A small but thriving fishing club in the Burdekin is celebrating its 50th year in 2024. The Burdekin District Sportfishing club owes its longevity to a very strong family and social thread which runs alongside the competitive fishing aspect. Monthly competitions culminate in a weigh-in and BBQ at a member’s residence which brings the whole group together in an informal and personal setting. The competitive element is always present but members do share “secret” spots and are keen to encourage
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Local The Escriva Cup is due to be played this Friday evening, 1st November and is a fundraiser held by The SLoBs (Soccer Legends of the Burdekin) to help out ex-players with health problems. Last year fourteen Men’s teams and two Ladies teams took part. Hopefully, we will have more teams involved this year. Night Soccer Delta Cleaners Night Soccer’s Week 8 was played in good conditions and with only one forfeit. The 21games produced 65 goals and just the one Sin Bin. Congratulations to DL
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On Saturday 19 October, Lower Burdekin Hockey hosted their annual Hacker’s Cup at the Burdekin Junior Rugby League Fields, the former base of Burdekin Hockey. The carnival was first held in 1998 with a view to introducing novice players, or ‘hackers’ to the game of hockey. With no carnivals held in 2018 or 2020, this year was the 25th time the carnival has been run. The competitors included our current indoor players, annual Hacker’s competitors, returning hockey players and a range of ‘hacke
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The Ayr Golf Club was the place to be over the weekend with the Karrie Webb Junior Masters hosting the talents plenty of young golfers across the green. The weather was exceptional and enjoyed by all 79 players over the two-day event as generously sponsored by Raine and Horne and Mizuno Golf. The Club saw young golfers from the Burdekin, Cairns, Townsville, Charters Towers, Bowen, Proserpine, Yeppoon, Gladstone, Harvey Bay, Bribie Island and Mt Warren showcase their skills on the Ayr Golf Club’
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Saturday 2nd Of September 1.00pm to 5.00pm ( Patrol Group A) Chris Wicks, Damien Rickets, Emma Rickets, Jane Rickets. Sunday 3rd Of September 9.00am to 5.00pm ( All day Patrol Group F) Lisa Furnell, Jen Morgan, John Furnell, Jo Morgan, Lauren Chapman, Isla Chapman, Ryley Satori, Jake Satori, Kat Satori, Dave Satori. Contributed with thanks to Hockey Vernon.
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The Ayr Surf Club travelled to Mackay over the weekend for the 2024 North Australian Championships. North Aussies is a 3-day carnival with clubs from as north as Port Douglas to as far south as Mooloolaba uniting for one of Queensland's most iconic volunteer movements, Surf Life Saving. The Friday consisted of the Pool Rescue competition, where 12 Ayr competitors battled it out in the pool at the Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex, demonstrating rescue techniques and skills against some very
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A lot of visitors have popped in for a game of bowls, discovering the force that is Home Hill Bowls Club. Bowlers from other regions have stopped by, like Rod Haderfield and his dog Blackjack. Steve and Annie from Giru have enjoyed playing bowls at Home Hill along with Phil Marsden who has now become a regular. People like Mick Olsen, our fellow adjudicator is the backbone of any club for all they do asking for nothing in return. The pairs competition had another great turnout on Saturday, att
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The week at Ayr Bowling Club began with Ladies’ Social bowls on Monday 21 October, where Pam Power faced Irene Wilson in the consistency singles. It was a competitive game, with Power emerging victorious in a closely contested match. Tuesday’s Ladies’ Social bowls drew a good turnout of 16 players, forming three games of triples and one game of pairs. The winners included Merle Nixon, Katharina Stuckler, and Deslie Olsen, who defeated Rayleen Harvey, Ron Soper, and Linda Guimelli. Ruth Moore, S
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Fourteen bowlers gathered for an enjoyable Friday evening of social bowls and friendly banter at the Brandon Bowls Club. The evening featured one game of triples, where Joy Woods, Lyn Storrie, and "Rampaging" Ray Paneccasio triumphed over Margaret McLaughlan, Lyn Storrie, and Joe Yipnazar. Storrie humorously struggled to remember who her skip was, as the team was short one player. Two pairs matches followed. In the first, Norm Storrie teamed up with "Mr. Bowls" Gary Pearce to defeat David Bycro
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The past week has been a busy one for the Home Hill Cricket Association. On Tuesday afternoon, the Rookies program took place at East Ayr State School, where coaches Guy and Thomas led children in a fun-filled session focused on the fundamental skills of cricket. During Friday afternoon’s Challengers games, Corey Pensini and Nicholas Marrinan stood out as top scorers, followed closely by strong performances from Noah Tanner and Henry Cohen. Levi Trail earned the "McDonald's Sports Award" this we
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Becoming a full-time firefighter is no small feat, and Lindsay Wilson and Carter Dal Ponte are now two of Ayr's newest recruits. Selected from a pool of 5,000 to 7,000 applicants, both were offered positions at their local station after a rigorous selection process. As locals, they chose Ayr as their preferred deployment location, joining the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) in a demanding yet rewarding role. Continued on page 12. 1. NEW RECRUITS: Lindsay Wilson holding an axe and C
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It’s an exciting time in the Burdekin as our community is bustling with activity, especially with the Home Hill Harvest Festival in full swing! From Ephemera on display to the much-anticipated Town of Origin clash, there’s no shortage of events bringing us together to celebrate the heart of our region. One of the highlights of the festival is the King and Queen of the Hill competition, where local camaraderie truly shines. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to cheer on those vying for the crow
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Every day we are blessed to be in this wonderful community and Sofia Andreou experienced that first hand. Last week, she posted on a popular Facebook community chat site offering to give $50 for free to go to a good home. It all began when she was cleaning her rental property and found a $50 note hidden behind a book, deciding not to keep it but give it away instead. “So I thought, I'm going to actually advertise this because it's $50 I didn't even notice that I had and it's very easy to forg
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Home Hill State High School has claimed victory at the Opti-MINDS 2024 State Championship in Division II Media Communications, an outstanding achievement in the national competition, which has been running for 36 years. This marks the second year Home Hill has competed, having previously won the Townsville regional finals last year and gone on to claim the Division III Media Communications title at the state level. In 2024, Home Hill entered two teams into the Townsville regional finals, and bot
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As the final week of the state election campaign draws to a close Member for Burdekin Dale Last has offered his thanks to residents, community groups and business leaders who he’s worked alongside in his third term. Mr Last said while the support over recent weeks had been humbling what was important was that the Burdekin had a strong voice on issues and projects that mattered to them. “I have said it plenty of times but the Burdekin electorate is a powerhouse for the state’s economy from our
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Prepare for an exhilarating day of competition at the King and Queen of the Hill event on October 26th, 2024! From 6am to 8am participants will gather at Mount Inkerman to tackle the challenging course that winds from the bottom of Inkerman Hill to the picturesque lookout and back down again. This exciting race is designed for runners of all ages, divided into multiple categories, ensuring everyone has a chance to compete for the coveted titles. Participants will test their speed and endurance o
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The Plantation parkrun held its 300th event on 19th October, marking a wonderful morning of fitness and community spirit. A total of 41 participants ran, jogged, or walked the course, including four first timers and six people who recorded new personal bests. The event was made special by the contributions of the Lindley family, who provided Zopper Doppers, and Stephen Hervey, who brought 300 balloons to celebrate the milestone. The morning’s success was made possible by seven dedicated voluntee
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1: This is your final elevator pitch - in 80 words - what makes you the best candidate for the job? 2: If successful, what is the one key project/legacy achievement that you will be remembered for? 3: What role do you think local newspapers play in regional communities? 4: What would you say to someone who has never voted for your party before but is thinking about it?
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Last Wednesday, Ryan Jones delivered an engaging and informative speech at the Home Hill Chamber of Commerce meeting, focusing on the Burdekin Shire Rivers Improvement Trust (BSRIT). Established in 1941, the Trust plays a vital role in managing the Burdekin and Haughton rivers, particularly in the aftermath of significant flooding events. Jones outlined the Trust’s history and evolution, highlighting its formation in response to devastating floods in the 1930s and subsequent improvements aimed a
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Council organised a disaster management meeting in preparation for the upcoming disaster season, with 50 attendees present on the day. The disaster management team presented updates to the community ensuring a comprehensive, multipronged communication strategy. Key speakers included the Executive Officer of the Townsville District Disaster Management Group, part of the Queensland Police Service, and meteorologists from the Bureau of Meteorology. They provided a long-range forecast from November
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Open Minds is proud to announce that Ross Romeo from Far North Queensland has been awarded the esteemed Jeff Cheverton Individual Award at the 28th Queensland Mental Health Week Achievement Awards. This accolade, sponsored by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on the lives of people living with mental illness. Ross Romeo, who has been the state coordinator for CORES (Community Owned Response Eliminating Suicid
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Last Wednesday morning the councillors and senior staff cooked breakfast for all Council staff in the theatre forecourt. It was a great chance to get the whole team together for an update from our new CEO Matthew Magin. Matthew explained his vision for Council and also announced who will be filling the two directors' roles. Congratulations and good luck to our directors. It's so good to have local people with great experience filling these senior roles in our Council. This week I have been dow
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I’d like to take a moment to formally welcome our two new homegrown Directors to the team. We welcome Director Infrastructure, Planning, and Environmental Services James Stewart and Director of Corporate and Community Services Kim Olsen. Both are home grown, have a deep connection to our region and are committed to ensuring Council achieves the best outcomes for our community. I am confident that, with their leadership, we will continue to move forward with our shared vision for a thriving Burd
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Queensland graziers are being urged to keep an eye out for pasture dieback and consider management options. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) principal pasture agronomist Gavin Peck said the condition, which caused premature death of tropical and sub-tropical grasses, spread to new areas last year. “Previously, pasture dieback generally affected high-yielding sown-grass pastures in regions with more than 600mm of average annual rainfall,” Mr Peck said. “However, last summer it sp
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With just days to go until Queensland votes, Canegrowers is calling on political leaders to commit to meaningful reforms that will reduce crippling power prices and remove unfair stamp duties that stifle farmers' ability to manage risk. Canegrowers CEO Dan Galligan said that Queensland’s sugarcane growers are being squeezed by electricity prices that have skyrocketed by 145% since 2007, putting immense pressure on productivity and competitiveness. General price inflation over the same period
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