With picture-perfect weather, 15 teams of avid pickleballers made their way onto the Home Hill Tennis Courts to compete for the 1st Annual Cane Country Cup. With teams visiting from Cardwell, Townsville, Bowen and the Whitsundays, the matches were both competitive and social at the same time. Team winners were spread across the north. In the Competitive section the Airlie Norfolk and Chance 231 points took out 1st place by a mere 2 points, followed by Legendary Lobbers from Townsville on 229 p
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From Thursday the 23 May to Sunday the 26 May, the Burdekin’s very own Ayr High Northern players representing North Queensland in the under 19’s Basketball State Championships in Townsville. The tournament hosted an action-packed four days, overflowing with nail biting moments, plenty of close calls, and an abundance of celebratory moments. The under 19 girls did exceptionally well over the 2 days, with Ayr State High School’s Jayla Tinus, Lacy Horan, Ashlee Colls, and Zandi Bonanno winning
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The recently formed Burdekin Mabo Day Committee hosted celebrations to mark Mabo Day on Monday, June 3. Mabo Day honours the achievements of Torres Strait Islander Eddie Koiki Mabo and his successful efforts to overturn the legal fiction of terra nullius, or ‘land belonging to no-one’. The day was celebrated by the local Indigenous community with breakfast, a flag raising ceremony, speeches from First Nations elders and youth, traditional games and a ceremonial dinner and dances. “We’re acknowle
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I remember when I was first announced as Burdekin Life’s new and first journalist on the publication’s Facebook page, the post was met with countless comments anticipating my arrival in the beautiful Burdekin. It was August 2023, I was at a friend’s wedding at the time, and I would read through the comments of support any time I found phone service, getting more and more excited by the opportunity and proudly showing my friends how welcoming my new community would be. This was an early and ext
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Burdekin Netball Association (BNA) has secured the sponsorship of Bowen Pipeline Company (BPC) with a cheque being handed over on Thursday, May 30. BPC is the company behind the proposed Bowen Pipeline Project to connect Bowen with the Burdekin River, and BPC Director Sean Brown said the majority of the project’s 41 investors come from the Burdekin and Bowen shires. “This project is about leaving a legacy so that children and families can stay in these two regions,” Mr Brown said. “We feel the B
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Earlier this week, on Tuesday, June 4, Wilmar Sugar and Renewables advised more than 1,200 waged employees that anyone participating in industrial action from yesterday, Wednesday, June 5 will be locked out until further notice. Workers have been told that if they are locked out, they will not be paid until the lockout is lifted. A company spokesman said the decision to lock out was not taken lightly. “We respect employee rights to union membership and their right to take lawful industrial ac
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Opinion piece A lack of crisis accommodation units and more than 80 very high-level social housing applications has painted a stark picture of the Burdekin’s housing crisis, according to Member for Burdekin Dale Last. After waiting longer than expected for the Minister to answer a question on notice regarding crisis accommodation in Ayr and Home Hill, new figures have also revealed 82 very high need applications were waiting an average of two years for social housing in the Burdekin. “As we have
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I and quite a few other readers of the ‘Burdekin Life’ newspaper are readily counting the “to do” list that Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox and his State counterpart for Burdekin State Opposition Minister Dale Last are adding to with every weekly newspaper. Each major political party, when in Government, has the opportunity to implement their plans for Australians that they had proposed to implement when elected, while those in opposition and the minor parties are able to argue that th
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Burdekin Mabo Day Committee, in partnership with the Burdekin Library, presents the ‘Remembering Mabo’ display of significant items from the life of Eddie Koiki Mabo. The display was launched on Tuesday, May 28 with light refreshments taking place on Thursday, May 30. The display can be found at Burdekin Library’s Ayr branch, as can books and resources providing background information on Eddie Koiki Mabo and the significance of Mabo Day.
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One of the Burdekin’s local boys, Luca Lawry, travelled as part of the Northern School Boys team to Toowoomba to participate in the 2024 Inaugural 10-12 years Boys Netball School State Championships. For the first time ever, boys from 10 regions across Queensland converged to take the courts for four days from May 23 to 26, to select a State Team which will later travel to the National Championships in Melbourne. With a massive push for boys' netball nationwide, in the lead up to a possible
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Elders, youth and members of the local community gathered to commemorate Mabo Day on Monday, June 3. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie
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The release of the first ever Regional Telecommunications Review survey offers rural, regional, and remote Australians another way to give feedback on telecommunications issues. The Review, which takes place every three years, sees the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee examine the experiences of people in regional, rural, and remote parts of Australia with telecommunications delivery, as well as considering the unique needs of First Nations communities. Submissions and fac
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In practising ‘service above self’ in their daily lives, many Burdekin residents complete selfless community work every day without seeking any recognition or feedback. Thanks to Rotary Club of Ayr, two of these people have recently been recognised with a Paul Harris Fellowship, with small ceremonies last week acknowledging the work of Gerald Henaway and Gillian Stanbrook. “We realised we needed to recognise special people, ordinary people doing extraordinary things, exemplifying service above s
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Burdekin Community Association Inc (BCA) can help you to access community services and get more involved in the Burdekin community. We offer a very wide range of services, under 36 programs, for people of all ages and backgrounds. Most services are FREE. Our team is very well qualified and experienced and can provide you with information and/or help you to access local and outreach services. For example, aged care, disability care, housing, crisis accommodation, financial coaching, social acti
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This week, the team has been reflecting on how we can often take on the negative thoughts and behaviours of others, causing us to question ourselves, our abilities, and our self-worth. We can lose confidence in our judgement and start down a path towards poor mental health and well-being. Imagine a situation in which you're bombarded with negative thoughts and emotions, like a snowball rolling towards you, gaining momentum, and engulfing everything in its path. How would you handle it? •
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Did you know that the Burdekin Shire Council actively encourages community participation through various consultations and surveys? This initiative is a crucial aspect of local governance, ensuring that the voices of residents are heard and considered in decision-making processes. Council covers a wide array of topics in the consultations. From infrastructure projects like roadworks and public facilities to social initiatives such as community health and cultural events, there's always something
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As preparations ramp up ahead of the Burdekin Show, the Ayr Pastoral, Agricultural and Industrial Association has announced Queensland Cane Agriculture & Renewables (QCAR) as the naming rights sponsor for the 2024 event. The QCAR Burdekin Show will take over the Ayr Showgrounds on Wednesday, June 26 for a day of agricultural, community and family fun. “QCAR is a local organisation and shows, traditionally, are an agriculture-based event,” said Ayr Pastoral, Agricultural and Industrial Associatio
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The fate of the annually celebrated Burdekin Water Festival will rest in the hands of the Burdekin community with the annual general meeting (AGM) set for Monday 10 June from 6pm at the Queens Hotel. The Burdekin Water Festival celebrates the abundance of water in the district, and proudly stands as one of the longest running festivals in Queensland. The festival entails a plethora of events that encompass the entire community, from school students to emergency services, however, following a l
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Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has welcomed the announcement that China will lift its ban on Australian beef exports. “This is a positive step for Australian beef farmers and producers, with the suspension of five of the bans being lifted immediately,” said Mr Willcox. “China has always been a valued trading partner for Australian agriculture which is a trade dependent sector, exporting more that 70% of what we produce. “My concern now is the workforce shortages that our farmers a
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Farming is a cornerstone of many rural communities, providing food, employment, and a way of life. However, it comes with its unique set of risks and challenges. Fires, cyclones, machinery breakdowns, and accidents can threaten not only the livelihood of farmers but also affect the entire community. It’s therefore crucial to address the importance of farm safety and the role of farm insurance in protecting our assets and ensuring the sustainability of our farming operations. An unfortunate but
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Last month, NQ Dry Tropics coordinated a two-day Regional Cultural Fire Workshop on Gugu Badhun Country at Jervoise Station, near Greenvale. The event was part of the Cultural Fire for Grazing Landscapes project, delivered in partnership between Traditional Owners of the Burdekin Dry Tropics region, WWF-Australia, Firesticks Alliance, and graziers. Event attendees spanned a wide range of professions, ages, and backgrounds, including representatives from several regional Traditional Owner groups
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The Federal Government’s backflip on changes to the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) Schemes mandatory work hours has been welcomed by Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox. “Last year, the Albanese Labor Government ploughed ahead with unworkable changes to the PALM Scheme, despite numerous warnings from the Coalition and industry bodies, which put our agricultural industry and our foreign relations in jeopardy,” Mr Willcox said. “The changes forced employers to guarantee 30 hours
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Living the island life stands as a bucket list dream for many, but Brooklyn Ivory has been living this dream, day in, day out for just over a year. Brooklyn lives, works, and studies on Hayman Island in the Whitsundays as part of The Hotel School where she is enrolled in an Associate Degree of International Hotel and Tourism Management. The Hotel School allows its students to study on the island campus and combines their academia with hands-on experience to foster a unique work, study and livin
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Thursday 6 June Morning Melodies: Some Enchanted Evening Thursday, from 11am We have all heard their songs and we have all enjoyed their musicals. They were known as America’s most successful musical theatre writing team and their partnership has been called the greatest of the 20th Century. Join us for a very special event paying tribute to the timeless music from the legendary Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Featuring your favourite tunes from Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific
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Ayr State High School is set to stage the devilish hit 70’s musical, Disco Inferno this August and tickets went on sale for the production from Monday 3 June. The musical will ignite the Burdekin Theatre with the talents of Ayr State High School’s students on show from its opening night on Friday 23 August. With a matinee and its closing night on Saturday 24 August, the region will be entertained with an extraordinary retro performance. Disco Inferno transports audiences back to the 1970s wh
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