They're listening to your say

The grammatically-challenged Cairns Council survey form hits your letterbox this week.

The 'We're listening to your say' survey has five pages of 'instructions', with two thirds of a single page for your feedback. I think they got this around the wrong way.

I welcome any opportunity for the mass population to engage and seek feedback from us plebs.

However, this is no ordinary survey, they want us to help write their corporate plan – and need our views and ideas. Lazy buggers, don't we pay em enough to do this themselves? I recall Councillor Sno Bonneau infamously says that they elected him to make decisions on behalf of the people, therefore he doesn't need to ask his constituents what they think! Maybe he's onto something?

There will be Council Officers around town to talk about this mega-exciting subject: Thursday 26th February at Mt Sheridan Plaza; Saturday 28th - Mossman Markets; Monday 2nd March - Stockland Earlville; and Saturday 7th March - Gordonvale Markets.

You can also do the survey online if you wish.

Cairns Bulletin launched

Today a new independent community newspaper will be launched.


Cairns Community Newspapers has announced the merger of its publications, the Cairns Northern News and The Southern Herald, to form the new Cairns Bulletin, which will be home delivered this week.

Cairns Northern News has been in circulation on the northern beaches for 13 years, set up by Councillor Sno Bonneau. Following an acquisition by Trinity Beach couple, Michael and Corina Angel-Dzubiel in 2004, they added the Southern Herald to increase circulation to the southern suburbs.

“The merger of the two newspapers will provide a much richer platform for us to deliver content,” Corina says, who is the managing editor of the popular independent newspaper.

“The Cairns Bulletin, has been in the pipeline for some time. Its launch comes as no surprise to stakeholders. Up to this point It’s predecessors, The Southern Herald and Cairns Northern News, have served the Cairns community well."

The new independent publication will be distributed free to households from Palm Cove to Gorndonvale every month.

In the first issue, I was pleased to write the cover story about my neighbour at Yorkeys, who contracted the Dengue virus. Sasha McGrath was the 274th to be diagnosed since the outbreak started in early December. There is a lot more shocking facts to this story, and I'll share this on CairnsBlog later this week.

Corina believes that the new newspaper will provide an opportunity for locals to communicate and have their say. "Advertisers will also benefit from a wider readership base and enjoy greater exposure of their products and services to all of Cairns."

33,540 copies are printed, reaching 84,478 of our local population. If you have a story idea, you can call Corina on 4057 5521, or email her. If you would like to advertise, call Malinda McCance on 0434 087 515.

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.

Behind the cheap airport sale

Just like CEC, the Queensland Government's fire sale is well under way.

On Friday one of our community's largest assets and income earners, the Cairns airport, tender sale closed. Three tenders were rumoured to be in the final running for the sell out price of a mere $650m. This will hardly pay for a few hip operations at the over-crowed and inadequate Cairns Base Hospital that Premier Bligh is going to donate any remaining airport profit to.

Under the creative, but aptly named Airport Assets (Restructuring and Disposal) Bill, the Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser, who is also flogging off MacKay's airport, and a 12.4% stake in Brisbane's airport, is hoping to prop up the bankrupt Queensland State Government's coffers. Their debt now stands at around $59 billion, that's about $10m a day in interest alone. When we finally kick this spending crazy mob out of office in a year's time, the incoming coalition will have a right mess to clean up. And who says they'll be any better?

Cairns Mayor Val Schier who avoids talking about her Labor connections publicly, is however clearly under the thumb of the Labor hierarchy. She's been acting like a lapdog on heat around Desley and Anna since coming to office on her so-called 'green' and 'environmental' ticket. By all accounts, she has lost a large number of those that supported her second run to take over the 3rd floor of 119 Spence Street. We that supported a change in Council's right wing and go hard development policy, are feeling somewhat pissed off. And rightly so.

This is a great shame, as the mood was rife for a dramatic change of direction and the people handled Val and the new Council a mandate. Not one of the old Byrne guard survived the March take over the only KB loyalists remaining being Councillors Gregory and Bonneau. Like Obama, Schier has only the first term to shine and make a grand impression. Her first 100 days have been littered with confusing signals and lost media opportunities. Most of those that strategically supported her in the Cairns 1st campaign have either deserted her or been shunned. They certainly have not been consulted, and Val is replying on internal paid Council hacks to advise and counsel her.

Val said prior to being elected to Council, she has "strongly supported diverse groups as being the foundation of a healthy society", however this rhetoric has not been realised in her first eight months in office. The mainstream four estate media are still against our new mayor, yet the were ready for a change and would have supported her if they'd been taken along and been respected. Too many times have they turned up to media ops and the mayor has not appeared yet sent her CEO along to spill the beans and hide in her office, or at least that is what it seems like. Perception breeds reality in politics.

As Labor will be roundly defeated at the next election on a State level, Val has been blinding aligning herself with Bligh's sinking ship. For a first-term politician, she's allowing herself to get so quickly consumed by a government that have shown they're out of touch with the people, and all we wanted was a change in this region! I think if the Council election were held today, Councillor Pyne, Leu or Forsyth would romp in as our new Mayor. They've all shown how they can stand up (besides Robert of course) for the community, and truly represent what their constituents are telling them. That is the minimum we ask of our elected representatives.

Minister Fraser has said he didn't release the shortlist of potential airport buyers, because he was hoping to enhance 'competitive tension'. Well, the entire rationale to sell off our airport was a flawed reason. Cairns Airport, one of the busiest in the country, is a cash cow for our region and the community was not even consulted. Everyone from the chief of our tourism group TTNQ to the despised Cairns Port Authority, were is shock at the April 15th announcement.

When Joel Harrop, the local Cairns LNP candidate kicks the proven incompetent Desley Boyle off her Cairns perch, he'll have a lot of bridge-building to undertake. It will be a huge embarrassment for Boyle, as Labor has held this seat for 104 years. She started off as a true representative of the community when she took office 10 years ago, to now not engaging the people or responding to their wishes. Why is she there if she can't represent?

Like the invisible Councillor Sno Bonneau, both Labor and Liberal insiders wonder why Boyle has so decisively lost the plot. It's strongly believed she will not run again. Labor's only chance at retaining any credibility or hope of holding Cairns will be to run someone of the likes of Yacht Club roof protester and card-carrying Labour union supporter, Councillor Dianne Forsyth. Dianne has the connection with the people and the likability factor.

Listen to Joel's sermon in his latest Vblog. He's sounding fresh and invigorated and untouched by party corruption. I hope they don't get to him:

Bloggy Janine

Look what I started!

Janine Aitken, who ran for the Northern Beaches division in the March Council elections, has launched a Blog.

Janine was unsuccessful in her bid for Division 9 in the Cairns Regional Council, however she says after watching "broken promises and unacceptable rate rises decided it is again time to stick up for Cairns and question those in authority."

In her first post, she discusses the antics of Councillor Di Forsyth. "It has prompted me into speaking out about what is going on in Cairns," Aitken says. "Cr Forsyth is not the only member of Council who ran on a platform of heritage preservation, yet she is the only one who stood up (or climb up as the case was) to be counted on the issue."

Aitken asks where is the rest of the Council is on the important issues and that only three Councillors have really stood up to be counted in the first six months of this new Council.

"We have heard from Councillor Julia Leu who stood up for her division over amalgamation. We heard from Councillor Rob Pyne on his opporsition to the Council rate rises. We know we have three Councillors that are willing to stand up and be counted," says Janine.

"Where does that leave Councillors Gregory, Lanskey, Lesina, Blake, Cooper, Cochrane, Bonneau."

In a final swipe at her former running mate - or leaflet deliverer - she questions Val Schier. "Let's not forget our leader Mayor Schier. I would love to hear your stances on any of the issues you campaigned on."

It's genuinely great to have another blogger, join the stable of indeppendant writing here in the far north.

Who would have thought a few years ago, we'd all have a mobile phone, an email address, a profile online somewhere. Now everyone seems to have a blog. Who needs the ol noospaper anymore!

You can find all local blogs and websites on my 'links' list in the right-hand sidebar of CairnsBlog.

My new friends

It's a worrying change when most of your friends, and some who'd like to be, preface conversation with me by "This is off the record, OK?"

So, yesterday afternoon, I had a Latte on the house, at Council staff cafe, with two delightful guests, one armed with a digital recorder. It felt like sitting with my parole officer.

I'm not really a Latte kinda guy, nevertheless, a free coffee is a free coffee. Plus, readers will know that I'm aiming to get my rate increase back in free lunches. Coffee by Councillors and Council staff that want to leak so hot juicy gossip, is also factored towards this target. I've only got another $268 to go. That's quite a few ham sandwiches.

Yesterday's 'off the record' chat, was interesting, to say the least. It was, as folk might expect, about my revelations on CairnsBlog over the last week, about emails I published that had originated from Cairns Regional Council.

You'd have to be stupid not to realise that such 'leaks' are very damaging for Council's image and their PR machine. This is the worst nightmare, not only that such emails are written, but they get made public so quickly. These folk will have learn't a good hard lesson this week, and even if messages are deleted from a email system, they in fact never really are. Oh, the joy of the internet.

No doubt Mayor Val got a de-brief as I left the building, however I doubt that I'm that influential around the corridors, but with around 1,700 regulars (about 1,000 a day) who visit my cyber home, it's good to see some in Council acknowledge that this Blog is part of the local democratic debate. A scan of my daily statistics machine, shows there are a number of regular log-ins from Council IP addresses.

However, it is nice to establish better access to some of the key folk at Spence Street, and this may provide my readers with more balance, fair reporting, and nice stories about Sno Bonneau. Nah, only joking!

After all, they say you should keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

We told you so

Exactly one month ago, rooftop rebel and False Cape crusader - way smarter that the fictitious and silly Cairns 'Caped Crusader', Terry Spackman and I re-visited the appalling Foley Road development.

I called it our next False Cape, in honour of the environmental disaster that took the local Council and the Federal Government over four years to react. It took action and much pressure from public lobbyists like Save our Slopes, Mark Buttrose, Steven Nowakowski and Terry Spackman to name but three, for anyone to take the issue seriously. In the meantime, a huge amount of damaging sediment run-off has occurred at East Trinity from the False Cape site.

The folk from the Combined Beaches Residents Association, who have pursued the ill-conceived Glen Corp developments at Clifton Beach and Hedley's work at Paradise Palms golf course, alerted me to Phil Hartwig, a rouge developer who is excavating vast amounts of his land at the top of Foley Road, Palm Cove.

When Terry and I visited and filmed the site four weeks ago, it was dry. We predicted, come the wet season, this whole hillside will wash downstream.

Saturday morning, the rains came, and I got a 6am telephone call, and we were off with cameras in hand to capture the evidence. The drive to the once lovely neigbourhood of Palm Cove, is now scarred by what is happening at the top of Foley Road, on the Western side of the Captain Cook Highway. We really know Palm Cove as the community alongside the sea, but developers have a way of stealing names and stretching boundaries for marketing real estate.

When we posted the first lot of footage on CairnsBlog a month ago, only Councillor Paul Gregory and Robert Pyne responded. Gregory, whose Division one encompasses False Cape, knows all to well about poor development controls. He's probably the most experienced Councillor in regards to sediment controls. You would have expected Councillor Sno Bonneau, who used to look after this area, to be at the forefront of this development. But he's no where to be seen. You have to ask why and what part he played in representing the approval for Phil Hartwig.

It's important to note that Councillor Gregory is also chairman of Council's Works and Water committees, and is also the Local Government director of Terrain Natural Resource Management, although the website hasn't been updated. Terrain claims to support the Wet Tropics region to "develop local projects and solutions that make sense not only for our environment but also for our community and economy." Well, they need to be very aware of what this rogue developer Phil Hartwig is getting away with at Foley Road, Palm Cove.

Here's some footage that we filmed over the weekend, after a small amount of rain. The results are shocking.



According to the Cairns Plan, waterways are all protected and have to have minimum setbacks. These are called riparian corridors. The developer behind Foley Road, Phil Hartwig has clearly breached this.

Why aren't Council planning officials enforcing these controls?

If you went into a shop, took something off the shelf and walked out without paying for it, the store security and police would be onto you within minutes. Why is it when you deliberately breach local bylaws, with such devastating effects, no one says a thing? There has to be months and sometimes years of protests from the public before any action takes place.

The ongoing saga at Foley Road, comes just weeks after chief Council Planner, Peter Tabulo said that a majority of building sites failed to meet the minimum industry standard to ensure control on development sites. He and his department have held a series of forums with builders and developers on this very issue in the last eight weeks.

“The implementation and maintenance of these basic environmental protection measures ultimately promotes healthier waterways,” Tabulo says. “Healthy waterways lead to healthier estuaries and a healthier Marine Park which we all like to be able to enjoy whether it’s better fishing, diving or just cleaner beaches.”

Well, what we witnessed over the weekend at Foley Road is in direct contravention to this.

Such activities give us little confidence in our senior public servants to manage our environment and our civic affairs, when these developments go unchecked and un-policed.

A shocking footnote to this sorry saga, is that the Combined Beaches Community Association alerted Drew McLean, at the Federal Environment Ministry a year ago, with a number of letters, and have never had one reply.

Terry Spackman has asked Councillor Diane Forsyth to put forward a motion at the next Environment and Planning meeting to mandate Council officials to uphold and police the conditions of Development Approvals. Sounds bizarre that you'd even have to put up such a motion.

What are you doing about this Cairns Regional Council?

An open letter to Val Schier

Bryan Law pens an open letter to our Mayor... and asks her to act now on behalf of the community that elected her.


Two weeks ago I wrote to Val Schier about the Yacht Club building in Wharf St, and Council’s responsibilities. I received no reply.

I got positive replies from Linda Cooper and Julia Leu. Councillor Di Forsyth is engaged with PADYC, and is coordinating a Council response with assistance from Paul Matthews and Wendy Richardson.

Last week I wrote again to Mayor Schier and her Councillors, and spoke to her personal assistant. I was asking for an opportunity to discuss the Yacht Club building with her. I found out that Val was going to be absent for the relevant meeting on 11 September. I got an e-mail response from Val on 9 September.

Deputy Mayor Margaret Cochrane chaired the 11the September meeting of the Cairns Regional Council's Planning and Environment Committee. Margaret allowed Di Forsyth’s motion to be put forward, seconded by Linda Cooper, and after wide debate that motion was put and carried by 6 votes to 4:-

• CAIRNS YACHT CLUB BUILDING
  
  Moved Cr. FORSYTH / Seconded Cr. COOPER
  
  1. The Council communicate with the Premier of Queensland, the Transport Minister, the Treasurer and Chairman Cairns Ports as a matter of urgency requesting the proposed imminent demolition or removal of the Yacht Club building be put on hold.
  
  2. That a meeting be convened between Council, State Government, Cairns Ports, Indigenous and community representatives to identify planning issues, ongoing management and funding in relation to the retention of the Cairns Yacht Club Building on it’s current site to preserve and adapt the Cairns Yacht Club building for cultural and heritage tourism ventures as part of the waterfront development.
  
  3. That Council recognise the petition of more that 10,000 Queensland citizens, including around 8,000 residents from the Cairns Region requesting the retention of the Cairns Yacht Club building on its current waterfront site.
  
  Motion carried with Councillors Blake, Bonneau, Gregory and Lansky voting against.

What follows is an open letter to Mayor Val Schier, where I respond to her e-mail of 9th September, and encourage her to advocate successfully for a favourable resolution of the Yacht Club building/Cityport development issues.

From Mayor Val Schier to Bryan Law 11th September 2008.

• Bryan,
  
  I monitor the comments going back and forth can assure you that I am working quietly to plant seeds and make a difference environmentally (sustainability, energy reduction targets, bike lanes etc).
  
  You know that I do not have a majority that supports my vision for the region the only option is to tread carefully and gradually get a change agenda up. Happy to talk further next time our paths cross. Val

From Bryan Law to Mayor Val Schier, 14th September 2008

Val,

As much as any human being I appreciate the quiet planting of seeds, and the evolution of culture in ecologically sustainable ways. I see evidence all around me that visions such as yours are now mainstream, and can be successfully acted upon. I expect everyone will act as best they can.

I’m asking you to act effectively now in seeking to preserve and adapt the Yacht Club building. As a community activist, I need to point out to you that in the matter of the Yacht Club building in Wharf St you are NOT in a minority. Think of yourself as part of the majority.

More than 10,000 residents of Queensland have signed the PADYC Petition. Some 8,500 of these reside in the Cairns municipal area. Their voices make a difference. A majority of your own Councillors have already resolved that Cairns Regional council intervene into the issue and seek a negotiated outcome with the Queensland government.

As Mayor, you have a golden opportunity to build support for your leadership and your vision by demonstrating how you can bring about solutions through skillful organising. Your job as Mayor is to organise with stakeholders, and bring them and their views before the Premier, Anna Bligh – and to bring Anna Bligh in front of the people of Cairns. We need to involve the Gimuy Idinjie. We need to convince Anna that a change in government plan is a GOOD thing.

Out of this process we’ll negotiate a solution that meets the legitimate needs of all stakeholders, including the substantial number of citizens who want Cairns heritage preserved on our town waterfront. It’s a pretty simple thing to do (and we can make the Port Authority pay for it).

You’ll remember that when you first ran for election as mayor in 2004 I questioned your ability to advocate for community groups against ALP political interests. I ran as an independent candidate against you and got 6.7% of the vote.

In 2008 I supported your election and took on faith an expectation that you would perform creditably (plus I just couldn’t stand Kevin Byrne any more).

Now you have an opportunity to live up to your side of the electoral bargain and put in a sterling effort at bending the will of a Queensland Premier. PADYC will support you. We can get 1,000 citizens to a meeting with the Premier.

Can you get such a meeting organised? We can help.

Now is the time Val. If you can’t get this done you’ll have lost my confidence as Mayor. You’ve got the job you wanted, and the office you wanted. Use it.

Cheers,
Bryan

A small victory for democracy

Bryan Law writes about this morning's Regional Council Planning and Environment meeting...


The Cairns Regional Council today supported a resolution about the Cairns Yacht Club building presented by Di Forsyth, Councillor for Division 7.

The Resolution recognised the Petition of 10,000 collected by PADYC, and the strong public interest in this building. The resolution expressed support for retaining and adapting the building on its present site, and directs the Council to begin talks with Premier Anna Bligh and relevant Ministers about achieving a successful re-design of the stale Cityport project.

Mayor Val Schier was not present. Margaret Cochrane took the chair. The Resolution was carried by five votes to four. Di Forsyth, Julia Leu, Linda Cooper, Kirsten Lesina and Robert Pyne voted in favour.

Alan Blake, Sno Bonneau, Nancy Lansky and Paul Gregory opposed the motion.

Those who opposed the motion had two lines of objection. “It’s none of our (corporate) business” led by Councillor Gregory, and “It’s a lost issue so let’s ask for crumbs” led by Councillor Lansky. Three alpha males and Nancy Lansky... could this be our basic anti-democratic faction?

Those who voted in favour all referred to the petition – to the cogent and legitimate expression of public interest by some 8,500 residents of Cairns. They all acknowledged a duty to advocate on behalf of resident’s interests. Our Council believes in the democratic principle by a margin of 5 to 4.

As Chair, Margaret Cochrane didn’t vote and Mayor Val Schier was away – so the real democratic vote on Cairns Regional Council might be 7 to 4. Now that’s better than it was under Kevin Byrne, but it’s a long way from the levels of commitment and competence that I’d like to see in local government.

Still I must not grumble too much. The Cairns regional Council has come on side with preserving the Yacht Club building.

This is a golden opportunity for Val and her council of independents to put some runs on the board and score big - by persuading Anna Bligh to get real and preserve her electoral chances in far north Queensland by giving the people what they want. Val’s the gal who can do it.

PADYC will continue its independent campaigning, and is conducting a workshop on non-violent direct action on Saturday 20 September at 298 Fearnley Street, Cairns, 10am. Bring a plate to share for lunch.

PADYC intends to assist Val and Di in taking on and winning with the George Street State mafia.

My unusal Tuesday

There's something always kind of exciting when you get up in the morning, no matter what time it is, and you don't know where your day will take you.

Today was one of those days.

I hadn't caught up with Councillor Pyne, MSO, OA, QSM, BA Hons, VC. for some time now. (nb.: some letters may be made up to enhance this story). Prior to the election, I just knew him as Robbie. In fact, truth be known, he'd respond to a wolf whistle at a hundred meters, by the right girl. I should know, I went door knocking with Robert on one occasion.

Robert and I set up a high-level lunch at Council's ground level staff cafe. Something was already out of whack. Never mind, I was allowed in without incident, free of any of the previous strip searches and sniffer dogs I'd endured under the Byrne-led Council days when I dropped off chocolates for the then Mayor.

If I had a shovel to lean on and a Council swipe card, I could have been mistaken for just another employee in the hive that is the central nervous system of the city's brain.

I hadn't sat down for five minutes when Robert was already grabbing passersby to say hello to me. I mean, I'm but a mere blogger, and these are all mighty and powerful power brokers of Queensland's northern most city. I immediately checked to see if I had my best pair of underpants on, just in case there was an accident. You never know.

I invited my good mate and business brain, Richard Webb along for a bit of tete a tete, with the good Councillor. Richard only gets back to Cairns every couple of weeks, as he's based in Gove on the Northern Territory coast. He's got a sharp mind and I always enjoy and admire his observations of all things political.

Robert invited Councillor Kirsten Lesina over to dine with us. Kirsten has the honour of being the youngest Councillor on Planet Earth. I guess, in retrospect, Pyne's dining establishment of choice wasn't the best place to plot World War Three. With all those hungry bellys and ears hovering around the infamous and legendary, if not notorious, Blog boy, it was hardly a place to do any real strategy.

Regardless, it is always good to get some good chin-wagging in with those well-connected.

Kirsten, freshly bruised from another stint on John McKenzie's 846AM, where she defended the newly converted McLeod Street single lane alongside Cairns Central, was brimming with green ideas. She explained to me, that the decision to narrow the road to a single lane was taken some time ago, before the current Council. She's sounding more like a politician every day.

However, the new road configuration, aimed to accommodate cycle lanes, has my endorsement. I'm a cycle fan and any attempt to get some of the bloody cars off the street is a good thing. However I did ask why the lines hadn't been painted along McLeod as yet. "It's only a trial," Kirsten told me. Well, people like some sense of order, otherwise they'll do stoopid things. I'll write more about this debacle separately.

Kirsten went on to tell me about her Facebook profile, which has been a hot topic for public celebrities or those in public life recently. Some have been caught out over recent months. Last week the Cairns Post was doing some real investigative journalism and wanted all the dodgy dirt it could muster about hidden photographic secrets of our new Councillors. However, there wasn't an Ecstasy-fueled snap of Kirsten to be found on her profile. "Couldn't you find some old Uni pic half cut and half naked in a toga dress?" I asked. However, the former JCU Law graduate was squeaky clean on the Facebook front, and therefore no story insofar as the Cairns Post feature was concerned. She did point out though, that her dog Benji had a Facebook profile. This still was of little interest for the Cairns Post. "We'll get on to Val's," said the reporter.

Meanwhile, Cr Robert Pyne was in deep conversation with Richard, about life in his power wheelchair around Council. He interrupted to introduce me to another closet CairnsBlog fan, the amazing Factman, aka Murray Langdale. Murray is an investigator at Cairns Works and Services at Council. During the nine months prior to the March election, he was a regular, vibrant and anonymous commenter on CairnsBlog, defending everything about the incumbent former mayor. He was a protagonist of all things that leaned to the right. Murray gave the Blog a great dynamic and he often kept debates going. We all miss him greatly. Maybe he should consider returning, even with a different pseudonym. Suggestions are welcome.

Then there was Councillor Linda Cooper, decked out in a scant white number, with her signature sparkling red square corporate glasses. She gave me a warm greeting, as she chowed into her Council lunch. Linda and I tried unsuccessfully to meet up prior to the election on a number of occasions. We were both notoriously busy, yet she was the only mole that I'd been able to connect with from the now vanished Unity Party. Remember the Unity Party? She's since officially renounced any involvement and is an independent Councillor. No one from Mayor Byne's party made it across the line. Not even a lab rat. Unless, of course if you count Sno Bonneau or Paul Gregory, who were both re-elected. They often supported Major General Byrne. Anyway, the past is now the past.

"Mike, I want to introduce you to someone else," Robert exclaimed as he seconded a tall distinguished looking bureaucrat, who looked part of the furniture. "I'd like to you meet Peter Tabulo. This is the Blog guy," he said. This was all starting to feel like a dating agency, and I didn't welcome the choices so far.

Peter was someone I would like to sit down with sometime. Of course, I'd seen him many times before, perched high up on the Council bench at many a Council meeting. He sits alongside the Mayor and advises and prods. As Planning and Environment manager, Tabulo wields an important and powerful broker role in our Council. He acts as a conduit between Councillors and his 'clients': the developer. Last week, I raised some serious questions about a dodgy development near Palm Cove, of which he should be across by now.

I believe that the region's top planner has a great deal to answer about the False Cape debacle. Tabulo said on Friday that a recent audit exposed a majority of building sites failed to meet the minimum industry standard to ensure control on building and development sites. I find this astounding, following his endorsement two years ago that allowed wet season works to be allowed on False Cape. Cr Pyne told me that Peter does have to advise according to state laws, and that he is limited in terms of being able to "exercise discretion to yield what we would all consider to be the ‘best result’ on a lot of these issues." I beg to differ.

I do hope that Peter gets up to see Foley Road. I also will have three more critical sites that I will video over the next couple of weeks.

"I expect you have a bucket of sediment under your desk Peter," I cheekily quipped. "I have sediment everywhere," he told me. Never more eloquently spoken, I thought.

To top off my lunch date, our lovely Mayor, Val Schier, power marched past our table, as the early wet season poured down into the Council courtyard, adjoining the cafe dining area. Sporting her mayoral investiture blood-red dress, she was wearing the colours that any true Laborite should be proud of.

"Well, this is an interesting mix," Val commented on my dinning companions of Councillors Lesina and Pyne. She extended her hand to me, for a warm and firm shake, something we hadn't done since around midnight on March 15th. Luckily, I hadn't washed my right hand since that auspicious historic occasion, when we welcomed in out first lady mayor. We are still trying to co-ordinate diary's for a coffee date. "Make sure your lunch is low fat and no cholesterol," I insisted to my busy Mayor. "It is Michael, it is indeed."

For the record, I had the Roast Lamb, which I can attest, was rather tasty. Councillor Pyne picked up the bill and assured me it wasn't on the Council purse. What a good fella. Just 226 more free lunches and I will recoup my rates for the year. Which Councillor wants to take me on a hot lunch date next? Come on Linda, I'm still hanging out for you.

I topped the day off on Bryan Law's Fearnley Street balcony, enjoying an evening dinner of his home-cooked stew, fresh herb bread, and watermelon desert. Coupled with a great collection of dinner guests, including his 8 year old son, who commanded the end of the table. I see the beginnings of another rebel political activist. Socialising at the 'in-Laws' is always a fun debate, where no topic is taboo.
It was truly a day of unexpected people, with plenty to chew over.

Our next False Cape

It's been a week of focus on the local environment in Far North Queensland.

Every builder and developer should now be taking a hard and urgent look at what they're doing.

Today I'm releasing the last two videos to show everyone the destruction that is occurring right now at the top of Foley Road, Palm Cove.

The biggest issue at this site, is the unsafe condition of the land. You will see how deep and soft the soil is in my videos, as some areas goes up to your knees.

Engineers have written reports about excavation problems on this parcel of land. Robert Donnan of Arup, wrote, in documents filed in a court case against developer Phil Hartwig, where he was ordered to repay some $350K to the plaintiff, about the uncompacted fill.

Another engineer at Golder, wrote a report for architect Roger Mainwood, which scared his company away from Foley Road faster the sediment run off.

We believe that the land has been stripped and illegally graded. Whilst this development site goes why back some 11 years or so, approval was given by the Mulgrave Shire, under Kevin Byrne's leadership.

The adjacent property, owned by Andrew Buxton, a wealthy Melbourne property developer, has also had discussions with Cairns Council about developing their hillside property. I'm told that there have been in a number of litigation disputes about road access and the reconfiguring of the road, which Phil Hartwig changed to weave up the hillslop. Just a few months ago, Sapphire Ridge was forced to cease public functions at the property.

The entire project area of the Foley Road development is above the 80 meter 'no build' hillside line. Previous approvals to Hartwig, when he built his house overlooking the excavation, have expired.

Councillor Sno Bonneau, whose Division used to encompass Palm Cove, prior to the March local body elections, has assisted Hartwig to get approvals and extensions.

Two engineering firms, including Golder Associates, have discovered large areas of uncompacted fill and other land anomalies due to the illegal grading.

There are questions if Hartwig has dammed Sweet Creek, that runs through his property, to provide water to his property as well as the Buxton house. This is hired out for weddings and as a holiday house for those that can afford the $450 per night price tag.

During our inspection last week, we noticed that massive amounts of silt runoff is occurring to run into the creek system, and the Cairns Regional Council appear to be so focused on pumping out a new logo and backing a festival.

Here's the videos. Part 1, Parts 2 & 3, and now Part four, in our five-part series:

The current development approval for Foley Road is very questionable. What was approved, and what is allowed to occur on that site are probably two totally different things. The land had only a tourist resort approval, not for the building of single family houses. Also, the land isn't large enough to comply as a tourist resort. It's too small to provide sufficient parking.

To a casual observer, it would appear that during the Sno Bonneau tenure, a great deal was approved on the northern beaches. This often accompanied threats from those that wanted to develop land with intention to sue. I sat through many a Council meeting, where it was stated that if approval wasn't granted, a costly court contest could occur, with not reasonably outcome that Council would win. This argument was used for many years, as a way of placating the public, in that they wouldn't what to use public rates in lengthy court battles.

Despite all of these serious questions over the Foley Road development, Hartwig must be still looking for investors to move this project ahead, all the while that land is exposed and open to the onslaught of the upcoming wet season.

Nearly 2 kilometers away, from the Argentea land, neighbouring Clifton Beach, you can clearly see that damage and scarring on Foley Road.

Terry Spackman says that this is very poor development practices. For such vast area, the land should prepared in small parcels, so it can be stabilised along the way. You would also have to ask why the natural rainforest wasn't integrated into this development. Surely it would be far more appealing for houses, designed and built for amongst a tropical rainforest, to work in sympathy with it. However, the land has been totally cleared. Is Hartwig going to plant a few palm trees afterwards?

Besides the destruction of the rainforest, grading, roading, all of which has been rewarded by successive Cairns Councils instead of scrutinising and monitoring, Hartwig is setting a precedent for new projects above the 80 meter no build hillside line

It will be harder for Council to not approve developers in future, once this kind of mess is allowed. They will simply threaten court action. This opens all our hillslopes to development, without condition.

A shocking footnote to this sorry saga, is that the Combined Beaches Community Association alerted Drew McLean, at the Federal Environment Ministry a year ago, with a number of letters, and have never had one reply. Just prior to the March Council elections, Garrett's inspectors came up to Cairns to view False Cape, to prepare a report, which has never been released. They also visited Argentea and Foley Road at Palm Cove. The dialogue prior to them coming to Cairns was "open and fluid", however, following return to their Canberra bunker, all communication was cut off with the locals that had alerted them to these environmental crimes.

They say a picture tells a thousands stories, well here's the final part in our series of videos to show you the utter destruction at Foley Road:

Good riddance to Yacht Club building says Jason O'Brien

A comment on the Blog last week said that the silence from local MPs Boyle, Pitt, Wettenhall, O’Brien and Turnour on the Cairns Yacht Club campaign is deafening. "When you are defending the indefensible, no words will ever suffice," the anonymous stated.

This whole issue has nothing to do with politics but everything to do with respect, commitment, principle, ethics and integrity. It is bad enough when the State Government by its actions, demonstrates that its commitment to the protection and conservation of coastal resources and cultural heritage is nothing but a farce.

• When a government agency takes action which can only be construed as deliberate, to effectively negate any attempts by the community, the people it supposedly represents, to protect and save a treasured cultural heritage resource, it has lost all credibility. It is beyond the pale.

The writer goes on to say that the Certificate of Immunity was obtained by the Port Authority under Section 57 of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. This provides that a place may not be entered in the Queensland Heritage Register as a state heritage place within 5 years of the date of the certificate. This effectively prevented any person applying to have the Cairns Yacht Club listed under the Queensland Heritage Register until August 2009, by which time of course the building will have long been demolished.

Our former Council and then Mayor Kevin Byrne, aided and abetted this behaviour, and compounds the utter betrayal of the Cairns community. In relation to the Wet Tropical Coast Regional Coastal Management Plan, Mayor Byrne and Councillor Sno Bonneau were both members of the Regional Consultative Group, as was Paul Lucas, the now Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning.

• All part of the process (together with the community and other groups) that resulted in the Cairns Yacht Club being designated an “area of state significance” (cultural heritage) but then also part of the unethical process of ensuring that the CYC would never receive heritage listing that would protect it for present and future generations.
  
  The community and cultural heritage obviously means nothing when it comes to dollars and private enterprise. As demonstrated, adherence to and respect for the spirit and the intent of regional coastal plans and statutory law also means nothing. Our former Council and the State Government have both condemned themselves. Actions speak louder than words and this is one issue that won’t be conveniently going away.

However Jason O'Brien, the Member for Cook, is feed up hearing about the campaign to save the historic Cairns Yacht Club building.

"Please stop emailing me," he said in an email to People Against Demolishing the Yacht Club.

• "Your pathetic attempts to ingratiate yourself with the community on this issue are, quite frankly, sad," O'Brien says to PADYC's co-ordinator, Wendy Richardson.
  
  "I was on the Council when your fellow Liberal Kevin Byrne could have saved the Yacht Club and know the Port Authority well enough to know the role of the former Liberal candidate for Cairns, Bob Manning, in its demise".
  
  "The reality is that if those who are protesting about the fate of the club now had ever patronised the place it would not have got behind in its rent and fallen into the state it is now. The new building will be better and more importantly, viable as it will be patronised by tourists and locals alike."

OUR CAMPAIGN: What do you loathe about Cairns?

You've probably seen the latest Cairns Post 'feel good' campaign... What we love about Cairns.

Every day or so now a touchy-feelie story appears with someones lovely tale about all things honky dory in our neck of the woods.

This was largely put together to tell the world that it's all good here... come back.. we are a nice place to visit.. as a reaction to the Qantas decision to cease some flights from Japan later this year.

As soon as I saw all the fluffy stories starting to be published, I knew I had to do something.

I was also prompted from a CairnsBlog reader who wrote to me...

• "Happy Birthday CairnsBlog.. [we were a year old recently!] but party time is over!
  
  Why have you not done a story on the Cairns Post 'Why we love it up here' campaign???
  
  Mark Alexander from Cairns is on there, obviously!!! Gavin 'I hate shopping for shoes with my missus' King from Cairns is on there. Paul Gregory and Kirsten Lesina (visual amenity what????) are on there.
  
  Bloody hell, Val is on there and there is even a photo of her playing with her pussy on Machan's Beach!!!! If you don't believe me, here is the web.
  
  Come on Michael, I can't believe you're missing this stuff. It's just waiting to have the total piss taken out of it! I haven't laughed so much since Big Kev got ousted!

The Post's We Love it Here stories have their merit. When I read Berni McKean's contribution from Clifton Beach who's just returned to Cairns from cancer treatment in Bris Vegas, it made me think of Bev Barns and her 25-year-old son Josh. Many will know of Josh, or seen him around town.

His family moved up here a few years back because of the warmer climate, which is critical for Josh's survival. He's is a regular recipient of Intragam, a blood product that helps boost his immune system. When I was with the Red Cross Blood Service, I had the special joy of introducing Josh at St Augustine's end of year celebration, before several hundred students and their families, as he told his story how they'd helped save his life by donating blood.

Heck, even I contributed to the Post's campaign! Can you believe it? Now before you start calling me a turncoat or a flip-floper, my point was that we can so easily say what''s nice, and simply ignore or close our eyes and minds to other, more pressing issues.

So, I think they're missing the point.

Therefore today, I proudly launch our Why We Loathe it here campaign!

You can submit your nice fluff here to the Cairns Post, like I did, or tell everyone what really needs to happen in our region to make visitors come back. After all, that is the real objective of the Cairns Post campaign, and so is the objective of my What we Loathe about Cairns campaign.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not a negative campaign. Quite the contrary. The difference is, my campaign is frankly more honest. It acknowledges the things we all need to deal with as a community, to make it better, and take stock of where we're at.

It's all too easy to paint a rosy picture, and ignore our social and structural problems as a town. After all, we need at least a million visitors a year to survive, and a lot go away with a story that it's simply not worth coming back.

Just read Barry Neall's blog on the amount of crime in Cairns. He told me yesterday that the Police Minister Judy Spence doesn't think there's a problem up here, so he's off to Brissy to tell it to her face, at his own expense.

Here's some of the things that I loathe about Cairns...

- Street violence and assaults are out of control
- There's so many stories about the lack of respect for our heritage
- Tailgaters are a real problem around Cairns, especially in the city
- I've said it before, and I'll say it again, turn ya bloody fog-lights off!
- Politicians that promise one thing, then once elected betray their ideals
- Sno Bonneau. When are you going to talk with your people?
- Tourists that don't pay towards the costs of water and power
- Rate going up again! These Councillors couldn't even work out a family budget
- Dodgy developments. 4 story apartments alongside highways. What the?
- Total lack of respect and vision for our heritage by elected officials
- Town and community centres invented by developers, not those that live there!
- Bluewater at Trinity. What a disaster
- False Cape. What a mega disaster
- Supermarket parking. It's the worse thing on planet earth
- the price of a simple restaurant meal, almost everywhere, is aimed at some big fat tourist, not the locals

Well, there's some things to start the ball rolling. So, let everyone know what you loathe about it here.

Because, sooner or later, we need to make this place a whole lot better if we want the visitors to come back. They need to tell a better story when they get back to their home town, to become our 'marketing agents' so they'll tell others to visit our region, and maybe they can enjoy the reasons why we moved here in the first place.

Perception breeds reality. Unfortunately in Cairns at the moment, perception is the reality.

The damming 2003 Assessor's Report

This is the report that says it all about the Cairns Yacht Club's plea to seek Heritage listing status.

Cairns Regional Council, as a Signatory of the Trinity Inlet Management Plan (see pic), it's time for the New Regional Council, including those who formed part of the previous council, ie; Councillors Blake, Bonneau, Gregory and Cochrane; to go into full attack mode and take the Cairns Port Authority on, and show some true, honest courage on this topic.














The council's silence on this matter is contributing to the destruction.

Not only destruction of this old place, but to the civic pride held by so many. A pride that is being sorely tested.

There is no room for a plea of ignorance as to how the Cairns Yacht Club missed out on Heritage Listing in 2003.

There is now an abundance of evidence available to show what an absolute rort the 2003 Heritage Council decision was.

For example, here is the Assessor's Report to the Heritage Council in December 2003 in which he clearly states that the place satisfies the criteria for Heritage listing.

This expert advice was overruled by the then Chairman of the Queensland Heritage Council when met with a split, but depleted, vote.

Listed too are those that objected. It shows a compelling and political game at play to use the land for another purpose, with no respect to our history.

This is all about civic pride and a love of the old Cairns in which we live.


You can also download the Assessors Report to the Heritage Council.

Sno: Butt out of Palm Cove camping ground

The northern beach communities of Cairns have come under a lot of scrutiny recently. Almost every beach suburb is under the microscope from developers and commercial interests, greedy to do their worst without consulting local residents.

Clifton Beach has one of the most active community resident organisations that has been challenging and questioning what local developers are attempting to do in their back yard.

This tale comes from a northern beaches resident, who is closely involved on the battle to protect the golf course and wet tropics land that surround the Paradise Palms development.


Last Monday, a northern beaches resident nearly ran off the road whilst listening to the John McKenzie's radio talkback show. Who was on? You may well ask. What were they saying that nearly caused this accident?

Sno Bonneau, the former Divisional Councillor for this area, was on talk back about the Goldfinch Caravan Park, at Palm Cove.

This is the very much loved public camping and caravan park on Palm Cove's Esplanade.

Here is a bit of background.

This site has a long history and one, the Palm Cove-ites are proud of.

In the beginning, it was private land that was bequeathed to the State Government years ago by the owner for it to remain a public camping area. The Cairns Regional Council have management rights on behalf of the State Government.

In 2005, the then Council came up with a most ridiculous plan for re-development. Sno tried very hard to sell the concepts on offer but the locals would have none of it for very good reasons.

It took years for the Council to decide (in May 2007) to scrap their silly plans and just spend the money on upgrading the facilities, which is what the locals were screaming out for at the time.

So on Monday here is what Sno was saying in essence.

Cairns Council have run out of money and can’t afford to do the work, so are putting it out to private enterprise/developers to re-develop with of course, an opportunity to develop a commercial enterprise on the vacant land opposite the car park.

Sno emphasised that it was no longer his Division, but he had 13 years of work in that area.

It is Julia Leu’s division now but he had a very good working relationship with Julia Leu.

He implied that he gave her a lot of help and advice.
I wonder if this is Julia’s take on the situation? I rather think that the two views would be worlds apart.

Sno also said that he really missed working for Palm Cove and Clifton Beach. This is where the listener nearly ran off the road.

This councillor must be truly insane. He lives in a world of his own. It gets worse because people actually believe the crap that comes out of his mouth, particularly John McKenzie, it seems.

The residents of Clifton Beach northwards, are all enjoying a breath of fresh air in having Julia as our new representative. She is communicative, has come to several community meetings already, and is always polite and genuinely interested in resident’s views.

The Gold Finch Caravan Park issue, and Sno ‘s underhanded actions, were just one of several issues that the residents of the northern beaches put in an official complaint to Council earlier this year.

Here are the specifics of that complaint involving this Caravan Park...

1. There was a conflict of interest involved. At a closed session of Council, an amount of $25,000 was provided by Indigo Ocean’s Edge Resort for an Options Report. They wanted to include a boardwalk from their property down to the jetty at Palm Cove beach. The Options Report was duly done and guess what, on the two options which were almost identical to one another, there was a board walk in-situ, Option 1. – boardwalk sited straight through the middle of the camping area, and Option 2. – boardwalk sited to the back of the camping area but close enough so that walkers talking etc would have disturbed the campers/holiday makers. Both ridiculous options and no real alternatives.
   
   
2. The Ocean’s Edge advertising brochure was released before the matter came to Council for consideration and the boardwalk was mysteriously insitu without approval.
   
   
3. The Council released the Options Report and advertised like mad for community input, literally a few days before Christmas of 2005. The consultation process closed Jan 2006. The local community association complained via Council and nothing happened so then Jason O’Brien intervened because of the state interest, and then all hell broke loose. Council were then forced to extend the consultation period to end of Feb 2006.
   
   
4. Literally, hundreds of people put in submissions on this one, and then it took over twelve months (May 2007) for the Council to come up with the fact that they could not find the money for this grandiose plan (around $9 million), so at that meeting it was decided just to upgrade facilities. Obviously, Ocean’s Edge were not willing to cough up any extra dollars either.

There are some strong reasons why residents were strongly against what was on offer. The facts were that public space (camping area) was being significantly reduced, to make way for other vested interests, such as the Ocean’s Edge boardwalk. The commercial facilities that would border the Esplanade, a new and bigger public car park to appease Palm Cove traders.

Also the fact that a new road was being created around the circumference of the camping area to give a land owner on the southern side of Buchan Point, access to his property, which he currently did not have.

Imagine just how quiet the camping area would be with all those tourist buses and cars driving past your tent or van on their way to and from the jetty everyday?

Then there was also removal of the boat ramp. It is the only one north of Trinity Park. The lack of proper community consultation, and the underhanded way the original community engagement process was carried out, is of great concern. The fact the two options presented were almost identical to one another, except for the placement of the boardwalk, giving no real alternatives.

One alternative should have been the upgrade of facilities only.

So, according to Monday’s Cairns Post, the re-development of this much loved public space is back on Council’s agenda for a re-development not just a facelift.

The very fact that Sno Bonneau is involved again, and has gone out of his way to be involved in this issue, should raise public scrutiny of what is going on.

He should not be allowed anywhere near this project, not with his track record and the amount of animosity that most residents feel for this man who consistently failed in his duty as our elected representative.

Some hope for False Cape

Former mayoral candidate and renown peace activist, Bryan Law attended yesterday's special briefing at Council to witness the delegation of campaigners against the False Cape development.

He recounts his observations on a day when they were asking for local government to take action. Now.


I attended yesterday’s presentation by the Save False Cape group to members of the Cairns Regional Council. All Councillors were there, but they were not sitting as Council, had no power to make decisions, and in the event didn’t even have time for questions and discussion.

It’s clear that CRC has put thought into how to receive delegations, and SFC was one of four groups making delegations yesterday. The presentation ran for 40 minutes.

In the Byrne Council one could get 5 minutes at most, with certain Councillors willing to move that the speaker be no longer heard if the subject matter got too irritating. This new process initiated under Val Schier, is exponentially superior to anything sanctioned for community use by Kevvy (the Developer’s advocate) Byrne.

At this early stage I have some concerns about a few features of the current process, and I’ll watch events with a close eye to measure the effectiveness of CRC as an environmentally and socially responsible municipal Council.

1. One of the four delegations yesterday came from Advance Cairns, which is hardly a community group. Advance Cairns has no difficulty in presenting its issues to this or previous Cairns Councils - and/or state and federal governments. There was no questioning or discussion of SFC’s presentation because Advance Cairns stole the time.



2. As well as the complement of CRC officers (Noel Briggs, Peter Tabulo) the Department of Environment and Heritage had two operatives attend the meeting. None of these people responded, could be questioned, or were in any way held to account for their own actions in sanctioning the destruction at False Cape, resulting in the present problems – and are still the ones in charge of government action in relation to False Cape.



3. DEWHA has kept secret its commissioned report into False Cape in order to preserve its evidentiary value (which sounds like piffle to me). Since when have we had trial by ambush in this country? If the science is sound and the evidence is collected the report’s evidentiary value can’t be diminished by public disclosure or by informed debate about the best way forward.



4. The SFC presentation clearly demonstrated that the owners of False Cape have failed to meet development conditions, and that all the approvals given subject to those conditions must now lapse without compensation.



5. The present situation will cause damage to the Great Barrier Reef marine park if left uncorrected. CRC and other governments get to consider the future of the land.
   The CRC must move immediately to rehabilitate and manage the damaged areas of the site before the next Wet Season. Somewhere in lawyer land there is $650,000 of bond money to start with.

Then the Queensland and Federal governments ought consider the area’s best future use as an asset for the regional populations of Trinity Bay, False cape and Trinity Inlet. I imagine the Yarrabah Council and traditional owners of that land might like a site on which they could develop things they need like jobs, housing, cultural and natural interpretation enterprises along with other conservation outcomes in civic partnership. For instance.

My chief concern is that right now we have no response or indication from any government bureaucrat or elected Councillor about what, when and how they are going to fix any of the problems and take advantage of the opportunities.

We don’t even have a date when CRC will next consider the matter.

I worry that the same bureaucrats who got us into this mess will apply the usual tactics to calm the waters and suffocate the spirit. To shift the blame and endorse a policy of urgent caution, while continuing to enjoy the nice quiet day that a professional Council officer feels entitled to. While extending their reputation for reliability in doing nothing.

Call me a cynic.

I hope I’m wrong. I really do hope the elected Mayor and Councillors can get together and forge effective action over False Cape and related development issues. Action which will work to develop Cairns as a healthy and balanced community living sustainably in this fabulous part of Planet Earth. I know they are able to do it if they choose.

Call me an optimistic cynic, but I’m not going to hold my breath waiting. I’m going to keep a close eye on how all three levels of government respond to the present opportunities. I’m going to pay particularly close attention to how my Mayor and Councillors exercise their responsibilities.

It was hard at today’s meeting to gauge which way individuals are going to jump. A more dour and aloof bunch is hard to imagine, at least the ones in front of me. Paul Gregory, Thingo, Nancy Lansky was obscured from my view by the back of Kirsten Lesina’s Head. Sno Bonneau, Noel Briggs, Di Forsyth, Rob Pyne, Margaret Cochrane and Alan Blake, although he never made eye contact. Then the backs of heads, including Val Schier.

Paul Gregory looked at times as if was enduring enough guff to last a month, but mostly kept a straight face and looked prosperous, almost natty in a really nice shirt and tie. Thingo and I are a long way apart in the cultural realm and i don’t connect with most of the cues, but Thingo came across as inscrutable. Sort of Easter Island statue, but of alabaster with a business like perfume. Thingo is that radio woman whose show I never listened to.

I think it was Noel Briggs.

Di Forsyth is on side and will ensure the process of Council consideration plods along in due course. Her job now is to acquire the DEWHA report, commission a report from the CRC officers, and organise a formal Council meeting to vote on a set of high value recommendations. (The ones recommended by SFC).

Rob Pyne smiled at me and tried to ask a question, but was over-ruled by Val Schier. I was hoping he would be assertive and give us a 60 second grab, but alas. Margaret Cochrane reminds me of a kindly and well-meaning aunt, but I’ve got no idea where she stands on False Cape. The same goes for Alan Blake except that he would be an ambitious adversary rather than a kindly aunt. The backs of heads didn’t say anything so I have no clue at all.

Here’s hoping that Val Schier and Di Forsyth can fashion a coherent and functioning Council which acts purposefully to rehabilitate False cape and institute a positive program of appropriate development.

Here’s hoping CRC develops its consultation processes to forge effective partnerships with community groups to improve both the long-term planning and the everyday amenity of our town.

Call me an optimistic cynic but I believe these things are possible – but possible only if Val and all the other Councillors are well supported by citizens in the task. I’m willing to go so far as to watch carefully and contribute what I can to creative problem solving and greater community accountability – insofar as False Cape is an emblematic issue of good potential.

We live in interesting times.

Nimbys at Stoney Creek

There's more than mis-guided children who want to live in the tranquil Stoney Creek, on the outskirts of Cairns.

The area has been identified as a location for a Department of Communities Youth Intervention Centre. Basically, this is where some off the rail kids will be sent, to be managed and guided by some social counselling experts.

If I'd been along to one of these facilities when I was young, maybe I wouldn't have to take all my frustrations out by writing this Blog.

Now, I dunno if you've been to Stoney Creek. It always get flooded around the height of the wet season. It's also a nice spot for a Sunday picnic. However, further up the road are some rather nice spacious properties, set amongst thick new generation forest. It's certainly a picture out of some happy family movie.

It was bound to be a shitfight, when you propose to put two extremes of society alongside each other. Would be like Val and Kevin going on a blind date to see the latest Arnie flick, called "I'll Bean Bag." Wait for it, you'll get it.

If I lived in pitcueesqe Stoney Creek, I'd have no problem with them becoming neighbours. They're welcome to build their new facility in Yorkeys. We've got plenty of old sugar cane fields lying around, hardly even usual for anything nowadays.

Now, be aware, I haven't put my suggestion before the Yorkeys Knob Residents' Association, and frankly, I don't know what they would say. Maurice and Wayne would probably be okay about it, but then hardly anything fazes these lads that are a local institution. Then there's Jasse on the Knob. She has a huge dog. Bigger than her I think. I don't Jasse would want a rowdly mob of wayward kids moving into Yorkeys. Pam-I-did-over-Toma-Bigelow, who has two rowdy kids of her own, wouldn't mind a bit. Of that I'm sure.

Recently the locals crowned resident copper Anthony Kirkman and radio queen Pat Morrish, King and Queen of the Knob. I'm sure they would both endorse a bunch of ratbags living on the edge of our community. I mean, Anthony has a job whereby he doesn't sleep anyway, and Pat will soon be retiring and I'm sure she'll happily bake muffins and drop them down.

Also, I think Janine would welcome having a youth facility in Yorkeys. Any opportunity for some new young male talent in the neighbourhood, would be happy.

However the Stoney locals were rightly pissed off when they were barred from the "public consultation" meeting last night. This behaviour harks back to the days of the last Council. Submissions were asked for and only after that was done, the 'rules' were changed. It was announced that only those that sent in a submission, would be allowed along to the community meeting. How very dare they (appols to Catherine Tate).

The angry mobsters at Stoney Creek voted to have no confidence in their MP Steve Wettenhall. Hear, hear!

Come on Steve, you have two initials after your name, that we gave you. MP = Member of Parliament. You're not a lawyer anymore. You're here to listen and consult with the people. All the people, regardless of their opinion. Now it may have not been your idea to exclude some, however you should have vetoed that stupid decision if it was some official sitting in a plus government office. The locals would have respected you for it, regardless of the outcome of the meeting.

Sadly, this reminds me of our lovely Sno Bonneau, who famously hates attending community meetings. My neighbour Janine and I are about to take delivery of the first shipment of "Where Are You Sno?" t-shirts. They were produced by child-labour we sourced in a back alley in Vietnam. They were a bargin, as they only cot .20 cents each, including freight. We are such an entrepreneurial couple. You can order one from http://www.snot-shirt.vn/vn at $29.99.

By the way, I've learnt that this Stoney Creek Youth facility will be an 'adventure based learning centre'. Gosh, I think I might book myself in there for a weekend away.

Return of the Caption contest

It's been awhile. But all good things are worth waiting for, my little munchkins.

Today marks the return of the infamous CairnsBlog caption contest!

As usual, first prize will be a weekend holiday away with the former Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne. Second prize will be two weekends away with Kev.

I took today's caption contest photo (below) at the one and only public community forum for Division 9. This contest was against Janine Aitken in the Red Corner, and Sno Bonneau in the Bright Red Corner. It wasn't a fight over left Vs right. More a fight over sexy Vs old sexy.

Former Councillor and Sno Ant mate, Annette Sheppard, turned up 30 minutes early, armed with "Cairns 1st this way" red and blue posters from her home printer. Kinda funny really. She and Sno were attempting to make the point that the meeting was orchestrated by Janine and her Cairns 1st buddies.

I'm the first to admit that there was a real desire on the part of Janine's mob to get a public meeting underway. Their motivation was two-fold.

One: Sno hates public meetings. Well-known factiod number one. He hasn't been to one community residents' meeting since been re-elected. Sno infamously told the Clifton Beach Stirrers Association, that he doesn't go to their meetings, because their invitations always come too late. He again made that announcement at the night of the community forum at Smithfield Tavern. Me thinks he simply doesn't like the fact he'd have to come face-to-face with his residents who like asking questions.

The other reason why Janine was keen on a public meeting during the campaign, is because that's what political campaigns are all about. Open debate of issues. Being held accountable for what you've achieved or not. An opportunity for the community to raise concerns and find out candidates' plans and proposals for the future. Otherwise they simply have to rely on your glossy propaganda. I mean, anyone can write advertising speak to bullshit and confuse the masses. After being in office for many years, you acquire a certain skill at it.

Regardless of who organised it, the meeting did occur. It happened on a wet, wet northern beaches night, and in a horrible venue with the noisiest roof from the pounding tropical rain and neighbouring pub patrons. There was a mixed bag of followers, and a few deadbeats from either side of the political fence. There were also set up stooges on either side, that appeared to be ready to shout and ignore the chair's direction to shut the eff up when politely asked.

It was, not the most orderly political meeting I've ever been too. Never the less, it served some sort of purpose. I got some handy cam footage of Sno being an absolute gentlemen to the gathered constituents. This rare footage will sell on Ebay in years to come for a fortune I'm sure.

Janine, dressed in a polite understatement to blend in with the pub curtains, did her best impression of a girl-next-door about to commit a heinous murder. She was a real delight to listen to. So was Sno. They sat either side of the lectern, whilst JCU economics Professor Doug Hunt was trying to hold the fort, amid quickfire abuse coming from the floor. It was worth skipping The Simpsons for.

I've ranted a little, but I merely wanted to give you all a glimpse into a evening that should have been shared by more. These events are fun. Messy dirty fun, but fun all the same. It was like having a blowie with your cousin's friend behind the bike sheds. Kinda hope know one finds out, but left you with a smirk on your face for at least an hour.

So, please do your darnest. As always, I'll start the ball rolling...

1. "Sno, you look at me with that fake grin one more time, and I will bitch slap you."
2. "On behalf of the Mayor Kevin Byrne, Hedly and CEC, I'd like to say thank you for keeping me in this job..."
3. "I have way more cleavage than Ms Aitken, I can assure you."
4. "What? The Smithfield Tavern is 'historic'? Maybe it's about time to let the developers in on that joke!"
5. "Sno, you have a lovely tie and sense of style. Now go home and see how the rest of the community dresses up in these here parts."
6. ....your turn....

Kev 1. Val: -1

Bet you never thought I'd say it. But I will. Kevn Byrne is right.

Well, at least when yesterday he slammed Val about her lack of ability to comment on Villa Romana, prior to yesterday's Planning and Environment meeting.

I agree that the mayor, in a long line up of verbal faux pas, opened her mouth before considering what she was saying. More importantly, Val said something before taking council with her media adviser.

She was caught telling the Cairns Post that her Councillors had an agreement to not discuss anything before a Council meeting. What the?

This statement that was not only categorically incorrect, it was going to make her look rather silly. I dunno if Val knows this, but the Cairns Post reporters probably have the telephone numbers of the other 10 Councillors.

Clever loud mouth and media slut Robert Pyne was the first off the rank for a photo opp, to say he would speak out about anything.

I recall Robert was one of only two Councillors to object to the 530 GlenCorp apartments that Council approved last month to go ahead on Woree's old drive in movie site.

Along with Cr Linda Cooper (who would have thought), he defended his decision against the development saying that local infrastructure wasn't there to support such a congested development.

Around 1000 car parks will need to be provided to service this complex. This is on top of 600 vehicle allocations on the neighbouring City Waters, or Shitty Waters as I christened it. Also built by GlenCorp.

If this was 1939 Germany, some of our Cairns developers would be fully employed.

What was amazing about this most recent approval, was that new Councillors Schier, Lesina, and Forsyth all campaigned on a ticket of sustainable development. That's why they were elected.

And this is called sustainable development? Gimme a break girls!

They will no doubt defend their ill-informed vote by saying that under the Cairns Plan, the application was allowed.

Bullshit. If we elect representatives to challenge and question the type of community we want, it is these type of decisions that affect us most.

I know Pyne regularly engages his constituents. He represents their decisions, to the best of his ability. He says it is them that he's there for, so it's an obligation.

At the same Council meeting, approval was granted for truck load of apartments, stacked four stories high, on top one house block. The site hugs wetland and native vegetation that will be affected buy this structure. This is in Cr Margaret Cochrane's patch. Or should I say, the Deputy Mayor's Division.

And did she consult with the neighbouring residents in Wattle Street? Did she ask the Yorkeys Knob Resident's' Association to have input? Did he ask Pam Bigelow and her team that campaigned four years earlier against the illegal and notorious Alistair Toma and his South Beach disaster that Council endorsed and approved, only to be thrown out in the Environment Court.

Well, no. Margaret didn't consult the community on this one. Amazing. We've only just had an election on the wave of wanting more openness and accountability.

How hard is it, after being a Councillor for such a long time, to have some systems in place to seek feedback about issues that are coming before a meeting? A large majority of the population has email access. There's local shop and community centre noticeboards.

Someone needs to give these Councillors a 101 lesson in representation.

I know Division 9 Councillor Sno Bonneau infamously said to many that he's there to make decisions, not to keep consulting with the people. Maybe Margaret and Sno have had one too many Lattes at an Edge Hill cafe lately?

When will these $100,000 elected representatives represent us and our views? Maybe they simply don't give a toss.