It’s December and Christmas is only three weeks away. My year has flown by and as I write this I wonder where 2022 has gone.
Mackay has had a good year; we have opened our new state-of-the-art Animal Management Centre; we are also well advanced with works on the Seaforth Esplanade project and the Riverside Link upgrade in the PDA. Preparation works are also happening with the Northern Beaches Community Hub and the mountain bike tracks in the Pioneer Valley.
I would like to thank all our staff and contractors for their dedication to their work at council, especially the Parks and Gardens crews for putting in the hard yards to get on top of our grass issues early in the year.
And while it’s great to reflect on what we have achieved this year, now is the time to find our Christmas spirit. Now is the time to consider family, friends and those less fortunate than ourselves as we prepare for Christmas.
We all know the story of Mary and Joseph struggling to find somewhere to stay in Bethlehem. Unfortunately, this same scenario is happening in our region every day as more people come to Mackay for work and cannot find accommodation. If you know someone in that position, think about inviting them to your place for Christmas lunch so they don’t have to eat theirs on a park bench.
Spare a thought for our cane farmers and all those who rely on them for survival, as they will have to work through the Christmas period this year in an attempt to harvest the crop.
So, where will you find your Christmas Spirit? For me, it will be found in spending time with family and friends and watching the faces on the little ones as they open presents. It will be found in saying thank you to Vinnie’s volunteers and hundreds like them in other groups as they celebrate this year’s achievements at Christmas gatherings.
And you are all invited to find your Christmas spirit with me at Habana Carols Under the Stars on December 17 at 7pm. We will be celebrating our 30th carols by sharing the true Christmas spirit of giving without expecting something in return at our totally free family event.
Please stay safe,
Cr Laurence Bonaventura
Mackay Regional Council
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