Hot 100 News

Breaking News: The Cairns Regional Council voted against the proposal to ban fishing on the Esplanade, Cr. Amy Eden explains to Gavin King. The clear to fish will be welcomed by residents after a wave of submissions against the ban flooded in, with 93 against and 1 in favour of the ban. There will, however, be a restriction placed between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. between the northern and eastern piers. Furthermore, changes were made to local laws about animal and pet management.

Gavin King speaks with Dr. Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminology at Bond University, about the proposed law to restrict the sale of knives and fake guns to children in Queensland. The initiative is an effort to curb the rise in juvenile crime but has many questioning its potential effectiveness.

Gavin King chats with Paul Bidwell, Chief Executive of Master Builders Queensland, following news that the federal Labor government has made a deal with the Greens party to create the HAAF (Housing Australia Future Fund) to the tune of $10 billion, with an additional 1 billion to be secured for the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to build new houses. The government is committing to build 30,000 new social houses within the first five years. Paul spoke about the reality of impacts, both positive and detrimental, with a major focus being the logistical difficulties associated with such a vast construction commitment including recruitment and the supply of labourers.

Gavin Kings chats with Pat Flanagan, a retired engineer and director of Flanagan Consulting Group, about the logistics of developing new subdivisions in Cairns. Mr. Flanagan was involved with the once-proposed AQUIS project, which was to be developed on the cane fields around Yorkey's Knob. The idea of developing on the Barron River delta, north of Cairns City, was dismissed, and the area was referred to as "undevelopable" by Mr. Flanagan. Instead, he proposed two alternative solutions to address an increasing population: either double the footprint of land or double the density of housing.

Gavin King chats with Cairns-based town planner, James McPeake, about realistic developments needed for a growing population with limited space to expand. James explained that Cairns requires approximately 1000 new dwellings to be built per year to accommodate growth. In the current state, he predicts Cairns has only less than five years of land supply remaining. James also discussed using more vertical space and speculated on the potential possibility of developing the flood plains of the Barron River delta, north of Cairns.

In a powerful and raw chat on today’s 4CA talk show, host Gavin King spoke with 17-year-old Cairns boy, Rocky, live on air about the teenager’s troubled past, including stealing cars and time spent in Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. Rocky spoke of feeling “invincible and untouchable" while driving a stolen car, but after recently returning to Cairns after a stint in juvenile detention he wants to turn his life around. Rocky feels he can build his literacy and social skills to better his prospects in life with support from strong family and community figures.

Gavin King chats with Dean Parkin, Campaign Director of the Yes 23 Campaign, to better understand the "voice to parliament" debate that is dominating headlines across Australia. This year, Australians will vote on a referendum to change the constitution and establish an Indigenous advisory body to consult with lawmakers about policy decisions. The "No" campaign (those who oppose the constitutional change) argues that more details are needed about the application of a new advisory body and what its true function would entail. The "Yes" campaign argues that constitutional change is about the official recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within Australian law.

Gavin King chats with talkback caller, Dan from Machans Beach, about the reality of developing the cane fields north of Cairns City to address future growth. Dan explained that a housing-free basin is necessary to give the surplus of wet seasonal water space to flood and that terraforming a raised subdivision would create bigger issues unless alternate basins were constructed. The future growth of Cairns' population remains contentious with the lack of available land to develop upon and the building height limits of the CBD due to the proximity to Cairns airport.

After all the doom and gloom about the Great Barrier Reef, how good is it to finally hear some positive reports?  Gavin King chats with Alan Wallish, Passions of Paradise GBR Tours, about a "buried" government report on the quality of the Great Barrier Reef. Critics say the report, which reveals coral coverage in the northern and central areas of the reef is at record levels, was published without significant promotion by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Gavin King chats with Bella Irwin, Manager of Lemoncello's, after the restaurant was allegedly broken into by young offenders who frequent the CBD. The following morning near the restaurant, Bella recognised one of the alleged offenders who was speaking with the police. She approached them and revealed the photographic evidence of the offender breaking in. Bella claims that the police allowed the suspect to go, stating that "their hands were tied". This break-in comes after a spate of vandalism to businesses along the Cairns esplanade in recent weeks.

Gavin King chats with Dan Tehan, LNP Federal Member for Wannon and Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, about the pressure immigration intake can have on the housing supply. Mr. Tehan revealed that around 400,000 people are expected to immigrate to Australia this year, a record number. This is amidst a rental crisis where Australians are struggling to find security during a time when affordable housing is in short supply.

Gavin King chats with Mayor Clare Stewart of Noosa Shire to better understand their experience with introducing Airbnb regulations. With the housing shortage showing little signs of improvement, many have turned their gaze toward Airbnb regulation in an effort to increase the supply of beds for long-term tenants. Cairns can better shape its future by learning from other councils that are a few steps ahead in terms of policy.

Gavin King chats with  Professor Collen Loo, a psychologist, and researcher at the Black Dog Institute & UNSW, about psychedelic drugs being used to treat mental illnesses. From July 1, 2023, authorised psychiatrists will be allowed to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin (commonly known as ecstasy and magic mushrooms, respectively) for certain mental illnesses, including depression and post-traumatic stress.

Gavin King chats with Melanie Harding, Co-Founder of the Airbnb management service Welcome Ready. Melanie has decades of experience with short-term rentals and lends her views on Airbnb regulation in relation to its effects on the housing market.

Gavin King chats with Dr. Matt Brien, Regional Director for Northern Parks and Forests DES, about crocodile management and emerging technology. Sonar technology will be used in efforts to "detect and deter" crocodiles in Queensland waterways, which is part of a $4.174 million Crocwise funding initiative expected to be allocated in the June 2023 budget.

Gavin King chats with local resident, Caroline Barnes, about the impact crime has on its victims who suffer ongoing mental and physical stresses. Caroline bravely shares her story of how her husband was assaulted while she protected her four children by barricading themselves inside a room of the house. Ms. Barnes spoke recently at the "backyard neighbourhood Crime Forum" hosted by Queensland's state LNP leader, David Crisafulli.

Gavin King chats with Rochelle Kettles, from CBIS Insurance, about her sister's business being destroyed by young offenders. iScream Desserts was ransacked only a few days ago and the shocking image seen speaks for itself. There was reportedly close to $100,000 worth of damage done to the ice-cream store which only opened its doors in December last year. Rochelle spoke with Gavin about the impact that crime is having on the residents of cairns and far North Queensland, both emotionally and financially.

Gavin Kings chats with Campbell Newman, former Premier of Queensland and former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, about the strength and likelihood of the LNP party beating Labor in the next state election with the issue of youth crime being the primary focus.