James Cook University (JCU) researchers are calling for urgent government support to protect the spectacled flying-fox from extinction as new and escalating threats push the species closer to the brink. Despite their reputation as noisy and messy neighbours, spectacled flying-foxes play a vital role in the survival of Australia’s rainforests, travelling vast distances to pollinate flowers and spread seeds at levels unmatched by any other species. JCU adjunct associate professor Noel Preece sai
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National Police Remembrance Day Today, the community of Ingham came together to pay tribute to the brave men and women of the Queensland Police Service who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The National Police Remembrance Day Service, held at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, offered a solemn and poignant moment for reflection, remembrance, and respect. Since 1861, 151 Queensland Police officers have lost their lives while protecting and serving communities across the state.
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Each year, a team of Hinchinbrook Emergency Services Cadets travels to Brisbane to attend the prestigious ESCAPE Week, a program that brings together cadets from across Queensland to experience life at multiple emergency services. This year, three Hinchinbrook cadets participated: two senior cadets attending as leaders and one as a program participant, accompanied by Cadet Coordinator Mark Regazzoli. The week kicked off at Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ), Bribie Island, where cadets underwent an
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The Hurley Bus Since launching in December last year, the Hurley Bus has already completed more than 400 bookings, providing free transport for elderly, frail, and palliative community members. The service, run entirely by volunteers through the Ingham Palliative Carers Committee, offers a safe, reliable, and compassionate way for people to stay connected and attend important appointments. The eight-seat bus is wheelchair accessible and travels throughout Ingham, the surrounding districts, Card
Read the full storyOne of the biggest issues we face as a community going forward into the future is waste and waste disposal practices. A number of years ago, the State Government introduced a waste disposal strategy designed to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, through improvement of recycling practices.
This strategy was underpinned by the imposition of a waste levy payable by most local authorities operating land refuse facilities such as Hinchinbrook, on the pretext that the levies would generate income to create markets to accept all forms of recyclable waste, thus creating the impetus for better recycling behaviour by the community. You observed increases in refuse disposal costs, including increased gate fees at the tip, as Council’s sought to recover the costs of the levy payable to the State. Fortunately, due to a rebate scheme, also introduced by the State Government with respect to household waste, residents were spared the full impact of the waste levy charges.
The levy was duly introduced by government and paid by Councils such as Hinchinbrook, but unfortunately, the markets for recyclable materials have not readily appeared and the jobs associated with the improved recycling market have not yet eventuated.
The State Government has now determined to review the former strategy and a new Queensland Waste Strategy 2025–2030 has been released for community consultation, with the commitment to reduce waste to landfill, transitioning towards a waste-free society. Hopefully, this time around more success will be achieved as the issue of what to do with waste is becoming very critical.
Whilst there has been a marked improvement in commitment to recycling throughout our district, we are still lagging well behind state averages, and we are nowhere near being in a position to meet the State targets any time soon.
We are still seeing contamination rates of 40 percent in our recycling bins, resulting in our recyclable loads condemned to general landfill at the Materials Recovery Facility in Townsville at great cost to our community. The underpinning principle towards encouraging material recycling is your hip pocket. To recycle is free, but to dispose of waste to landfill is costly, and will become more costly to the disposer as time goes on.
Please refer to Council’s website to gain information about the benefits of recycling and how to go about recycling as a simple practice in your everyday life. Make no mistake, recycling will save you a lot of money.
If you would like to know more about the new Queensland Waste Strategy 2025-2030, please visit the Queensland government website at https://bit.ly/4mGWvNx
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