Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Take the Free Bowel Screen Test Today Leigh Stoodley knows just how important it is to complete a bowel screen test. The 59-year-old Koumala resident had a section of her bowel removed in 2015 and was back for an endoscopy procedure last year for investigation following positive bowel screen results. On both occasions she experienced no symptoms or abnormalities prior to screening. June was Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and Leigh is urging people not to ignore their free Faecal Occult Blood Te
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By Amanda Wright Imagine zooming through the vibrant streets of Mackay, wind rushing through your hair as you effortlessly glide on a sleek purple e-scooter. Well, it seems that many locals and visitors to this coastal city have turned this exhilarating fantasy into a reality, as they have collectively travelled over a staggering 410,000 kilometers during the first year of Beam's shared e-scooter operations. The most sought-after spots for e-scooter pick up and drop off are at key shopping and r
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In a significant move aimed at securing the region's sustainable growth and maintaining crucial services, Mackay Regional Council has given its seal of approval to keep this year’s rates rise below the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a practice it has successfully adhered to over the past five years. Mayor Greg Williamson expressed his satisfaction with the budget, stating, "When you look across Queensland, we've done very well. I'm very proud of our council and team for being able to produce an ave
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Signature projects and cautious financial considerations took centre stage at the Mackay Regional Council's 2023-2024 budget meeting. While exciting initiatives, including the Seaforth Esplanade redevelopment and Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike Trails, generated anticipation, some councillors raised concerns about the potential burden of debt and its impact on future rate rises. Mayor Greg Williamson expressed enthusiasm for the transformative projects, highlighting their potential to boost touris
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Business improvement and change management are some of the focus areas in Mackay Regional Council’s proposed new organisational structure. The new structure, if adopted at next month’s ordinary council meeting, will begin in October and is set to create the council of tomorrow by simplifying its operations today. CEO Scott Owen said since taking on the role seven months ago he’d been able to see firsthand the challenges the organisation faced, but also the opportunity for positive change. “I’ve
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Mackay Regional Council Unveils $420 Million Budget Budget special feature by Amanda Wright In a decisive move towards securing the future of the Mackay region, the Mackay Regional Council has revealed its ambitious $420 million budget for the fiscal year 2023-2024. With an unwavering focus on long-term financial sustainability and fostering economic prosperity, this budget sets the
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Bendigo Bank is celebrating 25 years of its unique model of community owned and operated banking in Australia. The internationally acclaimed Community Banking model, originally designed to empower communities at risk of losing face-to-face banking services, has grown to a network of more than 300 branches nationally with $20 billion in loans and $31.3 billion in deposits. Founded in 1998 with branches in Rupanyup and Minyip, the profit-with-a-purpose model sees a majority of the profits generate
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A new online portal has been launched by the Greater Whitsunday AgTech Hub aiming to bridge the geographical divide and create connections between producers and agribusiness across the region. The Greater Whitsunday Agtech Hub is hosted by Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) and is a collaboration between key regional stakeholders to grow the value of agriculture in the region using agtech. Queensland Chief Entrepreneur Ms Julia Spicer OAM launched the Greater Whitsunday AgTech Hub portal at EHS
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Visitors to Comfort Resort Blue Pacific are welcomed to their slice of Blacks Beach paradise with a window into what their stay will entail. “You drive in and you can see all the way down the drive to the Coral Sea,” said Director Cath uit den Bogaard. “It puts a lovely calming notion on a person when they arrive.” The absolute beachfront location and stunning Coral Sea views are just the beginning, with the resort’s attentive and personal service, comfortable accommodation and high standards o
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Council's Vibrant NAIDOC Week Activities Mackay Regional Council is celebrating NAIDOC Week (July 2 to July 9) and the 2023 theme “For Our Elders” with a series of exciting events, exhibitions and programs. Council’s annual NAIDOC Flag Raising morning tea activities will be on Monday, July 3, from 10am to noon in the Civic Precinct and will include guest speakers, a didgeridoo accompaniment and cultural performances. A local cultural weaver, Nitari, will also be sharing her cultural weaving stor
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At Whitsunday Anglican School Whitsunday Anglican School will welcome The James Morrison Quartet as part of the Mackay Festival of Arts in August. Internationally acclaimed jazz musician and multi-instrumental virtuoso James Morrison will take to the stage alongside musicians from Whitsunday Anglican School before performing with his renowned jazz quartet. The legendary jazz artist is considered a ‘genius’ on the trumpet, trombone, piano, saxophone and double bass and has played with legends i
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By Sam Gillespie A group of local comedians are bringing their monthly Open Mic Night to the Ambassador Hotel today, June 30, and are inviting the community to have a crack. The event has run on the last Friday of the month for over two years, giving locals a platform to expand their performance skills while offering Mackay an alternative for their Friday night’s entertainment. Mackay Open Mic Comedy Group formed after a course was hosted by comedians Anna Brennan and Mandy Brown, where they met
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School holidays are halfway over, and I can only imagine it’s about the time that you start wanting to pull your hair out! There are heaps of activities and events around the region right now to keep the kids busy. Why not visit the 2023 Mackay Motor Show at the Showgrounds this weekend? There’ll be heaps of cool cars, new and old, to check out. Something I’m loving at the moment is heading to the Lamberts Lookout to watch the dolphins play, they have been putting on a great show lately. I he
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Perfect Wedding is the most globally performed comedy by British playwright Robin Hawdon, and it’s easy to see why. The play opens with the groom waking up on his wedding day beside a woman who is not his bride. Then we embark on a twisting turning tale with misunderstandings, mistaken identity and a very prominent toilet brush. And it’s all coming to Kucom Theatre in July, for two weeks only, as part of the Mackay Festival of Arts Fringe program. Here’s a personal invitation from the Director,
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It’s not how things start that matters, it’s how they finish. Which takes me back to the Austral Hotel on a Friday evening a couple of weeks ago. I was there with workmates having some farewell drinks for a long-term colleague. I had a few beers and, although it wasn’t many, it was probably one or two beers too many for me to be able to drive. So I left the car in the hotel car park and got my wife to pick me up. I live in West Mackay near the Botanic Gardens and the next morning I decided to r
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OPINION PIECE In a week of budget announcements, it’s disappointing for me personally that the only level of government focused on tourism in this part of Queensland is Mackay Regional Council. Council has invested significantly into tourism for the last eight years and this week approved a further $4.9 million as part of the 2023-2024 budget to complete stage one of the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike Trails. This will be the anchor project for the expansion of a more diversified tourism economy.
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It’s been slated as a once in a lifetime opportunity to see live music on the shores of the iconic Cape Hillsborough National Park, with organisers of Between the Tides announcing that the July event is officially sold out. Between the Tides will take place between two tidal movements on Cape Hillsborough beach, with Queensland Music Trails bringing central Queensland icons Busby Marou to the exclusive event on July 7 and 8. Attendees will be the first to be treated to a performance of Busby Ma
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> ARTSPACE MACKAY DRAWING POTTERY Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 3pm Workshop Room, Artspace Mackay Drop in to Artspace Mackay during the June/July school holidays and make beautiful drawings of pottery! Inspired by Fire and Ash: Woodfire Pottery of Arthur and Carol Rosser, the Artspace Workshop Room will be transformed into an accessible drawing activity space with still life arrangements of pottery and the art materials you’ll need to make an artwork to take hom
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Friday 30 June Friday SUN.sets Every Friday Evening From 6pm Knock off drinks, lakeside dinner, good friends, and LIVE MUSIC. Wake House Australia Open Mic Night Last Friday of every month, 7:00pm Stand up comedy returns to the Ambassador Hotel with Deanne from Nth QLD headlining and Michelle Byrne as MC. Ambassador Hotel Saturday 1 July 2023 Riverside Festival Saturday, 3:00pm to 10:00pm 2023 Riverside Festival hosted by 100.3 HitFM is located at Mackay's Bluewater Quay and will include
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Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures June 20, 2023: Division 1: (Final) BMW (Emma Widdup, Ian McKay, Ivan Perkins) d Jaguar (Tim Sheehan, Barry Patterson) 9-2. Ian d Barry 9, -3, 8, -11, 11. Leading player: Emma Widdup. Division 2: (Final) Isuzu (Steve Mathieson, Andrea Nicholson, Donna Abbott) d Nissan (Graeme Walker, Will VanDeKaa, Matthew West) 6-3. Donna d Matthew 9, -6, -10, 9, 5. Leading player: Graeme Walker. Division 3: (Final) Holden (Tiffany Camilleri, Trent Day, John McGee) d Hy
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With nearly forty runners and supporters, the annual Farmers Gallop 5km, 17km was a much quieter affair this year with the running of the Whitehaven Beach event on the same day. Many thanks to hostess and the club’s first Life Member, Agnes Farmer, who has generously hosted this event since the very early days of the Mackay Road Runners. The handicap start event had stand-in timekeeper, Julie Whibley, in full control of the proceedings with Luke Leven graciously and patiently waiting for what
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Netball Excellence classes are reaping plenty of dividends for the emerging talent at St Patrick’s College Mackay. With the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball Championships in full swing down in Brisbane, the College has ushered in a new generation of exciting young prospects. At the recent Mackay District Secondary Schools Netball Grand Finals, St Patrick’s came away with three of the four titles on offer – winning the Year 8A, 9/10A and Open A competitions against rivals Holy Sp
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Mackay Meteors playoff hopes in the NBL1 North Basketball Conference took a savage blow last Saturday after a shock 69-68 loss to cellar dwellers Rockhampton Rockets at Bravus Arena. Rockets forward Chier Maker was the hero after hitting the match-winning shot with two seconds left on the clock to secure a one-point triumph and second win of the season. The loss could prove catastrophic for the Meteors who have now lost seven of their past ten matches and slip to seventh spot with eight wins i
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Local athletes got their opportunity to play under the bright lights of Queensland Country Bank Stadium recently, as the Townsville Blackhawks and Mackay Cutters faced off for the inaugural Endeavour Foundation All Abilities Cup. After weeks of training, the teams took to the field ahead of the North Queensland Cowboys v Penrith Panthers NRL fixture on Friday, June 16, the brilliant showcase of all abilities footy catching the eyes of players like Nathan Cleary and Mavrik Geyer who were all too
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The Sarina Bowls Club was abuzz with excitement on Sunday, June 25th, as enthusiastic bowlers gathered to compete in the district's highly anticipated 8-a-side tournament. The unique format featured teams consisting of eight bowlers from the same club, engaging in thrilling mixed and pairs games. Despite the participation of only three clubs in the district, the event did not lack in intensity or skill. Spectators were treated to an impressive display of bowls throughout the day, witnessing exce
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