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Cairns is a city of some 130,000 residents
with a population growth rate averaging around 3.5% and peaking
periodically at around 4.5%.
It is the fastest growing provincial city
north of the Brisbane\Gold Coast\Sunshine Coast corner of Queensland.
The population of Tropical North Queensland
(TNQ) as a whole is around 215,000 people.
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| Queensland Map |
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Since the opening of Cairns International
Airport in 1984, the city can justifiably be regarded as Australia's
gateway to its neighbours in South East Asia, and through them to
the rest of the world.
There are currently around 56 international
flights per week into Cairns involving Qantas, Singapore Airlines,
Malaysia Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Niugini, Continental Micronesia,
Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia and Flight West Airlines.
Tourism is the premier industry in TNQ.
The region contains all of the attractions that lure adventurers
and tourists to Tropical North Queensland - the Great Barrier Reef,
the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest, the Cape York Wilderness,
internationally renown Port Douglas, palm-fringed
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beaches, the outback, waterfalls, white
water rapids, coastal rivers, pioneering history, aboriginal cave
art and culture, crocodile habitats, game fishing, estuary fishing,
birdwatching etc.
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| Reef leisure activities |
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Of the 1.5 million visitors per year to
the region, about half of them are from overseas with the balance
from within Australia. Whilst in the region, visitors spend around
$1200 million pa and record the highest individual daily expenditure
(averaging $185 a day) in Queensland.
Conference delegates and special event
visitors are becoming a more significant component of visitor numbers.
Cairns' $70 million Convention Centre can accommodate up to 1800
sqm of exhibition space, 5500 seats for NBL (basketball) matches,
5000 seats for concerts or up to 6000 seats for performances "in
the round".
Cairns Seaport has enjoyed a significant
increase in visitations by international cruise liners, including
the Oriana - the largest vessel ever to dock in Cairns. Around 30
liners per year are currently berthing at Trinity Wharf, in the
heart of the CBD.
Whilst tourism has become the major industry
for the region, there is a solid economic base built on a diverse
range of primary industries, notably sugar, beef cattle, dairy,
fisheries, mining and horticulture.
According to the latest figures available,
the gross value of agricultural production in Tropical North Queensland
is more than $600 million at farm gate prices.
The fisheries industry is a major contributor
to the economy of the region. The Queensland Department of Primary
Industries values the annual catch of prawns, barramundi, reef fish,
Moreton Bay bugs, crabs, lobster and
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mackerel at more than $120 million. An
additional $12.6 million is attributed to the catch of tuna fish.
The aquaculture industry is valued at around
$18 million a year, with the region producing more than 90% of the
State's farmed barramundi and 75% of the State's farmed tiger prawns.
The value of mining to the Tropical North
Queensland region is estimated at around $362 million, most of which
is made up of bauxite, gold bullion, limestone and dolomite. In
a move which could produce substantial economic benefits for Tropical
North Queensland, international firm Chevron has established its
regional headquarters in Cairns. Chevron Niugini has substantial
oil and gas fields in Papua New Guinea and is in the process of
negotiating the establishment of a 2500 kilometre gas pipeline from
the Southern Highlands of PNG to Gladstone in Central Queensland.
Cairns serves as a regional hub for many
organizations and authorities. Freeport Indonesia has successfully
used Cairns as a supply base for its gold-copper mine in Irian Jaya
for 21 years. Cairns also hosts consulates for Papua New Guinea,
Japan, Austria, Italy and Sweden.
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| Daintree Rainforest |
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Cairns is a cosmopolitan city which in
20-30 years has been transformed from a remote provincial town into
a progressive regional centre with national and international recognition.
In addition to the many resorts, hotels,
golf courses and other tourism-related infrastructure, it has several
large regional shopping centres, a university campus, casino, convention
centre and a large naval base.
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