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 […]
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Australia’s next horizon of prosperity isn’t in the capitals — their growth is entrenched, their opportunities realised. The frontier is in the 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 — and Cairns sits right at the top. If we only measure growth by population size, we’ll miss the bigger picture. Our opportunity isn’t in catching up — it’s in […]
𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐧𝐬 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
We have received confirmation that our application for funding to create a comprehensive masterplan and business case for the Barlow Park and Cairns Showgrounds Precinct was successful — and we’ve secured the full $850,000 we asked for from the Australian Government. This strategic 26-hectare parcel of land in the heart of Cairns has huge potential. […]
Mayor’s Budget Address 2025
Good morning Councillors, Council Officers, members of the gallery, and those joining us online. We are turning the page – from business as usual to business for the future. That means moving beyond the habits of over-extension and short-term fixes, and instead focusing on discipline, sustainability, and setting Cairns up for long-term success. Today I […]
The ABCs of Local Government: ‘A’ – Advocacy
No more campaign slogans nor roadside signs and no election in sight for another three years or so.