Boyle and Wettenhall lied to the people of Cairns

Just a few short weeks ago, local Labor members of our Parliament, Desley Boyle and Steve Wettenhall put out this statement regarding relocating and preserving the 100 year old Cairns Yacht Club building.

"We recognised that funding may be an issue, so the Member for Barron River Steve Wettenhall and I recently announced that $150,000 is available towards the relocation of the building. This means that demolition can be avoided and the old building can be saved, " so said Desley Boyle.

Well, the evidence of what has happened over the last three weeks will clearly show that they lied and have not upheld their end of the agreement.

Anyone who stood outside the old club house this morning, would have witness the building being smashed to bits.

Boyle had the audacity to say that "this means that demolition can be avoided and the old building can be saved."

Boyle didn't know what was going on, one block away from her taxpayer-funded office on Spence Street.

"Michael, I have asked Cairns Ports to make a statement this afternoon with photos showing which bits of the core can be saved," she told me today. "I understand that the additions at the edges have been found to have wet rot and termite damage."

This was another lie. The weatherboard painted signs, discovered just a week ago, were fine, and were photographed and should have been kept for the restoration.

No attempt was made to salvage anything over the last three weeks. The old building is gone and has not been saved as Boyle and Wettenhall promised. They have both officially lied to the Cairns community. They have not monitored what has happened, even though they knew this was one almighty sensitive issue that the community was emotional involved in.

Cairns Ports is answerable to no one. It seems they just do what they like when Boyle is running this town. What an outright disgrace she's turned out to be when the people came calling for her help. Even in the last few days, she's been nothing back a arrogant defiant corporate suck up.

This act of utter vandalism lies on the doorstep on a government out of control and in total disconnection from the people.

And where was Val Schier, our new Mayor who campaigned for nearly a year before getting elected on the ticket of heritage preservation after she was sick of the 'big end of town' running this place. What a massive disappointment. Everyone of her former Cairns 1st team, bar young Kirsten Lesina, showed up to the site and protested. Val may not have been able to save this important piece of heritage, but she was rather silent on this, in compliance with the Labor Concentration Camp.

Val, you will forever be remembered to be forgotten, come the next election.

Quinn opens his mouth, first time in 5 years

• MEDIA STATEMENT BY CAIRNS PORTS AUTHORITY
  
  YACHT CLUB RELOCATION PLANS PROCEEDING
  
  The original central structure of the old Cairns Yacht Club building is being prepared for
  relocation to James Cook University shortly to be used as the heart of a new master
  planned student and community facility on campus. The central structure includes the dance floor.
  
  The building has been inspected by James Cook University architects who are excited about the reuse of this building.
  Cairns Ports Chief Executive Officer Neil Quinn said the building has had a series of add-on structures over the years, including the rear verandah and the entrance structure.
  
  “These were never intended to be relocated. It was planned for these elements to be
  dismantled by the demolition contractor and reused where possible.” Mr Quinn said.
  “Work undertaken to date has revealed the building is in a terrible state of disrepair.
  Many parts of the add-on sections are unsalvageable and unrepairable. The extent of decay of these elements, particularly in the front section, was extensive. The extent of major deterioration of beams, columns and joists put the whole structure at risk.”
  
  A sign painted onto what was once an exterior timber wall will be retained for future display.
  
  The sign, which reads CAIRNS SAILING CLUB, had been covered by various layers of cladding attached over the years to the exterior of the front extension.
  
  “The contractor on site adjusted the work schedule to ensure careful removal of the sign
  could be carried out as requested by Cairns Yacht Club and Cairns Ports. A further sign was unsalvageable due to its poor condition,” Mr Quinn said.
  
  “We are now looking at options for the future display of the salvaged sign with the Cairns Yacht Club.
  
  “There may be opportunities to incorporate the sign, along with other components, into the Cityport Heritage Precinct. Alternatively it may be decided to display it at the new Marina Point home of the Cairns Yacht Club,” Mr Quinn said.
  
  Thursday 16 October 2008

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.

You had to be there. Cairns Esplanade 8:30pm

Last stand

Cairns residents will make a last stand tomorrow against the demolition of the historic Cairns waterfront Aquatic Dance Palais and Cairns Sailing clubhouse.

Today Cairns Ports, along with Anton Demolitions, removed the roof trusses from the beautiful old building, and laid them on a low loader for transport to James Cook University. As part of the preparation the 'Aquatic Dance Palais' sign was cut off the front wall of the building and dumped in a rubbish skip.

Tomorrow Cairns Ports and Anton's will cut the remaining hall into two parts and load them onto the loader.

Anyone interested in making a last stand about this grotesque travesty of town planning is invited to assemble on the footpath outside the Casino from 8.30 am.

Come to witness. Come to tell stories. Come to howl. Come to Act.

We will be taking direct action, and invite others to join us, or to take actions of their own design. We have the morning available to trespass on the site and stop work and/or to impede the egress of the loaded truck from the site.

An open letter to Steve and Desley

Following the last three weeks of demolition of the historic Cairns Yacht Club building, we have been continually incensed at how this once grand old building is being 'preserved', 'retained' and 'relocated'.

Labor announced that it would donate $15,000 to preserve and relocate it.

We now know, from photos and intruder reports from the inside of the building, that it is simply being systematically pulled to pieces. Either Labor politicians outright lied or have not taken any interest in how it is being prepared for removal by the company contracted.

The old old hand-painted exterior wall signs, that were first uncovered less than a week ago ( "Aquatic Dance Palais" ) were today cut out with a chainsaw and thrown into the rubbish skip. This is so extremely insensitive to the historic value of this building.

SEE:
http://www.cairnsblog.net/2008/10/uncovered-for-first-time-in-64-years.html

The Port Authority have now escalated their arrogant action into bloody mindedness. There will be nothing of any remaining historical architectural value.

These painted wall signs were iconic of the period when they graced this once proud waterfront location. We should all feel so aggravated, aggrieved and ashamed that this is all happening under our very eyes, with the endorsement of local "representatives" Steve Wettenhall and Desley Boyle. They will both be hung, drawn and quartered at the next election, and we will all remind the voting public that this issue alone does not warrant their return to office.

Labor should have known full well Cairns Ports have no experience in dealing with historic buildings, let alone relocating them. After all, they employed a demolition company.

So far they have filled eight large rubbish skips, containing various remnants and artifacts from the building that should be carefully pulled apart by experts.

Desley and Steve, I implore you to rescue these old wall signs as mentioned above and be gracious to allow those who care to retrieve these from the site on Thursday morning.

I await your telephone call.

Anyone can be VP

Hat Tip: Syd Walker

Richardson for Barron River

As the newly merged Liberal National Party (LNP) line up their players for the 2009 State election, I can confirm who's who.

Yacht Club PADYC campaigner, and former Tablelands Council candidate, Wendy Richardson has been endorsed for the seat of Barron River.

"I'm a person of and for the people," Richardson told me this evening. "I'll be out within the next few days listening and meeting people in the electorate."

The Barron River catchment includes Aeroglen, Redlynch Valley, Whitfield, Kuranda, to Wangetti Beach.

What many commentators will probably analyse as an odd choice, Richardson has landed the seat most winnable in the upcoming State election. Currently held by Steve Wettenhall witha small margin, Richardson will present a stark alternative choice for voters.

She will ride on the back of a strong and determined community engagement campaign she has lead over the last six months, however proof of this will be in maintaining an effective post-mortem, when the remnants of the old Yacht Club are moved in large rubbish bags to within her new Barron River seat.

I thought Blind Freddy would have directed the LNP to put Richardson into the Cairns seat, against Demolition Desley. Sure this famous safe Labor seat needs a much bigger swing as it's been held continuously for over 100 years by Labor. However this election isn't normal, and the issues are obvious for Cairns voters as this town has had development, equating to open heart surgery, to much disgust. Many traditional Labor folk will betray their party of choice, as they see a State leader that has ignored them on local environmental management and heritage protection, in favour of commercial big end of town business.

It's also pretty obvious that the Member for Cairns is getting tired. Very tired. The Yacht Club saga has worn Desley out. Even on TV, championing a community crime programme, she looked tired and stilted. The once gracious character, is replaced with forced smiles and an all to common forced delivery. I'm no longer convinced she has her heart in the job, and I bet she will drop her interest in re-standing for the Cairns seat.

His Loser the Former Mayor Kevin Byrne will not be running for the LNP, to the delight of many insiders who spoke to me today. "Yeah, we're quietly glad that he won't be running anywhere. He's not even on the radar."

A former Australian Army officer and banker, Joel Harrop, will be the Cairns candidate for the LNP. In his early 30's, he will appeal to a new demographic, that feel betrayed by the current regime.

The Mulgrave candidate is Vic Black, a former British police officer, now involved in tourism and hospitality.

LNP have not yet selected a candidate for Cook.

Next year's State election will upset a great majority of what have been solid Labor seats. Get your tickets early I say.

Where's Wally?

Two hours after Councillor Forsyth came off the Cairns Yacht Club building, in protest about the silence dished out from the State Government, the war room on Level 3, Spence Street went into defence mode.

They flicked out a media alert at 11:03am:

Interview Opportunity: Mayor Val Schier and CEO Noel Briggs @ 12:30pm.

However, what was interesting about the hastily called media confab, was who called it and who wasn't there.

Val sent in her chief foot soldier, who earns double her salary, to front the public spotlight. Let's not forget, Briggs is not an elected representative of this community. He's a paid servant of the elected representatives. However, I think that truth be told, he wears the high heals, and Val the gumboots, but not in a KB drag kind of way.

Briggs read a prepared sentence or two, with the help of his fresh-faced $120,000 p.a Communications Manager, Kerie Hull.

"Councillor Forsyth did this by herself," Cairns Regional Council CEO Noel Briggs told a media scrum this afternoon. "She does not represent the Council," he announced firmly.

Well, in my opinion, Forsyth was representing Council, or at least the decision to engage and talk with the Premier. She was motivated by Council's resolution to engage the Premier.

The big question is why didn't the Mayor front the media at 12:30pm? Just over an hour prior, she announced she would be there. What happened in those 86 minutes? Was it simply a cheap lure to get the media along? Val is now becoming known for not fronting to talk the tough issues.

One cameraman said that this was a typical weak Mayor. "We're loosing respect for her, us lot," he told me.

Why the Mayor didn't see the potential for a good media opp, nationally syndicated, is beyond me. It was handed on a plate, there for the taking. I've worked in politics for long enough now to know that this was an easy one - even if she wanted to disagree with what the Councillor did this morning.

Here's some suggestions Val. How about you came down and said something like...

• "I disagreed what Councillor Forsyth did today. It was not endorsed by me, nor was I aware what she was planning to do. However this old building and it's funeral is a result of the last administration. It's Kevin Byrne's legacy to this city. He and his Council were complicit in not saving or protecting it. Heck he didn't even list it in Council's city walking trail of historic old buildings. My new Council is different, although we are new, we will approach such issues differently with a different outcome. I campaigned to get your vote by saying that this town was often run by the big end of town, and this is a clear example of this.
  I am sad that we didn't get an audience with the Premier as we voted, following your 11,000 petition. I tried but was snubbed. Our community was snubbed. This is a sad day for democracy in Queensland.
  

Val gave me an answer on the phone this afternoon, that I've heard her use more than once now. She doesn't see much point in supporting a motion or a subject that will hardly get the full support of her Council. "Why waste time if there's not sufficient support," she told me.

"I only would support things that would have a chance of success."

"I'm flat out getting on with things that need my attention," the Mayor said, deflecting her interest in Forsyth's roof-top action.

"To me, the battle was lost a long time ago. The State have made this clear they were not willing to change their mind," Mayor Schier said. "Had the building been heritage listed, we could have raised funds for refurbishment."

"Anyway, what was going to be achieved by this today?" Did she [Dianne] think that the Premier would all of a sudden have a change of heart? I tried to talk with with the Premier. Dianne sat outside her office, we didn't get listened to," Mayor Schier said.

Noel Briggs said that Councillors should be concentrating on the real issue of Council. A strategic planning workshop is on the agenda for Tuesday and that, according to Briggs, is more important to deal with than such antics of saving an old building, and, presumably, listening to the will of the people. Anyway, why on earth are we being lectured to by a highly paid public servant instead of an elected Councillor? This is all topsy-turvy.

Just before CEO Briggs left the Council foyer, he said "Now I'm off to do some real work."

In a bit of mirth, Cairns 1st candidate at the last election, and city architect, Mark Buttrose telephoned Val Schier, as she was heading into a breakfast meeting at the Cairns Colonial Club around 7:15am.

"Val, it's Mark here," Buttrose said. "Oh, Hi Mark," Val Schier responded.
"Were having a Cairns 1st meeting down at the Yacht Club building. There's Janine Aitken, and Paul Matthews here. Oh, and Dianne Forsyth. She's up on the roof," Mark said with a straight dead pan delivery.

"Are you serious?" Val responded. "I'll see if I can leave here soon and come down," Val told Mark Buttrose.

She didn't show, probably after taking advice from her media minders, and Briggs, no doubt.

At the conclusion of the media set-up at Council this afternoon, Councillor Gregory was waiting in the wings, hanging out to tell all about the feral dear, running rampant in the south of his Division.

However, the story of the day, was all about the animals loose within Council.

Uncovered, for the first time in 64 years

This is not preservation, it's demolition

This is the house that everyone's talking about.
This posting on CairnsBlog is not for you, my regular reader. It's for the Honourable Member for Cairns, Desley Boyle. It's also for the Member for Barron River Steve Wettenhall.

Last, but not least, it's for the Premier of our good State of Queensland.

The above photo was taken this morning from those that breached the so-called security fence at our historic Cairns Yacht Club building. It clearly shows a completely different story from what our local Labor politicians said would happen, when they caught us all by surprise three weeks ago, and announced the old building would be preserved and moved to James Cook University land, 22 klms north of Cairns city.

However, today the protesters have enabled me to show you what is really going on inside the green demo walls constructed around this waterfront icon. We see a building that is being demolished, not preserved in any way. We see a building that is been pulled apart and being thrown into large rubbish skips on the Southern side of the building.

The amount of rain water that has been allowed to fall on the unique Black Bean sprung dance floor in the last 48 hours, is absolutely frightening. This is the lie that the Labor Government and Cairns Ports would have you believe. They told us they would protect and preserve this building. It was on this condition that they handed to us on a plate: to move the building to JCU. To placate us all, and shut the protesters up. However, it didn't work.

I raised this with Mayor Val Schier today, in a five minute phoine call as I ducked out from the Cairns Courthouse, awaiting Bryan Law's hearing.

I told her photos from dances held at the of club house, were found in the rainwater today. I also explained to Val about the old signs that were uncovered over the last couple of days for the first time in probably 60 years, were temporally covered up by Cairns Ports as a act of embarrassment. "Wow, is that right," Val Schier said. "I'm very surprised, I didn't know."

"If that's what is going on down there [regarding demolishing] then I'm very surprised," Val Schier told me.

We also bought this to the attention of Desley Boyle this morning.

Isn't it bad enough enough that your Government refuses to listen to the people of Cairns, we wrote to Boyle. 'Do you also have to rub it in and insult us by showing us how little you care by exposing the interior?'

We call on Desley Boyle to immediately halt this wanton destruction, so that the historic aspects of the building can be saved, as was originally agreed. The cowboys carrying out this work obviously have no experience with historical buildings. Has any efforts been made to to properly search the building and site for objects of historic significance?

They way it is now, they may as well just blow the building up.

"I'll look into this straight away," Boyle wrote in a midday rushed email. "But my information is that the Cairns Yacht Club who "hired" the removalist, though I will see what control Cairns Port Authority may have," said the Member for Cairns Desley Boyle.

Clive Skarott of Cairns Ports said on the day of Wettenhall's announcement, it's a "win, win, win." Well, we now know that it's not. It's lose, lose, lose. And there's a lot of spin and lies wrapped up in this.

You be the judge on this tale. Love or loathe this old place, the community is not being respected.

What did you do today?

Cairns Councillor climbs Yacht Club building

Cairns Regional Councillor Dianne Forsyth, this morning climbed on the roof of the historic Cairns Yacht Club building, in an act of defiance, of the in defiance of State Government action.

Councillor Forsyth wanted to display her Council's anger at being ignored over the decision to retain the historic building on the Cairns Waterfront.

"I am prepared to be arrested and charged for my strong passionate commitment to retain this building here," Forsyth said.

It is believed that this is the first time in over 20 years, that a publicly-elected official has protested and been arrested for their beliefs. In 1986 then Cairns Mayor Keith Goodwin stood as an act of rebellion against a large scale Trinity development.

"My Council passed a motion to engage in discussions with the Port Authority to keep the building in situ. We subsequently passed another motion, following the will of the people, 11,000 of them in fact, to engage the Premier of Queensland," Councillor Forsyth said.

"Anna Bligh has refused to even accept this motion from our Council, and refuses to even debate this with our elected mayor," Dianne Forsyth said this morning.

"This is a totally unacceptable situation. This building and it's removal, is now symbolic of what we as a community want to keep for future generations," Councillor Forsyth said.

Three months ago Dianne Forsyth moved a motion that was passed by the Cairns Regional Council to request a formal meeting with the Premier. This meeting have never been honoured.
She famously said back then, that this wasn't over until the fat lady sings.

"The State Government need to hear loud and clear that 11,000 Cairns and Queensland residents signed a petition, and expect to at least be heard. It is an utmost insult to be ignored," Cr Forsyth said.

Dianne undertook several radio and television interview from the roof of the Yacht Club building, as a large group of supporters cheered her on. Around eight police were dispatched to the site.

Bryan Law and John Radden were bot arrested for trespass, as they were found inside the building during this morning's protest.

"Walking around inside the building, we saw this old building in ruin, they're not protecting it at all. The Cairns Ports and the State politicians are simply lying to the public about what is happening here," he said in a telephone call from the site.

Bryan found photos from dances that were held at the Clubhouse in the water and in the mud around the building.

"This is a disgrace, how dare they treat the community of Cairns with such arrogant contempt," he said.

Bryan Law also tore off the black plastic covering the two historic street from sign, adorning the old weatherboards, uncovered for the first time in probably 60 or 70 years. Cairns Ports ordered them be hidden away from public view.

As soon as Bryan Law entered the perimeter and alerted the two security officers, a 'strike force' assembled on the opposite side next to the Hilton Hotel at 7am this morning , with ladder and supplies in hand.

Councillor Diane Forsyth scaled the ladder and made herself at home, perched on the roof, which has now been stripped bare of it's corrugated iron. She held a sign for the waiting media, saying 'I'm representing 11,000 people'.

And indeed she was. What a brave Councillor to stand up and be counted. Forsyth has reminded us all to embrace the democracy that is available to us all.

Dianne acted on her convictions this morning. She still didn't sing.

What Cairns Ports don't want you to see

Last Thursday and Friday, Anton Demolitions, the firm contracted and under instruction from Cairns Ports to demolish the historic Cairns Yacht Club building, had yet another PR disaster to deal with.

As you can see in the photograph, the corrugated iron was removed from the sides of the building and also the Wharf Street frontage. They never knew want the would uncover. Neither did local historians, or local researchers.

If you look closely at the photo above, there's two large black plastic tarps nailed to the front of the old weatherboards exterior. As I will reveal, this was a deliberate act by Cairns Ports to minimise more embarrassment.

When the corrugated iron was peeled away, probably for the first time in 60 years, two stunning historic hand-painted signs were exposed.

The first one reads: "CAIRNS SAILING CLUB", and name the organisation had for some time, before changing to the Cairns Yacht Club in recent years.

Alongside this, another sign was discovered: "AQUATIC DANCE PALAIS"

Two large sheets of black plastic were quickly plastered across the signs, to avoid more attention on the building. It's believed that Cairns Ports boss Neil Quinn himself ordered the cover up, sometime on Thursday. They didn't want an obvious history lesson, glaring right out onto Wharf Street for the passing public and hotel guests of Sofitel and Hilton to see the very real evidence of historic vandalism occurring before their eyes.

Thanks to a breezy Sunday afternoon, I was able to catch these photos to show you what Cairns Ports won't. It's possible that they will destroy this wall completely over the next 48 hours.

The old building was as famous for it's water-based activities as it was for it's regular dances, which were a focal activity of the Cairns social calender for most of the life of the building's existence. Through two world wars and hundreds of balls and weddings, and the evolution of many local bands, the 'Dance Palais' was the social centre of Far North Queensland.

Yet, now it's being paid lip service to, and no one, bar the team from Anton Demolitions are allowed near the building, that is probably harbouring hundreds of secrets behind it's walls and floorboards. Regardless of it's fate, these need to be recorded and catalogued for all time.

James Cook University Professor, Jane Wagner has said that an archaeological dig must occur on the site. "At the very minimum, this site is unique in Cairns and a period is required, if the building is removed," she told ABC's Pat Morrish two months ago.

Meanwhile, a guest staying at the neighbouring Cairns Hilton Hotel emailed me this photo this evening.

It clearly shows that the exposed roof, is now allowing water to pool and seep onto the original Black Bean sprung dance floor.

This is a clear breach of an agreement Barron River MP Steve Wettenhall made when he announcing the building would be moved to James Cook University. "The floor and structure will be preserved for the entire community," he said three weeks ago.

However, it's clear that Cairns Ports removed the roof with a sense of urgency late last week, without protecting or removing the special floor first.

"This is madness," says Bob Rendall, former Commodore of the club, and author of 'At the Aquatic'. "There is a total disregard for this delicate operation. Why are they pulling down this old fragile building in five minutes?" Rendall asks.

Why aren't local researchers and historians involved in this operation? Such disregard, Cairns Ports have got a demolition team to do this work. How mad are they.

This week will be a shameful one for the Government of Queensland. They will be held to account.

Sharon and Terry: Community heroes

This will be the week.

In the next few days, the Port Authority, with the complicit endorsement of the Queensland State Government, will break the most fundamental crime of democracy. They will remove demolish the remaining structure and remove the 100 year old building from where it's rested for over a century. They will have totally disregarded the public and the community of cairns for the sake of one more highrise.

The campaign has been long and arduous. There have been hundreds involved in various ways over the last 5 years. Many were members of the 110 year old Cairns Yacht Club. Some were Commodores. Some were not members, just concerned citizens, angry and ashamed that their Council and State Government would not stand up for them, and commit the ultimate act of betrayal.

Over the last few weeks, a series on citizens have engaged in acts of defiance to demonstrate their disgust at elected officials in allowing this heritage destruction to occur.

And it goes right to the top. Federal Environment and Heritage Minister Peter Garret also did nothing but comply with the Queensland Premier. What the Labor Party has become is something truly shocking. No one would have believed that they would disengage from the people like the way they have in destroying and removing the historic Cairns Yacht Club building from the Cairns waterfront.

However, they told the truth at least once. It was and is all about money. In a letter on Friday, State Minister Mickel, who is a director of the Cairns Port Authority, said they've lost around a $1M in rent fr4om that site, because the old club house was there.

So to 71-year-old Terry Spackman, who scaled the roof and keep the demolition team off the site for over 6 hours, we bow to you. You are what politicians should be doing. Standing up and putting your principals on the line. When was the last time you heard a politician do this?


Then there was Sharon Powell, of the "Anyone but Kevin Bryne for Mayor" T-shirt fame. Sharon also defied authorities and was arrested attempting to scale the boundary fence two weeks ago, while 35 police were guarding the property.

People who wear their convictions on their sleeve, deserve the admiration from us all, no matter where you stand on this issue. They are prepared to stand up, and be counted and tell their story.

Desley Boyle, the State Member for Cairns, will be hiding away in Brisbane this week. She should be ashamed to return to our city later in the week, after this building is removed.

Terry and Sharon, Cairns needs a lot more people like you folk to expose and hold public officials to account.

Stairway to hell

If you go down in the woods today, you're bound to get a big surprise.

If you go down in the woods today, near Clifton Beach, you're bound to be bloody angry.

Northern Beaches Warrior reports that more vegetation clearing has occurred by the Argentea developer. They are and interfering in a protected mangrove waterway. And for what reason, you may ask?
Well, the original Development Approval (or DA, as Council refers to it as, Drunk and Assisted maybe) was taken out for Argentea, requested four 4 meter wide boardwalks.

Photo: 4m swathe cut through riparian corridor of Delaney’s Creek, running parallel to the creek.

However, the then Cairns City Council, gave permission for only two.

The first has already been constructed just up from the exclusive gated-community. The original bridge that the developer constructed over Delaney’s Creek was chopped into two pieces, by persons unknown, as an act of protest. However, it was rebuilt.

Now, a wide swathe of vegetation has been cut through the riparian zone of Delaney’s Creek, running parallel to the creek.


PHOTO: They even display a sign these days, showing that they have permission for the destruction of this marine environment.


These pictures show yet another section that is being cleared for yet another bridge.


This one is less than 100m from the first bridge. Apparently, the silvertail holiday makers who may be staying in the exclusive resort complex, now designated as being at Palm Cove (and not Clifton Beach), cannot walk, or waddle, depending on how many lattes, cocktails and fatty al la carte meals they have consumed, any great distance to get to the beach.

Photo: Vegetation is cleared to creek edge to allow for second bridge to cross Delaney’s Creek for beach access, less than 100m from the first bridge.

So at the developer’s request, Council agreed to make it easy for these fat cats and destroy a riparian corridor, a melaleucca wetland, a mangrove creek environment, and an erosion-prone area, which is essentially the coastal dune, so that these poor darlings don’t exhaust themselves too much.


Photo: 4 m swathe for boardwalk continues till it meets the Sea Temple at Palm Cove (in the background of the photo).

Take a walk down to the Clifton Beach beachfront today and see for yourself. The damage the Council’s GM for the Destruction of the Environment has sanctioned.

Unfortunately, it seems that only Mother Nature will be able to stop this insanity, and there is nothing surer in this world, that she will do exactly that. It is just a question of when?

Photo:
Crossroads for boardwalks - one way across creek to beach, one way to Sea Temple and Palm Cove, one way towards Clifton Beach, and one way to the rest of the Argentea complex.

What a disgrace. How can anyone be allowed to develop and excavate right on the beach front sand dune and surrounding vegetation?

Beach-edge bushland and corridors like this, form a vital purpose to protect erosion and the foreshore. From Foley Road, to False Cape, and now the beach at Clifton and Palm Cove are allowed to be ripped apart and ruined, right in front of us all.

Think first

Got this on the signature on an email today...

"Think B4U Print
1 ream of paper (500 sheets) = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere
3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water"

Don't you love email.

When Criminals Rule: The missing opium mountain

CairnsBlog columnist Syd Walker wonders who is trying to drug who over the missing Afghani opium.


Remember the saga about Iraq's missing WMDs?

They were ‘weapons of mass destruction’ that the American, British, Australian Governments and others, told us were in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. They presented ‘an immediate threat’. Fear of WMDs was the key rationale for attacking and invading Iraq in 2003.

But when we got there…ooops, they didn't exist! A mystery!

Now the same nutters want to attack Iran, again because of the threat of WMDs. That is even though, last year, an irate US ‘intelligence community’, in an unprecedented act of independence from the American Administration, went public stating that Iran has no current nuclear weapons program – whatever Bush, Cheney, the Israelis (and Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers and TV channels) may say.

Further East is Afghanistan. It has many mysteries too. For instance, just where is Ossama Bin Laden? Where is his video production department located?

Australians, along with our ‘allies’, invaded this mountainous nation back in late 2001. Our Governments explained that we were out to get Bin Laden and his evil gang. But seven years on, Ossama is supposedly still at large. Despite numerous reports of his demise, he still releases occasional videos, often nicely in sync with US/Israeli war plans. Perhaps he’ll show up just before the forthcoming US election, just like he did in 2004?

Innocents in Australia - which if one is to take their words at face value, means almost everyone in both major political parties, the mainstream media and the pundits they regularly employ - imagine that in some way our troops’ ‘involvement’ in Afghanistan is not only about Bin Laden.

It is also, they believe, partly about reducing opium production in the country. If so, the policy hasn’t worked out. Had that been our real goal, we should have left well alone.

Here’s a reality check. By 2001, after a sticks and carrots approach by the UN (and the US State Department), the Taliban Government had really got a grip on Afghanistan’s opium production. Doubtless the methods they used were sometimes brutal. But the Taliban had general support from the world's governments to get rid of the poppy fields. They were proving highly effective in cracking down on local drug lords.

Here’s a graph that shows what happened.

By 2000, opium production in Afghanistan began to drop. In 2001 it plummeted. At that rate, the Taliban might have wiped it out entirely the following year. But they never got the chance...

Afghanistan's Government was toppled in late 2001 – by Australian troops, among others. Within 12 months, the country's opium production was nearly ‘back to normal’. In recent years it has grown to unprecedented heights.

Which brings me to the latest mystery about Afghanistan and the west’s remarkable policies in the post 9-11 Terror Wars. Apparently, there’s a missing mountain of Afghani opium.

The BBC explains...

• "For the past three years [Afghanistan’s opium] production has been running at almost twice the level of global demand. The numbers just don't add up.”

Even more puzzling, the same article explains that the street price of heroin in the west remains high. The Beeb’s article then considers a couple of what it calls ‘credible theories’ about this mystery. If the BBC itself had any credibility left, these theories might be persuasive. As it is, we should probably keep an open mind…

The BBC article now includes an update. The British Serious Organised Crime Agency got in touch. They are busy at work in Afghanistan. SOCA said “Whilst the cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan is in decline, intelligence suggests there is considerable stockpiling of narcotics by Afghan criminal networks in order to control prices in the growing markets in Russia, China and within the local region.”

In decline? Really? Does SOCA bother to talk to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime? Does it know about the graph that you just saw?

The Beeb further reports:

“Nato's top operations commander is calling for more aggressive tactics against the opium trade in Afghanistan…troops should focus on "high-end" targets like drug dealers and laboratories. Some Nato ministers, however, are concerned that any crackdown would prompt a violent backlash against allied troops.”

The Ministers may well be right. Indeed, “our man in Kabul” President Hamid Karzai could have serious concerns about such a policy

Who wants to risk their own brother being banged up?

Meanwhile, what is the Australian Government doing about controlling the world’s illicit heroin supply?

When we supported UN negotiations with the Taliban Government, up to 2001, our official policy was faring quite well. Now, thanks to willfully-ignorant support for the polices of the USA and its controllers, it’s a shambles.

Australia could well be in for a flood of cheap heroin sometime soon. Does Kevin Rudd care?
Or would he prefer to blame Iran, Putin, Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas, the Taliban – anyone as long as they’re not the real culprits?

I guess so. When it comes to support for crazy neocon polices, it’s much easier for an Australian Prime Minister to be a conformist.


Critics aren't welcome.

Mr Murdoch makes sure of that.

On yer Bike!

Cairns Bike week starts Sunday!

From October 12th to 18th, anyone can join in celebrating the humble bicycle and promoting a sustainable bike-friendly Cairns.

Sunday 12 Oct, 9am-1pm
RE-CYCLE FUN DAY
- Esplanade Skate Park
- Bike rides for adults & kids, stalls & displays, prizes for best decorated bikes
- try out a penny farthing or cargo tricycle
- Lucky Draw prizes donated by local bike/sport shops
- bike maintenance checks
- free sausage sizzle and more

Wed 15 Oct, 6.30-8.30am
NATIONAL RIDE TO WORK DAY
- meet at Cairns Regional Council lawns, Spence Street.
- Mayor Val Schier will cycle in from her Machans Beach home.
- Free breakfast, free T-shirts
- bike maintenance checks
- lots of Lucky Draw prizes donated by local bike/sport shops.
- Arrive by cycle 'train' (led by volunteers, leaving from points all over Cairns and as far away as Gordonvale)

Sat 18 Oct, 7pm
FREE MOVIE
- The Esplanade, Fogarty Park (near lagoon)
- "The Triplets of Belleville" (PG)
- Nominated for two Academy Awards, this is a French animation about a boy who becomes a Tour de France champion until a bizarre kidnapping and an even more eccentric pedal-powered rescue by his grandma with the help of the frog-eating cabaret triplets and a flatulent dog. It is stunning, hilarious, and just a little twisted.


You can also enter the Bike Week raffle and win a 'chopper' dragster bicycle (remember those you 50's and 60's babies?) donated by the Scooter Shed. The raffle will be drawn at the movie night.

Cairns Bike Week is organised by the Cairns Bicycle User Group and Cairns Regional Council with the support of End Credits Film Club, and many local bike and sport shops.

For more info you can email CBUG or call Lenore 0437 541 751

Kiwis vote: 2008

Kiwis go to the polls in a month's time to boot out Helen Clark.

Google have put this handy tool together, for Kiwis wanting to follow 2008 election news.

My former Parliamentary mate, and partner in crime (it was a minor one) David Farrar of KiwiBlog, has launched his Blogmobile, to travel the country and provide national independent news for the next four weeks, in what will be a gripping election race.

May the best man, or woman, win.