Palm Cove News

May 2005



Our Fiesta's back!

YOU LUCKY PEOPLE, the sun has come out, the birds are chirping, and everything's right is this fabulous beach suburb - the fiesta's on again this year!
Again part of September's Festival Cairns extravanganza, the fiesta will be much the same as the 2003 event, said Tourism Palm Cove co-ordinator Colleen Were. Between ten and fifteen thousand people came to the party in 2003 with 700 guests at foreshore corporate tables enjoying fine food, wine, and entertainment.
There were events such as light aircraft stunts and flyover, a boating regatta, surf and water sports, tandem parachuting display, and sandcastle sculpting competition. Market stalls had foods, beverages, and handcrafts.
"A professional events manager is expected to be employed this month leaving 16 weeks to co-ordinate the action," Colleen said.
Veivers Road hairdresser Elsa Iuretigh said she was delighted about the fiesta.
"I was, you know, sad when they cancelled it last year. I thought it was a terrific social occasion. I'm from the Tablelands and was amazed how many Tableland people I knew were down for the last one. A lot of them invested in Palm Cove," she said.
Elsa said the fiesta "definitely, absolutely,"generated interest in business and networking. "I met lots of people last time, even from interstate, and I'm really very pleased it's on again this year," she said.
AFL legend Malcolm Blight said the fiesta was a great promotion. "It was a wonderful event," he said. "For a place like Palm Cove we should build up a tradition with a thing like this, it helps everybody, it gives a great feel for the place."


Indigo's Novotel project seeks approval

PLANS for Stage 1 of Indigo Project's development, which will mean the closure of Novotel's golf course, have been lodged with the council for their consideration, managing director Mitch Nielsen has advised.
In a letter to local property owners on 6 April, Mr Nielsen said Novotel Hotel would be refurbished as would the existing gym and sports facilities.
"They will be available for the community to enjoy,' he said.
With the letter came a coloured photo of the site showing the addition of 150 proposed residential and holiday sites.
Stage 1deals with the central and northern part of the property; Stage2 deals with a western area touching Captain Cook Highway.
The area adjoining the northern boundaries of Cedar Rd properties, currently used for holes 5, 6, 14, and 15 of the golf course, showed no future planning and was labelled "Balance Lot."
Mr Nielsen in Brisbane said the "Balance Lot" could be developed later with residential lots, but this was well into the future and it would remain as parkland for the time being.
"We will complete the other stages first, after approval of course," he said.


Thakral project a goer

WORK has commenced on Thakral's 60ha southern Palm Cove development which has been given the name "Argentea."
With 930 dwellings and two resorts holding some 2500 people, the huge development will more than double the population of Palm Cove.
Thakral development manager Jeff Kahler said one third of the site had been set aside as parkland.
He said "Argentea Beach," part of overall "Argentea" and separated from the beach by a large vegetation corridor, had 14 lots which would sell in the high $1 million to early $2 million range.
"It will be one of the most exclusive gated communities in Australila," he said.
Argentea will have 500m of beach frontage, 3 km of cycle and walkways, and will cost $450 million.


Our sixth birthday

PALM COVE NEWS was first published in May 1999 which makes us six years old today. Please note our new web address- http://www.palmcovenewsletter.com


WE WERE WRONG

LAST MONTH, we said Amphora Resort's restaurant would be opening early next year. It was, in fact, planned to open for Easter which it did.
Your editor, usually a stickler for having text checked before publication by those involved, didn't on this occasion as he was busy going to Japan for a son's wedding.
His apologies to Amphora. The restaurant is now in full swing.


TRITON A FIZZER

THE LONG AWAITED building of Triton Palace Resort will be no more.
Frank and Theresa Vita's company FTV Palm Cove Pty Ltd announced the plan was abandoned and all deposits would be returned immediately.
They cited the failure of gaining Environmental Protection Agency approval for a footbridge crossing the creek at the beach as the reason.
"The approval was considered a critical part of the development," Mr Vita said.
However, Cairns Post of Apr 14 said the EPA confirmed an application for the footbridge lapsed seven months ago when the developer did not respond to a request for more information.
The developer bought the site for $3.65 million in December 2000.
Thakral said they were not interested in buying the land.
"I think we have enough land in Palm Cove at the moment," Jeff Kahler said.

Editorial


TRITON NOT AN ISSUE


THE failure of Triton Palace is but a mere hiccup in the success story of Palm Cove. In other areas, it's all systems go, as this edition well and truly indicates.
Frank and Theresa Vita built Clifton Beach Shopping Centre. Perhaps with Triton they took on too much at the same time?
But people have always said Palm Cove was to be the next Noosa. Thakral's Jeff Kahler said he wasn't worried about experts who predicted a cooling off in the property market. He said Palm Cove had a strong "brand" and good property was always going to sell.
All property markets have their hiccups. The general trend for Palm Cove is, we are sure, upward.


Published by Jerry Dukes
52 Terebra St
Palm Cove 4879 QLD
Ph 4059 1610 Fax 4059 0058
Email : jgdukes@ozemail.com.au
On website : http://www.palmcovenewsletter.com



Previous Palm Cove News