Why Change A Winning Format?

By Goanna

The Wheelbarrow Race is in danger of having change imposed on it. The Wheelbarrow race was started to give recognition to the many pioneers who pushed a wheelbarrow (the only means of transport for many in those times) from Mareeba to the places west to find work.

The Mareeba Shire Mayor Mr.Mick Borzi and the Councillors at the time decided to name the road from Mareeba to Chillagoe "The Wheelbarrow Way". It was meant to attract visitors to the area. The Race was another event which was to attract people to these small towns.

The Race starts in Mareeba on the first day and goes to Dimbulah. This town enjoys the injection of the people from the teams and their support for an overnight stay. The next section of the race is to Almaden. The night spent in this small town provides a much needed boost to the local economy.

The following day the teams race into Chillagoe, here the crowds gather near the winning line waiting to see who will cross first. A few hundred people enjoy the lunch provided by local organizations. The business places benefit as people wander around soaking up the beauty of the quiet town.

Many hours of volunteer work by dedicated people from these same towns has gone into promoting this event. Lots of unpaid workers make sure the teams are looked after during the days of racing.The Race is getting bigger each year, which proves it is a winning format.
It is the small towns which need the most recogition from these events. The towns need people to spend time there. It is the areas where the wheelbarrows were pushed to which deserve the title "Destination". Lets not go down the path of trampling on history.

Yes all events can be improved, but instead of using energy to dismantle a great event, lets work together to build a bigger event.

Pictured is Artist Darryl Ely’s “Wheelbarrow Way Sculpture”, photo-graphed by Jana Iriyadi.

Registrations Open

The race is on to register Clean Up sites for 2012. The annual Clean Up Australia Day will be 4 March 2012.

Registrations for Clean Up Sites are now open to join Team Clean Up in 2012. To register go to: www.cleanupaustralia day.org.au

Over the last 21 years an estimated 237,500 tonnes of rubbish have been removed from our environment on Clean Up Australia Day. But with every Australian still producing approximately 2 tonnes of garbage a year, but we still have a long way to go.

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On Election Day 31 March voters will elect a total of 73 mayors and 488 local councillors throughout Queensland. Enrolment and voting are compulsory.

The electoral roll for the Local Government elections closes on 31 January.

Nomination of candidates officially opens on Saturday 11 February and closes on Tuesday 28 February.

Processing of postal vote applications will commence in early March, with pre-poll centres open from 19 March.

Further information is available on the Electoral Commission of Queensland website www.ecq.qld.gov.au

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The woman purchased her winning ticket from Mareeba News in Byrnes Street.

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