Big commitment to boost Cooktown health services A COOKTOWN health program supporting some of the community’s most vulnerable has received a massive donation commitment of $200,000 from a local RSL club. The Cooktown Memorial RSL will donate $200,000 over two years to support Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service’s Community Care Program (CCP) in Cooktown which provides essential aged care and disability services to those in need within the community. Cooktown RSL treasurer Janne Stewart said the club chose a community group or cause to support each year. “We had a chat to a local councillor who suggested the community care program would be a really good cause,” she said. “They do great work for the people of Cooktown and it is really important for us to give back to the community.” Torres and Cape HHS Cooktown CCP Coordinator Jasmine Sieverding said the group was delighted about the generous donation which would be used for several projects. Projects include providing medical alert systems for clients in their own homes, building a community garden and commissioning a book being published by the RSL club about elderly members of the community. “On behalf of both the Cooktown CCP and the entire health service, I thank the RSL for their donation which is going to improve the lives of people in our small community,” she said.
An artist’s impression of the Eastern Kuku Yalanjiwarra Culture and Tourism Hub.
Cooktown RSL manager Julie Delaney with community care program coordinators Jeneen Clark and Jasmine Sieverding.
Torres and Cape HHS executive director of Allied Health Amanda Wilson said the donation was a wonderful example of grassroots community spirit. “Cooktown is a small town and there is no doubt those from the club will likely know many of the beneficiaries of their generosity,” she said. “We thank them for reaching out to help those in need within their community.”
New health care centre gains support A NEW $15 million health care centre is due to be constructed in Diwan to replace the existing clinic after Douglas Shire Council provided in-principal support to the developers so they could progress with the development. The proposed development is part of a previously announced $250 million expansion of health services in the Cairns region and will mean a replacement health care facility and a new helicopter
landing site for Cow Bay. Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service wrote to council in November last year asking for in-principal support for the transfer of the relevant land. The current clinic is residing in a council-owned building and will return to council’s hands once the new facility has been constructed, allowing other community groups to potentially utilise the hall.
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Tourism venture to highlight culture LOCALS and visitors will be able to learn about where the rainforest meets the reef along with the long history of its traditional caretakers with the announcement of a new Indigenous cultural tourism centre to be built in the Daintree National Park at Cape Tribulation. The centre will explore the lives and histories of the Eastern Kuku Yalanjiwarra people, members of the oldest living culture in the world who proudly care for the oldest living rainforest in the world. The Eastern Kuku Yalanjiwarra Culture and Tourism Hub development is jointly funded through the Australian and Queensland Governments and will be managed by the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation. Visitors to the hub will be able to meet Eastern Kuku Yalanji people and to learn about their land, sea and culture and enjoy performances including traditional ceremonies and dance. The centre will also have interpretative cultural and art displays and information about the
two World Heritage Areas it sits between and offer visitors access to a range of other cultural tourism experiences in the region. “The Queensland Government is working closely with the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation to finalise the planning of the Eastern Kuku Yalanjiwarra Culture Tourism Hub construction project,” Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Youth Affairs Meaghan Scanlon said. “This is an initiative we are jointly funding with the Australian Government. “The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is leading a thorough planning process for the construction of the hub, taking into consideration the environmental sensitivities and cultural significance of Daintree National Park. “We are committed to achieving the best outcomes for the Eastern Kuku Yalanjiwarra people and the local tourism sector while protecting the unique biodiversity in the area.”
Specialist accommodation underway FLEXICHOICE and MiHaven Cairns have teamed up to build Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) in Mareeba for eligible NDIS participants in the region. The two homes are still under construction at 120 Mason Street and 35 Andre Street Mareeba, are valued at over $3 million and are built with each tenant’s specific needs in mind. Co-founder and director, Sarah Mort says the accommodation will make a positive long term impact on its tenants. “The positive impact that these specially designed homes provide to NDIS participants who have high physical support needs is immeasur-
able,” she said. “Since building our first SDA home in Cairns in 2020, we have seen exponential positive change for so many people who need specialist individual care and the independence of living in their own home.” “Our focus is to build the highest quality NDIS SDA homes in the most suitable locations, that are future-proofed with innovative assisted technology that will improve the quality of life for our local NDIS community who eligible for SDA accommodation.” Construction of the houses is set to be completed in June this year.
Awards to recognise volunteers THE Tablelands is overflowing with selfless individuals who offer up their time in service of others and now is their chance to be recognised in the Queensland Volunteering Awards in Brisbane during National Volunteer Week in May. Volunteers from all over Queensland will gather at Brisbane City Hall during National Volunteer Week from 15-21 May for the awards and nominations are now open across a range of different categories. Queensland’s volunteers have always been the life force of their communities, extending helping hands and fostering vital human connections that give hope and meaning to the lives of others. Despite the fall in volunteering in formal settings, informal volunteering continues to thrive,
often hiding in the shadows of sporting clubs, schools and charities. The Queensland Volunteering Awards acknowledge and honour the astonishing contribution and spirit of service of all Queensland volunteers and volunteer involving organisations. Volunteers can be nominated in six different categories – Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, Lifetime Contribution to Volunteering, Excellence in Volunteer Management, Volunteering Impact and the Corporate Volunteering. To nominate, visit the Volunteering Queensland website at www.volunteeringqld. org.au/ navigate to the training and events tab and click Queensland Volunteering Awards. Nominations close on 6 March. Atherton Tablelands & Mareeba 96.7FM Amrun 94.1FM • Aurukun 107.7FM Coen102.7FM • Cooktown 96.9FM Doomadgee 105.3FM Kowanyama 107.7FM Lakeland 100.5FM Lockhart River 107.7FM Mapoon 101.3FM Mornington Island 107.7FM Pormpuraaw 106.1FM Napranum/Weipa 94.5FM Normanton 98.5FM • NPA 91.9FM Woorabinda 99.7FM Wujal Wujal 107.7FM Yarrabah 92.9FM
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