News from the Council Ordinary Meeting
ORDINARY MEETING
Cairns poised to host 2023 Queensland State Pool Rescue Championships
Council will provide $10,000 to help Surf Life Saving Queensland secure the 2023 Queensland State Pool Rescue Championships in Cairns.
The championships are expected to be held at the Tobruk Memorial Aquatic Facility on
22-23 July 2023.
A pool-based lifesaving competition, it is expected to attract hundreds of competitors aged from 10 years to masters from around the state, who will test their rescue skills with events such as manikin tows, obstacle swims and tube swims carrying patients.
This will be the first time the event has been held outside Southeast Queensland.
It is expected the event will attract more than 800 visitors to Cairns, including 430 entrants, and will have a $600,000 direct economic impact on the economy.
Successful flying fox strategy reviewed and expanded
Cairns Regional Council has reviewed and expanded its highly successful flying fox management strategy.
The new policy, which supersedes the previous Management of Flying Fox Colonies General Policy, reflects and expands on Council’s management options in accordance with codes of practice issued by the Department of Environment and Science.
It also broadens the scope of the policy to include all roosts in the Cairns region, whereas the previous policy focused largely on the CBD roost and excluded non-urban roosts on Council controlled land.
Cairns Regional Council is now considered a leader in the management of flying-foxes, in particular the management of the endangered spectacled flying-fox species.
Learnings and experience from the past decade have been used to develop the new Flying-Fox Management Strategy – Cairns LGA.
Council has also committed $12,000 to Bats and Trees Society of Cairns Inc. (BatSoc) to support bat carers in Cairns and to continue education and community engagement initiatives.
BatSoc is a not-for-profit incorporated entity; its primary activity is to engage and inform the local community about bats and trees through events and educational talks at schools.
Community groups share in funding
A program that aims to teach job seekers barbering and deliver free haircuts, is one of five community initiatives to share in more than $60,000 of grant funding.
Fresh Start Academy has received a $25,000 grant through Council’s Community Partnerships Grant to help deliver the Fresh Start Pop Up Barbers program.
In its first year, the program aims to engage with six to 10 jobseekers on a six-month basis to teach them barbering.
Once trained, they will provide free haircuts via pop up barber shops, which are planned to at different locations four times a month.
It is hoped that the free haircut program will engage with men aged 15 to 26 years, providing a space for discussion and support.
The Community Partnerships Grant assists community groups and organisations with the delivery of events, activities and programs that enhance the lives of residents, celebrate important community occasions, and provide opportunities to develop social cohesion and connection in the Cairns region.
Successful applicants for Community Partnerships Grant (Round 5) are:
- Cairns African Association Inc: $11,400 for the Cairns African Festival 2023
- Cairns Indian Association Inc: $6,200 for the Holi – Festival of Colour
- Cairns Thai Community Association Inc: $16,000 for the Songkran Festival 2023
- Fresh Start Academy: $25,000 for the Fresh Start Pop Up Barbers
- Marlin Coast Neighbourhood Centre Inc: $2,000 for the MCNC Community Fun Day.
(Note: All grants are ex-GST)
Council backs Choral Society to the tune of $35,000
Council will provide up to $35,000 in-kind support to the Cairns Choral Society next year.
The Choral Society has successfully delivered shows for more than four decades, but last year was forced to cancel its musical performance due to COVID-related illnesses.
This followed a 2021 season which was also impacted by the pandemic.
Council will provide up to $35,000 in-kind support for the Cairns Performing Arts Centre to assist with the delivery of the musical “Spamalot”, the annual gala, and the biennial Senior Eisteddfod.
Funding sought for music event
Council will apply for a $100,000 grant to assist in the delivery of a high-profile music performance at Munro Martin Parklands (MMP).
A funding application will be made to the Live Music Australia (Round 5) grant through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
If successful, Council will use the funding to help deliver a ticketed contemporary music show at MMP as part of Cairns Festival.
Cairns Festival breaks attendance records
Cairns Festival’s 60th birthday program broke attendance records for the 10-day event, which included 224 performances, featuring 1,200 performers and artists.
Held from 26 August to 4 September, the 2022 festival program featured music, physical theatre, comedy, roving performances, premium projection and laser work, dance, film, cabaret, multimedia installations and visual arts.
More than 60% of the performers, artists and dancers were local, and about 90% of the events were free to attend.
This included the visually spectacular Reef Light – Illuminate the Tropics laser and light show at the Esplanade Lagoon and foreshore, which attracted an audience of 22,000 people.
About 35,000 people attended the Grand Parade and fireworks, which featured 58 floats, while 20,000 people attended the festival ending Carnival on Collins event.
Barlow Park lighting upgrade a step closer
Council has received $4 million in State Government funding to progress lighting and audio-visual upgrades to Barlow Park.
The funding will contribute to the $10 million Digital Broadcast Lighting Upgrade Project, which will ensure the facility meets TV broadcast standards.
This would pave the way for more elite level rugby league, rugby union and football matches to be held at the venue, which would potentially to contribute $5.2 million annually to Cairns’ Gross Regional Product and support 57 jobs.
The proposed upgrades include increasing the lux capacity of the lighting as well as installation of large video screen for scoring and replays.
Council also applied to the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) Round 6 for $5 million, but has since been advised that program has been discontinue.
Council is now planning to use the application to make an application to the Federal Government’s proposed new Growing Regions Program.