Port Douglas Outrigger Canoe Club will move to a new location at Barrier Street in Four Mile Park after concern about crocodile activity in the club’s current location in Dickson Inlet. 

Douglas Shire Council has issued the Outriggers Club a Trustee Permit while permission is sought for a permanent lease from the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, which will require a detailed Land Management Plan and further community consultation.

The club is not allowed to build permanent structures under the Trustee Permit but president Glen Thorp said more material would be transferred as the move was further worked out. 

“It’s going to be a long hard process and the club is going to need to have a few more workshops and meetings on it as we work out the move with council,” Mr Thorp said. 

“We’ve been running training sessions from the new site for the last two weeks but we have several new canoes that we obviously don’t want to leave sitting around in the open overnight.”

Mr Thorp said the move had been motivated out of a desire to grow the club, something that the risk of encountering crocodiles in Dickson Inlet. 

“For us the biggest concern about the crocodiles aside from the safety is that they were a barrier to future growth,” he said. 

“Everybody knows that you don’t go in the water in Dickson inlet because of the crocs and yet that’s what we’re doing.

“We’ve never been able to set up a junior section because of the location so that’s what we’ll be able to do now from the new location.”

Douglas Shire mayor Julia Leu said she was glad a new home had been found for the club and said that council would now seek community feedback on its crocodile management policy. 

“I’m glad we have been able to resolve this issue which will provide much safer access for the Outriggers and provide the club with the security it needs to be able to grow membership,” she said.

Cr Leu added that the Douglas community needed to be ‘croc wise’ about the reptiles, which play an important role in the local ecosystem and tourism industry.

“The current crocodile management process where crocodiles which pose a threat to people are removed appears to be working, but we’re keen to hear what the the community’s thoughts on what sort of process they think is appropriate,” Cr Leu said. 

“It is essential we are never complacent about crocodiles in the Douglas Shire, regardless of what management process is in place they will always be there and that’s why it is vital we do all we can to educate our residents and particularly tourists about being ‘Croc Wise’ in the Douglas Shire.”