Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Annual River 2 Reef Ride Sets A New Pace By Amanda Wright Mackay's annual BMA River 2 Reef Ride, now in its impressive 11th year, recently transformed the region into a hub of cycling excitement. Taking place on the weekend of October 7th and 8th, this event saw hundreds of cycling aficionados converge at the stunning Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens for a two-day cycling extravaganza. Known for more than just its thrilling rides, the River 2 Reef Ride has earned its reputation as a charitable po
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RACQ CQ Rescue has this afternoon winched a medical team down onto rocks in a clearing in thick rainforest at Finch Hatton Gorge to treat a seriously injured walker. The Mackay-based helicopter was tasked by Queensland Health just after midday after a 000 call alerted authorities that a man had fallen on a walking track at the popular tourist spot in the Pioneer Valley and suffered serious leg injuries. The RACQ CQ Rescue crew used co-ordinates provided by fellow walkers to fly directly to t
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New Principal of Mackay Christian College, Bevan Little, has penned an open letter to the community regarding his recent appointment. Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students, Friends, and Associates of Mackay Christian College, What an honour and privilege to be appointed Principal of Mackay Christian College (MCC). I want to express my heartfelt thanks to those who reached out by text, email, and Facebook to offer kind words of support and encouragement to me and my family as we begin a new
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In recent weeks, parcels have mistakenly ended up at the wrong addresses, prompting the local community to unite in an effort to return these items. Among these incidents, Anneliese experienced a delivery mishap when her parcel, intended for Moranbah, was mistakenly delivered to Slade Point without a signature. The confusion stemmed from Australia Post, as both Mackay and Moranbah have many identical street names. Local commenters on Facebook community pages took action to identify the parcel's
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Feeling lucky this week? Well, your stroke of good fortune might be a mere mouse click away. No need to buy a lottery ticket or scour the ground for lost change. Just head over to the Public Trustee website, type in your name, and see if serendipity has your back. Now, I know what you're thinking – "Unclaimed money? That's only for folks tangled up in grand estates and long-lost relatives, right?" Wrong! You see, there's a treasure trove of unclaimed cash from all corners – electricity companie
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Last weekend, a group of resilient ultra-athletes embarked on a remarkable journey, conquering 250 kilometres of rugged terrain in the annual 'Trail To Triumph: Tony's Journey' event. This inspiring endeavour pays tribute to the late Tony Britton, a beloved figure in the community and a passionate advocate for youth development. Tony Britton, who was named Citizen of the Year in 2014, dedicated over four decades to mentoring young individuals and fostering community bonds. His life was tragicall
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By Amanda Wright A woman has been charged with murder following the death of a woman in Glenella on Thursday, 5th October. Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) was called for assistance to a Burge Court property in Glenella at approximately 10:45am. Detective Inspector (DI) Novosel said QAS responded in response to the call saying an elderly woman had had a fall. “On attendance of that address they identified that the injuries they observed on the deceased person were not consistent with that of a
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The Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology held their 2023 ASHA Conference at Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre from 19th to 23rd September, with a theme of ‘The past in the present for historical archaeology.’ The 2022 ASHA Conference was held in New Zealand. This year, Mackay had the privilege of hosting the event. The conference drew in a large crowd of fascinated community members, encouraging reflection on the complex dynamic between the information about our past and how i
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A thrilling adventure awaited 15 Cub Scouts, 1 Venturer Scout, and 7 adults, including leaders and helpers from Hibiscus Coast District, as they embarked on the 7th Queensland Cuboree from September 17th to 22nd, 2023. Originating from Banksia, Mackay City Central, Sarina, and Proserpine Cub Scout Sections, this ultimate holiday was filled with camaraderie and unforgettable experiences. The biennial Cuboree, held at Maryborough Showgrounds, brought together around 1000 attendees, comprising appr
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Storm and cyclone season in Queensland runs from October to the end of April. During this time, flooding is more likely to impact the state. Sandbagging is a helpful solution to divert water away from your property and preventing floodwater damage. The State Emergency Service Mackay Regional Unit operates two sandbagging machines. One electric machine at their headquarters and a mobile, trailer-mounted machine that is transported around the local region. You can buy sandbags from local hardware
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Meet The New Mackay Hospital And Health Services Board The new Mackay Hospital and Health Board came together on Thursday, 5th October to introduce themselves to health service personnel, appointed to set the strategic direction and oversee the management of Mackay Hospital and Health Service. The event was kickstarted with a Welcome to Country and traditional smoking ceremony conducted by Elder Uncle Phillip Kemp, to the sound of the didgeridoo, played by Toasie Cora. Alongside this was a perf
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GetReady Queensland has partnered with Mackay Regional Council, calling on local residents to stock up their emergency kits and get their emergency evacuation plans in place, before a natural disaster strikes. Know when to go Keep track of emergency warnings - Tune in to the official emergency broadcaster ABC Tropical North 101.1FM, or opt in for notifications from the Mackay Emergency Dashboard. Know where to go Identify which family, friends, or commercial accommodation you would go to. Make
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Women dressed in their most vibrant pink outfits gathered at an exclusive event over the weekend to show their support for breast cancer awareness and fundraising. Usually held on the 28th October is Pink Ribbon Day, an annual event hosted to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This past Sunday, October 8th, a group of thirty-five local women eagerly joined the nationwide event ahead of schedule, uniting in their finest pink attire to rally behind the cause. The event consist
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Teams will be revving up for the Spring Shitbox Rally, held from 13th to 21st October 2023. They will be piloting beat-up cars valued under $1500, zooming from Port Douglas to Adelaide over rugged roads for a charitable cause. This event is considered to be representative of the ‘bumpy ride’ that people diagnosed with cancer might be experiencing, like needing a few adjustments along the way, having faith that you'll make it to the other side and having people along the journey to pick you up wh
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Queensland is taking a major stride towards training and re-skilling its future workforce for the renewable energy sector with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Queensland Hydro and the Mackay-based Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE). This collaboration aims to address the future skills training needs of the resources sector and support Queensland's transition to renewable energy systems. Queensland Hydro, a publicly owned entity established by the Queensland Governme
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Raising Awareness For Childhood Heart Disease Two Feet & A Heartbeat returns strong again in 2023, an annual four-kilometre walk organised by HeartKids to commemorate the four lives lost to congenital heart disease (CHD) in Australia each week. This event will take place on 15th October, with the tribute not only to raise awareness, but to bring together families to celebrate the lives of heart kids while remembering children who have tragically lost their fight against CHD. HeartKids is a natio
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This October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with Mackay Hospital and Health Service encouraging eligible women to be breast-aware and take advantage of the free BreastScreen Queensland Program. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in female patients, with around one-in-seven women diagnosed in their lifetime. The best way to detect early signs of breast cancer is to have a routine breast screening conducted, which allows treatment to be more effective. Women aged 50-74 are en
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Sarina’s tight-knit community is a result of committed and passionate locals, focused on the progression of our region and the people who call it home. Mary-Therese Watson is the embodiment of this passion, uplifting and supporting the community through her role as President of the Queensland Country Women’s Association’s (QCWA) Sarina Branch. Mary-Therese leads the charge when it comes to empowering and inspiring women through friendship, education, connection, and advocacy – a vision that Rut
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Congratulations to Year 8 student from Sarina State High School, Matilda Davies, who competed in the Junior Women’s National Inline Hockey Competition. Her team placed second in the event, held in Browns Plains over the school holidays. Such an incredible accomplishment, great work Matilda.
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Koumala State School (SS) has celebrated a century of shaping generations of student’s education and the local community this year. To commemorate this special occasion, the Koumala SS Parents & Citizens Association (P & C) held a centenary event last month, where past students, teachers, staff, and the local community were invited to reminisce and celebrate. The celebration included activities such as planting a centenary tree, laying a new time capsule, live entertainment, student performance
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To celebrate Mental Health Week and to promote positive mindfulness, students at Sarina State High School spent their lunch break building terrariums to take home and care for. An excellent initiative to encourage self-care and support Mental Health Week awareness.
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Sarina Bowls club hosted a two-day Springtime Carnival event in sunshine and rain over the long weekend. With 24 teams participating and some coming from as far as Townsville and Gladstone, there was certainly some great bowls played. It was a very close finish with the top 6 teams all finishing on 12 points and only a 10 ends difference between the winners and 6th place. Laughter and a bit of background music and great competition always keeps a team in good spirits. Contributed by Rita Hughe
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A mobile health unit with specialised medical equipment is coming to Mackay and Proserpine next month, offering free lung checks to former and retired Queensland mine and quarry workers. The mobile health unit, known as HEART5, features state-of-the-art medical equipment to provide the required screening examinations. That includes a lung function test and chest X-ray, and follow-up tests needed to investigate possible abnormalities, such as high-resolution CT scans, if required. HEART5 is oper
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay The harvest season brings with it certain risks, not just for farming and harvest crews, but also at times for the community. In recent weeks, and across the state, we have seen a variety of accidents, on farms, on roads and on the cane rail network. It is always saddening to see people hurt in the course of their work, or in the course of just getting about their daily business. October is Safe Work month, so it is timely to think about the highly va
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On World Mental Health Day, Beyond Blue is sharing mental health coaching tips to help people navigate everyday life stresses. NewAccess Mental Health Coach Gemma Danahay supports people using a low intensity CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) coaching program, developed by Beyond Blue. “More and more people are coming to me due to financial stress, as cost of living pressures escalate. The other main issues are relationship problems, work stresses, and grief and loss and sudden life changes,” Ms
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