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Champion Culture, Fast Solutions When critical maintenance issues arise, speed matters. That’s where Richglen steps in. The Central Queensland company specialising in mechanical, electrical, and structural services for the mining and milling industries has built its reputation on reacting fast and keeping operations running. Fresh from winning the Champion Culture Award at the 2025 Resource Industry Network (RIN) Awards, Richglen continues to prove it can deliver on two fronts: looking af
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M&P Services has taken home the Manufacturing Excellence Award, sponsored by Queensland Manufacturing Hubs, at the 2025 RIN Awards Gala Dinner — cementing its reputation as one of the region’s leading manufacturing innovators. RIN Award Judges praised M&P Services for its strong customer relationships, innovative manufacturing techniques, and remarkable growth. “Tonight’s winner has focused on manufacturing excellence and a strong relationship with customers to design, develop and produc
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Gardian has been recognised for its heart as much as its business, winning the Connecting in the Community Award, sponsored by Local Buying Foundation, at the 2025 Resource Industry Network (RIN) Awards. The category celebrates organisations that excel in building meaningful connections with the community and external stakeholders. Proudly Mackay family-owned and operated, Gardian has been part of the local community for over 25 years. Built with the Mackay community at heart, the compan
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Dr Allan Cook Retires After 60 Years Of Healing, Heart, And Humour By Hannah McNamara When Dr Allan Cook OAM walked into the Ocean International last Saturday, 30th August, it wasn’t just another evening, it was the closing chapter of a 60-year career that has left an indelible mark on Mackay and regional Queensland. Surrounded by colleagues, patients, and friends, the retiring orthopaedic surgeon celebrated not only his achievements, but also a life defined by dedication, resilience, and unforg
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Mackay is still waiting for an official declaration in the council by-election, but all signs point to Anne Baker taking the seat. The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) confirmed that counting began at 6pm on Saturday, 30 August, in the presence of scrutineers. The process is ongoing, with postal votes still being received. Latest results from the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) revealed Baker had secured 29.58 per cent of the vote, almost double that of her nearest rival
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Parent Pathways is a program designed to meet the unique needs of parents and carers, offering a supportive and non-judgmental environment where they can explore their goals, build their confidence, and develop the skills they need to succeed. The program provides personalised coaching and mentoring, education and training opportunities, employment support, job placement services, as well as connections to local community services and resources. In the Mackay region, the program has alrea
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Each year, council proudly supports the next generation of artists through three dedicated bursaries for visual and performing arts students. Applications are now open for the Rick Wood Bursary, which honours the legacy of celebrated Mackay potter Rick Wood, and the Artspace Mackay Foundation Bursary, which supports students seeking to elevate their tertiary studies. The MECC’s Jack Sturgeon Bursary, sponsored by the Friends of the MECC, is also open to applicants. Mayor Greg Williamson
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Last Friday, the BMA CQ Rescue Charity Gala soared beyond expectations—stepping into the golden age of aviation with glamour, generosity, and grand community spirit. Hosted at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre, the sold-out event transformed into a "flight" under the theme CQ Rescue Airways – Flight CQGALA2025, complete with boarding at Terminal 139 and departure at 6:30 pm. Guests enjoyed a three-course meal, live music by Professor Judith Brown and the CQU Band, and both sil
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For Scoutfest 2025 More than 300 scouts and their families from across Queensland converged on Rowallan Park, Mackay for ScoutFest 2025, a bi-annual celebration of scouting that blended adventure, learning, and community spirit. Chairperson and organiser Katrina Hoare said the event had grown remarkably over its 11-year history. “ScoutFest started as Scout Care, which was kids with disabilities, and then we went back into ScoutFest the following year and opened it to the public one day,”
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Friday 5th September ** Crochet & Conversation 9am Drop in for a relaxed morning of crocheting, coffee and conversation with friendly Northern Beaches locals at the Beachfront Bar & Restaurant on Bucasia Esplanade. Everyone is welcome—whether you're a seasoned crocheter, a beginner, or just love a good chat over coffee. Bring your own tools or borrow from the communal box. It’s all about connection, creativity, and community. Beachfront Bar & Restaurant on Bucasia Esplanade Friday Guided W
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Review By Miki Ponting-Boyd When Victor Scott directs a play at Kucom, you just know it's going to be an extraordinary piece of theatre. You know you’ll be strapped into an emotional rollercoaster and be swept up with epic intensity - and yet, despite knowing this, every time I see one of Victor's shows, I’m caught off guard by how much the emotion hits. “The Father”, by Florian Zeller is, in itself, a literary masterpiece. It's won a ton of International awards (and was nominated for a T
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Last Tuesday, Mackay State High School marked the expansion of the Inclusion Series Day, following the event’s successful launch in 2024 at North Rockhampton State High School, which included all neighbouring special schools. In 2025, the program extended to other Central Queensland areas, such asLongreach, Mt Isa, Emerald, Mackay, and Gladstone, and involved local inclusion staff and PE teachers for professional development in inclusive education.
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Decluttering doesn’t have to mean hauling boxes or dedicating your weekend to chaos control. With a few clever five-minute fixes, you can free up space and breathe easier in your home. Start with the kitchen drawers. Toss duplicate utensils or that extra stash of takeaway cutlery. Suddenly, there’s room for what you actually use. In the wardrobe, grab five hangers and remove anything you haven’t worn in a year – instant breathing room and no hard decisions required. For the bathroom, streamlin
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Last weekend, the Mackay Rowing Club hosted the second annual Head of the Pioneer 10-kilometre regatta at Pleystowe, bringing together crews from across the region for a challenging day on the water. Despite strong winds that tested every competitor, the event was a celebration of skill, determination, and community spirit. Crews from Townsville, Ruway, Ju, and Helro joined Mackay’s own rowers for the rolling-start race, which began at the river’s weir, included a turnaround, and finished acros
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Junior And Senior Softball Wrap-Up Young Joey Ball and Rookieball players are buzzing with excitement as they prepare for their grand finals on Saturday, 6th September. It promises to be a fun-filled day, with trophy presentations to follow after the games at 11.30am. Under 14 Dragons Get the Power proved too strong for Dragons Tyre Power, running away with an 11–1 victory. Levi Counsell impressed with three at-bats, crossing home plate each time. Teammates Sienna Kitto and Chloe Mackenzie sho
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The Annual Mackay Road Runners Shields Stampede 5km and 12km has been a mainstay on the local running calendar for more than 30 years. The historic event, generously hosted by club life members Wendy and Merv Shields from their Mount Pleasant residence, has long challenged competitors with its undulating, twisting course through Beaconsfield and Andergrove before the descent back to the Karl Langer Crescent finish line. Wendy and Merv have played an integral role in the longevity of the Mackay
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The Mackay Cutters faced challenging encounters over the weekend, with both the women's and men's teams experiencing defeats. At BB Print Stadium in Mackay, the BMD Premiership women's team narrowly lost to the Western Clydesdales, 16–18. Despite tries from M. Powell (28'), J. Kimber (55'), and C. Tanner (61'), and two successful conversions by Emily Bella, the Cutters couldn't secure the win. The Clydesdales responded with tries from K. Jackson (14'), K. Taylor (24'), and M. Prentice (47'), al
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Mackay Meteorettes standout Unique Thompson has claimed the 2025 NBL1 North Women’s Most Valuable Player award after another dominant season. She also took home the titles of NBL1 North scoring champion and earned a spot on the All-Star First Team. Her meteoric impact was undeniable. Thompson’s stat line was among the league’s most impressive. She led the conference in scoring with 23.2 points per game and grabbed a league-best 15.3 rebounds per game—a commanding double-double average. Her numb
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MACKAY TABLE TENNIS FIXTURE RESULTS - 26th August 2025 Tuesday Evening Fixture Division 1 – Fish (Mick Ruhl, Steven Whiting, Jacob Whelan) defeated Ants (Barry Patterson, Vince Boeske, Robbie Richards) 9-2. Great doubles match between Mick / Steven won over Barry / Vince 11-9 in 5th Set. Bears (Goncalo Serra, Josh Brown, Lee Brake) defeated Birds (Trent Day, Emma Widdup, Anne Sheridan) 8-3 with Emma having a massive 5 Set match with Lee and she won 13-11. Division 2 – Tigers (Allan Edwards,
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On Monday 18 August and Wednesday 20 August the Marian ladies held their annual Master 4's. This started with 15 teams - 60 ladies - on Monday with the top 4 teams going into Wednesday. There were many very close games during the first day with lots of laughter and good sportsmanship shown. The eventual winners were Airlie Beach from North Mackay in a great game of bowls. Contributed by Lyn Jackson
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BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival Supports Lifesaving Local Organisations This weekend, the Mackay community will once again come together in a powerful show of unity at this year’s BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival, with every pedal stroke helping to support two vital local organisations – BMA CQ Rescue and Disabled Sport & Rec Mackay. Kate Sommerville, General Manager of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Hay Point Coal Terminal, highlighted BMA’s long-standing commitment to the Mackay community. “Ev
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With Mackay Contract Bridge Club Twenty-two Mackay players competed in the Yeppoon Congress last Weekend. Frances and Alan Brown won the A Grade Pairs, with Annie Lynch and Sandra Morris winning the B Grade Pairs. Alan and Frances Brown joined by Janet Hansen and Diane Morgan also took out the A Grade Team event. B Grade Teams event was won by team Harris, Jan Harris, Helen Van Den Broek, Martin Pearce and Hilary Gunthorp. All players played extremely well in the Red point events. Weekly Result
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I’ve always said Mackay punches well above its weight when it comes to things to do, and last weekend really proved the point. The RIN Awards kicked things off on Friday night, hosted by none other than Ed Kavalee. It also happened to be my husband’s birthday, so I figured, why not blend work with celebration? We’re big Ed fans from Have You Been Paying Attention?, so that was my cheeky sales pitch for working on his big day. From there it was straight into Rhythm and the Reef on Saturday
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A local mum has shared heartfelt appreciation for the emergency department (ED) team, highlighting the compassion and professionalism of staff during a recent visit. “We were there Monday afternoon, sent via GP (tried to avoid) and they were so busy but the triage nurses were amazing, calm and thorough,” she said. The mum, who attended with her three children, described the challenges of the waiting area. “It took me an hour to even get through triage, but I could see how thorough the c
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Election day for the Mackay Regional Council by-election is this Saturday 30 August but unlike recent council elections in Mackay, there is no in-person voting at polling booths on Saturday. “All Mackay voters have been sent ballot materials in the post,” Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen said. “Please follow the instruction on your postal ballot envelope and on the ballot paper carefully to ensure your vote counts. This includes signing the declaration envelope and making sure the envel
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