Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
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By Amanda Wright Production at Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Inkerman Mill in the Burdekin region, which kicked off the 2024 season on Monday, June 10, was abruptly halted on Wednesday due to industrial action. The shutdown was prompted by union delegates informing the company of a planned one-hour work stoppage at Inkerman Mill and at least two other sites at midday on Wednesday. While a one-hour stoppage might not typically force a shutdown, the delegates declined to confirm whether this w
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Production has begun at Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Inkerman Mill in the Burdekin region with the first cane for the 2024 season tipping at 9:28am on Monday 10 June. Invicta Mill and Kalamia Mill will see production also begin this week with the remaining five other Wilmar mills to start up the week beginning Monday 17 June. The beginning of what will be an extremely busy season for the Burdekin has been successful with General Manager Operations, Mike McLeod describing the kickoff as off t
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Hi everyone, On his way travelling down the Queensland coast, our recently departed journalist, Sam Gillespie, called into the Whitsundays with his mum, dad and ‘Uncle Chook’ to attend a little farewell afternoon that the team held in his honour. Sam has been an incredible contributor to Burdekin Life Newspaper and I couldn’t think of anyone with a bigger heart and a love for regional communities that could have guided this newspaper through its first eight months. He has set a precedent for
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Within the early hours of Thursday 6 June, the motorists of the Burdekin region experienced lengthy delays and major travelling inconveniences following a truck fire on the Burdekin Bridge. Five emergency service crews responded to calls just after 5am to find a B Double Semi Trailer Truck fully engulfed in flames. The vehicle was transporting pallets of alcohol travelling North along the Bruce Highway when a mechanical failure occurred, and the truck’s tyres burst. A Queensland Police Servic
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The Queensland Government has been called out by Member for Burdekin and Shadow Minister for Rural & Regional Affairs Dale Last after increased funding for the Bruce Highway was announced from 2027-28, saying it has “given up when it comes to improving roads in regional Queensland”. The state government announced it will increase its annual Bruce Highway funding commitment to $250 million per annum from 2027-28 onwards, but Mr Last said this will see safety upgrades on the roads that their const
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The State Budget was announced on Tuesday afternoon, unveiling measures to directly relieve the cost-of-living crisis and help people with everyday expenses. From discounted car registration to cheaper public transport, the pre-election budget is aimed at creating real change, although several measures are conveniently due to expire just after the State Government election set to take place later this year. Overall, a total of $11.2b in reductions to Queenslanders were outlined in this week’s
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The young blue heeler from Brisbane who has taken the world by storm is now the face of the state as the latest major tourism marketing campaign from Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) kicked off earlier this month. Building on the global phenomenon of children’s television show Bluey, Queensland will be pitched as ‘Bluey’s world, for real life’, encouraging visitors from around the world to come and live the Bluey lifestyle in Queensland. Tourism industry representatives gathered at locations
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A big thank you to the Burdekin region for being so RV friendly and supportive. Travelling Australia for three years we have seen many places and your region stands out as a shining beacon of welcoming civility. We love your many camping options and have sampled a few. Plantation Creek Boat Ramp free camp near Ayr was a peaceful spot, and the mud crabs caught were very much enjoyed. Giru free camp is another great spot, the nearby Giru International Hotel always gets our custom for a night ou
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On Monday 10 June, over 700 Australians were prestigiously recognised and celebrated under the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours List, and among them was the Burdekin Shire Council Chef Executive Officer Terry Brennan. His dedicated service to the Burdekin community has been honoured with the Public Service Medal to recognise his dedication, and outstanding service to Local Government in Queensland. Mr Brennan has led an extraordinary 45-year career devoted to Local Government since 1979 when he b
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In breaking news for the community, the celebrated Burdekin Water Festival will return to the region for 2024 on Saturday 7 September. The theme for this year’s Burdekin Water Festival will be Bring it Back, a nostalgic theme set to capture the hearts of the entire community. “The theme, Bring it Back, was based on the committee’s discussions of fond memories of the Water Festival, and things that we used to enjoy when we were growing up and visiting the event every year, so we want to bring b
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The Queensland Government is hosting an information session for its Cyclone Resilience Programs in Ayr this evening, designed to enhance property resilience in cyclone-prone coastal areas. This information session, aimed at homeowners, bodies corporate, strata managers, and contractors, will detail the Strata Resilience Program and Household Resilience Program. Both programs are co-funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments and have been developed in collaboration with James Cook Unive
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After almost a year of campaigning and fundraising, a significant step will be taken in the Burdekin’s journey to honour Jean Morris, a 19-year-old murder victim from 1932, as locals plan to construct a concrete slab for her gravestone on June 17. The fundraising campaign, led by Henry Petersen and Paula Dawson, recently reached $3,600, marking a pivotal moment in their mission to give Jean a dignified resting place after 93 years in an unmarked grave. Jean Morris's story is a haunting chapter
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While nineties and naughties fashions are making a resurgence in popular culture, so too are some vintage scamming techniques, says Bendigo Bank. As we approach tax season, the Bank is alerting customers about a trend of scammers targeting customers asking recipients to open an attached HTML file to view important changes or to electronically sign a document. “At this time of year, pre-tax time purchases are on the increase and email traffic peaks, so for criminals, the conditions are perfe
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After a decade, the much-loved Cava Indian Restaurant will close its Queen Street doors on Sunday 23 June. Their closure comes as a surprise to the region, with hundreds of locals taking to Facebook to share their saddened reactions and messages of support. Jyoti Sharma announced her business’ closure on Tuesday 4 June, explaining the decision was not made lightly, and expressing her immense gratitude to the community, and to the customers who became family since 2014. Devastating the commun
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The RSL Home Hill Sub Branch held its biannual dinner at the Crown Hotel on Thursday, June 6 where President Richard Kelly presented two young achievers with certificates of appreciation. Sophie Robertson was recognised for her efforts in being awarded the Premier’s Anzac Prize and her fundraising for Australian Defence Force Veterans Charity Mates4Mates, while Ethan Pengelly was recognised for his fundraising efforts for the Sub Branch through selling commemorative merchandise. “We like to pre
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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. A Centrelink Income Statement is required unless you are affected by domestic and f
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Applications have opened for Australia Post’s 2024 Community Grants program, which funds community-led, local projects across Australia. Eligible not-for-profit groups can apply for grants of up to $10,000 to support projects which have the primary purpose of improving mental health and wellbeing in local communities. Last year’s program saw 72 projects awarded funding across the country, totalling over $500,000, with half of the successful applications awarded in rural and remote locations
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Welcome to my second newspaper column. I am very excited about the possibility of there being a Water Festival later in the year. Thank you to the dedicated locals who attended the meetings to help get the festival going. To the dedicated people who put their hands up to be on the committee, thank you. It is great to see so many people wanting the festival to go ahead so, stay turned for an update and fingers crossed we will see a Water Festival. I attended the Burdekin Theatre on Friday night
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Did you know Burdekin Shire Council offers community message boards to help promote local events and important information. As part of the Burdekin Shire Council's commitment to supporting a broad range of community events, advertising on the Community Event Board can be utilised by community and not-for-profit groups conducting events in the Burdekin Shire. Your organistion will need to complete the Community Event Sign Application Form found on Council’s website and return it to the Community
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Burdekin Community Association (BCA) has been announced by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) as one of 17 providers that will deliver the redesigned Mental Health Stepped Care service model in North Queensland from July 1, 2024. As defined by the Department of Health and Aged Care, stepped care is an evidence-based, staged approach to delivering primary mental health care that supports individuals with care tailored to meet their needs. Stepped care recognises there is a spectr
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Celebrating its 27th birthday in the Burdekin region, Optique Eyes stands as a business operating with a centralised focus on serving the community with “exceptional eye care and exquisite eyewear”. Established in 1997 by Helene Holmes, the Queen Street optometrist has withstood the changing tides of business for almost three decades. Helene established Optique Eyes after moving to the Burdekin to purchase an existing practice to seize an entrepreneurial opportunity. In 2018, the business relo
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Groundbreaking automation for a soil-scanning process developed at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre could be vital to the future of successful broadacre cropping planning. Electro-magnetic survey scanning has long been used to identify variability in soils, including assessment of salinity, water and clay content. The process has usually involved a scanning sled being dragged behind an all-terrain vehicle. However, in a possible world-first, t
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Griffith University’s Dr Yunying Fang has successfully progressed with a research proposal regarding the Soil CRC’s Round 24-1. The Soil CRC (CRC for High Performance Soil) works to connect scientists with farmers to uncover practical solutions for Australia’s underperforming soil. The organization aims to enable farmers to increase their overall productivity and profitability levels through providing them with knowledge and tools to improve the performance of their soils. The success of Dr
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The Burdekin Football Club is set to host their annual Ladies Day on Saturday 17 August and 2024 will showcase the best fashionable florals yet. Spring Fling; a theme of vibrancy, a theme of florals, and a theme of fun. Subtly drawing from the fashions of 2024’s Met Gala, the Burdekin Football Club will liven up Beach Road’s International Park from 3:30pm with Spring colours and fabulous florals. The evening will provide a smorgasbord of raffles, lucky door prizes, and of course the infamous
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Saturday 15 June Perform Studios presents Rise Saturday from 2pm and 7.30pm Perform Music presents their annual showcase concert - RISE! Burdekin Theatre Wednesday 19 June Home Hill Community Meeting Wednesday, from 9am Residents of Home Hill, particularly new residents and over 60s, are invited for a chat and cuppa to meet Labor Candidate for Burdekin Anne Baker. Raise your concerns and share your views, ideas and hopes for the community. Morning tea supplied. Home Hill Community Sports Club
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