Cairns hot spots to feature in campaign
THE best of the Far North’s outdoor activities are being showcased across the nation as part of a campaign to revive the region’s tourism sector from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Great Return campaign – which maps Cairns’ top spots for fishing, camping, and off-road experiences with recommendations directly from road-trippers who had holidayed at the locations – was launched on Tuesday by Great Northern Brewing and CamperMate.
Among those joining the push is Wayne Hughes at Mooroobool’s First City Caravilla Caravan Park, which is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021.
“As soon as this thing hit, it was like someone had turned the taps off,” Mr Hughes said. “A cyclone is not even like this, it’s crazy.”
He said current occupancy was less than 20 per cent.
Great Northern’s Antonia Ciorciari said Queenslanders had faced some major setbacks in the past 12 months and the campaign aimed to give everyone something to look forward to as restrictions ease.
CamperMate CEO Nick Baker said the initiative reflected the aspiration of Australians to travel and explore their big backyard.
WHILE many Australians are facing a job loss or reduced working hours in the wake of COVID-19, a Cairns-based social enterprise will be able to provide jobs employment and training opportunities for indigenous people, thanks to a boost of $300,000 over the next three years.
Bama Services has been awarded a Westpac Foundation social enterprise grant to help them sustain operations through the pandemic and to provide employment opportunities for those who need it most.
The indigenous-owned civil engineering, construction and facilities maintenance business operating in northern Queensland will use the grant to sustain their support and wellbeing program, which plays a vital role in staff retention for the organisation.
For Bama, this year will mark the 11th year of support from the foundation.
General manager Cade Dawkins said that the company had 45 workers employed, the bulk of whom were indigenous.
“We provide employment, housing advice, support and financial literacy, as well as some legal support and training and development,” he said.
“We’ve got a number of people going through traineeships at the moment in our parks and gardens, civil construction courses.”
Mr Dawkins said the company had been lucky enough to maintain their workforce through the pandemic, though it had led to the delay of several projects. “If it wasn’t for the Westpac grant, we wouldn’t have funding, since we’d be competing for tenders with up to 20 other companies for tenders,” he said.
The $300,000 grant for Bama Services is part of the $2.25m in funding provided by the Westpac Foundation for organisations providing employment support for vulnerable workers across Australia.
Westpac Foundation chief executive Susan Bannigan said the foundation had an important role to play in supporting the social sector through this challenging time.
“It’s been tough across most sectors, but particularly so for social enterprises and small not-for-profits,” Ms Bannigan said. “These organisations play a vital role in local communities around the country.”