With unpredictable weather attempting to dampen the festive spirit of the region, the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce and Markets at the Mosaic organisers assured the second 2024 Late Night Shopping event would go ahead, rain, hail or shine!

On Thursday 19th December, a wonderful turnout filled Mercer Lane and surrounding precincts, with stalls retailing handmade delights, delicious treats, beautiful plants, fantastic florals, and more for all to enjoy. Shoppers flooded the streets, supporting local artisans with the exceptional vocal talents of Kaitlyn Rapista spreading Christmas cheer well into the evening as well as a violinist performing further along Lannercost Street.

As well as plenty of retail goodies to browse, the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of 2024’s spectacular Shop and Win champaign! $17,000 worth of prizes were sourced from local businesses around the Hinchinbrook region with 17 major prizes up for grabs! 14,500 receipt entries were mixed together in a children’s swimming pool with an outstanding average spend of $150 per customer at various retailors within the Hinchinbrook Shire.

“We are very proud of all the hard work that has been put in behind the scenes for this campaign to happen, and we are beyond thrilled with the participation from the local community,” shared Christina from the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce.

As announced at 6pm on Thursday, Vic, Theresa, Heath, Mark, Julie, Taylor, John, Angie, Sharma, Paula, Sharon, C. Bridston, Peter, R. Ramarano, Sue, Carley, and Jorja were celebrated as the campaign’s winners with the Chamber set to be in contact with them shortly. Congratulations!

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See more pics at: https://www.hinchinbrooklife.com/social-pics/shop-win-success-at-the-late-night-shopping-event

Ingham Maraka Festival held their ‘Wash-Up Meeting’ on Wednesday 17th  December, discussing new plans for the 2025 Maraka Festival and how they wish to improve next years’ event.

President Patrick Lynch said the 2024 Ingham Maraka Festival was a success, with no hiccups but addressed that he would like to see the Cocktail Night event have a larger attendance.

Chantelle Previtera, Maraka Festival Administration Officer, said next year the Festival is going to try to promote the event more.

“Due to the low number of Festival Queens last year, it does give a lower attendance,” she said.

“We're hoping next year that things will be different, and then we will definitely increase those numbers!

“Next year we are going to work on promoting and getting a lot more of the younger ones to take on the Queen Quest.”

Participants in the 2023 and 2024 Ingham Maraka Festival were present at the meeting and spoke about what they liked most about the festival.

Runner-up Queen in 2024 Johanna Buckle said it was a fun experience.

“Mostly I really enjoyed it, I got to make new friends out of it and it was a way to get the community together,” said Johanna.

Miss Personality 2024 Rachel Hallam enjoyed the festival because it was something different.

“You don’t get to do it often and I’m looking forward to it next year,” she said.

Princess winner of 2023 was at the meeting, to ‘hand over the baton’ to this years’ 2024 winner.

“I really liked all of the community events that were hosted by the Council, I went to senior morning tea, the Tasman Turtles Big Day Out, and I went to a Christmas senior afternoon tea,” she said.

“I liked seeing everybody there in town, and there were lots of people enjoying themselves and I really like being a part of it.”

Princess winner of 2024 Hazel Cary said she liked the festival because she was able to make new friends and get out of her shell a bit more.

“I enjoyed that I was able to have new experiences, get out of my shell a little bit and try new things that I've never been able to do, and especially because now that I've won, I get the chance to promote Ingham even more. I just had a really good time,” she said.

The Ingham Maraka Festival 2025 dates are still to be decided.

Hinchinbrook, with Christmas just around the corner I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the good things that we all have in our lives. I believe Christmas is a time to come together and celebrate the blessings of family, friendship and neighbours. It’s the season for us all to share in the joy, kindness, and generosity that makes this time of year so special.

As we exchange gifts and enjoy the festivities, I think it’s only right to remember the true spirit of Christmas by extending a helping hand to those who may be doing it tough. A simple act of kindness can make the world of difference to someone who finds this time of year lonely or challenging.

For those who follow the Christian faith, this time of year we must remember to keep Jesus in our hearts, while also being respectful of alternative religions and faiths others choose to follow.

Thank you to those who will be working through the holiday season — those working in the hospitality and service industries, our emergency services, police and of course our health workforce. Your keep the lights on when we need it most, and for that we are all grateful.

Without a doubt, Christmas is the busiest time of year on our roads, and although it can be frustrating dealing with traffic, I always say it’s better to arrive in one piece than not at all. If travelling over the next couple of weeks, I urge everyone to exercise caution to ensure you and your loved ones make it there and home alive. My New Year’s wish is for a safe and happy holiday season for all.

Like most government departments and small businesses, our office will be shutting for a short break. The Hinchinbrook Electorate Office will be closed from Monday, 23 December 2024 to Friday, 3 January 2025 (inclusive). I think our amazing electorate staff deserve a moment to recharge in preparation for the year ahead.

Personally, I’m ready for a bit of time off but am already anticipating my return in the New Year. I look forward to seeing everyone out and about in Hinchinbrook in 2025. From my family to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Contributed with thanks to Nick Dametto MP, Member for Hinchinbrook

The Rotary Club of Hinchinbrook, which formed from the amalgamation of the Ingham and Herbert River clubs, continues to give back to the Hinchinbrook Community.

Rotary's primary motto is "Service Above Self" and its secondary motto is "One profits most who serves best".

The purpose of Rotary International is to improve lives and communities around the world through humanitarian service, promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and encouraging high ethical standards.

Rotary members are expected to be active in promoting the dignity of all people and respect for human rights. 

Rotary is a non-political and non-religious organisation that values diversity and is open to all people. The organisation's guiding principles include: 

   • Developing friendships as an opportunity for service 
   • The Four-Way Test: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial? 

The local Rotary club has been involved with community projects that include a large Battery Drive that has helped benefit a local support organisation and support for charities such as Meals on Wheels and young local people who have taken further steps in academic, arts and sports fields.

Members can be seen assisting at events such as Maraka, ANZAC Day, Hinchinbrook Art Awards and Christmas Carols.

A couple of the big money raising charities that funds are raised for include the Rotary Foundation (that in-turn supports less fortunate people around the world) and also Polio Plus.  

Every $1 that Rotary donates towards Polio Plus the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donates $2.

Sir Clem Renouf, Rotary International President 1978 – 1979 was actually born in Ingham. He helped propel Rotary toward its top goal of eradicating polio worldwide.

For further information about the Rotary Club of Hinchinbrook and how you can give back to our community and world speak to Peter Reitano in person or phone him on 0407 167 108.

Contributed with thanks to Peter Reitano

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Meals On Wheels Ingham has over 80 clients in the Hinchinbrook region and it is the community’s generous donations that enable this vital local service to operate all year round.  

With the community’s help Meals on Wheels has been able to instal solar panels, and buy two brand-new ovens for their brand-new building.

Meals On Wheels Ingham moved into their current building on the 18th April of this year and this impressive modern building was kindly funded by the Lower Herbert Halifax Lions Club.

President of Meals On Wheels Ingham Rita Phillips is extremely thankful for the support.

Meals On Wheels Ingham deliver hot meals to clients on a weekly basis, on Mondays they go to Forrest Beach and the Lower Herbert area with meals. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they service Ingham.

None of this would be possible without volunteers which Rita said are vital.

“We are indebted to the volunteers because without them, we wouldn't be moving,” said Rita.

“The volunteers come into the kitchen to help our staff there and they also deliver the meals.

“There are business houses that help us out in that too, NQIB and the Hinchinbrook Shire Council send their members once a month or sometimes twice a month, to come and deliver for us.”

Meals On Wheels Ingham run mainly on volunteers and Rita said without them their clients would really struggle.

“There are people who don't have family here and we are the only way they get their meal,” said Rita.

Rita also added that they are always on the lookout for more volunteers so if you have some time to contribute they would love to hear from you.

With my contribution to the Councillor Column falling on Christmas Eve, I feel it’s appropriate to begin by wishing you all the very best Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year, to you and your families.

Well, hasn’t another year come quickly? By the time this column is printed, we would have seen another crushing season come to a close. Again, another challenging year for all in the industry, while we can’t control the weather, we remain positive that industry stakeholders can solve some ongoing issues that seem to continuously hamper the crushing season.

The New Year will come quickly, and there are many things under my Corporate, Development and Regulatory Services Advisory Portfolio that I look forward to assisting in progressing, advocating and lobbying for. One of these is the Dungeness Sea Wall and Dredging, acknowledging the years of hard work that have been put in by previous Councillors and staff. Seeing this major improvement come to fruition will no doubt not only help drive tourism in our Shire, but will also give the Coast Guard access when needed to deploy and attend to emergencies. Such things cannot happen without funding assistance from the State and Federal Governments and to strike a fair balance to not just maintain and repair critical infrastructure, but to deliver on new projects to increase liveability in our Shire.

Having such a great newspaper that is Hinchinbrook Life, this very paper that you are reading for free, has been a very welcoming platform for the community to engage with on all things happening within our Shire. To Mayor Ramon Jayo, fellow Councillors, staff and the team at Hinchinbrook Life, thank you for having the initiative and drive to get this paper on the stands in the community.

Monday 20 July 1953, the usually calm atmosphere of the Station Hotel bar was shaken when patrons rubbed their eyes in disbelief when they witnessed an extraordinary guest casually entre the establishment—a baby elephant named Jo Dee from Wirth’s Circus.
Accompanied by her trainer, Jo Dee confidently strolled through the doors, much to the astonishment of the crowded bar. Showing remarkable composure and impeccable manners, the young elephant approached the bar, where she was promptly served a beer. With effortless skill, she used her trunk to sip her drink, gave a playful wave, and departed as gracefully as she arrived.

The greatest concern I have that may follow a disaster event is the inability to communicate with our community. As you are aware, this situation may arise following a cyclone when transmission towers and associated infrastructure are damaged.
Unfortunately as a society, we are becoming more and more reliant on social mediums and digital platforms to receive our news and to communicate with each other. Digital communication is almost totally reliant on towers for transmission.
To address these concerns, the Hinchinbrook Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) has adopted a communications plan which essentially sets out the various types of communication methods that can and will be deployed before, during and after an event so as to maintain communications and delivery of information to the public as necessary.
Obviously, the primary source of communication at present as indicated earlier is phone and internet service due to the speed at which information can be delivered. However, other means available and which are utilised include radio broadcast services and television. Fortunately, the television and radio broadcast services are facilitated from transmitters located well away from our district which lengthens the odds of being damaged when our district experiences a disaster.
Another option and a very important component of our supplementary means of communication is the humble CB radio. As you may or may not be aware, we are very fortunate in Hinchinbrook to have the services of many dedicated people who volunteer as our Local Area Wardens. The function of a Local Area Warden is to assist the HLDMG with situational awareness of circumstances in their particular areas and to assist members of the community with information both to and from the HLDMG, particularly when other primary sources of information are not working.
In situations when primary sources are down, The HLDMG will converse with Wardens utilising Channel 9 (Mt Mercer), Channel 16 (Wallaman) and Channel 5 (Ingham). Rural Fire Service personnel can utilise Local Area Warden channels from their Rural Fire Service Queensland vehicles. The Halifax LDMG subgroup operates under normal CB radio (Channel 3).
So if you have a CB radio in your vehicle or know a neighbour or friend that has one in a car or tractor, you may be able to utilise this medium to receive information or to send information to and from the Hinchinbrook LDMG.
Other forms of supplementary communication that may be used, depending on circumstances include: door knocking, loud hailer fitted to vehicle, roadside messaging boards and pamphlet distribution.
Hopefully we do not find ourselves in that situation, but it is important for you to know how to get information when needed. Further information on communication strategies can be found on Council’s disaster management pages at https://www.hinchinbrook.qld.gov.au/community-environment/disaster-and-emergency-information.
As Christmas is almost here, I would like to take the opportunity to wish our community the best for the festive season. I hope you get the time to relax and enjoy Christmas with family and friends. I would like to also thank everyone who donated to the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal. The response was phenomenal, and I have no doubt that your donations will make someone very happy on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.

Before opening the vibrant community sewing hub, Barnes Sewing Centre, owner Sue Beatts was a nurse and midwife at the local hospital, but she has always had a passion for sewing.

When she retired, Sue began helping out the previous owner and her dear friend Elma at Barnes Sewing Centre, so taking over the store was a natural transition.

For Sue, sewing is a hobby as well as a profession and that’s what makes her friendly store such a relaxing environment.

“I like it, it's creative and is something I could do by myself,” said Sue.

“It’s not something you have to have other people with you to do and I find it relaxing.

“You can set yourself up at home, in your own little area of the house, and it's all yours.”

Sue’s favourite things to make are patchwork items and she loves making bags, purses, and quilts.

To make quilts easier to produce, Sue decided to invest in a new piece of equipment, the long-arm quilting machine, it took her some time to master it because of the complexity of the technology, but now she loves using the machine.

At Barnes Sewing Centre, they offer a variety of services from machine repairs to material supplies, work wear logos, a range of fabrics, and quilt making.

Sue expressed that the store does very well, and she even gets visitors from Cairns and Townsville.

Sue also said stores like hers are becoming rare, many are closing down, and she is proud to offer a unique and charming space for sewers from across the region to enjoy the love of fabric and sewing together.

Come and explore her haven of sewing bliss, it’s always a wonderful experience chatting with Sue who has expert advice on almost any question you may have about sewing.

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Local business SpinFX Electrical has all your electrical and air conditioning needs and in the last six months owner Jesse Spina says they have added solar panel installation and maintenance to the business.

“"We got into solar as a lot of our clients were enquiring about it and have had numerous reports of their power bills going up",” he explained.

“And what better place to do it other than North Queensland? We have the best sun in the world, and there's an abundance of it,” said Jesse.

“Solar wasn’t really affordable a few years ago but prices have since dropped and with government incentives, it is much easier to afford it and we also provide finance options to help cash flow"

SpinFX also install solar batteries, that store energy generated by solar panels that can be used later, this in turn reduces electricity bills and can be used for a period of time if power goes out.

Solar is new to SpinFX, starting only six months ago, and before that, the company focused primarily on electrical and air conditioning.

SpinFX are experts in installing air conditioning units and adept at maintenance, electrical renovations and repairs.

Jesse said that they sell what they think is the best air-con, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to help beat the humidity and heat here in North Queensland.

SpinFX cover a large area including Hinchinbrook Shire, Etheridge Shire, Croydon Shire, and the Shire of Carpentaria.

Jesse is a local guy, and he loves the Hinchinbrook Region, and when he first set up his business, it was important to him that all customers are completely satisfied with their work.

“We strive to make sure all of our customers are happy,” shared Jesse.

“We won't leave a site unless the customer's happy and I have based my business around that since it started.”

Hinchinbrook residents have once again thrown their support behind the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal in the spirit of Christmas. 
 
Mayor Ramon Jayo said, “The Hinchinbrook community has shown their overwhelming support for community members that need a little extra help at this time of year.  The donations to this year’s Mayor’s Christmas Appeal, by way of gifts and financial contributions, have been heart-warming.”
 
“Contributions made by community members gives spirit to those less fortunate at a time of year that can be very difficult on families.” 
 
The Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre is currently busy distributing all donations to those in the community who require help this year.  I sincerely thank all those members of the community for their generosity and support of the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal.
 
On behalf of all Councillors, I would like to wish all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year.

This holiday season, the true spirit of giving has touched the lives of 120 local families, thanks to generous donations from the community, small businesses, and other not-for-profits. The Christmas hampers, brimming with food, festive treats, and gifts, were packed and distributed by HCSC, bringing joy and relief to families in need.

The initiative, supported by the Hinchinbrook Shire Council, aimed to ensure no family goes without this Christmas. Contributions poured in from small businesses and community members, who gave generously to support their neighbours.  

“It’s heart-warming to see the community come together like this,” said Natalie, HCSC Emergency Relief Coordinator. “These hampers don’t just provide practical support—they remind families that they’re not alone and that people care.”  HCSC would not be able to complete this massive task without our team of dedicated volunteers who gave their time to organise the hampers.

Families receiving the hampers expressed gratitude for the thoughtful gesture, with many highlighting the impact of the assistance during tough economic times.  The Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre strives to ensure no family goes without. The annual Christmas Appeal serves as a testament to the power of community and the enduring spirit of Christmas.

Contributed with thanks to The Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre

Fishways are helping fish species, including barramundi and mangrove jack, to breed up in local waterways.

Six fishways built in the Ingham region, and in other places between Tully and Crystal Creek, have removed barriers for juvenile fish. Together, they’ve opened up more than 100 kilometres of creek and river systems – and recent surveys at these sites have shown they are fish highways.

More than 1000 fish were recorded moving through one of the fishways – at Insulator Creek north of Townsville - in one day. And in more recent surveys, over 4500 fish were caught and released during monitoring work at four rock ramp fishways.

“Sixteen native species, including juvenile barramundi, empire gudgeon, rainbow fish, tarpon and long-finned eels, were recorded,’’ Terrain NRM’s Deb Bass said.

“Of the 80+ species of native fish we have in the Wet Tropics region, up to half need to move between salt and freshwater habitats to complete their lifecycles. Barriers like weirs, pipes, culvert crossings and weed chokes can stop these species from thriving.

“In recent surveys at our fishways, eight of the 16 native species recorded are species that need that movement - from their beginnings in saltwater to safer freshwater nursery grounds as juveniles and then back downstream to the saltwater to breed as adults. So we can see the fishways are providing access for these species, from barramundi and mangrove jack to shrimps.”

Terrain NRM has been working with OzFish Unlimited, Catchment Solutions and Australasian Fish Passage Services on the ‘Fish Homes and Highways’ project, which is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust. Fishways are a relatively new solution in the region – a series of underwater stairs for fish, with deep pools between each one for resting.
Catchment Solutions fishery ecologist Matt Moore said rocks were placed strategically, sometimes in S-bend and sometimes a straight line, to achieve the right gradient to create a slower flow while also being able to withstand floods.

“To pull in our monitoring traps and see all the fish – a lot goes into the design of these structures, so we love seeing a result like this,’’ he said.

A ‘nursery slot’ is a new feature, trialled in one of the fishways, to help super small juveniles move upstream.

“It needs 20mm or less of water going through it to create the right conditions for weaker-swimming juvenile fish,” Matt said. “We recently recorded the smallest snakehead gudgeon ever documented in Australian fishway studies travelling through the slot. It was 16mm long.”

Oz Fish Unlimited’s Geoff Collins, an aquatic ecologist and Adjunct Research Fellow at James Cook University’s TropWATER, said the new fishways had been monitored for five days to assess the diversity and size of fish moving through. Results showed they would make an impact on the health of fish species and the waterways themselves.

“We are opening up habitat that many juvenile fish haven’t been able to access, particularly in low-flow situations, for decades in some cases,’’ he said.

“These structures are enabling migration for tens of thousands of fish. And the more habitat we can give fish access to, the more productive our fish stocks will be. Freshwater wetlands, creeks and rivers are important nursery grounds with abundant food resources that will help our native fish to grow fast, and to travel back downstream and breed in the tropical wet season.”

The ‘Fish Homes and Highways’ project began with extensive survey work in the Herbert and Murray River catchments between Crystal Creek near Paluma and Tully, where more than 3,500 potential fish barriers were identified, leading to on-ground inspections of over 300 sites.

The fishways were built at barriers like causeways and, in other places, bed-level crossings were built to replace causeways, or creek crossings were completely removed.

“We’ve also removed aquatic weeds and there has been revegetation in an area where fish passage works were completed,’’ Terrain NRM’s Deb Bass said.

Wilmar Sugar and Renewables 2024 crushing season in the Herbert region has drawn to a close under the shadow of significant challenges that have left some growers grappling with the harsh economic reality of standover cane. Wilmar announced the cessation of operations at Victoria Mill last week, citing a lack of adequate cane supply amid continuing wet weather and forecasted rainfall.
This year’s season has been fraught with setbacks, starting with early industrial action, wet weather, and factory breakdowns that delayed the start of crushing operations. These compounding problems left the region playing catch-up, only to be further hindered by the arrival of the wet season.
Wilmar reported that the decision to end crushing was made following consultations with grower representatives and harvesting contractors, as it became clear that operations were no longer commercially viable. Farmers now face the grim reality of standover cane, which not only impacts this season’s bottom line but also has ripple effects on next year’s harvest.
Harvesting contractors who were cutting were asked to make every effort to get the last bins on the line by 6pm on the 18th of December.
The company’s spokesperson acknowledged the collective effort, stating, “We thank all growers and harvesting operators for your hard work this season and wish you a safe and relaxing Christmas with family and friends.”
According to grower representatives, the difficulties that have characterised the 2024 season and the ongoing challenges predicted for 2025 must be addressed.

Often found nesting along the north-east Queensland coastline, little terns are small seabirds which frequent Hinchinbrook beaches during the summer months each year. Birdlife Australia’s Simon Kennedy hosts regular free workshops to educate attendees on the nature of little terns, and how the community can care for the bird if they come across a nesting area.
“The nesting population of little terns in eastern Australia is about 1,200 from the whole east coast from Tasmania to the Daintree, and one of the important areas is the Hinchinbrook coast,” Simon explained.
Workshop attendees are guided through a little tern monitoring process to support the work of Birdlife Australia and are educated on how to watch the birds within their area from when they’re hatched, to fully grown. As well as accessing the information available on Birdlife Australia’s website, birdlife.org,au, Simon also encourages the community to reach out to the Hinchinbrook Shire Council for advice on how to care for the little terns in the area if they’re unsure.
Although the area previously hosted harsh conditions, the little terns hatched at Lucinda Spit earlier this year have now reached flying age, a milestone achievement Birdlife Australia has certainly celebrated.
“Last year, and the year before, the little terns which nested at Lucinda Spit lost all of their eggs to storm tides, but this year, a couple of young ones have made it to flying age, - they’ve made it, and that’s great, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Over the past three years, Simon has ran successful workshops from Innisfail to Townsville, with up to 15 attendees each session, and following on from his recent workshop on Friday the 13th December at Forrest Beach’s Mungalla Station, Simon invites those interested to reach out to him via simon.kennedy@birdlife.org.au for more information.
“15 people isn’t many, but the workshops are worthwhile even through the turnout isn’t very big,” added Simon.
“If some of those people are out and keep an eye on the local little terns in their area and report sightings, then that’s great for us.”