Proud to know you all

WE CANNOT EXPECT GOVERNMENTS TO FIX ALL THINGS OR BE ALL THINGS TO US, BUT THERE IS A DESIRE FOR THIS GREAT REGION TO BECOME “A FAR BETTER NORTH”.

THANK you. I have been overwhelmed by the response the Cairns Post has received in its major Your Say on the Far North Reader Survey. Clearly you care about this region and want what’s best for it and the people who live here. And you’re proud — VERY proud to be a Far Northerner. Me too. The Far North is absolutely worth fighting for because while we know we live in paradise and we have so much to be grateful for, we also have a duty to ensure our region grows economically and that environmentally it is preserved for our future generations. The Cairns Post had a sense that right now was a pivotal time and we wanted to conduct the survey to ensure the people who we represent had a say in its future. From the survey we intend to ask questions that look for and find solutions. It was not surprising to find that an overwhelming number of survey participants do not believe that this region receives its fair share of government funding or attention. In fact, a whopping 89 per cent said no.

To bring to life this figure I relay a story that was told to me this week that highlights the overwhelming feeling that our governments are taking our region for granted.

A question during a regular trivia quiz at a Rotary branch meeting this week was: What was the Cairns Post’s page 1 headline on Tuesday?

The answer was in relation to our poke at visiting Treasurer Jackie Trad and her lacklustre budget for the Far North – “We’ve got Jack”. Every table at the meeting answered correctly.

Of course the headline by our night editor Sean Atkins was cheeky and catchy but it was the sentiment behind it that made it a truly great headline and why it resonated with so many of our readers. This little story also underscores what the Cairns Post’s role is and the answer to question number 61 of the survey shows we’re getting it right most of the time: How do you mostly consume your news? Number 1 answer was newspapers and number 2 was online sites.

Readers turn to us in print and online to not only inform but also to represent and champion. There is much pride in our region; for how beautiful it is and how unique we are. We cannot expect governments to fix all things or be all things to us, but there is a desire for this great region to become “A Far Better North”.

While some may believe talk of a breakaway state is the pipedream of a few disgruntled folk, 44 per cent of respondents said they supported the move. That’s still a long way short of a clear mandate for such an extreme action but is a glaring statistic that should stick politicians in the eye.

We look forward to presenting all the survey results and being the driver of conversation and change.