Palm Cove News
Tropical North Queensland

OCTOBER 2007

Concessions made at Buchan Point

ARCHITECT Leigh Ratcliffe's battle with the council over approval for apartment buildings on the east side of Buchan Point facing the sea seems to have ended with concessions from both parties, according to a council report.
Cr Sno Bonneau said one storey has been removed from the plans and the design split into two levels.
"Significant landscaping around and in between the buildings together with colours to blend with surrounding vegetation have also been negotiated," he said, adding that he and council officers were satisfied with the result.
"Considering Leigh Ratcliffe had a right to build up to 20 storeys with 80 percent site coverage under the package that came with the land when he purchased it from the state government 20 years ago, I feel this was a pretty good outcome," he said.
The building height on the new plan now does not exceed the ridge line.
This has reduced the visual impact of the development when seen from afar, which also would not be seen from the highway or Ellis Beach, the report said.
The president of Save Our Slopes, Mark Buttrose, said : "If Sno thinks this was a good outcome, I'd like to see a bad one."

Smoked salmon pizzas go well

Stingers'co-owner/chef Brad McGilvery says his beach bar cafe sells more smoked salmon pizzas than any other pizza.
"I think it's because we give them an extra slice of salmon," he said. "They go for it."
Brad with partner Jeanette Kamsteeg came from Sydney five years ago and found Stingers just the business they wanted.
We asked about the seabreeze.
"We considered fitting clear plastic sheets out front to stop any strong night breeze, but most of our customers think the breeze is warm enough. They can come inside if they want to, but they often don't," Brad said.
The partners said there was no way they'd ever go back south to live.

Editor : Stingers also has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of Hardy's Cabernet Shiraz, a delightful glass of red served at table.
Phone 4059 0055

BEAUTIFUL IS EVERYTHING

LAST MONTH we reported a worldwide poll of 25,000 travellers who voted Australia the country richest in natural beauty.
The trouble with being the best is that someone always tries to beat you.
Other countries will now be busy promoting their natural beauties :"Forget Australia, just look at us" they will tell travel agents all over the world.
All the more reason we should not rest on our laurels. So it was timely that a visitor from the UK woke us up to making hillslopes homes invisible - as we mentioned in August edition.
We have since checked out the trees that we look through on the esplanade.
We are only looking through the trunks, not the leaves and branches.
And they are are something we hardly notice, just as we hardly notice electric light poles when we look at houses in a street.
The trunks, even with branches above headhigh, make the buildings invisible from a mere 200 metres offshore. From Double Island you can't see the cars, people, or buildings - only trees.
The task of making hillslopes homes invisible from a distance should be easy. It's simply a matter of the owners planting a few trees out front.
But the owners will probably not do it voluntarily, unless they are sufficiently community-minded.
It's going to take a concerted effort from the council and the citizens of Cairns.

Hit brakes at Novotel

MOTORISTS travelling down Cedar Road towards the ocean will soon have to reduce speed from 60 kph to 40 kph about halfway down.
The 40kph sign will be near the entrance to Novotel.
Those travelling up Cedar Rd have a 40kph stretch from the esplanade to the Novotel entrance where it is then 60kph.
A council officer said a changed road speed sign will be installed 70 metres ahead of the 40kph sign and displayed for a period of 30 days.
"The change is to protect pedestrians walking along the road, even though there is a footpath opposite," he said.

Veivers Rd bus route change

THE SUNBUS route exiting from Palm Cove to Capt Cook Highway might go via Palm Cove Boulevard instead of Veivers Road, according to Queensland Transport.
Palm Cove Boulevard runs from Triton St opposite proposed Royal Palm Cove to the entrance of Argentea on the highway opposite Cairns Tropical Zoo.
Murray Langdale, investigations officer for Cairns Council, said the subject was presently under discussion between Queensland Transport and Sunbus.
"Any queries or comments from the public on this proposed re-routing should be directed to them," he said.

Contacts : Mick Reason, Queensland Transport, 4040 6393; Richard Gabasa, Sunbus, 4057 7411."

Village Centre further south

LAST MONTH we said the proposed Village Palm Cove centre and square was to be situated between Royal Palm Cove and the highway.
It is more likely to be between Sea Temple and the highway with the village square and north and south piazzas a little to the south.

Working Bee

TOURISM PALM COVE would like a working bee to clean the beach 10am-noon Saturday, Oct 6th.
"Free sausage sizzle at the surf club for our hard workers,"Carol Farley, president of Tourism Palm Cove said.
Yes folks, not content with winning Australia's Cleanest Beach in 2003 and a stack of other awards before and since, we have again entered the Clean Beach Challenge for 2007.
Please meet Carol 10am on the foreshore opposite Paradise Shopping Centre.

 

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

Palm Cove's official website: http://www.palmcove.net