A group of Grasstree Beach residents have shared their concerns about activity occurring on state and council land surrounding the beachside community. The man spearheading the campaign, who wished to remain anonymous, said the bushland behind and to the north of Hillside Drive stretching up towards Salonika Beach, including Mick Ready Beach, has become a “theme park” for people with motorbikes, four-wheel drives and offroad buggies. “The area near Mick Ready Beach used to be fairly clear and pe
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Seven laptops were donated to YIRS One Stop Youth Shop earlier this week courtesy of CQUniversity Mackay. The pre-used laptops, all approximately 12 months old, will be utilised by students currently enrolled at Charters Towers School of Distance Education. “At the moment, the students are rotating on a roster because we didn’t have enough laptops,” said YIRS Service Manager Deanne Chapman. “The generous offer of these laptops is going to make a big difference. There are currently 30 students st
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Hi readers It was some time last year that I decided I was going to get into dancing. Rock and roll and line dancing have long been popular amongst my family. Whether it’s a wedding, a 21st or a 50th, there’s almost always a dancefloor and it’s almost always packed when ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman!’ comes on. I’m sure I used to dance when I was younger but as I hit those pubescent years, I was suddenly “too cool”. I’m proud to say I’ve overcome that dancefloor hesitance. I wouldn’t say I’m better
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With a prime location overlooking the Pioneer River and Forgan Bridge at Bluewater Quay, the former site of Lebanese Restaurant Ashtart has laid dormant for years. But Mackay Regional Council is brewing something up for the site, selecting J&J Brewing Co Pty Ltd, better known as Red Dog, as the new licensee. Red Dog Brewery aim to open their new taphouse and restaurant on the river in July, adding to their current location on Chain Street, which opened in April 2022. Mayor Greg Williamson said t
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For the first time since coming to power, the Labor Government has approved a new coal mine in the Isaac region, but new strict environmental regulations and timeframes are attached. The mine, 28 kilometres east of Moranbah, was provisionally approved by the Federal Government and it is set to become the third mine operated by Bowen Coking Coal. The company currently employs a 700 strong workforce and will be mining for high quality, high yielding metallurgical coal used for steelmaking. The ne
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Plans are now in place for a new jetty on Keswick Island and local residents say this will increase accessibility for all and reinstate a casual boating community that will revive the local tourism industry. Keswick Island Headlease Holder, Oasis Forest (China Bloom), has lodged its Development Application for the jetty with Mackay Regional Council and approvals have already been granted by the Queensland Government and the Australian Government through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Auth
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A 50 year old man has died on a private property in Ball Bay after suffering an electric shock. Emergency services were called to the Cape Hillsborough property on Tuesday, May 16. It was declared the next morning that the man had been found deceased at the scene. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are assisting police in the investigation. The week prior, a crime scene was declared and forensic examinations are underway after a fire broke out on a property at Eungella on the evening of Thur
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This Mother’s Day, Mackay mums experienced the joy of receiving flowers, sold with love, by enthusiastic Endeavour Foundation clients who enjoyed the experience of participating in a worthy cause. For the past 31 years, more than 70,000 chrysanthemums have been cultivated by the Endeavour Foundation at its Bundaberg Disability Social Enterprise for Mother’s Day. The flowers are hand-picked, stripped, and put into 7000 bunches, many of which are sold locally while thousands more are transporte
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It’s coming up to 12 months since being elected, and what an honour it is to be chosen to represent our incredible region. Being able to bring your voice to our nation’s capital nearly every sitting week, being able to share your voice in our national debates, travelling to every corner of our beautiful electorate, and meeting so many incredible people are just some of the great perks of representing you! But one of my favourite parts of the being the Federal Member is meeting people across the
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Talking about death and dying won’t kill you, and neither will watching a film about it. This is the message a new and inspiring documentary is bringing audiences all over the country during National Palliative Care Week. A total of 60 cinemas in Australia will be showing ‘Live The Life You Please’ and Event Cinemas, Mount Pleasant is one of them. The film follows the journeys of several individuals who experience end-of-life-care and it aims to change the public perception on death and what
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Recognised For Making A Difference International Nurses Day is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise nurses for their roles in the community and dedication to achieving health outcomes for their patients. Celebrated each year on May 12 in recognition of the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, Mackay Hospital and Health Service marks the day with morning and afternoon teas and the annual International Nurses Day Awards. “It’s really important to celebrate the achievements of our nur
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A total of six eco-tourism projects are set to receive a share in $9.3 million of state government funding and the Pioneer Valley Tourism Hub has been named one of them. The Activate Ecotourism Infrastructure initiative will provide funds to kickstart an outdoor tourism hub that will accommodate up to 26 visitors in a brand-new lodge to be built in Finch Hatton. It is hoped the lodge will complement the new bike trails in the area and open opportunities for guided fishing experiences at the ne
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With the Million Paws Walk coming up, RSPCA Mackay Shelter Manager Jacqueline Smith is calling on the community to get involved after a three-year hiatus. On Sunday, May 28, locals and their furry friends will walk and play, with every step and dollar helping to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs in need just like Ms Smith’s recent adoptee Millie. Two-year-old ridgeback Millie came into RSPCA Mackay’s care in 2022 with severe injuries to her front and back left legs after running through a bar
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In a big move, Mackay Regional Council is trialling a reimbursement scheme for low-income earners to de-sex their pet cat or dog. “Each year there are countless unwanted dog and cat litters in the region,” Mayor Greg Williamson said. Through the program, eligible pet owners can receive a reimbursement of $75 to desex cats and $150 for dogs. Pet owners must be a certain criteria: - Be a resident of Mackay - Hold an approved Queensland concession card, including seniors, sole parents, widows, st
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Mackay local runner, Brenda Windsor, is taking on the mammoth Bravehearts 777 Marathon this June. Brenda has been running for 12 years, after stumbling into the sport during a bootcamp fitness class. From there, she steadily increased her speed and distance, and is now set to complete her third Bravehearts 777 Marathon. The 777 Marathon takes participants to all seven Australian states, over seven days, to complete seven marathons consecutively, to raise awareness and funds for Bravehearts and
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1869 was the beginning of the Sugar Cane industry in the Walkerston area when cane was grown and supplied to Pleystowe Sugar Mill. The first sugar crushing season at Pleystowe was in 1872. A distillery was added to the mill in 1873 in order to manufacture the quite popular - ‘Pleystowe Rum’. Allegedly, the distillery operated for just a few years. In 1918 a disastrous cyclone hit the Mackay region dropping 84 inches of rain in just 6 days - 2134 mm! At that time there was another mill in the
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The second in a series of Housing Roundtables will be held in Mackay in June where attendees will discuss the key findings from the first iteration which was held in December last year. The aim of the roundtable is to develop region-specific, place-based solutions to the housing crises in the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions. The key findings from the first roundtable are availability and diversity of choice. Greater Whitsunday Communities (GWC) and Regional Development Australia Greater
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Artspace Mackay is turning 20 this year, a huge milestone for the regional gallery. For the last two decades, Artspace Mackay has been illuminating the best of exhibitions, artist talks, and workshops. “I hear it time and time again from artists who come to exhibit here – we have one of the best regional galleries in all of Australia,” Mayor Greg Williamson said. Since opening in 2003, Artspace Mackay has seen an estimated 600,000 visitors for across the world and Australia, hosted 343 exhibi
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The annual Women in Sugar Australia (WISA) conference was another success, being held at the Bargara Cultural Centre, east of Bundaberg. Seven members of Canegrowers Network Mackay District attended the conference, which has the theme ‘Women of Worth’. The conference consisted for talks delivered by key individuals in and associated within the sugar industry. The conference was officially opened by Stephen Bennett MP, member for Burnett, who shared challenges within the community, particularly
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Additional taxes for farmers are a feature of the Federal Budget which was released last week and Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, says Australia’s agricultural producers deserve a help-up not a set-back. He believes the May Budget has been used as a platform to unveil an array of new taxes, which will create extra expenses for Australian farmers. One of these is the new ‘bio-security levy’ which is set at a rate equivalent to 10 per cent of the 2020-21 industry-led agricultural levi
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Porters Mitre 10 are inviting friends, family, and the community to come together, share a cuppa, and some delicious food to raise funds for those affected by cancer. For the past 30 years, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea has been a fundamental community event that raises vital funds to make a big difference for those impacted by cancer. One in two Australians are being diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85, and the team at Porters Mitre 10 want to help change that – with your help. The te
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Across three jam-packed days, Mackay Showgrounds will play host to the biggest outdoor, home and lifestyle event in North Queensland. Running from May 19-21, Mackay Expo is the ultimate one-stop-shop for outdoor and indoor adventure, showing the latest and greatest in gear, technology, and accessories. The best in camper trailers, caravans, boating, fishing and 4x4 accessories will also be showcased with access to the exhibitors ready to help craft your next big adventure, all in one convenient
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A few of us this week have been talking about our rents and mortgages with Star giving you the chance to Live Rent Free. Some of us here are renters, while others like myself have a mortgage, but wondering how the renters can even have a chance to save up to be a home owner. The gap between what some people around Mackay and Whitsundays are paying per week is immense, there are people renting a room in a share house for under $200pw, and some of us have $1000pw mortgage. It makes me think more
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Sugar City Rock n Rollers Mackay is a club that has been promoting rock and roll dancing throughout the community since 1995. The club meets weekly on a Wednesday evening for a social dance for all ages and all abilities. “We have a bit of teaching between 7 and 8 and then from 8 to about 9:30 it’s really just a social dance and somewhere for people to practise what they’ve just learnt,” said President Colin McPherson. “It’s four step rock and roll. “If someone like me can do it, there’s plenty
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It’s less than a month until the fourth annual Mackay Rainbow Pride Event and organisers are hoping for their biggest event yet. Previous years have seen around 150 people attend the lively event which kicks-off at the Bluewater Quay, with a Pride March over Pioneer River Bridge. Colourful signs and costumes celebrate the LGBTI community, and everyone is welcome to come along and support this free event. “The event is to tell people there is a queer community here in Mackay and also for the q
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