Three Mackay charities have received a donation from Stanmore Coal after a discarded, 4.2 tonne copper dragline cable was sold for recycling, raising close to $8000.   

Isaac Plains dragline supervisor Dave Straw was the brains behind the idea, and selected suicide prevention group, Suicide and Spirituality; Special Olympics Mackay; and junior teams at the Mackay Magpies Northern Beaches AFL Football Club to receive the funds.

“Special Olympics Mackay has always been close to my heart ever since my wife and I originally started the group, and Mackay has one of the highest suicide rates in Australia, so for me, it was important to donate to Suicide and Spirituality who are there any time to listen, give advice and help out,” Mr Straw said.

“The Magpies mixed junior teams were also doing it tough due to COVID-19, so we wanted to give them a boost as well to purchase new footballs and training aids.

“Lucky for us the price of copper is strong at the moment, so we were thrilled to be able to donate as much as we could to these deserving groups.”

Stanmore Coal thanked Ampcontrol for retrieving the dragline cable from Isaac Plains and transporting it to the recycling facility.

The donation of the dragline cable funds was not an isolated case of charity for the coal company.

It recently contributed more than $50,000 to Central Queensland schools, local community groups, clubs and not-for-profit organisations as part of its 2020 round one Isaac Plains Community Grant Program.

Grants of up to $5000 were available through the program for initiatives that support young people in the region, highlight community health and wellbeing, provide opportunities for Indigenous engagement and support the environment.

The coal miner also recently committed $30,000 to Fauna Rescue Whitsundays as part of a three-year partnership to protect native wildlife.

Stanmore’s funding boost will contribute towards animal rehabilitation and care, including running costs associated with Fauna Rescue Whitsundays’ 24-hour hotline; food, housing, medicine and veterinary bills for injured wildlife; and education and training programs to wildlife carers, schools and local community groups.