Cairns Local News December 09 2022

New program for First Nations interested in law enforcement

THE TAFE Queensland First Nations Pathways to Policing Program is launch ing in Cairns to help increase the number of Indigenous Australians working in law enforcement agencies.

TAFE Queensland Aboriginal and Tor res Strait Islander and the Arts Faculty Manager Leanne Bell, a proud Ganggalida and Birri Gubba woman, said the initiative provides participants with the opportunity to gain the skills they need to improve their chances of employment.

“The program prepares and develops participants to pursue careers with the Queensland Police Service, Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force,” Ms Bell said.

“During their training, students will work closely with a mentor from the Australian Federal Police and they will gain industry exposure by visiting law en forcement workplaces and the Townsville

Police Academy. “TAFE Queensland’s First Nations Pathways to Policing Program will support students to learn more about their culture and provide them with strategies to express their identity.

“Participants will undertake a Certificate III in Vocational and Study Pathways for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People, which will develop their language, learning, team participation and digital literacy skills.

“Students will also be provided with the opportunity to improve their personal fitness by working with TAFE Queensland sport coaches and fitness instructors,” she said.

Vocational pathway programs that lead to employment outcomes are central to closing the gap that currently exists between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians

in the areas of education, employment and economic development.

“TAFE Queensland takes pride in celebrating First Nations’ history, culture and achievements. Each year around 7,000 Indigenous students choose to study at TAFE Queensland – a result of our commitment to deliver inclusive and culturally appropriate training,” Ms Bell said.

The First Nations Pathways to Policing Program begins at the TAFE Queensland Cairns campus on 30 January 2023. Stu dents will study full time, 4 days a week.

More information about the Certificate III in Vocational and Study Pathways for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People can be found on TAFE Queens land’s website www.tafeqld.edu.au, or by visiting the Cairns campus customer service centre or by calling 1300 308 233.

Starry Night Cinema presents Love Actually

JUST in time for Christmas, Starry Night Cinema has brought the crowd’s favourite, Love Actually, to enjoy with your partner or your friends.

Enjoy a romantic evening under the stars with a star-studded cast in one of the favourite romantic comedies of the 21st century at the Cairns Botanic Gar dens this Saturday, December 10.

Love Actually tells nine intertwined stories that examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love.

Among the characters are David (Hugh Grant), the handsome newly elected Brit ish prime minister who falls for a young

junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), Sarah (Laura Linney), a graphic designer whose devotion to her mentally ill brother complicates her love life, and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary.

This Saturday, give yourself and your friends the present of romance with Love Actually; bring your own Christmas hamper and enjoy a picnic and a movie at the Cairns Botanic Gardens. Love Actually at the

Cairns Botanic Gardens is coming this Saturday at 7.30pm. Purchase your tick ets on TryBooking: https://bit.ly/3VHpkLM

TAFE Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and the Arts Faculty Manager Leanne Bell and Assistant Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service Brett Schafferius

THIS year’s TAFE Cairns campus graduates are a special cohort, overcoming the challenges of a global pandemic and being the ones to commemorate TAFE’s 140th anniversary.

On Tuesday, December 6, over 400 people reunited to celebrate the achievements of 126 graduates from all types of certifications and diplomas, which will now go on to fill critical skill shortages in the community.

TAFE Queensland General Manager (North Region) Susan Kinobe said graduation day was always exciting.

“This is a really great day for our students,” Ms Kinobe said.

“It’s a culmination of their hard work, between six, eight or 12 months of hard work for some of them, and it’s about celebrating their success.

“For some of the students, this is the first time in their families that they’ve had a graduation ceremony or they’ve been able to progress into higher education or further their studies.

“So this is a very exciting day to celebrate,” she said.

The ceremony had students from all types of certifi cates and specialties, from barbering and hairdressing to beauty therapy, technology, business, horticulture and more; students were also able to be addressed by

the Australian Apprentice of the Year, Jennah Halley.

Ms Halley said she wanted to let the graduates know they should choose the path that makes them happy.

“It’s exciting and a little nerve-wracking to be talking to the graduates,” she said.

“I want to send the message that training doesn’t have to go in one direction; it can go sideways, up, across, and there’s not just one avenue in the industry.”

During the ceremony, Ms Halley told the graduates that it was never too late to figure out their passion in life and that their educational journey would always continue.

“Six years ago, I was a single mum here in Cairns with four little kids, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said.

“My brother offered me an apprenticeship in refrig eration which I didn’t want to do because it was his thing, and I wanted my own, but I went through the years and did the training.

“The people at TAFE encouraged me to see more; fast forward to now; I’m the only qualified female re frigeration technician in Cairns, hopefully not for long.

“And I have become the national Apprentice of the Year for something I originally didn’t want to do,” Ms

Halley said.

“Through my journey and recognitions, I realised there is a certain confidence that you need to be in any trade.

“Confidence in your abilities, confidence in your choices, and the advice my mentors gave me was – take every opportunity you can, and you never know where it’s going to lead.

“With the training that you’ve got now and with the services TAFE offers, you don’t realise that your indus try can step sideways, not just up,” she said.

Ms Kinobe said graduation meant a lot to the institu tion and the many industries that would benefit from these graduates.

“It’s amazing for our economy, our communities and the individuals,” she said.

“We see a lot of young people aspiring to be like their parents or family who are graduating, so it’s an amazing achievement for them.

“But also to know that we’re making a difference for our community, for the skills shortage.

“We’re very excited for them to embark on their career and for the new generation that will come after them,” Ms Kinobe said.

(L-R) Pakjira Jareewaruroj, Sarah Mockford, Arturo Medina, Nathalie Barrera and Pak Ho Fung

(L-R) Breeanna Stockill and Tahlia Finch

Graduate Kathryn Jansen and her parents Jane and Detlef

(L-R) Maariam Buenaventura, Alison Palamos, Satomi Yoshida, Shiu Yan Janis Wong and Dechlan Perks

By

Australian Apprentice of the Year Jennah Halley

Young artists receive top

THE six finalists in the running for the prestig ious Pharmacy of the Year awards have been announced by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, with Pease St WholeLife Pharmacy & Health foods being one of three Queensland pharmacies in the running for the 2023 title.

The Australia-wide awards process aims to find the country’s top community pharmacy, recognised and celebrated for its achievements, innovation and commitment to patients and com munities.

“It is both an honour and a privilege to be selected as a finalist in the 2023 Pharmacy of the Year awards,” Co-founder and co-owner of Pease Street WholeLife Pharmacy & Health foods, Frank Pappalardo, said.

“As a business, we have been focused on de livering an innovative and progressive pharmacy that aligns with the ever-changing needs of our customers.

“Our team has worked tirelessly within the Cairns community to provide the best possible pharmacy and wellness offering in the market. I couldn’t be more proud of what our Pease Street team has delivered.”

The Guild received 488 nominations across 146 pharmacies for the highly coveted 2023 award, which is open to Pharmacy Guild mem bers who can enter in three categories:

• Excellence in Business Management

• Excellence in Community Engagement

• Excellence in Professional Innovation

Spokesperson for the judging group and Sen ior National Vice-President of the Guild, Nick Panayiaris, said the nominations this year had set a new benchmark for the judges in terms of the quality of community pharmacies and their performance.

“The nominations have been absolutely excep tional,” Mr Panayiaris said.

“These awards have been presented for more than 20 years, but the judges all agree this year has been outstanding.”

Head of WholeLife, Damian Young, said they were proud to be nominated for the award.

“To be selected as a finalist in the Pharmacy of the Year awards is a testament to the innovative and progressive concept of WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods,” Mr Young said.

“We are committed to supporting our custom ers in all aspects of their health and wellness journeys. This is what makes WholeLife unique, and this is why our business is experiencing such exceptional growth.”

Category winners and the overall Pharmacy of the Year winner will be announced at the 2023 APP Conference held in the Gold Coast in March 2023.

THIRTY budding Year 12 artists from schools all over Queensland have been crowned win ners of the 2022 Creative Generation Excel lence Awards in Visual Art.

Two Cairns students from Trinity Bay State High School and one from Trinity Anglican School White Rock are among the winners.

Education Minister Grace Grace congratu lated the winners on their outstanding achieve ments.

“The Excellence Awards recognise the incredible talent and dedication shown by Queensland art students,” Ms Grace said.

“This wonderful competition has shone a spotlight on the high standard of visual art education in Queensland secondary schools since 1990, and the standard of entries this year has been fantastic.

“Congratulations to all students who en tered; I hope you are encouraged to continue creating and exploring visual art in life after school.

“Thanks also to the teachers and school staff who guide and inspire Queensland’s young artists,” she said.

“Students from Queensland schools that offer senior visual art are invited to submit works for the Awards, and this year 30 win ners were selected from an impressive pool of 503 entries from 173 schools.

“216 of those entries were from state

schools, and 287 were from non-state schools.

“I’m pleased to announce that 56 students received commendations for their work, while another seven received Regional Encourage ment Awards,” Ms Grace said.

The winners of the 2022 Creative Genera tion Excellence Awards in Visual Art will have their art exhibited at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) at South Bank in Brisbane from April 22, 2023.

Cairns winners:

• Sky Komaki – Trinity Bay State High School

Emma Rawson-Harris – Trinity Bay State High School

• Thomas Chen – Trinity Anglican School.

To see the winning artwork and for more information, visit: https://bit.ly/3V95qJZ

Pease St WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods team

Artwork by Emma Rawson-Harris

Artwork by Sky Komaki

3,000 CHILDREN’S BOOKS donated to schools in Aboriginal communities

IN celebration of its 10-year anniversary, Moriarty Foundation has distributed 3,000 children’s books to 17 primary schools in remote and regional Aboriginal communities.

Moriarty Foundation delivers two well-known and highly regarded solutions to disparity, John Moriarty Football and Indi Kindi.

Through these programs, Moriarty Foundation reaches over 2,000 Indigenous children each week in 23 public schools and 19 communities in New South Wales, Queensland and Northern Territory.

Moriarty Foundation Co-Founder and Honorary Managing Director, Ros Moriarty, said the book drive would continue their efforts in Closing the Gap.

“The past decade has proved that our community-led, locally embedded and holistic approach enables families to unlock their children’s potential. The transformation has been exponential,” Mr Moriarty said.

“This book drive is inspired by one of the first - and continu ing - initiatives at Indi Kindi, our groundbreaking early years solution for Indigenous children under five, which is a book

delivery in Borroloola called Library Without Walls.”

Moriarty Foundation’s Library Without Walls Book Drive was made possible by generous donations of children’s books from leading Australian publishers Allen & Unwin, Big Sky Publishing, Affirm Press and Hardie Grant.

Moriarty Foundation partner primary schools benefiting from the book drive include four schools in the Far North:

• Gordonvale Primary School, QLD

Mareeba State Primary School, QLD

• Mossman State Primary School, QLD

• Yarrabah State School, QLD

“From starting with just 120 children in my home town of Borroloola to now reaching 2,000 Indigenous children, our teams have created an Australian success story of radically shifting the intergenerational disadvantages experienced by Aboriginal families,” Yanyuwa man John Moriarty AM, JMF Co-Founder/Co-Chair and the first Indigenous footballer se lected for Australia, said.

“Our upstream approach tackles many complex challenges, including life expectancy, child development, physical and

mental health, education, unemployment and juvenile justice overrepresentation.

“We succeed because we are Indigenous-founded, Indige nous-delivered, embedded, connected to culture, holistic and authentic.”

Indi Kindi is a groundbreaking early years program for chil dren under five in remote Aboriginal communities.

Indi Kindi is an associate member of national Indigenous early years peak body SNAICC, is represented on the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Policy Partnership established by the Joint Council on Closing the Gap, and aligns with the Australian Early Years Learning Framework.

As part of Indi Kindi’s Library Without Walls initiative, after each session, each child is given a book to take home to encourage reading and literacy. Indi Kindi’s sector-leading, culturally-embedded learning on Country model, ensures young Aboriginal learners thrive.

For more information, visit www.moriartyfoundation.org.au

Queensland Housing Summit Outcomes Report released

THE Palaszczuk Government has released the Outcomes Report from the historic Housing Summit held in October.

For the first time, the Summit brought together all levels of government, the construction industry and the real estate indus try, planners, developers, community services organisations, homelessness advocates and community housing providers.

Almost 200 people joined in person, with many more attend ing virtually.

Ms Palaszczuk said the Summit was a historic step forward to address housing challenges experienced not just in Queensland and Australia but across the world.

“The Outcomes Report I am releasing today sets out a pro gram of actions backed by $56 million in new funding to deliver positive housing outcomes for the Queensland community,” the Premier said.

“I didn’t convene the Housing Summit to just talk about housing. I convened the Summit so that the government could work with stakeholders to find sustainable, tangible, workable solutions to the challenges Queenslanders face.”

The Outcomes Report focuses on expanding the housing sup

ply and increasing housing support for Queensland. Key actions include:

• $11.7 million to expand tenancy sustainment responses to support vulnerable people to maintain their tenancies $10 million to expand private rental assistance products and services for people experiencing severe rental stress

• $10 million to deliver more temporary emergency accommo dation with onsite support

• $8.5 million additional support for after-hours homelessness outreach services

• a further $5 million boost to the Immediate Housing Re sponse

• $5 million for a Community Engagement and Awareness Campaign on growth and housing diversity

• $3.3 million for cost of living relief, including emergency relief and food relief

• $2.5 million to support the review of the South-East Queens land Regional Plan.

This $56 million investment is on top of the $1 billion boost in funding for the Housing Investment Fund announced at the

Summit and the $5 million boost for the Immediate Response package that was announced following the Housing Roundtable in September this year.

The government is also undertaking an audit of state govern ment-owned land and buildings for opportunities for residential use and partnering with local governments and non-government organisations to identify similar opportunities. The audit is expected to be completed in three months.

“And the government is working with community and faithbased organisations to identify properties that can be used for vulnerable Queenslanders similarly,” the Premier said.

“Another imminent step will be the opening of our Modular Homes Factory in Eagle Farm, where QBuild is using modern methods of construction to create prefabricated homes.

“We will continue working with all levels of governments, industry, the private sector, our invaluable community housing providers and housing and homelessness community organisa tions to deliver this responsive and extensive work program.

“There is more work to be done, but we are taking important steps forward.”

Andre Lohmann and Lloyd Perkins with students at Gordonvale Primary School

Cristian Couto, Bill White and Tia Hewitt with some of the books donated to Mareeba State Primary School

Andre Lohmann, Randal Smith, and Tia Hewitt at Mossman State Primary School

Emma Cook, Edyara Tabuai and Steven Stefanopoulos with some of the books donated to Yarrabah State School

“

At Oak Tree you’ll be surrounded by people who are all at the same stage of life with common interests.

New Year, New You

As 2022 draws to a close, it’s important to reflect and think about what you’d like your next chapter to look like. A move to an Oak Tree Retirement village in 2023 can provide you with a relaxed, carefree retirement lifestyle that puts you first.

With less to worry about, you can spend your time focused on enjoying the good things in life and fi lling your days with whatever it is that brings you happiness – make the most of travelling and seeing the world again, spending precious quality time with family, and connecting with friends. Your retirement is your chance to do the things you want to do, not the things you have to do.

If you’re still living in a large family home, you may have found that maintaining the house and yard was costly and time consuming this year, and you might be considering beginning the process of downsizing. With our simple weekly fee, you’ll have budget certainty over

your everyday living expenses. While we take care of your home and village maintenance, there’s no need to worry about unexpected costs or relying on family to help with the upkeep.

Stay connected

At Oak Tree you’ll be surrounded by people who are all at the same stage of life with common interests. The boutique size of our villages fosters a tight-knit community where everyone is familiar and looks out for one another.

Our facilities and activities encourage you to foster companionships with both new and old friends. All the while, you’ll have an active village manager who supports

the community atmosphere through a calendar of regular social activities.

If simplicity and certainty are part of your resolution for 2023, then take the opportunity this holiday season to visit our village and experience the Oak Tree di erence for yourself. We understand the importance of including family in these decisions, so feel free to bring them too – we’d love to see you all.

Make your next chapter one fi lled with more fun and less worry.

Visit our Village Manager Glen, to learn more about making Oak Tree Retirement Village White Rock Cairns your home.

$23.5 million in new funding for homelessness supports

THE Palaszczuk Government has committed $23.5 million in new funding for more accommoda tion and more services for people experiencing homelessness.

Communities and Housing Min ister Leeanne Enoch said the gov ernment had allocated the funding to deliver on priorities identified during the recent Housing Summit.

“We’ve allocated $10 million over two years to deliver more temporary emergency accommoda tion with onsite support faster by using underutilised accommoda tion,” Minister Enoch said.

“We’re working to have the first site providing accommodation for around 15 households in Decem ber, with more to be sourced.

“The funding, aimed to secure more than 100 places of shelter, will provide more accommoda tion, fit out rooms if required and

provide onsite support services.”

Ms Enoch said a further $5 million boost to our immediate Housing Response Package would be used to enable people at risk of homelessness to remain housed.

“This takes the total funds of the package to $26 million – our initial $16 million commitment, a $5 mil lion boost following the roundtable and this additional $5 million,” she said.

“The funding will support more critical services such as temporary emergency accommodation and specialist homelessness workers for Queenslanders who are living in insecure and unsafe situations.

This can include people sleeping rough or living in tents or in their cars and will assist them in tran sitioning to longer-term housing with individualised support.”

Ms Enoch said an additional

$8.5 million over two years would be used to provide after-hours out reach in five priority locations.

“This will allow us to expand our after-hours outreach services across five high-demand locations, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townville and Cairns,” she said.

“This will be complemented with additional brokerage funding to address the increasing number of rough sleepers.

“Outreach services actively go to places where people experienc ing homelessness are sleeping or gathering to ensure they are aware of the supports available.

“These services will support all vulnerable cohorts, including adults, families and young people, to access temporary emergency accommodation and support.

Queensland shows positive trends to Close the Gap

ON December 2, The Palaszczuk Govern ment launched Queensland’s 2022 Closing the Gap Annual Report and Snapshot.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Craig Crawford said Queensland is closing the gap for First Na tions peoples with positive trends in healthy baby birthweights, early childhood educa tion, and a reduction in the rate of young people in detention.

Mr Crawford said Queensland was also on track to ensure Indigenous people maintain a cultural, spiritual, physical and economic relationship with their land and waters.

“The Closing the Gap Annual Report highlights positive changes with four targets on track,’’ Mr Crawford said.

“It is pleasing to see positive change as nine-in-ten Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander babies are born strong and healthy.

“Good birthweights should mean healthier kids going to school and better health out comes into their adult lives.

“We are also on track with ensuring preschool aged children are enrolled in crucial early childhood education.

“Positive improvements have also been seen in youth justice overrepresentation results.

“There have also been good results with over 30 per cent (some 538,652km2) of Queensland’s landmass and 19 per cent (or 24,341km2) of Queensland’s seas now under native title,” he said.

Mr Crawford said progress had been made, but there is still much work to do to close the gap - particularly in rates of adult imprisonment and suicide.

“Working together is key to ensuring more First Nations families and communities have opportunities to thrive in childhood, school, work and life,’’ he said.

“That’s why the Queensland Govern ment invested $3.1M in the 2022-23 budget to progress initiatives under the National Closing the Gap Agreement, including to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled services and local decision making.

“Self-determination and community-led decision-making is at the heart of Queens

land’s Path to Treaty, Local Thriving Communities reform, and our state’s role in achieving the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

“Truth-telling, healing and reconcilia tion is also recognised as an important step towards improved whole-of-life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Queensland Government agencies are redoubling their efforts to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders to design new ways of deliv ering services,” Mr Crawford said.

For more information about Queensland’s Closing the Gap report, visit www.qld.gov.au/ctg

Rotary supports Stay in the Fight Foundation Shop for safety this CHRISTMAS

AS Queenslanders start gift buying and put ting up Christmas lights, the Government is urging caution around using old lights and buying electrical gifts online.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said that all electrical products should meet Australian Standards and come from reputable suppliers.

“It’s hard to believe it’s already December and Christmas is just around the corner,” Ms Grace said.

“When it comes to lights and electricals, you can do a few simple things to make sure your Christmas period is safe and memorable for all the right reasons.

“Check that household electrical goods have a regulatory compliance mark (RCM)this means it meets Australian Standards.

“When it comes to lights, ensure you’re getting the right ones suited to how you’re using them.

KUSHLA Phillips is a mum who, after watching her daughter suffer through a cancer diagnosis as a teenager, decided she wanted to make a differ ence for other families when they received the same news.

From an initial idea born whilst sitting in the hospital and supporting her own sick daughter Charlotte, she thought, “How can I help other families save money and avoid the trial and error of trying different products which can help make their treatment in the coming months a little easier.”

In October 2022, Kushla launched her not-forprofit foundation Stay in the Fight, which helps provide care packages to teenage girls (shortly, boys will be added) when diagnosed with cancer.

The packs contain over $260 worth of prod ucts, including moisturiser, sleep masks, hair turbans, craft activities, and so much more.

The Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise recently donated $500 to this worthwhile Cairns-based charity from funds raised at their monthly Palm Cove Markets.

Club President Liz Derricks said following a presentation by Kushla at one of the weekly breakfast meetings; the club decided to help sup port the foundation so they could provide more care packs in Queensland to teenagers diagnosed with cancer.

“Members were really touched by Kushla’s story of their personal journey with cancer and having to be away from Cairns and family, and friends whilst Charlotte needed treatment,” Ms Derricks said.

Cairns residents can support this charity by making a tax-deductible donation to www.stayinthefightinc.com/engage

“Weatherproof solar-powered LED lights are best for outside, but if you have extra low voltage lights (usually between 5 to 50V) sup plied from a transformer, make sure you keep the transformer and 240V plug indoors or protected from the weather,” she said.

“Whatever type you use, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for where to

install and how to use them.

“Second-hand or damaged goods can cause serious injuries, fires and sadly can even result in fatalities – so make sure you check any old appliances or lights before you plug them in.

“There are obvious things to look for, like broken casings, cracked or discoloured plastic covers, frayed cords, and damaged plugs and extension leads, but there can also be internal damage or faults, so make sure you test your home’s safety switches and smoke alarms to ensure they are working correctly,” Ms Grace said.

Ms Grace said homeowners might be tempt ed to have a go at installing extra power points to plug all the lights into but warned that DIY electrical work in Queensland was illegal and can be deadly.

“Never attempt to do your own electrical work – there’s a good chance you will injure yourself or your family or start a fire,” she said.

“Not only is it breaking the law, but you could also jeopardise your insurance. This one really is quite simple - always use a licensed electrician.”

For more information and safety hints for Christmas lights, visit https://bit.ly/3FvCuWO

Kushla Phillips and President Liz Derricks; with

teenagers

Tommy, Port Douglas, how do you smoke the drugs you using, with your rose-coloured glasses on and head stuck in sand? Must be bloody hard I’d reckon.

Bill, Mooroobool

I went to the Rondo Theatre on Friday night to see Pantomime it was great (funny), Nelly, Woree

Give way to emergency services people, especially Ambulances. Get into the left people, lives could be lost due to your stupidity Bec, Edmonton

Want

letters@cairnslocalnews.com.au

THE Hon Bob Katter has organised a local southside community meeting to discuss present and future development of southern Cairns.

There will be several speakers talking on different matters. Any concerns are welcomed to be brought up in the question time at the end of the meeting.

EVENT: Edmonton Town Meeting (centre point of southside)

AGENDA: Future development and vision for Southern Cairns and Far North

DATE: Thursday 15 December

TIME: 3PM -5:30PM

VENUE: Grafton Hotel, 143 Bruce Highway, Edmonton

Progress being made on Cairns 2050 Shared Vision

THE long-term vision to make Cairns the world’s most live able and enterprising regional city has made significant pro gress in key areas.

Endorsed by Council and key stakeholders in late 2018, the Cairns 2050 Shared Vi sion was developed following extensive stakeholder consulta tion, with the aim to clearly articulate future economic and liveability opportunities for Cairns.

Implementation of the vision has been a collaborative effort with multiple stakeholders and proponents involved including all three levels of government. A report tabled at Council

today revealed that while the Shared Vision has a long-term horizon (to 2050), significant headway has already been made, with more than half of the 41 projects and initiatives either progressing or com pleted.

That includes completion of the Cairns Shipping Develop ment project; progression of the FNQ Health and Innova tion Precinct including JCU’s Tropical Enterprise Centre with the aim of the Cairns Hospital achieving university hospital status, and a number of significant road projects now completed or underway. Project in progress or

planned include funding for the Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 project; refurbishment and expansion of the Cairns Con vention Centre; $50 million Federal funding support for a new CQUniversity cam pus in the Cairns city centre; $155 million expansion of the HMAS Cairns naval base; and $300 million joint Federal and State government funding for the proposed Cairns Marine Precinct common user facility project.

See the Cairns 2050 Shared Vision online: Cairns 2050 Shared Vision | Cairns Re gional Counci, or online click https://bit.ly/3HkcAXd

Extended stay for Esplanade Ferris wheel

Avoid heat stress in our sizzling summer

WITH temperatures peaking at more than 40 degrees in parts of Queensland this week, the Government is re minding businesses to have plans in place to help keep workers safe.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said employers were obliged to protect workers from heatrelated illness under work health and safety laws.

“The sizzling Queensland summer is officially here, and the high temperatures in the last couple of days are a timely reminder to look out for your colleagues and staff in the heat,” Ms Grace said.

“Every worker in Queens land has the right to go home to their loved ones at the end of the day, and employers have an obligation to keep them safe.

“Workplace Health and Safety Queensland have a brilliant, free, comprehen sive guide about working in heat, as well as a heat stress calculator, that I’d encour age everyone to look at.

“Working in the heat can not only be uncomfortable: it can be dangerous and even fatal,” she said.

“In 2020, a worker col lapsed and died after picking fruit on a farm in high temperatures, and in 2021 a North Queensland worker died from multiple organ failure due to heat-related illness.

“In both cases, the busi nesses involved were pros ecuted and fined for failing to comply with health and safety duties.

“The solutions can be as simple as providing shade, avoiding outdoor work dur ing the hottest part of the day, and ensuring inductions for new workers cover key safety measures.”

Minister Grace said it wasn’t just about tempera ture and humidity.

“There is a range of other risk factors which need to be taken into consideration to protect workers,” Ms Grace said.

“Exposure to direct and

reflected sunlight, especially during the hottest part of the day, is a significant risk, but air movement and radiant heat from plant and equip ment being used need to be considered.

“An individual’s risk fac tors need to be considered in conjunction with environ mental factors and the nature of the work. The type of work, clothing, medications, hydration levels, fitness and medical conditions are all part of the consideration.

“Remember, conditions can change daily, so regular risk assessments are vital.”

To assist businesses meet their obligations, Workplace Health and Safety Queens land has a Heat stress (basic) calculator and guidance on managing the risk of heat stress, including the Managing the work environ ment and facilities code of practice 2021.

To access the heat stress calculator, visit the Worksafe website: https://bit.ly/3YgOy5A

THE Reef Eye will remain on the Esplanade until the end of May 2023 under a revised agreement with Council.

At the end of June 2022, the Reef Eye returned to the Western Events Lawn and was due to cease operations at the end of the school holi days in January 2023.

However, due to strong patronage and strong support from local businesses, Ferris wheel operator Westshell has requested an extension to the hire term.

More than 125,000 rides were recorded between June

and October, with about 36 per cent of customers being local, 19 per cent being Queensland based, 33 per cent being interstate visitors, and 12 per cent being inter national.

The ability of the com pany to operate the Ferris wheel during the annual wet / cyclone season was a factor in Council limiting opera tions from June to the end of January.

Westshell has now provided a more detailed tropical cyclone and natural disaster management plan, which outlines emergency

responses to extreme weather events, including cyclones and storm surges.

Due to the wheel’s weight, the structure should not need to be dismantled in the case of a severe weather event. However, if required, the gondolas can be removed.

Should it be required, the plan specifies that the entire structure can be dismantled in less than 24 hours.

At the conclusion of the extended hire period, Coun cil and Westall will review the viability of continuing with an 11-month operation period.

A

This is an alcohol free event. No alcohol will be sold or permitted at either venue

Improvement works

McManus St, Whitfield: Line marking of new road surface near the Reservoir Rd intersection. Temporary lane closures.

Trinity Beach Rd, Trinity Beach: Construction of a new shared path between Navigation Dr and Madang St.

Vicki Allan, Electorate Officer to Hon Bob Katter MP, Federal Member for Kennedy

Gazza’s

Gossip

Local artists are a DAB hand!

APART from the usual festivities of Christmas and the New Year, the end of the year is an op portunity to have a rest and also celebrate what has been achieved over the last 12 months.

This is very much the case at Douglas Arts Studio Gallery or DAB, as it is better known, in Mossman.

They are currently running their End of Year Exhibition for 2022 with a huge variety of art works including 350 items from 47 exhibiting artists. If you’re keen to take a look, the exhi bition will run until Saturday, December 17.

DAB is located in an amazing Heritage listed building in Mill Street, which was origi nally a branch of the Port Douglas National Bank of Australasia and is now owned by the Douglas Shire Council. Architect Lange L. Powell designed the elaborate ‘Greek Temple’ façade of this timber building to give people confidence in the bank.

It seems fitting that such a beautiful building is now home for an Arts Studio Gallery.

The Douglas Arts Base was the brainchild of Marjorie Norris in 2002 who, with other local artists, saw a need for basic arts educa tion courses for everyone. As a result, Douglas Arts Studio Gallery Incorporated became the first group of its kind in the region to open its hearts and minds to the local community.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a place to turn up and view a few paintings, this place is all about involving the community and is in fact 100 per cent run by volunteers with approximately 140 members each year.

Its facilities include a studio gallery where art classes are held and members can exhibit

and sell their artwork and there are two sheds out the back for pottery, mosaics and glass work.

As part of their End of Year Exhibition, they’re having two People’s Choice Awards. Visitors can have two votes of their choice, one for a 2D artwork and one for a 3D art work. There are also four raffle prizes to win.

Much of the artwork is up for sale so it’s a great chance to do your Christmas shopping, as there is something for all budgets.

If you’re keen to get involved in DAB, there are a wide variety of art classes on offer where participants can learn to draw, paint, do pottery, mosaics, wheel-throwing, urban sketching, collage or even work with glass.

DAB caters for absolute beginners and also the more experienced artists, so there is some thing for everyone. Some classes are tutored, while others are ‘peer groups’, where you bring along your project and work, to talk and share ideas with other like-minded people in a very relaxed atmosphere. There are weekly classes, with courses that run for a number of weeks and workshops that for a half or full day.

DAB also holds approximately four exhibi tions a year, where members are invited to exhibit their artwork…. so why not join and get involved.

I’m off to paint a Christmas tree, so for now it’s Gazza signing out.

Send your stories to gazza@cairnslocalnews.com.au

Inger Rowe, DAB’s Membership Coordinator with some of her own art

DAB Members get creative at the Monday Morning Pottery Class;

Left: A selection of art by DAB members

Douglas Arts Base Studio Gallery

Turn tiny tins into butt bins at Cairns Libraries

HELP to repurpose rubbish into something useful through Cairns Libraries in partner ship with ReefClean.

Empty mint tins make perfect little butt bins to ‘Ditch the Flick’. Through the Reef Clean project, Tangaroa Blue and Cairns Regional Council have set up collection points at four Cairns Libraries branches for residents to drop off empty mint tins.

Tangaroa Blue, a not-for-profit organisa tion, focused on removing and preventing marine debris, will collect and then rebrand the tins as part of their ‘Ditch the Flick’ cam paign to encourage smokers to carry butt bins with them to help reduce litter.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said cigarette butts took a long time to break down and contained plastic and harmful chemicals.

“Discarded cigarette butts are an ongo ing problem in the city and an even bigger problem for the marine environment when they wash out to the ocean through drains,” Cr Manning said.

“We held a clean-up in the city recently for

Clean Up Cairns, and volunteers collected around 4,500 cigarette butts in under one hour in just three city streets.

“We can do so much better to protect our environment and preserve the amenity in our city.

“It is not a big ask to bin butts instead of flicking them.”

Cr Manning said re-using the tins was the best way to keep them out of landfill in Cairns because small items cannot be recy cled through Council’s facilities.

Tangaroa Blue senior project coordina tor, Hannah Kennedy, said more than 1,500 ‘Ditch the Flick’ butt bins had already been repurposed and distributed in Far North Queensland to people in urban litter hotspots.

Residents can drop off their mint tins at any of these four Cairns Libraries branches: City, Earlville, Manunda and Stratford Libraries, alongside the existing battery dropoff points.

If you’d like a stickered butt bin, contact hannah@tangaroablue.org

Ho Ho Ho, wishing everyone a festive and Merry Christmas

YES, I am using those words and no, I will not apologise to those boofheads for being so called politically incorrect.

For Christmas is the most exciting time of the year, and as with anyone who knows me will tell you that I start counting down the sleeps to Xmas from Boxing Day to the point that every year I mark my calendar backwards with a red marker as well. In fact, I challenge you to approach me at any time in the year and ask how many sleeps to go and if by any chance I do not know, it will be my shout for a cup of tar!

How can you not love the festive season, hearing the laughter and seeing the smiles on children’s faces as they live the magic of Xmas, and come on, you know that most adults do have a big soft spot for tinsel glittering on a tree with lights flashing off bright baubles.

Yes, I agree lately the cost of living has gone through the roof, but pickle me nana, how hard is it to make your loved ones and friends a present or even grow a plant. There are so many great ideas on the net or

Continuing a Christmas legacy

CHILDS World Early Learning Centres have always believed it takes a commu nity to raise a child, so they have always ensured to support and give back to the Cairns community as much as possible.

So, when Childs World Educator Jodie met Neil and heard the story of his late wife Julie, she knew Childs World would want to support.

When Neil met his wife, Julie Graham, she had very little to her name, a little old car, two Maltese Shih Tzu pups and some life essentials while living on a defence pension.

Love was more important than money and even then, she gave what she could to others in need, especially children and the homeless.

The first time they went out together was New Year’s Eve on Lake Burley

Griffin. With what little she had she invited Neil to a picnic that night in 2012. They had an esky, fold out picnic table and a pram full of goodies covered by a baby wrap that was full of little gifts for children- sparklers, glow bangles, poppers, and some lollies.

The children and families could not believe they were free, and it brought even more excitement on a joyful night. Julie continued to do this for the 10 years Neil knew her, at Carols by Candlelight and New Year’s Eve fireworks.

On Christmas Eve Neil and Julie used to dress up in Christmas gear and visit the major local shopping centres with envelopes of cash to give away to people Julie felt needed a pep up, quickly handing them the envelope and disappearing in the Christmas crowd.

After Julie passed away in August 2022 Neil realised, she had collected many little goodies for children for this Christmas and wondered what to do with them all.

One day, Neil saw Jodie at a Childs World stand and wondered what it was about. He pitched his idea to Jodie and she loved the idea of keeping Julie’s legacy alive and thought Childs World could help.

All the children’s goodies from Julie and extras from Childs World Early Learn ing Centres are in Childs World bags for distribution, perfect for some of the larger items, like large bubble makers or buckets and spades.

Next weekend, Neil and his helpers will be traveling in a stretch Hummer at Carols in the Park handing out special treats to the children and keeping Julie’s legacy alive while spreading Christmas cheer.

if you get stuck just ask Uncle Google, plus there are so many great ideas and ‘how to do it’ books at your local library or even in the big green shed.

I remember that after a motor bike smash in ‘85, when with a buggered left arm spending months at Townsville Rehab Centre, in the challenge to get the paralysed limb to start working I took my hands to learning the art of macramé, making some remarkable hanging pot plant holders also taking to leather work making handbags, hat bands, key rings and many other great presents.

I also took my hand to wood engraving scenes with the Ettamogah Pub from the old Post magazine which were well received as presents as well.

So the point I am trying to make here is that really Xmas does not need to be expensive, and that hopefully your loved ones will appreciate something hand made with love and caring as a present more than something that is mass pro duced in an overseas factory by some machine that does not know or give a crap about you.

Everyone knows that I truly love having a full white as

snow beard (apart from when I take to painting it in bright colours) and I was recently asked by a lovely lady as to how does Santa sleep, does he sleep with his beard tucked in under the covers or left on top, really? Some people have way too much thinking time that should be used to maybe solve critical world problems like how can we make edible Christmas wrapping paper!

If you happen to be in Earlville Shopping Town this Christmas, come and say g’day, perhaps sit on my knee or maybe I will sit on your knee for a photo with the best Santa in Far North Qld.

Smiling is living.

Wayne.

Childs World Educator Jodie Dolan with Neil Graham and Raelene Rickets handing out goodies for children at Joy to the World at the Cairns Showgrounds

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NURSING, HEALTH

Diploma of Nursing HLT54121 | 23 January 2023

Diploma of Practice Management HLT57715 | 31 January 2023 online

Certificate IV in Health Administration HLT47315 | 23 January 2023 online

Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care HLT30113 | 20 February 2023

Certificate III in Health Services Assistance HLT33115 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) CHC33015 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) CHC33015 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Pathology Collection HLT37215 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Health Administration HLT37315 | 23 January 2023 online

First Aid and CPR Skill Set SSHLT0031 | 23 January 2023

CPR Skill Set SSHLT0029 | 25 January, 10 February 2023

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Diploma of Community Development CHC52115 | 25 January 2023 online

Diploma of Community Services CHC52015 | 25 January 2023 online

Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs / Diploma of Mental Health CHC53215 / CHC53315 | 31 January 2023 online

Diploma of Counselling CHC51015 | 2 February 2023 online

Diploma of Youth Work CHC50413 | 2 February 2023 online

Certificate IV in Community Services CHC42015 | 25 January 2023 online

Certificate IV in Youth Work CHC40413 | 24 January 2023 online

Certificate IV in Child Youth and Family Intervention CHC40313 23 January 2023 online

Certificate III in Community Services CHC32015 | 23 January on campus and 24 January 2023 online

CHILDCARE, EDUCATION

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121 | 3 January, 23 January 2023

Certificate IV in School-Based Education Support CHC40221 | Online, study anytime

Certificate III in School-Based Education Support CHC30221 | 23 January 2023

Early Childhood Education and Care First Aid and CPR Skill Set SSHLT0037 10 February 2023

IT, BUSINESS, ACCOUNTING, JUSTICE

Diploma of Information Technology (Advanced Networking and Cloud Engineering) ICT50220 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Vocational and Study Pathways for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People 11036NAT | 30 January 2023

Certificate IV in Cyber Security 22603VIC | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Information Technology ICT30120 | 23 January 2023

Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping FNS40217 | 24 January 2023

Diploma of Business BSB50120 | 23 January 2023, monthly intakes

Diploma of Leadership and Management BSB50420 | 23 January 2023, monthly intakes

Diploma of Project Management BSB50820 | 23 January 2023, monthly intakes

Certificate IV in Justice Studies 10971NAT | 23 January 2023

BEAUTY

Diploma of Beauty Therapy SHB50121 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Beauty Services SHB30121 | 23 January 2023

SPORT AND RECREATION

Certificate III in Sport and Recreation SIS30115 | 23 January 2023

Certificate II in Sport Coaching SIS20321 | 30 January 2023

EVENTS, TRAVEL, TOURISM

Diploma of Events Management SIT50316^ | Online, study anytime

Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management SIT50116^ | Online, study anytime

Certificate III in Events SIT30516^ | Online, study anytime

Certificate III in Travel SIT30216^ | Online, study anytime

Certificate III in Tourism SIT30116^ | Online, study anytime or 23 January 2023 on campus

HOSPITALITY, COOKERY

Diploma of Hospitality Management SIT50416^ | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Commercial Cookery SIT30816^ | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Hospitality SIT30616^ | 23 January 2023

Certificate II in Kitchen Operations SIT20416^ | 8 March 2023

Introduction to Barista Skill Set SSSIT0001 | 18 April 2023

Responsible Service of Alcohol SITSS00055 | 3 April 2023

Food Handling SITSS00050 | 13 March, 12 June 2023

Food Safety Supervision SITSS00051 | 13 March, 12 June 2023

CREATIVE, CULTURAL ARTS, MUSIC

Diploma of Visual Arts CUA51120 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Visual Arts CUA31120 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Design Fundamentals CUA30720 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts CUA30520 17 April 2023

Diploma of Music (Performance) CUA50820 | 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Music CUA30920 | 23 January 2023

CONSERVATION, HORTICULTURE

Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management AHC31421 23 January 2023

Certificate III in Horticulture AHC30716 | 23 January 2023

AVIATION

Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane) AVI50222 9 January 2023, ongoing intakes

Cairns Flight Training (Koolardie Aviation Pty Ltd) provide training and assessment of the above accredited qualification on behalf of TAFE Queensland who will award the qualification upon successful completion.

TRADES

Certificate II in Automotive Air Conditioning Technology AUR20220 27 March, 2 May 2023

Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services CPC40920 | Online, study anytime

Construction White Card Skill Set SSCPC00001 | 23 January, 6 February, 20 February 2023

Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety BSB41419 | 30 January 2023

^This qualification has been replaced. A transition period applies to enable current students to complete their study. If required, enrolments will be transitioned into the replacement qualification. For full details visit tafeqld.edu.au.

YOUR DOUGLAS NEWS

MOSSMAN SET TO JINGLE WITH CHRISTMAS STREET PARTY

THE most popular local street party of the year will again spread the Christmas cheer through Mossman.

Douglas Shire Council has scheduled the much-loved Douglas Street Party on Front Street for Friday 16 December 2022.

Free family entertainment, food stalls and market stalls will return to help celebrate Christmas with the community.

The event is run in partnership with a committed group of volunteers from the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, Mossman & Douglas Friends of Founda tion and other local groups.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the Christ mas festival had become a much-loved event since its return in 2020.

“Locals have come from far and wide to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere on Front Street each year,” he said.

“The Douglas Street Party allows us to unite and enjoy an array of entertainment all in the spirit of Christmas.”

“Make sure you put Friday 16 December in your calendars and come on down for a fantastic evening.”

NEW $2M HOME FOR LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS

DOUGLAS firefighters have a new base to protect our community af ter a new $2 million Mossman Fire and Rescue Station was officially opened.

Douglas Shire Councillors joined Minister for Fire and Emer gency Services Mark Ryan MP, Queensland Fire and Emergency

The new state-of-the-art facility includes two appliance bays, equipment and breathing apparatus rooms and practical training area. The former station

built in 1948 was no longer fit for purpose.

Deputy Commissioner Wassing said the updated facility would better enable firefighters to work hand-in-hand with the Moss man community to prevent and respond to disasters.

“This is an exciting and impor

tant development for the area and the new station will help us continue to meet the growing needs of the community,” he said.

“The range of incidents Moss man firefighters respond to is vast and this new station is equipped with the latest tools and technol ogy to ensure we continue to

meet the needs of the commu nity.

“I give my sincere thanks to Kevin and Danielle Bellero who assisted the Mossman crew dur ing times of need. Their support guaranteed the continuation of Mossman Fire and Rescue sta tion’s first-class service.”

Services Deputy Commissioner Mike Wassing and Member for Cook Cynthia Lui MP at the of ficial opening last month.

Douglas Shire Councillors - Mayor Michael Kerr, Cr Peter McKeown,

Deputy Mayor Lisa Scomazzon, Cr Abigail Noli and Cr Roy Zammataro

Main Image: The main street of Mossman will be closed to all traffic for the Douglas Street Christmas Party on 16 December 2022 Inset: Roy Gibson with Cr Roy Zammataro at the 2021 Douglas Street Christmas Party

Controlled burn success at Cape Kimberley

BIOSECURITY teams battled heat, steep terrain, and mosquitoes during the second controlled burn at Cape Kimberley last month.

Douglas Shire Council’s biosecurity team worked with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and Traditional Owners to conduct a controlled burn

at Cape Kimberley. This was the second burn held in this area and succeeded in clearing 90 per cent of the coastal grasslands.

Planned burning for conservation has many ben efits including maintaining ecosystems and ecologi cal processes, conserving

native flora and fauna and habitat essential for their survival and protecting or maintaining cultural places.

Well-planned fire is an important tool for weed control, maximising biodi versity and promoting the survival and recovery of endangered or vulner able species.

Join the Toy Dive at the Mossman Pool

SWIM into the Christmas spirit at the Mossman Pool and help fill the pool with toys for local families who may need a little extra sup port this festive season.

The Mossman Pool has launched its second annual Toy Dive – a splashed-up twist on a traditional toy drive - to contribute to the 2022 Mayor’s Christmas Appeal.

Douglas Shire Council is encouraging donations of new unopened children’s presents and toys for kids which can be dropped off

at the Mossman Pool during opening hours.

Those who drop off donated toys will receive a free entry.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the pool overflowed with toys from the community during the inaugural toy dive last year.

“More than 175 toys were donated, and our team were absolutely chuffed to help families make a more memorable Christmas morning,” he said.

“The Mossman Pool team see many children come

through the doors and it is saddening to think some may go without a gift under the tree this Christmas.

“The Toy Dive is a way that we can directly connect with families who could use a little help to brighten up their Christmas.”

To donate to the Toy Dive and come for a free swim, bring your unwrapped toy to the Mossman Commu nity Pool located at 1 Park Street Mossman, and help them fill the pool!

For more information, please call 0417 768 266.

D O U G L A S C H R I S T M A S S T R E E T P A R T Y

Mossman Pool is accepting toy donations as part of is 2nd annual Toy Dive

Controlled Burn at Cape Kimberley

Stage One of Parker Creek Crossing Upgrade Nears Completion

THE DEPARTMENT of Transport and Main Roads has advised the first stage of the culvert replacement will be completed by midDecember 2022, weather and construction conditions permitting.

Following this, crews will remove all equipment from the site and pedestrian access will return to the

eastern side of the crossing.

To reduce the risk of pro longed community impacts, the Department of Trans port and Main Roads will deliver the second stage of the project after the 2023 wet season.

The second stage of the culvert replacement will include installation of the footpath on the western

side of the crossing. Stag gering the stages of works will ensure this section of Captain Cook Highway is open to two-way traffic over the school holiday period and during the wet season.

A date for commence ment of the second stage of works will be advised closer to start of construction, after April 2023.

Works Notice: Captain Cook Highway, South of Oak Beach

THE DEPARTMENT of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has started slope stabilisation works on the Captain Cook Highway at two locations south of Oak Beach.

This project will improve safety for road users by rein forcing the slopes, reduc ing the risk of rocks falling onto the road surface, and mitigating the effects of embankment erosion at this location. The works will involve removing rocks and debris, rock bolting, installa tion of netting.

For the safety of workers and road users, there will be changed traffic conditions while the works are carried out. Temporary speed limit reductions will be in place

and single lane operation under coordination of traffic controllers.

Crews will be onsite Mon days to Saturdays between 6 am and 6 pm. Several in termittent, full closures will be required at times after 9 am to carry out drilling, vegetation removal, and to move machinery.

Road users should expect delays of up to twenty min utes during this time and should plan their journey

accordingly. The contrac tor will monitor queuing lengths and allow traffic through as soon as it is safe.

The project is expected to be completed by 22 December 2022, pending construction and weather conditions.

If you require further information about these works, please contact the department by telephone on 4045 7144 or via email to cairns.office@tmr.qld.gov.au

Check Road Conditions & Flood Cameras at Douglas Dashboard

Douglas Shire Council has also organised free kids’ entertainment with a disco, UV glow lighting and face painting at Market Park from 5.30pm.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the fireworks added to the vibrant atmosphere of the annual event.

“Local restaurants and bars are always overflowing on New Year’s Eve, and I encourage everyone to make the most of the night,” he said.

“Putting on a double-header firework display over the ocean is the perfect way for the community to celebrate 2022.

“I would like to thank all our amazing sponsors, in particular the Tin Shed which has pro vided significant sponsorship support to help us secure the fireworks.”

New Year’s Eve – Saturday 31 December 2022

Location: Dickson Inlet, near St Mary’s by The Sea.

• 5.30pm – Kids entertainment (Disco, UV glow, face painting)

• 8pm – Family friendly fireworks

• 12 midnight –fireworks.

Many Douglas Shire businesses have jumped on board to support the annual event includ ing the Tin Shed, Salsa Bar & Grill, M&R Kitchens, Ngarru Gallery, Seabean, Xplosive Art Fireworks, The Court House Hotel and the Central Hotel.

Dickson Inlet, Port Douglas

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has started slope stabilisation works on the Captain Cook Highway at two locations south of Oak Beach.

Treatment Plant Upgrade a win for reef water quality

AN UPGRADE to

the Port

Douglas Wastewater Treat ment Plant will help lower electricity use and improve water quality on the Great Barrier Reef.

Douglas Shire Council has received $938,947 from the Queensland Government under the Building Our Re gions program to upgrade the aeration system in the sequencing batch reactors (SBR) at the treatment plant.

Council employs a range of wastewater treatment processes to remove solid waste from the wastewater so it can be safely reused or returned to the environ ment.

Aeration is a critical part of the treatment process reducing organic matter and

harmful micro-organisms in wastewater.

Once it is treated, Council re-purposes recycled water, also known as treated ef fluent, for irrigation on golf courses in Port Douglas and releases water into the Dickson Inlet.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said new air diffuser grids would significantly improve the efficiency of the wastewater treatment process.

“The plant upgrade will improve the quality of water released into our water ways,” he said.

“By installing a new aerator system, we will also significantly reduce our electricity use at the treat ment plant which is Coun

cil’s most energy-intensive site.”

“As a Reef Guardian Council, Council is proud to showcase another fantastic example environmentally sustainable investment in our region.”

New air diffuser grids will provide a more uniform air flow through the wastewater as it passes through the SBR tanks.

The works will also make the basins in the SBR more accessible for regular main tenance.

Council plans to use local contractors to help clean out the basins, remove the old aeration manifolds and install the new system when work begins in May 2023.

New northern ramp installed at Daintree Ferry

CONTRACTORS worked around the clock to suc cessfully install a new load ing ramp to the northern end of the Daintree Ferry.

Douglas Shire Council had a team of staff and contractors who worked since 10pm Friday 18 November to replace the old, damaged ramp and re-open the ferry at 5am Tuesday 22 November.

The work followed the

replacement of the loading ramp at the southern side of the vessel earlier in the year.

Thank you everyone who worked to complete vital maintenance work to ensure the safety and con tinuity of the Daintree River crossing.

Council would also like to thank the community for their patience over the maintenance weekend.

Changes to Council Services Over Christmas

DOUGLAS Shire Council would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and happy new year.

Please see our festive season operating hours below.

If you have any questions, contact our friendly staff on 4099 9444 or email enquiries@douglas.qld. gov.au.

Council Customer Service: Council offices are CLOSED from 2pm Friday 23 December 2022 to the start of business (8.30am) on Tuesday 3 January 2023.

Over the Christmas period, skeleton crews will operate in Port Douglas and Mossman Depots ensuring our parks, streetscapes and amenities are kept clean and tidy.

Please contact the after-hours number at 07 4099 9444 for any council-related emergencies.

Wheelie bin services: Recycling and waste collection services will operate as usual

through the Christmas period. All bins must be presented before 6am on your service day.

Waste Transfer stations: Killaloe CLOSED Christmas Day. Open all other days, and regular trading hours apply.

Newell Regular Trading Hours Apply. Daintree Regular Trading Hours Apply. Cow Bay Regular Trading Hours Apply.

Daintree Ferry Christmas Day 2022 operating hours are 5.00AM to Midnight.

Mossman Pool & Caravan Park

December 2022:

Fri 23rd – 6am to 7pm.

Sat 24th – 8am to 12pm

Sun 25th to Tues 27th – CLOSED Wed 28th to Fri 30th – 6am to 7pm Sat 31st – 8am to 5pm

January 2023: Sun 1st & Mon 2nd – CLOSED Tues 3 – resume normal operating hours (6am to 7pm)

Douglas Libraries

Both branches will close at 2pm on Friday 23 December.

Mossman Library will be OPEN from 10am to 4pm on Wednesday 28 December, Thursday 29 De cember, and Friday 30 December.

Port Douglas Library will remain CLOSED until the new year.

Normal opening hours resume Tuesday 3 January 2023.

Mossman Nursery:

Mossman Nursery will close for the Christmas break from the 15 December 2022.

Nursery staff will re-stock native tree supplies throughout January 2022 due to large orders of trees allocated for re-vegetation works in the new year.

The nursery will reopen on the 1 Feb 2022.

Changes to Operating Hours on Friday 9 December 2022

• Mossman & Port Douglas Customer Service Offices will close at 11:30am

• Mossman Library will be closed all day

• Port Douglas Library will close at 11:45am.

All services will return to normal operating hours on Saturday 10 December 2022

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Daintree Ferry Northern Ramp was replaced last month

An upgrade to the Port Douglas Wastewater Treatment Plant will help lower electricity use and improve water quality on the Great Barrier Reef.

Cairns restaurant receives NATIONAL ACCOLADE

was held at Gambaro Hotel in Brisbane on Mon day, November 28,

Businesses across the restaurant, café and catering sector who had previously won Awards in their respective categories at a state and terri tory level were formally recognised at the event, including Nicolas Devic from C’est Bon Cairns, who was awarded silver for the Restaurant Caterer, at this year’s awards.

Restaurant & Catering (R&CA) President Mike Palmer congratulated C’est Bon on behalf of the Association and thanked them for their participation in this year’s Awards.

“These awards highlight the very best of the best from around Australia and celebrate the amazing achievements of our fantastic hospital ity scene”, Mr Palmer said.

“On behalf of R&CA, I want to pay tribute to C’est Bon on their award tonight and wish them much success in the future.

“The awards are always highly competitive, with the very best of what our nation’s hospital ity industry has to offer, so this award should be all that more special.”

C’est Bon owner Nicolas Devic said it was fantastic to be recognised by their peers in the hospitality industry as the best Australia offers.

“Thank you to the Restaurant & Catering Association and Hostplus for this truly amazing opportunity, and congratulations to all of the other winners,” Mr Devic said.

In the heart of Cairns’ CBD, C’est Bon prides itself on being delightfully, authentically, and classically French.

R&CA is the industry association represent ing tens of thousands of restaurant and catering businesses across Australia.

Local cane spirit wins best at inaugural awards

A SPIRITED collaboration between Devils Thumb Distillery and Far Northern Milling has culminated in Best Cane Spirit (sugar cane juice) at the inaugural 2022 Australian Rum Awards held in Brisbane this month.

Already known for its internationally prized gin, Devils Thumb Distillery’s si multaneous focus on quality rum production founded the partnership with Far Northern Milling (Mossman Mill) and winning cane spirit.

Devils Thumb co-founder and head dis tiller Mark Norman said cane spirit is made by fermenting and distilling sugar cane juice which is then bottled and sold as unaged spirit or put into barrels for further ageing.

According to Mr Norman, Peter Dibella from Far Northern Milling has been instru mental in providing access to all the raw ingredients comprising Devils Thumb’s cane spirit.

“Far Northern Milling has been an iconic business in the Mossman region since 1894; however, Devils Thumbs Distillery is the first distillery to produce rum from cane juice in the mill’s history,” Mr Norman said.

“Congratulation to Mark and his team for achieving this fantastic result for Best Cane Spirit at the 2022 Australian Rum Awards. Far Northern Milling (Mossman Mill) is proud to be associated with Devils Thumbs Distillery and to support them in any way we can,” Far Norther Milling’s Peter Dibella said.

“Seeing the natural, first expressed sugar cane juice converted to a high-value product in our local region is something we can all be proud of. We look forward to a long-term relationship with Devils Thumb Distillery and seeing them develop and market more high-value products,” Mr Dibella said.

According to Mr Norman, the best way to drink cane spirit is to pour 30mls of Devils Thumb Distillery cane spirit on ice, top with ginger beer with a final twist of squeezed lime.

“Cane spirit is so special and in a class all its own. I love that there will be slight differences in each batch depending on seasonal conditions, the region in which the cane is grown, and the type of cane variety,” he said.

THE National 2022 Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS National Awards for Excellence

celebrating the achievements of Australia’s finest hospitality businesses.

Co-founder and head distiller of Devils Thumb Distillery, Mark Norman and Far Northern Milling’s Peter Dibella celebrate their winning rum

The team from C’est Bon

New Hearing Technology enables richer engagement this festive season!

AT AUDiOHEALTH we are bringing the community a new product designed to give a more in depth, connected listening experience.

Hear more of what you want to hear and less of what you don’t, which is what we all wish for especially in today’s noisy world.

Hearing aid technology along with all sorts of other commu nication devices just gets better and more sophisticated. People want products that are easy to use, basically just fit and forget. With the new micro-processors, sound is processed faster and more accurately giving the wearer a more comfortable and natu ral experience.

With direct connectivity in the new devices sound is streamed effortlessly and clearly into the hearing devices whether it be from your mobile phone, computer, iPad or television.

Thanks to Ear-to-Ear wireless communication the hearing devices communicate with each other eliminating the need to manually adjust both devices.

Many new products are re-chargeable making them easier to use, just set into the charger unit at night and they are ready to go in the morning. No fiddling around with tiny batteries.

Thanks to advanced hydra-shield technology devices are resistant to water, humidity, perspiration and corrosion – both inside and out making them durable and extending their life.

Ideal for our tropical environment.

They are designed to enable voices in front to be amplified better than the background noise behind and are engineered to deliver maximum comfort and the clearest speech possible even in noisy environments.

So, if you want the best hearing possible this festive season –ease of use, clarity, comfort and the latest technology combined look no further. AUDiOHEALTH is offering free trials during the festive period. With our Festive Savings Offer and 0 per cent interest payment plans it has never been more affordable to enjoy better hearing and connect to your loved ones. For details contact 1800 301 321 and hear the difference for yourself!

Well Being...

Don’t let the end of 2022 sabotage your New Year’s resolutions

(BPT) - Have you ever thought that, since you’re starting a healthy new lifestyle tomorrow, you may as well throw all your healthy goals out the window - just for today? If so, you’re not alone.

As one year ends and a new year approaches, many people considering health-related reso lutions are already “writing off” the end of the year. According to Herbalife Nutrition’s fifth annual “Writing Off the End of the Year” survey, 60 per cent of those planning to postpone starting their healthy habits until the new year have already begun doing so - admitting that mid-November is their cut-off.

And unfortunately, onefourth of Americans are still carrying weight they gained at the end of the previous year, perpetuating a cycle of selfsabotage that’s hard to break.

The study, which surveyed 2,000 Americans and 2,750 international respondents from five different countries, revealed that over half (53 per cent ) admitted to breaking their diets at the end of the year, with 37 per cent saying that

was specifically due to holiday food temptations. The average respondent said they expect to gain five and a half pounds before 2023 - on top of any weight they’re still carrying from last year’s holiday season.

Health goals remain at the top of resolutions

According to the survey, people thinking ahead to next year’s resolutions are still put ting health, nutrition and well ness at the top of their list.

Top New Year’s resolutions for 2023: 1. Save more money - 57 per cent 2. Eat healthier - 55 per cent

Exercise more - 54 per cent 4. Focus on self-care - 49 per cent 5. Improve work/life balance42 per cent

But unfortunately, indulging in the excesses of the holidays at the end of 2022 could set you up for a harder climb to reach your lofty health goals.

In fact, nearly half of those sur veyed (49 per cent ) said they planned to wait until the new

year to try and lose weight.

Just how far do people go when “writing off” the end of the year?

Here are the top survey responses that were offered regarding just how far people admit to having let themselves go at the end of the year:

• Eaten more than one dessert at a meal - 41 per cent

• Eaten more than one of the same meal in a day - 35per cent

• Eaten more than three meals in a day - 35 per cent

• Eaten an extra-large midnight snack - 26 per cent

• Eaten so much I’ve had to undo a button on my pants or loosen a belt - 24 per cent

Deliberately worn stretchy clothes to accommodate over eating - 19 per cent

• Hid my favorite holiday foods/treats to save for later18 per cent

• Eaten until I feel sick/unwell/ full to bursting - 17 per cent From this list, you can see why writing off the end of the year could add up to a lot of habits to change after the New Year’s party is over.

Why not set yourself up for success instead?

This year, instead of writing off the end of the year, you could change the cycle of end-of-year excess with a little smart planning and common sense moves. The result? Your New Year’s resolutions will be starting from a position of strength, with that much less weight to lose or habits to change come January 1.

Here are a few tips from Dr. Kent Bradley, chief health and nutrition officer at Herbalife Nutrition, to help you get through the holidays and

avoid that end-of-year health sabotage:

• Have a protein-rich snack before going to a holiday party to reduce your feelings of hunger - and the chance that you’ll overeat when you get there.

• Enjoy a small bite of an indulgent food you love, since most of the enjoyment is often in the first bite - thus avoiding the discomfort of overeating.

• Plan for smaller portions if you’re hosting, or choose smaller portions from a buffet or dinner - to reduce overeat

ing and also cut down on food waste.

These tips show that it’s still possible to enjoy the holidays without throwing all of your health goals out the window.

Start now

If you’re planning to start 2023 with a “new year, new you” attitude like 63 per cent of the survey respondents, avoid the sabotage trap now by being more aware of your habits over the holidays. Your 2023 self will thank you.

Learn more about good health habits at: www.herbalife.com.au

Don’t wait to start your new healthy eating plan

latest Volvo addition

CAIRNS Cars is set to be an even more prominent fixture on Mulgrave Road with the opening of Volvo Cars Cairns showroom at the dealership.

The impressive showroom on the corner of Mulgrave Road and Lyons Street is situated alongside the Audi showroom. Built by local commercial building firm Col lins Construction, the show room opened to the public on Wednesday, December 7.

Volvo Cars Cairns will be a prominent feature of the Mulgrave Road car dealer ship strip. Alan Ren, Dealer Principal at Cairns Cars Auto Group, believes Volvo offers something very different for the Cairns market.

“Volvo is truly passionate about sustainability and shows it with its actions. They have just committed to being a fully electric brand by 2026 in Aus tralia. Our industry tends to be reactive, so it is great to see a brand that is being proactive,” Mr Ren said.

Volvo is committed to the environment, and they have key metrics throughout the business to ensure this is adopt ed throughout the brand.

From paperless showrooms

to recycled materials and mov ing away from leather interiors, which is on par with trends as the design world moves towards Conscious Design.

Volvo also supports animal welfare by contributing to a reduced demand for leather.

“Finding products and materials that support animal welfare will be challenging, but that is no reason to avoid this important issue,” said Stuart Templar, one of Volvo’s sustainability experts.

“This is a journey worth tak ing,” he said.

By 2025 Volvo aims for 25 per cent of the material in new Volvo cars to consist of recycled and bio-based content as part of their ambition to be a fully circular business by 2040. They also aim for all immediate suppliers, including material suppliers, to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025.

Volvo is committed to outdo ing its competitors and being the first to reach a true climateneutral position.

“Volvo aims to make cars that are not just sustainable but cars with exceptional design, functionality and safety; they believe that you can have it

all,” Mr Ren said.

“As well as building a dealership in Cairns which has many fixtures and fittings that were made with recycled materials, they’re putting them in their vehicles too – and last year they recycled 100 per cent of the wasted metal from car production.”

With the addition of Volvo, Cairns Cars now have a mas sive range of vehicle brands available – offering something for anyone in the market for a new car.

“We have made a commit ment to continue our invest ment in Cairns and provide our customers with products that meets their needs,’ Mr Ren said.

“We are a locally-owned family business that thrives on our values of trust, being genuine and doing what we say, which perfectly aligns with the Volvo brand.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Volvo to the Cairns Cars family.”

At Cairns Cars, it’s all full speed ahead.

Volvo Cars Cairns is now open to the public; for more information, visit https://www.cairnscars.com/

Main Pic: The new Volvo Showroom

Felix Wong and Alan Ren

A boat builder’s dream

By Maria Larkins

IN 1970, local man, John C. Hay, came across an unfinished log boat in the upper tributary of Trinity Inlet. The curious object was the means a Canadian man had hoped would transport him home.

Hay reported that the craft had a hull 40 feet (12.16 metres) long and a beam of 16 feet (4.86 metres). It was constructed of mangrove logs cut from the local scrub.

“A cabin of sorts, also made of mangrove logs, stood tall at aft waterproofed by sheets of corrugated iron,” and the cabin was “streamlined to a sharp stern much higher than the bow”, he said.

According to local legend, the builder, Alfred John Mooney, had an ambitious plan to sail back to Canada in the vessel.

Despite the area being infested with mosquitos and sandflies, and frequented by crocodiles, Mooney worked arduously on his project for many years. It is said he would wait for the night tides

to help float his logs upstream to the building site.

Hay observed that the logs used were 18 inches (45 centi metres) in diameter and held together by steel bolts of up to 48 inches (1.21 metres) long.

It is believed the boat builder intended to fill the gaps between the logs with smaller strips of timber and a tar and oakum mixture which was often used to caulk the seams of wooden boats.

Mooney may have been inspired by William Willis, writer and adventurer, who sailed from South America to Australia in 1963/64 on a vessel of similar construction. Willis’ raft was 34 feet (10.4 metres) in length and also built of logs.

The 71 year-old Willis sailed from Callao on July 5, 1963, and arrived at Tully Heads, Queensland on September 9, 1964. He had sailed 10,000 miles with only one stop at Apia aboard his raft

which was named “Age Unlimited”.

He had published books about his previous exploits which Mooney may have read: “The Gods Were Kind” (1955) later retitled “The Epic Voyage of the Seven Little Sisters” (1955), and “Damned and Damned Again” (1959).

Sadly, Mooney did not live to complete his log boat or sail back to Canada, he died in 1968 which coincidently, was the same year Willis disappeared, presumed drowned.

Over the years the abandoned log boat has slowly deteriorated with the mangrove swamp reclaiming its timber. Fortunately, the notes and photographs taken by John C. Hay in 1970 have ensured the boat builder’s dream is not forgotten.

Sources: Mulgrave Shire Historical Society (MSHS), Wikipedia, TROVE.

John C. Hay and friend aboard Mooney’s log boat, c. 1970, courtesy MSHS

Alfred J. Mooney’s log boat near Cairns. Photograph by John. C. Hays, courtesy MSHS.

December

Come

Follow

Prices: Adult $31.50, concessions available Book your tickets through The Rondo Theatre

Kim Settle - Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron, 3:00pm

SAX MAN Troy StevensThe Beach Shack, Kewarra Beach Resort, 5:00pm

The Dannies - Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf, 5:30pm

Steve Williams - Barron River Hotel, 6:00pm

Janna Mercedes - Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron, 6:00pm

The Silver Fox Jazz BandChill @ Portofino, 6:00pm

Infinity Duo - Cazalys Cairns, 6:30pm

Russell Harris - Edge Hill Memorial Bowls Club, 6:30pm

Kaweyova - Central Hotel Port Douglas, 7:30pm

Late Notice - Hambledon Hotel, 7:30pm

Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe)

- Tanks Arts Centre, 7:30pm

Mississippi ShakedownTrinity Beach Sports Club, 7:30pm

Big Noise - Rattle n Hum Cairns, 8:30pm

Tony George - Bar36 @ The Reef Hotel Casino, 9:00pm

Bobby MaguireDunwoody’s, 9:00pm

Janna Mercedes - Beach House @ Trinity, 4:00pm

Katie RichardsHemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf, 5:30pm

Claudio Baschetti - Mucho Love Café, 6:00pm

SAX MAN Troy Stevens - O’Donnells Café Bar, 6:00pm

Alexi and Waha - Cazalys Cairns, 6:15pm

Flavours of Jazz - Elixir Music House, 7:00pm

Klare KuOlga - Elixir Music House, 7:30pm

Carinda Christie - Red Beret Hotel, 8:00pm

Kaweyova - Rattle n Hum Cairns, 8:30pm

Big Noise - Bar36 @ The Reef Hotel Casino, 9:00pm

DjGlennW - Dundees at The Cairns Aquarium, 11:30am

Katie Richards - Ellis Beach Bar & Grill, 1:00pm

Kaweyova - Beach House @ Trinity, 2:00pm

Carinda ChristieDunwoody’s, 2:00pm

Dani Bani - Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf, 2:00pm

Dazz & the BoyzzNeptunes, Palm Cove, 2:00pm

Shannon Hunter - Sauce Brewing Co, 3:30pm

Miss Tee ft Enzo RussoThe Jack, 4:00pm

Shirley Lynn - O’Sheas Machans Beach, 4:30pm

Tanya Murphy - The Beach Shack, Kewarra Beach Resort, 4:30pm

Hylidae, Carols by Candlelight - Munro Martin Parklands, 5:00pm

Fingerprint - Bar36 @ The Reef Hotel Casino, 7:30pm

The

2022 @ 4:30pm-10:30pm

Cairns Night Markets

Come on down and support all our local stalls – there’s fun, food, entertainment, shopping and culture Open: 4.30pm till 11.00pm 7 days a week!

Wed December 14, 2022 @ 6:30pm-9:00pm

Cairns Taipans next Home Game sees the snakes taking on Brisbane Bullets! Grab tickets online, or head into HQ to look at membership options to save every game!

Be a part of the #orangearmy supporting the Cairns Taipans as they take on Brisbane Bullets.

The official post-game party (18+) is on at the Reef Hotel Casino.

Book your tickets through the Cairns Taipans

Food, Culture & Flavours of Jazz

THIS weekend Cairns is treated to the Flavours of Jazz at the Elixir Music House Saturday, December 10, from 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm).

Cairns residents will immerse themselves in a special and intimate evening of cultural inspira tions from highly skilled and regarded musi cians and culinary delights to match from the especially talented Watty’s Stack Kitchen.

Enjoy Flavours of Jazz with friends or family and taste the flavours of culturally inspired food whilst listening and learning from the artists on display.

The featured artists are:

• Phoenix Briscoe: A Yalanji singer and songwriter who wants to use her music to bring about social and environmental change.

Phoenix has performed across national stages and graced audiences with her good vibes and creative nature.

• Merindi Schrierer: Starting out singing sweet soulful melodies with her sisters Deline and Naurita in The Briscoe sisters, she then toured the East Coast with artists such as the

late Aunty Rita Mills and The Descendants, Tiddas, Sara Storer and many more.

• Kirsty Burchill: Renowned crowd favourite First Nations musician Kirsty Burchill is an impassioned and talented singer-songwriter hailing from Mossman, Far North Queens land. Surrounded by music and a family of musicians from a young age, Kirsty has been performing within the region for over a decade.

• Klare KuOlga Klare: She brings a uniquely original sound to her music which draws on her cultural roots from Papua New Guinea, mesmerizing audiences into an elevated conversation for the human heart.

• The EARTHKIN Band: EARTHKIN is a newly formed music collective which blends Jazz, R&B, Soul and Reggae. Luke Briscoe is on guitar and vocals, Phoenix Briscoe on vocals, Steve Maxwell on keyboard, Nigel Perrer on bass guitar, Mike Stubley on saxo phone and Eamonn Sheehan on the drums. For more information and to book tickets, visit https://events.humanitix.com/flavours-of-jazz

Cairns Taipans v Brisbane Bullets

ENTERTAINMENT

Aussie icon visits Cairns with solo album

By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

AUSSIE rock legend and frontman of iconic band Eskimo Joe, Kav Temperley, visited Cairns this week with a songwriting workshop on Thursday and an intimate show to celebrate the release of his latest solo album tonight.

In October, Temperley released his second solo album, Machines of Love & Grace, which addresses the isolation and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To celebrate this release, Temperley held a special songwriting workshop in Cairns on December 8 and will have an intimate acoustic show covering the best of Eskimo Joe, his solo debut and Machines of Love & Grace from 6.30pm tonight.

Temperley said he was excited to visit Cairns for his first show with Machines of Love & Grace.

“It’s going to be me alone with an acoustic guitar, and I’ll be playing a whole bunch of songs from the new album, which is exciting because this will be my first solo show since putting out my record,” he said.

“I’ll also play a whole lot of Eskimo Joe songs, but I’ll play them how I first played them to the band and I’ll tell a lot of the stories around these songs.”

Machines of Love & Grace touches on themes of love, addiction and isolation. The inspiration came from Kemperley’s experience while being isolated with COVID, giving him the time to sit down and compose.

“My wife and I were in the States in 2019, and a week after we returned to Australia, the entire world shut down,” he said.

“I came down with a mystery virus that nobody knew what it was, it was that early in the pandemic that we couldn’t test for COVID, but we decided to play it safe and lock me in a room for two weeks.

“I was lucky that there was a piano in that room, so as I started to feel better, I started to play around with an idea.

“That’s how this journey of documenting the last two and a half years and all the ridiculousness that we’ve all been through began,” Kemperley said.

“I like to digest things through art; that’s how I get my stories back, so that’s what I try to do; I’ve written a bunch of stories about what happened to the people around me and me.

“But what I really want from this album is for people to listen to it and get their own stories back from it,” he said.

Kemperley admitted to having a couple of favour ite tunes he wants to play for his Cairns fans.

“There are certain songs from the album that I haven’t been able to play live like Homesickness, The Fence, which is John Butler and me,” he said.

“I’m excited to play those songs live.”

Temperley said he wanted to encourage Cairns fans to come and enjoy the rebirth of live music.

“Live music just got going again; if you love live music, put your hand in your pockets and support your favourite artist,” he said.

“As artists, we’re building back the industry for the ground, and I know that Cairns has a great live music scene.

“And if you’re a big Eskimo Joe fan, come down and enjoy some of your favourite Eskimo Joe songs and how they sounded when I wrote them, and I have a brand new bag of songs, so come and hear them out.”

Eskimo Joe’s frontman Kav Temperley will intro duce his solo album Machines of Love & Grace at the Tanks Art Centre (Tank 5) from 6.30pm. Tickets available on ticketlink: https://bit.ly/3BazMmX

Kav Temperley will play at The Tanks tonight - December 9.

Tide Times 0304 0.69 1003 2.69 1605 1.50 2047 1.89

Friday 9th Max 36o Min 23o Tide Times 0326 0.80 1034 2.59 1643 1.60 2057 1.80

Saturday 10th Max 35o Min 23o Tide Times 0345 0.92 1107 2.48 1730 1.68 2051 1.72

Sunday 11th Max 33o Min 23o Tide Times 0403 1.04 1145 2.38

Monday 12th Max 34o Min 23o Tide Times 0423 1.17 1239 2.30

Tuesday 13th Max 33o Min 24o Tide Times 0445 1.31 1410 2.26

Wednesday 14th Max 33o Min 25o Tide Times 0141 1.43 1527 2.29 2320 1.36

Thursday 15th Max 37o Min 26o

Weekly Horoscopes

You can make personal changes that will enhance your appearance and bring you greater popularity. A passionate encounter with your mate should help alleviate that pentup energy. It will be important that you have your priorities straight.

Social events will be plentiful. You need to start planning that vacation. Make changes to your home that will be pleasing to everyone involved. Be sure to get involved in self-improvement programs that will bring you in contact with interesting people.

Don’t take advantage of your expense account. Pleasure trips will be emotionally favourable. Luck is with you, regardless of the financial venture. You are better off visiting friends or relatives than entertaining at home.

Your lack of attention may have been a factor. Exhaustion will lead to minor injury if you don’t know when to quit. Self-deception about relationships is a problem. If you go shopping, only take what you can afford to part with.

You can get into self-awareness groups or investigate physical enhancement programs. Peers may not be on your side. You really can’t do anything to change matters this week. Relatives will not agree with the way you are dealing with your personal problems.

This is not the best time to take a risk or spend money you really can’t afford to part with. You may want to take a serious look at your goals and objectives. You may find that purchases could be expensive. Your unique way of doing things will entice new acquaintances.

Take time to deal with legal documents and the affairs of people who you may be indebted to. Don’t overspend on friends or children. Investments may be misrepresented this week. Don’t let your personal dilemmas interfere with your goals.

Leave things as they are for the moment and focus on reaching your highest potential at work. You may be thinking of starting your own business. You can put in some overtime and make extra cash. You will be well looked upon due to your compassionate and giving nature. Aries Mar 21 to Apr 20 Gemini May 21 to Jun 21 Taurus Apr 21 to May 20 Scorpio Oct 23 to Nov 21 Sagittarius Nov 22 to Dec 20 Libra Sep 23 to Oct 22 Capricorn Dec 21 to Jan 19 Aquarius Jan 20 to Feb 18 Pisces Feb 19 to Mar 20

You can make money through your own creative efforts. Check into art objects or precious stones. You can do well in group endeavours. Talk to an older family member you have helped in the past. Friends and relatives can give you good advice.

Friends or groups that you’re affiliated with may want you to contribute more than you can really afford. You can enjoy the company of others and meet an ideal mate, if you get out and mingle. Travel opportunities must be taken advantage of.

Go out with friends or family. You have made an accurate assessment of the situation and have come up with ideas that will save money. Be discreet about your personal life or whereabouts. Be mysterious. Financial affairs do not look too favourable this week.

around

a swelling of the neck result ing from enlargement of the thyroid gland (6)

a container or room in which the bones of dead people are placed (7)

a malicious or spiteful woman (3-5)

an act of lending something to someone (4)

a domestic employee resident in an em ployer’s house (4,2)

a device for cracking nuts (10)

a building or monument of historical impor tance (8)

a person experiencing a partial or total loss of memory (8)

a person trained or skilled in gymnastics (7) 21. German submarines used in the First or Second World War (1-5) 22. to waste time; be slow (6) 24. indicating an object of attention or interest (4)

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.

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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.

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PRIVACY POLICY

Cairns Local News collects personal information to assist us in providing goods and services which you have requested to process competition entries, giveaways and to improve our products and services to you. We may be in touch by phone, mail, fax or internet to inform you of any services and promotions which may be of interest.

If you would prefer us not to do so, please write to us at: Cairns Local News, 1/185 Mulgrave Rd, Cairns, Qld 4870 Access to your personal information can be obtained by calling (07) 4031 7678.

Friday December 9th

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

Saturday December 10th

Babinda: Main St, 07:30-12:00

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

Mareeba: Centenary Park, 07:30-12:30

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

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

Tully: Main St, 07:00-12:00

Sunday December 11th

Archer Creek: Rest Area, Kennedy Highway, 07:30-12:00

Atherton Lions Club: Merrilands Hall, 07:00-12:00

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

Holloways Beach: Beach Foreshore, 08:00-13:00

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

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

Kurrimine Beach: Progress Hall, 08:00-12:00

Christmas Community: Mt Sheridan Plaza, 09:00-15:00

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

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

MOSSMAN LADIES’ BOWLS

December 1st: This week we had 17 ladies rock up, which put the cat amongst the pi geons. We had 1 team of a pair, which meant whoever played against them had to walk more than any other teams. We did shorten our playing time due to that and the warm weather.

Winners: Jan Stokes, Pam Wid dows and Anne Geddes; R/up: Zina Girgenti, Margaret Hef fernan and Barbara Withers.

Raffle winner: Christy Colley. After bowls, we farewelled Margaret Heffernan who in the short time she has been with us has been an enthusiastic contributor to the ladies’ bowls as a player and as a person, and will be sorely missed. In the lead up to Xmas and in a couple of weeks following the New Year, play may be limited. Therefore, contact Carole Max ted: caroles44bb@dodo.com. au or 0400 954 537 for more information. Mixed Sunday bowls will resume a few weeks into the New Year. Contact the Mossman Bowls for more information: 4098 1434.

EDGE HILL BOWLS CLUB

Ladies Social Bowls: Thursday December 1st: Winners: Mary Santangelo, and Jill Alexander-Sachse.

Social bowls will continue for Thursday 7th December names in by 2:30pm for 3:00pm start.

Ladies Club Championship

Singles: Winner: Elaine White head; R/up: Tricia DeRon, 2616. Other games are scheduled to be played this week.

Men’s Mixed Social Bowls: No social bowls played this week. Many groups of Bare Foot Bowlers took to the green for work Christmas functions. These BFB Functions will con tinue most days until Christ mas. Volunteers are still re quired to assist with organising these groups. Please add your name to the list on the notice Board or attend at the appropri ate time nominated. Social Bowls will start on Tuesday at 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.

MARLIN COAST BOWLS CLUB

Tuesday Afternoon Men’s

Triples: Winners: R Bowes, S Pitt, Jock; R/up: none. Tuesday Night Bowls: Spider: Deb, Brad, Rod, Barry. Wednesday Mixed Bowls: Winners: J Jenner, E Herwig, T Ibbett; R/ up: Andy, O Morley, A Lim.

Thursday Men’s Triples: Win ners: Jock, B Smith, Crackers; R/up: Peter, Brad, Ross. Club Championships: Triples Final: E Parkes, J Ward, J Smith def J Jenner, C Scott, L Mikic, 2217. All bowlers, non-bowlers and tourists welcome. Bowls available for free, ph 4057 6931. Note: All social games played, cards are called 15 minutes before start. Club championships to be played: Check boards for play by dates for Championship games. Like us on Facebook. Special Events: Christmas Party 10th December, Raffles, etc. Snow dome 11th December.

MAREEBA BOWLS CLUB

Wednesdays: Club selected games 2x 12 ends 12:30 for 1pm. Thursday December 1st: Self-Selected Pairs: Winner: N Grayn R Keddie; R/up: T Gray, I Sayed; Best Second Game: L Cummings, J Dennis. Sunday December 4th: Club Selected Triples: Winners: G Morrow, E Lennord, P Soda; R/up: G Burrows, I Sayad, L Plowman. Tuesdays: Barefoot bowls names in by 6pm. Come and try bowls, club bowls available and bar open every Tuesday night. Please note Presenta tion Day is on December 18th and there will be no bowls on next Sunday December 11th. Good bowling everyone. For

information and nominations ph 4092 5288.

WEST CAIRNS MEN’S BOWLS CLUB

Tuesday Comp: Winners: Nick, Barry and Mal, 21pts; R/up: Richo, Wayne Vella and Eddie Czarnecki, 13pts and +15 in the second game. Thirsty Thursday: Best Play ers: Russel Camp, Coco and Gabby. Sunday Morning: Winners: Scotty Carolan, T Mawer and A Radford, 22 pts; R/up: Richo, D Lowe and Yakka, 19pts. Sunday social bowls are 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 Championship: Men’s Pairs 1st round games to be played before the 17th or the teams will be scratched. 2nd round and final to be played before the 22nd December and in the New Year there will be stricter rules around the Champion ship games. 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.

WEST CAIRNS LADIES

Wednesday November 30th: another great afternoon was had by the ladies winners for round 1 Edna’s team round 2 Pauline’s team. Wednesday December 7th will be the last day of bowling for the ladies for 2022. We hope that every one has a great Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. Ladies don’t forget that Christ mas lunch is at Cazaly’s this year on Wednesday December 14th at 12:00pm. Look forward to see you all back bowling in 2023.

WEST CAIRNS TPI MEMORIAL BOWLS CLUB

This week two more new bowlers joined twelve of our

regular players to play lawn bowls at the West Cairns Bowls Club green. The win ning team were the led by John Frisch supported by Len Kensdale and Patrick Lopez. We understand that our visitors intend to join our group before our final game that will be played next week commencing at the usual time of 1:30pm and finishing at 4:30pm. We are all looking forward to the end of year function that will be held on the following Monday December 19th after which we break until January 9th next year. Should you wish to play next week or attend the end of year function please contact selector Rosemary on mobile 0409 624 623 as soon as possible to ensure you are included. As normal, the game will commence next week at 1:30pm after cards are called at 1:15pm. After a break for afternoon tea, the game will conclude at 4:30pm when the winning team is decided. A large attendance would be ap preciated as the end of the year approaches.

INNISFAIL MENS

Thursday Social Afternoon: Winners: Bob Chaplain, Ted Pearce and Peter Broccardo. New members and visitors most welcome on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. Names in by 12:30pm for a 1:15pm start. Doug Juhas had a win over Peter Smith in a game of Consistency Singles. This Sunday December 11th, start ing at 10:00am will be a game of bowls followed by lunch, Christmas goose and presenta tions. Thursday December 15th will be a hamper day.

BROTHERS EDMONTON CLUB

Ladies Section: Ladies Christmas Break Up: to be held on Friday December 16th at Fullers. Names to President Sandra if you will be attending. First day back for 2023 will be Thursday January 12th.

Men’s Section: Novem ber Wednesday 30th: Play cancelled due to rain, no prizes paid out. Saturday December 3rd: Winners: Naoko Kina,

Allen Begg, Sandy McQuade; R/up: David Cairns, Susane Rowe.

Coming Events: Saturday December 10th: Xmas Ham Day Sponsored by Patron John Populin - 2 Bowl Fours, Club select, skips pick a card. Prizes, Hams to 1st, 2nd & 3rd plac ings. There are still 6 vacan cies, nominations close 11am on the day for play at 12:30pm sharp. Goose Club Raffle also, donation towards the raffle is very appreciated and should be left at the club between now and December 10th.

Wednesday December 14th: Men’s Self Select 3 Bowl Tri ples: cash prizes plus jackpot, visitors welcome. Nominations close 11:30 am for play at 12:30pm, contact Don Stewart 0427 816 894.

General Information: Affilia tion Fees for 2023 must be paid on or before December 31st.

ATHERTON GOLF CLUB

Wednesday November 30th: Carrington Hotel Medley Sta bleford had 23 players with 23 finishing. Winner: Brian Moss, 38pts; R/up: Matt Williamson, 37pts. NTP: 9 John Carey, 11 Merv Hains. Stroke next week. Wednesday Sporters November 30th: With the present weather, round 1 of Sporters Cham pionships was deferred until next week. 13-hole Stableford with a small field of 21 with only half the field finishing due to storm activity. Winner: Johno 28pts, on countback; R/ up: Jenko; 3rd: Lloyd Sawtell 27pts. NTP: 9 Itelo, 11&18 nil. Least putts: W Jones 18. Thursday December 1st: Ladies Stableford, sponsored by Lyn Morrison. Winner: Marea Mead with 36pts; R/ up: Lorraine Doolan on 33 points. Pin shots: L Doolan on 9 & G Steventon second shot on 18. Friday December 2nd: AGC hosted the An nual Tradies Golf Day. A big thanks to Dave Hazlett (Irish) for once again organising this very popular event, and to the multiple sponsors and approx 120 players who supported the event. Also, thanks to all the volunteers and employees who helped the day run smoothly.

Funds raised were donated to the Atherton Girl Guides and Atherton Lions Club, worthy recipients. Saturday Decem ber 3rd: December Monthly Medal sponsored by Central Tyre Service. Ladies’ Winner: Annette Seawright, 70 nett; R/ up: Liz Brown, 73. Pin shots: 2nd on 18 was A McEwen & S Watson, 9 H Beaven & 11 W Pelich. Men’s Winner: John Dunne, 66 nett on a countback; A-Grade Winner: Greg Brown 66 nett; R/up: Nick Smith 67 nett. B-Grade Winner: Mick Grumley 66 nett; R/up: Hol lywood Flynn 68 nett. C-Grade Winner: Michael Van-Cuylen burg 66 nett; R/up: Kev Shaw 68 nett. NTPs: 3 R Argent, 9 M Bochow, 11 D Bradley ,18 R Tomasetig. Best Gross was visitor Ross Argent 71 from Cairns. Sunday December 4th: Medley Stableford sponsored by Tablelands Top Meats: Win ner: Joe Curcio, 43pts; R/up: Chris Urwin, 38pts. First round of the Summer of Golf series is at Atherton Golf Club on Tuesday December 6th, open to anyone with a GA handicap. Tee off times on Facebook.

MILLAA MILLAA GOLF

Sunday December 4th: first Monthly Medal of the 2023 season, and the Medal of Medal: Winner of both titles: Kelvin Groves, gross 72, giving him a 61 nett; Geoff Errey, nett 68; David Welch and Wayne Crowley both on 69. NTP: David Welch 1/10, Graham Murray 5/14, Ross Ellen 8/17. Match Play Winner: David Welch. Most Consistent Player: Graham Murray, 28 points. Club Person of the Year: Wayne Norris.

Raffle Winners: Gary Soper, Ash Healy, Graham Suffield, Geoff Errey, Les Taylor and Gary Sinclair won twice. The member’s draw was number 23 which belongs to John Reyn olds, bad luck John was not there today. Next week is a two ball Medley Ambrose, draw for partners and is sponsored Mungalli Creek Dairy, 9:00am for 9:30am start, see you all there. For those involved there is also a committee meeting starting at 8:00am.

Cassowary The Cape

Countdown to KFC BBL|12

THE coveted BBL Championship Trophy has been travel ling the country to officially begin the countdown to the KFC BBL|12 season.

From December 1 to 13, the competition’s most prized silverware will complete a lap of Australia as part of the in augural BBL Trophy Tour, covering 12 stops across sevens states and territories.

After kicking off in Perth, the BBL Championship Tro phy headed east, dropping into Adelaide before flying north to Cairns where former Queensland Bull, Brisbane Heat match-day MC and TV personality, Lee Carseldine, joined the tour for a day out at Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome.

Carseldine, who played 132 matches for Queensland, including 26 Twenty20s games, has a close connection with Cairns, having scored a century for the Bulls in his come back game from a debilitating back injury.

“I was lucky enough to play up here for Queensland; I scored 100 in a pretty memorable comeback game, so this place holds a special place in my heart, and I’ll be up here supporting the boys, for sure!” he said.

The tour continues with the trophy stopping in Sydney for the official BBL|12 Launch before continuing to Coffs Harbour, Geelong, Launceston, Hobart, Albury and Can berra.

On top of the major capital cities, one of the hallmarks of this year’s Trophy Tour will be its regional stops, destina tions that will play host to men’s Big Bash games for the very first time.

Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, said it was a fantastic opportunity to have the trophy touring regional Australia.

“The BBL Trophy represents everything we love about

the Big Bash – world-class entertainment, world-class cricket and stadiums packed with fans,” Mr Dobson said.

“The trophy also symbolises the spirit of fun and innova tion that underpins the success of the Big Bash. There is no trophy quite like it when fully lit in the colours of the champion team.

“It’s our wish to share the BBL|12 Championship Trophy with Australia before it takes pride of place at another Club’s headquarters.

“In addition, the League is delighted for the Albury and Cairns communities to rub shoulders with the Trophy be fore teams roll into town for the first time,” he said.

The KFC BBL|12 begins on December 13, with all 61 matches broadcast live on Seven and/or Foxtel, Kayo Sports and SEN. Tickets are available at cricket/com.au/big-bash/

Lee Carseldine and the BBL Trophy in Cairns

By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

body for track and field and recreational run ning in North Queensland, Athletics North Queensland, will close its season with a coaching clinic for jumps and throws by respected coach Eric Brown.

After a very successful year of sport, NQ Athletics will close the year with jumps and throws clinic on Thursday, December 15 and Friday, December 16, at Barlow Park.

Athletics North Queensland assists and manages the develop ment, administration and competition of all matters regarding track and field and recreational running in the region.

General Manager of Athletics North Queensland Dayne O’Hara said it was exciting to have Eric Brown on board for the event.

“We’re very excited to lock in Eric Brown,” Mr O’Hara said.

“A level five Combined Events Coach with knowledge in Australia and across the world will come and teach up-andcoming athletes skills in throwing and jumping.

“He will be at Barlow Park on Thursday, December 15, in the afternoon and Friday, December 16, in the morning to coach local athletes.”

Mr O’Hara said that everyone in the community with interest

in athletics over the age of 11 is encouraged to participate and learn new skills.

“Eric will run through a lot of techniques on how to jump and refine a jumping skill as well as throwing skills,” he said.

“He has written many books on the fundamentals of coach ing; he will be able to provide things outside the technical as pects, so he will discuss things like nutrition with the athletes.”

Mr O’Hara said that events like this aimed to offer the best opportunities for North Queensland that previously only ath letes in the Southeast could get.

“Having Eric puts the next level of quality to North Queens landers,” he said.

“North Queenslanders tend not to get the advantages that ath letes get in Brisbane; however, through Eric and coaches like him, there’s been a focus on getting more clinics of this nature coming into regional areas.

“The coaches and the associates have realised the potential North Queenslanders have of future success, and it’s the perfect time with the Commonwealth Games in 2026 and, more impor tantly, for Brisbane 2032.”

This year’s clinic coincides with another closing event for

Athletics North Queensland with the Raise the Bar Academy, a residential camp program specifically for Indigenous secondary school students in years 10, 11 and 12 who aspire to participate in athletics and further their studies post-Secondary College.

The Raise the Bar Academy will run from December 12-16 at the AFL Cape York House for Girls, with four young athletes from Cairns and many more from across regional Queensland.

“We were very lucky for our national body Athletics Aus tralia that Rio Tinto has come on as our major sponsor,” Mr O’Hara said.

“Rio is now fully supporting the Athletics for the Outback Program, ensuring that our regional and remote athletes, espe cially First Nations, are getting the quality and athletic experi ences in their communities.

“So the Raise the Bar component of it is really targeting those athletes from Year 10 to 12 with interest in athletics who want to further their education.”

For more information on the Jump and Throw coaching clinic and to register, visit: bit.ly/3iDs12p

For more information on Raise the Bar, visit: bit.ly/3BfVsxP

Athletics North Queensland, will close its season with a coaching clinic for jumps and throws by respected coach Eric Brown.