A Minute With The Mayor 9 January

A Year to Deliver for the Whitsundays

As we head into a new year, I want to use my first few columns to talk honestly about where Council is heading, what we’re focusing on, and what residents can realistically expect to see on the ground.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll touch on delivery, growth, advocacy, and the work Council does behind the scenes because there’s more happening across the Whitsundays than many people realise.

This year, my focus as Mayor is clear: delivery, not just discussion.

Across our region, communities have helped shape long-term plans for places like Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, Bowen, and Collinsville. Those plans matter and they reflect years of local input. But I know people want to see what that looks like beyond documents and diagrams.

In 2026, you’ll see more projects move from planning into action. That means work progressing in our town centres, community facilities taking shape, and improvements becoming visible in everyday places.

Cannonvale will continue to play an important role as a growth hub, with community-focused infrastructure helping support a growing population. In Collinsville and Bowen, long-planned community and foreshore improvements are moving closer to reality. In Airlie Beach, planning is shifting toward delivering practical outcomes that support both locals and visitors.

At the same time, Council remains focused on the basics of our business which is roads, water, waste, parks and public amenities. These are the services that keep the region functioning, particularly during peak holiday periods when our population swells.

Not everything can happen at once, and not every project moves at the same pace. Construction costs, funding conditions and approvals all play a role. But the direction is clear that my Council wants fewer ideas sitting on shelves and more turning into on-the-ground results.

This year is about momentum. Turning plans into places, and conversations into outcomes one project at a time.

Next week, I’ll talk about how Council is managing growth across the Whitsundays and how we’re working to protect the lifestyle that makes this region such a special place to live.

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