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

Monday April 15, 2002 61st Edition

Cairns spent much of the week in mourning for the Queen Mother like the rest of the world. It was an event that reached across many miles to touch the heart and souls of her devoted supporters. Other news for Cairns this week is the good news that the real estate market is showing signs of a strong recovery, with demand for residential properties outweighing supply for the first time in many years.

Cairns in the midst of a real estate boom
Property buyers are struggling to find houses and units to purchase in and around Cairns. The North Queensland President of the Real Estate Institute of Queensland said that he and other agents have been run off their feet in recent months, with properties often selling before they even have time to be officially listed. Buyers are coming from as far afield as Western Australia. Mr Gray explained that purchasing property in Cairns represented the best value in the country because of the returns that could be expected.

Local college set to develop as the centre for "Bush Tucker"
The Innisfail TAFE college (located approximately 80km south of Cairns) is poised to become the main learning institution for the development and research of traditional Australian 'Bush Tucker", the term used to describe foods that are eaten by Australian Aboriginals. Under the plan which will see three organizations joining forces, the Mamu Aboriginal Corporation will propagate, harvest, process, pack and market various bush tucker products through retail outlets including larger supermarkets.

Virgin Airlines offer 30,000 seats for a buck each
Virgin Airlines is no stranger to high profile marketing campaigns but their latest offer is sure to keep the company firmly in the public eye. Virgin Airlines has announced the release of 30,000 off peak tickets for sale via the Internet for $1 each. The flights are available for travel between May 1st and June 15th and covers travel to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Launceston and the Gold Coast. The online sale will last for 48 hours or until all tickets are sold.

Cairns could be second largest international airport in Australia
Discussion has begun into the potential for Cairns to become the second largest international airport in Australia. Federal Member for Tourism, Mr Joe Hockey stated that Cairns is in the prime position to develop as an airport due to its proximity to Asia, strong airport facilities and room for increased capacities with minimal urban impact. Currently Cairns is the countries fifth largest international airport following Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

New vessel to battle marauding starfish
Crown of Thorn starfish have become an increasing problem on the Great Barrier Reef in recent years. Whilst an intensive eradication project has been underway for several years, there is still a long way to go to bring this coral eating menace under control. "The Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation" has launched a new vessel, with key responsibility of working to eradicate the starfish. A total of $3.4 million is spent annually on the eradication of the Crown of Thorn Starfish, which some people believe has the potential to destroy large parts of the Great Barrier Reef.

New police join the beat
Eight new police officers have joined the Cairns police beat. The constables are straight out of the academy in Brisbane, all beginning their new careers in the Cairns Police Station. The new constables spend 12 months learning the ropes, with 3 months under the direct supervision of a superior, before moving into other areas. With no soft transition from the academy to the streets, the new constables will be on patrol from day one.