Contract awarded for hall

l TRINITY BEACH

A NEW community activity space for the Northern Beaches is a step closer after Cairns Regional Council this week appointed the successful tender for the new Trinity Beach community hall.

The council secured $935,000 from the state government to help fund a new $1.83 million Trinity Beach Community Activity Space, which will replace the ageing and out-dated Trinity Beach Community Centre.

MyBuild Commercial was awarded the contract for construction of the Trinity Beach hall, with works expected to start later this year and be completed mid-2024.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said, once complete, the new space would allow community groups to provide activities and programs in a welcoming and safe environment.

“The current facility is more than 40-years-old, is no longer fit for purpose, has insufficient capacity to meet community needs, and is not all-abilities accessible,” he said.

Division 9 Councillor Brett Olds said space would be about twice the size and feature contemporary all-abilities access, room for the Red Cross Thrift Shop, a 148sqm hall that can be divided into two meeting spaces, and to cater for indoor activities, such as dance and fitness.

Katter lashes minister

l CARDWELL

KATTER’S Australian Party MP

Bob Katter is placing blame directly on Federal Health Minister Mark Butler for the closure of another North Queensland general practice which had been crying out for help for months.

Cardwell Family Practice, operated by manager Carmen Edmondson and registered nurse Julie McKay, will close the town’s only full-time clinic’s doors to its 1000 patients on September 1, after constantly struggling to recruit doctors and relying on locums.

The clinic’s woes were first brought to the attention of Federal Health Minister Mark Butler in December 2022 by Mr Katter.

Following the clinic’s July 10 announcement of its intent to close, the minister’s response to Mr Katter on July 14 was that his office had requested The Queensland Health Workforce offer locums to the clinic.

Mr Katter said the minister’s office also conceded that as a private business, it was the owner’s decision to close and that his government “had inherited the problem” but had addressed with “solutions” such as increases to the Medicare rebate. “They are just washing their hands clean of the problem here,” he said.

Labor’s federal representative in the Far North, Senator Nita Green, was asked for comment.