Douglas Shire Council will establish a joint management group to better coordinate, communicate and deal with a number of issues in the Wet Tropics region north of the Daintree River.

Mayor Julia Leu said the joint management group aims to involve all agencies, including Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Jabalbina, Terrain NRM as well as business, tourism and community representatives.

“The Wet Tropics region north of the Daintree River is in many respects the jewel in the crown of Queensland’s tourism industry yet its management has become disjointed,” Mayor Leu said.

“Different government agencies seem to be taking different approaches to its management, which is often different again to what the community and local businesses want, and we need to coordinate these efforts.

“The situation with the recent removal of the toilet at Cow Bay by QPWS is a good example, with the community and Council unaware of its removal until works had begun.

“On this specific issue, Council will be writing to the Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection and the Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef, Dr Steven Miles, requesting the provision of funding for the temporary and long-term replacement of the recently demolished toilets.

“More broadly though, we need to bring all the stakeholders together to come up with sustainable solutions to preserve and enhance the tourism and environmental experience in the Daintree Rainforest.

“Council will keep our communities well informed on the progress of the formation of the joint management group.