Cape York Weekly Edition 181

The remote Saibai Island community is mourning after a missing 16-year-old boy was attacked by a crocodile in shallow water while attempting to swim to shore from a broken down dinghy in the early hours of Thursday. Turn to Page 3 for all the details about the tragedy. Cooktown’s Don Woods is officially the best horseback archer in the country after claiming overall honours at the 2024 Australian Horse Archery Association National Championships in Victoria. Read about his impressive result on Page 4.

Changes allow councils to better manage trust land

COOK Shire Council says it is reviewing changes to State Government legislation designed to allow local governments to “respond to what their communities require at any given time”.

After being passed in Parliament last week, the Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill No 2 gives local councils expanded powers over the day-to-day management and use of land they hold in trust, a move the government says will facilitate timely action to community need.

A new process will be established to make it easier for trustees to convert land used for public infrastructure like aged care facilities, emergency services, and water treatment plants to freehold.

The legislative changes will not impact councils managing Aboriginal deed of grant in trust land.

The Bill also makes it a mandatory condition for mining companies to pay council rates and charges as part of their resource authority.

Cook Shire Council currently levies rates on mining lease holders, and Mayor Robyn Holmes said the legislative change was unlikely to generate additional revenue.

“Cook Shire currently levy rates on mining tenement holders,” she said.

“Our initial reading of the proposed amendments provides that the changes may assist in recovering unpaid rates and charges, but does not increase revenue for local gov-

ernment. We are reviewing the new legislation carefully to understand how these changes could enhance our ability to manage land and resources effectively for the benefit of Cook Shire.”

Minister for Resources Scott Stewart said the reforms were focused on modernising the local government management of trust land under the sector’s control.

“These reforms will modernise the state land allocation and administration process to better support economic, environmental, and social growth,” he said.

“This is about empowering councils and other trustees to respond to what their communities require at any given time.”

Services to resume from temporary Wujal clinic

AS displaced Wujal Wujal residents begin to return home, a new temporary clinic is nearing completion and already offering partial health services.

In a boost for the community’s healthcare capacity, local Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) staff, including nurses, health workers, operational officers, and administration staff, have returned to work.

The full resumption of services will commence in the next fortnight, when GP services, specialist clinics, ultrasound services and outreach clinics will become available.

Wujal Wujal clinic director of nursing Vince Connellan said staff were looking forward to welcoming back both old and new clients.

“All staff and I are extremely excited to be opening our new clinic and returning to work in Wujal Wujal,” he said.

“Everyone has been working extremely hard to achieve the return of health services to Wujal Wujal and surrounding communities.

“These communities can now feel safe to return home, and

also feel confident that services are finally back close to home where they belong.”

The temporary clinic will remain in place while options for a future permanent clinic to replace the flood-damaged one are developed.

Minister for Health, Mental Health, and Ambulance Services

Shannon Fentiman said com-

munity recovery and rebuilding remained a priority.

“We are absolutely committed to making sure the Wujal Wujal community can access high-quality healthcare following the flooding event late last year,” she said.

“I’m thrilled for residents who no longer need to travel to access the healthcare they need

as health services start back up.”

The new clinic will not have capacity for an onsite morgue, so culturally and clinically safe transfers will occur until burials can take place locally.

Medical imaging and dental services will also remain unavailable and continue to be provided from Cooktown due to the size of the temporary clinic.

Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals Scott Stewart.

The new treatment and emergency room set up by TCHHS nurses Karen Morgan and Lisa Callaghan with director of nursing Vince Connellan.

Teen grabbed by croc as he made swim for shore

By LYNDON KEANE

THE search for a missing 16-year-old Saibai Island boy ended in tragedy last week after he was attacked by a saltwater crocodile while attempting to swim to safety from an incapacitated dinghy.

Police initially launched a search and rescue operation in the early hours of Thursday following the disappearance of the boy, with reports he and a 13-year-old boy had tried to swim to shore after their boat suffered engine trouble.

The 13-year-old made it back to shore, but the 16-year-old boy remained missing, sparking a frantic search before a body was

discovered in mangroves on the island around 4pm on Thursday.

Police confirmed the body had “injuries consistent with a crocodile attack”, but Senior Sergeant Greg Giles said it had not been known whether a crocodile was involved at the time of the search.

“We weren’t sure at that stage,” he said.

“We weren’t sure if the boy had just unfortunately drowned, or whether he had been taken by a crocodile.

“The 13-year-old had made it back to shore, alerted his family, who then contacted water police in Thursday Island.”

Senior Sergeant Giles said the pair made the decision to aban-

don their dinghy and swim approximately 500 metres back to shore after the vessel started to take on water.

“As far as we understand, they were headed out into the Torres Strait,” he said.

“We understand the boat they were in had engine trouble and then started taking on water.

“It was quite rough at the time … so the boat was taking on water, and because they couldn’t start the engine, they decided to swim back.

The boys were in waistdeep water when the attack is believed to have occurred, although the 13-year-old boy did not see a crocodile.

“At the time when the other

boy went missing, they were in waist-deep water, so it would have only been a few minutes before he got to shore,” Senior Sergeant Giles said.

A 3.5-metre crocodile is believed to be responsible for the attack, and Department of Environment, Science and Innovation program coordinator Simon Booth said the reptile would be identified and removed.

“The community has indicated that they would like the crocodile removed from the wild, and that’s consistent with the Queensland Government crocodile management plan following an attack on a person,” Mr Booth said.

Letter from Editor – Page 12

Scherger to be considered in budget lift

WEIPA’s RAAF Base Scherger could benefit from the Federal Government’s $50.3 billion boost to defence.

The government unveiled its 2024 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program (IIP) last week, with the bumper figure to be spent over the next decade above the previously identified trajectory over that period.

RAAF Base Scherger is one

of three “bare bases” across northern Australia, along with Western Australian sites RAAF Base Curtin and RAAF Base Learmonth.

Bare bases are designed so operational units can move into existing facilities at little or no notice for defence requirements or exercises, including the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre.

While there is no specific reference to RAAF Base Scherger

in the IIP, the 100-page document does include investments of $14-18b to “ensure Defence has a logistically connected and resilient set of bases, ports and barracks across Australia’s north”, in addition to identifying “infrastructure enhancements” to Far North Queensland sites.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the additional funding commitment meant the government would now spend

$330b on the IIP over the decade to 2033-34.

“We are making an historic investment in Defence funding, including $330b for the Integrated Investment Program over the decade, a significant lift from previous planning,” he said.

“At a time of complex challenges and increasing uncertainty, a stronger, integrated, focused and capable Defence Force is of the upmost importance.”

An Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet departs on a flying operation from Weipa’s RAAF Base Scherger during Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2021.

Woods crowned Australia’s best

By CHISA HASEGAWA

A COOKTOWN man has been crowned overall winner of the 2024 Australian Horse Archery Association National Championships in just his third year at the competition.

Despite getting into the sport only six years ago, Don Woods is no stranger to the championships stage, having previously been selected to compete at state, national and international levels in other sports.

Having ridden his first horse at just two years old, and an avid archer for the past 15 years, putting the two disciplines together was a no-brainer.

“I love horses and I love archery, so combining them is just fantastic,” Mr Woods said.

“There’s nothing that causes quite the same sense of euphoria for me as when I’m up there doing a good run on the back of the horse.”

After finishing third at the 2023 championships, Mr Woods said 2024 felt like his “breakthrough” year when competitors converged on the north-east Victorian village of Cheshunt earlier this month.

“I’ve been able to see some big improvements in my own skills, which is exciting,” he said.

“To actually win overall champion on top of that is, as you can imagine, a big sense of achievement.”

With the competition held in Victoria, Mr Woods said one of the challenges was riding a horse that was not his own, although it was not an unfamiliar experience, having borrowed a mount to compete at the International Horse Archery Association World Championships in Mongolia last year.

“There’s a fair bit with the horses, desensitising them to the bow

and arrow, and also in the control, because you drop the reins and ride without hand control,” he told Cape York Weekly

“Although it only took me a few hours to get the hang of it when I first started, there have of course been big improvements since then, and there’s a big difference between hitting the target and hitting it consistently and accurately.”

Mr Woods said one of the best things about the little-known sport was its open and inclusive community.

Although the championship category was judged based on three fast-paced tracks for advanced competitors, there were also novice canter, walk and trot, and junior categories.

“I have some close friends in the

association now because it’s a very close community across all ages and all skill levels,” Mr Woods said.

“Canter gets a lot of excitement and it’s really fun to watch, but there’s also the trot and walk tracks, and they’re very important to us as well, because they’re where our new competitors come from.”

Cooktown’s Don Woods, left, pictured with the other placegetters from the Australian Horse Archer Association National Championships in rural Victoria.

Weipa veteran reflects on service

By CHISA HASEGAWA

was just a teenager when she saw the events of September 11 in 2001 and decided she wanted to join the military.

Ten years after being discharged, the veteran reflected on how the experience shaped her, and the sacrifices of those who inspired her. Ms Shaw enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 2008 as a combat systems operator and was sent to the Middle East the following year.

Even before joining the Navy, she attended Anzac Day dawn services and said she was proud to see younger generations supporting and learning about the commemoration each 25 April.

“For a small town, Weipa gets a large portion of its population that will go to dawn service in the morning, and that is something I’m very happy to see, because Weipa has a very young demographic,” she said.

“It’s really great each year that we see a lot of young kids marching in the dawn service parade, and young families teaching their children what Anzac Day means and why we do it.”

Ms Shaw said, for her, Anzac Day was an opportunity to reflect on her own time in the military,

those she worked with, and those who served before her.

“It’s a chance to express our gratitude and reflect on our soldiers, sailors, and airmen and women from World War 1 and World War 2 for their sacrifices,” she said.

“We did lose people in Afghanistan, but when you look at some of the documentaries from [the world wars], there were millions of lives

lost, and it scares me to think about if that was to happen today.”

As a single woman with no children at the time, a humble Ms Shaw said she never viewed her own service as a sacrifice.

“There were many people that were married with young children, and spending months away from their families and missing milestones of their kids growing up,” she said.

“I was quite free in that regard, so I see it more as I had the ability to serve my country and I’m very grateful that I was able to do that,” she said.

This Anzac Day, Ms Shaw said she hoped people would respect not only the work of veterans, but each other as well.

“Especially with the violence that’s occurring in the world at the moment, it would be great to

reflect on everything that has happened in the past and choose to be kind to each other,” she said.

 In Weipa, the Weipa RSL sub-branch will host an Anazc Day march and service at the cenotaph in Rocky Point.

The parade will commence as 5:25am, with the service scheduled for 5:30am. A gunfire breakfast will be held at the conclusion of the service.

WEIPA resident Gemma Shaw

The Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Several hundred people gather in Rocky Point each year for the Weipa Anzac Day service.

The horror of September 11 inspired Gemma Shaw to join the Defence Force.

Weipa-based Navy veteran Gemma Shaw says she is proud of her community’s engagement in Anzac Day commemorations.

Jackson to Light the Way for local RFDS support

By LYNDON KEANE

AFTER having multiple personal experiences with the work the Royal Flying Doctor Service does, Wolverton Station’s Emma Jackson is a natural fit as Cape York’s new ambassador for the organisation.

The RFDS has announced Ms Jackson as one of 11 new Queensland Light the Way ambassadors tasked with spreading the message about the important lifesaving work it does, especially in regional and remote areas.

In 2022, Ms Jackson was crowned the RFDS Local Hero Award winner for the Cairns region after she used a defibrillator supplied by the organisation to save the life of friend Karryn Dolan, who suffered a “widow maker” heart attack while visiting the Archer River station.

Ms Jackson told Cape York Weekly that experience, and the involvement of the RFDS in medical incidents with her children, meant she was well positioned to champion the emergency retrieval and health service provider.

“I’m a massive, passionate believer in the RFDS, and the support they give us on the station,” she explained.

“I think probably half the reason they asked me is because they can see I’m a natural ambassador for the RFDS; all of my children have used the RFDS for critical incidents.”

RFDS Queensland chair Georgie Somerset said the ambassadors helped promote the organisation but also worked to identify areas for additional service delivery.

“The RFDS is much more than an aeromedical retrieval service,” she said.

“We’re one of the largest primary health care providers in Australia, and we’re continually innovating and expanding our services to deliver new products

and programs to meet community needs.

“The ambassador role is important in engaging across Queensland within the communities our ambassadors live in and, in the process, identify any opportunities to provide additional services.”

Ms Jackson said her firsthand experience of the support and services offered by the RFDS made her new role as a Light the Way ambassador an easy one.

“They’ve listened to community and what communities need, and they respond and also ask ‘what else do you need?’” she said.

“I think there would be a lot more sickness, a lot more disease and a lot more deaths if it wasn’t for the RFDS, so it’s a no brainer [to become an ambassador].

I like that the RFDS also have a tenacity to them; they like to unpack and undress and find out what’s going on [with a patient], and not just address their symptoms.

“It’s definitely in their culture.”

Severe weather review

AFTER parts of Queensland, including Cape York, were devastated during the summer storm season, the State Government has announced its inspectorgeneral emergency management (IGEM) will conduct a review of significant weather events relating to the 2023-24 severe weather season.

Acting Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the review would be a way to “seek new and better ways to support Queenslanders when natural disasters strike”.

“I know Queenslanders are resilient and have plenty of practice at recovering from severe weather events, but anything we can do to minimise the harm and damage and speed up and improve the recovery process is very worthwhile,” he said.

The review will include the severe storms, tropical cyclones, tropical lows, flooding and bushfires, and will also include any other significant weather events that occur prior to the conclusion of the severe weather season.

An interim IGEM report is expected by 30 July, with the final report scheduled to be tabled by 30 September.

Visit dates announced

RIO Tinto Weipa has released the dates for its 2024 family and community site visits, which provide a behind the scenes look at Amrun and Andoom operations.

Amrun will be in the spotlight on 25 May, 13 July and 31 August, while family and community members will be able to check out Andoom bauxite production on 10 August. In previous years, the visits have proven popular with families of miners and interested members of the community.

Registrations open three weeks before the scheduled site visit, with places limited.

For more information, email rtaweipafeedback@riotinto.com.

Anzac Day at Bloomfield

THE Bloomfield River District Residents Association (BRDRA) is inviting the community to commemorate Anzac Day and share in a social event on 25 April.

The day will begin with morning tea at the Tin Shed at 10:30am, before community members gather at the Ayton store at 11am.

The Anzac Day march and service will commence at 11:30am, before the commemoration is wrapped up with a barbecue and drinks from midday.

The BRDRA is asking attendees to bring a plate to share.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service plays a crucial role in the healthcare of remote Australia, especially Cape York.

Wolverton Station’s Emma Jackson says it is a “no brainer” to support the work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service after being announced as one of the organisation’s new Light the Way ambassadors.

End of an era for childcare centre

By CHISA HASEGAWA

BELOVED by children, parents and staff, the outgoing Lady Gowrie Barrier Reef Child Centre service manager was showered with balloons, cards and gratitude at last week’s afternoon tea in her honour.

After almost five years of caring for Cooktown families in the role, Terry Parsons will be moving on to follow a new education support job opportunity.

“Bittersweet is one word I can say,” Ms Parsons said.

“I’m excited, but I’m also really sad to be leaving my children and my families and staff.”

Ms Parsons fostered a supportive and loving environment with staff and families, all of whom were extremely sad to lose her as service manager.

“Terry has been absolutely amazing to work with; she really creates a sense of community and family at the centre,” colleague Sharon Willmann said.

“She’s been in Cooktown for a very long time, so she has a great connection with the community; they feel comfortable with her, and it’ll be a big loss for the centre.”

Ms Parsons has been in the childcare and education sector for over 14 years and said she cared about every child as if they were her own. She previously worked at Cooktown State School and found her passion there for working with younger children.

“Being a part of the children’s journey, and watching them grow and learn is one of the highlights of this job,” Ms Parsons explained.

“Being in a small community, I’m still able to follow their journey and education.

“I think when you live in a metro town, you can’t always see them blossom and grow, but here, you often bump into them at the local shops and can catch up.”

Colleague Mel Goethals said Ms Parson’s leadership approach meant she had felt supported from her first day on the job.

“You don’t often find bosses

that are understanding of a fulltime working mother,” she said.

“I’m sad and worried to see her go, because she’s been so great and it’ll be big shoes to fill, but I also wish her the best of luck.”

Laura Wilkes, who started her career at Lady Gowrie, said it was sad to see her first mentor go.

“Everything I’ve learned in childcare, I’ve learned from her. She showed me how to be a leader, and how to be kind and caring with everyone,” she said.

“She also basically taught me how to become a part of the community.”

The extended Lady Gowrie Barrier Reef Child Centre family gathered to celebrate and farewell outgoing service manager Terry Parsons last week.

Lady Gowrie Barrier Reef Child Centre manager Terry Parsons has farewelled children, parents and staff as she prepares to embark on a new career.

Exhibition kicks off gallery’s year

COOKTOWN’S art crowd was out in force on Friday to celebrate the launch of Cooktown School of Art Society’s first exhibition of the year.

Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery came alive with vivid colours and works for RAW, an exhibition of the handmade and undisciplined, with a diverse range of community members witnessing the work of local artists.

Society president and secretary Jane Dennis said the night had been a success, and urged Cooktown residents and visitors to visit the gallery and cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award, which will be announced on 4 May.

“The event achieved its aim in drawing artists out of the shadows, and it’s

Free RSV jab for newborns

well worth a visit, as there are more than 70 exhibits on display, all eclectic and surprising,” she said.

“Come down and cast a vote for the Peoples’ Choice Award and support our local talent.”

The event was also used to celebrate a gallery refurbishment, with exhibition space now able to be transformed due to moveable walls.

The next exhibition at the gallery will be the showcase 45th Annual Art Award, which is scheduled to be unveiled on 13 June ahead of the Cooktown Discovery Festival.

Ms Dennis said entry forms for CSAS’s premier event were now available at the gallery, or at the Cooktown library.

BABIES from Cape York and the Torres Strait born after 1 February, 2024 are now eligible for a free respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination.

RSV is a is a common respiratory virus that is the most common cause of hospitalisation for infants and young children.

The State Government has announced the vaccine will be offered to newborn babies before being discharged from hospital, and is also free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants less than eight months of age, infants with certain complex medical conditions less than eight months of age, and infants with certain complex medical conditions from eight months up to 19 months of age until 31 October.

Parents and caregivers are being urged to speak to their local hospital or clinic about the RSV vaccination.

Anzac Day in the NPA

A COMMUNITY breakfast, lunch and music will be used to commemorate Anzac Day in the Northern Peninsula Area on 25 April. Cape York Peninsula Lodge will host a free breakfast, before a barbecue lunch is held in Anzac Park.

A live band will be playing at Bamaga Tavern from 5pm to round out the schedule of events.

For more information, call the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council events team on 4048 6605.

Ag products on agenda

THE National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) will host a series of roundtables across April and May to confirm support for the broad characteristics and principles that must be used in defining Indigenous agricultural products.

The roundtables are the next phase in consultation in the Indigenous Agricultural Product Framework Project, being led by the NFF and jointly funded by the Federal Government and Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.

Initial consultations with a range of key stakeholders have identified five characteristics as being critical to the definition of an Indigenous agricultural product: connection to culture, connection to Country, sustainability, collective benefit and economic self-determination.

The two-hour virtual roundtables will be held on 23 and 24 April, and 1 and 2 May.

For more information, or to register for a roundtable, visit www.nff.org.au.

Cape York Weekly is is the only media outlet covering news in every community on Cape York Peninsula

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Shelley Burt, Hazel Moore and Tracey Blumer discuss their favourite entries at the launch of Cooktown School of Art Society’s RAW exhibition on Friday.

CIAF embraces 15th anniversary

THE Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) will celebrate an extraordinary journey of evolution and the skill of Cape York and Torres Strait artists when the event marks its 15th anniversary in July.

The event will embrace a theme of Country Speaking and run from 25-28 July, and CIAF artistic director Francoise Lane said the 2024 event was shaping up as a testament to Queensland’s First Nations arts and culture industry, and its place on the world stage.

“From its humble beginnings as an art fair, CIAF has evolved into a multifaceted celebration of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, culture, and fashion, featuring artists, performers, and creatives from the Torres Strait, Cape York, and Gulf communities in the north, out to western communities and down to the south-east corner,” Ms Lane said.

Organisers are expecting more than 30,000 individual visitors to experience CIAF over the four-

day celebration of Indigenous art, a spike of more than 10 per cent on the 2023 event.

Ms Lane said 300 or more works were anticipated to be included in the Art Fair exhibition at the Cairns Convention Centre, adding artists had responded positively to the selection of Country Speaking as a theme.

“Works will be chosen on their artistic merit and response to this year’s Country Speaking theme,” she explained.

“This is an opportunity for artists to explore their spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental relationship to the Country, a strong First Nations concept embodying 65,000 years of deep connection to the land, waters, skies, and seas.

“Country speaks; it always has

and always will; the question is, are we listening?”

Comprising more than 20 free and ticketed events, CIAF’s program highlights will include the opening night party, art fair, art market and public program of workshops, ghost net weaving, printmaking, digital drawing masterclasses and children’s activities.

Ms Lane said excitement was growing following the 2024 program launch on 15 April, which was supported visually by works from Aurukun artists from the Wik and Kugu Art Centre.

“CIAF has become a platform for catapulting the careers of artists, arts workers, and performers. It is a space to discover new talent and celebrate established ones,” she said.

we take a journey through time from the discovery of bauxite to last ore at East Weipa Hosted where the township’s hub was d in 1967, these events are open to everyone and we hope to ast employees there on the day!

Saturday, 11 May and Saturday, 18 May 2024

Kumrumja Centre / WASP/ Hibberd Library

2 00pm - 8 00pm

od and softdrinks tivities at the WASP ork Collection history chats with Geoff Wharton inema - East Weipa | a journey through time

al activities

s, live music, sunset bar rks and much more!

er today for your free food/ softdrink wristband!

Pormpuraaw’s Syd Bruce Shortjoe has exhibited at CIAF every year.

Fashion designer Irene Robinson, CIAF artistic director Francoise Lane and curatorial associate Teho Ropeyarn celebrate the launch of the annual art fair’s 15th season as they inspect artwork from Aurukun’s Wik and Kugu Art Centre.

Minister Leeanne Enoch presented Aurukun’s Janet Koongotema with the Premier’s Choice Award at last year’s Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.

Cape icon a focus of partnership

A RESEARCH program to better understand and protect Cape York’s iconic and endangered palm cockatoo has taken flight through a partnership between Rio Tinto, Australian National University (ANU) and Wildlife Warriors.

Over the next four years, ANU PhD student Andrew O’Neill will conduct research across Rio Tinto’s Weipa mining lease and the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, with the aim of addressing important knowledge gaps on the western Cape York palm cockatoo population.

Outgoing Rio Tinto Weipa operations general manager Shona Markham said the mining giant was proud to work with ANU and Wildlife Warriors to help ensure a long-term future of the cockatoo.

“I’m pleased to announce that

we will be working with ANU and Wildlife Warriors, to better inform our conservation and land management activities, ensuring the continued protection of this incredible species,” she said.

“These collaborative efforts ensure that leading conservation science informs our decisions and helps bring balanced perspectives, innovation and best practice in the way that we operate,” she said.

ANU professor Robert Heinsohn said the research collaboration would “find the missing pieces” in the palm cockatoo conservation puzzle.

“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our efforts to study the endangered palm cockatoo population in Cape York,” he said.

“While our research on the palm

cockatoo spans over 20 years, the majority of our findings have been concentrated on the east side of Cape York, leaving a substantial gap in our understanding of the species on the western side.

“The partnership with Rio Tinto and Wildlife Warriors is invaluable, as it enables us to find the missing pieces of the puzzle essential for the conservation of palm cockatoos.”

Australia Zoo wildlife conservationist Terri Irwin welcomed the partnership, and said she believed it would go a long way to protecting future generations of the cockatoo.

“Wildlife Warriors is looking forward to collaborating … to better understand this species and work towards protecting them for future generations,” she said.

Marine debris project nets tonnes of Gulf ghost gear

A MAMMOTH pile of marine debris first spotted off Weipa almost three months ago has been removed from the ocean.

The result is being heralded as a significant victory by the Tangaroa Blue Foundation, which said the 2.4-tonne mass of ghost gear had been recovered by Australian Marine Debris Initiative partner Carpentaria Contracting after its location began being tracked with a Project ReCon bouy last month.

“The team used the crane on their vessel Strait Shooter to remove the ghost gear –now that’s heavy lifting,” a Tangaroa Blue Foundation spokesperson said.

“Our partners NQ Bulk Ports originally spotted this ghost gear drifting in Boyd Bay, Weipa, in early February.

“They notified our buoy host, Carpentaria Contracting, who issued a Project ReCon buoy to Queensland Fisheries and the Nanum Wungthim Land and Sea Rangers; once a safe weather window occurred, the team took their vessel out and deployed a Project ReCon buoy onto the ghost gear.”

Ghost gear is abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear in the marine environment, which drifts in global currents and often finishes its journey washed up as debris on Cape York and Torres Strait beaches.

Project ReCon trackers are affixed to ghost gear when it is spotted in the Gulf of Carpentaria so the marine debris can be surveilled until recovery can be coordinated.

Carpentaria Contracting has a number of trackers, which can be borrowed by Weipa anglers and boaters if they would like to contribute to the initiative while on the water.

For more information about borrowing a tracker, email info@tangaroablue.org.

grant through the State Government’s Advance Queensland Regional Futures program to deliver the emerging technologybased project.

Salt Monkey director Dennis Fay said the theory behind the project could also be used in other areas.

“Our project will not only help address the threats that impact our reef health, but the skills and capabilities gained can potentially be applied to other activities, such as search and rescue, public safety, and maritime surveillance,” he said.

The project will investigate how marine debris is polluting the pristine reef system, and will also help develop the capability of Torres Strait communities to use emerging technology to survey the impact of pollution on reef health, and the effects of pollution clean-up efforts.

A research collaboration between Rio Tinto, Australian National University and Wildlife Warriors will focus on knowledge gaps in the western Cape York population of the iconic palm cockatoo. Photo: Sean Craven

The Carpentaria Contracting team inspects the recovered ghost gear after using a crane on their vessel to lift the 2.4-tonne pile out of the water.

This 2.4-tonne pile of ghost gear has been removed after first being spotted in Weipa’s Boyd Bay in February.

Should we consider croc safaris?

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

LAST week’s tragic attack of a 16-year-old Saibai Island boy has reignited the discussion about the state’s growing saltwater crocodile population, and how to best manage the relationship between the prehistoric reptiles and people.

While the 3.5-metre animal suspected of attacking the teenager will be removed from the area in line with the Queensland government’s crocodile management plan, there is another divisive option I believe worthy of genuine consideration: reintroducing limited commercial hunting.

Before you reach terminal moral outrage and call for my head, hear me out.

A recent long-term study by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation and CSIRO found there are an estimated 2030,000 saltwater crocodiles living in Queensland waterways.

About 40 per cent of the total non-hatchling population is found in the north-western part of Cape York.

Clearly, we stuffed it up good and proper the first time, but there are valid economic and safety arguments for allowing hunting to be brought back, especially if it’s being managed by Traditional Owners and Indigenous-owned tourism businesses with appropriate legislative and environmental oversight.

Such a plan obviously wouldn’t work in parts of Cape York, the Torres Strait and Gulf of Carpentaria where the saltwater crocodile is embraced as a cultural totem, but other locations could certainly maximise the potential financial benefit of welcoming paying hunters to bag a trophy crocodile.

Salties were decimated to near extinction before commercial hunting was banned in the state in 1974, but the study showed numbers have recovered to preprotection levels, with our part of Queensland unsurprisingly boasting the densest population per square kilometre.

The plan isn’t a new one. Bob Katter has been calling for commercial hunting to be reintroduced for the best part of a decade now, and has generally been shot down in flames every time he rehashes the idea.

You have to wonder whether it’s because people genuinely hate the idea, or because it’s the outspoken maverick MP suggesting it.

If hunting were reintroduced, there’s little doubt it could create significant income and employment opportunities for remote communities, including those crying out for economic point of difference to the Cape York staples of tourism and mining.

When commercial crocodile safaris were mooted in the North-

ern Territory about 10 years ago, I spoke to an American tourist who had paid a fortune to fly to the Top End to hunt a trophy buffalo.

Over a few beers, I mentioned some local Traditional Owners were investigating whether crocodile hunting could be viable, and quizzed him on how much he’d be willing to pay to participate.

I nearly dropped my schooner when he told me he believed cashed-up international hunters, including himself, would be prepared to part with up to $50,000 –that’s US dollars, thank you very much – to add a saltwater crocodile to their trophy list.

The evidence shows our saltwater crocodile population has not only recovered, but is boom-

ing after commercial hunting was banned 50 years ago.

It’s a statistic that doesn’t fit well with a sprawling human population, and one that means tragic encounters between the reptiles and us are going to become more commonplace.

Bringing back controlled commercial hunting may be a controversial way to manage the growing population of crocodiles in our backyard, but I think it’s at least worth bringing the idea to the table so the pros and cons can be objectively assessed.

The Cape York Weekly team sends it sincere condolences to the family and friends of the teenager, as well as the greater Saibai Island community.

With the Queensland saltwater crocodile population having now recovered from widespread commercial hunting prior to the 1974 ban, is it time to discuss the potential benefits of reintroducing safaris through Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria?

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.

Spot the 5 Differences

Sudoku Join the Dots

Cape York United # 1 Native Title Claim (QUD673/2014) Central West Wik People Wik and Wik Way People Thursday 9 May 2024, Aurukun

Cape York Land Council (CYLC) will hold a meeting on Thursday 9 May 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 below. 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 Thursday 9 May 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 Thursday 9 May 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 Thursday 9 May 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;

(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).

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: Thursday 9 May 2024

Common Law Holders’ Meeting

Date: Thursday 9 May 2024

Venue: Community Centre, 506 Kang Kang Road, Venue: Community Centre, 506 Kang Aurukun QLD 4892 Kang Road, Aurukun QLD

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 Sana Dorante

0409 548 569 or pwirrick@cylc.org.

Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council

Napranum Housing 2024

Tender No. 8018

The Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council hereby invites tenders for the design & construction, fit-out and coordination and connection to services of four (4) x two (2) bedroom houses and two (2) x four (4) bedroom houses located on:

• 2 Bedroom houses – Lots 419, 420, 442 and 443 of Beening Road, Napranum

• 4 Bedroom houses – Lots 446 and 444 of MounDing Street, Napranum

Tenderers may register expression of interest for the tender documentation via email to tenders@blackm.com

Tenders close 2:00pm, Tuesday 21st May 2024 and must be submitted via email to tenders@blackm.com by the closing time.

93 Digger Street

Cairns North QLD 4870 Telephone: 4031 9944

Tender enquiries should be directed to tenders@blackm.com

Tender Number:

PSA 2024-03

Operational Services 2024–2026

Tenders are invited from Contractors wishing to be included in Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council’s Panel of Preferred Suppliers 2024–2026 for Operational Services.

Obtaining Documentation: Tenderers may register expressions of interest for the tender documentation by emailing tenders@lockhart.qld. gov.au

Lodgement of Tenders: Tenders must be lodged via email to tenders@lockhart.qld.gov.au or lodged in the Tender Box at Council by the closing time.

Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council

7 Anderson Street, Manunda

Cairns QLD 4870

Closing Time: The closing time for lodgement of Tenders is 2.00pm Tuesday 14 May 2024.

Tenders are invited from Contractors wishing to be included in Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council’s Panel of Preferred Suppliers 2024–2026 for occasional plant hire, labour, and raw materials for roadworks.

Obtaining Documentation: Tenderers may register expressions of interest for the tender documentation by emailing tenders@blackm.com

Lodgement of Tenders: Tenders must be lodged via email to tenders@blackm.com or lodged in the Tender Box at the Black & More Office by the closing time.

Black & More

93 Digger Street

Cairns North QLD 4870

Closing Time: The closing time for lodgement of Tenders is 2.00pm Tuesday 14 May 2024. Tender

Tender Number:

PSA 2024-02

Trade Services 2024–2026

Tenders are invited from Contractors wishing to be included in Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council’s Panel of Preferred Suppliers 2024–2026 for Trade Services.

Obtaining Documentation: Tenderers may register expressions of interest for the tender documentation by emailing tenders@blackm.com

Lodgement of Tenders: Tenders must be lodged via email to tenders@blackm.com or lodged in the Tender Box at the Black & More office by the closing time.

Black & More

93 Digger Street Cairns North QLD 4870

Closing Time: The closing time for lodgment of Tenders is 2.00pm Tuesday 14 May 2024.

PCYC Napranum is currently seeking passionate people to apply for the following positions:

Deadly Activity Officer

To apply go to:

https://pcyc.bigredsky.com/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=775797

Note: Blue Card ‘No Card, No Start’ law applies Accommodation not provided

Activity Officer – Club and Culture Program

To apply go to:

https://pcyc.bigredsky.com/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=775812

Note: Blue Card ‘No Card, No Start’ law applies Accommodation not provided

Club and Culture Program Coordinator

To apply go to:

https://pcyc.bigredsky.com/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=775389

Note: Blue Card ‘No Card, No Start’ law applies Accommodation not provided

Youth Support Service Coordinator

To apply go to:

https://pcyc.bigredsky.com/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=775394

Note: Blue Card ‘No Card, No Start’ law applies Accommodation not provided

Youth Support Worker

To apply go to:

https://pcyc.bigredsky.com/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=775400

Note: Blue Card ‘No Card, No Start’ law applies Accommodation not provided

National selection for Crocs stars

FOUR Cooktown underwater hockey stars will swap maroon for green and gold in Malaysia in July after being selected to compete on the international stage.

Rocco Thomason, Sam Ryder, Sienna Thomason and Amber Frame have been announced as inclusions in the under-19 and U24 Australian teams following stellar performances for their state at the 2024 Australian Underwater Hockey Nationwide Championships in Cairns from 11-15 April.

Rocco was named as captain of the U19 line-up, with Cooktown Crocs teammate Eli Carrol also on standby as a reserve player for the team.

In total, 13 Crocs competed for Queensland at the national championships across seven divisions, with the U15 A, U19 and Elite Women teams finishing the competition with gold medals.

Jett Ryder was a standout leader as he captained the U15 A team to victory, while Sam, Rocco, Sienna and Amber showed off the skills that got them Australian selection to help the U19 team win gold for the third year in a row.

In a busy schedule for all players, Sienna and Amber backed up to help the Elite Women team create championships history by winning gold for the first time, with the latter securing most valu-

able player honours for her effort.

Crocs coach Scott Thomason, who also coached both U15 teams and donned his mask and fins to play in the Masters division, said he was incredibly proud of all Cooktown competitors, adding Australian selection from within had been a long-term goal.

“World championships has been something our young athletes have been striving for over last few years, and their hard work and commitment has finally paid off,” he said.

He added he believed the distance his players had to travel to train and compete, especially at representative level, was part of

the formula to the small club’s success.

“Another big part of the Cooktown’s success is we don’t have the ideal facilities for underwater hockey,” Thomason explained.

“Our pool is concrete bottom with a drop-off; the juniors have to learn good techniques and skills in this pool, and it shows when they get the chance to play in the more modern tile pools.

“The kids are also renowned for their Cooktown mongrel and toughness, which comes from all the hard work they put in training and fundraising.

“We are so grateful for the support the Cooktown community

shows with our underwater hockey players; they help with fundraising and really get behind these young athletes.”

COOKTOWN’S STATE REPS

U15A: Jett Ryder (c), Cruz Ryder and Yindili Kamholtz

U15B: Micah Parkes (vc), Leyton Deeral, Caleb Kamholtz and Joshua Slykerman

U19A: Rocco Thomason (c), Sienna Thomason (vc), Sam Ryder and Amber Frame

U19B: Eli Carrol (c)

Elite Men: Rocco Thomason and Sam Ryder

Elite Women: Sienna Thomason and Amber Frame

Masters: Scott Thomason

School holidays bring plenty of great Cape catches

JUDGING by this week’s pictures, plenty of Cape York kids made the most of the school holidays.

Anglers, both young and old, seemingly made the most of breaks in the late season weather and river run-off to land some impressive catches over the past seven days.

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

Email your pictures to editor@ capeyorkweekly.com.au to feature in the Cape York Weekly. Don’t forget to send through names and some details of your catch!

Finn Jones and Hahn Dougan made plenty of memories bagging this pair of Weipa jewfish. Smiles for miles as Weipa resident Pearl Jenkins celebrates landing this Pine River barramundi.

Blue sky and plenty of bites made this recent outing a cracker for Weipa’s Cody Miller.

Nick Stock met one of the metre-plus queens of the Archer River during a recent session.

Golf club preparing for its biggest event of year

WESTERN Cape York will be the centre of the Far North Queensland golfing universe in early May when players converge on Weipa for the township’s biggest event of the year.

A big field of local and visiting competitors are expected to tee off in the 2024 Weipa Goodline Open at Carpentaria Golf Club on 4-5 May, with the course tipped to be in fantastic condition following a big wet season.

Golfers vying for the men’s Open crown will be hoping this year’s event is not a case of Groundhog Day as reigning champion and Weipa local Warren Brewer aims to secure his fourth consecutive title.

Club president Murray Mountjoy said despite wet season challenges, course supervisor Steve Jensen and his team had the fairways and greens ready to host a strong contingent of competitors.

“The preparation’s going well. Steve’s done a fantastic job; he’s had some challenging conditions, and the rain’s making it a little difficult,” he said.

“I’m pretty confident the course will look good.

“We’ve had plenty of interest, and we’re hoping for 80-odd people to play in the Open.”

To set the mood for the Open, the club will also host a qualifying round of the popular Survivor Golf series on 3 May.

The event format is a twoperson Ambrose, with prizes offered on every hole, with the Weipa winners set to book their tickets to the 2024 Survivor Golf grand final at Palmer Sea Reef at Port Douglas. Nomination forms for the Weipa Open can be downloaded from fnqgolf.com.au/event.

For more information about the Open or Survivor round, call club captain Clinton Wonfor on 0436 837 510.

Musgrave Super 8s cricket tournament

doubles in size as interest skyrockets

By LYNDON KEANE

A BUMPER lineup of teams from across Cape York and Far North Queensland will converge on the historic Musgrave Roadhouse to vie for Super 8s cricket bragging rights over the Labor Day long weekend.

A crowd of more than 200 travelled along the Peninsula Developmental Road to witness the Mount Garnet Eagles and Mareeba Cricket Chicks claim the men’s and women’s trophies in 2023, with bigger numbers

SPORT IN BRIEF

Narrow win for Brockhurst

BRUCE Brockhurst was able to secure a narrow victory when 14 players teed off in weekly Wackers action at Carpentaria Golf Club on 17 April.

It came down to handicaps when golfers returned to the clubhouse with their scorecards as Brockhurst (nett 34) grabbed the chocolates from Grant Crossley, who finished the front nine holes with a nett 34.5.

Ross Craven and Scott Andrews took nearest to the pin bragging rights on the 7th and 9th holes respectively, while the Bradman’s prize went to Jim Lucas.

Lakeland working bee

A VOLUNTEER army will dig deep to reverse the effects of the wet season when the Lakeland Horse Sports Association holds a working bee and a general meeting on Saturday.

With the rain now hopefully finished, the group is calling on members and interested volunteers to lend a hand to prepare the Lakeland facility for the 2024 season.

The working bee will commence at 8am, with a lunch scheduled to help fuel volunteer elbow grease.

Seven PBs for parkrunners

BLUE sky was welcomed by 61 competitors when they tackled the Weipa parkrun circuit on 20 April.

Eleven first timers laced up their shoes for parkrun #362, with seven personal best times recorded around the five-kilometre track.

Ross Dawson, Vandana Chaturvedi, Katrina Scholefield, Denica Bowden, Sandy Aldcroft and Mia Aldcroft were the event’s volunteers.

Cooktown league kicks off

THE 2024 Cooktown District Junior Rugby League season will kick off with a road trip when players head to Mossman on Saturday.

Crocs parents are asked to contact the club to advise if their junior players will be making the trip south for the clash.

The club’s season calendar for terms two and three is available on its Facebook page.

Fishing Classic call out

WEIPA Fishing Classic organisers are calling on local clubs and groups to submit expressions of interest to assist with this year’s event in June.

Volunteers are needed for a range of tasks, including gate operators and ticket sales.

EOIs close on 11 May and should be emailed to vendors.weipafishingclassic@ gmail.com.

Cowboys cop hiding

anticipated for this year’s incarnation of the event.

Roadhouse boss Adam McDowall said his team was in the process of installing an extra wicket to accommodate a spike in team nominations, meaning spectators will now be able to view the action on four fields on 4-5 May.

“We’ll have one out the front and three out the back,” he said.

“We’re putting an extra one in the weekend before the cricket; we’ve got it all formed up.

“I think we’ve got 17 teams

this year, including five or six women’s teams, so it’s going to be good.”

While the increase in teams is testament to the popularity of the annual cricketing showdown, Mr McDowall said he was confident players would fall into two distinct categories.

“Weipa, Cooktown, Mareeba and Mount Garnet are pretty serious teams; the rest tend to just stand out in the paddock with their beer,” he laughed.

“The majority of it is just a good social weekend.”

With free camping for players and a barbecue celebration of bush cricket on the Saturday night, Mr McDowall said it was the last opportunity for Cape York teams to let their hair down before the tourists arrived.

“We wouldn’t be able to have it if it wasn’t this early in the year,” he said.

“Everyone’s got a bit of free time before it gets crazy for the season.”

For more information, about the Super 8s competition, call the roadhouse on 4060 3229.

NORTH Queensland coach Todd Payten says his side must improve their defensive attitude after they were beaten 42-6 by Cronulla on Sunday afternoon.

“The difference between us and the Sharks was the willingness to defend teams when they’re coming out of their own end,” the Cowboys coach said.

“We started the game on the back foot, giving away a cheap try ... and then it was 18-0 pretty quickly. We just gave the Sharks an ability to put in high kicks all night rather than kick from their own half.

“We need to shift our attitude to tackling and defending ... until we shift that mentally we’ll still be here having this conversation.”

Helen Sabatino, Kim Edwards, Robyn Fleming and Vivian Chan at last year’s Weipa Goodline Open. Tula Junna attacks the 18th hole at Carpentaria Golf Club.

The Weipa Crocs, led by the likes of Aaron Johnson, Brett Elms and Kurt Gane, had a ball at last year’s Musgrave Super 8s event.

3 x 40ft containers with workshop/storage space between (ie: 2 workshops with power & sewer x 116m2 each) together with hardstand area

• Area 2 - 1095m2 driveway & plenty of parking

• Area 3 - 1780m2 fenced & gated. 2 x 20 foot storage containers with 2 x 8m covered workshops/storage adjoining

• Additional by negotiation sale - 1 x 20 foot container/office/ accommodation professionally designed & insulated containing office, shower, toilet, washing machine, dryer, fridge, microwave, kitchen sink & cupboards, ADSL, wifi, TV, 9 large clothes storage drawers, large cupboard over fridge, elevated bunk, split AC, gas hot water unit, shade sail covered 6m x 2.4m deck

Call Deb today to secure this property!

WEIpA FURNITURE & ELECTRICAL

$1,600,000 NEG.

An exciting opportunity has arisen at Weipa Furniture & Electrical!

• Only furniture and electrical business in Weipa

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• Established relationships with all local government departments, community trusts & businesses within Weipa & surrounds

• Premises currently leased until September 2026

• Price includes 2021 Isuzu NPR truck & a 2005 Isuzu truck + 5 storage containers behind the store front

• Stock is at value

• Opportunity to purchase or lease a 24 x 14 metre shed, located at Evans Landing on a 1588 square meter industrial block

• Last three years trading figures are available after the signing of a confidentially agreement

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