They just don't get it

After questions to the Cairns Post about sourcing information a few weeks ago, I never heard back from the journo at the centre of the story. Not even a tiny note or telephone call to acknowledge my email to her.

However, I did get a free Moccha at Perotta's with Editor Mark Alexander, which helped pay for a week of buying the Cairns Post.

So it was interesting to see a story today in the Post about Douglas Shire Mike Berwick, now a CairnsBlog contributor, was quoted directly from his article on Tuesday.

Berwick put his case for the Icon legislation in great detail, and his great concern for Cairns City Council's objection to it - noting that Councillor Pezzutti labeled it a joke.

This story needed to be told in the mainstream media.

This ignorance and lack of understanding about this special part of Australia, needs protection beyond the now laughable CairnsPlan and it's many amendments and successful "Material Change of Use" applications, from the Cairns City Council, is setting the scene for the contempt Unity will show to the 8,000 new residents of the Cairns Regional Council area come March 16th, should Kevin Byrne stay at the helm.

Anyway, it's great to see that the Cairns Post are keeping up with the news - even if from here!

As Mayor Mike said in his article regarding Cairns City Council's failure to recognise the importance of the Icon legislation, they just don't get it. I couldn't agree more.

I noted in a separate article in today's Post, about the now widespread use of the internet as part of this Council election campaign. They mentioned Julia Lue in Port Douglas, whom I'm having breakfast with tomorrow morning, but no sleep over, along with Cairns 1st, and the recent entry online from Unity. The story also mentioned Robert Pyne, and Rod Davis who also have put a great deal of energy into online electioneering.

As Pyne also said, Councillor Alan Blake noted that the internet would never replace getting out and meeting people. Hear, hear.

It's great to see that Council candidates are using the internet to spread their message and gain voter recognition and popularity. This medium allows anyone to interact and debate many issues in more depth. CairnsBlog.net now attracts just over 3,000 local unique users from the Tablelands, Cairns and Port Douglas and has been active on local issues since last July.

With over 112 million blogs around the world now, Blogging is now an established part of the election landscape. My Kiwi mate, David Farrar at KiwiBlog, attacts around 1 million views month from 300,000 unique users, comanding independent political debate in New Zealand.

Blogging is informal, accessible, fun and a way to engage people from every political following on a vast variety of issues, some that are often too localised for mainstream media.