🚂 TEARC-jerker for Townsville development | New STEM Sisterhood program | QLD’s new free flu vaccinations | Pickleball Townsville showcase and more!
Today's newsletter is 1,091 words, a 5-minute read.
Welcome back to our epic weekly newsletter; it’s January 9.
🎲 👻 That’s Fun: Here’s a classic and free game of Pacman to help you ease back into the first few work weeks of 2025.
In today's email:
One Big Thing: TEARC-jerker for Townsville development
Engineering a new: Sisterhood program
Mentoring First Nations youth: Shaping future leaders
Trending: The feels of trying to buy your first home
Around The Web (Snippets): QLD’s free flu jabs, Grok’s unhinged news mode, 10 fun facts about jellyfish and more!
Upcoming Events
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram 😇
Townsville Weekend Weather Forecast
If you haven’t already, if you could please do our reader survey, that’d be awesome 🙌
The Weekly Dream Gig
This week - Queensland Health is seeking a Senior Clinical Measurements Scientist (Cardiac) for the Cardiac Investigations Unit at Townsville University Hospital.
Offering a yearly salary of $128,169 - $137,918, this full-time, permanent role involves delivering high-quality cardiac clinical services as part of an interprofessional team.
Applications close January 30 2025. Contact Feena Enfantie at (07) 4433 3595 for more details.
Need to advertise a job? Contact us here👇
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1. One Big Thing: TEARC-jerker for Townsville development
By Olivia Hatch
What’s Happening
Townsville’s Eastern Access Rail Corridor (TEARC) is back on the agenda, with a push to free freight trains from the CBD and streamline access to the Port of Townsville.
Why It Matters
TEARC promises to bolster North Queensland’s economy by supporting mining growth, improving logistics, and easing CBD congestion.
After a $2M review in 2024, TEARC has topped Townsville Enterprise’s federal wishlist for the 2025 election.
While over $10 million has been earmarked to preserve the corridor, full funding hinges on election outcomes and updated demand assessments.
By the Numbers
• $12.5M: Joint QLD/AUS funding to preserve TEARC so far
• $2M: Budgeted for re-examining its 2017 business case
• 2026-2028: Timeline for further planning
Local Impact
Proposed developments—like CopperString, Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, and new critical mineral projects—boost TEARC’s viability.
What To Look For Next
Don’t miss the other insightful features in our Townsville growth series to see how the city is evolving – discover what’s driving innovation and growth in the area!
2. Engineering a new sisterhood
By Olivia Hatch
What’s Happening
Keziah Furnell's new STEM Sisterhood program is inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists in North Queensland.
Why It Matters
James Cook University (JCU) engineering student Keziah Furnell’s STEM Sisterhood program recently saw her recognised as the runner-up in tech giant Samsung’s national Solve for Tomorrow competition.
Ms Furnell, an Electrical Engineering and IT student, is a passionate advocate for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), with her workshops for girls proving a huge hit across the region.
Local Impact
STEM Sisterhood’s workshops are growing in popularity, with recent expansions into Bowen and future sessions planned for Charters Towers and Ingham. The program is also adapting to cater to groups like Hear for You, making STEM more accessible to a wider range of young people.
What To Look For Next
Know more about the program in the full article below 👇
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3. Mentoring First Nations youth: Shaping future leaders
What’s Happening
Shalom Family Church in Townsville, with support from Carinity’s Collaborative Community Projects, is fostering the next generation of Indigenous Australian leaders through ‘The Mentoring Project.’
This initiative mentors 20 disadvantaged First Nations youth, providing cultural and faith-based activities, leadership development, and employment opportunities.
Local Impact
Shalom Family Church, led by Pastor Andy and Emma Bollom, has a community of around 75 people, primarily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
Through their mentoring initiative, they provide faith, cultural education, and community service, strengthening connections with Carinity Education Shalom School and the broader Townsville community.
What To Look For Next
The Mentoring Project plans to continue its impactful camps and community service projects in 2025, further strengthening ties with the local community and nurturing the next wave of Indigenous leaders.
Read the full article below 👇
4. Trending
5. Around The Web (Snippets)
Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) has initiated the removal of the: Derelict 49-metre vessel Endeavour Bay from Trinity Inlet in Cairns.
Join dual Olympian and Level 4 High Performance Coach Paul Di Bella for: Speed sessions at the Townsville Sports Reserve this January
Facebook Marketplace is being forced to: Display eBay listings to appease EU regulators
Here are five common: Mistakes people make when choosing security windows
Free flu vaccines for: All Queenslanders in 2025
Here are 10 wobbly wonderful facts about: The ocean’s jellyfish
Here’s the Townsville Racing: Preview for tomorrow
ChatGPT has just been surpassed as the top free app by: Watch Duty, an app to track wildfires with live maps and alerts
After four years of growth, here’s a video showcasing the fast-growing local: Pickleball scene with Pickleball Townsville
First-Ever Observation Of Whale Sharks': Mysterious love Life has been caught on camera
From boredom to bliss and how a: Spontaneous Trip from Townsville to Bowen Created Unforgettable Moments
Billionaire Elon Musk, owner of X, teased that a mysterious: Unhinged News Mode is coming for X’s AI-powered chatbot, Grok
6. Upcoming Events
🗣 RAVES - Responders and Veterans Engaging Socially: January 10 from 10 am onwards; chat over a brew or try your hand at lawn bowls or Corn Hole at Jubilee Bowls Club
🤸🏼 Half Day Camp - Momentum Gymnastics: January 13 to January 14 from 8:30 am onwards; a super fun 3 hours of bouncing, jumping, swinging, rolling, hanging and climbing at Momentum Gymnastics
🫀 Castletown Heart Foundation Walking Group: January 13 from 7:30 am to 8:30 am; walk your way to better health at Castletown
🧘🏼♂️ Cacao, Kirtan, and Sacred Sound Chants: January 15 from 6 pm onwards; a joyful, meditative practice at Inner Light Meditation Centre
🎶 Billy Elliot The Musical: January 16 to January 25; a heartwarming and powerful adaptation of the 2000 film at Townsville Civic Theatre