Cape York Weekly Edition 178

has raged for more than a decade about whether a bridge would be a more appropriate way than the existing ferry to connect the NPA with the rest of Cape York, but sustained opposition from the Traditional Owners has stopped any progression in its tracks.

The ferry is operated by Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council and will be out of service from 3-24 April for major maintenance, with the closure reigniting discussion about whether it is time to replace the vessel with a bridge.

The council would not comment about the ferry on the basis it was still in caretaker mode following the local government election, but incoming mayor Robert Poipoi said he believed a bridge was the best long-term solution.

“As soon as I find my feet, I’ll build that relationship with [Traditional Owners] and have that discussion about whether it’s time to look at the bridge,” he said.

“It’s bloody old; I was still going to school when they put that ferry in.”

Mr Poipoi acknowledged the sensitivities surrounding the construction of a bridge, but said the infrastructure would likely have a significant cost of living benefit.

Continued – Page 5

Sporting boost for Cape councils

COEN, Kowanyama, Napranum and Wujal Wujal are some of the biggest Cape York winners after the State Government announced local funding allocations valued at more than $3.4 million last week.

The funding was awarded through the government’s Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund (MIIFF), with the money set to support a diverse range of sports, including rugby league, volleyball, swimming and community fitness stations.

The program supports two categories – inclusive and accessible, and safe, quality and efficient –with the former designed to provide new and upgraded female changerooms that meet universal design principles, while the latter is targeted at getting end-of-life community sporting infrastructure up to a safe standard for participants and spectators.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui congratulated the successful MIIFF recipients and said she was confident the funding would contribute to healthier communities.

“Our clubs and sporting facilities are very much at the heart of our communities,” Ms Lui said.

“I’d like to acknowledge each of the local organisations and local governments who were successful with their applications, and I encourage all of our community members to take advantage of improved and more accessible facilities when the projects are finished.

“Regardless of age or ability, an active community is a healthy community, and the Queensland

Government is supporting the Far North in being more active, more often.”

Cape York and Torres Strait MIIFF recipients are:

1. Cook Shire Council: construct an all-weather roof to support active recreation at Coen ($225,626).

2. Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council: install security access to multi-sport centre and install shade over fitness equipment at Hope Vale ($133,183).

3. Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council: upgrade lighting to support rugby league at Kowanyama ($415,000).

4. Mapoon Aboriginal Shire

Council: develop a rugby league field at Mapoon ($413,955).

5 Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council: upgrade changerooms and amenities to support rugby league at Napranum ($579,979).

6. Torres Shire Council: upgrade amenities to support swimming at Thursday Island ($334,590).

7. Torres Strait Island Regional Council: construct amenities to support volleyball at Masig Island ($577,256) and upgrade court to support basketball at Kubin ($391,229).

8. Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council: install lighting to support rugby league at Wujal Wujal ($395,634).

Flying visitor ends up on menu of croc

CAPE York residents have a reputation for welcoming visitors to their neck of the woods, but a Pelican Island crocodile chomped into that belief last week when it put an end to an Arctic guest’s travel plans.

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation rangers conducting bird surveys on the aptly named Pelican Island captured the brutality of nature as the crocodile emerged from the ocean to grab a pomarine jaeger, a migratory bird that breeds in the Arctic tundra and spends the rest of the year at sea.

The island is about 15 kilometres from the Cape York coast, with rangers using the incident as a reminder the reptiles

can be found in any waterway or coastal island in Croc Country.

Senior Ranger Lee Hess said rangers had completed a lap of the island to record the numbers and species of birds, and saw the crocodile in the shallows.

“We were lucky enough to take photos and videos of the crocodile as it crawled from the ocean, but what we didn’t know is it set its sights on the bird,” Mr Hess said.

“Pomarine jaegers are an Arctic, migratory bird, and while it is not uncommon to see them in Australian waters or on coastal islands, there [aren’t] many recorded sightings on Great Barrier Reef islands.”

Rangers are unsure whether

the two-metre crocodile had taken up residence on the island, given they are mobile animals capable of swimming up to 50 kilometres in a day.

Mr Hess said the interaction between the crocodile and the bird may have been a historic, albeit brutal, moment.

“The pomarine jaeger was the only one of its species on the island, and I’m not sure if it had ever seen a crocodile before and wasn’t attuned to the danger,” he explained.

“The bird wasn’t looking at the ocean, and the crocodile simply grabbed it then headed back to the water.”

“We believe it is the first recorded meeting between an es-

tuarine crocodile and a pomarine jaeger, and, unfortunately, it was a long way to fly to end up like this.”

Lama Lama Rangers operations manager Gavin Bassani said Pelican Island was an important habitat in the far northern Great Barrier Reef region for a number of migratory bird species.

“It’s a shame this one travelled so far, only to succumb to the dangers of Cape York. I guess coming from the Arctic region, crocodiles are not their usual threat,” Mr Bassani said.

“We will continue to monitor the migratory bird populations visiting the offshore islands in Lama Lama sea waters.”

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui.

The two-metre saltwater crocodile ends the pomarine jaeger’s migration on the beach at Pelican Island last week.

Apprenticeships at risk due to housing strategy

By LYNDON KEANE

THE boss of an Indigenousowned construction company says the Queensland Government’s plan to use prefabricated modular buildings to help solve the state’s remote housing crisis will destroy local apprenticeship pathways.

The one- to four-bedroom and plug-in modules were developed by the government architect and QBuild, with the government lauding them as a way to build more homes faster through its Homes for Queenslanders program.

The buildings are currently being constructed at the government’s Rapid Accommodation and Apprenticeship Centre (RAAC) in Brisbane, but will soon be manufactured in Cairns, with the finished product then transported to Cape York and the Torres Strait for installation.

While the government has stated the new RAAC in Cairns will provide trade and training opportunities, ZK Construction Group managing director Zane Brache said he believed the strategy was flawed, and may even put the government in breach of its own Indigenous procurement policy.

“By putting these modular builds in, it completely kills the apprenticeship path. It’s completely squashed the training cycle; there’s no option for them to get the training in the community, and there’s no real experience in the construction industry with these modulars,” he said.

Mr Brache said the way the modular buildings were delivered to site and finished compared to a traditional build meant it would be impossible for community members interested in an apprenticeship to get the trade experience needed locally.

“There’s no laying drains, putting down a slab, putting up a frame or the roof [with the modular buildings],” he said.

“There’s no apprenticeships you can put an apprentice on, because connecting plug-ins doesn’t meet [Department of Employment, Small Business and Training] standards.

“It kills the chances of them ever getting a trade; it kills the industry in general for the local businesses because there’s no work; nine times out of 10 they get contractors in, and the money doesn’t stay in the community.”

ZK Construction Group’s Indigenous investment officer, Gerald Tamwoy, said he believed the government’s plan

would allow it to deliver some short-term wins that coincided with the political cycle, but that it would ultimately have a detrimental impact on remote communities.

“Maybe it’s good for the government, but it’s bad for what you’re talking about for training for young people and jobs,” he said.

Mr Tamwoy added he believed maintaining traditional builds in remote Cape York and Torres Strait communities was the only way to ensure local trade pathways were available.

“It’s a good training pathway

and that’s a good thing to keep going, because it’s good for the school leavers, because it gives them a way to build that work ethic and get trained up.

“If you’re taking it away, there’s no real opportunities then.”

Minister for Housing and Public Works Meaghan Scanlon praised the modular approach and said it represented a faster start-to-finish process.

“Building homes in remote communities can be particularly challenging,” she said.

“That’s why rebuilding QBuild and deploying modular homes is so important.

“Having a factory in Cairns and a battalion of local builders combined with speciallydesigned homes for the region means we deliver more homes … and roll them out as soon as possible.

“It’s also quicker to install the homes after they are transported by road and water as either flat pack or ready-built solutions.”

Mr Brache said he believed the government’s modular push, while creating a cheaper, faster solution initially, would end up costing taxpayers more in the long run, adding he questioned the depth of consultation undertaken in rolling out the plan.

“These things will cost a certain amount, but they will cost them 150 per cent more to maintain in these areas; where you’d get a normal 30-year span from a traditional build, you might get five years out of these modulars.

“They haven’t consulted at all; what they’ve done is that some estimators in Brisbane have gone to Steven Miles and said ‘this is the quickest and cheapest way to do it’.”

“It’s going to cost taxpayers three times the amount; they are looking at what they can do and what’s the cheapest now, not what’s going to be the best spend beyond the yearly budget cycle.”

ZK Construction Group managing director Zane Brache has criticised the State Government’s plan to replace traditional remote housing with plug-in modular options, saying the strategy will wreck apprenticeships.

100 days since the wrath of Jasper

Things will never be the same ...

By CHISA HASEGAWA

“NOTHING can prepare you for what comes afterwards.”

One hundred days after the flooding event stripped residents of their homes, Rossville resident Brad Smith told Cape York Weekly his story of grief, loss, displacement, and the uncertainty of returning to his community.

“Once you’ve had the time for reflection and just to be out of it, it starts to sink in that things will never be the same again,” he said.

“To be honest, it’s getting harder, not easier.”

Mr Smith and his wife were relocated to Cooktown five days after the flood washed away everything they owned, including some animals, and are conflicted on whether they want to return.

“When you think of all that’s been lost, like we lost all our horses, just going back there, it’s not happy days, it’s actually the opposite,” he said.

“And just the scope of works; houses and buildings can be fixed, but the landscape and environment, it’s going to take decades, so questions do arise about if we want to stay there.

“When people see flood on the news, they go ‘it just dries out, you get rid of the crap and you

start again’, but it’s not that easy when you’ve got so much debris, sediment and rock all over your property.”

Despite this, with nowhere permanent to go, the pair decided to see how they felt about continuing life in Rossville.

“At the moment, it’s sort of in the context of ‘we’ll fix it up and we’ll sell it’, because it’s too hard to go back,” Mr Smith said.

“We’ve got nowhere else to go, so we’ve got to go back and do it.

Business Security Upgrade Grants

“We didn’t have insurance, so it’s going to be a very expensive exercise; we’ve already spent close to $100,000 just getting new tanks, signing contracts with builders to come and do the structural repairs, getting new cars, all that sort of stuff.”

Mr Smith said grant application processes to aid the rebuild had been slow, with days consisting of never-ending phone calls to move things along.

“We’re still living out of camp

chairs and fold-up tables inside, because it was for sale,” he said.

“The logistics and just the time it takes seems to compound everything, and it’s easy to fall into depression, I suppose; it’s not conducive to people’s mental wellbeing.”

Mr Smith took to Facebook on the 100-day anniversary last week to remind his neighbours about the impacts Tropical Cyclone Jasper’s post-flooding event continued to have.

“I just thought I’d be saying to people that it can happen to you, whether it be a cyclone or a fire or any disaster, and that whatever you do, just consider other people’s misfortune, and don’t become forgetful or dismissive when people are struggling, because it’s very real,” he said.

“I feel that a lot of people don’t have any clue about the impact that’s happened there, and it’s not their fault, but it’s just a reminder to be kind and considerate.”

Key objectives for this funding program are:

Bloomfield resident looks back on 12-hour boat ride

SUBMISSIONS

WITH blood gushing from his foot, Filippo “Cavo” Cavallaro spent 12 hours in his boat with his three dogs and did what he could to survive the night.

Now, 100 days after the mass flooding event that followed Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023, Mr Cavallaro reflected on the night Bloomfield residents were left praying for their lives on whatever high ground they could find.

“I did the last phone call to my partner, and I told her ‘this is gonna be the last time I talk to you’,” he said.

When water started to rise rapidly, Mr Cavallaro dragged his boat onto the veranda, sat his three dogs in it, and started to gather up some belongings.

“I took one step in the house and, by that time, the house was already full of water about knee deep, and I sliced my foot on something,” he said.

“I dropped everything, looked at my foot and I saw the gash. I took my shirt off and wrapped my foot up, but by the time I walked through the house the shirt was washed off my foot, because the current was pretty bad.”

With help nowhere in

sight, he tied the flat-bottom boat to higher ground and bailed out the rainwater.

“I clanged a steel bucket against the boat,” Mr Cavallaro said.

The sudden noised scared his Great Dane, which jumped out of the boat “into the darkness”.

“All I could see was two green eyes swimming while getting washed down the river,” he said.

“I tied up to different points as the tide was going up eight times before I reached the last mounting point on the roof, where my solar panel was near the apex of the roof,” he said.

“I thought, ‘I’ve run out of points and the water is coming up higher’. It was pitch black and I had a torch, but it was fading.”

At around 3am, with nowhere higher left to go, the

rain began to let up and the water started to go down.

He made his way back down, and luckily, found his Great Dane.

“[The dog] found a clump of bamboo and he climbed into that,” he said.

“I’m not happy that no one came to rescue us.

“The police actually rang me and said don’t go anywhere, we’re going to come in and rescue you by chopper, and I laughed at that because there’s no way in the world they could have landed a chopper anywhere.”

He spent one night in Ayton before being airlifted to Cooktown and then Cairns, undergoing two operations on his foot.

It was only three weeks ago that Mr Cavallaro was set up in a caravan after living in his silt-filled house after returning from Cairns just before Christmas.

“Two-and-a-half months I lived like a dog in my house, with stuff raining down on me while I slept,” he said.

“I just frequent the house to work now and I’m quite happy to live in my house again, but I’ve still got a long way to go before I can make it liveable again.”

– story by

Chisa Hasegawa

Before and after: Satellite imagery of land surrounding Brad Smith’s property at Rossville, which was inundated with water. Pictures: Supplied

Filippo ‘Cavo’ Cavallaro.

Spend money on the Myall, says Entsch

THE $10 million in Federal Government funding committed to building a Jardine River bridge needs to be diverted to a Myall Creek solution, says the frustrated Member for Leichhardt.

With the divide between a need for a bridge and Traditional Owner opposition seemingly as wide as ever, Warren Entsch has called for the money, committed in 2015, to be pulled and reallocated to developing a wet season solution for Weipa.

“[A Jardine River bridge] makes a lot of sense, but here we are 10 years later and nothing’s happening,” he told Cape York Weekly when asked whether he thought the infrastructure project would ever progress.

“I think it’s time to stop talking about it; if tourists want to spend a ridiculous amount for the ferry, let them.

“I think it’s time for us to say now, ‘let’s bite the bullet’ and take the money back and put it into Myall Creek.”

The ferry connecting Northern Penin-

sula Area (NPA) residents, tourists and road freight operators with the rest of Cape York is operated by Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC), which charges users anywhere from $130-330 to cross the Jardine River.

The ageing ferry will not operate for most of April as it undergoes much-needed maintenance, and Mr Entsch said it beggared belief there was so much resistance to infrastructure he believed would allow the wharf at Seisia to be developed into a regional freight hub.

“A bridge would connect the PDR up to Seisia wharf as a major distribution network into the Torres Strait,” Mr Entsch said.

“But there is no appetite; I’m going up there soon to meet the new council but … I’m not expecting anything to change.

“Where is that money for the ferry going? There’s no transparency on it whatsoever.”

The $10m funding announcement was welcomed by former NPARC mayor Ber-

nard Charlie at the time, who said replacing the ferry with a bridge would mean “the community of the NPA will now be able to travel twenty-four seven to go south and to return home to family safely”.

Mr Entsch pulled no punches when outlining his frustration with the lack of action on even a full-scale feasibility study into the construction of a bridge.

“It has just been ridiculous since then; councils have been for it, then they were against it,” he explained.

“I think the time’s run out, unless they want to accelerate the process.

“The money is still on the books, but [Myall Creek] is becoming critical, so I’d like to see it go to that instead.”

Incoming NPARC mayor Robert Poipoi told Cape York Weekly he believed the bridge would deliver significant benefits to the region, and was committed to liaising with Traditional Owners to try to find way forward.

New mayor backs bridge to replace ageing ferry

From – Page 1

“It’s a very sensitive one, because of the Traditional Owners here,” Mr Poipoi said.

“It’s a hard case; they’ve got the last say and it’s just very hard to negotiate that.

“I’m definitely all for the bridge.

“It’s going to drop the cost of living heaps.”

There has been government support for the impact a bridge spanning the Jardine River would have on residents and tourists, with the Federal Government committing $10 million towards its construction in 2015, and the State Government completing a business case in 2021.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) said the business case was based on information available at the time but did not progress due to a lack of support from Traditional Owners.

“The project investigated the replacement of the Jardine River ferry with a bridge and the benefits a bridge at this location would provide, including increased flood immunity, reduced travel times, improved safety and road link efficiency,” the spokesperson said.

“Notwithstanding the completion of the further planning required, the construction of a bridge currently remains unfunded.

“If support for the project was received, and both NPARC and [the] Australian Government requested TMR to progress this project, TMR could prioritise an upgrade at this location pending available funding.”

The area around the Jardine River crossing is managed by the Apudthama Land Trust

NEWS IN BRIEF

Boaties asked to comply

WITH a flotilla of vessels expected to hit waterways around Cape York over the school holiday period, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority) is calling on all boaties to do their part to avoid damaging the reef during the current coral bleaching event.

The reef is currently experiencing significant stress due to a culmination of events over summer including high sea surface temperatures, cyclones, and floods.

Reef Authority chief scientist Dr Roger Beeden said everyone could do their bit to support the reef.

“Zoning across the Marine Park protects vital parts of the ecosystem and helps us to manage the long-term health of the Reef,” Dr Beeden said.

“No take and no entry zones like green and pink zones provide vital refuges for fish, corals, and other animals.

“Leaving fish you don’t need means more for the future and it also helps support the reef’s recovery.”

The organisation’s director field management, Chris Cochrane, warned boaties compliance patrols would “be out in force” during the school holiday period.

(ALT) on behalf of Traditional Owners.

ALT chair Ugari Nona said opposition to the bridge was based on environmental concerns, as well as the potential a bridge had to create a spike in visitors that could pressure local resources.

“There’s been a lot of pushback not to have the bridge due to the influx of people coming across, and potentially drugs,” Ms Nona explained.

“That ferry’s been a way to monitor and protect what’s coming into community, and I think the other big [concern] is around the environment.

“One of the biggest scares for community is that if we put a bridge there, anyone will be able to come into community at any day, any time, any hour … that could lead to some problems.”

In 2021, NPARC estimated 80,000 tourists had visited NPA during the dry season, with industry figures suggesting up to 100,000 people could now make the trip north every year.

Dave Hartwell, the owner of NPA-based tourism outfit Cape York Adventures, said the sheer number of tourists made the case for a bridge stack up from an emergency services perspective.

Paramedics and police responding to incidents south of the Jardine River currently have to use the ferry, with delays often experienced for after-hours callouts.

“If something happens the other side of the Jardine and it’s after five thirty, it can be a major delay in getting down to treat someone,” Mr Hartwell said.

He added a toll system on the bridge could help alleviate concerns surrounding the loss of income if the ferry were to be scrapped.

NPARC currently charges tourists $130 to cross the Jardine River in a car, while those towing trailers or caravans are slugged $205.

NPA residents are charged $60 to use the ferry, meaning they must pay to return home if leaving the region by road.

“I think to have a bridge, you could still do a toll. Most of the bridges in capital cities have tolls on them, so I don’t see why they can’t do it up here,” Mr Hartwell said.

Ms Nona said while opposition to a bridge remained, she accepted it would positively influence the cost of bringing goods into the NPA.

“Probably half of Traditional Owners or less want a bridge; the majority don’t want one,” she said.

“It will ease freight and we all talk about it, but at the end of the day, we have to respect the Traditional Owners and what they want.”

The ALT chair added she understood the frustration of visitors to the region with the peak season queue times to cross the Jardine River.

“We as community members, we [are] in the same queue as the tourists and everyone else,” Ms Nona said.

“The frustration they feel, we feel as well.”

“We’re urging recreational fishers to familiarise themselves with the zoning rules and do the right thing,” he said.

“Neglecting these rules, intentionally or not, impacts on the health of the Great Barrier Reef.”

Date set for Career Expo

LOCAL businesses, industry and government stakeholders will give Cooktown students a peek behind the curtain of career options in October.

The date for the 2024 Cooktown Career Expo has been set for 10 October, with the Cooktown State School coordinating the event that aims to provide students with much-needed information about postschool training and employment options.

The event will target students from years 10-12, and a trade stall format will be adopted when doors open at PCYC Cooktown. For more information, call the school on 4082 0222.

Election results declared

THE Electoral Commission of Queensland has commenced declaring results for local government areas across Cape York and the Torres Strait after the 16 March elections.

Cape York Weekly will provide a full wrap of local results once they are declared, but residents can get an up-to-date look by visiting www.results.elections.qld.gov. au/2024QLGE.

Clontarf starts strong

THE Western Cape Clontarf Academy is celebrating a strong start to the 2024 education year, with attendance recorded at an all-time high for term one.

One of the regular term highlights was the faculty morning tea at Western Cape College, which provided Clontarf students with an opportunity to thank teachers and staff, in addition to acting as a way for them to bond outside the classroom.

The academy also welcomed a new staff member in week seven of the term, with Elijah Leafa bringing a background in youth support and disability work.

Camps were big on the agenda during term one for the Wedgetails, with year 12 students travelling to Townsville, while year 11 students learnt all about leadership during their camp in Weipa.

With the ferry not operating until the end of April 2024 due to major maintenance being required, questions about whether a bridge should span the Jardine River have reignited the seemingly age-old debate.

By CHISA HASEGAWA

THE young team at PCYC Napranum are taking charge of raising money for uniforms their touch football team will wear later in the year on the famous sand of the Gold Coast’s beaches.

More than 20 youth, aged five to 18, worked together to wash cars for the community last month to raise $381 to go towards uniforms for the team that will represent the community at the annual Bunburra Indigenous beach touch football tournament.

Club manager Sergeant Rhonda Spence said she got “enormous pride” seeing the display of car washing teamwork.

“They were so supportive of

each other. There was so much joy in their excitement to get in and do something together,” she said.

The tournament uniforms – and the car wash to make them a reality – was completely thought of by the young PCYC Napranum attendees.

“They wanted to go down united as one team,” Sergeant Spence said.

“They want to stand out, and be proud of who they are and where they come from.”

She said the featured design, a cultural mural created by the youth leadership team, would showcase Napranum’s culture to teams and spectators on the Gold Coast.

“It’s exposing the kids to a wider audience, but also supporting

the community as well, through knowledge of where they are from and the culture on their shirt, so they’re proud of the fact that their culture is expressed through their uniform,” Sergeant Spence explained.

“It was very important that the youth explained to the people who got their cars washed what it was all about.

“They explained exactly why they were raising money and that it was for a specific purpose, and they expressed that very well.”

The club manager said support from the community had pushed the team closer to its fundraising goal, with people donating money on top of their car wash fee.

“We had a specific cost, with

small vehicles being $15 and large vehicles being $20, but a lot of the people who participated paid well above that amount,” Sergeant Spence said.

“The support from the community was enormous and they asked if we could have another one, because some people couldn’t get here.”

Sergeant Spence said the club needed to raise about $1,500 for the uniforms.

“It’s a big pride, not just for me, but for my staff as well, because we constantly encourage them about good choices and giving back,” she said.

“We try to instil in the kids the PCYC values of commitment, respect, leadership and passion, and

this all goes in well together and they achieved that.”

Two Napranum teams will be selected this week.

“To be picked for the tournament, there’s three requirements: they must attend school, they must have good behaviour at the club, and they must attend training and fundraising events to be considered,” Sergeant Spence said.

“All of the kids that attended the car wash have consistently done that, so it’s going to be a difficult choice to only select six boys and six girls.

“It’s also only for kids aged between 14 and 17, so having those junior kids involved is really showing them what to do in the future for when it’s their turn to go.”

Youth at PCYC Napranum work together to raise money for Bunburra tournament uniforms. The young ones look up to the older kids as role models. Photos: PCYC Napranum

Publican honoured with bar ahead of reopening

By LYNDON KEANE

ALL

The watering hole, which has been a must-visit venue for locals and Cape York tourists alike for decades, has been closed since early 2023, following the death of former owner and publican Kev “Stumpy” Darmody.

New owner Stuart Wiggins, a close friend and former business partner of Mr Darmody, told Cape York Weekly the pub was “a week or so” from opening, adding the 12-month closure and wet season had nearly caused him and his band of volunteers to flee back to the big smoke.

“Mate, it was a bit over-

whelming when I first looked,” he laughed after spending a week and plenty of elbow grease preparing the pub for its reopening.

“The grass and weeds out the back, and mould out the front, all from the wet season after be-

ing untouched for 12 months.

“I knew what I was expecting, but to actually see it, I did quickly think about getting back in the car and driving away.”

Thankfully, the pub has almost been returned to its former glory, with the addition of Stumpy’s Bar as an homage to its much-loved, often prickly publican.

“We’ve repainted the bar, and we’re just putting all the memorabilia up today and tonight,” Mr Wiggins said.

“It’s starting to look like a pub again.”

The former jockey and entrepreneur admitted there had been moments of emotion as the cleaning crew put the shine back into the pub.

“There are definitely a lot of memories of Kev here,” Mr Wiggins reflected.

“He was me best mate; you don’t get mates like him again.

“We’re going to have a bit of a day to remember Kev [and] a lot of the family will come up.

“The pub’s his legacy for us to carry on.”

With the licencing paperwork being finalised, Mr Wiggins said the excitement was building around Laura as reopening day got closer and closer.

“All the locals are chomping at the bit, and the town itself is ready for us to open,” he said.

“Once I get going, we’ll start off with a bit of a smaller menu; at least if you can open the doors, people can get takeaway [food] and have a beer, and I can introduce myself.

“I couldn’t have done it without Tania, Sully, Sarah, Steve, Fred and Lex, and Kev’s family and friends.

“We’ve already had a few people walk in seeing the doors open.

“It’s going to be good.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Mental health first aid

A FREE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health first aid course will be held over two days at PCYC Napranum next month.

The 8-9 May event, which will be facilitated by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, will teach participants how to provide initial support to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander adult who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis.

The course will also explore social and emotional wellbeing, and will cost nothing for organisations to enrol suitable staff in.

For more information, call 4040 0444 or email MHAdmin@rfdsqld.com.au.

Rio Tinto funding available

DO you volunteer with a local community group, club or organisation on the western Cape you would like to see financially supported?

Through its Sponsorships and Donations Program, Rio Tinto is encouraging stakeholders to apply for funding for activities and initiatives that enhance the liveability of the western Cape region.

Applications for round one close on 30 April, 2024, with round two opening on 1 July, 2024.

For more information about eligibility and available funding, or to obtain an application form, email RTAWeipaFeedback@riotinto.com.

Register for Youth Week fun

ORGANISATIONS across Cape York and the Torres Strait are being asked to register their Youth Week events as the countdown begins to the annual celebration of all things youth achievement.

Youth Week 2024 runs from 7-13 April, and recognises the talent, achievement and contribution of Queenslanders aged 12-25. Minister for Communities Leeanne Enoch said she wanted to see last year’s tally of 110 Youth Week activities trumped.

“From Aurukun in Cape York to Raby Bay in the southeast, individuals, communities and organisations have registered an amazing line-up of events on the official Queensland Youth Week website for the young and young at heart,” she said.

“Acknowledgement must be made of the young First Nations Queenslanders involved in the Queensland Youth Indigenous Leadership Program, who are instrumental in driving change and leading their community’s Youth Week initiatives.”

To register a Youth Week 2024 event, go to www.des.qld.gov.au/youthweek.

The late Kev ‘Stumpy’ Darmody.

New Peninsula Hotel owner Stuart Wiggins surveys the beloved pub’s collection of memorabilia ahead of the watering hole’s reopening in April.

Community digs deep for Manaia

By CHISA HASEGAWA

IN less than a week, the Cooktown community has raised more than $11,000 dollars to help a family whose lives were forever changed after learning their three-year-old boy has cancer.

Like a script from every parent’s worst nightmare, a healthy and energetic Manaia called out one night after passing a “huge amount of blood in his urine”.

Suddenly diagnosed with a Wilms tumour, a childhood cancer that had taken over the majority of his left kidney, Manaia was transferred to Brisbane for surgery and chemotherapy.

Manaia’s mother, Desiree Gibson, said the diagnosis had stunned the family, adding the situation still seemed surreal.

“You see this stuff happen in movies, or you don’t think it’s going to happen to you, and when it does happen, it doesn’t seem real,” she said.

“Our whole world is completely changed, and I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to have that carefree life again.”

Ms Gibson said it was heartbreaking to see her son so confused about the situation.

“A three-year-old that has no idea what’s going on walks into a hospital one day, and then wakes up with a cut on his chest and a cut on his stomach; it’s very scary,” she said.

Manaia will undergo chemotherapy for the next six months, including throughout his fourth birthday.

“Chemotherapy on a young child is unimaginable,” Ms Gibson said.

“He’s going to lose his full head of wonderful, curly brown hair that he has, and having a very low immune system, even after chemotherapy is finished, life’s going to be completely different for him.

“I just want to wrap him up in

POST-ELECTION MEETING OF COOK SHIRE COUNCIL

In accordance with Section 254C of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Cook Shire Council will be holding a post-election meeting at 10:30AM TUESDAY, 9 APRIL 2024

at Council’s Administration Building located at 10 Furneaux Street, Cooktown.

This meeting is for the purpose of the following matters:

Appointment of the Deputy Mayor

Appointment of the Chair of the Cook Shire Local Disaster Management Group 2024 Ordinary Council Meeting Dates

cotton wool; he’s such a fragile little boy now.”

Ms Gibson said one unexpected consequence of Mania’s diagnosis was that their close-knit family had to split up and leave their community to allow the three-year-old to receive treatment.

“I’ve had to leave two of my other children in care with my mum in Cooktown, so we’re all kind of separated as a family, and it’s just me, my partner and my son down here,” Ms Gibson said.

The family is now hoping for a transfer to Cairns in order to be closer to home and their local support network.

“It would mean a lot if we could go to Cairns, so we can reunite our family and friends, and possibly being able to return home on weekends, just to have him see his friends and give him some kind of life outside of hospital,” Ms Gibson said.

“Prior to this, he was such an open-minded, strong, adventurous

boy and he loves hanging out with his friends.

“Moving away, he’s got none of that around him now, so it’s almost like a huge hole has been implemented into his life.”

With both parents unable to work and the bills continuously piling up, Ms Gibson decided to reach out for help.

“I was 50-50 about starting a GoFundMe page, because I’m not really one to make things public or ask when we need help, so that was really huge to do” she said.

“I’m really thankful for the Cooktown community and all the extra surrounding communities, and even family and friends from down south that have put all these donations in to help our little guy.

“We don’t have that regular income coming in anymore, so that donation page is like a huge weight lifted off.”

Ms Gibson said the care and support from Brisbane Children’s Hospital had been overwhelming, and wanted to warn parents the Wilms tumour was a paediatric cancer that mostly affected children under five.

For more information, please visit www.cook.qld.gov.au or contact Council on 4082 0500.

4082 0500

mail@cook.qld.gov.au www.cook.qld.gov.au

Message from the Outgoing Chair

As this will be my last comment from the Chair I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the incredible privilege that being allowed to serve this wonderful community has meant to me.

Weipa holds such a special place in my heart and even though after serving on WTA for 16 years the passion that drove me to put my hand my hand up to serve in the first term has not diminished. I feel so blessed to live in such an incredible and beautiful part of Australia. To be allowed to play a small part in trying to steer the direction of your community by advocating for the recognition that we rightly deserve has not been a burden but sheer joy.

I would like to thank all of the people who over the years have been on that journey with me, but it would take up too much space in this edition and I would be afraid of leaving someone out. So, to all of you from the State and Federal Govt, Rio Tinto, community groups, members of other Councils who have also advocated for Weipa and to special individuals you all know who you are. Thank you for your support, thank you for not treating WTA like we are not normal, for believing in the work that we are trying to do on behalf of our community.

“It was at the drop of a hat; he was completely fine, was his usual self and wasn’t sick or had any infections prior,” she said.

“I’d just like to put that awareness out there to all parents to hold your babies close, because your life can be turned upside down in the blink of an eye.”

your passion and commitment to this town even if nobody else has

Three-year-old Manaia was diagnosed with a childhood cancer that changed his family’s life.

HORN

MERLUNA 1582.8mm MORETON 1467.1mm

PICCANINNY

AURUKUN Not recorded

ARCHER RIVER 1627.7mm

Cape York’s wet season

October 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024

Cooktown had its wettest calendar year on record in 2023, following its wettest December on record as a result of ex-TC Jasper. The records are current to 2000, when the Bureau of Meteorology’s rain gauge was moved to the airport. Some of the December rain was not measured, however, due to power outages.

There has been very little traffic over the Archer River causeway this wet season as consistent rain has fallen across the Cape. This was despite a predicition of a hotter and drier summer by the Bureau of Meteorology.

* Note that more rain fell in some locations but was not recorded due to equipment failure during storms.

CAPE

LOTUS

COOKTOWN 2132.8mm

PALMERVILLE

ednesday, 8 May 2024

-

stalls remier - East Weipa | a journey through time ks display and much more!

Two new grants to bolster region

r today for your free food/ softdrink wristband!

COOK Shire Council has announced the launch of two new funding opportunities aimed at bolstering community security and fostering environmental innovation within the vast local government area.

Launched last week, the council said the Cook Shire Security Upgrade Grants and Environmental Innovation Grants reflected the organisation’s commitment to enhancing safety measures and promoting sustainability initiatives across communities within its 106,000 square kilometre boundary.

Designed to support local businesses and organisations, the security upgrade program aims to let operators strengthen their security measures to help safeguard their businesses, but they will also create a greater sense of security within the community.

Outgoing Mayor Peter Scott said the program directly targeted the safety and wellbeing of Cook Shire residents.

“From installation of CCTV cameras and security alarms, to improving lighting and anti-vandalism initiatives, these grants are our response to the evolving security landscape and the need to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents,” he said.

The council’s environmental innovation grants support initiatives that contribute to environmental conservation, biodiversity preservation and the reduction of the carbon footprint within the region.

The grants will prioritise projects that offer innovative approaches to waste management and recycling, renewable energy adoption, the conservation of natural habitats, and sustainable agriculture practices.

Eligible organisations have until 16 April, 2024 to apply for either grant.

For more information, contact the council by emailing mail@cook.qld.gov.au, or call 4082 0500.

Saturday, 11 May and Saturday, 18 May 2024

-

od

er

The Jardine River Ferry will 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.

Brigade calls for helpers

By CHISA HASEGAWA

FOLLOWING Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery Nikki

Boyd’s assurance funds raised by rural fire brigades will continue to be solely used locally, Aurukun’s first officer is calling for a boost to the western Cape York brigade’s most valuable resource: volunteers.

Legislative changes introduced on 7 March, 2024 established the Rural Fire Service Queensland and Queensland Fire and Rescue as separate and dedicated fire services, with both to have dedicated budgets.

Minister Boyd said efforts from rural fire services volunteers were invaluable in ensuring the safety of Queensland

communities, and that the change was more so focused on transparency around how public funds were managed.

“The policy framework will make it clear that local assets like trucks and local funds will continue to solely benefit those local fire brigades and be accesses by local brigades for local purposes,” Minister Boyd said.

“Volunteers do such a great job in raising funds.

“Local fundraising will continue to be an important part of how local brigades work and that’s why it’s important local funds remain available for local brigades.”

Aurukun Rural Fire Service first officer Tim White said service to a brigade’s local com-

munity was always a significant factor in fundraising efforts.

“People are exercising goodwill to donate money for the purpose of providing an enhanced capability for their district and their regions to be protected by the resources they’ve donated with their hard-earned money,” Mr White said.

“Sporting clubs don’t raise funds so that [another] football club can get new jerseys.

“It’s generally around a targeted resource that people are motivated to raise that money for; it might be a new fire truck, it might be a new chainsaw.”

Mr White, however, said the Aurukun brigade was well-resourced, with the brigade’s main concern being volunteer num-

bers to utilise those resources in an emergency situation.

“Our priority is certainly around membership, and encouraging people to come in and assist with the fire management of the local areas,” he said.

“It’s great to have new chainsaws, but those chainsaws can’t be used if you don’t have volunteer members.

“I think right at the moment, we’ve got some good numbers and probably the best numbers that we’ve ever had in terms of volunteers coming in from the community.

“What’s most important for our sustainability is that we’re building these local member numbers, and that’s what we’re particularly looking at now.”

Workshop focuses on holistic aged care

FOR patients in their late stages of life, a “top-to-toe” approach to care is a priority at Weipa Hospital’s aged care facility.

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service professionals presented and refreshed their care tactics at the inaugural Holistic Care for the Elderly workshop last month, and aged care clinical nurse Mihkahlia Proffitt said the gathering provided invaluable insight into what was working and what needed to be addressed.

“It was brilliant, not only for the presenters to find out the is-

sues that we have, but it was also good for us, because they’re the allied health team and we heard about some of the limitations they’re under,” she said.

“We could come together as a group and work as a team for the best of the residents and the people in communities looking at coming into aged care as well.”

The workshop explored a range of areas including medications, dignity and choice, dental care, nutrition and food, mobility, skin tears and palliative care.

“Holistic care is not just looking at one issue, it’s looking at

the whole person and their wellbeing,” Ms Proffitt said.

“When you go into hospital, you’re going in because you’re unwell and they’re treating one component of you.

“With holistic care, we’re dealing with everything from their physical wellbeing to their social, emotional and cultural wellbeing, and making sure these people have an enriched life.”

Assistant in nursing (AIN) Ashleigh Lindley said in residential care, it was important to make the facility “feel more like home, rather than a hospital”.

“Our aged care is connected to a hospital, so it’s hard to separate those two things sometimes,” she said.

“We hang pictures in their rooms and it’s all bright and colourful and pretty. We also just make sure they’re well presented, too; we brush their hair every day, we dress them nicely, we put flowers in their hair, we put jewellery and perfume on.

“Every person is different, so it’s about looking at that person and what they need individually to give them the best quality of life while they’re here.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Legal services secured

THE Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) has secured critical legal services in the region, including the provision of legal education services, until 2028.

TSRA chair Pedro Stephen announced on Monday the appointment of two providers – E&H Law and Lena Passi Women’s Shelter – through Federal Government funding that would provide a local legal option in the region.

Mr Stephen said the move would ensure holistic legal support for Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people living in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area communities of Bamaga and Seisia.

“TSRA’s work to secure a four-year contract with both E&H Law and Lena Passi Women’s Shelter heralds a new and strengthened approach that ensures sustained access to legal services now and into the future,” Mr Stephen said.

“This long-term arrangement to mid2028 provides certainty and stability for community through quality support, legal expertise and education from prevention and intervention to assistance with all civil, family and criminal law matters.”

Rio royalties released

RIO Tinto has published its 2023 Taxes and Royalties Paid Report, which details $8.5 billion of taxes and royalties the mining giant paid globally during the year.

The result compares to $10.8b in 2022, which included around $1.5b of Australian corporate tax payments related to prior years.

Chief financial officer Peter Cunningham said Rio Tinto was attempting to make transparency a key part of its engagement with the community.

“We remain committed to being a leader on transparent tax reporting, as we continue to find better ways to contribute to our host countries and communities,” he said.

“The taxes and royalties we pay play an important role in economic and social development, and can be significant for national budgets and local development priorities such as job creation and skills training. It is important to us that we make this contribution openly and transparently, as part of our responsibility to extract value from the minerals and materials we produce in the safest and most sustainable way possible.”

Of the $76b it has paid in taxes and royalties globally over the past decade, Rio Tinto said more than 78 per cent was paid in Australia.

The inaugural Holistic Care for the Elderly workshop refreshed the minds of the team at Weipa’s aged care facility.

Local residents deserve a bridge

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

THEY say you can’t put lipstick on a pig, but that’s exactly what operators of the embarrassment of a vessel that links the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) with the rest of Cape York are trying to do by suggesting it remains the best way to cross the Jardine River.

The ageing ferry will be out of operation for almost all of April as Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council undertakes “major maintenance” to allow it to limp through another bumper tourist season in the northernmost part of Australia.

The maintenance announcement, while unsurprising, has reignited debate about whether the ferry should be scrapped – quite literally, I suspect anyone who’s ever seen it up close would suggest – and a bridge built in its place.

The conversation is now more than a decade old, with stop-start local interest and opposition from Traditional Owners reaching the point Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch says it’s time to redirect a $10 million Federal Government funding commitment to a community willing to embrace critical infrastructure development.

Should the money, committed in 2015, be reallocated to constructing a wet season solution over Myall Creek, stakeholders in the NPA

After operating for more than 30 years, it’s

shouldn’t be surprised when the government isn’t throwing high fives and immediately reaching for the chequebook the next time it’s asked to stump up for an infrastructure project in the region. Governments are funny like that, especially when the region in question consists of just one electorate.

The NPA Traditional Owners have every right to oppose the project, and have cited concerns ranging from environmental to the belief a bridge would lead to undesirables and drugs reaching the remotest part of mainland Queensland.

But the reality is that the biggest – and largely unspoken – opposi-

tion to replacing the ferry with a bridge boils down to money, and the loss of income for the council and, by extension, the community it would create.

There’s no question the ferry is an absolute money spinner for NPARC, with an estimated 100,000 tourists now visiting the NPA every year.

If we assume most come by road, and that an average three people per vehicle covers solo travellers, grey nomad couples and touring families of five or more, then you’ve got about 30,000 tourist vehicles using the ferry.

At the current rate of $130-205 per vehicle, that equates to some-

where in the vicinity of $3.9-$6.15 million in revenue for the council each year.

When you look at the NPARC budget, it’s impossible to tell how much it’s raking into its coffers in ferry fees.

Even the Member for Leichhardt has questioned what the council does with the money, telling this publication “there’s no transparency on it whatsoever”.

A strong bet is that improving the ferry and experience for users isn’t high on the spend list, with the vessel looking like it’s one overloaded four-wheel drive and caravan away from becoming a dive site on the bottom of the river.

Indeed, it’s understood the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has already waved more than a few red flags about the ferry’s seaworthiness and the qualifications – or lack thereof – of some of the staff who operate it.

There’s no reason a bridge would automatically equate to a loss of income for the council, nor a loss of jobs.

While Warren Entsch and others are vehemently opposed to any sort of toll system, there are precedents across Australia for how it could work effectively.

What such a toll setup would look like is the hypothetical of all hypotheticals, given the unwavering Traditional Owner resistance to the idea of a bridge, but it’s almost certain the fee would be less than what the council is currently charging both visitors and locals to traverse the river on something that looks like it’s being held together with duct tape, zip ties and crossed fingers.

It’s time for stakeholders to sit down, find a way to work through the opposition and come up with a bridge plan that allows the NPA to reach its full social and economic potential, not to mention the cost of living improvement a freight alternative to a barge would deliver.

Ongoing trips to the cosmetics counter are going to do little to save the floating porker that is currently the farcical answer to the Jardine River question.

fair to say the Jardine River ferry is not ageing well, as evidenced by being taken offline for almost a month’s “major maintenance” by Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council from 3 April.

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.

DAILY CONVENTIONAL CROSSWORD 15 X 15 GRID U

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

Items not needed for publication can be erased as each is in a separate text box.

Quick Crossword

Crossword

Focus

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION afire brief deaf fade fader fair fairer fare fared farer fear fend fern fernbird fibre fibred fiend find finder fine fined finer fire FIREBRAND fired firer friand friar fried

Created:

Ted Whillier

Qxpress: 8492

Matt Trickey Checked: Rosemary

Spot the 5 Differences

Join the Dots

1 Thong

2 Put away

3 Prayer ending

4 Ordained

5 Pouring edge

6 Passing away

7 Encourage in wrongdoing

8 Outlay

12 Stupefy

13 Small spot

15 Prevalent

16 Magazine 18 Work hard

19 Library user

24 Golf club

25 Called on

26 More than one

28 Site of the Taj Mahal

30 Ridiculing

33 Normal

34 Was there

35 Allure

37 Noble

40 Irish republic

42 Limb

44 Let in

45 Put apart

47 Openings

49 Worshipped image

CAPE YORK LAND COUNCIL

ICN 1163 | A BN 22 965 382 705

NOTICE OF MEETINGS

Cape York United # 1 Native Title Claim (QUD673/2014)

Central West Wik People

Wik and Wik Way People

Wednesday 17 April 2024, Aurukun

Cape York Land Council (CYLC) will hold a meeting on Wednesday 17 April 2024 in Aurukun (the ‘Piccaninny Plains Authorisation Meeting’) for the Central West Wik People to consider whether to authorise a proposed agreement for a determination of native title for the area known as Piccaninny Plains, as shown bounded in red on the map ast right. In the Piccaninny Plains proposed determination area, the native title of the Northern Kaanju People and the separate and distinct native title of the Central West Wik People, wholly overlap geographically.

A determination of native title involves a decision of the Federal Court. Important things about a determination of native title include that the Federal Court determines (1) who holds native title, (2) what the native title rights are, (3) the area to which the native title rights apply after any determination is made, and (4) which corporation will represent the members of the determined native title group. The purpose of the Piccaninny Plains Authorisation Meeting is to decide whether to approve the proposed agreement for a determination of native title for the area bounded in red as shown on the map below. The agenda of the meeting will be to consider whether the persons present:

• agree and adopt a decision-making process;

• agree to the proposed agreement for a determination of native title;

• agree to nominate a corporation to represent the native title holders identified in the proposed agreement for a determination of native title over the proposed determination area; and

• authorise the Principal Legal Officer of CYLC to nominate the proposed corporation in writing to the Federal Court for it to be the prescribed body corporate under s.57(2)(a) & (b) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) for the proposed determination of native title.

If the Piccaninny Plains Authorisation Meeting on Wednesday 17 April 2024 authorises the proposed determination of native title, the determination will then be sought in the Federal Court. The Court has listed a potential consent determination ‘on the papers’ (meaning, no Court hearing is proposed) for the area shown on the map below bounded in red, if there is to be a consent determination, on 10 or 11 July 2024

If the Central West Wik People nominate Ngan Aak-Kunch Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (ICN 4097) (NAK AC) as the corporation to represent the determined native title group, CYLC will also hold a meeting on Wednesday 17 April 2024 in Aurukun (Common Law Holders Meeting) immediately after the Piccaninny Plains Authorisation Meeting for the Wik and Way People to consider whether they, as common law holders of native title, made by the Federal Court respectively in:

• Wik and Wik Way People (QCD2009/002);

• Wik and Wik Way Peoples (QCD2000/006);

• Wik and Wik Way Native Title Determination No.2 (QCD2004/002);

• Wik and Wik Way Native Title Determination No.3 (QCD2004/003);

• Wik and Wik Way Native Title Determination No.4 (QCD2012/010); and

• Ross on behalf of the Cape York United #1 Claim Group v State of Queensland (No 22) (Wik and Wik Way independent parcels determination) [2023] FCA 1317 consent to the nomination of NAK AC as the corporation to represent the Central West Wik People for the area bounded in red as shown on the map below and identified in the proposed agreement for a determination of native title over the proposed determination area in the Cape York United # 1 Native Title Claim (QUD673/2014) (CYU#1 Claim) on 10 or 11 July 2024.

A copy of the proposed agreement for a determination of native title for the area shown bounded in red as shown on the map below will be available at the meetings on Wednesday 17 April 2024. At the request of the people who constitute the Applicant in the CYU#1 Claim, CYLC staff and consultants will be in attendance to be available to explain things such as the meaning and effect of the proposed agreement at the meetings. Any person attending the meetings will be able to ask questions about the proposed agreement and state their views about it.

Who is invited to attend the meetings?

The Piccaninny Plains Authorisation Meeting is open to the following:

(a) Brian Ross; and

(b) those Aboriginal persons who are descended by birth, or adoption in accordance with the traditional laws acknowledged and the traditional customs observed by the Central West Wik People, from one or more of the following apical ancestors:

(i) Peempa Thum-Kalban Ku’ekka;

(ii) Daojan (Koondumbin);

(iii) Jimmy (father of Polly Perkins and Connie Tartempenmiya);

(iv) Father of Short Charlie and Long Charlie (Chaalongk);

(v) George Brown;

The Common Law Holders’ Meeting is open to all Wik and Wik Way People. The meetings will be held as follows:

Piccaninny Plains Authorisation Meeting

Date: Wednesday 17 April 2024

Venue: Training Centre, Kang Kang Road, Aurukun QLD 4892

Time: 9.00am – 11.30am

Video-conferencing

(vi) Chininga;

(vii) Ko’owata (viii) Mosey;

(ix) Dhaabangchiy;

(x) Jimmy Lawrence;

(xi) Palpal (Quinkan) Old Blowdy;

(xii) Warnkoola Ancestor (father of Nellie ‘Eempen’ Warnkoola, Rupert Kepple Warnkoola and Charlie Warnkoola); or

(xiii) Kepple Ancestor (father of Gilbert Kepple and Maamus Kepple).

Common Law Holders’ Meeting

Date: Wednesday 17 April 2024

Venue: Training Centre, Kang Kang Road, Aurukun QLD 4892

Time: 11.30am – 12.30pm

Video-conferencing facilities will be made available at the meeting. If you would like CYLC to arrange a video- conference from your location into the meeting, whether you live at the location of the meeting or elsewhere, please contact CYLC on the number below. It is important to provide every opportunity for persons entitled to attend the meeting.

Attendance

To register your interest in attending this meeting or to enquire about travel assistance, please contact Leah Thompson at CYLC on free call number 1800 623 548 or by email at lthompson@cylc.org.au no later than 9 April 2024 Please note that there is limited funding for travel assistance. If you have queries about this meeting, please contact Parky Wirrick on 0409 548 569 or pwirrick@cylc.org.au

Mokwiri Aboriginal Corporation

RNTBC-ICN:7972

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) INCLUDING CHANGES IN THE MAC RNTBC RULE BOOK

Notice is hereby given that the MAC RNTBC Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at the Suzie Madua Conference Room on the 23rd of April 2024. Proxy Forms are available at the MAC RNTBC Office at Napranum.

Dated: Tuesday 23rd of April 2024

Venue: Suzie Madua Conference Room – Napranum – Jessica Point Civic Centre

Time: 9:00am

The Business of this AGM Meeting is as follows:

1. Accept Draft Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 3rd of March 2023.

2. All Directors to stand down.

3. Resolutions to Change in the MAC RNTBC Rule Book from a Maximum of 12 Directors to a Minium 6 Directors (1 from each Clan Group and (6) Proxies).

4. The New (6) Elected Directors to be appointed and if their Proxies require a DIR, the MAC RNTBC Company Secretary can help them with this process.

5. Resolutions to Change in the MAC RNTBC Rule Book the New Membership Forms to include (Pg1 and Pg2).

6. Resolution to Change in the MAC RNTBC Rule Book to set up an Elders Advisory Committee.

7. Chairperson/Company Secretary Report on behalf of the Board of Directors.

8. Financial Report.

9. General Busines

Date: 19th of March 2024

For any inquires, please contact Company Secretary.

• Email: info@mokwiripbc.com.au or Email: mokwiripbc@gmail.com

• Ph: (07) 4257 1000

• Ph: (07) 4257 1001

VEHICLE AUCTION

MONDAY, 29 APRIL 2024

LOT 55

LOT 60

LOT 61

LOT 62

LOT 64

LOT 66

LOT 69

LOT 74

LOT 75

FORD FAIRLANE SEDAN NISSAN TIIDA SEDAN NISSAN MICRA HATCHBACK FORD FALCON SEDAN

HOLDEN CAPTIVA

HOLDEN JACKAROO FORD COURIER MAZDA 323 HATCHBACK FORD FALCON SEDAN

Vehicles impounded pursuant to Section 100(6) of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995.

The auction will take place at Cook Shire Council's Waste Transfer Station, located at MacMillan Street, Cooktown on Monday, 29 April 2024. Vehicles can be viewed from 9am. Auction commences at 9:15am sharp.

Council offers no warranties and accepts no responsibility for the condition of the vehicles. Council reserves the right to withdraw any vehicle advertised before the auction.

| | | P E W

4082 0500 mail@cook.qld.gov.au www.cook.qld.gov.au

No party for Robson as Broncos thrash Cowboys

THE North Queensland Cowboy’s dream start to the 2024 NRL season has ended after receiving a 26-point thumping at the hands of the Brisbane Broncos on Good Friday.

In wet and slippery conditions at Suncorp Stadium, the Broncos were too good in the Queensland local derby, capitalising on mis-

takes and gap in the Cowboys’ defensive line to post a 20-12 halftime margin through tries to Billy Walters, Jesse Arthars and Kotoni Staggs.

Valentine Holmes and Scott Drinkwater crossed the chalk in the first 40 minutes for the visitor’s only tries of the game. The Broncos kept their north-

ern cousins scoreless in the second half, with three more tries and the devasting boot of Adam Reynolds delivering the home team an impressive 38-12 win.

Broncos forward Pat Carrigan earned the inaugural Carl Webb Medal, a fitting result given the powerful impact its namesake had for both clubs.

The round four result was not the way Cowboys hooker Reece Robson wanted to chalk up his 100-game milestone, admitting the loss represented a significant learning curve for the club.

“We didn’t get the result tonight, but that’s rugby league; sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said after the game.

“It was a big learning curve for us.”

The Cowboys currently sit in third spot on the 2024 NRL ladder, and will have the home ground advantage on their side when they host the Gold Coast Titans in Townsville on Sunday afternoon at 4:05pm. The game will be shown live on Channel 9.

Easter delivers goods for anglers

IT wasn’t just chocolate being bitten over the long weekend, with anglers celebrating Easter by landing some cracking catches across the region.

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 and Torres Strait 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.

Email them to editor@capeyork weekly.com.au.

Oscar Mawn, 11, had plenty of reasons to smile after a recent fishing adventure near Punsand Bay yielded this nice catch.

Steve Rehn celebrated spearfishing success when he explored the outer Great Barrier Reef off the eastern Cape York coast.

Cooktown’s Celine Buck landed this beautiful coral trout on a trip to the close reefs last week.

Trev Smith managed to hook and successfully land a good coral trout during a reef angling trip off Cooktown.

This solid mangrove jack fought hard in a good river battle against 9-year-old Cooper Mawn and Jack See Kee, 10.

Cape York boxers raring to go for Sunstate bouts

By LYNDON KEANE

THEY are a formidable sight for any opponent with the gloves on, but a group of western Cape York boxers are asking for the community to be in their corner as they prepare for upcoming bouts nearly 1000 kilometres away.

Ten boxers from Cape York Boxing Weipa are set to travel to Tully in a fortnight for the second Sunstate Amateur Boxing League tournament of 2024, with almost half the fighters scheduled to step into the ring for the first time.

However, club founder and coach Scott Wallace said the growing popularity of the sport in the region – and the incredible natural talent of so many members – had thrown an unexpected spanner in the works.

“Last year, we were taking five fighters to each tournament, and we’re up to 10 plus now so, it’s just showing the strength and growth of Cape York boxing,” he said.

“It’s really good for the sport and the kids, but it’s getting a bit tough with logistics.”

Mr Wallace explained the club would showcase a diverse range of boxers in Tully, from a 10-year-old making their debut, to seasoned Masters campaigners Scott Barton and Sophia Michaelis.

“I want to try and get them

to two tournaments before the Golden Gloves, with is pretty much our biggest event up this way,” he said.

“We’ve got a pretty broad spectrum of fighters; probably about four or five will be having their first fight.”

While the club prided itself on standing on its own feet in the six years since its inception,

Mr Wallace said the cost of getting the contingent to Tully during the wet season meant he had little option but to ask the community for help.

He explained while seeing his fighters increase their skill in the ring and move through the ranks was rewarding, the greatest gauge of the club’s success had to be measured outside the ring through the impact boxing had on members.

“Parents come to me every week and they’re crying and they’re saying their son had no confidence, and their daughter was so shy, but now they are talking to adults and have totally changed their behaviour and how they go about life,” he said proudly.

“It totally changes lives; it’s stuff like that I never expected to hear when I was stupid enough to start a boxing gym in Weipa.

“That’s what the sport’s all about.”

To help the boxers star in Tully, email the club at capeyorkboxingweipa@outlook.com.

NRLW stars show off skills in Cooktown

By CHISA HASEGAWA

FUTURE rugby league stars in Cooktown have had an exciting and inspiring start to their season after a visit from the professionals last week.

A contingent of players and training staff from the North Queensland Cowboys and Northern Pride, including NRLW stars Tahlulah Tillett and Krystal Blackwell, ran a skills and drills session at Endeavour Christian College on 26 March, which was followed by a meet and greet with Cooktown’s budding rugby league talent.

Cooktown Crocs Junior Rugby League Club secretary Jacynta Hunt said the event had been especially valuable for the town’s female rugby league players, as it demonstrated there was a professional pathway available to them on the football field.

“We have an OK number of girls in our club, but when they

SPORT IN BRIEF

Graham takes Wackers win

ELIJAH Graham was the best of a 17-player field when competitors vied for Wackers honours at the Carpentaria Golf Club on 27 March.

Graham finished the back nine holes with nett 32 to claim a three-stroke win over runner-up Mick Cernaka, who returned to the clubhouse with a nett 35.

Pete Lamond claimed the nearest to the pin prize on the 15th hole, with Sean Martin securing Bradman’s bragging rights.

Parkrun milestone for Emi

THE Easter long weekend did not deter participants when 42 laced up their sneakers to tackle Weipa parkrun #359 on 30 March.

With many undoubtedly trying to get five kilometres of exercise in before the Easter Bunny’s chocolate delivery the following day, the event welcomed four first-time runners, with three PBs recorded.

It was a milestone run for Emilija Balodis, who notched up parkrun number 25.

Hannah Hope, Donna Jewell, Michael Collins, Camille Freiberg, Kelly Balodis, Natasha Tapper and Fiona Dyer volunteered to ensure the event went off without a hitch.

Dyer claims Dawnbusters

DAWNBUSTERS competitors watched the sun rise over the Carpentaria Golf Club as they hunted for Easter bragging rights –and possibly hidden eggs – on Sunday.

Thirteen players teed off on the back nine holes, with Graham Dyer returning to the clubhouse with a nett 20 to secure one of the narrowest winning margins in recent weeks. Dyer was able to hold off Dave Sands, who took runner-up honours from Simon Ayles on a countback after both players carded a nett 21.

Mal Fairall claimed the men’s longest drive for the round, while his threeyear-old daughter Esme was awarded the chocolates for the most impressive women’s drive and had the longest drive in the golf cart with her dad.

Ross Craven impressed with the short clubs to bag the nearest to the pin prize, while Lucas Duvenhague was given the Hoffman’s crown.

Junior league launch

get older, the ratio of boys to girls increases,” she said.

“I brainstormed with the committee and some of our coaches on what we can do as a club to incentivise girls who play football, and we came back with what the girls need is not special equipment, they don’t need anything different to the boys, but what they do need is role models.

“Unless they see that there’s a pathway there for them, it becomes something that they just don’t get supported in early enough to keep the passion alive.”

Ms Hunt said in the club’s younger age groups, the mix of female to male players could be up to 50 per cent.

“As they get older, body image kicks in, they’re not sure about their role models or whether they should play footy, and if being a sporting woman is cool,” Ms Hunt said.

“I think in having those role

models, it helps them to see that these are beautiful, hard-working women who have chosen to make careers out of football.

“Tilly [Tillett] was amazing when she spoke to them, she said she was the only girl in an all-boys team.

“We’re seeing that shift now where there are more girls playing football, and they can start to believe that it’s as much for them as it is for the boys.”

Ms Hunt said although the session was aimed at encouraging girls to join and stay in the sport, it was equally important for the boys to be exposed to female role models.

“We did open it deliberately to boys as well as girls, because we felt it was equally beneficial for the boys to see these women as amazing and powerful, because that’s how we’re going to change that perspective and that culture,” she said.

“I would say [the boys] already put them on a pedestal,

because you’ll often hear [them] going ‘she’s really tough’ or ‘wow, she plays really awesome’, so it definitely wasn’t born from a deficit. All the kids in rural towns need role models to know that they are seen and there’s a pathway there, regardless of their gender or where they come from.”

She said the session raised the enthusiasm of the players going into a new season and also attracted newcomers to the sport.

“They were asking lots of questions and they got really involved with all of the different skills and drills from the Cowboys and Northern Pride,” Ms Hunt said.

“It was great to have conversations with the people who hadn’t yet signed up; I had a lot of people asking me ‘when does training start, are the teams full yet, can we still sign on?’”

The Crocs will hold their first official training session of the season on 16 April.

WITH only two weeks to go until training commences for the 2024 season, Cooktown District Junior Rugby League officials are reminding players they must be registered before they take to the training paddock.

The club is offering both tag and tackle game options for junior players aged 6-17 this season, with a range of age divisions available to complement the ability of the Cooktown region’s budding league stars.

The first training session of the year will be held on 16 April, commencing at 5pm.

For more information, email cooktownjrl@gmail.com.

Basketball takes timeout

COMPETITION will be swapped for social sessions on the court as Weipa Basketball takes a two-week break over the Easter school holiday period.

The casual social sessions are an opportunity for Weipa residents to get a basketball fix over the break, with both kids and adults sessions being held each Saturday at the Weipa Aquatic and Sport Precinct storm surge shelter.

Little players take to the court from 10:30am-12:30pm, while adults will show off their skills from 12:30pm-2pm.

Cooktown welcomed Cowboys NRLW stars Tahlulah Tillett and Krystal Blackwell prior to the holidays.

Tahlulah Tillett is a Far North product and was popular with the kids.

The up-and-coming stars of Weipa boxing are heading to Tully to compete in the second Sunstate Amateur Boxing League tournament of 2024 on 13 April, but they need the support of the western Cape community to get them there.