Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
The Proserpine team of Shane Kinnear, Scott Hamilton and Wayne Handley played amazing bowls all weekend to come out on top in all highly contested Champion of Champion 2 Bowl Triples games at Marian. Saturday afternoon they defeated Northern Beaches 25 - 15; Sunday morning was a close one against Seaforth with an extra end being required to break the deadlock, Proserpine eventually winning 22 - 21 and then in the final against home club Marian, it was another fiercely contested match. At th
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On Tuesday social winners were Lindy Suann, Lyn Danvers and Geoff Danvers who defeated Stumpy Adams, Merle Elphinstone, Sue Shearing and Greg Colquhoun. Robyn Stitt and Penny Warren defeated Gary Kelly Dot Slater. It was great to see Gary return to his favorite sport. The jackpot didn’t go off. Men’s Competition: Triples Barry Beel, Kevin Daniels and Kennedy Whitton defeated Stumpy Adams, Peter Hinschen and Greg Colquhoun. Sunday social bowls winners were Jim Quod and Kevin Jewell. You learn
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Tuesday PGC - Single Stableford Winner: Finbar O’Flynn (SGA GC) with 38 points on a countback R/Up: Mark Richards Rundown: both wqith 35 points : Tiina Randmae and Tom O’Brien 2 shot winner: Ken Granger NTPs: Jenny Hounsell and Ton O’Brien (2nd) Thursday PGC - Single Stableford A grade: Winner: Zachary Esden with 40 points on a countback from R/Up: Sam Deicke B grade: Winner: Bernie Drake with 40 points R/Up: James Miller (Bowen GC) with 38 C grade: Winner: Adam Tester with 40 points R/U
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WHITSUNDAY GOLF CLUB : OCTOBER MM/PUTTS LADIES A GRADE : Winner : Tiina Randmae with 72 nett Runner-up : Anna Winterbourn with 76 Longest Drive : Anna Winterbourn LADIES B GRADE : Winner : Pam Casey with 79 nett Runner-up : Jo Moynihan with 86 Longest Drive : Pam Casey MEN’S A GRADE : Winner : George Meharry with 70 nett Runner-up : Chris Bartlett with 82 Longest Drive : Darren Reynolds MEN’S B GRADE Winner : Mark McDougal with 72 nett Runner-up : Wilf Herweg with 74 Longest Drive : Ma
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Over the weekend, 8 Cannons travelled to Charters Towers to compete at the Charters Towers LC Transition Meet. The Cannons would like to commend Tate Harland, Ruby Harland, Indigo Harland, Blaire Harland, Andie Reynolds, Dylan Reynolds, Isaac Pisaniello, and Isabella Pisaniello. Congratulations, Andie, and Ruby for being selected for the Skins event! Highlights include Andie Reynolds swimming a massive 35.61sec PB in her 400m Freestyle which earnt her a bronze medal. Tate Harland won 5 of his
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The Whitsunday Swimming Club held its annual LC Transition meet on October 19th & 20th at Proserpine Swimming Pool. 170 swimmers travelled from afar, including Townsville, Charters Towers, Moranbah, Mackay, Mirani, Bowen, Cannonvale & of course, our own Whitsunday Swimmers. There was two days of fast racing, friendly banter, many rubber ducks won, and great memories made. The Whitsunday Swimming Clubs own swimmers had some spectacular PB’s, A grade upgrades and Mystery Relay Wins. The cheering
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Jackie Froyland clearly remembers the hardest part of being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 44. She dreaded telling her four children, aged 15, 13, 7 and 5 and her partner, but telling her mum was absolutely “heartbreaking”. “I went for a mammogram for no other reason than my mum’s neighbour had breast cancer picked up from a routine screening. So I decided I had better go for one at BreastScreen as well,” she said. “I booked in and had it done and a week or so later they phoned and said
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By Amanda Wright In a split second, the world shifts—what began as a routine moment of motherhood becomes a thunderous alarm bell, revealing a hidden enemy within, as the stark discovery of a breast cancer lump ignites an unrelenting battle, forcing an extraordinary journey of resilience, courage, and the fight for survival. This was the case for Louise Bennet, whose world shattered when a lump she thought was harmless turned out to be aggressive breast cancer. At just 34, with her baby in her
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On Saturday, October 19th, Rover Matthew Vella was presented with the prestigious Baden Powell Scout Award, the highest honour in Scouting for his age group. The award ceremony was attended by notable figures, including Mayor Greg Williamson and Region Commissioner Dougal McWhinney, who both commended Matthew for his well-deserved achievements. Mayor Williamson even recalled presenting Matthew with his Queen Scout Award as a Venturer in 2019, highlighting his ongoing commitment to Scouting.
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As the Queensland elections loom, we find ourselves in a familiar yet invigorating cycle of public discourse and spirited debate. It’s no small feat for candidates to step up and put themselves out there for scrutiny, juggling the expectations of their communities while navigating the often turbulent waters of politics. I have immense respect for those who have dedicated months to their campaigns, genuinely listening to locals and identifying the pressing issues that affect us all. Elections are
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Caring has the remarkable ability to transform the ordinary into something truly special. The ambulatory and elective care team at Mackay Base Hospital exemplifies this sentiment by coming together to support those in their community who need it most. In response to a heartfelt request from Chances House Mackay, which supports vulnerable individuals and families dealing with crises like homelessness and hunger, the committed team promptly sprang into action to create a positive impact. With c
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Mackay Airport has launched a new program aimed at better supporting customers with ‘invisible’ conditions such as autism, dementia, anxiety and more. The Hidden Disabilities Program offers a discreet way for travellers to indicate to airport staff that they may need a little extra help or guidance. Customers can choose to wear a sunflower lanyard or badge when they are travelling through Mackay Airport. Staff have been trained to recognise the symbol and will be prepared to provide additional
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By Hannah McNamara Mackay Regional Chamber of Commerce and Mackay Engineering College recently partnered to gift two refurbished cars to deserving recipients as part of their Cars for Community initiative. This program allows local students to gain hands-on automotive experience while contributing to a meaningful community cause. Rebecca Snell, a counsellor for the Trudy Crowley Foundation, was one of those recipients. Ms Snell, who frequently travels long distances to tirelessly provide supp
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A 44-year-old Mirani man has been charged following an alleged series of arson and assaults in the Sarina area on the night of October 18. Authorities were alerted shortly before 7pm, responding to reports that a man had allegedly set fire to a unit complex on Railway Square. Following this, it is alleged the man threatened several people with an axe at a nearby hotel before assaulting a man with the weapon. He is also accused of breaking into a grocery store and a liquor store during the rampag
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Mackay residents are encouraged to take up water-saving habits this National Water Week (October 21-27) to save more of the Mackay region’s precious drinking water and cut household bills. Mayor Greg Williamson said National Water Week was the perfect opportunity to learn new water-saving habits and save some money. "This National Water Week I'd like to encourage residents to embrace a water-wise lifestyle, particularly as we enter the warmer months," Mayor Williamson said. “We know that outs
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As Queensland gears up for the state election on Saturday, 26th October 2024, voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots at various polling locations from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Here’s a handy list of voting venues across the Mackay region to ensure you know where to go: Mackay Voting Locations • Andergrove State School Fernleigh Avenue, ANDERGROVE, QLD Australia 4740 • Pioneer State High School 221 Bedford Road, ANDERGROVE, QLD Australia 4740 • Beaconsfield State School 1 N
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At the Mackay Regional Chamber of Commerce 'Meet the Candidates' night, local candidates presented their policies in a lively debate. Held last Thursday at Ocean International, the event brought together contenders from various parties, each vying for what's best for the region ahead of the upcoming election. The main topics of discussion were housing, infrastructure, crime, and regional development. Here's how each candidate addressed these pressing issues: Housing Belinda Hassan (Labor) menti
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In the lead-up to the Queensland election, both the Liberal National Party (LNP) and the Labor Party have made significant commitments to fund Stage 2 of the Great Barrier Reef Arena, highlighting their dedication to enhancing Mackay's community and sporting infrastructure. The LNP, represented by candidate Nigel Dalton for Mackay and Amanda Camm for Whitsunday, pledged $23.5 million to kickstart this project. This commitment was swiftly met with a matching pledge from Labor's Premier Steven
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Labor's Focus on Healthcare Premier Steven Miles has revealed a significant $365 million investment aimed at establishing bulk billing GP clinics across Queensland. The priority locations for these clinics have been identified based on areas with gaps in bulk billing primary care and rapidly expanding populations. In the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region alone, six clinics are set to be established. Premier Miles expressed his commitment to improving healthcare access. “Too many people can’t access
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The Mackay and Whitsunday region are still waiting for road infrastructure commitments from major parties in the lead up to the Queensland Government election this week, according to the Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3). During the campaign, the ALP announced they will invest $157M, funded by progressive coal royalties, for critical improvements to Isaac region roads to enhance safety and supply chain efficiency, and the LNP committed $20M to improving traffic flow for the Mackay Bucasia Road,
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Are you getting the best deal possible on your home loan? It’s a tricky question to answer – but Bendigo Bank’s home loan health checks make keeping on top of things a breeze. “A home loan health check is where we review with the customer all current loans and accounts and provide options,” explains Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sarina’s Manager, Charmaine Matsen. It starts with a review of your current home loan situation. We’ll also ask you about your goals, aspirations and plans you have. F
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It seems the storm season has arrived, potentially throwing another spanner in the works of the 2024 harvest. In the week of 8-14 October, we saw rainfall across the region, with some localised totals up to 81mm for the week. On the one hand, it is not surprising to see the onset of rainfall at this point in the year. A glance at the Bureau of Meteorology graphic shows the date range we can start to expect rain. We are in a more neutral climate state at present; however, we are in the “build-up”
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This week Season to date Cane crushed 57,485 841,754 Average bin weight 3.94 3.90 CCS 14.84 13.98 Cane variety performance for region Variety % CCS Variety % CCS Q183 29.3 15.13 Q253 10.9 14.32 Q240 14.4 15.28 SRA9 14.9 14.91 Q208 16.6 14.64 SP80 1.8 13.63 KQ228 1.6 13.70 Q138 5.7 13.70 Comments: Plane Creek Mill processed just under 57,500 tonnes of cane for the week, bringing the season total to 841,754 tonnes. Average CCS remained at 14.84 as per the previous week with the year-to-date averag
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Queensland graziers are being urged to keep an eye out for pasture dieback and consider management options. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) principal pasture agronomist Gavin Peck said the condition, which caused premature death of tropical and sub-tropical grasses, spread to new areas last year. “Previously, pasture dieback generally affected high-yielding sown-grass pastures in regions with more than 600mm of average annual rainfall,” Mr Peck said. “However, last summer it sp
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Although women are progressively stepping into leadership roles in agriculture, the journey to success can often feel overwhelming for many young women. Fortunately, the 2025 Next Ratoon Program provides a supportive network of fellow growers, offering aspiring leaders invaluable insights from seasoned professionals, fresh perspectives and a fast track to personal and professional growth. Judy Thatcher, a dedicated cane farmer and Mackay Area Committee grower representative, passionately advoca
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