Our ship may have come in

THERE is no doubt tourism is the lifeblood of Cairns but an exciting new venture could be sailing in from the horizon. Often criticised for being too reliant on tourism, a new opportunity for Cairns could spell a return to the days when this region was a place of diversification.

The Cairns consortium of BSE Maritime Solutions and Norship Marine has a “red hot chance” to secure a tender for the $2 billion Australian patrol boat replacement program, according to BSE owner Justin Parer.

As the only Queensland bidder, if the tender is approved it would mean a world of opportunities for this city, primarily jobs for hundreds of workers.

As Mr Parer says, this city has the expertise, the facilities and the experience to deliver the project. We can now only hope Cairns gets the tick of approval – announced in March next year – over New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian bidders.

Cairns desperately needs new opportunities. We all know this is one of the most beautiful parts of the world but as we saw during the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008, no matter how attractive a destination is, a blow to the economy could cripple a tourism-reliant destination.

From watching this city struggle through the GFC and its remnants, which ghosted this town for years, to what is becoming a thriving and growing place is good news indeed.

The good news and opportunities just keep rolling on, with an entertainment precinct announced for the current Cairns Civic Theatre site. We can only look to the future and get excited with such opportunities as the Tobruk Pool redevelopment, an entertainment precinct, development opportunities and now a chance to return to the days of diversification.