You won't avoid Council, even at the Cairns Show

Watch out, they're can be a sneaky bunch.

While you're wandering around this year's Cairns Show, which opens tomorrow, chatting to the friendly folk at the Cairns Regional Council display, giving you free soya bean biro pens and helpful leaflets about looking after your pets, printed on 160% recycled paper, Council parking officers will be outside ticketing your car for parking on the sidewalk.

Council calls it "community engagement" and they'll be there at this annual show.

"The gathering of ideas and suggestions from community members is one of the top priorities for Council’s involvement," Mayor Val Schier says.

“Council is eager to hear about the community’s vision for the future. The annual show is traditionally the meeting place for the region’s people and so a perfect opportunity for us to listen and record ideas for our community plan” Val says.

There'll be staff from every branch of Council to answer questions, and they're be a chance to win tickets to the Davis Cup, coming up at the brand spanking new tennis centre.

Your favourite councillor will also there. The media blurb said they're "be on hand to hear your visions for the future of our community." However, we all know that some of them, and I know you can name the ones I'm thinking about, gave up listening yonks ago.

This year the family entry price is $40 (2 adults and 2 primary-aged kids) for a full day. However they're only $35 if you purchase at Raintrees Shopping Centre by 5pm tonight. Normal entry is $18 for adults and $8 for children, 5-13yrs. Child under 5 free. There's also a concession rate of $13. Print out the programme.

Cairns Show Arm-bands

Cairns police will help keep families together by providing free arm-bands to young children attending to this year’s show, and parents and guardians are encouraged to write their mobile phone number on the band and then place it on their child’s wrist before entering the Cairns Show.

The arm-bands will assist police to contact a lost child’s parent.
They're available at Raintrees Shopping Centre, and shopping centre police beats at Earlville, Raintrees and Cairns Central, Esplanade Police Beat, Edmonton, Smithfield and Cairns Police Stations.

The first Cairns show, then organised by the Cairns Agricultural, Pastoral and Mining Association, was held in September 1891. In 1954, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip visited the show.

This is the 116th Cairns Show.