Fibre Optic Mackay

Specialising in Fibre Optic Installation, Repair, Splicing and Emergency Repair in Mackay

Next Gen Fibre & Data Networks service the Mackay area and provide Fibre Optic Installation and Repair, as well as Splicing and Emergency Repair. Operating for many years and completing a number of Fibre Optic Installs and Repairs, you can trust Next Gen Fibre & Data Networks for your project. So if you need Fibre Optic Repair, Installation or Splicing in Mackay contact us today for further information. Get a Free Quote for your next project, or contact us now on 07 5665 8721 for Fibre Optic Emergency Repair.

Mackay Overview

Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about 970 kilometres (603 mi) north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar. There is controversy about the geographic location of the region, with most people referring to it as a part of either Central Queensland or North Queensland, though much confusion still lies within the Queensland Government, with government services being provided through both Townsville (North Queensland) and Rockhampton (Central Queensland). Generally, the area is known as the Mackay Whitsunday Region. Equally, there has always been much contention over the pronunciation of the name Mackay. Correspondence received by Mackay City Library in 2007, from descendants of John Mackay, confirms that the correct pronunciation is rhyming with sky, from the Gaelic name "MacAoidh" which is pronounced "i" not "ay".

Public Transport

Two major highways, the A1 (Bruce Highway), and highway 70 (Peak Downs Highway), pass through Mackay. The A1 connects the city to Townsville and Cairns in the north, and Rockhampton and Brisbane in the south. The Peak Downs Highway connects it to Moranbah, Clermont and Emerald in the south-west. Road projects under construction in the region include the Forgan Bridge duplication, the Hospital Bridge replacement, the Joint Levee Road and the Mackay-Bucasia Road duplication. Mackay Station The north coast railway line, operated by Queensland Rail, meets the western line in the city's south. Trains from Brisbane pass through Mackay and continue through to Townsville and Cairns, including the regular Tilt Train service between Brisbane and Cairns. Minerals from the western line (Moranbah and other coal mining centres) are transported to Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminals for trans-shipment to other destinations. Mackay Harbour deals mainly with sugar exports and visiting cruise ships. The city is served by Mackay Airport, from which Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways Australia offer flights to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as to regional destinations such as Geelong, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Gladstone. MacAir Airlines previously provided a limited service into and out of Mackay for mining companies before it went into receivership in 2009. Mackay Transit Coaches operates from North Mackay to South Mackay. The area with the best service coverage is Mackay CBD.

Economy

As of the 2007-08, Mackay contributed $15.4 billion to the Australian economy, or 7.1% of Queensland's GSP.[10] This is largely on the back of its export-oriented industries of sugar and mining. Mackay is famous for its history as one of Australia's largest cane farming regions. However, in recent years, the mining industry has become the mainstay of the local economy. Heavy investment and planning is also going into Mackays growing tourism industry. [edit] Mining Mackay is widely recognised as the gateway to the Bowen Basin coal mining reserves of Central Queensland. It is the single largest coal reserve in Australia, with 34 operational coal mines extracting more than 100 million tonnes annually. This represents about 83 per cent of Queensland's coal production, among its most important export commodities. While much of this is used in Australia, Japan and China are the largest export recipients. Although coal was reported to be discovered late in the 19th century, it was not until 1971 that the first coal from Goonyella was produced on a commercial scale. Over the past 10 years, Mackay has become the location of choice for many mining service companies that supply and consult to the mine operators. This is due to its strategic proximity to the mines, major highways and train lines, and the Hay Point coal terminals. Most of these companies are headquartered in the suburb of Paget, to the city's south. Global companies to have set up facilities in the area include Caterpillar Inc., MMD Sizers, WorleyParsons and Letourneau Technologies. Despite the city's benefits, it is widely recognised that Mackay has come to depend too heavily on the mining industry for economic growth. However, the Mackay Regional Council (in conjunction with the Queensland government and other stakeholders) has made efforts to diversify the economic base of the region, particularly into emerging sectors including eco-tourism, bioenergy and the marine industry. The commercial fishing industry has struggled in the last 15 years due to the implementation of government green zones and rising fuel prices, and the labour force being depleted by higher wages offered in the mining sector. [edit] Sugar The bulk sugar terminal Mackay is widely noted as the "sugar capital" of Australia, producing a sizeable portion of Australia's domestic supplies and exports. The industry in Mackay has its roots back in the 19th century. Historically, plantations were small and had their own mills to crush the cane during harvest. Over the years as the industry grew and developed, co-operatives were formed to consolidate the harvesting, crushing and distribution of the sugar in selected zones. Throughout the 20th century, the privately owned mills in the Mackay district closed one by one until only four remained Marian, Racecourse, Farleigh and Pleystowe. Today, Pleystowe is the oldest surviving mill in the district. Mackay Sugar operates three of these remaining mills, including Racecourse, which became site of the region's first sugar refinery (which is owned by CSR Limited) in the 1990s. Growers in the region have a total cane production area of approximately 86,000 hectares. The growers are capable (in good seasons) of supplying up to 6.5 million tonnes of cane to the factories for processing. On average, Mackay Sugar produces about 850,000 tonnes of raw sugar and 180,000 tonnes of the by-product molasses annually. Mackay Harbour is also home to one of the largest bulk-sugar loading terminals in the world. The sugar industry in Mackay has faced steep challenges over the past 10 years, since it is largely dependent on high world sugar prices to remain viable. However, efforts are going into diversifying the use of sugar cane for different purposes. These include a planned energy co-generation plant that could deliver up to 30 per cent of Mackays annual electricity supply. Use of sugar cane in ethanol-based fuel for vehicles also has strong potential.

History

One of the first Europeans to travel through the Mackay region was Captain James Cook, who reached the Mackay coast on 1 June 1770 and named several local landmarks, including Cape Palmerston, Slade Point and Cape Hillsborough. It was during this trip that the Endeavour's botanist, Sir Joseph Banks, briefly recorded seeing Aboriginals. The City of Mackay was later founded on Yuibera traditional lands. Although several other maritime explorers sailed through the waters off Mackay, it was not until 1860 when moves were made to claim the region's virgin pastures. Two young men, John McCrossin and Scottish-born John Mackay, assembled a party of eight, including an Aboriginal named Duke, and left Armidale, New South Wales in January 1860. Two men left the party in Rockhampton while the others reached the top of the range overlooking the Mackay district's Pioneer Valley in May. After descending into the valley and exploring almost to the mouth of the river, which they named the Mackay, the members of the party selected land and began the trip back to civilisation. On the return journey, they all suffered from a fever that claimed the life of Duke. Mackay returned to the area with 1,200 head of cattle in January 1862 and founded Greenmount station. Although the other members of his first expedition had marked runs, none but Mackay took up their claims. However, Mackay remained in possession of Greenmount for less than two years. Ownership transferred to James Starr in September 1864 and, despite Mackays protests, he never succeeded in regaining control. Greenmount passed through a number of owners' hands before being bought by A.A. Cook in 1913. Before leaving the district, John Mackay chartered the vessel Preston, which landed stores from him on the riverbank about a kilometre upstream from the present Hospital Bridge. Mackay made a survey of the river and the chart was sent to Rockhampton. The Port of Mackay was then officially declared a port of entry. In 1918, Mackay was hit by a major Tropical Cyclone causing severe damage and loss of life with hurricane-force winds and a large storm surge. The resulting death toll was further increased by an outbreak of Bubonic plague.