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In Focus, 24 July 2014
Dear reader, welcome to the latest edition of In Focus, full of news, events and opportunities from your council.
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Mayor's Message
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Tomorrow will be a milestone in the revitalisation of the Cairns CBD.
Lake Street will open to through traffic tomorrow, around six weeks ahead of schedule.
We went into this project conscious of the need to get it done as quickly as possible. It is through good planning and project management and hard work by the crews on the ground that we have managed to achieve this excellent outcome.
If you haven't visited Lake Street lately, I certainly encourage you to make the effort. You'll find wide, inviting footpaths, tropical landscaping and features celebrating our seasons and our environment.
If you're driving through Lake Street, please keep in mind that the conditions have changed. Please respect the 30km/h speed limit and both motorists and pedestrians are asked to use common sense when it comes to interacting with other road users.
As we rapidly head toward completion of this phase of the City Centre Alive revitalisation program, I look forward to the next phase - the Shields Street Heart. Consultation closed last week and the contributions recieved will help shape the scope and timeline of this next project. I thank everyone who took the time participate in this process.
Mayor Bob Manning
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Lake St to open tomorrow
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Lake Street will be opened to through traffic tomorrow - nearly six weeks ahead of schedule - as the City Centre Alive project nears completion.
Lake Street between Spence and Aplin Streets will be speed limited at 30km/h to reflect the shared use of the precinct by cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians.
The refurbished Lake Street has been designed with narrow lanes, landscaping, rough or cobble pavement treatments, confined vehicle space and wide open pedestrian space to encourage low-speed traffic movement.
Electronic message signs will be in place for several weeks to warn pedestrians and vehicles of changed traffic conditions.
Some off-street works will be ongoing during the next few weeks, but any impact on traffic and pedestrians will be minimal.
The Get Lucky on Lake competition will continue until the end of August and the official opening celebration will be held on Saturday 6 September, at which time the major prize will be drawn.
Buses will continue to use the temporary station near The Pier until September.
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Last chance to join parade
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The countdown is on to get entries in for this year's Cairns Festival Grand Parade and Fireworks. With $10,000 in prize money – not to mention the applause and cheers of 35,000 onlookers – it's a perfect opportunity to promote your business, school, group or individual talent.
Entries close on Thursday 31 July, with participants encouraged to design floats to reflect the theme Spring in the Tropics.
Cash prizes will be awarded in four categories:
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$5,000 Best Overall Entry
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$2,000 Best Non−Motorised / Pedestrian Entry
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$2,000 JCU Education Category Best School Entry
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$1,000 Best Solo Entry
Judges will assess floats based on how well the entry fits with the Spring in the Tropics theme; creativity and overall quality of the presentation; and the enthusiasm and spirit of float participants
Cairns Festival will run from 30 August to 7 September. For more information on the Grand Parade and other ways to be involved in the 2014 Cairns Festival, visit the festival website.
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Library book sale
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It's time to stock your bookcase. The annual and much-anticipated Cairns Libraries book sale will be held in the Fred Moule Pavilion at the Cairns Showgrounds on 15-17 August.
Thousands of books of all genres will be up for grabs at bargain prices. If past experience is anything to go by, books will disappear quickly.
Funds raised at the sale will help the libraries to purchase new stock for borrowing by library members. Both children’s and adults’ books will be for sale and Eftpos facilities are available.
Doors will be open each of the three days from 9am to 5pm.
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Gravely tales get QR code
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A modern twist has been put on Cairns' oldest cemetery, as technology captures the lives of the city's early pioneers.
The installation of QR (quick response) codes at the Pioneer Cemetery in McLeod Street has put Cairns' early history at the fingertips of visitors.
History buffs can now use their smart phones to instantly access biographical information on some of the cemetery's oldest residents, bringing their stories back to life.
Members of the Cairns and District Family History Society have researched in detail the stories behind 10 gravesites, belonging to William Real, Katie Prime, Katie Bennett, Fathers Corcoran and Cahill, Isaac Duffin, Eliza Earl, Richard Ash Kingsford, Charles Wyatt, John Samuel Pyne and the Redden family.
Their research can now be accessed via the QR codes, which have been installed by a stonemason on granite pillars at the rear of the gravesites.
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Wi-fi network expands
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Logging on in the Cairns CBD has just become easier, with the expansion of Cairns Regional Council's free community wi-fi network.
Originally limited to the Cairns Esplanade and City Library, the network now extends along Spence St to Sheridan St; Abbott and Lake St to Aplin St; and part of Grafton St, with greater download speeds and allowance.
Utilising the recently-installed NBN infrastructure, new areas of connectivity have been progressively coming online during the past few months and both locals and visitors are already making good use of the network.
In June, more than 17,000 unique users logged on to the network. Around half of them were accessing the network via the new city access points. More than 100,000 online sessions were recorded during that month, averaging about 21 minutes per session.
Visitors from more than 70 countries have used the network, with around half of users being from overseas. Around 15 per cent of users are Cairns locals.
The network has also been rolled out to all Cairns Libraries branches, increasing the benefit for residents. To log on, look for Cairns Community Wi-Fi.
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Tablelands tops TNQ20
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The challenge has been issued to Cairns businesses for next year's TNQ20 Business Excellence and Tropical Innovation Awards, after Tablelands businesses took out both major awards.
The Cairns Post Business of the Year was Mungalli Creek Dairy, which produces organic milk, yoghurts, cheeses and eggs for sale locally and across Australia.
The James Cook University Tropical Innovation of the Year went to Clonal Solutions for its use of tissue cultures and cuttings to propagate new plant species through cloning technology.
Judges described Clonal Solutions as "a unique, innovative, high-tech plan nursery with a difference. They have the ability to mass-produce elite clones of the best genetics."
On Mungalli Creek Dairy, judges said the applicant showcased tropical expertise across its business while successfuly diversifying from soley milk production.
Cairns Regional Council presented the awards to showcase business excellence and innovation within the Tropical North Queensland region.
For the full list of winners, visit the TNQ20 website.
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