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JANUARY 12, 2024
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Crazy council antics
Highway to flow again l FAR NORTH
Still no new division 4 councillor after farcical local body meeting l CAIRNS REGION | Nick Dalton REPLACING Cairns Regional Council’s division four representative is easier said than done after a meeting to vote on the position turned into a chaotic political bunfight. The council – at its final meeting of the year on December 21 – failed to appoint a new division 4 councillor to replace Cr Terry James, who became the new mayor late last year. Proceedings became farcical after all five Unity Team councillors were judged as having conflicts of interest, despite legal advice to the contrary. That left just four independent councillors – not enough to make a quorum – and a further meeting is required before January 21.
A by-election cannot be held as it is too close to the local body poll on March 16. The eight people seeking the division 4 seat are former United Australia Party senate candidate and community advocate Yohan (Yodie) Batzke, former division 4 candidate and bus driver Scott Colbran, division four candidate and lawyer Shane Cuthbert, customs officer and community volunteer Cate Mahoney, pharmacist and Coast Guard volunteer Mark McCombie, paramedic and Unity team division 4 candidate Jeremy Neal, former Mulgrave shire councillor Rosario (Ross) Parisi and lawyer and businesswoman Joseline (Joy) Quinones. Team Eden’s division 4 candidate Trevor Tim did not apply for the position. Mr Cuthbert has also presented a petition signed by more than 250 residents supporting him if he is not nominated by a sitting councillor.
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BE SMART ABOUT BACK TO SCHOOL 2024 School Savvy Youth Ambassador Yasmin Rivett is calling for donations to make the return to school easier for struggling families. FULL STORY PAGE 9
THE Captain Cook Highway between Ellis Beach and Port Douglas is set to re-open next weekend after being closed for nearly a month following Cyclone Jasper flooding. In the meantime construction has also started on a single lane for heavy vehicles on the Palmerston Highway between Crawfords Lookout and Junction Rd. It is expected to open mid-February. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returned to the region on Wednesday this week to inspect progress on the restoration of roads and communities damaged significantly in the floods. He also announced more than $44 million in relief funding, including a $24.25m Tourism Recovery and Resilience Program of grants for Far North operators who have been cut-off or heavily affected by the extreme weather, a $20m Clean-Up Program for councils and state agencies to clear up debris, three cyclone industry recovery and resilience officers plus recovery project managers for Wujal Wujal Aboriginal and Douglas shire councils. “This beautiful place has been ravaged by this disaster, and we want to help Far North Queensland get back on its feet as soon as possible,” Mr Albanese said. FULL STORIES P4-5
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