A plaque will be placed in a Machans Beach park and a tree planted on Cairns Esplanade in memory of late teenager Declan Crouch.

Declan’s disappearance in March rocked communities around Australia. Locally, many pulled together in the hope of finding the 13-year-old alive.

However we were united in grief at the news of Declan’s death near his Machans Beach home.

Declan’s parents have made the request to Cairns Regional Council to install a plaque on an existing park bench to create “Declan’s Place” in Keith Edwick Park.

The plaque would both honour the memory of their son and thank the Machans Beach community for their support and kindness.

Councillors today voted unanimously in favour of the plaque and tree planting.

“The search for Declan brought people together – whether they knew the Crouch family personally or not – and the news of his death was felt widely,” Mayor Val Schier said.

“The loss of any young person from our community is tragic, but the impact Declan’s disappearance had on so many people went beyond that.

“The Cairns region rallied behind the Crouch family from the moment Declan was reported missing and I am sure all residents would be supportive of a memorial plaque and tree to remember Declan.

The wording of the plaque requested by Declan’s family is:

DECLAN’S PLACE
In appreciation of the support and kindness of the Community of Machans Beach during our long search for him.
Ruth, Peter and Grace

A further memorial will be created by planting a tree in Declan’s honour on The Esplanade in Cairns.