Cassowary Coast Regional Council

Following last week’s column which talked about the need to draw on the opportunities arising from the challenges facing our region, it is appropriate to reflect on some positives that have recently arisen.

• Last Friday a workshop organised by Canegrowers looked at the way forward for the cane industry in our region. The full report of the outcomes will be separately published, but the workshop did identify that it is better to confront issues than simply accept outcomes.
• The Cassowary Coast Regional Council will, as part of the response to the Canegrowers workshop, facilitate a meeting between sugar industry participants, forestry groups, government and community to address co-operation and to discuss sustainable future landscapes in our region.
• The State Government this week, whilst acknowledging that it will not further fund the Tully Multi Function Centre on Education Queensland land, advised that it will negotiate to resize the project so that it is affordable and renegotiate the timetable to enable grant funds to still be available. This may see the building underway and the Local Government contribution stabilised at the previously agreed (by Cardwell Shire Council) $1.4M cost to ratepayers.
• There have been articles written for southern newspapers and commercial publications promoting the beauty, resources and affordability of our region. In particular the township of Cardwell has been identified as an area destined for growth, meaning that the urban footprint in the 2025 plan ought to be reconsidered. Cardwell township has often been on the brink of growth and much was expected from the Port Hinchinbrook development and hopefully this time the result will match the expectations. Similarly I believe Innisfail is about to undergo a phase of development and it will be Council’s job to ensure that good environmental outcomes, employment opportunities, and hopefully greater rate incomes are also achieved.
• Police report the best crime clean-up rates within our region and low crime rates including all time low rates of domestic violence. These sorts of good news reports substantiate our quality of life claims for the Cassowary Coast region.
• Local school truancy reduction initiatives have been very successful and are to be copied Queensland wide. Again an example where the Cassowary Coast region can claim leadership and positive outcomes for our residents.

Council can’t take credit for many of these positives just as it can’t be blamed for many of the negatives that are affecting our society. Each level of Government in Australia has its own areas of responsibility. Clearly there are legislative frameworks in place. For example planning decisions have been a primary responsibility of Local Government for generations, but State Planning Schemes such as the FNQ 2025 Plan reflect legislation in other States which will reduce local input into decision making. This means that planning decisions now become a divided more than a shared responsibility of the State and Local Governments.

Working as a team will always achieve better outcomes than working in isolation.