LOCAL leaders will have their fingers crossed today's Cairns Regional Council Budget includes funding for the long-awaited CBD upgrade.

The makeover of the tired city centre is at the top of the list for Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive Deb Hancock, who is expecting a "restrained and disciplined' Budget delivered by Mayor Bob Manning.

As revealed in The Weekend Post, the council plans to find $6.6 million in savings by freezing its expenditure on materials and services in most departments.

Rates are also expected to rise by up to 4 per cent.

Ms Hancock said any rise in rates would have an impact on family and business budgets.

"This is why responsible fiscal management is paramount," she said.

Cairns MP Gavin King said it was vital the Budget includes funding for the first stages of the long-awaited CBD upgrade.

Mr King called on the council to at least match the State Government's $5 million commitment to ensure the first stage of the upgrade is finished by the G20 Finance Ministers' meeting next year.

"If it's not included then the project won't be able to go ahead by G20 late next year," he said.

"We don't want construction in the city heart when 2000 or 3000 people are here and the city is in the global spotlight."

Gail Seymour, of the newly formed Cairns Residents Community Group representing Cairns North and the CBD, said the expected 4 per cent rate rise was reasonable.

"It's virtually inevitable. We would rather have a gradual increase instead of a big one because they got it wrong," she said.

The council will also attempt to find savings by using council staff to carry out street sweeping and footpath cleaning work currently filled by external contractors.

But Ms Seymour said the council should not cut costs at the expense of providing important services.

"We want to see more personnel to police the meters around the hospital and we want someone to police the illegal camping in the city overnight," she said.

"Our rates pay the council officers wages so we shouldn't have to go out in the morning and walk over the rubbish of illegal campers."

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Dan Strudwick, Sherine Conyers

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

© The Cairns Post

VIDEO: CAIRNS Regional council budget fails the test of delivery of basic street level services - that's the message from Cr Rob Pyne in a YouTube clip to the electorate.

Pyne released the video after today's official announcement that property owners in the Cairns region would pay 4 per cent more for rates and utilities next year as part of the 2013-14 Budget, announced at a special meeting of council this morning.

The Cairns Regional Council has budgeted $132 million for new capital works in the coming financial year, including the first stages of huge revamps for the Tobruk Memorial Pool and the Cairns CBD.

As reported in The Weekend Post on Saturday, the council has frozen the amount of money it will spend on materials and services across most departments, and staff will be ordered to find $6.6 million in savings.

By tightening its belt, the council will be on track to deliver a balanced Budget in 2013-14, overcoming the $6.1 million operating deficit it faced a year ago.

Cr Manning insists the cuts in spending won’t impact the level of service provided to residents, and councillors will be watching to ensure the current standards are maintained throughout the year.

But some councillors raised concerns about the reduction in cash for materials and services, saying too much money was being spent on bureaucrats’ wages rather than at the local works depots.

Cr Pyne took to YouTube today to express his concerns about the Budget saying it "fails the test of delivery of basic street level services."

"It cuts expenditure in areas such as pathway maintenance, street sweeping, mowing and animal control," he said.

"These are all areas that are very important to local residents."

Watch the YouTube clip here:

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A TEAM of under-16.5 footballers will spend part of their school holidays in Queensland thanks to an AFL Goldfields initiative.

Players from the Ballarat, Riddell District and Maryborough Castlemaine District leagues will join forces to represent Victoria against AFL Cairns in two development games next week.

The travelling squad includes 12 players from the Ballarat league and six players from each of the two district leagues.

The team will be coached by Ballarat Football League director Jeff Whittaker, who said the trip would be a golden opportunity for his young charges.

"It is the first time we have ever run a squad up there," Whittaker said.

"We always thought we would get up there and I am excited and I think all the boys are excited too.

"I said to the boys 'win, lose or draw, it doesn't matter as long as we go up and play good footy'.

"The best part will probably be that they will make good mates who they will have for life."

Ryan Noether, 16, made his senior debut earlier this season with Ballarat league club Sebastopol and is among the top under-16 footballers rewarded with selection in the squad that was cut down from 46 players.

The squad flies out from Melbourne on Saturday, returning next Thursday.

Caitlin Guilfoyle

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

© The Cairns Post

Expanding: Marlies Hobbs, owner of Paleo Cafe, has franchised the business with two more cafes opening in Sydney. Picture: MARC McCORMACK

AN interstate sledging match has broken out on facebook over the quality of the regions drivers.

After the question : "are Queensland road rules any different from down south?'' was posted on the CairnsComAu facebook page, readers were quick to poke fun at their home state and others.

Michelle Crossman said: "Indicators are optional, the right hand lane is the slow lane, go too fast for the conditions when it's raining and drive like there's no one else on the road."

Michelle Coulson said: "You need a special licence to drive in Queensland. You get them out of Weetbix packets."

Briony Pratt said: "Cairns drivers are terrible", before Steven Williams piped in hammering southerners instead.

"That's a broad statement. The same thing can be directed towards Victorian drivers."

Pam Dean continued by saying bad drivers from everywhere else were the problem.

"So many think Cairns drivers are bad. Yet a majority of the people living in Cairns have moved here from another place.

"It seems the bad drivers are moving here and bringing your bad driving habits with you."

Belinda West went for the jugular of Darwin.

"People bag out Darwin drivers but the reality is maybe five per cent are actually from Darwin the rest are from interstate who claim they are Territorians."

While Victor Hart said Queensland drivers "don't give way to NSW drivers".

Raymond Stone said he thought 70 per cent of drivers in Cairns were from down south.

"You are all beeping 'n' yelling at each other," he said

Steven Williams blamed the world.

"The majority are made up of international tourists, interstate drivers (including those from Victoria), and locals from the surrounding areas that are not used to multi-lane roads," he said.

Jeff Cameron-Smith said: "If you can't use an indicator, can text and drive at the same time, able to drive 70 in the right lane of a 100 zone and have no idea how a roundabout works you'll fit right in!"

But take heart Cairns. Not everyone thinks you are bad drivers.

Sally Hodges said she moved to the Gold Coast from Melbourne.

"I tell you, NO-ONE here obeys the speed limit.

"You would never get away with it in Melbs. Too many speed cams."

Join the conversation facebook.com/CairnsComAu

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CAIRNS West Bowls Club's historic men's pennant win over Edge Hill had been a long time coming.

Just how long?

It seems no one knows.

Steve Smith can be certain it has been more than 26 years, because that's how long he's been with the club.

"I arrived in 1987 and every year since I have thought that it might be the year," he said.

"But the years came and went and we never got one."

The only evidence of a pennant win they can find at the Grafton Stclub comes from 1965, although that story is disputed.

"One of our members thinks he can remember us winning it in the early '80s," Smith said yesterday.

"But we can't find any evidence of it here."

Even Bowls Queensland's electronic database does not stretch back far enough to record the last Cairns West pennant win.

But the Cairns West Bowls Club members are too busy celebrating today's victories than yesterday's misfortunes.

"Everyone's just over the moon," Smith said of his team's win.

Cairns West made the final on the back of an upset win over last year's pennant winners, South Johnstone Mongrels.

Playing off the back of solid lead placings, the upstart home team beat the Mongrels 29-9, 23-12 and 28-13 to represent section one in the grand final.

The task of taking out the final was even tougher with a trip to Edge Hill Bowls Club on the cards.

"They are always tough to play especially when they have the home advantage," Smith said.

Cairns West lost the first two games by a combined four points before Smith's team swung the aggregate back in Cairns West's favour with a 14-point win.

Smith said the club overcame itsheralded rivals by finding the perfect balance in their bowling teams.

"There were probably better players out there, but it didn't matter because we had the right players in the right positions," he said.

Smith led the way in the final at Edge Hill Bowls Club on June 22-23.

The home club won the first game by one and then the second before Smith's team tilted the aggregate score in Cairns West's favour with a 14-point victory.

The 67-58 win moves Cairns West into the next round where they face Yungaburra, who took out the Tableland pennant.

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Peter Michael

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

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He's back: White whale Migaloo has reportedly been spotted on his annual migration north accompanied by another white friend. Picture: MARC McCORMACK

THE CBD and inner suburbs of Cairns will benefit most from the big-ticket infrastructure in the council's pipeline, with funding yesterday pledged to several long-awaited projects.

Under its 2013-14 budget, Bob Manning and his team will allocate $132 million to capital works, including funds to finally kick-start work on the upgrade of Lake St and an overhaul of the Tobruk Memorial Pool.

It comes as council has hiked rates and tightened spending on the basics. As revealed in The Weekend Post, most households will pay 4 per cent more for rates and utilities in 2013-14.

RATEPAYERS and council workers will do all of the heavy lifting to balance the Cairns Regional Council Budget in the coming year, with a rates hike and spending cuts adopted yesterday.

Mayor Bob Manning and his team have turned around a $6.1 million operating deficit since taking office last May, and will tighten spending on basics again this year to get the CRC out of the red.

As revealed in The Weekend Post on Saturday, most households will pay 4 per cent more for rates and utilities in 2013-14, or about $92.70 more for a family with a property valued at $160,000.

Basic spending will be frozen across most council departments, and staff have been ordered to find $6.7 million in savings to bring the annual materials and services bill down from the previous $86.8 million to $83 million.

Among the savings, overtime will be clamped down, external contracts for services such as street sweeping and mowing will be removed or reduced, and recycling will be capped at 10,000 tonnes a year.

Cr Manning said the savings were made to protect ratepayers from a bigger rise, and residents would not notice a reduced level of service from the council.

"It may be that instead of mowing a park every four weeks, it's done every five weeks," Cr Manning said.

"But what we won't be doing is going to mow a park when it doesn't need to be mown.

"People have got to see us as being efficient and being effective in what we do. I've got confidence that ... council staff will maintain our services at the level that the people would expect."

It would be the first time the CRC Budget has been out of deficit since 2005-06 financial year.

Southside councillor Rob Pyne voted against adopting the Budget at yesterday's meeting, saying cuts to expenditure had gone too far.

"It fails what I call the Martyn St test," Cr Pyne said, referring to the location of the council's main works depot.

"There are cuts in the budget to pathway maintenance, cuts to street sweeping and lawn mowing. And it fails to address the problem of ... animal management."

Cr Pyne and northern councillor Julia Leu criticised the staff structure for being too "top heavy", with two new appointments being made to the executive team in the midst of redundancies and staff freezes on the front line.

"The increase from five to seven general managers that's a huge cost burden for the ratepayers," Cr Leu said. "And I believe it's critical because it's at the expense of front-line services."

Staff will get a 3 per cent pay rise under their agreement, but overall staff costs will only go up 1 per cent, signalling the council now employs fewer staff.

The council's CEO, Peter Tabulo, said spending forecasts and rates charges had been struck with the community in mind.

"We don't want to be putting our community under additional pressure just for the sake of running a surplus," Mr Tabulo said.

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

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Winner: Ah Xian pictured with his 2009 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award-winning work Concrete Forest in 2009.

GLOSSY Far Northern events have sparked a growing number of fashion and beauty retailers setting up shop to meet consumer demand.

Almost 10 glamorous independent business ventures have cropped up around Cairns in just six months, including iMakeup, wolfncub, Jetty Love, Vintage Seeker and Jumble Culture by Tilly Fluf near Grafton St as well as Platinum at DFO and the Fashion Incubator at Cairns Central.

Grafton St's Tea Lily, which originally opened in Cairns 13 years ago, also launched a second venture at Palm Cove about a month ago.

Cairns woman Emma Rowe, who has owned gold and silversmith Rowe Design for eight years with her husband Shayne and recently opened Vintage Seeker with Love Lucy owner Lucy De Vries, said business followed demand from shoppers.

"It has been long-awaited," she said.

"With Mercedes Fashion Passport and growth in the races over the past few years, a lot more focus is on ladies and getting dressed up and business follows."

An estimated $13 million was poured into the Far North's economy by Cairns Amateurs last year but chief executive officer Graham Thornton said he anticipated this year's carnival would prove the best yet, with the ball at the lagoon and the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Passport set to be a sell-out.

"Fashion Passport extends that 'Christmas' period Amateurs has, so business can prosper the rest of the year as well," he said.

Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Debbie Hancock said the development of new business ventures would bolster other industries.

"The Far North Queensland region is powered by micro to small business," she said.

"When we see new businesses commence there are additional services required in the establishment, such as business cards, website design and cleaning. Every time a small business opens it has flow-on economic benefit."

BLAK Model Management owner Barbara Head launched her new agency earlier this year to entice national and international fashion events to the Far North through the easy availability of high-calibre talent.

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AN interstate sledging match has broken out on facebook over the quality of the regions drivers.

After the question : "are Queensland road rules any different from down south?'' was posted on the CairnsComAu facebook page, readers were quick to poke fun at their home state and others.

Michelle Crossman said: "Indicators are optional, the right hand lane is the slow lane, go too fast for the conditions when it's raining and drive like there's no one else on the road."

Michelle Coulson said: "You need a special licence to drive in Queensland. You get them out of Weetbix packets."

Briony Pratt said: "Cairns drivers are terrible", before Steven Williams piped in hammering southerners instead.

"That's a broad statement. The same thing can be directed towards Victorian drivers."

Pam Dean continued by saying bad drivers from everywhere else were the problem.

"So many think Cairns drivers are bad. Yet a majority of the people living in Cairns have moved here from another place.

"It seems the bad drivers are moving here and bringing your bad driving habits with you."

Belinda West went for the jugular of Darwin.

"People bag out Darwin drivers but the reality is maybe five per cent are actually from Darwin the rest are from interstate who claim they are Territorians."

While Victor Hart said Queensland drivers "don't give way to NSW drivers".

Raymond Stone said he thought 70 per cent of drivers in Cairns were from down south.

"You are all beeping 'n' yelling at each other," he said

Steven Williams blamed the world.

"The majority are made up of international tourists, interstate drivers (including those from Victoria), and locals from the surrounding areas that are not used to multi-lane roads," he said.

Jeff Cameron-Smith said: "If you can't use an indicator, can text and drive at the same time, able to drive 70 in the right lane of a 100 zone and have no idea how a roundabout works you'll fit right in!"

But take heart Cairns. Not everyone thinks you are bad drivers.

Sally Hodges said she moved to the Gold Coast from Melbourne.

"I tell you, NO-ONE here obeys the speed limit.

"You would never get away with it in Melbs. Too many speed cams."

Join the conversation facebook.com/CairnsComAu

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Virgin Australia today welcomed the Newman Government’s decision to deregulate air services between Cairns and Weipa, opening up one of Queensland’s most popular regional routes to new operators.

To coincide with this announcement, Virgin Australia confirmed it will bring competition when the route is deregulated in 2014, with a new direct service.

Virgin Australia will launch a daily service between Cairns and Weipa on its ATR Turboprop aircraft bringing choice to consumers in the region and competitive air fares.

Virgin Australia Chief Commercial Officer, Judith Crompton said: “Virgin Australia has a strong track record of bringing much-needed competition and lower fares to monopoly markets in Australia. In Queensland the mining boom is continuing to drive increased demand and open up routes that can sustain competitive air services.

“Weipa is an important mining centre in regional Queensland which has seen significant growth in demand for air travel in recent years. This has created the opportunity for deregulation to bring competition and lower fares to this market reducing costs for business and boosting tourism

“We welcome the deregulation of the Cairns and Weipa connection and believe it is a positive step forward for customers, the industry and tourism.

“We are pleased to confirm that once the route is deregulated, we will offer a daily service between Cairns and Weipa on our growing ATR Turboprop fleet, providing customers with increased travel options,” said Ms Crompton.

Virgin Australia will deliver a competitive offering with fares starting from $129* one way between Cairns and Weipa from 2014, which represents an approximate 20% discount on fares currently available to customers.

*Fares quoted refer to Saver Fares and include one piece of checked baggage and complimentary food and beverage. Fares are correct as at 25 June 2013 and are subject to change.

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Grace Uhr

Thursday, June 27, 2013

© The Cairns Post

Unexpected catch: Deckhand Cass Williams helped tackle a teenager in his backyard after they allegedly stole a car. Picture: MARC McCORMACK

THE fate of the Cairns CBD flying fox colony has been decided by one vote, with councillors yesterday narrowly voting in favour of evicting 20,000 bats from their camp.

A 5-4 council vote delivered in front of a packed gallery of conservationists endorsed a plan to spend up to $40,000 to cut back the mango and fig trees lining Abbott and Aplin streets in a bid to drive the animals away.

The council will now urgently seek the Federal Government's permission to start work on dispersing the colony of flying foxes before breeding season in October.

Mayor Bob Manning said former councils should have acted when the first colony of about 200 bats roosted in the trees about 10 years ago.

He said it was now up to his administration to disperse them before they grew out of control.

But James Cook University expert Dr Jon Luly said past experience showed the flying foxes would continue to return to the roost or set up another camp nearby.

"They will come back somewhere I'd say reasonably close by. They're not going to be heading off to the bush like the council would like," Dr Luly said.

Dr Luly said the trees would have to be drastically cut back for the flying foxes to leave.

"They're going to have to make the place unappealing to bats, so they have to cut them down to reasonably short levels and remove basically all the foliage," he said.

A council report identified several areas the flying foxes would likely move to, including a fig tree outside the Shangri-La Hotel, Fogarty Park or Shields St.

Councillor Linda Cooper, who joined councillors Richie Bates, Rob Pyne and Julia Leu in opposing the relocation, said it was a knee-jerk reaction to pressure from local businesses.

"We're going to appease the Novotel and I understand they need to run a business, but one of the roosting sites they could go to is the Shangri-La. When do we stop?" she said.

Dr Luly said the council would now have to convince the Federal Government to rubber stamp the relocation.

"It's whether they can produce a convincing case and it can't just be, 'We don't like them and we don't want them'," he said.

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VIRGIN Australia bosses have confirmed they will operate daily flights between Cairns and Weipa after the State Government announced it would deregulate air services to the mining town next year.

Virgin Australia chief commercial officer Judith Crompton said fares would start at $129 each way which represents a 20 per cent discount.

It compares with current carrier QantasLink which charges between $166 and $366 each way.

"Virgin Australia has a strong track record of bringing much-needed competition and lower fares to monopoly markets in Australia," Ms Crompton said.

"In Queensland, the mining boom is continuing to drive increased demand and open up routes that can sustain competitive air services."

She said the carrier would launch a daily direct service between Cairns and Weipa on an ATR turboprop aircraft.

"Weipa is an important mining centre in regional Queensland which has seen significant growth in demand for air travel in recent years.

"This has created the opportunity for deregulation to bring competition and lower fares to this market reducing costs for business and boosting tourism."

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said passenger numbers at Weipa had increased by 15 per cent in the past two years.

"What we've seen in the past is when we de-regulate there is demand there, competition comes in, we see a reduction in fares," Mr Emerson said.

Cairns-based airline Skytrans' managing director Simon Wild admitted the Cairns to Weipa route was an appealing prospect, but the charter company would need to undergo major consultation and planning if they were to consider it.

The company announced last month it was cutting about 20 staff and had sold three aircraft from its fleet.

"We would be looking to see how it would effect our clients who reside in places like Aurukun and the northern Peninsula who have employment in Weipa," he said.

"It's a win for Weipa and a win for the region.

"But you've got to make sure it's sustainable and you've got to make sure it benefits our clients."

A second flight route between Cairns and Horn Island may also be deregulated as part of the State Government review of 10 regulated flight routes in Queensland.

The audit comes almost a year after the State Government scrapped a program which offered subsidised $99 airfares throughout Cape York and the Torres Strait.

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Nick Dalton

Thursday, June 27, 2013

© The Cairns Post

Cheers: Lions supporters at the Courthouse Hotel.

END-STAGE renal failure is a hard diagnosis and a difficult disease to cope with, but Cairns clinical nurse Keri-Lu Equinox teaches people how to have their dialysis at home, increasing their quality of life.

Ms Equinox, who is from Cairns Base Home Haemodialysis Training Unit, has been nominated for a Pride of Australia medal for Care and Compassion for her work in Cairns and in remote areas of Cape York and the Torres Strait.

"Keri-Lu Equinox has been teaching people with end-stage renal failure how to do haemodialysis in their homes for many years," her nominator wrote.

"What sets Keri-Lu apart is many of the people she teaches are from remote areas of Cape York and Torres Strait and have borderline literacy and numeracy skills, and in some cases, poor housing."

"She does not shy away from a challenge but rather shows compassion and sees the end goal of people returning to their families."

Ms Equinox, who has been nursing for 35 years, and who has worked in renal nursing in Cairns for 14 years, said it was not an easy job but it was very rewarding.

"Bringing the equipment home brings some level of independence to people," she said. "It's not only me that does the work, but a team, and they are fabulous."

Her nominator said her work helped community elders to return to their positions in communities rather than having to live in Cairns to receive dialysis.

"Keri-Lu shows care and compassion for people who, at their weakest are made strong, and who are not often in the position to say thanks."

News Ltd's Pride of Australia, now in its ninth year, recognises ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Nominate between now and July 16 at prideofaustralia.com.au.

Follow on Twitter #prideofoz and like on Facebook.com/PrideofAustraliaMedal.

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The Cairns Post

Thursday, June 27, 2013

© The Cairns Post

Remember when life was simpler?

It was a simpler time, a time when life was more relaxed.

When sugar ruled and Cairns Base Hospital was a very different fixture.

Do you know any of the people in this video from the National Film and Sound Archives?

Tell us your fondest memory of Cairns.

Leave your comment below or join the conversation at facebook.com.au/CairnsComAu

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Liam Parsons

Thursday, June 27, 2013

© The Cairns Post

Caitlin Guilfoyle

Friday, June 28, 2013

© The Cairns Post

Serious stuff: Ryan McNaught is the only man authorised to build Lego in Australia.