Pictured above: Racing away last year. Photo Revolution Productions A record eight minutes was all it took for SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week (SMIRW) to sell-out in 2026 and officials at Townsville Yacht Club (TYC) were overjoyed that their event remains such a popular fixture on the sailing calendar, with racing to take place from 27 August to 2 September.   “Three minutes into opening entries yesterday, we were three quarters sold out - and in eight minutes it was all ov

And open the road for vehicle access for the general public. Here are some photos from March 2019 of the Radical Bay Road. The road has been damaged further in the past 7 years, there has been little if no maintenance carried out during that time. The road was closed in 2021. Both Scott Stewart and then Mayor Jenny Hill faced severe back lash from residents with the decision and were not transparent with the local community. " According to a Lands Department spokesperson,

The March MIRRA meeting will be held this Saturday 7th March at 10am in the RSL Hall Hayles Ave Arcadia. In attendance will be the Member for Townsville Adam Baillie MP Gold coin entry. All welcome

Pictured above: 1974 colour image RE: RADICAL BAY ROAD.   Hello All ,   I find myself confused over totally un-necessary, fearmongering, inaccurate assertions and presumptions about accesses, driveways, paths and roads etc, I want to speak in plain language about roads.   I have attached two aerial photos and will describe the purpose below.   In the 1961 black and white photo you can see the forts turn-off, the Forts road, AND, the road into Arthur Bay…… in 1961!!!!…… when w

Pictured above: King tide Picnic Bay Jetty 20th February 2015: Photo Debbie Denison Townsville City Council is encouraging residents in low-lying areas to take precautions ahead of king tides expected from Sunday.   The king tide is forecast to reach 3.99m at 7.58am on Sunday, peaking at 4.01m at 8.30am on Monday with further king tides through to Wednesday morning.   Council recommends residents in areas that are prone to minor flooding during king tides take necessary preca

" Do you support restoring vehicle access to Radical Bay? ” "Vehicle access" to Radical Bay can mean two different things. For those that like the convenience and passive indulgence of driving their own car, or a hire car to a recognised, historically popular tourism site, this proposal seems like a no-brainer. Why wouldn't you support the notion, especially if the state government is going to pay for it? But in the particular case of Radical Bay and the current private track

Pictured above: Sod turning Cr Ann-maree Greaney, Mayor Nick Dametto, Brigade Secretary Julie Carmody and First Officer Ian Priestly   The sod has officially been turned on the new boundary of the Horseshoe Bay Rural Fire Brigade after Townsville City Council extended their lease on the valued community service, by a further 250m2.   Mayor Nick Dametto said Council signed off on an expansion of the service’s land allotment in November 2025, signalling a bright future for the

Pictured above: Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto outside the Ross River Dam spillway.   The barramundi stocks of the Ross River Dam will soon get a boost, with Townsville City Council securing the State approvals needed to electrofish the spillway and restore stocks upstream.     The approved electrofishing operation, slated to start in March, will see the far-flung fish trapped downstream of the dam wall safely stunned, collected and transported back to the dam.   Townsville Ma

Hello all, Rejecting the Radical Bay access road repair means that no one, but the fittest, can enjoy Arthur, Florence and Radical Bays and the protected National Parks Environs thereabouts.   Infrastructure and controlled access to these bays have co-existed historically. Repairing and reopening the road with improved design and appropriate environmental protections is consistent with the principle of Ecologically Sustainable Development under the Environment Protection and

Member for Townsville Adam Baillie is seeking community imput on Radical Bay Road. Radical Bay is one of Magnetic Island’s most iconic and treasured locations. It is valued for its natural beauty, and the unique experience it offers both locals and visitors. I appreciate there is a lot of interest and feedback, and as a result, have released a quick survey to measure community support and understand the different perspectives. The survey should take less than a minute to comp

Pictured Above: Between a rock and a divine place. Revolution Productions It toppled all previous records by selling out in just shy of 10 minutes last year - and unsurprisingly, Townsville Yacht Club (TYC) has been inundated with calls from those wanting to secure early entry into 2026 SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week (SMIRW) - the most sought after ticket on the Australian yachting scene.   “To make it fair for everyone, there is only one way to gain entry to SeaLink Magne

Pictured above: The new TCC signage has upset long time island residents. Debbie Denison Townsville City Council  has come under fire with the naming of the Community Centre in Horseshoe Bay. Long time Island resident Aline Melvin addressed the February MIRRA meeting  held on Saturday  7th, asking why the building which was built by the Magnetic Island residents in 1970’s for the  Clubhouse of the Magnetic Island Sports and Recreation Club  has been named by council the Hors

Queensland has an opportunity to reverse the road carnage and become a world leader in e-mobility safety if the imminent Parliamentary Inquiry report tackles five key reform areas. RACQ and its partners say enforcement, retail, education, infrastructure and hire schemes are the areas which the Government can address to protect Queenslanders as new data revealed a surge in hospitalisations. Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit (QISU) research showed 2,000 people presented to Em

The Commissioner of Police, Steve Gollschewski has announced he will retire, marking the end of a distinguished 46 year career serving the Queensland community. Commissioner Gollschewski was appointed as Queensland’s 21 st Police Commissioner on 22 April 2024. Through determination and resilience, Commissioner Gollschewski returned to the role in September 2025 after an unexpected stage four cancer diagnosis earlier in the year. Due to the ongoing treatment coupled with the

Pictured above: Orpheus Island From reef to island to open ocean, SeaLink North Queensland has opened bookings for its 2026 North Queensland Adventure season, inviting travellers to plan ahead for some of the best experiences across the region’s most spectacular marine and island environments. With 2026 dates now confirmed for Orpheus Island Yanks Jetty day tours, the Great Barrier Reef snorkelling experiences and the ever-popular Whale Watching season, the 2026 program offer

The February MIRRA meeting will be held this Saturday 7th Feb 10am at the RSL Hall Hayles Ave Arcadia Gold coin entry All welcome

Our Port community wants to help you.  We're committed to supporting not-for-profit organisations and groups who are working hard to provide lasting benefits to our local communities in North Queensland. Launched in 2021, the Port’s Community Fund contributes $50,000 to North Queensland’s charities, not-for-profits, schools, universities and community groups each year. The Community Fund seeks to support a broad range of local initiatives that improve sustainability in four k

Today the Commonwealth Ombudsman released a report into the actions of Services Australia and the Department of Social Services (DSS) to address an ongoing issue of non-compliance with the law. The issue, relating to child support, was originally identified by Services Australia staff in 2019, and DSS were made aware in February 2020. The agencies planned to address the issue by having the legislation changed, however successive attempts to develop amending legislation never