Perfect weather conditions set up a sports fishing showdown to remember when teams contested the Weipa Billfish Tournament over the long weekend. Find out why anglers have been catching fish closer to shore than ever before on Page 23.
Katter’s Australian Party candidate Duane Amos says he wants a “seat at the table” and a ministerial portfolio if he wins the battle for Cook and his party holds a balance of power following this month’s state election. Read the full story on Page 3.
THURSDAY, 24TH OCTOBER
Alby Conference Room 5.30PM – 6.30PM
ALL POSITIONS VACANT
• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Secretary
Tuxworth & Woods have all your refrigerated, dry & heavy haulage needs covered – from 20 grams to 20
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
AFTER spending the past nine months cleaning up after floodwater left its seemingly indelible mark on the site, organisers, volunteers and revellers were able to enjoy the fruits of the hard work when the Wallaby Creek Festival made a triumphant return on 20-22 September.
While numbers through the gate were down on previous years, a fantastic range of musical acts and entertainment were on offer to create three days to remember, according to festival director Jen Midgley.
“It was a very successful festival, more so as the numbers weren’t too high and the co-ordinators all got to enjoy the fun and music,” she said.
“After such a hard slog throughout the year, cleaning mud off items, salvaging stuff from the bush, and fixing and re-
placing necessary equipment, it was certainly rewarding to have such a beautiful event with an incredible music line-up, thanks to our entertainment director and jill of all trades, Sandi Lloyd.”
Festival highlights included the cabaret, which was once again a hit after a cohort of local women practiced all year to showcase their dance talent.
“The kid’s festival and parade were superbly orchestrated by Mama Clare, delivering major joy to a couple of hundred children over the festival,” Ms Midgley said.
“They had mud kitchens, stage space, a dress-up corner, an art and craft space, a waterslide and an obstacle course, all under the giant fig.”
With revellers gone for another year, Ms Midgley said event organisers were now turning their minds to the looming wet season.
“Now we are packing down with the future in mind, trying to ensure that we don’t get smashed by a flood again and, if we do, it’s not such a major clean-up,” she said.
WESTERN Cape York came alive in a wave of colour and celebration when hundreds of residents and visitors participated in the 2024 Napranum Ruchook Cultural Festival on 20-21 September. The biennial event, hosted by Napranum
Aboriginal Shire Council, revved up the entertainment for patrons on the Friday afternoon as residents, businesses and community organisations decorated their vehicles for a street parade to the festival grounds. When the engines were silenced, the party
kicked into high gear as a range of musical acts and cultural performers from Napranum and across Cape York shared their stories through song and dance into the night and on Saturday before the celebration ended with a fireworks spectacular.
By LYNDON KEANE
THE Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) candidate for Cook has a clear message for the next premier of Queensland if he wins the seat and his party holds a balance of power in a minority government following the 26 October election: make me a minister.
Duane Amos made the extraordinary request as the official campaign got under way last week and said he believed having the electorate’s representative at the cabinet table could only mean positive things for Cape York and the Torres Strait.
“I didn’t go in this [election campaign] to sit on the bench,” he told Cape York Weekly
“I went in to create change and be in a leadership position for Cook, and if that means taking on a portfolio, so be it.
“What’s the point if there’s a minority government and we aren’t asking for that?”
KAP currently holds three seats in the 93-electorate Parliament, with some political analysts suggesting the minor
party will likely retain Traeger, Hill and Hinchinbrook, as well as have a strong chance of picking up a number of new regional seats, including Cook.
The party has never demonstrated any desire to hold a ministry but Mr Amos said he believed the time was right if a balance-of-power scenario played out after voters went to the polls at the end of the month.
He acknowledged if he were successful in wrestling Cook from incumbent MP Cynthia Lui, the likelihood of being given a ministerial portfolio as a first-term representative of a minor party was low but that it was not dulling his resolve.
“Whoever forms government, whoever that may be, we need to have that discussion with them … if we take a balance of power,” he said.
“It may not even be a discussion if there is a majority government. But the question I have about why we aren’t at the table is ‘why not?’ – the reason I say why not is because are we part of the problem or part of the solution?
“The only way we’re going to start bringing wins back to Cook and the Cape is having a voice and the leadership that’s going to get results and deliver wins for the north, and you don’t do that without a seat at the table.
Not since Steve Bredhauer was appointed Transport and Main Roads minister in Peter Beattie’s Labor cabinet from 1998-2004 has a Cook MP been given the responsibility of a ministerial portfolio.
Premier Steven Miles did not respond to inquiries from Cape York Weekly about whether he would entertain minor parties holding ministerial portfolios if such an agreement meant forming government, but he suggested on the campaign trail last week Labor was against doing deals, a sentiment echoed by the Liberal National Party.
“The LNP has been clear on this previously – Queensland will continue to get more of the same unless we change the government,” an LNP spokesperson said when asked whether Opposition Leader David Crisafulli was open to negotiation with
smaller parties like KAP if they held a genuine balance of power.
“The only way to avoid a Labor-Greens coalition of chaos and get the fresh start our state needs is by voting for the LNP’s Right Plan for Queensland’s Future.”
Mr Amos said he believed his background could make him an ideal candidate for the police or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs portfolios, and dismissed the suggestion the sheer size of the Cook electorate meant constituents would never see their MP on the ground if they were to hold a ministry.
“There has to be a refocus on what you consider to be a strong government,” he said.
“If the focus is on delivery in the south-east corner, nothing’s going to change.
“If we (KAP) get a seat at the table, we can help with that refocus, and if and when we are sitting at the table, and whomever holds government, we can be a voice in the discussion and still hold our cabinet colleagues to some sort of accountability for Cook and regional Queensland.”
By LYNDON KEANE
THE chambers of commerce in Weipa and Cooktown, and the Lakeland Progress Association (LPA) have all flagged prioritising remote infrastructure development as the issue they believe candidates campaigning to win Cook on 26 October should be paying the most attention to.
As the state election campaign officially got under way on 1 October, Cape York Weekly asked the Western Cape Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), Cooktown Chamber of Commerce and Tourism (CCCT) and LPA what one question they wanted all five candidates to answer, as well as what issues they believed were impeding continued economic growth in their communities and the greater Cape York region.
WCCC president Jai Christie said he wanted to see candidates providing greater detail on how they intended to drive economic diversity on western Cape York and identified a lack of commitment to finalising the Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) upgrade as the biggest hurdle facing businesses in Weipa and the surrounding area.
“Can you outline your plan for economic growth and industry diversification in the western Cape?” he said in response to the question of what the WCCC would most like to ask candidates.
“Our most significant issues are the lack of commitment to the PDR and the lack of support for
new industry in the western Cape.
“It is very important to support investment into the whole of the Cape, especially in the western Cape – we are in a prime position to build the Cape into a hub of new industry that can support defence, logistics and the rest of the state, where other areas are at capacity.”
LPA president Joy Marriott wanted candidates to outline their connection to Cook and said the group was concerned Lakeland could not grow any further without appropriate housing and service infrastructure.
“We need suitable housing for people to move to the area, and
specifically for Lakeland, a lack of health services and basic infrastructure for growth are issues,” she said.
“Without people, we won’t have improved services and growth, so we need basic services and infrastructure to entice people to the region - it goes hand in hand.”
In addition, Ms Marriott said she believed road and bridge infrastructure, a review of the Cape York Water Plan, land tenure and fixing the blue card issues for emergency services volunteers needed to be on the radars of candidates.
In Cooktown, CCCT president Russell Bowman said infrastructure investment was of “paramount importance” to Cape York’s shortand long-term economic prosperity.
“Unless and until we have good infrastructure, particularly roads, it is very difficult grow our businesses and communities,” he said.
“Accelerating the sealing of the PDR is key – does the candidate recognise this, and what will their party commit to by way of investment in accelerating Cape York infrastructure that will enable growth and development?”
NOT-FOR-PROFIT organisation
GIVIT has won a 2024 Queensland Resilient Australia Award for its management of donated goods and services essential to Wujal Wujal’s recovery following the community’s evacuation in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Jasper flooding.
The awards ceremony was held in Brisbane last week and was an initiative of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, in partnership with Suncorp and the State Government.
GIVIT was one of five category winners announced on the night, with all state award recipients progressing to the National Resilient Australia Awards later this year.
As Wujal Wujal was cleaned and rebuilt to a point where residents could return, GIVIT teamed up with Cape York Partnerships to
provide community members with household appliances and furniture so they could feel a sense of normalcy as they tried to heal after the disaster.
Minister for Disaster Recovery Nikki Boyd said GIVIT and the other award winners demonstrated the commitment and outside-thebox approaches needed to help build disaster preparedness and resilience.
“I want to thank our remarkable award winners for their community spirit and commitment to building disaster preparedness and resilience where it’s needed most,” she said.
“These award winners are inspirational with experience showing the more prepared and resilient we are, the more likely bouncing back quickly from extreme weather becomes.”
CANDIDATES wanting to be in the battle for Cook only have until noon today (Tuesday) to ensure they have completed their nomination with the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ).
So far, five candidates have announced their intention to run for the seat – incumbent MP Cynthia Lui for Labor, the Liberal National Party’s Da-
vid Kempton, Duane Amos for Katter’s Australian Party, Peter Campion for One Nation and the Greens’ Troy Miller.
Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen urged prospective candidates to ensure they understood their obligations both with the nomination process and holding elected office.
“Running for public office is a very significant step for any-
one and it’s important to know and understand your obligations as part of the process,” Mr Vidgen said.
“Candidates require a deposit of $250, and if endorsed by a registered political party, must be nominated by the registered officer or deputy registered officer of the party.
“Independent or non-endorsed candidates must be nom-
inated by at least six electors with current enrolment in their electoral district.”
Once nominations close, a ballot paper draw will be undertaken to determine the order in which candidates’ names appear.
Details of all nominated candidates will be published on the ECQ website following the close of nominations and the ballot paper order draw.
By CHISA HASEGAWA
LONG after the early morning start, pumping hearts and sore legs have worn off, participants of the 2024 Weipa Running Festival (WRF) are continuing to have a positive impact on mental health services on Cape York.
In September, WRF made a $5,000 donation to the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) mental health team, by way of
a $5-per-participant pledge, after party games and participant donations. The fund, which was requested to stay local, is now being used to help fit out a mental health space in Kowanyama.
RDFS Far North mental health manager Jos Middleton said it was always touching when the local community got involved to help out.
“It is so great – RFDS is always grateful for all donations.
“These donations from the WRF are extra special, as the committee asked that these funds stay local and within the RFDS mental health and wellbeing program of Cape York,” she said.
Ms Middleton said their previous donation helped bring the facilities in Weipa to life, and they were now able to do the same for Kowanyama.
“This year, we have secured a new wellbeing room in Kow-
anyama, so these donations are helping us finish off the furnishing of those rooms,” she said.
“Creating therapeutic healing spaces for our clients to come to goes a long way [in] supporting their mental health.
“Our offices have such a welcoming feel; we find clients drop in for a yarn and a cold glass of water, which is a great way to stay connected and offer brief interventions.”
THREE local groups have received funding through the Rebuilding Futures program facilitated by the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) and Suncorp.
The Bloomfield River District Residents Association will receive $20,000 to install a kitchen in the Tin Shed to enhance the facility’s capacity as an evacuation centre, while the Cape York Folk Club will use $19,192 to floodproof the Wallaby Creek Festival by upgrading communication equipment and access roads, and purchasing waterproof storage units.
Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation was successful with a $20,000 grant to help deliver the Kuku Bakal Kaykayanda (Giving Words to all the Children) program, which will help provide youth with a deeper understanding of disaster recovery experiences and empower them to assist their community’s recovery process.
THE State Government has opened an expression of interest process to deliver sea freight to Outer Torres Strait Island (OTSI) communities.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads is managing the EOI through the government’s QTenders portal, with submissions needing to be lodged by midnight on 22 November.
The OTSI region has a population of about 8,000 people dispersed across 16 small and remote islands located in the Torres Strait between Cape York and PNG. Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish said it was hoped finding the right sea freight operator to service the OTSI region would play a role in reducing the cost of living for residents.
For more information, visit www. qtenders.epw.qld.gov.au/qtenders.
THE Cooktown Kindergarten will have a case of footy fever as it holds its major annual fundraiser this weekend.
The kindy has announced a signed North Queensland Cowboys jersey will be the showcase item during the auction at its fete on 12 October, with bidding expected to be furious as fans try to get their hands on the NRL memorabilia.
The fete will be held at PCYC Cooktown from 9:30am-1pm, with a gold coin donation at the door and a range of activities, games, stalls and raffles on offer for patrons. For more information about the fundraiser, call 0447 240 677 or 0429 062 262.
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
COOKTOWN’S small screen star will start filming for a new television show this month in Western Australia.
Indigenous actor Marley Sharp is set to play a leading role in popular series Mystery Road, an Australian crime series that begins with an investigation into an outback cattle station disappearance.
Despite several television credits, Sharp said he didn’t intend on working in the acting industry, instead getting his start in radio.
“There was a casting for a series out of the station I was working with at the time, and a producer
came up to me and asked why I wasn’t auditioning,” he said.
“I wasn’t really going to do it, but I just did it anyway, and it kind of went from there.”
Although confidentiality considerations meant he couldn’t tell Cape York Weekly much about his new character, the actor credited past directors and producer for encouraging his natural chops for acting, as well as Mystery Road costar Aaron Pederson.
“One of the first shows I worked on, I worked with Aaron Pederson, so it’s kind of come full circle,” Sharp said.
“It was really encouraging to see an Aboriginal actor in action,
DAVID KEMPTON AND THE LNP HAVE
and it made me think I could do it too.”
Sharp said now was as good a time as ever for diversity in Australia television, adding that he hoped to be an inspiration for any budding First Nations actors out there.
“They are always looking for different characters, so I think it’s a great time to try it out if that’s what you want,” he said.
“I was really lucky that I saw people like me on screen, and directors and producers were really good to me. I just want people to be the very best they can be, and if I can inspire that, that’s really important to me.”
Indigenous Community Development Projects
Funding for community development, sporting and recreational facilities for indigenous communities on Cape York.
Cooktown Dinghy Pontoon
Funding for a dinghy pontoon in Cooktown.
Grower Input to Lakeland Irrigation Area Scheme
Supporting the Lakeland Progress Association to respond to the Lakeland Irrigation Area Scheme and Palmer River Dam detailed business case.
Hopevale Blockholders Access Project
Assistance for Hopevale Blockholders to grade and gravel driveways following flood damage from Cyclone Jasper.
New Cooktown Hospital
Redeveloping Cooktown Hospital to deliver a new, modern facility with more hospital beds to care for more patients.
EIGHT Thursday Island Traditional Inhabitant Boat (TIB) fishers have completed first aid training that could save a life when fishing in the Torres Strait.
The training was part of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Wapil 2 project, which was rolled out with the aim of increasing the capability and capacity of full-time TIB fishers to grow the region’s fishing industry.
Seasoned fisher Thomas Fujii was part of the first cohort to complete the course and said the knowledge he took away from it would be invaluable when he and his team were operating in remote waters.
“Wapil 2 first aid training through the TSRA is important for us TIB fishers,” he said.
“We are often on our own, so knowing how to do CPR and
provide first aid until help arrives can save a life. This type of training is essential.”
The TSRA collaborated with the Australian Marine Safety Authority to ensure the right advice and support was provided to TIB fishers.
TSRA chairperson Pedro Stephen said the next phase of the Wapil 2 project would provide grant support for eligible fishers to access safety equipment.
“Safe practices and lifesaving fundamentals were a major focus of the project,” he said.
“It was important for commercial fishers to be equipped with the right safety training before we look to providing new safety kits.
“We want all fishers to come home safely to their families with their crew, their catch and their equipment intact.”
AURUKUN Shire Council Mayor Barbara Bandicootcha has welcomed the approval of $3.56 million in State Government funding for critical infrastructure within the western Cape York community.
Five projects have been given the funding green light and include a $1.8m renewal of isolation valves and fire hydrants, $965,000 for housing construction, $400,000 for a playground facility at the Aurukun foreshore, $200,000 for road resealing around the community and $195,000 to upgrade the sewer pump station.
The funding is part of $500m in council infrastructure grants approved across the state through three initiatives, including Works for Queensland.
Mayor Bandicootcha said the works would allow the council to improve its asset base as the community grew.
“The increase in funding by $1.19 million from the previous year will allow council to keep our assets up to date to meet the needs of our growing community,” she said.
“Renewing the isolation valves and fire hydrants was identified through a water as-
set plan review in December 2023, and will support planned land and social housing developments in 2025. This 12-month project will start with survey work and procurement of materials this year, ready for installation during the dry season in 2025.”
Other Cape York councils to have funding wins are Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council, which will receive $1m for new and upgraded cabin housing in the community, and Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council, which will get $630,000 to construct new workers’ accommodation.
By LYNDON KEANE
A PONTOON for tenders from large vessels will be on the cards in Cooktown’s Endeavour River if the Liberal National Party (LNP) wins government at the 26 October state election.
LNP candidate for Cook David Kempton was in Cooktown on 3 October to meet with boaties and marine business operators and commit $500,000 to the project, and take a first-hand look at the congestion issues on the existing pontoon, which is adjacent to the community boat ramp.
Currently, the owners of large vessels must moor their tenders at the boat ramp or get as close as they can to the shore and risk wading through shallow water at low tide to access local shops and services.
While no project is yet on the cards, Mr Kempton said the half-million-dollar funding commitment would act as the starting point for the concept to become a reality.
“This is an iconic fishing port here, and it obviously has some safety factors with the weather, the wind and the crocodiles,” he said.
“We’ve got a pretty good wharf facility and boat ramp, but we don’t have a long-term option for the smaller vessels and tenders from the yachts; this is another critical piece of infra-
structure for this waterfront.”
Cape York Weekly understands project supporters believe the pontoon should be located along Sherrin Esplanade, in the vicinity of the rear of the Cooktown RSL, a location that would require the resumption of mangroves.
Cook’s Landing Fuel and Moorings owner Tom Anderson said he believed a second pontoon exclusively for tenders would get daily use and provide economic and safety benefits.
“Obviously, at the moment
there’s the issue at the boat ramp where you can’t get in or out with small vessels tying up there to go to town,” he said.
“If we had a secondary alternative, it would definitely help out the congestion around the boat ramp.”
The Lure Shop owner and Cooktown Chamber of Commerce and Tourism president Russell Bowman said Cooktown was a must-visit destination for luxury vessels that needed to have the marine infrastructure in place to support the industry.
“We’re in the situation where Cooktown is seeing so many more luxury vessels coming into town … they all share the dream of coming to explore our beautiful part of the world,” he said.
“We’ve also got some locals that own vessels that can live on the water and they come to the RSL and might do the raffles and everything else; at the moment, they’ve got nowhere they can leave there vessel legally for more than 15 minutes.
“You need a floating pontoon with easy access to town.”
WESTERN Cape York residents are being encouraged to make a beeline for the Weipa SES headquarters this Saturday to ensure they know what preparation is required ahead of the 2024 storm season.
Weipa Town Authority (WTA) is hosting this year’s Get Ready Weipa Disaster Expo from 9am-12pm on 12 October at the Rocky Point base of the local SES crew, with a range of stakeholders and agencies on hand to provide live demonstrations, displays of emergency service vehicles, and a range of information stalls.
The event is aimed at engaging all community demographics in ensuring the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery message is at the forefront of everyone’s mind as the cyclone season approaches.
MAPOON’S Royston Noell is celebrating the release of his latest single after Say It Loud dropped for fans on 27 September.
The single is the first taste of the artist’s forthcoming album “Sunrise”, which is scheduled to be launched in early 2025.
Say It Loud shares the story of Noell’s coming out process, one he said he hoped those on Cape York and in the Torres Strait struggling with their identity could use as inspiration.
“This song reflects the struggle of self-acceptance and the challenge of embracing who you truly are,” he said.
“For me, that struggle was tied to my sexuality; I couldn’t Say It Loud for a long time, and this song captures that significant part of my life that I was scared to reveal.”
WITH the 2024 Queensland general election now less than three weeks away, the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) is urging voters to understand their obligations and key dates when it comes to having their say on who will represent them for the next four years.
Voting in the election is compulsory for eligible Australian citizens aged 18 or older, with the early voting period scheduled for 14-25 October. Early voting details for Cape York and Torres Strait communities will be released soon.
Postal voting is also available for electors who are not able to vote on 26 October, with applications for this service closing on 14 October.
For more information, or to register for a postal vote, visit www.ecq.qld.gov.au.
1. Tiny Tots: 0 – 5 years boys & girls
See website for details and registration: www.cooktownraces.com.au Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/CUBWP Cooktown Amateur Turf Club
Fashions on the Field Categories: Theme – Vintage
2. Little Track Stars: 6 – 12 years boys & girls
3. Young Ladies & Gents: 13 – 17 years
4. Chic Ladies: 18 to 34 ladies
5. Lady of the Day: 35+ ladies
6. Best Suited Gent: 18+
7. Style Duo of the Day: 18+ couple
8. Millinery Award 18+ ladies & gents
UpNorth Enterprises - FEATURE EVENT
Heritage 150 Anniversary Category (Historical Dress Open Category)
Junior Categories will be Judged promptly at 11.30 before the 1st race at
RESIDENTS of Lockhart River have used last month’s Paytham Malkari Festival to mark 100 years of the eastern Cape York community and look towards the next century of its evolution and growth.
About 300 visitors made the journey to Lockhart River to join the community in its celebration, with the earlier date proving a recipe for success, according to Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council CEO David Clarke.
“The festival was great,” he said.
“It was probably a step up from last year, admittedly though, that was in mid- to late-November last year, so there were more tourists here for it. It’s sort of a balancing act at the moment – we’re trying to work out where our capacity is numbers wise.”
With visiting dance groups from Pormpuraaw and Bamaga adding to the centenary celebration, Mr Clarke said the festival had been a “vantage point” to look back at the community’s history and determine what the future held for it.
“It gave a vantage point to look back and see where they’ve come from,” he said.
“We’ve had about 50 years at the old [Lockhart River Mission] site and 50 [years] or so at the new site,
so it’s a different vantage point to look forward and see where we’re going for the next 100 years.
“Now as a mainstream local government, we’re in charge of our own destiny.”
As the community focuses on its future and unlocking economic development opportunities, Mr Clarke said next year’s festival would return in September to capitalise on dry season tourists and
the school holidays. “The target date will be the last week of September,” he said.
“Next year it may very well be a dance and music festival; we’ll see what the committee wants to do.”
VACCINATION for mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – is available for eligible Cape York and Torres Strait residents as health authorities try to stop the infectious disease reaching the northernmost part of the state.
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) public health medical officer Dr Allison Hempenstall said while no cases had been detected within the region, 63 cases of mpox had been notified in Queensland so far this year.
“While we have had no cases within our region, mpox vaccination is available for eligible people,’’ she said.
Eligible people include all sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, sex workers and their contacts, people living with HIV who are at risk of exposure, and people whose occupations may put them at increased risk of exposure.
Dr Hempenstall said mpox symptoms could include a pimplelike rash or skin lesions, fever, headache, muscle ache, mouth ulcers, sore throat or rectal pain. If you think you have mpox symptoms, avoid contact with others and seek medical attention from your local healthcare centre or sexual health team.
Our local stories are at risk without our fair share of government advertising.
This election, over 60 independent local newspapers across regional queensland will report extensively on grassroots issues, giving locals a voice on the future of our state.
Most government advertising spend goes to big city media and tech giants, who don’t employ local journalists or publish local news.
If you take away the papers, you take away our local stories.
The Victorian Government acted to protect its regional news media by mandating a ‘page per
week’ of government advertising spend in every regional and community newspaper.
Our independent newspapers employ hundreds of local journalists and publish thousands of local stories, and during election periods are often the only media dedicated to reporting on local election issues.
An equitable share of government advertising will help ensure that regional newspapers remain a beacon of truth, connection and resilience. We need to act now for change.
MABUIAG Island student Davontai Mooka has just wrapped up the experience of a lifetime after he and a group of classmates from Innisfail’s Radiant Life College travelled to Japan to immerse themselves in the local culture while sharing their own.
The group embarked upon a week-long cultural exchange that involved visits to places like the Australian Embassy and Trade and Investment Queensland in Tokyo, Google and a secondary school in Sendai.
One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to the Sendai secondary school, where the Radiant Life College students performed and shared aspects of their First Nations culture as they learnt about local traditions and Japanese culture.
Davontai, 14, said it had been an honour to share his Torres Strait Islander heritage with the Japanese students and named the visit to Google’s Tokyo office as his personal highlight.
“Visiting the Google office in Tokyo was the most exciting experience. I felt proud sharing my First Nations culture and was honoured to learn about the local Japanese culture,” he said.
Principal Nathanael Edwards said the trip had been “15 years in the making”, adding he had been thrilled to watch the students from both countries bond and begin to collaborate.
“It was more than just an overseas trip – it was about showing the importance of sharing and preserving our culture on a global level,” he said.
“As the custodians of the
world’s oldest continuous living culture, it’s vital for our young people to see themselves as part of a global community.
“It was a life-changing experience for our First Nations students.
“One moment during the trip stood out to me – hearing students discuss the possibility of working internationally and recognising the important role their culture can play in a global context.”
The bonds between the schools will continue to grow when English teachers from the Sendai school visit Cairns and Radiant Life College on a study tour in late 2024.
We are seeking input and comment from residents of Weipa and other western Cape Communities to inform a comprehensive socio-economic impact assessment (SEIA) which will support planning the future of the region.
The study is being undertaken as Rio Tinto considers expansion of the Amrun operation and the closure of the East Weipa mine, where active mining recently finished, and the Andoom mine, which is set to finish active mining later this decade.
The SEIA is being delivered by an independent specialist consultancy called EMM. It will take six to seven months to complete.
Have your say!
andtheireffortsthatsavedlivesacrosstheCape disasterFarNorthinwhatwastheregion’sworst Puttinginlivingmemory.theirownlivesatrisktohelp boththetheirmatesandcompletestrangers,theyare WhenembodimentoftrueblueAussiespirit.
InAndtheydiditallforfree. manythisspecialedition,welooktoshareas highlightingofthosegoodnewsstoriesaspossible, thebestofwhathasbeenahor
littleasaresultofCycloneJasper,whoproduced bomb”fanfareonarrival,onlytoleavea“rain ofbiblicalproportionsinhiswake.
MINISTER for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
Leeanne Enoch and Member for Cook Cynthia Lui made a stopover in the Torres Strait as part of a pre-caretaker mode northern tour to officially open the upgraded Thursday Island Hospital on 27 September.
The $55.8 million upgrade has been staged over the past three years to minimise service disruption and was completed earlier this year, with a special blessing held in the new emergency department in July to welcome the first patients.
The redevelopment includes a new maternity unit and extensive works on the inpatient unit, pathology, and operating theatre, along with provision of a second negative pressure isolation room to boost capacity to manage infectious diseases.
A new central sterile supply department was also constructed, as well as space within the medical imaging department for the new CT scanner, which scanned its first patients in December 2023.
As part of the redevelopment, Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service also commissioned local Indigenous artworks for installation in the hospital and at the Sibuwanay Ngurpay Meta (Thursday Island primary healthcare centre), with 13 individual pieces
from five First Nations artists currently on display.
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services
Shannon Fentiman said the completion of the three-year redevelopment was a significant win for the Torres Strait.
“This is such an exciting milestone for the community, and I
know staff and locals have been loving the beautiful new space and artworks,” she said.
“As the Ministerial Torres Champion, I couldn’t be prouder of our government’s commitment to delivering the best possible health facilities for residents across the Torres Strait Islands.”
Minister Enoch described the
new-look hospital as being “absolutely key to closing the health gap for indigenous Australians”, while Ms Lui said the upgrade would allow more Torres Strait residents to receive medical treatment locally.
“The hospital and primary healthcare centre projects on Thursday Island are delivering improvements in terms of design
layout, construction materials and access to digital technology,’’ she said.
“They also increase the capacity of both facilities to deliver more and improved services, thereby allowing patients and clients to access services closer to home and limit the need to travel elsewhere for healthcare.”
IN what may be the biggest show of hubris and political ambition we see in the raging battle for Cook, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) candidate Duane Amos has announced he wants a ministerial portfolio if he manages to unseat incumbent MP Cynthia Lui and his party holds the balance of power in its hands when Queensland has its say on 26 October.
At face value, the suggestion will be written off by most election pundits as the audacious flex of a candidate who doesn’t understand the political landscape he is attempting to make his kingdom, however, when you abandon an instant dismissal of the idea and instead consider what having our local MP at the cabinet table would likely mean for the genuine betterment of Cape York and the Torres Strait, the concept becomes extremely appealing.
It’s been a long time since Cook’s elected representative held a ministerial position in a state government. In fact, not since Steve Bredhauer oversaw the Transport and Main Roads portfolios in the Beattie government from 19982004 has our part of the world had an active voice in the executive government.
Former Cook MP and current
Liberal National Party candidate
David Kempton was an assistant minister under former premier Campbell Newman from 2012-15, but there’s a monumental chasm between the clout a minister and assistant minister have with their cabinet colleagues.
While Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli have effectively poohpoohed the notion of doing any deals with minor parties like KAP to form government, the concept is one both men and their respective gaggles of sycophants and policy
advisors need to run up the flagpole as one of the hypothetical outcomes Queenslanders could wake up to on 27 October. Bookmaker Sportsbet currently has the LNP as the $1.05 favourite to provide the state’s next premier, with Labor drifting to $11 – ridiculous odds on both counts in what is effectively a two-horse race.
Bookies and the Queensland public wrote off then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her party in 2020 as well, and we all know how that ended.
Whether it’s arrogance, an in-
nate need not to be the first to blink and mention the possibility of a minority government, or just a complete misread of the room, Mr Miles and Mr Crisafulli should acknowledge there is every chance minor parties could decide which of them gets to sit behind the premier’s desk for the next four years come the end of the month. With three MPs already and the genuine opportunity to pick up another two or three seats – including Cook – KAP may find itself being a kingmaker, a scenario the party would have to exploit for the best
interests of regional and remote Queenslanders, especially those in the northernmost part of the state.
Mr Amos’ call for a ministerial appointment is bold for several reasons, one of which is, if elected on 26 October, he will enter Parliament as a first-term MP, a position from which it’s historically almost impossible to get a tap on the shoulder to take on ministerial responsibilities. Notwithstanding that, it’s refreshing to see candidates looking at the bigger picture and pondering what they can do to maximise their representation of some of the remotest constituents in the state, rather than sitting on their hands on the sideline beholden to the will of their party, or content to sling mud without any real danger of being in the room when major decisions on issues that impact our region are made – or fail to even make it to the table.
All of the five candidates currently engaged in a political street fight for Cook should harbour the ambition of ultimately sitting at the cabinet table, however unlikely that may be, because doing so would immediately put the needs of Cape York and Torres Strait residents in the spotlight as a priority.
If we don’t have a voice at the table, there’s every chance the local push to finally realise our social and economic prosperity will go on the backburner for years to come. Cape York and the Torres Strait can’t afford that.
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.
Your annual WCCCA Trusts and Sub-Regional Trusts Annual General Meetings will be held as follows:
WCCT Central Sub-Regional Trust Ltd ACN 102246042 as Trustee for the WCCT Central Sub-Regional Trust
Monday 14th October 2024 9:00am – 12:00pm
WCCT Administration Building (Achimbun)
Lot 21 Kamenjarin Drive, Evans Landing, WEIPA
WCCT Southern Sub-Regional Trust Ltd ACN 102246113 as Trustee for the WCCT Southern Sub-Regional Trust
Tuesday 15th October 2024 9:00am – 12:00pm
WCCT Administration Building (Achimbun)
Lot 21 Kamenjarin Drive, Evans Landing, WEIPA
WCCT Northern Sub-Regional Trust Ltd ACN 102245956 as Trustee for the WCCT Northern Sub-Regional Trust
Wednesday 16th October 2024 9:00am – 12:00pm
WCCT Administration Building (Achimbun)
Lot 21 Kamenjarin Drive, Evans Landing, WEIPA
Western Cape Communities Trust Pty Ltd ACN 102245607 as Trustee for the Western Cape Communities Trust, followed by Western Cape Communities Trust Pty Ltd ACN 102245607 as Trustee for the Western Cape Communities Property Trust
Thursday 17th October 2024 9:00am – 12:00pm
WCCT Administration Building (Achimbun)
Lot 21 Kamenjarin Drive, Evans Landing, WEIPA
All Shareholders are encouraged to attend. Morning tea will be provided.
If you have any further enquiries or want to RSVP please call the Administration Officer on (07) 4069 7945
WITH a theme of Rhinestone Cowgirls, the 2024 Clearwater Ladies Gamefish Day is set to turn heads on the Evan’s Landing boat ramp as anglers fish to fundraise for the McGrath Foundation next month.
The event, hosted by the Weipa Billfish Club, has gone from strength to strength in recent years and will be held this year on 2-3 November.
Tournament co-ordinator Fifi Down said the unique fundraising event was a chance for female fishers to wet a line and experience competition angling while having a lot of fun and laughs as funds were raised for the McGrath Foundation.
“It’s turned into the ladies all coming together for a day of friendship out on the water, trying something new in a usually male-dominated arena, dressing up and having the chance of winning some awesome prizes,” she said.
“Participants should expect a lot of camaraderie, laughter and, hopefully, the adrenalin rush of seeing their team raise a pod of sailfish.
“Boats will be decorated according to their team name, and in the past we have had ones like Fish N Chicks, Tits Ahoy and Moto Melons – all of the boats will do a
sail past before the tournament begins on Saturday morning.”
It will be a frenetic day of fishing action on 2 November before teams frock up for the gala presentation luncheon the following afternoon.
Ms Down said the tournament provided an opportunity for anglers to experience the thrill of chasing billfish, while keeping an eye on the sustainability of the local fishery.
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.
“For some ladies and junior anglers, it is a chance to catch up or show new friends just what it’s like to reel in a beautiful gamefish species, or to teach them new skills,” she said.
“We encourage anglers to leave the marlin or sailfish in the water, as they have better survivability if we do this – they are just as magnificent in the water and their colours truly shine in that environment.
The Western Cape Communities Coordinating Committee (WCCCC) and its five Sub-Committees 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 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::
Reporting to the Executive Officer, the Office Manager is responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of the WCCT Office in order to meet organisational objectives. This includes demonstrating appropriate and professional workplace behaviours, performing their responsibilities in a manner which reflects and responds to continuous improvement, managing Administration staff, managing IT and communications systems and other office equipment, and providing support to the Executive Officer. The Office Manager is also responsible for the coordination and planning of all WCCT, WCCCC, Sub-Regional Trusts and Sub-Committees meetings scheduled throughout the year.
We anticipate the applicants will have completed a formal training in Business Administration or a similar field and have experience in a similar role where they have been responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of an office, managing administration staff, document control, managing IT and communications systems as well as compliance with organisation policies and procedures and workplace health and safety regulations. A current C class driver’s license is also required for this role.
Prior experience with MYOB, centralized database, and a sound knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island protocols are highly desired.
Traditional Owners and Aboriginal people are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must have the right to work in Australia.
For further information, including a position description please contact the Executive Officer directly.
All applications should be clearly marked “Private and Confidential” and addressed as follows: Executive Officer PO Box 106
Weipa, QLD, 4874
Phone: (07) 4069 7945
Email: eo@westerncape.com.au
CLOSING DATE – FRIDAY, 11T h OCTOBER 2024
TEAMS only have until this Sunday to register to tee off for a good cause when Carpentaria Golf Club hosts its 2024 Pink Ribbon Charity Golf Day on 19 October.
The fundraiser will take the form of a nine-hole, four-person Ambrose, with a buggy auction to be held from 8am before golfers pull out their drivers with a shotgun start from 9am.
Club president Murray Mountjoy said the competition would be another fun way to raise money for local health initiatives and follows the successful Men’s Health Fundraiser Weekend in June.
“The Pink Ribbon day has been heavily supported already, and we’re encouraging more people to come and play golf for a good cause on the day,” he said.
The luncheon will be at the forefront of all competitors’ minds with a three-course meal, raffles for an Adamas diamond, an auction for a Glenn McGrath autographed cricket bat and potentially a mechanical bull on the program.
Nomination forms for the tournament will be out soon and numbers will be limited, so Ms Down urged competitors to get in early.
For more information about the event, call 0407 698 539.
“The club’s dedicated to supporting community initiatives and it comes on the back of the men’s mental health day earlier the year.”
A family fun day will kick into full swing once teams complete their rounds, with raffles and prizes to be won.
Players can register their team by 13 October by calling 4069 7332 or dropping into the clubhouse.
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
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
THE countback gods were looking favourably on Dave Sands when 21 Dawnbusters teed off at Carpentaria Golf Club on 6 October.
Sands and Jon Dall returned to the clubhouse with their scorecards both showing nett 15, but it was Sands’ 47 off the stick that handed him the win and relegated Dall to the week’s bridesmaid.
There were meant to be 22
players taking to the course on Sunday morning, however, the editor of a certain Cape York newspaper was a conspicuous absence after failing to appear for his much-hyped return to golf after a two-year hiatus.
A Dawnbusters spokesperson said players were disappointed the aforementioned hack was a no-show but carried on with their usual gusto and shenanigans nonetheless.
“The beer and champagne flowed throughout the day as players and fans waited for celebrity guest number 22 to arrive,” the spokesperson said.
“But, alas, this would not happen, with his alleged return to golf proving to be more uneventful than the next Mariah Carey Christmas song release.”
Mick Cernaka took the men’s long drive honours, while none of the five ladies who played
could control their drivers enough to remain on the course and claim the women’s big hitting bragging rights.
Jim Hunter claimed the pin prize, with Chelsea Buckley securing the weekly Hoffman’s. Players will get under way on the front nine from about 6:30am on 13 October, with new golfers – and newspaper editors – always welcome to join the fun.
by LYNDON KEANE
Mother Nature delivered optimal fishing weather as teams battled for sport fishing bragging rights on western Cape York over three days during the 2024 Weipa Billfish Tournament from 5-7 October.
Teams set out in pursuit of billfish in calm seas following the traditional shotgun start on Saturday morning, with the good weather allowing competitors to
fish closer to the shore than has been possible in previous years.
Weipa Billfish Club president Ben Bright said the weather meant teams were spending more time chasing fish, rather than having to travel a long way offshore to commence fishing.
“The weather’s been perfect for it,” he told Cape York Weekly as teams prepared for the final day of competition on Monday.
“Where the bulk of the fleet’s been fishing in Boyd Bay is
closer than we’ve ever done it –there’s been good fishing very, very close.
“There’s still the odd team going far and wide looking for the holy grail, but it’s going to be a nervous last day today for the team in front.”
Teams will converge on the Weipa Bowls Club tonight (Tuesday) for the annual dinner and presentation event, something Mr Bright said was always a highlight after three days out
on the water trying to tag and release as many fish as possible.
“Everyone definitely looks forward to it – it’s always a good night of storytelling and piss taking, and then the major awards are handed out,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s the second and third places that are a little bit unknown, because they’re so tight.”
Check out next week’s paper for a full wrap of the 2024 Weipa Billfish Tournament.
SCOTT Triffitt demonstrated the importance of club selection when he finished the Wackers second three-club showdown with a four-stroke victory on 2 October.
Twelve players contested the Carpentaria Golf Club course with only three sticks in their kit, with Triffitt (47/33.5) taking the chocolates ahead of Peter Lamond (51/37.5) who secured second place in a countback with Jim Hunter.
Lamond (9th hole) and Rob McVean (7th hole) claimed the nearest to the pin prizes, with Jim Lucas recording a major change of fortune to go from winning last week’s round to bagging the Bradman’s on Wednesday.
RICK and Steve Butler, aka the Valley Boys, are the 2024 John McArthur Shield winners after a spirited fight for bragging rights at Cooktown Golf Club on 5 October.
The Butlers shot a tidy nett 58.5 to secure a comfortable victory from the 2023 shield winners the Champions – Sam Godfrey-Roberts and Campbell Venables –who returned to the clubhouse with nett 61 for runner-up honours, while Won and Too – Wes Walsh and Daniel Biddle – took the bronze medal with a nett 63.75.
Walsh and Steve Butler claimed the pin prizes on 2/11, and 14 and 9/18 respectively.
A STRONG field of 19 players made the most of good golfing conditions when they competed in an 18-hole stroke event at Carpentaria Golf Club on 5-6 October.
The event allowed competitors to complete their round on either the Saturday or Sunday, with Steve Kennett recording a winning round of nett 67, while David Sands (nett 70) took the bridesmaid prize.
Scott Andrews was in good form with the short clubs to take the pin prize on hole 18, while the big-hitting Jamie Hutton secured the men’s long drive gong on the 3rd hole.
The 100 Club was also drawn when players returned to the clubhouse, with Murray Mountjoy and Sue Trunley announced as the winners.
