A thrilling adventure awaited 15 Cub Scouts, 1 Venturer Scout, and 7 adults, including leaders and helpers from Hibiscus Coast District, as they embarked on the 7th Queensland Cuboree from September 17th to 22nd, 2023. Originating from Banksia, Mackay City Central, Sarina, and Proserpine Cub Scout Sections, this ultimate holiday was filled with camaraderie and unforgettable experiences. The biennial Cuboree, held at Maryborough Showgrounds, brought together around 1000 attendees, comprising appr
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Storm and cyclone season in Queensland runs from October to the end of April. During this time, flooding is more likely to impact the state. Sandbagging is a helpful solution to divert water away from your property and preventing floodwater damage. The State Emergency Service Mackay Regional Unit operates two sandbagging machines. One electric machine at their headquarters and a mobile, trailer-mounted machine that is transported around the local region. You can buy sandbags from local hardware
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Meet The New Mackay Hospital And Health Services Board The new Mackay Hospital and Health Board came together on Thursday, 5th October to introduce themselves to health service personnel, appointed to set the strategic direction and oversee the management of Mackay Hospital and Health Service. The event was kickstarted with a Welcome to Country and traditional smoking ceremony conducted by Elder Uncle Phillip Kemp, to the sound of the didgeridoo, played by Toasie Cora. Alongside this was a perf
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GetReady Queensland has partnered with Mackay Regional Council, calling on local residents to stock up their emergency kits and get their emergency evacuation plans in place, before a natural disaster strikes. Know when to go Keep track of emergency warnings - Tune in to the official emergency broadcaster ABC Tropical North 101.1FM, or opt in for notifications from the Mackay Emergency Dashboard. Know where to go Identify which family, friends, or commercial accommodation you would go to. Make
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Women dressed in their most vibrant pink outfits gathered at an exclusive event over the weekend to show their support for breast cancer awareness and fundraising. Usually held on the 28th October is Pink Ribbon Day, an annual event hosted to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This past Sunday, October 8th, a group of thirty-five local women eagerly joined the nationwide event ahead of schedule, uniting in their finest pink attire to rally behind the cause. The event consist
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Teams will be revving up for the Spring Shitbox Rally, held from 13th to 21st October 2023. They will be piloting beat-up cars valued under $1500, zooming from Port Douglas to Adelaide over rugged roads for a charitable cause. This event is considered to be representative of the ‘bumpy ride’ that people diagnosed with cancer might be experiencing, like needing a few adjustments along the way, having faith that you'll make it to the other side and having people along the journey to pick you up wh
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Queensland is taking a major stride towards training and re-skilling its future workforce for the renewable energy sector with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Queensland Hydro and the Mackay-based Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE). This collaboration aims to address the future skills training needs of the resources sector and support Queensland's transition to renewable energy systems. Queensland Hydro, a publicly owned entity established by the Queensland Governme
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Raising Awareness For Childhood Heart Disease Two Feet & A Heartbeat returns strong again in 2023, an annual four-kilometre walk organised by HeartKids to commemorate the four lives lost to congenital heart disease (CHD) in Australia each week. This event will take place on 15th October, with the tribute not only to raise awareness, but to bring together families to celebrate the lives of heart kids while remembering children who have tragically lost their fight against CHD. HeartKids is a natio
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This October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with Mackay Hospital and Health Service encouraging eligible women to be breast-aware and take advantage of the free BreastScreen Queensland Program. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in female patients, with around one-in-seven women diagnosed in their lifetime. The best way to detect early signs of breast cancer is to have a routine breast screening conducted, which allows treatment to be more effective. Women aged 50-74 are en
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Sarina’s tight-knit community is a result of committed and passionate locals, focused on the progression of our region and the people who call it home. Mary-Therese Watson is the embodiment of this passion, uplifting and supporting the community through her role as President of the Queensland Country Women’s Association’s (QCWA) Sarina Branch. Mary-Therese leads the charge when it comes to empowering and inspiring women through friendship, education, connection, and advocacy – a vision that Rut
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Congratulations to Year 8 student from Sarina State High School, Matilda Davies, who competed in the Junior Women’s National Inline Hockey Competition. Her team placed second in the event, held in Browns Plains over the school holidays. Such an incredible accomplishment, great work Matilda.
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Koumala State School (SS) has celebrated a century of shaping generations of student’s education and the local community this year. To commemorate this special occasion, the Koumala SS Parents & Citizens Association (P & C) held a centenary event last month, where past students, teachers, staff, and the local community were invited to reminisce and celebrate. The celebration included activities such as planting a centenary tree, laying a new time capsule, live entertainment, student performance
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To celebrate Mental Health Week and to promote positive mindfulness, students at Sarina State High School spent their lunch break building terrariums to take home and care for. An excellent initiative to encourage self-care and support Mental Health Week awareness.
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Sarina Bowls club hosted a two-day Springtime Carnival event in sunshine and rain over the long weekend. With 24 teams participating and some coming from as far as Townsville and Gladstone, there was certainly some great bowls played. It was a very close finish with the top 6 teams all finishing on 12 points and only a 10 ends difference between the winners and 6th place. Laughter and a bit of background music and great competition always keeps a team in good spirits. Contributed by Rita Hughe
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A mobile health unit with specialised medical equipment is coming to Mackay and Proserpine next month, offering free lung checks to former and retired Queensland mine and quarry workers. The mobile health unit, known as HEART5, features state-of-the-art medical equipment to provide the required screening examinations. That includes a lung function test and chest X-ray, and follow-up tests needed to investigate possible abnormalities, such as high-resolution CT scans, if required. HEART5 is oper
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay The harvest season brings with it certain risks, not just for farming and harvest crews, but also at times for the community. In recent weeks, and across the state, we have seen a variety of accidents, on farms, on roads and on the cane rail network. It is always saddening to see people hurt in the course of their work, or in the course of just getting about their daily business. October is Safe Work month, so it is timely to think about the highly va
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On World Mental Health Day, Beyond Blue is sharing mental health coaching tips to help people navigate everyday life stresses. NewAccess Mental Health Coach Gemma Danahay supports people using a low intensity CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) coaching program, developed by Beyond Blue. “More and more people are coming to me due to financial stress, as cost of living pressures escalate. The other main issues are relationship problems, work stresses, and grief and loss and sudden life changes,” Ms
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OPINION PIECE Someone pointed out to me the other day that young people would not know what a “carbon copy” is because they would never have come across a carbon copy of anything. The move to the digital age has made carbon copies redundant, however, in an excellent twist of irony and a delightful merging of old with new, we still use the term CC when copying people in on emails. Those same young people probably would not know that CC is an abbreviation of carbon copy. By way of a short histor
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OPINION PIECE Everyone has a right to be seen and heard, don’t they? It was a privilege to attend the concert celebrating 15 years of the Choir of Unheard Voices on Sunday, October 1, 2023. The choir is a singing space where they sing with heart and laugh with joy. It is a safe and welcoming space for anyone who wishes to be there. Wonderfully led by Margaret Ross and Carol Willis, the choir began as a project to change people’s lives through singing and is still changing lives 15 years on. The
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OPINION PIECE There’s a heap of things to love about this weekend and I reckon you are going to have a few smiling faces at your place guaranteed. If you love fast cars, and the smell of smoke, head out to Palmyra because you’ll be happy to know there will be drag action happening. Head towards Walkerston, and if you get close to Finch Hatton you’ve gone too far. But hey if you’re up around The Gorge, you might as well keep driving and head up to Eungella. The temperature is just perfect, the
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THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE Andrew Bovell's controversial play, Things I Know To Be True, is coming to Mackay for a limited season, from Thursday 19th October. Directed by Victor Scott (When the Rain Stops Falling, Ruthless - the Musical), Things I Know To Be True explores the complexities of the Price family - a typical suburban family on the surface, but with some interesting secrets. Described by the Globe & Mail as "quietly devastating", the play combines issues such as gender confusion, sexua
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Friday 13 October Trophy Eyes – Regional Australian Tour 7:30pm Renowned Australian post-punk rock band, Trophy Eyes, are embarking on a mighty Australian regional tour this October. The tour serves as a continuation of the festivities surrounding their latest Top 10 ARIA album, Suicide and Sunshine. Don’t miss out on seeing Trophy Eyes’ unreservedly candid and emotionally charged storytelling, joined by special guests Dear Seattle. | Get your tickets at oztix.com.au The Seabreeze Hotel The F
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Mackay mega-band, The Wild Sky, have secured the final spot in the Passport To Airlie competition and will now join eight other finalists from all over the country in opening the mainstage at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music next month. Over 200 people came to watch the five finalists that had been selected out of 30 local acts to perform at the Passport To Airlie Mackay Finals on Sunday afternoon at the Metropolitan Hotel. National Coordinator of the Passport To Airlie Competition, Cherrie
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With over 3000 attendees at the Mackay Seniors Expo 2023, this year's event was full of vital information for our beloved elder community. The expo featured an array of exhibitors, including those in health and wellness, entertainment, emergency services, food vendors, and more. Eventgoers had the opportunity to grab some goodies from various agencies and small businesses, as well as enjoy a social outing with friends and family. Relive the Seniors Expo 2023 through these delightful social snaps
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From indoor sports arenas in the Mackay region to exotic South America – that is the fascinating journey that lies ahead for Sarina’s Futsal soccer ace Ella Walz. Scoring goals has become second nature to the St Patrick’s College student who has gained selection in the Under 19s All Stars Australian team for a tour of Chile next May. Ella was named one of the country’s top eleven junior players after standout performances for Northern Queensland at this year’s National Schools Futsal Champions
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