Funding has to add up

Census data shows Cairns deserves more

A MISGUIDED Cinderella complex has let consecutive governments go scot-free while funnelling the Cairns region’s rightful funding to its hook-nosed stepsisters to the south.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Bob Manning says it is time to shrug it off and demand better state and federal representation – and he has the Census on his side.

The population of the Cairns region, including the Cassowary Coast, Douglas, Mareeba, Tablelands and Yarrabah shires, has ballooned to 240,000.

Townsville has just 229,000 people, including surrounding areas Hinchinbrook, Charters Towers, Burdekin and Palm Island, with far fewer businesses, a smaller labour force and less than one-third of Cairns Airport’s passenger movements.

“Cairns over the years has got a bit of an inferiority complex,” Cr Manning said. “It’s a bit like Cinderella. “You know you’re beautiful but it’s the ugly stepsisters that get all the attention.”

The Census revealed the Townsville local government area still pips the Cairns council region by about 30,000 people, but Cr Manning said there was more to the story.

“What the statistics don’t take into account is that on any night of the year, there’s 40,000-45,000 extra people in the Cairns local government area – the tourists,” he said.

“That’s our make-up. We’ve got 45,000 wealthy itinerants all requiring infrastructure.”

Despite the Cairns statistical region being larger than Townsville in both population and geography, the latter still gets the better run in the 2017-18 State Budget.

Economist Bill Cummings did the numbers and found capital expenditure for Cairns was $1.13 billion compared to $1.53 billion for Townsville.

Cr Manning said it was time Cairns got its fair share.

“It’s incumbent upon State and Federal Governments that they start to clear some of the rubble away and recognise this population factor,” he said.

“The money follows the numbers. The money follows the electorates and the votes.”