Dengue fever epidemic declared officially over

Queensland Health is expected to declare the dengue fever epidemic officially over tomorrow.

This season was the largest recorded dengue fever epidemic in Australia in at least 50 years, after the first cases were confirmed in early December 2008.

The dengue fever type 3 epidemic, saw 931 people infected with a virulent strain of the mosquito-borne disease.

An elderly Cairns woman died, due to complications with Dengue in March. There were have 57 type 1 cases of dengue recorded in Townsville, 35 type 4 cases in Innisfail, and two type 2 cases in Cairns.

In February, I exposed the serious lack of strategic management, as the initial cases of breeding sites in North Cairns were notified to Cairns Regional Council. This area later was identified as ground zero where substantial infections occurred in the early weeks. It was a shocking display from Council's Gill Farrow, who headed the Dengue Response Unit, much of what was preventable.

After no answer from Council about why they took 7 weeks to attended to a vacant house site, I took the story to ABC Far North to get some action at Council.

Subsequently, many complaints were exposed that went unanswered or callers were given no help. Breeding stagnant water was also found in Council's Martin Street Works Depot, three blocks from the North Cairns, Gatton Street site.

There's no doubt, that a critical senior review between Queensland Health's Tropical Population Health and Cairns Regional Council, needs to take place, to better prepare themselves for the next wet season, less than two months away.

Although much of the prevention of breeding sites lands with home-owners, a better reaction and managed system needs to be introduced by local authorises, to this largely preventable infestation.

In March, as we hit 582 Dengue cases in Cairns, I advocated for a hard waste collection, as many Councils do around Australia. This one of the key breeding grounds for the deadly mosquito larvae, however Cairns Council baulked at the expected cost.

The total number of locally-acquired dengue cases since November 2008 was 1,025.

Townsville dengue outbreak over

This morning Queensland Health declared that the Townsville dengue fever outbreak is
over.

"The outbreak, which began in the area on 4 January this year, saw 73 people
confirmed with the mosquito-borne disease, with 57 dengue type 1 cases and 16
dengue type 3 cases," says Tropical Population Health Services Public Health Physician Dr Steven Donohue.

"No new cases had been diagnosed since late February, but local residents should remain dengue aware due to active outbreaks still ongoing in Cairns and Innisfail."

“Our policy is to allow a three-month period to elapse after the last new dengue case
has been notified before making an ‘all-clear’ declaration,” said Dr Donohue.

“This is just in case low level dengue transmission might still be occurring. Now this
period has elapsed, we can officially call the outbreak over. However, with the people movement between Townsville and Cairns, there is a chance of another dengue outbreak starting in Townsville, so I urge all residents to stay dengue alert.”

The Townsville outbreak came during a record dengue epidemic in Cairns, with more
than 900 people infected by the type 3 outbreak, which has also seeded dengue
outbreaks in Yarrabah, Port Douglas, Injinoo and Mareeba.

The added complication with this outbreak was that there was also significant dengue activity in Cairns.

The current dengue type 3 epidemic in north Queensland is the largest dengue outbreak on record for at least 50 years. Townsville recorded 46 cases in a 13-week period two years ago.

Meanwhile, an alert CairnsBlog reader, driving past Cairns Regional Council's Marytn Street Works Depot, spotted two mosquitoes flying away, so they wouldn't catch Dengue.

13 months on

It took the CEO of Cairns Regional Council, 13 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days to install the new sign at the Spence Street Council office.

This 'operational' matter, was given no priority, whilst the old 'Cairns City Council' sign adorned the property for over a year following the amalgamation with Douglas Shire.

When I wrote to Noel Briggs last July, asking when his staff were going to update the signage, I had no response. This was interesting, because the CEO was quick-smart in ordering his workers to tear down the Douglas Shire Council's sign on the Mossman office the Thursday before last year's March election.

However, Noel has been the busiest Code of Conduct CEO in the history of Cairns. Over the last few weeks, Conduct enquiries have been firing at two or three a week.

On Wednesday 15th April, the day of Councillor Diane Forsyth's Conduct hearing, an altercation broke out in the foyer, outside the chamber.

"Don't worry Nikki," Cr Diane said to Nikki Johnston, the main complainant in the sham Conduct hearing. "I think you were set up."

Her husband, local artist Robin, with a reputation of aggression, jumped up and started to burst into an angry abuse at Forsyth, but was told to sit down by his protective wife. Good job. However, minutes later, and I mean minutes, she filed another Code of Conduct complaint against Councillor Forstyh, before the ink had even dried on the current one!

A Council staffer who wished to remain anonymous, said that Johnston was seen in the building typing up the complaint on a Councillor's computer. It won't take a rocket scientist to work out who that was.

Within the hour, CEO Noel Briggs emailed Councillor Forsyth and advised her of the Conduct compliant and that she had to 'attend a meeting in his office with Mrs Johnston'. Of course, Diane was going to do no such thing.

This drama was all over the now infamous Operation Red Hot Poker report, that was illegally tampered with by the CEO, before being presented to Councillors, and is the subject of an investigation by the Minister of Local Government. I think someones going to get a bloody good hiding.

As one Councillor said to me yesterday, "I pay as much attention to Noel Briggs as he pays to me, and that's nothing!"

So here's the new sign, thanks to Noel Briggs' very busy workload, full of Conduct complaints, policing illegal stickers of Councillor's Leu's vehicle, totally ignoring the Dengue plague and letting buckets of mosquito larvae breed in his Work depots, and even telling Councillor Lesina that she should shut down her Facebook account.

Man, has this guy got a lot on his plate.

932 Dengue cases in North Queensland

There have been 860 cases of Dengue in Cairns since December 1st.

The current suburbs affected, with known recent transmission are: Bayview Heights, Bungalow, Cairns North, Edge Hill, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Machans Beach, Manoora, Manunda, Parramatta Park, Redlynch, Westcourt, White Rock, Whitfield, Yorkeys Knob.

Additionally, there has been 3 in Port Douglas ; Yarrabah 1; Injinoo 1; Mareeba 1; Innisfail 19; Townsville 72.

Here are the totals for Dengue infections, by Cairns suburb, since the beginning of December:-

Aloomba 3
Bayview Heights 16
Brinsmead 1
Bungalow 47
Cairns North 164
Clifton Beach 10
Earlville 11
Edgehill 15
Edmonton 3
Freshwater 2
Gordonvale 5
Holloways Beach 14
Kanimbla 1
Kewarra Beach 21
Machans Beach 29
Manoora 64
Manunda 104
Mooroobool 27
Parramatta Park 65
Portsmith 13
Redlynch 12
Smithfield 5
Stratford 3
Westcourt 46
White Rock 12
Whitfield 92
Woree 2
Yorkeys Knob 41

50,000 Dengue breeding sites found

Yesterday's April Fool's prank by Fiona and the team at ABC Far North about erecting a giant mosquito at the entrance to Cairns as an icon for our town, was clever and caught many a listener out on her talkback. Yet could not have been more appropriate.

Since the Dengue mosquito virus was unleashed on Cairns at the beginning of December, 50,000 potential mosquito breeding sites have been revealed.

Queensland Health now refers to this outbreak as an "epidemic".

With 824 confirmed Dengue infections of the violent fever, in just four months, 14,000 properties in the region have been inspected.

Whitfield, Cairns North, Edge Hill and Manoora have been the most active suburbs, which is now recorded as Cairns' largest dengue outbreak on record.

Inspections have found the type of water-holding items:

• rimless tyres (32 % of rimless tyres found were breeding mosquitoes)
  • buckets (29 %)
  • tarps/plastic (13 %)
  • bird baths (11%)
  • pot plant bases (11%)
  • boats (7%)
  • bromeliads (3%)
  • palm fronds (3%).

Most prolific breeding sites in terms of number of larvae found have been tarps/plastic, buckets, bird baths, tyres and pot plant bases.

This is a shocking line up as I revealed that in early March that the destroyed Cairns Yacht Club remains at James Cook University, has had a series of tarps haphazardly draped over it since November. Pooling water has been gathered all over the vast building ruins, with no attention to the mosquitoes breeding on it. With thousands of students living and working alongside, it's a preposterous situation of neglect.

“The message is clear, you can significantly reduce the number of dengue mosquitoes in your house by keeping your yard clear of any containers capable of holding water,” said Queensland Health Senior Medical Entomologist Brian Montgomery.

“This risk can be further reduced by filling your pot plant bases with sand, and changing the water in your bird bath once a week."

Montgomery says that bromeliads and fallen palm fronds can breed dengue mosquitoes, but they are not as significant as the artificial containers in yards.

Holloways Beach and Trinity Beach have been taken off the ‘dengue hotspot’ list for the current epidemic. They no longer have recorded recent dengue transmission. However, there are 15 Cairns' suburbs still active.

“There is a definite slowdown in the rate of confirmed dengue cases, but now is not the time for Cairns residents to be complacent,” Montgomery says. “Local residents need to continue working with us to clear potential dengue mosquito breeding sites, and go to their doctor if they are sick with symptoms of dengue, while doctors need to continue to notify us of suspected cases.
The recent drier weather has helped reduce adult dengue mosquito populations, but dengue mosquito eggs can survive in a container for six months after the water has dried out. Eggs are cemented along the water-line within a container and only hatch when re-flooded.

"With some rainfall, there is a risk that the number of dengue cases will increase again if residents leave these containers in their yards, thinking the dengue epidemic is slowing,” Brian Montgomery of Queensland Health says.

The Cairns epidemic has been particularly fast. In 2003-04, it took 69 weeks to reach 536 cases, while it took just 14 weeks to get to the same figure this year.

881 cases of Dengue now recorded

There have now been a staggering 880 cases of Dengue recorded since the outbreak first started in early December.

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND = 809
Cairns: 790
Suburbs affected with known recent transmission:
Bayview Heights, Bungalow, Cairns North, Edge Hill, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Manoora, Manunda, Parramatta Park, Redlynch, Trinity Beach, Westcourt, White Rock, Whitfield, Yorkeys Knob.

Port Douglas (no known recent transmission): 3
Yarrabah (no known recent transmission): 1
Injinoo (no known recent transmission): 1
Mareeba: 1
Innisfail: 11

Townsville: 72

'No known recent transmission' means no known confirmed cases of dengue fever acquired in that location/suburb for more than one month. However, outbreaks are only considered over once three months have passed since the last case.

Dengue now 753

There are now 753 cases recorded of Dengue in Far North Queensland.

This includes 740 type 3 and two type 2 in Cairns since 1 December.

The suburbs affected of recent local transmission are:
Bayview Heights, Bungalow, Cairns North, Edge Hill, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Manoora, Manunda, Parramatta Park, Redlynch, Trinity Beach, Westcourt, White Rock, Whitfield, Yorkeys Knob.

There have been no recent local transmission in Port Douglas, however three type 3 have been recorded. Yarrabah, 1; Injinoo 1; Mareeba 1; Innisfail 5.

In Townsville there have been 72 cases since 5 January. Suburbs affected with recent local transmission: Belgian Gardens, Kirwan, North Ward/City, South Townsville.

Dengue cases rise

The reported Dengue cases today stands at 719, which includes Cairns, Mareeba, Port Douglas, Yarrabah, and Innisfail.

There have been no more cases diagnosed in Townsville, where the total remains at 72.

Meanwhile, it is expected that a formal complainant will be made to Cairns Council early next week, with a request to investigate the initial response to the Dengue outbreak late last year.

"My formal notification for Council staff to attend to a prolific mosquito breeding site in Gatton Street [North Cairns] fell on deaf ears in the first week of December," local resident Marty told CairnsBlog. "I'm incensed at Council's slow response, especially in light of the first ever death recorded in the same vicinity."

North Cairns has recorded over 130 Dengue cases, more than anywhere in the region.

Complaints lodged in the first week of December received little attention from Council's Environmental Health Unit.

Dengue pips 700

703 cases of the mosquito-borne Dengue virus, have this afternoon been confirmed by Queensland Health.

Anna arrived in her private jet to talk Jetstar!

Now you have to giggle at this one.

I'd laugh even if the Borg did a silly thing like this.

Premier Bligh changed her entire agenda today to fly all the way to Cairns, to stand alongside the Jetstar chief, aiming to take credit for their proposed reinstated flights to Osaka.

The Opposition's Rob Messenger says they must be getting desperate.

"The eleven year-old Labor Government spent most of the election campaign announcing Federal programs, funded with Federal money, now Anna Bligh has stooped to announcing that Jetstar is extending its presence in Cairns," Messenger says.

"Is the Labor Government so out of ideas that they have to fly to Cairns to take credit for something that Jetstar plans to do sometime in the future?" Mr Messenger said.

Jetstar confirmed today that the service is only being talked about at this stage, yet Premier Bligh flew to Cairns to 'announce' that Jetstar is thinking about considering extending their service!

It's amazing, we're now at the pointy end of the election campaign and Labor are hanging out to prop up Demolition Desley's tourism portfolio that is almost in tatters after 5 months of awful Dengue publicity and no State support for a hard rubbish collection.

Redlynch added to Dengue toll

There are now 692 cases of Dengue infection recorded in the region.

Cairns now has 682 Type 3, and two Type 2 infections, with the first transmission recorded in Redlynch today. Innisfail has also recorded it's second victim.

Current suburbs affected around Cairns are:

• Bayview Heights, Bungalow, Cairns North, Edge Hill, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Manoora, Manunda, Parramatta Park, Trinity Beach, Westcourt, White Rock, Whitfield, Yorkeys Knob.

Port Douglas has 3 infections; Yarrabah 1; Injinoo: 1; Innisfail 1; Mareeba 1. 72 have contracted the disease in Townsville.

Manoora and Manunda, most active Dengue

At at today, there are 669 cases of confirmed Dengue transmission recorded since the beginning of the outbreak in Cairns, on December 1st.

One person was also confirmed to have died, as a result of infection.

I've attached the latest list, listed suburb by suburb. You will see the highest recorded area is Cairns North, where the Council failed to act promptly when first informed in early December.

These are totals for the whole outbreak dating back to 1 December 2008, and some of the suburbs are no longer considered as 'active'.

However, the suburbs currently affected (with known recent local transmission) are Bayview Heights, Bungalow, Cairns North, Edge Hill, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Manoora, Manunda, Parramatta Park, Trinity Beach, Westcourt, White Rock, Whitfield, and Yorkeys Knob.

Central Cairns suburbs of Manoora and Manunda, are particularly active at present.

Dengue disaster rolls on

If there is just one more reported Dengue infection tomorrow, Cairns will reach the magic number of 600.

Meanwhile, a few suburbs have been removed from the infected areas, and are no longer considered as having active transmissions of dengue fever:-
Aloomba, Clifton Beach, Earlville, Freshwater, Kewarra Beach and Port Douglas.

A number of residents are incensed at the way the Dengue virus has spread since early December. Councillor Robert Pyne has led the charge to get a hard waste collection undertaken by Council, which was not supported by the majority of Councillors last month. This was largely due to Council officials saying it would simply cost to much. However, it has already cost one life and 600 residents has been infected with the violent fever that comes with the infection.

On Saturday the Cairns Post exposed Council's Martyn Street Works Depot harbouring buckets of breeding mosquito larvae. All that Council's CEO could say after being sprung was that he thanked the resident who 'dobbed them in'. What an appalling response from the man who's meant to be running our Council's operations. The local resident who spotted the disgusting situation whilst walking his dog, said that six members of his family had been infected with Dengue.

Should re remind Council again, that it was and still is, the centre of where the Dengue outbreak was first recorded and where the most number of infections have been recorded. We now know from my report last month, and examples like the Martyn Street Council Depot, has without doubt, contributed to the worst ever Dengue infections in Cairns. This was entirely preventable and could have been properly managed.

Surely CEO Briggs, now resembling the infamous fumbling Edgar Briggs, should have directed all Council's yards and works depots to be cleaned and monitored for breeding sites. I mean, if you were the boss at the time of such an outbreak, what would you do? Would you get your own back yard in order, whilst instructing others to do the same?

We have see incompetence at the helm of this Dengue disaster from the very beginning. It was in North Cairns that this all started back in the first week of December. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we told you so Mr Briggs. In December a local resident's formal complaint and discussion with Council's most senior Health official, Gil Farrows, was ignored and not taken seriously. The discussion with the resident was subsequently denied, even though a customer complaint number was issued right under his nose.

Since I first wrote about this mess, three sources within Government departments around Cairns, have told CairnsBlog that they have little faith in Gill Farrows and the Health team that he heads.

Councillor Robert Pyne has also supported free tyre dumping, yet this was restricted to only infected suburbs, and for a very limited one-off deal, a ludicrous situation. Pyne is angry and very disappointed the way in which Queensland Health has managed this outbreak. Although he needs to look at his own Council staff, I agree there are many reasons why this was poorly managed. QLD Health have been far from open with their information. You cannot find out from Health what streets the infections have been recorded. I was told this is due to privacy concerns, however such a secretive way of operating has merely made this disease spread because locals are not getting the answers they should.

The maps on Health's Dengue website have changed versions four times now. They used to show the number of infections 'dotted' over street maps. This was then replaced with greyed out areas with no identifying street or suburb location.

Two weeks ago, when I sought the breakdown of numbers of infections suburb by suburb, I was told that I couldn't have it until the following week. "We need to get this information from the nurses," a Queensland Health spokesperson told me. I asked asked the following two days, and nothing was forthcoming. "We'll get this to you early next week.

Then, you can imagine my surprise when on the Saturday's Cairns Post, all the breakdown of numbers appears! 'Exclusive' - the story said. "Exclusively, we can bring you the breakdown of numbers across Cairns," the story read.

I asked why this information was not supplied to me,, when it was available. "Well, the Cairns Post asked for it weeks ago [before you]," I was told by Queensland Health. This is simply not good enough, and shows that the entire system has been riddled with a closed shop mentality. This information is public health information.

Type 2 is no longer considered to be active in Cairns, but will not be declared over until three months after the last onset of illness, namely 6 May. So with 599 cases recorded since 1 December, the suburbs affected are:

- Bayview Heights, Bungalow, Cairns North, Edge Hill, Edmonton, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Manoora, Manunda, Parramatta Park, Smithfield, Trinity Beach, Westcourt, White Rock, Whitfield, Yorkeys Knob.

Another 71 cases have been recorded in Townsville, since 5 January, in Belgian Gardens, Kirwan, North Ward/City, South Townsville

There is still only three in Port Douglas since 6 February. Yarrabah has 2; Injinoo 1; Innisfail 1; and one in Mareeba.

Dengue recorded in Mareeba

The fast-spreading mosquito-borne Dengue virus, has now made it's way to the Atherton Tableland's town of Mareeba, 100 kms west of Cairns.

A Type 3 Dengue infection was confirmed today by Queensland Health.

The southern suburb of White Rock has been added to the list of communities around Cairns that have recorded a Dengue infection.

Hard waste collection should happen

With the 582 Dengue fever cases recorded in Cairns, rising by 10 to 15 every day, and the first recorded death, Councillor Robert Pyne wants more action from Cairns Regional Council.

Last month he tried unsuccessfully to get a motion passed for a hard waste pick up, but Council officials debunked the proposal because of costs.

"I maintain this is something Council should do at the end of every dry season, Councillor Pyne says. "It addresses, in a positive way, cyclone preparedness, dengue fever and electric ants."

"At the time there is no indemnity on tip fees, other than the exception on dumping old car tires," Pyne said.

He is angered by Council's lack of support for such a clean up, with contradicted the advice from Queensland Health's Tropical Health Population team.

"I spoke to some of our team and yes, for dengue control they think a hard waste collection would be of more benefit that a green waste collection," Heather Robertson of Tropical Health Population said.

"It would have to be managed well because if hard waste was left to accumulate, waiting for pickup, it would become a increased dengue mozzie breeding risk."

In an email to all Councillors yesterday, Pyne urged Councillors against advising people that a hard waste collection would be of no benefit in addressing the dengue outbreak.

A recent meeting between Queensland Health and Cairns Regional Council's Environmental Health staff, a total indemnity on all waste dumping was discussed.

Dengue death in Cairns

The first recorded death from the mosquito-borne Dengue disease, has been recorded in Cairns.

An elderly Manoora woman, who had other health complications, was infected with the Dengue virus, died on Sunday. "There were a number of contributing factors but we can confirm it was Dengue-related," Queensland Health.

Queensland Health's Tropical Population Health unit, told CairnsBlog that this is the first death recorded in over five years, when a Torres Strait resident died after contracting the virus.

"Prior to that, it was many years, probably more than 70 years, where we recorded a Dengue-related death," a Queensland Health spokesperson said. They have formed a Dengue Incident Team to manage the crisis and working alongside Cairns Regional Council's Health Unit.

The 82-year-old woman, is one of 561 Cairns residents that have been diagnosed with Dengue fever since December 1st last year. This outbreak has shown to be the fastest transmission rate in recorded history. Previous outbreaks, although recording similar numbers, have occurred over a much longer period.

Last month I exposed Cairns Council's appallingly slow response in the early days of the outbreak. My report Dengue, our sleeping bushfire - Part 1 drew a degree of concern from Council CEO, Noel Briggs. With the support of Kier Shorey, I took the story on air to ABC's Far North. However, we are yet to learn if a change in systems have occurred. The arrangement with Queensland Health appears to be complicated and confused, with each agency referring some concerned residents to the other.

My story described a specific breeding site in Gatton Street, North Cairns, were the first recorded infections were taking place. I also discovered that a senior Council Officer was advised of this location on the day of discovery, yet there was no response for 13 days, when the complainant received a follow-up telephone from Council. It is now obvious that this site, contributed to the initial spread and outbreak. Around 120 cases of Dengue infection have been recorded in and around the streets of North Cairns, acknowledged as 'Ground Zero'.

At a media briefing this afternoon, Queensland Health public health physician Dr Jeffrey Hanna said the woman's death was tragic and a reminder that dengue fever can be fatal. "Dengue outbreaks have become more and more common here in the past two decades, particularly with the increase in international travel," Dr Hanna said.

This is the first time ever that all four strains, or types, of the Dengue virus has been recorded. Queensland Health estimates at least one in four have been hospitalised, with a number admitted to intensive care.

It has been revealed that Dengue-carrying mosquitoes had become immune to a pesticide used by health authorities to combat the spread of the disease.

Townsville has recorded 71 cases, 3 in Port Douglas, 1, in Innisfail, 2 in Yarrabah, and 1 in Injinoo on Cape York Peninsula.

Around the Blogs

I know I can't take all the credit for the plethora of Blogs in and around Cairns these days, but when I kicked off this baby nearly a couple of years ago, we had only The Cairns Post and John McKenzie for opinion and news!

Before that, long before that, we had the infamous Barfly. How I miss the weekly Barfly.

So maybe I started a bug, that has spread faster than a good dose of Dengue.

• KitchenSlut reports that CEC been suspended has this morning from quotation on the ASX, after failing to lodge it's half yearly result by last Friday's deadline. Naughty boys!
  CEC has released an explanation for this failure and expects to lodge the results by tomorrow. KitchenSlut says the accounts should make interesting reading, "Well for some of us anyway:)."
  He's also picked up on the Labor Government's hypocrisy following a Courier-Mail report of a big spend up of public funds on a shrine to its own party heritage!
  
  
• Northern Truth doesn't like using the LNP name, and prefers the ALP slant of calling the opposition the National Party. Lance says that leader "Smorgasbord aka Gomer Pyle was her [sic] last week and caused a big stir with the local Cairns media! Now in the second week interest and momentum have slowed to a snails pace. He notes that "the National Party has decided on a presidential style campaign." Truth is that they both have, but I agree that the local campaign on both sides is rather lack-lusture. "I guess we wait for the leader to return to inject interest back into the campaign," Royce says. "At this point it's just wait and see if any of the candidates can attract any media attention on there own."
  
  
• Henry's Fosnez Blog is on my fav list too. For an IT pro, he's not a bad observer of issues. He's picked up on the debate about the Stoney Creek youth 'Northen Outlook' centre, with some sound rationale why the propaganda and media coverage has hardly told the full story. I have to agree.
  
  
• I'm enjoying a regular serving of the The Cairns Roast. The Roast tells us that, for us "Kiwis out there, LNP is not a soft drink, well, it is, but not in this context. Nope, LNP is the bastard child of the liberals and the national party. Formed way back in 2008 under the direction of Lawrence Springborg....
  
  
• Mark Alexander has finished up as editor of the Cairns Post, as Not The Cairns Post notes. "How should we, the Cairns community, regard his mercifully short tenure? Pretty poor"
  There's also an exclusive interview with Matthew Fenn, one of the naked bike riders, that caught national attention on a slow news day. The put the Cairns Post in context and tell the real story.
  
  
• Dennis Quick's CairnsWatch blog, is still offline, while he drives the LNP campaign for the region.
  
  
• Syd Walker talks about the filtering, or censorship. "In recent debate over the Australian Government’s schemes to censor the Internet," Walker says, "‘censor’ is increasingly the word of choice for those – such as myself – who oppose these plans."
  
  
• Former Council candidate and JCU President Janine Aitken, who's been spotted leafleting for Wettenhall, talks Pauline Hanson and The Borg.
  
  
• Barry Neall on his Residents Against Crime blog, keeps us up to date with our big nasty world - and that's just down Mulgrave Road!

Anna and Desley's Memorial taking shape

Who thought ALP's election campaign would extend to this.

However, there a flurry of activity in a paddock at James Cook University, 25 minutes north of Cairns and no where near any place for a boat.

The so-called 'heritage precinct' that the Labor government presented to the Cairns community at the 11th hour, was their rescue plan, an olive branch. However it was an appalling attempt to preserve and protect this, the last significant socially and historically important piece of Cairns heritage.

"The people spoke loudly to preserve the building on it's site," says Rob Williams of the Save the Yacht Club campaign. "Over nearly six years, we told the government about it's importance to our community, but they, including the local member Desley Boyle, ignored us. They never listened to us."

Three petitions were mounted, the last included 11,000 signatures that Wendy Richardson co-ordinated under the banner of People Against the Demolition of the Cairns Yacht Club.

"A huge majority of the public clearly wanted the historic building to remain at it's Wharf Street home, Richardson says. "This is such a strong example of community neglect for a Government so out of touch."

Richardson is running for the Barron River seat against ALP incumbent Steve Wettenhall.

Eight months before being elected to office, the new Barron River Labor MP Steve Wettenhall vowed to save the building. In a conversation with Cairns Jazz Club's secretary Ian Horn and Rob Williams, who had played at the Yacht Club for many years, asked the aspiring politician what he could do to help preserve the building about four years ago.

"If I was in Parliament, I would have preseved this building, where it is now," he said at the time.

After he won the seat, Williams and the Jazz Club wrote to Wettenhall for support. "Now that you're elected, we want your help to save this building," they wrote.

However, Wettenhall, and his Labor colleagues never did come to the rescue. They called the campaigners 'irrational' and failed to listen to the community that supported their election.

Bryan Law, who lead a series of civil disobedience actions at the site last October, that culminated in Councillor Dianne Forsyth climbing onto the building's roof in protest, says this was something the Government could have easily done.

"Why they simply didn't listen and did what the people asked, when it was a really simply and gracious thing to do, is amazing," Law says. "We said last year we will take this issue forward to the State election to hold these Labor politicians to account, and we will."

The remains of the Yacht Club building that was transported in pieces to JCU, has been left exposed to four months of torrential wet season downpours and harsh sun.

A citizen's inspection carried out on the weekend, shows irreparable damage to the historic Black Bean sprung dance floor. Black plastic and tarps are haphazardly across the remains, with pooling water, breeding mosquito, in the midst of Cairns' worst ever Dengue outbreak.

Exposed floorboards have buckled the tongue and groove flooring beyond repair. Only the base and roof trusses, along with scant remain of the walls were transported to the site. Everything else was either dumped or is now being sold off at Anton Demolitions Machans Beach yard.

It was noted that there was no numbering system of timber during the reconstruction process. "Timber is all over the place," Rob Williams said. "There's no way this has been undertaken with any respect or care for the building's history."

"The removal and destruction of the old Aquatic Dance Palais and Cairns Sailing Club painted signs that adorned the weatherboards is disgusting, says Wendy Richardson. "These were only uncovered in the last days of the battle to save the building, yet they were not salvaged or preserved at all."

It is understood that one of these signs are available for sale from Anton's for up to $3,000. The other one was deliberately destroyed during the demolition process.

In an interview on ABC Far North radio this morning, Stratford resident Kerri Riella spoke of the strong feeling in the community as she collected signatures of support last year. "Everyone was upset and angry, black, white and brindle. Their voices were not being listened to," she said. "Labour will feel the effects of this at the pooling booth, especially in Cairns and Barron River. Of that I'm sure."

Following the building's removal in October, no archaeological dig occurred on the 110 year old site, that heritage expert Dr Janice Wegner called for.

I guess we should have realised something was array, when the Labor Government, along with the Cairns Port Authority, hired a demolition firm for the job, with no experience of heritage preservation.

Befitting of the ruined and scarred memorial, the foundations of the old remains now adorn with a permanent reminder of Labor's contribution to saving and preserving our heritage.

The Cairns community will never forget.

Dengue in Innisfail

This morning Queensland Health have confirmed that the mosquito-borne disease has been discovered in Innisfail.

One case of locally-acquired dengue fever type 4 has been confirmed in the town South of Cairns.

First mozzie breeding fine issued

As Cairns Regional Council issued the first $400 fine today to a Gordonvale resident for allowing mosquitoes to breed in discarded tyres, the tally of Dengue infected residents pipped 564.

489 people have been notified with the disease in Cairns, 70 in Townsville; 2 in Port Douglas, 2 in Yarrabah, and 1 in the Cape York community of Injinoo.

“This fine is really a final alternative for Council to clamp down on residents who are not heeding all the public warnings,” Cairns Mayor Val Schier said in light of the first fine issued.

Cr Paul Gregory, whose Division encompasses Gordonvale that has so far escaped any local infections where the $400 fine was issued, urges residents to make use of the free of charge disposal of rimless old tyres. "This is being offered at the Babinda, Gordonvale, Portsmith, Smithfield, Killaloe, Newell, Daintree and Cow Bay transfer stations," he says.

“Disused tyres are a real concern in the fight against dengue because they hold water and are the perfect breeding site,” Cr Gregory said. Free disposal is available until 8 March.

Council's on-the-spot fines are on top of Health Orders, which can be issued at properties where the ‘potential’ for breeding exists. These attract a $400 fine as well.