Announcing Main Stage Daily Lineups & 2 Day Ticket Options! The countdown is on as the Airlie Beach Festival of Music unveils its daily main stage lineups. "We’ve always been about creating a full-sensory experience, and now, it’s time for a taste of what each day will bring," shared a spokesperson. "To make your Festival experience even more flexible, we are thrilled to announce brand-new 2-day ticket options, catering to every kind of festival-goer. Whether you’re joining us for the full thr
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Hi Everyone, It’s been a busy week back in the office, and I’m really enjoying being here! Since returning, I’ve also resumed my role at Eco Barge as a turtle carer. I absolutely love spending time with these incredible, peaceful animals. Eco Barge is always looking for new volunteers, so if you have a few spare hours each week, consider lending a hand for this truly worthwhile cause! This week, we have plenty for you to explore: stories on the Great Barrier Reef, sustainable sculpture awards
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Day care centres, kindergartens and primary schools across the Whitsundays are being encouraged to get creative and eco-friendly in the 2025 Sustainable Sculpture Competition. Following the resounding success of last year’s event, organisers are excited to see what this year’s budding artists will produce. The competition challenges children to transform recyclable and repurposed materials into sculptures, offering a hands-on way to learn about sustainability. From plastic bottles to newspapers
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When most of us think about the Reef, we typically visualise diverse corals, a magnitude of fish species and other marine life. But the Reef is much more. We should think of the Reef as a system that starts at the high tide mark along the coast and continues out to outer edge of the continental shelf, in some areas, this may be up to 250 km off the coast. This system is all connected by what is often referred to as the Blue Highway. The overall health of the Reef is entirely dependent on the he
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Farmers Join Forces to Protect the Reef For generations, sugarcane has been a core aspect of the Proserpine region’s identity. From the vast green paddocks to the hum of harvest machinery, cane farming has shaped the landscape, economy, and community life of the district. Families who work this land carry with them not only the knowledge of farming, but also a deep connection to the creeks, wetlands, and reef systems that make the Proserpine catchment so unique. Now, a new initiative is giving
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A record field of more than two hundred runners will be heading for the hills this weekend for the Whitsunday Running Club’s annual trail event. The Anaconda Whitsunday Trail Festival takes place on Sunday, 14 September, with entries coming from across Australia and the United States. The race precinct will be based on the Airlie Beach Foreshore near the movie screen. Fifty runners have signed up for the WTF58 Accom Whitsunday Ultra (58km), which starts on the foreshore, travels over the range
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Nine out of 10 Whitsunday United Football Club teams were in action in finals football last weekend, with seven sides still in contention for a grand final spot. The divisional men kicked off proceedings on Friday night against Lions. Div 2 needed victory to stay alive but fell 2–0 behind early in the second half. A spirited fightback saw them score twice to level, but neither side could find a winner in regular time. With players struggling through cramps, the game went to penalties, where Ros
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Harrison Turner Inspires Cannons The Cannonvale Cannons swimming community enjoyed an extraordinary weekend when Australian record holder Harrison Turner spent three days delivering a coaching clinic for swimmers of all ages. Turner, who claimed bronze in the 200-metre butterfly at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, is the current national record holder in the event. He had been scheduled to attend alongside coach Sam Sharpe, but when Sam was unable to travel due to a family illness, Harris
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Tiina Randmae continued her fine form after last week’s magnificent hole-in-one, taking out the September Monthly Medal. It was great to see so many members on the course enjoying the day, with Tessa Aitken also shining with an excellent score of 69. Geoff Harrison won the Monthly Medal for the men with 70 on countback from Louis Neethling. In the rundown: Allen Roberts 71, Ken Granger 71, Nic Apruzzese 72, Gary Scotford 72, Peter Lindsay 72, John Grosskreutz 73 and Colin Hounsell 73 – very cl
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Proserpine Golf Club wrapped up its final week under the current Board, with the new 2025/26 Board elected at the AGM on 30 August. Members now turn their focus to the upcoming Club Championships on 13–14 September, which will test players over 27 holes each day. Saturday will follow a timesheet format, with a seeded draw for Sunday. Tuesday (September Monthly Medal): Tommy Gallagher claimed the men’s title with 70 nett on countback from Geoff Harrison. NTPs went to Scott Mason (9th), Brad Flee
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Another excellent week of precision bowling began on Tuesday with 33 bowlers, excellently run by Regina Aquilina and Carol Crosbie. The dice rolled the smallest winning margin, which saw Connie Reimers with Pip Heddles just edge out Carol Crosbie and Greg Fennell 22–16. A great day was had by all. Wednesday afternoon social bowls attracted 26 bowlers, with three games of triples and two of pairs. The standout win of the day came from skipper Andy McDougall, with “Wild” Bill Gordon at lead and K
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Residents of Gargett now have a new space to enjoy books, thanks to the local Men’s Shed, which has created a small, but mighty, community library for everyone to use. “If you’re like me, I don’t like to throw my books away, so I got in touch with the Men’s Shed and they’ve made a fabulous library for us, as well as a good supply of books,” said a representative from Gargett store. “It’s here for everyone to use, so please make use of it. Thank you, Mirani Men’s Shed.” The initiative ha
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The Trudy Crowley Foundation's Touch of Teal Soirée this year was nothing short of extraordinary. As a patron of the Foundation, alongside Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP, I’ve seen firsthand how this incredible organisation changes lives — and standing in that marquee, surrounded by patients, families, nurses, volunteers, supporters and ambassadors, the impact hit me anew. Hearing Kaylissa Crowley share the story of her best friend Mel, taken far too young by bowel cancer, brought m
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Leaders Address Bluewater Quay Concerns Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Mackay MP Nigel Dalton have joined forces to confront "antisocial behaviour," particularly along Mackay’s Bluewater Quay. The Premier visited Mackay last Wednesday, outlining a dual approach of restoring community safety while supporting those struggling with addiction. “Today we're dealing with antisocial behaviour," Mr Crisafulli said. "And one of the things that Nigel has been pushing really hard has been
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Residents and visitors will be given free access to the Memorial Pool while maintenance works are finalised at the Bluewater Lagoon. The annual winter maintenance included important upgrades to the plant room, including pump and instrument upgrades. Mayor Greg Williamson said there had been delays with the delivery of key components having to be sourced from outside of Australia. “That meant other vital work and commissioning has been pushed back past our expected re-opening date of mid-Septe
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Forte Biosciences’ clinical trial for a potential Coeliac disease treatment is now recruiting participants in Mackay through the Coral Sea Clinical Research Institute (CSCRI). The clinical trial follows results from Forte Biosciences’ FB102 Phase 1B study, which showed encouraging outcomes for Coeliac disease patients and highlighted the potential for new therapies. Dr James Daveson Founder and Director of CSCRI, Gastroenterologist and Founder of endosQ, and Primary Investigator for a ra
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A new post-discharge cardiology service at Mackay Base Hospital is helping patients with non-urgent heart conditions bypass the Emergency Department and get advice or treatment when they need it most. The Cardiology Rapid Access Service provides timely and appropriate care for patients with cardiac conditions who require follow up care or have queries after discharge from hospital, but who do not need immediate emergency intervention. The nurse-led service has cared for more than 310 pat
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Former Isaac Mayor Anne Baker is set to become a new member of Mackay Regional Council, likely to be sworn in on Thursday, 11 September — between the time this edition goes to press and its release to readers. At the close of vote counting on Wednesday, 10 September, Baker held a commanding lead with 28.93 per cent of the primary vote. Her nearest rivals were Andrew Deguara on 14.40 per cent and Melissa Milton on 14.36 per cent. With more than 72 per cent of votes counted, the result all
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MADEC is delighted to announce the winners of the inaugural Places & Spaces Photography Competition, celebrating the creativity and talent of young photographers across the region. Taking out first place is Flynn Raymond Kynaston (12 years old) for his striking entry Easter Sunday (2025). Flynn has been awarded a Fujifilm Instax Mini camera, generously sponsored by Garricks Camera House Mackay. Highly Commended (Second Place) was awarded to Kaleb Gray (16 years old) for Beach Access (202
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Hammer-Wielding Crime Spree Ends In Arrest Mackay was rattled last Wednesday, September 3, after three armed robberies were carried out in less than 12 hours — all allegedly by the same offender. The crime spree began at 10.30 am when police were called to a business on Celeber Drive, Andergrove. A man, armed with a hammer, allegedly threatened an employee and fled with a sum of cash. By 7 pm, officers were again responding, this time to a Finch Street convenience store in Slade Point.
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OPINION PIECE Immigration is important. Our country has been built on it. We would not be the Australia we are today without people choosing to set up their lives here. In Dawson, we have some of the best and most successful examples of what immigrations brings and what it builds over generations. I’m talking about all the people who run farms, workshops and businesses across the region, professionals in our clinics, schools and our offices, the on the ground workers who came looking for
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Mackay has taken a vital step in becoming a key player in Queensland’s new critical minerals sector. Construction is now complete on stage two of the Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE) – the Future Industries Hub. Delivered by Fergus Builders, the project marks a major milestone in expanding the RCOE’s capacity to support emerging industries and advanced manufacturing. It will also support activities around critical minerals, reprocessing of tailings, and other precious metals. The
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Locals in Moranbah now have a direct line into university, TAFE and trades courses with the region’s first Country Universities Centre officially open. Isaac Mayor Kelly Vea Vea said the new hub is about giving locals a fair go and making education more accessible, no matter what their background or situation. “This is a real investment in people, it’s about backing people who are trying to make a go of study and just need a bit of help to get there,” Mayor Vea Vea said. “We’ve seen for
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North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) is now accepting applications for its 2025–26 Community Fund. The fund offers $100,000 to support initiatives across NQBP’s port communities of Hay Point, Mackay, Abbot Point (Bowen) and Weipa. NQBP Acting Chief Executive Officer Carissa Mansfield said the fund provides direct support for local groups and organisations. “Our Community Fund is about backing the people and projects that strengthen our port communities,” Ms Mansfield said. “Ov
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