Community Bank Home Hill and Ayr is committed to supporting local sports in the Burdekin region. Recently, the bank contributed to the Ayr Golf Club, at the time of their celebrations of the club’s milestone 95th anniversary this year.
The Ayr Golf Club is a cornerstone of the Burdekin community, boasting an 18-hole, 5,861-metre championship course. With a dedicated membership of 200, the club thrives on the generosity of volunteers who contribute their time and effort.
Last year the golf club applied for a grant with the Community Bank targeted at improving our community facilities by providing an on-course toilet block.
The Ayr Golf Club was thrilled to be awarded an $8000 grant from the Community Bank Home Hill and Ayr, which will help uphold their shared values while the Club seeks to deliver a more up to date facility, improve player satisfaction and comfort, attract more players, and increase accessibility while providing physical and mental benefits to our community.
With significant distances between some holes and the clubhouse, having a toilet available on the course ensures that players don't have to trek back to the clubhouse if they need to use the facilities.
A spokesperson for the Ayr Golf Club, Angie Baxter, says the welfare of their members and visitors is paramount on the golf course. “Access to an on-course toilet enables players to drink enough fluids from the provided cold water cooler without worrying about being too far from restroom facilities. Provision of restroom facilities on the course enhances the overall experience for golfers by ensuring their comfort and addressing their basic needs.”
She also mentions it promotes good hygiene practices, which are important for the health and wellbeing of players.
“Without on-course toilets, golfers might resort to using natural areas as makeshift restrooms, which can have negative environmental impacts on the course, the surrounding areas, and a player’s self-esteem. Having designated facilities helps minimise this issue and preserves the natural beauty of our course.”, says Angie.
At their recent 95th Anniversary Gala Dinner, the Ayr Golf Club were honoured by the presence of one of their most celebrated players, seven-time Major Championship winner Karrie Webb.
Karrie was awarded an honorary membership as a token of gratitude and admiration for her achievements, including induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Her act of continued support and acknowledging the role a local sporting club had in the formative years of an astonishing career, inspires the Community Bank Home Hill & Ayr in supporting community groups which can play a vital role for future success.

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Karrie Webb (left), with past president Peter Andersen, and club Treasurer Janet Trezise

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With Plantation Park and Bruce Highway affected by flooding most weekend and into Monday, several schools in the Burdekin were forced to take alternative action on account of their teachers and students unable to travel safely to and from school.

Trans North also advised that no school buses would operate in the Ayr, Giru, Woodstock, Rita Island, Airville, Brandon, Alva Beach, Osborne, Gumlu and Inkerman areas on 10 February as a result.

This left some schools with no option but to revert back to covid protocols to run some of their classes.

“With no buses running due to the floods, we’ve all been impacted,” says Sharon O’Neill, the Principal at Home Hill State High School.

“It’s unsettling for our students but we have Q-learn, our online learning portal, while teacher wellbeing is really important. We’ve encouraged anyone not to travel through the floodwaters and asked both our students and teachers to present to their nearest school, whether that’s in Ayr or Home Hill,” she declares.

Thankfully, Ayr State High School and Home Hill State High School, have both worked together to ensure no one misses out on their education or teaching, as Sharon explains.

“It’s been fantastic. All the principals have been in contact with each other and supporting one another. Being partner towns we share staff and support. As a result, we’re able to keep instructions going over all classes,” she adds.

With the constant rains over the weekend that continued Monday morning, many students and teachers were left on opposite sides of the bridge, affecting attendance numbers.

“We have four teachers who live this side in Home Hill, of about our 20 teachers all up. But we also have five Ayr State High School teachers with us and some teacher aides helping out. We then have some of our teachers who live on the north side, working direct out of Ayr State High.”

“It’s great to build a relationship, and keep things going for one another,” Sharon enthuses.

At Burdekin Christian College, Ashlee Butler, Student Services Officer & Marketing, assures it’s business as usual.

“We haven’t been too affected, thanks to our own private bus service and online portal. We’ve currently got students who weren’t able to attend, taking our online safety course, OnGuard. While any teachers unable to come in are conducting their classes in the online space. It’s similar to what we implemented during our covid,” Ashlee states.

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As north Queensland’s cane farmers face a disaster of unprecedented scale, CANEGROWERS is urging the State Government to align with other states by assisting growers with the cost of replanting lost crops.
Widespread flooding from Townsville to Cairns, including Australia’s largest cane growing regions around the Burdekin and Herbert River, is expected to decimate recently planted cane.
CANEGROWERS is working closely with the Queensland Government to ensure affected farmers receive the support they need as quickly as possible.
However, disaster recovery grants currently do not cover replanting costs – a critical gap that could leave many growers drowning in debt or out of business entirely as they face the prospect of being unable to meet production commitments for 2025.
“Sugarcane is a hardy crop, but it’s not indestructible. Multiple days submerged will kill recently planted crops, leaving growers with little choice but to start again from scratch,” CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said.
"In other states farmers can use disaster recovery grants to help cover the costs of replanting their crops, but successive Queensland governments have failed to implement a similar policy in this state.
"We lead the country in our expertise in disaster resilience and recovery. But for some reason this policy area is sadly lacking.
“Disaster recovery grants are only triggered for growers who can demonstrate significant impact and they are crucial in cleaning up farms. But the objective is to get businesses back up-and-running, and in farming that means getting crops back in the ground.
“We’re urging the government to act now and modify the grant rules to cover replanting so growers can rebuild their livelihoods."
The extent of the flooding has taken many by surprise, with some areas receiving six months' worth of rain in just a few days.
Ingham has been hit particularly hard, with thousands left without power and severe damage expected across the region’s cane farms.
While the rain is easing, floodwaters will take time to recede and the full extent of the damage may not be clear for days or even weeks.
“Growers are no strangers to heavy rain, flooding, and even cyclones, but this is a disaster on another level,” Mr Galligan said.
“In the immediate term we’re urging affected growers to stay safe, be patient, and assess the damage when it is safe to do so.
"CANEGROWERS and our members extend our appreciation to the community, emergency workers and government officials who are deployed across the north of our state working to assist us in assessing damage and recovering from this disaster."

Young cane may not recover after multiple days submerged in flood water

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Next month’s ABARES Outlook 2025 conference will be a unique event for the Australian agriculture industry, offering an opportunity for stakeholders to engage in cross-cutting conversations around agriculture’s productivity, sustainability, and the possibilities that are ahead.
Themed ‘Insights for Action: Fostering Growth in a Changing World,’ the conference will bring together influential Australian and international speakers, including industry leaders, government representatives, and experts, to discuss the future of agriculture in the face of global shifts.
Taking place at Hotel Realm Canberra and online on 4-5 March 2025, the conference will feature 12 engaging sessions, designed to foster knowledge exchange, debate, and deliver actionable insights.
Participants will explore key issues such as uncertainty around the future of trade, sustainable productivity and net zero, the evolving role of data, Indigenous agricultural enterprise, farm input security, capital investment, workforce – and more.
ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville will deliver the Economic Outlook for Australian agriculture on opening morning.
“The effects of climate change, resource scarcity, geopolitical instability, and changing market conditions mean we need to seriously consider our responsiveness and adaptability,” Dr Greenville said.
“Understanding economic trends and productivity hurdles is essential for developing resilient agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors and supply chains.”
Dr Greenville said this year also marks 80 years since ABARES was first established a research organisation.
“ABARES has a rich history and a wealth of expertise in applied economic and scientific research used to provide timely input to industry and government decision-making,” Dr Greenville said.
“Insights from ABARES will be shared at the conference alongside expert views from industry, government and academia to highlight some of challenges, evolving needs and solutions for the sector.”
For those unable to attend in person, the conference will be streamed online, allowing a broader audience of industry stakeholders to participate remotely.
For more details about the program, speakers and registration, visit ABARES Outlook Conference 2025 online.

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Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli are words sugarcane farmers worldwide would like to see eradicated; they are the scientific name for the bacterium responsible for ratoon stunting disease (RSD).
The bacterium’s potential to wreak havoc is the driving force behind Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR)’s venture to investigate the latest in technologies to combat the disease.  
Recently this involved a cohort travelling west of cane country to the city of Toowoomba consisting of QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan, Board Chairman and Burdekin farmer Christian Lago, Herbert District Manager Lawrence Di Bella, Board Member and Burdekin farmer Dean Sgroi, and QCAR Herbert Member Michael Penna (also an AgForce Cane Board member).  
The team first visited AgForce’s office to discuss the management of weeds, pests and disease across grain and grazing industries before heading to AgEtal.  
Mr Di Bella, who, when not wearing his QCAR boots, is a Senior Agricultural Technical Officer and founder of Tropical Agricultural Services (TAS) with decades of research experience behind him, said AgEtal is a privately owned and totally independent agricultural seed, pest and disease testing company.
“It provides a wide range of specialist agricultural support and technical services across Australia,” he said.
“While there we toured AgEtal’s laboratory facilities and reviewed its latest research project that uses LAMP diagnostic methods to screen plants for RSD.”
Mr Di Bella said AgEtal had contracted TAS to undertake the field research component of the project and he would present results from the study at the ASSCT Conference in May.
“The new LAMP method allows farmers and agronomists to easily test sugarcane for infection at a significantly lower cost compared to qPCR methods and results are available within an hour of taking samples,” he said.
“We anticipate the LAMP test, when it is rolled out in coming months, will become a vital tool to managing RSD on farms.”
Next, the QCAR and AgForce crew travelled to the Lockyer Valley to meet with a world-leading expert in RSD and disease diagnostics, Associate Professor Anthony Young, at the University of Queensland in Gatton.
“Dr Young developed the LSB qPCR diagnostic method currently used by industry to detect RSD,” Mr Di Bella said.
“He has a keen interest in the evolutionary relationships that underpin symbioses, particularly those involved in plant diseases, and collaborates with international experts on research looking into how bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and viruses affect a range of plants.”
Finally, the team travelled to Brisbane to visit Sugar Research Australia’s (SRA) new labs in Acacia Ridge.
“They’re home to SRA’s tissue culture facilities, biosecurity labs (that include samples of RSD), molecular genetics research and more,” Mr Di Bella said, adding the facility would be adapted in the years to come to enable researchers to drive the sugarcane industry forward.
“Detection is only one method in the management toolkit to combat RSD.
“It is vital to plant disease-free material, practice good crop hygiene, and monitor crops using RSD detection technologies to control the disease.  
“This is why the agricultural industry must investigate novel approaches to better manage the disease, a direction QCAR is pleased to support in our commitment to create sustainable and profitable industry outcomes for our members.”

QCAR Herbert District Member and AgForce Cane Board Member Michael Penna, QCAR Board Member and Burdekin farmer Dean Sgroi, QCAR Board Chairman and Burdekin farmer Christian Lago, QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan, AgEtal owner and manager Ken Cunliffe, and QCAR Herbert District Manager Lawrence Di Bella at AgEtal in Toowoomba. Photos supplied

QCAR Herbert District Member and AgForce Cane Board Member Michael Penna, QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan, Dr Heidi du Clou and QCAR Chairman Christian inside Sugar Research Australia’s new labs at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane

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Filipino native, Sisay McLearn, has been calling Ayr home for just on 15 years now. In that time, she floated between Townsville and Ayr, but has been running a successful kebab business in Ayr for the last five years.  

“Sometimes I go to Townsville, but my business is here in Ayr, which is close to five years old. But mostly I live here in Ayr and have done so for 15 years,” Sisay smiles.

Sisay, who’s also been married for 15 years, has one child and a one-year-old grandchild. She lived in the Philippines for 20 years.

“I lived in the Philippines for 20 years before I came here to Australia in 2005. It's beautiful here in Ayr compared to my country. It’s quieter and prettier in the Burdekin than in my home country.”

“Here it's nice in the Burdekin and the people, they’re really, really lovely. I enjoy their company, especially all my customers here, they are really good.”

Prior to living in Ayr, Sisay lived in Townsville for five years, but she’s also travelled to Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, and Canberra before setting up shop in Ayr and starting her business here.

“I don’t travel much now due to business commitments, but before, I visited Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and also Cairns. Nice places but I like it here in Ayr so much more,” she laughs.

What Sisay most loves about Ayr, is not just its beauty as a small country town, but the people. While she’s never faced any problems living here, she finds the people really help each other, especially given the recent rains and floods in the area.

“The people here in Ayr, and the Burdekin, are really nice. They are very helpful. You see it most in times like now with all the rain. I feel very lucky to be here,” Sisay says.

Sisay’s kebab shop is the only business open at night, which has proved to be a very popular spot for locals, as Sisay explains.

“We operate from 10am to 3am, where it is busy on Friday and Saturday nights. We are the only shop open during these hours on weekends. Our customers all come from the three pubs in the area. We enjoy the company of our customers, some I have even made many friends with,” she giggles.

Sisay McLearn, doing her thing for 20 years. Photo: Mark T. Rasmussen

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Apricot is an incredibly sweet and playful girl who loves to explore and have a little fun. At just 11 months old, she's already raised her adorable babies and is now ready to enjoy her own kitten phase in a forever home. Full of curiosity, Apricot will keep you on your toes with her lively antics.
Zoomies around the house are her absolute favorite, and she’s always up for a game of chase. If you’re looking for a mischievous feline who will keep you laughing with her playful personality, Apricot is definitely the one for you!
Does she sound too good to be true? Come see for yourself! To meet the gorgeous Apricot fill in an inquiry form at https://www.angelpawsinc.com.au/forms.html

Included in adoption fee of $195, Apricot is DESEXED, MICRO-CHIPPED, with up-to-date VACCINATIONS, FLEA/TICK/INTESTINAL WORM treated.

DOB: 01/02/2024
Sex: Female
Breed: DSH
Kid friendly: Yes
Cat Friendly: Yes
Dog Friendly: Slow Introduction
BIN: BIN0000268254643

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Kevin Tuffin, a qualified truck mechanic and Sweet FM presenter for two years, discusses his journey in radio, starting with a Thursday night show introduced by friend Brian Giddy.

“I've been a presenter with the radio station for about two years now. You could say, I'm the ‘junior’ member of the team, or what do you call it, the apprentice,” Kevin jokes. “I was introduced to the station by my friend, Brian. He asked me if I wanted to do a show with him on a Thursday night. And I said, ‘Yeah sure, why not,’ I thought, we’ll give it a go. The rest is history,” Kevin grins.

Kevin's passion for music dates back to the 80s when a local youth disco called ‘Sound Shelter’ was run by a former pastor in the Burdekin.

“The Sound Shelter was formed by a local parish priest. I was in the YCW (Young Christian Workers) at the time, and so that's where it all started. It was on Young Street there in Ayr, and I was helping run that for a few years in the early 80s. We were a group of youngsters at that time, so I would have been 18 or 19, but then I was delegated to be one of the DJs. That was a lot of fun.”

“But I always loved playing music. I’ve always had an affection for playing music and watching others have a great time. And I love all types of music, including pop, rock, country & western, heavy metal, all that sort of stuff,” Kevin says.

He alternates hosting duties with Brian, playing a mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s music mostly.

“Sometimes he's (Brian) running it, sometimes me. We do a turnabout. One week, I'll be in the hot seat running the show and he'll be the offsider, where he’s the one looking if people request a song, looking it up etc. Then the following week, he'll be in the host’s chair, and I'll be the offsider. We try and alternate it to mix it up a bit,” Kevin enthuses.

Kevin also runs Tuff’s Mechanical, a business he started in 1985, which is now managed by his son.

“I've had a business for a while that I kicked off officially in 1985, what’s that’s, 40 years ago? I started it from nothing and we're still growing today. My son's virtually taken over the running of it now because I'm getting older,” he laughs.

Does Kevin see any similarities between running a business and running a music show?

“You wouldn’t think there is, but there is. You’ve got to be organised, know what you’ve got, and to be prepared. It’s the same with business. You’ve got to prepare for the day, and in that respect, there's similarities. You want to be efficient, aim high, and as in my business, provide good service.”

Kevin enjoys his role, valuing the community impact with the joy of playing music. He hopes they can attract younger audiences to radio, and into the presenter’s hot seat.

"If you want to get a young audience, you got to play modern music. They’re the future! If you want to keep it (radio) alive, you've got to get young blood in,” Kevin declares.

Listen in to Kevin on Thursday evenings from 7-10pm. If you’d like to join the station as a presenter, contact Sweet FM on: (07) 4782-8394 or email: admin@sweetfm.com.au.

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The “apprentice” Kevin Tuffin (68), still learning, and loving music. Photo: Mark T. Rasmussen

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Leeroy: “Listen to the radio so you can stay connected to the news, read the (online) newspaper or watch the television and just keep up to date with what's happening around, because I reckon that's the only way we can find out what's happening around us. There are people going to the communities, reporters and news agencies, and they are the people's eyes and ears, so I recommend everyone should keep their ears and their eyes to the TV and the radio. And first thing would be to take my torch for when it gets dark so I'll be able to see where I can go because I have kids. I'll take my kids and take them to a safe spot, maybe inland up to the mountains.”

Wolfgang: “Get information from the local council or the authorities and go and stock up on some bread and milk and essentials. Just keep an eye on what the weather is doing, and if you're a local, you're usually prepared for what's going to happen. Other than that, it's mostly common sense. Don't panic. Just be aware that if things start getting bad, you can always ask for help. As for the one thing, you have to take your mobile phone and charger, and maybe a grab bag if you keep your personal possessions like money and essential paperwork. If you're a local you usually know the high points, take your car to a high point and leave it there.”

Samantha: “What would I do? Well, I've just been watching movies. That's one thing I've been doing with all this wet weather. But what I also recommend and suggest to somebody if they're kind of new to the area or depending whether they're in low-lying areas and can see the floods are coming, then go to a friend or family if they've got any here, if not then evacuation centres. Actually, I don't know if there are any evacuation centres. I think there's one. The one item I’d take if I had to evacuate quickly, are photos.”

Melanie: “Probably stay out of the rain and stay safe, I reckon. Because honestly we don't get a lot of rain around here, so when it does rain, it's actually pretty nice. But yeah, stay out of the rain and stay safe. And the first thing? That’s a good question. Honestly, I'd probably help take my siblings because I'm one of 12, so yeah, there are a lot of us. Because I don't live at the same house if I was to up and leave, I've practically got nothing at my house, so I’d go straight to my parents, grab my siblings, and leave.”

Clifford: “I’d suggest probably finding someplace high up or going to the highest place possible you can find, where it’s safe. But also listen to the radio and if there's no power, then the best place to go is the evacuation centre. As for one thing to take in a hurry, I recommend taking your important personal belongings. For us foreigners, our passports and documents are important, so definitely those. Then also some first aid kits, and easy, consumable foods like in cans or something like that.”

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Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen

Leeroy Chung recommends listening to the radio and taking a torch.
Wolfgang Iwaszczyn likes information from authorities and having a phone and charger.
Samantha Wallace thinks going to friends or family, and grabbing your photos.
Melanie Aruba reckons stay out of the rain while helping with family.
Clifford Valenzuela suggests going someplace high and to take your passport.

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Recently crowned Senior Sportsperson of the Year Award winner at the Burdekin Shire Council’s Australia Day Awards, Jennifer Fotinos, not only excels in one sport – but three! She’s also represented both state and country in two of them. It’s a phenomenal effort for someone so young.

At just 20 years of age, Jennifer has achieved so much already and if her recent successes and attitude are anything to go by, she’ll achieve plenty more before she’s done.

While Jennifer first started playing soccer at age six, it’s her more recent sporting endeavours – futsal and boxing – where she has gone onto even greater heights. Representing Queensland and Australia in futsal (indoor soccer on a smaller pitch with less players), she was part of the team that won the Scottish Cup last year. A sport she only began playing four years ago.

In boxing, Jennifer again represented Queensland, winning state titles, and was set to box in the Australian national titles before that event clashed with her International futsal commitments.

So how did you a young woman go from soccer to futsal to boxing, then represent her state and country in them?

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Jennifer Fotinos, one accomplished, determined young woman with some of her boxing medals. Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen

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Meet Jennifer Fotinos: A Multi-Talented Sports Star

“I started playing soccer when I was six years old and have been doing it the longest at 14 years. Futsal was later on in life. I've only been doing that for four years, but because I was already playing soccer there were a lot of transferable skills from that to futsal,” Jennifer explains.

“Boxing is the newest sport I've done, which I’ve been doing for two years now. I only found out about boxing because my brother was doing it briefly here at Rock Solid boxing gym in Home Hill, where he dragged me along. Originally, I just went purely for fitness and to help me with my soccer and futsal, but then I just really enjoyed it and started growing a love for it. I got an opportunity to fight, and I haven't looked back since.”

If that wasn’t enough to make your head spin, Jennifer Fotinos also started doing Karate (Hwa Rang Do) at the age of six, continuing for eight years where she eventually earned a black belt. But it’s not all about sport either. Somehow, she balances her sporting commitments while studying a Bachelor of Education at Townsville University, where she finds studying to be harder and more intense.
“I'm studying to be a teacher and majoring in HP (Health and Physical Education) and English. I'm going into my third year now at University, and it’s harder than sports sometimes,” Jennifer chuckles.

Whether it’s sports or her educational career, no matter what Jennifer pursues you just know she’ll do very well. It’s in her nature, she’s driven, dedicated, passionate. Most of all, she’s got an incredibly mature head on her young shoulders, while keen to show gratitude.

“I would like to accredit the Burdekin Football Club for being an introduction for me to sport and thank all my coaches and volunteers throughout the years in helping build my foundational skills. I have experienced some real highlights with the club including Grand Final wins, and also winning women’s Player of the Year (2021).”

“And more recently Rock Solid Boxing Club with Scotty McLean who recently won Citizen of the Year Award. He uses boxing as a tool to instil important values such as discipline, respect and perseverance. This place, regardless of background or experience, everyone is welcomed and encouraged to develop not only in the sport, but also as individuals. He’s truly inspiring.”

Jennifer is now gearing to compete in the Australian boxing titles and continue her soccer and futsal careers.

“I don't try and think too far ahead. I always see myself improving and being better. But my dream when I was young was definitely to represent my country and to make a living playing sport, that is definitely my top aspiration,” she says with a smile.

“This year, I'm aiming to enter the Australian boxing titles at the end of this year, which will be held in Townsville. I want to compete and do the best I can and hopefully strive for an Australian title. As for soccer and futsal, I just want to keep playing in Premier League Soccer and at futsal, where I just competed at the Queensland nationals title. I want to keep training, stay fit, and compete at all the tournaments I can,” she adds.

In wrapping up, Jennifer has some final advice for any other young athletes in the Burdekin with their own dreams.

“If you find something you genuinely love and have purpose in, go and strive for it. You know, nothing good in life comes easy. So, if you genuinely enjoy what you're doing, don't think that anyone or anything will limit you, and just view obstacles and all the setbacks in your way as an opportunity to learn and grow.”

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Futsal champ, Jennifer (20), with the Scottish Cup in futsal. Photo: Supplied.
Soccer star Jennifer Fotinos, in action. Photo credit: Sharon Woodward.
Jennifer with two of her boxing medals. Photo: Supplied.
Jennifer being presented with the Sportsperson of the Year Award by Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort and Dr. Bob McGregor. Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen

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What a week, huh? So much unrelenting rain I was beginning to understand what Noah must have felt like when he built his Ark. Thankfully, this region didn’t suffer like our cousins up north did, where there’s no signs of it slowing either with yet more rain forecast.

It’s a good reminder of what matters and what doesn’t when you see so much devastation.

Our sister paper, Hinchinbrook Life, up in Ingham however, lost power in the deluge and floods and will now run a special ‘Flood Edition’ late this week or early next weather permitting. It’s still touch and go whether we’ll be able to get this week’s issue of Burdekin Life out on time on account of our printer being based in Townsville, with some roads remaining cut off. (If you’re reading a printed copy of this on Thursday, you know we got through).

I’ve lived in several regions that suffer their own natural disasters, including three years in Mexico, which like Far North Queensland, has wet and dry seasons. At least in Mexico the rain stops after a few hours. The continual rain for days here beggars belief.

In between the big wet, I met MP for Dawson, Andrew Willcox for a sit-down chat. I’d always heard nothing but good things about him. A man of the people, and of his word. Anyone who speaks out on the Misinformation and Disinformation bill gets my vote. Crazy to think freedom of speech may not be a right.

Andrew’s a lot like many of you, a farmer by trade, he’s now taken to politics and cares about the things that matter in this region – agriculture, communities, roads, people. He was an easy bloke to talk with.

Lastly, we said goodbye to Miss Chelsea Ravizza, the local cadet journalist here who now ventures off on her big adventure overseas. A true rockstar within these pages, while she will be missed, I cannot fault her desire – I was the same age when I first headed off overseas. Good luck Chelsea, go blaze your own trail!

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A slow-moving low pressure system brought several days of widespread and heavy rainfall to the Far North Queensland during the week, with many sites recording daily rainfall totals between 200 and 700 mm, and in some locations, 7 day rainfall totals greater than 1000 mm.

Many sites across northern Queensland recorded their highest daily, or multi-day rainfall on record. Weekly rainfall totals greater than 300 mm were recorded across the Lower Burdekin districts.

Several days of significant rainfall, led to major flash and riverine flooding along the Queensland's tropical east coast, particularly between Tully and Ayr.

With so much heavy rain this past week, the inevitable floods that follow, happened. Thankfully, Ayr, Home Hill, Brandon, and the outlying regions of the Burdekin came away relatively unscathed. But with more rain forecast, residents are not out of the woods yet.

We’ve all seen the devastation up north in Townsville, and especially Ingham. With the Burdekin Shire Council, Federal MP Andrew Willcox, State MP Dale Last, and the police and emergency services all issuing warnings, now is not the time to become complacent.

If anything, it’s time to be more vigilant and ensure you have a safety and evacuation plan. Any of the aforementioned above have valuable information on how to do so, so look online. More importantly, be sure to check in on your neighbours, especially the elderly, who may be living on their own. A community is only as strong as its more vulnerable members. Be ready to help them.

With several roads cutoff, both north and south, supply lines have been diminished. Now is not the time to panic buy and rush an already understocked supermarket. Supply routes will open back up soon, so it won’t take long for the shelves to be fully stocked once more.

Police, emergency services, and council, are all urging caution. If you see a road covered in water, don’t drive through it. Be mindful of other road users, use your headlights at all times so you can be seen, and more importantly – use common sense during this period.

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Plantation Park was swamped with the recent deluge. Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen
The Bruce Highway covered in water in some sections. Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen
The road to Inkerman sugar mill, virtually impassable. Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen

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We’ve all experienced that dreaded sinking feeling when we suddenly realise we’ve forgotten something important, whether it’s a phone, keys, or wallet. For local resident Robyn Rose, it happened after a quick shopping trip when she realised she had left her handbag behind.
Losing a handbag can be an incredibly stressful and upsetting experience. For Robyn, it was no different. A handbag is not just a place to store belongings; it often holds important items like ID, credit cards, and cash. However, what could have been a far worse ordeal was made much easier by an act of kindness from a local stranger.
After Robyn left her handbag on a bench outside Woolworths, someone discovered it, and rather than taking it or ignoring it, chose to hand it in to the store. This thoughtful action meant that Robyn could recover her belongings safely, where the anxiety of the situation was alleviated.
In a heartfelt gesture of gratitude, Robyn took to Facebook to publicly thank the person who had returned her handbag. She wrote:
“To the kind person who handed my handbag in to Woolworths after I left it on the seat outside, a million thank yous, I am so incredibly grateful and may you have a wonderful day from a very thankful pensioner.”
It’s easy to overlook the profound impact of simple, kind actions, but for Robyn, this small gesture of honesty and consideration made all the difference. In a time when so many are facing challenges, particularly with the ongoing flooding situation in the region, acts like this serve as a reminder of the power of community.

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Burdekin Shire Council is pleased to announce that it is reinforcing its commitment to supporting local developers, property owners, and community members, with dedicated face-to-face consultation opportunities.

Starting Friday 31 January 2025, the last Friday of each month will be set aside for focused engagement with both the Planning and Development and Technical Services teams.

On these designated Fridays, their Planning and Development and Technical Services Managers will make themselves available for in-depth discussions, advice, and guidance related to property development and other technical inquiries. This initiative is designed to streamline the process for anyone needing assistance or information regarding property matters.

Council’s regular opening hours remain unchanged, and staff are available throughout the week to assist the community with a wide range of services. However, by freeing up their schedules on these Fridays, the Planning and Development and Technical Services Managers ensure their undivided attention for those who may require more tailored support.

This initiative underscores Council’s dedication to being open for business and supporting growth and development in the Burdekin Shire.

For more information or to book an appointment, please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on (07) 4783 9800. Council’s Customer Service opening hours are Monday to Friday: 8:00am–5:00pm

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Technical Services and Planning and Development Managers, are open for your business. Photo: Supplied.

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What: Planning and Development Advice days
When: Last Friday of each month.
Who: Developers, property owners, community members with relevant inquiries.
Appointments: Council will take appointments, but walk-ins are welcome.

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As severe wet weather continues to hamper the Burdekin region, Member for Burdekin Dale Last has warned locals not to be complacent as multiple reports of motorists driving through flooded roads continues to occur.

Mr Last said despite multiple warnings from authorities to stay off roads, reports of people driving through flooded roads has left local emergency services and community members risking their lives to help.

“Make no mistake this is a significant weather event and, while the Burdekin has not seen the level of flooding that our friends further north have, there is still a significant number of roads impacted by floodwater throughout the region,” Mr Last said.

“As a former police officer it’s incredibly frustrating when locals become complacent during events like these and decide a sightseeing venture is more important that their safety or the safety of others in our community.”

“Lets not forget that behind every orange raincoat, blue uniform, or at the wheel of our fire appliances, is someone’s loved one who has had to bravely put their lives on the line for your safety.”

“While the rain continues to fall, the best way you can assist local services and fellow community members, is by staying update with the latest forecasts and taking advice and warnings from trusted sources like our local disaster management groups.”

Mr Last said while the district was still receiving significant levels of rainfall earlier this week, the clean up effort across the North Queensland region would be a mammoth task.

“Each time the Burdekin is faced with severe weather we not only see our emergency service volunteers go above and beyond for others, we also see neighbours and strangers rolling up their sleeves to help others with clean up efforts and I have no doubt those efforts will continue to ramp up in the coming days.”

“To those who have taken the time away from their own families to help others in the community, I’d like to offer my personal thanks. We know that our SES play an integral part of our disaster response each and every severe weather season and they deserve our gratitude and support.”

“Already the Crisafulli Government has announced grants are available to residents in impacted areas. For those interested, please visit the Queensland disaster recovery support website or call: 1800-173-349 to check your eligibility and apply.”

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Flooded roads are not only hazardous but dangerous for drivers and emergency service rescue workers alike. Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen

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