Citizens of Cairns—a city known as the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef—have successfully rallied against a council decision to ban cash payments.
Cairns Regional Council launched a cashless policy in July 2022 that would cover all its facilities, including libraries and waste transfer stations. Locals rapidly mobilised against the decision, with an online petition receiving more than 5,000 signatures. Ultimately, less than a year later, the council reversed its decision, making the announcement in a session attended by hundreds of locals.
Amongst them was Frankie Hogan, who created the petition. She said it was ‘a win for the people’, many of whom were unaware of the council’s intention to go cashless until the petition began circulating.
