A group of residents in West Mackay are imploring Council to dismiss a recent planning submission that, if granted, will see the construction of another 24-hour service station in a residential area. At this particular location, which is near to a school and two churches, there are already 20 service stations within a seven-kilometre radius and two others within three blocks of the proposed site.
Read more
20 illegal dumping cases from across the region have been reported to Mackay Regional Council over the last month. Of those incidents, nine offenders have been caught and were required to clean up their mess or face a hefty fine. Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson said illegal dumping was not only unsightly, but it presented dangerous risks to residents’ health and the environment. “The type of rubbish we found dumped across the region last month ranged from general household waste to
Read more
The future of Queensland’s resources industry was on display as a new virtual reality (VR) training lab was unveiled at the Resources Centre of Excellence last week. The VR training software provides immersive scenarios to help students understand the high-risk environment and potential hazards, without compromising their safety. Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert said the Resources Centre of Excellence is setting the standard for the sector across the southern hemisphere.
Read more
A 19-year-old Mackay man is currently looking for three housemates of a similar age to join him in one of two new fully accessible homes that have just been completed in Beaconsfield. The Endeavour Foundation built the houses at a cost of $2.1 million and they are fully equipped to provide the vital facilities needed to enable people living with disabilities to live independently.
Read more
At first glance you might think there are very few similarities between movie stars, models and real estate agents. There is a photo of a real estate agent with this column that might help you make a visual assessment of that proposition. It is true that if you go by the touched-up photos of some real estate agents you could well be filled with excited anticipation, or a daunting feeling of inadequacy, as you wait for them to arrive to do an appraisal at your place.
Read more
Registered nurses are invited to participate in an up-skilling program in acute care thanks to a new initiative that gives nurses returning to the profession an opportunity to progress and develop new skills. Elizabeth, who is a registered Mental Health nurse based in Mackay, is one of many who participated in a recent month-long reskilling program.
Read more
Land valuations are a hot topic and so they should be. We have all received our new Land Valuation and there have been massive changes in some areas. Land valuations are set by the Department of Resources, not councils, and are conducted every two to four years – our last was in 2019. If you are unhappy with your new valuation and believe your circumstances on your parcel of land are substantially different to those around you then you can lodge an objection. You have until May 16 to object and
Read more
Good news for Bowen and Collinsville residents who need to attend medical appointments with plans now underway to provide a bus service that will transport patients north to Townsville.
Read more
You can hear the screams from parents right now, can’t you? The parents who haven’t done anything to get ready. The ones who still haven’t cleaned out the lunchbox with the banana in there from two weeks ago. The bags that have got homework uncompleted from weeks ago are still sitting on the kitchen bench.
Read more
April is the cruellest month to depart the Whitsundays. The stifling air is finally running off - the rain, rain has gone away - and I decide to move to the country’s opposite end? The kookaburras on the fence line are laughing at me for that.
Read more
It’s not every day that you hop off the bus and are greeted with a woman, a stranger at that, handing you a single gorgeous red rose, telling you ‘Have a nice day!’ and waving you off.
Read more
Lindeman Island has sold for $10 million to a Singaporean family leaving previous owners White Horse – a Chinese cable television operator – with a $2m loss on investment and $10 million shy of their original asking price.
Read more
Over 30,000 passengers disembarked from cruise ships last month, each of them visiting a diverse range of restaurants and shops, and taking part in tours and excursions on offer in our beautiful region.
Read more
Holidaymakers, industry workers and visiting family members have all combined to create record-breaking numbers for Whitsunday Coast Airport over the Easter holidays.
Read more
A departmental traffic crash took place earlier this week when a police vehicle was responding to a priority incident in Mackay. The incident occurred at the intersection of George Street and Milton Street when the police vehicle collided with a four-wheel drive.
Read more
Residents are advised to check their land valuation notices and consider if they should lodge an objection against their new valuations before the six-week window elapses. Anyone wishing to submit an objection must do so before the closing date of 16 May. Total land valuations across the Mackay local government area have increased in by 16 per cent but it is the rural residents that have seen the greatest impact.
Read more
Full access to Eungella Range on Mackay–Eungella Road has been restored with extensive work clearing landslip debris and rectifying damage done during January’s flooding and heavy rainfall. The road was closed temporarily on January 16 after more than 600mm of rainfall was recorded within a single, 48-hour period at Mount Charlton, and more than 1000mm within seven days at Finch Hatton.
Read more
A local bank branch has joined the “Smile Month” effort to fundraise for Clown Doctors – a national program which provides highly trained, professional “medical clowns” to help lift the spirits of sick kids by through laughter and joy.
Read more
Sarina crafter Val Pearce is expanding her skills after a lifetime of crafting. Val is a member of the Sarina Fibre Arts Group, whose members offer their crafts for sale at the Sarina Arts and Crafts Centre. “I think it was about 1998 that I joined them,” Val said. “They were meeting at Sarina High School then, but they now meet in the Craft Cottage, across from the Sarina Men’s Shed.
Read more
Single-use plastics will soon be removed from Whitsunday businesses thanks to a state government scheme that has already been rolled out to 600 regional businesses and it is heading here next.
Read more
Queenslanders with an interest in sustainable management of the state’s fisheries are urged to submit an application to join a fishery working group. Fisheries Queensland Executive Director Dallas D’Silva said nominations are open for membership of 14 fishery working groups, which are integral to delivering world-class, sustainable fisheries. “This is an exciting opportunity to be part of sustainable fisheries management,” Mr D’Silva said.
Read more
Men are afraid of vulnerability. “There is an idea that it is a kind of weakness,” Cannonvale local Bob Eden said. “Men think that others will use it against them; use it to get a foot up on one another. That’s not the case.”
Read more
Sugar Terminals Limited’s decision to remove Queensland Sugar Limited and become owner/operator of the state’s bulk sugar terminals has generated a stir right across the industry. But it is an issue that has potential flow-on effects to the regional community and economy.
Read more
Sarina’s Jordan Patullo (Ruddell) said she cannot thank her local Australian Army Cadets Program enough for her career in the trades sector and her recent receiving of a scholarship opportunity. The member of 131 Army Cadet Unit Sarina is undertaking an apprenticeship in engineering (fabrication trade) and said the skills she has learnt while in the Cadets were “exactly what employers are looking for – discipline, respect, courage, teamwork, initiative, and time management”.
Read more
Recycling just got a whole lot easier thanks to Anything Environmental who have just opened a new depot in Cannonvale.This means Whitsunday residents can access recycling services in Proserpine and Cannonvale as of April 17.
Read more