see the new generation picking up the paperbacks this year – another indicator of its growing success.

“We were just so thrilled – the first Saturday and Sunday were the busiest and I was so pleased,” the volunteer said.

“We had so many young families coming through and that was something in particular that I noticed. It was fantastic to see.”

Volunteer Jan Lade, Proserpine Museum Vice President Don Kurkowski, and volunteer Larraine Bigg

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One of the Great Barrier Reef’s most popular and awarded destination marinas has claimed another award: the ‘World’s Best Superyacht Marina’ 2022 in the prestigious ACREW Superyacht Business Awards last week.

Coral Sea Marina Resort won the title in the ACREW Superyacht Business Awards – which are considered globally to be the most recognised award program in the Superyacht industry.

The selected finalists are voted on by ACREW’s extensive network of over 15,000 captains and crew across the globe.

“When I purchased the marina from the receivers in 2013, my vision was to create the Monaco of the South Pacific,” Coral Sea Marina owner, Paul Darrouzet said.

“I expected the transformation to take five years. I did not envisage enduring a major natural disaster or a global pandemic, but throughout it all, we have survived and thrived.”

It adds another jewel to Coral Sea Marina Resort’s crown, which includes Australia’s Marina of the Year in 2017/2018, 2019/2020 and was entered into the Hall of Fame in 2021.”

“Being awarded the world’s Best Superyacht Marina just as we have entered our tenth year of operations, is not only the ultimate accolade – it is a vision realized,” Mr Darrouzet said.

International marina finalists in this category were Porto Montenegro, Rhodes Marina, Marina Genova, Limassol Marina (Cyprus), and Coral Sea Marina Resort.

The award acknowledges the marina with the highest standard of facilities, services and hospitality in the world.

“The past few years have dealt our business some major losses, which makes this win all the more meaningful,” Kate Purdie, CEO of Coral Sea Marina said.

“I could not be more proud of the dedicated and passionate team I have the privilege of working with every day and their seamless delivery of transformational guest experiences.”

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Two local pastors are utilising the platform of their church to make positive change in the community, one bag of groceries at a time.

Whitsunday Impact Church pastors Sam and Josh Faltinsky began their ‘Community Pantry’ six weeks ago, distributing food to “those who need it most” in the small sugar town.

Taking in donations of canned goods, vouchers, groceries, and more from locals, their Community Pantry has quickly taken off – both on the donation and collection front.

People from “all walks of life” have dropped by in their time of need to receive food assistance, as well as drop off astounding donations.

“We’ve had people drop by a full $500 dollars’ worth of groceries for donation, and we’ve had up to $1500 in vouchers for those in need, too,” Pastor Josh Faltinsky said.

His wife and co-pastor, Sam Faltinsky, said the idea was to help the community originally through crisis care - helping a few people find a room for the night.

It quickly became apparent locals needed more help than just housing, and Sam said it was now “a way to help people eat every week.”

“The cost of living has gone crazy, and we were helping these people with rooms, but what they really needed a lot of the time was food,” she said.

“We started collecting donations as a church: non-perishable items that we’d be giving out.

“It just grew from there, and now we have a huge collection of food that comes in every week, and then disappears when we open up our doors on a Tuesday. People in the community pop by for their free bag of food, no questions asked.”

Josh said it was a way for their church to “fill the gap” that was being felt in Proserpine, with the town’s extremely limited options for assistance of this type.

“We’re kind of the third party that is distributing the generosity. We’ve found a real need, and we’ll fill the gap. We want to keep growing it,” he said.

“Now, we’re wanting for our community to rise up as well and take responsibility of those less fortunate.

“I can see it being open more than one day soon – we just need more volunteers – and it could be a whole warehouse of food for those in need eventually.”

Whitsunday Impact Church Community Pantry is being run as an entirely volunteer operation each Tuesday, opening at 9.00am to 12.00pm at the 202-204 Bruce Highway church.

“Our biggest heart as a church is: what can we do for our community. How are we giving back and impacting our community,” Sam said.

“You can come in, no strings attached, it’s just if you need a hand, come in and get a bag of food.”

Local pastors in Proserpine, Sam and Josh Faltinsky, have begun a ‘Community Pantry’, donating grocery goods to “those who need it most”

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Today - August 12 - marks 125 years since the first police station was opened in Proserpine.

Before our first “permanent” police presence:

In the early days of settlement, police protection in Proserpine was scant indeed. Members of the Colonial Police Force were responsible for patrolling huge areas of land throughout Queensland. Such was the case for Ferdinand Tompson who travelled by horseback with an aboriginal tracker scouting ahead of him. His police district encompassed all the land bordered by settlements of Proserpine, Cairns and Georgetown and he would take twelve months to cover the district. In the course of his travels, Tompson often stayed at Goorganga (then known as Bromby Park) with his sister, Rebecca Bode. His final resting place is in the Proserpine Cemetery.

Finally, an official police station of our own:

• On August 12, 1897, the Proserpine Police Station – if one could call it that – opened on two acres of land purchased from Proserpine Central Mill directors at £7/acre. It consisted of two duck tents (12 foot by 10 foot) and flys – one for an office; the other for a dwelling. The lockup was primitive - prisoners were chained to a large, heavy log under a massive Moreton Bay fig.

• Constables Tasker and Sherlock and a tracker, patrolled the district on horseback.

• On February 3 1898, a cyclone destroyed the station but requests for a building were ignored.

• In October/November, a police hut was completed after three District Justices of the Peace complained about the inhumane act of chaining prisoners to a log and that police were still living in tents.

• By the end of 1898, the Proserpine district was declared a place for holding Court of Petty Sessions and with a growing population, residents felt a building was appropriate.

• By 1899, a combined police station and courthouse had been erected on the corner of Main Street and what is now known as Mill Street.

When the “silent cops” came to town:

Did you know that Proserpine had two “silent cops” back in 1935? And no, these were not shy recruits.

• Traffic domes made from stone, concrete, metal or other substances were installed in the centre of the road, rising above the road’s surface. They were fitted with reflectors and painted to improve visibility.

• These domes replaced a policeman who, in earlier times, was on point duty at some intersections to direct vehicles in heavy traffic areas. They took on the nickname, “silent cop”.

• Proserpine Council installed two domes, one on Main Street at the Chapman Street intersection and the other at the junction of Mill Street. Drivers had to keep the “cop” on the right when making turns.

     It was hoped these would minimise accidents at these corners.

• The “silent cop” disappeared from Queensland roads on Monday, October 1 1962.

Moving forward:

• Over time, there were alterations and extensions to the police station/courthouse built in 1899 – most notable was in 1938 when a major addition saw the complex extended further down Mill Street.

• On June 9, 1967, a new complex consisting of two separate buildings was opened. The police station was built in its current position in Mill Street approximately on its original site while the courthouse was built in Main Street where it still exists today.

• In response to growth in the district, the Cannonvale Police Station, built as a two-officer station, opened on November 30, 1979. Then, in June 2009, a new $11.9 million building including a modern eight-cell facility on site and a major incident room was opened beside the original station.

How times have changed.

Story and photo courtesy of Proserpine Historical Museum

Police station and courthouse complex cicra 1950s

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Some areas of Great Barrier Reef are reporting their highest amount of coral coverage in 36 years of monitoring as it recovers from past storms and mass-bleaching events – including reefs in the Whitsundays.

Coral coverage is the proportion of the reef covered by sponges, algae, and other organisms – which has improved significantly in the northern and central sections of the 2300-kilometre reef.

Coral cover has reached record highs according to new data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), part of a three decade-long monitoring mission.

Dr Paul Hardisty, CEO of Australian Institute of Marine Science, said he would categorise the story as “good and bad news.”

“The good news is obviously the north and central areas have reached record coral, and that signals the reef is resilient,” he said.

“The not so good news is the recent bleaching events in 2020 and 2022 signal the reef is in a different era than it was 36 years ago.

“The easy thing to take away from this story is: coral cover is as good as it was in the 80s. But are the conditions the same? No. We’re walking a tight-rope and that recovery isn’t going to continue unless we act to turn it around.”

Dr Mike Emslie, who leads the AIMS’s long-term monitoring program, elaborated: “the resurgence could be short-lived with the increase driven by fast-growing Acropora corals that are highly susceptible to bleaching, wave damage associated with cyclones and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish.”

"This isn't the first time the Great Barrier Reef has recovered. It's been seen before. The rate of increase has been seen before. But all it takes is another summer of bad bleaching or a cyclone, which we haven't had for a while, and things can change,” he said.

The latest monitoring report is based on surveys at 87 reefs between August last year and May this year. About half of that work was done before this year's bleaching event.

Dr Hardisty said there were three things we could do.

“Bring global emissions down as quickly as possible, continue to protect the reef’s resilience through crown-of-thorns starfish management, water quality, and the third thing is help the reef adapt to climate change,” he said.

“If you give the reef a chance, it can recover. If the disturbances like cyclones and bleaching come too frequently, it won’t.”

The Great Barrier Reef is showing its resilience in the face of increasingly frequent coral bleaching events, but scientists say it still needs our help

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The man at the centre of a Queensland cattle property triple-homicide which shook a small rural town between Collinsville and Bowen appeared in court for the first time on Monday.

He did not appear in person - instead via video-link from the Cannonvale Watchhouse - due to concerns for his safety following the assessment of the security facilities at the Proserpine Magistrates Court.

At the hearing, Darryl Valroy Young, a 59-year-old, long-time resident of Bogie, was charged with three counts of murder and another count of attempted murder.

The matter has been adjourned to a location closer to the alleged triple homicide: Bowen Magistrates Court on November 1.

In the aftermath, the town of Bogie is reeling from an incident that could “only have happened in the United States, not here”.

Police allege the incident occurred in the early morning of last Thursday.

At 9.00am, Thursday, August 4 Police allege they received a report that three people had been fatally shot at a property on Shannonvale Road, and another man, Ross Tighe, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Police said Mr Tighe, 30, managed to flee the scene in a red ute and alerted them to the shooting. Police and Ambulance services arrived, as well as RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopters, who flew Mr Tighe to Mackay Base Hospital where he received life-saving surgery.

Police soon announce a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) covering a large swath of Bogie, one which they later revoked in favour of a smaller area centred around the actual site of the shooting.

The victims of the alleged shooting were soon identified as Ross Tighe’s family members - stepfather Mervyn Schwarz, his mother Maree Schwarz, and brother Graham Tighe – all of whom were shot dead at the front gate of the cattle property on Shannonvale Road.

Police Detective Inspector, Tom Armitt, said police received confused reports about where the crime scene was located as the properties were “tens of thousands of acres” large, which led to an almost day-long traversal of the crime scene.

“[Police had] no idea who or where the [alleged] shooting offender was,” Detective Inspector Armitt said.

But believed he was armed with a rifle, meaning officers were “in danger of being shot from any distance.”

“So that was slow and meticulous work and extremely brave of the officers who were involved.”

The investigation and travel through the rural country of Bogie lasted into the night, until three persons of interest were arrested – later identified as Mr Young, his son and a female member of the family - along with two members of a power company who had been working on the property but were not believed to be involved in the dispute.

None of the party had any idea that the murders that had taken place until police arrived.

After giving statements, all were released except Mr Young, who was taken to Bowen Police station and charged on Friday afternoon with the triple-homicide.

Police will allege a “conversation” between the victims and the alleged shooter occurred the night before (Wednesday, August 3) the incident. This conversation then led to a meeting at a gate between their properties on Thursday.

“What we do know is that all parties are neighbours, some conversation has occurred between the parties and resulted in a meeting up at the party’s boundary line earlier that morning when the incident occurred,” Detective Armitt said.

“We understand that there was a conversation the night before and that was the reason they met the next morning.

“There was an invitation for them to go there and discuss.”

Police will allege Mr Young then murdered the family at the front of the Shannonvale Rd property over an ongoing dispute about land boundaries.

Mr Young is due to appear in Bowen magistrates court on 1 November.

Two of the victims of a triple-homicide in Bogie were identified as Maree and Mervyn Schwarz

The other was identified as Graham Tighe

Ross Tighe (R) was the sole survivor of the event and underwent lifesaving surgery at Mackay Base Hospital, having been shot by the alleged gunman in the abdomen

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