Editor's Note 14 November

Hi Everyone,

It was an absolute honour to host our rebrand launch at the Mackay Region Chamber of Commerce B2B Brews event on Tuesday. Held at Event Cinemas Mount Pleasant, it was wonderful to escape the morning humidity, connect with new people, and network in the lively main foyer before venturing into Cinema 6, where I had the privilege of presenting.

During my speech, I took the opportunity to give the broader business community an update on who we are, what we do, and to formally introduce myself.

I’ve been with Life Publishing Group for more than 10 years now, beginning my journey with owner Bec Douthwaite when it was just a small team working from a tiny home office. A lot has changed since then, but one thing has always remained the same — we are proudly independently owned and believe every region deserves its own free voice in print. That’s one of the key reasons we expanded into newspapers five years ago. I became the Whitsunday Editor, while Amanda Wright took on the Mackay Editor role.

Since then, we’ve grown to include Burdekin Life and Hinchinbrook Life Newspapers, but our heart and foundations remain firmly in Mackay.

A few weeks ago, we farewelled Amanda as she launched into an exciting new chapter as Andrew Willcox’s Media Adviser. Since then, it has been an absolute privilege to watch Journalist Hannah McNamara shine.

With an exceptional work ethic, consistency, and genuine passion for her craft, Hannah has stepped into her new role with grace, kindness, and calm. She brings compassion to every conversation and professionalism to every story.

Thank you, Hannah, for all that you do for the Mackay region — you are doing an incredible job!

Rach

Quote of the Week: "A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song" (Chinese Proverb)

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