Cairns Local News December 02 2022

‘Invisible’ Indigenous voices travel to Parliament

TWO formerly “invisible” Indigenous women from Far North Queensland have put the Federal Government’s promise to listen to First Nations Aus tralians to the ultimate test by travelling to Parliament from their remote communities to share their voice.

Aurukun women Sharina Wolmby and Tonia Pootch emunka have experienced trauma, violence and riots in their community and were once invisible in their world before gaining employment with charity Orange Sky’s mobile laundry.

Now, they are inspiring role models and leaders in their community and, last week, travelled to Parliament to demonstrate to the Government they deserve to be heard.

During their visit, they met with Assistant Minister for Ru ral and Regional Health Emma McBride, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health Malarndirri McCarthy and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher.

“We wanted to meet with them to discuss our ideas to improve our community, employment, health and how we can empower women in our communities,” Ms Wolmby said.

“We’ve shown two ordi nary women who came from nothing are willing to speak, we thank the Government for wanting to listen, but now we will see if they act.”

Managing director of Aurukun-based Indigenous em ployment and training service ReSet, Tim Whyte, a long-term Cape resident, helped train Ms Wolmby and Ms Pootchemun kan before securing employ ment with the laundry.

Mr Whyte said while the community welcomed the Government’s ambition of a voice, they had “one chance to get it right.”

“If you want to know what’s going on in Aboriginal commu nities, we’ve got some amazing and powerful women who have not previously had a voice,” Mr Whyte said.

“So if you want to kick this ‘Voice’ off, these ladies are saying, ‘we’re here, we’re the invisible people in remote Aboriginal communities’.

“We’re spending $15m a year in just this community incarcerating our local people; a productivity report in 2019 said we must have alternatives like rehab and training camps here in Aurukun.

“We’re now going into 2023, and there’s still been not one action on those recommen dations on that productivity report.

“So here we have a Govern ment saying we want to give Indigenous people a voice, well this is the first time these two women have been out of their community, they’ve never seen a high-rise, a set of traffic lights, but they’ve had the

courage to come down because they believe in what the gov ernment is saying,” he said.

Kennedy MP Bob Katter congratulated Mr Whyte and his partner Veera Judin on their efforts in training and employing Indigenous locals in Aurukun while savaging the harmful effects of the “we’ll look after you brigade” of Government interfering with Aboriginal affairs.

“We have the highest death rate in the world, that I know

of, in the First Australian com munities up there. They took out the market gardens, have no right to private property, and then they wonder why these situations exist,” Mr Katter said.

“Aboriginal affairs have been in the hands of the ‘we’ll look after you brigade’. Well, that’s the problem – ‘we’ll look after you’. All the blackfel las should be asking is for the government to go away and ‘let us run our affairs’.”

Herberton Christmas Twilight Market

IMAGINE... a safe and fun family day out and all your Christmas gift shopping is done, even wrapped, with still 14 days to go.

How, when and where? It’s all at the 4th annual Herberton Twilight Christmas Market on Saturday, Decem ber 10, from 3pm - 8pm.

As you wander through the festively adorned streets, you’ll find an amazing array of unique, locally handcrafted gifts for sale on street stalls and in the Historic Herberton Town Hall. You won’t get hungry or thirsty, with local businesses supported by food vans and non-profit community organisations throughout the market - from finger foods to fish and chips, ice cream for the small kids, and a special Christmas Cocktail for the bigger ones.

Lots of street and Town Hall enter tainment adds to the atmosphere, espe cially when Santa arrives at the station on the steam train and makes his way to the Town Hall on the big red fire truck. Needing a relaxing cultural break? Then visit the renowned Art Exhibition (located in front of the Town Hall) to view artworks from paintings to pottery. Side street parking provides safe and easy pedestrian access: the Market Information Centre will be open for directions to public facilities and to answer questions.

It’s an open invitation to the Her berton Twilight Christmas Market and we all look forward to welcoming you there.

Follow the market on Facebook at Herberton Twilight Xmas Market 22.

L-R: ReSet employment’s Veera Judin, Tonia Pootchemunka, Kennedy MP Bob Katter, Sharina Wolmby and Orange Sky’s Judith Meiklejohn outside Parliament House in Canberra INSET: Tonia and Sharina in parliament

Hartley’s turns 20 years young

HARTLEY’S Crocodile Adventures is celebrating 20 years of operation with a ‘Croc-tastic’ party this Sunday.

The last two decades have been an incredible journey and it all started with a crazy idea and a large weedy paddock.

For many locals at that time, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures just appeared! Back in 2002, it was ‘business as usual’ at Hartley’s Creek Crocodile Farm, on the banks of Hartley’s Creek.

The business had been trading on that site for 68 years, but it needed a bigger site. On July 17, 2002, Hartley’s Creek Crocodile Farm closed its doors. Fifteen hours later, Hartley’s Crocodile Adven tures opened on a new site, 500 metres to the south.

It was a monumental task to build a new eco-wildlife park while operat ing the old attraction at the same time. The construction of the Lagoon and the revegetation of the site commenced five years earlier.

As opening day got closer, the logis tics of quickly and safely moving many large crocodiles was a test for the Hart ley’s team. The doors opened at 8.30am and the rest is history.

Since opening, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures has continued to expand facilities and product offerings adapt ing to the ever-changing desires of their customers.

The first major expansion was in 2006 with the launch of Gondwana Gateway featuring Australian animals with links back to Gondwana.

Over the 2015-17 years, the attrac tion underwent a major upgrade with the construction of innovative wildlife displays and infrastructure to support the rising visitation.

The wildlife collection expanded

to include alligators, komodo dragon, predatory birds, exotic snakes and rep tiles. All construction at Hartley’s since its inception has been achieved without government funding.

A new expanded wildlife photo area was the precursor the Koala holding (cuddling) photos, a “bucket list” fa vourite for many international visitors.

The opening of the Gallery of Living Art - Reptile Display, placed Hartley’s as having the largest reptile collection in North Queensland.

Today, now surrounded by protected area, the 29-hectare property is home to an abundance of local flora and fauna.

Over 2,500 metres of timber boardwalks and pathways take visitors on a journey of discovery through eucalypt wood lands, notophyll rainforest and mela leuca wetlands.

This year, Hartley’s was inducted into the Ecotourism Hall of Fame in recognition for 20 years of sustainable practices.

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures has redefined the wildlife park experience by offering transformational, soft adven ture and quality learning activities in a natural environment.

Visitors can take time to relax, then soak up some authentic North Queens land storytelling during the various wildlife presentations.

The pandemic was certainly challeng ing for the business. Forced to close for 11 weeks, then survive on a trickle of interstate tourists due State border restrictions.

However, the strong support from the local community got Hartley’s through the last few years and for that they want to thank the community in this momen tous anniversary.

Hartley’s Gallery of Living Art is only one part of North Queensland’s largtest reptile collection

Since opening, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures has continued to expand facilities and product offerings adapting to the ever-changing desires of their customers.

$2 million boost to cancer research announced

CANCER Council Queens land announced a $2 million boost to cancer research at their annual Accelerating Collabora tive Cancer Research (ACCR) Grant presentation.

2022 marks the fourth year of the ACCR grants. This year, in partnership with The Uni versity of Queensland, Cancer Council Queensland will invest $2 million over four years to Lead Researcher Profes sor Andrew Barbour for his project titled ‘Assessment of tumour phenotype for precision medicine in oesophageal cancer via deep learning analysis of medical images’.

The highly competitive Ac celerating Collaborative Cancer Research grants aim to:

• Stimulate innovative, col laborative cancer research to advance in areas of need significantly.

• Accelerate the translation of research findings into im proved prevention, outcomes, clinical practice or health policy to improve the survival and well-being of cancer pa tients, and

• Develop the capacity of highquality cancer research groups in Queensland by encouraging effective research collabora tion between universities, health services and medi cal and scientific research institutes.

Cancer Council Queensland CEO Andrew Donne congratu lated the successful research

team at the event.

“Thanks to our generous supporters, Cancer Council Queensland is proud to ac celerate Professor Andrew Barbour’s project and provide hope for the 31,000 Queens landers diagnosed with cancer each year,” Mr Donne said.

“Cancer is a major burden to Australia’s health system and worldwide. Investment in innovative, ground-breaking research in Queensland is vital for reducing the burden of cancer in our community,” Professor Joanne Aitken, Head of Research at Cancer Council Queensland, said.

Professor Barbour expressed

“Oesophageal cancer has a poor prognosis, and there are few treatment options,” Profes sor Barbour said.

“We aim to extract informa tion from medical imaging to support better patient treat ment decisions and outcomes through a precision medicine approach.”

“I am grateful to Cancer Council Queensland for this grant and for their initial sup port that set my research off back in 2007,” he said.

TAS student first in state for maths

TRINITY Anglican School (TAS) Year 4 student Ben Limpus (age nine) topped Queensland for mathemat ics after competing in the prestigious International Competitions and Assess ments for Schools (ICAS).

TAS Head of Primary, Kewarra Beach campus, Mary Kershaw, said this was a stunning result for Ben and the school’s commitment to academic excellence.

“Awards like this highlight the dedication of our teachers in nurturing and bringing out the very best in students – ir respective of their academic ability. This quality makes TAS truly special,” Mrs Kershaw said.

According to TAS Prin cipal Paul Sjogren, ICAS is an independent, skills-based assessment program provid ing valuable insights into in dependent schools’ academic attainment and performance against national curriculum benchmarks.

“This result is a wonder ful testament to our rigor ous learning program and the teaching staff at TAS Kewarra Beach and is an out standing and well-deserved outcome for Ben,” Mr Sjogren said.

“While we await the ATAR results of our graduating Year 12 students, we already have

much to celebrate at TAS from an academic perspec tive, including securing a cache of prestigious awards.”

Mr Sjogren said that before receiving news of Ben’s ICAS success, TAS’ junior school campus at White Rock

was

tion

Professor Andrew Barbour

awarded The Educator’s coveted five-star innova

award after securing the ultimate accolades of Best Outdoor Education and Out door Educator in the Outdoor Education National Awards.

TAS Head of Primary, Kewarra Beach cam pus, Mary Kershaw with ICAS winner, year 4 student Ben Limpus who topped QLD in mathematics

heartfelt thanks to Cancer Council Queensland and its supporters on behalf of the research team, which brings to gether clinicians and research ers across Queensland.

Christmas cheer takes over Cairns with the Christmas Tree light up

CAIRNS welcomed Christmas once again with an unconven tional Christmas tree light-up on the Esplanade this Thursday.

The classic Christmas tree, with its 13,000 LED lights, at the Lagoon Plaza will share the spotlight with an extra 16,500 lights on the raintree next to it and special jellyfish decorations on the fig tree for an extra bright Christmas.

However, this year’s light up was an unconventional one due to the extreme weather Cairns had during the week. Although many events were planned for the family event, from dancers, an orchestra band, and a visit from Santa himself, the rain made it impossible for the event to continue.

The weather would not defeat the city’s Christmas spirit and the tree was lit up at 7pm on Thursday and will be lit every night as a symbol of the Christmas spirit regardless of weather.

Even when the Christmas Tree light up did not go as planned, 2022 will see the awaited return of the Carols in the Park on Sunday, December 11.

The theme for this year’s Carols in the Park is Tropical Sparkles, and residents are encouraged to join in with their best outfits to celebrate the beginning of the festivities.

After two years of COVID, Council brought back a Cairns favourite, Carols in the Park, biggest and more exciting than ever.

“We have the return of the Carols starting at 5pm at Munro Martin Parklands and also at CPAC, so we’re having two ven ues,” Councillor Kristy Vallely said.

“We’ll have food trucks in between, and those who don’t like the heat so much can go into the CPAC.

“There will be screens along Munro Martin so you can get all the different angles, and plenty of seating will be available.”

This year, Carols in the Park aims to attract thousands of residents with a fun event for the whole family.

“Carols this year is going to be very big, sparkly and tropi cal,” Carols in the Park spokesperson Liesl Bourke said.

“We have a lineup of great performers from across Cairns.

“We have a narrative running through the show with 10 very mischievous elves that you’ll need to keep your eyes out for.

“And we have the beautiful Munro Martin Parklands with lots of sparkly tropical joy,” Ms Bourke said.

For more information on Carols in the Park, visit: http://bit.ly/3F9F9VD

By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

Performers at Carols in the Park and Cr Vallely

(L-R) Mei Miyamoto, Elizabeth Hamilton, Cr Kristy Vallely and Scarlett Terry

By Maria Larkins

CAIRNS Airport is asking the public to nominate local chari ties and not-for-profit organisa tions as gift recipients from its new Christmas Fund.

The “Making Christmas a Little Brighter” campaign is aimed at supporting grassroots organisations who will share in a total fund of $25,000.

CEO, Richard Barker, said the fund aimed to help smaller community groups who often missed out on Christmas dona tions because of limited capac ity for marketing and fundrais ing activities.

“Many smaller organisations across our region do vital work that can improve people’s lives immeasurably. A sizeable dona tion to these groups can make a real difference to their bottom

$5,000 each.

line and enable them to extend their reach to more people in need,” Barker said.

Cairns Airport plans to make the campaign an annual event and increase the level of fund ing each year.

The campaign is aimed at groups operating in the regional council areas of Cairns, Cas sowary Coast, and Tablelands, and the Douglas Shire.

Nominations must be made online before 5pm, Tuesday, December 6 at www.cairnsair port.com. Click on the “Making Christmas a Little Brighter” link and follow the prompts.

The five successful organisa tions will be notified on Mon day, December 12 and each will receive a “life-size” cheque of $5,000.

Queensland employers are urged to rethink recruitment

QUEENSLAND employers are urged to rethink recruitment practices and tap into a pool of work-ready talent – people with disability.

This is being implemented via the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 using its Workforce Connect Fund (worth $20 million), which supports innovative approaches to recruiting and retaining its workforce.

The Workforce Connect Fund will also provide funding to small businesses that identify an immediate need for new and innovative HR solutions to support their business.

The Queensland Workforce Strategy also establishes a net work of Industry-based Workforce Advisers to assist businesses in diversifying their workforces.

The Government is also assisting people with a disability to gain employment via its Skilling Queenslanders for Work and Back to Work programs.

The programs assist people with a disability by allowing those aged 15 and over who are no longer at school to access supported learning pathways that cater to their needs, payments for those already working between eight and 20 hours a week, and incentive payments for employers who hire people with a disability.

Employment Minister Di Farmer said this year’s Disabil ity Action Week (November 26 – December 2) encourages

businesses to consider the benefits of hiring the one-in-five Queenslanders with disability.

“Workforce diversity means having staff with a range of life experiences,” Ms Farmer said.

“This is a call to action for leaders in all organisations to build inclusive workplace cultures, and the benefits will follow.

“The Australian Business Council website lists 10 reasons why inclusive workplaces are good for business, including opening up a wider talent pool, building the consumer base, and lowering absenteeism and turnover.”

Minister Farmer said Disability Action Week recognises the contributions people with disability make to our families, workplaces and communities, and Queensland’s economy.

“The 2022 campaign theme, “Workforce diversity: open up to opportunity”, encourages employers to consider the ac tions they can take to tap into a pool of skilled and qualified candidates — and reap the benefits of a diverse workforce,’’ she said.

“It’s also important to remember that the Queensland Gov ernment funds programs to support small businesses, as well as disability peak services that can provide information and sup port to help make workplaces more inclusive and accessible.’’

For more information about the Disability Action Week 2022 campaign, visit: www.qld.gov.au/daw

Cairns Airport CEO, Richard Barker, is looking forward to gifting five cheques of

By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

IN times of tragedy and disaster, the SES volunteers are prepared to support the community.

Thanks to SES’s annual drills and training, your next-door neighbour may be the one to protect your home and save you when nature strikes.

Every Tuesday night, the SES Edmonton team run cours es and training for volunteers to prepare them to help in times of disaster and one yearly big drill that requires inland and sea res cue financed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

Public Liaison Officer for SES Edmonton, Peter Graham, said these exercises prepare

volunteers for land search and rescue, and storm damage.

“With storm season coming, we like to run through some scenarios with buildings that have had damage,” Mr Graham said.

“And once a year, we have a much wider outdoor exercise which we held at Fitzroy Island this November,” he said.

This year’s exercise at Fitz roy Island had the support of the Park Rangers, Queensland Police, Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Cobham Aviation Services.

All the organisations donate time and resources, from ves sels to aircrafts and drones, to prepare the SES volunteers to the best of their abilities.

“All volunteers were told to be at the Edmonton base on a Saturday at 6am,” Mr Graham said.

“They moved to the Cairns Waterplace Base at Portsmith and were put on a large police vessel and taken to Fitzroy Island.

“From Fitzroy they receive a briefing; they’re told a wide aircraft disappeared on its approach to Cairns, and they should look for wreckage and survivors on and around the island.”

The drill is as realistic as possible, with wreckage and signals of survivors placed around the island and volun teers faced with tough deci sions and challenges to prepare

them for real-life scenarios.

“It was a very successful day, with many signs of survi vors placed around the island, and most of them found which is very difficult to locate,” Mr Graham said.

“From an organisational point of view, it’s vital to have these runs, and it’s equally as vital for the individual to test themselves to see what they’re capable of.

“Some people will only sit down and operate radios while others are happy to go climbing up the hill,” he said.

Mr Graham said SES is always looking for more volun teers to support the community in times of distress.

“There are no prerequisites;

you can just turn up and do the courses that you want to do; it’s totally up to you,” he said.

“We need that community support in the form of volun teering; even if you just come one night a month, we’re happy.”

For more information and to become a volunteer, visit the SES Edmonton Facebook page at : www.facebook.com/edmonton.ses/

State-of-the-art Tourism Training Hub launched

UNDERSTANDING the tourism export marketplace and how to cater to the differing needs of international travellers is vital to be ing a successful export tourism business.

Knowing where to find this vital informa tion until now has been a big challenge.

“Our export tourism industry is a very specialised business space, and really under standing how it works is critical to success,” ATEC Managing Director Peter Shelley.

“Most of our tourism operators have developed their knowledge over many years, handing on their expertise, but much of this knowledge requires significant research, trial and error and in-market conversations.”

To help tourism export businesses upskill themselves on the market needs, Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) launched a range of training programs under one online,

self-directed platform, the Tourism Training Hub (TTH), at last week’s Meeting Place in Cairns.

“The Tourism Training Hub provides the understanding and resources which will be a game changer for export tourism businesses,” Mr Shelley said.

“It offers a great range of programs from Japan Host to Muslim Host to our latest resource, the Tourism Trade Ready program, which provides a comprehensive introduction to the export tourism marketplace.

“We are pleased to announce another important market focus to our program of fering with our Accessible & Inclusive Host training, which provides the fundamentals for every business to understand key considera tions for successfully servicing and attracting travellers with specific needs.”

The TTH is ATEC’s state-of-the-art ondemand training platform, industry-powered training modules supporting industry capabil ity and working to grow Australia’s interna tional-ready tourism offering.

Developed by industry leaders, all TTH’s programs address the fundamentals of export tourism and offer the only national platform specifically designed for the export sector.

Offering user-friendly tools, the program is easily accessible and provides participants with a comprehensive understanding across a range of areas of the inbound marketplace, including:

Tourism Trade Ready – an extensive, ground-up induction to the export tourism marketplace.

Domestic Ready – How Australian’s book, the customer journey, promoting and marketing, service and retention, the distribu tion system, and the development of a unique selling point.

Accessible & Inclusive Host - Three modular program developing your product to cater for this market.

More information on the Tourism Training Hub programsis available at: www.traininghub.atec.net.au

India/Japan/Korea/Indonesia/Muslim Host – helping you and your product be ready for specific visitors, focusing your product on the market and utilising relevant trade and marketing opportunities.

Members of SES Edmonton Crew on their annual training drills

Local entrepreneur revolutionises pet

healthcare

CAIRNS local Josh Fidrmuc, 26, has always been a prob lem-solver, so when his friend came to him with a sick pet, a tight budget and nowhere to go, he knew something needed to be done to keep our pets healthy at any time and any day.

Dial A Vet is a revolution ary app, available for iOS and Android, that provides pet owners across Australia with on-demand video consulta tions with licensed veterinary professionals 24/7 through a subscription model.

The idea for this project be gan during the pandemic when Fidrmuc’s friend called him in a panic with his dog vomiting, not a vet available in the area and a very tight budget.

“During COVID, my friend rang me at about 11.40pm at night saying – my dog’s vom iting; I don’t know what to do, the vets are away, the closest emergency vet was 30 minutes away,” he said.

“My friend was a uni student, he didn’t have a lot of money to pay the vet bill, and he said – why can’t I just call them and speak to them and see if I need to take him in or not.”

After finding such a huge gap for pet owners, due to his problem-solving qualities and passion for animals, Fidrmuc decided to found Dial A Vet.

By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

“Firstly, I understood that there was a need in the market, so I reached out to pet owners that I know, to friends and family, and I said if there was a 24/7 vet service, would you benefit from that?” he said.

“Also, it would be subscrip tion-based, you pay a monthly subscription, and you can call the vet and vet nurse as often as you’d like.

“Once I had that data, I re alised it was a needed service, so I planned how it would work, and that meant we had to create an app.”

Fidrmuc went on to contact app developers across Aus tralia and pitch the app idea to them until he found the perfect team who helped him design and develop the app.

He also put great effort into finding licensed veterinarians and nurses, which gave him insight into the veterinary industry’s struggles.

“In Australia, there’s a sig nificant vet shortage,” Fidrmuc said.

“Not enough vets to cater for pet owners across Aus tralia, and there’s a significant amount of stress on vets.

“Vets have a suicide rate nearly as high as police of ficers, meaning their industry needs to be taken care of.

“And we’re proud that we could offer a safe space for vets outside the clinic to make

an extra income from the com fort of their home and reduce clinic hours if they want to.”

After the many hiccups that a start-up can go through, growing the network of licensed vets and receiving feedback from them, Dial A Vet was finally launched on October 7, 2022.

Dial A Vet has over 250 vets and vet nurses across the country providing on-demand consultations 24/7, and pet owners are responding, with an expected 2,000 clients by March 2023.

“In Australia, funny enough, we’re the first on-demand vet erinary app making us number one automatically,” Fidrmuc said.

“We’ve managed to resolve 90 per cent of all pet concerns that have come through the app.

“Now that the app is created and the interest is validated by over 2,000 pet owners on our waiting list, it is giving me more fire to introduce this app to every pet owner in Australia.”

Fidrmuc hopes to keep growing Dial A Vet and keep improving to cater to all the needs of pet owners while revolutionising pet telehealth in Australia.

For more information, visit www.dialavet.com

CBWC Christmas Luncheon

THE Cairns Business Women’s Club (CBWC) are excited to be bringing Cath Jamison to Cairns for their Annual Christmas Luncheon.

Cath Jamison is Australia’s leading female magician who is highly acclaimed within the entertainment industry, she is also Australia’s only female mentalist.

Come and celebrate the end of 2022 with the CBWC for a fun networking and connecting experience with women in business at the Pullman International on December 9 from 11am-2pm. Attendees will be treated to a two-course meal and drink on arrival.

Ticket sales close Tuesday, December 6 at 6pm - $79 for members and $99 for non-members.

To purchase tickets, visit: cbwc.org.au/cbwc-events/cbwc-annual-christmas-luncheon/

Josh Fidrmuc with his website dialavet.com

VOCAL LOCAL

I THINK our Prime Minister Mr Albo ‘grea sie’ has lost a great deal of support after his comment that he has ‘total support’ for the head of the reserve bank, considering the “I’m sorry’’ is all that is given to (thousands) of home-owners that are now going through great debt just to pay inter est on loans that (probably wouldn’t have been taken) had they not been deceived. Good one Albo, you’ve lost my vote.

Noel, Cains

SAD to hear of the pass ing of Christine McVie - a great lady, and member of one of the world’s greatest bands. My heart goes out to husband John, and the other band members Mick, Stevie and Lindsey.

Noel, Cairns

WHAT is all this crap about Black Friday, there is not a Friday the 13th in sight.

Paddy, Cairns

CAIRNS Council telling us to conserve water is a joke. Recently I observed Cairns Council workers in Kewarra and Palm Cove wasting wa ter by hosing outside shower areas of sand. This went on for 30mins at Kewarra, when I asked him why is he wasting our precious water he informed me that was his instructions. What happened to a yard broom? This mis use of water must stop.

Gerard, Palm

DEAR Editor,

Cove

SO excited for our Soc ceroos! Let’s hope we can get past the next round to prove we can compete on the world stage!

Bec, Edmonton

THE Cairns Business Womens Club Board and Members would like to pay respects to the late Mario Calanna of Calanna Pharmacies. Mario was a tremendous community person who was always willing to provide help, mentor ing and advice to anyone in need. He gave tirelessly to the community and organisations including the Cairns Business Women’s Club. Mario will be sorely missed. I find some solace in knowing that his spirit lives on in the many lives of the people he influenced. Our thoughts are with his wife Linda and their family and friends.

Krista Watkins, President of Cairns Business Women’s Club

As you see on the news there is flooding in areas of Queens land, New South Wales and there will probably be more States affected. There are many homes without power and roads are being washed away by heavy rain. All politicians must work together for the benefit of the nation. Australia must be a neutral country as in a war all are losers. Australia is one of the biggest islands in the world and we have mines which produce iron ore, coal, gold, and many other minerals that can be exported to other countries. There are areas that can produce crops for export as well as cattle and sheep. That is why we should have rail lines and roads to all areas as well as electricity lines. We should have wind and solar power in some inland areas such as at Alice Springs and other inland areas. Surveyors and engi neers will know the best creeks and rivers, so they flow inland and where they put bridges. Rail lines should be about a meter above ground level. In low lying areas and in sandy areas a vibrator should be used to pack the loose soil for new rail lines. in all areas there will be dual lines. There would be transmission blocks that can be sold for more agriculture and crops that can be sold to other countries. Without water all land is desert, but inland areas can be drilled for water and when drilling, minerals

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Send a text to the Editor 0438 195 408 or email letters@cairnslocalnews.com.au

will be found that will be a bonus for the country. Deposits of bauxite will be found, and this will supply the aluminium used in the new transmission lines. There will be areas for wind pow er and there will be more windmills, so water is available for all including wild life. With more water, trees will be planted as well as fruit trees and many orchids will be able to supply fruit for market. Australia will soon be the biggest producer of food products and these too will be exported as production increases. There will be more tourism, and some will return to start a busi ness or other project such as sheep or cattle property. With more agriculture and exports Australia will be the best and safest country in the world. There are talented people in Parliament, and they will work together to make Australia the best and a neutral country. In our large cities there are many people out of work. That is why there will be workers available for new rail lines and developing the inland areas of Australia.

At the next election, I am sure that the Labor Party will win and make Australia a neutral country and start now campaign ing for the election. I am sure most Australians will agree. I would appreciate your reply as watching TV, I am sure that you are doing a good job.

Tommy, Port Douglas

Wet weather driving warning

MOTORISTS are being urged to be vigilant and take extra care on the road as result of heavy rainfall, with the potential of some localised flooding.

Cr Terry James, chair of the Cairns Lo cal Disaster Management Group (LDMG), said motorists needed to take extra care with standing water being reported across the city.

“Drivers need to be extra careful during heavy rains and storms,” Cr James said.

“Roads can become slippery with the rain and conditions may cause minor land slips and changes to road surfaces such as potholes developing.

“Motorists can assist by driving care fully and slowly. This is not only for the safety of road users and pedestrians, but it also lessens the impact of bow waves, which can push water into adjacent proper ties.

“We also urge residents to advise Coun cil, via the My Cairns app or the customer service centre, of any issues with roads or drains.

“As always please do not drive through flooded roads – if it’s flooded forget it,” he said.

Cr James also reminded parents to keep their children away from stormwater

drains.

“Fast flowing water can be dangerous, and the quality of water can deteriorate during heavy rainfall,” he said.

“As we have seen, the wet season can bring downpours leading to significant amounts of fast-flowing water rushing into our water systems.

“Residents, especially children, playing in or near flood waters, can be quickly swept away, be injured by debris or drown if they become trapped.

“Flood water may also be contaminat ed by chemicals and sewerage. Walking through floodwater can therefore present a risk to your health.”

Seagrass restoration project spans two oceans

JAMES Cook University scientists will lead seagrass restoration research span ning tropical Australia’s two oceans.

Researchers from JCU’s Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) will inves tigate restoration techniques for key tropical seagrass species from Queens land’s Great Barrier Reef across to the north of Western Australia.

They aim to develop a blueprint for coastal managers to rapidly restore sea grass meadows in high-priority regions.

TropWATER’s Associate Professor Michael Rasheed said future-proofing highly diverse seagrass meadows is crucial to reversing the global down ward trend in tropical seagrasses.

“Seagrasses are critical ecosystems,” Professor Rasheed said.

“They provide habitat for fish, power coastal marine productivity, and se

COUNCIL NEWS

Donate to Christmas appeal

Every year, the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal raises funds to buy food hampers for local families and older members of the community who need a helping hand during the festive season.

Residents wanting to help can make a donation online, in person at Council’s customer service offices, or by posting a money order or cheque.

For more details visit Council’s website.

Carols in the Park returns

After a two-year pandemic-related hiatus, Council’s live carols performance returns this year.

Munro Martin Parklands will host Carols in the Park on Sunday 11 December from 5pm to 8.30pm, with the show to be livestreamed across to the Cairns Performing Arts Centre. Food vans and children’s entertainment will also be set up in Florence St, between the two venues.

quester carbon to help combat climate change – but they’re under increasing pressure from extreme weather events, coastal development and declining water quality.”

Associate Professor Rasheed said climate models predict that future con ditions will see more frequent seagrass loss in tropical Australia, making it essential to have tools at hand for effec tive intervention and restoration.

“We’re investigating the most effec tive ways to restore different seagrass species and developing the tools needed for rapid restoration on local and re gional levels,” he said.

Professor Rasheed said the project would focus on tropical seagrasses, as most previous seagrass restoration projects have occurred in temperate regions.

“Tropical seagrasses can be very

different to temperate seagrasses. They have different growth strategies and the potential for much faster recovery once established,” he said.

“Some restoration methods applied in temperate systems may not be applica ble or transferable to tropical seagrass meadows, which makes our work all the more valuable.

“We’ll investigate methods such as using seeds and cuttings and new ways they can be used in the field, much the same as many land plants and nurseries operate.”

“We’re going to develop new tech niques for tropical seagrass restoration, a blueprint for seagrass-friendly marine infrastructure, and restoration decision tools that can be applied at local and regional scales.”

The project builds on a long-term collaboration with industry partners

Ports North and North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP).

“We are proud to support this ground-breaking research that aims to provide practical solutions to safeguard seagrasses and the Reef,” said Simona Trimarchi, NQBP’s Senior Manager of Sustainability and Environment.

The research is a significant next step in TropWATER’s long-term partnership with industry and will ben efit from the decades of data already gathered.

“We take our environmental respon sibilities seriously,” said Paul Doyle, Ports North’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability.

“Together with JCU’s TropWATER Centre, we’ve supported seagrass monitoring and research for almost three decades across the ports of tropi cal Queensland.”

Greenpatch closed due to flood risks

Due to sustained heavy rainfall and the increased risk of flooding, the Greenpatch Campground in Gordonvale has been closed. The lower section of the campground will now remain closed until late April 2023 (weather permitting).

Council will assess the possibility of reopening the upper section of the campground depending on forecast rainfall and the potential for flooding.

The facility has a warning system which is triggered by rising water levels in the Mulgrave River and the neighbouring Hemming Creek.

Help shape city’s future

Cairns is growing. The city’s population is expected to reach 265,000 by 2050.

To accommodate that growth in a positive way, Council is developing the Towards 2050 Shaping Cairns Growth Strategy, which will establish a clear and coordinated long-term plan to shape the future development of the city. Have your say on this growth strategy by completing the online survey at cairns.qld.gov.au/towards2050.

Improvement works

Trinity Beach Rd, Trinity Beach: Pavement and electrical works between Nautilus St and Cayley St. Expect temporary lane closures. Arnold St, Aeroglen: New kerb and channel between Greenbank Rd and the Captain Cook Highway. Expect access disruptions.

For a full list of works visit our website.

LIPS Service protects our environment!

FOR those not familiar with the Low Isles, this beautiful local island environment is only 15km from Port Douglas and within the Marine National Park Zone of the Great Barrier Reef. Recognised for its cultural heritage, Low Island itself is also home to a functioning historic lighthouse and were the location of the world’s first coral reef studies, of their kind, conducted during the Great Barrier Reef Expedition between 1928 and 1929.

In 1992, the Australian Maritime Author ity announced it was removing the lighthouse keepers from Low Isles and automating the lighthouse. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, to whom the title was to be transferred, was uncertain of the future of Low Isles.

Local Douglas Shire community members organised a public meeting in order to rally

support for saving Low Isles from being ex ploited by unsustainable visitation and use.

Over 200 local residents attended the meet ing, voting to form an incorporated organisa tion to protect and promote Low Isles. A steer ing committee was elected who spent hundreds of volunteer hours creating a draft proposal for the protection of Low Isles through community participation and involvement in caretaking.

As a result, the Low Isles Preservation Society or LIPS was born and the community became involved in the co-management of Low Isles and in developing programmes designed for research and protection of the Great Bar rier Reef. Confidence in the idea of voluntary community engagement was demonstrated by the grant of $1.5 million in Federal government funding.

At present, a voluntary executive committee

runs LIPS with full time caretakers employed by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority who reside on the island.

Volunteers act as relief caretakers, being in volved in maintenance and restoration projects on the island, and conducting Pied Imperial Pigeon counts which have been conducted now for many years. The PIP counts are part of an important long-term monitoring and research program.

Back in April this year, the former caretakers departed and have yet to be replaced. As a re sult, LIPS volunteers have been acting as relief caretakers over the last seven months.

Other LIPS activities include participation in beach clean-ups with environmental allies such as the Tangaroa Blue Foundation. They also assist with Clean Up Australia Day.

They are currently working towards the re furbishment of the tiny museum space (known as the Green Zone) and the establishment of an Education Centre in the former research labo ratory on Low Isles which will function as an offshore classroom for local students to learn about their incredible backyard.

If you’re keen to get involved with caretak ing responsibilities, special projects, educa tional programs and the annual Pied Imperial Pigeon counts, details can be found at the LIPS website, www.lips.org.au or on their Facebook Page.

I’m off to try and spot the Lighthouse, so for now it’s Gazza signing out!

Send your stories to: gazza@cairnslocalnews.com.au

Annual Report details Douglas Shire Council achievements

DOUGLAS Shire Council’s latest annual report revealed a stronger financial position alongside the delivery of key projects and a high level of service.

Council has endorsed the 2021-22 Annual Report, which details the organisation’s progress in meeting strategic goals and presents its finan cial statements.

Council finished the financial year with a $601,800 operating deficit – a significant im provement on the previously budgeted deficit of $2.9 million.

Spearheaded by significant road upgrades in the northern parts of the region, Council finished

71 capital works projects with $31.4 million committed or spent in the past 12 months.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the annual report provided an overview of Council’s performance and achievement.

“Douglas has stood tall and emerged in a desirable financial position compared to other similar-sized regions,” Cr Kerr said.

“We have experienced a tourism season like no other, with domestic tourists re-discovering our unique pocket of paradise, and Council has continued to provide the high level of service expected by locals and travellers.

“The annual report details Council’s ability to

be prudent financial managers and keep deliver ing for the community.”

Key capital projects included the $1.8 million Killaloe Resource Recovery Centre, the $10 million northern roads package, the Mossman to Cooya Beach Cycleway and stage one of the Smart Water Meter Program.

Port Douglas Carnivale continued to be a roaring success, generating about $5.3 million worth of economic activity and contributing to more than 20,000 visitor nights across 10 days in May.

Council also increased efforts to attract investment and support the local business sec

tor through the revamped ‘Do It In Douglas’ campaign.

Mayor Kerr said Council’s focus was to continue to deliver critical services and support the community through the current challenges facing all governments.

“The tourism bounce back has been tremen dous, and we have seen more domestic visitors here than before the pandemic,” he said.

“Though challenges lay ahead, our strong team is dedicated to serving the community and improving how we do business.”

Julie, Jill & Ross at Wonga Beach

LIPS Volunteers during Clean Up Australia Day at Wonga Beach

Col & Josh at the recent Volunteer Expo in Mossman

developed a small customer base and started offering a weekend pop-up store to cater to a wider audience.

Drew’s passion for BBQ continued to grow. He would cook for his family, sample new products, try differ ent techniques and experiment with different smoking woods and charcoal.

Their passion created a growing client base and with an increase in demand, and the growing BBQ scene in Cairns, Drew and Penny took the plunge and opened their store in July 2019.

With the largest range of rubs and sauces in Cairns,

quality BBQ’s by a range of company’s including: Big Green Egg, Napoleon, GMG, Pro Q, Bradley, Ooni Pizza Ovens, Lanes BBQ, Oz Pig, Hark, and Tramon tina.

They also supply fuels and smoking timbers and an excellent selection of quality meat in store. The a one-stop-shop for all your BBQ needs, Drew and Penny take pride in their service. Whether you’re just starting out, or a seasoned pit-master, you will be greeted with a smile, great service and great advice.

Pop in today and get some advice if you need it, or stock up for the Christmas, New Year period, and don’t forget to consider your Australia Day needs a well.

See you at the BBQ Cairns or check us out online at www.cairnsbbqcompany.com.au/

Drew and Peny White

LEVEL ONE WATER RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE

LEVEL 1 water restrictions are in force from the 22 November 2022 across the Cassowary Coast region.

Cassowary Coast Regional Council is encouraging the community to be water wise in your home and back yard to help steady intake levels until rainfall arrives.

Residents will be permitted to use sprinklers and irrigation systems three nights a week between 6pm and 8am the next day.

Further to the dry conditions, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecasted continued heatwaves to hit the region over the next week.

Environment Portfolio Holder Jeff Baines said small changes you make in your home and garden can overall assist with conserving water in our

water schemes across the region.

“Council is encouraging Cassowary Coast Residents to monitor their water use by following the designated times and days in which you can water.

“Wet weather is predicted as part of the La Nina weather pattern, however until the region receives heavy rain fall, the community needs to be mind ful of conserving our precious water and remember, every drop counts.

“Council is allocated a daily amount of water for each creek across the region. As water levels of the creeks declines due to dry weather, it gets more difficult for Council to draw enough water into our networks.

“Through implementing water restrictions, it ensures creeks can continue to flow, and Council can con

tinue to meet the demand required by our region,” said Councillor Baines. Council has a number of projects within this financial year that will improve water security in the region. They include:

• Smart Water Meter Program– Re placing aging retail meter fleet with smart water meters

• Hyatt Street Reservoir – renewing aging infrastructure and improve community asset.

• Education & Awareness– Commu nity education and understanding of water security issues.

• CCRC Water Portal – provide public access to the CCRC Water Portal to allow residents to access live smart meter data.

• Water Supply Security Assessment

– Partner with State Government to undertake a water supply security assessment of the region’s water supply.

Level 1 water restrictions allow the use of sprinklers and irrigation sys tems, they must only be used on alter nate days, between 6pm and 8am:

• Odd-numbered houses – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• Even-numbered houses – Wednes day, Friday and Sunday

• No automated watering on Mon days.

For more information on the current Level 1 water restrictions visit www. cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au/water restrictions.

Tuesday

Thursday

One Coast - Cassowary Coast

COMMUNITY PRIDE REFLECTED IN QUALITY

CRAFTED FLAG STAND FOR COUNCIL

COUNCIL recently received a very significant work of craftmanship and bespoke donation of a new wooden flag stand. Life-long resident of Innisfail, John Durso, kindly handcrafted the tim ber stand with quality woods including Satin Sycamore, Red Cedar, and Satin Ash. The incredible detail reflects the high standard of artistry which will ensure the stand becomes an integral part of the ceremonial items of Council.

For 40 years, Mr Durso was a timber boat builder and operated a charter boat with many stories to share of his life and adventures out on the Great Barrier Reef and chartering the Gulf Region.

Since retirement, Mr Durso has used his time to perfect his artwork, with many of his creations re flecting his experiences on the water and his work as a timber boat builder. He has spent time creating unique

fishing rod holders, snooker cabinets and previously donated custom trophies for Council’s Tilapia Fishing Competition.

Mr Durso also worked as a projectionist for 15 years in the Innisfail Airdrome and Regent Theatres, now Regent Arcade and later be came Manager of both. His historical ties to the region and to Innisfail inspired his work on the Council Flag Stand.

“The Innisfail Shire Hall

should have a piece that reflects community pride,” said Mr Durso.

The contributions of this flag stand by Mr Durso reflects the significant and silent contributions that many or our local citizens selflessly give to our commu nity through their volunteer efforts. This donation by Mr Durso will provide our com munity with a legacy which is reflected in the quality craft ed flag stand to be displayed in Council Chambers.

1080 Baiting Program Christmas Closures

COUNCIL wishes to advise community members of operational closures for the 1080 Feral Pig Baiting Program over the Christmas period. The last planned baiting event is scheduled for 21 December 2022 with baiting services to resume on 11 January 2023.

Council provides landowners with assistance programs to manage feral pigs on their properties. The 1080 Baiting Program is one of the services provided by Council which not only aims to reduce feral pig numbers in the region, but

also limits the potential for Panama TR4 to be spread by the animals.

Community members who regularly use this service will also receive notification of Christmas closures via email.

Community members wishing to find out more about this program for 2023 can visit Council’s website at www.cassowarycoast. qld.gov.au/pestanimals.

For further information contact Council at 1300 763 903 or email enquiries@ cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au.

BINGIL BAY PATHWAY- PROJECT UPDATE TWO

CASSOWARY Coast Re gional Council is pleased to announce that the tender for the construction of the Bingil Bay pathway has been awarded.

Far North Queensland company, Terranovus Earthworks and Plant Hire is scheduled to commence works in early 2023, weather and site condi tions permitting.

Council committed to providing key project updates to the Bingil Bay

community at the Septem ber Community meeting held at Bingil Bay Cafe. Interested stakeholders are encouraged to visit yoursay.cassowarycoast. qld.gov.au/bingil-baypathway to register your interest in receiving project updates.

This project is funded as part of the Australian Government’s $3 billion Local Roads and Commu nity Infrastructure (LRCI) Program.

Council’s new website is almost here!

COUNCIL is pleased to an nounce that we are currently improving our digital cus tomer experience by transi tioning to a modernised, and easy to use website.

Key improvements will provide a more customer in tuitive navigation, improved accessibility and fresh new design. From Tuesday 6 December to Friday 9 December, you may notice

some pages have moved, falling under new improved categories.

We look forward to bring ing you a new and improved Cassowary Coast Regional Council website. Keep your eyes on cassowarycoast. qld.gov.au as updates occur.

If you need assistance locat ing a page or service during this time please contact Council on 1300 763 903.

John Durso with his handcrafted wooden flag stand.

Bingil Bay

KIRRAMA RANGE ROAD NOW OPEN

THE newly re-sheeted 18 kilometres of Kirrama Range Road is now complete, with the road fully opening today. Works improve safety and driveability of the road.

The Kirrama Range Road is a stunning drive through parts of the World Heritage Wet Tropics in our region, and also passes over many bridges, a number of spectacular lookouts and through the Murray Upper National Park and Girringun National Park.

The works, which were funded through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements Restoration of Essential Public Areas were in response to the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Niran

and the associated lowpressure system event which occurred in early March 2021.

During the project, the road was closed to traffic at certain times of the day, and Council thanks community who frequent the road for their patience during this time.

The upgrades are jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments and approved by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority For more information please contact Cassowary Coast Regional Council on 1300 763 906 or email enquiries@ cassowarycoast.qld.gov. au.

FOXTAIL AVENUE, PORT HINCHINBROOK ROADWORKS

WORK to rehabilitate the degraded section of Foxtail Avenue in Port Hinchinbrook will commence on Wednesday 30 November, weather permitting.

Council is very mindful of the importance of this road to the community and the impact that repairing this section of Foxtail Avenue will have as part of the ongoing process of the normalisation schedule for Port Hinchin brook.

The works will involve removing and replacing a 60 linear metre section of Foxtail

Avenue. The majority of the work is planned to occur before Christmas, however the final asphalt is planned for early in the New Year, weather permitting. Traffic will be reduced to one lane, with traffic control and traffic lights on site when required.

For further information please contact Council at 1300 763 903 or email enquir ies@cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au.

Council apologises for any interruptions this may cause and will look to have the work completed as soon as possible.

MURRAY STREET, TULLY

-

PROJECT UPDATE TWO

CASSOWARY Coast Regional Council commenced works in September 2022, to upgrade Murray Street, between Richardson Street and Curtis Street intersections. Coun cil committed to providing further updates to the community during construction; this is Project Update Two.

In conjunction with the Murray Street works, concerns were brought to Council’s attention after inconsistent street address ing was causing confusion for mail delivery services on Murray Street, between the Tully Masonic Centre, QFES and the Tully Cara van Park. To rectify the issue and minimise impact on other properties Council recently approved the recommendation to extend Richardson Street in Tully, past the Queens land Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) building to the round-about on Butler Street. Murray Street upgrade works are progress ing well with watermain replacement works, kerb and channel works now complete. Primer seal of the road is expected to be completed in early December, subject to weather and site conditions. A primer seal is an application that provides a temporary bitumen surfacing treatment that can protect the gravel pavement until such time as the asphalt surfacing can be applied. Primer seal also provides effective water proofing and aggregate retention. Asphalt paving is anticipated to be undertaken in mid-De cember with guard rail installation planned for late-December, subject to weather and site conditions. Murray Street is expected to re-open for traffic by Christmas, subject to primer seal and asphalt work having been completed. Any changes to the schedule will be advertised on Council’s Facebook and

website.

The Cassowary Coast is growing, and our region requires the infrastructure and ser vices to accommodate our current residents and support future population growth. The Murray Street project will improve a primary road in Tully, improve flood immunity, im prove access for heavy vehicles and cater for future growth of the area.

Council would like to sincerely thank the community for their patience whilst the Mur ray Street works are underway.

To sign up for project news, please visit www.yoursay.cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au/ murray-street-reconstruction-works. The next project update will be issued in midDecember.

Murray Street, Tully

Aerial Image Port Hinchinbrook

Freshly completed Kirrama Range Road.

Team Manager Patrol Operations Howard Strasser said these findings should serve as a serious reminder that it is never safe to leave children or animals in a vehicle, regardless of the timeframe, weather or situation.

“Leaving a sleeping child in a car for a short time while you pay for fuel or grab something from the shops can have deadly consequences,” Mr Strasser said.

“The temperature inside a vehicle can quickly reach dangerous temperatures, even if the weather outside doesn’t feel particularly hot.”

Mr Strasser said RACQ Roadside Assistance teams receive on average five calls every day for either children or animals locked in cars.

“While many of these cases are accidental, concerningly year after year we see the same volume of callouts,” he said.

“Generally, parents give their keys to their child to play with when they’re putting the groceries in the car, or they leave the keys in the car with the dog and the dog steps on the lock button.

“We urge parents and pet owners to keep their keys close at all times. Avoid using them as a toy or distraction for children, and when buckling in your child or pet don’t put them down in your car.

“Accidentally

“If a person or animal is locked in a car, please give us a call on 13 11 11. We treat children locked in cars as the highest priority.

“If you’re ever concerned about the health of a child, call emergency services immediately.” Mr Strasser said.

*There were 1930 callouts for children and animals locked in vehicles (1069 children, 861 animals) be tween 1 November 2021 – 31 October 2022.

**Test was conducted in February 2022 in a dark coloured vehicle.

Plans for park almost sunk by swimmers

By Maria Larkins

PLANS for the award-winning tourist attraction at Mena Creek Falls were almost undone by a school swim class.

On November 6, 1928, the “Johnstone River Advocate” mentioned that a “well known citizen” intended to “construct a café, establish a park, and provide concrete steps to the bed of the creek for sightseers”.

José Paronella was that citizen, and his “elab orate plan” was to establish a “tropical garden of Eden” as a tourist resort but first he had to secure the land and gain access to part of a gazetted recreation reserve.

He had lodged an application with the District Lands Office at Innisfail for a special lease of a portion of Recreation Reserve R421 in the Parish of Japoon.

The “Johnstone River Advocate” reported on February 24, 1931, that the Lands Office had written to the Johnstone Shire Council seeking their views on the matter.

Paronella wanted the public picnic ground in cluded in the lease and that if it wasn’t, his plans for the whole enterprise would be jeopardised. At that time, the Council couldn’t see any issue with the application and recommended that it be approved. Two years later it would emerge there was indeed an issue with Paronella’s plans.

On August 29, 1933, it was reported that the Johnstone Shire Council intended to object to the Lands Department’s approval of the special lease due to public access concerns.

Council had received a letter from the Mena

Creek Progress Association which stated: “it was understood that Mr. Paronella was averse to people going to the swimming pool there unless they paid.”

The Association wanted local school children to be able to receive swimming lessons from their teachers at the creek. Paronella had argued that he did not charge the children to take their swimming lessons there. In response to council’s objection, Paronella launched a media campaign to address the issue, penning letters to the editors of several northern newspapers.

He pointed out that Mena Creek falls had only become a popular tourist destination due to the “considerable expenditure” he had invested. He also suggested that council should direct its attention to roadworks and let him focus on the resort business.

A Public Notice was also placed in the “Cairns Post” on September 6, 1933, advising “Head Teachers of all District Schools, that all children accompanied by their Teachers” would be ad mitted to Paronella Park at Mena Creek “free of charge, every Friday so as to enable the children to learn to swim.”

His campaign appears to have worked. It was reported in the “Townsville Daily Bulletin” on January 17, 1934, that the Shire Council had applied for a section of road to be metalled from Thomas’ Hill, South Johnstone to Miskin’s Creek. “Owing to the importance of Mena Creek as a resort this undertaking if accomplished will be a valuable asset.”

Main Pic: Paronella Park resort complex, c. 1940, courtesy SLQ.

Inserts: Left: The architect, engineer and builder of Paronella Park Resort, José Paronella. Courtesy Paronella Park.

Right, top: Swimming area at Mena Creek Falls, 1935, courtesy Queensland Archives. Right, bottom: Picnic area at Mena Creek Falls, 1935, courtesy Queensland Archives.

Sources: TROVE, Queensland Archives, State Library of Queensland (SLQ), Paronella Park.

Guide

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Barbary Coasters - Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron, 4:00pm

PJ Myers - Kewarra Beach Shack, 4:30pm

Katie Richards - Hopscotch, 4:30pm

Janna Mercedes - The Crown Hotel Cairns, 6:00pm

Kim Settle - Edge Hill Memorial Bowls Club, 6:00pm

Anais Campbell - The Benson Hotel, 6:00pm

SAX MAN Troy StevensChill @ Portofino, 6:00pm Hot Ice - Cazalys Cairns, 6:30pm

Declan Murray Brown - The Secret Jungle, 6:30pm

Infinity Duo - Brothers Leagues Club, Innisfail, 7:00pm

Manuka, Neil Junior & Tessa Devine - Tanks Arts Centre, 7:00pm

Mississippi ShakedownParkview Hotel, Gordonvale, 8:00pm

The Fleetwood Mac Show - Bar36 at The Reef Hotel Casino, 9:00pm

Kaweyova - The Union Jack, 9:00pm

Big Noise - PJ O’Briens, 9:30pm

Blue Reed - Koah Markets, Koah Hall, 9:00am

Cairns Classical Music Group - St Monica’s Cathedral, 2:00pm

The Raconteurs - Port Douglas Yacht Club , 3:00pm

Vivien Aisi - Boardwalk Social by Crystalbrook, 4:00pm

Katie Richards - The Beach House, 4:00pm

Carrizma - Cazalys Cairns, 6:15pm

SAX MAN Troy StevensThe Benson Hotel, 6:30pm

QYO Big Band and Friends - Tanks Arts Centre, 7:00pm

Infinity Duo - Brothers Leagues Club, Cairns, 7:30pm

The Fleetwood Mac Show - Bar36 at The Reef Hotel Casino, 9:00pm

Big Noise - PJ O’Briens, 9:30pm

Katie RichardsMountainview Hotel, 12:00pm

Stan Stone - Boardwalk Social by Crystalbrook, 12:00pm

Wind and Wood - Barron Falls Hotel, 1:00pm Dazz & the BoyzzNeptunes, Palm Cove, 2:00pm

SAX MAN Troy StevensSea Temple Palm Cove, 3:00pm

PJ Myers - Chill Café Palm Cove, 3:00pm

Russell Harris - Palm Cove SLSC, 3:00pm

Drew Boy - Boardwalk Social by Crystalbrook, 3:00pm

Cairns Blues ExplosionElixir Music Bar, 4:00pm

Barbary Coasters - Kewarra Beach Shack, 4:00pm

Victoria Boxall - O’Sheas, Machans Beach, 4:30pm

JC Stylles meets the QYO Big Band - Kuranda Ampitheatre – Understage, 4:30pm

Blue Reed - Vitalia’s Italian Restaurant, The Pier, 5:00pm

Northlane - Tanks Arts Centre, 7:00pm

The Fleetwood Mac Show - Bar36 at The Reef Hotel Casino, 7:30pm

Palm Cove Markets coming

this weekend

SUNDAY, December 4, will be the last Palm Cove Markets for the year.

These markets hope to be bigger and better than the year before.

The Palm Cove Markets will be a great place to come along and shop for that something special or unique Christmas gift for everyone in the family or secret Santa for the office. There will be over 130 stalls, all showcasing something new, different and unique – many items locally made.

Each month the stall holders showcase their incredible talent in a diverse range of products and services in art and craft, fashion and beauty, health and wellbeing, home and garden and food and beverage.

The Palm Cove Markets are a wonderful social day’s outing for families, locals and, of course, tourists and certainly help support small businesses and the local economy.

With Christmas Day just around the corner, it will be an excellent opportunity to find some

thing special for your family, your pets, your favourite teacher or aunt or even just to spoil yourself.

FNQ residents are encouraged to come along and support this local event and, by doing so, support small local businesses.

In its totality, profits from the markets are contributed to local charities and families in need in the Cairns area.

This year so far, the Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise has already donated over $20,000.

Some charities to benefit from these donations include the Royal Flying Doctors Association, Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation, Wheels of Wellness, local students undertaking scholarships, the Survive 25 program run by Dr Katrina Starmer, and many more.

This year, the Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise have also organized a Christmas raffle prize worth over $3,000 with items donated by stall holders and local businesses in the area.

Some of the prizes include accommodation vouchers and seafood vouchers. People who can not attend the markets can still buy raffle tickets online visiting, www.raffletix.com.au?ref=wam9x

Make the time this Sunday to come out and support the Palm Cove Markets, an event man aged by The Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise.

The Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise is located on Williams Esplanade between Harpa Street and Cedar Road at Palm Cove.

Breaking Ground pilot program set for take-off

IN the wake of its 30th birthday celebrations, JUTE Theatre Company is already eyeing the future with the launch on Monday of a seminal new theatre project, Breaking Ground, for young members of Cairns’ African community.

Breaking Ground is a performing arts train ing program led by JUTE Theatre Company in partnership with Centacare and Cairns African Association with a big picture aim to establish a New Australian Theatre Troupe.

The two-week program, specially created for Cairns African Community youth, including refugees and migrants, started on Monday and will give the 10 participants selected in an audition process the opportunity to develop their own thea tre work as well as hone transferable work skills and confidence.

The workshops are facilitated by Grace Edward, a Logan-based playwright, director and creative producer from Yei, South Sudan. Grace has cowritten, produced, and directed four theatre pro ductions in Brisbane, with The Big Reach project (2022) the most recent.

Grace fell in love with storytelling as a child and has nurtured this raw passion with scholarship into a craft that promotes community advocacy, communication, and better understanding.

In her role as storyteller, Grace explores dif ferent aspects of being a third culture child and a person of colour.

Spearheading this project is JUTE’s co-founder and Senior Creative Producer Kathryn Ash, who said Breaking Ground is the culmination of work in the African-Australian Youth Community space that began after a collaboration with Centacare three years ago.

“Over the years, JUTE has undertaken a series

of workshops and programs within the African community that have been incredibly popular and successful,” Ms Ash said.

“It has demonstrated the power of theatre and storytelling to build cultural confidence, make connections and increase social harmony, all while making friends and having fun.”

The Breaking Ground workshops and resi dency will culminate in a public performance on Thursday, December 8, from 6pm at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre. Entry is free with an optional gold coin donation.

Carols in the Park makes a welcome return

AFTER a two-year pandemicrelated hiatus, Council’s annual festive event returns this year at a new venue with a tropically inspired production.

Munro Martin Parklands (MMP) will host the family event on Sunday, December 11, from 5pm to 8.30pm, with the show to be livestreamed across to the Cairns Perform ing Arts Centre (CPAC).

Sandwiched between the two entertainment venues, Florence St (from Sheridan St to Grafton Streets) will be closed to traffic to allow for food vans and additional children’s activities.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the return of the live pro duction was sure to be popular with the community.

“During the past two years we were forced to forego the live carols production and instead created two mov ies, which were broadcast on YouTube and also proved very popular,” Cr Manning said.

“But nothing beats a live Carols in the Park perfor mance.

“It is always wonderful to see performers on stage as thousands of audience mem bers sing along.

“I am also thrilled that the

live carols performance will make its return at Munro Mar tin Parklands, which is perfect for families to bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy the show in a relaxed venue.

“We will also open CPAC for anyone who would prefer to watch the production in doors, while there is no doubt the food vans and activities in Florence St will add to the festive spirit,” he said.

Additional screens will be installed at MMP to enhance viewability.

Both the live show at MMP and the live stream at CPAC are free events.

Grace Edward will acilitate the Breaking Ground program

Don’t

expect anyone else to

you.

You should try to elaborate on an idea you have regarding a product or service for the home. You may be considering moving to larger quarters. Be prepared to make compensations and adjustments. Look into travel opportunities that will provide you with stimulation.

If you join intellectual or cultural groups, you should meet individuals who stimulate you. A quiet restful day just staying in bed or catching up on reading will be your best bet. Hold your temper and refrain from doing anything that might cause injury.

You need to spend time with friends and family. You will be subject to pushy individuals if you get involved in uncertain people. You may find that others do not do things your way; however, if the job gets done, let it pass. You will both have to bend if you want this union to work.

Persuasive people may annoy you. You’ve been in a rut, and you need to do something that will help you break the pattern you’ve fallen into. Try to enlist the help of those you trust to fulfill the demands. Groups you belong to will enjoy your company, and share your interests.

Broaden your horizons and investigate programs that will teach you awareness and relaxation. Be creative in your efforts. You may find that someone you really cared for in the past has come back into your life. Your suggestions for fund raising events will be well received.

Your communication skills will bring you popularity and increased self-esteem. Travel opportunities look positive but be cautious while driving. You can get a lot done if you get your hands on the right equipment. In-laws or relatives may oppose your personal intentions.

Socialize with friends, but don’t overspend on lavish entertainment. Travel could be in order. You’ll stay out of trouble if you pick projects that will benefit the whole family. Do not confront situations unless you are sure you have a good understanding of the dilemma.

Dealing with in-laws or relatives will not be in your best interest. Too much work and no play will result in fatigue, frustration and loneliness. Minor accidents may occur if you don’t concentrate on what you’re doing. You can surprise members of your family.

Be sure to catch up on overdue correspondence and help those you love find solutions to their dilemmas. Your mate will appreciate your honesty. You may not be too pleased with the actions of those you live with. Travel will bring you the greatest rewards.

You may be the recipient of false information. Cultural activities will prove to be quite enlightening for everyone. Discuss your objectives with peers or lovers. Problems with your mate will develop if you don’t let them have their way.

2.77

bearing identifying data about a person (2,4) 3. to drink alcohol (6) 4. the time of the day between sunrise and sunset (7) 5. a person who murders an important person for political or religious reasons (8) 6. a very experienced or long-serving person (3-5) 7. to walk in a leisurely way. (6) 15. north-Americaln term for an outdoor social gathering for eating clams and other seafood (8) 16. informal terms for a large amount or number (8) 18. a long thin cigar (8) 19. a church tower and spire (7) 21. a protective casing or cover (6) 23. characteristic of an affluent area or people (6) 24. having or showing compassion or benevo lence (6)

REAL ESTATE PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR PERFECT DECK

(BPT) - A big part of building your dream deck is the plan ning. In fact, a typical deck project can take six months (or more) from inspiration to in stallation. To help make your dream a reality, the following are tips for keeping your deck project on track, on trend and on budget.

Visualize the Possibilities

When it comes to your deck’s design, there are countless possibilities - from simple ground-level styles to more elaborate multi-level decks. Ultimately, a deck should be designed around how you plan to use it. In addition to function, consider your views, neighbors, the prevalence of sun or shade, as well as the entrances and exits from the home and into the yard. All these factors will have an impact on your deck’s size and configuration. Once you have a general design in mind, there are great tools available to help bring your visions to life. There are also hundreds of downloadable deck plans and other resources available on line to help guide you through your deck building journey.

Consider Codes and Permits

Consult your state or council offices regarding building

code requirements and to learn what permits are necessary for building a deck in your area. Factor permitting into your project timeline so that progress is not stalled by waiting for inspections and ap provals. If your neighborhood has a homeowner associa tion (HOA), make sure you understand any rules regarding deck size, color, product type or design. And don’t forget to check with your local utilities to locate any underground cables, wires or pipes before construction begins. Your deck builder should be able to help with this, or you can contact Dial Before You Dig at: www.1100.com.au .

Be Mindful of Materials

When choosing materi als for your deck, think long term. It’s important to choose quality materials that will withstand years of wear and tear from both weather and use. High-performance, woodalternative composite decking is resistant to fading, staining, scratching and mold. And, unlike wood, it never has to be sanded, stripped or stained, resulting in less maintenance and more time for outdoor enjoyment. High-performance Trex® composite decking is

also sustainably made from 95 per cent recycled and reclaimed materials, making it an eco-conscious choice that feels as good as it looks. Sample boards may be ordered online so you can see firsthand how different colors and collections work with your home’s architecture and style.

Budgeting and Beyond

When it comes to budget ing for a new deck, keep in mind that several factors will affect costs, including the size, shape and elevation of the deck, along with labour and the materials you choose. For the latter, you can use an online cost calculator to get a rough estimate for mate rial costs based on the size, substructure and decking products being considered. As for labour, do your research and request multiple quotes to ensure you find the best contractor for your project and budget. Keep in mind that quality deck builders book projects well in advance and often have a waiting list.

With proper planning, it’s possible to make all your outdoor living dreams come true. For more information and inspiration, visit: https://au.trex.com/.

FOR HIRE

Advertising agencies,

terial with the

for publication,

authorizing of the publication of any material INDEMNIFY the

it’s Di rectors, employees and

agents against all demands, claims, costs, expenses, proceedings and damages wholly or partially arising directly or indirectly in relation with the publication of the material without limiting the generality, indemnify all associated in relation to libel, defamation, infringement of copyright, slender of ti tle, infringement of trademarks or publication titles, breach of trade practices or fair trading legislation, unfair competition, violation of privacy, confidential information, royalty rights, licenses or other property rights and thus WARRANT that all material complies with relevant laws and that its publication will not give rise to claims or liabilities to the publisher, directors, employees and agents, and without limiting the generality that nothing is in breach of the Trade Practices Act 1974 or the Copyright Act 1968, the Fair Trading Act 1987 or the Consumer Protection, Defamation and Sale of Goods Legislation of the States and Territories or infringes the right of any person.

Advertising Conditions

Any advertisement accepted for publication in The Express News paper is subject to the rules applicable to advertising laws laid down by the Media Council of Australia. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval and at its discretion can refuse to accept any advertisement it believes the message portrayed within the advertisement might infringe the rights of an individual or may not comply with all the laws and regulations of the States and Territo ries. The publisher does not accept any responsibility or liability in relation to any loss due to the failure of an advertisement to appear according to instructions.

The placing or positioning of an advertisement within the request ed classification is at the discretion of Cairns Local News, except where agreed upon by the publisher. The monetary level of ad vertising is based upon the frequency used within the period of the order. The term may vary from three months to one year. The word “Advertisement” will be used on advertising copy which in the opinion of the publisher resembles editorial. The terms set out above are subject to change without notification at the discretion of the publisher.

Advertisement Proofing

The proofing of advertisements cannot be guaranteed unless ad vertising copy content is received at Cairns Local News by 4pm TUESDAY prior to publication. The final proofing deadline is 5pm Wednesday prior to publication, any revisions requested after 5pm Wednesday are not guaranteed. If a booking is confirmed, final proof approval is not required by Cairns Local News.

Advertising Code Clearance

Rulings by the Trade Practices Commission require that all ad vertisements relating to alcoholic beverages, therapeutic goods, weight loss/slimming clinics and products or programmes must carry an APB Clearance Number. All advertisements that do not carry the APB Number first must be submitted for clearance and the issue of an APB number for inclusion in the advertisement directed to: Australian Publishers Bureau, Suite 2/1, 741 Pacific Highway, Gordon NSW 2072, Phone (02) 9499 3412.

Friday December 3rd

Cairns Night Markets: 54-60 Abbott St, 16:30-23:00

Kuranda Heritage Markets: Rob Vievers Dr, 10:00-15:00

Kuranda Rainforest Markets: 7 Therwine St, 09:30-15:00

Rusty’s Markets: Grafton St, Cairns, 05:00-18:00

WANTED Short Back

and

4 FARM HANDS To work on a farm in the Dimbulah area, must live on farm, award wages, 38 hours per week. • Picking • Packing • Pruning • Checking irrigation Will have to work some Saturdays and Sundays. Email: evelyn@skymesh.com.au Lady 75 years seeks health conscious friend. Write to: PO Box 290, Earlville, 4870 70yrs young female, likes gardening and the outdoors, looking for an independent, outgoing male companion 65-75yrs Phone 0407476653 Christmas parties, Weddings, Birthdays, Corporate functions, Regular venues customized to suit your needs. Quality product with Professional delivery! “START THE PARTY” ENTERTAINMENT SPECIALISTS To enquire call 0421 902 046

NOTICES

FNQ Markets

Saturday December 4th

Atherton: Platypus Park, Herberton Rd, 07:00-13:00

Cairns Night Markets: 54-60 Abbott St, 16:30-23:00

Christmas Pottery Fair: 28a Grove St, Cairns 08:00-02:00

Gordonvale Cottage Markets: Norman Park, 07:00-12:00

Herberton Twilight Xmas Market: Grace St, 15:00-20:00

Koah: Koah Hall, Koah Rd, 09:00-13:00

Kuranda Heritage Markets: Rob Vievers Dr, 10:00-15:00

Kuranda Rainforest Markets: 7 Therwine St, 09:30-15:00

Mossman: St David’s Church, 07:00-13:00

Redlynch Valley: Xavier Herbert Park, 17:00-20:00pm

Rusty’s Markets: Grafton St, Cairns, 05:00-18:00

Sunday December 5th

Cairns Night Markets: 54-60 Abbott St, 16:30-23:00

Kuranda Heritage Markets: Rob Vievers Dr, 10:00-15:00

Kuranda Rainforest Markets: 7 Therwine St, 09:30-15:00

Mission Beach Markets: Opposite Hideaways, 07:00-12:00

Palm Cove: Williams Esplanade, 08:00-14:00

Port Douglas: by St Mary’s Church, 07:30-14:00

Rusty’s Markets: Grafton St, Cairns, 05:00-18:00

Tolga: Morrow Park Racecourse, 07:00-12.00

SPORT

MOSSMAN LADIES’ BOWLS

Thursday November 24th: Social Bowls Winners: Jan Stokes, Maree Crees, Robin Petrus and Denise Highland; R/up: Margaret Cooper, Greta Kessels and Anne Geddes. Raf fle won by Gloria Geeves. Next week a report on who has been elected to the Ladies’ Commit tee will be forthcoming. The ladies will cease play after the Xmas lunch on December 8th. A few are happy to turn up to play cards. If you are a lady who can play cards and wants to learn, or re-enter bowls in the New Year, come join in so you can meet some of the ladies in a more social environ ment. Then in the New Year, you’ll know some of the ladies. To bowl, names in by noon and play at 1pm, Bowls attire. Last Tuesday, a group of our ladies went to Tully to experience a truly Far North Queensland game of bowls. The heat of bowling and the weather was intense. Even so, there is talk of them going back next year. Thank you, Tully. Reminder that we are having our Ham Day on the 8th December and our Xmas lunch on the 9th December. For more infor mation on our bowls contact Carole Maxted: caroles44bb@ dodo.com.au or 0400 954 537.

Sunday Mixed Bowls: Due to the heat, less players put their names in so it was cancelled. Perhaps a change to having it at night, especially in the warmer months could be the way to go. Please direct your enquiries to the Mossman Bowls Club: 4098 1434.

WEST CAIRNS MEN’S BOWLS CLUB

Friday Scroungers: Winner: Terry Ingledew; R/up: Tania Sprengel. Tuesday Comp: Win

ners: Richo, Wayne Vella and Eddie Czarnecki, with 23pts; R/up: J Carr, N McIntyre and J Bent, 14pts in the second game. Thirsty Thursday: Best Players: Kevin Lee, Rolly and Gabby. Sunday Morning: Winners: Norm Kehrer, M Gordon and Steve Smith, 25 pts; R/up: N McIntyre, Scotty Carolan and Maurie, 21pts. Sunday social bowls are a new format of club select teams, so come and join in for a fun morning. Single Names have to be on the sheet by 4:30pm Saturday afternoon or ring the Club to nominate. All players nominated will get a game. The morning starts at 9:30am so the cards are called at 9:15am, all are welcome. Club Champion ship: Men’s Triples 3nd round game: Winner: Scotty Carolan, Terry Mawer and Steve Ford, 33pts; R/up: Phil Buntain, John Bent and Larry Mills, 15pts.

Saturday December 10th: Grand final of the Men’s Tri ples at 11am between Glen Do novan, Ken Vivian and Steve Smith vs Scotty Carolan, Terry Mawer and Steven Ford. By all accounts this should be a tough game to win. Skips to Check and organise the next games (B grade pairs). Ensure that Helen Knows of any games to be played over the coming weeks. Happy bowling and see you on the Green. Social bowlers are always welcome.

MAREEBA BOWLS CLUB

Wednesdays: Club selected games 2x 12 ends 12:30 for 1:00pm. Wednesday Winners: P Brown, L Cummings, Ivan Sayed. Thursday November 24th: Self-selected Jackpot pairs: Winner: Wally Ferger son, Brian Fitzpatricks; R/up: Derrick Harrigan, L Plowman; Best second game: L Cum mings, C De Zen. Sunday November 27th: Winners: P Brown, Tanya, P Soda; R/up: G Morrow, S Stefferson, Carmel Dezen. Tuesdays: Barefoot bowls names in by 6:00pm: Come and try bowls, club bowls available and bar open every Tuesday night. Names are called for mixed B Grade and also Mixed consistency singles please put names on

sheet.

WEST CAIRNS TPI MEMORIAL BOWLS CLUB INC

The expected hot and steamy weather we had been expect ing was replaced by a cooling breeze which made conditions most pleasant on the green last Monday. We also welcomed beck a couple from Northern Ireland who have visited us before COVID quite a few years ago. It is expected they will be in Australia for a few months. They were welcomed by the ten local players who played today. The winning team was led by Max Harker, supported by Ken Boughton and Val Fallon and they were awarded a small cash prize. We only have a couple more games next month before we have our end of year function and a short recess before starting again in January. As usual we are seeking any bowler who enjoys social mixed bowls that are played on a carpet green and are protected from bad weather spoiling the game. All that is required is to contact our selector Rosemary on 0409 624 623 anytime before 11:00am next Monday to obtain full information on the afternoon activities. Also available is a sheet inside the West Cairns Bowls Club build ing for recording your name, mobile phone contact, position normally played and name of your home club if visiting. We prefer regulation bowls attire if available and have club bowls available if required. Cards are called at 1:15pm with start of play at 1.30pm, and afternoon tea break provided in the green fee and play finishing at 4:30pm. All players should be at the club when the cards are called. Even though our name may suggest an association with the armed services this no longer applies as all of the original members have passed on making our club now a Memorial Club so everyone is most welcome on any Monday afternoon.

MOSSMAN MEN’S BOWLS

Saturday 26 November: 32 Bowlers for Jackpot Bowls:

Ranald Edwards, SAS, Joe Girgenti def Mick Frese, Kiwi, Bill Allison, 24-20; Col Wid dows, Nev Tesch def Gerrard Beech, Bernie Savage, 27-18; Steve Heffernan, Mick Plum mer, Peter Worley def Bill Smith, George Wilmot, Alistair Douglas, 28-18; Col Johnson, Nev Fletcher def Ted Holmes, Col Maxted, 31-20; Charlie Toohey, Jock Constantine, Dick Pitt def Terry Richards, Steve Cue, John Arnold, 28-13; and the winners for the day, Malachy McTaggart, Peter Fairchild, John Hop kins def Peter Busch, Daryl Hoskins, Steve Hudson, 26-11. A reminder, the next Social Bowls will be held Thursday December 1st from 5:30pm with names in by 5pm at a cost of $10 per person. Cost includes a sausage sizzle after the game (8:00pm) and the chance to win a $50.00 meat tray from Mossman Butchers. To register ring the Club on 4098 1434. Social Bowls now held on the 1st and 3rd Thurs day of each month and open to all members, non-members and beginners wishing to try bowls for the first time. A reminder, Jackpot Bowls this Saturday. Names in by 12 noon with card call at 12:45pm for a 1pm start. To register ring the Club on 4098 1434.Anyone interested in playing bowls, either for the first time or returning to the game, contact David White on 0407 630 759. Follow Mossman Bowls Club Men’s Section on Facebook, and the Clubs’ new webpage www. mossmanbowlsclub.com.au

EDGE HILL BOWLS CLUB

Ladies Social Bowls: Thursday November 24th: Winners: Fran Merkle, Mary Santangelo, and Jill AlexanderSachse. Social bowls for Thursday November 31stnames in by 2:30pm for 3pm start. Ladies Club Singles draw has been completed. Please see notice board for any conditions of play including dates of play. Arrange a marker for the game with your opponent.

Men’s Mixed Social Bowls: Tuesday November 22nd af ternoon cancelled due to Heat

Issues. Tuesday evening bowls were washed out. Wednesday November 23rd Winners: Alan, Chris and Steve; R/up: Ray, Frances and Wayne. Saturday November 26th: no Social Bowls played.

Notice to our members and Volunteers. We are still looking for a Bare Foot Bowls Coordinator to ensure we have volunteers available to sup port BF Bowls groups having Social or Work Functions each week, mainly Friday and Satur day until Christmas. Add your name to the list on the notice board for dates and times you can assist. We also have our ongoing ARC Disability group members participate in Tues day morning bowls activity if you are available to assist.

Social Bowls will change start time for Tuesday to 3pm and Night bowls remain at 7pm, Wednesday night Self Selected Triples will also remain at 7pm. Saturday Social Bowls will still be played at 1pm as Saturday BFB book ings for December 2022 will have large groups booked from 2pm. Check with the Club for other start times or see the new Social Bowls Booking forms online on Edge Hill Club Website and Facebook page as some green fees and start times have changed. You can contact Ray Webster 0402 182 230 for social bowls assistance and volunteering your time or ring the Club 07 4053 1036.

INNISFAIL MENS’ BOWLS

Thursday afternoon Social Bowls saw 28 bowlers on the green. Winners: Sergio Del laPozza, Sam Micale, Matt Aucello and Peter Broccardo; R/up: Michael Roots, George Edgerton and Jamie Patterson. Visitors and new members most welcome. Names in by 12:30pm for a 1:15pm start.

Friday November 25th: Final of the Mixed Pairs: Winners: Sergio DellaPozza and Diana O’Brien; R/up: Peter Smith and Joan Atkinson. Consistency Singles: Winner: Gordon Goes; R/up: Snow Clark. Our club presentation and Christmas goose will be held on Decem ber 11th and on the December

15th will be a hamper day.

GORDONVALE BOWLS

Wednesday Christmas Lunch: Meet at Sugar Cane Kitchen; Thursday: Club

Selected 3 Bowl Pairs at 1pm. Results from last week: Win ners: Trevor & Bevan; R/up: Rob & AQ. Raffle Winner: Trevor. Saturday November 26th: 24 players enjoyed a fun afternoon, sponsored by Thursday Bowlers. A lot of winners on Saturday, but the only one at hand is the Raffle winner Margie Bruni. Thanks to all who attended & to the Thursday Group for sponsor ing the day. Events: December 15th 1pm: Mixed Mufti Bowls for Hams; December 19th: Ham Day, followed by Club Presentation Day. Club will be in recess from December 19th. Best Wishes to all Bowlers and families for a Merry Christmas and a Safe & Happy New Year.

Saturday November 26th: Classic Weekend of Golf Spon sored by Central Tyre Service Day 1. Today was a 4 ball Medley Ambrose and attracted teams from all over the far north, we decided to trial hav ing two four ball teams playing together as we found out on our last big (huge) weekend some players were unhappy with the delays. Winner: Ash Healy, Allen Hapgood, Dave Hay and Ruth Cooper, nett 50; R/up: Kelvin Groves, Dave

MILLAA MILLAA GOLF

Welch Gary Soper and Shane Soper, nett 53; 3rd: the McE wan family of Tom, Emily and Abby and Brian Hughes; 4th: Matt Bolton, Scott Webb, John Tolentini and Adrian Nelson; 5th: Shane Escott’s team; and 6th: Graham Murray, Bob Collyer, Don McHardie and Ross Ellen. NTP: The McEwan family and Brian Hughes 1/10; Mark Twomey, Gary Lober wein, Gary Sinclair and Brian Cole on 5/14.

Sunday December 27th: Classic Weekend of Golf Spon sored by Central Tyre Service Day 2. Stroke Event: Men’s winners: Best 18 hole gross: Peter Fox, 75; Best 18 holes nett: Paul Foster, 66 on countback; A Grade nett: Dave Morrison, 73; B Grade nett: Graham Murray on count back; C Grade nett: Wayne Norris, 69; Senior nett: Bob Collyer, 67; The Bradmans prize: Rod Armstrong. Men’s Longest Drive: A grade: Lee Heike; B grade: Leo Lenard; C grade: Damian Bowe. Ladies Winners: Best 18 hole gross: Alicia English; Best 18 holes nett: Sue Job, 75; B grade nett: Hipas Donald, 80; B grade nett R/up: Janeen Smith, 81; Ladies Longest Drive: Alicia Eng lish. NTP: Ash Healy on 1/10 and Gary Soper for 5/14. A wonderful weekend of golf and many thanks to all the workers that make it all possible, next Sunday is monthly medal and Trophy Presentation.

Catch all the World Cup action live at FNQ’s pubs

THE excitement of the World Cup has taken over, well, the world, and with the Socceroos performance and all the excitement still to come, many soccer fans will want to support their favourite teams and celebrate with a cold beer.

So, soccer lovers in Far North Queensland won’t miss a nail-biting minute of this year’s World Cup with Australian Venue Co pubs across the region covering all the action live and loud until December 19.

All Cairns and FNQ residents will enjoy and celebrate the 2022 World Cup from the comfort and friendly environment of their local pubs.

Dunwoody’s, 317 Sheridan St, Cairns www.dunwoodys.com.au/events/football-world-cup-2022/

• Dunwoody’s will be covering every nail-biting moment of the World Cup

• No bookings required, walk-ins are welcome

• View the online sports schedule here: www. dunwoodys.com.au/live-sport/

Palm Cove Tavern, 24 Veivers Road, Palm Cove https://palmcovetavern.com.au/live-sports/

• Palm Cove residents can catch all the World Cup action at the biggest and best Sports Bar in the area

• Patrons can view the sports schedule and fixture here: www.palmcovetavern.com.au/live-sports/

Trinity Beach Tavern, Vasey Esplanade, Trinity https://trinitybeachtavern.com.au/live-sport/ Patrons won’t miss a moment of the action at Trinity Beach Tavern, with 15 full-HD screens throughout the venue, including a 100-inch TV View the schedule at the Live Sports Guide

Basketball Australia announces scholarship partnership

THIS week, Basketball Australia and Foot Locker announced a partnership with the Sports Excellence Scholarship Fund (SESF) for three years from 2023.

Together they will work to provide 10 scholarships per year to emerging basketball players from low socioeconomic back grounds throughout the country.

Basketball Australia joins a roster of national sporting organi sations to partner with the SESF as they close out their inaugural year as a national charity. The foundation aims to alleviate the financial burden on emerging athletes and their families, allow ing athletes to continue on their professional pathways.

As the national governing body of basketball in the country, Basketball Australia oversees the Australian national teams, the Centre of Excellence, WNBL and the Australian Junior Champi onships (AJC).

Foot Locker APAC’s Senior Director of Marketing and former

AJC participant, Brendan Graham, said the partnership was crucial in supporting athletes.

“This is a very important component of our multi-year partnership with Basketball Australia and the Australian Junior Championship tournaments,” Mr Graham said.

“Basketball is a universal game, and SESF provides the as sessment and governance processes necessary to ensure funding from Basketball Australia and Foot Locker best support mem bers of our basketball community.”

This partnership solidifies the SESF’s commitment to sup porting emerging basketball players from all over Australia, a sport known for regular travel to events.

Basketball Australia’s Executive General Manager of Com petitions, Participation & Education Paul Maley said they were proud of the partnership and what it would mean to the sport.

“Basketball Australia is proud to become a partner of the

Sports Excellence Scholarship Fund for the next three years,” Mr Maley said.

“The cost of participating in multiple events per year across the country can add up, and this important partnership can con tribute to equitable access for disadvantaged basketball players.

“We look forward to working with SESF and Foot Locker to provide more opportunities and pathways for emerging talent.”

“We are pleased to partner with Basketball Australia and Foot Locker for the next three years. Basketball is an incredibly popular sport nationwide with the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the Boomers building the sport’s profile,” SESF Executive Director Nick Mooney said.

“This partnership will support the next generation of emerg ing athletes pursuing their basketball pathway.”

Applications can be made at sesf.org.au/application from January 16.

Local triathlon squad wins big

By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

THE TriMotivate Cairns Tri athlon Coaching squad was the big winner at the Cairns Crocs Triathlon End of Year awards, taking first place overall in the male category and winning over 10 awards for the squad.

With the arrival of Ironman to Cairns this year, triathlon keeps becoming a popular sport in the region. However, for some, this passion has been there from the beginning; that’s the case for founder and head coach of TriMotivate Cairns Triathlon Coaching, Renee Ker.

Ms Ker founded TriMotivate nine years ago; she was already a seasoned triathlon and Iron man competitor when she became a coach.

“I’m a performance coach, I studied at the Australian Institute of Sport, and I’m also an accredited Ironman coach, the only one in Cairns with that mix of credentials,” she said.

“We are a multisport triathlon group that caters to anything from beginners to ath letes wanting to qualify for the world championships.”

Ms Ker is TriMotivate’s head coach and has the support of two other coaches, Damian Coad, ex Ironman repre sentative in Kona, and Mandy Anderson, a swim coach.

The team has a range of ath letes from the ages of 14 to 68.

“We have a very diverse crew,” Ms Ker said.

“But what I’m most proud of is our squad’s incredible culture; everyone is very sup

portive, we have a lot of fun, but we work hard at the same time.”

Annually, the Cairns Crocs Triathlon Club runs an award ceremony at the end of the year to celebrate the achievements of the best athletes in triathlon.

To do so, they adopted a point system for each category, from teenagers to adults, to ensure the best of the best receive the praise deserved for the year’s hard work.

Athletes gather points throughout the year (Cairns Crocs Triathlon Club season) based on the competitor’s position; they receive 10 points for first place, nine for second place and so on.

The final point allocation is based on a competitor’s top four results from the season (from six events), with the athletes having to compete in at least two events.

Ms Ker said this year, the TriMotivate squad had reached new heights, and it was directly reflected in the awards.

“I’m incredibly proud of how the crew has done, last year, we did quite well, but this has been the best year yet,” she said.

“It’s mainly because our athletes train consistently; they don’t think – oh, I’m just going to train for six months do 70.3 Ironman, and then they fall off the way.

“We keep our athletes engaged by training for other events; we go out of Cairns for other events too.

“We mix it up, we go up to the Tablelands, we do ocean swimming, we do trail running, so we mix it up, and it keeps people engaged,” she said.

TriMotivate Cairns Triathlon Coaching is currently taking recruits for 2023, and Ms Ker said she wanted to encourage people in Cairns to leave their fear of triathlon behind and join the squad.

“A lot of people think triathlon is really daunting,” she said.

“We start everyone with baby steps; even if you’re a non-runner, we start with walkrun sessions, and we build you nice and slowly into a little bit of endurance.

“Triathlon has so many different distances; you’ve got the enticer distance, sprint, standard, 70.3 Ironman and full Ironman, so there’s a distance for everyone and every fitness level.”

For more information about TriMotivate, visit: www.trimotivate.com.au/

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• 2nd 14-15 age group

• 2nd 20-29 age group - Sumbul Ari

• 2nd 50-59 age group - Deb Steinhofer

• 2nd 30-39 age group - Eliza Camac

• 2nd 20-29 age group - Robbie Lee

• 3rd 40-49 age group - Joanna Fack

Head coach of TriMotivate Cairns Triathlon Coaching, Renee Ker

The TriMotivate Cairns Triathlon Squad

The TriMotivate Cairns Triathlon coaching team