OPINION PIECE The Federal Government has run out of excuses after officially breaking its election promise to reduce household energy bills by $275 following the release of draft regulated electricity prices last week. The draft Default Market Offer has confirmed that Labor has fallen short by up to $1,027 of its promised price reduction for everyday households, equivalent to a 37 per cent increase since Labor came to power. Small businesses have also been hit hard by Labor’s spiralling ener
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On the morning of March 16, Lena and her son, Charlie, decided to go out for the day, however, whilst out, life took a sudden detour and shook up the reality of a normal life for the mother and young son. The faulty aircon system above the fridge in the kitchen caught alight, vastly spreading to the room and through the rear of their Andergrove home. The laundry, along with the kitchen and all of the contents within the area was destroyed in minutes. The rest of the home was majorly affected by
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Tropical Queenslanders have been urged to take extra pre-cautions when taking their four-legged friend on beach walks, after a dog recently swallowed a blue button jellyfish and fell ill due to the toxic creature in South East Queensland. Blue button jellyfish are described as coin-sized creatures that tend to wash ashore after heavy winds or large tides and as a result, will float close to the water surface. The toxic species have reportedly washed up at Blacks Beach Mackay and high risks h
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In a devastating news update, police have confirmed the body of a man reportedly found at McCreadys Creek around 9.30am on March 21, was that of missing 38-year-old Mackay man, Scott Billingham. In earlier reports, Mackay detectives were on the search for Mr Billingham after he reportedly went missing on Friday, March 8 around 4pm. Scott was last seen at an address on Andergrove Road, Andergrove and had not been in contact with friends or family since. Major concerns were raised for his wel
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The Queensland Government’s Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund (MIIFF) has just allocated funding to 171 projects in the Mackay Local Government area where six projects have been approved a total of more than $1.4 million through the program. Local sport and active recreation facilities will be made safe, accessible, inclusive and more efficient, through the Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund (MIIFF). New changerooms at Mackay Brothers Football Club, upgraded
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At just 19 years old, Mackay local Tamlyn Evans has received a once in a lifetime opportunity in the world of dance, earning the honour of representing Australia at the well-regarded Washington Tattoo in the U.S. Selected as one of only 11 dancers, she will travel to America in April with the international highland dancing team, OzScot Australia. Tamlyn's passion for dance ignited at a young age, encompassing Scottish highland dancing alongside ballet and contemporary forms which have led to th
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Storytelling, poetry, drawing, painting, photography, film and more…the Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership invites local creatives of all ages and abilities to take part in the Submerged in Our Region competition to celebrate 10 years of waterway health in our region. Entrants will get the chance to have their work showcased at a five-day exhibition in July as part of the 2024 Mackay Festival of Arts program and be eligible to win one of five prizes - including a $1,000 Artist Development Burs
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Amidst the shadows of despair, 25-year-old Jess has found a glimmer of humanity and recognition from local business owner Kylie after Jess had been forced to sleep on the streets due to having nowhere else to call home. Kylie recognised the young girl outside her business and offered to help her by initiating a GoFundMe campaign with the aim of securing funds for housing and other essential items to support Jess's needs. Due to no fault of her own, Jess has been homeless for the last four month
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Friday, March 22 was National ‘Ride to School Day,’ Australia’s biggest celebration of active travel, and schools throughout the region, from Seaforth to Sarina, joined more than 870 schools participating nationally. Ride2School is a nationwide program organised by Bicycle Network, designed to support schools to encourage, empower and enable more students to get physically active on their journey to school, giving them the opportunity to create healthy habits for their future whilst teaching th
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Taskforce Guardian, a newly launched rapid response team, has commenced operations in Mackay. Collaborating with committed Youth Justice professionals and local Police enforcement, the task force aims to address recurring property offenders and enhance community safety. Approximately nine young people Between March 11 and 17 were apprehended on 38 offences, predominately for property and bail offences. Specialist Police worked in conjunction with Youth Justice workers and frontline Police co
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Winner of 9 Tony Awards when it debuted in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof is the brainchild of Broadway legends, Jerome Robbins and Harold Prince; songwriters, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick; and book writer, Joseph Stein. Touching audiences worldwide with its humour, warmth and honesty, this universal show is a staple of the musical theatre canon. Next month, the Mackay Choral Society is bringing this classic to the CQCM Theatre over three days. Set in the little village of Anatevka, the story cent
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Mother Cat Ezme and her one and only kitten Lovebug were recently found abandoned in a playground just a few hours after Ezme gave birth. With no human in sight to help, Ezme quickly went into mother-mode and protected her baby kitten by cradling him in an attempt to shield him from the rain. Helpless and alone, Ezme and her newborn baby were stranded in the dreary rain needing urgent care as Lovebug was alarmingly tiny and weak. Thankfully, a nearby resident noticed the two felines in the p
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Registered nurses Aswin Prasannakumar and Chithranjana Chandrasenan, are delighted to discover a side of familiarity in Mackay, where the warm climate, lush greenery and scenic beaches remind them deeply of their homeland in Southern India. Yet, it’s the gracious welcome from their colleagues and the warm introduction to the local Indian community, that makes them feel at home. The couple arrived earlier this year in mid-February and are eager to find a place to call home so they can be reunit
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An upcoming exhibition and publication will showcase landscapes, portraits, weaving, interpreted cultural stories and imagery from four local Mackay artists. The exhibition will also include collected stories, photographs and portraits from Elders sourced from the Multicultural community in the Mackay region. Mangrove is a visual arts exhibition which will be a collaboration of four women artists, Veronica Ah-Wang, traditional owner of Yuwibara country, Visual Storyteller; Janet Ambrose, desce
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Australia’s farm, fisheries and forestry sectors are set to rebound in 2024-25. The most recent Agricultural Commodities and Australian Crop reports are predicting that the gross value of production in 2024–25 will again increase after poor seasonal conditions affected outcomes in 2023-24. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said a rebound of up to 6% is predicted, bringing the gross value of Australian farms, fisheries and forestry to $90.8 billion, the third highest on record. “
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay There’s been a great deal of talk around SAFs – sustainable aviation fuels – and some outstanding work done in projects that use sugar cane as a base, particularly in growing regions such as Mackay, the Burdekin, Mossman and Rocky Point/Gold Coast. As a CANEGROWERS elected representative, I was a part of the working group that developed the sugar industry roadmap Sugar Plus: Fuelling the Future of Food, Energy and Fabrication, which was released in Jul
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Easter time is a great time to get out and have some fun around Mackay and the Whitsundays. Sure, Good Friday is the day to think about what the season means to you, then on Sunday everyone gets together and counts the number of calories that the Easter bunny has left behind. If your place is anything like mine, there will be quite a few calories consumed, and you know what, that’s ok. It’s one weekend, that’s it. I remember back in the 80’s and living in Gregory St, we’d all have family over
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In the changing world we live in, there is a growing trend for businesses to try to sell you what they think you should have rather than what you want. And, delightfully in my opinion, they are getting punished for it. A good friend of mine, let’s call him Ben, illustrated this perfectly the other day when he told me about how he went to buy a whipper-snipper. Ben is pretty lawn-proud and he is loyal to a brand that has done right by him. He has had three terrific whipper-snippers, all the same
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Calling all novelists! Mackay Writers Group will be hosting a remarkable Memoir Writing Workshop held at the Seabreeze Hotel, Lamberts beach on August 31 and September 1. Be sure to have your notepads ready as special guest Edwina Shaw shares her tips and tricks on the subject of writing based on her success and experience in the field as an author. Ms Shaw is a Queensland based writer of fiction, memoir, and screenplays. Her novel, Thrill Seekers was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Award for
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Last weekend, the Moranbah State High School Performance Hall was transformed into a stunning display of aubergine, white, and black décor. Fourteen debutantes graced the stage at the 47th Moranbah Debutante Ball. Compere for the Evening Neil Wicks introduced the 2024 debutantes and their partners: Amity Bradley and Cooper Bradley, Ysabella McKenzie-Thomas and Jordan Ewart, Brooklyn Streeter and Will Jaques, Isabella Piccoli Evans and Cylas Moloney, Leilani Cork and Joel Trease, Elyssia Rober
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Mackay Hospital Foundation hosted its signature Cinema Under the Stars event last Friday night with a few surprises in store for attendees. The event featuring the movie “Clifford, the Big Red Dog” was sponsored by Harvey Norman Bedding Mackay and Star 101.9 FM, and it was also supported by Show and Shine Detailing and Muscle Garden. Adding value to this event was Easter craft organized by Chloe and Josh Agius from Show and Shine Detailing, Face Painting by Let’s Just Face It Entertainment, ri
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Pioneer Valley Cricket Club are the newly-crowned Mackay Cricket Association Poole Cup first grade champions for 2023-24. In a dramatic title decider at Great Barrier Reef Arena on Saturday, March 16, the Valley X1 staved off a spirited challenge from Souths to record a thrilling six-run victory. Chasing 199 for Grand Final glory, the Sharks fell agonisingly short of their target despite superb half-centuries from Cameron Keene (74 not out) and Shaun Austin (52) and a handy 22 from all-rounder
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In a thrilling showcase of rugby league prowess, the QCCS Mackay Cutters delivered an outstanding performance last weekend at their fortress, BB Print Stadium in Mackay. With a jam-packed schedule featuring five consecutive games, fans were treated to a day filled with exhilarating action on the field. Supported by their loyal fans and bolstered by the sponsorship of Muscle Garden, the Cutters emerged victorious across all grades, cementing their dominance over their Rocky rivals, the CQ Capras.
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Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures March 19, 2024: Division 1: (Final) Lexus (Andrew McHugh, Janice Kent and Barry Patterson) won 6-5 over Jaguar (Tim Shehan, Anne Sheridan and Vince Boeske). Andrew d Vince 8, -8, -4, 10, 11. Audi (Mick Ruhl, Lee Brake, Lily Boland) d BMW (Ishan Rana, Emma Widdup, Allan Edwards) 7-4. Lily d Allan -9, 10, -6, 6, 6. Division 2: Mazda (Mark Sleeman, Niro) d Kia (Peter Goodson, Matt West) 5-4. Matt d Niro 7, 6, -10, -5, 9. Nissan (Will VanDeKaa, Dunca
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