Today in Cairns: Storms building across region, Cairns Rainbow Resort gas leak
Parts of the Far North have been drenched with 40mm of rain in one hour as thunderstorms rumble across the region.
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G’day Far Northerners, here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening across the region this week, November 22 – November 26.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
‘Bugger that’: Big bill for controversial subdivision’s new road
Bob Katter: Pro-vaccine despite provocative rally claims
Esplanade changes set to deliver benefits to traders, public
Search launched for missing Cairns woman amid health fears
Midnight Oil ends on a high with tour date in FNQ
Revealed: 37 places in Qld where it’s cheaper to buy than rent
TODAY’S NEWS
Storms in Far North
STORMS are dumping heavy rain across the Far North this afternoon, with 40mm bucketing down in Mareeba in the hour between 2pm and 3pm.
On the Cassowary Coast, 64mm has fallen at Bilyana since 9am and 61mm at Upper Murray.
In its storm forecast warning for Friday, current until midnight, the BOM warns widespread areas of the state are expected to be affected by storms - and some of them, including in the Far North, could be severe.
“Heavy rainfall in severe thunderstorms may lead to warnings,” the BOM says.
There is a high chance of showers and the possibility of thunderstorms across the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands right through until Monday.
“A cold front over central and southern Queensland will move slowly east and weaken to a trough as it moves eastwards over the next few days, pushing off the southeast coast during Saturday,” the Bureau says.
“The trough will weaken and slowly drift back west across central Queensland next week.
“A high will move across Tasmania over the weekend, extending a ridge over southern Queensland in the wake of the trough.”
Hotel gas leak
A LANE of a key Cairns arterial road was blocked to traffic this morning as fire crews worked to contain a gas leak.
Police reduced Sheridan Street to one lane of traffic outside the Cairns Rainbow Resort after reports of a gas leak just before 7am.
Fire crews were quick to arrive on scene and contain the leak, with the final fire crew leaving the scene just at 8.40am.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said the small leak was coming from an underground LPG line which was “out of the ground”.
Single-vehicle crash
A woman was taken to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition with reported back pain following a single-vehicle crash on Roberts Drive at Trinity Beach at 7.45pm on Thursday.
THURSDAY’S NEWS
Guard rail smash
Paramedics have rushed to a crash scene after an elderly driver’s vehicle smashed into a guard rail and rolled down an embankment.
A man in his 80s was assessed at the scene with neck and back pain after the crash on the Captain Cook Highway at Wangetti at 6.05am on Thursday.
Lane closures were lifted by 7.43am.
Alleged wine theft
A 21-year-old Cairns North man was arrested early on Thursday morning following a break at a Marlin Parade restaurant.
Police will allege the man gained entry to the restaurant, forced a locked fridge door open, stealing bottles of wine.
City Safe Cameras alerted police to the incident.
Officers arrested the 21-year-old man about 2.15am.
Police also retrieved the bottles of wine after being directed by City Safe cameras to where they had allegedly been stashed.
The man has been charged with one count each of entering premises and committing an indictable offence, contravening a banning notice and wilful damage.
His bail was opposed by police and he will face the Cairns Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Power pole crash
A patient was taken to Babinda Hospital in a stable condition after a vehicle smashed into a power pole on the Bruce Highway at Bellenden Ker about 11pm on Wednesday.
Watsonville rollover
Paramedics took one patient to Atherton Hospital in a stable condition after a single-vehicle rollover on Herberton Petford Rd at Watsonville at 4.53pm on Wednesday.
Bicycle crash
A Brinsmead cyclist received facial injuries after a bicycle crash on Brinsmead Rd at 3.55pm on Wednesday.
The patient was taken to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition.
WEDNESDAY’S NEWS
Woman charged over alleged stabbing
UPDATE: A woman has been refused bail at Cairns Magistrates Court this morning after police arrested and charged her with grievous bodily harm, following a disturbance on Lake St, Cairns City, on Tuesday evening.
Police arrested Manunda resident, Tania Marpoondin, 47, yesterday (November 23) at the scene of an incident where a 49-year-old Earlville woman was transported to Cairns Hospital for treatment to a single stab wound to the abdomen.
Police will allege a physical altercation occurred between two women known to each other at around 6.30pm.
Ms Marpoondin was transported to Cairns Hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries before being discharged
Ms Marpoondin was then arrested by police. refused bail and remanded in custody overnight.
On Wednesday morning Ms Marpoondin appeared before Magistrate Cathy-Ann McLennan and was represented by solicitor Karen Longhurst at Cairns Magistrates Court.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Amy Rennie said police opposed bail and Magistrate McLennan agreed.
Ms Marpoondin remains in custody and will also face charges of contravening a community service order later today.
EARLIER: A woman has been charged with grievous bodily harm after allegedly stabbing another woman in the middle of the Cairns CBD.
Police arrested the 47-year-old Manunda woman after the alleged attack near Woolworths on Lake St about 6.30pm.
A 49-year-old Earlville woman was taken to Cairns Hospital for treatment to a single stab wound to the abdomen.
The alleged attacker was also Cairns Hospital for treatment to non-life-threatening injuries before being discharged.
She was denied police bail and remanded in custody to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with grievous bodily harm.
It is understood the women were known to each other.
Pedestrian hit by car
Paramedics rushed to Faculty Cl in Smithfield after an emergency call to the scene of a crash involving a pedestrian on Tuesday evening.
A woman in her 20s received significant leg injuries in the incident about 6pm.
She was taken to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition.
Vehicle crashes into pole
Paramedics responded to reports of a single-vehicle crash into a power pole on Hollywood Boulevard in White Rock at 10.59pm on Tuesday.
No patients required treatment or transport.
Mareeba crash
A woman in her 20s was taken to Mareeba Hospital in a stable condition with minor injuries following a single-vehicle crash on Joyce St in Mareeba at 3.02am on Wednesday.
CBD crash
Three people were taken to Cairns Hospital in stable conditions after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Florence and McLeod streets in the Cairns CBD at 3.21pm on Wednesday.
Police are investigating.
TUESDAY’S NEWS
Oil spill clean-up
An oil spill has blocked a Far North road with authorities working against the clock to clean up the dangerous substance.
Qld Traffic issued an alert at 7.30am Tuesday saying the clean-up was under way on Bartle Frere Rd.
Lanes have been reduced in both directions with delays expected.
Motorists have been warned to exercise extreme caution in the area.
MONDAY’S NEWS
A 25-year-old Koah man was involved in a single vehicle traffic crash that occurred on the Kennedy Highway at about 3:30am on Saturday November 20.
Multiple traffic crashes
A 25-year-old Koah man was involved in a single vehicle traffic crash that occurred on the Kennedy Highway at about 3:30am on Saturday November 20.
The Kuranda man lost control of his vehicle, went down an embankment and hit a tree. He was transported to the Cairns Hospital with leg, arm and internal injuries.
The man underwent immediate surgery and is in a stable condition.
Police are appealing for any witnesses that may have been travelling on the Kennedy Highway Saturday morning between 2am and 3:30am to contact
police via Policelink 131444 or Crime Stoppers and quote QP2102162647.
A 19-year-old Edmonton man received head injuries after falling from a moving vehicle on Friday night.
At around 8:50pm, the man was sitting in the back of the ute being driven along Cameron Creek Rd Hopevale and fell out.
The man received serious head injuries and was flown from Cooktown to Cairns Hospital were he was stabilised before being transported to Townsville Hospital.
Police will allege the driver of the ute, a 28-year-old Parramatta Park man returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.130 and was charged with one count of mid-range drink driving.
He is scheduled to appear in the Cooktown Magistrates Court on December 2.
The 19-year-old Edmonton remains in a critical condition.
Attempted robbery of taxi
Detectives have charged a 32-year-old Manoora man as a result of investigations into the attempted armed robbery of a taxi driver in Manoora at around 6.45pm on November 15.
Officers from the Tactical Crime Squad located the man a tavern in Edge Hill on Thursday afternoon.
He was taken into custody without incident.
A Whitfield man and a Manoora man, both aged 27, were charged last week over the alleged
attempted robbery.
The 32-year-old Manoora man was charged with attempted robbery and remanded in custody to reappear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on January 12.
Drug Charges, Edmonton
Police charged a 42-year-old Edmonton man after a search warrant was executed on a Del Manso Crescent home on Sunday.
Police will allege that during the search they located a quantity of cannabis along with a large amount of cash hidden in the rear yard of the home.
The 42-year-old Edmonton man was charged with one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possess utensil. He is scheduled to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on December 8.
WEATHER
It looks set to be a partly cloudy, damp day across much of Cairns on Friday, with an 80% chance of rainfall and predicted totals in the range of 6 to 15mm.
The rain won’t stop the thermometer from hitting a maximum of 33 degrees, up from an overnight minimum of 24.
There’s also a chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds are forecast throughout the day.
Across the region
Cairns: Showers 24-33C
Atherton: Showers. Possible storm 19-28C
Cardwell: Showers. Possible storm 24-30C
Cooktown: Shower or two 25-32C
Innisfail: Showers 23-30C
Mareeba: Showers. Possible storm 21-31C
TRAFFIC
Archer River/ Mission River
Sealing of 10.1km of the Peninsula Developmental Road including drainage provisions at Archer River and Mission River is expected to continue to December 24, 2021 with works ongoing Monday to Sunday 6am to 6pm and delays are expected.
Barron/Smithfield/Yorkeys Knob
Construction of the Smithfield Bypass project, which is now open to traffic and due to be completed in December 2021, could result in some delays during active construction hours. The project will construct a new 3.8km bypass between the McGregor Road roundabout and the Cairns Western Arterial Road and Captain Cook Highway roundabout as an alternative route to the Captain Cook Highway.
Bungalow
A speed reduction is in force on Mulgrave Road at Bungalow due to culvert damage near Brown Street.
Access across culvert in both directions along Mulgrave Road and Brown Street intersection is restricted to vehicles that comply with the general mass and concessional mass limits.
Cape Tribulation / Kimberley
Roadworks have been reported on Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Road at Cape Tribulation / Kimberley
Long delays are expected in both directions towards Wujal Wujal.
Deeral / Gordonvale
There will be roadworks on the Bruce Highway between Mulgrave River Bridge and Lewis Road until December 6.
Motorists are advised to proceed with caution.
Edmonton/Gordonvale
Roadworks are being carried out on the Bruce Highway — Cairns Southern Access Corridor — Stage 3: Edmonton to Gordonvale. Delays expected (during active hours of work), with all lanes in both directions affected. The work is expected to run until June 30, 2023.
Edmonton / Gordonvale / Wrights Creek
Road works on Yarrabah Rd and the Bruce Highway due to the Cairns Southern Access Corridor — Stage 3: Edmonton to Gordonvale are expected to cause motorist delays.
All lanes in both directions are affected and changed traffic conditions are in place.
Gordonvale
Temporary closure of Maher Road intersection with the Bruce Highway in both directions. From 7pm Monday to Sunday 7pm until December 31. Forms part of the works for the Bruce Highway, Cairns Southern Access Corridor.
Gordonvale
Culvert replacement works on the Gillies Range Road will be taking place until at least September 30. Lanes will be reduced as a result and motorists are advised to proceed with caution.
Japoonvale
A 25 tonne load limit has been imposed on the Little Liverpool Creek Bridge between Torrisi Rd and Walter Lever Estate Rd. No delays are expected.
Kuranda
Barron River Bridge on the Kennedy Highway reduced to one lane. Restricted to vehicles that comply with general mass limits. Partial lane closures. Both directions affected and delays expected. Allow extra travel time.
Lake Eacham
Wrights Creek Road is closed to all traffic. Motorists are advised to use an alternative route.
The next road inspection will take place on November 11, 2021.
Mareeba / Walkamin
Road widening works on the Kennedy Highway near Walkamin will take place between May 20 2021 and December 24 2021.
All lanes in both directions are affected and motorists are advised delays expected during active hours. Allow extra travel time.’
Stewart Creek Valley
Road hazard being soft shoulders on Douglas Creek Road at
Stewart Creek Valley has forced a 5 tonne GVM limit.
Heavy vehicles have been advised to use an alternative route.
Boogan / Mourilyan
Pavement widening and rehabilitation is underway on the Boogan Road at Mourilyan.
Works are expected to operate from Monday to Sunday, 6am to 6pm.
Delays are expected, motorists are advised to proceed with caution.
WHAT’S ON
The following Cairns Regional Council services are available:
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon
Picnic benches outside of Muddies
Public barbecues
Fitness equipment
Playgrounds including Muddy’s Playground and the Fun Ship Playground
Basketball and tennis courts
Bump tracks and BMX tracks (within parks)
The Esplanade Activity Precinct (skate plaza, bouldering park, beach volleyball courts, multipurpose court)
The Lagoon and Council-run swimming pools
Flecker Gardens
Arts and cultural venues including Cairns Performing Arts Centre, Tanks Arts Centre, the Courthouse gallery
Buy Back Shop
Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre
Barlow Park
Tobruk, Smithfield and Gordonvale pools
Marlin Coast Recreation Centre
Green Space Our Place
TOP EVENTS IN CAIRNS THIS WEEK
Stand up comedy show
An open mic event hosted by Built Free Comedy. There will be a feature from Anisa Nandaula from Brisbane. If you attend you will be sure to have a laugh.
Where: Elixir Music Bar
When: Thursday November 25, 7pm
Cost: $10.76, tickets can be purchased online
Out on the lawn with Drewboy, Manuka and The Zephyrbees
A combination of different performances will be live out on The Court House Lawn. A mixture of funky indie-punk James from The Zephyrbees, reggae-funk-rock from Manuka and a mixture of genres from Drewboy.
Where: The Court House
When: Friday November 26, 6pm to 10pm
Cost: Free
Gilligan’s 18th birthday
Gilligan’s turns 18 and to celebrate they have Little Fritter performing. They will be giving away $1800 cash on the night and a huge balloon drop with $1500 worth of prizes.
Where: Gilligan’s Hotel and Resort
When: Friday November 26, 9pm
Cost: Free entry before 9pm, $15 entry at the door
Swimming 21st anniversary celebration
To celebrate the special occasion they are hosting a poolside cocktail party with live entertainment, canapes by Ochre, and drink on arrival.
Where: TAS Aquatic Centre
When: Saturday November 27, 6.30pm
Cost: $85 tickets which can be purchased online
CARMA Gala Ball and Fundraiser
An exciting evening with entertainment and a three course set menu, Join the Cairns and Region Multicultural Association in dancing, eating and sharing stories.
Where: Pullman Cairns International
When: Saturday November 27, 6pm
Cost: $150, tickets can be purchased online
Brian Cassey: A Photographer’s Life – Part Two
An exhibition from the archives of Cairns-based photographer Brian Cassey, an award-winning media photographer who has been capturing moments and events locally and from around the world for several decades.
Where: The Court House gallery, 38 Abbott St, Cairns
When: Until December 11
Cost: Free
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