Issue #

28

Proserpine Golf Report

July 7, 2023

Winner of Wednesday's stableford, with a scorching 39 pts was Tessa Aitken with Tina Badenhorst hot on her heels with 38 pts, Kath Borer also back in form on 36 pts. NTP's were won by Trish McNeill, Pam Casey, Penny Wardroper, and Elisa Nudelman.

Read more

Veterans Golf Report

July 7, 2023

What a magnificent day for our 2023 Vet’s Open with a field of 47 players. Many thanks to our generous sponsors: Fishi who sponsored all major the prizes and Fresh Fields who supplied the Overall Champions' prizes.

Read more

Whitsunday Golf Report

July 7, 2023

Our weekly stableford 9-hole competition saw Tyson Flavel in first place with 20 pts, second Justin Butler with a 10 pt win and third Dee Norman with 5 pts.Fridays 9-hole s/ford prawn run was won by Craig Kennedy with 25 pts, second David Wallace 24 pts and third Glenn Rees with 18 pts, great job gentlemen.Sundays 18-hole s/ford saw first place awarded to Tyson Flavel with a beautiful 40 pts, second on 36 pts Marc Belke and third place saw David Wallace with a 35 c/b.This Sunday 9th July with be

Read more

Cannons Go the Distance

July 7, 2023

This week, Cannonvale swimmers were given the opportunity to participate in a distance swim challenge. Swimmers in the challenge had to try and swim a target distance.

Read more

CAPITAL BUDGET INVESTS HEAVILY IN DRAINAGE AND REGIONAL WATER QUALITY

June 29, 2023

Council is investing $128 million into its capital assets as part of the 2023-2024 capital budget, with a strong focus on roads, drainage and improving drinking water quality in regional areas. That figure will include $58 million on renewing existing assets, $20 million on upgrades and $50 million on new assets. Mayor Greg Williamson said council managed a diverse range of infrastructure assets valued at $3.7 billion and was responsible for the construction, upgrade and renewal of these assets.

Read more

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

June 29, 2023

REVEALING COUNCIL’S BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY

Read more

Rock N Roll

June 29, 2023

Takes Over Be Social Fest It’s one of the biggest days on Mackay’s social calendar and Be Social Fest returned with a bang on the weekend. Music fans from far and wide descended onto Harrup Park as the sun shone on a perfect north Queensland winter’s day. Local rockers The Wild Sky kicked off an epic day of world class live music, headlined by 360, Mallrat and San Cisco with Australian legends Grinspoon bringing the day to close. Rides, activities, food and drinks kept punters entertained throug

Read more

From Parking Hell to Health Haven

June 29, 2023

Mackay Base Hospital's Future Funding Relief By Amanda Wright Navigating the labyrinthine car parks of Mackay Base Hospital has been a nightmarish ordeal for patients, visitors, and staff alike. But the days of this hellish game of hunting are now numbered, with the State Government announcing last week that its vision for a revitalised health haven for Mackay has been backed by more than $600M from its budget announcements, which includes plans for a multi-storey car parking building. The draw

Read more

Councillor Donates Beast To Chances Op Shop

June 29, 2023

Chances Op Shop have turned to Facebook to thank some recent donors, including Councillor Martin Bella who orchestrated the donation of a whole beast. “Cr. Marty Bella came to us a few weeks ago with an idea,” the Facebook post read. “He wanted to purchase a beast for us through generous donations from people he knew, most of whom were farmers or in the agriculture industry.” “We are so grateful to all of the people involved in making this possible. “Meat is one of our largest costs and this d

Read more

Family Finds Solace And Support In Ronald McDonald Family Room

June 29, 2023

When Tanell Thomsett noticed her nine-year-old daughter, Millie, was feeling unwell one Friday night, she initially thought it was just a common virus. However, by Sunday, it became clear that Millie's condition was more serious. She was quickly rushed to Mackay Base Hospital via ambulance for urgent medical attention. “Being a typical mum of three children I just thought she had a tummy bug or something,” Ms Thomsett said. “We had gone out of town for the weekend, but once we got back to Mackay

Read more

Mackay’s Biggest Afternoon Tea

June 29, 2023

By Sam Gillespie For one afternoon a year, Therese Russell and her sister Grace invite friends and supporters to the riverbanks of Dumbleton for their annual afternoon tea and cent sale. It’s an opportunity for friends to get together for a wholesome afternoon in the outdoors while raising much needed funds for cancer research and treatment. The sisters have been hosting the event for 21 years and Therese estimated over $30,000 has been raised in that time. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve been d

Read more

From Rugby League Legend And Chicken Franchisee To Mayoral Candidate

June 29, 2023

The Post-Footy Journey Of Steve Jackson By Sam Gillespie He’s known for scoring one of the most famous grand final tries in rugby league history and after almost three decades of owning Lenard’s franchise's post-footy career, Steve Jackson has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Mackay. Jackson was born in Mackay in 1965, growing up in a sporty family where weekends were spent playing rugby league, soccer, basketball and Australian rules, before he made the decision to pursue rugby league at th

Read more

JAZZ, HIGH TEA, SWORDS AND SPANDEX Festival Of Arts Kicks Off This Week

June 29, 2023

The Mackay Festival of Arts has begun and the first week will be packed with the soulful Jazz Brunch, awe-inspiring circus Le Coup, the hilarious High Tea with Booff and plenty more. The first official festival event will transform the MECC into a high-energy spandex romp on Saturday, July 1. Werk It by Circus Trick Tease is an adults-only circus event that is known for its sass, swagger, colour and acrobatic feats. The Friends of the MECC Jazz Brunch, on Sunday, July 2, is a much more rel

Read more

Rain Didn’t Dampen STEM Spirit

June 29, 2023

Inclement weather wasn’t going to get in the way of a successful Whitsunday STEM Challenge held in Mackay recently. Seventeen teams had travelled from Goondiwindi, Bundaberg, Emerald, Sarina, Calen and Townsville to participate in the annual Pedal Prix race, which was called off on day two due to bad weather. CQUniversity campus coordinator and secretary for Whitsunday STEM Challenge, Leanne Williams said 10 hours of racing at the Mackay Kart Track had been completed before the race had to be ca

Read more

“IT’S NOT OUR MONEY, IT’S THE PEOPLE’S MONEY”

June 29, 2023

By Amanda Wright State Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick visited Mackay last week, to break down where an infrastructure spend of $623.4 million for the Mackay-Whitsunday region would happen, on top of the 2023-24 State Budget $613.1 million for the Mackay Hospital and Health Service. After announcing the $75M provision in the budget to cover Mackay Base Hospital’s multi-level car parking building (as covered on page three), Treasurer Dick also visited the Resources Ce

Read more

Australia’s Hottest Burger

June 29, 2023

Heats Up Mackay If you think you can handle your spice, Burger Urge is inviting you to put it to the test. The gourmet burger chain launched the new Nashville Death Wish burger across its Mackay stores last month, featuring the sweat-inducing, tear-generating Aged Moruga Scorpion chilli which is considered one of the hottest chilies in the world, with a heat of 2 million Scoville heat units. The hot new burger boasts a southern twist with hot fried chicken breast, jalapenos, pickles and crunchy

Read more

Arrest Made In Alleged Robbery Of Two Boys At Camping Site

June 29, 2023

A significant breakthrough has been made in the investigation into an alleged robbery incident that occurred on Parkland near Barnes Creek Road, just outside of Mackay, during the early morning hours of June 25. Two 14-year-old boys, who were camping at the site, were victims of the disturbing incident. Mackay police reported that the boys were abruptly awakened from their sleep inside a tent by two men who were banging on the tent. Allegedly, one of the men threatened the boys with a knife, whi

Read more

FORESHORE PLANTS KILLED IN SERIAL ACT OF VANDALISM

June 29, 2023

By Amanda Wright For the sixth time in the past five years, foreshore plants at MacCarthy Street, Hay Point have been killed by what Mackay Regional Council has labelled as a “selfish act of vegetation vandalism”. This time, 10 plants, ranging from previously replanted vegetation to mature she-oaks, have been killed, with the council saying there is clear evidence that granular herbicide was used. Vegetation vandalism has occurred at this site in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022. This is the sixt

Read more

City Centre To Come Alive With Light

June 29, 2023

The streets of Mackay are set to become a magical, fairy light-filled wonderland. FireFly Lighting, on behalf of council, will be installing fairy lights in the centre median gardens along Wood and Victoria streets over the next few weeks. 15 palm trees and three street trees will be illuminated as part of the project, said Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson. “We have received a number of requests from local businesses to increase the number of illuminated trees in the City Centre,” M

Read more

Early Detection Matters

June 29, 2023

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

Read more

Riding The Purple Wave

June 29, 2023

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

Read more

COUNCIL APPROVES RATES RISE IN FINELY TUNED BUDGET

June 29, 2023

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

Read more

Council Balances Ambitious Projects With Long-Term Financial Sustainability

June 29, 2023

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

Read more

ORGANISATIONAL REALIGNMENT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE

June 29, 2023

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

Read more

Mackay Regional Council Unveils $420 Million Budget

June 29, 2023

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

Read more