The magnificent new $2.2m Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre has reopened after four months of renovations and the North West Star took a tour of the new facility. Up to 20 visitors at a time were allowed inside due to COVID-19 restrictions. The upgrade involved the installation of new, state-of-the-art interactive displays, audio-visual equipment and lighting, the construction of new internal and external entrances, and landscaping work, all paying tribute to a site that keeps on giving when it comes to fossils, including a new marsupial lion identified only this year.
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A Normanton woman has given birth to triplets in Townsville University Hospital. Alicia Bee already had five children, including a set of twins, when she discovered she was pregnant with triplets. "I always wanted 10 kids and now I am two away from that, so I'm happy," Ms Bee said. Triplets Elijah, Jaxson and Jett were born prematurely at 29 weeks on May 5 and have been in the hospital's neonatal unit since birth under the watchful eye of doctors and nurses.
Cloncurry photographer and grazier Jacqueline Curley has been named runner-up in a major photography competition for her poignant image from the 2019 North West Queensland floods.Ms Curley was judged runner-up in the production category of the the International Federation of Agricultural Journalism 2020 Star Prize for Photography competition for her poignant image from the catastrophic weather event in north west Queensland early last year, published in Graziher magazine. Ms Curley took the photo in February 2019 on her Gipsy Plains property of staff member, Kate Hunter suffering after seeing the death of a favourite cow and her baby
In a first for Mount Isa, Council will soon build a Materials Recovering Facility after successfully securing $6 million from the Federal Government's Building Better Regions Fund. The building of the processing facility could create up to 14 construction jobs, as well as eight new ongoing jobs in the local waste management sector.
Businesses are investing in North West Queensland, due to the development of an industrial estate in Cloncurry. Cloncurry Shire Council's industrial estate, located on the town bypass, is drawing significant interest from businesses looking to establish a hub in the North West. With three blocks sold in the last six months, mayor Greg Campbell said this brought the total to seven sold blocks, one under contract and three in negotiation. "A trough and polypipe factory from Katherine, The Bilba Group, have purchased a block and this is going to be their Queensland depot," Cr Campbell said.
After forty years of hard work serving and protecting the people of Queensland, Mount Isa Senior Sergeant Jim Montague called stumps on his career in July. "Basically I was out of work and I was walking down the street and I saw a recruiting sign for police and took home a brochure and the rest was history. From there I ended up working in investigations and then as a police prosecutor." Mr Montague said working on natural disasters would be his most vivid memory. "The North West floods of last year will probably stand out the most, I went to Julia Creek for three weeks and it was very full on. Cyclone Yasi in 2011 would have to be a close second," he said.
Mount Isa is the preferred site for a $600m dispatchable energy project using cutting-edge Australian solar thermal technology to power the community and resources sector with low cost, clean electricity. Australian company Vast Solar is looking to develop a 50MW power plant that will deliver a jobs boom for the area, including hundreds of construction jobs during the two-year project build and dozens of permanent, highly skilled operational jobs. In an Australian first, the plant will combine solar PV, a large-scale battery and gas engines with Vast Solar's own concentrated solar thermal power technology, using mirrors and receiving towers to gather and store the sun's energy. These integrated generators will reliably deliver dispatchable clean energy 24 hours a day.
The Palaszczuk Government says its investment in moving freight off the road is working as it starts works on a new $6 million upgrade of the Mount Isa Rail line. Speaking in Mount Isa in August Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said $20m had been accessed from the government's $80m four-year incentive scheme, encouraging freight operators and the resource industry to use the rail line to Townsville."Since we introduced the scheme, more than four billion gross tonne of eligible freight has moved along the line to Townsville. This is an increase of more than one million in tonnage from the year prior." The $6m upgrade will take place along 320km of the line, starting west of Hughenden and ending near Cloncurry, bolstering flood resilience on the route and supporting 30 jobs as the region bounces back from COVID-19. The works include bridge abutment and scour repairs in nearby drains and creeks, stonework including flood protection to embankments, and further drainage and cleaning works.
The Mount Isa Mines Rodeo moved online to broadcast Australia's first virtual Rodeo in August as the real event was cancelled due to COVID. Mount Isa Mines Rodeo CEO Natalie Flecker said the 2020 Mount Isa Mines Rodeo livedstreamed via its website for three hours from 6pm. "We may not have the roar of the crowd this year but we're keeping it alive for the competitors, the fans, our sponsors and partners and all the volunteers and people behind the scenes," Ms Flecker said. The Open Bull Ride was arguably the standout event, attracting an incredible field with 2015 Australian Bull Riding Champion and PBR Finals qualifier Troy Wilkinson placing first with an 88 point ride.
Seventy-five years to the day since the official end of the Second World War was marked with a service in Mount Isa in August, The war ended when the Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945 and the service at the cenotaph on Saturday morning also commemorated Vietnam Vets Day. It was a welcome return for the local RSL sub-branch who missed out on Anzac Day commemorations at the height of the pandemic outbreak in April. The covidsafe plan enforced 1.5m distance between seats and about 50 people came to the event, needing to register in advance.
In August Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced Mount Isa man James Bambrick would contest the state seat of Traeger for Labor at the state election on Saturday October 31. The Premier said that James had the experience and energy to be a strong voice for the people of the Traeger electorate, a seat held by Robbie Katter since 2012 (a seat original known as Mount Isa). "We need local champions to help deliver our COVID-19 economic recovery plan in their area, to support businesses and restore local jobs," Ms Palaszczuk said. "I'm delighted to welcome James Bambrick to my team and I'm looking forward to working with such a well credentialed community champion."
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
