As Wilmar Sugar and Renewables marks the first quarter of the 2024 crush season, a notable 4.14 million tonnes of cane has been processed across its eight mills. The Plane Creek Mill in the Mackay region, a key player in Wilmar’s operations, is leading the charge with impressive performance metrics despite recent weather challenges. In the Plane Creek region, this week’s CCS (Commercial Cane Sugar) stands at 12.72, with 291,000 tonnes processed, representing 22 per cent of the total Plane Creek
Read more
Friday 16th August Mackay Employment Showcase9amYou are invited to discover the wide range of employment opportunities available now at Endeavour Foundation Business Solutions – Mackay. You’ll learn about: The different jobs that might just be right for you, What it’s like to work for Endeavour Foundation and How you can be a part of #TeamPossible. This event is for you if you are: A person with disability looking for a job or Curious about the services we provide to support people with disabili
Read more.jpg)
Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens is already a magical place, but next Thursday (August 22) it will be transformed into a paradise for picture book heroes. Keep an eye out for cats in hats, alpacas with maracas, hungry caterpillars, Wiggles, Wallys, wizards, unicorns, superheroes and fairytale characters. Picnic in the Gardens, running from 9.30am to 11.30am, is Mackay Regional Council Libraries’ yearly Book Week blowout complete with Story Time under the trees and Baby Bounce on the lawn. The
Read more
Australia’s beloved musical treasure, Marcia Hines has a career spanning five decades, and the pop superstar is heading to the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre (MECC) on Saturday 21 September. The visit follows Marcia’s successful return as a judge on Seven Network’s Australian Idol and her starring role in the John Frost touring production of Grease. Accompanied by her musicians and production crew, the performance will celebrate the extraordinary output of this Australian legend.
Read more.jpg)
Overall, Winner – Woollam Art on Show Award 2024 Prize $3000 Artist: Bradley Short Title of Work: Plein Air Study Eungella Local Artist Award Prize $1200 Artist: Sam Pennisi Title of Work: Banksia Banquet Section 1 – Easel Painting Award 1st Prize $1000 Artist: Catherine Clark Dowden Title of Work: Like My Mama Highly Commended $350 Artist: Bonny Shore Title of Work: Across the Bay Commended $150 Artist: Loren Boyd Title of Work: The Opening Act Section 2 – Daly Bay Works on Paper Award 1st Priz
Read more
If there’s one thing that the Mackay community is most passionate about, it’s supporting young regional talent in the world of sports. The Mackay region prides itself on the driving development of world-class talent, and Arisa Trew’s recent success at the Paris Olympics is a shining example of this. At just 14 years old, Arisa, who was born and raised in Cairns, made history as Australia’s youngest-ever Olympic gold medallist in the Women’s Park skateboarding event. While her victory is a maj
Read more
By Amanda Wright Mackay’s own basketball stars played a pivotal role in the Australian Opals’ triumphant return to the Olympic podium, clinching a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Games. The win marks the Opals’ first Olympic medal in 12 years, with a dramatic 85-81 victory over Belgium in the final match. Sandy Brondello, head coach of the Opals, led the team with a mix of tactical brilliance and emotional leadership. Brondello, a four-time Olympian and seasoned triple Olympic medallist as a play
Read more%20(Medium).JPG)
The 2024 Magic Mile, hosted by the Mackay Road Runners, once again showcased the community spirit and athletic talent that define the event. Held at the scenic Mackay Harbour Breakwater precinct, the race took place under wet and cool conditions, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of participants, sponsors, and volunteers. Long-term sponsors North Queensland Bulk Ports (represented by Lisa and Nick) and Podiatry Mackay (Donald Orr and Bec Baird) played a key role in ensuring the event's succe
Read more.png)
Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures July 30, 2024: Division 1: Hyuandi (Allan Edwards, Tim Shehan, Anne Sheridan) d Ferrari (Steven Whiting, Janice Kent, Andrea Nicholson) 6-5. Anne d Steven -4, 5, -10, 6, 9. BMW (Barry Patterson, Geoff Denman, Neil Brown) d Honda (Graham Drury, Vince Boeske, Graham Brake) 8-3. Geoff d Vince -4, 10, 4, -3, 11. Audi (Andrew McHugh, Lily Boland, Ian McKay) d Holden (Mark Sleeman, Robbie Richards, Lee Brake) 9-3. Andrew d Lee -9, -8, 9, 5, 9. Alpha (Gon
Read more
The final of the Whitsunday Zone GNOT (Gold National Open Teams) has been played, with team Bugeia – Noel Bugeia, Janelle Conroy, Terry Sheedy and Geoff Taylor taking out first place. The Grand National Open Teams (GNOT) is an Australia-wide event. Team Bugeia will play against 63 other teams in the GNOT National Qualifying event in the hope of being one of the eight teams to compete in the Non-Metropolitan Final in Sydney in November. Weekly Results Monday 5 August 2024 – 8 Table Mitchell Gr
Read more.jpg)
The Finch Hatton Flowing Trails Trail Run, held on Sunday, 4 August, marked the third event in the thrilling 4-part ‘Off the Beaten Track’ Trail Run Series. This exceptional event, the brainchild trail run series of Mackay’s ActiV8 Adventures, saw over 120 enthusiastic trail runners seize the rare opportunity to traverse the world-class Finch Hatton MTB exclusively. In collaboration with Mackay Regional Council and Finch Hatton MTB, the trails were exclusively open to trail runners from 6am t
Read more.jpg)
An outpouring of grief and sympathy has fallen heavily upon the Whitsunday community this week with the news that mother-to-be Mary Joy Estrada Dela Cruz perished in a car accident near Mount Marlow on Sunday along with her 60-year-old mother who was visiting from the Philippines. It is understood the two family members were travelling in a vehicle with their husbands when the accident took place. The two men remain in hospital fighting for their lives.
Read more
Airlie Beach Race Week 2024 has been an unforgettable experience, both on and off the water. The week was marked by challenging weather conditions, with intense winds in the middle of the week and an unexpected lack of wind toward the end, testing the skill and perseverance of all participants. Onshore, the atmosphere was electric, with amazing bands, food vans, and entertainment bringing the community together. It was a time to reconnect with friends from other clubs and regattas, with partici
Read more
Hi Everyone, News of the devastating car accident that claimed the lives of two women and an un-born baby on Sunday afternoon sent shockwaves through the community this week, with the outpouring of grief palpable. As I welcome my own family, who have just arrived from the UK to visit, I can only imagine what Mary Joy’s family are going through, having had their own holiday turned into their worst nightmare in the blink of an eye. My thoughts go out to all that knew the family and our large Fi
Read more
All our hearts feel sad when we see somebody homeless and struggling, especially in such a small community like our own. Local resident John Burke shared this publicly on a local community chat site when he expressed his feelings after seeing a man sleeping on a footpath next to Flour & Eggs lunch bar. John posted onto the Whitsundays Noticeboard Facebook chat asking for the community to help. He explained that he had been contacting services to aid the man for over an hour, but no one was av
Read more
The Whitsundays are set to experience a significant boost in tourism and connectivity with the introduction of direct flights from Adelaide launching on September 1st. This new route, developed in partnership with major airline Jetstar, is strategically designed to open the Whitsundays to new markets while providing an affordable and convenient travel option for visitors. The decision to add Adelaide as a direct destination was driven by the airport's goal to expand beyond traditional eastern c
Read more
Council’s work on the eradication of the Yellow Crazy Ants has been a long process but this week they have begun more infestation treatments. In the Whitsundays we have five small infestations in Shute Harbour, Mandalay, Woodwark, Funnel Bay and Hamilton Island. From 12 – 16 August council are working on the mainland ant infestations. In the Whitsundays, the five combined infestations equal 51 hectares. It is important to remove Yellow Crazy Ants because they are pests and impact our ecosyste
Read more
Tourists are flocking to the Big Mango and Bowen Tourist Information Centre, with the iconic gateway to the town proving to be a popular stopping point where motorists are encouraged to venture into Bowen for the day or even longer. The popularity of the centre has reached new levels this year with record-breaking visitor numbers announced. Bowen Tourism and Business released figures this week confirming they welcomed more visitors than ever before during the 2023/34 financial year. This inc
Read more.JPG)
On Thursday 8th August, a pop-up Chamber event, consisting of BBQs, coffee and prizes was held at Porters Metre 10 Whitsunday. Local businesses gathered to meet other business owners, get up-to-date on Chamber developments and express their opinions. Whitsunday Chamber of Commerce and Industry members, Porters Mitre 10 Whitsundays, opened its store in Cannonvale in 2002, at its current location, after a long history of servicing the Whitsunday region from its Mackay locations. Recently, Porte
Read more
With the Whitsundays ‘events season’ well underway and gathering steam, our region comes alive with iconic events and festivals. Congratulations to the Whitsunday Running Club, the Coral Sea Marina Resort Triathlon Festival, and the Great Barrier Reef Festival for their recent hugely successful events – packed with visitors and contestants. With the Airlie Beach Race Week and Hamilton Island Race Week now upon us – the visitation and exposure that these events bring to the region is incalculabl
Read more
Army and Vietnam veteran Brian “Weary” Dunlop is encouraging his local community to take a moment to recognise and support all veterans this Vietnam Veterans’ Day. Weary volunteered for national service and joined the 5RAR in 1967 at just 20 years old. After training with the 5RAR, Weary was deployed to Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. After his service Weary moved to Proserpine in early 2000 and joined the Proserpine RSL Sub Branch in 2010. Commemorated annually on 18 August, Vietnam Veterans' Day
Read more
Billie, an adorable little puppy, was found dumped in a puddle between Proserpine and Bowen on Christmas Eve. Billie was found by a young teenager who took her in and cared for her until she was nursed back into a healthy puppy. Billie is now a whirlwind, full of love and joy. Unable to provide Billie with the love and attention she needed due to her studies, the lovely young lady, though saddened, chose to entrust her to Christina at Animal Rescue Whitsundays. Christina has since successfully
Read more
The new Airlie Beach Seagrass Nursery project is happening soon with its official opening this Saturday 17 August. The launch of the new Airlie Beach Seagrass Nursery project will take lace at Coral Sea Marina. The test nursery has been with us for over two years and following its success CQ University has secured grant funding for an upscaled nursery project. The day will start at 11am with a Welcome to Country, an introduction and project overview, and photo opportunities. At 11.45 time
Read more
Fines for not controlling your dog in public places have increased to $806. This includes having your dog off-leash in designated on-leash areas, or if the dog is in an off-leash area, you must be able to control the dog using voice commands. For everyone's safety, let's make sure our furry friends are always well-behaved in public spaces!
Read more.jpg)
Last week CEO Warren Bunker, Councillor Clay Bauman and I attended the two-day 2024 Coastal Leaders Forum in Townsville. This annual forum was a vital gathering of elected members, chief executives, and senior officers from across Queensland to showcase coastal council initiatives. The well-attended forum explored current and emerging issues, identified coastal council-specific advocacy priorities and gave us the opportunity to engage with key State and Federal Government representatives and
Read more