The Express Newspaper 23rd March 2022 by Carlo Portella

EXPRESS The

Delivering news across our region WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Locally grown coffee saves the day  P9

Back to the future for Drive In  P11

POWERING THE FUTURE

itchell e rey red ir bec isa urner ony urner and erold rins ith their esla s

10 years in the making

Electric vehicles have become the car of choice, especially with soaring fuel prices pushing up the household budget. Instead of paying through the roof for petrol, these savvy motorists are charging into the future for a much lower cost.  FULL STORY PG5

Karobean Drive & Wandara Court

Mon - Fri | 10am - 3pm By Appointment Anytime

Shop 3, 2-8 Karobean Dr. Amaroo Village

RYLEY 0409 321 000 www.amarooestate.com.au

HOUSE + LAND PACKAGE LOT 352 ONLY $422,400 SEE DETAILS INSIDE

Flying EXPRESS to aid Ukraine The

64 year old Tim Lovell has left Australia bound for Hungary as he uses his skillset to help deliver humanitarian aid to the COLOR MUSIC Children’s hoir eein raine

(07) 4092 3464

186 Byrnes St, Mareeba

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

@ admin@theexpressnewspaper.com.au

editorial@theexpressnewspaper.com.au

BY RHYS THOMAS

MAN AG IN G D IRE CTOR Carl Portella

E D ITOR Robyn Holmes

P AP E R MAN AG E R Natasha Srhoj

RURAL J OURN ALIST Sally Turley

J OURN ALIST Rhys Thomas

CAD E T J OURN ALIST Ellie Fink

MARK E TIN G Darryl Day

OF F ICE MAN AG E R Natasha Wainwright

CIRCULATION 1 3 , 0 0 0 The Express is published by Portasea Pty Ltd, 141 Constance St, Mareeba QLD 4880. ACN: 141 250 213 Printed by Townsville print centre, 623-645 Flinders St. Townsville QLD 4810

A LOCAL Mareeba man has selflessly flown halfway across the world on a mission to ensure a special Ukrainian children’s choir and their families, get out of the war-gripped country safely. Tim Lovell is a 64-year-old man currently living in Mareeba, he has 30 years’ experience in firefighting and disaster management and from 2009 to 2011 he spent time in Zambia as an overseas aid worker. Knowing his skillset could be used, Mr Lovell departed for Budapest, Hungary on Sunday, traversing the globe to do what he can to assist Ukrainian refuges pass through the Hungarian border. Mr Lovell and a group of five others have dedicated themselves to helping the Ukrainian COLOR MUSIC Children’s Choir and their families flee the country, except for their fathers who are standing their ground and defending their homeland. Mr Lovell, along with two other Australians, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne, a German, a Hollander and a Hungarian man are all patrons of the choir and have supported them over the years, including buying the choir clothes, costumes, equipment, food and more. Responding to the choir’s urgent plea for assistance, the group have all hopped on board to help get the 72 kids and their families out of the country if they wish, and away from the war. “They’ve got to want to come, they’ve got to decide they want to get out – If any want to get out we want to give them a safe route,” Mr Lovell said. “We’ve got them on the road at the mo-

ment, some we’ve lost track of some because you lose communication with them – we’ve got three groups out at the moment, all at our safehouse in Budapest. “I’m just hoping I can do something useful.” Over his years as a patron, Mr Lovell has grown to know each of the kids personally and formed great relationships with them, with each of the kids writing stories to the patron group introducing themselves years ago. “We get daily photos and videos of what the kids are doing, whether it’s a birthday, whether it’s opening a gift,” he said. “We’ve all said that we’re committed to stand with them, whatever happens.”

When Mr Lovell ﬁrst heard the news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he knew he had to do something to help. “As soon as it happened, I wanted to go but didn’t know how, I wanted to be there to help,” he said. “It’s very emotional knowing they want help, the messages we were getting from them were just tear-jerking. “The mothers are lost and don’t know what to do, they want to get their kids somewhere safe but don’t want to leave their husbands behind, they’re really torn.” Mr Lovell will remain in Budapest anywhere between two weeks or two months depending on “how useful” he can be there.

Guilfoyle Funeral Service’s privately located funeral homes with purpose built chapels and the only crematorium in the area can ensure that your loved ones do not have to leave the Mareeba, Atherton and Tableland regions.

Local Staff, Local Families, Local Knowledge.

GUILFOYLE

FUNERAL SERVICES Atherton: 4091 2147 Mareeba: 4092 1013 Established in 1942.

Owned and Operated by the Chaffey Family since 1998.

www.guilfoylefunerals.com.au PAGE 2 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Fuel hike hits hard

BY ROBYN HOLMES

ESCALATING fuel prices are set to push up the cost of just about everything as unleaded petrol and diesel eclipse the $2 mark and are set to go even higher, amid growing calls for the Federal Government to follow New Zealand’s lead and cut the fuel excise. The rising cost of fuel has been attributed to the volatile global crude oil market which has seen prices rise to $US120 a barrel in recent weeks, driven by sanctions imposed on Russia over its war with Ukraine. Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have already foreshadowed groceries will start to rise, Qantas has admitted airfares will go up, and experts are tipping nearly everything will be dearer, especially in regional areas like the Tablelands region which is reliant upon transport companies to bring materials and goods up north. Mareeba Shire Council is also experiencing a significant rise in its operational costs from the fuel hike but also for all materials, with CEO Peter ranks confirming a report would be brought to council next month that would detail the additional costs being borne by council as it heads into the 2022-23 budget. “We get a discounted price but it is variable – we have been hit really hard, it’s a major impact on us,” Mr Franks said. Mareeba’s largest transport company is already feeling the pinch and has been forced to start passing on a portion of the price rise to its customers. Mareeba Transport has a fleet of 20 trucks,

"We keep you Flying!"

transporting materials like fertiliser, and general goods and materials and according to owner Colin Parsons, they have passed on half of the increase in diesel to its clients. He revealed his company is paying $24,000 more a month than it did a year ago for fuel. “Every time they put up the price of a barrel of oil by $1, our price goes up by one cent. That’s seems small but when you consider that the cost of a barrel of oil has almost doubled in the past six months, it does start to add up,” he said. Mr arsons said to ﬁll a truck up at the bowser at the moment would cost around $3000 and that only lasted about 4-5 days. “We have had no choice but to pass on about half of the increase we have had to our customers – we try to give them a month’s notice but we have no choice, if the wheels don’t turn then we don’t pay the bills,” he said. He was not convinced that the Federal Government would seek to do anything to reduce the rising cost of fuel when it was collecting an excise of 44 cents for every litre of fuel purchased. It also collects 10 per cent in GST for every litre bought. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has called for the Government to cut the excise, and with a Federal election looming, it is understood some MPs are keen for the government to reduce cost of living pressures. New Zealand has already acted, announcing it will cut its fuel excise of 77 cents a litre by 25 cents a litre from 1 April.

Tobacco display grows with ant bed donation A LOCAL Dimbulah man with a family history steeped in tobacco farming has donated 17 ant bed bricks to the Mareeba Heritage Museum, taken from curing barns on his property. Les Friscich’s father ran a tobacco farm in Dimbulah during the regions tobacco heyday with two of their curing barns being made up of ant beds. Special ant beds were used by local farmers to make bricks and used in the construction of some curing barns and other tobacco industry buildings, however due to the nature of their

construction, they do not handle wet weather well. Instead of letting the bricks wash away with the barns nearly collapsing, Mr Friscich thought they would be better o placed in the Mareeba Heritage Museum’s comprehensive tobacco display. “The barns are falling over so in another year or two they might not be there,” he said. Some of the 17 bricks donated were still covered in tar, which was used on the bricks to better protect them from the rain.

 Cost of fuel adds to tourism woes – PG5

NOW OPERATING TWICE A WEEK IN ATHERTON!

At Performance Physio, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for all our patients using the latest evidence based techniques to get the results that you need.

We can help you with: • Lymphatic Drainage Massage • Joint & Muscular Rehabilitation • Post Op Rehabilitation • Sports and Spinal Michelle Du, Physiotherapist »

Like Us On Facebook

Dimbulah local Les Friscich hands one of the ant bed bricks to Mareeba Heritage Museum’s curator, Mary Thompson.

229 Byrnes St, Mareeba - 26 Eclipse Dr, Atherton OPEN 5 A:P: 4092 2255

DAYS BOOK NOW: www.performancephysiomareeba.com.au

SIMON’S VEHICLE HIRE Phone 4091 2739 or Mobile 0419 700 109

Offering Free Atherton/Tolga Pick Ups! 21 Comet Avenue, Atherton (Behind Harvey Norman)

R E T S EA S T A E TR

4095 4447

H SEMI TRAILER PARTS H TRUCK PARTS H ACCESSORIES Free Delivery Service available to Mareeba! 18-20 Quilter Crescent, INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, TOLGA (Easy B-Double access)

BUY 3 GET 4TH FREE *

Goodyear Assurance TripleMax 2 car tyres

We also service cars

CALL NOW

NOBODY BEATS OUR 4 STORE BUYING POWER Mareeba Atherton Malanda Mossman 4092 2290 4091 1122 4096 5300 4098 1502 *Offer available March 1 2022 to April 30 2022 or while stocks last at participating Goodyear Autocare stores. Tyres must be purchased and fitted in sets of four in one transaction. “Buy 3 tyres and get the 4th free” is only available on Goodyear Assurance TripleMax 2 passenger range. Additional service and fitting charges may apply. Excludes fleet, commercial and account customers. Not available with other offers. No rain checks.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 3

Locals concerned with street change BY ROBYN

ocal ladies too at the ﬁrst ustainable ivin

aturdays ro ra

MAREEB A’s main street will not become a “concrete jungle” when one of the only last remaining stretches of grass in the median strip is removed soon to accommodate another 19 car parking spaces. Mareeba Shire Council announced the works last week which will see the removal of the grassed median island in B yrnes Street, north of the Atherton Street intersection, and some removal and replacement of trees. While the council says there is a demand for more car parking spaces, it has admitted the savings in costs to maintain the grassed area would mean more resources can be diverted into the maintenance of other parks and recreation areas. “The Chamber of Commerce has been pushing this agenda for some time for more parking in the CB D and we do get people generally saying there is insu cient parking, even though we did the Railway Avenue parking area,” Mayor Angela Toppin said. Council o cers told last week’s meeting that every time maintenance was req uired on that section of the street, it created a disruption to tra c ﬂow and incurred additional costs, with one lane having to be closed and tra c management employed. Council undertook a CB tra c study four years ago which has since guided works on the western and eastern sides of the main street which has included a new water main, garden islands and the removal and replacement of some trees. “There was an awful lot of number of trees that were planted that did not grow well there, they were in appropriate for the area and root bound. Palms were also a problem due to the constant shredding of fronds,” Mayor Toppin said. During the council meeting, some councillors acknowledged that not everyone was happy about the upcoming works and defended the decision to remove the grass and trees in favour of the car parks.

utchilba

Sustainability focus of Saturday program SATURDAY mornings are taking on a sustainability focus, with two free sessions coming up as part of a program being run by Gulf Savannah NRM. The “Sustainable Living Saturdays” program began on 12 March at the Mutchilba community hall with K oah-based gardening teacher, visual artist and ﬂower farmer Madi leading a craft session on painting garden pots while providing tricks and tips for propagating plants. The second session will feature Do-it-yourself soap-making with Nell at Mt Molloy Memorial Hall on Saturday 26 M arch. The program will conclude on Saturday 2 April at Ringers Rest just outside of Mareeba, with Carmel from No Waste, No Worries de-

HOLME S

livering a session on how to make green cleaning products – helping people to save money and know exactly what goes into the products they are using to clean their homes. The mornings are free, informative and open to everyone in the community. All materials will be provided. Activities will also be available for any kids who want to get involved. Everyone is encouraged to come along to share some stories, meet some new people and learn a new skills over morning tea. B ookings are requi red, so go to https: / / gulfsavannahnrm.eventbrite.com/ For more information, contact V ickie Mylrea by emailing to vickie.mylrea@ gulfsavannannrm.org or call 0439 443 906.

Tired of paying rent on your gas cylinders? Own them instead with...

• Acetylene • Argon Mix 5/2 • Oxygen • Nitrogen • CO2 • Argon • Available sizes: D, E and G

WE CAN NOW ACCEPT NON-RENTAL CYLINDERS FOR EXCHANGE! YOUR LOCAL DISTRIBUTORS OF

Call us now for more information: 4092 5442 46-48 Byrnes Street, Mareeba

QBCC 1268102

ST JOSEPH’S SCHOOL ATHERTON

“There’s been a few comments on the removal of the trees but it won’t be a concrete jungle as some have suggested,” Cr Locky B enstead said. A Facebook post on the Mareeba Community Noticeboard attracted a number of negative comments, mostly unsupportive of the removal of trees and grass in exchange for more car parks. “Noooo we want what’s left of the existing trees and gardens ” one woman posted. “I want to know how this is a ‘ park or open space’ that will beneﬁt the ratepayers. It’s not like the town is short of car parks,” another wrote. “The people of Mareeba should have a say about this for we are the ones paying for it,” one said. “Oh, great less shade and more dangerous parking options, I thought they’d already put a massive car park by the railway, isn’t that enough, no one uses it,” another said. “Paved paradise and put up a parking lot! Where are the seats to sit on, where are the areas friends can stop and chat, where are the footpaths even and safe to transverse, where are shade trees? The gardens put in last year are full of weeds and rubbish,” one woman wrote. “Sadly, the small area they are reclaiming has the only public seat in the whole of the town main street. B ut rate payers still have to pay extra so the council can turn o comments on its B page and continue to water weeds.” B ut CEO Peter Franks said by reducing the maintenance req uired for the B yrnes Street median strip, council could a ord to maintain parks and open spaces in other parts of the shire. “We are rolling out the Parks and Open Spaces Strategy which will mean more maintenance in those areas and that means more costs which usually means putting up rates,” he said. “B y reducing maintenance costs in B yrnes Street, we can then maintain the other parks and open spaces at a neutral cost to council.” The works will start late this month and expected to take 10 weeks. Some tra c disruption is excepted but council has pledged to ensure the two lanes are open in both directions during peak hours.

Come feel our energy! A small school, big in heart, big on ambition! Come discover our school, and what makes it special!

P: (07) 4095 9000 | E: secretary.atherton@cns.catholic.edu.au | W: www.stjoeys.qld.edu.au PAGE 4 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Charging ahead for the future BY RHYS THOMAS

ELECTRIC vehicles are becoming the cars of choice, as soaring fuel prices see locals forking out hundreds of dollars to ﬁll up their cars while owners of the electric versions are paying less than $10. Fuel prices have eclipsed the $2 mark but some motorists are totally una ected by the rising prices, having traded their combustion engines for batteries, opting for more greener and cost-e ective electric vehicles. Mareeba resident and local engineer Fred B irkbeak bought his Tesla a year ago and decided to conduct an investigation into the car’s running costs with staggering results. “I ﬁnished doing an investigation and my car has cost me a total of $126 in running costs in the last year over 10,000km,” he said. J ulatten resident Mitchell e rey bought his electric vehicle just over a year ago and uses it to commute to Mareeba every day, roughly a 100km round trip. Despite the distance, Mr J effrey said electric vehicles are highly e cient, as a 7, 00km trip he did to northern New South Wales last year only cost him around $280. “We are rural drivers, we typically clock up a lot more kilometres than city drivers,” he said. “Given that it costs about a

qua rter ( to charge an electric vehicle) of what it would for fuel, that benefit racks up quickly. “This car commutes from J ulatten everyday so it’s parked in town, the problem is that it comes home at night when we can’t use solar – so those figures are just o our regular rgon tari , obviously it would be cheaper if we used solar.” According to Mr e rey, a full charge of his Tesla would get him around 00km which would cover a trip from Mareeba to Townsville. “Typically, we just stop in Cardwell, get a pie and plug in there and get a little bit more juice,” he said. While there are charging station dotted round the region and down the coast, like many other owners, Mr e rey charges his car at home. “Y ou can charge your car through a regular wall outlet, but we got a 32amp wall outlet installed by our electrician and that makes it charge faster,” he said. “The regular wall outlet was good for our 100km daily commute but with the 32amp it means we can come in empty at night and leave full in the morning.” Lisa Turner and her husband Dominic use their Tesla for business, carting around hay bales or photography equipment significant distances. “We did a job down in Innis-

Herold P rins of Mossman, ow ned his c ar for tw o and a half years – “I’m a biologist so it was definitely in line with the idea about looking to save the future, we’re very selfsufficient.” Tony Turner of E dge Hill, ow ned his c ar for 1 0 months – “Purely environmental, just to make a contribution to not produce any fossil fuels.” F red Birkbec k of Mareeba, ow ned his c ar for one year – “I’m an engineer and I’m very much into solar – I got an electric car because it’s cheap to run.”

Lisa Tanner of Chew ko, ow ned her c ar for eight months – “We were looking for a new run-around business car and obviously we are environmentally friendly.” itchell e rey ictured of ulatten o ned his car for over a year – “I lived in California for a time, 20 miles down the road from the factory and a lot of people were driving them – it just seemed like a cool and normal thing to do.”

fail, we had to take some team photos of sports teams and we left home at about 89 per cent with a big heavy trailer full of stu ,” Mrs Turner said. “We got to Innisfail at 34 per cent so we knew we couldn’t get back – we were charging station newbies who had never done it before. “We pulled up at a charging station and 20 minutes later we had plenty to go home, it cost us $3.” To help encourage Queenslanders to switch to a more green, electric fuelled future,

the Queensland Government has announced a $3,000 subsidy for those looking to purchase an electric car to the value of ,000. The announcement was made last week as part of a million package which also includes expanding the Queensland Electric Super Highway. Phase three of the Queensland Electric Super Highway will see the existing charging station network expanded out to areas such as Mt Isa, Longreach, Charleville and other regional areas in between.

CLEALL’S BUTCHERY THIS WEEK’S SPECIALS WHOLE BUDGET RUMPS ................................. $16.99 KG CORNED BRISKET............................................. $14.99 KG BBQ LAMB CHOPS............................................ $18.99 KG RIB ROASTS ....................................................... $15.99 KG CRUMBED STEAK ............................................. $20.99 KG BBQ STEAK ........................................................ $20.99 KG BEEF SAUSAGES ............................................... $15.99 KG BEEF MINCE ....................................................... $15.99 KG BEER STICKS ..................................................... $22.99 KG SPECIALS AVAILABLE WHILE STOCKS LAST! COUNTRY ORDERS WELCOME! SMOKEHOUSE SPECIALS ALSO AVAILABLE!

75 BYRNES STREET, MAREEBA PHONE & FAX ORDERS WELCOME PH: 4092 1006 ~ FAX: 4092 3353

Fuel prices add to tourism woes years. “Many car rental companies gave back their vehicles during the pandemic and have been slow to get them back or finding it di cult to get their fleet back due to supply, so that means they are charging higher prices,” he said. That meant people would face a choice between spending up to 1 0 a day to hire a car and take a drive to the Tablelands or spend the money on a tourism experience in Cairns. “Given we are probably going to see a reduction in people coming from within the State, we’re going to have to rely on the friends and family market a bit more,” Mr Nye said. He did not expect fuel prices to drop back to “normal” levels for up to a year which could adversely a ect the region’s “grey nomad” migration that usually boosts tourism numbers during the winter months. Added to that was the added competition of overseas destinations as international flights resume, proving more choice for holidaymakers. However, Mr Nye said, as an optimist, he remained positive about the future. “Consumers are resilient and with all the bad things that have happened, maybe people are looking forward to having a holiday and will want to come to a beautiful place like we live in,” he added.

TOURISM businesses, already hit by a loss of business over the past two years due to Covid, may be in for more hard times as a result of soaring fuel prices. With the Tablelands relying heavily on the selfdrive market, the high cost of fuel may deter many from drive holidays for the foreseeable future. Tourism Atherton Tablelands chair Eddie Nye said the upcoming school holidays and Easter break may be q uieter than normal for tourism operators and associated businesses like cafes. “The self-drive market for the Tablelands is really important, especially those coming from places like Townsville and Mackay – the increase in fuel prices will mean a significant rise in costs to them getting to us,” he said. Floods in South-east Queensland, northern New South Wales and the greater Sydney area would also a ect numbers in the upcoming school holidays. With thousands facing significant losses in the floods, many families will not have the financial means to consider a holiday anytime soon. “Added to that, we can expect to see higher airfares in the months to come and that will also be a deciding factor,” Mr Nye said. Another issue was the car rental market which had been through some tough times in the past two

Sounds above 85dB can cause a gradual hearing loss.

NOW IN STOCK: BEEF JERKY... $10 FOR 100 GRAMS SMOKED PORK CHOPS... $17.99KG

Queen Adjustable bed with Zero G function starting at

ONLY $1699

See in-store for full details.

Make NO deposit, pay NO interest for 2 years!† Did you know that regular exposure to moderate noise levels like a lawnmower can cause permanent hearing damage? This Hearing Awareness Month, book your FREE HEARING CHECK* with AUDiOHEALTH’s hearing health experts. Don’t put off that check up any longer.

BOOK A FREE HEARING ASSESSMENT*

CALL 4091 1689

HEARING AWARENESS MONTH MARCH 2022

GRAFTON ST CAIRNS • COOK ST ATHERTON • STANTON RD SMITHFIELD C AIRNS

ATHERTON

INNISFAIL

MAREEB A

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

TULLY

SMITHFIELD

Cairns 206 Mulgrave Rd Ph: 4054 7000 fortywinks.com.au Mattress and adjustable base image is for illustrative purposes only. Includes everyday comfort mattress ONLY. This promotion is not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Available at Forty Winks Cairns only. Terms and conditions apply. Exclusions apply. †Approved customers only. Conditions, fees and charges apply. Visit retailer website or see in-store for details. Credit provided by Latitude Finance Australia (ABN 42 008 583 588), Australian Credit Licence 392145. (E&OE) FI4467

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 5

NEED TO PROTECT YOUR PRIDE AND JOY?

TALK TO YOUR LOCAL BUILDER!

Rural action members recognised

Contact your local builder sales@dunnritemareeba.com.au

4092 7668

M & S France Pty Ltd QBCC 15408840

K ennedy MP Bob K atter w ith former Mareeba Rural Ac tion Counc il members V inc e Mete, Makse Srhoj , Bernie O’Shea, J ohnny G ambino and Hill MP Shane K nuth.

“It looked like a good contract until the builder went broke and now I’m locked into the work with my house backing my overdraft.” Have you thought about asset protection for your business?

4091 5388

www.tablelandslaw.com.au

We can help you...

Contact John Bottoms today!

A GROUP of passionate local farmers who fought tooth and nail for the rights of farmers across Australia have been presented with Good Australian Awards, courtesy of K ennedy MP B ob K atter. J ohnny Gambino, B ernie O’Shea, Makse Srhoj and V ince Mete were all members of the former Mareeba Rural Action Council and were instrumental is getting the Farm Household Allowance B ill 2014 passed. The bill provides income support for farmers in hardship without the need for a climatic trigger and was a big issue to tackle for the local group. The four members were presented with their Good Australian Awards last Monday

in a ceremony by Mr K atter and Member for Hill Shane K nuth. “Apart from a few people in Mildura, Rural Action were the only group who really stood up tenaciously and fought like tigers against deregulation,” Mr K atter said Mr K atter said the Mareeba Rural Action Council, along with Rowell Walton, were nearly totally responsible for the Rural Debt Summit in Canberra that led to the Farm Household Allowance legislation. “One of their main negotiating points or demands, was sustenance payments for farmers whose family income did not reach a welfare payment,” he said. “Nearly 20 per cent of Australian farm-

ers have received those payments. When the bank stops your credit, you can’t pay wages, or buy fuel – probably half of those farmers would have gone under if it wasn’t for those payments. “V ery few Australians can say that they made a di erence with their lives. God B less the Mareeba Rural Action Council. They’ve been an inspiration to me.” J ohnny Gambino, B ernie O’Shea, Makse Srhoj, Ned B rischetto, V ince Mete, J ohn Myrtez a, Egidio ( Eddie) B ernabei ( dec) , Evan McGrath, J oe Moro, Emedio Nicolosi ( dec) , Scott Dixon and Peter Henderson. were all acknowledged for their contribution to the group, and commitment in the ﬁght for farmers.

CELEBRATING 1 YEAR WITH

FREE WEEK CLASS TIMES

MON: 5.30PM TUE: 5.30PM WED: 4.30PM & 5.30PM THUR: 6.15AM & 4PM FRI: 4PM SAT: 7.30AM & 8.15AM

1 WEEK FREE TRIAL

MONDAY 28 MARCH – SATURDAY 2ND APRIL

(STRETCH)

Everyone welcome!

Pilates with Katrina was established in 2021 by Mareeba local and qualified pilates instructor, Katrina Kazim. One year on, Pilates with Katrina Mareeba is a dynamic pilates business, offering professional pilates classes and training sessions suitable for everyone, at any age or fitness level. “I established Pilates with Katrina to help transform the lives of others by assis�ng clients to tone their bodies, build confidence and selfesteem,” Katrina said. “It’s also a great way to make new friendships

and connec�ons, and improve your overall health and wellbeing. “In my ﬁrst year I have taught over 400 pilates classes.” 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 – I modify each exercise individually to suit your ability in every class.” Pilates is a form of strength training that

BOOK ONLINE

Casual classes $15. Classes can be booked and paid for via the app ‘Fi�i’. Just download the app (scan this QR Code), sign up and search for Katrina Kazim as a trainer, it’s that simple.

PAGE 6 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

focuses on the core stabilising muscles. Pilates strengthens and tones the en�re body, and will correct posture, muscle imbalances and assist with injury rehabilita�on (which is why Pilates is o�en recommended by physiotherapists). Pilates focuses on correct muscle ac�va�on and control to perform movements. Rather than heavy weights, Pilates uses resistance to tone muscles. “Ladies, men and children are all welcome, including those with injuries, as different levels and modifica�ons are offered for each exercise at every class.”

No need to book, just turn up! Pilates with Katrina offers a variety of classes that include; matwork, reformer, via zoom, personal training and corporate sessions, pregnancy and post natal pilates, plus an online library of pre-recorded videos. Pilates with Katrina group fitness classes are held almost every day in Mareeba. Booking for a class is easy and prior to joining in your first class, you need to complete a client waiver form online at www.pilateswithkatrina.com.au/consent-form. Join in today for 45 minutes of fun and fitness. Visit the website, Facebook and Instagram pages for class �mes and more informa�on.

CLASSES: Margie’s Swim School at 56 Emerald End Road, Mareeba YOU NEED: Workout clothes (�ghts recommended), pilates/yoga mat (thicker the be�er for comfort), socks, water bo�le and towel

KATRINA KAZIM Qualiﬁed Pilates Instructor P: 0400 710 639 W: www.pilateswithkatrina.com.au

INFO NIGHT & CELEBRATION Thursday 31st March 5-7pm

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Bridge deemed safe as new cracks appear THE B arron River B ridge at K uranda has been deemed safe after the Department of Transport and Main Roads concluded their inspection and testing of welds done last year. The testing conﬁrmed the bridge is safe with the current 0. tonne load limit and 60km h speed limit in place. About 1000 locations were inspected by an underbridge inspection unit to see if the bridge was holding up after being re-opened to two lanes of tra c. While the majority of the inspected locations did not show fatigue cracks, new cracks have appeared at new locations.

Residentials dump fees change again FEES to dump residential waste at Mareeba Shire Council transfer stations have been changed, bringing joy to people living in rural communities like Chillagoe and Irvinebank who do not have a kerbside collection service. ew fees came into e ect on 1 ebruary which included 16. 0 per car, ute or trailer, 22 for a ute and trailer, or per 60-litre bag. B ut residents without a kerbside collection service argued they were e ectively paying a year to dump the same amount of waste those with a collection service did who paid 310 a year. Mareeba Shire has now adjusted the fee structure to remove the for 60L bag to a ﬂat fee of for a wheelie bin which can hold up to 240L. That means, people now living in rural areas can dump the same amount of waste at transfer stations as those with a kerbside collection service for 260 a year. Some Councillors at last week’s meeting expressed concern that people were confused about dump fees in general. Cr Mary Graham said there was a lot of confusion, especially when it came to transfer stations with a weighbridge and which fee would then apply. CEO Peter Franks advised council that at the two sites with a weighbridge – Mareeba and K uranda – people would be given the choice as to whether to weigh their waste or take the ﬂat fee eg car, trailer, ute and trailer or wheelie bin) .

Sphere G roup D evelopment direc tors Tony Bevac q ua and G reg Ritc hie, w ith proj ec t manager K ris W ilson at Mareeba Shire Counc il.

New shopping centre one step closer BY RHYS THOMAS MAREEB A’S new shopping complex is one step closer to being a reality after developers, Sphere Group Development, personally dropped into Mareeba Shire Council last week to lodge their development application. The Melbourne-based developers recently revealed they had plans to construct a new shopping complex in Mareeba and were in talks with council as they prepared to lodge their development application. The vacant lot on the corner of B yrnes and Rankin Street was chosen as the location for the new centre, set to contain a Woolworths supermarket and other specialty stores. Sphere Group Development director Greg Ritchie said since announcing their development,

the community feedback had been very encouraging. “Y ou can’t keep everybody happy, but everybody that we’ve spoken to is fully supportive of the shopping centre and council is the same – they know the town needs it,” he said. “Normally we wouldn’t come to the council to lodge an application, but we’re so excited, we’ve ﬂown up here to do it.” To help move the process along, council last week approved the lease of a plot of land to the developers which is considered necessary for the successful design of the development on the site. The developers will then negotiate with the State Government to purchase the land. Mayor Angela Toppin said council’s intention was to allow the development application process to move forward as early as possible.

GUTTER GUARD

“Leasing the land allows the developer to lodge their application, the alternative would be for the developer to purchase the land and that could potentially delay the application for years,” she said. “Once lodged, assessment of the application can take anything between three to six months. “The application is impact assessable and will include a public notiﬁcation period – during the public notiﬁcation period all members of the community can review the application and may lodge submissions to council raising any concerns and or expressing support for the development.” Sphere Group Development hopes the application will be assessed by council qui ckly as they desire to have shovels in the ground by early 2023.

NO MORE CLEANING GUTTERS *ON OFFER ENDS *ONMATERIAL MATERIAL––HURRY OFFER –ENDS 31ST JAN,SOON! 2022

NO HAZARDOUS CLEANING REQUIRED

SPECIAL

15% OFF *

FREE HOME QUOTES

ALL METAL GUTTER GUARD

No more climbing Ladders www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

KEEPS YOUR GUTTERS CLEAR OF LEAVES and NESTING BIRDS… permanently

FreeCall: 1800 100 525 Or Call call Steve 0400 724 278 Or 278 gutterguardnq.com.au 01.09.2019 19:10 News Corp Australia Proof © The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 7

New Friday night youth club opens in Mareeba THE Mareeba Community Church has launched a new youth club, hosting games and activities for Mareeba youth and they are looking for help and support from the wider community. Muluridji Elder and church pastor Glen Mathieson has reached out to the community asking for donations of any sporting equi pment people can spare for the kids to use during youth club. The church used to host events, games and activities regularly however in recent years it died o and now Mr Mathieson is hoping to revive them. “What we’re aiming to do is reach the young people and help them, especially with what is happening around today,” he said. “K eeping these kids out of trouble is the main thing, trying to work with them so they can enjoy things at the church instead of just going up town,

C A R R I N G T O N H O T E L

The new Youth Club attrac ted a good c row d at Mareeba Community Churc h on F riday night.

I’ve spoken about this for a long time. “The young people are going up town all hours of the night, running amok and I said that’s not right – we need something here to keep the kids here.” Recently the youth club was able to host a volleyball tournament in the church grounds utilising equi pment they had, with the night well attended and receiving good feedback. The church is now hoping to run a volleyball competition every Friday for the foreseeable future, with plans to include other sports when they can. If you have any old or unused sporting equi pment you would like to donate, give Mr Mathieson a call on 0467 643 300 to arrange to drop the equipment o at the church, at the corner of Courtney and Meldrum Streets.

Midwife shortage

TUESDAYS FROM 6PM

FREE TO PLAY • PRIZES TO BE WON THURSDAY PARMAGEDDON - $24

Choice of toppings, served with chips and salad. Includes a pot of tap beer or glass of house wine!

A LOCAL shortage in critical hospital sta has forced hospitals to recently suspend their birthing services, however the issue has been linked to an international workforce shortage. A midwifery workforce shortage has been declared worldwide with local hospitals already feeling the e ects of the depleted manpower including the Mareeba and Cooktown Hospitals. Recently the Cooktown Hospital was forced to suspend their birthing services as they couldn’t secure necessary specialist sta to ensure a safe birth. The Mareeba Hospital even had similar issues but was able to secure sta and return to full obstetric sta ng levels. A Queensland Health spokesperson said the obstetrics worker shortage is not only happening in Australia but is being experienced worldwide. “A midwifery workforce shortage has been declared internationally,” they said. “While we understand temporary suspensions of birthing services may cause disruptions, our priority will always be the safety of expectant mothers and their babies. “Medical sta require advanced training in obstetrics and anaesthetics to deliver emergency surgery should it be requi red.”

LIVE BAND “SOUL-JAH” This Saturday Night

March 26 @ 8pm SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE.

Our treatment philosophy looks beyond the symptoms of injury and pain to identify and treat the underlying causes to help you move well and stay well. PURCHASE A CASE OF XXXX GOLD 24 PACK AND GO ONLINE TO: BOTTLEMART.COM.AU TO ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! NSW & QLD RES. 18+ ONLY. STARTS 16/3/22 9AM AEDT. ENDS 12/4/22 11.59PM AEST. KEEP RECEIPTS. LIMIT 1 ENTRY/PERSON/DAY. MAX 1 ENTRY/TRANSACTION. WEEKLY DRAWS. PRIZES: 20X BOTTLEMART COOLER WITH BLUETOOTH SPEAKER. SEE BOTTLEMART.COM.AU FOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

For Lunch & Dinner 7 DAYS 11.30am till 9.00pm

CALL FOR APPOINTMENT OR BOOK ONLINE

4092 2605

2D MIDDLEMISS ST, MAREEBA www.physiorehabclinic.com.au

For

ON MONDAY NIGHTS

SPORTS BAR • POKIES • TAB KENO • KID’S PLAYGROUND

77 Main St, Atherton • 4091 1139 We take responsible service of alcohol seriously. It is an offence to sell or supply liquor to a person under the age of 18 years.

PAGE 8 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

*This service travels via Caravonica, Trinity Bay High and TAFE, school days only.

For further information on any of these services please visit:

www.transnorthbus.com.au Or phone 3036 2070 during office hours

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Locals sought for input into future health UTUR health services and facilities for the Tablelands region will be guided by a review being undertaken by ueensland Health, and locals are being urged to take the opportunity to tell the organisation what they really need. Information gathered by the Local Area eeds Assessment LA A identifies areas where health services can be improved and this feeds into the region’s Clinical Services lan which outlines achievable priorities and actions to meet those needs into the future. “This assessment will help us determine the community’s health priorities, how to better use resources, and plan programs or activities that support the health of our community,” CHHS acting chief executive Steve Hacker said. “We last carried out a major review of our health services about five years ago to develop our Clinical Services lan. Through that process, we were able to identify a need for new services such as expanded cardiac services at Cairns Hospital and expanded dialysis facilities, chemotherapy and endoscopy in our rural areas. “With our population having grown significantly in the past decade, we are hoping the LA A can help provide insight into disease trends, workforce needs, e ectiveness of current service delivery models and opportunities for improvement, co-ordination and linkages between services, and barriers to access. “We want to hear about the health issues and concerns that matter most to people in our region.” uring the next few weeks, in-person and virtual workshops are being held in key locations across the region, which are all open to the public to join. Mareeba Hospital will host drop-in sessions today 23 March at 11am and pm, with data presentations and discussion sessions at 10am and 4pm. The same times and sessions will be held in the Atherton hospital conference room on 2 March and at Mossman Bowls Club on 31 March. All residents are also being encouraged to do the five-minute survey by going to www.surveymonkey.com r R 2KM “We have tried to make our LA A as accessible as possible so everyone can be involved,” Mr Thacker said. “The more people who have their say on our local health services, the more we can understand our region’s health service and community needs. “The outcomes of the assessment will help guide local decision making and form the basis of our Health Service’s plans.”

visit cornetts.com.au

Keep calm, drink coffee BY E LLIE F IN K

WHIL co ee drinkers around the nation are facing the culture shock of their favourite daily drink doubling in price, local co ee connoisseurs are breathing a sigh of relief, all thanks to locally sourced co ee. The shocking news that a co ee latte could cost as much as 7 came last week – brought on by imported co ee beans from Bra il soaring in price due to adverse weather and costs associated with the pandemic. But thanks to companies like Skybury, locals will continue to be o ered the same regular prices for their favourite “drug of choice”.

Skybury general manager Candy MacLaughlin says while Covid had caused havoc in the international co ee industry, it had actually helped her company bloom signiﬁcantly. “We have had great support and Covid has been great at getting Aussies to look within their own country and support local,” Candy said. “I think what we are going to see within the next year is with international coffee going up in price, Australian co ee is actually going to become more a ordable and that’s going to be the bonus for us.” As a co ee lover herself, Candy understands why people were taken aback by the news that their daily co ee ﬁx would

rise so sharply in price, and is shocked by the 7 price tag being forecast for a regular latte. She assures locals that Skybury will continue to produce co ee at its good oldfashioned prices to help consumers get through day-to-day life. “Co ee is the drug of choice isn’t it,” she said. “I think we are all a little bit addicted to our morning pick-me-up and for us personally, we will absorb as much of the price as possible and remain a ordable for all our co ee lovers.” There are a number of co ee farms around the region, including acques Coffee lantation and Tichum Creek.

REWARDS CLUB

Managing D irec tor Candy Mac Laughlin and barista K a X u from Skybury are assurin locals that their co ee s ill not be inc reasing to the $ 7 mark.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 9

New road needs to be priority ANOTHER two closures of the K uranda Range Road last week due to an accident and tree falling over in wet weather has prompted the K atter Party’s MPs to demand both levels of government place the highest priority on building an alternate route from the northern Tablelands to the coast. Calling the situation a “farce”, Federal Member for K ennedy B ob K atter said the highway was being closed multiple times a week while the State Labor Government and the Federal LNP Government sat on their hands. Mr K atter said recent comments made by Member for Cook Cynthia Lui that the K uranda Range route was “one of the safest roads” were

absolutely ridiculous. “Shane K nuth and I have been aggressively campaigning for more than two years now, for an alternate route called the B ridle Track Tunnel to be built,” he said. Mr K nuth said the time for talking was over and action was requi red by governments. “The B ridle Track Tunnel must be the highest priority of any road upgrade for North Queensland,” he said. “There’s 60,000 plus people living on the Tablelands, Gulf and Cape, and we have huge potential in agriculture and mining. B ut this will all be held back unless we get a new highway to Cairns.”

Advertisement Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority

Akabu Mooka and G rac ie Brim from Mareeba State High Sc hool partic ipated in the SALT program last F riday, learning w hat the w orld of trade is all about.

Girls turn to trades NQ Restocking, Replanting and On-farm Infrastructure Grants closing soon Applications for the $400,000 co-contribution North Queensland Restocking, Replanting and On-farm Infrastructure Grants close 30 June 2022. These grants can help producers recover costs from replacing lost livestock, replanting lost crops and rebuilding or repairing damaged or lost infrastructure*. Eligibility criteria applies. Apply now at qrida.qld.gov.au The North Queensland Restocking, Replanting & On-farm Infrastructure Grants are funded by the Australian Government and administered by QRIDA. *The information contained herein is for general information purposes only. You should not rely upon this information as a basis for making any business, legal or any other decision.

1800 623 946 qrida.qld.gov.au

/QRIDAmedia

@we.are.qrida

/QRIDAmedia

/company/QRIDA

BY E LLIE F IN K GIRLS at Mareeba State High School swapped pencils for power tools last Friday as a part of the Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen ( SALT) program, encouraging young women to enter trades and grow their confidence in the industry. Founder and Director Fiona Shewring has been in the industry for 30 years and expressed her concern for the lack of women in area of trades. She then explored the reasons why women were more reluctant to enter careers as chippies or sparkys and used her findings to develop the SALT program which she now delivers to schools across the region. The school turned the sports hall into a fullblown workshop, setting up several stations for groups of four girls to utilise. Although nervous at the start, Ms Shewring couldn’t believe the level of confidence that grew in the participants throughout the workshop. “They were nervous to begin with - which is not a bad thing because you do need to be respectful of tool and be conscious of our safety

and they have been,” she said. “They have been following us and doing really well and they grew a lot of confidence throughout the day. “It takes the full workshop to get them to a point they are confident and happy with using tools and other eq uipment.” Grade 10 girls Akabu Mooka and Gracie B rim were encouraged by a support teacher to participate in the SALT program and said they enjoyed learning about opportunities in trade and letting their creative juices flow. “ Transition athways O cer Ms AnnMaree came to us while we were in the o ce one day and gave us a piece of paper telling us all about the program and we wanted to do it,” Akabu said. “We really like it, there’s been a few mistakes here and there, but we are learning.” “We’ve been cutting wood up to fit the base and we used the hand saws and done a lot of measuring and we are getting the hang of it very q uicky,” Gracie said. “It’s been really good and really fun.” Throughout the day, Ms Shewring spoke with the girls about their career choices, with the girls chatting amongst themselves about their options when they leave school.

Authorised by the Queensland Government, Turbot St, B risbane

Have your say on future local health services Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service invites you to participate in our Local Area Needs Assessment. We want to hear about the health issues and concerns that matter most to you.

Choose how to get involved Take a 5 minute online survey Attend a local consultation session near you (Babinda, Cairns, Innisfail, Mareeba, Atherton, Mossman) Join a virtual consultation session

Find out dates, times and more https://cairns-hinterland.health.qld.gov.au/ get-involved/have-your-say-on-local-healthservices

PAGE 10 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Drive-In back to the future BY E LLIE F IN K LOCALS are backing up their old ute in front of the giant screen at sunset, with the iconic Mareeba Drive-In being restored to its “former glory” as a foursome of locals take over the business. The new team, Ann-Marie Donnelly, Craig Torrisi, Josephine Doger de Speville and Jason Donnelly, took on the challenge of reinvigorating the drive-in to bring back a laid-back 70s feeling. The group began their journey as the new owners less than a month ago, with main owner and operator Mrs Donnelly inheriting the land from her father and purchasing the business from previous owner Raelene Newell. Being one of very few authentic drive-in cinemas left in the country, the home of first dates and family fun will undergo many changes over the next few months, with Mrs Donnelly excited to announce some big upgrades. “We took the opportunity and are trying to turn it into something great for the community – we all run businesses ourselves and we are all passionate about keeping this drive-in alive,” she said. “We want to introduce Sunday nights and just show a kid-friendly film and then we are hoping to fix the place up and start holding events. “We already have a car group that want to come in and host some car meets and watch a car-related movie afterwards, so we are really open to the community.” As well as hosting events, the team has began renewing every corner of the venue – a process that they say will be slow and steady, but will add so much to the venue. So far, the café has been reinvigorated, with a brand-new menu and a makeover to the building it is housed in, which gained a lot of attention on social media. “We are also doing a massive repair on the screen – the whole thing is getting completely redone sometime in the future,” Mrs Donnelly said.

Mareeba D rive new ow ners J ason D onnelly, Ann- Marie D onnelly, J osephine D oger de Speville and Craig Torrisi.

“We had all our speakers go under renovation so they don’t cut out as much, but people can still use modern technology to connect with their car radio and Bluetooth. “We are also reintroducing the kid’s playground, which is being repaired and worked on to entertain the younger kids when they’re here.” The brother-sister-husband-wife crew have had their ﬁrst two showings already, where they expressed their gratefulness to the community for showing up and understanding they are still “on their L plates”. Ms Donnelly especially thanked everyone who supported the café, the main asset to the drive-in that keeps it going strong. “We have tried to keep the prices low, and

the majority of our food is homemade in-house so it’s nice and fresh,” she said. There is a little something for everyone, with all four owners encouraging anyone from as close as Mareeba to as far as Cairns to pack up their car and enjoy a night under the stars. A variety of movies will be showing, with a family friendly movie usually starting the night and a “more rom-com adult movie” following not long afterwards. Camping is available for the night for anyone who wishes to stay and enjoy a show of stars afterwards. For information on movies being shown and for more information, visit The Mareeba DriveIn Facebook page.

New Kuranda cemetery moves to costs stage

COSTS for a new cemetery at Kuranda will be sought by Mareeba Shire Council as it goes ahead with a detailed design for the new facility and the development application process. The current cemetery is on a 2-hectare site and has been servicing the Kuranda community since the early 1900s, but it is unable to be expanded due to constraints by the railway to the north of the boundary, the Kennedy Highway to the east, and rainforest to the south and west. Mareeba Shire acquired a 13-hectare site at 70 Kuranda Heights Road in 2020, of which 0.7 hectare will be used to create Stage 1 of a new cemetery. “We are very fortunate that the land became available for purchase in November 2020. The property provides a significant quantity of previously cleared land of generally suitable topography and no further significant clearings of established vegetation are required,” Mayor Angela Toppin said. A report to council advised that Stage 1 would provide the cemetery needs of Kuranda for in excess of 30 years at the current rate of use, allowing for 250 lawn burials, 100 full monumental lots, and a Columbarium wall to accommodate ash internments. An o cer told council that the overall site would provide council with all the space it would require for cemetery purposes for the next 100 years. Councillor Locky Benstead acknowledged the cemetery had been the source of some angst for Kuranda residents in the knowledge the current facility had only 12-18 months’ use remaining. In recognition of the unique requirements associated with the development of a cemetery, council has engaged the services of a suitably qualified consultant to assist with development of a masterplan for the site and to provide guidance as to long-term management of the facility. “The provision of quality services and infrastructure for our growing community is of the utmost importance to this council and the development of the new Kuranda Cemetery will ensure that the Kuranda community is provided for well into the future,” Mayor Toppin said.

Product of Australia

Product oduct of Australia

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 11

Ȃ ǡ “a people without land will look for a land without people.”

Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ

A note from your Federal Member Fuel security now more critical than ever

ǡ We are really heading into a terrible time. Fuel prices are ǡ ’ Ǥ set to skyrocket and the Federal Government is retrieving our fuel stockpiles in Texas, USA, to lessen the blow. Ǥ ǡ ǡ When we kicked up a hell of a stink about the fuel supplies, ǡ ’ ǡ way back in 2020 , there were emergency supply tankers put Ǥ in America—on the other side of the globe. Honestly, mem Ǣ bers of the ALP and the LNP should hang their heads in shame. You have “two real days” of fuel stocked. A war rag ǡ ǡ ing in Europe and China eyeballing Australia, ready to give ǡ ͻ͵ us another kick in the throat like they so easily did with Ad Ǥ Blue (by cutting us off from accessing Urea). ȋ “ ”), So I am acting, with the support of the crossbench on fuel Ǥ security and sovereignty. At the last Sitting, I moved a Motion Andrew Wilkie as seconder. It reads: with ǡ “ ǡ” That this House notes that the Member for Kennedy and the Ǥ ǡ Member for Clark call on the Government to provide for Ǥ sovereign fuel security in Australia, including by ensuring: ǡ ǡ (1) A ban on Australian oil exports; Ȃ (2) Australian processing, by Australian owned and operated Ǥcompanies, of Australian oil; (3) Australian petroleum contains a minimum of 33 per cent ̈́ͷͲͲ renewables (algae and ethanol inter alia), by 2027; ϐ (4) Australian manufacture, by Australian owned and operated Ǧ ǡ companies, of drop-in fuel using waste materials, with a targeted supply of a minimum of 33 per cent of the Austral̈́ͶǤͷ ian fuel diesel market by 2027; Ǥ (5) Australia stockpile a minimum of six months supply of fuels, oils and lubricants, noting that: ǡ (a) these materials are manufactured in Australia from Aus ǡ tralian oil; and (b) where this is not possible, that imports be restricted to Ǥ those materials genuinely unable to be manufactured in Australia from Australian oil; ǡ Ǥ (6) Any investment in industrial facilities to meet the requirements of this motion be limited to the genuine need for fuel ǡ security, with the object that Australian manufacturers achieve 100 per cent energy supply from renewable energy and net-zero carbon emissions; and (7) Australian manufacture of electric vehicles, and their component parts including battery production, with a target of 100 per cent of all local, state and federal, government vehicles and buses, in metropolitan areas being Australian made by 2035.

Bob Katter Live in the electorate?

Bob Katter

Contact my office. Local call, 1300 301 942 ȋͲ͹Ȍ ͶͲͻʹ ͳ͸͵ʹ ȋͲ͹Ȍ ͶͲͻʹ ͸ͳͳͶ

LiveͳͶͳ ǡ in the electorate? ʹʹͲ͸ǡ

Contact my office. Local call, 1300 301 942 —advertisement—

Like us on Facebook (07)Express, 4092 1632 PAGE 12P The Wednesday, March 23, 2022 @bobkattermp F (07) 4092 6114

Free exercise program to boost women’s health

N early 40 w omen have registered for the new Rural Ac tive W omen’s E x erc ise P rogram.

BY RHYS THOMAS LOCAL Tablelands women have taken their health into their own hands, enrolling in a free special tailored exercise program helping them to better manage their health in the future. The Rural Active Women’s Exercise Program comes o of the success of the Atherton Men’s Shed Physical Activity Program and just like its predecessor, will run for 16 weeks. After seeing the success of the men’s shed program, Tableland locals approached Tablelands Regional Council for an exercise program targeted at women aged 6 5 and over. Council then secured a $10,000 grant from Investing in Queensland Women to run the free program with the help of Mamu Health Service Limited, Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation rimary Health Care Service and Health and itness. “The program aims to increase participation in physical activity among women in this 6 0 plus age group to contribute to their overall health and wellbeing,” Cr Annette Haydon said. “We hope it will create a pattern of ongoing positive behaviour and healthy exercise habits. “It is open to all levels of health, ability, experience, skill and social and economic levels.” The Men’s Shed program gained national at-

tention after its launch, being named the B est ew Men’s Health Initiative at the 2021 Men’s Health Awards. Carla Barletta, a physiologist from Health and itness recently spent a morning conducting pre-assessments for all registered clients of the Rural Active Women’s exercise program. ust like the Men’s Shed program, the Rural Active Women’s program is specifically tailored to each participant with a focus of flexibility and fun. Ms Barletta estimated that there are around 40 women registered for the program over the two locations in Malanda and Ravenshoe but unlike the Men’s Shed program, they do not have equipment on site to use. “We definitely structured this program o the same planning and everything as the Men’s Shed program – the only di erence is the location,” she said. “ or the men’s shed we did it at the exercise park in Atherton, this one here will be here at Ravenshoe and Malanda. “We don’t have any equipment as such so I will be bringing some tools to specifically design the program for women. “It will include resistance type training, weight bearing exercises, balance and fall prevention activities so I can really tailor it to women over 6 5.”

Bank warns customers of scams B IGO Bank has moved to warn its customers after people living in the Ravenshoe area reported receiving emails, phone calls or text message scams regarding their banking. “This can be very scary and very expensive,” B endigo B ank Ravenshoe branch manager Luci Richards said. “B endigo B ank will never send you a link to a website or our online banking, so if you get an email asking you to follow a link it is not from us and you should report it straight away. “If Bendigo Bank ﬁnds that a scammer has attacked your account, B endigo will call or text you advising you to call the phone number on the back of your card to sort it out. “If you have any doubts at all, you can ring or visit our local branch where the team will be happy to help you and make sure your account with us is safe.”

A few more tips to keep sc ammers at bay:  Keep your computer up to date by installing the latest security software and “patches” for your operating system  Ensure you have installed anti-virus/spyware software installed along with a firewall – and keep them up to date  Make sure you have a current backup of your important personal information files  Delete spam emails and do not open email attachments or click on links in emails from strangers  Do not respond to an unsolicited email asking you for personal information or financial details  Be aware of email, internet and telephone hoa es and scams – if something appears too good to be true, it almost certainly is  If possible avoid using shared computers, such as those at internet cafes, hotels and airports.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

P ric eline P harmac y Mareeba pharmac ist Mark Hope w as happy pharmac ists w ere rec ognised for their w ork during the Covid pandemic .

Pharmacists thanked on new national day BY RHYS THOMAS PHARMACISTS across Australia have been rewarded for their hard work during a global pandemic with a national day of recognition. Thank Y our Pharmacist Day is a new initiative launched by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia ( PSA) set to be celebrated every year on 17 March. The new occasion is dedicated to acknowledging the e orts of Australian pharmacists throughout the pandemic, giving them the credit they deserve. Pharmacists have gone above and beyond over the past two years as they grappled with administering vaccines and a national rapid antigen test shortage. During the pandemic, pharmacists have been on the front line and highly exposed with thousands of people coming through their doors seeking help and advice. Priceline Pharmacy Mareeba pharmacist Mark Hope said his workload doubled during the pandemic as he juggled his new duties with vaccines and his usual tasks. “It was extremely stressful – we had additional

Access to business fibre has changed across Australia.

work that basically doubled our workload with the same number of hours in the day,” he said. “We had to explain the vaccinations to people because they were hesitant, we had to process all their data and upload it to the electronic register, we had to give them the vaccine, then we had to monitor them to 1 minutes. We had to ﬁt all that amongst all our scripts and everything else. Mr Hope said the busiest time during the pandemic was just after Christmas in 2021 after the boosters had been announced as people rushed to get their shot. “J ust after Christmas when the booster was announced was the worse period but it was good so many people were coming in to get their boosters,” he said. While he is thankful to have a day dedicated to pharmacists, Mr Hope said not to forget everyone else who was on the frontline during the pandemic and still are to this day. “The whole allied health system has taken this on, it’s not just us,” he said. “Nurses, doctors and others they’ve all helped and all of their sta as well. “It’s not just us as pharmacists it’s our sta as well who have taken on this burden.”

Services combine for training

olice o cers and rec ently.

tea ed u for a

day land search and rescue e ercise in

L police o cers and four S S o cers combined recently to complete a seven-day Land Search and Rescue Field Coordinators training course in Mareeba – and they had one of the best experts in Australia to help them learn the ropes. The Queensland Police Service coordinates on average 900 marine-based and 400 landbased search and rescue operations ( SAR) annually. Overseeing the coordination for all land and sea-based search and rescue operations in Queensland falls to Senior Sergeant J im Whitehead who has propelled the Queensland police service to be considered the leading state SAR authority within Australia. He developed the Queensland SAR System, created national training packages for SAR Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses, and facilitated training for numerous SAR courses within Australia and internationally. He also created the Australian Lost Person

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

areeba

B ehaviour Database ( online) which provides better success rates for SAR incidents. Recently, 11 police o cers and four S S o cers completed a seven-day Land Search and Rescue Field Coordinators training course in Mareeba, under Senior Sergeant Whitehead’s hand. The participants were requi red to do both written and practical elements covering navigation, map reading and how to implement and manage searches for missing people. On 5 March, a practical orientation exercise was undertaken at Granite Gorge followed on 6 March by a SAR exercise scenario to locate a missing child, also at Granite Gorge. There are now 30 police o cers in the ar North region trained as Search and Rescue Field Coordinators ( land) . Police wish to thank the volunteers from SES who spend the day assisting with the exercise and to Granite Gorge Nature Park for allowing their property to be used.

business nbn™ is evolving Australia’s digital backbone, bringing enterprise-grade fibre broadband to more locations than ever. With the option of wholesale speeds close to 1Gbps* and a wide choice of providers, we’re making business fibre more accessible across Australia.

*business nbn™ Enterprise Ethernet is only available in the nbn™ Fixed Line network footprint and at limited premises served by the nbn™ Fixed Wireless and Satellite networks. Regardless of the retail service you purchase, the actual wholesale speeds delivered by the business nbn™ Enterprise Ethernet product will be no more than 952Mbps due to equipment and network limitations. An end customer’s experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network, depends on some factors outside our control (like their equipment quality, software, and how their retail service provider designs its network). If your service provider has not selected the Class of Service – High, the speeds you experience may be affected by contention on the nbn™ network, particularly in busy periods. © 2021 nbn co ltd. nbn, business nbn and other nbn logos are trade marks of nbn co ltd | ABN 86 136 533 741

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 13

New website to boost Douglas business A NEW “one stop shop” website aiming to support and promote existing businesses, entice new residents and grow the already existing small business network in the Douglas Shire, has been launched. Aptly named, “Do It In Douglas”, the website is an evolution of the shire’s original campaign “B uy Douglas B uild Douglas” which was born during Covid. The campaign sought to encourage locals to support each other by buying local and exploring their own backyard. Now, with the support gathered from the local community, Douglas Shire Council, Tourism Port Douglas Daintree and the Douglas Chamber of Commerce have joined to launch “Do It In Douglas” with grant funding from the Small B usiness Disaster Recovery Centre. “Do It In Douglas is all about celebrating, showcasing and supporting our business scene here in the Douglas Shire,” a council spokesperson said. “It’s about providing support to the existing small business network but also to entice newcomers to the region. “That is showcased through the videos on the site which show those real-life stories of people who have achieved success in life and lifestyle in their time living in the Douglas Shire.” With features tabs like Talent Directory, Event, Our Stories, Entrepreneurs and a Get Connected tab, the new website has been described as a “one stop shop” for everything Douglas. “It’s about encouraging that connectivity and collaboration as well, so we’ve got a talent directory on the site that we are building behind the scenes,” the spokesperson said. “We are encouraging service businesses, any business that exists to support another business, to be involved and get on that Talent Directory. “Whether you are a graphic designer, tradesperson, marketing specialist, social media specialist, whatever talent you have that can help other businesses succeed and you are based in Douglas, you’re eligible for that free listing.” To explore the riches of the Douglas Shire and possibly get your businesses listed on the new website head to https: / / www.doitindouglas.com/ to get involved.

Hospital celebrates vaccine success TWELV E months and 14,000 vaccinations later, sta at Atherton Hospital vaccination clinic have celebrated the success of the program. Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s program director K elly Pollock congratulated the team at the clinic for their hard work and patience in what has been a challenging year as they marked the milestone on Friday. At its peak, the clinic processed 228 vaccinations in one day. “When we started, we expected that maybe we would go for 8 or 12 weeks and vaccinate about 4000 – 12 months later and we have done 14,000 vaccinations,” she said. With Atherton the ﬁrst of the rural clinics to open in Queensland, the team had no idea of the work that lay ahead when they started the clinic. “We now have one of the highest vaccination rates on the Tablelands and you should all be proud of that e ort that has kept our community safe,” she told the team at an afternoon tea to mark the moment. “We did everything we could do to get those rates up – we went to B unnings, a bull ride, wherever we had to go, we went.” Hospital pharmacist Adam Hogan said he was amaz ed at the

extraordinary team approach of everyone involved. “We had our highs and lows, but we all worked together, had respect for one another – all while there was enormous amount of pressure,” he said. “To think 4000 was our initial estimate and that we actually did 14,000 is just remarkable. “To be able to be really responsive to the needs of the community and dealing with the public demands involved is testament to your ability and patience,” he told the gathering. “Covid is here to stay and the reason we have had a relatively normal life here is because of the vaccination rate being more than 9 0 per cent.” Ms Pollock said the challenge now was to get children vaccinated, particularly between the ages of 5-11, and to encourage people to get their booster shots. “We are at about 6 6 per cent for the booster shots at the moment,” she said. Six-year-old Sophie Wallace had just her second vaccination at the clinic and was invited to participate in the celebrations. Dad Matthew said he had not hesitated to get Sophie vaccinated. “We spoke about it as a family and I have some friends in the medical fraternity so I was not concerned about getting her vaccinated,” he said.

Ac ting Medic al Superintendent Craig F airley ( right) and Rac hel Bernays, a c linic al nurse c onsultant at Malanda ri ary ealth are ere the ﬁrst eo le to be vaccinated at the Atherton Clinic w hen it started a year ago.

Mareeba Mareeba Mareeba Turf ClubInc. Inc. Turf Club

Mareeba Turf Club Inc. Mareeba Turf Club Inc.

150

Mareeba Turf Club Inc. Mareeba

RACE DAYRACE

RACE Turf Club Inc.

Inc. RACE DAY Turf Club RACE DAY DAY RACE

RACE DAY RACE DAY

14 May 2022 14 May 2022 14 May 2022 2022 14 May 20 14 MAY 14 May 2022 Serviced Marque e, $6 5,000 in priz e money, 14 May 20 Serviced fashions Marque e,on$65the ,14000 inand priz e money, May 2022 Serviced Marque e, $6 5,000 in pri entertainment, field new suprises. Serviced Marquee, $65,000 inpriz Prize Money, Serviced Marq uee, $6 5,000 in e money, entertainment, fashions field and enew suprises. Serviced Marq ue e, on $65,the 000 in priz money, entertainment, fashions on the field and Entertainment, Fashions on the Field & new surprises! Serviced Marq ue e, $6 5,000 in pri entertainment, fashions on field and suprises. Serviced Marq ue e,on $65the ,the 000 in priz enew money, entertainment, fashions field and new suprises. The Marq uee entertainment, fashions on the field and The Marq uee Marqnewuee entertainment, fashions on the The field and suprises. The Marquee Private bar The Marq uee Private bar Private Bar Marq uee The Marq uee Marq uee entertainment Marquee Entertainment Private bar

4 hour food and drinks package 4 hour food andMinding drinks package Child for Marquee4 hour food and Private bar Child minding for marq uee guests Guests 4 hourminding food and package Child fordrinks marq uee guests Child minding f Marq uee entertainment Marq uee entertainment Exclusive interviews with 4 hour food and Private bar Exclusive interviews with trainers and jockeys 4 Hour Food & Drinks 4 hour food and drinks package Private Private bar 4 hour food and drinks package bar Childand minding for&marq uee guests Marq uee entertainment trainers jockeys Exclusive interviews with trainers jockeys and so much more Exclusive interviews with trainers and jockeys Package Child minding f Marq uee entertainment and so much more Child minding for marq uee guests Marq uee entertainment Child minding for marq uee guests Exclusive interviews Marq B uee entertainment ook your table of 10 with trainers and jockeys andofso so much Exclusive interviews withmore trainers and jockeys B and ook your table ofmor 10 e! B ook your table 10much interviews with trainers and jockeys ( Exclusive $150pp) today. Exclusive interviews with trainers and jockeys and so much more ( $150pp) today. ( $150pp) today. B ook your table of 10 Race sponsorship ( $150pp) today. B ook your table ofand 10 so much more B ook your table of 10available Race sponsorship available Race sponsorship available ( $150pp) today. ( $150pp) today.

The

The Marq uee

Book your table of 10 today I $150pp

B ook your table of 10 Enq uire today by emailing Race sponsorship available Race Day sponsorship available Enq uire today by emailing mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com ( $150pp) today. Race sponsorship available mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com Enq uire today by emailing mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com Enq uire today by emailing mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com

Race sponsorship available

Enq uire sponsorship today by emailing available Race mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com Enq uire today by emailing mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com

Enq uire today by emailing mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com

ENQUIRE TODAY

E: mareebaturfclub@bigpond.com PAGE 14 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Free green waste days

Residents of Carinya Home of the Aged w ill be performing the G erman version F rere J ac q ue.

P CYC Atherton Outside Sc hool Hours w ill be performing the Italian version of F rere J ac q ue.

Atherton Community K indergarten w ill sing F rere J ac q ue in its original form in F renc h.

Community to come together in harmony

ATHERTON children as young as three years old and elderly citiz ens in their 90 s are exercising their vocal chords in preparation for Harmony Day as they form into choirs that will perform in languages other than English. This year, Harmony Day will be celebrated with a community event hosted by B etter Together Community Support at its community centre on Monday, 28 March. Harmony Day is the culmination of a week-long national celebration of cultural diversity that was ﬁrst held in 1999. Since then, more than 80,000 Harmony Week events have been held in childcare centres, schools, community groups, churches, and State, Commonwealth and local governments. B etter Together is taking the lead co-

ordinating the day that celebrates diversity, inclusion and belonging in Atherton. B etter Together’s community development coordinator Tracey Dickinson said the event was about celebrating the beneﬁts of our multicultural society that is a result of the successful integration of migrants into the Australian community. “This year, we decided to showcase this diversity through the impact of languages,” she said. “We looked around for a common theme across cultures and languages and realised that nursery rhymes are recur across all cultures. “One of the simplest and most common nursery songs we all learn at preschool and kindy is Frere J acque , which has been translated from its native French into many languages, including English,

Spanish, French, Italian and Mandarin.” “We thought we would put diversity in action by asking di erent groups to form choirs to sing the nursery rhyme in di erent languages. “These choirs would then perform Frere J acque both in English and their language of choice.” The performance was ﬁlmed, with a compilation of the performances to be premiered at B etter Together’s community event on the 28t h.” Community groups in Atherton were qui ck to embrace the idea. Carinya Home for the Aged residents will be singing in German while PCY C Atherton Outside School Hours Care will perform in Italian. The third choir, Atherton Community K indergarten, is enjoying performing Frere J acque in its

original language, French. “The co-ordination of these choirs have started many conversations and learnings within all of these community groups, which is the intent of Harmony Day,” Ms Dickinson said. While the ﬁlm of the three choirs will premiere at the community event on Monday, the video will be available on Y ouTube, B etter Together’s website and social media. “This Harmony Week event will be the foundation on which we’ll be building on,” Ms Dickinson said. “Next year, we hope that we can add more languages and more choirs.” If the public would like to view the video, go to the B etter Together website, www.bettertogether.com.au on or after Monday, 28 M arch.

MAREEB A Shire residents can take their green waste to transfer stations for free towards the end of this month and in early April. Residents can take their green waste to transfer stations for free on the following days: Mutchilba – 30 March and 2 April Mt Carbine – 31 March and 3 April; Mareeba, Dimbulah, J ulatten and K uranda – 2-3 April; Chillagoe – 2, 4 April; and Almaden, Irvinebank and Mt Molloy – 2, 5 April. Check the council’s website ( www.msc@ ql d.gov.au) for opening times of transfer stations.

Vandalism costs soar

A OTH R 16 incidences of vandalism and gra ti were tackled by Mareeba Shire Council last month, with eight occurring at the QCWA toilets in B yrnes Street, bringing it to 26 times in the past four months that the amenity block has been targeted. The toilet block is set to be decommissioned by the council and two new toilet blocks created at a di erent location in the CB . The cost so far this ﬁnancial year for council to repair and ﬁx facilities that have been targeted by vandals and gra ti artists has surpassed $30,000. Facilities hit in February include, the Mareeba PCY C, Mareeba Arnold Park toilets, Shire’s Rankin Street o ce, Chillagoe tennis courts, Firth Park, Mareeba and and K uranda V isitors Information Centre.

WE ARE

THE TABLELANDS ONE-STOP ALLIED HEALTH CLINIC

OPENS APRIL 2022

MOVING TO A NEW LOCATION!

POST OFFICE CENTRE - BYRNES STREET, MAREEBA www.fnqpodiatry.com.au • P: 4045 5749 | www.healthmanagement.com.au • P: 4051 9093 | www.cairnstotalphysio.com.au • P: 4092 5330 www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 15

ON LAND the

Decision time for dairy farmers BY SALLY TURLE Y EASTAUSMILK State councillor and fourth generation dairy farmer, J ames Geraghty, has urged fellow farmers to support the Levy Poll Advisory Committee' s ( LPAC) recommended proposal for a 20 per cent increase in the statutory dairy service levy paid by farmers. The poll, which includes all levy payers, opened on 24 February and closes on 31 March. It represents the ﬁrst opportunity in a decade for farmers to have a say in how much levy they pay and there are mixed feelings on what that amount should be. Mr Geraghty is 100 per cent supportive of the proposed 20 per cent increase, which he says is “not about today, tomorrow or even next year, but about the next generation of farmers”. “In this district, every heat detection course, every mastitis course, every lame cow, grass growing, rye grass course, fertiliser and e uent management course provided has been funded in some shape or form by Dairy Australia and wouldn' t have happened without them! ” he said. And while any rise in production costs induces ﬁnancial trauma, Mr Ger-

aghty says “most farmers don' t even know what they are currently paying – which is an annual levy of $4000 per 1,000,000 litres of milk produced”. The average Tableland dairy farm has a milking herd of around 200 head, producing around 1.2 million litres of milk annually, representing a real levy increase of around $800 pe r year. “All our greatest gains in milk production have been a result of research and development projects carried out within our industry. I believe no levy, equa tes to no work done on such projects and no gains in production for our next generation,” he said. “Do I agree with everything Dairy Australia has done over the years – no I don' t! Do I think they haven' t done things they should have done – yes I do! B ut now is the time to vote for change and we can argue the finer points later.” The dairy service levy is invested by Dairy Australia in services to benefit dairy farmers and protect their right to farm. These investments include research and innovation, supporting farm business management and responding to events such as drought, bushfires or Covid. Its scope of operation includes

developing tools to adapt to climate challenges, supporting on-farm employment needs, marketing of dairy products nationally and internationally and commitment to sustainability, policy research and industry insights. The president of the national advocacy body, Australian Dairy Farmers A , Rick Gladigau, o ers a di erent message however. He says farmers alone “had shouldered the cost of the levy for too long” and believed “processors must provide signiﬁcant and proportionate funding to projects that would beneﬁt the whole supply chain”. “Since 2019, the ADF has been calling on processors to contribute to the post-farm gate work done by Dairy Australia, with the most appropriate and fairest mechanism being a statutory levy,” Mr Gladigau said. “For these reasons, the ADF board does not support an increase in the farmer service levy. Now is not the right time to raise the levy on farmers, considering we are emerging from an extended downturn. The ADF recognises the diverse range of views on this, and strongly encourages all farmers to vote in Dairy Poll 2022.”

F ourth generation dairy farmer and state c ounc illor w ith E astAusMilk, J ames G eraghty said even though his ow n time in the industry is limited, he believes the dairy service levy needs to be increased for the beneﬁt of future generations of farmers.

Meanwhile, after nearly four years, Woolworths will phase out its 10 cent/ litre drought levy on its own brand, 2L and 3L bottles of milk by the end of une. The initiative, which first hit the shelves in October 2018, has raised in the vicinity of $100 million for farmers. Citing improved seasonal farming conditions delivered by a La Nina rain event and a 15 per cent boost to milk prices in the last four years, Woolworth' s commercial director of dairy, J ason Mc Quaid, said it was time to bring the scheme to an end. Acknowledging returns had finally started to improve for dairy farmers, Mr Geraghty was concerned that as in so many other rural business, benefits

from long-awaited price increases were being eroded by the dramatic increase of input costs such as fuel, fertiliser, insurance, electricity and steel products. “The drought levy has been a hell of a boost to us and we are not looking forward to it ending, but we are just hoping for a similar outcome as that negotiated for southern suppliers to the French owned processor, Lactalis ( formerly Parmalat Australia) ,” he said. “Lactalis issued a letter to its farmers on the verge of losing their drought levy, stating the 10 cents per litre would not be lost, but rather, would be built into the purchase price paid by consumers in the future.”

North Queensland sugar stays strong BY SALLY TURLE Y

THE MF S SERIES SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE. MF 7700 S SERIES 150 - 280HP For high performance and high horsepower tractors you can’t go past the MF 7700 S Series. Built with class-leading technologies, efficient drive-lines, low fuel consumption and long service intervals. Get it done with a tractor designed for ultimate efficiency in all conditions with a MF 7700 S Series.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER TODAY

NQ Agricultural Services 22 Lawson Street, Tolga, QLD 4882 Ph: (07) 4095 4455 www.nqagservices.com.au

MASSEYFERGUSON.COM.AU

PAGE 16 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

A world of experience. Working with you.

MSF Sugar is q uietly optimistic about the 2022 sugar producing season, and while it was still too early to call, the company believes this year is showing signs of out-performing the 2021 results. “As we near the end of the growing period, we are gearing up for the season ahead, with expectations of a good crop and improved harvest across our far northern Tableland, Mulgrave and South J ohnstone mills this year,” MSF’s senior cane supply manager Mick Ward said. “B ut with the potential persistence of a La Nina event into late spring and the strong possibility of cyclones hitting the North Queensland coast, we still have 6 -7 weeks of risk period to undergo before we can comfortably predict any outcomes. “I am very pleased however, to see the significant land conversion from mai e to sugar that has been occurring over the last couple of years. A combination of the grower incentives being o ered by MS Sugar and the pain inflicted on mai e growers by the invasion of the Fall army worm has begun to have an impact on Tableland land use.” MS has been o ering a 1,000 per hectare non-repayable subsidy for new cane land as well as ero interest loans to help growers establish plant crops or maintain ratoon crops. Tableland sugar growers with farms from 20300 hectares have been enjoying gross margin returns of around $3,000 per hectare,” Mr Ward said. Incentives had helped with cash flow during establishment, but also extended to assistance finding contractors to carry out ground preparation and planting and advice to new sugar growers on selection of cane varieties, fertilis-

ing regimes and weed control. Owned since 2012 by Mitr Phol Group, the world s fifth largest sugar producer, MS has invested more than $200 million in expanding the sugar industry in Maryborough and the far northern regions over the last decade. Across the board, Queensland' s far northern sugar industry has managed to defy the impacts of Covid-19 and other challenges such as global market distortions, according to a newly released report commissioned by Australian Sugar Milling Council ( ASMC) . The report shows the north' s four sugar mills had a combined, direct spend of $400 million last year. That included $6 4 million in wages and salaries to 76 3 employees, $73.2 million in purchases from local businesses, $26 1.8 million in grower payments and $1.8 million in community contributions and government payments. After the economic multiplier was applied, ASMC s chief executive o cer Rachele Sheard said the industry' s total regional contribution for the last financial year was 92 million, while also supporting 3,19 6 full-time eq uivalent direct and indirect jobs. “Significantly, the total spend across the Douglas, Mareeba, Cassowary Coast, Cook and Cairns local government areas was almost identical to the 2017 1 financial year when, in comparison, the average global sugar price for the preceding three years, was AUD$8 0 per ton stronger,” she said. The industry has come a long way since it was established by the first white squatters who moved into North Queensland in 18 6 1 and began establishing a string of sugar and gold ports along Queensland' s northern coast. There are now 24 sugar mills across Australia, but 9 4.2 per cent of the raw sugar exported is produced in Queensland.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

ON LAND the

Roller crimper, strip tillage for soil health IT began at a soil health field day – and now Kairi farmers Alex and Alicia Bertola are on a roll. The cane, mai e and peanut producers have swapped their ripper for a roller crimper and bare earth for mixed cover crops as they explore di erent ways to improve soils and reduce fertiliser inputs. The Bertolas planted their first cover crop in August – of field peas, tillage radish, vetch, oats and rye - after harvesting peanuts. They followed up with a roller crimper in late September, laying the crop flat and crimping stems to stop the plants from growing to create a mat of organic matter for weed control and moisture retention. “We strip-tilled in anuary and planted corn straight into what was left of the cover crop,’’ Alicia said. “The corn is coming up now and it’s looking good.” The Bertolas are working with Terrain RM to trial these methods in four hectares of their corn crop and one hectare of peanuts, and the farm will be used as a demonstration site through Terrain’s igging eeper soil health program. Alicia said a desire to farm more sustainably was behind the changes, which also include trials of worm casting juice and seaweed extract. “We want to build up organic matter and drop fertiliser costs – we’re right at the beginning of our journey so there’s a lot to learn,’’ she said. “The goal is to gradually

he roller cri er in action

decrease fertiliser usage over a number of years and to see the same yields or, even if they’re less, the same proﬁts given a reduction in input costs.” Changes to ground preparation methods have halved the number of machinery passes. “We normally plough, rip and or disc our paddocks depending on what we are planting. With this system we use the roller crimper, then the strip tiller. Ideally that’s it,” Alcia said. “That’s what we’ve done for the corn trials. With the strip tillage equipment, it also means we are now leaving two thirds of the land in this trial paddock undisturbed and largely uncompacted. “It’s a learn as we go process. ext time we’ll shorten the amount of time between planting the cover crop and the new crop going in because the blanket didn’t last quite long enough and some of the cover crop had time to seed and re-grow. We’d also like to try a cash crop as a cover crop. “With the peanuts it’s a bit di erent too. Being a low-growing plant that you dig up, we’re seeing what we can do to make it work. “This time around we had to spray for weeds, but next time we’ll trial getting the peanuts in as soon as possible after roller crimping. Hopefully the trash will stop the weeds long enough for the peanuts to emerge and ﬁll in the rows. “In the corn we also trialled a neighbour’s cows in part of the trial paddock, as a way of

ertola lantin corn into stri tilled roller cri

terminating the cover crop while adding microbes through their dung.” Terrain RM agronomist Sally ields said crimp rollers and strip tillage had been trialled in the Wet Tropics before, largely in the cane industry, but hadn’t been used widely in broadacre crops. “There is good application potential on the Tablelands, with its fertile soils, high rainfalls and di ering micro-climates,” she said.

ed round on his far

“It’s a big step for farmers so it’s great to see landholders like Alicia and Alex making changes after going to local regenerative farming workshops, doing their own research and talking to others who are pushing the window for better results on tired soils. “Strip tillers and roller crimpers are part of the tool kit available for building the health of your soil and, in turn, building the nutrient density of the crops grown. It’s not a one si e ﬁts all thing – it’s about adapting meth-

ABOUT ROLLER CRIMPERS W hat are they? Water-filled drums with Chevron-patterned blades that attach to the front or back linkage of a tractor. W hat do they do? Crimpers knock down cover crops, crimping the stems in several places, stopping the sap ow and forming a mulch matt to su ocate weeds. he crimped crop can then be planted directly into with the following cash crop. hat are the beneﬁts ess erosion, weed pressure, cost and labour. Improved soil health, organic matter, biodiversity. Cover crop selection for roller crimping im for rates of 2 - 0kg ha. hoose sin le tillerin annuals s eciﬁc to the season of ro th e.g. buckwheat, millet, sunn hemp, hairy vetch, oats, rye corn, cow pea, tillage radish, butter y pea. void lantin fora e sor hu hodes rass and the li es hese are persisting perennials annuals that tiller from the base of the plant and don’t result in termination from crimping hoose a ro riate seeds for the season here are summer and winter varieties e.g. rye corn winter , millet summer winter, sunn hemp summer . elect untreated seeds because fun icides ill soil icrobes eed mi selection depends on the constraints of your soil and what you are aiming to improve.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

airi

ods to suit your individual farm. The goal in the long run is less overheads and better outcomes for growers and for the land.” The igging eeper Soil

Health program is supported by Terrain RM through funding from the Australian Government’s ational Landcare rogram.

Specialist provider of technical advice and expertise across: Pumping Irrigation Filtration All aspect of water and ﬂuid management

www.pumpingirrigation.com.au Mareeba (07) 4092 1622 8 Reynolds Street, MAREEBA Q.4880 Serving Mareeba, Far North QLD, Northern Territory & Torres Strait since 1978.

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 17

Experience Munro Martin Parklands It’s all about live performances, friends, family and food amongst stunning gardens under a tropical night sky. Bring along your picnic, rug or low set chairs. Food vans and licensed bar available. No BYO alcohol.

ENTERTAINMENT across the region

Music and laughs on stage ots of usic and lau hs ill be on o er at airns erfor in rs entre and the an s rts entre ne t onth

MISSY HIGGINS SATURDAY 7 MAY

unday ril at T W O of A ustralia’ s most respected singers, musicians and songwriters – Ian Moss ( of C old C hisel fame) and T roy C assar-Daley – will be performing at C P A C as part of the national “T ogether A lone T our”. he “ ogether lone our” will be the first time these two powerhouse guitarists and vocalists have j oined forces to tour together and shared a stage in such an intimate setting as they take the audience on a musical j ourney across their respective careers. Book through www.ticketlink.com.au riday ril at an s rt entre S N EA KY S ound S ystem is an A ustralian dance music group and it was back in 2 0 0 4 when Miss C onnie and producer/DJ A ngus McDonald started making beautiful music together. series of singles at first, then in 200 , their self-titled, 3 x platinum debut album. S pearheaded by a spectacular salvo of charttopping hits – “U F O ”, “P ictures” and “I L ove It” – S neaky S ound S ystem won A R IA A wards for Breakthrough A rtist and Best Dance R e-

lease, the first of nominations to-date. T heir third album, “F rom H ere T o A nywhere”, arrived in S ydney and went j ust about everywhere including L ondon, P aris, Ibiza and Moscow. C atch S neaky S ound S ystem live in T ank as they whip up magic with their dance oor slayers. Book through www.ticketlink.com.au riday ril at T H E ultimate comedy road trip returns in 2 0 2 2 . S trap yourself in A ustralia because the Melbourne International C omedy F estival R oadshow is hitting the highways to home deliver the freshest and funniest from the 2 0 2 2 F estival to neighbourhoods across the nation. F or 2 4 years, the R oadshow has presented an all killer, no filler line-up of ustralian stars and talented newcomers to comedy fans far and wide. Buckle up for a night of stand-up, sketch, satire, silliness and song in this rip-roaring road trip designed to satisfy all your post-pandemic comedy cravings! Book now through www.ticketlink.com.au for that much-needed live comedy fi .

Authors visit Mareeba BEHIND THE BARRICADES WITH

KASEY CHAMBERS & BUSBY MAROU SATURDAY 21 MAY

L A S T Monday, a group of published authors gathered at Mareeba S hire L ibrary to meet with locals and talk about the stories they’ ve written. ( L -R ) Michael Q uinn, C rystal L eonardi, C olleen T aylor, Debra G avranich and P amela Dickenson all displayed their published pieces on the morning and presented to an audience of about 0 people. areeba hire Mayor A ngela T oppin also attended the event.

Pancakes to support families A F U N D-raising event is being held at A therton F amily C hurch on S unday to raise money for community programs for families. T he church is hosting a P ancake P arlour at Merriland H all on 2 7 March from 8 am 2pm. Money raised will go towards setting up a venue to run community programs for fami-

XAVIER RUDD SATURDAY 4 JUNE

lies including Kids on Main P laygroup, J C P R IME Kids C lub and W omen of W orth. T he event will feature an indoor j umping castle, face painting and a lucky door priz e, and, for $ 5 , people can enj oy unlimited yummy pancakes for $ 5 , Kids eat for free. Donations will be appreciated but not necessary. Everybody is welcome.

the Italian inspired food for whole family to enjoy! OPEN 7 DAYS for LUNCH & DINNER: 11am - 9pm OPEN for Breakfast Friday to Sunday 68 Shields St, Cairns 4220 9223 www.nonnaleottashouse.com.au

PAGE 18 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

ENTERTAINMENT New festival brings Italy to the tropics EV ER Y T H IN G Italian will be celebrated and showcased in a new 1 0 -day festival to be staged from 2 8 Ju ly to 6 A ugust. Italian history, culture and avours will all be in the spotlight as part of the new festival which features some amazi ng events with a wide variety of activities, o ering something for everyone. C airns Italian F estival president S teve C ordenos said the festival had been developed to honour the Italian culture. “T he festival will start on a S aturday with the Italian F esta which will have music and an array of food representing the 20 di erent regions in Italy. It’ s a very busy day with six hours of music and entertainment,” he said. “O n S unday, we’ ll host L a Dolce V ita at the S alt H ouse – this will be incorporated with the car show, so the people of C airns can come and see motorbikes and cars all made in Italy. “W e’ re also having ‘ A Big F at Italian W edding’ , a wedding theatre hosted over three nights, and it’ s one to look at. “W e’ ll have an excl usive hall of fame dedicated to past and present Italians that have made a di erence in F N Q . “ nd finally, Italian- ustralian comedian Jo e A vati will close the festival on a S aturday night at the

Brothers L eagues C lub.” T he C airns Italian F estival is a first of its kind in , and it will celebrate the history of the first Italian immigrants in the region and their impact on the culture. “T he Italians have been coming here since the 1 9 3 0 s, and, strangely, we haven’ t had an Italian F estival prior to 2 0 2 2 ,” Mr C ordenos said. “W e really need to honour the people that migrated here and what they did for F N Q . “W e never want to forget our roots and the sacrifices of those that made our lives what they are today. “T his is an opportunity for people to exp erience the true Italian culture, food and family values in the atmosphere of what being Italian truly represents.” F ederal L eichhardt MP W arren Entsch said Italians are part of the backbone of the F N Q community, and it is time to celebrate them. “A lot of C airns has been built on the toil of many Italians that migrated here after the S econd W orld W ar,” Mr Entsch said. “T hey’ re an essential part of our community, and it’ s great to be able to celebrate their heritage.” C airns Mayor Bob Manning said the C airns Italian F estival highlighted the diversity of F N Q . “I remember, not long after the war, when the Italian people came

G ina Codotto ( left) and Rita Rosac leiro are ready for the ex c iting Italian F estival to be held at the end of J uly.

here in big numbers,” C r Manning said. “Everything Italians do, they excel at. hey put all the e ort into everything they do, and people love them. “I think this F estival will become one of the highlights of the year for C airns. Events like this make the city livelier, and they will become a big part of C airns tourism.” Mr C ordenos said the C airns Ital-

ian F estival would become a meaningful event for the community, and he hoped it would be bigger and better in the years to come. “ his is only our first year, and we’ re very grateful for C airns R egional C ouncil to have our backs; we hope to bring it back every year and have the support of more sponsors,” he said. “W e have about 4 5 people in the organising committee, and it’ s been

enormous to create a 1 0 -day event, but I’ m blessed to have the best people behind me, and I’ m sure we will deliver an incredible event. “A nd why wouldn’ t you come? N obody makes a festival like the Italians.” T ickets for the C airns Italian F estival will go on sale next week on the C airns Italian F estival website at www.cairnsitalianfestival.com.au

New Italian family-inspired restaurant opens in Cairns A S P A C E where family and food comes together is already creating memories and satisfying the tastebuds of locals, since opening j ust a few short months ago. N onna L eotta’ s H ouse in the C airns C BD opened in F ebruary and is delighting families with their big Italian size d servings at a ordable prices. Inspired by his childhood memories, with ‘ N onna L eotta’ s H ouse’ , owners S hane and Ja smine S rhoj have brought their dream to life by opening a familyfriendly venue with delicious and homemade Italian style food, that is big on serves and great value for money. “G rowing up, life was always about food and creating memories with family,” Mr S rhoj said. “N onna L eotta’ s love for food and family created an environment where the family would regularly come together to share a meal and this love for food has been passed downfrom generation to generation.” T he local couple both grew up in large families who came together around food, and with baby number seven on the way it was time to return home after 1 0 years working around A ustralia to create their own family legacy. “It’ s so exci ting to see our dream become a reality. W e can cater for small to large gatherings where the kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and family and friends can all come together for a relax ing dinner or lunch with great Italian food,” Mr S rhoj said. “Y our F amily is our F amily”, is the motto behind the family owned business and the tasty menu is filled with food that everyone will love. “T he menu is all about food that we love to share and food that gets the kids and family exci ted – It’ s j ust like growing up in N onna’ s L eotta’ s H ouse.”

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials! SENIORS MENU INCLUDING DESSERT: $14.90 REGULAR MENU AVAILABLE!

Balter XPA Beer & Food Promo N onna Leotta’s House is the perfec t plac e for families to c reate memories.

T he menu includes a large pizza and pasta selection with all the traditional favourites, lasagne and other meat dishes including crumbed steak, pork ribs and Italian sausages, salads and desserts, plus lots more. T he restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner from 1 1 am to 9 pm and for breakfast from 7 am to 1 0 am from F riday to S unday. L ocated at 6 8 S hields S t, C airns – phone 4 2 2 0 9 2 2 3 to book your next family lunch, dinner or breakfast.

MONDAY LUNCH AND DINNER Fish ‘n’ Chips & Schooner Balter XPA: $22.50 TUESDAY LUNCH AND DINNER Chicken Parmigiana & Schooner Balter XPA: $24.90 WEDNESDAY LUNCH Double Cheeseburger and Chips & Schooner Balter XPA: $16.90

MONSTER 400g Crumbed Steak Special Every Thursday For

ONLY $16.90 Available Lunch and Dinner.

187 Byrnes St, Mareeba P: 4092 2588

THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL

Great Northern Original 24 Pack Stubbies: $51

Available at Cellarbrations Bottleshops: Centre Cellars Mareeba, Mareeba Plaza Cellars and the Graham Hotel Drive Thru.

JOKER JACKPOT 7.00PM

Friday Nights TAB LUCKY LOSER

4pm Saturday Afternoon

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 19

ENTERTAINMENT TRC Gallery exhibition applications now open Australian mystery story released A R T IS T S across the T ablelands R egional C ouncil area are being invited to submit applications to host an exh ibition at one of its three A therton galleries in 2 0 2 3 . T he council manages the T ableland R egional G allery on obert treet, the ld Post ffice allery on therton erberton R oad, and the F oyer G allery on Mabel S treet, A therton. C ouncil has opened applications for next year, with submissions to be completed by Monday 2 May. ou can find information on C galleries, e hibition guidelines and access to the online application form here.

A T IN A R O O local with a burning passion for writing has successfully published his first ever book titled, “T his H ome W here”, an A ustralian mystery that traverses the byways of Melbourne. O riginally from Melbourne, author Desmond ’ eill ed the concrete jungle and metropolitan pressure that comes with it, trading it in for the picturesq ue backdrop of the T ablelands. A member of C airns T ropical W riters, R avenshoe W riters G roup and W ord W eavers in therton, r ’ eill fills his spare time surrounded by other talented authors. L ast year was a creative one for Mr O ’ N eill, with a Melbourne publishing company looking for a story depicting Melbourne life, so he j umped at the chance and began writing. “ i years from the first line, the book emerged from a frenzy of writing last year - a

publishing company wanted this story about Melbourne, what it is really like besides lockdown,” Mr O ’ N eill said. “W ith Melbourne people in housebound mode last Easter, I tempted a visit. I toured a q uiet Botanic G ardens and city centre for a feel of the place. I brought my characters back to life and re-energised them. “N ewspaper headlines from six years ago in Melbourne provide many parts of the story – concussion, homelessness, lenient j udges, paedophilia, corruption and, of course, the Melbourne winter with the holy grail of A F L football.” Mr O ’ N eill is hoping to soon have copies available from local bookstores however in the meantime copies can be obtained directly by contacting him at Dbon5 2 0 4 @ hotmail.com or on 4 0 9 5 8 1 3 8 .

Loc al Tinaroo author D esmond O’N eill has released his new book titled “T his Home W here”.

New Agatha Christie crime mystery drama hit the big screen T H ER E' S another fantastic weekend at the Maj estic T heatre in Malanda. N ew on screen is the A gatha C hristie crime mystery drama, Deathe on T he N ile, starring A nnette Bening and Kenneth Branagh. T he two big current movies of the moment, the action adventure U ncharted, and the action crime drama T he Batman, from the DC superhero universe continue as well. F or all session times and information, visit www.maj estictheatre.com.au

D E ATH ON THE N ILE Belgian sleuth H ercule P oirot' s vacation

Lunch Special!

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H

YUNGABURRA

aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple' s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. S et against an epic landscape of sweeping Egyptian desert vistas and the maj estic G iza pyramids, this tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating j ealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement.

WE WILL BE ON OUR ANNUAL BREAK FROM THE 15TH OF FEBRUARY AND WILL BE REOPENING ON THURSDAY 24TH OF MARCH.

We will see you upon our return, refreshed and ready to share more celebrations with you!

T he Douglas T heatre A rts G roup

PAGE 20 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

PROPERTY

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

House and land package at Amaroo

Imagine the lifestyle you have always wanted, in a home you deserve A MA R O O Estate and T ropic C oast H omes bring you a house and land package that will leave you speechless. T his stylish 4 -bedroom home will make it easy for you to move right in a beautiful area that the whole family can enj oy. T ropic C oast H omes house package, T he P almer2 , features 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, including an ensuite in the master bedroom and builtins throughout. A large living plus dining area with a modern kitchen, this is a home which you can transform into your own and is valued at $ 2 8 8 ,9 0 0 . ( A full list of all inclusions is available upon req uest.) his home is a perfect fit for ot 2 Karobean Drive and W andara C ourt in

S tage 1 2 of A maroo Estate with a spacious lot siz e of 9 9 0 sq m and valued at only , 00. Karobean Drive and W andara C ourt is currently under construction but is anticipated to be completed by mid 2 0 2 2 . A ll blocks are going fast, so don’ t miss the opportunity to turn your dreams into reality. P op into Amaroo Land Sales Centre for any information or c all Ryley on 0 40 9 3 2 1 0 0 0 to arrange an onsite inspec tion, anytime that suits. F ollow us on our soc ials or c hec k out our w ebsite w w w . amarooestate. c om. au for all updates regarding our upc oming stages.

*All House and Land packages are sold on separate contracts.

ATHERTON 4

4091 3144

Great Location Close To Town ATHERTON: 15 High Street

• Ideal location to access to Atherton’s main street and walking distance to supermarket and gym • Open plan with dining and living leading through to the kitchen • Huge undercover area

Reduced - $299,000

4 General Hardware and Stockfeed Store - Leasehold HERBERTON: 42 Grace Street

• No competition in town • Authorised Origin Gas dealer • Increasing annual turnover • General hardware, paint, timber, steel, tools, stockfeed & camping

$62,500 Plus Stock

Not Your Everyday Opportunity!

Irvinebank Beauty

• Located in the bustling township of Yungaburra • Established business providing outstanding coffee & café style food • Venue is 150m² and can hold up to 70 people + 32m² private function room

• Beautifully maintained residence sits on a 1500m2 block • Plenty of established tress • Property backs onto seasonal creek • Freshly painted throughout, nothing to do but to move in or rent out

YUNGABURRA: Coffee and Clay

Reduced - $120,000

IRVINEBANK: 3 Rubina Terrace

$285,000

For more property details or to arrange an inspection contact 4091 3144 or visit: atherton.ljhooker.com.au www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 21

PROPERTY

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

Two dwellings, one property, picturesque views

O N an elevated block at the popular location of akeside, sits this immaculate property waiting for an e tended family or astute investor to capitalise on the value potential. Comprised of two dwellings, the main home features an airconditioned master bedroom with ensuite and direct access to outdoor patio with a stunning outlook over the seven sisters. n internal staircase leads to the other two bedrooms, tiled bathroom with linen storage and an open plan kitchen, living and dining area. he second house has two bed-

rooms, master with ensuite, walk in robe and there is second bathroom. fireplace is located in the living dining area with a neat tidy timber kitchen and laundry. patio for entertaining and the “granny at” is completely private from the main residence with it’s own carport for car accommodation. ain esidence edrooms, ensuite main bathroom pen plan kitchen, living dining with views of ake inaroo Patio with outlook over the seven sisters

eparate laundry storage under internal timber staircase ingle bay remote garage irconditioning throughout “ ranny lat” 2 edrooms, master with walk in robe ensuite econd bedroom second bathroom eparate office and out-

door patio pen plan kitchen, living dining room with fireplace ingle bay carport aundry stylish entrance and foyer accesses both dwellings, or has the option to keep them separate. anicured and neat as a pin on ,000m2 allotment just a minute drive from the inaburra boatramp centre

of ungaburra. he opportunity presents to live in one side, rent the other or ideal for irbnb. Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

Call Marketing Agent K aydee hatﬁeld at ain treet Real E state 0 41 7 468 9 41 to arrange your view ing.

4 7 O leander Drive, Y U N G A BU R R A ers Invited aydee Chatfield ain treet eal state 0 4 1 7 4 6 8 9 4 1

DAIMIN KOCHI 0448 916 246

RARE ATHERTON ACREAGE • Solid masonry block construction • Open plan living/dining with access to patios • 4 carpeted bedrooms, large bathroom, sep. toilet • 7x7m lockable workshop with power, shower & toilet • 12x7.5m steel frame shed, 6.4kw solar system • 2x 5000 litre rainwater tanks, smoke alarm compliant $550,000

QUIET LIFE ONLY MINUTES FROM TOWN • Newly renovated • Large lounge with access to patio • Open plan kitchen/dining, 2 family/utility rooms • Bore & water tanks, lockable shed with power • Fully fenced yard, security screens throughout • 2.06 hectares (5.09 acres) $495,000

ABSOLUTE PRIVACY • 7.8 acres, build your dream home • Natural forest throughout allotment • Clearing options available • Power available from front of allotment • 3.3 klms to Lake Eacham day area • 10 klms to Yungaburra, 12 klms to Malanda $290,000

YOUR OWN OLD MCDONALD’S FARM • Solid clay brick home, verandahs on 3 sides • Open living area, 2nd large rumpus room • Timber kitchen, pantry, dishwasher, BBQ area • 3 good sized built-in bedrooms, private ensuite • 20x9m machinery shed, 12x6m storage shed • Bore, tank & pressure pump, 10.47 acres $649,000

SPACIOUS & SECURE FAMILY HOME • Upstairs: Well appointed kitchen with pantry • 3 good sized bedrooms, renovated bathroom • Spacious timber deck, great views • Downstairs: Large tiled lounge, dining & study • Modern bathroom, kitchenette & laundry • Full length patio, carport, lockable garden shed $390,000

Phone 4091 6246 • www.mainstrealestate.com.au

PHONE NATALIE 0438 237 909

fnqpowerproperty.com.au

Thinking About Selling Your House? PAGE 22 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

PROPERTY

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

Private small acreage

ES C A P E the hustle and bustle of town without sacrificing convenience or location. et on appro imately .2 acres between alanda and pper arron, properties like this are a rarity. estled within established trees and gardens surrounded by rural land, is the storey, brick veneer home which has been creatively designed to showcases all its uirky features. tepping onto the timber deck, you enter the home through sliding doors which lead directly to the living and dining areas. Impeccably presented, polished and freshly painted the interior provides modern spaces with a light and airy feel. he kitchen is well appointed and has been has been renovated to feature lovely

modern finishes and heaps of bench space. ituated on the upper level are bedrooms, 2 with builtins as well as the family bathroom, which has also been updated. he ground level houses a large, tiled space which could be utilised for a multitude of uses like an e tra living area, teenage retreat or guest accommodation. he laundry is also located downstairs as well as a separate toilet. or car storage there is a 2 bay carport with an additional lockable shed workshop area with roller door access.

M A R E E B A

SOLD

MORE S G LISTINED! WANT

Address: P ric e: Agent:

F or more information c ontac t E x c lusive agent, Morgan Brennan on 0 40 7 7 3 0 45 0 or 40 9 1 7 1 1 1 . w w w . rayw hiteruralatherton. c om. au/ L1 7 45 3 660

Contac t:

U P P ER BA ers ver to organ ay White 0 0

R R O N 0,000 rennan therton 0 0

JOETORRISI.COM.AU JOE TORRISI 0417 700 468

Atherton

22 Main Street, Atherton - Phone: 4091 7111 Margaret Black: Principal

RARE CATTLE COUNTRY Innisfail • Set on 68.24 hectares (168.6 acres*) cellent grass co erage reliable rain all Fenced into paddocks runs breeders onsistent flowing creeks concrete crossing • Machinery shed + rainwater tanks i able shed currently being reno ated Morgan Brennan 0407 730 450

Expressions of Interest close 7th April, 12 noon. All offers must be submitted in writing by date & time of closure. Offers may be considered prior.

L17319372

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

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY Atherton bedroom units igh raked ceilings pacious modern kitchen ack patio gardens or pri acy oth units are tenanted • No Body Corp. fees L15941271 Suzey Whitby 0438 090 306

PRIVATE & CLOSE Ravenshoe • Set on 1 acre* 3 mins from town • 5 bedroom home • Timber deck + patio area imber floors updated kitchen • 2 bay lockable shed ural land as your neighbour $580,000 L17477759 Morgan Brennan 0407 730 450

YUNGABURRA LIFESTYLE Yungaburra • Modern 3 bedroom home eauti ul kitchen iled open plan li ing aster with ensuite utdoor entertainment area • 2 bay shed $549,000 L16056893 Suzey Whitby 0438 090 306

www.raywhiteruralatherton.com.au www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 23

PROPERTY

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

Quincan Cottage Yungaburra

W EL C O ME to Q uincan C ottage located on the Main R oad in ungaburra C – home to a popular caf nti ue allery, less than a 00m stroll to the ungaburra arkets and C . mongst the hustle and bustle, this uirky building features a . m m allery – currently utilised for nti ue urniture sales and direct access from the footpath. he rear of the property is currently being run as the renowned “ uincan Cottage Caf ” and features a full council approved stainless steel kitchen, 2 outdoor covered patio areas for seating and an office with built in wardrobe which could easily become live in uarters. here is a large . m 20m colourbond shed attached which is ideal for storage space, with a sta bathroom – shower toilet and 2 roller doors for access, with a p.a door directly into the kitchen. he opportunity is here to e pand the business, and utilise the location to its full potential.

SELLING OR BUYING

Covering our great area�

Call Karen today to discuss your options 0458 408 540

More information c an be obtained by c ontac ting E x c lusive Agent Z ac h Reid on 0 42 7 68 3 0 2 3 . Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

www.arearealestate.com.au

4091 1177 21 Main St, Atherton

3 5 G illies R ange R oad, Y U N G A BU R R A ers ver 00,000 EX C L U S IV E to Z ach R eid irst ational eal state therton 0 2 02

4091 1177 21 Main St, Atherton

L IV E IN O R IN V E ST M E N T O PPO R T U N IT Y ! 3

• Recently updated 3 bedroom block home on partially fenced 819m2 block • Open plan living with vinyl plank flooring and fans throughout • Modern kitchen with electric appliances • Front enclosed patio/courtyard with garage access • Double garage with remote doors

Price: $360,000 - Call Greg 0437 332 912

SO U G H T A FT E R H E R B E R T R IV E R A C R E A G E

• 4 bedroom home featuring tiled open plan living • Timber laminate kitchen and tiled bathroom • 33.99 Ha property approx., 85% croppable, 4 strand barb wire • 252 megalitre high flow & 144 megalitre low flow water license • Verandah and carport/entertainment area, equipped bore

Price: Offers Over $799,000 - Call Greg on 0437 332 912

B IL Y A N A B E A U T Y

• 4 bedroom home featuring tiled open plan living • Modern kitchen with granite benchtops, gas cooktop & breakfast bar • A timber staircase complimented with internal hydraulic lift • Master bedroom offers forest views, walk-in robe and full sized ensuite • Largest shed on the property measures 324m² with 3 phase power

Price: $1,300,000 - Call Brendan on 0447 809 808

Zach 0427 683 023 | Greg 0437 332 912 | Brendan (Auctioneer - Rural Expert) 0447 809 808 | www.athertonfn.com.au PAGE 24 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

PROPERTY

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

Architecturally designed for creative living Offers are now invited for this unique home on one acre in Tolga

L O C A T ED one and a half hours from C airns, ten minutes from therton and five minutes from olga village, this one acre rural residential retreat provides opportunities for spacious living with easy access to shops, schools, hospitals, medical and dental facilities. T his uniq uely designed home was built in 2 0 1 5 , has a roofed area of 3 7 3 sq uare metres and a 3 5 metre sq uare mez z anine. T he central area has a seven metre high ceiling. T he ex ternal cladding is fully insulted corrugated C olorbond. here are two verandas and a closed-in courtyard. louvres and he internal fittings are a mi ture of corrugated iron, steel, roughhewn hardwood and plasterboard. T hree sets of bifold doors and two large sliding doors assure light and air ow. he main foyer is e tensive and

features a three sq uare metre in-ground fish pond. T he stainless steel kitchen, uniq ue large T dining bench and lounge area are central to the home with breathtaking views of the semi-circle infinity pool, the lush garden with Mount Emerald wind farm in the distance. T he kitchen is supported by a walk in pantry and an adj acent butler' s pantry for the storage of crockery and cellaring of wine. A uniq ue eight blade three metre diameter fan and a glass door combustion wood burner keeps the area cool in summer and warm in winter. T here are four bedrooms and two bathrooms in the central living area. ne bedroom is o a hallway and is private, one bedroom and bathroom is open plan with access to the garden through bi-fold doors. A free standing bath is the

main feature of this space. O ne bedroom is suitable either for office or media whilst the mez z anine is multi-purpose. T here are also two fully self-contained, incomeproducing studios under the main roof. he studios have their own kitchen and bathroom and separate entrance: ideal for A ir BnB, short term accommodation for visiting professionals, students, or itinerant workers.

T he garden is landscaped with ustralian natives as well as e otic plants providing total privacy. here is a fruit-bearing orchard of 3 0 mature trees and a structured vegetable garden. Provision by way of coups and yards caters for poultry and small animal husbandry. A siz eable workshop with a double carport are located at the rear of the property which is securely fenced with remote gate for con-

www.athertonrealty.com.au

4091 1611

24 Main St Atherton

venience. T his home with its uniq ue features ticks all the box es for modern rural residential living with income potential. A n opportunity not to be missed.

Contac t:

Call now for a FREE MARKET APPRAISAL

PRIVATE COUNTRY DELIGHT 78 Mackenzie Rd - O/O $699,000

A REAL LIFESTYLE CHANGE 173 Martin Avenue - O/O $1,800,000

READY TO BUILD VACANT LAND 68 Loder Street - $165,000

Solid timber home on 1Ha / 2.47 acres 3 bedrooms with built-in robes 15,000 gallon rainwater storage 5 bay shed

5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms + media room 16 acres of laser levelled land Double lock up garage with tiled floor Four bay shed with mezzanine floor

802m2 vacant block of land Fully serviced with water, power & sewerage Close proximity to all town amenities Surrounding mountain views

Collette 0419 733 712

WEB ID: 48531

Rino 0427 779 086

Malanda

WEB ID: 911961

Jeanette Suffield 0407 745 748

Shellie Nightingale 0429 966 038

Collette 0419 733 712

3 2 F ilippo C lose, T O L G A ers Invited C I to ino ava therton ealty 0 4 2 7 7 7 9 0 8 6

Address: P ric e: Agent:

SELLING?

WEB ID: 871115

To obtain further information on this uniq ue Tolga property Contac t E x c lusive marketing agent Rino G ava on 42 7 7 7 9 0 8 6.

Rino Gava 0427 779 086 Collette Rowston 0419 733 712 GREAT PRICED UNIT 2/14 Lily Street - $250,000

2 bedrooms both with built-in robes Solid block construction Updated galley style kitchen & bathroom Carport

Rino 0427 779 086

WEB ID: 942010

Michelle Raso 0428 116 136

CALLING ALL INVESTORS

Insurance starts with a chat 9

• Unit 1: 4 bedrooms, 1 study, 1 bathroom, courtyard garden • Unit 2: 5 bedrooms, 1 study, 1 bathroom, spacious garden • Providing great returns 2 ARMSTRONG STREET, ATHERTON - $620,000

• 2 storey duplex, both units with mirrored layout • Both have 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and generous yard • Long term tenants in place 36 HOLM STREET, ATHERTON - $3 9,000

A: 21 James Street, Malanda | P: 4096 5666 | W: malanda.eldersrealestate.com.au www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Contact Jeanette Suffield on 4095 6677 today Elders Insurance Tablelands Zoners Pty Ltd ABN 59097345474 trading as Elders Insurance Tablelands AR No. 254599 is an Authorised Representative of Elders Insurance (Underwriting Agency) Pty Limited ABN 56 138 879 026, AFSL 340965. Insurance is underwritten by QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited ABN 78 003 191 035 AFSL 239545. Contact us for a Product Disclosure Statement to decide if a product is right for you.

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 25

PROPERTY

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

Larger than the normal townhouse in Mareeba

IF you are a first home buyer, savvy investor or are j ust looking at downsiz ing do not miss your chance to inspect this fantastic townhouse. eaturing a contemporary design, prime positioning and convenience with shops, schools, and other amenities close by, this is a great property in a hard to beat location. he home is tiled throughout with a light filled spacious open plan design. he kitchen is modern and practical with stainless appliances and ample storage. o need for space-sav-

ing ideas as this townhouse boasts two bedrooms, a twoway bathroom and separate toilet. he master bedroom offers a generous walk-in-robe, and the other bedroom is fitted with a built-in cupboard for your storage convenience. • T wo bedrooms, master bedroom with WI , 2nd bedroom has built-ins ne two-way bathroom, separate toilet odern and practical kitchen with breakfast bar, big pantry, skylight

pacious open plan living dining, air-conditioning, tiled oors, ceiling fans ood si e front patio ecurity screens on windows and doors Private front yard with lawn • P rivate side entrance Prime positioning, contemporary design ow body corporate fees ouble carport space ituated at the end of a block of , nit has a couple of additional benefits that make this ideal town living.

F or more information or to arrange a P rivate Inspec tion c ontac t E x c lusive Agent V inc e Costas at Central Realty on 0 41 9 9 2 6 69 1 today.

Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

U nit 1 /1 1 Middlemiss S treet, Mareeba $ 2 9 9 ,0 0 0 EX C L U S IV E to V ince C ostas C entral R ealty Mareeba 0 4 1 9 9 2 6 6 9 1

Solid home with massive potential What are your property plans for 2022? Thinking of moving, upgrading, downsizing or investing in property, or not sure? The first step is to find out what your PROPERTY IS WORTH. Call TODAY and we will provide you with a Comprehensive Property Report.

OBL IGAT ION

4092 2232

159 BYRNES STREET, MAREEBA QLD 4880

Find out more about our Agents at www.crmareeba.com

C just a stones throw from the main street of olga you will have access to the local cafes takeaways, shops, post office, school and the pub. he home is block throughout and ideal for families or for an investor looking for a low maintenance option. he entry way leads into an open plan living area and kitchen which makes up the hub of the home. edrooms have ample room and are all carpeted. irect access to the rear of the property via the large laundry. he back patio has an additional toilet for convenience. he property is on a acre with established trees which o ers shade and protection from the late afternoon sun as it sets behind the property. ear vehicle access is available and there is plenty of space for a shed if re uired. Property is oned mi ed use so could potentially be a residence or used to operate a business. F or more information or to book your inspec tion c all ex c lusive agent Alex P ayne today on 0 40 9 3 2 8 1 5 3 . Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

ennedy

ighway, Contact gent EX C L U S IV E to le Payne L J H O O KER therton 0 0 2

eldersrealestate.com.au

‘CAMPS FARM’ Glen Allyn, QLD | 57.96 HA* / 143.2 AC* Fattening block in a high rainfall area This amazing block is situated in a high rainfall area, only minutes from Malanda and has proven to be a great little fattening block with a varied mix of grasses and legumes, Setaria, Pinto Peanut, Guinea, Bracci and Couch just to mention a few. The property boasts bitumen road frontage, so great access is assured. • Bitumen road to front door • Four-bedroom house with covered garage • Close to schools and school bus pick up • Permanent spring-fed creek • Permanent spring-fed dam • Six paddocks with four barbed fences, cattle yards.

Auction Thursday 21st April, 11:00 am Venue Atherton International Club Inspection by appointment Chris Atkinson 0429 342 944 Elders Mareeba eldersrealestate.com.au/23327744

PAGE 26 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

PROPERTY

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

Unique lakeside property L O C A T ED on O leander Drive this uniq ue L akeside property has a lot to o er with a clever ext ension to the original dwelling providing multiple living spaces which permits for ext ra income or room for the ext ended family without compromising your own personal space. C omprising of two main dwellings on a private 1 ,0 0 2 sq m block eq uipped with five bedrooms, two kitchens, three bathrooms, ensuite and air-conditioned throughout. he configuration for the 1 st Dwelling is as follows; U pstairs - two bedrooms, one is currently used as an office, one bathroom and open plan kitchen, dining and lounge with views to the lake. N ew

ooring throughout. ownstairs has a modern bedroom with bathroom, laundry, remote control garage and patio. T he 2 nd Dwelling has two bedrooms with ensuite and walk in robe in main, main bathroom, office, open plan kitchen, dining and lounge. C ork living areas and carpeted bedrooms. P rivate patio and open carport. L akeside is one of A therAddress: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

OPEN HOME

ton T ablelands most sought after areas due to the relaxe d, laid back appeal. 2 .8 kms from Y ungaburra and j ust over an hours drive from C airns. T his uniq ue property lends itself to an investment opportunity like no other - live in, rent and air bnb.

This Satu rday a a

Come and see Shellie N ightingale at the open ho e or hone for ore infor ation

4 7 O leander Drive, Y U N G A BU R R A pen to ers S hellie N ightingale Elders R eal Estate Malanda 0 4 2 9 9 6 6 0 3 8

Investment – house and units on town's doorstep

17 ROBINS STREET, MAREEBA • C rimsafe security screens on front and back doors • A ll windows are security screened • O versize d garages to each unit • S moke alarm compliant • Included furniture and appliances can be viewed on inspection • C urrently tenanted and Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

returning a combined rental of $ 6 3 5 per week If residential property investment is on your radar, put this address on your “must see” list. Y ou won’ t want to miss out on this excellent buying opportunity.

,0 00

guards • S afety switch & smoke alarm compliant • 5 kw solar power system • C urrently owner occupied • Q uoted house rental via P roperty Management is $ 5 0 0 week • Included furniture and appliances can be viewed on inspection F eatures of the adj oining 2 x 2 -bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 carport units include: • G enerous room size s and high ceilings Wall to wall and oor to ceiling built-in wardrobes in each unit

Fully fenced 698m2 lot, quiet cul-de-sac location, solid 3 bedroom concrete block home (inside and out), open plan living/dining, solar power system, shed/workshop + extra undercover storage.

$2 78

MA R EEBA Property ffice has pleasure in presenting for sale this solidly built, fully furnished 3 -bedroom home; accompanied by two adj oining fully furnished 2 -bedroom units; both of which are currently tenanted. T his perfectly positioned complex is an immediate income earner, has an exce llent occupancy and rental history and represents an outstanding residential property asset for the astute investor to acq uire. F eatures of the 3 -bedroom, 1 bathroom home include: • G enerous room size s and high ceilings • W all to wall and oor to ceiling mirrored sliders in the main bedroom Wall to wall and oor to ceiling built-in wardrobes in bedrooms 2 & 3 • F ully air-conditioned, ceiling fans • L arge shower and separate plunge bath, separate toilet • C rimsafe security screens on doors & windows, tiled windowsills • C arpeted bedrooms, ceramic tiles in living & wet areas • Double garage with electric roller door access • S tainless steel gutter

F or more information, c ontac t Mareeba P roperty Ofﬁce on

8 6 C onstance S treet, MA R EEBA C ontact A gent Mareeba Property ffice 4 0 9 2 1 3 5 5

John Falvo | Damon Falvo | 4092 1355 Connecting People and Property www.mpo.net.au

eldersrealestate.com.au

‘TOMS PARK’ Walkamin, QLD | 10.41 HA / 26 AC* Set in the best climate in Australia ‘Toms Park’ is centrally located to Atherton and Mareeba and close to highway and school bus runs. This amazing property has a 3-bedroom home with office, timber-topped kitchen, polished timber and tiled floors, bathroom ensuite, separate bathroom shower and laundry, and a period railway carriage done up for visitors to stay or prospective B&B. Large outdoor entertaining areas all set in park-like settings. The property also has deep red soil paddocks, ideal for fruit growing. lt could be your retirement farm or your new business. Make it your blank canvas. • 3 bed home, one with ensuite, office in park-like setting • Second toilet, bathroom and laundry • Period railway carriage for visitors or B&B • 2 Paddocks with improved pastures, clean of weeds • 10 megs of channel water, hard hose irrigator • Single phase power to house and shed *Approximately and three phase to paddock. Auction Thursday 21st April, 2:00pm Venue Atherton International Club Chris Atkinson 0429 342 944 Russell Wolff 0419 698 405 Elders Mareeba eldersrealestate.com.au/23333407

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 27

PROPERTY

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

Serenity, peace and tranquillity

LISTINGS WANTED!

WHAT IS YOUR PROPERTY WORTH? Give us a no obligation call to find out!

www.tablelands.com

45 James Street, Malanda: 4096 5446 13 Main Street, Millaa Millaa: 0408 733 149

U pon entering this place, a feeling of calmness and serenity can instantly be felt. Where your soul finds peace and love has made its home... 7 2 acres is the siz e of this incredible property with about half of it being transformed into a uniq ue lifestyle / income producing enterprise. 1 .5 km of sandy river frontage can be found, whilst a small seasonal creek also tries to impress. T he water level on this property is guaranteeing never to be without ever filling lakes and ponds, which deeply enhance the ambience of the place. Meditating and healing is one of the mantras here which is the reason for the establishment of a cyclone proof dome to accommodate healing circles and sound meditations j ust to mention a few. 4 new red cedar cabins

ESTABLISHED CAFE FOR SALE

and a large new dining hall and camp kitchen as well as an amenities block provide all the facilities needed to stay and rela . he ponds are filled with water lilies, lotus, turtles, hundreds of j ade perch, eels and more. A part from all this sanctuary beauty, this property o ers a variety of income streams. A bout a hectare of C actus P ear plantation will be producing in about another 1 2 months and can be used for fruit harvesting or as highq uality cattle fodder production plant. 3 0 0 dragon fruit vines, many rare commercial varieties are also producing. But the product that has attracted the most income in the past years, has been the F rangipani nursery which will be part of the sale and if req uired can be taught in the process of the sale. A n ex ten-

sive established fruit orchard o ers additional income with the fruit currently being sold to organic produce outlets. T he property can be used for horses ( 6 fenced paddocks and 3 stables are currently established) or cattle. R V park, organic farming, eco-tourism, H ealth retreat centre or horse-riding centre are also possibilities ( direct private access to spectacular mountain top horse-riding trails) . T he living facilities include a 3 -bedroom house with polished timber oors throughout, a brand new 6 kw solar Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

system and solar hot water system. N ew air conditioners in most rooms/areas and a wood heater. A s well as 1 bathroom, 2 showers, 7 covered car/machinery bays, self-contained granny at, separate office and large machinery workshop/shed. T oo much to list it all, so don' t hesitate to ex perience this place, full of beauty and serenity.

F or more information, or to book your private inspec tion Susanne 0 40 8 7 3 3 1 49 @ Tablelands. c om & Malanda Real estate.

MIL L S T R EA M $ 1 ,4 0 0 ,0 0 0 S usanne R eynolds T ablelands.com & Malanda R eal Estate 0 4 0 8 7 3 3 1 4 9

FOR SALE

AUSTRALIAN WOOD SHAVING CO NASTASI’S TAKEAWAY hat better ti e to be your o n boss

Located on the main street of Mareeba, this iconic well-established business of 20 years is on the market. Best known for some of the best eat in or takeaway food in Mareeba. Recently refurbished this business offers the new owner the ability to walk in and start making money immediately. • Regular loyal c ustomers • Main street frontage stablished enu ﬁsh chi s bur ers ra s sand iches and ocal fresh ﬁsh re ared daily

ore

ell aintained e ui ent on ter sta aterin for cor orate and rivate clients al in cold roo all e ui ent ull trainin ill be rovided

Nastasi’s Takeaway is already a very successful business, in addition it would also offer you the chance to add your own personal stamp to the menu as well. This is a great opportunity for those who may be looking to change careers or go into their own business.

BEING SOLD AS WIWO – WELL PRICED @ $110,000 Contac t ex c lusive agent: D eborah G odfrey P : 0 40 8 449 8 0 8 E : deborah. godfrey@ yahoo. c om. au PAGE 28 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Australian Wood Shaving Co is a commercial manufacturer and supplier of wood shavings located in Kairi on the Atherton Tablelands, North Queensland. Successful business supplying pine wood shavings by truck loads to local poultry and livestock farms together with animal bedding and bark mulch. • Currently supplies to 1 0 c ommerc ial c hic ken farms in the area • Clients inc lude Mungalli Creek D airy, c ommerc ial c hic ken grow ers • Shavings for dairy farms, show soc iety, horse ow ners, Tow nsville V ets o s for ﬁeld day de onstrations

ard ood slabs buildin and ﬁre ood • F ull inventory of mac hinery, eq uipment, and vehic les • W orks all year round, w et does not stop produc tion • Small team or family c an operate the business

A terriﬁc opportunity to be your own boss with ongoing customers. Opportunities for expansion include horticultural industry and supplying small bales to retail outlets. The current owner has double sales since purchasing the business.

It’s very rare these businesses come onto the market …WILL SELL QUICKLY

Visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzdeZOajbvc

Contac t ex c lusive agent: D eborah G odfrey P : 0 40 8 449 8 0 8 E : deborah. godfrey@ yahoo. c om. au www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

PROPERTY

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

Does your business need more exposure? H ER E is a prominent commercial site on the busiest road in A therton. T his strategically located property has a display yard, an office building and toilet. T he allotment has an area of 1 ,8 0 0 sq m with a 3 6 metre frontage and high security fencing. T wo driveways provide easy access to the rear of the property for larger vehicles with plenty of space available for o street parking. T here is the potential for further development of the site as the steel and

concrete foundations in the retaining wall have been reinforced to facilitate the construction of an additional building. T he property is located in the low impact industry precinct. T his is your opportunity to start or grow your own business with great

e posure to passing traffic on the main arterial road into A therton. F or more information, c all Tim J ac kson at P rofessionals Atherton. P hone 40 9 1 3 9 5 5 or 0 40 7 3 3 5 0 0 7 anytime. To view more photos, visit athertonrealestate. c om. au A T H ER T O N $ 3 2 5 ,0 0 0 T im Ja ckson P rofessionals A therton 0 4 0 7 3 3 5 0 0 7

Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

The best of country living L O O KIN G for a country change that is only a hop, skip and a j ump to town? L ooking for your own slice of rainforest? L ooking for rich fertile soil, permanent water supply and income potential? Y ou' ve found it! Discover what country living is all about with this beautiful property spanning over 1 3 4 aces with a ton of potential. F eatures Include; • 3 bedrooms + study timber home • S eparate lounge room featuring a fireplace – Perfect for the cooler months! • O pen plan kitchen/dining room • S pacious bathroom with a claw bathtub and separate shower • R ecently renovated internal laundry imber oors and timber features throughout home • O utdoor entertainment deck • F enced 1 3 4 acre property • P owered shed • A pprox . 1 3 0 avocado trees & approx . 7 5 stone fruit trees • 5 P addocks, with water troughs • C attle yards

What’s your proper ty wor th? • O rganically farmed for over a decade • G oat stables • A pprox . 7 5 acres pastured • V eggie gardens & fruit trees– Perfect for a buyer with a green thumb • W ater supply: 2 x rainwater tanks + water fed from the permanent spring creek Address: P ric e: Agent: Contac t:

• L ocated only 1 1 kms to R avenshoe T own C entre and 5 2 km to A therton T own. F or further information or to arrange an inspec tion, c all marketing agent Raq uel at Sommerset Realty on 0 40 8 9 8 3 8 7 9 .

Call Raquel today to find out!*

*Free No-obligation appraisal

Shop 1, 116 Main St, Atherton QLD, 4883

Phone: 0408 983 879

www.sommersetrealty.com.au

1 1 1 G reenwood R oad, R A V EN S H O E $ 7 9 0 ,0 0 0 R aq uel C unzo lo S ommerset R ealty 0 4 0 8 9 8 3 8 7 9

Call Trisha 0419 183 145 www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 PAGE 29

LETTERS to theEDITOR

E MAIL: editorial@ theex pressnew spaper. c om. au

Time to stop the brainwashing RECENTLY I was called a “science conspiracy theorist” for quot ing the proven and irrefutable laws of physics, so let’s look at some predictions by the real science conspiracy theorists. In 19 9 we first read in our regional daily newspaper about “imminent catastrophic rising sea levels” with “two metres of rise by 2010”. Have you seen that rise? Y eah, me, neither. No dyke under construction around Cairns either – not even being planned. In the 1990s we heard all about “more freque nt and more intense cyclones”. What did we actually get? Fewer and milder cyclones. The climate z ealots at B oM had to use computer models to “name” remote storms as cyclones in a desperate bid to prop up their credibility. And who could ever forget Australia’s then-Chief Scientist’s confident prediction on Landline in 2007: “Even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill our dams and river systems.” Tim “waterfront properties” Flannery should tell that to the people around B risbane and Lismore. Meanwhile, pResident B iden stupidly turned o US domestic oil supply pipelines and cancelled drilling leases on federal land, and began competing for the foreign oil we buy, thus forcing up our fuel prices to eyewatering levels. Let’s go, B randon. Germany and the UK are beginning to wake up from their ideologically-induced energy stupor after successive foolish governments crippled their own hydrocarbon fuel industries and became dependent on Russia. They’re both returning to domestic coal and gas. We have more oil under Coober Pedy in

the Arckaringa B asin and near Rockhampton under the Rundle Range than Saudi Arabia ever had, plus we have thousands of years of coal and gas – but governments too caught up in the CO2 conspiracy to utilise them. The time has come to admit the truth, folks. We’ve been brainwashed and conned relentlessly by the enemies of our prosperity for three generations. CO2 is plant food and the basis for all life. It is not evil, harmful or dangerous. To ﬁx this mess we need to eject almost all the deni ens of our parliaments – the exceptions can be counted on one hand – and vote for candidates who put Australians and our prosperity ﬁrst. Peter C ampion U nited A ustralia Party candidate for K ennedy

Better options out there to save the world I HAV E no wish to make personal attacks about climate change on Campion, Nethery, nor B lake in relation as seems to have become the norm, but would like to note a few facts. Members of the IPCC are political appointments made by member governments of the United ations. The I CC is not a scientific organisation and undertakes no scientific research. That fact becomes very evident if you take the trouble to read any of the IPCC reports. They are opinion pieces full of “highly likely”, “probable” etc, not scientific arguments based on conclusive fact. Mostly the IPCC reports emphasise the fact the climate is warming, and discuss the accuracy of the ever modified models developed, as proof of anthropogenic change.

CLUB NEWS L ions have a busy few months ahead. s well as the regular fortnightly sausage sizzl e in the C oles car park the club will be involved with nimal Pet air, Cycle for ope, amily un etrogaine, aura aces, Cairns to arumba bike ride, areeba odeo and Christmas in uly. Congratulations to llanah alvo, a t tephen’s student who after being named the winner of the club outh of the Y ear 2 0 2 2 went on to win both the public speaking award and the overall winner at the one final held in alanda. lannah will now compete in ownsville in the regional final. ood luck lannah. ions ustralia is one of ustralia’s largest service organisations with almost 2 ,000 members and ,200 clubs across ustralia. ions ustralia raises over 20 million per annum to assist in community and health proj ects. ustralian ions oundation is asking for your support of the disaster appeal to assist those people a ected

T h e E x press reserves the right to edit letters

with Mareeba Lions

by the recent e ceptional ooding event in outhern ueensland and orthern ew outh Wales. . . . is processing a number of grants, but reuirements are not clear yet as at the time of writing ood waters have not receded. any clubs in the a ected areas are working at evacuation centres, providing meals for evacuees and those helping in the clean-up and support process. t the . . . ebruary meeting directors approved , .00 in grant funding including ,000.00 towards a ibroscan achine for C airns N orth H ealth C entre T he club is still interested in your old batteries. If you have any batteries whether for a car, truck, tractor or bike the club will collect from you. We thank our partners ilters and Parts, and utback olar and Wind. Please call ion ustice on 0 3 3 3 to arrange pickup. Don’ t throw those beer cans and bottles in the bin, remember you can support your areeba ions Club by taking your recyclable containers

Download for FREE from iTunes or Google Play PAGE 30 The Express, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

I can find no scientific proof in the I CC reports that CO2 causes climate change. They simply rely on the coincidence of increased temperature and increased CO2 and “other” greenhouse gases. Alarmingly water vapour that contributes somewhere between 60 per cent and 80 per cent of the greenhouse e ect is totally excluded from the “other” gases and the models. Another alarming point is that it is a well know scientific fallacy to claim that two events occurring together must be related. Perhaps the reason the IPCC does not try to prove the link between CO2 and climate is due to the fact increasing CO2 cannot increase absorption of heat radiation significantly. Like any molecule CO2 can only absorb radiation energy of set frequencies not the whole radiation spectrum. It is estimated that when the atmospheric CO2 was at 300ppm before the industrial era, CO2 was already absorbing 95 per cent of what it was capable of absorbing. It is simple logic that doubling or trebling CO2 content in the atmosphere cannot therefore increase the e ect of CO2 on climate by more than 5 per cent. It is a fair indication of this disconnect that atmospheric CO2 has been over 7000pm in the very distant past while the average temperature of the world, since living organisms have existed, has never exceeded 2 degrees. Climate change due to increasing CO2 is a fanciful explanation being swallowed by the world and bringing about the most fundamental economic change since the industrial revolution, at great and pointless cost. To save the world, we would do better to spend the wasted money on the preservation of natural habitat and getting rid of plastics in the ocean. B ruce Jon es IN N ISFA IL

to Containers for Change owers treet and uote cheme I C 0 2 . T he depot is out near the cattle sale yards. N o need to package j ust take your recyclables out there and uote the I number for ions. on’t waste the containers help your local ions Club by dropping them o for recycling. lthough membership of ions is by invitation you are invited to enq uire about j oining this great international humanitarian organisation. It is not hard to become a ion. ellowship, ood times, meeting people, building lasting friendships, service to the community, learning new skills, L eadership and personal development - these are some of the reasons we are the L ions. ions meet in areeba at the areeba eagues Club at . 0 pm on the first and third uesday of the month. Check us out on acebook or on the web at www.lionsclubs.org.au

Stolen and found property identiﬁcation W HAT YOU CAN D O TO HE LP R ecording and identifying your property not only helps you, it greatly assists police to return stolen or lost/ found property back to its rightful owner. It is often difficult to trace ownership due to limited details being provided at the time of reporting or the items never being reported as stolen. T hieves usually steal valuable belongings which can be q uickly converted to cash. y marking and keeping a record, it helps provide proof of ownership of your property. D O YOU K N OW THE IME I N UMBE R AN D SE RIAL N UMBE R OF YOUR MOBILE P HON E ? H ere’ s a tip on how to locate it in seconds; key in * # 0 6 # . our mobile phone, your I I and serial number will automatically appear. eep this information in a safe place – emailing the numbers to yourself is a great idea. C onsider engraving suitable belongings and taking photographs of e pensive items including bicycles. eep a list of all property with a serial number, model number and specific features, and keep the list in a safe place. V isit the neighbourhood watch website for an ideal property list form called “ omething missing” and a icycle Identification Card at www.nhw .org resources and look under the heading ousehold it and or other documents. H elp us get your stolen or lost/found property back to you uickly by recording serial numbers and photographing your property items. Report lost or stolen property by visiting w w w . polic e. q ld. gov. au and then c lic king on report

PH OTO OF TH E W

EEK

W inning photo by K ylie J ohnston “I was delighted to capture a photo of this beautiful cockatoo, wild and free, at sunset in Tolga.” J oin and enter your photos at the Tablelands and Surrounds P hotography G roup F ac ebook page.

Atherton Tablelands & Mareeba 96.7FM Amrun 94.1FM • Aurukun 107.7FM Coen102.7FM • Cooktown 96.9FM Doomadgee 105.3FM Kowanyama 107.7FM Lakeland 100.5FM Lockhart River 107.7FM Mapoon 101.3FM Mornington Island 107.7FM Pormpuraaw 106.1FM Napranum/Weipa 94.5FM Normanton 98.5FM • NPA 91.9FM Woorabinda 99.7FM Wujal Wujal 107.7FM Yarrabah 92.9FM

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au