Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
For many Australians living with disability or in care, life is lived on the edge of ‘just enough’. Enough to get by. Enough to pay for essentials. Enough to survive week to week. But what about joy? What about belonging, adventure, dignity… what about living? A weekend away with family. Tickets to see a favourite band live. A visit to a distant cultural site or ancestral Country. These are the kinds of experiences that bring meaning and connection – but for many locals living with disability,
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Sunset Bay Outriggers Canoe Club continues its impressive progress in 2025, with another successful campaign at the NQ Zone Grand Prix in Airlie Beach over the May long weekend. Despite extremely challenging weather conditions, wind gusts reaching 35 knots and heavy rain affecting visibility, both junior and senior paddlers from the club rose to the occasion. The club is especially proud of its two newest junior athletes, Tess Armstrong and Zara Hegarty, who displayed remarkable skill and dete
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CQUniversity Nursing graduate Nikita Van Wyk is following in the footsteps of her grandmother, mother and aunt, caring for patients at Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS). The 24-year-old recently crossed the stage at the CQU Mackay Graduation Ceremony, not only receiving her testamur, but also being awarded the CQU Graduate Nurse of the Year Award. The award, which is sponsored by CQU and presented by MHHS, was first introduced in 2017 and recognises the skills and contributions o
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The Housing Industry Association says election uncertainty has masked early signs of a home building rebound, with new lending figures pointing to growing momentum heading into the second half of 2025. “Lending for the purchase or construction of new homes remained flat in the first quarter of 2025, likely the result of election uncertainty. The data also reflected the situation prior to the effect of the RBA’s first interest rate cut,” said HIA Senior Economist Tom Devitt. The ABS r
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Mackay Schools To Benefit As Foodbank Launches Townsville Hub
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By Hannah McNamara Member for Mirani Glen Kelly has thrown his support behind the introduction of divisions within Mackay Regional Council, saying it would give local residents a stronger voice and clearer representation at the table. Mr Kelly, whose electorate spans from the outskirts of Mackay to Rockhampton, said a common concern raised by his constituents is the lack of clarity around who to approach with local issues. "While I believe our Mackay Regional councillors are doing a great job
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Live music fans have much to anticipate as acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter Pete Murray brings his eagerly awaited new tour to Mackay for a single performance on Wednesday, 18 June, at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre (MECC). Murray’s most extensive tour to date will take him to numerous regional markets across Australia, many of which he has never previously visited, with a total of 56 shows scheduled throughout 2025. While Murray needs little introduction as one of
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Mackay’s biggest annual fun run looks set to sell out again this year with over 4,000 runners from all of Australia expected to pound the pavement in support of the Leukaemia Foundation. Held on Sunday 1 June, the BMA Mackay Marina Run is now in its 17th year and to date, has contributed over $730,000 to the Leukaemia Foundation for local support services. Event Director Tim Magoffin said “We’re extremely proud of our long-term relationship with the Leukaemia Foundation. “Knowing that w
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Mackay To Unite In Honour Of Lives Lost To Domestic Violence The Mackay community is invited to gather at the Mackay Harbour Surf Club on Saturday, 24th May 2025 from 5pm for a Candle Lighting Ceremony hosted by Broken Ballerina Inc., honouring lives lost and those impacted by domestic and family violence.In a heartfelt show of solidarity, the event will bring together survivors, families, frontline workers, and supporters for an evening of remembrance, healing, and hope.“This is a special oppor
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A drizzle of rain didn’t dampen the spirits of Fitzgerald State School students, staff, families – or even the police dog – who all took part in National Walk to School Day last Friday. Held annually on May 16, the event promotes a healthy and safe approach to getting to school while reinforcing key road safety messages for children. Parents, teachers and students were joined by representatives from Queensland Police, including Police Liaison Officer Rebecca Budby and Sergeant Felipe Per
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Mater Private Hospital Mackay has come up with a “tote-ally” awesome way to recycle hundreds of kilograms of surgical equipment packaging into reusable tote bags for hospital patients. The colourful eco-friendly bags are designed and sewn by hospital volunteers and made from polypropylene fabric, which is wrapped around surgical trays, to keep instruments sterile. Each week more than 800 clean sheets, which used to become landfill, are now repurposed into fashionable and fun tote bags fo
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The City Ladies held another fantastic weekend of bowls over the May Day weekend. Each day had a full green, with Ladies Fours on Saturday and Mixed Fours on Sunday. The Marie Gravino Shield was won by Shirley Sturgeon, Anna Knight, Emma Pash and Dawn Field on Saturday. The shield was donated by Marie’s family in her honour. She was a long-time member of the Ladies Club, and held the position of Junior Vice for several years. On Sunday, the Mixed Team winners were R. Harris, P. Rintoul, R. Rin
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It was raw. It was real. And it was the start of something powerful. Earlier this month, the first Women’s Wealth Creation Workshop launched in Mackay, bringing together a roomful of women ready to reshape their futures, reclaim financial independence, and talk about money – the good, the bad, and the transformational. The event, hosted by Shirlz Russell and Robyn Agius from Area Specialist, was created to encourage and support women to build independent wealth, and to show that investin
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Nala’s Second Chance After Years On The Run In a story that reads more like fiction than fact, a dog named Nala has been found – five years after she first went missing from a backyard in West Mackay. Nala vanished in February 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, near the Botanical Gardens. Her disappearance sparked an emotional and determined search by her heartbroken family. But Nala was in flight mode. Each time she was sighted, her family raced to her location, laid
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Staff from the Specialist Outpatients Department (SOPD) at Mackay Base Hospital donned blue last week in support of Do It For Dolly Day, a national campaign to end bullying and spread kindness. Held on 9 May, Do It For Dolly Day honours the memory of Dolly Everett, a 14-year-old girl who tragically took her own life in 2018 after experiencing prolonged bullying and cyberbullying. The annual day of action calls on communities, schools, and workplaces to foster kindness and stand against bu
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Well Done to Mackay Club members Ian and Mary Cruickshank who were members of the Reil Team to take out third place in the restricted team event at the Barrier Reef Congress. Saturday saw the playing of the third GNOT event with members vying for coveted Gold Points. Fourteen teams competed, with team Bugeia the ultimate winners of the day. Weekly Results Monday 12 May 2025 –7 Table Mitchell Green Points **N/S E/W ** 1st Geoffrey Patterson / Noel Bugeia 1st David Ting / Eric Goodchild 2n
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Celebrating their 5-year anniversary, Rhythm and the Reef brings a 5-star lineup for the 2025 event – with presale tickets going live 4pm, May 28. Held in Mackay, Queensland, Rhythm and the Reef will play out over the August 22-23 weekend – including an exclusive VIP pre-party at McGuires Hotel on the Friday night, all ages music festival at Meadowlands Amphitheatre (Botanic Gardens) on the Saturday from 1-10pm and more to be announced. Thanks to Naming Rights Partner FMS Group and radio
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After two rain-soaked postponements, the sun finally smiled on the Marian Ladies Bowls Club as they hosted their much-anticipated annual Harvest Triples on Monday, 12 May 2025. With a full green of 16 teams, players were eager to hit the turf and enjoy two spirited games of bowls. Laughter, friendly competition, and fine form were all in abundance throughout the day. Alongside the on-green action, visitors also enjoyed a popular cent sale and browsed a delightful selection of plants and handma
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143 Years Of Trusted Service At Porters, our commitment to serving the Mackay community remains as strong as ever. As our business continues to evolve over 143 years, we want to reassure our loyal customers that all Porters Can Do Trade divisions at Carlyle Street are still open and trading. You can continue to rely on the local expert teams at our Mackay City location - Mackay Trade Centre, Porters Plumbing Plus, and Inspirations Paint Mackay, all located on Carlyle Street. These stores
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Last Sunday, more than 40 runners and supporters took to the streets for the annual Farmer’s Long Gallop, featuring 5km and 17km courses that started from the Evans Avenue North residence of long-time supporter, Agnes Farmer. Agnes and her late husband Fred hosted the event from the club’s very first year, and following Fred’s passing from multiple myeloma 12 years ago, Agnes continued the tradition. A self-confessed non-morning person, she had now hosted the run an incredible 49 times, still m
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By Joseph Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay With the culmination of triennial elections this month, I have been given the honour to serve growers as Chairman of CANEGROWERS Mackay. It is a privilege to lead such an iconic organisation, that has been integral to the development of the modern sugar industry in this region since its inauguration 99 years ago. It is also exciting to take up this leadership role at a time when the sugarcane industry will become even more important to the regi
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The North Mackay Ladies Bowls club radiated with colour, laughter and plenty of flair as the club hosted its first-ever “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” Dress-Up 3 Bowl Triples Fun Day. Club President Hilary Jones-Rowan, donning full Dolly Parton attire, warmly welcomed fellow bowlers before play commenced with one game of 18 ends, followed by a light lunch shared among the teams. Adding to the day’s spirited atmosphere, players showcased their costumes in a lively parade before judges Dorothy Wise
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The sun was shining, and the softball fields were buzzing with energy as the season kicked off with a full day of games across all age divisions. The action began with Under 14s, followed by Joey Ball and Rookieball. After a short lunch break, the senior teams took to the diamond for their first official games of the season, many featuring a mix of fresh faces and seasoned players returning to the sport. One such team, Angels Golden Oldies, made their mark early, defeating Young Guns 14–7
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The North Mackay Sinkers Masters Swimming Club made a splash on Saturday, May 17, kicking off the day with dedication, stamina, and community spirit. The morning began bright and early with a special endurance session at 7am. Following that, the club’s popular 8am “Jim Session” offered a second challenge for many, all leading up to a heartfelt cause. In partnership with DMR Leisure, the Sinkers hosted a swimmer’s take on Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea at the Memorial Pool – raising vital
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Not content with a morning of epic swims members welcomed the Sinkers and DMR Leisure’s swimmer version of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea and helped to raise funds for the Cancer Council. Event planning was in high gear, thanks to the club Secretary, who ensured plenty of action with games and a best hat competition. Stunning tea cups were available for purchase, and an impressive multi-sponsored raffle prize—valued at $550—added extra excitement to the fundraising efforts. Of course, n
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