Bradley “Chook” Michael is congratulated by his nieces Marika and Nyurin Snider after winning the mystery weight barramundi major prize at the Sovereign Resort Hotel Barramundi Fishing Competition on Sunday afternoon. Check out our coverage of the record-breaking event on Pages 16 and 17.
With the Liberal National Party forming a majority government after demolishing the incumbent Labor government at the polls on Saturday, former Cook MP David Kempton has completed a Lazarus-like return to politics. Election wrap – Page 4
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BUDDING young artists from across Cape York and the Torres Strait have a chance for their creativity to shine during the festive season thanks to an annual Christmas card competition being run by veteran MP Warren Entsch.
The competition, themed My Christmas Wish for 2024, is now in its 14th year and the Member for Leichhardt said it gave artists aged 5-12 the chance for their artwork to feature on the front of his Christmas card, which will be distributed around Parliament House and across the state’s far north.
“It’s always a delight to see the imagination and artistic skills of the young people in our community
come to life. Every year, we receive so many wonderful and diverse entries from children all over Far North Queensland, showcasing everything from colourful paintings to intricate collages,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the creativity inspired by this year’s theme, My Christmas Wish.”
The competition has been sponsored by Cairns Bank, with the top three entries set to receive $150, $100 and $50 savings accounts for their creative efforts.
“Cairns Bank has been a steadfast supporter of this annual tradition. They are also providing an additional five $20 accounts for designs that exhibit special merit,” the MP said.
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Application forms and competition guidelines will be distributed to schools this week, and entries must be submitted by 5pm on 8 November.
Entries can be posted to the Leichhardt electorate office at PO Box 14, Bungalow, Queensland 4870, or scanned to warren.entsch. mp@aph.gov.au.
To qualify, all entries must be original, on theme, formatted in horizontal A4 and accompanied by a completed application form.
Mr Entsch said winners would be announced between 14-15 December, with Christmas cards featuring the winning design scheduled to hit mailboxes the same week.
By CHISA HASEGAWA
AN infamous Sunshine Coast tragedy is encouraging conversations about child safety in Weipa as students and teachers took to the street to commemorate the annual Day for Daniel.
The Duyfken Crescent turnoff was a sea of red on 25 October when Western Cape College (WCC) and St Joseph’s Parish School came together bright and early for the community’s second walk.
Although last year was the first walk in Weipa, Friday marked the twentieth Day for Daniel walk in memory of Daniel Morcombe, who was tragically abducted and killed in 2003.
“I’m from the Sunshine Coast and we did it at my school back there, so I just thought we’d try and bring it up to Weipa,” WCC teacher and walk organiser Lizzy Polak told Cape York Weekly
“I think it’s really important
to spread the word about child safety wherever we are in the world.”
She said students participated in a range of conversations and activities in memory of Daniel, which were also aimed at raising awareness about their own safety.
“It’s just raising awareness; we talk to the kids about safety at school, out in the community, and even down to things like riding your bike with a helmet –there’s so much that comes into
child safety. At school, we’ve got all the balloons and red hair spray and face paint as well,” Ms Polak said.
“The ambulance and police [came] down as well, so it’s really nice to have everyone in the community involved.”
“I think it’s great that we’re doing the walk for the second year running; it hasn’t happened up here before, so we just want to keep it going, and hopefully, it’ll go for many more years to come.”
By LYNDON KEANE
AN online fire mapping tool described as “absolutely vital” and a “godsend” should be a long-term funding priority for the Federal Government, according to concerned Cape York landholders who say a lack of interest from Canberra is putting lives and infrastructure at risk.
The Northern Australia Fire Information (NAFI) website and app provide property owners and land managers with maps of fire activity based on satellite information showing hotspots –recently burning fires – and burn scars, which identify areas of burnt country.
The information is used yearround, but becomes especially critical during bushfire season as landholders attempt to keep up to date with backburning and unplanned fires, something that has become increasingly difficult due to the government’s funding cuts to NAFI.
Lakeland landholder Joy Marriott said she believed it was imperative the government took funding the service seriously on the back of more and more country on Cape York being “locked up” on the back of cultural heritage and conservation efforts.
“With more and more land going back to cultural heritage use and conservation, it’s becoming more and more vital,” she said.
“We can’t access a lot of those spots now, so we need to be able to tell how the fire’s going to know when it’s going to end up on your boundary.
“We’ve always relied on it (NAFI), but now there’s more and more land we can’t access to monitor fires – if they want to lock it up, this is a non-invasive way to be looking at things.”
NAFI is supported by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – overseen by Minister Tanya Plibersek – and despite
the government acknowledging the service as a “vital resource”, it has only received minimal funding for the 2024-25 financial year.
NAFI service manager Dr Peter Jacklyn said an unprecedented increase in users over the past few years had put pressure on the website that was exacerbating the funding situation.
“A big issue we have with running NAFI is the federal funding for the website itself, which is only year to year,” Dr Jacklyn said.
“Our current funding ends on [30 June] next year, creating problems for planning and staff retention, and we spend a lot of time chasing funding; the problem here seems to be that the Federal Government have never budgeted for a web service like NAFI that is like a [Bureau of Meteorology] site for rural and remote area fires across much of Australia, so our federal funding tends to come late in the day from other programs, and usually only for a year.
“The other issue we’ve faced is a massive increase in usage over the last year or so; last year, we had double the number of users and triple the number of web map requests than we did before, and those user numbers have stayed high this year –
we’ve had to upgrade our systems to deal with this load, but more needs to be done.”
Ms Marriott said some of the hotspot information was out by about 20km with several preseason burns in the Lakeland region around April and May, a discrepancy that could cost a life or significant infrastructure losses.
“In our accessible country, you can’t afford for it to be even a kilometre out. It’s (NAFI) a godsend and we rely heavily on it, and we didn’t realise how heavily we relied on it until we relied on it when it wasn’t functioning properly,” she said.
Dr Jacklyn said NAFI was now seeking four-year funding arrangements with the government to improve software capability and added while he understood the user desire for faster hotspot information to aid firefighting efforts, that could be some time off due to technology constraints.
“What is much more difficult to improve is the accuracy and frequency of the hotspots and this is probably what a lot of people want,” he explained.
“This is because we don’t produce the hotspots – they come from a US/European constellation of large earth observing satellites, and from the Australian agencies that then use
the satellite images to create the hotspot locations, which are sent to the NAFI website. The accuracy of these hotspots can vary for a whole lot of reasons, like the type of satellite, the weather conditions, even solar activity, and improving this accuracy is largely out of our hands.”
Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch said he was concerned the efficacy of a service like NAFI was beholden to the funding whims of the government and committed to raising the issue with Minister Plibersek.
“It worries me immensely that the minister sees this as something she can cut,” he said.
“It’s been useful for people at the pointy end of managing fire in our region, and I think it’s something we should be challenging.
“It’s going to be even more of a concern given the dry season we’ve had this year; in Cape York, most of those fires come out of the national parks – this is a frontline resource that helps people deal with the fires before they become a catastrophe.
“I would have thought the investment needed to have it running at the level it needs to would be relatively modest compared to the impact not having it available.”
By LYNDON KEANE
DAVID Crisafulli has become the 41st Premier of Queensland as a former MP who served in the state’s last Liberal National Party (LNP) government has declared victory to complete a stunning political comeback and claim Cook for the second time.
When Cape York Weekly went to press, LNP candidate David Kempton held almost 40 per cent of first preference count, with the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s unofficial indicative count projecting he would break twoterm MP Cynthia Lui’s grasp on Cook by a margin of more than 11 per cent.
In a post on his campaign Facebook page on Monday morn-
ing, Mr Kempton declared himself “back” and thanked voters for returning him to the seat he lost to the late Billy Gordon nine years ago.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he said in the social media post.
“I promised safe hands, a strong voice and to turn up every time.
“That starts today. I am back.”
The current results in Cook have bucked the statewide trend of swings against the minor parties, with One Nation’s Peter Campion receiving 7.35 per cent of primary votes – up from 6.63 per cent in the 2020 state election – and Troy Green securing 7.24 per cent for the Greens, an improvement on the party’s 2020 result of 5.04 per cent.
Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) proved the most successful of the minor parties in the fight for Cook, with candidate Duane Amos holding almost 22 per cent of the primary vote on Monday afternoon.
Mr Amos said although he was disappointed with the result, he was taking some wins from the campaign.
“I achieved my primary goal, which was to unseat the sitting member and turn the seat conservative again,” he said.
“There were so many disgruntled people concerned about key issues in the electorate, but there were distractions during the campaign and I think people dived towards the safety of the major parties.”
While he will now return to po-
licing duties, Mr Amos hinted his name could return to a ballot paper in the next federal election, but he would not speculate whether it would be flying KAP colours or potentially as an independent.
“Let’s wait and see – it’s a watch this space,” he said.
“Leichhardt’s in my line of sight now; lessons were taken out of this, and there were disappointing things that happened that were outside my control.”
Cooktown voter Rick Barnes said he believed the region had failed to progress under Labor leadership over the past nine years.
“I’m a pensioner and just seeing what Labor has done over the last few years is not real bloody impressive, not impressive at all,” he said.
“Just look at the Cape, there’s nothing happening.
“Labor’s just put themselves right out of the picture.”
A Weipa voter, who asked not to be named, said they had voted for Labor in the 2020 state election but had backed KAP on Saturday because they “wanted to see some real change on the Cape”.
“I normally vote for Labor but it feels like they’ve forgotten us up here,” they said.
“I’ve voted for Katter’s this time because I think we need some leadership actually focused on remote spots like Weipa and the western Cape.”
Neither Mr Kempton nor Ms Lui responded to repeated requests for comment from Cape York Weekly before deadline.
By LYNDON KEANE
IMAGINE your first experience of a town being to wake up in the building your grandfather once ran a bank from and your father and his six siblings called home more than nine decades ago.
That was the scenario experienced by Brisbane resident Tony Marrinan last week when he made his maiden trip to Cooktown with his wife to check out the town, and particularly bed and breakfast 122 on Charlotte.
Mr Marrinan’s late grandfather, Con, was the manager of the Cooktown Bank of New South Wales branch from 1929 until 1937, and the bank moved into the premises at 122 Charlotte Street in 1935, something he said he believed coincided with an addition to the rapidly-expanding Marrinan clan.
town had been a surreal experience, with both sleeping in his family’s old residence and uncovering an unknown fact about his grandfather’s ability as a horseman adding to the feeling of awe.
“It’s been fairly awe-inspiring,” he reflected.
“When you’re upstairs, you think ‘okay, my grandparents probably slept in this room’ in the room we’re staying in now, and then you realise my father was running around here as a two-year-old.
Roe – completed a survey of the Endeavour River while aboard the cutter Mermaid during a circumnavigation of Australia, said to be the most detailed since Captain Cook’s in 1770.
“He was known, I’ve been told, to give people 40 pounds and say ‘I can’t lend you the money, but here’s 40 pounds, pay me back when you can’.
“It’s been very interesting to be here and see where that happened.”
122 on Charlotte co-owner Tania Taylor said historical tourism was bringing more and more visitors to Cooktown each year, adding she believed there were still plenty of secrets for the old building to give up.
“I’m speculating, but it’s probably got something to do with the growing family. My father (Denis Marrinan) was born in ’33, and he was the youngest of seven; the eldest, my oldest uncle, would have been 11 – I think seven young kids would have probably just fit,” he laughed.
“There is a photograph of him (Con Marrinan) at the [Cooktown History Centre] on horseback we found; I had no idea he ever rode a horse.”
Mr Marrinan’s wife, Alison, also has a strong familial tie to the region that dates back more than two centuries.
He added his first trip to Cook-
In 1819, her great-great-greatgrandfather – naval officer, surveyor and explorer John Septimus
Con Marrinan also served in the military and fought in the First World War at Villers-Bretonneux in 1918 before returning to Australia at the end of the conflict to build a reputation as a man who went above and beyond for his community when his employer would not.
“When he was here, that was the depression,” Mr Marrinan said of his grandfather.
“So, the story that my grandmother told me was that when he was here as the bank manager, he couldn’t lend people money, because it was desperate times – they couldn’t afford to live, so he would then give people money out of his own pocket.
“It’s great that people like Tony and Alison can come up here and learn about their connection to Cooktown and experience it by staying in the old bank,” she said.
“There’s things here that we don’t know what they were, we don’t know what they were used for, and we’re still hoping someone will come in one day and tell us and solve a piece of the puzzle of this building.”
QUEENSLAND’S First Nation councils have welcomed election commitments by both major political parties to establish a Queensland Indigenous Council Leaders Accord in which the Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA) will play a pivotal role.
Labor’s Steven Miles and Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli pledged to back the concept during last week’s Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) annual conference in Brisbane.
The proposed accord will aim
to provide Queensland’s First Nations councils with direct access to State Government decision makers to generate better decisions on the needs, priorities and wellbeing of their communities.
Under the accord, the government would enter into a formal agreement with the 17 remote and discrete First Nations councils, represented by TCICA, and the LGAQ.
TCICA Chair and Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Territa Dick praised the commitment by both party leaders and
said it was an acknowledgement Indigenous councils were best placed to identify and deliver the services and projects required to provide local economic and social wellbeing.
“The accord will mean our communities have a seat at the table with decision makers,” she said.
“By directly involving our councils, the State Government will be able to better understand and prioritise the needs of our communities in crucial areas such as housing, employment, health and education.”
The state’s First Nations mayors and representatives of TCICA and LGAQ will also be invited to attend a cabinet meeting annually to discuss progress on shared work under the accord.
LGAQ CEO Alison Smith said the accord would enhance existing government initiatives, such as the Government and Ministerial Champions Program.
The accord would require respective ministers and directorsgeneral to meet with the First Nations mayors biannually to discuss issues prioritised by the councils,
and what actions are needed to achieve successful outcomes.
“It’s a widely-held view that progress on Closing the Gap will only improve when First Nations communities are involved in identifying and prioritising the problems they face and then guiding the solutions,” Ms Smith said.
“The LGAQ’s fundamental belief is that local problems need local solutions from place-based decision making, with councils appropriately funded to deliver these and working in partnership with state and federal governments.”
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
NOT many 13-year-olds can call themselves a successful entrepreneur, but one Cooktown girl’s star is on the rise after making over $400 in just two months with her new 3D printed fidget toy business.
Endeavour Christian College student Kayla Louw was celebrated at her school assembly last week for successfully applying her business class skills to real life with her Shopify storefront, Flame X 3D.
The 13-year-old said she currently offered a collection of figurines and toys created with articulated joints, making them both cute display pieces and fun to fidget with.
“At the moment, I’m 3D printing fidgets and articulated toys,” Kayla said.
“I like making and designing new things to print.”
Although she hasn’t made any original designs yet, she said that was on the radar as she works towards her next big goal of expanding the business.
“I want to make a few more things to sell and more of my own designs, and maybe expanding to multiple printers so we can do the business more,” she said.
Her father, Josh Louw, said Kayla has always been creative and business savvy, and a new 3D printer set off the “fireworks” in her brain.
“She often comes up to me showing me ‘something we can make and sell’, so when I bought a 3D printer for my business, she immediately dropped everything she was doing, and I pretty much have not had a proper chance to use it myself,” he said.
“Kayla’s secret weapon is her ADHD, which allows her to think multiple steps ahead while the rest of us are still trying to figure out
what happened. She can easily spend days all by herself building contraptions with Lego, rubber bands, a glue gun and cardboard – things you would never think go together, never mind being functional and working.
“I often say to Amanda, my wife, ‘I don’t know what she is going to do or be when she leaves school, but it is going to be spectacular’.”
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.
By CHISA HASEGAWA
CAPE York anglers are being called on to help stop the extinction of the rare sawfish this National Sawfish Sighting Week.
Led by Sharks and Rays Australia (SARA), citizen scientists from across northern Australia are being asked to report any sighting, or lack thereof, to find the remaining sawfish and ensure they do not “disappear quietly”.
Forty years ago, sawfish were regularly spotted in Australia’s tropical and subtropical waters, but today, the critically endangered rays are rarely seen outside of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory and the Kimberley.
Though official registrations to submit data have closed,
SARA founder, zoologist and sawfish expert Dr Barbara Wueringer said people were still welcome to come on board.
“They can still register as long as they do that quickly; we’re going to leave it open, because we want as many people involved as possible,” she said.
“With sawfish habitats disappearing globally, we’re in a race
against time to find out where these magnificent creatures still exist, and in what numbers.
“We already have a lot of submissions from the Cape – these are areas we know sawfish are found, so we would love to have community involvement, and have people report back during National Sawfish Sighting Week.”
Dr Wueringer said sawfish were easily distinguished by their saw-like snouts, which can extend up to two metres, and are most active in the early morning and late afternoon.
While a sighting would be cause for celebration, she added that reports of non-sightings were just as important.
“When citizen scientists go out and try to spot sawfish, and report sightings and non-sight-
ings back, we can use the ratio to estimate actual population numbers in different locations,” Dr Wueringer said.
“We know there are some hot spots especially in the western Cape York area, but I would expect sightings on the east side as well. We have a field work project in Lakeland National Park, but anything north of there, we don’t have too much information, so that would be an area we’re super interested in hearing back from.
“For four out of five sawfish species, north Australian waters may contain their last populations, and we can’t let them quietly disappear.”
To register as a citizen scientist, go to www.sharksandraysaustralia.com/sawfish-weekregistration.
THE 2024 Shine on Gimuy festival has been declared an overwhelming success after nearly 50,000 people experienced the 10-day multi-art program in Cairns this month.
Featuring art, song, dance and storytelling, 49,412 visitors passed through the gates of the event, which was led by artistic director Rhoda Roberts to deliver a refreshing and immersive celebration of First Nations
peoples, art and culture. One of the festival highlights was the illuminated sculptural installation by Wujal Wujal artist Doreen Collins, who lost her work during the flood catastrophe that forced the evacuation of her community in December 2023.
Ms Collins, who relocated to Cairns following the natural disaster, stood proud beside the eight-metre tall recreation of a cassowary from one of her
paintings and said the festival had presented a tremendous opportunity to show her artistic talent and tell her story.
Ms Roberts said the Artstory Light Walk stunningly depicted First Nations peoples’ intrinsic social ecology, which informed the 2024 curatorial theme of Entwined.
“With around 50,000 visitors, Shine on Gimuy ensures a space where we all feel special, with
the lights illuminating the essence of our culture,” she said.
“It’s a gathering that enhances local businesses and the tourism sector while honouring the ancient lands of the Yidinji and celebrating First Nations cultural legacy.
“The spatial perceptions of the Indigenous realm – the philosophy and language – and our cultural customs and nuances are all wonderfully entwined.”
STAKEHOLDERS who use the Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) are being asked to attend an open forum in Cairns next month that will help determine upgrade priorities for stage three of the Cape York Region Package (CYRP).
The forum, hosted by the CYRP taskforce and Regional Development Australia Tropical North, will look at how stage two works have progressed, and open discussion about what parts of the PDR should be next when stage three of the project commences. A virtual attendance option will also be available for people to participate in the forum.
CYRP taskforce co-chair Professor Hurriyet Babacan said the forum would be “invaluable for ensuring that the priorities we advocate for align with the needs and concerns of the Cape York communities”.
The forum will be held at the Cairns RSL from 10am-12pm. To register, call RDA Tropical North on 4041 1729 or email engage@redtropicalnorth.org.au.
A BIG turnout is expected in Cooktown’s Lions Park when Carols by Candlelight is held on 30 November.
The free event, hosted by the Combined Churches of Cooktown, will kick off at 6:30pm on the night with a sausage sizzle, with the first carols echoing across the park from 7pm.
An event spokesperson asked attendees to bring their own chairs to ensure they were comfortable for the performance.
“Please bring your own chairs and blankets, and mosquito repellent, to make sure you can enjoy the show,” the spokesperson said.
ALL going to plan, the disruption to Telstra services in Lockhart River as the telecommunication giant undertakes infrastructure upgrades will end by Sunday.
Telstra has been installing new hardware to bring improved 4G and new 5G services to the community, with work scheduled to be completed by 3 November.
Landline services and NBN internet services have not be impacted during the upgrade, and regional engagement manager Josie Pickering said the inconvenience would ultimately deliver better mobile coverage to Lockhart River.
“There’s never a good time to undertake this sort of work but once it is completed, it will mean better mobile services for local residents,” she said.
INDIGENOUS sexual health and health workers from across the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area have returned home better informed and prepared to serve their communities after attending a sexual health conference in Brisbane earlier this month.
The Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) cohort headed to the state capital from 9-10 October for the 2024 Deadly Sex Congress, an annual forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners.
Information sessions included updates on current and emerging issues in blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
TCHHS men’s and women’s health program co-ordinator LilyAnnie Ahmat said the congress represented an invaluable opportunity for attendees to enhance their knowledge, build workforce capacity, and share stories.
She added it was also an opportunity to learn more about the latest in BBVs and STI rates and trends.
Senior public health officer
Mario Assan said staff from the men’s and women’s health program also presented and participated in various panels as one of the five primary health care programs that operate under the Torres Strait Model of Primary Health Care in the northernmost part of the TCHHS service delivery footprint.
Primary healthcare programs director Maleta Abednego said attending the Deadly Sex Congress was a great opportunity and a valuable platform for the team to impart its knowledge and experiences at a statewide level.
solid waste dates WITH the wet season looming, Aurukun Shire Council will commence its annual severe weather preparation by conducting a solid waste collection around the community next week.
Council staff will undertake the collection from 4-8 November, and Aurukun residents and organisations are being asked to do their bit by placing large items like whitegoods and furniture on the footpath no later than 3 November.
For more information, drop into the council office or call 4060 6800.
THE State Government is calling for applications for expressions of interest 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.
A government spokesperson 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.
“I encourage prospective sea freight operators who are interested in working with the Queensland Government to provide essential services to the OTSI region to submit an EOI,” he said.
For more information, visit www. qtenders.epw.qld.gov.au/qtenders.
EASTERN Cape York marine tourism operators are among 60 heading back to school to be able to help keep an eye on the health of the Great Barrier Reef while they are on the water.
The group is heading for the reef off Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s annual pre-summer Eye on the Reef training, which will allow them to gather critical information and data that will help support reef management decisions.
Chief scientist Dr Roger Beeden said tourism operators were perfectly placed to provide trained eyes on the reef.
“We need to be across what is happening over a vast region to effectively manage the reef,” he said.
Eye on the Reef enables anyone heading out on the water to report on reef health, sightings and incidents through the Eye on the Reef app, which is available through Google Play or the App Store.
AS the dust beings to settle on the election, it’s clear there will be, as there are in all political stoushes, winners and losers.
The Liberal National Party will form a majority government and end nine years of Labor reign, with former MP David Kempton making a return to Parliament after being ousted by the late Billy Gordon in 2015.
One of the most disappointing aspects of the campaign was how willingly some of the candidate quintet rapidly abandoned any genuine attempt to demonstrate their potential as authentic leaders and instead dived elbow-deep into the tried-and-tested political cesspit of muckraking and blame.
Between the state election campaign being officially launched on 1 October and voters going to the polls on Saturday, I received three spam text messages from candidates who shall remain nameless outlining not why they were the best option to represent Cook for the next four years, but why the other candidates were useless scumbags plotting our demise and hiding more skeletons in the closet than the cast of a reality television show.
It was a similar story on social media, with a tsunami of nega-
tive posts dwarfing the kiddie pool wave of positive, community-focused content in a bid to win votes.
I wish I could say it was just a Cook issue, but alas, between the digital dumpster-diving approaches, printed propaganda and some of the disinformation being spewed forth at early voting booths in the lead-up to 26 October, 2024 was the state election which reeked of ego and arrogance, and candidates completely disconnected from their communities and bereft
of a strategy other than pointing out the shortcomings of those running against them.
Here’s a fun fact for political aspirants, especially with the federal election due sometime in early 2025: we will readily offer up our vote for candidates who turn their back on dirty laundry and snarky criticism as campaign weapons and recognise the value of a positive, well-considered plan.
The trope of the muckraking politician has been flogged to
within an inch of its life and its one we’re all sick and tired of for good reason.
The voting public isn’t as dumb as it looks. We know what successive governments have done poorly and who hasn’t had out best interests at heart term after term, despite that apparently being one of the key position description requirements as an elected representative.
We don’t need candidate after candidate of all political persua-
sions wasting good oxygen telling us this, rather than informing us what they’re going to do differently for the social and economic betterment of our communities.
Will things change? Unless there’s a major revolt by electors, no, because we’ve allowed the system to devolve to a grotesque, ineffectual mess that promotes a partisan mindset and nurtures a lucrative career for those more adept to arse kissing, mud slinging and toeing party lines then they are independent thought and a determination to put people first.
If you’re a candidate who fits into the aforementioned category and have ignored the sentiment of the electorate to focus on playing the blame game and thinking up negative social media posts as your only hope of condemning your opponents, please take defeat on the chin and slither into obscurity as you lick your wounds.
If you happen to be someone thinking about running for office down the track and find yourself amused or motivated by political negativity, please don’t even try to get your name on a ballot paper. As one of the remotest parts of the country, we have and will continue to have enough issues getting political parties to factor us into their grandiose plans without further risking our future by having to pick from a gaggle of egomaniacal candidates who prefer lobbing mud to delivering solutions.
Fill in the blank cells using numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and 3x3 block.
Fit the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into the hexagons so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers will be the same. No number is repeated in any hexagon.
Fit the numbers 1-6 once into every hexagon so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers are the same. No number is repeated in any single hexagon.
A RECORD 1,011 anglers fought challenging fishing conditions in the hunt for a new boat when they went head to head in the 2024 Sovereign Resort Hotel Barramundi Fishing competition at the weekend.
A huge cheer went up from the crowd when Bradley “Chook” Michael was announced as the adult winner of the mystery weight barramundi, with his 5.45-kilogram effort securing him bragging rights and a new boat.
Mr Michael said he was thrilled with his win and said he would be towing a different boat back to his Townsville home after the event.
“I brought my missus’ car up and brought my old boat up,” he laughed.
“It looks like the old boat’s staying here now.
“I’m pretty happy right now.”
Thirteen-year-old Ernest Bowen was the inaugural winner of the second boat especially for junior competitors and said he had not imagined he was in with a chance of securing the prize.
“I feel excited,” he said as he was congratulated by family, friends and fellow competitors.
“I didn’t think I’d win it.”
Ernest’s aunt, Angela McIvor, brought him to the competition and told Cape York Weekly she believed he and his brothers would put the boat to good use.
“I’m so excited,” she said.
“He’s actually my little godson; my son come and was like ‘EB’s coming in with us, we want to weigh our fish’; they’ll be probably be out every day, him and his brothers – they live down the beach, so they hunt every day.”
BARRA COMP RESULTS
Barramundi – Adults: Bradley Michael (5.45kg - 1.33kg off random weight), 2 - Alby Lemon (5.45kg), 3 - Malcolm McCollum (5.35kg), 4 - Matthew Manning (5.3kg), 5 - Mitchell Johnson (5.25kg); Kids: 1 - Ernest Bowen (5.5kg - 80g off random weight), 2 - Eli Sawrey (4.75kg), 3 - Ethan Ross (4.7kg), 4 - Jack Lemon (4.65kg), 5 - Lionel Jack 6.4kg)
Mangrove jack – Adults: 1 - Zane Stallan (2.95kg), Mick Saunders (1.95kg), 3 - Chloe Hardy (1.5kg); Kids: 1 - Kelcy Hema (1.75kg), 2 - Mikasa Mossman (1.5kg), 3Harlin Austin (1.25kg)
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
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation 92 Charlotte Street, Cooktown QLD 4895 T: 07 4069 5412
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:
GUNGARDE FAMILY PARTICIPATION
Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation 92 Charlotte Street, Cooktown QLD 4895 T: 07 4069 5412
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 Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation 92 Charlotte Street, Cooktown QLD 4895 T: 07 4069 5412
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
By CHISA HASEGAWA
A GROUP of young Cooktown basketballers are hungry for more competition after a year of training came to fruition during their first away game in Cairns last week.
The under-14 rookies left it all on the court when they took on Port Douglas and Mulgrave, battling first-game nerves, and being defeated by just one point against the region’s top team in their second game.
Team volunteer Jessica GibsonChung said it was their first time the boys has played together as an official team, adding parents and coaches had rallied to help take their game to the next level.
“They’d never done a competition before, just muck-around type of games at training – nothing with scoreboards or referees or anything,” she said.
“It was really last minute, so it was a lot of running around; we knew about the competition but we hadn’t organised a game.
“All of the coaches agreed that if we could get a team together, we could go down, so I reached out to basketball parents and asked if any of them had the capacity to drive the boys down and help out.”
The team was formed with boys who attended training sessions
Ms Gibson-Chung said game one against Douglas Heat was a new experience full of nerves, especially with the large age range of Cooktown’s team.
“The boys were pretty pumped up but very, very nervous. Because our population is small, we don’t have enough players in each age group; we took an under-14s team,
but the youngest we had on the team was 11,” she said.
“Usually, an under-14s team would be 13 to 14, so it was a bit of a challenge, especially for the younger ones.”
Despite being defeated this time, Ms Gibson-Chung said the experience was invaluable for players, who don’t usually get the opportunity to compete in official competitions.
“Competition is important to keep the kids engaged; they need a reason for all the training,” she said.
“The boys did a lot of reflection on what they did well, what they could do better, and had a lot of respect for training and what they’re doing it for.
“They’ve definitely got some fire in their belly to go and play away a lot more now.”
CAPE York will be well represented on the futsal pitch this weekend with three communities sending teams to the FNQ Futsal Titles in Cairns.
Aurukun is sending 14 players to contest the under-11 boys and girls competitions at the Redlynch Central Sports Stadium on 2-3 November, with the teams to join those heading from Weipa and Cooktown.
The community’s involvement in the competition is part of an Aurukun Shire Council initiative to boost sports participation.
The council thanked Aurukun State School’s Caleb Howell and PCYC Aurukun’s Sergeant Steve Armstrong-Ravula for assisting with the team selection.
“We hope there will be a good crowd in Cairns to cheer on our young athletes as they represent Aurukun with pride and passion,” the spokesperson said.
U11 boys team: Darrus Wolmby, Tevita Morris, Shane Ngakapoogum, Neville Pootchemunka, Shaquel Marbendinar, Zakkaiu Ngakyunkwokka, Vincent Koomeeta. U11 girls team: Aleira Yunkaporta, Ameira Roberts, Jennifer Ngakyunkwokka, Kyanne Wikmunea, Rosabelle Morris, Sharna Tybingoompa, Zayarla Ngallametta.
A SOLID 44 off the stick was enough to provide Scott Triffitt with victory when 19 golfers got a 6am start on 27 October for the latest round of Dawnbusters action in Weipa. Triffitt tamed the Carpentaria Golf Club course to card nett 16 and bag the coveted Dawnbusters shirt, with Kerry Boshammer (gross 55/nett 16) having to settle for brides-
maid honours after ending up on the wrong end of a countback.
Jim Lucas and Viv Chan had their drivers dialled in and found the fairway to claim the men’s and women’s big-hitting bragging rights for the round.
The same could not be said for the field with their short sticks, with the nearest to the
pin prize on hole 9 going begging. Beth Dall was the weekly Hoffman’s winner.
Players will have their last hit-out on 3 November before reputations and egos go on the line for the 2024 Dawnbusters Championships the following Sunday morning.
The first group will tee off from about 6am to beat the Weipa heat.
THIS weekend’s Clearwater Ladies Gamefish Day is set to be a “cracker” as anglers prepare to make a bubbly offering to Poseidon for Weipa’s good weather to continue.
Twenty teams – comprising 58 anglers, including three junior competitors – will take to the water on Saturday.
Tournament co-ordinator Fifi Down said while the forecast was good, she would not be taking any chances.
“The weather gods are playing the game with (weather app) Windy suggesting 5-10 knots in the morning, with the typical mongrel westerly kicking in in the afternoon,” she said.
“This is a long-range forecast, however, and I will still be gifting the ocean mermaids a sip of champagne over the edge of the boat on Saturday morning to keep them happy.”
Anyone who is still keen to enter the tournament has until 5pm on Wednesday to get their nomination in.
Ms Down said fishing close to the shore was still electric, with local angler Linda Jay bagging a 120kg black marlin after an hour-long duel on 23 October.
With a theme of Rhinestone Cowgirls for the 2024 event, Ms Down said she hoped teams put as much thought into their outfits as players did for the 19 Oc-
tober Pink Ribbon Charity Golf Day at Carpentaria Golf Club.
“If our lady anglers dress up anything like the charity ladies golf day, we will be in for some wacky, wicked, wild and wonderful Rhinestone Cowgirl creations,” she said.
“Weipa women definitely enjoy a day to dress up to the nines and support a special cause.”
The tournament co-ordinator praised Weipa Billfish Club committee members Alistair Thorogood, Duncan Hockey and Monica Dalgleish for their
efforts in getting the event to the start line and said she believed their contribution would make it two days to remember for teams.
“Their enthusiasm is infectious and is a driving force behind what will be an outstanding weekend affair,” Ms Down said.
While some of the colourful team names are not fit for publication, Ms Down said Titty Titty Bling Bling, Reel Knockers, and Breast and Fairest were among her favourite printable monikers, adding the support of sponsors meant the on-water ac-
tion and gala presentation luncheon on 3 November were setting the competition up to be the best on record.
“I would like to recognise the unwavering sponsorship from our local businesses, who must field multiple requests throughout the year, and thank them immensely for having something left in the kitty at the end of the year for our occasion,” she said.
“We are truly humbled by your generosity and collaboration in allowing us to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.”
THE Cooktown Amateur Swimming Club will be cleaning cars for a cause when it holds a fundraiser at Cooktown Hardware on 9 November.
The car wash will run from 8:15am12:30pm and raise funds to help send the club’s competitive swimmers away for their next showdown in the big smoke.
A sedan/hatchback wash will cost $15, while a large vehicle, including four-wheel drives, will cost $20 to get sparkling.
The club will also fire up the barbecue for a sausage sizzle.
THE Central Cape Suns Rugby League Club has announced its executive line-up for the 2025 season after holding its annual general meeting in Weipa on 24 October.
The AGM was a success with plenty of supporters in attendance as the club aims to increase the profile of and accessibility to the sport for junior players next season.
Jess Rex will return for another season as president after the club recorded a bumper 2024, with Sammy O’Neil (vicepresident), Lauren Haimes (treasurer), Natasha Smith (secretary) and Kylie McDonnell (registrar) completing the team.
FANS of high-speed excitement and the smell of two-stroke will be in for a thrill on 2 November when Weipa Dirt Karts holds its biggest and most exciting event of the season – the Enduro.
Drivers will be fighting for points to end the 2024 racing year, with the 5-year-old Midgets class kicking off from 6pm.
Entry to the track is free, and a canteen will be operating to keep racegoers fed.
A BIG field battled hot conditions on the Carpentaria Golf Club fairways for Wednesday Wackers action on 23 October.
Jim Hunter (38/27) was the best of the field of 19, claiming the winner’s chocolates from Peter Lamond (42/27) on countback.
Gary and Steve Head were the pin prize winners on holes 15 and 18.
Grant Crossley secured the weekly Bradman’s gong.
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