What do you see?

This dance and music video, is not what it seems.

It actually a marketing video for Rafael, an Israeli Armament Development Authority, a leading developer of arms.

They used this video for a trade show in India.

Hat Tip: KiwiBlog

A new Cairns festiVAL

Following the abandonment of the annual Cairns Festival - or the European version 'Festival Cairns' - by local Toyota car sales businessman John O'Brien due to his financial woes, the new Mayor is keen for some big changes.

Val Schier has been a vocal critic of the former festival, however failed in a vote last year to open up Council's tender process to other parties to take over manage and the annual event. Many criticised the lack of organised local events. The events calender was largely a collection of things going on already from the SportFest, films at the Botanic Gardens, or plays at the theatre. It was a lack-lustre, tired and needed and wake up, no matter what which you looked at it.

You had to question the event management experience of the previous organisers - they may have been well-meaning, but the final product was a big yawn. There's no doubt we could have done it ten times better, and it's not all about money.

However, Val Schier's plan to reform the festival as a signature local event on our calender is getting another step closer to realisation. Under her direction, an advisory group has been formed to create an 'innovative vibrant vision for festivals and celebrations.'

"This group will give advice and feedback to Council on the development of festivals throughout the region,” Mayor Schier says. “The committee will look at how festivals are funded by Council and seek to develop new and alternative events across the region.”

Schier will chair the committee that includes Olive Tau Davis, Sarah Collins, Tony Hillier, Chris Pascoe, Ursula Lyons, Fred Lizzio, Jillian Causer, Ken Dobbs and David Hudson. All come with experience in festival organising and planning. Councillors Alan Blake, Linda Cooper, Diane Forsyth and Julia Leu, are also on the committee, that will meet monthly.

"The former festival has not reflected the talent and diversity in this region," says Tony Hillier. "It's time for a change and I'm delighted to contribute."

Hillier, who was the former editor of Cairns' street press Barfly and columnist for London Evening Standard among others, is also an accomplished local musician with well-known local bands Snake Gully and Kamerunga.

The committee's formation comes as Council adopt a new Cultural Plan. Themed ‘Strengthening our Cultural Vitality’, it sets a direction for future cultural development in the community and identifies the assets of the newly amalgamated region, according to Val Schier.

“After amalgamation, the Arts and Cultural Plans from the previous regional bodies needed merging and revision,” the Mayor said today.

“The input from public engagement on specific areas has given Council a clear idea of the community’s values and aspirations and the issues currently surrounding cultural life in the broader community,” the Mayor said.

“We want to create and promote cultural tourism, redevelop the School of Arts Building, produce a city heart strategy and identify an agreed use for the Sugar Wharf in line with the Port Douglas Waterfront Plan.”

Roadmap for a sustainable Far North

CAFNEC (Cairns and Far North Environment Centre) has released its prescription for sustainable development in Far North Queensland.

"During this election CAFNEC urges voters and politicians alike to embrace the protection and better management of the Far North environment," Campaign Director, Steve Ryan says.

He says that good environmental management underpins economic prosperity and our way of life. "Urgent action on a range of areas is required to safeguard a sustainable future," says Ryan.

CAFNEC's roadmap has been collated from views and advice of a wide variety of community groups and individuals. Inappropriate development and its effects on our remaining habitat and wildlife remain a paramount concern, CAFNEC says, and also for many communities across the region.

"The disaster of False Cape and the current development frenzy in the Innisfail area threaten the coastal habitats of the endangered Cassowary, as well as our regional character and lifestyle," Steve Ryan says.

"For far too long successive State Governments have overseen a decline in our natural landscapes of the Far North. Long term Cairns residents can remember when Cassowaries could be seen on suburban rainforest trails. Now these great birds are gone from Cairns and we see Wallabies trapped by run-away development in the Northern and Southern suburbs of Cairns."

"Across the region we see Cassowaries dying on our roads and pushed out by ongoing development of their habitat. Until State Governments place habitat protection at the centre of sustainable development we will continue to lose precious wildlife that symbolise our region in the eyes of our communities and the world," says Ryan.

CAFNEC predicts that the Wet Tropics and the Great Barrier Reef will suffer significant damage from climate change impacts, despite any measures able to be taken today.

"In order to secure a future for these two world-class pillars of our regional environment and economy we must ensure these systems remain healthy and can continue to sustain the region," Steve Ryan said.

Here's CAFNEC's policy document, and the key policy recommendations...

Climate change

• Commit to the inclusion of regional greenhouse gas reduction strategies and targets within an appropriate statutory instrument, such as amending the newly released FNQ Regional Plan 2009-2031 accordingly

Preserving ecological function and improving landscape scale resilience

• Provide dedicated statutory protection of wildlife corridors identified in the FNQ Regional Plan 2009-2031, triggered by development assessment and environmental planning processes.


• Implement appropriate conservation management arrangements for private land holders including conservation covenants, cooperative management and other agreements, land for wildlife, Nature Refuges.


• Local governments be proactively supported in providing rates-based incentives for voluntary conservation measures on freehold land


• A commitment to actively promote and fully resource voluntary conservation measures for all privately held tenures in the Wet Tropics, Gulf and Cape York.

Coastal protection

• Protecting local icons:
  Buy back and rehabilitate Ella Bay


• Support strong local government plans for coastal communities with high projected growth rates or where threatened species impacts are escalating - e.g. Daintree, Innisfail.


• Reform the Integrated Planning Act 1997:
  Cancel or sunset (after a fixed period not exceeding two years) all pre-IPA approvals, re-assess under current standards of environmental and coastal protection if there is a wish to proceed with the development.


• All new and uncommenced development proposals must be subject to the same current standards of regulatory controls and environmental protection, regardless of tenure, zoning or unused historic approvals.

Water

• No commitment to new dams in the FNQ Water Supply Strategy. In particular the proposed Nullinga Dam on the Walsh River.


• No dam on the Gilbert River, or other Gulf rivers.

Rally for Rail

There will be a public meeting to promote the development of a rail infrastructure for Cairns, next week.

CAST will be asking local candidates in the state election about their position on building on existing rail infrastructure to combat greenhouse gas emissions and make our region healthier and more livable.

"Cairns residents have been asking for improvements in public transport for a long time and the need has been identified in numerous planning reports," CAST spokesperson Svargo Freitag says.

"In October last year CAST met with the Queensland Transport Minister and he still fails to recognise the importance of rail in reducing our oil dependence and in reducing emissions."

"We have an existing rail-line from Gordonvale to Redlynch which should be duplicated and used for urban transport, rather then build a Ten-Lane-Freeway" says Freitag. "A fully-integrated bus and rail transit system will revitalise our city. Once we power the system with renewable energy, we can attain zero-emission public transport."

Organised by Cairns Action for Sustainable Transport, the interactive forum will be moderated by ABC's Kier Shorey. Cairns Mayor Val Schier and State election candidates will also be participating.

WHEN: Wednesday March 18th, 6.45pm.
WHERE: Rydges Tradewinds, Trinity Function Room, 137 The Esplanade.
RSVP: Email Jonathon, or call 4093 7755 or 0418 773 287
ONLINE: CAST or Facebook (search groups for "Rail for Cairns").

You can print the event flyer here.

Greens says major party want payback

Greens’ candidate for Barron River, Sarah Isaacs, says that residents had a great deal to be thankful for.

“It would be ungracious not to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and achievements of members who have represented the seat in the past” she said.

“However, it’s difficult for major party candidates, in a seat like Barron River, to keep faith with the electorate and their electoral promises - while also toeing a Brisbane party line. Local community needs and concerns often take a back seat after the election” Sarah said.

Sarah Isaacs says that The Greens are not beholden to powerful vested interests.

"With The Greeens, there is no payback post election at the expense of the local community - unlike the major parties who often feel obligated to support major stakeholders who supported them with electoral funding."

“The community has a lot to lose if it’s business as usual after the election. Our wonderful lifestyle in this electorate needs to be protected from unsuitable development - yet we also have a lot of work to do!

“For example, the Barron River electorate - along with the region as a whole - urgently needs a safe, viable, affordable and integrated public transport system.

Issacs says that the tourism industry is the backbone of our local economy, and needs a strong advocate in the state capital.

“Locals need to know that there is a real person representing their interests and concerns in Brisbane, someone who’ll consult regularly on policies and not just follow a State party machine.

Check out their campaign website.

Civil disobedience congratulated

Diane Forsyth's actions have not gone un-noticed.

Her protest actions of civil disobedience was based on her conscience, while a Councillor on the Cairns Regional Council.

"Often when people get into public office they start to limit their behaviour and decision-making to conform to general public expectations rather than follow their convictions and conscience," said Geoff Holland on the Cairns Coev network this week, an online forum about environmental, community and sustainable development issues.

"We all need to compromise and horse-trade to some degree. But public leaders also need to LEAD and this sometimes requires personal social risk," Geoff said.

"Di had the courage and sense of leadership to take that risk. What we need right now is a range of community leaders to come out in public support of Di's actions - not necessarily agreeing with her views, but supporting her right to civil disobediance in accordance with her conscience and moral convictions."

He says that the media may try to pigeon-hole Di as a marginal extreme public figure, who is not really fit for public office, when the opposite is true.

"If it can be widely recognised that Di's actions were heroic, particularly because she held public office, then we might see a small shift in the cultural-political consciousness of the Cairns community. Civil disobedience is appropriate for anyone on occasion. We each should stand up for what we believe in. Then we would have real participatory democracy."

"Thankyou Di Forsyth!" Geoff says.

Real change needed in Legislative Assembly

CairnsBlog columnist, Syd Walker, shares his observations on Premier Bligh's snap election.


The Queensland State election has been called. Election day is March 21st.

This is not a comprehensive round-up… just a few personal thoughts.

I’ll start at the ‘top’. I rather like the current Premier, Anna Bligh. I’ve met her only once, for a very brief one-to-one discussion at one of the former Premier’s moving cabinet meetings. I was impressed. She struck me as a politician capable of actually listening, even to an unpopular message. She didn’t just give a rote response. She gave a thoughtful response. That’s worth a lot in my book.

I’ve never met Opposition Leader, Lawrence Springborg of the Liberal National Party, but he’s been around a while. Actually, it’s his third Queensland election contest as Opposition leader.

I have heard Springborg on the radio and watched him on TV many times. He does not impress me. If he’s more than a reactionary opportunist, he does a good job covering it up. But I’ll keep an open mind and hope he can contribute to raising the level of debate in this State. Surely it’s his last chance to do that as Opposition leader?

Those are the two main party leaders. What of the political parties in general?

I shall likely vote for The Greens and give a preference vote to progressive independents (if any). Beyond that, with an optional preferential voting system which allows voters to number as many boxes as they wish (from 1 to n), I’ll keep my own council for now. Let’s see how the debate pans out and wait for the policy rollout.

The Labor Party, while less reactionary than its LNP opponents, is a rather gruesome machine. A lot of Labor’s MPs are rank opportunists and few seem to have much vision. Typically, they’re ‘business as usual’ managers, with grey suits and green, pink, blue and brown ties, depending on the occasion. This has not been a party of bold and imaginative new initiatives towards sustainable development.

But would the Liberal-Nationals be any better? I haven’t seen any evidence of that so far. Would they be worse? I have my fears.

It’s best to keep an open mind early in the election campaign, allowing plenty of blue screen for pleasant surprises. But if Mr Spingborg and his crew have serious proposals that might appeal to voters with my interests, they’d better share them and fast.

Incidentally, outflanking Labor on environmental policy and other issues of concern to progressives is not an impossible task for a right-wing coalition in Australia. Under Malcolm Turnbull’s able leadership, the Federal Opposition is coming close to doing precisely that.
Queensland needs a credible State Opposition. Above all, the State needs some radically new policies. In Far North Queensland, an isolated geographical enclave some 2,000 kilometers from the State capital, we need a visionary regional approach to develop a resilient, sustainable economy and way of life.

The previous Beattie-Labor Government set up a new planning process for FNQ, which produced its final report a fortnight ago. The plan is a statutory document and represents a major change in the regional planning regime.

When the new regional plan came out, it was barely noticed by most of the community. That’s probably just what the government hoped. No noise means no political damage. Most of the squeakiest wheels had been assuaged in the plan. It was a fix that normalized business as usual, c. early 2009.

The problem is, we need a lot more than that now. We don’t just have a State in ecological crisis; we have economic recession as well. The former could be – and was – repeatedly brushed under the carpet; the public won’t stand for that on the economy.

A State Government with real vision would provide coherent, integrated solutions to both major crises. We’d have a major roll-out of new, low-emissions technology and infrastructure. We’d be taking the first real steps towards a sustainable way of life.

I may be wrong, but I suspect Anna Bligh would not be averse to such policies. Unfortunately, most of her rank and file MPs seem to be a mundane and rather visionless lot. Without energetic, progressive politicians supporting innovative policies at a local and regional level, they don’t get on the Government’s agenda.

Labor is broadly competent to manage business as usual. But in 2009 - more so than before - doing better is an urgent priority.

To do better, we need real change in the Legislative Assembly. From my perspective, the best conceivable outcome at this election would be Greens and progressive independents holding the balance of power. A minority Labor Government forced to negotiate with more enlightened politicians would not be plain sailing. But it would be a sea-change.

It would revitalize politics in Queensland – and might also bring out the best in Anna Bligh. She’s needs more talent in her team.

Queensland’s economic summer wasn’t so difficult to manage. Winter will be more challenging.

PS: I just got a ping-back from Qldelection09.com, which is maintaining a daily list of blog postings on the Queensland election. A great service!

Cairns Councillor in Court this Friday

There will be a rally at the Cairns Courthouse at 9am this Friday, to show public support for Councillor Di Forsyth and her actions to preserve the historic Cairns Yacht Club building.

She will appear in the Magistrate’s Court to answer a charge of trespass, arising out of an act of civil disobedience while advocating for the preservation of the Cairns Yacht Club.

On Monday 13th October last year, Councillor Forsyth took part in a non-violent protest action, as a last ditch stand to focus public attention on a worthy desire by over 10,000 Cairns residents.

With a safety team, safety harness and rope, hardhat, boots and overalls, at around 7.00 am Councillor Forsyth climbed a ladder and sat on a platform on the roof of the building to temporarily prevent its demolition. She carried a sign saying that she represented 11,000 Queensland Citizens (9,000 Cairns residents), and wore a shirt saying “People Before Profit”.

Di Forsyth demonstrated the courage of her convictions when she climbed up on that roof. It was difficult, and contained elements of danger. By making responsible safety arrangements, Di minimised the danger to herself, and through her cooperation with Queensland Police she eliminated it altogether for others. It was a responsible action of personal protest.

But it was also an action whereby Councillor Forsyth met her public duty to her constituents, and to the residents of Cairns, to make a powerful representation to the government of Queensland and its voting public.

Cairns Regional Council had resolved twice in 2008 to seek the building’s preservation, and to engage in consultative processes with the Queensland government and/or its authorities. Cairns Regional Council made these resolutions at the request of thousands of residents and ratepayers. Cairns Regional Council recognised a petition of 11,000 signatures which had been lodged in the Queensland Parliament.

In reply the Queensland government failed to respond appropriately. Legally the Queensland government has the power to build and develop whatever it wants in Cairns without the permission of the Cairns Regional Council. Its developments don’t have to abide by or accord with local government planning. There is regular community debate around these issues, with local residents seeking a more persuasive voice about local developments.

POLITICAL PURPOSE

Cairns Regional Council is perhaps the most readily available tool of government for Cairns residents. But it is not the only one. When the Queensland government failed to publicly engage the Cairns Regional Council, Cairns citizens were forced to directly address the Queensland government, communicating politically with the Premier and Cabinet, and also with citizens and voters around the state.

Non-violent Civil Disobedience by an elected Councillor in relation to a development issue was always going to be state-wide news. “I’m representing 11,000 people” and “people before profit” are key elements of democratic and sustainable development. People are entitled to see them applied by government, and people are entitled to contest any government that fails to apply them.

Councillor Forsyth was approached by many Cairns citizens and asked to take protest action. At first she attended public meetings and rallies, and used her position as a councillor in strictly conventional ways. When this approach was disrespected Di Forsyth took the minimum action required of civil disobedience, and took it in a way which was fully accountable.

By standing up for her constituents, at her constituents’ request, Councillor Di Forsyth honourably discharged her public duties, and she won substantial public support her doing so.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

However the nature of civil disobedience involves the breaking of a law. It is a rule of civil disobedience that an activist who breaks the law stands accountable to the Courts, and gladly accepts and pays any penalty a court may impose.

So Councillor Forsyth will face the Cairns Magistrate to a charge of trespass at 4 Wharf St Cairns on 13 October 2008, and will be dealt with for it. The hearing will be next Friday 27 February 2009 at Cairns Courthouse. This is the fair and due process of punishment that Councillor Di Forsyth faces in our criminal justice system. Our system of government depends on the rule of law.

Under our law, Councillor Forsyth cannot be disqualified or suspended as a member of the Cairns Regional Council for a minor, summary offence such as trespass. Just as Senator Bob Brown and Senator Christine Milne remain Senators irrespective of their convictions for civil disobedience.

Indeed the legal system adopted in Australia recognises civil disobedience as a special category of offence.

The following quote is from British Law Lord, Lord Hoffman, in a 2006 ruling by the House of Lords in relation to civil disobedience cases then undergoing trial. (Lord Hoffman, at para 89 in Jones, R. v [2006] UKHL 16 (29 March 2006)

Cite as: [2006] 2 Cr App R 9, [2007] 1 AC 136, [2006] UKHL 16, [2006] 2 All ER 741):

• “ My Lords, civil disobedience on conscientious grounds has a long and honourable history in this country. People who break the law to affirm their belief in the injustice of a law or government action are sometimes vindicated by history. The suffragettes are an example which comes immediately to mind.
  
  It is the mark of a civilised community that it can accommodate protests and demonstrations of this kind. But there are conventions which are generally accepted by the law-breakers on one side and the law-enforcers on the other. The protesters behave with a sense of proportion and do not cause excessive damage or inconvenience. And they vouch the sincerity of their beliefs by accepting the penalties imposed by the law.
  
  The police and prosecutors, on the other hand, behave with restraint and the magistrates impose sentences which take the conscientious motives of the protesters into account. The conditional discharges ordered by the magistrates in the cases which came before them exemplifies their sensitivity to these conventions."

The conventions alluded to by Lord Hoffman were accepted and applied in Cairns by all the activists, police, prosecutors and magistrates connected with civil disobedience cases around the Cairns yacht Club. Councillor Forsyth is the last case to be dealt with. Every other activist received either a good behaviour bond with no conviction recorded, or a small fine subsequently converted to community service.

SUPPORT COUNCILLOR DI FORSYTH

If you’re one of the many citizens in Cairns who sought the preservation of the Cairns Yacht Club, and who supported and were encouraged by Di Forsyth’s forthright action, there are three things you can do now to support her:

• 1 / Attend a rally at the Cairns Courthouse at 9.00 am this Friday 27 February to show public support
  
• 2/ Write a letter of support addressed “To Whom It May Concern” setting out your approval of Councillor Forsyth’s character and civil disobedience action, for submission to the Magistrate on 27 February.
  
  Send it immediately to Councillor Di Forsyth, 114 Woodward St, Edge Hill, Cairns, Queensland 4870. You can also email it.

Premature ejaculation

The marriage of Bligh and her questioning Queensland public, have hardly been consummated, yet there's talk everywhere this weekend that she will come, I mean go. early.

As those getting ready for the onslaught of a Labor massacre from Coolangatta to Cairns, and Kurumba to Kuranda, the speculation has increased that Premier Anna Bligh is likely to call an early state election. According to the trusty source of right-wing propaganda NewsLTD, it would also leave "a September window for Kevin Rudd to go to the polls nationally."

Just this afternoon, Bligh announced Queensland's Speaker Mike Reynolds' retirement, paving the way for a likely election of Saturday March 28th - just six weeks away. The Courier Mail reports that Bligh might delay calling it until March 1 or 2, to "give her another sitting week in Parliament," meaning the minimum 26-day campaign.

The Courier-Mail poll of over 2,000, strongly weights against Labor.

There's been questions about the lack of visibility of local LNP candidates. However Joel Harrop, running for the seat of Cairns against the grandma of local politics Desley Boyle, has been door-knocked hundreds of houses since early January.

"People are pleased to see someone, ask questions and find out about their local MP. So many tell me they've never heard from the current MP," Joel Harrop says.

A local LNP (Liberal National Party) party insider, says it's an issue of getting noticed by the 'Big Mac Media'.

"Wendy Richardson, running for Barron River against Labor's Steve Wettenhall, has taken a well-researched look at the question of the Arnold Street lights at Aeroglen," the insider told CairnsBlog.

"She spoke to the residents and business owners, went down at peak hour with her camera, searched Government papers, looked at what Wettenhall and Pitt had said on the issue, and then went into bat for the speeding up of the already recommended installation of traffic lights as the safest solution to a dangerous situation," the LNP source said. "Wendy sent the call to the Cairns Post who promptly advised Wettenhall and Pitt in the interest of 'journalistic fairness'.

It was obvious that the Cairns Post did nothing with the information for several days, but then reported the announcement that Wettenhall and Pitt had got the 'green light' for the traffic lights.

Last Tuesday in Parliament, Steve Wettenhall spoke about the Cattana Wetlands at Smithfield. He implied that LNP was supporting placing residential developments on this unique wetland site, that will be connected to the proposed Smithfield Beaches Town Centre. I don't know where he gets these ideas from, but I know he's aware his 5.1% margin isn't much to hold onto.

Following the big wet we've all endured over the last month, Wendy Richardson, who has her own farm and an eco-tourism venture on the Tablelands, has been out to inspect creeks and washouts, many alongside poorly managed and policed developments. I've highlighted these on CairnsBlog over the last two years, that have sustained appalling damage under Labor's mis-management of the environment. Look no further than the major report last year stating that Queensland's environment is in decline under the last 10 years of Labor at the helm.

Richardson also visited the Clifton Beach high-density development, thirsty for first-hand information.

"All of us want a roof over our heads; our own space, to do that we do need to build accommodation for a growing population," the LNP source said. "So the issue is the need for a balance, lifestyle verses environment."

With a $59 billion debt in Queensland, how can you vote that lot back in?

Money for something

It's the bi-annual community grant application time again.

This is for grants up to $8,000 for sport and recreation, community development and arts. They are aimed at non-profit groups or individuals, for the betterment of the community (a one-way air ticket for Kevin Byrne to Russia?).

There's a info session (how to fool the evaluation panel on the application) on Wednesday 18th February at 6pm. This will be at Cairns Regional Council's Spence Street office.

Justine can help out with questions about community and arts on 4044 3351 or Casey for sport and recreation on 4044 3062.

Grab the Community Development application form and get it in by Friday March 27th. There is a second round, applications due end of August.

Heat em up, build em up

Move 'em out, head 'em up, get 'em up. So goes the 1958 song Rawhide, originally sung by Frankie Laine, but contemporary made popular by the mad Blues Brothers.

This song talks about a rancher on a cattle drive, but it could be re-written to show how we are building everything up without connecting the dots.

Cairns Regional Councillor Robert Pyne is always one to engage his public and spark debate, what every elected representative should be doing about issues. Robert wants our city fathers (and mothers) to wake up and smell the roses, while we still have them.

• Greetings!
  
  Perhaps the most amusing cartoon in Australian history involved two builders’ labourers.
  
  It shows one worker hanging from a beam many storeys above street level. One of his co-workers is hanging from his trousers, which are down around his ankles.
  
  As he struggles to keep his grip he looks down at his mate and says “stop laughing, this is serious”. This is a typically Australian approach to adversity, and is something that comes to mind as I consider our response to climate change.
  
  I know some members of our community of your refuse to accept the science of global warming, but that is no longer an acceptable position.
  
  Last weekend Melbourne recorded 47 degrees - its highest recorded temperature … ever! This was accompanied by bush fires of frightening intensity and tragically a number of people lost their lives.
  
  At the same point in history we can witness the melting of glaciers and polar ice. As a result of this ice melting, sea levels will continue to rise. Locally we will face more cyclones and flooding.
  
  It concerns me that many in government and in business are not prepared to make hard long term decisions based on science that is freely available. This may involve stepping outside past procedures and exposure to potential legal liability. However, if we continue to approve development in areas that will be adversely affected by climate change, we will be exposing future generations to costs that are unimaginable.
  
  So I challenge our leaders to show long term vision in their response to this matter. And to those who continue to ridicule the prospect of climate change, I extend the friendly challenge to “please stop laughing, this is serious!”
  
  Warm Regards,
  Rob Pyne

~ you can email Rob or visit his website.

NB: Rob originally sent this to the Cairns Post for publication, but they threw it in the rubbish bin.

What's on?

Entertainment Cairns is a relatively new website for all things entertainment in Cairns.

You can add events and print out the upcoming week's gigs. Very nice.

The site grew out of the community uprising prior to last year's Council election, where former Mayor Kevin Byrne infamously said if we want "entertainment in the city, go down to the Esplanade!" Maybe that's why he's now the former mayor. Of course PALM (People Advocating Live Music) were talking about the dramatic decline and former Council's lack of support for live music and entertainment venues, as more and more inner-city apartment towers were approved.

The Entertainment Cairns website was put together by people from the music and arts community. "The combined backgrounds of the four founders of Entertainment Cairns include musicians; artist management; event management; web design; studio recording; media and promotions; entertainment industry advocacy; and community arts development," they say.

Like PALM, they are committed to revitalizing live music and performance in Cairns, with the support and blessing of Arts Nexus.

You can also view the CairnsBlog calender of community events, in the right-hand sidebar. Email me with anything you'd like added. All community sites are listed permanently under "Links" on the right-hand side.

I'm back

Mum told me never to start a letter with an apology.

With that in mind, I won't say sorry for not being very active on CairnsBlog over the last couple of weeks. I note that Byrne's right-hand soldier Dennis Quick's Cairns Watch has been offline for some time now. "Just wait a day or so. I’ve been taking a sabbatical," Dennis told me a week ago.
I've been distracted with other priorities - like some urgent wet season preparation around my properties. Building awning and attending to a raft of other wet season band aids, that should have been completed prior to 2008 - however I was distracted somewhat back then, with some professional mud-slinging for the Council election. We got Val in. Remember her?

Like almost every other resident, there's been a lot of water under our bridge of late. The weather has been causing havoc. Flooding like we've not seen for many years all over Queensland. Bush fires beyond belief in Victoria and New South Wales.

Local self-appointed environmental policeman, Terry Spackman, has been busy filming various dodgy developments around the region. I'll get these up on the CairnsBlog Tube channel to share shortly. There's still lot's to be kept an eye on after Council took over the environmental protection responsibilities from the EPA. So far, we're not impressed.

The newly formed LNP is slowly starting to emerge from the shadows, just wish they got a new leader with an inch of charisma. The jewel in the Far North's political crown, the prized seat of Cairns, held by Labor for 33 million years, is being contested by Joel Harrop, who's already knocking on doors across the electorate. He's also got a website up and running. Just bring back your videos Joel, we miss that dimple.

It's more than I can say for Wendy Richardson who is running for Barron River and Vic Black for Mulgrave. Craig Batchelor will contest Cook, against Labor's Jason O'Brien.

It's going to be the match of the year, without question. Promise not to leave you alone for too long.

Tom bombs out

Cairns's grandfather of high-density development, Tom Hedley, is no longer CEO of his own listed pub group (Hedley Liquor and Gambling), reports Kitchenslut.

Hedley has resigned to devote time to his Hedley Private Group businesses.

"His replacement is the apparently well credentialed, recently recruited, Peter Armstrong," KitchenSlut says. "Armstrong would appear to be among those departees from Coles, perhaps not entirely voluntarily, following acquisition by Wesfarmers, and their clean out of the Augean stable?"

"HLG remains a hopelessly conflicted structure controlled by Hedley whose private interests manage the concern for a fee. Hedley also has contracted development rights for the pubs. Hedley is also the largest shareholder (and mezzanine financier) to the largest (troubled) pub tenant NLG. Hedley's own private interests are the third largest tenant. Now, the former CEO of the other key tenant is also inside the circus tent."

As one CairnsBlog reader suggested, it might be useful to keep an ongoing tally of closed/bankrupt businesses in Cairns.

Read full report here.

Someone's watching

Someone was watching the story last week on CairnsBlog about the beach dumping.

After huge loads of vegetation waste was dumped in beach car parks, north of Palm Cove, I published photos of the illegal dumping. It undoubtedly had to be a commercial operation, given the size and amount of waste.

Paul from Palm Cove telephoned me today and reported that the entire lot has been removed. By whom, we don't know. Maybe Cairns Regional Councillor Rob Pyne took up the challenge and asked his road gang to deal with it. Whoever did, thank you. Next time, I hope someone catches and prosecutes these blighters.

And in other pleasing news, the Fearnley Street drain mess that Molly helped me publicise back in October, has also been attended to. "Fearnley Creek Drain is no longer a shame," Molly says. "It's all beautifully repaired, safe and ready for back to school. A very smooth ride now." Council has been back to the site on at least three occasions, cleaning up the city eyesore.

Finally, I'm very happy to report that after numerous reports and videos exposed on CairnsBlog, a number of measures have been installed to prevent or limit sediment run off at Phil Hartwig's massive steep development at the top of Foley Road, Palm Cove. I know Councillor Paul Gregory took a particular interest in this one, as did Councillor Julia Leu.

Along with the Fiona Tulip and the Combined Beaches Residents' Association, Terry Spackman and myself spent a great deal of time monitoring this site late last year. This development went under the Council and EPA radar for more than a year. Even though the Residents' Association wrote to the State Government and communicated it to the Federal False Cape inspection team, nothing was done. It was only after we filmed run-off in October, following a small rainfall, that the unfolding disaster got the attention. Channel 7 ran the footage, that was first aired on my YouTube channel.

Council has subsequently sent staff to the Foley Road site and now initiated a new fine regime for developers and land owners that cause sediment run off with no preventative measures in place.

Mansfield Street in a mess again

Roy Lavis' driveway is again in strife. This time during the flooding yesterday.

The Mansfield Street Action Group, who are campaigning against CEC owner Roy Lavis' application to sub-divide his massive chunk of land on the hills above Earlville. I reported about this odd application late last year.

During Monday's flooding around the region, the access road to the Lavis property became an accelerating water chute, causing tons of water, mud and debris to wash out into Mansfield street and into the storm water drains.

During yesterday's heavy rain, large amounts of topsoil and red sediment washed down Mansfield Street, and into Chinaman's Creek. As the rest of Cairns was inundated, the torrential rain caused havoc on the Lavis property. Once into Mansfield Street the silt then ran down the gutters and into the storm water drains, ending up in Chinaman's Creek.

"As we had no access to the property, we can only assume it came from the bottom straight stretch of roadway," local resident John Martin says. "However, it was very heavily contaminated with red silt which seems to have come from erosion of the unretained walls of the cuttings and from the road pushed through from the main property to an adjoining one owned by a member of the Lavis Family."

The roadway further up the hill runs down to Chinaman's Creek and there is no conceivable way a similar deluge would not have happened into the creek at higher level.

If the development goes through, John Martin says, which consists of a new house, an extension of the roadway up to the new house, and any bared ground in the future, will be similarly eroded. "That will all contribute to further erosion and more water running down the road way and down the slopes into the rain forest, creek and street," John says.

The decision for Lavis' application will be made at the February 11th Council meeting. It's highly likely that Council will refuse this application.

GlenCorp and Council should be ashamed

Well, we bought this to the attention last wet season.

This is the dodgy development at Clifton Beach, right on the highway, built by GlenCorp and approved by the then Cairns City Council, when Sno Bonneau was the Councillor. He still is.

Yet again welcome you to Clifton Raging Water Views (the developer calls it simply Clifton Views, but we know better).

Here's Deadman’s Creek running at about 100klm per hour and roaring yesterday.

Various Glencorp workers were on site early today in a panic, trying to sort out the mess. There were also smoke alarms going off.

The next photo was taken two hours later, and shows the aftermath and the subsequent damage to fences, construction infrastructure and who knows what damage has been done inside the units.

I am as sure as eggs, that water would have flowed right into the ground floor units as it did in March 2008.

This is what happens when Council allow a developer to illegally put their building alignments less than 10m from the high bank mark of a creek. When you have a pro-development Councillor in Sno Bonneau, who allowed this to happen on his watch.

Happy 2009

Just weeks after open heart surgery, veteran community campaigner and activist Bryan Law, is ready to continue to battle and raise issues for our community.

Here, he looks back at the tumultuous year that was 2008.

2008 was pretty trippy for me.

It started real well with a legal victory in the Court of Criminal Appeal at Darwin. A nice and very capable lawyer, retired Federal Court Judge the Hon Ron Merkel QC, made some compelling arguments for us in relation to the Defence (Special undertakings) Act 1952 – and the miscarriages of justice that had occurred during our trial of June 2007. You can read one lawyer’s account here.

Before the legal argument in Court, the four of us served out some time in Darwin’s Berrimah prison, a barbarous and decrepit hole some 15 kilometres north of the city. 83% indigenous. I spent 10 days on a package stay. It’s been ten years or more since I was last in prison, but like riding a bike, it doesn’t take long to get used to it again. Anyone who thinks prison is a doddle has never been there.

So on Wednesday 20 Feb I’m being escorted to cells under the court-house and guarded by three or four security officers all day. On Thursday 21 I’m in the court-house coffee shop getting a toasted sandwich and cappuccino. On Friday 22 I’m acquitted, the Act has been interpreted to our satisfaction, the government is unable to use its heavy legislation against us, and we are free to enjoy a few days rest and recreation in Darwin - which can be a fairly pleasant spot, even in February.

The legal victory, and the jail time, came out of nonviolent direct action I’d taken at the Pine Gap spy base with Christians Against ALL Terrorism (CAAT) in December 2005. It was a citizens inspection, based on work I’ve done around US warships in Cairns with Margaret Pestorius and Peace by Peace. It was a terrific action, and CAAT made some real achievements for peace and nonviolence. It’s a good group. Here’s a photo of us all together in Brisbane in November 2008 where we had a yarn about the Talisman Sabre war-games in Shoalwater Bay, Queensland in July 2009. Left to right: Adele Goldie (Mt Nebo), Sean O’Reilly (Brisbane), Jim Dowling (Mt Mee), Jessica Morrison (Melbourne), Donna Mulhearn (Sydney), Bryan Law (Cairns)

By February 2008 I was on a promise from Australian Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, to meet and discuss Pine Gap. (“I respect your position and I will be happy to discuss with you after the Federal election” Joel had written to me in October 2007, when the ALP wanted support from the peace movement). In January 2008 the newly elected Labor member for Leichhardt, Jim Turnour (for whom I’d campaigned) promised me he’d follow up my letter to Minister Fitzgibbon, and ensure we got a meeting.

Being a political realist, I maintain pretty low expectations of the Labor Party. But I started 2008 fairly optimistic, firstly that nonviolent activism is enjoying something of a resurgence in Australia, and secondly that we might get some useful discussion with government around defence and security policy. The resurgence is real. The ALP is not.

In April I experienced some difficulty breathing, and went to Cairns Base Hospital for a couple of weeks with a condition called heart failure - which put a temporary hold on my activist agenda for Pine Gap. Apparently I’d had a heart attack without noticing. I spent a quiet winter coming to terms with life’s little changes, and preparing for surgery through Queensland Health.

While I was waiting for surgery I got involved with PADYC (People Against Demolishing the Yacht Club) when Wendy Richardson from the Liberal National Party declared she would chain herself to a bulldozer with union organiser Stuart Trail if she needed to, to save the Cairns Yacht Club building. CairnsBlog's Michael Moore, facilitated the introductions, and my old china plate Warren Entsch attended the first meeting. In the event, Wendy chickened out of NVDA (non-violent direct action), but Labor Councillor Di Forsyth climbed up on the roof in a safety harness.

In September 2008 half a dozen citizens stepped forward to have a go at civil disobedience. Terry Spackman had a good go at staying on the roof for days, but was foxed by Police. Sharon, Wendy and John all pushed it past the point of arrest as well as Di. I spent six or seven hours in the Cairns watch-house. Around the campaign were maybe 50 real nice folks who wanted to preserve a little bit of their heritage and values in modern Cairns. Bloody Cairns Ports. Bloody Labor Party. Good on ya Di Forsyth. Good on ya Wendy.

For me it’s always a privilege to know people who are willing to act on their beliefs. The bunch around PADYC came mostly from circles I don’t usually move in. Older, whiter, and more conservative (and of course a scattering of crazies). It was good to show them how a direct action campaign works. We’ll complete the program when Anna Bligh calls the election in 2009. That will be the time to target Desley Boyle and Steve 'Wet ‘n No Balls' for their seats in Parliament. Bloody Labor Party.

In February 2009 Di Forsyth will need a display of support as she confronts the real Court, as well as the kangaroo Court of her fellow Councillors. More about that later.

In November 2008 I did the surgery thing, with a triple coronary by-pass which is a traumatic thing to do to the body but generally provides an extension of life. They cut the chest open, stop the heart, deflate the lungs and keep you alive on the heart lung machine while they graft leg veins to augment the coronary arteries. If you’re at all lucky you survive the operation. Sort of ouch but good on ‘em. I’ve spent the past seven weeks basically hanging at home and healing the wounds of surgery. It’s a trip.

So my time and attention for politics was limited in 2008, but not entirely absent. I now have little projects around local, state, and commonwealth issues. All the actions are planned out of my experience and vision of strategic Nonviolence - latterly Christian Nonviolence. (I’m busy joining the biggest Christian church on planet earth) Here’s my little plan for local, state, and federal NVDA.

LOCAL

I’ve enjoyed nine months of Val Schier as Mayor. My experience has been limited, but I have my concerns, and I’m aware of a general feeling that folks would like a stronger performance from Val and her administration. She’ll be Mayor for around another four years.

My plan on a local level is twofold. First and most important is to organise and show support for Councillor Di Forsyth’s act of civil disobedience re the Yacht Club. Di showed personal courage and political commitment to get up on that roof and represent the thousands of her constituents, and the thousands of other Cairns and Queensland signatures collected on the PADYC petition.

I think Di deserves support for her actions. The best way we can show support is by creating substantial public rallies whenever Di fronts Court or the Regional Council as they consider her civil disobedience action.

But it’s not just a matter of support for Di Forsyth. It’s also about preserving civil disobedience as a vital ingredient of our Parliamentary democracy. The Suffragettes, the Civil Rights movement, the ATSI movement, the trade union movement and all the social movements have relied on civil disobedience to achieve their democratic aims. In Cairns the Police and the Courts have recognised the Yacht Club actions as nonviolent civil disobedience.

Within the Cairns Regional Council there are moves afoot to conduct star chamber hearings against Councillor Forsyth, and equate nonviolent civil disobedience with terrorism. CEO Noel Briggs is one player threatening our democracy. Councillors Cochrane, Gregory and Blake share his desire. In defending and supporting Councillor Di Forsyth we proclaim a standard of democratic representation that we wish to see in our Cairns Regional Council.

My second action will be to try and facilitate a small process of community engagement through which those passionate about Cairns development/environment can play a significant role in improving it. We’d be looking for ways to communicate with, and coordinate with, Mayor Val Schier and key Councillors about significant environmental and development projects over the next few years.

I believe that community input and support can be orchestrated in such a way that Council policies and operations work to provide a much better and more cost-effective amenity for all city residents. I see the invitation being open to all Councillors – at the same time recognising that some Councillors are hostile to community participation in Council business. I’m hoping that CAFNEC will play a sponsoring role.

I haven’t given up on Val Schier yet, and I don’t plan to anytime in the next three years. Anyone who’d like to propose electoral action against Val, if they want to convince me, will have to come out and say who their alternative mayor is, and demonstrate the reality and value of that alternative. I’m happy to listen.

STATE

Unless something truly remarkable happens I’ll be using the Queensland election to hammer ALL the local ALP MLAs because they’ve been so pathetic. I don’t want a “better class of manager” as my political representative – a spin doctor, or a representative of Cabinet.

Call me bitter, call me twisted, but the yacht Club issue convinced me that the ALP has once again forgotten that its job is to represent the community and engage with its values and desires. Imposing “solutions” on an unwilling population just doesn’t do it for me – especially when the “solutions” involve such an incompetent, unimaginative and expensive failure such Cairns Ports Inc.

COMMONWEALTH

Minister Joel Fitzgibbon went from a position of “respect” to one of simply not acknowledging or answering my correspondence. MP for Leichhardt Jim Turnour turned out to be no use whatsoever. Instead of a dialogue about Pine Gap and Security, the Rudd government introduced into Parliament amendments to the Defence (Special Undertakings) Act which plugged the holes we went to so much trouble to disclose. Pine Gap noe receives more support and protection from the Rudd government than it did from John Howard and Philip Ruddock.

According to Minister Fitzgibbon’s first reading speech I and my friends are either “mischief makers” or someone altogether “more sinister”. This according to a government that effectively supports the commission of war crimes by Israel in the Middle East and USA around the world.

In July 2009 the Rudd government is conducting exercise Talisman sabre ’09. Some 8,000 Australian troops, and 15,000 US troops will practice the sea-borne invasion of the Shoalwater Bay Training Area near Rockhampton – where they will conduct urban warfare against a city built around a walled market square. There’ll be a nuclear Aircraft Carrier Battle Group, plus Marines and amphibious Landing Craft, Live Firing, and all the fun of modern warfare.

As a humble citizen I’m compelled to accept that my betters (Jim Turnour, Joel Fitzgibbon and Jan McLucas) have better things to do than talk with rabble like me.

However as a proud member of the rabble element I see no reason to stand idly by and let these fuckers practice mass murder and invasion unchallenged. With my family, and with Christian nonviolence activists from around Australia, I’ll be going to Shoalwater Bay in July and trying my level best to interfere with the war-games. At this point I’m planning to enter the live-firing zone of the exercise area and compel the defence forces to search me out before they can proceed with their stupid and barbarous wankery.

I’m planning on a happy 2009 because I’ve learned through practical experience that life is sweet, and government/policy merely transitory. If any one of us truly stands for what we believe, we make a difference. If enough of us stand for what we believe, we change the world. To echo a black man from the other side of the world who takes office next week as president of the USA “Yes, we can”.

I hope you all have a happy 2009 as well.

Can you see the sign?

Those sneaky dodgy developers are at it again.

This time at the end of Escape Close, Clifton Beach, a public notice appeared recently, advising of the Development Application before Council to extend the Clifton Shopping Centre.

They've hidden the Public Notice sign, not only at the back of the Shopping Centre, at the end of a no exit road, but in the bushes!

Pete Johnston is a nearby neighbour in Escape Close, which is at the rear of the Clifton Shopping centre. He says that the sign should be placed on the developer's property in full public view.

"The public notification of the Development Application is clearly not in compliance with the Integrated Planning Regulations," Pete says.

He is absolutely correct. They state:-

• 18 Requirements for placing public notices on land—Act, s 3.4.4
  (1) This section prescribes, for section 3.4.4.(1)(b)1 of the Act, requirements for the placing of a notice on land.
  (2) The notice must be—
  (a) placed on, or within 1.5m of, the road frontage for the land; and
  (b) mounted at least 300mm above ground level; and
  (c) positioned so that it is visible from the road; and
  (d) made of weatherproof material; and
  (e) not less than 1200mm x 900mm.

The developer is not ignorant of the Public Notification requirements. It's reasonable to suggest that they do this rather deliberately, to avoid as much scrutiny as possible from the public.

"I can only conclude that the placement of this sign is mischievous and vexatious," Pete Johnson says. "I have asked Cairns Regional Council to officially inform the Applicant that the Public Notification requirements of IPA Sect 3.4.4 (b) have not been complied with."

Pete Johnston, who is also a member of the Combined Beaches Resident's Association, has also asked Council, in light of this breach, to revise the closing date for submissions once the requirements of the Act are met. "Unless this occurs, I will submit the Application has not been 'properly made'."

Pete also says the disgraceful state of the 'landscaped buffer' and screen fence are of concern. He says that they were to be maintained to the satisfaction of the CEO. "This was a development condition, which has never been policed," he says. "This now constitutes a cyclone hazard."

"Also look at the destruction of the Council-installed watering system and damage to the verge area. This is caused by the installation of the 'overflow drain' [white strip of concrete], and the concrete waste and rutted soil that makes it impossible, and dangerous, for the residents to maintain this garden area as we have done in the past," Pete Johnston says.

"We have given up complaining about this development and lack of Council action, I am now saving my time and energy to register my submission and if the Clifton Shopping centre owner thinks that hiding this sign away in the bushes will stop this ending up in the Planning and Environment Court. They have another thing coming," Pete Johnston says.

Paradise Poos

Last week, I highlighted the waste water spewing from Paradise Palms, near Palm Cove.


I always knew there was something smelly about the Paradise development, however some residents have told me it's 'waste' water, that they're wasting.

"Have you noticed the smell?" they questioned. "For about three weeks now, the irrigation system for the Paradise Palms golf course, housing estates and common areas, have been sprouting foul smelling water.

Several residents of Paradise Palms have formally complained to the EPA about the situation.

The investigation has revealed that the effluent ponds on the golf course, had their aerators broken. So for about a week, residents of these estates were waking up and dry retching and gagging at night, when these sprinklers were turned on.

The relatively untreated effluent sewerage was being sprayed onto front lawns, driveways and garden beds. I'm told that the sewerage was so ripe that mushrooms were sprouting everywhere!

"The aerators are supposedly fixed but the smell is still really bad," one resident told me yesterday.

There was no warnings or notices from the property developers, Vision Group. Residents were not told that there was a problem, and there was no instructions to the gardening staff to turn off the sprinklers. I wonder if there was any warning to golfers who may have inadvertently, picked up more in their hands than their golf balls?

There are many viruses and bacteria that contaminate and survive in fecal matter that make people sick and can cause death, Hepatitis A, cholera and typhoid just to name a few.

Tom is not only wasting water, he's using waste water. Make you stink, I mean, think.