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

Monday June 18, 2001 19th Edition

A large number of major projects that have been on the drawing boards for up to ten years are now starting to move forward. This is a positive sign for the City of Cairns, which has been caught in an economic lull for almost six years. It is estimated that there are several billion dollars worth of projects planned for the city in the next three to five years. It is a positive sign of confidence for the long term viability and growth of the City. Talk of a secret nuclear test in 1963 was raised during the week, a rumour that was quickly dispelled by the Federal Government and tourism has officially been recognised as the leading industry in the region.

Cairns Film Festival gets underway
The annual Cairns Film Festival started last Friday night with triple academy award winner, Jerry Jeffress, attending as the guest of honour. Mr Jefress, who lives on the Atherton Tableland, worked on Ghostbusters, ET, Indiana Jones and the Star Wars trilogy. Whilst the film festival showcases locally produced films it also encourages aspiring film makers to meet industry professionals and to make contacts that could help further their careers.

Drug crop found growing on local prison farm
A small crop of cannabis plants was found growing amongst fruit trees on the Lotus Glen Correctional Centre Farming Reserve. The mature plants were found by prison officers who received inside information regarding the crop. In a statement from officials it was stressed that the plants were found on the prison farm not within the confines of the prison itself.

State Government devote funds to clearing toxic waste
The controversial East Trinity project has been an ongoing saga for a number of years. There has been strong debate over whether the land should be cleared for future development or left in its natural state and used as a nature reserve. One of the problems with the block has been pollution on the site caused by previous land use, resulting in high levels of sulphides in the soil. The State Government has committed almost $3 million dollars to fixing the pollution problem over the next three years. Whilst the future use of the land is still uncertain, the announcement by State Government has been considered a step in the right direction.

Tourism officially recognised as the biggest earner for the region
Whilst tourism has been unofficially recognised as the regions biggest source of income for many years, a recent study has shown that tourism generates $1.45 billion to the Far North economy, accounting for almost 40% of the total revenue. Other industries which contributed to the regions income included manufacturing $650 million, mining $390 million and fishing $200 million. Other assorted industries accounted for $270 million. These figures are based on the latest information available, which is data from 1998-99.

Huge resort planned for Cairns
Negotiations are in the final stages for one of the largest resort developments ever to be developed in the region. The Royal Ocean Resort project is expected to be worth almost $500 million dollars and negotiations are said to be in the "delicate" final stages. The large site, 248 hectares in total, is expected to include over 800 dwellings including 80 chalets, a five star resort, marina, retail shopping village and a golf course. The project has been on the drawing board for a number of years with various delays throughout the projects history.

Federal Government denies nuclear bomb blast
The Federal Government has categorically denied that nuclear tests were held on the Cape York Peninsula, specifically near the Lockhart River in 1963. Rumours about the blast have been circulating for a number of years with allegations reaching a head last week. A spokesman for the Federal Minister of Defence has confirmed that there was a detonation however, it was only a simulation using conventional weapons.

Daintree rampant with feral pigs
The area north of the Daintree River has been identified as one of the states hots spots for feral pig infestation. The dense rainforest and scattered farming areas provide food and shelter for the pigs and as a National Park, shooters are not allowed to cull the animals. Feral pigs cause widespread damage, especially in environmentally sensitive areas by digging through shallow soil and eating dropped fruits that would otherwise be eaten by native animals such as cassowaries and kangaroos.

Museum team heads to North Queensland on fossil hunt
A team from the Queensland Museum arrived in Cairns recently to commence the search for the missing fossil remains of a 110 million year old marine reptile resembling the fabled Loch Ness monster. A group of fisherman found the fossil several years ago, however the head of the fossil is yet to be found.

Cityport Project to commence immediately
The long awaited Cityport project has been given the green light with the contractor, Thiess Pty Ltd, being named as the winner of the $38 million contract. Work will commence immediately on the project, which is expected to employ over 500 people and last for over two years. The main aim of the Cityport project is the beautification of the waterfront to produce a large scale recreation area for tourists and local residents alike.