Cairns Regional Council e-news - Volume 16, 23 June 2016

Big weekend of sport

This weekend brings a feast of sporting action to the tropics, with the RACQ North Queensland Games plus the Great Barrier Reef Continental Cup Beach Volleyball coming to Cairns. The NQ Games will feature 2000 athletes competing in 30 sports from archery to motocross, judo, sailing and even paintball. Most sports are spectator-friendly with free admission. Tickets are now on sale for the Beach Volleyball finals action, which will take place on specially built showcourts on the Cairns Esplanade on Sunday. The tournament is a direct qualifier for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Collins Ave closed for cycle race

As a result of the NQ Games Criterium cycling event, part of Collins Avenue will be closed at The Tanks Arts Centre and the Cairns Botanic Gardens from 6am until 3.30pm. Some parking loss will result. Bus services will use alternative stops. The Cairns Botanic Gardens and its cafes will be open as normal.

Martyn St Cemetery centenary

Residents have the chance to take a step back in time this weekend as Cairns’ oldest active cemetery celebrates its 100th anniversary year. The Martyn Street cemetery was opened in 1916 to replace the McLeod Street facility, which was nearing capacity and affected by the rising water table. Since then it has become the final resting place for nearly 20,000 people, including five mayors - Cleland, Crathern, Penridge, Collins and McCoombe. Other well-known names include Draper, Doyle, Petersen, Munro, Martin, Boland and Hugo Flecker, after whom the Flecker Botanic Gardens are named. As the cemetery opened during World War I, there is a dedicated war cemetery section at which 71 servicemen and women have been laid to rest. The Cairns and District Family History Society will lead a series of informative walks through the monument section of the cemetery over the next two weekends.The walks are free but bookings are essential. Phone 4032 6650 to reserve a space.

Library book sale

Cairns Libraries' annual booksale will be held at the Cairns Showgrounds on 29-31 July. Doors will be open from 9am to 5pm each day and EFTPOS will be available. Enter our competition at the booksale for your chance to win a family pass to the cinema.

Cutting-edge technology for sewer upgrade

Cairns Regional Council has joined forces with local business JPMI to use cutting-edge trenchless technology to install a new sewer main in one of the largest projects of its kind in Australia. More than 300 metres of 1m diameter polyethylene sewer main was this week fed into an underground borehole along Sheridan Street outside the sports precinct at North Cairns. The advanced drilling process prevents the need for large excavation and keeps the surface of the ground intact. About 340m of pipe was pulled through the borehole at a depth of 14m. The full 480m sewer main is expected to be fully installed and connected in October. Read more

For the footy fans

Footy fans on both sides of the code divide will be well catered for next month, when both NRL and AFL action comes to Cairns. The South Sydney Rabbitohs will take on the North Queensland Cowboys at Barlow Park on Sunday 3 July. Gates open at 1:40pm, main game at 4pm. Get tickets

The Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast Suns will do battle at Cazalys on Saturday 16 July. Gates open at 5pm the main game action is under way at 7.35pm in  Get tickets