Mater Private Hospital Mackay stoma and wound nurse Elly Engstrom has been recognised for her unwavering commitment to patient care for a second year in a row at the annual Mater People Awards. The Surgical Ward Nurse Unit Manager received the prestigious Clinical Excellence (Individual) Award at a ceremony in Brisbane, after being nominated by her peers. Mater Health Executive Director Paul Darcy said the feedback from Ms Engstrom’s colleagues was an overwhelming demonstration of the impact
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A First Nations cultural hub that will promote Indigenous tourism in our region is one step closer thanks to a lease approved at today’s ordinary meeting of council. Yuwi Aboriginal Corporation’s application to lease the former tourist information centre building at 316 Nebo Road was approved, with councillors pleased to see the facility activated as a tourism asset once more. Mayor Greg Williamson said there wasn’t currently a location in the Mackay region that displayed Yuwi stories, artwork,
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This week’s Chamber of Commerce Business to Business Brews coffee catch up was held at Ninth Lane Grind. Hosted by Whitson Dawson, the growing membership of the Chamber was evident with around 100 people in attendance.
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The seaward side of the coastal track along Harbour Beach to East Point is a no-go zone for vehicles and motorbikes in a bid to protect this environmentally sensitive stretch of coastline. Mackay Regional Council last week launched a public education campaign asking users of this area to not drive on the coastal dunes or beach. The plea is to help protect sea turtles and hatchlings during the nesting season, which began this month and runs through to March, as well as shore birds, which nest alo
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The Shitbox Rally Spring Event for 2023 has screeched to a halt after a monumental trek for teams across the countryside between Port Douglas and Adelaide from 13th to 21st October. With a chance to speak to two of Mackay’s attending teams, Leketek Mackay and Not Lost – Just Looking, we discover the trials and tribulations as well as the achievements and good times that were had on the journey. Chris Leeson and Ryan Haynes from team Leketek Mackay drove a Holden Commodore Omega 2009, raising $
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Banksia Scout Amy Harlow is the first recipient in the Hibiscus Coast District to receive the Australian Scout Award (ASA), with the award also the first ASA presented in the Central Coast Region. Amy first joined as a Scout at Mackay City Central Group in April 2019, before moving to Banksia Scout Group in May 2022. It was then that she made the decision that she was determined to achieve the Australian Scout Award. Over the next nine months, Amy focused on the Outdoor Adventure Skills which co
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Mackay’s rugby league legend, with a lifetime of rich sporting history The 24th of October was the one-year anniversary of the passing of Paul Wright, a pioneering legend in the Mackay rugby league community. A week before Mr Wright passed away, he had finished writing his memoir detailing his rich background and commitments with the local rugby league community. Paul Wright had his first open heart surgery in 2007 and was told by his son, Dane: “Dad, I don’t know that much about you.” Th
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The National Farmers' Federation, in collaboration with CANEGROWERS, is urging the Federal Government to halt free trade negotiations with the European Union, emphasising the importance of avoiding unfavourable deals that could adversely impact Australian farmers. Federal Trade Minister Don Farrell will meet with his EU counterpart in Japan later this week, to discuss and possibly even agree to a free trade deal. However, there appears to be little of value to agriculture on the table, with
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Following up from State Emergency Service – Mackay Regional Unit’s informative video, read ahead for some handy tips in preparing your yard against potential damages when strong wind gusts blow through your property. Things you may need: - Star pickets or solid stakes - Ropes/Straps - Garden shed or storage area Tie down and secure bulky items such as trampolines, patio furniture, barbeques and washing lines. Store smaller items in areas such as a garden shed, carport or other suitable storage
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The Australian Government has developed a national approach to information and warnings for hazards like bushfire, flood, storm, cyclone, extreme heat and severe weather. The Australian Warning System (AWS) means the way the incidents are displayed during a possible or active emergency situation has changed. The AWS provides consistent warnings, with the same alert levels across all natural disasters, so people know what to do when they see a warning level. A warning provides point-in-time infor
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With hot and dry weather conditions headed our way, a total fire ban has been established in the Mackay region. Queensland have been recently inundated with rural bushfires, with another occurring on our doorstep. Sharon Black, a landowner on Rutlands Road in Kuttabul, has had over ninety percent of her property burnt by what she said started as a small backyard fire four properties away. With a permit for Hazard and Debris Removal the week before the incident, Ms Black completed a successful
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The Aquaculture and Agriculture Tech Skills Hub was switched live last week, with a focus on stimulating and supporting our local agricultural industry sector now, and into the future. The virtual portal is intended for agricultural technology developers and users to access learning products to advance agricultural technology skills. The Hub is jointly funded by the Australian Government (under the Regional Recovery Partnerships), Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) and Regional Development Aust
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Emergency response capabilities were put to the test as eight highly-skilled mines rescue teams proved their mettle in a national competition at Moranbah North Mine last month. Anglo American teams from Grosvenor and Moranbah North mines won first and second place respectively at the 59th annual Australian Underground Coal Mines Rescue competition after a gruelling day. South 32’s Dendrobium Blue from Wollongong NSW came in third. The day’s format included underground and surface simulation
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OPINION PIECE At the time of writing, it’s Halloween and it’s a hot day, so any choccy’s are going to melt fast. Anyway, there are more Halloween Houses around than ever, decorations on the trees and letter boxes out the front of houses; I think it looks great. At schools, there’ll be excited kids everywhere who are going out trick or treating. They’ll eat too many lollies and when Mum and Dad tell them later to go to bed, they’ll be on such a sugar high they won’t fall asleep until December.
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The Mackay Sugar City Rock and Rollers Club members and participants recently had a Saturday night out to remember, with the old Glenella Dance Hall giving a blast from the past, with dancing and fun surrounded by amazing vintage decor of yesteryear. The Club offers classes every Wednesday night at 7pm in the Senior Citizens Hall on Macalister Street, with the first night free! Club members are looking forward to the Christmas dance on 9th December, with tickets to be pre-purchased by 17th
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OPINION PIECE I wrote a column last week about now being a great time to sell and since reading that, people have asked me what time frames are best for sellers who can’t be on the market right now but do want to sell soon. As a seller, it is important to be conscious of what is in a buyer’s head to ensure you are maximizing any leverage you might have. If you are on the market now you have the opportunity to go under contract and, with a 35-day settlement period, hand over the keys before Chr
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A fun family afternoon has been prepared as Crediton Provisional School and Crediton Hall Recreation Club celebrates an amazing milestone of 80 years in operation. The event is on 18th November, starting at 12pm and running until late. CHRC is providing a delicious spread of roast beef or pulled pork and gravy rolls, a celebration cake for dessert, as well as a tea and coffee station. Attendees are encouraged to bring a plate of nibblies to share, and are reminded that the event is BYO for drink
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OPINION PIECE Thirty years ago, I had a young officer in the Airforce who was both loved and respected by all of us under his command. He rode his motorbike with us “enlisted” airmen on the weekends. He called us by our nicknames, and we called him by his. But on base he called us by our last names, and we called him “Sir”. If we did something unsafe or were late for work more than once, he would give us a fair dinkum warning or we would be charged. We didn’t want to let him down because we k
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Mackay Choral Society is proud to present its newest production, A Glorious Christmas taking place 11th and 12th November at 3pm. The two concerts will comprise of choruses from Handel's Messiah and traditional Christmas Carols, conducted by Kevin Field, a world class conductor currently based at the Bentley Music Academy, Malaysia. The Society will also bring two professional soloists, Jo Burton and Paul McMahon, to perform beside their own renowned soprano, Nicole Thomson. The two concer
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Carmen Bennett is a teacher with twenty-five years of experience as an educator, with a focus to empower others to learn, develop and succeed through her MindSpace Learning classes. Ms Bennett accepts students of all ages, although is currently offering a free 6 week Mindfulness Program through Term Four, targeted at teens aged 13 to 16 years old with many activities on offer: Week 1 - Mindfulness for stress and sleep - Breathing, meditation, create an essential oil roller Week 2 - Mindful mov
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Friday 3 November Public Art Walk First Friday of every month from 4:30pm This city art walk begins at Artspace Mackay and takes you through the city centre. Along the way, participants will learn about Mackay’s iconic public art installations and the local, and internationally-acclaimed artists who created them. | Free entry for all ages. Artspace Mackay Friday Night Live Music Every Friday from 5pm Join us on Friday’s from 5pm for live music from our local favourites, good food and great co
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Melbourne Cup falls on Tuesday, 7th November. With a range of events planned around the city, you can enjoy a delicious meal, live music and entertainment all while supporting your favourite local establishments. All venues are offering a chance to watch the Melbourne Cup 2023 on the big screen, some with on-site TAB facilities. Don’t miss out on a day of sheer elegance and excitement – with the race that stops the nation! Souths Leagues Club From 10am. The Milton Room Luncheon - $15 per perso
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Bush Heli Services Bush Heli Services took home the silver for the ‘Tour and Transport Operators’ category in the Mackay Isaac Regional Tourism Awards for 2023. Bush Heli Services was established in Clermont back in 2011 by Jamie and Mardi Bush. With Jamie as the sole pilot operator, the main aim for the duo has been to provide quality aerial work services in the safest, most efficient manner to the agricultural, mining and charter-flight industries. The business started by offering an aerial
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The Hunter Valley couple whose wedding day turned to tragedy when 10 of their wedding guests were killed in a devastating bus crash have just returned from a quiet, belated honeymoon in the Whitsundays, thanks to a kind community member and several local businesses.Maddy and Mitchell Gaffney spent the last six months grieving the loss of their loved ones, attending funerals and processing everything that happened on that fateful day. Wishing to help ease the pain, a local lady took it upon herse
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Hi all! Rach has given me the absolute pleasure of writing this week’s Editor’s Note, so here we are.This week has been a bit of a whirlwind, so I thought I’d share it with you.
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