The Express Newspaper 8 March 2023

DOING IT FOR THE GIRLS

No matter where they are and what they do, women deserve the right to feel dignified throughout their menstrual cycle but unfortunately, girls in disadvantaged countries do not have this liberty. When Lesa Moro learned that young girls were missing out on their already limited education because of their periods, she got to work creating reusable pads for the Days for Girls charity. The work of Lesa and her 50 volunteers in Mareeba has changed the lives of many young women and on this International Women’s Day, these efforts have been recognised and celebrated.

 FULL STORY PG 17

 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY FEATURE PG 17-21

Family set to race in honour of Wendy to help others in need

THE family of a woman who died 12 years to the day after completing her first bout of cancer treatment will take on the challenge of competing in the Great Wheelbarrow Race this May to raise funds to make the cancer nightmare easier for others.

Wendy Mitchell’s daughter Nadine and sons, Dwayne and Brent, together with their dad Dean set up a fundraising page through the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation and have challenged each other to

participate in the Wheelbarrow Race in honour of Wendy and the region’s pioneers.

“We first contacted the foundation because we wanted to set up a team in the Wheelbarrow Race with funds going towards the Cancer Care Ward at Cairns Hospital but then we heard about the Cancer Care Hub campaign and decided to get behind it,” Nadine said.

The family’s fundraising has so far reached $8600.

The Foundation’s Cancer Care Hub is a $1.5 million fundraising campaign to help bring cancer care in the region to the next level.

Foundation fundraising and marketing manager Glenys Duncombe said Wendy’s story was heartbreaking but the family’s motivation was incredible.

“It’s families like this, that we want to help and we will. The campaign will result in more chemotherapy chairs, increased pharmacy capacity to make chemo on-site, increased tele-oncology services, more clinical treatment rooms, and relocating the Cancer Care Ward to level 2 of D Block at Cairns Hospital, making it more accessible to the Liz Plummer Cancer Care Centre,” she said.

“This also will mean greater areas for patients and families together, particularly in a beautiful outdoor area.”

Wendy was first diagnosed

with throat cancer at the age of 45.

“The cancer care unit was not available in Cairns in 2010, so Mum and Dad travelled to Townsville for treatment,” Nadine said.

“Mum underwent aggressive treatment, she had over half of her teeth removed and started on a combination of chemotherapy and radiation for six weeks.”

The family went on to welcome 10 grandchildren and Wendy enjoyed working as a jillaroo after two years of treatment.

“On January 3, three weeks before she passed away, mum was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. A steep decline in her pain and wellbeing caused mum to be admitted to the Cairns Cancer Care Ward on 17 January,” Nadine said.

“Nurses and hospital staff proved exceptional and beyond what we could ever have expected in their care and devotion to our mother. It was one of our mother's special abilities to make everything she did beautiful and to help anyone in need if she had the chance.

“My father and brothers have challenged each other to participate in the 2023 140km Wheelbarrow Race in a trio to honour our mother and the pioneers who pushed their belongings in wheelbarrows in search of fortune.

“Mum’s second diagnosis was pancreatic cancer which had metastasised to her liver and lymph nodes surrounding. She ended up in Mareeba Hospital on about 29 December suffering pain.

“She did previously have weight loss but because she was a jillaroo it is expected she will have a little bit due to the nature of her work. She chalked it up to maybe having a bit of a tummy bug, she was good at not making a fuss.

“Mareeba doctors put Mum on Endone and asked her to come back about three days later for an ultrasound. She didn’t make it that long and ended up back 24 hours later for stronger pain medication.

“On 3 January she had the ultrasound, and it was found she had lesions on her liver. A biopsy on 10 January determined it had come from the pancreas.

“Our beautiful mother passed away on 27 January after her second battle with cancer. At the age of 45, our mother was diagnosed with throat cancer and went into remission after two years of fighting.

“During the last 10 years, Mum was cancer-free, and we never imagined any such tragedy would occur again.”

Visit https://bit.ly/WendyMitchellCareCareHub to donate to the Wendy Mitchell page.

“Being

deaf

feel at a disadvantage. But the ladies at AUDiOHEALTH are always helpful, allowing me to relax, making it a pleasure to come here. With many thanks.”

Dean Mitchell, Nadine Cockrem and son Cash, Brent Mitchell have banded together to compete in this year's Great Wheelbarrow Race in honour of Wendy Mitchell.

Users opposed to council move to privatise airport

BY ROBYN HOLMES

BUSINESSES and operators at the Mareeba Airport and aviation industrial precinct have voiced their strong opposition to plans by Mareeba Shire Council to lease out the facility to a private entity, fearing it will lead to unacceptable higher fees and charges.

In January, council called for expressions of interest to manage, operate and develop the airport further, saying it was “not best placed to be in the business of developing the airport for the future”.

“Council is significantly constrained by budget and the community is unable to further fund economic development initiatives through additional rate increases,” a report to council stated.

“Therefore, council needs to look to private sector management with business development skills and financing capacity, to catalyse the opportunity that the Mareeba Airport offers for economic diversification of the Mareeba township and the broader region.”

But businesses and other users already established at the facility have described the move as “short-sighted” that will ultimately lead to job losses and would be a “huge loss to the ratepayers and greater community of Mareeba”.

“They do not understand the type of business and other activities conducted at the Mareeba Airport and the monumental negative effects that placing the airport into the hands of a private entity to manage will have on the existing businesses and stakeholders at the airport,” My Mareeba Airport Association

president Graeme Normington said.

“A private entity or airport manager/ operator is always profit driven and the council will have no influence on the fees and charges that they want to charge.

“The cost of the lease that the private entity / airport manager / operator has to pay the council will obviously have to be re-couped from those existing businesses and stakeholders at the airport and, hence, higher costs to those existing operators.”

Mr Normington pointed to other similar airports that had been leased out by local councils, saying it had caused economic hardships to existing users who had invested large sums of money into their operations at those facilities.

“There has been evidence of exorbitant new lease agreements with increases up to 3,000 per cent in some cases,” he said.

“We are at risk of increased landing and parking fees that will deter pilots, business aircraft, and itinerant aircraft (stop overs in Mareeba) from making Mareeba Airport a destination – instead it will become one to avoid.”

He cited an example where a private airport manager had refused to renew a lease and had “simply resumed the hangars and locked out that business and/or stakeholder”.

“That is theft. The private airport manager stole the hangar from the business that invested heavily in buying or building their hanger to operate from. The business closed down and there were the job losses,” Mr Normington said.

He also accused the council of failing to properly consult with users before deciding to go out for expressions of interest, and failing to advertise or promote the airport to encourage more businesses to get on board.

“It has been stated by CEO Peter Franks that some $25 million has been spent on the development of the airport upgrade and there are only a few new hangars built,” Mr Normington said.

“I have searched through aviation magazines and websites linked to aviation and promoting aviation and I have not seen any advertising of the Mareeba Airport and its development to the aviation industry.

“You can’t expect people or businesses to relocate to Mareeba Airport if

the council does not advertise and promote the airport and the great place it is to operate from.”

Mareeba Mayor Angela Toppin has held firm to council’s position that calling for EOIs to manage the facility is the right way to go, but noted that no final decision had yet been made.

“The EOI process is a call to the market to gauge the level of interest for the Mareeba Airport to be leased longterm, and to obtain feedback to explore the opportunity for the airport to be further developed,” she said.

“Council is undertaking this exercise to investigate opportunities at the airport to maximise the benefits to the entire community.

“The airport is an important com-

munity asset and council must ensure it provides benefits to the whole community.”

Mayor Toppin said council would review the proposals received, after EOIs close on 15 March.

“All proposals will be carefully scrutinised by council and those that are found to meet council’s objectives and offer significant community and economic benefits, would then be invited to move to Stage 2 and submit formal tenders for council’s consideration,” she said.

“I would like to reassure businesses and operators at the Mareeba Airport that council is taking this process step by step and no decisions have been made at this stage.”

Residents tell what they want in their town

Pictured getting information from TAFE Queensland representatives Deanna Maich and Petra Sorensen from TAFE Queensland was Jubilee College student Wonathal Nanthaniel.

Careers forum for young Tablelanders

YOUNG people connected with local employers in the health and social assistance, primary industry and retail sectors at a Tablelands Regional Council-hosted Careers Forum last week.

The forum was part of the multi-stage “Tablelands Tomorrow” program and was aimed at improving awareness, creating stronger connections, and identifying programs and referrals pathways to universities, training, industry and community programs.

New vet surgery gains approval

A NEW expanded veterinary surgery will be constructed in Atherton after Tablelands Regional Council approved the project.

The new premises for Tablelands Veterinary Services will be built opposite the Big 4 caravan and holiday park on Herberton Road, and it is understood that once the building is completed, the business will relocate from its current location at 1 Tolga Road.

Council acknowledged the project did

have some inconsistencies with the planning scheme insofar that it was not in keeping with the scale and character of the surrounding neighbourhood, but the application only attracted one formal objection.

The objection, from residents in Newton Close, was primarily based on the project not meeting the requirements of the low-density residential zoning, and potential traffic issues.

The project was approved unanimously.

BY ROBYN HOLMES

THE Facebook post attracted well over 500 responses and revealed many people want to see a discount supermarket such as Aldi in the town, amidst claims that Woolworths Atherton was failing to meet their needs with shelves often empty of basic items such as sugar, rice, pasta and water.

“I want all the current shops in Atherton to carry more stock. Sick of shopping at two supermarkets every week to complete my shopping list,” one person wrote.

“This goes for a lot of the other stores as well - Big W, Bunnings, Supercheap, Reject shop, the list goes on. You can find it online but never have stock in Atherton.”

The Express asked Woolworths why so many basic items were regularly missing from the shelves in the past weeks, given there had been no flooding issues preventing transport getting through.

A Woolworths spokesperson blamed the lack of available grocery items on a railway closure between Rockhampton and Gladstone.

“We’ve recently seen some pressures on getting a variety of items to our Atherton store as a result of a railway closure,” the spokesperson said.

“We put a number of contingencies in place including trucking stock to the store, however, that did mean reduced capacity and delivery times.

“We apologise to the local community for not being able to offer our full range of items over the last few weeks.

“We thank customers for their patience as our store team continues to replenish the shelves as quickly as possible.”

It is understood that the railway closure occurred from 29 January until 11 February.

A bigger Bunnings store was also a common theme throughout the Facebook post comments, with some suggesting a larger outlet could be established on land near John Cole Toyota.

Many also lamented the lack of clothing stores

in the town, especially for young people, while others wanted more options for takeaway food and a “decent restaurant”.

“A better clothes shop - maybe a surf shop or more funkier clothing. Nothing up here for teenagers,” one woman wrote.

“A great Italian restaurant and honestly we need more clothing stores for the young teenagers (I’m not young) but not much to pick from for my 15-18 year old grandkids,” another said.

While many had a long wish list of stores they would like to see open such as Aldi, Hungry Jacks, Best’n’Less, Target, Kmart and others, some people wanted to bring some balance to the conversation.

“All these ideas are great but we simply do not have the population to support many of them and when anyone tries, they do not get the support long term,” one wrote.

Not surprisingly, another common theme that emerged in the comments was the lack of doctors and the absence of bulk billing.

Atherton Chamber of Commerce president Louise Livingstone said while she recognised the desire of residents to have more variety in retail outlets, the right environment had to be present to attract new business.

“For example, we have to look at things like planning guidelines and how doing business with the council can be made more user-friendly, how there could more incentives to open a business here,” she said.

“We are also looking at how we can support new businesses – maybe how to link them with those that have been here a long time,” she added, noting many businesses over the years had opened and then folded due to a lack of support from customers.

Ms Livingstone said the chamber was working with Tablelands Regional Council on how the Atherton CBD could be re-energised and realigned, and part of that vision was the exciting Prior Creek development.

A third supermarket, better clothing stores, a bigger Bunnings and more takeaway food options have been revealed as the top desires of Atherton residents after a Facebook post asked what retail offerings were needed in the town.

Car returns ‘home’ after 100 years

A CAR that was seen around the streets of Herberton 100 years ago has been returned to the town by the company that sold the vehicle as it prepares to celebrate a century in business.

The five-seat 1924 Chrysler Tourer was the first car sold by Francis R. Ireland MBE and has now been gifted to the Herberton Historic Village.

The car was very advanced for the times and had plenty of room for passengers and luggage and a folding back hood with a decent coat of enamel paint. The model sold in huge numbers.

Back in 1924, the Chrysler Queensland distributors entrusted Mr Ireland with the job of demonstrating the new car. He travelled via the recently opened Range Road through Yungaburra to Herberton, a real feat in those days.

He had to carry extra water and engine oil to replenish the engine along the way because the steep inclines made the motor overheat and oil leak out of the rear main bearing.

While in Irvinebank, Mr Ireland heard that a local school teacher might be interested in the car. It turns out the whispers of the town were correct, and Mr Pienegar bought the vehicle after several demonstrations by Mr Ireland.

Before Mr Pienegar took ownership of the vehicle, Mr Ireland had to borrow the car to return to Cairns.

The car was passed down to Mr Pienegar's

sons. The vehicle was then restored in the 1980s by Keith “Snowy” Liekefett of Innisfail, who offered it to Irelands in 1991. The car has been at the Ireland dealership since then but often had to be hidden away in a shed due to lack of floor space.

Richard and David Ireland decided the car deserved better and should be more accessible to the public, so as part of the family's preparations for celebrating 100 years of business in Cairns, the brothers contacted one of the Far Northern region's best historical displays to see if they would take it in.

Now, the car will have pride of place at the Herberton Historic Village.

Historic village curator Darryl Cooper said the 1924 Chrysler was the perfect complement to the vintage vehicle collection already on display.

“While the Chrysler was a mid-range priced vehicle, they were considered a prestige vehicle and rather special for the time,” he said.

“It is very fitting that in the year this longstanding local business celebrates 100 years in Far North Queensland, we are able to display the first car ever sold, and that this car was actually used right here in the local area.”

Mr Cooper said the vehicle, which was in excellent condition, would be exhibited in Day’s Garage, alongside its big sister, the Chrysler 60 Tourer as well as the Village’s 1923 Model-T

Ford, 1923 Harley Davidson and 1925 Indian Prince motorcycle, 1934 Packard Super 8, 1933 Continental Flyer, 1927 Morris Cowley Van (from The Sullivan’s TV series) and the 1937 Chevrolet Master Deluxe sedan, which operated the Atherton/Cairns White Car passenger service.

“Car enthusiasts love visiting the Village –

Mayor speaks at public hearing into crime crisis

MAREEBA’S crime crisis was in the spotlight last week when Mayor Angela Toppin spoke strongly at the public hearings on the State Government’s Community Safety Bill of the need for legislative change and more resources to address the “root causes” behind the criminal behaviour of young people.

“The crime crisis is causing fear and division across Queensland communities and change are needed, now,” she told the hearing in Cairns.

“As Mayor of a Local Government Authority, I enjoy the privilege of working with the Queensland Police Service, Youth Justice and local support services and agencies, but I also suffer the heartbreak of being directly connected to the community; connected to victims of crime; connected to bereft families and lost young people.

“Sadly, many of these young people are suffering the dire impacts of domestic and family violence, homelessness, and intergenerational trauma.

“This is a familiar story, shared by Mayors across Queensland and, while these young people need significant support, it is clear the current youth crime laws, programs and solutions are not having the desired effect.”

She made it clear that the community was fed up with the ongoing crime plaguing Mareeba. “Put simply, the increase in the level and frequency of youth crime and anti-social behaviour in our community is not acceptable,” she said.

“Community sentiment has been rising in

recent years and the message is clear, that the current consequences for youth offenders are minimal and serve as no deterrent.”

Mayor Toppin said it appeared the proposed changes in the Bill and the amendments to the Bail Act 1980, the Queensland Criminal Code, the Youth Justice Act 1992 and the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 would go some way towards addressing the issues which are most prevalent in youth offending.

But she also pleaded for more resourcing for police.

“The local Queensland Police Service does a remarkable job with the resources that are currently available, but I suggest that more resources are required, now,” she said.

She also welcomed the inclusion of multi-agency collaborative panels (MACPs) in the legislation and warned that a “solely punitive approach” would not create the lasting change that was needed.

“It is widely recognised that youth crime is often a manifestation of socio-economic disadvantage experienced by young people and their families and I expect that by providing for genuine collaboration and the sharing of information, the children and families will have the best chance of receiving support which addresses their specific needs,” Mayor Toppin said.

“I urge the Queensland government to start thinking outside the box to identify new solutions that will have the long-term effect of reducing offending.”

Mareeba Shire Council introduced a mo-

tion at the 2022 LGAQ Annual Conference calling on the Queensland Government to introduce diversionary facilities on more remote state-owned properties where young people who had started falling foul of the law could be sent to gain both social and technical skills rather than be sent to youth detention facilities.

“This option could not be available to hardened recidivist offenders but, this sentencing option would give certain young people a chance to learn both social and technical skills so when they are released, they can pursue meaningful employment and become a productive member of society,” Mayor Toppin said.

“Mareeba Shire Council calls on the Queensland Government to explore this option as a potential solution to addressing the state-wide crime crisis – an additional string in the bow.”

The public hearing into the Bill was welcomed by Member for Hill Shane Knuth who says the Far North had suffered escalating crime rates across all communities for years.

“Queenslanders are now rising up and have had a gutful,” he said.

“They have been warning the government for eight years and now it has gotten to the point that it will take a decade to pull it back to where it was.

“The reality is the Bill, in its current form, will nowhere near go far enough. It needs to be strengthened and harsher penalties put in place to correct the issue.”

we have a very special collection that is meticulously preserved and looked after by our team of people here.”

He said the vehicle was in running condition and would soon be exciting visitors as a working interactive display on special occasions and events.

Granite Creek bridge works underway

The Department of Transport and Main Roads is doing the works which will involve repair to a roadside slope which was damaged during the wet season.

Works are expected to be carried out until mid-March between 6.30am and 5pm, weather permitting. Motorists should expect minor delays.

Herberton Historic Village curator Darryl Cooper with the 1924 Chrysler Tourer that has been gifted to the town.

REPAIR works will be carried out on the Mareeba-Dimbulah Road near Granite Creek bridge, with motorists advised there will be temporary speed limits and lane closures while the works are undertaken.

Warning to others as horror tenants trash property

BY RHYS THOMAS

A MAREEBA landlord has been forced to fork out over $30,000 in repairs after tenants left her rental property in a derelict state, prompting her to issue a warning to others around the potential dangers of renting a property out and what little power landlords really hold.

Gabi Banschbach has spent the last six months fighting a battle to wrest control of her own property out of previous tenants’ hands after they caused considerable and costly damages.

She has owned the property for two decades and had plans to renovate it for her son and grandchild who are currently living with her.

The tenants allegedly received notice in September to vacate the house in November. They stopped paying rent after receiving the notice and failed to move out by the deadline.

The tenants had spent seven years living at the property under a lease agreement however when the agreement expired, Ms Banschbach chose not to renew it.

As they were no longer signed on and were not paying rent, they had become squatters.

“We wanted the house for our family not for reselling, it was to be for our son and his baby,” Ms Banschbach said.

“Right now they are living at home with us so we wanted the rental vacated so he could move in there.”

The property was directly managed by Ms Banschbach and her husband, not through a real estate and she claims they conducted regular three-month inspections of the property.

“We inspected the property every three months but the thing is the tenant often denied us access to one of the rooms where one of the kids lived,” she said.

“As a landlord you must give two weeks’ notice before an inspection, so they would have the house acceptably tidy but as a landlord, you cannot open cupboards.”

Ms Banschbach claims that on the odd occasion she had a chance to inspect the son’s room, there were posters covering the walls which upon vacating, revealed the wallpaper behind had been ripped off and several holes, large enough to let light in from outside, were discovered.

A fridge was also found in the bedroom wardrobe which had been leaking, rotting out the floorboards underneath and causing several thousands of dollars’ worth of damages.

Roughly 13 cubic metres of rubbish ended up being taken out of the property which included carpets, rotten floorboards and other damaged amenities.

Ms Banschbach also found dog and cat faeces and urine on the carpet throughout the home which caused a horrible odour.

“There was piss everywhere from cats and dogs and we said to them when they signed the lease they could have a dog but not inside the house,” she said.

“Whenever we had inspections, cats would run out of rooms and we would ask where the cats came from, they would claim they were not their cats.”

Ms Banschbach received several calls from real estate agents asking for references from the tenants which she refused.

There was supposed to be a handover and exit report to be delivered to Ms Banschbach before the tenants vacated however on the day before the handover, they completely abandoned the property.

“The reason they had nowhere to go is because I couldn’t give them a good reference,” she said.

“As a landlord you own the place, you pay rates, insurance, everything but when it comes down to the crunch you have no rights – you’ve got no power over your own property.”

Photos of the house that was trashed by tenants who refused to leave after receiving a notice six months ago to vacate the property.

State needs to step up to fix ‘dangerous’ section of road

MEMBER for Hill Shane Knuth and Tablelands residents are calling on the State Government to put money into fixing a dangerous section of the Kennedy Highway.

Recently, a truck with a locomotive on its trailer slipped down the embankment and rolled on the highway between Tumoulin and Herberton because it could not navigate the sharp corners of the Ravenshoe range. The accident closed the road for several hours.

“This notorious 2.4km section between Tumoulin and Herberton road turn-off where the truck slipped into the embankment is highly dangerous and needs to be urgently fixed,” Mr Knuth said.

“This section is dangerous not only for trucks but also other vehicles which have brought about a number of complaints which I raised with Transport and Main Roads a number of years ago.”

Ravenshoe Chamber of Commerce vice president Blake Kidner agreed with

Mr Knuth, adding that on the Kennedy Highway, oversize and B-double loads were not permitted to access an 18.4km section of the 32B Kennedy Highway (Mareeba to Ravenshoe).

He said this section of road was causing a substantial financial burden to many businesses on the southern Tablelands by forcing large loads to detour to the longer 94km route.

“There is a contractor in Herberton that we regularly work for that is based out of Elms Road, Wondecla, which from my depot is 29km via the national highway A1, which cannot be travelled on by oversize (OSOM) or B-double trucks,” Mr Kidner said.

“I travel this section of road regularly and am consistently seeing OSOM Trucks and B-doubles on this section of prohibited road.

“This is because the B-double route is 94km to the same location and travels through three CBDs, three school zones and three very steep ranges.

“This not only significant costs to business for unnecessary transport but also presents a far greater safety risk.

“Due to the shorter distance, truck drivers may feel it is too costly to drive around so they ‘run the gauntlet’ to save time and money.

“This section of road, which is very tight cornered and narrow, needs to be fixed up as it is a death trap waiting to happen and should be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

“We are joining Shane in calling for the 2.4km stretch of road to be urgently fixed and funding to be allocated to widen the 18.4km section of road from Tumoulin turn off to Belson Rd turn-off,

to allow safe passage of heavy vehicles, B-doubles and oversize vehicles, along our national A1 highway.”

A Department of Main Roads spokesperson said in light of the concerns raised, an inspection of the Kennedy Highway between Tumoulin and Herberton roads would be undertaken to ascertain what the damage is and any maintenance requirements.

“Works to widen the section between the Tumoulin turn-off to Belson

Rd turn-off are currently unfunded and must be assessed against other state priorities,” the spokesperson said.

“At this point, there are no plans to alter the B-Double route to include this section of the Kennedy Highway.”

The department was committed to improving safety for all road users on the state-controlled road network, including the Kennedy Highway from Mareeba to Ravenshoe.

“Last year, we completed a $37.5

State Member for Hill Shane Knuth with Dempsey Cranes and Construction owner Chris Deempsey and Ravenshoe Chamber of Commerce vice president Blake Kidner on the stretch of the highway they want improved. BELOW: A semi-trailer rolled down an embankment on the Kennedy Highway between Tumoulin and Herberton recently.

million safety upgrade of Kennedy Highway between Mareeba and Atherton,” the spokesperson said.

“The Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program 2022-23 to 2025-26 includes a further $8.5 million to install overtaking lanes on Kennedy Highway between Mareeba and Ravenshoe.

“We will provide more information about the scope and location of these projects as planning progresses.”

Youth powering Cook Shire

YOUTH in Cooktown have an active role in shaping their community through the Cook Shire Youth Council which plays an active role in the Cook Shire Council as they plan events, conduct surveys and gauge the needs of the shire’s young residents.

The Youth Council provides advice to the local decision makers on local issues that affect youth which then influences strategies and policies developed by council.

It was established two years ago and upon advertising the nine available positions, 17 submissions were received which came as a welcome surprise to council.

Youth Council’s role is to engage with other young members of the community, establish a broad network of youth groups

and provide council with feedback on anything related to youth.

This can include potential works or upgrades for facilities used by junior sporting organisations, sporting ovals, parks, the waterfront at Cooktown and more.

Cook Shire deputy mayor and chair of the Youth Council, Cr Robyn Holmes, said the group had effectively become the bridge between council and the youngest residents of the shire.

“What the council normally does is make decisions, thinking we are making them on behalf of young people without really going out there an engaging with them and getting their views on what they like to see,” she said.

“We regularly meet and receive feedback from the youth

councillors about what they would like to see in the community or what things concern them.

“We also look at things like personal development for members of the Youth Council and maybe helping them possibly pursue a career on council in the future.”

Youth Council is currently in the process of conducting a survey which is intended for the young members of the community, asking them a set of questions about what they feel is needed in the community.

A new set of youth councillors is due to be appointed as the twoyear term is close to expiring and the council is encouraging youth to put their hand up for positions and help shape how their community develops.

Bureau

releases autumn forecast

THE Bureau of Meteorology has released its long-range forecast for autumn 2023 and it indicates coming months are likely to be drier and warmer than usual across most of Australia.

Warmer than usual daytime temperatures are very likely this autumn for much of Australia, while warmer nights are also likely in coastal areas of the mainland.

While it was a wetter than average summer for most of northern Australia, large areas in the south have had a drier than average summer.

North Queensland had well above average rainfall this summer, however, rainfall in parts of south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales was well below average.

Bureau of Meteorology

Technical Lead Extended Prediction Dr Andrew Watkins said drier than average conditions had emerged in some areas over summer, including parts of southern Queensland, western Tasmania and south-west Western Australia.

“Australia's key climate drivers are easing and expected to be neutral over the coming months. When our climate drivers are more neutral, autumn rainfall in southern Australia has generally been lower than average over recent decades,” Dr Watkins said.

La Niña is nearing its end in the Pacific Ocean, with conditions likely to be neutral (neither El Niño nor La Niña) during autumn. The Indian Ocean Dipole

is neutral and has little influence on Australia's climate during the northern wet season, which extends through until April.

“With drier conditions emerging in some areas over summer, and dry and warm conditions likely in autumn, some areas may continue to have below average rainfall over coming months,” Dr Watkins said.

Australia's fire agencies have identified that most of Australia has normal bushfire potential during autumn. However, areas of above normal bushfire risk include parts of New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

There is also a continued risk of grassfires across southern Australia after abundant vegetation growth during the secondwettest spring on record in 2022 dried over summer.

For northern Australia, the wet season continues during March and April. Tropical cyclones, tropical lows, storms and active monsoon bursts can occur in the north.

During the northern wet season, tropical weather systems may, at times, reach southern Australia. The chance of more rainfall means the flood risk remains, particularly in areas where rivers and water storages are still high.

Communities are encouraged to stay up to date with forecasts and warnings through the Bureau's website and BOM Weather app.

Yungaburra set to host free concert and forum

IT’S all happening at Yungaburra over the next week, with a free concert planned and a forum to discuss future projects in the town.

The free concert will be held at the town’s new Rotunda in Bruce Jones Park on Sunday from 4pm-5.30pm and will feature the United Tableland Pipe Band.

The band’s repertoire has been described as traditional pipe band music with the occasional twist.

People are encouraged to bring along a chair or rug, and umbrella. Parking is available via Elm Street.

If it’s raining, the concert will be held in the alternate venue of the Yungaburra Hotel Ballroom.

The Yungaburra Beautification group will be hosting regular Sunday concerts each month, with April’s event scheduled for 2 April from 4pm-6pm and will feature the Hot Shots Big Band.

The group is also hosting a special forum on Monday 13 March at the Yungaburra Hotel starting at 5.30pm.

The gathering will discuss past and current projects being pursued by the town as well as asking people for suggestions for future projects.

Cook Shire Youth Council members with Cook Shire Councillors Robyn Holmes (bottom left), Mayor Peter Scott (bottom right) and Councillor Peter Burns (top right).

Repair costs continue to rise

ANOTHER $221,000 will be redirected from Tablelands Regional Council’s road rehabilitation program to its bridges and culvert budget to enable further works to go ahead to improve the deteriorating structures.

The allocation for capital works on bridges and culverts is $350,000, but with $154,000 already used by January, Councillors were asked to boost the fund to enable works to continue on the Cockram Road bridge near Ravenshoe, possible relining of the Moregatta Road culvert, and design works to be done for the reconstruction of Webster Road bridge at Wondecla.

Councillors appeared to be resigned to the fact the money was needed, put-

ting up no argument to the contrary and approving the budget boost.

“In recent times, we have been made aware that our bridges and culverts are in a poor state – we’ve got to do something with them, we’ve already closed down a few, so it definitely needs to be done,” Deputy Mayor Cr Kevin Cardew said.

“I know funding has been tight and going to be even tighter in the upcoming budget so moving money around in-house to achieve this is probably the best solution at this point in time.”

A report to council detailed the work underway at the Cockram Road and Ross Road bridge which spans Weir Creek.

Excitement builds over Priors Creek project

EXCITEMENT Is building about the planned Priors Creek redevelopment at Atherton, with Tablelands Regional Council releasing a fly-through video to show how the new precinct will look.

The video shows different components of the project including a 1000-person amphitheatre, a new nature-based playground, public art and an urban plaza that will host events such as markets.

Last week, council officers took to the main street to garner people’s reaction to the new video and get feedback about the proposal.

Expected to cost in the vicinity of $20 million and council

keen to get government funding for the project, Mayor Rod Marti, Member for Hill Shane Knuth and Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt met last week to discuss the project.

A business case has been completed to assess the economic and community benefits, visitor attraction potential and cost-benefit analysis.

A Facebook post by the council showing the new video triggered many responses including warnings that it needed to be safe for the public to use, with CCTV and good lighting a necessity to reduce anti-social behaviour.

SEE VOCAL LOCAL – PAGE 24

Cockram Road bridge was inspected in November last year and found to have significant deterioration of the timber superstructure and design and construction issues contributing to its deterioration.

The condition of the bridge meant it would have had to be immediately closed unless urgent work was undertaken and, in the interim, a load limit of 2.5 tonnes and a 5km/h speed limit were implemented. “As the bridge services residents without alternative access, repair works were undertaken as a matter of priority, which included replacement of four girders under the wheel path using second hand girders,” the report stated.

“This increased the load limit to 18 tonnes and allows continued safe access to the affected community. It is noted that this is only a temporary fix and that full replacement of the superstructure is required.”

The council report advised there was a temporary steel bridge structure stored at the Malanda pound which may be able to be used while the Cockram Road timber bridge is being replaced.

The Ross Road bridge was inspected in May 2021 which also found significant deterioration, resulting in a 2.5 tonne load limit but when it was inspected again in November last year, further deterioration was found and the

bridge was immediately closed to traffic.

“As the residents on Ross Road have alternative access (either via Sluice Creek Road or the Kennedy Highway) a decision was made to remove the superstructure pending budget allocation for its replacement,” the report stated.

The Moregatta Road major culvert also needs significant work after it was inspected in March last year, with officers reducing the speed limit to 5km/h and the load limit to five tonnes. Works are required to bring the load limit back up to 12 tonnes, but officers are now determining whether to reline the culvert which would allow the load limit to be increased further.

Product of Australia

Product of Australia

A still from the new video showing the nature-based playground.

New trades program launched in Mareeba

THE new “Taste of Trades” program was officially launched in Mareeba last week as young workers and stakeholders gathered at the Mareeba Cricket Club.

Program facilitator, Skills360, met with local construction industry employers and the Mareeba Cricket Club who is a venue partner.

Program participants will learn trade skills while painting the club, along with work experience with local employers.

Those who take part in the 12-week hands on course will obtain a Certificate 1 in Construction, and get career mentoring and work placement support and help them prepares for apprenticeship careers in a variety of construction trades.

Do your family a favour.

Katter Party to oppose Voice

KATTER’S Australian Party says it will not support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament because it will not resolve the issues being experienced by First Australians in rural and remote communities.

KAP Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter said the party could not support the “separatist, tokenist and paternalist” agenda sought by the Voice and some of its supporters and believed Australia’s strength lay only in its unity.

Mr Katter said First Australians were the original custodians of the land and must be considered equal to their fellow countrymen and women in every way.

He said it was to Australia’s shame that it took so long for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be recognised in the Constitution, having only been provided a national right to vote in 1967.

“The events of our past have seen us, the Australian people, build one of the most successful civilisations the world has ever known,” Mr Katter said.

“We must use an understanding of our past, good and bad, to move forward and continue to build prosperity, security and the Australian way of life for generations to come.

“We are not convinced that the Voice to Parliament – and the ensuing arguments around Treaty, sovereignty and self-determination – are occurring in the spirit of unity between Indigenous and nonIndigenous Australians.

“Instead, these agendas serve only to divide us and the KAP will not participate in that.”

Mr Katter said the KAP was genuinely committed to assisting First Australians.

“The issues facing First Australians, particularly in rural and remote communities, are extreme - intergenerational poverty, welfare dependency, joblessness, high rates of violence and crime and shocking health outcomes and mortality rates –none of these problems require a Voice to Parliament to address,” he said.

“Whilst our politicians and parliaments are imploding over the tokenistic Voice debate – our First Australians are suffering – it is the ultimate distraction.

“This is a national shame, and I would challenge anyone pedalling the Voice as a solution to these crises to visit Doomadgee, Alice Springs or Aurukun to explain just how their lives will be changed should it get through.”

Shire to develop plan to manage flying foxes

A NEW long-term flying fox management plan will be developed by Douglas Shire Council to address a growing flying fox roost in Port Douglas after local residents raised major concerns about the increased noise, smell and disruption.

Mayor Michael Kerr put forward the motion at last week’s ordinary council meeting, asking that council act on the complaints received by residents by using approved methods of the Department of Environment and Science Flying-fox roost management guidelines, provide treatment to the trees bordering resident’s properties and develop the new management plan.

The report presented to council detailed how residents on Old Port Road in Port Douglas have dealt with the flying-foxes since 2017 but recently the roost has expanded and moved onto the Western side of the road.

Some residents complained that they have been unable to sleep due to the constant noise and called on the council for action.

Port Douglas is situated in an Urban FlyingFox Management Area and council was advised on the codes and guidelines to do with managing flying-foxes which helped them develop the new management plan.

Councillors resolved in the meeting to apply for funding through the Department of Environment and Science to help council effectively manage the roost.

If the funding application is unsuccessful, council will allow residents of the Lakes Estate to apply for a permit for flying-fox management on the street. Council will lodge an application and provide further updates when more details are available.

Local schools gear up for NAPLAN

BY ELLIE FINK

LOCAL students in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 will participate in NAPLAN in two weeks, with Atherton’s Jubilee Catholic College preparing to hopefully achieve the top score in the region once again. NAPLAN is a national assessment program where students undertake reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy exams which are used to determine whether a school is meeting “important educational outcomes”.

Last year, Jubilee Christian College scored the highest NAPLAN score in the region, with a 584.80 average score according to data by My School.

The private Christian school has had an impressive track record with its NAPLAN results with their students scoring above the national average in 2019.

Principal Chris Radcliffe was proud of his small school’s achievements when it came to NAPLAN, but stressed that the results should not be reviewed in isolation.

“The NAPLAN results certainly reflect the hard work and dedication of

our wonderful teaching team and reviewing the regional results is a great opportunity to celebrate all teachers across all Tablelands schools, regardless of NAPLAN result,” he said.

“It is really important, however, that we don’t view NAPLAN results in isolation, as they only tell a small part of the story.

“As we tell our parents, NAPLAN does not assess all the wonderful things that our students do, the people who mark NAPLAN do not know that our students love to sing, draw, or have amazing computer skills.”

Jubilee is a “hybrid learning” school with several of its students learning from home. With the NAPLAN test taking the form of an online exam as of 2022, the process for the school has become easier and simpler to use.

NAPLAN will kick off on Wednesday 15 March and will conclude on Monday 27 March.

Students participating at any school are encouraged to relax and participate in self care in the days leading up to the tests.

TOP 10 SCHOOLS IN THE REGION

1. Jubilee Christian College – 584.80

2. St Stephen’s Catholic College – 580.20

3. Malanda State High School – 557.20

4. Atherton State High School - 531.60

5. Herberton State School (secondary) – 531.20

6. Kuranda District State College (secondary) –520.20

7. Ravenshoe State School (secondary) – 515.60

8. Mareeba State High School – 504.40

9. Mount St Bernard’s College Herberton – 498.60

10. Malanda State School – 491.00

(SOURCE: MYSCHOOL.EDU.AU):

Jubilee Christian College students Elijah Barlaan, Nevaeh Mangurra and William Craperi with Dr Chris Radcliffe (principal) preparing for NAPLAN 2023.

GRAPHIC: Jubilee Christian College Atherton’s average NAPLAN scores for 2022.

Social media not the place to report crime

WHEN it comes to social media engagement, Queensland Police are leaders across law enforcement agencies.

Unfortunately, Queensland Police have noticed a frustrating trend of people posting about crime or suspicious behaviour in their neighbourhood on social media without notifying police directly.

Senior Constable Aleda Day from Tablelands Crime Prevention Unit said community pages on social media sites were increasingly being used as the primary place to report crime.

“We are seeing more and more people posting on social media about incidents and in some cases not reporting the incident to police at all,” she said.

“Police do not have the resources to monitor community these pages, we need the public to be reporting offences and incidents to police, first and foremost, either through Triple Zero for emergencies or Policelink.”

The QPS website allows you to report some of the most common offences to police. It’s a “one-stop-shop” where all details, including submitting evidence like CCTV or photographs, can be captured and sent to police for investigation.

Retailers may benefit the most with some of their most common incidents of fuel drive

offs, retail theft and wilful damage available at their fingertips.

There are many options available including but not limited to break-ins, stolen vehicles and property, traffic crashes and even noise complaints.

People are even able to request an update on their police report or withdraw a complaint if they no longer wished for police to proceed with the investigation.

“The online reporting option is a win-win for both you and police as time will be saved, resulting in investigations being able to be finalised faster,” Snr Const Day said.

“If your offence is not able to be reported online, Policelink (131 444) are still available to take details of the incident and then refer you to the online portal to submit further information or digital evidence.”

The online reporting option is a secure way to contact police, with any report being validated by entering valid identity information such as drivers licence details.

To update or withdraw a report, a valid police report number must be entered which corresponds to the informant or victim details.

Remember to always call Triple Zero (000) if you require police or emergency services urgently.

STUDENTS from across the Tablelands came together to go head-to-head in the zone final of the Lions Youth of the Year quest on Saturday.

It was a very close game at Mareeba’s Cedric Davies Community Hub but in the end, it was Malanda Lions Club representative Yaseen Al Kalout who took home the gold.

His speech “The Stress Speech” touched the hearts of the audience, with many people, especially his peers, relating to his message.

Yaseen spoke about how he managed to “breeze” through most of high school with minimal effort, with stress being a foreign emotion to him.

Now in Grade 12, the pressure is on and he found himself awake at 3am one day writing the speech.

“I had written about three other speeches and one night I woke up at 3am and thought ‘oh gosh, I really hate all of them’ so I pulled out my phone and just started writing,” he said.

“(Stress) is a new thing to me but I know a lot of my friends had experienced it before so I guess that is what motivated me to write it that early morning.”

This round’s impromptu questions challenged the participants greatly, being asked “who do you look up to and why?” and “what do you see is the answer to youth crime?”.

Yaseen’s answer to the first questions was “people I have grown up with” and his answer to youth crime was “solve the bigger root issues like the cost of living and violence”.

This year, Nicholas Brammer represented the Mareeba Lions Club, Mishaal Corea represented the Atherton Lions Club, Juliette Hurst represented the Yungaburra Lions Club and Daniel Shaughnessy represented the Millaa Millaa Lions Club. Yaseen will be heading to Townsville on 18 March to compete against the next speakers in Far North Queensland.

National acclaim for local artist

LOCAL Indigenous artist Karen Kirk’s dot painting has been nationally recognised, winning the best Indigenous Artist at the Rodney Fox exhibition in Adelaide.

The painting of the rare leafy sea dragon, photographed by her friend and associate Steve Jones, captured the eyes of many, with its unique design and brilliant colours.

When Mr Jones showed Ms Kirk the underwater photo he took of the sea dragon, she instantly fell in love with its beauty and got to work painting it in her own unique way.

“I said ‘I reckon I can paint that, but it will have to be in all dots’ and he said that if I could turn it into an Indigenous painting he would love it,” Ms Kirk said.

“It is all freehand, I didn’t trace anything, and I can’t usually draw them in first with pencil.”

When learning she had won

best indigenous artist, she was beyond excited with her exact words being “oh wow”.

Since winning, she has received enquiries from across the country and many words of praise.

“I’m surprised (people) say my paintings are amazing, so beautiful and when they say they love the colours and the Dreamtime stories,” she said.

“It is a lovely feeling being complimented.”

The painting was so well received by Mr Jones that he entered it into the Rodney Fox exhibition in Adelaide, where he watched hundred of visitors observe her painting in awe.

“When this contest was announced and I read that there was going to be an Indigenous Art category, how could I not take this painting down from our hallway and enter it?” he said.

“Other than the aforementioned striking detail, it’s also three feet by two in size so it

Local First Nations artist Karen Kirk has been recognised for her unique contemporary dot paintings. BELOW: The painting of the rare leafy sea dragon that Karen won an award for.

Health and wellbeing grants open

APPLICATIONS are now open for grants through Health and Wellbeing Queensland for community-based projects and research focused on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, health equity and wellbeing.

Queenslanders with exciting ideas to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people can apply for a share of funding to bring their projects to life.

Two-thirds of adults and one in four children are living with overweight or obesity in the State, which impacts on individuals and families and costs the Queensland health system an estimated $756 million per year.

Applications for GenQ

Health and Wellbeing Queensland Community Grants and GenQ Health and Wellbeing

Queensland Impact Grants are open now and will close on 22 March.

GenQ Health and Wellbeing

Queensland Community Grants offer up to $20,000 per project to help community organisations, councils and non-government sector deliver programs within the community that support children’s health and wellbeing.

Further funding rounds under the Health and Wellbeing Grants Program will open later in the year. For more information about the grants and how to apply, visit www.hw.qld.gov.au/grants

Change lives with foster care

LOCALS are being asked to consider becoming foster parents, with a state-wide recruitment campaign now underway.

The television and digital campaign showcase stories of real foster carers sharing their unique stories to encourage more Queenslanders to take on the role.

These include a Cairns couple, Lisa and Clayton, who not only have three biological children, but have been foster carers for more than six years.

“There are some children… who have had a really rough start or have had something really serious happen in their life and we need to help them,” Lisa said.

work with you to arrange placements that meet your needs and work well for your family.

“The children just want someone to be there and love them. They want that routine. They want to know where the next meal's coming from, that it's all in a nice predictable fashion. And if you can provide that, you can provide foster care.”

Queensland currently has more than 6,000 foster and kinship carer families who come from all walks of life. This includes married couples with children of their own, single parent carers, members of the LGBTIQA+ community and First Nations carers.

was always going to stand out at the exhibition.

“Entered in Karen’s name, of course, as soon as its association to me was known I had so many

people come up to me wanting to know more about it.”

Ms Kirk’s painting will remain in the exhibition for the next several weeks.

“I’ve met people from all different walks of life who work shift work and full-time jobs. That’s no barrier to caring. The agency (foster care agency) will

Anyone interested in becoming a foster care should visit www.qld.gov.au/fostercare or call Queensland Foster and Kinship Care on 1300 550 877.

A brunch hosted by the CWA Tolga Branch and Tablelands Soroptimist

March at the Tolga CWA Hall.

Lorraine Chidgey, Barbara Whybird and Margaret Mikits.

Ro-anne Jeboult, Lyne Hortin and Barbara Stevens.

Christine Reghenzani OAM, Mary Lyle and Jessie Richardson.

Honour and Geoff Reddington.

Dr Bruce and Fran Herriott

Julia Cazita-Mazeaud, Renate Wendel and Janine Conolly.

Rosemary Loste, Lillian Edwards-Atdio and Marie Price.

Great movies on Malanda’s big screen

SOME great movies are on the big screen this week at Malanda’s Majestic Theatre.

Don’t miss out on the sports drama focusing on the incredible high stakes world of boxing. “Creed III” tells the story of Adonis Creed who, after dominating the boxing world, has been thriving in both his career and family life.

Marvel Studio’s super- hero action adventure comedy “The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” completes its Majestic season this weekend, so make sure you don’t miss out on this entertaining action flick.

Back by popular demand is the comedy drama “A Man Called Otto”. Also back for a final session on Friday is “The Fablemans”, an easy going movie, loosely based on Steven Spielberg’s childhood days.

Dale’s talents to benefit local community group

PAINTINGS created by a much-loved member of the Malanda community who passed away earlier this year will be the focus of a special event this week that will benefit a community health organisation in the town.

Dale Roger-Jones was well known in Malanda for the wealth of community organisations she was involved with over many decades since she moved to the town in 1986.

Dale had varying roles within the Malanda Lionesses, the Malanda Theatre Company, Show Society, RSL, Red Cross, Local ambulance committee, and ECHO (Eacham Community Help Organisation) to name a few.

Her talent as a painter was no secret, supplying backdrops for productions of the theatre company and winning the Malanda Show art prize in 2010.

Now, her paintings will be the focus of an exhibition and silent auction to be held at a brunch event being held at the Big Pub Malanda on Saturday 11 March from 11am to 3pm. The proceeds of this event will go to ECHO.

Tickets are $30 for a two-course meal and tea and coffee.

Bookings can be made by called 4096 7720.

For the love of laughter

BY RHYS THOMAS

A MAREEBA comedian with a passion for putting smiles on other people’s faces has made it through to the semifinals of the Raw Comedy Competition with hopes to make it to Australia’s most prestigious comedy stage later in the year.

Stand-up comedian Ty Thomas got his start in comedy in Cairns on a whim, after deciding to reward himself for completing his certificate of nursing and attend an Iron Mic comedy night.

His love for making people laugh begun much earlier, when the 26-year-old was 12 during a family visit to Brisbane.

“I watched about four different Arj Barker specials and fell in love with the idea of making people laugh,” he said.

“I love the sound of people laughing and it is nice to be the reason they laugh.

“Comedy made me feel a lot better a lot of times when I was feeling down, so to know that you can do that for other people is pretty special.”

Ty said laughter truly is the best medicine and it helped him through a lot of tough times in his life, so he feels incredibly honoured to be able to give that experience to other people.

Ty has even had the chance to open for popular Australian comedians such as Luke Kidgell and Paul McDermott.

His love of laughter is what

drove Ty to move suddenly from the Far North and relocate to the south east capital, Brisbane, with a much fiercer comedy circle.

Just prior to moving he saw the Raw competition and decided to sign up in Brisbane and has now made it through to the first semifinal due to take place on 19 March.

Raw Comedy is a compe-

comedian

made it through to the first semifinals of the Raw Comedy competition.

tition put on by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and gathers Australia’s best up and coming comedians.

They all compete in regional heats until the state finals where the winners of the state heats are then chosen to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 29 March to 23 April.

Local

Ty Thomas has

One of the paintings that will be part of a silent auction in Malanda on Saturday.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Easier days ahead for girls

“Women supporting women” is an important aspect of #embracingequity in the opinion of Mareeba woman Lesa Moro, who has dedicated hours of volunteer time creating reusable period packs for women in lower socioeconomic countries. For International Women’s Day 2023, cadet journalist Ellie Fink spoke to Lesa about Days for Girls and the incredible impact it has had on women who don’t have access to basic sanitary needs.

NO matter who she is and where she may live, a woman deserves her dignity and Lesa Moro has taken the next step to preserve that dignity by helping women gain access to essential sanitary products in disadvantaged countries.

After hearing about the Days for Girls non-for-profit organisation through news media, Lesa was inspired by the cause and knew she had to get involved as an educator and as a woman.

Days for Girls, based in America, was created in 2008 when founder Celeste Mergens visited Africa and realised girls were not going to school whilst they had their period, missing out on a week of their already limited education.

From that experience, Celeste got to work inventing the Days for Girls pack, which includes a 100 per cent cotton reusable pad, soap and a carry pack, and begun sharing her story and creating a volunteer-base across the world.

Being an educator, Lesa is passionate about reserving the dignity of her female

students through every part of their menstrual cycle and could not believe young women in developing countries would stay at home in fear of embarrassment from other peers because they were bleeding.

“The girls were staying home from school and because of that they were missing out on their education which was simply not fair – why should a girl have to miss out on school because of the way her body is designed?” Lesa said.

“I am an educator and education is the most important thing that can change a person’s life and I know that if you invest in education in a community of women, particularly in developing countries, it makes a huge impact.”

Reaching out to the local craft shop that was in Mareeba at the time, she was able to secure the off-cuts of fabric and pull together a small group of ladies in the school’s sewing room to begin creating the packs to be sent across the world.

A decade later, Lesa has inspired 50 other local women from all walks of life to

help create the Days for Girls period packs, meeting every month with hopes to make a difference to at least one woman’s life.

“We, ironically, get together once a month for our sewing events and at the start there was maybe four or five of us but now, we have up to 50 people here,” Lesa said.

“A lot of the ladies who come to Days for Girls aren’t necessarily sewers – they collect stuff like fabric or help put all our packs into the data base or even just spreading the word.”

Since the beginning of Days for Girls Mareeba, Lesa has helped thousands of women from the Middle East, Papua New Guinea, India, Nepal, Cambodia, and East Timor.

As a part of the program, she has also visited the communities herself to help provide education to the girls about their menstrual cycle, how to use the packs and how to feel safe and dignified during their periods.

She believes these packs and educational talks have made a huge impact on small communities and she hopes

those who receive them will feel safer and more secure during menstruation.

“Myself and two other women from the Days for Girls group have done the health training and therefore we are able to deliver the kits we have made and talk to the girls about what is in the kit and about their menstrual cycle – it is really amazing stuff,” she said.

“It is really powerful when you invest in women and give them the education to understand their bodies, their health and we know they pass that knowledge down through generations.”

As well as contributing to Days for Girls, Lesa has taken the next steps to ending the period stigma at Ma-

reeba State High School, being one of the first schools in Queensland to install a Share the Dignity vending machine in their girl’s bathroom.

The initiative has been received well by students at the school, with the girls taking an advantage of the free period products, sharing them with their friends and family who need them.

Lesa believes this initiative has not only helped young women when they find themselves in strife but has also started the conversation when it comes to menstruation without the “taboo” that is associated with it.

Mareeba High School student and member of Days for Girls Velenia Musso has been by Lesa’s side through

the Share the Dignity initiative and believes the work they do is crucial in helping women all over the world.

“I started coming in Grade 7 and I was really inspired by the work Days for Girls do,” she said.

“(Lesa and I) have been able to discuss ideas and paint the big picture by organising fundraisers and putting the word out there because not many people know what we do.”

Days for Girls kicks off every first Saturday of the month at Mareeba State High School’s sewing room. To get involved, contact Lesa on 0419 741 101 or follow their journey on the “Days For Girls Mareeba QLD Australia Team” Facebook page.

From running a business, being a councillor and actively involved in various committees within the community does not leave much time for much else. Every day brings something different. The opportunities for young ladies these days are endless.

Sometimes opportunities will present themselves from out of the blue, which could happen as it has happened with me. Set your goals, work hard to achieve the end result.

There will be obstacles along the way. It will not happen overnight; you need to push through and remember what your end goal is. “Never give up.”

From humble beginnings on my parent’s tobacco farm to a wife, mother, grandmother, manager, business owner and councillor. Growing up I could never have imagined that I could have achieved what I have to date.

MAURICE BLACKBURN LAWYERS

Happy International Women’s Day! Kristyn is proud to work in an all female led personal injury team at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers. Kristyn was born in Cairns and has recently celebrated 10 years of service. She has achieved compensation for hundreds of injured plaintiffs involved in workers’ compensation, motor vehicle accidents and public liability claims.

Kristyn travels regularly to the Tablelands to meet with clients at Apels Solicitors and Notary. She supports her Tablelands clients through their most vulnerable moments to help them get access to rehabilitation and compensation they deserve.

ROBINSON CIVIL GROUP

Robinson Civil Group (RCG) prides itself on providing an equitable workplace and breaking down stereotypes in the construction industry.

Caytlyn Mead is CEO of RCG, rising through the ranks and establishing herself as a knowledgeable and reputable leader of the company and within the construction industry.

Caytlyn’s diverse team includes amazing women who contribute immensely through their roles free of bias and discrimination to make RCG the successful company that it is.

“The struggle for working women is real.” says Caytlyn. “But if you enjoy your job and have a supportive team around you, then it is very rewarding.”

RCG congratulate all women out there, whatever role you do whether it be mum, volunteer, worker, business owner or CEO. You are amazing!

P: +617 4096 2399

M: 0428 608 272

W: www.robinsoncivil.com.au

MARY GRAHAM

Days for Girls coordinator Lesa Moro has inspired young girls like Velenia Musso to help break down the period stigma.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Mareeba Mazda and Mareeba Mitsubishi is a locally owned and award-winning

8 MARCH 2023

KATRINA KAZIM

Pilates with Katrina was established in 2021 by Mareeba local and qualified pilates instructor, Katrina Kazim.

The busy mum and her team offer professional pilates classes and training sessions suitable for everyone, at any age or fitness level. It’s 45 minutes of fitness and fun.

“I established Pilates with Katrina to help transform the lives of others by assisting clients to tone their bodies, build confidence and self-esteem,” Katrina said. “It’s also a great way to make new friendships and connections, and improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Pilates tones muscle, increases core strength and gives you a total body work out. “Pilates is amazing – you’re going to love it.”

“Everyone is welcome and anyone can do Pilates. It’s inclusive for all ages and all fitness levels.”

To all women seeking equal pay and secure work, we are on your side.

To all women who want to feel safe at work, in their communities

Let’s ‘Embrace Equity’ on International

ST STEPHEN’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE

St Stephen’s Catholic College recognises International Women’s Day and the importance of celebrating the success of women in our community, while also continuing to change the climate towards gender equality.

Our young leaders, both male and female, work together to make the world a better place. We seek to develop an inclusive and compassionate community for all through a commitment to service and the courage to make a difference.

Students at St Stephen’s are inspired to look towards an optimistic future and through varied learning and extra-curricular opportunities, are supported to reach their full potential.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

CR. LENORE WYATT

As a born and bred local, Mareeba Shire Councillor Lenore Wyatt loves nothing more than working with those who share her enthusiasm and pride for the communities that make up our great Shire. Lenore is passionate about developing a friendly, welcoming and thriving shire that everyone can be proud of.

“After seven-years I still learn so much about our Shire every day and so much of what I learn is from meeting and working with all the interesting and amazing people I am so lucky to cross paths with travelling across our region.”

But just as important as her work is making sure she takes time out for herself and to help herself learn and grow.

“I am always learning and continue to challenge myself with extra curricular development and just last year completed the Women in Leadership Course completed over 10 months.”

As a community leader, Lenore has a strong passion to see others succeed in our community and in business.

Lenore Wyatt

Councillor – Mareeba Shire Council

P: 0447 757 336

E: LenoreW@msc.qld.gov.au

Lenore Wyatt - Councillor, Mareeba Shire Council

HEIDI JONSSON

Heidi is the sole director of electrical Safety business, Norsafe. 13 years on, Norsafe has evolved to service all regions in FNQ. The dedicated Norsafe team have removed thousands of unsafe items from service and without a doubt, saved someone’s life.

“I’m proud of my achievements, and our team and I hope to continue to inspire others, no matter their age or gender, to have a go.”

Heidi won 2020 Regional Queensland Ausmumpreneur, and has a chapter featured in the “Back Yourself” Ausmumpreneur book.Heidi sits on the board of the National Electrical and Communications Association, Won the NECA NQ Women In Electrical Award in 2019 and now also sits on the NECA National Women in Electrical Advisory Committee.

“We would love the opportunity to grow our farming clientele. Its such a hazardous environment where we know we make a big impact in improving safety.”

Work

E: bookings@norsafe.com.au

P: 4243 3555

BELLEZZA BEAUTY BAR

After more than 11 years as a Beauty Therapist and six years at the helm of Bellezza Beauty Bar in Mareeba, Monica’s love and passion for her profession and her clients needs continues to grow.

“I love what I do and I love helping my clients look their best and feel great about themselves.”

With the beauty industry always evolving, Monica is continually keeping up with the latest trends and products and always looking for new ways to improve her knowledge and services.

“I love providing all the classic beauty therapies, but I am always looking at new and different treatments and products that I know will benefit my clientele – treatments like IPL Laser and carbon laser facials.”

Monica and her professional team are committed to the beauty industry and their clients, both new and old.

BENDIGO BANK - MAREEBA & DIMBULAH

Mareeba and Dimbulah Community Bank Branches of Bendigo Bank have a strong connection of women in lending.

Our great team of local lenders are Jenni, Rachael, Ann-Maree, Bev and Tara, and they understand that each person’s situation and requirements are different. Together these ladies are passionate about giving back to their community and committed to helping you achieve your financial goals.

These women dedicate their time to being involved in their local community with volunteering, whether it’s at a committee meeting, sporting group, Meals on Wheels or supporting many other local events and groups. This volunteer work helps strengthen and grow our local community and local branches.

So, if you want to join a bank with a difference, come and see us at Bendigo Bank Mareeba or Dimbulah.

KAREN RANIE

Whether Buying or Selling, I believe it should be an enjoyable and exciting experience.

I use my many years of industry experience and training to achieve sold results for property owners.

I understand the value of marketing property, have a wealth of negotiation skills and sales savvy and work to promote the property not myself.

I am happy to sit down and talk with you about your property concerns, it’s obligation free. Give me a call on 0458 408 540.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

EXPLORATION AND ENTERTAINMENT

Booking travel can be challenging and extremely overwhelming, especially in today’s post-pandemic world.

International Women's Day is an opportunity for us to reflect, celebrate and acknowledge the amazing contribution that Women make, both at Fresh St, but in the wider community. As the Tablelands Favourite Supermarket, we aspire not to only bring the best shopping experience to our community, but also a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that Women can thrive!

With over 70% of our leaders being Women, we are proud to have a number of inspiring role models to empower our next generation! Fresh

ROTARY FNQ FIELD DAYS

Celebrating all women on the land and in the field of agriculture, all the women involved in this event and organisation and all our volunteers.

JODIE TURNER

Business and community go hand in hand for Jodie Turner. Like so many business owners, it’s not just about making money and being successful, it’s about building a business that can also make a real difference in the lives of other people and supporting the growth in their local community.

After 15 years in business, Jodie and husband Max, continue to give back to their community all while continuing to grow their business with the same passion and commitment they had when they started. “By being in business and volunteering and helping the community where we can, everybody benefits.”

There is no slowing down either. Last year the local pest control experts expanded their services even more with the opening of a third office in Cairns to better service their growing clientele. “We love what we do – we are locals, we employee locals and are committed to our business and community.”

With over 25 years of experience, Ida’s goal has always been to help alleviate some of those stresses, making it easier for your travel dreams to become a reality – her greatest passion is discovering the wonders of the world in which we live.

Comedy Tours now has its very own CEO – Comedy Executive officer Tania Tobiano will continue to work with local tourism operators and the Mareeba Heritage Museum to create and develop unique tours in the region, as well as continuing our popular comedy themed lunches and dinners – you can also hire your favourite characters for special events. By appointment only, our personal and professional travel services will ensure we will work with you to get you to wherever in the world you wish to visit. Fun and laughter guaranteed.

International Women's Day is an opportunity for us to reflect, celebrate and acknowledge the amazing contribution that Women make, both at Fresh St, but in the wider community. As the Tablelands Favourite Supermarket, we aspire not to only bring the best shopping experience to our community, but also a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that Women can thrive!

The Rotary FNQ Field Days are a project of the Rotary Clubs of Atherton and Mareeba. All monies raised are donated to charities and community organisations.

The community event continues to raise record amounts each time the event is run. On average 8,000 people came through our gates each day in 2021.

Held over three days on a biennial basis, the award-winning field days is the largest community event on the Tablelands.

The Field Days home has moved locations four times, with its current location, the Mareeba Rodeo Grounds, witnessing the event’s largest growth.

All for the community, all for the charity – see you at Field Days.

TRAVEL & LAUGH with

With over 70% of our leaders being Women, we are proud to have a number of inspiring role models to empower our next generation! Fresh St Market IGA

www.comedytours.com.au

24, 25, 26 MAY 2023

www.fnqfielddays.org.au

Happy International Women’s Day 2023

Celebrating Women in the Automotive Industry. John Cole Toyota & CMG

APELS SOLICITORS AND NOTARY

Today, we’re taking the time to celebrate the talented women at Apels Solicitors and Notary. Not only are they making a positive impact on their profession and their communities, but they are also breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations.

On International Women’s Day, we join with others in local and international communities in honouring the milestones and progress made on the long road to gender equality. International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. It also reminds us of the courage, conviction, determination, talent and skill required to overcome the unique barriers that women face every day.

Apels Solicitors prides itself on providing practical, reliable and timely advice in all areas of law. Contact our office to see if we can help.

Happy International Women’s Day ladies!

Apels Solicitors provide practical, reliable and timely legal services to our clients in Mareeba, the Far North and Across Australia. 138 Byrnes Street, Mareeba Q.4885 www.apels.com.au | (07) 4092 2522 reception@apels.com.au

As we celebrate International Women's Day, it's important to recognise the incredible strides that women have made in traditionally male-dominated industries, such as automotive. At John Cole Toyota & CMG, we have seen a significant increase in the number of women who have entered our business in the last 7 years, they’re making their mark in various roles.

From Apprentice technicians, service advisors & parts interpreters to sales consultants, finance and senior management roles, these women are bringing a unique perspective to the industry. They're pushing boundaries and implementing processes that are helping us shape the future of the industry. At the same time, they're breaking down barriers and inspiring other women to pursue careers in this exciting field.

As we look ahead, we can only expect to see more women making their mark and getting involved with us. And we're proud to celebrate all their achievements on International Women's Day.

MAREEBA RODEO GROUNDS

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

ELDERS REAL ESTATE

Our 7 Elders Real Estate ladies together create a dynamic team offering the Tablelands a personalised professional service for all your Real Estate needs. Showing strong growth across the Tablelands, our award winning agency leads the way in both sales value and volume and new rental listings.

Elders Real Estate Tablelands is a workplace consisting of all women, each bringing their own strengths to always deliver outstanding service in sales, property management and administration. We recognise the enormous value women bring to the workplace and the contributions made to the local business community, supporting women in business for over 8 years. 4096 5666 • tablelands@eldersrealestate.com.au

ELDERS INSURANCE TABLELANDS

Mother and daughter team Jeanette Suffield and Gail Barton lead the amazing Elders Insurance Tablelands Dream Team.

A workplace consisting of all women with over 40 years of insurance experience, we pride ourselves on delivering outstanding customer service every time.

Our team takes pride in helping our local community, whether it be supporting local events or sponsorships, we strongly believe in locals helping locals.

We are proud that our very own Gail Barton’s outstanding contributions and tireless work in the community has seen her nominated and become this year’s “2023 TRC Citizen of the year”.

The success of every woman should be an inspiration to another, we are strongest when we cheer each other on. Happy International Women’s Day Ladies!

MAYOR ANGELA TOPPIN

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on 8 March.

The event celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

This year’s theme is “#EmbraceEquity”, a call to action for accelerating gender parity and building a gender-balanced world. Thank you to the many women who have strived for gender equity – be it in the workplace or in the community.

I would like to acknowledge and honour all the women in the Mareeba Shire who have achieved success in all aspects of life, society, family, business and work. You are inspirational!!

Happy International Women’s Day to all the women and girls in the Mareeba Shire.

NINA AKSELSEN GRANT

JILLIAN TROUT

JILLIAN TROUT

At the helm of one of the Far North’s largest employers and providers of employment services and training is Jillian Trout.

At the helm of one of the Far North’s largest employers and providers of employment services training is Jillian Trout.

A Norwegian by blood, an Australian by choice. Nina has been in Australia for more than 28 years and still has a strong connection to her homeland – but she could not imagine living anywhere else then on the Tablelands.

HANSEN FORD / MAREEBA TOYOTA

Silvia is our Warranty Manager and Service Advisor and has been with the company for 20 years.

Silvia is now focusing on leading our team out the front in the Service Department.

As General Manager of Q.I.T.E. Jillian has seen the organisation grow from humble beginnings more than 35 years ago and believes its success has been the product of constant, tireless dedication by everyone who has worked with and for the local not-for-profit organisation.

As General Manager of Q.I.T.E. Jillian has seen the organisation grow from humble beginnings more than 35 years ago and believes its success has been the product of constant, tireless dedication by everyone who has worked with and for the local not-for-profit organisation.

“My biggest motivation and satisfaction comes from seeing great results achieved by my team for both clients, employers and the communities,” said Jillian.

Nina’s work life and passion has always been numbers and after years working in this field, she completed further education and in 2020 realised her dream of becoming a registered BAS Agent. After achieving this goal Nina officially opened her business –Nina Your Business & Number Engineer.

“My biggest motivation and satisfaction comes from seeing great results achieved by my team for both clients, employers and the communities,” said Jillian.

Christie is our Admin Manager and Franchise Coordinator and has been with the team for 13 years.

Nikki-Lee is the newest addition to our parts team as Parts Assistant having achieved her first twelve months with us this March whilst learning all facets of the Toyota and Ford franchises.

Lyn has been one of our Parts Interpreters for 7½ years who specialises in the Ford franchise ensuring the parts department runs smoothly and efficiently.

Carmen is our Sales Clerk assisting the sales team with administrative support and greets our customers with ease.

Q.I.T.E. continues to grow and we now have offices Mount Isa, Charters Towers, Ingham, Ayr and a larger office in Townsville and continue to work with employers across the region.

Q.I.T.E. continues to grow. They now have offices in Bowen/Ayr and Townsville and cover all the way to Rockhampton for Harvest. The Harvest Trial Services Contract covers from Lakeland in the North to Rockhampton in the south and out to Georgetown.

“All my life I have been lucky to be surrounded by strong, independent women who have been part of creating the person I am today and the values I have in life.”

A community-oriented person and involved in many organisations, both working and volunteering.

One big event that Nina is involved in is Rotary FNQ Field Days in May 2023 as a site coordinator.

Time off, Nina loves spending time in the great outdoors and with her loving family and friends. Curl up on the lounge with a good book, look after the house, décor, set tables, host and bingewatching Norwegian series on SBS.

“The strongest action for a woman is to Love Herself, be herself and shine amongst those who never believed she could.”

Cherie is our Registrations Clerk of 4 years and is also the friendly voice that greets our customers on our phones.

Elsy is our Service Receptionist, with years of experience, we are delighted to welcome her back on board within the Graeme Ford Motors family.

4092 9400 279 Byrnes Street, Mareeba

4092 9600

Front Row (Left To Right): Silvia, Christie, Nikki-Lee. Back Row (Left To Right): Lyn, Carmen, Cherie, Elsy.

ON LANDthe

New heights for Tablelands beef

BY RHYS THOMAS

WITH a vision to make Tableland-grown beef a household name, Doug Cross from Cross Custom Meats in Atherton has launched his own beef brand, Altitude, drawing from the high-quality cattle grown on the Tablelands.

Mr Cross has decided to take on this bold new venture and supply a range of different restaurants and butcheries across North Queensland with locally grown, grassfed, flatback black cattle.

Altitude not only draws from Mr Cross’s own farms but the network of producers that have been supplying Cross Custom Meats for decades.

Many Tablelands graziers prefer black cattle with a significant number of Black Angus and Brangus studs prevalent in the area while most locals opt to purchase locally grown beef when they can.

Mr Cross decided to launch his own beef brand after he felt “comfortable within himself” and after he gained enough experience in the industry.

He also felt it was a good way to continue the late Chris Greenwood’s vision.

Mr Greenwood was a pioneer in the cattle industry and the man behind Morganbury Meats – a wholesale supplier of many of the region’s top restaurants and butcheries.

“I was a big believer and big follower of Chris when he had Morganbury working for him, we had a pretty good business relationship there towards the end. Someone needed to get a hold of it and follow through with the vision he had.

“I would like to say I could get to the scale he was at, but I don’t think we can get to that stage.”

Mr Cross said he would like to maintain roughly

2000 head of cattle to supply the butcheries and venues across the far north with 12 to 14 farms currently growing cattle for Altitude.

Altitude has already sent produce to areas such as Roma, Whitsundays, Cairns and Townsville with plans to expand.

“We want to showcase what the Tablelands can produce, we have got some of the best seedstock getting around up here and it has always been a mission of mine to grow and do something here,” Mr Cross said.

“We are nearly hitting our goal of 2000 head of cattle now and anything over you are going to pull the reach out of North Queensland.

“There is definitely relevance there to do a whole lot more but to keep that consistent, quality supply with the market we are chasing we don’t want to draw cattle that aren’t to our specs.”

Mr Cross believes locals buy too much meat out of the southern states instead of utilising the amazing range of beef being produced just down the road.

“Last year I bought meat out of wholesales in Brisbane and that didn’t really sit well with me because I am always trying to support locals,” he said.

“When you start talking to those big fellas down south, in the domestic market around Australia we are second best.

“They can focus on the international market and play with the figures and they forget about the domestic market. I just want to purely supply the domestic market and look after our own mouths before we look after someone else’s.”

Butchers selling Altitude’s produce will be using a unique display ticket in their shops.

Altitude and Cross Custom Meats owner Doug Cross with daughter Claire and Altitude producer Russell Geraghty from Tinaroo.

ON LANDthe

A NEW competition that will showcase the quality of beef being produced on the Tablelands has been launched as part of the annual Atherton Agricultural Show.

The On-Farm Beef Cattle Competition will enable beef producers to promote their brand without the logistical problems associated with getting their cattle to the show, as well as the costs involved.

Atherton Tablelands Agricultural Society show manager Kylie Lang said the

organisation was excited to announce the introduction of the competition to this year’s event.

“There’s a lot of cost involved in getting cattle to the showgrounds and also these cattle are not used to being around a lot of people or noise as studs often are,” she said.

“With changes in the economy and the viability of producers preparing animals to have them ‘Show ready' for the annual show, we concluded that we need

to do more to promote our local producers and farmers.

“Talking with a local producer and show exhibitor for many years about how we could grow our show’s Beef Section and show more support to our local producers, he commented he would like to see an on-farm competition.

“I took this feedback to the committee and the decision was made to introduce the On-Farm Competition in 2023.”

Ms Lang said it was hoped the new competition would provide an opportunity to more local beef producers to promote their brand with minimal outlay, time, and cost to them.

Judges and stewards will visit properties who enter the competition in late May.

“All competitors in the On-Farm Competition will also be given the opportunity to hold an exhibition stall at the Atherton Show to be held on 10-11

a

July,” Ms Lang said.

“Here they can showcase their brand and all of their achievements.”

Ms Lang said there would be a number of categories – Tropical, European and British, and Small – with eight classes within those categories.

The competition is open to all producers in the Atherton Tableland and Mareeba region. Entries close on 1 May. To enter, go to www.athertonshow.com. au and click on the Competitions tab.

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On-farm cattle comp now part of annual show Reminder to spray safe this season

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FARMERS are being reminded to check agricultural chemical labels, track weather conditions and apply best practice to minimise spray drift and avoid off-target damage this spraying season.

Biosecurity Queensland chief biosecurity officer Malcolm Letts said managing the risk of spray drift was critical to best practice spraying for growers and contractors.

“Spray drift management strategies reduce the risk of unintended impacts to neighbours and the environment, and ensure more herbicide lands where it should, to maximise weed control and minimise chemical costs,” he said.

“Developing a spray plan, checking the weather forecast and selecting the most appropriate nozzles and pressures before you start spraying are all vital.

“The spray plan should include identifying sensitive areas for which downwind no spray

zones on the label instructions may apply.

“Conversations with your neighbours about the timing of your spray operations are also encouraged.”

Mr Letts said Biosecurity Queensland had a compliance program to investigate the use of agricultural chemicals contrary to their approved label instructions.

“All users of agricultural chemicals should be aware of their obligations under the Chemical Usage (Agriculture and Veterinary) Control Act 1988,” he said.

“This includes requirements to follow all instructions appearing on agricultural chemical labels, including spray drift constraints, and to make and keep spray records.

“Significant penalties may apply—up to $86,250 for individuals and $431,250 for companies.”

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First Nations not right

LETTERSto the edito r VOCAL LOCAL

I AM sure I wouldn't be the only one getting tired of people referring to our Aborigines as "First Nations" people.

It is time people did their research and learnt that this is being used politically but belongs to Canada.

Our aborigines have been heard to say that they want to be called Aboriginal or Indigenous people.

Seems like someone uses a term once and people think that it is correct.

The Voice is not for "First Nations" people. This is Australia.

B.J. Prescott TOLGA

Standing by integrity

I REFER to the letter from Mr Owen Byrnes (The Express 01/03/2023). Mr Byrnes’s proposition that those councillors that share his particular view “have upheld the principles of local government” suggests that those councillors that voted a different way have not upheld those principles.

The statement is a slight on the entire council and needs to be called out.

I expect every councillor to always uphold the principles of local government irrespective of how they vote on a particular matter.

The attempted diminution of principles by some councillors because they don’t share your view is not something that stacks up, nor is it something I expect from a former councillor.

I’ll stand by the integrity and principles of this entire council, however decisions land.

Mayor Rod Marti Tablelands Regional Council

What about immigrants?

IN the process of acknowledging the hundreds of tribes of aborigines, are we at the same time ignoring, even denigrating the hundreds of immigrants from countries all over the world who came, worked hard, made homes, had families and became decent citizens making Australia the great nation it is today?

Yvonne Thomson KURANDA

Let’s put some facts to discussion on Rail Trail

IN reply to Owen Byrnes (01/03/2023). Mr Byrnes said: “it appears that the tree planters got a win and the trees already planted are allowed to stay”.

This was never disputed – those trees (Grove Street to Manthey Road) were given the council’s blessing on 20 April 2022, application for funding from the Queens Jubilee Commemorative fund was successful, (no cost to council) and the avenue of trees was opened by Rod Marti on 2 November 2022.

The special meeting held on 23 February was about planting to continue on the eastern side of the Rail Trail behind the Industrial Estate. It’s ironic that the tree planting group won the Community Service Award at this year’s Australia Day awards and then were told to stop planting!

The facts - several businesses in the Industrial Estate want to expand onto Department Of Transport land. A title search shows that currently the tenure of the Rail Trail is a Perpetual Lease, owned by the State of Queensland (represented by Department of Transport and Main Roads).

The purpose of the lease is for transport, ancillary to transport, and other community and commercial purposes as approved by the Chief Executive of the Department administering the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994. TRC has a sublease over the Rail Trail, that expires 30 June 2046 (23 years away).

If anybody wants to sublease part of the Rail Trail, they have to make application to the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), the head leaseholder.

As part of the process, TMR consults with council regarding the sublease application and take into account the council’s wishes. After plans and surveys are prepared and registered, council would surrender its sublease and two new subleases issued - one to the owner of the new lot and the remainder back to council.

I would hope this is not at ratepayers’ cost and applying landowners pay for it.

At the meeting it appeared that four Councillors were discussing the possible additional land which they believed was freehold, would be made available to adjoining landowners. Council does not control granting of freehold land and the adjoining landowners would have to make applications to the Department of Resources.

The landowners would also have to pay the cost of moving the Tolga sewerage line, water mains, pay for new drainage, and their business would expand onto leased land –they would not own it.

One has to wonder whether Councillors Hodge, Wilce, Clifton and Cardew, along with Mr Byrnes, are aware of the full facts.

Mr Byrnes – you only need to see the mess behind Mr Hedley’s pub in Tolga, (good businessman or not), to realise that the council has not followed up on any recommendations made during the approval of losing part of the Rail Trail.

While the rest of Australia is nurturing Rail Trails, it appears TRC has no regard for the future of our environment.

Kathryn Kilpatrick ATHERTON

Editor’s Note: At its recent meeting on 23 February, Tablelands Regional Council endorsed the development of a strategy for the Rail Trail and supported the reformation of the community advisory group.

Decision on planting trees disappointing

THROUGH the initiative of an unpaid visionary who happens to understand and appreciate the importance of trees, there have been hundreds of trees planted along the Atherton Rail Trail, south from Platypus Park, along Weaver Street and north from Grove Street.

It hasn’t been a solo effort. Volunteers and groups have assisted with time, trees and equipment as well as local businesses also contributing no or low-cost materials, equipment and time.

There is no greater purpose than to serve,

in this case the community. This voluntary collaborative effort which is focussed on revegetating the planet whilst beautifying a local community asset is surely up there with the best of deeds.

And, of course, these projects are in addition to the wonderful achievement of the Tolga Lions club with their trees leading to the highway at Tolga. Heaven knows, we need trees to help our planet, in turn to help ourselves, after all, we all come from the earth and that is where we will wind up when the chequered flag falls.

The Rail Trail attracts home supported tourism, including cycling but let’s not forget other users, runners, walkers, school commuters, workers, mobility scooters all of whom can use the trail away from the dangers of mixing it with vehicular traffic.

So this makes our council’s, the TRC’s, decision to revoke an approval to plant trees between Manthey Rd and Beantree Rd whilst allowing the disaster adjacent to and on the Rail Trail at Tolga to occur, quite disappointing. We can do better than this.

Rex Gregory ATHERTON

Not holding my breath

I THINK it’s time Mayor Toppin paused for a reality check when it comes to the construction of the Mareeba bypass.

Over the past four years, I have spent bulk time negotiating the multi lane roads of Greater Brisbane and Western Sydney. Regular commuters and pedestrians share these congested roads with all manner of heavy vehicles with comparatively few incidents. The daily traffic flow in the Mareeba/Tablelands area pales into insignificance when compared to these areas.

Heavy vehicles passing along Byrnes Street are driven by professional operators, rarely stop and pose little hinderance to other road users. Inexperienced grey nomads piloting articulated vehicles which are often the size of a small semi are a bigger danger to other road users.

How many traffic incidents are reported on the Kuranda Range road when compared to those in Byrnes Street?

What would be the impact on the Tablelands area if the on going band-aid “fixes” to the Barron River bridge resulted in a total road closure?

Labour Governments at both State and Federal level are becoming more reliant on the support of the Greens to remain in power. Given the Greens agenda to close down the resources industries at any cost, how would the Queensland budget cope with the potential loss of revenue from these industries.

The Palaszczuk government has recently committed billions of dollars for road, rail and infrastructure up-grades in the South East corner in preparation for the 2032 Olympics. My understanding is that the Mareeba by-pass is currently unfunded.

At a meeting in Cairns on 6 December, I was told by a TMR spokesman that my property would be resumed should the bypass road ever proceed along its proposed route. I don’t expect to become homeless any time soon.

A.J. Harris MAREEBA

A new video showing what Atherton’s Priors Creek redevelopment will look like triggered a number of comments from locals last week…

Hope it happens and is designed to encourage legit activity and not the other kind, which will ruin it. CCTV and adequate lighting and most important, youth workers to run evening programmes to deter violence and antisocial behaviours. - Radda Jordan

Excellent. Atherton needs this multi-use area, great for the town and the community. - Marcel C Gueho

Gosh, I thought this council was broke. Who pays for future maintenance? Guess it’s gonna be the ratepayers eh! Not good enough I’m afraid. Sick to death of rates rising and get not discount anymore. Ridiculous. - Karen Maree

Wow. How good does that look. Can’t wait. - Paul Pisani I really hope the Tablelands Regional Council has engaged with the Atherton Police and asked for their input, as they will be the ones keeping our families safe when using the area. - Anj Mittelstadt

About four years ago we went through exactly same exercise. What happened to the previous plan? Why aren’t we using the last models and feedback? One idea was a new information centre and parking for caravan out the front adjacent to the parkland. - Julia Howard These are grand designs. I’m hoping our rates aren’t affected. As it’s a struggle to pay them now. - Leigh Koza Would be great, but focus needs to be put on amenities already in place in that area. The rest area at the pump track is a disgrace and I’m ashamed for visitors to our town to see it. Locals and our introduced foreign workers seem to be trashing it, graffiti and rubbish and empty alcohol cans and bottles everywhere. Surely the police are aware of the problem and more focus needs to be put on policing the area. Like I said, new amendments would be awesome but sad if they were to end up the same. -

Stephen McGlew

So fabulous! Can’t wait for such a beautiful space to be available. Good to see money going into improving the town. -

Stephanie Farkas

Priors Creek is an awesome project and I’m glad the council remains committed to this. This is about economic and social development. I hope everyone with ideas pass these on to the council. - David

Anthony

The Express posts news stories on our Facebook page every week. We appreciate your comments which may be used in this column.

PROPERTY

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Build your own home at Amaroo Estate

STAGE 13A of Amaroo Moodani Avenue and Kutterbul Court is the place to be offering an amazing opportunity to build your dream home with a stunning surrounding in a private area.

This stage features 15 affordable lots, all with wide frontages, town water, underground power, sewerage & NBN. Lot sizes range from approximately 800sqm -1642sqm, giving you plenty of room to build the home you have dreamed of.

Don’t miss out on turning your dreams into reality in 2023.

Pop into the Amaroo Land Centre for more information on this stage or call Ryley on 0409 321 000 to learn more about what’s happening next at Amaroo Estate. Follow us on our socials or check out our website www.amarooestate.com.au for all updates regarding our upcoming stages.

22 Main Street, Atherton Phone: 4091 7111

PRIVATE RURAL LIVING

Lake Eacham

• Set on 1.18 hectares

• 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home

• Deck on 3 sides of home

• Undercover storage area

• Large 4 bay shed

• Paddocks + bore water & tanks

Offers Over $699,000 L21659892

Suzey Whitby 0438 090 306

Margaret Black: Principal

THE VIEWS Yungaburra

• Set on 8.03 hectares

• 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 kitchen home

• Fenced into 3 paddocks

• 3 bay machinery shed

• Rainwater + bore

• Mains power + solar (6.25kw)

$1,550,000 L19586763

Morgan Brennan 0407 730 450

PEACEFUL AND ROOM TO MOVE

Malanda

• 3 bedroom updated solid home

• Open plan with timber floors

• Lovely kitchen with island bench

• Fenced paddocks

• Creek + bore and rainwater tank

• Stables and yards

Offers Over $850,000 L21424371

Suzey Whitby 0438 090 306

LUSH GREEN PASTURES

Tarzali

• Set on 81.87 hectares

• Modern 4 bedroom home

• Large 4 bay shed

• Fenced into 9 paddocks

• 2 creeks and 4 springs

• Stunning views Offers Invited L22011042 Morgan Brennan 0407 730 450

Hidden gem in Millaa Millaa

A RARE opportunity to purchase one of the most beautiful properties on the Atherton Tablelands, winner of the TRC 2018 garden awards. Located 12 mins from Millaa Millaa and less than 30 minutes from Malanda on a private 6 acres with no immediate neighbours and views for miles to admire all year round.

Every window has a vista, whether it be Mt Bartle Frere, the cows in the paddocks, the colourful established gardens

or the green rolling hills, you will never tire of the magnificent surrounds.

The electric front gate opens upon arrival and you are immediately greeted with an ambience of peacefulness from the grand pines and the beautiful established garden.

Features of the property include:

• Western Red Cedar Pole Home

• Spacious master bedroom with large ensuite, walk in robe and office

Tablelands

• Second bedroom with built-ins and ensuite

• Third bedroom is spacious and with ensuite, detached from the main house but connected via the breezeway; a perfect set up for Air BNB or extended family and friends

• Generous sized kitchen with gas oven, steam oven, convection oven, ample bench space, pantry and not forgetting the views

• Open plan dining and lounge with large windows

and timber features; wood heater

• Polished Cypress Pine floors

• All year round veranda with blinds

• 3 bay carport and 1 garage with remote roller door

• Pergola with views to infinity and beyond

• Beautiful established gardens and a pocket of rainforest with walking tracks

• 12m x 8m powered shed with benches

• Chook run and an en-

closed vegetable garden with raised beds, fruit trees

• Deck with views and a hot tub

• 5kw solar system with generator back up

• Bore

If you are looking for views, privacy, a beautiful home and an exquisite setting, this one is for you. Call Elders Exclusive Marketing Agent Shellie Nightingale on 0429 966 038.

A property full of possibilities

THE block. The location. The potential – This property is a worthwhile investment, full of possibilities for the next owner.

Set on 4,161m2 across 2 titles, this property offers the potential for multi-use zoning with plenty of space to live, play and set up your business.

Featured on the property is a 3 bedroom block home which is in need of some TLC, making it ideal for a handyman or builder.

Located towards the rear of the property are the 2 sheds. One is a large 2 bay powered shed with high clearance and the second was previously used as a

studio accommodating bathroom facilities.

A lean to joins both structures with enough room to build further sheds if needed.

If you are looking for your next versatile venture then this might be the perfect property!

This property is being sold by Expressions of Interest –

therefore a price guide cannot be given.

Karen has an extremely high level of professionalism and integrity and together with her boundless wealth of real estate knowledge, made the entire process so easy and stress free for me.

Karen kept me informed throughout every stage of the sale of my property.

Property is a people business. I work hard to deliver what we agree, acting in a respectful and trustworthy manner from start to finish. It’s as simple as that.

She was true to her word, did all she promised and more. Exemplary service, this lady “knows her stuff” and I would recommend Karen for all your real estate needs.

“ Why i asked Karen to sell my home...

houses l land l units l investments l acreage l farms l rentals

Rare 2.5 acres with fully renovated home

ONLY minutes from the Tolga town centre and next door to the Atherton Pony Club, this property is sure to be a hit with the whole family!

Perfectly suited for horses or cattle the 2.5-acre property is fenced into four paddocks with two paddocks having permanent shelters and all have water.

The fully renovated two storey home has both upstairs and downstairs living, a big undercover outdoor entertaining area and a 6m x 6m fully enclosed shed.

Low maintenance, stylish, modern –perfection

bathroom, toilet, and laundry all with polished timber floors.

Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms with built-ins, a 2nd large living area and a bathroom with separate shower and bath.

The multiple living areas provide plenty of options for everyone to enjoy their own space. Outdoor entertaining is easy with the undercover party area.

Besides the fully enclosed Colorbond shed there are two chook pens and a pig pen.

A 5000l rainwater tank is on site and ready to be installed and the school bus stops at the front gate.

Ideal for the growing family this property is conveniently located only minutes from Tolga Primary School and is only minutes from Atherton and Lake Tinaroo.

Adding to these great features are the peaceful surrounds with plenty of space afforded by being situated on 2.5 acres.

The gardens are well landscaped, and a variety of fruit trees are established along with a separately fenced veggie patch.

The ground level of the home consists of a new kitchen, living/ dining room,

*Free

IMMACULATELY presented throughout, this unit offers an enviable lifestyle. Ideally located in a quiet well-maintained complex. Whether you are looking to break into the market, downsize or add to your portfolio this unit should be on your list to consider.

FEATURES INCLUDE;

• Modern kitchen with electric appliances, a breakfast bar & dishwasher

• Open plan living with a broom cupboard and a large storage cupboard

• Master bedroom features a walk-in robe and direct access to the 2-way bathroom

• Second Bedroom with a built-in robe

• Two-way bathroom with a shower, toilet & vanity

• Ceiling fans, tiles & crimsafe security screens throughout

• Internal laundry

• 2nd toilet off laundry area

• Single remote control lockup garage plus undercover car parks in front of

home

• Private courtyard

• Low maintenance living

• Low body corporate fees

• Located close to schools, shopping & medical facilities.

For further information or to arrange an inspection, call exclusive marketing agent Raquel at Sommerset Realty on 0408 983 879.

Address: 3/35 Tower Ave, ATHERTON

Price: $300,000

To arrange your private inspection, call Exclusive marketing agent Rino Gava on 0427 779 086. 84

Agent: EXCLUSIVE to Raquel Cunzolo Sommerset Realty

Contact: 0408 983 879

*DRIVEWAY HAS BEEN ADDED AS AN INDICATION, PLEASE NOTE IT HAS NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED*

Indestructible, stylish and brand new on acreage

A REFRESHING addition to the property market, this stylish and modern home has plenty to offer!

Set on a 1 acre allotment at the popular new Estate of Carrington, is this stunning and modern family home that’s ready for it’s new owners!

The entire home inside and out is constructed of rendered masonry block, making it indestructible.

A stunning front entrance with a flawless transition to the open floorplan, lounge/ dining and kitchen which is complimented by polished concrete floors and high ceilings.

The kitchen features quality appliances, stone benchtops, breakfast bar and servery.

There are four oversized bedrooms, all with built in robes and fans. The master featuring a spacious walk in robe and stunning ensuite with his and her double vanity. The main bathroom features large easy access walk in shower and the laundry is separate.

For the outdoor entertainment, there is a large covered patio which is accessed through double custom made timber doors and overlooks the backyard, with the bonus addition of a firepit area.

Extra room has been added to the double bay garage to ensure ample room between vehicles and storage room as well.

Double gates are on both sides of the home, giving plenty of side access for a

shed in the future.

The foundations of an immaculate, impressive property have been set and there is still so much potential for future additions.

Low maintenance living on acreage - in-

spections are a must!

For more information or a private inspection, please contact exclusive marketing agent Kaydee Chatfield at Main St Real Estate Atherton.

Address: 13 Forrest Street, CARRINGTON

Price: $820,000

Agent: EXCLUSIVE to Main Street Real Estate Kaydee Chatfield

Contact: 0448 916 246

PROPERTY

houses l land l units l investments l acreage l farms l rentals

Renovated unit in central location

THIS newly renovated solid masonry block 2 bedroom unit is perfectly positioned in a lovely well maintained complex of 6 units, only a short walk from the Coles shopping centre.

Perfect for an elderly person wanting to be close to town amenities, a young couple just starting out or investors with a potential rental return of $350 per week.

The unit has been tastefully renovated inside leaving nothing for a new owner to do but move in.

• Solid masonry block construction, recently painted externally

• Split system air-conditioning to the living area

• New vinyl flooring + freshly repainted internally

• Open plan living and dining area

• 2 good size bedrooms with built-in robes and ceiling fans

• Spacious kitchen with loads of bench space plus a storage cupboard & stainless steel dishwasher

• Security screens throughout

• Hallway/living area storage cupboards

• Large internal laundry

• Lock up garage with painted floor, internal ac-

cess into the unit and remote roller door

• Large private tiled rear patio with roll down blinds & fenced yard area

• Front porch/sitting area

• Very well maintained & established unit complex in town centre

For further information or to arrange a private inspection, please contact exclusive agent Joe Torrisi on 0417 700 468.

Address: 6/240 Walsh St, MAREEBA

Price: Offers Over $250,000

Agent: EXCLUSIVE to Joe Torrisi Joe Torrisi Real Estate

Contact: 0417 700 468

Live it up at Lakeside

IF it’s an elegant home at Lakeside you’re after then look no further.

Located only a short drive from Yungaburra Village on a prominent elevated corner block.

Here you will discover a place with space for entertaining family and friends on a private 1,500sqm allotment. The home's elevation allows for lovely lake breezes captured from the front patio and into the spacious living room.

Entertaining is easy with the kitchen serving straight

SOLD MORE LISTINGS WANTED!

MAREEBA

For local knowledge, dedicated service and exceptional results give Joe a call!

JOETORRISI.COM.AU

JOE TORRISI 0417 700 468

onto the rear patio.

There are 3 sizable bedrooms with an ensuite in the main bedroom.

Tiled double lock up garage and a 4 x 6m (approx.) shed located on the rear of the property for all the extras.

Situated in a cul-de-sac

of quality homes just a 200 metre walk to Lake Tinaroo.

For more information, call Trisha Jackson at Professionals Atherton. Phone 4091 3955 or 0419 1833 145 anytime. To view more photos, visit athertonrealestate.com.au

Address: YUNGABURRA

Price: $669,000

Agent: Trisha Jackson

Professionals Atherton

Contact: 0419 183 145

BUYING OR SELLING Get your copy of The Express every Wednesday for the latest listings across the region!

River frontage in town

LOOKING for a unique home on the Cairns side of Mareeba? This large home is perfectly positioned in Hastings Drive and is a one-of-a-kind two storey home on just over half an acre with all the trimmings.

Perfect family living is all here with plenty of room for everyone, boasting 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a double lock up garage, 2 bay carport and loads of living space both inside and out.

The modern kitchen in neutral tones has an abundance of bench and storage space, and a breakfast bar. The large kitchen window lets in masses of light and overlooks the back yard. Adjacent to the kitchen is the open plan living and dining space, perfect for entertaining family and friends.

All four bedrooms in the home are a great size, with

new carpets in three rooms and split-system air-conditioning. The master bedroom has polished timber floor boards and a tastefully renovated ensuite bathroom and walk-in robe.

Outside is where you’ll spend most of your time though, as we all do up here in Tropical North Queensland, enjoying a cold beer on the back deck while watching the kids play in the in-ground salt-water pool.

If that’s not enough, you have your own private frontage to the pristine Barron River, and a set of gently flowing rapids to light a camp fire and sit by, or the

kids can even pitch a tent in your own personal riverside campground, right in your back yard!

With so much to mention, the only way you can appreciate all that this property has to offer is to book your own private inspection, so don’t delay as the price is right and there’s not another one like it on the market!

For more information or to book your private viewing, contact exclusive agent Vince Costas at the Central Realty Mareeba office today. Phone 0419 926 691 or 4092 2232.

Address: 19 Hastings Drive, MAREEBA

Price: Offers Over $600,000

Agent: EXCLUSIVE to Vince Costas Central Realty Mareeba

Contact: 0419 926 691

Family lifestyle with great potential to earn extra income

A UNIQUE opportunity now exists to purchase a versatile acreage with a great opportunity to earn extra income on top of your day job. This hobby farm enjoys an established Tahitian lime orchard consisting of 410 bearing trees and all the associated equipment including processing plant to maintain and send fruit off to market.

Located only 5mins from Mareeba and less than an hour to Smithfield Shopping Centre and the northern beaches. This acreage is the perfect size to profit from whilst still working a normal 9-5 job.

A comfortable 5-bedroom home with wrap-around verandahs, undercover entertainment area and park-like surrounds make this a lifestyle property of choice for family and friends to enjoy.

A place to immerse yourself into country living and the nearby neighbours and

acreages all of which are similar in size.

Key Features:

• 2.32ha (5.73ac) approx.

• Substantial 5-bedroom home

• 5 kilowatt solar system

• Large outdoor enter tainment area with sink

• 70,000 litres rainwater storage

• 6 megalitre dam fenced plus bore

• 410 bearing Tahitian lime Orchard

• Processing shed plus storage shed

• All equipment to maintain and process fruit

• Fully fenced with sealed driveway

The perfect climate which Mareeba enjoys is not only good for everyday living but also good for high quality fruit production providing the experience of growing a fruit that’s loved by all and the rewards of a healthy side income.

You can choose to take

this acreage to another level, or simply enjoy the fruits of what the current owners have already created.

For more information or to

arrange a private inspection please call Exclusive Marketing Agent Andrew Rogato on 0418183444 or email andrew@4880.com. au

TAKE A BREAK

BIG WORD SEARCH CROSSWORD

and black poisonous berries (6,6)

20 a state of harmony or agreement (5)

21 a large bath with a system of underwater jets of water to massage the body (7)

22 the centre of the target in sports such as archery, shooting, and darts (5,3)

23 a self-righteously moralistic person who behaves as if they are superior to others (4)

Down

1 room available in the atmosphere immediately above the earth (8)

2 plays as a genre or style of literature (5)

4 strip (something) of its covering, possessions, or assets (6)

5 lack of moderation or restraint (12)

6 a tall reedlike water plant with a dark brown velvety cylindrical head of numerous tiny flowers (7)

Across

1 an assistant to an important person, especially a political leader (4)

3 one who performs without previous preparation (2-6)

9 to change or restore to a different or former position or state (7)

10 a bulbous spring-flowering plant of the lily family, with boldly coloured cup-shaped flowers (5)

11 the chemical element of atomic number

59, a soft silvery-white metal of the lanthanide series (12)

13 a kind of rabbit or a pika: early term no longer in scientific use (plural) (6)

15 the loud, harsh cry of a donkey or mule (3-3)

17 a low-growing evergreen Eurasian shrub with leathery leaves, small green flowers,

7 fruit or grain developed to the point of readiness for harvesting and eating (4)

8 a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply (4,8)

12 becoming greater in intensity, number, amount, or volume (8)

14 relating to marriage or weddings (7)

16 a disc jockey (6)

18 an instrument with a sharp blade or set of blades, used to remove unwanted hair from the face or body (5)

19 an expanded part of a glass tube such as that forming the reservoir of a thermometer (4)14. make uniform in application or effect

16. characterised by desire

17. deprive of something necessary

18. a systematic procedure for accomplishing somethingy

19. showing earnest and eager attention

20. Italian and Spanish for “long live”

Mar 21 - Apr 19

apr 20 - may 20

May 21 - Jun 20

Puzzle Solutions

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column,

This week, trusting yourself puts you on the right path. Your houses of intuition & spiritual experiences are highlighted this week. You could get a flash of intuition that makes you feel more certain about decisions. Follow your heart, you know what to do.

JUN 21 - JUL 22

This week, the effort you put in pays off. Your house of travel is highlighted this week. You might be off to visit a relative or find an amazing deal on a trip you’ve been planning. Later in the week you might be revisiting something. Now is the time to follow up.

sep 23 - oct 22

This week, a change of direction can light up your days. Your house of work & daily routines in highlighted. You might feel the urge to break free of the routines and do something different. One small thing could add the spark back to your life.

Dec 22 - Jan 19

This week, you could be busy with fun activities. You house of movement & dance is highlighted. You could have an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and do something active and fun. You’ll be feeling light of heart and feet.

This week, you could gain a windfall. You houses of friendship & intuition are highlighted this week. You and a friend could be in sync. It’s a great time to get together, even if it takes a bit to get your schedules to line up. It’s a great time to manifest your dreams.

WEEKLY HOROSCOPES SUDOKU

JUL 23 - AUG 22

This week, what you focus on expands. Your houses of income & investments are highlighted. Someone could introduce you to something lucrative. You can start creating additional income sources. Awareness around financial freedom is high.

oct 23 - nov 21

This week, a social occasion could bring joy. You houses of fun & romance are highlighted. You could meet someone new & act immediately rather than waiting. Someone you haven’t heard from since last year could come back into your life.

Jan 20 - Feb 18

This week, home is where the heart is. You house of money is highlighted. You could be tempted to make an impulse purchase. You could have the opportunity to acquire something delightful. Later in the week you could chance upon a side hustle that lights you up.

This week, you’re exploring new possibilities. Your house of career is highlighted this week. You might feel very satisfied with your job but crave some more freedom. It’s a great time to have a conversation about some changes in your schedule, compromise is key.

Aug 23 -Sep 22

This week, good things are coming. Your house of relationships is highlighted. A chance encounter could have you daydreaming about possibilities. Later in the week someone could reenter your life, it’s a great chance to start fresh. Joy will follow.

nov 22 - dec 21

This week, there could be good news. Your houses of family & home are highlighted. A family member could drop by unannounced, but not unwanted & suddenly there’s a party or celebration to be had with your nearest and dearest.

Feb 19 - Mar 20

This week, you could get a blast from the past. Your house of confidence is highlighted this week. You could find yourself doing something very uncharateristic. You might step into a leadership role that surprises yourself and the right people. Be bold and brave.

Presbyterians meet in Mareeba for worship each Sunday 10am, QCWA Hall, Wilkes Street (behind Meals on Wheels).

All welcome.

Easter Season continues on Sunday 12 March, 2023: Characters Caught Up

With the Cross #2: Judas Iscariot:

Trafficking in Treachery

“What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” (Matthew 26:15)

The 12th of March is the 128th Anniversary of a continuous Presbyterian presence in Mareeba.

ANNIVERSARY

Pasquale & Maria Tatti

09~03~2023

Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary. Love from Giovanni & Suzanne, Lina & Raymond, Frank & Nyline, Rocco & Joanne and families.

In memory of our loving Sister Isabella Briggs (Merletti)

17/05/58 – 06/03/17

BELOVED SISTER

If tears could build a stairway, And memories a lane, I’d walk right up to heaven, And bring you home again.

Always in our hearts. Your loving sisters, Angela, Lorenza, Pia Margaret and families.

Paul

McGREGOR-JONES

Late of Mareeba. Passed away peacefully at Cairns Hospital on Sunday 26th February, 2023, aged 79 years. Beloved Partner of Narelle. Dearly loved Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather of the McGregor-Jones and Pole families. Family and friends are warmly invited to attend Paul’s Celebration of Life to be held at Mareeba Leagues Club commencing at 10.30am on Friday 10th March, 2023.

1300 781 084

Trailer near new condition, 2100 x 3000 flat tray, ramps, big tool box, electric brakes, carry racks, heavy suspension, single axle. $10,000 ono

Ph: Richard 0409 971 487

2017 Maf Genesis

Fruit Grader

Very

CREAR, Walter George

30/09/1933 ~ 12/02/2023

Loved by all as Wally, Tige, Dad, Grandad and now dearly missed. Late of Tolga and recently Montville, he passed away on 12th February, 2023. Aged 89 years.

Beloved Husband of Grace and Barbara (Dec.).

Loved Father, Father-in-Law and Step-Father of Judith & Mark, Russell & Lyn, Dale & Pina, Bradley & Gayle and Donna & Graham, Karen & Peter, Linda & John. Cherished by all of his and Grace’s grandchildren and great grandchildren.

With great sadness we say farewell to Wally in a celebration of his life through a memorial service.

Family and friends of Wally are respectfully invited to attend a memorial service at Guilfoyle’s Mountain View Chapel, 3 Nasser Road, Atherton on Monday 13th March, 2023 at 2.00pm.

Guilfoyle Funeral Services

Chapels, Crematorium & Memorial Gardens

Atherton: 4091 2147 Mareeba: 4092 1013

Local Family Owned & “Entrusted for over 70 years” www.guilfoylefunerals.com.au

KUIPERS, Jenny

05/07/1934 ~ 21/02/2023

Passed away peacefully at Parklands Aged Care in Townsville.

Dearly loved Wife of Bob (Dec.). Much loved Mother of Dianne, Yvonne, Lyn, Tom (Dec.), Carolyn and Debbie. Much loved Oma to her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren

“Mum and Dad together again after 14 years.”

Family and friends are invited to attend her Graveside Funeral Service to be held at Atherton Cemetery on Friday 10th March, 2023 commencing at 11am.

Guilfoyle Funeral Services

Chapels, Crematorium & Memorial Gardens

Atherton: 4091 2147 Mareeba: 4092 1013

Local Family Owned & “Entrusted for over 70 years” www.guilfoylefunerals.com.au

TATU 28 Plate, Offset Plough $16,500

PHONE: 0438 981 167

PETS

CAVALIER KING CHARLES PUREBRED PUPS

Male & female, ruby & ruby and white, both parents have beautiful temperaments.

$3000

P: 0408 454 686

BIN: 0001516881945

POSITION VACANT

PCYC Mareeba is currently seeking a passionate Support Worker Community Foundation Skills (Fixed Term, Part time, 15 hours per week, Until December 2023)

To apply go to: pcyc.bigredsky.com

Note: Blue Card ‘No Card, No Start’ Laws Apply. Must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

KIMBERLEY BOAB SEEDLINGS

• Potted to 50cm (2 ft)

• Ideal Statement trees

• Grows to 5m (18 ft) in 4 years

• Deliver to Mareeba Thurs, 9th March

• Grown in Cooktown $30 EACH Text/ Phone 0409 876 418

IRTEM 4 Row Precision Planter Double disc, fertiliser boxes, brand new. $25,000

PHONE: 0438 981 167

GARAGE SALE

SATURDAY 11TH MARCH 8AM-12 NOON

Stan Moses Hall

Vernon Street, Atherton

SHED ERECTORS

Shed erectors needed. Must have own vehicle and tools. Full time work available. Immediate start. Experience required. Please Call 0418 791 096

Loader Operator/ Maintenance Driver

Applications are invited for the position of Loader Operator/Maintenance Driver to join the MSF Sugar team. This is a fixed-term, full-time position located at our Tableland Mill.

Please apply via SEEK - MSF Sugar

CASUAL/TEMPORARY COOK / KITCHENHAND

Tinaroo Environmental Education Centre (EDUCATION QLD)

Applications are invited for the positions of casual/temporary Cook/Kitchen Hand at the Tinaroo Environmental Education Centre. Applicants must be available to work week days and between the hours of 6.00am and 7.30pm.

The successful applicants will subject too:

A Working with Children Check. Confirmation of employment is conditional upon the applicant being issued with a Blue Card

Criminal History Check

For further information or to obtain a Role

Description, please contact the Business Manager by email: bsm@tinarooeec.eq.edu.au.

Applications should include resume detailing work history, any relevant qualifications and referees

Applications close on Wednesday, 15 March, 2023 at 1.00pm and should be either emailed to: bsm@tinarooeec.eq.edu.au

Or posted to:

Business Manager, Tinaroo Environmental Education Centre PO Box 65, Kairi QLD. 4872 and marked confidential

The Express apologises for placing the incorrect advertisement, for Mareeba Presbyterian Fellowship, in the 1st March edition.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Proposed Development

Make a submission from: 9th March, 2023 to 29th March, 2023

AGM NOTICE

THE MAREEBA MOTOR RACING CLUB INC.

Date: 29th March, 2023

Extension to an Existing Multiple Dwelling

Where: 37 Walsh Street, Mareeba QLD 4880

On: Lot 3 on M35643

Approval Sought: Development Permit for a Material Change of Use

Application Ref: MCU/23/0003

You may obtain a copy of the application and make a submission to: Mareeba Shire Council PO Box 154 Mareeba QLD 4880 info@msc.qld.gov.au 1300 308 461 www.msc.qld.gov.au

Tuesday 14th March, 10am - 12pm

Time: 7pm Sharp @ the Mareeba Leagues Club Nominations forms available at: mbaspeedway@outlook.com

QCWA FREE SOCIAL DAY

• Cuppa & Cake • Mahjong & Puzzles

• Craft Corner & Recycled Sewing Patterns

• Poetry Reading & MUCH MORE!

All Welcome!

QWCA Hall, Yungaburra

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

RSLA (QLD) MAREEBA SUB BRANCH INC.

SATURDAY 18TH MARCH, 2023

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the RSLA (Qld) Mareeba Sub Branch Inc. for 2022 will be held at the Mareeba Leagues Club Function Room, at the Corner of Doyle & Riordan Streets, Mareeba, on Saturday 18th March 2023 at 10:30am.

Agenda Items

Receive the previous 2021 Financial and Audit Report and present the 2022 Financial and Audit Report. Election of Board Members and appointment of Auditor and Solicitor. A general meeting will follow the AGM. Nomination forms can be obtained from the Secretary and may be posted or emailed to the Secretary Cheryl Powell Emmerson and must be received by the 11th March, 2023. Please contact the Secretary on 0400 869 426 for further information. Email: info@Mareeba.rslqld.net.au PO Box 179, Mareeba 4880

T-MSC2023-05 Never miss out of the local news – www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Forms must be returned by 22/03/2023. 2023 Membership Fees are now due. Please email: mbaspeedway@outlook.com or text Di 0427 390 169 for a form and bank details. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

Information is sought from any witnesses to a motor vehicle accident involving a B-double truck roll over occurring at or near Killaloe on the Captain Cook Highway at 5.30pm on 28 November 2022.

If you can assist with investigations into the cause of the accident, please contact WGC Lawyers on 4046 1111.

Give a Birthday Shout out for your 1 to 13 year old! Head to bit.ly/expressbirthdaylist & send us your child’s Name, birth date and suburb.

SPORT

Butler to rep sunshine colours

BY ELLIE FINK

MAREEBA cricket Star Brooke Butler will be taking her talents to Rockhampton in the coming weeks to play for Sunshine Coast at the Schoolgirls State Titles.

Being one of the biggest cricket talents to come out of Mareeba, Butler made her name known on the pitch during peninsula last year and now the south-eastern team has called her in to make up their 16-19 years girl team.

“They didn’t have enough girls for the team so they asked me to play for them,” she said.

“I couldn’t believe it – this is a good opportunity to get out there and play against different girls and meet new people in the sport.

“I am going to have my a-game on and do the best I can in every game I play. I am jus trying to

stay confident and I’m ready to go in with a good attitude.”

This is the first time Butler has played against women in this age group, but the level of expertise from her competition has not depleted her confidence yet.

Training hard and more often, she is prepared to take on the competition with her new team.

“I know a couple of girls from competitions I played last year and they are incredibly talented down there,” she said.

“They have better coaching opportunities down there and are at a very different skill level but I’m going to give it my best shot and hopefully I will come home with a win.”

Butler will be competing from the 13 to 16 March in Rockhampton.

Local skiers make waves at worlds

LOCAL barefoot water skier Lindsie Jack has returned from the 2023 World Barefoot Waterski Championships, coming third overall, achieving a top five position in each event and even smashing some personal bests.

The World Championships had 93 competitors from Australia, America, New Zealand, Finland, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Lindsie competed for the Australian team in junior girls division which was eight skiers in total, consisting of girls from Australia, America, and New Zealand.

Members of her club, Northern Region Barefoot Water Ski Club, also competed including Justin Molford and club president Katina Davis.

Molford achieved two personal bests in trick and slalom, a massive achievement for the young skier as he had to go up a division and compete in the junior boys category instead of his usual sub-junior boys.

Davis was on track to make waves in the finals before a fall in the slalom event halted her progress, however she was still happy to compete on the world stage with some of the best skiers in the world.

During a tough and often close competi-

tion, Lindsie achieved third overall, crowning her the third place 2023 Junior Girls Overall World Barefoot Champion.

Lindsie successfully scored in all three events, placing fourth in tricks, third in slalom and fourth in jump.

She also achieved a personal best in both the tricks and slalom event which was felt was very exciting and amazing considering the nature of the competition.

Lindsie said the whole experience of competing at worlds was amazing and she is looking forward to returning.

“It was an amazing experience being with people from all over the world that pushed my limits in the comp, but were my best mates at the same time,” she said.

“I had so much fun and felt motivated the whole time and even more so now.

“I am so ready for the next states and national competitions in the next two months.”

Lindsie’s parents, Melissa and Darryl are extremely proud of their daughter for her commitment to her passion which has seen her begin to realise her dreams on the water.

The next World Championships for open and junior barefoot skiers will be held next year, then every two years after that.

Local barefoot water skier Lindsie Jack has returned from the recent World Barefoot Waterski Championships after she achieved third overall in the junior girls division.

SPORT

Queen of triathlons set for third world championship

BY RHYS THOMAS

YUNGABURRA local and die-hard triathlete

Megan Hendry will compete in her third IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in August as she races in the icy waters and picturesque landscapes of Finland.

Megan qualified for this year’s championships in the 30-34 age division after her performance during IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast in September of last year, she finished third in the division with a time of four hours, 28 minutes and 16 seconds.

Her extensive triathlon history began on a weekend in Yungaburra in 2014 where she decided to enter the local Yungaburra Triathlon on a whim.

Since that fateful day in Yungaburra nearly a decade ago, Megan has competed in roughly one race a month which culminated in a race record of three IRONMAN full distance and 15 70.3 races, four world championship nominations and three appearances.

Despite having a burning passion for the sport, Megan didn’t get truly serious until two years after her first race when she set herself the goal of competing in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship held on the Gold Coast in 2016. Now three world championships later, she is still not satisfied and already has plans to compete in the 2024 world championship in Taupō, New Zealand.

“I never saw this journey going this far having just gone out for a run that day in Yungaburra,” she said.

“It got me hooked and now it is non-stop, I already have my eyes on next year’s world championship.”

Finland will be Megan’s third time racing on the world stage after the Gold Coast in 2016 and Nice, France in 2019 – she also qualified for the world championship the following year in Utah but opted not to go due to Covid.

Megan still doesn’t feel like she has gotten her triathlon fix and is even considering competing in another 70.3 event in Germany shortly after the world championship.

Climatising will be the main focus for Megan ahead of the championship as she believes the colder climate will be one of the biggest obstacles she will need to overcome.

“I can only really get there five days prior to the event if that, so the hardest thing for me will be getting used to the cold,” she said.

“The swim I anticipate will be quite cold and I am potentially looking at using different equipment to combat that which I haven’t had to race in before.

“I am going to do a bit of research between now and then to see whether I will need to have extra equipment on the bike and run to keep myself a bit warmer.

“Race wise I am really looking forward to it.”

This year’s world championship is not the end

Rugby league wait is over

THE wait is over for Tablelands rugby league fans as the first set of trial matches for the FNQ Rugby League as the Mareeba Gladiators travel down to the Tiger’s den in Tully this Saturday ahead of the first game of the Tableland Cup the following weekend.

The Gladiators second trial match and the Rooster’s first and only will be the first matchup of the Tableland Cup and both teams have circled the day on their calendars.

The Tableland Cup has been a town competition between the rival teams for decades and the three games they play throughout the season are undoubtedly the most attended.

Atherton retains the cup but a supercharged Gladiators side hopes to wrestle it back and bring the trophy home from red soil.

Gladiators president Darrin Hastie said the boys have been hard at work in preparation for this season and the trial matches are a good way to gauge their performance.

“We have been getting some really good numbers at training and the boys are looking fit and ready to go,” he said.

Hastie said while a fierce rivalry has always been present between Mareeba and Atherton, there is also a quiet respect as each team always puts their best foot forward to beat the other.

goal for Megan as she plans to settle some personal scores with a few 70.3 races where she is not quite happy with her times and have another go at a full distance race before setting her eyes back on the world stage in 2024.

It will be another big year for Megan as she aims for two separate world-class competitions, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand and the World Triathlon Multisport Championships in Townsville.

“There has always been a fierce rivalry between us and Atherton and it has been there for decades,” he said.

“It will be at home as well which will be our first home game so I am hoping we get a massive crowd as we reveal our new retro jerseys as well.”

Both of the trial matches are set to start at 3pm with the U18s, followed by Reserve Grade and finally A Grade to finish off.

Tablelands local Megan Hendry during the Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast where she got a qualifying time for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships due to be held in Finland in August. Photo credit Sportograf.

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