No Images? Click here Cairns Regional Council e-news - Volume 33, 25 January 2018Celebrate Australia Day with seaside brekkyCelebrate our national day with a free seaside barbecue breakfast at Palm Cove or the Cairns Esplanade on Friday 26 January. The Palm Cove event features live music, kids’ activities, arts and crafts, stalls, facepainting and native wildlife display. Backyard sports will be the focus on the Cairns Esplanade, with cricket, basketball, soccer, rugby league and AFL on offer. Both events are from 7am to 11am and feature a free Aussie-style barbecue breakfast. On the southside, Gordonvale’s Norman Park will host the Free Big Aussie Brunch from 10am to midday. Indulge in lamingtons and a pie-eating competition, and join in the tug-o-war, thong-throwing and backyard cricket, plus live music and face painting. Find event details for all three events at: Cairns Esplanade Facebook Event Cairns Australia Day Award recipientsA huge congratulations to the recipients of the Cairns Region 2018 Australia Day Awards. The eight winners were announced during a breakfast ceremony this morning. The awards acknowledge local heroes and their contribution to their community. Find out more about the awards on our website and scroll down for info on each of the category winners. Citizen of the YearThe driving force behind St John’s Community Care since its establishment more than 20 years ago, Theo Bacalakis has led the growth of the organisation. Having started as a daycare centre in 1996, St John’s Community Care now also offers aged care, respite, disability support, multicultural support, housing assistance and transport services. The organisation’s reach has expanded into the Torres Strait, Townsville and Brisbane, employing more than 370 staff. But at the heart of this now large not-for-profit organisation is Theo’s original objective to simply help those in our community who are in need of assistance. Theo has readily given his time and energy to ensuring the ongoing success of the service. Young Citizen of the YearA recent graduate of St Mary’s Catholic College, Rachel Chan is an outstanding role model for the region’s young people. She received her school’s Year 12 Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, and the Good Samaritan Award in recognition of her extensive volunteers efforts. A gifted an accomplished musician and dancer, Rachel has participated in the State Honours Ensemble Program numerous times and has been a standout performer at the Cairns Junior Eisteddfod. However, it is her compassion for others and her commitment to lead by example that make her a worthy recipient of this award. Volunteer AwardThis award has been jointly awarded to: Kenneth Knight has given nearly half a century of service to local organisations, including 46 years’ involvement with Trinity Bay Lions Club – of which he is currently Secretary. He has been involved with Cairns Speedways for 44 years and has been Treasurer of the Mareeba and District Formula 500 Club since its establishment in 1976. Peter Cresswell has dedicated the past 37 years to providing others a voice through community radio. He has contributed more than 16,000 volunteer hours to Cairns Broadcasting Inc, of which he is a Life Member. As a founding member of Cairns FM, Peter was instrumental in establishing Cairns’ own community station. He has volunteered his time as on-air presenter for more than three decades.
Cultural Awards winnersA favourite on the Cairns comedy scene, Cultural Award recipient Peter James just loves to make people laugh. A regular on stage at the Cairns Dinner Theatre, Peter has performed in various shows and has led a revival of stand-up comedy in Cairns. At just 19 years of age, he is considered a rapidly rising talent in the genre, having supported national names in comedy when touring Cairns and headlined his own sell out show. A talented vocalist and dancer, Junior Cultural Award recipient Melodie West has a genuine passion for music. She has overcome challenges associated with her vision impairment to perform with prestigious choirs and as a dancer at the recent Rugby League World Cup games in Cairns. As a choir captain for her school, she has relished the opportunity to assist younger singers with their arrangements and performances.
Sportsperson awardsHaving already achieved World Champion success in wheelchair basketball, Sportsperson of the Year Andrew Jamieson turned his attention to triathlon. Having trained for several years and successfully completed the Cairns 70.3 four times, Andrew took on his first full-length Ironman in Hawaii last year, finishing third in his division. A young basketballer with a big future, Junior Sportsperson of the Year Kody Stattman will leave Cairns later this year to take up a full scholarship with University of Virginia in the USA. Kody recently received a scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport for their Centre of Excellence basketball program, which he will complete prior to departing for the USA. With a suite of national representative honours under his belt, Kody is well on his way to establishing a professional career in basketball.
Upcoming Council market days - February
Restrictions liftedLevel 1 water restrictions will be lifted as of tomorrow (Friday 26 January), thanks to recent rainfall in the Lake Morris Catchment. Please remember that permanent water conservation measures remain in place, with sprinkler use permitted on an "odds and evens" basis. More info Be alert during disaster seasonIs your family prepared for a cyclone or other severe weather event? The storm season is here and now is the time to check that your Household Emergency Plan is up to date and Emergency Kit fully stocked. Visit the Cairns Disaster Dashboard for resources to assist your preparations and to stay up to date with severe weather warnings, road closures and flood cams, power outages and emergency advice. Plus, sign up now for Cairns Alert to emergency messaging system. This is a localised notification system providing emergency advice via email and SMS before, during and after a disaster event. The Queen’s Baton Relay is comingThe Queen’s Baton Relay is a Games tradition that celebrates the Commonwealth’s diversity, inspires community pride and excites people about the world-class festival of sports and culture to come. The relay travels through Cairns on March 15-17, 2018 on its way to the opening ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games. Roads will remain open throughout the Queen’s Baton Relay, however there will be significant delays as the relay convoy travels through the city. Please refer
to www.gc2018.com/qbr to view the full street level route and plan your journey. Youth art celebration at Trinity BeachOn Friday 2 February we celebrate the talented participants of Cairns Regional Council’s Youth Urban Art Project with music, a free barbecue and art workshops. We need you!Play your part in the biggest sporting event Australia has seen this decade - volunteer for Cairns’ Commonwealth Games activities. If you are interested in becoming a Games volunteer, please attend Council’s upcoming Volunteer Information Session. RSVP: You can also register your expression of interest at: http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/whats-on/gc2018/volunteering
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