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

Monday August 20, 2001 28th Edition

There are two big stories this week: the first is that the Queen of England is planning a visit to the City of Cairns in October this year. The second big story is that QANTAS (Australia's national airline), is investigating the possibility of introducing a new cut price airline and Cairns is being considered as a hub for this new product. The benefits of both of the above are very positive and continue to reinforce the general feeling that Cairns is entering a strong economic growth period.

Queen to visit Cairns in October
An official announcement has been made that the Queen of England will be visiting Cairns on October 9th. It has been over 30 years since the last royal visit and during this trip the Queen is expected to visit the Skyrail Cablecar, Kuranda Train, Tjapukai Aboriginal Dance Theatre and the Royal Flying Doctor Hanger at the Cairns Airport. The Queen will also be launching the latest Royal Flying Doctor plane. The visit will focus on Centenary of Federation celebrations, and the Queen will fly onto Adelaide following the Cairns stopover. The benefits to region are expected to be considerable.

QANTAS looks at Cairns as a hub for new product
QANTAS has announced that it is planning to expand its services by introducing a budget airline. The good news for Cairns is that the City is being considered as a hub for the new product, which could see a large increase in flights directly from Asia. This is considered excellent news and local tourism bodies have been working with the state Government to promote Cairns as the destination for the hub. On the back of increased Japanese tourist arrival figures and strong continuing growth in the Chinese, European and North American markets, the future of the Cairns tourism industry is looking very positive.

Ergon Energy allocates $2 million to hide powerlines
Cairns residents have been lobbying for almost ten years to have unsightly power lines removed and new power lines installed in a more aesthetic manner. As the general trend in the power industry is to have high voltage towers and cables running between plants the problem of making these highly visible towers visually appealing continues to prove difficult. Ergon Energy has allocated $2 million per year to address the problem. Underground power lines are clearly the best option however the cost is extremely prohibitive especially when the long distances that power lines traverse in North Queensland.

Virgin looking towards Cairns again
Virgin Blue has once again expressed interest in extending their services into Cairns. The existing regional route from Townsville to Brisbane has proven extremely popular and because of this, there is considerable expectation that Virgin will commence services into Cairns in the next few months. There was considerable disappointment when Virgin decided to fly into Townsville before Cairns and this latest expression of interest is being well received, especially on the back of other flight increases from QANTAS.

Vietnam Veterans gather for tribute
Australian Vietnam veterans gathered on Saturday to remember the Battle of Long Tan, the most well known single action of the Vietnam War. Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia National President, Brian McKenzie, said veterans were turning out in increasing numbers over the past few years. This was attributed to greater recognition of the veterans and the role they played in the war and the fact that most veterans were now in their mid 50's with fewer family commitments.

Demand for rental homes increases dramatically
As Cairns continues to experience improved economic growth and an overall stabilising of the local economy, demand for rental properties in the region has grown considerably in the past twelve months. Local real estate agents have reported the best rental occupancy rates that the City has experienced for years, with total vacancies hovering around the 3% mark.

There was some concern that the introduction of the Federal Governments first home buyers grant would cause a slump in the rental market has people would opt to buy a property rather than rent one, however both markets have shown growth.

Country singer releases her first single
As Kylie Sackley finishes celebrating her 19th birthday she has started promoting the release of her first single, Love's Like a Train. Sackley was anointed a Star at this year's Tamworth Country Music Festival. Since winning the award she has travelled throughout Australia, covering more than 23,000km and playing with established entertainers including Keith Urban, Gina Jefferys, Melinda Schneider, Tania Kernaghan and Troy Cassar-Daley. Whilst the tour had been gruelling it had also proven very rewarding.