Race to set uphill challenge
A DATE and time change and new attractions are expected to bring a record crowd to this weekend’s 58th Great Pyramid Race and Country Fair.
The annual Gordonvale event will start from 10.30am and MSF Sugar has built a display and will host a competition to guess how much cane is in a train basket.
Great Pyramid Race and Country Fair Association president Jodie Butler said 130 people had already registered for the event.
“We’ve had a date change so we didn’t coincide with the Cairns Cup (horse race), which hopefully will help boost crowd numbers,” she said.
“Online registration for the main race has closed but you can register on the day.”
Steve Francis will compete in his 10th Pyramid race this year.
“Every year I’ve got my sights set on first, but Jimmy Hilton is always there and we’re always bridesmaids,” he said. “It’s the hardest race I’ve ever done.”
The main Pyramid race, a 5km and 1800m race will start from Norman Park, the same place the fair will be held.
For more infotmation, go to the event Facebook page. THE Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service is today expected to announce it will re-sign its partnership with local dairy suppliers.
The deal comes after strong opposition to the hospital board’s choice to move away from local suppliers and sign a supply deal with southernbased Parmalat Australia.
Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth said it was a huge win for Tablelands dairies.
“I’ve been advised by the Minister for Health, Cameron Dick, that Tablelands producers will continue to supply milk and dairy to the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service,” he said.
He said he had been speaking with the minister about the change in milk and dairy products suppliers since the decision to switch to the southernbased supplier.
As part of the deal, Parmalat said it would continue using Tablelands suppliers and buy more than eight million litres of milk from Malanda processor Lion Dairy to support local farmers.
But Mr Knuth said the move to Parmalat would have still put Far Northern dairy farmers out of pocket.
“What this decision means is putting $300,000 back into the Tablelands and the local region,” he said.
He said he commended the lobbying from both the Far Northern community and dairy farmers to get this outcome.
The move to continue using local suppliers comes after outrage from the Far North dairy industry, which has been struggling against deregulation, and southern competitors and supermarkets offering “dollar milk”.