Have A Chat With Hannah January 16

Hi lovely readers!

What a crazy week it’s been with the weather.

One minute it’s pelting down rain with winds howling against my window, and the next it’s dry, sunny, and uncomfortably humid… I guess that’s Mackay summer for you!

As you would have seen on the cover, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli visited our region on Monday to discuss the recent weather events and how we move forward from here alongside Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson.

While I personally didn’t cop much damage in the Northern Beaches, I know our Eungella, Gargett, and Pinnacle residents certainly did. To all those affected across the outskirts of our region, I hope you’re doing okay by now.

Thankfully, there were no serious injuries or deaths reported, which is wonderful news. Infrastructure can be replaced, but people cannot, so it was reassuring to hear that everyone remained safe. You can read more about what our state and regional leaders had to say on page 3, as well as in our special cyclone feature on pages 18–21.

On page 11, you’ll find some rather interesting news you don’t hear every day! I hope the horse story gives you a bit of a chuckle.

I’d also like to acknowledge the bushfires in Victoria and Western Australia. While this is a regional paper, I’m sure many of us know someone across the country. I personally have family in Melbourne and Sydney, so my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.

Scripture of the week: ‘The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.’ – Psalm 145:18

‍