Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
On the chilly morning of July 21, 2024, 18 members of the Whitsunday Golf Club gathered for the Mark Nicol Memorial Trophy event, a 2-ball Ambrose competition, which was Mark Nicol’s favourite format. Despite heavy fog on the drive into Proserpine, the event kicked off under pleasant sunshine. However, a cool breeze picked up later in the morning, making the last few holes more challenging. Nonetheless, the winning scores reflected impressive play. Winners: • 1st Place: Mark McDougal and Lew
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The 2024 Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival marked a significant milestone with an impressive turnout of more than 7,000 students from the region, celebrating its 20th anniversary in grand style. The renowned festival brought together schools from across Mackay and the Whitsunday region, creating a vibrant platform for young minds to immerse themselves in the world of literature, music and creative expression.
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This week has been marked by the shocking and tragic events surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. It's a stark reminder of how life can be lost in the blink of an eye and the importance of treasuring every moment. President Trump is very fortunate to be alive, having turned his head at the precise moment needed for the bullet to only graze his ear. Tragically, a life was lost—that of a true American hero. Corey Comper
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Since 2016, Sew Create Donate Inc. in Mackay has been a dedicated group of volunteers who sew, knit and crochet handmade blankets and other essential items for those in need within the community. Their contributions have made a significant impact on the lives of individuals supported by the Neighbourhood Hub, who have expressed deep gratitude for the donations of toiletry bags and other necessities. With compassion woven into every stitch, each blanket represents countless hours of dedication
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Mackay is going LIVE for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games with a special celebration site to be activated at Bluewater Quay. The activation is part of statewide celebrations where Queenslanders will gather for special events backing our Aussie athletes and marking our own ‘8-Years-To-Go’ milestone as hosts of the 2032 Games. Olympics and Paralympics LIVE events will ignite the Olympic spirit from the Gold Coast to Cairns and west to Longreach during Paris 2024. Bluewater Quay will be
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By Hannah McNamara Meet Cheree Ridolfi, a kind-hearted Mackay local with a passion for making a difference in the fight against cancer. This August, Cheree will be hosting a #ForkCancer Longest Table event to raise funds for life-changing cancer research. By hosting this event, Cheree aims to gather friends, family and community members to a fun-filled feast, all while raising crucial funds for a tangible cause. With nearly 444 Australians receiving a cancer diagnosis each day, Cheree is d
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In 2006, a young Constable Marshall Roper was among the inaugural roster at the newly opened Mackay Northern Beaches police station. After previously serving at Mackay station, Roper dedicated the remainder of his career to the Northern Beaches and Marian police stations in the Pioneer Valley, retiring in October 2022. This week, the Mackay Northern Beaches police station proudly welcomes him back as he embarks on his "second" career as a Special Constable. With his extensive operational experie
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Opinion Piece Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox said Labor’s new mandatory emissions reporting is yet another attack on Australian farmers and will impose costly regulatory burdens. “In a cost-of-living crisis, this reckless policy making is going to see an added cost of $2.3 billion to farmers, which will ultimately increase the cost of fresh food and produce nationally, and will be passed onto consumers at the checkout,” Mr Willcox said. Under the new reporting requirements, farme
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selectability, officially opened the doors to its new Mackay Mental Health hub last Wednesday, on July 10 2024. The newly established Mental Health Hub consolidates selectability’s services from three locations across Mackay into a larger and more adaptable space on River St. Over 100 attendees, including local government representatives, service providers and community members gathered to explore what the new facility had to offer. selectability General Manager of Mackay, Sue-Ellen Weedon sa
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If you knew that a free, over-the-counter nasal spray could save someone from an opioid overdose in just minutes, would you carry one with you? Now accessible at most pharmacies, is Naloxone (also known as Narcan), a medicinal nasal spray used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids, with its makers claiming it can be used in a safe and harmless way, with no negative side effects. It’s also available completely free of charge. Naloxone offers a “quick and accessible treatment” that i
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Mackay Police have charged two people following investigations into a number of alleged drugs and weapons offences in Mackay late last week. Around 2pm on Friday, July 12, officers executed a search warrant at a River Street unit in Mackay, where they allegedly located several firearms, including three rifles, a handgun, a homemade firearm, a taser and several rounds of ammunition. Police also seized drug utensils, quantities of cannabis and cocaine, and cash. The recent arrests, led by officers
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Sleepbus, a charitable organisation dedicated to providing safe sleeping accommodations for those experiencing homelessness is bringing its life-changing sleepbus service to the QME Exhibition this weekend. Founded on the belief that sleep changes everything, sleepbus ensures that people facing homelessness have a secure place to rest, offering a temporary refuge until they can transition to more permanent housing solutions.
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Take a virtual look into what Mackay has to offer at the Greater Whitsunday METS Innovation Lounge at QME 2024. Mackay Regional Council is pleased to again partner with local and state government stakeholders and industry bodies to highlight the latest in technological innovations at QME from July 23 to 25. Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson said virtual reality and AI technology would feature at this year’s METS Innovation Lounge. “A feature at the stand this year will be the 360-degree 3D video, whi
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Decarbonisation Accelerated project has partnered with the Queensland Mining & Engineering and Exhibition (QME) to facilitate a one-day program focused on Mining and METS on Wednesday July 24. This event is set to bring together leading minds and key stakeholders to explore real-world examples of decarbonisation challenges and opportunities across the mining industry and its supply chains. The program will facilitate the exchange of ideas, innovations and strategies to drive the decarbonisatio
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay With a delayed start to the crush, it is imperative that mills now settle down to a strong and consistent crush rate. We should be far ahead of current percentages of the crop processed, which is still markedly below 10% in Mackay and Plane Creek. There are growers in both milling areas who, at the time of writing, have not been able to cut. This is plainly unacceptable. The season start has been dogged by poor weather, industrial action and continuous
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A rural charity is encouraging farmers to reach out for assistance this Farm Safety Week. “This year’s Farm Safety Week theme is 'in safe hands',” Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said. “Rural Aid’s mission is to stand with farmers when they need it most.” “We’re encouraging farmers to register with Rural Aid, so that our organisation and its passionate donors, can support farmers’ wellbeing and safety with a hand-up.” Rural Aid’s range of assistance measures help farmers improve their live
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This week Season to date Cane crushed 51,322 90,771 Average bin weight 3.80 3.77 CCS 12.73 12.73 Cane variety performance for region Variety % CCS Variety % CCS Q183 37.7 12.65 Q253 8.9 13.04 Q240 14.3 12.99 Q232 3.0 13.79 Q208 14.0 12.74 Q252 2.9 12.79 KQ228 9.0 13.85 Q138 2.5 11.53 Comments: Plane Creek Mill processed just over 51,000 tonnes of cane for the week, bringing the season total to more than 90,000 tonnes. Throughput was disrupted on Sunday and again on Friday due to powerhouse issue
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Unions negotiating a new enterprise agreement with Wilmar Sugar and Renewables are consulting with members on a company suggestion that the parties accept an invitation from the Fair Work Commission for the assistance of a Commissioner in resolving issues remaining in dispute. The invitation for assistance was extended by a Commission Vice President after a hearing of the Full Bench in Sydney earlier this month (5 July). During last week’s talks between the company and union representatives, t
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Well, just like that, my holidays have come to an end. I’m back on air on Monday, and I will tell you now, I am a little excited! Sure, the last two weeks have been great. Sleeping in, movies, running training, hockey, weddings, fitness, and fun! All in the space of 14 days, I sure have packed a lot in. Do you get up to a lot when you have a break? When you take holidays from work, do you hit the road, or relax at home in the garden? I hope you do, as it’s one of those things we all take for gra
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The Artspace Mackay team has returned to our regional gallery and is excited to be rolling out workshops, programs and activities once more. Closed for refurbishments since late 2023, the facility now boasts new flooring, walls and a state-of-the-art climate control system, which will ensure it remains a AAA-rated, international standard gallery space long into the future. Kicking off at 1pm, Friday, July 19, will be Conversations with Art, a free and enjoyable discussion led by Artspace staff a
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Life changed significantly for 11-year-old Callum Brown when he was diagnosed with diabetes; but a new program is helping kids like him feel supported at school and giving their parents peace of mind. Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) is one of two pilot sites outside of Brisbane to run the Diabetes in Schools program, an information and training program designed to help schools better support students with Type 1 diabetes. Callum, a Year 6 Emmanuel Catholic College student, was diagnos
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I’m a big fan of liberalism and the central belief of that philosophy that focuses on the individual and his/her rights in a capitalist, free market democracy. However, I am clearly in the minority as the world increasingly defines people by the group to which they are seen to belong: if you are black or gay or Muslim or a woman, for example, you are allocated your group and the world is somehow supposed to view you through that lens rather than as the individual you are with your own specific v
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Mackay’s Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School is ready to grow following the State Government's granting of a 30-year lease for a new location. The school will be based on the site of the city’s old fire station on Sydney Street which closed in 2018. This pivotal development will allow the school to expand and enhance its facilities, all aimed at creating a nurturing and advanced learning environment for Mackay’s youth. Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special School specialises in providing educa
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Hundreds of lucky locals and visitors were invited onto Cape Hillsborough Beach earlier this month, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Between The Tides, a signature event of QLD Music Trails’, The Reef Trail capped off its back-to-back two-night run with a headline performance by multi-ARIA Award winner, prolific singer-songwriter, Josh Pyke. The QLD Music Trails is a program run by Queensland Music Festival (QMF) and known for using the power of music to create experiences perfectly uni
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Join Broken Ballerina in supporting their annual charity fundraiser, the 2024 ‘Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Beautiful Ball,’ taking place on Saturday, September 21st at Mackay Turf Club. The evening begins at 5pm with pre-dinner nibblies and a complimentary drink upon arrival (beer, wine, or soft drink). Guests are encouraged to dress in Spring Cocktail Attire, embracing the theme of charity colours: Pink, White, and Black. Hosted by MC Kim Tower, the event continues from 6pm to 11pm where attendees
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