Website highlights benefits of relocating

Cairns Regional Council’s Choose Cairns website brings together information about housing, jobs and living in the Tropics, as well as video stories from newly arrived locals about settling into Cairns. 

Cairns Deputy Mayor, Terry James said, “In the past, we have been seen mainly as a tourist destination, but more and more people are now looking to Cairns as a place to settle.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland gained 9800 residents between September and December last year. Around half the newcomers to Queensland settled in Brisbane – the rest had moved to the regions.

Cr James said employment opportunities in Cairns were plentiful across many industries, including social work, healthcare, the trades and hospitality.

“We’re hearing from a lot of different industries in Cairns that they have jobs vacancies they are struggling to fill, and this website will play a role in attracting people to the region to help meet that need.

“We want to give people a realistic picture of the benefits, beauty, costs and challenges of living in Cairns at the moment.

“We are conscious there has been some concern around housing availability and affordability, so it’s pleasing to see the private sector responding to that need with building approvals reaching record levels in recent months.” 

Dietitian Quinton Ullrich made the move to Cairns from Brisbane just over 12 months ago. 

“I was a bit worried about finding a job. It was COVID times and jobs were a bit scarce at the time, but an opportunity came up in Cairns and I jumped on it,” Mr Ullrich said.

“I’d never been to Cairns before. I figured it looked like a pretty good place on the postcards. I packed my bags and I drove up on a 20-hour mission to go north.

“For me, Cairns ticks all the boxes. I really like getting out on the reef and exploring, seeing heaps of great fish, turtles, sharks, amazing coral, but also like going out into the Hinterlands up to the waterfalls.”