Thursday 2 October 2008

Terry before a magistrate

Yacht Club demolition protester Terry Spackman served a night in jail for his beliefs. This morning he will go before a magistrate.

A large contingent of police turned up yesterday morning, followed by the Fire Service with two large appliances. The dilemma was heightened as Workplace Safety regulations does not allow workers to access a roof that has no barrier.
After Terry refused to sign the bail conditions that would prevent him from returning to the building, he was locked in the Sheridan Street watch house overnight.

Terry had earlier scaled the building around 6am with a supply of food, chair, phone, and water. He voluntarily decided to come down at 1pm, was arrested and taken into custody for breaching the security fence that surrounds the historic Yacht Club.

Spackman will appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court No 1 at 9.30am this morning. If he pleads guilty, he will make a statement once released outside the courtroom.

Yesterday, Anton’s Demolition had been planning to bring cranes on the site and remove sections of the roof, however were completely prevented from doing so by Terry’s actions.


A frustrated and nervous Cairns Ports Safety and Emergency Manager, David Good looks on as Terry Spackman disrupts work to demolish the Yacht Club building on the Cairns waterfront.


The Cairns Port Authority have now employed private security guards to watch over the building 24 hours a day, no doubt at considerable expense.

Due to Terry's efforts spreading the word about this significant Cairns building, has now spread across the country. If anyone would still like to get involved in this direct action campaign, you can contact Bryan on 4052 1563 or 0403 049 566.
The saving and protecting of this historic building is an easy thing for any government to do. It would be a win for the community and a win for listening to the will of the people.
The Labor government has lost substantial support over this needless heritage destruction. They have lost connection with the people by their negligence over destruction of the Cairns Yacht Club.
This issue is now a defining moment for all Cairns Labor politicians and that of the Cairns Regional Council.
Local Councillor Alan Blake, watching over the old club house from his luxury apartment suite, has also failed to enter the debate publicly.
It's a shocking and sad reality that when elected politicians cannot engage and represent their community, they are unfit to serve. They simply don't deserve the respect or the salary that we bestow upon them.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action", this is the result of researching the word "courage". I think it best describes the actions of Terry Spackman on Wednesday. I wish I could be as gallant and true to my convictions as Terry Spackman. Young man I hold you in very high regard. I admire you immensely for your ability to be true to your values, your convictions, your morals and ethics and even a touch jealous that I can not. You are a true hero to your family, your friends, the Cairns community and yourself! Even my kids reckon you are one cool dude. One of a dying breed unfortunately, a gentleman.

Kerry Riella.

Anonymous said...

"One of a dying breed" ... what crap is that.
He is one of the 7000/10000 local signatures on the petition, out of a population base of 140000. In other words 7000/140000 or 5% of the population were coerced into signing when they visited the Cairns Show.
What about the 133000 that didn't sign?
Maybe the 95% that didn't sign wanted to see the end of a rusty old eyesore that had lost all it's significance over the last 20 years.
Guess what ... that's called democracy.
The silent majority have spoken.
Let the bulldozers do the talking.

Anonymous said...

Dear Quickie, (well I'll leave that one alone, your nick name is best known to yourself and your partner I suppose)!

I've said it once, and I'll say it again, just how do you propose you ask the whole of the population of Cairns to do something, such as sign a petition? Knock on every door? Get real, that is called a Census not a petition! "Coerced into signing when they visited the Cairns Show", I would hardly say people seeking us out to sign the petition was "coercing", coercing actually means making someone do something against their will with force or threats. I promise you I did not hold any pen to anyones throat when I collected over 700 of those 11,000 signatures. Not to mention the 490 who signed on line, what happend there, gremlins jumped out of computers, and threatened to SHUTDOWN unless one jumped online to sign the petiton?

PADYC group collected these signatues in a very short space of time at The Cairns Cup, Envirofiesta,The Public Meeting, The Rally, The Pyramid Race, Outside Cairns Central, in local shops, Piccones IGA Whitfield had one on every check out for heavens sakes! So that blows your argument of "coercing" out the window somewhat, wouldn't you think?

The collection of such a large number of signatures (which are still rolling in by the way, completley uncoerced), by such a small group, with next to no budget, according to Stewart Armstrong CEO of the National Trust, nothing short of "phenominal". In fact "Quickie", if you look at the 16 Tabled Paper Petitions for August that were presented to the Qld Parliament the Cairns Yacht Club peititon has THE most number of signatures by a county mile, lowest being a mere 16, and closest to our figure of 9633 was a petition 2164 and that was for Sunshine Coast, Greenfield development sites, Sunshine Coast, woops they would have a bigger population than lil old Cairns would they?

So can I be so bold to suggest "Quickie" you get back in your box, and at least get your facts straight before you start sprouting off, with sweeping generalizations. You wouldn't know what democracy meant if it bit you on the bum. By the way the Bulldozers don't talk.

Kerry Riella

Anonymous said...

Haven't you left town yet Quickie? KB got the arse mate. Why don't you go back to Townsville?

Unknown said...

Quickie, when your roof goes rusty, do you repair it or do you bulldoze the entire house ?
Have a look across the road from the Yacht Club and see how the Barrier Reef Hotel and the Jack & Newell building have been incorporated into new development.
It is not just about the building, it is about government accountability as well. The silent majority probably doesn't give a stuff about that either and that's why they get the government they deserve, time after time. The majority off people in Cairns probably agree that there is a law and order problem here, yet only a few hundred will turn up at a meeting with the police minister. That does not mean they don't have a valid cause. A majority of people does not go to the races or plays golf, so maybe we should build units on the racecourse and golf courses. How about the Pioneer Cemetery ? The majority of Cairns people have probably never been there. maybe we should bulldoze and develop it as well. It is prime real estate after all .... If you have a look at cities around the world, you see that a lot of waterfront areas are being beautifully restored, not just filled with ugly apartment blocks. This whole exercise is about raising money for the Queensland government. Here was a golden opportunity to do something significant and innovative, but instead it has become an exercise in raising money for the Queensland government A town without history has no soul !

Anonymous said...

Terry Spackman spent a night in gaol, while the media whore Bryan Law, who said he'd get him out on bail, instead only fed a few coins into Spackman's parking meter. Law supports no one but himself. Once the press left, he slinked back to his hovel, and let Spackman's car get ticketed for the meter violation.

Law's "civil disobedience" resulted in a fifteen minute sitdown at the Police station, because even they don't want the unbathed loudmouth around.

Bryan Law couldn't organise his way out of a paper bag. Too busy stuffing his pile hole and looking for the cameras. Spackman is a cultural hero. Law is a worthless human specimen.

Anonymous said...

C'mon Kerry ... stats are stats and,
if I had had a stall and approached folks on the basis of ...
"do you want a grotty old rusty shed frequented by pimps, pros and druggo's, or ...
do you want tapas bars, modern themes and architecture that all could enjoy, and allow this land not to be the exclusive domain of the yachting fraternity?", then ...

I believe I would have collected 20,000 signatures!!!

Not to mention helping this inept Labour Govt resolve some of it's debt problems.

Anonymous said...

Gee Mr Outlaw, your such a disgraceful liar, it's no wonder you hide like a coward behind your nom de plume.

Yes, I went home at 1.30 pm, after staying in support of Terry for 7.5 hours. I drove Terry's car home, with all his gear.

Once home I checked with the watch-house to find that Terry had refused bail coditions on a point of principle. So I organised with others to make a show of support for him in Court next morning, and took his car/gear there for him.

Check with Terry if you like.

But then I guess you prefer just to make stuff up that suits your ignorant prejudice.

Still, you're right about one thing. Terry's a better man than I am. Tell me again, what have you done to support his efforts?

Unknown said...

Quickie people as ill-informed as yourself would be better off keeping quiet instead of displaying your ignorance to the world.

A tapas bar... how original..problem is there won't be room for it, because they are going to build a high rise on the old CYC site.

We don't need more modern themes and architecture. There are plenty of sterile tasteless places like Cazaly's and Brothers for the average punter to go to, where they can eat cheap lousy food and lose their moneys on the pokies. The Cairns Yacht Club was unique, without intrusive television screens and poker machines and not grotty at all. It also had one of the best views across the inlet.

As for pimps, you can find them up the road at the Port Authority, the pros you can find all over Cairns and the druggies in every nightclub in Cairns, up to their eyeballs on ectacy and speed.

The Yacht Club was frequented by a wide cross section of the commubity not just the yachting fraternity.On the last night there were hundreds of people present from age 8 to 80 ; there was no security, there were no incidents. Try that anywhere else in Cairns.

The failure of the State government to redevelop this area in a proper way is a missed opportunity of enormous proportions.

Read the "Letter of the day" in saturdays Cairn Post. The author hit the nail right on the head about what could have been done.

Maybe you should go out a bit more, Quickie, do some travelling and see how things are done in the rest of the world.You obviously haven't got a clue.

Anonymous said...

Dear Quickie,
If Nick's last comment didn't put you back in your box, then I am afraid there is no hope for you, as you are becoming incredibly difficult to understand. I dare say your insipid attitude and comments cut a little bit deeper. Sounds to me you are used to being part of a losing team? Is this the only self gratitude you can detract, by aligning yourself with with the Cairns Ports, and the Labor Government? Obviously you have no heart for Cairns or what's left of it's heritage.
"I believe I would have collected 20,000 signatures", well, off you go then. I look forward to seeing it tabled in Parliament, you will be hard pressed to get a sponsor though I dare say. Maybe Captain Bligh, or Demo Desley might like a little helper for the next election, your expertise at being a loser would come in handy.

Kerry Riella.

KitchenSlut said...

I think quickie has attended a skool of mathematics very divergent from the rest of us!

I think the petition represented around 10% of the federal electoral roll and is historically at the top end of similar community responses?

Feel free however to continue making an idiot of yourself ......

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, the voracious minority have had their collective tails pulled.
Spin whatever and however you want to minority, but a fact is a fact.
Over 130000 Cairns did not sign the petition.
So ... because only 5% signed, this minority, must get it's way.
What a funny attitude regarding democracy, you minority folks have.
Use heritage as your excuse and carry on with your trespass and other illegal, law breaking activities.
You are all so blinded by your obsession that a 5% minority must get it's way.

Anonymous said...

Quickie (is this a reference to how your brain processes information, or is it your "partners" nickname for you?).

Will you tell me please, just how do you propose to ask the whole of the population of Cairns their opinion about the Yacht Club. Read my lips Quickie, the "WHOLE OF THE POPULATION". 11,000 signatures is still 11,000 more than your petition Quickie, how are you going with that by the way?
Kerry Riella.

Unknown said...

Quickie,

You are either plain stupid or you are deliberately distorting the facts. Either way you have no credibility !

About 30 % of the Cairns population is under 18 years of age. That leaves an adult population of about 98000 people. More than 8000 locals signed the petition , that is almost 10 % of the adult population.

So about 90000 adults did not sign the petition. It is a meaningless observation.They also did not express a view in favour of destroying the Cairns Yacht Club.

Minorities play an important role in democracies. Only a minority of people in Cairns are actively involved in Couch , charities and other community organisations. Does that make them worthless ? The silent majority will always be happy to stay on the sidelines and let others do the dirty work for them.

The illegal , law breaking activities you refer to are harmless, peaceful manifestations by people with courage and principles. It is nothing compared to the many illegal activities carried out by developers all over the Cairns area and the underhanded dealings of the State government and the previous council.

Your outrageous slur on the character of the patrons of the Cairns Yacht Club says more about you than it does about them. I would like you to come out and repeat it to my face. Are you calling me a pimp and my wife a whore, you germ ?

The only one on drugs is obviously you...

Anonymous said...

Mr Quick, or should we just call you Dennis? How about you take a poll that asks 'Do you support Quickie being allowed to live in Cairns?'.

You may get yourself and your mate KB and a few others to support you sign it, but 99.99% of Cairns would NOT sign it, and by your own judgement, that would mean 99.9% of Cairns would NOT want to allow you to live in Cairns.