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

Monday March 26, 2001 7th Edition

One of the main issues to be highlighted in the past week is the concern over tourists swimming in conditions that they are not familiar with, resulting in dire consequences. Whilst Australia has some of the best swimming beaches and rivers in the world, Australians are used to the conditions, understanding the power of the surf and rips as well as the danger of swimming in flooded creeks. Unfortunately international tourists are often completely unaware of these dangers, choosing to go swimming in areas that are dangerous. It is clear that an ongoing education campaign needs to be implemented to inform visitors of the potential hazards when planning a swimming excursion. This campaign needs to be well planned, simple and most importantly of all realistic.

Man charged following double murder on Atherton Tablelands
A thirty one-year-old Ravenshoe resident has been charged with the shooting murder of two men on a domestic property on March 16. Jason Bachelor appeared before the Mareeba Magistrates Court on Monday 19th March. Mr Bachelor has pleaded not guilty and the matter has been set for trial later in the year. At present there has been no explanation or reason behind the shootings, which have rocked the normally quite town of Ravenshoe.

Another Japanese Tourist drowns
In the second incident in less than a week, a Japanese tourist has drowned whilst swimming at a popular freshwater recreational area. The man had been horse riding with a group which had stopped for lunch and a swim at the Mulgrave River. The man is believed to have got into trouble at about 12.35pm, due mainly to a strong undercurrent in the river. Despite attempts by onlookers to rescue the man he was pulled under the water with his body being found approximately 5 hours later.

There has been a general concern growing that tourists are not prepared for swimming in Australian conditions, with the number of fatalities growing every year, particularly on the surf beaches in Southern Queensland.

Crackdown on B&B accommodation
Following the fatal fire at a Childers (Central Queensland) backpacker hostel there has been a statewide crackdown on operators renting out rooms in unlicensed and unsafe premises. This crackdown has been particularly prevalent in Cairns where the Cairns City Council has extended the policing of unlicensed accommodation to include Bed and Breakfast accommodation. Recent inspections have shown that very few B&B's comply with Council regulations with no-complying operators being given a short amount of time to rectify any problems or face being closed down.

Lawnmowers heading to Cape York in the name of charity
In a promotional bid aimed at raising money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service a group of die hards will be racing lawnmowers from Cooktown to Cape York, a distance of 866 km. The race is expected to take 10 days with a film company making a documentary about the unusual quest.

Australia's first frog farm
A group of 30 supporters met recently in Innisfail (96 km south of Cairns) to discuss the possibility of establishing the first frog farm in Australia. The Johnstone Shire Council has expressed their interest in supporting the concept as it has strong environmental and tourism appeal.

North Queensland is considered one of the most populous areas for native frogs and in recent years there has been some concerns that frogs are disappearing, possibly due to environmental factors. The frog farm would enable breeding of endangered species.

Outrage over sentence being too short
The family of a man killed in a traffic accident are outraged over the sentence given to the driver of the offending vehicle. Trevor O'Kane was sentenced to a nine month, non-custodial term, resulting in no jail time. Judge Peter White stated that it was a tragic case of lack of experience inattention rather than any maliciousness. The family of the victim have complained about the light sentence stating that it sets a precedent that makes it acceptable to kill someone on the roads if you are an inexperienced driver.

New shopping centre opens doors to a capacity crowd
Mt Sheridan Plaza shopping centre has opened its doors to large crowds last week. The latest edition to the Cairns shopping scene is located in the midst of the growing southern suburbs. It features a large supermarket as well as a number of speciality stores. It is expected to have strong support from residents who can now shop close to their own suburbs without having to travel into the City.

Australian Prime Minister visits Cairns
John Howard made a brief visit to Cairns last week to meet with industry leaders and members of the community. It is believed that the visit will be the first of many in the coming year, due in no small part to the lack of popularity for the Liberal party in the recent statewide election. One of the main complaints from voters is that they felt that the regions are being neglected by the Government.

Police blitz on inner city crime
In recent months there has been considerable press coverage relating to itinerants and drunks on the streets of Cairns who are causing disturbances and threatening individuals, in some instances assaulting people in broad daylight. This latest crackdown will see police rounding up troublemakers and taking them to a central location for distribution to various diversionary clinics. The blitz has been condemned by some humanitarian groups but welcomed by the people of Cairns who have witnessed the problem getting steadily worse.

Big budget movie bound for Port Douglas
Paradise Found, a film about French painter Paul Gauguin and his life in Tahititi will be filmed in Port Douglas starting on May 24. There is an air of mystery surrounding who the main stars of the movie will be with the films production company stating that there will be at least two leading American actors on the cast.

Work to commence on Cairns city heart redevelopment
Cairns City Council has made the announcement that work will commence on the $10 million beautification of the city heart. The project will include paving of city streets, new landscaping, a new sound shell for outdoor performances and improved street lighting in the CBD areas. Tenders have been called for the initial stage of the project, which is due to commence in the near future.

Cairns Radisson Taipans hit hard by the Titans
The Taipans were well and truly beaten in a tough physical game on Saturday night, losing 121-72. Star player Aaron Trahair was injured in the game and he is expected to undergo intensive physiotherapy during the week to prepare for this weekend's game against the Wollongong Hawks.