by Mat Churchill
photo Martine Cotton

The Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce will take a lead role in pursuing a review of the town's security.

After a recent <link the-eyes-have-it-port-wants-cctv.4355.0.html tracked external link in new>poll on The Newsport in which over 120 people voiced their opinion on introducing CCTV in Port's CBD, the Chamber of Commerce resolved to take the initiative on behalf of local businesses.

The first step in the process will be a meeting of the parties affected by crimes such as assault and vandalism, including representatives from business, emergency services, and possibly Cairns Regional Council.

Chamber President, Ken Dobbs, said a number of ideas will be discussed at the meeting. "CCTV will be on the agenda, as will the possibility of creating a forum on the Chamber website to give business owners the opportunity to report on instances of these crimes, and discuss possible solutions."

Mr Dobbs said the Chamber will work closely with the Police to achieve a positive outcome. "We want Port Douglas to be a safe place for visitors and locals. If we wait too long (to act), it's very hard to turn an unsafe place into a safe place."

Mr Dobbs used Cairns as an example of a town which was struggling to deal with crimes commonly associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

A date for the meeting has yet to be arranged.   

Editors Comments: As soon as a date is fixed for the meeting we'll advise all our readers by Newsmail.  If anyone has any further comments, please load them below and we'll make sure they get into the right hands for inclusion in the forthcoming discussions.