Tuesday 13 December 2011

An open letter to all Councillors of the Cairns Regional Council


The precinct’s benefit to the city outweighed the potential risks. A critical and worthwhile project deserves united and broad-based non-political community support."  Those words were written by the President of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce in a recent letter addressed to its 600 members.

What gives impetus to the letter, is that the Chamber of Commerce had previously remained somewhat distant from the day to day processes of the Cairns City Council. Even the Cairns Post, that was initially treating the Cairns Entertainment Precinct (CEP) with scant respect has come onside because it also realises the benefits that a $155 million injection will do to a struggling local economy,  not to mention the boost it will give to the regional performing arts. When community gatekeepers like the Cairns Chamber Of Commerce intervene it is time for politicians to take heed of their advice.

Wednesday 14th December 2011 will be a memorable day in the history of Cairns city and the regional towns that it services. Never before has a Federal and a State Government agreed to provide $100 million in non refundable grants to a local authority outside of a capital city. And yet because of the intransigent of several conservative leaning Councillors who are prepared to throw it all away because of party politics the City of Cairns could bear the legacy of a politically contrived decision.

The Deputy Mayor Cr. Margaret Cochrane, who has declared her intention to nominate for the mayoralty is the individual who is the driver of a self serving negative campaign who is prepared to say no to a positive initiative that would otherwise put Cairns in the spotlight for world conferences and cultural events.

Cairns deserves, nothing less than a unanimous decision in favour of the CEP. All the reports requested are in and scrtunise including the financial modeling with favourable results. There is nothing new in major infrastructure items being subsidised by the general fund. The Mulgrave Shire Council and the Cairns City Council did it regularly with positive results.

The likes of the esplanade development, libraries, swimming pools, public toilet and sporting ground like Barlow Park to name but a few would not have been built if they were to be totally self funding without financial support from outside scources.

Therefore, I ask all councillors to put aside their personal agendas, to put aside their  political persuasions,  to put aside their personal animosity towards each other and to vote for a positive 'yes' for Cairns and a 'yes' for the CEP.  

Ross Parisi
13.12.2011  

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1 comment:

  1. Jim Cavill

    that just what it is Ross ,,not Margret's idea so wont support it ,,,,,an this drive to be mayor is driving it detestation j

    ReplyDelete

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