Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Talented Mackay dancers Ruby Meares and Eva Bishop experienced a huge thrill recently when they participated in specialised classes at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and Queensland Ballet Academy in Brisbane.
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For the past two years, Naomi Tickle has been leading workshops on smart eating and healthy cooking, and in 2020 she became a Country Kitchens program facilitator. This year, Naomi is one of three program facilitators to receive the Facilitator of the Year award, given to individuals who have completed outstanding contributions to the Country Kitchens program. Country Kitchen is a partnership between the Queensland Country Women’s Association and Health and Wellbeing Queensland, supporting Quee
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Locals will not be able to access Bluewater Lagoon this coming winter, with plans to repair the lining confirmed. Mackay Regional Council has announced the schedule for the refurbishment of Bluewater Lagoon, with the tender awarded to Aquatic Project Solutions. This project with encompass two winter periods, 2023 and 2024, with the 2023 winter seeing the repair of the children’s pool.
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For 25 years, Crossroad Arts has been developing the sphere of celebrating communities, have embraced equity, diversity, and confidence, through collaborative arts. And, for 2023, the Annual Giving Program has taken a turn, with ReNew Mackay vowing to match donations, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000, until June 30. “Supporting things in Mackay, from a financial point of view, is easy,” ReNew Mackay Director, Craig Percival, said.
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Since its inception in 2018, the Mackay region has returned over 174 million containers using the Containers for Change program, and now Sarina is seeing the opening of a brand-new depot in the community. With over six billion containers returned through the Queensland program across the state, this new depot opens opportunities for locals to recycle their drink containers and earn some extra money at the same time.
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Often associated with big cowboy hats, shiny belt buckles, noisy boots and country music, line dancing has seen a resurgence around Mackay and Deb Wookey is one person bringing it to the fore. Teaching around 10 classes a week across Mackay, Sarina and Walkerston, Deb has had to expand her schedule to accommodate for the growing demand. She’s been teaching line dancing in Mackay for just over a year, with Mackay Line Dancers celebrating their first birthday earlier in 2023.
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The township of Walkerston - with a population of 3615, 50% male, 50% female; according to 2021 census - is named for John Walker who was a plantation manager in the Walkerston/Homebush area. Walkerston - affectionately known as ’Scrubby’, from the then scrubby terrain of the creek banks - is situated approximately 10 kilometres west of Mackay (Central Queensland, Australia).
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Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox is calling the Federal Government’s safeguard mechanism a “Carbon Tax 2.0,” claiming it will impact the livelihoods of the region’s resource workers, especially farmers. The safeguard mechanism reforms – which passed both houses on March 30 this year – requires large-scale industrial emitters to reduce their carbon emissions intensity by 4.9 per cent per annum, to achieve a 205-million tonne greenhouse gas reduction by 2030.
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A global trend of “capital to regional” migration during the pandemic has continued in Australia as new figures show city dwellers moving countryside – could this be a boost for Mackay’s aging agricultural industry? This quarter’s Regional Movers Index reported migration from major cities to regional centres remained higher than pre-COVID levels and had even increased from the height of the pandemic by 16 per cent.
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If you’ve tried home brew before you may have some horrible memories, and for good reason. Maybe it’s my mid-life crises. I recall my dad home brewing in Adelaide as a youngster. While not being able to taste it because of my age, I was part of the clean-up of exploding bottles in the shed, and at the time I had no idea why. What beer is actually made from is extremely simple, but I’d love to go back a few thousand years and see how a civilization worked out how to make the stuff. Was it luck
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At first glance I am a boring creature of habit who has a predictable life with very little variation in what I do, where I go, who I see and the businesses I use. That may still be true after the second glance. And the third. I prefer to think that I am loyal. But it’s not blind loyalty, rather it’s loyalty that has been earned and deserved.
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Platypus Beach, the Pioneer Valley Rail Trails and the Finch Hatton Mountain bike trail town are the ideas of three separate locals that found a councillor to champion their idea and present the idea to council for consideration.
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Individuals working within the agricultural industry will soon have the opportunity to up-skill their ag-tech knowledge thanks to a new pilot scheme. Expressions of interest are currently open to participate in The AgTech Skills Hub Pilot Program which has been under development since early 2022.
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Established in the local community for over 18 years and with over 40 years of combined industry experience, you can count on Roy Powell Security to find the best security solution for you. Roy Powell Security provides advice, installation, and maintenance services for every aspect of security from your home, business and even vehicle.
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As the lush tropical region of North Queensland continues to attract an influx of plant lovers, it’s important to acknowledge the unique challenges and considerations that come with pot and plant care in our area.
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Pesto is a classic Italian sauce made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Making pesto at home is easy, and using basil from your garden can make it even more enjoyable. Here's how you can make pesto from basil in your garden.
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Did you know that council may declare a dog dangerous if it has acted in a way that caused fear to a person or another animal? Straying dogs and dog attacks are very stressful for all involved and make up the majority of reported incidents. Effective dog management is a lot easier than damage control after an incident has taken place.
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It takes something special for a music festival to last 27 years, and the organisers of Wintermoon Festival know they’re onto it. Starting in 1996 as a small event hosted by the Mackay Folk Club, the festival returns to its home in Cameron’s Pocket over the May long weekend for its 27th iteration, welcoming patrons into its unique universe of folk, country, and world music.
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A huge influx of visitors is expected to flood into Nebo, with the announcement of The Nebo Hotel Street Party, taking place the night prior to the 2023 Nebo Rodeo. A popular event in the local calendar, The Nebo Hotel Street Party has high hopes for 2023, including live music from headliners such as The Wolfe Brothers, Zac & George, Layla Gossage, and LG & Biig Sxxc.
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Early bird tickets will soon be on sale for Kucom Theatre’s July production, Perfect Wedding. The tickets, available between Monday, April 24 and Sunday, April 30, are available at half the cost of general sale tickets.
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Company of Women Friday, 11.30am – 3.00pm Join the Kickass Women in their bimonthly lunch, encouraging, networking, and supporting the women of Mackay. This lunch’s theme is Women’s Safety and includes three guest speakers, a two-course meal, and a drink on arrival. Tickets are $89.95, and all are welcome. Rare Bar and Grill, Mackay
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A beloved family story re-imagined with original music and exciting antics is coming to the Mackay Entertainment Centre (MECC) in early May to entertain and inspire the Sugar City’s kids. A delightful production of The Wind in the Willows - the classic children’s novel by Kenneth Grahame - will go from page to stage in a joyous and masterful theatrical experience, brought to life by Queensland production company RAVA Productions.
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Grab your comfiest pyjamas and your girlfriends and come to the Big Girl’s Pyjama Party, this Thursday, April 27. In the Soroptimist International (SI) Mackay’s 4th annual tradition, the Big Girl’s Pyjama Party hits new highs, screening 2022 movie ‘Allelujah’ on the big screen. Booking out the Mount Pleasant cinema, SI Mackay have high hopes for the 2023 event, with all proceeds to go to Mackay outreach of the Better Together Housing project.
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You almost need a magnifying glass to read the dates on Melbourne band Kingswood’s latest tour poster, such is the enormity of the tour. Cramming 100 gigs into a seven month window, the band are celebrating the release of ‘Home’, an album packed with sultry country music-tinged riffs, with their Hometowns tour. Sam caught up with Kingswood’s guitarist Alex Laska ahead of their show in Mackay this weekend.
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Celebrating his 42nd anniversary, ARIA, Logie, and Helpmann Award winner Jonathon Welch AM retells his amazing story at the MECC this May. Best known as the creator of the multi award-winning ABC TV smash hit Choir of Hard Knocks, Jonathon Welch AM threads the amazing story of his life with beautiful music and stories.
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