Andrew Willcox in Bowen, Queensland | Public & government service

Andrew Willcox

Locality: Bowen, Queensland

Phone: +61 458 442 323

Address: Mount Nutt Rd 4805 Bowen, QLD, Australia

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25.01.2022 G’day All and Happy Fathers Day! I hope all the Dads, Grandads and Dads to be are having a fantastic day! It the greatest and most rewarding thing in the world to be a dad and I know I am truly blessed to be lucky enough to be the father of my three amazing kids! A quick update on my own Dad, who after surgery and a two week stay in Townsville hospital has returned home to rest and recover. He’s a tough ol’ bugger and I want to wish him a very special happy Father’s Day.... Over the past week Raylene and I took 5 days off and due to Covid-19 and boarder closures, we headed out to western Queensland to check out a different lifestyle and tourist attractions. First stop was Barcaldine to see the Tree of Knowledge Monument. Then onto Aramac and the Sculpture Trail near Lake Dunn. Called into Muttaburra to stand smack bang in the middle of Qld before moving onto Longreach and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame & the Qantas Founders Museum. Then a short trip through to Winton and on the way visited the Australian Age of Dinosaurs and the Dinosaurs Stampede. Once in Winton, the Waltzing Matilda Centre was the place to be. Next day we were arriving in Cloncurry, the home of the John Flynn museum and the Royal Flying Doctors. Mt. Isa was next stop but there’s quite a bit to visit along the way including the WalkAbout Pub made famous featuring in the Crocodile Dundee movies. We also stopped in at the Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine and it’s brilliant blue water at the bottom of the cut out before arriving in Mt. Isa, a town built on mining but most famous for it’s annual rodeo! Nearing the end of our trip we travelled to Richmond another town rich in fossils and dinosaur bones and skeletons, some of which are on display at Koronasaurus Korner. Hughenden was last on the list for more dinosaur bones, teeth and fossils including Muttaburrasaurus! Our trip may have been short but it was certainly jam packed, discovering only a small part of not only what was here before man millions of years ago but a small insight into our culture and heritage! Everyone we met along the way were welcoming and friendly, and as many questions we threw at them they returned, asking about our home, giving us an opportunity to sell our piece of paradise and encourage all to travel to the Whitsundays for a visit and holiday. Of course I never miss any chance to promote our region, I came away prepared, leaving tourist brochures at each town we travelled to. The state of Queensland is certainly a diverse one, not unlike our Whitsunday region. It’s been great to get out and have a look at what's around but it’s always great to come home, to what I believe is the best place in, not only Queensland and Australia, but the world to live, The Wonderful Whitsundays! Tonight’s dinner is roast beef and veggies. ‘Til next time, have a good one!

25.01.2022 Who doesn’t love fresh prawns! Watch my latest and last cooking video for the year with Cr Gary Simpson and hear all that is happening at Tassal’s Prawn Farm.

25.01.2022 G’day All, It was a great day on Monday as myself, councillors and the WRC exec team toured Proserpine, visiting council assets and places of interest. First up we headed to Foxdale Quarry where Manager Quentin explained the process, everything from making armour rock for Shute Harbour to the by product of crusher dust. Next moved onto the Proserpine Visitor Information Centre, where I had a chat with Nele and Whitsunday Gold Coffee Plantation which has become a tourist dest...Continue reading

23.01.2022 R U OK? three small words that could make a big impact on someones life! Today is R U OK Day, a day to bring to the forefront of everyone's thoughts, to check on your family, friends and neighbours, not just today but any day when you feel someone may be doing it tough and ask "are you ok?".

23.01.2022 G’day All, Even though we are coming towards the end of the year, there’s still plenty happening in our beautiful region and its certainly keeping busy! Monday WRC CEO Rod Ferguson and myself were off to Mackay to attend the GWCoM (Greater Whitsunday Council of Mayors) meeting. This is where three councils come together and receive updates from GW3 (Greater Whitsunday Alliance), State & Federal Government representatives and the LGAQ about funding opportunities and projects ...Continue reading

22.01.2022 G’day All, My week was busy from the get go, starting with a Local Government Mayors Teleconference with the Director-General David Stuart and the Department of Premier & Cabinet for a Covid-19 update. This meeting was done this way as the State Govt is now in caretaker mode. I then joined Shadow Minister for Environment, Science and the Great Barrier Reef & Tourism David Crisafulli along with LNP Candidate for Whitsunday Amanda Camm in Cannonvale for a morning tea. This wa...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Tonight we farewell 2020 and welcome in the new year of 2021. I think we can all agree that it has been a tough year, but I'm extremely proud of everyone here in the Whitsundays, we have come together, supported one another through the challenges and I know the Whitsunday community spirit will stay strong in the coming year. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing tonight to celebrate, have a great time and stay safe. Happy New Year!... I have put together a little video, snippets of throughout 2020. Click on the link below to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ650cfC7HQ

19.01.2022 G’day All, the seasons are changing and which means, we’ve had the last of the Bowen grown tomatoes. Also with that change brings on the mango season and what a treat they are. I don’t think there’s a better fruit on the planet than a Bowen Special Mango! My week kicked off in Townsville where I attended a Northern Alliance of Councils meeting. NAOC is essentially made up of members from a group of council north of Capricorn, however it is decided this group will morph into ...the Regional Qld Council of Mayors. This is an important step forward and will be further developed at a strategy meeting in Townsville 30th November followed by an AGM. The needs and priorities of regional Qld a vastly different from our friends in the south-east corner. This group will have direct access to State and Federal Govts to get the best deal for the bush. Back in our beautiful region and off to Collinsville for Melbourne Cup celebrations and the Collinsville show holiday on Tuesday. Raylene and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Pit Pony and later I was asked to present the winning prizes to the Best Dressed Gentleman, Best Dressed Lady and Best Fascinator. Eveyone was certainly dressed to impress which made the judges decisions extremely hard but at the end of the day, we were all there for one reason, to watch the 2020 Lexus Melbourne Cup. Thanks again to Janet, Nigel and the team at the Pit Pony for putting on such a great afternoon. From there we moved down to the Workers Club where it was great to catch up with many of the locals to see who picked a winner. Wednesday was our briefing session this week held in Proserpine. Upon travelling back to Bowen I then had a meeting later in the afternoon with Chairman and members of the Bowen Collinsville Enterprise to discuss the Bowen Boat Harbour. Thursday I was joined by Cr. Al Grundy where we did some filming in regards to the completed boardwalk at Cannonvale Lakes in Division 2. I then had several meetings with ratepayers in Cannonvale. Later in the afternoon I participated in a meeting with Maritime Employment, Skills & Training Officer Adam Chanter and Amanda Lavarack. Friday, along with Mackay Regional Council and Isaac Regional Council in the Proserpine Boardroom, we held a meeting with the Qld Reconstruction Authority to discuss their role in Communities after a disaster event. Soon after I had my catch up with our CEO Rod Ferguson and then moved to an onsite meeting this time in Merinda. I then rounded out the day completing my register of interest form. This weekend it was a nice surprise to have two of our three kids home. Tom our youngest was unable to travel home as he is completing his studies for the year at JCU. Tonight’s dinner is sausages cooked on the webber with a mango salad and potato bake. ‘Til next time, have a good one!

18.01.2022 G’day All, Monday was a personal day as I drove Dad to Townsville for medical appointments. That evening I attended the AGM of the Bowen Collinsville Enterprise and then was joined by Raylene for the BCE Christmas dinner. On Tuesday, I attended a Local Disaster Management Group meeting in Proserpine. This meeting was largely to discuss our cyclone and flooding preparedness and I am pleased to advise while we are certainly not in hurry to put our skills to the test, we ready...Continue reading

18.01.2022 G'day Folks, As mentioned in my previous post, I visited the Bowen Men's Shed where Council donated $20k towards upgrading the facility. While there I interviewed a few of the men to see what the shed meant to them and also to get the word out that all are welcome to come along, even if only for a cup of tea and chat. Well done fellas!

17.01.2022 G’day All, An early one today as I wanted to make sure everyone knows the Whitsundays will be featured on Channel 7 WEEKENDER at 5.30pm today!! Follow Duane as he explores our beautiful region, promoting to Qld and Australia just how good it is in the Whitsundays! It was a busy week but one that I thoroughly enjoyed as I was out and about meeting with our regions people starting with a tour of Bowen Meals on Wheels while shooting a video in support of National Meals on Wheel...Continue reading

16.01.2022 G’day All, Meetings, announcements and elections promises was the theme for this week. I kicked off Monday where I met with representatives from Juru Enterprises to discuss a few of their projects underway with the main one being their plant nursery. The opening for the nursery will be mid 2021 with all plants propagated from local tree within our region. We also talked of other indigenous tourism opportunities. Later I joined a teleconference for Whitsunday LDMG Extraordina...Continue reading

15.01.2022 G'day All, even though I have signed off from Facebook for the year I have some special news I want to share with you all ... our eldest Jack has asked his beautiful girlfriend Zoe, to marry him. We are all so very excited and happy for them both and wish them love, health and happiness for their future together. This has certainly been a wonderful way to finish off 2020!

15.01.2022 G'day All, Picking up where I left off last Sunday, I enjoyed a dinner event at LaTabella with community leaders ahead of the Regional Community Forum held in Proserpine the next day. Before this, early Monday morning, Minister for Employment, Small Business, Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman and myself travelled back to Bowen to the Bowen TAFE Campus. Here Minister Fentiman announced an investment of $200,000 towards updating infrastructure to the TAFE. Whil...Continue reading

15.01.2022 A special congratulations to all Year 12 Students graduating across the Whitsunday region ..... You Did It!! 2020 certainly put you all to the test, but you stood tall to the challenge. I am extremely proud of each and every one of you and I wish you every success in the future.

14.01.2022 G’day all, I hope everyone enjoyed their shorter week and it was not too jam packed with Monday being a public holiday for the Queen’s Birthday. The LDMG (Local Disaster Management Group) Ordinary Meeting kicked off my week in Proserpine and then moved into a meeting with our CEO Rod Ferguson for our weekly catchup. The next day our Council gathered in Proserpine for the Briefing Session. Throughout the day during breaks I fielded various media calls in relation to the Fede...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Merry Christmas to all in the Whitsundays from my family to yours. Have a fantastic day and please stay safe everyone

11.01.2022 G’day All, A fantastic week of grand openings and citizenship ceremonies. I kicked off my week in a meeting with the Project Leadership Team for DRFA 2019 and updates on the Shute Harbour project. I then met with Gudjura Reference Group & Tourism Whitsunday to discuss opportunities for Indigenous Tourism.. watch this space! That evening I attended a BCE (Bowen Collinsville Enterprise) meeting at the Bowen Tafe. Tuesday was an exciting day with the official opening of the Pr...Continue reading

11.01.2022 G’day All, Kicking off my week at the Gold Coast attending the 124th Local Government of Qld Annual Conference. Here I was very happy with successfully presenting and debating four motions being 1. That the LGAQ lobby the State Government to make permanent the Works for Qld program with funding of $100million per annum, indexed to the Council Cost Index. This funding is what has helped provide smaller items like playground equipment, lookouts and shade coverings just to nam...Continue reading

11.01.2022 G’day all, What a week for Queensland!!! Once again the Mighty Maroons take the series, bringing light to a tough 2020. Monday was my weekly teleconference with LDMG Meeting where the business was the fires at Airlie Beach, getting prepared for the storm & cyclone season and of course a Covid-19 update. Tuesday I was part of a teleconference for the Whitsunday Regional Roads Group (WRRTG) meeting. Here we discussed the planning and building of the Ted Cunningham bridge, t...Continue reading

09.01.2022 G'day All, by now most of you would've viewed the 7WEEKENDER story showcasing our magnificent region last Sunday arvo. In case you missed it click on the photo below and this will take you to the page which covers a segment for Proserpine, Bowen, Collinsville and Airlie Beach. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

08.01.2022 G’day All, I am sure many of you were glued to your TVs, phones, laptops and iPads last night eager to see counts and tallies, if any of the 2020 State election. It’s certainly been an interesting lead up to Oct 31st but more on that later. My week kicked off with a teleconference with the Director-General, Department of Premier and all Qld Mayors to receive the latest information in regards to Covid-19. I then moved into the next teleconference with the manager of the MECC...Continue reading

08.01.2022 G’day All, Hope everyone has had a great weekend whatever you were up to in our wonderful Whitsunday region. Last week I kicked off on Monday with a teleconference with the LDMG (Local Disaster Management Group) Extraordinary Meeting, the main topic of course being Covid-19. It is important that all leaders involved in this group keep up talks with each other and are also kept up to date. We know this virus is not gone and doing the right thing in keeping our region safe is ...Continue reading

08.01.2022 Yesterday was a great day for Proserpine and the Whitsundays with the official opening of the Whitsunday Regional Council administration building in Proserpine including a fully-equipped Disaster Co-ordination Centre and Climate Change Innovation Hub. Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk along with State Treasurer Cameron Dick and Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen were on hand to help with the opening. Each level of government contributed funds towards this project,... $3.6m from Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, $3.587m from WRC and $5m from the Qld Govt. This once again shows the three levels of govt working together to ensure the best outcome for our region. We then moved down to the site of where the new Proserpine Entertainment Centre will be built for the turning of the sod. It's great to see this project getting underway and I once again would like to thank the State and Federal government for their contribution towards what will be a state of the art facility!

07.01.2022 G’day All, It’s been an interesting week of meetings and announcements across our wonderful Whitsunday region. Monday morning I attended the official launch of the Bowen Rail Company project held at the Bowen PCYC and had many local business managers and leaders in attendance along with Federal Minister for Dawson George Christensen and State Member for Burdekin Dale Last. This will mean permanent jobs and a welcome boost to our local economy. Straight after that I moved into... a DRFA 2019 & Shute Harbour Project Leadership Team meeting. Later that evening I met with Minister for State Development, Tourism and Innovation Kate Jones in Airlie Beach. Minister Jones was enquiring as to how the Whitsundays was coping with the effects of Covid-19. Tuesday I met with Bowen Rail Company CEO Trista Brohier where we discussed other opportunities for servicing, maintenance, job etc around the rail component. Tuesday was Vietnam Veterans Day and I was invited to attend the ceremony held at the Bowen RSL Club and lay a wreath to honour those who fought for our country. These ceremonies are always emotional but I believe important, to continue to remember and pass these memories down through the generations. I also would like to mention the ladies from CWA who provided the light lunch and a special thanks to Eileen who saved me a piece of sponge cake, my favourite! In the afternoon I had a teleconference for the AGM of the Northern Alliance of Councils. Wednesday was the Council Briefing Session in Proserpine. I then moved into an Audit & Risk Committee meeting also held in Proserpine where we reviewed the audited financial statements for 2019/20 year and reviewed the draft annual report. Thursday was the Greater Whitsunday Council of Mayors meeting this time held in Bowen. This is a gathering of the Mayors and CEO’s from Isaac, Mackay and Whitsunday regions and is a great opportunity to discuss strategies to drive the Greater Whitsunday region forward. That afternoon I hosted the Gilmour Space team and toured the proposed site for the space facility’s launch pad near Abbot Point. This is an exciting new venture and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition. Friday I took Dad up to Townsville to see a couple of specialists, where one decided to keep him there. These old fellas sometimes take a bit of patching up .... but they sure are worth it! Get better ol' mate! The upside to this, is Raylene who travelled up on Friday evening and myself got to catch up with our kids on Friday and Saturday night in between hospital and doctors visits. As we've only just got home, tonight’s dinner is curried egg on toast haha! ‘Til next time, have a good one!

06.01.2022 Today is National Police Remembrance Day. I would like to pay tribute and say thank you to all Police Officers who serve the Australia public and the Whitsunday community, who protect and keep us safe and I ask that we remember the Officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Police Ode As the sun surely sets: dawn will see it arise, for service, above self, demands its own prize. You have fought the good fight: life’s race has been run, and peace, your reward, for... eternity begun. And we that are left, shall never forget, rest in peace friend and colleague, for the sun has now set. We will remember. We will remember. Hasten the dawn. See more

04.01.2022 G’day All, My week started with a meeting with the Department of State Development, Tourism & Innovation to discuss the Abbot Point Space Launch Investigation. This is not a fair fetched pipe dream but an achievable project that I will help to come to fruition. Tuesday was Yellow Ribbon Day for the RFBAQ, Rural Fire Brigade Assn Qld. This initiative born out of protest is now an annual event acknowledging the commitment and dedication of the 36,000 plus rural fire brigade... volunteers in Queensland. Wednesday I was involved in the filming for the R U OK Day video with our CEO Rod Ferguson before we both had to head into our Ordinary Council Meeting this week held in Proserpine. The Audited Financial Statements for the 2019/20 financial year were tabled showing WRC in a sound financial position. These statements will be available on the WRC website for all to view. Council approved donations to support all schools in the Whitsunday region for each awards night. Sport and Recreation Club grants were also approved for the Whitsunday Moto Sports Club, Whitsunday Dirt Riders, Bowen Seagulls Junior Rugby League, Whitsunday Netball Assn., Tennis Whitsunday and Cannonvale Cannons Swimming Club. After the meeting myself, Councillors, Ceo Rod and the exec team headed out to Lake Proserpine to inspect the latest works undertaken. It was pleasing to see over 50 people using this fantastic location and this was mid-week!! Thursday was the release of the video to coincide with National R U OK Day. With all that is happening in 2020, to start a conversation and really listen if someone needs to talk is so important. Take the time to check on family and friends and ask your mates how they’re going? Friday was an early start in Bowen as I attended a Breakfast Forum organised by BCE, Bowen Collinsville Enterprise, where the community received updates on the economic projects in our region. The presentations included the Urannah Water Scheme, The Bowen Marina & The Bowen Marine Centre of Excellence and last but not least the Adani Carmichael Mine & Rail Project. It was back to the office for a quick check in before moving into another meeting with a property developer. The rest of the day was catching up with emails, phonecalls, the CEO and Directors. Raylene and I have enjoyed having our daughter Shannon home for the week while she worked in her workplace’s Bowen branch. This afternoon we treated ourselves to one of her famous cheese platters while watching the Cowboys play the Storm in their second last game of this season. We didn’t get the result we always hope for but it was great to see local footy star Corey Jensen get some significant time on the field and he didn’t disappoint. Well done Corey! Tonight’s dinner is a Mexican themed tacos! ‘Til next time, have a good one!

04.01.2022 G’day All, Hope everyone enjoying their long weekend. Raylene and I are certainly having a lovely time with all of our kids home, catching up with all the goings on in their lives. This week was filled with teleconferences and face to face meetings starting with a teleconference for Integrity Act Training, in Proserpine. This involved the education of the implementation of new Local Government reforms coming into effect this month. I then moved into another teleconference w...Continue reading

04.01.2022 On this day 102 years ago at 11am, the guns on the battlefields of WWI fell silent. Today, on this Remembrance Day in our silence, we not only honour but draw inspiration and strength from those who have gone before us, as we remember the men and women who gave their lives to protect us and our freedom. Lest We Forget.

01.01.2022 My latest cooking video with Cr. Al Grundy of Division 2. It was a great way for me to catch up with Cr. Grundy, share with all of you what's happening in his division and another yummy recipe! Cheers!