No Images? Click here
Cairns Regional Council e-news - Volume 15, 26 May 2016
Join the fun of ECOfiesta
Prizes will be up for grabs and great live entertainment on offer when the second annual ECOfiesta takes place at the Cairns Cruise Liner terminal this Sunday 29 May. Following a successful inaugural year in 2015, ECOfiesta is back bigger and better, with more than 100 stalls and an impressive entertainment line-up across two stages. ECOfiesta is a fun family day out and an opportunity for anyone interested in sustainable living to see what products and services are available in Cairns. Attendees can be in the running for great hourly prizes by snapping a selfie at ECOfiesta and uploading it to Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #ecofiesta. BYO coffee cup, water bottle and reusable bag to cut down on waste. Jointly hosted by Cairns Regional Council and James Cook University, ECOfiesta is the headline event of ECOweek 2016.
Innovation awards open
The 2016 Tropical North Queensland Innovation Awards (TNQIA) are now open. Mayor Bob Manning was joined by Queensland Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business Leeanne Enoch (pictured) last week to open the awards program at Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome. Entrants will benefit from exposure to potential investors and business partners, as well as the chance to win prize packages of professional services, tailored to their specific business needs. Get all the info on eligibility and how to enter at the TNQIA website.
Botanic Gardens open day
An open day will showcase the variety and wonder of the Cairns Botanic Gardens this Sunday 29 May. Join us between 8.30am and 2pm for free guided tours, films, the Plant Doctor and information stalls to celebrate the National Botanic Gardens Open Day. Tours include bird watching, mangrove and nature walk, Indigenous plant use, the Chinese Friendship Gardens and, of course, the Flecker Botanic Gardens and Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory. Well known local “plant doctor” Graeme Byrne will be on hand to answer questions about plant diseases and pests, with visitors invited to bring their samples from home for diagnosis and advice. A series of short films will be screened throughout the day. With more than 5000 plant species and Australia’s largest collection of tropical plant species, the Cairns Botanic Gardens Precinct take in about 40 hectares of natural and created botanic spaces. The day coincides with the regular Tanks Market Day.
|
Coming up...
|
Local film talent to screen at Tanks
More than 20 local films from a range of genres will be showcased at Tanks Art Centre on 18 June as part of the third annual Understory Film Festival. This year’s contest attracted more than 40 entries across eight categories including the new, ‘The Reef Starts Here’ category. Previously an outdoor event, this year’s film festival will be held in the cool of the now climate-controlled Tank 5, starting at 6:30pm. Admission is free with seating provided and food and drink available for purchase. The winners of the eight award categories will be announced after the screening and viewers will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite contribution in the People’s Choice Award. Understory Film Festival is presented by Cairns Regional Council with support from Screen Queensland’s Screen Culture Program. Find out more on Facebook
Walker Rd next stage
Stage 2 of the Walker Road Sporting Precinct will start next month. Works include construction of two rectangular fields, a full-sized cricket oval with turf wicket and a junior cricket oval. Additional car parking, a new access road, lighting, landscaping, fencing and utilities are also included. Stage 1 of the precinct was recently completed and included four baseball and softball diamonds which have hosted junior games since April. The final cost of the stage is expected to come in at $431,000 below the project budget. Stage 2 is expected to cost $5.65 million and is due for completion in July 2017.
New Redlynch roadConstruction is under way on a new road to link Redlynch Connection Road with St Andrew’s College. To relieve congestion at the Michaelangelo Drive and Redlynch Intake Road intersection, the road will be constructed from the new entrance to Redlynch Central Shopping Centre to the Redlynch Community Sports Complex. The road, to be named Portelli Road after a prominent local family, will service a future sporting precinct opposite the shopping centre, as well as St Andrew’s College, the childcare and community kindergarten and the existing Redlynch Community Sports Complex. The two-lane road will be accompanied by a 3m wide footpath on the sports complex side of the road to provide safe pedestrian access to the school and sports facilities. The $2.6m project includes $1.3m in grant funding through the Queensland Government’s Royalties for the Regions program. |
Shields St stage 2An urban park will bring more green into the Cairns city centre as the Shields Street Heart project extends toward Abbott Street. Work has started on the second stage of the project, which is part of the City Centre Alive program to upgrade and revitalise the Cairns CBD. Initial works include replacement of the southern footpath, starting outside Rockman’s and working back toward Abbott Street. Pedestrian access to shops will be maintained throughout the works but there will be no vehicle access and temporary loading areas have been established in Abbott St. Stage 2 is expected to take about 11 months to complete. View the fly-through video |
Be part of Ironman action
The Cairns Airport Adventure Festival (CAFF) kicks off on 5 June, with the major events - the IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns and the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 - taking place on Sunday 12 June. For early birds, Palm Cove is a fantastic live site as the two triathlon events start off the shore at dawn. From there, there are vantage points along the northern beaches and in Port Douglas to watch the bikes fly past. But it will be on the Cairns Esplanade where spectators can get the best view of athletes as they complete the run leg in loops of the iconic foreshore of Cairns. Popular spectator areas are at the finish line shute just south of the Lagoon, near Muddies Playground and at the northern end of the Esplanade near the hockey fields. More than 7000 athletes will take part in the CAAF, with 3500 in the IRONMAN events. One of the best ways to be a part of the action, without having to wear lycra, is by volunteering. Volunteers are key to the success of the festival with important roles like packing kit bags, assisting with the athlete check-in, handing out medals to the finishers, directing athletes on the course and handing out drinks. Register to volunteer online.
Ironman traffic changes
For the 2016 Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns and the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 on Sunday, June 12, the use of public roads is required, changed traffic conditions and clearways must be enforced to ensure the safety of participants and volunteers.
Not sure what to do with that old car battery? You can drop it off free of charge at Council's waste recycling facilities. Just pop it on the pallet provided. There are also bins to place smaller household batteries for recycling. Find out more about what can be accepted at waste transfer stations on our website.