A Mackay ICU doctor is investigating how the immune system responds to a deadly soil-borne bacterial disease, which is surging across Far North Queensland, in an effort to help tailor treatment. Cases of the life-threatening infection, melioidosis, have climbed to 41 in North Queensland this year following recent wet weather. This includes 27 cases in Cairns, 11 in Townsville, and three in Mackay, with two tragic deaths reported. Mackay Base Hospital Intensivist Dr Eamon Raith secured fu
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From nerves to newfound freedom, local resident Telina, has proven that hard work and determination can lead to meaningful milestones. An Endeavour Foundation, Mackay Business Solutions site employee for nearly 30 years, Telina has recently achieved a significant personal goal – she’s purchased her own car. Her sights are now set on driving independently. “I was very nervous when I first started to drive, as I had been waiting for years for it to happen,” Telina shared. “I studied every ch
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Introducing Mackay Base Hospital’s newest edition to the crew Tali - a wheaten Border Collie whose mission is to simply look cute and spread love to patients in need. For some time now, the Mackay Hospital Foundation has been teaming up with Mackay Hospital and Health Service to get the official green light for a therapy dog at Mackay Base Hospital. Clinical Nurse Claire works alongside Tali as a clinical therapy dog team, through Therapy Dogs. Every week, Tali and Claire brighten up the Eat
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A delegation of 12 leading agribusinesses and innovators from the Greater Whitsunday region have travelled to Brisbane this week to attend evokeAG 2025, Asia-Pacific’s premier agrifood innovation event. Supported by the Greater Whitsunday Agtech Hub and Regional Development Australia (RDA), this delegation had the opportunity to learn, experience, and promote the Greater Whitsunday region while exploring potential partnerships and collaboration opportunities that will strengthen regional
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A new bursary has been announced to recognise the late Liz Alexander’s significant contributions to agricultural innovation in Queensland and beyond. Unveiled by the Minister for Primary Industries at evokeAG 2025 - the Asia-Pacific region’s premier agrifood innovation event in Brisbane - the bursary will support an emerging AgTech leader by covering the cost of attending a future evokeAG forum. The Crisafulli Government has honoured Alexander’s pioneering work by naming the initiative i
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The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement that unites Christians in prayer and worship. This year, the Mackay community is invited to gather on Friday, 7th March at 10:00 AM at St Ambrose Church, Glenpark Street, North Mackay, to take part in this special service of faith and fellowship. Each year, a different country prepares the service, highlighting its culture, challenges, and faith. In 2025, the Cook Islands has prepared the worship program with the theme “I Made You Wonderfu
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Opinion Piece by Michelle Landry Beef Australia’s internationally renowned event delivers enormous benefits to Rockhampton and showcases our local beef producers on the global stage. That’s why I’m proud to have invested $15.65 million over the past four events. It’s good to see Labor finally commit funding but it took an election to get the Agriculture Minister out of the city and into regional Australia. Rockhampton is the Beef Capital of the nation, yet the only reason she’s here
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Following on from their successful concert series, Swing & Song in 2021, Summertime and All That... in 2023, and Hot Note in 2024, local vocal ensemble Tutti is proud to present The Voice Within this March at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music Mackay. Who is TUTTI? Tutti is a female vocal ensemble led by Janice Whelan OAM. Jan is renowned in Mackay for her exceptional piano skills. Tutti sings well-known swing, ballad, Latin and folk songs with exquisite harmonies. The concert will
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Shed Happens Mackay hosted a leadership training retreat at the picturesque Seaforth Pines over the weekend of February 9. Surrounded by lush greenery and just a stone’s throw from the beach, the setting provided the perfect backdrop for meaningful conversations, personal growth, and team-building activities. The retreat featured a range of engaging exercises designed to strengthen leadership and camaraderie. One highlight was a hands-on challenge where participants worked together to bui
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In an exhilarating night of underwater hockey, the club welcomed an impressive turnout of 14 players, creating an atmosphere packed with energy and enthusiasm. Among the attendees were newcomers Hunter, Hudson, and Sarah, who were quickly integrated into the team dynamics. However, special guest from Townsville, Sonny, truly stole the show. Her seamless integration into the squad and demonstration of exceptional skills impressed both seasoned players and novices alike. The evening kicked off wi
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Queensland’s beekeeping industry is set to receive a major boost, with the State Government rolling out a $500,000 Community Bee Innovation Fund (CBIF) to tackle the threat of varroa mite—one of the most destructive pests facing honeybee populations worldwide. Over the next three years, grants between $5,000 and $50,000 will be available to fund innovative projects aimed at strengthening biosecurity, improving varroa mite education, and developing management tools to protect the state’s b
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Last Wednesday, the North Mackay Ladies social competition saw Cecilia Lee and Lorraine Lemke take the win in a well-fought pairs game. In the triples match, the runners-up title went to Leslie Baumgarten, Narell Schmidtke, and Lurline Ford, who showed great teamwork on the green. Last week, the competition heated up with four teams battling it out in the semi-finals of the Championship Fours. Only two teams secured a spot in Thursday morning’s final, and what a match it was! The tension was h
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Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures, February 18, 2025: Division 1: Panther Prowler 8 (Vince Boeske, Allan Edwards, Trent Day) d Stellar Storm (Will VanDeKaa, Lee Brake, Barry Patterson) 8-3. Trent d Barry 11, 7, -7, -6, 6. Phoenix Fire (Andrew McHugh, Josh Brown, Andrea Nicholson) d Venus Voyager (Graham Drury, Janice Kent, Graham Brake) 9-2. Andrea d Graham -8, 8, 11, 10. Ant Warriors (Graeme Walker, Ian McKay) d Cosmic Sorcerers (Donna Abbott, Anne Sheridan) 7-2. Ian d Donna 6, -10
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Booking in a doctor’s appointment has never been more difficult or expensive, especially in regional Queensland, according to Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox. Willcox has called out the Albanese Government, arguing that low Medicare rebates are causing GPs to abandon bulk billing, leaving patients to bear skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs. With doctor shortages worsening and medical centres struggling to stay open, he warns that urgent action is needed to prevent further strain
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A special congratulations to Janelle Conroy, for being ranked second in the Gold Life Master section, in the 2024 Queensland Masterpoints awards, (which is a massive honour). Well done, Janelle! The first round of the GNOT Gold points event was played on Saturday with thirteen teams competing. Well done to teams Sheedy and Hansen finishing first and second. It was great to see so many new and up and coming players participating, well done to them also.Weekly ResultsMonday 17 February 2025 – 6 Ta
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Imagine a tiny hand wrapped around your finger, a loyal paw resting by your side, or the final embrace of someone dearly loved…these are the imprints that shape our hearts forever. But what if you could hold onto them, not just in memory, but as something you can cherish for a lifetime? At Impressionable Kids Mackay, Allysha Zirbel has made it her mission to do exactly that. Whether it’s the delicate hands and feet of a newborn, the paws of a beloved pet, or even the hooves of a horse, no impri
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In an exciting leap forward for wildlife discovery, a previously unknown species of Whirring Tree Frogs has been identified right here in the region, thanks to ground-breaking research by James Cook University, the University of Newcastle, and the South Australian Museum. Originally thought to be one species, the new research discovered they were in fact three distinct species, with the Eungella Whirring Treefrog found on the top of the Eungella plateau, west of Mackay, and the Atherton Tablela
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Excitement is building for the upcoming Canoe Blessing and Celebration at Eimeo Beach on Saturday, March 1, 2025, starting from 8:15am. The event will mark the initial blessing of the new Matahina OC6 canoe, which is set to be a significant addition to the Sunset Bay Outrigger Club’s fleet. After the blessing, participants and spectators will gather at Eimeo Pub to enjoy a celebratory breakfast. In conjunction with the canoe blessing, the event will launch the Junior Outrigger Program, design
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What if you could buy toys that are not only fun, but also educational AND good for the environment? It may sound too good to be true, but Playful Eco makes it a reality! This online toy store is every parent's dream, offering eco-friendly, sustainable toys that encourage creativity, promote learning, and instil a love for the planet. At Playful Eco, each toy is crafted with care by an experienced early childhood teacher who understands the importance of fostering growth from a young age.
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Mackay Surf Lifesaving competitors recently headed to Sarina Beach for the North Barrier Branch Titles - the premier surf sports event - for seven regional lifesaving clubs as North as Ingham and as South as Sarina. The Mackay team excelled by finishing a very close 2nd place to Townsville’s Arcadia SLSC. “We are very impressed with the results of our surf sports athletes leading into states and nationals,” said Josh Grant the Mackay Director of Surf Sports. “After analysing our results, it w
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Health professionals in the frontline of the fight against breast cancer will hit the streets of Mackay next month for the Mater Chicks in Pink International Women’s Day Fun Run, presented by Queensland X-Ray. While 23,000 people take part in the main Brisbane CBD event on Sunday 9 March, Mackay will hold its own fund-raising 5km fun run, starting and finishing at the Bucasia Beach playground. This year walkers and runners from Mater Private Hospital Mackay will be lining up with Queensl
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Melanie Grenier, an employee at one of Mackay's leading creative marketing agencies, redhotblue, will be shaving off her long locks and go bald to raise funds for medical ovarian cancer research. This cause hits close to home for Melanie, whose family has been affected by various forms of cancer over the years, including her mother, who has been impacted by cancer multiple times. In addition, the redhotblue team is honouring the memory of a beloved former employee, who tragically lost her
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From little things big things grow was a great way to describe the growth of Catherine McAuley College, Mackay, according to Principal Jim Ford. “I think we would be quite unique in terms of our dramatic change in student and staff numbers for the start of the 2025 academic year,” Mr Ford said. The Catholic co-educational College has commenced its fourth year of operation, having opened in 2022 with the expansion plan seeing the College add a new Year level each year until 2027 as it ste
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By Hannah McNamara In the shadows of rising living costs and a housing crisis, two Mackay organisations - CASA and Broken Ballerina Inc. - are battling to protect society’s most vulnerable. Women and children fleeing violence are sleeping in cars, with crisis services stretched beyond capacity. “We’re providing motel stays, but it’s just a band-aid fix,” says Jules Thompson of Broken Ballerina. General Manager at CASA, William Stafford says cases have shockingly doubled in a year. Despite wo
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For nearly 50 years, the Mackay Scope Club has brought together women dedicated to fundraising for local causes. Meeting monthly at Breezes Retirement Village, the club’s efforts benefit various charities through sausage sizzles, raffles, and even Christmas gift-wrapping. Ms Brenda Travaskis has been a member for almost a year now and thoroughly enjoys her time fundraising for those in need. “We hold sausage sizzles, wrap Christmas presents outside Spotlight for donations, and organise M
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