Whitsunday Anglican School’s 2024 Academic School Captain, Rohit Vaidya, was one of only fifteen students in the State, and the only student from the Mackay and Whitsunday region, to receive a Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in STEM Education, where he was celebrated for his outstanding and innovative contribution to STEM education in Queensland. Marking 21 years of the Peter Doherty Awards for Excellence in STEM Education, the awards recognise students, teachers, support officers, schools a
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Mackay Writers is hosting a special Memoir Writing Workshop with esteemed Queensland writer Edwina Shaw on Saturday, August 31, and Sunday, September 1, at the Seabreeze Hotel, Lamberts Beach. Shaw, known for her fiction, memoir, and screenwriting, brings a wealth of experience to the event. Her novel Thrill Seekers was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Award for New Writing, and she has over 40 stories published internationally. With years of teaching under her belt, including at the University
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Mackay Regional Council has ordered a new half pipe for the Brewers Road Skatepark in Sarina to replace the existing unit, which has become structurally unsafe due to vandalism and misuse. The equipment in the skatepark is designed for skateboards, scooters, roller blades and bicycles but there have been reports of motorbikes using the facility. Unfortunately, the replacement unit is not expected to arrive until December. In the meantime, the vandalised equipment has been cordoned off for safet
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Mackay is piping excited for another Scottish party against the beautiful blue backdrop of the Pioneer River as the annual Mackay Scottish Bluewater Fling swings into full motion this weekend! The Bluewater Fling is a free, outdoor, family-friendly community event sponsored by the Mackay Regional Council that celebrates Mackay’s Scottish heritage. The event showcases local and visiting performers, featuring pipe bands from across Queensland, Celtic rock and Folk bands, soloists, and Highland da
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A stellar trade performance over the past 12 months is the icing on the cake for the Port of Mackay as it celebrates 85 years since its official opening. Total trade through the port reached 3.58 million tonnes in 2023-24, compared to 3.51 million tonnes for the same period last year and just shy of the record 3.59 million tonnes in 2021-22. North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) CEO Brendan Webb said the buoyant trade performance highlighted how the publicly owned port is powering int
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Work is commencing on a major commercial precinct adjacent to Mackay Airport. Vacant land bordering Milton Street will be transformed into a purpose-built business, retail and mixed-use service hub, offering an array of new industry opportunities and injecting millions of dollars into the local economy each year. Mackay Airport Chief Executive Officer Richard Barker said the long-term project, titled ‘Milton Precinct’, was strategically located near existing and emerging growth areas, maximisi
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The importance of strong biosecurity is being emphasised to the next generation of agricultural industry leaders, with 40 high school students given the opportunity to join the 2024 Biosecurity Youth Summit. Fostering an understanding among our upcoming generation of the importance of biosecurity in everybody’s lives is critical to safeguarding Queensland’s economy, environment and way of life. The Youth Summit is part of the Miles Government’s $21.7 million funding for biosecurity preparedness
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay If you were following the recent action in Paris, you may have noticed the dazzling blue of the turf on the hockey fields of the Olympics. Called Poligras, it’s a carbon-neutral synthetic turf - and it was 80 per cent sugarcane-based. It’s an interesting fact that as the world looks for ways to get away from plastics, biodegradable products that source sugarcane are now genuinely part of the solution. It’s exciting to see these emerging uses for sugar
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This week Season to date Cane crushed 60,190 377,048 Average bin weight 3.91 3.85 CCS 13.96 13.16 Cane variety performance for region Variety % CCS Variety % CCS Q183 29.1 13.91 Q253 17.4 14.18 Q240 11.2 13.71 SP80 2.1 13.63 Q208 15.2 14.27 SRA9 4.4 13.75 KQ228 7.2 14.51 Q242 2.8 12.43 Comments: Plane Creek Mill processed just over 60,000 tonnes of cane for the week, bringing the season total to just over 377,000 tonnes. Average CCS rose by 0.87 of a unit over the previous week, closing out at 1
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The newly established network of Sustainable Agriculture Facilitators will connect stakeholders with others in the industry and share information on sustainable agriculture practices. The facilitators are employed by local Natural Resource Management organisations funded through the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and will support the program’s broad climate-smart sustainable agriculture outcomes. Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Policy, Matt Lowe, said the $40.7 mill
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Not only is Spring starting tomorrow, but there are hundreds of families outside enjoying the weather because it’s finals fever for so many sports. We’ve got grand final hockey action down off Bridge Road. Hundreds of kids and families are getting into the stick action to see who comes out on top. If you are looking for the next Aussie player to grab the green and gold jersey for Brisbane 2032, don’t come looking at my A4 men’s Arsenal team. Well not yet anyway. You will find out more in a few
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One of Mackay’s most famous entertainment venues is The Dispensary, an outstanding spot for a meal or a drink and a place to catch up with friends. Its business model was a bit different a few years ago, when it included a seriously “high-end” restaurant that offered dishes that many customers had not experienced in Mackay. For diners who were accustomed to dishes like “crumbed steak” and “chicken parmy”, it was akin to entering a new world with terms like “degustation”, “confit” and “jus”. Anyw
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Friday 30th August Bird Life Mackay 6.30am Join BirdLife Mackay on the last Friday of the month and walk through the Botanic Gardens and along the Lagoons to identify and count the different bird species along the way. This is a free activity and a great opportunity to learn about some of our local bird species. Birdlife Mackay welcomes all interested people to come along. Meet the group at the Viewing Deck next to the Café. Mackay Regional Botanical Gardens Matwork Pilates Slade Point 5.45
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Director Kristyn Everett has assembled an impressive cast for David Williamson’s Family Values, Kucom Theatre’s final production for the year, which opens on Thursday 24th October for a two-week season. The play centres around Roger (played by Greg Webb), a retired judge, who is turning 70. All he wants for his birthday is some quality time with his wife Sue (Bronwyn Grannall) and their three children Lisa, Emily and Michael (Sarah Neivandt, Molly Betteridge, and Michael Brennan)—no gifts, no fu
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A parade of 36 Postie bike riders have zoomed off on a week-long adventure, starting from Mackay and journeying through Eungella Dam, Lake Elphinstone, Lake Maraboon, Cania Dam, Lake Awoonga, and Lake Monduran, before making their way back to Mackay. The endurance ride is all for a good cause with the group of riders raising vital funds for regional families facing childhood cancer. The Postie Bike Safari now in its 11th year will cover over 2,000kms with riders running raffles and seeking don
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Three face painters, two glitter tattoo artists, three jumping castles, roaming entertainment from Sensory Circus, a petting zoo and a hair braider – now that’s a recipe for a party in a park! Party in the Park, which celebrates and raises awareness of Child Protection Week each year, will be held from 9am to 11.30am in John Breen Park, Malcomson Street, North Mackay, on Wednesday, September 4. Mayor Greg Williamson said families could connect with playgroups and children’s service providers i
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More than 300 participants revved up their themed cars for a week-long adventure to raise an astounding $1.5 million for children in need. The 32nd Variety Victoria Bash officially hit the gas on August 16, shifting into high gear for an unforgettable adventure, kicking off in Swan Hill, Victoria, the convoy then travelled through New South Wales, following a pit stop at the sunshine state of Mackay before concluding their joy ride in Airlie Beach last Saturday on August 24th. Along the way,
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The Marian Ladies Bowling Club's annual Master Fours event kicked off on Monday, 12 August, with less-than-ideal weather conditions. A heavy downpour greeted the 72 lady bowlers eager to start the three-day event, but despite the weather, the show went on. With true resilience, the first day’s matches were swiftly moved to South Suburban's covered facilities, allowing play to continue. A special thank you was extended to South Suburban for their generous accommodation. Day two brought a welcome
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They started the Queensland Rugby League season full of promise but the Mackay Cutters have ended their 2024 Hostplus Cup campaign on a low. In their final-round display the Cutters suffered a 46-28 loss to the third-ranked Redcliffe Dolphins last weekend at Kayo Stadium. There’ll be no finals action for the Mackay team after finishing twelfth on the table on 22 points with eight wins and twelve losses. Dolphins centre Steven Numambo and interchange hooker Harrison Graham both posted try doub
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The Mackay State High School Football Academy recently stole the spotlight at the North Queensland Futsal Championships, delivering stellar performances across various age groups. The U15 boys’ team emerged as a powerhouse, finishing the pool stage undefeated with decisive victories over Cairns SHS (7-3), Kirwan SHS (13-1), Bentley Park College (10-1), and Southern Cross Catholic College (14-3). Their winning streak continued in the grand final, where they dominated Cairns SHS with a 6-2 win. Th
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Marian State School has been awarded a $10,000 grant in sports equipment through Decathlon’s Playgrounds to Podiums initiative, marking a significant boost for the school’s sports program. The school earned the silver grant for Queensland after a competitive application process, which is a move that promises to diversify the sports options available to students and nurture the next generation of athletes. Marian State School is situated in a close-knit community where many parents work away i
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The girls were victorious in the Tuesday morning annual championships at the Mackay Table Tennis Centre. Janice Kent (division 1), Veronica Keioskie (division 2) and Veronica’s daughter Nadine Stream (division 3) won the three singles titles, shutting out the men. Donna Abbott won the first game of the final, but Janice took the next three for the title. Veronica defeated Don Boettcher in division 2, and Nadine beat Sharon Muller in division 3. Janice teamed with Bryan Marshall to win the divisi
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Twenty-three Mackay Contract Bridge players participated in the Yeppoon Pairs and Teams Congress on the weekend. Janet Hansen and Thelma Caruana won the A Grade pairs. Sandra Morris and Annie Lynch won the B Grade Pairs. Alan and Frances Brown came third in the A Grade Pairs. Team Holewa – Max and Di Holewa, Terrence Sheedy and Noel Bugeia came second in the A Grade Teams with Team Hutchinson – Faith Hutchinson, Dot Slater, Joy Block and Geoff Cowan coming second in the C Grade Teams.
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Mackay SLSC “Guardians of Harbour Beach since 1950” is kicking off the start of its Nipper season with a Sign On Day, Sunday the 1st of September from 10am – 12noon at the surf club located at Mackay’s beautiful Harbour Beach. The Surf Club is holding “come and try” days for all of September, with surf education, fitness and beach skill activities, as well as a whole lot of fun being held from 8.45am each Sunday. The Nippers’ family will provide stinger suits, boards and all other equipment nee
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The highly anticipated 2024 BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival returns this weekend for two thrilling days on 31 August and 1 September, promising a vibrant mix of cycling, community spirit, and 2024 Paris Paralympics LIVE screen. The festival will feature screenings of the Paralympics throughout the weekend, with a special focus on two Mackay Paralympians, Josh Nicholson and Brayden Foxley-Conolly, who are proudly representing Australia in Wheelchair Rugby. Both athletes are supported by Disabled
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