by Will Devlin

I just wanted to make an observation about our 'once-vibrant' town.  The CRC seems to have done an adequate job of making the road into Port (Port Douglas Road and Davidson Street) attractive and relatively well-maintained.

I am disappointed with the number of businesses having closed down, but that's probably an unavoidable 'sign of the times'; likely, with a second wave of GFC, we'll see more of that.  That's probably unavoidable.

What does disappoint me more though, are signs hearlding 'new building and tenancies here by May 2012' for the old EJ's site, when narry a brick has been knocked over or a sod turned for the new development. 

Further, the footpath of Macrossan Street generally is an abomination and unbecoming of a tourist destination. 

It seems to me that pavers - if they can be described as such - are a mosaic of designs and of different consistencies of slipperiness (see the area immediately outside Bucci); the flower planter boxes are a disgrace (see the ANZ Bank and compare it with the well-formed and maintained planter box outside Hats on Macrossan.

I don't like to compare Port with Noosa, but my bet is Hastings Street is a lot more appealing than Macrossan Street at the present. 

It's time for those businesses on Macrossan and surrounding streets to demand that their landlords maintain the streetscape in line with the monumental rents that they are apparently charging.

Port's main street was once the jewel in the crown for this as a destination; in some spots it looks like an eyesore and I think that's rather sad.

That's what I think. What about you?

Will 

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