When boxing was on the front page, this was it

Liver cancer KOs boxing titan Joe Frazier

• by: Peter Kogoy
• From: The Australian
• November 09, 2011 12:00AM

Joe Frazier lands a left on Muhammad Ali during their heavyweight title bout in March, 1971, in New York. Frazier won a unanimous decision. Source: AP

Joe Frazier once said he wanted to outlive the man with whom he will forever be linked.

But while Muhammad Ali, 69, lives on, Frazier yesterday died at 67 after a battle with liver cancer.
The two-time world heavyweight champion, who started life as a share-cropper's son growing up in South Carolina and punched meat in a Philadelphia slaughterhouse long before Rocky, lived most of his life in Ali's shadow despite being the first boxer to beat him. "I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration," Ali said in a statement. "My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones."

The pair battled it out in a famed 1970s trilogy of bouts, including the epic "Thriller in Manila" on October 1, 1975, in Quezon City in The Philippines. Ali biographer Thomas Hauser wrote that the two were "fighting for the heavyweight championship of each other".

Frazier won the first of those three match-ups, the "Fight of the Century" on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden, punctuating his 15-round win by flooring Ali with a leaping left hook. "That was, and still is, the biggest sporting event of all time," said Joe Hand Sr, an investor in the corporation that backed Frazier. "There's nothing that compares to the drama and excitement of that night.

Burt Lancaster, the movie star, was a colour announcer for the telecast. Frank Sinatra was taking photos for Life magazine." An estimated 300 million people around the world watched the fight on TV. "There was never a doubt in any of our minds that Joe would win," Hand said. "For him to lose, you'd have had to stab him or shoot him ... all that anger he'd built up from Ali's insults. Ali might have been the best fighter, but Joe had the biggest heart."

That anger began to subside only recently, when Frazier's hard feelings about Ali calling him "ignorant", "a gorilla" and an "Uncle Tom" softened. After winning gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics - beating Australia's Athol McQueen along the way - Frazier won the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth at Madison Square Garden. Frazier and Ellis would fight again at Melbourne's Junction Oval in 1975, with Frazier winning in nine rounds and earning him the Manila shot at Ali, who had defeated George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle".

Frazier defended the title four times before running into the bigger and stronger Foreman in 1973. Jack Hirsch, the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America, recalled last year that Frazier had confided what was already an open secret. "Joe always made a point that he was going to outlive Ali," Hirsch said. "But I guess it's like the 'Thriller in Manila'. Joe fought his heart out, but came out one round short."

In recent years, Frazier turned to singing, forming a back-up group called the Knockouts.
On that night in The Philippines in 1974, Frazier, both his eyes nearly swollen shut, was not allowed to come out for the final round by trainer Eddie Futch, who told him, "Son, no one will forget what you did here today." And no one did.

                            ________________    |    _______________

Julia Gillard seals carbon tax but Greens want more

Lauren Wilson and Matt Chambers From: The Australian November 09, 2011 12:00AM

THE Greens yesterday triumphantly hailed the passage of the carbon tax laws that have divided the nation but warned that there was more to do to move to a full reliance on renewable energy. As the minor party dubbed the Senate's rubber stamp of the 18 Clean Energy bills a "green-letter day", Greens deputy leader Christine Milne claimed Australia had "turned its back on the fossil fuel past and will now move to a renewable energy-powered future".

An emboldened Senator Milne said the $23-a-tonne carbon tax to be paid by 500 big polluters from July 1 next year was delivered only because the Greens had entered a power-sharing arrangement with Labor. "At last we have the foundations," she said. "We need to build on this. It doesn't go far enough but it puts in place a fantastic platform on which we can now campaign for even more."

Australian Coal Association chairman John Pegler said the Senate had voted "to handicap one of Australia's largest exports at a time when uncertainty in the global economy once again threatens to reach our shores". He told The Australian last night that the Greens' calls for further action illustrated "the kind of extremism that has resulted in the fundamental and serious flaws that were passed into law today".

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the carbon package was based on optimistic assumptions in Treasury modelling and risked placing Australia "too far ahead of its competitors in pricing carbon". Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout said the policy would impose significant economic costs at a time when global conditions were weak and international carbon prices volatile.

The carbon tax, which begins as a fixed price before converting to an emissions trading scheme in 2015, is Australia's biggest economic transformation since the introduction of the GST, and its passage leaves a nation deeply divided. Environmentalists have embraced the carbon tax, but big business argues that the only certainty it will deliver will be higher electricity prices, less competitiveness and job losses.

The sale of carbon permits is forecast to raise $24.5 billion in the first three years. To compensate households for the impact of the tax, the government will distribute $15.4bn through pension and benefit increases, tax cuts and other assistance for higher power bills and related cost increases. The government will also spend $10.3bn compensating business, particularly trade-exposed polluters in sectors such as steel manufacturing.

Julia Gillard described the policy as true to Labor values and a win for Australia's children, while Tony Abbott has issued a blood vow to rescind the pricing package. He accuses the Prime Minister of breaking her election-eve promise not to introduce a carbon tax and has pledged to turn the next federal election, due in 2013, into a referendum on the issue.

"Today Julia Gillard and the Labor Party have confirmed in law their betrayal of the Australian people," Mr Abbott said in a statement. But Ms Gillard said: "We have made history - after all of these years of debate and division, our nation has got the job done, and from the first of July we will see a price on carbon pollution. "This comes after a quarter of a century of scientific warnings, 37 parliamentary inquiries and years of bitter debate and divisions," she said.

Climate Change Minister Greg Combet told the ABC's 7.30 program the climate change package was a Labor reform, not a Greens' victory. "When you are successful in something, there are a lot of people who claim authorship," he said. It came as top energy chiefs warned Mr Abbott, who was en route to London, to scrap his plans to overturn the carbon tax if he was elected prime minister because he was destroying the certainty required to build new baseload gas-fired power.

The Clean Energy Future package relies on a significant expansion of cleaner gas-fired power generation to help replace coal-fired power and meet targets of cutting Australia's carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. Renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, will expand even faster, helped by the new $10bn Clean Energy Fund, a condition of Greens' support for the legislation.

As the tax passed through the Senate yesterday 36 votes to 32, AGL Energy boss Michael Fraser said Mr Abbott's plan to repeal the tax was "very unfortunate". "The uncertainty created by the Abbott factor is unfortunate and we will have to proceed with absolute caution," Mr Fraser said at the Carbon Expo Australasia 2011 in Melbourne. "Getting investment decisions, particularly around baseload gas, we won't be making (those) until we've got clarity around where the contracts for closure are heading and we've got clarity around what is the bipartisan approach."

The contracts for closure, where the government will pay the biggest coal-fired polluters to shut down plants, has already hit speed bumps, with the country's dirtiest power plant, Hazelwood in Victoria, requesting more than the government says it is prepared to pay. GE Energy Australia chief executive Steve Sargent said the Liberal party stance was disappointing, especially when both sides had the same emissions targets.

But he said he did not believe the Liberal Party would get the Senate seats in the next election to repeal the tax because they would need to win five or six seats from Labour to do so. "That makes it very difficult, and once you've put $1000 in a bunch of people's pockets to help with higher energy prices, boy, that's hard to take back - I just don't know how you do that," he said.

The mood following the vote was noticeably more subdued than the hugs and kisses exchanged on October 12 when the legislation passed the House of Representatives, with Labor leaving the celebrations to the Greens senators. The vote came after Mr Rudd's carbon pollution reduction scheme was twice rejected by the Senate in 2009 after failing to win the Greens' support.

Greens leader Bob Brown said the carbon tax measure was "manifestly better" than the CPRS. In negotiations, the Greens secured the increase in the emissions reduction target to 80 per cent by 2050, the establishment of an independent climate authority that would advise government on the effectiveness of the carbon price and the Clean Energy Fund. Ms Gillard said the carbon package she negotiated with the Greens and the regional independents in the House of Representatives was "the right carbon package for our nation". Wayne Swan said Mr Abbott had gone overseas "with his tail between his legs after all of the tough-guy talk".

Ms Gillard was twice asked if the historic vote marked a turning point for her and Labor, which has had a six-percentage-point bounce in its primary support since mid-September. "This is about what's right for the nation's future," she responded.

                            _____________________    |    ____________________

A chance for Cr. Cochrane to show leadership and say restore

Cairns Regional Council to decide future of Rex Theatre

Daniel Strudwick

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

© The Cairns Post

The future of the Rex Theatre will be decided tomorrow when Cairns Regional Council debates whether to allow it to be demolished.

Much of the heritage-listed building on Sheridan St has already been pulled down, and the owners have submitted an application to the council for permission to finish the job.

But a report to councillors recommends the demolition application be only partly approved to help preserve the facade, which is still intact.

The council is likely to take action against the building’s owners after repeated warnings to stop demolition were ignored.Under the state’s Heritage Act, the maximum fine for damaging a protected building is $1.7 million. Little more than the concrete facade and timber frame now remains of the old theatre, and council officers insisted the remnants were worth preserving. "The cultural significance of the facade is undeniably paramount in that it reflects the style of the time, being the traditional early 1939-1979 cinemas in Cairns," the council report stated.

Engineers’ reports have shown the building was structurally unsound, but the council was likely to impose conditions on the owners to secure and preserve the surviving facade.

The report to councillors recommended the concrete facade be retained and incorporated into any  future developments on the site. The owners first applied to demolish the building in July but started demolition works before being granted proper approvals.

The council issued a notice to stop the unlawful works, but the partial demolition had exposed asbestos that also needed to be removed. The council granted permission to remove only the asbestos-ridden roof sheeting. But in August, they discovered that more unlawful demolition had occurred. "Council considers the removal of the side panels and green ventilation louvres to be excessive and not necessary," the council report stated.

The agents acting on behalf of the building’s owners would not comment on the demolition or the council report.

                           _____________________    |    ___________________

My Comment

"Val, I trust the responsible Officers will be brought to account for their failure to bring the matter of the unapproved demolition to Council's attention much sooner then when they did. Had this occurred the 'Rex Theatre' could have been refurbished similar to the 'Plaza' on Mulgrave Rd. Not good enough all round."

Ross Parisi

09.11.2011

                       ______________________    |   ___________________ 

A chance for The Cairns Regional Council to be for once united

Cairns wants to host G20 summit

Nick Dalton

Monday, November 7, 2011

© The Cairns Post

Business, political and community leaders have started lobbying for Cairns to be selected to host the G20 world summit in Australia in 2014.

Business and community leaders say if Cairns matches the criteria then they will urge Premier Anna Bligh to choose the tropical city as its Queensland choice. The two-day event involves the leaders of the top 20 richest nations in the world with 8500 delegates and media. It was held last week in Cannes, France.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced at the weekend that Australia had been asked to host the event. She said she would consult state and territory leaders on which city will be named as host for the leaders’ gathering by June next year. Cairns-based Senator Jan McLucas said she would lobby for Cairns while in Canberra this week. "I support the opportunity to host G20. We should take every opportunity to promote our region to the world," she said. "I will follow this up in Canberra this week and will meet the Prime Minister’s office. I think we’re a good cause."

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she would begin campaigning for her state after the final week of bidding for the Gold Coast to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. "If the G20 is coming to Australia, then we’re going to do everything we can to get it here in Queensland," she said.

Acting Premier Andrew Fraser said Queensland would make an excellent host. "We’ll certainly put our best foot forward. The Government will have discussions with regional mayors to gauge their interest in hosting G20 events and I’d expect Cairns to feature heavily in discussions."

Mayor Val Schier said she would drive the bid. "I think it’s a fantastic idea. Cairns has delivered before. We are one of the best cities in the nation to hold conferences and summits and it would be a real coup if we can pull it off," she said.

Business Events Cairns and Great Barrier Reef director Rosie Douglas said she would discuss the bid with the relevant people as soon as possible.

                    _________________   |   ___________________

Italy is a nation divided with no appetite for reforms

Berlusconi government's battle to stay in the eurozone is not just about the country's €2tn debt, the largest among member states

      

Italians in Milan enjoy a GDP per capita nearly twice that of those in Naples, below, where rubbish is going uncollected. Photograph: Mike Longhurst/Rex Features  Silvio Berlusconi's government is battling to stay in the eurozone against mounting odds – not least the country's mountain of state debt, which is the largest in the single currency area.

Berlusconi's key voters are shopkeepers and other small business people, professionals and sections of a middle class that likes the way life was 30 years ago. Making matters worse, Italian workers have paid themselves more than their German equivalents over the past 10 years for doing less work, less productively.

The German miracle is certainly about planning and investment, but it is also based on a decline in average real wages, cuts in benefits and pensions, and an erosion in job security.
Demanding the same of Italians comes as a painful shock. Neither left nor rightwing parties favour the kind of overhaul demanded by Brussels. The country, with a wealthy industrial north and poorer south, is a microcosm of the eurozone. It is the single currency's third biggest economy, but could now face a real struggle to stay in the euro.

Debt

The country has a €2tn (£1.7tn) debt mountain equal to around 120% of national output. Interest rates on Italian 10-year bonds have now jumped to 6.4% on the global bond markets – well above the 6% at which traders hit the panic button on whether a country can keep borrowing. This high interest is why Berlusconi has now had to accept the arrival of inspectors from the International Monetary Fund.

To put it in context, the yield – or interest rate – is well above the 3.1% paid by France and 2.8% enjoyed by Germany. Portugal, Ireland and Greece all reached the point of no return after their costs of borrowing topped 6%. Some analysts argue Italy can survive for a year or two paying these sky-high loan rates, but others think that paying double the average interest rate of 3% is unsustainable.

Citigroup analyst Matt King, said that Italy is "quite close to the point beyond which other sovereigns have found it very difficult to return, when [interest rates] breach 6%".

North/South divide

    Naples rubbish crisis. Photograph: Eric Vandeville/Gamma-    Rapho

There is an apocryphal story told in the northern region of Liguria, which tells of the €2bn spent upgrading a motorway in the south. The road was built and tolls installed only for locals to smash the collection booths days after the opening.The north of Italy is far richer than the south, and the north has long resented what many there see as the financial drain of the south.

While the rightwing Northern League, which wants Italy to split in two, has made little headway after decades of campaigning, its leader, Umberto Bossi, is now influential. He could either take over from Berlusconi or be kingmaker to a sympathetic member of Berlusconi's centrist Forza Italia party. According to economist Pietro Reichlin of Luiss University in Rome, however, there is not enough resentment to force a split. And several areas of the south are showing signs of regeneration, belying the stereotypes perpetuated in the north.

Taxes

There is still a huge hidden economy and persistent mafia business ethics and corruption at the highest levels that are more prevalent in the south than the north. Only Greece and Mexico have larger hidden economies among the 25 richest countries. According to a World Bank study last year, the size of Italy's non-taxed economy is 27%, compared with 27.5% for Greece, 16% in Germany and 12.5% in the UK.

Tax avoidance is common among many thousands of legitimate small businesses, according to Reichlin, who says a bizarre and byzantine tax system, which punishes startups and the self employed, encourages widespread evasion.

Business

Of all the countries in Europe, Italy is the one to feel the biggest impact of the Chinese manufacturing monster. Where once Milan, Turin and Bologna once stood as proud industrial cities, Italy now lies stripped of its textile industry and battered by the onslaught of cheap consumer durables.

The Germans moved their consumer brands upmarket while the Italians kept it cheap and cheerful. Then came the Chinese and wiped them out.

Today, China has a trade surplus of €40bn with Italy. Ten years ago it was zero.
Going back to 1990, textiles were the number one export product, accounting for around 18% of total exports. Today this has fallen to just 11%, after cheaper imports from China eroded Italy's historic competitive advantage. Fiat made a valiant attempt to export cars to China, but the excursion stalled once Beijing's newly rich spotted the showrooms for Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

Jobs

Italy's nepotistic jobs market fuels a steady brain drain as young and educated workers move abroad. The country has one of the highest rates of emigration, with young people often citing family patronage as the reason. A father-to-son policy of succession is still allowed in many industries, which can block out better educated graduates. The youth unemployment rate is now 30%.

At the last major budget meeting in July, politicians of the left and right buried their differences to agree on strengthening a four-year budget that privatised local authority-owned companies (a huge source of patronage and corruption), and ended the stranglehold of the ordini – self-regulating associations that control entry into the law, medicine and other professions. But a backlash from these key constituencies shocked Berlusconi's supporters and the reforms look in doubt.

The centre-left Democratic party, which championed the reforms, has rejected watering down protections for employees in medium and large companies that block redundancies or any cuts in terms and conditions.

                         __________________    |    __________________

Nice plan but we want see the colour of the money...Anna!

State Government's four-year plan to help Far North's economy

Daniel Strudwick

Saturday, November 5, 2011

© The Cairns Post

The Far North's marine, aviation and agriculture industries will be given a boost over the next four years as part of a State Government strategy to build on strong local sectors.

Premier Anna Bligh will today release a draft economic plan outlining how her Government will try to pull the Far North from the economic doldrums that have lingered since the global financial crisis. In November 2009, the Government responded to the region’s crippled economy with a $116 million two-year rescue plan aimed at reviving employment and delivering new infrastructure. But with the region’s economy still languishing, Ms Bligh said the Government would renew the scheme for another four years. "Cairns has enormous potential for growth and we want to ensure that we are building a strong economy for the region through investment, industries and infrastructure," Ms Bligh said.

The Premier pointed to positive outcomes from the Cairns Economic Future Plan but said the local economy was still hurting."We have seen the unemployment rate declining since mid-2010, employment numbers reach 135,500, more than 21,000 room night visitors and 566,000 new air service seats."But we know the job is not done yet."

The new Cairns Economic Future Plan 2011-2015 aims to refresh the Far North’s tourism products by growing the fledgling events and sports tourism markets. It also would try to boost the region’s marine services capability and attract investment from aviation businesses.

Also under the banner of building on strong local industries, the plan aims to improve the region’s ability to supply food to new markets such as Papua New Guinea. The Government said it would try to strengthen the work achieved by the last Economic Future Plan by speeding up the delivery of tropical expertise products to the market and capitalising on opportunities in the defence supply chain.

Three projects have been fast-tracked under the new plan, including a scheme to grow education exports. The draft Cairns Economic Future Plan is online for community consultation. Visit regions.qld.gov.au to see the plan. Provide feedback to cairnsplan@deedi.qld.gov.au or 4048 1122.

                                         _____________    |    ___________

Vale Thomas Alfred Pyne | The people's Mayor

City bears legacy of visionary Tom Pyne

Daniel Strudwick

Saturday, November 5, 2011

© The Cairns Post

He was remembered as fondly for his decades of extraordinary civic leadership as he was for cutting the oranges for his son's junior footy team.

Tom Pyne’s funeral yesterday honoured a life both ordinary and remarkable. It was standing room only at St Monica’s Cathedral as politicians, business leaders, family and old mates gathered to farewell the city’s visionary former mayor. When Mr Pyne retired as the mayor of the amalgamated Cairns City Council in 2000, his unbroken 39 years in local government was a record stint, surpassed only by Sir Paddy Behan.

In his eulogy, Local Government Association chief Greg Hallam said Mr Pyne was one of the state’s sharpest political minds and would remain a "towering figure in the annals of local government history". As well as reading a list of Mr Pyne’s accomplishments in Cairns, Mr Hallam credited his mate with having the common touch."He knew the name of every SES worker, boy scout, girl guide, junior netballer and footballer, community volunteer, charity worker and taxi driver in Cairns," Mr Hallam said. "Tommy was an unbeatable politician on his patch … he was of the people."

With Mr Pyne’s wife Marion and family members in the pews, Mr Hallam said that family came first for the politician and "his heart was always in Edmonton". It was Mr Pyne the family man recalled most warmly by daughter Joann Pyne, who shared anecdotes from her father’s colourful life.

As a boy, Ms Pyne said her father’s devotion to his hometown of Deeral was so steadfast that he would "pee in the rain gauge" on his way to school to help outdo Babinda in the fierce local rivalry to be the region’s wettest town. And she described her Dad as the consummate local government man since first being elected to the Mulgrave Shire Council in 1961. "Somehow all of our family drives ended up with a new drainage project, sewerage treatment works or visiting a constituent who was unhappy about something," Ms Pyne said in her eulogy.

Mr Pyne died last Sunday after suffering a stroke, aged 76. During his terms in power, Mr Pyne oversaw construction of Copperlode Dam and the road to Yarrabah, helped advocate for an international airport in Cairns and centralised council departments at the Spence St building. He also staunchly protected the region’s green hillslopes and called the Cairns Esplanade and Lagoon his pet project.

                            _______________   |    __________________

Cairns on the flight schedule for tourism boost

China calling as Air Australia offers hope of direct flights from Cairns

Nick Dalton

Friday, November 4, 2011

© The Cairns Post

Ready for take-off: An Air Australia flight attendant uniform is modelled in front of one of the Brisbane-based carrier's aircraft. The new airline will target international destinations, including Cairns.

 Direct flights between Cairns and China by Australia's newest airline Air Australia could start as early as next year.

After the launch of the low-cost carrier in Brisbane yesterday, chief commercial officer Damien Vasta told The Cairns Post that Cairns was "a very important part of their plans", including a direct service to China. He said the airline would spend the next two months assessing the viability of the route.  "Cairns-China will be part of our assessment over the next couple of months," Mr Vasta said.

The moves have been welcomed by Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Rob Giason who has been lobbying airlines for a direct service so Chinese travellers can come straight to the region. "We welcome the opportunity to sit down with them and discuss with them their plans for China," he said. Mr Giason said he was aware that Air Australia had "aspirations" to fly to China and TTNQ would give help and support to the carrier.

Cairns Airport aviation business development general manager Rob Evans said encouraging talks had already been held with Air Australia. Airport and tourism leaders have been trying to lure a national Chinese airline to fly to Cairns with China Southern Airlines the only operator which has given the strongest indication by 2015.

Mr Vasta said while Brisbane was a vital port and the airline’s home base, Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef and the beauty of the North was a ‘‘critical’’ attraction, particularly for Asian holidaymakers. He said the carrier was targeting international destinations that had been ‘‘neglected’’ by other airlines, including Cairns. Mr Vasta said China was a ‘‘lucrative opportunity’’ for the carrier and for Cairns.

The airline has been granted rights to fly between Australia and China.Cairns is leading the growth in Chinese holidaymakers with numbers up by 39 per cent to the end of June to 71,672, above the national growth of 32 per cent (264,621). Mr Vasta said the airline would have to ensure a sustainable business case that would require the support of the Government, tourism bodies and the airport.

He said they would work with wholesalers in China to fill seats and obvious destinations were Shanghai and Beijing as well as other secondary ports within the country. Mr Vasta said it was unlikely they would compete on Cairns domestic routes but would consider mining charter operations.

Air Australia’s fleet will be boosted from three A320s to six by mid-2012 and one A330 to three by May 2012 with staff would also increase from around 300 to 3000 by 2021.

The airline is in the process of doubling its pilot base and adding a new Melbourne A320 pilot base to its already established A330 base.  It has recruited 50 new flight attendants for its main trunk route domestic airline operation. In August, the company opened a new Brisbane-based engineering subsidiary to service its Airbus fleet.

                              _______________    |    ______________

A Plan is great but we now need the money Anna

Premier Anna Bligh to announce her Government's 20-year vision for infrastructure in the Far North

Daniel Strudwick

Thursday, November 3, 2011

© The Cairns Post

The hospital is among 114 construction projects to be rolled out in the Far North before 2031 as part of Anna Bligh’s statewide infrastructure plan – the first of its kind in Australia.

The plan, to be launched by the Premier today, also includes six new schools, boosted public transport networks, Bruce Highway upgrades and extra bases for police and ambulance services."These projects will help cater for population growth, improve people’s lives and drive the region forward," Ms Bligh said."Importantly, they also give the construction industry a clear line of sight for investment and development."

Many of the projects have already been flagged by the State Government, but the plan includes a number of new items that came from public consultation after a draft was released in July. The Cairns South Hospital will start out as a health services precinct to be built on state-owned land at Edmonton.

In February, Ms Bligh launched an urgent review of the region’s health infrastructure to ensure that any future developments would reflect the lessons learnt from cyclone Yasi. The Edmonton facility is among a raft of health care improvements included in the 20-year outlook, including expansions of the Atherton, Mareeba and Thursday Island hospitals. The southern corridor will be the focus of much infrastructure planning over the next two decades, with most of the region’s population growth flagged for suburbs south of Cairns. "We are determined to deliver infrastructure that anticipates growth," Ms Bligh said.

The infrastructure plan recognises the need for urgent upgrades to the Bruce Highway and improvements to freight connections across the Far North. Emergency services will also get a boost, with two new police stations and an extra ambulance base added to the long-term planning. Ground will be broken on the first of six new schools in 2015, and work is already in progress on six early childhood education centres in the region.

The plan also addresses the need for urgent upgrades to public transport in the Cairns region, promising a fast, frequent and reliable bus-based transit network from Gordonvale to Palm Cove. It also includes long-term commitments to extend the cycleway, which goes from the CBD to Aeroglen.

                       _________________    |    _________________

Silicon deposit bonanza

10 million tonnes of silicon ore discovered 380km west of Cairns

Nick Dalton

Thursday, November 3, 2011

© The Cairns Post

AT least 10 million tonnes of silicon ore worth $25 billion at 2011 prices has been discovered 380km west of Cairns.

The company behind the discovery believes the multi-billion dollar find could lead to a $500 million processing plant being built at Georgetown, which would employ hundreds of people within five years.

Atherton Minerals Exploration yesterday revealed details of the mineral deposits. Also yesterday, Cairns stepped up its campaign to become a major fly-in, fly-out hub as part of moves to diversify the economy, by hosting a mining and gas jobs expo and also, there was a seminar highlighting the region’s mining capabilities for representatives of six resources corporations.

Atherton Minerals managing director Peter Smith said the company believed a processing plant based near Georgetown could be operating in five years and it would have a life of 20 to 30 years. He said there was at least 10 million tonnes of silicon ore in the deposits 8km from Georgetown. Silicon ore is worth about $2500 a tonne. "There’s a minimum of 10 million tonnes of silicon ore but there could be up to 15 to 20 million tonnes," he said. Mr Smith said the deposits, over a 150sq km area, were the largest and best quality silicon ore in Australia and probably the world.

Atherton Minerals Exploration, a privately owned all-Australian company based in the Northern Territory, had received good results of the bulk testing of the Georgetown deposits by a prominent West Australian silicon metal producer. He said the company had started applying for mining leases which should be granted within six months. Mr Smith said the company would hold talks with joint partners to raise the finance required for the project. "There’s been a lot of interest in China, Korea, Australia and Japan," he said.

He said Georgetown was ideally located with port access on both sides of Cape York, established road access and the existence of a reliable high capacity electrical power supply. Mr Smith said the smelter had the potential to employ many people. He said the company was in the process of shifting its head office from Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory to Cairns.

                     ________________   |   _________________

Mayor Val Schier re-election receives a boost.

 

Cairns Unity team eyes Cairns Regional Council prize

Daniel Strudwick

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

© The Cairns Post

Options: Kevin Byrne said it is too early to announce if he would run in the council election.

The Cairns Unity team has vowed to assemble a full complement of candidates for the next council election, giving voters a choice of two conservative tickets at the March 31 poll

Former deputy mayor Terry James, who is co-ordinating Unity’s election bid, said the team was aiming to have a candidate in all 10 Cairns Regional Council divisions and the mayoral race. He said the team had not formally met to discuss campaign strategy or election platforms yet, but they had likely candidates for seven divisions so far.

Mr James said he would run in Division 4, which swallowed most of his old division after the council merger at the last election. Although Mr James was reluctant to name any candidates until closer to the election, it is understood Unity is hoping to recruit a number of independent candidates who have already put their hands up to run. But the team could face competition from another conservative ticket, with Deputy Mayor Margaret Cochrane set to announce her team later this month.

It is understood both teams are interested in several of the same independent candidates in some divisions. And the competition between Unity and Cr Cochrane’s team could extend to the ballot box, where conservative votes could be split between the like-minded tickets.

"Everyone’s entitled to run and that’s not going to bother us," Mr James said.

Despite speculation, Mr James said neither Bob Manning nor Bob Norman had come forward as mayoral candidates but talks were in progress for Mr Manning to run as a divisional candidate. He said the team would like to have former mayor and Unity team leader Kevin Byrne back as the mayoral candidate. "Obviously we would like him to run but he’s made it clear that he’s happy up there," Mr James said, referring to Mr Byrne’s posting in Port Moresby.

Mr Byrne, who was dumped by voters at the 2008 election, said it was too early to announce if he would run again. The Unity team is expected to make an announcement about its team members in the new year.

                          _______________   |    ________________

Diane Cilento | thank you

Diane Cilento gifts Karnak Theatre to the people of Douglas

Heather Beck

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

© The Cairns Post

Rich life, lasting legacy: Diane Cilento in her role as Peggy Guggenheim in Woman Before A Glass. Picture: NEIL WEAVERS

THE Karnak Theatre will continue its legacy with the family of Diane Cilento carrying out her wishes to gift the theatre to the people of Douglas.

Set in the rainforest of the Whyanbeel Valley, Karnak has played a major role in hosting arts and theatre in the Far North as well as nurturing and developing local artists.

Cilento’s daughter, Giovanna Volpe, said her mother had approached the State Government earlier this year in the hope the theatre could become a haven for creative expression.

"She worked with many young people of the shire, notably Aboriginal people, supporting their development in the arts and we would really like and urge the Government to take the
offer," Ms Volpe said.

Arts Queensland has acknowledged the bequest on behalf of the Government and will look into the offer in detail before making a decision.  "We’d like it structured so that it reverts to the family if they don’t honour the ideals of the bequest, which was to ensure the people of the region would have an arts venue they would be proud of," Ms Volpe said.

The process of gifting the facility is expected to take more than six months. Meanwhile, Ms Volpe and her brother Jason Connery, son of actor Sean Connery, are planning a public tribute for the people of Douglas and Cairns to celebrate their mother’s life. It is understood that flautist Jane Rutter and renowned pianist David Helfgott may perform as both were close to Cilento. "We’re hoping it will be a celebration of her life and work, as opposed to a commiseration," Ms Volpe said. "Mum lived her life utterly fearlessly and would hate to be remembered any other way." The event will take place in April as this was Cilento’s true birth month, not October as is commonly thought.

Ms Volpe revealed her mother, as a broke young RADA student in London, gave her date of birth as being six months later as this put her in a lower tax bracket.

                     ________________    |    ________________

Australian Reserve Bank Statement

Media Release

Number	2011-24
Date	1 November 2011
Embargo	For Immediate Release

Statement by Glenn Stevens, Governor: Monetary Policy Decision

At its meeting today, the Board decided to lower the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.5 per cent, effective 2 November 2011.

Recent information is consistent with a moderation in the pace of global growth, though fears of a major downturn have not been borne out so far. The pace of US economic expansion picked up in the September quarter, but is still only moderate and leaves considerable spare capacity. China's growth has slowed, as policymakers there had intended. Output in Asia has now recovered from the effects of the Japanese earthquake, and domestic demand in the region is generally expanding. Trade performance, however, is starting to see some effects of a significant slowing in economic activity in Europe, where the prospects are for economic weakness to continue. Commodity prices, while still at high levels, have generally declined over recent months.

Financial markets have recovered somewhat from the turmoil of recent months, helped by stronger economic data in the United States and by signs that European governments are making progress in their efforts to deal with the sovereign debt and banking problems. Equity markets have gained ground and the Australian dollar has risen significantly as risk aversion has lessened. But it is likely to be some time yet before concerns about the European situation can definitively be laid to rest and the effects of the recent turmoil on confidence may result in a period of precautionary behaviour by firms and households.

Information about the Australian economy suggests moderate growth overall. The terms of trade have now peaked and will decline somewhat in the near term, but they remain very high. In response, investment in the resources sector is picking up very strongly, with much more to come. Some related service sectors are enjoying better-than-average conditions. In other sectors, cautious behaviour by households and the high exchange rate have had a noticeable dampening effect. The unemployment rate has increased a little over recent months, though it remains close to 5 per cent.

After underlying inflation started to pick up in the first half of the year, recent information suggests the subdued demand conditions and the high exchange rate have contained inflation more recently, notwithstanding continuing sizeable increases in utilities charges. CPI inflation on a year-ended basis remains above the target, due to the effects of weather events last summer, but is now starting to decline as production of key crops recovers. Moreover, with labour market conditions now softer, the likelihood of a significant acceleration in labour costs outside the resources and related sectors in the near term has lessened. Accordingly, the Bank's current judgement is that inflation is likely to be consistent with the 2–3 per cent target in 2012 and 2013, abstracting from the impact of the carbon pricing scheme.

Financial conditions have been easing somewhat recently, with market interest rates declining a little and competition to lend increasing.  But overall conditions have remained tighter than normal, with borrowing rates still a little higher than average, credit growth subdued and asset prices lower than earlier in the year. The exchange rate has been very variable over the past few months, but on the whole has remained at historically high levels.
Over the past year, the Board has maintained a mildly restrictive stance of monetary policy, in view of its concerns about inflation. With overall growth moderate, inflation now likely to be close to target and confidence subdued outside the resources sector, the Board concluded that a more neutral stance of monetary policy would now be consistent with achieving sustainable growth and 2–3 per cent inflation over time.

---

Thomas Alfred Pyne 1935-2011 | A tribute

The Man in the Arena

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

President Theodore Roosevelt

The above quote best describes what Thomas Alfred Pyne meant to me during the years I spent with him on his beloved trend setting Mulgrave Shire Council (1976-1994). They were the best years of my political life and if I were able to look into the recess of his heart, I could confidently say they were also his best public service years.

During my Council years I came across many individuals each one left their own impression. Some reminded me of feather dusters that couldn't even make an impression on a cushion let alone on a civil society, others were like Comets that came from nowhere, were visible for a while, had a tail and left no lasting impression, but there was only one Sun that all things revolved around, and that Sun was Tom Pyne.

When I was first elected in 1976, I had just celebrated my 23^rd birthday and Tom Pyne was Deputy to the then Chairman of the Mulgrave Shire Council, Cr. Ken Alley. The period preceding my election had been a tumultuous time, indeed similar to now, where party politics prevailed at the expense of the ratepayer. The Marlin Coast felt particularly aggrieved which lead to my election 1n 1976.

With the retirement in 1979 of Cr Alley, Tom Pyne nominated for Chairman and was elected unopposed. I too had the privilege in 1979 of been elected unopposed in Division 4. There were a number of issues that lead to a professional and personal friendship to develop. The first big issue was where Tom and I harnessed our energies to convince Council not to move the Council Chambers to Burpu, next to the ‘Coral Drive In’ picture theatre. There was much public angst for this move and we spent endless hour trying to convince Council not to do so. In the end we were successful and as a compromise extensions were added to the Council office on the Esplanade.

Political infighting that had featured and destabilised preceding Councils was eradicated through hard work and the respect garnered through Tom's ability to communicate with you and not talk at you and his passion for the job he loved. He transformed a divide Council into a Council that became a trend setter in local government, where public infrastructure particularly on the Marlin Coast kept pace with development. Libraries, swimming pools, sports and recreational centres, public conveniences, esplanade enhancement and many other facilities were built with developer's contributions and from wise managerial decisions. For the record, at the time of 1994 amalagation of the Cairns City Council and the Mulgrave Shire Council in excess of $35 ml was held as cash reserves.

His ALP life membership was put aside the moment he talked Council business. He often recounted how Sir Joh then Premier of Queensland would often call into his modest Edmonton home to pay a courtesy visit and share a cup of tea. In fact I would say he had more support from the National/Liberal Party then his own side of politics. It was ironic that the only election he ever lost was when Mr. Ray Jones member for Cairns retired and Tom nominated for the ALP endorsement for the State seat of Cairns.  Much to my surprise and to the Council, he did not receive the endorsement with the ALP preferring Mr. Keith Delacy who went on to become Queensland Treasurer in the 1989 Goss Government. The ALP's loss became Mulgrave Shire Council gain. He turned adversity into a positive force for the Council he loved and made it a 24 hrs, 7 day a week passion.

I owe what I have learnt politically to the guidance and mentoring of Tom Pyne. He taught me that the residents always came first, that the role of a Councilor was a 24hr commitment and that party politics should play no part in local government. He also taught me that Developers should pay their way and that development should not be at the expense of the ratepayers and  that public infrastructure should keep ahead of population growth. Above all he thought me the art of communication and the need for meaningful public participation without resorting to spin.

His lasting legacy which I hope that the current Cairns Regional Council takes on board is that residents always come first and that party politics should play no part in the decision making process of local government. He never took a holiday in all the years he was on Council and never appeared stressed or overcome with the enormous work load he bore on his broad shoulders. He often said to me he had no need for a holiday ‘cause if you love your job, that in itself was the equivalent of a enduring holiday’.

The last time I chatted with Tom was 2 weeks ago when we discussed the current parlous state of local government affairs at the local level. His concluding remark was that I should stand for Division 9, if only to restore some old fashioned representation. I enjoyed our chats and often we would recount those numerous moments of laughter and fun that the Mulgrave Shire Council was for us.

To Marion, Joann and Rob my heartfelt condolence are extended to you. No doubt at this moment you are consumed with sadness and grief but you have every right to feel proud and thankful for the legacy he leaves behind with the knowledge that whatever he did, he did it from the heart. Thank you, for the uncompromising support you gave Tom and for allowing him to follow his heart and political instinct. Thank you, for standing beside him as he guided Cairns and region through years of sustainable growth.  Finally, thank you Tom for your mentoring and civic nurturing as I am the better for it and you will always remain close to my heart.. 

Ross Parisi

1st November 2011.


                        _______________    |    _______________

Qantas takes aim at Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce made phone call to PM Julia Gillard but was ignored

• by: Joe Hildebrand and Simon Benson
• From: The Daily Telegraph
• October 31, 2011 12:00AM

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce would have abandoned his decision to ground the airline had Prime Minister Julia Gillard returned his call and promised to intervene directly in the union standoff.

Qantas sources confirmed yesterday Mr Joyce waited until five minutes before his decision to ground the fleet to hear from Ms Gillard, after attempting to contact her three hours earlier. It is understood that all it would have taken for Qantas to cancel the grounding was for Ms Gillard to declare all future industrial action illegal.

Sources said Qantas group executive Olivia Wirth called Ms Gillard's chief of staff at 2pm on Saturday and told him that Mr Joyce was standing by to talk to the Prime Minister. Mr Joyce had intended to give Ms Gillard advance warning of his intention to announce that he was grounding the airline's entire fleet and leaving almost 70,000 passengers a day stranded.

Fair Work Australia has invoked a national interest clause and terminated a bitter industrial despite between Qantas and aviation unions. Ms Gillard would then have had three hours to declare industrial action illegal, a move that would have resulted in Mr Joyce keeping Qantas flying. But not only did Ms Gillard not take Mr Joyce's call, she did not return it and still had not spoken to him as of yesterday afternoon. "We just wanted to force it to a head," a Qantas source said. "Everything would be fine right now if the PM made a declaration." Qantas management have been pilloried for the decision but it was considered to be the only way to force the government to act.

Ms Gillard was in an executive session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and was not available by phone. She was however informed of Qantas's decision. It has also been revealed that Mr Joyce went to the Marrickville electorate office of Transport Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday, October 21, to warn of the crisis looming. He opened the books to Mr Albanese to demonstrate the urgency of the company's financial position if the unions continued their industrial campaign.

Mr Joyce's office was then in almost twice-daily contact with senior ministers' offices providing updates until the annual general meeting last Friday. With the engineers' union warning of extending their industrial action into next year, Mr Joyce called an meeting of executives to consider options for negotiating with the unions.

On Saturday morning, Mr Joyce convened another meeting with key executives to discuss lock-out options and a risk assessment for grounding the airline. At 10.30am the Qantas board gave unanimous approval for his plan to give 72 hours notice of a lock-out of striking unions and to ground the airline at 5pm. At 2pm Mr Joyce called Mr Albanese, followed by Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson and Workplace Relations Minister Chris Evans. Mr Albanese was reported to have told Mr Joyce the move was "aggressive". At 3pm, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority was notified.

After the announcement Mr Albanese and Mr Evans, Ms Gillard and three other ministers called a crisis cabinet phone hook-up where it was decided that instead of calling an immediate termination of the dispute, as allowed under the Fair Work Act, a request for termination or suspension would be taken to Fair Work Australia. That termination has now been upheld by Fair Work Australia as of 2am today.

                                __________________   |   __________________

 

'One Nation' in a Hat | Katter to spoil the party

Exclusive: MP Shane Knuth has defected from the Liberal National Party

• by: Renee Viellaris EXCLUSIVE
• From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
• October 30, 2011 12:00AM

Shane Knuth has defected from the LNP. Source: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

The Liberal National Party faces a bombshell this morning, with the defection of another MP and threats of more to come.

LNP heavyweights holed up at the Gold Coast for state council will learn of the defection of Shane Knuth (pictured) to Bob Katter's Australia Party in today's Sunday Mail. Tension between National and Liberal MPs is reaching fever pitch as discipline within the merged party deteriorates, threatening Campbell Newman's clear run for premier.

It comes as more LNP members are making "overtures" to join Katter's fledgling party. Mr Knuth, the MP for Dalrymple in inland northern Queensland, said he could no longer stomach being forced to vote against National core values or watching the poor treatment of former Nationals. "It has been clearly seen that many of the long-term, experienced MPs have been thrown out of the backbench and have little to no say in shadow cabinet," Mr Knuth told The Sunday Mail.

"I believe the LNP merger hasn't been beneficial for rural and regional MPs."It irked us that we have no shadow minister west of (the electorate) Moggill."He said coal seam gas on farming land was one of the most contentious issues in Queensland's history but the Liberals would not support a moratorium on exploration."There's quite a few (National MPs) unhappy. It knocks you around when a vote on a moratorium on coal seam gas introduced into Parliament ... it's gut-wrenching when you're forced to vote on something you're passionately against."Under (Katter's Party), we can vote in accordance with the electorate. It is true democracy."

Mr Knuth said his decision was accelerated after learning that the LNP paid a former Labor staff member for dirt files on ALP MPs.Mr Katter, the Federal MP for Kennedy, said he was not surprised "Shaney" had jumped ship because he had the choice of "ratting on his party or ratting on his mates" as Labor and the LNP were bound to privatise passenger rail services.

                      _______________________    |    _____________________