General News
9 March, 2024
‘Big’ Max farewelled
A BIG man with an even bigger heart has been farewelled after completing 12 years as a Cairns regional councillor.
Cr Max O’Halloran finished his final council meeting on Wednesday and is not contesting division 7 on March 16. He was first elected in 2012.
Mayor Terry James said Cr O’Halloran was “big hearted and community-focused, with a welcoming and easy-going demeanour and a touch of old-fashioned warmth”.
“To tell the story of Cr O’Halloran’s council career in numbers, the following numbers paint a picture: he has served as a councillor for three terms over 12 years, or 4340 days, attending 394 council meetings which equates to a 99.8 per cent attendance record, and has served on councils that have delivered $1.5 billion in capital works projects,” he said.
Cr O’Halloran has represented the council on the Cairns Art Gallery Board and served as chairman of the council’s sport, community, events and cultural services, and Cairns gallery precinct project steering committees.
He has also been involved with water and waste, cyclesport precinct development, precinct steering, planning and environment, major events advisory, Cannon Park master plan steering and flying fox advisory committees.
After receiving a standing ovation at the council meeting, plus presented with farewell gifts, he was unusually lost for words.
“What a pleasure, what an honour. Thank you,” Cr O’Halloran said.
Later he described his 12 years as an elected representative as incredibly rewarding and it was an honour to serve the community.
“This city has been pretty good to me and it is nice to think you’ve had some input, and be thankful that you had the opportunity to be part of something worthwhile,” Cr O’Halloran said.
He said it was satisfying to be involved in the completion of the Tobruk Pool redevelopment, the netball courts in Martyn St, the 80m extension of Lake St through mangroves to Airport Dr, and the cricket fields at Griffiths Park, as well as other projects.
