Kaylee Boccalatte - Burdekin

20/10/2026

It was a pleasure to attend the official launch of James Cook University's new Centre for Climate Adaptation and Disaster Resilience (CADRE).

This exciting initiative brings together research, industry, government and communities to strengthen disaster preparedness, response and recovery, while supporting climate adaptation across Northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific.

A valuable step towards building safer, stronger and more resilient communities. 🌿

10/10/2026

What an incredible initiative! 🌟

Recently, I had the chance to pop in and see the girls participating in the STEM Changemakers program.

Such a fantastic opportunity for young women to explore STEM, build confidence and discover new possibilities for their futures.

Wonderful to see programs like this creating opportunities for the next generation, and JCU playing a part in making it happen! 👏

And how beautiful is this building! 😍 Imagine going to classes here!

16/09/2026

Such a lovely write-up ❤️ Still blown away by the generosity. So proud to be from the Burdekin!

https://www.burdekinlife.com/article/burdekin-generosity-raises-1-400-for-families-in-need

Burdekin Life Ronald McDonald House North Australia

What began as a modest fundraising goal has turned into an incredible show of Burdekin generosity, with $1,403.10 raised for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Organiser Kaylee Boccalatte initially hoped the fundraiser might collect around $200, but support from across the community saw the final tota...

12/09/2026

There’s something pretty special about a small-town show 💛

The Giru Show is an incredible event year after year, and you can feel the pride, support and community spirit in everything the committee puts together.

It was special to witness the ceremony marking 100 years of the Giru School of Arts Hall - such an important piece of local history. The lolly drop was definitely a highlight too, and, of course, I managed to get my favourite homemade chocolate slice! 🍫

Even managed to run into one of NQ’s local Instagram favourites, .nqld 🌾

Congratulations to the incredible committee and everyone involved in making the Giru Show what it is. 👏

10/09/2026

Great to be back on the Townsville Hospital and Health Service Burdekin Community Advisory Network 💙

Even better to be doing it alongside people like Barb, who gives her time every week volunteering locally through Brighter Lives.

It’s a great reminder of just how much volunteers contribute to our local health services and our community.

Keen to get involved with Brighter Lives locally? Get in touch! I’m sure an extra pair of hands would always be welcome.

09/09/2026

A great start to the day at the Burdekin Industry Breakfast ☀️

Always valuable to hear what’s happening across our region, connect with people from across industry and community, and be part of conversations about the opportunities ahead for the Burdekin.

There’s a lot happening in our region - and plenty to be excited about.

06/09/2026

🚂 A little funding heads-up for our local community!

The Aurizon Community Giving Fund is open, with grants of up to $20,000 available to eligible charities for projects supporting:

❤️ Health & wellbeing
📚 Education
🌱 Environment
🦺 Community safety

If your organisation has a great idea that could use a little help getting off the ground, this one is worth a look!

Applications close 16 October 2026.

👉 Check your eligibility and apply via the Aurizon Community Giving Fund.

https://www.aurizon.com.au/sustainability/community/community-giving-fund

06/09/2026

Sometimes even people like this guy have a series of events that mean things don’t quite go to plan… including finding yourself without wheels for the parade! 😂

When Dale Last - Member for Burdekin asked if he could join us, of course the answer was yes. What an honour for Amara to share the float with someone who gives so much of his time to our region and community.

Dale has also very generously offered to make a donation to Amara’s chosen charity, Ronald McDonald House North Australia as a thank you for the lift — certainly not expected, but incredibly kind and very much appreciated. ❤️

And then there were the lollies… 🍭

At one point it was practically raining lollies from our float. We started with what seemed like an impossible amount to get through…

Somehow, we still ran out. 😂

Thanks for joining us, Dale. 💙

05/09/2026

What a Burdekin Water Festival! 💙✨

Such a special event for our beautiful community and a wonderful reminder of just how lucky we are to call the Burdekin home.

For Amara, her Ambassador journey has been one of real growth and confidence — stepping outside her comfort zone, making new friends and creating memories that I know she’ll carry with her long after the festival is over.

I love that our little town gives our young people experiences like this. It’s easy to take these things for granted, but they simply don’t exist everywhere. There is something pretty special about a community that gives its kids the chance to get involved, have a go and grow along the way.

A huge thank you also needs to go to the team behind the scenes. Countless hours of planning, organising and hard work go into bringing the Water Festival to life, and yesterday was a wonderful reflection of all that effort. ❤️

Such a great celebration of our town, our people and our community. We feel very lucky to have been a small part of it. 💙

03/09/2026

Ortho + work = a little glimpse of uni life 🎓✨

While we were in town, the kids got a little peek behind the scenes at one of the places I work. Beautiful building, impressive surrounds… apparently not enough to impress these two 😂 But I’ll keep working on them! 🎓