Isla Winton, Ashton Gilmour and Grace Raleigh are preparing to put their best foot forward at the 2024 Queensland school sport track and field championships after the local community dug deep to help the trio travel to Brisbane to chase their athletic dreams. Report – Page 22
An alliance of cattle producers from Cape York has blasted the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service for a stock management program it says results in their animals being shot if they stray into national parks. Turn to Page 3 to read the full story.
A POTENTIALLY devastating loss of property has so far been avoided as a bushfire continues to burn around the Cape York township of Lakeland.
Cape York Weekly understands the fire began around Butchers Hill, north-east of Lakeland, late last week and was doused by rainfall before it reignited and burnt towards The Brothers and jumped the Mulligan Highway to then engulf Mount McLean.
the eastern side of the Mulligan Highway.
“It’s from the original fire at Butchers Hill and its going towards the Normanby [River] and Byerstown Range, but you can’t get into that country safely, so it’s just going to have to burn to [fire] breaks,” they said.
That afternoon, the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) issued a prepare to leave watch and act alert
Rural Fire Service Queensland volunteers and property owners from around Lakeland used all the resources they could muster – including bulldozers, graders and helicopters – to battle the blaze as it headed west towards homes and agricultural infrastructure adjacent to the Peninsula Developmental Road on Sunday.
Tuxworth & Woods have all your
WEIPA DEPOT
Iraci Ave, Evans Landing Mob: 0429 003 743
Ph: 4069 7183 Fax: 4069 7472
COOKTOWN DEPOT
Cnr of Endeavour Road and McMillan Streets, Cooktown Ph: 0419 759 892
CAIRNS OFFICE: Ph: 4035 4022 25 Redden St, Portsmith
for properties in the area, which was still current when Cape York Weekly went to press on Monday.
A QFD spokesperson said there had been no structural losses.
“The fire was burning within containment lines as of last night
and crews going out to check lines this morning,” the spokesperson said on 23 September.
One Lakeland property owner said while the main fire had been contained, there was still a blaze moving through thick bushland on
“We’ve got a really good community here helping each other; people were focused on saving the structures and making sure everyone was alright.”
The community can keep upto-date with bushfire warnings at www.fire.qld.gov.au/current-incidents or the Queensland Fire Department Facebook page.
By CHISA HASEGAWA
THIS year’s Lockhart River Paytham Malkari Festival will celebrate 100 years since the eastern Cape York community was established.
In 1924, Aboriginal people from of the KuukuYa’u, Wuthathi, Umpila, Kaanju and Uuthalganu clans were brought into a new Anglican mission at Orchid Point, the Putchiwu’chi (Old Site).
Lockhart River Aboriginal
Shire Council chief executive officer David Clarke said the festival was a “tangible expression of our cultural continuity”.
“Lockhart has a very proud creative tradition, be it dance or art or music, and our festival is an opportunity to showcase who we are as a people,” he said.
“The event celebrates who we are as a community; our dance tradition has been part of our culture since time immemorial.”
Mr Clarke said the event was set to be larger than previous
years, with the festival being held earlier to avoid the wet season. The festival will start today (Tuesday) with a cemetery meetup and official opening, and will continue over four days.
It will be followed by a church service on Wednesday, a day at the Putchiwu’chi (Old Site) on Thursday, and dancing on Friday and Saturday nights.
“[This year], we will have historical presentations and film on show representing the stages of our community development.
Dance teams from Bamaga and Pormpuraaw are coming, along with many guests,” Mr Clarke said.
He said dance was a huge part of Lockhart River’s culture and history.
“We are the people of this land, our connection run deep into time,” Mr Clarke said.
“Our dancing today represents this connection, and tells the story of how we belong here; these are the stories of our Elders who came before us.”
By LYNDON KEANE
A NEWLY-FORMED alliance of Cape York cattle producers has blasted a “reign of terror” by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) it says results in their stock being shot if they stray into national parks.
The group, Cape York Cattle Growers (CYCG), met earlier this month to discuss how to best address the problem, which occurs when pastoralists are unable to remove cattle from Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land areas before deadlines determined by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI).
Any cattle not removed from the national parks by the deadline are deemed “stray stock” by the government and subsequently seized and destroyed.
A permit system is in place to allow cattle producers to enter the national parks to muster their stock before the deadline, however, CYCG chairman John Witherspoon said bureaucratic processes were making it difficult to obtain the relevant permission in a workable timeframe.
“We applied for a permit to muster stock in Batavia National Park and the former Bromley holding but couldn’t get a permit, which took 12 months, and, by then, the cattle had moved,” he said.
“When we eventually got a permit, we had only a month to find cattle and get them out, and that was only for Batavia, not Bromley. Not only that, the QPWS want us to register all vehicles and have costly insurance for men who go into the park; we already have these policies on our own properties and registration should not be necessary, because we are not travelling on public roads.”
Correspondence to cattle producers from the government –dated 11 September and signed
by a senior QPWS ranger – seen by Cape York Weekly appears to threaten pastoralists who attempt to retrieve their stock after they have been deemed stray following the deadline.
“It is an offence under section 154-O of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 for any person to tamper, interfere or remove any seized stock without authority,” the correspondence reads.
“The maximum penalty for an offence against this section is [$16,100] (100 penalty units).”
Mr Witherspoon said the group had major concerns with the way QPWS managed the destruction of seized stock.
“National parks have never owned cattle and because they refuse to fence their vast areas of pig-breeding grounds, we
should not have to be continually threatened to have our cattle shot,” he said.
“The QPWS claim they are shooting only unbranded stock, but that is impossible to do when in a helicopter shooting galloping cattle and, besides, all cattle, unbranded or not, belong to somebody.
“The parks have been running a reign of terror over private cattlemen on the Peninsula for years, threatening to prosecute cattle owners if they enter a park to get their cattle; recently, a Coen producer said he got a letter saying he was going to be prosecuted for entering a neighbouring park to put out lick blocks along the boundary.”
A DESI spokesperson said the department has been work-
ing with pastoralists since February, adding unbranded cattle would be sold, not destroyed.
“DESI began issuing muster permits in July to facilitate the removal of branded cattle from Cape York national parks,” the spokesperson said.
“QPWS, with the assistance of the Queensland Police Service stock squad, oversaw potential ownership issues and consulted with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on potential biosecurity issues during the muster period.
“The seizure period from 15 September to 6 October is now in place – any remaining cattle in the national parks have been seized by QPWS; this will allow Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Land Trust rangers to muster unbranded cattle for commercial sale, with the proceeds going directly into the management of the national parks.
“Landowners who wish to make a final claim on livestock in the national parks are advised to provide a written claim to DESI to obtain a short-term stock muster permit.”
In 2021, 4009 seized cattle were removed from national parks, with 421 removed the following year. No seizure program was undertaken in 2023.
By CHISA HASEGAWA
MORE than 300 walkers, riders and volunteers will take on the Cape’s red dirt for the 10th Conquer the Corrugations mental health walk on 28-29 September.
After losing a son to a mental health battle, event co-founder Debbie Jackson said she needed a space to talk about the tragedy and find a community.
“When we lost Dillon, it was really hard; I found it very, very lonely, because when we tried to talk to people, you could see the bodies just shut down,” she said.
“They get the look of ‘oh my god, she’s going to talk about her dead son again’, and so you just didn’t talk about it much.”
The 42-kilometre walk began
as an event to honour her son, and started with 60 walkers filled with grief and confusion from a tragedy.
Today, it has evolved and grown into a support network for people across Cape York, as well as Victoria and East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, where similar annual events are also held.
“Everyone put their two cents’ worth in and it became something,” Ms Jackson reflected.
“It’s amazing because people come up and they just want to open up – they just want someone to hear their story.
“You may only see these people once a year, but it’s like you were all talking last week.”
In addition to the two days of walking and talking, a range of activity tents – including tutu-
making, meditation, drumming and drama – will be on offer at the event’s base at 28 Mile Lagoon.
Ms Jackson said with Conquer the Corrugations being a completely free event to participate in, its continuation was thanks to its sponsors.
Participants will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the event in style on Sunday night when they wash off the red dust and frock up in a ballgown for the Diamonds in the Dust gala to honour the event’s supporters.
“I think the big thing is to acknowledge everyone that’s really supported us from the get-go,” Ms Jackson said.
“We’ve got sponsors that have come on that have all been touched by losing somebody to suicide.”
On-the-spot fines of $483 and maximum fines of up to $6,542 may apply to those who do the wrong thing.
From 1 September 2024, new laws are in place to prevent people from engaging in dangerous or careless behaviours around crocodiles including:
• Feeding, disturbing and interfering with crocodiles (including crocodile traps).
• Remaining in close proximity to a crocodile on land.
• Unintentionally feeding a crocodile.
It is now an offence to leave or discard food— including fish frames, food scraps and bait—in a way that may attract a crocodile to a public place.
A public place includes a boat ramp, jetty, pontoon or camping area or park adjacent to water and where there is a sign warning of the presence of crocodiles in the vicinity.
Unintentional feeding encourages crocodiles to loiter around waiting for an easy feed—putting everyone at risk.
Always put your fish scraps in the bin or take them home.
By LYNDON KEANE
FRUSTRATED Lakeland residents have used a meeting with health officials to push their case for the urgent need to establish a clinic in the town.
Lakeland Progress Association (LPA) members sat down with representatives from Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) last week to discuss the situation the community is dealing with, including people having to travel almost 80 kilometres to Cooktown for medical assistance, whether it be an emergency or simply having prescriptions renewed.
The call to open a clinic in Lakeland is not new and LPA chair Joy Marriott said the status quo had major health and economic implications for the community.
“We’re a farming community and there are a lot of people using knives all day in sheds, so cuts are going to happen,” she explained.
“Like one of the growers that was there said, often, they have to take someone to Cooktown or to Laura, if there’s someone there at Laura, to get stitched – that’s basically taking up a whole day for something that could have been fixed in a few hours if we had a clinic; but it’s not even that – people are wasting whole days travelling just to get referrals and prescriptions renewed.
“During the wet, we can get cut off from further south or even Cooktown, so a clinic’s something we need.”
Ms Marriott urged TCHHS to provide more detail about its assessment process for determining the need for a clinic to be established, adding the meeting had shone little light on the topic.
“We didn’t really get a definition of what the trigger would be, and even if there was a trigger for a new clinic, that would be five years away, so we want
to know what the answer is in the interim,” she said.
“They (TCHHS) said there was a five-step process and they are only on the second step, but they wouldn’t tell us what those steps were. Is one of the triggers population?”
Census data from 2021 suggests 333 people call Lakeland home, but anecdotal evidence supports the long-held local argument the population is closer to 1,000 when international agriculture workers are taken into account.
Ms Marriott said the census data also failed to take into account the health needs of the estimated 100,000 tourists who pass through the gateway to Cape York each year.
“There’s an obvious need for a clinic because we have all the workers from overseas,” she said.
“They aren’t counted in the census, but they live here and they work here, and they have
their own health insurance, and then you’ve got the tourists as well. Obviously, [TCHHS] would have the data for the people going outside Lakeland for treatment but, for some reason, it’s just like a big black hole.”
TCHHS executive general manager south Michael Catt said he believed the Lakeland meeting had been productive but would not identify what was needed for a permanent clinic to get given the green light.
“I was delighted to attend Lakeland in person and chair a meeting with members of the Lakeland Progress Association and key stakeholders earlier this month regarding health service delivery to the community,” he said.
“We were able to provide an update to the progress association in that we will be conducting a strategic needs assessment, which will include community consultation; the next steps for Lakeland will be based on that
assessment. We have also committed to reviewing our current short-term service delivery opportunities alongside our health partners.”
Cook Shire has been a strong advocate for the establishment of a clinic in Lakeland and Mayor Robyn Holmes described the meeting as “very encouraging”, adding she believed the organisation would be prepared to come to the table to provide the infrastructure support needed to help it come to fruition.
“If [TCHHS] are committed to providing a service for Lakeland, I’m confident that council will support any minor upgrades or modifications required at the Lakeland Hall,” she said.
“We recognise the critical need for healthcare in the area, and I believe council would be very open to investigating what is needed to make a clinic a reality. Together with [TCHHS] and the community, we are eager to ensure the best possible outcome for the growing Lakeland community.”
Mayor Holmes said while a part-time clinic would be a step in the right direction, she believed there was a business case to support the development of a full-time health operation in Lakeland.
“While a part-time clinic would certainly be a welcome first step, I strongly believe there is a compelling case for a permanent, full-time clinic in Lakeland,” she said.
“The town is experiencing significant growth with expanding industries like agriculture, and more workers and tourists passing through each year; additionally, as the community continues to grow, so too does the need for accessible healthcare.
“A permanent facility would not only serve local residents, but also address the demands of the increasing number of visitors and support future development in the region.”
NONE of the state’s 128 new police officers will be posted to Cape York and the Torres Strait, State Government data shows. The officers were celebrated at a swearing in ceremony in Brisbane on 19 September, however, not a single one will help bolster the ranks of police in the northernmost part of Queensland.
More than 750 people attended the graduation ceremony and Minister for Police Mark Ryan said it was one of the largest cohorts to leave the academy in almost two decades.
“It is a privilege to congratulate these 128 new first-year constables as they begin their rewarding new careers,” he said.
“Today marks a milestone as we welcome one of the largest cohorts in over two decades; this, combined with the significant increase in applicants and graduates over the past 12 months, demonstrates an increasing desire to contribute to keeping our communities safe.”
Fifteen of the 128 new police will be posted to the Far Northern region, with 13 to be based around Cairns, one in Atherton and one in Innisfail.
The snub comes as a blow to Cape York residents, especially in Weipa, who are calling out for additional police as youth crime continues to plague the community.
POLICE are asking members of the public to be on the lookout for a vehicle stolen from Cooktown earlier this month.
The white 2003 Holden Rodeo utilityregistration 859AU4 - was stolen from the town on 8 September and is one of 64 reported stolen in the Far Northern Region so far for the month.
Anyone with information about the vehicle can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report it via www.police.qld. gov.au/reporting.
ANGLERS will converge on Mapoon as they attempt to win a boat at the community’s annual Barra Bash from 5-6 October.
The event, hosted by Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council, is one of the community’s favourites and provides competitors with the chance to fish the pristine waters of the western Cape as they vie for bragging rights and some great prizes.
Registration numbers are limited and close at 12pm on 4 October.
For more information, call 4082 5200 or check out the council’s Facebook page.
By CHISA HASEGAWA
WHILE most children are focusing on what presents they will receive for their birthday each year, one Weipa girl is preparing to celebrate her special day with the gift of giving.
After growing her hair for more than two years, 10-year-old Pearl Jenkins is ready to donate her luscious locks for children in need. Fuelled by losing a close family friend to cancer, and inspired by her brother Logan, who shaved his head in 2019 for the World’s Greatest Shave, Pearl said she would cut 35cm of her long hair off on her 11th birthday next month.
Pearl said she was not afraid to cut her hair at all, adding she would like to help someone gain the experience of having hair.
“I think someone else having hair that has never really gotten the chance to feel how it feels is more important,” she said.
“I’ve had hair and I can grow it back, so it doesn’t really matter to me, but what matters most to me is that somebody else is getting what they wished for.”
Pearl will be supported by family and two close friends who will watch the cut take place on 25 October. She will donate her locks to Variety’s Hair with Heart, where she has also set up a fundraiser to help sick children in need of support.
“Originally, I had a goal of only $250 that
I would like to raise, but in the past couple of months and days, I’ve raised $581. I’m a little surprised, but also not really, because it’s doing something for other people, and I think a lot of people would support that,” she said.
You can help Pearl go well and truly beyond her original fundraising goal by donating to her campaign at www.hairwithheart.variety.org.au/fundraisers/pearljenkins14149/hair-with-heart.
Here’s your chance to have your say in naming the bridges along the Peninsula Developmental Road. The Department of Transport and Main Roads is looking for ideas for names that highlight the area’s culture and history – be it a person, place, event, flora or fauna.
We are seeking ideas to name the Archer River bridge, Saltwater Creek bridge at Musgrave and South Laura bridge.
Naming the bridges will help simplify finding locations on the Peninsula Developmental Road for tourists, freight operators and residents. It will also provide a unique opportunity to give meaning to the bridge names from the community.
To make a submission and learn more, visit the website: https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/cape-york-region-package-stage-2
Submissions close 5pm Tuesday 1 April 2025.
For more information:
Visit: www.tmr.qld.gov.au/cape-york-region-package-stage-2
Email: cyrp@tmr.qld.gov.au
Phone: 1800 184 317
Post: Peninsula Developmental Road Infrastructure Naming Department of Transport and Main Roads Far North District Office PO Box 6185 Cairns Qld 4870
Authorised by A. Smith, LGAQ, 25 Evelyn Street
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 LYNDON KEANE
The race for Cook remains a five-horse affair following the announcement of a new candidate and withdrawal of another last week.
On 19 September, Thursday Island-based health worker Yen Loban confirmed to Cape York Weekly he would no longer be one of the candidates attempting to unseat two-term MP Cynthia Lui when Cook residents voted at next month’s state election.
“I have advised the ECQ
(Electoral Commission of Queensland) that I will not be nominating come October,” he said.
Mr Loban was the only independent candidate running and had built a campaign platform around cost of living pressures, health and local employment opportunities.
His withdrawal leaves Katter’s Australian Party’s Duane Amos, One Nation’s Peter Campion, recently-announced Greens candidate Troy Miller and former Liberal National
Party Cook MP David Kempton as the runners attempting to stop incumbent MP Cynthia Lui securing a third term in office for Labor.
Queensland Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen said ECQ was committed to providing an election that met the needs of electors after the organisation received sustained criticism over its handling of the state’s local government elections in March.
“Our focus is to continually refine and enhance our services,
building on the learnings of past elections, including this year’s local government elections in March,” Mr Vidgen said
“Changes include extended early voting hours to match election day voting hours, an increase in election staff and vote issuing points in polling booths, to ensure the overall voting experience is streamlined and efficient. Voters will also be able to vote at any polling booth in Queensland, which is not the case under local government electoral legislation.”
THE Greens have announced nurse and paramedic Troy Miller as the party’s candidate who will attempt to wrestle Cook from Labor’s grasp when voters go to the polls on 26 October.
In his candidate profile on the Greens website, Mr Miller says he has worked in hospitality and as a plumber over the past two decades, and as both a nurse and paramedic for the past five years.
Mr Miller said he believed the trust the community has for emergency healthcare operators needed to mirror the trust they had for whoever represented Cook in Parliament.
“Paramedics and nurses are one of the most trusted professions in Australia and across the world,” he writes in his profile.
“Trust should be one of the most important values your Member of Parliament should foster – if you cannot trust the person representing you, your community, or the policies that govern your everyday life, then it is time for a change.
“It is time to vote for someone you can trust; I intend to bring this trust I have earned working in the healthcare industry to the job of representing the Cook electorate; trust is a privilege that is given and I intend to uphold it.”
Mr Miller will be the fifth name on the Cook ballot paper for next month’s state election and will challenge Labor’s Cynthia Lui, the Liberal National Party’s David Kempton, One Nation’s Peter Campion and Katter’s Australian Party’s Duane Amos.
Independent Yen Loban confirmed to Cape York Weekly on 19 September he had withdrawn his candidacy.
Mr Miller’s profile confusingly identifies Port Douglas, Mareeba and Mossman as “various areas of the Cape” along with Cooktown and Thursday Island, and pro-
vides an undertaking to be out in the community and, unlike former prime minister Scott Morrison, “hold a hose” during a bushfire.
“If I am elected, you won’t find me at an office sitting behind a desk,” he says on the Greens website.
“I will be out in the community, listening and providing solutions to your problems.
“I will hold a hose if there is a fire, a spanner if something needs fixing, a hammer if something needs building; I can help the sick when they are in need and the elderly when they fall.
“I have a wide breadth of skills, a strong
voice and the ability to listen – this will allow me to represent you, the people of the Cook electorate.”
While Mr Miller’s identified policy priorities aligned with the Greens’ statewide focus, rather than specific Cape York and Torres Strait issues, his profile also commits to delivering “more funding for our arts and music festivals, and children’s sport across the Cape, and improved access to tertiary education in remote areas”.
Mr Miller did not respond to requests from Cape York Weekly for an interview about his candidacy.
– story by Lyndon Keane
Cooktown kindy fundraiser
THE community only has three weeks to wait to support the Cooktown Kindergarten with its major fundraiser for the year.
The kindy will host its annual fete on 12 October at PCYC Cooktown from 9:30am1pm, with a gold coin donation at the door promising to open up a fun-filled range of activities, games, stalls and raffles.
An event spokesperson said the mini sideshow alley, fairy floss, face painting and crazy hair offerings were expected to be popular with both children and adults.
For more information, call 0447 240 677 or 0429 062 262.
Regional review to wrap up
CAPE York and Torres Strait residents have a final opportunity to participate in the Federal Government’s Regional Telecommunications Review at an online consultation session on 1 October.
The review, which is held every three years, plays a role in reducing the digital divide between cities and regional Australia.
The session will be held on 1 October from 9:30-11am and represents the final step in receiving feedback from the public ahead of the review committee providing its recommendations to the government.
A second session will be held the same day for stakeholders in Western Australia. For more information, or to participate in the online consultation, visit www.rtirc.gov. au/consultation.
THE importance of fact-based journalism on local issues, especially in remote areas like Cape York, will be reinforced on World News Day on 28 September.
World News Day is a global initiative designed to draw public attention to the role journalists play in providing trustworthy news and information that serves communities and democracy.
Cape York Weekly editor Lyndon Keane said he believed fact-based journalism was even more critical for audiences outside metropolitan areas, adding the success of the masthead proved the value Cape York and Torres Strait communities put in the stories shared each week.
“In a time of fake news, skewed stories and reporting often done from thousands of kilometres away without a real feel for the mood of a community, it’s imperative media outlets like the Cape York Weekly continue to champion factbased journalism and community-driven storytelling,” he said.
FORMER Cook MP and Liberal
National Party candidate David Kempton has slammed the State Government’s $60 million commitment to stage three of the Cape York Region Package (CYRP) as a “hollow vote-buying stunt” aimed at winning the election, not improving remote road infrastructure.
Earlier this month, the govern-
ment announced it was putting the money on the table to kickstart stage three of the project but added it was dependent on the Federal Government stumping up the remaining 80 per cent through a joint funding arrangement.
Mr Kempton, who held the seat of Cook from 2012 until 2015, said he did not believe Premier Steven
Miles and his team had the capacity to deliver on their promise.
“[It’s] a hollow vote-buying stunt, five weeks before an election, that Labor cannot deliver. Bart Mellish the Minister [for Transport and Main Roads] knows full well that the state cannot commit funds to stage three without the Federal Government putting
up its share pursuant to the bilateral funding agreement,” he said.
Mr Kempton identified several high-profile infrastructure projects in Far North Queensland – including a $100m cost blowout on the Archer River bridge – as money that could have been better spent on progressing the sealing of the Peninsula Developmental Road.
“What Minister Mellish has done is waste $40m on a farcical cassowary overpass, another $40m on inoperable cameras on the Kuranda Range, and an unbelievable $100m overrun on the Archer River bridge – $180m which could have been better used on sealing more of the PDR,” the LNP candidate said.
COOK Shire Council has begun significant recovery and reconstruction works on the battered Bloomfield Road, which it says marks a major step forward in the region’s recovery from the catastrophic flooding in December last year.
The council said while temporary repairs had helped maintain access to the road since the disaster, the commencement of permanent works was now possible after funding was secured and geotechnical surveys completed.
Funding for the project has been made available under federal-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
The road provides a vital link to Cooktown for Wujal Wujal, Bloomfield, Rossville and Ayton residents, with many parts currently requiring careful navigation to avoid damage to vehicles.
The reconstruction program will be delivered in multiple stages to prioritise critical sites and work on high-priority sites intended to be completed before the 2024 wet season.
Cook Shire Mayor Robyn
Holmes thanked the community for its patience and said restoring the road to full functionality was at the forefront of the council’s priorities.
“Restoring Bloomfield Road is crucial to keeping our community connected and ensuring safety, especially with the wet season approaching,” she said.
“Council is doing everything it can to complete the repairs and reopen the road to full functionality as soon as possible [and] we thank the community for its patience.”
Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said “getting started on the reconstruction of key sections of Bloomfield Road is a critical step in the region’s recovery”.
“Bloomfield Road is a project that matters to Cape residents and visitors ahead of the wet season,” Ms Lui said.
The program includes both standard and specialised treatments across several critical sites, such as full-width road reconstruction, culvert repairs, slope stabilisation and pothole repairs.
Charity visit a hit as Wujal residents add to wardrobes
By CHISA HASWGAWA
WHEN Wujal Wujal residents watched their homes go underwater and had to evacuate their community 10 months ago, replacing lost clothing was not number one on their priority list.
After the disastrous flood event caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023, residents are getting back a sense of normalcy after a community wardrobe mission by clothing charity Thread Together.
Based on the uncomfortable truth of clothing being sent from factories to landfills every year while many people do not have adequate access to essential clothing, Thread Together diverts excess fashion to communities in need.
“We would’ve had more than 200 people through over the two to three hours that we were servicing and providing the brand new clothing,” Thread Together operations manager Ross Mitchell said.
“I think the main feedback we received was that this was the first time many residents have had the opportunity to choose
brand new clothing since they returned to community.
“It was the dignity of choice, and that dignity of brand new clothing; they were very surprised to see that there were still tags on them, and the variety that they were able to choose from.”
Roughly 4,000-4,500 items of clothing, shoes and accessories were donated to Wujal Wujal for the event held outside the local church.
Thread Together visited the south-eastern Cape York community as part of the RACQ Foundation’s 25th community assistance project.
“For us, we have had the opportunity to set a partnership with key agencies that are supporting the community, and through them, we can provide the clothing in the future if needed, and they can distribute it on our behalf,” Mr Mitchell said.
“We’re aware that Queensland is the state most affected by natural disasters, so this has given us an opportunity to focus a proactive response to those rural and remote communities.”
By CHISA HASEGAWA
AT just three years old, Cooktown’s Manaia was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer in March.
After months of treatment away from home in Brisbane, mother Desiree Gibson said they were finally home and her baby cancer free.
“We’d been displaced in Brisbane the whole time; we’d not been cleared to return home for a weekend or anything like that,” she said.
“We’ve had to remain very close to the hospital, just because he is a child, and infections and all of that can come on very aggressively, very quickly.
“When you do get an infection or run a high temp or anything like that, it can be quite severe for kids going through chemotherapy, so it feels surreal to be back home in Cooktown.”
Like a script from every parent’s worst nightmare, a healthy and energetic Manaia called out one night after passing a “huge amount of blood in his urine”.
Suddenly diagnosed with a Wilms tumour, a childhood cancer that had taken over the majority of his left kidney, Manaia was transferred to Brisbane for surgery and chemotherapy.
“He’s finally able to be a kid again – he’s able to go on a playground, he’s able to swim, and do all of the things he wasn’t able to
do with this diagnosis,” Ms Gibson said.
“He did have a port inserted, so there’s always that risk of infection when you play on playgrounds and swim in public. Even when we were living in a big city where those kinds of things are all around, he couldn’t, so it’s massive to just have him running around like a normal kid should, and living like any other four-year-old.”
Time away from home took a toll on the family, who were away from other family members, friends, a support network, and normality.
“When he was going through chemo, his appetite went down, and his mental health went down, just being away from home for such a long period of time,” she said.
“When everything was taken
out – like he had a nasal feeding tube at one stage for a majority of his treatment, because he was so underweight – when all that lifted off him, there was a big difference.
“He’s now able to eat like he used to eat, and it’s been hard to watch as a mum, but he’s just back to himself.”
Moving forward, Manaia’s lifestyle will be strict, but he has been declared officially cancer free.
“He is now living with the one kidney, so we will have to be careful, but his doctor has given us the all-clear that there’s no more tumours and nothing else spreading,” Ms Gibson said.
“Now, we just return to Brisbane every three months just so that they can keep an eye on him, which is really great, because as a mum and dad back home in a remote community, we kind of don’t know what to look out for with the bad stuff.
“It’s really good for us to have that small timeframe to return back to his doctors, and if nothing flags with them over the three months within that one-year period, they’ll space it out to six months, and then that carries on for five to six years, just because he is at that high risk of reoccurrence over the next five years.”
Ms Gibson thanked the Cooktown community for getting them through the tough journey while the family was unable to work while supporting Manaia.
“It was massive; it was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders when we saw people reaching out from the very beginning wanting to help out,” she said.
“We were off work for pretty much this whole time, and I’m just so grateful for everything that everyone has done for us.
“I wish there as a way that we could give back to them, because it helped us so much.”
THE chief executive officer of the art fair responsible for kickstarting the careers of countless Cape York and Torres Strait artists has been announced as one of the inaugural appointees to the Federal Government’s First Nations Board.
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) boss Dennis Stokes is one of 10 members of the board, which aims to elevate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture both in Australia and internationally.
Mr Stokes and his fellow board members will provide leadership to support and promote First Nations arts and have a mandate that includes enhancing sustainable creative career pathways for artists from areas like Cape York and the Torres Strait, increasing audience opportunities and expanding the reach of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.
Mr Stokes, a proud member of the Wardamann, Luritja, and Warramunga peoples of the Northern Territory and the Wagadagam people of the Torres Strait, brings extensive
experience and passion to the board and Minister for Arts
Tony Burke said he believed First Nations artists would get greater creative autonomy through the board’s diverse composition.
“This board will ensure that the decisions and investments to support First Nations arts are guided by First Nations people, protocols and principles,” he said.
“It will amplify the voices of First Nations people and support self-determination in the telling of their stories.
“Each member brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will enable them to make pivotal contributions to supporting and empowering First Nations artists and arts workers.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy said she believed the board was “committed to championing First Nations artists and amplifying their voices”.
The appointment of Mr Stokes and the other board members came into effect on 9 September for a period of four years.
CAPE York and Torres Strait health authorities are urging families to vaccinate their children against meningococcal B following an outbreak of the disease in Cairns.
The warning comes as many families make the trip to the city for the school holidays with three confirmed cases in the area, including in Yarrabah, over the past month.
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) public medical officer Dr Allison Hempenstall said meningococcal was a serious and sometimes fatal illness that could potentially be prevented through vaccination.
“We offer meningococcal B vaccinations for children aged two months, four months and 12 months of age, and adolescents between 15-19 years,” she said.
“Currently, 87 per cent of children under two within the TCHHS region have received at least one dose of the MenB vaccine, but only 18 per cent of eligible teenagers have had their first dose. I strongly encourage all parents and carers with eligible children to get their kids vaccinated.”
MenB vaccinations are available at all TCHHS hospitals and primary healthcare centres.
2024
Nominations due by the 13th October
Phone: 4069 7332 or come into the club to register!
RAFFLE & PRIZES TO BE WON
FAMILY FUN DAY TO FOLLOW $50FEEENTRY PP FEE green fees, entry fees, burger and includeddrink
SATURDAY 19TH OCTOBER
9-hole 4 person Ambrose 8am Buggy Auction and Reading of the Rules 9am Tee-off shotgun start Noon burger lunch provided as part of entry fee
MORE than 80 people have been able to return to their communities to die on Country in the past 12 months through an expansion of Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service’s (TCHHS) palliative care service.
The culturally focused and safe pop-up palliative care (PUPs) team supports terminally ill Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families who wish to return home to pass away on Country.
During the 2023-24 financial year, the PUPs team supported 84 people to return home, of whom 55
were able to die on Country in accordance with their wishes, while others were supported in the community.
PUPs team leader and clinical nurse consultant Charlene McCall said the team had expanded to nine staff which included nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, allied health and administration staff.
She added the team worked with patients wishing to return home and their families to ensure the homes were fitted out appropriately with necessary supports to allow their homecoming.
“We know how much difference going home can make to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person in the final stages of their life,” Ms McCall said.
“Late last year, we had a patient urgently referred to our team from Townsville Hospital who wanted to return home to Cape York to feel the water near his community and cast a fishing line, just as he had done in his younger days.
“Being back on Country, among family and friends and the sights and sounds he cherished gave him peace in a way no medical treatment could and, incredibly, he
lived seven months longer than expected. He had the chance to find healing in the connection to his community, culture and memories and share stories with younger members of the community.”
Along with a team expansion, TCHHS will now utilise a dedicated storage area in Cairns for equipment patients may need to return home, including beds, wheelchairs and other comfort care products.
Executive director allied Health Amanda Wilson said having immediate access to equipment allowed patients to return home faster.
“Rather than needing to order
equipment for each referral the PUPs team, which includes an occupational therapist, will be able to identify what is required and send it directly to the community,” she said.
“We understand time can be of the essence for many of our patients, so this will be a fantastic way to expedite their return home.
“We are also considering ways to enhance our bereavement services and will be consulting closely with communities to ensure a culturally safe service, which is respectful of cultural protocols in each community.”
IN many ways, being a voter is like most of the trips I’ve made to buy new lures: there are rows and rows full of colourful options to draw your attention and send you into a downward spiral of selection confusion, but few actually do what they promise on the packaging once you’ve laid down the cash and added them to your tackle box.
With the state election now just 33 days away, parties are ratcheting up the rhetoric with the energy of anglers who have come across a school of mackerel, crowding the political water with promises and lures they assert will make Cape York a better place to work and play. You’ve just got to take the bait and trust them with your vote first.
The news health officials met with Lakeland stakeholders to investigate the feasibility of setting up a much-needed clinic in the town is fantastic news, but the timing of the meeting makes it fair to ask whether the State Government is serious about providing a solution to a problem no one in an urban area of Queensland would be expected to accept as the status quo, or whether it’s an attempt to lock up some red votes in the gateway to Cape York come 26 October.
The same could be said for the $60 million the government has put on the table to kickstart stage three of the Cape York Region Package. Yes, it’s wonderful they can identify the Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) on a map but, in reality, it’s an empty multimillion-dollar promise lobbed out during an election campaign. Why? Because the commitment is contingent on the Federal Government stumping up $240m for the project to continue the 80:20 joint funding arrangement currently in
place, and there’s been little recent interest from Canberra in that regard. Maybe it would be different if we convinced our political overlords the PDR was the northernmost part of the Bruce Highway. The opposition hasn’t been much more convincing since candidates hit their strides. Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate and former Cook MP David Kempton has been scathing of the government’s lack of interest in critical Cape York road infrastructure, but failed to provide a counteroffer to
voters as the icing on his criticism. Furthermore, the LNP’s $50m biosecurity plan – which includes reopening the Cape York Biosecurity Centre at Coen – is little more than politicking lip service, because the party hasn’t specified how it will execute the strategy, given the government handed the facility back to Traditional Owners last year, only to have them demolish and remove the inspection station a few months ago.
The fact we haven’t seen – nor will we before voters head to the
ballot box – Steven Miles or David Crisafulli out on the hustings this far north provides a big clue about much of a priority the one electorate encompassing Cape York and the Torres Strait is to the big parties. Talking to sources from both sides of the political fence, they readily admit off the record they have put a thick red line through Cook and are instead focusing their campaign energy – and genuine lures – elsewhere in the state.
The minor parties aren’t doing much better. Rather than identifying specific issues they will address if they are elected and hold a balance of power in what could well be a minority government, the preferred approach to win over voters seems to be wrapping their opponents’ lures around snags and criticising their casting ability.
It’s no wonder no one is reaching for a landing net yet – the vote fishing strategies of promising the world without any need to reel in a result or simply telling constituents what the other anglers are doing wrong are ones we’re sick of, because they’ve failed to hook any significant economic prosperity or cost of living relief for the region time and time again.
With a bit of luck, the tide is turning, and candidates will start to use bait that not only appeals to voters and makes them feel heard, but also land some of the promises and, with them, positive change for Cape York and the Torres Strait.
Fill in the
cells using
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.
Fit the numbers 1-6 once into every hexagon so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers are the same. No number is repeated in any single hexagon.
Rio Tinto Weipa (RTW) is completing studies to inform the planning of future operations. One of these is a Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) which examines potential effects on communities including:
• Napranum
• Mapoon
• Aurukun
• New Mapoon.
Embley Contracting is seeking to recruit one resident from each of these communities to assist with community engagement.
The role involves:
• Delivering a short survey with residents of the community
• Providing advice to the research team on community issues
• Reviewing feedback provided by members of the community and advising how this should be interpreted.
Selected applicants will be employed on a Casual basis for up to 100 hours between October 2024 and December 2024. Hourly rates will be based on standard RTW Labour Hire rates. Expenses such as mileage and other agreed expenses will be reimbursed.
Applications Close: Friday, 4th October 2024
To apply, please send your details to: sia@emmconsulting.com.au
The Western Cape Communities Co-Existence Agreement (WCCCA) is an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) over the Rio Tinto mining lease areas of the Western Cape York region of Northern Queensland. The Agreement is between the eleven Traditional Owner Groups, four Shire Councils (Aurukun, Napranum, Mapoon and New Mapoon), Rio Tinto, the Queensland State Government and the Cape York Land Council on behalf of the Native Title Parties.
The Western Cape Communities Coordinating Committee (WCCCC) and its three SubCommittees transparently monitor, implement and review the objectives of the WCCCA to ensure that all parties’ obligations under the agreement are met. The WCCT office is the administration arm for all the Trusts and the WCCCC. It manages the overall business of the company including servicing, assisting and supporting the above entities.
WCCT is committed to providing high quality services to our Traditional Owners, and we recognize the importance of employing the most suitable candidates. Currently we are seeking applications for the position of:
To meet our corporate and legislative requirements as a charitable trust, the WCCT has a highly complex financial structure. Reporting to the Finance Manager, the Finance Grants Officer is responsible for managing the overall Grant Application process, and supporting the finance manager with finance and reporting functions.
We anticipate that applicants will have a mininum of two years experience in a finance based role, class ‘C’ manual driver’s license, and an understanding of engaging with Aboriginal people.
It will also be beneficial to have a relevant tertiary qualification and prior experience with MYOB.
We anticipate that applicants will have:
• Minimum Year 12 education;
• Minimum 2 year experience in a finance based role;
• Sound IT and MYOB experience; C Class Driver’s license; and
• An understanding of engaging with Aboriginal people
• Tertiary qualifications in Finance or higher will be considered favourably
• Traditional Owners and Aboriginal people are strongly encourage to apply
All applications should be clearly marked “Private and Confidential” and addressed as follows:
Executive Officer
PO Box 106
Weipa, QLD, 4874
Phone: (07) 4069 7945
Email: eo@westerncape.com.au
DATE – FRIDAY, 4TH OCTOBER 2024
By LYNDON KEANE
HE may not have recorded an eight-second ride, but up-andcoming cowboy Josh Snell is already setting his sights on his next four-legged opponent after competing on the world stage in the United States this month.
The 15-year-old was invited to come out of the chute at the 2024 International Miniature Bullriders Association World Finals in Utah from 3-7 September and has returned home with an even stronger resolve to chase a career as a professional bull rider.
After impressing in junior events at rodeos in Laura and Mount Carbine this year, the USA challenge was a huge step up for Snell, who told Cape York Weekly the experience was an “eye opener” to life in the arena.
“It was a great experience to be able to have, and an eye opener on a few areas,” he said.
“It kinda felt the same [as the Cape York rodeos] and it was more of a ‘what was the stock going to be like?’ than anything – I just treated it like any other rodeo.”
After spending nine days in the USA, Snell said it was good to be back on his home turf as he turned his mind to his next local rodeo challenge and admitted he wanted to return to international competition to improve on his result, which placed him 13th in the world for the event.
“It’s definitely pushed me to get on and push myself to the next stage at the rodeos,” Snell told Cape York Weekly
“I just hope to continue doing what I’m doing, keep riding at my local shows and get ready for the next one.”
Snell’s mother, Teegan, said it had been thrilling to watch her son doing what he loved in front of an international audience, adding it would not have been possible without sponsor Mitch Newman from the Mount Carbine pub and the Cape York community which
supported a fundraiser held at the watering hole.
“It was so amazing seeing him competing and achieving one of his dreams – a proud moment in a mum’s life,” she said.
“It’s definitely brought him out of his shell; his confidence has
definitely improved outside of the sport, I think. It’s meant the world to have so much community support from family, friends and wonderful people that wanted to support Josh on his journey; we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone that has helped him.”
THE physical and mental wellbeing of participants and community spirit were celebrated when a strong field ran or walked across one of the most stunning landscapes on western Cape York on 21 September.
Sixty competitors lined up for the 2024 instalment of the Aurukun River to Ramp, with the option of a 7-kilometre run or 3.5km walk to be conquered.
The event was hosted by Aurukun Shire Council and Councillor Jayden Marrott said it put fitness and wellbe-
ing at the forefront of the community’s agenda.
“By participating in events like River to Ramp, we can inspire each other to lead healthier, more active lives,” he said.
Little Della Doolan proved age was no obstacle to competing after being the youngest in the pack to cross the finish line at just four years old.
Results of the 2024 Aurukun River to Ramp will be available on the Cape York Weekly website.
THREE junior athletes will put the calibre of Cooktown’s athletic ability on the map when they don Peninsula colours to compete against the state’s best school-aged track and field athletes in a little over a fortnight.
Grace Raleigh and Isla Winton, 13, and 10-year-old Ashton Gilmour have been selected in the Peninsula line-up that will travel to Brisbane from 8-14 October to contest the 2024 Queensland Representative School Sport Track and Field State Championships.
While it will be a change from competing at Cooktown’s John Street Oval when they walk into the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Mount Gravatt, the trio have been putting in the hard yards training multiple times each week to ensure they are at their best when the championships begin.
Ashton and Isla are members of Cooktown Little Athletics Club and are currently training three days per week, while Cooktown District Junior Rugby League Club member Grace is devoting two days every week to her athletic endeavours.
In addition to their rigorous training schedules, Ashton and
Isla impressed in Cairns on 14-15 September when they picked up a number of top-four finishes in their chosen disciplines at the Little Athletics Queensland Tropical North Regional Championships.
When they put on their Peninsula outfits and land in Brisbane, Isla will compete in the 13 years long
jump and 400 metre track event, while Grace will line up against her Cooktown teammate in the long jump pit as well as contesting the triple jump.
Ashton will vie for a podium finish in the 10 years long jump and tetrathon.
The community has rallied be-
hind the trio to help fundraise the money needed to represent their town and Peninsula at the championships, and Isla’s mother, Teila, said the trip would not have been possible without overwhelming support from Cooktown residents, businesses and organisations.
“The community has been re-
ally supportive in helping raise funds,” she said.
“I created a 100 board which sold out online in four days, and the bowls club donated $200 worth of meal vouchers, and Cook Shire Council have also been an amazing by supporting us financially through their grant processes.”
THE Northern Pride have unveiled former National Rugby League player Russ Aitken as its head coach as the club aims for its biggest season yet in 2025.
The Pride made the announcement on 23 September that Aitken would lead its coaching line-up for next year’s Hostplus Cup campaign, with the former Cronulla Sharks, Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys player set to start in the role within weeks.
Aitken will join the Pride from the Cronulla Sharks, where he was the club’s elite
pathways development coach.
His coaching career kicked off in France before he returned to Australia as the head coach for the St George Illawarra Dragons’ NSW Cup team.
After a disappointing end to the team’s 2024 campaign, Aitken said fans could expect a “connected and committed group to compete hard every week” when the Pride took to the paddock next year.
“I’m excited and privileged to take on the role as head coach of the Northern Pride for the 2025 and 2026 seasons,” he said.
“I understand the importance
THE whole family is being invited to make tracks for the Cooktown Racecourse for a day of equine entertainment when the Cooktown Horse Sports Association holds a fun day on 28 September.
The fun day will include a range of activities including a novelty event, with plenty of prizes on offer for two- and fourlegged competitors.
A free barbecue lunch will be fired up at the end of competition.
For more information, check out the Cooktown Horse Sports Association Facebook page.
JIM Hunter was the best in a field of 14 golfers when they battled for Wackers supremacy in Weipa on 18 September.
Hunter returned to the Carpentaria Golf Club bar with 45/32 to secure the chocolates over runner-up Mick Cernaka (42/33.5), as well as the pin prize on the 7th hole.
Les Sariman donned the Bradman’s cap for the round.
Players will face a triple-choice challenge on 25 September when they contest a three-club event.
A Wackers spokesperson said they believed the format of the round would create a few headaches.
“It’s three clubs only, and that includes a putter only if a player chooses one,” they explained.
“It’s not three clubs plus a putter.”
FORTY-SIX off the stick seemed to be the score to card when a small field of nine teed off for Dawnbusters at Carpentaria Golf Club on 22 September.
A third of the field recorded the same gross score, including winner Brandon Waretini, whose nett 19 was enough to go home with the week’s chocolates.
Jim Lucas bagged bridesmaid honours with his nett 23, as well as the men’s longest drive.
Ross Craven was the best with the short clubs to claim the nearest to the pin prize.
While Dawnbusters were happy to see the return of Phil Aspinall, who has returned to western Cape York for a few weeks, his result demonstrated the impact a few years away from the hallowed greens and fairways in Weipa can have on one’s game as he was awarded the Hoffman’s for his full use of every inch of the course.
Players will tackle the front nine from 7am on 29 September, with new golfers always welcome to join the fun.
the club holds across Far North Queensland; I aim to honour our history and connect across our greater footprint.
“New levels of performance have been reached across the 2024 season – this resulted in a minor premiership and a preliminary final; the standard has now been set and it will be up to the current group – staff and players – to again raise the bar in 2025.”
The Pride finished the 2024 season as minor premiers but crashed out of finals contention after a thrilling golden-point loss to the Redcliffe Dolphins in Cairns earlier this month.
