Don’t Gamble with the Workers Cairns Depends On
For Cairns, working holiday makers are more than visitors. They are workers, customers and contributors to our regional economy. The federal government’s announced changes to second and third-year Working Holiday Maker visas risk weakening the incentive that encourages these young international visitors to leave the capital cities and spend months working, living and travelling in […]
When Disaster Strikes, Cairns Can’t Afford a Funding Retreat
In Cairns and Far North Queensland, extraordinary is our ordinary. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the incredible landscapes we call our backyards, or the phenomenal weather events that light up our wet season skies. Extreme weather is part of life in the tropics. We prepare for cyclones and floods, we respond to them to protect […]
Breaking the Cycle: Cairns Deserves More Than Another Victim
The death of 25-year-old Savannah Spence Paige has shaken our community. It has caused grief, anger and, understandably, some very difficult questions about whether our justice system is doing enough to protect the community from serious and repeat offending. Those questions deserve answers. When an experienced Cairns police officer publicly expresses his frustration with the […]
2026/27 Budget Address by Mayor Amy Eden
Good morning Councillors, Council officers, members of the gallery, and those joining us online. A Budget is more than numbers on a page. It reflects the choices we make as a Council, the services we provide, the infrastructure we build, and the future we are working towards as a city. The Budget before us today […]
Woolworths Responds to Mayor’s Call to Strengthen Food Security
Further to a meeting in May during which I highlighted the pressing need to safeguard food supplies for the Cairns community during severe weather events, Woolworths announced on 17 November some initial strategies designed to enhance food security and supply resilience for the region. Containers will be stored at Team Global Express (TGE) depots north […]
Let’s Get Ready, Together
As the humidity rises and clouds build over the ranges, we are reminded how quickly life in Cairns can change. One day we are strolling along the Esplanade or relaxing on the deck, the next we are securing outdoor furniture and checking the radar. It is part of life in the tropics, something every Cairns […]
Cairns Mayor Flies with MAF into Remote Morobe Community
“A flight into Morobe highlights selfless hospitality and the lifeline MAF provides.” Yawan, Morobe Province – Cairns Mayor Amy Eden has described her first Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) flight into rural Papua New Guinea as a humbling experience that revealed both the generosity of remote communities and the essential lifeline aviation provides. Flying with experienced […]
Carrying the Sister City Spirit
Cairns Sister City Ambassador Sim Hayward reflects on decades of friendship between Lae and Cairns, strengthened by people, culture, and shared pride. Lae, Morobe Province — For Cairns Sister City Ambassador Mrs Sim Hayward, the relationship between Lae and Cairns has always been about more than council agreements or trade missions. It is, at its […]
Cairns–Lae Partnership Blooms with Potential Botanic Garden Collaboration
Lae, Morobe Province – The sister city bond between Cairns and Lae is flourishing in new and inspiring ways, with an exciting opportunity to explore a collaborative partnership between the Cairns Botanic Gardens and the Lae Botanic Garden taking root during Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Anniversary and the Morobe Agricultural Show. The Cairns delegation, […]
Cairns and Lae: Celebrating 41 Years of Sister Cities and 50 Years of PNG Independence
Lae, Morobe Province — Cairns Mayor Amy Eden says her recent visit to Lae was both “humbling and inspiring,” reinforcing the friendship between the two cities while joining in Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence celebrations. The trip, extended at the invitation of PNG’s Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Lae Open Hon. John Rosso, came […]