Tasman Turtle Picnic Day Shire Success Scores of locals and travellers flocked to TYTO Wetlands as Tasman Turtle returned with craft, food, activities, and family fun. With a rock climbing wall, circus acts, laser tag, pony rides, and a petting zoo, there was something for everyone. Music filled the air, even getting Tasman dancing, and the park buzzed from start to finish. Faces were covered with ice cream and fairy floss, but most importantly big smiles. Deputy Mayor Mary Brown happily remark
Read the full storyTwo respected members of the Hinchinbrook region have been named in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, receiving national recognition for their dedication to the community and their service over many years. Patrick Brown, Officer in Charge at the Ingham Ambulance Station, has been awarded the Ambulance Service Medal, one of the highest honours available to an Australian paramedic. With 46 years of experience, most of it in rural and regional Queensland, Mr Brown has long been regarded as a stea
Read the full storyBy Victoria Velton In the quiet coastal town of Taylor’s Beach, Jayden McNeill is solving more than just colorful puzzles; he’s solved his way to global recognition. A Rubik’s Cube champion with international acclaim, McNeill’s story is one of perseverance, precision, and passion. It all started when a seven-year-old Jayden received a Rubik’s Cube for Christmas. Like many, he shelved it after failing to solve it. But years later, inspired by classmates in high school, he revisited the cube and
Read the full storyA Tool For Real-World Readiness When most people hear “LARPing” (Live Action Role-Playing), images of medieval knights and fantasy creatures might spring to mind. But for a growing community in Townsville, LARPing has evolved far beyond weekend cosplay, it’s becoming a valuable tool for real-world training and personal growth. The newly launched Townsville chapter of Swordcraft, Australia’s largest medieval battle and role-playing game, brings enthusiasts together every fortnight. What began as
Read the full storyMy Katter’s Australian Party colleague Shane Knuth MP recently introduced a Crocodile Management Bill into Queensland Parliament, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With the recent floods, crocs are turning up in places they weren’t before, making our waterways even more dangerous. For too long, we’ve been losing our pristine swimming holes and favourite recreational spots to these apex predators whose population goes completely uncontrolled.
Here in Hinchinbrook, we love fishing and the outdoors. It’s frustrating to be constantly told to be “croc wise” and to watch our behaviour. It feels like the government is more concerned with managing humans than managing crocs. That’s why I strongly support Shane Knuth’s bill. It puts the safety of humans first by calling for practical measures to reduce crocodile numbers in populated areas.
Crocodile control isn’t about wiping them out, it’s about restoring balance. The bill proposes targeted removals and common-sense management strategies that protect our right to safely enjoy our waterways. This includes the establishment of the Queensland Crocodile Authority, a local body based in Cairns, which would take full responsibility for crocodile management across the state.
I’d like to see the State Government get behind this bill and start listening to the communities that live with this problem every day. It’s easy when a majority of our politicians live in the south-east to ignore important issues like this in the North. It’s not an unreasonable request to just want the freedom to swim, fish, and relax without constantly looking over our shoulders.
Submissions on the bill are currently open until the 3rd of April 2025. For anyone wishing to make a submission, you can do so through the Queensland Parliament website. A public briefing will be held on the 2nd of April in Brisbane with a public hearing to follow on the 21st of May 2025.
Contributed with thanks to Nick Dametto MP Member for Hinchinbrook