Beautiful Bowen 14

Christmas Cheer And Mango Mania

More Doctors On Their Way?

Santa tried a mango sorbet – have you?

Thousands of visitors are expected to call in across the Whitsundays during the holiday season – but nowhere is the Christmas cheer more evident than in the forward bookings at The Big Mango Visitor Information Centre at Bowen in the coming weeks. The town is expecting strong visitor numbers, and its information centre is always busy at this time of the year. Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy said more than 1100 visitors called in last year in the five days the centre was open between Christmas and New Year and another 1076 people visited the centre in the first week in January. “We may be even busier than that this year as there has already been a big increase in the number of international visitors,” she said.

“This time last year, the international borders were closed and we only had 14 overseas travellers in the entire month of December.

“This year, we have already welcomed 160 international tourists in December and the month is not over yet,” she said. The visitor information centre has a large range of souvenirs and local produce including a lot of mango-themed merchandise which is proving very popular. “We have everything from mango chutney and sauces to soaps, room fresheners, body trifle and even mango daquiri mix which would be ideal for Christmas.”

Ms Abernathy said there was another draw card for tourists: The Big Mango has recently been painted and the new vibrant colours have created a lot of interest in the past two weeks. The Big Mango Visitor Information Centre will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day but open on all other days over the festive season.

New Year’s Resolution at Grand View

WIN

A CAMIRA SAILING ADVENTURE FOR TWO!

Win any game of trivia or musical bingo to go in the draw to win!

PRIZE DRAWN WED 29 MAR

Anew allied health clinic – and in turn more doctors - may be on the cards for Bowen as Whitsunday Regional Council enter into land-sale negotiations with a private developer. A formal offer for the property at 9D Dalrymple Street, Bowen, was made by PKDS Property Holdings Pty Ltd, who stated their plans to construct an allied health clinic and accommodation to support the attending clinicians. The announcement of more medical facilities comes as a potential boon for the small town, which was as recently as April this year shaken by news the Queens Beach Medical Centre was planning to permanently close its doors in August due to its two sole physicians retiring – a closure which fortunately did not eventuate. Instead, the centre was purchased by Dr Ramy Ibrahim, who has since expanded the clinic - which was opened almost four decades ago - to four clinicians, retaining

A new allied health centre is likely to be constructed in Bowen pending Council’s sale of this land in Dalrymple Street its two potentially retiring, “legendary doctors” and planning to hire more in the future.

Whitsunday Regional Councillors called the scare a “wake up call”, and State Member for Burdekin Dale Last said it would have taken almost 40 per cent of GPs out of Bowen – with only three centres servicing its roughly 12,000 population.

To shore up the Whitsundays far north,

Councillors wholeheartedly endorsed the creation of not only a new allied health centre but the corresponding accommodation with it.

Councillor Mike Brunker advocated for the sale and said that this is a time of housing crisis and of a “medical crisis” in

Queensland’s rural regions.

Negotiations and standard settlement of the property sale is expected within the next 30 days.

Barra Bonanza In The New Year

“The home of the one-metre barra” is set for a big boost with Whitsunday Regional Council plans to educate locals and visitors on the joys of recreational fishing. Lake Proserpine has long been known by sports fishermen – and keen angling locals – as the trophy hunting spot for the tropical river fish, and now Council are looking to spread the word. Council plans to begin the ‘Whitsunday Barra Fishing Activation Project’ in 2023, a campaign which hopes to promote barramundi fishing techniques and showcase Lake Proserpine as the premier impounded barramundi fishery in the country. The $15,000 project is seeking funding as part of the Queensland Community Fishing Grants 2022 and hopes to commence the education program in the new year. Including a print and social media drive, the Whitsunday Barra Fishing Activation Project will deliver a brochure promoting barramundi fishing techniques for the “green” fisherman.

The campaign is also hoped to promote tourism to Lake Proserpine which has slowly been garnering a reputation as a place of natural splendour for camping. Whitsunday Regional Councillor John Collins said the campaign would draw great interest. “I am excited that the Whitsunday Barra Fishing Activation Project will ensure that Lake Proserpine’s reputation as the barra mecca of Australia will be enhanced,” Cr Collins said.

“Having hundreds of vehicles each week travelling through Proserpine during peak season will create an estimated average spend of $395 on provisions and services per vehicle.” “This means an economic injection into the region of up to $8 million annually and the potential to create an extra 58 jobs for locals,” he said. Cr Collins said he would be “fighting for a spot to cast” once the campaign begins. “26,000 barra fingerlings were recently released around the weed edges at Lake Prossie, so hopefully they can hide out and get a chance to grow into a ‘Holy Grail’ meter plus Barramundi,” he said. “With those odds, there’s a remote chance even I could land a fish.”

Recreational fishing in the Whitsundays, and especially Lake Proserpine, is set for a boost thanks to a Whitsunday Regional Council awareness campaign

CUT OUT PARTY CELEBRATES SUGAR INDUSTRY

Growers, mill workers and everyone in between will be celebrating with a lively party as the crushing season draws to an end this January. With the season extending longer than usual, many people in the industry will enjoy connecting with others and the broader community at the annual ‘Cut Out Party’ which is due to be held at the Proserpine Showgrounds on Saturday, January 14. An opportunity to celebrate, unwind and connect, the party is set to attract big numbers once again this year. “By the 14th of January they’ll be ready to let their hair down!” said organiser Amanda Hadlow. “It’s a celebration of the industry as a whole and the

impact it has on the region.” The Peta Richards duo will be playing easy listening live music which is expected to get the dancefloor moving as the night progresses. The ticket price includes drinks all evening, nibblies, a BBQ dinner and sweets plus entertainment for the children. 73,000 tonnes o All proceeds from the event W go towards a charity and this eekly production figures year the committee have selected RACQ CQ Rescue.Wilmar Sugar WHAT: Cut Out PartyProserpine Mill

Week 24, ending 10 December 2022

WHEN: Saturday, January This week Season to 14 from 5pm date Cane crushed Average bin weight CCS WHERE: Proserpine Showgrounds 79,207 1,581,479 9.32 9.63 12.77 14.00 TICKETS: Whitsunday Tickets. General admission Cane variety performance for region Variet Q183 Q240 Q208 y % 23.49 19.87 17.90 CCS 12.34 12.20 10.63 $75 per head, children 7 to 17 $15 per head, 6 and under are free Variety % CCS Q242 8.55 11.13 KQ228 4.80 11.86 Q238 4.23 12.39 Q232 8.97 11.09 SP80 2.90 12.48

Weekly Production Figures Comments:

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Despite some hindrances at the start of the week due to wet field conditions and some factory issues, the mill performed well in the latter half and finished the Wilmar Sugar, Proserpine Mill Week 25, ending 17 December 2022 week 10,700 tonnes above forecast. This week Season to date The average weekly CCS of 12.77 units was 0.17 units above budget. The highest CCS sample was 14.82 units from a rake of Q208 ratoon in the Lethebrook Productivity District. Growers are reminded that the 2023 farm forecast maps have been uploaded to GrowerWeb. Please update these with any changes for the 2023 crushing season. Contact the Proserpine logistics officer with any queries. Additionally, the first end of season notice to growers has been uploaded to GrowerWeb. Further updates will be made in the same area. Wilmar Sugar plans to continue crushing through Christmas this year, provided there is adequate cane supply. Logistics officers are contacting growers to gauge their interest in harvesting over this traditional holiday period. With school holidays under way, we ask parents and carers to remind children that cane trains will continue to operate into January this season. Please keep your train brain switched on. Be alert, stay off our rail network and always give way to cane trains.

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Cane crushed Average bin weight 59,696 1,641,175 9.20 9.62

CCS

Comments:

Proserpine Mill crushed just under 60,000 tonnes of cane for the week, which was below budget due to challenging field conditions following widespread rain. There was an unplanned stop due to issues with the No.4 boiler. Crews worked around the clock to bring the boiler back online the next day. The average weekly CCS fell 1.37 units from the previous week, coming in at 0.50 units under forecast. The highest CCS sample was 14.35 units from a rake of Q183 ratoon in the Lethebrook Productivity District. Jed Page Cane SupplyGrowers are reminded that the 2023 farm Manager

Proserpine Region

11.40 13.91

Cane variety performance for region Variety % CCS Variety % CCS

Q240 28.18 11.33 Q232 3.97 10.23 Q183 26.81 11.51 KQ228 3.02 11.78 Q208 18.52 11.88 Q238 2.48 11.22 Q242 6.49 9.27 Q138 1.37 6.73 forecast maps have been uploaded to GrowerWeb. Please update these with any changes for the 2023 crushing season. Contact the Proserpine Logistics Officer with any queries. With the risk of additional rainfall, Wilmar has decided to crush through the Christmas holiday period, provided there is adequate supply. With school holidays under way, we ask parents and carers to remind children that cane trains will continue to operate into January this season. Please keep your train brain switched on. Be alert,stay off our rail network and always give way to cane trains.