Page 51 - Tropic Magazine Issue 15

TROPIC • OPINION

James Harding
Senior Associate
Holding Redlich

Beating our own drum

Where is our local economy headed next? I would like to say
that we are out of the woods given the notable increase in Cairns has been on the radar of many large and institutional
confidence and positive sentiment amongst our business investors for some time. This is evidenced by the Singaporean
and community leaders. However, in the next 12 months World Class Global Nova City CBD development and the GA
especially, we need to ensure that as consumers and Group’s numerous hotel redevelopments. This sort of forward-
business people, we help that flow-on by continuing to thinking and committed investment is the kind that ruffles
‘beat the drum’. While residential and new construction feathers down south and drives the fear of missing out.
numbers aren’t impressive, they have notably recovered in In October 2017, national law firm Holding Redlich, opened
the last few years. an office in Cairns to better service clients located across Far
This positive sentiment has renewed the relevance and North Queensland. On 1 July 2018 the Property Law Solutions
participation in economic advocacy groups such as the and All About Law teams officially joined forces with Holding
Cairns Chamber of Commerce (and the recent rebirth of the Redlich. This means that clients of all three firms now benefit
Young Chamber) and Advance Cairns. These groups have from years of local experience, extensive local networks and
directly influenced and benefited our region by relentlessly knowledge and the backing of a full-service national firm.
advocating to State and Federal Governments for increases We hope that our continued growth (we are not done yet!) and
to funding for projects, support and infrastructure. My view confidence in Cairns will be contagious and help fuel quality
is that the bigger, bolder and stronger these groups get, the and sustainable growth to complement all that our beautiful
better the outcomes for our region and I strongly support city has to offer.
that the business sector in Cairns get involved, whether that
be as simple as attending networking functions. MORE: holdingredlich.com.au

convention centres? Where should these be located? Does a city
Nikki that size need a second water supply, a functioning deep water
Huddy port, a dedicated bus lane, light rail?
Managing Director At times, we have allowed ourselves to be distracted by
political debate where ego-driven candidates are wedded
PLANZ Town Planning
to one idea to the detriment of any other idea (the merit
of a theatre versus a rectangular stadium, for example).
It’s time to thrive However, the truth of it is, Cairns is a thriving city of national
and international prominence. It is time to rise above the
I regularly marvel at the vision of Frank Morris. Way back discussion, beyond a “yes-or-no” proposition. Otherwise we
in 1935, when Cairns had a population of just 12,000 people, are selling ourselves short.
Mr Morris realised the importance of securing land for When I think of great cities, they are defined by local

a dam to meet our future water needs. Copperlode Dam architecture, theatres, stadiums, public transport and
was constructed 40 years later in the mid-1970s, when the destinations. Our city is growing into a great city with Munro
population of Cairns had tripled to 36,000. Martin Parklands, the Esplanade, the Boardwalk, the Botanic
Around the same time, the Cairns Civic Theatre was built. Gardens and some new bold architecture.
Now that our population is over 160,000 we have replaced The perspective we gain by looking at the growth of
the old, small facility with a shiny new one that, along Cairns over the last 40 years and into the next 40 years
with Munro Martin Parklands, will hopefully serve us for reinforces the importance of demanding more - more of our
another 40 years. Then what? By 2050, Cairns is likely to politicians, more of our planners, architects and engineers
have a population of over 400,000 and be Australia’s largest and more funding.
regional city, ahead of Townsville, Darwin and Hobart. Does
a city that size need multiple theatres, football stadiums and MORE: planztp.com

51 • tropicnow.com.au