Torres Strait weavers make history at CIAF

Mura Kaymelan Bei Aurem (The Coconut Leaf Project) will form a striking display for visitors along the terrace of the Cairns Convention Centre at this weekend’s Cairns Indigenous Art Festival (CIAF).

Six master weavers took part in the project, which was a perfect fit for this year’s CIAF theme: Weaving our future; claiming our sovereignty

They are (L–R) Niki Mackie, Aunty Emma Gebadi, Aunty Mowe Billy, Hans Ahwang, Yessie Mosby and George Kris, with Teho Ropeyarn (standing far right).

See full story and pics Pages 8 & 9 N operations conducted on the short runways on these islands have appropriate safety buffers in place.”

Skytrans CEO Alan Milne said it was good news.

“It’s great to be back,” he said. “It was a long journey.

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Skytrans CEO Alan Milne said there were some additional restrictions.

“Whilst we’ve been able to show CASA that we can operate there safely, the new regulations do impose tighter restrictions on us and therefore the payloads aren’t as good as we used to be able to carry,” he said.

“So it means we’re losing one or two passengers per flight, depending on the weather conditions and which runway we’re using.”

But, he said, that loss was not something they would pass on in terms of the cost to customers, “at this point in time”.

“We just want to reestablish the services,” he said.

“The primary goal here is get that going, but yes, we’ll have to make sure that the passenger loads are good – if we can carry four passengers, then we need to be carrying four passengers to ensure the long term viability of the route.

“If we see that, over time it’s not proving to be viable, then we’ll need to either look at doing some schedule changes or, absolute worst case, pulling out altogether.”

CASA acknowledged the airline’s long safety record.

“We acknowledge Skytrans’ long safety record and appreciate their cooperation as we worked through the process to validate their operations,” they said.

“We also understand the vital role air transport services play in the Torres Strait and would like to thank local communities for their patience.”