Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
5 Airlie Beach Movie Night – The Sapphires, Airlie Beach Foreshore, from 6pm 9 Sailing For Those With Disability, Whitsunday Sailing Club, from 9am 10 You Are a Doughnut, at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre, from 12pm and from 6pm 12 Airlie Beach Movie Night – Rio, Airlie Beach Foreshore, from 6pm 13 Suicide Prevention Fundraiser, Reef Gateway Hotel, from 5.30pm 16 The Sunshine Club, at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre, from 7.30pm 20 Tassal Group Airlie Beach Marathon Festival, Airlie Bea
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The Airlie Beach Festival of Music (ABFoM) is back for its 12th year and has released its line-up, which is set to be epic. Artists Rose Tattoo, Southern Sons, Reece Mastin and Sandi Thom are joining the already impressive lineup which includes Sweet (UK), Pseudo Echo, Jebediah, Thirsty Merc, Christine Anu, Ash Grunwald, 19 Twenty, Bondi Cigars and more. Proudly presented by the Whitsunday Sailing Club, ABFoM is your chance to come and party in the paradise that is Airlie Beach. All the way from
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The Great Barrier Reef Festival is excited to announce Australian singer-songwriter Conrad Sewell, as headliner of Friday night Fireworks on the Foreshore. Conrad Sewell is known for his rich, soulful vocals and poignant songwriting that have earned him international acclaim. Bursting onto the scene with his chart-topping single "Start Again," Conrad won the ARIA Award for Song of the Year in 2015, establishing himself as a significant force in the music industry. Between touring with Ed Shee
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by Festival Vice President, Melinda Louise Hutchings After a seven-year hiatus, the Whitsundays Writers Festival will be making a triumphant return 6-8 September, promising an immersive celebration for writers, readers, and thinkers alike, and a stellar line-up of Australia's leading literary figures. The Patron of the Festival, Jessica Begun, is already known to many in the community due to her ongoing and steadfast commitment to promoting and expanding the Arts in the Whitsundays region over s
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A big thank you to all who contributed both on and off the green, to a good year for our club in both Pennants Divisions contested. Division 1 finished second in the District with 8 match wins and 18.5 Rink wins and a margin of plus 82 to Souths Suburban with 8 match wins 23 Rink wins and a margin of plus 199. Division 5 finished 3rd with 4 Match Wins, 1 Match Draw, 11 Rink wins and a margin of 0. North Mackay won Division 5 with 8 Match wins and 1 Match draw and a margin of 64. In this
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Goodluck to our Men who have been away in Townsville competing in the Dunn Cup. Always a tough competition. Fun Friday winners on rink 5 were Natalie & Grant Hands, Jim Steel defeating Peter, Greg and Keron 33 to 11. Our Friday night Barefoot bowls seen a mixture of locals and a group of young Rock climbers from Brisbane this week. Our next night will be held on Friday 12th July. Names in via message or calling 0407946558. Sausage sizzle also available on the night. Sunday winners on rink 5 were
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Steve Lucas took out Tuesday's stableford with 38 points ahead of Jason Whitney with 37 points. Pins went to Luke Nightingale Jon Miller and Brendan Spann. Thursday's A and B division winners, Scott Mason and Luke Wayth, both had 40 points. Jacob Nightingale and Izaac Vandenburg were the runners up. Pins went to Jacob Nightingale, Finbar O'Flynn, Timothy Miller and Scott Mason. Brendan Spann had 22 points to win Friday's Met run with Chris Pirlo two shots adrift. Ben Smith won the pin shot.
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The weekly 9-hole stableford Alan Clinch took first place with 21pts, followed by Glenn Rees with 20pts and third with a countback of 19pts was Justin Gibbs. Fridays stableford saw Glenn Rees in first place with 22pts, second on a countback with 20pts was Gary Goddard and third place with 20pts was Rhys Bartholomew. Sunday was our monthly medal for June and taking the win was Glenn Rees with a 54nett c/b, second place with a 54nett was Edwina Pettiford and third place with 57nett Michael Bond. A
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The Cannonvale Cannons Swimming Club is pumped for the new swim season. The club has a new enthusiastic committee keen to engage young people to participate in swimming. The Cannonvale Cannons Swimming Club encourages children to keep fit and to strive for their best. The first carnival for the season will be on home ground at the Cannonvale pool on 13th July and club nights will resume from August. Club coaches Ken Crittenden and Mark Erickson have been coaching swimmers over the school hol
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By Hannah McNamara In an outstanding display of determination and compassion, 16-year-old Murray McGroarty undertook a 382km walk over nine days during his school holidays to support homeless veterans in Mackay. His initiative, Just Keep Marching, not only aimed to raise funds but also to raise awareness about the challenges faced by veterans experiencing homelessness. Starting each day with laps along the picturesque Bluewater Trail in the early hours of the morning, Murray welcomed the commun
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Our city is absolutely buzzing right now with a killer lineup of events, proving that the council’s hard work to boost our liveability and attract top-notch events is paying off big time. Mackay is fast becoming the music capital of regional Queensland, and the upcoming Festival of Arts is the cherry on top! Thanks to the council’s ‘Invest Mackay Events and Conference Attraction Programs,’ we’re seeing a flood of major sporting events, concerts, and conferences, all giving our local economy a fa
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In a time when the cost-of-living crisis weighs heavily on many in Mackay, gestures of kindness like the one shown at Andergrove McDonald's last week has left a lasting impact on a local family. A local man by the name of Trey has selflessly payed for a stranger's dinner, including meals for a whole family at a McDonald’s in Andergrove and the mother on the receiving end has taken to a local Facebook page to express her profound gratitude. The recipient of Trey's generosity was deeply touched
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By Amanda Wright In last week’s ordinary meeting, the Mackay Regional Council approved a significant motion to rename the new playground area associated with the Seaforth Water Park in memory of the late Jim Adams, a former councillor. This decision, spearheaded by Cr George Christensen after the family sent him a letter, honours the late Jim Adams' extensive community service and reflects the council's commitment to preserving his legacy. Cr Christensen’s Notified Motion, supported by a detaile
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July 1 marked a momentous occasion for CQ Rescue as it commenced operations under its own CASA Air Operator Certificate, ushering in a new era for the region’s beloved rescue helicopter service. After years of preparation, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has granted CQ Rescue the authority to operate its own flight operations, eliminating the need to outsource to another company. This change also signifies the end of RACQ's long-standing role as the naming rights sponsor. A CQ Rescue represe
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OPINION PIECE Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, is renewing his desperate calls for the Federal and State Labor Government’s to fix the Bruce Highway. His sentiments have been echoed by the Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry. Following the recent fatal tragedy on the weekend near Gumlu, Mr Willcox said Labor’s decision to slash funding to the Bruce Highway in his electorate of Dawson is despicable. “While the investigation into the cause of this accident is still ongoing
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Endeavour Foundation is embarking upon Australia’s largest Virtual Reality (VR) rollout for a disability service provider and 50 locals with disability from Business Solutions in Mackay, are set to benefit! The exclusive VR suite, will include two VR hubs with all of Endeavour Foundation’s leading VR learning programs, including: catching public transport (bus and train), how to cross a road through pedestrian safety, how to use an AT, navigating a café and barista training, forklift driving an
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Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) is again delivering the Greater Foundations program, aimed at informing Greater Whitsunday teachers and educators on what career and workforce opportunities exist across the region. Find out what role robots will play in the future of advanced manufacturing and how agtech is revolutionising the Greater Whitsunday agricultural landscape. Greater Foundations24 developed by Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) and delivered with curriculum experts Future Anything
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A heart-warming gathering was held last Saturday at the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens in support of Breast Cancer research. A total of $3122.00 was raised with $822 worth of donations contributed on the day. Attendees enjoyed a Pink Picnic afternoon tea amidst live tunes by local artist Tiffany Grace who adorned the event with her single ‘Last November.’ Peter T, Kellie Maree, Graham Day and Les McSweeney also put on a show for attendees while some even got up to boogey as Rock ‘n’ Roll d
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The late Sir Bruce Small who was famously called ‘Mr Gold Coast’ for touring the country with bikini models to promote Surfers Paradise, has been announced as the new posthumous winner of the Queensland Greats Awards 2024 … and Mackay musical heritage is connected with his famous life journey. The award honours the former colourful Gold Coast Mayor for his contribution to the history and development of Queensland including donating millions to charity, with the town of Mackay included in his
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Imagine a day devoted entirely to you—a rare opportunity to invest in your well-being, happiness, and personal growth. This is the promise of The Joy Maker Experience, held at The Ocean International. It's a Gift of a Day designed to help you pause, reflect, and realign with what truly matters in your life. And let me just say, "You deserve it!" You deserve the time off, to focus on YOU! In a world where we are constantly bombarded with demands and distractions, taking time for ourselves can see
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Dozer operators at Anglo American’s Capcoal Complex are in training to embrace remote control technology to improve operator safety on site. The operation, near Middlemount, is trialling a remote-controlled stockpile dozer ahead of plans to retrofit the entire fleet. Anglo American, which operates five steelmaking coal mines across the Bowen Basin, will reduce in-cab dozer exposure time by 45,000 to 75,000 hours a year once the technology is fully deployed across all sites. The remote cont
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By Amanda Wright In the early hours of Saturday 29 June, Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) was alerted to a methane ignition at Grosvenor coal mine in Moranbah, west of Mackay. The incident prompted an immediate response, with coal inspectors dispatched to secure the site. All employees were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. RSHQ CEO Rob Djukic emphasised that the primary concern for everyone involved is the continued safety of workers. "The coal mine is in the proces
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Australia’s largest regional mining event, the Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition (QME), returns this month to the Mackay Showgrounds, raising the standard with its largest-ever Seminar Series. From 23-25 July, the free-to-attend Seminar Series hosted by Komatsu will feature 13 panel discussions with an impressive lineup of high-profile speakers from the C-suite to peak bodies, research and industry associations. The Seminar Series runs across all three days of the exhibition, coveri
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Community Bank Sarina Bendigo Bank awarded community grants to support students at three local primary schools through the Community Engagement Program – with a focus on enhancing youth education in the region and fostering the development of the next generation. Students at Alligator Creek State School benefitted from a successful community grant to upgrade their Homework Reading Project, including decodable books, to support students at all reading levels to improve their reading speed, comp
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In the dynamic landscape of Mackay’s sugar industry, Queensland Cane Agriculture & Renewables (QCAR) is fast becoming a driving force for growers, fostering innovation and resilience among its members. This organisation, dedicated to activating agricultural excellence, addresses rising farming costs, promotes environmental sustainability, and champions water quality issues. At the helm of QCAR's efforts in the Proserpine, Mackay, and Sarina areas is Sonia Ball, a woman whose life and career ar
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