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AUGUST 23, 2024
Youth urged to have say l CAIRNS REGION THE young people of Cairns are being urged to have their say on Cairns Regional Council’s priorities through the 2024 Our Cairns Youth Survey. The survey, which seeks the views of locals aged 14 to 24, is now open via the council’s website and will close at 6pm on Friday, September 20. Complementing the broader Our Cairns survey, the youth-focused questionnaire hones in on the pressing issues of today, while seeking thoughts on how the city can better support the day-to-day needs of young people and their aspirations for the future. Survey results will be benchmarked against findings of the inaugural 2020 youth survey and analysed alongside the broader Our Cairns Survey results. Some of the questions include: • What are your hopes for the future? • Have you been a victim of crime? • What would you like to see more of in Cairns? Subjects include activities and facilities, your future, public transport, safety, the environment and the community. Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said the youth survey would help the council make decisions in the best interests of the next generation. CONTINUED PAGE 2
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Piccones sell up Philanthropic family bows out of major retail interests
l CAIRNS REGION | Nick Dalton
Picture: Maddy Gavin
John Piccone of Piccone’s IGA supermarkets (centre) with Italian Festival vice-president Sam Marino and president Claudio Di Bartolomeo. The Piccones were major sponsors of the festival.
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THE Piccones have sold their major retail interests in Cairns as the brothers running the operations – John, aged 62, and Peter, 65, – retire. The two IGA supermarket businesses at Edmonton and Manoora have been bought by the Peries IGA Group while the Star Hotels Group is taking over The Hambledon (‘Hambo’) Hotel. John Piccone said, while it was “sad” for the family, there was no succession plan. “The eight grandchildren (aged 24-32 of their late father Lou and mother Elaine and the children of six siblings) have their own successful careers and we are glad they are successful in what they do,” he said. “It’s time for someone else to continue the businesses. It’s sad to step out of the prime business – we’ve been in retail for a long time.” The Piccones will retain the freehold of the shopping centre sites and the many tenancies while the freehold of the hotel at Edmonton will be acquired by Star, which has also taken over the Raintrees Tavern. The family will still own My Village Bakehouse at Edmonton. Mr Piccone said the family was
leaving a legacy for their children with the shopping centre properties. He said they were pleased that a family-owned and operated company was buying the supermarket businesses. Mr Piccone said the 260 supermarket staff and 40 at the hotel would be retained while a couple of administration staff at the head office would lose their jobs. He said Peries would retain their supermarket general manager Trent Haddow to run the two supermarkets as well as the Woree store, also owned by Peries, which has 11 other supermarkets in Queensland. The supermarket deals are due to be settled next month while the hotel contract would be finalised in mid-October. Mr Piccone said all three businesses had been successful. Edmonton was the original supermarket and shopping centre started from a general store established by their grandmother in 1956 and taken over by their father Lou. In 2004 the Piccones bought the Pease St shopping centre of 6.5ha from the Chapman family and built a new supermarket with additional tenancies including medical centres and a pharmacy over the years. The Piccone brothers got involved in the family business in 1990. CONTINUED PAGE 2
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