Cape York Weekly Edition 176

Plan in place to provide Wujal health clinic

A TEMPORARY modular clinic is being constructed at Yindili’mu Bayan Eco Lodge in Wujal Wujal to allow local health services to resume from April.

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The facility will allow general practitioner services, specialist clinics and outreach clinics to return to the community, as well as provide a support mechanism for Wujal residents needing referrals and patient travel.

Once in place, the clinic will include four consultation rooms, two emergency beds, telehealth, and onsite medication.

The Wujal Wujal Primary Health Care Clinic was decimated by the flooding that followed ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper and it is anticipated the temporary solution will

help the community get back on its feet when residents begin to return next month.

Given the modular clinic is smaller than the flood-damaged clinic, it will not provide medical imaging or dental services.

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service general manager south Michael Catt toured the main clinic with chief executive Rex O’Rourke and said the modular solution meant Wujal Wujal residents would have a local health option when they returned.

“I’d like to thank the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council for their strong support in helping us return health services to normal in the community as soon as possible, and for their backing for the proposal to use

the Yindili’mu Bayan Eco Lodge to deliver health care services,” Mr Catt said.

“All 16 staff will return to support the clinic including nurses, health workers, operational officers, and administration staff, plus visiting doctors.

“The helipad at the old primary health care centre has been assessed and cleared for use, with just some fencing to be completed this month before the new clinic opens.”

TCHHS has partnered with the council and QBuild to commission separate engineering and hydrology reports on the extent of damage to the old clinic, and will review the recommendations from the reports when they become available.

Kokoberrin culture goes on display at exhibition

By CHISA HASEGAWA

THE 2024 UMI Arts exhibition season has officially begun with the annual You & Me showcase, featuring two artists exploring family and connection to Kokoberrin on western Cape York.

The opening night revealed 30 artworks by 15 First Nations artists to the Cairns public, showcasing the rich diversity of culture across Far North Queensland.

For Cairns born-and-raised artist Dorothy Edwards, painting was a way to connect to Country. She said her stepfather, a crocodile hunter, took her and her siblings up to Country to connect with their mother’s culture.

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“If he never took us up there when we was kids, we would have never went up there, because we’re born in Cairns and learned the white way, and I can’t even speak language,” the artist said.

“There’s a lot of years I missed on Country.”

Telling Cape York Weekly about her paintings before the opening, Ms Edwards said she liked to use bright colours in all of her artworks to represent the beauty of nature.

“What you see up there is what you get in here,” she said.

“It’s not artificial, and it’s from our land up in the Cape York.”

Ms Edwards said she was proud to be showcased alongside her daughter and UMI Arts artistic director Lisa Michl Komanggén.

She said her kids always had a knack for art, starting as toddlers with a box of crayons and some paper.

“It sort of went from two years old, and they always kept that,” she said.

“They used to muck around and draw and it never stopped; it’s natural for them. I followed them around all exhibitions over the years; I was there for them, I supported them.”

Ms Michl Ko-manggén, who has been working in the art scene for 26 years, also explores

aspects of Kokoberrin Country and culture.

“My latest work shares stories about time spent on Country with my Elders and family,” she said.

“I’ve done a series about collecting pipi shells and to our family, it’s known as the pipi shell shuffle, so the work that I’ve done reflects that and just the fun around collecting pipis on the beaches.”

Ms Edwards got into painting much later into adulthood, encouraged by her children to give it a go.

“I wouldn’t have done any art if it wasn’t for my children. They inspired me and they’re proud of me,” she said.

She now passes on her art and stories to her grandchildren, who she hopes will not grow up with the same disconnect from Country she did.

“They’re growing up around brick walls and I always tell Lisa, ‘you need to take them bush, they need to know and meet family and they need to learn some sort of language up that way, otherwise they’re going to be like me’,” she said.

You & Me 2024 is open to the public until 10 May, 2024, and can be viewed Monday to Friday from 10am-4pm at UMI Arts, 4/1 Jensen Street, Manoora.

The Kokoberrin mum-and-daughter duo Dorothy Edwards and Lisa Michl Ko-manggén are featured in this year’s UMI Arts You & Me exhibition.

Contradicting messages cause Heritage concern

By LYNDON KEANE

THE owner of a freehold property at the centre of Cape York World Heritage confusion says a senior Queensland Government staffer admitted there had been an “oversight” with stakeholder consultation, despite the responsible minister stating it was never going to be considered for the tentative list.

Cape York Weekly reported on 5 March that about 30 per cent of Mountain View, a 12,300acre freehold land parcel north of Lakeland, was displayed on maps currently being used to consult with Traditional Owners about endorsing the Quinkan Country National Heritage List area for World Heritage consideration.

Despite this, the owner of the property, Joy Marriott, had not been approached to gauge her views on potential World Heritage listing.

However, the Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Leanne Linard has slammed this publication for the coverage, stating Mountain View was never on the table for World Heritage consideration, as her government was “only considering areas that are under Indigenous ownership, or already part of Queensland’s protected area estate”.

Ms Marriott said last week the minister’s comments did little to lessen her scepticism of the consultation process, adding they directly conflicted with those made by a Department of Environment and Science executive during a “secret squirrel” telephone conversation after the story was published.

“They were calling from Brisbane and asked me not to mention to anyone that I’ve had the call,” she told Cape York Weekly

“This person said [not speaking to freehold owners] was an oversight, and that their riding

instructions were to get Traditional Owner consent only in the first stages, and then the other stages would be consulting with other landholders.

“Essentially, that’s what they’ve admitted, and that’s what they were asked to do.”

Ms Marriott said she was angry the government, which is undertaking the process to provide the Federal Government with a tentative World Heritage list for parts of Cape York later this year, could not simply admit it made a mistake by leaving non-Traditional Owners out of discussions.

“It’s all ridiculous, all this secret squirrel stuff,” she said.

“Why make the call?

“How hard is it to admit the mistake?

“It’s not that big of a deal, in-

stead of all this cloak-and-dagger stuff.

“It’s just confused it more because, like I said, I’m likely to be one of the most likely to want World Heritage over the area; because it’s on the national list, it warrants protection.”

Ms Marriott urged Minister Linard to come and speak directly to her about her concerns, adding the mixed messaging between ministerial and departmental sources was eroding confidence in the veracity of the process.

“It doesn’t have any clarity, and when they say they’ll take [Mountain View] out and it will never be considered for it, so do we then get consulted as neighbours or potential neighbours?

“It just raises more questions.

“It still makes you have a lot

of disquiet that you can’t have confidence in their processes.”

Critics have questioned the timing of the consultation process with the Queensland state election scheduled for October 2024 and a federal election due next year.

Ms Marriott said she believed there had been some missteps by the State Government in delivering the stakeholder consultation.

“It’s pretty easy to look up a tenure map,” she said.

“If it was so important to the State and Federal Government, wouldn’t they have been a bit more diligent with the first step of the process?

“If this is how they’re dealing with me, I can’t imagine how they’re dealing with the TOs [by] rushing it though.”

Letter to editor – Page 11

Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard says Mountain View owner Joy Marriott shouldn’t be concerned about World Heritage, even though a Department of Environment and Science executive rang the Lakeland resident to concede that she should have been consulted about the government’s proposal.

As it stands – the current leaders

AS counting continues following Saturday’s local government elections, one thing is already crystal clear: the mayoral landscape on Cape York and the Torres Strait is about to look completely different.

When Cape York Weekly went to print on Monday afternoon, it appeared as though Lockart River Mayor Wayne Butcher would be the only sitting mayor to survive the election upheaval.

The current mayoral and councillor leaders shown here are based on ECQ count data as at 4pm on Monday.

With postal votes still to be finalised, ECQ was yet to formally declare a result in any local government area.

2

NPARC Mayor

1 Robert Poipoi

2

2 Egito Mairu

3

4

5

3 Margie Adidi

4 Ernest Madua Jnr

5 Rex Burke

2 Patricia Yusia Councillors

Div 1: Dave Byrne

Div 2: Mary Yoelu

Div 3: Kitty Gebadi

Div 4: Pauline Lifu

Div 5: Brad Elu

PORMPURAAW Mayor

1 Ralph Kendall

2 Ronald Kingi Councillors

1 Keith Barney

2 Romina Edwards

3 Tim Koo-Aga

4 Lucy Foote

5 Glen Simpson

TORRES SHIRE Mayor

1 Elsie Seriat

2 Yen Loban Councillors

1 Thomas Loban

2 Toshio Nakata

3 Gabriel Bani

4 Thomas Fujii Jnr

5 John Abednego

5

WUJAL WUJAL Mayor

1 Alister Gibson

2 Bradley Creek Councillors

1 Lucas Creek = 2 Nikita Jack-Tayley =2 Robert Bloomfield

4 Talika Greenwool

5 Claudia Grogan-Doughboy

Bad weather prompts ECQ to grant voting extension

THE Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) has moved to ensure residents living in the outer islands of the Torres Strait will have their voices heard after poor weather conditions hampered mobile polling for the 2024 local government elections last week.

While the rest of the state had cast its collective vote by Saturday, Electoral Commissioner of Queensland Pat Vidgen said the time to vote in the Torres Strait

Island Regional Council (TSIRC) council area would be extended by a week.

“With severe weather conditions making mobile polling difficult in the Torres Strait Island Regional Council area, we have made the call to continue to take votes until Saturday, 23 March,” he said.

“Mobile polling schedules are a finely tuned operation, with staff flying into the islands, and often three or four islands are visited

per day for a few hours during the election period.”

Inclement and unpredictable wet season weather has made mobile polling for TSIRC residents incredibly challenging, with poor weather making flights in and out of the islands impossible in many cases.

“It is important that all Queenslanders can vote – it’s their democratic right,” Mr Vidgen said.

“We also want to remind Torres

Strait residents who have chosen to postal vote to return their vote as soon as possible, however, they will now be able to complete their votes up until 6pm on Saturday, 23 March, and return them to the ECQ by close of business on Tuesday, 2 April, 2024.”

ECQ said telephone voting had not been extended as part of the process.

The impacted islands that will have rescheduled mobile polling

this week are Iama (Yam), Poruma (Coconut), Masig (Yorke), Ugar (Stephen) and Mer (Murray) islands.

The ECQ website will have current information to advise TSIRC electors about updated mobile polling dates and visiting hours.

Mr Vidgen said ECQ would continue to work in partnership with TSIRC to keep electors informed about additional mobile polling in their communities.

Fresh faces make up new-look Weipa Town Authority

VOTERS have elected Lisa

Scharf, Geoff Robins and Trent Gordon to the three vacant Weipa Town Authority member positions.

The trio will join incoming chair Jaime Gane, who was elected unopposed and will replace the long-serving Michael Rowland, who announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election.

Six candidates had thrown their hat in the ring to fill the vacancies, with WTA returning officer Nicky Perriman announcing the result of the quadrennial election via social media on Saturday night.

Ms Gane said she was thrilled to be lining up to lead a team she described as passionate community ad-

vocates with a broad range of skills.

“I’m really happy with the outcome of the election,” she said.

“They are all great people who are passionate about our community, and each brings a different set of skills and knowledge.

“I think I’m most looking forward to working with an awesome team, both the new

members and the WTA staff [and] I’m very optimistic that, together, we will be able to achieve some great outcomes for the community.”

The WTA leadership team is expected to meet this week and Ms Gane said the first item of business would be getting the new members up to speed on existing projects and operational matters.

“Our first priority will just be getting the new members up to speed on where we currently sit, and hearing their thoughts,” she explained.

“It will be good to get a fresh perspective on things.”

Ms Scharf said she was “very happy” to have been elected and was looking forward to getting down to business.

Butcher survives mayoral bloodbath across Cape York

By LYNDON KEANE

LOCKHART River Aboriginal

Shire Council Mayor Wayne

Butcher looks set to be the only incumbent council leader across Cape York and the Torres Strait who will retain power following Saturday’s council elections.

As of noon on Monday, the majority of sitting mayors in the region chasing another four years at the helm appeared to be staring defeat in the face, with the exception of Mayor Butcher.

In Aurukun, high-profile incumbent Mayor Keri Tamwoy trailed Barb Bandicootcha, who had secured 43.7 per cent of the ongoing official first preference count.

Elsie Seriat will become the next mayor of Torres Shire Council after opening up a clear lead on incumbent Yen Loban, who won the role during a 2022 byelection.

At neighbouring Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council, sitting Mayor Patricia Yusia will likely only serve a single term in the top job after finding herself more than 12 per cent behind Robert Poipoi with 60.63 per cent of the official first preference votes counted.

The curse of incumbent mayors failing to get re-elected appears to be continuing in Kowanyama, with Robbie Sands well behind frontrunners Territa Dick (26.38 per cent) and Monty Gilbert (23.62 per cent) in an eightcandidate field.

Roy Chevathen will secure the mayoral role in Napranum, while the races in Hope Vale and Mapoon were too close to predict at the time Cape York Weekly went to press.

Mayor Bradley Creek will al-

most certainly be ousted in Wujal Wujal and trailed opponent Alister Gibson by almost 37 per cent with 60.18 per cent of the displaced community’s votes counted.

Five councils – Weipa Town Authority, Cook Shire, Douglas Shire, Mapoon and Pormpuraaw – were always going to have a new head of the table in the chamber after voters visited the ballot boxes on Saturday.

Counting suggests current Cook Shire Council Deputy Mayor Robyn Holmes will earn a promotion to replace outgoing Mayor Peter Scott, while Jaime Gane was elected unopposed to take Weipa Town Authority chair duties from Michael Rowland, who called time on 16 years of community representation.

In Douglas Shire, Lisa Scomazzon is shaping up as the candidate to replace retiring Mayor

“I am keen to be part of a great team, listen to the people, and do my very best to represent the community and their needs,” she said.

“Weipa had a great turnout and I want to thank everyone who voted.”

Mr Robins praised the community for the volume of voters who had their say, adding he was still coming to terms with being elected.

“It is an amazing, and still surreal, feeling finding out that I had been elected as a WTA member,” he said.

“Given the calibre of the candidates, there was never a sense of any certainty, and I left the polling booths on Saturday afternoon feeling that it really could have gone to any of us.

“I feel incredibly grateful knowing that so many people in this community have put their faith in me to represent them.”

The newly-elected members will join Rio Tinto representatives Tim Ryan and Aaron Schleich, and Jackie Malacoola, who represents the Alngith Traditional Owners, as the full WTA representative body.

Holmes to lead Shire into a post-Scott era

WHILE an official outcome has yet to be declared, Robyn Holmes is claiming victory in the fight for the top job at Cook Shire Council.

Michael Kerr, and held 48.29 per cent of the primary vote on Monday afternoon.

Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Richard Tarpencha is looking unlikely to hold onto even a councillor position after he opted to not contest the mayoral race, with Ralph Kendall leading a field of four to replace him in the top job.

Voters in the Torres Strait Island Regional Council local government area will have to wait a week to find out who will represent them until 2028, with the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) extending voting until 23 March, 2024, due to poor weather conditions hampering mobile polling attempts.

With voters having until 26 March to return postal ballots, the ECQ is not expected to make result declarations until late next week.

As counting continued, Ms Holmes, the council’s current deputy mayor, told Cape York Weekly she was confident she was set to replace long-serving Mayor Peter Scott, who announced earlier this year he would draw the curtain on two decades of service to Cook Shire residents.

At 2pm on Monday, and with 57.25 per cent of the vote counted, Ms Holmes had secured 52.65 per cent of the preliminary count and opened up a commanding lead over mayoral rivals Kenny Reid (30.23 per cent) and Ian Murray (17.12 per cent).

“I extend my appreciation to the Cook Shire voters for having confidence in my ability to lead the shire into the future,” she said.

“The result has highlighted community expectation in wanting an experienced leader.”

Neither Mr Reid nor Mr Murray had formally conceded defeat at the time of publishing.

Ms Holmes said while it re-

mained to be seen who would fill the six councillor spots in the chamber, she would continue to focus on existing “big-ticket” projects.

“The real test for myself starts now, and I look forward to a higher level of community engagement to ensure we incorporate each community’s vision in future planning,” she said.

“When the declaration is made, initially there will be training and introductions for the new council to understand their roles and responsibilities.

“Current big-ticket items will continue [including] a new hospital in Cooktown and a health clinic at Lakeland to provide increased health services, as well as a regional aged care facility, the Lakeland dam project and reconstruction of roads in the Rossville and Ayton areas.”

Only current councillor Marilyn Morris and Sarah Martin look assured of a seat at the council table, with a blanket able to be thrown over seven or eight of the remaining 19 candidates.

– story by Lyndon Keane

Jaime Gane.

Lisa Scharf.

Geoff Robins. Trent Gordon.

Cape York voters opted for change at Saturday’s local government election.

Robyn Holmes, centre, will be the new mayor of Cook Shire. The former deputy mayor will be joined on the council by Marilyn Morris, left, while Ross Logan, right, is also in contention to keep his seat in what is a closely fought count.

Glencore happy with progress of Aurukun project

PROPONENTS of the planned mine that will extract up to 15 million tonnes of bauxite each year from a site near Aurukun say they are happy with the status of the project.

The Aurukun Bauxite Project, a joint venture between global giants Glencore and Mitsubishi, is located south of Weipa and north-east of Aurukun, and is expected to operate for 25 years and create up to 400 jobs if given the regulatory green light.

Part of the process involved the production of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which was open for public submission from 11 September to 13 November, 2023.

Glencore is now responding to submissions and project director Julian Farrugia told Cape York Weekly he was happy with the progress being made.

“We continue to be pleased with the level of lo-

cal support for the project, but also recognise that the duration and complexity of approval processes can be challenging for all stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Farrugia added the submission response process was likely to take until mid2024 to complete, before the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science subjected it to further assessment.

When asked how confident he was that stakeholders, including Traditional Owners with English as a second, third or even fourth language, had been effectively consulted on the technical and environmental complexities of the project, Mr Farrugia said significant work had gone into ensuring there was no communication breakdown.

“A lot of effort has gone into the process of supporting and facilitating review of EIS information by Traditional Owners, acknowl-

edging that the content is technically challenging for anyone, let alone those with English as a second language,” he said.

“The main focus of that process has been on ensuring that the issues that are important to TOs are responded to with information tailored to that audience.

“The extent of understanding of Traditional Owners did come through in the submissions that they made. Regarding submissions generally, we were pleased with the constructive submissions provided, particularly by local stakeholders [including Aurukun Shire Council and Rio Tinto] which reflected the comments that they had made to us directly.”

Mr Farrugia said he also had no concerns about the project being impacted by a recent unfavourable High Court decision against Glencore’s McArthur River Mine in the Northern Territory.

Pormpuraaw apprentice setting a strong example

IF the level of commitment and persistence shown to just secure an apprenticeship is any indication, Pormpuraaw’s Cody Henaway is set for a bright future on the tools.

After completing year 12 in 2022, the selfdriven Mr Henaway returned to the western Cape York community seeking work, having already gained a Certificate I in Construction and Certificate II in Engineering Pathways while at school.

While working as a casual labourer and station hand, he said he decided to focus on finding something more consistent that would allow him to build on his existing skillset, qualifications and interest.

He joined RISE Ventures as a client in February 2023 and, within a month, had been hired as a labourer under the Trialling Pathways for Real Jobs (TPRJ) program in the organisation’s community projects team.

The TPRJ program is a Federal Government initiative aimed at providing First Nations participants with “real jobs, proper wages and decent conditions”.

As his time with RISE Ventures progressed, Mr Henaway discovered a natural flair for carpentry while working as an offsider with local workshop supervisor and trade-qualified carpenter Darren Tarpencha.

After six months, Mr Henaway decided to approach Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council and ask for a carpentry apprenticeship, which would allow him to complete a

trade qualification while living locally and giving back to his community.

The council did not have an apprenticeship available at the time, but persistence paid off and in January this year, four months after he made his first inquiries, he was offered a full-time apprenticeship.

He said the support provided by RISE Ventures had given him the confidence required to take the major step of reaching out to the council.

“I’m really happy that RISE gave me a chance to join the TPRJ program,” he said.

“Working with Darren and the boys at the workshop was good; they showed me how to use tools and which ones to use for different things.

“I have now been accepted by the Pormpuraaw council as an apprentice carpenter.”

Council chief executive officer Edward Natera praised Mr Henaway’s commitment and ambition, and said he would play a role in creating a local, trade-qualified workforce, a situation most remote Cape York and Torres Strait local governments struggled with.

“Cody appears to be a more committed person and will be mentored by his direct supervisor and the building team leader,” Mr Natera explained.

“He listens and attends work each day, and will also be involved in our upcoming 10 social homes new building project.”

Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council apprentice carpenter Cody Henaway celebrates his workforce win with RISE Ventures Community Project Coordinator Stephen Ambrum.

Cape could be home to lost quail

By CHISA HASEGAWA

CAPE York may be home to a bird that has been lost for the past century after it was discovered that decades of research into the species was actually based on misidentification.

The buff-breasted button-quail (BBBQ) has been thought to reside in the Atherton Tablelands area, but a PhD project found they were actually populations of the common painted button-quail.

The last tangible evidence of the BBBQ was actually found at Coen 100 years ago, in March 1924, in the form of eggs.

BBBQ world expert Patrick Webster said now that they knew where to look, there was hope of finding the elusive bird.

“The project that we’re currently undertaking with Conservation Partners is a follow-on from my PhD at the University of Queensland,” Mr Webster explained.

“During my research in the project with Conservation Partners, we identified a number of areas throughout Cape York that support suitable habitat for the BBBQ.

“There’s been very little survey efforts within Cape York, which is where we know the species historically used to occur, so the misidentification has misguided research and conservation efforts into an area where the species has probably never occurred.”

These areas, falling on Umpila

Country, are now being fitted with devices called song meters, used to record and identify the calls of different bird species.

Research on other button-quail species showed them to be highly vocal in the wet season while they are breeding, making them wellsuited to detection using sound recording devices.

“What we’re doing now is

we’re undertaking surveys to try and locate a population over the 2024 and 2025 wet seasons,” Mr Webster said.

“We went out to deploy the song meters with two Traditional Owners, and we’ve got it programmed to record for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

“They’ll be out for the entire wet season, and then we’ll go back and collect those recordings.”

These recordings will then be put through a program to pull out potential BBBQ calls, which will then be further analysed.

As the only Australian bird spe-

Research says that shade can help save turtle nests

THE trial of a “simple and effective” method involving a shade cloth has shown to have high promise in securing the future of sea turtles on Cape York.

Initial research showed rising temperatures were resulting in more female hatchlings than male hatchlings, which was particularly detrimental for an already endangered species like the olive ridley sea turtle.

The Cape York Natural Resource Management’s Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance (WCTTAA) conducted a study on Pennefather Beach near Mapoon, placing a shade cloth over selected nest protection cages to determine its efficacy.

WCTTAA coordinator Manuela Fischer reported the shaded nests had a maximum temperature difference of more than six degrees when compared to a control site with no shade.

“This is an encouraging result. It means we can now conduct a more long-term and comprehensive study across several beaches to record the effects of using shade to protect these nests from rising sand temperatures, and the impacts this has on hatchlings,” Dr Fischer said.

The trial involved five turtle nests that were fitted with temperature loggers.

The loggers collected temperature data points every half hour for two months on the nests with shade cloth and nests without as a control.

“On average, the temperature in the nest was 1.82 degrees cooler in the shaded area, and the maximum difference we found was 6.58 degrees,” Dr Fischer explained.

“This was great news, as the method of shading was simple and effective.”

Dr Fischer explained that the incubation temperature at which a one-to-one male-tofemale sex ratio is produced was known to be about 30 degrees.

Temperatures higher than that produced more female hatchlings, while temperatures lower produced male hatchlings.

“A concern is that sex ratios will become increasingly female-biased,” she said.

“It is possible that low numbers of males in the turtle population will reduce the fertilisation capacity and the loss of the genetic variation, which therefore may lower the chance to adapt to environmental changes.”

She announced earlier this year that WCTTAA had secured funding from the Australian Government’s Marine Turtle Climate Change Resilience and Nest Protection grant, which would support the research until March 2025.

“With this money, we have been able to buy the necessary equipment to shade the nests and record the temperatures,” Dr Fischer said.

“Ultimately, the research will determine what impact climate change has on sea turtles and predict hatchling sex ratio, so we can implement appropriate management actions, such as lowering the temperature in the nests.”

Following the success of the 2023 trial, this year’s research will use 42 temperature loggers across at least three different beaches.

These loggers will be able to collect data every 30 minutes for approximately one year.

“It’s going to be a busy season this year, and I can’t wait to see what we discover,” Dr Fischer said.

cies that has never been photographed, researchers have had to rely on museum artefacts and illustrations to study the BBBQ.

“BBBQ are extremely difficult to accurately identify in the field,” Mr Webster explained.

“The typical method has been to walk through the areas, but they fly up rapidly away from you, and this method does not really provide sufficient views to enable an accurate identification of the bird.”

Though with new-found clarity of a new research method and areas, the Mr Webster said extinction was a “legitimate possibility”.

“There is every possibility it

has [gone extinct], given that we haven’t had a confirmed record in 100 years,” he said.

“However, given that the vast majority of potentially suitable habitat has not been surveyed, there’s currently insufficient evidence to suggest that it is extinct, because we haven’t spent enough time looking yet.

“Ultimately, finding a population is the first step.

“If we find a population, we can work with Traditional Owners and land managers to study this species, learn what is threatening it and manage that Country for the BBBQ.”

The

be closed for planned major maintenance during April 3rd to 24th, 2024.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this major infrastructure maintenance event.

For further information on progress during the maintenance period, please call NPARC Bamaga Office on tel. (07) 4090 4100 or 4090 4120.

Patrick Webster works with Umpila Traditional Owners to install song meters.

Photo: Braydon Moloney.

The buff-breasted button-quail, a close relative of the common painted button-quail, hasn’t been seen for a century.

Family Wellbeing Services empowers First Nations families

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS) are a culturally safe and free service for all First Nations families who have children under 18 living in their care.

The service covers the whole of Queensland, including the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York Peninsula.

Each year more than 5,000 families attend FWS for support with parenting and family issues. Families receive culturally safe support based on their families’ strengths and local community needs.

The services are delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and the services are available for all family members including parents, grandparents, and other kin.

As a proud Indigenous man himself, Kummara FWS practitioner Jakai says families that are struggling should not feel any shame.

“There is help out there. If any Family Wellbeing Service that you know is in your town or location, please reach out. It’s

just a matter of picking up the phone and giving us a call.”

Kummara Senior Practitioner Tamarra said that FWS can help with some of the most common parenting issues such as day-today care needs, routines, and structure in the home while Jakai mentioned common problems that he sees can be based around drug use, alcohol, and domestic and family violence.

One couple who have benefitted from FWS are Shelly and Henry*. They said that with the help of FWS workers, they were able to make goals as a couple while Shelly was pregnant and access safe housing before the baby arrived.

Shelly grew up in a small remote community and had a difficult life. Faced with the choice of rehab or jail, Shelly chose rehab as she felt it would allow her to build a better life.

Shortly after meeting her partner in a rehab facility, Shelly and Henry became pregnant with their first child. While this was an exciting time for the young family, Shelly worried about what the future would hold for their baby.

While they loved each other, neither of them knew how to control their anger. Both grew up around violence and abuse and didn’t know what a healthy relationship looked like, but they knew they wanted their baby to have a better life than they did growing up.

Shelly visited her local community health service which encouraged her to reach out to a local FWS for help.

Shelly and Henry were appointed workers who helped them set individual goals as well as goals to help them as a couple.

The workers were able to assist the young family with making a successful application for a unit and helped them furnish it for the baby’s arrival.

Shelly attended a parenting course dedicated to new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and Henry attend a men’s group and received counselling to address his anger issues.

“Our arguments were bad. We never hit each other but we yelled and screamed at each other,” said Henry.

“We talked to the Family Wellbeing Services workers and then I went to the men’s group.

“They bought me a bike so I could get out of the house for a while to cool down. When I came back, we can talk better.

“I know not to go too long or she will worry about me.”

FWS were able to connect Shelly to a local playgroup, where she met new mums and made friends.

emotions and become a better father to his new baby.

Since reaching out to the service, Shelly has the confidence to provide a safe and stable environment for her family.

Through the service, Shelly and Henry were able to get the individual support they needed in a safe, non-judgemental, and culturally sensitive way.

To find your nearest FWS visit www.familywellbeingqld.org.au or call 1300 117 095.

Henry still attends the men’s group which played a vital role in helping him manage his *Names have been changed to protect people’s identities.

WALKING WITH FAMILY

Kowanyama shares fire knowledge across world

By CHISA HASEGAWA

“EVERYTHING I learned about Country, I learned from my dad.”

Talking to Cape York Weekly about the Kowanyama Land and Sea Rangers’ feature at the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network 2024 Northern Australia Savanna Fire Forum, Traditional Owner Clarita Yam said that was her key message as she stressed the importance of passing knowledge to future generations.

Nearly 500 Indigenous fire practitioners, scientists and carbon experts from across Australia and around the world gathered earlier this month to exchange knowledge about sustainable land management practices.

Ms Yam and the ranger team showcased their commitment to preserving traditional land management practices and shared insight into Kowanyama’s early burn program.

“The burn is after the wet when the grass is [mostly] still green; the brown patches, that’s the early burn,” Ms Yam said.

She said the early burn practice was traditionally used to control and reduce grass that would later dry up and turn into fire fuel in the dry season.

“It’s good to know early burn, because when it gets around Au-

gust, September, October, it gets so hot and the grass gets very, very dry from the heat.

“It’s a lot of fuel and then if you just chuck a match there, a raging fire goes through them and through the Country.

“It’s important to us, because in the old days before with our old people, they used to burn grass constantly for this.”

Ms Yam’s father spent his entire life on Country and taught her the intricacies of burns for land management.

“I learned from my dad that when you burn too much, you

burn out your Country and there’s nothing left for your cattle, wallabies and kangaroo,” she said.

“He also said you don’t always have to have blowers to have fire.

“We burn in the traditional way of breaking branches and wetting the leaf from the river, and managing to know which way the wind is blowing.”

Ms Yam has worked to pass on her knowledge to her children, and emphasised the importance of more Traditional Owners returning to Country to

continue the vital work of caring for both the land and culture.

“My kids come out to traditional burns, too, and they learned the whole traditional way from us,” she said.

“We’ve been always doing it during the school holidays; we go out hunting and walk the Country, and when the grass is too high, we could have the burn for the kids to do.

“It’s important for them to connect to Country and learn about the traditional ways, so they can teach their kids too in the future.”

Cape groups share in $342,000 in funding

FOURTEEN community and sporting groups across the region have received a collective $342,454 in the latest round of the State Government’s Gambling Community Benefit Fund grants.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said she was happy to see so many community groups receiving funding.

“Many of these grant recipients rely on volunteers and donations, and they do wonderful work to connect people, inspire and support their communities,” she said.

The successful organisations were:

1. Aurukun Shire Council: $35,000 for solar powered emergency services gate and air conditioning.

2. Cape York Folk Club: $32,799 for equipment and facility upgrade.

3. Cooktown and District Little Athletics: $17,210 for timing equipment.

4. Cooktown Horse Sports Association: $19,693.70 to repair arena and install solar powered lighting.

5. Cooktown Kindergarten Association: $16,730.31 for air conditioners, electrical and equipment.

6. Cooktown State School Parents and Citizens Association: $35,000 for IT equipment and desks.

7. Lakeland Horse Sports Association: $34,755.87 to upgrade facility and purchase equipment.

8. Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council: $35,000 for a bus.

9. Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council: $34,917 for disaster resource kits.

10. Puuya Foundation: $35,000 for a bus in Lockhart River.

11. Seisia Community Torres Strait Islander Corporation: $34,815.63 to install a satellite system.

12. Torres Strait Aged Care Association: $12,408 for a stove, IT equipment and chairs.

13. Weipa Gymnastic Club: $35,000 to purchase equipment.

14. Weipa Rodeo Association: $33,880 to lay a concrete foundation.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Silver at tourism awards

BAMAGA’S Cape York Peninsula Lodge has been recognised as one of the premier Indigenous tourism experiences in the country at the 2023 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

The annual tourism gala was held in Darwin on 15 March, with the Cape York Peninsula Lodge, operated by Bamaga Enterprises, securing second place in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experiences category.

The gold went to Tasmania’s wukalina Walk, a three-day guided experience around the island’s Bay of Fires, with Western Australia-based Ngurrangga Tours claiming the bronze award.

Drink driving charge

A 54-YEAR-OLD Ravenshoe man was charged with mid-ranged drink driving after allegedly being intercepted by police at Cooktown last week.

Police will allege at about 6:35pm on March 13, a four-wheel drive with no number plates was stopped on Endeavour Valley Road. The driver was breath tested, where it was alleged he returned a positive roadside test.

The man was then transported to the Cooktown police station for further testing, where it is alleged he returned a reading of 0.123 per cent blood alcohol content.

His licence was disqualified and he was charged with mid-range drink driving, as well as offences of having an unregistered vehicle and uninsured vehicle.

He is due to appear at the Cooktown Magistrates Court on April 3.

Grants to tackle isolation

LIVING in some of the most remote parts of the state can be extremely isolating for some residents, but the State Government is urging community-led solutions by offering funding through its Community Innovations Fund.

Applications are open for the second $200,000 round of grants for initiatives to ease social isolation and loneliness in Queensland.

Grants of up to $50,000 are available for community-led ways to tackle social isolation and loneliness among culturally and linguistically diverse Queenslanders.

The grants are available to eligible organisations with ideas that improve loneliness, job readiness and community connection.

Applications close at 2pm on 22 April. More information is available at www.qld. gov.au/communities-innovation-fund.

Traditional Owner Clarita Yam and the Kowanyama Land and Sea Rangers shared the importance of preserving traditional land management practices at the Northern Australia Savanna Fire Forum in Darwin.

‘New norm’ after flood grief: RFDS

AS the destruction left behind by Tropical Cyclone Jasper is slowly repaired, the human survival instinct has kicked in for residents as they begin to process their loss and create a new sense of normal.

That is the message from the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which began to provide psychological first aid earlier in 2024 to those affected in the flood-impacted regions surrounding Cooktown.

They made weekly visits to Rossville and Ayton to provide mental health support and saw the devastating scenery which showed “how much mother nature has shifted”.

Two months later, RDFS Queensland’s Far North mental mealth manager Jos Middleton said demand for first aid intervention had lessened as people began to create their “new norm”.

“The service needs of those in floodaffected areas is shifting as we move into the recovery phase, and we are now seeing an increase in people seeking longer-term counselling, rather than the brief interventions and psychological first aid that was required soon after the event,” she said.

“As time goes by, people will fall into a new routine with their new normal and create new habits with it, which supports them to stabilise.”

Ms Middleton explained human beings were not “designed for trauma”, so it was often a struggle to process what had actually occurred.

“But we are also hard-wired for survival ... we have this innate desire to survive and be alive,” she said.

“We can create a new normal. There might be some differences and, obviously at the moment, for a lot of those people who have been impacted, those differences are going to be around where they are living, how they’re sleeping [and] how they’re cooking their meals.”

Ms Middleton said that government funding fatigue was also a significant factor in residents’ stress.

“It’s a minefield to navigate, the amount of paperwork that comes with some of those requests, and navigating the complex processes can just be so overwhelming for people,” she said.

“They could be looking around the house and saying, ‘I don’t even have a pen anymore, my pens have all been washed away, and yet somebody is here telling me to fill out 20 pages of paper to access enough money to get a new fridge’.”

The RDFS mental health team aims to support residents through the stress of a seemingly never-ending list of tasks needed to survive and reclaim their lives.

Ms Middleton said the team had increased in number and they were able to step back slightly in some communities.

“We’ve now got time to look for the people of Wujal Wujal that we haven’t seen for a while, some have dispersed, and see how we can be of support to them,” she said.

“For example, when the clinicians that work from Cooktown and Wujal Wujal are in Cairns, they are bumping into Wujal people left, right and centre, and providing more informal support, which is really lovely.”

Minister backs World Heritage process

I WRITE to correct the record regarding efforts by the Miles and Albanese Governments to support some Traditional Owner groups to seek World Heritage Tentative Listing for parts of Cape York Peninsula.

Both levels of government are supporting tentative listing because of the extremely high environmental and cultural values which are found on The Cape.

These cultural values include ancient rock art which proves that Traditional Owners have lived in the area for tens-ofthousands of years.

As I clearly told Cape York Weekly on March 1, we are “only considering areas that are under Indigenous ownership or already part of Queensland’s

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

protected area estate for tentative listing.”

Further, I stated that we were not seeking a blanket nomination of all of Cape York Peninsula. We have also publicly and consistently committed to only including areas that have the free, prior and informed consent of the relevant Traditional Owners.

We have not engaged with freehold landowners on Cape York, such as the owners of Mountain View, because their land is not being considered for inclusion in the Tentative List-

ing Submission. I understand confusion has arisen because part of Mountain View is included in the Quinkan Country National Heritage List area.

National Heritage Listing is different to World Heritage Listing and just because an area is subject to National Heritage Listing doesn’t mean it is automatically considered for World Heritage Listing.

If a Tentative Listing is successful, other landowners will be able to express their interest in joining a World Heritage nomination. No areas will be included in a World Heritage nomination without the consent of all parties with rights and interests in the proposed area.

I also note Peter Campion’s uninformed comments (Cape

York Weekly, 12 March) about UNESCO.

UNESCO bashing is a popular pastime for those on the far right. However, I make no apology for working with an internationally-recognised organisation which is focused on preserving environmentally and culturally significant areas around the world, like our very own Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics and Gondwana Rainforests and, hopefully one day, parts of Cape York Peninsula.

I share the passion of local Traditional Owners who want to see these special places protected and preserved for future generations.

Leanne Linard, Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef

Cape York fire managers prepare for burn season

IN preparation for rain to let up in the coming months, Cooktown fire managers and interested residents are learning how to use fire-mapping apps and software to better prepare for burns.

Cape York Natural Resource Management is hosting a twoday workshop this week, with day one covering a fire satellite imagery app and day two covering a more advanced fire planning software.

Cape York NRM fire coordinator Andrew Drenen said this is the second time the training sessions have been run in the past six months due to high demand, with this round already fully booked and some on a waiting list.

“The interest has been huge, and everyone really appreciated the opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge,” he said.

“We’ve got [Northern Australia Fire Information] trainers coming up to do the session which is great, otherwise people would have to fly out to do the training.”

Mr Drenen said while Cape

York land managers were already well-versed in their fire management techniques, it was always good to continue upskilling.

“The more people that develop and maintain their skills the better, especially with fire management,” he said.

“People do need to be able to monitor fires on the Cape to stay one step ahead of it, and planning is crucial to have a good fire plan for the year, or even for several years.”

NAFI allows users to view up-to-date satellite images of fires on Cape York, or explore

fire history dating back to 2000.

“It’s really quite powerful with the [almost] 25-year fire history that you can use and analyse in many ways,” Mr Drenen said.

“It gets updated several times a day with imagery, and you can also set up text or email notifications if a fire pops up within your particular area of interest that you’ve identified.

“You can see what’s burning right now, which on the Cape won’t be much at the moment, but in the dry seasons, you can literally see the fire front and which direction it’s spreading.

“Anyone can use that to plan their logistics, where they might need to put in fire breaks, send fire units or send the rangers to manage them.”

QGIS, or Quantum Geographic Information System, takes it a step further to allow users to create maps showing predicted outcomes of planned burns.

“You can draw a line on your map which will represent the ignition, and set the wind speed and direction, how dry the fuel is, how long since the area burned and all of those different fire condition parameters to plan your burns,” Mr Drenen explained.

“The training is all to show the participants how to generate their own maps and do their own fire planning.

“The better educated and skilled and trained everyone is overall, the better the response to fires would be, and it’s always beneficial to have done your prep planning and thought through the risks before burning.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Division 3 win for Weipa

IT may not be enough to retire on, but Weipa News and Traders is celebrating one lucky punter securing a Division 3 win in the 12 March Oz Lotto draw.

The winner was one of 15 Queensland players to claim the $5882.30 divisional prize. Needless to say, there is a strong chance the lucky Cape York resident will be using some of the winnings to buy another ticket for this week’s $20 million Oz Lotto jackpot draw.

POLICE are seeking public assistance in relation to a tinnie that was stolen from the foreshore at Horn Island earlier this month.

Investigations to date reveal the silver tinnie (pictured), bearing registration number YKE191, was stolen from near the Esplanade between 4am and 4:30am on Friday, March 8.

The boat was later located at Bamaga around 4:30pm later the same day.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen the tinnie throughout the day to contact Policelink and quote QP2400404365.

Jardine River Ferry closure

NORTHERN Peninsula Area Regional Counci has announced the Jardine River Ferry, which links the NPA with the rest of Cape York by road, will be close from 3-24 April, 2024 due to “major maintenance”.

While the council would not respond to inquiries about the closure by Cape York Weekly, chief executive officer Kate Gallaway said “the ferry closes every year at this time due to maintenance” and that “community and emergency services is well versed in what to do”.

Anyone seeking information on the closure can call NPARC on 4090 4100 or 4090 4120.

Torres Strait tinnie theft

Cape York NRM fire coordinator Andrew Drenen says its imperative to develop and maintain fire management skills in the Cape.

Have you seen someone in this tinnie around Bamaga or Horn Island? If so, police want to hear from you.

Bloodbath result sends message

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

CAPE York and the Torres Strait boast some of the most stunning landscapes on the planet, but it’s fair to say the region was transformed into a ballot box bloodbath at the council elections on 16 March.

Of the 14 local governments within the Cape York Weekly coverage footprint, five – Weipa Town Authority, Cook Shire, Douglas Shire, Mapoon and Pormpuraaw –knew they would have new chairs and mayors in place come Sunday morning by virtue of retirements, while one – Torres Strait Island Regional Council – will have to wait until 23 March to see which way the cards fall after horrible weather put the kibosh on mobile polling efforts last week.

At the time of penning this missive, it looks like only one of the remaining eight councils will return the incumbent mayor to the chamber as communities wait on Electoral Commission of Queensland declarations.

It’s a catastrophic outcome for the remaining seven mayors and many of their high-profile councillors, with preliminary vote counts suggesting dozens may be cast into involuntary political obscurity over the coming days.

The results are at odds with the

picturesque backgrounds the political battles are being fought on, but candidates – both successful and those currently licking wounds and applying electoral antiseptic –need to take a moment to listen to what the outcome means in terms of a clear, albeit ugly, message from voters.

It’s a mixed bag for vanquished incumbents, with some genuinely allowed to be a bit miffed with the lack of elector support after four mostly strong years in council leadership.

Others had no right to be reelected, with ego, self-interest, and a complete disregard for statutory process and responsibility violently pushing authentic leadership and advocacy into public service bushland somewhere along the way.

Strangely enough, the aforementioned ego often smears Vaseline over the lens of political selfreflection, so it’s unlikely many of the outgoing cohort will reach any election summary other than castigating voters for getting it wrong

and denying them another four years on the gravy train.

A major change in the council chamber also has the historical tendency to trigger strip-outs in executive line-ups, so you can bet your bottom dollar there are more than a few nervous chief executive officers around the traps hanging on a final declaration.

It’s an even better bet a few have already started discreetly removing personal items from their offices and plotting a Plan B after realising their performance – or

lack thereof – will no longer be protected by friendly faces and personal relationships on the other side of the boardroom table.

Whoever said local government wasn’t a blood sport?

Democracy isn’t a perfect system and voters don’t always get it right, but Cape York and Torres Strait councils are setting themselves up for failure if the newlook elected representatives don’t heed the screams of unsatisfaction that appear to have driven the 16 March result, not just locally, but across the state.

Some extremely visible, bigname council leaders look like they will be forced to hand back their mayoral robes in the washup from Saturday, with the trend suggesting voters have simply had enough with inadequate representation from those entrusted to do just that.

It takes a certain personality type to stand up and risk scrutiny and public failure in the name of making their community a stronger, more vibrant place.

Congratulations to those who are celebrating election success, and commiserations to those incumbents who have been pummelled to political defeat through no real fault of their own.

For our new Cape York and Torres Strait mayors and councillors, I respectfully offer one piece of advice: listen, learn and lead.

In that order.

Cape York and the Torres Strait are incredibly stunning parts of Queensland, but they have been brutal to incumbent council members at the 16 March local government elections, with only one sitting mayor likely to stay put.

DAILY CONVENTIONAL CROSSWORD 15 X 15 GRID S

Quick Crossword

Sudoku

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.

Note to Editor: Created in QUARK XPRESS. VER.4.03

Focus

Qxpress: 8490

Spot the 5 Differences

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Crossword

40

41

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 SubCommittees 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:

ADMINISTRATION OFFICER

Reporting to the Office Manager, the Administration Officer is responsible for assisting in the efficient and effective functioning of the WCCT Office in order to meet organisational objectives. This includes demonstrating appropriate and professional workplace behaviours, performing their responsibilities in a manner which reflects and responds to continuous improvement, and providing administrative support to the Office Manager as directed, and to other areas as required within the office of the WCCT. The Administration Officer is also responsible for assisting in the coordination of all WCCT, WCCCA Sub-Regional Trusts and Sub-Committees meetings scheduled throughout the year.

We anticipate that applicants will have;

• Minimum Year 12 education;

• Minimum 1 year experience in a similar administrative role;

• Sound IT and MYOB experience;

• C Class Driver’s license; and

• An understanding of engaging with Aboriginal people.

Tertiary qualifications in Business/Administration or higher will be considered favorably. Traditional Owners and Aboriginal people are strongly encouraged to apply.

For further information including a position description please contact:

Office Manager

Phone: (07) 4069 7945

Email: offmgr@westerncape.com.au

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, 22ND MARCH 2024

POSITION VACANT COORDINATOR BROMLEY ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

The Bromley Aboriginal Corporation (BAC) is the Registered Native Title Body Corporate holding interests for Wuthathi, Kuuku Ya’u and Northern Kaanju people in country across north-eastern Cape York Peninsula.

BAC has an administrative office in Cairns and are currently establishing a ranger base on Bromley Country. The Bromley Board want to return Traditional Owners to manage their country and develop employment and business opportunities for sustainability.

About the Role

The Coordinator oversees the effective day-to-day management and administration of the office and projects. This position also plays an important role in the coordination of communication, human resource management, financial management and the development and implementation of corporation policies and procedures. This position provides strategic leadership and management to deliver on the organisation’s vision, mission, and strategic goals in line with the policies and procedures approved by the Board.

About You

The ideal candidate for this position will have senior management experience, preferably in an Aboriginal Corporation, and be adept in strategy, governance, HR, finance, and risk management. Have a deep respect for Aboriginal Lore, and an understanding of the impact of Australia’s colonial history. A proven track record in stakeholder engagement, partnership development, grant writing, and managing funding contracts. Strong communication skills, ability to manage diverse teams in a cross-cultural environment, and comprehensive knowledge of relevant cultural and environmental policies and legislation.

Essential requirements:

• Relevant qualifications in Business, Administration, Operations, Management or related field

• Current C Class Drivers Licence (QLD)

• Eligibility to successfully apply for a Queensland Blue Card for Working with Children

• Willingness to undertake travel involving overnight stays

• Willingness and ability to occasionally work after hours or on weekends

Bromley people are strongly encouraged to apply; however, this is not an identified position and selection will be based on the applicants’ ability to address the selection criteria.

How to Apply

Please scan the QR code for further instruction and to apply via Seek:

Application Close Date: 9am, Friday 26 April 2024

For further information about the position contact the current BAC Coordinator, Chrissy Warren on 0435 845 001 or email secretary@bromleyac.com

SPORT IN BRIEF

Junior netball scheduled

WEIPA Netball Club has unveiled its junior program that will run during the second school term from 15 April-19 June, 2024.

SCHOOL sport history was made in Weipa on 12 March when more than 1000 students from three schools converged on Western Cape College for the inaugural Inter-School Cross Country.

Students from Kluthuthu Christian College (KCC) in Napranum, St Joseph’s Parish School and WCC’s Weipa and Mapoon campuses ran, jumped, skipped, trudged and walked the track comprising a diverse array of surfaces.

In typical Weipa fashion, it was hot and humid, with not a rain cloud in sight to cool off competitors and spectators, although a DIY sprinkler system provided some measure of relief for runners as they sprinted towards the finish line.

When the dust settled, Evans finished the event with bragging rights as the overall winner, with Mapoon claiming the Spirit Award.

Three WCC cross country records were smashed, with Tanna de Tournouer shaving an impressive 44 seconds from the 12 years girls benchmark to stop the clock in 13 minutes, 56 seconds, while David Kostecki’s time of 12:06 took more than a minute off the previous mark.

In the Open boys division, Jack Barton made light work of the existing record of 26:45 by crossing the finish line in a blistering 24:57 over the longer course.

Records were not isolated to WCC competitors, with KCC students Ray Yoella (9 years boys in 11:55), Stella Kris (11 years girls in 23:24), Rashaun (11 years boys in 16:53) and Gabriel Mimi (12 years boys in 17:26) showing clean sets of heels to claim cross country glory in their respective age divisions.

A WCC spokesperson said the inaugural event had been an overwhelming success and thanked the army of volunteers, teachers, businesses and organisations that made it possible.

“As always, events like these would not be possible without people working behind the scenes to get things done,” the spokesperson said.

“You know who are, and we sincerely thank you and appreciate everything you did to make this inaugural event a community celebration.

“A special thanks goes out to

Field goal gives Cowboys thrilling win over Knights

THE North Queensland Cowboys have maintained a shared grip of the top of the NRL ladder after a thrilling one-point home ground win against the Newcastle Knights.

The Cowboys had not lost to the Knights on their home turf in a decade but was a statistic that meant little as poor possession and easy turnovers sent them into the dressing sheds trailing the visitors 12-0 at halftime.

Adam Elliott did the damage on the scoreboard after crossing the chalk twice in the first 40 minutes for the Knights, while Kalyn Ponga slotted the two conversion attempts with ease.

It was a different Cowboys team that returned to the Queensland Country Bank Stadium turf in the second half, with Chad Townsend (41st minute) and Kyle Feldt (44th minute) quickly finding the tryline to open the team’s account.

The four-pointer was a milestone for winger Feldt, who equalled club legend Matt Bowen’s all time try-scoring record of 130 by crossing the line.

The feat leaves the pair as the club’s undisputed try kings, almost 50 ahead of Ty Williams (85), Ashley Graham (84) and Johnathan Thurston (80).

The tries did not stop there, with skipper and five-eighth Tom Dearden, and secondrower Jeremiah Nanai scoring in the 60th and 76th minutes respectively.

With the score locked at 20-20 when the full-time siren blew, Cowboys halfback Townsend only took 60 seconds to claim the competition points by slotting a field goal.

The Cowboys will aim to make it a three from three start to the 2024 season when they head to Sydney on Saturday to face St George Illawarra at Jubilee Stadium.

our grounds team, teaching staff and parents who forfeited their sleep-in to help set up at 6am.

“The inaugural Inter-School Cross Country event was a resounding success, and we look forward to this event becoming a long-standing tradition in our community.”

SCHOOL AGE CHAMPIONS

St Joseph’s Parish School

9 years girl: Addison Lyons

9 years boy: Flynn Van Den Heuvel

10 years girl: Airlie Wallace

10 years boy: Archie Thomas

11 years girl: Ella Mitton

11 years boy: Zigmund Freiberg

12 years girl: Rachel Purvis

12 years boy: Jackson Reynolds

13 years boy: Kade Larcombe

Western Cape College

9 years girl: Uraz Tabuai

9 years boy: Wilfred Pitt

10 years girl: Tillie Russ

10 years boy: Slade de Tournouer

11 years girl: Halle Kootoofa

11 years boy: Kairie Elia

12 years girl: Tanna de Tournouer

12 years boy: David Kostecki

13 years girl: Teeahne-Rae Masso

13 years boy: Jahvan Sandy

14 years girl: Phoebe Bani

14 years boy: Kyoshi Aniba

15 years girl: Kalinda Enoch

15 years boy: Max Lynch

16 years girl: Ashandra Bond

16 years boy: Ian Gordon

Open girl: Lexii Millard

Open boy: Jack Barton

The 10-week program will include training for all age divisions on Mondays, with players taking to the court for games on Wednesdays.

Players must be registered to be eligible to compete, with 5-6 years, 7-8 years, 9-10 years, 11-13 years and 14-18 years age divisions on offer.

For more information, check out the Weipa Social Netball Club Facebook page.

Hunter bags Wackers scalp

UNLIKE the previous week, Wackers action at Carpentaria Golf Club did not get washed out when a field of 15 teed off on 13 March.

Rain threatened the field but golfers managed to stay dry as they pitted themselves against the front nine, with Jim Hunter returning to the clubhouse with a competition-winning score of nett 34.5.

Jim Lucas got close with nett 36, but that was only enough to let him collect the runner-up prize.

Viv Chan claimed the Bradman’s, while Pete Lamond was closest to the pin on the seventh hole.

Eager runners brave wet

SIXTEEN diehards laced up their shoes to tackle the Weipa parkrun course on Saturday morning.

Donna Jewell, Michael Collins, Amanda Allender, Chrisden Russ and Chris Blythe showed why volunteers are the backbone of sporting clubs by braving the rain to ensure the event went smoothly.

Favilla Natura Pty Ltd A.B.N. 51 640 623 703

Position Available: Business Support Officer

Full time, part time or casual - Weipa, Queensland

Overview Ecotone are seeking a keen individual to join our Flora Fauna Consulting business as a Business Support Officer. Ecotone is based in Weipa offering a range of environmental services throughout Cape York.

What We Offer:

For the right candidate this position may be full time, part time or casual to meet the needs of both the business and the applicant.

Full-time and part-time employment will include sick leave and annual leave with leave-loading.

Superannuation payments are made in line with mandatory requirements (currently 11.0%). Ecotone also pays employees a general allowance to assist with the costs of living in Weipa.

Full-time, the role would be for a standard 38 hr week and can include a TOIL arrangement. There is reasonable flexibility in the weekly hours of work.

About the Role

This role will work closely with another Business Support Officer to assist the Business Manager in the day-to-day operations of the business ensuring Ecotone maintains and meets all statutory, HR and safety obligations.

Duties may include but not limited to:

• Bookkeeping/Financial Management – Invoicing, receipting and paying of invoices

• Preparation of employee pays.

• Preparation of business taxes and superannuation submissions.

• Employee onboarding and maintaining of employee records

• Maintaining up-to-date registers and records.

• Co-ordinating travel arrangements for staff

• Assisting project managers with organising logistics for projects.

• Scheduling and monitoring employee training

• Support HR Management of the Ecotone team

• Contribute to and support ongoing business improvement strategies

• Assist with Health and Safety systems management.

• Maintain and update safety policies, procedures and registers.

• Monitoring the safety of field teams.

About You:

The successful applicant will bring to this role, experience and relevant qualifications:

• In bookkeeping / finance and admin. duties, including payroll.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information.

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

• Excellent organisation and time-management skills.

• High attention to detail.

• Demonstrated use of initiative to identify and tackle tasks to assist business operations

• Be willing and ready to work closely within the team to achieve the outcomes of the role.

• Experience in Reckon Accounts Hosted desirable but not essential.

Applications:

Applications should be forwarded to admin@ecotone.com.au and should include an up-to-date C.V. with references.

There was plenty of reason to smile for Evans students, with the house claiming overall winner bragging rights at the Inter-School Cross Country at Western Cape College on 12 March.

The WCC Mapoon campus made its presence felt at the cross country.

The finish line was a welcome sight for competitors in hot and humid conditions.

Fishos hook Cape bragging rights

DO you want to be as famous (well, Cape York famous) as this week’s fishos with their impressive river and open water catches?

Cape Catches of the Week will showcase Cape York anglers – big or small – and provide them ultimate bragging rights around the barbecue or campfire.

All you have to do is send us a photo of you and your catch, and answer a few simple questions.

If everything goes to plan, we are hoping to be able to offer a great weekly prize, but for the time being, the best you can hope for is seeing your mug and your catch online, and sticking the clipping from the paper on your beer fridge as a conversation starter.

Send your pictures to editor@ capeyorkweekly.com.au. Sun out, tongue out for Cooktown angler Qarl

Notice of Intention to Appoint a Grantee

The Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals intends to appoint the Kaurareg Native Title

Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC as grantee for the following land, located on Horn Island (Ngurupai):

• Lot 20 on CP851532

The appointment is proposed to be made pursuant to section 40 of the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (ALA) with the grantee holding the land for Aboriginal people particularly concerned with the land and their ancestors and descendants.

An Aboriginal person particularly concerned with the land may make written representations to the Minister about the proposed appointment.

A locality map showing these areas is available from the Department of Resources.

Representations must be received by 5.00 pm on 17 April 2024 and may be made to: Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals c/- Kylie Eddie (Manager)

Indigenous Land Operations

Department of Resources PO Box 937

Cairns QLD 4870

For further information, contact Peter Lawrence, Principal Land Officer, Native Title and Indigenous Land Services on 0429 126 882.

The Honourable Scott Stewart MP Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals

Tender No: KASC-2024-017

KOWANYAMA MUSTER 2024 - 2025 - TENDER

CATEGORY: CATTLE MUSTER

Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council is inviting tenders from suitably experienced Cattle Musterers for the 2024 – 2025 Muster seasons (2 years).

Interested parties should obtain a copy of the Tender Documents at www.kowanyama.qld.gov.au/tenders

Tenders Close at 12pm (midday) Friday 5 April 2024

All tender enquiries, requests for information and tender responses can be submitted electronically to the Contracts Manager at chris@culturev8.com.au quoting the tender description above.

Local Musterers are encouraged to apply.

Kevin Bell, Chief Executive Officer

Position Vacant

Gungarde Community Centre is seeking applications from suitably qualified people to join our team in the role of

Applications close at noon on Thursday 28th March 2024

For further information or to request a copy of the Position Description please contact 07 4069 5412 or

M11585

Hayes as he celebrates landing this stonker.

Tim Watkin took to the water in the outer Great Barrier Reef to score this Spanish mackerel.

Cooktown’s Sam Daff with a 52cm coral trout. 14-year-old Logan Jenkins was showing his fishing companions how it was done during a recent flick at Weipa.

Dana and Corbin Braun with an impressive haul at Mapoon.

Boxing coach rapt with performance of Bartons

By LYNDON KEANE

THE trip south may not have yielded the results they necessarily wanted, but a Weipa father and son have landed some significant blows to increase the township’s profile in the boxing ring.

Scott and Jack Barton travelled to the Sunshine Coast at the weekend to compete in the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Amateur Masters, with the older Barton winning his bout by walkover after his opponent failed to turn up.

Undeterred and eager to show the crowd what he had to offer, Scott fought a new opponent almost 20 years his junior in an exhibition bout and performed admirably, despite having a much shorter reach.

With his bout over and his WBF Amateur Masters belt in the mail, all eyes turned to 16-year-old Jack, who impressed to “put on a great show” in his own exhibition fight, according to Cape York Boxing Weipa founder and trainer Scott Wallace.

Mr Wallace was ringside at the Caloundra RSL with both fighters and admitted the senior Barton winning by default had been a disappointment.

“I was personally disappointed; we spent a lot of money to get down there and that, but it was a great night with great fights and great people,” he told Cape York Weekly

While it may have not gone exactly to script, Mr Wallace said the trip solidified Weipa and Cape York’s reputation for producing some fearsome boxing talent.

“We’ve got some good upand-coming fighters,” he said.

“They’re just blown away; we’re just like a novelty for them and the commentators get on board with it.

“There’s up to 1000 people in the crowd [and the commentators] just rev them right up, and everyone just loves Weipa.”

Mr Wallace praised the dedication of his Masters fighter and said he believed Barton was “looking good for a win” before his opponent’s no-show.

“I think he’s up around five or six fights now,” the trainer said of the eldest Barton.

“He’s 50 years old now, so he’s an inspiration to all of us to be still jumping in and having a box.”

The 16-year-old Barton is also holding his own in the ring,

despite his sheer size creating a weight division headache.

“I think he’s about 78 kilograms at the moment, so were trying to keep him under 77kg or 78kg,” Mr Wallace explained.

“It would be good if we could get him fighting at 75 [kilograms]; he won the novice youth title at Golden Gloves in 2023, and he’s experienced Golden Gloves in the youth 75kg division.”

Now in its sixth year, the Weipa club also boasts female star Sophia Michaelis in its ranks.

Michaelis is an Australian and Oceana Masters title holder in two classes, and Mr Wallace laughed when he described how popular the well-known local teacher was in boxing circles.

“She’s like a celebrity down there [when she travels to compete],” he said.

“She’s our superstar; they’ve got her on the front cover of boxing magazines and everything.”

The club’s next target is the second Sunstate Amateur Boxing League tournament of 2024, which will having boxers from across Queensland converging on Tully on 14 April.

“It works out good, because it’s the second week of the school holidays, so all the kids can get down,” Mr Wallace said.

“We’re going to the highest levels still based in Weipa, you know. You wouldn’t believe the doors that open when kids show a little bit of promise with boxing.”

SPORT IN BRIEF

Weipa grant success

MORE females in Weipa will have an opportunity to try dirt karting, boxing and BMX racing after local clubs each secured $7500 in funding to attract more women and girls to their respective sports.

Weipa Dirt Karts, Weipa BMX, and Cape York Boxing Weipa were awarded the grants under the State Government’s Active Women and Girls Program to enable them to buy equipment, educate or promote their sport or activity to get women and girls more involved.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said the clubs had the flexibility to use the funding in a number of ways.

“Clubs can use the funding to invest in equipment, safety gear, club signage, education and training, create leadership opportunities for women and girls, or host participation activities, programs and events,” she said.

“The program is dedicated to encouraging greater participation across all facets of sport and active recreation, from playing to coaching and volunteering to umpiring and team management, so I urge all clubs to consider what they might need to support and grow the involvement of women and girls in their clubs.”

Lucas still a bridesmaid

JIM Lucas will be hoping for a change of fortune the next time Dawnbusters tee off after finishing with runner-up honours for the second week in a row at Carpentaria Golf Club on Sunday.

In wet and windy conditions, a small field of eight took to the course, with Peter Lamond (nett 18) securing a two-stroke victory from Lucas.

In what is sure to provide a confidence boost for next week, Lucas finished five shots clear of the third-placed finisher, in addition to claiming long drive bragging rights for the men.

Viv Chan impressed during the testing round by taking both the women’s long drive and nearest to the pin prizes.

It will be back to business as usual for competitors on 24 March, with players scheduled to tee off from 6:30am on the front nine holes.

A club spokesperson said new players were always welcome.

Father-and-son boxing duo Jack Barton and Scott Barton pose for a photo with Cape York Boxing Weipa’s Scott Wallace (centre) on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.