The School Hall at Woree State School is now complete! Geoff Bryant and his team have done a great job. Built with BER funding from the Australian Government, the building is a great asset for the school and the Woree community.
Above and Below- The New School Hall at Woree - a proud addition to the area!
Rob with Sheree Stock and Tresna Malone
The new Bendigo Bank in Earlville offers a great service for our community. Cairns Community Enterprise (CCE) is an initiative of the Bank that is designed to assist the Not For Profit sector (including sports clubs, community groups, etc) generate sustainable income.
Launched in May 2009 the model is based on an income sharing arrangement. In essence with all loans and deposits made with Bendigo Bank, individuals can nominate a beneficiary Not For Profit group who will then receive a percentage of the trailing income.
Fund raising whether for School P&C’s, Sporting Clubs or any Not For Profit group is difficult and often takes much effort for little return. CCE is a sustainable means of generating income simply by banking with a community minded bank.
Nominating to support a local organisation will in no way affect your existing bank services. It was great to meet up with Sheree Stock at Earlville branch to hear about this initiative – that applies to both new and existing accounts.
It is hoped that over time the Bank will become recognised locally in the same way as Glen Fuchs at the Bank of Queensland in Mount Sheridan. Why support the big corporate banks … it is easier to change than ever!
Glen Fuchs from BOQ
Cr. Rob Pyne said, ”Whether it is the Bank of Queensland in Mount Sheridan or the Bendigo Bank in Edmonton and Earlville, we need to be supporting banks and businesses that will help build the capacity and prosperity of the Cairns Community.”
The Entertainment Precinct site has been masterplanned, taking into consideration its context within the CBD. Key Principles in this process are:
The public spaces and facilities within the Entertainment Precinct meet the needs of the community and growing population for more than 50 years. Long-term planning to achieve a sustainable outcome must consider environmental, social, economic and cultural outcomes.
The site is currently owned by Ports North Corporation Pty Ltd (“Ports”) who have clearly and publicly stated on many occasions that the site is not required nor intended for Ports’ future operational use.
The Entertainment Precinct comprises a site area of approximately 1.5ha which is part of a larger lot of Strategic Port Land (Part of Lot 10 on SP214821 and Lot 9 on SP113632) which encompasses Precinct 3 in the Cityport Land Use Plan and part of the Commercial & Business Planning Area in the Seaport Land Use Plan. Ports has advised that the final site configuration will be determined as part of lease negotiations at which point the specific site boundaries will be defined.
The site sits back from the waterfront. Over the past two decades, nearby land, also owned by Ports and also located back from the waterfront, has been developed for commercial uses unrelated to the Ports operations.
Ports North has confirmed on many occasions that the site is not required for Ports operations. In an open letter to the Weekend Post on 18 September 2010 the Chairman of Ports North, Dr Ken Chapman wrote: “The area of White’s Shed and vacant land from wharf 1-6 and Wharf Street are not needed to service the shipping and have long been set aside for development under the Cityport Masterplan and the Seaport Masterplan. The cultural precinct can be built on the White’s Shed area and vacant land opposite the Convention Centre without impact on current of future uses of the wharves or growth of sea freight and is compatible with Cityport and Seaport Masterplans.”
Council’s commitment to the Cultural Precinct site
Council’s adopted Corporate Plan 2009-14
“Establish a Regional Performing Arts Centre in a cultural precinct on the waterfront”
“Advocate for the establishment of a Regional Museum”
Council’s adopted Cultural Plan 2009-14
“Plan and construct a Regional Performing Arts Centre and support the State Government in establishing a Regional Museum”
At Council’s Ordinary Meeting of 11 December 2008 the following resolution was passed:
“BLAKE/COCHRANE
That Council
a) agree to progress planning in respect of a cultural precinct, including a Regional Performing Arts Centre and a Regional Museum, in partnership with Cairns Ports Limited (CPL) under terms and conditions as identified in the attached Heads of Agreement between Council and the CPL; and
b) delegate the power to make, vary or discharge the Heads of Agreement attached to this report for ss36, 485 and 486 of the Local Government Act 1993 to the Mayor and Chief Executive Officer for s483 of the Act, noting that clause 3.3 of the Heads of Agreement requiring the feasibility and business case for a Regional Performing Arts Centre will include financial and legal review of the matters set out in clause 8.
carried”
On 7 July 2010 the following Mayoral Minute was carried:
SCHIER
Councillors agree that over the next 18 months they will listen to any concerns of the general public and will comprehensively consult and work with the community to deliver the cultural facilities that the community wants and needs. Councillors also:
Carried Unanimously by Council.
Pause for Poetry focused on Australian poet David J. Delaney and his poem “Night Mistress” read by renowned Australian documentary film maker Don Featherstone.
David J Delaney
Delaney describes his work as Australian rhyming bush poetry. I call it good, old-fashioned storytelling. But whatever you call it, the clear descriptions and images of Delaney’s work provides a powerful insight into lives and experiences he records in Australia’s vast and beautiful outback, with a musical rhyming poetry that is always contemporary and never forced.
What’s also interesting about Delaney is the fact that he left school at the age of 15 and has no formal education in writing. His work is completely inspired by memories and stories and springs entirely from his passion for life and his love of family, friends and his colleagues. If nothing else, his work demonstrates that a degree in literature is not required in order to read, write and enjoy poetry.
With this in mind, let’s all hit the Pause buttons on our lives for a few minutes and watch this creative and stirring video reading of “Night Mistress” written by David J. Delaney and produced by The Redroom Company in Sydney.
If you like this video poem, be sure to forward the link to your family and friends.
To learn more about Delaney and his work, Google his name. His soon to be released book, Out of Australia , containing “Night mistress”, is a follow-up to his popular first two books, My Small Book of Poems and Rhymes of Times, and would be a great gift idea for the upcoming holiday season.
For more great poetry videos, check out Pause for Poetry at Frank Mundo’s LA Books Examiner.
SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/books-in-los-angeles/pause-for-poetry-a-reading-of-night-mistress-by-david-j-delaney
PRIDE Oval is set to be sold to Cairns Regional Council to guarantee its future as a sporting field and free the Northern Pride from an oppressive debt.
During a closed-session meeting last week, Cairns councillors gave “in-principle” approval to the purchase, authorising council officers to negotiate a price with the Pride.
The ground is also the home of CDRL club Kangaroos, which has several hundred junior and senior players.
Pride CEO John Moore said the Pride bought the ground in 2008, when it was on the market, to prevent developers buying it and robbing the area of the much-needed sports facility.
“It’s costing us, and it has done for about two years now, about $19,000 a month and that’s a terrible drag,” Mr Moore said.
“Most football clubs are supported by a gaming club, but we are a football club supporting a gaming club and it’s a drain on the finances of the Northern Pride and, frankly, we can’t keep meeting it.
“This is an enormous relief because at any time the bank have the right to come in and say ‘we want our money’, and we couldn’t give it to them.
“It would have been a major disappointment had it been sold off and filled up with units.”
Run free: Kangaroos juniors Sam Ballani, Sione Koka and Luke Milgate enjoy their run at the weekend knowing the club won't be turfed out of their home ground. Picture: JAKE NOWAKOWSKI
A property title search shows the ground was sold for $1,850,000 in 2008, but Deputy Mayor and sports committee chair Margaret Cochrane said it was not known how much the council would pay.
“I haven’t heard any figures,” she said.
“But I think it’s important to council to get in there and make sure we can secure it as a much-needed sporting facility, and also to secure Pride’s future, and keep it for the Kangaroos and their hundreds of junior players,” Cr Cochrane said.
The council could also negotiate to purchase a portion of the site owned by the ATSI Youth Welfare Corporation, or extend an arrangement between it and the rugby clubs.
Mr Moore said the economic downturn had sunk the club’s original intentions to expand the clubhouse and develop a profitable sporting precinct.
“The global financial crisis struck and those plans went out the window,” Mr Moore said.
In June, the council approved an application from the Pride to rezone the ground to allow for residential development, a move to boost its value to free the club’s backers from loan guarantees. Lenders had previously been unwilling to cover the full loan amount without more than $800,000 in guarantees.
