Cape York

The Kowanyama Rangers were called to fight a large wildfire at the Oriners-Sefton property, located in the western Cape York Peninsula. The fire began in late October after a lightning storm rolled across the region around Paradise Creek and Sellars Creek, at the far-western side of Sefton ... “The cooperation between the Rangers and Traditional Owners was critical to the success of this operation. Everybody was working as a team”: Daryl Killin, Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council.

Aurukun is no stranger to unrest but locals fear that issues in the community are at breaking point after a year of violence and sorry business ... Attendance at the school has dwindled as a result of violence in the street and sleepless nights, while the council struggles to find staff for essential roles, meaning services such as the post office and community bank have been closed intermittently.

The future of two iconic tourism destinations is unclear as the state government fumbles over deals to keep them running beyond the end of the month ... “I have no idea who is taking over and I’m not even sure they do,” Ms Kozicka told Cape York Weekly on Sunday.

Tropical retreat Cape York Peninsula Lodge has won gold at the annual 2022 Queensland Tourism Awards. The Bamaga-based business also earned silver for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism category ... the Lodge had a record-breaking year in 2021-22 with a 92 per cent increase in visitors and a 54 per cent rise in group bookings.

Sarah Martin. It was a hot and frustrating week for Cape York residents and Ergon Energy crews, with record temperatures and multiple power outages impacting the region. At Weipa, the mercury hit 40 degrees on Saturday for the first time in recorded history, with gauges measuring 40.4 at both the airport and RAAF Scherger.

As the granddaughter of Australia’s first Aboriginal bishop and the niece of an award-winning fashion designer, Sara Fagan set her bar high from an early age. “I’ve always wanted to be a surgeon,” says the  Medical Program  student. “I've also got an unfinished paramedicine degree that I want to complete, but that's a future problem!”

Sarah Martin. As the dust settles on the inaugural Arthur Beetson Foundation Future Immortals Tour, which saw a cohort of rugby league legends spend a long weekend in Kowanyama, the excited superstars are already asking when they can return to community. Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council chief executive officer Kevin Bell, a passionate rugby league fan, said the positive outcomes from the event were already being felt.

A bare base sitting on the outskirts of Weipa will come to life next year as Australian and American troops descend on the Cape as part of a major training exercise. RAAF Base Scherger will be a central location for Talisman Sabre, a biennial exercise that brings the Australian and United States armed forces together, along with other allied nations.

Samuel Davis. A growing regional centre can double in population, easing Cape York’s housing burden while creating new business opportunities, Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott says ... Among the suggestions raised at the event, Cr Scott proposed changes to zoning laws that would allow for more medium density developments to be built in places like Cooktown.

Samuel Davis. Simmering tensions between Queensland Health and a Cape York medical service over a major cyber security breach have surfaced in a leaked email sent to community leaders. Apunipima Cape York Health Council staff have been locked out of information systems since the remote service suffered a ransomware attack two weeks ago.