Community radio breached broadcasting codes, president ignores

Just one hour after yesterday's ruling from the Australian Communication and Media Authority, ACMA, that found Cairns community station 89.1FM had breached the Community Broadcasting Radio Codes of Practice because as it did not have required policies and procedures in place, president Rodney Coutts, sent off his sixth letter to terminate a member who had spoken out against him.

The investigation found that Cairns Community Radio did not have policies and procedures regarding corporate governance, membership, conflict resolution, complaints handling, encouraging participation, and volunteering.

Following the ACMA ruling, and the day after a violence-fuelled lock out that he and his vice president Pieter Blaauw orchestrated, Rodney Coutts sent the following email to terminate yet another member:

• From: Rodney Coutts rodney.coutts@cairnsfm891.org
  Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 4:31pm
  To: Shane Wilson
  Subject: Addressing your membership
  
  Shane, Due to the adjournment of the Management Committee meeting 6th January 2010, we request your attendance at a special Management Committee meeting to be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 13th January, 2010, where the matter of your membership will be addressed.
  
  The only matter on the agenda at this time will be your membership.
  
  Rod Coutts
  President
  Cairns Community Broadcasters Inc.

The email followed a discussion with Coutts on the 21st October where he told Wilson to "fuck off, we don't want you here anymore."

Wilson, as the Station's technician and also a member of the Association, had enquired why so many committee members were leaving, and why he had called the Police to remove the Association's secretary Donn Corcoran that morning.

"The email he sent to me, advising that the committee had agreed to terminate my [technician's] agreement, is a direct admission that he acted well beyond his authority," Shane Wilson says. He says that the current committee was not elected by the membership.

"I do not recognize it," Shane Wilson says. "Any decision of Coutts' hand-picked kangaroo committee would not be valid because the replacement members were appointed by Mr Coutts, and not by the committee, nor the general membership."

Rodney Coutts claims that on Wednesday 21st October at 9.50am, Wilson entered the office of Cairns FM89.1, and "created mischief."

"You falsely accused the constitutionally elected president of Cairns FM89.1, of issues unrelated to your position as a casual contracted radio technician," Rodney Coutts says.

Coutts also cites "derogatory and highly inflammatory e-mails with false and misleading information against the constitutionally elected president and members of the committee." He also says Wilson's open letter to readers of CairnsBlog, had false accusations against the president.

"For the sake of the entire community radio in Cairns, I ask him resign immediately as president," Wilson says.

Rodney Coutts cancelled Wednesday's meeting, even though there was no reason to do so when Cairns Regional Councillors Linda Cooper and Diane Forsyth turned up with along with Wilson and other members to deliver membership application forms. It's obvious that it he terminates Wilson's membership, it will effectively invalidate the membership applications he signed as a sponsor.

Coutts may think he is clever to cancel Wednesday's meeting so that the organisation does not have to accept new memberships prior to a general meeting of the membership on the 20th January. However the constitution states that new applications must be presented to the committee, as soon as they are received. His action is yet another breach, and one of the specific rulings of ACMA's findings against Cairns community radio.

Coutts has changed nothing. He is carrying on the way the secret club was under the former Arona-run committee.

The tide is against Coutts and he has lost respect from an over-whelming majority of the membership.

Coutts' letter to Shane Wilson says that the rescheduled committee meeting is "only for the purpose of his termination," another contravention of the rules of the association's rules which demand that membership application must be presented to the next meeting after receipt.

He is clearly manipulating the situation to remove anyone who talks out against his appalling leadership.

This simply confirms the view that Coutts' attitude is that he and his two cohorts, treasurer Mimielle Alvero, who has been in a personal relationship with Coutts and is signatory to the cheque book, along with Pieter Blaauw who violently attacked Councillor Forsyth on Wednesday night, can do what they like to whoever they like, with impunity.

"I have been part of 4CCR for over 10 years, a lot of time and equipment has been donated for the betterment of genuine people," Shane Wilson said. "My reputation for making the studios the best possible is history, is on record. My many trips, many not charged for, to Mt Yarrabah to keep what was a mess on air is also history. I have even walked up to the transmiter site to restore service when the road was impassable."

Wilson is also credited with bringing together SEA-FM and Community Radio for the establishment of 104.3 Breeze, as it was known then, for the upgrade of the 4CCR transmitter site. Along with at least 30 members, Wilson is seeking his resignation so the station can move forward. Only 19 members are required to call for a new election

Michael Hyams and Shane Wilson both have had separate conversations with Rodney Coutts where he invented a story about another member he wanted expelled.

"I want to get rid of fucken Judi and Donn Corcoran and also that bloody Greg Dwyer," Coutts told Wilson. "He the invented a story in an attempt to discredit Judi Corcoran," Wilson says.

On Friday the 16th of October, in the central technical control room Rodney Coutts said that Judi Corcoran had abused her position. "She has stolen money from the Association and that he would have to get rid of her," Shane Wilson recounts in a sworn statement.

Wilson asked Rodney Coutts what this was all about, he claimed that Judi Corcoran had taken money from the petty cash and bought a desk, now located in the office. In fact, the petty cash float is only $100 and it is controlled by Coutts.

"I told Rod Coutts this had nothing to with Judi, and that along with Greg Dwyer, had got the desk from a shop in the Raintrees Shopping Centre that morning," Wilson says. "Greg Dwyer had purchased the desk with his own credit card. I witnessed this and helped him bring the desk upstairs. It was a bulky item."

Coutts repeated the accusation in a separate conversation a week later to another member, Michael Hymans that day. "She stole $300 from the petty cash to purchase an office desk," Coutts claimed. Hyams has also made a statutory declaration on Coutts' conversation.

The assault on Judi Corcoran is all the most shocking, as the Corcoran's had welcomed Coutts to their home for meals and even agreed to take him to Townsville for a personal health issue.

Rodney Coutts is also seeking to expel another member, senior Council staffer Helen Jaroe, who challenged his autocratic management style, .

"I initially believed that Coutts was a good person and would be good for the radio station," Jarroe says. "All his actions since being elected has demonstrated his abuse of the position as chairman of the committee," Helen Jarroe says.

"I am so disappointed to find that you are motivated by self-interest and that you lack the skills and personal qualities to be a fair and competent chair of the committee," Helen Jarroe told Coutts.

"The actions of the president have made it impossible for me to continue in this role. I am deeply disturbed by the actions he has taken since becoming chairman, to the extent that I have no other option but to resign [from the commitee]."

"I came to the committee with a wealth of experience and skills to contribute, but due to the barriers imposed by the chair from the very moment he was elected - I have had no opportunity to even begin to contribute. Uppermost in my mind is always the good of the station in the long term," Jarroe said.

"I urge the membership to hold new elections, as I feel the station is at risk under the current management committee structure. There are new people on the committee who cannot have been voted on to the committee via proper process, and as far as I can tell have just been independently co-opted onto the committee. I am sure I don’t need to explain to you all what this means," Helen Jarroe warned the membership.

"Your current president appears to prefer to act alone in all things, and wants to run the station as station panager as a paid employee as well as holding the position of chairman," Jarroe wrote to members. "This at the very least is a conflict of interest. It is because of this desire of his, expressed during the first meeting of the committee on 5 October that relations within the committee have broken down."

Jarroe says that serious actions have been taken against members of the committee in order to get rid of them.

"The committee elected at the AGM consisted of nine members and five members of the committee have resigned with a sixth about to follow. I am aghast at all that has taken place and hold very real concerns for the future of our community resource, Cairns FM89.1," she says.

"I would not stand before the committee and defend myself because I have nothing to defend myself about, and have done nothing wrong," Helen Jarroe says.

"I do not recognize the authority of that committee. It contains only 3 constitutionally-elected members. If I am expelled I will request a General Meeting of members where as is my right I will appeal to the whole membership. I will simply present to the membership the absolute facts and nothing more, of what has occurred since the Management Committee was formed at the September AGM, particularly those matters in breach of the Constitution, the Code of Practice and the requirement for a dispute resolution process to be utilised," Jarroe says.

On Chrismas Eve, as Helen Jarroe was preparting to fly overseas to visiting her sick mother, Coutts instructed the Radio Station's lawyers, to write to her.

"Mr Coutts has consulted us in his capacity as president of Cairns Community Broadcasters," O’Reilly Stevens Bovey Lawyers said. "He has provided us with a copy of a letter which you circulated on 16th November 2009 to the members of the Association, [and] is of the opinion that your letter was intended to undermine the committee of management and destabilise the Association."

"You infer that Mr Coutts is a tyrant and you allege that he has a conflict of interest, the innuendo being that Mr Coutts has an improper or dishonest agenda," they wrote. "You allege that 'serious actions' have been taken against members of the Association in order to get rid of them. Mr Coutts consulted us in his capacity as president of the Association and not in his personal capacity, since he has no intention whatsoever of taking legal action against you as a result of your defamation of his character," O’Reilly Lawyers wrote.

"He wished to be assured that your conduct could properly be considered as 'injurious or prejudicial to the character or interests of the Association'."

However, O’Reilly Stevens Lawyers said that Coutts has no intention of issuing legal proceedings against Jarroe.

"He could not demonstrate that he has suffered any damage whatsoever as a result of your defamation. Secondly, generally accepted that persons who defame others very often bring ridicule upon themselves. It is poetic justice, of sorts. Mr Coutts believes that this is such a case."

It's believed that more $3,000 has been spent on legal letters in the last two months, from Coutts to members advising them of membership termination proceedings.

Anyone who challenges Coutts has to be punished and removed, according to his management. He has clearly learned nothing from Wednesday night's meeting, the physical assault by his vice president Pieter Blaauw on Councillor Diane Forsyth, or ACMA's ruling.

He is seeking to get rid of as many people as possible before the General Meeting on 20 January.

These actions fly directly in the face of ACMA's ruling where they found that Cairns Community Radio was disregarding its corporate governance, membership, conflict resolution, complaints handling, encouraging participation, and volunteering.

Is Rodney Coutts mad? Is he seriously sane when he writes letters to members like this?

Whilst I welcome the Cairns Post for finally airing this issue, they need to act like a community watchdog and not leave it up to the members to fight the illegal goings on alone. Coutts told the Post that ACMA's ruling is being dealt with.

"I'm working on developing policies since taking on the role in September," Coutts said. Of course the statement is laughable. His actions, right up to today, fly in the face of any ruling or charge that the membership demanded after the closed shop of the last 10 years.

An investigation began after a complaint was submitted during 4CCR's licence renewal process. The station's licence has been renewed, but it will have to improve its official processes after the breach finding.

The codes require community broadcasters to have management and operational policies and procedures in place and to make them freely available. The ACMA found that at the time of the complaint the licensee failed to meet these obligations.

In response to the finding, the station will review the documentation required under the codes and "formulate a timetable for the development and implementation of the required policies and procedures."

In renewing 4CCR's licence, the ACMA "accepted a number of measures designed to strengthen the licensee's management capacity." The ACMA believes that 4CCR's response to the investigation and the renewal of its licence demonstrates its genuine commitment to meeting its obligations. ACMA will continue to monitor performance.

Cairns forensic policeman, Greg Dwyer, who was elected vice president at the September AGM, is also disgusted the way Coutts has acted over recent weeks.

"Within three meetings post the AGM election, it became apparent that there were other completely opposite and personal agendas to that we were told to the voting members," Dwyer says. "They have been duped. I have a high level of personal and professional moral integrity and was forced to resign when outright lies and deceits prevented the necessary forward direction of the station."

Dwyer says that his personal integrity is such that he also resigned from presenting on the radio staion, along with 16 others since late September.

"Knowing what was really being discussed and decided by some members of the Committee, I could not ignore such behaviour simply to present my show. There are rules of process and accountability that should not be ignored or flouted. And there is public money being given to this organisation. Deceit is something I will not stand by and be part of," Greg Dwyer says of Coutts' leadership.

The Cairns Post story today says that Coutts has appoligised to the Cairns Councillors.

"I have received no apology, no one has contacted me about the awful way I was treated and assaulted," Diane Forsyth.

Cairns Regional Council's CEO Lyn Russsell yesterday recomended that Forsyth report the assult by Pieter Blaauw to the Police. "This is awful, and I will talk with Diane to take action. She needs to take this matter to the Police," Russell told CairnsBlog.

"I will be making a formal complaint to the Police today so that they can investigate," Forsyth said. The witnesses to the events on Wednesday night, hope that Blaauw will be charged with serious assult.

"I will provide sworn statements from the many witnesses that saw the physical violence against me from the vice president," Forsyth said. "I will also show that the president, Rodney Coutts, who was standing right next to Mr Blaauw, did not intervene, and therefore encouraged the behaviour to continue," Forsyth said.

"It was a frightening thing to happen to me. It felt like a domestic violence assult," Councillor Forsyth says.

It's blindingly obvious that Coutts, along with the violent Pieter Blaauw, is incompetent to implement the findings of the regulatory authority ACMA. He lacks majority support amongst the membership of Cairns Community Radio. He is a very destructive influence on this community asset.

CairnsBlog cartoon by Johnnie

If you kiss a toad, you'll turn into a toad

Gripping intellectual breaking journalism today from the Cairns Post's Ben Blomfield: "Pics of snake eating toad."

In-between my day job, I'll stick to local politics and the community radio corruption for the time being.

I'm sure Ben will get a Thomas Chamberlain-sized gong for his investigative reporting.

As a mark of respect, I will tonight find a toad, squashed in a roadside gutter, and drop it off at the office for Ben. It will be a constant reminder where he can find stories.

Federal Member to intervene in Cairns community radio after violence against Councillor

Federal Member for Leichhardt, Jim Turnour will launch a formal investigation into the affairs of the Cairns Community Radio, that receives in excess of $200,000 public funding annually.

Turnour's decision to get involved in the turmoil, follows a volatile confrontation at an advertised open meeting of the beleaguered community radio last evening. The Association has been subject of a CairnsBlog investigation since September 2009. [SEE Part 1, Part 2, and Denis Walls SoapBlog.]

"The meeting is private and closed until 6:30pm," Pieter Blaauw loudly confronted visitors as they arrived moments before the scheduled start. "We always have a closed meeting at the beginning," Blaauw said, however this is untrue, with guests actively invited in previous meetings.

Cairns Regional Councillors Linda Cooper and Diane Forsyth went along to the Manunda studio office as guests of members Michael Hyams and David Rentz. However Pieter Blaauw, who has assumed the role as vice president, yelled at the Councillors and the members that wanted to attend the meeting. Mr Blaauw then slammed the door on Councillor Forsyth's arm, causing her pain and discomfort in what she compared to a domestic violence assault.

"I subsequently telephoned the Federal Member Jim Turnour about this and he has requested me to put in a full report for his action," Councillor Forsyth said. "He expressed serious concern for what has been happening and the way I was treated at the radio station last evening. I felt like I was in a domestic violence situation, when the person will stop at nothing," Forsyth said.

Councillor Forsyth said she will consider reporting the incident and the actions of Pieter Blaauw to Cairns Police.

The situation enflamed after new membership applications along with payments attached, were presented to the secretary Diane Jensen, as she entered the meeting room. Two minutes later, vice president Pieter Blauuw opened the door and threw the bundle of membership forms on the corridor floor, then retreated and locked the door.

Councillors Cooper and Forsyth [pictured right] then proceeded to knock on the door continuously for five minutes to gain entry and deliver the membership forms. Their calls for attention were ignored as the embattled President Coutts and his two remaining elected committee, along with unknown seconded extras, decided what to do next.

It is extremely odd that Rodney Coutts has bought back the immediate former president, John Fielder. His committee is subject to a forensic audit for misappropriation. Since the September 28th AGM, six of the nine elected have left the committee in disgust of Coutts' leadership. These events will be detailed in a special CairnsBlog feature on Monday.

The meeting door was eventually opened, and Forsyth and Cooper were confronted with a noticeably frazzled and disturbed Rodney Coutts and his boisterous deputy, Pieter Blaauw.

Coutts [pictured middle of photo, left] had earlier talked with the building security and Police to intervene, but they refused. He has used the Police to remove people who have challenged him over the past three months, showing that he is the signatory to the office lease. However, it is the committee and the Association that that leases the rooms, not an individual.

Once inside the meeting room, president Coutts told Linda Cooper that the membership applications were not acceptable, as they were on photocopied forms. He clearly saw these as a threat, but Cooper requested that the applications be accepted under the provisions of ACMA's principals and the station's own constitution that encourages membership.

Coutts said the forms were not the official ones, a delaying stunt he tried on local Greens campaigner Denis Walls the previous day.

"He [Coutts] said that was not the official form, when I went up to the station on Tuesday," Denis Walls told CairnsBlog. "He asked where I got it from and then gave me one on blue paper, saying it had to be on that."

Walls, who wrote the CairnsBlog SoapBlog about his time as president of Cairns Community Radio in the early 90's, also told Rodney Coutts that he didn't have a proposer or a seconder as required on the membership form. The usual custom is for any current member, or the committee to endorse new members, however Walls was instructed that he would need get that filled out.

"I haven't been involved in Cairns community radio for 15 years, so I don't know anyone," Denis Walls said. "How would someone off the street know existing members? We often used to approve new memberships at the committee table," Denis Walls told Coutts. "Has the constitution changed since then?" he asked. "Well that's the rules now," Rodney Coutts defiantly told the prospective member, who retreated without handing over his completed membership form.

The refusal and active discouragement of membership is a tactic that the Arona-controlled committee perfected over the last ten years, and it seems that new president Rodney Coutts, a good friend of the Kuranda commune, is continuing this even though ACMA has informed the station, they have a mandate to actively engage the community and not refuse membership.

The incident last evening at the Manunda community radio station was soon to turn volatile.

Councillor Linda Cooper asked to sit in on the meeting as a guest. This is a common practice that has been recorded in minutes for the last few years, including during October and November last year. However, Pieter Blaauw [pictured right] interjected and said that guests were not welcome at meetings.

"This is not a private club, it's owned by the community," Michael Hyams retorted.

Pieter Blaauw lynched toward me and attempted to grab my camera. He was obviously perturbed that the events were being recorded and his behaviour would be exposed.

The door was then closed and locked.

"This will be reported to ACMA if this is not done according to the rules," Forsyth said through the locked door, as she wanted the membership forms accepted.

"I was following [Councillor] Linda Cooper, and he [Pieter Blaauw] came and obstructed me in the doorway," Forsyth said. "I was assaulted by this man and he pushed me, and punched me in the arm a punch, and then physically pushed me backwards. I knew he wasn't going to stop, the look on his face, he would have done something even worse."

"Whilst he wasn't going to pick on any of the blocks, he was prepared to pick on a woman," Forsyth said. "Linda got in the room as she pushed through the jarred door, and I went to follow, but [Blaauw] pushed and shoved me. He was out of control. It was a violent confrontation, and I had to step back from that," Diane Forsyth said.

The Cairns councillor was visibly rattled and shaken immediately following the incident. She left the corridor and then telephoned Federal Member Turnour to report the incident.

"My objective now is for Jim to see the seriousness of this so that it will be investigated. Jim told me it was awful and that he was genuinely concerned for my safely," Forsyth said. "He asked for a report to his office, which I will table today for his action."

"You really can't let things like this go. I've worked with many in the domestic violence area in alcohol-related issues, with women in situations like this. He [Blaauw] physically hurt me, however it also felt really frightening."

Councillor Linda Cooper, who has had a prominent career in commercial radio broadcasting and publishing prior to being elected as a Cairns Regional Councillor said she was disturbed by the evening's events.

"I can honestly say that was extremely concerned with the animosity. I thought it was disgusting the way Councillor Forsyth was treated," Linda Cooper said. "Unfortunately it does nothing for a community radio station, that is meant to be there for all community members."

Cooper said that the advertised meeting was misleading. "When members saw that the meeting was on at 6pm, yet no one was welcome. This is wrong. Community radio is something we should all be passionate about."

After Linda Cooper left the room, she told those waiting outside that they had decided to call the meeting off, therefore there was no use staying. This way, Coutts did not have to entertain or answer any questions by members. Why did they cancel the meeting, and will minutes be recorded for Wednesday 6th January?

It's likely that Councillor Cooper and Forsyth's intervention ensured that the membership forms were accepted by the committee.

"There's no way in the world I was going to let that one go, that is why I was there to present those memberships, including one for myself and Diane," Councillor Cooper said, who will meet with Rodney Coutts next week to discuss the confrontation and a way forward.

"There are two things that need to be dealt with. They do need to look at the programming, it doesn't appear to be what should be provided on community radio," Linda Cooper says. "The other thing that needs looking at is the accountability of the financials has to be called into some sort of consideration. That should be a concern for the whole community, because this is Federally funded."

"I really hope that Jim Turnour gets involved," Linda Cooper said. "For some Councillors to turn up and show an active interest and to want to get involved, and to be treated like that, I cannot condone it, but I can understand about the animosity of the other members," she says. "For Diane Forsyth who was not aggressive whatsoever, to be treated in that way was pretty reprehensible."

"I truly want to see change, there's a need for it," Linda Cooper says.

The station's former technician Shane Wilson [pictured right], a member of Cairns Community Radio, witnessed the events, along with two other members.

"If this was my mother, the way he treated Diane and did that to her, I would have knocked him over. It was a disgusting way to act towards a woman," Shane Wilson said, who has been involved with the station for 15 years.

"Why they just didn't welcome us in, is unbelievable," Diane Forsyth says.

The group of members included David Rentz, Shane Wilson and Michael Hyams, who wanted to attend the meeting with their guests to submit membership forms, following an invitation advertised in the December newsletter.

"We would really like to see some members who might be interested in either joining the management committee, or the various sub-committees," the meeting invitation read.

"Unfortunately I thought they would act like this," David Rentz said, who has previously served on the committee. "I'm frankly not surprised."

78-year-old Michael Hyams, who has been a presenter and member of Cairns community radio for the last five years with his wife, was also disturbed by the way everyone was treated, especially in the presence of two Cairns Councillors.

"This is not meant to be a secret society, it's a community organisation," Hyams said. "I want to ask the meeting what were the conditions that ACMA has put on the radio station's licence renewal. It's very, very serious."

"It's none of your business," Pieter Blaauw said on behalf of the committee. "It is my business, I'm a member," Hyams replied.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has been investigating Cairns Community Radio for the last year, following numerous complaints about the former Arona-controlled committee sine 1999, that disbanded en masse last August.

"ACMA is currently undertaking the licence renewal process for 4CCR," investigating officer Alex Ash said. "Through this process, ACMA have identified areas of concern," who also recommended that concerns regarding the election and removal of the management committee should be referred to the Queensland Office of Fair Trading.

Diane Forsyth received no apology from Blauuw or the President of the radio station following last evening's assult.

Forsyth believes that because of the attention and scrutiny the community radio is under as a result of the CairnsBlog investigations, along with members and former committee, they're scared.

"They're running scared, they didn't know what they were doing last night. This whole business that they have the right to stop access is stupid. What were we doing wrong?" Forsyth asks. "I just turned up to a meeting that was advertised. I never thought it would have been like this, but it shows this is a small group of people that are very rattled at the moment and that violence stuff was going to continue."

Former Mulgrave Councillor Ross Parisi says the Cairns Regional Council should intervene.

"The Council should move a motion to instruct the relevant authorities to take action on this organisation," Ross Parisis says. "They have the power as community watchdogs, to not put up with this secret club caring on like this any longer. They are at the purse strings of over $250,000 and won't even let new members, let along our elected Councillors, get involved."

Cairns Mayor Val Schier was horrified when she learnt how her friend and colleague, Councillor Forsyth was treated.

"I'm shocked about these events that involved a Cairns Councillor. This is awful," Val Schier said late last evening. "I have read the information about the past 10 years [of community radio] on CairnsBlog so I'm surprised about this kind of behaviour going on with this new committee. I think that the Federal or State bodies that fund Cairns Community Radio now need to get involved and hear about this," Val Schier said.

The most disgusting thing during last evening's events, is that the Station's president allowed the violent and aggressive behaviour to occur, in fact, his inaction encouraged it to happen. He never cautioned the vice president for his actions when he slammed the door on Councillor Forsyth's arm, even though he was standing right alongside. After this performance, it is clear Rodney Coutts is not fit to hold the office of any community organisation.

The Community Broadcasting Foundation provide the lion's share of the $220,000 funding for Cairns community radio. Over the tenure of the Arona-controlled committee from 1999 to 2009, a number of programming reviews found they had not met the conditions of the grant. Refunds were made, however "commissions" that committee member Niels Briet was taking, were never paid back.

Over the last weeks and months, I've tuned in to 89.1 FM for my homework. This radio is not community radio. There is back to back music shows all day long, 30 second suicide community service announcements played for an hour-long, followed by satellite feeds from Europe and national news that has no connection whatsoever with the Cairns community, and repeated pre-recorded programmes over and over again. They don't get it. It's laughable that they have the word "community" in their title. Someone should sue them under the Fair Trading Act. They're not only abusing those that want a great local community radio, but it's an insult to the intelligence of an entire region. This so-called station is an embrassment and listened to by a tiny handful as a result of 15 years of neglect and manipulation. Hardly anyone on the street knows we have a community radio station in Cairns, and thanks to Rodney Coutts and Pieter Blaauw, it's like a non-stop car crash on the Kuranda Range.

Cairns community radio pails into insignificance when compared with Townsville's highly successfull Triple T, that is well-known and loved. They actively engage the community and even run an outdoor music festival.

The loser in all this mess is the community. The locals of Cairns, who, for 15 years been blocked from getting involved. The change of the guard in late September has not changed anything from the past woes. In fact community radio under Rodney Coutts' leadership is as destructive and secret as it was under Arona's time at the helm.

A general meeting scheduled for January 20th will seek his immediate removal, along with a committee that was not democratically elected at the AGM. However, he may fall on his rusty sword beforehand. Here's hoping.

For the record, the following membership forms were submitted last night:

• Jasse Walton, beaches resident association committee


• Ross Parisi, Former Mulgrave councillor


• Donn Corcoran, former secretary cairns committee radio


• Terrance Spackman, environmental activist


• Diane Forsyth, Cairns Regional Councillor
  
• Linda Cooper, Cairns Regional Councillor


• Bryan Law, peace by peace activist


• Gerry Pyne, Bendigo community radio and Tablelands technician


• Judi Corcoran, former presenter


• Tony Hillier, former presenter and station manager, local musician and writer


• Denis Walls, past president community radio


• Richie Bates, president of Cairns cycling


• Dave Slatyer, concerned local resident


• ....and CairnsBlog editor Michael Moore

The Queen, Rupert and Me available for sale from CairnsBlog

Following the exclusive extract featured on CairnsBlog from Desmond Zwar's autobiographical The Queen, Rupert and Me, I can now offer limited copies for sale.

Zwar was the former editor and publisher of Cairns community newspaper Focus News from 1971 to 1989. He lived in Leo McKern's historic Stratford home for 23 years, which he describes in his biography, The Queen, Rupert and Me.

UK Journalist of the Year, Phillip Knightley, described Desmond’s career as a tradition of brash boys from the Australian bush making good in cosmopolitan Fleet Street.

"Zwar was there when British journalism was at its best, and from stories about the Queen to film stars, politicians and scandals he confirmed the Fleet Street view that there was no one better able to dig out the real story than an Aussie.

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  - Professor Mark Pearson, Head of Journalism at Bond University.
  
  
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If you'd like to purchase your own copy, or one for a friend, they're only $26. Just drop me an email or call and leave a message on the CairnsBlog info line 0428 235 660.

The rise and tragic fall of Cairns community radio - Part 2

Since September, I've been investigating Cairns Community Radio, an incorporated association by Statute. It receives over $200,000 a year, mainly from taxpayer funds. Over the last 15 years, it has been running in financial secrecy, after committees appear to have mis-managed the organisation for their own own selfish agenda.

Following a volatile and unprecedented Annual General Meeting on the 28th September 2009, I published Part 1 in late November to paint the picture of what should be a valuable community asset that is now in turmoil, set on a path of self-destruction.

To bring readers up to the events that led to the current crisis, it's important to know the recent history. Besides the public grants and corporate support bestowed upon 89.1 FM every year, the sad reality is that this organisation is largely unknown and has been run like a secret society for the last 15 years.

In Part 2, I will outline the environment that prevailed from 2000 until August of last year when the mass resignation of the entire management committee occurred.



At 5:30am on a brisk April morning in 1987, 15 police raided a rural property at 1593 Kennedy Highway, Kuranda.

It was Tuesday 21st April. The place was Arona, a little-known commune set in the hills of Kuranda, just West of Cairns. The hunt was for their leader, "Prophet" Ben Marcus, who was subject of serious child abuse allegations.

The Arona commune is still active today, and up until August this year, it's members had dominated and controlled every facet of local Cairns community radio, 89.1 FM. The events of 1987 and Arona's involvement with Cairns community radio, have never been publicly connected, and for very good reason.

Arona is made up of Dutch-Indonesian families, who have been living together since the 1930's in Indonesia. When Indonesia became independent from the Dutch colonial rule, many left, some returning to Holland, others heading for America and Australia.

The group that now resides in Kuranda, began in Sydney in the early 60s, and settled in North Queensland in 1970. Like many alternative groups that form communal living away from traditional suburban structures, they fiercely protect their image, and deliberately fly below the radar, resisting publicity. Arona, set on a few acres just west of the rainforest settlement of Kuranda on Kennedy Highway, operates under a fragile over-arching religious creed. By the late 80s, there was around 34 residing on the property, 27 adults and seven under the age of 18 years, comprising 18 families. Over the years, the population has increased. They see themselves as from one "family" and very much protect each other, under the direction and leadership of their living "Prophet", the voice of God, Ben Marcus.

In the years leading up to the dramatic 1987 police raid, the surrounding community often questioned what went on inside the property, however when the front page headlines hit the Cairns Post on April 22nd, few knew of its existence. It's how those in charge at Arona liked it.

The connection between the current perilous environment that exists at Cairns Community Radio today, surprisingly has its roots in the events of that April morning at Arona, and Henry Bernard Marcus, who although took a back seat, clearly had great influence over his followers to become involved in the community radio.

Morning sermons just for the males of the commune were held by Marcus [pictured left]. According to reports at the time, it was often after these 'prayer sessions', that sexual acts occurred, and the testimonies of young boys that lead to the 1987 police raid on the property.

At the time, Marcus described himself as a writer and artist. He was subjected to child abuse allegations, and some of those interviewed said they were members of a fundamentalist religious cult. They said Arona was all about the "good and basic spirit of Christianity."

Following a fight between three brothers, believed to be related to Marcus, one ran off to the Police and talked about sexual misconduct in great detail, and provided written statements. Police described the property as a series of "elaborate houses, dormitories and units," and said that prior to the raid, many documents and videos were destroyed. It is still a place of interest to the Cairns Police today.

At a hearing in August 1987, to determine if there was sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, witnesses shared graphic details about the then 53-year old Ben Marcus. Sexual assaults were described that occurred between January to April of that year. Hundreds of photographs stored in a chest of drawers in Marcus' bedroom, were uncovered. One of the witnesses told the court that when he visited Marcus in his room, there were "several friends there and Marcus was having a shower." "He walked into the room, without any clothes and asked me to make love," the 43 year old told the Cairns District court in 1987.

"No, we have been through this before." Marcus then put his hands around the witnesses head and asked him to open his mouth. He withdrew, but later Marcus put his lips on the witness's, who also described many other instances. Ben Marcus pleaded not guilty.

Often in abuse cases, it's extremely difficult to effectively bring witnesses to trial and gain a prosecution. Victims have to re-tell horrific details publicly. A prosecution was unsuccessful in the case against Ben Marcus, however this was not the sort of attention that Arona, nor Ben Marcus, wanted.

Here's a short video of Arona, filmed 10 years ago as part of an SBS documentary. It presents a happy and contented community. A number of those in the doco, went on to control and dominate Cairns Community radio.



At the station's 10th anniversary in 1995, the then manager, Tony Hillier, who went on to drive the street press Barfly and musical pursuits. He was credited with moving the station's transmitter from Bessie Point to Mt Yarrahbah for better coverage, and also advocated discontinuing the TAB re-broadcasting service, although a source of lucrative revenue, the change allowed more community participation, keeping focused on what community radio is all about.

"4CCR is entering a critical time for our long-term survival," President Denis Walls said at the time. "As a station with increased competition in Far North Queensland, we can say that never has the need for alternative radio been more evident than now. With the growing sameness and blandness in practically every other radio outlet."

Sadly, the following five years saw a committee that mis-managed the station and by the end of 1999, had a debt in excess of $80,000, taking the radio station to the brink of financial ruin. Records of the time were shabby and those in control did not have the station at their heart, just a selfish agenda.

A transmitter that was funded from a $23,000 Casino grant, was never purchased. Such anomalies were common. There were many examples of misappropriation and incompetence. With a good heart, influential Cairns businessman Billie Lee Long, who was behind the Raintrees shopping development, intervened and helped many of the donors write off money that had "gone astray."

Cairns community radio was now ripe for new leadership, and a new direction.

In what was seen as a way to restore credibility over the next 10 years, and to put behind the events of 1987, a large number of the Arona community took a active role in the emerging Cairns community radio, that was established in the mid-1980's under the inspiration of Ian Coughlan, a famous Cairns son. Ben Marcus took a lead role in getting Arona and his members involved in the new radio station.

At the September 1999 AGM, former station president and presenter, Denis Walls, was invited back as a ballot scrutineer, however he expressed serious concerns as to how the votes were cast, many by proxy. This lead to stacking the management committee, which had occurred in the past.

"A few phone calls to solicit votes on behalf of a candidate could significantly alter the outcome and lead to the creation of cliques," Denis Walls said, who informed the new committee that the constitution was re-written, to discourage this, even though absentee votes were allowed for those who genuinely wanted to participate.

The AGM of 1999 was the first of many where votes were pre-arranged. Prospective committee members never spoke or were introduced to the meeting before voting.

"It is clear that what happened was undemocratic and unconstitutional," Denis Walls told the new committee, who said that the conduct was not right. "The management committee is duty bound to inform the members of its error in the voting process and take appropriate action to remedy." His concerns were ignored, and the climate was now set for a management committee to elect who they wanted, and exclude ones that didn't fit their agenda.

Although some folk from Arona were involved in Cairns Community Radio before 2000 by way on air presenters, it was only after the 1999 AGM that they took up an active involvement in the management committee. The first couple of years saw a committee almost entirely dominated by members from Arona, and by 2003, they controlled all meetings. In 2009, they even proposed to interview prospective ordinary members, however this plan was squashed after a ruling from ACMA, the body that oversees community radio. This was one of the factors that led to the resignation of the committee in August 2009.

From 2001-2003, Arona increased their level of control over the management committee, with many meetings held at their Kuranda property, which discouraged participation and scrutiny.

In the early years, all committee members were contributing on a voluntary basis, however in 2003, the first payment of stipends occurred. Committee minutes record scant details over the last nine years, but increases to the secretary Gillian Mckenzie and president Niels Briët [pictured right], both Arona members, each received up to $20,000 annually. On top of this, Briet claimed a $30 hourly charge for "book-keeping and looking after the computers" yet there is no evidence of any technical qualifications.

At the 2005 AGM, no auditor's report was presented, and no election was held for the management committee. Only one nomination was received for each of the five positions, who were automatically re-elected by default. Niels Briët was elected president, Gillian Mckenzie secretary, Kathy Van Pelt as treasurer. Additionally Ben Marcus was again elected to the committee. All were from Arona.

Here's an example of the amount of detail that was disclosed for the eight years up until August of 2009 in the treasurer's report consisted of:

• Income for the year: $119,276
  Member funds $213,446
  Expenditure $77,076
  Profit $42,220

No details where ever presented to monthly meetings about transactions, nor recorded in the minutes. Such details were hidden from scrutiny, therefore could never be questioned by the general membership. Some months amounts as large as $20,000 were recorded in a Bartercard account. This contra payment system was used at Cairns' resturants for committee dining, including Khin Khao Thai and Kee Kong Chinese restaurants. It was never explained how this account operated to the membership. There have been allegations about contra deals involving restaurants, including suggestions that sponsorship fees were used for meals by Arona members.

In 2006, the AGM re-elected all the same committee uncontested. However, in a series of shocking events in September, NeNiels Briët resigned as president, just three weeks after been re-elected for the fourth year in a row. His sudden departure followed an incident at the Mt Yarrabah transmitter site where he undertook unauthorised construction work. The Yarrabah Council as land owner, changed the locks on the access gate, and refused access to 10 different organisations that leased the transmitter site, due to Briet's actions. Just a week later, at the October 3rd meeting, the committee discussed offering Briet the Station’s laptop computer he was using as a "thank you" gift. Briet eventually was welcomed back onto the committee after the attention went away.

In 2008, only 21 attended the AGM where three non-Arona members were nominated for the committee. All were excluded on technical grounds, due to nomination forms not being correctly adhered to or suggestions that they were not active members, proven to be incorrect.

The committee consisted of nine members, all except the president John Fielder and vice-president Mark Paine, were members of Arona community, however both had close links with Arona. Fielder often said that he was "president in name only," and the committee made a payment to him in 2008 of $500. No details record what this was for, most probably to bring Fielder on their side and blindly endorse numerous payments to the Arona members over many years. It's interesting to note that Fielder has put his name forward to join the new Coutts-controlled committee.

As was consistently the case, year after year, no signed auditor's report was presented to the meeting. The same excuse offered that they weren’t ready but a copy could be provided at a later date to those that want it. Such requests were rarely delivered, and those who asked questions were treated as troublemakers. Only an oral presentation of the financial report was given, a breach of Office of Fair Trading requirements. An independent accountant described the financial report in 2008 as "meaningless."

In March 2009, under pressure from a group of members, a general meeting was held, however the meeting had no official standing, because legal requirements were not complied with.

A few days later, a notice was posted in the studio noticeboard [pictured right] advising that secretary Gillian McKenzie is receiving a stipend of $20,000 a year, later revised to $17,000 a year, and Niels Briët as 'administration officer’ is receiving a $30/hour for book-keeping and computer support, and 10% of the grants income, estimated to be at least $8,000. Although Briet was a solid contributor to the community radio, payments to Briët were never declared. The 2008-09 financial statement does not provide details of any compensation, and it's fair to say that such substantial payments were deliberately hidden so no questions would arise.

In June, following mounting pressure, another meeting is held, again on an informal basis, and a resolution on financial transparency is passed, but Niels Briët, who is now on the committee, say that the resolution is not binding, because the meeting is informal. In response to proposals that the matter be considered at the AGM, Briët says it would have to be a special resolution, effectively blocking such a move as it would require 75% support. Accordingly, the move that would scrutinise their continued behaviour, is defeated by Arona members and their supporters.
In June and August, things came to a head, and a group of members who sought change from the Arona-dominated committee, including Donn Corcoran, encouraged new members to sign up, to change the voting balance. Arona responded by advising that new members will need to be vetted individually by the management committee, a tactic that would have the practical effect of delaying approval of many new memberships until after AGM. Corcoran approached the Australian Communications and Media Authority which advised that vetting is inconsistent with legal requirements.

On the 26 August 2009, the entire management committee resigned, with exception of President, who followed a few days later. They were Eunice Slatter, Niels Briët, Ben Marcus, and vice-president Mark Paine, treasurer Jeannette Fisher, and secretary Gillian McKenzie. Two other commiteee members, Liza and Anthony Mulcahey, also Arona members, resigned early in 2009, over concerns about the way the committee operated, however this was not disclosed to the membership at the time and only came out when questions were asked.

As Niels Briët left the Raintrees studios for the last time, he approached Shane Wilson, the station's technician and asked for everything on his network email account to be deleted, but Wilson refused to carry out his request. Briet also deleted everything on the laptop, even though this included accounting information. He was seemingly hiding some demons in cyber space.

An emergency interim committee was formed. At the first committee meeting following the AGM, a quote for a forensic audit was discussed with a view to determine the scope of such an audit. This was to include the station’s computers and accounts, however this has not progressed to date, and it is unsure where the laptop belonging to Briët, now resides.

CairnsBlog asked Gillian Mackenzie and Niels Briët, as key Arona members involved in this story, for their comment about the committee suddenly disolving. They both closed ranks and refused. Mackenzie said she was not interested in talking. Briet, who had extensive involvement and received substantial financial remuneration over many years, said he did not want to discuss the community radio.

“No, I don’t really want to talk about it. I’m not interested. My answer is no,” Briet said. “I doubt that Ben [Marcus] would want to talk either,” Briet said. When questioned further, he commented on his involvement in the station over many years. “Yes, I have had a very extensive knowledge of it, but I don’t want to talk. Goodbye, that's all I want to say," he said nervously and stumbled on his words.

You don't need to be an accountant to realise that the annual accounts presented at the AGM in September 2009, disguise more than they reveal. The revenue of over $237,000 is given as a single line item, although it is made up of at least five components. Income comes from Community Broadcasting Foundation grants, government community service announcement payments, memberships, sponsorships, and several separate payments for use of Mt Yarrabah transmitter site by other companies. It is a gross mis-representation.

The accounts also fail to identify payments to committee members, although $45,000 was declared as "staff salaries" on the 2008 licence renewal. This figure would exclude the adminsitration officer, as the auditors exposed. Furthermore, the annual financial statement is required to be endorsed by the AGM, which was not done. The practice over the years was to provide an oral summary at the meeting. "The auditor’s signature had not been received and any members who wanted a copy could request it," Niels Briët would say to the meeting. In spite of this, the Arona-dominated committee consistently advised the Office of Fair Trading that the audited report had been endorsed by the AGM. The incoming secretary at the 2009 AGM in September, Donn Corcoran, said he was not confident that the accounts were adequate. The meeting noted, rather than endorsed, the financial statement, for the first time in nine years.

WHK Greenwoods, who audited the annual account for the 12 months to August 2009, raised many serious concerns. Payments made to Gillian McKenzie and Jeannette Fisher, known as stipends, were recorded as "supplier payments" yet no tax invoices were provided. They said such payments were incorrectly classified as operating expenses, and should have been paid via a payroll system. McKenzie and Fisher therefore avoided declaring their payments in their income tax. This practice had been the norm for years. It is not uncommon however, for a professional station manager to be appointed, and remuneration offered, it would be morally inappropriate for a person who serves on the voluntary committee to be paid. The AGM never provided a mandate to pay anyone for their services at Cairns community radio.

The Auditor is also scathing of other irregularities, including grant cheques that were never banked, accounts that were not reconciled on a monthly bais, and payments to Niels Briët as ‘Administration Officer’. Greenwoods found that an invoice Briet submitted where he claimed GST, yet he was not registered to collect this.

ACMA have advised the station to comply with "several serious matters" to retain it's licence, due in January. It's clear that over the years, the management committee failed to carry out its duties honestly and with transparency.

It's a sad indictment that some community organisations, with the best of intentions, fail to achieve their public mandate. Cairns community radio is not unique in it's mismanagement, but it has a serious case to answer, and they owe the community an explanation, that pumps over $200,000 of government grants annually.

Nearly at it's 40th anniversary, Arona has reached across social-economic boundaries, often holding an air of respectability from many across the Cairns region. They now have no involvement with Cairns community radio. One could argue that the history of Arona's involvement in community radio, appears to be a calculated plan, all the way to the bank. It's alledged that they have systematically excluded people and manipulated the membership, access to those wanting to join the committee, and hid details of large payments to their own members, gaining financial tax-free benefits. What is known that the mass exodus in late August of the ARona committee, was the result of serious financial irregularities, that were to be the focus of a forensic audit.

In January last year, a formal complaint was lodged with the regulatory body ACMA, citing numerous breaches, including did the Association did not represent the community; encourage membership, community or volunteer involvement. In their final investigation, the report did not uphold the complaints. A separate complaint was lodged, highlighting the absence of documents, such as dispute resolution procedures that are required to be prepared by stations in compliance with the Community Broadcasting Codes of Practice. It was such scrutiny, that led to the Arona committee deciding to leave en masse.

Here's the station's Licence Renewal Application where the Arona committee say that no one received commissions from sponsorships. Their explanations in appendixes for licence renewal Application make interesting reading. They outline many programmes and operations of the station that simply never made it to air, but were written to appease investigators at ACMA.

One of the most serious concern over the past few years, is the substancial monies paid to numerous volunteers, all who were members of Arona, whilst they controlled the committee. The general membership were never informed of these payments through the AGM financial statements. They were incomplete and amounts not disclosed or recorded correctly, as the auditors of the 2008/09 accounts showed.

It's extremely unusal for anyone in a voluntary association to receive payment for services, other than reinbursement for expences.

This is what was revealed by ACMA, throughout the January 2009 investigation:


The $20,000 "salary" to Briet was not disclosed in this declaration to the Government agency. It's likey that Niels Briët could have been drawing as much as $50,000 annually, with no formal approval or knowledge from the membership. Some of Briët's payments were put against maintenance. However, without a forensic audit proceeding, this figure could be much higher.

You will also note, and this is one of the first times that it was ever disclosed, the 'administration officer' Niels Briët, was claiming 10% from the entire grant income. This meant, that whenever a grant was applied for, he would award himself a 10% "commission." This is an astonishing revalation and highly improper when applications are put to government and corporate bodies, seeking funding for the purpose of providing community radio programmes. It's likey that such fees weren't disclosed to the agency the funding was being sought from. Sources in Cairns Community Radio have told CairnsBlog that Briet would even take the 10% fee, regardless if the grant was sucessful or not, when appling for multipy applications. There were also instances in which money had to be refunded because of lack of compliance, and in such cases Briet did not refund his "commission."

Although the former committee disclosed to ACMA that stipends were being paid, they never disclosed this to the membership. At a meeting in March 2009, Billy Lee Long said that he thought it was time to have a paid secretary. He, along with most of the membership, clearly thought that no-one was being paid at that point, even though the practice had been going on for years. As a pre-emptive disclosure, a message appeared on studio noticeboard about payments to committee members, however there was no indication of what was being paid to Niels Briet.

Another dishonest practice I can reveal is that the committee has been under-paying for it's re-broadcast news service it purchases from Charles Sturt University. The committee deliberately under-valued their income by a quater of the true amount, to enable them to selected the lowest threshold, therefore under-paying several thousand dollars every year. Up to $24,000 could be owed to Charles Sturt.

A former member who became increasingly disturbed about the way Arona members were running Cairns community radio, said the defining moment for her came after a discussion with members of the committee. “As one of the [Arona members] said to us, which is the reason we decided to stop our involvement, ‘we look for weaknesses in our friends'," she said, under the agreement of anonymity.

In many ways, this mantra sums up the nine-year tenue of Arona at the helm of the local community radio in Cairns. Either it was weak people, or clever and orchestrated manipulation that was so effective in their mission.

It's vital that the last nine years of the Arona-controlled Cairns community radio, is fully investigated and the will of the membership to undertake a foresic audit, is carried out. It's difficult to understand how the money moved around and paid to so-called 'volunteers' for services over the last nine years.

Federal MP Jim Turnour, who is also a member of the community radio, was approached about the serious concerns, however he was vague and non-committal following the pleas for help and intervention.

"I am aware that there have been some problems at the radio station and a change in governance," Turnour told CairnsBlog. However in a stern warning, Turnour said that community organisations need to operate within their constitution and according to the law. The association receives close to a quarter of a million dollars in annual government funding.

Sadly, this is not the end of this long and twisted torrid tale. You would expect that, given the last nine years of the Arona-dominated and controlled Cairns community radio, the mood and will for change was greater than any other agenda. The AGM of September 28th communicated this mandate loud and clear, when it elected a new committee headed by Rodney Coutts as president. Greg Dwyer was elected vice president and Mimielle Alvero treasurer, and Donn Corcoran as secretary. Pieter Blaauw, Judi Corcoran, Eylan Rose, Mary Wellington and Helen Jaroe, were elected to the committee.

However, in the three months after the AGM, the incoming committee has emploded in yet another a mass departure, this time over no confidence in the president Rodney Coutts, that many have labelled a "tyrant" and a "minipulative dictator."

In Part 3 of this investigation, I will disclose the series of events that followed the AGM in late September. It has yet again been a destructive and soul-destroying time over the last three months for many members and presenters since the election of the autocratic Coutts. He alone has caused unessesary turmoil, division, terminations and the resignations of almost all the new committee, in the space of two short months.

The station's broadcasting licence should not be renewed on the 8th January, if the recent events become known to ACMA.

Cairns community radio is yet again at the brink of self-destruction. It's not a happy place, and if you tune in to 89.1 FM, you're in for a big surprise.

FOOTNOTE:
I strongly encourage people to join Cairns community radio, so it can return to accountability and community ownership. You only have to pay a $20 membership fee ($10 concession).

Fill in the membership form. You can pay directly into the bank account to get a proof the receipt, then email it to Diane the secretary, and copy it to secretary@cairnsfm891.org. Better still, pop into the studio upstairs above Raintrees shopping centre (Koch Street entrance). Telephone 4053 6891.

NB: You will need to get your membership form in before next WEDNESDAY 6th January, as this is when the commiteee meet to accept new memberships.

You will also need a proposer and a seconder who is a current member. It's often respected that the commitee will endorse an application, should you not know any members. However, to this end, I suggest that you pay the fee, and forward completed form, with payment receipt, to 4CCR@CairnsBlog.net and it will be completed on your behalf.

Let's thank Santa for 15% unemployment in Cairns

No surprise that we learn, right at the beginning of the new year, that Cairns tops the country's stats for the most job seekers.

Federal Labour Market and Related Payments statistics for November, shows Cairns has 4,315 residents receiving Newstart and Youth Allowance, the highest in Queensland.

We now have just over 15% unemployment.

Cairns January community diary

4-7 Jan YOUTH EVENT: Young Company Theatre For Children & Young People Drama Summer School, $180pp, Bring water bottle, lunch & snacks, 169 Bunda Street, Cairns, 9am -3pm daily, more info & booking call 4041 4066, theme: Narnia Dreaming

5 Jan FOREST GARDENS NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: 7:30pm at Forest Gardens Community Room

8 Jan OLIVER by Cairns Choral Society at 7:30pm at Cairns Civic Theatre

8 Jan ARTS: Launch of “Transparency” 109 Lake St (Ergon Energy Building Window),

9 Jan BASKETBALL: TAIPANS versus GOLD COAST BLAZE 7:30PM at the Cairns Convention Centre

11-14 Jan Young Company Theatre For Children & Young People Drama Summer School, $180pp, Bring water bottle, lunch & snacks, 169 Bunda Street, Cairns, 9am -3pm daily, more info & booking call 4041 4066, theme: Wild Things

17 Jan WORLD RELIGION DAY

20 Jan CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL:Ordinary Council Meeting at Council Chambers in Spence Street

18-21 Jan THEATRE: Summer School for young people, $180pp, Bring water bottle, lunch & snacks 169 Bunda Street, 9am -3pm daily, more info call 40414066 theme: Lights, Camera, Action 11 years +

18-21 Jan Young Company Theatre For Children & Young People Drama Summer School, $180pp, Bring water bottle, lunch & snacks, 169 Bunda Street, Cairns, 9am -3pm daily, more info & booking call 4041 4066, theme: Hundred Acre Wood

23 Jan BASKETBALL: Taipans versus Townsville Crocks at 7:30pm at the Cairns Convention Centre

24 Jan CHINESE NEW YEAR: Chinese New Year Celebrations

25 Jan STUDENT FREE DAY: Student Free Day in Queensland Schools

25 Jan SOUTHSIDE PROGRESS ASSOCIATION: Meeting at Rob Pyne’s house (phone 4036 0376 for further info).

26 Jan AUSTRALIA DAY: Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony at Cairns Civic Centre

27 Jan EMPLOYMENT LAW: A talk delivered by the Cairns Community Legal Centre, free, 1 – 2pm, Living Waters Conference centre, Cnr. Florence & Water Streets, light refreshments provided (no cost), booking not essential but preferred for catering purposes, more info or booking call 4031 768

27 Jan SCHOOL BEGINS: School Term 1 begins in Queensland Schools

27 Jan INTERNATIONAL ‘INTERNET FREE’ DAY

27 Jan HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

28 Jan MUSIC: Ronan Keating – 7:45pm at the Cairns Convention Centre (with special guest Tina Arena)

1 Feb WOREE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: Email Alwin for details.

Jackson's Bones is a lovely heart-wrenching movie experience

There's a few great movies out for the holiday season in Cairns.

I've still not seen the 3D sensation Avatar, but will do so next week after the mass of kids go out and play with their new BMXs and iPhones.

I didn't want to see another Hollywood like 2012, so tonight I ventured out from my bat cave to see my fellow Kiwi Peter Jackson's screen adaption of The Lovely Bones, a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold.

It's the story of Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl who is murdered. She narrates the story from heaven and watches her family and friends go on with their lives.

Sebold drew the tale from her life when she was raped at university. "It transformed my life, especially after learning that the rapist's previous victim had died." she said. "After later seeing the rapist on the street, I reported him to the police and eventually testified against him."

Jackson's screen adaption is haunting. It drags you into a world of memories that we can all connect with and feel for a time we once lived. The attention to the 70's setting, is meticulous.

Lord of the Rings cinematographer, Australian Andrew Lesnie, deserves full credit for the amazing filming, and along with Steven Spielberg and Jackson's partner Fran Walsh as executive producers, this film delivers a stellar production team. Lovely Bones has some of the feel of his Heavenly Creatures, Jackson shot in my home town of Christchurch 16 years ago.

"These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections — sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent — that happened after I was gone," Susie ponders her friends' and family's new-found strength after her death. "And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it. The events my death brought were merely the bones of a body that would become whole at some unpredictable time in the future. The price of what I came to see as this miraculous lifeless body had been my life."

Take someone special along and be prepared for a strange and deep journey into your past.

Kim Freebody slams Cairns Mayor Val Schier

Just before Christmas, a Facebook group was set up to attack the Cairns Mayor, Val Schier.

Kim Freebody, wife of Paul, waterpark developer and former city councillor, along with her children, were some of the first to join up to the abusive online group.

She says she's "not involved in local politics."

Local Greens and Cafnec supporter, Steve Brech, challenged Kim Freebody on her behaviour.

"Kim, you and your family are disgusting for promoting on-line bullying," Brech told Freebody. "As a a teacher I find your behaviour sickening. If this is the level of your political debate in this city, expect the same back, and more."

He says that the Freebodys have taken local politics to the next level. "Let the games begin," he said.

As soon as Kim Freebody received Brech's email, she blocked him on Facebook from contacted her.

"For someone to send out such an abusive and threatening email at Christmas to someone you don't even know, you must have been having a really bad day," Kim Freebody replied.

"I wasn't even going to bother replying but seeing that you don't know me I would hate you to think that I am as bad as you think I am," Kim Freebody told Brech. "I'm not sure what you are having a go at me at but I can only imagine that it is because I recently joined the Facebook page of Val Shier is doing a crap job."

Kim Freebody asked Steve Brech if he abused or threatened everyone else on that site in the same tone. "Or was I just the lucky one?"

However Kim isn't one on the 12-year-olds on the Facebook group. She a director of a company with her husband, seeking Council support on a large controversial development, at the same time abusing the mayor and everything she stands for.

Kim then tells Steve Brech that she's not involved in local politics, then goes on to critique everything under the sun that the Council has been involved with, under Schier's rein.

"I am not involved in local politics or a politician so I am not sure what you mean about 'taking it to the next level, let the games begin,' " Kim Freebody told Brech.

"I don't know you or have any relationship with you. You don't teach my kids thank goodness because no doubt they will probably be getting D's seeing you feel this way about me. I don't give two hoots who runs this city. But surely they must be able to do the job," Kim Freebody told Steve Brech.

"If you want to be a dentist, accountant, solicitor and even a teacher you need qualifications. She [Val Schier] is running the biggest business in this city with no business experience, as her past and current performance has shown, and is quite frankly doing a crap job," Freebody says.

Well, Kim, unlike your husband Paul, Val Schier, along with seven new Councillors, were all elected by popular vote, and a majority by the Cairns community. That's how our democracy works. Maybe if Paul Freebody "had the qualifications" he would still be an elected Councillor. Maybe, as Kim puts it, Paul was quite frankly doing a crap job.

"I bet if you performed this way as a teacher you wouldn't be going back next year to a job or anyone else for that matter would struggle to keep their job. You probably think that people are picking on her well unfortunately she is the boss. Just like at school when someone has a problem they go to the principal and in any other business they go to the boss," Freebody says.

Kim Freebody says that Schier put her hand up for the job, so people are unfortunately entitled to their opinion.

"So the fact that I joined a Facebook page probably doesn't give you the right to abuse or threaten me the way you have," she told Steve Brech.

"Let me give some examples to prove my point for joining this [Facebook group]. When Val Shier was elected firstly I thought that we need to give her some time, but within the first couple of months, she had to repaint her office - give me a break - to get rid of Kevin Byrne.

"[She] gave herself a hefty pay rise, not to mention the next one about to happen. She hasn't earned any of it. Usually you get pay rises when you perform from my experience. She put the rates up which she promised that she wouldn't - remember? - I do," Kim Freebody says. "I don't know about yours, but mine are sky-high. There are people in this city really struggling so this shouldn't have happened to this degree."

"Not to mention the $1 million approx that has been paid out of yours and mine [sic] rates for sacking/making redundant employees in our worst financial position for decades. We can't afford it," Freebody says.

"When you are in business you have to make the best decision for that business. You have to put your personal agenda away," she says.

Kim Freebody also asks what Val Schier has done to enhance Cairns to encourage tourists to come and the locals to stay?

"It is her turn in the spotlight so do something, anything," Kim says. "Her suggestion of a ukulele festival. Ok when is it coming? Who cares? What we have here as long as people come to see this great place. Make it happen. Volcano arts precinct? Where is it? What's the time line and when can we expect something?," Freebody asks.

Hasn't Kim been following the local news to get answers to these basic questions?

"I don't know about you Steve, but I want my children to be able to stay here when they finish school and not have to go down south or overseas to find work. Like it or not we are a tourist city and should have new projects every couple of years and a festival or international event if not yearly, than [sic] bi-annually to give us as much exposure internationally as possible."

"Considering this is what pays our wages. When you are in these positions you can't sit on your hands," she says.

Kim Freebody asks why Val Schier as Mayor didn't put up the monies to support the NQEA bid, so "we can keep business happening here."

"She put monies up for the Taipans. Also the Lotus Glen project went down south. She should have been all over these projects telling state government and anyone else that would listen that she was going to support it and the work was going to stay here," Kim Freebody says.

Schier, along with the three industry groups, have been lobbying State and Federal government for months.

"Times are bloody tough as if you didn't know and she needs to roll her sleeves up and get into it and be working day and night productively like the rest of us business people. I have probably said enough but this is my view and anyone that knows me would hopefully agree that if anyone wants to have a go at something I would be one of the first to support them," she says.

"Even you Steve, if teaching isn't what you want to do anymore, find something that you really want to do and go and do it. Put your heart and soul into it and give it 110% and you won't fail," Kim Freebody said.

"Who knows you may want to run at the next election. They tell me the pay is good."

Happy Noo Yeah, and all that

I hope everyone survived commercial Christmas and avoided Coles, Target and the Kwik-e-mart.

Now that we're nearly halfway through the first term of the inaugural Cairns Regional Council, and have a defunct CEO, Communications Manager, and Finance Committee chair behind them, let's hope they are given a better run to get on with the job in 2010.

Val would have to declare that 2009 was an annus horribilis.

I would wish you a happy holiday, but you know it would be insincere or merely a token. So next time I see you, I'll shout you a drink. How's that for a new year's resolution?

Whatever you've done over the last 48 hours, or going to over the next few days, make sure you have some 'me' time. Be selfish, be lazy, be yourself, or be someone else, and don't go writing letters to the local rag, it only encourages them.

Also, ask yourself, were you thanked by your employer when you finished work a week or so ago? I mean more than a generic email to all and sundry. If you weren't, it might be time to reevaluate your goals and the place you donate so much of your passion, heart and soul to in 2010.

As CairnsBlog enters it's fourth year, I sincerely thank you for your participation, along with the other 5,379 regular local readers.

Enjoy the holidays while they last because the right wing business chiefs don't like you leaving the office for too long, eating away at their profits and upsetting the shareholders.