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
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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
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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
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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 storyAt Council’s main landfill site at Warrens Hill, works are currently underway to remediate one of the solid waste disposal pits known as Cell One. This pit has recently reached capacity and under Council’s license agreements, this cell is to be capped and made safe to minimise the likelihood of environmental harm.
As landfill cells reach capacity they are to be capped and contoured to minimise surface water impact and mitigate against the regionally high rainfall. Environmental harm can and does occur when water interacts with buried waste and potentially generate damaging leachate. This water can come from direct rainfall, runoff or the ground water table impacting the waste.
Generally, the water is prevented from contact with the waste by a combination of impermeable membranes and placement of clay material to isolate the waste. Further surface profiling is used to minimise and redirect cross land water flow from the Cell. Where required, pumps are used to maintain the separation of ground water from the waste.
Hinchinbrook Shire Council Mayor Ramon Jayo said capping a landfill is essential for environmental reasons.
“Sealing it means that there is no water penetration, if water were to get in, it rubs with the waste that's buried there, and then it creates the leachate,” he said.
“If that leachate escapes into the environment, it could cause environmental harm.
“Cell one at Warrens Hill Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre has been operating for at least 20 years, and now it has reached its capacity, so under the terms of our license condition, we had to undertake the relevant works.”
The Cell one capping experienced a failure and is currently undergoing remediation works. The cap failure is the subject of litigation between Council and the designer of the cap.
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