Moving to Mackay

Babies, childcare and young families

Mackay has a broad range of support services and childcare available for young families. Contact the Queensland Government to find the latest information and providers of early childhood services including: Advice for new parents, baby clinics and child health, child care and play groups, birthing centres and midwives, prenatal classes and information, family planning, parental leave.

Queensland Government
Phone: 13  QGOV (13 74 68)
www.qld.gov.au/families/babies

Climate

The Mackay area has a tropical climate. Summers are generally hot and wet, though the coast has the benefit of a regular afternoon sea breeze. Winter days are generally warm and sunny, while winter nights can be cool away from the coast.

For more information visit www.bom.gov.au/qld/mackay/climate.shtml

Community and economic profiles

The region’s expanding employment, investment and development opportunities, buoyant economy and lifestyle attributes are just some of the many positive aspects that encourage people to live, work and play in the Mackay region.

The Mackay region is home to a diverse and vibrant community with rural and coastal living opportunities in 30 townships, small rural settlements and rural residential areas.

For more information http://www.mackay.qld.gov.au/business/invest_mackay/regional_economy/our_economy

Community support

Council supports a range of groups and organisations in the Mackay region that provide services, support and leisure and lifestyle activities for people across the region including:

• Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People
• Australian South Sea Islander People
• People with Disabilities
• Rural Areas in the Mackay Region
• Seniors and Older People
• Youth and Young People
• Sarina Neighbourhood & Youth Centres

To discuss your interests and for some recommendations on groups to get in contact with get in touch with the Community Development Officers at Mackay Regional Council:

Phone: 1300 622 529
Email: council@mackay.qld.gov.au
Website: www.mackay.qld.gov.au/community

Dining, entertainment and shopping

Mackay contains a number of large shopping centres, sports clubs, cinemas, family-oriented facilities, modern nightclubs and social venues as well as a range of restaurants and cafés to suit all tastes.

Just some of the facilities available locally include:

• Mackay City Centre
• Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre
• BB Print Mackay Stadium
• Council facilities – including aquatic facilities, galleries, museums, botanic gardens, and more
• Community and sporting groups directory
• Caneland Central Shopping Centre - more than 110 specialty shops & service stores)
• Mount Pleasant Shopping Centre
• Sarina information

Education - Schools, TAFE, universities and training organisations

Mackay has a broad range of educational institutions available.

Education Queensland
Phone: 13  QGOV (13 74 68)
Website: education.qld.gov.au/parents/

Catholic Education Diocese of Rockhampton
Phone: 07 4931 3600
Email: reception@rok.catholic.edu.au
Website: www.rok.catholic.edu.au

The Association of Independent Schools of Queensland
Phone: 07 3228 1515

CQ University (has merged with CQ TAFE)
Phone: 13 27 86 or from overseas +61 7 4930 9000
Website: www.cqu.edu.au

James Cook University
Phone: 07 4781 4111
Website: www.jcu.edu.au

Registered Training Organisations
Search for other Mackay RTOs, information on apprenticeships and traineeships, courses and training providers and more at this website. http://training.gov.au/

Electricity

Ergon Energy is the electricity provider in the Mackay region.

Emergency information - Cyclones, storm surges, floods

Living in the tropics carries with it the responsibility of always being prepared for cyclones, flooding and other threats. It is the price we pay for living in tropical paradise. Natural disasters do happen and it is not a matter of “if’ but “when”.

It is highly recommended that you obtain a copy of Mackay Regional Council’s Emergency Action Guide. These contain the most up to date emergency advice flooding maps, checklists for preparing emergency kits and evacuation plans and more.

They are available in hard copy from any of the three Customer Service Centres (Mackay, Sarina or Mirani) or from any library (City, Gordon White, Walkerston, Sarina or Mirani). They can be posted to you by calling 1300 622 529.

Garbage collection and kerbside recycling

Mackay Regional Council’s kerbside waste collection consists of one 240 litre red/green lidded bin for general waste that is serviced weekly and one 240 litre yellow- lidded bin for recycling that is serviced fortnightly on the same day as your general waste bin.

To check which day and week your bins are serviced, refer to the recycling calendar available on council’s website.

Housing

Mackay has a range of housing options available and it is recommended that you start your housing investigations before relocating.

Helpful hint: Before searching, you might want to think about your living requirements, buy or rent, furnished or unfurnished premises, pets or no pets and the area you wish to live in.

You can check the latest average rental rates per week for different types of properties in our region at the Rental Tenancies Authority website.

Helpful links:

• www.domain.com.au - search for suitable properties to buy or rent in Mackay
• www.realestate.com.au – search for properties for sale / rent
• www.yellowpages.com.au – search for real estate agents, caravan parks and hostels
• www.gumtree.com.au – search for properties for sale / rent, second hand furniture etc

Housing options including rentals, share houses and properties for sale and second hand furniture are also advertised in the local newspaper, The Daily Mercury as well as the Pocket Trader and Pocket Ads Classifieds booklets available at local news agencies and service stations.

Leisure and lifestyle groups

Mackay boasts a huge range of groups that you can get involved in. From pottery to choirs, dog walking, environmental, birdwatching, bushwalking, craft groups, languages, film and book clubs and more as well as the clubs such as Apex, Lions, Rotary, you will find something to suit you.

You can look up groups on council’s Community Directory (please note this is not a comprehensive list of services and is maintained by the services themselves)

To discuss your interests and for some recommendations contact the Community Development Officers at Mackay Regional Council:

Phone: 1300 622 529
Email: council@mackay.qld.gov.au

Libraries

Mackay Regional Council library service has five branches and one mobile library serving an estimated population of over 120,000 people. They offer a range of services including book, DVD and magazine loans, free WiFi and computer access, kids and young people’s activities, family history, culturally and linguistically diverse resources and much more.

For the most up to date locations and opening hours of the libraries contact Mackay Regional Council:

Phone: 1300 622 529
Email: council@mackay.qld.gov.au
Website: www.mackay.qld.gov.au/libraries

Migrants and multicultural community members

Approximately one in ten Mackay residents were born overseas, and more than 60 different nationalities are represented in the region.

• Visit council’s Migrants & Multicultural page for resources available locally such as English language classes, migration agents, multicultural festivals and more

Council also has a Multicultural Officer. To discuss your interests and needs and for recommendations on other organisations in the community who can assist you contact the Community Development Team at Mackay Regional Council.

Phone: 1300 622 529
Email: council@mackay.qld.gov.au
Website: www.mackay.qld.gov.au/community

Pets

• Information on dog and cat registration, horses, keeping birds & poultry, livestock and more
• Dog off-leash areas

Religious and spiritual institutions

Mackay welcomes people of many religions and faiths and has numerous places to worship. Search the links below for different institutions.

• The Yellow Pages
• Council’s community directory (please note this is not a comprehensive list of services and is maintained by the services themselves)

Sport and fitness

All tastes are catered for in the field of sport. The traditional sports of rugby league, union, AFL, tennis, netball, cricket, golf, hockey, football, and many more are played. Clubs exist for many sports, including tai-chi, BMX, fishing, roller-derby, karate, archery and many, many more. There are also many different gyms to choose from.

The dry, mild winter climate and the beautiful coastline make sailing, boating and fishing all popular outdoor activities.

For more information visit council's website.

You can also look up local sporting clubs in our Community Directory.

Transportation

• Airport - Mackay Airport is Central Queensland's multi modal integrated transport hub. Jetstar, Qantaslink and Virgin Australia provide regular transport services in and out of Mackay. The regular flight paths offer linkages to both capital cities and other key centres.

• Parking - Parking is free throughout most of Mackay, with some designated paid parking areas in the City Centre.

• Bike and Walking Paths - With a large network of bike and walking paths, Mackay offers a range of healthy transportation options.

• Public Transport - Mackay Transit Coaches provides week long quality public transport to the majority of Mackay and its surrounding regions.

Water restrictions

Your property address determines the days you can water your gardens and lawn using the potable water supply.

For more information on water restriction levels visit council's website