Steve Obst is the new face at Eclipse Financial Services in Cannonvale, although by no means is he new to the business of helping people achieve a better lifestyle.

With a career spanning 26 years as a financial planner, Steve brings to the already impressive team of Eclipse a level of expertise garnered over two decades.

In his role, he helps people simplify their financial problems and give them some solutions, as well as educate them in ways they can better manage their finances, achieving their goals of owning a home, a car, or a better lifestyle.

“We deal with some of the intangibles, rather than just numbers and tax, for us it’s about lifestyle, what’s important to them, and how they can come up with solutions in terms of financial problems without just looking at a spreadsheet,” Steve said.

Since 1996, Steve has been on a “long journey in finance,” beginning work at the bank straight out of school in his hometown of Toowomba, which led him to settle in Townsville.

“I’ve been in North Queensland for such a long time that it’s really home for me,” Steve said.

His journey with Eclipse began 12 months ago, and there’s been no looking back after moving down from Townsville.

“I love the Whitsundays – having worked here previously in my old job, although a long time ago, I always had a soft spot for it,” he said.

“I love fishing and outdoor activities, so this is the place to be.”

He’s looking forward to joining up to some local sports clubs, as well as the local SES, and forging friendships with clients, which he said is a privilege of the job.

“In my previous role I’ve had clients for 15 years or more, and you share the good times and the bad times, with life in general, not just financially,” he said.

“Seeing their kids grow up, and them achieving their dreams.”

Steve said that initial meetings with him are not charged for and are more of a meet and greet where people have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“That could be as simple as understanding their superannuation statement, and if they can walk away with a better understanding of something relevant to them, that’s what’s important.”

Steve Obst, Senior Financial Planner at Eclipse Financial Services

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With COVID part of our new normal – it is time for sensible conversations about how to live with and move forward with the virus as part of everyday life. Constantly changing rules and requirements need to become a thing of the past.

The numbers are better than expected and as the peak subsides hospitalisations are dropping. Return to school will bring another spike, but no one is expecting school closures or further lock downs.

Changes have been made to enable businesses to function including expanding the list of "critically essential" industries where close contacts can return to work if they are symptom free and test negative. These changes need to be applied to all industries immediately.

The Check in app has been dropped (except where required for proof of vaccination) as a concession to the new reality and further reassessments of rules need to be made.

Falling through the cracks are small business owner operators who are required to isolate if they return a positive test which in some cases means shutting down the business for a period of time. Whilst some business support payments are available, this is a huge disincentive to test – and the reality needs to be faced that many will either not test or simply ignore the result and attend work as they simply cannot afford to shut down.

Is it time to discuss how asymptomatic workers and business owners who test positive, can still go to work? I, for one am far more comfortable with a positive person at work taking sensible precautions than someone refusing to test for fear of consequence. Again, the reality is that 9 in 10 positive cases are actually unaware they have COVID.

Rapid Antigen tests are now available free of charge to Government Concession Card Holders with limits in place. These test should also be subsidised for workers and businesses. We need to encourage testing as much as possible in order to modify behaviour, not discourage it due to expense and consequence.

The Chambers first networking event has been moved to Thursday 17th February at Mirage Restaurant – see our website for further details.

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Receiving one of the most honourable awards at the Australian Day celebrations last month Ron McCall was humbled to be the recipient of the Wally Hinschen Volunteer of the Year Award and, having known the award’s name-sake personally, this acknowledgment was even more meaningful.

Mr McCall’s volunteering spirit came from his own father, Coll McCall, who was always contributing for committees and raising money for different local causes.

For many years, Mr McCall would join his father and Wally Hinchen at the Palace Hotel in Proserpine selling raffle tickets every Friday night to raise money for the Proserpine Activity Therapy Centre for the Handicapped (PATCH).

“He was a great guy,” said Mr McCall when asked about Wally Hinschen.

Over the years, volunteering his time took Mr McCall on many adventures and introduced him to many people and social activities that he would not have otherwise encountered.

Giving his time to help with administration at sporting groups like the rugby and cricket, as well as the Parents and Citizens Association (P&C), Ron was an important cog in the machine that made everything run smoothly.

In 1993 he was acknowledged for his dedication when he received an Australian Day Award for achievement in sport.

A Boiler Operator at the Proserpine Sugar Mill for 38 years, Mr McCall still managed to find time to work as an Auxiliary Firefighter and spent 15 years, sacrificing his personal time to be on-call in the evenings and weekends.

He has also volunteered with the SES for the past four years and this will be his 10th year as Senior Crew for the Whitsunday Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) where he is regularly called out for emergencies.

Married to Wendy for almost 30 years, Mr McCall has three adult children and three grandchildren who all live locally.

Each year his extravagant Christmas display lights up the neighbourhood on Atkinson Street in Proserpine and for many years he was instrumental in a large Christmas street party which brought people together.

Last Christmas he won the Whitsunday Regional Council award for best Christmas Lights.

Enjoying his retirement but confessing he is barely home, Mr McCall remains an active member of the community, regularly volunteering at parkrun and on-call for other vital community services.

Volunteer of the Year, Ron McCall

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Whitsunday youth between the ages of 15 and 25 are now eligible to nominate for the 2022 YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament Program and those interested are encouraged to submit their applications.

An exciting opportunity for anyone wishing to explore a career in politics or with a passion for sharing their views, this program is a platform for connecting with other like-minded people and receiving mentorship from other youth.

Anyone living in the Whitsunday electorate between the Northern Beaches in Mackay and Cape Gloucester in the north is able to apply.

The nomination guide specifies that they are looking for a diverse range of people and while experience is not necessary, a demonstrated interest in your community is.

The program is run by an Executive Committee who are all under 25, making it truly an initiative that is run by young people for young people.

Applications close at midnight on Sunday 20th February and the new Whitsunday Youth Member will be announced by March.

Last year’s Whitsunday Youth Member was Dominic McCarthy who also worked with Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP.

The program will take the new youth member to a Launch Weekend in Brisbane from Friday 8 April - Sunday 10 April where they will meet their Executive and other Youth Members to discuss and plan ideas for their Portfolio's Youth Bill.

They will then assist in drafting the Youth Bill, attend community consultations with key stakeholders, engage with the community, and be the representative for youth in their electorate.

Residential Sitting Week will then be held in Brisbane from Sunday 25 September - Saturday 1 October.

This week is the culmination of the program, where each youth member will debate their Youth Bills in Parliament House, meet with Members of Parliament, and participate in exciting personal development activities.

Previous Whitsunday Youth Member Dominic, Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP and Mackay and Mirani Youth Members Nikkia and Jessie

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The new school term kicked-off this week with many local students racing to get through the doors and teachers excited to have their classrooms full of young faces, eager to learn and interact.

It has been a rocky start to the year with a two-week delay to the school term combined with uncertainty around further COVID restrictions, school communities have found themselves under additional pressure and Principal Angie Kelly from Cannonvale State School says she is glad they can finally start getting back to normal.

“The main thing is that it’s been fantastic having kids back at school – schools without children just don’t feel right,” she said.

Children of essential workers have been attending school for the past three weeks and Principal Kelly said that her staff did a great job of making the first fortnight fun and now that the official school term has started, she is confident everyone will be able to follow any of the new directives.

“It’s not our first rodeo!” she said.

“We’ve done everything we’ve been asked to do and now we are getting on with teaching and learning in a fun way.”

Principal Don McDermid from Proserpine State High School agreed.

“Our school is excited to welcome all students back onsite to commence the new school year – a special welcome to our many new students and Year 7 students who join our school community,” he said.

“On their first day back to school, our students engaged in a range of activities that embrace our school’s values, including welcoming our students, creating a sense of belonging and developing House and whole school spirit.”

While the excitement is generating much positivity within school communities, there are a few necessary adjustments that are changing the landscape of a ‘normal’ school year.

Until Friday 4th March there will be no school camps, excursions or mass gatherings (including school assemblies).

“The biggest thing that affects us most is not being able to come together as a whole school for assembly,” said Principal Kelly.

“They are the cultural heart of our school, and we are hoping restrictions will soon be eased back so we can all come together again.”

Quick Facts

• No school assemblies, excursions or school camps until March 4

• Children from grade 3 advised to wear masks where possible

• High school students must wear masks

• Restrictions on non-essential visitors to school

• If your child becomes symptomatic at school they will isolated in a safe place, parents will be contacted and given a RAT test which they can administer at home

Deputy Principal of Cannonvale State School Ange Heffernan with a group of prep students – (L-R) Torben Dench, Reef Thackray, Georgia Friend, Isabelle Anthony and Ada Hokins

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For the first time in almost two years, Australian borders will soon open to the rest of the world, allowing international tourists to visit the Whitsundays once again and provide much-needed relief to our ailing tourism industry.

On Monday Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement saying that following the soft opening of borders to countries such as New Zealand, Japan and Singapore, he feels confident Australia is ready to officially open international borders from Monday 21st February.

“If you are double vaccinated, we are looking forward to welcoming you back to Australia,” said Mr Morrison.

“I have no doubt that the tourism industry will be looking forward to this and over the next few weeks they will be gearing up to welcome international visitors back to Australia.”

Julie Telford, owner of Red Cat Adventures and one of the Directors of the Tourism Whitsundays board said that she was understandably thrilled that the borders were finally opening.

“It’s been a long time coming and it’s fantastic news for the hospitality and tourism industry,” she said.

“It’s the most exciting news we could have heard after such a tough start to the year – it’s given everyone a sense of relief – light at the end of the tunnel and a way forward for our region.”

International visitors to Queensland will not need to quarantine, they will simply need to take a Covid test within 24 hours of arriving and they must self-isolate until they receive a result.

RAT tests will be accepted.

A state-based arrival cap could be put in place and the Queensland Government is currently in discussion about how this will be implemented over the coming weeks.

According to Flight Centre the tourists most likely to enter the country in large quantities will be from the UK, USA, Canada and Europe.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces international borders will re-open from February 21 (image: ABC)

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The cold case that left police stumped for over a decade and resulted in two arrests in 2019 may finally be coming to an end next month when one of the alleged killers is expected to offer a guilty plea at the supreme court.

Jay Brogden was just 21 years old when he disappeared on the 21st of April 2007 and his body has never been found.

Shortly after his disappearance police announced a $250,000 reward for any information that led to the discovery of his remains, which prompted many people to come forward with information.

It did, however, take until 2019 for Gavin Parnell and Braddon Butler to be charged for his alleged murder.

The pair have since remained in custody on remand.

Both men were committed to stand trial at the supreme court following a committal hearing in June last year.

Then, last week, Mackay’s Supreme Court heard that Gavin Parnell is likely to plead guilty, with the matter listed for mention sometime in March.

At a hearing in 2019, the court heard from Parnell’s mother, Donna Balma, who said that her son had mentioned that he was involved with the alleged murder.

Parnell had asked her whether what he said to a counsellor would be admissible in court and then went on to detail a boat trip with Jay Brogden and another man.

During this trip he alleges the other man shot Mr Brogden and told him that he could either join him or help get rid of the body, so he helped push the body over the side of the boat.

This testimony asserts that Butler was not present on the boat, however, other witnesses say that he was.

One witness, who lived with Parnell for a short time, recounts a night when they had both consumed some home-brewed alcohol and Butler confessed to killing Mr Brogden with a shotgun and that it was Butler who pushed the body off the boat.

Another witness stepped forward saying that at her 21st birthday, Parnell confessed to the shooting.

Paul O’Brien also came forward, years after the event, saying he didn’t say anything at the time because he didn’t think Parnell was capable of it.

He remembers Parnell stating that Mr Brogden owed him money and confirming Butler was at the alleged shooting.

With many witnesses all confirming Parnell’s presence it looks like, more than 15 years after Jay Brogden’s disappearance, his family will finally get some closure and the killers finally brought to justice.

Jay Brogden went missing in 2007

$250,000 reward was offered for any information that led to the discover of his body

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While many local residents are throwing their empty plastic, aluminium or glass containers into their yellow bin, those savvy enough to earn a bit of money through their recycling efforts are taking them to a local Containers for Change Depot and receiving 10 cents for every eligible drink bottle.

Paddy Ward, Manager of Anything Environmental in Proserpine and Jubilee, said that this is an excellent way for local youth to make some pocket money while helping the environment along the way.

“We have one kid who brings bottles in, and he has made $12,000 over the last three or four years!” said Mr Ward.

“It’s a great way for kids to earn pocket money – they can make some serious dollars!”

The process is simple – purchase a drink, consume your beverage, wash it out, throw the lid in the bin and add the empty bottle to your collection, then head to your nearest depot and cash them in.

Residents can drop containers off 24 hours a day by setting up an account at containersforchange.com.au.

You can drop off your bottles any time of day and you will be issued with a scheme number in a Ziplock container. The items will be counted, and the money deposited straight into your bank account.

Processing up to 30,000 units per day at each site, Anything Environmental regularly service 50 walk-in customers a day and look after 40 business customers.

There are also 11 Community Drop and Go bin sites over the Mackay and Whitsunday regions.

Able to service a multitude of commercial clients from pubs to restaurants, hotels to boats, islands resorts and gyms – Anything Environmental offer a pick-up service from any local business.

“Just give us a call and we can come round, take a look at the site and ascertain the best way to approach it,” said Mr Ward.

Eligible Containers (Please place green tick here)

• Carbonated soft drink cans and bottles (under 3 litres)

• Beer, cider, ale cans and bottles (under 3 litres)

• Pre-mix spirits (under 3 litres)

• Fruit or vegetable juice (100% pure only no concentrates)

• Flavoured milk under 1 litre

Ineligible Containers (Please place red cross here)

• No milk bottles as they are categorised ‘farming’

• No wine bottles as they are categorised ‘farming’

• No spirit bottles as they are considered concentrate

Locations

Proserpine – 61 Hinschen Street

Jubilee Pocket – rear carpark of Jubilee Tavern

Bowen – 56 Gregory Street

Jonathon Whitehead, Luke Ronis, Trish Dermott and Paddy Ward

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Next week, it will have been six years since the tragic passing of Casey Stinson-Brown, a 19-year-old who suffered fatal head injuries after the bus he was on veered off the road and rolled on Shute Harbour Road near Brandy Creek when he was returning home from TAFE.

Ten others were taken to hospital, with four of those critically injured.

In the years since, Casey’s mother Nikki Brown has campaigned for improved safety regulations in the wake of the event on February 16, 2016.

The coronial inquiry of the events finished in March 2021 in Mackay magistrates court, with coroner John Aberdeen recommending the implementation of seatbelts by state government in the wake of the teenager’s death.

Ms Brown told the court that seatbelts could prevent other families from suffering the loss of a child like she has.

"No other family should be required to go through something as painful as this, for something so simple that is required in all motor cars, airplanes, coaches and taxis," Ms Brown said.

"My family will be forever broken."

The findings were presided over by Magistrate David O’Connell, who said, regardless of road conditions, that Casey’s was a preventable death.

"If Mr Brown had been restrained in his seat by a properly fitted seatbelt, he would have suffered far less injuries than he did, and certainly would not have suffered those non-survivable cranial fractures,” Magistrate O’Connell said.

He further recommended that the state government make it a requirement by December 1 of this year that all newly manufactured route buses must be fitted with a seatbelt for each passenger seat, and that existing buses be fitted over a 10- or 12-year time frame, or otherwise be retired from service.

"Overall, I am persuaded that seatbelts being fitted on route buses would reduce loss of life and the severity of injuries in bus crashes," he said.

The state government said they were reviewing the findings.

Ms Brown said they learned a lot in the inquiry, and that the review by the government gave her some hope that we would see seatbelts in the future.

“I hope Casey’s death isn’t in vain; that we haven’t lost him for nothing,” she said.

“It shouldn’t come down to money, because I sat there for three days listening to solicitors talking about how much it would cost but how do you put a price on someone’s life?”

A bus overturned in 2016, causing injuries to ten people, and the death of Casey Stinson-Brown

Casey Stinson-Brown tragically passed away at 19 after the bus he was returning home in overturned

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Local MP Implores State Government To Help Support Small Businesses

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP is standing up for small businesses by urgently requesting that Queensland receives access to the same Small Business Support Program that is provided by New South Wales and Victorian State Governments.

“The State government has done very little to support small business that other states have already implemented,” said Ms Camm.

“There is no plan and small and family businesses have followed all of the rules jumped through the hoops and the goal posts continue to shift.”

A Fair Go For Small Businesses

While small businesses receive ongoing support in other states, it seems that Queensland has been left behind and the local self-employed sector here in the Whitsundays is calling for help before it is too late.

“We have complied, we have followed all of the health directives, but with consumer confidence low, people are not wanting to venture out due to fear of becoming unwell,” said a local café owner.

“We are not asking for a handout we are asking for a hand-up in what is a challenging time - we need an end to this situation; the goal posts need to stop changing. People are exhausted from the constant changes and unknowns”.

In New South Wales the Government are currently offering a Small Business Support Program that entitles all eligible businesses to receive 20 per cent of their weekly payroll back as a lump sum for the month of February.

Meanwhile in Queensland, local businesses receive no such assistance from the state government and a well-known local business advisor said that this could spell the end for some of our region’s strongest surviving businesses.

“It’s very much a struggle at the moment,” he said.

“The stronger operators are now at a point where they’re coming to a cliff that they thought they would have been at when Job Keeper ended – many only have six months left on the runway and the government support is the only reason they’ve been able to survive so long.”

Having assisted many local operators, the business advisor said that he has multiple sources that will confirm this.

“The ladders have been pulled up and it’s danger time!”

The demographic most effected is the tourism operators that had previously relied on international tourists and were unable to pivot.

“A small business support package would 100 per cent be life changing for these businesses – it would mean they could keep going for six months before international travel returns,” he said.

“Amanda Camm is on the money – these small businesses are going to be sacrificed if a payment doesn’t come through.”

Having listened to the plight of several small businesses herself, Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP is now lobbying for the state government to provide an immediate small business support package, in line with the other states.

“Small businesses, particularly in tourism and hospitality are reporting declines of up to 70% in revenue and many have had to make the hard decision to lay off staff or close their doors,” she said.

“On behalf of small business hospitality, we are calling on the state govt to release the package to ensure they survive these challenging times.”

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP calls on state government to help small businesses

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The Sarina Arts and Crafts Centre is fighting back against COVID.

The centre is continuing to offer a wide range of home-made crafts to visitors and locals seven days a week in a COVID-safe environment.

Volunteers have the centre at the Sarina Field of Dreams parkland, adjacent to the Mackay Regional Information Centre, open seven days a week 9am to 1pm. The centre will close for public holidays.

“We are fortunate to have a strong group of volunteers who are sticking with us during this time,” centre manager Jennifer Costello said.

“COVID hasn’t stopped our crafters continuing to produce their works and we have a wide range of quality goods, all locally made.

“Like all businesses these days we require proof of vaccination from visitors but otherwise it is business as usual.”

By Charlie Payne

Tourists Steve and Amy Meehan with their children Maggie, Bonni and Alec at the Sarina Arts and Crafts in pre-mask mandate days last year. Maggie was hoping for booties for her doll Kelly, which she found. Photo: Charlie Payne

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Mandatory vaccination has struck workers jobless at regional mines this past week, with many Mackay locals now unemployed with the resource industry’s support of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations.

Roy Ware was one such Mackay local who worked for BHP - the operators of nine mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin and the Hay Point coal terminal. Mr Ware worked for the mining giant for the last three years at their Peak Downs Mine as a permanent maintenance contractor until January 31.

The Peak Downs Mine introduced mandatory full-vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of entry to its Australian sites and offices from January 31, as did every other BHP operated mine.

“The science is clear that widespread vaccination saves lives,” BHP Minerals Australia President Edgar Basto said.

“We have undertaken a thorough assessment and believe that this is the right path forward to protect the health of our people, their families and the communities where we operate.”

Mr Ware, a husband and father to three children, was told that Thursday 27 January would be his last day and his site access would be revoked for failure to comply with the No Jab, No Entry requirements.

In peaceful compliance, Roy packed his bags, but also took to protesting outside Peak Downs the night of the vaccine mandates coming into effect.

He loaded a swag, camping gear and supplies into the ute, and made a “stand in peaceful protest for freedom and democracy” outside the facility.

Mr Ware said that, aside from himself, a few others lost their jobs but by this point many of the FIFO workers who were unvaccinated had been “weeded out.”

“One bloke was finishing up and he was on his way to the airport and had a yarn with me, as well as hung his shirt up to show his support,” Mr Ware said.

“Plenty of blokes came and saw me, it was a good little positive interaction there - four of my original crew have stopped because they didn’t get the jab.

“It’s a bit of a shame, I’m never late, never miss a day, and same goes for the other boys - the work we did was appreciated.”

Resources industry experts have said that the risk an unvaccinated employee presents, if they’re carrying COVID-19, is a catastrophic one which would lead to the closure of an entire mine site if an outbreak occurred, despite vaccinated people also being able to spread the virus.

Mr Ware said it should not be up to a company on what is a person-by-person choice.

“Big companies, I challenge them on their values of respect when they’re not valuing people’s choices to not get the jab,” he said.

Roy Ware is one of the Mackay workers who lost his job in the wake of vaccine mandates

Roy’s peaceful protest at the Peak Downs Mine

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Nominations are now open for the 2022 Inspiring Women in Isaac Awards, where men and women come together to celebrate the powerhouse females in our lives.

Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker said the awards were a chance to nominate women of all ages and from all walks of life who help make the region a better place to live, work and play.

“We see inspiring women around us every day, and, in recent times, we’ve seen strong women determined to help their community keep moving forward amid the ongoing global pandemic,” Mayor Baker said.

“This is our chance to celebrate the incredible strength of women in Isaac and the valuable contributions they make to our communities.

"We are calling on residents to shine a spotlight on the inspirational stories and community contributions of some of the Isaac's finest women and help us celebrate the pure people power which drives our region.”

Mayor Baker said there were two award categories to nominate for the Inspiring Woman in Isaac and the Inspiring Young Woman in Isaac.

“Nominees could be someone special in your family, workplace or community,” she said.

“We all know ordinary women who play an extraordinary role in our community.”

Nominees and winners would be recognised at International Women’s Day and Queensland Women’s Week events in communities across the region between Friday, 4 March 2022 to Sunday, 14 March 2022.

Nominations close on Wednesday, 16 February 2022 online at https://speakup.isaac.qld.gov.au/inspiring-women-in-isaac-awards or hardcopy forms are available from Isaac Regional Council offices and libraries.

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Disaster assistance is now available for Isaac Regional Council following the severe flooding event between November and December last year.

The assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said the extension of disaster funding will help the flood-affected local council to cover the cost of their clean-up, repair and rebuild efforts.

“More than two months on and the effects of this wide-reaching weather event are continuing to be realised,” Ms Landry said.

“Isaac Regional Council can rest assured the costs associated with eligible counter disaster operations and the restoration of essential public assets will be covered.

“The DRFA funding will see vital repairs to the local road network take place over the coming months.”

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au.

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With one of the seven wonders of the natural world in our backyard, tourism operators and local schools are partnering up to give the next generation of reef warriors educational experiences in Australia’s largest outdoor classroom.

Developed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, ‘Be a Marine Biologist for a Day’ is a program that offers high quality experiential learning excursions, designed to be delivered by tourism operators for students visiting the Great Barrier Reef.

The curriculum-linked program is a comprehensive suite of educational resources that delves well below the surface to provide an in-depth knowledge about the rich biodiversity of the reef and its marine life.

Assistant Director Reef Education Holly Lambert said they were excited to launch the suite of educational resources that give students and teachers a taste for what it is like to be a marine biologist on the Great Barrier Reef.

“We worked with teachers, master reef guides and high standard tourism operators to create curriculum aligned education products that enable students of all ages to learn about the Reef from the classroom to the coral,” Ms Lambert said.

“The project aims to increase students’ understanding of the Reef, inspire a love for citizen science and share knowledge with the next generation of Reef custodians,” she said.

The Queensland Government has also invested over $1 million in a 3-year program – Great Barrier Reef Education Experience Program which sees $150 per student, paid directly to schools to go towards the cost of a school excursion which includes a reef experience.

Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert said it was vitally important to boost the next generation’s understanding of Queensland’s greatest living asset.

“The State Government’s Great Barrier Reef Education Experience Program has helped more than 8,000 Queensland students get onto the Reef for the school excursion of a lifetime,” Ms Gilbert said.

“We’ve turned the Great Barrier Reef into Australia’s biggest outdoor classroom to deliver a unique, hands-on learning experience for students and new tour opportunities for reef operators.

Ms Gilbert added that since launching in mid-2021, the Great Barrier Reef Education Experience has delivered more than $5.6 million to regional Queensland’s visitor economy.

“It’s fabulous to see our city join the program’s school excursion destinations with the recent launch of Wild Cat’s Great Barrier Reef and island tours from Mackay.

“Last year, the State Government’s Growing Tourism Infrastructure Fund supported Wild Cat to get into the water with an investment of almost $1 million to add to Mackay’s many visitor experiences,” Ms Gilbert said.

Red Cat Adventures is a certified business operator in the reef program and schools in the Mackay region are now able to claim tours on Wildcat Mackay.

With years of experience in tourism and training, Wildcat Mackay aims to immerse students in an authentic natural classroom.

Red Cat Adventures Owner Julie Telford is excited for her Wildcat team to inspire and educate young minds about the world’s largest natural wonder.

"Learning can be fun and we are so lucky to have The Great Barrier Reef as our playground.

“We must teach the future generation and allow them the opportunity to develop a deeper connection with the reef through interactive and hands-on immersive learning experiences,” Ms Telford said.

One of the many advantages of the reef program is that it adds value to the Mackay region by increasing the level of education and awareness of the Great Barrier Reef.

Mackay Isaac Tourism Chief Executive Officer, Tas Webber said having an accessible education experience allows students to have a permanent platform to study the Reef’s ecosystems.

“When it comes to Reef education, inspiring our next generation of reef warriors is important.

“They are ones that will be protecting the Reef for our future generations,” Mr Webber said.

L-R: Mackay Isaac Tourism Chief Executive Officer, Tas Webber, Assistant Director Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Carolyn Roche and Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert with a Wildcat Master Reef Guide. Image supplied: Julieanne Gilbert

Wildcat is now offering educational excursions, as part of the State Government's reef education program. Photo credits: Leah McLean Photography

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