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In Focus, 28 November 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
The festive season is just around the corner.
The switching on of the Cairns Esplanade Christmas tree this weekend will signal the start of Christmas in an evening of carols and festivities.
Earlier this week, I was delighted to present prizes to the winners of our Chrismtas e-card competition. The three young artists will also be given the honour of turning on the Christmas lights at the lagoon tomorrow night.
Carols by Candlelight will be held in Fogarty Park a couple of weeks later. The Carols is one of Cairns' biggest community events and I hope you will join us for this celebration of Christmas in the tropics and showcase of local talent.
The Carols are also the major fundraiser for the Mayor's Christmas Cheer Appeal. All the money raised from the sale of merchandise will help brighten another local family's Christmas. I thank the Cairns community for its unwavering generosity in supporting this appeal year after year.
Mayor Bob Manning
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Awards for top CRC staff
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The week, Council held its annual staff awards, recognising outstanding efforts within the organisation.
Pictured are the top apprentices and trainees - (from left) James Moretto, Harvey Thomas, Jason Ballarino, Carleigh Kerr and Chris Remedio with CEO Peter Tabulo.
The CRC Training and Excellence Awards provide an opportunity for management to thank and congratulate staff members on their achievements, leadership and contribution to Council's operations.
See the full list of recipients
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Nominate an unsung hero
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Nominations are now open in the 2015 Australia Day Awards. The Awards recognise the unsung heroes in our community who enrich the lives of others, and do so with no fanfare and little public recognition.
There are seven award categories:
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Citizen of the Year Award
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Young Citizen of the Year
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Cultural Award
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Junior Cultural Award
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Sportsperson of the Year
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Junior Sportsperson of the Year
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Volunteer of the Year
Download a nomination form and return to Australia Day Awards Sub Committee, Cairns Regional Council, PO Box 359, Cairns QLD 4870 or email to RSVP@cairns.qld.gov.au. Nominations close 5pm on Friday 12 December 2014.
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Christmas tree to light up
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Festive season celebrations will start this weekend with the lighting of the Cairns Esplanade Christmas Tree.
The annual event will take place by the Esplanade lagoon, where a 10 metre Christmas tree is currently under construction.
By Saturday evening, the tree will be adorned with baubles, butterflies and 8000 LED lights ready to be switched on by the three age group winners of the Christmas e-card competition.
The Cairns Esplanade Christmas tree will be lit on Saturday, November 29. Soul Song Choir will entertain with a selection of carols and Christmas songs from 6pm. The tree will be switched on at 7pm.
The Christmas tree will be the focal point of pre-Christmas activities, with entertainment each Friday from 6pm to 8pm.
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Council scoops awards
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It's been a big couple of weeks for CRC, receiving a host of awards for various activities.
The Sister Cities National Day community celebration scored the national Community Involvement Award at last week's Sister Cities Australia conference. The Cairns Says Hello short film received a Special Recognition award. Pictured is Sister Cities Advisory Committee Chair Sim Hayward with SCA president Bill Wilson.
Also taking national honours was the Disaster Management team, which won the Local Government category at the Resilient Australia Awards.
On a regional level, the City Centre Alive project to open and revitalise Lake Street was considered the best Design and Construction Project by the Far North Queensland branch of Engineering Australia.
At last week's Tropical North Queensland Tourism Awards, CRC took the Local Government Award. We now await the results of tonight's Queensland Tourism Awards, in which CRC is a finalist.
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Carols by Candlelight
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Carols by Candlelight will be held at Fogarty Park on Sunday 14 December.
Entertainment will start at 6.30pm, featuring MC Chris Lloyds, special guest Rochelle Pitt and a host of local talent.
A live brass band will accompany singers at the all-ages, alcohol-free event. Sale of glow products will support the Mayor's Christmas Cheer Appeal. The event will conclude with a fireworks finale at 8.30pm.
Bring a blanket, your best singing voice and Christmas spirit! Food will be available to purchase.
Marlin Parade will be closed from 8.30pm to 8.45pm to allow for the fireworks display.
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New look for Norman Park
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Earlier this month, Division 1 Cr Steve Brain officially opened the new-look Norman Park at Gordonvale.
The former water tower, which served the town from 1935-1953 has been dismantled. But with the base retained, restored and capped with a decorative frame, the remnants now stand as a monument to the town's history, taking pride of place at Norman Park.
It is accompanied by interpretive signage, concrete stencilling depicting the shadows of the tower and infused with images of Japanese bombers in tribute to the region's links with World War II and improved public infrastructure.
Having doubled as a watch tower during World War II, the water tower was decommissioned in 1953, after Behana Gorge became the primary water supply for the area. The structure has stood dormant since, gradually falling victim to time and wear as concrete cancer set in.
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Winning e-card entries
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Congratulations to Pyper Northam for taking top marks in this year's Christas e-card design competition.
Pyper won the 11-13 years age category, as well as the overall prize and her design will be made into Council's official e-card for the Christmas season.
Nine-year-old Zahra Hohage took out the 7-9 years age group, while Natallie Ros, 6, was the 6 years and under winner.
The three young winners received a framed copy of their drawings and some early Christmas presents. To complete their prize, the trio will be given the honour of switching on the lights of the Cairns Esplanade Christmas tree tomorrow evening.
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Seymour to rock NYE
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An Australian music icon will feature on the Esplanade stage as Cairns farewells 2014.
Renowned singer-songwriter Mark Seymour will headline the annual Cairns Esplanade New Year's Eve concert, presented by Cairns Regional Council. The former Hunters and Collectors frontman will be joined by his current band The Undertow on the Cairns Esplanade stage.
The Cairns Esplanade New Year's Eve program is a free, all-ages event from 6pm. The entertainment line-up includes Sam Clark, Frontear, Flavour and Amy Chase. Fireworks are at 9pm and midnight. Thanks to Rattle 'n' Hum for again coming on board to support the New Year's Eve event.
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