A weekly re-cap of the events that have made news in Cairns over the past week.

Monday September 10, 2001 31st Edition

Cairns has had a busy week, mainly on the social scene, with the annual highlight and largest event of the year, The Cairns Amateurs, being declared a major success. Perfect weather attracted record crowds to two days of horse racing and the celebrations continued well into the weekend. The Amateurs attracts many national and international visitors to the region.

Push for a full scale film studio in Cairns
The possibility of building a commercial film studio in Cairns is being investigated with the use of Federal Government funding. In recent years there have been a number of major motion pictures filmed in and around Cairns and interest in the area for future productions is increasing, particularly with the weak Australian dollar. As well as the larger mainstream films there are also many documentaries that have been filmed in the area, particularly focusing on the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

By having a full service studio available in Cairns, film producers would have greater incentive to film and edit in the region. Some of the most well known films shot in North Queensland include:

Paradise Found
Thin Red Line
Island of Dr Moreau
South Pacific
Sniper
Escape from Absalon

Work on $1.1 million sea wall commences
Preliminary work has commenced on a sea wall designed to enclose freshly reclaimed land on the Cairns Esplanade Redevelopment Project. The sea wall is the first major work to be done on the project since 100,000 cubic metres of sand was placed on tidal mudflats 12 months ago. The sand had to sit for this time to allow it to settle and compact. The sea wall is expected to take up to four months, leading into other parts of the overall project.

Mud Race draws big crowds
Babinda (60km South of Cairns) is renowned as the wettest place in Australia. Realising that it is better to take advantage of this title than to fight the residents of Babinda hosted the first annual mud race which attracted a crowd of over 4500 people. The racing track consisted of two 50 metre mud holes with the fastest time through the bog being declared the winner in five categories. The event was used as a fund raiser for the State Emergency Services and following the success of this event it will definitely be a yearly event.

Security starts to build up in anticipation of Queen's visit
There has been a definite increase in the presence of police in and around Cairns with street cavalcades being rehearsed in anticipation of the Queen's visit and CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting). Over the past few months Cairns police have received extra training to ensure that they are fully prepared for the two highest risk security operations in recent years.

Navy Week in Cairns
As part of the ongoing celebration of Navy Week, the HMAS Waller cruised into Cairns this week. The Waller is a Collins Class Submarine that will be open to the public during its stay in Cairns until the 14th of September.

A pair of Crocodile Skin boots heads to George Bush
US President George Bush will be the proud owner of a pair of genuine North Queensland Crocodile Skin Boots, given as a gift to mark Australia's Centenary of Federation. The boots were made in Cairns from skins grown in Darwin. The value of the boots is estimated at approximately $10,000.

Interest rates drop again
As interest rates continue to drop, the local building industry continues to enjoy happier times. Pressure is mounting on the Federal Government to extend the first homebuyers scheme to ensure that the recovery of the building industry continues. With new house approvals at a 12 month high and an election due for December, this issue is expected to become a major issue for both parties.

Power forum visits Cairns
World Experts in electricity have converged on Cairns to review the operations of power providers in tropical areas. Over 150 delegates from 21 countries have met for the five day symposium with the main aim being to share ideas and technology that will enable the building of more reliable and more efficient power supplies in challenging environments such as the tropics.

Super yacht market expected to double
The number of super yachts choosing Cairns to have major refits is expected to double in the next five years industry representatives have stated. An aggressive marketing campaign funded by the Federal Government has commenced that will target owners of the super yachts around the world. As facilities have improved in recent years the number of super yachts visiting Cairns has increased dramatically. The economic spin off is considerable as is the international exposure gained from the visiting yachts.