Art has a remarkable ability to inspire, uplift, and awaken our inner creativity. The Mackay Festival of Arts, a vibrant celebration of artistic expression, provides a perfect avenue for our community to explore an artistic side, even if they weren't aware of it before. With a wide array of events and activities that cater to diverse interests, this festival invites you to immerse yourself in a world of imagination and cultural experiences. The festival commenced with a burst of energy as the ME
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Provides The Magic Of Reading To All An Andergrove resident has set up a small street library on Bedford Road, Andergrove where people can borrow, swap or take books at their leisure. Lauren Costello is a high school teacher and owner of Brighter Learning Tuition and said she’s wanted to set up a street library for years. “I’ve seen what children and families have access to in Mackay and not everyone has the money to be able to buy books,” she said. “I thought if I put something out there that’s
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Mackay Regional Council will be undertaking service investigation works in Evan and Juliet streets, South Mackay. The works will take place between Sunday, July 2, and Sunday, July 16 and will be completed as night works to minimise disruption to traffic and business in the area. Council is in the detailed design phase for water main renewal projects in both areas and the works will include excavation works in specific areas to locate services. Contractors HydroExcavac and SafeDig will complete
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Women Dominate Central Queensland Training Awards By Amanda Wright Women have dominated the 62nd Queensland Training Awards in the Central Queensland region, claiming all seven individual awards. This year's winners include outstanding apprentices, trainees, and vocational teachers. The regional winners will now advance to the State Final in September, with the chance to compete for national titles at the prestigious Australian Training Awards in November. Among the recipients is Caitlyn Barnes,
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The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating a fatal, single vehicle crash on the Bruce Highway, two kilometres south of the Waverley Creek rest area. Mackay Police reported that initial investigations indicate just after 7am on Monday July 3, a white Mitsubishi wagon rolled before coming to rest back on its wheels. Senior Sergeant Tony McDowall confirmed the car had been travelling south towards Brisbane when it had veered off the road, crossing the centre line before leaving the road and rolling
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RACQ CQ Rescue are ‘airing’ their frustration with local boaties who are needlessly wasting search and rescue resources with expired or incorrectly disposed of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs). The Mackay-based helicopter crew are urging people with EPIRBs or PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) to regularly check batteries and expiry dates and correctly dispose of them after the chopper was activated to a beacon search earlier this week, in the early hours of Monday morning. Res
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Mackay Base Hospital’s use of voice to text software will feature on the international stage at a Sydney conference next week. Chief Digital Director Medical Services Dr Pieter Nel has been selected from more than 950 submissions to present at MedInfo23, a world congress on medical and health informatics. The former director of the Emergency Department has found a new passion in health information and supporting improved healthcare through technology. His presentation focuses on how Dragon Med
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New fishing quotas that were introduced on July 1 have dramatically reduced the amount of mackerel permitted to be extracted by commercial and recreational fishers in the Whitsundays.Most significantly impacted is the local mackerel fishing industry which has had their quota reduced from 600 tonnes to just 165 tonnes for the 2023 fishing season.The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries said that the decision was made to “ensure recovery of Spanish mackerel stocks” that have dipped below 17 per
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Mackay's Channel 7 Building Sold Mackay's iconic Channel 7 building has been successfully sold in a historic deal, marking a significant milestone for the local property market. Blacks Real Estate and Colliers International, the driving forces behind the sale, are delighted to announce this exciting development that paves the way for future growth in Mackay's bustling CBD. The negotiation of the sale was a result of the collaborative efforts of Peter Wheeler, Managing Director of Colliers Inter
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By Amanda Wright Stepping onto the vibrant canvas of Mackay's cultural landscape, MP Leeanne Enoch, the Minister for Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities, and the Arts, embarked on an artistic expedition last week. Accompanied by the Member for Mackay, Julieanne Gilbert, the Minister's visit was a brushstroke of exploration, highlighting the city's artistry and fostering a deep connection with the community. During her visit, Enoch and Gilbert immersed themselv
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Hiding behind a blanket of welcoming palm trees, a tropical oasis awaits, transporting you to another world mere minutes from the centre of Airlie Beach. Kipara Tropical Rainforest Retreat is ideally located at Jubilee Pocket, close enough to everything you could want for your Airlie Beach adventure but far enough to experience a quiet escape in the rainforest. With over 20 years of history, Kipara Tropical Rainforest Retreat welcomed new management last year, with the installation of brand-new
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Almost one hundred passengers were left stranded at Whitsunday Coast Airport on Tuesday evening after their Jetstar flight was cancelled due to an engineering issue.With limited local accommodation options due to already high occupancy rates over the school holidays, the passengers were left with nowhere to stay.Fortunately, our local community-owned and Council-operated airport were able to provide them with a “safe and dry” place to stay for the night.
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Hi Everyone,It’s great to be back in the Whitsundays after a week in the snow – it’s always exciting going on holiday, especially skiing, but returning home and seeing the sparkling blue sea always reminds me how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world.
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Community minded local Greg Smith hosted a Cancer Council Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea last Thursday. Taking place at Fitness Venue in Cannonvale, and servicing people pre and post workout and other community members, the morning tea saw over 30 people attend, raising $675 between monetary donations and fundraising for the donated raffle.
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Mackay Regional Council is seeking proposals for the construction of key water infrastructure in Bloomsbury. The call for tenders is for the construction of an 11-kilometre water main from Midge Point to Bloomsbury. Mayor Greg Williamson said the project was a significant investment in water infrastructure and would improve water quality and supply for residents in the area. “We are excited to provide the best possible long-term solution for residents in the Bloomsbury region,” Mayor Williamson
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A New Zealand man, who became unwell whilst snorkelling, was airlifted to safety from Hardy Reef last week and taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.The 59-year-old man had been swimming at the popular tourist destination which is located 80km north-east of Airlie Beach.
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By Amanda Wright Construction at Seaforth Esplanade is progressing smoothly, with an anticipated opening in September, weather permitting. The 5.77-hectare reserve is being transformed into a vibrant recreational asset to cater to the needs of residents and visitors. Sharing project update photos, Mackay Regional Council reported that progress includes the completion of shade structures, installation of new barbecues and furniture, and the shaping of the waterplay area. Amenities construction is
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In the last two months, 12 businesses in Cannonvale have been robbed in a crime wave that is uncharacteristic for this usually quiet and peaceful Whitsunday suburb.The latest in this series of community break-ins took place at Ride Whitsunday, located on Shute Harbour Road, two kilometres from the Paluma Road-Abell Road intersection in Cannonvale, on Sunday, July 2.The alleged perpetrators smashed their way through the front entrance, breaking through the glass door allegedly using a brick or a
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay Fuel prices still linger over the $2 mark, a fact you can’t help but grimly note each time you visit the bowser. So why hasn’t ethanol taken off? We have the feedstock, and the push is on in the world for fuels to be sourced from renewable feedstocks like sugarcane. E10 is a blend of unleaded petrol and up to 10% ethanol, and is the more popularly used ethanol blend in the Australian market. E85 is suitable only for purpose-built vehicles. Bioethanol i
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Rural Aid supports the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) and its call for better funding for the bush in the wake of new research showing rural Australians are missing out on $6.5 billion annually in healthcare access. The NRHA-commissioned research reveals that each person in rural Australia is missing out on nearly $850 a year of healthcare access, equating to a total annual rural health spending deficit of $6.5 billion. Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said living and working in the bush w
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New regulations for a Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa came into place on July 1 and Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, says he is concerned how it will impact the agricultural sector.Currently 80 per cent of the harvest labour force in horticulture consist of WHM visa holders and there are more than 137,000 backpackers in Australia on this visa who are providing valuable labour across multiple sectors, including hospitality, tourism, and agriculture.
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It was a historic Queensland Government budget with a record surplus of more than $12 billion delivered last month, but the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) says there needs to be a balance or the state will lose out in the long run. It says that imposing the world’s highest coal royalty tax will have long-term consequences of lost jobs and lost investments, especially in regional communities. “There has to be a balance between what the Queensland Government takes from the resources sector a
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Almost 100 students from Capella and Clermont state high schools recently participated in two workshops that showcased the intersection of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) with real-world resources and energy sector applications. The workshops were delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), with QMEA Director Katrina-Lee Jones saying over the course of two days, students worked under the guidance of experienced representatives from Glencore Coal as they co
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BHP has backed away from allegedly insisting striking Operations Services workers be locked out of their accommodation camp in Central Queensland while taking protected industrial action earlier this week. Last week, the Mining and Energy Union provided notice on behalf of Operations Services Production members of a four-hour stoppage, on Tuesday July 4, at Goonyella Riverside mine near Moranbah. The Mining and Energy Union allege that on Saturday, workers on the relevant crew were told by a
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The investigation into the cause of the light aircraft accident that killed a young couple in the Whitsundays has been discontinued.22-year-old Rhiley Kuhrt and his pregnant 24-year-old wife, Maree, left Natal Downs Station for a private flight to the Lakeside Airpark, south of the Whitsundays, in a Piper Cherokee single-engine light aircraft on April 2.
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