Douglas Shire Council has committed to being a Reef Guardian Council, meaning it will work to ensure activities in the shire impact as little as possible on the health of the Great Barrier Reef. 

The decision, finalized at a small ceremony before the council’s regular meeting on Wednesday morning, re-affirms the decision made by the original Douglas Shire Council prior to amalgamation. 

The Reef Guardian program, run by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority since 2003,  focuses on catchment areas along the Far North Queensland coast, and includes local councils and schools. 

It provides best practice advice to farmers, commercial fishers and organisations like council on how to reduce their impact on the health of the Great Barrier Reef, such as reducing sediment, nutrient and pesticide run-off and sustainable fishing. 

The confirmation ceremony was attended by GBRMPA Director Tourism and Stewardship Karen Vohland in addition to school captains from Mossman State School and representatives from the Douglas Local Marine Advisory Committee. 

Douglas Shire Council mayor Julia Leu said the shire had a ‘strong connection’ to the Great Barrier Reef. 

“The Reef defines who we and drives our local economy, probably nowhere else more in Queensland than Port Douglas,” Cr Leu said. 

“We have tourism operators and staff who share their passion for the Reef with hundreds of visitors every day.

“We are delighted to be working more closely with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, because by working together we can achieve so much more.”

Council Open Spaces Co-Ordinator Peter Logan said council was enacting several policies and programs under the Reef Guardian initiative, including a native plant nursery for revegetation programs and removal of invasive species at Cassowary Creek in cooperation with local schools. 

Students from Mossman State School were at the ceremony and recognised the importance of reducing Reef health impacts. 

“Its important that we care for the environment, especially the Great Barrier Reef,” school captain Jaslyn Chesterfield said. 

“If you let rubbish or poisons get into the water, that goes down the river and out to the Reef and it destroys the Reef and wildlife there.”