Review by Hannah McNamara Smiles and satisfied stomachs filled the Lancaster Room at Harrup Park last Friday night as Sarah Todd returned to her hometown of Mackay and gave guests a taste of her creativity, sharing her remarkable life experiences and how her culinary career came to be. As most recognise her from appearances in two seasons of MasterChef, the well-known celebrity cook has since gained a fan base and opened up a successful restaurant based in India. She is now an inspiration, no
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By Amanda Wright A massive weekend of footy is coming up for our QCCS Mackay Cutters, followed by an NRL clash of Queensland crowd favourites with the North Queensland Cowboys taking on the Brisbane Broncos at BB Print Stadium, Mackay. The Cutters’ HPC and BMD squads will play in their first trial against the CQ Capras on Sunday before the NRL trial, and all Junior Reps will have their first home game of 2024 against the Northern Pride on Saturday. North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Head Coach T
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Photo credit: Mackay Regional Council
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In a massive signing coup, Mackay Basketball are thrilled to announce that U.S import player Sam Haiby, will join the McDonald’s Mackay Meteorettes roster for the 2024 NBL1 season. 24-year-old Haiby will head to the Sugar City in March for her first professional playing contract, following a stellar basketball career at the University of Nebraska. In 2021, the dynamic guard was named the Nebraska Most Valuable Player and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honours. McDonald’s Mackay Meteorettes
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Monday 5 February 2024 – 7 Table Mitchell Green Points N/S E/W 1st Ming Ting / Pamela Finger 1st Lorna Shuttlewood / Faye Wright 2nd David Ting / Eric Goodchild 2nd Monica Darley / Nancey Martin 3rd Helen Van Den Broek / Jan Harris 3rd Marilin Robins / Mick Robins Tuesday Evening 6 February 2024 – 7 Table Mitchell Green Points 1st Eric Goodchild / Noel Bugeia 2nd Ted Cullinan / Mary Rose Ramsden 3rd Helen Van Den Broek / Terrence Sheedy 4th Faye Wright / Marilin Robins Wednesday 7 February 202
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Emerging Mackay rugby league forward Nehemiah Wuatai-Davis can realise his childhood dream of playing in the NRL after signing a two year contract with the Wests Tigers. The rampaging 18-year-old Mackay Magpies prop is part of Benji Marshall¹s new breed of Tigers in 2024 after impressing the club¹s talent scouts with powerhouse performances in the Queensland junior development system. Wuatai-Davis, a teak tough front rower with a huge motor, was named in the Balmain S.G Ball squad that will co
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A huge weekend unfolded for Mackay Road Runners last week as they begun a parkrun last Saturday morning, followed by the set-up of the Jet Group Mackay Sports and Rec Expo held at the MECC, in which continued on through Sunday morning, not to mention their kick off of the first official Social 2024 Mackay Road Runners program that afternoon. With the outcome of a very successful weekend filled with running, sporting and other recreational activities, the Mackay region’s amazing strength and de
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Hi Everyone, Well, the election race has certainly begun! Over the past two days I have spoken directly with 26 different Local Government Election candidates, 13 from the Whitsundays and 13 from the Burdekin. It has been a whirlwind of congratulations, conversations, and off-the-record statements which of course we won’t share in these pages. What you will see this week, however, is an introduction to all the candidates and statements from current Councillors who are unopposed and will rema
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A small group of local business representatives gathered at the Whitsunday Housing Company earlier this week to discuss how they will contribute towards building four tiny homes for homeless women over 55 in Proserpine. This meeting brought together some of the inspiring businesses which have decided to step forward and offer their skills and supplies to the Tiny Homes Project. The project is being run by local charity Whitsunday Housing Company and over the last 14 months it has raised just u
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A truck rollover on the Bruce Highway, on Tuesday, February 13, caused a five-kilometre exclusion zone. The truck was travelling on the Bruce Highway on Tuesday morning, when is rolled over at Bloomsbury, south of Proserpine, at 11.30am, causing a blockage for both lanes of traffic. The truck was transporting ammonium nitrate, an agricultural fertilizer which is commonly utilised by mining industries for explosives. The exclusion zone was established following the truck leaking ammonium nitrate
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At 12pm this Tuesday nominations closed for the upcoming Local Government Election and it was formally confirmed that four Mayoral Candidates have registered and two Councillor positions are opposed by a total four Councillor Candidates. Richard Evans, Ry Collins, Peter Hood and Phil Batty have all announced their Mayoral candidacy. Meanwhile the Division 2 seat, which encompasses Cannonvale, Cannon Valley and Woodwark, is contested with Councillor Clay Bauman the only seated candidate to be ch
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I wish to serve our Whitsunday community. I’m a seasoned leader with a 40-year track record in national politics and industry leadership. My leadership skills have developed from service as a federal member of parliament during the Keating-Howard years; championing national and small businesses and industry at a state and national level as Executive Director for the Franchise Council Australia, Australian Retailers Association, Australian Fashion Council, and Clubs Victoria; and my volunteer con
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I'm a passionate and experienced local advocate for our region with a strong and diverse business background. My current experience in addressing our economic challenges, promoting our best opportunities, coupled with strong family values and deep understanding of our community's needs, equips me to lead effectively. I'm committed first and foremost to listening, understanding, and acting on the concerns of our residents to drive outcomes, meaningful progress and growth. Addressing the current c
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45 years as Principal Accountant in public practice. 45 years registered Tax Agent. 45 years registered Company, Forensic and Asset Manager Auditor. 4,700+ clients throughout Australia. Lived and practised in The Whitsundays for 25+ years. 450+ clients in The Whitsundays; individuals, businesses, clients in agriculture and tourism. Clients Collinsville, Bowen, Proserpine, Airlie, Shute Harbour, the Islands. 1,600+ clients that work with Australian Councils on a near-daily basis. Worked with the
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My name is Philip Batty I first arrived in the Whitsundays in 2002. I have held senior executive positions for several very large Australian and international businesses during my 35 plus years in hospitality. My passion for the region is evidenced by my involvement in securing commercial flights and cruise ships to the region plus promoting the Whitsundays through a highly successful flash mob promotion, which I organised, reaching almost 2 million people around the world. Affordable housing
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I am a long-term local sugar cane grower and have been proactively involved in the sugar industry for many years, including being a Canegrowers director and the inaugural Chairman of Sugar Services Proserpine. I am the current Division 5 councillor and Deputy Mayor. The one issue I would address is cost of living pressure. It’s not a problem that I can fix, but I will do my best to limit any changes to council fees and charges. Honest representation, a good work ethic and a commonsense approa
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I feel very honoured to be uncontested for the Division 1 seat and I am very much looking forward to the next four years working with and for the community. I’ve got some big projects that I’ll continue to push forwards with, I would like to see a massive waterpark in Airlie Beach at the Airlie Beach Foreshore. I am also advocating for the redevelopment of the Airlie Beach main street and I would like to see a multi-story carpark as well as a place of safe refuge for extreme weather events.
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I have owned and operated a small business, Downtown Butchery, in the Main Street of Proserpine for over 30 years and, together with my wife, Jill, raised four daughters. It’s been a privilege to represent Proserpine and the surrounding areas on Council since 2012. I believe that I have the experience and passion to continue contributing to Division 3 and our wonderful region. I’m proud to say that I’ve achieved some major projects for Proserpine and surrounds but I’m not going to sit here a
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As the current Councillor for Division 4, I have a four-year term under my belt already which brings a fair bit of experience. During my term, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in my division. I understand that if they’re contacting a Councillor, they genuinely have a concern, so I always do my best to help as much as I can. I’m married with three school age children and have lived in Bowen my whole life, a fourth generation local. The biggest thing that I would love to rectify immediately i
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The ‘why’ of your business and other key lessons from Kapow Interactive Ambi Middleton joined Whitsunday based digital marketing company Kapow Interactive in 2021, switching career paths after spending time in the maritime and health industries. “No one day is ever the same at Kapow Interactive. One day I’ll be managing social media for a builder, the next I’m designing a website for a childcare centre. It helps broaden, inspire, and entertain my creative side,” she said. Ambi is a sponge f
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As a Cannonvale resident, I believe we can improve how council serves us. My background in film and television has sharpened my budgeting skills and departmental leadership, equipping me to tackle the diverse challenges facing our community. I'm very careful and thorough with all the paperwork and I’m very able to help with people’s questions and concerns. These skills and experience gained since becoming a councillor in 2022 make me a great fit for the role. The most difficult thing is to cho
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Being a successful business owner, I understand the challenges and opportunities that our business owners face daily in Bowen. I am dedicated to representing the vibrant spirit of our community, and I am particularly passionate about fostering the growth of local businesses. I am reaching out to individuals who share a common vision for our community’s growth, prosperity and resilience. I believe that together, we can invest in initiatives that fuel growth, making Bowen an even better place to l
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My professional qualifications, experience and community involvement include: Fellow Certified Practising Accountants, Bachelor Business Degree, Graduate Certificate Local Government. Employment: Manager SBB Partners (Accountants, Business Advisors) Bowen. Former Managing Director Rekenen Accountants. Council Positions: Chief Executive Officer, Director Corporate and Financial Services. Community: Current Treasuer - Bowen Community Centre, Bowen Collinsville Enterprise, Bowen Christian Outreach
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With a long history in the Whitsundays, raising our family in Cannonvale, I’m well positioned to represent our community. A business owner-operator of 45 years (Cannonvale and Proserpine) I’ve gained strong communication and negotiation skills. I’m community-focussed and bring experience as a former Councillor. My decisions are made in the best interest of Division 2 and region. I’ve organised major events and been on boards for Tourism Whitsundays, NQ Games and NQ Economic Development supportin
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