Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
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Ayr Health Service has welcomed four graduate nurses to its staff in 2024, bolstering the service’s nursing workforce and the region’s healthcare capabilities. Three of the new graduates, Macy Davelstein, Dani McFadyen and Nissa Reid, are local to the Burdekin and had been working at the hospital while completing their degrees while Allanis Melvin recently relocated for her new position. “Historically, Graduate nurses rotated from the Townsville University Hospital and then on completion of thei
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Two children were injured in a motorcycle crash on a private property on Rita Island Road, Jarvisfield last Wednesday, January 24. A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed the incident was reported at 4:17pm that afternoon. “Paramedics treated two males in their pre-teens, one with a head injury and one with arm and leg injuries,” the Spokesperson said. “One patient was transported to Ayr Hospital, and the second was airlifted to Townsville Hospital; both were stable.” A Queensland
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Road Safety – School zones With school recommenced for this term, just a timely reminder for parents who drop their children off at local schools. Drop off zones are exactly that, pull up and drop off your children then leave. If you intend on walking your child into school, park elsewhere. We don’t want to cause any traffic congestion during an already busy time of the day. Don’t stop in the lane of travel waiting for vehicles that are parked, picking up children, to leave that space, as this
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Several offenders committed a series of break and enters in the early hours of January 23, including ram raids using a stolen vehicle. In the early hours of the January 25, five offenders committed a further series of break and enters and ram raids using other stolen vehicles. These offences occurred in Ayr, Home Hill and Brandon. As of Monday, January 29, three of the five offenders had been dealt with by Ayr Criminal Investigation Branch officers with a total of 43 charges between them.
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Progress on the CopperString 2032 project is rapidly powering ahead, with the Minister for Energy and Clean Economy Jobs announcing Powerlink will recruit Townsville-based apprentices for the first time. An additional 22-strong contingent in Townsville will also support work on the 840km transmission line which will run from outside Ayr to Mount Isa. The announcements for the region come as 35 new apprentices and graduates from across Queensland began their careers with Powerlink earlier in Janu
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In early 2022, nine defibrillators were installed in various bay areas of Cape Upstart National Park and Molongle Creek Caravan Park to provide the isolated area with essential, life-saving equipment. The installation was initiated by the Cape Upstart Community Progress group with the support of the Whitsunday Regional Council, and the Queensland Country Bank’s Good for Good Grants program. All nine defibrillators, with the aid of the Queensland Country Bank’s grant, were purchase from Megan Je
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Caption 1: The Local Disaster Management Group met regularly throughout the event Caption 2: Mackenzie Linton, Ken Linton and Graham Baker preparing for the impending cyclone last week Caption 3: Mark and Ayesha Caption 4: Business in Queen Street, Ayr were sandbagged in preparation for possible flooding Captions 5-7: The cyclone left fallen trees, branches and powerlines in its path Photo credit: Sam Gillespie Caption 8: Ergon crews worked hastily to repair damage to the electricity network. P
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Burdekin Shire Council is pleased to announce the Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony, which was postponed due to the severe weather event, has been rescheduled for Monday, February 12 at the Burdekin Memorial Hall, commencing at 6:00pm. The Australia Day awards ceremony stands out as a significant event of the year, offering a valuable chance to acknowledge the nominees and award winners. “Council is looking forward to honouring our Australia Day Award recipients, who have shown ex
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Emergency Relief Program BCA provides financial and material assistance for adults experiencing personal, family, relationship and/or financial issues. The service assists adults and children with basic needs in times of financial hardship, through the provision of vouchers, prepaid cards/vouchers, chemist or transport vouchers, payment of third-party accounts, or direct material assistance such as food parcels. Please note that a Centrelink Income Statement is required unless you are affected b
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With the busy Christmas season behind us, many of us are looking to resume interests and social outings. Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre is home to several community groups and activities. Our very popular Crochet Group is happening on a Monday afternoon, along with the Mahjong Players of the Burdekin. Play 2 Learn Playgroup from 54 Reasons has returned on a Thursday morning, we are looking forward to having our local families make use of our playground and facilities. MoveIT Burdekin has st
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Did you know that you can find useful information on how to deal with natural disasters on the Council webpage? The Burdekin is a beautiful region, but we also face some serious challenges during the North Queensland summer, such as cyclones and floods. That's why Council has created a range of resources on disaster management and preparedness to help you minimise the impact of a disaster. You can access the Burdekin Emergency Action Guide, which provides practical advice on what to do before,
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Having played a major role in the infrastructure development in the Burdekin, Bowen and Whitsundays areas over the last 50 years, BQC Quarries has proven its undeniable commitment to quality decade after decade. With all three arms of the business – BQC Quarries, Burdekin Concrete and BQC Sands – celebrating milestones in 2024, Operations Manager Lawrence Fahey reflects on the last half a century with pride in the product and appreciation of loyal customers. BQC Quarries commenced in 1974, initi
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In a groundbreaking initiative, Burdekin Funerals, in partnership with its sister company Townsville Funerals, Cremations & Crematorium, has introduced The Gentle Way, an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional burial and cremation practices. This innovative process not only honours departed loved ones but also contributes significantly to reducing carbon footprints. The Gentle Way has already made a substantial impact, saving between 200 to 270 kilograms of carbon dioxide per proce
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As the school year kicks off, packing a wholesome lunchbox is a fantastic way to ensure that both kids and adults stay fuelled and focused throughout the day. Ditch the monotony of pre-packaged snacks and explore these mouth watering yet healthy lunchbox recipes that will satisfy taste buds while providing essential nutrients. 1. Quinoa Salad Jars: Prepare a batch of quinoa and layer it in portable jars with colourful veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and capsicum. Add a protein boost wit
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Get ready for the rural event of the year, with Burdekin Boars and Barras back on the calendar for 2024! Speaking to the hobbies and passions of the region, and with something for everyone, get ready to get behind the rod or behind the pistols, and help fundraising efforts for Clare State School. Fun for the whole family, the event schedule includes the coveted weigh-in presentations, for all pigs, fish and crabs, the well-stocked licensed bar, Rotary food tent, Lillie’s cubby house, live music
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Initial inspections of sugar cane paddocks across the Herbert and Burdekin indicate approximately 5% of crop to have experienced damage following ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily making landfall last week. Queensland Cane Agriculture & Renewables (QCAR) Chair Charles Quagliata said he and other members of the QCAR team have been active in the field, liaising with growers, members and other agencies to assess the damage. “The bigger cane varieties seem to have laid over as it usually does in windy wea
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In November of last year, the class of 2023 celebrated the conclusion of their high school careers and began the next chapters of their young-adult lives. For Ayr State High School Valedictorian, Chelsea Scalia, this meant celebrating her outstanding 90s ATAR score achievement, and accepting an offer to enroll in a Bachelors of Speech Pathology at James Cook University. With the responsibilities of being Ayr State High School’s School Captain, holding a part-time employment position, and maint
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Wednesday January 24 Afternoon Social Bowls – On a very hot and humid day those who braved the conditions struggled, but managed to get a game in. Winners were Sandra Darwen and Maurice Power who defeated Anthony Bull and Chris Berkery. Saturday January 27 Social Afternoon – Winners were Jim Murray/Mick Olsen, Paul Vass and Pam Power who defeated Lorraine Wolffe, Anthony Bull and Chris Berkery. New date for our postponed Australia Day Bowls sponsored by Phelan’s Pies will be Saturday February 3.
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Get your racquet out, the Ayr Tennis Association is hitting up your calendar with some of the best tennis action in the region. On the cards is the beginning of the Ayr Tennis Social and Competitive Competitions, from this evening, Thursday February 1, at 7pm. Described as ‘extremely social’, Ayr Tennis’ social competition is a great opportunity to get to the court, smash around the ball, enjoy some laughs and share some post-drinks. Taking place every Thursday, everyone is welcome to bat the
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The Burdekin Shire Council and Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre have partnered to bring residents over the age of 55 into a free initiative to encourage movement and exercise. Beginning last week, the ‘Move It Burdekin’ initiative is a 15-week program that offers low impact training, exercises, yoga and chair activities, to suit a range of different fitness levels and improve the physical and mental wellbeing on Burdekin’s residents. The first post-cyclone session was held at Burdekin Neighbourh
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An excellent turn up for Wednesday night bowls on January 24 with 18 players turning up and the nights winners were Sheila and Lloyd. Four games of pairs and Lynn and Judy played a game of singles – it may have been just for bragging rights. Rinks 4 to 7 East/West were used. RINK 4: Amie and Stephen were a bit too strong for Paul and Mick winning 14 to 8. RINK 5: Sheila and Lloyd outlasted Tony and Margaret 13 to 8. Sheila and Lloyd also drew the lucky rink so they got the drinks. RINK 6: A
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More Queensland families will have access to swimming lessons for their young children with a $5 million boost to the Queensland Government’s SwimStart program. SwimStart is designed to improve water safety for children up to the age of four, while helping to ease cost-of-living pressures for eligible families by delivering vouchers valued up to $150 per child for swimming lessons.
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The Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) is monitoring the situation as a tropical low continues to develop off the coast of north Queensland. Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Lyn McLaughlin, chair of the LDMG, said the LDMG encourages all organisations and residents to be prepared for the potential impact of the severe weather event which could bring strong winds, heavy rain and flooding to the region.
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Elected representatives of the Burdekin Shire Council were welcomed back to Council for their first meeting of 2024 on Tuesday, January 23. The meeting was also Council’s last official meeting before it enters a caretaker period in February ahead of the local government election to be held on Saturday, March 16. During the caretaker period, Council will be limited from publishing election material and making major policy decisions, ensuring there are no significant policy decisions made near the
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Hi readers I’m writing this on a hot, sunny Monday afternoon knowing the weather could be very different by the time this newspaper gets into your hands. Kirrily is the name on everybody’s lips this week, a tropical low at the time of writing that is expected to form into a tropical cyclone and cross the north Queensland coast this week. Of course, it wasn’t too long ago we were preparing for TC Jasper, with its devastating affects still being felt north of here, and I truly hope TC Kirrily tak
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