Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Photo credit: Victoria Veton
The 2026 Ingham Maraka Festival's Rio Carnival theme brought colour, music and celebration to the streets, with the community turning out to enjoy the festivities.
The festival finale saw the crowning of Maraka's newest royalty, as Janae Pearce was named 2026 Maraka Queen, with Brianna Lamari taking runner-up. Tilly Poppi was crowned Maraka Princess, joined by runner-up Lucy Egan and Miss Personality Kadence Torrisi.
The Queen and Princess Quests attracted increased interest this year, with entrants embracing the opportunity to represent their community and carry forward a much-loved annual tradition.
Cassowary Coast Council’s Director Infrastructure Services David Goodman receiving the award at IPWEA 2026. Photo supplied
Mission Beach’s $20 million CBD Revitalisation project has taken top honours at the 2026 Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland & Northern Territory Excellence Awards, earning recognition alongside major infrastructure developments from some of Queensland’s largest councils.
Winning the Projects over $10 million category, the project was celebrated for its significant transformation of the town centre, renewing key public spaces, improving infrastructure and creating a more welcoming CBD while preserving the relaxed tropical character that makes Mission Beach so special.
The $20 million Mission Beach CBD Revitalisation project took top honours at the 2026 Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland & Northern Territory Excellence Awards last month, recognising the significant transformation of the local town centre.
Mayor Teresa Millwood said the win was a credit to everyone involved in delivering the project.
“This award is a real credit to the professionalism, dedication and hard work of everyone involved in delivering the Mission Beach CBD Revitalisation,” she said.
“We are proud to see a regional council project recognised alongside major infrastructure projects from some of the biggest councils in Queensland, and we thank our staff, contractors, local businesses and community for helping make it possible.”
The project secured the win in the Projects over $10 million category, impressing judges in a strong field of finalists.
Council said it was thrilled to see the quality of work involved in delivering the $20 million project recognised alongside much larger entries from some of Queensland’s biggest local governments.
Competing projects in the category included Logan City Council’s $80 million Loganlea Road Major Upgrade, Burke Shire Council’s $90 million Floraville Road Recovery Upgrade, and City of Moreton Bay’s Sparkes Road / Ellis Street Intersection Upgrade.
The Mission Beach CBD Revitalisation transformed the heart of the township, delivering a revitalised Village Green and Porter Promenade, stormwater drainage renewal, road and footpath reconstruction, intersection improvements, new streetscapes, outdoor dining areas, public art, lighting, landscaping and improved beach access.
The project addressed ageing infrastructure and helped renew confidence in the Mission Beach town centre, while preserving the relaxed tropical character valued by the local community.
“This award recognises a whole-of-organisation effort, including contributions from our planning, design, procurement, contracts, finance and project delivery teams, our construction crews, contractors, consultants, and staff who kept the community informed throughout delivery,” Council said.
“We also thank the Mission Beach community and local businesses for their support throughout the project, which helped deliver a result that will benefit the township for years to come.”
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