Cape York’s own Royston Sagigi-Baira was the star of the show at the Weipa Fishing Classic, bringing the crowd to their feet on both Saturday and Sunday night. Royston, who was returning home for the first time since his Australian Idol win, proved to be the talking point of the event, which produced record numbers across three nights. Check out all the action and winners in our wrap on Pages 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 .
AN idea first mooted in 1997 could become a reality as the state looks to develop more net-free zones in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Long-time Weipa fishing guide
Dave Donald has been pushing for
the Albatross Bay to be a net-free zone for decades and is now asking the community to rally to make it a reality, which will enhance recreational fishing in the region.
“We’ve seen this weekend what the Weipa Fishing Classic does for the town’s economy,” he said.
“We rely on recreational fishing for tourism and for liveability.”
Mr Donald said last week’s state government’s announcement to ban gill nets in the Great Barrier Reef and to create a net-free zone north of Cape Bedford on the east coast was the starting point.
The government also said it would look at creating more netfree zones in the Gulf.
As a result, Mr Donald said now was the perfect time for Weipa residents to make a push for Albatross Bay to be a net-free zone.
Continued – Page 4
WHEN: 8AM—12 NOON SATURDAY 17 JUNE
WHERE: LIONS PARK MARKETS
WITH: ENDEAVOUR LIONS CLUB
VMR Weipa are due for their Annual General Meeting
All positions of the committee will be vacant
When: Saturday, June 17, 2023
Time: 1pm
Where: Weipa Bowls Club
New members most welcome and can sign-up at the meeting
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Iraci Ave, Evans Landing
Mob: 0429 003 743
Ph: 4069 7183 Fax: 4069 7472
COOKTOWN DEPOT
Cnr of Endeavour Road and McMillan Streets, Cooktown
Ph: 0419 759 892
CAIRNS OFFICE: Ph: 4035 4022 25 Redden St, Portsmith
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WITH her blonde hair, chubby cheeks and elfin grin, it’s easy to forget that Ingrid Newman is still in the fight of her life as she battles a brain tumour.
The four-year-old Rossville youngster has spent more time in hospital than most people do in a lifetime, and her mother Belle said that wasn’t going to change any time soon.
“The chemo she is on now is being planned for a year to see how the tumour reacts,” Ms Newman said.
“This is pretty much her whole life, so she doesn’t know any different.”
Ms Newman flies to Cairns every week for chemotherapy that doctors hope will stop the tumour growing, and regular scans in Brisbane to monitor the tumour’s size.
In between trips to hospital, Ingrid is like any other fouryear-old, enjoying learning and playing at Cooktown Kindy with friends and getting ready for her first year of school.
“She’s a little bit behind with some things, but kindy has really helped her,” Ms Newman said.
“Cooktown Kindy has just been brilliant, they are so helpful and aware of her needs.”
Ingrid was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2020 at just 14 months old, after Ms Newman noticed she was struggling to walk and was not her normal, happy self.
“It was the start of COVID and the Cape had just been locked down,” she said.
“I was halfway through my pregnancy with (our second child) Hector and Jaxon had to stay behind for work.”
Ten days after Cairns Base doctors said she had a virus and sent her away with pain relief, the toddler had a seizure while in a Cairns quarantine hotel and was rushed back to hospital.
Ms Newman said she was again dismissed but demanded more tests as the little girls’ head was now visibly swollen, with a vein protruding from her forehead.
“They put her in for a full body CT scan the next morning and they said she’s got a brain tumour. We found out Saturday and were flown to Brisbane on Sunday,” she said.
Friends and family rallied around the young family, driving Mr Newman to Brisbane as he wasn’t allowed to fly with Ingrid and her mum.
The trio spent three months in Brisbane following surgery to install a shunt and relieve pressure on Ingrid’s brain.
After returning to Rossville, the family still had to make monthly trips to Brisbane and, a year after her diagnosis, Ingrid underwent a 10-hour surgery which removed half the tumour.
“The remaining part of the tumour has a major blood vessel running through it so it’s a very last resort to remove it,” Ms Newman said.
She said money was tight, with electrician husband Jaxon often unable to work as he travels with Ingrid to medical appointments or stays at home to look after the couple’s three other children while Ingrid is away with her mum.
“Queensland Health pays for our flights or fuel if we drive, and up to $120 a night for accommodation, but every week when we go to Cairns its about $50 in taxi fares that we have to pay, or in Brisbane it’s even more, as well as food,” Ms Newman said.
“There’s a lot of sitting around waiting for the plane, waiting for chemo to finish, so I’ve been crocheting gifts and selling them on Facebook to try and help pay for the taxi fares.
“It’s stuff that I’m doing while I’m travelling with Ingrid for chemo, so it is a bit more meaningful, too.”
Ms Newman said the community had been incredibly generous in supporting the young family.
“People are paying more than I’ve asked for the crochet gifts, and making donations as well,” she said.
“It’s been really, really helpful and we also try to save as much as possible, taking a lunchbox and keeping costs down.
“A big thank you to the Lion’s Den Hotel, Auswaste and the Endeavour Lions Club for their ongoing support and donations over the years.”
There is a donation tin at the Lions Den Hotel, a scheme ID with Containers for Change and a bank account in Ingrid’s name where donations can be made.
A WELL-KNOWN Napranum man has died after the boat he was in capsized near Palm Cove on Sunday night.
Queensland Police said a group of three called emergency services about 10pm after their boat began sinking.
An air and sea search was conducted and, at about 12.45am, two men aged 24 and 26 were found and rescued near their capsized boat.
The 54-year-old man was found deceased with them.
Cape York Weekly has been asked by family members not to name the victim, who is being mourned by several local communities.
Sergeant Andrew Ibell said on Monday that the three men went out fishing late on Sunday afternoon.
“The initial information we have is the vessel capsized in rough seas and the men remained with that vessel until they were rescued,” he said.
Sergeant Ibell said the men
told triple-zero operators they were near Double Island, off the Cairns coast.
“Subsequent checks of mobile phone data indicated the position was more likely to be out in the vicinity of Batt Reef,” he said.
A rescue helicopter, police vessel and volunteer marine rescue vessel were deployed to that area, off the Port Douglas coast. The two survivors, both from the Cairns area, were wearing life jackets.
“This will be the subject of an investigation and report to the coroner,” Sergeant Ibell said at Monday’s press conference.
“We haven’t interviewed the two survivors yet at length. Obviously given the circumstances last night, we’re giving them a chance to rest before we speak to them further.”
Sergeant Ibell said the men also had an EPIRB on board but it was lost as the boat sank. – additional reporting from ABC Far North
By MATT NICHOLLS
A CAPE York airstrip that is prone to flooding in major weather events will be given an overhaul next year after a $14 million funding announcement.
Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council CEO Edward Natera welcomed the decision by the state and federal governments.
“It will make our airport allweather proof,” he said.
“During the wet season we struggle if there is a weather event and we can’t get the airport open. That has an impact on
the services in town, including health and education.”
Mr Natera said the work would be completed next year after the wet season.
“It will be a complete refurbishment of the airstrip as we need to put in better drainage and reinforce the foundations,” he told Cape York Weekly
“I would expect the airport to be closed for some time during those works.”
With Pormpuraaw’s airport to be shut for several months, Mr Natera admitted there was no immediate alternative plan.
“That’s something we’ll have to figure out,” he said.
“We might have to transport passengers to Kowanyama for flights. It will be hard because we rely on our airport for all of our government services and the locals rely on it to get to health appointments in Cairns.”
Cairns-based Senator Nita Green said the funding was part of a $150 million package to help protect communities from natural disasters.
“Our government knows that natural disasters are occurring more regularly and more in-
tensely due to the effects of climate change.
“That’s why our new Disaster Ready Fund aims to build resilience and reduce the risks and impacts of disaster events before they occur.
“It is important that remote communities have access to disaster funding.
“These programs are being funded from the first round of this fund.
“We saw how much these kinds of projects are needed from the most recent flooding events that occurred.”
From – Page 1
“It just makes sense, because we don’t have a lot of profitable com mercial fishing operations in this area,” he said.
“The bulk of the successful op erators are working south of the Archer River.”
Mr Donald said the government could make an easy decision.
“They are going to make eve rything north of Cooktown a netfree zone on the east coast and they could extend that around the Tip and down to Weipa,” he said.
“I’d make it a net-free zone from the Archer all the way up to the Jardine in the Gulf and extend it out to 25 nautical miles, which is the border for state waters.”
Mr Donald said removing nets from Albatross Bay and the sur-
rounding rivers would provide an immediate impact for recreational anglers.
“What people don’t realise is that the bycatch of the nets is killing a lot of our treasured species,” he said.
“They are targeting sharks and grey mackerel but they are getting queenfish, longtail tuna, trevally and Spanish mackerel in their nets.
“There’s also dolphins, turtles, dugong and other protected species that get caught in the nets.”
Mr Donald said once upon a time, commercial operators would leave a long trail of queenfish in the water.
“It would go for a kilometre, but then they started spiking the stomachs of the bycatch so they’d sink to the bottom and there would be no complaints,” he said.
“I’ve got evidence from my log books as a guide that the populations of queenfish, trevally, cobia, longtail tuna and grey mackerel dropped by 80 per cent between 1998 and 2008.”
In a statement to Cape York Weekly, a Fisheries Queensland spokesperson said no decision had been made on the new areas proposed to be gillnet-free in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
“There are already areas in the Gulf where commercial netting is not permitted, including the Albert, Norman, Mitchell and Pine Rivers,” they said.
“Any further areas to be declared gillnet-free will take into account known key habitats for species of conservation interest (such as dugong, turtle, sawfish and speartooth shark), recreational fishing grounds, and the benefits to fishery stocks, especially king threadfin salmon that are in need of rebuilding.
“Targeted consultation will be
undertaken with affected stakeholders.”
In last week’s joint federal and state government announcement, a commitment was made to make the Great Barrier Reef gillnet-free by mid-2027.
A $160 million package has been put together, some of which will be used for compensation.
“This is an investment in the future of the reef and a more sustainable future for its commercial fishing industry,” said Queensland Fisheries Minister Mark Furner.
“By transitioning to more sustainable fishing practices and taking measures to maintain fish stocks, we can ensure the longterm viability of good jobs in the fishing industry for our children and our grandchildren.”
LET the smell of sizzling sausages and the smiles of the Lions Club volunteers lure you in this Saturday, as the club raises funds for children’s cancer as part of the national Lions Biggest BBQ event.
The Endeavour Lions Club will be set up at the Saturday morning markets in Lions Park from 8am to noon, and president Jim Fay said he hoped the crowds in town for the annual Discovery Festival would boost their fundraising efforts.
“Last year we held two Biggest BBQs and raised more than $700, but this year we thought the Discovery Festival was a good opportunity to catch a lot more people and also advertise the Lions Club,” he said.
“We don’t really have a fundraising target, we just aim for the most we can get and all funds go towards the fight against kids’ cancer. Come on down, grab a banger and donate.”
Proceeds will go to the Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation.
A MINE with untapped critical mineral potential will soon return to its former glory, bringing jobs and economic benefits to the region.
Full-scale mining will soon begin at EQ Resources’ tungsten project at Mount Carbine. Tungsten is a critical mineral used in aerospace, construction, and technology including smartphones, solar panels, wind turbines and EV batteries.
It’s about whether we should change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by setting up an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. A referendum is the only way to change the Australian Constitution.
The Voice would be a permanent body that gives independent advice to the Australian Parliament and Government on matters that affect First Nations people.
The Voice aims to help the Parliament and Government to make better decisions and deliver better outcomes for First Nations people.
How it’s set up would be determined after the referendum with input from First Nations people, the broader public and the Government. The Parliament would then make a law to set up the Voice.
The intention is that its members will be chosen by and representative of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across Australia. Be ready for the conversation, get informed at Voice.gov.au
Despite Australia’s resources being the second largest in the world, nearly all tungsten comes from China and Russia.
Mount Carbine is currently Australia’s only primary tungsten producer, producing about 350 tonnes of concentrate a year from existing tailings and low-grade stockpiles.
Once open-cut mining begins, production is expected to ramp up to between 60 to 90 tonnes a month.
“This is an important step forward for both Queensland’s growing critical minerals sector, and our renewable energy transition. Importantly, this mine will provide up to 135 good, secure jobs for Far North Queenslanders which will also mean economic benefits for the entire region,” said Resources Minister Scott Stewart.
EQ Resources CEO Kevin MacNeill said Mount Carbine was already a major jobs provider in the region and would grow further in the coming months as production ramped up.
QUEENSLAND’S leading agricultural organisation has warned that the state’s decision to close the Cape York Biosecurity Centre could leave Australia exposed to a potentially “catastrophic” risk of disease.
AgForce has called on the government to urgently reconsider its decision, amid fears it is leaving the country defenceless to attack from disease and pests, including an incursion of foot
and mouth disease or lumpy skin disease.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries will close the facility, north of Coen, on June 30.
AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said removing the physical checkpoint between Papua New Guinea and Far North Queensland was a dangerous move.
“It is simply madness to close this facility,” he said.
“At this point in time,
with FMD and LSD biosecurity incidents in Indonesia, African Swine Fever in PNG, plus vectors that could come down the Cape from Papua New Guinea, it makes absolutely zero sense.
“Without a solid movement control checkpoint in Cape York, an emergency animal disease outbreak on one of the Torres Strait Islands could have a catastrophic impact on red meat exports from Australia.”
The closure leaves DAF without infrastructure north of Mareeba to mount an emergency disease or pest response, and only two DAF biosecurity officers north of Cairns – one at Bamaga and one on Thursday Island.
“Ultimately, without a solid line of defence up north, the country has lost the ability to prevent a pest or disease from spreading,” Mr Guerin said.
In previous years, the
Cape York Biosecurity Centre was involved in the successful eradication of the papaya fruit fly from North Queensland, and has increased biosecurity awareness amongst travellers on the sole road to the Cape.
“There are repeated reports of northbound visitors stopping to get biosecurity information from a DAF officer and the pleasing response of people doing the right thing by surrendering
produce to the biosecurity bins on their return journey,” Mr Guerin said.
“Those benefits are hard to measure, but they are real, and they will disappear when the Cape York Biosecurity Centre closes and infrastructure is dismantled.
“Reports suggest that the facility is on Indigenous land and this is partly the reason why it needs to close, but surely an agreement could be worked out.”
DESPITE new and increased risks to the nation’s biosecurity, the Queensland government remains committed to closing the Cape York Biosecurity Centre at the end of the month.
It’s a decision that has baffled most experts, who say that more resources – not less – are needed to protect our agricultural sector.
The decision also appears to fly in the face of policy from five years ago, when the government announced it was pumping more resources into the Coen facility.
In a 2018 statement, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said $1.73 million had been allocated over three years for the Far Northern Biosecurity Initiative.
“Biosecurity Queensland’s Far Northern Biosecurity Initiative includes a range of measures to address specific biosecurity issues relevant to Cape York and the Torres Strait,” he said at the time.
“Employment opportunities, traineeships, more operating hours for the Cape York Biosecurity Centre at Coen, developing culturally appropriate education materials and improvements to how Biosecurity Queensland engages with local communities are core components.
“The Far Northern Biosecurity Initiative will deliver a contem-
porary biosecurity service in accordance with the expectations of regional stakeholders.
“The Far Northern Biosecurity Initiative will reinforce the importance of the strategy to the region and highlight the benefit it provides in mitigating biosecurity risks to all of Australia.”
However, less than five years since that announcement, the Coen centre will close, with nothing to replace it.
Yet there are more immediate risks to northern Australia today than there were in 2018.
There was no African swine fever in East Timor, Indonesia or Papua New Guinea.
It entered PNG for the first time in March 2020 and has been spreading since.
There was also no lumpy skin disease in Indonesia.
It entered Indonesia for the first time in March 2022 and has been spreading by insect vectors.
Control measures are continuing, including vaccination of cattle and buffaloes.
Foot and mouth disease continues to scare cattle operators in
Australia after it appeared in Indonesia last year for the first time since 1983.
A long-time biosecurity officer told Cape York Weekly: “It just doesn’t make any sense to close the Coen facility.
“It’s not just about stopping tourists, it’s also having a physical point where you can cut off traffic in and out of the northern Peninsula in case something were to happen.
“I hope this decision doesn’t come back to bite them in the backside.”
THE Queensland government is rolling the dice and gambling with the nation’s economy when it makes cuts to facilities like the Cape York Biosecurity Centre.
While the closure might not be a big deal for locals, it will be if the price of our fruit and vegies goes through the roof, or our beef gets taken off the shelves.
While those are the impacts at the severe end of the scale, it’s not an impossible outcome.
Biosecurity is a national issue and impacts all Australians.
If anything, the Queensland government should be ramping up measures in the Cape and Torres Strait, not making cuts.
Where has Member for Cook Cynthia Lui been on this topic? The silence is deafening.
While the centre wasn’t open 24/7, it provided both a physical reminder about biosecurity, and provided a bottleneck to monitor traffic in the case of an outbreak.
At the end of the month, that will be taken away.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and no one can predict the future, but no one can say that the government hasn’t been warned about the dangers of shutting this facility down.
We hope they aren’t made to look foolish – or culpable.
COOKTOWN is gearing up for a much-needed economic boost with tourists and locals to fill the town for this week’s Discovery Festival.
The three-day event is a huge boost to the regional economy, with many visitors adding a few days to their festival plans to explore more of the area.
Milkwood Lodge owner Sharyn Spicer said she loved the Discovery Festival, with the lodge booked out for months in advance.
“We have a lot of regulars who love the festival and pre-book and we’re fielding multiple enquiries trying to book in,” she said.
“It’s a great weekend, we love the activities and supporting locals, so we get out to see as much as we can during the festival.
“It’s great to see Cooktown filling up with all these wonderful people.”
Organised by Cook Shire, the festival has been a drawcard since the 1950s, bringing a flood of visitors that often swells Cooktown’s population by several thousand.
“The Cooktown Discovery Festival is a fantastic three-day event that boosts the local economy including accommodation, restaurants, tour operators and service providers all benefiting from the event,” council’s tourism, arts and events manager Sally Eales said.
“The festival brings visitors from all around Australia who
come to experience the history, adventure and culture of Cooktown and Cape York, with many people planning their holidays to coincide with the festival.”
Activities will be centred around Cooktown’s main street, with the festival village, info tent and live entertainment in Endeavour Park near the historical fountain and village markets.
The action kicks off from Friday morning, with cultural tours, a mu-
ral workshop, historical presentations, river cruises, comedy shows and live music throughout the day.
Not to be missed are Ella Hartwig and Mitch King performing live at the festival village from 4.15pm, the reconciliation re-enactment at 5.30pm at Reconciliation Rocks, official opening and musket firing at the festival village at 6.20pm followed by a family movie at 7pm, and the bush dance in the Shire Hall at 7pm.
Saturday is the biggest day of the event, kicking off with markets and a fun run, fashion parade, giant street games, Polynesian dancers, Chinese lion dancers and much more.
Mark your diary to cheer on the colourful entrants in the street parade at noon, which will be followed by the Cape York Automotive Muster at 1pm, tug of war at 1.30pm and Unfenced Asylum challenge at 3pm.
The fun continues that night with the free Sunset Soiree in the festival village from 5pm and finishes with fireworks over the Endeavour River at 8pm.
Sunday features one of the weekend’s drawcard events, the reenactment of Captain Cook’s landing at the Endeavour River and the interactions between the Europeans and local Indigenous people, kicking off at 10am.
To wind down your festival weekend, get ready to get colourful with the Cooktown Swim Club’s fundraiser colour run in William Daku Park and an afternoon Sunday session at the Top Pub from midday.
The markets, CWA teahouse, face painting, fun fair including the dodgem cars and more are on over the weekend.
Free events which require registration are the street parade and Cape York Automotive Muster, while paid events that need a ticket are the paranormal investigations and history tours at the Cooktown Museum, river cruises, cultural tours, the Friday night bush dance, Banks and Solander guided walk, fun run, colour run, tug of war and unfenced asylum challenge. Visit www.cooktowndiscovery. com.au to view or download the full program and book for paid or ticketed free events.
Printed programs will be available at businesses around Cooktown this week.
FLAGS were lowered to half-mast in Cooktown on Friday as the town paid tribute to former Cook Shire Council chairman and agricultural pioneer Ken ‘Grant’ Morris.
Locals will remember the smiling faces of Grant and Narelle Morris, who ran the local TAB for more than 30 years, and were stalwarts of many social gatherings, local clubs and events.
Mr Morris was born in Brisbane in 1933, the son of Federal politician and World War II Army Major Sir Ken Morris and Lady Ettie Morris.
He met his future wife Narelle
in 1959 and the couple courted for two years, the second by longdistance as Mr Morris moved to Cooktown in 1960 with his father.
The pioneering Morris father and son had bought the properties of Hazelmere and Rosebank with dreams of developing agriculture in Northern Australia.
They began experimenting with pasture improvement, tropical legume production, lime orchards and beef cattle.
The couple married in 1961, but daughter Marilyn recalls her mother refused to move to their property at Hazelmere until there were screens to keep out the snakes.
“Dad built three screened rooms
with a verandah on the back of the machinery shed, which is where we were brought up until they built the Hazelmere house in 1971,” she said.
With snake-free housing sorted, Mr and Mrs Morris moved to Cooktown in 1961, driving from Brisbane in a Willys Jeep loaded with their belongings.
Marilyn recalled their busy childhood on the red dirt country at Hazelmere, with her mother up all night cooking for the farm workers and her father working on the farm and an active part of the community.
“Dad and mum worked so hard, they wanted an ongoing legacy to
pass down to us and our kids and their kids.”
Mr Morris became chairman (the role now known as mayor) of Cook Shire in 1988, and was instrumental in the building of Cooktown’s student homes, the bridge over the Big Annan River and supplying town water from the Annan.
“Ross Logan was a councillor with dad and told the story of them holding a council meeting in Coen,” Marilyn recalled.
“Apparently there were cattle all through town as they had somehow broken in and Ross says dad took off running the cattle out of town barefoot, with Ross and the others trailing behind.
“Dad also used to train many of the children in athletics and always ran in the Mt Cook Gift Fun Run on the June Weekend and often won, barefoot at first and later he won the over 50s section, with shoes on that time.”
Mr Morris passed away in Kirra on June 2, surrounded by family.
He is survived by wife Narelle, siblings Barbara, David and Bruce, children Al, Marilyn and Greg, grandchildren Coreena, Jack, Meg, Yasmin and Jake and great-grandchildren Luke, Bella and Tommy.
He was farewelled by family and friends at a service on the Gold Coast on Saturday, with a Cooktown service planned next month.
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THERE must be something in the water in Cooktown, with the second local student in just three years being awarded a prestigious $20,000 four-year scholarship.
Lakea Hegamaea said she thought it was a prank call when the Harding Miller Education Foundation called to tell her she was among 60 students selected from 700 applicants who would receive the scholarship.
“I thought it was a friend prank calling and I hung up and they called again,” the 14-year-old Cooktown State School Year 9 student said.
“I was so excited and I rang mum straight away to tell her.”
Lakea, who wants to study medicine, said the scholarship would help her overcome potential obstacles to her future academic pursuits.
“Living in a remote community has its challenges as educational resources and opportunities are limited as compared to other students in my year level who live in regional cities,” she said.
“My goal is to become a doctor and travel to other countries and work there.
“My family comes from a very remote village in Papua New
Mapping
Track Erosion in SE Cape York!
Aims:
sic needs to complete their high school education.
“We get satellites installed in homes to make sure the kids can access the internet; we supply noise-cancelling headphones if they don’t have a dedicated study space and we send out supermarket gift cards if families are having trouble with the groceries,” she said.
“These are tangible, practical things which we can do to give young women a hand to fulfil their potential.”
Fellow Cooktown State School student Sophie Roberts was awarded the scholarship in 2020, and the now 17-year-old Year 12 student said it had helped her with numerous school costs.
THE federal government Minister for Regional Development and Local Government says she enjoyed an “eye-opening” trip to Weipa and Mapoon last week.
Kristy McBain spent a whole day on the Western Cape and met with Rio Tinto, the Weipa Town Authority, WCCCA and Mapoon council in a whirlwind fly-in, fly-out trip.
“I loved it,” she told Cape York Weekly from Weipa Airport as she prepared for her flight back to Cairns.
“It’s a gorgeous part of the world.”
Guinea and has limited access to medical supplies and medical staff and one day I would like to go to my father’s village and help out where I can.”
Harding Miller Education Foundation executive director Cara Varian said the scholarship was awarded to highly academic girls to support them with opportunities and resources they might not have access to.
• Document erosion issues
• Improve water quality
• Reduce sediment loads to rivers and reef
• Build skills of partners to reduce track erosion
• Collaboratively develop best management practices
• Build a case for greater investment into erosion control on Cape York Peninsula
“They are talented and dedicated, but they do not have access to the resources they need to make the most of their education opportunities,” she said.
“Girls are more likely to pursue further education when they are supported with equipment, money for resources, tutoring and coaching, and that’s what we are provide.
Ms Varian said the foundation focused on supporting girls’ ba-
“On top of the countless resources provided to me by the foundation, I received $600 at the beginning of each year to cover any education-related expenses, from pens to uniforms,” she said.
“I didn’t have to worry about the cost of anything on my booklist and was able to buy other necessities such as shoes and a new backpack each year.
“As I reached grades 10, 11 and 12, where subject fees became apparent, I could also allocate the money needed to cover these fees from my scholarship fund.”
Already prepared in advance for Weipa’s unique local government structure, Ms McBain said she enjoyed hearing first-hand from WTA chair Michael Rowland and elected member Jaime Gane about the challenges facing the community.
“In my role as Minister I deal with a range of different local government entities, mostly in the Northern Territory,” she said.
“One of the commitments that I made to Michael was that I will look into some of the anomalies around grant funding and try to escalate change so that the WTA can access grants like a normal council, which will make a big difference.”
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A TREECHANGE from the mining sector to professional beekeeping for Bloomfield’s Jack Laughton has proven a good choice, with a 30-ton honey haul this year.
Now based in Diwan, Mr Laughton grew up in Bloomfield and spent a decade working in environmental management in mining before deciding to try his hand at beekeeping.
“I started with 60 hives, and now I’ve got close to 800,” he said.
“I’m 95 per cent self-taught but I have a couple of large beekeepers as mentors, they have about 6000 hives in their family business.”
Many locals will have seen his white hives on the Mulligan Highway, dotted along the roadside between Cooktown and Mareeba.
“It’s a great area, there’s a variety of trees along the road and it can be challenging to find private sites for my bees,” he said.
“I’m really grateful for the generosity of people around me who have allowed me onto their land.”
Sweet success doesn’t come
easy, with Mr Laughton travelling more than 50,000km every year to manage his bees and their hives, which are spread across private property and the Mulligan Highway road corridor.
“I try to inspect my hives on a three-weekly basis,” he said.
“I’m always driving. At some stage, beekeeping becomes more about the logistics!”
There is more to beekeeping than just finding space for the hives, with Mr Laughton following painstakingly exact breeding and swarm management plans.
“That’s what made me so interested in bees, there’s lots of science involved in it in the genetics and breeding,” he said.
“I breed my own bees, they’re bred here for these conditions.
“I go through my hives and find maybe 10 to 20 out of the 800 that are exceptionally good and have the characteristics I want; disease resistance, a strong population, ability to handle the weather and small hive beetles, and are top honey producers.
“Then I take one-day old larvae, about 1.5mm long and I graft those and make them into
a queen and put them into a strong queen-less hive, and she will go and mate with other bees outside her gene pool and come back and you then have a laying queen.”
Mr Laughton’s Bee Tropical business is one of five commercial bee operations in the Far North area producing honey and also providing commercial pollination services.
“I do pollination work on farms in Lakeland and the Atherton tablelands,” he said.
“I bring in the bees, drop them off and when the flowering is finished I come to pick them up and take them away.
“I get a real sense of achievement when I see B-doubles of produce being sent out of the region, knowing that my bees helped produce that.”
Mr Laughton said with honey producers across the country doing well, and a glut of quality Australian honey on the market, it was important for people to buy Australian.
“It’s important when people are at the shop they try to buy local honey, really look at the labels and use the Australian labelling system to make sure it’s 100 per cent Australian honey.”
FAMILY members have been told to brace for the worst possible news after a well known Cairns woman went missing after a boat incident in the Torres Strait last week.
Speech therapist Wendy Richardson, 68, was travelling from Thursday Island to Badu Island by boat when it overturned near Mabuiag Island on Thursday.
Police said she was accompanied by two men, aged 22 and 34.
Her family said the party swam to a nearby reef, then tried to swim to another reef when Mrs Richardson disappeared.
The men were eventually winched to a helicopter.
Mrs Richardson is daughter of pioneer aviator Sir Rob Norman, who founded Bush Pilot Airways, and Lady Betty Kimmins.
The family has strong associations with James Cook University and the Cairns Art Gallery.
Locals were still searching for her on the weekend, but most resources had been stood down at the time of print.
LONG-TIME accountant Peter Logan has decided to retire after years of serving mostly Indigenous clients in Mapoon and Napranum, as well as Weipa residents.
While it’s been a long time since he was in the Cape, Mr Logan was still processing tax returns for many locals up until the last financial year.
“I wish to advise clients in the Weipa/ Napranum/Mapoon area that I have retired and will not be processing tax returns for the financial year ending June 30, 2023,” he told Cape York Weekly
“I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude for the loyalty and support shown by many people, some of whom have been my clients for a long period of time.”
THE state government will provide an additional one-off injection of $25.8 million for Indigenous councils in 2023-24.
The funding will be used to deliver essential services in communities including maintaining water and road infrastructure.
Queensland’s 16 Indigenous councils don’t have a rate-base, so the funding is heavily relied on to help deliver core services to their communities.
The investment follows a commitment at the last election to review the funding arrangements for Indigenous councils and has been well received in the Cape.
MEGAN Crowhurst has never been to a Weipa Fishing Classic before, but has somehow managed to pull off a coup by winning the main prize on Sunday night.
From her home on the Sunshine Coast, Megan and her family tuned into the live stream on Facebook as they knew they had a live keyring in the Top 30.
Her brother Wayne Paxton was the proxy on stage, having offered to buy keyrings on their behalf.
“I’m still pretty shocked to be honest,” Megan told Cape York Weekly on Monday morning.
“My dad and husband usually fly up for the competition every year but they couldn’t go this time.
“It’s a big boys trip, usually.”
Megan said she wasn’t sure how the new boat would make it down to the Sunshine Coast, but said it would be well used if it did.
“We’re a massive fishing family. I have two boys who are 11 and 13 and we have a small tinny,” she said.
“We go out a lot but the fishing is nothing like Weipa’s.”
She thanked her brother for both buying the keyrings and for standing in as a proxy.
“He’s always wanted to be up
there on the stage, but for himself, not for me,” she said with a laugh.
But karma won through and just after the boat winner was announced, Wayne’s number was called out as the winner of the Yowie raffle.
“He won more than $2000 worth of stuff, so he’s done OK,” Megan said.
Despite the Top 30 being full of locals, another non-local took out second prize.
Kerry Hay was the winner of the Can-Am buggy and trailer, while third prize went to long-time local Elissa Nash, who was rapt to walk away with a new tinny.
MASSIVE CROWDS
ORGANISERS were blown away by the turnout across three nights as Andoom Oval’s events area filled up with record numbers.
“I can’t remember seeing so many people here for every single night,” said president Aaron
Schleich, who also praised the crowd’s behaviour.
“We were really lucky to have Royston come along and sing on two nights, which was very popular, and the weather was excellent for fishing, which also helped.”
Darryl French has been recording fish entries at the Weipa Fishing Classic for years and said he couldn’t remember a busier Saturday at the weigh-in area.
“It was a massive line and they
just kept on piling through. It was great to see,” he said.
Normally guaranteed to pick up a prize in the billfishing section, “Frenchy” opted for skipper duties on Sunday.
His first-timer Jon Hofmeister not only tagged five sailfish on Sunday, but picked up the prize.
Damien Parr was named the overall champion angler after judges reverted to a countback, while Chastyn Lyon was named the junior champion angler.
He was awarded the Michael Bowden Memorial perpetual trophy for his achievements.
One of the fishing highlights was a massive barra caught by Casey Lyon, which measured in at 105cm from a “secret spot”.
The cobia numbers were also plentiful, with Wylee Cook adding another rod and reel to his collection after a stellar catch.
In a first for the Weipa Fishing Classic, prizes were also awarded to the best mullets.
But they weren’t the type to come from the sea.
Instead it was a “sea of bogans” who stepped up on the stage to be judged on their hairstyles.
Harlen Nester won the junior section, while Corey Clarke was judged top adult.
Barramundi
1st: Casey Lyon (105.6cm)
2nd: William Collins (90.2cm)
Grunter
1st: Ben Shemlowski (2.12kg)
2nd: Jodie Morgan (1.97kg)
King salmon
1st: Clancy Gordon (5.44kg)
2nd: Kai Harriman (4.81kg)
Queenfish
1st: Malahkai Adams (92cm)
2nd: Samuel Whittle (90cm)
Nannygai
1st: Damien Parr (4.77kg)
2nd: Zach Stewart (4.1kg)
Fingermark
1st: Chloe Sjoberg (4.77kg)
2nd: Ben Marinelli (4.32kg)
Trevally
1st: Chris Markham (96cm)
2nd: Greg Parr (88.2cm)
Red emperor
1st: Damien Parr (3.66kg)
2nd: Tom Henley (3.17kg)
Tusk fish
1st: Brett Anderson (4.49kg)
2nd: Glenn Egan (4.49kg)
Coral trout
1st: Jonathon Hoy (1.28kg)
2nd: Courtney Mazlin (1.11kg)
Mackerel
1st: Clint Riches (10.36kg)
2nd: Peter Crow (9.95kg)
Cobia
1st: Wylee Cook (9.78kg)
2nd: David Rose (8.04kg)
Billfish
1st: Jon Hofmeister (1.89m)
2nd: Tom Hockey (1.87m)
Senior champion
Damien Parr
Barramundi
1st: Karissa Payne (79.5cm)
2nd: Layla Egan (76.5cm)
Grunter
1st: Zedaki Agale (1.31kg)
2nd: Victor Agale (1.18kg)
King salmon
1st: Tommy Tindall (3.4kg)
2nd: Chastyn Lyon (3.08kg)
Queenfish
1st: Jahral Adams (89.7cm)
2nd: Chastyn Lyon (68.2cm)
Blue salmon
1st: Levi Payne (3.84kg)
2nd: Ollie Stallan (3.47kg)
Bream
1st: Chastyn Lyon (0.87kg)
2nd: Victor Agale (0.81kg)
Junior champion
Chastyn Lyon
Lure casting
Senior winner: Jake McDonnell
Runner-up: Steven Wust
Junior winner: Lang Haines
Runner-up: Sonny Brooks
Cast net
Senior winner: Nick Brooks
Runner-up: Matt Anderson
Junior winner: Ryan Polderman
Runner-up: Kaiden Teece
Best mullet
Senior winner: Corey Clarke
Junior winner: Harlen Nester
Public seats on the Alliance Airlines Charter flights are available for the community to purchase See below, the weekly charter flight schedule:
Brisbane (Mondays)
QQ7240 BNE 08:45 WEI 11:50
QQ7241 WEI 12:25 BNE 15:20
Cairns (Thursdays)
QQ7242 CNS 06:35 WEI 07:50
QQ7243 WEI 09:55 CNS 11:10
Seats are limited, to book please visit www allianceairlines com au or scan the QR code!
CLAIRE McNab’s dream of being a GP is one step closer after being chosen from 180 applicants to get a behind-the-scenes look at Cairns Base Hospital this week.
The Endeavour Christian College Year 12 student said she felt special and was excited to be chosen among a group of just 40 for James Cook University’s Heroes in Health program.
“It was so much fun, I loved it so much and it has just solidified more that this is a career I want,” said Claire.
The program gives senior students an opportunity to don scrubs and complete hospital rounds, chat with staff and get a feel for what it’s like working in multiple healthcare disciplines.
“There were lots of fun things to do with all the various different health sectors within the hospital,” she said.
“Afterwards there was a Q&A panel with the directors of various health sections and we got to ask things like what kind of mindset you need to get into a career in health.”
COOKTOWN’S newest firefighters have kicked off their careers by putting out a grassfire that threatened to turn into a bushfire on the weekend.
Brianna Vela and Campbell Venables graduated as auxiliary firefighters with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Cooktown Auxiliary Brigade earlier this month, and on Saturday 3 June attended their first callout.
“The notification came in, and my heart started pounding,” Ms Vela said.
The pint-sized firefighter is one of only two women in the Cooktown brigade and said she began
her recruit training in mid-2022 before Mr Venables joined in September.
“I was the only recruit for a while, so it was nice to have Campbell start so we could do training together,” she said.
“It’s a great thing to do for the community, a great bunch of people and the scope of things that we get to do is really exciting.”
Mr Venables said he’d always been interested in the fire brigade, but thought it was something he was too old or unfit to do.
“I went along to one training session and was hooked,” he said.
“A lot is about endurance, rather than cardio or strength and I absolutely love it.”
Mr Venables said the Cooktown brigade provided a great team environment and the adrenaline and new skills learnt were very rewarding.
“We get paid to help the community, and I can save up for new fishing gear,” he joked.
Cooktown brigade captain Jason Carroll said having the two extra firefighters on board was a huge capacity boost for the brigade.
“We are able to respond much better for our community and the team isn’t as susceptible to burn out,” Mr Carroll said.
Three new recruits have also joined the brigade to begin their training journey, and hope to graduate as full firefighters next year.
REMOTE store operator Community Enterprise Queensland has been recognised for its dedication to Indigenous employment and career development at the 2023 Queensland Reconciliation Awards.
The not-for-profit remote store operator was recognised by the Queensland government for its innovative CEQ Management Development Model, beating competition from around the state to be nominated in the final four organisations in the award’s business category.
AFFECTIONATELY known as ‘the muffin twins’, working holidaymakers Fiona Maguire and Hannah Gilroy have been embraced by the Lockhart River community where they work in the local supermarket deli.
Ms Maguire, from Ireland, and Ms Gilroy, from England, are enjoying sharing their hometown recipes with locals.
“We have loved our experience here to date and have had the op-
portunity to introduce dishes from our cultures into the deli counter,”
Ms Maguire said.
“We have had great fun giving the community and our fellow staff the opportunity to learn about our culture through our menu.
“We have even brought some fun breakfast items coined with our own unique names, such as the ‘bacon and egg Lockmuffin’, inspired by the fast-food chain.”
Residents aren’t the only ones
who enjoy the girls’ cooking, with Ms Maguire laughing that one morning the first to be in the queue was a local brumby.
“We have made friends with the local stray dogs and horses and thought it funny when we looked outside our window from the kitchen to see a wild horse first in line for a bacon and cheese pie!”
The pair, who are completing the regional work required for their holiday visa, said they were loving
their time at Lockhart’s CEQ store.
“This has been an incredible experience for us and we love the beauty here,” they said.
“We would love for anyone to drop by and try our menu en route to the tip or Chilli Beach.
“A beautiful phrase in the Irish language is ‘An té a bhíonn siúlach, bíonn scéalach’ which translates as ‘he who travels has stories to tell’; thank you Lockhart River for an abundance of fabulous memories.”
CEQ chair Mark Wenitong said the organisation’s management model had led to 16 of CEQ’s 28 stores managed and operated by First Nations team members.
“We’re absolutely honoured to have been nominated for this award, and it is a tribute to each and every one of our wonderful team, and the communities we work in,” Dr Wenitong said.
CEO Michael Dykes said he was proud that CEQ has 91 per cent of its team members in its IBIS and ABIS remote stores identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) will undertake maintenance dredging from early May 2023 at the Port of Weipa.
Dredging will also be completed at Amrun on behalf of Rio Tinto.
The project will take up to seven (7) weeks to complete.
The dredge vessel TSHD Brisbane, as well as support vessels, have restricted manoeuvring capability. Local and visiting boaties are asked to take care and notice of all warning flags and lights.
Maintenance dredging needs to be carried out to ensure that safe, navigable shipping depths are maintained.
Environmental controls and management measures will be implemented throughout the program to minimise the risk of any potential impact on the marine environment.
Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated.
For more information contact
WEIPA’S Carpentaria Golf Club will come to life this weekend to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.
The festivities kick off on Friday night with live music and the appearance of Mary O’Brien from Are You Bogged Mate?
She’ll speak on behalf of the Weipa Men’s Shed with the support of Rio Tinto.
Made famous by Landline, Are You Bogged Mate? is all about helping country blokes talk about mental health and suicide while spreading awareness about depression in the bush.
On Saturday, players will take to the greens and fairways for a social golf day.
Teams of four will compete in an ambrose event, which will be
followed by raffles and auctions, as well as family entertainment.
Weipa police officer Jim Hunter has helped organise the golf day and said it was important that men’s health was talked about and supported.
“We know that men don’t like talking about their health but it’s an important conversation to have,” he said.
“This is about having some fun and getting together with your mates to raise awareness and some funds for an important cause.
“We’ve had great support from local businesses and there are some great raffle prizes on offer.
“The kitty is already looking really healthy so hopefully we can crack the $10,000 mark by Saturday night.”
NORTH Queensland Bulk Ports has launched its Community Fund for 2023-24.
A total of $60,000 in funding is available for initiatives across NQBP’s port communities, including Weipa.
Acting CEO Belinda Kenny said the annual Community Fund supports local groups and organisations in delivering valuable initiatives that make a real difference in their communities.
“NQBP values the importance of giving back to the communities in which it operates and has proudly provided more than $1 million in community sponsorships and donations over the last decade,” Ms Kenny said.
“The NQBP Community Fund provides funding opportunities for community events, programs and activities that benefit our communities and promote the goals of NQBP.
“Last year, the fund supported nine community initiatives including sailing experiences and barista courses for persons with disabilities.”
Applications for this year’s NQBP Community Fund close on July 10.
For further details, or to apply, visit www.nqbp.com.au/ NQBPcommunityfund
The Weipa Men’s Shed with the support of the Carpentaria Golf Club and sponsorship of Rio Tinto are pleased to announce Mary O’Brien from Are You Bogged Mate? is coming to Weipa!
When: Friday 16th June 2023
Where: Carpentaria Golf Club (Outside area)
Wine & Cheese Night
(“Are You Bogged Mate” function)
PIZZA BURGER & BEER NIGHT ALSO AVAILABLE
Time: 5.00pm for a 5.30pm start (Nibbles provided)
Music Entertainment: Matt Wallace
Aims
RANDALL O’Neill found form last week to be the Wednesday Wackers winner at the Carpenaria Golf Club.
He had a nett 34 on the back nine to beat Gavin Wust by 1.5 strokes.
Nearest to pins went to Helen Sabatino on 15 and Gary Head on 18.
Jim Lucas picked up the Bradman’s in a field of 18.
VIV Dick continues to defy his age and the handicapper after he claimed Sunday morning’s Dawn Busters golf.
COOKTOWN’s junior rugby league club has a new leader, with Ash Crowe stepping up to be president.
The volunteer committee works tirelessly organising training, jerseys, team photos, promotional gear, new equipment, game days and a host of other administrative tasks.
Mr Crowe moved to town 18 months ago with wife Josie and their three children, and the family have immersed themselves in local life, including footy.
“This will be my first role elected onto a committee and I’ll throw 100 per cent into learning the ropes,” he said.
“The work Jake, Jacynta (Hunt) and Katie (Welsh) have put in this year to kick off the season deserves a massive round of applause and I’m extremely grateful to have Jacynta and Katie continuing beside me as treasurer and secretary.”
Mr Crowe said small clubs played a vital role in providing
opportunities, skills and mateship in both small and large towns.
“Since moving to Cooktown we have been a part of Little Athletics, the Cooktown Amateur Swimming Club, social sports at the PCYC and the Cooktown Re-enactment Association.
“Small clubs wouldn’t be able to succeed without the helping hands of our community.
“The support from our volunteers and sponsors ensure these amazing little clubs stay around and give us all something to be proud of.”
Club stalwart Jacynta Hunt, who has been on the committee in various roles since 2021, said for her it was all about the kids.
“I don’t have a sporting background, so I can’t coach, but I help in the way that I can behind the scenes, organising events and handling the administrative side of things,” she said.
“Sometimes I stand on the verandah of the clubhouse and watch training. Seeing 92 kids on our beautiful field with their
awesome coaches makes me happy.”
Ms Hunt said being a volunteer committee member was almost like a second job for the small committee of three.
“It’s a big job, we have to liaise a lot with Queensland Rugby League to remain compliant and we’re constantly liaising with families, making decisions, planning events, managing registrations and so on.
“But both of my kids love football, so it’s just what you do as a parent to provide opportunities for your kids.
“Sport is such an important part of a kid’s life and development, and I love that as a club we are providing so many of Cooktown’s young people with a sport to be a part of.”
Treasurer Katie Welsh said her children were registered for the Cooktown Crocs before she had even moved to town.
“We joined football immediately as a part of that transition when we moved from New South Wales,” she said.
“The kids always played football and touch, and I had been LeagueSafe at our previous club, but it was much bigger with lots more committee members.
“The previous Cooktown treasurer had encouraged me to go to the AGM, so they looked at me and said ‘you can do treasurer can’t you?’ so I agreed.
“It’s important for the kids to have a sport and it was a way of becoming a part of the community as well, it was a nice way to meet people and to be a part of something and contribute.”
Ms Hunt said the club really appreciated outgoing president Jake Lynch’s commitment and efforts during his time at the helm.
“He stepped in as a coach and LeagueSafe as well as president to fill in where needed and was a very supportive member of the committee,” she said.
“We are extremely grateful for everything he did for the club in his term.
“We wish him, Tris and the kids all the best.”
He beat Randall O’Neill for the honours, with Jon Dall rounding up the field of 12 to claim the Hoffman’s.
Jamie Hutton had the men’s longest drive and Rachel Dick was the women’s long hitter.
No one found the green and the nearest to pin prize went unclaimed.
RON Beacroft used every trick in his book to make pars and birdies and be the winner of Cooktown Golf Club’s stableford event on Saturday.
He had 37 points to win by three from John McArthur, while Paul Sperring was another three points away on 31.
Nearest to pins went to McArthur on 2/11, Bowen visitor Jeremy on 14 and Graham Burton on 9/18.
This Saturday’s event is a white tee stroke event as a lead up to the Cooktown Open the following weekend.
XAVIER Coates, Jeremiah Nanai and Moeaki Fotuaika will make their return to the State of Origin arena after playing their way back into Maroons jerseys.
Queensland coach Billy Slater yesterday confirmed the trio had earned their spots for Game II in Brisbane on June 21.
Injuries to Jai Arrow, Tom Gilbert and Selwyn Cobbo presented opportunities for players from outside the Game I team to work their way into the side for the Suncorp Stadium clash.
AJ Brimson and Corey Horsburgh have been named in the extended squad as the 18th and 19th players respectively.
First point of contact: Weipa Police
Ph: (07) 4090 6000
VHF Channel 16
Shed 5, Evans Landing, Weipa QLD 4874
Ph: 0417 075 695
VHF 16 & 23
