The Burdekin Men’s Shed Association hosted its annual Seniors Month morning tea, inviting members of the community to enjoy coffee, tea, and delicious food.

Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Lyn McLaughlin and Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox MP spoke to attendees while a slideshow displayed the history of the association.

The Burdekin Men’s Shed Association was founded in 2011, rejuvenating old scout buildings on Young Street, Ayr that had been derelict for a decade.

The men meet at the Men’s Shed every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8:30am to 11:30am, where they enjoy morning tea before dispersing amongst the five workshops onsite, where men will learn and promote new skills.

The Men’s Shed also hosts meetings every third Saturday of the month, where they invite a guest speaker to talk about men’s health, a management committee meeting once a month and a luncheon once a month.

“What we do is we address men’s health issues, loneliness, isolation, all that type of thing,” said Secretary Charles Ford.

“We all have various ailments and nearly every operation that’s going, but if a person comes down here, he forgets about what he’s got and momentarily it fades away.

“It’s a good place to be and a great reprieve for the partners and the wives when the men come down here.”

The Men’s Shed also has a mentor role in the community, where members collaborate with Burdekin PCYC, East Ayr Primary School, and Burdekin Special School to mentor young people.

“We fit into the community, we’re part of the community, they give us a lot and we give back a lot,” said Charles.

Accepting donations of old furniture, the Men’s Shed relies on the generosity of the community to keep them going.

“Without that generosity from the community, we wouldn’t be in the position we are now,” said President Rob Ritchie.

To find out more about the Burdekin Men’s Shed Association, call 0467 083 502 or email burdekinmensshed@outlook.com.

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Ken Hall, Councillor John Furnell, Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox MP, Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Lyn McLaughlin and Burdekin Men’s Shed President Rob Ritchie

Ron Coutts and Harry Simpson

Zonta Club Burdekin Secretary Inez Larson and President Judith Sgarbossa

Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

Future Upgrades Confirmed For Boat Launch

The Hinkson Esplanade boat launch on Groper Creek has been confirmed for future upgrades, with $640,000 proposed to complete the works.

Groper Creek and Hinkson Esplanade were identified for the upgrade through data released from Maritime Safety Queensland.

The data recommended construction of a two-lane ramp with a centralised queuing structure in place of the southern, downstream ramp, and a new parking area to hold 40 car-trailer spaces.

Despite Groper Creeks popularity with locals and visitors for on water activities, the upgrades are not scheduled to take place until five- or 10-years’ time.

Groper Creek Caravan Park Manager Jeanette Garvey questioned the amount of money spent on yet another survey with no mention of jetty rehabilitation and protection works.

“None of the recommendations made for the Burdekin have been implemented since the last survey of all boating facilities in Queensland was done in 2017, and the latest report even admits that only 10 per cent of the state-wide recommendations have been delivered in part or full in the 5 years since the delivery of the report,” she said.

“It’s common knowledge that the Burdekin has the most boat registrations per population base in the state and this latest report is pushing for upgraded facilities closer to where Townsville boaties launch within the Burdekin Shire. What about the locals who pay annual registration fees?

“It’s great to see Groper Creek identified for upgrades to cope with future demands but it doesn’t appear like any funding is in the pipeline for immediate upgrades and maintenance works, especially when the report states that a flood current investigation will need to be conducted to determine the viability of a floating walkway or fixed sloping walkway as a queuing structure.”

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Home Hill Boat Club members Jeanette Garvey (Park Manager), Carol and Rod Walters, Lyn Dowe (Treasurer), Wendy (Park Manager) and Dave Coplick (Vice Commodore)

Pope Francis has said, "I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and clinging to its security."

Since the commencement of the Diocesan Becoming New in Christ journey, the aim has been to prepare and move parishes to become more mission-focused.

One of the proposals was to configure the four parishes in the Burdekin region - Ayr, Giru, Home Hill, Burdekin Valley - with the recommendation to combine all parishes into one.

After summaries of all four parishioners' views, it was evident that all parishes could see sense in the proposal.

There were concerns raised, ranging from loss of community identity: anxiety caused by uncertainty: challenges for the elderly: availability and forming/skilling of willing individuals for leadership bodies and need for effective communication.

On the support side, there was a strong message about the need for renewal and the need to work together to survive. Our aim is in creating a streamlined leadership structure in terms of demand on our priests, more efficient and effective administrative/financial management with the potential to unify church communities, while maintaining community identity and involvement.

This inspiring journey with Fathers Manoj and Vitalis (along with the Bishop and Geoff Gowdie) has highlighted that the people of the Burdekin have shown wisdom, understanding and faith in all these processes. The parish received 70 nominations, either self-nominated or other. This strong support for the renewal programme has received the approval of the people of God in the Burdekin.

After many hours of consultation with parishes and their communities, recommendations were made to Bishop Tim.

The Bishop has advised of his decision that from the 1st of October, the four parishes would become one parish. He also accepted the name, Burdekin Catholic Parish, a suggestion coming from the parishes through Father Manoj Mathew CSR, The Priest Administrator.

We are now looking forward with renewed vitality, to assist in moving towards a new future in the Burdekin Catholic Parish. There will be the celebration of the new parish on Tuesday, 31st October at the Samaritan Centre at 5.30pm. All are welcome to attend. There will be a BBQ for everyone afterwards.

Contributed by Gloria Vass

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At 11.05pm on Friday 22 September, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Queens Street, Ayr. The driver, a 40yr old Tablelands man, was issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) for drink driving, .131 and unlicenced driving.  He is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 17 October.  

At 12.50am on Saturday 23 September, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Edwards Street, Ayr. The driver, a 30yr old Burdekin man, was issued a NTA driving with a relevant drug in his saliva and is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 12 December.  

At 7.35pm on Saturday 23 September, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Soper Street, Ayr. The driver, a 43yr old Burdekin man, was issued a NTA driving with a relevant drug in his saliva and is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 28 November.  

At 3.40pm on Sunday 24 September, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Burke Street, Ayr. The driver, a 60yr old Burdekin woman, was issued a NTA for drink driving, .063. She is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 31 October.  

At 2.55am on Monday 25 September, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Bower Street, Ayr. The driver, a 43yr old Townsville woman, was issued a NTA driving with a relevant drug in her saliva and possessing a drug pipe. She is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 28 November.  

At 10.55pm on Tuesday 26 September, Ayr Police were called to a disturbance at a residence in Thirteenth Avenue, Home Hill.  As a result of investigations, Ayr CIB charged a 27yr old Bowen man with one count of acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm and he will appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on 28 September.

At 10.25pm on Thursday 28 September, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Edwards Street, Ayr. The driver, an 18yr old Burdekin man, was issued a NTA for drink driving, .028. He is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 12 December.  

At 6.10pm on Friday 29 September, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Edwards Street, Ayr. The driver, a 56yr old Burdekin man, was issued a NTA driving with a relevant drug in his saliva and driving with a suspended driver’s licence. He is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 12 December.  

At 3.25pm on Wednesday 4 October, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Little Crescent, Ayr. The driver, a 44yr old Burdekin man, was issued a NTA driving with a relevant drug in his saliva and is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 19 December.  

On 5 October, Ayr CIB were conducting investigations into recent property offences when a male juvenile was located.  As a result of those investigations, he was charged with four counts of enter premises and one count each of attempted enter premises, wilful damage, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, wilful damage, and fraud. He is due to re-appear in Townsville Children’s Court on 12 October.

On 6 October, Ayr Police were conducting investigations into a complaint received earlier that week when they located a 59yr old Burdekin man. As a result, he was charged with two counts of stalking and released on conditional police bail to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 28 November.

At 10.25pm on Friday 6 October, Police from Ayr Highway Patrol intercepted a vehicle on Pelican Road, Mona Park. The driver, a 56yr old Burdekin man, was issued a NTA driving with a relevant drug in his saliva and driving on a suspended licence. He is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 14 November.    

At 10.25pm on Friday 6 October, Ayr Police intercepted a vehicle on Queen Street, Ayr.  The driver, a 21yr old Burdekin woman, was issued a NTA driving with a relevant drug in her blood and is due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on 12 December.

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A unique radio station often draws the attention of travellers making their way through the Burdekin.

It’s the sweet sounds of Sweet FM, broadcasting from the prestigious old Home Hill courthouse, a building that, similarly, will catch the eye of passersby.

Established in 1999 by the Burdekin Development Council, a sub-committee of the Burdekin Shire Council, and spearheaded by then mayor Beth Honeycombe, Sweet FM has become a trusted radio source, providing region-specific information, advertising, and news to its listeners.

An application was lodged with the Australian Communications and Media Authority for a community radio license however it was declined before the group was issued with a narrowcast license in 1999.

Originally set up in a room at the council chambers, the station soon moving into the old Home Hill Courthouse at the start of 2000 after it was decommissioned in 1990.

Today, the radio station will share information about emergencies, funeral notices after 8:00am on weekdays, as well as a non-denominational religious show from 7:30am Sunday mornings.

Due to its narrowcast license, the array of music heard on Sweet FM is also seldom heard on other stations.

Now with 15-20 volunteers, Station Manager Charlie Scuderi said the station is always looking for new presenters.

“Everyone’s a volunteer, we rely on volunteers to do the live shifts,” he said.

“For some people, it’s brought them out of their shells, for some people, it gets them out of the house, it’s given them another interest, they’ve learnt skills with computers, and they’ve learnt a lot about music.

“Some like to share their knowledge in music, for some it’s just a pure interest in music – very few are here for the glory.”

One role Mr Scuderi is particularly looking to fill is that of salesperson, as Sweet FM is funded entirely through advertising.

The radio station is celebrating 25 years next year, with celebrations planned for September 29, 2024.

For more information on the station, volunteer positions and advertising, visit admin@sweetfm.com.au.

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Sweet FM Station Manager Charlie Scuderi. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

Our region boasts a rich culture of sporting events and activities, catering to a diverse range of interests and ages. Whether it is football, swimming, netball, basketball, soccer, touch, tennis, or good run, the Burdekin really does have something for everyone.

Sports go beyond just a physical activity – they strengthen our community. They foster camaraderie, friendship, and a sense of belonging. In our local sporting clubs and events, you'll find a warm welcome and a chance to connect with your teammates, creating lasting memories and lifelong friendships.

In addition to our vibrant sporting community, the Burdekin region is a hub for sports tourism, drawing visitors through our exciting carnivals. Attractions such as the Burdekin Aquatic Centre make it an enticing prospect for families, providing a great incentive to bring the whole family along. Sporting events also support the local economy.

Our local sportspeople, from the budding talents to the seasoned champions, deserve recognition and support. The dedication they invest in honing their skills and representing our community on various platforms is inspiring and something the Burdekin should be proud of.

I encourage each and every one of you to get involved. Whether you're playing or cheering from the sidelines, your presence and enthusiasm make a difference.

I extend my gratitude to our local sports clubs, organisers, and volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to make sporting activities in the Burdekin a success. Your hard work and commitment are deeply appreciated.

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Did you know that in the last financial year, your Council convened a total of 23 Ordinary and Special Council Meetings?

Council meetings are open to the public, allowing individuals like you to observe how decisions are made and the reasoning behind them.

In this case, Burdekin Shire Council schedules these meetings on a regular basis, typically every second and fourth Tuesday of each month commencing at 9am at the Council Chambers. This regularity provides predictability councillors, staff and the public enabling them to attend if they wish.

If you're interested in understanding what's on the agenda or what decisions were made during these meetings, you can easily access the Council Agenda and Minutes which are made available on the Council's website, burdekin.qld.gov.au. The agenda outlines the topics and provides reports to be discussed, while the minutes record the decisions made at the meeting. You can find all the information by visiting Council’s website; burdekin.qld.gov.au/.

Members of the community are encouraged to stay informed and engaged with Council's activities by attending these meetings in person or utilising the online resources provided. This involvement allows for a more informed and participatory community.

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Nestled in Chippendale Street, Ayr is the Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, a space for kindness and community connection for all residents of the region.

The centre has been operational for almost 40 years, originally established by volunteers wanting a hub for activity and connection and ultimately funded through the Department of Communities.

“People generally don’t come into the Neighbourhood Centre unless they need something and it’s when they walk through the doors that they realise there’s a whole new world in here,” said Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre Co-ordinator Natalie Saroglia.

The centre focuses on providing a sense of community, social engagement, and access to services for community members.

“We sit in the community development sector where we work with people,” Ms Saroglia said.

“People are the bosses of their own lives, and we just walk alongside them wherever they want to go, whether it’s to access services or they’re lonely and just want to engage in some activities, we provide the links.”

Responding to the needs of the community, the centre provides programs including computer classes, crochet, mahjong, free community legal advice and more.

“A lot of our programming is done with volunteers, so we engage people in the community who have passions for things and are happy to share that,” Ms Saroglia said.

One of the many services found within the centre is Good Shepherd’s Financial Independence Hub, led by Financial Coach Helen Curmi, where she focuses on building financial independence after people have experienced family and domestic violence.

“Financial recovery is a strengths-based program, working with what people’s skills are, defining goals and developing those skills,” Ms Curmi said.

“It’s amazing to see how resilient people are and if you are there to give them that courage and they know you’re going to be walking the path with them, they know that they’re not alone.”

The Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre is seeking volunteers to take on a variety of positions to assist the organisation in moving forward and is holding their AGM on Wednesday, October 25.

Visit Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre on Facebook, call 07 4783 4243 or drop in to 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr for more information.

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Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre Admin Staff Sue and Marisa

Good Shepherd Financial Independence Hub Financial Coach Helen Curmi. Photos supplied

A fun-filled night of fancy dancing and fabulous costumes awaited all and sundry who came to the Clare State School Fancy Dress Ball recently.  

The theme for this year’s ball was ‘Under the Sea’ with students, staff and family members coming dressed as everything imaginable including sharks, mermaids, deep sea divers, jellyfish, turtles, flying fish and many, many more.

A backdrop depicting all of the staff and students dressed up in various aquatic attire made only part of the fabulous decorations that helped transform the undercover basketball court into an underwater wonderland.  

The students had been working all term with their teachers as well as Melissa Torrisi from Simply Dance to choreograph, practice, and perform a number of dances such as ‘The Queensland Barn Dance’, and ‘La Raspa’, which they danced with a member of their family, and their show dance to ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’.

Other crowd favourites included ‘The Macarena’, ‘The Chicken Dance’ and ‘The Nutbush’ allowing everyone to show their sensational dance moves.  

A number of games were also played throughout the night with ‘Knights, Mounts and Cavaliers’ and ‘Limbo’ proving to be very popular.

Midway through the night, the dances were paused to premiere the school’s new music video ‘Let the Cane Fires Burn’ and draw the ‘Biggest Fish on the Reef’ raffle.

“The Fancy Dress Ball is always a great night for the community, and it was made even more special this year with the premiere of the music video and Jaiden Booth’s raffle,” Clare State School Principal Troy Patti said.

“It was great to see the community get together for some fun, have a laugh and just genuinely have a great time.”

Contributed by Clare State School

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Students and staff of Clare State School dressed to impress at their recent Fancy Dress Ball. Photos supplied: Clare State School

The Millaroo State School Kindy has had a very busy Term 3.

In science, they explored sound: how it is created and how it can be changed, even creating some of their very own musical instruments.

Also in science, the class explored light, the source of light and how when light rays are disturbed, shadows are created.

The class learnt about letters and sounds in literacy, while in Maths, students focused on becoming familiar with identifying numerals.

At the start of the term, the Kindy children were learning about farming, designing and created their own farm in the dramatic play area.

Lately, students have been travelling on the train, the Millaroo Express, both to town, events and back to the Millaroo Croc Catching Train station, learning about safety protocols of staying behind the yellow line until the train comes to a complete stop and the door opens.

On September 5, the Kindy children got dressed up in their favourite book character and participated in a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party as part of our Book Week celebrations.

But the most exciting activity for the Kindy children was the planning of a picnic for the older children of the school.

They designed invitations, independently writing names on the envelopes and handing them out to everyone.

The Kindy children also organised the food, where they prepared and cooked some of it, and organising the party games.

The picnic was held on Thursday, September 14, a perfect way to finish off the term.

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It’s been a term of trains, farms, and morning teas at Millaroo Kindy. Photos supplied

The towns of the Burdekin Shire look towards Townsville for all our services. This was not always the case.  We have a new local newspaper, Burdekin Life, whose origins are from the Whitsundays.  Bowen started out as our centre back in 1861 and over the years it has continued to play a roll in our Burdekin lives.

Bowen, established in 1861, was the port of entry to North Queensland.  From Bowen, settlers and their supplies moved out into the country side.  The township of Wickham was established at the mouth of the Burdekin River for landing people and supplies along with Hamilton’s Crossing (Clare) on the Burdekin River.  The first paper that would have found its way to the Burdekin was the Port Denison’s Times whose owner and editor was Mr Raynor. Ayr, Brandon, and Clare were surveyed and established in 1882. One of the first businesses of Ayr was a store owned by Donald Miller whose headquarters were in Bowen. This building was on the corner of Queen and Young Streets today. His son Alex managed the business for a few years. Millers were in Ayr up till about 1901 when they sold out as the railway was opening up between Townsville and Ayr.  Many people settled on the new sugar-cane farms from Bowen.  

In the 1890’s another Bowenite, Mr William Henry Darwin came to work in Burdekin. He later became the owner of the Bowen Independent.  Some of his family and their descendants still live in the Burdekin today. The Cunningham Family of Strathmore in the Collinsville had a large land holding in the Ayr District from the late 1880’s until they shifted their headquarters to Strathmore in the early 1900’s. Ayr has a street named Cunningham Street near to the old Ayr Turf Racing track in South Ayr.

The Lands Department was based in Bowen until the 1890’s when it shifted to Townsville. Another interesting factor to our history and Bowen.  People born, married, and died in Home Hill were registered in Bowen up until the 1970’s. If you lived in Ayr, Townsville was the Register of Birth Deaths and Marriages.  A few years ago, we were in the Federal Electorate of Herbert based in Townsville. Today we live in the Federal Electorate of Dawson, based in Mackay. In the 1920’s some of our sugar was shipped through Bowen instead of Townsville.

Our history began from Bowen and we are still connected to Bowen.    Many Burdekinites have holiday homes in Bowen, Proserpine, and the Whitsundays.

If anyone would like to share some stories of your life and events of the Burdekin Shire in Burdekin Life, the Burdekin Life newspaper would like to hear from you.  

Contributed by Glenis Cislowski

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Grubb and Foote Shop in Queen Street, Ayr. Photo supplied

Cane farmers could dramatically reduce herbicide costs and Reef run-off thanks to an innovative new crop sprayer project led by James Cook University (JCU).

Designed in partnership with JCU researchers, agricultural technology company AutoWeed and Sugar Research Australia, the machine uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and spray weeds, such as nutgrass, in a cane paddock, delivering greater efficiency than conventional blanket spraying methods.

Lead project researcher Associate Professor Mostafa Rahimi Azghadi said the first phase of testing the machine over 30 hectares of paddocks with low to medium weed infestations in the Burdekin region had been extremely successful.

“Our method is 97 per cent as effective as blanket spraying in weed knock-down – while reducing herbicide usage by an average of 35 per cent across those 30 hectares,” he said.

“In the best cases where weed infestation has been lower, we have saved up to 65 per cent in herbicide usage.

“This is a win for the environment and a win for growers.”

A water quality assessment produced by Sugar Research Australia during testing also found that paddocks which used the AutoWeed AI sprayer reduced their chemical concentration in water run-off by an average of 46 per cent.

“That means better water quality and a healthier Reef,” Associate Prof Azghadi said.

“At the same time, because farmers can spray more efficiently through AutoWeed spot-spraying technology, they may see additional operational improvement and cost-saving, compared to blanket spraying.”

Associate Prof Azghadi said the machine had been fed thousands of paddock images with and without weeds in order to train the AI algorithm to properly identify them.

“In the field, the AI model will then see a similar image via its cameras and because it has learned what a weed looks like, it will activate the sprayer only when needed,” he said.

Phase two of prototype testing has already begun on another 45 hectares of paddocks in the Burdekin, in addition to the team collecting more weed images in the Mackay-Whitsunday and Wet Tropics regions.

The project involves JCU researchers Associate Prof Azghadi, Dr Bronson Philippa and Dr Alzayat Saleh, AutoWeed’s Dr Alex Olsen and Jake Wood, Sugar Research Australia’s Terry Granshaw and Emilie Fillols and DAF’s Caleb Connolly and Mark Poggio.

By James Cook University

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The AutoWeed AI sprayer, co-developed by JCU, in action on a farm in the Burdekin. Photo supplied

Growers will receive additional support against fall armyworm with a nationally coordinated program to reduce the pest’s population and 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.

The program will generate shared knowledge about the pest and its management through regionally based area-wide management groups, on-farm activities and workshops.

Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries senior scientist Dr Heidi Parkes said the program brings research and industry experience in fall armyworm management from across Australia and the globe to multi-industry growing regions nationally.

“Workshops and learning activities with industry will be underpinned by world-class research to ensure impacted growers are getting the most up to date information available,” she said.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said the initiative demonstrates the Queensland Government’s commitment to delivering a successful and integrated fall armyworm management strategy.

“Our growers are on the front line when it comes to managing fall armyworm, so it is important that we support them with science-based practical management tools,” he said.

“Getting the science right is vital, and it is just as important to get the right information about fall armyworm management into the hands of our farmers.

“This program will ensure they can easily access the latest industry information and resources to maximise their efforts against this pest.”

Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said that fall armyworm is here to stay.

“We are equipping the vegetable industry with what they need to reduce the pest’s impact while remaining productive and profitable,” Mr Fifield said.

“This program will accelerate our response towards the pest by rapidly bringing cutting edge science into vegetable growers management tool kits, advancing best practice management for vegetable growers and ensuring this new knowledge is communicated widely.”

To date, fall armyworm has caused significant crop losses in sweet corn, maize and sorghum. A number of other horticultural, grain and fodder crops have been impacted to a lesser degree.

Discussions are underway with grains and cotton industries to expand the program to broadacre crops grown in regions with vegetables to enhance area-wide management of this pest.

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Year 11 student Brooke Smith has two different school uniforms in her wardrobe – one for Ayr State High School and, the other, a set of hi-vis clothing and steel-cap boots for Wilmar Sugar and Renewables.

As part of an initiative to build a diverse and talented workforce, Brooke has become the company’s first school-based apprentice.

Since the start of the second semester, Brooke’s classroom every Thursday is the Pioneer Mill Centralised Workshop in the Burdekin region.

Training Superintendent Daniel Shipard said the inaugural school-based apprenticeship was another example of Wilmar’s commitment to youth training and development.

“We had a boilermaking apprenticeship still available from our 2023 recruitment drive and thought it would be good to use the position to trial a school-based apprenticeship,” he said.

“We approached Ayr State High School directly and targeted Year 11 students.”

“Candidates were put through a similar recruitment process to that undertaken by our full- time apprentices.”

Mr Shipard said Brooke’s part-time apprenticeship saw her attend Pioneer Mill one day a week and normal school for the rest of the week during school terms.

“When Brooke completes Year 12 next year, the intention is that she will roll straight into a full-time apprenticeship,” he said.

“Typically, a school-based apprenticeship equates to about six months of a full-time apprenticeship, so Brooke will have a good head start into her trade training by the time she finishes school.”

Brooke has long had aspirations of attaining a trade, with her original plan to become a fitter and turner like her dad, Chris, who is also based at Pioneer Mill.

“When the chance to do a school-based boilermaking apprenticeship came up, I thought it was a great opportunity to try something new and learn different skills,” she said.

“I’m excited to be part of the Wilmar team.”

Brooke’s Mum, Casey, also works for Wilmar, as a loco driver at Pioneer Mill.

Mr Shipard said Brooke’s apprenticeship would be monitored closely, with a view to

extending the program to Wilmar’s other milling regions in the future.

Wilmar Sugar and Renewables is one of Queensland’s largest apprenticeship providers. Its apprenticeship program is also one of the most successful in Australia, with an average completion rate of 98 per cent.

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Brooke Smith trades out her school uniform for Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ high-vis clothing and steel-cap boots once a week. Photos supplied: Wilmar

School-based apprentice Brooke Smith does some grinding under the supervision of Pioneer Mill Work Coordinator Alan Chatfield

A proud Chris and Casey Smith with daughter Brooke at Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Pioneer Mill in the Burdekin region

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RuralQuip began its life as a small steel fabrication business on Rossiter Street in the 1940’s. Following the purchase by Robert Oar in 1982, the business was moved to the industrial estate and renamed “RuralQuip” in 1989.

A small industrial supplies retail outlet was set up in a front room, with the remainder of the building dedicated to steel sales and fabrication.

Following significant growth in retail and steel sales, the fabrication portion of the business was leased out in 1998, allowing for focus to be on the growth of those parts of the business.

This focus resulted in sales figures now being 64 times that of original figures, with year-on-year growth continuing to this day.

Robert is proud to say that RuralQuip “has not had a bad year in the last 40 years.”

This can be attributed to Rural Quip offering a range of products that is not normally seen in a rural town, the aim being to reduce costs incurred to customers when having to source items from all over town and further afield.  

A truck delivery service, special orders and industrial gas outlet are also services provided to support customers both locally and surrounding areas.

The years spent building the business have come with many memorable moments.  

Robert recalls the construction of the Burdekin Dam as one such moment.

“We had a team of over 20 working onsite, demonstrating professionalism and quality of service and workmanship on par with much larger contractors.”

Jobs such as this have served to cement RuralQuip’s reputation in local business, agriculture and heavy industry as reliable and professional.

Check out their range at 3 Bird St, Ayr, with something for everyone.

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The team of RuralQuip. Photo Credit: Sam Gillespie