MR ENTSCH: I rise to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) Bill 2021. There’s absolutely no doubt that the National Disability Insurance Scheme has helped and assisted many thousands of Australians, including many of those living in Cairns and in Far North Queensland in my region. It…
Mr ENTSCH: Fortunately, this year’s Cairns Show went ahead as planned, following last year’s cancellation, in what was a major boost to our city and wider region. It’s one event I certainly look forward to every year. The Cairns Show is the biggest regional show in Australia and Cairns’s largest event. But the Cairns Show…
Mr ENTSCH: I don’t often find myself agreeing with the Member for Kennedy on much of anything, but recently something strange has occurred. I’ve found myself agreeing with him on an issue that he has recently shone light on. Since November last year, the Barron River Bridge at Kuranda has been reduced to one lane…
Mr ENTSCH: During the recent winter break, I had the absolute pleasure to attend the 150th anniversary of the Coming of the Light celebrations on Erub Island. Coming of the Light recognises the adaptation of Christianity throughout the Torres Strait during the late 19th century. The day of celebration and joy means so much to…
MR ENTSCH: Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the official launch of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair with my beautiful wife, Yolonde. The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, or CIAF, as it’s known, is Australia’s premier Indigenous art fair. It celebrates the vibrancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This year, the theme…
MR ENTSCH: I recently had the pleasure of attending the Cooktown and Cape York Expo with my beautiful wife and daughter, Yolonde and Mackenzie. Cook Shire Council had been planning to stage the event in 2020 to coincide with the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s 1770 voyage to Australia. Unfortunately, it became a victim of…
MR ENTSCH: It gives me great pleasure to advise that the land required to build the Cairns university hospital has now been purchased. It’s a major step in ensuring the long-overdue and much-needed project becomes a reality. In 2019, the Morrison government, in partnership with James Cook University, announced a $60 million investment to get…
Mr ENTSCH: I recently visited an amazing tourism attraction in my electorate, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, where I was told I would be having the honour of naming two radiated tortoises, which originate from Madagascar. Little did I know that it was simply a ruse. Hartley’s owners, Angela and Peter Freeman, had other ideas. The real…
MR ENTSCH: I’m absolutely rapt to see the $19.3 million allocated in this year’s federal budget to stage 1 construction of the Daintree microgrid project. This is a project that’s very close to my heart and one that I’ve been working on delivering for close to 25 years. In fact, only last week I was…
Mr ENTSCH: It’s fantastic to be in a position to see a major event like the Rotary Far North Queensland Field Day going ahead as planned. The past year has been like no other. We have faced many challenges and continue to do so, but together as a community we’ve met those challenges head-on. Agriculture…