Looking Back on a Big Year for the Whitsundays

With Mayor Ry Collins

Hi all,

As we reach the end of 2025, I’ve been reflecting on my second year as Mayor and the enormous amount of planning, progress and partnership that has taken place across our region. It’s been a big year and not just for Council, but for every community, every family and every business that calls the Whitsundays home.

One of our biggest focuses this year has been planning for improved liveability right across the region. With the Whitsundays continuing to grow at record pace, it’s essential that we stay ahead of the curve: improving parks, roads, footpaths, sporting facilities and the everyday services that make a difference in people’s lives.

Local government often gets summed up as “roads, rates and rubbish,” but the reality is that Council plays a far broader role and we’re busy planning now for the kind of communities we want our children and grandchildren to grow up in.

Many of the major projects you’ve heard about recently across Cannonvale, Proserpine, Bowen and Collinsville are the result of months (and in some cases, years) of careful preparation, community consultation and detailed design.

Good planning takes time, but it’s how we build stronger, safer, better-connected towns that future generations will be proud of. And this year, I’ve really felt the community lean in. Whether it was shaping master plans, turning up at workshops, giving feedback online or simply stopping for a chat in the street, your ideas and local knowledge continue to guide the decisions we make.

I’d also like to thank every volunteer, every club, every community group and every resident who plays a part in making this region such a special place. Council’s role is important, but it’s the spirit of our people that truly sets the Whitsundays apart.

Mayor Ry Collins

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