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The Whitsundays will facilitate Queensland’s first foray into the multi-trillion-dollar global space industry, after a feasibility study found a site at Abbot Point, north of Bowen, is suitable for rocket launches.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the government was committed the development of launch infrastructure, and keen to work with private investors and local stakeholders on a plan for the Abbot Point site, with venture-backed Gilmour Space Technologies already expressing significant interest.
Mr Miles said the government’s aim was to “position the state to have the potential to meet longer-term, broader industry requirements” and this may result in multiple launch facilities being developed, likely along the coast.
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Bowen beaches and parklands will close to the public this winter to make way for amphibious and land-based military training operations.
Kings Beach, from the mouth of Sandhill Creek, will be closed from 5am Sunday, July 18 to 5am Saturday, July 31, to allow the Department of Defence to conduct activities including landing of military boats, landing craft, and hover craft, plus the driving along the beach by military
vehicles. Council-managed sites in Bowen will be temporarily closed to the public at the request of Australian, American, New Zealand, Japanese, British, Canadian and the Republic of Korea Defence Forces. Picture: Supplied.
The community is likely to have a say on whether Whitsunday Regional Council should ditch its six council divisions At Wednesday s council meeting in Proserpine, councillors will consider a recommendation to consult and engage with the community on becoming undivided for electoral purposes and subject to the results of the consultation, ask the minister to refer the review of council s electoral arrangements to the change commissioner . The decision will impact how the 2024 council election is to be conducted, including how many candidates electors are able to choose from. Under the current system, electors can only vote in a division for which they are enrolled. Removing divisions would allow electors to choose their representatives from the total list of candidates.