New Far North Queensland sites added to NBN list. BROADER SCOPE: More locations have been added to the NBN rollout list in Far North Queensland. Picture: ThinkStock Source: News Limited A HANDFUL of Far Northern areas are now included in the National Broadband Network rollout with a further 14,800 homes and businesses across Queensland to be added to the list. NBN building has commenced at Biboohra, Mareeba, Tinaroo, Malanda East, Jaggan and Aloomba, while pre-construction activities are underway in Aeroglen, Cairns North, Edge Hill and Whitfield. On average, it takes around 12 months from the start of construction until residents and business owners can receive NBN services from phone and internet providers.
NBN Co spokesman Ryan Williams said fast broadband could help deliver improved access to e-health resources, online education, teleworking opportunities and entertainment on demand. Cairns council tree trimming under new review. HANGING AROUND: Flying foxes in a tree at the library in the heart of Cairns. Source: News Corp Australia A FRESH investigation has been launched by the Queensland Government into Cairns Regional Council’s pruning of trees containing flying foxes next to the city library. The council confirmed yesterday a complaint made about its trimming of the CBD trees containing bats two months ago had been referred to an independent body by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. EHP’s initial review of the May 1 matter revealed the council had violated its damage mitigation permit, conducting work while flying foxes were present.
However the department had acknowledged the breach may have been the result of miscommunication between officers and the council, with no further action to have been taken. The new investigation is a result of ongoing communication between EHP and Cairns activist and filmmaker Noel Castley-Wright. “You’re going to kill the health of the tree. Second mosque to be built in Cairns. Cairns Regional Council Cr John Schilling. Source: News Limited A SECOND mosque will be built in Cairns after the council gave the nod for a new worship centre in Bungalow. Cairns regional councillors yesterday voted unanimously to allow a 180sq m shed in the city’s industrial precinct to be turned into a mosque.
The proposed Indonesian Community Centre and accompanying caretaker’s residence will use an existing house and industrial shed on the Newell St property. The centre is backed by the Association of Islamic Da’wah in Australia, which also has mosques in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Cr John Schilling, whose southern division includes a Sikh temple on the Bruce Highway, was concerned about potential parking issues if the mosque congregation grew. But founder Laode Fasihun said the mosque was expected to attract only a small number of worshippers, predominantly made of up nine local families. TV commercial campaign casts doubt on dispersal of bats in Cairns. BAT MAN: Film maker Noel Castley- Wright who has made a commercial about the removal of the flying foxes in Cairns.
Pic: Anna Rogers Source: CairnsPost A CAIRNS film maker is set to air three TV ads criticising the council's plan to remove a flying fox colony from the CBD. The commercials, which have received funding from local environmental group CAFNEC, will be aired during prime time on Seven and WIN in the coming weeks. Filmmaker Noel Castley-Wright said he wanted to raise awareness about the doubts surrounding the plan to cut back the trees near Cairns Library and the Novotel Oasis resort in an attempt to move on the flying foxes. "There's a rush to act and move the bats without any thought of the consequence to what's going to happen," he said. "When they disperse they'll go in different directions and places and it will just create more colonies and a more expensive problem.
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