Councillor hits back over 'inaccurate' Gazette article



Councillor hits back over 'inaccurate' Gazette article

Tuesday November 25 2014, 9:00am

Douglas Shire Councillor Bruce Clarke has called a Port Douglas Gazette story on the most recent council meeting 'inaccurate' and has released a 'true account' of what he says really transpired.
The first item on the agenda of the meeting was the 'Mayoral Minute', which stated that power north of the Daintree River was first and foremost a State Government responsibility and that the Council in representing the interests of its residents in the area, it has a responsibility to ADVOCATE on their behalf. This 'Mayoral Minute' was passed with no opposition.
Nine items later on the agenda, a motion by Cr. Bruce Clarke was put forward for discussion. This motion was,
'That Douglas Shire Council:
(a) ADVOCATES for the communities north of the Daintree River to be connected to Grid Quality Reticulated Power:
(b) Requests that the State Government immediately reinstate Ergon Energy as the energy provider to the communities north of the Daintree River;
(c) Requests the State Government to take immediate steps to start to extend the Grid Quality Reticulated Power to the communities north of the Daintree River whilst taking into consideration the environmental issues associated with this World Heritage Area;
(d) Send these requests to the Queensland Premier, The Hon Campbell Newman, at the earliest possible convenience."
In Cr. Clarke's opening comments, he congratulated the Mayor for her Mayoral Minute Statement, as it backed up his motion. 
He was then asked 2 questions by the Mayor.

Q1. Do you have documentation to back up part (b) of the motion? The answer was yes, at which time Cr. Clarke held up the Electricity Act of Queensland, which was to be tabled. This act was immediately ignored.Q2. As a member of the LNP, has Cr. Clarke any information regarding the cost of extending the grid.This question was ignored by Cr. Clarke for two reasons: It did not have anything to do with the motion, and the mayor had already answered her own question in her statement which said that power north of the Daintree River was first and foremost a State Government responsibility.

This motion was then put to the vote and was carried 3 votes to 2, which is a democratic decision. Voting 'for' the motion were Crs. Clarke, Melchert, and Noli. Voting 'against' the motion were Crs. Leu, and Carey.