Cape York Weekly Edition 229

PEACE FOR YOUTH WEEK

There was slime, fun runs, sporting success and lots of colour when Napranum and Aurukun marked Youth Week 2025 with five days of activities last week. Report – Page 2

Cape impacted by lengthy closure

Fury over ferry

Tourism operators say the Jardine River ferry operator is “holding the Cape to ransom” over plans to close the service for a month as thousands of visitors prepare to head north. Coverage – Pages 4-5

Dawn service 6am

Daku Park

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HAMBELL PLUMBING

10 in the mix: LCP lands top spot on ballot paper

WITH the 2025 federal election now less than three weeks away, 10 candidates will feature on the ballot paper in the fight to replace long-serving MP Warren Entsch as the Leichhardt representative in Canberra.

Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) announced this week Dr Daniel Collins would represent the party on the ballot paper on 3 May, meaning 10 candidates are now confirmed starters in the race to represent Cape York and

the Torres Strait in the nation’s capital for the next three years.

Dr Collins will join Labor’s Matt Smith, Liberal National Party candidate Jeremy Neal, One Nation’s Robert Hicks, Greens runner Phillip Musumeci, Family First representative Les Searle, Legalise Cannabis Party candidate Nicholas Daniels, independent Munganbana Norman Miller, Greg Dowling and Lloyd Russell on corflutes across the region as voters de-

cide who they want to fight for them in the halls of federal Parliament.

The timing of the election has been criticised by several candidates, with the wet season, school holidays and five public holidays throwing a spanner in the works of multiple plans to campaign in the northernmost part of the seat.

Mr Dowling, a former rugby league star, was also unveiled as a candidate last week and will

fly the flag for Clive Palmer’s new Trumpet of Patriots.

The Legalise Cannabis Party will appear at the top of the Leichhardt ballot paper following the Australian Electoral Commission draw on Friday morning, with Mr Daniels securing the number one spot.

At the 2022 election, 11 candidates representing a broad range of parties contested the 150,000km2 electorate.

KAP candidate – Page 14

Colourful Youth Week comes to a close

By CHISA HASEGAWA

AFTER an eventful five days of exploding colours, sports, laughter and learning, PCYC Aurukun and Napranum are celebrating another successful Youth Week.

During Youth Week, young people in the two communities were treated to an activity-filled schedule that celebrated their place in the world.

“This week’s activities as part of Youth Week were a highlight of our year so far,” PCYC Napranum club manager Sergeant Rhonda Spence told Cape York Weekly

“Our many activities were planned as a celebration and an acknowledgement of their achievements and contributions.

“A variety of ages were supported, and it was so wonderful to see our older youth supporting and encouraging their younger peers.”

Aside from activities like arts and crafts, ping pong cup challenges, a mental health showcase and the ever-popular Colour Xplosion Fun Run, Sergeant Spence said trips to Weipa over the five days had been a big hit.

“Sixty youth went to Weipa to participate in a slime obstacle course, and a further 55 youth over 12 years old had a celebration night at the Weipa Aquatic Centre,” she said.

PUBLIC NOTICE

JARDINE FERRY MAINTENANCE

CLOSURE: 23 APRIL – 23 MAY 2025

“Our focus over the remaining year will be to register and participate in sporting events and activities to support youth development that are being held in Weipa and surrounding areas.”

PCYC Aurukun also hosted a Colour Xplosion Fun Run in ad-

The Jardine River ferry will be removed from the Jardine River for essential repairs to the ferry hull to ensure ongoing safe operations.

Closure dates: Wednesday, 23 April to Friday, 23 May 2025. Annual safety repairs to the Jardine Ferry are under compliance regulations set by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Council apologises for the inconvenience caused and thanks you for your patience during this essential repair period.

Tickets purchased for travel during closure period, remain valid when ferry is open.

NPARC T: (07) 4090 4100 or (07) 4090 4120 W: www.nparc.qld.gov.au

Lew Rojahn

ACTING CEO

dition to their annual Club and Culture sporting tournament, in which youth were put into three teams to compete for the perpetual shield.

“[It was] a great day of sports and games with teamwork and leadership on display for the community, with parents

and families making the effort to come down and spectate,”

PCYC Aurukun club manager

Sergeant Steve Armstrong-Ravula said.

“Everyone thoroughly enjoyed watching their kids get involved, and seeing them try their best in the competition.”

FRIDAY APRIL 25

WEIPA DAWN SERVICE

March to leave Weipa Skate Park at 0525 for Memorial Square, with the ceremony to commence immediately after the march has been completed

There will be a gunfire breakfast following the ceremony, with all Weipa residents and visitors invited to attend

we forget

PCYC Napranum kicked off Youth Week 2025 celebrations with the Colour Xplosion Fun Run.

Barbs fly as growers call for say on Lakeland plan

By LYNDON KEANE

A WAR of words has emerged over whether the perspective of local growers was sought in the development of the detailed business case for the proposed Lakeland Irrigation Area Scheme (LIAS).

Regional Development Australia (RDA) Tropical North released the business case for the $1.6 billion project in May 2024 after what it says was intensive stakeholder engagement, including with Lakeland growers, however, Cook MP David Kempton says he has had to find $190,000 to help fund producer consultation after they were “denied” the opportunity to do so during the process.

The $190,000 was promised to the Lakeland Progress Association (LPA) prior to the state election in October and Mr Kempton met with members of the group’s water committee on 27 March to discuss how the funding would be used to canvas grower sentiment.

“I met with the LPA and they have a water committee set up, and the meeting on [27 March]

was very positive,” he told Cape York Weekly

“We are now working on a terms of reference for the funding that will go to the LPA.

“The funding will allow the LPA to provide a detailed response to the business case, an opportunity that was denied them by the proponent of the business case at the time, RDATN.”

RDA Tropical North chief executive officer Sonja Johnson refuted the Cook MP’s claims and said she believed Lakeland growers had been appropriately consulted, adding Mr Kempton was directly involved with the process.

“The Member for Cook was the RDA Tropical North chair and chair of the project’s reference group until after the draft detailed business case was submitted, so [he] was involved in all grower engagement up to that point,” she said.

“Input from Lakeland growers was primarily through the reference group, which was chaired by the Member for Cook and included two growers’ representatives; this group met

on 12 separate occasions since 2020.

“The growers provided a letter of support for the project, which was attached to the RDATN submission as part of the final detailed business case.”

Cape York Weekly has seen the letter, dated 28 March 2023, which includes signatures from 33 Lakeland stakeholders “representing a range of growers, irrigators, graziers and rural landholders”.

“We, the signed members from Lakeland’s agricultural industries, wish to extend our inprinciple support for the Lakeland Irrigation Area Scheme,” the letter reads.

Mr Kempton said he was feeling “quite positive” about the LIAS, adding he believed the ambitious project had the potential to deliver untold economic diversity for Cape York.

“The Lakeland irrigation scheme can be a catalyst for development like we’ve never seen before,” he said.

“I’m in discussions with the federal candidate (Leichhardt LNP candidate Jeremy Neal) to look toward federal funding for

the project. There’s a lot of factors in the Cape at the moment; we’ve got Rio [Tinto] pulling away from Weipa, so we’ve got that whole Weipa issue to deal with; we have the potential for economic growth, and I think this water at Lakeland is the catalyst for this … and to get the PDR (Peninsula Developmental Road) finished.”

Mr Kempton said a review of the Mitchell water plan was under way as a “critical component” of the future of the LIAS.

A spokesperson for the LPA said the group was “scoping the possibilities” of how to best utilise the $190,000 for grower consultation, and that members believed “effective” grower input would be critical to the project getting the green light.

“Growers and the regional authority were denied effective input to the [detailed business case] by RDATN,” the spokesperson said.

“Neither the state or federal government adopted the [detailed business case]; no approvals or funding [are] possible without growers’ effective input.”

Cook MP David Kempton meets with members of the Lakeland Progress Association water group to discuss how his pre-election promise of $190,000 will be used to gauge grower sentiment on the proposed Lakeland Area Irrigation Scheme.

Cape York still open for business

By LYNDON KEANE

IT may cover almost 150,000 square kilometres, but tourism operators from across the diverse Cape York landscape are uniting to get a single message heard by the estimated 100,000 visitors who head north each dry season: we are still open for business.

In the wake of cancellations from panicked tourists to the news the Jardine River ferry would be pulled out of the water for critical maintenance from 23 April to 23 May – the start of the annual dry season convoy of southern visitors – businesses from Weipa to Cooktown to Bamaga have started a social media campaign in an attempt to ward off a remote economic crisis.

Western Cape Eco Tours boss Malcolm Slack urged visitors not to put off their northern road trip and said there were still myriad incredible places to explore around the Cape, including Weipa, Lockhart River, Portland Roads, Mapoon, Pennefather Beach, Fruit Bat Falls and Eliot Falls.

“Please just come up,” he told Cape York Weekly

“We need these people to be coming into town to keep these businesses ticking over.

“It’s frustrating; we’re now trying to chase up other work locally that will fill in the gaps, which is a tough ask, too.”

And his plea to tourists?

“Don’t put off your trip just yet – let’s give it another couple of weeks and see if we can get this thing sorted, and hopefully have a great season,” Mr Slack said.

In the Northern Peninsula Area, Cape York Camping Punsand Bay general manager Kahlia Colquhoun said logistics for get ting visitors north of the Jardine River would be difficult during the closure but echoed the sentiment that the region was “absolutely still open for business”.

“While we are adapting due to the current ferry restrictions, we’re

staying hopeful and proactive. We’re asking all travellers with upcoming trips to hold off just a little longer before making cancellations or changes,” she said.

“What we need right now is continued support; please don’t write Cape York off – adjust your

NPA tourism operators, like the Cape York Camping Punsand Bay team, are

another way to the northernmost part of the state between 23 April-23 May while the embattled Jardine River ferry is out of action.

Furore as ferry to close for month

By LYNDON KEANE

CAPE York tourism operators say they are bracing for losses totalling tens of thousands of dollars each after the owner of the Jardine River ferry advised it would be removing the troubled vessel from operation for a month from 23 April to undertake critical repairs.

The condition of the vessel, which spans the river and is the only road link between the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) and the rest of the Cape, has long been a point of contention, but it is the timing of the planned closure from 23 April to 23 May – at the start of this year’s influx of tourists – that has business owners most worried.

Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC), which operates the ferry, announced the closure earlier this month after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the vessel was unable to be in the water until maintenance and safety issues identified nearly 12 months ago were fixed.

An AMSA inspection of the ferry in June 2024 identified 15 safety, engineering and operational issues, including insufficient lifejackets aboard, waste oil not being captured to stop it entering the ma-

rine environment, and significant problems with the hull requiring repairs and replating.

The hull issues were originally identified by a marine surveyor in October 2020, leaving furious tourism operators to ask why the council has waited until the start of the 2025 dry season to take action.

Cape York Camping Punsand Bay general manager Kahlia Colquhoun slammed NPARC and said the business had already lost more than $20,000 in revenue for May.

“The announcement has caused panic and chaos amongst travellers and tour operators,” she said.

“We have had some of our major tour operators cancel May’s bookings due to the uncertainty, which will see a revenue loss of over $20,000 just for that one tour combination of accommodation, transfers and things.

“The dates they’ve chosen for this closure haven’t taken into account the massive ripple effect on the region; if no temporary solution or alternative access is provided, many local businesses are going to struggle to stay afloat.

“We’re already seasonal operators – this is the start of the dry season, the time when we finally start generating income again; taking

that opportunity away with no reliable backup plan is not just shortsighted, it’s potentially devastating for the entire region.”

The impact is being felt across Cape York, with Weipa Camping Ground general manager Gemma Shaw telling Cape York Weekly the business had already been inundated with cancellations and that the ferry closure “will push the start of our season even further back”.

“It seems like there’s always an issue with the ferry each year, and it’s becoming a piece of infrastructure that can no longer be relied upon,” she said.

“Business owners need to trust that NPARC will ensure the ferry is operational each year, especially during the peak season.”

Western Cape Eco Tours owner Malcolm Slack said the Weipabased operation had also received multiple cancellation inquiries.

“I know it’s their bucket list trip, where they want to go to the tip of Cape York, I get that,” he said.

“People have cancelled; if they can’t go to the tip of Cape York and tick that off, they’re not just going to come to Weipa, that’s basically the nuts and bolts of it.”

The council has also been criticised for how it went about announcing the month-long closure,

with key stakeholders – including local police and paramedics – finding out via a social media post.

One NPA business owner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they believed the council was “holding the Cape to ransom” with the unannounced closure, adding it boosted the argument that the embattled vessel needed to be replaced with a bridge.

“Who do this council think they are?” they asked angrily.

“They’ve known the ferry has major issues for years, but they wait until the beginning of tourist season to do something about it and are holding the Cape to ransom as a result.

“They say they didn’t have the money to fix it until now –what’s happened with the millions NPARC and the TOs (Traditional Owners) share every season?”

Based on the 2024 fee schedule of between $130-205 per vehicle, it is estimated NPARC generates between $3.9-$6.15 million in revenue each year from the ferry’s operation.

Cape York Weekly understands from several council sources the timing of the closure until after the Easter long weekend was determined in part by a request from a senior NPARC employee, which

will allow them and family members to use the ferry to travel south to a wedding prior to 23 April.

One of the sources described the decision as a “disgraceful misuse of a public asset” that will “delay getting the ferry back running for everyone else by a week at least”.

NPARC acting chief executive officer Lew Rojahn blamed the availability of funding and bureaucratic processes for delaying the maintenance.

“Council certainly tried to get this work done in the wet season, but the timing of funding approvals didn’t allow that to happen,” he said.

“Once funding was confirmed, we then needed to comply with legislation through a tender process. I appreciate the inconvenience this will create for people in business and our local people as well, however, this was a requirement of AMSA to ensure that the safety of the ferry is in place before the dry season commences.”

An AMSA spokesperson could not explain why the council was given until 30 June this year to rectify the issues, despite its own report identifying some deficiencies were required to be fixed within three months of the 2024 inspection.

NPARC says the timing of the AMSA-mandated maintenance closure is a result of a lack of funding, however, Cape York tourism operators say the excuse does not hold water, given the ferry rakes in millions of dollars annually in Jardine River crossing fees.

Cape York Camping Punsand Bay’s Jack and Rod Colquhoun wait in vain for guests to arrive and brace for a loss of tens of thousands of dollars due to the decision to pull the Jardine River ferry from operation for a month at the start of this year’s tourist season.

Cr Wayne Butcher Mayor, Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council LGAQ Policy Executive

Cr Territa Dick Mayor, Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council Chair, Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA)

Cr Alf Lacey Mayor, Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council LGAQ Policy Executive

Authorised by A Smith, LGAQ 25 Evelyn St, Newstead, QLD 4006

Avoid mosquitos after rare virus found

TORRES and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) is urging Cape York residents to be vigilant after Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) was detected in the mosquito population in Weipa.

TCHHS public health medical officer Dr Allison Hempenstall said it was the first detection of the MVE virus in mosquitos at Weipa in more than a decade.

“The virus is spread by the bite of a mosquito and not from person to person,’’ she said.

“There is no vaccine against MVE virus and the best protection, as with all mosquitoborne infections, is to avoid being bitten in the first place.

“Everyone should use personal protective measures to avoid mosquito bites, especially young children and babies, and those visiting or camping near swamps, lagoons, dams and temporary pools of water in grassy areas.”

Dr Hempenstall said although the MVE virus circulated throughout Australia, it was

more common in the Top End of the Northern Territory and north-west Western Australia.

“The MVE virus is present during the wet and post-wet seasons from February to July, but with most cases being reported between March and May,” she said.

Infection with mosquito-borne diseases, such as the MVE virus, may cause illness ranging from mild to serious, and include flu-like symptoms such as muscle and joint pain, fever, rashes and headaches.

Cooktown bids farewell to long-serving principal

By CHISA HASEGAWA

AFTER more than a decade at the helm, Cape York’s longest-reigning principal is officially saying goodbye to her role at Cooktown State School.

Leanne Rayner bid an emotional farewell to staff and students on 4 April as she prepared to embark on her well-deserved long service leave, marking the beginning of her transition into retirement.

Ms Rayner said she was spoiled with love and surprises in her final week, including a staff meeting where she was presented with a piece of student artwork, a dinner party at the Cooktown Bowls Club, a poetry reading, and a guard of honour.

“I was so emotional, I couldn’t even speak; I was a blubbering mess, and it was pretty embarrassing, actually,” she laughed.

“It was amazing to know that people really cared.”

Ms Rayner took on the role of Cooktown State School’s leader in 2013, but her experience as an educator of Cape York’s young people began almost a decade prior.

After moving to Cooktown at the end of 2003, she was a teacher, then head of department and acting deputy principal at the school, before taking on a principal role at Hope Vale for four years, and then a cluster principal role looking after Cooktown, Hope Vale, Rossville, Bloomfield, Laura and Lakeland.

Ms Rayner then went into regional office in a school improvement role, before returning to the Cape permanently and stepping in as Cooktown State School’s principal.

“I was so blessed, because I had really great connections from Hope Vale, and really great connections from Cooktown,” she said.

“In the first year, we managed to have 32 year 12s come, and a lot of them from Hope Vale, who had disengaged from school, so that was really exciting.

“We actually attracted a lot of kids; I think it was the trust, because I’d been at Hope Vale as well, so the relationship with families and kids is just fantastic in a small community, and I’ve been very blessed to be a part of that.”

The beloved educator said her time at Cooktown State School had been a wonderful chapter of her life that she would miss, but admitted she was also looking forward to the next phase of her life.

“I’ll miss seeing my staff every day, I’ll miss the beautiful kids and their smiles and their innocence, and their ups and downs and roundabouts,” she said.

“It’ll be different not going to work every day, but I do enjoy sleeping in until at least seven o’clock. I’ll miss them, but I think it’s time for new excitement, new innovation, a new chapter, for the school as well – change is always good.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

FNQ maritime booming

A NEW report released shows maritime business in Queensland’s north is demonstrating strong capability and is set to provide an economic boom to the state.

The North and Far North Queensland Maritime Industry Supply Chain Report, released on 4 April, was developed to provide an in-depth analysis of the local maritime industry’s capability.

The report identifies 784 unique businesses, including 60 Indigenous businesses, operating within the regions’ maritime support chain, spanning key capability areas such as fabrication, mechanical and electrical services and marine support.

Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning executive regional director Darren Cleland said the report underscored the strength and expertise of the maritime industry in Far North Queensland.

“This report will be a critical tool in shaping future maritime industry opportunities in the state’s north,” he said.

Support for groups

WESTERN Cape York community groups, clubs and organisations can now apply for a financial helping hand following the opening of the first round of the Rio Tinto Sponsorships and Donations Program.

The program provides funding for events, initiatives and activities that enrich the region around Weipa, Napranum, Aurukun, Mapoon and the Northern Peninsula Area.

To check your eligibility, or request an application form, email RTAWeipaFeedback@riotinto.com.

Postal voting opens

WITH campaigning for the 3 May federal election in full swing, applications for postal voting have opened for Leichhardt voters who cannot make it to a ballot box on election day.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is urging people who cannot make it to vote in person – either to a pre-polling booth or on the first Saturday in May – to apply early or risk missing out on a postal vote. A list of pre-poll centres will be available on the AEC website soon, with early voting to commence on 22 April.

Each federal election, between 2-2.5 million postal vote applications are received by the AEC.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 6pm on 30 April.

To apply, or for more information, visit www.aec.gov.au.

Outgoing Cooktown State School principal Leanne Rayner steps into long service leave and then retirement after more than 10 years at the helm with a surprise party at the Cooktown Bowls Club.

Weipa’s Sonny shines in Aussie lunchboxes challenge

By CHISA HASEGAWA

FRESH produce is not always easy to come by in remote parts of Cape York, but a Weipa mother-and-son duo has proved that with a little organisation and creativity, you can create a winning healthy lunch.

Western Cape College student Sonny Brooks has been named the Queensland winner in Australia’s Healthier Lunchboxes challenge after impressing judges with his colourful and nutritious lunch.

Mum Elisa Brooks said living in Weipa presented unique challenges

with fresh and healthy food availability, adding that creative meal planning was key in their family.

“Our main road usually closes off during the wet season, so we rely on the barge from Cairns; if the weather is bad, it gets delayed,” she said.

“We always have a lot of frozen vegetables on hand, and we eat a lot of fish; both the boys love their fishing.

“My husband has been making zucchini fritters and muffins for both dinner and school lunches; we get bored with sandwiches.”

Ms Brooks said Sonny was keen on healthy eating habits and entering the challenge.

“Our entry was a true team effort. I asked Sonny if he wanted to do the challenge with me, and he was so excited when he found out he’d won,” she said.

The Australia’s Healthier Lunchboxes challenge is an annual campaign delivered by children’s charity Life Ed in partnership with Woolworths.

This year, 890 families participated in the challenge, with six winners across the nation receiv-

ing a $1,000 Woolworths e-Gift card, and each winning child’s school also receiving a $2,000 Woolworths e-Gift card to support healthy eating initiatives.

“Children learn best by doing, which is why hands-on initiatives like this are so powerful,” Life Ed Queensland chief executive officer Michael Fawsitt said.

“It takes learning beyond the classroom, encouraging families to work together to embed healthy habits; what kids eat today impacts their health both now and in the future.”

Join in search for endangered bat

CAPE York Natural Resource Management (NRM) is calling on the Cape York community to report any sightings of the rare spectacled flying fox as part of a project to raise awareness about the endangered species, and where it lives and feeds across the region.

Cape York NRM project officer Maree Coulson is leading the project and said little was known about the mammal’s footprint in the north of the state.

“We need to know more about their presence on Cape York, and we need the community’s help with this,” Ms Coulson said.

“This project aligns with the federal recovery plan for the spe-

cies, Pteropus conspicillatus. We need to build on existing knowledge of their range and presence, raise awareness in the community and also implement actions to support the overall protection of spectacled flying foxes.; there is limited information known about their presence on Cape York, so the information we’re looking for from the community is the time, place and number of bats seen – photographs are also great.

Ms Coulson said spectacled flying foxes were considered a rainforest specialist among the Australian flying foxes and played an important role in seed dispersal and rainforest regeneration.

“They also forage in eucalypt, melaleuca and mangrove forests,” she said.

“Whether you’re a land manager, Traditional Owner, scientist, bird watcher or tourist, we’re asking anyone who sees a specky on the Cape to let us know.”

The project officer and her team met with Tolga Bat Rescue and Research director Jenny Mclean last month as part of their engagement with local experts to support the project. The group’s hospital in Atherton has cared for more than 300 bats this wet season.

“It was great to meet Jenny, who took us on a tour of the hospital,” Ms Coulson said.

“During the wet season, the bat hospital cares mostly for spectacled flying foxes impacted by ticks. Many of those are orphaned pups, so the Tolga Bat Hospital provides individual care for them.

“A team of live-in volunteers is vital to their success and Jenny and her team are doing a fantastic job caring for them.”

Ms Mclean said they had been managing and monitoring tick paralysis and birth abnormalities in spectacled flying fox camps for nearly three decades.

“Most Australian wildlife have lived with tick paralysis for a very long time and have good immunity, but it seems flying foxes have

only been affected for about 40 years,” she said.

“It’s an agonising death for them [and] tick season unfortunately is also birthing season.”

Ms Coulson said Cape York residents could report sightings using a QR code created for the project.

“We need people to report any sightings from along eastern Cape York to the tip, and that will inform our conservation efforts for the species,” she said.

“If you see a specky, please record the details of your sighting and let us know.”

The QR code can be found in this article on the Cape York Weekly website.

Cape York Natural Resource Management’s David Preece and Maree Coulson, pictured with Jenny Mclean (centre) at the Tolga Bat Hospital, are urging Cape York residents to report local sightings of the endangered spectacled flying fox.

Spectacled flying foxes recover with their furry friends at the Tolga Bat Hospital.

Weipa’s Sonny Brooks has taken the top prize in the Australia’s Healthier Lunchboxes challenge.

PDR scholarships to aid five students’ education

FIVE students with a connection to the Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) and Cape York have been given a helping hand to further their education through a State Government scholarship program.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has announced the recipients of its 2025 PDR Indigenous Scholarship Program, with one tertiary and four secondary scholarships awarded.

The scholarships are part of the Cape York Region Package (CYRP) stage two project and are open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with a traditional or historical connection to the PDR and the region.

The tertiary scholarship is

worth $40,000, while the four secondary scholarship recipients each received $2,250.

University student Ngailu Thompson, who is currently studying a Bachelor of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying at the Queensland University of Technology and who has a connection to the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA), won the tertiary scholarship and said he planned to return to community to open a construction company incorporating traditional knowledge.

“Education is important to me – it’s been embedded in me since I was young,” he said.

“I grew up with a single mum and I have watched her do a full uni degree while she was doing full-time work; I’ve seen my

grandmother go through and be the first person in our family to complete uni and become a teacher.

“When I finish uni, I eventually want to start my own business and go back to the Torres Strait and NPA area and supply jobs and cater for those people up there. The scholarship will help me immensely; I have a single mum, I’m living away from home [and] it will definitely help with my HECS debt … and getting my life rolling after uni.”

TMR Far North district director Darryl Jones praised the standard of applications for the 2025 scholarships.

“The scholarship program is an integral part of our commitment to the Traditional Owners of Cape York to provide employ-

ment, training and education opportunities under the CYRP stage two Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA),” he said.

“The calibre of scholarship recipients this year has been exceptional, with young people pursuing careers as varied as nursing through to aerospace engineering and construction.”

Mr Thompson said he was proud to receive the scholarship and planned to use the funding to become a strong role model for other Indigenous students on the Cape.

“We need more educated Indigenous leaders in the communities, so we can ultimately help our people and help ourselves, because if we don’t do it, no one’s going to do it for us,” he said.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Weipa CYRP update

REGIONAL Development Australia Tropical North and the Cape York Region Package (CYRP) taskforce will host a community update in Weipa on 6 May to provide an update on Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) works.

The open forum, which will be held from 3-5pm at the Weipa Town Authority office, will provide residents and other stakeholders with a chance to receive an update from the Department of Transport and Main Roads on stage two works, and offer what PDR upgrades should be prioritised as part of stage three of the CYRP, which is currently awaiting a $240 million federal funding commitment.

For more information, call 4041 1729 or email engage@rdatropicalnorth.org.au.

$77.4m for Torres resilience

THE Albanese government is continuing its Torres Strait cash splash as the 3 May election day draws nearer.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Malarndirri McCarty, Queensland Senator Nita Green and Labor candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith were in Cairns to announce the government would provide $77.4 million to boost climate resilience and upgrade essential services in remote communities across the Torres Strait.

The government will invest $36.2m over five years to help fund stage three of the Torres Strait Seawalls Program, which will provide additional engineering and seawall structures on five islands – Poruma, Iama, Masig, Warraber and Badu.

It will also fund stage seven of the Torres Strait Major Infrastructure Program, with $41.2m over five years for the construction and upgrading of infrastructure relating to wastewater, solid waste management and potable water supply.

Women’s health forum

THE Napranum Community Hall will be the venue for the first forum of its kind focusing on the health of western Cape York women in June.

The Western CapeHER forum will feature local speakers sharing their experiences, and experts and educators looking at the challenges that impact women in the region.

The forum will be held from 7am-5:30pm on 5 June and from 7-11:3am on 6 June.

Spots are limited, so those interested in attending are urged to register as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

For more information, go to www. westerncapeher.com.

One university and four secondary scholarships have been awarded by the Department of Transport and Main Roads as part of its 2025 Peninsula Developmental Road Indigenous Scholarship Program.

• Lead/Tail Bikes • Photographers

• Aid Station • Timekeepers

• Recovery Crew • Race Check-in

• Medal Distribution

• Course Marshalls & more... T-SHIRTS, COFFEE & BREAKFAST PROVIDED

Space centre secures NASA deal

THE bold ambition to transform western Cape York into an international space hub has taken a step forward after Space Centre Australia (SCA) signed a deal with NASA this month to help develop horizontal launch capacity earmarked for defence and commercial applications.

Under the reimbursable agreement, SCA will conduct inert flight testing and utilise NASA’S Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in the US state of Virginia, including airfield operations, launch range support and NASA-provided safety analysis services.

These activities support the company’s airborne launch platform development, known as Project Karman Line, which features a modified C-130J Super Hercules aircraft capable of deploying small payloads of up to 250 kilograms into low-Earth orbit (LEO).

SCA chairman Scott Morrison and chief executive officer James Palmer travelled to the US for the signing of the agreement, with the former prime minister flagging the benefit the project would have for the company’s Cape ambition.

“This agreement represents a key milestone for SCA as we secure strategic partnerships with premier global institutions like NASA,” Mr Morrison said.

“Our work at Wallops Island will not only showcase our growing technical capabilities, but will also accelerate progress toward establishing Australia’s premier heavy-lift launch facility in Cape York.”

WFF director David Pierce said he believed the project would play a role in growing the space economy of both the US and Australia.

“From our beginnings, Wallops has provided critical operational and test range services to support the advancement of new launch capabilities that serve to boost assured access to space for our nation,” he said.

EASTER HOLIDAYS 2025 NPARC Offices

CLOSED: Good Friday, 18th April & Easter Monday, 21st April

Jardine Ferry

OPEN DAILY: 8am – 5pm until 22nd April

CLOSED: Good Friday, 18th April

MAINTENANCE CLOSURE: 23rd April – 23rd May 2025

Have a Safe and Happy Easter!

“I’m excited to enter into this agreement with Space Centre Australia and the work we’ll do together to enable this new US commercial launch capability and grow the space economy on Virginia’s eastern shore.”

Mr Morrison and Mr Palmer will discuss the project, and what it will mean for the economic diversity of the Weipa region, at the 2025 Western Cape Futures Symposium, to be held in Weipa on 7-8 May.

WEIPA GOODLINE

SATURDAY, MAY 3 & SUNDAY, MAY 4

FOOD

• Open for fresh sandwiches Thursday-Sunday

• Pizzas & Charcuterie plates available Fridays from 4pm

• Glass of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc & Charcuterie plate $25 NEW TRADING HOURS: TUESDAY TO SUNDAY 8AM – 7PM

Space Centre Australia chairman Scott Morrison and CEO James Palmer inspect an aircraft like the one that will be used for Project Karman Line after the company signed an agreement with NASA to help develop horizontal launch capability for defence and commercial applications.

Remote voter services for the 2025 federal election

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) will be visiting soon, so you can vote in the federal election. Check the remote voter services schedule below for the dates and times you can vote in your area. All Australian people aged 18 years and older must vote. This schedule may change. To confi rm details, visit aec.gov.au, call 13 23 26 or look out for information on your community noticeboard.

DIVISION OF CAPRICORNIA

CLAIRVIEW Clairview Daytime Rest Area, 96 Colonial Dr Thursday 24 April 8:30am-11:30am

GLENDEN Glenden Recreation Centre, 1 Ewan Dr Tuesday 22 April 2:00pm-5:00pm

LOTUS CREEK The Homestead at Lotus Creek, 12287 Marlborough Sarina Rd

MARLBOROUGH Marlborough Public Hall, 21-23 Milman St

OGMORE Centenary Park, 89 Dempsey St

ST LAWRENCE Broadsound Centenary Hall, 7 Railway Pde

26 April 2:00pm-5:00pm

STANAGE Plumtree Store, 253 Banksia Rd Monday 28 April 10:30am-1:30pm

DIVISION OF FLYNN

CRACOW Cracow Community Hall, 57 Tenth Ave

DINGO Dingo Community Hall, 10 Normanby St

29 April 10:00am-1:00pm

22 April 10:30am-1:30pm

GINDIE Gindie State School carpark, Cnr Gregory Hwy & Old Cullen-la-ringo Rd Saturday 26 April 8:00am-11:00am

LOCHINGTON Lochington State School, Glenlee Rd Wednesday 23 April 10:00am-1:00pm

ROLLESTON Rolleston Memorial Hall, 17 Warrijo St Monday 28 April 9:00am-12:00pm

SPRINGSURE Springsure Multipurpose Health Service, 21 Woodbine St Saturday 26 April 1:00pm-4:00pm

WILLOWS Willows Recreational Centre, Cnr Willows Rd & Cabochon St Thursday 24 April 9:30am-12:30pm

DIVISION OF KENNEDY

ALMADEN Almaden Town Hall, 14 Hall Ln Tuesday 22 April 10:00am-1:00pm

Tuesday 29 April 11:00am-2:00pm

BURKETOWN Burketown Nijinda Durlga Hall, Sloman St

CAMOOWEAL Williejadurra Hall, 45 Barkly Hwy Wednesday 23 April 9:00am-12:00pm

CROYDON Doris Casey Memorial Hall, 21 Brown St Wednesday 30 April 1:00pm-4:00pm

DAJARRA Jimberella Hall, Matherson St Saturday 26 April 10:30am-1:30pm

EINASLEIGH Einasleigh Public Hall, 1 Daintree St

Monday 28 April 9:30am-12:30pm

FORSAYTH Forsayth QCWA Branch, First St Thursday 24 April 7:30am-10:30am

GREENVALE Greenvale Community Hall, 3 Acacia Dr

GREGORY Murray’s Place, 1 Gleeson Ave

GUNPOWDER WW2 Airfield Free Camp, Barkly Hwy

HOMESTEAD Homestead Community Hall, 42 Home St

MILLAROO Millaroo State School, 1-13 Cunningham St

MOUNT CARBINE Mount Carbine Community Hall, 6806 Mulligan Hwy

MOUNT ISA Gidgee Healing, 121 Marian St

MOUNT SURPRISE Mount Surprise Public Hall, 35A Garland St

NORMANTON Kukatja Place, 65 Landsborough St

PRAIRIE Prairie Hall, 19 Savage St

RAVENSWOOD Ravenswood State School, 30-40 Elphinstone St

STAMFORD Rest Area Mobile Polling Stamford Cnr Marathon Stamford Rd & Junction Kennedy Developmental Rd

STOKES Bang Bang Rest Area, Burke Developmental Rd

TORRENS CREEK Torrens Creek Park, Russell St

DIVISION OF LEICHHARDT

AURUKUN Wo’uw Ko’alam Community Centre, 524 Tal Tal St

AURUKUN Wo’uw Ko’alam Community Centre, 524 Tal Tal St

BADU ISLAND Badu Community Hall, 13 Nona St

BOIGU ISLAND Boigu Community Hall, 37 Chambers St

DAUAN ISLAND Dauan Community Hall, Main Rd

Monday 28 April 10:00am-1:00pm

Monday 28 April 10:30am-1:30pm

Tuesday 22 April 11:00am-2:00pm

Tuesday 22 April 9:30am-12:30pm

Tuesday 29 April 10:00am-1:00pm

Saturday 26 April 11:30am-2:30pm

Thursday 24 April 9:00am-3:00pm

Wednesday 23 April 11:00am-2:00pm

Wednesday 30 April 9:30am-10:30am

Saturday 26 April 9:30am-12:30pm

Thursday 24 April 9:30am-12:30pm

Wednesday 30 April 1:00pm-4:00pm

Thursday 1 May 9:30am-12:30pm

Wednesday 23 April 10:30am-1:30pm

Wednesday 23 April 10:30am-5:00pm

Thursday 24 April 8:30am-3:00pm

Friday 2 May 8:30am-2:30pm

Thursday 24 April 10:00am-1:00pm

Monday 28 April 10:00am-1:00pm

ERUB ISLAND Erub Council Library, Medigee Village

HAMMOND ISLAND Hammond Is Community Hall, Francis Rd

HOPE VALE Hopevale Aged Hostel, 146 Theile St

IAMA ISLAND Iama Community Hall, Mosby St

Thursday 24 April 9:30am-1:30pm

Wednesday 30 April 9:30am-12:30pm

Thursday 24 April 9:30am-10:30am

Wednesday 23 April 9:00am-2:00pm

INJINOO Injinoo Community Hall, McDonnell St Thursday 1 May 9:30am-3:30pm

LAKELAND Lakeland Town Hall, Lot 4 Sesame St

LAURA Laura Hall, 4 Terminus St

MABUIAG ISLAND Mabuiag Community Hall, Map St

MAPOON Mapoon Cultural Centre, 7 Main St

MASIG ISLAND Masig Community Hall, Dans Rd

MER ISLAND Mer TSIRC Community Hall, Lot 2 Marou St

MOA ISLAND Kubin Community Hall, Ikilgau Yabu

MOA ISLAND St Pauls Community Hall, 207 Saveka St

MOSSMAN GORGE Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Inc, Lot 152 Gorge Rd

NAPRANUM Napranum Community Hall, 130 Naprunum Rd

NAPRANUM Napranum Community Hall, 130 Naprunum Rd

NEW MAPOON New Mapoon Community Hall, 61 Brown St

PORUMA ISLAND Poruma Community Hall, Olandi St

PUNSAND BAY Cape York Camping Punsand Bay, Lot 11 Bottom Crossing Rd

ROSSVILLE Rossville Community Hall, 474 Helenvale Bloomfield Rd

SAIBAI ISLAND Saibai Community Hall, Main Rd

Wednesday 23 April 8:00am-11:00am

Saturday 26 April 8:00am-11:00am

Saturday 26 April 10:30am-1:30pm

Monday 28 April 9:30am-3:30pm

Thursday 1 May 10:00am-1:00pm

Saturday 26 April 9:30am-1:30pm

Tuesday 29 April 10:00am-1:00pm

Wednesday 23 April 10:00am-1:00pm

Tuesday 22 April 11:00am-2:00pm

Tuesday 29 April 9:00am-3:00pm

Wednesday 30 April 9:00am-3:00pm

Wednesday 30 April 9:00am-3:00pm

Thursday 1 May 10:30am-1:30pm

Friday 2 May 10:00am-1:00pm

Wednesday 23 April 1:30pm-4:30pm

Tuesday 29 April 9:00am-1:00pm

SEISIA Seisia Indigenous Knowledge Centre, Tumema St Tuesday 29 April 2:00pm-5:00pm

THURSDAY ISLAND Blue Care Star of the Sea Elders Village, 121 Waiben Esp Friday 2 May 10:30am-11:30am

THURSDAY ISLAND Torres Strait Aged Care Association, 90 Douglas St Friday 2 May 1:30pm-3:30pm

TRUNDING Weipa Integrated Health Service, 407 John Evans Dr Saturday 26 April 10:00am-11:00am

UGAR ISLAND Ugar Community Hall, 57 Randall St Monday 28 April 9:00am-12:00pm

UMAGICO Umagico Community Hall, 14 Charlie St Tuesday 29 April 9:00am-12:00pm

30 April 10:30am-1:30pm

WARRABER ISLAND Warraber Community Hall, 24 Ganaia St

DIVISION OF MARANOA

ADAVALE Adavale Hall, Lot 809 McKinlay St Tuesday 29 April 10:00am-1:00pm

AMBY Booringa Shire Hall, Warrego Hwy Thursday 24 April 8:30am-11:30am

BEDOURIE Bedourie Community Hall, 18 Herbert St Thursday 24 April 10:30am-1:30pm

BEGONIA Begonia Sports Club, Lot 8 Begonia Rd Monday 28 April 9:00am-12:00pm

BIRDSVILLE Birdsville Community Hall, 61 Adelaide St Tuesday 22 April 10:30am-1:30pm

BLACKALL Churches of Christ Care Barcoo Living Multipurpose Service, 2A Coronation Dr Thursday 1 May 8:30am-10:30am

BOLLON Bollon Hall, 14-16 Main St Wednesday 30 April 10:00am-1:00pm

CHARLEVILLE Waroona Multipurpose Centre, 72 King St Monday 28 April 2:30pm-4:30pm

CLARA CREEK Clara Creek Rest Stop, Cnr Landsborough Hwy & Wellwater Rd Saturday 26 April 10:00am-1:00pm

COOLADDI The Foxtrap Road House, 8736 Diamantina Developmental Rd

CUNNAMULLA Cunnamulla Multipurpose Health Service – RACF, 56 Wicks St

Monday 28 April 9:30am-12:30pm

Thursday 24 April 10:00am-11:30am

EROMANGA Eromanga Hall, 18 Deacon St Wednesday 23 April 10:00am-1:00pm

EULO Eulo Town Hall, 6 Leo St Wednesday 30 April 8:30am-11:30am

GLENMORGAN Glenmorgan RSL Hall, 6 Godfrey St

HEBEL Hebel Community Hall, 40-50 William St

ILFRACOMBE Ilfracombe Recreational Centre, 20 Torrs Rd

ISISFORD Isisford Town Hall, 16 St Mary St

JERICHO Jericho Town Hall, 45 Darwin St

JUNDAH Bulloo Shire War Memorial Park, 2 Dickson St

LONGREACH Bolton Clarke Pioneers, 1 Sparrow St

MITCHELL Mitchell Multipurpose Health Service – RACF, 95 Ann St

MUNGALLALA Mungallala Hall, Redford Rd

MUNGINDI Mungindi Multipurpose Health Service – RACF, 86-90 Barwon St

MUNGINDI Mungindi River Park, Mungindi The Border Rd

MUTTABURRA Muttaburra Memorial Hall, 15 Bruford St

NIVE Nive QLD Rest Area, Landsborough Hwy

QUILPIE Quilpie Multipurpose Health Service – RACF, 30 Gyrica St

ST GEORGE Churches of Christ Warrawee Aged Care Service, 276-296 Alfred St

STONEHENGE Stonehenge Community Centre, Stratford St

THARGOMINDAH Thargomindah Airport, Lot 520 Kerr St

THALLON Thallon Public Hall, 41-43 William St

WINDORAH Windorah Community Centre, Edward St

WYANDRA Wyandra Hall, Macks St

YOWAH Yowah Opal Mining Community Hall, 16 Harlequin Dr

YULEBA Yuleba Memorial Hall, 23 Garden St

DIVISION OF WIDE BAY

ORCHID BEACH Orchid Beach Community Building, Lot 8 Ngkala Rd

Saturday 26 April 10:30am-1:30pm

Thursday 1 May 10:30am-1:30pm

Thursday 1 May 2:00pm-5:00pm

Wednesday 30 April 9:00am-12:00pm

Friday 2 May 9:30am-12:30pm

Monday 28 April 1:30pm-4:30pm

Saturday 26 April 2:30pm-5:00pm

Tuesday 22 April 3:00pm-4:30pm

Thursday 24 April 2:00pm-5:00pm

Wednesday 23 April 8:30am-10:30am

Wednesday 23 April 12:30pm-3:30pm

Saturday 26 April 9:00am-12:00pm

Thursday 1 May 9:30am-12:30pm

Wednesday 23 April 10:00am-11:30am

Monday 28 April 2:30pm-4:00pm

Monday 28 April 8:00am-11:00am

Friday 2 May 9:00am-3:00pm

Tuesday 29 April 9:30am-12:30pm

Tuesday 29 April 9:00am-12:00pm

Tuesday 22 April 11:00am-2:00pm

Wednesday 30 April 1:30pm-4:30pm

Tuesday 22 April 8:30am-11:30am

Monday 28 April 2025 9:30am-12:30pm

KAP names Leichhardt candidate

By LYNDON KEANE

A DOCTORATE holder with a background in land management and human rights who says he is sick of the region going in the “wrong direction” has been selected by Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) as their candidate for Leichhardt.

Dr Daniel Collins will fly the KAP flag in the lead-up to next month’s federal election and he told Cape York Weekly he believed the far north of the state was falling behind through underwhelming leadership.

“I’ve travelled and worked all over North Queensland and around the world in land management and human rights issues, and I’ve noticed in the last five years that North Queensland is simply not reaching its full potential,” he said.

“I also know from my experience with the landscape we have here that we could be doing so much more in Leichhardt.

“I simply couldn’t sit around and do nothing while North Queensland continues to go in the wrong direction; I decided that I should try to do something now; I believe we can protect and manage our landscape without the impost of World Heritage [status].”

Dr Collins, whose PhD is in tropical forest ecology and regeneration, said he believed there was untapped potential for a revitalised timber industry to provide

economic growth and employment opportunities across Cape York, as well as delivering positive environmental outcomes.

“There are huge untapped industries in land management that

nothing is being done about, such as forestry and agroforestry,” he said.

“There should be a big push to reboot the timber industry by planting thousands of hectares with our

GREAT RADIO CONNECTING NORTH QLD

incredible native timbers in new state forests, and large plantations of high-value exotic timbers.

“This would involve both Indigenous and other residents, and be money in the bank for future gen-

erations, as well as storing huge amounts of carbon and therefore combating climate change.”

Despite not being a federal issue, crime is also high on the KAP candidate’s agenda, and he said he believed the party’s Castle Law legislation was needed to turn around the current youth crime problem plaguing Far North Queensland.

KAP’s so-called Castle Law legislation, if passed, would provide people the right to defend themselves or others during a home or property invasion without fear of legal consequences.

“Crime is obviously now at a point that something drastic must be done,” Dr Collins said.

“Katter’s Australian Party’s Castle Law is a basic human right, and is the answer.”

After previously living on Cape York, Dr Collins said he believed he was better placed to represent the region because of his lived experience of the challenges facing Cape York and Torres Strait residents.

“I’m far more experienced on Cape York and the islands than any other candidate,” he said.

“I lived for years in many places all over Cape York, and I have lived both in the bush and in the communities.

“I know the lifestyle and the problems, and I believe establishing land- and sea-based industries is the way forward.”

Nona aims for ‘wow factor’ with homemade offerings

By CHISA HASEGAWA

JUST over a month ago, Matilda Nona had no idea what she was going to create with her new homemade inks – she only knew she felt more connected with her work than ever before.

On Sunday at NorthSite Contemporary Arts in Cairns, the Badu Island artist unveiled her new collection painted with inks she had made with natural materials found on Country.

Ms Nona dove into the craft of ink-making while working under the guidance of NorthSite Contemporary Arts’ Dian Darmansjah as the inaugural recipient of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s (CIAF) Catapult professional development program.

The inks, which involved gathering mangrove bark, orchids, and ochres from her Torres Strait homelands, then cooking, burning and fermenting these materials to produce organic inks, helped Ms Nona express her culture and stories in a way commercial ink never could.

“It’s nerve-racking for me; I don’t know if people will like this natural ink, this kind of work, so this is just kind of putting it out there

and seeing if there’s a market for it,” she said.

Reflecting on her innovative ink-making technique, Ms Nona said she not only hoped audiences would appreciate the work and cultural stories they told, but also that other Torres Strait artists would be inspired to go on their own ink-making journey and revitalise traditional methods.

“I want them to see the wow factor in it,” Ms Nona said.

“Our people have practiced rock painting and played with ochres and stuff like that, so what I’m doing is reviving that; you don’t see much of Torres Strait art that’s related to ochres, everyone’s just thinking ochre is Aboriginal, but we’re two different mob of people.”

Dr Daniel Collins has been selected to fly the Katter’s Australian Party flag in Leichhardt for the 3 May federal election.

Badu Island artist Matilda Nona says she hopes her innovative ink-making technique inspires other Torres Strait creatives to “start playing with stuff that’s already on our island” when it comes to sourcing materials.

New book trilogy inspired by locals

By CHISA HASEGAWA

IT is not often that Weipa graces the pages of a novel as the setting for a thrilling tale, but after capturing the heart of a Queensland author, the western Cape York township is now the home of a recently completed crime trilogy.

Author Victoria Reiby’s The Weipa Crocodile: Bloodlines was published earlier this month, and brings to a close the three-part saga following fierce Cape York protector Bruce Hudson and his journey of fighting to protect ancestral land.

A doctor by trade, Ms Reiby began working on book one, The Weipa Crocodile: Murders in the Outback, after falling in love with the community during a postCOVID trip around the north.

“I work as an international medical volunteer; my husband and I were volunteering overseas, and we were forced to come home because of COVID,” she said.

“We live on the Sunshine Coast, where the restrictions weren’t too bad, so we bought a four-wheel drive and a rooftop tent, and travelled Queensland and a bit into the Northern Territory, but Weipa was the one place that stayed in our hearts.”

Ms Reiby said she was so inspired by the Weipa community that she returned several times and kept a journal.

“It was just the characters there,

the people, the setting, all the things you could do,” she said.

“We stayed at the caravan park; people were just so friendly and open and willing to share stories, and I got really excited and passionate about it, so I started keeping a journal of the people we’d met.”

The author said she also stayed in surrounding communities, such as Mapoon, Coen and Bamaga,

adding she learned so much listening to Indigenous community members’ stories of culture and difficult upbringings in missions.

However, when she was ready to release the book, it was around the time of the Indigenous voice referendum in 2023, and she became unsure about releasing the story as a non-Indigenous author.

“At the time, there was a lot of pushing about Indigenous rights

New fish variety could be a gold mine, says CSIRO

A NEW variety of fish suited to northern Australia’s tropical climate could be swimming onto local plates and adding more than $1 billion to the country’s economy following successful breeding trials by the CSIRO.

As consumer demand continues to grow for Australian-sourced white fish, an opportunity to diversify aquaculture and cultivate species at scale efficiently and in a sustainable way was identified, leading scientists to put the pompano (Trachinotus anak) in their crosshairs.

The CSIRO believes a new pompano industry would help Australian aquaculture reduce its reliance on around 100,000 tonnes of white-flesh fish imports annually.

Lead scientist Dr Polly Hilder told delegates at CSIRO’s AgCatalyst2024 event in November 2024 the new variety of fish was suited to commercial aquaculture applications.

“The pompano is a robust, sociable fish

endemic to northern Australia that grows really quickly and tastes great, making it an ideal candidate for adapting to our aquaculture environments,” Dr Hilder said.

“We’re bringing a new species to Australian plates to give consumers more options, while opening up new export opportunities to strengthen Australia’s white-flesh fish industry. We’re now working to scale production processes in commercial trials with industry.”

By partnering with industry to bring the pompano to the mainstream market, CSIRO said it was aiming to create a new, sustainable Australian white-flesh fish industry in near future.

“We’re applying innovative circular economy approaches designed around welfare that make use of resources end-to-end – from capturing value from production processes, through to utilising the whole fish at the consumer end,” Dr Hilder explained.

and stealing their stories, but the whole trilogy is based upon people I met, who I made it clear that they may well become part of a book, and the Indigenous people were cool with it, the bartender and manager at the Alby were cool with it, and so were the girls at the caravan park,” she said.

“I actually sat on it for two years; it was ready to publish for more than two years, and I

didn’t want to offend anyone.”

She said the personality of her main character, Bruce Hudson, was based on her own father, but his stories were an amalgamation of the lived experiences of various First Nations peoples.

“Bruce has all the personality characteristics of my father, who isn’t Indigenous, but the stories come into play from the First Nations people I met in Cape York, who I spoke to and really felt their connection to Country,” Ms Reiby said.

“They were happy to share their culture and traditions, and I was more than happy to listen.

“Bruce is not just one person, he’s multiple people and multiple people’s stories from the Indigenous community, so he’s a very complex man.”

Ms Reiby said she was overjoyed at the response from Weipa locals who had come across her work, and hoped community members featured would have a fun time finding which character was based on them.

“When I sent the books [to the featured locals], I sent a personal note as well saying I think you’ll figure out who’s who,” she said.

“I think [they’ll’] figure out who the town gossips are that have all these theories about who murdered who, and there’s the manager of the Albatross Hotel, but it’s not actually the manager, it’s one of the bartenders.”

Author Victoria Reiby is ecstatic after bagging her first barramundi on western Cape York, the main setting for her latest book trilogy, The Weipa Crocodile

The CSIRO says the pompano, a new fish species suited to northern Australia, has the potential to add more than $1 billion to the economy by reducing the reliance on white-flesh imports.

CapeYorkWeekly

andtheireffortsthatsavedlivesacrosstheCape disasterFarNorthinwhatwastheregion’sworst Puttinginlivingmemory.theirownlivesatrisktohelp boththetheirmatesandcompletestrangers,theyare WhenembodimentoftrueblueAussiespirit.

InAndtheydiditallforfree. manythisspecialedition,welooktoshareas highlightingofthosegoodnewsstoriesaspossible, thebestofwhathasbeenahor

littleasaresultofCycloneJasper,whoproduced bomb”fanfareonarrival,onlytoleavea“rain ofbiblicalproportionsinhiswake.

Bipartisan support needed for Mapoon Project: TCICA

By LYNDON KEANE

THE advocacy body representing Indigenous councils on Cape York and in the Torres Strait is urging both sides Parliament to back an ambitious pilot project it says could have profound implications for remote social housing across the country.

The Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA) has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton calling for a preelection commitment for a remote community housing pilot program known as the Mapoon Project, which would see the construction of six one-bedroom, self-contained units in eight communities across Cape York.

It is hoped the project would address severe overcrowding and shortage issues in the region, as well as boost local workforce retention by providing housing for single community members attempting to hold down employment.

The letter says “urgent action is required more than ever” for the remote housing situation, and estimates the total pilot project would cost less than $20 million – approximately $2.2m in each of the eight proposed communities.

Mayor Ronaldo Guivarra said the project was developed by Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council and had significant potential to be rolled out to remote communities across Australia once its efficacy was demonstrated.

“This project was developed by council to address a long-standing challenge we face in the community – high local staff turnover, much of which stems from unsuitable living arrangements,” he told Cape York Weekly

own terms, free from the external negative factors that often hinder their success.”

TCICA Chair and Kowanyama Mayor Territa Dick said the organisation believed the project “potentially delivers large benefits for a modest outlay”.

“TCICA does not want limited funding for our member councils being wasted on uncertain projects,” she said.

“It is exciting for a TCICA member council to be the trial council for an initiative that could benefit councils across the region, state and potentially Australia.”

Cape York Weekly asked Leichhardt Labor and LNP candidates Matt Smith and Jeremy Neal if their parties would commit to funding the project before voters headed to the ballot boxes.

Mr Neal said he was briefed on the project during a recent trip to Mapoon with former Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch.

step up for Cape York

CAPE York residents stand to miss out on the equivalent of $150 each in grassroots funding for vital community services and infrastructure unless Canberra agrees to protect the future of a critical council program, says the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ).

As politicians and candidates ramp up their campaigns and the rhetoric ahead of the 3 May election, the LGAQ has released electorate-by-electorate amounts for the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCIP) in a bid to convince parties how vital the funding has been.

The LRCIP has provided councils across the state with funds needed to build roads, sporting grounds and other vital community facilities.

Particularly vulnerable are smaller communities, where the money has been the difference between having facilities or not in some cases.

In Leichhardt, almost $25.7 million in funding has delivered 46 direct and 144 total jobs through the delivery of projects.

Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council Mayor Robert Poi Poi said the continuation of LRCIP funding was crucial to remote local governments providing infrastructure improvements for their communities.

“As a result of this funding program, we’ve constructed shared cycling and pedestrian infrastructure that connects our community of Injinoo to Umagico, and now onward to Bamaga,” he said.

“The plan to construct six single-bed, self-contained dwellings is a strategic step toward supporting single working individuals or couples who are yet to start a family; currently, many households in Mapoon experience overcrowding and lifestyle environments that aren’t conducive to regular employment, such as high noise levels, shared amenities and a lack of private space; these conditions can discourage individuals from committing to long-term employment, as they lack a stable and supportive home environment.

“I have been briefed on the project and, having only recently been provided with the proposal, I would be happy to take it forward should I win the seat of Leichhardt,” he said.

“By providing dedicated, selfcontained dwellings, we’re offering more than just housing – we’re creating an opportunity for individuals to engage in work on their

“The project makes sense, and it would certainly assist in easing the housing shortages in the Cape and surrounding areas.”

Mr Smith did not respond to requests for comment.

“It provides safe pathways to school and work for our residents, as well as health and fitness opportunities for the community. Projects like this show how vital this funding is to councils like ours.”

LGAQ chief executive Alison Smith the numbers proved the case for the return of the LRCIP or an equivalent new program.

ROCKY POINT MARKET

ROSIE’S CHICKEN

The Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton calling for a pre-election commitment for a remote housing pilot program known as the Mapoon Project.

Mapoon Mayor Ronaldo Guivarra says the community’s housing situation includes “overcrowding and lifestyle environments that aren’t conducive to regular employment”, and is urging the Federal Government to green light funding for an ambitious pilot program with national potential.

Cape open, despite ferry closure

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

BECAUSE the headline or first paragraph is all many read these days to get their news fix, let me put the vital bit here in black and white: Cape York is absolutely, unequivocally open for business this dry season.

The news the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) is set to pull the only link to the northernmost part of Cape York, the Jardine River ferry, out of the water for a month at the start of the 2025 tourist season for an “AMSA-regulated closure” has hit operators like an economic grenade as panicked visitors start cancelling trips amid fears they won’t actually be able to get their obligatory photos at the Pajinka sign on their road trip.

One NPA business told me they had been hit with a mass cancellation of four tour groups set to visit within a five-week period. But the confused abandonment and rescheduling isn’t isolated to the NPA. Tourists are pulling the pin left, right and centre across the Cape – from Weipa to Cooktown –because NPARC has inexplicably chosen the next month to undertake maintenance that was flagged by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority as kind of important in June 2024.

It’s impossible to read the report and not ask what has been going on with the ferry’s management over successive seasons. The ASMA report identified 15 operational, safety and engineering issues, including insufficient lifejackets aboard, a crew member unaware a vehicle was being loaded behind them while directing another vehicle, and waste oil not being captured to stop it entering the marine environment.

But the standout oopsies are the hull repairs and replating AMSA suggests must be carried out within three months, according to the deficiency action code timeframes listed in the report.

Issues originally identified by a

marine surveyor in October 2020, mind you. I’m still waiting for a sensical answer from the maritime watchdog as to why it apparently then gave NPARC until 30 June this year to fix the hull dramas, despite the deadlines shown in its own report.

NPARC says the repairs have been delayed because of issues sourcing funding to carry them out, but that woeful excuse doesn’t pass the sniff test for the community, nor the Cape business operators now set to bear the brunt of tourists venting their frustration by slapping shut their wallets and walking away from trips that are often years in the making. With the extortionate fees the council

charges to use the ferry, they are raking in somewhere in the vicinity of $3.5-6.5 million in revenue each year. Where’s the money going? It’s evidently not being used on maintenance or upgrades of the Jardine River crossing infrastructure, so who’s sharing the millions when the money should be invested in a vital asset for the NPA community?

Let me say it again: Cape York is categorically open for business and ready to welcome tourists with open arms, despite the buffoonery and questionable backroom deals that mean a vessel old enough to have been used by the Ottoman Empire remains the preferred method of spanning a river on one

of the most iconic tourist routes in the country.

If you’re reading this and thinking about rescheduling your Cape York trip because of the ferry farce, I implore you to reconsider. Come up, soak up our unique experiences, meet the characters who call the Cape home and have the time of your life. The dry season money you spend is literally the lifeblood of many small tourism outfits up here, and we know how to roll out the welcome mat to ensure your visit provides a lifetime of adventures, laughs and memories you can’t find anywhere else.

If I can remain the eternal optimist, this national embarrassment will hopefully convince the council and Traditional Owners vehemently opposed to the concept of a bridge it is indeed the best way forward, and that the sky won’t suddenly fall if the status quo is scuttled.

Who knows? Maybe the embattled ferry can continue to play a role in the region’s tourism sector long after it’s been decommissioned – you can never have enough artificial reefs for the diving market, right?

On behalf of our local tourism operators, the lights are on, we’re all home, and can’t wait to say g’day you when you roll into our towns on your 2025 dry season expedition to a part of the world you can’t fully appreciate until your feet hit the ground.

Editor Lyndon Keane says we need to ensure our southern cousins understand Cape York is open for business, despite the inexcusable incompetence which has resulted in the Jardine River ferry being left high and dry for a month at the start of the annual tourist influx.

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Focus

Super 8s returning to roadhouse

By LYNDON KEANE

THEIR preparation may be somewhat unconventional for a regional cricketing showdown, but the Alkoomie Spotted Turtle Doves will be hoping for a strong showing on one of the remotest fields on the planet this Labour Day long weekend.

The Cooktown men’s and women’s teams – unofficially known for reasons Cape York Weekly did not pry into as the STDs – will be amongst 20 making the trek along the Peninsula Developmental Road on 3-4 May for the 2025 Musgrave Super 8s as what could only be described as super social cricketers vie for bragging rights as Cape York’s best.

STDs spokesman Tony Holmes said Cooktown was sending three teams to the historic Musgrave Roadhouse for the clash, adding some players had been training a little harder than others.

“We’re sending two men’s teams and a female team,” he said.

“I bought a new bat while I

was away, but the training, yes, well, we’ve got a plan in place – it mainly involves lifting the elbow at this stage, but the Young Guns team have been doing some train-

ing; they go down to the nets once a week or something.”

Mr Holmes described the annual event as a “great family weekend” and said he and his teammates en-

joyed the social atmosphere of the competition.

“All our kids are starting to come back for it, because it’s a great country cricket weekend. A

lot of our kids grew up going to it, and now a lot of them are coming to play as well,” he said.

All eyes will be looking to the heavens over the next three weeks and roadhouse boss Adam McDowall said his band of curators was hoping to have five pitches operational for the weekend.

“It should be a pretty big weekend. All our rooms are fully booked, and people are calling about camping,” he said.

“We put the grader over it (the field), so it’s all flat and should be pretty good; we’ve got one more pitch we’re trying to get in, but we’ll see how it goes, because it’s pretty wet down that end.

“We’re hoping for a fifth pitch to be available.”

When asked what made the weekend so popular, he echoed Mr Holmes’ sentiment about the social aspect of the Super 8s format.

“Nobody’s up here to win sheep stations,” he said.

“Everyone’s up here to have a beer and a laugh, and a swim in the creek afterwards.”

Rising footy star takes positives from setback

By CHISA HASEGAWA

AN injury setback can be low point in an athlete’s life, but one young rising AFLW star is choosing to look at it in a positive light.

Thursday Island’s Mistee Sagigi, who plays for the Gold Coast Suns under-17 women’s team, suffered a mild concussion during a match against the Sydney Swans late last month, forcing her out of at least one of two remaining national development squad matches of the season.

Sagigi, who has progressed rapidly in the sport, said she had opted to view the injury as a blessing in disguise.

“I think I needed to have a little rest from AFL, because I’ve been constantly travelling and playing, so my injury kind of helped me a bit,” she said.

“I’d always give my all in every game. I think it’s helped me just calm down a little bit, and maybe relax and enjoy it a bit more.”

The 16-year-old picked up a Sherrin for the first time through the AFL Cape York development program at Tagai State College, and despite only playing her first competitive match two years ago, her natural talent and determination for the sport set her apart and got her scouted by the Gold Coast-based Suns franchise.

Sagigi said she had been reaching burnout from the constant hustle of the sport, and admitted the forced break had actually helped her to see how passionate she was about the game and getting back on the paddock once given the allclear by medical staff.

“I’m very excited, and I want it more, because this is my first time having a concussion and actually stepping away from AFL,” she told Cape York Weekly

“I think it’s made me a better player, because if I do well in my AFL career, I’ve already witnessed it, so I’d know what it feels like and how to look after it.”

Twenty teams will again battle for Cape York cricketing glory when they pad up for the 2025 Musgrave Super 8s this Labour Day long weekend.

Despite only being 16 years old, rising Torres Strait AFLW star Mistee Sagigi says she has been able to see the positive side to a temporary injury setback that has her currently sidelined.

Smith beats small field for maiden win

PERFECT golfing weather was rolled out for the small group of players who ventured onto the Carpentaria Golf Club fairways for the weekly instalment of Dawnbusters on Sunday morning.

In his 10th Dawnbusters outing, Jake Smith made the most of the overcast sky and slight breeze, and returned to the Weipa clubhouse with 56 off the stick and a victori-

ous nett 18. Dave Sands managed to card a sub-half century score with gross 49 to post nett 20 and take runner-up honours.

It was Smith’s best performance since joining Dawnbusters crew in December, and while he was celebrating getting his hands on the coveted winner’s polo shirt, the newest addition to his wardrobe came at a cost, with his handicap taking an 18-stroke shave.

In a demonstration of how fickle a mistress golf is, patriarch Viv Dick went from a winner last week to being branded the Hoffman’s recipient this week.

Scott Triffitt won the men’s long drive, while the women’s gong, as well as the pin prizes, went begging.

Dawnies will tee off this Sunday from around 6:30am. Newcomers are welcome.

Running festival aiming for a new record in 2025

By LYNDON KEANE

THEY say records are meant to be broken, and that’s exactly the adage the Weipa Running Festival (WRF) committee is aiming to adopt on and off the course for the 2025 edition of the event.

A record field of 332 competitors donned their race bibs in 2024, and with five individual events and three team events on offer this year, organisers are quietly confident the number may be smashed when the starter’s pistol fires on 20 July.

The team events will be pop-

ular with participants, who have the option to share the workload on the course by nominating two or four runners for the Marathon Relay or two runners for the Half Marathon Relay.

The Mission Team Event will return in 2025, with teams required to nominate one runner in each of the five solo race distances on the program.

WRF president Rose Robins said registrations had already surpassed the century milestone, adding she expected the 5-kilometre event to be the most popular due to Rio Tinto offering to

cover nomination costs for competitors.

“We’ve cracked 100 already, which is fantastic,” she said.

“The 5km and half marathon are always the most popular, and both are looking very healthy again; we expect the 5km to be a large field due to the generosity of Rio Tinto with their free entry.”

Committee members rallied support for the event at the Weipa Easter Markets and Community Showcase last month, and Ms Robins said it provided an opportunity to promote the

event, as well as provide reassurances to a number of potential first-time competitors.

“There were lots of people really wanting reassurance that they would be able to enter the distance they were eyeing off, and lots of questions around the best training plans, group runs and course sections,” she said.

“The team events were also a hot topic, which is great – it really brings a fun and slightly competitive angle to the event also.”

To register, visit weiparunningfestival.org.au.

SPORT IN BRIEF

Maroon beckons Hegamaea

CONGRATULATIONS to Cooktown’s Maiika Hegamaea, who will don maroon to represent her state later in the year at the national school sport swimming championships.

After an impressive performance in securing bronze at the recent state championships in the 200-metre individual medley – her favourite event – 10 yearold Hegamaea received news of the Queensland call-up last week in a show of how deep the Cooktown Amateur Swimming Club talent pool flows.

Hegamaea will travel to Ballarat on 25-29 October to compete at the School Sport Australia Swimming National Championships. Keep an eye out for updates on how one of Cooktown’s junior superfish is progressing.

Hobbs takes Stableford

AARON Hobbs was the best of a small field that contested a white tee Stableford at Cooktown Golf Club on Saturday.

Hobbs carded a solid 38 points to take home the chocolates ahead of the club’s Bridesmaid for Life, Brent Hetaraka, and Rick Butler, who both recorded 35 points.

Paul Humphries bagged the pin prize on 2/11, with Hobbs claiming the honours on 9/18, while the poor 14th green doesn’t remember what a golf ball looks like.

Steve Butler (2,590 points) leads the 10th anniversary Race to the Bay, with Hetaraka (2,310 points) and Wal Welsh (1,930 points) currently holding the other spots on the podium.

Players will have a chance to burn off some Easter chocolate on 19 April when the club hosts a Bisque Par day from the red tees.

Head tames Wackers

STEVE Head (gross 45/nett 30.5) was too good for the baker’s dozen field that took to the back nine at Carpentaria Golf Club for Wackers on 9 April.

Head’s nett result gave him a threestroke win over second-placed Scott Triffitt, who carded 42 off the stick for nett 33.5.

The pair shared the pin prize bragging rights on the 7th and 9th respectively. Jake Smith was the week’s Bradman’s winner.

With registrations now open, Weipa Running Festival organisers are expecting competitors from all over Australia – like Melbourne marathoner

Dimitrios Tsironis, who won over the local crowd in 2024 – to converge on western Cape York for this year’s event on 20 July.

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