Latest news with #AmyEden
SBS Australia
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
First Philippine Barrio Fiesta Celebrated in Cairns, Queensland
Organised by the Philippine Cultural Society of Cairns Inc. with support from the Cairns Regional Council, the event was attended by Mayor Amy Eden and council staff. Highlights included the parade of Miss Charity and Little Miss Charity candidates, cooking and karaoke contests, a cultural fashion ramp, and food stalls run by Filipino business owners. Cultural exhibits, arts and crafts, and live performances from local Filipino artists capped the night. There's also the Best Capture competition, where Cairns resident Lara Aoyagi won and shared photos on SBS Filipino. LISTEN TO SBS Filipino 01:47 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
Courier-Mail
07-08-2025
- Business
- Courier-Mail
Ken Frost plans new south Cairns house lots at Mount Peter
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News. The next stage of a huge residential subdivision in the south Cairns growth corridor will not be assessed under a fast-tracked state government planning mechanism that some say is not a silver-bullet solution to delayed new home builds. Late last month, developer Kenfrost Homes applied to Cairns Regional Council for approval to reconfigure one lot into 102 lots at Moorinya Circuit. Stages 1 to 9 of the Kenfrost Homes Mount Peter Residential Estate have been completed and civil construction works are under way on stages 10 and 11. The latest application is for stages 15, 16 and 18, but because of the timing of the submission and boundaries of the recently declared Mount Peter Priority Development Area (PDA), the development will be assessed by council. Following the activation of the Mount Peter PDA on July 30, development applications will bypass scrutiny of council and be dealt with by Economic Development Queensland. The lot plan for stages 15, 16 and 18 of the Kenfrost Mount Peter Residential Estate. Picture: Supplied It is understood impact assessable developments requiring a more comprehensive assessment process will bypass the public notification and submission process. The PDA has been touted as the most 'effective option to streamline approvals' within the emerging suburb of Mount Peter by Cairns Mayor Amy Eden. However, Urban Development Institute of Australia Cairns branch president Nathan Lee Long said that a PDA alone was not a solution to the underlying issue of incomplete infrastructure that was widely regarded as the biggest handbrake to new home construction at Mount Peter. 'We have an infrastructure issue, not a planning issue, so we are yet to see any commitment on how infrastructure will be delivered and how housing will be delivered in that area,' he said. 'However, we welcome Economic Development Queensland maintaining the development assessment function. New home construction at Mount Peter Estate in the Cairns southern growth corridor. Picture: Brendan Radke 'And history shows where EDQ leads the assessment, there is more successful decision-making and getting homes on the ground faster.' The development arm of Woolworths, Fabcot, has already acquired a 5.8ha site for a future supermarket at the corner of Cooper and Mount Peter roads. Meanwhile, Kroymans Developments and Fortress Group housing developments rejected by council due to allegedly being 'out of sequence' remain before the planning court. According to Kenfrost Homes planning documents, newly proposed blocks at Mount Peter will range in size from 420sq m to 758sq m. 'A mixture of lots will promote varied house design and streetscape amenity and will be reinforced through the use of building envelopes on specific lots,' the development application reads. 'Each of the proposed allotments will incorporate direct road frontage and access on to the proposed new internal roads.' A 2012 Mount Peter structure plan that laid out a vision for the evolution of Cairns's newest suburb will be superseded by the new state government PDA, but previous work is expected to inform development of the new planning instrument. Kenfrost declined to comment when contacted by the Cairns Post. Originally published as Kenfrost proposes new south Cairns house lots at Mount Peter
ABC News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Cairns mayor accused of 'chilling' debate amid proposed 800pc retirement village rate hike
Elderly residents of retirement villages in Cairns lobbying against a council proposal to hike their rates have hit out at the city's mayor, accusing her of "spying" on their movements using social media. Cairns Regional Council is proposing to charge its minimum general rate of about $1,072 to each individual unit in retirement villages from next financial year. Currently, it imposes a single charge across entire villages. Retirement village operators say the change would lead to a rates increase of about 800 per cent which they claim they would be required to pass on to elderly residents under state legislation. Cairns Mayor Amy Eden defended the council's position during a live radio interview with ABC Far North this week saying many retirement villages "put in requests [to the council] for footpaths" which ratepayers had to pay for. But it was a follow-up remark about elderly residents using council-owned recreational spaces that one critic said has had a "chilling effect". "Ratepayers pay for that. Everyone needs to contribute." Retirement village resident Judy Holtzheimer, who has lobbied against the council's proposal, said she was shocked by the mayor's on-air comments. "I was absolutely stunned that someone in her position would, I would say in my words, stoop to spying on elderly [people]," she said. Another retirement village resident, Kay Nyland, said she believed she would be "one of the people" the mayor has looked up "because I have been very prominent on social media about this issue". The ABC has contacted Ms Eden to seek her response to the concerns. In a statement, a council spokesman said today the council "does not engage in tracking of residents". "It is well known that the mayor is active on social media and uses it to engage with the community," he said. "It is also common for social media users to post images of themselves using council facilities, which as a social media user the mayor made an offhand reference to on radio." Cairns Regional Council argues changing its rating structure would bring retirement villages into line with other multi-dwelling complexes. She said others should seek financial hardship assistance from their village operator or the council. "There are always going to be a percentage of ratepayers that really struggle to pay their rates," Ms Eden said. "That is just the way that it goes." The retirement village sector has campaigned against the proposal, concerned other councils could follow suit. Oak Tree Retirement Villages CEO Christine Gilroy said villages already paid for the installation of roads, lightning and garden maintenance, and that it would be a "double hit to those residents to pay that again". Retirement Living Council executive director Daniel Gannon said the council should put off its plan for a year for "genuine and proper consultation". He described Ms Eden's remark as "shocking and bizarre". The council is due to vote on the proposal at the end of June.
Sky News AU
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Sky News AU
Cairns to be the next ‘sporting destination' for 2032 Olympics
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden claims she wants Cairns to be the new 'sporting destination' for Australians ahead of the 2032 Olympics. 'They say humidity is the new altitude … that makes us a wonderful training hub for the 2032 Olympics,' Ms Eden told Sky News host Paul Murray. 'We're aspiring to be the capital of women's sport in the country. 'We need a high-performance center.'
