Rural Life

Hard Labour Pays Off

By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay

Picture: Contributed

Quality Haulout Operator training, led by a combination of grower/harvesters and RTO trainers was a core part of Canegrowers Mackay’s strategy to recruit and skill workers for the 2022 crush. Picture: Contributed

Looking north, and seeing the deep troubles experienced in other growing regions in sourcing labour to transport cane to the mill, the Mackay region cane growing community is thankful for a couple of factors that have served us well this crush.

Canegrowers Mackay, working with our CQ Queensland Agricultural Workforce Network officer, went out hard and early, recruiting workers not just from within our community, but across the country. We used electronic billboards, social media and online jobs boards focused on backpackers and grey nomads. We ran ads in local media, and state rural press. We even went old school, with posters and flyers delivered to roadhouses and caravan parks. Beyond that, Canegrowers Mackay is almost unique among Queensland’s milling districts in that part of our recruitment strategy is to actively train haulout drivers. The course is led by growers and harvesters and a registered training organisation. This year, we had 20 trainees, 19 of whom passed the course and were work-ready by the end of their four-day training course, with some good in-paddock experience. We think it’s important, to help raise skill levels of new workers to the industry, and thereby improve safety and productivity. That’s why we are currently applying for funding to run two courses in 2023. This year, the course also taught us something. The majority of the trainees were older workers, looking for seasonal work to supplement their early retirement income. Many had experience in other ag sectors and were looking to apply these to cane harvesting. It’s interesting and gave us a pointer on places to focus efforts in 2023.

Overall, taking this multi-pronged recruitment approach has been a good success, thus far, with a list of people seeking work updating on our website jobs board, and members, for the most part, are not flagging that they are having difficulty sourcing labour. However, with the crush now expected to extend into January, the sector will need to ensure that we can retain the labour needed to see the crush through, or if not, attract new workers. It’s a hard call, but many farming operations unfortunately end up relying on family members to scrape through that end part of the season. We are lucky that, for the majority of harvesting operations in this region, a C-class licence is all that is needed to be a haulout driver. Like many regions, the sugarcane industry can suffer attrition to the resources sector. It can’t be helped – those are high paying jobs in an affluent industry. But what the sugarcane industry can offer is a worksite that’s a green paddock, not a black and brown hole. And to be home with your loved ones every day. There’s a good lifestyle trade off.

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Hockey Dad Are Crossing Their T’s

When Windang’s favourite sons Hockey Dad had to cancel Mackay from a rescheduled tour earlier this year, fans were left disappointed and having to travel to Airlie to catch them play. Being as down-to-earth and true-to-their-word as they are, the boys have made it up to the sugar city, with a show at the Seabreeze Hotel next Friday. Sam had a chat with Billy Fleming and Zach Stephenson before they make their way up the coast.

Sam: How did you guys become mates back in the day and then start Hockey Dad?

Billy: I was out the front playing footy with my dad and Zach lived a few doors down so he would see us playing out the front and we were just like, ‘You wanna hang out?’ Since then, we went to school together from kindergarten to year 12 and, yeah, just kept going. The band thing didn’t really happen until I’d just got into high school so year 7, Zach would’ve been year 9 I guess but, yeah, before then, we were just hanging out as kids do just riding pushies, surfing, skating, all the good stuff. Then, literally, the music just took over.

Sam: Were you playing music separately before Hockey Dad started?

Hockey Dad promise a set filled with old songs they’ve never played live before, plus some new songs, for their Mackay show

Billy: Yeah, Zach, definitely, you were doing guitar lessons for a good while. Zach: Yeah, I was doing guitar lessons from primary school then we kind of started a high school band, Billy and I and a few other mates, that went on for a few years, we played in that band and learnt how to be in a band and play songs and that finished up towards the end of high school for both of us and Hockey Dad was birthed out of the ashes of that, I suppose.

Sam: Unearthed High was a big step for you guys. What’s your take on what Unearthed and triple j does for the up-andcomers of the scene?

Billy: Unearthed is a really cool platform. The whole premise behind it is sick. Just put up a song and hope for the best. The Unearthed High thing was just because I was still in high school, we were like, ‘We may as well do it.’ We knew we were going to be a band, we kind of had Dan, our manager, looking after us already. It was good but he was just like, ‘You might as well throw it up and see what happens.’ We were going to be touring anyway so it was a good moment for us to just jump into that scene and the reception was really good and yeah, it was definitely a good stepping stone. Zach: I think it’s a good little entry point for any young people who want to come in. It gives you some experience and you meet fresh people who are important in the scene and you meet radio personalities and you kind of get your foot in the door and get a little bit of exposure and get your name out there. It’s great for that and really good for kids in high school to get a taste of what the music industry’s like and what it’s like to be putting songs out and working in the industry, so it’s a great program.

Sam: Does your approach to playing live change when you’re playing in a small room compared to playing a big festival?

Billy: It’s still always so good doing the smaller regional shows. I feel like that’s where the life is, it’s where all the strongest fans are. Regional touring is the best. You can’t really beat it. Obviously, it’s good playing bigger headline shows in major cities, but we love regionals, it’s the funnest thing. I feel like that’s the core of Australian music. You’ve got your little, dingy venue 20 minutes down the road and if your favourite band comes through, you’re like, ‘Hell yeah, I’m going there for sure.’ Especially for a regional town, it’s kind of like word of mouth, it makes it more special and the vibe is way better, in a way, than a larger scale thing.

Sam: We got ‘T’s to Cross’ earlier in the year, is that leading into a fourth album?

Billy: Yeah! Pretty much. We’ve got to finish mixing it and all that and figure out when to put it out, but, yeah, we’ve got some songs in the bank. We kind of put ‘T’s to Cross’ out because we were like, ‘We’ve got to get something out, it’s been a few years.’ We were hanging onto it for a little while and trying to get a plan happening, but we were like, ‘Let’s just get a song out.’ The reception’s been sweet. We haven’t played it in Australia yet so Mackay’s going to be the first one. Zach: Yeah, we got a bunch of new songs we’re going to play that we’ve just recorded so we’ll play a few on these new shows coming up and we’ve also got a bunch of old songs that we’ve never really played. We tried to refresh the whole setlist for these shows now that we’re back from the States. It’s kind of exciting, playing all new old songs again. It should be an exciting set.

WHAT: Hockey Dad supported by Nortica WHERE: Seabreeze Hotel

Orchids Create A Kaleidoscope Of Colour At Queens Park

Gardening enthusiasts, flower-lovers and anyone who enjoys marvelling at natural beauty are invited down to the Ken Burgess Orchid House which will be transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour over the weekend. A central part of the Mackay Orchid Extravaganza, the annual event will see hundreds of orchids on display at Queens Park from 8.00am to 4.00pm this Saturday. In addition to the beautiful displays, attendees will also have the opportunity to get involved with one of the orchid workshops or demonstrations and, for those looking for a souvenir, there will be stalls selling plants. Mayor Greg Williamson said the event would offer something for everyone, from novice gardeners right through to orchid enthusiasts.

“Orchid experts will be available on the day to provide helpful tips and tricks for growing orchids in our climate and share their personal experiences,” he said. “If you’ve ever wanted to incorporate orchids into your garden, the Orchid Extravaganza is the perfect opportunity to discover what is available and to find out what would best suit your garden and lifestyle. “For those who don’t have a green thumb, the extravaganza is still an excellent opportunity to admire the exquisite orchids on display, which will include both exotic and Australian native species.” Entry is free and food stalls will also be available for those who want to grab refreshments.

This event is proudly supported by Mackay Regional Council, Mackay and District Orchid Society and Pioneer River Orchid and Plant Association.

WHAT: Mackay Orchid Extravaganza WHERE: Ken Burgess Orchid House WHEN: Saturday, October 1 ADMISSION: Free

Fantasy Trilogy Comes To Magical Conclusion

Local Urban Fantasy author, A. L. Tippett, officially launched her third book on Sunday, September 18 at the Badila Art Gallery in Pinnacle. ‘A Dragon’s Soul’ is the highly anticipated conclusion to her debut trilogy, ‘The MINATH Chronicles’.

‘The MINATH Chronicles’ is a tale of magical realism and contemporary fantasy with all manner of mythical creatures. Book one, ‘A Dragon’s Mind’, was released in 2020 followed by book two, ‘A Dragon’s Body’, in 2021. Attendees enjoyed free coffee from Whistlestop Coffee Cart, free cupcakes and an impressive book cake from Sam’s Cakes and Crafts.

Ms Tippett began writing her first fantasy novel when she was twelve but abandoned it after deciding that being an author wasn’t a “real” job and therefore not worth pursuing. After completing her secondary schooling at Mirani State High School, her parents encouraged her to experience the real world before committing to a university degree. After working in hospitality, she landed a job as an insurance broker, where she worked for seven years before leaving to start a family. She and her husband live on a farm near Eungella and have now welcomed two children into their lives.

Tippett feels very fortunate to be able to stay at home and care for them whilst her husband works away. “It’s challenging finding the time to write with two kids but, as they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way,” she said. ‘The MINATH Chronicles’ trilogy is available to purchase from altippett.com.

A. L. Tippett launched her third book at the Badila Art Gallery earlier this month

It’s A Brew-tiful Day

The Mackay region’s first coffee competition is happening this weekend and will involve a massive afternoon of family fun. The Grounded Festival makes its debut in Sarina tomorrow with a day of markets, live music, good food and, of course, good coffee. The team at Third Ground Coffee House initially conceptualised the idea at the start of the year when a staff member’s family were affected by floods in the Lismore area, inspiring them to donate to the local SES.

“We were like, ‘What if we just do a fundraiser and donate it to them, because they’re local and they do so much for our community,’” said Third Ground Coffee House’s Skye Bailey. “Then we were like, ‘What kind of festival could we get happening? Well, we’re good at coffee,’ and there’s so many other great cafes in the region.” Some of the region’s most popular cafes, including Primal and Ninth Lane Grind, have since jumped on board. Visitors can expect a relaxed vibe similar to Eat Street with different coffee and food vans, market stalls, live independent music and plenty of family fun. The festival will feature Battle of the Beans, a competition pitting the region’s best cafes and baristas against each other in a variety of challenges including latte art, identifying different milks from their smell, coffee composition and a good old-fashioned egg and spoon race with coffees instead.

“We’re really trying to bring a fancy element to it but also have a lot of fun,” said Skye. “I’m so excited to see most of our team get behind it and see how well they do. “We’re hoping for some healthy competition and to get everybody else’s passion sparking too.”

The guest coffee tasting judges include Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson, redhotblue’s Jody Euler and Channel 7’s Rebekah Jensen. “It’s just going to be good family fun; a nice, relaxed weekend session with a very entertaining competition,” said Skye. “We really want to bring a little bit more of a coffee culture because we have so many people passionate about coffee.” Third Ground Coffee House has been operating for seven years with Skye and her siblings managing it for the last five. “I’ve been a barista for about eight years and went to the Gold Coast for a year and did some heavy barista training so that’s what started the passion for me,” she said.

“I’d done it on and off and was like, ‘Alright, let’s do this for real.’”

The festival will double as a farewell to the café’s Central Street location before they move to Broad Street later in the year. WHAT: The Grounded Festival

WHERE: Third Ground Coffee House Backyard, 28 Central Street, Sarina WHEN: Saturday, October 1 from 4:00pm TICKETS: Eventbrite

The Sugar Bowl was a hive of activity last week as Rumble on the Reef took over the skate park for a week of world-class skating. After a massive action-packed series of events, the Championships all came down to the Bowl Finals on Friday night and the Street finals Saturday, with incredibly talented skaters of all ages showing what they’re made of.

Photo supplied: Julieanne Gilbert

RESULTS

Men’s Street Final

1st Rome Collyer 2nd Daniel Woolley 3rd Dani Campbell

Women’s Street Final

1st Chloe Covell 2nd Felicity Turner 3rd Haylie Powell

Men’s Bowl Final

1st Ethan Copeland 2nd Jake Thatcher 3rd Freddie Arnold

Women’s Bowl Final

1st Taniah Meyers 2nd Arisa Trew 3rd Jada Ward

There was something for everyone at Rhythm and the Reef on Saturday, with the diverse line-up filling the dancefloor no matter who was on stage. The day kicked off with local indie rockers Nortica, Uruguay native Felipe Baldomir and soulful surf folk courtesy of Jack Botts, setting the vibe of the afternoon perfectly. Rapper Ivan Ooze then started the party as the sun dipped behind the clouds, before Touch Sensitive, Running Touch, Godlands, Shockone and Moss all filled the dance floor into the night with a selection of house, rap, drum and bass, and everything in between. The new location on the riverfront at Bluewater Quay provided a convenient, central venue for punters and perfectly utilised what the Mackay CBD has to offer. Only in its second year, it’s exciting to think of how Rhythm and The Reef will grow in the future.