Northern Pride skipper Kyle Schneider leads his team through the guard of honour formed by junior Cooktown Crocs ahead of the team’s 32-12 Country Week win against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls at John Street Oval on Saturday. Check out our special coverage of the game on Pages 16 and 17.
By LYNDON KEANE
FRUSTRATED young drivers and parents in Cooktown are pleading with the State Government to ditch the bureaucratic “buck passing” and come up with a consistent solution for delivering local licencing services.
Newly-licenced driver Eli Munday was lucky enough to be able
to get his licence in Cooktown last week, but said the experience had been clouded in confusion.
“Once I finished my 100 hours, it took us two weeks to hear back from TMR that my hours got approved; they had messed up or something,” he said.
“So, I rang them up and found out that my hours did get approved, but while we were waiting for my
hours to get approved, I heard from some of my other friends that their driver’s tests got cancelled, and they were told that they’re not doing the Ps (provisional licence) testing in Cooktown anymore.”
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is responsible for the provision of licencing services in Queensland, however, a State Government source familiar
with the situation told Cape York Weekly “an appetite to slash local services and resourcing, and lump police with tasks TMR are funded for” had left many drivers in limbo in places like Cooktown.
“The department (TMR) honestly doesn’t care if there’s a regular service or not, as long as a budget in Brisbane balances,” they said.
Continued – Page 2
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From – Page 1
“TMR think police should be doing licencing in rural and remote towns, but police don’t have the resources or suitably qualified officers to offer the service with any consistency when it means pulling officers from legitimate policing duties to do so,” the source said.
As a result of the internal government feud, many families have been booking practical driving tests in places like Mareeba and Cairns and dealing with waiting lists of several months in some cases.
Mr Munday said he had experienced the frustration first-hand when attempting to get his red P-plates after notching up the mandatory 100 hours of supervised driving experience.
“We rung Mareeba and they told us the wait there was going to be until October, so, three months from when I first got my 100 hours complete,” he said.
His mother, Tiffany Brennan, said a permanent solution had to be found.
“It’s caused a lot of people distress thinking when and how we’re going to get this done,” she explained.
“It was quite disappointing to see that it was just a very abrupt ‘alright, we’re stopping it right now’ – there was no contingency.
“Everyone was just passing it
off like ‘it’s not our problem, it’s not our problem.’”
The frustration was echoed by another Cook Shire resident, who asked not to be named but said the delay in being able to get their licence had cost them an employment opportunity.
“I’d been offered a great job I wanted to take, but I had to say no because I couldn’t get my licence for a few months and there’s no public transport available where the job was,” they said.
“I don’t care if police do it or [TMR] do it, but they need to stop the buck passing and sort it out because it has real impacts on people’s lives.”
Cook Shire Mayor Robyn Holmes said conversations with TMR to date had “fallen upon deaf ears”.
“Police historically had the TMR agency and were responsible for undertaking driver licencing functions, including driving examinations for all classes of vehicles,” she said.
“This agency transitioned to [a Queensland Government Agency Program in] Cooktown in 2018, at which time Cooktown police continued to undertake driving tests, for class C and RE licences, as a courtesy service. Six years on, and TMR are still expecting police to carry out this service.
“At the end of the day, TMR are the responsible service providers and are not assuming any responsibility. The state have failed to maintain current service levels and simply have no care factor for the added burden this
poses on regional and remote communities; the removal of heavy vehicle testing and now the pending termination of the service has considerable flowon effects impacting Cooktown, Lakeland, Rossville, Ayton, Wujal Wujal, Hope Vale and Laura.”
A QPS spokesperson confirmed licencing in Cooktown had been a TMR responsibility since early 2018.
“Transport and Main Roads duties in Cooktown transitioned from the Queensland Police Service back to TMR, under QGAP arrangements in April 2018,” the spokesperson said.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Cape York Weekly
THE Lakeland community is preparing to look through the viewfinder for its fourth annual photography competition, where the beauty of the town is showcased through the eyes of its people.
With six categories and $3,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, organiser Stefanie O’Kane said the competition is one photographers and amateurs of all ages could get involved in.
“We do the usual Easter and Christmas community events, but the photo comp is
just something that’s more special for the area, because you get to see some really beautiful local photos and ideas,” she said.
“We get a lot of entries from different groups of people; we do have people that are photographers that enter, but plenty of other people get involved, too.
“I think it’s a really good event, because it covers all ages and all levels, so it allows more people to be involved.”
Entries will be on display at the Lakeland Town Hall on 17 August, where the
community can see the works and cast their votes for the People’s Choice category.
“The event is actually on the Saturday, but you have to have your entries in by the Tuesday before, which is the thirteenth,” Ms O’Kane explained.
“We start around four o’clock, so the hall will be open and people can mosey in and have a look through and vote.
“We’ll have some live music, a barbecue and a bar, and it’ll be a nice, relaxing afternoon.”
A CAPE York community is preparing to celebrate the resilience of its residents with a special theme for its annual bazaar after the Tropical Cyclone Jasper flood event of December 2023.
The second Bloomfield Bazaar, themed Bounce Back, will bring together the beloved agricultural show, market stalls, live entertainment, art, and activities for the whole family to enjoy this Saturday.
Bloomfield River District Residents Association secretary Robyn Guedes said after seven
months, residents were still doing it tough.
“We suffered a lot with the floods here in Bloomfield; we were really at the epicentre of that deluge we had back in December,” she said.
“A lot of people lost their houses and everything in it, and people are still cleaning mud out of their homes. We even had one person who lost their life.”
The one silver lining in the disaster was the generosity and willingness of the community to get through it together.
“I do think this event has actually pulled our community together,” Ms Guedes said.
“I feel as though we’ve all had a common experience, and albeit a bad one, it’s made us all pull together and help each other out. It’s also had a bit of a positive effect, and that’s what we’re celebrating.”
Ms Guedes said there would also be a raffle at the bazaar to fundraise for a kitchen facility at the local tin shed-turned-community hub.
“We’ve never had a need for a
hub, we’ve always sort of struggled through a cyclone, but this one was very different, and the tin shed became a hub,” she said.
“That tin shed was a centre for donations of food and clothing, there was a washing machine and dryer there for people, and next door was the library with the social workers and the clinic, but there was no kitchen.”
The Bloomfield Bounce Back Bazaar will be held on Saturday, 3 August from 1:30pm at the Bloomfield Hall. Everyone is welcome.
THE chair of Weipa Town Authority (WTA) is urging residents of the western Cape York township to ensure their voices are heard as planning for the $12 million upgrade of the Rocky Point boat ramp gears up.
WTA, Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ), the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and Member for Cook Cynthia Lui hosted a community information session about the project at the Weipa Bowls Club on 22 July, however, the event attracted less boaties and fishers than had been anticipated.
WTA Chair Jaime Gane said while the turnout had not been huge, valuable information had been provided, adding people still had a month to have their say.
“We had some long-time locals and avid boaties who were able to provide plenty of useful information, which will assist the TMR team during the next phase of work, which will include gathering data around water depths, winds, currents and that,” she said.
“Local knowledge is critical in projects like this to ensure the best outcome for the community.”
MSQ, which owns the facility, is leading the upgrade in
partnership with WTA, which manages the asset, as part of the State Government’s 2024-25 Transport and Roads Investment Program.
Ms Gane said the concept being used as a starting point still required significant input from users of the facility to make the most of the $12m project.
“The current concept designs that WTA have were just that, a concept,” she explained.
“Using that concept as a starting point, TMR will work on doing some desktop modelling, loosely based on that concept, but including the data inputs and feedback from the initial com-
munity information session, to present a couple of design options that would fit within the budget, and address the most important issues raised by the community.
“We definitely want to make sure that we get it right; $12 million is no small amount, and by working closely with TMR and the community in the design phase to make sure that we are capturing all of the nuances of that site and, allowing for them, we will end up with a fantastic facility that ticks all the boxes.”
Ms Lui said the collaboration between the State Government and WTA would ensure
the township had the best possible facilities to offer boaties and fishers.
“This is an important step forward and I’m excited to hear from the community on how we can help provide better facilities for them at the Rocky Point boat ramp,” she said.
“I’m proud to be working alongside the Weipa Town Authority to drive this project forward.”
Following last Monday’s meeting, community members can submit written feedback on the project by emailing boatinginfrastructure@msq.qld.gov.au before 20 August.
Cape York is indeed a place of immense beauty and value, deserving of protection, but our Labor Governments are intent on giving power to UNESCO instead of the people who live, work and depend on this important area.
The Government has suggested they will engage with locals throughout this process, but it is clear that they only intend on engaging wth people who agree with the proposed listing.
To impose a world heritage listing on the Cape York Peninsula region is a decision that could have devastating implications for landholders and traditional owner groups.
Restricting rights and the ability to utilise land that many have struggled and fought over for decades.
We don’t need the United Nations telling us how we can use and how we should preserve our land. Locals have the best knowledge and solutions to the challenges we face.
Sign the petition and demand that the Australian and Queensland Governments halt their proposed world heritage listing for the Cape York Peninsula Region.
Sign the petition by scanning the QR code above or visit: tinyurl.com/CAPEYWHL
By CHISA HASEGAWA
MOTIVATED, goal-oriented and happy are the words Zigmund “Ziggy” Freiberg’s mum uses to describe him after he found his love of running.
It all started with a school cross country that sparked an interest in the weekly Weipa parkrun at the beginning of 2023. The 10-year-old is now one of the parkrun directors and recently celebrated a milestone achievement – his 50th finish in the event.
Ziggy said the 50th run had been a goal for a long time, and he was now focused on his next goal.
“I was excited and joyful. I want to get 100 before the end of next year,” he said.
Weipa parkrun is a community five-kilometre run or walk held at 7am every Saturday.
Mum Vide Freiberg started running to support her son’s passion, and is now also a parkrun director alongside him.
“He just enjoyed parkrun and was getting so much out of it that I decided maybe it would be something we could do together,” she said.
“We signed up together, so I do all of the entering data and putting stuff on Facebook, whereas he does the setting up of the flags and the actual speaking part, addresses everyone
and tells everyone the rules and acknowledges the Traditional Owners, asks if there are any visitors and things like that.
“I think he’s just watched everyone do it over the last few years, so he does it quite easily.”
Ms Frieberg said Ziggy was a completely different boy since finding a home in Weipa’s running community.
“A few years ago, Zig was quite negative and didn’t really want to participate in anything or do anything, he was just really hard to motivate,” she said.
“Everyone at parkrun has just
been so supportive and it’s so nice that he’s really found his sense of belonging there which, for me, has been a huge turnaround. I think it was at the beginning of last year when he actually started to set goals, which he’d never done before – he’d never really wanted to achieve anything or looked forward to things.”
Ziggy said he was driven by numbered goals, which was what kept him going at his first 10km event at this month’s 2024 Weipa Running Festival.
With his new smart watch
– bought with his own pocket money – he was able to keep track of his distance as he ran, and looked to it for motivation every time he got tired and wanted to stop.
“I just try to get to the next kay, so if it’s at nine-and-a-half, I want to get to 10, and then when I get to 10.01, I want to go to 11,” he explained.
With dedication and training, the young runner said he hoped to beat his parkrun personal best time of 22:40, and participate in the half marathon at next year’s Weipa Running Festival.
AT a time when most banks are cutting services, Weipa’s Queensland Country Bank (QCB) team is demonstrating a customerfocused approach is a winning formula.
QCB was a big winner at the recent WeMoney 2024 Awards, securing bragging rights in a range of categories including Customer Owned Bank of the Year.
Weipa branch manager Luke O’Day said the continuous awards from multiple independent bodies in recent years validated the bank’s member-first model.
“These awards are a testament to our commitment to putting our members first,
which rings so true here at our Weipa branch, where the community is integral to everything we do,” he said.
“Given the focus on the regional banking inquiry and the ongoing cost of living pressures that are particularly felt in smaller communities like Weipa, maintaining the trust and reliability of our members has never been more important.”
As the only bank branch in the western Cape York township, Mr O’Day emphasised QCB’s commitment to meeting the growing needs of the communities it serves.
“Our presence in Weipa extends from the
township through to Cape York, where we provide essential services that are otherwise hard to access,” said Mr O’Day.
“Given the local population’s preference for cash transactions, and with the nearest branches situated on Thursday Island and Cairns, we recognise the importance of providing face-to-face services for those instances when our members want that inperson contact.
“The staff at our Weipa branch truly embody the spirit and values of Queensland Country Bank and are integral members of the communities in which we serve.”
Laura man killed in crash
A 33-YEAR-OLD Laura man has died following a single-vehicle crash in the Cape York community on Sunday afternoon.
Initial Forensic Crash Unit investigations indicate around 6:35pm on 28 July, a white Toyota LandCruiser utility was travelling on Deighton Road when it left the road and crashed.
The man, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, died at the scene.
Anyone with information that could assist investigations, including any dashcam vision, is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
WEIPA, Hope Vale and Torres Shire are the local winners in a $6.5 million funding commitment by the State Government to help 21 councils deliver priority cycling routes and walking networks over the next two years.
The funded projects will plan and deliver key active transport links such as bike routes, and prepare walking network plans around key destinations like schools, public transport and town centres across the state.
Weipa Town Authority and Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council received Walking Local Government Grants for the 2024-25 financial year, while Torres Shire Council was successful with its application for assistance under the Cycle Network Local Government Grants program.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish said the grants would allow councils provide more local infrastructure to get people walking and riding.
“This round of funding will go towards 31 new cycling projects and 16 new walking projects from the Gold Coast in the south, all the way to up to Torres Shire in the far north, including shared paths, active transport crossings and for projects to progress in planning,” he said.
arts AGM set
THE annual general meeting for the Cooktown School of Art Society will be held on 10 August.
On the agenda will be the election of a new executive committee, including president, secretary and treasurer positions.
The meeting will commence at the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery at 10:30am, with new members always welcome.
For more information, call or send a text message to 0400 617 467.
By CHISA HASEGAWA
A FUN visit to Cooktown visiting relatives turned into a nightmare weekend for Chonnie McCosh when her dog, Cotton, suddenly ran away.
During the three days he was missing, Cotton managed to escape the care of various people before being found all the way in Mareeba at 2am on 13 July, giving Houdini a run for his money in four-legged form.
The ordeal began when Ms McCosh stopped near the Little Annan River bridge with her three dogs.
“He was right at my feet at the car, and I literally just unclicked his little rope, reached down to pick up the other two, because it’s a ute and they can’t jump in, reached around to pick him up and he wasn’t there,” she recalled.
“He’d run back over to the gravel pile, so I called him and went towards him and he just took off, I mean, it was like his bum caught fire.”
Ms McCosh explained Cotton was mostly deaf and partially blind, and required medication for his eyes.
“I could see him heading for the road, so I’m screaming and yelling trying to get him to stop, because he can hear a little bit,” she said.
The screaming and yelling were to no avail, with Cotton darting up a driveway just opposite the rest stop.
“By then he was three-quarters of the way up towards the gate, and I was like he’s going to have to stop at the gate, because he’s pretty much blind, so he’s not going to be able to figure it out straight away,” Ms McCosh said.
“I’m running up this steep hill but then I see the gate is open, so by the time I got to the gate, he’s vanished into the property.”
Unfortunately, the residents were not home, and Ms McCosh spent the next two-and-a-half hours driving around, sounding the horn, calling out, and attempting to coax Cotton out of the property be-
fore turning to her cousin in Cooktown for help.
After tracking down the property agent, Ms McCosh found out about Cotton’s first escape.
“He rang me back and he said ‘I’ve got really good news and really bad news’,” she said.
“He told me Cotton was there, the guy came home and Cotton was having a really good time with his dogs eating bones, but then he sprinted back down the hill to a motorhome.
“I didn’t know what direction they were going in, or if they did pick him up.”
With a little luck and help via social media, Cotton was found at the Mareeba Rodeo.
A woman who had seen Ms McCosh’s social media posts called her and sent a picture of Cotton.
“They were walking home from the pub at two in the morning on Saturday after the big rodeo street parade,” Ms McCosh told Cape York Weekly
“They picked him up and took him home because they realised it was a lost dog, but it wasn’t until 10 o’clock the next morning that they got in touch with me.”
Unfortunately, Cotton somehow
escaped again out of the locked house.
“Just as I was coming past the Mareeba airport, they rang me and they said ‘you’re not going to believe it, we got home and he’s gone,” she said.
“I literally had to pull over, I was crying that hard.”
After some door-knocking, they found that Cotton had turned up to a house two doors down and was taken to the pound, but Ms McCosh couldn’t retrieve him until Monday.
“I turned up to the pound and I was crying my eyes out,” Ms McCosh said.
“I was like he’s 16, he’s been missing for days and he’s travelled this insane amount of distance.
“They were very kind though and let me take him, I think because he had just gotten there and I was bawling my eyes out like a crazy person.”
On the way home, Ms McCosh said Cotton was traumatised and refused to eat, not even acknowledging his favourite hot chicken in the car.
“When I picked him up from the pound, I don’t think he even recognised me until about halfway home,” she said.
“He would hardly eat or drink, but once he got home and smelled the other dogs, he started wagging his tail and about half an hour later he was like ‘where’s that hot chicken, I’ll have that now.’”
By CHISA HASEGAWA
A STUNNING new art exhibition at the Cairns Airport is serving as a connection to home for Cape York and Torres Strait Islander students living in the city.
The ME. Exhibition came as the airport and the AFL Cape York House Foundation formalised a partnership to support student endeavours and features a range of self-portraits created by boarding students.
Strategically placed at the domestic terminal departure gates where the students usually travel from, the exhibition serves as a reminder of who they are and where they come from when away from home.
AFL Cape York House Foundation director Rick Hanlon said the partnership with Cairns Airport enabled students access to opportunities that might otherwise not be possible.
“Like us, Cairns Airport is a business that’s all about people,” he said.
“For example, with Cairns Airport’s assistance, our young people will travel to Sydney in October for the DanceRites competition, where they will get the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of people
and represent themselves, their culture and AFL Cape York.
“For our students, Cairns Airport represents a connection back to home; having the exhibition in the terminal helps young people feel a link back to their families, and also brings them back to why they’re here.”
A high number of remote Indigenous youth must leave their communities to complete their education, leading to homesickness and social disconnection.
The wellbeing-focused AFL Cape York House currently sup-
ports 100 students from 45 Cape York and
communities in completing their education in a culturally safe environment.
Cairns Airport chief executive officer Richard Barker said the airport was well placed to champion the valuable work of the AFL Cape York House Foundation.
“Cairns Airport is the gateway to Cape York and the Torres Strait, with a number of flights operating to and from these regions every day,” he said.
“The AFL Cape York House Foundation provides exceptional opportunities for young people in these remote communities, and we are pleased to support their important work through a range of initiatives.
“We are also thrilled to feature the ME. Exhibition in our terminal; this meaningful artwork has brightened the area and is a fantastic way to showcase the rich culture of Tropical North Queensland, which we know is a key drawcard for visitors to our region.”
WHILE the Thursday Island community is already celebrating the arrival of its new marine rescue vessel, Weipa will also receive a similar boat in 2025-26.
The announcement came as part of sweeping marine rescue reform across Queensland, with the State Government stating “it can be now revealed publicly that [Weipa] … [is] expected to receive a new vessel by the end of next financial year”.
Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said the new vessels would aid the ongoing efforts of volunteers.
“Our marine rescue volunteers are always there supporting their fellow Queenslanders and they deserve the best possible vessels to go about their life saving work,” she said.
POLICE from Horn Island, Thursday Island and the Thursday Island Child Protection Unit have charged an 18-year-old Horn Island man with multiple property offences. Police allege the man was involved in several break and enters on Horn Island over the past two weeks, stealing food items and alcohol from residences.
It will be further alleged on 12 July, the man entered a Savage Street property and threatened the occupant with a hammer before leaving on foot.
The man has been charged with four counts of enter dwelling and commit, three counts of stealing, two counts each of trespass, enter premises and commit indictable offence, and breach of bail, and one count each of obstruct police office and armed robbery.
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NEARLY two tonnes of debris was removed from beaches around Mapoon when the Tangaroa Blue Foundation, a small army of volunteers, Old Mapoon Aboriginal Corporation and the Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers held the annual winter clean-up earlier this month.
Most of the debris found during the week-long effort was from international sources, as currents and winds bring in marine rubbish from afar.
A Tangaroa Blue spokesperson said while a “whopping” 23 per cent of the debris consisted of plastic drink bottles, drift net floats and rubber thongs were among the most common items removed from the beaches.
They added there were a few items that caused second glances from volunteers, including a cordial bottle nearly five decades old.
“The team also found debris that had been in the ocean for a long time, including a cordial bottle from the 1970s and a beer can from the millennium,” the spokesperson said.
“The team cleared 10 kilometres of the 14km beach of marine debris, leaving the local rangers hopeful this could be the first year the entire beach is cleared.”
The clean-up was funded through the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program, and made possible due to a strong collaboration between Tangaroa Blue, local
organisations and willing volunteers.
The Cape York beach clean-up continue this week, with the Tangaroa Blue team joining volunteers, Kuuku Ya’u Aboriginal Corporation rangers and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service staff at Chili Beach from 27 July-2 August.
Following the Chili Beach effort, the focus will turn to Captain Billy’s Landing with Wuthathi Aboriginal Corporation leading the charge from 2-4 September.
To volunteer, email fernanda@ tangaroablue.org.
At Rio Tinto the strength of our relationships with the communities where we operate, and broader society, is fundamental to our business
Rio Tinto is willing to learn from our mistakes, by listening to understand and genuine partnering, we will deliver better long-term outcomes for everyone
Every complaint will be carefully considered and a written response will be provided We encourage open communication and collaboration to work towards an agreed resolution for all involved
If a resolution cannot be reached your complaint will be escalated to management who will reassess the issue and undertake an internal investigation to confirm the next steps An independent tribunal may be considered for complaints of a serious or complex nature
How can I provide feedback or make a complaint?
By LYNDON KEANE
WHEN Matilda Nona’s unique work speaks about her Country from its stretched canvas stage, it is impossible not to listen in awe.
The Badu Island artist uses natural pigments found on her Torres Strait home in her work, a technique that resulted in her claiming the $10,000 Holding Redlich Innovation Award at the 2024 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) Art Awards on 25 July.
Ms Nona said while being recognised for her artistic innovation made her proud, the creativity had been born in part out of necessity due to the availability of conventional art supplies on the western Torres Strait island.
“Well, I’m really a printmaker,” she said about her work, which aligns serendipitously with the 2024 CIAF theme of Country Speaking.
“I’m a lino printmaker, but being on Badu, it’s hard for me to get supplies in … to meet deadlines, so this is what inspired me to go on Country, see what my people look at and what they use; we’ve got a lot of rock paintings on Badu, so that’s what I tried to revive, the old rock painting style.
“Winning the innovation award pushes me more, because I’m still
creating; I’m still trying to find the ultimate thing.”
A self-confessed “scientist” with her artistic process, Ms Nona said her connection to Country and curiosity about the outdoors and materials around her meant her work was constantly evolving.
“I’m an outdoor person, so I’m always out on Country when I’m
not working. I’m out camping, cooking, gathering and collecting so, yeah, I’m a scientist as well” she told Cape York Weekly
“This is only the second stage of the process; I’ve done works like this before with mud and ochres, and every time I’m doing it, I’m finding more and more … everything just coming together and
more crazy ideas for me to do this better.”
Ms Nona was all smiles as she spoke to CIAF patrons about her displayed work at the Cairns Convention Centre on Friday but admitted she had been worried about how her self-styled paintings would be received by the artistic community.
“It’s a relief [winning the award], because I’ve been having really bad anxiety attacks leading up to today …. and that’s all come off me now; as you can see, my work is different and I invented it myself.
“This work is just about me being on Country; these are the colours of my Country.”
THE founding chairman of Moa Arts says mindfulness, perspective, awareness and the environment were key themes in his recent works at the 15th Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.
A constantly evolving artist, printmaker Solomon Booth shared two meaningful, contemporary pieces with the Cairns audience during the annual event.
“The jellyfish prints that I’ve done, that are hanging on the wall, are based on how plastic bags look like jellyfish in the water,” he explained.
“Upon closer look, it’s layered details; you can see plastic bags in the middle of the jellyfish, which is food for the green sea turtle, which is a traditional food for our people up in the Islands. It’s all about being mindful not to pollute the environment; we’ve got to take care of the environment, because if we don’t take care of where we live, eat and sleep, it’ll turn into a rubbish dump.”
Having worked as an artist for 24 years, Mr Booth said his style and themes were constantly changing.
“If you took my works from seven years ago and put them side by side with stuff I’ve done now, you couldn’t tell they were produced by the same artist, because I did more traditional mark-making in my practice at that time,” he said.
“Even though I include a lot of those mark-makings in these new styles, these new styles are more contemporary. I’m just finding a better way to relate and communicate my message to the wider community.”
Mr Booth said change was important to him, and
his lifestyle allowed him to evolve and try new things to take back to his community on Moa Island.
“It’s all about learning something new every day, not being stagnant,” he said.
“The beautiful thing about the lifestyle that I live is that I get to travel and do what I love doing, but I can also stay on Country, and with that, I grab these skillsets and new ideas from the experiences I gather from travelling, and I take it back home and I use it for the benefit of my people and my art centre.”
by CHISA HASEGAWA
AN Erub Island artist is fighting climate change caused by discarded commercial fishing nets one sculpture at a time.
Jimmy John Thaiday’s colourful ghost net sculptures were a hit at this year’s Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair (CIAF), where patrons got an inside look into the art and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Mr Thaiday spoke to several visitors about the impacts of gillnets abandoned in the ocean.
“That’s been affecting the land, the reef, and also our food source,” he told Cape York Weekly
“We want to save some food source for our generation and generations to come, otherwise we’ll have nothing left; we have to learn to protect our sea life.”
The artist said four tonnes of ghost nets were delivered to the Erub Art Centre, which were then washed and turned into sculptures.
“The goal is not just to grow awareness, but just to give people ideas to slow down, have a think,
and do the right thing, and that way we’ll have more sea life for other people in life,” Mr Thaiday said.
“It’s not only the reefs that are getting damaged by the nets, it’s the trees, too, and once the net goes around the tree and chokes the trees, that’s when erosion starts, and that’s when we start to lose our land.
“At the end of the day, climate change is still happening, and the only thing we can do is show peo-
ple and make sure they understand about what they’re doing.”
Mr Thaiday said he was happy to have a platform like CIAF to educate while turning harmful waste into something beautiful.
“Feeling very good and proud that we are doing something about it, it’s not much, but as long as we got a smile on our face and it brings you that excitement from the inside, we can say this is what we create towards a better life.”
IF you want an example of how utterly disconnected our city-based decision makers are with the realities of remote living, you only need to look at the farcical situation facing young drivers in Cooktown.
In what galaxy of common sense should those transitioning from their learner’s permit to the coveted red P-plates genuinely be expected to wait months or make a round trip of up to 800 kilometres for the privilege?
Can you imagine the indignance if learners in Cairns were told they needed to travel to Townsville to complete their practical driving test, the last hurdle to motoring freedom after chalking up the mandatory 100 hours of supervised driving? The furore in Brisbane would be overwhelming if drivers there had to head north to Bundaberg to finally be rid of their yellow L-plates.
The truth is the Cairns and Brisbane scenarios would never happen, because society has the expectation essential services – and we can include licencing in this for several key reasons – are generally available locally. It’s only in places like Cape York expectation must be thrown out the window and alternative strategies put in place.
One of the key reasons I men-
tioned is the fact getting your driver’s licence is a rite of passage for every Australian teenager.
That unforgettable moment when you swap yellow and black for red and white, turn the key –well, press the start button more often than not these days – and bid farewell to whichever saint was patient enough to put up with you for those 100 supervised hours behind the wheel. It’s also the moment you make a solemn promise to yourself to avoid any future situation involving a hill start in a manual vehicle.
Another key reason local access to licencing services is critical in a place like Cooktown is because, unlike our city cousins, we have zero public transport options. The much-hyped 50-cent fares for buses, trains and ferries down south are about as helpful as the proverbial on a boar pig up here – if you haven’t got a licence, one can only hope you’ve got a comfortable pair of shoes for commuting between point A and B.
Zero public transport options mean you’re beholden to friends and family to get around, whether
it’s to a job, or a social adventure like bundling your mates into a car to go and watch the Northern Pride battle the Wynnum Manly Seagulls on Saturday afternoon.
I spoke to one Cooktown resident who had to knock back a job because they couldn’t get their licence for months, and a local parent who was making multiple trips into town each weekend to chauffeur licence-eligible children to and from part-time employment.
It’s not just Cooktown experiencing uncertainty around licencing services. I’ve had calls from
several Cape York residents and business operators pulling their hair out at the seemingly perpetual fight between the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and police about who should be delivering services in remote communities.
The dispute shouldn’t even be a thing, because it’s blatantly clear TMR has the statutory responsibility for the provision of licencing and registration services in Queensland.
If the department doesn’t feel compelled to have a permanent local presence and qualified staff in place to offer the services, it needs to ensure police have the financial and physical resources to step in on TMR’s behalf as a courtesy to the community. Passing the buck isn’t an alternative.
This head-in-the-sand handball wouldn’t be acceptable in Cairns or Brisbane, so the fact the department is telling Cooktown residents to basically suck it up is, if I may be what my late grandmother would have called vulgar, taking the piss.
I made several attempts to get Minister for Transport and Main Road Bart Mellish’s thoughts on the untenable situation last week, but he was evidently too busy puffing wind into the sails of pre-election promises across the state to focus on a genuine drama caused by his department’s contempt for remote Queenslanders.
the
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Fit the given numbers into the hexagons so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers will be the same No number is repeated in any hexagon.
By LYNDON KEANE
IF there was ever any doubt which team the parochial John Street Oval crowd was barracking for in the Country Week clash on 27 July, it was put to rest when the Northern Pride crossed the line for four second-half tries in just 23 minutes to secure a 32-12 victory against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.
Defence was brutal for the first 40 minutes of play on Saturday afternoon, with handling errors proving costly for both teams as the Pride went to the break with a 12-6 lead through four-pointers to playmaker Thomas Duffy and rampaging second-rower Dane Aukafolau.
It was a different Pride on the Cooktown paddock in the second half, with set plays starting to gel as the Hostplus Cup ladder leaders piled on 20 unanswered points until Seagulls captain Brendan Frei crashed across the chalk in the 79th minute of the game.
Halfback Duffy impressed for the victorious Pride with a 16-point contribution to the final scoreline, something coach Eric Smith told Cape York Weekly could have been greater were it not for a “lack of respect” for the ball.
“The lack of respect we showed
ICN: 148
for the football was probably a little bit concerning for me,” he said.
“But the thing that gave me a lot of belief was our defence and our resilience, and that’s something we’ve built our whole season on.
“We put ourselves under a whole heap of unnecessary pressure today where we didn’t respect the football, and we had to do a lot of back-to-back sets and forced offloads.”
The Pride and Seagulls were hosted by the Cooktown District Junior Rugby League Club, with secretary Jacynta Hunt praising the teams and Country Week format.
“The crowd’s been great, and you just have to look at the kids’ faces to see how thrilled they are to be out of the field with the Hostplus Cup teams,” she said.
“It means so much to the community to bring this level of foot-
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Gungarde Community Centre is seeking applications from suitably qualified people to join our team in the role of
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Applications close at noon on Friday 16th August 2024
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ICN: 148
ball to Cooktown, so I want to thank everyone involved, from our volunteers here to the [Queensland Rugby League] and the Pride and Seagulls.”
Pride captain Kyle Schneider echoed the sentiment and said the team was thrilled to have notched up a big win for the Cooktown fans who turned out in droves.
“We had a focus this week on having a big one … so we’re hap-
py to have a game here and get the job done,” he said.
While the Pride now sit two points clear at the top of the 2024 Hostplus Cup premiership ladder, Smith said it was not something the team was spending too much time focusing on.
“We know we’re in a good position, but we don’t talk about sitting first on the ladder too often all,” he said.
“We’ve got a couple of goals that we want, that we set at the start of the year, where we want to be at the back end of the year and what we want to be doing, and, look, where we’re achieving most of those things.
“It’s nice to be in a good position and playing some good football.”
The Pride will tackle the 15thplaced Western Clydesdales in round 20 competition at Barlow Park in Cairns on 3 August.
SCOREBOARD
Northern Pride 32 (Tries: Thomas Duffy 2; Dane Aukafolau, Braidon Burns, Ewan Moore, Will Partridge 1; Goals: Duffy 4) d Wynnum Manly Seagulls 12 (Tries: Harry Armstrong, Brendan Frei 1; Goals: Bryce Donovan 2) at John Street Oval, Cooktown.
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation 92 Charlotte Street, PO Box 6, COOKTOWN QLD 4895 T: 07 4069 5412
Gungarde Community Centre is seeking applications from suitably qualified people to join our team in the role of
Applications close at noon on Friday 9th August 2024
For further information or to request a copy of the Position Description please contact 07 4069 5412 or jelliott@gungarde.com.au
THE half-time highlight of Saturday’s Hostplus Cup clash between the Northern Pride and Wynnum Manly Seagulls was a fundraising auction for those in the community still recovering from the devastation of last year’s catastrophic weather event.
After hearing about the number of people in the region still doing it tough, the Pride offered to auction off a stunning framed jersey matching the one worn by players during the game.
The jersey was designed by Balnggarrawarra and Guugu Yimithirr artist Bradley Michael, who grew up around Cooktown and Hope Vale, and tells the story about the communities impacted by Tropical Cyclone Jasper, and how it is taking “a village of people to rise up and make a community great again”.
“The circles in the middle represent the communities affected by floods inside the weave,” Mr Michael explained.
“The outside circles represent the people from outside of the flood-affected communities helping with supplies, housing, food and comfort. Footprints represent the travelling that was involved to help others in the flood, travelling away from family, community and rebuilding the community whether it be by foot, car, plane or boat.
“I connected all the communities together as strangers became friends.”
The framed jersey sold for $1,200 before players took to the field for the second 40 minutes of the round 19 clash, with all proceeds going to the Cooktown District Community Centre.
Mr Michael said it was particularly moving to see so many people he knew reacting to his one-off design.
“It’s special to be back here in Cooktown and seeing the Pride wearing my jersey in front of so many people who know me,” he said.
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IT was a strong field of 14 that teed off at Carpentaria Golf Club for the weekly Dawnbusters showdown on Sunday, however, many were there in body only having spent a full and enjoyable Saturday in Weipa’s golf and bowls fun day.
Dawnbusters patriarch Viv Dick proved too good when the cohort returned to the clubhouse, with his nett 21 securing a comfortable victory ahead of runner-up Mick Cernaka, who carded nett 23.
Lucas and Kerry Bos-
their
to
the
Grant Crossley could not be beaten close to the pin.
Jai Bright was crowned the weekly Hoffman’s recipient on countback.
Ever humble in victory, Dick explained the only reason he took the win was due to the additional handicap strokes allotted to him under the competition’s new pensioner handicap scheme.
Golfers will contest the front nine on 4 August, with the first group teeing off at 7am.
By LYNDON KEANE
THE bouts may have not all gone to script, but three of Weipa’s most promising young boxers did their club proud when they stepped into the ring in Sydney and Mareeba on Saturday night.
Harrison Klein, 17, and Samson Poi Poi, 14, travelled from western Cape York to compete in the 2024 Sunstate Amateur Boxing League in Mareeba, with both fighters hungry for their first wins.
Seventeen-year-old Jack Barton had farther to travel to don the gloves when he represented Queensland in a first-of-its-kind State of Origin event in Sydney.
Poi Poi impressed in his first bout of the night and landed some good right hands and uppercuts, but was unable to topple his more experienced opponent, before notching up his maiden victory when he put on a confident display against a younger boxer to stop him in his tracks at the end of the second round.
Klein was unlucky in his bout against an opponent Cape York Boxing Weipa coach Scott Wal-
lace said “threw everything at Harrison except a baseball bat” and nearly made time before the fight was stopped in the third round.
In Sydney, “Whispering Jack” Barton showed why he is one of the Weipa club’s most exciting talents when he went the distance against Jack Cavanagh in a fight that could have gone either way, only to lose in a close split decision.
Despite the decision going against him, Barton thanked his sponsors and supporters, and said he was now turning his attention to the next month’s Queensland titles.
“I’d like to thank everyone who made the fight possible – the local Weipa businesses, my coach, Scotty Wallace, and Brandon Smith from Smithy’s gym, who answered the call for support and gave me a professional team in my corner,” he said post-fight.
“It was a great experience with a large crowd; I’m a little disappointed with the loss, but will work on preparing for the state titles coming up.”
THE on-course action was red hot when a big field of 18 golfers contested the front nine holes in weekly Wackers fun in Weipa on 24 July.
Matt Byrne and Scott Andrews returned to the Carpentaria Golf Club bar thinking one of them had claimed the Wednesday bragging rights with some impressive scorecards, however, Jay Murray (nett 30.5) and Viv Dick (nett 31) finished strongly to secure the winner and runnerup honours respectively.
Mick Foy was unstoppable and bagged the nearest to the pin gongs on the 7th and 9th holes. Jon Dall was the weekly Bradman’s winner.
THERE were plenty of reasons to celebrate when Weipa parkrun notched up its eighth birthday on 27 July.
Five newcomers laced up their shoes in the field of 29, with Scott McLeish, Claudia Kerr and John Buchholz stopping the clock with personal best performances over the five-kilometre course.
Michael Collins proved a diet of bananas and red wine can be beneficial as the fastest male home in 24 minutes, 5 seconds, with Lucy Martin (26:55) the quickest female to cross the finish line.
Volunteers Denica Bowden, Fiona Dyer, Rose Robins, Elliot Sawdy and Katrina Scholefield ensured the birthday milestone went off without a hitch.
CLUB captain Rick Butler pulled a rare rabbit out of his hat to card a personal best 42 points and claim victory when players took to Cooktown Golf Club on Saturday. Paul Humphries made a return to form with a runner-up effort of 40 points, while Daniel Biddle’s 38 points handed him a bronze medal and further proof his new graphite shafts are working.
Nearest to the flappy sticks was Steve Butler on 2/11, while Sam Godfrey-Roberts went painfully close on a tough 9/18 pin.
Cape York Weekly has it on good authority a number of high-profile club members who carded average scores “didn’t want to peak too early” ahead of contesting the 2024 Atherton Open this coming weekend.
RODEO fans from across Cape York and Far North Queensland will converge on Mount Carbine for the annual bull and bronc ride on 10 August.
A full range of categories will be available for competitors, including poddy rides and mini bulls.
Gates open at the Mount Carbine rodeo ground at midday, with the first riders and beasts set to fly out of the chutes at 5pm.
THE Weipa Storm Surge Shelter was a hive of netball activity on 27 July when teams took to the court to contest the Embley Shield.
The event was co-ordinated by the Weipa Social Netball Club, with the Crocs, Barras and Dingoes going head to head in the 5-10 years division, and the Cassowaries, Sharks, Pythons and Cockatoos battling in the 11-18 years group.
One of the day’s highlights was the men’s exhibition match between the Wombats and Emus, with several players from both teams promising to brush up on their netball rules before another showdown.
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