Ian Hobbs has always loved food and has been a chef for 35 years. He is now Head Chef at Lucinda Hotel, where he brings all his experience to a pub setting.

A passion for quality food has taken Ian across Australia, cooking in various states, before settling in Lucinda.

As head chef, he has mastered the delicate balance between quality, speed, and consistency, ensuring that patrons receive top-notch meals. His menu reflects this and it features traditional pub favourites like Lamb Shank and Pork Belly, while also offering specials influenced by international staff, such as Peruvian-style dishes.

Being Head Chef leaves Ian with additional responsibilities as well.

At Lucinda Hotel, they are far from Townsville, so they only receive 1-2 deliveries a week, and it’s Ian’s responsibility to maintain stock, and he says this is quite challenging in a busy pub, especially with recent weather events.

Ian loves being a chef, and he says running a pub kitchen is like a dream.

“Make sure your food is good, make sure you service is fast and make sure it's fresh and good quality,” he said.

Despite the challenges of managing a busy kitchen, Ian takes pride in maintaining fresh, high-quality ingredients and keeping operations smooth with a diverse, international team.

Looking ahead, Ian is happy to be at Lucinda Hotel and is eager for the busy Easter period to arrive.

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The State Emergency Service (SES) played a crucial role in the flood recovery across Hinchinbrook, leading rescue and evacuation efforts in Ingham, Halifax, and Lucinda.
Working with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), they helped residents in submerged homes, managed storm damage, and supported vulnerable individuals with food and medical aid.
SES used aerial resources, including Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, to assess damage.
Area Controller John Forde praised the swift recovery efforts, averaging 40 minutes per house. “Every house, location, and access are a little different,” he noted. Forde also commended volunteers, including teams from WA and Northern Territory, for their dedication.

The Heroes Behind The Floods

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The State Emergency Service (SES) has been vital in flood recovery and emergency operations across the Hinchinbrook region following the recent disaster.
SES teams led rescue and evacuation efforts in flood-hit areas like Ingham, Halifax, and Lucinda, working with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) to rescue residents from submerged homes. They also responded to storm damage, including sandbagging, tarping, and managing storm-related issues.
As recovery progressed, SES focused on supporting vulnerable individuals, delivering food, medical drops, and providing medical aid in partnership with Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS). They also deployed air assets with the Australian Defence Force and QFES to transport people and supplies.
Additionally, the SES used Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to assess damage and support local council and Queensland Police Service requests. These aerial resources were essential for accessing affected areas.
Area Controller John Forde highlighted the swift recovery, with crews averaging 40 minutes per house.
“Every house, location, and access are a little different, so the 40 minutes was a base estimate.”
John also praised the incredible volunteers from across Australia, including WA and Northern Territory, who supported the region. The WA team travelled 14 hours to assist in Hinchinbrook, and now, with cyclone devastation in the west, they may soon be called to help there.
“I was on standby to support our neighbours because of what they've done to us,” John added.
Local and non-local communities really came together to support the region, with neighbours and volunteers coming from all over to provide assistance:
“From the 30th of January we would have had in excess of maybe 300 to 400 volunteers come through the Hinchinbrook LGA over that period of time.
When comparing the 2019 floods to the 2025 floods, John explained how there was less warning for the community this time round.
“While there were signs, the timeframes, the information coming through, the communications, the access, it all compounded,” John explained.
“Then once the communities became isolated, it reduced the response capability for emergency services to get into some of these places initially.
“The Hinchinbrook LGA is a very resilient community, they all band together.
“The wardens out there are constantly communicating with their members and coordinating and communicating with emergency response.”
“Once the highway cut at Ollera Creek reduced the support that we could provide for our council area, so that when the ADF got involved with airdrops and support.
John explained how they are doing their best to help everyone in the community as fast as they can:
“In a major catastrophe, or in a major incident like this, there is always going to be somebody that's going to be last.
“We try as best we can, we've only got so many resources and personnel on the ground to get to all these people.
“We do try to keep up awareness on the dashboards, or ask individuals to ring the SES and 132, 500 or if it's five threading triple zero, but at the end of the day, there's, there's always going to be somebody that's going to be last.
“We accept that, and we try to get there as the best we can.
“Members are volunteers, so they're leaving their houses, their families, and some have already been impacted with these disasters.”
“One of the main things to realise with volunteers, it's literally for the community, by the community.”
John highlighted that many in the community will face mental distress during the recovery phase and stressed the importance of using available resources and reaching out for support.
If you've been impacted by severe weather in Northern Queensland, help is available. Contact the 24/7 Community Recovery Hotline at 1800 173 349 for assistance and to access local support.

Hello Hinchinbrook,

How nice is it to see some blue skies? Watching the community start to reconnect, people start to move around town and the overwhelming support people are giving each other has been incredibly heart-warming to witness.

At the end of last week, I went on my own journey of reconnection. Before accepting the position here, I used to live in the Whitsundays and worked for our sister publication Whitsunday Life Newspaper. While I was there, my grandparents (who live in the UK) booked tickets to visit me . . . in the Whitsundays.

Obviously, this would not usually be a problem, in fact I was looking forward to the scenic drive down the coast. But with recent flooding events impacting the whole coast, I had a difficult decision to make.

Knowing that the road between Ayr and Home Hill was closed to all traffic, other than semi-trailers – if I started the journey south – would I actually make it to the Whitsundays?

The previous week I had been worried about Ollera Creek Bridge, and when it opened, I was thrilled. When the Burdekin flooded at Plantation Creek, it was yet another setback for me!

On Wednesday afternoon, however, I learned that trucks were ferrying cars across the river so I made the decision to leave as soon as I could. I rushed to Ayr, arriving at 6pm, just as they closed the crossing for the night! I was too late! But fortunate to get a hotel room locally.

Up early the next morning, I was down at the crossing at 6.30am to begin searching for a truck to take me across Plantation Creek. Almost four hours later and $300 poorer, I made it across the floodwaters.

Later that morning I had made it to the Whitsundays and, I am pleased to report, I spent a wonderful weekend with my family and I miss them all already.

Tomorrow I will return to the region, and I am looking forward to being back on the ground continuing to bring you full coverage of the flood recovery.

Daniel

The Cardwell Lions Club has once again demonstrated the power of community spirit, thanks to a generous outpouring of support from the people of Cairns.
A large shipment of essential donations provided much-needed relief for local residents as they work to rebuild and recover.
The dedicated volunteers at the Lions Club wasted no time in unpacking and sorting through a variety of donated goods, including towels, linen, cleaning supplies, mattresses, toys, wheelbarrows, brooms, and mops. These essential items will be distributed throughout the coming week to those in need, ensuring help reaches the right hands as quickly as possible.
The Cardwell Lions Club said they were thrilled to announce that they will be begin distributing the donations throughout the next week.

They also expressed a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the club over the past few weeks as they work together to help the town get back on track.

The Cardwell Lions Club are currently working on having someone be in charge of the distribution centre and will advise the public on their Facebook page when more updates are available.

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The Halifax Progress Association has played a crucial role in supporting the community during the recent flood crisis, working tirelessly to assist residents and coordinate essential resources.

Throughout the emergency, the Association mobilised volunteers, provided logistical support, and ensured vital supplies reached those in need. Their commitment to the well-being of Halifax residents has been evident through their on-the-ground efforts, helping to keep the community informed and connected during a challenging time.

The Association extends its heartfelt thanks to the Country Women's Association for generously allowing the use of their hall as a central hub for community support.

In addition, deep gratitude is expressed to all emergency services, including the State Emergency Service (SES), local police, fire, and ambulance services, whose swift response and dedication were instrumental in keeping the community safe.

As Halifax moves into the recovery phase, the Halifax Progress Association remains committed to assisting residents and rebuilding the community.

Further updates and opportunities for community involvement will be shared in the coming weeks.

For inquiries, please contact:
Brian Rupps - President - brianjohnrupp@hotmail.com

With many local schools still impacted by the recent historic flooding event, a visit last week from the Minister of Education, John-Paul Langbroek MP and Minister for Small and Family Business Steven (Steve) Minnikin MP showed support for those affected.

Accompanied by Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto MP, the delegates held a meeting at Ingham State High School to discuss schooling, small business grants, and the recovery of Hinchinbrook Shire.

Langbroek acknowledged that schools have been disrupted, not only due to flooding, but also the long-term impacts to social activities.

“Everyone knows swimming carnivals happen early in the year, but senior staff here reassure me that they're working together to make sure that they aren't going to interrupt the year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minnikin discussed the grants in relation to Small and Family Businesses.

“In terms of at the height of a natural disaster, obviously the priority has to be life and protecting citizens, of course that's number one. But eventually when the skies open up again with the sunshine and the water recedes there will be a point in time when small businesses face their real hour of need,” he said.

“Media will move on to the next event throughout the state, the nation, etc. But the people of Ingham and North Queensland, they still have to live it.

“They still have to get up and particularly from a small business perspective, they have got to try and recover, and that is when in the coming weeks, they will particularly need state government assistance.”

Nick Dametto also addressed residents.

“This is a flood event that has rocked locals that have lived here their whole life,” he said.

“We've got people that have moved to the Herbert district or the Hinchinbrook Shire in the last 18 to 24 months, post COVID, that have never been through a natural disaster like this before. Those people have perhaps been caught off guard and will likely be the ones that need the most support moving forward.

“We also have a number of businesses out there that have been operating for 25-30, years, that are now considering not reopening because of the inability to get insurance here or having insurance companies playing a bit of muck around with policy on what's actually covered and what's not, and that's something that we will need to address moving forward.”

Despite this, the Local State Member remains positive and reassures the community he will help guide the recovery of residents and small businesses owners.

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The Hinchinbrook electorate has just experienced one of the toughest periods in recent history. The 2025 flood and monsoonal event devastated our region, cutting off entire communities, flooding and destroying homes and businesses, and leaving behind a massive clean-up effort.

But if there's one thing I know about the people of Hinchinbrook, it’s that we will get through this together and rebuild better than we were before.

On Saturday, access was finally restored into the Lower Herbert, allowing us to see firsthand the destruction left behind. It was a privilege to take Premier David Crisafulli into some of the hardest-hit areas. Seeing the devastation up close only reinforced the urgent need to ensure that our community receives the support it deserves.

We also met with Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to tour some local businesses in Ingham and discuss the next phase of the recovery process. Clearing the debris and restoring power is only the first stage, we now start to move on to the betterment projects to rebuild our region to be stronger and more resilient than before.

This week, I’ve had to leave Ingham to attend the first parliamentary sitting week of the year. I will be using my time this week to meet with key Ministers to ensure that the plan for Hinchinbrook’s recovery is thorough and extensive. We need urgent action on things such as roads and flood mitigation projects, particularly the Bruce Highway.

We need to address the housing shortage and the loss we are going to see in the primary production and small business spaces. Importantly as well, many of our local sporting clubs and community groups have lost everything, and we need to ensure they have all the help they can get to start running again.

We can’t flood-proof the Bruce Highway or our beautiful communities here in Hinchinbrook, but we can certainly minimise the impact of major flooding events through smart planning, investment and comprehensive recovery strategies.

The road to recovery will be long, but together we will navigate our way. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.

Nick Dametto MP
Member for Hinchinbrook

Following the devastating flooding that hit the Hinchinbrook Shire, the Hinchinbrook Shire Council are now in the recovery stage of a natural disaster.

Deputy Mayor Mary Brown is chair of the recovery group and she said that there are four subgroups - Human and Social, Economic Development, Infrastructure and Environment.

“We've been working in the background for quite some time and that's how we established the community recovery here locally,” explained Deputy Mayor Mary Brown.

“We have a pop up, at Mercer Lane, the main one at TAFE, one down at Forrest Beach, and we're about to go and create a pop up at Halifax.”

The Recovery Group are now in talks with the Government and Ministers about disaster grants.

Mary Brown believes people in the Hinchinbrook Shire suffered extraordinary events, and in turn deserve extraordinary grants.

“These are extraordinary circumstances. So, we need to now start talking about consideration for is there extraordinary support that can be implemented over and above what is business as usual for that disaster grants,” she said.

“The other thing that we're dealing with, which is our highest priority, is the donation hubs that were set up in Townsville and Cairns, where people are gathering donations to send into our community.

“I spoke to that coordinator this morning, which who is an ex local, and in two days they have put together 50 pallets worth of stuff coming, and it will include personal hygiene, cleaning products, bedding, sheets, towels and pillows. Everything is non-perishable.”

The Ingham Theatre Group regrets to announce that the upcoming One-Act Plays, originally scheduled to be performed at the JL Kelly Theatre in March, have been postponed.
“Due to severe flooding of the venue, we have made the difficult decision to reschedule the performances to ensure the safety and well-being of our cast, crew, and audience.
“Our team is actively working to confirm new performance dates, which will be announced as soon as possible.
“We remain committed to providing a high-quality theatrical experience for everyone involved. We encourage everyone to stay tuned for updates.”

While others have been comparing the recent flooding disaster to the 1967 floods, 94-year-old local resident Serena Scuderi says the experience has reminded her of timely story, one that occurred during the floods of 1927.

The floods of almost 100 years ago hold an important place in Serena’s heart because they took place on the exact date her late husband, Frank, was born.

Watching the flood waters rise and the event unfold over the last few weeks took Serena back to stories of that time.

Witnessing water surrounding her own property in 2025 put into perspective how different the event must have been in 1927.

One story of that time that really stands out was of a local doctor swimming between houses, through the floodwaters, to check on his patients.

Serena recalls being told a lot of stories of the 1927 floods by her mother-in-law who had been living in Ingham during the floods and would share tales that brought the experience to life.

“During the 1927 floods, the lady who was delivering babies lived across the road and from the stories I’d been told, I could picture my mother in law being taken on a boat from that house, across the road, and then they took her to a Hotel in Ingham, where she gave birth to her baby,” she said.

Serena shares that the midwife was not actually present at the birth because she had  had just gone back to the home to collect baby clothes that were left behind.

When she returned, she was able to dress the new-born baby in the clothes that had been knitted for him.

This little baby, born in the midst of the 1927 floods and Serena’s future husband, went on to live a full and happy life, passing away four years ago at 98 years old.

Every year, Serena and her family remember his birthday, with this year being particularly poignant as they were once again lived through a period of historic flooding.

The Cassowary Coast Regional Council has announced that dredging works at Port Hinchinbrook have reached 50% completion. While progress has been steady, weather conditions and embankment stabilisation efforts mean the remaining works are expected to take another two to three weeks, subject to weather conditions.

The council appreciates the community’s patience and cooperation during this time and has provided the following key updates:

   • Ramp Access: One side of the ramp reopened for public use on Sunday the 2nd of February, allowing limited access.
   • Temporary Facilities: To improve accessibility, temporary toilets were installed in the car park on Friday the 31st of January.
   • Public Safety Measures: Temporary fencing will be in place to ensure safety while maintaining access where possible.

The council thanks residents for their understanding as these essential improvements are completed. Further updates will be provided as work progresses.

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As I write this Councillor Column, it is the 15th of February 2025. The sun has finally come out, giving us a break in this disastrous February 2025 flood event with the recovery efforts in full swing. The devastation that Mother Nature has dealt has affected every individual, and the loss of life of two of our own residents is particularly heartbreaking. Our businesses, non-for-profit organisations and agricultural sectors have been ravaged in our Shire and it is saddening to see. However, as we have witnessed in previous times of natural disasters, we will regroup, rebuild better and move forward as a community.

Your elected councillors have been delegated to form the Hinchinbrook Local Recovery Group, with Deputy Mayor Mary Brown as the chair of the of the Master Recovery Group and Cr Pat Lynch as the deputy chair. Under the Master Recovery Group, there will be four subgroups that will report to the Master Recovery Group. These are the Human-Social Recovery Sub Group chaired by Cr Donna Marbelli; the Environmental Recovery Sub Group chaired by Cr Kate Milton; the Infrastructure Recovery Sub Group chaired by Cr Andrew Carr; and the Economic Recovery Sub Group chaired by me, Cr Mark Spina.

Based on previous recovery plans, we will focus on a locally led approach involving individuals, families, community groups, businesses and agricultural sectors along side all levels of government to identify and match our recovery efforts to the needs of the community. To achieve this, Hinchinbrook Shire Council will facilitate a locally led approach that prioritises the impacted community to manage and actively participate in their own recovery while considering the values, culture, and needs of all those affected by the disaster. It is important to recognise that the greater community may identify different recovery pathways and that we must remain flexible to meet the changing recovery needs of those affected by this disaster.

Please keep up to date with Disaster Recovery Grants that are available by visiting www.qld.gov.au/ community/disasters-emergencies and above all take care of yourselves and your neighbours during this difficult time, be kind and try to remain positive.

Now that the water has receded, the recovery efforts are in full swing.

Contracts have been let for flood damaged goods collection and the majority of the Ingham township has now been collected. The crews, consisting of over 20 trucks, excavators, backhoes, and bobcats are now proceeding into the Lower Herbert areas. Road work crews are also in the field ensuring all accessible areas are safe. Priority is being given to ensure that everyone is able to access their properties.
 
On the social front, the Community Recovery Hub is in full operation at the Tafe building on Townsville Road, and outreach hubs are occurring in the smaller communities about the district. The hubs are available to assist our residents with a great deal of information including hardship funding and available grants, insurance matters and information on other valuable assistance available to residents.

Recovery processes are available digitally on Council’s Disaster Dashboard and Facebook pages.

Information will continue to be published promptly.

Council’s Disaster Centre remains open for anyone seeking assistance and I urge you all to call if you are needing assistance.

The SES and Queensland Rural Fires continue to assist all residents with house cleanouts and if you require assistance in that regard, please ring 132500 immediately.

Getting back to where we were is going to take a long long time, but please do not suffer in silence. There are plenty of people around to try and assist you out as best as possible, so please do not hesitate to reach out.

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While local residents were without power during the recent widespread flooding event Ingham Meals on Wheels were able to pump out meals to people in need thanks to their generator.

President of Ingham Meals On Wheels Rita Phillips said power went off and the generator kicked in as it was supposed to.

Despite the ability to cook food, however, progress was stalled on Monday 3rd February when Ingham Meals on Wheels were unable to deliver food to clients and people in need, due to their own staff being flooded in and unable to reach Meals on Wheels on Eleanor Street.

Thankfully, Ingham Meals on Wheels were able to start operations on Wednesday 5th February but, with limited stock, they had to reheat frozen meals and had limited supply chain capabilities.

During the crisis, the team of staff and volunteers not only helped their regular clients but also anyone else in need.

Kitchen Coordinator Jamie Belcher said they also made 191 servings of soup for the Cyclone Shelter which was full of evacuated people.

Along the way, the team were blessed with donations which included pizzas, sausage rolls and party pies from Coles. Meals on Wheels heated the items and donated them to firies, ambulance workers and more families in need.

By Friday last week, supply chain capabilities had increased and they could deliver to all of their clients, including Forrest Beach and Lower Herbert and by Saturday they could also cook meals once again.

Throughout the week Rita and Jamie said people and organisations had been amazing with donations, and Coles had just donated 100 bags of potatoes.

Ingham Meals on Wheels have been flat out with cooking and deliveries, but it’s all worth it to them knowing that they are getting nice hot meals to people in need.

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Whilst many residents of the Hinchinbrook Shire had power, some still did not, and with the shops scarce of produce the Ingham Lions Club held a sausage sizzle on Monday 10th February outside Ingham Swimming Pool.

Second Vice District Governor Ed Morris and Ingham Lions Club Vice President Silvia Poggio said that the event was there to help the community.

“It’s a part of what us Lions do following a disaster,” they said.

“We will continue to do it and it's to help the community.

“There are people that have come this morning, that still don’t have power and they’ve got no food.”

A main focus of the Lion’s Club is to raise spirits and make people feel a little bit happier.

Having the sausage sizzle was also about igniting conversations and building morale in the community.

In addition to serving those who attended the event, the Lions also delivered sausage sizzles around the area, to ensure that everybody was a part of the community spirit, and were not left out.

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