The promises have been made, the babies kissed and the political hyperbole spun, and now it’s time for Cape York voters to have our say on who will represent us until 2028 ahead of Saturday’s state election. Turn to Page 11 to hear the last word from the candidates.
Brianna Lowrey, Stef Kurz, Matilda Revere, Clare Haslop, Faith Johnson, Emma Eyre, Abby Jensen and Jemma Collins toast the Pink Ribbon Charity Golf Day at Carpentaria Golf Club on Saturday. Check out all the action on Page 22.
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Rio Tinto after feedback as it plots its future path
RIO Tinto is urging residents of Weipa, Mapoon, Napranum, Aurukun and New Mapoon to have their say on its future operations on western Cape York as it undertakes a socioeconomic impact assessment (SEIA) that will play a role in the region’s longterm direction.
The SEIA has already been completed within the organisation and now communities can have their voice heard on a range of key issues impacting Weipa and the surrounding region, including current views on living
in Weipa and the future of the township, local spending habits and trends, current workforce arrangements and the future aspirations of residents.
Another significant element of the SEIA will be gauging current perceptions around the potential community impacts and opportunities associated with both the closure of Rio Tinto’s northern operations and expansion of the Amrun mine.
The SEIA comes on the back of operations ceasing at East Weipa earlier this year, the
planned closure of Andoom operations later in the decade, and a potential expansion to mine south of the Amrun operation.
A Rio Tinto spokesperson said the company was “working closely with Traditional Owners, the Weipa Town Authority and the government to plan for a sustainable future for the Weipa region and the surrounding communities”.
Rio Tinto Weipa general manager Steve Dunstone said it was imperative community members had their say.
“We value the community’s feedback and encourage everyone to participate by completing the community survey,” he said.
“Knowing what people think and feel will help us better understand what is important to the community, which in turn helps us manage any impacts that changes to our operations may have – helping us all to shape the future of the region for the better.”
The survey can be completed by visiting www.surveymonkey. com/r/STTBQRV.
Archies exhibition showcases some of Cooktown’s most recognisable faces
By CHISA HASEGAWA
THE committed and fun-loving characters of Cooktown have been immortalised in paint for the second Cooktown School of Art Society’s (CSAS) Archies exhibition.
Whether a historical figure, family, friend, an admired local or even oneself, artists of the eastern Cape York township filled the Elizabeth Guzsley Gallery with portraits of the people who inspired them when the exhibition opened on 18 October.
“This year has been predominantly people who contribute to Cooktown; a lot of them are actually volunteers, so that’s really nice that people are paying homage to them,” CSAS president Jane Dennis said.
Winning portraits were selected by a panel of three judges before opening night.
Ursula Caballero Santander, Hazel Moore and Jade Auld were the adult category winners, Zyra Jones and Ezra Jones won the youth category, and Sonja Guinea and EJ Reuben received encouragement awards.
“The standard of artists putting entries in with us just seems
to be getting better and better,” judge Ian McRae said.
“We’re getting more people interested in art in Cooktown than we’ve ever had before.”
For Mr McRae, works that were innovative and showed off an artist’s creativity were the ones that stood out.
“We would hope to avoid something like photorealism, which would just copy something, and instead we hope people find different ways to present their artwork,” he said.
“Whether it’s a screen print or a painting or whatever medium they used, we looked for some-
thing that was a little unusual.
“The winners all had not only great technique, but also had something a little unique about them that showed the imagination behind the artist.”
The Archies exhibition will be available for viewing until 2 November.
Jane Dennis and Jan Bardsley-Smith inspect a portrait of well-known Cooktown identity Marilyn Morris.
Council open to talking about water fluoridation
By LYNDON KEANE
A GROUP opposed to the “dosing” of Cooktown’s water supply with fluoride has welcomed a decision by the council to reopen community debate about whether the practice should continue.
During Cook Shire Council’s ordinary meeting on 15 October, Councillor Melinda Parker moved a notice of motion calling for the organisation to reconsider whether fluoride should still be added to the water supply, given there is no longer any legislative mandate to do so.
From 2008, the Water Fluoridation Act 2008 (the Act) prescribed all councils in Queensland that provided potable water to at least 1,000 people had to add fluoride to the water supply, a mandate that was scrapped by former premier Campbell Newman in 2012 which allowed local governments to make their own decisions about fluoridation.
Fluoride continues to be added to Cooktown’s water supply, however, none is added to the supplies of Laura and Coen.
A full public gallery was on
hand to witness Cr Parker’s notice of motion, with most seats filled by members of the group demanding fluoride stop being added to Cooktown’s water supply on the basis the mineral was not required to render it potable and, as such, represented a form of “mass medication”.
Cooktown resident Ian Murray is the spokesperson for the group and told Cape York Weekly while the council decision was welcome, concerns remained that consumers were not being given a choice about whether they wanted fluoride in their water.
“We welcome it, and we enthusiastically wait for the information as presented to be reviewed,” he said.
“The pros and cons, as people see them, are interpreted differently by individuals, and this is where individual choice, and what’s suitable for the individual, should be a personal choice.
“[Fluoride] is not required to render drinking water safe, and also, if that be the case, then it is given as a medication, and therefore would be required to be some form of consent by the individual.”
Section 7 of the Act allows for a council to add or not add fluoride to water supplies in its local government area if “it is satisfied the decision is in the best interests of the community”.
Mr Murray said he believed the council needed to take a whole-of-community approach to its consultation about fluoridation to ensure the correct decision was reached.
“We’ve kind of lost sight of the fact that we are all a community, and what affects one person does have a knock-on effect to the wider community,” he said.
“You know, even if, in my particular case, we’re on bore water and we’re out of town, I’m not detached from this community; we’re all in the same boat – if my friends, my colleagues, my associates and the wider community that I interact with are being dosed with what is effectively a harmful chemical, then, you know, we have an obligation and a duty of care to raise our voices in the interests of others.
“If people feel so inclined they think that fluoride is worthwhile having in their diet, there
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are plenty of other ways to get it in there.”
Mayor Robyn Holmes said the vote in the chamber last week would kickstart the debate about whether fluoridation would continue in Cooktown.
“There’s no direct decision on whether council will continue or discontinue fluoridation of the water,” she said.
“It’s pretty much just the decision to restart the conversation again in relation to what council sees fit, and what plan put in place moving forward.”
She added the council would ensure community consultation that considered both sides of the fluoridation debate would be undertaken to provide an open and transparent process.
“Council won’t come out and make that decision directly, because I think to make an informed decision, you have to have a balance of for and against arguments to consider community need,” Mayor Holmes said.
“Council recognises that everyone has a right to an opinion; we recognise that some people are strongly opposed to it, but then there’s others that see the health benefits of it.”
A large crowd opposed to the fluoridation of Cooktown’s water supply filled the public gallery at the Cook Shire Council meeting on 15 October.
LNP accused of stealing crime policy from Katter
By LYNDON KEANE
BARBS are being traded over the Liberal National Party’s (LNP) plan to tackle youth crime and rehabilitate offenders, with one of its political adversaries branding it as a poor imitation of a policy it has been trying to bring into effect for seven years.
The LNP announced its Circuit Breaker Sentencing intensive rehabilitation program for youth offenders on 17 October, which would involve a three- to six-month sentenced alternative to detention “outside of urban areas”.
Under the $80 million plan, two small-group facilities with a combined capacity of 60 youth
would be built outside urban areas in northern and southern Queensland and offer wraparound social and health services to break the cycle of crime.
While the LNP is spruiking the strategy as one that adopts a “tough-on-crime approach” and will redirect youth offenders from lifetimes of crime, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) has slammed the plan as one that simply mirrors its Send ‘em Bush policy.
“It’s flattering to have your homework from the last seven years copied,” KAP leader Robbie Katter said.
“Sending criminals bush to give them a reset is just what they need – it’s what we’ve been
saying for seven years now. It has to be said though, that the LNP seem to be scrambling; they continually voted down all KAP’s crime bills for the last seven years, when we have been pushing this policy – it’s just so disappointing to see them use this as an election stunt now.”
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli dismissed the similarities between policies and said he believed his party’s plan would stop the cycle of crime through the genuine rehabilitation of repeat youth offenders.
“Circuit Breaker Sentencing not only keeps dangerous youth criminals off our streets, it rehabilitates young people who have become embedded in the cycle
of crime. Our plan will pull a U-turn on these youth offenders’ lives of crime as the last stop before detention,” he said.
“With three to six months of intensive rehabilitation, these programs will have a focus on structure, consequences for action, education and discipline.”
Mr Katter said the LNP needed to provide more detail about what would constitute a nonurban location for the facilities to be sited at.
“We know that a Brisbane party will stuff up the roll out of our policy – they say ‘outside urban areas’ – this better not be in the Lockyer Valley; somewhere like Urandangi is where these camps need to be built,” he said.
NPA disco divas raise more than $9,000
By CHISA HASEGAWA
THE Bamaga Rural Fire Service (RFS) and State Emergency Service have received more than $9,000 after an extremely successful – and extremely pink –NPA Ladies Gala fundraiser on 12 October.
Punsand Bay Cape York Camping manager Kahlia Colquhoun took the reins for the 11th running of the event, which brought together 50 local women for a fun-filled night with a pink cowgirl disco theme.
Ms Colquhoun recently joined the local RFS as a volun-
teer, inspiring her decision for this year’s charity of choice.
“I wanted to make sure it goes back into the community; all the big foundations are fantastic, but a lot of the time, it doesn’t directly assist community members, so that was really important to me,” she said.
“I know how much help both of those groups need, it’s pretty hard to find volunteers.
“They were kind of expecting only about $1,500, so they were shocked when I called and said they’ve got $9,200 up their sleeves to spend, so they’re holding a meeting later this month to
work out what they want to put it towards.”
Ms Colquhoun said guest speakers from the RFS were also present at the event to encourage women to consider volunteering with the service.
“With each of these groups, I think it’d be great to have more women involved,” she said.
“There’s a couple of pretty amazing women that are involved with those groups already, but just putting the word out that it’s not just something for the men to do, it’s definitely something that women can contribute to as well.”
Aside from the fundraising efforts, she said it was a fantastic night of dancing, music and laughing to celebrate the closing of tourist season.
“There’s not as many tourists here, which just makes it easier for us to give more time and energy to the event and the local ladies,” Ms Colquhoun said.
“It’s really about those remote community women being able to have a night specifically for them, and it’s a great excuse for us to get dolled up, put a pair of heels on – or cowgirl boots this year, put a dress on, and have a really fantastic night.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
Stolen vehicle help
POLICE are asking the community to keep an eye out for two vehicles stolen across Cape York and the Torres Strait over the past few weeks.
On 10 October, a white 2004 Holden Commodore sedan, registration 119GY6, was stolen in Pormpuraaw.
Four days later, a red 2016 Mazda 2 hatchback was reported stolen on Thursday Island.
The vehicles are two of 48 stolen in the Far Northern Region during October, with 603 stolen for the year.
Anyone with information about either vehicle can contact the Pormpuraaw or Thursday Island police stations, or call Policelink on 13 14 44.
Scissors assault charge
A 43-YEAR-OLD Napranum man has been charged with assault following an incident on a bus in Bunda Street in Cairns on 16 October.
Police allege the man got onto a bus in Palm Cove, just before 5pm, which was traveling into the city.
When the bus had reached its final stop, the 61-year-old driver attempted to wake the man, when it will be alleged the man threatened the driver with a pair of scissors. He has been charged with one count of serious assault person over 60.
The man is due to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court on 1 November.
Q3 bauxite production up RIO Tinto has recorded an 8 per cent year-on-year third quarter result for bauxite production. The mining giant released its 2024 Q3 production results on 16 October, with 15.1 million tonnes (Mt) of bauxite extracted between July and September.
The result means Rio Tinto has produced 43.2Mt for the nine months until 30 September, a 9 per cent improvement on the same period in 2023.
The company said the improvement was driven by higher plant availability and utilisation rates through the implementation of its Safe Production System at its Amrun mine in Weipa.
Chief executive Jakob Stausholm said the company “progressed our major projects to deliver profitable organic growth”, adding decarbonisation was still a priority.
“Our long-term pathway to deliver profitable growth and create shareholder value remains clear, as we progress our business in line with our four objectives,” he said.
This year’s NPA Ladies Gala raised more than $9,000 for the local Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service brigades.
Volunteers clean up iconic track
By CHISA HASEGAWA
AS the 2024 Cape York tourist season begins to wrap up, those who decide to tackle the iconic Old Telegraph Track are being asked not to leave rubbish behind under the guise of being “mementos” of bucket list trips.
Led by No Limits 4x4 Hire, 17 people took on the massive job of cleaning up the Cape York track this month, collecting trailer loads of car parts, camping gear and rubbish over five days.
No Limits 4x4 Hire manager Toby Reid said volunteers ended up with nine trailers of car parts, much of which was hanging from trees.
“For some reason, people see it as a badge of honour to leave their broken car parts hanging from trees with their names on it. I’ve been running the tours for just over eight years now and the rubbish has gotten worse and worse. Some of the stuff is all zip-tied together and screwed into trees; people just see it once and keep doing it,” he told Cape York Weekly
The clean-up crew was made up of staff and past customers of the tour, who volunteered their time for the 10-day trip, including the drive to and from Cairns.
They managed to clear the southern half of the track and are now looking to do the northern half in 2026.
“I’m hoping that people will see the southern half of the track that we cleaned this year and won’t even consider leaving anything behind, because it’s nice and clean,” Mr Reid said.
“Then they’re going to get to the northern section where there is still rubbish, and hopefully think, ‘jeez, this is disgusting compared to what I’ve just been through’, and will second-guess about leaving anything behind anyway.
“People go to these beautiful places because they’re beautiful and pristine; it’s supposed to be one of the last wilderness places in the world, and we treat it like a rubbish dump.
“If you can take it in, take it out.”
Hard-hitting truths and surprise find at beach clean-up
COOKTOWN State School students are learning about all things marine debris after one tonne of rubbish was collected at the annual Gamaay North Shore Beach cleanup on 12 October.
Sixty volunteers from the eastern Cape York township came together to free the beachfront of waste that had washed up over the past year, which was then taken to the school for a hands-on education experience.
With the help of South Cape
York Catchment’s youth engagement officer Kyle Sanderson, the students are now sorting and counting individual pieces to record in a marine debris database.
“When you’re pouring out big piles, and seeing how much was collected in just a few hours, I think it hits home pretty hard for the kids,” Mr Sanderson said.
“I think it’s really important to put them in that role of citizen scientists by having them do the counting, and that will be used to
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get a better understanding of the different types of things that are ending up in our marine environment.
“If there are any repeat offenders that have barcodes or branding, we can use the data to approach organisations, and come up with ways to help stop that item from continuing to turn up on our beaches.”
As expected, plastic bottles and caps, rubber thongs and remnants of commercial fishing gear were the top culprits.
Surprisingly, volunteers collected an entire hot water system during the clean-up this year, which may have washed out into the ocean through river systems during the Tropical Cyclone Jasper flood.
With about 680 kilograms of marine debris collected at last year’s event, Mr Sanderson said the flooding in December 2023 may have contributed to the increase in beachfront litter.
After his first year of taking
The LNP has The Right Plan for Cook More Rangers, Better Neighbours Policy
• 150 extra rangers across the state for the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers.
• Focusing on invasive species management to better preserve Queensland’s natural environment.
• Establishes a Specialist Fire Management Ranger Team focused on bushfires in national parks.
What I’m Fighting For
• Giving all Queenslanders the opportunity to own their own homes.
• Delivering better health services closer to where you live.
leadership of the clean-up event, the youth engagement officer said he was moved by the contributions of the community.
“It’s an amazing effort; I knew from the previous beach clean-ups, how much can happen in such a short time, but it was just unbelievable,” he said.
“We’re just thankful for everyone that was involved, this event doesn’t happen without our sponsors and volunteers.”
– story by Chisa Hasegawa
Rubbish zip-tied to the Cockatoo Creek shelter and left as “mementos” of tourists’ treks along the Old Telegraph Track.
Volunteers took on the massive task of clearing the years of trash build-up on the Old Telegraph Track.
Volunteers were hard at work restoring the beautiful beach.
The rubbish collected from North Shore Beach was taken to Cooktown State School for sorting and counting.
PCYC Aurukun teams up to connect local youths
By CHISA HASEGAWA
A NEW generation of leaders at Aurukun State School are in training as the community’s PCYC begins an eight-week social skills program.
Sergeant Steve ArmstrongRavula and Police Liaison Officer Jacqueline Kepple kicked off the TEAM UP program last week with the first session, which focused on connection.
PCYC Queensland youth and community general manager Andy Cassidy said TEAM UP has been running for more than a decade across the state with the aim of re-engaging students at school, or
helping them to develop in a positive way by focusing on leadership qualities and teamwork.
“A strong outcome of the program is teaching young people how to resolve issues in a productive, collaborative and beneficial way, as well as developing strong relationships and interpersonal and leadership skills,” she said.
“It is hoped that these skills will help our young people with confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing.
“We expect that by the end of the program, the youth will form strengthened relationships with themselves, PCYC and their teachers, keeping them engaged in school and prosocial activities.”
Over the eight weeks, Ms Cassidy said students would tackle several topics designed to help them work towards a fulfilling future.
“TEAM UP participants take part in activities designed to develop crucial life skills to build resilience, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, social competencies and skills around communication, patience, assertiveness and problem-solving,” she said.
“The team building exercises create a strong team mentality within the group as they learn to work together and focus on perseverance, goal setting and achievement, priority setting, decisionmaking and consequences.”
St Joseph’s welcomes new bishop
By CHISA HASEGAWA
FAR North Queensland’s newest bishop is showing his commitment to rural and remote communities as he concludes his visit to students of St Joseph’s Parish School in Weipa.
The Very Reverend Joe Caddy was ordained as the Bishop of Cairns in August 2024 after relocating from Melbourne, and has begun his first rounds to schools and communities across the region.
“I think the last time we had a bishop up was probably when the school opened in 2016, so it’s not
something that happens every day” acting assistant principal religious education Julie Dore said.
“He’s spending time with our local school community, and then he’s also seeing the local Elders to speak with them on Country.
“The first schools he wanted to see and work with were rural and remote, so he seems very committed.”
Ms Dore said the students had been very excited to meet Bishop Joe, as he is affectionately known, and he had returned the excitement.
“[The students] made a little
video welcoming him to the area, and we didn’t think much of it, but he sent back a big long video saying he can’t wait to come up to Weipa and meet us,” she said.
Bishop Joe led a special mass for students, teachers and parents in the St Joseph’s Parish Church on 21 October and told Cape York Weekly he was thrilled to have western Cape York as his first parish visit since his ordination.
“I’m finding it remarkable, actually,” he said.
“This is the first actual parish visitation I’ve done, so it’s really nice; when I was at the formation
school for new bishops in Rome, the cardinals and the Pope said, ‘look, your cathedrals are important, but don’t stay in your cathedrals – get out to the margins’, so it’s really nice I can start with my first parish visit out here to Weipa.”
While the community has welcomed Bishop Joe – who is an avid angler – with open arms, the same could not be said for Weipa’s fishery.
“If anyone can share a GPS [fishing location] or two, it’ll be very happily received, but I quite understand if they won’t,” he laughed.
Aurukun Police Liaison Officer Jacqueline Kepple and Sergeant Steve Armstrong-Ravula kick off the TEAM UP program at PCYC Aurukun.
Bishop Joe Caddy catches up with students Claire Dore, Toby Widmer, Ava Emerick and Ananya Anumula before the mass at St Joseph’s Parish School on Monday morning.
Bishop Joe Caddy and Father Dariusz Osinski listen to students delivering a reading at the mass in the St Joseph’s Parish Church.
Bishop Joe Caddy at the St Joseph’s mass on Monday morning.
ROBBIE KAT TER PARTY LEADER
Cape York voices ready to shine at Opera House
By CHISA HASEGAWA
THIRTY young singers from Lockhart River and Kowanyama are getting ready to travel thousands of kilometres south later this month to perform on the revered stage of the Sydney Opera House.
As part of the Girls from Oz (G-oz) travel program, the young women will learn about life in the city as they attend high-quality workshops and perform alongside the Australian Girls Choir (AGC).
Earlier this year, members of the AGC visited Lockhart River as part of the reverse travel program, during which time singers from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Canberra experienced life in Lockhart River.
G-oz general manager Kylie Lee-Archer said the program would be an eye-opening opportunity for passionate performers.
“They will be visiting the National Institute of Dramatic Art and doing some workshops there,” she said.
“There’s a number of Aboriginal students studying there, and also they have Aboriginal teachers, so it’s a real opportunity for the girls to not only experience it themselves, but also to observe students who are a few years ahead of them and think they can do it too.
“You can’t be what you can’t see.”
The girls will also participate in a workshop by Aboriginal dance company Bangarra Dance Theatre and a live interview on Koori Radio, alongside several other activities to introduce them to future pathways.
Ms Lee-Archer said cultural exchange and connection was also a hugely important part of the program.
The Right Plan for Cook’s Future
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.
“They’ll be hosted by the AGC families, which in some ways, is the most important part – that close connection they form with the families and the cultural exchange that happens as a result of that,” she said.
“I think when they’re sitting around in the lounge room chatting, that’s when a family from the city who’s never been to a remote Australian community learns about life in Lockhart River or Kowanyama, and vice versa.”
Ms Lee-Archer said the experience could of course be overwhelming, but hoped every student could get something out of it.
“The bit that’s overwhelming is usually just the scale and the sensory overload, which makes complete sense,” she said.
“It’s a pretty high bar that we would set for any student in Australia, to have to do long days in a city that’s foreign to you, and meet lots of new people, but we have watched girls jump over the bar and surpass our expectations.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
Labor bags LNP health plan
TREASURER Cameron Dick has slammed the LNP’s health policy and says it will cost beds and staff at hospitals across Cape York and the Torres Strait.
The LNP has released its policy ahead of this weekend’s state election but Labor has criticised the proposed cut to health infrastructure and staff identified in it.
“David Crisafulli has committed to more than $17 billion in unfunded election promises,” Mr Dick said.
“David Crisafulli has left himself only one path and that path is to cut. In that [health] policy ... the LNP admitted they will cut 1,200 hospital beds and 12,000 health workers.”
Labor said it believed the cuts would equate to eight beds at the Cooktown Hospital, which is set to undergo a $200m, four-year upgrade.
Breast cancer brekkie
HUNGRY Weipa residents can fill up their stomachs and help raise funds for a good cause when Steady Contracting hosts a breast cancer big brekkie next week.
The event will be held from 8-10am on 28 October at the well-known Weipa business at 17a Iraci Avenue at Evans Landing, and will offer attendees a hearty breakfast for a gold coin entry.
The invitation to the big brekkie is being extended to the entire community, with all funds raised set to be donated to breast cancer awareness.
For more information, call 4069 8140.
Bursaries for students
COOKTOWN’S Endeavour Lions Club is urging local students from Cooktown State School and Endeavour Christian College to apply for one of two financial bursaries currently being offered by the group.
The first bursary is the Bert Mason Award, a $4,000 prize to a graduating year 12 student who will be continuing their studies at an Australian university in 2025. Also on offer is the Endeavour Lions Financial Assistance Award, which is a $500 bursary to help current year 10 students moving into year 11 in 2025 with the cost of textbooks, laptops and software required to complete their senior high schooling.
Both bursaries will be offered to both Cooktown State School and Endeavour Christian College, meaning the club is offering $9,000 to support students.
Applications for the bursaries close on 1 November, and the forms needed to make a submission are at the school offices.
DAVID KEMPTON AND THE LNP HAVE
Girls from Oz participants will be treated to a workshop and short performance by Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Girls from Lockhart River and Kowanyama will share their culture and sing their hearts out in Sydney.
2024 Queensland election: Cook decides
Candidates have their final say ...
Queenslanders are set to head to the polls on Saturday to decide who will form the next state government, with Cook shaping up as being one of the Far North Queensland seats set to play a pivotal role in the outcome.
With the election now only five days away, Cape York Weekly asked each of the five candidates fighting for Cook four key questions to help voters make their decision. We know political aspirants have a tendency to use 500 words when a dozen will do, so we asked each candidate, in their own words, to answer the following questions in a maximum of 100 words:
1. Why should electors on Cape York and in the Torres Strait vote for you?
2. What order are you preferencing the other four candidates?
3. What will your first priorities be if you are successful in being elected/re-elected as Cook’s representative?
4. How will you ensure Cape York and the Torres Strait doesn’t get forgotten postelection if you are successful in becoming/being re-elected as Cook’s representative?
DUANE AMOS
Katter’s Australian Party
1. With a long history of delivering results in the Gulf and Cook electorates, I am ready to provide the leadership Cook urgently needs. I understand the region’s diversity and its potential to shape Queensland’s future. Cook requires strategic vision, not isolated projects, to drive long-term, resilient economic prosperity. Leadership has been absent for too long. I am committed to elevating the region to its warranted prominence. With 34 years of leadership experience and strong relationships, I can immediately deliver results by aligning government and local interests to ensure sustainable growth and opportunities for all of Cook
2. 1: Duane Amos (KAP), 2: Peter Campion (One Nation), 3: David Kempton (LNP), 4: Cynthia Lui (Labor), 5: Troy Miller (Greens)
3. The diversity of the Cook electorate demands multiple first priorities. Securing funding for the Myall Creek bridge and progressing the Lakeland irrigation
project are vital for infrastructure and growth. I’ll prioritise establishing the Torres and Cape Indigenous Council Alliance shared services hub to promote Indigenous-led governance and the waste and circular economy strategy, which is essential. Additionally, I will support developing Weipa’s economy beyond mining, fostering long-term sustainability. Blue card review and remote sentencing program are prominent first priorities for the region. These priorities will strengthen the region’s economy, infrastructure, and Indigenous leadership while promoting growth across Cook.
4. As Cook’s representative, I will ensure Cape York and the Torres Strait are not forgotten postelection by conducting a 100-day review of the region’s strategic plans. This will involve collaborating with councils, community-led organisations, and agencies to present a detailed economic blueprint for the electorate. Additionally, I will meet with all relevant government departments in Cairns and Brisbane after the election to clearly present the position and priorities of the Cook electorate, ensuring there is no ambiguity about the needs of our region at both the state and federal levels.
DAVID KEMPTON
Liberal National Party
1. The LNP will fix the crisis facing Queensland, record hikes in cost of living, the highest crime rate on record, a health system that people have lost faith in and a chronic shortage of housing. I will guarantee the Cape and Torres will not be forgotten and I will bring a strong voice, safe hands and the experience necessary to ensure the people I represent are heard in Brisbane and get a fair go. Labor and Lui have been missing for seven years. KAP will not be on the field and cannot kick any goals for Cape and Torres.
2. 1: David Kempton (LNP), 2: Peter Campion (One Nation), 3: Duane Amos (KAP), 4: Cynthia Lui (Labor), 5: Troy Miller (Greens)
3. The first thing I will do is bring the electoral office back to the electorate. Then I will continue to build on the relationships I have formed over decades with the elected councils, representative bodies, leaders and groups to ensure I have listened to the electors, so I understand the chal-
lenges they face in daily life and long-term governance. Much of what is planned to ease the cost of living, crime, health and housing crisis may not be fit for purpose or culturally acceptable for the Cape and Torres. I will work with both groups to ensure the right outcomes.
4. If I am elected, it will most likely mean the LNP will be in government. I was privileged to be your member in 2012-2015 and, as an assistant minister, know the working of Parliament and the bureaucracy very well. I will have direct access to all the ministers and department heads, and will work for the Cape and Torres to ensure the critical issues around housing, health, cost of living and essential infrastructure are addressed. I will work closely with TCICA, Traditional Owner groups and Elders to make sure you all get what you deserve and it is fit for purpose.
CYNTHIA LUI
Australian Labor Party
1. I have delivered for Cape York and Torres Strait – cost of living relief, big builds, new health centres, new housing, and upgrades to our schools, roads and marine infrastructure. I have a track record of getting things done, like the freight assistance scheme for cheaper groceries, restoration of birthing services in Weipa and, soon, Cooktown, and the energy rebate for Weipa. I have never backed down from fighting hard for Cape York and Torres Strait, and I have more to give. I will always stand on the side of my communities.
2. 1: Cynthia Lui (Labor), 2: Troy Miller (Greens), 3: Duane Amos (KAP), 4: David Kempton (LNP), 5: Peter Campion (One Nation)
3. My biggest priority for Cape York and Torres Strait is addressing the high cost of living and goods by focusing on freight, roads and marine infrastructure. I will continue to focus on unlocking opportunities for the future to support sustainable economic growth, and to deliver services closer to home. My priorities will be to make good on our commitments including advocacy to the Federal Government for additional PDR stage three funding on top of our $60 million commitment, the $200 million redevelopment of Cooktown Hospital and restoring birthing services, mobile medical imaging services for Cape York
communities, new primary health centres for Pormpuraaw and Badu Island, and the freight tender for Torres Strait outer islands.
4. The best way to ensure Cook is not forgotten about post-election is to vote for me. The LNP did nothing when they had a representative for Cook; my record stands for itself and I will continue that record. Voting for a minor party always results in less representation.
PETER CAMPION
One Nation
1. Cook has endured 93 years of Labor MPs and 16 years of Liberal-National MPs, and has been left deep in the dust while the sardinetin electorates in the south-east have roared ahead. That’s because both the ALP and LNP spend the wealth created in the regions in the south-east where more voters from more electorates can see it being spent – and are therefore more likely to vote for them. Only One Nation is running in every electorate, could conceivably win government in its own right, and can be relied on to return the wealth to the regions that created it.
2. 1: Peter Campion (One Nation), 2: Duane Amos (KAP), 3: David Kempton (LNP), 4: Cynthia Lui (Labor), 5: Troy Miller (Greens)
3. The sole constitutional duty of elected MPs is to represent the will of their electorates in the parliament – not the will of their parties, their donors or the loudest media voices. Therefore, the first duty of every elected MP must be to establish exactly what their electorate’s will is, which was near-impossible in large electorates until the internet era. I’ll be establishing Cook’s will using web-based surveys, so everyone can tell me exactly what their priorities are. I’ll analyse that data to determine what the people of Cook want done as priorities, which is what every MP should be doing.
4. There are four possible outcomes from this election and three of them guarantee that Cape York and the Torres Strait will be forgotten again: a Brisbane-centric ALP/ Greens government, a Brisbanecentric Liberal-National government, a hung Parliament with minor parties on the crossbench running the state, and a regionfocused One Nation government. Only option four guarantees Cape York and the Torres Strait won’t get forgotten, because only One
Nation’s parliamentarians can accurately explain how real wealth is created, so only One Nation can ensure money is channelled back to the wealth-generating regions that produced it.
TROY MILLER
The Greens 1. I have been a nurse and paramedic for the past five years working in Port Douglas, Mossman, Mareeba, Cooktown and Thursday Island. I have seen the struggles of these communities first- hand, and the inequality in housing, education, inadequate access and poverty all leading to poorer health outcomes. I have seen how simple changes to policies and priorities could drastically improve health outcomes. I will listen to the people of the Cook electorate and be their voice in Parliament where I will have the ears of policymakers and can fight for the needs of this community.
2. 1: Troy Miller (Greens), 2: Cynthia Lui (Labor), 3: David Kempton (LNP); 4: Duane Amos (KAP); 5: Peter Campion (One Nation)
3. I will be feeding children in all public schools two healthy meals a day free of charge, put dental into Medicare, uphold honesty and transparency so people build trust in their government representatives, build sustainable communities, drastically increase home ownership, ensure accessible public housing for everyone, rent-to-buy public housing schemes, reduce mortgages with a publicly-owned bank, improve access to childcare for all communities, eliminate rheumatic heart disease, build better roads to provide access to all communities, increase opportunities for further education and employment closer to home, and more funding for youth sport.
4. The Cape will not be forgotten under my representation. I have travelled and worked across the Cape, and understand the love and deep connection the people have to Country. It is treasured by myself and the communities that live throughout. I have seen the inequality in the communities and I will not leave any of these communities unheard. The Cook electorate is far too vast to sit in an office to get things done – I plan to personally travel to all communities throughout my four years as your representative, listening and providing solutions.
Duane Amos (KAP) David Kempton (LNP) Cynthia Lui (ALP) Peter Campion (One Nation) Troy Miller (The Greens)
LNP pledges 10 disaster-ready trailers for Far North
COMMUNITIES on south-eastern
Cape York devastated by the Tropical Cyclone Jasper flood event in December 2023 will be among 10 between Kuranda and Hope Vale to receive new communication units if the Liberal National Party (LNP) wins this weekend’s state election.
The state-of-the-art trailers dubbed ARNI – AirBridge Resilient Network Infrastructure – will be supplied by Far North Queensland operator AirBridge and LNP candidate for Cook David Kempton said the $1.5 million election pledge meant “residents, businesses and emergency workers have the level of reliable connectivity and communication required” during natural disasters and communication failures.
“These standalone units can be mobilised following any natural dis-
aster, such as a cyclone, flooding or fire, to provide instant communication,” Mr Kempton said.
“After Jasper, stories emerged of people being stuck on rooftops, people in medical emergencies and people not being able to contact loved ones for days.
“With these units, communication failure will become a thing of the past during and after disaster events.”
AirBridge managing director Doug Stephens described ARNI “regional Australia’s best defence” in terms of communication.
The ARNI system was developed by the Smithfield-based outfit with the help of a $75,000 grant through the inaugural round of the State Government’s Ignite Spark Program earlier this year.
Legend brings message to Wujal
WEATHER doesn’t plan, but you can. That was the message rugby league legend and Get Ready Queensland ambassador Johnathan Thurston (JT) shared with Wujal Wujal residents at a special community day as part of this year’s Get Ready Queensland Week from 8-13 October.
Organised by Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council and Get Ready Queensland, the event, held on 9 October, celebrated the community’s strength and resilience as it continues to recover from the terrible effects of Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Mayor Alister Gibson and council members shared their community’s stories about the event and showed JT the impacts of the flood devastation.
JT also spoke to locals and played touch football and the Get Ready Queensland emergency kit game with children from Bloomfield River State School, while council staff cooked up a delicious barbecue lunch.
With the severe weather season rapidly approaching and memories of last season’s impacts fresh in everyone’s minds, Get Ready Queensland officers were also on hand in Wujal Wujal with informa-
tion on preparing for disasters such as cyclones, floods and bushfires.
Other Get Ready Queensland Week activities were held across Far North Queensland in Cairns, Mareeba and Cooktown.
Taking place annually, Get Ready Queensland Week promotes the importance of preparing for disasters, and encourages every Queenslander to take action before severe weather arrives.
To make it easier for Queens-
landers to create a severe weather plan, a new online tool is available at www.getready.qld.gov.au/plan that steps people through the process, pre-fills localised information, and provides advice, contacts and checklists.
The Get Ready Queensland program is managed by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, the state’s lead agency for disaster recovery and resilience, and is strengthened by partner Suncorp.
ROCKY POINT MARKET
ROSIE’S CHICKEN
Get Ready Queensland ambassador Johnathan Thurston talks to Wujal Wujal residents about community preparedness. Photos: Steve Cooke Photography.
Rugby league legend Johnathan Thurston was a hit with the kids of Wujal Wujal when he participated in a Get Ready Queensland Week in the community.
Shadow Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Dale Last, Pat Willcocks, candidate for Barron River Bree James, AirBridge managing director Doug Stephens and candidate for Cook David Kempton inspect one of the emergency communication trailers the Liberal National Party says it will provide to 10 communities if it wins government on 26 October.
Cape roads in sights of taskforce
By LYNDON KEANE
CAPE York road users will have a chance to help identify what parts of the Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) should be prioritised for upgrading when an open forum is held in Cairns on 7 November.
The Cape York Region Package (CYRP) taskforce, in collaboration with Regional Development Australia Tropical North and the Department of Transport and Main Roads will host the event at the Cairns RSL from 10am-12pm that will provide an update on stage two works and open discussion on what parts of the PDR should be next when stage three of the project commences.
Stakeholders who cannot attend in person have the option to log in remotely to participate in the forum.
Taskforce co-chair Profess Hurriyet Babacan urged Cape York residents, business owners and road transport operators to have their say through the forum process.
“The continued investment in the CYRP has emerged because of strong and ongoing community input into the taskforce process,” she said.
“The taskforce provides the opportunity for people in the Cape to shape the direction and delivery of the package; moving beyond stage two, it will be crucial for community members, including private
and commercial users of the Peninsula Developmental Road and community access roads, to actively engage in shaping the priorities for stage three of the CYRP.
“As highlighted in our May taskforce meeting, the taskforce relies on community input to advocate effectively for package-related projects that meet local needs; engaging with council representatives through the Torres and Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA) in particular has also been a key way to ensure that community priorities are heard and can be included in future advocacy efforts.”
The State Government has committed $60 million to stage three of the CYRP project but the fund-
ing is contingent on the Federal Government agreeing to contribute $240m to continue an 80:20 funding arrangement, something taskforce co-chair Professor Allan Dale said he believed needed to remain in place.
“The current 80:20 funding arrangement between the Australian and Queensland governments has been very successful in delivering crucial infrastructure upgrades under the CYRP stage one and two,” he said.
“[We] would be keen to see this publicly-funded model continue.”
The timing of the 7 November forum will coincide with the next TCICA meeting in Cairns, meaning Cape York mayors and execu-
Join RDA Tropical North and TMR for an open forum and Q&A session about Stage 2 and to share your views on Stage 3 road package priorities.
Thursday 7 November 2024
tive staff will be able to attend and provide feedback on behalf of their respective communities.
Professor Dale said he believed successfully identifying infrastructure priorities for stage three of the CYRP would provide continued social and economic benefit to the northernmost part of the state.
“There has been great social and economic benefit from stages one and two,” he said.
“As such, stage three of the Cape York Region Package is not just about infrastructure – it will also provide a critical component of addressing broader goals, including those outlined in the Closing the Gap framework.
“By improving access to essen-
tial services, enhancing food security and enabling better connectivity through vital road upgrades, stage three will directly support efforts to close gaps in health, education, and economic outcomes for communities in the region.
“Public involvement is key to ensuring that these objectives remain central to our planning and advocacy, and engaging with the community allows the taskforce to shape projects that deliver meaningful and lasting benefits, contributing to the overall wellbeing and equity for Cape York residents.”
To register for the meeting at the Cairns RSL, call RDA Tropical North on 4041 1729 or email engage@redtropicalnorth.org.au.
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.
10am – 12noon Cairns RSL Club REGISTER HERE or contact Lainie Poon Ph 07 4041 1729 engage@rdatropicalnorth.org.au
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!
Scan the QR code and complete the confidential 10 minute survey.
Stakeholders have the chance to find out how stage two of the Cape York Region Package, which includes the new Archer River bridge, is progressing, as well as help shape the stage three priorities when an open forum is held on 7 November.
STOP LABOR LOCKING UP CAPE YORK
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
Election result can’t hinder Cape
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
WITH only days left before Queenslanders head to the ballot boxes to decide who will form the government that leads the state until 2028, the political spin, promises and hype have reached a point where sane electors are shaking their heads and disavowing democracy.
While some media outlets have a predilection for endorsing candidates and telling their audience who they should be voting for, you won’t find any of that here.
Firstly, I like to work on the assumption our readers are smart enough to make their own informed decisions without input from a jaded newspaper editor.
Secondly, there are pros and cons for each of the five candidates vying for Cook – and their respective parties – that have popped up like warning lights on the dash of your car moments before you embark on a four-year road trip with a political hitchhiker.
Some of the candidates have crisscrossed Cape York and the Torres Strait over the past six months, while a number have not progressed beyond acknowledging the region is indeed part of the vast Cook electorate as they peruse an Electoral Commission of Queensland boundary map.
Worse still, neither Premier Steven Miles nor Opposition Leader David Crisafulli have considered it important to visit the northernmost part of the state since the election campaign was formally launched on 1 October, a red flag which doesn’t bode well for where the economic and social prosperity of our communities rank in their individual plans for Queensland.
It’s not ideal, given one of them will almost certainly be the next premier once votes are tallied from 6pm on Saturday.
If we had a dollar for every utterance of blame or hollow promise political parties have handed out willy-nilly like mini quiches
and sausage rolls at a wake over the past month, there would be no need to continue our impassioned advocacy for key projects in our part of the world.
We could afford to seal the remainder of the Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR), improve transport, health and housing infrastructure, and kickstart economic growth opportunities like the Lakeland Irrigation Area Scheme and a Weipa freight hub, and still have enough left over for a parmi and a couple of schooners on Friday night.
Back in May, I penned a missive offering candidates four helpful tips on how to avoid campaign
catastrophe. While it was most certainly satirical, it was also a genuine peek behind the curtain on what it would take to win Cook.
Tip one was to listen more than you talk, while the second and third – getting your head around what’s needed on the PDR and being accountable – should have been obvious to even the dullest knife in the candidate drawer. The fourth tip was that candidates needed to be visible and engaged with the communities they were expecting to vote for them.
A tough ask in a seat the size of Cook, for sure, but something critical to political success.
So, how did they go? I’ll let you
be the judge come 26 October, but it’s fair to say some have been far more effective than some of their contemporaries.
The fact issues like abortion have steered statewide political debate in recent weeks boggles the mind and makes one question how much the personal views of some political aspirants will influence their leadership for the greater good. Why the hell is the reproductive health of women even up for political debate in 2024?
It’s incredibly disappointing none of the candidates have come out and said they will advocate to include fuel, clothing and household goods to the list of eligible items under the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme if elected.
While southerners are arguing about abortion and 50 cent public transport, Cape York and Torres Strait residents continue to be crippled by cost of living pressures and a 20 per cent freight subsidy that is nullified the moment you park beside the petrol bowser or buy a new fridge.
Whichever way you vote this weekend, make sure its for someone you believe has the best interests of Cape York and the Torres Strait at the forefront of their leadership approach. We can’t afford the sun to set on any social and economic advancement for the region for another minute, let alone the next four years.
The sun will likely set on the social and economic advancement of Cape York and the Torres Strait for at least another four years if local voters don’t get it right when Queenslanders head to the polls, says editor Lyndon Keane.
Cape York Weekly Puzzles Page
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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.
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Hope Vale riders shine at Mareeba
By CHISA HASEGAWA
A FAMILY of Hope Vale bull riders have made it to the North Queensland finals after stellar results at the Great Northern Bull Riding Series in Mareeba earlier this month.
Ten-year-old Tyson “TJ” Ford and uncle Patrick Hart placed first in their respective categories, earning them a spot at the finals to be held in Mount Garnet this weekend (26 October), alongside TJ’s two older brothers.
Proud mum and sister-in-law Ashleigh Oberluter said their family had been travelling across the region competing at rodeos for many years.
“The boys have been down to Chillagoe, Innisfail, Yeppoon, Rockhampton; Patrick has been as far down as, I think, Charters Towers,” she said.
“We travel right across Far North Queensland, so it’s really good that they’re picking up not just first place, but placing at those rodeos that we travel to, because it is a bit further than what everyone else travels, and it makes it all worth it in the end.”
Ms Oberluter was the last secretary of the Hope Vale Rodeo Committee before the local competition was cancelled in 2022 due to venue issues.
She hoped the recent strong results of the Hope Vale cowboys would maintain the community’s interest in the sport, which she believed was declining.
“There’s pretty limited interest in learn-
ing, because it is a great sport once you pick it up, but it’s taken a lot,” she said.
“TJ’s really shined this year, but we’ve been travelling for the last two to three years for him to get to this level that he’s being recognised in the bull riding circuit.
“Everybody has really been getting behind them because riding is not as big as what it used to be in Hope Vale, so I think a lot of people like to see there are still some young people carrying on what their Elders have laid that foundation for.”
Despite being used to the never-ending travel that competitive bull riding demands, Ms Oberluter said it would be a dream for a rodeo event to return to the community.
“I think it would definitely be a highlight for them, because it’s always good to be on home soil,” she said.
Hope Vale’s Tyson “TJ” Ford has been riding bulls since he was two-and-a-half years old.
Seasoned rider Patrick Hart will move onto the North Queensland finals after a big win in Mareeba.
Lucas wins three-way battle for dawn golfing pride
JIM Lucas bested a field of 17, muggy conditions and enough flies to populate a medium US city to claim a three-way countback victory when Dawnbusters took to the Carpentaria Golf Club fairways on 20 October.
When players rejoiced after returning to the air-conditioned bliss of the clubhouse, Lucas, Jim Hunter and Rob McVean were tied in front with nett 17, however, it was Lucas’ handicap of 135 – verified by Golf Australia – that handed
him bragging rights and relegated Hunter to bridesmaid and McVean to the “could have been” for the week.
Peter Kenny was one of the few Dawnbusters to find the middle of the fairway to claim the men’s long drive.
The same could not be said for Anong Stainkey, who was the only woman to tee off after a nine-year absence from Dawnbusters, but she could not keep her tee shots out of the trees for long enough
to claim the women’s big-hitting prize.
Scott Triffitt took out nearest to the pin honours, while club patriarch Viv Dick owned his Hoffman’s award.
Golfers will tackle the front nine holes on 27 October, with the first group getting away sometime between 6.15am and the flies becoming unbearable.
The annual 13-hole Dawnbusters Championships will be decided on 10 November.
Careers with Queensland Health
Maternal Child and Family Midwifery Consultant (Cairns)
Nursing and Midwifery – Cairns (Cape York Outreach)
Temporary Full Time up to 29 June 2025 with possibility of extension
Remuneration value between $5,081.10 - $5,516.60 per fortnight employer contribution to superannuation (up to 12.75%) and annual leave loading (17.5%) (NRG7). (Applications will remain current for 12 months).
Job Ad Reference: TC593928
Duties/Abilities: The Maternal, Child and Family Midwifery Consultant (MCH CMC) - Cape York Outreach is required to deliver advanced primary midwifery and child health care, supporting best practice principles in caring for clients in the antenatal and post-natal period, children 0-8-year-old (with a focus on 0-4-year-old children) and their families. This frontline position will see you enhancing Maternal Child Health Family Healthcare for Cape York Families & Communities. You will work a Monday to Friday roster travelling into Cape York Communities for generally 4 days a week (3 nights) for 3 weeks of each month generally accompanied by an Advanced Health Worker. When not in community you will be based in our Cairns Office. TOIL may be accrued for travel outside of usual work hours and travel allowance payable whilst in community. You will not be required to work weekends or public holidays.
Enquiries: Sally Putland – 0499 752 125
Application Kit: www.health.qld.gov.au/workforus
Closing Date: Friday, 25 October 2024
You can apply online at www.smartjobs.qld.gov.au
Applications Invited
Early Childhood Coordination – Targeted Communities
Organisations are invited to apply to establish and deliver early childhood coordination in:
• Aurukun
• Kowanyama
• Cherbourg
• Mapoon
• Napranum (via Weipa)
• Woorabinda
• Lockhart River
The initiative will provide practical assistance to support children and families experiencing vulnerability to successfully transition from home to early childhood settings, and on to school.
The service will promote children’s development, family and child wellbeing, and a sense of belonging as the child takes part in their community.
$155,000 per annum, per location, is available until 30 June 2026 to provide early childhood coordination services to support successful transitions for children.
Final date for applications: 15 November 2024
Please refer to the Department of Education’s website for full details: https://earlychildhood. qld.gov.au/grants-and-funding
Careers with Queensland Health
Operational Services Officer (Weipa)
Operational
Comprising salary between $61949.00 - $66791.00 p.a., employer contribution to superannuation (up to 12.75%) and annual leave loading (17.5%) (NRG6(1)) (Applications will remain current for 12 months). Job Ad Reference: TC595175
Duties/Abilities: Become a valued member of the Operational Support Services team that provide and maintain a clean and safe environment for patients, visitors and staff of the Weipa Integrated Health Service through designated cleaning services across the facility.
Enquiries: Dominic Funnell (07) 4082 3736
Application Kit: www.health.qld.gov.au/workforus
Closing Date: Monday, 28 October 2024
You can apply online at www.smartjobs.qld.gov.au A criminal history check may be conducted on the recommended person for the job.A non-smoking policy applies to Queensland Government buildings, offices and motor vehicles.
HATTON’S NARROW WIN
GOLFING in paradise is what teeing off at Cooktown Golf Club is all about, and players experienced it all on 19 October – the balmy trade winds, swaying palm trees, picture perfect greens and the distant call of the Wack Truck crew zigzagging across fairways.
It was one of the aforementioned crew who claimed bragging rights when Chris Hatton returned to the clubhouse with a solid, albeit slightly expletive-laden 37-point
round, with Jamie Dobson securing bridesmaid honours with a nearly-got-him 36 points.
Daniel “I Outdrove Jamie Twice” Biddle secured third spot on the ladder with 33 points, eking out the bronze from a gaggle of other players who carded the same score. Rick Butler was the best with the short stick on 2/11, while Dobson was the nearest to the pin king on 9/18.
On 26 October, players will contest a Stableford off the red tees.
GUNGARDE FAMILY PARTICIPATION
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation 92 Charlotte Street, Cooktown QLD 4895 T: 07 4069 5412
IDENTIFIED POSITION VACANT:
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation is seeking applicants suitable for the role of Family Participation Support Worker
Applications close 5pm, 8th November 2025
For further information or to request a copy of the Position Description please contact 07 4069 5412 or swilson@gungarde.com.au
ICN: 148 ABN: 45 180 964 190
GUNGARDE FAMILY PARTICIPATION
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation 92 Charlotte Street, Cooktown QLD 4895 T: 07 4069 5412
IDENTIFIED POSITION VACANT:
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation is seeking applicants suitable for the role of Family Participation Convenor
Applications close 5pm, 1st November 2025
For further information or to request a copy of the Position Description please contact 07 4069 5412 or swilson@gungarde.com.au
ICN: 148 ABN: 45 180 964 190
GUNGARDE EARLY CHILDHOOD COORDINATION
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation 92 Charlotte Street, Cooktown QLD 4895 T: 07 4069 5412
POSITION VACANT:
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation is seeking applicants suitable for the role of Early Childhood Coordination
Applications close 5pm, 1st November 2025
For further information or to request a copy of the Position Description please contact 07 4069 5412 or swilson@gungarde.com.au
ICN: 148 ABN: 45 180 964 190
Weipa club turns pink for charity
By LYNDON KEANE
IT may have been the heat, but the fundraising was fast and furious when 18 teams teed off for a good cause at Carpentaria Golf Club on 19 October.
With the mercury already sitting at 32 degrees by 9am, it was going to be crucial for the 72 players on course for the 2024 Pink Ribbon Charity Golf Day to remain hydrated, and that’s just what they did, with one team opting for mimosas before even pulling a club out of the bag for the 9-hole, fourperson Ambrose.
Bidding in the buggy auction was frenetic, with about $4,000 raised for just seven carts as teams attempted to ensure they would not be tackling the event on foot.
Club president Murray Mountjoy praised teams, club members and volunteers for putting on a tremendous fundraising event, despite the temperature sweltering on western Cape York.
“It’s been an absolutely fantastic day,” he told Cape York Weekly
when players returned to the clubhouse to rehydrate.
“It was challenging weather, but it’s just been such a great event and everyone’s having a ball. The club’s very proud and pleased to be able to support breast cancer, and support those that suffer and those who are affected by breast cancer, so we can find better treatments and cures and prevention.”
Like the men’s mental health fundraising event the club held earlier in the year, Mr Mountjoy said the money raised on Saturday would help support local breast cancer awareness initiatives.
“Nearly all of that will be spent locally to help local people,” he said.
“Today shows the depth and the willingness of our community to get involved and support generously, both financially in terms of prizes and raffles that we’ve been able to put together, but also other businesses that have supported in other ways, like drinks carts, which is very important on a day like today.”
Mel Turner and Murray Mountjoy show off the Pink Ribbon Charity Golf Day perpetual trophy
Stacey Edmonds, Julie Dore, Katie Backhouse and Tash Tapper get ready to tee off.
Udderly Useless team members Melanie Brewer, Vannessa Moore, Fiona Dyer and Lani Hamill made sure they weren’t missed on the course.
Ash Tonon, Kara Fryz, Bec Walker and Wendi Ross get into the spirit of the event prior to the shotgun start.
Tim Williscroft, Amy Williscroft, Bec Kootoofa and Scott Kootoofa wore matching shirts.
Carolyn Head, Michi Moon, Kate Kennett and Rhiannon Head formed team Perky Pack for the 9-hole Ambrose.
Laura Ostrouhoff, Maddy Francis, Kim Turner and Harriet Biddulph. Photos: Lyndon Keane
The Tits and Giggles team went all out with their costume co-ordination for the event.
Jen Wright, Dan Morley, Todd Van Dan Heuvel, Kayla Amos, Dave Warland and Jessican Van Dan Heuvel.
Marathon effort: Collins rapt to conquer Chicago
By LYNDON KEANE
WEIPA’S Michael Collins has shown off the depth of the community’s running talent by finishing in the top 5 per cent of competitors at one of the world’s most iconic marathons on 13 October.
Collins travelled more than 14,000 kilometres from western Cape York to the United States to tackle the 2024 Chicago Marathon last weekend, and crossed the finish line in a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes and 58 seconds to exceed all of his wildest dreams about the event.
Repping his beloved Weipa running crew by attaching bib number 22346 to his 2024 Weipa Running Festival (WRF) singlet, Collins told Cape York Weekly he was still coming to terms with his achievement, which wiped a staggering 24 minutes, 31 seconds off his previous personal best performance.
“I definitely surprised myself with under three hours,” he said.
“It is still sinking in and feels like a dream; in the first 10km I beat my previous 10km PB, and then I beat my previous half marathon PB, which I set over 13 years ago.”
He added there was no way he was not going to pull on the WRF singlet for the run of his life.
“This year’s design was super epic, and I would not have even had the opportunity to participate in this event if it were not for WRF and the Weipa running community,” he said.
“Wearing the 2024 WRF singlet was by far the easiest decision that I made throughout the entire journey.”
Completing the race in the
early hours of last Monday morning Cape York time, Collins’ remarkable effort resulted him placing 2,278th overall in a field of more than 50,000 competitors and 601st in his 30-34 male age division.
One of those competitors was Kenyan runner Ruth Chepngetich, who decimated the women’s world record by nearly two minutes in a time of 2:09:56, and in doing so became the first woman in history to break 2 hours, 10 minutes over 42.2 kilometres.
Collins said the atmosphere on the day of the race was like nothing he had experienced during previous marathons.
“The enthusiasm, energy and encouragement from the runners during the race was like nothing I had ever experienced before,” he said.
“The whole 42km was also lined with supporters, and it was
“There were some very interesting things called out from the sidelines, and the custom signs made by the crowd themselves were hilarious and entertaining.”
The race result was the culmination of almost 15 years’ focus for Collins, who first dreamed of competing in one of the major US marathons when he was just 20 years old.
In 2023, he fell less than 30 seconds short of the cut-off time to book his spot on the start line, and lined up this year through his involvement with charity World Bicycle relief, which empowers people and communities through providing bikes as an affordable and safe transport option.
Collins said more than $3,000 had been raised as the result of his marathon effort and thanked
the army of donors, friends and family who had supported him on his Chicago Marathon journey.
“Thank you to everyone for all the support and encouragement, and for the amazing generosity towards charity donations that made this dream and opportunity possible,” he said.
“A massive thank you to the Girardi family, who are former Weipa locals, for having me in Chicago throughout the lead-up to the race, and for providing a solid training and acclimatisation base for the month leading into the event.”
For those who have reached this point in the story wondering about how Collins tackled the banana situation in one of the world’s largest marathons, he admitted he did not consume them with his usual gusto to minimise the chance of having to make a pit stop midrace.
“Things were a bit different on this race; to prevent the likelihood of needing to ‘stop midrace’, I only had two bananas with honey and rolled oats before the race, and two after finishing,” he laughed.
And what’s next for Weipa’s banana-loving and now international marathoner?
“This is by far the best run of my life and it will be hard to top it, but with this finishing time in Chicago, I believe I can now enter straight into some of the other big marathons worldwide,” Collins said.
“For now, I look forward to Weipa Saturday parkrun and getting back into my regular training and volunteering routine within the community after having over three months away pursuing this Chicago journey.”
SPORT IN BRIEF
Kowanyama
futsal kicks off
FUTSAL will be on the agenda in Kowanyama for the next month after the council announced it would be facilitating a local competition to help bring sport inside as the temperature outside soars.
Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council will hold games every Tuesday from today (22 October) until 19 November.
The action kicks off at 5:15pm each week in the Kowanyama Multipurpose Centre, with a finals showdown scheduled for the last week of competition.
Dawe whacks big field
RICHARD Dawe’s nett 32 was enough to take the win when a big field of 23 golfers contested Wednesday Wackers in Weipa on 16 October.
Dawe returned to the clubhouse with 48/32 to secure victory from runner-up Scott Triffitt (44/32.5), who was unlucky after an impressive gross round.
Steve Head and Krystle Ellis took the pin prizes on the 7th and 9th holes respectively. Scott Andrews was the week’s Bradman’s winner.
Suns AGM on Thursday
ANYONE interested in playing a pivotal role in the ongoing growth of junior rugby league in Weipa is urged to make a beeline for the Albatross Bay Resort conference room on 24 October.
The Central Cape Suns Rugby League Club will hold its 2024 annual general meeting from 5:30pm on Thursday, with all executive positions to be declared open.
For more information, check out the club’s Facebook page.
Parkrun success for Russ
A FIELD of 26 competitors were not deterred by sticky conditions when they laced up their shoes for Weipa parkrun #388 on 19 October.
The parkrun family welcomed three first timers to the event, with Rhian Collett and Vincent Kippen setting personal bests on the day. Chrisden Russ continued his strong form over the 5-kilometre circuit to be the fastest male home in 21 minutes, 12 seconds, while Marin Harada was the first female to cross the finish line in a time of 23:07.
the most passionate crowd I’d ever seen.
Weipa’s Michael Collins celebrates with a huge grin and his mandatory banana after completing the 2024 Chicago Marathon in less than three hours on 13 October.
