By Amanda Wright The 2025 Federal Budget was never just about dollars and cents—it was about the direction Australia takes in the years ahead. Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ latest budget, delivered on 25 March, makes clear where the Albanese government believes that the future lies: in cost-of-living relief, housing, and a transition to a more sustainable economy. But with an election now set for 3 May, it’s impossible to ignore the political stakes. Is this a responsible economic plan or a budget de
Read the full story
When disastrous floods swept through the region in February, the town of Ingham found itself in a crisis unlike any it had seen in recent memory with devastating flood waters surpassing the levels they reached in the historic floods of 1967. Amidst the chaos of the floods the local medical practices Hinchinbrook Healthcare and Ingham Family Medical Practice banded together in times of uncertainty and provided a glimmer of light to Ingham residents, demonstrating remarkable resilience and resour
Read the full story
Victoria grew up in Brisbane and went on to pursue a Cert III in Business Administration while also qualifying as a swimming teacher through AustSwim. Their career path led them to roles as a receptionist and swimming instructor, where they worked hard to fund their Diploma of Arts. Later serving as an editor for a medical journal at Queensland University of Technology, Victoria further sharpened their writing and editorial skills. Victoria's family live in Macknade and moving to the reg
Read the full story
A striking symbol of resilience and awareness now stands along the highway in Ingham—its vivid blue branches reaching out as a reminder that no one has to struggle in silence. The Blue Tree Project, a national initiative aimed at breaking the stigma around mental health, found a home in the town in July 2023, thanks to a collaborative community effort. Councillor Donna Marbelli first saw a Blue Tree while driving between Townsville and Ingham and knew the town needed one of its own. The search
Read the full storyLast week, the Queensland Small Business Commissioner Dominique Lamb was in Ingham and addressed several small businesses.
She indicated that she’d been out to visit a number of small local businesses that were reporting mounting pressures as a result of the floods, including lost income and damage to property. She was able to provide information about some of the resources and services offered by the department, including small business financial counsellors, wellness coaches, and disaster funding, including QRIDA loans.
Chair of Recovery Mary Brown was happy Queensland Small Business Commissioner Dominique Lamb was present, and said it’s important people in this community understand that they are not alone.
“We do have support agencies at other levels of government who have reached out and are working with us to try and find solutions to some of the challenges we're having now,” she said.
“There are no guarantees. We know that, but bringing in those support services into the community is a stepping stone to try and help.
“Each and every business will have different challenges and different impacts, whether they were insured, whether they weren't insured, whether they have a lot of financial commitments prior to this event, whether they're well-placed cash flow wise, every single business is so different.
“So, we're not going to be a solution for everyone, but I think we have a common interest to our community, in that we all have had some impact.”
For many business owners flood recovery will be a very challenging time mentally, and for those businesses it’s important that they know help is available in region.
Wellness Coach Charlotte Johansson from Rural Financial Counselling Service North Queensland is in the region at the Recovery Centre, and is about to start one-on-one appointments with clients.
“I help business owners look after their mental and emotional wellness and that can be from a personal perspective, but it can also be from a business perspective. So, we can talk business strategies, so we can look at basic foundations of your business that might work or might not work, or that might be stressful,” explained Charlotte.
“One of the things that we do in terms of assisting people with business, is ownership challenges that they might have. It could be things such as staffing issues, we can work with managing material, how to manage, and how to work with the dynamic in your business.
“We can also work with things such as your personal wellness, you might have family members working in your business, and it can be challenging. So we can work on that dynamic, and we can work on things that people are struggling with at the moment.”
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2024 Life Publishing Group Ltd.
