That was a hypothesis put forward by eminent fellow-traveller Peter Ridd to a crowd of about 35 people, at last week’s Bowen Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting.

He exploded the myth by pointing out that ‘respected’ scientists at some leading institutions couldn’t be trusted and provided misleading advice to the State and Federal Governments, which ended up as ‘accredited’ information.

“If you don’t believe the integrity of government-run organisations, look at the current inquiry into the DNA lab in Brisbane,” Mr Ridd said.

The Mackay Hospital is another.

According to his website platogbr.com, Mr Ridd’s career is summarised as: Has worked on the Great Barrier Reef since 1984. He specialised in physical oceanography and building instrumentation.

He was professor of physics until fired from James Cook University for saying there were major quality assurance problems with much of reef science.

He now works, unpaid, for the Institute of Public Affairs as an adjunct fellow, although his site is not directly part of his association with the IPA.

He still has a passion for the reef but wants accurate information provided by scientists.

Mr Ridd’s site gives information about the Great Barrier Reef and, most importantly, the need for some decent quality control systems for the ‘science’ that we are using to guide public policy decisions.

He stresses that, despite the conventional wisdom that says that the GBR is on the brink of extinction, in fact, it is one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world, well protected, and least likely to be affected by climate change (natural or otherwise).

In fact, the future for the GBR is excellent, according to Mr Ridd.

“Look at the coral cover for 2022 – it reached record high levels. Coral cover naturally fluctuates but record high coral cover must make one question if the reef is in such a bad state,” he said at the meeting.

Mr Ridd said current reef cover was now at its highest since the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) in Townsville started collecting data, in 1984.

This was despite outcries of looming environmental catastrophe due to global – and ocean – warming, when scientists reported major bleaching events, including ’93 per cent’ devastation in 2016, another in 2017, then 2020.

Mr Ridd claims that what the scientists were saying was not true.

“It is scandalous, they admit there is fast-growing coral and then they say the reef will be wiped out by climate change.

The company is now one of the biggest employers in town and completes projects from jobs around homes, to massive roadmaking and culverts for rail tracks – such as from the Bowen Basin coalmines to Abbott Point.

But it all began about 44 years ago when husband and wife team – Jamee, a diesel mechanic, and Janice Hillery – bought a truck and started doing small jobs for the local council and river trust.

“The council would hire the truck for whatever jobs needed doing and they started trucking,” CEO Luke Hillery said.

“Then they got a second truck, then a third and it all grew from there.”

Now the company has 320 vehicles, ranging from small trucks to articulated versions, graders, dozers, loaders, excavators and everything needed for major projects.

And there are more than 100 employees, including office staff, as well as the outdoor crews.

“Myself and my brother Liam took over from mum and dad, in 2019, I’d been working for them for about 10 years at that stage,” Mr Hillery said.

Luke started work in his gap year (before heading to university) and never left. Liam started as a diesel fitter and they now run a massive concern.

The Hillery Group operates four quarries in the Whitsunday region – there are quarries in Bowen, Collinsville and Abbot Point – as well as a decomposed granite pit and sand reserve, just outside Bowen, and they supply raw materials to many other companies in similar fields.

Among the company’s clients are Whitsunday Regional Council, Collinsville Coal, Abbot Point, North Queensland Bulk Ports and the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Some contracts are for a few hundred dollars, such as projects around homes, to hundreds of thousands, such as drainage work installing water pipes, to others in the millions such as completing a project at the Bowen harbour entrance or recovery work after natural disasters on rural roads around Collinsville and Mt Coolum.

Luke said the company had a major commitment to hiring local people, where possible, and reversing a trend of youngsters leaving Bowen for opportunities in the capital and major cities.

“We look at Bowen high school as producing many of our future workers, particularly in occupations such as civil engineers, project managers and trades such as boilermakers, even labourers.

“More than 15 per cent of our workforce is indigenous and we are continuously creating more opportunities in our region.

“Our company recruits young apprentices and trainees from local communities regularly. Where possible, we offer long-term jobs to those who complete our meticulous training process.

“We work with local sub-contractor fleets and suppliers and will always source and purchase locally whenever possible to support the Central Queensland economy.”

What started out with 10 teams, four years ago, attracted 28 outfits from Bowen, Proserpine and as far afield as Emerald, Rockhampton and Townsville, to Denison Park this year.

There were 280 boys and girls showing off their league skills in front of Jensen, an NRL star with Brisbane Broncos now, who learnt his craft playing on the same field, when he was their age.

Jensen just about wore out his signing hand as he was under constant requests for autographs of programs, jerseys or footballs.

Proud parents and families sat under marquees or in the stands to watch the kids work up a sweat under a hot sun.

Crowd numbers were unavailable but it was probably a record as well, judging by the cars parked along Queens Road and around the neighbouring PCYC Club rooms.

Bowen Seagulls secretary Monika Piggott said the teams would play four games each during the lightning carnival.

The youngsters have graduated from playing tag in more junior leagues and now tackle each other, some with more vigour than others.

Many of the kids ended up with a few grazes and bruises but there were no injuries of note.

Wounded pride might have been more prominent, as some youngsters showed evasive skills picked up from watching their heroes on the big screen.

The junior games are open to girls as well as boys, but they get their own teams from the under-12s onwards.

The game is growing in popularity with Bowen youngsters, with 350 signed up this year compared to 90, just a few years ago.

Referees for the day came from the ranks of older Bowen Seagulls, who give their time to help future generations of the game’s stars.

Australian launch services company Gilmour Space Technologies has announced it will launch a dedicated ride-share mission into low earth orbit (LEO), in late 2024, from its soon-to-be finished launch site, at Abbott Point.

Unlike most rocket launches, which host a primary customer payload, a ride-share launch comprises payloads for many customers, such as cubesats, microsats and other small spacecraft.

“Called Caravan-1, this mission will provide affordable access to new space customers looking to launch into a mid-inclination orbit at the end of 2024,” CEO and co-founder of Gilmour Space Adam Gilmour said.

The venture capital-backed company is developing Australian rockets that will deliver a variety of spacecraft into LEO.

It expects to launch its first Eris vehicle from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport early next year.

“Caravan-1 will launch our upgraded Eris Block 2 rocket in 2024, which will have a lift capacity of one tonne, into orbit – a significant upgrade in launch capability and capacity for our customers,” he said.

Caravan-1 customers will also have the option of using a standard 37cm (15-inch) adaptor port, and/or leveraging on Gilmour Space’s modular satellite platform, called the G-Sat, for individual payloads.

“The next few years are going to be an exciting time for the global space industry and missions like this will allow us to support the growth of new satellite and in-orbit technologies that could benefit humanity on earth, in space, and beyond,” Mr Gilmour said.

Australia is among many new players in the global space market, mainly start-ups in the early stages of developing new space technologies.

Access to Gilmour Space Technologies, specifically, launch cost and availability are a major challenge for companies as they develop, test, iterate and deploy their technologies in space.

Due to the high cost of getting into space, their only option was to be a ‘ride-share’ customer, piggybacking on a larger customer’s launch.

Addressing the annual general meeting (AGM) last Wednesday, chairman Bruce Hedditch said the housing shortage was holding the town back.

The hospital was struggling to attract much-needed doctors and nurses because of a shortage of accommodation for married staff.

The same issue affected schools finding teachers and the police bringing in married officers, Mr Hedditch said.

He said it was not a big problem attracting single staff but attracting senior married people was a cause for concern.

“Years ago, the police, hospital and schools had their own accommodation,” Mr Hedditch said.

“But decisions made by politicians in the past sold off this accommodation and now there is a shortage we need to address.”

The housing shortage, and also problems with childcare, also meant workers in many other industries, particularly mining, were forced to relocate to Mackay and Townsville when, they would prefer to live in Bowen, the meeting heard.

Mr Hedditch said it was time to focus on saving the jetty.

He predicted there would be a lot of community pressure brought to bear to retain it as one of the town’s assets, once the tugboats moved from their berths there to Abbott Point.

He said the Department of Lands would offer it to council, once it was no longer required for the tugboats.

“We need to retain it for future generations, we can’t lose sight of that,” Mr Hedditch said.

Parking at the hospital was another concern. The car park has only 18 bays and there is a need for 50.

He said older people visiting patients often had to park some distance away and had trouble walking up the hill.

Mr Hedditch said the hospital had land behind the (Bowen) bowls club and this could be used for additional parking.

He said the State Government was receiving record royalties from coal and needed to spend it in rural communities, rather than the south-east corner.

Thousands of dirt racing fans gathered in two spectator areas, plus hundreds more knew farmers with properties flanking the sandy riverbed of the Don River, at the weekend.

Don River Dash event secretary Wanita Sparr said the dash was now one of the biggest on the Queensland calendar, as competitors found it easier to get to than others out in the desert.

“They just drive straight up the highway, they don’t have to drive through the dust and dirt roads like they do to get to some other events,” she said.

Ms Sparr said the first competitors started arriving the Monday before, with the last getting in just before nominations closed, on Friday.

Race fans arrived early also to ensure they could get a room, as accommodation venues were booked out, pubs did a roaring trade, and visitors took time to see the Whitsundays’ many other natural attractions.

Miss Sparr said this weekend’s event – the fourth – was the biggest so far, with 203 bike riders and 89 buggies, of various modifications, taking part.

The event is also attracting more professional riders, including Toby Price and Dean Ferris, who have competed at the famous Baja (Mexico) and Las Vegas 400 meets.

Riders came from throughout Queensland and New South Wales to race.

Competitors raced along 25km tracks along the riverbed, adapting as best they could to the natural terrain.

There were jumps in front of the spectator bays to increase thrills for the crowd.

Despite some water in the normally dry Don, a couple of weeks ago, the recent warm weather saw only the occasional damp patch along the track.

Spills were numerous but injuries few, although most riders and drivers would return home with a few bruises.

Miss Sparr said organisers found it difficult to estimate crowd numbers, as people moved between the viewing areas at the riverbank, at Telegraph and Gladstone Park Roads, but estimates are at least 7,000.

The showground crowd chatted with competitors and were entertained by bands and stilt walkers from the Manoeuvre Troupe, and there were food stalls on site.

PIC: Proving age and experience are valued commodities, Gavin Jones, was the older rider at 63. (Bike 11).

Gilmour Space Technologies’ launch operations supervisor Adam Williams told a small crowd at a Bowen meet-and-greet, on Friday, that the space exploration company now had its sights set on a March date for its first launch.

Mr Williams was at the PCYC to explain to locals how the company worked and to also ensure locals benefitted from Gilmour’s arrival.

“We have spent the past six years on research and development. We’re just about there (for a launch) and the rocket will come here in three sections,” he said.

There will be 40 people on-site to put the rocket together and then another 60 people in flight teams and technicians getting it to lift off. All up, Gilmour has 174 workers, mostly technicians.

Mr Williams said the company needed long-term accommodation and food as basic prerequisites and all the flow-ons needed to make the business of space flights successful.

“We want to know what’s here in Bowen and what we can get from Bowen businesses. We don’t want to have to travel to Mackay or Townsville if we don’t have to,” he said

“We want to get to know people and spend time with people. We want to access local businesses wherever we can. We don’t want to over-promise and under-perform.

“We need electricians, plumbers and other tradespeople, food stalls to feed the technicians, we need to educate children to look at engineering jobs in the future.”

He said the company had long-term plans for Bowen – some are nearly happening now – and Australia had a big future in space technology, and Bowen would be at the forefront.

Mr Williams said if Bowen got 10 per cent of the 150,000 visitors who went to Cape Canaveral for the recent failed Artemis take-offs, tourism would be a big winner.

She will fall back on her career in personal development, which helped people with their emotional, mental and personal health, helping them achieve their dreams.

Cr Hall said she would be a full-time mayor and hand her business over to caretakers, so she could give 100 per cent to running the council.

She believes in government for the people, starting from the grassroots of local government through to State and Federal politics.

“People pay them through their rates and taxes, so we have to govern for the people, not through a bureaucracy,” she said.

“I am absolutely ecstatic (on being elected mayor) and I’m looking forward to getting behind the desk and being a voice for the community – a strong voice,” she said.

Cr Hall said her first task would be to build a bridge between the community and council’s planning department, an issue she stressed during the election campaign.

She said the community had expressed dissatisfaction with planning issues and it was necessary to bring confidence back into resolving those issues.

“I have some ideas to bring to the table on how we can do that. I won’t outline them now, I’ll take them to a strategy meeting with the council.”

Cr Hall said, although she only got 20 per cent of the primary vote, compared to 30 per cent for Mike Brunker and 22 per cent for Al Grundy, the result was always going to come down to preferences.

“When you have six candidates, no one was ever going to get 50 per cent,” she said.

“Crs Brunker and Grundy did not ask for preferences, it was always part of my strategy.”

Although she was critical of sitting councillors during her campaign, Cr Hall hoped there would be no animosity and that all councillors could work as a team in a professional manner.

“We are not there to attack each other but to work for the community. We have to put differences aside and work together,” she said.

At her swearing-in ceremony, on Monday, Cr Hall said she intended to lead from the front with grace and dignity, with the values of respect, kindness, positivity and inclusion.

“Change is always difficult because it requires us to step outside of what we know and into doubt and fear of the unknown,” she said.

“This is where I extend my invitation and call on our executive leadership team and councillors to stand together and show the community, through your support of me, that we really do have their best interests at heart.  

“When we are supporting each other, and working together as a team, we are working for the community not against them.

“I am very excited for the future of the Whitsundays. With fresh new leadership comes fresh new vibrant energy and a fresh new opportunity to get the heart of the Whitsundays really pumping.”

As Cr Hall won the Mayor’s job in a by-election, she stays until the next local government elections, in March 2024.

At 141 years old, a bit of wear and tear can only be expected and the remedial works are taking a bit longer than expected.

Renovations will cost $600,000 a Department of Justice and Attorney-General spokesperson told the Whitsunday News.

Works include repairs to the western veranda, eastern stairs, gutters and downpipes.

The building’s advanced age means work has to be done in line with heritage regulations.

After the scaffolding went up and work began, in February, construction workers found substantial termite infestations and work had to be suspended until this could be investigated to see how much unseen extra damage had been caused. 

Treatments have been completed and repairs will start again in mid-September.

The completion date would be November, the spokesperson said.

The courthouse was built in 1881 and, when heritage-listed in 1992, was considered an excellent example of the Classicism style with high-quality work produced by the Colonial Architects office of the 1800s, the spokesman said.

It is one of the few buildings in Bowen with fireplaces and chimneys, most of the others built around the same time were wooden and have since burnt down or been knocked down for more substantial homes able to withstand cyclones.

Such was the prominence of Bowen in the late 19th century that the courthouse was considered far grander than its regional counterparts at Townsville and Charters Towers.

But the courthouse has remained substantially unchanged with the last significant refurbishment, to fix water damage to foundations, completed in 2006.

The session, dubbed LeadIN, was launched by the Resources Centre of Excellence (RCoE), in Mackay, which aims to connect the brightest minds in research, technology and education, to shape and drive businesses into the future.

 It is the first time it has been held in Bowen and brought together representatives of the regional council, farmers and growers, small and medium businesses, tourism operators, hospitality and accommodation workers, and school students.

RCoE spokeswoman Tracey Dean said the meeting had three sessions spanning the morning and afternoon.

“We provide inspirational speakers focusing on business transformation into the future,” she said.

“There are a number of innovative businesses here and the speakers provided them information to help create networking opportunities, particularly business to business.”

There were different themes at each of the sessions including ‘proof that technology and innovation create new jobs’, ‘how data can drive a competitive edge’ and ‘how harnessing the right opportunities can make the region stand out, not just fit in’.

Ms Dean said she hoped attendees left inspired and empowered for growth within the region.

Key speaker Neil Glentworth focused on using data to drive innovation and growth, while Damian Bell, of the Wagner Corporation, Toowoomba, told listeners to take their region to the world.

Gilmour Space Technologies’ James Gilmour, meanwhile, outlined his company’s ambitions and achievements, and there were also talks about practical applications of artificial intelligence on horticulture, and a session on the workforce of the future.

Ms Dean said the meeting gave those attending advice and examples of transformation opportunities to ensure the local region remained competitive and the place to be for decades to come.