Embedded Files
Vandalism on the Rise — Great Response from Council
Vandalism on the Rise — Great Response from Council
4th July 2026
We've noticed an increase in vandalism around the village in recent weeks. The good news: every case reported through the MyCairns App has been actioned quickly by Cairns Regional Council, with removal happening within days.
This kind of damage comes at a real cost to our community — it draws on Council resources and ratepayer funds that could otherwise go toward maintaining and improving the shared spaces we all enjoy. The faster it's reported, the faster it's removed, and the less appealing these sites become as targets.
A reminder for residents — if you spot vandalism, please report it via the MyCairns App or Council's website.
A few recently affected locations are pictured below — now clean thanks to Council's quick turnaround.
Thanks to Cairns Regional Council for the responsive service on this.
Beach Almond has Moved !
Beach Almond has Moved !
4th July 2026
Following our earlier post, the relocation of the Beach Almond building is now underway — and it's quite a sight.
The building has been lifted onto a trailer and is being carefully manoeuvred from 145 Williams Esplanade to its new home next door at 147 Williams Esplanade. What was a straightforward concept on paper is now a genuinely impressive feat, with the structure rotated and eased through the trees that line the esplanade.
It's a great example of a creative solution winning out over demolition — keeping one of Palm Cove's dining venues right where it belongs, on the esplanade, rather than losing it to redevelopment.
Well done to everyone involved in pulling off a move like this in the middle of a busy tourist strip!
A Moment of Awe
A Moment of Awe
2nd July 2026
Today I watched a visitor stop beneath one of Palm Cove’s magnificent Melaleucas outside Reef House.
She wasn’t taking photos. She wasn’t in a hurry.
She simply stood in silence, looked up into the canopy, gently placed her hand on the trunk and said:
“THIS is why people come here. Look at it… it’s just amazing, and it’s worth protecting.”
She captured something we’ve always believed.
These magnificent Melaleucas aren’t just trees. They’re the beating heart of Palm Cove. They create the moments of awe that stay with us long after we’ve left.
Those moments don’t happen by chance. They happen because people choose to protect the places that inspire them.
If Palm Cove has ever made you stop, breathe and simply appreciate where you are, then you’re already part of its story.
Become part of its future too.
Join the growing Palm Cove Alliance community and help us protect the places that make Palm Cove unlike anywhere else.
🔁 Little by Little
🔁 Little by Little
24th June 2026
Another corner of Palm Cove, another green edge gone.
This time it's the corner of Harpa and Amphora Streets. The verge here used to do real work — grass, a garden bed, a soft curve framing the street. Now it's concrete, kerb to kerb.
On its own it's a small change. Hardly worth a council report. But that's exactly the pattern PCA has been tracking across the village: nothing dramatic enough to stop, happening often enough to add up. Little by little, the green, permeable street edges that make Palm Cove feel like Palm Cove are being traded for hard surface.
Swipe through and see it for yourself.
If you've watched a verge, garden bed, or grass strip near you disappear under concrete, send us a photo — we're building the record, one corner at a time.
Double Island's getting the developer it deserves.
Double Island's getting the developer it deserves.
19th June 2026
Morris Group has been named successful tenderer for Double Island's $40 million, four-stage revitalisation — and it's hard to imagine a better-credentialled developer for an iconic site on our coastline. Their track record (The Ville & Ardo in Townsville, Orpheus Island Lodge, Pelorus Private Island, Mt Mulligan Lodge) speaks for itself: public benefit first, luxury tourism second.
Public access infrastructure (Stage 1 priority)
🍹 New public beach bar
🍽️ Public restaurant
🛏️ Public overnight accommodation
⛴️ New private jetty for vessel access
🚁 Island helipad for direct transfers and scenic flights
Double Island Lodge (luxury accommodation precinct)
🏘️ 24 luxury guest villas across six beachfront dwellings
🏊 Private swimming pool
🏋️ Gym
💆 Day spa
🌅 Exclusive sunset bar positioned between the island's two hills
🥾 Dedicated walking trails
🍷 100-seat boutique restaurant with ocean views toward Cairns, catering to guests, weddings and conferences
Transport and connectivity
⚓ Coordination with local marine operators
🛥️ Use of Morris Group's own vessel fleet
🛳️ Access via Morris Nautical's superyachts (Cairns-based)
✈️ Scenic flight/transfer access via Nautilus Aviation
Delivery
🚧 Site clearing and construction targeted for 2026, subject to final development approvals
A great example of the considered, locally-minded investment we'd love to see more of along our own Northern Beaches.
📸 Images: Balaj Vandyke concept renders, via Seven Local News Cairns (7NEWS), 18 June 2026.
Update: It's finally happening!
Update: It's finally happening!
18th June 2026
Remember that rundown sales office on Triton Street reported to Council back in November 2025? Well, demolition has begun — and we couldn't be more pleased.
This is exactly how it's supposed to work. Residents spot a problem, report it through the right channels, Council acts.
The Triton Street site sits on a key entry point — first impressions matter, and a derelict building was never a good look for a world-class destination like Palm Cove.
A small win, yes — but it's a reminder that our voices count and that staying engaged with Council processes makes a real difference.
If you spot something that needs attention, don't just scroll past — report it. The MyCairns app makes it easy.
IRONMAN CAIRNS IS TOMORROW!
IRONMAN CAIRNS IS TOMORROW!
13th June 2026
The transition area is SET — bikes as far as the eye can see, taking over the Jetty Carpark and surrounds. Half the caravan park has been cleared out and the top 20 or so elite pros have scored priority positioning.
Somebody crunched the numbers: ~2,200 competitors, pro bikes worth $20–30k each, a field midpoint around $6k… that's approximately $13 million worth of bikes sleeping outside tonight in our backyard.
Let's hope the security patrols are out in force !
Good luck to all competitors tomorrow — the Esplanade is about to get loud.
What makes Palm Cove worth protecting?
What makes Palm Cove worth protecting?
10th June 2026
The Melaleuca and Palm canopies. The village scale. The view from the jetty where buildings disappear into the trees. A place that grew from its landscape and still exists in harmony with it.
We've brought that answer together in one place.
Every submission we make comes back to one question: does this strengthen or weaken what makes Palm Cove truly remarkable? This page is the foundation for that work.
We will not be seeing you again soon.
We will not be seeing you again soon.
7th June 2026
For years, a cracked and peeling sign outside the Jetty carpark promised visitors they'd "See You Again Soon" at a Palm Cove development completed so long ago the sign itself had started composting.
It's gone now. Quietly. No fanfare.
Just grass, trees, and a little less visual clutter in Palm Cove.
Another Minor Project — ticked.
See something in Palm Cove that needs fixing? Let us know, or log it directly with Council via the MyCairns App. Small things matter — and sometimes they actually get done.
Click the link for a full update on our Minor Projects.
PCA Submission to Council's Placemaking Strategy
PCA Submission to Council's Placemaking Strategy
5th June 2026
Cairns Regional Council is currently conducting a Placemaking Strategy, and that process includes a review of public spaces right here in Palm Cove.
When we looked at our three local parks — Williams Esplanade Reserve, Tom McDonald Park, and Goldfinch Park — it became clear very quickly that you simply can't consider them in isolation. Each space connects to the others, and together they shape the experience of Palm Cove as a place to live, visit, and invest in.
We developed a single integrated submission that looks at all three precincts holistically — what they mean for our community's amenity, and what they mean for Palm Cove's economic future through tourism.
Whilst we completed the online survey, Council's process could not capture the full extent of what Palm Cove requires at a precinct level. We therefore submitted directly to all Cairns Regional Councillors and the Planning directorate, given the amenity and economic implications for the entire Cairns community.
MyCairns App — Minor Projects update
MyCairns App — Minor Projects update
5th June 2026
Back in February, PCA lodged a MyCairns App report flagging rotted handrails and posts as a safety hazard. We waited. Nothing happened.
Then, in late March, Mother Nature stepped in and — free of charge, no works order required — removed the rotted rails and posts entirely.
Here's the twist: if Council had acted promptly on our February report, brand-new rails would have gone straight into the path of that weather event. We'd have been celebrating new infrastructure one week and mourning it the next.
So we're choosing to see the delay as… inspired forward planning.
Yesterday, Council installed the new rails and posts — right on cue, now that the weather has done the demolition work for them. The rails beside the jetty are looking great. Well done to all involved. We think.
Overall, Council have been doing a great job with a number of outstanding issues now scheduled and completed — most of the "red" has gone. Once again, well done. You can see the progress here:
The Beach Almond is moving — and the building is coming with it
The Beach Almond is moving — and the building is coming with it
4th June 2026
The Beach Almond Restaurant at 145 Williams Esplanade — a South East Asian inspired seafood restaurant that has earned a 4.4-star rating on TripAdvisor from over 2,000 reviews, consistently ranking in the top three restaurants in Palm Cove — is getting a new home next door.
The property has been sold for residential development, which means the Beach Almond needs to relocate. Here's the remarkable part: the existing building is being physically relocated — lifted, rotated 90 degrees, and repositioned onto the neighbouring allotment at 147 Williams Esplanade.
The approved plans show the relocated structure with a new 122m² timber dining deck facing the esplanade, set among the existing trees.
Preliminary works began today, with vegetation removal now underway as approved. We'd like to acknowledge the owner's efforts in advocating for the retention of the significant Melaleuca tree on the site — a result that matters for the character of the esplanade.
It's a creative solution that keeps a well-regarded venue on the esplanade rather than losing it to redevelopment — and that's a good outcome for Palm Cove.
Here is a link to the Development Approval if you're interested in the detail:
Goodbye, old friend
2nd June 2026
You've squatted in our road reserve for years — crumbling, collecting leaf litter, and doing your level best to undermine the streetscape we all love. And now, at last, you are gone.
Palm Cove Alliance logged this broken, discarded pot as a MyCairns report on 20 February 2026. It was resolved this week — more than three months later. We're genuinely pleased it's done, and we thank the crew who eventually got to it.
But here's the irony we can't quite let go of.
Just a few days ago, Palm Cove lost another old friend of twenty years — the magnificent Bismarck Palm on the corner of Harpa and Amphora Streets. That much-loved landmark was felled within a week of Tranquility Apartments receiving advice, with no meaningful engagement on the concerns residents had raised.
A broken pot: three months.
A twenty-year-old palm tree: one week.
We'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about where the priorities lie when it comes to protecting the character of Palm Cove.
Update: The Bismarck Palm — what we've since learned
31st May 2026
We had people ask for the backstory after we posted about losing that beautiful Bismarck Palm at the Harpa/Amphora corner. Here it is.
The adjoining property — Tranquillity resort — received Council's works notice on Wednesday 19th May. They moved quickly: meeting with the Construction Supervisor Steve Petersen on the Thursday morning, where they were told works on their property were three weeks away.
That same afternoon, Tranquillity submitted a detailed formal letter to Council's Executive Manager Works. It raised serious concerns about the impact on mature landscaping and privacy screening, requested consideration of alternative alignments — and asked for a meeting before any works began.
They received no response.
One week later, their garden was gone — and so was the palm.
We want to be clear: the new footpath connections along Oliva and Harpa Streets are a welcome improvement, and we support better pedestrian connectivity in our village. But the process here raises real questions.
Residents invested in Palm Cove's character raised legitimate concerns in writing, proposed workable alternatives, and asked for dialogue — and works proceeded without any acknowledgement of that letter, let alone a conversation.
Palm Cove's tropical canopy is not a nice-to-have. It's a significant part of what makes this place economically and aesthetically distinct from anywhere else in Australia. Infrastructure decisions made without that understanding cost us things we can't replace.
Looking ahead, the newly gazetted FNQ Regional Plan 2026 — which explicitly recognises established tourism precincts like Palm Cove — should be informing exactly these kinds of infrastructure decisions going forward.
Palm Cove's public toilets — an opportunity missed😓
Palm Cove's public toilets — an opportunity missed😓
30th May 2026
We've been waiting patiently for the renovation of Palm Cove's public amenities, knowing how critical first impressions are for a destination that aspires to be Truly Remarkable.
The work appears to be complete — and the result is, frankly, underwhelming. The china fittings have been replaced with stainless steel. That's largely it. The tired, stained tiling remains. The overall presentation remains well below what our visitors, residents, and tourism operators deserve.
Public amenities are not a footnote — they are part of the visitor experience. When someone steps off the boardwalk at Palm Cove and into a public facility, that moment either reinforces the premium destination we are, or it undermines it. Right now, it is undermining it.
Palm Cove Alliance has consistently advocated that every element of our built environment should reflect the natural beauty of this place. Our beaches, our rainforest, our reef — these are world-class assets. Our infrastructure must rise to meet them.
We sincerely hope this is not the end of the works program. If tiling and full amenity upgrades are still planned, we'd welcome confirmation of that from Council. If this is the finished product, a conversation is well overdue.
A bittersweet morning in Palm Cove
A bittersweet morning in Palm Cove
29th May 2026
The new footpath connections along Oliva and Harpa Streets are a welcome improvement — long overdue for accessibility in our village. We fully support those works.
But today we lost a beautiful Bismarck Palm that had graced this corner for 15-20 years. Its striking silver-blue fronds were part of what makes Palm Cove feel like nowhere else in Australia.
Given the palm's setback from the kerb, we're genuinely curious whether an engineering solution that preserved the tree was ever explored.
Palm Cove's identity is inseparable from its palms and tropical canopy. As we grow and improve our infrastructure, we think it's worth asking: how do we build without losing what makes this place truly remarkable?
We'd love to hear the backstory.
When Palm Cove does what it does best
When Palm Cove does what it does best
28th May 2026
This morning our foreshore is playing host to something pretty special — a fleet of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and Porsches lined up along Williams Esplanade as part of a luxury supercar driving experience based right here in Palm Cove.
Guests paired with this experience are staying multiple nights, dining at our restaurants, discovering our village — and taking the Great Barrier Reef Drive north through some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, starting right here at our front door.
This is premium tourism working the way it should — drawing visitors with serious spending capacity who experience everything Palm Cove has to offer, not just pass through it.
It's a reminder of just how much this village punches above its weight — and why protecting and enhancing what makes Palm Cove truly remarkable matters so much.
23rd May 2026
The current development application proposes that resort guest drop-off/pick-up and service vehicle access be located at the corner of Amphora and French Streets. As the image illustrates, this arrangement generates extensive traffic circulation through Palm Cove's residential back streets in both directions. Rather than alleviating existing pressure on Williams Esplanade, this configuration would materially worsen traffic amenity in the precinct.
9th May 2026
The Queensland Government has released the final Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2026 — and Palm Cove Alliance has reviewed it carefully against the submission we lodged in January 2026
Here's what you need to know.
A SIGNIFICANT OUTCOME FOR PALM COVE / NORTHERN BEACHES
The final plan includes a significant new update that directly reflects a core recommendation of our submission.
9th May 2026
Our members' webinar featured guest speaker Mayor Amy Eden, who highlighted the critical importance of community-driven advocacy. We discussed why community representation matters now more than ever as we reach a pivotal moment that will shape the next 20 years. Review the full presentation to learn about our recent submissions to Council and how you can get involved in our upcoming initiatives.
5th May 2026
A quiet, low-rise coastal village. Tree-lined streets. A foreshore where the beach is the hero — not the backdrop to someone's investment portfolio. A place people come to for the feeling of somewhere that hasn't been swallowed by overdevelopment.
That's Palm Cove. But it's also how Hervey Bay used to be described.
3rd May, 2026
What makes Palm Cove truly remarkable? It’s the melaleuca forest meeting the Coral Sea, the village scale, and a sense of intimacy that exists nowhere else in Australia.
Palm Cove Alliance has distilled years of community feedback into a single strategic vision: "A Future Built on Being Truly Remarkable."
This document isn't about building something new—it’s about finally building something worthy of what is already here. It reflects the consistent voices of residents and visitors who want to see Palm Cove’s unique character protected by design.
29th April, 2026
Cairns Regional Council has launched a placemaking strategy for parks and public spaces across the region — and Palm Cove has two parks in the mix.
23rd April, 2026
The acclaimed Australian crime drama Balck Snow is currently filming its new season across Far North Queenland - and yes, Palm Cove is one of the locations.
20th April, 2026
Yesterday we shared our thoughts on why genuine community engagement matters. Today, a Division 9 councillor's newsletter arrived in letterboxes listing local 'achievements' — and two Palm Cove items on that list deserve a closer look.
18th April, 2026
If the community stays silent, the decisions don't stop—they just get made without you. Read our full call to action and find out how we are changing the conversation.
If the community stays silent, the decisions don't stop—they just get made without you. Read our full call to action and find out how we are changing the conversation.
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