Page 27 - Tropic Magazine Issue 10

Tropic
Feature

39

MSF Sugar turns on its
green power station

As part of a $75 million upgrade to its
Tableland Mill, MSF Sugar says it will be
producing baseload electricity and
ethanol – as well as sugar - by July. Once
fully operational, the power plant will use
a 100 per cent renewable sugarcane fibre,
known as bagasse, to produce 24
megawatts of electricity – enough to
power every house in the Tableland
region.

37 40

Government pushes Cairns Marine Precinct
Cairns as Global upgrades begin

Tourism Hub

With $24 million worth of Federal
Details are scarce, but that hasn’t stopped funding allocated to three Cairns
the re-elected State Labor Government shipyards back in August last year, our
talking up its plans for Cairns to become maritime capabilities are being boosted
a “Global Tourism Hub”. So far, it seems as you read this. Leichhardt MP Warren
the plan involves allocating a new casino Entsch says the funding will “sustain
license for a tourism development within 38 immediate construction jobs and also
70kms of the Cairns CBD – a concept long-term shipbuilding and maintenance
talked about since Aquis was a thing back work right here in Cairns.” The
in 2012. Tourism Minister Kate Jones says NDIS rolls out in TNQ investment is in addition to the Turnbull
the government has identified the Cairns Government’s $420 million pledge to
City Port precinct as its preferred site for A long-awaited game-changer for health develop additional wharf space and other
the development. Let’s hope 2018 delivers care finally comes to the Tropical North, support facilities at HMAS Cairns.
some detail on the hub plan.
with the National Disability Insurance
Scheme being rolled out in the region
from July. Government estimates show
up to 1600 new roles will need to be filled
in TNQ to cater for the massive increase
in services funding. By mid-2020, Cairns
will receive more than $250 million a year
to help around 4,700 people with a
disability in the region. Healthcare
professionals and a variety of skilled
support workers will be in high demand.

41 We still live in the best regional

city in Australia

We said it in our list of reasons to get any other place, but most of all our city is
excited about the Cairns economy last blessed with natural beauty, a
year, and we’ll say it again this time multicultural community,
around: we get to live in a wonderful part entrepreneurial spirit and a laidback
of the world where international tourists lifestyle. Here’s cheers to a prosperous,
choose to visit on their holidays. We have pumping 2018 in TNQ.
our problems and social issues just like