Taylor’s Goes Back-to-Back in National Awards

Alocal real estate agency raked in the rewards at a national level last week, bringing home Agency of the Year for Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, Jubilee Pocket, and Proserpine.

Taylor’s Property Specialists were recognized for their exceptional service at the 2023 RateMyAgent Awards for both buying and selling within the region.

RateMyAgent collates sales-per-suburb

Australia-wide before factoring in testimonials for its prestigious national awards.

Principal of Taylor’s Property Specialists

Rob Taylor said this was the first time they had received the award for Proserpine but the second year running in Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, and Jubilee Pocket.

“We’re not the biggest company out there which makes us proud to receive these awards again,” Mr Taylor said.

“But it’s not about us, it’s about our customers; if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t

Chamber Chat

Rising interest rates and the inflation monster continue to make headlines whilst renewable energy reliability has also started to be questioned, at a time when government is pouring billions into renewables.

Undoubtedly, we need to focus on cleaner power but are renewables the absolute answer? Renewable powerhouses like Germany have reluctantly started to bring coal back. Germany’s goal had been to phase out all coal-generated electricity by 2038, but last year, swallowed the bitter pill of allowing coal-fired power back onto the grid partially due to the cost of gas but also as it needs more power.

The grid also needs a massive infrastructure upgrade and investment as we transition with new generation, transmission lines and energy storage are needed to keep the lights on in homes and businesses as ageing coal power plants shut down. Why the focus on power? Recent CCIQ survey data details new sets of challenges in the post-Covid business environment. And cost and reliability of power are high on the business agenda.

Unsurprisingly, attracting and retaining employees, wage and insurance cost and be here. I can’t thank them enough for the recognition of our team’s work.”

One of Taylor’s agents received major recognition as well: Sales Agent Melinda Butcher became a three-time winner for Agent of the Year in Airlie Beach - winning in 2018, 2022, and now 2023 - and a further back-to-back Agent of the Year for Cannonvale, winning in both 2022 and 2023.

In the past twelve months, the award-winning agent sold 66 properties for a total of $32.4 million in sales, all while maintaining her impeccable five-star review rating.

Ms Butcher was grateful to those she had helped purchase or sell their homes.

“I’m very humbled to have won these awards for a second time, and I am so excited to continue leading the people of the Whitsundays through the best real estate journeys possible,” Ms Butcher said.

Allan Milostic, President of the Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce interest rates are listed as the top growth constraints in Queensland in the last 12 months. Operating levels have returned or exceeded pre-Covid levels, especially in the Whitsunday region, however despite steady business performance, there is a degree of uncertainty with macroeconomic issues and high operating costs undermining business confidence.

For the third quarter in a row, businesses have reported growth with 37 per cent of businesses indicating their sales and revenue improved during the December quarter. However, in contrast, close to half of businesses surveyed expected the Queensland economy to perform weaker over the next 12 months and 53 per cent expected the national economy to perform weaker.

Is it just business focussing on the negative? Hopefully not. Locally, the ground work has been done and the future looks positive.– operate smart, efficiently and be ready to take advantage of every opportunity. After all, luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation.

Contributed with thanks to Alan Milostic, President of Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce.

The projects that I will be focusing on for 2023 will be all about lifestyle choices and improvement of liveability for all residents in my Division 6.

It’s exciting that Bowen’s iconic scenic walking from Horseshoe Bay to Rose Bay is being upgraded to a new track. For many years Council have used job schemes to develop and maintain this beautiful track that meanders between our three iconic beaches of Horseshoe Bay over through Murrays Bay down to the picturesque Rose Bay and then doubling back through sub-tropical bush land to the start.

Planning for the future, Council has engaged a walking track specialist to design and construct a new and improved track that will be safer for walkers and include more photo opportunity locations to allow locals and tourists to take that beautiful hero shot as an everlasting memory of your trek.

Council also plans to add rest areas for those who want to take a more leisurely stroll and sit back and enjoy the tranquillity.

The design is ready to go out to the public for feedback, we are just waiting for support and sign off with Native Title and we should be able to get underway.

The other project I am interested in is the legendary Mullers Lagoon with its hundreds of bird species that call this Botanic Garden home.

We are currently working on a master plan which will see Stage 1 result in the kilometres of dirt pathways cemented to make the track accessible to all.

This means locals and tourists will be able to spend an afternoon walking around Mullers Lagoon absorbing the serenity of our jewel in the crown, smack bang in the middle of Bowen.

This lagoon was man made many years ago by the previous owners of the property and sold to Bowen Shire Council for the specific use of a Botanical Garden and Bird Sanctuary, which has been upheld to this day.

Upgraded pathways and more entertainment facilities will go a long way to introducing more locals and visitors alike to appreciate the truly beautiful open space this is.

On a personal note, I will be continuing to support my wife who volunteers for Bowen and Collinsville Pet Rescue to ensure that our furry friends can always find a home in troubled times.

Whitsunday Regional Council is one of the only QLD Councils that accepts general household waste (self-hauled under 2m3) and household green waste (self-hauled in a vehicle under 4.5t) for free at its landfills and transfer stations.

This Sunday is Clean Up Australia day – a time for our community to band together and keep our patch clean. Why not take advantage of these free waste disposal services to tidy up around your home and garden in the spirit of the day.

Keeping your patch clean not only helps the environment, it also assists to prepare your home in the event of a natural disaster.

To find out more about how we manage waste in our region and what we categorise as general waste, visit our waste and recycling page on our website: www.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au