Thursday, February 27, 2025

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Floods Force Creativity

During a week when Bruce Highway was shut at Plantation Creek, and it didn’t look like the papers would get through, Shae Linton from Home Hill News & Coffee stepped up, got creative, and ensured the local newspaper was delivered.

She devised a plan to get the papers by 6am, which was appreciated by the community, especially the elderly who rely on print media.

“We'd arranged for the papers to come across Plantation on a semi, but he got held up, and they didn't make it here till lunch time. We had everyone wondering where the papers were. So then we devised another plan, and we worked in with somebody doing the bread and we got the papers here by six o'clock each morning, through the flood waters.”

“It made our customers very happy to have them here each morning by the six o’clock in the morning rather than five o’clock in the afternoon,” Shae says.

The store also faced a milk shortage, prompting a trip to Bowen where Woolies donated milk, leading to a free coffee day.

“Because of supply issues, we were having to go to Bowen for milk. One day we went down and the Bowen manager of the Woolworths donated milk to us and John from Home Hill bakery. He gave his away for free, and so we decided to have a free coffee day with our supply of milk. That Tuesday it was pretty crazy in here.”

Shae also arranged for Valentine's flowers, with truckies more than willing to help amidst supply chain disruptions.

“When we realised that it was also Valentine's Day, we caught two semis over to get Valentine's flowers for the Romantics of Home Hill,” she laughs.

“In times like this, you realise how important the local papers still are. I know everyone says you can see everything on Facebook, but not everyone's got Facebook. And the elderly community were still looking for the papers each day to find out what's happening.”

Shae Linton, an unsung hero who helped get the local paper, Burdekin Life, into stores, onto shelves, ensuring no one went without it. Photo credit: Mark T Rasmussen

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