Mornings With John Mackenzie

John MacKenzie chats with Craig Crawford, ALP State Member for Barron River, about the owner of Double Island at Palm Cove, and the involved responsibilities as per the lease conditions.  One of the primary condition that has not been met is the opening of day-use favilties to the public for all to enjoy Double Island.  Mr. Benny Wu purchased the lease in 2012 for nearly $6-million. Minister Crawford explained that the conditons have not been met by the deadlines given (March 2023) by the State Government and that it is likely that the lease will be forfeited.

John MacKenzie chats with Russell Beer, Chairman of Ports North, about the confirmation that Cairns will again be a home port for P&O Cruise's Pacific Explorer ship in 2023/2024. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, P&O Cruises had a long-term ship ported in Cairns so the announcement has been highly anticipated by avid holiday-goers. Mr. Beer explained that home porting in Cairns brings visitors into the region who will fly in and out of cairns to embark on their chosen cruise. It was further announced that by 2025, Townsville City, will be marked on thew map as a port of call for cruisers.

John MacKenzie chats with talkback caller, Jonny from Cairns, who was attacked by young thugs for intervening when an elderly woman was being assaulted in a suburb north of Cairns. The youths were inhaling deodorant when they attacked Jonny and could be heard stating "We Own Cairns!" The state of emergency on crime continues to worsen.

John MacKenzie chats with John Moore, Former Director of Australian Rugby League, about potential funding for Barlow Park upgrades by the Queensland Government as a part of the 2032 Olympic Games planning. On Wednesday, Cairns Regional Councillors voted unanimously to cooperate with the State Government on delivering "Olympic Legacy Upgrades" to the sporting venue located on the corner of Scott and Severin Street. On a sad and separate note, NRL Footy legend, Sam Backo, is in a critical condition in Cairns Hospital following a heart attack. 

John MacKenzie chats with Cr. Brett Olds, CRC Representative for Division 9, about the lease conditions for Double Island after a state inquiry into Island upkeep in Queensland. Lease-holder of Double Island, Benny Wu, has not met conditions to provide day use facilities for members of the public to enjoy, nor has necessary repairs and maintainence been adequately conducted according to observations made by politicians. In mid-2022, Mr. Wu was given a March 31 2023 deadline by the State Resources Department to meet the contract's conditions or forefeit the lease.

John MacKenzie chats with Richie Bates, Former President of Cairns Cycling Club & Former CRC Councillor, about E-Scooters and aspects of the law. Legal firm Slater & Gordon conducted a survey that found a slight majority of road users do not want to see more e-scooters on Australian roads. Cairns is seeing an increase in the use of electronic scooters as a commuting option, with the rollout of Beam e-scooters in late 2022 and an update of laws regarding e-scooters on Queensland roads and footpaths.

John MacKenzie and 4CA celebrate the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon's 20th Anniversary with a live broadcast. John caught up with former Queensland Premier at the time, Peter Beattie, to reminisce and celebrate the 20-year milestone for a piece of iconic infrastructure. Happy 20th Birthday to the Lagoon!

John MacKenzie chats with Leigh Ratcliffe, Founder of the Palm Cove Master Plan, about a proposed 6-story tower that many say would conflict with the natural settings and beauty of Palm Cove. Considered by many locals to be the Father of Palm Cove, Mr. Ratcliffe detailed the master plans to unsure the future of plam cove that he compiled some 40-years ago. "Buildings Should Never be Taller than the Palm Trees" is a sentiment echoed throughout the community. If you are opposed to the currently proposed development for Palm Cove then you need to email your concerns to the Cairns Regional Council. Letters against the development can be emailed to submissions@cairns.qld.gov.au Alternatively, to sign a petition, then head down and find the stall at the upcoming Palm Cove markets held on Sunday 2nd April 2023.

John MacKenzie chats with talkback caller, Scott from Cairns, who had an issue with parking meters and cash payments. The cashless debate continues in Cairns, prompted by a call a few weeks ago who revealed that certain CRC facitlities no longer accept cash as an optyion for payemnts.

John MacKenzie chats with Roger Ward, Director of Cairns Mortgage Brokers and Senior Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, about the many households that will be forced off their fixed-rate home loan. The Reserve Bank of Australia has data revealing that 53% of Queenland home loans will be pushed back on to a variable rate. The end of a fixed-rate loan could mean an average increase in payments of $1114.

John MacKenzie chats with George Karagiannis, Owner of Fetta's Greek Taverna, about the proposed 6-story tower at Palm Cove. A recent trip to the Gold Coast showcased to Mr. Karagiannis what is most undesirable: tall buildings that rise up and shadow the sandy beaches.  Many want to keep Palm Cove as a lush, tropical oasis rather than a concrete jungle. If you are opposed to the currently proposed development for Palm Cove then you need to email your concerns to the Cairns Regional Council. Letters against the development can be emailed to submissions@cairns.qld.gov.au Alternatively, to sign a petition, then head down and find the stall at the upcoming Palm Cove markets held on Sunday 2nd April 2023.

John MacKenzie chats with Lance, Grandfather of 20-year-old Declan Laverty who was fatally stabbed at a Darwin bottle shop on Sunday. Lance thanked the community of Cairns and the public of Australia for their support during this tragic time. A 19-year-old faces charges for the alleged murder of Declan Laverty.

John MacKenzie chats with Kevin Byrne, Executive Manager of Enterprise North and Former Mayor of Cairns, about his opinion piece written in The Cairns Post titled "Drinker Bans in FNQ Won't Solve Problem". Mr. Byrne elaborated on the growing fears in the community for action to be taken on rising crime, and pointed to the reintroduction of rehabilitation centres as a method of recovery.   "The empty... hostel at Hartley Street, Portsmith is ideally located for that purpose", he stated. Kevin also provided a case study example that occurred in 1993 where the council successfully repatriated violent lawbreakers away from Cairns.

John MacKenzie chats with Robbie Katter, State Member for Traeger and Queensland Leader of Katter's Australian Party, to gain his perspective on the new youth crime reforms. Katter's Australian Party would like to governement to offer more practical solutions to curb youth crime, including a remote camp where juveniles learn vital skills, similar to the "Petford Youth Camp" once operated by the legendary Geoff Guest and Aunty Norma. Robbie Katter also provided an update on the flooded Gulf regions after visiting Northern Queensland to provide his support.

John MacKenzie chats with John Herron, Lawyer and Victims of Crime Advocate, about the changes to Queensland law in regard to youth crime and justice. John Herron is himself a victim of crime, after his daughter was murdered in 2019 by an offender who was already on bail.  Mr. Herron explains how the legislative changes won't be enough to curb the crime trends and provide support to the victims.

John MacKenzie chats with Tara Bennet, CEO Tourism Port Douglas & Daintree, about a recent trip to New Zealand to lure visitors to the Cairns and Douglas Shires. Statistics show that NZ visitation is down 80% on pre-pandemic numbers. 105K room nights in Port Douglas were filled by New Zealanders prior to Covid-19. "New Zealanders appear to be six months behind in terms of appetite and confidence to travel die to their delayed reopening" Tara bennett was quoted. The star of the trip was Nunu Restaurant's Co-Owner Nick Holloway from Palm Cove, who wowed audiences with his passion about the amazing food-bowl produced in Far North Queensland and its connection to quality restaurant dining.

John Mackenzie chats with Michelle from Edmonton, about what can be done to mitigate the negative effects foetal alcohol syndrome can have on children. Michelle has first-hand experience living with and learning how to help those affected by the syndrome. She argues that not all hope is lost for children born with alcohol syndromes or similar disorders, explaining ways to correct the behavior of troubled kids, ranging from old-school discipline to controlled breathing techniques. Michelle provides a vuluable and powerful perspective into this ongoing issue.

John MacKenzie chats with Cr. Cathy Zeiger, CRC Representative for Division 3, about the Cairns Regional Council's dog management process. Following a 4CA talkback caller and "Letters to the Editor" in our local Cairns Post regarding nuisance barking dogs, Councillor Cathy Zeiger was called upon to address the issue and explain the Council's current role and responsibilities. Electronic barking-deterrent devices can be purchased for reasonalble prices which detect a bark and emit a high pitch noise to dissuade the dog from continuing. One 4CA listener approcahed their neighbour to fit an electronic device instead of making an official complaint to council.