Phil Charley OAM, PNG commercial radio pioneer, dies at 89
If govt is serious about pensions, don’t forget informal economy

Small town spite: Flora’s Cairns kofi haus draws local flack

Kofi Haus owner Flora Pondrilei at her coffee shopSCOTT FORBES | The Cairns Post

THREE jars of cookies and a coffee machine have landed Cairns entrepreneur Flora Pondrilei in serious hot water.

Her humble little PNG-style kofi haus has operated without any issues as a social club in the garage of her McLeod Street Queenslander home since 2006.

That was until a local business complained to Cairns Regional Council that Ms Pondrilei was operating illegally.

“We only aim to break-even,” Flora said. “This isn’t a commercial operation, it’s a meeting place for us.”

On average, Wantok Kofi Haus sells just seven cups of coffee a day.

Councillor Max O’Halloran said it was a clear breach, given that the business operates in a residential zone.

“Someone in the area has complained because it’s unfair that they’re running a legal business and having to pay rent and everything,” he said.

“I met with Flora and took over some application forms for her. All she has to do now is go through the due process with town planning to apply for a change of use of premises.

“You just can’t run a church or a business or anything without obtaining the proper ­approvals.”

The application will cost Flora about $1,500.

She can’t understand why any business would see her as competition. “If someone comes in wanting food I just say go see Ronnie at Monika’s Coffee Lounge or the Smith Street Cafe.”

Councillor Rob Pyne has also met with Flora.

“It’s a shame. It’s a great place to go for a cheap coffee in a tropical environment, especially for PNG expats. Places like this are exactly how people integrate into the community.”

Papua New Guineans are the largest migrant group in Cairns but don’t have a formal social club like the Germans, Serbians or Chinese.

“Here they can get something that reminds them of home,” Flora said.

“They’re not looking for a traditional cafe, they just want to chew some betel nut, enjoy a big belly laugh and chat in Tok Pisin.”

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Comments are moderated, and will not appear until the author has approved them.

Your Information

(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)