JCU Public Lecture - a vision for Cairns

James Cook University – Faculty of Science and Engineering

A Vision for Cairns in 2050

By Nikki Huddy & Dr Sharon Harwood

1916                                    2014                                            2050?

Date: Thursday 31^st of July 2014

Time: 5:30pm for wine and cheese, lecture 6.00pm-7:00pm

Place: Crowther Lecture Theatre, James Cook University, Cairns.

Please RSVP online at: https://alumni.jcu.edu.au/FSE-CNS-2014

Or call Carly McKaskill by Tuesday 29^th of July on 4232 1211

SUMMARY:

In 1911 Cairns had a population of 13,378 (Exclusive of Aboriginal people), in 1971 a population of just 30,000 and in 2012 the population was around 155,000.  Growth is inevitable – unless of course we want to plan for economic decline.

Knowing that our population is expected to grow gives us the opportunity to create a vision that reflects our location, our history and celebrates our points of difference.  Nikki and Sharon will identify what is different about Cairns and how we can use these differences to create a vision for a more sustainable and liveable region as we look towards 2050.

Nikki Huddy: Nikki is a fourth generation North Queenslander and an adjunct to the JCU Centre of Tropical Urban and Regional Planning as well as a practicing planner in Cairns with over 20 years planning experience in the tropics. Nikki has worked for the State and Local Government on Regional Plans and Town Plans and is currently a private consultant and lecturer at JCU. Nikki is on the Planning Institute of Australia (QLD) Board and the Cairns Urban Design Advisory Board and is passionate about developing the FNQ Region as a unique tropical city that is a place people want to live and a place that other cities aspire to be like.

Sharon Harwood:

Sharon like Nikki is a fourth generation north Queenslander, who has seen Cairns transform from a sleepy service centre in the 1970’s to the thriving metropolis that it is today.  Sharon is a Lecturer at James Cook University with more than 20 years’ experience working for state government and in her own consultancy.  She is passionate about the region that she lives in and equally concerned about how Cairns will sustain itself into the future.  Sharon is a Corporate Member of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), a Certified Practicing Planner (PIA) and specialises in the implementation of community based planning in remote areas to achieve sustainable development outcomes.  Her experience includes social impact assessments within the resources sector; development planning in remote areas and managing social planning and research projects.