The Express Newspaper 15th July 2020

EXPRESS The

Delivering news across our region Wednesday, July 15, 2020

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SUMMER SERIES SET TO BRING BACK LIVE MUSIC

Mareeba is set to get a teaser of one of the nation’s biggest country music festivals as the new Savannah Summer Series takes over the Mareeba Rodeo Grounds this October. The live music event is a preliminary showing of the Savannah in The Round festival that will be held in 2021. Mareeba’s Peter and Nipper Brown with James Dein from Sound Australia are excited to be bringing a top line up of Australian artists to town in 2020.

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Chano named “Shedder of the year”

BY PHIL BRANDEL

(07) 4092 3464

While the Kuranda Men’s Shed may be one of the newer men’s sheds in Far North Queensland, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t brimming with members hoping to help out their community.

Last month the Kuranda Men’s Shed held their AGM and at the ceremony they awarded their volunteer of the year, the “Shedder of the Year” award.

This year the award went to Luciano “Chano” Ceciliot.

Kuranda Men’s Shed President, Richard Clews said the Shedder of the Year is an award that they give out every year to their top volunteer.

“This year we awarded Chano for his efforts with the building of the shed which included a lot of carpentry projects and welding,” he said.

“He just steps in where ever he is needed, whenever someone needs a hand Chano is there to help. If you need some welding done, he brings his own welding gear in to help.”

Chano said we he surprised to win the award.

“I wasn’t expecting it, I didn’t even know there was an award,” he said.

Chano said that joining the Kuranda Men’s Shed has changed his life.

“I was working in the mines for a while and due to health reasons in 2018 I had to stop,” he said.

“After that I started going

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AWARD: President of the Kuranda Men’s Shed Richard Clews, Shedder of the year Luciano “Chano” Ceciliot and club Secretary Daryl Douglass.

downhill, I was wandering around a bit lost as I used to have workmates that I would talk too and when that got cut off I was on my own.

“This is great way to stay connected, I got involved and coming here a few days a week is great.

“When I help out I don’t expect anything in return or to be recognised, I just do the jobs and share my knowledge.”

Daryl Douglass is the secretary of the Kuranda Men’s Shed and said they have plenty of jobs on to keep them busy.

“At the moment we are finishing our shed, we are building birdcages for an animal rescue group in Speewah,

crazy yellow ant traps, seed trays for environcare and we have been rebuilding some park benches for CWA,” Mr Douglass said.

Daryl also said without community contributions they would not be able to keep their doors open “Mt Emerald Wind Farm and RATCH Australia recently donated $10,000 which we used to improve our shed and buy some much needed tools and safety equipment,” he said.

The Kuranda Men’s Shed has been going for two and a half years and they currently have 45 members and Mr Douglass says that local men in the local community have

benefited from the men’s shed.

“If it wasn’t for us they would be sitting at home twiddling their thumbs. We have a gent here who had been retired for years and he was an engineer and now he can come here and teach us all a thing or two,” he said.

“It’s about mental health and isolation, people can come here rather than sitting at home staring at the ceiling and meet people and gain camaraderie. It’s all about bringing people together and letting them work on projects of their own choice.”

The Kuranda Men’s shed meets every Saturday and Wednesday for more information go to www.mensshed.org

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New live music event set to rock the region

BY RHYS THOMAS

After the postponement of the highly anticipated ‘Savannah in the Round’ music festival this October, a smaller scale live music event is set to fill the void.

The all new ‘Savannah Summer Series’, a COVID-safe mini-festival, will now take place over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, giving locals a taste of what’s to come for ‘Savannah in the Round’ 2021.

Savannah in the Round was announced early this year and was to become one of the biggest country music festivals across the country with both national and international star acts set to grace its stage.

The three day festival was going to fall across the Queen’s Birthday weekend; however with the effects of COVID-19 still rattling the world, the festival was cancelled.

Now from the ashes rises the new miniseries headed up by the same team behind ‘Savannah in the Round’, Sound Australia.

The event will bring the community together and celebrate the return of live music after 2020’s challenges.

Local Nipper Brown was at the helm of ‘Savannah in The

Round’ and worked closely with Sound Australia’s CEO James Dein as their Community Liaison Officer to help develop the festival.

Now with it being postponed and the Savannah Summer Series to fill its shoes, Nipper is excited to see that the weekend will see some live music action.

“The Savannah Summer Series is just a taste of what could have been if the main event, Savannah in The Round went ahead which will now be next year,” he said.

“We have got a top line of Australia artists and up and coming artists, it is very exciting to know that we are going to have the calibre of these artists here in Mareeba.

“All of the Australian artists have been booked in for Savannah in The Round next year but we won’t know about the international artists until about June next year.”

The ‘Savannah Summer Series’ will come to both Cairns and Mareeba on October first and second respectively and will feature Aussie country star Casey Barnes along with a superstar line-up.

“I can’t wait to get up to Cairns and Mareeba this Octo-

LIVE MUSIC: Casey Barnes will be one of the headline performers at the Savannah Summer Series in October.

ber to welcome back live music to the region,” Casey said.

“Savannah in the Round is one of the most exciting things to happen for country music in Tropical North Queensland.

“To be a part of the Savannah Summer Series and to show that live music is alive and kicking post-COVID will be a big highlight after a tough year for all of us.”

Casey Barnes kicked off the year with his hit single ‘Sparks Fly’ which held number one at radio for seven weeks followed by the first number one Australian Country ARIA album during covid-era, ‘Town of A Million Dreams’.

The Buckleys, Saltbush Six,

The Roadtrippers and The Ayres Rockettes will all join Casey as they spread a taste of what’s to come for ‘Savannah in the Round’ in 2021.

Teenage sibling trio The Buckleys are also a band that is on the tip on everyone’s tongue with their Golden Guitar nomination for Best New Talent and a Country Radio number one with their hit single ‘Daydream’ which currently sits at number 10 in the Country Music Charts.

Sound Australia’s James Dein believes that the new mini festival will help to jump start the heart of Tropical North Queensland.

“As gatherings and the regulations around social distancing

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are relaxed in a measured way it’s important to us and to the economy of the region that we keep the music playing,” he said.

The Queensland tourism industry welcomes the ‘Savannah Summer Series’ with open arms and hopes it will relight the dwindling spark of the industry.

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the Savannah Summer Series couldn’t come at a better time.

“Major events like this pump millions of dollars into the local economy and support local jobs, the festival will deliver a great boost for local businesses at a time where everyone is doing it rough,” she said.

“Because Queenslanders have done such a great job fighting COVID-19 we can now start welcoming tourists back into our state.

“With the continual easing of travel restrictions the Savannah Summer Series will hopefully give Queenslanders and hopefully all Australians another reason to explore Tropical North Queensland.”

After the opening of the Queensland border on Friday, July 10, a huge influx of cabin fevered tourist are excited to get out and about and see something

other than their TV or bedroom ceiling.

“Savannah in the Round was always conceived as an event to bring the Tropical North Queensland community together as well as to drive interstate tourism,” Ms Jones said.

“It has never been more important to us to deliver this goal which is why we are committed not to just our spectacular large-scale 2021 event but also to make sure the community is not forgotten this year with the Savannah Summer Series.

“As Aussies holiday at home for the remainder of 2020 the Savannah Summer Series gives visitors not only a great country music experience but also the perfect launching pad to explore the natural beauty of the Tablelands through to the reef.”

Closely following the Savannah Summer Series on October first and second is the Great Northern Bull riding Series which will take place on the last day of the weekend, October third.

Tickets for the Savannah Summer Series go on sale next Tuesday, July 21. To register your interest head to www.savannahintheround.com.au and secure your ticket before it’s too late.

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The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 3

Mini Cairns Show announced Fans of the annual Cairns Show will now have a reason to smile after the Cairns Show Society announced that they will be holding a mini show this weekend.

Ian Allen President of the Cairns show society said that since they were unable to hold the Cairns Show this year due to COVID restrictions, they have decided to keep the show spirit alive by hosting the Mini Cairns Show.

“We have an incredibly passionate and supportive community and look forward to bringing you all together to celebrate the ‘Real’ Cairns Show when it returns in 2021.”

Carmen Ferreira, Secretary Manager of the Cairns Show Association said “It’s a taste of what should have been, we miss our community, our sponsors and volunteers, this is a great way to reconnect with everyone,” Ms Ferreira said “There will be six show stalls offering delicious show time treats like Dagwood Dogs, slushies, and showbags, there are also kiddie’s rides, dodgem cars and a jumping castle.”

The Cairns Mini show is happening this Friday, July 17 from 10am to 4pm and Saturday July 18 from 10am to 6pm at the Cairns showground.

Chillagoe strikes water WATER: Residents of Chillagoe can rejoice after the Mareeba Shire Council found a water source 4km west of the township.

Irvinebank Festival Due to Covid-19 the IRVINEBANK FESTIVAL 1st - 2nd August, 2020 Has been POSTPONED until the first weekend of August 2021.

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PAGE 4 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Residents of Chillagoe can rejoice after the Mareeba Shire Council struck liquid gold after opening up an underground water source 4km from the town.

The Chillagoe township has been on Level 3 water restrictions since 2017 due to the low water table and Council has been venturing to find alternate water sources ever since.

An existing reliable ground water source was identified approximately 6km west of

Chillagoe in late 2019, further test bores were drilled 2km, 3km and 4km west of the town.

The bores were approved by council in an attempt to achieve savings associated with construction and operation of a shorter pipeline for the future supply.

Last month an exploratory bore was drilled 4km out of town and water testing was carried out to identify the quality and reliability of the under-

ground supply.

The bore was constructed in May this year to a depth of 62 meters and water samples were taken for quality testing.

A Council spokesperson said that while the initial results were promising there were still many tests needed to be conducted.

“While the initial results are promising, further testing will need to be conducted at a higher discharge rate to verify the

long-term performance of the supply,” the spokesperson said.

“A 100-hour pumping and recovery test was conducted last month to ascertain its reliability and predict its future performance.

“The test confirmed that the bore can comfortably supply 10 litres per second, which is the maximum design capacity of the town’s water treatment plant.”

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Clinic celebrates 50 years of caring for community CELEBRATION: The Mareeba Medical Clinic celebrates 50 years of community service this year. Pictured are owners Dr Grant Manypeney and Practice Manager Merril Manypeney with Dr Thinzar Win and Receptionist Joanne Sutherland.

Dr Manypeney also reminisced about his late partner and friend Dr Bestmann stating that he was a good doctor and a good friend.

“He just put so much energy into this practice and he was known far and wide as a doctor who was skilled in the mental health side of health,” Dr Manypeney said.

“He would mentor a lot of the junior doctors and would assist with their patients often

sitting down for hours at a time to talk to patients.

“Towards the later part of his life he became interested in teaching doctors mental health more formally through the Black Dog Institute.

“We miss his services a lot and we were deeply saddened when he passed and we have tried to do what we can to look after the patients and legacy he left in his wake.”

CLEALL’S BUTCHERY THIS WEEK’S SPECIALS

BY RHYS THOMAS The Mareeba Medical Clinic has been at the centre of local healthcare for 50 years with many generations of families often seeing the same family doctor.

The Mareeba clinic first opened its doors in 1970, after the building itself was commissioned to be constructed in 1969.

Dr Graham Ireland, Dr Bill Madell and Dr Istvan Krinitzky were the three original doctors who operated out of the newly built building and some patients still remember them to this day.

In the early 1990’s Dr Murray Towne and the late Dr Mark Bestmann moved to the building from their joint practice on Byrnes Street.

Dr Ireland stayed in the practice for a number of years after selling it working a session or two a week until he retired in 2000, shortly after Dr Bestmann and Dr Towne took over the practice.

Resident Doctor and owner, Dr Grant Manypeney joined the practice in 1993 and decided to stay and become practice as-

sociates with Dr Towne and Dr Bestmann in the same year after experiencing the clinic and the connections with the staff.

The three doctors shared the interest of golf and would often putt in the staff room when they couldn’t visit the local golf club.

Dr Towne left the practice in 2007 and Dr Bestmann and Dr Manypeney continued to operate the practice as associates before Dr Bestmanns passing.

After Dr Bestmann passed away in 2016, Dr Manypeney and his wife Merril became the sole owners of the practice and continue to provide service to the community to this day.

Mrs Manypeney enjoys working at a rural practice because of the connection that is created between the practice and the community and the doctors and their patients.

“It was a true country practice where they did those minor surgeries and they would always go to the hospital to support the staff,” she said.

“As health changes so does the practice to meet the needs of the community we serve.

“Getting to know our patients we tend to think of them

as family and we create a much deeper connection with them.”

The term of going to see your ‘family doctor’ stemmed from the deep connection that rural GP’s created with their patients and they often served generations of families.

Both Dr Bestmann and Dr Manypeney were well engrained in the community and their influence can still be felt to this day, from local sports, the local hospital and other health services around the area.

Dr Manypeney assisted at the local boxing matches by being the resident doctor and Dr Bestmann was heavily involved in the local cricket competition, he was the President of the Mareeba Cricket Club for many years and now even has a local inter-school competition named after him, the Dr Mark Bestmann Cup. Dr Manypeney said that the connections that he creates with patients and their families is what he enjoys most about working in a rural practice.

“We have a special ongoing relationship with a lot of our patients and many of them that I see every day have been my patients for years and years,” he

said.

“You know where they live, you know their family, you may have been to their house or even played sport with them.

“There is quite a special close association between the patient and the doctor in this kind of a rural setting.”

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The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 5

New butchers on the block

BY RHYS THOMAS Two local teenagers have been providing prime cut sides of beef and pork to tables across the region as Sienna Alba and Michael Able became butchers apprentices at Mareeba’s Beef Joint.

The Beef Joint is a Mareeba butchery that has been under the ownership and management of Brodie Neal since July 1, 2019 when he took over the longstanding business.

Both Michael and Sienna are first year apprentices with Michael starting in January and Sienna commencing at the start of July.

Their apprenticeships will last for three years where they

will learn the ins and outs of a butchery and what it takes to run the business.

Michael started his butchery career by becoming a ‘clean-up kid’ and became accustomed to the friendly and almost family like environment.

“I worked at the Beef Joint as a clean-up kid for a while, I took off and then came back and asked Brodie for an apprenticeship,” he said.

“I really like working here it’s such a great environment and I can see myself becoming a butcher down the track.

Sienna’s love for food and creation pushed her to become a school-based apprentice at the Beef Joint where she was al-

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PAGE 6 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

ready doing odd jobs around the butchery.

“I just started off doing things like dicing and smaller jobs around the butchery,” she said.

Brodie is happy to be able to provide jobs to hard working local teenagers like Sienna and Michael.

“They both started off doing small jobs around the place and slowly progressed into the more technical and skills based jobs,” he said.

“Sienna has a love for food and creation and Michael is such a hard worker I couldn’t be happier with them.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to teach and pass along the things I know and to help them in the long run.”

NEW SKILLS: The Beef Joint has bolstered their ranks after promising apprentice Sienna Alba joined the team and fellow apprentice Michael Able. Pictured is Beef Joint Owner Brodi Neal, School Based Apprentice Sienna Alba, Full Time Apprentice Michael Able and Manager Ayden Sue.

Cape welcomes visitors As of noon on Friday, July 10 more council areas across Cape York have reopened to visitors.

The latest reopenings come after most areas of the cape reopened on Friday, July 3.

The latest areas to reopen include the Northern Peninsula Area, Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire, Torres Shire and Torres Strait Island Regional Council areas. Meaning that campers and holidaymakers can now drive all the way to the tip of Cape York.

The openings came on the same day as the Queensland border reopened to interstate visitors (excluding Victorians).

The Moreton Telegraph Sta-

tion and campground is nearly 300kms from the tip of Cape York and 130 kms east of Weipa and owner Michael Hintz said the reopening of the cape is the best news they have had in a long-time.

“Knowing that the cape is now open to the general public is fantastic. We want everybody to know that Cape York is well and truly open for business,” Mr Hintz said.

Mr Hintz admits that despite the openings, bookings are still slow.

“During the normal school holidays we would have about 40 cars per night, at the moment we only have about five to

six per night and that’s mainly locals coming for a weekend away,” he said.

“But the good news is, the road isn’t too damaged or corrugated or busy like it would normally be in July, it’s a bit like April or November traffic.

“The roads are wonderful, there’s less dust on the road and there are fewer crowds up here at the moment so it’s a wonderful time to say hello and visit the cape.”

While Michael’s business didn’t officially close, the lockdown of the cape did hurt his business.

“It’s been like one long wet season, we budgeted to be able

to start trading from May 1, but we haven’t had any real income until our first bookings arrived on Friday, July 10.

“June, July, August are normally our busiest months where we get visitors from the entire eastern seaboard with people wanting to get away from the cold down south.”

While Queensland has reopened it borders to all States except Victoria, visitors and locals are reminded to continue social distancing of 1.5m and practice good hand hygiene.

It’s also critical that if you are sick to stay home and arrange to get tested for COVID-19 immediately.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Backyard chicken owners reminded to wash hands

BY PHIL BRANDEL

Queensland Health is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections across the state.

As of June 26, there had been 17 reported cases with the outbreaks predominantly affecting young children which have been linked back to contact with backyard poultry.

Thirteen of the cases were in children aged 11 years or younger with five children hospitalised for their illness.

The large majority of cases have reported handling chicks that were purchased in the twoweek period prior to their illness.

The chicks had been obtained from produce and pet stores in Queensland.

Co-owner of Stockman’s Eggs in Atherton, Scott Stockman said that common sense must prevail when handling chickens and eggs.

“The best way to prevent salmonella poisoning is to wash your hands, it’s also important to cook your eggs and not have raw egg products,” he said.

“Raw eggs that go into things like homemade mayonnaise, tiramisu, raw egg smoothies etc.

Eggs that haven’t been refrigerated or handled correctly can also cause salmonella outbreaks.

“People should make sure

that eggs are not cracked and if there is manure on the egg, then wash the egg properly.”

Stockman’s Eggs have more than 60,000 chickens on their Kairi farm producing about 55,000 eggs per day and Scott said they’ve never had a salmonella sickness on his farm due to strict bio-security measures and a salmonella control program in place.

“Our farm is fully quarantined, our staff change their shoes on entering and leaving the farm. We have foot baths between all the sheds, we wash our eggs at 45 degrees as per Safe Food Regulations and the eggs pass over a candler to make sure there are no cracked eggs and then they are treated by ultraviolet light to kill all bacteria in the shell,” he said.

“All of our birds are vaccinated for salmonella which is something most backyard breeders don’t do.

“We also recommend that consumers keep their eggs refrigerated at all times.”

It’s believed that since the outbreak of COVID-19 there has been a huge increase in backyard production which has added to the increase of Salmonella cases.

According to Queensland health backyard poultry can harbour and shed salmonella that causes illness in humans, even

Fourth-generation Stockman’s Eggs farmers – Ella, Ruby and Reggie Stockman.

though the birds are healthy and clean.

The public health advice for owners of backyard poultry include: Always wash your hands with soap and running water immediately after touching backyard poultry, their eggs, their en-

closures, or anything in the area where they live and roam.

Adults should always supervise children around poultry and ensure they use hand sanitiser or wash their hands after handling chickens or any animals.

Do not let children snuggle or kiss the birds, touch their mouth,

or eat or drink around poultry.

Do not let poultry inside the house.

Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps 6 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.

The illness usually lasts four

to seven days and most people recover without treatment.

Children younger than 5 years, adults 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems or long term sicknesses may develop a more severe illness.

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The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 7

SOLD: After 33 years Kev Ramke decided to semi-retire and sell LJ Hooker Atherton to Albi Homann.

Kev Ramke hands over 33 year reign LJ Hooker Atherton has just gone through a major change with 77-year-old principal Kev Ramke deciding to semi-retire and sell the business to Albi Homann.

Mr Homann has been on the Tablelands since 2009, working first as a mortgage broker and then starting his own real estate agency.

Recently he discovered that the principal of LJ Hooker Atherton, Mr Ramke, wanted to sell the business and retire and he decided that it was an opportunity to good to refuse.

“The big thing for me was that LJ Hooker is a nationally well-recognised company, we also get support with technology and everybody is aware of the branding,” said Mr Homann.

“Because Kev has been around for so long he needed some support, so with my young team helping we can now reach further into the market.”

Mr Homann took control of the business on May 1 with Mr Ramke still helping out during the handover period.

“I said to Kev he can stay as a long as he wants, for me there are so many benefits of having him around,” said Mr Homann.

“If older males stop working they seem to go downhill quite quickly mentally and physically and I don’t want that happening to him. If he wants to come in he can come in, if he wants to take a few days off he can take a few days off.

“I’ve learned so much from him about how the marketing

works, he also has a lot of experience in selling rural properties which I’m learning about and also his knowledge about Atherton.”

Kev Ramke bought the business in 1987 and said he decided to sell due to his age and his desire to slow down.

“I’m 77 years old and I was hoping that someone was going to take over the LJ Hooker brand from me,” he said.

“I made the decision to sell the property quite a while ago; I just had to find the right person.

“Albi’s got the business now and I’m just going to concentrate on doing one to two cattle stations per year.

“We are working on things together and I’m just hanging in here doing the the odd rural property.”

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Acclaimed artist set to farewell Mareeba

FAREWELL: Mareeba local Elaine Seary, who is leaving town in August, with some of her paintings that will be for sale at her farewell morning tea.

The Mareeba Art society is about to lose one of their most acclaimed artists and longest serving members with Elaine Seary moving down south to live with her daughter.

Merilyn Holmes from the Mareeba Art Society said Elaine Seary had been an intricate part of the watercolour world.

“Elaine has been in Mareeba a long time, she is our longest member to date and she is an amazing water colourist and is a great teacher,” said Ms Holmes.

“She imparts her knowledge very easily; having access to someone like this has been great for the region.”

Elaine is one of the leading artists in the Far North and has entered the Art Society’s An-

nual Art Exhibition every year since it started 58 years ago and has won many of the awards over the years.

“Elaine’s speciality is painting in watercolours and she has taught painting for many years and her last lesson unfortunately will be on the July 15,” Ms Holmes said.

Elaine said she got into painting due to her love of the Australian bush and the outdoors.

“I love the bush and I wanted to put it down on paper,” she said.

Elaine still remembers the sale for her first painting.

“It was an absolute surprise, it was a painting of the road to Cairns, I painted it there on the

spot and Tom Gilmore Senior bought it,” she said.

“I’m very sad to be leaving Mareeba but I’m also very happy to be going down to stay with my daughter, my grandchildren and my great grandchildren.”

The Mareeba Art Society is holding a farewell morning tea on Wednesday, July 22 at 10.30am, where there will be a small collection of Elaine’s paintings on show and for sale.

The Art Society has started back after having to close due to COVID-19 with the shop now open 10am to 2pm every day.

If you’re interested in joining the Art Society or participating in workshops, phone president Faythe Keogh on 0415 852 744.

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The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 9

New Kuranda home for wallabies Shai Ager from the Agile Wallaby project has been fighting for her right to relocate wallabies from Trinity Park in Cairns for the past three years.

On Friday she finally got the good news that she can start removing the wallabies from Cairns Northern Beaches.

“I can’t believe it after three years of fighting we have been given the green light it doesn’t seem real.”

Last week Shai moved the first of her wallabies to Kuranda ahead of pre-release.

The 15 wallabies came into Shai’s care as joeys when their mothers were either chased by dogs or killed by bushfires.

For the past few months, Shai and her team at the Agile Wallaby project have been building enclo-

sures for the wallabies at Kuranda, ahead of their release into the surrounding area over the next few months.

The new enclosure was opened on Monday, June 6 and Shai said that she hopes the enclosure will be used for a long time.

“With so many wallabies killed by cars and dogs around Trinity Beach we are planning on using this space for a long time to come.”

Shai first heard about the plight of the wallabies back in October 2017 when she found out about the number of wallabies that were being killed in and around the Captain Cook Highway near Trinity Beach.

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The DES initially awarded the permit, but a couple of days before the relocation started DES retracted the permit, claiming it was awarded “erroneously”.

Last Year Shai took the DES to court to reverse the decision and on May 1 of this year, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) found in favour of The Agile Project. DES finally issued the permit to Shai and the Agile Project on Friday, June 10.

“The joey’s I have are not classed as being relocated, these joeys are being rehabilitated in Kuranda and we are releasing them into a nearby national park,” she said.

“This is where they learn to be wallabies and where their natural instincts will kick in before they are released.”

The 15 wallaby babies have

spent the past few months being taken care of by volunteer carers and are now able to roam freely on the enclosed property.

Petra Lovey offered the land on her property to the Agile Wallaby Project and she feeds the wallabies daily.

“I’m an ex-zoo keeper and I’ve always had a massive passion for native wildlife and considering the pressure they are under at the moment, I thought we have space and some knowledge so I felt like it was time to give something back, “she said.

“We are surrounded by state forest and national park so this seems liked the perfect property to release the Agile Wallabies.

“We are on a hundred-acre property and donating some of the land for the wallabies just seemed like the right thing to do.”

Shai Ager from the Agile Wallaby Project with one of rescued joeys at the new wallaby rehabilitation enclosure near Kuranda.

Petition launched to lower speed limit on Kuranda Range Kuranda residents are encouraging people to sign a parliamentary petition after Elvis the cassowary lost all four of his chicks to vehicle strikes this year.

Jax Bergersen, secretary of Kuranda Conservation, said the cassowary deaths showed that a major change in driving conditions was urgently needed.

“There is only one stretch on the Kuranda Range which is 80 kmph and it’s also the same spot where three of the Cassowary chicks were killed,” she said.

Elvis’s last surviving chick was killed on July 2, which led to a change.org petition, which has now evolved into an official parliamentary petition in an effort to

protect and save the endangered species.

“Originally we started the Change petition but we have now changed that to a parliamentary petition which we will be sending to Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey.” Ms Bergersen said.

“Once this happens he needs to table a response within 30 days.”

Three out of the four cassowary chick deaths occurred on stretch of road near the top of the Kuranda Range, where the road increases from 60 kmph to 80 kmph and there are overtaking lanes in both directions.

“This change would simply bring that last section of the

Kuranda Range Road in line with the rest of the range which is 60 all the way from Smithfield.” said Ms Bergersen.

“This is the only official overtaking lane on the range, the rest are slow vehicle pullovers, we are just asking for same configuration as the rest of the range.”

In a statement from Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey: “The latest report of another cassowary death along the Kuranda range is very sad,” “I met with cassowary welfare advocates a couple of weeks ago to look at what more can be done to avoid the deaths of these magnificent birds on local roads.

“Those suggestions ranged

from reducing speed limits on some roads, greater enforcement of speeding drivers, and the creation of specific interventions around know cassowary crossing points, like painting the road surface or installing traffic calming devices.

Minister Baily said that with more people back on the roads he has asked the TMR to rollout a driver awareness campaign.

“Just like you drive safely to keep your family and other people on the road safe, I implore everyone driving through known cassowary habitats to drive safely for the sake of our cassowaries.”

To sign the petition go to www.parliament.qld.gov.au

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Show bag aisle a hit with kids Kids all across Australia will still get a chance to experience show bag fun, thanks to a Mareeba local.

After Mareeba IGA’s Grocery Manager, Morgan Ninness wanted to “put a smile across the faces of kids Australia wide” IGA stores nationwide are now stocking the most sought after bags.

“There weren’t any shows on this year so I decided to create this massive aisle called the ‘show bag aisle’ and fill it with the unused show bags,” she said.

Mareeba IGA now has an aisle dedicted to show bags and has kicked off a nationwide ‘show bag isle’ craze.

IGA stores all across the country have now repurposed one of their isles to hold unused show bags from several companies

that have now been left without a market with shows being cancelled.

Each store will only sell the show bags while stocks last and with so many of the stores reporting huge sales, the show bags aisles become bare quickly.

New orders have been placed however with ‘The Fast and The Furious’ and ‘Stranger Things’ show bags up next on the buy list.

“The reception has been really good we’ve had massive sales in it, the supplies we have been getting have only lasted a couple of weeks,” said Ms Ninness.

“You see customers walk in and they go, oh my god show bags, and it’s really great to bring that climate back into the community.”

IGA Mareeba team member Geraldine Petersen with Grocery Manager Morgan Ninness in front of the show bag aisle at Mareeba IGA.

New look Carrington gets the thumbs up Atherton’s newly renovated Carrington Hotel in the main street is on track for its August offical grand opening according to owner Tom Hedley.

The new renovations started in March with the inclusion of a family bistro, kids play area, a new TAB, state of the art kitchen, gaming area and much more.

The new kitchen and bistro area is hoped to be open to patrons at the end of July with the official opening to be held in mid-August.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

Owner Tom Hedley is excited for the works to be progressing on time and is excited to see families enjoying what the new hotel has to offer.

“The renovations are going well and it’s all proceeding on track and on time,” he said.

“The council has been fantastic to work with and they’ve supported it all the way through.

“There is plenty of action available at the Carrington going forward.”

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 11

Drive-In set to reopen after COVID closure One of the regions more unique attractions is set to reopen its doors this weekend.

The Mareeba Drive-In has been at the current site since 1960 and since March of this year it has been in COVID lockdown, something that owner and manager Raelene Newell says has been hard.

“We closed the last weekend of March and while it has been tough we’ve had a bit of help from the government with Job Keeper,” Ms Newell said.

“I’ve been lucky as I’ve had a very generous and understanding landlord and the electricity rebate has helped.”

Raelene said that even though patrons could remain in their car and practice social distancing

Owner and manager of Mareeba Drive-in Raelene Newell is looking forward to re-opening this weekend.

the cap on numbers and the closure of her café meant she had to close the business.

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my costs so we would have gone backwards,” she said.

“It’s been nice to have a break and get some maintenance done, but we are looking forward to having customers back.

“We have had a huge response on social media from people wanting to know when we are reopening, so I’m hoping when we do reopen we will get a lot of people supporting us.”

This weekend’s double feature is the animated film Spies in Disguise and Star Wars – The Rise of Skywalker.

“We can’t show any new release movies because there haven’t been any; the movies companies aren’t releasing anything at the moment.” said Ms Newell.

While an American invention, drive-in theatres became popular in Australia in the 50's and 60’s.

The first drive-in theatre opened in Australia in 1954 and at one point; there were over 300 driveins throughout Australia.

At one stage Australia had the third highest number of drive-ins behind only the United States and Canada. Most have now closed and there are only 16 remaining drive-in’s still operating in Australia.

New officers to help bolster local prison

Lotus Glen Correctional Centre in Mareeba will receive 14 new Custodial Correctional Officers after their unofficial graduation ceremony on July 3.

Due to the current COVID-19 climate the new recruits were unable to have a formal graduation which has been scheduled for a later date.

All of the recruits now turned officers are all local from the Far North area including the Table- NEW RECRUITS: Lotus Glen Correctional Centre is set to receive 14 new Custodial Officers after their informal graduation on Friday, July 3. lands and Cairns.

Chief Superintendent Training Officer Cam Salerno “Now more than ever, every and General Manager of Lo- said that the new officers were Queensland job counts.” tus Glen Correctional Centre put straight to work.

QCS Commissioner Peter Richard Butcher is excited to “The new officers have hit Martin is encouraging others be able to provide local jobs to the ground running as they be- who are interested in a career local residents and improve the gun working last week on Mon- path in correctional services to economy. day (July 6),” he said. “take a look inside.”

“Lotus Glen has seen a sig“We had some of them run“There has never been a betnificant rise in prisoner popula- ning units and dealing with the ter time to consider joining us as tion and when that happens we prisoners which is called unit a top tier front line public safety need to provide additional staff management. agency as we strive to help to ensure our correctional offic“We train the officers for a transform lives and communiers safety,” he said. wide variety of roles within Loties every day,” he said.

“This increases our officer’s tus Glen.”

“I encourage Queenslanders safety and reduces our reliance Minister for Corrective Serto take a look inside to see if on overtime and associated fa- vices Mark Ryan said creating tigue management in those cir- frontline jobs is an important they are up for the challenge of cumstances.” part of the plan for economic a career in QCS. “We are looking for passion“Lotus Glen Correctional recovery.

Centre is a major employer in “I know the tough economic ate people from all walks of life the region and we offer secure environment created by COV- who are interested in working employment and being able to ID-19 has impacted communi- at the very front line of public safety.” offer employment within the lo- ties in the Far North,” he said.

For more information on cal community is really impor“QCS is a major employer in tant to us.” our regions and will be instru- how to apply to become a CusLotus Glen Custodial Officer mental in helping create good todial Correctional Officer visit Entry Program (COEP) Staff jobs for Far North Queensland. www.corrections.qld.gov.au

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Leagues Club reopens

OPEN: The team at the Mareeba Leagues Club are excited to be reopen and serving the community once again.

The Mareeba Leagues Club has finally reopened its doors after having to shut in March, being one of the longest closed establishments in the region.

After Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared that all licenced venues had to shut their doors on March 22, the Leagues Club had to stop trading almost immediately.

The 30 plus local workers at the Leagues Club were put out of work overnight with no real indication of when they would be able to return.

The Leagues Club closing not only affected their staff as many of their local suppliers were left without one of their major buyers.

While closed the Leagues

Club did not sit idly by but instead used the quiet time to undergo renovations to both the bar and the kitchen which would have made the club close either way.

Mareeba Leagues Club President David Christensen was very disheartened when he had to inform the staff of the government’s decision.

“It was very difficult and very emotional to stand up in front of 30 plus people and tell them they didn’t have work anymore,” he said.

“It was an ideal time to upgrade the flooring because to do it you’ve virtually got to close the place anyway.

“The last thing we wanted to do was open up the club than

have to shut it again in a couple of weeks for the renovations.”

The kitchen and bar weren’t the only projects on the list for the club as the outside paint, gardens and decking all saw some love during the closure.

Now with the easing of restrictions and announcement that licenced venues could start trading again the Mareeba Leagues Club reopened on Monday, July 6, and is already getting many patrons calling and booking events and dinners.

Leagues Club Manager Lucy Connor “couldn’t contain her excitement” after the club was allowed to resume trading and reopened.

“I was absolutely brimming with excitement for the club to reopen,” she said.

“Not only have our staff missed being at the club but so have all of our patrons.

“We have had tears and hugs with people coming in and just being so excited to see our staff and to see the club open.”

The Mareeba Leagues Club also expressed its thanks to the Mareeba Shire Council for its support while the club remained closed and to all of their loyal patrons for their patience and support.

Memorial needs improving Only a few local residents remember when the Mareeba Airport was called Hoevet Field.

Joan Handley from Atherton remembers and she feels that the memorial at the airport to fallen American and Australian airmen has fallen into disrepair “It has been neglected; we need to improve this memorial as a way of saying thanks,” she said.

On the day The Express met Joan at the airport, the memorial had been recently mowed but there was still a few things needing maintenance with a tree beside the fountain needing pruning and weeds growing out of the memorial wall.

“When I first used to come here it was immaculate, but it hasn’t been kept up,” she said.

“If the trees aren’t removed or cut back it will slowly destroy the wall.

“We need an area that is well maintained where people could bring their kids.”

On the August 16, 1942, USAAF B-17 #41-2434 of the 30th Squadron of the 19th Bombard-

Joan Handley from Atherton fells that the memorial at the Mareeba Airport has fallen into disrepair.

ment Group at Mareeba crashed into the sea near Cairns, about one mile out from Yorkey's Knob while testing a new flare dropping mechanism.

It malfunctioned and the flare exploded inside the B-17 causing it to crash into the sea, exploding on impact, with the loss of the pilot and new Commanding Officer of the 30th Bomb Squadron, Major Dean C. "Pinky" Hoevet and all his crew.

Many of the bodies were never recovered, including Major Hoevet's.

All of the American dead were initially buried in Australia but were then sent to next of kin or to the Arlington National Cemetery in an evacuation program in 1961-1970.

After the accident, the Americans called Mareeba air field by the name Hoevet Field.

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The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 13

Candidate for Cook Desmond Tayley and NQ First leader and Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan in Mareeba last week.

NQ First makes big promises for Cook

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NQ First leader and Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan has announced some big promises for the residents of Cook, if they get the balance of power in the upcoming October state election.

Last week Mr Costigan and candidate for Cook Desmond Tayley exclusively announced to The Express their plans for the decentralisation of government departments from Brisbane to Far North Queensland.

“There’s been a lot of talk about decentralisation and I’m happy to announce that if we (NQ First) get the balance of power in Queensland we will be relocating Biosecurity Queensland from Brisbane to Mareeba,” Mr Costigan said.

“We all know that Far North Queensland and Cape York is on the front line of biosecurity, whether it’s Fall Army Worm, Papaya fruit fly or Panama disease, it all creeps in through the top end.

“None of those diseases sneak in via Tasmania.”

Mr Costigan said that Mareeba should be the epicentre of biosecurity operations.

“This is the biosecurity front line and it makes sense to re-

deploy resources where they should be and if we are going to be serious about decentralisation we need to have biosecurity Queensland relocated here,” he said.

“My vision is to transfer Mareeba into North Queensland’s second city and the economic catalyst for this will also be a tunnel to Cairns for the road that everybody talks about but nobody does anything about.”

Mr Tayley added “It’s a welcome announcement from Jason that if we get the balance of power we will be moving Biosecurity Queensland to Far north Queensland,” he said.

“Mareeba is on the front line of combating Biosecurity in the region so it makes sense for them to be based here. As for the Kuranda range, the LNP and Labor haven’t made any commitments at all about fixing the range; a tunnel will alleviate the bottleneck on the range.

“If I win Cook and Jason keeps the Whitsundays and we have the balance of power, then we will hold the government to account and say make it happen.”

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Facebook have announced the expansion of the Facebook Australia Groups Impact Fund making $500,000 available to Facebook Group Admins across the country.

The grant, originally designated for bushfire recovery groups, has now been extended out to all groups offering support to their local communities in recent times.

The grant aims to provide medium to long term support to Group Admins living in Australia who are facilitating ‘on the ground’ action in their communities and have been helping with support during the crises, ranging from bushfires to droughts and more recently COVID-19.

Applications are now open until 27 August for groups to apply for grants up to $10,000 to continue supporting their com-

munities in an economic, caring or fun ways.

Bree Hargreaves from Tablelands Chamber of Commerce said grants like this are important to community groups especially during these uncertain times.

“The time that is required to administer and keep a group on track to its intended purpose can go unnoticed by many, unfortunately at the expense of personal, family or work time,” Ms Hargreaves said “The Facebook Group grants are a fantastic opportunity for group administrators to get a helping hand financially to support their community through a crisis and into the future with projects as they rebuild.”

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Mt Garnet Police Station volunteer recognised

OPEN: Michael Peterson, owner The Herberton Spy and Camera museum is excited to be open again.

Spy and Camera museum reopens Michael Peterson is the owner of what he calls the largest collection of spy and subterfuge cameras in the world and he is now reopening his unique business after COVID closed his Spy and Camera Museum at Herberton.

The museum was started over forty years by ex spy and Intelligence Operative Roy Jacques who was in the special forces in the Korean War and his own personal spy cameras are still on display today.

In 2007 Michael bought the museum off Mr Jacques after he wanted to retire.

“I had my own camera collection and I used to talk to Mr Jacques whenever I was passing through town. At the time he wanted to retire from the business so I bought off him,” Mr

Peterson said.

Michael is still involved in his passion of buying and selling cameras but he has to slow down “as the place is nearly full.”

Michael said there are thousands of cameras are on display and in storage including some of the rarest cameras in the world.

“We have a 100 year old spy camera from Scotland Yard, secret KGB cameras and there’s also the history of photography on display,” he said.

“The most unique camera we have here is from 1884 that was owned by a gentleman called Alan Tullington it has a serial number of 001. George Eastman from Kodak bought the Tullington Company and copied that camera.

“Kodak then mass produced their folding camera from a copy

of that design.

“Some of the cameras here have never been on the market for sale. I also have a packet of John Player cigarettes with a camera hidden in it and also the world’s smallest camera.”

Pre COVID Mr Paterson said he would get a few thousand visitors per year.

“Normally we got visitors from across the world, but at the moment it’s only Queensland families who are visiting which I’m very grateful for,” he said.

“I was closed for over three months during COVID and only reopened last week.

“I’m also a wedding and commercial photographer and all of that stopped during COVID so all of my businesses stopped, so it’s nice to finally reopen.”

A special presentation was held last week to recognise local gardener Jeanne Francis for her work in keeping the Mount Garnet Police Station gardens in top condition.

Mount Garnet Police Station is home to a memorial garden for Constable Patrick McCabe, who was killed on October 13, 1913, near Mount Garnet.

Constable McCabe was only 38-years-old when he was thrown from a horse causing a fractured skull, he was survived by his wife Jessie and six children.

Jeanne has spent many hours keeping the memorial garden clean and tidy, along with maintaining and replanting nearby garden beds around the station with plants she raises at home.

“I like to show respect for Officer McCabe, who served Mount Garnet at the cost of his own life, by keeping the gardens looking nice,” Jeanne Francis said.

“I have great respect for the current officers and staff and we all like to show pride in the local Police Station, which is a focal point in the small rural community.”

As a token of their appreciation, staff at Mount Garnet Police Station bought Jeanne a gift voucher for a local hardware shop so she can feed her plant obsession.

Sonya Tyrrell (Administration officer), Volunteer Gardener Jeanne Francis, Sergeant Lee Golding (Officer in Charge) and Senior Constable Sharron Molyneux at Mount Garnet Police Station.

Jeanne, who is of Gadjula decent but identifies as Murri, is also one of the local Indigenous artists specialising in nature and traditional drawing and has previously created artwork to support White Ribbon day to help bring awareness to stamping out Domestic Violence in the community.

Her artwork hangs in pride of place inside the Mount Garnet Police station, so that everybody can observe and stand up against Domestic Violence.

Jeanne has previously had her work on display at the University of Southern Queensland and has held the position of artist in residence.

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The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 15

PAGE 16 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

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Expanding coverage across the region

by Carl Portella

If there is anything that COVID-19 has taught us it’s “Never take anything for granted” The Coronavirus crisis has been arguably one of the most testing times in publishing history.

When all of the community events, activities and sports events were cancelled, we thought we had nothing left to write about.

But what kicked in during this pandemic was community spirit, a resilience and togetherness that most people don’t see during their lifetime. This was and is our time.

We found that in our community, whether it was people fundraising, bringing food and medicine to people who were at particular risk, making changes

to their business structure or finding different ways to run their businesses it has been so heart-warming to see how many people care and how much they care. This was worth writing about.

As a result, this local newspaper (The Express) has forged ahead in leaps and bounds, going against the national trend of closures and job losses.

The expansion of The Express Newspaper has seen the company increase its 9,000 print run to 12,000. The majority of the higher paper numbers, which represents an increase of 24%, was identified for the southern tablelands as well as other sectors of our distribution area.

This increase is unprecedented in today’s newspaper industry with many publications, both corporate and independent, go-

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

ing online, reducing or closing their doors altogether.

This is a tribute to the local community who have embraced The Express as their own.

As the Director of the company I feel it is now our responsibility to embrace and wrap our arms even further around residents and readers of the southern tablelands.

The Express is here to document the everyday lives of the community, sporting club triumphs, local government, local fund raisers and everything in between, it’s where locals find their news and I feel we are up for the task.

The Express has been supplementing the printed weekly edition with a free online presence for more than 10 years now. Our new, soon to be launched website and social media platforms

The Express Managing Director Carl Portella.

have always been available to readers and our 16,000 Facebook friends at no charge and will continue to be. We aim to bring readers even more news by introducing a designated journalist to cover the events, people and stories of the southern tablelands in the coming weeks.

The Express also welcome’s two more locals to the team: Brook Atkinson is an Atherton local of 10 years with decades of marketing experience.

Brook is an enthusiastic marketing executive who is dedi-

cated to helping clients across the southern tablelands with all their advertising needs across all of our platforms.

She is a warm and friendly people person who is committed to helping local businesses succeed by putting together the best possible marketing packages to suit their individual needs.

Sarah Quinn, another wellknown local lady has a passion for old school customer service and a background in bookkeeping. Sarah is here to help your business with successful mar-

keting campaigns and business growth. She enjoys being a part of the community and wants to ensure all small businesses flourish in the area.

As we continue to search for the light at the end of the tunnel we will be there for all of our readers and supporters as we bring you the news you have come to trust.

As always we love to hear from you – our readers and communities. So if you have news you want to share, contact us today.

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 17

INSTANT ASSET WRITEOFF FOR ABN HOLDERS 3

20MY MITSUBISHI ASX ES CVT AUTO

20MY MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER ES CVT AUTO

• Forward Collision Mitigation • 7 Airbags • Active Stability Control • Hill Start Assist • LED headlamps • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

• Hill Start Assist • Active Stability Control • Android Auto/Apply CarPlay® • Roof Rails • Side and Rear Window Demisters • Sunglasses Storage

7 YEAR / 150,000KLM WARRANTY2 FROM ONLY

$26,740 DRIVE AWAY 1

7 YEAR / 150,000KLM WARRANTY2 FROM ONLY

Atherton Mini POP-Up Show

$31,490 DRIVE AWAY 1

S INCLU DE ALLOY E ID DRO P S TR AY

Wal, Hannah, Ava and Kate deMey.

20MY MITSUBISHI PAJERO SPORT EXCEED 4X4 7 SEAT AUTO • Electric Park Brake Auto Hold • All Power Window Auto Up/Down • 8” SDA with Touchscreen • Cornering Lights on Front Bumper • Forward Collison Mitigation • Super Select II 4WD

20MY MITSUBISHI TRITON GLX 4X2 PETROL MANUAL SINGLE CAB • 5 Speed Manual Transmission • Halogen Headlamps • Power Door Mirrors • i-Pod Control • Smart Brake • 7 SRS Airbags

7 YEAR / 150,000KLM WARRANTY2 FROM ONLY

7 YEAR / 150,000KLM WARRANTY2 FROM ONLY

20MY MITSUBISHI TRITON GLX-R 4X4 AUTO DUAL CAB UTILITY

21MY MITSUBISHI EXPRESS GLX DIESEL MANUAL

$59,990 DRIVE AWAY 1

• Easy Select 4WD • Two Speed Transfer • All Terrain Tyres • Reverse Camera • Fabric Seat Trim • Accessory Power Socket

7 YEAR / 150,000KLM WARRANTY2 FROM ONLY

$40,990 DRIVE AWAY

1

, 2020 Sunday, July 12 nds ou gr ow Sh Atherton

$23,490 DRIVE AWAY 1

• Active Stability Control • Hill Start Assist • Rear Parking Sensors • Rollover Mitigation • Bluetooth Connectivity • DAB Radio

Shane Knuth MP.

FROM ONLY

$41,490 DRIVE AWAY 1

313-315 Byrnes Street, Mareeba 4092 5100 | www.mareebamitsubishi.com.au AFTER HOURS: David Mete 0408 793 050 Peter Acha 0417 006 698 or Adrian Madrid 0413 745 247 Participating Mitsubishi dealers. Mitsubishi reserves the right to change or extend these offers. See participating dealers for full terms and conditions. Offers available on selected new and demonstrator vehicles purchased between 1 May and 30 June, 2020. Excludes Government, Rental and National Fleet customers.

1 Recommended DRIVE AWAY selling price, including 12 months registration, CTP Insurance, Stamp Duty & Dealer Delivery. 2 7 Year Warranty offer available on selected new and demonstrator vehicles. 7 Year/150,000km (whichever occurs first). Service conditions apply. Valid from date of vehicle registration. 3 For ABN holders who meet eligibility criteria. For more information speak to your accountant or a qualified tax professional. See mitsubishi-motors.com.au for further information.

PAGE 18 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Bronco and Ethan Stoddart.

Rhys Horsfield.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

MAZDA CX-3 NEO SPORT FWD AUTO

• Headlamps (Halogen) • Power mirrors (body coloured with folding function) • 7-inch full-colour touch screen display (MZD Connect) • Multi-function commander control • Steering-wheel mounted audio controls • Reverse camera

Taylia Sims.

FROM ONLY

ABOVE: Alyssa and Khloe Heath.

LEFT: Sebasien Ramage.

MAZDA CX-5 MAXX SPORT FWD AUTO • 17-inch alloy wheels • Front fog-lamps (LED) • Airconditioning (dual-zone climate control) • Paddle shift gear controls • Rear-view mirror with auto-dimming • Satellite navigation

FROM ONLY

$26,990 Drive Away

$38,240 Drive Away

MAZDA CX-9 SPORT FWD AUTO

MAZDA BT-50 XT 4X4 DUAL CAB AUTO

• 18-inch alloy wheels • LED headlamps • 7-inch full colour touch screen display (MZD Connect) with Sat Nav • Advanced keyless push-button start • Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) • Smart City Brake Support [Forward/Reverse] (SCBS F/R)

FROM ONLY

$45,990 Drive Away

MAZDA BT-50 XT DUAL CAB CHASSIS AUTO • Headlamps (Halogan) • Power windows and mirrors (black) • Cruise control INCLUDES • Reverse camera • Roll Stability Control (RSC) PR E MIUM M A ZDA • Trailer Sway Control (TSC)

FROM ONLY

TR AY

$41,990* Drive Away *ABN Holders Only.

• Headlamps (Halogan) • Power windows and mirrors (black) • Cruise control • Reverse camera • Roll Stability Control (RSC) • Trailer Sway Control (TSC)

FROM ONLY

$41,490* Drive Away *ABN Holders Only.

MAZDA BT-50 BOSS 4X4 DUAL CAB AUTO • Alpine Premium Sound • Black Leather Seats • Black Wheel Flares • Black Alloy Wheels • Nudge Bar • Light Bar

ONE ONLY

$53,990 Drive Away

Allyriah and Evanah Horsfield.

ABOVE: Renee and Ava Taylor.

RIGHT: Denise McGucken and Chris Cadigan.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

313-315 Byrnes Street, Mareeba Phone 4092 5100 • www.mareebamazda.com.au After Hours: David Mete 0408 793 050 Peter Acha 0417 006 698 or Adrian Madrid 0413 745 247 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 19

LETTERS

Support for ABC

Congratulations to Phil Brandel for his article supporting the ABC last week.

In a world awash in fake news we need a source we can trust.

A survey by the Reuters In-

photo of The Week

have your say. .

emaiL editorial@theexpressnewspaper.com.au

stitute has found that the ABC is the most trusted news service in Australia.

The ABC is required by its charter to “Inform, educate and entertain” and it has been successfully doing this for decades.

The ABC is one of a handful of organisations in Australia that

consistently fulfils its objective.

Shining a light on corruption and malfeasance has earned it some powerful enemies who try to stifle it by denying it funding.

We would be in a poorer place without it.

David Merrall Yungaburra

The weekly winner of the Tablelands and Surrounds Photography Group is Kathy Caswell

The little church in Herberton. Taken during jacaranda time in November last year. I have often photographed this church and others during the jacaranda seasons which can range from September through to November. This photo was taken from down low to incorporate the carpet of flowers on the ground. Really struck it lucky that day.

Enter your photos via the Facebook page – Tablelands and Surrounding Photography Group –

OPINION

With Phil Brandel @Philbrandel1

Bordering on hypocrisy On July 10 Queensland reopened its borders to the rest of Australia and when I say the rest of Australia I mean to everyone except Victorians.

Queensland Premier Palaszczuk closed the border on March 25 and since then she has been the target of repeated verbal criticisms from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Prime Minister Scott Morrison over the decision to close the border.

In May of this year when NSW had the highest infection rate in the country, Ms Berejiklian said border closures were not “logical”.

The message was repeated

by NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who said the border closure was “ridiculous” and “this idea that borders should be shut doesn’t even make sense”.

Despite pressure from the NSW Premier and the Prime Minister, Ms Palaszczuk stuck to her guns, saying that she wouldn’t be lectured to by the worst performing states in the country (NSW and Vic) She asserted that she would rely on advice from the country’s longest-serving chief health officer, Jeannette Young, when it came to deciding what to do regarding the borders.

At the time of publication Queensland had only three

cases of COVID in the state from returning members of our defence force.

Gladys Berejiklian previously stated that closing borders “doesn’t help Australia” and her state was happy to welcome interstate travellers, claiming that lifting restrictions was necessary for economic recovery.

How the tables have turned.

On Monday July 6, Gladys Berejiklian announced the decision to close the NSW border with Victoria.

PM Scott Morrison was also forced to change his outlook, agreeing with premiers Daniel Andrews and Gladys Berejiklian that the Victorian-NSW border should be closed.

The closure was effective from Wednesday, 8 July with Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying that the decision was made after consulting with the NSW Chief Health Officer and discussions with the Prime Minister and Victorian Premier Dan Andrews.

“The people of NSW have done an incredible job to help stop the spread of COVID-19, allowing us to open up our economy,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“The outbreak of cases we are seeing in Victoria is putting these gains at risk.

“I do not take this step lightly, but have always said we will do what we must to protect the health and jobs of NSW residents.”

So why wasn’t the Queensland premier applauded and supported by the Federal government and the NSW Government when she decided to close the border? Why weren’t the lives of Queenslanders deemed as important or necessary as that of the residents of NSW and Victoria?

It’s because we have a labor State Government whereas the NSW State Government and the Federal Government are both liberals.

With a Queensland state election coming up in October, it would help the Libs chance at the polls by destabilising a sitting labor government.

The support for one state and not another is not only bordering on hypocrisy, it’s betrayal.

Got an opinion?

Share it with us.

Email editorial@ theexpressnews paper.com.au

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS

A new place to find all of our great Local Businesses

Calling all Businesses

As part of our COVID response we have fast tracked a new Online Directory to support our great Local Businesses.

The Express newspaper is locally operated and proudly independent. We provide comprehensive coverage of news and events across our region, and are passionate advocates for the local story of each town in our region, and cover the issues affecting us all. In addition we also play an important role in promoting local businesses and organisations. The Express Directory will further help connect our local residents with our great local businesses.

Visit our new website and join us in Supporting Local Business.

We’d love to invite every local business in the Mareeba Shire to be part of The Express Directory. To find out how we can help support your business online contact our team on 07 4092 3464.

www.theexpressdirectory.com.au PAGE 20 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

property

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

riverfront lifestyle awaits you With the introduction of the building stimulus packages it could not be a better time to find your dream location on the river at Bundanoon on the Barron and build the home you’ve always wanted.

Lot 5 at Bundanoon on the Barron.

6098m2, featuring all of the services, town water, underground power, sewerage and wide sealed roads. This stunning parcel of land has its own 45 metres of river frontage plus offers privacy and serenity with plenty of room to build a home, landscape and a big shed. Priced at $270,000 this is one of the three remaining lots with river access available.

Located down Hastie Road, opposite Bundanoon at Amaroo, you will experience the "out of town feeling" just minutes from town.

Lots are titled and ready to build on, we have a comprehensive selection of house plans from a variety of master builders for you to choose from.

Pop into the Amaroo Land Centre for any information or call Deb if you would like to inspect, anytime. Phone 0409 321 000.

Visit www.amarooestate.com.au

4091 1177 21 Main St, Atherton

7 JANNINA DRIVE, ATHERTON

4

2

2

• Solid block rendered construction • Tiled patio with great rural views • Double garage • Breakfast bar • 6m x 9m shed • 3kw Solar • 800m² allotment

$359,000

SIMPLE, ELEGANT, MODERN

3

23 2 2 2

• Fully fenced allotment with smartly placed privacy screens • 2 dwellings as described • All bedrooms with fans and built-in storage • 2 modern bathrooms • Carport on each dwelling to accommodate 2-3 vehicles if needed • Colorbond and steel construction with tiled interior • Potential to convert studio to living and rent both dwellings out • Rental potential of up to $450 per week

$339,000

YUNGABURRA WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT Prestige Allotments • 667m²-837m² allotments • Waterfront to Lake Tinaroo • All services connected, town water, underground power and sewage • Great views, short distance to Yungaburra CBD • Limited blocks available!

Prices Starting From $220,000

Zach 0427 683 023 | Kaydee 0417 468 941 | Brendan (Auctioneer - Rural Expert) 0447 809 808 | www.athertonfn.com.au www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 21

property

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Modern complex of 3x 2 bedroom units returning $51,480 per year

Returning an income of close to $1000 per week, this is a great opportunity to purchase a modern complex of 3 x 2bedroom units on one title with no body corporate fees.

Conveniently located to schools and the Mareeba CBD area, the 3 units are fully air conditioned and have an interior layout that will appeal to any tenant. Each unit features a modern kitchen, bathroom, security screens, tiled throughout and built-in wardrobes in all the bedrooms.

Other features • Rendered concrete block construction • Separate tenant undercover parking • Fenced for privacy with garden shed

• Firewalls in place - potential to divide into separate strata titles (STCA) The property is currently managed by Ray White who take the worry out of looking after the tenants and making sure that your investment is protected.

Unit 1 rents for $330p/ week, unit 2 rents for $330p/ week and unit 3 rents for $330p/week.

Total rental income of $990p/week represents 7.4% Address: Price: Agent: Contact:

PAGE 22 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

pa gross return on listed price You will definitely be impressed so don't delay or you will miss out on this great opportunity to purchase a fantastic investment - 3 beautiful modern units in one complex.

For more information or to organise your private inspection contact the exclusive marketing agent, John Goncalves at Ray White Mareeba on 0407 690 961.

MAREEBA $695,000 NEG EXCLUSIVE to John Goncalves Ray White Mareeba 0407 690 961

A home of warmth and character

Filled with personality, this 1940’s classic has been beautifully updated presenting a crisp bright interior with abundant modern day living and comfort.

Features Include: • 4 generous sized bedrooms, 3 bedrooms are carpeted.

• Mud room greets you upon entering the home • Office/multipurpose space • Beautiful high ceilings, part tongue n groove walls and polished timber floors throughout • Open plan living • Stylish fully equipped kitchen with a breakfast bar, soft close cabinetry, electric oven and cooktop, dishwasher, pantry and ample storage space.

• Large living room with cosy fireplace • Main bathroom with powder room, toilet, separate shower, and bathtub • Partly security screened, electric security blind in main bedroom • Vast storage capacity including a lined attic • Upstairs and downstairs connected by an internal staircase • Downstairs room features a 2nd kitchen, shower, toilet and laundry • 4KW Solar power – Save

on those electricity bills • Storage under house • 1 bay garage with access straight through to shed • Large carport can fit 4 cars and high enough to store a caravan • 3 sheds - 12x6m shed with 3x12m awning, 3x3m garden shed, 2.5x3m garden shed • Outdoor entertainment area with a pizza oven • 2 x Rainwater tanks • Beautiful well-maintained irrigated gardens • Established fruit trees • Fenced back yard Address: Price: Agent: Contact:

• Large 1,012m2 allotment The current owners have taken great pride in preserving and enhancing the classic beauty of this home and have created something incredibly special for the new owners to enjoy.

Located in a quiet street within walking distance to Atherton Town Centre.

For more information, or to book your private inspection, call exclusive agent Raquel on 0408 983 879 at Sommerset Realty.

72 Planet Avenue, Atherton $449,000 NEG Raquel Cunzolo Sommerset Realty 0408 983 879

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

property

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Tranquil forest hideaway

bustion wood heater opens out to a side patio.

Further in there is a large master bedroom with his and her walk in robes that also has colonial style doors opening onto the rear patio.

There is another small bedroom and a bathroom across the hall, and a sleep out bedroom at the rear of the garage.

Out in the selectively treed landscaped acreage the vege garden and abundant array of fruit trees provides free food and the sublime pond offers sweet drinking water to the two holding tanks on the hill, gravity feeding back to the home.

Rates $538.00 / half year approx.

Just a couple of minutes' drive from Queensland's highest town, this solid block home on 2.5 acres is the perfect place to raise your children or retire to.

Enter the tree fern lined driveway, park in the double garage and step straight into

the hall, or stroll along the veranda past colonial casement windows and varnished stable doors to find a classic country kitchen with exposed beams and cathedral ceilings with an electric oven and walk in pantry.

The spacious formal

lounge with cosy slow comAddress: Price: Agent: Contact:

For more information, or to book your private inspection, call Brendan Williams 0447 809 808 at First National Real Estate Atherton.

369 Tully Falls Road, Ravenshoe $325,000 Brendan Williams First National Real Estate Atherton 0447 809 808

Low maintenance life by the lake

Luxurious home unit at Lake Tinaroo Resort overlooking the ever inviting inground swimming pool.

Perfect as your live-in lifestyle dream or great investment option achieving up to $380/week. Well-run body corp. looking after maintenance and building insurances.

Modern, rendered block unit is fully furnished and has reverse-cycle air conditioning throughout. Open plan living/ dining area flows onto enterAddress: Price: Agent: Contact:

taining patio. Timber kitchen with stone bench-tops, electric appliances and pantry.

Two spacious, carpeted bedrooms built-ins, both with own private balcony. Ensuite in master, second family bathroom, third toilet off laundry, secure parking for one vehicle.

For more information and to arrange an inspection, please phone Kath Johnson at Main Street Real Estate on 0448 426 686.

LAKE TINAROO RESORT $259,000 Kath Johnson Main Street Real Estate 0448 426 686

GRAZING WITH VIEWS!

168 acres with 122 acres cleared and 46 acres rainforest, creeks, spring, cattle yards, sheds, views, 3 bedroom & 2 bathroom home, school bus.

Price $795,000 (F1692) Contact Susanne 0408 733 149

www.tablelands.com

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

DAIMIN KOCHI 0448 916 246

1 2 GREAT CONDITION, GREAT VIEWS 4 • Large open living, well appointed kitchen • Indoor garden feature for good natural light • 4 bedrooms plus study, master with built-ins • Upgraded bathroom, separate toilet, carport • Front patio, 8yo roof, re-stumped, garden shed • Timber floorboards covered with carpet & vinyl

$248,000

KATH JOHNSON 0488 426 686

3 1 3 NESTLED IN A PRIVATE NATIVE BUSH GARDEN • Half an acre of picturesque bushland gardens • Solid block home, interesting design features • Spacious formal dining, views from back patio • Eat in kitchen, pantry, double stainless gas cooker • 3 built-in bedrooms + office, 3 carport spaces

$259,000

4 TOP COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT • 2 industrial sheds on 1065m2 fenced block • Showing good rental return, little trix nursery • 1 + 1 year lease with plans to stay on and expand • Both sheds are approx 200m2, 3 phase power • Office, separate store room, unisex bathroom, • Wheelchair access, off street customer parking

$320,000

RARE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY • Ideally located in Atherton, close to schools • Other quality drawcard businesses • 103m2 floor area, good signage area • Side access, off and on street parking • Maunds Road features high levels of traffic • Good returns, vacant possession is an option

$379,000

Phone 4091 6246 • www.mainstrealestate.com.au www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 23

property

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Built to last on 5 The time is now acres with a pool If you're looking for a hideaway that's just 10 minutes out of town, then look no further than this private 5 acre block in Biboohra. Placed in the centre of the block with no near neighbours the home is solid concrete block construction with a concrete roof.

Inside there are 3 bedrooms (2 with air conditioning) and a renovated bathroom. The kitchen is brand new with gas stove, plenty of storage and leads into an open plan living/dining space.

Outside there is an additional 4th room with could be utilised as a teenagers retreat, games room or guest room!

The breezeway and large outdoor patio create an ideal space to enjoy a BBQ and a swim in the inground pool.

The property has fencing, established trees to make it private and there's a carport with room for boat, trailer etc.

• Concrete construction external, internal and roof • Brand new kitchen - Recently renovated bathroom with floor to ceiling tiling • Patio has a nice breezeway overlooking the pool

• 2 bay carport (tiled) with another awning for extra 2 car parking • New in-ground swimming pool • New septic This property needs a litAddress: Price: Agent: Contact:

PAGE 24 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

tle TLC and will make a great family home.

To secure your Private Inspection call exclusive agent Vince Costas on 0419 926 691 or 4092 2232.

510 Bilwon Road, BIBOOHRA $360,000 NEG Exclusive to Vince Costas Central Realty Mareeba 0419 926 691

Life is full of wonderful opportunities and buying this iconic Teahouse with residence and B & B will provide the new owners with a chance to work in the beautiful lush green hills of Millaa Millaa on the tablelands.

The large Tea-house is divided into 3 sections all under one roof: • B&B - contains three rooms, two bathrooms, one bathroom has a claw foot bathtub, with a separate entrance.

• The café which seats about 50 patrons has a commercial kitchen with licenced bar, fireplace, a wood fire pizza oven, a reverse cycle airconditioned inside dining area and an outside deck also set up for dining, a storeroom, a cold room and walk in pantry. There is an internal wheelchair accessible toilet as well as an external toilet and laundry block with an exceptionally large shed and a woodshed.

• Managers Residence two bedrooms (main is a large loft room), one bathroom (with tub), kitchenette, small office, and a wood burn fireplace to keep it cosy and warm.

This business can be whatever you want it to be! Artisan Cooking School, Bakery, Gar-

den Centre, Doctor Surgery, Hair, Beauty and Massage Centre, Boutique Health Retreat, Trade Workshop/Centre, Theatre Restaurant, Arts &and Craft School/Centre, Artist or Spiritual Retreat, Internet café, Boutique Wine/ Cocktail Bar, Yoga Centre… opportunities are endless.

Location, Location, Location! The Falls Teahouse is positioned on a main road to the Atherton Tablelands and is on the turnoff to the famous waterfall circuit which inAddress: Price: Agent: Contact:

cludes Millaa Millaa Falls plus two other beautiful waterfalls.

These waterfalls attract thousands of visitors and tourists to the area each year and to get there you must travel past the Teahouse.

Financials available upon request.

Contact Susanne Reynolds on 0408 733 149 at Tablelands.com and Malanda Real Estate for more information and inspections.

MILLAA MILLAA $715,000 NEG Susanne Reynolds Tablelands.com & Malanda Real Estate 0408 733 149

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

property

New lease of life Elevated position, unique views, extensive decks, floor to ceiling windows, large open internal spaces and polished timber floors – just a few highlights of the qualities of this building located at 2-4 Tinaroo Lookout Road, Tinaroo.

This well-kept local icon is poised; awaiting its next incarnation. Built originally by Sunwater as the administration epicentre overlooking the construction of the Tinaroo Dam wall in the 1950’s, the building was then sold on the stipulation that its next use was to focus around tourism due to its popularity as a destination as well as its aspect.

Now offered for sale for the first time in 30 years, the current planning scheme provides for a residential application while its existing improvements retain the option for the continuation of its current approved use (in part or entirely).

Benefiting from only one side neighbour, with significant building improvements sprawling over two levels including a modest caretaker’s residence surrounded by es-

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

tablished gardens, the possibilities are infinite – from a lifestyle residence/weekender to multiple dwelling (duplex); or bed and breakfast to a boutique health retreat or cooking school.

In essence the property represents a great location, appropriate zoning, desirable amenities and good bones – perfect for a new owner with vision.

“Old commercial properties offer character and features that newer buildings can’t, and renovators keen to create a one-of-a-kind home are snapping them up,” comments Jay Beattie of Colliers International Cairns.

“This property ticks all the boxes, whether for a residential conversion, or maintaining its original commercial use – its future is to be determined by your imagination.”

This property is offered for sale by auction to be held on 1 August at 11am. For more information contact Jay Beattie at Colliers International, Cairns on 0428 551 062.

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 25

property

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Modern acreage living You’ll be impressed by the superior level of quality and space this highly desirable five bedroom family home offers. Presenting “as new” with approx 254m2 of floor area and positioned on a sizeable 1.48 acre allotment on the Cairns side of Mareeba it has all the space and extras you need whilst still remaining easy to look after.

Features include:

• Generous floor plan with substantial, tiled living area and separate lounge • Freshly painted externally • Daikin reverse cycle split system air-conditioning in the living area, lounge and four bedrooms • Five well proportioned bedrooms with mirrored builtin robes • Generous master bed-

room with WIR and ensuite • Stylish kitchen with stone bench tops, 2 pac cabinetry and new stainless steel appliances including dishwasher • Laundry with built-in storage and room for a another cupboard or freezer • Security screens, tinted windows and blinds throughout • Solar hot water system

What’s your proper ty wor th?

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

PAGE 26 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Plus 1.8kw solar system • Cement pathways all round the home • 12m x 7m powered, colourbond shed with 3 high clearance roller doors and insulated roof • 5995m2 fully fenced and landscaped allotment with automated irrigation around the house, privacy trees and an assortment of established and irrigated fruit trees What a superb lifestyle this stunning property offers.

Privacy and tranquility yet only minutes from Mareeba CBD. Address: Price: Agent: Contact:

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

88 Hoolahan Drive, MAREEBA PRICE REDUCED $569,000 NEG EXCLUSIVE to Joe Torrisi Joe Torrisi Real Estate 0417 700 468

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

property

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Executive designer home

Inspired by holidays in Bali, no expense has been spared to create this dream home within minutes of all Atherton amenities. From the amazing entry to the rear entertaining gazebo, discover the unique layout of this executive home with two separate living pavilions joined by a private courtyard. Living, sleeping and bathing arrangements are catered for in the first section of the home.

An amazing wide open plan living expands before you as you step into the second section which boasts direct access to a wide outdoor deck for lifestyle enjoyment.

The well-appointed kitchen includes a hidden butler’s pantry and is a picture of efficiency with a large island incorporating a breakfast bar.

The master suite features an ensuite with a two-way guest powder room, a walk-in-robe, resort style spa bath in the bedroom and stacking doors opening to the deck and gardens. Completing this quality home, a boardwalk leads from the deck to the BBQ and drinks gazebo.

FEATURES: * Tropical designed home on 992m2 lot backing to creek * Two individual pavilions separated by a private court-

yard with water feature • Fully tiled formal or media lounge • Two bedrooms with dual access to main bathroom with shower and solid marble bath • Gymnasium or fourth bedroom • Quality kitchen with soft close storage, island and separate butlers pantry • Master suite with spa bath to bedroom, super sized walk-in-robe and ensuite with separate two-way toilet • Full length timber deck with steps to garden and Address: Price: Agent: Contact:

boardwalk to BBQ gazebo • Tropical gardens, fully fenced, rear access to creek reserve • Laundry with excellent storage • Double garage with epoxy coated floor, storage and workshop area • Convenient location minutes from schools and shopping.

For more information, or to book your private inspection, call Rino Gava 0427 779 086 Atherton Realty (web id 121050).

49 Danzer Drive, ATHERTON $687,000 Rino Gava Atherton Realty 0427 779 086

Picturesque pastures Rarely do properties of this magnitude and quality come on the market and conveniently only 8kms from Malanda you won’t find another opportunity like this.

Situated on 3 titles totaling 660 acres with improved pastures of predominantly setaria, this property would be ideal to run a breeder herd or fatten steers.

Fenced into 12 paddocks and well-watered, this property features natural water from 3 creeks and 4 dams as well as troughs fed by solar

www.athertonrealty.com.au

4091 1611

24 Main St Atherton LARGE QUALITY HOME 6 Morrow Street - $459,000

pumps in each paddock.

The home is a large Queenslander style house with 3 bedrooms and spectacular rural views of the surrounding property.

This picturesque property is ready and waiting for its new owner, could that be Address: Price: Agent:

Call now for a FREE MARKET APPRAISAL

To book your inspection contact sole agent, Morgan Brennan at Ray White Atherton, today on 0407 730 450 for further information. www.raywhiteruralatherton.com.au/ATH22261577

TARZALI POA EXCLUSIVE to Morgan Brennan Ray White Atherton 0407 730 450

Contact:

SELLING?

you?

Rino Gava 0427 779 086 Collette Rowston 0419 733 712

QUALITY AGRICULTURAL LAND 17 Springs Road - $995,000

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 Situated in Tolga village  3 large bedrooms  Ensuite in master  Expansive undercover outdoor area

 125.8 acres of established arable land  50meg water allocation  10 span centre pivot irrigator  6 inch underground main line

 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with views  2 living areas or convert to granny flat  Solar panels  1 acre with shed and fruit trees

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Collette 0419 733 712

Rino 0427 779 086

Collette 0419 733 712

Collette 0419 733 712

WEB ID: 587531

WEB ID: 587233

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WEB ID: 583932

WEB ID: 499923

Atherton

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

WE ARE LOOKING FOR LISTINGS! POSITION PERFECT Tolga • 4 bedrooms with built-ins • Master with WIR & ensuite • Media room • Open plan living • Air conditioning throughout • Double garage + fully fenced $442,000 ATH21865259 Suzey Whitby 0438 090 306

PRODUCTIVE GRAZING Millaa Millaa • Situated on 61.18 hectares • Improved pastures • Water from spring fed creeks • 50 acres of irrigation • Power & VIEWS! • Only 7 klms from Millaa Millaa $700,000 ATH22172732 Morgan Brennan 0407 730 450

COME & HAVE A LOOK! Atherton • 3 bedrooms with built-ins • Spacious renovated kitchen • Polished timber floors • Freshly painted interior • 2 bay garage • Fully fenced backyard $265,000 ATH20366370 Suzey Whitby 0438 090 306

WELL ESTABLISHED FARM Dimbulah • Situated on 320 acres • 4000 KP mango trees • 32m x 30m packing shed • 5 bay machinery shed • 2x 3 bedroom homes • 125 meg water licence $5.2 Million ATH22274845 Morgan Brennan 0407 730 450

If you are looking to list your property for sale OR rent, please ring our experienced team on:

4091 7111

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

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 27

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PAGE 32 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

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sport

Cyclists gear up for cardiac challenge

Netballers return to play netballers can finally return to the courts and training fully after the easing of stage 3 restrictions was pushed forward and eased on Friday, July 3, 2020.

The 2020 netball season was suspended in mid-March with hopes of an April start-up which never came to fruition.

Now players can get back out on the court for full contact games and training with no restrictions in place that they need to follow with the first game scheduled for July 25.

The only restrictions in place for netball games pertains to the spectators, not the players, as they must maintain an area of one person every four square meters.

Michelle Cifuentes President of the Mareeba Netball Association is jumping for joy after the restrictions were lifted and her players could get back out doing what they love.

“It’s a relief to be able to get back out on the court, we have been conducting surveys to see how many of our players were happy to play under our new

guidelines,” she said.

“We are going to be playing a round robin tournament to ensure that the players get as much play time as possible.

“We are so relieved to be outside and playing again.”

Clubs must maintain a return to play plan that better monitors and ensures players and spectators safety.

The Mareeba Netball Association has followed the State Governments advice and now has a Covid Safety Co-ordinator to monitor the return to play and ensure all the guidelines and requirements for the return to play plan are followed.

The new position is volunteer driven and follows the State Governments advice to have a single person to manage the clubs hygiene and sanitation in case of another health emergency.

A new sign in sign out system will be implemented by the club and the canteen will now be open but will only be selling prepacked goods for the safety of all players and spectators.

Pickleball picks back up again The annual Cardiac Challenge has been given the green light for September after the easing of restrictions and the opening of Cooktown and Cape York.

Cyclists will get a chance to get back out on the roads after the QSuper Cardiac Challenge has been confirmed for a September start.

Following the announcement of the cape re-opening and following government regulations, the fundraising event for North Queensland has been given the green light.

Rider numbers for the Cardiac Challenge will be limited to 150 to help keep participants safe plus the numbers of supporters and volunteers will also be capped.

2019 Cardiac Challenge rider Pam Lavers is excited to see the challenge return in 2020 after all of the recent cancelled sporting events.

“I am really pleased for the hospital foundation because this

ride is their major fundraiser for the year so it would’ve been very sad if it couldn’t go ahead,” she said.

“It will be quite a different experience but I am still very much looking forward to it.

“Hopefully they will get a good turnout with the limited number of spots.”

Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation CEO Tony Williamson said he was excited to announce the event would take place.

“With so many cancellations this year due to COVID-19, it will be great that the QSuper Cardiac Challenge will be able to re-engage with the Far North community, especially Cooktown,” he said.

“This event is our number one charity event on the Far

North Queensland Hospital Foundation calendar and all proceeds are reinvested into cardiac care services in this area.”

2020 marks the 14th time the Cardiac Challenge has been held with more than $4 million raised for cardiac services by the Foundation over that time.

Foundation Fundraising and Marketing Manager Glenys Duncombe said many hours of hard work has gone into making sure the ride could happen with all approvals in place.

“We do have an approved COVID-19 safe plan in place and everyone will need to comply with that, to ensure the safety of all participants and the communities we visit,” she said.

“Ultimately this is great news for cycling in Queensland but predominantly Far North

Queensland, a lot of events have had to be cancelled or postponed and we know people have been watching to see what we were doing.

“I guess we’ve been lucky that our event is towards the latter part of the year so we’ve been able to delay making this decision until now.”

Funds raised from the 2020 ride will go towards a cardiac ultrasound device and a specialised anaesthetic device for the new cardiac electrophysiology service.

The 2020 QSuper Cardiac Challenge is set to start on September 19 and will run to the 21st of that month, for more information, to register or to support a team or rider head to www.cardiacchallenge.com.au

The world’s fastest growing sport, Pickleball has resumed on the Tablelands.

After a brief beginning to the start of their season it was cut short by the dark cloud of COVID-19, but now with the easing of stage 3 restrictions the sport is back on.

Pickleball is a paddle sport that was created by using aspects of tennis, badminton, ping pong and it all comes together to create a sport that caters to all ages and skill levels.

Held at Malanda High School every Tuesday and Thursday the sport can be played by people of any age and skill level with no experience required.

Frances Pelgrave started the sport on the Tablelands and was surprised by the traction it got in such a short time of playing.

“It’s totally new and no one really knows what it is so people are interested about this new sport,” she said.

“I myself have been playing in Cairns at the moment while the Tablelands competition picks back up.

“It’s easy to learn and you can be pretty successful quickly.”

Pickleball on the Tablelands is strictly social with a small $5 fee to help with the school hall rent, Frances also provides paddles for players so all you need to bring are shoes and an eager attitude.

A Tableland Pickleball Club is on the cards down the track under Pickleball Queensland if 11-12 regular players are interested.

After becoming a club they will travel across the Far North to play against other clubs socially in Cairns, Tully and even Cardwell.

Frances is encouraging anyone interested in trying out Pickleball to come along to the Malanda State High School Hall at the above days, Tuesday is more suited to senior players as it runs during work hours and Thursday is seen as the more general day where players aren’t restricted by work hours.

Hockey season cancelled for 2020

After their annual general meeting on June 24 the Atherton Tablelands Hockey Association (ATHA) has decided to cancel their 2020 winter season.

After in-depth consultation between the committee and the members the decision was reached to scrap the usual 2020

season.

Hockey has not disappeared from 2020 entirely however with plans for their Minkies (under 9’s) and walking hockey divisions to start playing as of this weekend, July 18.

Several carnival days are also planned for August and

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

September and their annual summer 6’s competition is still scheduled to start from the end of October.

An ATHA Spokesperson said that they are disappointed that the 2020 season has been cancelled but “hockey is still on.”

“It’s unfortunate, but COVID-19 has affected everyone, every sport and every business,” they said.

“It’s out of our control but we hope to return bigger and better in 2021.

“In the meantime hockey is still on it’s just a bit different

this year, come and join in on the fun.”

Even though the normal hockey season is cancelled the ATHA decided to go ahead with their under 9’s division because their competition doesn’t rely on numbers as they focus on learning the basics of hockey

and developing their skills.

Waking hockey wasn’t cancelled because it is a new venture for the club and they are gaining good traction with two new teams joining the competition.They couldn’t lose the chance to develop the competition even further.

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 33

sport

Racegoers rejoice Young Leo Pezzelato of Atherton got the chance to brush up on his skills and get some playing time ahead of his 2020 season after a skills clinic was run in Atherton last Thursday.

Junior clinic for rising stars Racing with patrons is set to return to the Atherton Turf Club this Saturday.

Eager racegoers can rejoice after the Atherton Turf Club announced that they will be allowing patrons at their upcoming race meet this weekend, Saturday July 18.

The recent meets held by the Atherton Turf Club have been held without patrons but that is all set to change with their upcoming race meet.

The meets were purely about the racing as there was no bookmaker, no bar staff and no TAB; it only involved the people necessary for the race.

The upcoming race is free and eager residents are also

welcome to walk in and enjoy the race without booking in advance; contact tracing and social distancing will still be implemented at the race.

Atherton Turf Club Acting President Lloyd Weare is excited for the upcoming races to be able to host patrons and give people in the community something to look forward too.

“If we can get 100 people out to the race meet we will be laughing,” he said.

“We anticipate opening the bar but we won’t open it just for 20 people.

“The races attract a lot of the

young people in the community and that’s what we are anticipating.”

The Turf Club has already seen an increase in bookings for their other upcoming race meets in August and even in September when they hold their annuals.

Horse owners are also permitted to attend and watch their horse’s race whereas per normal the owners have been barred from attending.

For more information and bookings head to the Atherton Turf Club Facebook page.

Junior Rugby League players got a chance to brush up on their skills and get rid of some COVID-19 cobwebs ahead of their 2020 season opening after a recent clinic held in Atherton.

The clinic was run last Thursday, July 9 at Atherton Junior Rugby League grounds and saw junior players from all across the Tablelands attending and developing their skills.

20 eager junior rugby league players attended the clinic with them all playing against each other in non-contact games and drills.

National Rugby League Development Officer Alby Anderson was surprised by the turn-

out considering the clinic was only advertised for a week.

“20 was a good number of kids to get considering we have only just started back at work and only advertised the clinic for a week,” he said.

“With kids this age it’s not about technical drills it’s more about getting them in a game situation and letting them work things out for themselves.

“We help them along with little hints here and there and asking them questions, it’s about giving kids ownership over their own footy games.”

Catch and pass drills and non-contact games were just some of the activities that kids

experienced along with other lessons about looking for space, using speed and sidestepping.

The kids who went along to the clinic got massive amounts of playing time as Alby said “about 90 percent of the time they’re playing a game.”

“They’re learning by doing,” he said.

“The games that we are using have a lot to do with physical literacy and it helps the kids teach the kids how to move properly.

“We asked the kids what was the thing they missed most and they all yelled out footy.”

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10AM TO 4PM r i D n i 30 PLUS RACES ADMISSION Adults $10 Aged Pensioners $5 Children Under 16 Free

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TEPON RACEWAY, HERBERTON PAGE 34 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

sport

Bulls are back

As COVID-19 restrictions ease across Queensland, local football was the one of the first sporting codes to get back on the field.

The Mareeba United Football Club hosted the Southside Comets across junior and senior divisions on Friday and Saturday, culminating with the premier men’s match on Saturday night.

The football feast began on Friday evening with the Men’s third and second divisions playing against the JCU Strikers with the third division playing out a 3-all draw and the Second division going down 3-2 to the visitors.

The ladies also played on Friday night with both reserves and premier ladies teams having convincing wins over the visiting Comets.

The reserves bagged a 3-1 win while the premier ladies notched up seven goals without reply to instil some confidence and get their season, however long it may be, off to an excellent start much to the pleasure of Coach Marcello Savaglio.

On Saturday the Bull’s combined under 15, 16 and 17 team got the better of the Comets with a 3-1 win. Mareeba’s Youth team picked up where they left off last season with an emphatic 3-0 win over their counterparts.

Under Coach Dennis Allen, the premier men’s youthful reserves struck seven times to completely outclass the Comets with an entertaining display. The return of Nicholas Tallarico strengthened their defence and clinical finishing from the forwards capped off a tremendous start to the season.

The men’s premiers’ match was more reminiscing of a preseason match even though all teams had six months to prepare for the occasion.

Former national league player Wayne Srhoj made a surprise appearance for the new look bulls outfit and played a large part in marshalling the midfield as the match began to take shape. It was early disappointment for the bulls as they went a goal behind in the first 10 minutes after a defensive bungle with an easy tap in for the Comets.

As the second half took hold spectators got a taste for the new “Sin Bin” rule when a Comets player was sin binned for receiving a second yellow card.

The bulls soon found themselves 2-0 down and facing an uphill battle to get anything out of the game. They did rally however and pulled one back through Justin Sabbadin and with 20 minutes to go a wicked deflection from a goalkeeping save saw Dillan

Bulls Goalkeeper Jack Centofanti glad to be back on the pitch after COVID-19 restrictions were eased.

Cummings claim the equaliser.

True to Bulls fighting spirit they could have easily claimed the three points as the comets began to tire. Numerous players began going down with cramp as the match came to a close and a 2 all draw a fair enough result.

The Bulls play away to Innisfail Cutters this coming weekend.

RESULTS: U15/16/17: Mareeba 3-1 Southside Comets.

3rd Divison: Mareeba 3-3

JCU Strikers.

2nd Division: Mareeba 2-3 JCU Strikers.

Youth: Mareeba 3-0 Southside Comets.

Ladies Reserves: Mareeba 3 -1 Southside Comets.

Mens Reserves: Mareeba 6-0 Southside Comets.

Ladies Premier: Mareeba 7-0 Southside Comets.

Mens Premier: Mareeba 2-2 Southside Comets.

Eacham Junior league up and running Young eager rugby leaguers will get the chance to get back out on the field and stretch their legs as the Eacham Junior Rugby League competition announced a date for their 2020 season to kick off.

Training for the competition started on July 14 which is the first week back at school for kids with all the necessary COVID-19 plans and safety precautions in place.

Non-contact training will be the norm just two weeks out from the official start of the 2020 junior season on next Saturday, July 25.

The 2020 season will run until October and contain about eight games with the U14 and U16 divisions playing competitively. They will be able to have a final with no semi-finals, while the U6 to U12 divisions are playing a non-competitive season.

The Cairns competition is also being invited to play in the Eacham competitions gala days to give kids more time on the field.

Atherton Junior Rugby League President Ben Fahlstrom is very excited to get the kids back out on the field.

“We have had real positive feedback from all our supporters and coaching staff and they are all keen to go,” he said.

“We are all ready to go and biting at the bit to get underway.

“As a whole community with no senior competition it will be really good to get to see some footy again.”

With the region coming out of the fog of COVID-19 the importance and impact of community sport will become more prevalent as people slowly come out of hibernation.

2 Cook St, Atherton | 4091 8700 | www.reddings.com.au www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au

The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 PAGE 35

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PAGE 36 The Express, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

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HILL START ASSI