Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
A lucky Mackay man has declared a life-changing $114,000 win in a recent Keno draw, which he says has come at the most ‘perfect time’ for his upcoming family holiday. The North Queenslander looks forward to a total prize of $114,014.30 after he scored the Keno prize in draw 190, on Tuesday 28 May 2024. Coincidentally, the winning man shared he almost left the club without putting a Keno ticket on but decided to stay a bit longer to celebrate his friend’s birthday. “I am still in complete
Read more
A series of break-ins have occurred and locals have been urged to contact police with any additional information regarding the incidents. May 23 - Four Teens Caught Following South Mackay Break In Around 11.20pm on May 23, it is alleged that four people were observed entering a fenced complex on Milton Street and breaking into a caretakers shed. Police were contacted and promptly attended the scene.It is alleged that the officers sighted the four people driving a Kawasaki buggy out of the shed
Read more
Please be advised that Badyari Yalu Road (pronounced bud-jar-e yar-loo), which links Rosewood Drive and Eimeo Road through the new Northern Beaches Community Hub site, will be closed for approximately four months from Monday, June 3. The internal road will be inaccessible until late September as part of additional works being undertaken in stage 1A, including civil, landscaping and drainage works. Stage 1A of the project is partly funded by the Australian Government and Mackay Regional Council
Read more
Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox has emerged as an advocate for the agricultural sector within the region, addressing the evolving needs of Australian farmers and the underlying issues they face. Mr Willcox has recently welcomed the Federal Government’s backflip on the ill-advised changes to the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) Schemes mandatory work hours. In his statement, Mr. Willcox outlines the detrimental impact of the previous policy, implemented despite warnings from v
Read more
Around 530 patients in the Mackay region have benefited from the new dedicated post-operative care services at the Mackay Base Hospital. Following surgery, the Post-Operative Support System (PODSS) team meet with the patient before they go home, providing them with information and a phone number to call for assistance for up to 30 days post-surgery. Patients have said the Clinical Nurse Consultant gave them the extra support needed once they were home such as organising additional medication,
Read more
Dunes Harbour Beach isn’t just a beach destination - it’s a growing vibrant community nestled right on Mackay Harbour, offering a lifestyle that feels like a holiday, every day against a backdrop of stunning coastal vistas. One of their standout events is the free Beachside Breakfast which kicked off at the end of May, drawing beach lovers for a delicious bacon and egg roll catered by Mackay Surf Lifesaving Club and barista-made coffee by Deja Brew Café and Catering. Plus, there’s free face pain
Read more
The Whitsunday Anglican School STEAM Centre, designed by BSPN Architecture, made an impressive impact at the North Queensland Regional Architecture Awards in Townsville last weekend. The STEAM Centre was officially unveiled on the 23rd of May at Whitsunday Anglican School and has since marked a significant milestone for education within the Mackay region. A first for the Mackay and Whitsunday region, the world-class facility is available for students from Kindergarten to Year 12, placing them
Read more
Queensland Police Service issued an online announcement, later shared on a community Facebook page, seeking public assistance to locate the owners of a lost mobile phone. QPS said that on May 22, police from Mackay came into possession of a mobile phone (iPhone 15) at a location in Glenella and it was suspected of being a stolen item. Efforts were made to identify the owners of the phone found by the police, with the aim of returning it to its rightful owner. When the phone was powered up, an
Read more
Children jumped with excitement at BB Print Stadium last Sunday at the 2024 Family Fun day, where rides, jumping castles, a petting zoo and plenty of coffee and food vans were available. Funds rasied on the day will go towards the Mackay Hospital Foundation to aid in local healthcare.
Read more
Care Kitchen was founded in 2014 as a cooking school for adults with a disability. Each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you will find six amazing participants achieving some outstanding results, preparing, cooking and presenting a wide variety of dishes using a range of cooking methods. The point of difference is that all of this is done from a professional outlook and the participants proudly wear a chef’s uniform. So, what does a typical day look like? Weighing, sifting, beating, baking, co
Read more
Four former Mackay school students are all smiles about returning to the region and doing their final year dentistry placement at Mackay Base Hospital. Jael Mezieres, Carly Featherstone, Lauren Pearson and Aditya (Adi) Suvarna all attended primary and high school in Mackay and are now in their fifth year of studying a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in Cairns. They are part of a group of eight students in their final week of a four-month placement in the dental unit at Mackay Base Hospital. Jael, w
Read more%20(1).jpg)
Shockingly, one in seven Australians experience social isolation and over one in six experience loneliness. That’s a 33% percent increase since 2012 with loneliness now declared as a global health epidemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Knowing this, Australians are being encouraged to engage in volunteering as a way to alleviate the impacts of social isolation and make a real difference in the lives of those in the community who are in need. Orange Sky is a not-for-profit organisati
Read more
Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has welcomed the announcement that China will lift its ban on Australian beef exports. “This is a positive step for Australian beef farmers and producers, with the suspension of five of the bans being lifted immediately,” said Mr Willcox. “China has always been a valued trading partner for Australian agriculture which is a trade dependent sector, exporting more than 70% of what we produce. “My concern now is the workforce shortages that our farmers a
Read more
As Enterprise Bargaining Agreement negotiations continue between Wilmar Sugar Australia and its relevant employees and their respective Union representatives, Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR) has urged parties to take negotiations “off-line” to enable season commencement to proceed with urgency. With its collective member organisations representing approximately 20% of the sugarcane farmers and 15% of the total sugarcane production in Australia, QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan said the or
Read more
Innovative automation technology has been developed at the Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre to revolutionise the soil-scanning process vital for effective planning in broadacre cropping planning. For a long time, electro-magnetic survey scanning has been a cornerstone in soil variability detection, analysing salinity, water, and clay levels. Traditionally, this method relied on a scanning sled towed by an all-terrain vehicle, offering insights crucial for informed agricultural decisio
Read more.png)
By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay The Plane Creek milling area produces sugar cane as economically and sustainably, and equal or better quality than any region along the Queensland coastline. And that is something to celebrate! 200 people in The Plane Creek growing community came together at Koumala Community Hall last Friday evening (May 31) for the annual Plane Creek Productivity Awards, presented by Plane Creek Productivity Services Ltd (PCPSL). While many of the awards are based o
Read more
“My grandfather smoked all his life and lived till he was 93.” “My uncle bought a second-hand Commodore, drove it around for four years without getting it serviced, and it never broke down.” “My mate hasn’t insured his house for the last 20 years and nothing’s gone wrong.” All these statements could be true and there are others that fit into the theme. And the theme is? Examples of behaviour and decisions that go against conventional wisdom but end up with a good result. Another example I have
Read more
If you answered 110% proud, congratulations. Give yourself a pat on the back. On Sunday just gone, let me tell you I was so proud of my son for something he did, not only for himself, but for many thousands of people. Last Sunday my son and I ran the half marathon with the annual BMA Mackay Marina Run, and of course 628 others with the same direction in mind. To finish and do it with a smile. Rewind a few months ago, I had a chat with my son after he expressed an interest in doing some road r
Read more
Review from Hannah McNamara We ventured along to the Writing Memoir and Personal Stories Workshop last Saturday, presented by power couple Dr Julia Evans, director of 852Press, and author Richard Evans. During the inspiring workshop the pair shared their insights and top tips on how to write a unique memoir or personal story. Julia and Richard were a delight to learn from and delivered a highly informative, yet encouraging lesson that at multiple times had the audience in giggles. Throughout t
Read more%20(1).jpg)
Coffee enthusiasts and food connoisseurs, rejoice! The highly anticipated return of Jamaica Blue to Caneland Central Shopping Centre is just around the corner, with the grand re-opening set for later this month. Situated in its familiar spot downstairs from Snap Fitness, the cafe promises to deliver a fresh wave of flavours and experiences to those who love to sip and savour. The dynamic duo bringing Jamaica Blue back to Canelands is Chris and Jaymee Anderson, the caffeinated crusaders with a p
Read more%20(1).jpg)
Pizza for a Purpose was successfully launched at Caneland Central, last Saturday, June 1. Parents, children, local businesses and organisations such as Real Mates Talk and Run for Mi Life took centre stage engaging in fun activities and offering services all in the name of suicide prevention and to raise awareness for Pizza for a Purpose. Throughout June, five dollars for every large pizza sold at Laffos, will be donated to the Grapevine Group for entirely local initiatives. As part of
Read more
Aussie rock fans gathered at the Harrup Park Great Barrier Reef Arena last Saturday for an electrifying live experience of Icehouse, Jet, Jon Stevens, Pete Murray, Baby Animals, 1927 and Bachelor Girl! Photo credit: Hannah McNamara
Read more
Bringing together locally sourced high-quality produce with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world is the legacy of Kevin Collins who created White on Whitehaven, our region’s only 250-seater pop-up restaurant on Whitehaven Beach. Having started his career as a chef when he completed his apprenticeship in 1978, Kev was always an ambitious and high-achieving individual, qualities that led him to start his own restaurant at just 22 years old. Moving to the Whitsundays in 1983, Kev found
Read more
Friday 7th June Ladies Long Lunch 1pm Ladies! It's that time of year again...Grab your girlfriends and pop the champagne for the 2024 Ladies Long Lunch! This year will feature the talented Matty-Sax on the decks while he plays the saxophone to show you ladies something a little different! Come along and enjoy a canape lunch accompanied by wines, bubbles and beers! This won't be one to miss, see you there! The Dispensary Mackay FREE Art Party Afternoons 3pm Bring your own project! Do you ha
Read more