Cairns Regional Council has received national honours for its work to promote Tropical North Queensland as a region of innovative excellence.
 
The Tropical Innovation Awards, which were initiated by Council, took out the 2011 National Award for Local Government Regional Collaborations category announced by the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government Simon Crean recently

Mayor Val Schier said this recognition of the Tropical Innovation Awards was timely with entries for the 2011 Awards now open.

“The Tropical Innovation Awards are a significant catalyst in driving economic diversification and supporting innovation within our broader region,” Cr Schier.

“The importance of these awards was highlighted last month when Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd joined me to launch the 2011 Tropical Innovation Awards with the new international category of Tropical Zone Innovation.

“These Awards are part of a wider innovation agenda for Council and this success can be attributed to strong regional partnerships and collaboration between all levels of government.   

“The Awards are a first for Australia and aim to firmly establish Tropical North Queensland as a centre for tropical expertise, innovation and sustainable development.” 

Entries for the 2011 Tropical Innovation Awards are now open and close on June 30.