Weather didn't dampen their spirits

Cairns Netball Association held the annual netball championships competition today even thought the weather wasn't that kind the kids got out there and played their hearts out.
These kids played with such enthusiasm and competiveness that it would put some of the other games to shame, they played fair with no rough tactics or name calling just being good sports people and they should be really proud of themselves.
The teams involved Netta (junior) to senior Division one all in all 67 teams took part today and will continue tomorrow Sunday May 31, 2015 at the Netball courts on Martyn St Manunda.
Competition in the rain.
Come along Sunday and enjoy the game and it's free.

Parents & friend watching the game

 

Kiosk, main office and gathering area for players and families

9 year old team playing

All trying and enjoying the game

All enjoying the game

 

Throw it to me I am here

I'm here, where's the ball?

Another gathering area near court 6

Great to see all the parents supporting the kids

Netball courts on Martyn St.

This is what we need ... let's support the Reef Hotel Casino

As reported in the Cairns Post
May 26, 2015.



BOOM TIMES: Million-dollar upgrades and other incentives to draw more people to the Reef Hotel Casino are in the works, exciting chief executive Allan Tan.

 MILLION-dollar upgrades and other incentives to draw more people to the Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns are being planned as the owners report a rise in revenue this year.

An 8 per cent increase in income for the first four months of 2015 follows the Reef Casino Trust reporting a $1.8 million drop in profit – including costs of more than $600,000 incurred with the failed Aquis takeover bid and a 16.1 per cent fall in visitor numbers last year.

But a good start to the new financial year has prompted casino boss Allan Tan to roll out plans to improve trade, including:

● Upgrades of the hotel and casino lobbies, the Vertigo Bar and Show Lounge;

● Refurbishment of the flagship Tamarind restaurant;

● New and improved Reef Club loyalty and VIP programs:

● Trips to Singapore to drum up business to coincide with SilkAir direct flights starting on Saturday;

● New staff uniforms to be rolled out over two years;

● New airconditioning system including chillers and cooling towers;

● New electronic gaming machines.

BIG PLANS: A good start to the new financial year for Cairns’ Reef Hotel Casino has prompted a suite of million-dollar upgrades for the premises.

Mr Tan said from January to April trust rental income was up 8 per cent, while trust chairman Ben Macdonald said distributable profit to unitholders was ahead of this time last year.

The outlook for electronic gaming and slot machines was “positive”, while the anti-corruption crackdown in China was not expected to impact on table games favoured by the Chinese tourists, Mr Tan said.

He said the falling Australian dollar was drawing more tourists, while the SilkAir flights would bring more Asian travellers.

Mr Macdonald said no one else was attempting a takeover bid for the CBD hotel and casino, and it was now “business as usual”.

According to the annual report, the work involved with the Aquis transaction over the past 12 months and part of 2013 cost the trust $877,000 in legal and management costs.

Mr Macdonald said economic conditions in Cairns remained “soft”.

“However, the Australian dollar is generally lower and, hopefully, this will be positive for Cairns’ tourism,” he said.

Mr Tan said last year electronic gaming turnover was up 10.8 per cent and revenues by 12.5 per cent due to strong local, domestic and international support but table game revenues fell 25.7 per cent, mainly because of the cessation of direct flights from China and a fall in high rollers.

He said hotel room revenue increased 6.2 per cent but food and beverage decreased 1.1 per cent. The venue employs 465 people.

Another study by Aquis...give us a break

Another report in the Cairns Post on May 18, 2015 by the one and only Aquis reporter Nick Dalton that a "computer model showing how the proposed $8.15 billion Aquis resort and casino would handle a Barron River flood has been produced".
This was carried out by senior lecturer Dr Sharon Harwood at James Cook University College of Marine and Environmental  Sciences.
If Aquis had all this carried out previously WHY would they want to do it again? it just doesn't make sense and what is going to achieve NOTHING in the long run and should the government fast track the application as the Treasurer has stated then the government has to be held accountable.
The previous government had no intentions of fast tracking the application and again one has to ask what did they find in their investigations and why didn't Tony Fung turn up to the three formal meetings and why didn't he complete the probity requirements.
Professor John Nott has previously tried to get the information from Aquis to test the validity of their tests but no they wouldn't hand over any information and that in itself is a concern, if there was nothing to hide why not allow a second opinion in regards to the flooding.
Last year , April 13, 2014 we had a down pour but not our usual rainy season I took some photos of the planned area that Aquis was intended to be built on and had there been a normal rainy season then the whole area would have been double the depth and with a mega structure that was intended where would have all the water gone to?.

 

Mr Fung you have found your niche now on the Gold Coast so why not be up front with the Cairns residents and admit that Cairns is not the place for your proposed Casino/Resort.
JUST GO.
Also taking a quick look at the qualifications of the two people involved from the James Cook University  Dr Harwood and Professor John Nott and also noting that that the Dr was contracted by Aquis to carry out the study so her report had to side with the proponents whereas Professor John Nott was carrying out the study for himself.

So here are the qualifications of both people:

Professor John Nott

Biography

Professor Nott graduated with a PhD in Geomorphology from the University of Wollongong in 1991. He took up a position as lecturer in Geosciences at the Northern Territory University, Darwin in 1991, then moved to a lecturing position at the Australian National University, Canberra between 1993 to 1995 and then to James Cook University, Cairns where he has been since.

Research interests

Professor Nott undertakes research into extreme natural events such as tropical cyclone storm tides and tsunamis and specializes in reconstructing long-term natural records of these events. These records provide a more realistic guide to the long-term behaviour of these hazards and can be used as a basis for estimating their return intervals and for risk assessment. Prof. Nott has published numerous articles on these topics in peer reviewed journals and has provided the first detailed review of the techniques involved in reconstructing these long-term records of natural hazards in his book ‘Extreme Events’ published by Cambridge University Press in 2006.  He has gained over 1.3 million dollars in competitive research grant monies. He is regarded as one of the world’s leading researchers into the long-term history and variability of tropical cyclones.


Projects

• Isotope signatures of tropical cyclones in limestone stalagmites
  

Representative publications

• Nott, J.F. 2006. Extreme Events: A physical reconstruction and risk assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge U.K. 300p.
• Nott, J., Haig, J., Neil, H. and Gillieson, D., 2007.  Greater frequency variability of landfalling tropical cyclones at centennial compared to seasonal and decadal scales. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 255, 365-372)
• Nott, J.F. and Hayne, M. 2001. High frequency of ‘super-cyclones’ along the Great Barrier Reef over the past 5,000 years. Nature, 413, 508-512.
• Nott, J.F. and Horton, S. 2000. 180 Ma continental drainage divide in northeastern Australia: Role of passive margin tectonics. Geology, 28, 763-766
• Nott, J.F., and Price, D. M., 1999. Waterfalls, floods and climate change: evidence from tropical Australia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 171, 267-276.
  

Dr Sharon Harwood

Journal Articles

• Harwood SK, Haynes K, Bird DK and Govan J (2014) Children's perceptions and adaptive behaviours in response to seasonal change and extreme weather in Broome, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 29 (1). pp. 39-44
• Wensing E, Harwood SK, Bird DK and Haynes K (2014) Conflicting world views: disjuncture between climate change knowledge, land use planning and disaster resilience in remote Indigenous communities in northern Australia. Geography Research Forum, 34. pp. 92-108
• Harwood SK, Prideaux BR and Schmallegger D (2011) Social equity in regional development planning: who plans for remote communities? Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government, 17 (1). pp. 13-30
• Harwood SK (2011) Regional plans and remote settlements: the implications of statutory planning upon resource dependent economies. Queensland Planner, 51 (3). pp. 12-17
• Carson D, Schmallegger D and Harwood SK (2010) A city for the temporary? Political economy and urban planning in Darwin, Australia. Urban Policy and Research, 28 (3). pp. 293-310                             
• Harwood SK (2010) Planning for community based tourism in a remote location. Sustainability, 2 (7). pp. 1909-1923                             
• Carson D and Harwood SK (2007) Tourism development in rural and remote areas: build it and they may not come! Queensland Planner, 47 (4). pp. 18-22
• Harwood SK (2007) Sense of place in rural planning: an analysis of attitudes, motivations and environmentally responsible behaviours in the Lake Baroon Catchment. Queensland Planner, 47 (4). pp. 28-32

Books

• Bird DK, Govan J, Murphy HT, Harwood SK, Haynes K, Carson D, Russell S, King DC, Wensing E, Tsakissiris NO and Larkin S (2013) Future Change in Ancient Worlds: Indigenous adaptation in northern Australia. National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia

Book Chapters

• Harwood SK and Noske R (2014) The complexities of community-based tourism: how external forces influence the sustainability of bird watching tourism in the remote Arfak Mountains of West Papua. In: Rainforest Tourism, Conservation and Management: challenges for sustainable development. Earthscan Forest Library. Routledge, pp. 289-303
• Harwood SK, Carson D, Marino E and McTurk N (2011) Weather hazards, place and resilience in the remote Norths. In: Demography at the edge: remote human populations in developed nations. International Population Studies. Ashgate Publishing, Surrey, England, pp. 307-320
• Schmallegger D, Harwood SK, Cerveny L and Müller D (2011) Tourist populations and local capital. In: Demography at the Edge: remote human populations in developed nations. International Population Studies. Ashgate, Farnham, UK, pp. 271-288

Finally why are they having another seminar at the Mecure Cairns Harbourside Hotel to discuss "developing on a flood plain" it appears to be a desparate measure by the Flanagan Consulting Group.

He's back on the Fung payroll

As reported in the Cairns Post
May 13, 2015

FALLEN Gold Coast entrepreneur Michael King is back working for the Fung family.

Michael King

The cofounder of MFS, the Gold Coast-based investment house that spectacularly collapsed in 2008 owing investors as much as $3 billion, was "let go" last year after the Reef Hotel Casino deal fell through. Aquis managing director Justin Fung says Mr King is a consultant on some Fung family projects, including the $160 million acquisition of the Sheraton Mirage Resort on the Gold Coast, the Soul penthouse, a couple of development blocks in Surfers Paradise and a university project next to Bond University.
It was reported the Mr King commenced work with Tony Fung in Cairns in 2014:

http://www.cairnsvideonews.com/2014/07/failed-gold-coast-businessman-working.html
and from the Gold Coast Bulletin:
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/crime-court/fallen-gold-coast-millionaire-michael-kings-failed-mfs-group-leaves-tangled-web/story-fnje8bkv

Has Tony Fung at last found his NICHE? the Gold Coast

Tony Fung

Over the past month Tony Fung's name seems to pop up with new purchases especially on the Gold Coast.
Prior to that he purchased the Canberra Casino for $6 million dollars with no poker machines only card tables and expected at that time to raise finance on the Hong Kong stock exchange to build Aquis but now that seems to have faded into the sunset.
Instead Tony Fung is going to use a "back door" to list them on the Australian Stock exchange,
This is what was stated of his intentions:
 He is using the Namibian oil and gas explorer Discovery Resources to join the market in a backdoor listing.

Already listed, Discovery will change its name to Aquis Entertainment after all its shares go to Mr Fung.

It's interesting to note that Jetstar recently announced that they were commencing "direct flights" between China and the Gold Coast and one has to ask has this got anything to do with Tony Fung recent purchases on the Gold Coast, very convenient.

These are some of the purchases made by Mr Fung:

 

(1). Canberra Casino

(2). a development site at Robina on the Gold Coast for $45 million.

(3). another property at 109 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise, for about $55 million.

(4). a penthouse in Surfers Paradise for $7 million.

(5). Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farms for about $15.8 million.

(6). Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast for $160 million dollars.

Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast

all these purchases would indicate that the Fung's have intentions of making the Gold Coast their headquarters and the Yorkeys Knob Aquis Casino Resort will not go ahead.... we can only pray that it won't proceed because that type of mega structure does not fit in with the life style of the Northern Beaches and Cairns.

One has to agree that he would be better of building a casino there as the majority of Chinese go to the major cities especially since the Federal government increased the quotas into major city airports especially the Chinese.

The updated Aquis for Yorkeys Knob.

Cairns doesn't have the population like the Gold Coast nor the infrastructure to support a mega structure like Aquis let alone plans that include eight hotels, two casinos, high-end retail, a convention centre, two theatres and an 18-hole golf course.

A casino on the Gold Coast had this to say:

Rival casino operator Echo Entertainment, which runs Jupiter’s Casino at Broadbeach, said the Chinese-backed private banker was clearly "making a play" to develop a second casino on the coast.
"But it begs the question: Is this city big enough for two casinos? Unless he has big plans to bring in thousands of VIP high rollers the slice of the gaming pie in this town is not enough to justify it,’’ one insider said.
We must remember that it was Tony Fung who failed with the purchase of the Reef Hotel/Casino NOT THE LNP. Tony Fung failed to attend 3 formal meetings and failed to complete the probity requirements 

Environment Minister will decide how Aquis will look.

There are 13 strict conditions listed and NO construction can proceed without his consent.

So until the proponent completes the requirements and ticked off Aquis remains grounded but his biggest headache is the probity clearance and casino licence.

After his last display and the way he treated the locals and the former government he shouldn't be issued with a licence, his display was sheer arrogance and disrespect for the government and their agencies and more importantly the residents of Cairns.
There is still the matter of the probity and casino licence and remember he doesn't have the money to build it he has to put it on the Hong Kong stock exchange to raise the funds.
How can a government whether it be State or Federal allow a project of this magnitude to go ahead without the proponent have the cash up front all you would need is for this to fall over after commencement and who cleans up the mess.


The full story can be viewed here: http://www.cairnspost.com.au/business/environment-minister-will-decide-how-aquis-will-look-and-what-colours-to-be-used/story-fnjpusdv-1227333805340




Greg Hunt Enviromental Minister

What else does he want to buy? what's his game?

April 17, 2015


How many businesses does this man want and what is his purpose? I suppose we could sell him the state of Queensland then he could do what he wants.


Tony Fung registers new Aquis Gold Coast “acquisition” company

   

HONG Kong tycoon Tony Fung has registered a new company called Aquis Broadwater.

An Aquis spokesman said Mr Fung, who hopes to start building the first stage of his $8.15 billion Aquis Great Barrier Resort at Yorkeys Knob next year, had registered Aquis Broadwater Pty Ltd as part of further acquisitions on the Gold Coast which he would not discuss.
Neither would he be drawn on whether it is involved in a bid for the Gold Coast Integrated Resort Development casino licence, which included a $7.5 billion cruise ship terminal and casino resort for Wavebreak Island in the Broadwater.
The spokesman said the Gold Coast casino licence was part of the IRD process which Mr Fung had discontinued for the Yorkeys Knob venture which was now being negotiated as part of a casino agreement. The sole director and shareholder of Aquis Broadwater is Narelle McBain, who is company secretary of all of Mr Fung’s Australian interests.
She once worked at the defunct MFS/Octaviar with businessman Michael King, who also once worked for Mr Fung on the failed Reef Hotel Casino takeover bid.
Mr Fung also has a firm called Aquis Soul. He bought a penthouse in the building this year for $7 million.
The spokesman said Mr Fung liked to register names to keep track of transactions as part of his accounting system.
Most of the companies are registered in Cairns at the Spence St address of accountants, Moore Stephens, while Aquis Canberra Pty Ltd and Aquis Canberra Holdings are registered in Canberra.
Other Aquis companies include Aquis Developments Pty Ltd, Aquis Farm Pty Ltd, Aquis Foods Pty Ltd, Aquis Casino Acquisitions Pty Ltd, Aquis Investment Holdings Pty Ltd, Aquis Licence Holdings Pty Ltd, Aquis Lake Orr Investments Pty Ltd, Aquis Licence Holder 1 Pty Ltd, Aquis Reef Holdings (Aus) Pty Ltd, Aquis Reef Operator Holdings Pty Ltd and Aquis Resort at the Great Barrier Reef Pty Ltd.
Last week new state Treasurer Curtis Pitt paved the way to fast-track the $8.15 billion Aquis mega-resort by inviting Mr Fung to start negotiating a casino agreement.


Interesting to see the Member for Mulgrave is paving the way to have Aquis "FAST TRACKED", what's this got to do with Curtis Pitt it's not even in his area, we have a local member Called Craige Crawford --- Remember.

Here we go again ... Tony Fung sends a letter

After leaving Cairns without notice Tony Fung has sent a " letter" to residents but unfortunately most who supported him now don't or are not interested in Aquis and you can't blame them except for a couple politicians present and past and businesses like the Chamber of Commerce, Advanced Cairns and TNTQ.

http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/tony-fung-committed-to-815bn-aquis-project-in-open-letter-to-the-cairns-community/story-fnjpusyw-1227323707563



This business person has failed Cairns residents and the state government by failing to attend "3 formal meetings" and also failed "to complete the probity requirements" and again one has to ask WHY.

The proponent was always blaming the former LNP government for not fast tracking and agreeing to he wanted and that was to give him a casino licence and push through the probity requirements but they said "NO" we are not going to rush things through we are going to make sure that all requirements are examined thoroughly and only then will we consider a licence.

So Tony Fung disappears and ends up in Canberra purchasing the Canberra Casino for an amount of $6 million dollars, the casino does not have poker machines and the Local Government has a bill being presented to further reduce the poker machines in the ACT.

Another concern is that : HONG KONG tycoon Tony Fung’s listing of his Canberra casino on the Australian sharemarket is not expected to affect his proposed $8.15 billion Aquis mega resort in Cairns.

He is using the Namibian oil and gas explorer Discovery Resources to join the market in a backdoor listing.

Already listed, Discovery will change its name to Aquis Entertainment after all its shares go to Mr Fung.

But in confusing messages, an Aquis Entertainment Group statement to the Australian Securities Exchange, said: “Following completion of the transaction the company will seek to implement a number of initiatives including a significant redevelopment of the Canberra casino and consideration of other potential projects in Queensland and elsewhere.”


http://www.cairnspost.com.au/business/tony-fung-floats-canberra-casino-on-australia-share-market/story-fnjpusdv-1227308927956

Using the back door does not sound good business practice but then money is the word and it's got to come from somewhere.
Tony Fung time to pack up take your casino elsewhere, build it on East Trinity why destroy such a quiet area the whole northern beach area doesn't need this monstrosity.  

Aquis gets environmental approval by Federal Government --- But he still has not been issued with a licence

May 01, 2015
Today the Federal Government has given the Aquis project "envirometal approval" and some business leaders are celebrating, What for, if you think that this mega structure will do anything for Cairns or the business houses then you are on the wrong planet he doesn't have the money.
It states that: The approval is subject to 13 “strict” conditions and will expire in 20 years if the development has not started.
The Federal Government has given them 20 years to commence the project with only 13 "strict" conditions, any other major project would have pages of  strict conditions.
The talk of 20,000 jobs is a load of  rubbish, also the infrastructure to support this project is not in place and we are talking about:
(1). Water... the existing water supply would be depleted within  months if not before.
(2). Sewage works at present would not be capable of supporting this project.
(3). Electricity supply at present could not support this project.
This is what China wants and will probably get it and more:
Free Trade Agreement: China wants to send workers into Australia
Date :April 15, 2014


China's Premier Li Keqiang talks to Tony Abbott during the Prime Minister's visit to China

China is demanding it be allowed to import Chinese workers into Australia to work on projects funded by Chinese investors under a proposed free trade agreement, sparking concerns within the Abbott government of a backlash, according to reports.
An Australian Financial Review report says that the government is resisting the move and is seeking a way around the issue by targetting 457 visas towards projects that the Chinese want to build that require skills that cannot be obtained in Australia as it pushes to land a free trade deal with China at the Group of 20 meeting in November.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the G20 meeting and it is believed that imported labour and investment remain the two obstacles in signing off on a deal.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has already changed his previous opposition to Chinese state-owned businesses investing in Australia and signalled he would offer these enterprises special treatment by removing or changing the requirement that all investments have to be approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board.

Advertisement

A senior rural Coalition MP, who wished to remain anonymous, said the prospect of investment by Chinese state-owned enterprises could create concern among rural Coalition MPs. But Queensland Nationals MP Bruce Scott said the plan should be welcomed as investment was needed to boost jobs and the economy.
China will be offered the same conditions as South Korea and Japan, which will lift the FIRB threshold from $248 million to $1 billion for investment by a private company. As most Chinese companies are state-owned, Mr Abbott began prosecuting the case in Shanghai last week to allow SOE's to invest in Australia.
The government wants Chinese money, especially to develop new agricultural projects and build new infrastructure in the nation’s north.
A source said the Chinese were ''pushing pretty hard'' to allow them to bring in their own workers to build and, in some cases, operate such projects, especially in regional areas.
The government, keen not to cruel the FTA, is looking at other ways of appeasing the Chinese.
The 457 visa system is being reviewed by the government and one option would be to offer the ­Chinese 457 visas for specific projects, should the skills and labour not be available domestically.
Tony Fung take your project somewhere else like East Trinity, Yorkeys Knob is not the right place for it.