Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
A perfect winter afternoon set the stage for a competitive day at the Home Hill Bowls Club on Thursday 25 July, with 30 players participating. The games were drawn at random, resulting in four games of triples and one game of pairs. Rink 3: The team of Kim, Bruce, and Cy narrowly defeated Judy, Dino, and Jim with a score of 18-15. Rink 4: Bob Y, Mick O, and Trevor dominated Karl/Hugh, Des, and Stephen, winning 30-5. Rink 5: Yogi, Bob P, and Wayne outplayed Paul, Steve, and Terry, securing a 23-
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Coming soon! On Saturday’s Mixed open pairs Sponsored Starting dates to be advised
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July marks a big month for local business BQC Group which is celebrating 50 years of BQC Quarries, 40 years of Burdekin Concrete and the second year of its new enterprise, BQC Sands. Taking pride in not only building the community but also employing a local workforce, BQC Group is a thriving business that has innovated over time and consistently grown to deliver to industry needs.
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Hi everyone! I hope you’re all having a great end to your week! I’ve been busy with university like always, and when I’m having my chats to people on campus here and there it’s becoming so much more exciting, and feeling more and more real saying “I’m graduating at the end of this year”! It’s been so great to chat to you all throughout the week, and I love hearing your stories and sharing them with everyone else in the community. It’s truly my favourite part of what I do, and one of the reason
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Friday 14 June saw the Burdekin Christian College painted with vibrant hues and colourful hairstyles as the school celebrated Crazy Colour Day to fundraise for the NRL Cowboys House. The NRL Cowboys House stands as a unique, culturally safe boarding facility for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women attending partner schools in Townsville. Over $500 was raised by the student-led group, Z-Club, with all these funds to be donated to the worthwhile cause. The Burdekin Christia
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On Saturday 13 July, the Eimeo Surf Club hosted the North Barrier Branch Annual Awards Dinner to officially culminate the 2023-24 surf lifesaving season and recognise excelling members. Branch employees, committee members, and members of the seven clubs from across the North Barrier including Forest Beach, Arcadian, Townsville – Picnic Bay, Ayr, Eimeo, Mackay and Sarina, gathered to attend the celebratory evening. An annual event, recognition is awarded to members who have excelled across all
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Numerous groups and organisations within the Burdekin region received a celebrated funding boost on Monday 8 July from Pacific Blue’s Haughton Sustainable Community Fund. The twelve recipients were announced at a community event held at the Home Hill Tennis Association where representatives shared their plans for utilising the generous allocation. The Burdekin State Emergency Service (SES) were one of the many groups set to benefit from the funding, along with the Ayr Surf Life Saving Club, B
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As local sugar industry stakeholders came together this week, Member for Burdekin Dale Last has sounded a clear reminder to representatives that the community the industry supports needed to be at the fore of ongoing discussions. Welcoming the announcement that following weeks of ongoing strike action, a mediation offer had been accepted by the milling company and unions, Mr Last said it was time for everyone to play their part in ensuring a successful end to the crushing season for the sake of
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Opinion Piece “The State and Federal Labor Governments must be held to account for their disastrous and mismanaged phaseout of commercial gillnets across Queensland, which is now seeing our local fishos consider walking away permanently,” Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox said. The local MP has said that the ban on commercial gillnets was announced amid pressure from international activist organisations. “It was not backed by any scientific reasoning, and there was no consultation wi
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Over fifty amazing members of the Burdekin community dedicated their time on the morning of Saturday 20 July to support the Zonta Club in assembling 1,000 birthing kits. The Zonta Birthing Kit project was established in 2003 and involves clubs arranging kit assembly days to put together simple, clean birthing kits which are set internationally to help birthing assistants in developing countries. Well over a million birthing kits have been sent overseas to date, with each kit including a sheet
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The Lower Burdekin Celtic Dancing Association held a highly successful Highland Dancing Camp at Alva Beach’s Ayr Lifesavers Hut from 5 to 8 July. Made possible by a generous donation from Regional Advisory Development Funding, 27 Highland Dancers from Mossman, Mackay, Townsville and the Burdekin attended the camp free of charge to engage in numerous sessions and activities. Over the course of the camp, attendees danced away with a Highland Dancing workshop led by visiting teacher and former Bu
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Originally from the Gold Coast and working briefly on a boat on Hamilton Island 35 years ago, Trish moved permanently to Airlie Beach in 1996, establishing herself as a longstanding member of the local community. Looking after the advertising needs of businesses based in the Burdekin and Whitsundays regions, Trish is available each Thursday to chat face to face to any local business in the area and available on the phone every other day of the week. Trish recently worked in administration for a
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As the president of the Burdekin Chamber, I am proud to share one of our most successful initiatives for our members and the community: the Burdekin Gift Cards. This exclusive program for Burdekin Chamber members is a closed-loop system that allows us to activate and deactivate EFTPOS terminals for our gift cards. This unique feature ensures that the funds remain within our local community, supporting our businesses and fostering economic growth. The original concept behind the Burdekin Gift
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It was another lively evening event for Home Hill Chamber of Commerce as they welcomed their latest guest speaker John Clarke at their monthly gathering last week. John Clarke shared his life story and how he went from Africa to the Burdekin. He grew up at Zinyangeni Mission Station and shared what it was like growing up with some of the world’s deadliest snakes, and also his quality of life while living there. Lifestyle in Africa is extremely different to western countries, after thunder an
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Home Hill isn’t different from any other area around the state when it comes to Domestic and Family Violence (DVF). DFV is a serious and complex social problem within all communities, including our own. If you call police to report a DFV incident that is happening now or has occurred, our first priority will be the safety of all parties involved. Police will conduct a holistic, victim-centric and trauma-informed investigation to: • Maximise the safety, protection and wellbeing of people who
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Every community has the potential to meet its residents' needs to foster well-being, growth, and resilience. Access to resources such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and social services can significantly impact the quality of life for individuals and families. Advocating for these resources requires a collective effort to address gaps, promote equity, and build a supportive environment for everyone to thrive. Understanding a community's specific needs is the first step in advocating f
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Did you know that Burdekin Community Association Inc (BCA) can help you with Transport Services locally and to and from Townsville? You can access shops, cafes, libraries, attend events or medical appointments, visit family and friends etc. Our bus drivers and Support Workers are very friendly and helpful. Transport services can be provided to people eligible under a government funded program and also if they are not and we have seats available. We have two buses, with wheelchair access as wel
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The Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre (BNC) has been part of the Burdekin Shire community since 1987. Established by a group of community minded women, the centre stands as a celebrated organisation accessible to all residents of the Burdekin. Today, BNC operates as an incorporated community-based organisation and registered charity governed by an enthusiastic committee of 7 volunteers. Over the years the Centre has grown and now welcomes, on average, 8,000 people every year who participate in a w
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Established in 1932, the Home Hill Golf Club stands as a 9-hole course situated in the cane fields just outside of Home Hill. The Club operates with a membership totaling just over 100 dedicated players with golf at the core of the business, and welcoming the occasional wedding, wake or party to the venue. The Home Hill Golf Club additionally holds a wildly successful Ambrose as part of the Home Hill Harvest Festival Program, donating part of the proceeds to the Harvest Festival Committee. E
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The Home Hill Tennis Association was established in 1932 and holds a rich history, standing as one of the most prominent clubs in North Queensland. Annually, the Club hosts the highly successful and very popular Sugar Bowl Event, and encompasses twelve tennis courts, and four pickleball courts. The Club operates to provide opportunities for members of the local community as well as travellers and visitors alike to participate in tennis and racquet sports whilst upholding an important social foc
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11 proud new Aussies made their pledge to Australia in the citizenship ceremony at the Burdekin Shire Council Chambers this week after Council meeting. I would like to congratulate and welcome each of them into our wonderful community. On Tuesday, along with my fellow councillors, I attended a community meeting at the Burdekin Theatre to discuss the future of the sugar industry and what impact the milling companies can have on our livelihoods. The common message coming out of the meeting was the
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Did you know that animal registrations are due on Wednesday 31 July 2024? Residents are required to have all dogs and cats over the age of 3 months registered and microchipped. There are strict conditions on owners who breed dogs, those who have dangerous dogs and restricted dog breeds. Council also offers a subsidised dog and cat desexing program, to assist residents in preventing unwanted or additional animals. Haven't received a registration renewal notice? Phone Burdekin Shire Council Custo
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Many older members of the Burdekin community are facing social isolation, loneliness and feelings of abandonment. They need companionship and someone to spend quality time with. That’s where volunteer visitors come in. Anyone from any background can volunteer to build friendships with vulnerable individuals within the community who are experiencing loneliness and social isolation. Rita Quagliata, Volunteer Service Manager at the Burdekin Community Association, has highlighted the profound benef
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Pests estimated to cost Australia tens of billions over coming decades will now find it much harder to enter the country, thanks to measures announced this week by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The department is launching AusTreat, a new pre-border biosecurity scheme designed to ensure overseas treatment providers target the right pests with the required treatment. Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance Justine Saunders said AusTreat will enable a more efficient
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Last week, Wilmar Sugar and Renewables reported that the unions have joined Wilmar in accepting an offer from the Fair Work Commission to assist in resolving a long-running enterprise agreement dispute. The Electrical Trades Union (ETU), Australian Metal Workers Union (AMWU) and Australian Workers Union (AWU) informed Wilmar this morning that, following consultation with members, they were willing to participate in the Commission process. A Wilmar Sugar and Renewables spokesman said the comp
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