Community & Business
12 November, 2021
Road warriors made Good Australians
KENNEDY MP Bob Katter and Mick Borzi OAM presented two Mareeba locals with Good Australian awards recently for their efforts in advocating for the Kuranda Bypass Road.
Both Ron Redcliffe and Duncan McInnes have been influential in putting the major local issue on the national map and eventually drew the eyes of Mr Katter.
Mr Redcliffe’s own road design is the one currently being pushed by Mr Katter to better connect the Tablelands with Cairns.
“These two men have resurrected this great idea that Mr Borzi and Martin Tenni had,” Mr Katter said.
Mr Borzi and Mr Tenni knew 50 years ago that the Kuranda Range was not going to be able to sustain the growth of the Tablelands region.
“We could see this Tablelands area was growing and that it would continue to grow,” Mr Borzi said.
“The only bottleneck was going to be the Kuranda Range, the road between Cairns and Kuranda.
“They say now 9000 vehicles a day go through that road, that’s a lot of traffic to be stopped or diverted if they have to do major construction work to the range.”
The new Good Australian award initiated by Bob Katter, recognises hardworking and honest North Queenslanders, and recipients of the award can use the post-nominal letters G.A. after their name.
Recipients of a Good Australian award also receive a bookend with a crest on the front.
Mr Katter spoke to the symbolism of the elements of the crest during the award ceremony.
“On the crest is a kite hawk which is the ubiquitous presence over our skies, and it keeps North Qld clean. The scroll says Pro Diem et Pro Patria – for God and for Country,” he said.
“The gum trees produce timber which has 100 uses, and there’s nothing more Australian than a gum tree.
“The cross is the symbol of our belief system, Christianity, and inside that cross is the Southern Cross which guides us and has done so for 40,000 years.
“It is also the symbol that was used at the Eureka Stockade when 150 gold diggers were prepared to sacrifice their lives in defence of freedom and a better life for their fellow Australians.
“At the bottom of the scroll is the weapon with which we defended Australia. In ancient times we had the Nulla Nulla and a boomerang, but the ∙303 rifle was the one weapon we defended this country with for 100 years.”
