Whitsunday Anglican School celebrated its thirty-sixth-year anniversary with a whole-school celebration recently. The school joined in a celebration service and, like all good birthday parties, enjoyed music performances, balloons and cake. Principal Andrew Wheaton said the ‘Celebrate Whitsunday’ birthday event incorporated many school traditions – including the Run for Cover relay where students join for a running relay that covers the entire school grounds. This initiative was inspired by a fa
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Maggie’s 30-Year Journey Of Compassion In Palliative Care Mackay’s Maggie Fenner has retired twice from nursing – but her love for her work at Mater Private Hospital Mackay keeps her coming back. Maggie has been part of Mater’s palliative care team for three decades and says the area is a ‘blessing’ to work in. This week (May 21-27) is Palliative Care Week – a time to increase awareness of palliative care and celebrate the staff who work in the sector. “Palliative comes from palliare, the Latin
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RACQ CQ Rescue completed 638 lifesaving missions in 2022. Whether it be a horror highway crash, a sinking boat, a lost bushwalker or a workplace accident, RACQ CQ Rescue is the best chance of survival for residents, workers and visitors in our region when injury or illness strikes. June 1 marked the start of the 2023 RACQ CQ Rescue Annual Appeal, aiming to raise $250,000 for the community-funded rescue helicopter service. RACQ CQ Rescue CEO Tim Healee said community support was critical to savin
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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has described regional newspapers as ‘absolutely vital’ and as the ‘lifeblood of their communities’ before offering to help ensure that a larger share of the Queensland state government advertising budget be directed at communicating with regional Queenslanders through independent regional newspapers. The Premier made the comments at the Queensland Country Press Association (QCPA) conference in Brisbane last week, referring to the ‘resurgence’ of independ
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By Chris Karas A casual fun run back in 2012 to get back into fitness was the springboard for charity work and half marathon success for St Patrick’s College Mackay school counsellor Dee Trannore. Just two months after giving birth to her eldest daughter Evie, an adventurous Dee lined up for the 8km Marina Run in Mackay with a group of friends – eager to get back into top shape. “I enjoyed the experience and completed the course in just under 45 minutes,” Dee recalled. Buoyed by an encouragin
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Whitsunday Wealth Festival Hub To Ignite Mackay's Artistic Spirit As the Mackay Festival of Arts gears up for another spectacular season, anticipation fills the air for the unveiling of a remarkable addition. The Whitsunday Wealth Festival Hub promises a surreal wonderland of comedy, live music, and locally crafted brews, all amidst the vibrant Mackay Civic Precinct. Get ready to immerse yourself in captivating shows, unique experiences, and the exquisite Mackay Festival Hub Lager, exclusively
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The Key To Breaking Domestic Violence Chain Broken Ballerina Inc conducted its third annual Candle Lighting ceremony last Sunday at Eimeo Surf Club grounds in memory of murdered domestic violence victims. The Mackay-based advocacy group has been established for five years with domestic violence survivor and founder Jules Thompson and husband Peter at the helm. Their strong message to the community is “domestic violence isn’t acceptable for both men and women.” Jules and Peter established the Br
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Step aboard the adventure of a lifetime and set sail through the stunning Whitsundays, where dreams transform into reality. Locals know that this time of the year is a truly magical time to explore, with sun-drenched days blended with a cool ocean breeze. But, did you know that as a local, you can claim some amazing deals and discounts by joining a secret club? Ok, it’s definitely not so secret, but it is turtely awesome and, best of all, it’s free to join. Intrigued? Let’s see where this club c
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Major Tenders Awarded For PDA Development Mackay's Waterfront Priority Development Area will flourish with the announcement of two successful tenders last week at an ordinary meeting of council. SMC Marine Pty Ltd was awarded the tender for the $2.44 million construction of the Pioneer River Floating Pontoon at the Bluewater Quay. Woollam Constructions was successful in the tender for the $3.75 million design and refurbishment of 8 River Street (formerly Maria’s Donkey and more recently the Don
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The 2023 sugarcane crush is officially underway in the north of the state, with harvesters roaring into life across the Atherton Tablelands last week; as growers, harvesting crews and mill workers start the race to get Queensland’s 30 million tonnes of cane cut and crushed by the end of November. Mackay’s mills are anticipated to fire up within the next fortnight. "The weather is pretty spectacular at the minute. We have blue skies and cool temperatures, so perfect weather for harvesting," CA
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The Queensland Government has teamed up with Qantas to unlock the state’s potential to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a critical component in airlines reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Under a memorandum of understanding signed last week, the Queensland Government and Qantas will work together to further grow a local SAF industry. This will include exploring how to fully leverage sugarcane and agricultural by-products for biofuels production and the potential for developing new fe
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Mackay Regional Council's 2023 Apprentice And Trainee Intake Program Embark on a transformative professional journey with Mackay Regional Council's 2023 Apprentice and Trainee intake program. Gain invaluable on-the-job training, propelling your career towards a prosperous future. Mackay Regional Council is offering an additional nine new positions as part of its 2023 Apprentice and Trainee intake. Workplace diversity and flexibility are a major focus of the Apprentice and Trainee intake program.
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In Creating Safe Work Environments With the theme of ‘Shifting the Focus: Step back and look at things differently’, Resource Industry Network’s 2023 Safety Conference delivered practical tools and information pertinent to workplace safety while sharing expertise and skills on how delegates can put their new knowledge into action in their own workplaces. The annual conference remains a powerful tool in helping businesses create and maintain safe work environments and this year’s event was no dif
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Within The Wider Automotive Industry And What That Can Achieve How many times have you heard employers say that “Kids today just don’t want to work” or “It’s impossible to find the right people”? With Covid in the past, and as the new reality of business sets in, it is time to start asking different questions, of ourselves, our peers and our industry. What can we do better? How do we learn from leaders within our industry? Why do we need to judge industries that market to employees better? Th
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Students from CQUniversity in Mackay recently tested their mettle in a workshop that challenged their metal fabrication skills. The task at hand? Crafting pot belly stoves from flat sheets of steel. Courtney Pollard, a 25-year-old apprentice boilermaker at Mackay Sugar, expressed her delight in acquiring new skills and the gratification of seeing tangible results. "To have something to bring home and be proud of is a huge highlight of being a boilermaker. “I like the different variety of work w
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It’s another JAM-PACKED weekend around Mackay and the Whitsundays! There’s plenty to keep the family entertained around the district over the next few days. The Mackay Hospital Foundation’s Family Fun Day is happening this Sunday from 10-2pm at BB Print Stadium, the Star team and I will be there so come and say hi! I’ll also be at the BMA Mackay Marina Run on Sunday from 6.30am-9.30am gasbagging at the finish line. Remember there’s still time to register if you haven’t convinced yourself just y
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Are you ready to tackle tax time? From that morning iced coffee to grabbing the tools you need, it's important to know which of these expenses are claimable. Lucky for you, Porters Mitre 10 has your back with the ultimate guide to help you determine which expenses are eligible for claiming. Let's start with protective clothing. As a tradie, personal protective equipment (PPE) is your trusty sidekick, and the best part is, it's tax deductible! Whether it's steel-cap boots, safety glasses, glov
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May Help Construction Industry Weather A Perfect Storm Rising material prices, labour shortages, interest rate hikes and rainy weather have created a perfect storm for the construction industry in the past 12 months, sending many builders to the wall. Of all these factors, weather is the one that most people would cite as being beyond human control. However, a new study from Australia and the UK suggests this may not be the case. Engineers from Aston University, Birmingham, and the University
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Laffos Bar and Pizzeria is helping to ignite a compassionate movement that combines gastronomic delight with social impact. Throughout the month of June, Laffos will pledge a generous $5 from every large pizza sold to the Grapevine Group, bolstering their unwavering commitment to local suicide training and awareness initiatives. The Pizza for a Purpose campaign will launch with a tantalizing pop-up restaurant extravaganza on Saturday, June 3, aiming to galvanize the community and raise awareness
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Mackay recently celebrated National Volunteer Week (NVW), which is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. I recently had the pleasure of celebrating with some of our volunteers during NVW and I have to say, what a sense of joy and kindredship was enjoyed by all (myself included). It was lovely to sit in the company of these wonderful individuals all contributing to their community in such a positive manner, and actually having fun! The joy of getting my hands in the dirt and pla
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Women have made great strides in the workplace in recent decades, but they still face a number of challenges. Here are the top 5 challenges women can face. By understanding these challenges, employers can better support their employees to succeed. 1. Unequal pay. Women in Australia still earn less than men for doing the same work. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, women earn 81 cents for every dollar that men earn. This gap is even bigger for our indigenous women. For example, Ab
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A local condiment connoisseur has taken out four awards at the recent Mr Chilli Awards 2023. This is the fifth year Michelle Camilleri has secured several places in the competition, open to the chilli community of Australia and New Zealand, saying “in the chilli business, this is huge.” “When you are doing something you love, you don’t need recognition, but I must say I was super excited to receive the email to say I had won again,” Michelle added. Michelle started her business, One Hungry Mumma
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With Shirlz Russell of Build Your F’empire ‘Empowerment’ is the number one word that arises when I discuss my 10 Point Checklist for Personal Financial Wellbeing. I call it a ‘Wellbeing’ checklist because it’s about feeling happy, content and empowered about your finances. This is basically the way me and my family operate in our lives; a tried and tested guide to managing finances responsibly and realistically. It’s a simplified method aiming to eliminate any fear or stress you may feel about
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Dolly Louw is about to do something she says no one has ever done before. The visionary principal of Mackay Fame Talent School has purchased the rights to iconic Disney musical The Lion King, representing a rare and fantastic opportunity for the children of Mackay. It’s the first time a full-scale Disney Junior production has been staged in Mackay and will be entirely cast, acted and performed by young Mackay talent. “It’s a very holistic artistic experience for the children that culminates in
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Prepare for an uproarious evening of laughter as the comic dynamo, Jimeoin, graces the stage of the Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre on June 24, 2023. With his brand-new stand-up show titled 'The Craic!', Jimeoin promises to unleash his razor-sharp wit and hilarious observations on the quirks of suburban life in his signature devil-may-care style. Renowned for his award-winning performances and universally appealing humour, Jimeoin has captivated audiences worldwide, from the UK and Euro
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