Issue #

Arrest Unravels Weapons Heists

Police have charged a man after he was allegedly found with stolen weapons in Mackay last week.It will be alleged between June 20 and 22 a Sarina house was broken into and three guns removed from a gun safe that was secured inside the house.

From Doubt To Daring

Stage two of the Women in Leadership Thriive program by Regional Development Australia Greater Whitsundays (RDA GW) is now in full swing. Spearheaded by RDA GW Project Manager, Nic Willis, the program aims to tackle the under-representation of women in leadership roles within regional areas. Through a range of workshops, masterclasses, mentorships from local and regional leaders, and valuable industry networking opportunities, the program strives to empower and uplift aspiring women leaders.

Building Futures Together

Fuelling local ambition and empowering educational dreams, Community Bank Sarina Bendigo Bank took centre stage as they awarded scholarships to three outstanding CQUniversity students at the Ooralea campus presentation this week.

Highway Havoc: Motorcycle Clash Sends Two Riders Hospital-Bound

A female motorcyclist was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a serious condition after a crash at Chelona last week.Mackay Police reported that preliminary inquiries indicate two motorcyclists were headed northbound on the Bruce Highway around 3.10pm. They overtook a number of vehicles and as they returned to the lane, collided with each other causing both riders to lose control.

Vietnam Veterans Vigil Honours Local Soldiers

Services of Remembrance will be held at every grave or commemorative plaque site across Australia on August 3 to mark 50 years since the withdrawal of Australian combat troops from the Vietnam conflict.

Greener Pastures Ahead For Cattle Industry

In an ambitious effort to tackle key challenges facing beef productivity in northern Australia, the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) has joined forces with MLA in a groundbreaking $24.4 million partnership. The collaboration aims to combat three critical threats: pasture dieback, land condition decline, and pasture rundown.

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

To bolster growers' efforts against fall armyworm, a nationwide coordinated program has been launched to curb the pest's population and minimise its impact.Led by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and delivered with co-investment from Hort Innovation, the $2.1 million initiative will arm vegetable growers with the tools and knowledge they need to wage war on the ravenous pest.

SWEET SUCCESS

July is filled with nostalgia for three Mackay Sugar employees who are this month celebrating 50 years since they started with the company. Commencing employment in 1973, the three men – Allan, David and Rodney – join fellow employee Phillip, who started at Mackay Sugar in 1971, in achieving the remarkable milestone.

Joey Scout Awarded Highest Honour

Mackay City Central Joey Scout Harrison Doyle was recently presented with the highest award for the Joey Scout Section, the Joey Scout Challenge Award, at an All Section Camp on a property at Gargett.

Pierce Brothers Find Calm ‘In The Water’

Jack and Patrick are the Pierce Brothers, an indie-folk duo known for their high energy live performance and their ability to create authentic, heartfelt music that speaks to the soul. The Melbourne boys recently unveiled their latest single, ‘In The Water’, a soulful and uplifting track that highlights the band's unique sound and musical style. Pierce Brothers will be headlining the Seabreeze Hotel in August to celebrate, so Sam had a chat with Jack ahead of the show.

Real People Taking Real Action

Greater Whitsunday Communities (GWC) and Regional Development Australia Greater Whitsunday (RDA) have partnered and initiated the housing project to identify collaboratively a solution to the housing stress being felt across the Greater Whitsunday region.

Property Point

I overheard a real estate agent the other day saying that write-ups are a “thing of the past”.In the modern world we live in it is true that previously important and highly valued features of life are indeed things of the past. The horse and buggy is, largely, a “thing of the past”. As much as I like the monochrome image, it is undoubtedly true that black and white televisions are a thing of the past.

Feeling Sniffly?

We’ve officially hit cold and flu season! Literally every time we get a change of season or an out-of-the-norm week of weather, I’m someone who starts getting sick instantly. I swear by the cold and flu liquid by Sambucol. It’s not only delicious but, nine times out of ten I’ll wake up the next day feeling, if not entirely better, 90 per cent better. I promise this is not sponsored (but I’ll take it if they want to partner – HEY SAMBUCOL MARKETING TEAM!) so I thought we could take a look at a co

Event Guide

Judging To Commence For Art On Show

The Woollam Art on Show Awards is celebrating 17 years of art excellence in 2023, with the prestigious exhibition and arts event right around the corner.Taking public and community art to a higher level of professionalism, the Mackay Show Association continues to seek a very significant level of participation from artists locally, interstate, and nation-wide, providing a high standard of presentation, playing an integral part in Mackay’s cultural future as a high-profile arts event, and promotin

Fellowship Day 2023

The Australian Church Women will celebrate our annual Fellowship Day Service on Friday 28th July at 10am at the Iona West Uniting Church Brook Street, Mackay. The theme is Renewal through Trust: Growing in God’s Ways.

Cabin Crew, Prepare For Landing

For the third consecutive year, the Dinner on the Runway by Ibis Mackay in support of Mackay Hospital Foundation will take place at Mackay Airport on Friday 8th September. The event is unique in that it takes place on the tarmac adjacent to the ‘old terminal’ on Casey Avenue. Guests will dine under the stars while scheduled jets take-off and land only metres away.

Director Discussion A Film Festival First

Queensland-based filmmaker Ivan Sen is one of Australia’s leading First Nations directors, as well as a screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, composer, and sound designer, and to celebrate the release of his newest film, he will be visiting the region in a first for the Mackay International Film Festival.

Domestic Cricket Returns To Mackay

The summer schedule at Great Barrier Reef is filling up with Queensland Cricket confirming three matches will be staged in Mackay in the 2023-24 season.The recently upgraded venue will host the WBBL Brisbane Heat in the Weber Women’s Big Bash League for the sixth time while the Queensland Bulls return to the region for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

From Mackay To Maroons: Emily Bella's NRLW Dreams Begin To Soar

Queensland Rugby League’s girl of the moment Emily Bella is still the same athlete from Mackay with dreams of playing in the NRLW series.The talented playmaker captured the imagination of the sporting public earlier this month when she figured prominently in the Maroons’ Under 19 Girls Origin triumph over NSW at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium.

Emma Memma Charms Little Ones During Library Visit

In an exciting event, Emma Memma, formerly known as "Emma Wiggle," made a delightful appearance at Mackay's Dudley Denny City Library during Toddler Time. The visit was part of her promotional tour ahead of the upcoming Twirly Tour scheduled for August 7 here in Mackay.

Game, Set, Match

The Mackay Tennis Association recently concluded a successful season one of tennis fixtures, showcasing increased player participation in both Division 1 and Division 2. Season one saw some excellent tennis played across the divisions, with team ‘Wanderers’ (Ranjan, Chris, Naveen, Kunal, and Hayden) emerging as Division 2 champions, narrowly defeating the ‘Invincibles’ (John, Auston, Demi, and Brian) to claim outright victory. In Division 1, team ‘Djokovic’ (Brett, Darryl, Justin, Jess, and Lexi

Honours For Superstar White As Meteors Bow Out Of NBL1 North Championship Race

Meteors superstar Isaac White has experienced a bittersweet week in the world of basketball.Just days after being named in the NBL1 All-League First Team and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award, a disappointed White could only watch in despair from the sidelines as the Meteors crashed out of the North Conference title race after a 94-72 quarter final loss to South West Metro Pirates in Brisbane.White – still recovering from a torn quad – missed the sudden-death fixture agai

Rising Stars On The Court

Mackay's Talented Trio Impresses At QISSN Carnival Netball and natural talent go hand in hand for talented Mackay prospects Shaylah Pershouse, Rebecca Symons and Jayden Samson. The emerging trio underlined their potential with top performances for St Patrick’s College at the recent CQ University Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball Championships in Brisbane. Goal shooter Symons was named St Patrick’s Most Valuable Player after helping her school finish 16th overall from 48 teams

Honours For Superstar White

As Meteors Bow Out Of NBL1 North Championship Race Meteors superstar Isaac White has experienced a bittersweet week in the world of basketball. Just days after being named in the NBL1 All-League First Team and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award, a disappointed White could only watch in despair from the sidelines as the Meteors crashed out of the North Conference title race after a 94-72 quarter final loss to South West Metro Pirates in Brisbane. White – still recovering