Guest of honour at the unveiling of a memorial on 13 May 2010 in the grounds of the Council Chambers in Spence St was Sonja Goodwin, wife of the former Mayor of Cairns, Keith Goodwin. It's 20 years since Keith, Rose Blank and other local government representatives tragically lost their lives whilst returning from a local government conference in Townsville. The loss of so many community leaders shocked the whole region and I am pleased that we now have a permanent reminder of those people who lost their lives whilst serving the public.

Many people believe that Cairns lost sight of the principles and values that Keith Goodwin had espoused when he swept into office in 1988. I like to think that my Council has revived some of the spirit of Keith and his team, particularly with our focus on providing programmes and facilities for the community and our work in protecting and enhancing our tropical environment.