Council is on the lookout for 80 local people who want to be involved in shaping the future of Cairns.
With the Cairns population predicted to increase by up to 100,000 in 2050, Council is undertaking the Towards 2050: Shaping Cairns Growth Management Strategy to establish a clear and coordinated long term plan for the growth and development of the local government area.
How to balance future population growth and protecting what makes Cairns special will be among the questions to be explored at the one-day Towards 2050 Summit in Cairns on Saturday 6 May.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning encouraged people interested in having a say about the future of Cairns to register their interest.
“We want 80 residents from all walks of life to take part in the summit,” Cr Manning said.
“You don’t need any special skills or prior knowledge, just a passion for Cairns and a willingness to share your opinions.
“We know people love living in Cairns. In the past 30 years, our population has nearly doubled, from 89,000 residents in 1992, to more than 165,000 today, and it is predicted to reach up to 265,000 by 2050.
“We need to plan for this growth now. Good design and planning will help us protect and embrace the things that make Cairns special and accommodate for future growth.”
Anyone aged over 16, who lives in Cairns and is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, can register their interest for the summit.
To ensure a representative mix of people attend the summit, participants will be randomly selected from each demographic group to make up a total of 80 attendees from the pool of eligible registrations.