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In the Burdekin, nurturing the next generation is more than a goal—it’s a shared commitment. Local organisations like the Ayr Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) play a vital role in instilling values of responsibility, resilience, and teamwork in young members. Through lifesaving training and beach patrols, the club equips youth with skills that could one day save lives, fostering confidence and a sense of purpose. Events such as the King and Queen of the Hill race further showcase the Burdekin’s ded
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Ruby Sitton will soon embark on an extraordinary new chapter as she prepares to travel to Norway on a twelve-month Rotary Youth Exchange in January of 2025. Currently in her final year of schooling at Burdekin Catholic High School, Ruby will proudly serve as an ambassador for her school, the Rotary Club of Ayr, and the wider Burdekin community during her time spent abroad. With her travels on the horizon, Ruby’s wonderful achievement was recently marked by a special presentation from Andrew Wil
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Lyn McLaughlin has been appointed as a member of the Queensland Reconstruction Board, a move that underscores her dedication to regional Queensland and her extensive experience in infrastructure and disaster recovery. With a remarkable tenure of 22 years as a Councillor and Mayor of Burdekin Shire Council, McLaughlin’s appointment highlights her commitment to advocating for regional voices in statewide discussions. Having previously served on the Queensland Reconstruction Board from 2013 to 201
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Burdekin Shire Council is advising residents and visitors to exercise caution as the annual magpie swooping season is in full swing. This period, typically spanning from July to December, has seen an uptick in magpie activity across the region, raising concern within the community. During the breeding season, magpies can become particularly aggressive in defending their nests, often swooping at humans and pets within a 100-metre radius of their nesting sites. While many magpies are indifferent
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The Burdekin Shire Council has joined forces with Container Exchange to launch a new recycling program aimed at boosting container recycling and cutting down on waste in the region, all while benefiting the local community. Since the Container Refund Scheme's introduction in 2018, Burdekin residents have recycled over 40 million eligible drink containers. However, with millions of recyclable containers still ending up in landfill across Queensland every year, the Council identified the need for
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Sam Ashkar's journey to becoming a firefighter has been a blend of passion, perseverance, coupled with a desire to serve his community. Growing up with an aquatic background, Sam has always been immersed in helping others. “I’ve been dealing with people and helping the community since I was young, and I love that aspect,” he shares. As a lifeguard, he was familiar with rescue operations, but he felt limited in his potential for growth. “Firefighting was something I had always wanted to do since
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Domestic Violence is when one person in a relationship uses violence or abuse to maintain power and control over the other person. It often causes the person being abused to live in fear. Domestic violence can include physical, verbal, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse. It can include behaviors like stalking, isolation or controlling what a person does, who they see or even what they wear. Living with domestic violence can have a profound effect on children and young people. There is ofte
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“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create” – Jana Kingsford For many, life may never be perfectly balanced. However, we can make things easier by being open to change. As we deal with the challenges of everyday life, prioritising our wellbeing while juggling our responsibilities is one of the most important things we can do. Many individuals are adopting creative solutions to reclaim their time. For some, this means scheduling specific hours for work tasks and fully engagi
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Most of us are familiar with the saying, “you can’t polish a…,” well, you know the rest. This saying recently came to mind when I was speaking with our Water and Wastewater team, who highlighted an issue that’s creating headaches (and blockages) in our sewerage network: wet wipes. While many suppliers market these wipes as “flushable,” our sewerage team assures me that this isn’t the case. Wet wipes are one of the biggest causes of blockages in the system, creating obstacles that disturb the nat
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Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference. This event provided a unique opportunity to reconnect with colleagues I hadn’t seen in quite some time and form new connections within the local government space. The conference featured a diverse range of speakers and sessions that addressed current challenges and opportunities facing local Councils. Networking was a highlight of the event. Engaging with fellow professionals allowed for the exchange
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Established in 1926, the Ayr Surf Life Saving Club (Ayr SLSC) has long been a cornerstone of the Burdekin community. From September through May, the dedicated volunteers patrol Alva Beach, promoting water safety and lifesaving skills to people of all ages. In addition to their beach patrols, Ayr SLSC actively supports community events like the Burdekin Sugar Rush, Norm Perry Rotary Duck Race, Water Festival, and the Harvest Festival. Kellie Lawry, Junior Activities Coordinator, Registrar, and S
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Celebrating two decades of success, Butterfly Blue in Ayr is a cherished local gem. Founded by Laurice Falco, a dedicated florist with now 45 years of experience, “Butterfly Blue” evolved from her creative passion to making & creating masterpieces with her hands. From dried and silk floral arrangements to unique jewellery, scrapbooking, macrame and original head pieces, you name it Laurice has done it! Laurice always listens to her customers and community needs. “The next step was to open
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CANEGROWERS congratulates the Liberal National Party (LNP) and Premier David Crisafulli on their State Election victory. Premier Crisafulli, who grew up in a cane farming family in Ingham, understands the challenges and opportunities facing Queensland’s sugarcane industry, and will have growers’ best interests at heart, CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said. “Congratulations to David and the LNP team. We’re excited to work closely with the new Premier to advance the sugarcane sector, an indus
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Cane crushed This week Season to date Invicta 144,445 2,226,449 Pioneer 80,135 1,042,503 Kalamia 68,968 1,196,209 Inkerman 74,931 1,327,863 Burdekin 368,479 5,793,024 CCS Invicta 14.54 14.33 Pioneer 14.47 14.31 Kalamia 13.75 13.90 Inkerman 14.33 14.08 Burdekin 14.33 14.18 Weekly variety performance for region Variety % CCS Variety % CCS Q240 56% 14.59 Q183 8% 14.69 KQ228 13% 13.75 Q208 7% 14.53 Q232 9% 13.50 WSRA17 5% 13.30 Comments: The Burdekin mills processed just over 368,000 tonnes of cane
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Ending hunger around the world was the focus of World Food Day last month, as 2.8 billion people still can’t afford a healthy diet and 733 million face hunger globally. Australia is one of 150 countries embracing this year’s World Food Day theme, “Right to foods for a better life and better future”. Deputy Secretary of Trade and Regulation Tina Hutchison said Australia plays a significant role in combatting hunger. “Australia contributes to the World Food Day objectives through our engagement
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Two James Cook University engineering students have won $10,000 scholarships with Wilmar Sugar and Renewables. Bridgette Layman and Brent Barnett were awarded the Undergraduate Engineering Scholarship at the company’s Townsville headquarters this week. As well as receiving $10,000 in direct financial support, Bridgette and Brent will do paid work placements with the company. Both students are in the third year of their studies at JCU’s Townsville campus, and are on track to complete their degr
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Year level duxes: 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟳 𝗗𝘂𝘅 – Asha Licciardello 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟴 𝗗𝘂𝘅 – Lincoln Innes 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟵 𝗗𝘂𝘅 – Ryley Sartori 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭𝟬 𝗗𝘂𝘅 – Ashlee Colls 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭𝟭 𝗗𝘂𝘅 – Sophie Robertson 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝘂𝘅 – Noah Arboit LtoR - Yr 7 - Senior Dux (as listed above) Senior Dux - Noah Arboit Special Award recipients: 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 – Amaya Boland (Junior), Maddy Geitz (Senior) 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 – Bella Lawry (Junior), Noah Arboit (Senior)
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The Ayr Surf Life Saving Club is gearing up to celebrate its 100-year anniversary, a significant milestone since its establishment on 26th October 1926. The club is already in the planning stages for a big birthday celebration, with formal preparations set to begin in January. A special committee will be formed to oversee the organisation of the celebration, with regular updates planned to keep the club informed on the progress. Hockey Vernon urges anyone with memorabilia to contact him, or the
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The Burdekin Woodcrafts Association members are excited to unveil their new storage container, made possible through a generous grant from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. This project included a concrete mounting slab and robust interior storage racks, addressing the growing need for storage as the Association often receives timber donations from the public but has had to decline many offers due to limited space. Situated next to their workshop at 30 Little Drysdale Street, the co
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Since 1999, John Gooding has been a staple on Sweet FM, hosting a unique show that blends humour, oddities, and local flavour. Originally joining with a friend to cover night soccer, John’s show quickly evolved into something special, sharing mad and strange stories from around the world every week. Unlike typical radio shows, John's program doesn’t feature music. Instead, he and his co-host focus on strange news stories. One of the most memorable tales he recalls involved an unfortunate inciden
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Talented Dancers will ignite the stage at the Burdekin Theatre this November with two brand new performances scheduled for the coming weeks to suit audiences of all ages! On Sunday 10 November, the youngest members of your family will be treated to an awesome Ready Set Magic Preschool Concert at the Burdekin Theatre from 10am! “Last year we held our first ever Ready Set Concert, and it was an absolute hit,” shared Rhythm Edge Dance Studios. “We are excited to be doing it all again this year!
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The Choral Society’s ‘The Vault’ is rolling out the red carpet to celebrate its fifth anniversary, a milestone for Home Hill’s local arts and entertainment scene. This special event will bring together highlights from the past five years, showcasing the unforgettable performances and community spirit that have made The Vault an iconic part of the Burdekin. For regular patrons and newcomers alike, it’s an opportunity to revisit the magic that has captivated audiences and contributed to local cult
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In an inspiring effort to bridge the digital divide, Burdekin Community Association (BCA) held its 2024 Be Connected Get Online Week Event from October 14 to 18. This initiative offered an opportunity for seniors across the community to explore the digital world with personalised guidance and support, aimed at enhancing their tech confidence. For many older Australians, technology can be daunting. Smartphones, computers, and the internet often seem too complex or intimidating to use. This digita
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Friday 25 October Burdekin School Rock the 70s Dance Party Fundraiser Friday from 7pm Prepare to rock and roll through the greatest hits of the 70s at the Burdekin School’s Rock the 70s Dance Party Fundraiser on Friday 25 October! Set to be held at the Queens Hotel, doors will open from 7pm with the show kicking off at 8pm sharp! Each ticket includes a complimentary beverage on arrival and can be purchased from both the Burdekin Theatre and the Queens Hotel. Queens Hotel Saturday 26 October Hom
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The Home Hill Harvest Festival’s annual King and Queen of the Hill event returned on Saturday, October 26, drawing determined participants for a thrilling early morning climb up Inkerman Hill. Starting at 6.30am, runners raced up to the summit lookout, then descended the steep goat track, where the 2024 Harvest Festival Queens were on hand to record finish times. This year’s event featured four age categories, each with impressive performances. In the Under 12s, Quinn Jones led the girls at 28:
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