s n r i a C
Local News
APRIL 05, 2024
100% LOCALLY OWNED & INDEPENDENT
COV E R I N G M O S S M A N TO T H E C A S S OWA RY COAS T
l News
l Activity list
l Sport
Grocer backs Italian Festival for third time
Lots to do for kids in school holidays
Far North’s golden ice queen
Page 5
Page 8-9
Aquarium voted the best l CAIRNS CBD VIKING cruise passengers have rated the Cairns Aquarium as their number one favourite experience of all shore excursions offered by the cruise operator in December 2023 and February 2024. Each tour operated by Viking is rated and the guests use their Viking app to rate each experience they participated in and the Cairns Aquarium received the highest score globally. The pre-organised, custom designed tour involved staff from Shorex Australia greeting cruise ship passengers as they disembarked each ship, transfers from the cruise ship terminal using airconditioned coaches, staff from the aquarium’s education team providing information about the unique ecology of the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics ecosystems to visitors on the coaches and then being dropped off at the aquarium, Shorex Australia managing director James Coughlan said that being voted number one was a highlight of his 25-year career. “Viking passengers enjoy seeing the world’s top attractions, experiences and destinations while cruising, so to have the Cairns Aquarium educational visit voted as the ‘best in the world’ out of all experiences in December and February is an incredible highlight for myself and our passionate team,” he said.
cairnslocalnews.com.au
It’s now ‘Team Cairns’ Page 30, 32
New Mayor Amy Eden calls for councillors to work as collective l CAIRNS REGION | Nick Dalton
GIVE HOPE TO LITTLE TARIELLA
Four-year-old Tariella Gitonga of Freshwater has a rare form of bone cancer. While she is being treated in Brisbane, the community has organised a fundraiser to help her family. FULL STORY PAGE 4
TEAM politics are out the door as new Cairns Mayor Amy Eden calls on all councillors to unite as “Team Cairns” for the good of the region. In her first interview after she was declared mayor, Cr Eden called for the end of teams in the council, despite running a team during the election. She received 30.70 per cent (25,782 of the 88,650 official preference votes counted), ahead of outgoing mayor Terry James (24.04 per cent, 20,187) and independent Paul Taylor (23.26 per cent (19,532). Cr Eden said the Unity Team nor Team Eden did not exist anymore. She said she believed all councillors were on a path of togetherness, collabo-
ration and renewal. During the interview, Cr Eden – with Cr Cathy Zeiger on Wednesday afternoon – said she backed the division 3 independent councillor as her deputy mayor as opposed to Cr Brett Olds (division 9) who has indicated he is also standing for the position. She raised real concerns about the level of council debt but admitted there was nothing she could do in the next budget which had almost been finalised. Cr Eden did not elaborate on former chief executive officer John Andrejic’s possible future with the council after admitting he worked on her campaign, including offering policy advice. She noted that current chief executive officer Mica Martin’s contract ends in 12 months. The new council will be sworn in at 6pm next Thursday. FULL STORY PAGE 2