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In Focus, 29 August 2014

Dear reader, welcome to the latest edition of In Focus, full of news, events and opportunities from your council.

Mayor's Message

Tomorrow marks the start of the 2014 Cairns Festival - a celebration of life in Tropical North Queensland and the talent contained within.

Tomorrow evening's Grand Parade and Fireworks will once again showcase the creativity of our local people and the community spirit that shines through.

I look forward to seeing not only the spectacle of the parade floats, but also the sea of faces lining the Esplanade to cheer them on. 

If you are going as a spectator, don't forget to note the number of your favourite float so you can vote in the People's Choice Award.

Cairns Festival will continue for nine days, offering up all manner of entertainment and community activities. This includes next weekend's Party on Lake, where we will celebrate the completion of the City Centre Alive project and draw the major prize winners in the Get Lucky on Lake competition.

To all who have entered this competition, thank you for supporting our CBD traders when they have needed it most. And good luck for the prize draw!

Just a couple of weeks later, we will be welcoming Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from around the world for the G20 finance meeting in Cairns.

if you are concerned about disruptions to our city, don't be. It will be business as usual, with road closures restricted to the immediate vicinity of the Cairns Convention Centre.

Mayor Bob Manning

Party on Lake to win a car

Today is the final day to get your entries in for the Get Lucky on Lake competition. The final daily and monthly draw will take place this afternoon, with the winners to be published in tomorrow's Cairns Post and on Council's Facebook page.

Entries collected during the past five months will then be placed back in the draw to win a new car, among other great prizes, at next week's Party on Lake.

The event is part of Cairns Festival and will celebrate the completion of the City Centre Alive transformation of Lake Street.

With fashion parades, cooking demonstration, roving entertainment, children's activities and more, it's an event that's not to be missed!

You must be there on the day to take home the major prizes, which include a new Holden Cruze, a year's worth of fuel, thousands of dollars in shopping vouchers, tourist experiences and luxury getaways.

The party starts at 12 noon, with the prize draws to take place from 2pm.

Join the festival

Cairns Festival kicks off tomorrow, offering a showcase of local artists and performers set against the stunning backdrop that is Spring in the tropics.

Opening with the always spectacular Grand Parade and Fireworks, Cairns Festival 2014 will run for nine days, spilling into a range of local venues to maximise the festival experience.

The parade will start at 5.30pm, traversing the Cairns Esplanade, prior to a fireworks display at 7pm. Road closures and changed traffic conditions will apply.

Other events this weekend include the Esplanart exhibition, which was launched yesterday, Sunday on the 'Nard, Chalk the Walk and Fluent.

Download the full program so you don't miss a thing!

Lake St extension open

Motorists accessing Cairns Airport from the city now have an alternative to Sheridan Street, with the intersection of Lake Street and Airport Avenue operational as of this week.

Traffic signals have been installed at the intersection, allowing a right turn from Lake Street into Airport Avenue. The left turn from Airport Avenue into Lake Street opened last month.

Mayor Bob Manning said the new access would provide a more direct access between the airport and Cairns CBD and would be particularly useful for taxis and shuttle buses.

"It will take some of the airport traffic away from the highway and provide a more direct route for these vehicles," Cr Manning said.

"It will be especially helpful for our taxi drivers, who can now travel directly from the new Lake Street taxi rank to the airport and back."

In order to limit use of the road to vehicles accessing or leaving the airport, there is no right turn permitted from Airport Ave on to Lake St and no left turn from Lake St on to Airport Ave.

More space for dogs
Dog with ball in mouth

The dog off-leash area at Brinsmead’s Goomboora Park will be expanded from 3000 square metres to about 1 hectare.

A public survey conducted by Council showed that 87 per cent of respondents were in favour of expanding the dog off-leash area.
It is also recommended that the existing dog prohibited areas be removed, replaced by an on-leash requirement.

The changes are in response to a petition submitted by local residents and park users and a subsequent public consultation program.

Garden comp winners
Larry and Robyn Butler and Carmel Peatey

Congratulations to the winners of the Seniors Week Garden Competition.

Pictured are overall winners Larry and Robyn Butler (over an acre) and Carmel Peatey (under an acre).

Awards also went to:

  • Averil and John Cadogan (Best Tropical Garden)
  • Jeannie Whittaker (Best Street Frontage)
  • Beryl Watson (Most Colourful Garden)
  • Lynn Thomas Hale (Best Flat/Villa/Townhouse or Balcony garden)
  • Pieter Blaauw and Magdalena Juleti (Best Outdoor Living Area)
  • Lee and Lothar Ross (Best Vegie Garden)

Thanks to sponsors Masters Home Improvements and Mad About Plants.

Welcome for babies
Baby under blanket

Each year, Cairns Regional Council welcomes new babies to the region with the Baby Welcome and Family Expo. 

This year's event will be held on Sunday 2 November and families with new babies born between October 2013 and October 2014 can register from Monday to have their baby welcomed to the city in a formal ceremony that will be held down on the Esplanade next to Muddy's Playground.

The event is for all the family, with lots of fun for the older kids as well as mum and dad.