The Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce has come out against the idea of allowing hot food to be served at Port Douglas markets, arguing that doing so would draw customers away from the town’s restaurants.

Chamber president Phoebe Kitto said that the public needed to consider the potential impacts of allowing hot food to be served at the markets.

“We would definitely like to see plenty of consultation with local business, especially the restaurants -  we need to make sure that don’t dilute their business,’ Ms Kitto said.

“It would be preferable to not have hot food in the markets.”

Ms Kitto acknolwedged the large amount of public support for the idea but said the Chamber had a responsibility to advocate for business. 

“It’s about trying to work out what’s best for business and we need more business feedback on this,” she said. 

Even though the markets were only on once per week, they played a valuable role in attracting visitors to the region, Ms Kitto said. 

“The markets are are definitely a drawcard for people and the Chamber is definitely not opposed to the markets - a lot of people come up from Cairns or down from the Tablelands for them,” she said. 

“What we like to see is those people not just visiting the markets but also heading into to town to check out the restaurants and cafes or staying in town.”

The Chamber is in the process of consulting its members about the proposal. 

Douglas Shire Council’s issue paper on the idea lists several arguments both for and against; such as the observation that Port Douglas is one of the few Australian markets not to offer hot food, balanced out the fact that there is no dedicated eating area in the market or that increased generator use may be necessary. 

Council’s online survey for the issue remains open for the next few weeks and is available online.

What do you think? 

Should hot food be allowed at the Port Douglas markets or will that risk the business of nearby restaurants?