Tuesday 3 August 2010

Val is getting in bed with Townsville. She'd better wear protection

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Val Schier has popped down to see Townsville Mayor Les Tyrell, to discuss ways both regional areas can work together to lobby for business and promotional opportunities.

CEOs Ray Burton and Lyn Russell also joined in, along with Townsville Enterprise CEO Trevor Goldstone and Advance Cairns CEO Russell Beer.

"The summit would provide the opportunity to discuss projects with positive ramifications for both cities," Townsville CEO Ray Burton said. "This is a chance to sit down and work out how our two cities can work together to attract and advance projects that will move the north forward. We’ll be outlining the priorities for North Queensland and Far North Queensland and from that, identifying the areas for joint lobbying.”

However Townsville’s identification as a possible second Queensland capital is a focus for Mayor Les Tyrell.

“While Townsville has a strong and diverse economy, it’s important we continually strive to expand our opportunities,” Les Tyrell says. “Potential for resource sharing between Townsville and Cairns is an area we are strongly interested in as a means of keeping up with the infrastructure needed to support growth.”

Val Schier says that Cairns and Townsville are "comparable in size, infrastructure and climate with differences in just what drives our economies.”

“A collaborative strategy gives us opportunities to be innovative and focused on creating cities of the future,” Val Schier says.

The focus for Cairns Regional Council CEO Lyn Russell is regional economic development.

“We will be looking for areas where the two cities can compliment each other,” Lyn Russell says. “Wherever we can share resources to reach a common goal will also be on the agenda.”

Here's what was discussed...
  • James Cook University
    - how local government maybe able to assist further development of the Uni
  • Great Tropical Drive
    – a strategy of supporting tourism in the Tropical North
  • Mining
    – while a small employer in the Cairns region, there are huge opportunities for growth
  • Tropical expertise
    – working together to develop this sector
  • PNG exports
    – understanding the current opportunities that exist from the development of a regional relationship with PNG
  • Tourism/diversification
    – learning from each other’s successes and experiences
  • Events management co-ordination
    – building a regional events calendar to ensure a streamlined approach to attracting visitors to the region
  • Infrastructure advocacy
    – roads, ports, water, electricity and broadband

7 comments:

Paul Drabble said...

thats nice maybe they can keep her,or is she going to stand for mayor of townsville next...as she is unwanted in Cairns now!!

Destiny Rogers said...

Well unwanted by the rednecked rabble who can't bear to see a woman who represents the real diversity of Cairns running the place and have been squealling indignantly about her winning and trying to portray her as some new age hippy mama since the day she won.

Paul Drabble said...

Destiny I have never thought of her as a new age mama hippy.. i do portray her as a person who promised so much but has not been able to deliver to Cairns any change from the past years of council's dictatorial approach to community engagement & projects. Diversity means having an economy that is non relieant on the boom and bust tourism & mining industry's. But alas out elected representatives feel that is to hard to address so lets continue to pump money into tourism & pray we survive. Rates increase yearly, but does it improve our city..No.. it continues to show its ageing structures are in need of much more TLC than the council is willing to give it.
Lets get a leader and council in place that will love/understand & embrace us the community first, rather than one that continues to live in an ivory tower at Spence street and dictate to the community what its needs are.

nocturnal congress said...

Don't be cute there Paul Drabble. Val has not been able to achieve as much as she wants because of the full on assault she has experienced since the very day she was elected. Look at the opposition to the Cairns Cultural Precinct for example! It's all been reduced to personal abuse and smearing of the Mayor, and because of the delaying tactics Townsville and the Gold Coast have been able to put their cases in for consideration.
It's an exact re-enactment of what happened with Cairns proposed new hospital back in the 1980s when rugnut and co screamed and screeched and divided the community so much, that the then Treasurer, Keith DeLacy said, "Stuff you all...I'm giving it to Townsville."
Yeah, you know damned well Townsville will get the Cultural Precinct with world class international convention facilities this time around too.
It's the same ole, same ole.

Ohh...in a few years time, rugnut will be on air "blaming" the Government for giving everything to Townsville and the Gold Coast.

dipper said...

Someone with "johnsons" hey Roy.

Tom said...

Well, when I think of Mayor Val Shier, some of the words that come to mind are; fair, honest, dignified, integrity, cultured, respectful and inclusive. She has represented Cairns admirably after replacing an out-and-out bullying thug with questionable values and little integrity. We are the better for having her as Mayor and that's a rare compliment from me.
Of course, I accept that among the whinging classes, there are some in Cairns who can never be pacified, never satisfied, always carping. Read some of their comments above.

nocturnal congress said...

Val Schier has been subjected to the worst media assault ever launched onto any elected person here in the North, in my memory. Both King and Mackenzie worked relentlessly in tandem to break this woman. That Val is still standing there, smiling and as charming as ever, must gall the pair of them. She has demonstrated her toughness and staying power. That The Cairns Post, Advance Cairns, and tourist operators also turned around to support the idea of a Cultural Precinct must also gall them. I hate bully boys and seeing a woman standing tall and conducting herself with dignity in the face of their abuse is an admirable thing. Whatever you think about some of her ideas, Val is a woman to be respected.