Community Day last Thursday brought together everyone from juniors to seniors, and a few firemen, to enjoy the formal re-opening of the community facilities at TYTO. There was story time and robotics, along with computer classes and colouring. The cake was cut and councillors and community alike enjoyed the sweetness of jovial conversations among the stacks of the beloved library.
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In a heartening reminder of the value of rural health care, the Ingham Health Service recently celebrated nine years since the reopening of its maternity service — and what better way to mark the occasion than with the birth of four babies in just 24 hours? On the 7th and 8th of April, four mothers; Giorgia Firmi, Marites Carao, Hannah Bestmann, and Leah Dingwell, welcomed their little ones into the world, creating a unique bond not only between their babies, but among themselves as part of thi
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An elusive and endangered species, the mahogany glider is receiving new hope thanks to a collaborative conservation effort underway in North Queensland. The project, centred south of Ingham, is helping to link critical glider habitat while also delivering rare sightings of the species in the wild. Indigenous ranger Chris Muriata is one of the few people lucky enough to see a mahogany glider in its natural habitat. “To finally see one – it made me happy,” he says. “It was in vegetation at the
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There was a real sense of celebration in the air as United Petroleum Ingham officially reopened its doors this week, a welcome sight for many a traveller and local alike. United Petroleum’s General Manager of Retail, Grant McGregor, said, “We have eagerly reopened the doors of our Ingham site and extend a warm invitation to the community to experience the unparalleled quality and convenience we offer. As one of Australia's fastest-growing fuel and convenience brands, United Petroleum is excited
Read the full storyOver the last few weeks, there have been more welcome announcements from the Queensland and Australian Governments, with extra support measures for small businesses and primary producers.
The Small Business Recovery Assistance Grant provides financial assistance of up to $15,000 to eligible small businesses in Ingham and other affected areas in North Queensland, to help them re-establish operations and maintain employment after the 2025 North and Far North Tropical Low event. The grant is available to small businesses within the defined disaster areas that experienced significant trading disruptions, including ceasing trade or suffering a revenue loss of 60% or more for at least two consecutive weeks due to the disaster.
The other major announcement is something that many stakeholders have been advocating for a long time — the change in the definition of a primary producer. In a statement released by the Federal and State Governments, it was announced that more Queensland producers will now be able to access support under changes to the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
A primary producer whose income includes agricultural support services, such as cane harvesting, is now eligible for primary producer DRFA grants, as this is considered primary production income. This means disaster-affected farmers who may have previously been ineligible for assistance in Queensland can now apply for support measures like Disaster Recovery Grants and Loans.
Whilst this is very welcome news, I believe there is room to further improve this definition. In my opinion, it should include that any loss of agricultural land — food production land — damaged or lost due to a severe weather event should be eligible to be restored to its pre-event condition with assistance from Disaster Recovery Funding, regardless of where the owner’s income comes from.
After all, it’s about protecting agricultural and food-producing land and supporting those who farm it.
Please pop into the Hinchinbrook Information and Referral Centre at 73-81 Lannercost Street, Ingham, if you require any assistance.
Until next time Hinchinbrook residents — take care, stay safe, and be kind.
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