Council, Barron River MP back new Palm Cove school proposal on old Cairns Tropical Zoo land
A bold proposal for Palm Cove includes a primary school campus, an adjacent commercial hub and a bespoke roundabout with an entrance statement. See the details.
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A proposal to put a primary school on the site of an old Palm Cove tourist attraction has received wide backing from local politicians and is now before the Department of Education.
The idea is centred on the old Cairns Tropical Zoo land, tucked between Bokissa Rd and the Captain Cook Hwy on the border of Palm Cove and Clifton Beach.
The proposal includes a primary school campus, an adjacent commercial hub, a bespoke roundabout with a shiny entrance statement for the suburb’s tourist appeal and a large car park to alleviate current strain on Palm Cove’s road network.
School parents want it, local advocacy groups want it, councillors want it and Barron River MP Craig Crawford wants it, but the paramount question will be if the education minister wants it.
Mr Crawford said he had put the idea to the education department as a matter of urgency and would soon follow up with Education Minister Dianne Farmer.
“There’s no doubt about the demand for education. If we can find another location for a school on the northern beaches, I one-hundred per cent support that. It’s got to be north of Trinity Beach,” Mr Crawford said.
“There’s a distinct shortage of land on the Northern Beaches. Large parcels are being grabbed by corporations such as Woolworths.
“The government has to be ahead of the game on this one. The clock is ticking.
“I don’t want to get to the point where we have to buy 25 blocks of houses and knock them all down to build a school, which would cost a lot more.”
The site has remained dormant since the closure of Cairns Tropical Zoo in 2015 when it was sold to developer and Palm Cove resident Steve Paino.
Mr Paino has an approval to build a service station on the eastern section zoned for commercial use, and is now seeking to subdivide the section zoned for residential use.
He confirmed the land was for sale but said he had not been in negotiations with the government.
“Of course I’d be interested (selling it to the state government). But it depends how big the carrot is,” Mr Paino said.
“Growing up there, we had to go into town for school. It was a joke.”
Clifton Beach resident Steve Thatcher, whose child attends Trinity Beach State School, said he supported the idea of a new school further north.
“I think it would be a good move. It’s clear (other schools) are getting quite large,” Mr Thatcher said.
“It should be a primary and secondary campus. The nearest high school is in Smithfield.”
Northern beaches lobby group Advance Palm Cove have recently pushed the proposal with council and Mr Crawford.
“Our vision is to have a tourist hub and state school at the old site,” Robert Van Den Hoven, Advance Palm Cove acting president, said.
“We are waiting for a positive response that the state government will purchase the site.
“Palm Cove and Clifton Beach are in desperate need of a state school. Palm Cove (also) has a parking problem and this will not get better.”
A Department of Education spokesman said the minister had received Mr Crawford’s letter.
“The department is currently in the process of responding accordingly,” the spokesman said.
Division 9 councillor Brett Olds said the proposal was an exciting opportunity that could solve several problems for Palm Cove.
“We can fix parking issues, fight back encroachment of suburbia to our ‘jewel in the crown’, while also setting aside land for a future primary school and beautify the area with an amazing entrance statement not just to Palm Cove, but to the Great Barrier Reef drive,” Mr Olds said.
Bree James, the LNP’s Barron River candidate, said she supported a plan to deliver another school in the northern beaches if that’s what local families wanted.
“Planning for a new school and its associated infrastructure, in particular roads and transportation, takes time and the community deserves to know what (the education department’s) plans are for this area,” Ms James said.
Cairns mayor Terry James said he supported the idea but said it was unlikely the council would acquire the land if the state government did not.
“We don’t have excess funds after we’ve just gone through a disaster event, which is our priority,” Mr James said.
Other priorities for Division 9
Community First’s Division 9 candidate Carine Visschers, a Belgian native who once cycled 33,000km to get to Australia, said she was enjoying the opportunity to campaign for a local government seat.
The 28-year Cairns resident has prioritised the purchase of Taylor Point in her campaign.
“I believe we need to have spaces for the community. Not everything needs to be developed,” Ms Visschers said.
Ms Visschers, the only known contender against Mr Olds, said she would also prioritise “appropriate” development if elected.
“We are growing, we need more housing,” she said.
“The focus recently seems to have been on developers making money but not on quality of life and preserving our unique environment.
“Developments, such as Half Moon Bay, in places that are vulnerable to future weather events just don’t make sense.”ê
She said she also supported the idea of a new school in the northern beaches.
“As the population is growing, I’m all for having local facilities,” she said.
“If the department of education is interested in developing there, I think that would be a good thing.”
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