Cape York Weekly Edition 124

Born to run, raised to lend a hand

VOLUNTEERS are the lifeblood of a community – especially in the bush – and there aren’t many who give up more hours of their week than Rose Robins.

Along with husband Geoff, the Weipa couple are usually the first to put up their hands to help, a quality that Rose says was instilled in her from a young age when growing up in Weipa.

“It initiated from watching my parents doing it as a child,” the mother-of-two said.

“Mum and dad were the type of people to lend a hand and there was that sort of culture in my family – if someone needs help.”

Rose spent her primary school years in Weipa and spent a lot of time following around her father Ray Fazldeen and mum Ricky to various sporting events in town.

So when she moved back with Geoff and baby Olive, Rose knew that volunteering would lead to new friends and rekindle a connection to the community.

“Dad was big in rugby league as a player and a coach and mum was teaching aerobics classes.

“That’s why I got into social aerobics when I arrived in Weipa. I needed that outlet with Olive.”

Rose has barely stopped since and has been a key player in two of the town’s biggest success stories – the Weipa Running Festival and parkrun on Saturday mornings.

It was her overall efforts that saw Rose named Weipa the Citizen of the Year in 2022.

Unsurprisingly, Geoff was also nominated for the same award this year for similar dedication, albeit on different committees.

“It’s a huge social thing,” Rose told Cape York Weekly

“A lot of the committees we are on are not filled with our friends but we are meeting new people and different groups.

“I would really like my children to have the same memories and core values that I had when I was growing up.”

Olive will turn seven this year and Ayda is two years younger.

Both are seen regularly around town in prams being pushed by mum or dad as they work up a sweat by running with their kids.

“Exercise is a high priority in our house,” said Rose.

“Before I had children I would run for stress relief at the end of the day.

“When I had Olive she didn’t sleep and the only time she slept

was in the pram. So I ran and walked so she would sleep.

“Then it became my me-time and it’s so good for my personal mental health.”

A love for running helped spark the idea of the Weipa Running Festival, an event that has brought hundreds of people together since the inaugural year 2018.

“The running festival is some-

thing I’m super proud of,” Rose said with a smile.

“Outside of my family, it’s the greatest accomplishment I have achieved to date.

“To get it off the ground was a huge effort.”

Rose said her love of the festival did not come from fast marathon times or high-profile entrants.

“It’s not about the running at all, really. It’s about getting people to set a goal and seeing them work towards it.

“That’s the big thing for me.”

Those who wake up early on a Saturday morning to take part in parkrun, a timed 5km run/jog/walk will know Rose and Geoff well.

They are there almost every Saturday – rain, hail or shine.

“We’ve just made Saturday a family day where we start off with parkrun,” she said.

“I’m hoping that when Olive and Ayda get a bit older they will come to love it as much as I do.”

Volunteering was already taking a hit prior to COVID but the

pandemic took a big toll on a lot of sporting clubs and community groups that relied on helping hands.

Rose said she was optimistic that volunteering would make a comeback.

“COVID was obviously a big thing and we’re seeing with (Rio Tinto mine) Amrun that Weipa is becoming more of a transient town,” she said.

“However, this year’s running festival has its biggest committee ever and we always get the people to put their hands up at parkrun, so it’s not doom and gloom.

“I think people get scared to volunteer because they think they will get lumped with a massive load.

“But if you have more people take on small jobs it becomes so much easier and enjoyable for everyone. Weipa is so lucky to have a lot of great events and they all run on volunteers.

“I would encourage anyone who is looking to meet new people and make friends to put their hand up.”

Weipa’s Geoff and Rose Robins with their beautiful daughters Ayda and Olive.

A common sight around Weipa, the Robins’ out running as a family.

Former Kiwi is living out a dream

JENNI James hopes to share her love of study with a broader audience as the inaugural manager of Country Universities Centre Cape York in Cooktown.

The expat New Zealander moved to Australia with partner Vinnie in 2006 and despite the initial culture shock of living in her father-in-law’s house with no walls and invasive local wildlife, she fell in love with the area and the rainforest.

“But we decided we wanted the city life and moved down to Cairns, where I got involved with turtle rehabilitation,” Jenni said.

“My friend said she thought I’d like it so I went for a look and I just fell in love with the turtles and dedicated myself to volunteering at least a day a week; even now when I’m out on the boat, I’m not fishing, I’m turtle spotting.”

After almost a decade in the tourism industry in Cairns, and helping to set up the Fitzroy Island turtle rehabilitation centre, Jenni and Vinnie decided to move to Helenvale permanently to be closer to his father.

“Charlie’s health was starting to fail and we decided we’d had enough of Cairns,” she said.

“Charlie’s place is amazing and we felt like we could give him a hand, so I lived in a tent for three months in Helenvale while Vinnie sold our house in Cairns.

“I actually loved it – the only time I got freaked out was when I was having a camp shower and I could hear the dingoes howling.”

Jenni moved into an admin role with Cook Shire, which evolved into working in the community grants sector.

“Then my boss asked me if I was interested in working on some of the larger grants, and I started writing applications and obviously had a knack for it,” she said.

“It was really funny because my dream was always to find a place by the sea and write novels, then when I started grant writing I realised I liked the more technical writing style; the grant writing just seemed to quench that desire to write, and by the time I left I had about a 90 per cent success rate.”

As well as bringing in millions of dollars of funding for the council, Jenni pursued her passion for community and environmental projects, becoming the council’s Reef Guardian champion, joining the Local Marine Advisory Com-

mittee and volunteering as the gate coordinator for the annual Wallaby Creek Festival.

“We’ve been going to Wallaby Creek every year for about 16 years and I’ve been volunteering on the gate ever since I moved up here,” she said.

Jenni’s passion for study is now something she is excited to share with others as the centre manager for Country Universities Centre Cape York.

“The centre will support and encourage students and help provide the same support to students across the Cape as they would be getting in the city,” she said.

A serial academic herself, Jenni will complete her Masters of Business Administration in 2024.

“I remember my boss (at council) asking me what I wanted to do with my life and I said I’d really like to get into the not-for-profit sector,” she said.

“Sometimes you think your plan’s not going to work, but in a roundabout way it does.

“I always wanted to be a writer, and now I am.

“And now I’ve gotten myself into a not-for-profit organisation, too.”

Weipa Taxi Service & WEIPA AIRPORT SHUTTLE

Jenni James and Sarah Frew representing Cook Shire Council at a Reef Guardian event last year.

Jenni James releasing a turtle at Green Island. She spent almost a decade in management in the Cairns tourism sector.

Jenni James is the manager for Country Universities Centre Cape York.

Sam’s in her element in the bush

WHEN she’s not showing Ernie Dingo how to fish or out in the bush eradicating 100kg feral hogs, Sam Midgley is pottering in her Coen backyard with the chooks.

That, or running after-school activities in her role as one of the country’s most remote sport and recreation officers.

Although Coen had never been on her radar as a potential base, Sam said she and partner Dayne Stewart couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

“When I looked on the map at places to live, I’m usually pointing to coastal areas, but we are so glad we moved here,” she said.

“It’s such a beautiful community and everyone is so friendly and welcoming.”

The pair packed their belongings and beloved dogs and hit the dusty road to Coen last year.

Both are employed by Cook Shire Council.

“Council has given me two jobs just to keep me busy,” Sam said.

“I clean council’s facilities and I’m also the sport and recreation officer providing sporting activities, which is a totally new thing for me and I’m loving it.”

The couple are avid outdoor lovers and spend most of their spare time hunting and fishing.

“Living remotely gives us lots of opportunities to explore,” Sam told Cape York Weekly

“Coen is in the heart of the Cape, so one weekend we can go over to the west coast and the next we could be on the east coast – the Cape is our oyster!”

The couple enjoy being selfsustainable and have gardens and chickens, supplemented by meat and fish from hunting.

“We would like to one day live somewhere very remote and be completely off-grid.”

Sam grew up in Rossville as the middle child and only girl, with two older brothers and two younger brothers.

She has had a varied career, working in hospitality, on a solar farm and in admin, as well as trav-

elling and living in Europe, America, Bowen and the Gold Coast.

She had a brush with fame while working at The Lure Shop in Cooktown when Ernie Dingo filmed a TV show in town.

“It was 2020 and at that time, every spare second I got I was out fishing,” Sam said.

“My name got put forward, the film crew contacted me, and the rest is history.

“He was a funny guy and very easy to talk to.”

Sam said while she doesn’t see herself as an inspiration to others, she urged women to grab onto any opportunities with both hands.

“If you ever get the opportunity to work and live in Cape York, I’d say go for it,” she said.

“You can always go back home if it doesn’t work out but you may as well give it a shot.”

Sam is an avid angler and has ‘secret spots’ all over the Cape.

Sam Midgley is a keen hunter, regularly patrolling the Cape for feral pigs. She says she’s in her element while living in Coen, the heart of the Peninsula.

Sam and partner Dayne Stewart recently relocated to Coen from Cooktown.

Bella loves looking after Country

A PROUD Taepadhighi woman and Traditional Owner, Bella Savo was born on Thursday Island and grew up in New Mapoon at the tip of Cape York, but holds the fondest memories of family time spent at her grandma’s block in Mapoon.

Her strong connection to Country is what led her to a role at Rio Tinto, starting as a community liaison officer in 1999 before working her way up to her current role in the cultural heritage team.

Involved in developing the Indigenous Lands Use Agreement in the Western Cape Communities Co-Existence Agreement (WCCCA), Bella played an integral role in building relationships between Traditional Owner groups and Comalco, as the bauxite miner was then known.

“I would take new leaders out to communities and introduce them to the Traditional Owner groups,” Bella recalled.

“I understand both worlds and can help with communication and language barriers.

“It’s so important to build those personal relationships.”

Now working within Rio Tinto’s cultural heritage team, Bella assists in identifying and protecting culturally significant places within the mine lease, such as middens, scarred trees and stone artefacts.

“Rio Tinto Weipa uses information gathered from cultural heritage surveys to ensure the protection of culturally significant areas” she explained.

The core work of the cultural heritage team involves walking every section of land alongside Traditional Owners to record the locations of heritage places and objects.

As well as this, Bella has been involved in scientific studies of shell mounds with universities and where drone footage and LiDAR is used for further research and analysis.

She has also been involved in the rehabilitation of Country through the return of scarred trees to areas where mining has ceased.

Combining traditional and modern technologies for cultural heritage uses has been hugely beneficial, she said.

“Putting the two together is the best thing that could have happened,” Bella said.

“We can still have our traditional practices alongside visual survey maps and 3D models, which helps when we have Elders who can’t get out on Country due to age or disability.”

As a mother of four and grandmother of eight (soon to be nine), Bella is a role model not only to her family and clan group, but to women in the mining industry and the Western Cape communities.

“I love a challenge and I love my job,” she said.

“I would love to see more women in mining.”

While there will always be work to be done in this area, when the day comes for Bella to retire, she says she will be back in Mapoon, passing on her knowledge and legacy to her own grandchildren.

Bella Savo combines modern technology with traditional practices in her role with Rio Tinto’s cultural heritage team.

When

she’s not working, Bella doesn’t mind wetting a line. This is big jewfish she caught at Evans Landing,

The proud Taepadhighi Traditional Owner has a close connection to Country.

‘Dr Smiley’ says birthing service

THE doctor in charge of spearheading Weipa’s new birthing unit says she’s confident the hospital will get the service up and running, despite setbacks with recruitment.

Dr Riley Savage, known around the hospital as ‘Smiley Riley’, said even though the roll-out of birthing had been paused, there were many side benefits to mums in the Cape.

“We’ll get there. Every health service in Australia is struggling to get staff at the moment,” she said.

“Even though we haven’t had a birth yet the benefits are already showing.

“Our expecting mums are getting more time with their midwife – because of the upgrades we’ve got four midwives and the director of the service based here in Weipa.

“All the facilities are first class and our babies are going to be the best treated in the country.”

Dr Riley took the position in Weipa because of the expected rollout of a birthing service, but she already had first-hand experience in the community.

“Birthing and women’s health is something I’m passionate about,” she told Cape York Weekly

“I love working in rural areas because I enjoy knowing my patients and their family.

“Being a part of the delivery of

the birthing service was a great opportunity.

“I helped design the space and worked with the architect.”

Dr Riley said consultation with First Nations women proved to be invaluable.

“One of the key themes we

heard was that First Nations women would really love to be able to go outside and plant their feet in the earth,” she said.

“That’s why when you’re in the birthing suite you have doors that give you access to a garden outside.”

Dr Riley said she originally wanted to be a veterinarian, however changed tack as a teenager.

Medicine brought her to North Queensland, having spent her childhood in the mining community of Dampier in WA.

“It’s similar to Weipa, except

you can swim,” she said with a trademark smile.

“It was a fantastic place to grow up. We’d go sailing on a 12-foot catamaran and there were 42 islands in the archipelago. You’d pull up to a beach and if someone was there you’d go to the next one so you’d have it to yourself.”

Dr Riley said she travelled to Karratha for high school until her family moved across the country for her senior years.

“A lot of the move was for my schooling,” she said.

While it seemed obvious that James Cook University was the likely next step, Dr Riley said she considered other options, only to quickly stay in Townsville.

“I applied to Monash and went down with my dad to Melbourne for a look,” she recalled.

“It was the real big smoke. It was going to be a huge deal to move down there. Just getting around on the trams was daunting.”

After stints on Thursday Island and in PNG while studying, Dr Riley said she first came to Weipa in her second year out of med school.

“There was a rural relieving program and even though I was a junior doctor I went up to Weipa,” she said.

“It was a lot of responsibility.

Dr Riley Savage and husband Ben Forbes and their two daughters, Molly and Bonnie.

will be worth the wait for mums

“That was just for three weeks but I loved it and ended up coming back for three months, filling in for Alex Dunn.

“It was a lot of fun and the nurses here are super incredible.”

Dr Riley ended up coming back for a longer stint and met her future husband, Ben Forbes, who was a detective out of the Weipa Police Station.

“We were kind of set up by half of the town,” she said.

“It can be a bit like that when you are single in Weipa.”

They met back in 2013 and now have two daughters, Molly, 5, and Bonnie, 3.

“We got married at Tinaroo and even though we’d been gone from Weipa for a bit, the majority of our friends at the wedding were from Weipa,” Dr Riley said.

“That’s a testament to the community. It’s a great place to make strong friendships.”

Seven years after they left, Dr Riley – now an expert in obstetrics – made her way back ‘home’.

“Nick Cairns was the Director of Medical Services and he gave me a call to say that Weipa needed someone who knows about birthing,” she said.

“It was a pretty easy decision.

“When we came back it was like

we never left. There were the same nurses and community members.”

A five-minute commute was certainly better than driving up and down the Kuranda Range from Cairns to Mareeba.

“I was eight days on and six days off, which was great before kids,” she said.

Dr Riley was on maternity leave in Weipa when COVID first became in issue for the region.

“I cut my maternity leave short because of it,” she said.

“I thought Torres and Cape (Hospital and Health Service) did a remarkable job in handling the pandemic.

“However, I think there was a concern that pregnant women would be terrified to travel to Cairns and instead try to have their babies locally.

“Fortunately that didn’t happen but it was still tough for a lot of mums.

“When in Cairns they were stuck in hotel rooms with toddlers climbing the walls.”

While the first baby to be born in the new maternity suite might be a little while off, Dr Riley says she has no plans of pulling the pin in Weipa.

“We love the lifestyle here and I work with an incredible team.”

Dr Riley Savage in the new birthing suite at Weipa Hospital.

Deb Duffy PRINCIPAL Chantelle Hackett FINANCE MANAGER

Shayna Reeves PROPERTY MANAGER

Caitlyn Rowlands PROPERTY MANAGER

Kara Fryz PROPERTY MANAGER

Madina Fanias RECEPTIONIST/LEASING OFFICER

Regional living helps open doors

A DRIVING passion to leave things better than she found them and give everything her best shot while staying true to her values has seen Heather Kelly give up a budding career as a psychologist to rise through the ranks of local government, taking on a director position in a field dominated by men.

After completing her psychology degree and eager to make the world a better place, Ms Kelly quickly became disillusioned with an industry that seemed more focused on profit margins than helping people.

“I decided it wasn’t right for me, so I went into youth work and preventative programs,” said the current director of organisational business services at Cook Shire.

“That worked for a little while, but then I wanted to make a difference at a more strategic level, so I moved into local government.

“I love working in local government; it’s diverse and complex and I get to spend my work day surrounded by good people who are committed to their community and their work;

“It’s a great environment to work in.”

“In local government, you can have 10 careers in one organisation. I started out as a youth de-

velopment officer and now I’m a director, with all these amazing opportunities in between,” she said.

“When opportunities present themselves you have to be brave enough to say yes and have a crack at it.”

Among the opportunities Ms

Kelly took advantage of was a secondment to the capital works team in a southern Queensland council which helped build a multi-million aquatic centre.

A self-confessed “secret nerd”, Ms Kelly said at the age of 50, she finally had a career plan.

Happy International Women’s Day

“To progress my career in local government I decided to get a Masters in Business Administration, then seek work at a regional council, because in a smaller council you’re so much more hands on,” she said.

“In terms of development, it’s

been really good. I love it because it’s challenging and you have an opportunity to make a real difference.

“Whatever you think you’re going to be doing when you come in at 8am is absolutely out the window by quarter-past.”

To all women seeking equal pay and secure work, we are on your side.

Authorised by Senator Nita Green, ALP, 141-143 Abbott St, Cairns, QLD

@CynthiaLuiMP @nitagreenqld

Pictured:

Left, Cynthia Lui - State Labor Member for Cook

Right, Nita Green - Queensland Labor Senator

Heather Kelly is Cook Shire Council’s director of organisational business services, having made the move to the Cape in 2020.

Ms Kelly is a staunch advocate for women in the workplace, and is especially supportive of mothers.

“I think women need to know you can still have a career alongside or after children,” she said.

“I think that is changing now, mothers are realising you can actually stop, and I think it’s really important to spend time with your family, but then you can come back.”

While she hasn’t personally dealt with sexism in the workplace, Ms Kelly said statistically, local government, like many industries, was top heavy with men.

“There are far more male CEOs than female, but that’s slowly changing,” she said.

Ms Kelly continues to advocate for community outside her job, having recently joined the board of Cooktown District Community Centre as chair, and is the only Cape-based member of the Reconciliation Queensland board.

“I feel quite strongly that we need to get the story of our region, where we are working side by side as one, out to the wider community,” she said.

“Reconciliation is often so focused on the past, but here we are looking forward.”

Although she doesn’t like the ti-

tle, Ms Kelly said she had become a role model by default.

“I guess I didn’t set out to become a role model, but by default I am,” she said.

“I go through life trying to leave

people better than I find them, and I think that I do that well.

“My aim here at council is the same. I invest time in my people because I want to leave my team better than I found them.”

Heather Kelly has tried to immerse herself in the community. She’s pictured on the left taking part in the Conquer the Corrugations mental health walk.

Heather at one of Cooktown’s recent women’s cricket social days.

Life’s too short for this art lover

LAINIE Franzi has only one thing on her bucket list – to keep on making and sharing art.

The Bloomfield-based artist has been a creative her whole life and shares her love of all things artistic as a teacher, through her gallery and as a workshop facilitator.

“My whole career has been bits and pieces of all kinds of art and also teaching all the way through,” she said.

“When I was leaving school I remember my mother and career’s advisor going ‘well, art’s all very well, but what about teaching’ and so it was basically decided for me that I was going to do art teaching; and my world exploded in a good way from there.”

Chances are you may have enjoyed one of Lainie’s workshops, your children might have learnt from her, or a local building is graced with one of her public art installations.

“There are bits and pieces of my art here and there, and whenever I sell a work it just makes me happy

watching it go off into the world and have a new life,” she said.

Her most recent community art project culminated in a huge ceramic mural on permanent display at the Ayton Library, and was the result of two years of creation.

“We were all sitting around together, old and young, we met new friends and were making and helping each other, swapping and sharing; it was a beautiful time,” Lainie told Cape York Weekly

After spending time travelling and working around the world, Lainie settled in Bloomfield on the south side of the river, but a chance meeting at a local event resulted in her connecting with fellow local artist Ross Franzi and the pair now reside at the Black Cockatoo Gallery in the Bloomfield valley.

The gallery showcases Ross’ photo-realistic wildlife works, as well as Lainie’s illustrated manuscripts and watercolours, and is also home to the Bloomfield wildlife refuge.

“Fortunately we don’t have a

lot of sick and injured wildlife, but we’re always there when they need us,” she said.

Alongside art and wildlife, Lainie and her husband share a passion for flying, and the couple both hold helicopter licenses and are building their own chopper.

Lainie teaches part-time at Cooktown’s Endeavour Christian College, a role she has been enjoying since 2014.

“I do three days a week, which suits, because I can run the business at the gallery and find time for myself, my art projects, the garden and everything else.”

The “everything else” is something Lainie consciously puts aside to make time for her art.

“Art is the only thing on my bucket list, I just need to set aside time and sit and do my own stuff, otherwise I’ll run out of lifetime to do it,” she said.

“One of the pages in my illustrated manuscript describes this. It says in Latin: art is long and life is short.”

Lainie Franzi at work in her home studio in Bloomfield. The Black Cockatoo Gallery she shares with husband Ross is also home to the Bloomfield wildlife refuge.

Lainie Franzie works three days a week at Endeavour Christian College.

Mother hen approach at campus

KELLIE Kremmer is a classicallytrained opera singer and a talented violinist, but it’s her work as the head of Western Cape College’s residential campus that will leave a lasting legacy.

Kellie moved to Weipa with her husband Peter Linnehan and their two children when he was appointed as the principal in 2019.

“It wasn’t a package deal,” she said of her getting the role at the off-site residential campus.

“The stars just aligned as Leigh (Allender) had just left.

“I always believed there would be an opportunity somewhere because I’ve worked in remote communities before.”

Kellie has taken to the role like a duck to water.

The ‘res campus’ is home to 51 teenagers from across Cape York and the Torres Strait.

“I think that number is about our limit,” she said.

“We’ve had numbers in the 40s the last few years and around that 50 mark is manageable.

“For some of the children here it’s the end of the road and their last (schooling) option.

“For others, it’s a first-choice option, which is what we have worked hard to create.

“I think over the last three years, definitely, we have seen an increased application and enrolment numbers based on the quality of the care that we give our children, and the definite link between their living environment and the learning environment.”

While many parents still send their children to boarding schools in Cairns, Townsville or Brisbane, Kellie said there were pros and cons, depending on the teenager.

“There are advantages and disadvantages of being closer to home, so we really handpick every child,” she told Cape York Weekly

“Just because you apply doesn’t mean you get in here.

“Every child is picked based on their aspirations, their family’s aspirations and who we have in the mix here.

“Sometimes I have children from up to 17 different communities. So I need to be really careful of not stacking it with kids from one place.”

Ask the staff at the campus or the boarders themselves and they’ll also say that Kellie is a nurturing, maternal leader.

However, she says it wasn’t always like that over her career.

“When I first started as a teacher, I used to think that I only had to worry about them during the day,” she said.

“That changed when I became the head of campus here.

“A lot of our children have significant chronic disease and come from traumatic backgrounds, so you need that nurturing approach.”

Some life experience has also played a role.

Peter and Kellie tried to have children of their own and, after a

long journey, adopted two siblings from Ethiopia.

“We just couldn’t fall pregnant,” she explained.

“We did heaps and heaps of IVF cycles and it just wasn’t working.

“So Peter and I went, ‘why don’t we adopt?’ And back then it wasn’t really a thing (international adoption) – it was really difficult.

“The government said you could only nominate one country and Peter and I went Ethiopia.

“The process would have been so much quicker if we picked China or Korea, but we wanted the most disadvantaged children to have the most opportune life.”

What followed was a gruelling process that almost broke their spirit.

“It took us one week short of eight years,” Kellie said.

“People talk about their pregnancy and the morning sickness

and being this and being that, but this was like riding a roller coaster.

“Just when you thought you were getting to the top they’ve cancelled the program or they’ve shut the program.

“We probably waited an extra three years because we wanted siblings because we knew where we lived.

“We wanted them to be able to wake up in the morning and see someone who is exactly the same colour.”

Raising Naty and Bereket over two decades has given Kellie perspective in her new role.

“In this job I have the privilege of raising someone else’s child. I know what that’s like first-hand,” she said.

“The way I perceive my role here is I have the privilege for 40 weeks a year, 18 hours a day.

“And that’s why our partnership

with the parents is very close because those parents are giving me their children.

“I’m non-Indigenous so I need to be really heightened to that cultural practice and being culturally competent.

“I’m really lucky to have a 95 per cent Indigenous workforce at the res campus who have really close connections to the students.”

Kellie said one of the most rewarding parts of her job was graduation day.

“It’s very emotional for me. For some of them, we were hanging by our fingernails in June but we got through to the finish,” she said.

“For some of them, that certificate is huge for their family.

“They are the first ones in their family to go all the way through to Grade 12.

“That’s a huge achievement and I’m just so proud of them.”

Kellie Kremmer brings a nurturing approach to her role as head of Western Cape College’s Residential Campus.

Mums welcome flexibility at work

PRIORITISING the creation of a strong workplace culture has Cook Shire leading the way in flexibility with a attitude focused on supporting employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance and putting family first.

Young mothers Chelsea Scanlan and Meg Reeves work in the council’s organisational business services team and have recently returned to work after having children.

Chelsea, who is mother to almost-three-year-old Hunter, went on maternity leave in June 2020 and went back to work one day a week initially, then three days a week and is now back full-time this year.

“They have been so flexible letting me work from home and splitting my hours, because Hunter only got a full-time day

care space this year,” Chelsea said.

She said the council was also supporting her to complete an accounting degree.

“It’s really good, we’ve just bought a house here and council will definitely get a return on their investment of supporting my degree,” said the employee of seven years.

Meg, whose son Luke is 6 and daughter Bella is 10 months old, started with the council in 2019 and has just returned to work part-time.

“I didn’t realise how much work was my social life as well – I was just so excited to get back,” she said.

“I’ve been so lucky having Dustin (Miller) as my boss, he’s the most family-orientated boss I’ve ever had.

“In August, Bella will be 15 months old and hopefully will be in daycare full-time and I will be back at work full-time.”

Cook Shire’s director of organisational business services

Heather Kelly said it was important for women to know there was a place for them in the workforce after children.

“I think women need to know you can still have a career,” she said.

“Mothers are realizing you can actually stop, it’s really important to spend time with family, but then you can come back.”

Natalie Maltby-Lemon has also returned to the council after taking maternity leave to have her daughters Raemy and Florence.

“If couldn’t do it if council wasn’t flexible,” she said.

“I’ve been doing two and a half days a week in customer service to fit in around daycare and babysitters.

“It’s perfect for me, it’s so busy and I really enjoy working with the public and talking to people. It’s nice to be able to help with enquiries or complaints.”

While all three women have struggled with the lack of daycare options in Cooktown, they said the flexibility offered by the council allowed them to spend time with their young families while also getting back to their careers and enjoying the social aspect of their workplace.

“The whole dynamic of being at work, I really look forward to it,” Chelsea said.

“They’re so flexible and in the end it will pay off for everyone.”

Chelsea Scanlan with son Hunter and Meg Reeves with daughter Bella at the Cooktown waterfront. Both council employees have embraced the transition back to work after having children.

Cook Shire’s Natalie Maltby-Lemon with daughters Raemy and Florence.

Yasmin’s rapt to be a role model

AFTER pursuing a career from Adelaide and Melbourne to the country’s capital, Yasmin Wilson is back in her home on the Cape sharing her story to help other young women.

The Umagico mum said she never realised she was a role model for other Indigenous girls until she returned home.

“I had girls coming up yarning with me, asking what it was like to leave community and how my daughter liked living in Melbourne,” she said.

“It was just mind blowing to them.”

Yasmin credits her grandmother with setting an example for her and her mother and setting her on the path to a successful career.

“My nanna moved from Lockhart River to Umagico, and it was a hard transition for her, but she did it for a better life,” she said.

“She decided to study and become a teacher aide, which she did for years until she retired; that pushed my mum to become a health worker when she saw the impact my nanna had on kids in the community.”

As a teenager in Year 9, Yasmin left her remote coastal community for the first time and headed to the big smoke as a boarding student at Ipswich Girls Grammar.

“It was challenging, very hard being away from family and friends and being independent at such a young age,” she said.

“It also gave me a lot more confidence to travel further from community. I wanted to explore more and it pushed me to engage in leadership programs.”

Yasmin said she was a firm believer in education and encouraged others to always ask questions and try their hardest.

“There is no such thing as a dumb question, no right or wrong, and there’s no such thing as dumb or smart,” she said.

“It’s how people interpret information for you to understand and you taking the time to learn.

“I just say ‘I’m the same person

you are’; it’s all about how you live your life that will make an impact.”

Yasmin has lived by her own advice, cramming as much education and experience into her life as possible, working in Adelaide and Melbourne, completing a Bachelor of Social Studies and an internship, working in state government and moving to Canberra to work for the Australian Federal Police.

Alongside her study and career, she raised her daughter as a single mother, continued with her passion for art and maintained her cultural connections with Cape York.

The NPA product has made it her mission to encourage other Indigenous people to push their boundaries and find their own place in the world.

“A colleague and I developed the Directions program within the AFP, which is very successful and still running,” she said.

“It’s an entry level traineeship program for Indigenous men and women wanting to fill a role in the AFP.

“It’s very rewarding seeing a lot more Indigenous people within the organisation now.”

Yasmin said she felt a change in cultural perceptions of men’s and women’s roles.

“A lot of Indigenous men are taking the initiative and acknowledging Indigenous sisters in the workplace, and I think that’s really powerful,” she said.

“There’s also a bit of shift in understanding, that it doesn’t have to be separate men’s and women’s business, we can sit together in the same yarning circle, which is really good.”

Yasmin returned home last year to be closer to her family and is working as a Community Engagement Officer with Cape York Natural Resource Management.

Yasmin with partner Kearney and daughter Kami-Nina.

Umagico resident Yasmin Wilson with her mother and grandparents.

Calling for First Nations people with a connection to Cape York.

You are invited to nominate to be a part of a new Fisheries Working Group for Cape York to help develop new economic opportunities through fishing and fisheries resources — while making sure our fisheries are around for future generations.

The Working Group will include community members with a connection to Cape York’s land and sea.

To submit an application go to daf.engagementhub.com.au/capeyork-fisheries-working-group or for more information email us at fisheriesmanagers@daf.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23

Weipa Gymnastics Club

invites members of the public to attend its

If you have any questions, please email weipagymnastics@gmail.com

Flu clusters in the Cape a cause for concern: TCHHS

HEALTH authorities are managing clusters of influenza cases across Cape York, prompting a warning for residents to take precautions to avoid falling ill.

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service’s Dr Allison Hempenstall said 63 laboratory-confirmed cases had been recorded so far this year.

“So, we know flu has started circulating in our region,’’ she said.

“Being vaccinated every year is the best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Once this year’s seasonal flu vaccine becomes available from April onwards, everyone should take the opportunity to be vaccinated.

“The influenza vaccine is a safe vaccine for children and is offered annually to every-

one older than six months of age. But good hygiene is also very important in preventing flu, just as it was during COVID.

“The best way to prevent the spread of flu is to wash your hands, cover your coughs, put tissues straight in the bin and stay away from other people if you or they are sick.

“Practising social distancing by staying at least 1.5 metres away will mean coughs and sneezes don’t reach another person’s face.

“If you get the flu, you should stay home and rest and drink plenty of fluids until symptoms have resolved, which is usually 5-7 days.”

Dr Hempenstall said the flu could be a serious illness, especially for high-risk people like young children, old people, pregnant women, and people with some illnesses.

From – Page 1

Cook Shire’s disaster management officer Narelle Dukes said the council was advocating for better flood monitoring across Cape York.

“Council has installed cameras at more crossings, as well as a new river height monitor and flashing road closed signs at the Little Annan Bridge and the Endeavour Valley causeway,” she said.

“We also have an agreement in place with TMR to add their camera network to our website, so we currently have photos from the Moorehead and Hann rivers, Wenlock, Pascoe, Coen, Poison Creek, Endeavour Valley causeway, Wallaby Creek and Isabella and will soon add the TMR cameras at McLeod, Rifle, Bushy, Laura, Myall and Archer.”

Ms Dukes urged motorists to use the council’s Disaster Dashboard, accessed via the Cook Shire website, as their one point of truth when planning a journey during the wet season.

“As well as council’s flood cameras, users can access the BoM’s river heights data and TMR’s Qld Traffic road closures all in the one spot,” she said.

“It’s really important that people are checking not just the cameras, but also looking at the river heights to see whether the water is rising or falling and how fast, and also being aware of what rain is falling in the catchment for that crossing; you also need to be prepared or have a Plan B if you

do get stuck between crossings and consider whether you need to travel at all.”

The TMR spokesperson agreed, urging motorists not to rely on flood cameras to plan their journey.

“The images provided by our flood camera network are provided as a guide only and are not intended to be used to determine safe access on state-controlled roads, as water levels and road conditions can change quickly.”

Ms Dukes said the council was also working with TMR to prioritise the repair of faulty flood cameras, such as the Archer River camera, which has been out of action for months.

The TMR spokesperson said there were technical issues with the camera, and the maintenance team was unable to reach the site due to wet weather and road conditions.

“Safety is our top priority, and repairs will be carried out when maintenance crews can safely reach the sites,” he said.

The spokesperson also responded to criticism of the QLDTraffic website, which currently doesn’t indicate whether there is a fault with equipment.

“We are working to improve the way we notify users of technical issues with a camera,” he said.

Faults with the BoM river heights data can be reported on the Bureau’s website, and road hazards, including flooding, on statecontrolled roads can be reported by phoning 13 19 40.

A flood monitoring camera at the McLeod River crossing on the Mulligan Highway.

Rio Tinto Weipa women in line for mining awards

TWO women from Rio Tinto’s Weipa operations are up for awards at Wednesday’s 2023 Queensland Resources Council/ Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ) Resources Awards for Women.

Allyson Cousens and Jaime McCombe are in Brisbane for the International Women’s Day breakfast, where they will join 17 other finalists and guests from around Australia for the announcement of the winners.

Ms Cousens, a finalist for Inclusion and Diversity Champion in Queensland Resources, said: “I was really excited to be nominated for this award and never imagined that I would become one of the finalists.

“I am extremely passionate about diversity and inclusion, and becoming a finalist has

made me realise that the work we do here at Rio Tinto in Weipa is really amazing and worthy of being showcased .”

Since joining Rio Tinto Weipa in 2021, Ms Cousens’ priority was to attract workers from diverse backgrounds, particularly

women and local Indigenous people.

She also took on the role of chair of the Inclusion and Diversity Committee, which is responsible for increasing female workforce participation at operational and leadership levels.

Ms McCombe is a finalist for Exceptional Tradeswoman/ Technician/Operator in Queensland Resources and was the youngest apprentice that Rio Tinto had employed in their Weipa operations when she started in 2007.

Gaining experience in roles across the Northern Territory and Queensland, Ms McCombe returned to Weipa in 2016 where she is now the maintenance supervisor for fixed plant maintenance.

“I’m a little nervous but excited to attend the awards. It’s a great chance though to meet some incredible people in the industry and hear their stories,” she said.

Cape York Weekly will publish the list of winners on our Facebook page on Wednesday.

Bloomfield pontoon still six months away

BOATIES hoping to launch their vessels at the site of Cape York’s most recent croc attack will still need to be extra cautious as the planned pontoon won’t be ready until later in the year.

A new ramp was put in late last year and stage two of the

project will see an adjacent floating pontoon, helping anglers get in and out of their boats without being in the water.

“The proposed new pontoon at Bloomfield River, Ayton is currently out to market, with tenders closing mid-March and

contract award scheduled for April 2023,” said Kell Dillon, Maritime Safety Queensland’s general manager.

“For pontoons, the main part of the contract is off-site fabrication at the contractor’s headquarters, then transport to site.

“Site works are the last stage of the contract and involve piling and pontoon installation.

“It is anticipated on-site works will start late July or early August, with project completion scheduled for late August 2023, weather permitting.”

Jaime McCombe and Allyson Cousens are up for awards in Brisbane.

The Bloomfield Boat Ramp at Ayton has been given a new life in recent months, however the new pontoon won’t be completed until later this year.

Cook Shire supporting The Voice

COOK Shire passed a historic resolution at last week’s council meeting, formally accepting the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and announcing its unanimous support for Constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia, and for the establishment of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

“This historic decision demonstrates our commitment to Reconciliation and recognises the important role of Indigenous voices in shaping our nation’s future,” said mayor Peter Scott.

Cook Shire’s Indigenous partnerships officer Shane Gibson congratulated the council on the decision.

“The Uluru Statement is a powerful expression of the aspirations of Indigenous Australians,” he said.

Cape York SES unit wants more volunteers to join up

By SARAH MARTIN

LOCAL residents are being urged to join the Cooktown State Emergency Services to support their community and also their careers, with a fully-paid one week course giving all new recruits national public safety accreditation.

Cooktown SES controller Katie Hooker said the free training was a great perk, and the opportunity to be able to offer vital support to other emergency services and the

community during a crisis was part of the reason she joined.

“Providing free services just gives me so much satisfaction; volunteering really is good for your mental health,” she said.

“We support the police with forensic searches and missing people searches and are privy to a lot of confidential information; it can be quite exciting and very rewarding.”

Long-time Trinity Beach SES member Liss Ernst, who trains and

deploys with the Cooktown group when in town for work, said it was a way people could give back to the community without breaching any rules.

“It’s so hard now to just give a hand, you can’t offer firies sandwiches without having a food licence, everyone is nervous about doing the wrong thing; the SES gives us a safe way to give back without fear of the red tape,” she said.

“Training is great too, and we

have the opportunity to travel for free to support other areas during an emergency.”

Cooktown’s SES group currently has eight active members, a number which Ms Hooker would like to increase.

“There are so many roles, if members don’t want to be involved in the physical side we have lots of support roles,” she said.

Visit the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website to register your interest.

“Accepting the statement really is like drawing a line in the sand in terms of committing to a new way of working together as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.”

Cr Scott added: “It really is a message of support to Indigenous community members across our shire and in the neighbouring Aboriginal shires, that we are committed to working towards a more just and equitable society.

“Accepting the Uluru Statement is an important milestone into our journey towards Reconciliation. We hope that other councils and organisations will follow our lead and support the call for constitutional recognition and a more inclusive and representative political system.”

Cook Shire is also expected to launch its Reconciliation Action Plan later this month.

Councillor resigns, sparking by-election

MAPOON residents will go to the polling booths on April 1 following the resignation of councillor Kiri Tabuai.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland confirmed the byelection date and commissioner Pat Vidgen said nominations for the new councillor position were now open for anyone wanting to represent their community.

“Nominations close at noon on Monday, March 13 and there are several important steps which must be undertaken, so I urge anyone interested to do this as soon as possible,” Mr Vidgen said.

Potential candidates must make sure they are eligible to nominate, pay a deposit of $250, open a dedicated campaign bank account and complete the free mandatory online training.

Mr Vidgen said all of the information was on the Local Govern-

ment Election participants page of the ECQ’s website.

He also reminded Mapoon residents about the importance of checking they were correctly enrolled to vote.

“If you have changed your address or are enrolling for the first time, you must do this by Thursday, March 9 to vote in this byelection,” Mr Vidgen said.

“This is an important step to ensure your voice will be heard on election day.”

To enrol to vote, check your enrolment or update your details, go to the Australian Electoral Commission’s website.

Cooktown SES volunteers Katie Hooker, Mike Masding, Peter Symes and Liss Ernst are looking for more support.

Community updates

COOK Shire Council will hold two casual and informal community update events this month at the Cooktown Shire Hall.

The events will highlight the council’s initiatives and provide updates on capital works projects, as well as this year’s Cooktown Discovery Festival, local housing, development applications, planning processes, and the 2024 election.

“We are excited to host these community update events, which provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about what’s happening in our community and get involved in council initiatives. We look forward to seeing everyone there,” said Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott.

Bloomfield business has grand plans for season

By SARAH MARTIN

AFTER buying the Bloomfield Beach Camp sight unseen from Western Australia at the height of the pandemic, new locals Kat Hewitt and Yogi Noble say they are loving life in the Far North.

The couple spent several years travelling the country working in various hospitality management positions in between staying at accommodation venues as patrons, which Ms Hewitt said gave them a good insight before buying in the southern Cape.

“We were working at a resort in Broome at the time and were so short-staffed we couldn’t take the time off to fly over and look (at Bloomfield Beach Camp) so our friends stopped in and checked it out for us,” she said.

“We didn’t have any hesitation buying an accommodation place in the middle of COVID; we’d done research and knew at the time there were 20,000 caravans and camper trailers sold but not yet built and there had been a massive move towards camping because people still wanted to get away on holiday but couldn’t travel overseas.”

The couple packed up their former life in Adelaide, sold their house and moved to Bloomfield in September 2021.

After a one-week handover with the previous owners, the Beach Camp was theirs.

Their first task was changing the name to avoid disappointing travellers who thought they could camp on the beach.

“The name Beach Camp didn’t reflect what the park is,

which is cabins and camping in Bloomfield,” Ms Hewitt said.

“People would get here and get upset because they think they’re going to be camping on the beach.”

The couple have other plans, including re-opening the restaurant to the public, weekly movie nights and even traveller’s yoga.

“Two chefs are arriving this month, and initially it looks like the restaurant will be open four

or five days a week for breakfast and dinner and will be adjusted as the tourist season develops,” Ms Hewitt said.

“As soon as it’s dry we’ll also have Saturday night family movies which will be open to everybody for a gold coin donation.”

Along with her extensive hospitality management background, Ms Hewitt is also a yoga-lates instructor, and after spending long hours on the road knows how bad sitting in a car can be on your body.

“I’m going to do a traveller’s reboot, based on chair yoga, which will help people who are tight and sore from driving and sitting in cars.”

Ms Hewitt said she and Mr Noble had been kept busy updating and renovating the park’s three safari tents and cabins, amenities and camp kitchen, and extensive grounds, which feature 20 sites.

“Someone at some point spent a lot of time building incredible grounds, so we’ve been finding them again, removing the overgrowth and finding the original design.”

He said the council would also provide updates on major capital works projects in the shire, including Stage 5 of the upgrade to Charlotte Street, which includes works at the Cooktown Wharf.

“We encourage anyone who is interested in being a councillor (at next year’s election) to come along and learn more about the role and responsibilities of a councillor,” Cr Scott said.

The Community Update Events will be held on Thursday, March 16 from 4 to 6pm and Saturday, March 18 from 10am to noon. Light refreshments will be provided.

Much-loved poet dies

RENOWNED former Cooktown poet Jim Egan has been farewelled by family and friends after he died, aged 78, last month.

The former West Coast Hotel manager was a long-time contributer to the Cooktown Local News and other publications. He won the ABC’s Bush Poetry competition in 2012.

Jim passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his five children, on February 10 at age 78.

His funeral was held at Palen Creek Church on February 26. He was buried beside his mum, dad and sister.

The re-named Bloomfield Cabins and Camping has built a strong reputation in the tourist industry.

Jim Egan with his bush poetry prize in 2012.

Kat Hewitt and Yogi Noble have settled into the Far North lifestyle.

CEQ launches new vision to create healthier future

REMOTE store operator Community Enterprise Queensland has launched its new Vision, Mission and Goals, which focus on working closely with the Indigenous communities it services across North Queensland to create a better future for the next generation.

The organisation’s new vision of “Caring, Every Day, Always” sets a clear direction for CEQ to reinforce its commitment to be an employer of choice and help communities in the Torres Strait and Cape York meet their aspirations for a healthier and sustainable future.

CEQ chief executive Michael Dykes said the words in an organisation’s vision statement were important.

“Our vision sets out our intentions on how our business will behave every day,” he said.

“Our new vision statement will influence all aspects of our organisation’s culture, from who we recruit to join the team to how we serve our customers.

“CEQ’s intention is to care about all aspects within its influence, every day and always, and we want others to hold us accountable to that.”

Mr Dykes said CEQ’s new vision statement was already guiding changes in the organisation.

“We’ve been providing business support to small community-based businesses to help them through some challenges,” he said.

“Our direct support of community events has also doubled, while we have even provided replacement household items for a community member whose home was destroyed by fire.”

Mr Dykes said the launch of the organisation’s new strategic direction was an important milestone and the beginning of a new chapter for CEQ, coinciding with the appointment of new board members and his own appointment last year.

“We’re not just about putting products on the shelf to maximise sales. There’s a responsibility at CEQ that’s over and above profit,” he said.

“Our board has been very clear about the importance of our role in supporting community aspirations to be healthy and sustainable into the future.

“CEQ is an important employer in local Indigenous communities, and can play a key role in supporting the community to make healthy choices, creating jobs and developing sustainable enterprise.

“This will be our way of show-

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Councils not invited to summit

CAPE York’s councils and mayors are furious about being left off the invitation list for a costof-living summit organised by Member for Cook Cynthia Lui, which is only focused on the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area.

The summit, which was meant to be held in December but was cancelled at the last minute, has been rescheduled for March 20 on Thursday Island.

Called the Torres Strait and NPA Cost of Living Summit, the Torres and Cape Indigenous Councils Alliance has not been invited, nor have mayors and councillors from communities across the Cape and Gulf.

ing that we will care, every day, always.

“We have a role to play in supporting the health and wellbeing of our team members and customers, and we’ve got some exciting plans for the future that will demonstrate this new vision in action.

“CEQ has done an excellent job in continuing to provide essential services to many remote communities over a long period of time.

“This new set of principles by which we’ll operate will further position CEQ as a forward-thinking, collaborative organisation, preparing itself for the future.”

“I’m not happy and I know the others are not happy,” said one Cape York mayor, who asked to remain anonymous.

“I’m waiting to see what happens at this forum and the outcomes that come from it. If they don’t do something about the cost-of-living for the whole region then I’ll be speaking out and putting my name to it.

“It’s great that the state government is finally realising the huge cost pressures we face in remote communities but it is disappointing we are not getting a chance to appear.”

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Community Enterprises Queensland employee Alison Gowa at the fruit and veg cabinet.

Ranger program ready to expand

By SARAH MARTIN

BACK from rubbing shoulders with royalty, Cooktown’s Larissa Hale is looking forward to using her profile to expand her successful Indigenous women’s ranger program globally.

The mother-of-three spent a hectic fortnight earlier this year living out of a suitcase and travelling across the northern hemisphere to help build her network.

Her first stop was the UK at a retreat for winners of Prince Wil-

liam’s Earthshot Prize, a gong she accepted in December on behalf of the Queensland Indigenous Women’s Ranger Network, a group she founded in 2018 to provide a forum for women rangers to support and connect with each other.

“It was really interesting listening to all the other climate solutions and working with business professionals on how we can scale our solutions,” Ms Hale said.

She spent about 20 minutes in conversation with His Royal Highness Prince William.

“I sat next to him and he was just a nice man and easy to talk to. What he’s doing with Earthshot is a really good legacy project,” she told Cape York Weekly

From there, Ms Hale flew to Canada where she met up with her mother, sister and daughter, who are all rangers, along with fellow QIWRN members Karin and Erin Gerhardt.

The group attended a conference where they all presented.

“We presented on using traditional knowledge to prove climate

change and a first nations perspective on that, and how to work with climate scientists to find a way forward,” Ms Hale said.

“There is a really big focus on First Nations management and knowledge in looking after country, and the governments in attendance were very forward thinking; it was really promising.”

Ms Hale said the connections she had made in global community would create opportunities for the expansion of the women’s ranger network.

“For us it’s a really good platform, an international platform to showcase Indigenous land and sea management that gets to a wider audience; we all have to stand together to do this as one, because there are no borders in the ocean,” she said.

Ms Hale said the next step was sitting down with the QIWRN steering committee to plan a path forward.

“It’s something I’ll lead, pushing a women’s ranger network as a solution moving forward.”

Larissa Hale with fellow Earthshot Prize finalists and winners in the United Kingdom.

His Royal Highness Prince William with Larissa Hale.

Doors opened for future leaders

FIVE women in Weipa have been selected to develop their leadership skills through the Rio Tinto Women in Leadership program.

Joining 23 other women throughout the Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Pacific Operations division, the Weipa locals will complete 12 months of training to support their leadership development and invest in the future of the Weipa bauxite operations.

The program will include online training blocks, mentoring, face to face workshops in Brisbane and Gladstone as well as guest speaker presentations and networking opportunities.

Most recently, Weipa general manager Shona Markham shared

her experiences and insights with the group, a timely discussion given her recent recognition in the

Teen takes on opportunity

FOR 18-year-old Renita Asera, who loves children and enjoys developing the young people in her community, a new program offering paid work experience with a local childcare provider was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Renita and her host employer, Weipa Community Care, are among the first in the Western Cape to take up Kuku’nathi Services new paid work experience program.

Renita started working 10 hours a week with Cape Youth Connect, helping the team provide school holiday care for the families of Weipa through the summer holidays.

When school went back, the service shifted to providing before and after-school care.

With a year-round demand for their services and needing to keep growing their team to support the children in their care, Weipa Community Care CEO Josephine Tait said she was always looking for ways for her organisation to involve and offer employment opportunities to the local communities.

“These programs sometimes sound like they will be heavy with paperwork, but I have found the paid work experience program to be an easy process,” she said.

Ms Tait said she was also impressed by how well the Kuku’nathi Services team matched her role with such a great participant. Renita was assisted to get accreditations required to begin working and was identified specifically because of her interest in working with children.

“I love looking after and getting to know the kids and the team at WCC, they are all keeping me motivated and progressing towards my goals,” Renita said.

“I’m loving earning my first wage and I am already saving for my first car.

“Having a car would allow me to keep progressing towards my ultimate goal to get full-time work, maybe even right here at Cape Youth Connect.”

100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining UK.

“I am so proud of these women

who are dedicated to growth within themselves and our business,” she said.

“I am honoured to be part of their journey to develop into incredible leaders of our future.”

Coming from a diverse range of backgrounds and divisions, each of the participants bring different skills and knowledge to share with others in the program.

Participant Michelle Kostecki said: “This program gives us a safe space to learn and grow. We can have open conversations and learn from people in all different areas.”

Rio Tinto said supporting women to pursue careers in mining and offering leadership development opportunities in Weipa showed the commitment it had to both the local community and future of the Weipa operations.

Rio Tinto Weipa’s Jordan Viti, Nicole Emerick, Linda Wells and Michelle Kostecki. Absent: Kylie Luce.

Renita Asera has been undertaking paid work experience with Weipa Community Care.

Red goshawk is facing extinction

Endemic to Cape York, the red goshawk once soared through most of Queensland and NSW. However, The Red is now only found in a small part of North Queensland. Researchers CHRIS MacCOLL and

JAMES WATSON

write why the red goshawk needs to be federallylisted as endangered ...

AUSTRALIA’S red goshawk once ruled the skies. But now this almighty raptor, affectionately known as The Red, has become our nation’s rarest bird of prey.

Concern for the species prompted our new research.

We completed the first comprehensive population assessment of the red goshawk using a dataset of all known records (1978–2020).

The results were even worse than expected.

We were shocked to discover The Red had completely disappeared from more than a third (34 per cent) of its range.

The species is almost certainly extinct in New South Wales and the southern half of Queensland.

This bird is declining – and probably just barely hanging on –in a further 30 per cent of its range, spanning northern Queensland from the Gulf to the Wet Tropics.

The rest of northern Australia is the last stronghold for the species.

Although nationally listed as vulnerable, we argue this species requires urgent up-listing to endangered. High priority must be given to conservation action now, before it’s too late.

The red goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus) is an evolutionary oddity, with no near relatives in this country. It is a top predator, with rainbow lorikeets, sulphur-crested cockatoos, and blue-winged kookaburras its preferred quarry.

Remarkably, the average female is nearly twice the size of the average male, with this relative size difference making it one of the most dimorphic raptors in the world.

This striking bird first came to the attention of Western scientists around 1790, when a specimen was found nailed to an early settler’s hut near Botany Bay.

Since then, it has captivated birdwatchers with its rich rufous (red) plumage, sharp gaze, and immense feet and talons.

Historically, it was found along Australia’s eastern and northern coastal fringe, from Sydney, north to Cape York Peninsula, and across to the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

But over the years, keen observers noticed their occasional glimpses of this almighty hawk became rarer. Then suddenly people were no longer seeing them, in certain regions.

Recording the extinction and ongoing loss of the red goshawk over two thirds of its known range in our lifetime was shocking.

While the destruction of habitat through land clearing, which is still rampant in both New South Wales and Queensland, is a key reason for this loss, other factors

must be at play. We know that degraded forests, like those that are logged or suffer from inappropriate fire regimes, lose many of their species, particularly those higher up the food chain.

However, this doesn’t aptly describe the loss of red goshawk from seemingly large areas of intact habitat, such as Shoalwater Bay or Conondale National Park.

More research is needed to unpick why this species has disappeared so quickly and over such an immense area.

Current efforts focus on potential disease threats, poor breeding, low juvenile survival rates, and developing a better understanding of how they use the Australian landscape.

Our research reveals northern Australia is the last stronghold for

this species. Cape York Peninsula supports the last known breeding population in Queensland.

The Top End, Tiwi Islands, and Kimberley regions also sustain vital breeding populations.

This is unsurprising given northern Australia supports the world’s largest intact tropical savanna ecosystem.

Yet, despite limited broad scale habitat loss to date, these northern savannas are under threat from inappropriate fire regimes, weeds, cattle, and the onset of climate change.

These threats can interact and compound one another, posing increasingly complex challenges for land managers trying to save species like the red goshawk.

For example, the fire-intensive gamba grass, an invasive weed,

is spread by livestock. Climate change may extend the fire season, through lengthier dry spells. Hot treetop fires incinerate nests and the chicks inside them.

The intensity and seasonality of storms is also increasing, as well as thermal extremes, threatening young during the nesting season.

Tropical savannas may be increasingly compromised through large scale vegetation clearing and fragmentation.

Preparing land for crops such as cotton or mines for minerals such as bauxite can remove big swathes of habitat.

Efforts to obtain other natural resources such as timber and gas also fragment otherwise intact landscapes.

Australia is blessed with unique bird life. Nearly half of our birds are found nowhere else on Earth.

But the nation’s rarest bird of prey is in trouble. The red goshawk deserves better protection.

At the very least, the species needs to be up-listed from vulnerable to endangered by the federal government.

This will more accurately reflect current extinction risk and prioritise conservation action.

And there’s no time to waste, because red goshawk habitat continues to be cleared – permission was granted to clear a total of 15,689 hectares of red goshawk habitat between 2000 and 2015, which is more than any other threatened species had to contend with.

The Red needs to be recognised as a flagship species for northern Australia, to promote conservation of its remaining habitat. Intervention would benefit many other threatened species, because what’s good for them is good for many others.

In this way, the red goshawk

is one of the most cost-effective “umbrella species” for conservation action.

To secure the long-term survival of this beautiful bird, we need better protection across the tropical north, expanding both Indigenous Protected Areas and national parks.

These areas can be managed directly for conservation, but working with the agricultural and extractive industry is also critical.

Low numbers of red goshawks are distributed across a vast area, covering multiple tenures, so all parties need to work together if this species is to persist in the north.

We must not repeat past mistakes and allow habitat in the tropical north to be fragmented, rendering the landscape unable to support native predators like the red goshawk.

This means rigorously assessing developments and implementing protections commensurate with the large areas that The Red requires.

If we can’t look after such an ecologically important, charismatic, and iconic species such as The Red, what hope do we have for Australia’s many other threatened species?

 Chris MacColl receives funding and support from Rio Tinto Weipa, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, the Queensland Department of Environment and Sciences, and the University of Queensland.

 James Watson has received funding from the Australian Research Council and National Environmental Science Program and receives funding from South Australia’s Department of Environment and Water.

This opinion piece originally appeared on The Conversation and has been reproduced with permission from the authors.

The red goshawk is in serious danger of extinction and Cape York is considered the last breeding ground for the iconic bird. Picture: Chris MacColl

Researchers are keen to know more about the decline of the red goshawk. The predator was once prominent in NSW and WA. Picture: Patrick Webster

Fill in the blank cells using numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and 3x3 block.

Quick Workout

Fit the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into the hexagons so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers will be the same. No number is repeated in any hexagon.

Quick Crossword

Crossword

Spot the 5 Differences

Bush Track closures Evans Landing Area

Monday

27 February 2023

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST EOI 007/23

Licence of Commercial Accommodation Facility – Mackenzie Camp 1

Aurukun Shire Council is seeking Expressions of Interest from interested parties for a Licence over Mackenzie Camp 1. The Mackenzie Camp 1 is aimed primarily at the contractor market. This is a facility which has 24 rooms. The airconditioned rooms feature single beds, and full ensuite. There is also a guest kitchen, laundry, and off-street parking to assist and the regime for mowing will be dependent on seasonal factors.

Council offers the successful tenderer(s) a licence for a 3-year fixed term with a 3-year option for the facility. Tenders will be assessed based on experience and the benefits to the Aurukun community offered by each tenderer. Consideration will also be given to submissions seeking to lease a block number of rooms.

Two

Several dirt road and bush tracks have been closed to eliminate any potential interaction between the heavy vehicles

It is anticipated there will be two Water Tanker movements per hour for approximately 2 weeks

Please follow all signage when in the area

The Western Cape Communities Co-Existence Agreement (WCCCA) is an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) over the Rio Tinto mining lease areas of the Western Cape York region of Northern Queensland. The Agreement is between the eleven Traditional Owner Groups, four Shire Councils (Aurukun, Napranum, Mapoon and New Mapoon), Rio Tinto, the Queensland State Government and the Cape York Land Council on behalf of the Native Title Parties.

The Western Cape Communities Coordinating Committee (WCCCC) and its three Sub-Committees transparently monitor, implement and review the objectives of the WCCCA to ensure that all parties’ obligations under the agreement are met. The WCCT office is the administration arm for all the Trusts and the WCCCC. It manages the overall business of the company including servicing, assisting and supporting the above entities.

WCCT is committed to providing high quality services to our Traditional Owners, and we recognize the importance of employing the most suitable candidates. Currently we are seeking applications for the position of:

IMPLEMENTATION OFFICER

Reporting to the Implementation Manager, the Implementation Officer is the primary contact point with the eleven Traditional Owner Groups, who are signatories to the WCCCA, and Rio Tinto. This position contributes to assisting with the monitoring and implementation of objectives under the WCCCA and Strategic Plan in the areas of Employment and Training, Cultural Heritage, Community Liaison, reporting and data collection and the facilitation of Aboriginal community participation in cultural, environment and heritage management at a local and regional level.

We anticipate that applicants will have;

• Minimum Year 12 education;

• Knowledge and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, society and culture and an understanding of relevant issues preferably in relation to the WCCCA region

• Ability and willingness to travel to and work in remote communities

• Trained in or demonstrated previous experience in Education and Training (Tertiary qualifications in this area will be highly regarded but not essential)

• Good interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively; and

• C Class Driver’s license.

Traditional Owners and Aboriginal people are strongly encouraged to apply. All applications should be clearly marked “Private and Confidential” and addressed as follows: Executive Officer PO Box 106 Weipa, QLD, 4874

Phone: (07) 4069 7945

Email: eo@westerncape.com.au

CLOSING DATE – FRIDAY, 17TH MARCH 2023

If you would wish to submit an Expression of Interest, please contact, or collect an information pack from Vendor Panel. https://www. vendorpanel.com/

Interested parties must submit the Expression of Interest on the prescribed offer form. All documentation must be submitted prior to

Are you looking for a challenging and rewarding career opportunity? Then we're looking for you!

We're looking for two (2) reliable, and safetyfocused individuals to manage, maintain and operate Council's water and wastewater infrastructure and provide critical, essential services to our community as Network Operators with our dedicated Water and Wastewater team.

9 day fortnight

5 weeks annual leave

3 weeks personal leave

These roles are so crucial to our operations that applications will stay open until suitable candidates are found.

Water Tankers will be operating on dirt roads indicated on the map in the Evans Landing area

Notice of Special General Meeting (SGM)

Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation

RNTBC ICN 7002

Venue: Mossman Bowls Club, 6-8 Johnston Rd MOSSMAN QLD 4873

Date: Friday, 17 March 2023

Time: 10:30am – 3pm

AGENDA (SUMMARY)

The business of this Special General Meeting (SGM) is as follows:

1. Welcome and attendance

2. Apologies and Proxies (if any);

3. Special Resolution on proposed Amendment to JYAC Rulebook

4. Cape York United #1 Claim UPDATE

5. Other Business

If you have any questions regarding the SGM please contact Jabalbina on (07) 4098 3552 or CYLC PBC contact on 07 4053 9222

*Lunch provided

AGM

Members of THE COOKTOWN AND DISTRICT YOUTH ASSOCIATION INC. are advised that the Annual General Meeting will be held

SATURDAY 25th MARCH 2023 @ 10 AM AT THE BLOCK –30 CHARLOTTE ST, COOKTOWN

Proposed Development

Make a submission from 8 March to 29 March 2023

MULTIPLE DWELLING (4 X 2 BEDROOM SELF-CONTAINED TOWNHOUSES)

Where: 6 Waisu Street, Bamaga

On: Lot 13 on SP273361 and Lease D on SP249782

Approval sought: Development

Permit for Material Change of Use

Application ref: DA2023_003

You may obtain a copy of the application and make a submission to:

Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council

PO Box 200, Bamaga. QLD 4876

E: info@nparc.qld.gov.au

P: 07 4060 4100

W: www.nparc.qld.gov.au

Public notification requirements are in accordance with the Planning Act 2016

Changed

We are seeking a professional and suitably experienced individual to provide executive support to two (2) Directors The ideal candidate will have excellent communication and organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritise tasks effectively. If you are a proactive problem-solver with a passion for providing exceptional support, we encourage you to apply.

5 weeks annual leave (pro rata)

3 weeks personal leave (pro rata)

APPLICATIONS MUST CLOSE SUNDAY 12 MARCH 2023

APPLY ONLINE AT

Learn from one of the best

FISHING and boating are integral parts of the Weipa lifestyle with the bonus of plenty of fresh fillets for the table.

While it’s sometimes easy to catch a feed, opportunities to brush up on your fishing skills shouldn’t be passed up.

Long-time fishing guide Dave Donald has been sharing his vast knowledge of the local area for

many years, and will be running one of his popular Workshops at the Albatross Bay Resort this Sunday, March 12.

The program will suit fishers of most proficiencies, and include topics such as selecting the right tackle, how to rig your lines, lure and bait fishing, throwing a cast net, understanding Weipa’s unique tides and where to try your luck.

He might even be persuaded to give away a couple of his “secret spots” if asked nicely.

Hands-on sessions will include the important skills of knot-tying and leader construction, using both mono and braided lines.

These are always lots of fun, often with some crazy outcomes, but an absolute necessity for the keen fisho.

SIGN ON DAY

Under 7s (League Tag), U9s, U11s, U13s and 13- 17 years League Tag

¥ B r i n g y o u r c h i l d ’ s b i r t h c e r t i f i c a t e a n d s i g n u p o n t h e d a y o r o n l i n e a t h t t p s : / / w w w . p l a y r u g b y l e a g u e . c o m

¥ T r a i n i n g w i l l b e h e l d o n T u e s d a y s a n d

T h u r s d a y s 5 - 6 p m s t a r t i n g 1 8 t h A p r i l

W h en : Thursday 30th March 4-5pm

W h er e : John St Oval Cooktown

Co s t : $120 per child includes insurance, training shirt, football shorts and socks

F o r m o r e i nf o r m a t i o n co n t a ct : Secretary Jacynta Hunt on 0429351804 or email cooktownjrl@gmail.com

FairPlay voucher Approved Provider

Proudly supported by:

Cowboys win thriller in opener

NORTH Queensland beat the Raiders in a one-point thriller with Canberra coming back from 18-0 down to draw level, before a Chad Townsend field goal sealed the game at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

The Cowboys scored three first half tries through Murray Taulagi and a double to Scott Drinkwater before the Raiders scored three straight through Emre Guler, Tom Starling and Jack Wighton to set up a huge finish.

However, a clutch Townsend field goal in the 76th minute gave the Cowboys the lead late and they held on.

Lines, hooks and other terminal tackle will be supplied by Nathan from Tackleworld, along with giveaways including store vouchers. Juniors are welcome if accompanied by an adult.

Registration for the workshop, which will run from 8.30am to 3.30pm can be made at Weipa Tackleworld. Book your spot early to avoid disappointment.

Reece Robson was exceptional out of dummy-half, Tom Dearden dominated with his running game and Townsend came up with the match-winning field goal.

It was a stellar weekend for the Queensland NRL teams, with the Broncos also winning by a point against Penrith, 13-12, on Friday night.

On Sunday, the Dolphins beat the Roosters 28-18, while the Gold Coast Titans rolled the Wests Tigers 22-10.

NORTHERN PENINSULA AREA REGIONAL COUNCIL EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) is seeking Expressions of Interest from any interested businesses, organisations or individuals who are interested in leasing commercial and industrial land at Tradesman Way, Seisia.

For more information on the Expression of Interest including to obtain a copy of the relevant forms or arrange an inspection, interested parties should contact Kate Gallaway on 0437 030 980 or ceo@nparc.qld.gov.au

Expressions of Interest must be made in writing, in the approved form, by 5.00pm 31 March 2023. Expressions of interest may be emailed to ceo@nparc.qld.gov.au, posted to PO Box 200, Bamaga Qld 4876 or hand-delivered to 180 Adidi Street, Bamaga Qld 4876. Expressions of interest received after 5.00pm 31 March 2023 may not be considered.

Council may decide to accept an Expression of Interest most advantageous to Council, or may decide to accept no Expression of Interest.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

NORTHERN PENINSULA AREA REGIONAL COUNCIL

Tender No: TKASC2023-002

Freight Services – Road Transport of Goods between Cairns and Kowanyama

Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council is inviting tenders from road Transport carriers to carry out Transport of Goods between Cairns and Kowanyama on a weekly basis.

Tender documents are available to download via www.kowanyama.qld.gov.au/tenders

Tenders Close at 4.00pm Friday 31 March 2023

All tender responses can be submitted electronically to tenders@kowanyama.qld.gov.au

Or physical copies can be submitted to KASC Cairns Office (Unit 1, 50 Scott Street, Cairns, QLD, 4870).

For more information, please contact tenders@kowanyama.qld.gov.au

Kevin Bell, Acting Chief Executive Officer

Weipa fishing legend Dave Donald is running a crash course for anglers at the Albatross Bay Resort this Sunday. It’s a must if you want to improve your skills.

Cape York’s wet season

The Hann River Roadhouse last week. There has been very little traffic pass by.

SPORT IN BRIEF

Rain hampers golf

HEAVY rain around Weipa continues to play havoc on golf plans. The annual Gumboot Cup was called off on the weekend and rescheduled in a fortnight after the course was deemed unplayable.

The Wednesday Wackers crew managed to get a round in earlier in the week, although it was a modified round of eight holes due to flooding.

Rob Richardson came up trumps as the handicapper was left scratching his head with new calculations.

The in-form Mick Foy continues to knock on the door and was again runner-up.

Grant Crossley had the nearest to pin on the 18th, while Gary Head was resigned to barbecue duties after picking up the Bradman’s.

New professional eyeing opportunities in the ring

By SARAH MARTIN

MORE opportunities and a better fight purse are what thai boxer Oliver Hanson is looking forward to after turning professional this year.

Hanson has been training and fighting since he was 10, and although coach Vince Parkes said he had been fighting pro-level fighters for years, he wasn’t able to officially turn professional until his 18th birthday last month.

“They wouldn’t let him fight the longer rounds, he couldn’t fight in some states at all and now he can fight anywhere under any rules,” Parkes said.

“We’ve lined him up in the Super Four in Cairns on March 25, and in Brisbane and Perth later in the year as well.”

Hanson joined Full Boar Gym as a youngster looking for something to do and fell in love with the sport of muaythai.

“I don’t know what I like about it so much it’s an addiction,” he said.

Swimmers shine in Cairns

COOKTOWN Amateur Swimming Club has once again outperformed some of its rival clubs in the Far North, finishing sixth out of 14 at the FNQ long course championships in Cairns on the weekend.

The Cooktown club produced one outright age champion, four runners-up and one third-placed age champion.

Maiika Hegamaea was the 8-years girls age champion, beating Crocs clubmate Alice Reid.

Maia Pensio was the 10-years boys runner-up, while Rudi Habermann was the 12-years boys runner-up and Sam Ryder was the 15-years boys runner-up.

The third placing went to Haila Hegamaea, who was on the podium for the 11-years girls group.

“I like the feeling of it, the hard work; when you’re fit and strong you feel good and when I get unfit I hate that feeling.”

The teen said after 37 fights for 22 wins, he doesn’t feel nervous stepping into the ring anymore.

“I was a bit nervous when I fought Ryan (McDonald in Cairns), but when he hit me I thought (brother) Christopher hits way harder than that in sparring and I was fine.”

Hanson said he was looking forward to covering some of the costs of training and furthering his muaythai career as a professional.

“I’m keen for the fight purse, helping cover training fees and

fuel coming in to training every day, as well as being able to fight anywhere,” Hanson said.

“I watch people and I know I can beat them, that gives me that keenness; now I can start again, it’s a whole new thing going pro.

“But watching all the fights, I have the confidence that I can beat them.”

Parkes said Hanson was one of the most dedicated fighters he’d had in more than 25 years.

“He’s been training for eight years and he’s still as hungry as he was for his first fight, nothing has changed,” Parkes said.

“He’s so dedicated, and I wouldn’t be so keen on keeping the gym going if he wasn’t here.”

Parkes said Hanson has been training five days a week for the past five weeks in preparation for his first professional fight at the end of the month.

COOKTOWN TIDE TIMES

“He is in a four-man eliminator with Tyson Faulkner, Ryan McDonald and Quinton Smith; it’s too hard to pick a favourite, anyone could win it, but I’m still that confident in Oliver I’d put $1000 on him to win.

“We are studying our opponents and we know they’re not invincible, we can get them.

“We’re confident in everything Oliver has got, his kicks, knees, hands and elbows.”

Having recently turned 18, Cooktown fighter Oliver Hanson is now a professional who can target bigger fights.

Cooktown had six swimmers on the podium.

DEB DUFFY

Principal Licencee 0418 773 747

debduffy@weiparealestate.com.au www.weiparealestate.com.au PO Box 552, Weipa QLD4874

Cape York Weekly is a free, locally-owned newspaper, published every Tuedsay by Cape York Weekly Pty Ltd

ABN: 506 391 612 92

EDITOR: Matt Nicholls

Ph: 0477 450 558

editor@capeyorkweekly.com.au

PO Box 1079 Weipa, Qld 4874

ADVERTISING: editor@capeyorkweekly.com.au

ACCOUNTS: accounts@capeyorkweekly.com.au

EDITORIAL DEADLINE: 5pm Friday

SPORTS EDITORIAL DEADLINE: 3pm Sunday

ADVERTSING BOOKING DEADLINE: 11am Friday

ADVERTISING COPY DEADLINE: 4pm Friday

WEBSITE: www.capeyorkweekly.com.au Go to the website and click on the subscribe button to receive a free digital copy of the newspaper delivered to your inbox every week

Cape York Weekly recognises that our Indigenous forefathers have lived on this land for some 30,000 years. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners, both past, present and future, of the numerous clan groups on Cape York Peninsula. The newspaper is based in Weipa, on the land of the Alngith people, and we acknowledge them as the custodians of this land.

WEDNESDAY 15TH MARCH 2023

MAPOON CULTURAL HALL 9AM - 11.30AM

MORE INFO, INCLUDING MEETING AGENDA, PROPOSED RULE CHANGES AND PROXY FORM CAN BE FOUND AT